School Committee Meeting 1/13/26

001Okay. >> Okay. If we are in open session, I motion I got to open up my my notes. I motion not to go into executive session today due to illegalities of the posting of the two agenda items. And I would motion that we solely post the union negotiating contracts tomorrow morning for a meeting sometime in the future after the allowed 48 hour posting window. Second. >> I think we already have a motion on the floor. >> No, she No. Didn't Melissa say she moved to executive session? >> I was interrupted, but I was >> She started to make a motion. >> Um, but can she make that motion? >> My feet are >> No, I was interrupted. You can't >> That's fine. If you all if you all I will resend my motion. However, I

002am saying that this meeting both agenda items are illegal to have tonight for for an executive session. One does not fit the criteria of an executive session and the negotiation does not fit the criteria of the timeline of hosting. So, if you all vote to have an executive session, I will go outside in the hallway or outside and I will not be involved in this. >> Okay. Um, >> so I I resend my motion and >> you can I I second to >> I'll resend if you all want to have an executive session. I'm just saying that it's not legal to do so. >> Okay. Um, >> can I ask a question? >> Yeah. >> Since we have a lawyer here, is it legal to have the executive session now? >> I don't. >> Point

003of order. Point of order, please. the the the lawyer who's here and and no offense to you, sir, has given his legal advice on other issues and the attorney general has overturned his advice. So, I do not believe we should be asking legal advice during an open meeting when there's motions on the floor or multiple motions or whatever. I think that's out of order. >> That's incorrect. That's incorrect. That's >> if I can respond on that. So, I think there's two ways you can approach this. One is you take up a motion that's been made and seconded. see whether a majority of the committee agree with that. >> If a majority agree, then you would not meet tonight. If a majority do not agree, then you could take an alternative motion to go into executive

004session and see whether that carries. >> My question was if we go into [clears throat] executive session, is that illegal tonight? >> So, I have not seen the posting for tonight, but my understanding is is that the posting was posted under purposes three and seven. um three well it may have been two as well for collective bargaining so two three and seven >> I have a question for the the attorney can I finish >> yeah sure go ahead >> thank you >> yeah [clears throat] >> um so purpose two would be to address collective bargaining issues purpose three would be to address potential litigation purpose seven is an alternative way to address revision or approval of executive session minutes [clears throat] so if all of those were listed as posted reasons I think you can

005you can go forward. >> Thank you. >> Chairman, [laughter] if I could ask a question to you. What is you could ask the attorney. How much time is necessary to post any agenda item should not be a violation of open meeting law? How many hours? >> Um I already know it's 48 hours. >> Well, I was asking the attorney since he's here. >> Well, you asked me. >> I don't know who he asked. How many hours are necessary to post a meeting agenda item legally? >> So the meeting posting needs to be 48 hours. >> Okay. >> There's generally uh flexibility in terms of when you make a motion to go into executive session. As long as you've [clears throat] noticed that you're going to go into executive session, what that purpose is, there's usually

006some flexibility on that. So, an agenda item posted 26 hours ago would not be legal under open meeting law. >> Correct. >> So, I'm I'm not going to get into a >> okay question and answer here in that format. I don't think that's really appropriate. >> My um >> it was appropriate a minute ago. My my issue with the um executive session tonight is the use of the litigation clause for going into it as a pretext. That to me and I've spoken to the attorney general as well and um using litigation as a pretext for going into executive session when the litigation is closed. You simply can't do that. And he explained that to me. The only reason we would do that is if we were planning to litigate against the findings of the attorney

007general. Nobody has intimated to me that we're going to be litigating against the findings of the attorney general. And so I was um advocating that we should not be using that as a reason and we should just be using reason 7 which was added today as a legitimate reason for going into executive just to revise our minutes. On the other hand, we don't need to revise our minutes. It wasn't mandated by the attorney general in the finding and we don't need to do it tonight. There's no rush. So my motion, if you guys don't like mics, my motion would be strike the executive session portion of our agenda for tonight and just talk about the mu [clears throat] and I know we're we're still in the first um motion, but >> um I would suggest

008go ahead. >> I would suggest we take Andy's advice in regards to dealing with the first motion. >> Okay. Um, so there's Was it ever seconded? >> Yes. >> All right. So, um, [clears throat] does anybody want to say anything? >> I could revise Mike's motion and revise it. >> I don't think you can >> I think we should stick with >> If a motion is on the table, you can then revise it. I can make a motion to revise it. >> And we could do the we could do the executive session, but only theou portion tonight. If a motion is on the floor, okay, there can be minor changes to the motion. That cannot be major changes to the motion. That would be a major change. That is not following Robert's rules. What if

009I made a motion that said um we move the the >> [clears throat] >> um revisions number seven reason for going into executive to the 48 posted hours that he recommended and we proceed with the for tonight. >> Theou was posted less than 48 hours before this meeting. >> Okay. Um part of the way you make decisions is from mass general laws but also from local practices. Okay. And we our um town website is that you you can make um edits or whatever you call them um anytime after you've posted it up until the meeting. So those um updates were legal by by the town websites. um >> or whatever you want to call it. >> The attorney general affirmed that that's true. >> Yeah. Well, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Because Yeah. When you go to

010look at Robert's rules or mass general laws, you also got to consider um town laws and that's in our policy book too that we also look at the town laws. So, >> I'm going to record. I wasn't asked if anybody was recording. I just want to let you know I'm recording. Okay. for just for the record. >> And nobody asked, "Is anyone recording?" So, I'm just announcing it. >> Oh, so people at home can't see what's going on. >> Ryan, can you help with that? >> I'm trying to figure that out, but I thought, >> are we being recorded right now? [clears throat] >> Are we live right now? May I ask? >> No, people can't see. >> I thought we were on the right Zoom, but we may be on the wrong, but I

011didn't want to interrupt at this point. >> All right. I would like to pause this meeting and bring it live to the general public that can view what is happening tonight. >> Do we need to vote on that or am I okay to stop the Zoom session second to do that? >> Um, >> I'm not sure what question I'm being asked. Are we allowed to go live now? >> Pause. >> Can can we pause the meeting? >> Yes. >> Well, to me it's common sense if you want to hook everybody up. I don't know if you need any legal answer on that. >> I just need you to say yes. >> Yes. >> Thank you. >> Lately, so have it smoothly recorded. Um I think >> Okay, we have people joining. >> Okay, so we're

012being recorded. >> All right. >> Do I have to reame my motion for the general public? The motion's on the table. I can reiterate it. I think that's probably a summary from the secretary. >> I just want to make sure that we're live. >> We are. All right, cool. So I did make the motion that due to due [clears throat] to the two agenda items in executive session, one being not within the confines of reason to have executive session and the second being posted not long enough for the 48 hours before an executive session for an agenda item for public to know what's happening. For those two reasons, I motioned that we do not have executive session tonight and we legally post solely the union tomorrow morning for a meeting in the very near future.

013And >> and I seconded. >> Okay. So, is there discussion? Did you want to have the same discussion again for the benefit of the public or did you want me to just do a summary or do you want to just move on? Well, um what I would say because of timing and things like that, um I think if we underwent the um webinars that the um attorney general recommended to us to familiarize [clears throat] ourselves better with um open meeting laws in Massachusetts, that having that webinar webinar information under our belts would be a good way to proceed with any any and all um executive meetings. So that would be my comment on it. So are there any other comments? No. Okay. So I guess we would take a vote then, right? Okay. Margaret, >>

014can you state the report? >> Can you restate it? >> We're Yes. cancel executive meeting tonight due to illegal reasons for having the meeting and to post it legally with the teacher contract tomorrow morning first thing for a meeting within the next few days as long as it has 48 hours notice >> just so if we vote yes we're voting to support that if we vote no we're voting to move into executive session is that >> no just voting down my motion and then somebody else will have to make a motion to go into session Okay. >> So, I want to make a comment before uh since the in fact said it was illegal and it is not illegal, I am not supporting the motion. >> Um since the attorney general told me that it

015was >> I don't care. >> I I can also make a comment on it. The attorney general told me that you support it or you don't >> I am supporting it because the attorney general told me that our legality is in question for tonight. I am in support of Mike's motion. And I'm also going to make a comment because you can't have one member make a comment and yell at another member. This was a a vote, Margaret. You vote yay or nay. You don't get to yell at Katrina. I don't >> yelling at Katrina. I'm simply saying I have been to >> point Margaret already voted. >> Can I say something? >> It's in a vote. You have to vote. >> I think we'll just do what we do is go around and everybody make

016one comment. If you want to make another comment, do that. >> Okay. So, Melissa. >> Um, no. >> Okay. Um, I'm voting to support member Halen's motion. >> No. >> Okay. >> And I I do have one comment. I would expect that everyone at this table treats everyone else with a little bit more respect, please. >> Yeah. Yeah. We that's what we've been saying at a lot of our meetings. Okay. Um so I vote I support Mike's motion. So I don't know. Does it pass? >> That passes 4 to three, Terry. >> Okay. All right. So then does the next motion going to be to have an executive session soon or >> That was part of my motion is to post it the the teacher only. nothing about the open meeting law complaint tomorrow morning

017and to have the executive session within the next week. So we can have a special meeting on Tuesday. We can have one Friday night for the MOU, [clears throat] but nothing to do with the open meeting or complaint. That was my motion. >> Okay. So does that have to have a vote, too? >> They already voted on it. That was all part of one motion. >> Okay. All right. So where are we now? >> That's it. Now we reopen public meetings. Well, we never closed the phone. [laughter] >> Can I just make a comment, please? >> Sure. >> If we could all please just respect each other. I feel like emotions have been high for so long and we must stop around the table. We have to be a united front. We do not have

018to agree, but we do have to be polite with each other about each other, surrounding each other, respectful. Nobody's asking anyone to be friends outside of here, but I am desperately asking everyone at this table to please be respectful. [cough and clears throat] All right. So, by my uh vast legal knowledge, we have 25 minutes until we um re the public expects the meeting to begin. >> Motion to recess. Is that okay? Yeah. >> You know what? I also think everything we should do should be about roll call vote for a while just until we Oh, could I say a couple of things? Um some data about um our um the way we discuss things and disagree on things. We are going to have a um workshop by Sean Castello. Um it's going to be

019in February. I asked him before Christmas, but you know, the man is very busy because he's so good. So, we're going to have a workshop um with Sean. And um we're in public, so I'll say this maybe it isn't the proper time in the agenda, but um I also think very strongly that we should um I want you all to consider the consultants that I referred to. um at our last meeting. Um she what I would like you to do is she would like to um speak with everybody to individually before we begin the process. Um she's quote unquote looking for data. Um she wants she'll ask you what do you think the school committee's functions and the rules should be and then she will ask you maybe do you what what ones do we

020meet of those functions? What ones they don't? and [clears throat] she intends to um do more workshops um to address those issues. So, >> [clears throat] >> um I intend to bring that to a vote on the next meeting. So, in the meantime, um I'm going to ask you if you would like to contact her as a person that we may um consider working with, let me know and I'll set up the meetings. Okay? Lori and I both met with her and [clears throat] so this is like getting ready to make a vote. It's information. You'll get data from her. Okay. So, I'm saying that and you can all um text me individually, not reply all um if you want to do that or not. Susan, do you have any hand up? >> Yes. I'd

021like to know who this person is. >> Oh, I'm sorry. the reason I and your reasoning in regards to >> uh point of motion chairman dear is this is not on the agenda and I don't want to get into a gray area we're discussing deliberation of a possible hiring in the future so again my motion of being recessed until 7:15 along with Miss Nevin's second is on the table >> okay [clears throat] all >> to do two. >> Yes. [clears throat] So, >> okay. So, we are going to restart the public part of the meeting and say the pledge of allegiance to the flag. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

022Okay. Um I will read the recording statement. Um this meeting of the family school committee is being recorded in accordance with Massachusetts open meeting law. Anyone who wishes to make an audio or video recording of this meeting must first notify the chair. Is anybody making a recording? Okay. So, no one is making a recording. All right. So, um Margaret, would you mind reading the mission and vision statement? >> The public schools creates worldclass student learning experiences. Our Clippers are empowered to pursue their goals with curiosity, integrity, and resilience. The vision. Clippers are creative, inquisitive, and engaged learners who participate in their community as socially responsible citizens. Clippers effectively communicate and solve problems that impact the world around them. >> Thank you. >> Next, we will hear from our student advisor. Thank you. Um, so then

023quarter 2 is next Friday, so almost halfway done with the year, which is definitely crazy and exciting. >> Um, and then a schoolwide event of challenge day, which I think I introduced last time. Um, is February 4th and 5th. So, it's a day for students and staff to engage in deeper connections, compassion, and empathy. And it just builds and benefits Clipper culture as a whole. And last year was great. They did one day. So expanding it to two allows for more students to do it and it was highly spoken of. So I'm excited to do that um next month. And then for athletics, boys and girls basketball are doing great. Girls, I know JB just won. They got back from Barn School and then Bar's playing right now. And then the boys are home. So

024it's packed and then I'll go back to that to support. So that's a fun game. And then the boys and girls hockey teams are also doing great. and they recently had their um endowment game versus Barnable. So, the teams play for Tommy's place and there's fun raffles and all the um profits go to supporting that. So, it was a great turnout and um super cool experience and tradition that we have in Palmouth. And then the winter choir concert is this Thursday at the high school at 7 p.m. So, I'm sure that'll be very good. And then for seniors, we're finalizing our senior trip in June, which will be a Red Sox game, which they did last year, but that's very exciting to think about. And then, um, juniors and any underassman that would like to

025go, there's college planning night on January 22nd, so to start that process is good. And then, Found Theaters production of Jeans and the Giant Peach is happening. I think I believe the show will be in the spring. Um, along with Bluebly Blonde, so that's another thing to look forward to. And then lastly, the foreign exchange uh program is an option for this summer for freshman, sophomore, and junior clippers um looking to do that. So, I think that's super cool and hopefully someone does and I can report back on their students. >> Thank you. [clears throat] >> Can I make a comment about challenge day? >> I did that last year and um I think we've all gotten an invitation to do it. Um, you need a lot of adults. Just um, you just need a

026lot of adults. It is blow out of the water. Fantastic. You must hear that. The people that went, >> it's just an incredible experience. The, um, [clears throat] whoever goes, you just need to, um, >> yeah. Yeah. Whoever goes, um, you just need to know, you have to, um, opt in for the whole day. And that's a, you know, a lot to ask, but the kids have to opt in. No phones. Um, there's they have a lot of things that they opt into, but and the reason it's good, I'm going on and on to try to drum up some more um volunteers to do it. The the reason it is so good in my opinion is it's a total diverse population. I mean, it's kids who are good at sports. It's kids who, you know,

027do It's just a really really diverse population the kids so it affects a lot of people anyway. So >> if you have a free day I would recommend it. Yes, Margaret. >> I would recommend you don't do that because I have volunteered for it and I received an email already that there are so many teachers volunteering for it that uh community members are not uh able to go. >> So I did volunteer for it. [cough] I was accepted, but then I [clears throat] got the vol the email that too many teachers have volunteered and so I'm not going to go. >> Oh, that's bad. I signed up last year. >> No, I'm I'm just letting you know. >> Yeah. Yeah. Mike, >> I have a question not related to challenge day. The Red Sox game.

028Do you all go individually or do you have a bus? How does that work? >> Take buses up. >> Oh, you do? >> Yeah. And then it's actually 2026 night, so we get shirts from the Red Sox. So, very excited. Yeah, it'll be fun. had a great time. >> All [clears throat] right. >> Thank you for covering all those bases. >> Thank you. >> Okay. >> And you can stay if you like. >> Um [clears throat and cough] I didn't get the signup sheet. Did you sign up? Anybody? [cough] [clears throat] >> Oh, okay. Um but let me make the statement first. Yeah. Okay. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Um public comment will be limited to Thanks. [clears throat] >> Public comment will be limited to 20 minutes. Members of the public are welcome to

029speak during public comment. Comments will be limited to 2 minutes in length. Due to open meeting law, the committee cannot respond or act on public comment. Additional comments and feedback can be submitted [clears throat] by email to school committee atmouth.k12. us. Okay. So, Megan >> [clears throat] >> Thank you, Sharon. You're welcome. >> Hold on. Stand by. >> Sorry. >> And Terry, are you okay with starting after I say my name and address? Okay. For my time. Thank you. >> That's usually what I do. Just so you know, >> not in my experience, it's not >> Okay. Go ahead. >> Megan Zodily, 812 Carriage Chef Road. Parents in this community have the right to ask questions, raise concerns, and participate in their child's education without being met with hostility, belittlement, or punitive behavior. Retaliation by

030an elected official against a member of the public is identified by the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office as a civil rights violation. It is also fundamentally inconsistent with the values that Falmouth stands for. This type of conduct represents an improper use and abuse of an elected position. It violates the oath that every school committee member voluntarily accepts. That oath states that your responsibility is first and foremost to students, that your function is policymaking, not administrative, that you serve as part of a team, that you remain wellinformed, and that you represent the entire community at all times. It also states that you accept this office as a means of unselfish service with no intent to play politics or gain personally from your role. When parents are dismissed, ignored or retaliated against for engaging in the process, it

031erodess trust not just in individuals but in the institution itself. It discourages participation. It damages public confidence and it sends a message to the voices of families that we are unwelcome unless they align with the preferences of the majority. Looks like the timer is not going so I don't know how much time I have left, but I'm going to continue. I asked for a visit at Lawrence school. Kelly Welch stated, "Do not let her in." I was told to sign an NDA for that visit, which I refused. And it turns out I was allowed access to the building without having to sign an NDA. It was not something that was required and that was never told to me. after my visit request was over on policy K1 visitors to schools is now on your agenda.

032I find that very interesting and I find it very reactive to my request for a public school visit. Thank you, Megan. [clears throat] Um Raquel Hi, Raquel Russell, Hayway Road. Um, I didn't know Megan was going to speak to this, but I just kind of was briefly looking at the first read on your visitors to the school policy as well, and um, it's a little concerning because personally, I feel like the original policy that you currently have um, is is great. It's perfect. The new policy um renders the superintendent so pretty much solely in charge and gives her authority of who's in [clears throat] the school when they're in the school and can say who cannot go in the school versus right now each individual school that's up to the the discretion of the principal

033and like we've seen like if there's a problem where the principal has a question he goes to the superintendent. So, um, and if it's a matter of safety, which I fully understand with having procedures for visitor check-ins and access to buildings, perhaps that should be an additional policy regards to safety around the visit visitation with that kind of, you know, schematic going on. But to grant one person the sole authority and this that's what this verbiage does to develop procedures like what are those procedures? you know, there this is just very vague and allows one person the authority to do or say or prevent anyone or anything for no reason at all. Like she could say to me, I don't want Raquel at that school ever again and that's that's that, you know. Um, I

034feel like the principles are doing a great job at their jobs for the individual schools and they are the ones who are more aware of the climate of the school and who should be in the school when and if they have an issue of someone not being there. I think they're the first person that should have that authority to do that. This also doesn't from the verbiage doesn't allow the principles at that given point to deny a visitor at that point, right? because if it's only the superintendent making the decision to govern these procedures, it's now saying the principles can't, right? So, I don't know if policy if I would just ask that this goes back to the policy subcommittee for further review and I think just leaving it the way it is. It's been

035working in the past and um that's all. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you. Um, moving on. The next item on our agenda is an update by the Wanoa tribe. [clears throat] >> Brian is here. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> And John Hanland. [cough] [clears throat] >> [clears throat] >> Okay. Good evening, school committee, guests, educators, administrators. Um, >> my name is Rox Brown. Hi. Hi, Lori. How are you? [laughter] Is there anyone else that we should promote? I just want to make sure. I got John. Is there someone else here? I think Kitty I'm not sure if Kitty's on yet, but Kitty was to be here as well. >> I don't see her. No. Okay. I just didn't want to forget anybody. Okay. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Welcome. We're glad you're

036here. [laughter] >> Yeah. It's been a while, but I'm going to start because I know, you know, it's a full agenda this evening. I just wanted to catch the school committee up on um some of the more prominent aspects of our partnership in the Indian education grant serve seven districts including the tribal weed school. We have approximately 328 native kids in those seven districts. Um and it only includes those tribes in the lower 48 states and Alaska. Felmouth has approximately 111 native students. Um, recently towards the uh early December, I sent out a renewal of the partnership for school year 2026 27 that includes a document entitled tribes in lie of the LEA which the superintendent sign and that's the partnership agreement that the tribe is applying for the grant in lie of the school

037district. Um there's a student count form that requests the number of native and non-native students by grade. Uh that document those documents are due with the new 506 forms to the tribal education department by March 2nd. And I just want to go back. The count week is from January 5th through February 3rd. And it's for any student if they were even if they were enrolled for only a day that student is to be counted. Another document is the parent consent to share native stu student data. Um and we do that um for for the purpose of furpa to meet that that act. um that allows the tribal education department to have access to a power school classroom and that classroom is populated by students whose parents have signed the consent to share that data. It

038supports tracking of native students by the tribal education department, consent to attend any type of meeting with the school and permission even to contact parents. for instance, if if we felt like a a student needed tutoring and we can offer tutoring. Um, another uh grant that we have, we haven't talked much about, I think, with the school committee is the Native American teacher retention initiative. We're in the third year of a five-year grant. We're serving uh majorly Mashby, Felmouth, and Barnstable, which combined have about 300 students, native students. Um the purpose of that is to f fulfill the need of having educators who are culturally reflective of the native students within those districts. Um and to support the inclusion of native pedigogies in the classroom and the sharing of those same pedagogies with the non-native

039colleagues. Participants must agree to apply to at least one of our partner districts if they're not already in those districts, each of which have a substantial native student population. Stipens are available for participants to support things such as lenture, professional degrees, classroom supplies. Our one of our goals is to help retain teachers in the classroom. and we know how fragile I think um the teaching career is right now or even the education careers. Um so that's to help keep them in the classroom. We have 16 retained teachers and recruits and we have four new recruits in the pipeline for 2026. Uh we're focusing on retaining with a hard push on recruitment this year. We have an administrative assistant slashdata steward position and a program manager position both vacant and we're working on um actually the

040screening process right now with the applicants for both positions. We have a quarterly partnership meeting scheduled for fe February 3rd at 11:30 um with the administration via Zoom. This is ongoing. And then I would like to thank Felmouth because I don't think we have for the beautiful land acknowledgement that was done probably two years ago, a year and a half, two years ago. And we've used that in um during Native American month where there was a gathering in Felmouth at the Museum on the Greens. So we use that um land acknowledgement for for different functions and it's very it very well represents the the partnership and uh relationship between Falmouth school district and the tribe and I want to just um allow John some time to just share some specifics with you. >> Yes, that

041[clears throat] would be great. Thank you Roxan. Welcome John. >> Hi Lori. Thank you everyone. Uh, I'll just run through a few things, let you know what's been happening with some of the native students at Falmouth. Um, we continue to have the lunch groups, meet with Duras at Mars Pond School every week. I meet uh with students at the high school once a month. Thanks to um Dr. Harris, he's created an opportunity for Wallace McKinnon, the school adjustment counselor, to be the liaison, and he helps organize those. So, in December, uh, we brought some kids over from Ashby High School and we had pizza with the Wampenog kids at Falmouth High School. Um this past week we had um nine students from Fmouth High School attend and we talked about the different scholarships that are

042available to native students. Um next month in February, Kitty Hendricks, who's the Indian education coordinator, she's going to at the request of a couple of the female students come and do some um some of the female cultural activities that the tribe has with those students. Um, in conjunction with the the uh grant Roxan mentioned uh for teacher recruitment, I'm teaching a course along with Brad Lopes from Aquina at 4C's this semester. Starts next Tuesday. It's on indigenous education and it's a dual enrollment course. So, it's online. It's free to all Felmouth High School students at the moment. We do have one student registered. She's not Wampenog. Um, and we have a teacher registered as well for that course. Um, some of the things we can offer some of the Wanog students in Felmouth is we

043have funding again for driver's education. Uh, we have tutoring, supplemental tutoring. If if a student wants to do that outside of school, we can pay for that. We have funds to pay for sports and other enrichment activities that Wampenog students need help paying for. We have funds to help uh provide the down payment for the Washington trip. Is the eighth grade in Fmouth going to Washington? >> No, >> they don't do that. Okay. So, some of the schools do that. >> Yeah, that's Mashby. I think it was in the match. I'm not sure who it is, but it's not. [laughter] That's fine. Um, and then just the last thing I'll mention is your uh fifth grade students from Falmouth, they they participate in the need program, the environmental education program down in Toro. And I

044know 30 years ago when I taught at Morris Pond, we used to stay for the week with the kids, but now I guess it's more of a day trip thing. And I was talking to Ellie who runs that program and she was saying that uh for two weeks in March and one week in May they're going to try to do it more local in the Falmouth area with with the kids. So she's asked us to contribute there. So we're going to try to set up on one of those days um like a morning or an afternoon where they can uh learn from Kitty and and I um Kitty and me um think you know visit our museum or cultural activities or whatever. We haven't figured that out yet, but just wanted to give you >>

045Thank you. Thank you. >> Sure. >> Any questions? >> Um, we read your um land acknowledgement periodically. I believe at the last meeting, >> we read it. Okay. So, [snorts] we we're intent to keep it alive. I was actually lucky enough to be on the representative um with Natalie Cattle. Canalopoulos and Andrea Thorl. We were the three representatives that helped draft that. And I have to say I learned a lot about the land um being taken all over the country. But I mean we we focused on the mash but part of our um homework was to research throughout the country and um so I'm glad that we've been able to keep it alive and um it's it's a great thing your back the history of the people that the people of the rising sun is

046it called >> it can be people of the first light they say >> people of the first light >> Roxan And the um so everyone knows that what you were referring to was the land acknowledgement that we presented was um Kitty helped out a lot when our students um we have it hanging in the hallway right here. So if anyone wants to take a look out there, it's we have it here. We have it in every school. So um but I just want everyone to know that that we went um to um Kitty's um office and we presented u one of the student um uh works to Kitty and I I'm so pleased that you still enjoy that. Thank you. Oh yeah, definitely. Thank you all. >> Thank you. Thank you. [clears throat] >> Um

047the next item on the agenda is an update from the superintendent. >> Okay. My updates. Just one second. Okay. So, this is budget season and um this is a great time for me to um give a shout out to our office of finance, HR, and operations. Um I have to say that our recent hires are just exceptional. Um starting with Paul, of course, um leading the uh the office and Stacy um but we've uh hired Melissa uh recently um Craig in HR and Jeff in uh payroll. And I I have to tell you, it's just an exceptional office. I've never seen it ever run so smoothly as it does right now. I just really need to give them a shout out. They are cohesive, collegial, um and that the quality of work is just top-notch,

048and I just, you know, really just want to say that. And then our new hire, Kristen, on the uh front desk as a receptionist, um is wonderful addition, and she's been helping out where needed as well. So, um things are running um very efficiently um with excellent customer service. And so, um I just need to give that that shout out. This is a very busy season for the um for that office. So, um, in speaking with that, I also, uh, want to just give a shout out to our, um, our opportunities and the the, uh, collaboration that we have with, um, the town manager, the select board, um, you know, the finance committee, um, just so many community partners. Um, we're just so fortunate um, to have strong relationships, and I really think that that

049that, um, just uh, helps out in really everything we do. Um, and it's, you know, just it's it's year year round. So, I just appreciate that. Um, just a a quick followup from our December 16th uh workshop um MSBA um the process for uh the school building committee. Uh there was a previous process and thank you um Susan because you got me on the roll with that. Uh in fact the moderator has been uh for decades the person that actually assigns um the uh members to the school um building committee. However um there are new regulations now that came out in 2324 and uh the authority um to select the school building committee uh members uh goes to the select board. So um I am actually meeting with uh Mr. Renshaw uh in the morning

050and uh we're going to uh lay out the plan and the next steps. Um they have to be advertised. There have to be applications. They'll go before the select board. You're shaking your head because I know you know that process really well. And um so anyway, I just want to let you know that was an update I want come back to because that was a question. >> If if I could, Chair Maderas, uh the select board appoints all members of the building committee >> that the um well that's what we're going to find out because the But um I did uh get the opinion from Mara Ke the town attorney. >> Um what what she is uh saying there are um in the regulations there are people that have to be on it. She she

051thinks those are the voting members and those are the ones that select board. Then MSBA suggests other people. It would be non- voting and we can just add those. I'm going to get a that's what I mean one of the questions on my list tomorrow morning. So I will I will know something further but the um but the the definitely the members that are listed in the regulations and they are voting members u the select board does >> y >> for instance I'll just give a for instance on that um MSBA suggests that we have a student on the the the committee um it's not in the regulations so um Mara said that that would be a an additional probably wouldn't be selected you would have be a non non voting member for instance okay

052If I could, Chairman, it's similar to the fire department, the Hatchville Fire Station when the select board appointed those members, too, I'm assuming. But thank you for looking into that. >> Yep, absolutely. Um, and just with the strategic plan, I'm just going to go over the three topics that we talked, the strategic plan. Um, uh, there's a lot going on right now with the the regulations and requirements for um, the MSBA and, um, we still have some other things to visit. We have the green schoolworks coming up. Um, and so, uh, I had just, uh, made the the statement that I would prefer to delay the strategic plan till later in the spring, uh, or until next fall. And then the green schoolworks grant, uh, was the third thing that we talked about. Um, you

053received information and, uh, that is actually an agenda item tonight on the, um, the, uh, agenda. So, um, and we'll talk a little bit more about that at that time. Um, you approved uh, the New York City trip. um to see Don Coyote uh on March 6th. Um however, uh it had to be cancelled because there was uh low interest in the trip. So they they're going to try again next year. >> Um something uh real exciting, college board has recognized Fmouth High School for earning a place on the AP school honor role for the 2425 school year. We are being recognized for outstanding work to welcome more students into AP courses and supporting them on the path to college success. Research shows that students who take AP courses and exams are more likely to

054attend college and graduate on time. Um so a shout out to our administrators, department heads, and teachers, all that continue to offer um AP courses and continue [clears throat] to to bring more students in. Um it's a it's a great recognition from the college board. And uh my final no it's not my final. Sorry. Um yes it is. Okay. So my final uh this is really important. So I I don't know if you know uh DECA um but it this is our first year um that we have joined DECA as a um a member uh of the chapter and the mission is uh that it develops emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in business, finance, hospitality and marketing. uh we have 11 students um join this year in uh for the first year and uh so it's

055unusual that in your first year you actually go to competition but we just recently last week um participated in a competition in Hyannis. It was the DECA district 8 conference. There were about a thousand uh peers, 16 districts represented across um southeast Massachusetts. And so um very exciting. Each student competed in a full day industry specific competition against hundreds of scholars varying age and skill sets. Each competition consisted of two separate role plays and a 100 question exam on their respective industry across two days. We had three students in our first year. This is so exciting. Three students received medals finishing in the top five overall. Uh Will Trimble was a sophomore. He uh is in the top five for the personal financial literacy. Shayla Carson as a freshman um finished in the top five

056in marketing communications series. And Michael Dunn, a junior um finished in the top five at the principles of marketing. Uh and they won the all three students won seats at the state conference. >> Wow. >> So it's very exciting. So congratulations to our stu uh our students and I want to give a shout out to Jenny How which is their um advisor and leader. And um just a flip aside, Jenny How is a Felma High School graduate. So um but [applause] congratulations to them. >> How's that for the yearly? >> That's a big [laughter] chairman. Quick question. Do they still have to dress up for They do. Okay. >> Yep. Um, oh, wait a minute. Do you want I don't >> That's part of the program is to >> Oh, is that the pictures in

057this packet? I'm sorry. >> No. Um, >> that's a college fair. >> It's a college fair. Uh, yeah. I'm sorry. No, they did. I I did have some pictures. So, yes, they they did. >> I like that. >> They look very professional. >> They looked great. And they looked really happy getting their um their medals. >> A congratulations. >> Yeah, I know. It's very exciting. >> I love that they're young students. Yeah, exactly. >> Lots of years. >> There any other questions or comments for Lori? Um I have um I just would like to I I appreciate you're updating us on where your thinking is on the strategic plan, but I would just like to reiterate my disappointment that the district isn't pursuing the strategic planning process to guide us in the um very important

058decisions that we have in the months and years ahead. Um I understand that several members of the team, the administrative team attended the collaboratives uh strategic planning retreat last night. So um I think there's an understanding of how important the strategic planning process is and um you know last year we were told that we would be pursuing it at the beginning part of this year. Um so I would just like to um encourage us to uh pursue that sooner rather than later and not wait until the fall. >> I'm also second that. I know I can't second that, but I express confirmation that I agree. >> Okay. Any other comments? Thank you again for the year the clipper stuff that that's what we loved to hear. Okay. Um now we will have a presentation on

059the FY27 budget. Yes. One second. Got to bring up the presentation. Um, some of this out of the way. Why is it not moving? >> Ah, thank you. I'm sorry on my screen the people are hiding that. Okay. So we this is the exact presentation we presented um in December. Uh we uh presented for the uh PTO's and councils uh last Monday night and last Wednesday night. We um was very positive. Um there was um there was a few questions um but um no let you know up front there were no suggestions of making anything different um in in you know for the budget to make anything uh but they were all very appreciative of and uh good good discussion. Did you agree Paul? >> Yes. >> Okay. Uh so now if I can move

060it [cough and clears throat] I am sorry why. Oh, there. Okay. It's just different. >> Okay. So, um as we said that, you know, we always uh start with the mission vision um and uh core values uh which is really culminates into the Clipper experience. Um then we um which really uh flows into our uh district framework for student success which is our um uh strategic plan. It's a collaborative process. We work year uh round with the town so that they understand our needs. um all through the year and that there's no surprises during the budget season. Uh we identify the student needs and then we align staffing to meet those needs. Uh align the budget um with priorities. This is very important. We always start with student needs and then we align the budget.

061We do not uh start with a specific amount and then try to fit within that budget. We identify and uh resolve budget constraints which you will hear from um Paul uh later. And then we plan a multi-year plan and I'll give an example of that on the next one. Um so strategic priorities um priority one of course is safety and you we'll see um some additions that we have built into uh the um budget um that I I think are good uh additional safety measures um high achievement for all students um always uh and we have over the last couple years uh had as a budget to increase the special education budget to more align with the increased special education cost. So um and and Paul will speak a little bit uh to that later,

062but just this is the the the discussion of um that the cost went up before our budget could meet those um our regular budget could meet those needs. We've had to um uh you know ask the town uh town uh town meeting um for the um to to use some of the special education stabilization fund. Um but over the last year and this year, Paul's been able to move um the cost into the budget with the town's um support so that um we think we're you're going to hear Paul say we're we think we're in a position now that next year um that that um we're finally uh are aligned and we'll probably not need to be um tapping into that. So and then uh increased funding levels to support new program growth. So over

063the last few years um we have been we've not been able to move past the um just meeting students needs. For instance uh you know um this has been some time that um I've been wanting to start a uh world language program at the elementary school. We are now at the budget. we've been able to catch up and uh set a budget that that in FY28 um it it looks like we'll be able to do that along with um the uh welcome center and hiring a um you know full-time uh interpreter um on so that we'll have um we do well with all of our interpreters are there. Sometimes it would just be nice to have one especially uh as we're um uh enrolling uh students um which we do throughout the year um to

064have one. So the welcome center and then of course we would have other resource and stuff. So um those are examples of two things that we have had on hold um but I we I think we're going to be at a budget uh situation we're going to be able to uh start that. So this is just uh the next slide is the um looking at the enrollment um two 2,825 uh students this year. This is October one data. It has changed since then. So any point in time you look at it's different but October 1 is the state's official date point in time and so that's that and 656 um employees that has um stayed pretty steady. So even though the enrollment goes down, our student needs have gone up. And so um we have

065been able to maintain our staffing um where needed. And then um just uh I know I' I shared this before um this year we're at 7.9% multilingual learners. That's pretty steady from last year. Um 34.9% uh students with disabilities pretty steady from last year. And economic disadvantage uh pretty steady at 40.4. Although over the last several years that has grown greatly. >> Just one question for clarification. That's it. Be quick. 656 is that persons or FTEEs? And if you don't know, you can get back to me. >> It's an FTE. >> A full-time employee. So if you have two parttime, it would be >> right. And and let me just also clarify that, but that does not include it. That was at one point in time and there were open positions at that point in

066time. So that number is actually today slightly higher. It's not just >> and they are employees not but um they uh yes but I was going to say that too. This is again point in time. We uh we filled many positions since then. So >> all right and I'm going to turn it over to Paul so we can talk numbers. >> All right. Uh so we've been through these fights uh last week as well, but I just want to make note that there's more detail within the books uh the budget books that you all have at your table here. Um happy to answer questions on them whether through the chair person or through Dr. Door um if you want to ask questions or stuff like that's fine as well. So um there is more substantive

067uh to than just the presentation itself. So let me just quickly outline this is the sources of funding for this current year fiscal year 26. So the two top two lines the 51 million 381 and the 10 million42 those two numbers combined uh made the total budget for this year roughly 6 million 61 million424. So that is the town what we call the local budget. That's what the town uh votes on. [cough] In addition to that funding this year, our school choice funding for students that attend uh thmouth from other district uh is anticipated to be 1 million216. For the purposes of next year's projections, we assume the same number here. We do that as well for chapter 70. The grants total for this year a million698 and the circuit breaker this year at a

068million394 that's up substantially from last year. If you recall out of district tuitions which govern the circuit breaker amount uh are up were up significantly la last year and therefore the circuit breaker amount increase. So in 26 this year our total funding sources was 65,734 and in 27 >> Paul I'm sorry could you repeat the circuit breaker stuff that you just said? >> Yeah. So the circuit breaker for this year is a million394. >> That's the circuit breaker for this year is based on the other district tuitions that we paid in fiscal year 25. Okay. >> All right. So, it's the that amount is calculated at the end of the year and then paid into the next year. All right. So, always a one year time frame. >> That one year always often confuses me.

069Thank you. Sorry for interrupting. >> It's understandable. So, if you go through uh the numbers for we're using for fiscal year 27. So, our total sources of funding would be 69,477. the number at the bottom there, the top two lines is just being the 64 million uh for the uh town budget to be voted on. Uh we again we're going to we're straight lining has been our practice in the past. Our chapter 70 contribution at 10 million42 what it is this year that always is late in being determined by the state. this this year's uh chapter 70 wasn't determined until July of of this this past July. So school choice we're keeping the same the grants keeping the same we expect a slight increase in circuit breaker um based on the potential amount of tuitions.

070I'll come back to this number. So our total figure is 69 million. uh our budget realities, the things that most influence the numbers here uh are the chapter 70 funding that is increased slightly and roughly 4,000 at this fiscal year 26. Timely grants are of the uh unpredictable. We're still holding them at the level they look to be safe for next year. Um but that's always at the change of Washington. Special education costs continue to increase. Uh school choice revenues remain fairly steady. Enrollment trends. Student needs require annual staffing decisions. As Dr. Dor mentioned earlier, our staffing levels are uh predominantly at the mid to high uh t uh steps with only a few retirements or resignations. Uh so far I think we only have three or four retirements for this coming year and there's

071been significant increases in non- salary expenses and I'll go through that again going through the numbers for this year's budget. Uh we're asking for 64,987 284. That's a 5.8% increase from the 61,424 fiscal year 26. Um moving [clears throat] on uh you can see the changes in the uh where they are in terms of salary. Salaries would increase 2,482. Uh that's about a 4.8% increase in salary. That's largely reflective of the expected colas uh and step changes that are occurred with our employee base. It's not new hires. This is just the existing employee uh coal based increases. Um and on the non salary side and I'll go into the detail on the million080 uh that's about 11% increase. The total dollar amount of the increase was a 3.5 million uh 3.562 million on the on

072the major uh movers on the budget. uh trackual increase in the busing uh is 56,000. Uh as Dr. Dor mentioned, this is the sec second year now we've been increasing out of district tuitions, out of out of district transportation and special ed contracted services, all of which have been significantly up over the last couple years. uh out of district tuition. We're looking for 200,000 increase 250 for out of district transportation, 250 for special ed contracted services. That's actually psychological assessments um and uh therapy help for students uh that's done outside of the district uh staff. Utilities were uh looking for a small 5% increase. Our our rates of essentially set by contract but uh distribution costs are expected to increase. Uh in the final line security here we're asking for 206,000 in this number and

073the purpose of breaking it down this way for again to be just be able to highlight it uh is out of that 206,000 roughly 88,000 of that is software related uh for our camera uh our new command center that we're establishing at the uh high school for for all of the district-wide camera fees. Uh in addition to that is staffing um for a new SRO and uh for two safety monitors that will be monitoring or be staffed in that command center uh for monitoring the cameras. Uh so that's highlighted here for that purpose uh to make it easier. uh other increases a collection of increases but some of that is contract related. Uh our total increases we expect is a million80 um on this. So let me uh talk about other district tuitions briefly. So

074for this year, we're looking at, and this is right at the time where these numbers might be changing because it typically there's an upswing in other district tuitions right after the beginning of the school year. There's uh an upswing in placements that occur right after the start of into the uh early spring season. So late winter, early spring. Right now we're still projecting two 3,ion432 for this year. Out of district transportation we're presing for this year 628 $4 million in total. You can see the circuit breaker I've already mentioned. It's important. This is the idea grant the 240 grant that we use almost entirely for out of district expenses. All right. That's a federal grant for special education. And then our budget numbers for this year is million687 for both tuition and transportation. So our

075total funding sources is 4 million versus the uh out of district expenses expected at 4,61. that would mean if if keep to these levels that we would have a slight uh deficit but we can make that up with some of the funds that we have remaining uh from both in the circuit breaker account um we also have stabilization funds we did not use the one point I want to mention in fiscal year 27 this number of 3 million 920 is based upon the likelihood of students that are currently being evaluated for out of district tuition to be placed sometime between now or next year. So they have a high likelihood of being placed in out of district tuition out of district placements, excuse me. But the the question of when that will occur, we put

076that into the number for fully for the uh fiscal year 27 and that brings the tuition level to 3,920. The audited transportation number we haven't changed is because the schools that these students are likely to be placed at are schools that we currently have students at and so that transportation would be shared with these students. So it wouldn't increase our transportation cost. We evaluated these students on a case-by case basis. So our total expenses would be formally 549. Um the circuit breaker a month we would actually increase if these students are placed anytime this year. So we put a a assumption here that this may increase. The uh 240 grant stays the same at 920. The budget number reflective of the increases [snorts] I just outlined would go to 2,137. So we' have 4,632 in

077funding available for that 4,4 549 in cost. So we have a slight excess slight cushion uh to deal with changes. Just want to remind everybody these numbers can change and they can change quickly. So um these are estimate best guess thoroughly reviewed by staff but and we do this at least monthly oftent times multiple times a month this number is watched closely because it has a big impact on the budget but I just want to say this is I think with these increases that we've outlined again a second year of these increases um first in fiscal year 26 now in 27 seven that we have enough funding here to cover what could transpire next year for other districts. So in final and summary uh we're asking for a 5.8% increase uh for the fiscal year

0782027 >> and we will be asking the school committee to vote on that at the next school committee meeting. That's the presentation. Thank you, Paul. >> Okay, next. Um, >> questions. >> Oh, I'm sorry. >> I have questions. >> Okay, I didn't look around. I'm sorry, but Margaret, we go around. All right, Margaret. >> Nope. >> Okay. >> Um, I think I've asked this before, Paul, but the the 5.8% increase. Last year, we had a 5.5 >> 5% increase. And I think I've asked before, but given how changeable the numbers are and how unpredictable things, what's your best guess? Are we going to still be asking the town for a 5 something% increase every year or will it plateau at some point? And the reason I'm asking is, of course, because we have so many

079large requests coming up. I'm just wondering whether the town is going to be getting this from us as well every year. >> I think I I I think we're at the high end of future year requests. at a 5.5 >> and then it go above that but it might be around there every year >> or yes or below that I think the budget has to be in reality with the the entire town but I think >> we have to we have to look >> I don't want to forecast that number >> sure >> but I I just but I I think this would be a maximum number that we could ever see going forward I want that being said the town's budget is going up if voted on and approved is 5.8% increase. We are

080right at the town level of increase. And if you look at the school uh budget as a percentage of the total budget, our budget as that percentage of the total has been declining over the years. >> Okay. >> All right. So it has not gone up, it's gone substantially down. >> Okay. So, uh, >> we were significantly below the town's request of an increase last year. >> I was just reading in the paper that they have a budget shortfall they're dealing with. So, I wanted to ask that question >> and I and I'm sensitive to that >> that very thing, but that that's why Paul's had a comment. Yeah. >> Thank you. >> Usually I don't go to order, but Sue is on the budget committee. So, >> no, I'm just curious, Paul, in regards

081to about what percentage are we of the town [clears throat] budget? Yeah, I I I and I'm going to come back to you with an exact answer, but I think it's around 35%. >> And just interesting to note that during my tenure, at one point it was over 60%. >> Exactly. In many towns, a school budget could run in the 50% range. Mhm. >> U so that number has been you know we have been trending downward at the last time not this past the last budget meeting I did give those percentages out uh we were kind of rushing at the end but uh that gives a yeartoyear percentage of the budget >> so we've been doing our part >> yes reassuring thank you >> okay Mike >> I have a I have three questions the

082first might not be budgetary but on the first thing this framework for success. Isn't this not similar to a strategic plan? I don't get the difference. >> It is a it's it's like the executive sum summary of a strategic plan and and that's the that's the front facing of what districts do. Behind behind the scenes are some action steps. Not behind that, but administratively administratively we have our action steps to make sure we realize that. But if you read through that, you you'll notice that it's aligned to our district goals. Um and um many times when I speak to the action steps they they're directly because they're in that strategic plan. So you're absolutely right, Mike. >> So again, this might not be the place, but could this then be put into a strategic plan

083with the company? And I I will I will pull that question back until it's appropriate because it's a budgetary question. So I pulled it back. But now my next question is for either Lori or Paul. I'm I'm curling all these papers up. I have three schools. I think Mullen Hall East and North Falmouth. You see where it says reading? They're all about the same. It says reading uh reading software. East Falmouth reading software. Is that the I Ready stuff? What What is that software? >> Well, there's um No, it's not the Ready. Um there are software programs that are allocated depending on Well, depending on whether the school is an elementary school whether it's intermediate school or so software. >> So the office of teaching learning issues a list of software programs for the students

084to be used. >> Okay. >> Based on the number of students um uh that's the software itself. >> That was my next question is that it's per pupil per license. >> Is it it's all the same software or is it different software but different schools? >> It's different. It's the same software for elementary schools, >> additional software for intermediate schools for Morris Pond, different software for Lawrence and different software the high >> the price differential is per pupil license. >> Yes. >> All right. And my last my last question is way in the back. Um, in the administration, the top line says school committee continued SVS and then it says school committee other and and superintendent office, I'm assuming. Um, the top line item is is way over budget. >> Yes. >> What is that?

085>> Okay. Uh, school committee contracted services is the legal the essentially legal fees for the district. So okay whether they're used for contractual negotiations with the unions whether it's used for if the district is facing lawsuit uh etc. That's where those districtwide li uh uh fees get charged to. So the Murphy has fees are charged to that line. The okay the other component of that line a smaller number is the fees for the MS MASC the mass school committee. >> Okay. So with that being said with the the school committee continued service and superintendent services. There's two different line items. Could we break the at least the school committee one down because that's in my opinion is somewhat concerning that it's that much higher than the the estimated budget and then it goes down in

08626 and 27. So just for that one line item which is one of the ones that is a larger percentage other than that I don't see anything else really that I want to ask. So we in just just so we increase um that amount in the years that we're doing contract negotiations >> because we have an attorney on site during that >> then you know other you know other could be other things that come up from year to year that that could push push it up but we know that during contract negotiations those years >> it's going to go up higher >> and I guess that the difference between then the superintendent continued service ADB that also has that has no MASC, but it has legal. >> There's no legal in the superintendent. >> No

087legal. Okay. >> So, all the legal is in that first line. Okay. >> Yep. >> Awesome. Thank you. >> I'm just curious, why do they call the school committee? >> Well, because the school committee really is responsible if if there's a legal issue, it's really a function of the school committee. So, so if there's a lawsuit against the district, it's really a lawsuit against the school committee. If there's a union negotiation settlement, the negotiation is settled with the school committee. So, those are the uh >> Wait, I have one more thing, Paul. That last slide you showed with the budgetary thing, the [clears throat] circuit breakers money coming in. >> Yes. >> Okay. So, that's why the top number is going out, the middle is going in, and the bottom is the differential. >> Yes.

088comes in later. >> Yes, exactly. >> Thank you. >> But it comes in a year later. >> Yeah. >> Circuit break is always one year delayed from the year uh expenses will occur in and just as an overall picture. I think just keep in mind one uh one thing in any given year a particular line like school committee contracted services for legal fees that could be overdrawn. you can have a higher amount and you can have another line within the budget that's uh less uh you know has money left over. And so if you look in your book uh to uh section four um and there's a slide in the book that says summary breakdown of budget by school. >> Oh yes. >> All right. And you look at the bottom line of the budget

089for 25. Our budget was 58,222421. We spent 58,222 $4.11. $411 rather bucks. >> Well, we have exactly. So we're we're that close, but we balance those lines. One line may be up because of you know the extensive union contracts. So legal fees [snorts] are higher. One line's going to be under underutilized because of some you know no need in that particular year. So we balance it in the year and that's why June we've done do such an effort to stop all spending so we [clears throat] can close this budget as close as we can possibly be. Thank you, sir. >> Melissa, >> thank you. >> Okay, Linda. >> Um, yes. I'm sorry. I was just refreshing my memory. Um, so just to kind of piggy back on [snorts] Mike's question [clears throat] about legal fees.

090So, can you tell us all the accounts that is is that that's not the only account that legal fees are paid out of? >> No. The other account that we use attorney fees for is school choice uh for things like the policy u so attorney gans charges are done in school choice. So, >> so just wondering why why um why it comes out of that account >> because it's available. We I mean if you add again if you trying to narrow this number down to the total. >> Yeah, >> we got to use school choice funding or else we're going to be over. >> So those are the two accounts that legal fees are drawn off of. >> Yes, only two accounts. >> Okay. And then u my question also is just in looking at

091the line items for tab I don't know is it 12 and then 13 a lot of them say contingency services um after it. >> So >> contracted >> or C or contracted services. Oh okay. So, can you just explain? So, that's when an an outside company is used to >> So, if you're um if you're repairing a boiler and you hired a a an E&E, for example, >> to repair a boiler, that's goes under building maintenance contract services. Um if you're u a law firm would be contracted services. If you hiring a a plumber or anybody outside of buying a a specific product, if you're using the skill set or the services of that company, that's considered contracted services. >> Okay. And um >> so if you're buying paper, you're now into supplies. But >>

092Okay. Um, and then my only other question is one of the line items on the administrative non- salary is I think it says superintendent's office other exp adb administr and that's for 40,000. Can you can you tell me what that means? >> Yeah. Other so there there's sort of three lines to any given um center. So our budget group. So you're going to have contracted services, then you'll have supplies, then there'll be other type of expenses. Typically, they could be a membership uh expense for uh us my membership in the mass school business uh officials could be Sonia uh Dr. Tier's membership and so on. But those would be expenses that not necessarily hard supplies or commodities and or contracted services. >> Okay. My last question is um to what age legally um are we

093um providing for out of district placement for students? >> You have to provide up to 22. >> Okay. And so um how many are graduating from from that service? Um and then how many are coming in? Do do you know do you >> okay if I I can't answer that only because the number slips below a certain >> I now get into revealing student data. So it just it's the numbers are so small that if you get into very specific questions >> it legally gets now into a threshold I can't answer it. >> So the well then >> let me just put it this way to answer the question. >> Sure. >> The budget for 27 is net of students that are expected to graduate. So our age out of the system for out of

094district tuition if if that's your question. Well, so yeah, my my question is it it's not a static number every year that you're that you're using to make the projection, right? Because the numbers >> so let me answer it this way. We have roughly in total 31 students in out of district tuition, out of district placements. next year. That number is inclusive of those students that have haven't aged out of the system to your >> have not aged out of the system. >> Have not have aged out of the system. >> The students have aged out of their system by next year their tuition is not in that figure for fiscal year 27. >> Okay. Thank you. >> But I just can't. It is so small with that 31 number. If I answer it, I'm

095now giving away >> identifiable. Okay. >> Thank you. >> So, was that Chris? >> No, I'm okay. >> All if [clears throat] people had questions, >> more than happy. Okay. >> I mean, and and these are I mean, these are all great questions and uh and you know, honestly, if you you know, give me a lot of information. happy to have you drop by and ask questions. Um, so you know, we talk to Dor. >> Thank you. I know I've been in your office asking them and I I figured you would say what you say, but I just Okay. Thank you. Um, >> um, budget. >> Nope. We got to go do the hearing. Yeah, >> going to post some >> language into the hearing. >> Oh, that's right. Okay. Um, I'm sorry. This only

096happens once a year. So, where is that? Or special language? Okay. Um, so we need a motion and a second to open the school budget public hearing. Could I get a motion? >> Let's make a motion. Second. >> Okay. And um, all those in favor? I >> I Okay. No abstaining or >> Okay. All right. Um, is there anyone in the audience who would like to make a public comment on the subject? >> Okay. >> Or online? >> No, I've checked online. There's not online. >> Okie do. >> About the budget. >> Budget. Yeah. >> I do have one question. >> Okay. >> Is um >> Can you come up here, Jen? >> The same thing. You need to state your name >> and it may have Hi, my name is McCarthy and I live

097on record. >> Um, I just have one question and you may have answered it and I might have missed what was said, but um, since I'm just wondering about the teachers contract um, in raises like the current because I know they don't have a contract right now and if they do get a raise, is that included in this? >> Yes, >> it is. in like a future raises. >> Mhm. >> Okay. Um where would that where would I find that? >> So we can't talk about I'm sorry. So that piece of it we have not closed out the contract negotiations with the the um the teachers yet. So legally we cannot speak um to that. >> I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It's just it's the timing. >> We're all hoping we're going to close that up

098quickly. >> All right. >> Okay. >> I also have a question. That's okay. Um, Megan's carriage shop road just about the budget. You know, I can't see your breakdown for the the graph, but if you are overbudget for attorney fees um and legal fees and you can be identified in a lawsuit individually and you're recontracting with attorneys who are advising you against attorney general recommendations. I just have a question about hiring attorneys, going over budget with attorneys outside of a contract year. Um, and would like further review about that specific area and about the legality and recommendations that the attorneys gave to see if they're giving advice that's legal because the town is paying for that service. Thanks. Um, do we need to delineate how that information would be dispersed or >> I'm not sure

099that question >> that would be outside of the >> the budget. >> Yeah. >> Okay. I know it's a future thing. I just want to make sure that we have some direction for that >> or >> I'm not sure >> we're not I don't I think we need to um >> we need to do some work on that. I don't think nor should we be responding to that one. >> Okie do. All right. >> The other one was a budget question. >> Okie do. >> All right. Thank you. >> Okay. Um any other questions from the public? >> Okay, then I need a motion to >> Do you have a question? I just had a question. It was a good question for Paul, but I just wanted clarification. I think it's on 12, Paul. It's

100at the page before 13 and I I noticed this and I just want clarification. I think I know the answer, but way in the bottom, and if you can't give me the answer because the numbers are so small, I accept that. But the private school out of district was way under budget. Good job with that. But then I feel like that under budget went to the line two down the outofd district collaborative or something to that effect. Am I right? >> Uh yeah but it it it really becomes the best way I can answer it if you go back to the presentation. >> Yes. >> Um so if you look at that u out of district tuition u >> y So the funding sources are three funding sources. Circuit breaker, the 240 grant and the

101budget line. >> Yep. >> So it is what really how we allocate okay >> the the tuition payments and which ones we pick. >> Yes. >> There's no real science to it. We pick the most expensive ones to allocate to the grants because it's easy to allocate that to a grant and fill the line quickly. It's no science. Okay. >> Yeah. It's just so that line gets >> um for desi purposes you have to break out reporting wise what you pay for collaborative what you pay for private schools. >> But it's all the district. >> Yeah. But it's all under this. We got to make a motion >> to accept. >> Second >> or to close >> to close to close the hearing >> to close. >> Okay. Second. >> All those in favor? >>

102Any obstain or opposed? >> Motion. >> Okay. Thank you. Um I would like to >> he's going to give a budget update next and then it's very quick. Um, I'm going to just pass up my color sheets here because I know Mike likes them. >> Paul, I want to say this this binding is your best work yet as far as the color goes. >> So given all this is through 1231 2025. Um so if you look at the second from last column we spent through December 27,521. Uh we have available 30 I'm reading on the bottom line here 33,902 still available. If you look at the incumbrances um which is the line before that it's at 3,889. those encumbrances. The major numbers are the transportation uh incumbrances uh are uh utility incumbrances and and some

103other district incumbrances. So that's uh so the bottom line message we're in good shape. um you know the big variance on the budget is in out of district tuitions or salaries and so on but uh we're in good shape for where we are where we should be for this uh for this year. Um so that's the the message I wanted to give you. >> Shortly sweet. >> Yeah. >> All right. >> Thank you. Um, I guess just to be follow the routine started. Chris, any other questions or >> No. >> N >> I I should know this, but I don't. Um, [clears throat] the >> tuition to Uppercape Tech, does that come out of >> town's budget? >> The town's budget. So, that's not reflected in here. Okay. Not at all. And that is a

104per pupil enrollment. Um, >> that's right. >> Okay. and and that is paid um in advance of the >> uh of the school year. Yeah. >> Uh I'm not sure when the payment actually occurs. I it it's not it doesn't come through us. Okay. >> All so it it may very well be in advance, but I can't answer that. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Okay, >> Meliss. >> Thank you, >> Mike. >> No, thank you. Trina >> Margaret >> can you Thank you, Paul. >> Okay. >> All right. Now, um I'm going to move something out of order because that then Paul can leave. All right. Um so we we'll move the um green schools um >> item. Yeah. Okay. >> So can do you want to start? No, I I just would uh make

105sure I uh say that this is a collaborative effort between town uh sustainability coordinator Stephanie Matson in the district. Uh Stephanie has been phenomenal uh in identifying grant opportunities for the district uh to benefit from um at large and small. So just a tremendous resource. We could not [clears throat] do these type of grants without her help period. Uh we just don't have the bandwidth to follow these type of uh opportunity. But that being said, as I explained at the last meeting, it's a great opportunity. They had received a grant of upwards of $5 million. Um it it really is to that could be both for solar uh uh parking canopies and for uh for a heat pump um for one of the two elementary schools that I that I mentioned either east ticket too.

106So if we go forward with this application, this is really one of the only ways of getting these projects funding now that the Biden tax incentives uh are expiring. So we can't do what we did at North Fel any further what we're doing in Fel High School. So this is really a key opportunity to get this type of work done. Um with that said, Okay. Um, we started on this side. I guess we start in the middle now, right? >> Motion. Okay. >> Motion. >> Move to approve the uh application. Help me with the uh wording application of the uh green school works um grant application. >> Second. >> Okay. So, now discussion. All right. Um >> you want to start in the middle? It's start in the middle cuz so >> no thank you.

107>> Okay. Um >> I I had [clears throat] a question. I thought I asked this last time but I might not have. >> Can we submit two application one for each school? I think we talked about that. >> That's what we're >> I would I'll support the motion if we submit both of them and then we see all right cool >> where we are in May before that we going to have to give them an answer before they make their final decision. But since both schools are fairly close, >> thank you. Yeah, >> they both have a good chance of uh or one of them. >> One of them. But like I said last meeting, I believe it is not plausible but possible that we could get both. But as long as we submit both,

108I am okay with the motion. >> Uh okay. I I have a real problem with this one. And it's not because of the grant. The grant's fabulous. Um the problem is that this is leveraging us into a situation where we're going to have to before we have possibly made a choice about whether we even turn an elementary school [clears throat] into a prek center. This is going to force us to make that decision. And our application to the green school works are is predicated on this idea that we will be choosing which school will be an elementary school in the future. And we as a committee have not even determined that we are going down that route. We've talked about it. it's on the um dockatives options, but we have not committed to that. I

109think it weakens our application to have all this nonsense about having to choose which school and we're going to apply for both and of course we'll have to choose one. So that's my feeling about it. And then I have some questions related to that. I went to the green school website. I read their eligibility requirements at our last meeting call. I think it might be [cough] um you [clears throat] were saying the uh the eligibility is the highest percent of low-inccome students is how you chose those two schools. Is that >> I don't know. >> So any school is eligible to apply. >> The prior years you had to be a lowinccome school. >> Yeah. The preference for this year is going to be for lowincome schools, but anybody can still apply. >> Okay, >>

110so last year was limited in the application to low-income schools. They opened it up, >> but they're giving a preference for low income. >> Okay, that's what I thought I understood. And so when I looked at their website, there's not a percentage you have to meet. [clears throat] Um, so East Famouth is is 45 more than 45%. ticket is 43%. Mullen Hall is 39.6%. So, it's not far behind in terms of the percentage of low-income students. Um, Mullen Hall is our oldest elementary school. Um, and Mullen Hall could have, as far as I am aware, maybe it's not possible to put solar canopies, but you could we didn't this ruled out Mullen Hall because it's a it's a much congested parking lot in a very visible spot. So they have >> the in east of

111T ticket we can use if you think of the walkway structure that's in front of T ticket with paneling above that. >> Mhm. >> That would be the type of look that would happen at uh Ticket or East South and would so it would be less of an intrusion uh than parking canopies. >> Okay. Understood. Understood. So the low income designation is over the 40% mark. So >> it doesn't say that on their website. Where does it say >> and Jessie has them listed? >> Yeah, the low income I think is title one model is 40%. Um that's typically >> Jessie has um has uh East Ticket Mullen and Morris listed as title one. >> That is correct. That's correct. >> Yeah. So, so I guess what I'm saying, the other thing that I noticed

112on their website is that they give preference not only for low income, but also for the diversity of technologies that you're applying for. So, a solar canopy is probably a pretty common request. Um, geothermal or something more diverse and unusual could strengthen our application. If you don't want to >> geothermal is part of the >> Okay, so I I was looking at what this in here. Um it is I don't >> geothermal would be considered part of it. The only the you now you have to remember we're at a stage that no engineering work has been done right. >> So in order to qualify for geothermal you have to have drill testing uh to be done in the uh in the >> oh I see geothermal. >> Okay. >> All right. I mean, so I

113guess what I'm saying here is in order to prevent to in order to apply for this grant, which is a fantastic opportunity, but prevent the school committee from being put in a bind. Um I am suggesting that we should apply this grant to Mullen Hall. Um and I I can make a motion to that effect if people want to take their comments. But to me, this is um it's [snorts] it weakens our application in my view to be saying we're going to have one of these schools be K12 and we haven't made up our mind and it puts us into a position that I'm not at all comfortable being put in. I haven't had those conversations. It's horse before cart before. >> I I appreciate your um the position and all that. Um but we

114have to do this with the town and Mullen Hall is not on the table. >> Why? because of the location, because of um the the parking lot, and they do not believe it's viable. I mean, that's what Paul's saying >> for solar canopies. But there's there's other things. You could do Mullen Hall for everything else >> and and apply next year. >> The solar canopies is driving the heat pump >> to go through a study. Now, Mullen Hall, we're not going to make it. >> Yeah. >> So, that's $5 million off the table. We have two candidates we have are in a good position either one of them to win this award and it's a substantial award of $5 million. >> We have to you know we have going through with two applications the understanding

115and we'll pick one as the final is the best option and we've spoken to them. We had a a full conference call with uh the mass CC work. So I I don't think Mullen Halls and I think you need community assistance in putting up parking canopies in Mullen Hall. >> Can I just So my understanding and I know you've been in all the meetings, the solar panels drive the energy that runs the heat pump and cooling. You've got to have the so if you don't put the solar in, then you're not making the savings. We're not we're not making that that extra step the town's looking for. >> And you had discussed at our last meeting that the roofs at Easton um to ticket were not sufficient for having them on the roof. So it

116had to be solar and Mullen Hall, same story. >> No, Mullen Hall is different. We've never evaluated Mullen Hall for the structure for uh >> for the roof. >> I'm not sure if it It's feasible for the group. Um, but Ticket was evaluated uh east was evaluated north and they're all very similar group structure. They cannot sustain the weight of souls. >> Thank you. >> I doubt Mullen will be here. >> Margaret, any questions? >> I'm in favor that we move forward. This is $5,000 we could use million5 $5 million that we could use. And in fact, considering that town has had some budgetary concerns considering that we want to move more to solar, you cannot have a heat pump without solar. Um [clears throat] I I I support the motion that we move forward.

117>> Chris Chris. >> Um yeah. Um, so I'm I'm guessing that the sustainability coordinator Stephanie was also kind of helped to propose that Tig and Eastbound were the two most viable >> from the very beginning. >> She's leading this this project. I mean this I mean this is part of her town work. >> Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you know, I my only concern just kind of looking at the big picture is just I just don't want us getting pigeonholed with the bigger decision that we have to make based on on this. But, you know, based on Mike's suggestion of at least having the two schools um eastbound and tick um as part of the application um then yeah, I'm in favor. And if the sustainable is also kind of uh proposing those two schools, then

118yeah, I'm in favor. So it >> um I I do support the application for for this but I would like to call everyone's attention to that paragraph on the letter um on the the next page by submitting application for both East Melmouth Elementary and [clears throat] Ticket Elementary. The district recognizes that prior to any award, the district must decide which of these two elementary schools would remain K to 12 for the future. I am not understanding why that paragraph needs to be in there >> because we can't in order for to get the uh grant you have to be a K to2 school for 20 years. >> Yes, >> absolutely. So if we get the award for T ticket then it's used for for >> you have to decide before they make the final allocation

119which school is going to get it. So they're going to say okay we're going to give you 5 million which of the schools do you want to choose? >> Okay so so okay we if we choose T ticket great if we choose that stays a elementary school for 20 years. >> Okay. Um so so >> again the um this is making us we may not decide that that we want to have a different use for one of those buildings. But if we accept the award, then we have to make that decision. So I I don't understand why we just can't apply, see which school is awarded, and use the money and have that drive our decision as opposed to saying we're I I'm I'm not understanding why we have to decide if we should. I

120I I'm not understanding that. >> So if if they came back to you and I just play this out and say we >> we'll give it to either one. We're not going to give you both. >> Yep. >> You know um and you come back and say okay whichever one you choose. Then essentially, Mass CEC just made your school committee decision on which school is remaining an elementary school for the next. >> They could they could both be remain elementary school. We haven't been a discussion on us getting rid of one of these schools is what your point is. that whole and then the paragraph above that says with the understand that only one award may be granted that's extraneous because the there is the possibility if if the award pool is so slim that

121we both get it and then we're forced to get $10 million and keep both elementary schools at which point in time we would revisit Mullen Hall or North Phelmouth if we so choose. I agree. I didn't read that. I'm sorry. >> Let me just say that the pool of award is 19 million. No, >> the likelihood that Sal is going to get 10 million of that 19 is zero. >> But I think that the issue with the committee members is is why pigeon hole ourselves into making a decision when it's not necessary at all. >> Okay. >> Can I say something? Just because that paragraph is in does not mean that we don't keep two elementary schools. >> There's there's nothing in that paragraph. It says we're going to make a choice about which school's

122going to get it, but it doesn't say >> which would remain K12. >> K to 12 in the future. That's >> the other one. >> But they both could remain K through 12 in the future. It doesn't say they can't. >> It does. >> No, it does. >> I will say absolutely you still have the option that both schools could remain K12. >> Then we should delete all of the language that even the point is you whichever one you pick has to be a K12. That's not how this is worded. This is saying if you choose one, the other one will no longer remain K12. >> No, it doesn't. It does not say that. >> Then we can delete all that language. >> You must decide which. >> Yes. >> Yeah. Just decide which school

123you want to use. That doesn't mean that it's asking you. >> But it says the green the green school works grant doesn't know that public schools is deciding >> which why are we letting them know? If Okay, let me just >> like that's not part of this grant. >> Let me just back up for a sec. >> Okay, everybody, >> we are submitting two. >> Just don't let it rise. >> All right. >> And at some point, we're going to tell the CEC which of those two we can say for sure is going to be uh an elementary school for 20 years. That's a requirement under. So let's say all right the decision that the school committee is both of them will make. Okay great now just pick one name you're going to go with

124for the elementary schools for the next 24. >> That's what the going to get the grant. >> You only can in the end you only can have one application when it gets down to the final level >> not two. So at the in that one >> and they don't care what you do with the other school. >> Yeah. They don't exactly >> they have no they have no stake in what happens to that other school. >> And if the second school remains in elementary next year's mass CEC opens up again you apply for the second school and that if that continues as a elementary school for the next >> and Paul u we had help writing this letter. >> Yes. We we didn't put it together. It was written for us to help us submit.

125But it but again, they will have no say in what happens to the school you don't pick. >> Yeah, I believe that the say is more internal where members of the committee and the public can say, "Oh, you've already voted to get rid of a school." So, it's not the CEC. It's more internally and I agree with with that language in it. I don't feel comfortable putting the car before the horse >> because it's kind of forcing our hand down the line. >> Nice. and it should be deleted and there's no need for it for the CC, >> right? >> We are only can submit we could submit two applications. >> Yes. >> The likelihood of those applications being both accepted is is near zero. I mean it's a very small pool and increasingly competitive

126market at some point. I mean what would be if we make if this does not block you from making a decision on the second elementary school. It just says out of those two, you have to make that statement that that elementary school will remain for 20 years an K through 4 elementary. PreK is not qualified under the current uh regulations. Maybe in the future, but it's not right at the wrong. So you have you have two going in. You essentially pick one of those to go at the you know period of selection you name. If you want both elementary schools to be elementary schools indefinitely then that's fine. We just pick one of them at that main junction point and say here it's going to be this school but it just has to be for

12720 years. >> Katrina So, when I was looking at the green school grant um website, there are two options for applications. One, if a project is a connected and or coordinated multi-school effort, you can submit one application for more than one school. What they mean by that is if you're going to use the same contractor to do similar services at more than one school, as we would be in this case, we can submit one application for more schools than one school. >> That's right. The other option is to submit separate applications for two different in our case schools. Um I don't believe from looking at the criteria for selection that [clears throat] we get to choose which school is awarded a grant. They will select that based on the criteria of each application, but they

128are independent applications. So they will look at a TT ticket application and they'll look at an East Felmouth application and it will be almost as if they're from different school districts as far as how they're looking at it and then they'll say Ticket is the more worthy or better placement for this application grant and they will award it to Ticket. >> Sorry Katrina, I've had the benefit of being on the phone with them. >> We outlined this strategy specifically with them and they concurred with the strategy. So it goes beyond the steps that you've just mentioned. >> Okay. All right. >> So I I >> All I did was look at the website. >> We're trying to do a a significant size project here with a meaningful dollar amount to get the best chance successful.

129>> Why not just do a multi-chool application and we do at one time >> we in effect we are we will be our application here will be for the full value of $5 million. Mhm. >> We will be doing a multi- uh a multi-stage application process with them over a period of years. [clears throat] >> The next goal will be uh you know, >> oh I'm sorry. Can I interrupt you? I'm sorry. Last time we talked about this, you both told me when I asked that there's no way to know whether this grant would um pop up again next year. If it's the case that we can do a multi-year um forecast with them and we can apply for the next school next year, >> there is no guarantee of that. I mean, that's true.

130We you don't know from year to year whether the funds are there. There's 19 million this year. That's it. So, if you think about it, if you're applying for 3 million or 5 million, that's not that many applicants. I just want to say Stephanie and Paul have spent a lot of time on this working and talking with them. >> You know, I just, you know, I just don't want to discount the work that's been done. I don't want to disrespect the work that has been done. I I think the reason that the district recognizes that prior to any award, we must decide which of these two elementary schools will remain K to2 for the future. I understand the intent there. You want to let them know that there's a chance that one of the two

131schools we're applying for will not remain a K through 12. No, no, we did not. >> They just want to guarantee that the school that you're going to pick will remain an elementary school or, you know, that has a K to to it has to have one of those grades in it, has K or more, right? So, it's not um the conversation. There was no reason to have a conversation with them about one being a a preschool. We don't know that one's going to be a preschool. >> Why is it? Because the Excuse me. It's a requirement. >> The application requirement requires that statement. >> The application be in order to >> every Does every school district that's applying have to make that statement? >> Every school district that is applying for this grant has

132to make the statement that the school that they are applying for will remain a K through 12 school >> for the next 24. That's in the application >> and they say it in exactly this way. They're going to choose which school because one of them is not going to >> Well, not everyone's not anybody's in our position. >> Two two applications in. >> No, that's not what I asked. >> What? >> For those who are putting in more than one application, would they say it in this way [clears throat and cough] or are we just saying it this way because we're not planning to keep the school? >> You have to attest on the application. >> I'm sorry, but I think this is a school committee meeting. >> Well, there was no discussion. Can you

133act on it? >> Um, no. Wait a minute. Okay, everybody just calm down here. Um, it's on here to act on it. To vote on it. So, we can have discussions and vote on it. Um, >> discussion on the agenda. >> Excuse me. >> It doesn't say discussion on the agenda. There was never discussion about this agenda item. >> No, we're okay. We're okay. Um, I don't know who was next. Margaret to take it. >> Um I haven't said anything yet. Could I just say something? >> You speak. >> This paragraph is monumentally um pigeon holing. It just is because no matter what we say when we apply when they say, "Okay, here's your money. Where you want to put it?" They want a decision. And I don't think we'll be able to have that

134decision at that time. So I don't know if maybe this look we're maybe This paragraph is just does not say it makes us look bad. As a matter of fact, in my opinion, if we say, "Okay, we we're going to apply for these two schools, but we don't really know which one because we've said we're going to have um we're going to hire people that are going to help us decide which one should be in elementary, which one should not." We're not going to be ready when this money is ready. That's what I want to say. I don't feel we're going to be ready when this money is ready. Okay. >> Um I don't know who was next >> I guess. Well, [clears throat] this letter was Stephanie does this solo work and she's the

135one who brought this to our attention. And I believe I heard that the letter was was in fact designed by her who has no interest in which school becomes what if any school becomes something. uh and this is to comply with what is required to get the grant. Okay. There's this suspicion obviously around the committee that this is intended to somehow offiscate what we're doing and make us make decisions or not make decisions. You know the other kind of thing I've said before and I'm going to say it again. You know, there's been this continual postponement of decisions. The more we do that, and I'm not saying that we shouldn't have four elementary schools. I don't care what the decision is, but a decision has to be made so that people can prepare with whatever

136we're doing because if we don't, the decisions that we made at at the last minute will be harmful to our students. And that is what we are here for. Okay. Again, I haven't said anything, so I'm going to take my other turn here. >> And you signed the letter. >> Yeah, she hasn't signed the letter. >> Well, the letter's not signed yet. And this is getting a little bit out of control here with the tone, but >> wait. I [clears throat] If you want to hear me yell, I can yell. >> I've heard you yell for years, Mar. >> No, you have not. Stop. Stop. Stop. >> No. No. No. Wait a minute. No. I >> Point of order. Point of order. Either we tone it down or I don't know if I have the

137power, but we're going to stop the discussion. >> You absolutely power. >> You absolutely have the power. >> Okay. >> As a matter of fact, I think it's so confusing right now that we're going to postpone it to the next time. Can we take a vote on that? >> No, we can't. >> In early February, they will not move forward and help us um complete the application. >> It's timely. I'm not saying you need to make a decision, but it is a possibility that we will just have to forego it this year. >> Terry, I was Terry, I was next to speak. And just real quickly, all we have to do is on that on the paragraph that says we are submitting mass CEC, right after the word that the award, we delete that and

138say that the awarded school will meet K through 12 eligibility requirements for 20 years. that satisfies the 20-year required required eligibility and we delete the entire next sentence. >> What can you do slowly Mike so we can >> we are submitting mass CEC green school works applications for both both East Falmouth Elementary and Ticket Elementary School with the understanding that only one may be granted and the awarded school will remain K12 eligibility for 20 years. and then we delete the next paragraph. That guarantees that whichever school is chosen will continue to meet [clears throat] those eligibility and yet it does not pigeon hole us. If we don't make those changes, unfortunately >> I cannot vote for it. I'm fine with >> Yeah, I think I can do that. I can do that. >> That was

139easy. [applause] >> I agree with that. Okay. >> I need a second though. >> Second. >> Well, wait a minute. There was already a motion on the table. I don't think we motion on that. >> I'm just hold of the meeting, please. >> We can do it, but I'm just saying hold on. >> Okay. >> I don't know if it's a motion or it's an it's a >> it's amendment, right? >> Just amend the letter. We don't need >> Yes. So, I don't >> Yeah, I made the original motion. Okay. >> Do you want me to withdraw the motion or or >> how do you want to handle it? >> Accept the friendly amendment. >> Excuse me. Accept a friendly amendment. could do the amendment and then go back and do the motion, >> right?

140>> I don't even think we need to redo the motion. I think we can just I meant to approve the motion. >> You think you can just do a friendly edit a >> Okay. Um, let me let me rephrase it. What you do, when you do it, how do you approve it? Um, Sue, [clears throat] >> you made the original emotion. Okay. >> Okay. Um would you um >> would the wording be I move a friendly amendment. >> Okay. >> All right. >> Second. >> Okay. So then we're [clears throat] voting on Mike's amendment which seemed to make it clear. Did everybody feel that way >> with Sue's main motion? Yes. The whole thing. >> Okay. >> And I will send Paul the language. I said it's fairly simple but yeah. >> Okay. For the

141record, can you repeat that language myself? >> Uh, we are submitting mass CEC green schoolworks applications for both East Falmouth Elementary School and TIK Elementary School with the understanding that only one award may be granted and the awarded school will meet K through 12 eligibility requirements for 20 years followed by the deletion of the next paragraph to begin again with this letter is intended to demonstrate. >> Okay. Everyone clear. >> Everyone's clear on that friendly emotion. >> Yes. >> Okay. So, um, now we take a a vote, right? >> Okay. I, you know, I'm just now thinking we should do everything roll call for a while. So, Chris >> Ling, yes. >> Augusta, yes. >> Cohen, yes. >> Yes. >> Mean abstain. >> Susie, yes. >> Maderas, yes. Okay. So, passes unanimously, right? >> Oh,

142I didn't have Okay. All right. Thank you. Okay. Now, >> thank you for >> You know what, guys? We've been sitting here hours. Can we just stand up? >> Can we take like a five minute recess? >> What? >> Do you want to take a five minute recess? >> No, not five minutes. Two minutes. Just stand and stretch. >> Sorry, Madam Chair. Are we on recess? >> No, we're just we're just stretching. Standing and stretching. Hands off. Stretch break. >> Just like to remind everyone we're still being broadcast. >> Okay. Nobody else did that. So, okay. Everyone got to move a little bit. The next item on the agenda is the presentation of the superintendent's midcycle self- assessment progress. >> Okay. Um thank you. Uh I just I just want to say that um I

143I I really want to take my time with this. Um I I've been allotted um [clears throat] 20 minutes. Um I hope everyone doesn't mind. It's going to take longer than that. uh in previous years I've tried to rush and only talk about benchmarks and really not talk about the goals and the standards uh and um and then the um actual benchmarks. So um I hope you that it's okay and you'll bear with me. Um I think this is important um to give it a student. So I just want to start out saying uh when we talk about the Clipper experience we are talking about a culture of excellence for this all students and staff. A culture of excellence requires building the structures and practices that keep the district adaptive, resilient, and future oriented. Excellence

144is not a destination, but a continuous improvement uh process even with uh even for high performing districts. >> Sorry, Lori, is there a presentation or no? There's no >> So, I sent an email and I gave the um >> No, I got the email. I just didn't know if you were supposed to put up and I and you hadn't. Okay, great. Thank you. >> Okay, that's all. >> All right, so goal one uh is to provide oversight, direction, and support um for student learning through student achievement. >> Sorry. Did you like me to wait? >> No, not at all. I didn't say anything. Please, please continue. Um so the strategy again is um uh to provide which is what the superintendent does is provide the oversight direction and support for student learning through student achievement

145data analysis the MTSS and IST process uh IST analysis and the development of school specific objectives for uh student advancement. Our shared understandings in this district is that all students are general education students first. Students learn when they feel like they belong and see themselves in what they are learning. The MTSS is the system and process teachers use to meet the needs of all students. And MTSS stands for the multi-tered system of support. that student success is a shared responsibility and in the pursuit of excellent we meet students where they are and provide the necessary supports and resources for every student every day. the standards. The first standard is standard uh onee uh data informed decisionmaking. As superintendent, I've had a long-standing practice of collaborating with the directors and principles in data reviews and analysis

146monthly on a merit of data points, including student achievement data. As superintendent, I've had a long-standing expectation that the assistant superintendent meets with all principles individually for a school specific deeper dive on uh achievement data and I follow up with the assistant superintendent on that matter. As superintendent, I've had a long-standing expectation that the director of student services meets with all principles and seas for a school specific deeper dive on achievement, attendance, and graduation data for students with disabilities and students on 504 plans and I follow up on that matter. As superintendent, I've had a standing expectation that the director of DEIB reviews data with an equity lens, with the district, with principles, and with equity teams, and we follow up with each other um on that matter. As superintendent, I follow up with principles

147on a regular basis about school specific data. District goals reflect those discussions and drive school uh level action steps. I follow up on all expectations of the district goals with all of the administrators standard 2C scheduling and management information systems. I have established a practice for an ongoing review of school schedules that maximizes and protects time on learning for all students. Each year there is growth in this area including standardizing the schedule. So students in need of reading support, EL services for multilingual learners or pull out services, resource room for students on IEPs are not missing core instruction and building in scheduled time for inter intervention blocks during the school day and reviewing long-standing practices that could hinder students full access to the curriculum. I meet with all principles monthly. Additionally, elementary principles meet separately

148monthly as do secondary principles and all district leadership meet including AP CAS and department heads multiple times throughout the year. Meetings are focused on aligning practices, increasing student achievement and ensuring student well-being. Again, the structures and the practices that are in place for student success. Standard 3B, sharing responsibility. It is the Fmouth culture to collaborate with parents in meetings regarding students academic, social, emotional, and behavioral needs. Fmouth is fortunate to have many resources within the district to address the needs of our students including the mental health supports, guidance counselors, school adjustment counselors, and psychologists. also for academic supports, reading specialists, um our EL uh teaching staff, our special education resources in general education classroom and subsparate programs like TIP, TLC and connect. Ongoing professional development with teachers has increased success for students requiring de differentiated

149support in the classroom to meet a variety of student needs at a tier one level. The community of Falmouth also has a plethora of resources and we have many standing partnerships to assist the district in meeting the needs of our students. As superintendent, I model offering to meet talk with groups of individuals and open door policy. Our principles at the school level have the same practice. We have a culture at all levels to work with our families and community members. Standard 4A commitment to high standards. Our commitment to high standards begins with the district mission, vision, core values set by the school committee. The mission, vision, core values are referenced in everything we do, including collaborating with educators, families, and community partners. It's the basis of communicating high expectations for all students and collaborating with

150families for the achievement and well-being of all students. Administrators, including the superintendent, directors, principles, and other administrators when leading me meetings focused on district priorities, foster collaboration and decision making. Standard 4D, continuous learning. Balmouth is a culture that models continuous improvement. Every member as is as standard practice reflects on their own practice and protocols to ensure we are meeting the needs of our students. Ongoing professional development, book studies, journal articles, research, participating in job alike uh groups across the region and state, keeping up with DESIE communication guidance and participating in DESIE webinars and participating in areas of current practice across the country. All for the purpose of staying current with and sharing best practices across the district using information as a basis for reviewing um own practice and culture and analyzing the need for improving

151enhancing practice in the district. Again, all for continuous improvement. Our strong team of administrators is an example of ongoing network to improve our roles for staff, students, and families. Goal one again is um the uh achievement data and this is just a review. As you heard from MCCAST report in October, students are maintaining moderate growth and showing steady incremental progress towards increased numbers of students meeting exceeding meeting and exceeding expectations. The percent of students meeting exceeding expectations in grade 3 to 8 continues to occur at higher rates than the state and is isolated areas where progress is slower. There is a plan in place um with targeted support curriculum materials, professional learning, teacher coaching and supplemental resources. I understand that the superintendent um sets the culture for the continuous improvement and that has been the

152cornerstone of my superintendency. As you have heard from the benchmark report in November, uh in ELA, we are maintaining high expectations and consistent leadership around the following. Um focused on um and aligned with the science of reading, focused on knowledge building, aligned with Desi's definition of high quality instructional materials. We raise uh the bar for all students and emphasize the need for all students, even our most struggling students to engage with grade level complex text. Align practice with solid research base marking a significant change in how reading is taught and ensure that writing instruction is explicit and systematic and embedded in the ELA curriculum. Coordination of the curriculum in grades 5 to 12 uh supported by the collaboration of the elementary literacy manager and the English department head. Continued implementation of new literacy screeners like

153the MCCAST for kindergarten through grade three. The benchmark data reveals that in-class screener for reading literacy in grades K to three indicates a decrease in those in red. Those are the ones that are far below grade level and an increase in student performance in green on grade level and blue above grade grade level from beginning of the year to the end of the year. Our ready screener for reading literacy in grades four to six indicates Falmouth have fewer students below grade level and greater numbers of students on greater grade level and above grade level than the state or national comparisons. In math, we are maintaining high expectations and consistent leadership. We continue leadership with the recently added K6 STEM department head u which I um put in place um a couple years ago to um

154increase our um oversee our math and science and connect with the department heads um of 7 to 12 math and and science department heads. Um, an advanced implementation of I Ready for kindergarten through grade 8 curriculum. Benchmark data reveals I Ready screener for math in grades K to six indicates Felmouth has fewer students below grade level and greater number of students on grade level and above grade level than the state and national comparisons. All students in grades K to six though in the high performing high growth quadrant with the typical growth rate of 121% with grades five and six having a typical growth rate above 140. [clears throat] Second piece of that was the MTSS and IST document review. Last year the district [clears throat] goal was focused on professional development with teachers and administrators.

155um on the MTSS processes with administrators as facilitators on the IST process the outcome we've revised the MTSS and IST uh guidance document we've created an online tracking document for students in the IST process and we have revised the master schedules at all elementary schools and Morris Pine School to efficiently manage [clears throat] resources and manage student support and personalization. This year's goal was focused on refining the implementation process of the MTSS and ISC processes. Principles are presently field testing a new meeting tracking tool, the one I just mentioned. Dr. Tellier, Sandy Casmandellis, and I have been completing IST document reviews. Increase specificity in regards to interventions. This action link links benchmark data directly to classroom instruction. Increase progress monitoring. This action can be facilitated with use of our benchmark subtest as well as teacher

156administrative uh administrated sorry administered screeners and observations. Increased followup meetings and discussions confirmed IST flowchart that clarifies how and when these meetings are scheduled. Increased intervention adjustments and modifications. This action links benchmark data directly to classroom instruction and decrease direct path to the special education referrals. I appointed Sandy in the position of the director of student services and in expectation that we would see lower that we would be providing interventions earlier and we would see lower uh percentages uh in special education. That is the strengthening of the MTSS and IST processes. That concludes my goal one. Would you like me to stop to see if there are any questions about that? >> I just can't >> before I go to goal two. >> What is its again? >> Uh, instructional support team. >> Okay. S.

157>> Yes. >> Um, I don't know if it would be helpful for the public to have your um presentation from September up on screen. Uh, that's if it's too complicated, it's okay. But, you know, it give them something to look at. They doesn't have to go looking. Um, okay. So, I I I >> don't just mean these people. I mean anybody who's like myself and >> I do recognize [clears throat] though that your slides pair with what you're saying. So, >> well, I mean, they do they do pair nicely, but but the point is I can't have both >> looking at slides. I get it. >> I could send it to someone else and someone else. >> Brian, can I >> maybe >> I'm going to invite you into the presentation so that you could

158do that. Um, okay. >> Thank you, Katrina. >> Thank you, Lori. >> Okay. >> Sorry we're taking time for that, but I think >> Well, um, do you want me to hold and wait or >> I mean, we've already moved past the first few slides anyway. >> What side are you on for? >> Um, >> uh, I would be on go two. >> What number is that? >> If you look, if you go down through the Yeah. >> Yeah. Should say gold too. >> If I'll tell you what, if you start from the beginning just for a second >> and I'll just I'll just help the the people that are watching. I'm not going to go over everything I just said. They can go back and look, but I just want to lay it out.

159>> That would be great. Thank you. >> Yes. So, if you start at the beginning. >> Okay. Um, so now pop it back to the beginning slide. Okay, there you go. Next. This is when I gave the this this presentation. Oh, you jumped. Okay. The next one. That's okay. That this is midcycle. That's the time frame. U Okay. So, there was goal one. That's what I read. Next slide. Um so, these are all Oh, what is it just going? >> No, I'm just saying it. >> Oh, sorry. Don't. Okay. And these were all the focus indicators. These are the standards and that's what I was addressing each standard. >> I'll let you try. >> Oh, do the arrow. >> You want me to try? >> Yep. >> Okay. Um and then so these were all

160the standards that I spoke to and then uh these were the action steps that I spoke to. So the um and we uh still have other data points that we'll be covering in the next couple months. This is uh the professional practice goal two to improve communication with staff by increasing information sharing and opportunities for feedback and collaboration. I'd like to take a minute to explain how this came about. for the last couple years. Um the FEA survey that goes out to the members, it has come back that um they would like to see uh improved communications with the superintendent and from our uh central office. After it came out the second year this way, I went around in the spring and I talked to every to all staff at every single school and I

161talked to them about if you want my communication approved, the central office communication approved, how would you like that? So, I wanted their input to tell us what are they looking for? And so, when you see uh when I get to the benchmarks, you're going to see that these were the things that the staff asked for. And I think that's important because we're if I'm going to focus on this increasing staff um communication and feedback, then I want to I want to do it in a manner that feels comfortable for them. So just wanted to preface and remind everyone how this this uh goal actually came about. So now um I'm going to go over these three standards. So standard 4A, commitment to high standards. Our commitment to high standards begins with the district mission,

162vision, and core values set by the school committee. The mission, vision, and core values are referenced in everything we do, including collaboration with educators, families, community partners. It's the basis for development and selection of materials, resources, and activities. Administrators, including the superintendent, the directors, principles, and other administrators when they leave meetings are focused on the district priorities, and they foster collaboration in decision decisions. standard uh 4C communications. I model conducting engaging discussions with the staff focused on what is important to our staff. I model regular ongoing written communication with staff. I'm modeling a variety of ways to engage staff in decision-m and I'm modeling communications and decisions being made standard uh 4D continuous learning. I have established systemwide practices for educators to reflect on practice, review data, plan with colleagues, and participate in professional learning

163of s. I've established systemwide practices for administrators to participate in professional learning with teachers and staff and frequently visit common planning and team times. I've established a systemwide estab uh practices for principles to engage in regular meetings for their own reflection and with other administrators to reflect and refine strategies for district effectiveness. My progress on this goal um I have now sent out uh eight news from central office communications um in addition to the opening letter and the holiday messages. The response um has been very positive about these communications. Um in fact, I get stopped a lot uh telling me um that um they're loving hearing things. They'll actually specifically point out things that's been shared that it's love to um they'd love to hear. One of the things they said that they wanted in

164the communications because we asked the staff, what would you like to see in the communications? And it was things that were happening at other other schools that they might not know. And so that has been one a real highlight for them to learn u those things. Um the the walkthroughs I was um increasing that to three to four times um uh walkthrough in each building. Um I met you know about 80 to 100% meeting that December November was a little hard. They were shorter months. Um but um just want to share the rationale for this. a few people across different um schools had said, "I love all these other opportunities, but I would love it if when you're walking through that I can just grab you and tell you what I'm thinking at that moment."

165And that was the reason for increasing because they just wanted to have that interaction with me. So that was the reason for that uh action step. the fall oneto ones at every school. Um I have always uh set up a schedule where I go into the schools and individual uh members of the the staff can come and sit down with me. We can talk about whatever they want to. Um I've always done that one time a year. We increased it this year um to having uh oneto ones at all schools in the fall and then even though it's outside the evaluation process, I'm still doing the one to ones in the spring. Um this is just an opportunity for those that want to um sit and chat. They want to tell me something, inform me.

166Uh and the reason I went to two was again the staff said sometimes you come in the fall at our school and I don't know have yet something for to share and then I've missed the spring and so this way I'm giving them both opportunities that they can do that. Um I've uh visited all fall staff meetings. Um and during those meetings, I've explained the flow of communication um through principles and from principles to me, the two-way communication. Uh we've discuss discussed topics that were important to the staff. And in addition, we discussed navigating the future together and safety, which were the two big topics. Um this fall, uh winter volunteer meetings are planned uh and then spring staff meetings are planned again. I'm sorry. I for see. Oh, I needed you, Ryan, because I

167forgot to move to this one. I just went through so I forgot. Okay. But I did. All right. So, goal three. Try to do it again. Any other any questions or anything on goal two, Chris? Um, so seeing how this one's, you know, improved communication with staff, uh, in in terms of data to for us to kind of look at is there any um, what's the word I'm looking for? Um, >> quantifi quantify the data. Not necessarily quantified. Well, yeah. But is there, >> you know, I feel like the best way of figuring out if you're doing a good job of communicating is by hearing from the people who you're communicating with and and if they find everything that you're doing effective. So, is there anything in place or do you plan on implementing anything

168that's going to be a survey to all staff, you know? um in terms of kind of how you have done meeting those key action steps. [clears throat] >> So I've already implemented four surveys. >> Um they're ongoing and um the first one was basically give the feed it was after the the first news from the central office. Please give us feedback on this and also let us know what you want to hear. >> Okay? >> And we've been uh addressing those and I and for [clears throat] the summit if I I'll get a little bit more detail on all of that. survey data. Um, and then the the second one was um about safety and we got feedback and so I made sure that we talked to the pieces they um they mentioned and then

169the uh third one was about the Clipper experience and got feedback on that. Then then what we did is we shifted um to the fourth one a little bit and kind of combined some of those so that we can continue to um to get data. So I'm going to have some uh data to to share. >> Okay. And and will it there also be just you know I I know it's you know impossible to to get a high percentage but just just so we know like how many people respond out of all the people that are surveyed um just just you know just >> it's not a lot. >> Yeah. No, [laughter] I >> I mean it's typical survey, right? You don't get a lot of feedback back, but >> um those that what I'm

170hoping um is that those that do say something and they see that we've um directly um addressed it and then I put it in the the news for central office that we addressed this was asked and this is what we did >> that that could increase communication from the staff because they're going to see oh well like you know I got somebody put something in and then this happened, right? >> Yeah. So, I'm hoping for increase. [laughter] >> Yeah. [clears throat] Okay. Is that good? >> Um, I'm just looking for more of like how how this process has changed the perception and the feeling because last year's FDA survey, as you said, was pretty um what's the word I'm looking for? It was like a acidic. It was dark. So, what I'm wondering is has

171like having the um staff from the administration building go PD with the staff and the schools has that impacted how teachers see the administrators and and in addition how has the dynamic has the dynamic shifted at all? How are your oneto ones? Are you meeting with every single teacher or are people want to sign up? It's up to them. >> So is it kind of like the surveys are you getting not good turnout? >> No, very good turnout on this. >> Okay. And has it felt like it's shifted the way the communication feels and the the reaction you get from staff? >> I've always I've always felt I have a very good relationship with staff. Um [clears throat] yes, not everyone is going to be happy about every decision um you know all the time.

172But uh I mean e even even some of the staff that has spoken out still come and see me and sit down and talk onetoone. We have great conversations. >> Do you feel like I think there was a perception that I heard um that the the administration building is kind of a castle on a hill and they don't understand the staff. So I guess what I'm asking is has the process of having the administrators go and do professional development with the staff has that shifted that dynamic? Are people starting to get to know each other better? >> On one of our upcoming surveys, I will ask that question. >> Okay. [laughter] Do you have a sense of it? >> I do have a sense. I think it's great, but I've never thought it wasn't great.

173>> Okay. Acrimonious. That's the word I was looking for. >> Okay. Okay. But, right, but you know, so let's you know, so we'll ask. >> Okay. All right. So, goal three is up. Okay. So goal three is monitor and communicate finance and policy changes at the federal and state level and take appropriate action as needed. [snorts] Um this goal came about in our um from a member of the evaluation subcommittee and I added it as a goal. Um it is critical times right now um financial and some of the other decisions happening around education. [clears throat] So it made sense that's why how this goal came about. I remembered >> [laughter] >> All right. Standard 2D, laws, ethics, and policies. Um the um you you'll remember the competency determination um uh that uh had to

174change. We had to do our own local policy and then um the graduation requirements had to change and school committee uh change. So, uh, what I did is I formed a a committee of administrators and staff to, um, develop that process and then it was reviewed by attorney Gans to make sure it met all the requirements of DESIE and I had asked um, Dr. Teller to lead that process and that process uh, brought us to fruition with the uh, policy that you um, you voted. Um the cell phone ban is uh still discussed at the the state level. Um we have ongoing conversations with the principles. Um we and what our current policies are around that. We are waiting on the regulations and the DESIE guidance. Um uh but I can foresee if that's going

175to be moving forward. That would be one that I would be going to the community um to to discuss. The same as financial literacy. Um that's an ongoing conversations internally and has been for the last few years. We have actually moved um that all students receive financial literacy within one of their math courses. Um so we are waiting now on the regulations and desi guidance um to see what direction that might be. Is it going to be a separate course? Is it going to be you know embedded how that's going to be? But we have already moved in that direction here. Um again if that's going to happen I would I'd want to have some communications with the community. Um all school committee policies are shared with the principles and um the uh teacher education

176association um you know with uh with discussion as needed. Um the ethical guidelines um is an annual training uh with administrators and collective bargaining is reviewed with all school committee members um and the principles u on an ongoing basis. um through the collective bargaining uh process. Standard um 2E fiscal systems um the budget process is established with timeline approved by the school committee, school committee members and finance committee members um on the subcommittee um Paul and I meet regularly with the town manager and the town um uh business um manager uh so that again as I said in the other presentation that there are no surprises. The budgets based on the strategic plan, including the mission, vision, core values, and district goals. Um, the budget meetings are set so that uh families and staff can

177attend and learn more about the budgets. I have successfully navigated a budget that reflects the needed increases. Successful vote through the town for eight years. Very proud of that. Um, seek outside fund. We seek outside funding to help offset expenses like MSBA. um that has potential to bring in around $60 million to help us renovate Lawrence. The green school works that you had voted on tonight. Uh I appreciate that. Um thank you. That could uh bring around 5 million in uh for accepted. Um we go to the uh community preservation um committee uh for things like the playgrounds, the Mullen Hall playground. Uh we were successful with that. Uh we will be going uh to the community uh preservation um preservation committee or the tea ticket um uh playground. Um the Fmouth Road Race is

178certainly you know we apply and try to get as much uh support um we can and then uh the Fmouth Education Foundation of course which supports all kind of innovative projects um that teachers submit that our our students benefit from and then other grants along the way. Um there are uh monthly updates on the budget that are provided to the school committee um and to the principles and continuous monitoring the potential changes in the federal and state funding and communicating changes with school committee leaders, town officials uh and when official changes occur um will be communicated with stakeholders. Um, standard 3C, communication. Uh, just continue to engage all stakeholders in two-way communication and provide written communication in multiple languages and interpretive services um at all face-to-face um meetings. Standard 4C communications continue to reach out

179to stakeholders and with regard to policy changes will engage community like the cell phone ban financial uh literacy navigating the future um which directly uh impact um staff and students. So, my updates um uh here are the summary on September 9th. I provide an update on the federal voucher program. Um tax credit set to begin in 202728 with the state opt out. Massachusetts has not committed to this to date. That's my update. Um cuts to the Medicaid and SNAP. It does not affect I just need to say this again some late at that. It does not affect our school's universal uh free breakfast and lunch program. Um I've updated the federal funding. Um FY27's U funds um are seem to be established and stable. Um it's the FY28 that are unpredictable and pending at this

180time. Um so I'll continue to update you on that. Uh the recision of the dear colleague letter regarding uh our ELLL students sending the message that education for multilingual learners is not a focus. And as I said then and I'll say now and whenever asked, I'm committed that Fmouth will continue u offering uh full ELD services to our qualifying students on October 14th. Oh, I'm sorry. On October 14th, um uh I share the conditions for receiving a diploma. That's the compy determination changes. And it was passed by the school committee on November 17th. Um on um October 28th, the federal employee cuts to the education department and office of civil rights. Um the reminder that um services and technical assistance uh to students and families could be delayed, which is not good. Um November 17th,

181I talked about the state level review of SNAP and the Governor Healey's anti-hunger task force and listening sessions. Um there is going to be a report coming out in January. So I'll be re um be sharing that um soon. And on uh November 24th um I discussed the majority of US DOE programs transitioning to the Department of Labor including most of our title programs and McKenna Vento. And I talked about um the special education and office civil rights remain in the education department right now but with significant staffing cuts and there's continued discussions of moving specific functions to the health and human services. >> [cough] >> So, it's important to note that during u several presentations and discussions, it has been noted that we are looking for additional sources to fund projects such as the

182solar panels at North Falmouth and Fmouth um high school and that um saves the the cost at the um town level. um the green work uh the green school works that we talked about, solar panels, heat pumps um for more efficient heating, potential cooling, windows and doors, and making one school a true green school. Um and this um grant potential for hundreds of thousands of dollars savings um at the town. And then another example is that we talked about is purchasing the buses and vans uh for sports and activities. It saves our saves m um saves um uh money uh because we're not contracting with our uh bus company and so we're actually saving we we actually paid for the first one in two years. So that's great. >> Is that the first one? >>

183The first bus that we we put under this this program to save money and then using it for um teams and activities. >> Oh, right. Okay. Yeah. So it the majority of it got paid last year and then now it's already paying us back. So, and just it it's a good move. It's a good move on the town and for us. >> All right. So, that concludes uh goal three. Any questions before I start goal four? >> Oh, you just said you there was a goal to make one school a true green school. Is there one in particular? >> That's the green school work. So, whichever one gets whichever one gets awarded >> I thought you had >> whichever one gets awarded. Great. Then we we're going to have that opportunity to have a true

184green school. I think that's pretty exciting. >> Okay. All right. So, goal four, let me click this over. Goal four, develop an implementation plan for the vision of navigating the future together. Now, here's what I'd like to say about that right now. Last year, we had to modify this goal. I think we're going to have to modify this goal again. Um because um you know, some of this was predicated on decisions being made. And if decisions are are not being made yet, which no rush, no hurry. I just can't I can't finish every step of that you're going to see in the next slide. I can't finish everything without that which is perfectly fine and the evaluation process allows for that adjustment. So just wanted to put out there and then when we meet I

185thought I would talk and then I'd compile your responses and what you think about um modifying this goal uh and then um and then I'll share with everyone. So going over the standards first. Here we go. Standard uh 3A, engagement. Uh engaging stakeholders as a part of the school district culture, including accessibility and being culturally responsive. Um built strong relationships with the town, businesses, organizations, and the community. And we continue to be mindful involving the community in two-way communication. Standard 3C communication is the two-way communication. Um and that is the whole idea for the forums, the communities and the roundts that are coming up. We continue to improve and engage uh stakeholders um and providing materials, communications and presentations in multiple languages and in part of our as part of our culture. Most of that

186is pretty standard now because of Google. Families can just select whatever one and so emails directly go there. Uh in their language, that's how they receive them. um any forms, surveys. So, so it's really helped in in that process. Um standard 3D, family concerns. Um the superintendent and administrative team lead by example. We have an open door policy. We return phone calls and emails in a timely manner. We I personally really love talking to parents. I really like listening. I have always kept an open door. I'd love parents to come in and to engage in meaningful discussions. Um I'm always asking and if anybody asks me you're always welcome. Um and so listening and then adjusting practices um when important decisions are being made which two two examples two big projects is the report cards.

187We slowed down when requested until everyone felt that they were on board and was ready. And now the navigating the future we're slowing down. we're going the pace. Um you know a lot of people have come to me that um were nervous about this. They understand changes are going to happen and that just gives that chance um for people to to understand ch uh those those changes but please always come and talk to me. I will listen to what you think is um is best around those decisions. Standard 4C communications continue to produce strong written and verbal communication. Um, I got a compliment tonight on the letter that was sent out. Um, uh, the joint letter from the the police chief that was well written. Um, and so I appreciate that comment. Thank you. Um,

188actively seeks feedback with individuals in small groups groups or in large forums. I meet with a vast number of people and organizations in the community, select board members, town departments, chamber, church leaders, newcomers, Rotary, all kinds of individuals. No place for hate. I mean, I could kind of go on and on, but I meet with a lot of people on a regular basis. Um, and u I think it really helps with those communications and the support for our for our district. Um, and then communicate rationale for decisions with staff and families. Not everyone agrees with my decisions. I'll say this again, but I do take the time to to provide the why behind um the proposals and the why behind the decisions. Um so the updates in this section I remember to move it. Um

189uh September 24th there was a presentation uh I mean I presented a plan for the Lawrence school grade reconfiguration. I followed up with information on November 24th at a request of a school committee member for more information on grade five and then at a request of a school committee member. I followed up in December 9th for more information on grade 8. November 19th uh I did a presentation um and uh plan for the elementary schools early learning center. I also suggested that night that we hire an outside vendor to provide two models regarding moving school boundary lines um to be presented to the school committee. Um the school committee voted on returning Morris Pond on October 28th. The school committee up um there are plenty school committee updates we've had and responded to individual member

190questions via phone, email, and inerson meetings. Uh staff updates on navigating the future uh happened through the uh news from central office on October 2nd and the 30th and the fall staff meetings. Um the Lawrence renovation um participated in the December 12th MSBA board meeting. I participated in the December 15th uh orientation once we were accepted. Uh and on December 16th talked with the MSBA liaison. Uh Paul and I discussed our plan and um it met in the timeline and it met uh with approval and then on December 16th we shared the plan and timeline went to the school committee requested legal opinion on how to officially form the school building committee as I discussed earlier in my update. Um and I've added workshops uh those roundt discussions in January at the request of the

191school committee chair to continue discussions regarding navigating the future together and then later requested to keep it more open and not as specific as I first had it. Um and uh so and so there we agreed originally I think three meetings and then the response was a very low response rate. So, we're only going to have two of the the sessions that it was, you know, um the two that was the most most attended and making sure that everyone can attend those two. >> Can I step in and say the three was me worrying about um you know quorums and problems that way. That's why that came about. >> Um just to >> but it's set up at round tables and um so it doesn't matter how many school committee members are there. you'll set

192at different tables. Um, and there's enough that everyone could set if you're coming on one of the two dates and set at a different table. Even if there were two at a table, that doesn't constitute deliberation like, you know, I think we're fine. We did it in a forum before like that. Yes. >> Um, since we're talking about the round tables, I'm uh curious on the communication part of this. Um, are you are you uh I think you were saying earlier that translation automatically happens. So, I received your letter in English. Are you telling me that people who speak Portuguese automatically received it in Portuguese and that's why there wasn't a translate option on the email? >> I'm sorry, what >> you you said in the body of the emails. >> That's why we always

193try to keep everything and put them in the body. So, they may not get the the pictures in the other although you could open up and see the pictures, right? That's but the the language it's automatic. So, they choose which language. >> Okay. So, I was concerned that it was just going through in English. So, I'm glad to hear that. >> Um, at the round tables, will there be translators? >> Yes, I'm we're having round, >> excuse me, we're having translators, a translator there, but not at each round table. Will if we I know I know the people that signed up. So, >> at each event, but not at each physical table. >> Yes. But I I know that we're working it. So, it makes it if if needed, it will be covered at a

194table. >> Okay. And then my third uh communication question is um Oh, the reason for having low turnout. Um, I there was no topic listed for your roundt discussion. So, your email was so incredibly vague that the community could have no idea what the roundts were for and um why they should be involved or >> I had a explicit letter that I was going to send out >> that had two topics. Yeah. >> I'm sorry. Do you want to >> Yeah. And I I'm the one who said to make it more open-ended. It was that um no topic generalized pigeon hole thing was me um suggesting that it could be open-ended people can talk about it. But since then we have we decided you're going to have some um topics. >> Yeah. So I have

195set so at each table I'm going to have suggested topics. Um so um so the big topics as I said earlier um for the fall it's been the grade configuration at Lawrence school um elementary school and um the early learning center safety and then other I mean people could bring other things to the table if they wanted to. >> Are those round tables full? >> We have some room for some more people each time. Could you send out a follow-up email before Thursday saying um here is the topics that we will be discussing so that you might get some more in so um inspire more people to join. I was disappointed that there was no topic. I understand maybe that wasn't your um your choice, but uh it makes sense that people wouldn't necessarily sign

196up for something they have no idea what it is. Is there a chance you could send another email before the event? Um, I'm going to discuss that with my chair at the meeting >> just as it's part of your evaluation and the communication was >> Yes. [snorts] Thank you, Terry, for for stating that. I I I wasn't going to I wasn't going to say it, but thank you for saying >> it is. >> Thank you. >> All right, that was a lot. I appreciate it um listening through, but um I really appreciate having a full chance to really talk about everything. Thank you. And this is thankfully recorded, right? You didn't mention that. >> Yes. And I'm going to send you >> Will you send you what what you just >> because Brian's going to

197send to me exactly where the recording starts the time so that you can listen to it again or pick up any parts between us. >> Send the written version what you just read. >> So we're sending the recorded version and then uh and then then we'll meet and then and we'll talk about things. >> Okay. So, >> so you can't send the written I'm sorry I just sometimes I can't understand in the recording what you said which is why I'm asking for the notes. >> So we'll talk we can talk about anything you didn't hear in the uh in our meetings. >> Thank you. >> Okay. So um is there any other questions for Lori? >> Okay. Um Ryan >> I do have questions. Uh are you are you >> Yeah. Um Sharon uh sent

198confirmations um to those that signed up. >> Did you sign up? >> I signed up. I never got a conf. >> There's an email confirmation and telling you location. >> Well, Sharon will check that. She she all Friday she sent them all out to everyone using the uh email that was >> give it to you >> in the form. >> So apologize if you didn't get it but but I know she was working all day on well not all day a little bit of time on Friday um sending them all out. >> Um can I ask a question about the evaluation um when it comes to the sumitive last year in the document the end cycle. Um you had linked um evidence on where it says goal three evidence, goal four evidence. >> Yeah, I

199think that's new this year which I'm planning on doing for you because the valuation subcommittee had asked for that. >> I had you did it last year. Um and >> I had done my own Google doc. >> It was >> Oh, it was a Google doc. >> Yes, but it was a a link. So you Kelly might have done that as that she may have to. >> So regardless, are we going is there going to be a place that we can actually find these specifics that you um read tonight when we for us to to refer to when we do your your summit of evaluation? Um, yes. I think I need to do it differently than what I've done in the last couple years because people have said that there's just so much on the

200document and then I I I'm not sure because in those links I've linked a lot of um the school committee meetings, the presentations and such. I I um can can the valuation we meet again. Can the valuation subcommittee talk about what the best way where everyone can access all the information because I because there were people that told me that that was not as easy to do. I I just want to make sure, you know, I mean some people still like the old binders that I did. >> Yeah, I used a [laughter] lot of your binders. >> I know. I still get I still get said that a few times. So I I don't know. I've been trying to stay consistent, but if that the what I did last year doesn't. So maybe when we

201meet you and tell me how I've done it like three or four different times over ways over over the course of time. Tell me what actually fits better and then then we can talk, right? >> Thank you. >> But something Yes. >> Nothing about this. But so we don't have cross talk with the audience. Um, if anyone in the audience or at home signed up and did not get a confirmation email, can they reach out to Sharon? >> Yes, please reach out to Sharon. >> That's just to clarify. Thank you. >> Yeah. And and can I do something right now before we go to the next item? I'm so sorry, Mike. I forgot that I put this um poster up today and I you know, so this was >> so this poster is about DECA.

202That's the [laughter] >> Those are the three students. And I just put that up on your wall today cuz >> Chris >> and I forgot all about it when when you asked me about pictures. >> That's me Chris's wall. Good job. [laughter] >> Okay. >> Thank you very much for that report and >> thank you for your patience. >> All right. Okay. Um let me be sure where we are. Oh, so the first read on policy K1 visitors to schools. Um this >> Can I introduce? >> Yep. Rory will introduce. >> All right. Thank you. So um this policy just was uh uh rewritten by mask and sent out. That is the reason that we brought this to the policy subcommittee to review. So this what you're seeing. So in your your document, this is

203the new mask policy. I don't know why they rewrote it or added all of this. [clears throat] We have always reviewed mask policies. Sometimes we adopt it, sometimes we adopt portions of it, sometimes we don't. You know, we don't. when the uh policy subcommittee met, they reviewed this and they wanted to go with the the new policy. Um and so that's why it's before you today. So the new policy is there. Um in red with yellow highlights is the mask policy. In green with green highlights with I think that's blue behind it. um with blue um is the addition of uh an addition to the mask policy of what we've written in um but just wanted to state that the mask this just recently had come out with this new mask policy and then of

204course our old policy is there and struck out so you could see all of that. So, the policy subcommittee has reviewed it and is recommending um that we um do a first read a first read um on this policy. >> Yeah. Um, I actually I'm on the policy committee and I after listening to um a comment that was made um this evening about the line that says um explicit with that the visitor has to have explicit prior permission of the superintendent or their design. I'm I'm wondering how that squares with the principal via Edward reform being the the um the entity that is in charge of of their building. And so I would like some clarification. >> I can do that for you. Well, I I I would appreciate that, but I would also like

205some legal clarification on how that squares with >> with that. >> Okay. Just we've been doing this for years and so mask policies always come out. Those have been on policy subcommittee for years. It always says superintendent, superintendent or designate. It has been consistent for as long back as you can see. And I will tell you I will always defer to the principal. I'm just saying it's a designate but it is how mask writes their policies. And you can go through our policy manual. It is written that way all through the policy manual. [clears throat] >> Are we going around here or? >> Um yeah. Maybe Lori should start. Just kidding. started. >> I think [laughter] >> I think it's over to Chris. >> Wow. >> Usually you get those comments. >> Committee chair or

206designated >> I guess it's Chris. >> I'm good. Thank you. >> Yeah, I'm good. Said my piece. >> Thank you. >> I don't know. >> Um I'm just wondering who wrote the green part. Was it um Mary? >> It's the whole the whole committee. the whole committee. Okay, thank you. Um I um I compared the MASC language to this and it is the newest re um recommended language. I am a little concerned about the timing and I understand that the timing is out of our control. Um I'm a little concerned about uh the perception of retaliation that was mentioned earlier by a commenter. Um, and I think >> I don't think I don't think we can say that about this policy. I don't think that's fair to make that connection right now. >> I'm not

207saying it's fair. I'm just saying the perception exists. >> Um, the the first paragraph of our old policy was so welcoming and um it's this is very stark. that's different and I because we have the permission to add to the MASC as we've done in green can we add back or keep I should say the first paragraph of our current policy which says that parents and guardians and guests are [clears throat] welcome to visit the classrooms and it's helpful to let them know what and then beneficial and promotion of greater school home cooperation and community understanding of how we carry out the district's mission and goals. I think taking that out um would be a loss because it's so welcoming and we don't want to discourage people from visiting their child's school. >> Okay. >>

208So that's my recommendation for an edit. Um >> I know that sometimes the school committee does not accept mask policy and so I personally will be voting against the the mask policy as many of you did for the JICA policy because I prefer our old policy. >> Okay. But, you know, give us time to edit it for. >> Sure, sure, sure. I'm just letting you know. >> Yeah, I like that word welcoming, too. And, you know, so I mean, that's my personal opinion on >> Yeah, that first paragraph just makes it clear that um although we have these rules, we we want you to come and visit, which is really important >> to make sure that parents know they're welcome >> in the child. >> So, this is just a first read. So, this is

209going back. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> All right. And then um >> Oh, Margaret has a >> Oh, I'm sorry, Margaret. >> Who's on the policy committee? >> Oh, okay. [clears throat] Um Yeah. Uh I I then I recommend that the policy committee review this again and bring it back to us for a first read or second read. >> Yeah. >> Usually usually it comes back for a vote. >> Well, I know. But um since since in fact there's been some questions about policy, >> I'm suggesting that they rever go back to the policy committee. The policy committee re send it back to us before we vote on it. So it be another first read before we >> or a second read >> for a sec well a first read for the new policy or the

210revision and then we'll vote. >> This is the new policy right here. This is the first reading. Margaret is assuming that policy will make edits based on Katrina's. >> So, I'm sending it back to the policy committee for the edits and then asking the policy committee to return it to us to be reread again before we vote on it at a following meeting. >> Um, is that an extra step from what we usually do? Okay. All right. Okay. [snorts] Okie do. Um the next item would be uh act on training non-medical staff. >> Yes. Um so I think there's some confusion about that and I just want to I I hope I was able to clarify some in the um in in my email. Uh so the this is a very specific request and this

211is about um training medical staff. um in emergency situations um with um Narcan using how to use Narcan with a situation where there might be opioids that is in our current policy. Now this is another one where it kind of got confusing because at the same time the nurses are saying we need to train people and so I'm asking you to to approve that mask created a new policy. So it got confusing because two things are happening one time. But the fact is that the training language is in the old policy and the training language is in the new policy. That hasn't changed. There's just additional um language that's been added to the mask policy of which this the uh subcommittee is still reviewing. So we are not voting or I'm not asking to vote

212on the new mask policy. I'm not bringing that forward. That is a separate track. I am just saying that in our current policy, the school committee has to vote before nurses can train non-medical staff in the use of NARCAM. And so I'm asking you to um to vote, I hope, in the affirmative that that that we can train additional staff. We're going to start slow. We're going to um each uh each school has their medical emergency team and that's where we want to start. Um and then we may start adding some additional staff, but we want to get more staff trained than just the nurses in the schools. That's the purpose of that one. And so it did get confusing because I had already read the new policy, but we weren't talking about the policy

213subcommittee had not seen the new policy. So, I just wanted to clarify December and apologize if I had, you know, questions were coming out and I and I and I kind of just wanted to say on this and so that's what I'm asking now. This is in the old policy. It's in the new policy. That piece won't change. >> Okay. Is there a motion? >> So motion. >> Okay. Second. >> Okay. Discussion. >> Just a quick clarifying. Is it solely for Narcan? That's his specific medicine >> this right now. That's it. >> Okay. >> I don't know if we're going around or But can I ask? >> Yeah, I think Margaret's first. >> No, I made a motion. >> Okay. So, you don't have any comments? No. Okay. >> So, I I am in support

214of this, but um I'm a little still a little confused. Do we have to vote to let nurses do this every year? Because we've had this we've had this policy since 2006 >> and we don't vote every year on it. So why do we have to vote on that? >> So when you look at the language, it looks like if you vote for the training for the Narcan that they can they can now continue to do training around that. >> But I mean >> you don't have to vote each year. You're just voting that they can do it. It's just we >> but the Narcan language has been in MAC since 2016. >> It has. But we have never trained. So we have never asked you. >> Oh, so you've never used this before. >>

215Right. >> So this is the first time that's come before the school committed. But the policy has existed for a long time and the policy has not been activated. >> We have not activated that. Thank you. That was the missing piece. And then I could not online find the new MASC language. Was it just released like last month or >> it was uh it was pretty well it had to be it was I think in December. I do think it was recent. >> Okay. >> It was either the end of November, December whenever it came out. Was it November? I think it was >> maybe it was and we will get that at some point from policy >> when it comes out of policy subcommittee. Okay. All right. Thank you, >> Mike. >> No, thank

216you. Well, that that's not true. I would just like to say that um I would like to advocate for anyone that could save a life to save a life. I've been a huge proponent of getting I would love to see everyone in the district, students included, um BLS certified, which is basic life saving certified. Um, I was a huge supporter of making sure that every building had at least one, if not more AED [clears throat] monitors. And in my opinion, uh, whatever it takes to save a life and, um, Narcan is extraordinarily easy to administer. Um, so I I can't support this enough. Whatever it takes to save a life. >> Okay. >> No. >> So, >> no. Okay. And I'm all set, too. So, all those [clears throat] in favor say I. I. >>

217Any opposed? Any abstaining? Okay. Um, next is to act on a 10,000 grant from Stocking Shop. >> This one's a good one. So, this is um I just um so you I g I shared with you that we opened the the food pantry this fall at Fmouth High School. Uh and um I want to thank uh Nfield. she had brought the the grant to us. She had learned about it. She brought the grant to our committee at the high school. And um then I want to just give a shout out to um Susan, Ben, and Stephanie listed here. They jumped on it. They've done the grant. Um we're very excited um to be able to um you know uh have additional food. We've had donations and um Cape Kid Meals gives us donations, but this

218will give us a wide variety. uh the students have been sharing like what they want to see. Um you know, so this gives us this opportunity for fresh fruit and vegetables because they want those things and um anyway, just a shout out to everyone that's going to bring this in. And this is why I'm saying we're always looking for grants and things to kind of offset. So appreciate it. >> Okay, second. A second. >> Any discussion? >> Just thank you, I guess. >> Yes. I'd like to see the thank you go to all involved. >> Okay. Okay, >> do it. >> Okay. All those in favor? >> Any abstaining or opposed? Okay. Next item is the minutes. >> Um, is there a motion to accept the minutes of December 9th? >> I make a motion

219to accept the minutes. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> Okay. Any discussion or edits? >> Okay. All those in favor? >> Any opposed? Any abstaining? One abstension, please. >> Oh, two abstaining. Okay. Did you get that, Sharon? Yeah. Okay. >> And um committee reports. Are there any committee reports, Margaret? >> Um yeah, I'm reporting from the uh an update on the equity advisory committee. Um the overview and mission. The equity advisory committee continues to operate under the core principle that equity ensures excellence. The working definition remains clear. Equity means every child receives exactly what they need to reach their full and academic full academic and social potential. Key progress and strategic shifts district-wide school-based equity teams. For the first time, every school in the district is now supported by a formal equity team

220and two de designated community equity partners. These teams focus on academic belonging and bridging the gap between home culture and school culture. Expanded professional learning. One, the second cohort of restorative justice training has been launched. Two, racial trauma training has been expanded from adjustment counselors to include all school-based equity teams. Identify challenges. The committee identified two primary hurdles currently impa impacting the depths of this work. Scheduling logistics, finding consistent meeting times that accommodate both classroom teachers and support staff. For example, meetings held before bus departure. Leadership capacity, the need to continue transitioning from compassion-based involvement to leadershipbased capacity within individual schools. Strategic next steps. Redefining the narrative. The committee is preparing a final presentation to the school committee focused on the future of equity utilizing storytelling such as breakfast at East initiative to demonstrate the

221impact. Community transparency. Increasing efforts to ensure the public understands how intentional equity work directly correlates with to improve student outcomes. strengthening trust, acknowledging and addressing the disconnect between families and leadership to build a more unified community approach. Equity ensures excellence. The committee remains committed to ensuring that equity is viewed not as a standalone initiative, but as an essential component of student success. I'd also like to say that I tend to have a loud voice, and we've talked about being uh kind to each other. I do not appreciate being told that I I yell. Thank you. >> Okay, >> Margaret. No, I mean >> it's okay. You can call me whatever you want. Um, so the uh the student advisory met, unfortunately, Chris and Mike weren't able to come last time. I wasn't able to come

222and they were there. So, the conversation um as always with the high school students, a lot of their concerns that they bring up have to do with more of building administration, not stuff to do with us. But, it was a great conversation. I'll just summarize quickly. Um there was a lot of conversation about scheduling. There's some of the clubs are starting to meet before school, which means that these kids have to get to the club without um a bus and so there's older students who are driving them to school, but they're getting to school at 6:30 in the morning for a club. So we then moved on to talk about how we could change that or how they could change that. How it would be better to have maybe have clipper time sometimes be for

223clubs during the day or to have five minutes taken off each class. So you can bump that into a sum for flex time at the end of the day and let the kids do their clubs. Then Lori brought up a great point which was some of these kids are now doing internships out of the school building which means they have to leave the school, go to an internship, do the internship, get in the car, drive back to the school all during a class period which there's some leeway for them but it's difficult. Um so having that time at the end of the day could work for those intern kids as well. Um and then um there was a lot of conversation we got into about how when you're late sometimes it's out of your control.

224Your brother was driving you. There was traffic on the Bourne Bridge and you're from out of district. Um or similarly if you're sick and you can't always get a doctor's note and so it's not excused. Um and how there might need to be for some students um a grace period, you know, because home room is 5 or 10 minutes and it really get they get penalized for being a minute or two late to school for things that are out of their control. And that is um on their minds a lot. And then they the conversation shifted to the difference between excused and unexcused absences and how for inside the school district we do differentiate the data but when it goes to the state they don't pay attention to whether the um absence was excused or

225not. And so what we talked about was one thing the school committee could do would be to advocate with the state at the state level that they should differentiate that data because our absenteeism rates are not reflective of kids with chronic illnesses or what have you that they have no control over. Um, and then the last thing we talked about in relation to that was a great conversation that I wish could have gone on longer about how school policy for the kids maybe at the high school level ought to reflect more of the real lived experience when you're in the working world where you would get sick days um in your in your contract and you might be given more leeway. You can arrive late to work. Sometimes you have a punch card, but you

226know there's a few excused absences or latenesses. And so that was a really great fruitful conversation that I just wanted to let you know about. Those kids are awesome and um I look forward to the next meeting and hopefully if we if anybody who's the person who's communicating with the state house on our committee, do we still have someone who brings >> Oh, that's supposed to be me if you need me to. >> Yeah. Okay. >> I think is it I thought like maybe both of us do. We'll figure it out. Maybe the student advisory committee should work on that because it was really um evident that it's uh the state who does not differentiate that data >> and it's not fair. So, >> all right. Thank you. >> I'm jealous. I love talking with

227the kids. >> I know. >> It always is a little awkward at first because they don't know what to talk about and then we get into this topic that excites them like >> I'm just staying on that committee. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Any um any other committees besides me? Okay. So, I'm going to talk about VIPS. Um, they had a we had a long discussion the other day about this program called Be Bold for fourth grade um young ladies. It's an amazing program. They um you know have adults who have successful careers, you know, and um and get the girls excited, young ladies excited about these things. They have um artists, they have scientists, they have soccer player. They just they just recently um got a local soccer player to come in and talk. It's

228just it just seems to be so highly successful that I guess now it's gone over into the fifth [clears throat] grade too, right Lor? Isn't it going or going? >> We just got like every single fourth grade now is because it used to be just whoever signed up. We got that. I didn't know. I got to check on that. It's gone to the fifth grade, >> I believe. I Yeah. Yeah. It's a it's it is a great program. Um and the um collaborative continues its um 50 years. I mean that doesn't sound like a big deal but if you know the history of collaborives they don't always maintain they can't maintain themselves because of financial problems. Um you know and it part of it I if Paul were here maybe he can do forecasting sometimes

229that's hard for the collaborative because you don't know um you know they just don't know how many people are going to need their services. So, I have to keep saying that um we should all year long mention that this is their 50th year and the celebrations of it. >> That's okay. Can I do a news break? >> Sure. >> Are we done with committee reports? >> Yes. >> Okay. I'm just excited. So, I got just in tonight the Clippers beat Barnesville 5243. Go Clippers. The girls also won. So, it was a great and there was lots of crowd there and it was um just good all the way around. That was the the text that just came in. I just wanted to I get my updates cuz I don't get to go to the sports

230meeting. >> That's the best. Yeah, because she was mentioning it tonight and I thought, well, this is timely. Let me just >> It's always good to be part of I was just going to say it's too bad Patrick is here because I used to love to u raz him about that. Um follow-ups. >> Okay, Mike. >> Um I spoke extensively with a gentleman from MASC yesterday and today. Um, I have been uncomfortable about recent uh public uh filing open meeting law complaints and I was advised by MASC that I could request we hire an outside legal counsel as the current council has a conflict of interest having worked on OML 2026-2. And the reason for this is that we as a committee on May 13th only voted bullet points of the contract and we've never

231voted as a committee to authorize a single person to sign that contract. So the person at MASC said the I can advi I can request this so we can be proactively ahead of it to make sure that what was done on May 13th, May 20th, May 27th and June 10th are legal and valid as I fear and I'm very uncomfortable with the fact that this can open up a whole can of worms and make us look not transparent to the community. So again, I am asking that we hire a private outside legal counsel, not the current council because there's a conflict based on the on the reason of we never authorized a single signer for a contract. And we as a committee did not see the contract fully written until June 6th when it was

232signed weeks prior. So I want to make sure that we are legally I do not I am not going to put my personal self out there for any legal ramifications. This is very uncomfortable. So I called mask and that is what they advised me to do. >> Okay. So that'll be taken under advisement. Um I also have a it's not a request for followup. I'm going to do a followup. um in that I um at the last meeting I talked to you about having um a consultant in we have our mother ship which is the MASA and we're grateful we get a lot from them and Sean is great and it gives us a lot of different results but [clears throat] I mean as we can see tonight we um Margaret said about yelling I

233didn't mean yelling I just meant there was yelling I mean it so >> I was accused of yelling that's what I said >> oh I didn't You did. I said I would. >> It wasn't for me though. >> Oh, okay. All right. But um you may say, "Well, we already have somebody." But um what I don't even think this woman's name is Kathleen Smith. I didn't say her name before because I was trying to feel how people were. Um and she actually she said she's not really even interested in the money part of it. She just um retired and um she lives in Felmouth and she has a lot of experience working with different communities and um she would like to offer her services. She's worked with school committees um doing workshops and things like

234that and she before we would everybody would vote on it. Of course we wouldn't do anything without everybody voting. Um she would invite people to meet with her. So she wants to collect data. She wants to ask you what what's a school committee a good school committee look like? What do you do that's good for that? What do you do that's bad for that? And just gather some data and put together some workshops. So um that's just what I would like to say I'm going to recommend that you do. Yes, Sue. >> Okay. So earlier in the evening um I when I tried to ask a question in this regard um I was uh shut down but I still have questions and I'm wondering in regards to your comment and if it's is appropriate now

235for me to ask the question or I don't know when I'll be able to ask the questions. Um I'm sorry I don't know when I didn't when I didn't >> At the last school committee meeting you mentioned that this consultant had various experience on building projects and that's what threw me for a loop in regards to so I'm wondering what is the purpose of hiring this consultant? Is it got something to do with the building projects because you brought that up. No, I just she had mentioned in amongst all the other things on her resume that um she helped when there was some um an over tax override in the town. I'm not sure which one that was just something that was a connection for me. But there's a lot of other things and of

236course I will send you her resumes too. >> Well, that's that's what I would be helpful because we have not received that as yet. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like I said, I was putting out feelers. Um I was trying to do it in public like you know you're supposed to. So, um, so I'll I'll send you her resumes and I I'll repeat what I said. Ask me, um, you know, I'll help set up meetings with her and she would like to do them any place that would be comfortable. Okay. And again, she told me to impress that her reason for talking to people is data. What do you know what are you what's this? What do you think's good? what do you we do that comes up in the good category as a school committee

237and what do we do that's comes up bad for example that's how she would gather data >> and just as a reminder when is uh Sean Costello coming >> um [clears throat] >> February 25th >> thank you >> yeah I tried to get him before Christmas like I said um to come but he's very busy Margaret >> yeah um [clears throat] I I don't think it's appropriate that any of us meet with this person before uh there's an official vote and I I do think it's really important to see it. But the other thing I think is if we're going to hire a consultant, I think it'd be important for the committee to decide what we need a consultant for. >> I think that various people on this committee have a whole variety of different

238ideas about what dysfunction is. Let me use that word in general or whatever the issues are. maybe a less word of dysfunction issues. And so therefore, I I would think that we need to have a discussion about if we need a consultant, what we need a consultant for. >> Um I just want to say that I support 100% um the chair's efforts to um turn this ship around. We have We cannot continue doing what we have been doing. >> This is a this has gone from chaos to um you know farce really because as we have seen with the latest um open meeting violation, this is this is um this is not a well functioning body. We must take this seriously and we must take proactive steps to turn this around because we need to

239inspire some confidence from our community that we can function together and if we don't we're going to be spinning our wheels and then we have to look at ourselves and say what are we doing this for? So, I support this and I think that anybody who uh doesn't embrace change really needs to think, well, why are you on this committee? >> Thank you. >> Okay. Um >> Oh, are we moving on or is it still? >> Um yeah, Katrina, I guess cuz followup >> Oh, you mean with is my followup done? >> Yeah. >> Unless anybody else Meliss >> um so I'm Where did she come from? How did we get in? How did you get in touch with her? Or was there somebody on the committee that knew her? Like how how did we

240she just randomly call you? >> Um no. Um Glenda knew her and she random Glenda told her to contact me. Um, and so I went out to her house and um, talked to her and >> so she lives here. >> She lives in she's a retired school superintendent, but she's also worked for MASC and um, been an interim superintendent at many communities and gone in and um, worked with school committees and and um, and school districts. and I met her at a social occasion and she has retired here and she said that she anything she could do to help the school committee. Well, boy is there and I said um I think the appropriate avenue is to talk to our chair and I referred her to our chair. I've not been involved in the process

241since referring her to our chair but I um agree conceptually that we need some outside expertise. >> Sorry if I um I while I initially appreciated you uh getting a consultant, I assumed it would have been from MASC. Um I I just like like I sure I'm sure that Miss Smith or Mrs. Smith is lovely and wonderful and quite knowledgeable and that's great that she has endorsement from another uh school committee member. However, um I I think that we should have an opportunity to uh to vet her. I I'm cautiously approach I'm extraordinar I'm very cautiously approaching this. I know that I was uh very supportive of a consultant but again I thought that it would have been somebody on the books from MASC. Uh you yourself said that Sean is great and um we

242are expected to have him end of February. So, um, getting back to Margaret's point, I think it would be what's the purpose of having the consultant. I'm not saying I'm against it. I just would like to know what the purpose is because it sounds like she's looking for data. >> For what? >> Um, >> to help us be to help us function better. But you know what? >> We don't need to go on and on about this. You when we >> I haven't said boo all night, so I forgive me for having a few questions. Okay. Um, and being cautious about how we ended up with this, um, I'm sure wonderful professional person, but I I'm just again cautious. I would like us to go through the channels of MASC that um, >> she does

243work for MASC. She does work. She h she >> Okay. What I mean by this, guys, is >> so I I don't think I'm sorry. I'm sorry. No, what I mean by this is I planted this seed, you know, and I'll send out the stuff and if you don't you don't want to do it, that's why I'm saying ahead of time. It's not my decision. It'll be to a vote. So, I was just putting out information. >> Yeah, sure. >> Not about the consultant. >> Can I just say one more thing? >> Yeah. When you and I had the phone conversation, you told me that you would talk to Jane Scarboro. >> I don't know what happened to that conversation. And since in fact a member of the committee does know this person um I

244think it's important I agree that we need something. I'm absolutely we are dysfunctional. Uh we we can't function at all and if we continue this it's going to be it's an embarrassment very honestly. So I'm not against change and I'm not against fixing this committee because a lot needs to be fixed. However, I'm concerned about a member of the committee knowing this person and I'm concerned about why Jane Scarro wasn't picked and I'm concerned about why we're not looking at MASC. There is no money in our budget to hire someone. And I'm really against anyone beginning to meet with this person and give this person information before we've agreed to hire this person. If it not about the consultant just in general I did whether it be Sean from MASC or a consultant whomever I

245forgot something the gentleman from MAC also said that the code of ethics there they're not a code the code of ethics to not speak about things that were said is seldomly used and he said and I asked this because I've been threatened several times to keep my mouth shut or an ethics violation be filed against me and that was very troubling. It's happened three separate occasions and he said that's small ethics. So whether it be Shawn or a consultant, I want clarification on the confidentiality and I'm tired of getting told if I speak someone will file ethics against me. That's wrong. >> Um yeah, and that's like um Sean is very very good at protocols and and some and we asked him to come in graciously. He's coming for three hours. Okay. So, we'll get

246a good handle on the the protocols things and um I asked him also to um work on the most common Robert's rules that affect school committee meetings cuz not every school committee does everything in those books that we have. So, I asked him to weed out what are the common ones and help us work on things like that. So, anyway, it would be an economy. Anyway, if you don't want to do it, send me an email about that and then and don't do it. And >> what? Don't do what? Don't do me or don't do >> Don't do Don't do me. Yeah. >> Okay. But we we are going to take it to a vote, right? >> Yeah. We'll bring it to a vote next time. >> Okay. >> Um so on a different topic

247but slightly related, um I have uh two requests for followup and also um three things that I don't know how many they are. Anyway, things I took out of the attorney general's finding of our open meeting law real quick, which our protocol stuff. And for me, reading through that um open meeting law finding revealed to me the source of our dysfunction. And most of it is a misunderstanding of the open meeting law. So, the o the attorney general says, "If the agenda says that we're discussing something, it is reasonable to assume that action may be taken and we might vote." So, when somebody has said to me in the past, it doesn't say act on this, it just says discuss. So, we can't have your motion and we're not going to vote on it. That's

248not correct. Dysfunction could be avoided by understanding that. Now, the ethical reasons for not voting on something are different. And there are some occasions where you don't want to have us vote on a thing that the public didn't know about. But then the next thing, the AG says um that our packet saying um that is uh what was it? Our agenda packets should not say that we cannot respond to public comment. And the attorney general said, "We may take action on any topic the chair did not anticipate." So I went and looked at MASH piece school committee agenda packets. They have an agenda item for items not anticipated by the chair within the last 48 hours. So that's just for stuff that came up. If somebody says something emergent, it's not for everything. But in

249general, that's another source of dysfunction that we've misunderstood. Um the attorney general says um also that executive sessions are only kept confidential if the legal reason for the confidentiality remains. So that would be collective bargaining, ongoing litigation positions that might be wrong, like badly impacted by us talking about it in public or the reputation of an individual, a staff member or whatever. Those are the reasons that we can't talk about executive session. anything else that happens in executive session. The attorney general's assistant explained to me today, Matthew Lindberg, that it is a choice to go into executive session. It's not something that means automatically everything we said in executive session is kept confidential. It's not like fight club, you can't talk about fight club. Okay, so that was something I didn't know, those three things.

250And it blew my mind because that has been for me the source of our dysfunction this year. people using wrongfully understanding the open meeting law um perhaps innocently even and using it to shut down conversations for each other all year long for the last year and a half. That is the source for me and it just was astounding and breathtaking. So leading from that, Margaret, hold on. So two things I would like to discuss. One of them I've brought up in the past. I would like to have an agenda item to talk about returning the administration building to the town. We had that um conversation in October, I think, and it was supposed to come up again in the new year. Here we are in the new year. I'm asking for it again. The other

251thing is the accountability reports. Somebody talked about that in the newspaper, and I initially thought, oh, that means, you know, that's a public thing. I can automatically talk about that now. It's in the public. It's in the enterprise. It doesn't matter. The attorney general explained that to me. It does not matter. Um, we need to talk about the accountability reports, the DESIE reports from this past year. and it is critical and timesensitive and urgent and I would like it to be on an upcoming agenda. >> I support that. >> That's it. >> I've done my riot rack act. >> Okay. One thing about your open meeting law um examples and stuff. We will be doing that webinar and I hope that'll help every I mean obviously we'll all become more clear on things. So >>

252I hope so. I don't know why this stuff wasn't clear to me after my our training with MASC. I don't think they did an open meeting law component. There's Robert's rules and open meeting law. They're different. I have not had great clarity on either of them. That's on me. But ultimately, I wish that we got better training. >> Well, even when you read this, Yeah. >> which comes from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, it doesn't mention half of the things you just said. >> The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is uh what do you mean by that? in regards to open um uh going into executive session and requirements. >> Which uh which department are you looking at? Just >> I am looking at general laws section 21. >> I spoke to the AG also today and the

253AG said that executive session should rarely be used and we should have public open session for the majority of things other than a very minute thing. using an executive session to shield information from the public in my opinion is wrong and from here on out I will not be threatened to not speak when I feel something is wrong which has happened the past year and a half. >> Okay. Um again I'm going to repeat hopefully our open meeting law webinars webinars will help. They can only help. Margaret. >> Um, [clears throat] last Friday I attended the uh, lunch hour at MASW MAS MASC and um, I wanted to be on the agenda next week, next meeting to have a report on that. And as far as Robert's rules, I'm not going to talk about the

254open meeting was. I'm not going to go there because that was already shut down today. um uh Robert's rules and I this happened at the conference and I mentioned at the conference they followed Robert's rules exactly and I and it was asked if a committee does not follow Robert's rules they are can be in legal trouble. The only difference, and this is what I learned Friday, and I will say it, is we have to look at our our policy, and if we if we in some way decide that there's a part of Robert's rules we're not going to use, we have to state that clearly in our manual, >> that too, Margaret, is something that I hope Sean can address, >> you know. >> Oh, oh, I'm sorry. I forgot one thing. I'm sorry. You

255just mentioned Sean. He missed the whole thing about we should not have in our agenda packets, you know, he he corrected our agenda packet. We had something in there that we chose to take out over the summer. >> Um when it says that um we are not >> where is it? >> Due to the open meeting law, the committee cannot respond to our act on public comment. I want to ask Sean to um confirm or deny what the attorney general said in their findings. >> He said that that >> he told us that's completely illegal. Well, he told he told us something about a different thing that was a different thing that we can't tell the the public to only comment on things that are not on the agenda, which used to be in here.

256>> Oh, yes. Okay. Thank you. >> So, now he did not pick up on this, but the attorney general did. It was in a footnote. And when I saw that, I went, "Oh my gosh, we still have something wrong in our thing." And I've gone back and looked at the history of this public comment statement for the last decade. It's changed a lot, and I think it needs to change again based on that footnote from the AG. So, if we just need to like bring that up with Sean because he missed it. >> No. Okay. Yes. >> All right. >> Okay. Um I'd like to take a motion to adjourn. >> So moved. >> Okay. I just had I was looking for a future agenda item. >> I'm sorry. >> Oh, Melissa. >> Okay. Go

257ahead. >> Um we had said before that we wanted to we still wanted to hear from parents and teachers about grade configuration. And I was wondering if we could get a survey out or and that would also consist with stay with standard um 3 C and D from goal 4 on communications. >> Sean said [clears throat] we can release our own surveys as a school committee. He said that in July. We could look into that. >> Okay. All righty. >> Thank you. >> Okay. So we will um motion to adjurnn. Everybody done? >> Okay. >> Should we roll call like you just said at the beginning? You know what happens would happen too? >> Yes. >> Augusta. Yes. >> Coin. Yes. >> Mad. >> Sure. >> Yes. >> And Madura's last. Yes. Okay. Goodbye. Thank

258you.