001We're ready. >> Okay. I would like to call the meeting to order, please. Um, let's all stand. Pledge 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. Okay, Melissa will read the mission statement. Felmouth Public Schools mission. The Felmouth Public Schools creates worldclass student learning experiences. Our Clippers are empowered to pursue their goals with curiosity, integrity, and resiliency. Felmouth Public Schools 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. Sure. Um, I'll read the recording statement. This meeting of the found school committee is being recorded.
002In accordance with Massachusetts open meeting law, anyone who wishes to make an audio or video recording of this meeting must first notify the chair. Please raise your hand and make your presence known if you intend to record the meeting. Okay. This does not include parents who may want to record the their children. They're exempt from that rule. Okay. Um we'll begin with our student advisory report. >> Thank you. Um starting off with athletics. Winter sports have started this week and there's triyouts last week. So um scrimmages and games will start next week. So that'll be awesome to see. And then uh the boys basketball team, they have their game I mentioned before, but um it's in January at the garden and I think 400 tickets have to be sold. So be awesome to support and
003that'll be so fun. Um I think we're right on the court as a student section, too. And then for theater company, they've announced their musical will be Legally Blonde. So I'm really excited to see that. All them in the past have been really good. So I think I believe that's in the spring. And then for clubs, we have Glam Girls, which is um women in sports, like empowerment basically. And we always do the giving tree. So it's outside the main hall. And um you take a tag and then you go get that item whether it's a water bottle or sports equipment of any sort. And then it's donated to um local girls in need. So different schools or boys and girls clubs. So that's great. And then for our honors, they had their annual what's
004hole fundraiser and that went really well and we raised money for our New York trip in the spring. So that was a huge success and they're giving little Christmas trees and gingerbread houses. So that's always great. And then um last week we had our senior awards night during Clipper time. So it was awesome to see everyone's achievements and how everyone's doing. So that was great to celebrate those. And then Spanish Honor Society, they do their Pulsera project which is a fundraiser and it gives their proceeds to Nicaragua and Guatemala and their um bags and bracelets handmade and all the proceeds go to supporting those groups of social impact. Um so that's awesome real world impact and >> thank you as usual. Always a lot going on at FHS. Thank you very much. Um, next we
005will have public. >> Oh, okay. Sorry. >> Next we'll have public comment which I don't have the list. Um, but I the first name I saw was Megan Zati >> and um then I saw Amanda next. Okay. >> Okay. Public comment will be limited to 20 minutes. Members of the public are welcome to speak during public comment. Comments will be limited to two minutes in length due to open meeting law. Um, due to open meeting law, the committee cannot respond or act on a public comment. Additional comments and feedback can be submitted by email to school committeef.k12.mma. us. Okay. So, Megan, do we have I live on? >> No. >> Oh, thank you. We didn't bring the clock. >> I completely forgot. >> One second. >> Okay, >> hang on. I got it. No problem.
006>> Megan, just uh for Clary, you prefer not to have the 15. >> Thank you for asking. Yes, I would prefer to not have >> Okay, we'll do. Okay, sorry about that. Go ahead. I'm here to clarify a question that came up in your last meeting regarding the removal of JICA in our district's handbooks last spring. JICA language provided by MASC was fully removed. One sentence remains which was modified. Therefore, is no longer JICA language approved by MASC attorneys. The sentence in the handbooks now reads, "The responsibility for the dress and appearance of students will rest with individual students and parents guardians. And the change is as follows. who are responsible for ensuring that students arrive to school in the clothing that complies with the school's dress for success requirements. That's specific to Lawrence. Lori
007Durr stated on June 10th, 2025 that JICA language quote remains in policy until the policy subcommittee decides to recommend it out. The time stamp on that is 227 and 58 seconds. She further states that the policy doesn't apply because it's an option in connection with chapter 71 section 83. However, Glenn Cooer, executive director of MASC, disagrees with this statement and he advises that the two JICA and chapter 71 section 83 are completely independent of each other and one can exist without the other. At the end of the night, you have a proposal to remove JICA language from policy, removing it completely. entering the district into great risk of liability and taking away both parent and student rights which are protected civil liberties under settled Massachusetts case law and the first and 14th amendments. As elected
008officials, you've taken an oath to ask yourself 10 questions with each vote. Tonight, I ask you to focus on number four and five. Four, how will it affect basic civil liberties? And five, is it in the balanced interest of all? Thank you. >> Thank you, Megan. Amanda >> Amanda McGonagle, do you want the 15? >> Yes. Yes, >> no problem. Just give me one second. Could you say your street address? >> I do. >> Okay, go ahead. Thanks. Um, so what I wanted to I realize that you guys can't respond to me or act on any of the things that I'm going to say, but I would like for you to consider them in your decision-m and discussions as you kind of move forward. So, if I were to ask you, any one of you,
009what my son, so my son is the graduating class of 2039, panic attack. Um, 2039, he's four years old. What does his journey through public schools look like? What schools will he attend, K through 5? Where will he go? Six, seven, eight. Like, do you have that answer? And if you don't, then I feel like we need to start thinking in terms of like Miss Souza has said it before, like kids are the priority. Stop talking about buildings. Stop talking about years because it's arbitrary, but like put actual little people behind the decisions we're making. I feel like it's more impactful to say, okay, and it's more helpful for the community as well. So, the class of 2039, this is what their K through 12 career is going to look like. This is the route
010they're going to go. they're going to go to Morse, but then they're going to bounce back or they're going to It takes a lot of the guessing out of it. Cuz for me, based on all of the different situations that we've considered, I don't know, honestly where my son would be K through, I have no idea. And so even for those outside of the district, if they're trying to think, okay, am I going to school choice my kid to Falmouth? If we're talking in terms of graduating classes, they can plan. Um, and so I I would request that as you guys move forward and as you're talking about these plans, you start talking in terms of graduating classes and how that looks. Thanks. >> Thank you, Amanda. Um, next is Deian Rockford. >> Dan, how
011would you like your timer? >> Two minutes is fine. You don't want the 15 second. >> I don't think I I I don't think so. Thank you though for sure. Y >> can I give a shout out to the Lawrence school band before we start cuz honest to god that was my highlight of the parade. So I just want to shout out to that. DM Rockwood uh Jeffrey Lane in reference to a recent article in the enterprise. It was noted that there has been lengthy discussion of the building in gray configurations for the past year. When there is talk of only one set of ideas without any willingness to entertain and accept new plans, then I do not consider that a discussion. When the building needs task force meets only six times and just two
012of those meetings take place after an in-depth analysis by a consulting firm, that doesn't strike me as exhausting. What's truly exhausting to me is the unwillingness to accept and explore variations to the original plan. And if we are to embrace all the recommendations of that task force, then why are we ignoring the one that clearly states nothing is to be implemented at the elementary level before the 202829 academic year? The entire elementary population of this district will be impacted for several years to come. I don't know why I care so much. I really don't. My children are done and I have no grandchildren. I just have students that I service and support on a daily basis as I have for 16 years. But make no mistake, I consider these kids mine. And I cannot envision
013their future as proposed being anything less than unnecessarily chaotic. Therefore, every time I see an article to blindly support the original ideas of Navigate the future, my heart actually aches. It's a cruel plan, and I still stand by my thoughts that merging in the manner proposed is extremely unjust and discriminatory. Please do what you have promised and make the new year one of exploration and understanding. Let's really delve into the details NASDAQ provided us in their report and roll up our sleeves so as to provide justice for all. Thank you. Thank you, Deian. >> You're welcome. >> Okay. Thank you. And I must say we really appreciate I know you practice at home to keep the two minutes. Thank you very much for doing that. Okay. Now we will have an update from the superintendent.
014>> Okay. Thank you. Um, honestly, I don't know what happened. >> She's having trouble reading the wrong writing. >> Well, no having trouble. It's It's gone. >> Ryan, help. >> I know. Okay. It um I don't know what happened, but it is gone. >> And I really need my notes on this. Oh, can I Why I'm finding this? So my second point um so you know the the book that we passed out to every I still need you. Okay, hold on. I was just going to get started on the announcement. So Henry, would you hold up the um book for us? >> The book that we passed out and ask you to to uh and so that was one of the the books that we're doing and Henry's going to share a really exciting activity
015that took place at Ticket. So while he's doing that, >> well I'm not connected. Well, can I I guess what I want to do what I'm going to do is pass instead. So you just do that. >> I just want to announce that. >> So take one. >> Thank you. >> Pass it along. Take another pass that along. So um like I said before, we we we read this book. Uh originally we we gave every equity team, school equity team this book and they became like the model the motto for uh a lot of the equity teams. And so they took it took this book back to their schools and really started thinking about what does it mean? What's a big takeaway of this book that um students move together towards excellence and it's done
016intentionally. You don't just say it. You have to intentionally do that. And so, uh, I want to highlight, um, I got a text, uh, I think it was over November break and, uh, it was from Ticket School and they said, "Look where we have a banner." And then I went over afterwards and found out what was going on. And what was happening is that the their equity team said, "Okay, this is a great a great message. How do we do this?" And so the two adjustment counselors, Miss uh Laura Dalton and Miss uh Jennifer Peacock, went they're both in the U equity team and they started saying, "What can we do?" And what they said is like, "Let's go to every single class. We'll have uh questions geared to the kids at age age appropriate
017questions and let's see what they what message comes out of from from them." And so they went out there, they compiled this and they put the message in a big banner. So that first that first yellow page is their banner and it's right now in their hall. So please go Ticket and see what that banner is and that's in there. So, and it basically says at Ticket we move together. Through the conversations, students started to share what it means to be intentionally moved together. And they said as we learned together and we learned that we have differences and we need to support each other and even like um putting uh signs like uh they have um sign language signs in in Ticket to help people to learn and feel included. So they reflect it and
018the messages are generated from from students. For example, one student says we move together by working together as teams. We move we we um just be kind to everyone was another one. Another one was including others. And I stopped right there because I like in whenever we do stuff I like to have I to talk about an equity pause which means whatever we decide I hope there's like a time we're like stop. Did we miss anyone? Did we not include someone? And I thought that was powerful. Uh so that's another um another message. We all shine bright like sun. Okay. Great. >> We all shine bright as sun. So importance of every single person. We can build things to help people. Everyone is different and even though we are different, we can all move together.
019Powerful. These are from kids. Uh one one last one is fair does not mean equal. And I put that down. I I highlight that because one of the last messages that the uh teachers said was on the second one and I I think I've shown this in this um meeting before and instead of fair I think I put equity but they kind of uh engage that equality is not equal you know and basically what they want to make sure is that uh every students want to recognize that moving together means not everyone get the same thing but what do they need to achieve excellence. So what does every student receives towards that um that level of growth? So we've been talking about academic belonging definitely from the day day of belonging and it is creating
020environments intentional actions where communities recognize differences communities respond to care and we ensure that all students have support and resources and they fully engage in learning and striving excellence. So uh this is lot all the schools are doing amazing things. I just want to highlight one. It just came out here and uh just check out on Ticket. I was very excited. I was very proud of the teachers that went to that and the kids with their their voices. So, um that's a little just a little little addition. Hope you enjoy that. >> Yeah, I just thank you, Henry, for sharing that because just awesome what comes from our kids. Um when they listen so you'll understand why I needed my notes for this next one. This is very exciting. Um the Marhou uh foundation uh
021grants um are presented to um high school students. Uh it is a elite group. Um so this is the first time in the history of Fmouth High School that we have had two students in the same year um be awarded um the Marjo uh grant. So Ethan U Parer and Kuno Sedo um both seniors uh awarded $5,000 um foundation u Marjo Foundation grants uh for conducting scientific research over the course of the 2526 school year. Um and this uh so talk a little about uh each one's project. Um Ethan uh will be collaborating with Nathan Magcguire, an engineer from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Um who working uh in the ocean systems lab. Ethan's project will have him working to construct an accurate and modular sensing prototype that can be deployed in aquatic environments to measure
022conductivity, temperature, depth, pH, and dissolved um oxygen using off-the-shelf or otherwise inexpensive parts. So, um pretty detailed. Coonia will be working with the scientist from HOIE, Dr. Laura Moto from the um theoretical chemistry and biochemistry group Moto Laboratory u mercury and plankton. Kuna will investigate metal protein uh interactions in marine biological systems. Uh so both students um join a very elite group of approximately 100 high school students from the New England and New York um area. And so there um and this year there were only three to five selected um across um um which is is is funded and so two from our high school and I just want to yeah a big shout out >> I would have never remembered their projects without having them. So um and that's it. So thank you. >>
023Thank you very much. Um 100% of those updates were about kids, which we love. We love kids. >> We love from the youngest to the oldest. Great. >> Okay. Next, we will have highlights of Elmouth High School students. >> More kids. >> Love it. >> Well, we're going to start with some big kids. >> Hey, you're both found with alums. So, in our high school highlights this evening, we wanted to highlight there's so many different ways that our uh teachers and our staff meet the needs of a range of students and all find their way to success one way or another. We're really proud of, you know, having a dropout rate that is that is nearly under 2%. uh which is really remarkable what has been done at at our school and how we meet
024the needs of students who may be choosing a different pathway as they go through. So we want to lead off the night with Marjorie Sto and Rachel Payne who has just been pioneering in really leading our school uh as a high as a high set test center and also in the way in which we work with our students and help them find alternative ways to success. So I'll turn it over to you. >> Thank you. Uh so a little background just for anyone who doesn't know what the high set is. HighET and GED maybe two forms that you've heard of before that are a series of five tests that get the students to a high school equivalency degree. So these are students that dropped out of the high school but still wanted to earn their
025degree many of whom want to continue on to college as well. Um there are five exams reading, writing, math, science, and social studies and they equate to about a sophomore year 10th grade um education level. So we have since Mar uh May of 2023 offered 22 testing days. So we've been in session running this for a couple of years now. When we offer a testing day, there is a maximum of two tests that a student can take at a time. So if all things go well, they can finish their testing in just three testing days or in their high set. So we uh Marjorie will talk a little bit more about this, but we definitely offered this um here. We wanted it here in Fmouth High School so that we could access our students a
026little bit better. um our students were having a hard time getting to a test center that was either off Cape or all the way in Hyannis. Um they needed some additional support and so we were here to offer that by being able to have this program here. The benefit of our program is that we're small and I like to say we're pretty friendly. We're very personable. We try to celebrate with our students. So when the testers come in, they actually come right here into the library. We test in the uh the room just over there, the computer lab. Um, these people come in, some of them are our students and they know us. Some of them are community members that have never been here before or met us before. So, we try to hear their
027stories and um, celebrate with them when they win and support them when it doesn't go well by offering um, supports that they could find online. We're not giving them anything that's magical um, but maybe access to accommodations or some test um, supports. We have our own teachers here, so we offer our tests starting at 3:00. So, a lot of our staff is still in the building and our admin has come by and celebrated with our kids and kind of pumped them up a little bit, told them that they were proud of them and they walk into that test center feeling really good about themselves to come back in. Uh, we've been able to make some really great community connections. So, being in sort of a hub right here on the Cape, we have connections on
028um with all of the other chief administrators or chief examiners, excuse me, from all across Massachusetts. We have a Desi contact and we've also worked pretty closely with the 4C's um educational center for that that adult ed. So the students that are taking tests there often come to Falmet to take the actual or sorry preparing for their test there. They come to Falmet to take their high set exams. Um so on the handout that we just gave you guys um there are some stats here. I know everyone loves a number. Um in just those 22 testing days we have offered 186 individual tests. That is 23. actually 24 uh student found that students that have earned their high school equivalency degree. So that's 24 kids that did not be considered a dropout. They are have
029earned a degree. Of those um we've got eight students that have applied to or currently enrolled in college and one that enlisted in the military and we have 10 more students in the process. Um we are offering tests in just a couple of weeks. So hopefully those numbers will only go up. Um, we have had 34 testers complete their high school equivalency degree with us. That means that they took either their last test or even all of their tests with us. Um, there are plenty more that have taken just one exam or multiple exams with us but finished at another location. Um, so we have had testers from 16 years old to 67 years old. Um, and I love one of my favorite parts is hearing the stories from these people why they've come back.
030I mean, our oldest test completer, she was 53. um she cried. She gave us all a big hug and she said, "I raised my babies and I um you know put my kids through college and it's my turn now." And she was enrolling at 4C's to be a nurse. So, it's really great to see these kids be so successful. Um we've also had a lot more success with our own students uh completing the tests and actually passing them because they're taking it so quickly after leaving Famouth High School. There's so much more success that happens when they take it quicker because the information is there, the knowledge is there. But we have had family high school students that graduated or or sorry left the high school um from prior to 2021 that have come back
031and finished. So that's been really great. Um our test staff is awesome. It's Fargery, myself, Kurt Lawson, and Stephanie Morrison as our little team that rallies around the kids. Um but really it's the whole school that has supported us in this. So on your own would love if you guys read those three little reviews. These are three very proud students of ours that um Marjorie reached out to just the other day and said, "Oh my goodness, yes, I want to tell you guys how great this has been." One of those students had a baby through this whole process, so we got to see her. She was really cute. Um we've got one kid that, you know, school just absolutely was not his cup of tea, and he is now considering going to college to become
032a nurse. Um and then one that, you know, when he left here was just so downtrodden and and sort of beating himself up, and he left here really, really proud. So, um, another piece of this, we are a testing center. We have that test day, but prior to that, if a student is considering leaving Fountain High School, almost every student I think that has considered leaving or has left in the last 3 years, um, has had a conversation either with their guidance counselor or with me and their guidance counselor just to discuss this option of like, don't leave and make it so that you don't have a plan. can I help you? And so with that, I've administered 22 practice tests to 22 different students to say just take the practice test, see where you
033are, maybe you could pass it easier than you think, and then we can just get you set up for the test and you don't have to doesn't have to be something you kick down the road. So, um, with that, I can tell pretty easily based on how a student does on their practice exam if they are going to go ahead and pass the high set test, but there have been a handful of students who maybe wouldn't have passed automatically. And this year, we also added an online prep program that we have access to called the highet academy. Previously we would have referred a student to mass hire or maybe to 4C's to do ex like additional preparation but now I have the opportunity to work with those students monitor their um progress and continue to
034do what I would have done with the students who are immediately ready but just later down the road um I create the highet accounts for the students so 34 of those students I've created accounts for them um 26 of them who were under 18 I got state approval because you have to have state approval to take the test if you're under 18. There are just a lot of steps in this process and oftentimes the students who are leaving school are feeling a little bit stigmatized because they are dropping out or they're having challenges that are making things really difficult anyway. So to then say here's a 15step process that you have to do five times for each of the subject tests. Go for it, figure it out. Um that didn't feel great to us. So,
035I took that over and now I just say, "Give me your information. I will take care of it. I will text you and let you know when to show up here and I will greet you at the door." So, that's pretty much been the process for um like I said, 34 students I've created that for. Um and the biggest thing was Rachel mentioned this a little bit, why we got to this place. The first student that I helped through the process where we set set them up with an account, registered them to test at 4C's, the student got to 4C's, sat in their car, and could not get the courage to walk in the door and go and take the test. And so at that point, we had already been approved as a testing site.
036We just weren't active. And so all of us collaboratively said, how do we make it so that these kids are feeling supported and comfortable? Um, and that's that's how that came to be. The test is free. The state pays for it. It's really low risk. If a student um is feeling unsure or doesn't know what their next steps are, if they take it and pass it, great. If they take it and don't, they have three times in a calendar year to try again. So, it's really been so positive for these students who otherwise were feeling like they didn't know what was going to happen to them next or um their families were feeling really concerned and confused about what the next steps were. This just makes it so that before they leave our sites, we
037know that they have a plan and that there's a door open for their future. So, it's been really wonderful >> and it's something I think you know our we're so proud and and so fortunate the amount of resource we have with counselors and our adjustment counselors. A student is at this point after exhaustive work to help them get to a traditional diploma. Right? This includes uh credit recovery opportunities that happen before or after school. It includes building things into their day, working with their families. But we also know that everybody has a life journey and and and at times we do as Marjorie said really well they reach a breaking point and they and they don't feel they have another option and in the past and other schools I've been at they just silently disappear
038and here with the support of our counselors supports that you have we we give them another another option to get to that piece that they can that they can step away and have that. So, I want to thank both of you and I apologize earlier. I should have already recognized them. Miss Hackett and Mr. Ash are in the back there. They are super cafe. Few years ago, I think we were just kicking it off. Now, it is a thriving business in the school. They're they have plans to expand and uh have a little place to stop. So, I they're going to head out and and I wanted to let them know how much we appreciated them. So, >> Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. >> Thank you so much. That was great. That
039was great. >> And so the next the next piece is to uh have our students come forward. And I've I've invited uh Miss Roachcha will come forward as well. I've invited Avery Oliver, Sophia Egan, and Megan Gallagher here with us today. And uh we're combining our highlights with the um C with our CTE highlights and and updates. And uh so I'm going to let the students speak in a moment, but uh first I I invited uh Megan Gallagher here in fall of last year. uh the student uh started with us about a month or two into the school year and I learned that she came to us after initially starting at Sturgis and decided to come here and a month or so in I said how is it and she said I love it and
040um and and watching her I I went to her in a class one day and just said I would just think the school committee needs to hear your turn. And so, uh, I'm going to let Megan speak. >> Thank you, Dr. Horris, for inviting me. And thank you to the school committee for having me. Um, my name is Megan Yagger, and freshman year, I made the decision to attend Sturgis, a private charter school that's located. Um when I applied for the lottery enrollment, I was so convinced that I was confident in my decision that as 8th grade progressed and um summer arrived, I was increasingly worried about Sturgis. I entered the school year at Sturgis with my best friend and her twin sister. But within just 3 weeks, I realized it wasn't the right fit
041for me as a student. At Sturgis, I felt disconnected, even with a good friend by my side. It wasn't that anything was wrong, it just wasn't helped. I didn't feel the same connection, trust, or sense that I belong. And when I came back to college with High School, that changed immediately. The connection here is real. Teachers know the students, students know each other, and both the academic and social support makes it feel like the people surrounding you genuinely want you to succeed. I also just want to quickly say thank you to the Fountain High School staff for being so accommodating. Um the guidance uh the principal, the vice principal and the teachers along with the athletic department made this like otherwise very complicated transition very seamless. >> You know tomorrow eighth graders will visit from
042Lawrence and and two messages we want them to know is Fmouth is your home. any point, anytime, anywhere. You're always, we always want you. And we have high expectations. And we're a school of opportunity. And there's an opportunity to help you get to the finish line. There's an opportunity to move into our our challenging classes, but there's also an opportunity to leave our school with a career and and be ready to go. And so that's why uh Miss Roachcha has has invited uh Avery and Sophia to talk about uh that journey and the way in which uh um I think at a very high level our students leave ready to start their career. So I'll let the two of you go. >> So my name is Sophia E and I'm currently in 11th grade here
043at High School. I plan to complete the business pathway this year and Miss How, the business teacher this year, um has a major background in business and still is currently in business, but she treats our classroom like a startup, which I think just to start off the bat is an honestly great environment. She treats us like adults and prepares us for what classes or internships may be up up and in coming. For example, this year in like the basics of business class, which is usually a class freshman would take, um, we started a business called Weebi, which is a snack programming robot. It's like a theoretical thing, but we were interviewed um, and Miss How was g given us jobs based off our personalities and we had to work with each other and cross function
044with our peers to figure out like what our business needed to be successful. We had to create logos, mission statements, and figure out how everything was going to work. In the business pathway, one of the classes is also personal finance. And I honestly believe that personal finance should be offered to all students, even if you don't like I think it should be a mandatory class. It teaches you the finances to maturely prep for your futures. And furthering my academic career, I plan to major in business and hope and management and hopefully minor in some sort of sales. And without the help of Miss House's class, I was was not sure of what I was going to major in the beginning of this year. I wasn't sure between like forensics, which is also a class offered,
045or business. But now I know that I want to be in business. >> Hi, I'm Avery Oliver. I'm a senior here at B High School. Um, I am in the child care pathway. I started my sophomore year. this is your first class you can take. I took the child development class um which was really like the base for learning like all the physical cognitive all like the development. The next year I took the preschool class so I was assigned to a kid to observe and like it really helped me figure out like apply what I learned the year before to an actual human in front of me which is really helpful. Um, and this year I'm in an internship. So, I go over to Mullen Hall and I intern in a first grade class. And
046I think that's super helpful because furthering my education I want to do early childhood. I want to major in that. Um, and so I get to work in a real classroom at the real age I would like to teach at, which is very helpful in knowing that like I'm confident in my abilities of teaching and that I know what grades I'd like to teach. Although like obviously I'll further that when I get up to college, but it's very helpful. It's very fun. I get to like interact with all the kids for multiple hours a day, which is like exactly what I want to be doing anyways. So, it's very helpful, very fun. Miss Campbell is really amazing. She's always there if I need to ask any questions about anything that like anything, literally anything I
047need. So, very helpful. Very great. I'm I'm gonna formally introduce Jan because I I you know two years ago Dr. Der and uh Dr. tell you worked really hard to have a department head for CTE and they had worked for some time and you know career teched teachers are wonderful independent contractors and how they just get things going but trying to bring them together is not always is not always an easy thing and and Janet came from the department and started a year ago and what she has done in supporting the teachers uh getting resources connecting and adding programs we're just real really fortunate to have Janet And I think um the work she's doing now, she's going to update you on in that articulation piece with Lawrence and the possibilities for the future are
048really great. So Jen, I'll let you give a brief update. >> Thank you very much and thanks for having us and thank you for supporting CTE. Um the stories that the the girls just shared are just two really awesome examples of several many many students going through the pathways and what what an you know how we enrich students in the offer that we you know provide our students. Um so re more recently what we've been working on is getting the word out. Um we are we have been making our way down to middle school to uh Lawrence um working with Mr. Kushy who's here somewhere. Mr. Bushy. Um we've had uh 13 Fmouth High students recently go down into Lawrence um during their lunch waves to mingle with the students and talk with them um
049about the offers you know the programs that we offer up here. So trying to plant the seeds earlier um down at uh Lawrence collaborated with um Dr. tellier to make some showcase posters that um students who are in the pathways provided quotes of why um they love the experience, you know, of their journey through the pathway. Um so we've got some beautiful visuals down there. Now um we have a lot of other marketing plant in the plans here um to promote these programs and get more and more students interested. Um I'm also working uh or will be working soon with um Tim Adams to try to get the word a little bit of the word down and more respond as well. So um that's been going on. Um another quick update um because I don't
050remember if I said this last time I was here or not, but the medical pathway, we started them last um spring with seven students in the very first cohort and I now have 15 applying. Um, I had to go ask uh Dr. Teller if we could we could increase our the numbers because we had so many kids interested. So, we have 15 that are in the process of applying for the second cohort which will start this spring. That's exciting. >> Great. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Next we will have a presentation on athletics. >> How do you let me follow that? Sophie Eaggan, Billy played for the first time this year. Most group award winner Oliver Olivership award for volleyball Gallagher coaches award for girls soccer. So I'm here to kind of update for the
051fall um for our fall season. So we had 280 athletes on rosters at the end of the season. 72 of those were high honors, 120 were on the honor roll. So 69% of our student athletes are on honor roll or high honor roll, which is pretty impressive. >> Um >> 69%. Yes. So So in the we had our uh fall sports awards night recently. So I kind of went through each as well with you. So, um, unified basketball, the if some of you came to that game, what's that's the best game of the year. So, all our athletes of other sports, get in the stands, make make uh posters for them, unified kids play, honor guard, national anthem. It's the best. It's the best day of the year to me by far. Um, if you've
052been to a football game, our cheerleaders, the improvement in the last few years is just amazing. We went from like standing there to in year three of leading our student section in cheers. So, it's pretty impressive. Um, girls soccer, they had two major injuries the beginning of the year and had every reason to like fold, but the leadership of their captains and the team chemistry I saw with that team was absolutely amazing. I didn't hear one like negative word when kids were put in as you know some kids weren't in positions where they really weren't ready for because they needed to be. Um amazing amazing year by them. Both our cross country teams um when they went to the league meet at the end of the year every kid had a personal best time at
053the at the league meet at the end of the season. So obviously they're coaching those kids up. Our football team uh started the year 0 and4, ended the year five and six, and then you see the score on Thanksgiving and you go, "Oh, they lost 49 to6." It was 14-6 with 6 minutes to go to the half and Barnstable like started a fight with us. >> So, I'm like, man, the rivalry is back. We we had them we ran a completely different offense, bunch of trick plays. They were like, what is going on? Cuz they just expected to come steamroll us. But they uh so that was pretty that was pretty cool. Um boys golf made the state tournament for the first time in quite some time. They finished eighth in division 2 south out
054of the 16 teams that made that tournament. Um field hockey, we had a new coaching staff, very positive, very upbeat. Every game they played, they had a better the second time around. example lost to Monoy 7 nothing and then tied them 2-2 like three weeks later. So there's a lot of lot like that in that with that season there. Um volleyball was uh co- champs in the Cape Islands League. So they finished tied with um they finished tied with DY so they were co- champions. Uh boys soccer was straight up league champions. And I kind of laugh. I said to sum up boys soccer in one word, tie. They tied eight games. They play 18 games. They tied eight of them. I mean, like >> every game was competitive. There was not one I think
055the biggest was four to nothing, but every game was so competitive. And we also had some like individual accomplishments. Um, from girls soccer, Molen was our second team all Eastern Mass. Um Kobe Kyle for boys soccer was first team Eastern Mass. Um football, Tayan Days was the co-VP of the Cape Islands League. Uh volleyball, my Edwell was the MVP of the Capeen Islands League and Silus Gardner won the state championship for the second year in a row in cross country. So pretty impressive um pretty impressive fall with some for some of our athletes. Um, couple things going on. Last year we, you know, updated you that we're starting a wrestling program. We did it two days a week. This year we're a full-blown wrestling team. Um, I just got out of practice and came on
056down here and watch was watching them and there's 19 students on the mat, couple girls, and we're going at it. And there's great because the our coach is uh Mike Highland's doing a great job. I got this text last night of how excited he was of practice last night like, "Coach, it's coming together. We like and there's two two gentlemen in the community that got Cori. One's a former wrestling coach at um at Marshfield, retired gentleman that lives in East Famouth now. He's helping out another gentleman who's actually has two sons that play hockey who's helping wrestling. He's a former college wrestler. And one of them and the the coach and the one of the guys are on the mat like demonstrating and I look at the guy I'm like he's like yeah I hate
057the treadmill. This is way better. So um so it just and then then you know Bill stole the my part of my the boys basketball team is playing at the Boston Garden. So, there's a tournament called the Lawson tournament and it it's a it's a charity tournament to um give light to students with disabilities and we've got invited to be part of that tournament. It's a lot of work. We're working on all the paperwork to fill out, but it's supposed to be an authentic Boston Garden experience. Going to work on like a get a little picture can be on the jumbotron and like all that thing all those things um there. So that's um pretty huge. It's on Martin Luther King weekend on the Sunday at 1:00. Um so tickets are on Ticket Master and
058we need to sell 400 of them. So we're working on I know Coach Lumbberg has been reaching out to all his alumni. He's been around for quite some time and he has some pretty distinguished alumni. He texted me on the way here and said, "Is there a way to donate online?" I'm like, "I don't think so. you have to like, you know, write a check found high school or you have like he's like, "Yeah, cuz Stevie Cichek, who played in the major leagues, is going to Japan to play baseball right now and he wanted to donate money, but we'll figure it out." So like but so the it's wide wide uh >> wide. So um and then one other thing is we have a we've partnered with a company called Rocket Solutions who is we've
059got an interactive like big screen TV coming for the lobby of the fieldhouse and it will be able to digitize all like our awards and and and things. So I'm reaching out to I'm going to reach out to the road race and the hall of fame and all that will be on there. So when you see like you just can't keep up with the how many trophies can you fit or how many plaques can you fit, right? So there'll be a place where it's digitized so you can you actually touch screen and touch it and go hall of fame and you'll have a picture of every placard and we'll try to eventually it's going to take a while to get all the data in there but eventually you'll have it housed all in there. Like
060they just sent an update to us today like all the fall teams and all the rosters are now in. So when you when it's up, it's in the process of getting coming. Um when it's up, you'll be able to touch the screen and be like fall click on the volleyball team. It'll be a picture of the volleyball team and like their record and stat and things with their so it it so and then you'll have all the you know schedules on there and everything. So people come into the games they can touch the screen and get all that information. I thought also with our partnership with the road race when that they come in they could have a whole they'll have a whole road race section so it'll be you know putting the road race
061on there they come in for the expo touch and you got all the history of the road race on there as well. >> It's very nice. >> Any questions or I know you got a big agenda tonight. >> I was just curious about what you were just talking about. How far back in history will that go? That sounds like a huge project. There's a there's a it's a huge project, so it's going to take a while to to get it all in there. But there is there is an aspect of it. It's kind of like Wikipedia that you can like send if we reach out to the community, you can be able to send information and we try to verify it and get it in there. So, there's a whole part of the whole thing
062is there's a whole data team. Um, Carol Lori who works with student activities and part-time and athletics, she's been amazing of like uploading things. So, there's there's Google folders that we send stuff to. So, it's just the process of like we met with him like last week and we're our heads are spinning. Okay, all you're going to do is fall pictures in the fall rosters. When you're done with that and get back in touch with us. So he'd be like, "Okay, now you're gonna try to take pictures of the little Hall of Fame blacks." Okay. But so because he they they do it for all different school systems. So it's going to be a project that's ever always evolving, I think. And as far as like, you know, so many banners and, you know, I
063think that's the way most schools will end up going eventually. I think we're just trying to get in cuz I I talked to Borne High School and they started it a little bit before us so they're a little ahead of their game. So some schools are around here and kind of cool the uh the CEO of the company parents have a house off Central Avenue in Felma. So there's a Fmouth connection. We got a little deal on that too because of the Fmouth Connection. Saved a couple bucks. >> Yeah. >> Go ahead. >> Okay. Oh, I'm Mine's quick. I'm just wondering so I I was listening to but I was also looking to buy tickets. So um it says that they're only sold through the schools. So at some point can we get a link
064to >> Oh yeah. Yeah. There's the link. >> It's on the school website. All right. >> It's in my weekly bulletin last week which is on the school website. >> This is in my family letter to everyone if you want to grab in the family letter too. The link is there. >> Yep. And go out. You can go out and buy the athletics and get your phone. There's a QR code like up out there. >> Great. Thank you. Thank that was one of my questions. So, thank you, Kelly. I did see in the weekly update. Um so, thank you, Doc. >> But thank you for the QR code. That's super helpful. And then um would there be room in the budget for a fan bus? Because I'm thinking of um students that want to drive
065to Boston in January. >> Am I looking at the wrong Am I looking should I look at >> Could we please make sure there's room to so we can get our fans up there safely? anybody. But we want families to buy first cuz if you get a few of us to buy one, >> we want to kind of advertise the families coming and then, you know, then we'll make sure we get THAT past a way. So, I just wanted to advocate for that. Thank you so much. That's great. Thanks very much. And I I will say we never hear no on a fan bus. If we have kids who want to get on a fan bus, they always find a fan bus for us. So that is what there is I'll often get a call
066from the superintendent. I want to make sure there's opportunity for a fan bus. So it's it's that's always that's always that's always there. >> That's great. >> They don't always have enough kids that that want to go on buses. Students have figured out what they're doing and I think that's I I think that's what we're doing here. >> Good. But I've ridden on those fan buses. >> Any, you know, it's fun. >> Any exception, it's free. >> Okay. You know, you talked about their success and I'm glad to hear that the students have been successful in sports, but I also find the sports encourage a spirit of uh teamwork, etc. And I'm wondering if you might address >> some of that. I think like what I said with the girls soccer, um they had every
067like last year they made the state tournament, whatever, and there was just more of a division and divide like I just watched them this year like just a bunch of girls come together uh in not there was there there was not one like disappointing thing that happened. I mean like two of their very good players they could have they had trouble scoring goals. They had trouble and just the the positivity upbeatness of that. Um field hockey started off like over at the beginning of the year and by the end they they they won a bunch of games at the end and they um like even through their adversity they're up they're up two nothing and they lost 3-2 in the in the state tournament. But through that whole time like you would have never known
068at the end of that game that the game was over. The football team 0 and4 I mean it they had every like as coach said they had every like it was at a point where it was going to really go south and kids who hadn't they didn't they had won two games the two years before two and nine two and nine and then they come in and they they're 0 and4. here we go again. But they didn't. They they go f they're five and five going into Thanksgiving. They go, you know, five and one in the last six games. So like those are things that you're I mean and then watching that unified game and seeing like how our student body rallies around that and like just every day watching in the hallway. I mean,
069the way kids interact and the way and like just coming from wrestling today, like watching a kid that has done jiu-jitsu or judo or something that has a little bit of a clue sparring with a kid that has no like just is trying a sport. Get your leg here like do that. Like so you you see that whole that whole like thing. So is that what you're kind of those are things you're looking for? >> Yeah, there's a lot. I've always been impressed with the spirits of students and I think sports can really add to that and >> absolutely and like I mean I I was a basketball player. I didn't wrestle. We didn't have it. But like it just watching those kids like they're rolling around on mat for two hours and like spinning
070and like if you can make it through that there's some serious character building in there. We got a couple football linemen that I am if if they make it through the wrestling season, I am putting their their name will be they will be an allstar next year. They will be like think about you're trying to block somebody and you got that whole you got that wrestling angles and stuff. It's going to be pretty pretty impressive. So, >> thank you. >> And I want to I want to compliment Coach Olivera. He started here two years ago and his ethos to you was that he, you know, having grown up here and and gone through and what he wanted to give back and that at times there were coaches who kind of had that tough love piece
071and in in in 2020 he said it's about loving tough. It begins with love. And he has he has worked very very diligently, consistently with coaches, with parents, with students that that is what happens at Fmouth athletics. And you can see it and you can feel it in locker rooms, in conversations. And that hasn't all been easy. There's been lots of tough conversations all the way around, but and we recently, you know, lost coach Busher and and I think he embodied uh that possibly more than anybody else in his Hall of Fame speech of we're going to be really competitive, but it is most important about relationships, relationships, relationships. And Todd has done a fantastic job in his two years here of letting our coaches know we're going to be we our kids can compete
072with anybody, but first and foremost, you will love them, you will believe in them, and we will build quality individuals. And I I really I really wanted to make sure you knew what a great job he's done in that regard. >> Thank you. >> And I was going to mention Mr. Busher. He he is a true friend of mine and role model and he's exactly what we want our coaches to be. like that gent that man you he's he's just he he it was always about the relationship and then it was and that translated into wins like I went to his you know his wake the day and I just basically I felt like I was working >> I was working it because I was walking through the line seeing another student and another student
073and another student and another student I knew and like and I know like just from knowing him like, oh, this girl this this girl reached out to me because her mom just passed away. This one like and it just the the relationships he had with kids was just amazing in that that's what we're trying to do. I mean, there's only one Bob Busher, but if we all can be part part Bob Busher, I think we'll we'll be pretty successful in everything we do. just I mean as Steve Kapoka said he's like you know he's a Hall of Fame teacher, Hall of Fame coach, Hall of Fame husband, but most of all he's a Hall of Fame person. >> Yeah. >> So did you want to say something else? >> Yeah. I just wanted to thank
074all the coaches because um all the Bob Bushes to come up through the ranks and um for all the effort that they're putting in with the kids into the kids away from their own families far more than what their contract may call for. >> And um just as an example too, I heard the new football coach was out there with the Brookstone Grill on Thanksgiving morning cooking breakfast for the team. Um, it's those kind of connections. >> He was and he like we had a week off and he he went to he went with the JB team on a Monday and went over to Nantucket who's a JB team. Think about like you're a freshman that's going to play for years for him hopefully and he's going on a 45minute ride to Hyen. It's an
075hour plane strings and automobiles to coach a JV football game on a Monday afternoon on Nucket. So there's things like that that no one sees and no one knows. But thank you. Thank you for noticing. >> It's it's yeah, they're we have amazing people and amazing staff here. We're not perfect. >> We're never going to be, >> but we we try and we care about kids and we're going to do the best we can. So >> thank you. The other thing good about athletics is kids don't have to play for paid to play sports. >> That's one thing very huge in our district. >> Yeah. >> Um next on the agenda is um to review and discuss the Lawrence School reconfiguration. So, I want to invite um several people up to the table, please. And
076we'll introduce everyone. Um and while they're coming up again, um it was a request from some of the school committee members that um we break down that the presentation when we talked about fifth grade and, you know, where they might be in eighth grade where they might be. And so, last, just as a reminder, on the 24th when we met, we concentrated on fifth grade and now we're um concentrating on the eighth grade piece. So, um Dr. Harris and um Mr. Bush, you know, can we just continue uh around um and introduce >> the other members? >> Sure. You want to start, Mr. Feny? And sure, introduce yourself, your job, and why you're great. >> Sorry. >> We'll we'll tell you that half an hour, right? Hi everyone. My name is Mike Peny. I'm the
0777th through 12 department head public schools. >> Hi everyone. Um, my name is Molly Dream. I am the department head for world language K through 12. I'm Lauri Gatel, math department head, seventh pick. >> I'm Tom, the principal. >> They really are fantastic to work with. It's really high achieving and awesome. Really great group. >> And I'm Alan Harris, the the principal. And I I want to uh ditto what what Mr. Bushy said. In our in our system, our teachers work directly with the kids and they are, you know, the heroes every single day. We're very fortunate to have unit B in our piece, which is the department heads, the assistant principles, the special education building administrators. They are the people who work closest to the people who work closest to the kids. And I
078I have never worked with administrators, department heads, assistant principles that are as experienced and knowledgeable and uh just really lucky to to work with them. And I think so last time we were here or I was here and we talked about the the configuration. You all had some really important and good questions. Uh and you don't leave those meeting and be an educator and not start thinking about them and talking about them and figuring out how you would work with them. And we had some meetings with all of our department heads. We went through a process we call if then. So if we were a a a high school in 2030 with the class of 2035 coming in as 8th graders, then what then what would be a strength and what would how would we
079work on it? If we are a 9 through 12 school that has 650 students in it, then what? And so we went through those processes, but also kind of listen. And so a couple things I want to address quickly before I turn it over to them here. Here are three things I heard the last time I was here. Concerns about safety. What does it look like for a 14-year-old at at the same building as someone who is 18 years old? And some concerns that had been raised uh in the U building needs piece by our former SRO uh as well as conversations around the Cape just purely about safety and department. The second question was what about gaps and the way in which those may increase if you have students who arrive here in eth
080or nth grade and how would you address that and the third piece is what would it look like about acceleration but would all students have that opportunity for acceleration first point I want to make sure and it's really difficult and I think the long that what we hear from our teachers or from students when they talk about anxiet anxieties is we go down the road of well how would you do this and how would you do this and how would you do that? It's hard to do that because you're in the current construct, right? First thing I think from a construct part is we're not talking about eighth graders coming to high school. We're talking about eighth grade happening at the high school campus, which are two very different things. Everyone we talk to has
081the same worries. What would it mean developmentally? How would that look? How would you do that? So I have been in districts from 1,200 to 35,000 in three different states and had the opportunity to work with some really good people and be in different situations bringing 7th through 12 onto the same campus and talking to others. So I had the opportunity last couple months to talk to some colleagues who've been through it or has sat down with officer herd listen to some of the principles here. There's if we were there are some advantages to having 8 through 12 here that are exceptional. Todd was just here. Athletically, our teams will be more competitive if they're 8 through 12. Currently, our sixth and our seventh and eighth grade teams will often go undefeated in the Cape
082Island area because they're playing teams that mostly don't have eighth graders on them. Our freshman teams will often go undefeated when they're here because they're playing freshman teams that don't have ninth graders on them. They have eighth graders on them because many of the schools have that. When they get to their sophomore, junior, senior year, they're playing against athletes that have been playing upper upper varsity athletics for more years than they have. It is an advantage. Currently, if we want an eighth grader to play in a varsity sport, we have to have a waiver that says that happens because they're not in the same build on the same campus. If they're on the same campus, they don't have to have that waiver. So, there are just this last weekend at the at the uh at
083the Southeast music auditions, an eighth grader participated with the high school and did very well. That was one eighth grader who had that opportunity because our band director and the Morris band director made that connection. if they're here, that's an opportunity for more of the students there. I think when we look at it and we talk about the worries about 8th grade being here, it's also important to realize that it's not a net neutral if they're not here. If you have 9 through 12 at 650, there are fewer opportunities. There are fewer opportunities because there are fewer students. there are fewer opportunities because there are fewer adults in the building who can be adviserss, who can be coaches, who can provide those pieces. That's just important as you consider the decision that you make. The
084last piece, and this is really important, and and why I feel so fortunate to work in Falmouth, is what is different here than any of the schools I've talked to who have done it before, is two things. One, if the decision were made in the near in the in the near future, we would have three full years to plan, prep, and prepare to answer everybody's legitimate concerns. We could hold forums and hear about concerns about development and how you would prep that and do that. We'd be able to listen to our teachers about their lensure concerns and how we would work through that. The second piece is purely resources. often schools that have done this or districts that have done this, they're trying to save money. So they're so they're their their resources, they're being
085asked to do it and and do it economically. We're being asked to do it and do it well and be efficient about it. Those are two very different things. One pure example when we think about bringing students to the campus you think about and the developmental piece you're thinking about what would be the social emotional supports the investment you've made in adjustment counselors and counselors far exceeds what our other local schools have and we would be able to immediately be thinking and working with them about how we prepare and meet those needs. I think um from from those two pieces, first and foremost, how do you make it safe? We have the ability if we're 8 through 12 and three years to plan to look at starting in time to the day that can be
086changed. We can totally design the bell schedule. So there is a separate eighth grade experience or separate eighth and nth grade experience all designed by our teachers to deal with a safety issue. build in the supports and then let our teachers and let teacher leaders just really go and dream about what can happen with exceptional opportunities that'll be here uh because that is there. And with that, I want to turn it over to our department heads who've been talking with their colleagues about uh what the possibilities could be. So >> yeah, I'll start. Um, so when we look at reimagining what F public schools will be and regardless of what decision you make, there is going to be a reimagining piece to it. Um, I'm just going to briefly kind of describe potentially what acceleration
087could be. So, for example, if we had eighth grade students come up to Fouthmouth High School, like Allan said, eighth graders physically at the building, but also participating in eighth grade. What we could see is we could potentially offer accelerated classes, for example, honors. Here's how. We have teachers at the high school presently that have lots of experience teaching honors classes. If you look at their lensure, my teachers, I'm just speaking for social studies, but this is a a general comment. They could potentially teach eth graders honors classes. I also just want to make sure that this is clear. I believe in my seventh and eighth grade teachers too in terms of their life concern in terms of if people came up, they would absolutely be up for the challenge to learn how to teach
088honors. The point is if we look at the current construct of what we have at the Lawrence School, the accelerated opportunity that we offer is the the accelerated math piece. So if we're into dreaming and redesigning the future, this is something that we could do. I've been in this district for over 20 years. I've been lucky enough to get to know the teachers both seventh and eighth grade and along with the high school and the 7th through 12th department head what I feel is regardless of what decision you make we'll be ready to build out but when we look at this opportunity um my colleagues department has some who are not here tonight um we feel up for a challenge to dream and we feel up to the challenge to work with our people to
089best serve the students. >> So, similar to what Mike's talking about with acceler acceleration opportunities um in social studies, the same exists for world language, our core sequence is a little bit different than the traditional sort of CP and honors. Um right now at the high school our students are able to place an advance based on their language ability um and their language proficiency. So that would be an opportunity that would be available for grade eight students here as well so that they could start out at a higher level or advance faster to a higher level of the world language which then is probably going to mean that they are able to earn the seal of biteracy faster as well. And if you're at that high of a level of language, that means that you
090also are reaching up to our AP level, which is the highest level we offer right now. So then we start to be able to look at opportunities for what comes after AP in terms of high um level language study in different areas beyond what College Board has imagined for us. It could also mean having opportunities outside of the school building in terms of internships that are language focused as well. >> Um, so I know both my colleagues have talked to you about acceleration and you know that both at 7th and eighth and at the high school we have many math classes that are for accelerated students. But I wanted to talk to you about if we brought eighth graders here, what giving them a breath of a year, a year for them to practice in
091the high school before it's transcripted. You know that our eighth grade teachers, I can tell you right now, my eighth grade teachers do an amazing job of prepping them and for a high school math classroom, but they stumble. And when they stumble in a four-year requirement like math or English, now they're locked into stumbling for the rest of their high school career. If we bring them here as eighth graders, they're in the building. They get to practice. They see all the departments have to offer and for not only acceleration but opportunities for um interventions. And they would be able to get that ability to have an opportunity to strengthen their capacity before they're transcripted for the next four years. So, it's not just how we can accelerate our students, but how we can catch them
092before they're transcripted and we send them out into the real world. It's a new opportunity for us. >> I don't have a ton to add here. Honestly, this uh this group is really important. Their insights are huge here because they are in both buildings. So, they see they see, you know, life at Lawrence and they see life at the high school. Uh, you know, I'm Lawrence focused, so it's emotional for me uh to to think about what it might look like for eighth graders going on. I currently have an eighth grade student. uh and I've said this before in this forum uh that I would be like a lot of parents and you know I would have some concerns about uh sending my my 14-year-old off to the high school but I trust the people
093who work in the school building and I've seen the amazing work that they've done. Uh so I I'm confident that the eighth graders can soar at the high school. I will say uh it hasn't come up tonight as far as I can recall, but it has come up in the past about um you know the students making a difficult decision about where they want to go to high school with their families at the end of grade 8 and a lot of conversations building around the competition that's out there. Uh I don't see it as competition. Uh I'm found with high school through and through. Uh I respect the families having that conversation, engaging in that discourse about where they might want to to go. Uh tonight we heard uh a student uh Megan I think
094Megan Gallagher uh speak about her experience in taking a chance at a different high school, realizing it wasn't the right fit, coming to Felmouth High School, and the rest is history. Uh so that was for you, Mike. Um so uh so you could see these experiences. I mean her story is uh is is her story but there are many other stories like that and we we really uh we really don't lose a lot of students from grades sorry six to seven. Uh but uh you know the numbers are not even comparable to the to the uh competition for grades 8 to 9. And when the students can experience and get a taste for what's what Fmouth High School has to offer all the exciting extracurricular and co-curricular experiences then they they get dialed in here.
095And I've seen it with uh with three of my other children who have come through gone with high school and just knowing kids in the community and uh family members that I speak with in the community. Uh the experience here is an outstanding one and the eighth graders would be a wonderful addition to it. Of course, I would miss them at Lawrence. You know, one concrete example is if they're at the high school where our CT classes are offered, we can offer an eighth grade exploratory class where they get to actually be in those labs and those settings. Some of them, as Miss Hackett was asked the other day, so a student who wanted to go into culinary arts could also accelerate in that. Yes, they could. They could make that connection here as they're
096as they're in in that process. that doesn't in any way diminish the the the real and having been in the district that that did something similar to this. The real concern for the parent of I don't know how this would look and I think the opportunity you would give us is the three years time to have those meaningful conversations. Talk about that and talk about how it will look at Fmouth because I think what's different about Fmouth is the investment you all make in making sure that that success happens. I feel much more confident today than I did three months ago of knowing how we will go about ha making sure we hear their concerns, work on the solutions to their concerns, process those and let our people who work closest with the students answer
097those and find success for every students that builds on the strengths of it being here and also does that. And I think you know I I working with Mr. Bushy. I think I that the same would apply in 5 through 7. The opportunity for those teachers to have that opportunity to dream, build, and say, "Let's do something really cool 5 through 12 starting in that class of 2035." When they walk through this door, their experience is this. Our community, our teachers get to build that with us. >> Okay. Thank you very much for your insight. Um, do people have questions or >> I just comments? >> I just have one little one. I I really appreciate all the input and there was a few new things that I hadn't thought of or hadn't maybe I
098just didn't write them down when I took me two times to hear it and and process it. So, um, Dr. Harris, are you what are your thoughts about managing um, if the eighth grade were here? Is the is the lensure concerning to you or like having the additional staff and is there anything different about that that gives you pause or >> I talking to the students this morning and one of my favorite quotes by get is boldness has genius and magic in it. Once you decide, Providence moves too. I think one of our department heads, Sarah Cox, said, "Yeah, we have anxiety, but make the decision and let us go at it." And and I think that and I think what we're asking is gosh, parents who have these concerns, email me, call me, let's
099talk about it. I mean, because that and so I think what gives me the thing that gives me pause is is waiting and ended up being an urgency in having to do it. right now it's been and you know appreciate you all Dr. do or Paul Dart. We're not doing this in crisis. We're not doing this in a reaction. We're doing this in a planful, thoughtful way that most districts don't. So, yeah. I mean, what gives you the biggest thing is what does that eighth and n eighth ninth experience look like in the day, right? That because you got to think through where do they go in this building? What do lunches look like? What's before and after school pickup? How do you manage? I mean you see the difference in size between 14 and
100you know there's just that piece right and I think right now when our department heads are talking to teachers or we're talking to parents and they ask a good question our answer is well once we know the decision then we could start right and so I I feel we have really quality people you you said we're going to have the resources we have the time that's why I'm really confident we'll get it >> and then we'll continue to improve it. >> Thank you. Yeah. >> Um like in terms of the the lensure piece, you know, many teachers have lenture that stretches quite a bit. >> Okay. >> Like 5 through 12. I have a number of history teachers just as an example. And though historically speaking, they may not have taught fifth grade in their
101career, they are licensed to do it. And for me, the way I look at this particular situation is it will be really interesting to have conversations as a department head and and I'm sure my other colleagues agree is talking to the people saying, "Hey, now we're going to dream again like what does this look like and where do you think you fit based on your lensure? Like where where do you want to go?" >> You know, where where can you help the kids out? Um it would be interesting, you know, to see where some of the teachers would actually >> if they want to try something new. >> Right. Right. And and also what I'm excited about is again like I said, I'm a 7 through 12 department head. So a number of these these
102teachers that I work at with the Lawrence School that are kind of in play here, we know them very well. We've worked with them very well. And so it just it makes me feel good about having the conversations about reimagining what education looks like because of the relationships that we have with the teachers. So that's something that I'm actually excited about um about having those types of conversations. >> I really like that description because we're always talking with kids about growth mindset and and taking on new challenges and embracing difficult things. So that's modeling that are around. >> Yeah. So I'm good. >> Um so I I thank you very much for the presentation. I have no doubt that the staff and the um department heads and and everybody would handle it very well and
103do an extraordinary job. It sounds um incredible. I think the main concern that I've heard and keep hearing from parents over the last year with this idea is um is the safety one. And so when you envision how you would create an eighth grade academy or an eighth or ninth grade academy that's separate but inside the building but you're having those kids in accelerated classes and in the extracurriculars and the afterchool sports and clubs. How can you allay the fears of those parents? um my four-year-old will be in the class of 39. Yep. >> As was mentioned earlier, >> my seven-year-old will be earlier. So, um that's a long way off for me, but for parents who are going to get there sooner, that is a really pressing concern and they can't envision it. And
104so, Dr. Harris, if there's a way that you could lay out perhaps how your colleagues in other districts have handled that or how you might >> I can tell you how other districts have handled that when they've made this difficult decision >> specifically. Sorry, specifically to do with um >> safety. >> Well, in terms of like they're going to be mingling and then they're going to know each other and then they're going to have eighth graders invited to parties that are not appropriate or whatever. Well, and so let's first we we do want to be really clear that and in talking with the SRO's many of the issues they deal with 8 to 12 and that or 8 really kind of 810 or 710 they happen without them being in the same school through social
105media. That is a growing problem nationwide, communitywide that is real whether they are in the building or not. And I want to be really clear that that that that that is something that that's regardless. I will say the way districts that I've talked to or I've been in have done this successfully is the decision is made right. The the district says we are going to the district I was in said we are going to go 712 at the high school campus. That's what's we're going to need to do and it's going to happen by this time and we're going to require our principal to have forums with the community and talk with them and have them share their concerns about safety and work on a 2year plan to address those safety concerns directly. That's where
106I've seen it be done successful because then you're not talking about a hypothetical whatif. you're talking about this is happening and the parents who are coming are engaged in that conversation with the staff. Proposals are made for what that solution is. You process that with the community and you come to conclusions about what you do because you know from the school committee the the the um the charge you're giving us is make sure you address those make sure you address those concerns the developmental piece the safety piece all those pieces you know Dr. doer has made really clear would would be built into how we plan develop and do it. But I where I have seen people struggle is trying to get the answers to that before there's a decision >> because every time one
107of those is answered there's another hypothetical that that that comes out. >> Sure. >> When we're planning we can we can address those more easily. >> So if we just if we just pretend for a moment that we've decided eighth grade is in the high school. Can you paint a picture uh for me and so that I can explain to people who are worried because it's my peer group of parents who I'm hear from. Um, how do the kids go through the day? Do they arrive on a separate bus when they go to lunch? Are they in a separate lunch when they mingle? >> This is what I'm saying. So, >> I apologize for stepping on you, but I feel like I what I said earlier is >> we can't right now spend the time,
108energy, and effort it would take to come up with that specific an answer before you make the decision and give you that. What I can what I can give you what I can give you in terms of painting a picture is >> we will have the ability I think as I understand it to look at we're not limited by start and end time when the school day would start. They could start at a different time and end at a different time. We're not encumbered by lunches. How many lunches we would have there are three lunch bays down there. We currently use two. We have lots of tools at our at our ready to be able to look at how we would make their day function. As you said, part of the strength is also the
109opportunity to excel. So, we would have forums over the next year plus and talk about exactly what you're talking about. And there would be a point at which in next school year, we would propose what we see as that schedule. How that would work. We'd have a rich discussion with your peers about what that looks like, where their concerns are with that, and then we would go through the process. It's this this gives us a full year for those discussions, and then a year to work on the implementation, the realities of bargaining agreements, and all those different pieces. It's why this time is so important, and that's why I'd be I'd be confident we'd have the opportunity for those concerns to be shared directly with us doing it rather than having to go through the
110law. So, I hear you and I don't I don't want to push on that, but just um in and I'm sorry, Terry, I'm taking up a little more of my my time, but um if you can't paint a picture for our district, perhaps you could just explain to me how it worked in the seven to eight combined district of your colleague. >> Yeah. You think about and and maybe we want to do this. I'm happy to talk with anyone who wants to talk with me about different ways that those things have been done. Staggered times, staggered schedules, right? and looking at sections of the building that are so an eighth or eighth or eighth and ninth, however you would decide to do it actually have a good the majority of them have a good portion
111of their day entirely in one part of the building, right? And then you think about their lunch is separate, their start end time is separate and that whole piece then there's flexibility for those who may move. Um, >> could I add one thing that it may be helpful Katrina just at least to the student experience or the the social component that you brought up that some are realistically concerned about. Uh besides I think uh the the co years uh for to some extent eighth graders have always gone to the high school for something either football uh ice hockey, robotics, uh some high achieving math students who have gone up. Uh, and the experience has always been positive and the reports have been that the upper classmen are really friendly, really welcoming. And this is just
112a tidbit, but it, you know, historically for the the times that we have had eighth graders co-mingling or competing uh or learning with uh high school students, uh the experience has been one of like inclusivity, uh positivity, and welcoming. >> Thank you. I don't have a lot of anxiety myself, I'll say, but u for the people I'm representing, who I'm hearing from, I appreciate. >> So, I wanted to offer that. They're welcome to reach out to me. I'm happy to talk. >> Yeah. This started because of buildings, but I think that really the important question is what's the best what's the best place for students in terms of learning in terms of their development in terms of all of the things you talked about and and you've presented and I'm glad to hear everything you
113said a lot of the really positive things but um because I have three questions. I'll be quick. Okay. >> If you could if you could uh sort of talk a little bit about what may be some of the challenges. >> So, one of the challenges we we discussed last time was if a student is uh has gaps in in their academics andor their development, right? The idea that you could come to the high school and that could kind of expand quickly. So the students who traditionally succeed would go faster and the students who struggle would would come back. Right? That's a that's a concern every school I've talked to has and has had going into it. I think where I'm at different then now than where I was previously was as Miss Gatchel talked about
114because we already have communication 7 through 12. The ability to have eighth graders then in this building with teachers who may be teaching eight and nine, right? That communication between teachers becomes more rich as well as you can look at how you prepare them as she said that they are more ready when they reach nth grade. The interventions can be blended. There's an important equation to this which is just sheer numbers and people. There is a demonstrable difference in what high schools are able to offer in terms of activities, clubs, sports, electives between being at 600 and being at 800. It it it is a it is a key number that um that that is important. But I think that's a concern. As we said, the piece about the social emotional and that support I
115think as I said the time for us to be prepared for that. and and I had a good conversation with officer herd who was who was very open and said we can make it work. It's we can make it be very ve very successful because of the supports that we have and I think that the how we talk about that um is th those are the three things. >> Okay. um you know um and I know you can't tell me how you would deal with some of the children some of the students who have who find it challenging to go into high school but if you could give some specifics about some of the ways that your counselors deal now >> with those who are who are having a difficult time both going in just
116going into >> Lawrence or apes going into high school some of those specifics that help us understand how they will be helped so that they can move forward. >> I think one of those specifics is the work that's been done and is being done really K through K through 8 related to I ready and standardsbased understandings of where students are. I I think at just using math as an example, their ability in eighth grade as they've implemented this by 2029, they're going to meaningfully know here's where you need to be. Here's where those pe here's where we see those gaps and we have inter and we're building interventions in place academically and social emotionally that are tiered and targeted. So we would be more ready to be able to use the resources we currently have
117to say this is a student who has struggled with being able to engage in learning and how they use breaks to get back to work. The strategies would be built in 5 through 7 similar to 8 through 10. We would be able to pick up on those. We would already have those in place. The nice thing is the work being done whether it's about how those tiered interventions happen or the targeted standards in particularly in English and math will be more ready to intervene because it's all about knowing where you are knowing like whether it's you know whatever you're doing where are you where's the gap what are the steps to close the gap that work's being done regardless of where we are having eighth graders in the same building we have more resources more
118people and it's more connected >> I my my last statement is, you know, from from all of the ext have dealt with these issues, the important thing is that you have enough time to prepare well so that you can do it well. >> Mhm. >> That's my last statement. >> Yep. >> Okay. Um I just wanted to say what I hear you saying is you would be glad to talk to parents and the boots on the ground >> people. And so Dr. door and I have talked about in the month of January we want to have some not forums um we want to have some workshops um and where people can sit next to you and say you know my kid blah blah blah um so it hopefully it's not specifics because I know that's
119what you need to plan everything but just maybe things you haven't thought of and throw in anyway so we're proud to say we're going to have some workshops in January I'm hoping that not the whole committee go to these workshops. Um, this is my plan. You have to decide on it. But I'm hoping like I was hoping for three of them the second, third, and fourth week in January. And maybe three of us could go to each one and then it's to share our energy together with feedback, you know, um, of what we get. And it's kind of daunting sometime to see all the committee there, but if there were three of us there who will work with you and bring back from you and from them to our final decision that we're going to
120be making, which we have to make by March. So, it's not going to go on forever, right? Anyway, okay. Any other comments or >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Appreciate it. >> Thanks very much. Okay. Teaching and learning. >> Dr. Tyer, I think you have a a fake course. >> I do. And it's it's wonderful to use it to kind of have a throughine of all of the conversations you've had tonight specific to uh learning at the high school level. So, recently uh you approved the updated competency determination language in the um policy around graduation requirements. So, I thank you for that. and our work continues. Um the governor has convened a statewide K to2 graduation advisory council and so they recently um shared with us their preliminary view on how they're looking
121at graduation requirements and um part of it continues the work that we've begun and part of it allows us to really connect into the conversation we just heard about reimagining. Um so I'm going to share with you one of the slides from a recent presentation and update uh regarding the work of uh the governor's uh graduation council. So they've broken the work into three pillars. Um the first is a focus in on learning experiences and asking us to look at our program of study. Um, and what they want to make sure that we're doing is providing high expectations, rigorous learning experiences that ensure our students are ready for college, career, and community. Um, so right now, Massachusetts uh publishes that information through what they call mass core. So core learning requirements, and our graduation requirements
122at Smouth High School are aligned to that. So that that's one piece of of the the puzzle there. The second of their pillars, which is that orange section, is showing mastery, the idea around proficiency. Dr. Harris just talked a bit about the priority standards that are being selected at the upper grades. Um, you also in approving the language in the revision for the competency determination, the regulatory language there was mastery as you see here. Um, but it just focuses in on exactly what our students need to know and be able to do to demonstrate that strong skill set, meet that high expectation, and in fact be college, career, community ready. Um, one of the things that shifts here a little bit is we're waiting to find out the direction they want to take uh and
123give us a little more clarity on end of course assessments. um they would be produced and administered uh through the state and so we would have guidance on that. Um and then uh the other piece is that there's an option there around um capstone or portfolio experience and uh the capstone is more focused in almost like the way um we used to think about the senior project where it's a culminating experience at the end of high school whereas the portfolio would allow us to have u snapshots of student learning over time and would cover up a broader breadth of their experience. So again, right now they're saying that that that would be a flexibility and a decision. We're waiting to find out where it ultimately comes to. Um and the third pillar is again uh
124that college, career, community or civic uh readiness which breaks out in a few ways. one um touches a bit on that first presentation that we had around career technical education and being able to really honor um experiences for our students and begin to help them uh reflect and self-identify and then uh advise them on their areas of interest as it may apply to um fields in which they want to further study, explore and ultimately lead to in career choices. um we have historically used Naviance as a program that guides that work for our counseling team here at the high school. So we're also evaluating whether or not um other tools may be a better fit for continuing with Naviance. That's part of our ongoing conversation, but you heard uh Janet Roa, our CT department head,
125also talk about the work she's doing at Lawrence um in partnership with Tom Bushi and the teachers there. and then the reach back to Morse Con. Um we have a wonderful experience in partnership with uh Cape Cod Community College, our guidance counselors. They host the FAFSA completion night which is that free um student financial aid application um recently opened for families who have college students um presently. So really just driving up that completion rate in order to support families and make sure that they have access to the full breath of resources available to them. um or they can opt out of the requirement if they truly have decided at this time that they're not going to be college going. Um the other piece and uh Sophia spoke to it in her experience in the business
126marketing program um focusing in on financial literacy and determining um what that will look like um either in alignment with current courses or other opportunities. um still thinking about the culminating activity of the credit for life fair but breaking that down and wanting to get more information especially uh with regard to how the council will stand on that and seals of uh distinction. So Molly Drain, who's our K12 world language department and spoke a bit about seal of biiteracy, um they're looking at adding seals to students diplomas that will range from an academic seal almost like an honor um version of the seal uh CTE seals, so students completing the pathways, uh a civic seal. Um so there's a number of different seals ways that they're looking at distinguishing graduates in the Commonwealth. Um, and
127it's just, as I said, uh, the timing of that against the conversations, um, that we're having about our courses, our priority standards, and the opportunities that we provide. Um, it just gives us, um, some, uh, shape to that conversation. So, I say all of that as we're exploring it. It's also open right now. There's a feedback period. So um people from across the Commonwealth, educators, community members, stakeholders to the governor's advisory are providing feedback. Um the full document that they've released is 180 pages. Um they have a couple of different you know summary level pieces, but I just wanted to give you uh what their current recommendations are, a bit of an overview um as we think about what they're doing directionally and then as it as it continues to evolve, continue to share and
128uh let you know where it heads. Thank you. >> I think we started with you last time. >> Sorry, Margaret. Any questions? >> I'm sorry I missed a lot of that, but um the financial literacy part I was here for and it was mentioned earlier, one of the students said she wished that um the financial literacy was a requirement, I think is what she said. And I was wondering if that's is that an option. Can we make that like a required course personally for our district? That's one of the considerations right now in front of the um graduation council. It's something that we have in um different activities that our students take through courses and specified experiences. So, we're waiting to see directionally which way they go in advising us before we put something in
129that might also have to change. >> Okay. So, there the state is considering making that a mandator. >> This is from Yeah. the governor at a statewide level. >> Okay. Cool. Thank you. >> Well, this Yep. So I would just I'm just curious if you have the link for submitting feedback. I would love it. >> Yeah, I can send that out to you. That was one of the reasons we wanted to do it right now. Um so that you were aware of >> um >> the um program does a wonderful financial uh literacy program and they've expanded it. It used to be up to fourth grade. Now it's fifth and sixth. >> Yeah. It goes higher. And then they also do the lunch and learn um sessions for students at the high school as well.
130>> Yeah. So it's in our um >> what do you call it? Sites pipeline. Is that the word? Is that the buzz word? >> Oh, looks like we're getting serious here on the budget. Dr. Weber did say Dr. Weber. >> Mr. Weber. Sorry, Mr. Weber. We just >> Okay. I thought we set it up. I can't be easier. >> Okay. >> All right. Try that. >> I was trying to be quick. That's >> on me. No, you're fine. Okay. So, you do have the slide in front of you, but um you know, obviously the presentation's up on the board as well. Uh much of this we have um spoke to last meeting just as part of a discussion. Um now this is the formal presentation. Uh we present to you tonight in January we visit
131uh PTO meetings uh in share and then we'll be coming back to you um for uh an actual vote that we'll talk about in a little bit. Um and then uh we'll be on to the finance committee after. So that's the budget process and just wanted to um show that. So Ryan Ryan, >> just sit here. >> Okay, there we go. I got it. Okay, I went with the error. Okay. So, um as you seen um the Clipper experience and um uh representation of our um strategic plan is that um the Clipper experience uh is um our pre preK through um 22 and uh it is uh a commitment um to excellence for every student. um and um always incl um considering that inclusion um most importantly the belonging piece and the two-way um communication
132and partnerships. So that is where we begin when we talk about um our our uh budget planning process. We always begin with that framework. Um and then it's real it's important to talk about that this is a collaborative process. Um it's uh done with many stakeholders within um the school uh community including um you know our our principles are heavily involved input from um school councils which are our uh families and uh you know and our staff but also with the town. So this is uh we we've really worked um over the years um to really have that collaborative process to make sure that we have a budget that really aligns to if you move into number three um our student needs and the staffing in order to address those needs. And then um there's
133always um you know we have budget pri uh priorities. Uh we want to align the budget with what those priorities are for our students which comes back to our framework and our um strategic plan. And then um there there are always budget constraints. I don't know anywhere or any uh entity that would not have some constraints. And so we have to look at the budget within that. Um and this is always planning with multi-year um in mind. The priorities this year, our strategic priorities is number one, safety. Uh you will hear us um address this in our budget. Uh we priority uh always it's not number two. It's always important the high achievement for all students. Uh that is really comes in to making sure that our our staffing uh meets the needs of our
134students so that we uh achieve at high levels. Priority um three is about increasing the education budget uh to more align with the increased uh special education cost. So the costs have increased uh exorbitantly over the last um uh few years and we have uh progressively um increased the actual budget. You'll hear um Paul talk in a little bit about how we're building in what should be uh line items that match the actual costs with within our budget. And we doing this over the last few years uh we're making some great strides in that area. And priority four is increasing funding levels to support new program growth. And we have in our budget just been able to meet um the needs uh current needs. So some of the things that we have talked about um
135over time is expanding the world language program uh into um uh you know starting with our elementary but expanding in both ways. So the languages that are off offered also expanding down while we're expanding up. So that's um extremely important. Um the welcome center is extremely important. We've talked about that. Uh having a central uh registration welcome center um resources and having a language teacher. Um there are a number of other things that um have been considered um with the um the funding at uh levels that we are uh incorporating over the last couple years and especially this year. you'll see Paul talk about that we are confident that we are going to be able to expand not in the FY26 um school year next year but in the FY28 that we are going to
136be able to do a number of these items um that have been on the list but we now can see the light that we are moving from just meeting needs to be able to see some program growth within our district which is which is a extremely important for um any um business or organization and especially a school district um that we see see growth as well the opportunities for students. Just real quickly, you've seen this, but just uh as a reminder, um we have um 280 uh 2,825 students, 656 employees. Um you can see the breakdown of the schools and then in our select populations um we have in our economic disadvantage, we're at um 40.4%. students with disabilities at 24.9% and our multilingual learner, excuse me, at 7.9%. Um, so let me just outline
137the source of funds. This is for 26 this year and then we can compare it to uh uh to next year on the following site. Um in the for this year's budget the town the final contribution for the town will be 51 million 381 67 765. Uh in addition to that the state chapter 70 contribution for this year uh originally was projected at 9.6 million in July that the final figure approved by the state was 10 million42. So that number increase from when we were doing the budget uh initially back in uh this time last year uh and as a result the town contribution uh has decreased slightly. So that makes up our current year's budget those two numbers of 61 million 424654. School choice for this year is a,216,000. just just up slightly. Uh
138grants are uh a million698. Uh that's pretty much been flatlined and circuit breaker uh is a million394 and that's up substantially from last year based on the tuitions of the last year. So remember, it's so always important to remember circuit breaker is a one-year time lag time lag. So that based on the uh tuitions that were paid out in 25 is a circuit breaker that we received in 26, right? That's um and the total funding sources uh of 65,734 316. So that's this year. So now I'd like to walk you through again uh the uh the first two lines are the budget uh total town budget that go ups uh goes for approval in April. Uh so the town contribution would be 54 million 944. The state chapter 78 is straightlined at the 10,042. So
139one of the things the state has said is that they try they're not going to cut back or at least the practice has been they're not going to cut back the district's state aid. They tend to increase it the the last moment. We don't have any idea what that might be for next year. So we're using the 10 million42 that's longstanding practice. So those two lines together would total the budget that would go for town approval of 64,987. If you walk down further, school choice you'll see is flatlined at uh 1,216,000. The grants the same way is straight lined at 1,698. Um in the circuit breaker amount we have increased this uh and I'll go into this in more detail to 1,575 for total funding sources for 69 million477 and um and let me just
140talk about some of the budget realities. So, as I mentioned, chaplet 70 funding increased slightly from 25's level in 20 uh in 26. Um, federal entitlement grants we think are are okay for next year. um they can always move individually on uh specific grants in Washington, but they've uh it it looks like they've funded through 207. Uh special education costs continue to increase. This is a statewide trend. It's not specific to FMA. Uh it's important to consider. Um our school con uh choice revenue we expect will remain relatively flat. Um our enrollment trends and the student needs uh required annual staffing decisions that's been part of the ongoing budget process year after year. Uh we adjust based on enrollment. Uh the six point here is most of our staff uh we have a really well
141uh seasoned uh staff. Uh most staff are at their mid to top steps uh with just a small number of retirements or uh resignations. And uh and finally there's a significant increase in n on salary expenses. I mentioned at the last meeting I'll go into a detail again uh in the next couple slides. So the next for the uh as I mentioned before so for this year's budget is 61,424 uh for next year we're projecting a budget for uh for town approval of 64,987 uh which would be a 5.8% increase. In the following slide, you'll see a breakdown on the salary at non salary component. We expect salaries to increase uh to 54 million83. That's a 2.4 almost $2.5 million increase. Non salary line uh would go up million80 uh roughly 11% increase. uh and
142I'll go into those numbers in detail that a total budget would go up 5.8%. So what are the major movers? Uh we talked about this again last meeting. The busing component uh is our just built-in negotiated increase in busing. Uh this is with Lucini for next year 56,000. The out of district tuition we proposed a $200,000 increase to that line. That's at a million375 this year. and go up to a million 575 next year. Out of district transportation would go up 250,000. Special ed contracted services would go up 250,000. Uh utilities going up 82,000. Uh that's uh largely on the distribution side. The security uh increase is 206,000. I as I mentioned in the last meeting that is a combination of both celery for uh SRO two uh command center monitors who will be uh
143working with all the cameras and the new software system um and uh plus the software expense itself and then other categories increasing total uh bringing the total to a million80. one of the uh uh to break out some of the out of district uh expenses and and I just want to start this state uh segment uh by staying up front. When we talk about audit of district students, we're talking about salmon students who need specialized education uh in order to continue their uh their work in education and that cannot be done uh within the Felmouth school system. These are students with the highest needs. Uh it is less than 1% of our population. Um but we most often talk about this in the financial context. Before I start the financial context, I want to make
144sure that we understand that this is really talk about students in the highest needs. So um the in fiscal year 26 uh this is where we are today at the current uh levels of students in out of district tuition. uh out of district placement. We would we're projecting for this year 3,432 uh out of district transportation would be 628,000 for a total of out of district expenses of 4,61,000. So that that's the expenses based on the level of students in out of district placements today. That could change someone moves in or a student is placed in an out of district placement um later on in the year. So how do we fund these expenses? As I mentioned before, the circuit breaker amount for this year is projected at 1,394. The idea grant is uh we
145use the full grant here for 920,000 uh audit district tuition and transportation. This is the budget lines we have uh for the town budget line for both audit district uh uh tuitions and transportation would be a million687. So our total funding sources of 4 million1 that's against that 4,61 that you see in the bottom of the blue section there. So we're, you know, it says here we're down about 59,000. That's a number we can manage within uh the budget today. So we we're not uh this is not from my perspective uh an unreasonable number, right? that I want to just now walk you through The 27 numbers are calculated by taking those students that are currently in out of district placements who will remain in those placements for fiscal year 27. And on top of
146that, we've added students who are currently in consideration for out of district placements. So students who may be going through an evaluation process that may result uh either later this year or uh in the fall of uh uh fiscal year 27 in a placement. So that that brings the projected uh out of district tuitions to 3,920. So it's a significant increase from fiscal year 26. We've evaluated those students and where their potential placements be and they will likely be paired if they go to those institution with students who are were already being transported to schools the same schools. So it would not increase our out of district transportation. So the total expense of out of district expenses would be 4,549. So how would we fund that? The circuit breaker amount is 1,575. That includes the
147circuit breaker we would have calculated from 26's tuition plus we ended the year with a slight surplus because the last payment came in. So we had a couple hundred,000 uh remaining from last year's circuit breaker. So that would be added to that number. In addition to that is the IDA branch uh again streamlined at 920,000. And then with the budget increases that we talked about just in the previous slide uh it would add an addiction tuition and transportation budget would increase to 2,137. So our total funding sources would go up to 4 million6. And you can see there would have a slight surplus. So the point of this that is the exercises is with the tuitions we know today of students who are already placed and we know with the tuitions of students who have
148a good chance of being placed in other district placement. we with these budget increases have enough room to cover these increases and not have to rely on uh the stabilization fund going forward. I will say this in 20 this is the second year of budget increases covering this. Back in 25, we increased the fiscal year 26 budget by 340,000 for special education overall, both tuition, uh, uh, transportation and contracted services. In 27, we're increasing those three lines by 700,000. So, this is the secondyear effort of those increases. And so in the final slide um >> so in uh as I said when we come to um uh in January we're going to be asking you to improve approve the 5.8% increase uh for the fiscal year um 27 >> and questions. >> I have questions.
149Oh yeah. Right. >> Oh, okay. Um, >> sure. >> So, I have two two thoughts and this is you can get back to me. Um, but the security increase uh 200 $200,000. I'm interested in what we're currently spending on security. um that then we'll be adding the 200,000 and then how much that breaks down per pupil. And I think it's important for our community to know that figure because um and I'm not saying it's a right or wrong. It's just a this is if if this is what parents are are asking for, it comes at a cost. And so what is that cost? Um so I I just think that we just need to be better informed about that. Um the other the other thought that I'm having is and I I hear you and
150I understand the distinction between the out of district uh special education um population. It's less than 1% as you said. Um, but I also know that our special education rate is around 24% and the state average is around 19. And so what I would like to hear at some point is what we are doing to um kind of mitigate the the increase above and beyond what are what are what would be expected for for the average of our special education population. um you know are we do we have the processes in place that are appropriately diagnosing or um uh evaluating students because that is that is a that is a um uh a question that I have in terms of that of that statistic. So those are those are my two uh areas of of
151wonder. >> So I said in the middle and I forget which way it goes. Um, >> I'll go. >> Well, maybe Sue will go because she's >> I just wanted to say I like the new format. I'm not even a question. I like it because it it's refreshed. We had the same format for some years and it's nice to see a refresh version with some new stuff. >> I would we we would like to take credit for that. But I am going to publicly give credit for uh to Carmela Meski. She's um really uh become quite an expert in KA and so she took our information and made it quite pretty. So, thank you for recognizing that. But how does the queen feel about that? >> We have to express to expand build capacity um
152>> in the expertise area. Yeah. >> So okay Margaret >> are we going this way and then that way? >> You know what whatever Margaret ended so last time so I think she's not ending this time. That's okay. Okay. Um I guess I just got the statistics actually for another group I belong to about the number of students who are economically dep um economically disadvantaged in our community community and um bilingual learnings etc etc. And I wonder how they compare because I'm looking at it in terms of the budget. If we have more special needs students, is this related to the composition of our students and are they more in need than other students at other districts? >> Okay. Um I was really excited and relieved to hear we're not expecting to use uh the
153stabilization fund now that we've topped it back up. That was great to hear. Um the um sort of following on Glenda's question um so the cost for the new security um I guess one question the first question is will the cost do you think remain relatively stable? you've got some um you've got some salaries, but you also have the software and tech costs. And I was wondering with the software and tech, without going into too much detail because I know you don't want to, but the um are those costs expected to rise or stay stable because sometimes there are some hidden costs and after 5 years you can get um hit >> the software costs we're going to that most likely enter into a three-year contract. Um so it it will be built in. Uh
154what will typically rise is we will continue to upgrade or add cameras uh to the district. Um and and so uh we plan to put forth in April uh an article for a capital article for both camera costs um and some other uh expenses that will be coming up through this process. But as part of this conversion, we're doing individual evaluation every school in order to uh fully utilize the software uh component of this without going into great detail. It requires us to go to each school and then uh evaluate it. We may upgrade as a result of that can at certain schools. So, as our process um when we bring the warrants to you, like we'll go in more detail and explain all that when we bring the warrants to you for approval. >>
155Okay. Um then a followup to that um you're said requesting an increase of 3,563124 from the town for fiscal year 27. Is the new security part of that request? Is that going to be an ongoing the the cost of security? I thought you said that last time. So when you are talking about growth of new um areas and and programs, the cost of security is not going to negatively impact our budget. >> Correct. >> Okay. Um and then I guess the final question, I had not heard of a welcome center, registration center. What is that that you mentioned? Um so yeah many is so co really changed the course of u many things that that we were uh planning and then um w with really addressing the needs and then then trying to figure out
156when the uh esser dollars left trying to continue to build the budget so that we can grow. Um the welcome center is something that we uh centrally located um where you would have um a central register um someone to welcome families to come in um having a wealth of information um to share that's in our community that can help our our community. Maybe some services um provided um from time to time. And then um and also um adding a um an someone that can interpret for our families that come in. So um Portuguese being our number one language uh would be we'd have a full-time um Portuguese uh interpreter in the welcome center to um to help and welcome our families in. >> So do you envision that being part of the administration uh configuration
157of the campus wherever administration is? So we have um I mean it it could be um it could be a part of the early learning center. Uh we've also talked about it being a part of the high school. So I mean it it kind of you know we we have options um as we uh look forward to that as we're we're planning um uh that process. But um yeah we I mean there are options depending on the directions um that then the decisions being made. >> Yep. Thanks. Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. >> Okay. Lori, are you going to talk about the non-medical staff? >> Yes. I don't I'm here. So um in so uh in uh the policy and I I do apologize for being my my laptop today um went
158to the doctor and um had a little mishap and so um I'm I'm I'm borrowing a laptop so I'm trying to work off of it and now something just you know but anyway in the policy your school committee policy um if Um we have our uh medical staff, our nurses train non-medical um staff, educa educators um to administer medicine. Um and in this um situation uh the policy specific it talks about different ones but the section that specifically talks about um the Narcan. So right now we have Narcan uh with our um our nurses. Um but if we want to have others trained then the school committee has to vote and that's what the policy says. So I am asking we do want to train um other other specific staff. We're not training all staff,
159but specific um staff um in the uh administration of Naran that um that I'm asking you to support that and vote tonight um to allow our nurses to take that lead and and um make decisions along with um Sandy Caps and in deciding you know who's going to be a part of that and uh etc. So that that's um is there a motion to >> I have questions. I have a question. >> We usually don't we usually do that after we get the motion. >> Actually, >> once the motion's on the plate on the floor, you either support it or don't support it, but if you have a question, that's probably best. We haven't been doing it. Can I just say from being at the conference? I I complained last year that they did not
160follow Robert's rules. They followed it to a P this year. And actually, a discussion should occur before a motion. Okay. >> What's your questions, Melissa? >> Um, so of course I have questions on this one, right? >> Um, did this come from the request of the nurses? >> Uh, same. >> No, no, there was a um a change in the guidance from the state over the summer that it was approved. >> Okay. Um, so at first blush, it sounds like we're taking a position away from a nurse, like we're taking a doom away from a nurse. We're offering support to the nurses. >> Yes. >> So we have more >> says they're not nurses. >> No, I mean no it is. >> There was also there was like a um a med delegation was another
161component of that piece that was approved over I think it was in um uh I think it was in June. Yeah. So that um for instance, if a student had an emergency medication, then there could be the delegation to someone who's been trained versus having to send a nurse with the student >> wherever they may go. So um so the state has made these made these changes for the the um you know for the schools to consider and then we have to reflect on our policies um to >> so as a nurse it's it's a slippery slope and in my opinion um and I can't help but um chuckle when you say that it's to help the nurses. Have I heard that in my career? I can't tell you how many times. And but anyway,
162um >> we are fully committed to we have a a large >> I know >> nursing staff and we are fully committed. I just want you to know I'm fully committed. >> I'd be somebody isn't speaking for them if they're not here. It I'm always going to try to advocate for them. That's why I asked if it came from them first and then >> the nurses I mean I I work with the nurses. I do meet with the nurses and they are in favor of this. Great. Perfect. We have those blessings. >> This is for u >> There are also many other times where nurses may not be present. Sure. >> Um at times during a you know might be an event, might be before school, after school. >> Doesn't just have to be an
163emergency either. So I'm thinking like >> um and but you had mentioned that this was really for Narcan, but this is more of like >> it's in general >> any medication. So like a kid comes in needs a Motrin. A kid comes in needs. >> No, there was specific language around to the medication. >> Okay. Okay. Um if the nurses um have given their blessing and then have Okay. Thank you for entertaining my question. >> Yes. >> Can I just want to make sure I understand. So So this is acting on making it possible for the nurses to train on administration of anything or just NAR? >> So, I'm going to read out of the policy. Um if the school district wishes medical um personnel to train non-medical staff and the administration of um Narcan,
164the school committee shall vote to approve such training and the superintendent shall ensure that medical um personnel have a written protocol which complies with medical directives and regulations from the department of public health. >> Okay, great. Would this also I'm sorry. Would this also encompass like sunblock on the elementary kids during field days kind of thing? Like how broad are we? >> Oh, I I'm understanding that's why I asked my question because I'm understanding that the motion will be specific to just >> nothing else. >> This So is that accurate? >> I think it would be. >> Did you want to expand it for because of the other situation? But I mean this is the only vote that's required. >> Correct. >> Yeah. Right. I think it would probably be most helpful if you all
165saw the um the guidance from the Department of Education. >> Yeah, it's not in our packet. >> I don't know if we should vote on it if it's not in our packets. I didn't really realize that. Just >> not that I don't want to vote on it. I'm happy to vote on it, but I feel like we should look at it. >> Agree. >> Maybe you could project it on. >> Okay. So, should we table it to the next meeting? Okay. So, we'll takeone. I don't think we can say table, right? >> Yeah, you can >> make a motion to table it. >> Emergencies. >> No, you can table it anybody. >> Yeah. Okay. So, next >> the motion to table it next. You don't vote. Do you have to vote to table? >> You
166You can just by the order of the chair. We're going to take it at the next meeting. >> We're going to take it at the next meeting. >> Pretty simple. Okay. Next item is to act on a an additional school resource officer. So I um you kind of heard the we've already built into the budget of course we can take that out but um depending on your vote but we have um two SRO's now um I had asked for the second ISRO um several years ago and we were able to meet the the found the police department was able to meet that for this school year. So now we have two. I would like to have a third SRO that would be uh would move between the four elementary schools. um periodically um the SRO's
167um are um trained to working with students. Uh it's an extensive training over months. Um I know uh we have the detail officers but um there are specific training with the SRO's and this is a vote for the school committee. So, I am I'm asking you to support um the request to the Fmouth Police Department, which they we've had the conversations and they are happy to support um the third SRO. Um I I can't promise when that will happen. Um as soon as they can get someone hired and trained, um hopefully by the the beginning of next school year, uh in in our projection, um that we would have um a third SRO that is trained to work with with students. Is there a motion? >> I'll make a motion. >> All right. >> Second.
168We are having discussion, right? >> Okay. Kelly. Uh, Kel. >> All right. So, >> oh, I think it's great. Okay. >> Nope. >> No. >> Okay. You know, I have something. Um, I am I myself am largely in favor, but um since we're not having discussion, we're acting. I took the time to reach out to um 35 parents that I know they um responded. 30 of them responded and I'm just if I can if you will give me leave u madam chairwoman to just give you a very brief overview of the um information that I gleaned from 35 parents of kids in the district. >> So we're going to get 35 bits of information. >> No, no, no. I'm not reading 30. I'm reading the um diagnostic of the information I got because it was
169surprising to me. I had heard mostly from the loud voices in September who were really in favor of wanting more security and so that's what I had heard. But when I reached out it was a little more nuanced and so if you would like to hear that I think it'll be valuable since we're not doing the discussion first and then the act of the next to let that be part of the conversation. >> Is it specific to the SRO? >> Yes, that is specific to the SRO. I did also ask them about the um computer system and the the personnel for the because it was part of what was in our last meeting, but I don't have to talk about that. >> I think that's a separate >> item. This is just the SR. >>
170All right. So, can I can I um >> Yes. >> airbrush out the computer parts. >> Okay. So, I reached out to 35 parents. I received responses from 30 of them. Uh the parents have children ranging from six months old to 13 years old. Most of the parents had children in elementary grades. 11 had children at Mullen Hall. Five were at North. Six were at East. Three were at Ticket. They had eight children at Morse Pond. Two were at Lawrence. I didn't find anybody in my friend group who has kids at the high school. My peer group of parents has younger children. Um, two had older children who were out of district. So, six people were in outright support of all and any increased security. 13 people um were in support of the general increases
171in security, but seven said that the um the SRO being split between four properties didn't seem like an efficient use of funding and they weren't sure whether that was going to be effective. Um most of the responses were a little more nuanced. Overall the three main themes to the responses um many people asked about limited funds. We've talked about that tonight with the budget wondering whether there would be sufficient money for these um this new position um and if the security measures would take away from existing services. People mentioned that investments should be made maybe in more proactive mental health and counseling services instead of uh what they felt to be reactive policing. Several parents questioned whether it was efficient and effective to have one SRO split between four schools. So I don't know if
172we can um answer that question tonight. The second theme was general opposition to militarization and a normalization of police presence in schools. Um having concerns about um normalizing guns in schools, children might be intimidated. Um fears that the SRO's might not receive sufficient training on racial bias. Uh some two people mentioned school to prison pipeline, which was not a term I was very familiar with. Um many parents mentioned that the um cameras were less invasive and so they were more in favor of tech instead of an armed officer. Um many parents and the third theme many parents mentioned feeling there was a reactionary decision stemming from recent events rather than from evidence-based data or a long-term strategy. There was a strong preference for proactive rather than reactive measures. specifically um many many of the people
173actually mentioned strengthening the mental health and counseling services which I know you mentioned in your update last uh meeting Dr. doer and they had fears that these reactive visible security measures would come at a cost to these proactive less tangible methods for quelling violence in the schools. In other words, like counselors and the work they do, it doesn't show up as um readily as having a police officer present in the building. And so they they thought maybe it would um take away from the work that's done there perhaps. Um oh, and I'm sorry, there was a theme for improving existing protocols and adding more safety monitors. A lot of people mentioned how great their safety monitors were at their various schools. Um, some people were concerned about door locking protocols, but they a lot of
174people admired the safety monitors and the work they do and how vigilant they are patrolling the grounds. A lot of support for the unarmed safety monitors. So, that was some an interesting thing that came up as a theme. Um and they a desire to a lot of people expressed a desire to enhance and tighten up existing security before spending money on additional measures. Um so those questions again were um the budget question which I think we talked about tonight. Is it going to negatively impact um existing programs and future programs like languages? Um and uh and the town will the town continue to fund things for us if we are asking for more and more money for things. Um, one question was what would be done about security at Lawrence? I know that's not part
175of it, but the the whole front door thing came up in here. Um, is uh, can one SRO, so this is the main question I guess from all of this that I can bring to this right now before we vote. Can one SRO effectively patrol and monitor four elementary schools or is there a better use of our funds for that? And that's the question that came up again and again. So, I'm just going to ask it. So having the third SRO um one that can um uh spend time in the four elementaryaries is just another layer into the um the larger security um process. Our SRO's actually spend time developing relationships with our students. Uh and um it's actually a very proactive um method. It also um you know randomly and proactively um uh puts
176an officer at the schools. The uh layered with the um the new um security monitors um with the uh cameras which um you know enhanced uh security for sure. And um our we have a um safety monitor in every single building plus we have one float safety monitor that is um going into schools if someone has to be out. Um and so it's in addition to our the hardening of our um buildings. It's it's all a layered approach. Um it's it's balanced um working with the um the police department. um we feel like this is the the best approach to keep um our um staff and students safe um so that's the recommendation >> um I support um the addition of SRO >> okay >> the motion's on the floor that's what I I'm supporting
177the motion on the floor >> so all those in favor please say I >> any opposed >> any abstaining Okay, motion passes. All right, next is to act on policy IKG middle school career tech education pathway exploration policy. >> Um we u there were no no suggested changes. So it's u as presented at the last meeting. If you have any questions, we're happy to address them. >> Okay. Can I have a motion to accept this? >> Second. >> Any discussion on that? >> Okay. All those in favor? I >> any opposed any food and nutrition policy. >> Um we are no suggested changes. So again um we are presenting at um asking to to vote sorry as presented at the last meeting. So moved again. Okay second. >> Second. >> No discussion. Okay. All those
178in favor? >> Any oppose? >> Any abstaining? Okay. Act on the parent advisory councils. >> Again, there were no suggested um uh changes. So, we um are asking you to pass as presented at the last meeting. >> So, moved again. Second. >> It's nice voting on stuff we already have. >> All those in favor? >> I. Any opposed? >> Any abstaining? Okay. Act on policy JICA. >> Okay. So um again I am going to um state that um policy JICA um as we presented it um is certainly appropriate. Um the language uh individual schools uh language is in the handbooks. Um we um the school committee has voted the handbooks which makes that policy um and um legal documents. the um the law covers um all um everything we do. So whether it is um
179uh you know nondiscriminatory um laws um we we we are covered by the law even though we do believe that it is built in and implied in the handbooks. Um remember law always um you know trumps any policy or or so forth. So, we are always aware of that and following. Um, I'm I'm moving um to to request that um we're you vote on JICA as presented. >> Okay. So, is there a motion? >> So, moved again on a roll. >> Okay. Is there any discussion? I hope that the email I sent out with the timeline and the compare and contrast of the current handbook language that we approved in June versus this language might have helped um to clarify some of the confusion at our last meeting. Um I disagree that the handbook language
180implies what is here in JICA. Um what's missing is the language about the responsibility being with the students and the individual students and their parents and that they have the right to determine how they'll dress. What it says now in the handbook is quite different. It says that um you have the right to dress in a way that complies with the dress code and depending on the school you're in that varies. Um so it's very different in my view and um frankly I feel like the way this JICA the reason it's been so um such a source of like sore thorn for us is that it's been handled in a kind of weird way. um to have us vote in June to remove it from the handbooks and assure all of us that don't worry,
181it's still in the policy. And then here we are 6 months later and at our last meeting, oh don't worry, it's still in the handbooks. It is not in the handbooks. It's very different. Um there must be some explanation for why that's so weird. I don't know if you know any of you have the same view as I and it doesn't really matter. I am just making the point and I will stand by that we are not with our handbooks protecting students in the same comprehensive manner that this policy written by our representative agency does for them. We are not going to stand by our students and their rights of self-exression in the same manner that we used to if we get rid of this language. Um I don't know if I can make it
182any clearer. You've heard from me already on this and that's it. >> Okay. I think at the last meeting I said to you that the policy manual is a living animal. It changes constantly. We review it, things come up. And one thing that the policy manual does not like to do is put things that are um delineated elsewhere. discipline codes, dress codes, the MIAA sports uh regulations, all those things are handled in other legal formats. So, um I looked at the dress code and I think the dress codes of the elementary schools are the loosest in the town because all it says that you have to do in the handbook is wear a shirt, top, and shoes. It doesn't say anything about any other clothes. So I think the kids have a lot of right
183of expression there. The only things they talk about are safety things. So um it it the reason that we wanted to take it out is because it is different in the different schools and um direct people to the individual handbook. So my recommendation is reiterating what this policy subcommittee did along with our legal counsel and take it out of the manual. So that's my discussion on it. >> Okay. Anybody else have anything else? >> Okay. >> Terry, can I ask you to clarify if you're saying are you saying it's redundant? I just wanted to make sure I understood you. >> I don't have to say anything else. I don't understand. >> No. You're saying my explanation. I don't need to put in what you want me to put in. >> No, no, no. I just
184wanted to understand what you said. That's fine. >> Well, it was in English, so >> Okay. Twin men. Okay. Um, so the motions on the table been discussed. All those in favor? >> I. Any opposed? >> Any abstaining? Okay. Um, next is to act on a donation from the Cape Cod. Oh, I can't say that word. You say it. >> So, um, >> yeah, it is. But the um Cape Cod Astronomy um is um very cool and on on the Cape and they do lots of fun things. But um they are providing a $250 donation and telescope um and we're asking you to accept that for our students. >> I'll make a motion. No, sorry. I'm late. Sorry. >> Okay, Kelly, make it. >> All right. I move that we accept. I gratefully second. >>
185Any discussion? I just want to say thank you to the group. Um it's very generous of them. Thank you very much. >> Okay. All those in favor? >> Any opposed? Any abstaining? Okay. So, we'll move to the approval of minutes. November 19th. Is there a motion? >> I move to accept the minutes from November 19th. That was at our seat with the edits. >> Second. >> Discussion. All those in favor? >> Any opposed? Abstaining >> and I move to approve the minutes from November 24th that was NRC with the edits. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All those in favor? I. Any opposed? >> Any abstensions? >> I so one abstension. Okay. Thank you, Sue. Um, now we move on to committee reports. Are there any committee reports, Sue? >> I attended a safety meeting yesterday.
186Um, a lot of the things that Dr. door brought up this evening in regards to um were discussed there regarding uh the enhanced monitors and um that it was also mentioned that they were hiring and advertising for safety monitors for the um upscaled camera systems and they discussed the Alice um training and debriefing with the staffs at different schools. Any other um any other committee reports? >> I unfortunately was not able to go. I had to drive a friend to cataract surgery and Chris and Mike are not here to make the report. I don't know exactly what happened in student advisory, but it did finally happen last week and I heard that it went really well. There were a lot of questions, a lot of great conversation. It sounded like Chris and Mike had a
187good time and the kids did too. >> Okay. Um this >> Oh. I've got the budget committee. We had a good presentation. Um I think it becomes very clear that although there's a large budget for special needs, if these are our children in Felmouth, then it's very important that we have them. And it's not a budget report, but I want to again ask about a workshop for operational procedures. Um it's clear to me that it is really important that we do that and I ask that Sean come soon. >> Okay. We're working on it, Margaret. All right. What does that mean? >> Excuse me. >> What does that mean? >> Um, >> more to say next week. >> I mean, it's because I think several members of the committee feel the same way I do.
188And I think it's important that we invite Sean to do a workshop as soon as possible. >> I just I mean, I don't know what's going on behind the scenes, but I can tell you from last year, man, it took us like six months or more to get Sean. So, I can understand it's taken a while. My opinion on is that Shawn is wonderful, but I think maybe we need a different slant of things because we've been working with Shawn. Um, so I'm kind of looking at somebody else from MASC, but I'm working on it, Margaret. Well, I would like to hear like the committee's ideas because uh it's been clear to me that there are some major concerns about our operational procedures and it would be very important that this committee not get into
189legal trouble and I think it's really important that we get Sean here as soon as possible and he is our direct he's the person from MASC that should be that we should be working with. >> Okay. >> All right. I hear you. Well, I the other committee I'd like to hear from the other committee members. >> Um, >> I would recommend that we do something as soon as possible. >> In the past, many years past when we had representatives from MASC, there were very helpful committee members working out procedures. >> Okay, which we're doing. I'm doing >> um I can recommend the group that I'm just blanking on the name, but I did email you all. I took that um Robert Schools course with them >> or school board something. >> School board something. Yes.
190Um they were really helpful and they offer workshops specifically on operating procedures and culture and all that. >> I will say something definitive. >> You can't get on at our special meeting. I'll say something definitive. >> Okay. All right. Um any other committee reports? Okay. So, um, BIPS is taking a change from its normal, um, December meeting. We're going to meet at a local coffee shop, um, this, um, this week at downtown in Felmouth for our we kind of do something in December like that. If um, these, as you are, they're all volunteers and so it's nice to have a a meeting that's kind of a fun. We do business, too. and the um Cape Cod collaborative has begun the um they've hired a consultant to begin their um strategic plan process. So we had
191the first meeting of that last week. Um and it's really interesting that they start with asking you what your strengths and weaknesses are and work they have a great plan. So anyway, >> um Terry, I don't know if this is a it's not a complete report, but your um the Cape Verian when we had our presentation about the Cape Verian um crosscultural exchange, the um Dana Mhler Faria is president of Bridgewwater, president, he's giving a talk at MBL um um on Friday night, right? And so I just wanted to mention that because um it was brought up during our meeting. It sounds really great. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. >> Specifically about PE. Yeah, >> I I would also like to remind people if you have not responded, I talked about um the importance of
192us getting to know each other better and so I offered to do a holiday party on December 19th. If you have not responded that you're coming, I just want to know how many people are coming so I can be prepared. Thank you. >> Okay. Any requests for follow-ups? >> Yeah, I have a real quick one. Um did we resolve the issue with the Zoom recording from our last special meeting? There were a couple people who emailed us about that and I actually don't I haven't checked. I didn't know if that was now available. >> It was not recorded. I thought we had agreed to record session. >> It was not recorded. >> Why? >> Because I was the operator and didn't do it right. We didn't have we didn't have our our tech expert. So
193I you know apologize. It was not recorded. >> Okay. So I guess it's um I make the move to move into executive session. Okay. I make a move to move into executive session for the purpose of strategy with respect to security devices and to discuss strategy with respect to collective collective bargaining with union FBA units AV and CMD. Having the discussion in open session may be detrimental to the school committee's bargaining position. Is anticipated the school committee will not return to open session. >> Second. >> All is in favor. No, that's going to be >> right. Yes. >> Maduras. Yes. Okay. >> Are we here? >> Yeah. Thank