School Committee Meeting 02/24/26

001All right. Um, this is Shashin Valley Regional Vocational Technical School District School Committee meeting of February 24th, 2026. And it is 6:31. All right. At this point, everybody's here except for Mr. Fior. >> And Karen is coming. Okay. Allegiance pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Signed up for public comment. Um, student representative is not here. >> Yeah, I don't I we didn't have school today, so I would understand why she didn't come. >> Okay, we'll get >> All right, the consent agenda was the correspondence approval and payroll treasures report notification of disposal equipment approval of minutes annual report and medication delegation. Does anybody have any questions of any of that? >>

002Can you tell me uh West? >> Yeah, she's in there. >> She's Yep. >> A nice note from the uh >> I saw a question on the like I know for the warrants we have like one is for payroll and three for so I just want to make sure. So I know we have a district treasur. But I know in past things I've worked in there has to be an approval with like now that he's signing things. Is there something that has to be approved or has to be updated in the policy that now says he's part of this equation or is that already in there? >> Um I'd have to go back and look at the specific policy. I don't know. >> That's something we can do just to make sure if he has

003to be approved by us or something. >> I mean there's always one on the right. >> No, I know. But that's more like us. You're saying just referencing that specific the specific title of district treasurer. >> Yep. >> And also that can also if there's some type of approval that now he's in that position making sure that he's I know that he's there has to be somebody off the board or superintendent. It's more he's signing. And then just on the I just noticed on the the payroll ones it always says like payroll run but I know in the accounts payable it lists like the purpose but it's hard to like understand like what you know like on the accounts payable ones it lists like specifically what the purpose is but on the the payroll one

004and maybe it's a little more difficult to do but it just doesn't really list what it is. I know the payroll deductions but it doesn't really say like exactly what they are. I mean, you can take a guess, but all this is like the vendor name and then there's like a vendor category. >> Yeah, that's something we can like update the purpose to so when people are approving it, they know what it is. >> Yeah, that maybe a munis function. >> Is this >> just on any on any of the So, we go to the accounts payable words when they go out. >> So, it says vendor and it has a number and then it says vendor name. Then it says purpose. I think you're talking about purpose column. They're all they're all listed as

005payroll run one warranty. >> Yeah. I don't know. >> Good to know. And then I'm just curious too on the list we've always approved like separating out legal bills, but technically those are in the warrant. Is there some legal like some authorization that we have to independently approve those separate from the warrant? I guess I'm just curious like why I mean it's good for people to know what the legal is, but they're already listed in the warrant. So I'm just curious like it seems duplicative. So, is there like some law or something that says we have to do that? >> There's not. And I think it's more historic because in the past we weren't doing the full warrant for the committee to review. >> Yeah, that's right. >> If people want to do that moving

006forward, we can just have it be part of the warrant. >> And the other reason is the attorney actually works for us. >> Yeah. Okay. >> So, it's a little different. >> Y clarify that. >> I mean, he actually works for us. Yes. >> As a school committee. We hired him, >> right? But it's a little different than the whole other budget. I mean, I know the budget is ours, but it's a little different. >> You can have whatever policies you want. Like, your policy can be you have one. So, the district treasurer, as long as he's authorized, can basically sign the put it together and sign it. That's we're going to double check and make sure that's in the policy. But pay, I haven't looked at policy in a while, but payroll requires one

007approver off the board or super whatever it is. And then the payroll or sorry, warrant or accounts payable, anything under that that's not payroll requires three. So I guess my question is is like these are in the accounts payable bucket. So why are we I mean it's good I guess for additional information because they're legal but it's kind of seems duplicative if they're already going through like an appro I mean you you're getting your whole warrant on the board to get approved between the the break points. It just seems kind of weird like you're already approving like you're approving the whole warrant but then you're basically pulling those bills out and approving again. So it just seems kind of >> so we shouldn't have to sign for >> you're not it's you're basically approving it

008twice. >> You're duplicating the >> Yeah, >> but I think as a school committee we want to see >> No, I get that. I understand that see it in this. >> No, I get that. But it's you don't really get all the backup for all the other ones either, but I understand if people want to see the want to see them. It's fine. >> I I can't I see what you're saying. It's on the warrant. Yep. >> Why do we need to see an itemized We've always seen an item. >> I thought we had asked to have that in here or not. >> That predates me being always that way again because it's >> we hired them. We want to see what they're doing. >> Okay. >> We ourselves, >> we also hire the physician,

009but we're not very we like anything that we basically hire. >> I know we could ask. >> We hire a lot of people, but we don't bring those specifically. So, Okay. >> Um, what's the purpose of the annual report >> that goes into the town? >> Okay. So, this is what gets sent to the five communities. Yes. >> Okay. Who prepares this? >> The study from all different departments. They just send it to me to compile. >> It's most of the leadership team, support services, guidance, our vocational director, our admissions director, and the athletic department. Um we missed out is the work of pulling it all together formatting. >> Okay. And then um the only other question I had on the medical medication delegation is this just because the nurse prescribes medicine to some of

010the students or is it >> the nurse disperses medicine just they can't prescribe but they can disperse. >> We were going to vote on that at the January meeting but again we're running up against a renewal timeline. Um, so again, Patty and I signed it. >> So these are for prescription meds that the children have the kids have. >> She has to be approved by the state to >> give those to kids. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> This is an annual file. >> Yeah, we do that every year. We might be a little behind this year because I think it's typically the January. >> Okay. >> Because we weren't here last month. That's that's why it's on there. >> Just one more question on the treasures report. You had noted that that's going to be

011like eventually once we determine when he's going to come and present or what he does. >> That is his report. >> No, I know. But you have it on a consent agenda. Is that going to be specifically under something? It seems like something you wouldn't really want on a consent agenda. Seems like something you'd want to actually pull out and discuss. >> We could. So, my understanding is he's going to provide a monthly report of the account balances similar to what um the business manager was doing in the past. If the committee wants him to be I mean do you want him to be here for every meeting once a month? Are we talking about >> Well, now they have this I think that's we were gonna go talk with the guy from the show

012but I think it makes sense that he would be part of you but you know it's fine to leave it here but I just think have a report. >> Yeah. And again he essentially that is the year spending report. So maybe maybe it should have been titled differently but yeah that's what I got. And then this district treasurer tasks and responsibilities, is this um is this going to be how it is moving forward now that we have our treasurer? >> Yeah, and that's that's that's actually further on in the agenda. A discussion about that, but yes, that's so I forget which meeting it was, but Ken had asked for us to look at, >> you know, like before July 1st, you know, where were the roles and responsibilities since July 1st, you know, who's been

013stepping in and doing those things, and then like moving forward, what are the expectations for who's going to take those over? So maybe it would make sense to have them in here maybe quarterly just so we could talk about some of these things related to bank accounts citizens. I mean I don't know. Um but we've never really been involved in any of that in before. So now that >> to us we should probably have them in >> Yeah. I think one of the takeaways we're going to do was like business I think was to talk to the show because they have to do that too. >> Okay. >> See so you got Do you want to look at their structure? Yeah, >> that recreation to approve the consent agenda. >> Second. >> All those in

014favor? >> Um there is going to be some overlap from last month. Um but I have added some new information and updated some things. Uh first of all, budget time, yeah, budget planning timeline. Uh tonight should be our final step in that. We have our public hearing scheduled to start at 7 o'clock and then later on in the agenda is the vote for uh the full budget. One change of note for this year, we didn't have the January meeting to approve the capital budget separately. So we will be looking at both the capital and the operating budget and then the overall assessments this evening. Um not a huge change, but just so people are aware. uh applications for the class of 2030. Um this is to me this is very encouraging. Um we had 53

015Bedford applications which is almost double what we got um three years ago. So that that kind of blows my mind. Uh 24.65% of the eighth graders in Bedford actually submitted an application on time to us before the deadline. So um and I I'll skip the Ricka for just a second. You go look at Burlington. Burlington's number has more than doubled in that same time period. So, our efforts to work with those two communities to bring eighth graders in here to showcase what we do to show off the programs I think have have paid dividends. Um, we are still working to um finalize some visits for some of our other sending communities, which I'll talk about in a minute. But, um, I think those are all great things. It shows progress and I think I think

016even in the hiring process I said I just want I want families to make informed decisions and the way to do that is to come here and to see what we do and if it's a good fit for you that's great. If it's not we understand that as well. People have different priorities and different goals and we uh we can't fill everybody's need but we want to make sure that we match students that are interested in what we do with the programs that we have. Um, Bill Rick's number again, we are down a little bit from last year, but we still had more than half of the Bill Raa eighth graders submit applications on time. Um, which I think speaks a lot. Bela, I mean, everybody knows is our largest sending community and and we

017we get more kids from Bela than we do the other the other sending communities. Um, Dukesberry's numbers are down a little bit this year. Wilmington's are up a little bit. Again, they're both right around, you know, between that 38 and 42% range. Um and we had 38.98% of the eighth graders submit an application on time. So almost 40% of students from our ascending communities have submitted an application. Now um again looking at seats for the upcoming year we are going to target 330. Um the last two years we brought in some bigger groups. We brought in 350. Uh we are at a point now where we're struggling with having enough classroom space, having enough uh capacity in the cafeteria, some of those other things to get kids fed and get them in and out of

018the lunchroom. So um at the request of our building principal, um we've walked that back a little bit for this year. Um so you can see at the bottom there, that's the total number of seats allocated by community. Um, we believe that this is maybe the first time ever that Bedford will exceed the number of allocated seats that they have. Um, which is is a positive thing, but is also a little bit of a pinch point because those may be some different conversations than we've ever had to have with Bedford parents and students before as well. So, um, again, all great things. I think this is this is a a monumental step forward for us. And >> you think it's because of the outreach or because of the lottery? >> I think Bedford and Burlington

019is is a direct correlation to the outreach >> getting getting the kids and even the staff members. Um we get a lot of pe positive feedback from the eighth grade teachers that come over with them and they're like, "I didn't realize this is what you did. I didn't realize how the school was structured." Um so I think you know just getting kids here and seeing what we do um goes a long way. um eighth grade visits. We've done all but two of them. Tukesbury was supposed to be on uh the Tuesday of the first blizzard that we had and Wilmington was supposed to be today. So, um we are still working on getting them in here. Uh obviously, it is past the application deadline. Uh students can still apply, but again, they would go to

020the bottom of that list once all the lottery results are drawn. any a any um late applications would go at the bottom of those community vests. Doesn't mean they may not get in, but again obviously applying on time is a much better look. >> Yes, Mr. Fury. >> I know they changed a lot that you know they had to open things up for us for availability. Um these my community along with another one it's kind of like after the fact is kind of what's the point? So, is there anything that's written in the lab that close that they're supposed to before our deadline date? How does that work? >> They there's no deadline date in there. It just says they're supposed to allow for them to come over. Um, again, like any new change or

021anything that gets implemented, there's a little bit of jockeying about what it actually means and how it gets implemented. We're looking at this like getting those kids over here and in the building is the important first step. We already have plans for next fall to do things differently. Um we didn't do well I shouldn't say we did a couple of road shows this year but we kind of backed off that because we were anticipating having the kids here. Um Andy Pigeon and I have kind of been working on so like September October of next year we're going to go do the road shows at the eighth, you know, at the middle schools and then the target would be um November, December to have all of the student tours done and then by the time we

022go on Christmas break um to have all the eighth graders have been here and see what we offer. So it yes, I don't disagree, but I think if we don't take the opportunity to at least bring them over here and establish the process and get the conversation started, it's going to be that much harder in the fall when we try to do it again. >> Would you consider extending the deadline to them because they haven't had the opportunity? >> We can't because it's all been submitted to the state and it's all been approved and it went through the the policy committee would have to review it. We have to I don't think they're going to allow that. >> Yeah. Along those lines of Patty's question, I think is it fair for public statement purposes to

023say that those two school systems could have had earlier visits had they chosen to? >> Yes, we we started reaching out to them out to them in mid November. >> So, this it wasn't it wasn't a lack of effort. Now again, I I will say Wilmington has an interim superintendent this year. Um I don't know if this just wasn't a priority or if you know it was just something that that fell through the cracks. Um I know that they've hired somebody to start next year. My hope is to connect with him over the summer and maybe start to have this conversation and and kind of build that bridge. I know Toukes superintendent just recently announced that she's going to retire. Um, and I know that that she had some struggles with trying to get um,

024everybody on board there to get the students over here to do the visits this year as well. So hopefully those are outliers and it's a first year adjustment. Um, it's a much different conversation if we get into next fall and they continue to ignore our requests or don't bring their kids over. I think that's a that that then becomes a conversation with either the deputy commissioner or maybe the commissioner's office. >> Yes. the idea of delaying our acceptance of our our deadline for um acceptance. I won't tell you that um I had a a family tell me that um to to cover their bases, they were applying to multiple vocational schools. Um there are other towns that don't have the same strict um residency policies that we have or if another school is offering a

025um program that we don't offer that is also a different thing. And that parent was telling me, and I apologize, I don't remember exactly which school it was, that that town was pulling their their their enrollment earlier than we were and that if the child got into that one, it they're also under the lottery. The family was going to have to accept that without knowing if they had gotten into Shasheen or not and potentially then have to turn around if they get into Shasheen, which is their home district, turn around and say to the other school, I'm sorry, but I'm rescending my acceptance and acceptable and understandable, but a bit of a hassle. So, it's like if we were to consider pushing out our application date, that is something we have to consider. we we

026need to look at and I don't remember the exact date but the state came out with a very um prescribed range of dates like your applications have to open between this date and this date they have to close between this date and this date so even if we push it out it's not going to be my much um and we've moved it up in the past so that we can get students accepted and in here and do placement testing early in in April so that that'll inform scheduling so that kids are coming in here we can have transition meetings things. We can plan class loads. We know what teachers are going to be doing and what courses we have to offer. So, um, >> and again, just we typically deal with that. Now, again, whether

027we get more of that churn this year or not, I I don't want to try to even predict, but that happens on a regular on a regular year. Um, I know Mr. Fiori had asked and and I know Mr. Pigeon was working on pulling some numbers together like how many how many kids typically um withdraw or or or decline acceptance every year by community. So I know Mr. Pigeon's been working on pulling that together. Um and it's different from community to community. Um there are some that you know typically we may have 30 or 40 kids that uh get accepted and say you know what I changed my mind. I I got into a different school. I got into Austin Prep. I got into little Catholic. Um, so we see that on a regular basis.

028Um, the question for me this year is going to be is is that magnified or is that kind of similar to what we're what we're used to in the past? Um, and we won't know until the lottery takes place. >> And when is the lottery? >> March 7th. >> The lottery is Saturday, March 7th. >> Nice segue. Um, >> it is so, and I I don't know how many of you pay close attention to this. Uh, Whittier actually has done theirs already. Um, and you can go online and if you search YouTube, you can find uh Whittier's lottery. I think it lasted all about 12 minutes. Um, it is it is a very quick process. There's not a lot to it. Um, and again, I I will um I will follow up with Mr. Pigeon.

029I know he has been working very closely with them. Um, they are going to be that we're going to have a person on site from GO2CTTE here to support us. And then there's also another member of go to CTE that will be uh remote who is the one that will actually do the lottery draw, the poll of numbers if you will. Um, and I will get details out to the committee and to the community in general about the time. I believe it's 9:00 a.m. but please don't hold me to that until I until I can confirm that with them. Uh, enrollment numbers again I I'm we've we've according to my research here, we've lost three students since January. I believe our number for October 1st was somewhere around 1283. So year to date, I think

030we're down about 12 or 13 students. Um again, variety of different reasons. Uh some some families have moved out of district and relocated. Some students have decided that, you know, their their needs are better met at their sending community and opted to go back to um whatever program or whatever um school um school opportunities they had in their sending communities. co-op update. Uh 69,73 total hours worked, 66% of our senior classes participating. They've earned 1,117,730 year to date. Again, these these results are usually a week or so old by the time I get them to you. So that number has increased a little bit since then, but um we are coming up on third on excuse me on fourth quarter where juniors will be eligible and we'll start to report that information out probably I

031don't know if I'll have it for the April meeting but definitely for the May meeting and again just a breakdown of the students 197 out of the 298 are currently out. Um, Bill Del Reka again, we have the most students from Bill Rea. We have the most students on co-op from Bill Reka's number went up and I believe Wington's number both went up since the last report. MSBA, uh, the only thing that's that we have outstanding here is the feasibility study vote, um, funding vote, excuse me. Everything else has been submitted. Um, yes. Can we go back to that other slide? >> No, you don't have to go back, but that's what I'm asking about. Um, that slide said that the deadline was April 28th and we were asking for a push out to May.

032So, it would be after all the town meetings. Did we get that approval? >> We have not received the formal approval. Um, we've been told multiple times that it's pending. So, um, what that means, I'm not sure. >> You had to resend a letter, right? >> We did resend. >> Did you send that? I know like you sent me as you to send me a copy. Yeah, they asked us to send an updated document, I believe, with the chair signature on it as well, which we did. And then there was there was one other piece they were asking for. Um, so yes, we submitted the two documents. We still haven't got the formal um, uh, enrollment report from them yet either. So, um, I will follow up with them again and see when we can

033expect that. They said we were going to get a letter. >> Well, yeah, when we had that Zoom meeting with them. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, we haven't received that either. So >> we can't be the only community that's like that. I mean the only vocational school or any school because you've got so many towns that have town meeting at different times of the year. >> Yeah. >> So that many were very open to it and you know and initially they kept saying well we want you know you got to submit all this other stuff which we did and then we had the enrollment meeting with them which I I think went really I thought went well. Um, and then they said that, you know, once we sent the document to them that they would

034send out the enrollment letter to us and and it, my interpretation was that the extension would come with the enrollment letter, but we haven't seen either one of >> Right. Yeah. I kind of she wouldn't come right up and say it's normally because she couldn't. She's not the one that votes on it, but it kind of led me to believe that it shouldn't be an issue, but you never know. >> When is the actual committee going to meet? Because I, if you guys were attending, I was even aware that there was meetings. Like I was supposed to be on the >> the only meeting that we had was with MSBA for their their enrollment projection meeting. >> It was a Zoom meeting. >> And I think we all had notification in our last meeting or

035something, didn't we? >> I I thought I did, but I don't remember. >> We all got the notification. >> We haven't had a meeting of I pester Charlie regular >> and I was hoping we had the answer for this, but soon. How many times have you heard that? >> Too many. uh respirator update. A couple of committee me members had asked me to make sure I followed up on this. Um this came out of either our October, November meeting where we'd heard from our autocolision staff that um this signoff process was was putting up some barriers for them to have students participate. Uh so our director of vocational technical programs reached out. He got six responses. Um none of the schools require the respirator medical evaluation form for exploratory students. Um, four of the schools

036indicated that they use those positive fresh air hoods that the staff had described when they're here at the meeting. Uh, and one of the schools indicated to us that they don't even have explor exploratory students paint. Um, they put they I supposedly they have some dedicated equipment that they put water in um and use water to simulate the paint coming out of whatever system it is that the students are supposed to be practicing with. So, um, that does not, again, based on our research, that doesn't seem to be like a big barrier. Um, it seems like everything that we're doing is in line with the responses we've gotten from the other schools. Um, this again, I won't go into details here, but I have been in including this impact. This is the latest uh monthly

037numbers for Molatin Hill. Our Facebook and Instagram views, reach, and interactions. Um, some of them are a little bit a little bit higher, some of them a little bit lower. Um I I this is obviously not my background or my piece, but um you know again we saw a significant drive with our sports teams and it was a lot of traffic around the football team um you know soccer, volleyball, all these other things in the fall. Um we're getting into tournament season again for the winter. I believe there's actually a girls hockey tournament game this evening in LOL. Um so again, maybe maybe we'll see another bump in those those numbers as those um those teams that have done well kind of continue on in the playoffs. Um just a staff update. This is something

038that I haven't always done, but I I kind of I had seen it another superintendent had done and I just I think it's a great idea to keep you keep all of you updated about who's come and gone. So, uh new staff that have joined us again, uh Caitlyn and Justin joined us back in January. Um, it just I didn't have it on the update for January, so I wanted to include them. Uh, Caitlyn is our new health assisting instructor. Um, and Justin Lar Rosa is our new engineering instructor. Um, we w we welcome both of those, excuse me, both of those staff members when we returned from uh the holiday break. And then J Stouty started with us, I believe, two weeks ago. I think it was the week before uh February vacation. uh

039and he is our new HVAC instructor. Um Jay replaced Mr. John Pedro. John started with us in the fall. Um made the decision that that teaching really wasn't um you know what he wanted to do moving forward. Uh he gave us a nice long runway. I think he gave us a month's notice before he before his resignation took place. We're able to replace him. And then um a big one and and some of you may have put the pieces together here looking at the packet for tonight, but uh Jeff Albert has announced that he is retiring at the end of the school year. Um we'll be moving on to do something different. Um whether it's a part-time role or something closer to home, but um we wish Jeff all the best and I was trying

040to get one more year out of him, but um his wife won that on that argument. uh MASC um I know some of you have been down at Tri County and some of the other schools that have hosted these Saturday sessions. Denise Pigeon had reached out maybe a month or so ago and asked and I you know I talked to Patty. Patty said that you know she thought it would be great for us to host. Um we have agreed to host on October 17th. Um my understanding is this is from like a 9:30 to 11:30 or a 9 to 11 kind of meeting. Um Charlie Ellis is the one that typically takes the lead on it and puts the agenda together. They have coffee late refreshments and then what ends up happening is um they'll

041do building tours afterwards if they need to. >> Yeah, I've been to several of them and yeah, they're about two hours a piece, you know, the different updates and then there's usually networking and coffee after. all of the different committee members from different towns to get ideas. >> Patty, do you want me to stop now to public hearing? >> Yes, I do. >> All right, we're opening the public hearing. Do I need to >> motion to open the public hearing? >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> Any oppose? Unanimous vote. Okay, the public hearing is now open at 7 o'clock. Is there anyone out there who wishes to speak? >> Miss Ferrari, would you like to comment on on the budget? >> No, I'm good. >> Mr. Bag. >> Okay. So hearing

042none, >> it is 7:01. Can I get a motion to close >> to close the public hearing? >> Second. >> I do have a question about um one of the on bullet number four. The health insurance costs have increased by 10%. Can you just tell me how we arrived at that number? >> So our health insurance costs have been increasing year-over-year. We increased the amount in the budget by 10% to try to keep up with some of those increases. >> Okay. We have a consultant um and the name of the firm escapes me but they come in and they meet with um actually the SCA has representatives. It's it's typically myself the business manager. They'll come in they'll say this is what we see in the industry. This is what we're recommending. Um we don't

043usually go with their recommendation because it's usually really high and then we try to come back with okay you know can you know what what can we make work? Um, and this is again an adjustment to some of the increased costs we're seeing. We were looking at, I mean, um, I'm sure all of you have seen in the news, there's a lot of major insurance companies that are talking about dropping coverage for GLP one medications. Um, our Blue Cross has come back and told us that they're going to do that starting actually January 1 was the the start of it. Um, but because our policy doesn't renew till September. Um, in September, they'll no longer cover that for weight loss. So there's there's a bunch of changes, but our costs have been been going up

044and up and up. So we're just we're trying to keep pace with the increase in inflation and our inflation and the increase in healthcare costs. >> That's why we went up. >> Yeah, I'm just interrupting. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> We're public hearing is different from our own hearings we're having later. >> Oh, we can talk about it later. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> All right. All right. >> Okay. I have a motion. >> Motion was made to close a public hearing. >> I'll second. All those in favor I >> meeting is closed at 7:00. >> Okay, we're back to our regular meeting. >> Um so again, back to MASC as we get closer. I was told we'd have more details. Um it sounds like some of you have been involved in this. So again, um

045whatever that looks like, however we want to host, if we want to set up tours, we want to do other things, um we do have some time to work. They were they were looking for some dates this spring, but it was a little a little too close for comfort with everything else that's going on. So, I picked one of the ones a little later. Um, I'm not going to go through all of these. Again, I provided this last month to committee members to review. These are updates on goals. I think I had five or six total goals for this particular school year. Um, what I did is I I put the the goal as the top bullet and then I kind of put a little update. Um, just a little verbiage about what I've done

046to date. Um, again, this is just supposed to be like a midyear check-in, a midyear update for for the committee. Um, Miss Stouty and I are working on a more formal format. Um, the committee had voted back in December, January, whenever it was to do a two-year cycle. Um so we're looking at at developing a tool to create uh excuse me to collect feedback from the committee members for a formative or or midcycle report um which then would come out I'm going to say probably the March or April meeting for everybody to review and then next year we would do the more formal um end of cycle evaluation with all the documentation paperwork we've done like the last three years. So >> just just to rebut that though is just one point. Everybody else in

047the building is on what a one-year cycle. No, >> are they not? Okay. I'm just curious. >> So teacher So after the first three years, teachers go typically go to a two-year cycle. >> Okay. >> So at the end of the first year, they would get what's typically called a formative evaluation and then at the end of the second year, it's a summitative evaluation. >> Okay. >> So we're we're trying to replicate that or my understanding was we were going to try to replicate that as well. Um if there's if there's changes um we should have a we should at least have a draft of that tool um for the March meeting. So if if something needs to be updated or changed, we >> What about non-teers or not? What about like administrative or administrative

048or >> It depends on whether they're licensed or not. So if if they hold a license from the department of ed um there's different rules versus somebody I mean we have a lot of employees here who clerical um business office um but the the department of ed just looks at people that hold dees licenses so principal all the administrators myself the business manager athletic director teachers so again I'm not going to read these people you Again, if people have questions, please reach out to me. I'd be glad to expand upon stuff. If there's information you're looking for, please let me know. >> Tony, can I just add that I really appreciated that. So, thank you very much because I think that it's really useful when the time comes to actually write up reports. So, that

049kind of model is really good. >> Thank you. >> Y >> Okay. Subcommittee reports um facilities capital planning subcommittee and this budget committee met together. Yeah, we met obviously been the budget met a couple of times but the facilities met back last month and we kind of capital out of the budget there which the whole budget process there other than that there isn't really from the capital I don't know if the budget chair want to >> well uh u we met January 20th in the joint meeting and February 3rd was our last uh gathering. The full that was a full budget committee. Uh at that point there we um voted uh to move the budget the full committee tonight for a possible vote. And at that time um Tony was meeting with the uh town

050managers on February 5th um and to inform them of what's going on. So, um, you everybody should have the budget in their packet and anything you want to say? >> Um, do you want me to go through those slide by slide or do you want to just ask people? >> I'd rather just ask people if they saw anything that they would like. >> Okay. >> I just gonna go back to the 10% because how like what happens if because like you already touched on costs are crazy. Um, you know, we decided on this 10% but what if I mean what was the consultant number just out of curiosity? >> It was 17 >> 17. So, you know what what happens like when we exceed that number? Is it a does the town absorb the cost?

051>> No, we we absorb all of those costs, but we also have a health insurance trust >> which I think has about $3.8 million in it at this point in time. So we do have some um cushion with >> contingency. Thank you. Yes. With that. Yeah. >> And then any any budget surplus that we may have at the end of the year can also be the committee can vote to allocate that to or offset those costs of that if they if they so desire. >> Okay. Is that >> so mine is on um page four of the budget. and under the January 2026 and it says the January school committee meetings were cancelled and I was just wondering if we could just add due to weather so it doesn't become a question as to why

052or snow day or whatever for a reason. Thanks a question on page 13. Hey Patty, can I raise my hand? >> Can I talk? >> Okay. >> Running the meeting. >> Uh just on 13. I know we kind of yacked about this with the budget thing, but just are we prepared, you know, with I guess the first one is that the fiscal year 26 because that's kind of like wonky as far as like the there was issues with that because you're doing like a we talk about budget meeting. public hear the numbers you went with last year's budget issues, >> right? >> Yeah. So, >> so that that's also in that opening letter as well and that might be a little bit of a better explanation as to um so the second paragraph reflects evolving

053needs of our students and the fiscal realities facing our district. While the budget initially appears to show a 6.09% increase, this figure is inflated due to transportation costs that were incorrectly offset according to the regional agreement last year. I I'm sure we're gonna get I'm sure I'm gonna get a lot of questions around that. >> No, I probably too because like >> we also had a lot of stuff that we were we were anticipating utilizing as one time revenue sources last year that were not this year and I honestly I don't think we're going to future. >> Sharon, two question. You had her hand raised first. Um, one going just a little health insurance question that we may not there may not be an answer to. When a health insurance company decides that they aren't

054going to cover a class of medications, we have no recourse other than to go look for another health insurance company. Is that correct? >> We are self-insured, so we could technically, I guess, go back and try to negotiate with them to cover that. Um, I've never done that. I don't know what that involves. Um, we pay I won't say a significant amount of money, but we we pay a consultant to look at that stuff. And their recommendation was to follow Blue Cross's uh lead on this and not to do anything differently because I mean, those of you that have been watching the news, GIC, I think they were estimating that this is costing them hundreds of millions of dollars a year in the statewide insurance pool. So, I mean, we're obviously much smaller and self-insured,

055but you can imagine the impact that it has on our budget as well. >> I was just curious. >> I mean, that sometimes that happens. Now, again, the the one clarification that I do want to put out there, and I and I know this has been um shared with the staff and the people that are covered here. This does not affect diabetic medication. So, there are some prescriptions that are specifically for people that have diabetes. This will not impact them at all. So, you know, again, based on that, but what Blue Cross is doing and what the GIC is doing and all these other insurance companies are doing is saying that they're no longer going to cover it um just for weight loss. >> So, that's I mean that's going to be a transition we're

056going to deal with and a bunch of other people. >> I feel like that's pretty universal at this point for most Yes, it's very this is very common for honestly to be covered up until this point is is a lot. Yes. a lot longer than a lot of other people. >> And then I was also wondering um are you going to have Paul Livingston join you at the town manage town presentations about the budget? >> Um I wasn't planning on it. Um we we'll see how things go. I mean if if that if it if it determined early on that that's going to be advantageous for our position, then um I will I will set that up with Paul and we'll work around that accordingly. Yes. >> Um, since health insurance has come up, I

057I believe there's a state proposal to the extent that legislative proposals go anywhere um to possibly allow for GIC to be um applied at the for at municipal and district levels at some point in the next couple years. Is that something that the consultant has mentioned or >> not in my interactions with them? But I I I believe there was an opportunity years ago now. Yeah, it was probably >> maybe 20 years ago now for for municipalities and school districts to join and I think some did and some didn't. So is this a like open an enrollment window? >> That's my understanding that there is there was an interest at least in some municipal districts. I think particularly some smaller districts and more rural and in places that just don't have enough uh variety of

058policies to offer their members right now. I >> I mean we are limited as well. I mean there's there's some very specific language in our collective bargaining agreements about >> what plan is offered and the other things that go along with that. So it >> would clearly be a bargain and we'll >> we'll have we'll have to yeah we'll have to address that if the opportunity comes up. Transportation. >> Yep. >> 758% increase. >> Which page you want? >> Um 37 because obviously you guys did some return to previous practice of transportation budgeting in slave bus. So we just have this it used to be broken down into separate. >> No. So if you what does that mean? If you remember what happened last year, there was a recommendation made to only only include in

059the budget the amount that we were going to charge to the communities. So, it ended up being I want to say it was like $275,000 somewhere around that range. >> Okay. >> Um, in going through the budget process this year and asking questions with the Department of Ed's finance division, we shouldn't have done it that way. we have to assess the full cost of transportation to the towns and then back out any offsets. Um what what we did in last year's budget was we just put in the above and beyond what the offset was to charge the communities. So we were told that we can't we can't do it that way anymore. Um, and that amounts to I think it's a 4.38% increase just in itself. Putting that about a million and a half dollars

060back in the budget. Um, to I don't want to say fix, but to um to realign us with with what we should be doing as far as like an accounting thing that had to be. >> Yep. >> I think per the regional agreement, you have to assess each town transportation. Just on that um point, I know I know uh one of our finance committee members last year >> was not happy that we did it the way we did it last year. Okay. >> He was very vocal on so I think at least he'll be shing the numbers a little bit. So uh they should at least for us I don't can speak for the rest. >> Right. Okay. Thanks. Are we ready for our motion? >> I make a motion to approve the fiscal year

0612017 budget as presented. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I been voted on. >> What? You got a question? >> No, I Well, not that it's been voted on. Well, I know we'll only have a meeting on Saturday and I know I've been talking to Tony, talking to town manager and financial committee chairman that we're worried about them having time to review it. So, I know I think we're going to send ours tomorrow morning so we'll have time to review it. The plan I >> Yeah, I was in communication with Mr. Slaggel over there and it should go to them. Uh he did send me a follow-up request today for some other information that we have to pull together. So, I will get that to them as soon as we can. Um, but

062the budget book itself will go again now that it's been voted on, the committee's approved it, we'll get it done. >> We're ready to go to make the books. We're ready to make the books. >> Except for the one change that I believe that Sarah had made. >> We are in the middle of a vote. Can we finish? >> Sorry. I thought I didn't. That's why I waited until last. I think we got a we got a great document. Thank you. Okay. I think we need it. Should we have Well, I know, but should the capital budget >> that was part of it? >> Does everybody analyze that? Because I don't know if we should have um Okay. >> Do you want to have a separate vote? >> Oh, that's what I was going to

063do. >> Deal, Charlie. >> A separate thing for the capital. >> So then should we do two votes? for capital operating. >> We already did the operating >> already. So, I'm not sure. >> So, I want a motion for the capital. >> All right. I motion that we approve the uh capital budget as outlined in the packet. >> Second. All those in favor? >> I oppose. >> I never give you a chance. >> All right. Audit subcommittee. >> I make them. Are we doing We don't have to make a motion on the budget. Wait a minute. >> You know how we always do the capital separate. >> Yeah, I know. Because the SOA pushed pushed everything around one budget. >> It's one budget. >> I'm good at proving one. >> All right. >> We're good.

064Moving on. >> So the audit something that we had met and it was supposed to be the proposal for what we wanted to do and I believe that's in the packet. I don't know if you want to talk any more. >> Yeah. So again I know we had been back and I think it was uh Mr. Hutchkins, Mr. Fiori and Mr. Mr. Moffet and myself met with uh or remotely met with some representatives from uh CBiz. Um they answered some questions. They've provided some updated here. They they did not change the pricing uh from the first one. It is the exact same quote they gave us. They did add um phase seven to this which would which would be um a followup on pages one through six if the committee decided there was additional information

065that they wanted them to dig into further or if there was more more documentation whatever. Um they've also included in here a a sample report which kind of breaks down and shows the format that they would present this information in. And my understanding is for each one of the topics that they've listed out or or focus areas they've listed out, we would receive a report similar to this one for each one of those process areas. Um, it looks pretty comprehensive to me. I I don't want to speak for the rest of the group, but I think they answered a lot of questions I had um about the process. This seems like it is a a hybrid for them. It's it's not something that they typically have um have a structure or a framework within that

066organization, but they will be piecing together uh different parts from from different uh subgroups within that that company to perform this. Um again, it's it's a lot of money. Um, and I think, you know, the question that I would have is, you know, if if the committee votes to move forward with this, I think, um, you know, the inter business manager and I will have to sit down and take a look and see exactly where where that's going to come from and figure that out as well. But, um, again, if if the committee wants to move forward with this and we're so directed, then we will we'll start the process and and come back with a recommendation for where the funding should come from. >> So, could I just say I I think I might

067be missing a page. So I so I have three of five from C biz which has phases one two three four and then >> five >> and then it goes the next page is five of five. >> So I didn't know what you know five phases five six seven were all about. >> Yeah I don't have >> it's a great question. I didn't mean to push that. >> Okay. Sorry. >> Um I would I mean if we want to post I mean I don't know if people want to postpone voting on this. We can send out the updated information. >> Um went on it basically it went on to list the other. I just didn't know what they were. >> Can we briefly outline what the other >> that would be good? >> Um I

068can go sorry to hold things up. Also, this is >> Yeah, that's what >> Oh, yeah. There's two different >> This is the December meeting. >> This is an example. >> So, it's in it's on the low end. It's about $70,000. >> Yeah. You're right. >> You got to go down the wall. They charge you 7%. >> So, this is >> Okay. So just >> it's about between 70 and $92,000 >> to have them do this this >> for one year for one year. >> What was the number? I'm sorry. >> Between 70 and $92,000 >> the letter is 65 to 85. >> You need to you need to read down further. >> Oh yeah. >> Yep. Sorry. >> So yes, there is a technology and administrative fee that needs to be added to that

069cost. >> So if we're going to go forward with this, we would put this out to D. So this is just CBiz, but is is that the average? >> Um, >> do you know like >> I mean this is this is what Cbiz will do it for and this is the group that we met with. Yes. It would have to go out to bid. >> Yeah. Um, I mean, anybody else that came back in and we have to beat their price. The understanding that I have from asking around other people, there's not many people out there that do this. And even within CBiz, it took us two or three different meetings to actually get put in touch with the group that would do something similar to this. >> This is a really specialized kind of

070thing. >> I think this is the one that does our audit now. Yep. >> They've bought >> It feels like they're auditing them all. >> Well, they've they've also bought Well, this would be Yeah. Yes. But they've also bought up a bunch of >> smaller regional companies, >> different department within CBS, >> and they explained that to us and again, I I don't remember the exact verbiage they use, but essentially the group that does this cannot be involved with our annual audit. the group that does the annual audit is kind of its own standalone division and they do not interact directly with the other divisions of Cbiz so that it's all >> it's all siloed. Accounting firms is a broad term. I mean you have accounting firms like basically do their core business is external

071audits but then they also have consultancy which is like tax business consulting. They have a whole bunch of stuff that they do is totally separate from the external audit. So they're accounts but they're doing I mean someone might be more experienced but come from the external audit but they've staged and then they other division but like to your point they're completely separate. You're not you have your you're not got the same people working on external audits that are working on your same company. >> Did they say how long it would take to do this? Maybe it's >> uh that's in there too. I I believe they said if we started in March I think they had like a June or July kind of timeline. I was surprised. >> Um I did I did read through

072this. Um, it it's a little hard with the with the odd with the even pages and this >> it needs to go out to bid, right? >> Yes, it'll go. I mean, we'll post it and chances are nobody else wants to respond. >> It may have to respond. >> They have to respond. >> That's not how No, I'm sorry. Maybe I wasn't clear, >> but yes, it'll have to get posted and they'll have to respond. >> Well, like you're probably back. >> What's up, Brian? What are you thinking? Oh. Um, I guess I'm a little concerned about the idea of voting a having just voted a budget and then talking about a possible $100,000 item that we're throwing back to the administration to say, well, just cut a, you know, either either there's some specific

073tradeoff you'd wind up with or it's a few dollars from every account. >> It's that's also an FY26 expense, not a 27 expense. So, we would have to we'd have to look at this year's current cycle to try to find that funding. >> Oh, I'm sorry. >> Yeah. >> Has that been done? >> Has >> we looked at So, again, we did we did all the salary adjustments and movements. Um, we closed uh software, textbooks, and tool spending. I say mid December somewhere around there. So, I know Paul was going to pull all of the not he was going to calculate all the remaining balances for those accounts. Um, we may have the money. I just I haven't sat down with him to actually go through and see what we had for remaining balances for

074those those different accounts. >> If we vote in approval, does that mean that Paul has to find this money somewhere or do we vote as approved pending that the the $100,000 is there somewhere? We can do that. And then what we could I mean we could put it out to bid. We don't have to award the contract until after the March um school committee meeting. So we could come potentially come back with a this it went out the bid. This is where we're proposing the funding will come from >> and these are the bid. >> We may even have the bids back at that point in time be able to say this is this is what it is and this is these are the companies that that responded. >> I like that. Yeah. Um would

075the audit committee in one or two succinct sentences say we feel we need to do this because I know some of these things have already been touched on but um particularly in the context of hiring of a business manager that we'll be dealing about with the new inputs we've already gotten from Paul Livingston in the during his interim period. if uh we were putting out the press release and said the reason we need to still do this additional which I I think has value but how would anybody on the audit committee um how would they say to what would they uh be their flag for why we have to do it in several ways one of it wasn't really done before and Ken I'll let you speak to you've been the most vocal to cast

076a buck up to you if you want to explain the reason. >> Yeah, I mean I think it's because I think it shows that you're serious. I mean, you haven't had same policies, procedures going back. I'm not saying to, you know, let's call it our uh city of Boston period. No offense for you, but in fact, it but they've had the same policies and procedures in place and nothing's avault. I mean, you know, Paul's mentioned a bunch of times, you know, that like, you know, there's a lot of stuff we're doing. I mean, we look through the HR stuff. There's like there's just a lot of things that I think >> Long overdue. Like we're still doing P. It's just like, you know, it's time to show that we're serious about like I I referenced

077that case we had in Burlington. Whether it was basically that was more of a was they couldn't piece together that was more of a forensic audit, but it shows you're taking it seriously and it's something that's officially on a record. It's a different type of audit, but the auditor came back and said they couldn't find anything, but it showed that that the firm I mean again different type of audit, but it shows you're taking it seriously. I mean, the other thing here is like I don't think you're really going to need to do a threeear to fivey year look back because essentially you've had the same policies and procedures for the last three decades or nothing's really I mean I'm sure things have evolved over time. There's been changes, but essentially the sample testing you're

078doing is as of a point in time. So whether you do it now, it's the same end result you're going to have. So, I think that's a good resource. And to be perfectly honest, if you're brand new business manager, whether it's a new business manager, a current business manager, it's going to set them up to basically be successful because it's basically going to show you're going out, you're looking at the industry, and you're saying, "This is the benchmarks and where we're falling short." And I mean, as we've seen, we've fallen short in a lot of areas. And it's I think that's important. It shows it's something you can put on your website that shows that you're referencing and that you're serious because I mean, you know, the external auditor brought it up. There's a lot

079of stuff there and I think that's it's just I mean it is a lot of money but we got a $39 million budget and we're going to an MSBA project a lot of big changes business office is one of the core things we need to do and and I think that is something that is long overdue to get uh you know to get a a better process bring somebody in from the outside I mean you know TMS to their credit I mean they've done a lot of good things Paul's good I mean that's fantastic I mean but it's like at the end of the day it's it's a consulting firm They're not a they're not an a firm coming in and reviewing all the policy procedures. They can come in and say what's best practice

080to look at, but I think this is a more formal review of that in my opinion. >> Thank you. >> Nope. >> When you met with them, did they talk about like the technology part of this because like how we run our, you know, business office? Did they talk about upgrades or things that we could do there? >> Oh, I'm sure that would be definitely technology. Is it part of the recommendation? Because I don't see it in here, but I don't know. It might be, but it says, you know, the things it's going to look at. But I'd be curious about the systems too because from what we heard from the previous business manager, a lot of times the stuff that we were doing was on software that is >> Oh, I'm sure any I'm

081sure any firm that comes in is going to look at your current systems and say like this is >> because then that obviously if we have to upgrade systems that's going to cost money too. >> Yeah. what they kind of meant there as you were saying when we had that meeting they said look at you know what's antiquated and how you should be doing >> on the whole scope of everything not if it's not specifically in there I know we're talking >> okay that's cool >> sorry we're we're still trying to track down the version that has all of the pages on this >> I think I I think I found that >> I mean in here on the first page it goes through a whole section about like payroll different applications like >> are

082you looking at the sample? >> Yeah. I'm not I'm not saying that's sample I only saw that >> we we can get this out to everybody after the meeting but just that so on the on the introductory letter Kevin Wright is the gentleman I believe we met with. So he said he concludes by saying in short a controls focus review strengthens the internal control system to help mitigate and prevent future issues. The engagement will identify internal control gaps, recommend improvements, and support Shashin Valley Tech's ongoing commitment to fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability in serving its students and member communities. um to to answer uh Miss Dora's earlier question on page four. Phase five is recommendations and control improvements. Phase six is communicate findings and then phase seven they put in as an optional look back

083and that again that would be at that contracted rate I think it was $185 per hour. Uh for observations presenting a significant risk, discuss with the business manager and superintendent the benefit of performing additional testing procedures of historical transactions i.e. three to five year look backs where it is determined to provide an added value. execute testing for areas that highlight the risk proposed timeline um planning 1 to two weeks walkthroughs 3 to five weeks uh RCM development which I'm I was believe is the uh part of the the feedback piece two to three weeks gap analysis two to three weeks recommendations and improvements two to three weeks reporting communication one to two weeks so you're looking at 2 7 10 13 16 about 18 weeks on four and a half months. Four and a half

084months, right? >> Yeah. >> And again, I think when we talked to them, they said that this was something they could probably start >> uh at the end of March, mid-March, the end of March if we wanted to move forward with it. >> Um let's see what's on. And so what I have here only goes to page five, >> right? >> So that five seems to be the last page, >> right? That's the preliminary piece. And then that the stuff behind that is like their sample report that they sent us >> which is just odd pages. >> Pages as well on that, >> right? It's just odd. >> Do you want to email that to me? I'll >> Or you could just email. >> I mean, you could just email it to us. >> Everybody

085wants >> Let's do this. >> It was it was distributed earlier. >> Oh, yeah. But I it was >> personally I don't know if I speak would be comfortable approving it. But I would like to um say that in March we look at our bids and and see did we get multiple bids? What were they and get a report from you Paul >> funding sources are going to be you know for a final determination. I I would be a little uncomfortable to say, "Yeah, go for it." And we don't know where the ball park $100,000 is when it comes to that motion. >> Yes, >> it can be. If you guys are >> Yes, I think that's >> I make a motion that we accept the proposal for the um internal audit pending final costs

086and funding sources to be determined at the March meeting. >> And I'll second that. >> Is that good? >> Sounds good. All those in favor? I >> opposed. organizational subcommittee. >> Do you want me to take that one or do you want to take that one? >> So, um, we met, we discussed the, uh, the, uh, HR director piece. Um, and again, please please correct me if I'm off base here. I think at this point in time we were going to continue to review some job descriptions and um we're essentially going to recommend that we wait uh for a new business manager to come on board and then based on what their background and experience was. Let them make some decisions about what that role should look like and and is it is it an

087elevation of a current role or an expansion of a current role? Is it a brand new role? Is it an addition to a role? Um, is there some transition that needs to happen in that office? Um, again, I'm going by memory. I don't I don't have the minutes in front of me. So, >> well, I think they were going to take a look at the for the business office and determine >> in general. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, again, as part of the conversation, we talked about, you know, letting whoever that new person is kind of have um blank canvas isn't the right word for it, but basically going in and assessing, you know, what are the roles and responsibilities in that office? Now, um, we may also have this report. If we move forward with

088that by that point in time, they could use that to say, "Here's some things that we've identified that we want to change. This is what we want to update." I know uh TMS and and Paul are working on um some things with them as well down there to try to streamline things um to get to get us a little bit more up to date and uh move the times. The packet that Nicole like g was really good to so I appreciate the one he put together. But I thought one was like one of the smaller schools had like a website that had where all your employees could go to with like forms >> organizational chart. >> Yeah. Like some organ also like a like a internet kind of like for you know employees to go

089to. >> Yeah. And and one thing just so the committee is aware um after that conversation we have what is it's called the water cooler. I'm not quite sure where that term came from, but um all of the staff members here have access to it and it is a repository of like, you know, if you want to request reimbursement for professional development, it's got field trip form. I mean, it's it's not just HR, but it is this it is this resource that's available. So, part of that may also be us doing a better job uh maybe on an annual basis of reminding people, you know, if you're if you're looking for forms, if you're looking for information on this, this is the place to go. Um, I know Paul, um, and Mary Rubio, who's our

090controller, have been working fast and furious to try to transition us to electronic submissions of purchase orders, um, which I think will will go a long way with some of these things. Um, so anyways, we are we are trying to move that stuff forward um, within our current budget and what we have for resources and and making the best improvements that we can. >> Anybody have any questions? All right. Wellness committee. >> Um the wellness committee met on January 20th. I sent the minutes out to everybody. Um so you have seen it. Um there's discussions. Um updates from Christie who's health and PE. Um again I don't want to just read what's on there but there were updates from the nurs's office, updates from the calf and then Mary Leech. So, does anyone have any

091questions regarding the wellness committee meeting minutes with us? >> Maybe just let people know who Mary Leech is. I don't know that everybody knows who she is. >> I I is she I'm not sure. Is she in the cafeteria? >> I believe Mary is the cleanup Bill Ricka um community improvement. Karen knows what >> Mary is an employee at at Ley Hospital and she's a member of our wellness committee as a Bill Ricker resident. Um she is also um one of the founding members and runners of the Bill Ricka Cleanup Greenup Committee. Um and I will add that at last Monday night select board meeting they did announce that cleanup greenup is now a week instead of a day and Shashene has already expressed an interest in participating. We usually >> I think it's national

092society usually we participate in some I know one year Mary Grace and I were up there helping clean things up and put things away. And um they're it's a whole week now and it sounds like Shashene will be looking forward to participate. They frequently will post pictures of the tires that they pull out of the Shasheen Creek. >> So she's just a very involved citizen. I think >> I I didn't realize that she was a community rep on the committee. >> I believe that's probably her role. >> It does make sense. Yeah. But she does also res cleanup committee with two other people. >> Okay. Thank you. Does anybody else have any questions? >> Thank you very much. >> Safety and security. >> We did meet on January 30th, but we did meet in executive

093session. So, I don't have too much to say other than um Mrs. Cook joined us and we went over some concerns that were definitely wellreceived and we're doing some updating. So, we have another meeting in the near future, just not a date yet, but >> thank you. >> All business operating protocol. >> So, I believe Miss Dowy had reached out uh to Alicia Melon who's our MASC representative. Miss Douty, do you want to update people on >> Yep. So, she said the um meeting itself she could do virtual, she could do in person um any time of the year. She said summer's fine, mornings, afternoons, weekends. And she said she anticipated it taking about two hours, about an hour and a half for her presentation plus a half an hour for any questions you guys

094might have. And she did say um it's pretty helpful. She usually sends out a questionnaire ahead of time just to kind of get a feel of everybody's questions and our concerns. If you want to move forward with that, we can get that out. And again, based on past conversations, I think it might have been proposed that this was something for the summer retreat for the summer. Yeah, we talked about it. >> Agreed. >> Do you would you like Miss Stout and I to work with Alicia on or Well, you guys going to pick a date? >> Date. Um, yes. So once once that date's established, we'll work with getting her >> we let her know that we're going to have a summer retreat and we're going to invite her just so she knows we're not

095ignoring her. Did we are interested in proceeding >> In person recommend the summer. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> So in the packet and again um we were talking about this I believe a little bit before the meeting started. uh based on previous requests from a member of the committee, I was asked to identify like before July 1st, uh who had certain roles and responsibilities fallen with uh since July 1st, who has been doing that and then moving forward um you know, what is the treasurer taking over and what will his responsibilities be um as we move into the future. So basically the column way on the right lists the treasur's responsibilities. those kind of came out of the job description that we pulled right from the Department of Revenues website. Um it was it

096it was part of the posting that went out before we hired Mr. Williams. Um so again, those are the those are the things that he will be responsible for moving forward. Um and as you can see, um you know, there's there's been some crossover. There's been some different people that are responsible depending upon who was available and and and who we had um to be able to step up and and uh make those things happen. So, >> has everything been transitioned over other than the other than the prepare the board to the board? >> I mean, the only thing he's not doing at this point is presenting to Wu. And again, if you >> So, it is it is tax season. I mean, I can ask him to come to the March meeting. Um, but

097he is also I mean, he's an accountant as well, so I know that would really kind of pinch his schedule. Um the April meeting will be after April 15th. So that might be a better uh time to ask it. So if if if you want him to present, I will ask him to plan the meeting at the April meeting. >> Yeah. >> And he can he can he knows about all these at the school and is expecting to take >> Yep. Yeah. He has been working um he's been working collaboratively with Paul, but also Mary Rubio, our controller. Um he's typically in here once a week. Um, you know, there's there's a couple weeks he'll do some stuff remotely. I know, uh, him and Miss Rubio were actually working yesterday. I was getting emails from

098the two of them during the during the snowstorm asking for information and and where to access stuff and other things like that. So, um, you know, again, it's from what I understand about the role and what he's supposed to be doing, it seems like he's stepped right in. He's doing all the things. Um, he did come to us with previous experience from a collaborative. I think it was Crest, I believe. Um, so you know, it we're not the first school that he's ever worked with, so he does have some background knowledge and some understanding of of what the role is and what he needs to do. So, >> and I I I believe you were going to have a conversation with Nova at some point, show at some point. >> Yeah. >> So, again, if

099there's if there's additional feedback that comes back out of that, um, we gladly sit down with him and have that conversation about these are the things we need you to do. Um but again um him and Mary seem working very well together and um heard his concerns or any issues this morning. So >> our district treasure can talk to their district. >> You can talk to you. >> Okay with that business >> new business. So, the feasibility study funding appropriation and authorization to borrow. Um, again, all new to me. Um, please bear with me on this. It is my understanding from MSBA that this committee has to vote. I actually just gave Patty, they give us some very specific language that has to be read. Um, and and also um there's a there's a tag

100along that goes there's a there's a motion and a and a submotion that goes along with it. that would be kind of the first step in this. U has drafted letters to all of our sending communities. It has the not to exceed amount for warrant article requests. Again, um I was in contact with with Andy Pette from TMS last week about our ED certification. I'm told that there is one one piece that's left that they're trying to work through. Um he he did not give me a real concrete timeline on when that would be completed. Um I did talk to Paul yesterday on the phone and was also follow him know um you know from Paul's perspective the uh the timeliness of this information and and how we need to get this done. So um

101we are pushing that. Um I just until it's certified it's we don't have a number but anyways so what we need what we need to do what the committee needs to do is vote on this this evening which would then trigger us sending the warrant article pieces to the towns that would be the specific language that they would have to include uh in their town meeting to be read as part of the article. Um, and then, uh, ideally I hope to be able to reduce or maybe even eliminate those requests, but until we get those numbers finalized, we don't really know exactly where we stand. >> Okay. As I understand it from Bora's perspective, um, the Warren article needs to be a top number that you can go down, but you can't go up. So,

102like we can't ask, say, Bora for 100,000 and then go, oh, no, we need 500,000. we need to ask for the 500,000 and then go down. >> Yeah. And that's how all those letters are written, not and not to exceed x number of dollars. And if if if it's those if it's at x number of dollars, it would get us to the 1,498,000 whatever whatever that final number was. >> So interesting. Bedford's warrant isn't written that way. So it doesn't say, you know, not to exceed. It has a certain amount and then afterwards it says or any number any other number. So it which isn't really accurate, right? So it needs to say up to Right. >> Yeah. And again, once once this is finalized tonight, >> those letters will go to the town managers

103and and I'll have I'll have that followup again just to make sure. Um I think Bedford might be the only one that we're going to have a conflict with. Bedford's town meeting starts on the Monday, the last Monday of March. Our school committee meeting is that that Tuesday. So if for some reason they don't get to our warrant article on the first night um I I will reach out to Mr. Hansen and make sure that he has everything that he needs just in case we are unable to attend. >> As far as the war article I don't know how the other communities is did uh the town manager for Wilmington did he say if it's under the selection they're going to put on there or or if we have to I don't know if we're

104going to have to get signatures. um trying to because I know how a private person has to get signatures. So I do you have any idea on how that's >> he did not respond to me specifically about that one but he was told back in December and again I can go back and find the email that we were requesting this and he has not asked for any followup. He did mention it it it's uh via email at some point in time about meeting with the select board, but then I believe the last correspondence I got from him was that he wanted to wait until after the finance committee meeting to see if that answered the questions or not. Um >> that's fine. I just know there's a cut off date to get Warren out of

105so I want to make if we got to get signatures I want to make sure we >> I don't think we need signatures because we're >> I don't know town you know when the >> deal I'm not sure it's >> kind of a municipality type of I don't know if we do either but we do get the date though >> right I have not got that feedback from any of the town managers um I know I I believe Pat Patty and Bob and I are going to be in Tukesberry >> um the 9th and then I believe the select board is 10th. So we we have finance committee in select board that week to talk to them. Um Sarah and Brian and I have already been to Bedford. Ron and Taran and I were on

106last night with Bara. Um Burlington has reached out to me and asked me to go and just answer some questions from the select board there. So it seems like um it seems like people are following through on this. I haven't gotten a hey here's this 53page thing you have to do uh to get your warrant article on here. Um, and I've been communicating this to the town managers since like late last fall. So, um, >> right. But as you know, we some of them play games in the past. A certain town has pulled an article >> because they claimed it was an issue with it. So, I just want to make sure that >> we're trying to avoid that at all costs. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Maybe time for a very specific question. What

107do we need to do to have this be a warrant article? >> Just in case. >> Just a quick question. So this um this money that comes out of the five towns is it equally split or is it based on number of students how they >> it's per pupil per >> it's about I think it was $142 per student is what it >> we had one of our meetings >> I know I just couldn't remember but I just want >> I was going to say 111 something >> and is this something that if four of the five towns pass it the fifth town has to accept it or is this >> because it's a warrant article and each one of communities, each one of the communities has to approve it separately, which again is another

108reason why we're fast and furiously trying to get END certified because if we can we can fund this out of END, then we don't have to go out. We don't have to worry about one one community or two communities um >> tanking the process. Yeah. Yeah. >> All right. All right. So, this is two votes, right? Vote this and you vote this afterward. Um I mean >> that's that's what Howard provided to us. >> Yeah. >> I mean we can do it as you can do it as two separate votes if you want to cover your bases. It's it's completely up to you. >> Let's do it as two separate votes. So we have it. >> All right. the whole thing. >> I will read it and then someone can second it. >> So moved.

109>> That's right. that the Shasheen Valley Regional Vocational Technical School District hereby appropriates the amount of 1,498,587 for the purpose of paying costs of a feasibility study on behalf of the Shasheen Valley Technical High School located at 100 Cook Street, Bela, Mass 1821, including all costs incidental and related there to the study set amount to be expended under the direction of the school building committee for the Shasheen Valley Regional Vocational Technical School District. To meet this appropriation, the district is authorized to borrow set amount under in pursuant to Mass General Law Chapter 71 section 16D and the district agreement as amended or pursuant to any other enabling authority. The district the district acknowledges that the Massachusetts School Building Authorities MSBA's grant program is a non-entitlement discretionary program based on need as determined by the MSBA

110and any cost the district incurs in excess of any grant approved by and received from the MSBA shall be the sole responsibility of the district. provided further that the amount of borrowing authorized pursuant to this vote shall be reduced by any grant amount set forth in the feasibility study agreement that may be executed between the district and the MSBA. >> So I need a so move right now. >> So move second. >> All those in favor? >> Any opposed? unanimous vote and further that within seven days from the date on which this vote is adopted, the secretary be and hereby is instructed to notify the board of selectment of each of the member towns of this district as to the amount and general purposes of the debt herein authorized as required by the district agreement

111and by chapter 71 section 16D of the general laws. So move second. >> All those in favor? >> All righty. Electrical program discussion and potential. Would you like to join us over there? Sorry. Apparently I like to sneak over here. All right. So, I want to just spoke to all the rumors that we're not talking about closing electricity program tonight. It was not very clear in your >> just said electrical program. >> It did. I did get that question. >> So, um I do want to thank everybody for giving me some time tonight and to uh the opportunity to explain what this I know you got a piece of paper. You got a >> You have that already. You're kind of aware of what it's called. >> Um >> I think most you know who

112I am. I'm John Bagy. You probably mostly know me as the STA president, but I actually do have a real job here. Okay, that's not that. It might. So >> yeah. So I'm the department chair for the construction department as well as the electricity lead teacher at Shashing Tech. I've been an instructor at Shashing for 25 years. During that time, I've held every position in the electricity program. Josh's literacy program has been flourishing for 25 years. During that time, the program has had 30 plus students choosing it as their top choice for their freshman exploratory. In the past 10 years, roughly 40 students have been choosing electricity as their top choice. To put that in perspective, out of 340 students at the Shashi Tech, approximately 12% choose this shop as their top choice and approximately

11330% choose it as one of their top three choices. Getting the students to select the shop is one thing. Making them employable is another electricity program consistently places over 90% of the students on co-op. As seniors, those same students maintain that placement after graduation. On the competitive stage, Shashi special program has always been at the top. The students consistently place in the top three in the district competition as well as the state level. On the national level, the program has been successful at having the first female student win gold at Skills USA. We have also had three sophomores win gold in an engineering contest as well as two students winning silver in the teamwork competition. As you can see, Shasheen electricity students are well prepared for the workforce. So, why am I here tonight? Why

114am I sharing all these facts and figures? Well, the electricity program has outgrown its current location. Having 26 students in each program year means that there are 52 students in the shop per week. By the way, the space was planned for 30 students. The program has had these numbers for 25 years. Every year I've been here, we have taken at a minimum of 26 students. Some years more depending on how the draw is, if there's too many kids a tie. We try not to leave kids that have the same grade not get in. Okay. While the shops have gone up and down over the years with enrollment, electricity on average has the most students that choose this program every single year. While I'm aware that the district is looking to build a new school, at

115best that school is at least six years away. This program is busting at the seams and is in dire need of expansion. I encourage all of you to visit the program during the day to witness for yourself how overcrowded the workspace is. Students are literally on top of each other and there are potential safety issues daily. 35 years ago, my company started installing electrical equipment for a company called American Power Conversion. That company made uninterruptible power supplies for personal computers. The founder of that company was Manny Lansman. He was a professor at MIT and he left his teaching position and started his company with one of his students. They were very successful and are worldrenowned for their innovation and quality of equipment becoming the number one UPS company in the world. Later they are acquired

116by shot by Schneider Electric and currently we are installing a $10 million three-phase power testing site on their premises. I became very good friends of Manny and we had numerous conversations about my students. He even hired them on co-op, stating that it is better to get them before someone ruins them. Having the engineering mind that he had, this made sense. Always the educator, Manny would frequently stop by the electricity shop and work with our kids. He attended open houses and has always been inspired by what we do here. He even said that being electrician was an excellent field because, as he said, they can't wire your house from India. No true words have ever been spoken. Manny asked me to come look at a lighting issue he was having at his Cape House. Apparently, some

117electricians tried to repair it over the years and just couldn't figure it out. Manny and I worked together and we solved the puzzle. While I was visiting Manny at his vacation home in the cave, he started asking me about my shop program and why we don't have more space. I told him there was no more space to be had in our current footprint. He asked why we don't build on to our program. I explained that there is just not a lot of support to do that as the cost is very prohibitive. This is where he surprised me. He said, "Would a million dollars build you something big enough?" I said, "It would, but we don't have a million dollars." He said, "What if I give it you a million dollars to build it? Can you

118guarantee that all the money will be used for that purpose?" I was flabbergasted. He really just offered to fund an expansion to my program. I mean, I was expecting to give me some money, but he gave this. I immediately went to the superintendent, floated the idea. We looked around for a location. I believe that we have settled on a potential site that will not interfere with a future new school. If this dream becomes a reality, then we can do more research. Well, members of the committee, this is where I need your support. I have an individual that is willing to support the electricity program by donating a million dollars for an expansion to our program. That money will be used to expand the floor space as well as purchase equipment to bring our equipment into

119the future. It will be self-sufficient with its energy use as well as giving the students a state-of-the-art electricity learning center. Things like energy storage, solar power, electricity generation, micro grid systems, as well as energy conserving controls and lighting will all be incorporated in this new space. No other vocational school will be able to offer such a cutting edge experience. I want to ease your minds. I am not proposing that more students are added to the program. That would require more instructors. This is simply to give the current students the load consent student load the space to properly learn in a safe environment. I strongly encourage you to consider this very generous donation. Mr. Lynch has shown his commitment to our program and it comes at a time where we can bring it the learning of

120our students into the future without it having a burden on the district. Thank you for your time tonight and I will now answer any questions or concerns you may have about this grant. I'm not going to call it a grant. It's a donation or the program itself. Sure. >> Yeah, I had a few questions. you know, but I know we put good amount of money into the capital budget for this as well that we do, which is yeah, obviously an outstanding, you know, achievement to get that money and hopefully for the kids and everything else like that. I guess I'm wondering if this all does go through, do we have a rough idea? Obviously, we're not going to have to put any more teachers on, but we're just trying to get an idea of how

121much we think if we can even do it. It would cost annually because we always going to have more space, so there's going to be some cost. So annually, unless the town of Burka increases your taxes for the building, it'll cost you nothing because the building's going to have no electricity bill, no heating bill, because it'll all be done internally. So there'll be solar on the roof, there'll be generation, there'll be battery storage installed in the building. So it'll be completely self-sufficient once it's installed. Yes, in 25 to 30 years, you may have to replace the roof, but I don't think it'll be here in 25 to 30 years, depending on what it is. So, no, there'll be no extra cost. There's no additional staffing needed for it. We're not going to be adding any

122of that. We're really just trying to give the kids that are in there now. The space that required to do the projects that we've made for them to make them so successful. We do it now, but they are literally on top of each other. So, we're just trying to expand the space. So, there is no additional cost. The budget for the materials essentially stays the same. Goes up a little bit because it's a different space, but we've already incorporated that into this budget. You just approved tonight. So as far as future years, it shouldn't raise the cost of to the school at all. Um as far as the cost to build it, I have preliminary cost in the beginning, but we've decided to if this project goes through to use this as our house project

123for next year. So most of the work will be done internally. So the carpetry department will frame it. Our masons will do the masonry work on it. Electricians will wire it. Our plumbing department will plumb it. They're going to heat it. Gonna be radiant heat in the floor. So, our costs will drop extensively, you know, just by doing that. Original costs were somewhere around $700,000 to build it if we hired out most of it. Okay, which actually all the electrical originally. We're going to wire it ourselves, but everybody else was going to we're going to sub the whole thing out. But now that we don't have to do that, we're going to save a lot of money on labor. Um, we'll have to hire someone to do the foundation and the site work, but after

124that, we can do most of it in house. >> Yep. >> So, is this >> I'm sorry. So, is this a separate building? >> Yeah. So, unfortunately, we would love to attach it to the building because I don't like my kids having to walk outside to go to it. Um, but given the fact that this building doesn't have a sprinkler system throughout the building, this addition would require us to put sprinklers in the building. Okay. We've already we've already gone to the um sprinkler division of the state and gotten a waiver for our medical building and a waiver for our masonry building. They've already told us they're not going to give us another waiver. So, we probably I mean there's ways to try to manipulate it, but most likely we can. We planned it to

125be a separate building. So, it'll be outside the electrical shop, behind the electrical and the plumbing shop. Um, we'll figure how far apart from the building we have to be. I don't know how much it's going to require us to be. Whatever that is, we'll put off the building and we'll have to >> the footprint is approximately 40 by 70 of the building. So about 2,800 ft with a a loft above for storage, not for working because we don't have an elevator to go to and we don't foresee. I'm sorry. Yes, sir. >> So say it only costs $400,000 to build because now you don't have to pay for labor. >> Yep. >> Is he giving you the million regardless that >> he's going to wire the money the second we approve this? >> So

126that other $600,000 can basically sit in a an electrical account and cover future costs. >> It could. And what I would do, you know, we would probably do is buy equipment. We'd buy more equipment for the building is what we do because we're not only gonna remember once we do this building out there, I have to renovate the shop inside because they're it's going to be repurposed, right? We take the walls down, spread the kids out more. >> Yeah. Workstations will be twice the size of what they are right now. Now, they work on a 4ft section. So, it's basically, you know, four feet, four studs. That's as much space as they get. Most of the projects are larger than that. We have to actually stack the projects on top of each other, which is

127not how it actually gets installed. It's the only way we can do it. We can't we can't fit them any other way. And every project has to come down every single Friday. So if a kid doesn't fix his finish his project on Friday, all that work he did all week has to come down. They got to start over the next week. This would give us the flexibility to have larger projects that could span over a longer time if we had to. So that you know, if the kid was the student was absent or ill, they could, you know, they missed a couple days, we wouldn't have to tear that project down. Now, we try alternative assessments for them is what we do at this point. But this year, we wouldn't have to. We'd have plenty

128of room to to spread it out. >> And the 75,000 that's in the capital budget, >> that's for equipment. That's for >> that would not be that would still be there even with this donation. >> Correct. >> You mentioned in your letter that the building would not impact a new building if >> Yeah. So, let me explain that a little bit. Well, we planned we kind of mapped out. We were we were going to put it in a couple different spots. We looked around different places, but if the new building goes where you're proposing, which is kind of a attached to that hill, this building would be repurposed because the new shop, the build would accommodate the amount of students you have. So, you'd make a bigger shop. You already in your budget in your

129plan for your new school, you you added increased space for electrical. Okay? So, we don't need this space. Then, that building would now become the facilities building. So, the maintenance would use that as their storage building for all of their equipment. So, that's why we planned it out by that section. So would be facing that other building across the parking lot a little bit and it wouldn't affect >> and that's okay with the donor. >> Yeah, >> we're talking 68 years away. >> Okay. And then last question. The current room space that you have >> that will still be for electrical. >> It's not going to get absorbed by one of the other >> actually wouldn't help us because that it would actually that would cut my space in half. >> We gave away that

130space building and the old Y. >> Okay. Right now we have two classes in that one space. We'd have one class in that space, one class in the outside space. Yep. Exactly. Sorry. >> And you have the staffing to be in two separate locations. >> Yes. Yep. Yeah. Right now we have five teachers inside electricity. So there's two assigned to each grade with one that bounces back and forth. So yeah, we have we have plenty. >> Just a quick question. So let's say we go we approve this tonight. You get you money's wired tomorrow. >> What are we looking for timeline to build this? >> So we don't have a timeline. That's the that's the beauty of this project. We're not bound by any grant company. We don't have any parameters. It's really as long

131as it gets built for its purpose. The donor doesn't have an issue with it. Of course, we'd all like to see it as soon as possible. What would what would you like to see? >> Well, I'd love to have it ready for September, but that's not going to happen. No matter what >> a foundation. So, right now, my plan is to have it ready for next not this school year coming up, the school year after. We would use all of next year to build it because our kids are going to build it. So that's a it's a it's actually a great thing. It's great that it got donated. We didn't have to go look for we didn't have to compete against anybody. It was offered to us and we don't have to worry about the

132time frame. And on top of that, our kids get the experience of building it. And and when I say state-of-the-art, the stuff that will be in there is stuff that I'm working on at Schneider Electric right now. They're going to help me bring a smaller version of it here. So this is stuff that's coming up. I mean, it hasn't it's not even out there yet. It's coming out now. >> Ron, you know, I've known you a long time. I'm excited about this. When it's first presented to us, I wholeheartedly support this. You do an incredible job down there. >> I've been on your show. They're on top of each other. >> It's tough, >> you know, and I and I see people in the community and uh there's a lot of successful electricians out there

133thanks to you and your staff and we're doing a great job. I know we you could take 50 kids a year. You told me one time we don't the construction trades are alive and well and this is awesome. So, thank you for uh getting involved with this. What I will say is, you know, it's unfortunate because there is such a need for electricity, but there's the reason that it's kind of a bummer is that there is never money out there to help with electricity program because they say you guys are you guys have plenty of kids that want your program. There's you don't need that. Like there's other shops that, you know, there's grants out there that are specific to certain areas. It's never electricity. It's almost never construction. So, they don't they just don't

134put the money towards that. had there's tons of money for you know automated manufacturing and you know well there's money out there for that there's just tons of it because that that's what they're trying to increase they're not trying to increase electricity it's already increased they don't need to prove it to anybody so it's tough to find money for it so it's it's great that a that this person's an educator that's a big thing for him he was an MIT professor he loves teaching he would come back here and literally work with my kids he loves it so to put money into a school he's really excited about so this is a it's a get to meet him when this is all this will come to fruition. He asked if he needed to be here

135tonight cuz he would have come here tonight and I said, "No, you don't need to. >> We would love to meet him." >> I will definitely he will definitely come in. He's uh he's very eccentric, but he's >> glad you met him. >> He's definitely the smartest person I know. >> Yes. >> So, actually, first of all, I think it's really impressive that somebody wants to give it a million dollars. So, this is a very naive question. Are we as a public entity allowed to accept a gift of >> So, I'm going to answer that question. Wait. Um, we were told no at first. >> Okay. Um, so then he I told him that said, "We can't accept it." Yeah. >> Because because you're a private person. >> So he actually got his lawyers from

136New York to research it >> and they found out there's a way to donate it. So they did that research for us and yes, we can accept it. >> So So it's legal first of all. >> Okay. Well, that's good. And I just was confused when I was reading this that so it is a separate building. I was trying to figure out physical space but also I was looking at um >> you you talk about um the curriculum to include energy storage, micro grid systems, photovotayic systems, electric car charging stations as well as clean energy and the instructors that you have in the program are they all able to teach all this kind of stuff or >> Yes. Yes. Absolutely. >> And do we have to then follow or add that to what the state

137doesn't the state >> it's already part of our curriculum framework? Okay. So, what we have in the curriculum frameworks and I help develop those. So, I'm pretty I'm very confident with those. We have advanced skills that schools don't have to teach. Then there's skills you have to teach. The things I've listed there are mostly listed in the advanced skills which I not because I work here, not because I came here, not because I graduated from here in 87. You know, this place has been part of my life for 45 years. None of that has to do with it. The fact is at Shashene Tech, I send kids out to the union every year. Our kids come back as the number one kids every single year. Every employer, all those places say, "Your kids are the

138best kids." Now, 103, they take kids from every single vocational school across the state. And they every year they come back and they say, "Our kids are the best kids, the best trained." So, they're already there. I want to bring them to that next level and give them >> expand. Yep. I want to expand. I want to get them to the next part of it because they've already got that part. >> Well, as long as it's legal and and >> totally the point of >> we'd have some back and forth with the business. >> We didn't this actually we had this money for over a year. >> We just couldn't bring it to you because we couldn't accept it yet. It took a while for us to to figure this all out >> to find

139a way and they they he has a very big charitable trust. Okay, that's what he's he's doing here. So, he gives a lot of money away every year and he's at you know he's he's almost 90 and he's you know he's he's been doing this for a long time and he still goes to work every day. He bought his company years ago. He still goes to Schneider Electric and he still works there. Okay. So, you know, it's kind of a it's kind of a funny thing. He never wants to give up. So, it's it's it's a longterm thing. >> Um, just talking about the separate building and our, you know, access. Safety is one of my biggest things. So, we just have to be mindful of how we keep that safety of them leaving this

140building going into another building. Mh. >> Um, that's all I would ask just to be mindful of that when planning it. >> Um, >> cuz >> my vision is that it'll probably still be part of the fenced in area that we have. We may extend the fence over so that because we're going to have to have kids go from one building to the other. Now, that sounds like a big We're talking 10 feet. Just so you know, like, you know, this is the new building right here. Here's the old building. Here's the plumbing door. Here's the electrical door. We're going to walk by the plumbing door and walk into this building. So, it isn't like it's a really big it's a 15 foot walk. Um, but it is still leaving the building and they have

141to go from one to the other. There will be bathroom facilities in there. They're not going to have to leave. They'll have to come in for lunch is all they have to come in for. The rest of the time they'll be out in that building. So, safety was I was my my vision is to have the fence that's there now. Just continue down and fence the whole thing in. So, it's still part of it's kind of like still part of the building. Believe me, I hate that it's detached. I don't like that disconnect of the program, but it's it's really difficult unless we want to expand a lot more here, which this million dollars is not going to do. Um, we can't >> Yeah, >> we just can't justify it. >> Yeah. I just >>

142as long as we're mindful of >> of that piece of entering, you know, this build, re-entering this building or them, you know, vice versa and that building. >> Yeah. The beauty is they won't be going to any other area. They'll be going from an electrical area to an electrical area in 10 to 15 feet of of hot top to walk across of. So, it's not at least it's not walking across like over to the football field and that's a much bigger area that I wouldn't do. I actually wouldn't I wouldn't accept it. I just if I had to go that far, I wouldn't do it. We talked about moving HVAC and going outside of them, but it's really the same issue. No matter what, if it's a detached building, you still got to walk from

143one to the other depending on what is and that's just a growing pains you have of a school that's too small, right? That's what we have right now. And I mean, it's it's it's great that it's happening. It's a bummer that it won't be used for this forever. I mean, I guess it could be, but it'd be now a further walk for people to go to. So, I guess that that'll I mean, I'll be long gone. I won't be here. So, someone else will be doing this, so it won't be my decision right now. You know, it's it's I have a big role in this at this point, but I won't later. I don't even think you'll be here. So, we'll all be gone. We'll all be gone. >> On that happy note, >> talking

144six, seven years for this, you know, >> retirement is going to come soon. >> This is where we're going. >> This is um >> not only a tribute to Mr. Lansman's incredible generosity. It's a tribute to you and your colleagues on the and all the kids that have made such a positive impression on him over the years. So it is it's a wonderful amazing thing and I hope we'll work with our PR folks to >> yeah I hope this is going to be a really >> yeah world should know about it but >> and two quick thoughts that occur that are details for a later time. I don't know if there may be a way related to Stacy's concerns that without implicating building problems that I know sometimes with modular construction they're able to build

145a small connecting >> tunnel strip. So that's what I wanted to do and we'll eventually have something like that. >> Okay. >> Um the only real big issue with that is I have plumbing in between it. Okay. So, I have a, you know, 10 foot garage door on the way, so I can I won't be able to close it in, but I can at least cover it. I'll be able to maybe put a a roof over it. >> Yeah. Yeah. Something I have to get over the garage door. So, I you know, we talk about swapping shops or plumbing, but they just renovated that shop. And I'm not I'm trying not to disrupt the rest of the school. I'm trying to be very mindful that this is for electrical, and I don't want to have

146to, you know, I didn't want to move HBAC. I didn't want to move plumbing. So, we're going to suck it up a little bit so we don't have to, you know, they're all doing I mean, garbage has been renovated, HBC's been renovated, masonry's been renovated, plumbing's been renovated. The last thing I want to do is take someone that just took a lot of passion into a room and say, "Hey, you got to move." >> Yeah. >> You know, and that's just not that's not what I'm about. I mean, that's my construction cluster. I don't want to affect anybody down there. So, we'll we'll make it work. The other uh thought and depending on exactly how the donation is being received and what kind of entity and all of that we can deal with at another

147time is just so that the burden isn't strictly on you or super deal with how what the authority is for the the expenditure of the funds and how that's done because anytime you the same kinds of stuff we've been talking about accountability reviewability I mean I don't think you want everybody in the building to think you're walking around with a million dollar checkbook uh early at the end. >> Well, again, if we accept that as a donation, we it has to it has to fall into 30b. It's it's got to go through all >> right. It's got to go through all of that. >> Nothing changes really. It's just the you guys have a different funding source from you move it from this account, you'll have it in account. >> I think it's I think

148it's been pretty well established that basically municipal districts are treated as 501c3 for tax purposes and ways to do that. That was one of the hurdles that we that is that is common. >> I will say it's common belief to document that is a little bit more >> cover. Yes. No. Just a wonderful accomplishment by your department and um >> incredible by Mr. Lanceman. >> Just so you know, he's from Lexington and he's not giving it to Minute Man. So >> he's live there. He built this house in the 60s. He's still there and he's not giving it to them. >> I do have a question on the language. So, and that on the back side, new school, it'll be only used a new school building and the funding the funds are not to be

149used for any other purpose. So, we said if you only had to spend 700 and you still had money left over. So, he might want someone might want to change that language before. >> Yeah. Well, that's that's not that's the letter offering it. You're going to have to have a contract contract that >> Yeah, you have to have something. >> Okay. >> He's pretty just, you know, he's pretty loose about this and he's, you know, >> he asked when he, you know, give me the wiring information after he gave me that, where's the wiring information so I can send the money over because >> he can't be bothered with the details. >> Yeah. But he there's going have to be a contract that you're going to have to sign. I'm very That's not your contract.

150That that's not enough. two grandchildren are electricians and all. >> Yeah, we've had a lot come through, right? I know he's had a lot of success through electricity. So, >> and I can tell you that we're small. >> But to Brian's point, it'll probably go in its own account. >> We'll work with the business management. Make sure it's an established account. >> Remember, there's there's things that it's going to be used for that building, but there's going to be things that have to be paid for because this building and that's going to come out of this also, right? So, we have to move some there's some, you know, old septic stuff outside that might be in the way. We have to move all that out. So there's things that, you know, aren't part of the

151building, but are part of the building process. So yeah, he just wanted to make sure that the money didn't come in and they go, "Oh, sorry. Came to that building. We're going to go spend it on the feasibility study." Right. That was an easy million. Perfect. Right. >> Two of the way there. >> Yeah. You're all set. So that's that's all he's making because he knows how it works in schools, right? He works with he donates a lot of money every year and um he knows how it works. He just wanted to make sure that it was going to go to what he thought was important. If >> we did that, you only you only have to spend 498, >> 48,000 59. >> I'd like to make a motion that the school committee accept a

152million dollar donation designated for this expansion modernization of the district's electricity program. >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I oppose. Unanimous vote. >> Thank you very much. Don't spend it all in one place. >> It's all going in one place. >> Never seen again. >> Okay. District's position contract. >> Yeah. Again, so we uh this is this is a new contract with the physician. Um, our two-year contract is set to expire in 2026. Um, we've been paying this this individual $3,500 for as far back as we can find records for. Um, the recommendation is to approve a new two-year contract um and up that payment to um $5,000 from the 3500. Um, this is the person that comes in and does sports physicals, works with the nurse's office about medication um distribution and

153tracking. Um, so again, it seemed like it seemed like it was time to uh to make an update to this this policy. >> Okay. >> You don't need to vote or anything. >> No, you can do money. >> Can I can I just ask a question? Excuse me. So, the only change to this contract is the financial one. I mean, not the responsibilities are all the same. >> Yeah. Basically, we're just upping the salary. And I can tell you fair paying five well I don't know what they're paying now but when I was there and I've been out for a few years they always paid $5,000 a year. >> Okay. I make I vote to approve the school of physicians 2-year contract renewal is presented including an increase in payment from 3500 to 5,000. >>

154Second. >> All those in favor. >> Oppos. Okay. some prior article. You wanted that brought up, Ken. What do you want to know? >> Yeah, I guess it's one of those things like if I'm not saying people can't go out like whether it's a superintendent or school committee members, everybody has free, but it's like if you're discussing like things that are like of a strategic nature. I don't think people want to be shocked by what's in an article. I mean, like I said in email, there's 10 members. everybody, you know, everybody should be and there's got to be a way and maybe that's something we asked the attorney general like how you again someone want to respect open meeting law. So, but it just seems like, you know, there was a few things in that

155article and I wouldn't say I'm not going to speak for anybody else on the committee, but I think most people were sh were a little surprised. And the other thing is like any of these things that get posted, I mean, that may be a backwards paper, but whatever. >> It's uh just joking. >> It's my point is is it gets posted it can get picked up as you've seen like it was picked up by the MSAC. It was picked up by So, it's getting put out there. It's like so I guess that's the thing that we need to be careful about if stuff's being put out in the un in the ecosystem or whatever that's getting picked up. So that's just my point is maybe we need to talk to like these things come up

156of how to discuss or come up with a STR or a process. So when that's done, like I said, that's not for every thing. Like everybody should have a free ring, talk to the press, but it's something like that. That's a key thing out there. I think people should be made aware >> because I think that's, you know, for I've had people ask in my town, I don't know if you've had, but people have brought it up. So it's it's definitely something that you don't want to be caught off guard and you want to make sure that stuff's put out there as information is factually correct. And there honestly there's a few things in there that I mean I'll keep my own judgment but I would say are not were not completely accurate or if

157they were they weren't presented in the best light. >> Can I just and again I just just some background information. Um she reached out to me directly and she had very specific questions about stuff that was posted on our website y and was publicly available for anybody to see. Um, and and I I think I've apologized to everybody on the committee. I did not realize when that article was coming out. She did not give me any indication as to whether it was going to turn around or she was just doing research. Um, but I was very specific with her and I said, "I'm only going to respond to stuff that has either been discussed in a public meeting or is is readily accessible by the general public." Um, personally, I didn't think that that would

158have been a very good look if I had refused to interact with her and said that Shasheen, you know, the Shasheen tech superintendent refuses to answer questions um about, you know, the audit report or the END findings or so. Again, I I know that that was um it was a tumultuous situation. Um, I don't agree with the way that a lot of things were framed in that. I was not made aware of the comments. um that Mr. Curran had made until the article came out. That was a shock to me to read that as well. So again, you know, I'm not saying I got played. Um but I was I was very forward with her and I said I will only answer stuff that's been discussed at a school committee meeting or has been released

159to the public. So again, I I I apologized. I I I guess I should have handled that differently and reached out to everybody afterwards and said, "Hey, this person reached out to me. This is what I shared with them." Um that's on me. And I as well I mean actually she was transferred to me some someone she reached out to one of our committee members and that said well why don't you talk to the chair? >> Yep. That was me. >> No I know but I didn't know. >> I said it to everybody. I was very open. >> Okay. So you know and actually she claimed she tried to get a hold of me different ways but I don't know. My phone my phone number is in the phone book. So finally she hunted me

160down and and I do apologize because I did call you for some other thing. I made sure I told you about something that week and totally forgot about that and because she also had you know she tried to get information. I said really you know none of this any of the executive sessions nothing I can talk to you about. I will just tell you that there's no money missing y >> because that's what they were alluding to. Y >> they really were alluding to that, you know, they lost this money or whatever. And I said, there's no money mission. >> That's all I told her, you know, and you know, I don't know. And and I do apologize because Oh, because she had said to me, well, I'm not sure when this will be up,

161but probably not for a few Well, she had mentioned that it wouldn't be right away. And when I walked into the, you know, when I walked into the store and there it is, front page, I was like, well, obviously that didn't happen. So, but yeah, but mo the stuff. Yeah. Neither one of us told her anything that she couldn't have found somewhere else. >> No, she probably did reposition a lot of it. >> Again, when she called me, she had some very, you know, she she had read she had read the FY24 audit. She knew the contents of that very well. Um, she had some misinformation about END which again I did clarify for her because again I thought that was public information and you know she did ask some questions and and I believe

162I had shared with her that we had an interim firm in that it was TMS Solutions they were out of Auburn. Y >> um and I mean at that that was kind of the extent of of what she asked me. I think I'd just add, you know, we know, you know, unfortunately, we know what reporters can be like and maybe going forward, you know, if someone approaches either of you, the chair or the superintendent, you know, if you're saying only public knowledge, then just immed you tell us as soon as possible. And if it's not public knowledge, you know, maybe we say, you know, I need to check with my school committee before I answer these questions and just reach out to us. Um because I will add um back in the fall a teacher

163was approached about something and I happened to be at an event that she was at and she came right to us because you and Miss Cook didn't happen to be on the premises and she was like I've been approached by a reporter. What do I do? And there was another administrator there and they were like we need to you know this this immediately needs to go up the chain and they did. They immediately reached out to you and to Jess Cook and you know it was resolved. Um, but you know, I was at the time impressed with that teacher because they said not a word. They were like, I cannot speak to you. I need to speak to my to I don't know how she ra I need to speak to my supervisors. And like

164I said, we happened to be the first person she saw. It was an event Brian and I were both at and we agreed, you know, talk to administration and I will say, you know, to their credit, they went right. You know, they were not speaking out of turn. They were not answering any questions, which I was impressed with. >> Glad to hear that. >> Yes. >> Um Tony, I think you handled it the best you could could. And the worst thing is to say no comment. We reading the paper all the time and that makes us look even worse. And P is fine. My only comment is that I we all want to know what's going on. No secrets. We're all We all and I we all the the worst thing to do is like

165Patty's open walk in a newspaper, walk a supermarket, go oh you know, I mean, we don't want to know about that. So, I know. So, that's the only my only comment is let us know what's going on. But I think it was handled the best we could and and if if the press, we all got to be careful what we say. If the press contacts us, I would if I I would direct them to you because you don't want everyone to be quoted. They told us that the MSC training sessions. Be careful what you say. Be careful on social media. And I know Tony, you you you stay off Facebook, which is a smart, >> which is probably the smartest of all of us, but anyway, thank you. >> All right. Anybody else? Okay. Business

166manager and director of student services, search committee discussion. >> So, uh, in the packet there were a couple of draft, um, job descriptions. Um, Miss Stouty and I have reviewed what was was utilized the last time. In the case of the director support services, we actually had Malber go through it as well and to make some updates to that. Um, I will say him and I had a good laugh because when we were looking at the posted salary range for the director of support services, I believe it was 81 to $90,000 per year. So, it had been a little while since the job description had been updated. Um, essentially, I know both of these are technically school committee hires. Um, I know we've had a lot of conversations in recent months about what that means

167and and and what that looks like in practice. Um, so I did want to bring both of these forward. one, um I would like to go ahead to post both of these job descriptions um to to start to get candidates to apply for these roles, but two, I also and Patty and I had discussed this a little bit, I want I would like the committee's input as to what that looks like. Um it's my understanding from talking to Mr. Albert that when uh Superintendent Jackson was here, um I believe Principal Cook put together a group that that involved a couple of school committee members. It involves some administrators. It involves some teachers. Um and and that seemed to be very successful. I I think everybody's been happy with with Jeff. And then I believe uh

168Superintendent Jackson brought him to the committee as like the recommended candidate. Um we can do the same thing for both of those if again if this committee members, you know, do we want to have two committee members that are part of that? Um, do you want the leadership team to kind of go through the process and bring two or three candidates to the school committee for interviews? I'm looking for some guidance here. Again, um, not not to to beat a dead horse to use Mr. off its phrase. But again, coming out of some of the town crier stuff, I want to know what this body wants to do and how they want you how they want this structured so that as we move forward with this, um, everybody has a voice, everybody's had a chance

169to provide their input and then that everybody's on maybe not on the same page, but everybody is moving forward together with with whatever this process looks like. challenge. >> Yeah. I think like the last time that since it's our high as a school board technically higher authority that we we kind of formed a sub we hired you along with I think other people within the building like the principal yourself or depending on like if you know even if Jeff was willing to sit in on his you know something like that people that have the real good knowledge of it but I think we should also be part of those meetings. I don't know how everybody else feels. >> You thinking the whole board Charlie? No, no. It's like a subcommittee similar to like what we

170did were like two people. I don't remember it was two or three of us when you I forget. Maybe you remember >> um I I know it was Mr. Peterson. >> I think there was two or three on the screen. >> I wasn't on it. I know that two. There might have been three. >> I sat on it. I think it was at least three of us. I'm trying to remember. >> I mean it's the number. >> We did two in quick succession. So it's easy to forget which one you were on. >> Are we looking for two committees here? >> Subcommittee. No, I think I'm going to paraphrase for Charlie and have have two or three school committee members as part of the process and then whoever else the team is >> both position.

171I don't know. >> Do you want to have the same people on both committees or would we have two or three people? >> I know and I'm not looking to be on but I will if needed but because I have plenty of committees I'm on already and plenty of things that I'm going to be doing. That's why I've been delayed and called a certain meeting. But anyway, uh but I I I'm just and you guys can decide girls. Um if you get like if you're going to have them because time's you know precious to everybody, but you know you meet for this one at I say six and you meet at this 7. It might be easier or you may want it's up to the full board how you want to do that. I don't

172>> also gauge interest you know who on the board is interested in. >> Yeah. me. Um, you can text me and tell me who's interested to be on on it, you know, >> unless we just say right now. >> Well, what if we have a ton of the people? >> Well, I can't speak for this one, but I know the last time we did this, it was not we did committee, but that was a different time. But I know in the past we've also talked about best practice. I mean, I can't speak for the director of sports services, but the business manager was like the superintendent would do things, sorry, MSAC said was basically you would do the interviews and then present candidates. So, that's kind of opposite of like a search committee. So, that's

173what they said was more standard of what they'd see. >> So, instead of doing a committee, >> doing a committee, it would be like you would like he would >> he'd screen the candidates and then he'd present >> and it wouldn't just be me. It would be it would be your leadership team probably teacher especially special ed teachers involved in it as well. >> Jolly >> I I don't agree with that. That's all I'll say. >> And again, I'm open. I I will run this however. I just want direction on where we're going. >> I would think having one or two school committee members involved in a search group would be a good idea. Personally, I'm not don't have a need to be on said committee. If nobody else wants to do it, we need

174somebody. I'll do it. But I'm not looking to do it. >> These two positions are hoping to start September. >> It would be July 1. >> July 1st. Yeah. >> Yeah. And the reason this is on here and and I I'll be open. Typically coming out of February vacation, we post retirements. So I think we have five or six people that have already, you know, indicated to us. Is it more than that now? >> Eight. Okay. We have eight people that have indicated they're going to retire. So we we typically try to post those those openings now so that we can get those interviews done and those people hired so that as we get close to the year people make a change they decide to go somewhere else they move we're not trying to do

17520 interviews or 30 interviews in a in a block of time. So these two are are very important roles for us as a school. the earlier we get this out here, the sooner it's it's u put out there, um the sooner we access that candidate pool, the better off we're going to be. So that's that's why I'm asking at this point in time to kind of get this again, one would be the job. I mean, we can post it's going to be posted for a couple of weeks anyways. Um but again, get the approval for, you know, the job description. Everybody's on board with that. The pay ranges are what the committee had approved when we talked about administrative salary scale or uh steps or whatever you want to call them a few years ago.

176Um you know again that the vacation time all of that stuff is is in alignment with all of the other administrative roles. Um and then we can always come back and um final again if you want to collect interest and then finalize a group or just let me know who >> and my point was not to say that was the best. That was just when we were at the conference. That's what they said. And again, the what was done previously was kind of an anomaly. That was not a really a search committee. That was more of a that we ran the hiring, >> right? That was a school committee. It's very different. >> I just remember you and I sat on that. >> Yeah. >> Charlie was on it too. >> We met some people

177laugh. >> Yes. >> Just one quick question. Do we have is there an outline of what uh requirements you're looking for? >> So it's in it's in the job description. >> Did you not get that as part of your package? You can have my talk if you want. >> Thank you. >> I didn't get one. >> Yeah. No, it's there's some very spec I mean obviously like both of them they have to have appropriate lensure. Um there's a requirement in there for the number of years. Um Patty and I Patty actually reached out to me yesterday. She she saved me from snow shoveling all the snow in front of my mailbox for thinness. Um and had made the suggestion about I we had put in there the uh MCPO certification. Um and Patty suggested maybe

178that gets changed preferred, >> but I believe when I read it tonight, it said something like or the ability to get certified. I think it has some language in there. >> Um but again, if there's edits to that that people want to see, let's let's get those finalized and we can get it posted. So I had just I was actually I put a note related to that particular thing. I didn't know whether there needed to be a time frame for that particular thing. So when you say Massachusetts certified public procurement officer or ability to become certified I mean do you do you put a time frame like you know within the next two years or next year or whatever it is? >> You could. >> Yeah. I mean >> but that's also up to when

179they have their classes. sometimes classes on they >> I just think of the I think of the teaching world where you know you go in and then you're required to have a master's degree within five years of of when you're hired you know so I just didn't know if that's something that would be smart to do >> we could add that >> I just don't know what the time have it already but I would much prefer that too >> that's why I said preferred but I really they already have it >> so that that was one question then the other one had to do again I'm on the business manager one so the business manager supervises all these different people that are there. So, is there an instrument or a tool like how are they

180supervising? I mean, what what criteria are they using when they sit down and and supervise um all these various different people? I mean, I'm I'm really just curious. >> Supervise. I would say that I would use >> So, it's not evaluate. It's >> Well, there's there's some of those people that they evaluate. >> Okay. >> We do have a tool for clerical, cafeteria, daycare. It's also the same tool that's used for edtech. It's the same tool that's used for maintenance and I believe it's the same tool that's used for Paris. So it is very um >> so there is a tool that somebody can follow okay that they can follow >> and as as far as supervised I mean that's basically a a point of contact. So again during the day if the day if

181our daycare director has a question >> they go to that person >> the business manager will be there first stop to say hey can you help me with this? I'm gonna be honest, a lot of stuff I end up getting involved with anyways because it's like, hey, uh, this issue just came up. How do we, you know, how do we respond to that? I'm thinking this, I'm thinking that. So, it's basically just those people are the ones that would report to them. Um, I meet with our food service director, I meet with our daycare director, I meet with our facilities director on a regular basis, one on-one. So, it's not necessarily just managing that. It's more of the in a pinch, this is the person who's your point of contact, your first point of contact,

182just like teachers would go to a director or a department chair and then you know if they can't handle it then it would go to the principal then it would go to the you know it's kind of a hierarchy of >> and then later on it talks about under the duties including annual evaluations and so I just wanted to make sure there was some instrument or time frame >> the the food services director is responsible for doing all the evaluations of our staff Yeah, I totally get that. >> It would just be that, you know, the business manager would just say, "Okay, are these all done?" You know, are you on track to get these done? Have they been completed yet? I need them by XD. Same thing with maintenance edtech. >> Okay, got it.

183Yeah, thanks. >> Sorry. >> Um, two things. Um, on the business manager, I don't think we specifically included any reference to the possibility they would have some oversight involvement, whatever, in in a MSBA funded building project. And that probably should be something that we would want, you know, at least it would be a a plus if somebody had that experience or they would want to know. Uh, otherwise they might ask for more money if we do sign them. the the other uh question or point and this may go to Charlie and and um Kent's comments about the last time because my recollection on the business manager last time it was strictly committee members that were the committee though the superintendent was obviously did some of the the mechanics >> would it be satisfactory from your

184point of view I I know it would be for me like if for each of these positions there was a fivep person committee with one or two school committee members involved. That way you've got the latitude to have the staff members who particularly with the the support services and then >> I would just caution against capping a number. I think it would be, you know, like if we want to have two school committee members on it. Um and then you know I mean I'm thinking like the principal is going to want to be on it, >> academic director, vote vote director. Yeah. >> So I mean we may want we may not want to say it needs to be you know it can't be more than five or six. I think we can say it's

185two schools and yeah >> clarification. So you are you basically saying whatever the number of panel is say five seven the majority that each one has one vote. So like if there's five candidates but three and you're going to move it to three to bring to the whole board each one has eight vote. So whatever the majority of the board if they're not all in agreement >> is that what you're trying to I'm trying to understand. >> No. Well, that's >> I think what I I'm trying >> from typically I mean typically the superintendent makes recommendations for all hires. >> So I think I I mean again I think I need to be part of those conversations and then again I would ask the group do you want two or three candidates? Do you want

186a final recommendation coming out of that? Um I mean these are um advisory groups, I guess, is the way to put it. They're not necessarily voting hiring committees. It's not like there's 10 people if somebody gets six votes that that's the candidate we move forward. >> There's there's it doesn't typically work that way. >> Well, I don't know. That's what I was trying to understand what you're saying. But at the end of the day, they're our highs. They're not your hires. So, right you >> So, it's for you to come to us with this is I don't agree with that. I'm not Everybody else may, but I don't. >> Right. But at the at the search committee level, >> search committee level, >> it seemed the last I think was it was help very helpful

187for school committee members to be sitting in on the interviews and the vetting process etc. And you know the pool wasn't very large of course um but I don't necessarily think school committee people have to be the majority of the of the >> No. Yeah. No, I like business manager. Have people from the business office, the special service, have people from there along with yourself obviously maybe the principal. >> Yeah, maybe we have some department chairs or >> Yeah, I don't think we need to be the majority people in the >> and and to clarify like option A and option B what we're talking about that option C that was done three years ago was not the option you would consider that was done at that time for a specific reason. Yeah. But that is

188not what I would use as the benchmark or the the what you're considering for now. Yeah. So what is Tony's talking about whether it's like he interviews and presents candidates and I'm just talking about this position specifically but or you do like an advisory. I'm not saying one or for against I'm just saying do not use what was done three years ago as any like that was done for a specific time >> for that rationale. And once we establish these comm I mean I was reading and again I don't remember all of the specific details but I was reading something recently that was talking about search committees and like each person ranks their candidates. So if you're my first choice, you get five points. Taran's my second choice, she gets three points. Bob's my third

189choice, he gets one points. And then the whole then the whole committee takes this weighted score and they say, "Okay, even though Taran got all second place votes but no first place votes, there's choice voting. >> Exactly. There's there's Yes. So, there's different ways that we can structure this and organize it. Um, but again, I think having a plan for, you know, what's what's the kind of makeup of the committee, how many school committee members are going to be part of it, what does that process look like? I'm assuming that coming out of that that search or screening committee that it would come to the the full school committee. And again, whether you want to interview two candidates, three candidates, whether you just want to interview the one recommended one, and then if you don't

190like them, say no. Um, you know, we want you to bring somebody else forward. I mean, there's there's a lot of options, but I don't I don't feel that this is my place to make this decision. Um, again, especially based on, you know, these these are technically roles that are hired by the school committee. technically >> and even when the support that was my first year when Jeff was hired from I remember that was like a take not not a take it or leave it but it wasn't like cure say if you have a search committee which I think that was done but it was like one candidate >> yeah that was done kind of late in the year >> so it was like kind of a novel so it's like if you were going

191to do that you might bring a couple of candidates to >> interview >> so hope I wasn't misunderstood no I have no problem with you know me I want members it depends on the board but and then I personally would to pick you and say, "Okay, who do you want with us on this, you know, the full service or the who pick your part of your team, for lack of a better word?" I don't Yeah, that's >> again, I'm open to however I just want I want >> I'm not saying we I'm not I don't want you to think I'm saying, "All right, you but I want this person from the school." No, I would leave that person I don't know how feels. I would leave >> the administration, the composition of the committee >>

192to be picked by you. So again, if that if that's the room people want to go, I think um we can kind of do this in in two parallel tracks here. Uh school committee members can reach out to Patty and express interest in one, both, whatever. Um I can also go back and talk to Principal Cook and have her garner some uh some interest from staff as to who would like to be involved in different search committees and and again, we can come back. Um I don't I don't see us starting interviews before the March committee meeting. Um again by the time this gets posted and we get we get candidates in but um cross that bridge if we need to. >> I think for you to post the jobs though we need to come

193to an agreement about these postings even though the committees the sub the search committees have not been formed yet. >> I think we need to to come to an agreement on this and I do think I don't know what the timeline should be but ability to become certified within Two years. Is that too long? >> A year. >> It's too long. >> A year. >> I think that's why I say preferred because >> Yeah. >> So, we could just do we could do MCCPO certification preferred, >> right? >> We could we could definitely change the language to that. >> Are we putting So, do we are we going to do preferred and take out ability to become certified within? >> Okay. >> So, if somebody's not certified they wouldn't even apply. >> It's preferred. It's

194not required for >> but then are we going to have a requirement not going to be >> if we pick if we pick that person then we have to have that conversation have a conversation. >> Okay. But is it understood that they would if we hire them they'd have to >> get it that would be part of wouldn't that be part of contract negotiation? I guess you could also build that into the interview questions and say, you know, are you currently MP MCPBO certified? If not, what is your plan? You know, if you were hired for this position, what would your plan be to to make sure you were certified and and how long would that take? >> And we could put that into the contract, right? I mean, there there have been clauses in

195contracts before like you had to have a mentor and you had to like do certain classes >> two years to to finish the program or whatever it is. Well, you say you say preferred or could you just say preferred or or able to obtain within one year? >> I guess that's a reasonable amount. I don't think they don't. >> Again, I don't know don't know what the length is, but I'm just saying so that way they know up front that listen you're either going to be you either have this or you're going to have to get it >> quickly. >> Right. Exactly. >> All right. That's fine. >> Okay. So, >> preferred orble to obtain. >> Able to obtain within >> So, I think those are two different things. Which ones do we want? Do

196we want preferred or do we want able to obtain within one year? Again, I would say I would say preferred or able to obtain. Yeah. Or at least I'm sorry. >> That's okay. >> Sorry. >> Or able to obtain money >> because I think that covers Gwen's concerns. >> If they don't have it, they don't know they can't apply. They know they can still apply. >> Okay. And then the only other change Brian had suggested that we put something in there about MSBA oversight and exper and potential experience with building projects. We'll use your term, Tony. Beat it to dead. Where's oversee human resource? Is that where we're positioning? I'm not like job descriptions can be vague. I mean, you're not always going to get perfect, but is that >> Well, I mean, that posting

197is is kind of a reflection of where we are now. Yeah. >> I mean, we can always update and modify job descriptions as we move forward. And and again, if that person if that if we hire somebody that has a strong background with that, I mean, I I know uh one of my one of my fellow superintendents um who was a one of my fellow superintendents at another vocational school. That was her whole background. >> She was uh you know, she was a human resources attorney before she got into the education realm and then was a human resources director for a big school district for a number of years and became a superintendent. So, I mean, if we hired somebody like like Holly, I don't think that she would need that role. But somebody that

198doesn't have that background and that experience, then they may need they maybe need somebody to do that. >> Question. Sorry. I make a motion that we the school committee direct Tony to post both of these job descriptions with the changes described and create a search committee for each that is going to include two s two school committee members on each committee whether it's the same two is TBD because school committee members are going to reach out to Patty >> a second those in >> favor I just picked another question for next week. >> Is there any more discussion? >> I'm going to give you more discussion after you've already discussed it. >> Okay. I do have another comment. I just thought it was good >> and you're probably on the same page anyways. I don't

199like for Jeff he's done I know a lot of openings come up because people that we're going to get are probably working right to June 30th >> is there have you had any discussion with him would he be willing to hang out for a month or so and I don't know what the money would be to to help prep that person type of deal I don't know if that's something you can look into >> bring it back to us and see how much you might want I just think it might help I don't know if it's not if it's an option >> that's a great transition if if we can make that >> happen I mean Yes, we've had issues with lack of smooth transitions. >> Even if they are doing the same job in

200a different school system to find everything and who's who and where I get across that, but if you keep that in mind, >> that's a good idea. >> You got you got >> Yes. >> And the same thing with a business manager. I mean, if we got to >> have somebody from the business office. >> Yeah. No, but I'm saying also like if we had to keep TMS on for another month. >> That was kind of the original plan is to maybe have them stay on through July >> to help the transition. Yeah. >> Sure. I mean, it's not I'm not saying it's not a lot of money, but I'm saying if >> But it would be beneficial if that's >> Yeah. I mean, even I would say I might be in the minority here,

201but >> we have any future agenda items. >> What is this agenda items that could not be re? It's that's in case something happens. >> Mr. Moff had asked. >> Yeah, lot of >> just something comes up in 48 hours. >> No, I'm just thinking I had a discussion with this has been an exceptionally bad winter >> and you know, we haven't had a blizzard in four years and I hope I don't see another one. We've had two. Um, so I'm just thinking um that coming down the road here that we build something into the um to the agenda only because last night we sat in on a Zoom webinar with the um select board in Dora that um anticipating um maybe next winter will be mild. Who knows? But if we could as we

202approach the winter months maybe have an option to go to a remote meeting. >> Yeah. And it would be we if you know because this storm the way the technology is today folks they start talking about these storms 10 days out. So but it wouldn't be like Nicole to say oh I better put it on there before it's too late. I'd like to see it as we approach the months of December, January, February, March that it's there listed as a Zoom option >> if we need to because this is, you know, obviously we're lucky and you know, look at today was no school. We canceled tonight. We really got the tree here. So that's what I would like to see. Um, and I've only in my tenure on this gritty, we've only it's the only

203time we really cancel a meeting. had no one capital budget meeting because it got icy. >> Melanie canceled it in one meeting. So, knock on wood, it's been we've been pretty lucky with the weather, you know, dodged a lot of bullets, but it caught up to us this year. So, maybe in the future >> as an option in the agenda and we have the technology to do it >> that we could do this remotely and not lose a date. >> Is that something we want to start for the March meeting or is that something we want to start next year? >> About March. Let's do it for March after the year we've had. >> Yeah. >> Why don't we do that for March now that we've jinxed us the option? >> Yeah. And I know

204I know Miy has the ability to set up has taken over using that platform and some other things as well. And just so everyone knows, the way Bill Rooker did it is it was a Zoom webinar. So that like I was at the meeting, I had no option to speak and no option to be seen unless the runner of the meeting elevated me to a speaker. So like Tony got elevated when it was his turn to talk. >> And if I had needed to speak, I'm sure he could have asked that I be elevated. I had no need to speak, so I just sat there. >> So does that mean Charlie got elevated like 10 times? I know Charlie wasn't I had my own I had my own people. I wasn't want that way. >>

205Charlie, what are you here to say? >> I I know I I won't ask too many questions next. But I just want to make sure because when it comes to Zoom meetings and that there's a whole law on it. I just want to make sure if we it's illegal because if then if we don't have it because we everybody can attend. Is someone going to challenge that? Are we going to turn to a headache with that? I don't know if that needs to be researched or if somebody already knows the answer. I think that's why it would have been hard for tonight because we had a >> a hearing tonight, >> right? No, but I'm I'm just saying. I mean, I don't want to say if you post it for even if it starts next

206month, >> then someone didn't get it. Well, I wanted to zoom it. It said and then they >> and then they try to put in a complaint against us. >> We can do a little bit more research. I just want to make sure they can't >> inspect the general's office and ask and try to get >> physical meet and they can't complain because they could want to >> but you can have a public comment period in a Zoom. >> I mean there's no reason not >> I think what Charlie's saying is if if we end up having the meeting in person wants to make sure that somebody can't complain and say oh I wanted to attend on Zoom and I didn't have the option. >> I think the Division of Open Government or often referred

207to as dog at the AG's office has actually put out guidance on hybrid meeting. >> Yes. >> Right. And I and I've read some of them. I just want to make sure we don't get into that. >> Yeah. >> We will research that further before we make a decision. >> Thank you. >> Thanks. >> All right. Yes. >> Just one item for >> future agenda. It certainly doesn't need to be March. you've heard him in April, but I think in light of some comments we've had from members of the public previously, we should have some discussion evaluating alternative school committee meeting sites. Um, you know, get some general input. Um, it probably wouldn't be for this particular school year, but to the extent that people have expressed um concerns about this space, I think we

208should honor those concerns or at least look at it. Can I just have a little little update with that? Um, so again coming out of those those comments we had in public session. I did have our director of digital learning and and educational technologies reach out um about two different things. One, improve cameras for this space so that they track the speaker. Um, I know that was one of the comments that we heard that you know it's hard to tell who's talking and and who's saying what. So um, she has I know she's met with the representative. I know she was waiting for a quote. I don't know if she's got it yet. Um, at the same time, we also explored doing something similar in the library space. Um, there's kind of a horseshoe shaped

209area down there. So, at some point in time, we we will have that information like this is this is what it would cost us from a technology standpoint to move the location of the school committee meeting. Is it something that the school committee thinks is is viable and wants to pursue or do we want to look at maybe doing some kind of upgrade in here that we can but yes we so we we've started to do some research on what that would look like and what it would cost. >> Thank you. >> Anybody else? >> Um just dubtailing off E and D is that just did you provide at the next meeting provide an update on the like how that's going >> the annual audit? >> Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Yep. Yep. >> Cuz if they

210I mean, you know, I'm dating myself or >> Yeah. Well, we and I believe I believe Charlie I reached out and I included Charlie on the response I got which was kind of Oh, no. I'm sorry. That was the student activity fund one. >> Oh, yeah. >> Um the student activity fund one we were told is something that they typically fit in between all the projects. So, whenever it got the kind of the top of the pile, it would get done. um the external audit I know he's been trying to wait for END to get certified because that does it really streamlines the process for them. >> Um but um again I I've been you know at least a couple of times a week either bugging Paul or bugging Andy Pette about getting that done.

211So >> and the student activity they said will be to >> at this point in time they said it'll fit in between whatever else they >> that's based on >> that was the 25 student activity fund. Yeah, I got you. >> The um update like on what's going on with the auto body. I'm just curious like if you could maybe have someone back in from that group to talk about how it's going. I mean, I know the lottery is coming up. >> Tony, what are they are they almost done with the exploit? >> Uh yeah, we're I think there's maybe two more rotations done. So, um what what I was going to do, Mr. Hurley hasn't been here, I don't think, to speak to the committee yet. Uh, so they didn't exploratory. I was going

212to invite him in to talk about all of the shot placement numbers. Um, I mean, we can we can obviously look at autoc collision at that point in time, but have him report out, you know, this is this is where everybody landed. This is, you know, these are the first choices, the second choices. This is enrollment by program to have more of a and again we've I don't think we've done we haven't done it since I've been here. I don't know if that was done in the past, but again, moving on from Mr. Norawitz. Um I think Mr. Hurley um is looking forward to the opportunity and I know he has some some priorities and some things that that he uh he thinks are important moving forward as well. So, >> and one last thing

213just since we're here, could we pick a date for the summer retreat because I like to know what that date's going to be if we look at July. So, or August. So, last year we we hosted it on August >> 1st which was a Friday. So, if you stay in August, um that would be that Friday's August 7th. I know I can't do that. >> Yeah, I can't be here. I >> I'll be gone that way. >> Okay. So, >> so could we do it earlier? >> July 31st. >> We we typically were doing it early in July, but then we had a bunch of conflicts last year. >> Yeah, >> it was usually it's usually been like the second or third week in July. >> We had done it the week after the 4th.

214>> Friday, July 10th. Yeah. >> Yeah. I don't I don't have anything on my calendar at that point in time. >> I think last year >> last year we didn't do that, Gwen. People had conflicts. I don't know. >> Yeah, it was August 1st. Last year was definitely August 1. >> Okay. So, we do the middle for July 10th. July 10th. >> July 10th. Does that work for everybody? >> Charlie. >> How about the following Friday? July 17th. That doesn't work for me. I'm sorry. Okay. >> Well, enough of that doesn't work. >> Does it have to be a Friday? Seriously, dude? >> Yeah. >> No. >> What about a weekday, not a Friday? Is that Tuesday? How about a Tuesday? >> How about a Sunday morning? >> Nicole's house. >> Tuesday the 21st. >>

215July 21st. Tuesday the 21st. >> How's Kent on work day? Weekdays. >> How about Tuesday the 7th? >> That works for me for sure. >> 7th of July. >> Yeah. Can we do it earlier? Are you away that week, Charlie? >> No, no, no. I'm the week I'm booked up for the several weekends within the summit program. >> It's fine. >> I think I'll be I think I'll be away. >> I'm away the 14th. The 14th is the start of the MASS conference. >> Okay, here we go. >> I can do the >> Are you away the whole week of the 7th, >> CeCe? >> Yeah. >> How about the 13th? >> And what day of the week is that? I don't know. >> 13th is a Monday. >> I can do definitely do that.

216>> 13th. >> Monday. July 13th. >> I can do that. I can make it that works, >> right? >> Friday. >> Lot of heads shaking here. >> Okay. >> Monday, July 15th. >> I can do that and then I'll just leave from here and go to uh >> So, can Nicole make see if um >> that MASC lady is available for the operating protocols? >> I think we start at 9. Yeah, let's do it in before lunch. >> Monday, July 13th, 9 o'clock. >> Okay. Well, the her meeting would start at 9:00 and 9. >> Well, no. Our meeting will start at 9:00 and whatever she works out. >> 6:30. You said before it's like 2 hour. >> So, we're going to be here at 6:30. >> No, she can come at 9:00. >> The

217meeting will start at 9:00, Charlie. Regardless of >> yours before that she comes like 9:30 to ask a couple more questions, >> food. >> That's great. Yeah, that's good. That's the other thing. >> Thank you, Gwen, for bringing that up >> because I know >> Can we have coach C come in and give us a winter sports update? >> Can we wait till they're done? >> Yeah. >> Well, I bet they'd probably be done by the end of March. >> Still in Oh, yeah. It's for the March meeting. Yes. >> Yep. >> And just in the MSP. >> Maybe could Tony maybe he could uh I'd like to honor James Tilsley as >> he's broken so many records. Let me talk to Al and see see what he can >> just to mention in open

218session. Um, four of us were at the Bill Rickus Gossip Foundation trivia night. >> There were We didn't make the final We made the finals. >> You did great. >> Yeah, there were quite a few teams from Shasheen, including an administration team that I believe did better than we did. >> Um, they almost made the finals, I believe. And I know the uh former president of the scholarship foundation and she was very very grateful for our participation. She was very um there were quite a few Shashene donated u raffle prizes, a fire pit, um cornhole, um couple other things and they she they I'm sure they've probably sent a thank you note that ended up somewhere, but they were very grateful for our participation and um look forward to seeing us at scholarship in the

219spring. >> Great. administrators picked up some Bruin swag. >> Yes, they did. They won quite a few things. >> That report didn't get back to me. >> Oh, yeah. I >> think they raised $23,000. >> They did raise $23,000 a lot. >> And I believe the Bill Rick Scholarship Foundation scholarships open up very soon, like maybe March 1st, and it's a pretty tight window, maybe three weeks. So, >> with Bedford, actually, >> get your scholarships in. >> Yeah, I know. I know. Miss Henry in the guidance office does like a really great job of making sure students are on top of her. So, There's money to be had. Yes. >> Okay. Then >> I get a motion. >> Motion to adjourn. Move. >> Second. >> Those in favor? >> I. >> Any oppos? >> One

220more question. >> Now that you just voted for question, one more question. >> Actually, I don't think you did. Doesn't matter to me.