001All those in favor >> I >> opposed abstensions. Motion passes. Um please rise for the pledge of allegiance. >> I pledge algiance 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. Mrs. Adita, can you please call the role? >> Brian Arnold >> here. >> Jennifer Boy >> here. >> Linda Gaines absent. >> Jeff hate >> here. >> Sophia Bonet Hollis absent. Sophia. >> Donna Logan here. >> Maryanne Meen >> here. >> Mia Newsome >> here. Eileen Snook >> here. >> Marian Quinn here. >> Uh, the reading of the district mission. Our mission is to empower all students to be self-directed lifelong learners who willingly contribute to their community and lead passionate, purposeful lives. May I please
002get a motion to approve tonight's agenda? >> So move. >> Thank you. >> Second. >> Thank you. Any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor? >> I opposed. Abstensions. Motion passes. Um, correspondence. Does anybody have any correspondence they like to share this evening? >> Seeing none. Moving on. >> Oh, I'm sorry. Caught you. Sorry. >> Put my glasses on. I know. And I like I'm eating granola bar. My mouth is like full. Um, I think we all got this email, but I just wanted to bring it forward. Um, Mrs. Freswick, who is the art coordinator, um sent us an email about tw I think it's 23 students, definitely more than 20 that got um recognized in the 20 25 2026 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. And I think thought that that was pretty incredible. Almost
00325 kids. Um, and they could get a uh gold si gold key, a silver key, or an honorable mention. So, the kids that achieved gold and silver will have their artwork displayed at new during the month of February. So, I just wanted to congratulate all the students and um congratulate those educators that are supporting them. >> Thank you. Sorry, we cut you off there almost. Um, and that brings us to board president remarks. It's so lovely to have a nice full room here. We don't always have this many people at our meeting. Hopefully, you're all listening at home, but um, see you laughing in the back. Yeah, we're a very popular group. But, um, but, uh, welcome and, uh, and thank you for the snacks to the PTA. We really appreciate it. Um, that's that's
004it for my remarks for tonight. Um, Dr. Bronte. >> Thank you, Mrs. Mina, and welcome to everyone. It's great to be at West Road School and we had a great visit to West Road uh last week. Several of our board members uh Miss Thames had put together for us and I know we're going to share a little bit about our reflections from that visit in a few minutes. Uh I just have a few notes for the board and for the members of the community. First, I just wanted to mention uh and thank you Melissa and Fran for working together. Uh the board should have printed copies of our first annual report uh which we've put together for our community, but the board has printed copies at your seats tonight if you want to take that
005with us. And we distributed this electronically to our community last week. And really Melissa and her team uh as well as our our district several of our district office staff really I think did a great job putting together a reflection of how we're doing as a school community. uh across each of our major department areas. So, this will be an annual report that we'll provide. This is for 2025 now that we're in 2026 and uh it forms a good basis for us in the years ahead. And um it'll be posted on the website. Again, Melissa did an electronic communication. Please check that out. Encourage others who come across it to take a look at it as well. Uh and thanks again, Melissa, for your help with that. Um, before I get too far far into
006my comments, I did want to thank our facilities and grounds crew, our maintenance and operations staff, our transportation staff, all of whom were working uh through the day on Sunday uh through the night uh and through the day yesterday um to make sure that our campuses were safe today for our kids and for our staff. I talked to one of our grounds crew me members yesterday at the district office uh and he he does many of our sites. this plowing and he said, "I I just I was working through the day on Sunday. I just slept in the parking lot at Lraange Middle School and I've been going all day today." And I and he looked it. Um but that being said, it shows the extent that our our grounds crew and several again members
007of our maintenance and operations staff go to especially when there's a major storm and obviously we had a major storm uh to prioritize uh getting our our kids in. I must admit I came by the district office. I met with Mr. Magnameary yesterday um and Mr. Carter and drove around to a few of our schools, West Road being one of them, and I said, "Well, what do you think about tomorrow?" And they said, "Well, I think we're ready to go." And I said, "No delay, huh?" And they said, "No, we're we're good." You know, we worry about the buses and having all the snow off. I saw the buses were ready and must have met a little bit of peer pressure uh from my colleagues on that one because I think we could have opened
008up on time today, but everybody enjoyed the extra two hours. So, um, but we were I think we could have done it. Um, no need to tempt fate though. Um, so thanks to again to all the members of that crew. It's a little humor here. Okay, I'm just trying joking just joking for the audience. Um, uh, that being said, uh, really appreciate their efforts. Uh, last week, Maryanne and I had the pleasure of going to the Katherine Street Community Center's uh, annual Martin Luther King celebration. Uh, the their 35th year. I know we look forward to this each year, at least the two years I've been here. And uh we had a student, Mia Thomas, who's a senior at Arlington High School, who was one of three students in our uh county who were recognized
009as one of the scholarship recipients uh at that dinner. So, I just or at the breakfast, excuse me. So, I just wanted to uh congratulate Mia and her family. We got to know uh talk to Mia a little bit and mom. Mia's going to study nursing uh next year. uh she's going to have a job immediately when she's done with her nursing program and just a great reflection uh of her family and of Arlington along with uh uh a student from Pikipsy uh high school and another student from uh FDR High School. Uh so again just wanted to >> and I just want to add that at that event you know I I'm going to talk about in reflections but at that event each of the students gets ups and speaks which doesn't always happen
010at things like that and uh it was it was beautiful. They all did a really a really terrific job. She did a terrific job, but it's one of those events that really reminds you of why you're doing what you're doing and and they really um and she represented us in a beautiful way. So, we're very proud of her >> and the other students did a great job, too. >> They did. They did. Uh we also had our own Martin Luther King uh day celebration, our 21st. Uh thanks again to Melissa uh for playing a lead in coordinating that event. Uh all of our students and staff who uh presented, I thought just did a a wonderful job. And uh some new performances this year. I know Melissa made a concerted effort uh to reach out
011to schools u who had not uh maybe participated in the past or where it had been a few years. We had a couple others who I would say are regulars and again a great community of song and celebration and artwork all in honor of Martin Luther King Day. Thanks to Mia for MCing uh as well. Uh really appreciated that and uh filling in the gaps there between performances. And I'll tell you, we had I think it was the LMS orchestra who performed first. Do I have that right, Melissa? Was it LMS 8th and nth grade? >> Yeah, >> the stage wasn't big enough. And we have a big stage, right? And that's quite the transition to have to manage when it looked like 120 kids. It could have been more uh who were transitioning off
012all with instrumentals to the next performance. And uh Mia and company fill in the gap there uh as that transition takes place. >> Well, that's quite a feat when you think about it because those students are from two different schools. Absolutely >> right. So when there three different schools Oh. from both middle. So it was just a a wonderful um combining of of our staff and the students and it was it was beautiful. But that's that's not an easy thing to pull off to take kids who are not in school together and have them perform in front of a group of people. >> I think Miss Fiory led that group. She did a great job. >> Uh just some more business items now. I'll transition and then uh I know we have others who who
013are going to be speaking. Uh we had a snow day yesterday. Uh obviously uh yeah, snow day yesterday, uh delayed today. I think that's our third snow day. Melissa, I keep looking to you. You're on tonight. Uh our third snow day. So just a reminder, we've built four snow days into the calendar. Um what we ant and and it's still early. Um these are the things that keep me up at night. So, who knows what's going to come. But I I just wanted to share with the board that we have begun planning that if we were to go beyond our four days, looking at two additional days in the calendar, which are in the calendar as makeup days, uh the uh May 22nd of Memorial Day weekend, and then April 6, which is the Monday
014after um uh the spring break. Uh so if we again use a fourth day, that's fine, but if we need a fifth day and a sixth day, those days are there for that. If we go beyond a six day, what John has been working on is a remote instruction plan for students. Ideally, that doesn't happen uh because we know the quality uh within a remote instruction environment is very different. Uh uh but if we have to, we really don't want to go to taking days off of spring break. Uh creates all sorts of issues with attendance, uh vacation plans, and whatnot. Uh that being said, we'll we have the beginnings of a a plan in place, and thank you, John, for working with the ATA leadership on that. uh in case we need to and
015at least personally I'm hoping it doesn't snow anymore. Uh and then lastly, I wanted to mention to the board, we heard from some of our transportation workers at our last meeting. Um I I just want the board and the community to be aware that uh I am following up either have followed up with them and then following up uh with our transportation workers, particularly at the Arlington garage. I have a meeting set up with all of our drivers later this week. It was supposed to be Monday. Obviously, we had a snow day. Um, so we had a we had a snow date already scheduled to meet with them and talk a little bit more about their uh questions or concerns related to safety uh particularly at that site which as you know presents some real
016challenges and um I look forward to meeting with them later this week. That's enough for me. >> Thank you Dr. Manante. Those are a lot of great highlights there. Um let's see. That brings us to the exeicio student board member Mia Hi everyone. It's great to be back at West Road considering I went here seven years ago. Um, long time ago. Um, I was just going to reflect on the Martin Luther King tribute. It was beautiful. I had the honor of MCing it for the second year in a row and I loved it. All the performances were great, especially our jazz band. They were amazing and all the kids were just adorable. Um, additionally, a few events coming up are the MST science fair, which is at the end of February, so still some time
017away from now. And then also the skilled trades fair, which is on February 11th. Um, besides that, I don't have anything else. Thank you. >> Thank you so much, Mia. Um, does anybody have any questions for Mia at this point? All right, then we'll move on. Um, public comment. Um, do we have anyone for public comment tonight? No. >> For either. >> Okay. Thank you so much. Is there anybody that came in late or didn't know our policy and wants to sign up for um public comment? >> Okay. Thank you. Seeing none, moving on to reports and discussions. >> So, we have a few uh this evening and we're going to start with Miss Thames. Again, Miss Thames, thank you for welcoming us to West Road. Uh, as I mentioned at the start of my
018comments, we had a a great visit to the school last week. Uh, thanks to your staff for hosting us. Sometimes we don't know how many folks are going to be able to make it. And I think everybody made it. So, it made for some crowded some crowded rooms with uh nine adults and uh uh 20 kids. So, that was wonderful. And I just want to set you up here, Miss Thames, uh, for a second. Uh I I wanted to note we've talked quite a bit about uh the impact that your staff has had on student achievement over the last several years uh here at West Road School. And I just want to uh it's such a glow in in in our district that I just want to acknowledge as you had shared and and were
019aware of uh a 16% growth in in student achievement over the last four years. Um and which is just remarkable and really the majority of that being over the last two. Yeah. Uh it takes some time. You know, usually we don't see that change right away, but uh West Road and you and your faculty and staff certainly have been a model of many things. And uh I'm just going to cite four and then I'm going to turn it over to you if you if you don't mind. Uh one, the role of the principal as a learning leader. And I I use that term purposefully as opposed to an instructional leader. uh a learning leader because you don't it's impossible for a school leader to know everything about standards and curriculum, but having a learning mindset
020and showing that reflecting that back to the staff serves as a a great model for the learning we're hoping that they're doing with one another and uh with our kids. I I know you've paid a lot of attention to getting the people right uh within the school and making decisions around hiring and um you know I know you're really proud of the in uh uh as a transition to the instructional coach that you have here Miss Rock who I think is up right there second seat uh in and the the work that Jen has done as a respected colleague with uh her colleagues and then a heavy emphasis and I was just reflecting on the comments that you made continually throughout our meeting around the learning standards and making sure that there's a an emphasis
021in letting the standards guide our discussion uh and the work that's occurring at at the grade levels and giving obviously your grade level teams and the trust you have in them to have conversations around those standards but the staff really has reflected that that they're focused on the learning standards within the building and that I think all of that and more has contributed to the very positive results that you've realized here. I hope you're proud of that. Your staff should be proud of that as well because I know they own it um and you own that as well. And with that, thanks for welcoming us to the building. >> You're welcome. Um, do I just press? Yep. Okay. So, welcome everyone and thank you for having me here tonight. I am, as you stated, representing
022our building as a whole. Um, and the work that I am sharing with you. I'm sharing on behalf of our teachers and on behalf of our students. So the context of my presentation tonight is really I think for the last three years the focus of my presentation has been around PLC's and how uh tonight the context will be really about how we're transitioning to using our PLC's as a tool or PLC you know we are a PLC so how we're using that model to build a cohesive um way of instructing our students but before we do that. I really want to thank our PTA. Um, our PTA president spent about an hour in traffic today getting us our goodies. And so I want to thank our PTA for their ongoing support. We also want to
023thank our custodial staff who when I checked in yesterday had spent the bulk of the day here yesterday like all the others um really ensuring that our school was ready to welcome students in today safely. And I think that's worth mentioning. They were also cleaning up so you weren't witness to the salt that we all had in our hallways all day today. And the teachers who came out to support tonight, but in general just our building community um and the culture that we are striving to create here. We are it's been a busy year so far and we are really trying to balance the work that we're doing for around learning with ensuring that our students have a really balanced um experience where they understand that they are global citizens. So, we've had a some
024assemblies that I want to, you know, we've had our one school one book assembly. We've had our Veterans Day assembly where we participated in a building drive to support the mental health association of Duchess County and their veterans program and we were able to give a really large donation of just socks and clothing um to that organization. We've done a used coat drive um last year. Our local fire department donated $500 worth of brand new coats and gloves and scarves. And this year they were able to donate $1,500 worth of just brand new um clothing outer coated clothing for our community. And all of that really is about ensuring that our students have a balanced experience when they walk through our doors and that they understand that learning is important, but they're also a bigger
025part of our community and their citizens within our community. So, just wanted to highlight that before I go into the rest of it. Uh, so just to give you context, um, Devon. Okay, I'm going to turn it on first. Let's do that. um over here. >> There you go. >> Did it go? >> Okay. So, to start, this is just really an overview of your visit. Um and then what are we doing here? Did we get it? Okay, there it is. Okay. And so this visual um just represents really the crux of what we your visit was about last time, right? It's showing our school. It's showing our PLC meetings, but then those avenues that you see is really representing our goal. Our goal, which is to create a really cohesive experience of learning for
026our students by ensuring that all of our stu all of our spaces are connecting learning for students. I mentioned two things when we met last time. um that students, you know, there's a lot of um research to support repeated exposure uh so that students are able to reinforce the content that we are aiming for them to learn and also that you know writing particularly writing around non-fiction is really a strong driver for academic achievement. And so those were two of the things that I wanted us to focus on. And so when we look at the other slide, this one, it has a lot on it and but it really just gives you some idea of the work that we're doing in the building. So, our librarian who's actually here tonight, so Amy's here, our she
027has really um dedicated her time where possible to attend our PLC's so that she can be a resource for our teachers as they plan instruction. She is working really hard to ensure that teachers have updated resources in our libraries. And so when our texts are out of date, she is ensuring that we are going through those, ordering texts that support the research units for each of our grade levels. We were able to order some brand new resources for fourth. We're doing third and fifth as we speak. Amy is also working within her space on a few things. uh text structure is some text features and text structures but text features um in particular is something that we work on across all grade levels and this is the first year that we've really been able to
028work together because she is particing in the participating in PLC's she knows when those units are coming up she is able to spend some time reinforcing content within her space and additionally uh this year um during our enrichment blog box. Fourth grade has a persuasive essay unit that's coming up. And so the students are now working on PSAs where they are working with our librarian to explore content that they're passionate about or interests that they may have and then they'll do the research and then they'll produce a PSA that's going to promote and their ideas and persuade us on why we should give that some time. and it directly aligns to what's happening in fourth grade. In third grade, um our music teacher was able to spend a unit on the nutcracker so that when
029I think we did pace and form, right? Pace and form. So when they were a they we did a field trip to um Maris to BVven and students it was familiar they understood it. They had context for it. You know, I think if you're watching the Nutcracker without context, it can go over your head, particularly for third graders. So to spend a unit reinforcing it and asking, giving them pointers on things to look for made it relevant. And that's also a word that we use consistently within our building uh in fourth grade. We decided this year, I don't know if many of you know, Mia might know, that in fourth grade we build long houses here, right? That's our Westerro tradition. You're shaking her head. Uh, so I don't know if this is going to
030be popular with you, Mia, but we decided not to do long houses this year. Um, we decided to go walk through a long house in Albany. So, we went to the museum in Albany so that kids had an experience that is equally as memorable and probably going to a place where most of them may never get to go um during the course of their educational experience because we thought that would be more relevant. And then our art teacher in will then um so in lie of the long house in art they'll do clay pots and they'll research the history of the clay pots. Um as we talk about PLC's again that bridge the bridge for um our instructional coach has been working really hard to bridge our ais program and our ENL program. So, they
031have their PLC's once in a six-day cycle where she's all because we can't um our schedule doesn't allow for our providers to go to classroom grade level PLC's. So, she's the bridge for them and they are able to preload vocabulary in math. They are, you know, working consistently to ensure that we have strategies that we're using in the classroom when they're remediating. We're using the same strategies in that environment as well. and you were able to visit in our reading AIS um supports L where you saw that we were which I thought we were doing um compreh uh main idea but we weren't they were doing their last lesson on text features so you were also able to see how that connected so I'm really proud of the work we're doing I am proud of
032your visit here last Thursday I think we were able to really see and get the essence of what we are working on next uh to strengthen our PLC's and strengthen our tier one instruction and our tiered instruction in general and I'm curious for your feedback. >> Well, thank you. We all really enjoyed our visit and very much so. Um and I'm just opening the floor to anybody who has any questions or comments at this time. Jeff, >> so last year for the Earth Science and Biology regions, everything had changed. It was about reading texts, analyzing text, and being able to write about it. And to see it being done here in the third grade was really impressive. You know, they're they're starting so much earlier, so much younger to be able to understand what they're
033reading and be able to write about at the same time was great to see. >> Thank you. Anybody else? Eileen. Um I I have to tell you how impressed I was the whole day. There was so much learning going on. But for me, a lot of what what was impressive to me was the discussion that we had with you. Um you the way you talk about how your lit your instructional coach and I know Jen, I know you know what a gem you have in her. Um, but the way that you talked about her interactions with you, her interactions with the team, her interactions with the new teachers, um, you know, you just you have something that's really working here and that was great to see. Um, I love the fact that you're using your
034librarian to support reading in a targeted way. You know, the librarians always support literacy, but it's really targeted here. Um, and the other thing that I loved seeing in a couple of the classrooms were how teachers were using readaloud anchor texts to really um, support the kids in the work that they were doing. So, everything I saw I loved. >> Thank you. >> Anybody else? >> I you know did I can't I've got peripheral vision. >> That's right. Go. >> Well, okay. I just um I think what what we're talking about I think the kids get a deep sense when adults are working together and when they're not just even think of in parents right they kind of you know when they divide and conquer and I I think I think we saw a lot
035of that continuity and I think that's that reinforcement with kids in different ways lets them relax into the fact that it's inevitable. this is the road I'm on. This is the road they're taking me on. We're all on this road together. We're moving forward together. And I think just as importantly, without that kind of cohesiveness, they kind of understand that yeah, you know, people are working as silos. I think that children really if they can't articulate it, they feel it inside. So, I think that um that was that demonstration of that really resonated with me. And um I also just appreciated um to to Eileen's point, we had a nice discussion with you both before and after which really helped us kind of you know understand what we saw and how it fit into the
036larger picture of of what you're seeing which is progress in the building which we're all very happy about. So >> thank you. >> It was a very >> It's interesting that you use the word silo because I use that word a lot. Um it's what we don't want, >> right? And I think we've worked uh every year we're making uh we're solidifying and becoming more cohesive as a building where we want to go as we learn what where the standards want us to go. We are all figuring out where it fits in our space and trying to ensure that the kids are getting that reinforcement as we go through it where it fits and where it fits naturally. We're not really forcing it. Teachers aren't required to force it. Amy isn't required to force it.
037We're just really working on We all have standards. They all um intersect at some point. And so we're looking for that intersection to ensure that um we're building a cohesive plan for our kids. >> I I think that is the thing. Um we we are seeing in the district overall every place we go um the strengthening of the PLC process in every building. Um but it's so intentional here that you are striving as you've just said to include all of the teachers and all of the students in that work. um seeing the use of your special area teachers to strengthen whatever is going on at that moment in the curriculum um is a beautiful thing. And it's and it's beautiful to just see the kids so engaged. They and they know with the learning standards
038written clearly out for them every day of what it is they're accomplishing. I just think all the visuals of that type of information can only strengthen their desire to move forward. So >> kudos to you guys. It is a beautiful thing. >> Thank you. >> Thanks for having us. >> You're welcome, >> Donna. >> Um I also really enjoyed our visit. I know we had a big group come through and I was just really impressed by the students were just really like they were just interested, you know, interested in what was happening and maybe having some strangers in the room makes it a little bit different, but I imagine that happens that happens all the time, but they were just very interested. I thought the lessons were very interesting. Um, and uh, I just I
039felt like this whole the again like sort of my colleagues said so many good things already, but I felt the PLC work must would would probably makes a feeling of a good a positive culture in the building like we really we really belong. We're working on this together and your assessment data kind of gives a just purely objective, you know, uh, uh, sort of comment on that. you know, we want to really we're we're here for these kids to help them um gain skills that are going to make them successful in life and that's that's you know, an important important part of it. So, um I also was impressed uh that you are do also supporting some of your families with the weekly food uh effort and I just thought it's like it just really
040shows an effort of caring caring for the community and uh I I applaud you for that and was also impressed by that >> and that is in partnership with our lions department and our local food bank. So, I would be remiss if I didn't say that it was a collaborative effort and that Heather Andrews who runs our weekly wellness program is also here tonight. So, um kudos to her. >> And just to to target off something that that Marian said that I kind of jotted a little note on, I don't know if I have this word right. Was it teaching targets or learning targets? >> Learning targets. I just, you know, I need some of those at my house. like you think you're moving in the same but it's very interesting when you have a
041very focused no this is exactly what you're not done till you've done this and they're they're short and they're directed and it's like this is what we're doing today and I I just I thought that was really helpful for for the teacher and the student like have we gotten to this what we set for ourselves right um >> and and I because I didn't know when I saw them is this like for the year is this for the week you know you have no idea so maybe they last a couple of days Maybe they last a day, but whatever they are. I just felt like we're constantly going back to where we're trying to get. And I and and you use the word standards all the time, which is also I or frequently. I noticed
042that in your conversation that you you talk about the standards and bringing it back to the standards and um you know, you can only think that maybe that's part of the success that the children are having that we're focusing on exactly where we need to go. So um that was just an observation. And I'm not an educator myself, but that was an observation that I made. >> Our our learning targets are directly aligned with our standards. So you take the standard and you can one standard can um break into maybe three or four learning targets depending and uh we go through a process. We actually just finished redoing uh Jen led a PD at our last faculty meeting where we did learning targets specific to math. uh just bec we we have a large percent.
043We have 15 general ed classrooms and we have 10 new teachers and learning targets really is it's not an easy lift. But when once you understand how to directly align them, it really makes the learning it tells you your destination, right? And it tells you where you need to go. And we've invested a lot of time in that and developing effective learning targets because I believe that it is really it's what it's it makes it relevant for students and it increases the likelihood they'll own it because they walk in being able to articulate where we're going for that day and how they're going to get there. >> That's great. Did anybody have any other comments they wanted to make today? real quick. Um to the parents of the students here, I think you'd all be
044surprised the lack of volume >> um of the kids walking through walking through the hallways. It was so quiet and it was it was it really was shocking to me that, you know, I mean, how many kids are in this building? >> 62. >> And we walked around for two hours and you could hear a pin drop almost the whole time. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> Oh, and I can't we can't go on without talking about this. Right. So, I got it. So, my kids are all in their 20s, but I need one of these on my refrigerator because they tend to define everything as >> I wasn't really sure you meant it when you said you wanted one, but I I made it. >> Oh, no. We all we all saw them on the
045wall and we're like, oh, you know, you need that because, you know, how do you teach a child, you know, what what level of excitement we're going to? You know, this Chicken Little has a sky falling or whatever. So, we just all love this visual. So, thank you so much for giving these to us. And for our friends at home who can't see it, it says what's the size of the problem. There's like a like a what? A tornadoy kind of thing. >> A tornado for the big problem and then like a thunderstorm for a medium problem and then there's a small definition and then a small problem is like a rainstorm. And it's just nice for kids to decide to to start to think about to almost self-regulate and to what they need to
046do to solve their own problems. >> And if you're spotlighting it, I really need to give credit to Caitlyn Riley Burke. She is our school social worker and it's all her work. Oh, great. >> Uh I did she made the copies for you. >> Uh and this is just a lesson that she did in September for all of our third graders so that we could also talk about it at uh curriculum night with parents so that we're sharing the same language. And given how uh you know I think the way it landed with you folks, I think we're including it in our newsletter. >> There you go. >> Good. Good. Yes. Thank you so much. Thank you. Did anybody have any more they want to say? I don't want to cut anybody off. Well, thank
047you so much. It was a wonderful visit and thank you so much to everyone in your school that works so hard every day on behalf of our students. Like very appreciated. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Next. Oh, next B. National Board Certified Master Teacher recognition. as uh >> state as we've all acknowledged there's some we we have some outstanding educators here at West Road but we also have uh models of excellence throughout our district and uh I don't recall I yeah last year we we did this as well we want to make be sure to make a point to recognize our educators who have achieved uh certain designations at uh points in their career and we have two groups tonight that we're going to recognize and I'm going to ask John
048Orca to come up to the podium. There you are, John. Uh just to share a little bit more and introduce some special guests this evening who I believe are here with their families. I see some family members in the audience as well. >> I know. I was thinking maybe we should hold this till the end so the audience doesn't clear out before the end of the >> um >> we like Kevin to be the one that clears the room. Yeah, >> that might happen. Um so thank you Dr. Bernante. I I think um this is really a distinct honor and a privilege to recognize six incredible teachers who um half of whom have received the New York State Master Teacher Program and the other half uh have either our first recipients for the National Board.
049I'm going to ask the six of you in a minute to come up here because it feels awkward to be like recognizing you standing behind me. um the national board certif uh certified teachers either their maintenance of renewal or their maintenance of certification or um are a first-time recipient. So uh and just uh logistics when we're done with the recognition we are going to pause briefly for a photo. When I came in Melissa said we're going to do a photo outside and if you're faster than me I paused and I was like outside because it's really cold and she was like no no no like in the hall. So good. Uh let's start with our New York State Master Teacher Program. So would Stephanie Brand, Joe Pool Dalvo, and Megan Rush please join me. So
050Stephanie is a teacher here at West Road. Joe is a teacher at Arlington High School and Megan is a teacher at Arthur May. The New York State Master Teacher Program is a professional network designed to recognize and support some of the state's highest performing K through2 STEM teachers. Uh also counselors, teachers in this network engage in intensive professional learning beyond their regular school day and their regular professional learning throughout the course of the year. And there's a focus on three core domains, content knowledge, pedagogy, and community engagement. In addition to mentoring new teachers, sharing best practices, and working collaboratively, this network is dedicated to enhancing equity and excellence in our New York State classrooms. Um, we have some certificates for you. Admittedly, in our haste to make sure that I spelled your names correctly, I'm
051recognizing that the blurb here is actually the one we gave Steve Herzog last year in support of supporting you. Um, so we'll get that corrected. I actually just recognized it and emailed all of you my sincerest apologies. So, I'm sorry about that. That's on me. Um, but we'll get these corrected for you. But, um, here's your temporary certificate. Let's call it that. So Stephanie, come on up. Megan, come on up. And Joe. So, next up, if I could have Marcia Brandt, uh, Stephanie Rice, and I'm sorry, Stephanie Rice, Brendan Hunt, and Marcia Brandt, please come up. So Brendan, this is you are receiving officially your first national board certification and Stephanie and Marcia, you are you both completed your maintenance of certification which used to be renewal but now it's maintenance of certification. So, the
052National Board Certification is often referred to as the most prestigious and respected professional certification in American education. The National Board Certification focuses on commitment to students uh and their learning, knowledge of subjects that they teach and how they teach them. And nationally board certified teachers must successfully complete four uh components in order to be certified. They have to demonstrate their content knowledge, their ability to differentiate, their teaching practice, and their demonstrate their ability to be reflective in their practice. And all three of them have uh recently accomplished this. Your certificates are correct. I triple checked them when I realized theirs were not. Um, so I'm going to hand these to you now. Let's start with Stephanie. Marcia and Brendan. And I forgot to mention that all three of them teach at Arlington High School. Um,
053if I my back is still to behind there or behind me, but if uh Steve Herzog and Colleen Napora and also Stephanie Rice could all stand up too because the three of them, Steve supports our program to support anyone applying for the New York State Master Teacher Program. Uh, and Colleen and Stephanie both support anyone applying for the National Board Certificate. So, if you could just stand up and be recognized, too. And just one final thing before we pause for a photo, I it would be um I would be remiss if I didn't also acknowledge that you will see Stephanie and Colleen's names listed later in our agenda as retirees. And um while I congratulate you um these are big shoes not just for the role you play in supporting this program which is very
054valuable but our students in general and just want to extend my own appreciation for all of your efforts and supporting our district. So thank you. >> Thank you all. Congratulations. And I'll just make note for our recipients, we would, as John alluded to, we would like to get a photo. So don't run off and Yep. We'll do the photo now if that's okay. >> Excuse me. can't get through. >> That's a very Uh, sure. question. Byebye. That's it. Charlotte. I read that you notic people aren't here. Yeah, take it. Take it. >> Yeah, we got extras. >> Do it. Huh? There you go. Okay. wonder hours. or >> Yeah. of the weather. >> Oh, did good. Oh yeah. >> Well, they are not going to be helpful. I think we're almost ready. Okay. Excuse me.
055Wow. >> Oh, no. >> Oh, it's all right. >> Want me to call Kevin? >> No. It's my joy to call Kevin. We try every meeting to have something more and more celebratory before we make Kevin talk about the budget. So, hi Kevin. >> Hi. >> Are you here with your pin to burst our bubble? >> Just kidding. >> Think before >> I'm just teasing Kevin. We We love these budget presentations. >> I don't know if Kevin saw the chart, but Kevin, before you start, >> what is what is the size of the problem? >> What is >> Can I say all the above? >> Yeah. head >> a nor easter >> Kevin's going to present on operation maintenance and trans transportation this evening which is in accordance with our schedule but uh prior to
056the next uh budget presentation uh I will just share a little bit more context with the board uh Kevin and I have been working behind the scenes and we also have our uh first administrative level of review uh tomorrow with our principles and uh I think that's going to help some work between now and then will just help further flesh out for the board uh a sense of what it's going to take to bring our budget in in balance. So, uh, we have the governor or the executive proposal at this point, uh, which we're not sharing an update on this evening, but we'll include that in next in the next presentation, uh, along with just a little more context to what, uh, we're evaluating within district and the potential implications there, um, as a as
057a segue into the next budget presentation two weeks from now. So, thanks, Kevin. All right. So this is uh another presentation on our journey through the budgeting process this year. Um this is traditionally one that we start with where we start actually providing numbers to actual div departments and divisions. So with that this is a slide that you see almost every year. It's just to give the size and scope of what's going on in the operations and maintenance, the number of buildings that we have, the amount of acres we take care of, um the amount of uh custodians, grounds, those types of things. So, so this is the operations and maintenance budget. I'm proposing a 3.47% increase. It's mostly driven by salaries. Uh material and supply costs are going up, so the inflation on all
058of those is is starting to take a bite. and um an increase to maintenance and repairs. So, uh same thing with materials and supplies. There's inflation going on in in uh the repairs and things like that where we have to hire people to come in and do things. So, um there's also pressure on natural gas, fuel, oil, and electric. If you've looked at your electric bill lately, you'll notice that that's been going up. So, uh we are not unaffected by that. So, that is also part of this. I didn't actually increase the amount in the electricity line, but it is compressing, which means that there's less left over at the end of the year, which puts pressure on our $7 million number, which is the amount that we designate from the fund balance to protect
059the budget. So, there's compression going on within the electric budget. So, this is uh just a graphical way of looking at um our operations and maintenance budgets. Um you can see the light blue is what's actually spent against the dark blue which is the which is what is budgeted. And so you can see um we're we're starting to spend we're starting to spend closer to what we have been budgeting in those lines. Moving on to transportation. I have an overall increase of 1.94%. Um and we'll talk a little bit about that. So salary increases, insurance is increasing, and auto parts is increasing. Um this is a graphical look. So you can see that the light blue bars in the fifth year back, the fourth year back almost completely in the third year back where we
060have actually spent all of our budget and slightly more. Um, I want our budget to be almost exactly spot-on or to spend slightly more than what we budget. The reason is this is a categorical aid and we get aid on that from the state and we get it in the subsequent year. So, we spend it this year and we get it next year. So, you see the large spike there in uh expenditures in 22 23. That's when we had to increase wages 50% in order to get drivers. And you'll see in the corresponding slide the aid for that jumped in the following year to correspond to that to that increase. Going back to this slide. So that's why you see the budgets are so closely matched to the expenditures because if I overstate that or
061if I have space in there in in terms of budget more than actual then when we get our state aid projections they will overinflate what we're going to get and we won't get that in aid and that causes other problems. So that's why we do it this way. >> Say that one more time. >> Okay. So, so when we h we have to report to the state what our budget's going to be for the following year. If we have excessive or high budget in transportation, they're going to project aid on that on that budgeted figure. And if it's inaccurate, in other words, if it's too much, then they're going to tell you you're going to get more in aid. And then when you actually get your aid, you're going to be short this year. Yep.
062So the friends at home can hear you. Sorry. >> Yes. Thank you. Um I saw salary was part of the on the last two two sections, right? >> Um is it salary because there's pressure to raise salaries to acquire staff or is it more just kind of regular, you know, annual increases? I would say that the immediate impact was in transportation because we weren't able to get drivers. So in that 22 23 year we dramatically we dramatically increased. The rest are driven by collective bargaining agreements. So you see them come through in your deliberations. Uh and so when people come go uh year to year they get raises and so that's all part of the collective bargaining process. But that's what's going on now. It's just just regular on regular increases through the >> pressure
063like we have to really try to attract >> uh folks. >> Uh I would say that we are are weak in in the number of drivers that we have. We could always use more drivers. Every day we're starting probably 15 to 20 drivers short of what we would like to be. But >> but just to clarify, Kevin, what you're budgeting is not um with an expectation that we're making a significant shift in compensation and our budgeting for next year to attract those drivers. The significant shift occurred a few years ago. >> Correct. >> Uh and these are just to be more direct, regularly scheduled or anticipated salary increases. Yep. >> Yes. Thank you. But to ask a clarifying question, if we look at last year, if we look at 2024, 2025, is are the if
064we had been to full capacity in our hiring, would we have gone would we have blown through our budget? But 16 or 20 is 15 or 16 people. Is that like I don't know 10%? >> It's a really hard way to look at it because you know we fill in with our full-timers and things like that. So then you would equate overtime and extra runs and things like that. So there would be less of that. So it's it's I I don't know that the overall budget like the where it gets distributed would change, but I'm not sure that the overall figure would change all that much. It might increase a little, but I I it wouldn't be at the magnitude that I think you're thinking. >> Okay. Thanks. >> So this is what we're going
065to propose for for buses this year. Um it's absent anything with electric buses. Um this will actually complete our changeover from diesel. Um this will replace all of the large diesel buses. They'll all be converted to propane and gas and so you'll be completely out of the diesel bus business which I think is pretty phenomenal. Uh we had started that uh long before the latest push for electric buses. uh propane buses get you about 90% of the efficient or the uh environmental impacts that an electric bus would. So, we're going to complete that process and then I think um depending on what happens at the state and uh whatever levels we're going to have to graduate into the next next version, but I think that's a later conversation. Um so, this is this is uh
066and we've got a couple of things in operations and maintenance. The grand total is 3.4 4 million call it uh and I think last year was 3.1 million or something like that. So we're staying relatively close to that amount that we are doing for our uh bus and on andm propositions. So this is that separate ballot that we separate question that we put on the ballot uh same one we put there every year. So that's what this is. So, the capital reserve um we we we fully funded the capital reserve, the last one that we had. There's about $5.4 million sitting in it as we as we speak. Um my recommendation at the moment that I'm standing here is to save that um in in preparation for what's coming next. And and and the thought
067process is this. We have a lot of projects that we've been doing over the last several years that we're trying to clean up, finish off, and and and file final cost reports. So, that's like Overlook, uh it's UVMS, it's the high school, uh all of these project, roofing, and we have a lot of those projects going on this summer. By the time we get to the following summer, you're going to have most likely the LMS middle school in full swing. you'll probably be starting or close to starting in the second summer, uh, West Road. And so, uh, we're trying to to save those monies and and and in possibility of figuring out what other things might need to be done that we don't specifically know about now that we might need to to handle going
068forward. Uh I do know that we have uh a concern and uh and a uh thoughts around uh playgrounds and some things like that. So there may be some portion of this that we might designate for some some projects, but I would say the bulk bulk of it would would stay for for for future projects uh and take a wait and see because we've got a lot of stuff going on that we'd like to clean up and then we'd like to focus on the 1796 which is a lot of work. Um, so that capital reserve that we just spoke about, the one that was what we call capital reserve 2018, we had a capital reserve 2016 which was 10 million over 10 years and we used that almost almost immediately and that's what we used
069to build the bus garage at the CAO. Uh this one was for 20 years and for 20 million and it's now it's now been fully funded. And it's not a well in sense that or a bucket that you fill with water and if you pour the money pour the water out then you keep going up to 20 million. It only gets 20 million. Once you've put $20 million into it, it's it's done. You can't it's not a it's not a perpetual thing. So my my recommendation is that the district should open up another one of these so that if you have money left over at the end of the years, you have a place to put it and not re and not be forced to put into the other reserves. This gives you management flexibility
070is what I would describe that as. So my recommendation is to to create another one of those. It does nothing to the 5 million for that you have sitting in the one that's called 2018. It just means that you have a new bucket that you can put money in if you so choose in the future. Um there's another aspect of what goes on in the budgeting process and it's called the interfund transfer to capital. We have actually placed monies inside the actual general fund budget and then sent them over for specific purposes uh into the capital fund. Uh last year we recommended zero. I'm going to recommend zero again this year for the same reasons I just said about um the reserve uh same basic concept. Um, we're trying to focus on the 1796 and
071yeah, and these are the next uh next uh presentations as we as we work through the budgeting process. And I'm available for questions. >> Okay. Any questions? >> If I may, >> certainly. >> Just a question I'm not aware of. Kevin, when we've uh created the uh capital reserve bonds in the past, and if I hear you correctly, there was one at 10 million that filled pretty quickly. >> Yeah, we we filled it up and took it out uh within like a two to three year time frame >> and then another that was 20 million. generally how quickly are is there a particular amount of funds that you we can or we've become accustomed to to being able to put into those funds, you know, at the end of each school year um year-over-year. Is
072there an average amount? >> I don't know that there's an average because every year is unique and different. Sometimes, uh things will happen and we'll have a better year or a worse year. So, in a worse year, you're going to put far less, and in a in a great year, you might put put quite a bit. So, it depends on how the year runs. Um, I wouldn't say that we've I wouldn't say it's like two $2 million or anything like that. I it's it's it's vacasillated widely. Like, I think in the 10 million, I think we put $8 million in in the first year, and I think uh in other years we've put as low as a million. Um, >> got it. Thanks. For some reason, I have stuck in my head, we usually buy
073seven buses a year. Is that correct? >> In the past, or is it usually >> 24? >> We buy 24 buses a year. >> A year. >> Yeah, because we have 250 buses in about 10 year cycle. So, it's uh it's about 24 25 buses a year. >> So, here says 10 buses. >> Yeah. The big the big buses are almost always 10. >> Okay. And so the district won't be buying diesel or not to the >> We haven't bought diesel in 8 to 10 years. >> Really? >> Mhm. All of the little buses are gasoline. Some of our big buses are gasoline so that we can take them on trips, but the vast bulk of them are propane. The big buses >> and I think the vans now are primarily hybrid. >> Uh the
074minivans are hybrid. So like all of the Toyota Cas that you see those types those most of those are hybrid and they get about high30s for miles to the gallon. So we've we've cut down on the amount of gallons that we use tremendously as well. So not only are we doing better on the NOx for propane, we're doing better in the gas because we're not burning it nearly as much fuel as we would have if we bought a Suburban that got 8 miles to the gallon. Okay. All right. Well, I think that's it then for for tonight for budgets. >> Thank you. >> Um, so we have a new section of our agenda here which is called policy which just um Thank you, Francesca. We're just organizing ourselves so we I think it's helpful. Um,
075so we're going to go through the policy section now. Um item A, the first reading with revisions. So this is a first reading. There's no motion required on those. >> And then we're going to item B uh first reading without revisions. These are separated so that you can um decide if we're changing our ex some of them we're just updating the date that we've reviewed them and then some of them have substantive changes. So, it helps board members with their review to know what they're what they're looking at if they're comparing two things or if they're just seeing that we're more or less rolling a policy forward. Also, maybe helps our people, our public. Um, and then we'll move on to item C, second and final reading with revisions. Um, so this is a second
076reading. So, I will be needing a motion. Can I please get a motion? >> So, move. >> Thank you. >> Second. >> Thank you. Um, any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor? I opposed. Abstension. Motion passes. Item D, second and final reading for policy changes without revisions. May I please get a motion? >> So moved. Thank you. >> Second. >> Thank you. Any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor? I >> opposed. Abstension. Motion passes. And thank you to the um policy committee for all their hard work on that on that work. Um, oh my I'm a little premature. Item E, acknowledgement and approval of deleted policies. They're really doing a lot of work to go through. So, uh, many of these policies that are being deleted, um, have basically the topics they cover
077are covered in other areas or they're not required by law. And so, we're just streamlining our policy manual. And I appreciate the work that's gone into this to reviewing each and every one of these. So, it's not that we if you see some of these names, they're clearly important topics, but that doesn't mean that we don't have policies that address these things. So, may I please get a motion? >> So, moved. >> Thank you. >> Second. >> Thank you. Um, any discussion? I guess I talked prematurely, but there you go. We'll just we'll just slip my discussion right into that moment there. Okay. All those in favor? I opposed. Abstension. Motion passes. Thank you. New business. Our new business section of the agenda lists several items for individual resolution approval. Documentation concerning these items have
078been provided to our board members in advance to assure an extensive and thorough review. Um item B, approval of overnight field trips. May I please get a motion? >> So moved. >> Thank you. >> Second. >> Thank you. Any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor? I >> I >> opposed. Abstension. Motion passes. Item C, approval of Hawk metamasuri school substantial equivalency revol resolution. Um, can I get a motion, please? >> So moved. >> Thank you. >> Second. >> Thank you. Any discussion? >> If I may. >> Yes, please. >> I just wanted to apprise the board of the process here. So there's a law in New York which requires now local public schools to certify uh the substantial equivalency of any private parochial or independent school within its attendance zone. So the burden is
079on the public school uh to uh seek out information from again any private, independent or parochial school uh and then uh collect that information and make a determination as to whether or not the education that's being provided uh at that school is substantially equivalent to its public school counterpart. So it's a matter of accountability again the burden being on the public school uh to ensure that students who are enrolled in these schools are receiving a substantially equivalent education. Again it could be philosophically different in approach. That's why schools exist. Um uh so we contract with Boseis uh to go ahead and do part the the data collection part uh in this case with hawk metal monosuri. They provide that information back to us. John and I review it and then I organize the recommendation that
080you act on uh which my recommendation is that uh you find Hawk Meadow um uh to provide a substantially equivalent uh education for for its students. The parochial schools have now a different means of certifying with New York State. Uh so they do not have to come before you any longer. there was a point in time which they did uh but they're able to qualify um under uh their um uh I'm going to forget not their certification but their um I'm sorry it escapes me but their process uh for review uh through the arch dascese that that they site. So Hawk Meadow is the only one that you'll be acting on uh this school year. >> Thank you. Does anybody have any questions about that? >> Seeing none all those in favor? I opposed abstension.
081Motion passes. Item D, acceptance of the single audit report for the period July 1, 2024 to June 30th, 2025. May I please get a motion? >> So moved. >> Thank you. >> Second. >> Thank you. Um any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor? I >> I opposed. Abstension. Motion passes. Um item E, corrective action plan for the external audit findings and the recommendation for the period ending June 30th, 2025. Can I please get a motion? >> So moved. >> Thank you. >> Second. >> Thank you. Um any discussion? >> Seeing none, all those in favor? I >> opposed. Abstension. Motion passes. Um item F, settlement agreement. May I please get a motion? >> So moved. >> Thank you. Second. >> Thank you. Um any discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor? >> I >>
082opposed abstension. Motion passes. Brings us to the business consent agenda. Our consent section of the agenda lists several items for approval by a single motion. Documentation concerning these items have been provided to our board members in advance to assure an extensive and thorough review. May I please get a motion on the consent agenda? >> So moved. >> Thank you. >> Second. >> Thank you. any discussion or comment. >> I just would add to what John had shared earlier. We have 19 teachers whose um retirements are on for your action this evening. cumulatively have provided hundreds of years of service uh to Arlington. And while it's tempting to go through and say something about each one, we'll have time for that at the end of uh the school year where you know we we honor our
083retirees uh towards the conclusion of the school year. We invite them to a nice ceremony. Uh I I would like to just note that uh as John noted, Miss Napora is in this list and Colleen was here tonight. Uh Miss Rock, who again, second seat in the front row there, uh is on here this evening. Um and want to congratulate Jen. Uh just an outstanding educator. Uh Jen's reputation preceded her. When I uh came in to Arlington as a uh intermediate teacher, um it was known that uh just how outstanding Jen Rock was as a fourth grade teacher at West Road School and had the opportunity to interact with Jen uh over the years and just uh so thrilled that she's in this coaching role now supporting some of our newer teachers which is just
084the perfect role uh for our teachers with just such expertise and experience to be working with our uh folks who are now entering the field and to have that support of Jen uh alongside them, a wonderful model. Uh so congratulations uh to you, Jen. And I'll just mention two more. Uh Mr. and Mrs. Basadi, who I believe are the last two remaining teachers in Arlington who once had me as a student. So I I'm very happy for Tori and John. They dropped their retirement letters off at the district office. I got a photo with them. And and a quick note, John was also a coach of mine. um and you know really just have great respect for his influence not only on my life but on hundreds of other uh kids and student athletes and
085Mrs. Basadi I had on her first day of teaching I distinctly remember at Arlington Middle School and we were all waiting outside the classroom and the building was scheduled wrong so we were all waiting outside but she was up in a room you know that that stuff happens on the first day of school uh and I had Mrs. Bayasadi for one, two, three, I believe four years of Italian, which she'll write to me tomorrow to correct me. It was actually five years of Italian. Uh my first five years and I'm honored. You know, you get your kids schedule and you see what teachers they have. And my my younger son uh I'm I'm pleased to say uh there's a benante uh in in Mrs. Bias's Italian class this year and her last year teaching. So
086her first year there was one of us and her last year there was one of us. But uh again, congratulations to them and all the others. And once again, congratulations to you, Jeff. >> Thank you for sharing those. >> Um all those in favor? >> I opposed. Abstension. Motion passes. Okay, that brings us to the end of our little all the way back to page 29. And uh future discussion items. Does anyone have any future discussion items they want to talk about or project to our add to our agenda for a future meeting? Seeing none, moving on to We don't have any public comment for non-aggenda items, so we're flying right through here. Um committee reports, advocacy. >> Um no, I think um just several of us are queued up to go to a couple
087virtual um advocacy things. One offered by NISPA and one offered by the lower Hudson Education. What's that C word? It's not count >> coalition. >> Consort coalition. Thank you. See, somebody somebody from down south that has that correctly at the tip of their tongue. um and that we've spoken amongst ourselves as the um advocacy committee and are not taking part in the Albany trip this year. Um so I think no meetings scheduled other than those things that we're attending as more like a professional development. >> Great. >> Um audit. >> Audit. I have something to report. >> All right. We met we met last week and uh Kevin went through and we discussed the um the results of single audit the corrective action plan and lastly uh we discussed and chose a internal audit topic
088and that will be facilities use which hasn't been done in in maybe ever. I think that was what it was. So that was oh no no no future meetings planned at the moment. >> Great. Well, thank you very much. Um, Kathy, >> nothing's scheduled time. >> Okay. Um, policy, Linda's not here. We thank them for all their hard work. Um, I think we do have a meeting coming up, but >> we do in a week or two. And Fran was distributing packets, and I'm pleased to report we have two more sections, big sections, but two sections to complete. and we will have completed the full uh review of the policy manual over the last uh uh over the last year or by that point it'll probably be two years or so which was our goal.
089>> Thank you. Wow. >> Not there yet. Early applause, but we're getting there. >> Thank you. >> It's a it's a it's a bear. >> It's a bear. But Fran's a huge help. So we're >> absolutely >> rocking and rolling >> 100%. As my child would say, 100 P 100 P. Um, all right. Must be getting late. I'm saying silly things. Okay. Um, organization report. Arlington Education Foundation. >> Uh, nothing at this time. There's a meeting next Wednesday. >> Excellent. Uh, Duchess County School Boards Boseies. >> Um, nothing except that their next meeting is a week from this Thursday on the 5th of February. And the topic is had been a TBD. It's now been finalized to a project based learning put on by uh Wingers Central School District. A couple of the teachers will
090be presenting their program. >> Thank you. Um PTA PTSA Council, they are tomorrow night at 7. Um uh I am going to I haven't written to them yet, but I'm going to go, but I'll probably be a little bit late. Um, and then district health and safety. >> Uh, I believe our next meeting is the 12th of February. >> February 12th. Excellent. District equity. Eileen. District equity. Sorry, I didn't say that very clearly. District equity. >> Thank you. Um, our next meeting is next Thursday, but I would call your attention in our packets. We got um information about the student equity panel next Wednesday um at 8 o'clock. And if you do have a chance to go, it's really it's one of my favorite events. Um it's really heartening to hear what our students, our
091middle school and high school students are thinking about different issues in the school and in the the world. Um so if you can make it, it's in the large group instruction. Is that an RSVP thing? Do they want RSVP? No. >> So, if you're available, you can just show up. >> Okay. >> Yeah. And it's a lot of kids eating breakfast. You might want to eat before you go. Don't I would say it's you focus on the panel, not the breakfast. That's what I would say. So, is that fair enough? >> But you can probably a cup of coffee. >> If you're brave, if you're brave, you could grab a cup of coffee. I I'd go with the BYO at this point. Um, but it's a really great event. I mean, I've gone many times.
092I mean, really, um, if you want to hear student voice, uh, that's an excellent, excellent place to go. Um, let's see. I think then, uh, superintendent's closing remarks. >> Uh, just two things. Um, you know, Kevin's reminded the transition to propane buses many years ago. So, the fact that we're uh now at the end of the full transition, I'll say, I think is pretty remarkable. And it's something that feels like that should count towards something. Um because I think a lot of work has gone on uh to to make that transition. And it's a as Kevin noted, it's um the environmental impact is uh while there is an impact, it's a significantly less impact than the diesel buses. All this being said, uh we completed uh and received the bus uh conversion to electric feasibility
093study. Uh and Kevin is coordinating uh with the author of that study, the group who facilitated it, a board of a board meeting in the spring to come to and to present the findings. So, we have the draft. Kevin and I are reviewing it. There's maybe one more back and forth on that. We'll provide you with the draft and then we're in the process of scheduling a board meeting for uh the folks to come from IMF to share with you a little bit about the study. It appears to be very thorough and very well done. Uh just a couple things we want to cross check with them and uh we should have that to you soon. So, thank you and thank you Kevin for the work you're doing in that area. Nothing else to >>
094Okay, report. Um board reflections. Well, I enjoyed the Martin Luther King celebration. I mean, we've talked about many of these things earlier in the meeting, but many of us went. It is um there's not many cross district events where you have multiple age children performing. Um it's uh thank you to Mia. You did a great job. And um and Xavier, right? Is that the gentleman's name? >> Zavier. Sorry about that. Zavier, they both did a wonderful job of um of MCing the evening and giving us, you know, facts in between the acts and such. So I I've gone to many of them and that you always leave an uplifting feeling and and I am always grateful that you know some of the work that goes into what this the younger students put together. You know
095that this will resonate with them throughout their life because they have rehearsed and they've discussed and they've you know they've done so many things that have pointed them in the direction of of what uh Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's life stood for and I just I just find that deeply moving. So, I'm glad that we continue to emphasize that event over so many years. Um, and that's it. Any other reflections, Jeff? >> Oh, you turned on your mic, so I wasn't sure. Um, so then I guess I'll call for a motion to adjurnn. Can I please get a motion? >> So moved. >> Thank you. >> Second. >> Thank you. Um, all those in favor? I opposed. Abstension. Motion passes.