ICSD Board of Education Voting Meeting - Tuesday, March 10, 2026

001Fantastic. Uh thank you all for joining us. We'll bring the March 10th uh 2026 meeting to order. Uh the first agenda item would be uh any approval or changes to the agenda and we'll entertain motions. >> Yeah. Um for timing of attendance purposes, I would just like to move agenda 8.6 um to agenda 8.2 instead just to switch those. >> Second. Moved by uh Adams, second by Jacob. Question, conversation, discussion, debates. All in favor, we'll call the question. Fantastic. The agenda has been so changed. Any other changes or modifications to the agenda? Hearing none, we'll proceed with our agenda. That brings us to agenda item 3.1. We have two people who are signed up to speak. The first will join us virtually, and that is uh Brett Campey. Uh then we will come back and

002check and after our other speaker, our next speaker is uh Nancy Braun. How you doing? >> Good evening. I'm Anthony Braun. I'm a kindergarten teacher here at ICSD. And tonight, um I'm just here first of all to uh say thank you to Dr. Brown for your response um to the remarks I made at a previous meeting about the importance of play and physical activity and fizzed in um our students school day because I so appreciate the endorsement your endorsement of how important that is um for their physical and mental health and and for their learning. Um, I also want to say a thank you to board member Emily Workman for the research you did into the logistics and the legality of possibly um moving the start date of kindergarten so that we would have sort

003of an older cohort that kids would maybe start kindergarten after they're five. um and for mentioning the idea of a possibly they have transitional K programs in other districts that um are solutions to um that issue. And then I guess um just keeping this conversation about how we can do right uh by our youngest learners, our universal entry point. Um, I would just like clarification because we're meeting with caregivers on Friday. Um, and this has been a question for a number of years. Um, can families whose students start kindergarten when they're still four and they turn five during their kindergarten year, so on the youngest end of that age spectrum, can they request if they feel that their student developmentally is just going to be rushed if they enter first grade, can they request that

004their student get another year of kindergarten? Um, is there any policy why we can't do that? Are because I asked because I've had it happen that families have asked and I and situations where I have also felt that that would serve a child's needs most and it's never been approved or supported at the admin level. Um, and I don't I don't know why. I'd love clarification. And in thinking about I do think that we offer a like a fifth year to graduate high school if I'm correct that that's a metric that we follow that some we have like a five-year graduation rate. So if we if we are okay with that, could we also be okay with you know students can have an extra year at the start of their career and not wait till

005the end to offer that as an option or you know meeting a student developmentally where they are. Thank you for keeping this conversation about early childhood going. I really appreciate it. >> Thank you J. Uh before we go to board responses, we'll check again to see if uh Brit has joined us. Um no, we'll be sure to follow up with Brit as well. So we'll go to board responses next on the agenda. And Emily, do you want to respond to that what we heard from Kate if you recall? >> You want me to respond? Um the uh let me say we try hard to not give responses and try to give a week or two weeks another board meeting notice to make sure that we can do our research and provide with accurate information. With

006that being said, my recollection of that conversation the answer the quick answer is no. Uh that is not possible to do two years. However, that does not mean uh that it's not it's not a local board decision to make. Uh but I will follow up or we will follow up with BSNK our lawyers. Um but we asked that same conversation, that same question. And so um I want to get uh clarity to make sure that we are speaking accurately and give you the information andor give you the regulation um if that is the case. Uh but that is my recollection from that conversation. You may not share the same recollection. Yeah, I don't I don't share the same recollection, but largely because I don't feel like that specific question was discussed because we were talking

007my head was in a space of about um the impact on the students who who weren't able to um I I'd actually be interested to hear uh the the district practice andor policy uh from nationally. I think that that's a relatively common practice, but I don't I'm curious from >> what was the practice we're referring to now >> to of like letting somebody repeat kindergarten um if they didn't feel like they developmentally >> and again uh wish the reserve about to do some additional research and if I'm understanding from what I'm hearing here and the question being asked we're simply talking about retention >> um and we have done retention on occasion even though the re research is very clear about retention and the negative impact acts of it. And then often times when we

008use the word retention, we also couple it with developmentally appropriate which is also ambiguous. So um I think it was referenced that administration has never been in favor of it. I do have strong views about retention particularly how it disproportionately impacts young people from marginalized backgrounds. So if we're talking about a retention policy, let's talk about a retention policy or the practice of retention, which is one we haven't done much here. Whether it's a young person that's four or 14 or in the fiveyear graduation rate that if we're okay with it. Yes, it sometimes takes young people an additional year to finish high school and it is reported as a fiveyear graduation rate which is not something we want. So is it another pathway or an option? Yes. But we prefer a fouryear uh graduation

009number versus a fiveyear. So this one there are many layers to this but you mentioned national conversations and research which is very clear about retention and when I hear the word developmentally appropriate I always pause and attempt to interrupt. What do we mean by that? >> So I think there's two things that we have to explore and Nancy I want to apologize I'm going back to my notes. Uh that conversation was about prek was not about kindergarten and so vastly different fally funded program. Right. So that's probably partly why I even hesitate to respond to make sure I'm giving accurate information. And I hope folks hear that clearly as well what we're talking about or respond. I also think the question is about whether or not a parent or caregiver makes the choice versus a

010classroom teacher makes the choice. And so let's do some additional research and uh you are no stranger to our board meetings. Let's keep the conversation going. >> I have a question and or a clarification if we're talking about fiveyear graduation rate. It's not that a student chooses five-year plan when they enter into ninth grade. It depends on whatever the credit load is that it may extend to five year. Could be academic reason, could be personal reason, whatever it may be. But it's not like, oh, I go into nth grade saying I have a choice which route I'm taking. So just to so when we say a fiveyear graduation, let's clarify that. I I also just want to add to make sure that we avoid being too ableist in this conversation that some students actually can

011and do and should go to school. I think it's through their 21st birthday. Sometimes it's the 22nd. I don't know. It changes. Um, and then I can also share that professionally I can tell you that a second year of kindergarten on a national level is not I mean there are students that that legit need it for reasons and it's not something that's just handed out easily. There needs to be documentation. It's it's not I'm surprised to hear that it sounds that simple because I don't know anywhere where it's something that's just like said, "Oh, no big deal. It's a big deal everywhere, even for students who clearly could benefit from it and are behind. And it's conversations that they have considering which grade you would be better repeating because um in some conversations because first

012grade in a lot of states there's so much of a focus on literacy, they would suggest that you do a second year first grade if you're behind. So I I think there's a lot more research to do before just throwing out random anecdotal commentary. Um just to clarify, not random or anecdotal, this is like study studying policies across the country. Um but also I think that that kindergarten is very different from any other grade. And when we're talking about retention, while that's a very important um uh language piece that we need to be thoughtful about, kindergarten is often treated very differently. It certainly is treated differently in different states. In many states, it's not even required that students attend kindergarten at all. Um, and when it there are so many decisions that a parent is

013going to make in terms of whether their student is going to attend kindergarten if they um if they are pretty young but could be able to, which I know is like the the the gap that we've been talking about um as it relates to this issue. Um, and I actually was thinking, um, it's an interesting thing for us to dive into a little bit more because it does relate to exactly what we were talking if if that were something that would be permitted. And I'm not saying that this should be a tool for that purpose, but that would allow students who otherwise would have to or families who would otherwise have to pay for child care for another year if they were choosing to register their child, which is very common practice to choose to

014not put their child in the first year because they're on the younger end. if this were something that were permitted or looked at in a different more kind of a a productive way of being able to say that like a young student could still participate in public education. knowing that their family may choose to repeat. That could be an interesting strategy to help support families um in saving money that year and allow them to get the benefits that they can even if they um if the family themselves don't feel like that is um the benefit of kindergarten fully was was established in in that year. So just lots to I mean there's there's a million different things to think about. >> So I'm hearing by I'm hearing three different courses of action. One is to

015do some additional research uh or conversation discussion just on a retention policy more generally for the district. What may drive some of these conversations? I'm hearing to make sure that we find exactly what is allowed either through the United and or other uh New York State education laws. Um, and I will continue to make the push that at some point in time, and I get how busy all board members are, uh, but a reestablishment of a early childhood education, uh, advisory council, which we've had at one point in time, seems like it continues to keep coming back up as a conversation. I know there are some other ways in which this com this advisory council happens organically, but it may be something for the board to consider. So, uh, with all that being said, those

016are a couple of ways in which we'll proceed and we'll get back to you and the community, uh, with much more clarity around the legality and then additional things that the board may like. [clears throat] >> Does that work board members? >> Great. >> Fantastic. Fantastic. That will bring us to agenda item 3.3, which is our student reps and uh, good to see you all. to see you too, I guess. >> Okay. Hi, everybody. Uh, beautiful day out. I almost thought about like if we should like what how a board meeting would happen if we were outside like on the patio like out there. How what that might be like. I don't just an idea for next time. Uh la last meeting I brought up how we were being faced with a breakfast and a

017lunch quota with the possibility of our only kitchen staff member Dodie uh being further reduced if we did not meet that quota. I'm really happy to report that after announcing this to the school after kind after kind of getting everybody involved we are exceeded that for breakfast and for lunch. Um, we also we part of that was also we have a new breakfast carts that rolls breakfast down right into the front lobby when kids come in. If the bus is late, breakfast is still still there. You're get on your way to class. It makes breakfast a lot more accessible the students and with that kids are just eating more in school which we're really really happy about. So um I also mentioned last uh time how this is also kind of part of our goal

018of more cafe autonomy. Um, in years past, we've had stu students would make soup in the cafe that would be part of lunch for for the school. We would literally grow the vegetables in our garden out front. They would come into our kitchen and they would fix them and it was amazing. Um, and even way way back, the district would pay students to work in the cafe as part of trips fundraising and the and kids would go to the Bahamas as part of the trip at the at the end of the school year. So maybe maybe not that far, but we'd love to we'd love your assistance in regaining some of this cafe autonomy. If you have any ideas how we go about this, even bringing back reusable silverware for students just so we just

019so we have more control over our food in the day. That would be amazing to have your help on that. Um, as well as that, PET season is in full swing at LS. I know a lot of you will be rating them. Thank you for coming out. Thank you for for showing up for that. If you aren't familiar, our PE paths are our alternative to the regent exam in four major subject areas of English, social studies, math, and science. Um, uh, and it's where students research, write, and present on a topic. This week is the first round of our English PETs where students will analyze books, songs, stories, anything English in that way. It's presented in a thesis defense sort of way. I've al I've personally found them to be a lot of fun uh

020and a great way for students to really show off some really indepth monthsl long research and work that they've done and analysis and everything and I hope to see you there in a couple days >> sure but I'll take I'll take um so as you know we uh begin meeting in our spring trip groups at the beginning of our fourth cycle well considering how quickly that date approaches we've had A few things happen. We first met in trips rotations and so that we just we take an afternoon aside instead of doing our projects and we you go around to three different trips to they kind of give you a spiel. They tell you what it's about. They give a little presentation. If they've done it in past years, they'll show you some photos and from

021that students get a little better understanding. Maybe they decide to they want to go on those trips. Maybe they decide they want to pursue something else. Then we've uh filled out a form. We've decided what trips we wanted to go on. We picked our top three choices. And then next week, we'll find out what trips that we have got into. Um once cycle 4 begins, we will forgo meeting the projects entirely and meet with our trips group the entire day on Thursdays. Um on another note, we've completed our musical. I missed the last board meeting for Tech Week and it was truly an amazing show and I hope that some of you were able to see it. Um, with the musical having ended, we are starting up one act and we'll put on our performance

022for that in the spring. Um, lastly, we've just started our shadowing uh, and our elementary road elementary road show. The former of the two has us bringing in fifth grade and older students from the middle school and I think some a few I think some from the high school to shadow an LCS student for their entire class day or not their entire class day. >> We've started do in previous years we had not done a full day. Now we're I guess we're doing a full day full day of classes following whatever. I believe we're doing it on a Monday and Friday. So they mostly only get classes, but um so that's what they they do at uh the latter of the two is our elementary road show. So, we as a a group, not obviously

023not the whole school, some of our students, including me, are going to go around to the elementary schools and just put on a presentation, share what our school's about, uh some of the things we do, the experiences that we have just to see because I found that otherwise the elementary schoolers, they don't there's there's nothing not much else to tell them what our school is about and so otherwise, how would we get any students? So, >> yeah, >> I want to shout the Rosha one more time. I shadowed at LACS in fifth grade. It's a complete like cultural like immersion into what an LACS day is like because it really is a lot different from anything else I had done to that point. And I've been to six different elementary schools. It's completely you spent

024like you you go to all your classes and it's a totally amazing way to understand like what makes that our school tick and we're we're really really proud of that system. I remember shadowing at LCS whenever I first moved here. Um, and I think it is a good way to get to see if it's a right fit for you because for me it personally didn't feel like it was. But I can see for some kids that would be very beneficial because it's like when you're hearing about it, you don't really know what that means. Um, so anyways, hi everyone. I hope you're all doing well. Sorry, I was at softball triyouts and I like sprinted over here and then it started raining. Um, I know I came into the like discussion a little late about

025like the early child care stuff. I think that starting back up like time permitting wise, the early child care committee would be beneficial to discuss some of those things because I know like for many different reasons like whether it's like repeating a year of kindergarten or just like every kid develops their own social skills at like different times and it's good to be able to kind of tailor that to certain kids or if they are starting younger and it's like financially better for certain families. I think that's a good thing to look into. Um, the choir theme concert is this Friday, which is a collection of like auditioned acts and stuff. It's we always have a theme. This year's British invasion, so it's just like um different like British composers. I'm doing a duet with

026one of my friends and stuff, so be fun. Um, and the orchestra cabaret is next Wednesday in the cafeteria, which I'm also in. And it's like kind of similar. It's like some smaller acts and stuff too, but it's show more personality for the kids and the buses. Um, spring sports started yesterday. Um, we've been very lucky to have nice weather for at least two days, probably not anymore. Um, and the cell phone survey, we like did a second installment of it just between today and yesterday. And we'll discuss the results next week when there's other reps here. Um, yes. >> Thank you. Really appreciate it. Board responses. >> Question for Julian. Um, did you say that the breakfast card started >> this year? Because I recall seeing it last year just >> uh we we

027had for a little bit last year. Then it went away for some time and it's back now. It's been back for the past two weeks and it's really like I I like I think we've seen like practices like double just like just having it out there. Kids are kids see it right there. They go get food and this is a better way to start the day. >> I'll follow up with more questions for you. We're not questions. So, I guess I would just say um it sounds like you're really engaged in in thinking about uh meal options and and the kind of opportunities that uh that your school has to utilize like local agriculture and things that are growing. Um so wanted [clears throat] to raise that the um PTA council um is also really

028um interested and focused on this topic right now and have been having lots of conversations both with um administrators and folks in the district and then amongst themselves. These are representatives from every single school um and and they have a shared interest in um helping well in two pieces that I wanted to mention. one was just like talking about you're talking about kind of taking advantage of local agriculture. I know that they have a number of ideas about that and also and have even identified some um grants that they would like to go after to be able to use more agriculture, use more in New York State and also like uh partner with um um farmers across New York now to even be thinking about like what is the schedule for like planting and what

029does this mean about how the um the district could kind of think uh more about in the future about how they might be able to utilize different ingredients at different times. So, um I would be happy to connect you with them if you'd be interested in just learning about what they're doing and see if you want to um contribute in any way. Uh, and the other thing is one of the things they're they're hoping to complete this year um is uh uh um to work with the district about getting a survey out to really be able to hear directly from students about um their like satisfaction with meal selections and um and uh opportunities to to engage in the process and all of those things. Um I would say that we had uh um people

030from theition department um come I I was uh and speak with us kind of on a related topic at our policy committee. I would just I I want to at least be able to voice that the amount of what did we hear like 22,000 meal what was the number there is there they are making an enormous amount of meals. every week they are being >> over 10,000 right >> over it was something >> 45 400 a day >> 400 a day um so just voicing that I I've been very impressed with like hearing about the things that they are already doing changes in um in menus that have happened in the last like year or two um so just want to say both very excited about what the PTA council is doing I would definitely

031encourage you to get um involved and acknowledging that the um that that department is like working so incredibly hard to try to do exactly what they're already doing. Um and so hope that these kind of conversations can be very much like in partnership instead of in um you know >> Yeah. Well clarifying question. Yeah. >> So when you say partnership partnership between PTA council and the student rep for food services >> no food services and PTA council. So that's why and they already are I know that like Mary has taken meetings and they like it sounds like it's been a very like productive partnership already. I'm just voicing that there is an opportunity to to engage in that and be a few others. If I can add one thing on LS administration, Keith, Lisa, they've

032all been very engaged in this conversation as well, especially coming into this year. Uh there's been an effort to have an LS greenhouse uh that's been happening for about the past year and it's looking like they'll build it right at the beginning, either right at the end of this year or over the summer. And we like local food is such a big big thing at LCS. love to work with on on how we can get that into our kitchen, how we can get that into our meals and how we can actually eat what we grow. Again, >> I think I'll just add as we have this conversation and I think both are supportive. Uh the one thing that we did learn when talking about whether or not we we just are working on a policy

033around school lunch and learning a little bit. uh I think we often times don't always see the direct connection between changes in federal policy and how it is enacted on a local level and more importantly what are the the requirements and so the overturning of the food pyramid the portion control that's mandated uh the ways in which certain amounts of greens and vegetables and proteins are dictated to us by uh um law and or policy and or mandate. And so I think I just want to make sure as we walk into this that we're still cognizant some things the district can have control over and be creative and innovative and do some things and some things we're responding to things that we may not like. And so that was the one thing that I think

034I took away from that conversation is the amount of federal regulation um especially when we were having conversations with the high school reps about portion size um and what is and what is not available because what is and what is not mandated. So, uh, a larger conversation for us to have. Folks are doing some amazing work. My math is correct and it's probably not, but if we're doing more than 20,000 meals a week, um, looking at my former colleague Brad to make sure my math is somewhat good. Uh, that's that's a significant shift as well, right? So, I think we should all change our cell phone ringtones. >> All right. Any other comments >> right there? >> Fantastic. We'll keep it moving. We'll move on to the consent agenda and we'll entertain motions. >> I

035move to approve all consent agenda items listed in the consent agenda. Personnel report students and minutes of previous meeting is presented. >> Uh questions, conversation, discussion. It is a small consent agenda compared to what we normally explore with just personnel minutes and approval of students. Any other dialogue, questions, conversation? Hearing none, we'll call the question. All in favor? Motion passes unanimously. Thank you very much. Uh that brings us to our next agenda item and that is the superintendent update. Dr. Brown. >> Yeah. Thank you, Professor Bradwell, for the opportunity. Good to see everybody. Uh two quick items. Uh the first um we we started something in this building that I hope folks can um engage with. If you walk around the hallway, you'll see artwork. Um, and the artwork that's on display now is from

036our fifth graders at Beverly J. Martin and they're super excited about it. If you get a chance to see it and if you get a chance to send a note, they would appreciate it. But it's outstanding and look for us to uh with with the help of our great team now to uh refresh it um periodically as part of our ongoing process here. But thank you for checking that out and you can send a note. The other item uh at our last meeting, we had an opportunity to approve something on the agenda and we talked about someone who was not in the room at that time. I was to take this opportunity maybe to talk about the person while they're in the room. At our last meeting, we approved the appointment of uh Brad Rangers

037as our TST Boseies rep. And because Brad is here, I think it's important for us to recognize that he's here and also to celebrate a community treasure from my perspective. Um a person who served on this board for a long time and who was serving on the TST board for a significant amount of time. And if you talk to Brad, he's serving on multiple boards in our community. So his school district work is just a part of his portfolio and he's familiar with that term portfolio, too. but he he he does a lot and every time I see him I uh say thank you. Um he's done a lot for young people in this community and beyond including my own. Um so thank you and the only thing I can think of that's more impressive

038than Brad Ranger is his wife Mary. Um so anyway I'll stop there and uh thank you publicly for for being here and for your service to our young people. >> Yeah. >> And I'll add a thank you to Mary as well. >> Fantastic. >> Thanks for the opportunity. >> Thank you Dr. Brown. Uh we'll continue on with our agenda which brings us to agenda item 8.1 the TST Bosey's budget and we have guests joining us. So good to see folks return again. >> Good evening. We're so excited to be here. Uh for those watching at home I think everybody here knows me but I'm Willie Talet. I get to serve as the district superintendent for Tomkin Senica Tyogga Boseis. And with me is the amazing and talented >> Dave Parsons assistant superintendent TSD. and we

039are on our annual uh we call it a women's show traditionally. Um but we we actually Yes. You're you're welcome. >> Yes. I also have gold nails, right? Like it's it's a real thing. We need to >> uh match the district that we're in. So Dave and I actually really love doing these budget presentations. We know we're talking about dollars here. Um, and we're also talking about programs that we're providing for children, we're providing for adults. Uh, and we really we love to engage in conversations. So, we're going to go through some information, but pause this at any point, ask us questions, engage with us. We want to talk about the cool things that we get to do for our community at TSOIS. Great. So, I'm going to jump in with a with an overarching

040framing. What on earth do these dollars actually go to? Um, and at the state level, you've probably seen a lot of these images before. Um at the state level, our commissioner is really working to transform education in New York State with the work of the blue ribbon commission which started precoid and then um adoption through the New York State Board of Regents. There are these four transformations as part of New York Inspires adopt a New York State portrait of a graduate. You can see that right here. I'm sure you're very familiar with what this is. uh redefining credits and learning experiences, sunsetting diploma assessment requirements. The regions are still going to exist and yet they will not be required for graduation. No longer that stamp um and moving to one New York State high school.

041So that's the work that's happening throughout our state and Boseies is integral in that. So what does that look like locally? Well, you welcomed Brad and Dan and Karen and Karen um um a couple of months ago and we got to talk a little bit about regionalization and some of our blueprint work. So, we have a strategic plan that was developed regionally and it impacts not only our TST campuses but it also impacts the nine component districts and it's focused in on on these four areas. So regionalization is really about centering students student needs um and programming and creating efficiencies of scale. So we're sharing as much as possible in order to meet kids needs and also be financially responsible inclusive special education. We know that the continuum is not totally working right Aaron. uh

042[laughter] and and so we're committed as a region to looking at where those gaps are for young people and then addressing those gaps. New York inspires, you saw that previous slide. There are some things operationally that we have to shift everything from reading to transcripts etc. Um and equity and leadership and maybe actually that should be first, right? Because we have to start uh we have to start with equity. um and our leadership cannot be separated um from that as a concept um and trying to make that a reality. So you've probably seen this slide before the numbers change very familiar. Um you can pause me at any point but I'm just going to talk about these and this one. Okay. All right. So uh your arwada so the Ithaca arada that's like that's just

043the number of kids right that New York state determines that number it's not always necessarily the students who are enrolled in your Ithaca city school district it's actually those who live within the catchment um the percentage in our entire region you have 43% of the young people in our whole region among those nine districts um and for Every dollar that you spend that is permitted to be Bosey's adable, not every dollar is, right? There's lots of rules and laws on this fund. Um, for every dollar that's Bosey's adable, you get 46.6 cents back on that dollar. That's your aid ratio, right? That's that incentivized system for sharing. It's that economy of scale in order to serve children. that bottom number the percentage of both these services. So traditionally maybe sometimes if you're a smaller district

044you actually might see these sort of inverted. So this is the share of students and the share then of services that you would see. Um, if you're a smaller district, traditionally this number is much larger than this one, right? You don't have as many resources. In Ithaca, you have a lot of resources. You have a lot more uh students. You have a lot more uh tax dollars both locally and and um statewide and federally um that come in. And um so you leverage some of that money a little differently, right? uh about 36% of the total overall services. So, any questions on any of these? All righty. Next slide. Again, looks really familiar. Um and you're going to see that there are some increases and there are some decreases. All of these numerical changes are

045based on a couple of factors. One, contractual obligations. So we have collectively bargained agreements and we need to pay our educators, our staff members more based on that. But it's also program expansion. Um and then the last thing is um is program requests and service requests. Those go down, those go up. So career and technical education or CTE that's increased. That's that has to do with contractual obligations. And we opened manufacturing and machining over in Cander as a new program. And things cost more money just they cost more money. Um this week at CTE it is seafood boil week and food is more expensive. So we see increases in material sphere. >> Pardon me. Not emotional about seafood boil me. [laughter] >> Exactly. >> I was thinking about I'm a little cleansed to walk amongst

046yourselves. Uh exceptional education that again is increased. Thank you Dave. You're so he always carries um cough drops. last year. >> We make a good team. >> Uh um exceptional education again contractual implications. Um but then also program expansion. We opened a classroom in Lancing. Everything else is based on student requests. Districts say we want more of this or no thank you. And then all of these can change throughout the year. Any questions on these? Thanks again. >> Absolutely. >> Yeah. >> On manufacturing and machiner machinery machinery or >> machine unit that you opened a candle. Is it under CTE adult or is it for students? >> Great question. So, our program budget for CTE, this is all um all of these are for um students in the K12 system. Um we don't have an

047an adult ed program yet for machining and manufacturing. Our adult ed program is pretty robust, I will say. We're really close to opening an LPN program at the mall actually, which is really exciting. Um, but no, this one is just for high school students, 11th and 12th graders. >> So, if we have high school students here that choose to go into that program and how are they transported to? >> Yeah. So, that's a district responsibility. Although we have we're pretty close on exploring an intrammunicipal agreement among actually all 10 of us. Um so that there's a little more flexibility in terms of who can transport who. So if there's already say someone from Lancing who's going through potentially again this is just an example it's not happening. uh potentially could stop on their way at

048Ithaca High School and say take the the student the lifting student and the Ithaca high school student to Cander. Any other questions? Overall, the total Bose seats budget I know this is unheard of when you're in a component district is.13% increase. Again, service requests right now are such that that's what the increase is. And again, it can change throughout the year. Any other questions here? You want to share it over to Dave? >> So, actually that 0.13 um is based on our initial service request that we get back in uh in November. And I can guarantee you that it's changed because districts, some of them say, "Well, we thought we wanted that, now we want that. We thought we wanted that, now we want that." So those numbers are certainly not the same today, but

049we bring the same road show to everybody. Also, salary and fringe because we're in the people business uh is one of our biggest expenses as it is with you folks. So we spend a little time on this one. So our salaries for next year and this is not raises. This is what the budgets are going up. Uh so there again when you're when you're increasing uh programs and bringing on or other people, you have to accommodate that. So what you're seeing is what our budgets are doing, not necessarily what people are getting paid. Uh so we're looking at about a 4.79%. The 1.67, what that is is the salary increase represents about 1.67% of our whole budget. So it gives you kind of a little bit of a perspective of what that means in our

050in our overall budget. Uh health insurance, I'm budgeting 7.9 uh little over that for insurance. That includes any of the retirees that are entitled to retirement health insurance. I have to budget for those also. Uh that represents about a 1% change. Retirement uh this this coming year TRS is actually down uh for next year. They're projecting it to be down from what it has been. Uh ERS is not. That's going up. Uh but our bigger bigger of the two was TRS. So we're able to cut cut our budgets back a little bit uh based on that. the other stuff it looks like it's a big increase but it's a small piece. Um so the dental insurance and so on and so forth uh represents about a 4.64% increase in those particular budgets but because it's

051so small it's got a very small impact to the rest of the budget uh 0.15. Any questions? Our capital budget is actually made up of multiple [clears throat] pieces. One of them is uh when we rent space uh by statute, all of that rental has to be in this budget. So when we we're renting space in Cander, we're renting space next door for our our uh young program in and CTE uh PEK over at TC3. Um there's a there's various rentals we have by statute. All of those rentals have to be in there, including the 150,000 for the adult debt, but you folks won't pay for that. Um, what we do is we have to budget it here. When the bill bill comes, the adult debt actually cuts a check back to this budget. We

052cut the check out, but it has to be accounted for in this one. The other piece that's in this one is uh a small capital uh amount uh 350. We've been at 300. I stepped it up to 350. What we're trying to do is make sure that we've got some money to keep things going uh rather than uh coming out with big projects. And you know, when you do a roof, that's going to be a different story. But we've got some windows and we've got some electrical work that we're going to do. So, we do those in smaller pieces and try to do those in the smaller chunks versus the big chunks that uh either you folks have to pay all in one shot or have to borrow or whatever. We're trying to trying to

053avoid that for you folks uh by doing smaller pieces continually. Um so that's what makes up our rental budgets or capital budget. Reserves uh we actually cannot have an unappropriated fund balance. So at the end of the year, whatever we have left over has to be returned to each district in the same fashion that we collected it. So, however that charge was done, whether it was based on arada or percent use or whatever the different methodologies, each coaster has its own methodology, however that methodology was to collect it, we send it back in the same using the same methodology. So, uh we actually cannot have an unappropriated fund balance when we get done at the end of the year. We send it all back. We do have some reserve accounts. So you'll see that the

054capital reserve uh that we collected last year was 300 and we'll collect another 300 this year and we'll collect 350 next year. So what we do with those is we try to collect it we get a we get a a a number from the state so it allows us to actually hang on that because we've got a project in motion. Uh so it allows us to to collect that from you folks and then when we've got enough we're going to go do it. Uh so actually this this coming summer uh we've got some windows to do, we've got some electrical to do, and the uh partition doors in our gym that have been there I think since day one. Uh they've certainly served their their purpose. Uh they're they're that's going to get changed. So

055that's how our capital reserve works. These numbers are audited numbers from back back in June. Uh what it was our in our budget uh in our audit uh from back then. our unemployment, we have 153 in it as you folks are the same way. If somebody claims unemployment, the unemployment uh uh folks in Albany pays the person, they send us the bill, we send it back to Albany. Uh so we do keep those in reserve because you just never know when that might happen and and try to not hit the budget in any any particular year. The insurance and flex is actually not a reserve, but the auditors make us put it somewhere and this is where it ends up going. So that one is made up of um we collect the employee share of

056health and dental for July, August and September. We've collected that by the end of June. So that sets there so that when we're paying our bill in July, August, and September, we already have the the money that the employee owes. We've already got it uh set aside. Uh, another one that's in there is uh are some of our retirees at the end of June will pay their whole next year's share of their insurance. Well, that has to set there also. Uh, and the last two pieces are the flexible spending and the flexible uh child dependent care. Uh, so we collect that all by the end of June and ours resets uh starting in September. So once we've collected all of that, it has to set someplace and that's where that goes. our CTE reserve. Uh

057actually the way that one works is when we buy a piece of equipment in CTE, rather than to buy that all out of one year's budget, we will buy it using the reserve that we have in the CTE and then over a 10-year period, we technically depreciate it uh 10 years. Uh so it's using 10%. So it's a $100,000 piece of equipment. We we charge the budget $10,000 a year and put it in the reserve so that we're trying to keep that that that expense as flat as possible. So instead of $100,000 one year and then nothing, it's 10,000 10,000 10,000. Uh so that's the way that is funded. When it comes time to buy a piece of equipment or whatever, because CT equipment tends to be a little on the expensive side, we can

058do that instead of hitting the budget all in one year. uh the ERS and TRS reserves uh those are those are rainy rainy day funds. Uh so if things get tight, we need to start uh holding our our rates back. We can do that by using some of our reserves to offset that instead of sending the bill to the districts. So those have we've built those when times were good uh specifically for if times are not good. So those are those are things that we've built over the years. It's taken quite a quite a few years actually. There was no TRS reserve when I came there uh because you couldn't we couldn't have one. Uh but we built that uh on purpose uh for the rainy day someday funds. The administrative budget is the one

059that you folks uh get to vote on just like all of your counterparts in the other uh eight districts. uh you vote on this one just like your taxpayers vote on your whole school budget. So once uh once it's voted on, we can't spend a penny more than what you guys have authorized us to spend. So we spend a little bit of time doing this one just so that uh if there's any questions, you know what it is before you vote on it. You'll see that our salaries are up a little bit. Um it's a it's an interesting phenomenon. Everybody seems to want a little bit more money every year and I don't understand why they want to raise but we have to budget for that. Uh so we do have uh interest or uh

060increases in there for uh that sort of things. We try to keep the other ones as stable or flat as possible. You'll see their equipment is really not changed a whole lot. uh supplies have changed some contractual uh things that are in there is like the lawyer, the accountant, um those types of things and obviously those are negotiated and and have to be paid for our cross contracts uh uh as you folks can do, you can purchase from another another Boseies, we also can. So like uh the Eerie policy manual, I think you folks uh participate in it. Well, so do we. So rather than us doing it and and trying to put that together, we just cross contract with Erie One Boseies and buy that. Uh so that's a that's an example of what's

061in our cross contracts. We have some things in there for uh like our board agenda and that type of things that we do through OCM bosses. So those are that's what that cross contract is. the transfer budgets. What that is is each coaster at TST or any of the Boseies actually has to operate as a standalone company. So obviously the administration doesn't have heat and lights and buildings and everything else but O andM does. So we have to purchase that from O and M. Uh we don't have computers. We purchase that from our technology department. Uh we purchased from our print shop. So those are some examples of what the administrative budget is actually purchasing. something from one of the coasters that provides services for us. Uh the next one is the the borrowing costs.

062Uh is uh I think uh was what three years ago, two years ago uh when when the interest rates uh woke up and we had to uh uh do a major increase in this budget to accommodate that. We actually borrow our budget. There's two loies that still do it. We're one and GST is the other one. Uh so we borrow our budget. We don't send a bill to the districts until May. So the money you guys collect in September, you can then invest and make money on it. We borrow in October. Whatever we are are not using at that time, we also invest it and uh that creates interest income. Uh and then that's aidable also back to the back to you folks when you pay it. Um like I said, there's only two two

063Boseies that still do that and uh uh SED really didn't want us to do it. told us to stop doing it years ago and uh they did some research and said where does it say we can't do that and SED said as long as you keep doing it you can do it but if you ever stop you can't do it again and all my counterparts are jealous that we do that because they can't they can nobody else can start it we can continue as long as we keep doing so >> so annually that means that uh throughout our region districts can invest money and get it from the banks right as opposed to getting it from taxpayers. So, it's about >> every time that we look at it, it's anywhere between 7 million and10 million

064that are coming into our region without taxing the taxers. >> Uh the last one that's on here is our retiree benefits. Um, that's always a big number in this. Uh, anyone that retires from TST Boseies, whether they're in administration or CTE or any department, if they're entitled to uh, retirement health insurance because they've met the obligations that are in their contracts. U, that cost by statute has to be in the administrative budget. Uh, so we do have to budget for that every year uh, to pay that bill. Um but my there again my counterparts are actually jealous is some of them are running in the 60 to 70% of the budget is that we've done some negotiations over the years to try to to try to curb that curve. Um and we we've got other

065ones that will take another 10 to 20 years before that actually comes to fruition. But we've we've done things to try to slow that curve. So given all of that, we're looking at about a 2.67% six, seven% increase in the cost. I do budget for interest. Um, and I'm I will never never uh deny the fact I budget on the conservative side. We're going to get a lot more than that. But if I put more than that and we don't make it, that's a big problem. So, what what we do is we budget what we think what we're what I'm can almost guarantee 99 to 100%. I will budget that. If we get more than that, it's coming back to you folks in refunds. So, I I will always budget on the conservative side and

066uh and uh hope for the best. The miscellaneous line, we had actually one district actually asked us what was in that and I had to go back and look because it's the number I had in there forever. Little things in there are u when we do the uh certification for coaches, SED [clears throat] actually cuts TSTO's a check. uh we do the sales tax calculations and online uh filing for sales tax, they actually pay us um coffee money. So, anybody that's paying in for the coffee that we have at Boseies, that goes in there. So, that's that's really what that is. It was the first time I've been asked in 18 years what was what was that for? And I had to go look. So Dave, $2,995 is in coffee and then the rest is

067>> so much coffee. [laughter] >> Yeah. Yeah. It's awful thing. >> Any questions with that one? Because that's the one that you folks get to vote on. Uh so we want to make sure everybody understands what that one is and where it is. >> I I I have a question with how you guys are borrowing the money. Um like what's the rate that that you're borrowing it at? This year I want to say was at 3.6 >> and we were putting it in nightclass uh this fall at almost five. >> Yeah. So actually Oenheim uh I probably shouldn't say it out loud but I will because it's public. Oenheimer has actually bid on our because it goes out to bid >> who can who can give us the the money at the cheapest rate. >>

068Oppenheimer quite a few years said we like this. it fits in our portfolio and they're aggressive on their rates. Uh I think the lowest I saw during the the really low time in interest was 077%. I mean pretty much s just take my money. >> So because we borrow it and we do it every year and they know that we borrow it in November and you get your your money back June 30th and there's no in between. It's they know it's going out. They know it's coming back. they can put it in their portfolio and it works. Uh they're actually very aggressive. They want this one. >> Yeah. >> So what it does is it cost, you know, 20ome,000 to do all the paperwork and all the legal fees to borrow. So originally this was

069started because each district would borrow. Well, the cost of borrowing is the same whether you borrow $34 million or you borrow two. The cost the legal cost is the same. So rather than to um rather than to have each district have to do that and pay that 20,000, we borrow it once, get a better rate, and then pass that on to their district. So financially, it, you know, it seems funky that it would work, but it actually does. It's It's generating somewhere in the I really said somewhere between the seven and $10 million of income and interest and it's aable >> wait 7 million income and interest or it's that 7 million is what we're making the 1.4 for interest on >> that's what all the districts combined correctly >> the nine the nine districts

070>> so you folks don't pay us no neither do the other districts pay us so then >> so you've got cash >> your your tax money that you get in September or October November your city so the money you collect from the taxpayers now you've got a chunk of money that you can say here I'm going to invest that and generate interest on it >> that makes more sense >> and then we do the same when we borrow we pay our bills but then we've all we borrow roads because we have to pay it off. We have to use it in six months. >> Well, we don't need it all right now. So, what we don't need, we cash flow it out. Take that, and that generates income also to Boseies, which we give back

071to you guys. So, depending on what the year is like and the interest rates between my calculations is somewhere between seven and 10 million is what it brings into this region that nobody has to send a tax bill for. >> It's amazing. >> It is. Right. Arbitrage you're allowed you're allowed to do because it's less than a one-year borrow. >> Y >> the 86 tax law did away with it on long-term borrow, but you can do it on short term. >> We do have to watch though because arbitrage is a real thing and so we we do have to watch. >> Yeah. We have to spend 90% of our cash flow within six months. So our treasur is watching that like a hog and as soon as we've reached that level, then we send the

072bills to the district. So, we we're we're adamant that we're not going to spend money to make money. And like Brad says, if you have to, you have to. But our treasur is a hawk on that one. And we'll Okay, we're close. We're close. It's going to be another couple days. Now, we'll we got these bills going. Okay, now we've reached the that we've spent the 90%. Okay, now let's send the bills out for our cash flow purposes. >> So, for you guys specifically, you make like 1.4% 4% that's the spread 1.4% 24% on like 6 and a half million over 6 months, right? So it's something we borrow. It's all the vote. It's all the districts. >> There's nine districts. >> We borrow 34 million. It's not just your 6 million. It's all the

073other districts as well. >> I understand. So >> So it's quite a bit. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I was thinking for like, you know, for this specific example like I'm saying like rough numbers. So it' be like 1.4% 4% off that which like 90,000 minus like or and the 20,000 gets spread out through all the districts. So >> okay >> and and it's eightable. >> Yeah. >> At that what your age r you know almost 50 43 whatever it was percent aid ratio also. >> Yeah that's why the lowest age ratio of the nine >> of the nine. >> Yeah. The others actually get higher. Ours is the lowest. Yeah. Yeah. >> And that's why the state didn't like us doing this because now they're going to pay state aid on that borrowing and they

074didn't like it. But there was nothing in the statute that said we couldn't. And a lawyer that was on our board at the time did the research, sent it to the state said, "Show me where it says we can't do this. We can't borrow long-term, but we can borrow short term." >> And to be clear, the New York State Education Department was not asking us to stop. It was definitely the Department of Budget. >> Right. Right. So they grandfathered us. Any other questions? So actually what'll happen is sometime between the 16th and 30th of April every year you folks have to vote on uh two things. One is the budget we just looked at and then also a representative for Ithaca South Senica and Trumanburg. And that vote will actually happen on April 29th. Any

075questions? Please um for folks who don't know David is a legend in our state. So whenever I'm in the room I come to learn. So these are learning questions. Um two the first you show where you hope to go to cap to fund capital projects in two different ways. You have a capital reserve then an operational capital line items. >> So what we do is we're actually putting that in the capital budget every year. >> Got it. And because we've got a a state ID or state number for a project, if we didn't have a state number, a project number, >> we collect it from you. We can't we got to send it back because we have nothing to hold. >> Are there limits on your reserve number or and or your operational amount? >>

076So, we actually don't have a capital reserve. >> Okay. There 300,000 that was in your reserve. What was that? >> That's actually earmarked for a particular project, >> but the auditors make it put it make us put it. So you take it out of the operational. >> Yeah. >> And that has a limit on it or no? >> No. So, as I'm thinking about because we have since I've been we haven't gone to the voters to approve a capital project even though we know there are significant needs >> at both I'm sorry >> and I'm thinking about how we would fund that one and or it could be through that line item which has no limit >> right >> and we're talking about ways to generate fun like anyway maybe I'll save that judgmental part

077later but you have unlike us you have an unlimited line item for a capital project Well, >> we have to have a project effort. >> I get that. >> And you [laughter] folks get to say yay or nature. >> I get that. I think somebody knows what I'm talking about. Yeah. But there's a unlimited We don't have an unlimited line item for capital project >> and you do and it can be funded in any way you wish. >> Um there's two ways to fund it. One is we send you guys the bill or we go to Dazzy and finance it. That's the only two ways that Boseies can do a capital project. So if we like if we do roofs and it's more than what I can collect in one year >> which it will

078be >> I either have to increase that to the amount that that we need because when we get the money from you we have to pay >> but nothing to say you couldn't take the refund andor the interest money we're receiving and put it into that line item >> if correct >> that's all I would say. >> Yep. >> And we tal about and we wouldn't do that unless we said are you guys okay with that? I get that [laughter] >> because they were money. >> There's another conversation happening behind the conversation. >> Yeah. >> But then the other one um your ERS and TRS numbers um around $2.5 million. Ours is like 3.3. So you've been 30 years you've been doing this have what have been the swings in what we've been asked to

079fund TRS and ERS. Have they been that different? Um, I think the highest I've seen for ERS is 21%. The rate the rate of the rate of interest or the rate of ERS cost has been as high as 21. And I think the lowest I've seen it is maybe seven or eight%. >> That's a big >> Yeah. >> And ERS is on a yearly change. So whatever the stock market is, if they're doing great, our rates go down. If they're not doing great, our rates go up. It's an inverse of the of the stock market. >> ERS is on a yearly rate. TRS is on a fiveyear rate. >> Right. >> So that's why TRS tends to be a little more stable. I think the highest I've seen TRS is maybe 16 17. >> Yours

080is either very healthy or ours is not healthy at all is what I'm saying. >> Yeah, that's my jud my statement behind my question >> when looking at ours versus yours. So when I what I've done when I've done those is to say if things go south and and go sour for everybody, how long could we survive and keep our rates as flat as possible? Because you folks are still going to want to send kids. You're still going to want to buy services, so on and so forth. So what can we do in order to flatten those rates to get through? How long can we do that? And my my thoughts were always with these is can we get through five years? Will can we can we make that last five years because tech typically

081uh the cycles are somewhere between seven and nine years the highs and lows in the economy. So if we can get through five I think we can squeak that out to seven without seeing big huge changes because my thoughts are things take off and they get expensive. We're going to hold our rates back to you and use what we have so that you're because you're going to have your own issues dealing with the high costs of things. Well, you don't need our high cost, too. So, we're going to do whatever we can do to use our reserves and everything to keep our rates as flat as possible so that you're not seeing your costs and ours at the same time >> without any mechanism for an unappropriated fund whatsoever. >> Yeah. So I have to

082I have to do the I'm always trying to do the opposite. >> Okay. >> To help you guys >> conscious move. >> Good question. >> Yeah. >> That an arbitrage of my learning puts back. >> Yeah. Yeah. That's when you have to pay income taxes because you made too much. You used you borrowed money to make money. Now you're going to pay income tax on it. >> Thank you. >> Which I'm adverse to. >> I need to name what what happens when you lose money. uh question [laughter] from other another board members. >> Fantastic. I think the only thing we'll have to figure out is the date of the vote. Um our meeting schedule looks the 28th. There's a meeting scheduled for the 28th. Did not see on my calendar. Fantastic. Thank >> both very

083much. >> Thank you very much. We appreciate you letting us have some time with you. Thank you. >> Yes. Thank you. >> Have a great night everybody. >> Thanks. Have a good night. Well, to put that uh 28th meeting on our calendar. >> Uh fantastic. That was the Bosey's presentation. We have changed our agenda. That brings us to formally agenda item 8.6, the 2026 2027 academic calendar, which is now 8.2. And we will entertain. This is a voting item for this evening. I move to approve the 2026 2027 academic calendar present >> by Adam, second by Jacob. Uh discussion, debate, conversation like what if any changes there were since >> Hi, good evening everyone. So FOSI's just left. I will say I just want to echo that our timing of this. They entered with the

084whole region a collaboration to set their calendar. And so one of our biggest goals was to stay in sync with the Bosey's calendar so our students don't miss programming and we can leverage shared professional development days like the one we have coming up on. That's important you notice to mention that. The one change you're going to see is that we have made September 4th and June 28th staff choose one. It's optional. So when this version came out, we received feedback that some teachers did not like the idea of having the same last day of teaching and the same last day of students being the same day. So, we added the 28th as an option, but then we also received in input from educators that they liked having the days at the front and preparing for

085students. Um, and and the fourth being there and designated as a teacher work day. So, you're going to see the one change before you right now is that now they have a choice to meet the 186 work days. They can either come September 4th or they may come to tr they may choose to come June 28th. We trust them to make that decision in their profession. >> So Mary that raises two questions for me and I realize each of our collective bargaining units have different uh numbers of days of contracted number of days. Uh here we're I'm assuming we're referring to members of the ITA to be able and then um if I heard correctly maybe you just answered my other question is that we're we'll have faith that uh members of the ITA will

086choose one of those days on an honor system. Uh they'll log into the um uh to the platform. How are we going to know who chooses what day? So, I need to work with building leadership on that because they're going to be doing >> the the lifting on that as far as >> the tracking of it. >> I appreciate that flexibility, right? Because the two main pieces of feedback we got, some really liked having it early, some really liked >> trying to end on the same time. And >> it's also a unique calendar year because of how late Labor Day falls. So, I think this is a once in a, you know, it's a rare occurrence that we're starting for New York State Ed Law School after Labor Day. It's just it's falling. >> And

087then lastly, with that option, which I greatly appreciate your creativity and know you're working, folks, but I want to repeat something that Dr. Brown has said over and over again is uh I've never seen a perfect calendar. Uh with that being said, the feedback that we received was probably the least amount of feedback around the calendar itself and more germaine the two particular days. And in my time on the board, I haven't seen I've seen much more feedback than that. 70 pages of feedback about this spring break, about this day, that day. So, uh whatever was done this time, it's it seems close to a really good almost near-perfect calendar. Take a look at it, doc. Print it up, frame it, >> do whatever you got to do. Well, let's get to a vote first

088before according to that. >> I have a quick Yeah, absolutely. >> Um, so I'm going to go back to the caregiver conference day because it's a newer element with the with secondary. Um, and this is a conversation I had with a couple folks, but basically recognizing it's a half day and understanding that we have to have that for our last conversation. But what someone mentioned to me is that, you know, when it's a half day for students, you know, in secondary, the the classes are so short that it's almost like what's the point? >> And then also knowing that the feedback I've heard is that it's so hard for parents to even or caregivers to even get a conference. And so I I don't I don't know if it's necessarily something we can even workshop

089this year, but I wonder if there's a way to think creatively about that with building leaders where we look at, you know, one of those half days is half a day where there's full classes and another half day is a half a day where another set of are full classes. Like to to work around whatever issues teachers are noticing with, right? you know, if we're if they kind of made my point, but as I said in earlier meeting, my ADHD medicines wore off and I'm just having a very hard time spitting out my thoughts. But, um, yeah, we're worried about filling those academic requirements. Let's make sure they're meaningful and how can we do that? >> Thank you. So, what I what I'm hearing is an idea to go back to the leadership >> um

090of both principal leadership and ITA leadership for middle school and explore maybe doing periods one through four on the first day and having it for a full period and then periods 5 through 7 on the second day. And then I also think we can do better in the communication with families on how to access their students team um because there is team time at the middle school level. So if families wanted to meet with all of their child's teachers, they could do that. But there's we need to figure out how to request that because it is true to fit all to to manage all the requests for conferences at the middle school that there not everyone is gaining access >> and and it was never designed to do that. It was really designed to put

091for caregivers to put on their calendar nearest a designated time but you can go outside of that time. And I think the communication and newsletters and all from middle schools would definitely be helpful. >> He did um receive I received some good feedback that I would like to share out as well is having some other workshops during that time. So you might not get a conference, but that there would be a workshop, say, on navigating Canvas for that caregivers could attend a conference or at least come to that to grow their understanding of some of the systems of school that we're looking at for the upcoming school year. >> That's a great idea. >> I think that's too late. November, there's a workshop for that. Well, there would be at the beginning of the year,

092too, but just navigating once once grades are being inputed or how assignments are coming through, but I I hear you. Yeah, the timing >> about sort of accessing support at any point in time of the year. That'd be helpful, right? That you need it at different times. So, I hear you. It's late in the se in the year, but families are coming in at different times when they need to know things, right? So I I also think it's >> well is that possible to do asynchronous like kind of like a professional development online like this is how you navigate Canvas and like a there are some tools that are currently available on our website that that we can highlight with communications team and upcoming insider. >> No learning management system is good. >> Um I

093just wanted to be into the camp. I just wanted to shout out Zach and the work he's doing with the technology committee. I know a conversation that came up was around I know as the parent of a high schooler and former middle schooler um navigating the multiple ways that different folks set up Canvas is overwhelming. Even as a an educator who teaches through Canvas, it's overwhelming. And so trying to standardize that process across classrooms, I think would be a huge win for for every stakeholder in the district. I also just a an unrelated question but about the calendar. A couple of caregivers reached out to me wanting to like essentially to complain about the February break. Um and I just was curious for the rationale behind the February break for those who spend most their

094time in New York State. It's not a common practice around the country. It seems like a very New York thing. Is it like because of bargaining agreements or something else? Um, I would I would just say it it actually is a very common thing across New York State. >> And the reason why not excuse me the Northeast and the reason why I know that as a spouse who works in college admission that week is uh they are uh overwhelmed with class with visits to campus that entire week. So Jersey oftentimes Massachusetts or various school districts parts of Ohio. So it's not just New York State. I think it's the part of the northern east as well. But I didn't want to interrupt the answer. >> It's rooted in the energy crisis of the 70s. That's

095the origins of it. Whatever it >> What is our current rationale then? [laughter] >> Yeah, that rush. I I just I I genuinely like it's not a hill I want to die on. I just genuinely want to know for the people who >> I want to answer this question 10 years ago, but I will now. It's cultural because as a person coming from the south and I was this was so foreign to me. I tried the first couple years to ask questions and change it and culture in our community and our surrounding area is to have that break and there are things that happen in our community during that time. People plan vacations or anticipate planning. So more than anything else is cultural um that's expected um but there is no technical rationale for that.

096And then also the week of go teachers, right? >> My point being that there's a number of places that are doing that and that's why we even created this event to try to >> one year we did go to a we did a Thursday. Yeah, we did it and that may have been one of the years you were referring to the calendar blowing up. I mean [laughter] the comments blowing up. People were not happy and I received a lot of the feedback about don't ever you southern person. Don't ever do that again. >> Anyway, I serve with the public of the board. If you wish to entertain that again, I'd be open. But um I can tell you >> uh I just want to say thank you to you, Mary. I know that part of

097the reason that we haven't been hearing a lot from the community because you have been hearing a lot from the community and from teachers specifically and been working really closely and collaboratively with them. And I know that the having that final day was uh something that you got a lot of feedback on and I heard as well. So I think it's really wonderful that you took the time to try to find some solutions. I just thank these are all your work on it. >> Additional questions, comments beyond the research project of looking at the president's day February break. Hearing none. Right. It's been moved and seconded. We uh we'll call the question. All in favor? It passes unanimously. Thank you very much. I also want to remind board members uh it is uh happened on

098a couple of occasions where there's a a need to change the calendar even after it's been adopted. We hope we don't have to do that but please do know that's also something that can be explored as well. So thank you greatly Marian to the folks who disagree. >> I just ask what's you give me an example of how why that's happened in the pasture. uh one was the institute of teacher conference days at the secondary level right we decided to move that around working teachers that was made later at after the adoption right where in March we came up >> eclipse was another one that we did good point yeah so [clears throat] >> uh yes it was it was controversial that we were having class and then the move was so strong that we

099moved the calendar around >> and the glasses >> I forgot about Thank you for entering my address. >> All right. Uh the next we have um moving on to agenda item which would be 8.3, 8.4, 8.5, and 8.6 are all connected. [clears throat] They're all around the same topic. Uh I know we have uh Chris is here as well, but I'm going to ask uh or pass this off to Garrett. We had not talked about this in advance, but you've been uh as part of the finance and facilities committee sort of leading this project. Anything that you'd like for us to say or consider as we entertain each of these four separate motions? Well, I would just say we um in response to excellent suggestion from Karen many months ago, we had the first six

100public conversations about that uh yesterday right here in this room. Um, I want to thank a lot of the administrative staff was here, Chris was here, Travis was here. We had good discussion and we have five more planned. Uh, next one being tomorrow evening D fire station. So, uh, the word is getting out to the public forward on that. Uh, I don't think there's anything to add. Uh, you know, unless there are questions, I would just point out for the public's benefit. This has been discussed multiple times in facilities and finance committee and in front of this this body. Uh there's nothing new to my knowledge to add to them as um so I I don't think there's really anything to add beyond what we've already discussed. Sounds good. Thank you, Garrick. And for board

101members realizing that anytime we go through this process, there are a number of uh required resolutions that are necessary to be before you go out or put it on up for a vote in May. So what you see here is the four sort of required notes public the seeker the bond resolution and etc. >> Please >> so we're required to have them separated out. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> We're not we don't vote on one at our one on it. >> So to begin with we'll start with agenda item or item 8.3 the the secret resolution. Um we'll entertain motions. I move to approve the resolution for the capital improvement project of various school district buildings and facilities. >> Moved by Adam, second by Jacob. Questions, discussion, debate, dialogue. Hearing none, we'll call the question.

102All in favor with one board member not in the room. Fantastic. That brings us to agenda item 8.4, which is the bond resolution, and we'll entertain motions. I move to approve resolution authorizing the construction of improvements to and reconstruction of various school district buildings and facilities in and for the city school district of the city of Ithaca, Tomkins, and Tayoka counties, New York at a maximum estimated cost of $43,900,000 and authorizing the issuance of $43,900,000 bonds of said school district to pay the cost thereof. Second. >> Moved by Adam, seconded by Jacob. Questions, conversation, debates. Hearing none. We'll call the question. All in favor? All opposed? Extensions. All sly. Uh, agenda item 8.5, resolution of necessity. Move to approve resolution authorizing the construction of improvements to and reconstruction of various school district buildings and facilities

103in and for the city school district of the city of Ithaca, Tinston, and Tyogga counties, New York at a maximum estimated cost of $43,900,000 and authorizing the issuance of $43,900,000 bonds of said school district to pay the cost thereof. Moved >> by Adam, second by Jacob. question conversations hearing none. We'll call the question. All in favor? >> Fantastic. Now, thank you all. And then lastly, agenda item 8.6, a resolution calling for the district meeting election of the Ethic City School District and authorizing related matters. >> Move to approve resolution calling the 2025 annual district meeting and election of the Ethica City School District and authorizing related matters. Second move by Adam, second by Jacob. Question, conversation, debates. Hearing none, we'll call the question. All in favor? Pass unanimously. Thank you all very much. Uh that

104is the end of our voting agenda items. We do have an agenda item 9.2 and the possibility of going to exec. Are there any discussion items we need to explore this evening? I have one quick one. Um, at I think at some point I I was curious about restarting what had been described to me as like superintendent school visits like like within inclusion of board members. I know for myself as a new board member, I had done a couple of visits to schools just to sort of get a sense of them. I then had a conversation where I was told that that's outside of what board members should be doing without either a board code or something scheduled by the superintendent. Um I was told it was sort of a passive practice to to do

105those sorts of visits. And so I wanted to resurface the idea both because for myself I I would love to like you know get a sense of each school building that I'm on a governance team uh regarding but also for other board members who might have interest as well. I just wanted to to say that and see what's the best way to move that forward. >> Uh a quick response or two things that um one that's in motion. The policy committee is in the process of uh bringing to the board a policy that is specifically related to school board member visits to schools. Uh it's been a very interesting research process about what various school districts across the region do or across the state do. Uh and we wanted to find ways in which to

106make sure that those policies were in alignment with some other district policies that we have. for example, public conduct on school property, uh visitors to schools, uh and noting that there is a significant difference between a school board member visiting a school and their official board capacity versus a school member visiting a school because they're a parent or a caregiver or attending an athletic event. So, that policy will be coming up to folks. that we have it on for our April agenda to uh to be able to finalize and bring to the board. Secondly, nothing stops us from having a conversation with Dr. Brown about creating um some additional superintendent school visits so long as we do not uh go over a quorum. Uh that's something that we can work with Dr. Brown and send

107out a message to everyone and try to figure out what that looks like. that has been done in the past uh stopped during COVID but could easily be restarted. >> So the next step really helpful to know about the policy. So the next step for superintendent I should send an email to everyone or >> my recommendation and other boards please other board members please still need to weigh in would be to have a conversation with Dr. around and make sure that all board members are aware of what this looks like so they can join and again make sure that we don't uh surpass them. >> Oh yeah. Awesome. Um I have one more question. >> I have one more question. Um I the curriculum committee did um listening circles and one thing that came out

108of the listening circle was a teacher mentioned homework policy and how um just the same way that I mentioned like disparate policies or district disparate practices on campus also potentially disperate practices around homework was something that I know um as the chair of the curriculum committee I would be interested in sort of like discussing this more so like doing research like finding out about because it looks like the homework policy it hasn't been um revised in the last decade or so and I was curious one what people's thoughts are on that and what the best way to move forward might be when is looking at homework policy but I think it maybe falls at the interesting interesting intersection just being policy committee work >> yeah I think we can say that about a number of

109policies that they at the intersection of a number of our committees. >> Yeah. >> Uh I would put it on we can uh tenatively list it for the April policy committee and start exploring and seeing what is out there as well. Uh interesting comment for me about canvas if there is a way to have some sort of continuity. I think you all be rock stars. I have never seen it on any educational service just given where we find ourselves. And the same thing may happen with homework policy as well. Uh but definitely um we can ask Emily to put it up for uh it'll be a busy agenda but we can put it on for the policy committee and invite all curriculum committee and all board members to come join us. >> Thank you so

110much. >> Last agenda item is to enter into executive session. We'll entertain motions. I move to enter into executive session for the purpose of discussing collective negotiations with the Ithaca employees association the employment history of a particular employee pending litigation in NYSIR case number ITH-2025-004-001 you guys know that one and collective negotiations with the Ithaca principles and directors association second >> uh I have questions But I will wait for those to take place. Any other discussion? >> I didn't see the PR is it online but not the principal? >> This is a slightly modified uh executive section entrance. >> Fantastic. We'll call the question. All in favor? Motion passes. Uh this will in effect be the end of our meeting. There are no more advanced voting items for the board. We'll come back into public

111servant Please.