Board of Education Meeting 1-14-2026

001E2 Gowanda HS Library: Call the meeting to order? E2 Gowanda HS Library: If it stands up close to the flag? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Just make a motion to accept the agenda? E2 Gowanda HS Library: All in favor? Aye. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Thank you. I move to our Board of Education bylaws. E2 Gowanda HS Library: The Board remains committed to providing opportunities for the public to address the Board on items of public interest. E2 Gowanda HS Library: With that in mind, the board wishes to remind the public of its adopted policy, 1510, which sets forth reasonable guidelines in terms of

002ensuring an orderly discussion and exchange of information during public meetings. E2 Gowanda HS Library: In exceptional circumstances, the board may, as an entity, decide to provide a written or verbal response to issues or questions raised during public session. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Any person who wishes to address the board may do so by filling out the appropriate form and handing that form to the board president. E2 Gowanda HS Library: The board president will call upon the person to speak at the appropriate time. Each such person will be permitted to speak for a time limited to 3 minutes. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Please stand in front of the board table and address the board directly upon… under discretion of the… E2 Gowanda HS Library: of the board, no more than 3 people will be allowed to

003address the board on a single topic. Total time allowed for public comment is 15 minutes. Board members will not engage individually members of the audience, but will take all public comments into consideration. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Thank you. Next, we have our calendar. E2 Gowanda HS Library: on Tuesday, January 20th, at 2.30? E2 Gowanda HS Library: There's a policy committee meeting. E2 Gowanda HS Library: 3.30, isn't it? 3.30? That's why I hesitated, so, like, I think I have that wrong. Sorry, the policy committee meeting is 3.30. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And then on Wednesday, February 11th, we have a budget workshop at 6 o'clock. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And then, the regular meeting will immediately follow that here in the… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Alright, thank you. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Alright, so our first

004presentation… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Good evening, so that'll be the pool project update? Yeah, yeah, thank you. Kathy, those, pictures? E2 Gowanda HS Library: On our screen is Rick Krause from Young & Writer Architects. E2 Gowanda HS Library: construction, or construction manager. Mark Wendling - BCC: Everybody? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Everybody knows the pool is being repaired. It's still on schedule to be operable, and right now, we're still waiting for the rooftop unit, which just started to start next school year, we should have an operational pool. On the board's agenda tonight, E2 Gowanda HS Library: There's a recommendation, to increase the motorcycle repair budget to finish the repairs to the pool. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Once the gentlemen are here to add some technical questions, if there's any. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Once people started

005getting in the pool and started demolishing it and pulling off the tile, and Kathy, just wanted to scroll through these pictures, the mudding on the pool E2 Gowanda HS Library: Literally all came off. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Just good illustrated pictures. You can see all the debris. E2 Gowanda HS Library: You just fire them up in the building. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I can see right here the… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Mud, that all had to be removed and all replaced, so… and the gutter itself has to be reconstructed. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Essentially, the got into it just kind of exceeded original thought, because you can only see so much till you get into it. So it's gonna be finished. Guys are here this week, putting the new mud on and retile it, so

006it's still on schedule. But again, I wanted to show some illustrated pictures and have our experts on hand to ask E2 Gowanda HS Library: If you have any technical questions, because we just have to increase our budget a little more to finish it up. E2 Gowanda HS Library: How much is a little more? That's what I was gonna ask. $500,000. E2 Gowanda HS Library: A lot of more. That's 25%? 35%. 2.2, and it's an up-to amount, just so we can get it finished. E2 Gowanda HS Library: What was the original contingency about? E2 Gowanda HS Library: For the project? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Oh, Mark probably knows that. Yeah, Mark knows that. Richard Krouse: 70,000. E2 Gowanda HS Library: like, the core of the pool, there's little gaps and stuff, and it started getting, tearing

007down. E2 Gowanda HS Library: You could see… was it was filled with bread, and… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Who knows what was… it was in that frame. E2 Gowanda HS Library: But that will all be repaired, will be functional, but… E2 Gowanda HS Library: So the additional money is… is that an amount that is to be spent, that is a known amount, or is that just an amount that… E2 Gowanda HS Library: It's an amount to amount with additional contingency. Don't anticipate spending it all, but just want to finish the project, and E2 Gowanda HS Library: Didn't eat that high of a dollar amount? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Lamar, you want to comment on? E2 Gowanda HS Library: the extent of that repair. I mean, I don't know if the pictures do anything else to

008this and what was discovered. Mark Wendling - BCC: Yeah, well, I'm sorry, I'm having a… I might not… can you guys hear me okay? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yes. Mark Wendling - BCC: Okay, so yeah, I guess to elaborate a little bit, the $500,000, again, is… is really the… Mark Wendling - BCC: the general contractor and the tile setter essentially reconstructing the entire pool shell. I know you guys are looking at some photos that show the failure. As part of the initial demolition. Mark Wendling - BCC: We had gone through a few iterations of actually trying to maintain that mud bed, to maintain the integrity of the shell. Mark Wendling - BCC: But as we were scoring and trying to identify, you know, areas that could be maintained. Mark Wendling - BCC: the demolition surrounding

009it just kind of continued to crumble, right? So, ultimately, the failure of the entire shell, you know, took place, unfortunately, from top to bottom. So, the $500,000 in additional monies is… Mark Wendling - BCC: It's really the labor and material to reinstall a new mud bed, which is necessary for the new waterproofing membrane that needs to go on before the new tile is set. Mark Wendling - BCC: The waterproofing membrane product just was not going to be compatible with that existing surface. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So the base scope included the waterproof membrane and the tile, obviously. It's the… Mark Wendling - BCC: Additional labor and material, and as you can anticipate, it's somewhat labor-intensive, you know, to essentially reconstruct that pool shell, you know, with Mark Wendling - BCC: Between an inch and two

010inches of new mortar material, to prep for… Mark Wendling - BCC: The new waterproof membrane and the new tile that's gonna go on. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, the majority of that is… Mark Wendling - BCC: labor material for the mud bed, you know, as Dr. Bob alluded to, we do have, you know, a set-aside contingency just to ensure that this gets us to the finish line. You know, we, in a perfect world, aren't going to utilize the entire $500,000, but Mark Wendling - BCC: Based on, you know, the things that we've uncovered, you know, we want to be sure that, especially up in the penthouse, when the new unit shows up and arrives, you know, that we've got Mark Wendling - BCC: enough, just in case, right? We're maybe acting a touch conservative here,

011but we want to make sure that there's no issues up in that penthouse when the new unit arrives. You know, based on where we are today, we've gone through and uncovered everything that we feel we can, right? The existing unit up in the penthouse has been demolished. Mark Wendling - BCC: We've got new housekeeping pads laid out, we know where, you know, all the ductwork connections need to go, all the piping needs to go, so we don't feel that there's gonna be any other issues. We've got all the piping that connects Mark Wendling - BCC: From our mains in the corridors up into the penthouse, so all that work is complete. So it's ultimately the reconstruction of that pool shell, which is driving the additional dollars. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Some of that was foreseen,

012though, right? Like, didn't we know that we were gonna have to remove all of that? E2 Gowanda HS Library: I guess. Mark Wendling - BCC: Not necessarily. The, you know, and part of it is, some of the existing drawings, for example, on the gutter proper, the entire perimeter gutter was actually constructed a little differently than we expected, and once the demolition was Mark Wendling - BCC: Underway, we were… we noticed that Mark Wendling - BCC: What we were expecting by way of rebar reinforcing within that gutter profile. Mark Wendling - BCC: it wasn't… it wasn't what was there. It was, you know, much less robust, and it was visibly failing and crumbling. It had rotted away. Mark Wendling - BCC: you know, we would have probably uncovered issues into the future if, you know, we

013didn't pull that apart. So, it was, we did have, like the team alluded to, we did have contingency, thinking that, yes, maybe there are some areas that we need to cut out that mud bed just to Mark Wendling - BCC: solid concrete. But the thought was, based on everything that we knew, we would be able to maintain the majority of that and apply the new waterproofing membrane over it. And quite frankly, once we got into the demolition. Mark Wendling - BCC: you know, all signs were kind of pointing to that was going to be the case. It wasn't until, you know, those areas that had visibly failed that we started to chip out and cut out, you know, the mud bed just continued to kind of spider crack, if you will, and extend throughout the

014entire shell. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Mark, was some of that as a result of it being dried out so long, like the pool being emptied? Mark Wendling - BCC: It's entirely possible, yeah, we think so, and we've, you know, we've obviously garnered the opinions of some other folks that do this a lot. You know, the general contractor, Lakeside, and their pool consultant, or their pool contractor, William Watson, who's got some familiarity with our pool, right? They thought that that could be part of it. You know, so… Mark Wendling - BCC: To the best of our knowledge, it entirely could have, you know, been a part of the equation that led to that complete failure of the shell. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So where do these additional funds come from? General funds? E2 Gowanda HS Library:

015Yeah, that was a question I was gonna have. A couple other questions, what kind of… E2 Gowanda HS Library: I guess, life expectancy would we… could we get out of this type of repair? Like, this, I assume, would be a permanent fix, right? Replacing the mortar bed. Mark Wendling - BCC: Permanent fix, we would expect the same. I mean, this was… Rick, you can correct me if I'm wrong, the pool was constructed… I mean, we're going on, what, 50 years? Richard Krouse: 1954 was the original pool. Mark Wendling - BCC: So I would expect… Mark Wendling - BCC: Yeah, 60 years to, you know, this would be a brand new, this is like we're starting from scratch. We're down to existing concrete foundation, existing concrete, poured walls, you know, we're expecting a full life out

016of this repair. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Okay, next thing, next question would be, going through this step, what… What other possible E2 Gowanda HS Library: Hidden things could we run into, or we pretty much add, you know, the bare bones, and now it's just a matter of building it back up. Mark Wendling - BCC: Yeah, well, in addition to this, the other thing that we did find was the… there was a repair done to the main drain, at the deep end of the pool. There's two drains at the floor of the pool. Mark Wendling - BCC: And there was a repair done about 20 years ago, I believe. Again, Rick… 2001. 2001, a little over 20 years ago. Part of the scope of this project was to replace some piping. Mark Wendling - BCC: And

017that actually uncovered what we think was a faulty coupling on that main drain piping, that drain line. There was actually a rubber Fernco coupling, I don't know, I don't want to get too technical with the group here, but… Mark Wendling - BCC: Not… not as something that we would install today. We certainly, you know, would make sure that those means and methods were very different. So we did, we did find that. We were able to, you know, part of the scope of the project was to Mark Wendling - BCC: like I said, replace a length of pipe, and that fitting that we found specifically was part of, you know, that replacement. So, the drain Mark Wendling - BCC: leaking, or the pool leaking, we feel that was, a major cause, that definitely will be, you

018know, repaired the right way. It's been completed. Mark Wendling - BCC: the piping has been tested, it's been pressure tested, it's been filled with water, it's been holding, so, I think that was the other thing that, Mark Wendling - BCC: Fortunately, was part of the base scope of the project, and certainly gives us some confidence that, you know, the leak, the main culprit of the leaking has been found and addressed. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yes, I'm not sure how… Best to express this, E2 Gowanda HS Library: I mean, we've got out to the public. E2 Gowanda HS Library: a number of times, I mean, I talk to people, and… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Basically, we've, incrementally, you know, this is for the… E2 Gowanda HS Library: We hope it's gonna take care of the pool.

019Last one was, yeah, we're pretty sure it's gonna take care of the pool. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Now we're another half million dollars E2 Gowanda HS Library: He's gonna take care of it. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Well, she starts to come back. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Why couldn't we anticipate this? I mean, I'm not… I'm not an engineer or anything, but… E2 Gowanda HS Library: We kind of depend on you guys, to steer us right, and… E2 Gowanda HS Library: The public is starting to question this, I mean, we're going into a major capital project here. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And… The question is coming back. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Who are you, the guys know what you're doing. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I don't know how to answer that. Richard Krouse: Yeah, Mark, I

020think that's a fair question, right? And nobody likes to come back for additional funds that, you know, to finish a project that, you know, inevitably, we promised that would be completed. Richard Krouse: The way that we approached this, Phase 2 design, was, you know, from a lens of where can we find the most cost savings as we Richard Krouse: provide a solution for this pool, and the number one thing that we received feedback from on our pre-bid walkthroughs from contractors was, save the mud bed. We got Richard Krouse: multiple different inputs through the RFI process of contractors. Richard Krouse: Essentially, stating the complexity of… rebuilding the… Richard Krouse: gutter profile, which is what we initially intended on saving and just tiling back over. We had some confidence from Richard Krouse: two separate contractors that this

021was gonna be able to be done. Once we got into the tile removal. Richard Krouse: portion of this. As Mark said, you know, it did not pan out the way that we were anticipating. Once you start peeling that tile off. Richard Krouse: the… Richard Krouse: mud base that created that profile that surrounds the perimeter of the pool on the inner lip really started to chip and degrade and fall apart, and it was our intention to reuse that and save a whole bunch of labor hours in order to not do so, and… Richard Krouse: Once you get into the demolition side of this, it did not pan out the way that we were anticipating. Richard Krouse: Or the way the contractor was anticipating. Richard Krouse: And once you get into a position where you have a

022loose surface that you're trying to reattach to, you need to take it back to a point where you have something solid in order to essentially patch the mud base that was Richard Krouse: For all intents and purposes, you know, crumbling. E2 Gowanda HS Library: After we pulled the, the tile off. Richard Krouse: So, it… Kind of degraded incrementally as we went through the tile removal. Richard Krouse: And that's the situation we find ourselves in. Mark Wendling - BCC: I would add to that, Rick, you know, part of the reason that, you know, the contractors had some confidence is, you know, based on the as-built documentation that the team had, and the profile not being built the way that we anticipated, you know, certainly Mark Wendling - BCC: brought that, really, to front and center, you

023know, because it didn't have the structural integrity that we all anticipated as we started, you know, taking it apart. So, you know, it's… Mark Wendling - BCC: you hate to say it's a blessing in disguise, right? But we're gonna be able to build the profile back stronger and better. It's an improvement. And the other thing, Mark, that I would say to that is, you know, we've been… Mark Wendling - BCC: Analyzing the pool and the possible solutions for a few years now, and, you know, ultimately, this was the balancing act we had to ultimately decide on, based really on Mark Wendling - BCC: on cost, right? You know, there were recommendations going back a couple of years, and there's certainly other ways to retrofit pools nowadays with stainless steel gutters and different accessories to rebuild,

024you know, so you're not necessarily Mark Wendling - BCC: utilizing the same products and recreating a mud bed or a gutter profile, you know, as a labor-intensive activity, but if you introduce a stainless steel gutter system, you know, the dominoes continue to fall. You're talking about grounding the pool, which isn't required the way it's built. There's a lot of things that go into that, so… Mark Wendling - BCC: You know, there was… Mark Wendling - BCC: There was talk of, you know, we've got a couple… a $2 million project here that… Mark Wendling - BCC: you know, it's gonna address not only the pool shell and the perimeter drainage, but it also takes into account the unit that serves the space. You know, we could have spent a couple million dollars on Mark Wendling -

025BCC: a nice fancy stainless steel gutter and all the bells and whistles, and we still would have encountered the same issues as far as the shell goes. So, you know, again, it's certainly not a great… it's not a situation any of us want to be in. Mark Wendling - BCC: And, you know, certainly there's probably not much that, that answers that question 100%. You know, but based on the information we had, the most unfortunate Mark Wendling - BCC: thing happened, right, by way of complete failure, if in fact, you know, it was half as much, or a quarter as much, right, we would be able to certainly take care of it without an additional half a million dollars, and it's not a small amount of money, as we all know. So, Mark Wendling - BCC:

026you know, unfortunately, the stars didn't align for us, and, you know, we all agreed that this was what we thought was the most cost-effective measure. It still is, I think, at the end of the day. It's just, you know. Mark Wendling - BCC: the unforeseen, unfortunately, kind of reared its head, and, you know, the full failure of that shell, I don't think anybody could have anticipated, so… E2 Gowanda HS Library: I think I would have rather seen… a high estimate. E2 Gowanda HS Library: covering PT. E2 Gowanda HS Library: huge, and then Sadie's coming back. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I'm saying? This is… Who were we able to save? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Rather than incrementally going up. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I mean, that's hard for the public to accept. Mark Wendling - BCC:

027Yeah, of course. I agree wholeheartedly, right? And that's, you know, always what we strive for. Again, here, you know, the balance that we tried to strike, you know, maybe it was undershot a little bit. I think, Mark Wendling - BCC: you know, if in fact we did it again, we probably would try to be a little more conservative. I'm not sure that we would be that conservative, right? Because then… Mark Wendling - BCC: Again, to get here, we're trying to strike the balance, and, you know, we wanted to be respectful and courteous of all the thought and analysis that we had done over the past two to three years on this pool, so… Mark Wendling - BCC: I agree wholeheartedly, right? And certainly, you know. Mark Wendling - BCC: If nothing else, we can, Mark

028Wendling - BCC: Save… save as it relates to the additional funding that, is being requested. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I have a comment, kind of, to extend on that comment, not really a question, but had we known it was going to cost more, or there was the potential, I understand you don't… there's no foresight for all of this, but had we known that the estimate was higher, we may not all have voted how we voted, either. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And be that as it is, when I voted, I thought what I was voting on was a proposition to be put out to the public. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I thought general funds had to be voted on? E2 Gowanda HS Library: But we at least talked about it being put out as a proposition.

029E2 Gowanda HS Library: It was an emergency repair? But it, yeah, then it became an emergency repair. E2 Gowanda HS Library: But we had talked about that, and then I thought… I personally, maybe I misunderstood, but I remember from one meeting to the next, I was like, oh, okay, alright. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Okay, I wasn't really sure that's what we were doing, but I personally have also gotten a lot of negative feedback from coaches, teachers, community members, parents. They're like, why are we even doing this? And now it's even a bigger, why are we even doing this? E2 Gowanda HS Library: So… E2 Gowanda HS Library: I just feel it prudent to say that, at least, and I… so, so again, the general funds don't… what does have to be voted on, then, by

030the public? Well, every year, your general funds are voted on by the public. Okay. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Within that, we have repair reserves, which has… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Things, not the success, but there, that just requires a public-public form. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And then we could have gone out and wrote a capital project for this, and included it in one… E2 Gowanda HS Library: But the thinking along the way was, really, this could eat up a tremendous amount of that capital project we could do elsewhere in the building, and we had another avenue to fund it. At the same time, you know, we have… E2 Gowanda HS Library: the ability to have a lot of unreserved or unassigned fund balance, so we thought, well, this is something we can put that money

031to that was, you know, talked about by the E2 Gowanda HS Library: I think along the way, people… well, people wanted a pool. I don't think there was… E2 Gowanda HS Library: any anticipation, you don't… they're being conservative, but you don't really know when these projects, like, should get into it. I don't think anybody really anticipated that the whole thing would fall apart. Lastly, yep. And it's a 6-year… I mean, it's a permanent fix. I mean, this right now is gonna be the last… E2 Gowanda HS Library: The next time this comes up, you know, hopefully we'll all still be here, everybody in this room, but… E2 Gowanda HS Library: how that goes. So, I mean, that's the silver lining out of it, but I think you gotta do it over again, you know? E2

032Gowanda HS Library: I don't think anybody does these type of repairs, you know, maybe would have really pushed up the anticipated cost. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And then not spend that, but it's kind of forced how we're… And we do, we will get the building aid back for the total cost over… E2 Gowanda HS Library: 15 years, that we didn't need to have it voted on by the public because it was considered a local emergency project. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And I think we did that because of the timing, right? We didn't really want to keep waiting and having it sit there even longer, getting more dried out. The emergency thing there was where I got several negative comments back, though, too, like, it's not an emergency, it's a pool that we haven't had since

0332019. It's emergency first data. First data, it's not necessarily a roof. It doesn't look that way. No, that was… that's a label first data. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So there's no prospect of getting a regulation-sized pool in the future? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Not in the near future. Not without building a graduate. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Well, yeah, I… oh, I get that, but that's what I'm asking, so that's not… Yeah, we don't have the space for it there either. E2 Gowanda HS Library: On this campus, correct. Yeah, exactly, on this campus. Yeah, what about the elementary school? E2 Gowanda HS Library: So… That's a conversation for another day. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I guess no more. E2 Gowanda HS Library: There's a question for you guys, Mark and, Richard. E2 Gowanda HS Library: sometimes…

034During a capital project, We cut corners. E2 Gowanda HS Library: to save money. E2 Gowanda HS Library: not necessarily that it's the best thing to do. I mean, we ran into this with the heaters and the… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Where we put in… Less expensive heaters, and… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Years later, we had to replace the whole thing. E2 Gowanda HS Library: What types of things do we need to watch on a capital project? I mean. E2 Gowanda HS Library: We tend to listen to you guys as being experts, but… E2 Gowanda HS Library: There are many unknowns, and a lot of times, we don't know E2 Gowanda HS Library: What the trade-offs are that you're… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Without putting it in front of us. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Recommendations. Mark

035Wendling - BCC: Is this for the future, Cap, the upcoming capital project, Mark? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yes, it is. Mark Wendling - BCC: Yeah, I mean, I can start, Rick, I don't know if you've got any thoughts, but ultimately, you know, with the scope of our upcoming projects, you know, certainly you mentioned heaters, right? HVAC equipment, electrical equipment, plumbing equipment, those things usually come to mind as it relates to, you know. Mark Wendling - BCC: Quality of manufacturer, and, and, you know, making sure that we've got Mark Wendling - BCC: We're following state bidding laws as it relates to basis of design versus, you know, specified… Alternate. Mark Wendling - BCC: Sorry about that, folks. So, so I think that's probably one thing that we can focus, that we'll focus on, and, and, you

036know, we've worked really closely with, with Rich, and, E2 Gowanda HS Library: the… Mark Wendling - BCC: the building controls, temperature controls vendor, Trane, who provides a lot of the equipment with the district to really walk through what our options are. Mark Wendling - BCC: You know, what are those, maybe, price point differentials as it relates to accessories, components to that equipment, so that, you know, we're making the most informed decision and certainly striking that balance between budget and, you know, scope of the project to make sure we're maximizing our dollars for the project. Mark Wendling - BCC: You know, the balance of our scope as it relates to roofing, I think there's a lot of different options, you know, that's a very competitive market. It's really, you know, quality of installation that we need

037to ensure, which… Mark Wendling - BCC: you know, comes with our supervision. And then, as it relates to, I'll say, the exterior work of Mark Wendling - BCC: The, you know, let's use the surf field, the lacrosse field. Mark Wendling - BCC: we, you know, it's really the same, right? There's several manufacturers, there's variations of turf. I think, you know, some of you have probably lived through some of those presentations and understand Mark Wendling - BCC: you know, the nuance as it relates to the different manufacturers and the different lengths of grass, so… But ultimately, you know, the focus there is what's below that, right? All of the underground infrastructure, no different than what we had done with the baseball and softball fields, and making sure that, Mark Wendling - BCC: You know, drainage is

038installed correctly at the right elevations, the stone subbase is appropriately installed in lifts, and the size of stone layers are appropriate for drainage, all of that, you know, really comes down to Mark Wendling - BCC: To the quality control supervision piece, Mark Wendling - BCC: you know, I guess I'll revert back to the equipment side of things. That's probably the most important, you know, as it relates to discussing specifications and performance and making sure that we're striking that balance between budget and scope. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, I guess to quote you from before, it's kind of a blessing in the disguise. E2 Gowanda HS Library: In regards to moving forward with this capital project, we'll know how to be a little more scrutinizing. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And… Hopefully do a little more due

039diligence. E2 Gowanda HS Library: All around? E2 Gowanda HS Library: With all the different, entities involved. Details. Details, very good. My question, I guess, is outside of approving this, what is our alternative? E2 Gowanda HS Library: I hate to beat the dead horse, but I'm stuck on the percentage that that is. It's about, what, 27, 28% of what we… E2 Gowanda HS Library: That's… that's sizable. E2 Gowanda HS Library: If we don't finish the project, and we can't submit… E2 Gowanda HS Library: If we don't finish the project, we can't… we're not eligible for state aid. So I guess that was my question. It'd have to be completed, because the architect has to sign off that it's actually a completed project, so we would lose the state aid on what we've already spent. We wouldn't

040get anything back. So it would have to be a completed project, or it would have to be a completed pool project? E2 Gowanda HS Library: a completed pool project. The project is the pool. Okay. I mean, you can't take… the SED approved the emergency pool repair project itself, so that's what they're waiting on to be finished. So they're not… you can't just take it and submit something else. Do you have to change it? No, no. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Pivot. It's gonna help it. 5%, I think? In 15 years, but we'll give money back. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Mark, you said of the money that we have spent to date, what have we spent? Like, what's actually gone out the door? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Bum… Well, essentially, the $1,007, I mean, I haven't paid

041it all, because the work hasn't been completed. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And we haven't paid for the HVAC unit, because that hasn't come. So, I have it all uncovered, I just haven't necessarily paid at all. I won't pay for the HVAC unit till March, probably, when it gets here. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So what are we out on the 8, I guess? E2 Gowanda HS Library: I'd have to, I'd have to double check. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yeah, I think it's tough, it's sticker shock, right? We get to see a half a million dollars, but the reality, we got 1.7 already into this, and, right, there's lessons learned that we can take with us to the capital project. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Right, to say we're just gonna throw 1.7 away, I think that's more

042foolish than, alright, hey, we'll spend the half and finish the project and be done with it. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Right, it's… And get 95% of it back from survey. Yeah. Over time. Right. I understand it's over 13 years, but it's still, but still, yeah. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I mean, the only thing… we have contracts with the contractors, so I don't know that we could just not pay anything else. I don't know that we could legally just stop and not pay them their contract amount. The only thing, possibly, we… E2 Gowanda HS Library: could cancel, maybe? I had to talk to them as to between the equipment itself. E2 Gowanda HS Library: We're basically in a no-win situation. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yeah, it's… we have the fund balance that we can cover it,

043right? There's no other impact, so… E2 Gowanda HS Library: If anybody owns an old house, I mean, that's essentially… this is what it reminds me of. It reminds me of Laff and Plaster, is what it really reminds me of. And it is tough to hear, but… E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, do we have any further questions for, these two. E2 Gowanda HS Library: No questions, but we're… E2 Gowanda HS Library: I'm not happy, but… Well, I think we can all say that, right? We're not happy with it, you know… not that they tried to pull the wool over our eyes, but, right, there should have been… we can say there should have been, you know, more homework done, more research, more looking into it, right? And… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Right? Had this not happened,

044and everything went off without a hitch, we wouldn't be thinking or having this conversation, right? We wouldn't be questioning their ability with this project, so it's… it's a… E2 Gowanda HS Library: It's tough. I mean, we voiced our opinion, right? We're not happy that, you know, this happened, but that doesn't mean, right, throw $1.7 million E2 Gowanda HS Library: Go away. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Might be. Pretty tasty. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Maybe in the passing 4 months. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Sweet? E2 Gowanda HS Library: I would just say again, too, just kind of reiterating and not question, but just comment in general. Like, I know we got those tennis courts that are kind of the next thing coming up, that I would hope, in the future, for anything else like this, we would

045do a better job at canvassing the community somehow. E2 Gowanda HS Library: with a formal ser… I know we did one little… whatever it was, whenever it was, that 50 people answered or whatever, but really hammer it, because I have gotten so much feedback since this vote that I… E2 Gowanda HS Library: People really should have spoke up ahead of time, but… E2 Gowanda HS Library: You know, something, something that we can almost throw back to the community then. Like, listen, you know, we advertised this survey, you didn't answer, this is what we're doing. E2 Gowanda HS Library: you know, I feel like it wasn't done Well enough, this time. E2 Gowanda HS Library: It's just me. E2 Gowanda HS Library: What's your opinion on this? E2 Gowanda HS Library: It's entirely fine. I've been

046part of this for 5 years, and I would argue exactly the opposite, but we're not getting into that. That's not the purpose of this right now. E2 Gowanda HS Library: If we have nothing further for these two gentlemen, we'll continue. E2 Gowanda HS Library: with the agenda, we have a nice group of students waiting to come up and present their little piece of our conversation, so… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Thank you, Laura. Thanks, Rich. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So up next, we have our consensus items, and make a consideration of the approve Agenda items 3.01 to 6.03. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Discussion? Yeah, please. I was gonna… Discuss what a poor point… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Sorry, let's being discussion, right. Okay, alright. So, discussion of 4.04. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Moving forward, do we

047have any sort of… Action item, or… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Hypotheticals, how to address any sort of situation. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Building out these contracts with other districts where there may be a faculty member or staff member that's involved with that district. E2 Gowanda HS Library: that we may not hear about any sort of allocations from, or about. Like, I know this isn't the approving of the personnel, and I'm not trying to point fingers at the personnel that typically participate with football, but… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Checking on the fact of… E2 Gowanda HS Library: methods and procedures of how we're communicating to other districts, be it Pine Valley, Eden, anyone that we have a relationship with. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, if I can understand your question, is there a vetting process in

048place for the coaches and staff and faculty in other districts that we're looking to pair with? I guess beyond that, right? Like, so I would assume they're vetting, like, that's… maybe I shouldn't assume that, but I assume that, but I would also ask. E2 Gowanda HS Library: what's our communication process? What is being done there? Between our board and their boards, and… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Our superintendent and their superintendent. E2 Gowanda HS Library: It's communicating any sort of issues or concerns that may be being brought up that are concerns and not facts. E2 Gowanda HS Library: As of yet? Well, you're proving the merger of Pine Valley and Guan to this team, so we've done that for months. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So this is the formal doc that allows it to happen. E2

049Gowanda HS Library: So, the personnel that we send go through our vetting process, and it's probably similar throughout the state. I mean, the people background check, fingerprinted, all that. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And are clear in the board approved. E2 Gowanda HS Library: in the same vetting process helped us other solutions. You can't imagine anybody hiring someone to work with students without doing any of their due diligence. With that said, if issues come up, I mean, I am in contact with the 26 other regional superintendents that things come out between… E2 Gowanda HS Library: No, but sometimes things are a surprise, too. They don't know. I mean, if someone's a… E2 Gowanda HS Library: I have no idea, you know, until it comes up. I don't, I don't know. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, in

050that case, there are informal channels that people need to wear, and people do that, but I don't know. E2 Gowanda HS Library: That's questions. And I don't know of a conversation at one level. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I can't anticipate one. So, I guess, hypothetically, somebody arises an issue to one of our principals about a faculty member, staff member, etc. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Do we hear about it? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Does it work? Do you… or rather, it looks… E2 Gowanda HS Library: step back. Do you hear about it? Oh, absolutely. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And then do we hear about it as a board? That depends what it is. I mean, we deal with personnel issues all the time, every day, and they all come to the table as boards, they don't

051need board attention. E2 Gowanda HS Library: What would require more attention is someone who recommended someone dismissed, or terminated, or there's some real serious criminal charges against the person. 100%. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Other than that, just normal transgressions of employment. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Because ultimately, you would say that, we'll help the superintendent take care of this. Well, we may not know necessarily from the other district, we may not get all the details either, depending on… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Well, so just running through the hypothetical of our district, right, if it was our individual, right? E2 Gowanda HS Library: If it's our individual, does it go up the chain of command to the point that we get E2 Gowanda HS Library: If it arises to its potentially criminal. Oh, absolutely. Because what would

052happen is I would go through internal process, they would be suspended with pay. Let's use a teacher. There's a defined process for that. E2 Gowanda HS Library: then that individual will have to be brought up with charges that have to be board approved. So at that point, I mean, I'm sure I give you details behind the scenes, but you as a board would act on those charges. So that would be your piece, to push that forward. If it's just simply someone showing up late to work, you know, 5 times a year. E2 Gowanda HS Library: God pumped. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I guess. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Kind of piggybacking on the question, I understand E2 Gowanda HS Library: that the board would get involved in criminal charges as they are in… Moving. E2 Gowanda

053HS Library: Somebody… I guess… what we're… Asking is… E2 Gowanda HS Library: or what I'm thinking we're asking is, do you have a relationship with Pine Valley such that E2 Gowanda HS Library: If there are rumors or things going… occurring in their staff, In fact, the joint team. E2 Gowanda HS Library: He's gonna… he or she is gonna talk to you. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And share that. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yes. Okay. That is what my concern is, that we got blindsided. E2 Gowanda HS Library: At the end. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I mean, I… As a board member, no, I don't want to hear about rumors. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Here and there. That's your job time. Yes, I have a relationship with the Pine Valley Superintendent, Superintendent, all of them, that if

054something comes to their attention that impacts us, there's conversations. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Cool. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I don't know what they always… I mean, we don't know what we don't know, and they would share it if they didn't know, and then when it comes down to… so we share a coach, but it's say another district's employee, I only know where I can share. I mean, it's an internal investigation there, it's confidential, I'm not per user per view to, you know, the fine details there. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yes. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So I guess that's where the gray area to me is, is like, if they are… E2 Gowanda HS Library: If they're shared, then… Why is that solely an internal investigation for that shared district, or that district that's… E2 Gowanda

055HS Library: having the investigation go through. Because that's their employee, not ours. Is there no… E2 Gowanda HS Library: legal language or legalese that we could come up with that would allow us to have that purview? E2 Gowanda HS Library: I think so. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Very often, frankly, but they're, they're… I'm assuming they're taking care of that, as we would. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I don't know what we would do differently. E2 Gowanda HS Library: we'd be aware of it, you know what I mean? E2 Gowanda HS Library: To the extent that I was made aware, and that we know. I don't know what else to do. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So it just, it seems like there's kind of an air gap there as far as communication between them. E2 Gowanda HS

056Library: In a situation like that. And that's where I have concern, or have pause. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Okay. E2 Gowanda HS Library: It's a trust thing, I mean… We… Hope. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And we trust that Dr. Bob's gonna do his job. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I need to host 300 people. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Well, and I think the case you're alluding to, I mean, I didn't know anything about this until Saturday morning, within an hour, you knew, the public knew, there was an announcement on our webpage. E2 Gowanda HS Library: You know, everything I have to contact all the superintendents. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yep, and no fault to that. I… I should back up and appreciate the fact that E2 Gowanda HS Library: when the information was out there publicly,

057that it was disseminated out by our district, and I think, well, I guess that's just that… E2 Gowanda HS Library: that… in between peaks, in between the districts that I'm… E2 Gowanda HS Library: question. Well, 50 district has its own criminal, or someone who's in allegations on their staff working on E2 Gowanda HS Library: I would hope they would tell me. I mean, I think I would be pretty upset. So hold on, so you said multiple things there, right? So you said allegations is one piece, and then criminal. So I think that, to the letter of the law, it's different. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So I think that's where the piece that I'm frustrated with, is the allocation. If there was allocations out there, why do we not know about it? Why is that not

058communicated? E2 Gowanda HS Library: At least to your… to you, and or us, as a board. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Well, we don't share a lot of staff like that, so this is a true rarity, but allegations are what they are, and allegations, until they're investigated. E2 Gowanda HS Library: In this case, there was something more, and we knew. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Nope. E2 Gowanda HS Library: The books that came to their attention, and they took action, like, into the summer. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Don't tell you? E2 Gowanda HS Library: So I guess, what would it take to go to our lawyers and ask if there was something that could be done? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Well, nothing's done, quick email, but I don't know The answer book. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I

059guess that's… that would be my… If you're asking for legal opinion, I could give you one. E2 Gowanda HS Library: That would be my preference, but I guess it's to the point where… As a former HR person. E2 Gowanda HS Library: You cannot discuss allegations. You cannot. E2 Gowanda HS Library: You have to wait till you legally have correct information. So there is no way they're gonna share allegations with us. Within their investigation, they will share those details. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Not speculation. E2 Gowanda HS Library: You cannot do that to an employee when you don't even have your client share. E2 Gowanda HS Library: possibility. E2 Gowanda HS Library: You can't damage someone's… E2 Gowanda HS Library: profession, until you know for sure. Yeah. So, and I get that, and I could understand

060that we don't want to be in some sort of defamation, or… E2 Gowanda HS Library: situation, but if they are shared, I think, then are they solely pine valleys? Are they solely Eatons? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Coach? Yeah, we don't share them in the sense of paying anything. Basically, the arrangements here, and if you're looking at football, we provide the coaching. E2 Gowanda HS Library: They send a person over with their students, who is their employee, then interacts with our coaching staff. We don't pay them, we don't do anything, that's their contribution to that arrangement. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And for us, in the opposite, we sense when we have our… E2 Gowanda HS Library: We'd send swimmers to eat. We'd send our students and a representative from our district to work and integrate with

061the coaches. Where our employees are. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So I don't really know much about their swim coaches, I don't necessarily know much about their football coaches. They've been sent by that district, they've gone through the same process we probably do when we hire out people. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, to me, that seems like the easy workaround. Split the cost of all coaches associated to the sport between the two districts. Then they are our employee, and then we can… E2 Gowanda HS Library: But we're paying, like, if we're paying half their salary, so… We're paying Pine Valley, the district, we're not… I'm saying, moving forward, if we approve the individuals as a split, shared individual, we pay half their salary, then they are our employees. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Not our employee. I

062don't think you can be hired by two places. Why would we want that liability, too? Why would we want that extra expense, all that other additional expenses that go into a payroll? E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, not too… kind of derail things too much, right? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Reach out to legal, and you have some questions about… E2 Gowanda HS Library: things like this, right? Football, right? E2 Gowanda HS Library: some clarity, we can absolutely craft that email, I guess. You know, at this point, are you in a position where you are opposed to us joining with Pine Valley for football? E2 Gowanda HS Library: I would question any district at this point, not just solely by family. I don't wanna… E2 Gowanda HS Library: We were… as soon as we heard of the

063allegations, and sort of… as soon as Pine Valley E2 Gowanda HS Library: told us we… I think that could be conveyed in executive session. Okay. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Right, and if you feel as though you don't want to move forward with this, or others, right, we can pull that from consensus, right? You can… E2 Gowanda HS Library: You can vote it down, that's absolutely right, I don't… I don't know that… E2 Gowanda HS Library: how everybody else feels, right? So, if we're done with that piece of it, we'll… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Let's go ahead and pull that from Consensus. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, both of the contracts you guys want pulled out. E2 Gowanda HS Library: These are merger documents that we sent in this section, they're

064not actually contracts, per se. Well… So, 404. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Right, we want to vote separately. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Alright? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Any other discussion? E2 Gowanda HS Library: To the liability piece. 4052. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Sorry. E2 Gowanda HS Library: to the liability piece. If we're splitting that, we're splitting that. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, like, it would just kind of protect us in that regard, too. E2 Gowanda HS Library: We would be taking it on, but we'd also be buffer. It's not actually a position, either. That's usually some sort of stipend or something that's paid. I might be saying that word. It's… I don't… I don't know in this case, but yeah, it's usually a stipend. Yeah. It's probably another appendage. Just like another coach, yeah. Just like

065any other coach. Yeah. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yeah, we can certainly ask legal if there's a different process for merging with districts. E2 Gowanda HS Library: If they know of any, we can certainly look into it. E2 Gowanda HS Library: That's the question, is it? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Court. E2 Gowanda HS Library: put it to a vote? Is it the will of the board, or is it the will of one member? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Nope. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Is there anybody else that, would vote with Zach to, look E2 Gowanda HS Library: Wish to look into the process. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I think, myself, I'd leave it in Dr. Bob's hands. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I mean, I think the process works. I think so. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Okay, so

066all in favor of looking into a different process. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Bye. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Okay, we have one vote. Motion fails. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Alright, other discussion on consensus items? E2 Gowanda HS Library: In order for both those contracts, how to consent? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yeah, 401404. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And that's okay. E2 Gowanda HS Library: That's why we have the discussion. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I had a cornex. E2 Gowanda HS Library: In the, in the consensus, yes. E2 Gowanda HS Library: with the… this… I think we… I think I asked this before, and I'm pretty sure you answered it before, and I don't remember, and I'm sorry. My brain. Anyway, so I noticed in the Gawanda High School Students Activities Fund that there are still outstanding checks

067from 2023. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Like, how… what's… oh, I think… yeah, we did talk about that one. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I think it was when Rebecca was here, so I think that it had to do… E2 Gowanda HS Library: With them closing out the years, and then she'll go back and… E2 Gowanda HS Library: They just close them out within a year, and then it's, right, those monies are held for any unencumbered checks that haven't been cashed yet, those sort of things. And they just haven't cleaned them up. They looked like they were for, like, individual, personal people, though. Like, not like the class of whatever. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Like, and I can, I can look at them specifically, and then give you a better, better answer. Or if I, if I

068look at them myself. Yeah, like, the outstanding checks down here at the bottom, there's a whole… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Robinsmith, Chloe Luther, Pine Ridge Enterprise, if you don't like those. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I was just like, wow, that's a lot of fun. High school, you said? Yeah. E2 Gowanda HS Library: It's on page… 3 of November 2025, E2 Gowanda HS Library: down toward the bottom. Because I was just like, I know in my checkbook, if somebody doesn't cash a check in 6 months, too bad for you! It's my money now! You know, kind of thing. So, I just wondered, hey, it's true! E2 Gowanda HS Library: Well, I'm sure it doesn't as well. Listen, I am not, that's why I'm not an accountant. I will talk to, I'll talk to Revan tomorrow and

069find out. Yeah. I just wondered, I don't know, it's just my curiosity, or trying to understand things more than things, that's all. E2 Gowanda HS Library: That's all. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Water can't make them drink. Of course, water can't make them drink, you know? Right, I know! Cash checks. Any other discussion on consensus items? E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, consensus items minus 404 and 405, all in favor? Aye. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Consideration of a motion to vote and approve. Item 404. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I think the approval… It's 2027 combinations boys football teams with high… E2 Gowanda HS Library: I'll make a motion on the floor. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Second. E2 Gowanda HS Library: All in favor? Aye. All opposed? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Hi, Mr. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Wait,

070wait, did you… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Okay, so the… everyone else agree? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Got a guarantee. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Next, I'd make a consideration of motion. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Motion upon the recommendation of the superintendent to approve section 64. E2 Gowanda HS Library: A lot of participation for emerging 2026-2027 boys and girls soccer teams with Pine Valley Central School. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Smooth. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Second. Second. E2 Gowanda HS Library: All in favor? Aye. E2 Gowanda HS Library: All opposed? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Motion's carried. E2 Gowanda HS Library: 604, a review of the Treasurer's report, financial statement for November 2025. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Further discussion on that. E2 Gowanda HS Library: We have no discussion. E2 Gowanda HS Library: That'll get us to our public

071discussion on agenda items. We have none for agenda. We do have public discussion for non-agenda items. E2 Gowanda HS Library: That's been patiently waiting over here, we thank you for that. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Girls Wrestling. So, who wishes to… Fair enough. E2 Gowanda HS Library: That's a fuel decor. E2 Gowanda HS Library: You're more than welcome to. Yes. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Take some snacks, too. E2 Gowanda HS Library: We're really that scary. I thought you said, oh, I'm a little scared of him, I don't know. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Thank you. E2 Gowanda HS Library: To start whenever? So… Thank you. Thank you. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Thank you all for coming up. I understand there's a… E2 Gowanda HS Library: We wish to talk about girls wrestling and the potential for girls

072wrestling program, so if you just want to introduce yourself and share what you have to say, we'll gladly listen. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Hello, everyone. My name is Kieran Quinn, and I'm here with a good chunk of the team. The people who could not make it today did write a few letters that I could share. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I'm here today to present how it is necessary to have an official girls team and freestyle coach. E2 Gowanda HS Library: We have 13 girls who are on our team for wrestling and put in work every day from day one. We've been looked at as an add-on, or just told to figure it out. There's not been a structured plan at all. I'm not blaming my coaches, either, because it is not fair that they have

073to learn how to coach two sports. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Before the season started, I was promised a freestyle coach, then there was never an exact answer on who that coach was. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Then, as the season started, it was decided Jason Riley, who was supposed to be committed to us. I've been wrestling for 5 years, I've wrestled folk style for 3 years, and freestyle for 2. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I consider myself a higher-level athlete. I am a two-time state rep who has competed in the off-season and worked with many high-level athletes all over. So I have a great understanding of freestyle wrestling and folkstyle wrestling. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I can tell you there are many differences between the sport. For example, if you're not familiar with wrestling and the two

074different styles, it's like telling a softball athlete to go practice and play with a group. It may work, but it is nowhere efficient or fair. I felt neglected in my athletic journey. E2 Gowanda HS Library: If I don't lead practice, we aren't doing freestyle targeted training. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Coaches are unwilling to learn and teach their athletes. This causes me and my other teammates to fall behind drastically compared to teams that are goal group leaders with freestyle coaches. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I have faced issues with coaches within a school not getting equal treatment or being communicated. E2 Gowanda HS Library: The amount of disrespect I've seen here, particularly as a coach, I do not feel comfortable stating. He's unprofessional towards his athletes and caused constant drama on this team. E2 Gowanda HS Library:

075What I wish I can get out of this presenting my situation is equal opportunity and equal respect that the boys receive. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I like to be treated as an athlete, and I wish for coaches who want to be there. Not to mention that not only are we taking away from the girls, we're taking away from the boys' times as well. Thanks for your time. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, hi, Kristen Quinn. Basically the girls came down here, you know, we're halfway through the season. E2 Gowanda HS Library: It has been a transition. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Again, some of you may not be aware, you know, girls wrestling was only just sanctioned this past year. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So… E2 Gowanda HS Library: They are looking for the… and there's the

076needs. Obviously, we have all the girls here, the youth program, there's 60 kids in the youth program. E2 Gowanda HS Library: From what I'm told, there's 15 girls coming up. E2 Gowanda HS Library: you know, in the community, they talk about that there's nothing for the kids to do. This is a strong program. It is an absolute strong program, and E2 Gowanda HS Library: I've seen all of these girls grow, even this past year. We are looking to make it known that the girls want E2 Gowanda HS Library: A girls team next year, a dedicated girls team. E2 Gowanda HS Library: The funding for it. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And… yeah. E2 Gowanda HS Library: There'll also be a vetted freestyle coach. E2 Gowanda HS Library: That our coaches have been great. E2 Gowanda HS

077Library: But if you are there at the wrestling matches, you will quickly realize that there's… there's some education lacking. And whether we… there's clinics out there for the coaches. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Also maybe sending the girls, there's clinics through the summer, sending them. Other schools have merged. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So if Gwanda is unwilling, can we look at the possibility of merging with another school? We have a couple, like, Clarence Iroquois have merged together. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Orchard Park is now merging with Frontier Hamburg in East Aurora. If… I feel like if we don't move on this. E2 Gowanda HS Library: that Gowana could be left. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, and with the amount of kids… E2 Gowanda HS Library: I really support what these girls want. E2 Gowanda HS Library:

078Good question. Correct. E2 Gowanda HS Library: to use… Girls Wrestling, and then you mentioned freestyle. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Is it… is… So, gross? E2 Gowanda HS Library: got sanctioned as freestyle. They are no longer wrestling, and as of next year, the girls cannot have mixed wrestling. That is part of E2 Gowanda HS Library: And I do have a whole other presentation if we need… you guys need more information, I… all… all the… E2 Gowanda HS Library: everything that goes into the whys, the safety, also… The boys are folk style. Yes, the boys are folk style. And it's also… freestyle is a collegiate level. Explain the difference, because you explained this to me before, but I don't know if everybody knows different… I am gonna let… You're the experts, I don't know the difference. E2

079Gowanda HS Library: So, there's many little different things, but folk style is only an American thing of high school. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And going into the higher level in the Olympics, freestyle is the thing that it gets transferred to, but for example, folk style, this is one simple rule. There's 3 periods. Compared to freestyle, there's 2 periods. E2 Gowanda HS Library: In folk style, there is something called stalling, where in freestyle it is called passive. And there's different scoring, where for folk style it is 3 points for a takedown, but for freestyle, it is 2. You can't do certain throws in folk style, but you can do them in freestyle. The list goes on. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, if we push for girls wrestling. E2 Gowanda HS Library: it's whatever freestyle… Yes. This

080way, we need the funding for the girls. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And a dedicated coach, because they're… they're not foreseeable. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Hi, question. Do you guys have someone in mind who knows freestyle and wants to coach, or… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Is that… or would be, like, merging and probably a better idea of the problem. E2 Gowanda HS Library: It's been a huge problem, because… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Another coach feels undermined because he actually knows what he's talking about, opposed to the coach. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, we're not going to get into OGIS and stuff right now. That would be part of the process, right? We would… we would approve this for next year, it would get added. E2 Gowanda HS Library: the athletic director would post coaches for girls'

081varsity wrestling, and, right, we have a process in place, right? I think the unfortunate reality is we dropped the ball, it just got sanctioned last year, didn't think there was enough interest, didn't know enough, right? The fact that you guys were willing to come in and share and express your interest, right, and you have a pretty good group. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I… I don't think there's gonna be a problem. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And I appreciate you guys coming in, and it's tough, right? It's halfway through your season, right? It was a huge eye-opener for me. I've been following wrestling, my boys wrestled for forever, right? In this last tournament, I was like, what am I watching? Like, I had no idea the difference, right? We've seen the transition, but without this, this does

082not get approved? E2 Gowanda HS Library: None of these girls can wrestle at all next year, because this competition is no longer… E2 Gowanda HS Library: And that is not… Something that we're looking at tonight, right? I understand. E2 Gowanda HS Library: You know, bringing it to our attention so we can, right? E2 Gowanda HS Library: It will get looked at them, is really all I can tell you right now. E2 Gowanda HS Library: There is a timeline, that I'm aware of that obviously it needs to be done by. That's why we wanted to come in tonight and talk about it, and make sure that the ball is rolling. E2 Gowanda HS Library: You know, and so that the girls get a fair shake? E2 Gowanda HS Library: on us. E2 Gowanda HS Library: If

083there's anybody else that has anything, I don't know. E2 Gowanda HS Library: What is the timeline? Well, I have been speaking, and I always say her last name wrong, Ailey Kuntila, she runs, NCCC, E2 Gowanda HS Library: tournament. She's on some of the boards, with Western New York, Section 6. E2 Gowanda HS Library: She coordinates with Tom Shifflett, who is the head of Section 6 Girls. E2 Gowanda HS Library: She had told me, basically, either, you know, let you guys know that this month or next month, and she was gonna get back to me, but I believe it's by May? E2 Gowanda HS Library: that this needs… Yeah, something that… E2 Gowanda HS Library: the proper channels, right? That's not something that… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Speaking of proper channels, I guess my question is,

084is did this get brought up through our athletic director and our… Yes. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I wasn't given any straight answers. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So… No, we're not. Again, but that's why we're here, just to make sure everybody is aware of what the girls want and need. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Just so you know, we're planning on this for next year. It's in our budget and stuff that we're going through the process. So, with the number of girls participating, the need, I mean, I don't really see… E2 Gowanda HS Library: I was gonna say, I'm excited to see it, just because, I mean, my boys wrestled… I mean, I went to her now, but my boys, 10 years ago, were… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Big into wrestling, and it was… E2 Gowanda HS

085Library: very uncomfortable for the boys to be wrestling against the girls, so I'm thankful that they're finally separating them and letting them have their own space, because I think that's appropriate. I'm excited to see that, and I hope you guys get the coach that you're looking for, because I think that's amazing. Yeah, I mean, there's the concerns, like I said, I did pass out the paper as far as, E2 Gowanda HS Library: some of the techniques in freestyle with the throwing, and that needs to be looked at for crash mats, not just a coach, because they do do more throwing involved. There is more involved than just a team and a coach, so it's… E2 Gowanda HS Library: It's amazing to see how many girls are involved. I love this. I think it's amazing. I

086mean, because again, back then it was one, there was one girl, you know, Rachel Riley. That's this growing sport. Yeah, and I love it. I think it's great to see. So, we love girls. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Thank you. Thank you for your time. Thank you. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, up next, we have our superintendent's report. Well, good to see you, everybody. Thank you so much. Thank you to all our guests tonight. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Just a couple comments on the agenda. Really thank you for the donation to, from the Trainee, Church of Christ. Very appreciative. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Couple congratulations in order. You'll notice that the Ford acceptance, retirement of a long-term employee, Dave Smith. Congratulations, David, on his retirement. Great guy, and wish him all the best. E2 Gowanda HS

087Library: What comes next for him? Luanda is also retiring. Kudos to her, and thank you for all her work. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Some announcements for the public, just some sad news that transpired between our last meeting that the board's aware of, but our longtime public relations spec… media specialist, Erica Carlson, unexpectedly passed away in December, and really shocking to all of us, and I'm sure family and friends as well. E2 Gowanda HS Library: her family, real, really, really shocking. And since that time, you probably noticed Erica was in charge of her Facebook, all those posts, and she really E2 Gowanda HS Library: done a really wonderful job promoting the district for us, and it's the last couple weeks since that time, maybe a little lull in publications, but, this week, we welcome John Tour,

088who will be her replacement, as our new public relations media specialist, so he'll be picking up where she left off. E2 Gowanda HS Library: At some point, we'll meet Jim, but again, sad news to share. On a little more positive note, the Empire State Winter Games Torture Relay, thanks to Mr. Bolin, is coming through Miwan again on January 30th. This year will be exclusively at the elementary school, starting about 12… E2 Gowanda HS Library: I will share those details as it gets a little closer for board members who want to attend. That's always kind of cool. Next week, Monday, January 19th, there's no school. E2 Gowanda HS Library: in observance of MLK Day. And just some reminders, the Code of Conduct is in effect for spectators. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Employee, for Winter Sports. E2

089Gowanda HS Library: Wrestling, basketball, people that are really passionate about rooting for their team, their child, just to make sure that… it's a good middle school and high school sports, that's important. E2 Gowanda HS Library: In winter weather, dress appropriately. E2 Gowanda HS Library: snow days, we'll see how it goes. I see we've got a winter storm warning up right now, and we'll see how that goes. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Some capital updates? Outdates. Outdates. I think we heard a lot about the pool earlier, so not much new to share there from here. I want to, again, thank them. E2 Gowanda HS Library: public for the Capital Project 2025. We're going to be entering the design phase this spring with various stakeholder groups to offer some suggestions on what the spaces look like. E2 Gowanda

090HS Library: I'll continue to update you as that goes. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Then I had some questions about electric vehicles, from some folks that, if I can just share the response to people in public. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, one of the questions was, what's the current status of buses ordered by us? The four that we ordered in May 2025 slash budget vote, that we have not received yet, not sure what E2 Gowanda HS Library: dates. E2 Gowanda HS Library: notes, deliveries for in those. E2 Gowanda HS Library: How is the district planning for the restriction on non-electric vehicles coming up? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Well, after June 30th, 2027, the requirements have set, so we have two more budget cycles to begin, purchase now. E2 Gowanda HS Library: vehicles. We are in the

091process of doing a pilot study. We're working with another architecture firm, Wendell. E2 Gowanda HS Library: There are infrastructure issues, like chargers and hookups, but for a bus, it really only comes down to just running power to the charger, so it's not really very capable. E2 Gowanda HS Library: We meet again tomorrow with our architect, so he can provide some additional information for you. We are in the future, for this pilot, planning at some point, hopefully buy a bus and a couple chargers, see how it goes. E2 Gowanda HS Library: But long range, there needs to be fire protection for the garages, and there's a whole bunch to it. And for a full fleet, whenever that happens, NYSEG would have to add a new transformer. E2 Gowanda HS Library: We'd have to have separate service

092for charting the fleet, and then there's certainly other issues. Is the technology available? E2 Gowanda HS Library: I don't know, in the last report that we gave, maybe in the fall about that? I mean, some of our runs can't even be… E2 Gowanda HS Library: utilized by current existing technologies. I don't know what the state has in plan for us. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And plus, is there flexibility from the state. As far as I'm aware, as of today, there's no flexibility from the state of New York. E2 Gowanda HS Library: The timeline for full conversion by 2035 is still in the play, but New York State Education Department has offered districts some waiver extensions that you can prolong the person's response twice for up to 2 years. So there's some push that way. E2

093Gowanda HS Library: On the space side, or the education department side. E2 Gowanda HS Library: We are planning for a pilot purchase and install two chargers. I'll talk more about that. E2 Gowanda HS Library: People ask about the financial risks, cost uncertainty. E2 Gowanda HS Library: infrastructure, I don't know if it exists, it's not our thing, it's, like, the state grid type infrastructure. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Buses are twice as expensive, the supply of them, even if we're in compliance by ordering those buses, I don't know what the timeline is for turnaround. Just the diesel bus is taking some time. We have to train employees. E2 Gowanda HS Library: and political uncertainty. I don't know. I mean, it seems like a… it seems… E2 Gowanda HS Library: this type of green energy electric vehicle seems

094to be a political talking point. I don't really hate to say, I guess the risk is put all our money and time into it, and then another administration comes and the state says, we ain't doing it anymore, we're not being supported. So, I mean, I don't know, but that's a possibility. E2 Gowanda HS Library: We are meeting again tomorrow on our regular scheduled meeting with Wendell, and then I can provide an additional update from the board. But I also, I'll put in the board packet, our transition plan. E2 Gowanda HS Library: It seems like I just shared that, but maybe it was a while ago, so at least you have access to that, and you can see where we are, and what Wendo recommended for us to do, and you can actually see the timeline

095of where we are now. E2 Gowanda HS Library: March 19th. Did I capture that stuff? Yeah, I mean, the biggest thing, I think, is the technology on the buses, because there were 8, or only 55% of the current routes could be completed with the current technology, because our routes tend to be a lot longer. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So I think, in part, that's why we're not in a huge hurry, because we don't… we can't really accommodate those routes anyway. So we do want to try the pilot first. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And we'll have firmer dates as we continue to work with Wendell. They kind of have a checklist that we're working on to get through that process. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Last month, I had lunch with Senator Barrello and Joe Sempolinski, our

096Assemblyman. E2 Gowanda HS Library: They alluded to the problems over if they cure them. E2 Gowanda HS Library: With their electric buses that… E2 Gowanda HS Library: I mean, they were the first district… one of the first districts to buy, but they seem to have some problems, but they don't. E2 Gowanda HS Library: They're not making them public. E2 Gowanda HS Library: It wasn't on the news. We weren't turning the heat on on the bus. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Transportation personnel there. E2 Gowanda HS Library: We could get a rundown in terms of what the actual problems are, and what their issues are, that E2 Gowanda HS Library: That we get to talk to our consultants. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I mean, anything… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Well, so, play devil's advocate, if we're gonna

097go that far and find out root causes of issues. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Are we gonna find out a root cause of the issue with Springville's bus that caught fire? E2 Gowanda HS Library: That was a gas bus. Well, that's the point, like, I'm just trying to play devil's advocate for both energy sources, right? And my other question, I guess, would be is, did anybody ask you about green hydrogen or hydrogen buses? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Well, they weren't available. They weren't available. But did anybody from the public, I ask, I guess, because you said, Annette wants hydrogen. That's what he was gonna ask, I was going to try to beat the public. No, Annette wants hydrogen, but they're not available. Yeah, they're not available, and honestly, I think, I'm not an expert, but I

098thought the production of hydrogen involved… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Nothing like natural gas, and that's, you know, put… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Oh, so that, that, although hydrogen's like, you know, ready supply of that, that, again, don't quote me on that, but I thought that's how I understood there's another layer to that issue. But there's green hydrogen. Actually, that's not true. Is that true? I have hydrogen? E2 Gowanda HS Library: is actually being not manufactured, but it's being purified or something, right? Somebody, the nuclear plant up in Oswego actually does it E2 Gowanda HS Library: peaceful. E2 Gowanda HS Library: green hydrogen. Green hydrogen is done with wind power. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Compound hydrogen is done with. E2 Gowanda HS Library: coal or fossil fuels. This is pink hydrogen because it's rotten off the

099thing. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And it is a serious country. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And… Something that, who knows, in 3 to 5 years, it could be available in the state. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I think the big tie-up is that Hydrogen does not currently E2 Gowanda HS Library: is zero definition. There is a little bit of… E2 Gowanda HS Library: So I guess that's… that's why I was trying to play devil's advocate a little bit, and kind of bring light to light. If… E2 Gowanda HS Library: There are other alternatives that are… beneficial. E2 Gowanda HS Library: It's just zero emissions, so whatever the source is, I guess. It doesn't quite get there this close. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yes, oh my god. E2 Gowanda HS Library: That's where I met the boss's name.

100E2 Gowanda HS Library: Oh, sorry. And… You got more? No, no, well… You can wrap it up, Doctor. One last thing. Well, no, the governor did her State of the State address yesterday, and there were some… E2 Gowanda HS Library: old things that impact education, but there's no executive budget proposed or anything that we could begin to talk about budget, budget things. I don't think… I don't anticipate that until next week, so… E2 Gowanda HS Library: So then, I think that's enough for me, you know? Have a pool… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Zero emission losses, all of these factors. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Claire, thank you. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So up next, we have our students. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, I'm warning, I have no documentation for the middle school or the elementary

101school. E2 Gowanda HS Library: You're fired. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I did not get any paperwork for that. Know nothing about that. I know there was a dance that recently happened in the middle school. That was in there. I don't know what it's called, but it's… It was a Blizzard Bash. A Blizzard Bash, yeah. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Elementary school? E2 Gowanda HS Library: I have no… Don't worry about it. Yeah. So, I know that winter sports are actually going amazing in the high school right now. We have our third annual Lindsay Ann Redfin competition tomorrow. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So that… Attend. We need all the donations possible. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yep, the doors open at 5 o'clock. E2 Gowanda HS Library: It was a game yesterday, Traylon Warrior got his 1,000-point career

102score, something… For basketball? E2 Gowanda HS Library: I think that's pretty much what I got. E2 Gowanda HS Library: pre-grade knowledge. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Thank you for sharing. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, up next, we have our State of the elementary school. Woohoo! E2 Gowanda HS Library: Well, first I have Ms. Chelsea Cole. Yeah. E2 Gowanda HS Library: is Chance Schaefer, she's our new assistant principal of our school, so they've been… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Really wonderful down there this year, we're glad to have them on board, so they're, you know, they're in the long line of instant buildings. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Thank you, ladies, appreciate your time. Okay, yeah, so hi everyone, I'm Chelsea Kroll, this is Chandra Shaver, my assistant principal. I wanted to bring her here tonight because we have

103just, truly, it's been a team effort this year at Guanam Elementary School. E2 Gowanda HS Library: We are rocking this thing together, and I'm really proud of the work we have done, and I wanted to show… we wanted to showcase that as a team. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Also, I don't know if you knew this, but January is the Board of Education Recognition Month, so our lovely signs you've seen behind you were made by our specials team. Our art teacher made them, and then the other specials teachers had all of the students and all of the staff sign them for y'all. So we're just really grateful for all the support you give to us and to our community. So, thank you so much. We appreciate you. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Okay, apples. Here we go.

104E2 Gowanda HS Library: So we just wanted to reiterate the fact that we wholeheartedly believe in the district's, mission and vision, and we've been working really hard this year to make connections with all of our stakeholders and collaborate, with our staff, and we're just… we're just really taking pride in being part of the community. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Sorry. Are you able to, like, PowerPoint? No. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Okay. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, truly. E2 Gowanda HS Library: We have two main priorities this year at Guan Elementary, and we'll get into how we're addressing them more later, but our first one really was to increase, campus culture and morale. We wanted to feel like a family at Guan Elementary. We want our staff to enjoy coming to work, and we want the kids

105to have fun and learn. And then secondly, of course, is for high-quality, Tier 1 instruction. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And so kind of what that looks like is, by the end of this year, you know, our goal is to strengthen our Tier 1 instruction. E2 Gowanda HS Library: in our multi-tiered systems of support, which is our intervention services, to ensure that 100% of our students meet or exceed grade-level standards. And I know 100% sounds like, wow, it's a hefty goal, but when we say all, we mean all. We want all kids to be at grade level. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And, we're hoping in increasing our Tier 1 instruction, it will result in a decrease of our students that are needing Tier 3 intervention and special education services. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Alright, so going

106through our enrollment, this is where we're at. Pre-K 36, kindergarten 72, 1st grade 69, second grade 75, 3rd grade, 69, and 4th grade, 88. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So we're gonna have about 409 students, so we definitely have, like, the biggest building, with all of our kiddos in the elementary building. Looking at our, the students that we, that seek special education services that maybe have a 504 plan, or they have an academic advising service, E2 Gowanda HS Library: our intervention teams. We have 71, students in special ed, which is 17% of the population, and, have a 504 plan, so maybe a few modifications here and there. 45 students, which is 11%, and then just our students that are receiving those intervention services with our, with our intervention team, we're at 74. E2 Gowanda HS Library:

107Which is about 18% of our population. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Alright, so getting into some of the fun stuff that we do, okay? Alright, so we've got our, computer science, okay, where the kiddos are actually, they are learning the… E2 Gowanda HS Library: our technology is ever-changing, right? So we thought this is a wonderful thing to showcase, because I actually did an observation in the computer room, and the students, the enthusiasm that they have, and then everything that they're learning, like, it comes back to, like. E2 Gowanda HS Library: These are, like, foundational skills that they're gonna need in the future, like keyboarding skills, and some skills that I was like, wow, this is unbelievable as to, like, what they're teaching some of our littles in our elementary building. You know, problem solving, you know,

108they're going through coding, and, like, a big push is, like, that safe technology. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So that's a really big, big one within our, within our building. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Okay. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Okay, our PE department at the elementary level really works on foundational, sports skills. They encourage teamwork and sportsmanship, E2 Gowanda HS Library: And just a passion for physical activity. At the elementary level, they're really setting the stage for, you know, the sports they play at that secondary. And so we did… I know that y'all came and saw it, but we just, again, wanted to showcase our beautiful rock wall that the kids are just loving. E2 Gowanda HS Library: We also participated in a nationwide cup stacking challenge. It was so fun. I was in the gym, stacking…

109the kids beat me, they were phenomenal. But it was, it was just really cool to be a big number, a small number on a big screen that everyone was speaking. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Alright, in music this year, especially… out of the elementary level, they're working on, just, like, creating a steady beat and a rhythm. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And again, setting the foundation for instruments and euphorics as they, as they get older. The pictures you see here is a really fun activity where one partner had to create a rhythm, and the other partner had to clap it out. So it's a lot of, hands-on, hands-on work with our, with our little girls. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And then… Our library, E2 Gowanda HS Library: since literacy is such a key component in elementary school,

110library is, you know, the place to be. She is not only fostering a love of reading for our kids, which, you know, reading is a tough skill to learn when you're little, and so she's inspiring them, but she's also really aligning her work to the literacy standards. E2 Gowanda HS Library: You know, working on foundational skills, comprehension, and digital literacy. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And she's also… I have to give her a shout-out, she's really… I came from a Microsoft district, so she's been training me on Google and helped me make this, like, this presentation beautiful. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Thank you, Melrose. And there is this amazing, so the GES Destiny Discover page, which, like, which is incredible, she was exploring it with me, and the families can access this at home, and then

111when I was actually in there doing an observation, too, I was like, this is so cool, the kids were, like, so excited to be like, yeah, I've showed my family, like, how I can get to it, and what she has available in there is incredible. You know, it goes beyond just reading, like, it takes it a next step further. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And it's… it's a beautiful thing that she has, going out in our library, which is pretty incredible. So… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Oh, goodness. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Okay, so going into our visual arts, oh! E2 Gowanda HS Library: What a beautiful thing, seriously, that we have going on in our arts program. We know that this is more came down to the elementary level. Her and I have had many conversations,

112and I love, like, the passion that she has and what she brings to the children. They're not just making the same piece of art, they are making a unique piece that is, like. E2 Gowanda HS Library: blended with so many different components in our arts program that it is just stunning, absolutely stunning, and it's very unique, as I said. Like, each one that every child is making is absolutely just beautiful. And then our third and fourth graders actually participated in the Go on the Mural project, which is hanging at Valley Pharmacy. So if you haven't seen it, please go see it, because they are so proud of it. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yes. And of course, our Seneca language, which has been a beautiful addition. You know, the kids really love you going there, and

113they're learning so many different things. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So it's just beautiful, okay. The program's offering, like, cultural awareness, okay? And not just, like, the language, but, like, the culture as well, which is bringing such a beautiful level to it. There is an introduction to, like, the second traditions, the history. Well, it's exposing them to some of the language, because it is difficult. I mean, all of our kids go there, you know, kindergarten and up, they are going there. So in a different capacity, they're all learning at different levels. E2 Gowanda HS Library: They had participated in multiple events in, and… E2 Gowanda HS Library: things throughout this year, such as, like, Orange Shirt Day, it is… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Gail Yo, which is actually, like, like, positive teachings, and it's just, it's

114beautiful to listen to the kids just talk about it. Native American History Month, seasonal traditions, we got so many storytellers in there, traditional songs and dances, so it's beautiful to see, like, the community come together. E2 Gowanda HS Library: At our STEAM program. Beautiful! Our specials teachers have worked diligently to come up with a curriculum that is E2 Gowanda HS Library: remarkable, where this is where these kids love going there, their hands-on approach, they are learning things, and then they're explaining things to their classmates. How did you do that? Wait, how did you create that? And it's just taking it, like, another step further, and they really made sure that it's aligned to, like, all the New York State standards, which is just… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Stunning, I'm telling you. It is beautiful. If

115you've been in our building, you need to see some of the things that they have created, which is in our showcase in the front, like. E2 Gowanda HS Library: They're like, yeah, I created that, and how did you, how did you develop this? And so, yeah. Really focusing, too, just on communication. And collaborate, and just collaborating together. The kids are working on things together, so then they have to, like, they're talking, which is so important. E2 Gowanda HS Library: We also wanted to highlight our Title VI program. Ms. Carolyn Young, helps with this at the elementary school. E2 Gowanda HS Library: she has just, every month provided… we've had activities that are celebrating Indigenous culture, such as, and I want to scroll down so you can see this picture. We had, this amazing, social dancing

116assembly where there was kids, from elementary, middle, and high who performed. E2 Gowanda HS Library: We've had storytellers, we've had puppet shows, the kids got to make, corn hostels. We had somebody come in from a local farm, and the kids were spending food tastings. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I did too, I think I tried buys, and it was interesting, it was good. The kids didn't want to try it, but I tried it, it was awesome. So yeah, she's just really highlighting in her Title VI program, you know, tradition, wellness, and just community. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Alright. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Now we kind of get into the nitty-gritty. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, this is, the New York State, assessments, the 24-25 data. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, in ELA and math. And truthfully,

117what I want to highlight here for you is, the increase that they saw from the 23-24 school year till last school year. So, as you can see in third grade reading, we saw a 9% increase. E2 Gowanda HS Library: In 4th grade reading, there was a 4% increase. E2 Gowanda HS Library: In 3rd grade math. E2 Gowanda HS Library: We saw a 5% increase, and in 4th grade math, the rock stars, a 14% increase. Now, of course, this amazing work was done before we came aboard, so we can't take the credit, but we're really excited with our work with our intervention team, our rigorous Tier 1 instruction, just to continue this upward trend. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And so… We're working hard. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So this is our current school year iReady data,

118and I want to preface by saying this is a benchmark that we take 3 times a year, as I'm sure you're aware. This was taken in September, so this is, like, raw, beginning of the year data to give us a starting point. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, as you can see in kindergarten, and we're actually taking it again. E2 Gowanda HS Library: We're in the window now, so we're gonna get some more data very soon to see our growth and track our progress. But, at the beginning of the year, our kindergarteners, we had 23% at or above level. First grade, we had 21% at or above level. Second grade, 14. This is all in the area of reading, I'm sorry if I didn't say that. In third grade, we had 42% at or above level,

119and at fourth grade, we had 20% E2 Gowanda HS Library: at or above level, and when I was analyzing this, I'm like, whew, that looks rocky, but I compared to last year's results, and they were about almost the same. In fact, most of ours are a little higher at the start of this year. And so, it's just, you know, showing that this benchmark, we're definitely going to see an increase. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So… My, my understanding is, is that, like, on that chart. E2 Gowanda HS Library: when you say grade 2, the kids that are coming into second grade, you're testing them in September, and this is the score that they have. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Before you really taught them anything. Yes, absolutely, yeah. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yeah, I know, it's a

120starting point for us, and then we use that data to guide our instruction. Exactly, yes. So yeah, like I said, we're in it now to see the growth, so we'll be really eager to look at those results. E2 Gowanda HS Library: For math, I already down at the very… Of course you did! E2 Gowanda HS Library: For math at the very beginning of the year, our kindergarteners, we had 11% at or above grade level in first grade, 7%. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Second grade, 3%. In third grade, we had 10%, and in fourth grade, we had 20%. So, we're really working hard to make sure that those numbers increase, because like I said, we want 100% of kids at or above grade level. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Okay, jumping to our discipline data with my

121expertise. So looking at last year, the prior year's, discipline incidences, you can see there is a drastic increase, you know, with E2 Gowanda HS Library: myself being the new assistant principal, the building has never had a true assistant principal. We were taking… we are taking care of, like, all of the discipline that comes through, and I think the… E2 Gowanda HS Library: the reason for the increases, too, is that we've noticed that the staff are much more willing to input the incidences, because they know it's going to be handled. They know that there's going to be follow-through, which we know that there's going to be a decrease, like, it's slowly coming down. As you can see, like, so already, from the beginning of the year, I mean, we started at 80, and then in December,

122we're already at 43. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I do want to share with you, too, that 56% of our discipline data that you see here right now is actually… is specifically E2 Gowanda HS Library: Targeted at, actually, students that are now in their proper placement. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Which was students that we saw major significant incidences in the beginning of the year, and those students are now either, you know, in a self-contained classroom, they are in a different placement, it is appropriate, and they are excelling, and then there's a huge, drastic decrease, with the disciplines, incidences that are actually coming through. The three categories, the top three, we decided to just kind of E2 Gowanda HS Library: broadcast for you guys, is the same… they're the same three highest ones that we're seeing that

123are coming through. We've got some dangerous behavior, they're being unsafe in the classroom, classroom misconduct, assault, but I want to elaborate on that, where that is, you know, they are putting their hands on someone else. You know, it's not like they're doing something that is over the top, but they are putting their hands on someone else, they are being physical, but you can see, I mean, there's been a spike. E2 Gowanda HS Library: You know, so it will be coming down. We, have also changed a few things, too, that, E2 Gowanda HS Library: We're ensuring that our teachers E2 Gowanda HS Library: are following through when there is discipline… when the discipline incidents are going in, they are identified as… if it's for documentation only, because we are tracking to see, like, what is happening

124with the student. Is it a student that needs additional services? That they are stating that within the incident report, so that way it's not skewing our data. E2 Gowanda HS Library: We're not just seeing all of these incidences come through, and we're like, whoa, no, it's because they are in there for documentation purposes only. So we've definitely made that shift in our… in the… E2 Gowanda HS Library: staff is really on board with making sure that it's inputted, but it also states that it's for documentation purposes only. So we have that data to go back to, the hardcore data, which is… which is imperative, you know, to keep us moving forward. And we are also working diligently with our counselors, to… E2 Gowanda HS Library: work through and to establish an SEL program, okay? So

125we're looking at, like, so what's going to be best for our kids, you know, that social-emotional learning, because that's the SEL programs, okay? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Our kids need it. They're little. We need to have something established, something that's going to be able to just E2 Gowanda HS Library: be appropriate for elementary, but be consistent with moving up to, like, middle school and high school. So that's what we're looking for, is, like, consistency. Okay. And I want to say, we do have a social-emotional learning program happening right now, and I'm going to talk about our counselors are going in and doing these lessons. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And a lot of this was created by Michelle Haynes, who retired, so they've kind of adopted that and made it their own a little bit. But

126we've been working with Darlene and Rebecca, and we're hoping to have a K-12 consistent program, so they're hearing the same language from kindergarten all the way up, so that it's really sticking with them, and they're just, you know, becoming better, you know, members of society. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Just wanted to note. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I appreciate… Your team coming forward with actual data. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Fluff. E2 Gowanda HS Library: This is… yeah, I appreciate it. Thank you for bringing that up, because we first started looking at it, and we were like, how many incidences? Wait, okay, but these are documentation, like, this makes sense. When we started to really dive through it and really dissect it, we were like, okay, no, this is not bad, this really isn't bad. E2 Gowanda

127HS Library: Oh, go ahead, sorry. I was gonna say, now that Ms. Shaver said that a lot of this data comes from students who now have their appropriate needs met, we're, we're planning to see that number decrease, because… E2 Gowanda HS Library: It was a lot of… some of the same kiddos. Along that line, I guess, in the future, is there a way we can get incremental data to do that? More so? E2 Gowanda HS Library: I got some of this stuff, like, disciplinary. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Sure. Through, like, a quarterly basis? Absolutely. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I do it monthly. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I've been doing it monthly just to see the trend and to see. I'd be happy to share it with you monthly, for sure. We do put it, like,

128you know, our newsletters and everything, too, so, I mean, I'm happy to share. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And then piggybacking off of that, you know, we do have a positive behavior intervention, support, which is called our PBIS program. We currently have PBIS Rewards, which we actually, had put a survey out to the staff because there was kind of inconsistency of it being used. It's been utilized the past year prior to us, and also this year, but we're looking at revamping that because about 90% of our staff in the last survey just said. E2 Gowanda HS Library: we're looking at something different. We need something that's a little more immediate, especially because we have such young children. They need more of an immediate reward. And we… the kids right now, they're earning points based upon their

129behavior. The points can then be redeemed from classroom prizes, there's school-wide events and raffles, and, we had actually 207, so almost half of our kids that actually participated in the first event, which was awesome, because, you know, they got to spend their points, but it wasn't E2 Gowanda HS Library: enough. Like, last year they only had three main events, and here I'm like, no, wait, let's see, let's revamp this. Let's get more in there, because they are little, and they want that immediate feedback. So we thought, classroom, you know, prizes, let's push that. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, we've got multiple raffles, so that all children are in the raffles, because all children have had positive behavior at some point or another. You know, I felt like it was something that they didn't need to

130buy into, because they all have been positive. So, we are revamping it a smidge more again, and bringing it together as a whole wide, assembly, so that way all the children can see, like, woohoo, this kiddo won the raffle, like, and then they actually get to come up in front of the entire school, not just, like. E2 Gowanda HS Library: come down to my office and be like, okay, let's pick a prize, like, we've got this, this is awesome. We want to really, like, kind of keep the motivation going for the kiddos. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yeah, we want them to feel successful, you know, when they're behaving appropriately. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So in addition to that, another way that we are working to decrease the numbers that you saw, working with our, student

131support team, who I just truly want to commend this year, my counselors, my social worker, my psychologist, they, it has really just been an all-hands. E2 Gowanda HS Library: on-deck approach to the start of this year. They've been so supportive to us, coming on and just really working to, make Gowand Elementary a safe place, so I just wanted to highlight some things that they're doing. E2 Gowanda HS Library: They are meeting… they're doing whole group and individual counseling, so they call it Lunch Bunch. They meet with a few kids at lunchtime. They are doing whole class social-emotional learning lessons regularly. We have two counselors who kind of split up the work. Ms. Franco does Pre-K through 1, and then Ms. Beebe does, 2nd through 4th grade. E2 Gowanda HS Library: We also are very proud,

132we saw a need for a sensory space this year, so, I think it was right… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Thanksgiving time, we had to shift some rooms, Ms. Shaver had to get a new office, and, we created a sensory room at Gawand Elementary School, with the help of our occupational physical therapist, who really did a lot of the research for it behind, and they've trained all of our staff, on how to use it appropriately, and, it has just been so successful. It is a place where students can go. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And regulate their emotions and return back to class. So, I should have brought it for you, but there's basically a little menu when they arrive that they identify, like, are they, are they red, yellow, or green? Like, how are they feeling?

133And based on that, there are specific activities designed to help them regulate that. Some students, that we know have sensory needs, we will take prior to them, you know. E2 Gowanda HS Library: having a behavior, but there are some students in that moment where it's like, well, let's just go have a sensory break, right? It's not something that is not a reward, it is simply what they need. So we're just really proud of it. It has been utilized tremendously. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So that's been really, really successful. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yes, and then we're also working very closely with our counselors to, E2 Gowanda HS Library: We're trying to develop a school-wide behavior intervention system. We have an amazing academic E2 Gowanda HS Library: intervention system, and we do a lot for behavior

134intervention, but we want it to be very streamlined, we want there to be a clear-cut process for if I have a child who's having a behavior, what now? What are the steps that I need to take, and how can we and our counselors support them? So, we're working hard with our counselors to develop that. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Alright. E2 Gowanda HS Library: What we're doing well this year. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So we feel, I mean, it's only been a few months, but we feel like we have, started a lot of great things. We took a survey of our staff at the beginning, before we started in August, to see how they felt, what they felt about the school, and then we just did a mid-year survey in January. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And

135I'm just… E2 Gowanda HS Library: So happy, because… so in September, the 44% of the staff felt that the culture was somewhat positive. And now, in January. E2 Gowanda HS Library: 81% of the staff feels that we're creating a positive culture, so we're like, oh, we've doubled it in just a few months. And so we're just huge. Thank you, we're feeling good about it. Teaching is real, it's hard, you know, I mean, especially in the foundational grades, you're teaching kids how to read and write and do math for the first time ever in school, and we just want them to know how important they are. So, we're just trying to create a family, like I said, create a place where they want to be E2 Gowanda HS Library: So we're just really, really proud of

136those numbers. E2 Gowanda HS Library: We've had a lot of engagement with our families this year. Our PTO, and Chandra will talk a little bit more about it later, but our PTO has done monthly, free events for the community. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And we've had tremendous, participation. It's been awesome. E2 Gowanda HS Library: We also have a really cool process with our counselors. Whenever we get new kids, once a month, they do a new student lunch, and one of us is there to welcome them, but they're also just seeing a safe person. They're seeing counselors, our social worker, and us, hey, and also other new kids that are in the same boat as they are, because coming to a new school is scary. And so we're proud of that. E2 Gowanda HS Library: like,

137just the way we've been able to respond to student needs and, really getting them what they need, I'm proud of that. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Our collaborative intervention time. So, every grade level has a time of the day where they do intervention, and E2 Gowanda HS Library: they are now… and they did it a little bit in the past, but I think more school-wide now, they are sharing kids. So it's not just me in my classroom working with my small groups, it is the entire second grade. You have a few that need this, and you have a few that need this, and they're sharing, and E2 Gowanda HS Library: We're really proud of that work, because more kids are getting small group, more kids are getting individualized instruction. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And then, truthfully,

138just the visibility and accessibility of us, again, in our survey, E2 Gowanda HS Library: 91% of our staff feels that our visibility in their classrooms and on campus has been E2 Gowanda HS Library: just right. So, we're just, we're there, we're present, we've been at almost every school event this year, so, you know, I'm confident that the families know who we are, and the kids know who we are, you know, we're going out every day, and we're doing the work, and we're really proud of it. E2 Gowanda HS Library: This picture here, E2 Gowanda HS Library: I… I challenged my old school in Texas to see, I was like, the Bills are gonna win. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So our school, we all decked out in Bill's gear. It was beautiful, the whole school. And

139their school decked out in Texans gear, and we lost, obviously. And so, me and Ms. Shaver had to wear wigs and the Texans logo. Loved it. And they were coming in off the buses, and like, oh, they're like, you really did? Yes, we did. Yeah, they did. Like, yes, we did. We looked like… E2 Gowanda HS Library: We'll play them again, and the outcome will be different. Hey! You never know. This is the second year in a row I've done this. I did it when I lived in Texas with my principal, and I had to serve her breakfast, and I said, I gotta stop making this challenge. I think so too, speaking of losing. Alright, so to elaborate now, just on some of our points of pride here, our PTO is phenomenal. They have really

140gone over and above to just, like we were talking about, you know, those E2 Gowanda HS Library: those family-free events, they've been… it's just been a beautiful thing to see all those families come into the building. The staff appreciation, PTO, and also, the boosters have… have helped us to support that. So we kind of shift every month as to, like, how we're going to appreciate the staff, and they love it. Like, they just… it's great to see the teachers smile, and just say, thank you. Just thank you for being here, and thank you for what you do, because it is… E2 Gowanda HS Library: the work that they're doing is so important. You know, we've both been in the classroom before, and it's nice to feel that coming from different angles, and not just, like,

141us, but from, you know, the PTO, and coming from, like, the Boosters Club and everything, too. E2 Gowanda HS Library: No! With Apple PTO, we did a full apple… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Cany Apple Barn, they loved it, but also, randomly, one time this year, we wrote a note and put it on all the hoods of their cars, and when they led for the day, they were like, you know, and so, like, we do things like that, too, so… Yeah, yeah. Let's, let's see, what else did we talk about? Oh, also, Holiday Family Fun Night, you know, PCO really supported us in that this year. That was completely revamped from, like, prior years. We had heard feedback was just, like, they just did all these crafts E2 Gowanda HS Library: So really, they helped us

142revamp that. So we had, you know, obstacle course, you know, things that the kids were really involved into, and different activities that made it so fun. So next year, we know a couple different things that we can keep changing just to make it better. But there were so many families there. It was wonderful, just wonderful. You know, our PBIS events and our raffles, E2 Gowanda HS Library: You know, it's just… everything has been just… E2 Gowanda HS Library: just great. It really has fun in our belt, so we're really proud of that. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Okay. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, really, this is, this is kind of what we've been… our priorities and how we've been sort of trying to achieve them this year. So, like I mentioned, E2 Gowanda HS Library: high-quality

143Tier 1 instruction, so that is, you know, the teacher doing whole group or small group just with her class, and so ways that we have been supporting that is, classroom visits. We've been in the classes a lot. Of course, they get a, you know, their big observator, 45-minute observation, but we just do pop-ins, we just see what's going on, so we're present. E2 Gowanda HS Library: We're kind of restructuring some instructional coaching opportunities, which is really exciting. We have, first of all, some expert teachers on our campus, so they're really helping each other. I have a lot of teachers that I'll… I can call up and be like, hey, so-and-so is asking for help with this, and oh yeah, of course, I'll go model. They can come watch me. That's been really nice. E2 Gowanda

144HS Library: But also, we work with BOCES, we have, Kyla Shriver, who usually sits in E2 Gowanda HS Library: on PLC conversations, which is great, but I've restructured her time at the elementary school, so now she is focusing on specifically our non-tenured teachers. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And she's working one-on-one to set goals with them, do some informal observations, find out what they're needing and what they're struggling with, and just, you know, helping them to improve. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So that's been really exciting. Oh, I already mentioned the teacher and mentors. So that's kind of… that's that bullet. And then, with our MTSS, our intervention practices, I already explained the collaborative intervention time. They're just really working together more this year. E2 Gowanda HS Library: we're revisiting the entrance and exit criteria for intervention.

145So, in the past, it was a much stricter process at elementary school for a child to receive intervention and receive support, and the teachers didn't like it, it wasn't what's best for kids. So now, it's more of a fluid process. E2 Gowanda HS Library: If a kid needs help, they're getting the help. It's a simple conversation, this is what they're needing. We have, you know, 6 intervention teachers, and so they're being pulled. We have an RTI plan at Gawanda Elementary School. We're in the works of kind of, revamping it to support what the changes that we've made. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And… oh, our intervention teachers, they meet with the staff once a month at their Tuesday collaborative time to check in, and they're looking at data. How are the students progressing in intervention? Are

146they ready to exit? Do we have some that need to enter? Just, again, to remain that… E2 Gowanda HS Library: And then, as we're always working to enhance our PLC, our professional learning community practices, and we are doing that by being visible, we're there every Tuesday morning, we're dividing and conquering of who we're going to see, just to make sure we're having quality conversations about kids. E2 Gowanda HS Library: trying to model the structure the best we can when we're meeting with our staff, and then offering PD, you know, as we see fit. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And so we just believe all these things will really, benefit our goal of just increasing that rigorous Tier 1 instruction. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And then, just to wrap it all up. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Our

147hopes and dreams for Gwanda. Yeah, and our biggest one is really, like, the social-emotional learning, like we were saying. Like, we're really trying to work collaboratively, like, the middle school, high school, just to have a fluid process, a fluid program that's really going to be consistent, so that way it's the same language, that's one of our big ones. Yeah, we want, consistency and alignment among E2 Gowanda HS Library: among our building, and so what I mean by that is, you know, using the same language when we're teaching writing strategies, E2 Gowanda HS Library: I'm actually excited, because this… now that we're in the springtime, we are going to start having some vertical line meetings, where the grade levels can speak to each other, you know, hey, I'm noticing kindergarten that my first graders are lacking

148this, can you focus more on that, so we're not so isolated in our bubbles. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yeah, and just, like, creating a culture of being accepted, visibility, and just support. Like, our teachers know, like, I mean, we're getting there, I mean, but it's like, they really know that they can come to us. Our doors are open, like, please, what do you need? We are here to help you. We're here to coach you, you know, yes, we might be the principal, an assistant principal, but we are here to help our teachers grow. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And support them be the best teachers that they possibly can be. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yeah, we just want to continue to increase classroom rigor, so our students are feeling prepared, you know, for state testing and

149beyond. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yeah, and then, as we talked about, you know, the positive behavior intervention, supports, just coming up with that system that the teachers are buying into, because we clearly know that with the E2 Gowanda HS Library: They said PBIS rewards, there's just not enough there. It's not immediate enough, so we're working on that. Yeah, and Ms. Ms. Shaber and some of her counselors are actually going to go visit Chicago Lake Elementary School. They've got a really stellar PBIS program in the month, so we're going to kind of try to tap into what they're doing over there and see if it will work for us. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And then, like I keep saying, the true goal, you know, is just to have 100% of students meet or exceed grade level

150standards. You know, that takes time, but that's really what we want, so… E2 Gowanda HS Library: And so, thank you so much. Thank you. E2 Gowanda HS Library: You have two questions? Okay, of course. E2 Gowanda HS Library: It kind of eludes… Your presentation alludes that… E2 Gowanda HS Library: You have teachers that are not buying into the PBIS. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Is that true? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Well, okay. Oh, go ahead, I'll go ahead. So, it's… E2 Gowanda HS Library: It… yes, that is true, but that is because, the program… E2 Gowanda HS Library: it doesn't necessarily align with our needs, if that makes sense. So, it takes the kids a while to earn the points that they need to buy things, that's… and so the teachers are saying, it's not immediate.

151If you have a kindergartner, they can't… they can't wait to earn 200 points. E2 Gowanda HS Library: to receive a reward, like a fiber, you know, so they're just wanting a bit of more immediate feedback for the kids, and, I mean, the program itself is pretty touchy, too. They have to log in, they have to give, you know, each kid points. It's just, it's not super user-friendly, so we're just looking at other options. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yeah, I wouldn't say they don't buy into the beliefs that positive behavior intervention works. The tool that we had was not the best tool. Thank you, actually. Yes, it's very disconnected, it's kind of like, oh, it's not very, you know, kid-friendly, and where kids are just like, oh, okay, that's just… okay, so that's what our hopes

152are. Yeah. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yeah. E2 Gowanda HS Library: The other one is, at some point, I think, E2 Gowanda HS Library: We haven't hit on the RTI process. E2 Gowanda HS Library: That often, and we have a fairly new board. E2 Gowanda HS Library: That might be worthwhile exploring. I'd be interested in hearing more about What they're making the changes. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I mean… Just remember, unfortunately, brought in our view. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yeah, we'd be happy to. Future presentation traffic, is what you're saying? E2 Gowanda HS Library: We have a couple of sessions with BOCES that we need to work through first to capture some of the changes that we've made, and then I think we'd be good to go. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Absolutely. But I'm even saying

153that the board as a whole doesn't… May not fully understand. E2 Gowanda HS Library: It's just, it's… so RTI is a response, to intervention. So basically, the child is struggling in some component, in some area, in their academics. E2 Gowanda HS Library: they're able to work in a small group with, you know, a teacher where it's… they're really, like, focusing on just, you know, a couple kiddos, like, oh, they need to understand story structure, okay, so they're going to be pulling them together to work on that. It's kind of just very, very, very small group, intense teaching, and then, like, the process, you know, so having our kiddos in RTI, it's just, like, they need it for a little bit longer, and then they're going to get it for a couple weeks, and then they

154might not need it anymore. E2 Gowanda HS Library: okay, let's move on to the next kid, which I love that it's such an easier, like, fluid process to get our kids in and out so fast. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Because we don't want them to be stuck somewhere where, hey, they're being very successful for weeks, okay, well, okay, well, let's get somebody else that needs to be in there. So that's kind of, like, where, like, the RTI process is. It's just a response to intervention to help those kiddos that need support, and also to push those kiddos that are higher achieving, you know, just so it's not just, like, a blanket for all, not just the little ones. E2 Gowanda HS Library: the ones that are also higher achieving are being pushed and excelled, too,

155so it's… E2 Gowanda HS Library: In that capacity. But we're definitely happy to come back in and explain a little bit more for you guys, if you'd like. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I hope that. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I don't have a question, I just have a comment. Thank you, I love your energy. I love your enthusiasm, I think you guys are in the most appropriate school. I've had conversations with Chelsea before, and I've already told her that I was so thankful when she came in to interview, I thought she was at the right school when she interviewed. So, thank you, and I love everything that you guys are doing. Appreciate that. Bravo. We're very happy to be here. E2 Gowanda HS Library: The way to start, guys. Keep it up. The next time you

156have any taste testing stuff… Okay. Yes, ma'am. You got it. Noted. Noted. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Thank you. Couple questions. Yeah, it's okay! The easy one first, and it's not one way or the other, but multi-age, that's gone, correct? Correct. E2 Gowanda HS Library: The second question, I guess, back to content to students. I believe with Portrait of the Graduate, they break it down in, I forget the terminology, but essentially the E2 Gowanda HS Library: They apply a multiplier, do they not, to different content areas? E2 Gowanda HS Library: And then, sadly, I'd have to look back at… E2 Gowanda HS Library: previous meetings and presentations that we've had. But I'm curious what the content breakdown is to our students in the elementary school. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, is there… 25% of our students

157getting a STEM class is their… E2 Gowanda HS Library: I guess that's what I was… I'm a little confused about the multiplier. Well, also, I feel like in the Portrait of the Graduate, when we presented that, there was… E2 Gowanda HS Library: A multiplier, or there was a value assigned to the different content areas of their effectiveness toward E2 Gowanda HS Library: And that's the piece I'm forgetting, I forget what scale that was, but… E2 Gowanda HS Library: I guess the easier question would be just. E2 Gowanda HS Library: what percentage of our students are involved in different contests? In the elementary school? Probably speaker scheduling. Yeah, 100%. They all are. E2 Gowanda HS Library: 100% of kids are in the special classes, including STEAM. I'm not really sure, maybe you're… Yeah, I'm trying to

158think back to the presentation. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I can picture the graph, but I can't picture the name of it. Okay. But… Yeah, that's it. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I, I don't… I was just kind of curious about that, as far as… Content they were given. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Thank you. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Thanks, ladies. Thank you. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, up next, we have our presentation on the middle school field. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yeah, thanks, so this summer, come on up. You're next. Alright, great, 8.30, I'm sure you guys really want me to hurry up. You can see a tab on the top, Dean of Students, that's your document. Yeah, so I'll just introduce real quickly, you know, we do have an assistant principal, we have two principals, also

159at mid level, and E2 Gowanda HS Library: I mean, being new, she's taking control of the culture and climate of the middle school building, and there's just a lot of… E2 Gowanda HS Library: I guess intense and discipline issues, you know, at some of the grade levels there that are handled, but we're kind of overwhelmed, I guess, for lack of a better term. She asked for some support. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Because, you know, when you work with a student, it requires, you know, some contact with parents, requires some follow-up, it's time-consuming, and… so, with that, she… I said, well, you know, the board's asked, what do you need? I said, well, you know, it's a great position, but I thought it'd be fair to come out with what we're thinking, and let you know

160what we're up to, and E2 Gowanda HS Library: I mean, talk about it. And, for talking about acronyms, we're looking at… it should be a TOS, a TPAN special assignment, which would be… fill this position, which would be one of our students who's interested. E2 Gowanda HS Library: that assumption that would fill this position, so year-to-year appointments. So I don't really see this as a long-term issue, but we're short-term to help her out and get the building where she feels she needs to do, and focus on things that she should be focused on. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, enough chit-chat for me, it's 8.30. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I'll be quick, I promise. Okay, so thank you, for always supporting. Obviously, I appreciate that. Thank you for all you do, board appreciation. Okay. So, I

161feel like my role, right, I presented to you guys our test scores, our I-Ready scores, E2 Gowanda HS Library: We know that the middle school is not where it needs to be. So, as an instructional leader, I need to be in the classroom supporting our teachers in instruction. E2 Gowanda HS Library: To do that. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I also need students to be at school, to be instructed, and I need them to be… E2 Gowanda HS Library: behaving in a way that they can receive instruction. And so, I need some extra support. I'm not even gonna lie, right? Like, it's a lot. Dave is 5'12. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I will be very honest with you, we had 612 referrals so far this year. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Granted. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Let

162me… let me dial that in, because it does seem like a lot. Some of them are for documentation purposes only. Some of them are, we started E2 Gowanda HS Library: every three assignments that you're missing, you get a referral, and you stay after school, so we're not having kids fall so far behind. And so that is… E2 Gowanda HS Library: a chunk of them, and when our students are tardy five times unexcused, we are referring them, and they are getting extension to make up the work that they're missing. So while we put more things in place to help our students, it's also coming back, right? But now we have kids who are missing 3 assignments. We're not just saying. E2 Gowanda HS Library: hey, you have extension. Like, what is that gonna do? So we

163need to meet with them, we need to talk to them. These are the things that you're missing. This is what you need to do so you're not falling behind. We need to call a parent to let them know that they are staying after. When they get 5 tardies. What can we help you with? E2 Gowanda HS Library: What are we doing to support our families at home? So. E2 Gowanda HS Library: While it is a lot, it needs to be done up front. The work up front needs to be done so we can be consistent, have follow-through, so we can support our students and families. And so, Dave is great, but he's also handling a lot of those, and it's like. E2 Gowanda HS Library: when our… we have discipline, it's like, okay, you have

164extension, okay, but now what are we gonna do to fix the problem that got you there? That's not… E2 Gowanda HS Library: you know, that is more behavioral. So it's trying to do the work up front, so in the long run, we have something that's in place and sustainable. So, and with Portrait of a Graduate coming and the changes that are going to be made, I really want teachers to feel supported, and so to do that, I need some support for our students as well. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I shouldn't. E2 Gowanda HS Library: One of mine? E2 Gowanda HS Library: What? You have someone in mind? You don't have to share, but… Well, you know the qualities you're looking for. Yes. You know the qualities you need in the Canada. Yes. E2 Gowanda HS

165Library: I mean, I don't know if we can answer this question either or not, but with Dave Smith retiring, what is happening… E2 Gowanda HS Library: you know, is that position going to be filled in its current capacity? Like… Yeah, well, we're gonna take the op… we're gonna fill the position. We'll need another AP to fill Dave's shoes. But we're also taking that opportunity to kind of recalibrate who's doing what, and figure out… E2 Gowanda HS Library: you know, what people should be doing, could be doing. I just think it's an opportunity to reorganize. Maybe it would be worthwhile to consider, like, an assistant principal at a high school, aimed at the middle school, and at the elementary school. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I mean, go get one, Anthony. Well, I know, I know, that's

166what I mean, like, consistently across the board, you know, I mean, it's being… I don't know. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Just throwing things out there. Call it whatever you want. Currently, Dave does not spend the same portion of time at the middle school that he does at the high school. So I think when we change people, then we can re-look at, kind of, who's doing what. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Because that's where Darlene's kind of falling behind. Right, sure. She's not getting the support. Sure. Understood. To your point, I mean, we're going to replace the one assistant principal. E2 Gowanda HS Library: In consistency, it probably really should be the assistant principal for each building. E2 Gowanda HS Library: The Dean of students is really a teacher. It may not be administered, but an assistant

167principal would, so you'd get a little side. I guess, you know, if the board's… E2 Gowanda HS Library: support with that, I'm on board. But we're always looking at personnel stuff, too. The cost, right. I know Dave, I mean, Dave's been here a long time, so he has creative, etc, just saying. Yeah, well, of course. E2 Gowanda HS Library: If that's something the board is interested, I mean, certainly would be more than willing to pursue that. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I guess my question would be, stepping back, the 612, or the 612 E2 Gowanda HS Library: disciplinary actions, we could have a business case of breakdown of what those were, I think would be helpful. E2 Gowanda HS Library: If we were to move forward with something like that, entertaining the conversation. E2 Gowanda HS

168Library: Isn't it crazy that we have so many that, the way you were referring to it, that we have so many that are… E2 Gowanda HS Library: what, 3… 3 assignments behind, or 5 tardies already? I mean, we're in what month? I mean, that just seems crazy that… Oh, they've done that multiple times. I'm sure they have, and that's where a lot of times you do that, because you're saying that's… My own kid, once or twice, just saying! E2 Gowanda HS Library: Well, I think the big thing, right, is that we have a new principal, right, so it's a different culture, a different set of standards in the building that the students aren't used to. They're not used to. I think, at the very least, in the short term, right, the Dean of students, to

169hopefully get traction, get everybody understanding that E2 Gowanda HS Library: these are the expectations, and we're going to hold you to that, right? That's really… that's been a piece that maybe wasn't as enforced in the past, but, right, we can… we can absolutely do our part as a board and say, hey, let's… E2 Gowanda HS Library: you're saying this is what you need, I'm all for it, right? And if we need to look at other things, right, if one person as Dean of Students isn't enough. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Right? If you need more support for a short term, that's something that we can circle back and look at too, right? We don't have to… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Right? It's not, oh my gosh, the building is, you know, falling down, it's out of

170control, it's complete chaos, right? There's just expectations that, right, we have to get everybody on board. E2 Gowanda HS Library: a lot of what is going on. I don't… I can't speak for you there, but… E2 Gowanda HS Library: It is. I think they're testing the waters, I think they're pushing, and teachers are referring more, because they know that E2 Gowanda HS Library: the follow-through is going to be there. That's good, that's good. That's good. That's what we want. So… and voluntary annual is good. So for the interim tonight, we don't need to approve anything, it's once you… E2 Gowanda HS Library: post and get a candidate, that's when we would approve, so… Yes, sir. So, we'll have to work with GTA for this, so teachers go on special assignments, we'll have an MIA with

171them, and there's a stipend attached to it, so in that piece, that's what the board would approve. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Then, yeah, probably the appointment to the toast as well, so that would be your involvement at that point. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Thank you very much. Yes. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I appreciate anything. Thank you so much. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Where is this for the launch? I'm going! E2 Gowanda HS Library: Alright, so up next, we have our 2026 postseason annual meeting. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Bates. Okay. Kathy? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yes. So, the annual meeting is April 15th. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And the component vote is to stay April 28th. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So then I looked at our meeting calendar. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And we had the

17221st and the 22nd tentatively for what we thought would be, the actual… E2 Gowanda HS Library: vote. Pelosi's vote, and it's actually the 28th. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So… Barb, did you want to comment on… E2 Gowanda HS Library: what we talked about earlier, the things that you have to have. Yeah, I mean, I just looked at the, E2 Gowanda HS Library: Property tax report card has to be approved by the board. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Would it have to be approved by, like, the 26th? E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, I just plan on having it ready for the 1st, E2 Gowanda HS Library: So we can keep the April 1st meeting to approve the budget. E2 Gowanda HS Library: on the property tax report card, unless something goes awry between now and then, we'd

173have to push… or, I'm sorry, Easter break is the following week, so it didn't really… the 8th probably would have been a better idea for a board meeting, but with the spring break there, I didn't think that made sense, so I'll just push… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Push forward and have everything, hopefully, to you by the 1st for approval. E2 Gowanda HS Library: That meeting on the 28th, if we can keep that, hopefully, very small, and have it just be what needs to be done, and that's it. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And hold off all of our regular boards. E2 Gowanda HS Library: agenda stuff for May 6th, because the following week, then, we'll have a board meeting. So, if we can keep the 28th, just the business that needs to be handled, that's what

174we're gonna do our best to do. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Makes sense. At times in the past, I mean, we've actually… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Basically, called around, make sure we got a quorum, and then we just came in and voted on… E2 Gowanda HS Library: On the Boshis. E2 Gowanda HS Library: That's kind of what I'm thinking. Yeah. Just that. You can do it any time of day, really. We've done it. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Does all the idea of work. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So that we get a little bit closer to that. E2 Gowanda HS Library: We can talk about that, maybe reschedule a time that… E2 Gowanda HS Library: It allows people to come in, get it done, and… Go in there. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Perfect. E2 Gowanda HS Library:

175Anything else? E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, up next we have our Board of Education Communications. We have none, we have any committee reports. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Housing that, I think we were gonna… We're not in the winter. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Good. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Field usage, and… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Is that before the last board? That was a while ago, yeah. I can't believe so straight. E2 Gowanda HS Library: It was just me and Zach. Yeah, we did it. I was… I was Zoom. Right. Yeah, you were in your car. Yeah. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Oh, yeah, so that was since the last meeting. Was it? Yeah, that was 2 minutes ago. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I don't know. We're still kind of spinning our wheels a little bit, but, you

176know… E2 Gowanda HS Library: So no major update for the board, is what you're… No major update, but I think we discussed the same things as before. We were gonna circle back and get data from… E2 Gowanda HS Library: So we have a meeting on Monday at 3.30, or I'm sorry, Tuesday, Tuesday, for policy, but we did have to cancel the policy meeting just to do the audit. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Because I left that day. So I wasn't able to be here for that meeting, so we do need to reschedule that one. Oh, right, you're gonna do that. Yeah, that's right. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So if we could do… E2 Gowanda HS Library: I don't have it legitimately. E2 Gowanda HS Library: But maybe, E2 Gowanda HS Library: Time of day is more

177critical for myself, other than what day. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I'm getting the tools. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Maybe… What about, like… February… Or 17. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yeah, we're on break from… Yeah. E2 Gowanda HS Library: 10th isn't great for me, though. I can't do afternoons on Tuesday and Wednesday. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Next Monday at the 9 block. E2 Gowanda HS Library: There was the 9th or 12th? Monday the 9th? 3-3? Is that right? E2 Gowanda HS Library: I would have to do, like, mid-morning. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I know. E2 Gowanda HS Library: How about a Thursday? Thursday's good for me. E2 Gowanda HS Library: 3.30, Thursday, the 12th? Let me double-check here, Donald. E2 Gowanda HS Library: You're scheduled here for the spring. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yes. E2 Gowanda

178HS Library: Yes, I would be good at 3.30 on the 12th. Yes. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So it's just… just policies. We're not going to review… I mean, the policy audit is all we're going to do. Okay. Not any other things that might come up. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Thursday? E2 Gowanda HS Library: February 12th, 3.30, yes, pretty good. E2 Gowanda HS Library: That's pink. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Any other committee reports? There was a safety committee meeting on January 7th, but I was unable to attend. I asked Rich for an agenda, or these notes, to share, but I didn't get those… I don't know if anybody else attended the meeting. We'll link to update the committee on that. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I did not, so… Goodbye. E2 Gowanda HS Library: chemical. E2 Gowanda

179HS Library: So if we have nothing more for committee reports, that'll bring us to our… Board of an administration roundtable. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Well, Mark just started out. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Sure. E2 Gowanda HS Library: As I kind of mentioned in a presentation on the pool. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I was ripped apart by the pool. We didn't anticipate things. E2 Gowanda HS Library: We learned the latest problems. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Once that information's out there. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Really cutting me down again. E2 Gowanda HS Library: One thing that came up, and I apologize. E2 Gowanda HS Library: This came up late this day. E2 Gowanda HS Library: was a question regarding the girls' basketball team, JV. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Apparently there weren't enough kids on the varsity, so

180they pulled people from JV. E2 Gowanda HS Library: JB had a winning season. E2 Gowanda HS Library: When they pulled them, they no longer have kids for the JV, so they… Kind of disbanded the JV. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I'm not sure… I mean, I understand coaches have to do what they have to do, but… E2 Gowanda HS Library: I'm not sure, always, that it's wise to bring JV people up. E2 Gowanda HS Library: It can be at a varsity level. E2 Gowanda HS Library: against other schools. I mean, yeah, it keeps our varsity team E2 Gowanda HS Library: Playing, because we have a roster, but… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Well, I guess I can speak quickly without going back. So, we have a girls varsity and junior varsity team. There's been a numbers issue.

181E2 Gowanda HS Library: Possibly. At both, just, you know, we're at that cusp of just having enough for two teams. So, this week, as I understand, a few girls have quit, so now we're down a few more. And actually, some of the girls, maybe on the JV team, are probably some of our best players in the whole program. So, some of them have been brought up to play at the Farsi level. E2 Gowanda HS Library: So, now that shortens the number of students playing at JB, which is now really at that threshold between E2 Gowanda HS Library: Just enough players. E2 Gowanda HS Library: But if no one, someone quits, or someone doesn't show up. E2 Gowanda HS Library: they can't play, so, you know, they're looking at maybe combining into one varsity team, which

182presents the problem now. I mean, a basketball roster should be about 10, 11 kids, you know, now we're talking 14 or 15, so that may not give them playing time for some of those kids who are getting JV'd, so… E2 Gowanda HS Library: that's the background. I don't really have a quick solution for what's gonna happen, but that is an issue. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yeah, I'm not looking for a solution, I'm just saying that I'm being approached about it. Yeah. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yeah, it's a ton, I get it. E2 Gowanda HS Library: You want people to play, you want to be competitive. Well, at that point, too, you can't bring the varsity down to the JV level, you have to bring up, so if you're gonna have a team, you have to

183bring them up to the JV, or to the varsity. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Or recruit for more players. Right, right, well… Offer incentives. Well, and then at that point, then they don't have enough practices, you know, so… E2 Gowanda HS Library: So yeah, someone there, but… Sports? You know, there's… Okay, that's all. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Well, I, you know, it's 8.45, and so, oh, you don't want me to copy you? Okay, well, alright, well, this is really cool. This is… I love the thank you to the BOE, that was really cool. I appreciate that. That's… I enjoy that a lot. And, you know, following my usual E2 Gowanda HS Library: pattern of being the cheerleader. I just wanted to give a shout out to particularly the middle school E2 Gowanda HS Library: office staff.

184Like, Kathleen Jones and Heather Ford run their rear ends off and do an awesome job. Like, you know, Tyler's in middle school, so I… you know, he's in 8th grade, he's in his last year, I have a lot of comings and goings with him and dealings with them, and they are always E2 Gowanda HS Library: And so, I just… the other day, when I'm always throwing things at them. Tyler forgot this! Can you pass him this message? Can you do this? E2 Gowanda HS Library: They're always on it, and so they do awesome. I just wanted to give them a little… little kudos to them, because they really… whole… wear many hats, so… They hate to say the zoo coming. What did I say? Oh, yeah, probably, yeah. Oh, there she is! E2 Gowanda HS

185Library: The few times that I've showed up, Kathleen is on watch! I'm cutting under her desk. I'm like, where's Kathleen? No, I'm just kidding. Yeah, she's kind of locked down! E2 Gowanda HS Library: There she is! Anyway, yeah, right. So, but they do, they do a great job, and I feel bad for bombarding them with so many things. If Tyler could just get his stuff together and earn things… But anyway, that's all I got. I'll be quiet now, because enough is enough. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I just want to, again, congratulate Dave Smith on his retirement. Thank you for everything. I know he's still here until the end of June, and I know we have a couple of long-tenured people that are retiring this year. Rob Dempsey, which is, I mean, it's… thank you for

186all the years of service to our school district. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Congratulations to Jen Granott with her Adult Community Education Director. So excited for that, and I mean, the possibilities are endless with Jen on what we're gonna… the opportunities that are gonna be available for people here. So I'm so excited to see that coming forward. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And again, congratulations to Trailing Warrior, that's a… that's a great feat, a thousand points, career, so that's amazing. And that's about all I have. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I'm pretty good. Yeah, I'm good. I think I'm good. All the pool, unfortunately, just kind of shocked us. You know, we started digging that up. I'm like, oh my gosh. E2 Gowanda HS Library: And, you know, I think we've crossed the bridge, you can't really go

187bad. But it's like, it's like opening… in these original builds from 1950-something, it's like going to an old house, you just don't always hold the stuff out, which you're gonna encounter, unfortunately. We encountered quite a bit in this one, but, you know. E2 Gowanda HS Library: you know, spin it the good way, we've got 60 more years of, you know, good pool for, you know, generations of students and community to come. So, in that sense, I think that's positive. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I appreciate this presentation. I love when they come out and share with the board and the public. We've got just a lot of great staff and faculty and kids in this district, and it's really nice to highlight them, and they represent, really, the crux of what our mission is here, is,

188you know, the academic success of students, so thank you. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I'm pretty good. You're allowed to pass. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I appreciate the presentations tonight, just reiterating the data-driven decisions. At least I love the data so we can make some data-driven decisions. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I don't get to do this often, especially being a graduate of Pine Valley, but… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Mr. Smith, I definitely appreciated his time. I actually had him as a principal back in the day. It's kind of an emotional, experience, because I can remember E2 Gowanda HS Library: Years ago, on Pee-Wees and Bidgets football team, back when it was called that, from primarily Longhorns, I spent that summer signing a petition and getting my fellow teammates to sign the petition to try to keep

189them. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Unfortunately, Smith was moving out of his own Pine Valley. You're not allowed to leave! Didn't know that until, one of the adults that finally clued me in on, like, hey man, it's… there's not much you can do. So, yeah. Like I said, I don't love that opportunity too much, so… E2 Gowanda HS Library: I have no labor tonight. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I think everybody's safe. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Thank you, guys. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I'm gonna include you three. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Anything? E2 Gowanda HS Library: I know you said a lot, and I don't want to put you on the spot, but I don't want to not give you the opportunity for some awesome mistakes. Yeah. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Thank you for everything, yeah. I

190mean, truly, the amount of… coming from me out of state, you know, it's very different, and her coming from a teaching position, just the amount of support we've received here has just been overwhelming, and we're really grateful to be here, so… E2 Gowanda HS Library: We're glad. Thank you for your support. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I just appreciate everything. Like, we're trying really hard to move in a really good direction, so your support is… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Appreciate it. E2 Gowanda HS Library: But what I'll say is, you guys have put a lot of work in, right, and it's shown, and… E2 Gowanda HS Library: Yeah, it's… it's good that there's been a lot of success, but if there's other support that you need, right? E2 Gowanda HS Library: That's what we're here for,

191right? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Unless he needs something done. E2 Gowanda HS Library: I mean, we'll take it out, so… Thank you. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Keep fighting, keep doing the hard work. E2 Gowanda HS Library: It's gotta get better. E2 Gowanda HS Library: mad, I think everybody has said. There is nothing else. E2 Gowanda HS Library: They move us to our parking lot. Do you have any changes that anybody wants to make? E2 Gowanda HS Library: It should be… Pretty good shape. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Did we ever get any sort of confirmation from Black Passport that they were able to do the presentation? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Oh, and I just was going through the… You never replied to them, right? No, I never get a reply back, so I thought I'd forgotten

192about it, and then I was going through the Erie County School Board's, like, key figures. I see they're a sponsor, so I don't mind, so I can double-check. E2 Gowanda HS Library: Anybody else? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Nothing for the parking lot? E2 Gowanda HS Library: Make a consideration motion to assess the executive session for the purpose of discussing employment history of a particular person. E2 Gowanda HS Library: To move. E2 Gowanda HS Library: You can't leave.