April 21, 2026 Board of Education Meeting

001Uh, tonight is April 21st and welcome to our board of education meeting. May I have a motion to return to public session? Motion by Bill, second by Arwin. All those in favor? 70. So, I want to Oh, well, first of all, we should start tonight with the pledge of 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. >> So, a huge shout out and thank you to all of our faculty and staff, Melissa, um, for such a wonderful sustainability fair this evening. um you know to have Janet here who started the committee and all the members Rory um all of your hard years of working on the committee um to see where we've come and

002holy cow our students I every time we get to hear some of our students speak I'm more and more impressed and if you told me that those girls in the committee panel were in ninth grade I would have told you no that they must be seniors getting ready to go to college because our teachers are doing their work in preparing them for public speaking and presenting. Um, it's just really amazing. Um, and we do want to thank the John J. High School PTO for providing refreshments tonight for the sustainability fair. It was a very nice um, addition to the evening. So, thank you very much for everything that you do for our schools, but especially for uh, your contribution to tonight. And with that, um, we will turn over to Hudson. How are you this

003evening? >> Good. How are you? >> Good. >> Um, good evening to all the board members, district officials, and community members present today or listening on Zoom. John J celebrated six science research students earning awards at the annual Regeneron Westchester Science and Engineering Fair. In behavioral sciences, uh, Laney Daly placed first. Mity Chan and Charlotte Martin placed second. Porter Bish placed third and Sophia Wilder placed fourth. In cellular and molecular biology, Frankie Hager placed third. This event drew more than 800 students from across Westchester, clearly demonstrating the excellence and the hard work of our science research students. John J. The theater presented Xanadu a few weeks ago. The movie was set in Venice Beach in the 1980s and it brought together more than 48 sorry for 48 students from cast members, crew members, costume designers,

004and musicians and 15 adults uh including six John J High School teachers. Um while I didn't have the chance to catch the show, everyone who did was beyond impressed with the talent and the work for our student body. Um I'd like to share an update on the SSAT, the Superintendent Student Advisory Team. Um for context, this is a group of eight students representing all four grades of the high school. Um the team meets with Dr. Blanch and Dr. Siciliano and our focus has been on establishing a student academic support center. Uh this center will provide students the opportunity to like to meet uh with teachers and it also allows upper classmen to tutor students in the classes that they have taken. uh it will hopefully hopefully become a cyclical process with students turning to older

005students for help and then as they get older these uh same students will pay it forward and guide younger students. Uh we hope to visit another district that operates an academic support center this year to learn from them uh and hopefully launch it at the beginning of next year. Um being five seven months into school uh I wanted to provide an update on the implementation of block scheduling. Uh I can safely now say it's one of the strongest decisions our district has made for students. Um we are now able to manage time much more effectively. Uh our previous nine period schedule did not work for students. We were unable to transition classes nine times a day and have to study for nine different classes every night. Um we truly appreciate the new system which is

006focused on student success and mental health. Um I'd also like to thank our teachers for revising their curriculum to fit this block schedule. It was a transition for everyone but a vital one that's only benefited students and we all love the 1-hour lunch. Also, uh, upcoming at John JJ High School, our AP exams in a mere 2 weeks, and somehow our seniors only have 7 days left. The year is coming to a close very soon. Uh, and we wish our seniors the best of luck on their internships, hoping that they find what they like doing and what they also don't like doing. Um, also coming at the high school is the John J. High School science research symposium on April 30th and Junior Prom on May 9th. Um, beyond my update, I want to speak

007directly about Proposition 3. Uh, I understand why this proposition has raised a lot of questions in the community. People are right to question the cost, tax increase, and whether this is the best long-term approach for the district. Uh, at the same time, we also need to be honest about what's at stake. Preschool can cost families between $12,000 and $16,000 a year. For many families, that's simply out of reach. If we believe public education is a right, we must also believe that early education must be available to those who cannot afford private tuition. The estimated tax impact for construction on lees costs $18 a month on a $1 million market value home and decreases to $9 a month for a $500,000 market value home. This is much a much lower cost for families than the $16,000

008a year for preschool, which does not reflect who we are as a district and as a community. We're a community that uplifts and supports those in needs, not restricts. I understand that any tax increases are concern for families and I recognize the burden may may bring, but that burden is incomparable to the strain on families paying $16,000 a year for preschool. Investing in our schools is an investment in our community that matters not only to families with young children, but the community as a whole. Education should not be a privilege. Everyone deserves equal access to education without the barrier of prohibitive clause. And our lottery system, which we have right now, does not align with our district's values. U moving fifth graders to John J. Middle School takes us further from our district goals. I

009can tell you from firsthand experience that there simply isn't room to support 200 more students. The hallways are packed as is and this is an unsustainable, unrealistic way to approach UPK. No matter what, something's going to have to be done at least. The do nothing cost is already $7.5 million and that is going to be required and that's only our starting cost. Our other elementary schools do not have the infrastructure to house up to 200 additional preschoolers. Their requirements for preschools including specific facilities, square footage, and bathrooms. Construction will be needed on the other on the other elementary schools if pop proposition number three is not passed. We are fortunate to have al as an existing structure and it's not fiscally responsible to spend the $7.5 million and not utilize the building. Um beyond that,

010the government is expected to fund UPK across the state provide providing $10,000 per student enrolled in the district to help offset the UPK costs. We already pay these taxes that support UPK across New York State and we deserve to see those tax dollars come back to Katona Lewis Kona Lewisboro um for our children. I encourage everyone to fact check what you hear about proposition number three. Uh make a decision that shapes our district's future must be based on facts, not speculations. I urge our community to vote on this proposition and to remain true to who KSD is as a district and who Kona Lisbro is as a community. We lift each other up. We do not leave our neighbors in distress to carry a $16,000 educational cost on their own. By voting on Proposition number

011three, we choose to support families, expand access to education, and invest our district's future. Every year we wait, we leave families with unreasonable costs and children not having access to preschool. Educations are right, and our children deserve a strong start without the burden of overwhelming costs. Recognize your neighbors and continue the Kona Lewisboro School District way of uplifting, not restricting. Thank you. >> Thank you, Hudson. you are a shining example of our education system and every kid deserves to get you know what you have. So, thank you. >> That next brings us to board committee reports. Um audit committee has not met. We're done years with >> we will meet in May to um for the preliminary audit. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> For the school year. Uh, Bill, finance comm. >> I'm sorry. In

012April, April, >> it's not on my calendar. I'll be here. I'LL BE THERE. I'LL BE THERE. All that matters. >> Stay tuned. >> Uh, finance committee met about a month ago. Um, we took one last look at the budget and, um, good news is that we'll be staying under the cap this year. Um, we've been under the cap, uh, every year since New York State put it out in 2012. Many school districts in our area including Scarsdale, Ry Chap, Qua, Harrison, Edgemont, have pierced the cap, some of them multiple times. Uh the driving forces of this budget again are the huge increases in health care and other employee retirement benefits. Health care alone has gone up over 60% over the past 5 years. Benefits and salaries comprise about 80% of our school budget. This year,

013we're having to make 11 staff reductions to remain under the cap. In addition, we have lost $1.7 million over the last two years in state aid that will not be coming back due to the relative wealth in our district. We are now at the lowest level of state aid available. We are hopeful that all the community members will vote in this upcoming year's budget. >> That's it. >> Thank you, Bill. >> You're welcome. >> Facilities Thanks, Lorraine. It was so nice to welcome community members back to the high school this evening and to hear from several community members who formerly served on the facilities committee how beautiful the B-wing looks and the auditorium looks and just you know the building and the grounds are in such beautiful shape. So huge thank you to our team,

014some members of whom are sitted at seating seated at the table. And just another opportunity to say thank you to our community for supporting the bond in October 2022. And how gratifying to see so much of that work come to fruition and to be able to welcome people back to enjoy our beautiful high school. Um, in other exciting news, the solar panels have arrived. They are not yet installed, but we are making our plans and in communication with Honeywell and they are being temporarily stored uh safely so that we can get going um in due course. And soon we will be turning our attention to the next 5-year capital plan. We'll take the BCS and we will continue to refine it in partnership with our architects. And so stay tuned for future updates. Tonight on

015the agenda, we have a few resolutions pertaining to architectural services related to a couple of the propositions that we've been hearing about in recent meetings and that Hudson spoke so beautifully about this evening. And then finally, I just wanted to invite Lisa to say a word or two about our final trunch of borrowing related to the bond from 2022. Um because this is a big milestone for us. So, thank you. And actually I was I did check in with capital markets and I apologize this isn't quite the final trio second ultimately >> but because um the work will continue into next school year we can't um completely roll our ban into a bond until all the work is completed. So but we're getting really close. So we will be going back out um but um

016for bid for both a ban and a bond. So we will be we will be rolling some of our ban into to more bond into a bond but um and then hopefully next year will be the final time set. So and uh yeah thank you. >> Thank you. >> So exciting. Yeah. And the new vestibule coming into the high school is beautiful. So >> getting there council >> um I was out of town so I did not attend parent council. >> I can just speak to that a little bit. So um probably first five or 10 minutes we just talked about how awesome Harvard is and it was amazing. Um so again back to even PTO tonight with her support it just is a continuing component on there and so one of the pieces actually

017were able to do from a recent ERJC piece that maybe Neil if you wouldn't mind just sharing out because you visited the team and walked us through a little bit of the committee on that one. >> Sure. So that picks up the April 7th ERJC meeting where we had a really healthy discussion and from the previous meeting where we had a draft of the acknowledgement calendar and we kind of kept that draft going on and with the help of the facilitator Coutura Proctor uh we developed a couple statement of purposes divided the uh group into two and we have a couple statement of uh purpose to to what's driving the work. We shared that with the PT council and we also shared the acknowledgement calendar with the PT council um really for the idea of

018getting some feedback from the all the schools PTO's and I think we're having some meetings a little bit later on in May to to gather that feedback. I've already been in uh communication with them and a way for them to communicate with Ry and myself all with uh the hope and the goal of on our final meeting which I think is um the second week of June. Uh then to finally come here to present to the community uh what we've come up with for the acknowledgement calendar which would go into effect um in the fall of 2026. So just a few months from now. Um and then uh from there we'll we'll we'll continue to take some feedback from the community and see what we come up with. and happy to make modifications as people

019see fit. >> Thank you. We met on March 27th, which was the Friday morning after our last board meeting. We haven't met for a while. >> Um we don't have any policies for you tonight on the consent agenda, but stay tuned. We had good discussion related to some updates to our policy related to independent educational evaluations, DASA, field trips among other policies. So hopefully in future meetings, you're going to see the fruits of our labor. Stay tuned. >> Sustainability and great job tonight on representing the board in our committee. Um, it was really interesting. >> Thank you. Um, we spent, this is a short report because we spent most of our time working with Melissa in trying to pull together some of the final details uh, of this evening. And I just want to echo

020you in the beginning of the meeting, Lorraine. Melissa, you know, this vision of changing the um, event to create these different components to allow people to engage um, a little bit more deeply with the work, sort of setting the stage with the panel and then going into the breakout sessions and having the kids present in the way they did, I think was a real improvement in terms of the format. And that was all your vision and your implementation. So, thank you very much. >> Oh, thanks for saying so. It was really I hope everybody enjoyed it. It was >> what we wanted. So, that's good. Thank you. >> Uh then back to you Marjorie for NISB and Westpack. >> Just very briefly, it's hard to believe what we are looking forward to our annual dinner

021June 8th. We're really approaching the end of the year. Um, last night we passed our budget and slate for the upcoming school year. And then on the advocacy front, you know, I don't have a whole lot to say, but as we're aware, waiting for the budget. And um, you know, I'll let Ray chime in if he has anything further he wants to mention on that front, but otherwise I I don't have anything new. So, thank you. um district safety committee. >> We actually uh did meet today and um we reviewed um the district-wide safety plan. Some of the changes are there's just going to be a few minor changes. We discussed um also just having uniform messaging regarding the require we're required to announce drills a week before the drills and just just having uniform

022um messaging across the district and then we discussed a couple of other you know items that are probably best kept at the safety committee because it's safety but it's um but just um Rich Finn you know does a great job just coordinating that and um touching you know we just reflected on some other events and um that occurred and um just with the team and you know kind of you know brainstorming how would you have responded in those events and different things like and and so just pieces that are again are best kept in the committee so for safety reasons. Thank you. ERGC >> uh what Neil chair >> you want to read it >> and I think with that our hope was to be back at the last board meeting or one of the

023last two board meetings to share that calendar I think is where the committee landed with >> that's going to be great. Um, and then finally, the Special Education Empowerment Council. What a privilege to have been part of this this year. And I think this last meeting was just so incredible. I think Dr. Polardis, you have really built a safe space for the community to come together. Um, in our past meeting, um, everybody was broken up into just about pairs or trios, and we were each given a sentence starter >> to share, you know, where we thought we've come, where we're going, you know, >> director. >> With the new director. >> With Oh, yes. And we and we got to meet our new director. That was >> really wonderful. she's going to be, you know,

024I feel that she's going to be a really fantastic fit and um will be great and you know because it is a safe sp space we're not sharing too much about what we're saying but you know one thing I heard is really focus still around communication we've come a long way with our communication and we're aware that we still need to you know communication is a continuous improvement aspect but we did hear that things are getting better and meetings things are getting better. And so to me that was very heartwarming um to hear that the parents are behind the work that um you and your department have been doing and really excited for our director to you know come up to full speed. Um so congratulations. It was it was really my favorite meeting of

025the year so far. >> Thank you. Nothing, no offense to our board meetings, right? >> What also struck me that time too was when we when we were talking about um thinking about our students and our students had been really really good about consistent attendance. And so we may be taking that sample of how can we make it more accessible for our kids to get it at some of our other community meetings. So, we may be looking at time adjustments because having them there, hearing their voice in a consistent piece has been very, very, very powerful. And so, um, so we're probably going to see if we might need to make some adjustments so we can get our kids' voice at the table. I think all of us have always say, and again, we've got

026Hudson here tonight. It's very powerful to hear directly from our students. And so, this was a great example. I'm really glad we started this right after that school time, roughly at 3:00, so our kids like, "Oh, I can make it." that >> and then even if we have families who that may be a challenge either picking up kids, they don't have enough school, we do have some late runs and so the reality is if that's the case then we can go ahead and coordinate those on days when there's a late runs for the buses and things. So um it that was one thing that struck me and again like you said with the sentence starter to hear our children speak about what they saw as strengths and opportunities was was very very empowering for us.

027>> I believe they're sophomores so and so we have freshman up there tonight. >> Yep. sophomores and the seek council. It's um our >> the district is doing a great job educating the children and >> giving them confidence. So, it's it's just really exciting to see >> and to get them involved in more communities. >> Yes. >> I said food services. >> No, we missed it. But >> oh, sorry. Sorry. I just started enthusiasm about special education which is in >> my mind I said food services >> all good food services met um our district level committee met um but we also started a subcommittee to look at and examine our food and wellness policy which we had this morning. So, it was very exciting to hear from um a a wide um representation of

028the of the community, including nurses, um teachers, curriculum, um really take a a a big look at what our our goals are um as a district around food and wellness. And our old policy really focuses on the nutrition aspect. And I think that there was wide agreement today to really widen that policy to look at um mental, social, and emotional health um as a a piece of wellness as well as physical education. So um looking at local districts policies um as examples um sample sample policies from Boseies and those kinds of things and uh really f the conversation focused on nutrition, but it was great to hear. And um speaking of hearing student voices, I think um they would be welcome in that conversation as well um as long and um parents as well. So

029it was a par there was a parent there. We hope to get more parent and some student involvement in that and I think it'll really be a nice guiding document for the committee um as well to really have a a some goals goals to achieve. Sure. Could you could you imagine if uh our green houses and our gardens got big enough that we could actually harvest that and use it in the food services? That would be sustainability at its best. >> Sustainability was definitely a topic um along with um equity around lunches with students with allergies, students with other dietary needs. Um and really given that we now have free and reduced breakfast and lunch for everybody, um what is that? How do we get everybody to access that now? Um, I think the conversation

030that that program really shifts the conversation to now that there is free lunch for everybody and breakfast, how do we make sure that every child can access that? Um, so really, you know, shifting the conversation in a good way. So excited to see where that goes. >> Do we know the numbers? Do we have a lot of students who are not accessing the the free lunch? >> Um, I don't have the numbers in front of me there. I would I would say 50 to 75% is a rough but I I really would have to look and and see >> it's dependent upon the buildings. There's certain buildings that have a far far higher participation rate than other buildings. Um I believe also part of the conversation is ensuring that um there's always an option which

031we try to do um that there is always an option for every student. And so, for example, um we always ensure that there are meatless options in every meal, but we also want to ensure that if there's any dietary restrictions, not necessarily just allergies, but there may be other restrictions >> that parents know how to communicate to food to food our food service director because he's always happy to accommodate, but we just need to ensure that they know the the how to to contact >> how to and then, you know, really full information. you know, the parents are concerned when it just says pasta and don't understand that it is always whole grain pasta because that is the federal requirement. So, we talked a lot about communicating um the current the current state, right, while

032we set goals. Yeah, >> that communication was definitely came up as a as a goal as well. >> And how to how do parents with those needs access um the the school? >> That's a So, I think there's also talk about FAQ and how adding an FAQ as well is Neutra Slice I believe is the software that Aramark uses to ensure that all of everything is hit nutritionally and it does have a lot of nutritional data but almost the old school word formatted menus that we just had a couple years ago that would say whole WW pasta you know what I mean and that is not how it works in that system it just says pasta even though it is whole wheat pasta but when we used to have the printed so it always seems

033to come back to the wanting the printed. >> Yes, printing and but communication and and maybe at the beginning of the school year really helping all of our parents understand how to talk with the food services to to accommodate um and also just set really, you know, cool goals for ourselves around sustainability and health and really again expanding that policy will be a new new venture into physical educ and education, mental health. Lots of exciting things going on there. That ends our committee reports unless I'm got everybody now. Thank you. I'm so excited about seek uh board announcements. Um I will say we got to actually see block scheduling in action at our board tour a couple weeks ago. Last week. Last week. Um, I was really impressed and I think some other people made

034this comments after our tour that you didn't know if it you were at the beginning, middle or end of the period that the um kids were engaged. They were working in their small groups. The teachers were circulating. It it wasn't, you know, the typical teachers at the front of the room lecturing for 80 minutes. Um, there was a lot of interaction, a lot of good ideas, a lot of sharing, a lot of helping, you know. I love our new format where we're looking at um our pillars and connecting the work that the community says they want to see in the classroom and then seeing it in person. So um thank you to all of the high school teachers that allowed us to come and sit in the classrooms. Thank you Dr. Drake. Um you know

035it's it's fun to see the work in action and uh the kids are doing amazing things. Um and then this week we also got to peer in at the tenure um candidates and really really impressive work that our candidates for tenure also tying things back to our pillars and our portraits and seeing how passionate that they are about our students and their teaching and and their vocation because it is a calling um to be a teacher. So, uh, just really exciting to see the new crop of teachers coming coming in soon. Um, June >> 4th June 4th. >> June 4th. So, that'll that'll be that's one of my favorite nights. So, that'll be great to congratulate them again at that point. >> I just want to jump in quick and uh echo what you were

036saying about the block schedule and and how that's working, but just what we saw in those classrooms. um you know, my my background is in private education and what I saw at the high school that day um rivaled equaled um $60,000 a year educations that I'm used to seeing. Um and I spent a lot of time reflecting on that just how exceptional and even if it was handpicked and those were the only six classes that is happening, it's better than none. I don't believe that it is. Um, but just the feel, the vibe, everything. Um, >> the questioning of the teachers and not feeling afraid to say, "Well, why? Are you sure?" Calling out, you know, somebody was going fast and made a mistake and the students called them out and they're like, it's like,

037"Oh, yeah, wait a minute. I did make a mistake. Let's go back and redo that." >> That in the vibe during kind of the the lunch, um, all of it. Uh, spent a lot of time thinking about it. I was uh really left speechless by it. Um how excellent it actually was and how it compares to um kind of what I've been used to when people pay for something like that and you get it for free here. Anyone else? With that, I uh invite our KSD pillar number four, sustainability and goal. presentation. >> Thank you. And we'll go ahead and have our team join us at the table if that's okay. So, thank you very much. And as the uh group comes up, we'll go ahead and um just remind our folks that this is

038really a opportunity for us to highlight in that pillar four and then Dr. Drake will kind of walk us through and then again just a reminder these are highlights. This is not an exhaustive uh component of everything. So, Dr. Drake, thank you. >> Thank you so much. I am so thrilled to introduce you to these four amazing people um that are here around our table now. And so before I begin, I would love you just to say quickly like what you who >> who you are and what you're teaching in addition to the roles that you play to support sustainability. Um Anna, do you want to begin? My name is >> just speak to the microphone if you can. >> Sorry don't speak. >> Hi, my name is Anna Troller. Um, I teach AP biology

039and anata an anatomy and physiology macro this year. That's my elective and I've been in the district for many years. My even my children went here. So, thanks for having me. >> Hi, I'm Jane Emik, fourth grade teacher at Increase Miller, green team advisor and part of leadership of sustainability. >> Oh, thanks. I'm Melissa Brady. I'm an instructional coach at the middle school green team advisor and um sustainability leadership team. Did you say you were a curriculum integration leader? K5 curriculum integration leader and 612 curriculum integration leader. So um while I really appreciate all the positive feedback, we definitely are a team and work on all these things together. >> Um hi, thank you guys so much for having me. My name is Mirabel Wright. I am a senior here at John J High School.

040Um, I've been really involved with Earthrise. Uh, this year I'm the co-president of Earthrise. I've also been working on the sustainability in our schools committee um, all four years and really happy to be here. So, thank you. >> Well, and thank all of you. It has truly been a pleasure to work with you and I appreciate the great work you've done carrying the torch of sustainability work. I'm holding our sustainability plan that we poured a lot of heart and soul into developing that I introduced to you last year. as part of our empowerment plan. And I'm thrilled to welcome Anna into the role of curriculum integration leader. It's our first year here and you've certainly hit the ground running. So, thank you. Um what they have done both on the sustainability in our schools committee

041and in their respective buildings and across buildings has been uh really invaluable and your wonderful partners all all four of you. So, thank you very much. Um we've long talked about well in my third three best three years here but as as people have said throughout the panel discussion and all of the presentations, we get to stand on the shoulders of all the the work and the people who have come before us. And um it was tremendous to enter this district and see all that has been done with sustainability and and build upon it. And we've aspired for a long time to talk about curriculum, community, and campus. And the team and and the board sustainability committee did a really wonderful job of making that the central focus of both this report and tonight's showcase.

042So, thank you so much uh for doing that. In addition to that, I just draw your attention to our 2030 vision because the aspirations listed under pillar 4, sustainability and global citizenship are the items that structure this report, which as Dr. Blanch said is full of information and wonderful things that we have done. We're not going to read every single one, but I do encourage you to take a very close look. Um, and I'll talk you through a little bit. I'll turn it over to my colleagues at this table. And to highlight certain aspects, we have a couple videos. So, uh, we'll begin with, it's a little hard to see from here. You can see a little better from over my right hand shoulder some of the numbers just of the great accomplishments. Hunson spoke

043to, uh, some of the current numbers right now. I have to remind you, this is a report that features a year's worth of progress from this point last year. So, it's not fully encompassing every single thing we're doing um, present and for the future, but uh, you'll hear about that also next year. So, um, a little bit about the numbers and we'll start with our first, uh, video. This is a video regarding start. That's a program you might have heard us speak about last year. The students in the business class were piloting it. Non and Austin were invited by Start to create this video to help other student leaders. So, that is the background to how this video was established. Thank you, Rich. Hi, my name is Austin Omen and I go to JohnJ High

044School. I'm 18. >> Hi, I'm No Wayen. I go to John High School and I'm 16. >> And we're going to present a little bit about the start journey at our high school. We combined uh two groups in the school, the marketing class and the Earthrise Environmental Club to work on start. And basically, we assigned group members specific key metrics and then reported pro progress on a shared document. and our takeaways. So with start with what you control, what you can control set goals along the way, who feel like you're accomplishing more. Then you definitely want to find meaning in your work. Dedication will p persist through difficult times and connect yourself with people who also care and are invested to create a support system that will definitely keep you going through the hard times.

045>> Thank you so much. So that's just a short excerpt to give you a taste of of what they did, but they were true champions of the work and we worked quite hard to try to bring that in to help the students see um the data real time for themselves. They had asked for such a thing. So we did a nice partnership there. Was there anything you wanted to add about that, Melissa? >> Um well, I'll I'll also maybe give Mirabel an opportunity since she was on Earth Rise, but I don't know if you were involved. I'll just say that the start metrics um were also what we used this year in our committee. Um we decided that since we already had this measurement tool that we that was so well aligned with our campus

046community curriculum um strands and the whole school sustainability framework that start based upon uses those same three buckets. They just use a little bit different terminology but it's the same. It's really the same. Um and so what we did was we looked at the progress we'd made so far already in the 53 metrics which are divided into these three different um strands. And then we chose goals um for our work this year. And we named them and you can see them on the left side of that um report um that we decided to focus on learning outcomes within curriculum, community partnerships for the community strand and then for campus waste minimization. Um and that really gave us a way to kind of start the year with tangible um goals that we wanted to achieve. So

047kind of reverse engineering the metric that we were trying to work toward. What would we do to make that happen? And um I think that it was a really good move. Um, we did get make some progress and we still have more to do, but we feel more clear about which parts of the plan that Julia, you know, really worked hard to make sure that that plan was a was a document that we could keep referring back to. And so, we wanted to make that tangible for the members of our committee and then eventually the students. So, um, >> thank you. I hope that helps understand start a little bit >> and out to the business office and our facilities friends because it was a partnership also as far as gathering some of the data

048and absolutely figuring out how we're going to use it. >> Um we're going to segue a little bit now. You may have heard Christina Connor speak at the panel um in in the panel discussion earlier about some of the new and exciting things we're doing in the greenhouse in the middle school. So Rich, if you could pull up the next video for the family and consumer science or the fax greenhouse and some of the progress we're seeing there as far as it relates to sustainability. >> This is a pepper. I forget what it's called. I don't know. In glass, we plant seeds and we bring them over here with containers. We water them. They get sunlight. I think it's pretty cool because it's fresh. There's no chemicals in it. I I really like we made

049bok cho with rice and steak and the bok cho really like made a difference in that. I think it's that like you should be careful where you buy because you never know where it's from >> and that I think it teaches you responsibility because you have to like take care of the plants. and she shared uh that she has students like going out to the greenhouse and just eating bok choy off of the off of the hydrop off of the tower. It's fantastic and and there are students special classes that have taken responsibility to to water the plants and they look down upon the greenhouse and it's super exciting because this time last year we're talking about its construction and now um it's in full growth mode. So, it's wonderful to see. Thank you. As

050we shift down a little bit, we're also going to shift back to the high school for a little to talk here from Anna about an initiative um associated with our biology for all course, which you have heard of in past presentations as it relates to science, but there's a really nice overlay. Um so, Anna, I'll turn over to you. Our our preap biology teachers have been really proactive in anticipating curricular change at the New York State level. And as you probably know, sustainability education is being phased in over the next years. 27 28 for 512 and then 28 29 for K4. Our teachers kind of anticipated that, but also sustainability being one of our pillars and important here. One of the drivers in the PBL um this year, project-based learning that has taken a lot

051of time in our PLC is a focus on our Earthrise project. I'm sorry, Earth Prize project. Sorry, I get those confused. And it was um a project that was built and you probably saw if you were here for the sustainability showcase a couple of the kids were were there. Two two of the groups were actually there. But the project focuses on these driving questions. How can we engineer solutions to mitigate and address authentic local environmental issues and how can we be problem solvers for the planet in our own neighborhood first? And so this has been a really great project that's been going on since last June when we had our PBL training and um looking at those things over the course of the year. The kids were really involved. I think some people actually may

052have actually seen that last week when they were in the school. But the combination I think of our preAP biology teachers really addressing biology for all PBL PLC. It's a nice package. They did a good job this year. >> We're really grateful for your efforts and the efforts of the whole science department. So, thank you very much. It's been a pleasure. I had the benefit of of watching some of the lessons and they're doing a wonderful job. >> So, that's environmental stewardship, a snapshot of it, integrating environmental education and sustainability practices into the curriculum to foster awareness, responsibility, and action. We're going to segue to the next section briefly touching upon the global perspectives. I say briefly because some of them like the NYP design we heard about at our last uh board meeting also

053involving Melissa Brady. We're keeping her very busy. Um, but we talk about certain envir uh experiences for all which is those assured experiences you've heard us talking about. What are the ways that we can get projects to touch all students in the district, not just a few. And then this global perspectives, there's a photo of our community and culture day at the high school. And I'm going to turn it over now, speaking of community, to Melissa to talk a little bit more about that and segue into um some of the experiences students are having there. >> Okay. Um so are we going to show the video pro of the >> We certainly can. Okay. Well, well, so we'll kick it off now. If you were at the music tech showcase with us the other night,

054you might have seen a sneak peek of this one of our favorite places, Grace Farm. Um it uh there there was a nature music collaboration project that you'll see in this video. We got to see it as at the showcase. Um and it features both some of the beautiful nature uh uh scenes at Grace Farms as well as our students musical talent. So Rich, if you don't mind, the collaborative nature film project, please. I can talk a little bit. >> I was That's I was gonna talk about it so I can >> go ahead. While while you're looking for it, Rich Melissa will talk about it. >> All right. So, one of the things that um felt really exciting about this particular collaboration was that it was inspired by our staff development day, our professional

055learning day that we took last August, Grace Farms. And the and the goal of that was to introduce um our curriculum leaders to a place-based um local partner where that would enhance student learning. So again, if you were at the showcase and listened in the panel, that was one of our goals, right, was to develop these local partnerships and then extend student learning into the community. And so while we were there, um, the music curriculum leader and the art curriculum leader, Kendra Collins and Amy Guyger, they were inspired to do this project. So they brought 45 students to Grace Farms in October and Kendra had the students make a nature video. There was a lot of choice built in and then Amy's students um scored the video that after it was edited. So, their collaboration,

056the student collaboration, the fact that um we were able to use a local site and um all of that, like as Anna said, was really a nice package. Like when all the things come together that you're hoping to see, it just feels really rewarding. And um so that's what we're going to look at, a little clip of that. Heat. Heat. again that was just a snapshot but um really interesting and innovative creative projects. So thank thank you very much. >> So thank you Rich. And so speaking of innovative, I'm now oh right before that I'm going to do a shameless not shameless plug for the young women's leadership summit at Manhattanville University. I will have more to report on that at our next presentation on learner centered leadership. But a number of our high school

057uh students and Miss Piccolino and I will be at the final exhibition on Monday celebrating some of their great work there. But again, right, community based learning, students taking initiative to make a difference um in areas of sustainability that you'll hear about. But now, skipping back to innovation, I'm going to turn to my friend Jane. Jane, I ask you just to highlight a little bit about a couple things. A great relationship you have with Almstead, which is featured a little bit uh later on in this presentation, as well as the passive house project that I know Mirabbel can uh weigh in on as well. So, thank you, Jane. >> All right. Thank you. Um so um our fourth graders learn about energy and energy systems and energy conversions as part of our amplify science unit

058and Jim Panzer high school teacher um they study energy also and engage in a project called the passive house project. Um which basically is house engineering that's sustainability-minded. Um so it's a perfect marriage between what our fourth graders are learning and what um his high schoolers are learning. So, we invited him to increase Miller and um and Mirabel was one of them. So, I'll let you talk a little bit about that if you want. Um and they presented their projects to our fourth graders. And what's just so awesome about the collaboration is that we're both learning about energy. And that's sort of a big takeaway for our fourth graders and for the high schoolers that we're we're we're energy is such an important topic that we're both learning about it. We're learning about it on

059different levels. the fourth graders are inspired by what the high schoolers are doing and uh and you can talk about what the high schoolers think about the fourth graders but um I hope it's good >> better be good. >> Um but anyway um what's kind of cool is the angle that we spin on it. It's about problem solving. So, um, it's really about thinking about the future, thinking about the human impact on our environment and how we can problem solve and be creative and design solutions to what's going on. So, um, it really morphs from there. It's it's not just about the presentation. After the presentation, there's classroom discussions. Um, and our fourth graders write letters to So, you'll be getting it. Um uh the fourth graders write letters to the uh high schoolers asking

060questions and sharing what they learned and also some of the students are even designing passive houses of their own. So it really turns into this wonderful thing and it's it's very real for our fourth graders and I'm sure it's real for the high schoolers as well. And um the common ground is like trying to make a real impact on um decisions that we make. So it's really an excellent project that we enjoy so much. I just had the most wonderful time when we went. We went just last week. Um it's really so fun for high schools to see how engaged fourth graders are um about any topic. They're so willing to learn about everything and um they're doing such a great job with learning about energy because they came with questions ready and I was

061like wow like these are really strong thoughtful questions for fourth graders and it's such a wonderful thing to get to know uh kids in lower grades especially if you don't have any siblings then how would you know any of the kids in the elementary school or the middle school or any of the lower levels. So, someone as a senior who doesn't have any siblings and is really like pretty much new to the district. I've been here only like four or five years, it's really nice to get to know people in the lower levels and it really just made such a strong sense of community I think for the high school making that connection. >> Well, they're lucky they had a chance to meet you too and you've also made yourself so available whether it was

062through stations like at this showcase or past showcases and your work with the Autobon, right? Mhm. So >> I I can add, do you want to talk about when you came to the middle school last year to teach the students about the birds? >> Sure. So I'm also heavily involved with the Ottabon Society. I've been a wildlife rehabilitator volunteer for the past 5 years. Um and I had this wonderful opportunity to come in and to speak to the middle schoolers because they do they were they were doing a habitat um backyard habitat project. So, we invited Mirabul in as a guest speaker to help the students understand the needs of birds and backyard creatures so that they could design a habitat that would support them. >> It was a wonderful experience and I hope that

063we can do it again this year. Um, again, just that eagerness to learn is so nice to see throughout all grade levels and it was really wonderful to make those connections. >> Thank you very much. So, speaking of connections, also um next I want to just hear a little bit more about your Almstead partnership. >> Sure. So, um, I was lucky enough to have Tillia, one of the girls, one of the Almstead children in my class a few years ago. And what started as a conversation about, uh, what her parents did or have have the, uh, Almstead Tree Company, um, turned into a them coming to us for an assembly and now over the years it's just grown and tomorrow actually they're coming for Arbor Day assemblies. Um, they're also engaging with our green teams,

064releasing ladybugs. they're first learning about why are we releasing ladybugs, about the value of ladybugs and how they help protect shrubs and trees. Um, and then later on assemblies with our school. Um, they're generously uh gifting every family a sapling to plant on Arbor Day, which is Friday. Um, and also our green team students participated in a poster contest um sponsored by uh the Almstead family and we'll be announcing the winners tomorrow. So, that's going to be very exciting. So, uh, we're very grateful to them for their partnership and, um, again, it's it's just another example of like making it real real, you know, for our students and, um, so >> wonderful. >> We should connect them with the students who did the micro forest presentation. >> Interesting. >> True. Did you Did you know

065that um Adam Choper, who was here representing, Hilltop, was telling me just before about a grant that the DEEC is putting out like this once in a-lifetime opportunity where they're going to fund reforesting. So, and he was giving the students from middle school, my little green team kids who they are so excited about that micro forest. I'm pretty sure it's going to happen. Um, so they in any event, so that the tonight was not only like a showcase of what's happening, but it was a really good way to make connections for what could what could happen and and how we can continue to >> um partner with each other. So >> yes, I I it is exciting that that Hilltop is a great resource for us and they continue to be. Melissa, I just have

066to second what you said about making connections because just as I was leaving the theater, um the gentleman who uh chairs the town sustainability committee said, you know, we should connect and get together. And apparently, I think back when the committees were first formed that there was more of an interaction there. >> And so I said, maybe we can invite someone from your committee to come to our committee and someone from our committee can go to your committee and share what we're working on. And and so I think I love that about this evening. And that is just one example there. there are others that came up um so I think we're going to continue to see the results from this evening and thank you all for everything that that you put into it um

067for for for some time. I'm so excited to see what happens next year and what we can talk about that sort of came from this. Yeah, >> I think our and I think our vision is very aptly named empowering all and we heard so much from the students on the panel and at each of the stations and even just now about how they feel so empowered when they can make a change and see something. So, it's been possible because of all the efforts about our wonderful teachers and students and >> it's also great to see you know the interdisciplinary that they're bringing into sustainability. It's in science. It's in their writing. It's, >> you know, math. It's, you know, architecture >> presentation skills. I mean, those middle schoolers were super impressive. Not that the high

068schoolers weren't, but I I I mean, they were buzzing with energy to >> It's true. And so, that's a good segue. Thank you, Lori. While science is a reasonable connection to make, it is one of the areas that we really focus on because it's an assured experience for everybody. So, I'm just going to ask Melissa to highlight a little bit um of some of the science connections that we have to sustainability. >> Oh, sure. Um so, this this list that you see under elementary is related to our amplify science curriculum, um a K5 curriculum. And what we tried to do, and this was actually a project that Jane and I worked on two summers ago, I think, um, where we went through each unit and we tried to pull out specifically the engineering units there

069where students would get some innovative problem solving skills. And we also looked for sustainability connections. And so we created this list to sort of shine a light on that, not only for um anybody who was interested, but also for the teachers themselves because we wanted to continue to make this an intentional message um and be sure that the teachers, you know, how it is when you talk about something and you make it real as as you were saying. Um it becomes more meaningful to students as Libby mentioned today. It's one thing to talk about a concept, but it's another to actually be able to apply it. And if you can do that through a course that you're already taking, then it's much more um amendable to a busy educator. Um so that was one of

070the practices that we tried to instill as leaders. Um and I think, you know, so there's biomimicry represented there. Um there's the energy unit that that Jane um and Mirabel were involved in. Trying to think. I think that's really >> it's a great snapshot. Just trying to give you all a sense of high school, middle school, and elementary experiences. So, thank you very much. And with that, we'll segue to civic engagement. Um Melissa, you >> sure um I'll be brief. Um so many of you know about the civil rights exhibition that Elizabeth and um Claire Balasi did at the middle school. So that was another interdisciplinary unit. Um and I wanted to highlight that because what it is you know obviously is the students are given another opportunity to explore something that is of interest

071to them. there's a lot of choice built into it. And then again, they're using their research and presentation skills to advocate or educate about um a civil rights leader. And we do, you know, they provide that authentic audience by making it into an exhibition that families can come to which gives the students practice. And it's, you know, like a performance-based assessment um built in to that. And we um we're proud of we're proud of those units. at the middle school there are many opportunities for students to shine and that is one that's directly related to to civic engagement um that we wanted to highlight. >> Thank you. And it's for all these reasons and more, the campus and curriculum and community that we felt really confident um applying for a green ribbon designation from the

072state, which I'm going to turn it over to Lisa, who is a huge part of making that happen. Um, and she's going to tell us a little bit more about infrastructure, but together when all three of those categories work together, it really positions us so nicely. >> Thank you, Julia. Um and um absolutely. So um that was a great part of and that's why we feel conf good vibes excited about the green room. We'll find out, but who knows? But but but either way um the exercise of going through the um writing an application really just demonstrates just all the work that's done in in those three areas of campus, community, and curriculum. And um and we do, you know, we do approach it that way as a school district. And it is is interconnected.

073It's interesting. I was speaking with Janet Harkman who's was like who started sustainability the dis the board sustainability committee and um and she was mentioning how you know for a couple years who was saying how she would love to incorporate curriculum and and just to to hear see it you know that work actually um that's gone on for almost probably 15 years at least you know come to life. It's just it's exciting. So, um, and so, um, you've heard though this evening how it is embedded in our instructional program, and Mike and I will focus primarily on campus lens, particularly waste minimization, transportation, and infrastructure improvements. At its core, our commitment is a sustainable campus that's grounded in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and waste at its source, and creating meaningful opportunities for for student stewardship.

074As a matter of fact, um last year the AP um class did go to visit the geothermal site and they will be again in June visiting that site again um and learning directly from our architects and engineers. Um and um we view our campus as a living laboratory where operational uh decisions directly support our educational mission. You heard about the greenhouse and um you know and um for many years Mike used to the old um solar panels that are you know are now outdated. Mike you know don't tell the insurance company but he used to bring the students up on the roof you know we're not allowed to do that anymore >> with Dr. Burke with Dr. But it has been uh something for quite a while that that um there is that interaction um

075and um it just it which is a part of you know helping our students become informed and responsible global global citizens as mentioned earlier this evening. Also um the board's um sustainability committee has um over the years about every 3 to 5 years has a greenhouse gas emission study that is performed and our most recent study has um has demonstrated that we have achieved a 59% reduction in scope one and two um two greenhouse gas emissions and a 53% reduction when you include scope 3 which means we've exceeded that goal um the board's 2030 emission reduction uction target by 19 percentage points um 7 years ahead of schedule because this particular report was looking at 22 23 data. So that is exciting. Uh we remain committed in our long-term goals in achieving that an 85%

076reduction by 2040 and this project and this progress reflects the strength of our strategic and long range approach. And at this time, I would like to actually turn it over to Mike to talk more about our infrastructure upgrades that support and advance um sustainability in our district. >> All right. Thank you, Lisa. >> All right. Good evening, members of the board, sustainability, and community members. Uh thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight with you about the progress we're making on the campus-based sustainability initiatives across the district. I'm proud to report that our work continues to focus on reducing our environmental impact and um we're increasing efficiency in doing so. We're also creating meaningful learning opportunities for the students which I think we saw tonight and we've talked about things in the past including engaging

077with AP environmental science and things of that nature. Um, one of the most significant projects that we have been discussing is the 240 ton geothermal system at Katona Elementary School. It represents a huge step forward uh in reducing our reliance on fossil fuel. So, as we discussed, I don't know if you saw in the previous photo, the students got to engage with the engineers and talk about that design last summer, but it was mostly about the well field. So, in June when we go back over there, we're going to be talking about mechanical systems. So, I'm a little more excited than that maybe than anybody else. Um, but I think that will help the high school students see how it all ties together. And, um, I'm pretty excited for that. I think that'll be a

078really fun time. Um, in addition to that, uh, we've had our partners here tonight from Energy and Honeywell. Uh, we're excited about this collaboration. We're implementing a 2.1 megawatt solar uh solar photovalttaic system distribution across our rooftop units and a ground mount at uh Lewisboro. And this system is going to generate u projected to generate annual electric utility cost cuts by as much as 50%. So we're going to be doing that. I think we're breaking ground in a few weeks. the panels are here um communicating with Terry and his team and Justin and at Eneria. So, we're pretty thankful to have them aboard. Um our sustainability efforts extend beyond the infrastructure. Uh we're continuing to maintain our single stream recycling program across all the schools, making it easier for students and staff to participate in

079waste reduction. Additionally, composting programs are active districtwide. Uh that helps in diverting organic waste from landfills. Um and in broader support uh in our energy strategies, we continue to purchase our 100% greens or green renewable uh energy certificates to ensure that the electricity consumption we take from the grid is from renewable energy generation. So, we'll continue to do that. And when taken together, these initiatives reflect a comprehensive and forward-thinking approach to sustainability. Uh, one that combines infrastructure improvements, operational practices, which me and my folks were working on continuously through building management systems and things like that. And, uh, cultural changes around here. We try not to leave windows and doors open, things like that. Um, and of course the educational opportunities. Um, I see so much going on. Melissa, thank you. Uh, there's a pretty

080big undertaking that you did tonight. Um, but all the same, it just seems like it's all starting to make sense pulling >> the three community curriculum campus. I actually said that right. Good. Uh, together. Um, so we remain committed to reducing our greenhouse gas footprint um, while providing a healthier and more sustainable environments for our student and staff. I just want to thank everybody. Want to thank our community. Rory, nice to see you. Thank Mark and Stephen. Thank you. Um, and I thought tonight was fantastic in the cafeteria. It's good. >> You know, Mike, we're so fortunate to have you and your team because you really go beyond facilities. the passion that you share with the projects and taking what you do on a daily basis and transforming that into an education opportunity for our

081students. We don't have that in every district. So, thank you. >> Yeah, we just got to just got to be able to keep up with the students. They're way smarter than we are. >> They're going to be teaching all of us soon, but that's okay. >> That's why we grab the engineers and make sure they answer questions for students. I'm not going to make anything up. I'll make sure I have an engineer. >> Don't let him fool you. He he knows he have to ask Mike. I don't know. But but thank you, Mike. And yes, I do want to echo like I um you know, thank you again, Melissa, for all the work on the green ribbon application, all the work on, you know, re recreating um the sustainability um showcase. I do I think

082it was really um really just a wonderful layout. So, a great job. Thank you so much. >> You're very welcome. And I have to say, you know, it really was a team effort, you know, without you and Mike bringing all the contractors in. And Mike really worked on that. I mean, you were dogged about it. And it it elevated the event um for even, you know, for Barbara to take the time to to dedicate to the panel and to represent both the community, the committee, the community as a as a member and then the board. And for you guys for being willing to go, you know, it really was a team effort. So, while I really appreciate I mean we did it together and the board committee really devoted a lot of time and energy

083to supporting it as well in our meetings. Um I did want to if it's okay give Mirabel an opportunity to speak to something that I know um is another civic engagement opportunity that we didn't get a chance to mention because I'm not hydrated enough. Um and it was the postcard campaign. And so I wanted um to to have make sure that she gets a chance to mention that if that's okay. >> Absolutely. That was my mistake. >> Thank you for your time. Um so one of the initiatives that Earthrise took on this year was we did um this postcard campaign and it was uh an event that we had which was outside the cafeteria um during the hourlong lunch and students could walk by and sign a postcard um with a message that we kind

084of pre-wrote. And this these postcards were going to Governor um Hokll to fund climate education um in her FY27 education budget plan. And um this you know highlighted sustainability and civic engagement because we were getting um all students involved in this. Um I forget the final number but I think we made close to 100 postcards. Um sent them all out. Um, and I really do want to give a shout out to Christa Munger who is our previous adviser. Um, she was a wonderful biology teacher and she was um really heavily involved in Sirene as well and she was the previous um co-advisor for Earthrise and she was the one who really brought our attention to this and I want to make the time to thank her as well for that opportunity. >> Wonderful. >> And

085we it passed. That was the other like >> Thank you. Thank you so much everybody. >> That's great. >> So I just wanted just to mention a couple other things. That's >> Yeah. So um >> and um no worries. No, that's what No, it is great to hear about that. Thank you. And I think that's really and I also um love also the financial literacy also that being I think that's wonderful. Those are two areas that um are really important to be incorporated into our curriculum. So, thank you for the work on that. Um so, I I just wanted to add, you know, from the business standpoint, sustainability does require uh systemic or sust systematic and strategic approach to our transportation electrification, our infrastructure planning. This means making datadriven capital investments that balance our environmental

086impact with long-term cost control. As Marjorie mentioned, we're going to start working on our five-year um capital plan and um and of course our capital plans always do incorporate and look at the environmental component in alignment with New York State um state's green energy goals. We take a we do take a phased approach to the fleet of electrification to ensure its operational readiness as well as financial stability. We currently EV2 just hit the road a couple months ago which I think you may have seen it out there. Um so we do have electric two electric school buses on um in operation and we have four additional buses that will be coming online as they are produced. They do take a longer period of time to produce the electric school buses at this time. Um we

087are focused though on expanding our charging capacity by proactively planning and upgrading our electrical infrastructure to support the eventual full electrification of our bus fleet. Um, as we look ahead, we are continuing to prepare for the infrastructure necessary to meet that 2035 state mandate, but that is the area where we are focused on, and thank you last year, um, last budget vote for the voters for approving that $750,000 transfer to capital in order for us to start to begin that work. and to support both the district operations and the broader community. Uh I don't we also um are pretty close to having um live um hopefully >> hopefully >> but uh but we do um people have I'm sure seen the work going on but installing 16 electric vehicle chargers with eight at the high

088school eight at the middle school. So in in addition to these largecale infrastructure efforts, we are continuing to expand work with waste reduction as sustainable food service practices as well um in including continuing compostable um as well as using compostable um tra tr trays as well as forks and knives. just um just you know by integrating these operational improvements with this pillar we ensure that sustainability at KSD is not just about campus it's about learning leadership and our long term term impact so thank you for letting me share >> you just reminded me we actually have a resolution today on the agenda related to that um and it supports a petition by the lower Hudson Education Coalition with relating asking the state to sort of look at the the grid infrastructure's ability to support. I

089mean, you could speak to this a lot better than I can, but I I you know, as you were speaking about um the way that you're approaching this, it reminded me of this and I think it's probably a um just a good item to to highlight from our agenda as well. >> Yes. Um thank you and Dr. Dr. Blanch could speak to it um as was better than probably than I but it is um it is um many of the associations of um board association, business officials, superintendent association um that just looking at the overall the reality is is this uh school districts were required to do a fleet electrification plan and um I don't want to misquote because I can't think of the number off you know but it's tens of millions of dollars

090of, you know, investment, which is, as we know, is very important to us as a school district, important to myself, but we also have to balance that with um all of the work that needs to be done and all of our priorities in the school district and the reality of um all the different um climate initiatives that are going on and are we looking at them globally like pun intended. No, but uh no but uh no but the but serious I mean an electrificate like private buildings requiring their electrification there you know the AI just these data centers and the you know looking at all these different components I was on a nice um conference call webinar earlier today one of the groups that is studying they really didn't release any data they're going to

091release data at the end of this calendar year but they are beginning to look at the grid and to see if if the grid overall all statewide can actually sustain >> the amount of charging that would be required. So it is something that more more work needs it needs to be looked at more. Mhm. >> I think that's the largest ask like you were describing where at a state level when we think about is their ability to kind of take in all these requests for the increased electrical demand at such a pace. And so to your point Lucy said before of where we're looking at is getting our internal infrastructure set as we can manage that inside and and getting what we need from a conduit perspective all run getting our transformers all ready and

092set and then anticipating that the grid can handle that. And again, the idea about now just not this district but in other ones as you start seeing not just here but also homes are starting to shift their practices as well too and and looking at either kind of split units or different kind of opportunities where folks are increasing their electrical usage in the homes. And so it's not just a school district that is doing this. Many more u cars that are now electrical folks are plugging in on the grid. So there's a lot of demand on that and I think the largest question from all of our collective groups is is is that really feasible at the time that's been presented and it doesn't stop our patient working forward and again the idea about developing

093our internal structures to start with is the grid and then I think as we all know we have seen technologies over the last 24 months increase significantly and everything we're seeing in the next 36 to 48 months from the battery side and the charging side is significantly going to adjust as well. So almost a little bit of letting that technology catch up a little bit and then we will be prepared internally with the infrastructure to go ahead and have have the electrical grid set for us so we can go ahead and manage that and stuff. So again, Mike, back to your thought. I know that you know we've been talking about getting ourselves prepared and just knowing the technology from the charging as well as from the batteries as well as the life. We know

094and we got assessment from our fleet assessment is that decent amount of our buses right now can't do their runs because and run charge and so the reality is that's not really effective. It's like we've got 50 square miles that we're driving and so that's a challenge we have. So the technology will get there again just to what spot. So yeah Mike >> and I and I I think the one other thing that we're learning I'm learning in particular is uh how to work with the utility company. So the car charging project and the transformers and how nice egg and and I get along and get these projects done and time frames, those are important to understand. Um especially if we go into a much larger project like uh charging up a whole fleet and

095things like that. Um so we finally have a good point of contact. Our engineers are involved and we're working with NYG directly. But similar to EV1 and the charger, I called it a pilot program. Our work with our utility company is also a pilot program. And that that EV car charger project is going to kind of set the tone as to what things will look like for us when we have to do a big large scale uh utility infrastructure uh project. Yeah. >> Thank you. Council, Dr. just literacy. >> Well, I just I just just um kind as we bring this down and close again. I wanted to again thank our team here today and thanks you to the committee and a larger community for their time earlier this evening. I just wanted to bring

096us back to just the kind of that pillar four and just ask yourself if you either saw directly this evening or you heard about tonight or you had a chance to go ahead and view the pillar piece there where a goal we've set as a community is that we're going to inspire our students to lead as champions of sustainability and responsible global citizens and you say that we're meeting that goal now and that would be the quest and then just a little bit more detail is and I think even this Warpiece is dedicated to educating our students about global issues, important sustainability by the integration of environmental education, global awareness into the curriculum where it inspires the students become responsible global citizens committed to making a positive impact on their world. Once again, getting that

097in more detail. Did you see? Did you hear? Did you feel that energy energy uh today to go ahead and make that happen? And I don't know how you're going to walk out through tonight conversation today, you look here and not saying yes and what's our next step. It's not we're done, but what's the next step? So, thank you so much team and and thank everybody tonight. So, thanks everybody. >> Thanks again and so have a good rest of your safe home. So, all right. Thanks everybody. >> Thank you, Mike. Thank you. Stay home, sir. Yes, sir. as they >> transition away from the table. Yes, reading our aspirations. We've seen all of these >> they're aspirations, but we've we're seeing them in practice all the activities around campus. It's really kind of fun. >>

098Thank you. >> So, uh Dr. We'll go to the next piece. >> Lost almost all my >> Thank you for sticking around. So we'll uh shift to our next piece here. Again, as the board knows uh you know kind of last year and then we kind of closed uh with an an external audit kind of coming in giving some insights on some of our uh literacy program and Dr. Drake and the team picked that up here and it's a I think a very clear and and uh specific update and I do appreciate you align this to because there are some budgetary commitments that you've identified here. So thank you. >> Yes, thank you. So I it's twofold. I want to update you on the work we've done since I last updated you and thank you

099for supporting the investment in the literacy development in the district. Um, as I'm going to outline for you, just to highlight for the community as well that this budget includes some really significant enhancements to our curriculum offerings. Um, so quickly to Oops, wrong one. As you said, so you can't see this from here. Maybe from here when I when I told you last that we will be using every available moment in in time to help prepare the elementary team to be able to launch this new literacy ecosystem as we're calling it in September. I I truly meant it. And this is our PD plan. Um it's as early as Friday on our professional learning day. The elementary teachers will be learning uh about UFly and Morphe Magic. Those are the two uh word programs we're

100um we're introducing to the elementary schools. It's really significant um that we're able to dedicate this time to that. We're super excited. We've continued to go through the learning modules as it relates to fish tank implementation and we will be ending all the way on the far right uh of this diagram with working with a consultant Michelle Lamb to plan out the first units so that the teachers will end the school year with their materials. Uh we've placed that we've placed a lot of um intentionality in this design so that they're prepared uh to and they feel most prepared to start in September. So really excited about this and we've been very busy. I have to give a huge shout out to our literacy leadership team K12 who continue to meet um and our elementary

101team in specific with the principles, our our teachers, our ELA curriculum leads, Amy Signory, our instructional coach, Maggie Conrad, our director of learning have been hard at work. There's a lot of implications when you adopt something like this and we're trying to leave no stone unturned so that we're fully prepared. Can I ask what home school means? Unlike K on the few of those bottom. >> Oh, at their home school meaning if you're a kid. Yeah. Yeah. I follow you. They're not at the district office. They're at their home. >> Thank you. Sorry guys. This is a little teacher specific. >> Do they typically work on this over the summer or it kind of ends at the end of June? >> Um well because we cannot guarantee that everyone's available in the summer. Uh we

102wanted to make sure we touched everybody now. Um, however, we realize that if we bring anybody new on board, we'll we are prepared to bring them on board as quickly as possible when the fall starts. >> Yes. But we're in a unique position with the December adoption of a curriculum that we can move where she go. uh we're in a really unique position that we made this decision mid year so that we can go at even though it's a very accelerated pace it's a thoughtful one versus making it in June and then saying good luck in September here's your unwrap your book and get to work you know so this um we're excited about great >> thank you >> um what we have budgeted for also includes the funding of the purchase of these highquality

103materials that I've talked to you about so um teachers editions of the of the books as well as digital access to fish tank um for teacher manuals which are continually updated which is the appeal of that um it also includes funding the ongoing professional development that supports our implementation of all of this uh it's not really uh enough to say one and done right here I gave you this one training go off now so we've invested um in researching some really really um uh helpful partnerships that have already started working with us. So fish tank is one. They have these modules that I that I talked about on the last slide. We've also partnered with an organization named lit. They help on the systems side to make sure that we are thinking about all of

104the things that we need to do as far as implementation is concerned. They've helped roll this curriculum out in other districts. They're helping develop our literacy ecosystem. As I said, there's specific um like data collection and analyses that they're going to help us with as well as building and developing our curriculum leadership throughout next year and helping us and the principles know what to look for in the classrooms. So, that's very significant. And we've started those are those design meetings that I refer to sometimes in our howell updates. And then the consultant I referenced is Michelle Lamb who's going to be on the ground with the teachers developing the units and going through the lessons with them. Then that's for fish tank. For UFFLY, a relationship with the University of Florida is very much underway

105as well as a partnership with Bosey's uh learning uh and curriculum center for literacy. They will be here on the 24th uh to work with the teachers and the 95% group which is the group that uh publishes the Morphe magic collection. So, a lot of this funds a lot of really significant support um that we're so fortunate to be able to offer and the funding of the purchase of all of these texts for students which is significant um and audio access of all the titles that the students will be encountering which is a beautiful thing. Um and we're very proud to be able to do that. Now, this is a big reveal. We had to work hard on selecting the audits that the audits the units that we will cover in each of the grades.

106And I'll remind you this is a knowledge building curriculum focused also on windows and mirrors and sliding glass doors. So it's really meant to um open children's eyes to things across the world, a global perspective as we've talked about before and be interdisciplinary. So we're on a mission to recapture as much instructional time as possible. So we sought there are some choices that you can make as far as which uh units you select and the team and I went through a lot of meetings and discussion about all of these and seized opportunities for interdisciplinary work. Right? So if we saw a science unit or a social studies unit that aligned um we were eager to do that. So if you read these titles this gives you a sense of um what we'll be covering K

107to 2 and 3 through five. Uh so some really exciting and interesting things are ahead of us. We've been able to purchase the books for unit one for the teachers now so that they have them so they'll use them in their planning which was also really significant. So I have to thank uh Lisa Ray and everybody who helped make that possible. She smiles because I talk incessantly about this about the books. So thank you for bearing with me. Um, speaking of books, the libraries were going um through a curation experience. Uh, Dr. Conrad, our director of learning, and Amy Signori did what we call the traveling road show, library road show. There's a specific way that you can weed classroom libraries. And the American Library Association outlines the process by which you do that. And

108it's in our uh disposition of text policy also is a practice is supposed to be happening annually. And it hadn't happened for some time which is part of the reason you see such a volume um on the disposal list uh that we have given you because um we very intentionally are asking teachers to curate their collections. We're being um mindful of that word specifically. If there are texts that let's just say since we're shifting curriculum, right? There might have been a class sets of a particular title required, we don't necessarily need 30 copies of that anymore. So, we could reduce that number. Um, and or if they're damaged or um not uh current anymore or things of that sort, you might dispose of books. But we're also being thoughtful in the in the interest of

109sustainability we've been talking about tonight. There are other school districts that um uh could benefit from this that have already kind of reached out to us at local libraries. you might uh families might see small bins at pickup or dismissal of interesting books that um aren't necessarily books that we need in our classroom libraries any longer but might still be relevant and and useful for families. Um and uh that is something that we're really passionate about and even before that we're encouraging teachers if they have books that they're weeding from their libraries to shop within their schools. So the the principles have been really helpful in coordinating this effort and we're trying to be very intentional. Um and we've already received teacher feedback about how these small moves have helped make their libraries come alive,

110restructured a few things, re reboxed when the one example from a friend of ours at KES was how they put books from a series bin into a topic bin. So that changed. So now there's a superhero comics bin that got a lot of traction with no advertising already and it had been in the library for a long time. So just try and be thoughtful um about that. And um also we're looking to enhance the K to2 text collection with UFly align decodables. You might remember we've been purchasing a lot of decodables to support the younger grades over the years and now we have the opportunity to do that and align it to our program which is wonderful. and that UFly program will also be aligned to our intervention program. So, there's going to be a

111lot of coherence that we're very excited about. And I just want to thank you again. Um, this is super super exciting and and I have a wonderful team of people, the principles, the lead leadership team, my the coaches, director of learning and um there's a great energy around this that I know will continue. And so I just want to thank you all for your support and um thank the business office for including all this in our budget and um thank you. >> Well, thank you. >> Thank you. Beautiful. >> And we have a nice site for parents if they have more questions. >> Yes. So our literacy web page remains current and it highlights the K to 5. Soon to be unveiled will be the more middle school focused literacy leadership team page. As I

112said, we're still meeting K12. Um but middle school is our next um real fora. Dr. Ness is coming back to the district Friday. We're meeting with the whole ELA department, special education teachers and interventionists and some ENL teachers at the middle school for the day to um kind of continue where we the lit the literacy leadership team has left off and now uh focus more specifically on middle. So, we'll continue to do that and follow the same model that we did with the elementary as far as sharing with the community and keeping people current. So, >> any um as far as like the communication home to parents like when they start these units. I mean, obviously you're still working them out, but talk to me about like what parents can expect. >> Yes. Yes. So,

113we're we're still that's on our action items list. There are some like options for communications you can learn about. Obviously, you'll these titles this will be in our curriculum guide. So, you'll be able to see what they're learning and there is some familyf facing messaging that fish tank provides and we're going to work like at going through that tailoring it if necessary to our district and how we're how we are doing in in what order we're doing the units. So, we just have to make sure that all of that is coherent. But there's a part of that, >> right? Since you're not using it, you don't have to use it exactly as scripted. So, the at home messaging can be adjusted. >> Correct. like if we picked an alternate unit instead of the next one

114in the line for various reasons, we just want to make sure they each have the right messaging to go home and that they each have um a letter. It's really it's all very also open access. So if families are curious, they can go online and see what we're learning. >> You can basically read the whole unit. >> Yeah. So it's really you know very transparent and supportive hopefully of of like that wraparound approach to literacy where everyone will be a part of it and not to mention those audio books again just that's another investment but that will be another way to access the learning >> makes a big difference to be able to access the text in in in that way for kids. >> Yeah. >> Awesome. Thank you. >> Very inclusive. >> Yeah. >>

115Thank you for making it a priority. >> Yeah. Great. >> Well and your passion behind it is so evident. So, I really do appreciate that. >> Thank you. >> Thanks, Dr. D. >> Now, would you like >> Do you have a voice left? >> What a great day. >> Public forum. I don't have anyone signed up, but we do have some guests this evening. If you'd like to come to the podium and speak with us, we'd love to hear from you. Oh, why not? We'll close public comment. And how much fun was that have to have people here tonight? That was weird. Um, I'm not aware of anything needing to be pulled out of the consent agenda. Does anybody have anything? Anybody would like to make a motion on the consent agenda? >> By Carolyn,

116second by John. there any discussion on any of the items? >> I'll just mention for anybody who's watching and wondering while we're why we are meeting on a Tuesday >> that school boards across the state are meeting tonight because it's our opportunity to vote on the budget and slate of candidates for our Boseies and so that's part of our consent agenda and we're about to vote on it. >> Thanks Marri that's a great point. I forgot that honestly I kind of forgot it was Tuesday. All right. For anybody who thought tomorrow was Friday, I've got bad news. >> Um, so if no more discussion, we can vote on the consent agenda. All those in favor? 70. One of my favorite things to do, we have um again our generous community is uh Carolyn Hanley is

117donating a keyboard and stool um in the amount of $200 to the increased Miller music department. Uh thank you very much for that. It's very much appreciated. Somebody would like to make a motion to accept that gift. Motion by Barbara, second by Marjorie. All those in favor? 70. And we come to board dialogue and discussion. Can >> I just say one thing? So I just wanted to say one moment and and thank you because just a moment ago you approved uh the recommendation for uh Andrea Whited who's here tonight and she uh we just hired her as a monitor at increase Miller and she wanted to come by and so thank you for being here number one and and also just a heartfelt welcome official welcome to Katona Lewisboro. So thank you. >> Thank you.

118>> Yeah. Welcome to the family. >> Wonderful to see all the great work that you and the students are doing. >> It's an exciting place to be. >> Yelcome. >> Thanks, Neil. >> Y >> I had just something really small that came up during the presentation, but I didn't want to interrupt the presentation and it may already be a resource that has crossed your desk, Julia, but I've heard a couple times we talk about the um Backyard Habitat Project. And I just wanted to mention that there's this film called Backyard Wilderness that came out in 2018 that was filmed in Westchester County and it's kind of a gem and I think it's really appropriate for students and that you would enjoy it if nothing else and so if it wasn't something that we all had

119seen or that had crossed your desk, I just thought you might enjoy that. Um, I also wanted to mention that I was really worried recently that I missed the display of artwork at the Katona Museum of Art because the annual exhibition of young artists work usually is in February and I I don't know what accounts for the scheduling change, but I'm so happy to say that it's actually starting on May 3rd. So relieved. So I'm only mentioning that now because we next meet on May 7th, but I really encourage everyone the exhibit will be open, I think, from May 3rd until maybe May 24th, right before Memorial Day. But such a pleasure to see the artwork of presumably our students. Stay tuned. And then students from around the region. And then I just had a

120quick question because Dave Newman from Energia in the panel that we heard in the auditorium was asked this question about how will students have access to the learning around this new solar implementation? And I felt like that was like a handoff to Julia Drake because he didn't have the answer about connecting the dots to our team. But is that something where you like you're ready to receive the materials that he mentioned and we'll appropriately disseminate them to our teams? >> Well, once I do, yeah, >> I don't know if you were even in the room when that question was asked. Okay, >> I perked up especially at that moment. >> We wrote into the original RFP the requirement that that any one that we award the RFP to needs to provide curricular materials and ways

121to integrate it. So that will be coming. Um but as Dave mentioned though and since we've already you know since we're starting starting >> sorry obviously I'm underhydrated as well but >> but no but the um yes so there's more areas for data and that was another thing like having that dashboard and that that >> um we last year we're looking into like possibly how can we get that on the website or something like that and you know and that's something we'll go back to as the project actually gets off the around and everything that um that we would like to do that to have something um not for the students and for as well as the community to see that. >> That sounds great. >> I think the students would love it because they've

122asked for that this kind of visibility into the improvements. >> Yeah. >> Thank you so much. That sounds great. >> I'm not going to let John slip by without saying a couple of things. >> Just a quick word to say thank you. It's been such a pleasure to serve with you. Um, you will very much be missed. Um, just valued colleague. Um, and we wish all the best on your next chapter, but I didn't want this to I realized earlier that it was your last day and you know I just wanted to say thank you for serving. >> Thank you. Thank you. Um, I would like to say a few words. I don't know if I have to go up to the podium or if Kim needs a second. Kim, you want to set your

123time? >> The timer going. >> That's that's next meeting. >> You know, first first of all, it's it's an apology. This has been uh a difficult decision because uh you being a Midwesterner, uh when you put your word to something, you commit to it and it's a commitment and I was fully in for the three years. Uh, but it became one of those situations where um I didn't feel like I could do what needed to be done to sit in this this seat and it would be more of a place filler and that's not fair to the kids. So, I'm going to that's how it started and I'll go back to that. That is about the kids. So, uh, a couple comments and I hope I do not invoke Billy Madison's. Everyone in this room

124is now dumber for listening to it. Um, so stick with me. Um, I also want to keep this to eye statements uh because I understand not everyone who may watch this on video or hear this in this room uh may agree with me and that's okay because having differing opinions is important in regards to a school system and moving the work forward uh for those students. So with that, first I want to thank Kim. When I spoke about commitment a moment ago, nobody knows that word better than Kim, which is no surprise. But then you add in a layer of selflessness and unrelenting kindness. You have the trifecta that is Kim. Um, at different points in my tenure, I've had little questions or states of confusion, and Kim has always made it seem like it

125was never little and no confusion to be had. So, Kim, you are a pillar amongst twigs, and I thank you. A >> uh next, my thanks is directed to the soontobe former board members for the sake that it is. this this is a collective group and in order not to offend any one individual um I'm not going to say anything about you individually but I'll make it a blank statement. Uh your dedication historical institutional and educational knowledge has left me in awe at times. Uh and that's the truth. I've walked out sometimes like I'm I'm over my skis on this one. >> Um I truly enjoyed working with all of you and learning from you. So I thank you all and that also includes Julia and Rory in my first my uh my first goound.

126Uh to Ray in the cabinet, I appreciate your visionary approach which was present on my very first day and it has never wavered nor have I seen any of you flustered although your positions inherently are magnets for frustrations both your own and more especially receiving it from others. So, thank you for your unrelenting and sometimes unappreciated dedication to this to your craft. Uh, to the school houses and all the admin teachers and staff, as someone who once walked in your shoes, know that you are appreciated. It was special to be able to visit the building and the classes and see your passion and commitment with the students. I'm yet to find an educator that picked this profession for the paycheck. Rather, it's having the opportunity to get paid for what you are meant to do.

127You are teachers because your students come first. Thank you for never losing sight of that. I feel that education is like a pizza party for hundreds of people, but you only have one pizza. And there in lies the problem. Some want thick crusts and others want thin. Is the dough gluten-free or not? Is the cheese lactosefree? And are their toppings organic? Do the older patrons get a bigger slice or does everyone get the exact same size, etc., etc.? It would seem impossible to please all and oftentimes you cannot fully satisfy the hungriest. But you still try by adding a mushroom or maybe removing an anchovi. And that's education. Everyone who is involved in child development, from parents, teachers, friends, coaches, everyone, they know how best to serve that individual child. But sometimes those beliefs and

128processes don't align with each other. However, there is beauty in that because it means two things. Number one, all those people truly care about that child. And two, all those people in some form or another will find the right path or paths to help that child find success. So I will finish where I started almost two years ago when I ran for the board standing at that podium. My reason was not based on any specific personal agenda or platform. The board of education needs to be concerned about all aspects in the district and take a 360 degree view of every issue with the outcomes always being focused on what is best for the kids and all kids. I believe in civic duty. I believe in educating the whole child and I believe in what KLSD

129stands for as shown in both the mission and the vision. I've appreciated the opportunity to share what I've learned over the past 31 years and I will always value the privilege that I have in serving on this board. So, thank you all. >> Thank you. >> John, your time with us is was way too short. Um, you arrived in an unusual cycle and you made a big impact from your first meeting. PLSD is better for having had you part of it and we wish you the best of luck in your next endeavors. >> Thank you. >> I feel really lucky to have served with you and I really thank you for um a very memorable hike and conversation in the Wound Rich reservation and um just you know the the gift of your friendship and

130partnership here. Thank you. I wish you all the best. I tend to try to crack a joke when I'm feeling uncomfortable. Um, but I don't actually have one right now. You, you know, you've always since I started, you were very welcoming. Um, and I always liked I noticed something about you is that you're very quiet, but then when you have something important to say, you definitely say, and I've really always appreciated that about you. You don't say things just to say things. So, uh, there goes me with my not being able to crack a joke right now. >> Thank you, John. You've been wonderful. Um, appreciate your advice as I as a new board member helped getting the board of a calendar on my phone and a few things helping me be out, but also,

131you know, for being kind and and um and supportive. John, you've you've left me as the only male and I I uh I appreciate everything you've done for this board and uh I wish you the best of luck and your new endeavors >> and there's no males running >> home alone. And I'm sorry for putting the cart before the horse because you had such beautiful remarks prepared and I wanted just to make sure we were marking the moment. Those are >> great segue. Thank you. >> It was any other discussion. You got to close it up >> with that. Um I you know if we never close the meeting, John doesn't ever GET TO LEAVE. UH THAT BRINGS US NEXT TO future meetings. Uh Friday, May 1, the sustainability committee will be back at work

132planning for next year's attempt to beat this year's um format. U Thursday, May 7th, we will be back here regular time and play 7 p.m. for our board of education meeting. Saturday, May 9th, thank you very much, Kim. Kim holds a special voter registration um beginning at 9:00 am in the district office so that everyone who has not registered to vote can register to vote. If anybody has any questions about where and how to vote, you know, John, you you nailed it. Kim is um just valuable beyond measure uh to our district. She is she is the person who knows everything and holds the key. Uh then Thursday May 19th is our annual vote and election budget vote and election. Um we will be having May 12th and May 14th um May 12th at the

133evening and May 12th during the May 14th during the day uh question and answer sessions. Please come down and ask the questions. Um there's a there's Thank you Hudson uh for your for your comments today. uh could not have put it better. Um and your passion for public education is really appreciated. >> And then Thursday, May 21st, uh we'll be back here 7 p.m. for our board of education meeting. >> Hence the clicker. >> Um just a couple of things. I want to start by just again acknowledging what everybody heard and saw and experienced tonight. So uh again hopefully we can continue this opportunity the board has afforded uh myself when I came on on to the team with hearing from our students and just kind of have it be a very comfortable space when

134our faculty is able to join us here. So thank you. Um the next spot I just wanted to say thank you to the town of Lewisboro. had a chance uh just a short while ago to visit one of the town board meetings and have an opportunity to have a conversation about you know we have a very important question as Hudson spoke proposition three that's coming on the ballot here in just a few short weeks. So gave me an opportunity to go ahead and meet with some of our our community members just at least provide a chance to be uh very um clear and open. I really appreciate the board that was there and allowing me to kind of answer some of the questions that they were hearing and that's I think part of it where

135um meeting with our PTO meeting with all of our different um building based PTO's we have the two dates coming up for larger community meetings we are uh trying to solidify a date for a virtual meeting so if folks perhaps come in I know that's an adjustment but with the questions that we have on the ballot this year we identified that would be something we like to go ahead and do. So, we'll get that date solidified here and get that message out. If you can't happen to make one of those other in-person pieces, we're going to kind of do a virtual check-in with folks and we'll have Matt Berg and my colleague will be able to kind of will facilitate that and and do the best we can with those questions coming in so we

136can get that information out there, too. So, I know one of the questions that has kind of come back a few times and I just wanted to share a couple of things. One is I just want to remind uh our team and then our community is that we do get a a um state aid on building aid on projects and so where we have been talking about yes it dropped from before 35 to 25% but we do get support from the state on the project roughly a quarter of the cost of our work will be covered by that state. We have to though ask the community first for the full cost of the project and then we'll be able to go ahead and get some of that reimbured from the state. So again that's a

137key spot and we're living that today with our project that we're about to wrap up with our lees and while K12 buildings had something to hit in there. So again that's a important piece I wanted to try to highlight in there as well. And then uh again a couple of folks that that have continued to ask and I think again did a wonderful job describing kind of like oh you maybe you may or may not have space and so a couple of things I think are important to highlight in there. One is one of the uh closest examples we can use would be um like at increase Miller Elementary School where we did just add four classrooms. So, okay, you could say that ad there was approximately $6.5 million for that part, not the whole

138building. Building was about $9.5. That's about what it took to do there. Well, you might be able to go ahead and add those classrooms and then you're talking about that's a that's a number that is not going to be that number. It's going to be roughly 5% escalation cost over anywhere from four to five years. So, you can move that up. And then also out at uh our campus at Metal Pond relatively if you look through the same thing there. then all butts are off when you look at Katona. I have no idea how you would add more space to that campus. Um just with this physical plant and with the building around it as you know just very quickly that goes up. We got the geothermal that's going in and so the reality of

139the cost there is one component. And then again, the idea about thinking we're moving children that are 10 years old into a middle school with with a fifth grade going in through 8th grade in a campus that wasn't really designed for that purpose. You will see models like that that are designed that way. So you can really separate those and even uh in some parts of our state, you'll see K through2 campuses that are designed in that way. This wasn't. And then even you think about our transportation now those uh 10-year-olds would be on that bus in the morning with those uh up to seniors in that regard which >> there's no middle school bus. They're on the bus. >> No ma'am. They're all on the bus together. Yes. And then that day then starts

140at a different time as well for those kids that are at that spot. Now they're starting at the 8:00 and then they're finishing now at 3. And so there's there are a significant amount of logistics that um I don't know exactly how we would process through those. Not that you can't, but we're not forced into that decision, but from a from a um developmental appropriate piece, I think there's a lot of wonderings I would have inside of there. Um, and then as well as just the the uh geographical spot of where that may be your oldest child in the home as a fifth grader, you say, "Okay, yeah, you can kind of watch your siblings and things like that until, you know, folks are home." But now, if that fifth grader is out of the

141house, and you've got a second or a third grader, that's no longer an option and things. And so, there's a lot of pieces inside of there. So, I think that's an important part we want to connect on. And then I think what thinking about other opportunities too. We hear from uh Mirabel tonight that one of those opportunities is getting and connecting with our students, older students to younger students. Thinking about a space like here where our students now as they look at for example their senior internship experience going into a universal prek program of being part of working with the youngest children being those teacher assistants for that time period. So there's a lot of opportunity piece in there. Another question that can continue to repeat is um I am um want to make it

142clear that our intent is to put a space in there that will allow our students with the highest um special education needs to not have to go to Rockland and other spaces. They'll be able to be here. Then we'll bring other students from other districts in that will not have to go as far either. So that is a clear clear piece. We would look at that site as well. And then really what hit tonight with um I do certainly see opportunities from a sustainability standpoint uh talking about making like a community garden there. I think our community uh garden club in Lewis Berley started I think back in ' 72 and so opportunities there a garden for our children youngest kids to start from an environmental standpoint from there and we're running the numbers now

143we're asking for our partners with energy and things like that and Honeywell um the ability of putting solar back on that campus at what point might we be kind of a zero emissions at that campus self-generating from the solar roof on top of there's just all different types of connections it would make inside of there. Oh, and by the way, every intent looks like it is going to be a part of the state budget once that piece gets crossed, but there are other pieces inside of there that it's very evident that this is going to be a spot where we've got kind of both chambers coming kind of agreeing as well as our governor agreeing. And so that that will be upon us. And so >> definitely looks like it will be, you know, it's

144pretty much a sure thing. But if it's not, can I ask Yeah. >> So, let's say, you know, UPK doesn't get an increase in funding and it stays at what is it 5,500 per student roughly >> and then, you know, it doesn't become mandated in the next couple years, but the bond passes, you know, is that is that still the do you feel the most fiscally responsible thing to do with the land because I know that there's a lot of conversation about UPK, but really this journey has happened through the lees committee because there we have land and we have a building headed toward um disrepair if we don't intervene. Um so is is that still the most fiscally responsible thing to do with the land if you know in worst case scenario that those

145the governor's budget doesn't pass? >> And so I would say yes cuz really when we looked at that determination in the most recent visit there wasn't that was not on our radar that that increase was going to be a part of the ability for us to do this. But you still thought it would be for the best use. This decision was made to put this bond forth at 5,500 per student at the current funding. >> Yes. >> And it just so happened that >> we're headed in the right direction given the governor's >> some people may call luck. I'll call I will call it strategically. >> Definitely not discounting. >> Yes. No, no, no. I'm just saying the community's foresight there. >> Yes. Well, that's a key spot. 12 years ago when the community said

146look we're maintaining this land we will keep that and we will do our best to maintain that facility and I would say they have we have done a very good job with not overinvesting like in putting in new roofs that when we know we're not going to need that for the last 20 years that would make no sense to do that and now they're going to spot actually there is an opportunity to go back take roughly half of it down and then get it back up to where we then now can occupy it so yes that would make the most sense and then other opportunities may present For example, like the special education lens I mentioned, we would not facilitate that. We would have a partner come in to do that. They would kind of

147pay rent to use that space and then we would get some dollars from that as well too. >> So financially given the current funding for UPA, a special ed classroom or two with Boseies and other rental income and solar, >> right? >> Reducing energy costs. We're looking at a self-sustaining building and a financially responsible use of the land regardless. >> Yes. >> The governor's budget only just um >> it really >> enhances what we can offer the kids. >> Yes. And I and I think even I know Dr. Drake shared with me earlier today that you know she was at a meeting with her colleagues and you could maybe speak to some of the energy that was at that meeting where >> Sure. It's the regional uh both meeting at Boseies of the curriculum councils

148of surrounding districts and uh other districts were asking for help because they do not have any such option in their districts. So um they were hoping perhaps Boseies could offer some kind of centralized service which would mean even more travel for their young uh children in their districts but they don't have space. They're thinking about maybe putting bonds forth to construct buildings to house um the preks in their districts and there were a few of them. >> I mean, and if a district doesn't have land and don't have space and they need it, it's an eminent domain. It's not a fun process to go through. >> Like we're lucky that we have a piece of land that we held on to the land and that we have a building we can repair as opposed to

149building from the ground up. >> Yeah, we're very fortunate. I really think the way to look at it is that this is our and by our I mean our school district's asset and it's an asset that we have retained and that has been sufficiently maintained and now we have a vision for how to sort of return the asset to the entire school district community. And even though we're at a point in our process where the board of education has approved placing this proposition on the ballot, this percolated up through a subcommittee of the board of education that included community members from across the district. This was a a a diverse stakeholder committee that represented the interests of our entire school district community. and we're just the few people sitting around the table saying yes, thank

150you subcommittee, thank you stakeholders, and thank you for leading that work so that we could be in the position to support the recommendation and the vision that percolated up through our own community. And we're about to be able to refurbish and return this asset for future generations of Katona Lewis Burough students at the tender young age of four. It's amazing. That's that's how I look at it. >> And if I could add, the finance committee also had some really in-depth conversations. And all of the committee members at the first conversations were not sure that this was fiscally the right thing. And as we talked more and more with them and they we explained the vision and the financing and what it's going to do for our children, they ended up whole wholeheartedly supporting that this

151really was the best path forward. >> And that's actually a really important point because this subcommittee of the board of education was convened at the recommendation of the finance committee. Right? And it's easy to forget that the you know the finance committee is composed of whomever is serving at the pleasure of the board on the committee. But it was that very subcommittee that said we don't want to sell. In fact, we want to convene a subcommittee of the board to decide what to do with that asset. And this was the recommendation of that committee that was really the recommendation of the finance committee. Let's convene a subcommittee. So thank you for the reminder. There's also 10,000 square ft of community space within this which is a huge piece. It's benefiting everybody. Seniors, you know, tots

152>> everyone. >> Yeah, we certainly would anticipate Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, the whole thing, >> BFW. >> There's a lot of space there for car >> and and and thank you, Bill, for reminding us of that. And thank you to our architects for being so responsive to that piece of the project. We sat in meetings with our architects and talked about, you know, how could we envision separate entrances and separate facilities so that members of the community could safely and appropriately take advantage of the community spaces while not interfering with or sort of inappropriately accessing the other areas that are only for our youngest students. and you know the pre-k education that's unfolding. So I think that's really important what you're sharing and you know for anybody who sort of didn't pick up on that

153while watching the slideshow and listening to the presentation you know really important to underscore there is a significant community component. This space is being designed for the benefit of our community our entire school community. Yeah. >> Great. >> Speaking of the community, I know that um there are concerns about small businesses. Obviously, the the board of education's responsibility is to and um but can you speak to what you think how we can include that? >> Yeah, and I think what we're doing right now is I think a pretty good example of that with our small business that's in town that is supporting. We went from one to three sections is doing that now. And then as we would see that would be able to uh kind of expand and open up and then the ability

154for either one or more businesses. And so I'm thinking of a couple of districts that I'm familiar with down county. One has five different community- based organizations that provide the preschool. So it doesn't necessarily need to be one. It could be multiple that are doing that. And some are a split. Some are providing it within their facilities and others provide it within a few district facilities that they have. don't have enough, but they're doing a split. So, there's a lot of different ways to do that. And my anticipation would be that it's a it's a win. It's not that the and I like the way Dr. Lea described to me earlier before, it's like it's not that the pie is shrinking. If anything, it's expanding. It seems odd, but there truly is an opportunity for

155a win-win here. >> Win is getting bigger, >> but the pizza is getting bigger. Yeah. It's a thick rust. It's a nice thick rust. >> Only a trophy. And I think I think that's the reality of it is that we have that opportunity where we can add that value and then think about um I when I had the chance to open up preschool before it was that January just after co we had the first chance we had open in January that was a new partnership with a group that wasn't in the community then but the way that that organization a lot make that kind of doable is you have the before and after wraparound care. So that helps those small businesses kind of make that work. And then even working with the different uh kind

156of town uh or activities that can take place right at that campus. Four to four year olds, the little ones can do some things after be it a gardening club or whatever they would do. There's a lot of different opportunities with that being a centralized space. I don't see it being less. I see it obviously hopefully more opportunities. So the UPK funding is for a three-hour preschool, but the hope is that there's really can be services all day for kids. >> Yes. And so that would the five hours. So the three hours and 9 to noon, but you go to two. So we got the five hours 9 to2 and we're living it today. So we've got a wraparound before and after just like us now with our partners the CCC. Some folks need it,

157some folks don't. And then that's really creates a rich opportunity for us to create those pieces. And then if there's things on the weekends and activities that are there, that creates again a nice centralized space. Um, as you would know better than I do, that the playground right there, that's really K through five. So that would stay there for community. We would anticipate, but we already have with the architects identified and basically a space that's just off of the back of the building that's now open up because the spots coming down opportunity there for little ones to come in. But again, I would say it's it's an opportunity for us. I would now think about how many more teach we got three classrooms right now. So now if you go and say we're going to

158add another six, seven, eight or nine of those. That's 15, 18, maybe 19 jobs that are now in our community or folks who are interested and passionate about early childhood education and things. So it gives us a chance to perhaps hire some folks right within our community to do that work. This is really helpful as the conversation has been evolving to continue to have these discussions and to frame and answer the questions. There are a couple of things that are sticking with me in terms of following the discussion. One is this question of not every alternative has been explored. And what I'm hearing here is we actually have there's been a tremendous amount of thought both at the committee level at the administration level. We have explored alternatives. This has been a thoughtful process and

159so this idea that we haven't fully explored all options is just incorrect. We have explored them. The other piece that's sticking with me is the 25 24.5 million price tag which you know doesn't take into account the fact that we get school aid on it. doesn't take into account the fact that prek is funded as a grant program and so we we get the benefit of all of the of that income and also doesn't take into account the fact that we have the ability to take on that debt because we have been so responsible and that we're able to take long-term debt. And so I thought it was very smart when Hudson was speaking that he focused on what is the monthly impact to a household. And when you think about it and when you

160sort of pull away from the big figure that's going to be split over many years that's going to receive state aid um and you really look at that monthly impact, I think it becomes a much easier decision for people to be able to say, "Wow, we get yearround community space. We get services for our kids. we get a stronger school district um for $15$18 a month, >> right? >> Um you know for a million dollar home and so I think um and that value differs a little bit from municipality to municipality, but I think by and large when people look into the monthly amount I think it becomes much um simpler question to ask is this worth it? and and I would say that the more we've had a chance to speak here or out

161in our community to add that it it does also have space and flexibility to allow our community to access that. So again, be it over the summer, be it in the colder one month months and things like that even, you know, we're going to need to go back and update the gymnasium for example. And so in that space, we need to redo that. So we would probably be putting permanent pickle ball court lines in there and those things. We have a lovely stage that's up there. And so there's opportunity if there's a small theater group that wants to work inside of that space. We can do that. I I I think that like anything else that the opportunities are are in a lot of ways things we haven't even thought out of yet and yet

162they're they're there with relatively large space, a specific space like the gym and or the stage. We've got a small space that presents itself. There's already water in there. So the thinking is is right now take advantage put a sink in there. So if they did painting classes. So there's a lot of different opportunities that we can use for community as well as other extracurricular activities for our children before and after school summer. You know, think about those breaks when folks are, oh my goodness, I'm not sure where to go. And then now that can become a centralized space and so that it allows again our custodians, we spoke about Mike earlier before do an outstanding job of maintaining your billings. they have a very short window of time to do the work that they

163need to do between stripping floors and ceilings and all that stuff. If we're able to use the centralized spot for that, saying great, then now we're going to ahead and have folks meet there so that they can get after it when we got, you know, seven days at this break and they can hit it versus we have students in and out, families in and out, it's like no, no, no, do the work and if we got a one centralized space, it really does help us a lot to be able to keep on top of that labor and just the faster on top of it, the quicker we can go forward with it. So there's a lot of of opportunities that exist and I appreciate the way Barbara you framed that it is and again like

164I said Hudson before it's an investment somebody did it for me when I was you know go to school invested in the schools and then community at that point in time and so that's playing it forward I guess as best as we can and hopefully any community of our member can see that oh I I could go use that space for you know being either part of a mjang group or whatever it may be or part of the the you know garden club and or whatever that uh opportunities will present itself. And so we um I wanted to close tonight too again that we are looking again at the the possibilities again of having that be you know kind of a zero impact environmentally. So we're going to go ahead and we couldn't put on

165there now with the roofs but we get new roofs. We can go back and saying now you're talking about you know some some significant um mitigation of those future costs. Back to your point too, I would think I what I was hearing was we cannot take dollars out of the K through 12 bucket for funds to do prek. And so that is and has always been the goal. So by doing something like that allows us keep it much more manageable. And I think I mentioned before I have already received calls from individuals of do you have room reay to if to have me maybe send our kids to this campus and if we did sure bring them and part of that we would be able to recover those costs because got to pay the utilities

166and the bills and things. So that's part of the $10,000 or 54 in order to do that and then that part will go to the provider but there is a part as we are the landlord to take care of that. So there would be funds coming in that way. So, but um as you continue to hear things, I really appreciate let me shift these, you know, this tonight and maybe the next meeting or two to kind of close at the end so we can just open the conversation about what you're hearing and what you're thinking and wondering. Again, we have a getting that virtual opportunity set and then we have two inerson ones set and kind of go from there. So, >> thanks everybody. >> Thank you. >> Oh, go savers. Sorry. John, would you

167like to uh make a motion to adjurnn? >> Make a motion. Can >> I have a second? Second by Bill. All those in favor? 70.