8-20-25 DCS School Board Meeting

001Pledge 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. >> Right. Public comments. >> Hi, I haven't been here in a while. I hope everyone has had a great summer. Stacy Mariani meeting househill road in Deerfield. Um, I watched your last marathon meeting. Holy crow, that was a long meeting. I have like six pages of notes. So, well done. You got through a lot. Um, I just wanted to comment on um a couple of things. The the biggest item what made me really come down um was just um cataloging the teachers books in their libraries. Um, so I think that's a very important step to take. Um, our superintendent had mentioned that you're supposed to keep

002track of all the books you have in the school. Uh, principal with he mentioned that those books have been reviewed, but there doesn't seem to be a catalog of those books yet. And then so the solution was to give teachers a year to put together a catalog of the books in their rooms. And that seemed really excessive in terms of the amount of time that would be needed to do that. Ellen, you kind of mentioned a book a minute kind of thing, what whatever it took. Um, and it does seem to be something that is part of your classroom management as a teacher. Um, it's certainly something that needs to be cataloged and reviewed and part of what is considered the library of the school, right? They are once you bring those books into the

003school, they are essentially essentially the school's holdings and materials. Um, if you are going to loan them out to a child. So while we we kind of talk about them as the personal library, the fact is while those teachers are acting as a teacher in the school, it is in effect a library book. And so they need to be cataloged, they need to be reviewed, and they need to be approved. Um, and my suggestion is that until that happens for those books in the classroom that they not be lent out. Um, it certainly will not take a year. That's almost an embarrassment to say. I mean, if you said to anybody in business, I'll give you a year to catalog the between five and a hundred books that are in your office. It's almost embarrassing

004to say that they would need that amount of time. there shouldn't be any kind of stipend associated with it. I think that's really overkill and I I this has nothing to do with the teachers because this was not a discussion, you know, that they were taking part in, right? So, I would hope that um those books would not be lent out until they're reviewed and approved and then once that happens that they're then kept up with. But certainly I think a a year is is a little um much. Um I was um the kindergarten class and having four kindergarten classes with 12 students in each class and potentially a few more coming in, right? Maybe uh that you get more students at the beginning of the year, but if you have a teacher and then

005you have a parah in each classroom, you're then almost looking at a 1:6 ratio. um which we just can't afford quite honestly. That's it's not sustainable. Um and so it is disappointing that we went ahead with four kindergarten classrooms knowing what those numbers looked like. Um and there are so many support staff from Paris to special ed and I hear that well they're not ready for kindergarten. Well, what does that mean at the end of the day? They're five years old. What do you expect them to come in doing? You know, if they can sit at a desk and go to the bathroom and tie their shoes and you know, but you have you have specialists and you have helpers and um that ratio, like I said, is is unsustainable. Um so I hope that

006we can look at that. Um also, can we not cost share? Can we not get some of our specialists from the SAU and share their time? Um, there was a mention of EPSUM and sharing somebody with Epsom, but part of the reason for Deerfield to be a part of the SAU would be to share staff, right? So, we share um a superintendent too actually um and um school psychologists or special ed teachers or that kind of thing. So, that's one of the benefits of being part of the SAU. But what I see the school continuing to do is hiring on all its own staff, which at some point is going to beg the question why we're part of the SAU because the costs are not insignificant and we're not utilizing those resources certainly on a

007on a staff level as much as I would hope that we could. We utilize all the accounting and admin obviously business administrator, all the accounting work and you know superintendent, all that sort of thing. But um maybe I I would just I'm just kind of hopeful that maybe we could look to utilize those resources a little bit more than bringing on all of those staff members for our school independently. Um uh that's really it. I was going to say the modulars um it would make sense to have third and fourth grade out there rather than second and third. I agreed with that those comments. I don't really have a dog in that fight though, but it would it would seem to make sense. Um anyway, so I hope for the library um holdings from the

008classrooms that that will get handled in a different manner than giving teachers a year to put it together and certainly not paying any kind of stipend um to do so. >> Thank you so much. Yay, Cobra. That's well done all of you. Thank you. Hello. Um, briefly for a little bit of a background, my name is Trish. Um, >> Malone, M A L O N Y. My son Jacob is a first year co-brand student. He's a freshman. Um, he currently picks up the bus on Bloomfield Road as where the pickup is. We live on Old Candy Road, the dirt part of Old Candy Road. Um, I had sent an email out to the superintendent at the end of last week asking if there could be a different pickup and drop off for Jacob because walking

009him from Bluenfield Road all the way back to the intersection of 43 and South Road is dangerous. Um, I know that in elementary school and middle school, the blue bus dropped them at the dirt road. Um, and I'm asking that that be made available to him for high school. Um, I'm very worried because of the amount of traffic that's on South Road and the speed that they travel that him walking from Bloomfield back to the dirt road is not safe for him. and it takes 30 seconds to drop him at Old Candy Road. Um, I would be more than happy to compromise with you all and say I will bring him to Bloomfield Road for pickup if we could just please drop him at Old Candy Road. Um, my husband and I both work out

010of town, so to take time off to go get him every day is just not feasible. Um, and I'm just asking that that please be reconsidered. Um, because the initial response back was that's not possible and they weren't willing to adapt to it. But for the safety of at least for now that one child, there's many children on South Road that that exception be made in the afternoon and he gets dropped off. It would be right around 3:00. Um the bus has been very consistent these four or five days. Um they pick them up on Bloomfield Road at 6:30 and they drop them off about 3:04 or 3:05 at Bloomfield Road. So you back it up just a little bit, it would be like 3:02 and then he could walk down the dirt road to

011our house. I have no problem with that. But I'm very concerned about him walking from Bloomfield back towards the intersection. if that could please be reconsidered and somebody reach out. Thank you, >> Greg Whitmore, North Road. Uh just uh first off, I I agree with uh Stacy Marion's comments considering the uh book list. I'm a teacher. I have hundreds of books in my room. If you told me to go catalog them, I wouldn't blink an eye. No problem. It would take me a couple days. Um, I certainly wouldn't expect a stipend. I wouldn't expect uh to have the entire year to do it. I would just get it done. It's just part of being a teacher. It's something that should be expected. Uh, what I really came to talk about is last uh meeting you

012had discussed a property listing for the 75 acres that is owned by the school. Um, I think the worst possible thing that could happen to that property is for it to be sold off. Um, the reason for that is it would result in a onetime payment. um basically repaying taxpayers who paid for that land years and years ago with the purposes of it, you know, possibly being utilized to build a high school at some point. Um so we own a very I I mean when I think about how it could be utilized um there's a lot of ideas that are running through my head. I would love to see that property uh basically I I want to know everything about it. Okay. I want all possible boards and committees and everyone in town who could

013possibly provide any information about it to determine what could be done with that land. I would like to actually see at least not sold. I would like to see portions of it developed so we could have constant steady income coming back to the town, get some tax revenue back to the town. is sitting there having done nothing for years and years and years when we could be putting something in there. I mean, anything is better than nothing. I know that the land has issues. There's a lot of ledge in there, but you can build anywhere with enough effort. So, I'm sure that at least portions of that could be utilized to be leased out um and provide constant steady tax revenue from local businesses that would not only provide the tax revenue but provide local

014jobs to Deerfield which is also something that we desperately need. So, please don't uh you know act hastily on this. get as many voices involved, as many uh boards, committees, whatever it takes to come up with a plan that benefits the taxpayers of Deerfield. Uh couple months from now, Halloween's coming and you know that I come every year to say that, hey, this is the year that students need to be allowed to dress up on Halloween. How many times do I get an email or announcement saying, hey, guess what? They're allowed to wear this on this day. It's crazy hat day. It's crazy socks day. It's crazy this day. It's dress up like that day. And then never Halloween. Let the kids dress up on Halloween. They love it. It's a right of passage for

015kids. Let this be the year, please. One more quick thing. The board chair has been noticeably absent over the last few months. the board the school board chair is not living up to the responsibilities of the school board chair in attending meetings. Um that is the number one responsibility to attend the meetings to run the meetings and this has been noticed by many people in town. So I would like to see a serious discussion about the absence of the school board chair and I really think that the board should bring this up for a vote tonight uh whether or not you would like to replace the school board chair with another member. Thank you. Any other public comments? I assume now here. >> All right. So, we'll have our board discussion regarding public comments. >>

016Um, I'm going to bring up Kendra right away. I have other things about Kendra. She's been on maternity leave is why she hasn't. And >> this is her second. >> Yeah. Why she hasn't been at meetings is she took maternity leave from work. So she took maternity leave to be with her child. I know tonight is a scheduled family vacation, which I'm going to miss some meetings in October because my family's going away. Um, but I think if someone's on maternity leave, they have the right to take it from this as well. Plus, I do not think it would be fair to have a discussion about replacing her without her here. That would really bother me as a board member if we had this discussion and she was not available to be part of the

017the discussion. But I mean, she hasn't just been skipping meetings because Yeah, we we had one meeting. >> Only her second meeting. the third. >> Yep. It was May, June, and this is the third meeting that I was. So, >> okay. >> So, the June one was baby was born >> and um stuff. So, um I I think it's a situation that isn't something that's going to happen all the time. I mean, she had a baby. think we're kind of should be going. I you know I missed meetings when I had my knee surgery. I mean things come up. We miss we miss meetings. >> Yeah. No, and I understand about the the maternity leave for May and June. But tonight >> um she had a schedule I she didn't even tell me why she

018wasn't coming. She just said she wasn't coming and to talk to Jess. But um if this is a scheduled, which I wasn't privy to until now, but if she had a scheduled vacation, why didn't I meet with Jess last week to discuss rather than Kendra? >> Maybe I shouldn't have said scheduled. I know she's away with her family. >> So, and I know I saw her at old home day. Maybe it wasn't officially scheduled, but when I said, >> well, it just goes back to my point from the last meeting about the lack of communication. >> Um, you know, I brought that up the last time was that when she was absent, you know, I took I stepped in and nobody communicated with me that she's back and now she's gone again. know, it doesn't

019make sense to me that she's reviewing the agenda with Jess when she knows she's not going to be here this week. That that just doesn't make sense. And that's a piece I did not know. But as far as the other meetings to be missed, then you have a new meeting. >> Yeah. No, and I I get that. I just I also requested a meeting um for June this the after the one she missed for the >> the second June meeting and she denied my request to have the meeting prior to us going on one month off. So, and I'm not sure why she denied that request. She's she said that she didn't think we needed it and you know Patty was on her way out and I don't think she wanted to have another meeting

020either. So, but I I've heard from a lot of people that were very disappointed that um we didn't have a second meeting in June going into a full month scheduled month off. And you know, I think she denied that request because um it's just another meeting that she wasn't going to be there for. Again, due to the maternity leave, again, I get it, but there's no reason to not have it if she's not going to be there anyhow. >> So, this is just some I'm not sure. Maybe you can help with just when a me a meeting is being scheduled, we have to have things on the agenda by a certain date or not, isn't it? >> I thought I had heard a week before. >> So if a week before there's nothing on the

021agenda, can we put stuff on closer or is that really >> I mean you wouldn't necessarily do that unless there's like an emergency that happens. Um, but it's it's always at the chair's discretion on whether to hold the meeting or not. Like if it's a light agenda, at any point you can cancel your second meeting. Um, your first meeting you guys have is like your business meeting. >> So that's like your required meeting and then your second meeting is usually like working on projects or other things. Um, and you you'll have a you have a discussion point later around policy and minutes that I'll get into that as well. Um, but I mean it's really up to the it's up to the board's discretion a little bit to have a meeting and it's the chair's

022call >> and some boards only meet once a month, right? >> Yeah. Especially during nonbudget season. I think budget season pretty much everyone does two times a month, sometimes more, but non-budget season it's usually one time a month somewhere different. >> Well, the commun I think you have a point for communication though. you should have been you should have known about it and you should have been a part of you know again the agenda. So maybe that's just a discussion. >> Well, I tried to have that at the last meeting. That's that's what I brought up. >> I thought that was more about the budget meeting and that you felt she wasn't prepared for the budget meeting. That's what I got out of what you said last last meeting. >> Well, I I brought up

023about that the whole thing about her coming back. >> Okay. and that lack of communication because it it's it's you know the same thing really. It's a lot of communication about who's, you know, running the show or if I need help or, you know, >> so do you think that it's it's just too much for her right now with, you know, having a new baby and everything? >> I think like Nancy said, that needs maybe needs to be when she's here. >> She's so she can talk about it. Well, that was kind of what I was trying to do at the last meeting that we uh she got very defensive and you know deflected at all about that the questions that were being asked of her were not fair. So, but something to think about.

024>> Okay. >> Um, see, do you >> mind if I talk about the stipen piece? >> Yeah, >> because I don't think we agreed to the stipens last time. That was something we did not. >> No, no, Kendra had uh brought that up. Okay. >> That she thought that if we were going to ask teachers to do this, then we ought to compensate them for >> I want to make sure everyone was clear they would not. stipens for cataloging. >> I wouldn't pay for that either, >> right? >> And the um and I had made I checked back on my notes and I had made a note that the intent was for people to finish them sooner, but it had to be done no later than the end of the school year. That was like

025a deadline of like this had to be done. Um but the intent was for them to be done sooner. Um so I just I wanted to make that note. I want to make sure people were clear that they are not getting statements to catalog their libraries. >> Okay. I wasn't sorry wasn't here last time last um so you mean that you want them to be done by the end of the school year. >> I thought maybe before the school year started. >> No, because they're not here. If if we made them do it before the school year started, then we would have to stipen them because we'd be asking them to come in on nonwork days. I get what you're saying. >> Yeah. And if we said that, you know, you had to stay you

026had to get this done within the first month. >> If we were making them stay after to do those things, then we would have to. So this was a way to not have to stipen something that needed to get done. But the expectation is that the deadline is the end of the year, but it should be very easily could be done before the end of the school year. That was just the stop hard stop of it had to be done by June. >> And I I was looking at I went home and I looked at my library because I used to buy my own books to add to the books that I bought with the school's money. >> So I took maybe half of them home, the ones that I had bought, >> it was

027like 600 books. So we're talking like 1,200 books and maybe even more what some of these teachers might have. It's a lot. But the other thing I want to bring up is that supposedly what you had told us was that all those books in the teachers libraries was reviewed by the reading specialists or whatever to make sure that they were appropriate books. Correct. >> I I didn't mention anything about a reading specialist. Well, whoever whoever did, but I thought I was under the impression when everything happened, we had the policy that all the books that in private libraries were reviewed >> reviewed by the classroom teachers. They reviewed their >> Oh, the classroom teachers review themselves. >> Yes. Yeah. >> And that was with the guidelines because there were also what there were websites that

028they could go to look at the reading level. >> Yeah. >> Because there were resources. But I did mention that the incident that there are teachers that have cataloged our books and these things happen. It it was in the classroom that cataloged books and was very specific with parents about I have not read all these books. I don't know every topic of every book. So um and I've I've been talking to my librarian um in her professional learning network. There's not a ton of schools in the state of New Hampshire that are doing this. >> There's I mean maybe it's coming down the pike. Yeah, definitely. I've talked to other teachers at other schools that are definitely doing that, >> especially at in the grade school level. >> And we are talking thousands of books,

029teachers have thousands of books, not hundreds, not >> we did talk about volunteers being welcome in the school at the last meeting and there have been parents that have reached out saying that they'd be welcome. they would like to come in and help catalog. >> So, >> um, that'd be awesome. >> Yeah. >> And I've reached out to my tech people to find out if there's any kind of software program or scanning system or >> Oh, other than Excel just I mean I would I would just do a spreadsheet, but you're talking about something. >> This is so there's so much easier. Yeah, there's a lot of these I mean you can literally scan with your phone. So, there's that. There's this this could come with a cost, you know, if you because we're not

030just going to buy one license. You'd have to buy a license for every classroom teacher that was going to do this and then and then it gets cataloged into some sort of system. >> Well, then then it's money or >> you can scan scan scan scan scan and it just uploads and gets it. Nobody understands cloud, but that's where you know that's where it could sit. That's a little different than having to write down the title, write down the right, you know. So, we're looking into different options that people trying to figure things out. So, I I'll update you as soon as I as soon as I find out information. >> So, we are welcoming volunteers to come in and help out. >> I have not even talked to the teachers yet. Yes, for sure.

031But I'm not even This is not even a conversation. >> They're not They're not that good. Yeah. >> I mean, it's caught people know about it. It's it's traveling around, but it is a conversation that I need to have with myself. Two two other thing one other thing as far as the bus stop. Should that be a Dale conversation more than >> No conversation? >> No, because uh we approved the roots and um we so to to address that um it it that we are opening a can of worms by making one exception for one student. um to the speaker's point um that we're um we're not necessarily going to have a back and forth here about this part. >> Okay. I was just sitting because I can't hear you very well. So I had

032to move. I'm sorry. I just wanted to hear what you were saying. >> Yeah. Um so I think by um stopping for one student a quarter mile down the road from their stop is opening a can of worms. And um we have to remember that this high school CBNA bus is a gift. This is additional. It's not required. Um this is high school. It's not grade school. So because there was a bus stop at that spot for grade school does not mean that there's going to be a bus stop there for high school. And when we introduced this bus, it was agreed upon that one bus picking up all of Deerfield would only work if we had group stops. So, um I think those thing we really have to and to the speaker's point, there

033are several kids on South Road that are not getting picked up at near their house. Um two of my son's best friends live over three miles at least. I haven't done it out, but it's not walkable, you know. So, um, their parents have to get them there. And we have to remember that if this bus didn't happen as of a week and a half ago, these students have already chosen to go to CBNA in which they would have their parents would have had to get them to the school on their own. >> Right. >> So, this this is a this, you know, being a quarter mile away from is that's a gift. May I please speak? I just want to >> It'll be up to the chair. >> May I please speak? There's two things

034I just want to correct because they're not correct information for my student. >> Okay. >> He is an IEP student. You guys are required to bring him to and from high school whether you had the bus or you didn't. The reason he's on the bus is because now you have the bus. Prior to the bus, he was getting picked up by Home Base. at the dirt road. It is 3/4 of a mile from the dirt road to Bloomfield Road. So you're asking him to walk that 3/4 of a mile on a very unsafe road that has zero shoulder. So he's essentially walking on the road. So in his case, while the bus serves everybody and is a wonderful alternative to the kids that do not have IEPs, he is an IEP student and you guys

035are required as a school to provide him for transportation even if he didn't have the bus. I am just asking that he be safe when you drop him off. And dropping him off at Bluefield and asking him to walk back on South Road, the paved South Road to his dirt road to walk down is not safe for him. And in the wintertime, especially when they start having snow banks and everything, he's going to be walking in the road, not just on the shoulder. And we all know people do not follow speed limits on South Road. >> So we can't discuss any special education issues in public. Um and it's it would be deferred back to the team. So that would need to be a team decision and discussion needs to happen before any decisions can

036be made. So I would I would suggest and I recommend that you reach out to the case manager to schedule a meeting to discuss those things because we can't discuss anything special education at all >> even if it's just regarding his transportation. >> No, because what you're saying is that he requires that closer drop off because of his disability and so we cannot discuss that. >> No, I'm telling you that without the school bus he would have received transportation anyway. like it wouldn't have been Jim's and my responsibility to get him to and from Cob Brown. It would have been provided anyway. So, by you taking that initial homebased transportation away and providing him with the school bus transportation, yes, you're still providing him transportation, but you've taken the safety aspect out of it because

037now he's not safe. >> So, that that safety piece is what has to be discussed through the IEP team process. So I highly recommend that you reach out to the IP team and if there's a determination made by that team that would come back and could influence decisions regarding transportation. >> Okay. Do do you know who to contact? >> I will like who should she contact? >> Um you can contact Jennito. >> Okay. at the same >> she's employee. Okay. >> She works for us. >> She's our LEA. Do you know how to do that? >> I will look her up on a second. >> Yeah, she was. She'll give you the information. >> She would have just a quick name. R U S C I T O >> okay so >> just want to

038I'm sorry um the kindergarten and I agree the number is small but when we made that decision we had to make that decision when did we make the decision I can't remember what time it was but we made that decision and we based it on that number at the time and thinking of past history that more kids come and so because I know I was the one like can't we wait and see if the numbers go up but we had to make the decision um though and the kindergarten does not have well I shouldn't say does the kindergarten or do the kindergarten have full-time paras in their room >> or classroom assistants. classroom. We have four classroom aids um that are were that were have been in kindergarten, but we also have paras that come

039with students for their >> but there might be a so if it's a one-on-one parah >> they they are oneonone and yes we've had paras that >> sometimes can do other thing but their responsibility is that child >> are there shared paras in kindergarten >> this year. I mean, it varies from year to year. Um, and so we tried to spread out the classroom aids. Last year, we put a couple classroom aids in the first grade because there were no par educators to support. This year, we're putting somebody in second grade to support second grade. So, we are we try to be fluid with the needs of those of our students, teachers, and staff where we feel they would best. >> So, did you say that there are four aids for kindergarten? >> No, there's

040four classroom aids in the budget. for different I misunderstood that too. I thought no classroom aids for use in the building. >> We but we focused them in on kindergarten and first grade for that extra support. But I get the point that I was that I would like to make is that because I know when I subbed because and I also know when I worked here but I know when I subbed there was not another person in the classroom with me. There were only two paras that particular year that went among the four rooms. So there were parts of the day that I was the only adult in the room. So when they're saying it's of one to six or smaller ratio, >> that's not necessarily true because there's no guarantee there's going to be

041a parah in a classroom. So it was just kind of like no I know from experience that the par went maybe was in the morning with one and the afternoon with another or however they decided to make it work. It might have been well I get you Monday someone get you you know so there's not always another adult in every classroom. I just wanted >> to clarify that. And maybe this year there will be based on the kids, you know, but the one-on-one aids too. You can't count them >> as another adult to do things with the other kids. And when she said something about tying shoes, going to the bathroom, being able to sit at a desk, they can't do that. We're finding there are kids, well, I can't tie their shoes. I know

042that. But um that but there are kids coming to school that are not completely trained >> for whatever reason. >> I agree. I think the one to six representation may not was misleading. However, >> um >> I think that a you know though if like we had talked about after that meeting because that whole thing got sprung on us. We were not expecting to have to vote on that that night. But um you know if we what we had talked about afterwards was hey if we had three sections and spent that money on parents for each classroom >> then that seems to work a lot better >> than a fourth classroom because again we're going against our our space needs as well by adding another classroom. >> So let me ask you ladies a question.

043curiosity question. When you worked here, do you remember like what your largest class size was back, you know, but not I'm just thinking about how things are different now. >> My largest class when I was teaching first grade was 23. And that was because all of a sudden that summer everyone that moved to town had a first grader. And so we based it and I think we had three possibly four first grades that year too. I can't remember exactly, but our numbers to begin with were like and then everybody moved to town and had a first grader. And there was one year that we actually because the numbers seemed low. It might have even been that year. We got rid of a teacher cuz the numbers seemed low. And one class did have two adults

044in it. But she ended up with like 28 kids because of how many moved to town that year. So that was a thing that they did. But normally my classes were around 18, >> 19. My biggest was 23, but I also had like you take the whole group and split them into four different ones. So I might have 23, 24 in, and one, but then I might have 18 in another. They weren't always even, you know, but I think that was the highest they ever had. >> And our recommended size is 16 to 20. Correct. >> Yeah. And that's a good size. I mean, that's good. That's you start to get too high and it's it's difficult. You get too low and it's difficult. Yeah. >> You know, like too low is bad too because

045you have no way to split the kids into groups to try to change it up a little bit. You know, it's very difficult. >> So with uh 12 * 4 is 48. So you did that three. >> 16 >> which is on the low side of our recommendation. So >> kindergarten there's no way to >> predict kindergarten there. It's you you figure out how many preschoolers you have, how many of them will be rising kindergarteners and then you don't know who in town has a we still have kids will come the first day of school and not have registered. So they they tend to come out of the woodwork throughout the summer and there's you there's no way to predict how many kindergarters you're going to have from year to year. >> What's our first

046day of school this year? >> 27th 27th. >> Oh, so we could we could still afford 12 to fit within our I mean I know it's kindergarten so 20 in kindergarten classes is much way too much. And our also we have um I think 18 top in our policy for kindergarten. >> It's different for kindergarten. Kindergarten's different, >> right? >> So how do we combat that with when we if we're saying 18's the top and we have 16? >> Yeah, it's tough. You know, it's >> kindergarten is lower than I can't remember it off the top of my head, but >> I'm pretty sure it was the top. >> So, there might be some things that we can look at during budget season. I have a couple of ideas we can look at with planning

047for kindergarten that I can talk about. >> Um, just some of the things that >> some of the other schools do and just making sure we look at those things. We can do that for this next round. >> Um, yeah. So, and the last thing was um Greg brought up about Halloween. I wasn't aware that that thing, but >> well, I mean, when I first taught in Deerfield, we did Halloween. We did dress for Halloween. And I do know there are schools that still do it. And then I have to be honest, I'm not 100% sure why it went away. Um, I do think some of it was based on family beliefs. I remember some families that did not celebrate it. >> We have Kristen. Kristen might be able to >> Yeah. Well, it was

048been it's We haven't had it since Kristen. That's Yeah. >> It's not because of me to be clear. Oh, no, no, no. I know. This it stopped long. >> Okay. >> A long time ago. A long time ago. >> Does anybody know why? >> I I heard I heard the excuse some people have given as far as behavior. The kids are kind of out of control. They're wearing costumes. But like I know my granddaughter's school, they bring a costume, put it on, have a Halloween parade, and then take it off and have the rest of the day. I mean, that's possibility. >> Yeah. I don't see anything wrong. At least that part. Are you opposed to it, Kristen? >> Um, my teachers are I've spoken to a ton of teachers in the building who it's

049disruptive. It's bringing costumes in. It's it some kids don't have costumes. There's um there's lots of reasons why Halloween costumes stopped coming to school. You know, there's the weapons that come to school and you tell kids you can't bring those to school, but they bring them anyway. And then there's people who inevitably either leave something behind when they're, you know, they leave their costume behind and then there's tears there. So, I mean, I can talk I can talk to the teachers again, but most teachers that I've talked to are opposed to having it. >> And I think you made a good point where you just said, "I hadn't thought about it, but like families that can't afford costumes, >> that's Yeah. I mean, we do have other opportunities in the community. We have the trunk

050or treat, you know, we have other places that kids can dress up and and celebrate Halloween. It doesn't have to be in the school, >> right? But this is where like their most of their friends their friends and classmates are here already. >> I don't know. I don't think it's um that to have part of the day to have something going on. >> Well, it's a school decision. So I I talk to my teachers and see >> I do remember having a child come in full makeup first thing in the morning >> and that was an interesting way to start the day. I mean it was >> things like Yeah. >> And yes, we do have I do know we have like book week and we have dress up days and things like that. Kids

051can choose to participate or not participate. It's not Halloween has a different feel to it. Everybody thinks that they need to participate and it's um those other special things that we do throughout the year you can choose to. You don't have to. >> Thank you for bringing it back to your teachers. >> Yeah. >> All right. Is there any other discussion about public comments? I think the only thing I just want to bring up too about the property listing is that I mean we have reached out to two comm we have reached out to two committees and >> so we have been we have been open to possibilities of developing it for something else for the community. So we haven't this isn't just let's sell it. This is a we're exploring options. >> Yeah. And

052I I just I was thinking, you know, just I mean I don't know, we need to kind of figure out like are we willing to spend money on, you know, the appraisal and all that stuff or do we need to kind of figure out, you know, this is something we want to hold on to for the school for the future or do we, you know, sell it to the town for a dollar? And >> yeah, we haven't made up our message about anything. So, >> right. I Well, I I think I think we need to, you know, I know Kendra was trying to push that for um like by October. She said, >> "Well, she was trying to push to get an appraisal because then if there's something we wanted to do, we we need

053time to put it make a for. That's why she was pushing it. So, we don't have to have a warrant article this March, you know, we don't have to push that." But that's that's where she was going from. And I'm I still I'm waiting to hear back from a couple people. >> I can make sure that it's on the agenda for the second meeting of the month as like a project thing too. Like I can make sure it's on just on the agenda every second meeting of the month. >> Sure. >> Yeah, that'd be great because I think >> energy committee and the conservation commission and I can get back to them because I've not heard anything. I went to an energy committee meeting and spoke with them and I haven't heard back from them.

054and then the conservation commission. I ended up we emailed back and forth um because I couldn't make it to their meeting. So, but I had heard back. So I can just reach out to both of the chairs of those committees and find out it's do you guys think there's any other committee that we should I mean like >> I think that um anybody involved I don't know um anybody who kind >> yeah invite them to our meeting too easier. >> Okay. So but we might want to wait until we have a little bit more information about what is the worth of the property. Well, that's the thing, too, is if you're not making a decision right away, >> it goes up and down. The real estate val, >> but but I I think that we

055need to make a decision about what like what is our intent for that property because it doesn't really matter how much it's worth >> to us, right? if we're not planning on building a school there. >> I think the idea behind it when we first brought it up was that if it was worth money and nobody in town had any use of it like they like we weren't necessarily going to give it away because that is a value to the taxpayers like if we sell it that's money that goes back into the school if we give it away for a dollar >> once. Yeah. Like literally just >> right I understand but it's still money that would go back into our budget. So the idea was if we contacted some of these people, if we

056were to do something, we wanted it to be something that would be of value added to the community, >> right? Where like, you know, it's been brought up at board selecting meetings is that the um that tax revenue would help offset taxes, right? So that would be going back and and help us as a school, >> right? Unless Unless it brought in a whole bunch of children >> and then it's not going to >> Well, not if it's businesses. >> Right. Right. That's why I'm saying you have to look at what you're going to use it for. If you just sell it to a developer and then put in houses in there and then you get a whole bunch of kids, that's going to affect us tax- wise. If you do something that's business, if

057you do something that's senior housing, then you don't have children, right? There's there's opportunities for different things. But I don't think the idea I was surprised that Kendra sounded like she kind of wanted to rush it and I don't think that that was really our intention to rush it. We've had this property for a long time. >> And um showing money on appraisal right off the bat, >> right? Well, I think we were all like $800. Yeah, we don't want to spend $800. >> It's like $1,400. >> Oh, sorry. >> It's too much. Um yeah, I mean, yeah, we have had it for a really long time and not doing anything with it, but to that point, um we're also in a really bad spot as a town, um with taxes. And I mean, I'm

058sure you guys have noticed all the houses going up for sale around town, and they're they're expensive houses. They're not the ones that are, you know, middle of the road or the cheap houses. They're these are big money houses. Um and that's a lot of tax money. So, um I I don't know just some I think people are looking for us to to make a move for, you know, something that's going to offset because we're saying, "Oh, we keep saying where do we cut in the school budget, right? We keep saying that." Well, this is something that could help the town generate tax revenue. So, does somebody want to reach out to the select board? I asked them or is that something we want to have them come to a meeting? What what do you

059want to do? >> No, I could I just reach out to them or see if they want to come to me. Could you say the second meeting of the month? >> Yeah, I was just thinking because that's usually like your like working meeting, not your business meeting. So, it would make sense to like continue to work on that project during the second, but I'm happy to join on first, but whatever is the board is fine. Yeah, I think um if it's uh because it seems like these second leaves are typically a little bit lighter. So I think we should do it on >> I agree. >> So >> and I think we should reach out if we're going to do the select board. I think we should reach out to the planning board as well.

060>> You want to do that too? >> Sure. and I'll I'll contact the conservation and the energy committee. >> Did you for September? >> Yeah, I'll put it in for the second I'll put it on the agenda for the second meeting of the month of September. >> What's the actual day? >> Just going to look it up for >> I think it's 17. >> Yeah. 17th at six o'clock. >> Yep. >> Yeah. All right. Any other discussion regarding public comments? Okay. Agenda review the handbookformational items, parking lot update, transportation update, policy minutes review, poultry climate survey, school board association. do have a need for nonpublic. >> Okay. And so handbook there's items that we need to >> Yep. Um are there no other ads for the agenda? We're good. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Um so

061handbook. So there's uh Miss Wy brought the the handbook is in the drive. I added that in today. Uh Miss Wy will talk about changes that need to happen, but we need to have an approved handbook ideally before the start of the school year. Um and the policies that you guys approved last time, thank you, you added that to the handbook. So the communication devices and the parental bill of rights are now in the handbook. There's a few questions. I have it on the You want to just hit that arrow? The arrow there. >> This one? >> Yep. Jess, can you hit that? Sorry, one more thing. >> Sure. >> Um, so, um, Brian and I, uh, Brian does a lot of the handbook revisions. Um, but we and you know, we support each other

062on that, but I we went through it yesterday. He was not able to be here tonight. So um as we are going through the handbook there are um things highlighted in green that means that that is a change that we've made that um needs to be um approved of. Obviously some of them are easy to approve. Um changing 24 2526 um changing the student staff calendar to the 2526 school calendar. Um, and so, um, I'll just kind of float through and if there's something here that you see, I'll stop where, um, where we have the first change. Um, and one of the biggest changes that we have made. Um, Ellen will appreciate this. I think this is our ninth iteration of changing probation. Um, I've been here for eight years and I swear every year

063we're trying to make it better and better and better. Um we just spent two days um Monday and Tuesday. Uh title 2 grant funding helped um pay for some curriculum work done with the middle school. So almost every single middle school teacher was here on Monday and Tuesday and we worked on updating probation procedure as well as um advisory. Uh so I'll that will be our biggest um discussion and we've actually changed the name of probation. So we'll see how um the teachers are excited about it. Um, and to get a middle school teacher excited about something like that is really, you know, we're doing okay. Uh, so schoolboard district and district websites. Brian just um th this was linked and the link wasn't working because it was bringing you to the SAU the DCS

064website. Um, but the high school information actually lives at the SAU website. So, we just uh wanted to update that and take the link off and put the link on the Deerfield School District SAU um instead so people could find high school information. It is linked on our DCS website, high school information, but it um it doesn't give um so when you get to the website, one of the tabs that you pull down, it says co-ound and it will bring you to the co-ound website. Conquer will bring you to the conquer website. So, that's the high school information that we have, but the uh school board information about those three school choices is on the Deerfield School District um on the SA website. Does that make sense? Um so, we have here we had talked

065last year about volunteering needing to be updated. Um we did have some discussion throughout the course of the year about volunteers being fingerprinted versus not fingerprinted. Uh volunteers that are going on field trips. Um, one of the policy that's currently in place for the with the school board does not require fingerprints unless you're a designated volunteer, which means that you're working one-on-one or with a small group of students without direct teacher um supervision. Uh, so those if you're a volunteer like that, you would have to get fingerprinted. If you're going on an overnight field trip as a as a parent volunteer, you have to or guardian volunteer, you have to be fingerprinted. So this link brings you just to the area of the of the handbook that shows talks about the procedures. Um and um

066further down we'll get to the policy. The policy um it I think the last time it was reviewed was in 2011 by the school board. So that's something that we we highlighted in orange further down as in as something that we would like to take action on um to start working on updating that policy so that we can put those procedures in place at school. All right. Um, scroll through kind of slowly so you can stop me if you want um to talk about anything in particular. This was the policy from last year that we got in there about artificial intel AI. This was generated by our tech department in the SAU. Um, this actually doesn't bring you to a link, but but some of this information is just being um referenced. It was developed

067by Chat Open AI actually. Um, we highlighted this in green because I think it originally said for school purposes during this school year and we uh we changed it to start during the 2425 school year and move forward. We don't have to change the date necessarily, just that when it um when it started. So this is all the AI information. Um >> and I know when that AI was created at the SAU, it was so that could get it into books because it was coming and we needed something. But eventually as Deerfield uses it more, >> it will be can be catered to Deerfield too as it gets used policy campaign. Yeah, there's actually now a policy that the school association recommends that has been drafted and reviewed by like attorneys which is very Yeah.

068So that but we just so you're aware when that gets to finalization it is very similar to the one that we utilized because they used part of that and the work that for the schools that we looked at to generate this it's all we've all been sharing it so it's very close to what we already have in existence. >> Okay. Is there anything right there where it's 24 25? I know that's not highlighted in green, but did you have the other one highlighted in green because that's when you kind of adopted this or >> I Yeah, I think that was what it I think they were just so it says um we are aware students have used this technology for school purposes during >> and so that particular year is when we started using and

069many will continue to do so for the upcoming school years. So then when you scroll down >> and it says need to change that to >> Oh, I see what you're saying. >> Yeah, >> I'll make a note of that because this is a PDF so I can't highlight it. Yeah, just with every document that we that gets added to the drive if it's possible to add it before that very appreciated. >> Yeah, we always this is one of those something that's worked on throughout the course of the summer and >> yeah, just sorry for us to >> Yeah, we I did talk to Mr. Greavves in this with you as well. We're going to try to push it up and start it in June the review of the handbook for next year. So, we

070did already talk about that because we knew it was going to lead >> and there's not a ton of ch Well, besides there's not a that always changes every year. Um JH attendance, absentee, and truency that is a policy that's highlighted in orange that we would like um the board to take action on as well. Um we do not the statement of um truency absenteeism attendance and truency involves a police um a Deerfield police officer who's been designated as a truency officer and we do not have a truency officer in town and um obligated >> yeah each police department's obligated to do that so I understand yeah I'll connect >> um So >> I don't know that we >> are you wanting to change that piece of it? >> No, not change it. It's just

071that we don't have a designated office. >> All right. Cuz I'm like I don't think we can change it but we wanted to change it. So it's orange to take action. >> Okay. >> For us to take action. >> I think Brian added that students who have not who have been absent from school are not allowed to participate or attend in after school activities. That's been that's pretty standard, but I think he added that language. Um, and the truency poly that's that's state rule. That's not something deer builds up. >> Correct. Uh, we're removing the word hats because our middle schoolers have advocated to wear hats in the building. So that's we're going to take that language. Head. So head gear and sunglasses are not do wear inside the building. Um what is head gear

072consisting of? >> I don't know. That's a very good question. I was going to be head >> well it could be headphones but you might have some kids that need headphones but >> wouldn't be >> I guess stuff like that could be >> sorry I don't know the answer to that >> it's more is that more a high school thing did you say dance Yeah. >> Um >> things you know kids are always shocked by how many milligrams of caffeine are, you know, an energy drink, our energy drinks have hundreds of milligrams. So, uh when we take that Celsius can from a kid, what? And you have to look very carefully to try to find out how many elements. Um last year this is just facility and property use. Uh this link will always bring

073you right to the um I think last year it was actually glad who got all policies into the Google drive u because they weren't they sat in um what's that Microsoft online? >> Yeah, they weren't user friendly. >> Not at all. So all of our policies are now on the drive and that link will bring you right to it. I made sure that the link works. Um, as you know, SB 206, cell phones are not pouring been in the building, bell to bell, and our bell to bell is 740 to 240. Our students already put cell phones in backpacks turned off um and will not be answered till the end of the day. Uh we have changed our uh offense based off of the the bill. The first offense is that the cell phone is

074brought to the office, but a parent and guardian has to pick it up after school or at school. That was always the second offense. The first offense was that we gave it back to the student to bring home and Brian keeps track of that. He has a tracker for that. The second offense, the parent is called or emailed saying, "Hey, you got to pick up your kid's phone." Um, and then, but now with first offense is that they will need to come pick it up. Second offense is that they will need to come pick it up and the student will have an after school detention. And then third offense is that they have to pick it up and the student will receive a one day in school suspension. This is all based off of SB

075206. Our kids are really used to not having cell phones. They I mean they they of course I'm not saying that they don't try to take them, but they they are used to keeping them in their backpacks. So I my I feel bad for our high school people. That's where it's really going to affect. Um drop off and pickup procedures have not changed. This is the that's around the back of the building with the buses in the front. Kind of clean up all that language. No need to change any of it. Again, all the promot all the policies that we need to have. This is the policy that we're hoping. Um, so school district employees who desire the assistance of a designated volunteer should request a volunteer. through proper administrative channels were looking to potentially

076take that language off. That was something that um has been part of the policy, but teachers have never come to me and say, "Can I have permission to have a volunteer in the building?" They they they just let me know that if they're going to have somebody in the building. Um so there's some language in the policy. I know that we would have to base it off of what the schoolboard association recommends, but so that's something we're hoping to take some action on on update getting that updated. Like I said, I I mean this and see when the last time it was March 2017 was the last time this was looked at. Since then, we've had a pandemic and a lot of volunteer unfortunately really dropped off when we when the pandemic is. Um, so

077that's that piece. Just put this back in full screen. So, you want to take that out school district employees who desire. Is that why that >> in that pinkish whatever color? >> Yeah, it was right on ours, but person's wishing to volunteer should complete a volunteer application. That's I don't necessarily want to take it out, but I do think it needs to be updated. >> Okay. Yeah, >> volunteer handbook will be made at the at the principal's office. I I don't know if there is even a volunteer handbook. The PTO was heavily involved in the volunteer um assigning of volunteers to classrooms. So, I'd love to work with them again and find out >> when you're saying any that change piece like the stuff that was in red, is that just your recommendations for when

078we get to that policy or do you wanting to take it out now? >> Um, not necessarily. I I do I I do think that there is some you know I'd like to remove the barriers of how to become a volunteer >> and is the but does that barrier exist in the policy? Is that what you're saying? >> That is >> okay. So we'll have to adjust that when we get to Okay. So you're just flagging it for our Okay. >> Got it. All right. All right. So, this is as you know many of you know we h we do have a separate middle school section. Um it when parents are are signing off an there is a separate uh we used to send a form home that the parent parent or guardian would have

079to sign it and send it back and we would give you an attention if you don't bring it back and it's it was a lot of chasing kids around. So we just decided to add that to the alma piece and so parents and guardians check off that yes we've read the handbook. Yes, we've read the middle school section of the handbook. Um, and in here, I'll just most of this language is has been cleaned up over the years for majors and minors. Um, uh, we did add this language in there that anyone possessing, using or selling illicit drugs on school grounds will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action, which includes loss of year end field trips and will be persecuted to the false extent of the law. Brian took that language from other and other

080handbooks. So, um, >> it's a policy. Yeah, we but we haven't ever had in the handbook. So, >> but but there is from the schoolboard association. There's one that >> All right. So, now um we get into our our probation um language. So, uh in in working with the middle school and I I said every every almost every single classroom um or subject as middle school teacher was here. We had um IAS involved. Um uh so we went round and round uh with you know we we did a lot of talking about how we can um and make it matter more make it matter to the kids and the students and make it make sense. Uh and really when we came down to it after we visited visited our why of why are we doing

081probation? What is the what is the ultimate end game that we want for kids to get out of being on probation is really just to have have them improve um and do their and do their work. So um any student who is on academic student improvement plan. So this would be replacing the word probation. Um it a suspension or a major detention within the same week as a school dance will not be allowed to the dance. So that's under the dance eligibility. Then we get into what the academic student improvement plan is. Um originally that said the intent of um the probation was to provide students and support uh with support and intervention when initial tools were not utilized. Procedures set forth are intended to set students up for success and to foster academic growth.

082So now if we changing it to an academic um student improvement plan if I could if you wouldn't mind if I just called it ASIP that's a mouthful is a process involving students teachers advisors parents and guardians to ensure consistency and clarity resulting in increased independence and creating systems for completing work thoroughly and on time. So um again advisors, teachers, administration all worked through this process and how it's going to change is that advisors in partnership with teachers, parents, guardians will monitor missing assignments each week. That's available in Alma, parents and guardians and students are can always look in Alma to see um their their students um assignments grades six through eight, not our little guys. We don't we we some do something different for our little for our younger boys. Uh, every week students

083will receive um a weekly missing assignment list. Very similar to how we do things now. If you have three or more missings, an email yours flagged and an email goes home to your parent or guardian. Usually either from the student or from the teacher saying, "I have three or more missings." Um, and and that will flag them to say, "Oh, I got to get some I gota I got to buckle down and get some work done." So placement on an academic student improvement plan, which was originally probation, would be that if a student is missing one or more summitives, summitives are your final projects, tests, um that type of thing, andor eight or more formative assignments, which are your homework assignments, your class assignments, they will be placed on ASIP. So um so over the

084course, so we're not going to start until October. So, say, you know, you have a kid in math who just decided that that student blew off the math summit and didn't want to do it. So, originally we based it off of getting a one or a two in two or more subjects. And so, we've taken that piece off and we just added in that if they miss the summitive, they'll be put on an academic student improvement plan. or if they have eight or more missing assignments. So, from one week to the next, if you are a student that has three or more missing assignments, you're doing what you can to catch up. Once you get to eight or more missing assignments, now you're going to be on an a student assistant um student improvement plan

085and it which is meant to provide support and intervention, but also consequence for not meeting academic expectations. They'll be given an opportunity to um to work during for working lunches. So, a lot of teachers will keep help um have kids stay upstairs for lunchtime, work through lunches to get done with their assignments. After school support may be available on a case- by case basis or any lunch, right? Yes. Um so, so once you're on a student improvement plan, um basically it will roll on a a weekly rolling basis. So, beginning in October on that Thursday, advisors will pull the missing assignment reports from Alma if they have one. Um, if you if a student is missing one summitive or eight or more formative assignments, then they will start their student improvement plan that Friday. So,

086on Thursday, they'll receive the information on that Friday. They'll start to the following Friday. Um and then basically what a missing assignment would be is that a work that has not been turned in or work that uh has been returned for revisions but it's not resubmitted and during those five school days. So from that so Thursday they get their information they know that they are on student improvement plan on Friday they um just similar to probation can participate in after school activities like sports practices games or meets that hasn't changed um or extracurricular activities after school or if there's a school dance and then weekly we were we were uh we're having a flex or an advisory activity uh usually on a Friday so if a student is on probation they would have to attend

087a st study or work session during that block of time. >> So just one sure if you have like a six day type of a scheduling. >> Yep. >> Does this throw them off because it's like a five day thing? >> No. >> So do they always have a study work session like on is that after school or that's during school? >> During school during school session >> and so what would they be missing or do they always have that free time? I don't >> uh so so on on Fridays most like um sixth grade will do a catchup club. So the kids that um need to work on their assignments will stay in and work on their assignments and then other kids might do another activity maybe they'll have an activity outdoor classrooms or

088they um will have some extra recess time or play in the gym for a period of time. So if you are if there is an activity going on like that but you are on an improvement plan you have to stay and do your work. >> Okay. And this is extra because we don't take away recesses. It's just extra >> correct time. Okay. >> Yeah. >> So, um they get their information on that Thursday. They know that that Friday they're on an improvement plan. we start the teachers and the advisors start working with the kids to have them work during lunch um during the a flex activity uh that week uh maybe stay after school to get some work done and then the following Friday if they are no longer missing a summitative so they'll have

089a chance to get that done or if they are um or if they have less than eight formatives then um there's no longer missing summitives or eight or more formatives then they'll be able to come off it even if it's to seven. So, we'll take them off of um their improvement plan, have them continue working on trying to catch up on their work. If they continue to have missing summitives or eight or more missing assignments, then they do stay on the student improvement plan. And um if there's multiple consecutive weeks on the improvement plan, that may result in a parent or guardian conference just to get a parent. We we do that all the time. We teens are always meeting with parents to say hey you know so and so has been on a pro

090on probation. Three out of the last four months we used to do it uh monthly and you know what can we do? How can we support you? How can we support your student? Um, and then in the recurrent procedure of probation, I if you had a certain number of probations, I think it was like six probations out of the 10 or something like that, you were at risk of losing the end of your field trip. So for sixth grade, that's um potentially Marav Vista. In seventh grade, that's they have a canopy trip and a Wall of Sands Beach trip. And then the eighth grade New York trip. And we have had students who unfortunately have lost that trip because they didn't get their work done when they were supposed to throughout the course of the

091year. They were on probation multiple times. So we're doing this on a week more of a weekly basis. There's approximately 25 to 27 uh student improvement plan cycles. If they are on um as 10 or more times then they will risk losing the end of year. And then administration is always has is u makes the final decision based on a case- by case basis. This is the old language of academic probation was based off of someone's scores of IE or zero or one or two. Um so we really tried to focus in more on unfinished work and getting that done and what happens if you don't do your work to get that work done. and we're going to put you on a plan and support you and help you get that stuff done. >> Assignments

092and I don't I never was a middle school teacher. Eight missing assignments seems like a lot to me. >> It's a lot. We we sort of based it off of um two assignments for each class, but there are some kids that there's eight math assignments and they haven't done anything. You know, it could be one class, it could be multiple classes. based off of the four four core classes, science, social studies, ELA, and >> so you're thinking if they're missing like two class or something >> or like I said, they might be missing. >> Yeah. If you're thinking one class, it seems like a whole lot. >> But even eight, >> eight's a lot. >> Yeah. >> To me, I'm thinking if you're missing eight assignments, are you ever going to get caught up? >>

093Right. >> You know, I I look at it that way. Like >> So, well, Do they get that support? Did you say it's on Fridays? >> Uh they get it throughout the course of the week. So working lunches um uh on case by case basis. So the reason we used to we for a couple years they've done an after school on PD Wednesdays. So um somebody from the team would stay up and but it's you can't you can't insist that a student stay after school because of transportation. Not every kid can do that. Um, and um, so I think what I'm asking is what what's a chunk of time that they get to have like during the school day? >> Study labs >> beside besides the lunch working lunches. >> Study labs. >> So they

094have a study lab. How long does that go? >> 45 to 50 minutes. >> Yeah. >> And a lot a lot of kids do like to come up for the working lunches. It's not really seen as a punishment, just so you know. But I think the other thing that's as far as the eight missing assignments, >> um, their magnet leaders check in on them every week. And I know if I had a kid who was like getting four or five assignments, I'd be on their case about, >> hey, you need to get these done before you get up to eight. So I'm sure they've got that pressure going on all the time. So it's not >> Yeah. I just >> It's not like ignore them and then all a sudden, whoa, you got eight. I'm

095sure that's not the case. every Thursday advisors and magnet advisors in >> we used to run it off every week and we can sit down with them and talk about hey you're missing this you're missing this >> and like I said I think if you that what was it three missing assignments an email goes home to parents right >> yep >> so I mean it's flagged at three >> it's the it's the really heavy duty consequence when you get to eight >> I do kind of like the shift from the scores to the assignment Yeah, because you're not punishing kids for their ability to them for not getting stuff done, >> which is in there, >> right? Fair consequencing. >> But yeah, I do like that shift from grade to effort. >> Like I said,

096this is I think this is the ninth iteration of probation. I think it's changed every year that I've been here based off of feedback from teachers and kids and families and we've we've just tried to make it make sense and make it better each year. And >> well, I like I like that you have at three missing assignments right away they're flagged and the parents are notified. So, if it gets to the point where it's eight, it shouldn't be that much of a surprise to the parents >> because that's a really hard one when you say to a parent, "I'm sorry, your kid can't play in this game. They can't go to practice. They can't go to the dance on Friday." >> But if you're doing it with three, I think there's a lot there

097that they're being notified before they get to that. >> Right. And Mr. brief. When a student ends up on if they have eight or more missings, he goes around and talks to every single teacher, lets the kids, he talks to them personally and says, "Hey, you got eight missing assignments. You're going to be on a student improvement plan or at the time you going to be on probation." Um, and make sure that the teacher, there's not a, "Oh gosh, that's right. They handed in a paper. I got to get, you know, make he just he makes sure he covers all bases before >> before we notify the family that or the parent and guardian. Um, and we have a form that goes is emailed to the to a parent or a guardian once they've been

098on probation. We have a form that goes directly to f Candy fills it out. Brian gives her the teachers give Brian the list. Brian gives the Candy the list and Candy does the um fills out the form and gets an email sent to families. So that's all communicated as well. So that was that's the biggest change. Um I know that's a lot to take in in terms of uh and that's one of the reasons why it took us so long to get because we knew that this meeting or we weren't going to be meeting with our middle school teachers until this week. So, we really needed to get the updated um probation polic procedures in the handbook before we could we didn't want to put forward the the old language knowing that we had new

099language that would probably go in. Um so, this is like I said the old language. Um and then we just get into uh formative and summitative assessments. Formatives are um those assignments from class, things that homework assignments. Summitives are your projects and your tests and your lab reports and your reflections. Um Brian added the word level. It just said 4321 uh for for the grading system. So he just added level four being advanced competent. Um, retake guidelines are very similar to the original one was that a student earns a one or two on a summitive, they uh can request a retake within 10. So, if they take a math test and they bombed it, they can they have 10 days to try to uh to to talk to the teacher and to have a retake.

100That's maybe even back to not this language hasn't changed a ton. Do you recall that? Oh, when I was here, that was back in the day where they could take it over and over again and it was just a nightmare because they didn't do anything to learn the material before they took it. >> So, I like that this has a, >> you know, you've got the 10 days and have to have all the formats. >> Have to be done and on time. >> Yeah. So, I mean, I think that's good. >> Yeah. Um, this is just the old language. So, like I said, not much changed, but we just cleaned it up a little bit. And um electronics is in there. And then, oh, >> smart watches. >> I'm with that. >> That's That is

101the one piece that we are is definitely something lots of kids wear smart watches. It does say in the um new um the new law that the smartwatches is included >> um and cannot be used as a communication device. They can wear their smartwatch, but it can't be used as a communication device. And I'm being told I don't have a smartwatch, but I'm being told that they can take pictures, they can get on the internet, they can get text on my phone. >> All the things you can do on your phone. So, uh, we did put smart watches on there as like if it's a communication device, we will take it, um, brought to the office. Same same as the top offense that Stone will need to pick it up. Serve an after school detention.

102>> So, right there in your green shouldn't say the cell phone or the or the smartwatch. >> Yeah, we need that writing into there. Yeah. >> Okay. Because if somebody starts reading, they say, "Oh, look. It doesn't say smartwatch on the first." People will say that. >> I'm just saying. >> Come on now, >> Missy. Were you one of those kids? Then we get into the policies um that are just there's a policy in here that we don't have that we need to have in there. Um the safe school zone act was one of those policies that it's um in response to president it says right here to President Clinton's directive when juvenile and that the JDIC policies have changed so much over the years. >> Yeah. So some of them you just have to

103link you actually don't have to link out policy. >> Okay. >> This is one of them or not but >> JICD I think we decided to just go with the school boards association. because there's so many changes. >> Some of some of these policies and procedures you can just have a link to it. You don't have to list out the whole definition of um bullying. You have to list out the whole thing. >> We have that >> um the parent rights. Yep. >> You have to list the whole thing. >> But I think some of these other ones you can just link. But sometimes it makes sense to list the whole thing like the cell phone policy because it's new makes sense to list the whole you know student conduct >> makes sense to list

104the whole thing. So it's not there's no question about it. >> Do you see parent rights in here? Oh no no >> you need to add the parent rights. I thought Brian had added that >> uh policy AB. You need to add AB. Okay. And you have to list the whole like the whole verbiage. You have to copy and paste the policy and put it in. >> All right. So, do you um I I'm so I thought he put it in there. I'm sorry. >> So, which one do you want? It's uh parent rates >> and so I'll do that. >> We looked at it too. >> Yeah. >> You know what? Actually, I'm I'm trying to remember if it was in the I think that was part of the problem. Wasn't in the drive.

105>> Oh, is it not on the website yet? >> Yeah. So, I see tomorrow. >> Okay. >> I I'll double check while we're moving on to something else, but I remember I do remember >> that could be it. I'll check with tomorrow. Make sure it's okay. There's no issues with it. Um, sorry I got out of Okay, so this is silly, but the whole thing with the taking hats out because now they can wear hats and now that I know what headgear is as far as a bandana is something, why can't we used to I remember we used to wear bandanas now that he said that >> and the some of the elementary kids used to wear it and stuff. I mean I >> Yeah, I don't know if that's what they is referencing or

106not to be honest with you. >> Said if they wear it this way. >> They came in that way then I >> back in the day you see there's gang violence stuff that back in the day it was >> all right because of that. >> So I know hats the thing with hats is you don't see the faces right that's kind of why >> and head gear would include like hoodies. >> Yeah. We don't want their All right. Okay. But if someone comes in with a bandana, >> it's so out of style right now. >> It could come back though. You never know. >> All right. >> I think they're allowed to wear bucket hats or baseball hats. Is it Is it >> It's a bucket hat. >> Um >> cowboy hat. It's just a

10710 gallon. [Laughter] >> Oh, okay. >> Usually after the fair, we get lots of bucket hats. >> I ideally we it would be great if you guys could make a motion to approve the edits to the handbook. That way Kristen can get it out to families for the start of school here. >> Um but >> I'll get AD in there. Um, change that. Make sure the 2425 gets put it up to 2526. >> Um, smartwatch. Add the smartwatch. >> Yeah, that for the table of contents has the same. It's 24 25. >> Oh, okay. >> Calendar. >> Thank you for catching that. We, you know, you look at this a 100 times and >> Yep. Got it. Okay. So, I'll move that we approve the handbook with the edits that we talked about. >> Second

108it. >> I'll put it back in I'll give it back to you just so you can put it in the drive. Thank you. Yeah. Once the edits have been made. Actually, I could probably do it right now. >> All in favor say I. >> I. N. only because um I just as a president I just am opposed to us voting on things that were not being very looked ahead of time. So I think that we need that opportunity to look at stuff before and especially if we're being expected on stuff. All right. uh parking lot project update. >> Um so this is just I you guys had asked me where what trust fund the parking lot project is being pulled from. Um and I didn't have the answer for you right then, but it's the

109paving trust. >> Okay. >> That it was budgeted in. >> Yeah. So I just wanted to update you guys on that. >> Any discussion about that? Right. Transportation update. >> Transportation update is regarding the Cobround bus. I just wanted to give everyone a status update that it's 100% in motion and rolling and we were able to get all kids on the bus that needed to get on. We um had a very generous family donate their kiddo seat for the last person on the wait list and that was very generous. So, I thank that parent very much. Um, and so we were able to get all of the kids on the bus to CO Brown that needed to be on there. >> And the driver passed the test. >> Yep. Driver passed the test. >> She

110started and, uh, >> awesome. >> She She's getting a crash course right now of driving high schoolers. So, um, and Co, I just want to thank publicly thank Co Brown. The administration there was extremely helpful, very responsive. They've been wonderful to deal with. Um, Dale Transportation's been wonderful to deal with. Amy's been a rock star. So, kudos and thank you to Amy. Uh, it just it couldn't have gone much smoother than it did. So, I just given thanks where it's due and, um, thank you to the families for putting up with the quick notice and short turnaround. Um, it's been really great. So, >> excellent question. I'm sorry. >> No, I just said excellent. That's all. Um, so months ago we're talking about if we did get a bus to program that there would be

111$100,000 savings for special transportation. Is that going through now? >> Uh, potentially. Yep. We're still there's still a couple dice that are rolling and we'll see where they land. Um, but there will be a savings for special ed. Yes. So we were able to fit all students who needed transportation onto this high school bus. um except for there was students who needed individual transportation for medical reasons and those students will still receive that transportation but that was separate from the majority. So, >> so >> yes, there will be a savings. >> There will be a savings that we >> Yeah, I don't know exactly how it's going to work out. We'll see exactly the number, but there will be a savings through special ed transportation from having this high school bus because the only reason

112we were transporting many of the students last year was because they needed it because they were receiving special ed services. So, >> Yeah, I wanted to thank Jess, too, because um I think you know, we put a lot on her plate in a short amount of time and she had an awesome attitude during that last meeting about no, I'll get this done. >> Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. She was doing >> that was awesome. Yeah. And it got them. So, it's really cool. And again, again, just Amy's been >> really helping a lot, right? >> Fielding a lot of calls and coordination. So >> yeah, her and I were on the spreadsheets together every day going through every kid and um talked on the phone a lot and lots of emails. So she's been wonderful. Say

113>> my wife really felt the pressure. Was it your wife that had >> Trying to keep it on the GL? >> We don't want too much pressure on the poor woman. >> For sure. >> Kendra said it at the last meeting. She goes, "Wow, that's a lot of pressure on that person." >> Yeah. >> All right. Awesome. Um for dinner or something. >> Yeah, we did. policy and minutes review practice. >> So, this is sorry, this whole list is like mine. Um, the policy and minutes review practice was just a question I had to the board because I noticed that um you guys don't continue your policy review on your second meeting of the month and I didn't know if that was something that you guys wanted to do or if you wanted to keep

114it the same you've been doing it. Um, I just your policy review takes a long time because you only do it once a month and I didn't know if that was something that you uh did intentionally or if it was just kind of a past practicing or if you wanted to change that or you wanted to keep it the same. I just wanted to throw it out there because other schools do it a little bit different. Um, I think it's been past practice. It's been doing it that way since I've been on board. We never had a discussion of when we would do It's just set up that way. >> And you had mentioned that there are policies that we need there are several that need updating, right? >> Yeah, we've got um we've got

115a whole list of all the policies at the SAU that like are really old and that we're trying to get through and cycle through make sure we have nothing left that's from like the 1990s or before that hasn't been reviewed or even early 2000s because we're at 25 years now, right? So, uh, we're really trying to push and get all those policies that were old and outdated either updated or rescended. If we don't need them anymore, we can get rid of them and not have them. Um, and with just the frequency of the laws that have been added over the last handful of years, it just seems like there's always a new policy that's coming down from state law that we now have to implement. So, it just seems like an evermounting task. Um, and

116I already feel like I'm behind on policies, but I know I know we're not. We just started. But it already feels like we're behind because there's so many policies that either need to be updated because they're old reviewed or new things that have come down from state laws because every year there's 100 new laws get passed. So, >> I think I I would I wouldn't mind having them at every meeting. Plus, that way you wouldn't have like nine that you have to look at for a meeting. >> Well, you might still, I'm not going to lie, but >> So, sorry. But at least we might get through more nine every time. And what's our Yeah. What would our vote be? The policy committee. >> Um I think you're still going to follow the same steps.

117It would just be we would be able to finish that process sooner. So instead of taking three months, we might be able to finish a policy review in a month and a half. So um the s the practice of how it's going wouldn't necessarily change. It would just be the speed of the review that would >> Right. Right. And you can change like you don't have to push it to three readings. You can do it earlier than three readings, but um you're more than welcome to push it down to three readings. >> The only thing that I would I I think it makes sense what Jess is saying about getting through them a little bit faster, especially if we're trying to catch up. But um again like frontloading that first meeting of the month if

118we're doing adding policy review to that then I mean just make that first meeting >> really long but >> um but I I mean if getting caught up you know try to balance that. I don't >> how do we decide like how many of those are going to be to be reviewed and >> so I I triage right I usually start I'll start with like the oldest of the oldest policies and anything that's like law that has to be done like those are the ones that really are have to be first priority um things that present like a barrier to school functioning would be a priority and then any of those kind of inetweens that don't that aren't really super old or that we don't need to get rid of or isn't law or a

119barrier, then we kind of trickle down and hit as we go. It's up to you guys. I I don't have a big push either way. I just wanted to make sure that I set up your, you know, help set up your agendas the way that makes sense for you guys. >> I don't know how often we could meet because I mean, it's more your schedule than mine because I know you have that. But it would it be possible if like they were printed. We made sure people read them, forwarded information to us, we meet and go over them. And so when they come back, >> we could say we took their information. >> Well, I think I think at first reading, if we have first reading, if you guys have read it and you have

120comments, then they come to us and then we get together, >> right? >> Make changes for the second reading. >> Yes. Yeah. Yeah. And then if there's they read the second and there's still problems, then we try to try to cut the second. It's okay. >> Yeah. Second, we should be able to move it, right? >> If you want to you I don't want to pressure you to >> No, but I'm just trying to I'm trying to think how if we got information from the three others, >> right? >> And then you and I. >> Yeah. I think as long it t as long as people are reading them and providing that feedback, then you're okay. But if it if there is that feedback, then you do need to go back and you'll need a

121third reading to clean them up. So I don't want to pressure the policy committee. >> I just I'm just trying to think I'm trying to think how we could speed it up if there was a way that we could >> we can get together. You and I can get together and we can always adjust it too. Yeah. >> If we if we decide, oh, this is becoming a lot doing it twice a month, then we just go back. >> Yeah, that's true. So, let's try it. >> Okay, great. >> And then minutes, the same thing. It was just I didn't know if you wanted to put the minutes from the previous meeting. Just always have that at the next meeting or if you wanted to continue doing that once a month. >> I I kind

122of loved having minutes after the next one. So, because it's fresher mind and reading something that's a month old and trying to remember, oh, is that what said? >> Yeah. I would love to have it. >> I would like to have that. Yeah, I've always thought that was kind of strange that we had minutes too for month. Is that fine? >> I mean, there's nobody speaks up loud here because you probably don't know. I watching >> over >> to make sure you miss anything over to make sure that I'm not missing anything. So, >> you just have to remember to like speak loud and clear so that I'm getting a good hit. If for some reason you're not able to do it because maybe the video was grainy or quiet, just let me know and

123I'll I'll let the board know. >> Okay. >> But yeah, >> that's okay for you to do it. >> Yep. >> Okay. So, I'll do that move forward. >> All right. Culture climate survey. >> Um so, there was a request um from the board to share the culture and climate survey. There's no action needed. I just wanted to make sure it was shared with you. So, you guys had the information, maybe you couldn't digest that. Um, we will be Kristen and Brian and Lisa and I will be meeting together to go through the survey results and pick out any areas that we might need to work on for the school year and then we'll do that survey again in the spring. Um, but I just wanted to make sure that you this was shared out.

124Um, it is in the drive, so if you can't access it for some reason, please let me know. Um, but there's a whole lot of questions in the survey. Um, Kristen, are you able to share that? >> I was just trying to work on the handbook stuff, but there are still some questions. I just want to make sure I clarify. And the AB policy is not in the drive. >> Okay. I'll talk with Lexi tomorrow. We'll get >> So, there is a survey for staff, there's survey for students, and there's a survey for parents and families. So, all the results are included in this one packet. Um, the first results, I'm not going to go through all the results because that'll take forever, but and you guys can read that on your own, but there

125were 41 teacher responses um in here. And um I'm just going to the first Yeah. So, this is there's a nice pictorial representation. Can you minimize that a little bit? >> There we go. Yeah, I was just getting grading. Um, so there's a nice pictorial representation of the data, so it's easy to read and follow. So the question that was asked is there. It tells you what percentage of staff agreed or disagreed or strongly agreed, whatever the liker scale was um asked of them, how they answered. So there's a lot of good information to read there. And like I said, I have not had a chance to uh meet with admin to go over this yet, but will be doing that at the start of school here. Um, so there's some positive things, some areas

126for improvement, but it will guide some of the work that uh gets done this school year. And then there's responses um from students in there. I don't know how many. Let me see. >> No, from families. >> So I have 90 students. >> No, it's families. It's not students. Oh, because you're middle school, high school is the ones who >> Yeah, the they we we um the thing about the student survey to remind you, students have to opt in >> and I send email after email. I we we collect them. We had >> we did get like 50 or so optins, I think, but um I think in the end it just wasn't enough student for all of the middle schools in the district. I think all of the middle school >> student surveys were

127not included. >> Okay. So, there's at least a good sampling of families that filled this out. There's 98, which was a good number. Um, >> so this isn't a new one. >> It's so this year. So, it's >> Is it the one that teachers have been working on? >> Yeah, because you were working on it last year. That was from March 25. >> Oh, so this is a this is a brand new March 25. >> Yes, this we just got the results like compiled this summer. So this is brand new from this spring survey. >> I didn't realize you did another survey. >> We're going to do it every year is the intent so that we have a a scope of data to look at to look at trends to look at any anomalies um

128to look at if there's like three years in a row and this is the second year of this data looking at it like this I believe. Yeah. Um, >> and same exact questions. >> Yes. So, it will be after we get like three sets of data, we'll be able to see a trend, right? Like right now, we've got two, which we might start to be seeing trends, but we just don't we won't really know till that third set when we have like longevity to compare for. But it doesn't mean that we can't do something with this data, right? Like it's a sampling of a a moment in time. So, we have something to look at. And uh we have not had a chance to digest it because it just came out this summer. Yeah. >>

129Okay. So, >> and that's when you're saying the school that's DCS. It's not the whole SAU. >> Correct. >> Yeah. This is DCS >> specific. >> The first one we saw had some ACU stuff, some DCS. >> Oh, gotcha. Okay. All right. >> Yeah. No, this is Deerfield only. >> Okay. >> Well, I have to admit I really didn't look at it because I thought it was this is not like you don't need to. This is just for you to digest and look at and we can have future conversations on. But just know that like we haven't even had a chance to review it together um because it's brand new and I want to look at last year's two and compare the two >> because I have my last year. >> Right. So I want

130we need to be able to have that conversation together. Staff have not seen this yet. So staff will need to be able to see this and digest it and talk about it. >> How many how many staff um responded to this this year? >> It said 41. Last year I think it was 39. >> 39. So I mean I can't force I know >> you should get me in the school. >> I think I triple dog. >> Sit down. Sit down and take the survey. >> Okay. So but it's still it's like it's we have a good sampling to review data on. Um, and it'll be it'll be even better when we have this year's results in the spring because then we have we can develop trends at that point and we can look at

131what's going on. So, um, I don't want to overanalyze it yet, but we will be digging into this this fall. Um, and we'll be looking at that and see if there's some things that we can either work on or continue to support because maybe you got good feedback. Make sure we continue some things. um and find any concerning pieces in there. >> Did um did you change the wording as far as how many years they worked here? Because I know that was a problem last time people lied about how many years they worked here. >> This doesn't I have nothing to do with all I do is send out that was a problem. That is on my like memory chip to talk about with uh Amy uh who make the curriculum coordinator who makes the

132puts out the survey and helps us push this out. So, we'll talk about that and I'll talk about that with the other superintendent as well and see if that might be something that we adjust. Um, it'll just we won't have anything to reference at that moving forward because then we'll have two years of sampling of that. But right people didn't put the right number like because I know there were some people that I had heard they knew that if they put their >> right if they're a first year teacher and they're the only one in the building who's a first year teacher they're not going to put that they were right >> or you've been here over you know so many years the only one I get it and um trying to figure Matt must

133be the longest tenure teacher now I was trying to figure that out >> probably >> Matt and then I was trying to think who >> Lindsay's up there >> well Lindsay Sarah Potter Rod >> but >> Sullescowski although not as long because that >> so but I think that's a valid concern right if there's a very small pocket of people who've been here for 20some years you know who's going to answer this so that is something that we're going to look at um like I said that's stored away here for when we talk about it at the SAU moving forward but just want to share that out because it was asked and um it'll be good to have some talking points this school year. >> All right. New Hampshire School Board Association. >> Oh, that

134one's mine, too. This whole list was mine. Um, so I talked with the schoolboard association. They're willing to come in and do a training. I put that out last time. Um, so they will be out o the second meeting in October is when they're able to make it out. So, they'll come join us for that time and they'll just come a little bit early and do that. That way, it's not an extra day. People aren't making an extra commitment. It's just it'll start a little bit earlier. We can do that training and then go right into regular school board business after that. >> Do you have that date? >> Uh, yes. October 15th. >> Thank you for doing that. >> Yes. >> I will try to find like will they do I won't be here

135for that one. I know I which but >> Well, we can share the material. Exactly. He'll have like a presentation or whatever, so he can share that with you. Um, and if there's any for some reason he has to end up canceling for whatever reason, um, for emergency, I'll let you guys know and can res. So, I'll be with the leprechauns in Ireland. >> Yeah. >> I'm so sorry for you. >> Really? >> Sorry. What? >> At the same time. So, we'll just maybe we'll maybe I'll >> put yell to you from Ireland. >> Is there any more vacations coming up? >> I I have one in November. So, >> you have one invest. >> Okay. >> Sorry. >> No, that's fine. I I'd rather know. This is why we start now so we can

136plan a couple months out. All right. Careful. You guys are heading into budget season then making me nervous. >> All right. Okay. I will I'll take a couple more dates and see what we can work out. >> I'll be back to you. >> Right. >> Public comments here for that. So I will make a motion to enter public. Second call. >> Yes. >> All right. Um you have to read out the under non-public session the NH RSA and it's going to be small under BC. Um, so I've moved to move in the nonpublic under NHRSA 91 A3. >> You have - A three. >> Dash A three. >> Roman numeral two >> and small letters B and C. >> Small letters B and C. >> It's ridiculous. No, >> Missy, you still second, right? >>

137Roll call. Everybody, >> I'll finish up and get everything to you, Trish. Thank you. All right. You >> ready for me to stop recording? >> Yes, I am. Thank you.