001Okay. All right. I It's 7 o'clock. I'd like to welcome everyone here in chambers and watching from home to the regular meeting of the Bangor School Committee for Wednesday, May 13th. Please rise for rise for the pledge of allegiance. I 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. >> Thank you. Um, we're moving next to adjustments to the agenda. We do have an adjustment uh tonight. Superintendent Robinson. >> Yes. Uh we are uh I would like to propose that we uh table our fair amount reorganization plan item D1A. >> Can I have a motion? >> So moved. >> Second. >> All right. We have a motion and a second. Is there any discussion?
002Member Speed. >> Yeah. I just wanted to um fully understand I know that the packet included the presentation. Will we have a chance to discuss updates and and uh answer any questions throughout the evening? Absolutely. During my um report, I'm happy to answer questions. Um >> anything else? >> Okay, cool. Sounds good. Thank you. Thank you. Any other discussion? Did you want to say anything, Super Robinson? Yeah, please. >> There's no one else. I just wanted to thank everyone again for uh the input and the feedback that we've received. uh we are doing the best that we can to be responsive um and also be really mindful of the short timeline. Um, I just want to reiterate that this has been and continues to be a challenge. Uh, one that's been unexpected for all of
003us and in a perfect world, we would love to have a lot more time to consider many many more options and have more time for everyone to um, I guess really get used to the idea that there's a change happening. Um, unfortunately the reality of the situation is that our timeline is short. Um, in response to the feedback, uh, we have decided to table this decision. Um, it does limit the, uh, timeline for our staff. So, I want to extend my thanks and gratitude to them for, uh, really hanging in there and also for our administrators who, um, have worked countless hours trying to map out and determine, you know, whether various plans would work um, and our business office looking at the fiscal impact of all those options. So, um it's been non-stop. Um
004really working hard. Uh so I just want to extend my thank you uh to everyone and um we're looking forward to developing the best plan possible again given this uh short timeline, this, you know, temporary plan for next year. >> Thank you. And I just have a few brief remarks I want to share and then I know member Sprag you wanted to hop into. Um, I'm supportive of delaying the vote on the temporary school reorganizational plan for all the reasons outlined in Superintendent Robinson's communication this morning. Overwhelmingly, feedback from our school community has been respectful, constructive, and helpful to our thinking about these critical issues. That type of feedback makes school communities stronger. And if a superior plan is identified as a result of this additional time, that's a very good outcome. I do want
005to express a cautionary tone. We have roughly a hundred days between now and the beginning of the school year. And it doesn't matter what plan we eventually approve. It's going to be complicated. Difficult decisions that affect many people are going to need to be made. Challenges we may not have even considered are going to arise and time is an important factor. In my opinion, it's critical that we be ready to make a final decision in two weeks. And I also want to take this opportunity to be honest with the public about the two filters that I'm mainly using to make judgments about these reorganizational plans. The first filter is safety. Which plan ensures to the highest level possible the safety of our students and our faculty? Second is maintaining highquality educational opportunities. Which plan achieves
006to the highest level possible maintaining high quality educational opportunities for our students? Those are the questions and criteria that have been and will continue to most guide my decision-making on this critically important issue. Thank you, member Spre. Thank you, Mr. Chair and Superintendent, and thank you everybody who's here this evening. I think I know almost every single person in this room, and I actually love that. It feels like Sesame Street in a good way. Uh it's nice to see you all here, including some of our young residents as well, whose voices matter a lot, too. Uh I'm I'm probably going to save a lot of my comments for uh next week uh after the listening sessions and then at our next meeting because I don't want to myself get too far ahead of this. I
007want to let those things play out. But uh I do think that we uh have certainly a lot still to discuss and eventually we'll discuss. I think it's fair to discuss what we could have done better during this process and we'll recap that and we can that's a conversation for a later time and it matters too. But uh this whole situation resonates with all of us here. Every single one of us as a parent of school age kids who are going to be affected by this one way or another. So we are with you in this and dealing with these challenges. I think one thing that's been abundantly clear over the last two or three weeks is how strongly people feel about their neighborhood schools. It's the reason why so many of us either stayed
008here or moved back here or chose to come here was for the neighborhood schools. Uh and that's a beautiful thing. And whatever plan emerges forth, I hope we can keep as much of the sentiments and the true realities of the neighborhood schools both for the short term but for the long term as well. It's part of the DNA of this community as part of the fabric of who we are. We have these neighborhood schools that yes are costly in some ways, but it's part of who it's part of who we are as a community. Not just a school department, but as a community. I also want to acknowledge and I think we all do. I don't claim to speak for the group, but I know that we all feel what staff are experiencing right now.
009There is anxiety. There is sadness. There is uncertainty. Nobody should be in the spring of a school year feeling so much uncertainty. We feel that along with you. Uh, and there's no easy answer to that, but we see it. We feel it. We feel it, too. And there's just so many families that are experiencing these feelings, too. We feel them in our own household. Uh, all of you do, too. And I I'm going to say that Fairmont is the catalyst here, but of course, a lot of schools are involved with this conversation now. And I do just want to note that I think the the middle schoolers sometimes get get forgotten a little bit in this conversation because it's it's a fair amount issue, but the middle schoolers, it's easy to think, well, they're older.
010They're going to be more resilient. Well, the middle schoolers are actually children, too. And they have their own anxieties about this, and they're in this phase of life where they're just trying to figure it out, too. They're trying to figure out where they fit in. And I I'm going to talk for my son would probably not like me speaking on his behalf, but he identifies as a doubty bulldog and that is a part of who he is. And I think if there was a plan where he ended up at Cohen by lunch on the first day, he'd probably be fine, but he would have a lot of anxiety leading into that. And he, I think, is pretty well adjusted and would be okay. But there's a lot of students that might not be as okay
011with such a big change all at once. So, uh, the middle schoolers, the middle school staff, they're a big part of this, too. I think I'm getting a little ahead of myself, but I think the consolidation plan has some merits. Ideally, it would have been a conversation that started 10 years ago. It didn't. Uh that was largely because we have these attachments to the neighborhood schools and a lot of it was budgetary. It it was it was deferred maintenance for sure, but it was a reflection that a new school the starting cost is probably $und00 million. And we have a lot of challenges in this community. People might not like the reason why we didn't have the conversation earlier. We could we could have had the conversation, but we didn't move on it largely for
012budgetary reasons. But we can have that conversation now and we are. It is unfortunate that it feels so rushed and so stressed right now. But that's the reality we're in. I would love it and I think we all would if some one-year reprieve option could be found here, which was either seeing if we could salvage fair amount for a year to buy time. I think we would all want that. I understand there might be reasons that could be shared at some point. maybe tonight, maybe Monday in the listening sessions, maybe the next meeting about just why that is that Fairmont maybe can't be because I think people are feeling the inconsistency of why are we still there now but it's not safe in the fall? What is the disconnect there? That's a question I have
013myself. I think others do too. Um, but I guess I will just wind this down by saying if we could find a one-year reprieve, if it is salvaging Fairmont for a year, or the analogy I kind of think about is could we like basically have a helicopter go in and airlift the Fairmont community together into one spot and keep them all whole for one year? I don't know what that looks like, but that would that's kind of the way I think about it of keeping that group together. And yes, it's going to be very disruptive for that group, but maybe we find a one-year solution that doesn't then disrupt everybody else for one year. And we figure it out for a year. And then we just rally behind those fair amount kids for a year
014and the staff as a community. We just make it happen and give them like a memorable year that we're super positive on them and they will get through that year and it will be one of the best years of their educational lives. And I don't know what it looks like, but I think we can do it. And it I think we can. I don't know what it looks like, but I think we can do it. And I think that we're going to need everybody to come around on some plan together that in the short term disrupts the fewest people possible. And then we have the community conversation together about what the long term is going to look like. >> Thank you. Thank you, Member Strikers. Are we ready to vote on the motion? Uh, member
015speed. Yep. No, please. Member Speed or Oh, no. Member O'Kiri, sorry. >> Um, I mean, this seems like the appropriate time to say this, but um, I echo absolutely with what um, member Sprag said and what member Surret said. Um, and I want to speak to the parents like I am you. As Ben said, um, member Sprag, I call him Ben. Um, I don't take this decision lightly and I stay awake at night trying to think of solutions that are actually fair, that are fiscally responsible, that are possible in the short timeline that we have. And I want you to know that I think that everybody on the school committee um truly ran to be on the school committee because we love the students. We love this city that we're in and we make mistakes
016because we're human beings, but ultimately we have the same goal and that is what's best for the children of Bangor, Mainine. And I just want to I feel the need to say that the board is curious, we're reasonable, we're compassionate, and that we'll we we're here to listen. And that's one of the reasons why we're delaying this vote is that there's new developments. Um, but also we can't delay it forever because there's a timeline and there's children that need to and teachers that need to, you know, uh, make plans for the summer and even the children be better understanding, you know, what's going on. So, I I just want to say that um, I've heard you. I've listened to you, responded to some of you and um, I have full faith and confidence in in
017the in the in the Bangor school commit committee, the Bangor School Department and um, that's it. Thank you, Member O'irri. Member Speed. >> Yeah, I just wanted to uh thank uh folks for their comments so far. I agree agree with uh comments said so far. Thank you um for your sentiments. I I I I applaud uh member Sprag for expressing the uh the values that he has and and I agree with him. I think it's it's important to get this right. It's really important to get this right. um because uh there's there's a choice that could have uh long-term effects and there's um hopefully a choice out there that has shorter term effects. Um and um and I thank uh Superintendent Robinson for uh delaying the vote and and uh chair as well because I
018think we need more time and we need uh to have uh more evidence of of the options and we need to hear from parents. So hearing from parents on the 18th is really important. Um, and I also want to speak um, first off, I know folks have thanked a lot of different people and and um, I agree with them, Director Finny, Superintendent Robinson, school administrators, folks with facilities, but I want to start with thanking the students. Like the students are why we're here and why we're doing what we're doing. Thank the parents uh, as well as the teachers. Um, I know uh, that chair set I agree with your priorities as far as safety and educational opportunities. I think that's an important lens to set, but I also think it's important to have a lens
019of community input, minimum disruption, and also thinking about what's attainable. So, I think those are are key key things. And I know Superintendent Robinson, you've put in your report, you know, kind of the the priorities of goals that you have as well. So, I'm hoping tonight we'll have a good conversation that public input will continue to pour in and we'll continue to get uh emails uh and and uh a lot of great ideas on the 18th. Um, but I also uh hope that we can come away tonight having a shared vision of what that criteria is, right? Uh as far as how we're evaluating this decision and um how we're prioritizing how to make that decision. Um so again, thank you for everyone's participation and input and uh um appreciate your consideration. >> Thank you,
020Member Speed. Member Cook, >> thank you. Uh shy of keeping the Fairmont School open, I don't think a decision could be made that's going to appease everyone in this room or everyone out in the community. Um but I think we're going to try to make the best decision possible. And so I think you all in here as leaders in this community who have already used your voices or who will use your voice tonight, I think uh member Sprag's wife, who I like to refer as superior Mallerie um said this quite well that it is up to us to really model to our children um you know positive attitudes about this and really sort of lift up whatever this plan is. um so that you know they feel good about it and you know just show
021them that you know we have to be resilient and whatever this is we're gonna we're going to make the best of it and um as member Sprag said you know if if it's a place where the all of the Fairmont kids are together or wherever they end up let's make this the best year possible for them >> thank you member Cook anybody else superintendent Robinson you wanted to mention something else >> yes I just wanted to add um in terms of the listening sessions that will include include um a presentation but then also breakout rooms um and that those will be organized based on topic and and folks will have an opportunity to navigate around to offer their input and feedback and ideas. So that's being coordinated so that it's uh really structured and allows
022us to uh gather the information and really consider it heavily throughout the next um week or so. >> Thank you. Any other discussion before we vote? All right. All those in favor? >> 70. Thank you. >> Thank you. All right. Moving on to public comments. And I do have a statement I need to read read before we move on to public comment. Members of the public may address the school committee for up to three minutes on school and education matters. Public comments shall be directed to the school committee and be brief and not repetitive. The school committee's practice is not to respond or debate with speakers during the public comment period. We are here to listen. The superintendent or her staff will follow up on comments outside of the meeting as appropriate. The committee will
023not permit profanity or shouting and requests that speakers be civil. Discussion of specific personnel or student matters and complaints concerning specific employees or students will not be allowed, but will be addressed through established policies and procedures. Before speaking, we encourage speakers to review school committee policy AC, which provides that the committee does not and will not discriminate nor tolerate discrimination against students or employees on the basis of membership in a protected class. Speakers who share comments contrary to this policy will not be allowed to continue. Before starting, please state your name and place of residence. Would like to come up to the podium for public comment? I'm president of Bangor and I just have a general comment about education. Uh, thanks to Annie's article in the Banger Daily News this week, I'm aware of what's
024going on with this agenda item, but I just I didn't know it was on tonight. My my statement is, and I thank the council and the city for allowing this space for people to just publicly comment about education and this in this room. K through 12 students in all schools should know three things, three basic things um especially elementary school students before they head into middle schools. And I think we should assess them on it. One uh is how many hours in the day are there? 24 hours in the day on Earth. Two is uh how many days in the year are there? 365.25 days in the year on Earth. The third is not being taught today in any of our schools and it's how many times does a magnetic field intersect with the surface
025of the earth every day. Every 24 hours. The answer is twice every day. And it should be taught in schools. When we went to schools, stayed for somebody like you, the rest of us went, we didn't live in a totally electromagnetic age that these children are growing up in today. They didn't we didn't rely on phones that were electromagnetic. Our cars were mechanically devised. Automobiles with a radio. Yeah, sure. That's electromagnetic. But today, all the cars are infused with electromagnetic essentials that we call computers. But all of that doesn't take gas, but it still takes energy. And it's not magic energy that we don't pull that out of our magic hats or anything like that. They draw it through engineering out and from our environment and interconnected with all of us. So those three things,
026if we can get them on the agenda um at some point, that'd be great. Yeah, thank you very much for your time and yeah that if I had kids going into middle school I'd be nerve-wrack. >> All right, thank you Michael. All right, next uh public speaker if you just state your name and uh city of residents, please. >> Sure. Good evening, school committee superintendent Robinson. My name is Josh Bridges for those of you who don't already know me and I live here in Bangor. I am the proud father of two kids at the Bangor School Department. Last week, I sent you each a letter emphasizing the importance of transparency and communication regarding the proposed closure of Fairmount Schools. I commend your decision to table the decision tonight. While more options can be fully explored,
027over the last two weeks, this community has already brought forward thoughtful and creative ideas. Parents, teachers, and residents have shown up in good faith, asking questions, offering alternatives. Yet, we feel those ideas have not seriously been considered until now. While listening sessions scheduled for next week, excuse me, if the listening sessions for next week are really going to mean anything, they need to be listening sessions and not simply opportunities to defend a decision that's already been made. I also believe school committee members should be present and actively engaged in those conversations as well. I'll be candid. Many families have lost confidence in the process, but I still believe this committee has an opportunity to rebuild trust by slowing down, asking harder questions like you are tonight, and demonstrating that community input truly matters. Your vote
028on this issue will likely be one of the most consequential votes you cast as members of this board. Your responsibility is not simply to make a decision quickly. It is to make the right decision with the confidence and support of family, educators, and the taxpayers you all serve. Right now, by any measure, that support is not there. I respectfully ask you to continue the dialogue and give this community confidence that every option has truly been considered. Thank you. >> Thank you. please. >> Um, my name is Megan Bridges and I'm a resident of Bangor. Um, I'm a parent of one student at Dowy and one at Fairmont. I also have a background in education with degrees in math and engineering and experience teaching high school math. I also attended Bangor School's K through2 myself. First,
029I want to applaud your decision to pause the reconfiguration proposal. Families were presented with sweeping changes affecting hundreds of students and staff with very little transparency and meaningful collaboration. Many community members felt the engagement process was performative from the start. We need a process that genuinely considers all ideas, not just one predetermined option. Secondly, we need to support our teachers. I can stand here publicly, but many teachers do not feel safe challenging authority. I know this from personal conversations and from the many messages I've received from staff across the district. Our teachers are the people closest to students every day. They know what works. They have valuable ideas and they deserve to be included in these decisions without fear of retaliation. Third, we should disrupt as few students and teachers as possible while we develop
030thoughtful long-term solutions. Teachers want to stay together whenever possible. Neighborhood schools are one reason many families choose Bangor. Busing grades four through eight across the city is not what families want, and it raises serious concerns about cost, feasibility, and access to extracurricular activities. One option worth exploring is the available space at Bangor High School. The building was designed for a much larger student population than it currently serves, and there must be creative ways to use that space effectively. There has been damage done to trust in this district, but there's still time to rebuild it. Bangor deserves a transparent, collaborative process that includes teachers and families every step of the way. I urge you to reject option three and move forward with a a process worthy of this community's trust. Thank you very much. >> Thank
031you. >> Please, whenever you're ready. >> My name is Kevin Ellis. I live in Bangor. I have a student at 14th Street who is in third grade and a student who's in sixth grade at Dowy. Um, I wanted to come speak at the last meeting. I was not able to because of the short notice of the information that was going to be discussed. Uh my issue I'm not as concerned with the closure and reorganization as I am concerned about not just a lack of communication but it based on my experience um has been a resistance to communication um from certain administrators. I did not fill out the survey because as others have mentioned it appeared to be it felt performative. It felt like a farce and it seems like a decision had unilaterally been made
032already. Um I do commend that we you have voted to postpone that discussion and I really appreciate that. I will be attending the listening sessions on Monday. Um but my big concern throughout this whole thing beyond communication is the consistency for students. My daughter is in sixth grade. She her kindergarten year co shut it down. Granted that's not anything anyone could control but now she is facing the potential of having two school trans school transitions from one school to another in two years and based on some of the rumors possibly three in three years. And that just really is not good for her um stability and her um trust in I mean she doesn't know who she's going to be with from year to year. So she can't build those relationships with teachers and administrators
033like you know most everyone else does in their school career. So thank you. >> Thank you very much. Yeah, it's up there. See the green? Yep. >> My name is Alexander Henrix. I've lived in Bangor for 13 years and have three children currently at Westside Schools. I am a children's book editor, former school librarian, and have a masters in US history with a focus on education. I'm also a children's book author and as such travel to schools all over Maine where I see a variety of shall we say creative solutions to aging buildings changing school populations and stretched resources. In other words, I'm invested in Bangor main schools and children's education in every part of my life. I have felt dismayed as well at the district leadership's opaque process this spring around the Fairmont closure,
034the initial lack of communication and then when pressured by parents the bare minimum of confusing, hard to find and misleading communication that followed. For example, until 7:45 this morning, the so-called listening schedules were scheduled for after a decision would have been made. And Dr. Robinson, you confirmed to me in writing that your intention was not to listen to community stakeholders, but instead to, and I quote, provide definitive finalized plans to parents and staff during the sessions. I am relieved that you've changed course today. I want to express my strong hope that you'll do better moving forward, that you will communicate clearly, quickly, and through as many avenues as possible, making a true effort to reach all of your constituents. Because our trust has been broken and communications so vague, it's difficult to believe that this
035is a temporary plan, despite your use of that word even tonight, temporary. when there's no line item in the budget for repairing Fairmont or any other indication of what the next steps are towards long-term planning. It's I am not opposed to the district consolidating. I read the Oak Point study and think there are some options worth exploring. I will note option three was not among them and given the immense resources the city invested in that study, it would be nice to actually explore some of those options. But making long-term decisions in a rushed fashion is unwise. I am among many who would like an explicit commitment that any plan decided upon this spring will only be for one year, as well as a detailed outline of the steps that will be taken to come up
036with our next long-term plan and how those steps will involve community stakeholders. We have the capacity to close one school. That does not address the deteriorating infrastructure across the majority of our schools and what we will do when the next emergency arises as it surely will and soon. We need repair in our buildings and in our trust and leadership. Thank you. >> Thank you. Good evening. Uh my name is Michael Beck. I'm speaking as an individual uh and as a parent with two children at Fairmont and another child at Dowy. So our family is certainly affected with what's going on here. And and tonight, um I guess I just want to offer some words of encouragement. Um you know, I've lived in Bangor about 10 years. Uh my wife grew up here and that's why
037she wanted to move back. Schools are why I said yes and I will tell you with three kids uh actually a older child for my first marriage uh also having attended Bangor schools I have not been disappointed. Uh I have trusted this school district with all of my children and I will tell you tonight that trust is as strong as ever. uh you have a difficult decision ahead of you and I appreciate that you're listening to all of the feedback that people are providing and I know every parent has a different perspective of of how that's happening. From my perspective um I just realize it's a tough decision and I don't envy your position and as far as I know this is unprecedented in the city of Bangor. So this is something unique. Um, I
038know that whatever that decision is that you come to, my children are going to be okay. In fact, I think they're going to be more than okay. I think they're going to continue to thrive. And that's thanks to the school committee, uh, the superintendent, all of the staff, all of the teachers, everyone who, uh, day in and day out affect my children's lives. And I am deeply appreciative of the level of education they're receiving and continue to receive. And I just want you to know, I know that you're losing sleep over this, as parents are as well. Um, but I I see you and I appreciate you and your service to this community, to my children, to all of our children. And, you know, I look forward to seeing how this process continues to play
039out and just continue doing the best that you can. And I know that we'll come to a decision and some will like it, some won't, but it it will be the best decision that we are capable of making. I appreciate all of you. Thank you. >> Thank you. Hi everybody. Uh my name is Brian Henrix. I'm a parent in Bangor with kids at 14th Fairmount and Dowy. Um I want to echo the frustrations being voiced about the process tonight. Um but I also want to offer comments that are intended to be constructive. Um I know many of you and appreciate your service. Um, first I urge the committee to develop and share your plan for athletics, music, busing, and mitigating class size increases for option three or for any new option that's on the table.
040It'd be great to have that information shared before the final vote is taken. I think that's where I'm hearing a lot of that student anxiety, teacher anxiety, um, is just the unknowns about those details where kids do build their identities. Um, in the current option three, I'm also wondering how would school populations at Dowy and Cohen grow by 40% without severely harming student to teacher ratios and diluting opportunities. Again, these are questions to hopefully answer before, not after a vote. Um, looking forward after a temporary solution is established, I hope this committee and school department and really everybody in this room will be part of taking clear steps toward funding the major issues identified in the Oakpoint study. It's clear that under any reorganization scenario, our facilities will need construction bonds and an affiliated bond
041campaign on a scale that the city hasn't seen in generations. Um it's going to take strong leadership and careful communication to ensure public sentiment gets behind the bond effort, especially in this economy. Um myself and others are ready to champion this effort to ensure our schools get the investment they need before we lose more students and families from the district. And lastly, not to end on a sour note, but I haven't heard this raised yet, but a lot of us um who have kids at Fairmont are looking for assurance that our kids have been safe in their school. real like I don't know some of the studies, some of the medical assurances, some of the details that maybe you have access to that we have not had access to. We've gotten a sentence here or
042there and some of the communications. We want to know um that they've been safe and that they will continue to be safe this spring and to know what impacts we should be looking out for. Um so it is really a tragedy that the district has let it get this bad, but hopefully it's a turning point and a wakeup call uh that we can't delay large-scale investment any longer. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Please. >> Um, excuse me. Uh, Adam Baker, Bangor resident. Um, all my words are my own and don't reflect uh any committee. >> Um, I'm just shortly here to um I wanted to say this or for the school committee or whatnot. um just advocacy about not using AI in schools for and replacing it with um real human like teaching and
043like having those personal connections. I know I've been in Bangor all my life and I've been K through 12 through public school and I'm entirely thankful for all the teachers that personally like had took the time with me and just I think that human connection is invaluable. So I just encourage that any anything AI related is heavily taken in consideration and not used in schools. That's just my opinion. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Want to help her? Ray. >> Oh, actually you're on the phone next. and she and you do not need to tell us your name or residence. >> I'm a fourth grader at Vermont school and I love it. I want you to save my school. I love my teachers. I love my friends and there is so much history there. from
044the teachers who many of which went there as a kid to the walls where you can see every student's name whoever went to Fairmont on the bricks. Me and my friends walk to school together and we have been looking forward to going into fifth grade and writing our names on the bricks. But now we will have no bricks to write on at all. I have a little sister who I wanted to have the same opportunities I had at Film Mount. Me and my friends have also been working to plan and fundra for a seessaw. But if this is about money, we can instead fund raise for Fairmont. I know it probably won't be enough, but I believe that if we work together as a community and if we are given the opportunity, we can make
045it happen. Please save our school. >> Thank you very much. be a hard act to follow, >> please. Yeah. >> Evening. My name is Dr. Alec Anderson. I'm a resident of Bangor. I'm a father of current students in 14th Street as well as Fairmont. And I've been a physician in Bangor since 2018. As a doctor, my job is to partner with patients in decision-m with issues that are often complex and options that are often intimidating and time-sensitive. While I sometimes have the benefit of working with patients who might have a long-standing relationship, most of the time patients and I are coming together as strangers to create solutions to problems that affect both well-being and quality of life. Building and maintaining trust in these situations requires honesty and integrity and an open and timely transmission of
046all available information. Over the course of the last two weeks, the guarded release of information and the presentation of false options such as portable classrooms that are neither financially nor temporally feasible has significantly degraded the trust that the community has uh in the school board and the superintendent. and that's uh hindered the ability to create uh viable solutions uh for moving forward these pressing matters. I'd ask the school committee to regain the confidence of the community with full disclosure and transparency of information regarding the current state and scope of facility issues uh in our schools and by meaningfully engaging with both parents and teachers who are the primary stakeholders uh to create solutions that promote both well-being of our uh students as well as the quality of life for all the families in Vancouver. Thank
047you. >> Thank you. Greetings. You said the microphone's in the wall. >> My name is Kelly Shout and I'm a parent of two children at James F. Dowy School. I had the wonderful opportunity of being part of the Fairmont school community for four consecutive years. In the summer of 2022, I attended a scheduled meeting at Fairmont. At the same time, I was coordinating a multi-million dollar renovation on an old building where I work. Because of that experience, I was acutely aware of the deferred maintenance status of the school. And I even remember thinking, geez, I can't even believe we send kids to school here. Later that evening at dinner, my oldest son asked if we had gone to the school that day, and we said yes. He immediately said, "Did you go to Miss Susi's
048classroom? Isn't it the greatest place on earth?" That comment brought me back to reality. Schools are not defined by the prestige or glamour of their buildings. They're defined by how children feel inside them. They're they're defined by what they learn there and how those experiences shape them into who they become. The people that make the children feel safe, valued, inspired, and capable of achieving anything beyond what they wildly imagine possible are our teachers. For the past 11 years, I have watched this district achieve excellence in academics, band, athletics, math, and student opportunity. Most often competing with districts with far greater resources and far nicer buildings. We achieve those outcomes because we have exceptional teachers. We're operating in a statewide teacher shortage. Schools across Maine are struggling to recruit and retain highquality teachers. We cannot afford
049to create systems and communication channels that leave educators feeling excluded from major decisions that directly impact students and their daily work. This is why I'm deeply concerned about the recent reorganization process and the communication surrounding it. It is clear to me that teachers were excluded from this process and I study burnout. And two of the strongest predictors of turnover are employees not feeling valued and not having meaningful contributions and input into decisions that directly affect them. We cannot preserve excellence through a top- down reorganization process. If we want Bangor to remain a high-erforming districts where families want to live, learn and stay, we need the right people at the table for this reorganization, especially of this magnitude. Teachers, staff, leaders from academics, accelerated programming, special education, band, music, JMG, and all essential other areas that
050make this district what it is. I crisis happen. We all live through CO, but excellent districts respond with transparency, collaboration, and trust in the professionals closest to the work. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> No, I make a specific comment to the agenda item rather than >> No, I'm sorry. Only one comment per for public comment. Yeah, >> city hall. But thank you. >> Absolutely. Thank you. Please, >> Christina Murphy. I'm a resident of Bangor and I, like many in the room, have come to ask for transparency. I have come to ask for data and I have come to ask for time. And I am relieved that a small amount of time has been granted and that additional consideration is being placed on critical decisions affecting our children. But I am still here to plead
051for transparency. I realize that data are never complete and that information can change, but we do not have the information that you have. And without access to relevant findings and reports or the plan and development, we don't have the resources that you have to work with for solutions and we cannot understand. Please share the data being considered as you consider the options. Please do not throw our children into murky fixes. Do not sideline one school in a solution that affects few and so threatens to become a permanent divide. I would consider carefully burdens, safety, transportation, age appropriate facilities, playgrounds, friendships, physical infrastructure. Sidelining elementary students to the high school, for example, would not be safe. Schools need to be accessible by routes other than school bus and car alone. Consider carefully the suggestions of your
052talented teachers on the ground who will guide our children through these tumultuous times and share out ideas, share out evidence, and share out data. Please, as this moves forward, provide transparency in long-term district goals, transparency in information, and transparency in justifications. demonstrate that you have thought through the implications and present a vision for how we can work together and bring our community into shared solutions. Information vacuums by definition arise from a failure to satisfy informationational demands during crisis and we are in an information vacuum. Poor crisis communication is persistent and I cannot stress enough as a parent and as a taxpayer that improvement in information flow and data transparency and this has been mentioned many times is critical before a decision is made not just before or when it is presented. If the goal includes
053current and long-term community support, we as the community need to know the details behind what is happening and most importantly the data just justifying why. >> Thank you. >> Good evening. Uh my name is Megan Anderson of Bangor. Um, I'm an attorney and a mom of both current and future Fairmount students. Um, I'm here like so many others tonight to urge this committee to work with the administration to craft an evidence-based solution to this current crisis just because I think history is helpful to to understanding our current context. I'm just going to go over what happened in the last two weeks. First, it was announced that Fairmont must shutter before the next school year. We were offered options to accommodate our displaced students. We were then told that most of these options weren't feasible. Shortly
054thereafter, Superintendent Robinson announced the selection of a consolidation plan to be implemented in t-minus three months, which was originally set for a vote tonight, but as of this morning, the vote is off, and we're apparently back to the drawing board. Potential solutions for next year include eatking out another year at Fairmont or putting would be Fairmont students at the high school. We've been told that our school is safe to finish out the year. Yet, my fourth grader tells me that for the last two weeks, the windows have been shut tight for air quality testing. Fairmont teachers are beginning to pack their classrooms. Some are looking for other jobs. Unable to get the information that we need from administration, community members are resorting to Freedom of Access Act requests to unravel the factual underpinning of their
055ch of our children's futures. This is chaos. And at the heart of this chaos are more than 250 students and their incredible dedicated teachers. These kids and their teachers and their families deserve to know where they are going to school, not just next year, but in years to come. I appreciate that this committee was able to slow this freef fall by accomplishing this delayed vote. But what must happen before another proposal or option is set forward is for this committee to sit down and ask the difficult questions such as what is the state of fair amount? Uh if the kids are headed back, we need a fullthroated explanation of why it is in fact safe. We need to know the results of those air quality tests. We need to iron out all the logistics if
056we're doing a cross district plan. what so many of my community members have raised already tonight. We need to know what will happen if if we do eek out that extra year at Fairmont if there's a mid-year emergency like Superintendent Robinson has alluded to in the past in order to gather this full information from the administration in order gathering this full information from the administration is essential because we need to understand the scope of the issues before us before we can make any kind of real decision. And what is also essential as so many people have said tonight is to make this information also available to families. All of it, all the data sets, all of the people who worked on these decisions, their their thought process. We we at this point we all need
057to know. Only then can we craft a coherent way forward, not just for next year, but for the next decade. And because no one has cut me off yet, I want to end by acknowledging the incredible work of our teachers who are truly some of the finest educators I have ever interacted with. They deserve all of our gratitude every day. But I'm especially impressed by their professionalism and kindness even in the face of these their anxieties about their own future. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Do we have anyone else for public comment tonight? Please. >> Hello and thank you. I totally don't I'm not jealous of the place that you're in and I know that we're all here for all of our kids. We're here for our community. We're here to make Bangor a
058place that people want to stay, if not at least um come back to. Um there's nothing more personal than making decisions for our kids. When those decisions feel forced upon us, it is difficult. I'm Jodie McDonald and I'm a resident of Bangor. I don't know if I said that. >> Okay. Thank Thank you. When decisions are feel forced upon us, it is difficult and we are here to promote kids who deserve all of our best regardless as a community of Bangor instead of street address because we all do bleed Bangor red. Uh we can't expect academic excellence for blue ribbon students in current structures and facilities. Bangor cannot continue as it is and our kids do deserve equal access to what our schools proudly claim. I spent the last several weeks looking at released data
059on the NWA and NAPE testing to compare the proficiency of Bangor schools with the state and our nation. I have a lot of data points that don't argue. Bangor scores in general are falling since the pandemic, but our vulnerable students are drowning. Students who need additional behavioral or academic resources from schools like 14th Street are sent to other schools like Vine Street. Students who have required additional interventions from Mary Snow have been typically sent to Fairmount. On one hand, I love that they get more support, the support that they need in those schools. But it also skews how both communities perceive themselves. It makes one group less heterogeneous. It overloads another school instead of assuring all children are equally served no matter which school they're at. It makes it appear that one school is better
060than another. Our kids are separated and students with the higher needs are essentially segregated. And as we know from our own history, separate is inherently unequal. It's been a decades long chasm of inequity for our blue riven students and we're uncomfortably forced to immediately make changes and now is the time to deal with the elephant in the room. For these reasons and others, I am in support of consolidating our students much earlier than when they're 14 years old. I'm in support of the decision to consolidate classmates. I'm sure you can come that up. I empathize with the chaos that I know this causes. The heartbreak is recognizable. The upheaval that will happen to families, taxpayers, everybody. We're asking it of our entire community to act together at least with a new plan. If we had
061consolidation that would solve. Sorry, this is where I ended up not editing after four hours. Started panicking, but you get the general gist. I love kids access to education, amazing teachers, amazing peers, and not being pigeonholed. I love students having access to everything. Okay, bye. >> Thank you very much. Thank you. have anybody else for public comment tonight? >> All right, thank you so much for that engagement. We're moving on toformational items. We have a presentation tonight from the Boys and Girls Club of Bangor. Superintendent Robinson. >> Yes, thank you. CEO Katherine Matt will present to the school committee uh information regarding the Boys and Girls Club of Bangor. Thank you. I'm not sure. Okay, there's some time. Thank you. Sorry guys. >> You don't need a appreciate staying in the room for my presentation.
062And if I've what? >> Oh, I have not been part of the school department before. And yes, this is something new. Yeah. Oh, there we go. Okay. Thank you. Just need Is this mouse really moving? Yes, it is. That was helpful. It would be more helpful if that little screen wasn't right in front of >> Can you click on it to move it? >> Oh, I can do that. Okay. >> Sorry. >> Okay, guys. We've got this. We have this. Oops. I'm going to move it even further so I can choose this one. Okay. Thank you. Good evening, school committee members, Superintendent Robinson, uh, district leadership, and Bangor families. Thank you for having me here tonight. My name is Cat Ma and I'm the CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Bangor. And it
063is my privilege to be here with all of you talking about our work and the role we play in supporting Bangor's young people during the out of school time, including our mission and purpose, our student impact, and our partnerships and alignment. The Boys and Girls Club is located in the city's public housing neighborhood known as Kapart, home to just over 500 households with 800 children and teens living among them. To understand why our work matters, it's important to understand the context many of our families are living in. We serve youth from across the city and neighboring towns. However, our location as a key partner in the Bangor Housing's Opportunity Center uniquely positions us to reach young people who need us most. Those whose families face ongoing stress, limited resources, and barriers to opportunity. Over 80%
064of the families we serve live below 200% of the federal poverty level. 81% of our households have a female head of household and 68 um% of those 410 households is a single mom with children. Before the club was established, many young people in this neighborhood had little or no access to safe, engaging spaces like these after school or to the kinds of supportive adult relationships that would help them thrive. Our mission is simple. To help young people reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens. The Boys and Girls Club of Bangor was founded in 2014 because too many young people were growing up believing there was no way up or out, believing that opportunity just wasn't meant for them. And I was one of those young people growing up in KAR. Many of
065the youth we serve face challenges no child should have to navigate alone, including generational poverty, transportation barriers, limited access to basic um needs, including financial uh I'm sorry, food insecurity, and home stressors that make long-term planning, feel out of reach. In recent years, youth needs become even more complex with significantly more youth experiencing anxiety, dysregulation, and emotional needs. We see, and I know you see students coming to school and to club feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, anxious, and sometimes unsafe. Some of those students struggle with attendance. Some struggle with focus or behavior. What they need is what every child needs. Safety, stability, belonging, and adults that they can depend on. And that's exactly what the Boys and Girls Club provides. The club offers free afterchool sum um teen and summer programs for youth in grades K through
06612. And we keep our programs free because it's essential for the majority of the families that we serve. We also provide transportation um ensuring that no child is excluded simply because they can't get to us. And just as important, we provide nutritious meals, including a breakfast and lunch during our summer program and an afterchool meal during the school year so that every young person has the nourishment they need to learn. Every afternoon, students are transported directly from school to the club. When they arrive, they receive a meal and then they move into a predictable routine that includes homework time, enrichment activities, and opportunities to play, socialize, and decompress. In our afterchool program, youth receive daily academic support through a program called Power Hour, along with STEM, art, and hands-on enrichment activities that spark creativity and
067curiosity. They stay active and build healthy habits through triple play. And throughout the day, they're surrounded by caring, consistent adults who provide guidance and structure. One of the biggest shifts, as I've mentioned, we've seen in recent years is the level of social, emotional, and behavioral needs that students are bringing with them. We operate from a traumainformed approach. We understand that behavior is communication. Our staff focus on teaching regulation and not enforcing compliance. We have calm-own corners in every classroom as well as a dedicated wellness zone that students can go to when they need to step away. We also have for the past year have employed a behavior wellness specialist who works directly with students and supports staff in responding consistently and compassionately. And lastly, over the past year, we've partnered with Sweetzer to provide on-site
068mental health counseling for our students, meeting them where they feel comfortable rather than expecting families to navigate complicated referral systems on their own. For our teens, the club becomes a place to grow, lead, and discover what's possible. In our teen center, young people set goals, practice leadership, and learn to make healthy decisions. Our work-based learning program takes that a step further, blending pre-employment training with hands-on practice and paid work experience, helping teens build confidence and essential workplace skills. We offer a new cohort of this program every quarter of the school year as well as during the summer months um to youth entering grades 9 through 12. And we've had participants from Bangor High School, John Baps, Oldtown High School, Orno High School, Herman High School, um, and probably more than I'm not thinking of because
069the program meets kids where they are, provides hands-on learning while doing, while having fun, while getting paid. During the summer months, the club shifts to summer programming, full day summer programming. As you well know, summer is a time when families often lose access to school meals and structured care. It's also when learning loss can occur, especially for students who don't have a lot of enrichment activities. But not at club. Our summer program provides stability, continued learning, and social connection with a special focus on math and literacy. We have a certified teacher who spends 45 minutes on each subject with each group age group implementing level le level literacy intervention as well as a program that we purchased called Mango Math for each of our age groups. Learning also happens beyond our walls. Through field trips,
070our youth have the opportunity to experience new environments, explore different communities, and engage with the world around them, including visits, which we all love, to Maine's beautiful state parks. We also have a a full day, I'm sorry, we also have a successful full day summer program for middle schoolers, keeping them engaged, learning, and active all summer long, and supporting their transition from fifth into sixth grade. one of our best attended programs. Um throughout the year we also support families through parent engagement workshops. We have a food pantry. Um and we offer basic needs resources like we do a backpack drive every year, a winter gear drive. We do an annual holiday toy giveaway. Um but most important of course is we provide free child care for um school age children ensuring caregivers can work or
071attend class with peace of mind um because we know when families thrive kids thrive which leads me to tell you about our two generation program in partnership with Bangor housing that we call moving families forward. This model intentionally supports both children and their caregivers by addressing education, stability, and well-being together rather than in isolation. Moving families forward supports both kids and parents by focusing on six key areas that strengthen the whole family. Over the past 12 months, this program has served 188 families. 72 of those families have increased their income in the past year with an average dollar increase in household income of $19,120. 28 families graduated from the program in the past year and the average escrow or savings check for those 28 graduates was $9,927. Pretty impressive. Speaking of impact, this past year,
072hundreds of youth walked through our doors, each with their own story and each with strengths waiting to be recognized. We served 245 young people with strong participation across all age groups. We served over 12,000 meals and we witnessed measurable growth in academic engagement um along with stronger peer relationships and a deepened sense of belonging. Throughout the year, youth participated in activities connected to our four priority outcome areas. Those are academic success, success, healthy lifestyles, character and citizenship, and life and workforce readiness. And we saw powerful moments every day, whether it was a teen stepping into a leadership role for the first time or a young person feeling genuinely seen on a difficult day. Those daily experiences translate into lasting outcomes that are captured in our annual member survey and include healthier decisionmaking, increased resilience, and
073long-term success in school and beyond. A key part of our success has been strong community partnerships, especially with Bangor Housing and the Bangor School Department as well as other nonprofit organizations like Ottabon seen here with our little explorers. Um, the Girl Scout Girl Scouts seen here, the Y, the Cole Transportation Museum, Challenger Learning Center, Bangalore Police Department, and the Lace Theater Company to name a few. Working together, we're able to offer diverse experiences and access spaces across Bangor where youth feel welcome and inspired. Together, these partners expand the world of possibility for our kids and amplify our impact. One of the most important decisions we made in bringing programming to youth living in public housing was to align ourselves with the most well-known and respected youth serving organization in the world, Boys and Girls Clubs
074of America. That decision allowed us to um leverage national resources, training, and expertise that has strengthened our work every step of the way. Through this partnership, we we've been able to implement highquality evidence-based programming, become a trauma-informed organization, and intentionally cultivate leadership beginning with our teens. As a result of this success, the club has grown rapidly from serving 24 kids with four staff in 2014 when we opened to becoming an independent organization in 2020 to now operating out of our own beautiful clubhouse and reaching hundreds of kids annually. But the most meaningful outcomes aren't numeric. We see kids who feel safe, students who show up consistently, students who build positive relationships with peers and adults. We see young people who know they belong somewhere and that sense of belonging they carry with them. After school
075hours, as everyone knows, can be one of the most stressful parts of the days for family. Parents are trying to work and kids need um supervision, food, help with homework, and most importantly, a safe place to be. When those needs aren't fully met, the impact doesn't stay at home. It shows up the very next morning at school. The barriers students experience outside of school follow them into the classroom as well, affecting focus, behavior, and readiness to learn. That's where after school programs like ours come in. We exist to ab absorb some of that pressure, especially during the hours when students are most vulnerable. When school is out, club is in. For older youth, the club is also a place to build leadership, independence, and future plans. Something we saw clearly with our six graduating seniors
076this year. Because the students we serve are your students. Alignment matters. Our impact is strongest when we share goals, reinforce expectations, and work together. Like schools, we're seeing rising demands across the board. For example, we have 62 children currently on our summer weight list, which is a record high. Families are relying on us not just for enrichment, but for stability and for care. That's why strong partnerships matter now more than ever. Looking ahead, our focus is on sustainability, keeping programs accessible, meeting evolving needs, and deepening collaboration with schools and also with families. Our shared goal is simple, ensuring that every child in Bangor has the support they need, not just during the school day, but beyond it. So, I want to thank you for your time, your leadership, and your commitment to Bangor's students. And
077I greatly appreciate the opportunity for the first time in however many years that we've been open to share our work with you tonight. I'm happy to answer any questions you have. And I invite you all to come tour the club. >> Great. you. >> Thank you so much. And before I um ask my colleagues if they have questions, I just want to I want to say thank you so much for that wonderful presentation and thank you to you and your staff and the educators at the Boys and Girls Club for all you're doing for our kids. You're an important part of the story of of success here in in Bangor in our schools. So, thank you. >> Thank you. Uh, member Cook, >> I have two questions. The first is pretty simple. Do you receive
078federal funding for this program? >> We do receive some federal funding. >> Okay. And is it in jeopardy at all or has it been Okay. >> Yes. >> Um, I'm sorry to hear that. And then secondly, um, I'm this is more of a question for Dr. Robinson, but I'm wondering if we is with this partnership, do we have an awareness of the students who attend the program? >> Yes, we do. at the school level. >> So, I'm wondering if when if it would be possible to look at um when we're tracking attendance and chronic absenteeism rates, if we could look at data to understand if a student is participating in this program, if it has an impact on chronic absenteeism so that we could really use that to lift up this program to show that
079it does positively impact attendance. >> We can definitely look into that. Yes. Thank you. >> What you're saying, but yeah. Member Brighton, do you want to go ahead? >> Thank you very much and truly, um, Cat, thank you so much for this presentation and all of the work that you do. Um, the opportunity center is beautiful and magnificent. Um, and I do feel like it's one of the best kept secrets in Bangor, right, in terms of actually understanding how many students are using this program, how many students could be using this program, and how we could really um, extend participation. I know in the past there had been overlap with the 21st century club and actually bringing boys and girls to the school as opposed to the you know immense generosity you have in bringing
080the students to the club. Is there any future opportunities or could you talk a little bit more about expanding the Boys and Girls Club outside of Down East um and what that might look like in terms of bringing some of that programming directly to the students that need it on their campus? >> Absolutely. because building the opportunity center was to expand our footprint and to be able to serve more kids. We did double the kids, the number of kids we were serving that year and then we outgrew ourselves. >> Yeah. >> Um we have had summers where we did half of our um summer program in down east school and utilized um teachers in the school. Um we are constantly, you know, working on creative solutions to being able to fit more kids within our
081building. Um and one of those was to apply for a 21st century learning grant um this round. Um we have not heard back from it yet. It is also on the chopping block um with the current budget. So we might hear that we got the grant and then hear that there's no funding to put in. Um, but that would allow us to serve, if we could did get that funding, it would allow us to serve kids in the middle school and that would allow us to create more space for our elementary school classrooms. We did do a survey of our students and families to make sure they were okay with that because it would be kids staying at school after school. Um, but it's like I've heard other people say tonight, it's the staff, it's
082the experiences, it's not the space. Um, so that would that would um allow us to fit more youth in the building. We're also going to be getting a tiny bit more space within the next um 12 months that we'll be able to expand and add an additional classroom as well. And we're going to be spending some time at Hust University in their esports facility. Um so all of these, you know, partnerships that we have and creative ways of looking at different grants. Um, but we're always open to hearing any other ideas or any ways that we can expand our footprint because we don't want to just be on the west side of Bangor. We don't want to just be serving down east, Fairmont, Dowy, and Bangor High School students. And actually, we do have kids
083from um other parts of Bangor, but like you said, it's a secret that not everybody knows about and we don't advertise it because we're film. I know. >> Yeah. It's a double-edged sword. >> Yeah. >> Thank you so much. >> Question. Yeah, >> member speed. >> Thank you so much for this presentation. We're incredibly fortunate to have your organization in Bangor. Um, I just wanted to highlight some of the things that I heard and I really appreciated which was your emphasis on kids coming to your space and feeling safe, having that stability, that sense of belonging and having access to those mentors. You can see it in the pictures. It's wonderful to see uh our students um you know uh becoming those mentors after possibly being mentored. So that's wonderful. Um I also appreciate what
084you said about uh emphasizing regulation, not compliance. So thank you for that. Uh and hands-on learning. It's a wonderful way to learn and I'm I'm really pleased to hear that that's happening. um the the weight list of 62 folks on the summer program is, you know, it's it's it's in on one hand a great thing for your program to have um you know, that demand, but it's also alarming as well. Um to those to those families that don't get that access. Um and I I just wanted to again thank you uh for for all that you do. Um, but I also wanted to give you the opportunity to ask you, you know, um, how can we help you? You help us in so many ways. How can we help you? >> I think, um, member
085Cook had a really great idea. Um, one of the things that we're doing is we are going to be hiring a part-time data specialist this school year because it's very hard for us to, you know, uh, leverage funding, find funding, secure funding without being able to sto do a good job telling the story of the work that we're doing. Um we are working with one of our private foundations that um does uh support our work quite a bit um to kind of identify what some of those areas could be that we could be measuring. Um but it is very difficult to access. Uh for example, right now we have our summer teacher coming in during our afterchool hours to pre-est our kids that are going to be in the summer programming program because we want
086to do a pre-math test and a pre-iteracy test and doing that for all of the kids could take the first two weeks of the summer program. We have asked the school to share um records with us. We need reading levels and we need math uh local ma local math scores. And we obviously run into some hesitation when it comes to data sharing. We've tried to work out anou data sharing agreement and we also do get releases from all of our families, but you still need that person on the ground that's willing to do that work and we don't have that. So that's something that we could use. It would help us to write grants. So it would help us to even get, you know, maybe individual donors, um, corporate donors, people that are interested in
087supporting us. >> Thank you. I appreciate that input. >> Absolutely. >> Thanks, Member Speed. Any other questions? All right. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> All right. We're moving on to Superintendent's update. Superintendent Robinson, >> thank you. So, um, just starting off with some overarching, um, items in terms of schools and programs. Um, just a reminder that graduation is June 6th, which is a Saturday this year at 4 p.m. at the Cross Center. Um, we have lots of endofear activities being planned. Um, just attended the spring concert at the high school last evening, which was amazing. So many talented students um, performing and then upcoming many awards ceremonies. Um we're looking forward to uh we are expanding our composting program to align with legislative requirements. Um we have a uh wonderful student instructional
088video on how to take your lunch items and compost those that will be shared um so that we can spread that information to other schools. Um so we're looking at in terms of the reorganization um developing a timeline for the next steps. Um and I just want to um really reiterate the desire of the school department to maintain the collaboration and transparency that everyone is desiring and and I think that um when we get back to our focus on the strategic listening um sessions and the strategic planning that was started last year in an effort to avoid unfortunately what we're doing right now. So I just want to reiterate that desire for a collaborative process. Um we are continuing with um looking at the analysis of those listening sessions and that will be presented also
089at our next meeting on the 28th. Um and that is our hope is to continue to have an informed process for those long-term decisions. Um we are expanding like I mentioned um looking again at some options that initially didn't seem possible. Um trying to bring that creative lens, understanding deeply that the Fairmont community values their school, which is amazing and wonderful and I don't want that to get lost in this no more than anyone else does. Um but it does come down to safety at this point. So um we are I think member Sprag mentioned um this is our reality right now and I am hoping that we can all move forward together and come up with a solution that is going to work. Um again we have to gather the details which we are
090in process of. Um we are um currently working with um Dunar and Braw the contractor to come in and assess Fairmount as soon as possible. So, that's some new information. Um, and this information is it's rapidly happening. So, I it's frustrating um that it can't come out as quickly as I'd like it to. Uh, but this is a a process. So, any of the options barring um you know, well, any of them require research and time and hours of our staff. So, um, I'm trying to ensure that the information I have is accurate before communicating it outward because I do believe that that would create even more confusion. So, um, I do apologize if it appears as though things are not being communicated. The that is certainly not the intent. The intent is to ensure
091it's accurate, that it can be relied on. And again, we're revisiting. We're expanding. I'm checking in. And I'm wait awaiting calls from uh commercial realtors looking at other spaces in the community and again re-examining our facilities to determine if another option is possible. So that's kind of the uh update. And just in terms of of the reasoning around Fair Mountain, um I'll reiterate this again. This is likened to um an any old home, any old building that has had deferred maintenance and suddenly something happens. That's what's happening at Fair Mount. Yet, could we roll the dice and put 300 people in a building? I wouldn't. And that's what I'm trying to avoid. So when we have unexpected roof leaks, we discover unexpected things in that ceiling. My thought goes to the winter of 26 and
092what if leaks occur again? I don't think that's a safe environment for students. I certainly would not want to have to do this process in the middle of the winter or next spring when we may only have a two to four week window to evacuate every person and possibly lose a lot in the process. So I know it seems sudden. It's unfortunate that things hadn't been addressed in the past 8 to 10 years, but this is where we are. And I can assure you that everyone is working diligently to ensure that this plan is something that will work. Again, I echo member Surret's message of safety. We are looking out for the safety and yes, a building can be patched up for a two to three month period of time and that's what we've done.
093but to roll the dice for another 12 months, I'm not sure that's the position that we want to put our children or our staff in. So, I I understand completely the frustration, the concern, and all of the emotions tied in with this difficult process. And I do believe we're going to get through this together. And I want to thank the staff that have reached out and they recognize the hard work and the families. I've gotten many positive comments of this is hard and we're behind you and we want to work together to find a common solution for everyone and that's what we're trying to do. So that that's really at this point the most up-to-date information are we're examining other options. We're looking into all those details and again that takes time. We have to
094examine schedules. We have to look at feasibility of the logistics. All of the things that have been discussed and and mentioned by our parents and families, those are the things that are are being looked into. And I understand the frustration of not having minute-by-minute communication. It's unfortunately not possible because the other piece that I think we have to keep in mind is that the day-to-day running of the school are still occurring and everyone has a day-to-day job that they are doing in addition to this layered on challenge that we are all facing together. So again, I understand the frustration. and I'm happy to answer any particular questions to the best of my ability at this point, but that's where we are as a school department. >> Sure. Member Brighten. >> Um, thank you very much.
095Um, and I I Oh, >> yeah. >> Thank you very much. And I do appreciate um the opportunity to pivot and recognize that there are still things being that are coming in that we're seeing um every single day. It's clearly a very personal um situation and I I'm I know that it Thank you very much for coming here tonight to speak and to share. Thank you very much for pausing and listening. I think that these are all really important things that we're just demonstrating the adaptability and humanity behind how this works. >> Absolutely. >> Um I think that a lot of great ideas have come from the community because there are people that went to that went themselves as a tongue a fair amount. >> Absolutely. >> Um and and you know have that historical
096knowledge and so I think that's why having these listening sessions is going to be so critical. My questions for those are while I appreciate the opportunity to be in small groups so that people are actually able to share and communicate. I want to ensure that there's I guess even for myself a clear understanding that this is going to be an opportunity for families to share their best practices, their ideas, what they have come up with. one, can you confirm that in terms of like that's what we'll be doing because it is a really short window and I'm anxious about that >> an hour. >> Oh yes. >> Um and then also for folks that are not able to attend, how can we get that information out to them to be able to say like this
097is what was shared, this is what was discussed. I mean, I know we're anti-AII in some some of us, but like there are some really great apps that can capture that data and get it out in real time so there isn't the delay if we can be creative too and how we um can actually make sure that if you're not able to attend the listening session. I I think that people have done a great job sharing their ideas via email. I encourage that to continue so that we have a full list. But afterwards on, you know, May 19th, you're right, people have to go back to their, you know, real jobs and and take time away. How can we get that information out? >> Sure. And I think those are things that we're we're still
098trying to finalize at this point because it is uh I do want to capture that and that is why the idea to organize the collection of that data and and have breakout rooms. While I know that it's a short window, it also is something that now we've had some time to think about and consider and many people are bringing a lot of those ideas and things together. >> Um so the idea is to have those breakout sessions, come back and um still finalizing the details but gather that data and share it out through themes through um specifics as much as we can and as quickly as we can. And that's why I I I am happy that we are at this point despite I know that it's challenging for staff to have this unknown for
099another two weeks. I do feel that this delay is necessary because we do have so many wonderful ideas coming through that we just want to make sure everything is solidified before making this vote. So I do want to reiterate that. Um, and I'm having the May 18th, which is uh just coming up on Monday, still provides us with a little bit of time before the vote needs to occur. So that turnaround time, we will be working diligently to gather that information and share that out. >> Do you envision, thank you very much for that. Do you envision um having a clear gathering of all of the data and that information and that feedback in a way that is clear what the direction might be prior to the vote? That's my hope. Absolutely. Yes. I' I'd
100like it not to happen, you know, too close to the vote. I'd like to do a similar, you know, announcement in advance so that, you know, and and we could even do options. I mean, I'm I'm happy to present multiple options that can be discussed and then voted on. >> Yeah. I I think that, you know, while I appreciate all of the options going out and all of that information that was coming back in real time that said, you know, actually this is not on the table anymore, that was helpful to at least have that information even though the the the timing was unfortunate in terms of, you know, I already voted on that, now I'm getting these numbers. if we can have and I know this is your intention. Um I just want to
101say out loud a really a clear opportunity to ensure that all of that information is collected so that when we do vote it's you know we all the questions that we got before this vote if we were to vote tonight that were still were not answered. Just ensuring that we have all of those questions answered and out and as as clear as possible. And I appreciate you working on that and I appreciate all of the staff working on that. And again to everyone that continues to share their really creative ideas. >> Wish we could fit in the opportunity center. Cat, if you could work on that for us. So that would solve all our problems. >> Thank you. >> Member Sprag. >> I think Member Cook had her hand up first. I'll defer you to
102>> Member Cook. >> Thank you, Member Sprag. Uh Dr. Robinson, um some of the comments that we've received um through email and some of the comments tonight, um I think there needs to be some clarity on sort of where we are in the budget process. Um some people have kind of indicated, you know, there's no line item to fix fair amount or to kind of deal with this crisis. Um, and just last week, you know, we're we had already voted on the budget, you know, over a month ago to, you know, move it forward. And council had said, even though we're under 5%, like what can you cut? What would you choose to cut? Um, and so I'm hopeful that for the people um here tonight and maybe for the people watching, you could kind
103of explain why there's nothing in the budget based on sort of this crisis situation that we're at. >> There isn't nothing in the budget. there's capital improvements for every single school. Um, and one thing that I will reiterate is that our school budget and every school budget has contingencies filter uh factored in there. So there is not a specific line that says fair amount reorganization or those specific items. Uh we had already allocated for a roof project. So that is in the budget. There is funding in the budget. Um it depending upon what we find uh working with the contractor and once we get the specific estimates that will be another conversation. It may exceed what is currently in our budget and that will be something that will have to be determined in terms of
104next steps or possibilities of how we'd like to proceed. >> Thank you. >> I'm just going to ask a quick one. So, there's clearly tonight several people mentioned this concern about this plan not truly being temporary and and every conversation we've had and my understanding is that this is a temporary reorganizational plan for the 2026 2027 school year and and we're going to you know 2027 2028 could could be different is going to look different. Is that am I understanding that correctly? Can you communicate that? >> Absolutely. uh this is something that is temporary to so that we can assess and determine the next steps of how we're going to proceed with repairs and again once I I don't have the specific estimates yet so I can't make that decision. Um that will come once
105we have that information and it will be a proposal to the council or to the to the school committee. um any kind of long-term decisions is a statute that has to be followed through the the main department of ed in terms of a a full long-term closure. That's a lengthier process that goes through um things that I'm still looking into right now. Um so yes, this is this is a temporary reorganization so that we can determine what our next steps are. And the aim is to wrap everything up in one year, make the changes if desired to fair amount, and then proceed for the following year as we have. >> Thank you, members. >> Thank you. Uh, I do want to say that when you came in to be the superintendent, you didn't sign up
106for this. And this is part of having old buildings, but I know it's been hard on you. I know. And the staff, we we should have had a facilities committee going back 10 years ago. And we all have a piece of ownership in that that we haven't. Uh, but I want to say publicly, I think I have to, I feel compelled to, that I don't feel like the communications have been sufficient on this. I think it should be 10x what we've done. We should have FAQs up on our website now with every question we could possibly anticipate. There's people working on this are like further along in thinking about it because you have to be you had your head down working on it. But people are like five miles back on is it safe to
107be in Fairmont right now and why is it safe now and not in the fall. People don't understand that foundational question. So I want next week and maybe in the listening sessions to get clear answers for that like why is it that fair amount is not is it can't be used next year. Who decided when did they decide? What are the costs if we want to rehab fair amount? What does that look like? What is the timeline? because people are still trying to like understand what the impact of the asbestous might be on their kids and like that's just baseline communications that we should have out there and we don't anywhere. So, I want us to have the mindset of I want parents to be so sick of us communicating that they are mad at
108us for overly communicating because I think we should be in their inboxes every step of the way. I think we should have had an emergency meeting on this as soon as it was identified a long time ago. Well, not I don't I don't know. Was it is it four weeks ago? Is it eight weeks ago? I don't know. I don't know. But we should have had that meeting and I think we could have built relationship with the community faster and gotten more buy in sooner um had we done that. So I want to reset now and just really commit ourselves to as abundant and transparent and clear communications as we can possibly have. And the last point I'll make, I don't think one hour on east side and west side on Monday is going to
109be enough for this. I think we have to budget more time. It's you can feel the energy in the room. The listening sessions have been publicized. I expect robust turnout. I'll be at both myself for sure. I think other people will be too. But whoever said it earlier, this is absolutely the most important thing any of us will ever deal with in our terms here. This is a one-sided generation moment issue for us to navigate and I think that our communications has to reflect that that is how we see it. >> Me, I just say one thing. If we were to have another I I do agree that it's a short window of time. I just want to urge um opportunities for folks to attend online if if they don't have the transportation, if they
110don't have the means to come to the school in person, their voice should matter just as much. So, whatever that looks like. Absolutely. >> Um I think it's going to be really important process. Thank you. >> Member O'ir. >> Uh thank you. Um just to piggy back off of what member Sprag said, I'm just thinking um throwing ideas out there about starting a page like a website, you know, on the Bangor School Committee page. I mean the Bangor website um a a separate page just for information about this you know information about you know the old point study the you know um updates about the the listening sessions like up to date you know information about um ideas that we've considered that have been discarded ideas that are on the table now you know the
111you know the presentation that uh Dr. Rison was going to give today and that's um going to happen next week like that slides deck just things that people are just wondering like or maybe the asbestous maybe even you know um a summary of why like uh member spread said why you know the the urgency is now and why you can't um do it over the summer and why you know just explanation things like that. So, a parent is like, I you know, I we've been in it and a I have a lot of questions that a lot of people have, but there's also a lot of questions that were answered months ago that I know a lot of parents weren't paying attention to or for right reasons um that I feel like, oh, they know
112or you know, the Oak Center, Oak Point Center study being one of them, um that they don't know or they don't remember or they kind of vaguely, you know, so just some place that they can just continuously go to um for updates. I don't know. I I also know that I understand that it's not as easy as just saying that because somebody has to monitor it and someone has to update it and there's the daily activities of the school going on continuously and there's not an HR department there's not a you know like there's lots of things that um multiple people have to do um but I would just suggest that but I heard a lot of people um today and in emails you talking about um the lack of transparency and the lack of
113trust and I would just like to give uh Dr. Robertson an opportunity to just, you know, just say how um she plans on um restoring the trust to some of the parents um who feel that there have been um a broken um feeling in that trust. >> Sure. Um first I just want to say we do have a dedicated web page right now on our website. Yes. And that was shared in >> maybe sorry just to interrupt. Maybe that in and of itself is a problem because there is a dedicated page but a lot of parents me included um don't know that or don't visit it. Um and the problem is with me I know all this information so I don't go seeking it out but a lot of parents don't know that this exists
114and even just publicizing that the fact that that's there and I had this conversation with you before. You tell them what you're going to tell them. You tell them and you tell them what you told them. So you just have to keep honing it even though you said it already and it's already been said. you just got to keep putting it out there because a lot of people are listening here, not listening there. And I'll leave at that. >> We can we can send that out again. And uh the aim is, you know, really looking at that longer term strategic planning process and the the shifts that we've made right now. Um I feel as though this is being responsive to the community. Um again, you know, we have a longer term facilities discussion to
115have. Um, as I think was noted, um, I did just arrive last year and, um, two years ago, I knew nothing about Fairmont. I am looking to do what is in the best interest of this school department and this community, and that's what I signed up for. I take this job very seriously, and I do plan on working through the challenges. Um, it's unfortunate the way that this has uh, transpired. Um but again going back to that open transparency um I feel as though we have broadened our partnerships expanded beyond what uh the school department has done historically in terms of communication in terms of monthly newsletters. Um those will continue in terms of the reports that I provide um at each of our school uh committee meetings. Um, so those will continue. Um, and
116I I'm hopeful that we can get through this and folks will realize that there is no aim or no attempt to circumvent anything. It's the idea to make sure we're prepared to have a safe environment for the fall. >> Member Speed, please. >> Yeah, I want to I want to start and thank um, Superintendent Robinson for her efforts on this. I know that there's a lot going on and I appreciate the work that you're putting into it. The administrators, the folks in our school, um our teachers, and the community members that are putting forth incredible ideas, and I have all faith that those ideas will keep coming, and I have all faith that um you know, on Monday, we're going to there may be another idea out there. Um, so I think I think uh
117to echo uh member Sprag's uh sentiment about overcommunicating, I I completely agree and and and and uh member O'Kee about having a page that is the single source of truth. Um I hope tonight we can have a lot of answers, you know, to questions that community members have and then they can be on that page. Um I was really uh encouraged to hear that um you and Director Finny are collecting um the questions all the questions that are coming in and there's a lot coming in. So to have the time to sift through those thoughtfully and then to um put them into an FAQ I think is a wonderful idea. So thank you for that. >> Um you know going through this process just like the folks that are here tonight and and the parents
118we are parents too and we're thinking about this process as well and what the the best uh decision will be. Um it is a short-term reorganization but there are options that will have long-term effects um for generations, decades uh in fact to come. So um you know there are options that will be incredibly difficult to untangle next year if we if we select um you know uh there's an option that uh this year's fourth grader uh might have a new school next year as a fifth grader and then if Untangled would have a new school as a sixth grader. Um, so I you know, I think that for me coming tonight, I really appreciate um your listening and hearing the concerns of the community, but also the committee uh and taking a pause and really
119thinking this through and allowing the parents to to comment on the 18th and and gather more um input. the um what my hope was with the survey was that the survey would would help us make the decision tonight uh so that we could move forward. Um however the information uh that we have from the survey um regardless of whether you are comfortable with consolidating grades at an earlier level from 4 through 8 or finding a temporary option that is truly uh available to give us time to think for a year deeper about what that citywide consolidation looks like um whether a lease or not. And so when the survey results came out that we didn't have lease we and I know you looked and the team looked exhaustively at at options um which I commend
120you for and um I felt coming into um tonight it would have been difficult for me to to make a vote um based off of the information that I have the data that I have regardless of which choice I selected because I I did take the survey um the evidence wasn't necessarily adding up to the choice um uh or the choices and I I felt like I needed more information and I needed to feel like that essential question of are is the city ready to consolidate at younger ages uh grade four through eight or does a community really value the community schools the ability to bike and walk to their school and to keep kids together within their neighborhoods. And so that evidence wasn't necessarily there for me yet. And um I have confidence over
121the next two weeks that we have to take whatever evidence we have to make the decision because we have to make a decision as soon as we can. But I I just want to reiterate that it's important that we are fast but we are right. Right. is and and and I I want to emphasize that that we get out information as fast as we can and I trust that you are and that your staff is working tirelessly to do so, but it's also important to have that accuracy as you mentioned. I think that's really really to be commended. But here's my question. Uh I know that was longwinded, but here's my question of the survey without dollar figures attached to it. I know a lot of folks wanted to have the ability to comment on
122the dollar figures attached to it, but it was actually really helpful to answer that essential question of whether folks were have an interest in consolidating citywide or to maintain their neighborhood schools as much as possible. Options one, two, and four actually gave choices that uh that um included citywide consolidation at some grade level. 75% of um respondents chose options one, two, and four. Options three and five, 25% of respondents chose options that actually included um uh I'm sorry, I have do I have that backwards? TW Yes, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Um, options three and five. 25% of respondents chose options that were city-wide consolidation. Thank you for allowing me to correct myself. Options one, two, and four. 75 of respondents uh chose options uh in the reverse um to keep their neighborhood schools.
123What I just wondered if you could and I know you've been here for just you know under two years, but what does that what does that data tell you? like what does what does that tell us? >> I think that's a result of why we're pausing right now. That's that's what we're paying attention to very closely because again I haven't been here for that long. So, you know, I'm relying on the team. I'm relying on the community and we're pausing to re-evaluate everything based on that information that we've received. >> Thank you. Appreciate that. Member Cook, >> I am assuming there's been um conversations and communication with the union. However, um if there hasn't already been um a survey of the Fairmont staff and listening sessions with the Fairmont staff, um I would like to
124um ask or request that that be something that we add to this um because I think their um their feedback and um their um opinions are very important in sort of how we proceed and I I think it's important for the committee to consider that in any decisions that we make. >> Thank you, Member Cook. Any other questions at this point in the superintendent's update? >> Member Speed. >> Um yeah, so I was wondering about um uh facilities committee, you know, the suggestions. A lot of folks have been wondering, you know, um who who is uh who is on the team and and I I'm sure it's a wonderful team uh of very gifted and and dedicated folks. But can that committee uh include uh uh parents uh students, staff, engineers, um others who can
125be a part of that process, you know, can be in in the room at the table um to explore these options or is that something that could be considered moving forward? >> It's uh 100% the plan moving forward. um the facilities committee. I've I've had a facilities committee at a previous role and that included uh members of all of the um stakeholder groups that you just mentioned, student, staff, community members, um those that have the facility knowledge, engineers, and such. Um we're actually um exploring opportunities with some uh companies that can come in and help to support this process to make sure that all of the accurate information is shared in a way that everyone can understand and can make those the best decisions moving forward. Um I'll just go back to again that original
126timeline which has been disrupted um through this um unfortunate situation. Uh but on May 28th, we are going to have a presentation of our draft analysis of the listening sessions that included all of those stakeholder groups that you mentioned in terms of supporting the process of refining and revising our strategic plan and facilities being a component of that. Um so next steps beyond that absolutely to answer your question. >> I have more questions unless anybody else Let's go ahead and ask Pat question. >> So I think that's wonderful, you know, because having folks at the table is is really important and you mentioned the strategic listening and strategic planning. I think that's really wonderful timing actually to hear that and I would suggest we hear that before um we we go take this to a
127vote so that we can really listen to that and listen to those um listening sessions. Um, as I mentioned before, you know, my goals are safety, educational opportunities, community input, minimum disruption, and whether it's attainable. Like all of the options that are being presented, including option three, which a lot of folks have given us their their feedback on, is it is are these options attainable? And and my second part of the question is, do we all agree on those goals or are there other goals that the committee has that I haven't heard of? Yeah. Members, >> can I just jump in? I think we are exhausting the subject tonight and this is worth its own conversation next week that I'm like 100% with you by the way and I don't mean to be undercutting it,
128but I just feel the room is restless a little bit. It's a school night. Uh, I think that maybe we could take some of this offline, but like the the questions are worthy that we should anticipate people bringing Monday night and then the following Wednesday. Um, >> member speed, are you willing to bring those to? >> Are you are you suggesting a workshop that we could actually make sure we're on the same page with the same way to measure how this decision is going to be made? Yeah, I mean I would have a series of workshops if we need to. Again, it's the most important thing we're going to deal with. So, I'm not totally comfortable with just waiting to two weeks out. I think we need many check-in points between now and then. I
129didn't mean to cut you off either, but >> I do just want to reiterate that I think it would be Sorry, I'm not >> No, please go ahead. >> Um, yeah. Um it and again because transparency is so important, I want to be very clear that taking it offline will not mean that these conversations will continue to happen in a vacuum, but that we can be having these conversations in places where we can get direct answers because I do feel like you've been very communicative when I ask you direct questions and give me direct information. And I think this opportunity is really important. Um and I know that you're you're obviously getting that information out as quickly as you can. So having this opportunity to really understand the numbers and look at this, I I
130think it would be important to do this in at the like I said at the very least streamed or or allowing folks to participate in a meaningful way if we have workshops. I mean just making sure that that is as accessible as possible because I do think that workshops are going to be incredibly important to making sure that we all have all the information and that we've been clear on the information. I basically don't want to get to the 28th and be like, "Oh, I wonder how they're going to vote." Like, I really want to be really clear like this is what makes the most sense for all of these reasons. And collectively, we see it's in the best interest of all of our students. I know that is what everybody is working on. That's
131what everybody wants. I just think that being able to make it as clear as humanly possible that that is what's happening and that's how we got to that point is going to be really helpful. >> Absolutely. >> Thank you, Member Braden. Are we ready to move forward? >> Yeah. No, I I appreciate that and I appreciate members. Uh he reads the room much better than I do. Um seriously, he does. Um so I appreciate that. Um and uh you know, I want to make sure that the 18th is uh full of solutions, conversation, two-way communication, and listening. Key key listening. Um and I and I know that folks are are getting tired. It's getting late, but I'd rather exhaust the questions tonight and get the answers we need so that that 18th listening session is
132as productive as possible. If not, then perhaps a workshop beforehand that can exhaust all of those questions such as some things that have been brought up tonight, some things in public comment that haven't been answered. Um, you know, uh, you know, the the why and where we are and what we know and what we don't know. So, um, so yeah, so I think that's important. And and then lastly, I, um, I hope that we can come together on the 28th and have two options. I like your suggestion, Superintendent Robinson, to have two options. And, um, it's okay if they're opposing options, you know, um, but, you know, to have two two good options is the goal. >> Thank you, Member Speed. Superintendent Robinson, you continue with your report. >> Sure. Um, so I am uh
133pleased to announce and this is coming up in a a little bit in our agenda that we do have a new director for our regional program. Um, our budget process continues. The city presentation was last week. The vote will be in June. Uh, our CDS transition is happening right now. We've been interviewing for an assistant director to support this uh this transition. Um and the cell phone policy changes will be in effect August 1st and those uh that's being worked through our policy committee. Um and then for the the region and state, we are in the process of compiling our end ofear um DOE reporting. >> Okay, very good. Uh moving on to report of reassignment. Superintendent Robinson, >> I'm reporting the following reassignments for the 2627 school year. Barbara Cloey from grade 1 teacher
134at Down East school to grade two teacher at Down East school. Garrett Johnson from physical education teacher at Fruit Street School to physical education teacher at Bangor High School. Jenna Ker from art teacher at Fairmount to for and 14th Street schools to art teacher at Bangor High School. Renee Peron from social worker8 William S. Cohen School and 2 Mary Snow School to social worker at William S. Cohen School. >> Great. Thank you. And now we have report of resignations. Superintendent Robinson, >> I'm reporting the following resignations for the 2627 school year. Jacob Clark, grade 1 teacher, Vine Street School. Maria Glidden, occupational therapist districtwide. And Marie Roberts, special education teacher, William S. Cohen School. Robert Young, assistant girls soccer coach, Bangor High School. Jason Smith, JV boys basketball coach, Bangor High School. Donald Herb, JV
135girls basketball coach, Bangor High School. Thank you. And now we're moving to um business action items. We have some minutes. Superintendent Robinson. >> I'm recommending approval of the draft minutes of the April 29th, 2026 regular school committee meeting. >> I have a motion. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All those in favor? >> 70. Thank you. >> Next, we have a financial report. Superintendent Robinson. >> I'm recommending approval of the bids and quotation report for May of 2026. >> Can I have a motion? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Uh, any discussion? All those in favor? >> 7. Thank you. >> All right. Moving to personnel. Looks like we don't have any administrator nominations. We do have >> one administrator. >> Oh, we do have an administrator nomination. Superintendent Robbins, >> I'm recommending
136the following administrator nomination for the 2026 2027 school year with a one-year probationary contract. Uh Jenny Hudner as the director of the Bangor Regional Program. >> Great. I have a motion, please. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All those in favor? >> 70. Thank you. And uh Jenny is here this evening, so thank you and uh welcome aboard. Welcome and thanks for joining us tonight. Uh moving to teacher nominations. We have new teachers uh for 2026 2027 school year. Superintendent Robinson. >> I'm recommending the following teacher nominations for the 2627 school year with a one-year probationary contract. Colin Greybert, Coral, a music teacher at the Bangor High School. >> Have a motion. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All those in favor? 70. Thank you. >> All right. Donations. What do
137we have for donations tonight? Member Sprag. >> Thank you, Mr. Chair. To James F. Dudy School from the DMT fund, a cash donation to support students having a total dollar value of $200. Make a motion to accept with gratitude. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All those in favor? Thank you very much. Um, moving to second reading of revised policies. Are we agreeable to take them together? >> Yes, we are. >> No. Uh, member speed, you want to pull? >> Yep. You want to pull one out, member speed? >> No, I'd like to I'd like to pull out the uh cell phone policy separately than the others, please. >> Well, this is for the second reading. The the we're doing the second readings right now. >> Yep. >> For the second reading, I am not opposed.
138>> Not opposed. Okay. Superintendent Robinson, >> I'm recommending approval of the second reading of revised policies. Revised policy. IGD co-curricular and intercolastic programs revised policy IGH academic contests for students revised policy IHBA program for multilingual learners >> I have a motion please >> moved >> second >> any discussion member speed >> I want to thank uh Dr. Dr. Harris Medberg and the policy uh committee. Thank you for your hard work on this and thank you for inviting me to um dig in a little bit more on policy IGD um co-curricular and interclassic programs. Um had a really nice conversation. and thank you for including me on that about uh my previous concerns about late arrivals home uh from from these events right in the instance of folks getting home at 1:00 a.m. and and uh
139the importance of communicating that ahead of time um despite it being discouraging to participation and perhaps um an equity issue. It's it's important to be mindful of it. Um because students don't just go to school and and play intercalactic scholastic programs. Um but they work um they work in the evenings, they work on the weekends as well. I was encouraged though by the language that was adjusted. Um so I appreciate that. Um particularly the language of that that co-curricular interscolastic and school activities included including but not limited to rehearsals, practices, performances, games and contests shall be scheduled within the following guidelines unless otherwise authorized by the super school superintendent of schools to meet unique circumstances. And I just wanted to have a brief discussion about how what qualifies as you as a unique circumstance needing
140to be approved by the superintendent and what examples have arisen. >> That hasn't been something that has occurred in my time here. I don't know if Dr. Harris Medberg you can speak to that at all. >> Could be extenduating circumstances like that might be an overnight trip that like some of these have gone in statewide comp out of state competitions. Um, it also could be something that the a bus breaks down and then we have to make that adjustment weather related. But if it were something that would require the superintendent's prior approval, it would be a special consideration like I said the type of field trip or an experience um like when you have to also vote for like when they go to the um what teacher Hendricks is doing with um the international travel
141and but it it would be a very like Dr. Robinson never said she says hasn't had any of these and I don't know Mr. Dr. Butler if you've have any of these experiences that are beyond that on a regular basis. >> Sure. >> The mic's not on. I don't think it's it's red up there. >> Yeah. >> No, but I shared a little bit. It's it's exceedingly rare >> that we'd have, you know, I can't think of a time, and this policy is new, but I can't think of a time when we were heading into something that by design or plan or circumstance would have students get home that late. I do recall painfully times when circumstances usually at a regional or a high level competition uh dramatics was one this was years ago uh
142one year I think it was three or four years ago we had a football game that you know our schedule's changed quite a bit um you know uh recently with our games coming closer but there was one instance where a set of factors field readiness I don't recall in particular had students home after midnight that was travel down in the Portland area. Uh I see very few instances absent the prior approval of the nature of the things that assistant superintendent mentioned that would um you know require advanced approval. We've started talking about the benefits now of a closer of conference schedules for athletics. Um, you know, even reducing more so the possibility it'll be a super late night. Try to communicate timely. Um, manage issues as they come up and um don't feel it will
143be a a real issue moving forward. And I can corroborate. I I don't think I've had a conversation along these lines out of necessity with the superintendent over the last couple of years, changing nature of schedules, etc. You know, we have made I shared last time uh last meeting, we made decisions to forego certain types of experiences for kids, not because they're not quality, uh but because I didn't have confidence that a bad pattern of uh lack of consideration of how the travel would impact our kids in particular. Well, we just decided that we wouldn't we would do things on a local level, school level that did their best to um replace um those activities. But even that one thing, and I don't want to mention out loud, I'm being a little obtuse. I don't
144want to denigrate an organization that does good things for kids. There was a period of time where there was one particular program that's important and valuable just wasn't cutting it for us and I pulled the plug. They've s they've recently come back and gained confidence again that it's worth our time and our effort that their their effort to plan things that are efficient and well done matches you know our goal of having kids be in efficient fun things. So, uh, very limited, uh, very few advanced, uh, approvals other than overnights. Uh, very few things that I foresee, um, transgressing against the policy as outlined now. >> Awesome. Thank you. That's really helpful. Appreciate it. Thank you, Dr. Butler. >> All right. We ready to vote? All those in favor? >> 70. Thank you. >> All
145right. So for first reading of new and revised policies, why don't we take member speed, you still want to pull out uh number 11. So let's take uh number one through 10 uh together and vote on those and then we'll uh take number 11 separately. Superintendent Robinson. >> I'm recommending approval of the first reading of new and revised policies. New policy BID school committee member compensation and expenses. Revised policy GDB5 lunch aid comp compensation guide. Revised policy GDB6 executive office compensation guide. Revised policy GDB7 support staff compensation guide. Revised policy GDB8 adult and community education compensation guide. Revised policy GDB9, Supplemental Compensation Guide. Revised policy GDB10, Technology Compensation Guide. Revised policy IHBA, referral pre-referral of students with disabilities. Revised policy IHBAC, child fines for special education and/or related aids and services. Revised policy JIC, student
146code of conduct. And >> I have a motion. >> So move. >> Second. >> Any discussion? Member Cook. Looking at policy JIC, I noticed the reference at the bottom and I'm just wondering if the policy committee would consider looking at uh the National Association of Family School and Community Engagement Resources. They have these eight core competencies and one of the things that's missing from this student code of conduct is families and caregivers and I think that's really important at the um right now they're called consequence levels. Um, and so I'm hoping we can look at those um, levels and integrate families and caregiver caregivers into those levels because right now they're missing um, and maybe reframe that language to make it more about those tiered interventions. So that's just um, a suggestion I have um,
147before the second reading. >> Thank you, Member Cook. Any other discussion? Oh, member set. All those in favor? >> 70. Thank you. >> All right. Uh we're going to take revised policy JJ separately. Superintendent Robinson. >> Um recommending approval of first reading of new and revised policy JICJ, student use of cell phones and other electronic devices. >> And I have a motion. >> I'd like to make a motion, if I could, please, uh to to table this to the June 10th meeting. I have several questions about this and I know that we were um told we would we would get a report from from Bangor High School about how the cell phone policy is is doing this year. I'd love to hear that. Um I know last meeting we talked about conduct having our student
148rep perhaps conducting a survey. So I have several questions tonight that I'd like to dig into tonight on this policy if there's an appetite to continue to discuss um further. Um but I'd like to make a motion that we table this till June. And I think we'd still be able to meet our August 1st uh deadline to have it approved. Okay, there's a motion. Uh is there a second? >> I will second it. >> Okay, any discussion? >> All those in favor? >> 70. Thank you. >> Right, moving on to committee updates. We have no committee appointments. Uh representatives reports. Do we have any reports tonight? All right. And student committee is not here. Member uh reports. We have none. Any questions or comments from the committee at this point? Okay. Seeing none, we move
149to information items, important dates coming up. Monday, May 18, 2026, listening session regarding the reorganizational proposal, 5 to 6:00 p.m. at James F. Dowy School. Monday, May 18, 2026, listening session regarding the reorganizational proposal, 6:30 to 7:30 at the William S. Cohen School. Thursday, May 28, 2026, regular meeting, uh 7 p.m. here in the council chambers. Wednesday, June 10, 2026, regular meeting of the school committee, 7 p.m. Council Chambers. Thursday, June 11, 2026. Uh, we have our school committee retreat 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the University of Maine at Augusta Bangor campus. Wednesday, June 17, 2026, we have the end of the year assembly, uh, 7:45 a.m. at Peaks Auditorium. And finally, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, regular meeting of the school committee, 7 p.m. Council Chambers. I have a motion to adjourn. I'm sorry
150I this beforehand just for people who are listening the people in the left in the audience um we threw around some ideas about possibly having a um a workshop between now and then logistically how would that happen if we do decide to do that just so people know whether or not it's happening would be >> you know typically um my assistant would reach out to coordinate dates that work for everyone so we can attempt to do that and that's tricky >> yeah I mean I figured that's what was But just for people in the audience or listening from home just thinking that we just >> forgot it. Okay. Thank you. >> Keep an eye on your email. >> Motion to adjurnn. >> So moved. >> All those in favor? 7. >> We are adjourned.