001I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. Moving on to fire department regulations. Notice of proper exits. Show through the chair. We have two exits located over here in case of an emergency. just go out these doors and look for the illuminated line uh signs. If those are blocked, we can exit through there and look for the illuminated exit signs. So, thank you. Approval of minutes, regular meeting minutes January 12th, 2026. So, move >> a motion and a second. Any discussion? Being none, I'll call for the vote. All those in favor? >> Opposed? >> One abstension. >> And an abstension. Thank you. Approval of warrants. They are passing around. I don't
002Oh, I see them now. So, make sure you do sign those so we can get our bills paid. And with that, I'll entertain a motion to approve as well. So, move >> second. Second. >> Motion in a second. Any discussion? >> Being none, I'll call for the vote. All those in favor? I >> opposed. Motion carries. Budget review. >> The chair. We have business manager Cindy Spfield here. >> So, I gave everybody a handout. Um this the budget subcommittee met last Thursday, Wednesday or Thursday I think last Thursday. Um we went we went through some things but just so people can see what they have in front of them on this first sheet um is the numbers of >> so this is the written budget review. >> This is the budget review. It's the line
003item uh year date expenditure. The approval of the FY27 is another agenda item that's the draft budget. This is Yep. You were going to talk about >> why we don't have a year. >> That's correct. I'm sorry. Um so you don't have expenditures this month um for two reasons. One is that with the implementation of the new accounting system, we are rec we are recounting December in our legacy system. So once that's completed, we will upload all the balances and activity from July 1st December into our new system. So in March you will have um an updated um sheet of all the expenditures general ledger and also hoping to give you guys the monthly report for grants as well um in our decision to break those out versus general fund. >> Any questions like the
004excess and deficiency has that been certified for last year? >> Yeah. >> I'm sorry. >> The excess uh for the year that 5% has that been certified now? >> EMD certification. Yeah, END certification. >> We have a call tomorrow with Kim Pelin from the state to review that. So, we should hope we have that final answer this week as well. >> Okay. Are we a little behind schedule on that? >> We are. >> Okay. >> Yeah, I know some of the towns are asking that question. >> Yep. >> Any other questions? >> Okay. Thank you. Correspondence Lemlson MIT invitation >> just took off. I apologize. So, we do have a lengthy letter here. It's um says, "Dear Mr. Benjamin Lamount, please join me in congratulating Christine Wade, educator and the students at Gay Path Educational
005Technical High School located in Troutton, Massachusetts, for being awarded a Lenelson MIT and Benine grant. The competitive national grant program is administrated by Livingston MIT program, a sponsored program within the school of engineering at Massachusetts Institution of Technology, MIT. Invent team grants are awarded to teams of high school students across the US who have identified a real world problem and will develop a technological invention as a solution. We invite you to attend the Bayath Regional Vocational Technical High School's Invent Teams Mid Grant Technical Review where students will present their technology technological solutions and how they are applying STEM principles to build their prototype. This invention process continues through end of this 2026 school year culminating at Eureka Fest, an annual celebration where students will present and demonstrate their invention in their communities. Please support these
006inventive, empathetic, and hardworking high school students. Invent team participation fosters a culture within the school and the broader community to solve problems with technological inventions and often leads to ongoing change at the school site that lives on long after the grant ends. To date, 19 US patents have been issued for projects stemming from invent teams. I am asking for your support uh the Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School invent team and their educators to amplify the impact of the grant. Specific ways you can help students and our program include generate recognition and encouragement through newsletters via social media and BPN team on Instagram and PR. Write formal letters and or provide certificates of rec recognition to the event team. Attend the Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School event team's upcoming mid-grade technical review
007on February 10th at 6 PM in the Bay Path High School cafeteria and stay connected with Bay Regional Vocational Technical High School and BET Team through the school year and Eureka Fest. More information about the teams and the problems they are solving is attached. Please do not hesitate to contact our communications coordinator Brian Lombardo is his address with any questions. You may also contact Christine May directly at Thank you in advance for your support and it's signed sincerely Stephanie um couch executive director of MIT school of engineering and there is a lovely invitation here um to that event that I noted and there's also a a flyer that talks about how the event team has contacted Excellent. >> I'll pass those around. >> Perfect. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Nothing else >> in a
008thousand words or less, sir. >> Uh, thank you. So, moving on. Student advisory committee. David is not going to be able to join us tonight. He's feeling a little under the weather. Um, so I'm sure he'll have a nice report for us in our March meeting and we wish him all the best. There is no old business citizen participation. Moving on. Uh, new business. A recognitions to the chair. I'd like to recognize the entire facilities crew for the hard work and long hours of snow removal during the storm that took place on January 25th and 27th. The preparation pretorm was great pushing the snow banks back so they had places to put it. There was a neverending storm. They were here Sunday all through Monday. Um, and clean up on Tuesday. So uh the coordination
009among both the day and evening shifts and everybody was tremendous as well as the communication to uh Dean and myself on whether to call um school or not on that. So I recognize them. And next I'd like to recognize the math team for big win uh from the big path math team. They placed first in the vocational division at the Wista County math meet pulling ahead of both Aspit and DBT in the team round through outstanding collaboration and teamwork. With this victory, Bayath is now tied for second place overall with one varsity competition remaining on April 8th at Dhy High School. Uh, special congratulations to senior Vincia Pagard, ISSN from Spencer, who's a top scorer overall and freshman Josiah Corpus, Rutland Electronics, who finished a close second. And special shout out to uh, math instructor
010Jess Kell who is the advisor and coach on that. >> Excellent. >> Thank you. U, moving on to presentations. post project update through the chair. I'll post this a trip to talk about them through the chair. Um, not a whole lot to add this month. Feel like it's been only a few weeks since uh since we last met. So, plumbing and electrical are continuing continuing with the rough inspection. Carpentry is down in the basement working on framing the walls down there. Mr. Cole is coordinating the insulator and the plasters. Um, cabinet making recently met with the homeowners. They're in the design phase for the cabinets and everything is proceeding well. So any questions? That's all I have. Thank you. >> Moving on. Approval of FY27 draft budget. >> Smack. >> All right. So I'm not
011hearing what I said before. So what people have in front of them. So, the governor's budget came out uh late Thursday afternoon um with some information about chapter 70 and minimum contributions. So, this first first sheet of paper that people have just talked about the um the chapter 70 that we're going to be getting is 14,92363. Minimum contributions is going to be 12,459053. um say some of the other revenue we're looking at through this budget can be $150,000 for our interest in our accounts we have and then $75,000 from ENV for the OPEM transfer our transportation budget chapter 71 there's been a lot of discussion on this uh when the budget first came out from the governor on Thursday she was saying 90 to 95% uh reimbursement Friday morning we had a look at those
01287% and today we have a look ation between 80 and 85%. So there's a lot of fluidity happening in the budget right now. Um so there's going to be a lot of push back I think as as it goes through different parts of the the government before we get the final numbers for that. Um so you can see on this is that um it's based on the reimbursement is based on the prior year. So, we took 80% of FY26 cost to come up with the 1,621 um and then we put in $100,000 from our temporary reimbursement fund. This year we got a little bit more than we anticipated. So, that money can only be used for transportation. So, to offset that, which will mean that the um 10 towns are going to be responsible for
013the $447,330 and that'll be broken up based on the ratio. Um if you look at our debt um this year printable is much more than interest which is great. We're paying that down for a total of 1,ion55428. We have no um capital expenses as of this time. So right now um as of today our proposed FY27 revenue for the budget is 31 million 305852. Then if you look at the next page, this is the page that the governor sent out. It shows um foundation enrollment um which is going to be 1 1,237 that's one more student than last year um foundation budget um is based on the numbers required contribution is the 124 and chapter 70 is the 1492 363. Then if you look at the third page which is what um we present to
014our towns historically um the first column is the minimum contributions that's broken down by town and this is all ratio and formula driven um so the foundation enrollment is 137 and that ratio is divided to the minimum contribution set by the governor transportation assessment we put it at 447,330 and that's divided by the capital calculation based on um the towns. Just something that we learned last week is that FY27, the state of Massachusetts is projecting 30,000 fewer school age children in just one year. So the census is dropping across the state. Um and we we're seeing that some of our towns for sure um as as we're looking through them. Um then our debt service based on the interest of principal they come up with a 1,550 um for total assessment to the towns um
015of the 14,57157. Um in the last meeting we had sent out the um projected FY27 budget and that number came in at 1.640289 million over FY26 budget. actually looked at the governor's budget and all the revenue. We are at a over budget right now of $632,23 over budget with over revenue we're going to be receiving from the from the state. So, um there's some work to be done. We met with the subcommittee last week, like I said, um to kind of go over some of this stuff. So, um we have to figure out where we're going to come up with that money where you are. I know that you have to vote E and D. So right now um we are projecting END and this is not a certified number. So please don't take this
016back to people but to be about a little over a million dollars that we're going to have certified for this year. Um our concern obviously this year is the insurance um increase we got in October which we're still looking for $760,000 to cover the cost of this year's budget. So, I'm really hesitant to put a lot of END money into FY27 because I'm not sure how much it's going to be after FY26 based on um how things happen. Um so, there's just a lot of moving parts right now and a lot of uncertainty. Um but what we do know is that our projected budget is right now is is a little over $600,000 more than the revenue we have coming in for FY27. >> Any questions? Just a quick quick question and if you don't
017have it, it's okay. up the top of the chapter 78 versus last year. How is that down? >> I'll have to get back to I don't have that right here. >> Okay. >> I think it was I think it's gotten to be about a a 2.1% increase, but I'm not but again still looking at it. So >> yeah, I think the governor's budget overall chapter 78 increase was about three just over 3% overall for the state. Yeah. Increase on that. um >> for us individually. I think it was a little bit low >> and the budget that we have projected is really kind of um not a whole lot of you know it's probably kind of a a line over line. Um again we do have four contracts we're negotiating this year. So uh we
018have to wait and see how those end up being ratified but that is part of the the equation under the budget letter. Okay. And I think it's important to note real quick before we get into more questions that we have to adopt a draft budget tonight and then throughout the month the budget subcommittee and Cindy and Kyle will work diligently to see what we can do to get that trimmed because we know our towns. There's no way that we can go to them and ask them with a hat in hand for anything above minimum. So that's something we're tasked with working on very hard this month because next month's meeting we need to adopt a budget which again you guys know we'll get the call but we need to have a twothird passing vote of
019this body in order to send these to the towns and that will be our adopted budget pending final legislative approval. So again just the the few parts of the timeline that we're going to have in the next coming weeks. >> Any other questions? I your hand go up. >> I was in future layouts. What would be uh helpful for us as we go back to the towns once we have a budget approved to see what the percentages increase 26 to 27 uh does for us so that we can have a conversation with some income and select boards um when they call us in. So that will be so we do have so when we present on the on in March we'll have that slideshow and that'll have the 25 versus I mean the 26 versus
020the 27 and that'll also be done in the town correct. So >> okay any other questions or comments? Okay. So again we need to adopt the draft budget. So I'll entertain a motion to adopt the draft. Second. >> All right. Motion in the second. Any discussion? >> Being none I'll call for the vote. All those in favor? opposed. Motion carries. Okay, moving on. See approval of overnight field trip mass association of student council's leadership conference. To the chair, the superintendent, director, and the principal recommend the school committee vote to allow six students in one chap to attend the master association of student council leadership conference to be held March. What says 2026 for cost of $2,800 to be paid out of the student activity account number 89 0174 contribution a motion >> and a second
021any discussion being done I'll call for the vote all those in favor >> opposed motion carries >> D approval on budget transfers The superintendent, director, and the business manager recommend the school committee vote to authorize the proposed transfers as submitted. >> Motion a motion second. >> Second. Any discussion? >> Being none, I'll call for the vote. All those in favor? >> Opposed? Motion carries. Okay, rather short agenda tonight, but moving on to information proposals report from the superintendent director through the chair submitted a written report. If there's any questions on that, I'd be happy to answer those. I do want to call out just one area um that I think everybody got a copy. Did everybody get a copy of the admissions lottery? >> No. >> Um so there were questions about the emissions lottery
022at the last round. Key dates and format. The lottery date will take place on March 6. So all applications uh on time applications have closed over the next few weeks will verify um attendance and discipline. Verifying those would be whether the students every applicant that submitted a completed application to date will get one ticket. If you verify their attendance and they haven't had more than 27 absences in the last 270 days, they will get another entrance. And if they have committed zero felonies on school grounds, they will get a third ticket for that. So, the live lottery will take place on March 6th at 3:00 p.m. It'll be held here via Zoom and recorded. Uh the host will be principal Dean Packard and the lottery administrator will be Mr. Louis V from GoTo Solutions. They
023run the GoTo CTE program that'll take place electronically. He'll be remote. That's why it'll be presumed. And for technical support, we'll have TJ Karen, our IT director, present on that. Um for every town and to date right now, the only town that will not have a lottery is Paxton um because they have not fulfilled the number of seats that are allowed on that. So, uh we'll hold nine lotteryies on that and at a later date it's set in our admissions policy towards April. Um if vaccine hasn't filled those those remaining seats will be allocated on that. Um so the numbers every student will be assigned at least one random number. If they have extras they'll get three random numbers. Once they're pulled, their other tickets are pulled as well on those. Uh we'll do nine
024of those. They'll get notified immediately that night. Only numbers, no names will be called out. Uh but they will receive an electronic transmitter. They'll have 15 days to reply whether they accept the offer of admissions or not. And then those that don't at another later date every there'll be a wait list but not in the true sense of the old weight list where everybody's ranked in the order. The weight list will be every applicant who received a lottery ticket stays in the lottery and every time we go to poll the weight list will be pulled randomly on that. So that's how the lottery will work. And I I'll send this electronically. I'm sorry you hit that um on that. Is there any questions? >> Yeah. Any questions? >> Real quick question. Um so I'm looking
025at child's number. Well, there's 129 right now. So let's say there's 50 seats. Um the rest of them will go into a lottery. Will it be just the child students in that lottery again? Yes. >> In other words, if if someone refuses it. >> So God, I think you >> Yeah. So, so through the chair, so if there's 129 applicants for 38 seats, right? >> Um, from the 129 applicants, the 38 seats will be allotted. So, 38 numbers will be pulled, they'll be posted and then, you know, um, they'll have 15 days to tell us whether or not they want to come in. If 10 say thanks but no thanks, those 10 will be regenerated from the remaining lottery. from Charlton alone. Yes. Yep. So the weight lists are and that's how the weight lists
026were structured, you know, just Charlton res. So if one left Charlton, we take the next one off. So the same thing on that. So rather than one for one, we'll wait a little bit and then do the lottery because if we're going to pull it, we'll pull it. >> What happens with you said um Paxton I believe was the one that So what happens to their remaining seats if they don't >> they remain unfilled until a certain date? And I don't know what that date is about uh but we'll look at that date and then after that date if there were any other towns any unallocated seats would be you know any non-taken seats will be reallocated based on the the u the ratio of each town on it. So if there were 10 seats,
027we go back and if you know apply that ratio and it would be whole numbers, but you don't take half kids from Texas. >> Yep. >> Don, is this is this lottery that the the process is this the same for every school district? >> Go to CTE does this for a a large number of the regional vocational schools. So they're well verssed at doing this. Um so they laid it out. They'll come up. will meet with them prior to March well before March 6 and go over it. Uh I forgot that in February uh I think February 13th don't hold me to that but right around that week every applicant will be notified how many tickets they have received and then that's two weeks prior to the lottery that will draw on March 6. Thank
028you. Any other Tim? And then >> this lottery is about as exciting as the military lottery >> that many of us experienced back in I think it was 1968. >> Maybe a little bit nicer destination. >> There we go. >> You got that one. >> Not as all. >> That's it. >> Okay. Last two questions. Um, one is, well, I noticed on the superintendent um, report it said March 3rd. >> Is that incorrect or it's March 6 is a Yeah, cuz the sixth is a Friday, right? >> Yes. >> Yep. It's Friday. >> The second part of the question is, do the kids get the ticket numbers? So, when they pull the number and they hear, will they know before they're called? Like, do they know they have ticket number 127 or something? I'll double
029check on that. I think they would be notified because it makes no >> sense if you don't know what numbers you watch. >> Yeah. Right. Why watch it? Um so I think that's part of the um two week notice of how many tickets they get. >> Any other questions? All right. Thank you. We'll move on to subcommittee reports. Um audit subcommittee. No report yet, but I know the audit is the auditors have received their documents. Cindy, is that correct? Okay. Excellent. So, there'll be something coming out in the coming weeks, I'm sure, to schedule a subcommittee meeting. Budget subcommittee, as you heard, we met, we elected a chair. Don, you want to budget subcommittee met last Thursday as she said, uh, reviewed the budget sitting in front of you and made a recommendation to the
030full board. Thank you. Building and ground subcommittee has not met yet. report negotiation subcommittee. Dave, >> um February 11, we have a just team negotiations subcommittee uh meeting on February 11th. Then we have three meetings uh for negotiations in March. >> Thank you. Policy subcommittee, Peter, >> uh nothing to record. >> Excellent. Warrant subcommittee. Again, warrants are available for signatures by all school committee members upon the meetings and during the day here at the school. Just call before you come in to make sure someone's in the business office if you do decide to come up. >> With that, we're going to move on to future business. There is a meeting and it is a public hearing as I mentioned earlier on the FY27 budget here at 6:30 next month at the uh the regular school
031committee meeting will follow immediately March 2nd in this room. So please again it's imperative that we have great attendance as we do need that twothird vote. I'm sure Leah will be hounding you to make sure on your attendance. >> Thank you chair. >> We so we need a minimum of how many members? >> 14. >> Yeah we did this math at the subcommittee to make sure we were correct on that. But yes >> topics for future agenda. Reach out to myself Kyle or Leah so we can do what we can to get that on the next agenda. something needs to get on there. With that, we'll move on to remarks from the superintendent director. >> Uh the only remarks are we will be working as Cindy said to pair down the draft budget that's 632,000
032to be in alignment with the allocation allowed by the state. >> Okay. Thank you. Comments from the school committee. I'll go this way tonight. Mike, >> I'm all set. >> Beautiful Dave. >> All set. Thank you. >> Thank you, Kirsten. Thank you, Mike. >> Uh, kudos to the men boys basketball team. Uh, they started off 16 and I mean they started with a 16-point deficit first quarter of the game last Friday and yet what 47 to 46. They just didn't give up kept coming back. Wow. >> Uh, regrettably they're conflicting with our meeting schedule as they're playing away this evening. >> Larry, >> no. I was just happy to see that the math uh team did so well. >> Excellent. Very good. Thank you, Mary. >> Congratulations to Miss Wade. Um I'm hoping to get
033here next Tuesday. That would be fun. >> Excellent. Don said thank you. Okay. Hey Marie, >> what's up? >> Tim >> again uh mention to Jim for uh keeping up the school committee keeping them up to date on the building projects. I find that very helpful and and um thank you. >> Thank you. >> I'm good. >> All right, Jim. >> All set. Thank you. Al >> Peter all set. Jeff, just another thank you to our facilities team for working through that about 41 hour storm very very cold weather. Appreciate that. >> Sort of watch out when I take your job as Mr. Social Media that video. >> Um I know it's early but the exploratory is done. Um I saw what you say 87% cut for us three choices. Is that how it works?
034>> Yes. >> Now, is that again compared to other years? I know system was new last year or this year. Is what's the number there? How does it relate to the way it used to be done? >> I'm not sure. >> So, 80 87% got their top three choices >> got their first choice. >> Um, sorry. Compared to last year, off the top of my head, I won't get the video. >> Okay. No, I know. You just you just got through the process. I understand that. I'm working on that uh sorry through the chair I'm working on the data compiling it and sharing it out just like I did last week look at it >> let me know if you have additional questions >> okay thank you >> excellent thank you any other question all
035right I have nothing currently I am going to entertain a motion that we go into school committee um yeah I'm reading the top here um to move into executive session for the purpose of MGL chapter 38 section 21A2 to conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with non-UN personnel or to conduct collective bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with non-UN personnel. We are going to adjourn executive session reconvene and open session to either take actions as necessary or adjourn. >> So motion second. >> I have a motion and a second. So it'll be a roll call vote. Katie, yes means yes. >> Yes. Mary Barrell, >> yes. >> Hugh Alan, >> yes. >> Caldwell, >> yes. >> Richard Clark, >> yes. >> Kirsten, >> yes. >> Don Jad, >> yes. >> Dave Garnier, >> yes. >>
036Mary Johnson, >> Yes. Don Montel, >> yes. >> And Marie Pantos, >> yes. >> Mike Pantos, >> yes. >> Peter Sher, >> yes. >> Tim Sher, >> yes. >> Doesn't have a spot. Michael Tberry, >> yes. >> Bob Trembley, >> yes. >> Jeff Wenzo, >> yes. >> Okay. And Bob Zakowski is absent. So we are going to go into executive session. So that are you having anyone stay in the meeting? >> No. Okay. Thank you >> everyone. Have a great night. >> Come on. You know, it'll be nice and warm.