NMRSD School Committee 12/16/2025

001Welcome everybody to the North Middle Sex Regional School District School Committee meeting on December 16th, 2025. This session is being recorded. In attendance, we have Lisa Bloom. Whoops, Lisa. Alex Alexander Banci >> here. >> Randy Rush >> here. >> Uh Michaelier Boy >> Labosier here. >> Labosier. Uh Jackie White >> here. >> Carla Lima >> here. >> Kenan Francois. Kenan >> Kim's joining now. >> Kenan, can you hear us? >> I don't see Kenan and Kim Craraven. I'm here. and myself in uh administration that's attending. We have Superintendent Brad Morgan. >> Yeah, >> we have Kenan Kir. >> Uh Lorie Smith, >> Dr. Reese Ann Marie >> here, >> and Robin Ivy. Did I get everyone? All right. Um, may somebody make the motion to go into executive session. >> I move to we go

002to executive session. >> Oh, do I need do I need to read the full >> Yes, that is one of Yes. >> All right. Let me uh pull up that so I get Should that be in the agenda? >> Yes, it is. Yeah, >> I had Oh, I did have the agenda pulled up. I just lost the tab. Okay. Uh All right. I move to uh vote meet in executive session pursuant to Mass General Law chapters 30A section 21A for the following purpose. uh to conduct purpose two to construct conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with non-union personnel or to conduct collective bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with non-union personnel the superintendent uh and purpose se uh seven to comply with or act under authority of any general or special law or federal grant

003in aid requirements >> and then should I list off all those executive okay executive session minutes dated April 10th, 2025 and May 19th, 2025 and June 10th, 2025, June 13, 2025, October 11th or October 21st, 2025 and November 18th, 2025. >> And the committee will be reconvening. Do I have a second? >> Oh, okay. Okay, that was Mike and Alexander. All right, roll call vote. Lisa Bloom, >> yes. >> Alexander Banci, >> yes. >> Kim Craraven, >> yes. >> Jackie White, >> yes. >> Keenan Francois, >> yes. >> Randy Rush, >> yes. >> Michael Bosier, >> yes. >> And myself, yes. And again we will be reconvening in open session. All right. Is everyone back? >> I'm promoting them now. So, they're coming in. >> Um, we promoted a Karen Walsh. >> No, that must

004have just been an accident. >> Okay. That's okay. So I I think I've got everybody All right. >> The Karen Walsh is still showing up. >> Yeah. >> Hold on. I think Nancy is stuck out in the in the audience. >> Hold on, I'll get her. >> She's coming in now. >> All right, I'm going to take a roll call vote since we are back in open session. We are reconvening and open session. Randy Rush. Lisa Bloom. >> Yes. Keenan Prince, >> yes. >> Jackie White, >> yes. >> Alexander Vancoui, >> here. >> Carla Lima, >> yes. >> Michael Lao, Bossier, >> here. >> And did I get everyone? Kim Craraven, I got you. >> Yes, now you do. >> Okay. All right. All right. Moving on to the consent agenda. Any questions? I will

005take a motion to approve the consent agenda. >> So moved. >> And Lisa Bloom was a second. All right. Roll call vote. Lisa Bloom. >> Yes. >> Randy Rush. >> Yes. >> Jackie White, >> yes. Carla Lima, >> yes. >> Enan Francois, >> yes. >> Michael Labosier, >> yes. >> Alexander Vancoui, >> yes. >> Kim Craraven, >> yes. >> And myself, yes. Moving on to public comment. Robin, did we have any public comment? >> No, we did not. >> All right. Moving on to the chairperson report. We did have a great working session last Thursday of the school committee where um five of us met and we're putting forward some goals which we will review later tonight and Randy and I are taking on the norms and protocols and going to come up with a

006document for that. So that's the update from the work session. Um and I don't have anything else to report. I the student Natalie Stupek was unable to make it tonight, but she did send along a document of what is going on at the high school, which I will share with you guys tonight. The student council is currently planning their faculty cheer event, which is scheduled for 12:22. The freshman and junior class will be hosting a winter semiformal dance sometime in January. uh NHS, Roappa and Try have nothing scheduled at this time and the sports for the winter has begun and there will be a winter pep rally on the 19th. That is the update from Natalie Stupet Stupek, our student representative. All right, handing it now on to the superintendence report. >> Thank you, Miss

007Martin. I just wanted to share some excellent news of the district recently received uh regarding Dr. Gary Berboa Ree who was chosen to receive the National Association of Federal Education Program Administrators state leadership award NafIPA. Um that is a prestigious award that is presented at Nafipa's annual concert um conference that will be held this coming March in Washington DC. The award is presented to a title one director or director of compens compensatory education programs who has displayed outstanding leadership and a strong degree of caring for children in need and works tirelessly to promote activities which will benefit those children and their families in both his community and throughout the entire state. Dr. Baboa Ree was nominated and chosen by his peers, title one directors throughout the entire state of Massachusetts because of his knowledge and

008leadership that he has personally brought to the state title one organization case and the council of administrators for compensatory education. So I probably have not said this enough but North Middle Sex is extremely lucky to have Dr. Ree on staff and clearly we are not the only people that feel that way. So congratulations to Dr. for Ree. >> Congratulations, Dr. Ree. >> That's all I have until later. >> All right, we will hand it over to the award recipient, Dr. Ree. >> I just have something later on in the new agenda. >> Okay. All right. Moving on. We are coming back. going to revisit the superintendent's contract at the next meeting. Moving on to number two under old business policy DIIB. I know that Kim Craraven and our finance chair was looking to make some

009updates to this and then pass it on to the committee because it is out for our first reading from policy. All right, Kim, any updates? Um just a correction there is the subcommittee approved it to come to the school committee to for a first reading but the school committee has not passed it for a first reading yet. >> Okay. Thank you Randy. Um, so my questions or my thoughts around this is when I when I read the language, um, I'm I'm much more used to policies that have like a certain cadence where there's like a overview and then the points and I feel like ours get into a bit of discussion. Um, and the other thing that I I wondered is the sort of compilation of all [clears throat] the different policies. Um, I don't

010I don't have angst about the process or the thought of the policy. I just I'm I'm becoming more uncomfortable with the layout of the policies. Does that make sense, Randy? Uh yeah, I think so. Um but if you can provide, you know, edits to it, uh at least something in the kin with the with what you're looking for, that would be much more helpful than just, uh uh explaining what you would like and then having me try and work with the subcommittee to come up with something. >> So, can I take it for a second, Kim? So, what Kim is talking about is like how we state the law down in two of the sections. Um, let me pull it up. How we state the law and like the capital stabilization fund and it says

011the reserve allowable by u Massachusetts general law chapter 71 and then OP does the same kind of thing stating the law first. That's the cadence she's talking about. So she'd like to put something like that underneath the E and D. that kind of like give the law out first and that's is that correct Kim? >> Yeah. And usually there's like just like the purpose up first and then everything would have the same sort of structure. I I feel like it makes it easier to read and I I'm happy to do edits to it, but then I don't know what happens to the rest of the policies. So, I I can make those edits in the structural changes. Um, just so there's consistency and not confusion and everybody knows what the law pieces are first. Um,

012and then just making sure the language um because we all want to strive for those reserves to be, you know, at the allowable maximum and to not go into deficit. So, I'm I'm okay with it. It's just more the structure of how it all falls underneath itself. >> Again, if you're really just looking to kind of move things around, uh the easiest way to go through this would be for you to submit what you're thinking and then we can review it. Um as far as other policies, it's going to have to be on a one-on-one one one uh policy uh basis as we go forward. Um this one is not one that MASC has. Um but there are a lot of you know the majority of our policies. We do look at um what MASC

013has recommended um and try and stick somewhat to their um structure um and how they have it for ease of using their uh update services uh for when laws change and we need to update something. having it look similar um helps us to realize what they're changing and what we need to change. But we can certainly look at it um if I have something in writing, it would be a lot easier um than trying to take what you're saying, interpret it, and change the document myself. It'll be more efficient if you just submit something. >> Okay. And and my bigger question is if we change the structure of one, is that going to cause complications for you moving forward or will it be more like progress in the future to to that? >> It'll be

014progress in the future if we really decide that we're going to start changing all of the um policies um to a different structure. We have a five-year review. So all of these policies that we have in place within 5 years will be reviewed. Um and if uh the committee decides that they would like to change some of that structure, that's the time that uh uh we can change them unless MASC brings up something that has a law change that we have to look at. >> Okay. So, I I'll submit that over to you for the policy committee and then you bring it back to all of us. Is that how that would go? Okay. When's your next meeting, Randy? >> Uh, it would be the beginning of January. >> Yeah, we have one on the

0156th. Um, I I think that's a fiveyear review and then >> I think you could have one two weeks after that, Randy. >> Yeah. Um >> I think the 20th. >> I think it's the 20th only because uh >> 20th. >> Yeah, >> the 6th and the 20th. >> Okay. The sixth not a problem in that puts it still before um the budget year, Randy, which I know is important for you. Good. >> All right. Any other questions or concerns about DIIB? All right, moving forward, we are going to the programs of studies. Um, Principal Smith will be presenting. >> Evening. Would you like me just to go over the changes or would you like me to go through the whole program of studies? How would you like me to do this? I think usually

016the changes um are a great place to start and if we have questions you can go in deeper >> and Miss Smith before you begin tell everybody because they're fairly new to this what the program of studies is and and then how it evolves a little bit just a little background like a few minutes on it. Thank you. >> Program of studies is all the courses that we offer here at the high school for the students grades 9 through 12. It's go we have it in the the program studies is done by department. It talks what the graduation requirements. Um it what it has is the the course. It has um what level it is if it's college prep, accelerated or advanced placement. It will tell what grade levels are appropriate for it. What the

017credits for are either half year which is 2.5 credits or a full year which is a five credit course. Then it gives a description about what the court kind of what it entails. So the students and the parent the guardians can make um decisions about how what classes they're looking to take. Um we try every year um we go through as the department chairs and the different departments go over their section of the program of studies and talk about what um what's relevant and what the students are looking for what we have. We just try to keep it updated so it helps students especially with the electives for what things that they might be wanting to look for and maybe they want to do um in college they can kind of get their feet way

018here to kind of see if that's something they're interested or not. Any questions on that? Okay. So um the [clears throat] first part is in the the program studies is the business department. Um we are deleting or not going to be offering advanced accounting which is a semester course um that has been in the program studies for at least um the last four years and it has never run. It's an advanced accounting course that um it just it's a half year that students aren't seem to be interested in. They are more interested in taking the full year accounting course and they kind of get that. So, we're going to take that out of the program of studies because we would like to um offer a new advanced placement course called business with personal finance. That

019is going to be a fullear um advanced placement course to add to the list of the ones we have. We have a lot of students that are interested in the business field um and take all the courses we have in the business department and just having something that could kind of further along with the the business and with added of the personal finance which we all know a few years ago is now at the high school due to our civic action project for our students. So this is just enhances what we're already offering that allows people to get more insight and information for where where they go after graduation. The other thing in the business department that we have changes is you'll notice that we have four courses that we're still going to offer, but

020we're going to offer them every other year. So, in the students four years, they're going to be able to have an um opportunity to take it twice. And this is so we can offer more sections for students during the year. So, there's a more of an opportunity that's going to fit in their schedule. So, um, they'll still, we still have the courses and they'll be able to take it, but, you know, instead of offering all the options every year and having and not being able to even run some of the courses because we only have one business teacher, we'll be able to have to run these courses every other year and to be able to have more sections so the students can actually fit it into their schedule. We've done this in other departments. A

021couple years ago, we started this and it's worked out really well. Any questions about the business department? All right. Okay. So the next one is the engineering and technology department. We're not taking anything out of this um department. We're we have a pretty good interest in what the students want there. The only thing that we're adding is is a new course that we've been notified through project lead the way and it's called principles of artificial intelligence. Um as we all know AI is PE students are using it all the time and this course is specifically it talks about how to utilize it but it's in the engineering world and both um our engineering teachers were really interested because people are using it to try to give our students a leg up and it's there's a

022whole curriculum that comes to it that our that our teachers whoever teaches it is going to be utilizing and we're going to kind of take it you know day by day and kind of see what's going on and we don't even know if there's going to be any interest with students but we're going to offer it out there and see um how it plays a role in the engineering world um to help our students get a leg up. Any questions about engineering and technology? >> Oh, looks like Randy, you have a question. Randy, >> um I I I guess um I'm I'm wondering how, you know, why we're looking at an artificial intelligence um course when the district is just starting to look at how we want to have AI in the district. Um, I'm

023not sure uh that uh this isn't putting the cart before the horse um because I thought we were going to be in the process of uh one of the superintendent's goals is to look at um how to incorporate it um what types of things to do with safety from 6 to 12 have um a framework created for how we're going to put AI in and um putting in as you know it's a project lead the way which is great um from the standpoint is that we've used a lot of their programs, but again, if we're not sure and haven't had the conversations of how we're going to integrate AI into the district, I'm not sure um having a course this early is wise. >> V valid point. Um I I I totally understand. I think

024though since this um if we were coming up with our own curriculum I would say that this is not obviously the appropriate time but having curriculum from a group that is well known um for their curriculum their information this is um it's talking about AI but it's really in um introduces introducing this within regards to the engineering world which it's I think that we would be doing a um a deficit for our students if we did not try to offer it and see it I could see about the whole AI in general and like what we're doing grades 6 through 12. But at the high school, we have students that they're they use AI on their own and then having this one course to kind of show them how they are appropriately using it in

025just in the engineering and technology world. I think that maybe we that would be beneficial to our students. I'm not even sure that we're going to have a lot of students that are even interested to be truthful. Um but I I do know that our our teachers and um in the engineering field and other teachers were interested when they saw this come out from project leadway that they thought it would be beneficial for our students. That's why we put it for >> Alexander. Yeah. Um [clears throat] sorry I've had a cold for like three weeks. Um, so I do have a concern here because I know Project Lead the Way, uh, their biggest backers are Google and Microsoft. Um, and they're both very heavily invested into this AI trend. And I'm concerned that, you know,

026we have all these big giant companies that have bet the farm on AI and now they're trying to put it into schools. Um, now you know you this might be a little conspiratorial of me to be honest with you, but I'm uh I have misgivings about that type of stuff. Uh, I'm I tend to be like a kind of a follow the money type of guy. Um, so when you see a program whose biggest funders are big tech companies who have heavily invested in AI and now they're selling us an or giving us or we're promoting an AI curriculum or giving us an AI curriculum, um, and it makes me a little concerned. Um, I'll just put my two cents out there. >> Thanks, Alexander. Um C Carla. >> Yeah. Um so as Randy mentioned,

027I know this is in a preliminary phases of AI and it's part of the goals for um um for our superintendent as well. Um and you mentioned that you don't even know if there'll be interest on this and we don't have proper policies yet in place for AI integration. Would it not make sense to table this to the following year? Um, and so we have all that figured out, especially since there aren't that, you know, potential much interest in that particular class at the moment. >> Um, Kim Craraven, >> thanks. So, um, I I was going to comment something that Carla just did. Um, if there's room in the curriculum for new classes, I'd love to see it ones that are highest on the student list. Um, I'm not um opposed to an AI class,

028but if we're going to, you know, extend effort on it. Um, it would be good to test the waters to see how many students would want that class. I do see it a little bit separate than the operating policies but um yeah so not opposed to AI courses but just ones that there's interest in. >> So in order to do interest we offer the course and then we see it who who is interested in and that's how we decide in the end for all the courses besides graduation requirements what we're offering next year and if we're going to be running it or not. So, um, our engineering teachers did [clears throat] put it out there to engineering class like their their classes and started talking about before they brought it forth to me. Um, and

029there was students that were interested. Um, what I mean by interest is that is it going to fit into their schedule. So, we'll have people that are interested, but it will depends on how many because we need to have so many kids in order to run a class and then see how it how many of them fits into their schedule. >> Okay. So, can [clears throat] you help me just understand as part of the process? Um, I appreciate that additional um explanation. So, basically, no matter what the class is, it gets put out there and if it's not filled, it doesn't run and you put something else in its place. >> No. So, it is it's whatever's in the program studies that we're offering, that's the courses that we're putting out there for students to

030choose from. When we get the numbers after every student goes and picks their classes and then the guidance department goes over every every single student and what they pick to make sure they have what they're supposed to have for graduation requirements and then make sure and check their electives to make sure they have seven classes in there. That's when we see the numbers and we see we look at it based on the courses and how many students want it. That that tells us how many sections we're going to run. And then it not only does it do that that we look at the staffing that we have and how many sections we can run because first and foremost is our graduation requirements English, math, science, history, word language and our fizzed department. So we put

031those in and then the electives that are added into all those departments. Then we see what we have opening left over to do that if that makes sense. >> Yes, that's very helpful. Thank you. >> Of course. >> All right. Before I take your comment, Brett, I'm going to make a comment. Okay. Being from the technology realm, I think that this is an important class to offer to our students because they are going to be behind when they get to college if they do not have some kind of course like this because the engineering is moving faster than any of us can imagine. And it will other schools are going to be offering this. Our tech schools are going to offer this and pull away students from our student body. So, I do think that

032this is an important course to offer and like with Kim, I think you mentioned it that it doesn't go with the operational side offering a course. Um, I too don't see it like relating into Brad's goals as much. Um because Brad has the broad base of how we use it as a district, how like Robin would incorporate it, how Kevin would incorporate it with the budget and all of our different schools, how the elementary would use it, things like that. It's not particularly Brad or the superintendent to say that this course should not be offered if I'm if that makes it >> or his goal is relatable to this course. So that's my two cents. Anyway, moving on. >> Yeah. Well, and I just to follow up, you said um for Principal Smith, with your

033explanation, um it doesn't worry me that there's could be like a cost center loss that it's it's how it's traditionally done. Um and as you spoke, I actually thought of a operational way to use AI, and that's matching um graduation requirements with what the students are picking. I'm sure that there's someone that's going to figure out how to do that um with the level of automation. >> Sorry, Mike. Yeah, I just I I have, you know, I have thoughts about the whole AI thing in general, but I do think it one of the aspects that we do need to make sure that we address is sort of the AI literacy aspect, understanding what it is and is not, what it can and can't do, things like that that are important for anyone existing in the

034world now to to understand because, you know, it whether we like it or not, it's out there. it's it's being used. It's being, you know, pushed by the various companies that are pushing it because they've invested billions and trillions of dollars in it and so on and so forth. So you know the broader sort of policy for the district is important but I think specifically like providing opportunities for the students to be educated about the technology itself is important and and you know the whatever the motives of the people behind project lead the way are I think that you know we can sort of trust that our teachers are going to be looking at those materials with a somewhat critical eye and in incorporating their own thoughts about, you know, what's being said to them

035um and and what's being provided and and can sort of guide the students as much as possible through that. And it's it's going to be difficult because this is a fastmoving field with lots of stuff happening and things are changing dayto-day, but it's worth at least making the effort to get this information in front of the students because they need to be critical about it. Uh, Superintendent Morgan. >> So, just wanted to um just discuss um the goal because I know it's a goal of the assistant superintendent as well. Um I feel pretty strongly if if the goal doesn't properly outline that um I can certainly adjust it. Is it something we are trying to do around AI literacy um AI safety um using AI in the classroom? Those are all things that we are

036looking to do um for the majority of our staff that are not uh that are not using a prescribed curriculum. I would say uh project lead the way in many ways is very similar to AP courses. It is it is a prescribed curriculum. Um, and I would assume, and again, I am not uh I am not on the engineering team at the high school and have not taken a close look at the curriculum, but I do know that Project Lead the Way um has provided us with curriculum in the past and has been a curriculum that our that our teachers have been happy with. Um, so I do find this to be somewhat separate from our goals. And the reason I feel that way, just just to be frank, is that AI is being used

037in our high school, I would say, by the majority of our students every single day. Um, and I would say it's being used by a number of our staff as well. I would guess that we have staff in the district that are going to know far more than myself and Dr. Ree even after the course we've taken um because they've been following along and paying attention to it and utilizing it in their classrooms. So, I just want to be clear that that AI is being used in the district and districts are taking really two avenues with this. They're either going down the path that myself and Dr. Ree are going down with a plan to educate everyone uh within the next year or two or districts are just setting policy on how AI will be

038used without much training at all. Um, I would say that if we're not going to entertain anything having to do with AI, especially something again where it is a prescribed curriculum that other districts are going to be utilizing as well, even if it is a small group of students that end up taking the course, which again, not all of our students are in the engineering um track. um will at least be able to see how it worked, how it went, communicate with those teachers to to talk about what the strengths and weaknesses were of the program, but to put a halt on it uh completely um until um our goals are um fully vetted and um you know, and we train all staff members. Um it's it's to me it's not realistic because it's already

039happening in our classrooms. it has been happening for a couple of years. Um, and the students have it at their fingertips, as I said, every single day. So, I think that if we could potentially utilize a course like this um to see how it goes and again maintain communication with those teachers that are that are running the course um that I think will also help inform what we do moving forward. Um, but I would guess that these students that are taking this course are taking it uh for their future. And if they don't have the opportunity to take this course, it may um, you know, leave them somewhat short-handed when they go off to college, which if we can avoid doing that, I would recommend that we do that. So, we can certainly closely monitor

040this and see how it goes, but I I would recommend that um that we at least put it out there to see what the interest level is among the students and then from there use it as a trial run to see how it goes. Um while at the same time informing what both Dr. Ree and I are doing in the district to work with all of our staff and students K to 12. I wouldn't go to pre-K with this as of yet. [clears throat] >> Right, Randy? >> Um I appreciate all of those um points of view and I actually can agree with some of them. I think AI is definitely uh not going away. Um, but what I worry about whether it's being used in the schools or not, and I'm sure plenty of

041kids are using it, um, and I'm sure that teachers are using it, is um, policy. We we want to have a comprehensive um, look at this. We want to make sure we are teaching the basics. And I I've lately been coming back to that is we keep going with these wonderful new tools. And AI is just that. It's a tool. It is not teaching the kids about the basics of anything. It is helping them to um apply knowledge that we're teaching. Um so I worry that we're jumping into AI without a plan on how it's actually going to help the education of the children um coming out of high school and going into college. Um I hear a lot about that the kids are going to be at a disadvantage going into uh college. Um

042it's a tool easily learned at any point in time. Colleges are teaching it as part of part of their courses as well as um I work at UMass LOL and I'm keeping an eye out is they're doing a series for uh teachers right now on how to take AI out of the classroom and go back to critical thinking. um because the kids are coming into college not knowing the basics, not knowing how to do the critical thinking because they have AI um that they've been using. um and they're talking to uh teachers across all disciplines on how to take the kids who are just going straight to AI and bring them back in to have student focused um critical thinking, student focused teaching at the college level. So are we actually preparing them for college

043or are we just feeding a need at the college that they have to pull back for the basics that we're not teaching them? I think it's a little premature to add this in right now before we know how we want to apply it to education and those basics. >> So I I just want to say that we are teaching critical thinking skills here. We are not relying on AI in any of our classes. We are addressing it when we need to. Um the part of this project lead the way principles of adapilio attention intelligence it's it's intro in introducing the students to the foundational concepts the applications and the considerations of using it in this just in this course about in regards to engineering. Um so I'm I'm I'm just just clarifying how it's going

044to be used but our teachers are not relying here on out of physical intelligence. We are doing hands-on. We are teaching them about critical thinking too. I'm sorry I wasn't trying to imply that the teachers are teaching the AI u but that is something that kids the same thing like with the internet and searching for things you when we were in that transition period of books to the internet the kids got onto the internet much faster and we're doing things there that without understanding the basics because we weren't caught up. I'd rather have a comprehensive plan. Um, I think it's great to introduce AI especially um if this is teaching um how to generate how to do the programming that's good things but again wanted part of a comprehensive plan that I don't see in

045place yet. >> Kenan, >> I don't think we should let perfect be the enemy of good here. Um, I think I think it's great that we're trying to um expose the students to um this technology which is critical every day. Um, I'm a quantitative economics student at UMass LOL. I use AI every day. Um, in a variety of forms. Um, no, it doesn't do my work for me. Um [clears throat] but if you don't know how to use it then you are going to be left behind and there are people who don't know how to use it and it makes their life very difficult. Um I think policy is needed but policy takes time and technology is not waiting. Um considering this is just this is a project lead the way course. We didn't develop

046any of this curriculum. Um I took a project lead the way course. I took multiple during my time at the high school. um they're well done. Um the teachers are highly qualified. Um and I trust them to do their job. Um to conduct business regarding AI correctly um with you know good intent um I think we can let policy come and follow um and be well informed. I think this course could be very good for um to inform the policy. Um, but we at this point we don't even know if anyone if this course is even going to run. As was mentioned earlier, we don't know if we don't know if there's even going to be adequate interest. Um, so I I I do think we've spent a lot of time on this discussion. Um,

047and if a mo if someone would like to make a motion regarding it, then you know that's absolutely you're right. But I think it might be prudent given the time to keep going down the list um in the in the program studies. >> AL Alexander, do you have something to add to the conversation? >> I just want to say um yeah, AI literacy is great. Uh if that's the point of this is AI literacy within engineering in a very narrow focused field, that's okay with me. But I do think we really need some more comprehensive policies on AI here. Um, and I think we do need an abundance of caution. We teach kids how to do math on paper before we teach them how to before we have them using calculators. And it is a

048mistake to skip the teaching the math on paper and go straight to the calculator, no matter what people say these days about, you know, computers doing all your thinking for you. Um, you know, I my students use AI to cheat flat out. That's what they use it for. They use it to cheat. Um, and you know, I know this course isn't how to cheat with AI, but we really need to be very cautious about this. I'm speaking from my experience here as an educator, too. My students use AI to cheat when they use AI. And they use it as an easy way to cut out thinking, to be like, I don't have to think because a computer can tell me what to think. That is sending them back. Um, and like especially when we, you

049know, I'm not going to get into my next point. Um, I'll let the I I'll just let this continue. >> All right. I think Okay, I think it's time to move on to the next course. Lori, >> sure. So, the next department is English language arts. Um, that that department has no changes, additions, or deletions because they made some changes the last couple years and they were still moving forward with that. Um in the mathematics department um we are deleting algebra 2 and that's just the third phase in what we've been doing out for the last few years is phasing out um the courses that are not aligned with we have two different options and we're going all with one option the algebra and geometry the algebra 2 geometry and then the trigger pre-calc. So

050algebra 2 is the third year was the junior year level so that we're phasing out. So, we're just deleting the course that we've been do on the same track for the last few years. Um, so that all students take the same courses. Other than that, in um the math department, that is the only change. Um, in the performing arts department, um, we're going to be deleting screenwriting and film making. Um, there's not a lot of interest there. And the teachers that we have in the performing arts class, these are not their their area of expertise. Um, so they're moving on from that and I'm going to talk about something that we're going to be adding in the social department that might help with some students that are interested in that. Um, the changes there, we

051just making a change to history of the rock and roll title to history of popular music. It's more student interest and it's more upto-date and we're hoping to get more students that are not necessarily performers, but to get them in the the performing arts field to maybe get in the music world to to do something else. In the physical education department, um, we're going to be taking out Lifetime Fitness. Um we have we already have low medium and high impact courses. We had a couple of um medium impact courses. So we're going to be taking this this one out um and we're going to be adding another it's actually our first first elective in this department called foundations of sports medicine athletic training. We have a high interest over the last few years for students

052that are interested in sports medicine and or athletic training. Um and we think that this is the perfect time to help students with this course. We have interest with students and we have interest with faculty and have some knowledge. Um the PE department teachers have also been um consulting with our director of nursing um Katherine Hson about CPR training and all that stuff too. So it's actually going to be a few different people helping out than this department. Um in the science department we have uh we're looking to to take out of the program studies advanced AP physics C mechanics. um it hasn't run in over three years. There's if there is an a minimal interest, it's like one student. Um we're still going to have our AP physics course. So, we're taking that out.

053We're also taking out accelerated physics. And um the reason being is we have a new teacher that's teaching the course, not new to our school, but new who's doing physics, um who's who's trained in it. There's not a lot of difference between the accelerated course of physics and the AP course of physics. Um, so we're we're looking to go back to our Kevin College press physics and the AP physics. Um, our numbers are very very small on the accelerated physics um, classes and um, we only had one section this year and those those kids that are in that class could absolutely be taking the AP physics class. So the science department is requesting that to be moving forward with that. um in the social studies department. We are have not had a lot of interest

054in engaging our community um as an elective. So we're we'd like to delete that. That's been happen over the last few years. We've seen a decline, but we what we would like to add because we do have an interest of is NM Media Productions. Um we do have the TV studio. We do have all the equipment to do so. We do have a social studies teacher who has been doing this after hours and during advisory of some students that are interested in doing this and putting stuff together. So, we put it in the social studies department um to be able to do that. It kind of goes for students that are interested in kind of like screenwriting and film making. It's just a different avenue. So, we're looking to ask any of those students that

055are interested to kind of join that class. Um we also have the changes to we just updated the title instead of just topics in modern world history. we're talking at special topics in mo modern world history just to be a little more accurate about what what that course is going to entail. Special education is staying the same with the stuff that we're this classes and courses we're offering. Um we are going to be looking in specialized programs to take out virtual high school. Um we do are not offering it this year and it is not going to be offered next year. Um for the multil- language learners um we're we have some change additions and changes. We're adding English learners ELA. It's something actually that we have needed for students based on what they need

056for courses. We actually did run it this year. We added in based on some students that moved in. So now we're adding it to the program of studies to meet the student needs. Um, and all we did was just update the description of English language learning one and English language learning two just to be more upto-date because that description has not been updated in quite a few quite a few years. Then see the next page and the next thing is visual arts department. There's a few changes just in changes with levels. Um ceramics in the ceramics area, ceramics 2, ceram ceramics 3, wheel throwing, and then drawing and painting two and three and um then graphic design too. Um are all actually at an accelerated level and it's all been college prep in the program

057of studies. Um so we are changing that to accelerated. We're keeping the level one ceramics one drawing painting one um and the foundations courses all at college prep so students can still take that for the graduation requirements and if they want to move on it moves on and it will be accelerated um and then we've just changing changed some of the courses to um for different grade levels to open it up for some other grade levels um in the world language department everything they've made some changes over the years um so everything is staying the same in that department and that wraps that Any questions? >> All right, Lori, I think you need a glass of water. That was a great rundown, but Kenan has a question for you. >> Going back to um it's

058on page three, the foundations of sports medicine athletic training. Um I assume there's a reason. Um why why doesn't this class qualify as a physical education? um for graduation >> because it it's not it's it's an elective. They don't have any electives in their department. Um they're they already have four what their four years of requirements are. It's um foundations of fitness in their freshman year. It's wellness for sophomore and then they have the PE courses junior and senior that they can choose. The department wants to keep that as that because those are actual graduate requirements and they want to add this elective in and see how it is. Um it's kind of it's it's different. there's not a lot of physical activity in that where the rest of the courses are physical activity. So

059those are the graduation requirements that they're sticking with. >> Okay. So it's just a it's just a departmental decision. >> It's a departmental decision. It's also based on the physical activity for a gym class. All the all the graduate requirements have a portion that they are which this is not going to have that. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Of course. All right. Anyone else have any questions for Lori or Mrs. Smith? Sorry. >> All right. Do we need to take a vote? I believe we do. >> Do I have a motion? >> Sure. >> I will move that the school committee vote to approve the 26 or 2026 2027 North Middle Sex Regional High School program of studies as presented. >> Second. That was Keenan Francois and Kim Craraven with a second. All right, I'll

060go down my list. Um, Carla Lima, >> yes. >> Kenan Francois, >> yes. >> Mike Laboise Labosier. >> Yes. Mike, you're on mute. Sorry, >> I am on mute. Yes. Alexander Vancoui. >> I think I'm gonna abstain. >> All right. Kim Craraven. >> Yes. >> Uh Lisa Bloom. >> I'm gonna abstain, too. >> Randy Rush. >> Um I'm I'm gonna say no just because of the um AI. Um you know where I stand on that. >> All right. Jackie White. >> I do like the other ones. >> Okay. Jackie White. >> Yes. and myself is a yes. That was two abstensions and one no. Correct. And then everyone else was yes. Okay. Moving on. Hang on. My screen changed on me. Give me a second. I think the next one is Ashb A and D

061or a oh no grants. >> Yep. For Dr. Barry. >> All right. Go ahead. >> Good evening again everyone. Um, so I'm pleased to share that we have been awarded another grant. This grant is through the Massachusetts Executive Office of Administration and Finance in the amount of $60,000. It's the FY26 municipal ADA improvement grant. Um, and through this grant, um, what we'll be able to do is conduct an ADA, um, self assessment. They call it a self assessment, but basically hire a company to do an assessment of the buildings uh emperor and townsend to identify um any potential areas of ADA non-compliance or needs for improvements. Um what's nice about this grant is they've done this for multiple years. This first year we're applying for the planning grant which allows us to do the self

062assessment and then hopefully um as been the past case for the past few years they have an implementation grant the following year. So if there are areas that are identified as needed for improvements, uh we potentially have the opportunity now that we have the ADA self-evaluation to be able to apply for a grant to help support the costs associated with those improvements. >> Randy, >> um thank you very much for for applying for this. I think this is uh really good and I'm glad that there are grants out there that are trying to help schools um with some of the structural issues. Uh my question is you have listed the schools here. Being that the school committee has not had a final vote on Ashb um we don't know at this point in time uh

063would that be able to be added if something changed? >> Great question. So back in May when um the information about the grant was first shared with us, I had reached out to each of the three town administrators because there were components of the grant that they needed to provide in order for us to submit the grant. Um at that time I received a communication from the Ashby town administrator that they were applying for the grant on their own and they were including Ashb Elementary as part of their application so they wouldn't be applying with us. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Anyone else have any questions about the grant? >> Kim Craraven? >> Um, this might be something for the next um section. So, if I'm in the wrong place for this question, just

064defer it. Um, thank you uh Dr. Reese for applying for the grant and explaining why Ashb is not on it. But if Ashb didn't get the grant, how do we then have the Ashb school do the same level of review? >> That would be cost outside of what we could cover through the grant. >> So basically something that we as the school committee would have to request Ashby to do. Okay. Thank you. >> All right. Any more questions? Somebody want to make the motion to accept the grant? >> I will move that we >> I'm sorry. >> Go ahead, Randy. Go ahead. >> Okay. I move that we um accept the grant for the ADA or FY26 ADA municipal grant uh from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Administration and finance totaling $60,000. Second. >> Okay,

065that was Randy Rush and Alexander Vancoui has a second. All right, roll call vote. Alexander Vancoui, >> yes. >> Kim Craraven, >> yes. >> Lisa Bloom, >> yes. >> Randy Rush, >> yes. >> Jackie White, >> yes. >> Carla Lima, >> yes. Keenan Francois. Keenan Keenan. >> Yes. >> All right. Mike B. Mike Labosier. >> Yes. >> And myself. Yes. >> Thank you, Dr. Ree. All right. Moving on to the next item on the agenda. Under number three, we have Ashb Elementary School ADA compliance. You guys will see in your folder um that there was a complaint filed for ADA compliance with the town of Ashby and this pertains to their walkway in front of the building and parking spots for handicap accessibility. Um and they are coming into the district or the inspector is

066coming in from the state coming in on Thursday. Is that correct Brad? To do an evaluation of the walkway and things and I think Jeremy Hammond and uh Dave Amari will be there representing the school. Correct. Superintendent Morgan. Whoops. You're on mute, Brad. Sorry, I couldn't find the microphone. Um, yes. So, it's my understanding that both uh Mr. Ham and Mr. Amari are going to be there. I'm likely going to be there as well. >> Um, anything further on this? Anyone have any questions? All right, moving on to the Whoops. Oh, Kim Krad, um I just wondering for planning purposes if we would be able to get the [snorts] results of that um before our next meeting and before the next finance committee meeting, which is the 13th of January. Um, and I know that's

067probably dependent on someone else, but how how do we work that mechanism where it's not something that the school asked for, but it's something that came about for a complaint. So, I'm guessing that gets forwarded to you like the notice does and then we would get it after that. And um the town administer administrator from Ashby has told me that she would send on information as soon as they are aware of what the results are. >> Okay. Thank you. >> And I'm sure that Superintendent Morgan will be informed as well because I think you were informed on the first notification and the second. >> I was. >> All right. Any other questions? All right. Moving on to facilities review, building use space analysis, enrollment trends, closure review. All right, I'm going to hand it over

068to Superintendent Morgan. >> So, we did share um several documents with the school committee. We shared a um basically a space availability review with the committee. um a current class size analysis um with the committee uh essentially running prek to 12 um we did we shared an ashb update with the committee as well. So um and then on top of that um I know that there may be um some NASDAQ information um that Miss Haynes and Mr. Cormier may want to share around um our 10-year projections. I'm not sure where the committee would like me to start. Um, I can certainly start with the current space availability piece if you'd like me to do so and then kind of take it from there. >> That sounds good. >> Makes sense. Okay. Um, so at a

069previous school committee meeting, we were asked to look into what we had for available space in the district now that um we have closed a school for the 2025 2026 school year. Um, initially we had asked um each of our building um leadership um whether it be individuals or teams to go through their buildings and then report back to us what they had for full-size classrooms, small classrooms, offices um and then any notes that they had to go with those. And then as a followup, both myself and Mr. Hammond walked each of the buildings uh just to um you know belt and suspenders double check and make sure that everything was as accurate as possible. Um and if you're able to locate the document right now we do have a a good amount of space

070in the district um that is still usable. Um, you know, right now if you go into um, you know, some of the buildings, you may walk into a class and see that, um, you know, it looks like it's being used and it may not always be the case because a couple of classrooms are being used by the same teacher and they're basically spreading out their materials. Um, so again, in looking 30,000 foot view, um, you know, all of our buildings have space. Squanakook currently has the least amount of space um as far as full-size classrooms. Um but there would also be the potential of looking at how specials utilize classrooms there as well because it is such a small school. Um and when you look at how specials run at Squanakook for kindergarten in grade

0711, um you have art, music, and computer all in full-size classrooms. Um but only those classrooms are only being utilized for a couple of periods a day. Um but they also do have an additional full-size classroom available. Spalding has got um multiple um full-size and small classrooms available. Um also potential through reorganization to have more space available. Um, Varnbrook currently has three classrooms available, but if we're looking to potentially move a special education program to Townsend, that would likely free up five additional full-size classrooms at Varnbrook. Um, Athorne Brook has got five full-size classrooms, um, three small classrooms, and then again there is some potential um, through how classrooms are being used to potentially have even more space at Hawthorne Brookset, same situation. They have six um, full classrooms open. They do have an office

072available as well. And there's potential there to have more space as well if space is looked at a little bit differently than we are right now. And then moving on to the high school. The high school has got um six classrooms open full-size um five smaller classrooms and then a all of the central office spaces that are currently being utilized as well. Now, the things that we've talked about when we look at these spaces is how do we want to move forward with the district? Um, I will say um and it may come up in discussion later that I was asked by a TA at one of our budget summits to look at what closing another building in the district um would look like. Um, and realistically that would likely lead to redistricting um, and

073possibly lead to um, you know, some other decisions that would need to be made as well around where preK is housed. Do we look at moving 8th grade to the high school? Do we look at keeping the middle school model as it is and potentially moving preK to the high school and pursuing um, CTE grants uh, for CTE programming at the high school? And those grants, uh, we spoke about it this morning at at finance, have not been released yet. Um, they were supposed to be released in the fall. They have still yet to be released. Um, do we want to look at um, the potential of bringing a recovery high school to the district? all things that could potentially help um retain students in the district, potentially um you know provide other opportunities for

074students in our district, but beyond that potentially um provide opportunities for students from other districts to tuition into NM outside of school choice, whether it be a recovery high school or a CTE program, which would be students tuitioning in at the per pupil cost, which would be very different than what school choice is. So that would potentially help the district as well. Um and then ultimately just looking at central office and the need for central office to potentially be flexible, the fact that we may have to look at being spread out throughout the district and not all being in one location in order for some of these plans to work, especially if we close um or look to close a second building. um which we are looking at right now and we will be um

075submitting information at our next finance committee meeting as to what that may look like and again that's something we've been asked to do so we we are doing our due diligence to look at that and do it um and ultimately it'll be brought to the committee to um potentially look at that and make a decision questions on the space allocation currently in the district and that is with um all the buildings with the exception of Ashb um being open moving forward. Obviously, if there's a decision to reopen Ashb that would um create even more space >> Randy >> um [sighs and gasps] couple things. So, this uh document for um available rooms in the different schools, is that based currently on this year? And if so, um, with, uh, the, uh, steps program, is it

076that's moving >> potentially? >> Um, what does that make Townsen look like? Um, as far as, uh, you know, how many classrooms are going to be need to go into Squan Cookook? How many to um, Spalding? How many to Hawthon Brook? And what does it make those schools look like? Um it'd be really nice to have um something from the special education director on um number of classrooms, what classrooms need to be in joined with different classes, different grades because I know a lot of the inclusion uh uh uh special education programs need to be with their same grade so that they can go in and out of the classroom um for the most uh most inclusion that they can possibly have. Um so having some of that to know how if we move programs,

077what is the space available and what's it going to take up? Um also um you've mentioned a number of times of the eighth grade moving to the high school whereas um I've warmed to that that idea and I you know I think it's great to be thinking outside the box. Uh the high school is the one school that we actually know what it was built for as far as number of students and was built for 850 students with some overflow capacity in there, but mainly 800 is the 850 is the cap and I know we don't have a lot of special education um programs there. Um so it's it's very different than looking uh at the lower grades for those requirements. If we're sitting at 650 at the high school and there's 250 between the

078two eighth grades, it won't fit. Um and then we'll have even more of a problem if we um by doing that we achieve our goal of keeping more students in the district. We'll be way over even the surge capacity that we have at the high school. Um so whereas I think it it's it's a great idea, I don't think it's feasible um with the size of our district right now. Um, so I think we should use our energies to talk about things that actually can be put into place. Um, the preschool going to the high school, there's room for it. We have to take a look and see about uh how the students get in and out of the building. Um, but that's, you know, completely different uh topic. [sighs] It's it's so hard looking

079at this. Um, I'd really love to have more of a story told to us as far as special education future needs. I know we're looking to bring in more programs. How many classrooms and at what grade levels are that's going to be? Um, because I I'm not 100% convinced that um saying we have these rooms free actually means that the that the schools get everything they have. I see a lot of things talked about for surge capacity. I hear I look in here one of the comments is taking a comm room away um in order to manipulate to get more space. um are comm rooms uh something that are needed um are beneficial that we should look at keeping in addition to classrooms is just different information like that is what does the district look

080like when we have everything that we need and the class sizes as well because I think it's the middle school um especially at Nissatic have very large uh classes right now if we bring that down to the class sizes that we want um how many more rooms is that going to be and take up that's free right now. Um so I I just don't see a full picture here. >> Well, again, I think it's going to be difficult to provide um the I don't think there's any situation that's going to be 100% accurate at any given time just because of potential changes that could happen. As far as whether or not there's space in the district right now, um these spaces are not it's it's not whether or not they are open. They are open.

081Uh the full-size classrooms are available. Um if we were to take say take the steps program and move it to Townson. We're not questioning if that will fit. It will fit right now. um even if we do have um even if we look at the potential of addressing some class size issues that we have, it still would fit. Um all of the notes, whether it be taking comm rooms and things like that, when you look at a school like Spalding, um you know, talking about losing their comm room, that's if they also utilize those five extra classrooms and three small classrooms. Um, and then the fact that if you look at Spalding, they're using three rooms for music right now and they likely only need one. Um, so some of this, um, and there are

082still other spaces, um, at Spalding that are not being fully utilized. So there is definitely space in the district right now for addressing the class size issues that we have, um, addressing special education program movement. Um because essentially the rooms are already there and right now as the class size is you know we can look at that in a little bit. Um you know the class size issues are not significant across the board. They're significant in certain areas which again can certainly be addressed. and how we address those doesn't necessarily mean that we're going to be hiring more teachers. Um it may be a change in schedule and a change in the model that we are using in order to accommodate that because on top of that um we have to look at in addition

083to addressing class sizes, we also have to make sure that the budget we're putting forth each year is as doable for our towns as possible. Um, and right now, uh, we do have some ideas on how we can address those class sizes without necessarily adding staff, but changing the structure and changing the way that we do things. Um, and that could potentially help with class sizes as well. But again, right now, this is this is extremely accurate and I I only say that with full confidence because it was done with belt and suspenders. We had the principles do it first and then myself and Mr. Hammond literally walked through every single classroom in the district um to check and make sure and we had we're the ones that generated the questions over here on the

084side and the likelihood of there being even more space um if we reallocate how things are being done if that makes sense. >> Yes, it does. And I I apologize. I thought you were done. No. And I was just going to say as far as moving the eighth grade to the high school, that's again that's that's a thought. Um, but again, as I as I've mentioned previously, there there aren't many thoughts that I'm having these days, especially with um looking at the amount of capital work that that needs to occur in some of our buildings where in the back of my mind, especially if I'm looking at potentially adding CTE programs where modulars are not going to become a part of the picture at some point because they're super cost-effective, they're large spaces, they're easy

085to maintain. easy to put up. They're pretty flexible as well. Um, and again, if we're looking at potentially adding um, you know, programs to the high school, whether it be special education, whether it be CTE, whether it even be, you know, something along the lines of a recovery high school, I think there are opportunities to potentially expand. And while it may be expensive initially, I think it would be very beneficial from a budget standpoint to the district moving forward. So, I'm just keeping we're trying to keep all of our options open at this point uh to make sure that whatever move we make is the best move for the district and is as fiscally responsible as we can possibly be while not closing the door to anything. if again if that hoping that makes sense.

086>> Yeah, and it does and I really do appreciate all the work that you've put into trying to see this and um a lot of the work that's being put into on um how do we accommodate uh things. Um but I think that's kind of where my view of what the school committee needs to decide is at odds with the everyday running. Um I think you're doing a great job. You're fitting things in. you're u making do with the budget that we have um you know trying to plan for future budget issues with class sizes and you're concerned with all the correct things in the moment but as a school committee I'm more concerned at the moment uh if we're talking about closing another building or um even just the decision on Ashb is to

087make sure that we set the district up for the good things that could happen for the good things later on uh that we decide and not hamper us going forward. Um so, you know, I I have to say I'm not a fan of the modulars, although I had to take a look at them and see. Um and I'd have to do some research and really kind of find out about them, but the idea of putting up modulars versus a structured building that we already have in place, um I I'd need more research to get on board with that. But um so thank you for what you're doing, but I'm still looking to where um we could be ideally and make sure we have the space in the future. >> Understood. Thank you. >> All right,

088Kim Craraven. >> Thanks. Um I know we're asking you to do a lot of work with with looking at this and sometimes it can be a little bit harder for community members and even school committee members that are not in the facilities every single day. Um, I don't know what's available, um, in terms of school plans. Um, are they digitized? Is that something that we would be able to work with to kind of color code things? Um, I mean, I hate to say that we print a bunch of them and we color them that way because that's not as efficient as online, but I just know like with with mapping or run times for public safety, we have software at our disposal to use. I would think that somewhere in the architectural field, there's got

089to be something that these buildings can be put into as a model. So to say, you know, this is what it looks like now and this is what the change would be. So, it was visual and and I don't know if that exists for schools or not, but I think that type of model would be really helpful. And strike me down, Randy, but to find an AI analysis that we could do an Excel of all the classrooms in the space and ask it what to configure, um, you know, might be worth our time as well. So, um, building plans being digitized, um, I know that we have them and I know that we can share them with all of you. Um, to the extent that they would be considered digitized, I would say likely not.

090Um, but they're certainly uh something that we can share with the committee. Um they are they are overall um pretty um legible but again some of these are are old buildings um and even the plans themselves are are old and have been copied many times over um but that is that is something that Mr. Muhammad has sent out previously um not necessarily to school committee but to um I I I believe he has sent it out previously to to capital planning and to finance but we can certainly share those with the entire committee so that you can see those um and we will work to um make sure that all of these buildings are appearing on those as well and that they're appropriately mocked. Um so I can talk to Mr. Hammond about that and

091and work to get the committee something. >> We do have to be careful with the blueprints in just that it is a safety issue too that a public document um things like that for intruder drills and things like that just to be clear with the public about the blueprints >> and and they would be shared confidentially with the committee. Um, in the other area we might look too is just, you know, office space. When these big companies are are moving facilities and, you know, ones that are reconfiguring space because of remote workers, I'm sure that they have some type of tool that that they're using that maybe we can find. >> Are you finished, Kim? >> Yes. Thank you. >> All right, Carla. >> Thank you. I think I second that with Kim. I think,

092you know, as much as we'd love to have that imaginary um visual of everything in our minds, when we look at numbers, um you know, coming from the construction field, when we talk to clients about certain perspective, everyone has a different one. But when we get that visual physically see it, it just puts things into better perspective. Uh versus just saying this this class, this school has x y and z amount of space. You know, I think if we have something more tangible to visually and visualize it, I think it'll help. And then um what Randy mentioned and I I know this is just you know throwing things out there but you know the capacity in the high school and then if we do bring in CTE and recovery into that you know how much

093more students are we getting from different areas that will you know um I don't know the proper term here or buy into the school right from different districts um different areas and and what does that look like for growth or potential growth has studies been done on that you know if we do bring in CTE E are we getting a lot of kids from the other districts and what's the potential of that? You know, I think having more um analysis to look at I think will help in making that you know and getting a visual for me at least um you know I know you're talking potentials but I think having the study of it or analysis of it and sharing those data I think will make things more visual for me at least um

094in that perspective. you know what what what's expected when there is a CTE program or a recovery program opened up in this high school how much new you know enrollment you know should we expect to have right and and just to be clear as far as the CTE component goes um they in order for us to get the grant the grant or the state would have to see us is a viable location to address the overflow issues that currently exist in Monty tech. Um, Nishobatech does not have um does not have the weight list issues that Monty has. Um, but additionally, Greater LOL also has a lengthy weight list as well. So we may also be um you know considered for both greater l and monty but the state ultimately would have to basically give

095us the grant and view us as a desirable location uh for students to access um so that students are not you know in some cases some of our c I mean I I came from a CTE school and where it had a programs as well. We had students that were being transported close to two hours a day because it was statewide for the A programs so anyone in the state could apply um and get in. So that's we obviously want to make sure that we're accessible. Um, and I do think, you know, having something in town, it's not far away from Great Alol, it's not it's even closer to uh to Fitsburg especially where a number of students are being placed um on a waiting list and cannot access the CTE programming at Monty. So,

096but the CTE programming will likely not happen without the grant. Um, so the first step is being seen as as a desirable location. Then once that happens, then the state will work with us on how to get students into our programs from schools that have an overflow or a wait list. >> Any further questions? >> I I actually have one. Um, Superintendent Morgan, with the CTE program, >> is there any indication to when they're going to release the grant? >> So, I have a call with them on Thursday. >> So, I'm hoping um there was um the associate commissioner for CTE has changed. Uh so, the person that I was working with last fall is no longer in that position. Someone else has taken over. So I I'll the hope is that I will be

097able to connect with that person on Thursday. >> Okay. >> And and get information. But um I was told as soon as it becomes live, I will receive an email. It is still not happened. I know Dr. Bau Reese looks at the GEMS website daily. Um it is it is not out there yet. So they are certainly running behind and it's unfortunate because um you know for the most part the grant is going to cover the program needs. They're not it's not it can't be used for capital needs to address um other issues that may that we may require to make a space CTE ready which is why initially the focus would likely be on classroombased things such as something along the lines of early childhood if we move the pre-k to the high school.

098Um looking at making the engineering program a full-fledged CTE program. looking at the potential of having a criminal justice program or a public safety program because uh public safety um has so much so much of a need right now. Um biotechnology um things along those lines that are more classroombased. So, it's less of a a shop base which would require such as a machine tool technology or advanced manufacturing which would be hundreds of thousands of dollars in a complete um redo of a space with ventilation and things of that nature having to be put in. Any further questions about the potential space use document or unused potential space document? >> All right, continue Superintendent Morgan with the next document. >> So, um, moving on to class size. Um and again we were able to with

099that with that slight budget increase avoid more issues than we avoid more issues I should say. Um, but as you can see from the class sizes, you know, I feel want to say back when I first started seven um almost eight years ago now, our class sizes seem to be in the low 20s and now they're they're starting to really creep up there. Certainly problem areas that exist um are Varnham Brook, the kindergarten level where um class sizes are 28 to 30. That is extremely high for a kindergarten class. um you know certainly um and those are um inclusion classes as well with PLC steps and achieve students being included into those classrooms. Um so oftent times you will have the kindergarten teacher a paraprofessional in there who is a kindergarten par profofessional and possibly

100um some special education support as well. But regardless of how many adults that you have in a room um that is a large number of students to have um in a classroom especially at the kindergarten level. Um elsewhere you know again we we have bubbles um throughout the elementary level um you know ranging from 22 to 28 in class sizes but again not getting to that 30. And next year it's actually looking like um some of these class sizes of 30 will be addressed um just through attrition in the district which will be helpful um you know certainly a problem area for us. Another problem area is grades seven and eight. Um in both uh at both Hawthorne Brookbrook and Nissatissit as you can see um Hawthorne Brook is 23 to 30 and 25 to

10130. Um and then at Nissatis it's 27 to 32 and 21 to 32 depending upon the class. Um if you have not taught seventh or eighth grade uh to me they are um two of the most challenging grade levels you can teach. um having that number of class having that number of students in our classrooms. First and foremost, they weren't built for 32 kids much less um 32 students who are you know starting um to you know fill out and and you know become young adults and certainly as we were at uh you know at Nissatis and at um Hawthorne Brook this year on a couple of occasions especially in the fall um Dr. Ree, myself, Miss Upton, uh, building leadership would walk into rooms and you could feel the heat coming out. Uh, you

102know, it was it was extremely warm in the room. There was very little air. It was uncomfortable. Um, and that's certainly something that we want to look to address next year. And we think we have some ideas on how we can potentially address that again without necessarily adding staff but looking at the middle school schedule to see if there are other ways to um to address that need. Um and then at the high school level we have multiple classes that are in the 30s um for the most part low30s. Um but there are some classes again that are um that are in the 30 31 32 range. And what's unfortunate is that although the high school is a new building, there are some there are certainly some some oddshaped rooms at the high school. Um

103you know it I always talk about u Miss Jackson's classroom who's a social studies teacher. It's a corner room. It's very oddly shaped and her classes are also extremely popular um with the students and you go into that room and it's it is one of the reasons why um you know backpacks became an issue. Um where if you if you went into the room and there were 30 32 students in the classroom in backpacks, it became extremely difficult to navigate the building. Um I'm not sure if Kenan would agree. Um I know that he was likely in some of those classes. Um but again um you know working to try to address um class sizes um is going to be a challenge at the high school because again unlike um you know the elementary level

104where where you can hire a teacher. Um, often times at the high school level, it may be hiring a fraction of a teacher uh to address a couple of sections that are large. And unfortunately, where it's content specific and license specific, finding, you know, a 2 or a point 4 in social studies and then, you know, can we have that person do a point4 and something else? It's a challenge. it's very very difficult to find people that are licensed in more than one area at the high school level. So oftent times you are stuck with having to um either keep the classes large um or potentially look at hiring a a full a full 1.0 and then having class sizes that are really small. Um so it it's it's difficult balance. I will say that

105um I know Miss Smith works uh to have um some of the honors and advanced placement classes um high student numbers because oftentimes um especially the AP classes where it is a prescribed curriculum um students are a are are you know tend to be a little bit more self-driven um and you know classroom management may not always be be an issue which allows us to have smaller inclusion classrooms in some cases But that is certainly not um not possible all the time either. Um so again, as far as you know, looking at the space that we have available, do we have the space to address some of these class class size issues? Yes, we do. Um but even looking into next year, the likelihood of us having to hire more staff to address the class

106size issues, just in looking at the numbers now does not look like it's it's going to be necessary. um just the way that just the way that things are working out. So, the hope is is that next year we're going to be able to bring those class sizes if we do get our FY27 budget approved down to a number um that's a little bit more reasonable. You know, when I say reasonable, I'm talking about, you know, our larger class sizes being 25 26 as opposed to 30. Um Dr. Reese, did I miss anything? Nancy um Kevin Haynes Mr. Cormier sorry Dr. form here. >> Nothing. >> The only thing I would add is one of the things that I know and I just know this from teaching at NIST that when we had one of

107these um kind of restructuring or reconfiguring of classrooms is that um you have to you can't take all special education classrooms and put them in one wing. they have to be amongst their peers throughout the school. So, when you're talking about what space is available, like that also comes into play that a lot of people aren't aware of. So, just kind of putting that out there that that just moving classrooms around um because they fit doesn't necessarily mean that it works with Desi regulations. >> Thank you for adding that. >> Anything else on the class sizes that we're currently that we just shared. >> I think you can continue. >> Okay. Um, Ashby update, is that okay to move on to that at this point? >> Yes. >> Okay. So, um, I I just first

108and foremost want to be clear that this was this Ashb update is done or was done if we are going back to the way things were last year. um it did not take into consideration swapping out another building at this point in time. So it would be adding Ashb back online um where Ashb is in essence a K to4 elementary school for Ashb students. Okay. So I do want to just start with that um and if you want us um to look at something else we can certainly do that. But I also want to add that the only other building that truly makes sense to potentially close and I know we talked about other options last year would likely be a Spalding. Um primarily because of the clawback money and the MSBA numbers, the way

109that it works out. Um, Spalding, for instance, has a much smaller um, clawback number currently than Ashb currently does. Um, it just about $180,000 where um, Ashb is just over $270,000. Um, Squanakook would be a very difficult thing to consider first and foremost because the district owns Squanakook, but secondly, uh, we have $2 million in debt service to Squan Cookook and likely a much higher, um, clawback number because that project is not even closed out at this point. Um, it's still an ongoing project. So, um, the clawback money for that would likely be very, very high. So again, in in looking at um AES, um the clawback money would be um last year it was $273,000 in change. It would likely be slightly lower. um beginning this summer if it were considered to remain closed.

110Um just to be clear, right now the district is has budgeted just over $147,000 for FY26 for some of the utilities, um snow removal, scheduled maintenance, inspections, things of that sort. It is likely we are going to um spend that money over the course of the year to address those issues. Um so as far as a clawback goes more than half of it would be um absorbed in year one of not continuing on with these um with these figures and these services that are currently being maintained by the district. Um other things to consider um I have heard positive um feedback from Squanakook and Spalding um staff. Uh you know as far as the merger itself goes. Teachers seem to be enjoying working together. They seem to enjoy the ability to collaborate with each other.

111Um and it has um allowed for some balanced class sizes albeit high. um they are still relatively balanced throughout the district. Um it has helped with both um Spalding and Squanakook being centrally located. Um it allows for if there are classroom issues um it allows for students to be moved and we have had that happen a couple of times this year already where students were were able to move student sections. Um you know that it's helpful to have more than one section in a school so that you're able to do that at every grade level. Um, as far as transportation, again, I'm not going to say that the bus rides aren't long. Um, they are long, but um, this has been by far our smoothest year for transportation. Students are getting to school on time.

112They're also getting picked up on time. Uh, this is the first year that I've had that happen on a consistent basis. I do not hear from D or from parents regarding um kids getting dropped off late, the bus not showing up, kids being um you know to school late or getting dropped off too late in the afternoon. As you can see, I did ask um D last week, what are our latest our latest buses to arrive home in the afternoon? Um and you can see that um Ashb's the latest bus to the last stop in Ashb is at 358. Peril's at 3.49 and Townson is at 406. Um so overall um I would say that you know our bus rides you know if you look at 349 to 406 we're looking at basically 17 minutes

113of swing time between Peril and Townsend um being um you know the last runs but overall um it is fairly balanced. Um we do have to look at the AES um um handicap accessibility issue above and beyond the complaint that was filed. The chairlift has gone well beyond its end of life. Um and that is something that will will be up for inspection again this coming May. Um there is never a guarantee that the parts will be available for us to address that if it does not pass inspection. So just making everyone aware of that. um district has to consider um the vacant wing which with each year um will likely become more problematic as far as roof leaks and things of that nature and becoming more expensive to remove. Um, you know, certainly a

114concern that we talked about was having Ashb as an Ashby only facil uh facility would go back to having class size imbalance in the district. Um, which is something that that would have to be considered. Um, if we were to redistrict Ashby, then we would need Townson buyin um on capital items um that were to exist. If we were look if we were going to look to, you know, have West Townson be redistricted to Ashby. Just something to consider. Again, reopening Ashb with everything else remaining open comes with a significant price um price tag. Uh these are all estimates, but again, myself, um Miss Haynes, Dr. Cormier, uh Mr. Hammond, Mr. Babbora Ree, um Mr. Amari, we we've all gone through this. Um, and this is what we're coming up with. Uh, to reopen AES

115without any ADA or Lyft um, issues would be about $1.6 million. Um, so that's just something to consider. Um, and then looking at some of the capital items um, that we could potentially um, address um, for just over a million dollars um, are listed there as well. So ultimately, again, I know that I I know this is a difficult decision. I I I would ask that we have a a clear direction from the committee at the January meeting just so that we're able to proceed with um putting together an FY27 budget last year. I I I don't think anyone would argue it was extremely difficult. Um it was very late. Um, and to compound the matter, as we know, um, our town meetings are late, the governor's numbers come out late, and everything seems to

116happen late, and we never really have a clear picture until until we're going into the summer as to what the budget's really going to look like once everything is settled. Um, but this is obviously something that um that I would recommend that that we make a decision on. Not asking for it tonight by any means, but I I'm I'm hopeful that we can make the decision at the January meeting one way or the other so that we can be as prepared as possible for the budget hearing in February. Um, outside of that, again, as I mentioned, we are looking at the potential um closure of a second building, which again would um would certainly um to the points we talked about earlier. Um would likely entail um some flexible learning spaces or some modulars in

117pretty short order, I would guess. Um but again it's something that we were asked to look at and we are working on that document now. Um not something that we certainly not something that we can share tonight but it is something that we will share um certainly by the January school committee so you can see what that looks like as well. um January school committee and also the January uh finance committee meeting so you can see what the potential is and what that would potentially look like. But that would also lead to some some redistricting as well um and some change in grade configurations um for both Ashby and Towns. I don't think uh I think that's everything for me unless um anyone else has something to add. And I hope that was clear. >>

118Any questions, Randy? >> Yeah, that was very clear, Brad. Thank you uh for this document. The only thing I would add to this document is it does not take into consider solar, which we've never gotten an answer from Ashby whether they want to take over the solar. If they don't, um it's approximately $160,000 for early termination of our PPA. Um we also doesn't take into account the credits that we are getting uh for that electricity that are dispersed through the district. Um so we get uh all of the um electricity uh at a cost but we do have a savings that does get um attributed across the district uh through Unatil these towns in Nash because they're they're the only ones that are Unatil. Um, I'm also very surprised that the heating fuel is the

119exact same cost as when the building was running. Um, I hope we're not keeping the building at uh full temperature um for when we what we need the kids 65 68. I'm not sure what we usually keep the buildings, but it's surprising that the heating and the electric bills are exactly the same uh for what we have budgeted this year when nobody's in the building. Um, so I'd like to maybe take a look at that and make sure that we're actually going to be spending what is here in the budget. uh for the school when it is uh closed down at the moment. Um and I think those are the biggest things um that I would have just with this document. Uh just please add those uh other costs so that we can see if

120the true um cost savings andor expenses that are needed. >> Absolutely. Thank you. >> Anyone else have any questions about the document? any additional things that anyone would want. >> I I think I've covered everything that was in the packet. >> Okay, Randy, >> I just had I'm sorry, Brad. One more thought on uh something that you can provide the committee is um any educational benefits or uh pros or cons for Ashby kids staying in Ashb um and things like that would be um helpful to know you know just the youngest uh learners I know I think I heard that there was a request from Ashb for at least K to two to be there I don't know um what other options have been asked for um and what's possible. But educationally, um, at least

121for those lowest the lowest grades, K to2 or something like that or preK to two, what are we losing by having those those kids out of their, uh, out of their town? >> Thank you. >> Oh, um, I'll actually defer to Carla. >> Okay, Carla. >> Sure. Um just to um I think Randy said a lot of the things that I wanted to say so I appreciate that. Um I know you mentioned you know things are relatively great between what the teachers are coming back to saying have we reached out to the individual towns to see how you know the parents are actually perceiving this with the students and so forth. Is there a way to do like a survey? Hey how how are you doing with this change? You know how do you feel

122about this change? Um just, you know, I'm just curious. Um I understand we're taking it from the teachers perspective, but have we actually looked at it from the students and the parents perspective? >> Is there a way to do that? >> So, I would say there's likely a way that we could do it with parents. Um not that we couldn't do it with students, but we would need parent permission to administer a survey um to the students. And then would we only be um would we only be surveying the Ashb students and if we were how would we go about doing that where there where they're basically it would have to be something that would likely have potentially occur um it would be hard to do it during lunch because it's their only free time

123during the day and I think we we'd be hardressed to get um you know a young elementary age student to give up lunch and or recess to do a survey. Okay. Um, so I I think it might be more beneficial to maybe send something home to families and have the families look at it if that's something the committee wants me to look into doing. I can certainly do that. I think it would just give us a full perspective not just from the teachers but the actual people that that go there um or the parents that have made the accommodations um or change in accommodations. >> Does it make sense to do Ashby and Townsen or just Ashby? >> I think both because they have both have been moved around. So, I think it gives us

124a clear picture. >> Okay, >> Jim Craraven, >> thanks. Um, I was going to suggest um ask Carla if you're going to do one that it does need to be both towns affected. Um, and I would suggest that it be um an online email based to parents only. Um, I think the process of a a child survey and uh what you have to do to get that um in would be really difficult. >> Okay, we can work on that. >> Yep. And I would say electronic. [snorts] >> Yeah. >> Actually, hang on one second, Carla, because Kenan has his hand up. >> I'll let him go first. >> Yeah. I just want to ask you, Mr. Morgan, is the the details or I know you've just been requested two surveys and um the specific details

125that Randy requested. Is this something that um because Christmas is next week and then we have New Year's I assume admin as well as taking um you know time off and vacation. Can our next school committee meeting is the 13th. Um we do have two in January um the 13th and 27th. Are you looking for us to make a decision on the 13th or 27th? Um, just because I don't want us to not have the information that everyone is requesting until like Sunday and then we're left. I know I know this was mentioned during executive session just getting documents timely. Um, we have a tendency to run in circles and not make decisions sometimes um for sometimes for good reason, sometimes for bad reason. I just want to make sure that we are actually making

126a decision on this and not kicking this can down the road. So, is this do you want us to make a decision on the 13th or the 27th? >> Um, the 27th. >> The 27th. Fantastic. And can we like certainly have all of this information being requested by like the 20th, like one week before? >> Yes. >> Fantastic. Thank you so much. >> You're welcome. Um, I do have a question with that, Brad. Does that put us too close to the budget hearing? When was the budget hearing? In February 9th. >> So, it it's it's February 9th. I mean, it's I I think the reality is is that um you know, if we are going to do a survey, we do have to give people time. There is going to be the holiday that's coming

127up. Um, and realistically, um, you know, as I shared this morning, if we if we are going to go down the the path of, um, the path of reopening Ashby Elementary School, again, going back to last year, there's really, to me, I only see two paths to do that. Um, you know, the current budget that we're um, you know, recommending and that we spoke to, we spoke about this morning is a 3.06% increase. Again, that's a lot of this is with projected numbers. With that 3.06% increase, that is using $2 million of excess and deficiency money. Um, if that's where we stop with excess and deficiency money and the calculus on what it would cost to reopen AES is accurate, um, it would lead to um, significant reductions in the district because we would essentially

128have to match if that figure is accurate. And again, I feel pretty strongly that it is pretty close to the number. And you know, there are likely things that are high and there are some things that we may have forgotten as well. So, we would have to balance that off. The only other option would be to if we go high and think that our END number is going to be certified at $3.5 million to use all of our END for a year and then see what happens. an FY27, which would be a very very dangerous thing to do. Um, in my opinion, um, you know, I think even using $2 million of END is a lot. Um, I would like to, you know, I I don't think I've made it a secret that I would

129like to move away from it. Um, but part of that is being properly funded by the state. Um, but there's not a lot of wiggle room in this budget. We have pres we are in the process of presenting to the committee a budget that is very responsible. Um that's trying to make it so that the towns can afford it. Um and and right now there's only one town of the three that can even take this on which again is a projected budget. We're hoping for the best with health insurance and things of that matter. Uh there's only one town that can just take this budget and likely afford it based on our projections right now. That could change. You know, there's another town that would require some work and then there's another town that would

130require extensive work to make a 3.06 work. Um, so again, I just reopening a building and not having there be some something else happen um would likely have a significant impact on our staffing just because again the the numbers the numbers high just to reopen a building and just leave it at that and go back to what we were doing. So I I'm I'm pretty confident on numbers at this point. um and and and feel comfortable with it. Again, I I wish we could say I wish I could say that we could, you know, get all of our asks and have our class sizes where they need to be. And I think if we were treated fairly, we would be. Um but unfortunately, I don't feel as though uh North Middle Sex is treated fairly

131when it comes to funding. Uh we have gotten very little to no help from from the state and with the with the potential of losing Title One funding um next year on top of everything else. Um you know, that's something else that we're not, you know, necessarily planning for at this point. Um you know, the hope is is that, you know, things will change and we will get that title one funding. If we lose that title one funding, um you know, that could have a substantial impact on what the district's able to offer. not necessarily um you know a dollar figure impact on the district but what the district is able to offer our students. Gary, is that fair? >> Yeah, I think this concerns not just with title one but all the entitlement one

132grants funded. >> Um Carla and then I'll go to Jackie. >> Whoops, you're on mute Carla. I'll let Jackie go first because I'm >> Okay. All right. >> Um, just a quick question. Thank you. So, I did see that Townsen or sorry, Ashby did administer a survey. Was that does that get at some of the answers that we are looking for? >> Does anyone know? >> Um, Carla is going to address that in her liaison part. >> Yep. >> Of the meeting. >> Okay. And so because it was done by the town and not the school committee if that answers your question, Jackie. >> Yeah. I mean, love to hear what what you think of it, Carla. >> Okay. >> All right. Go ahead, Carla. >> Yeah, I I I think, you know, coming from

133the district, I think would be more ideal um because we get the actual parents feedback. Um the the survey that went out from Ashb the town itself was not directed at the parents itself of the students that have um made the modification or from you know from towns and as well uh but it's just from the district as a whole I think um we will have some answers to some of this what the town feels like you know should uh the the actual survey was what are the other options that the the the building could be used for you know are thinking about potentially sharing costs with the school district. So I think some of it will have some insight into some of the um you know what can be done to to you know

134with AES um sharing costs potentially adding other things into to that building or what the actual community wants as a whole you know um for the building. Um but I think the the survey that you know I mentioned um you know asked of from Brad Morgan is you know he mentioned that everyone's you know doing very well with the adjustment which is great from a teacher's perspective but I'd like to see it from a parents perspective that have made the adjust adjustment and I think it is good to have an electronic survey but the additional thing that I was going to ask is you know I think most parents there should be a question there where parents actually ask the student you know how are you feeling with the with with the change because I

135me as a parent, I know how my kid feels about it because he speaks to me about it, but some parents might actually need to go and and make that question. You know, how do you feel about it? Um, so I think that'll give us a better insight overall as to what the perception is with the change and, you know, that that's my two cents. And the survey did go out. We don't have the results as of yet, but we had, you know, a really good and and that was going to be part of my next, you know, um, review there. But, you know, just since Jackie asked, you know, I can give you a little bit more detail on the next topic >> Kenan. >> Yeah. Um, I don't I don't know if Kim

136had anything to add, but um I just wanted to see if we could if I could bring a sort of a resolution to the table um to hold this committee accountable to making a decision on the on the 27th and making sure it like we the superintendent has asked us to make a decision on the 27th, but is that every is that even something that everyone here is comfortable doing if you have the information that you've requested. Um I think that's something important to acknowledge um you know whilst we're here um if we're even capable of making a decision if you have the information that you've requested. I do have one recommendation with that Kenan that everybody does go explore the building and see Ashby Elementary as it is now and also go see the

137other buildings for capacity wise because like people had said like they don't have the blueprint but when you go physically and see the different buildings you can see the class size you can see what's going on in the building. So, that is my one request that people do before we do take this vote on January 27th. All right, Kim, I'll hand it back to you. That's the only thing I was going to mention. Um, the surveys to students by parents um does not adhere to any survey design. Um, so asking the questions would need to be in an unbiased way. and having parents interview their kids on this I don't think would kind of pass that test. But I get it, Carla. You know, asking them the kids questions would be great. I just don't

138know that we have the the process for it right now or time um short short of I don't know little focus groups with unbiased facilitators. And I don't know how we would pull that rabbit out of a hat in the time that we have. All right. Any other questions? All right. Moving on. >> Thank you. >> There's no more questions. Thank you, Superintendent Morgan. All right. Moving on to finance subcommittee. Kim Craraven, do you have an update? Whoops. You're on mute, Kim. Did I just blink? Did you say are we missing goals? >> Oh, no. We going to the goals. Sorry, I skipped over goals. >> I was like, wait, I didn't think I was next. >> Sorry. Sorry. We're going back to goals. All right. In the packet, the committee will see the three

139goals that were created at the workshop. So I will read the three goals that the people that attended the workshop came through with. It's one is create a school committee handbook which is a professional development for the team. Two is to start to research and formulate artificial intelligent policies for the district. This aligns with the district improvement and aligns with superintendent Morgan's goal number two. Number three is create a list and timeline of key performance indicator reports to be given to the school committee. This is a district improvement and a student learning goal. Now I'm going to take a motion or any discussion on these goals. Kim. >> So, unfortunately, this was a meeting that I couldn't um attend, but not that I have a problem with what's listed on the paper um in sort

140of theory. Um I'm just getting back to that page because I flipped to something else. Um, if I look at what is listed here, um, they are really part of the strategy. I feel like we've missed what the goals are and jump to a strategy. So if I were to look at a goal being create a school committee handbook, I would think at a higher level that what we're trying to do is strengthen our school committee governance, role clarity, and decision-m capacity. And why would we do that? So that we have cleared goals, consistent procedures, shared understanding of our governance responsibilities. And then the supporting goals under that would be a common uh reference framework, improve continuity, support professional development in our strategies would be to adopt the handbook. And then anytime we have a

141goal, I feel like we should have our own performance outcome and indicator in there. And that would be something like the handbook is formally adopted that we have an improved sense of role clarity and increased consistency. And I'm sorry to like dump all that on you when I couldn't attend the initial meeting. Um, but I feel like if we just start with a strategy in that then becomes an output and we don't have the outcomes. I see everyone's staring at me. I'm I'm sorry, but it's I I have to go back on what I know how to do really well, and that is setting goals and strategies and the performance indicators. >> Well, [clears throat] it >> go ahead, Mike. Mike, you started it. It it it seems like what we can do is we

142can well it it sounds like there's a lot of refinement that we could do with the with these goals. It I mean this is just a sort of a draft to get us started it sounds like and and we can always expand upon these or sort of rework it to be like okay these are actually more of outcomes or or what did you say they were? Um >> well it's so the create the handbook is a strategy >> strategy. Yeah. Okay. So, so like reorganize it so that you have the goals and like these are strategies that are going to be used to sort of achieve these goals and and reorganize it a little bit just to make it fit that kind of rubric that you that you outlined there. Um, but that could be

143something that we do as part of the sort of the next steps for each of these >> like within the working group. >> Yeah. So, so the school committee handbook working group could become the sort of the, you know, rather than just being about the handbook, it'll be about that sort of broader goal with the handbook being the strategy. Randy, >> I do agree that these could use um some outcomes for them and ways to be able to evaluate whether we've achieved them. Uh but we have created as as a school committee every you know three or five years depending on what we're doing at the time we do have a strategic plan for the district and the goals that we come up with are very similar to what um the superintendent comes up with

144every year is things that can be done to support that overall strategic plan for the district. Um, and this was modeled off of the three types of goals that the superintendent uh gives to us every year that uh that he strives for [snorts] being professional development, uh, district improvement and student learning and that is how we came up with these. Um, I do again I agree that they need to be a little bit more refined to be smart goals. Um, but I would say that these are definitely goals and we have uh the strategic plan that we're uh at the higher level that we're trying to achieve. Any comments? >> Jackie. >> So, more of just a question because I >> I know Lisa, you said that you were going to take you and Randy

145were taking on norms and protocols. Do you have a timeline for when? Like, are we going to do another workshop that looks at those? >> We're going to create a document and then have it ready by the January 13th meeting for everyone to review and to go through. We in our workshop, we had looked at a few different schools that had done the norms and how they broke it down. Um, and we liked it and thought that it would fit our needs. >> Yeah, a lot of it, Jackie, was just um kind of looking at the format um and a lot of other districts had the norms and the uh protocols in one document just broken down into different segments um and then had everybody sign. We really like that. And it's really going to

146be a lot of just taking what we have and putting it into a better format and maybe adding a couple of things depending on what uh we see in the other ones um for some suggestions for added protocols. So will very similar to or the the protocols and the norms will be very similar to what our document has >> and Randy can pass like she had given me some links. she can pass those along to the committee so everyone can just take a look at what we're looking at um as justformational for everyone. All right. Back to the goals. Um, >> I mean, we we can certainly uh look at uh sorry, Lisa, we we can look at um setting up a couple people to work on this and to get those smart parts of

147this, but I really think um it's already late in the in the year and we should get started on something at least in a direction. Um whereas I think having smart goals uh could be just created for the next meeting. Um but that's at least progress uh going towards these. >> Kim, do you have a question or concern? >> Well, yeah. Just you know, as I stated, these these are not really goals. um they're they're an action item that supports a goal. Um I feel like we should have the whole development of what this is really trying to reach. And I I don't think it's I don't think the statement is wrong. I don't think the action of having a handbook is wrong. And I don't think that um starting to research and formulate and

148I wouldn't I I actually wouldn't say AI in a goal. I would say technology advanced technology because AI is too limiting from my perspective because what you'd really want to do is be providing a strategic policy direction for emerging technologies, not limited to just AI. So that's that's my concern about having like a an outcome as a goal. I think trying to make the AI policy into an overall technology policy would actually just make it overly broad and not as useful. I I I think there's there's too many particular issues that issues that are particular to the AI topic that need to be covered when we're formulating the policy and like the details of that we don't need to talk about now. But I I do think that trying to make that more broad than

149AI kind of defeats the purpose of what we were trying to achieve with that goal, which was and maybe maybe the problem is that you and like others of us are operating with different mental models of what a goal is in this particular context. like maybe maybe it's just a terminology issue that we're we're running into here is that this is not maybe these should be school committee action items instead of school committee goals and then we can we can dispense with the the the the terminology problem entirely. >> You know, you're spot [clears throat] on with that, Mike, because that's what it is. And so because I do so much around strategic planning and goal setting, it's hard to go against what I know is the right way to do it. So to say

150that this is an action item or an outcome that we want to have, I certainly can go along with that practice, but I I would be really hardressed to say it's a goal. Yeah. >> So, so maybe these can be school committee. Uh, yeah. I mean, school committee action items, I guess, is the best thing I can think of because then it sort of just gets rid of that sort of confusion about what is a goal versus what are action items. And we can say like these are action items that are tied to strategic plans or you know superintendent goals or whatever. But in the end these are sort of ultimately just action items that we want to achieve for the school committee for this year. >> Should are you okay with that chair? >>

151I'm fine with renaming this action items because it is getting late into the year to do goals and I'd rather see some action done by the committee instead of sit and wait. Um, so I would propose that we call these the school committee action items for the year and then we can decide goals in a future meeting offline or another workshop. Does that sound okay to everyone? All right. So, let's take a motion to take these as action items and then move on to our next topic. >> Yes. I move that we we rename the school committee goals to school committee action items and take these items listed as action items for the school committee. >> Second that. >> And that is Mike and Kim with the second. All right. Roll call vote. Randy, >>

152yes. >> Jackie, >> yes. >> Mike, >> yes. >> Kim, >> yes. >> Lisa, >> yes. Carla, >> yes. >> Alexander, >> yes. >> And myself is yes. Kenan did have to step away, so he's left the meeting. All right, moving on to the next item. Now we're going to finance, Kim. >> Okay, thank you. Um, so we um met uh this morning. We did get the briefing um from the superintendent and he did give you some of the key points um that I was going to share with you and um if you look in the the packet there's a a rolled up budget um of where things are at which I really love the structure of it. It's very handy um so that you can see um the changes from year-over-year and there's some

153subcategories in there. So I would definitely draw your attention to that. I think one of the critical things that we need to be cognizant of is what the superintendent mentioned. So if we look um over from FY 25 to 26 and the proposed 27 we were at um 63 million221. >> I'm sorry I I I apologize for interrupting but I'm not sure where you're finding this. Uh there's nothing in the folder for finance an FY26 or FY27. So I'm not sure what documents you're talking about. >> So Robin, is what we had for the finance committee today not the same one? >> Um it should be Let me just [clears throat] Yeah, it's there, Randy. Um, page 140. >> Anything either in the folders? >> Yeah, I'm looking in the the the for the for

154this meeting, the subcommittee reports finance folder. There's an FY26 and FY27 folder in there, but I don't see anything in either of them. >> It Yeah, I don't know why it's not there. So, how come it's on page 140 of what I'm looking at? Are you looking the >> Are you looking at the school committee packet, the PDF? Because I have it on 15. >> Yeah, you're looking at the merged packet. >> Yeah, >> it's in the merged packet. >> Yeah, that's what I'm looking at. >> On page 140, it's >> merged packet. It's the the very last folder. Is it there? >> Oh, there it is. Okay. >> Thank you. >> I still don't see it in the merge packet. Sorry. >> No, it's it's on the actual agenda. I I'm I had so

155many >> up on the screen. >> Yeah, it's on the agenda. If you click on the link on the agenda has everybody found it. If you go to the agenda, I'm Lots of moving pieces today. So, I apologize it's it wasn't in the folder, but it is on the agenda on the >> people. >> Do people see it up on the screen? >> Yep. >> Uh, it's on the meeting invite, Jackie. Is is everyone okay with me just going off Lisa's screen while you guys try to find it? If you go to the the calendar, your calendar invite, I put the links right in your calendar if you still can't find it. >> Found it. Um, Kim, can I just ask you to speak a little bit louder if you don't mind? Just on my

156end, it's very low. I don't know if everyone else, but could just be my my computer. >> Sure, I try. Um, and I put my volume up. So um looking at uh the year-over-year with FY25 actual being um 63221876 and the FY26 adopted was 67,571500 and the FY27 request right now stands at 67 uh 69 million637559. Um it's it's about as level funded as the department can make it. There's some uh significant reductions um in some of the things um with the out of district placement and there's some increases around um specialists and substitute teachers and the staffing piece um which you can see way over to the right is fairly minimal um 3.85. So, you know, the the department's budget isn't growing. Um there's a lot of reallocation of some line items. Um there

157um the the one kind of uh other area for the increase to actually heat um is an increase which is uh control that is out of the realm of the school and then on the insuranceances. So, as uh the superintendent mentioned, the uh percent increase over the FY26 budget is 3.06 and the municipalities asked us to come in at three. What changes um and Nancy will do a much better job explaining this is that the um amounts assessed to the schools is a little bit higher than that and it's proportional to their um enrollment. So one one town would be okay with this. Um one would struggle some and one would struggle significantly. Um, so the the bottom line is there's going to be extra money based on this budget of um there would be

158extra allocation needed which basically is an override um in order to meet this this budget um and based on what the municipalities say that they can um afford. All that said, this is a projected budget and the administration doesn't yet have all the actual numbers to plug in from the state. So, we can look at this and see that there's been a a good job. I've asked in our, you know, our finance committee meeting um for everyone to go back and kind of look at any of the um cost areas and um Dr. Cormier did run an analysis with some um areas over the past few years that have been underspent to see if there's any trends that could be tweaked a little bit to try to, you know, save some money. And the superintendent

159expressed that there might be some additional um funding coming forward from the collaborative, but all of those are unknowns at this point. So what has been presented by the administration is the the best budget that they can do with the information that they have on hand and you know pending the the governor's budget and this the school allocations um we won't have the final figures for five or six weeks at this point. Um those were in general the the items that we talked about in finance. Um certainly questions or comments on this particular one. The other thing that we review each meeting is the FY26 budget just to um be apprised of any changes um that were unexpected and as of this time there's not any. Um we did talk about some of the same

160things that we are talking about here. uh reallocation of the buildings, any cost savings if there is um uh closures coming up on the re the reconfigurations of the classrooms, just looking at any and all possibilities of what might be um prudent or realistic moving forward. And then we did have the questions about the any of the impact on the the Ashby ADA compliance which we won't know um you know we learned after it was put on the agenda that we won't know that till after the 18th. Jackie >> might be a silly question, Kim, but when you say that the towns have asked us to come in at three, does that mean if we somehow got this down to just a 3% increase that we wouldn't need to ask for override dollars? >> Um

161Nancy has the better on the actual numbers, but it's >> I think the if I can chime in on this. Um, so the I think what the towns would love to be able to see for their assessment number is a three or less preferably for some of them especially um and this budget is around four for the town for an average and Kim had mentioned that there's various factors that will affect whether one town is a higher or lower number and right now there those Those are looking like, you know, one of our towns is going to have a relatively lower number because again because of some projections which aren't final yet, but what we think might happen is we might have that um which we've had in other years where one town's number ends

162up being um a you know a change in the overall percentage of district as an example that affects might affect their number. So, right now I'm really focusing on the average increase for the towns because I I don't have control over those those changes quite yet. Um, and I think that's um you know, right now it's a three. Our budget at around a three gets the town's around a four little bit over for both of those at this point. So Jackie, >> I was going to say Jackie, it's confusing because the percent increase over the school doesn't translate exactly to the assessment of the town. And I think last year, what did we settle on? Two >> two. I think >> of an increase for the school budget to get the cost as low to

163the to the towns as possible. >> Okay. Thank you. That helps a lot. >> Any other thing? Any other questions? All right. Moving on. Sorry, I messed up my screen. Is it policy next? >> Yes. >> Okay, policy. Go ahead, Randy. >> You're on mute, Randy. Just >> Sorry, I was just saying let me go and find my agenda. Hold on. [laughter] I had it open and then I closed it by accident. Um, okay. Uh, so there are two there was one added. Um it is not on the agenda in the packet, but it is on the agenda for um the what was put out to the public and on the merged uh there was one added last minute uh because we realized that uh policy JFA, school enrollment and residency was originally only um

164voted in for a first reading and we we had made the assumption that that one was adopted at the at the October meeting. And so this needs to be needed to be added because we need to have this in place. Um so the first policy I have is um policy JFA, school enrollment residency. I have not had any feedback from anybody in the community um or uh in the district as far as changes that they would like to see on this or uh questions that they had on this. So, I will move that the school committee approve policy JFA, school enrollment residency for adoption as presented. >> Second. >> That was Randy and Lisa Bloom with the second. All right, roll call vote. Randy, >> yes. >> Mike, >> yes. >> Kim, [clears throat] >>

165yes. Alex Alexander, >> yes. >> Carla, >> yes. >> Lisa Bloom, >> yes. >> Jackie White, >> yes. >> And myself is yes. All right. >> Okay. And the second policy that's up for adoption, again, I have not heard any feedback from anybody in the community or uh from the school district as far as questions or changes uh that were requested. So, I am going to move that the school committee vote to approve policy FCB, retirement of facilities, for adoption as presented. >> I second. >> Any questions from the committee? All right, that was Randy and Lisa Bloom with a second. Kim, >> um I'm going back and forth between the documents here. So on on this particular one here, um after reading it, looking at things in in the most recent discussions um that

166we're having, um I I like most of it. um they're gonna the structure sometimes can be a little hard. Um so I think the first part is the purpose and then the second part just becomes a little bit two opinions for me. Um you know retiring a school building should never be a quick decision unless it's an immediate safety. that paragraph there. Um, I feel like it's it's too I don't know. I feel like we bring emotion into it somehow. I like it to be more factual. Um, with the considerations and I think you can have those things in the bottom part where you have a closing study will directly will include direct involvement from the town officials. Um it so I just I feel like we can cover all of that with different wording

167down below. Okay. Um, again, I would suggest that you uh in writing uh give a suggestion uh that this uh policy subcommittee can take a look at and um and see um I I I think I understand what you're saying, but the best way to get your point across will just be to mark up the document and send it. >> Okay. So then do we want to I don't know the next procedure because we have a vote on the floor. Is it to table it? So if we did it I would say table to a time certain of the January 13th meeting so that I'll have it to the committee for their January 6th meeting. >> Yep. >> Okay. So you make the motion, Kim. >> I'm trying to think of the right way. So

168if there's a motion on the floor, it's discussed. Would it be better to do ask Brandy for a friendly amendment to hers? >> Uh I can certainly do that. Um, I will amend my uh motion uh to table um policy FCB until the January 13th meeting. >> A second. >> That was Randy and Lisa on the amendment. All right. Are people ready to vote? This is to table this for a rewrite. All right. Randy, >> yes. >> Mike, >> yes. >> Kim, >> yes. >> Alexander, >> yes. >> Carla, >> yes. >> Jackie, >> yes. >> Lisa Bloom, >> yes. >> And myself as yes. Now, we don't go back to the other motion. Correct. Or do we have to vote on it? Nope. No, >> we're good. Okay. Yeah. >> Okay. Um and next

169we have uh four policies uh for a first reading. A couple of them only have some very minor changes. Um so I am going to take them all together if everyone's okay with that and move uh that the school committee vote for first reading uh for policy JLCD administering medicines to students. J ICE student publications J ICF gang activity secret societies J IC alcohol tobacco and drug use by students prohibited second >> uh that was Randy and then I'll give it to Alexander for the second Randy. >> Yes. >> Kim Craraven. >> Yes. >> Mike. Whoops. your mute. Mike, >> yes. >> Alexander, >> yes. >> Carla, >> yes. >> Jackie White, >> yes. >> Lisa Bloom, >> yes. >> And myself, yes. All right, moving on. All right. Then we have Kenan has exited

170SC operations. No. And then we have community outreach and liaison. Carla, you have Ashb. >> Oh yes. Um, so I I shared with Lisa and it's in the packet the questions to the survey that went out. So, we had some delay in getting this out cuz um Ashb didn't have access to like a survey monkey. So, um we we were waiting on outreach to MRPC to see if um they could use their survey monkey to send this out. So, we were hoping to have a survey done before last meeting, but um we were we just had this out this the beginning of um last week and made some tweaks to it. Um so the the main goal is really um Ashb is just outreaching and exploring what's the best use of Ashb Elementary School um

171and what the community feels about it. You know, do they want to keep it as an elementary school? Do they want to uh are they okay with repurposing it? Does the community feel okay with partnering and seeing what other potentials we have there? maybe even to bring additional funds and share costs with the district if that's you know another option as well to actually keep it as an elementary school as well. It seems to be like the town administrator did you know strongly um share that you know the community has spoken in the past that they're looking to keep it at least a K to2 as a potential but you know this is something that we wanted to send out to the community and see what the community felt about it. So Jackie, to answer

172your question, it wasn't just to the parents of the students, but really as you know, the town as a whole. So the questions on there, as you can see, you know, if they're residents of Ashb or not, or do they live in Ashb? And then if they have a student, you know, we'll have those details. If they have a child that attends one of the district schools or not. Um, and then another question was, you know, if they don't have it now, have they had one previously um attended the the school district? because there are some parents that have choiced out um with the change. So I think that'll help us get a better understanding as well. And then there was some ranking of you know um what would be the community educational use. Please

173rank the levels you know of potential programs um that they found that the school building should be used at. Is it a public elementary school, a technical vocational training, early childhood center, or at least this out, you know, lease out the building, sell the building? And then there's an option also for other use. So people can actually chime in and provide other suggestions that were not given here if they have um and then I think um it goes down to um benefits as well as the community. Um, which of the following outcomes would support um, the school um, potential use for the billing? Use up, you know, they also put in a sequence of preference, you know, best to to least preference, you know, space used to serve all the community's needs. Programs that create

174jobs or internships, use the building as a facility that generates rental revenue for the town, or use the facility as a hub that reduces isolation and builds community. um use it as a fully operating as a school and nothing else. Um or I'm not supportive of reuse or plans or you know believing that the town should sell the building. Um and then there's question seven of you know would you support an override for an upgrade or repair? Now, this is for all the people of the town. And I know we've we had this last year when um we had, you know, the the override um from the town, and a lot of people said they wouldn't support the override because we wouldn't have a school in our um town. So, this is for everyone, not

175just parents of students, but everyone in town. Would they support an override for any repairs or upgrades that need to be done? And then there's uh financial support and investment. Would you support the town conducting an assessment of AES? And then um last but not least, concerns. What are your main concerns about the Ashby Elementary School? Please rank your concerns of most important um to continue the use of the building. Um so there's overall cost as a concern. There's maintenance and staffing as a concern. There's parking or traffic as a concern. Location suitability suitability accessibility or safety limited programs. town should not invest in this building. And then there's, you know, that that last spot we left blank so people can actually share back any other ideas um that they have um you know for

176potential use of the building other than just an elementary school or any other collaborations that they may have. So, this is a proactive outreach that the town has done to share back uh with the district and hoping to share this back on the next meeting um all the results of the survey and potential any other suggestions that the town may have to collaborate with the school district to try to keep it as a school um at least for the K to2 um younger learning learners. All right. Thank you, Carla. Any questions? So, we should have results. I think Mary said she wants to keep this running for at least a full week going forward. And then once I do have results, I'll share this back with Lisa to share with, you know, the committee. >>

177Any questions? All right. I have no updates from PPO. Any updates from Townsen? Randy? >> Yeah. Um uh so it was requested uh between um Kenan and myself if we would uh be able to attend their Thursday meeting. Um I cannot I not sure if Kenan um has decided whether he's going to but they're looking for some information on the regional agreement and where that's at as well as the Spalding memorial lease. Um so I'm going to be reaching out to Nancy um on the lease to get some information for Kenan and I'll update him on the regional agreement so that he can speak to it um or at least attend and hear their questions to bring back to us. >> Okay. That sounds good. All right. Any other business? All right. I will take

178a motion to adjurnn. >> I second. Oh, no. Someone's got to make the motion first. >> I move to adjourn. [laughter] >> Okay. I second. >> Mike and Lisa Bloom will second. All right. Randy. >> Yes. >> Mike. Yes, >> Kim. >> Yes, >> Alexander. >> Yes, >> Carla. >> Yes, >> Jackie. >> Yes, >> Lisa Bloom. >> Yes. >> And myself is yes. Happy holidays everyone. >> Enjoy. >> Thank you. >> Hi everyone. melodies.