001Good evening, everybody. It is 6:04 p.m. We will call to order a regular meeting of the Board of Education. Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay, to start I'm going to request a motion to enter into executive session to discuss matters that are confidential under state law pertaining to a particular individual. Thank you. Dan? Second? Jackie? All in favor? I. Okay, we're back on. Do we have any additions deletions to the agenda this evening? Just anything that I emailed you guys with personnel considerations. Okay, thanks, Sue. Is there a motion to accept the minutes of the March 25th meeting? Motion. Thanks, Matt. Second,
002Pete. Any discussion on that? All in favor? I. Uh we have a hearing and petition forum here from Ms. Melody Morrison. Melody, you're welcome to come up to the podium and speak into the microphone there. Uh just general rules, try and limit your comments to 3 minutes in length if you could. Um and please refrain from uh discussing particular individuals or other matters that are confidential because this is a public session. Welcome. So, I am a mother of three kids who are being bullied. I'm letting you know I have followed the chain of command starting with the teachers all the way through administration, superintendent, and now I've brought it to the board. And so I'm going I came here with the intention to go public. As I told everybody, I'm ready to do because my
003daughter's being harassed. My question to the board cuz nobody seems to be doing anything about it is I am a 10-year-old girl and I have to go to school every day. I'm asking to stay home every day because a teacher's harassing me. But yet, administration says I can't be removed cuz it's going to disrupt another classroom. In the real world, I work for the state. If there's a problem with two people getting along, one or both of them are removed from the situation. I was told we can't do it. Every day I have to send her in. She is type 1 diabetic. I watch her sugar numbers all day every day and I was told it's unfair that she has her phone with her so that I can watch her numbers. I can tell you
004every time something's going wrong within the school because her numbers shoot up and I get the message, "Mom, things are going wrong." I'm asking you as a board, I've left people's names out of it tonight, to figure it out. I need her removed from the classroom and I need these teachers not to be her set of teachers next year. I don't care what that looks like, but she needs to be removed for her well-being, my well-being. I Dad and I are fully prepared to go the next steps. We already are in state mediation. Next steps are lawyers. So, I'm asking you, somebody please get back to us. All right. Thanks, Melody. Uh business considerations this evening, we have 6-1 through 6-18. Is there a motion for one or more? Motion to amend 6-1. Okay. I
005would like to make a motion to amend 6-1. All right, we'll start with the motion to amend. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. And that to amend would be to change uh in the recommended action 35 students to 34 students and 112 students to 111 students. Okay. I'll second that as well. All in favor of the motion to amend? I. I. Uh Nedi, you want to treat that one separately, Matt, or do you want to >> No, no, I I guess we can do it there. So, I'll now make a motion for 6-1 through 6-18. All right. Before we do that, uh Sue, there's no uh roll call matters on here tonight, is there? Okay. All right. So, motion for 6-1 through 6-18. Is there a second? Pete? Uh before discussion, just one item to note here. Uh
006we have our donation from Stewart's as part of the holiday match program for $1,800. Thank you very much for that. Uh do we have any further discussion on the business items? Um on the board meeting calendar, um first off, I'd like to congratulate you on getting both of my kids and my husband's birthdays on board meeting night. That was really impressive. Um unfortunately, the July 8th meeting, um I would be out of town and I that would be a night that assuming that I get reelected, uh I would assume I'd be sworn in. So, I don't know if we want to consider moving that or if it's okay for that to happen at the next meeting again on the assumption that I get reelected. It's entirely fine with us. Happened to me when I got
007elected to the first time I had to do it. We can do either of those. I think we In recent years, I think we had somebody who was sworn in at a subsequent meeting. Was that okay? You can come by my office anytime after July 1st and be sworn in. Okay, then then it's perfectly fine if I miss one meeting and I have no concerns about that. Right. I I said that. I know so. [laughter] Don't forget to vote, everybody. >> to just point out that we are have three naming We have our new naming policy and there are three I don't know if we want to talk about it, whatever how we want to do it, but I just would like to note that we have our first three named facilities off of our
008new naming policy. So, I think that's pretty cool. Yeah. I don't know if you want to talk about it or we're not going to talk about it, whatever you want to We uh our our ad hoc committee has met and has brought you these recommendations for these three. Um a uh dedication bench in honor and memory of Christina Maloney. Uh and as the district, we would like to add a plaque to the area where that is installed. Um and then we also have the uh recommendation for Racey Road. And then the recommendation for Gary Vanderzee Field. Uh and the committee um was unanimous for all three of those. Um just one comment. As a graduate from the '80s, there's two things that stick in my head is Ron Racey running up and down the bus
009garage road and Gary Vanderzee being on the football field. So, um I lived through it and I and I think it's a it's a great thing to dedicate to those guys. So, I think it's awesome. I'll just second that having been on the committee, but yeah, I think they're absolutely worthy. They were We had good applications for that. And obviously, Christina, you know, was a friend of mine and swell teacher and [clears throat] a tragic situation this year and I think that's a great honor for her as well. So, I'm very happy about all three of these. I'm glad the policy's working the way at least for now the way we intended it. So, if anybody's out there listening and you think somebody else deserves something, >> [clears throat] >> put an application. Now, what
010with it? We know there's going to be a sign for Ron and the thing for Christina. What's going to be over here for Gary? Is it going to be a like a street sign Uh we're looking at a couple different things. >> [clears throat] >> So, one of the things I had thought about like with this is sometimes you like to I can go over that, right? >> Yeah, go ahead. Sometimes you like to you know, you like some of these things to be a surprise for the person. Um that kind of thing. But the way this works, we really can't cuz of the way it goes. So, we know this part's happening, but some of those specifics we're going to keep in the background so there can be some surprise for the honoree. Is
011that okay? Good with that? Yeah. Yeah. All [snorts] right. Anything further? Jenny, do you have anything on your any of the business considerations? We have a motion for all of them. Ben, I do not have anything. Okay, thank you. All right. All in favor? I. I. Uh personnel considerations 7-1 through 7-36. Is there a motion for one or more? Motion for all. Motion for all, Jackie. Thank you. Second by Jenny. Uh so, starting off on this, we have a number of tenure appointments this evening. And I know that we have a couple of our tenure teachers here with us. So, just want to start with a big congratulations for both of you and everyone else who gained tenure this year. CONGRATULATIONS. >> [applause] >> BOTTOM OUT. RICK MESSEY OVER THERE ON THE LEFT and Kyle
012Thayer on the right. Good job, guys. Well done. And to all the How many other total? I think we got 15? Quite a few. Yeah. 15 teachers, right? And we also have uh two teaching assistants. TAs. So, we got a lot of tenures tonight. We do. Can I also add since Rick is sitting there, he did a fantastic job running the track meet yesterday with some crazy uh circumstances. We had some weather and a medical emergency and uh he was running running around like a crazy man with a microphone in the sand and uh but everything went very smoothly. So, nice job. Nice. Oh, wow. Yeah, okay. Nice. Outstanding. That's great. All right. Anything further on the personnel considerations? All right. All in favor? I. I. All right. Turn over to Superintendent Chandler for the
013district office team. All right. Good evening, everybody. Um I don't have anything in particular for tonight other than uh perhaps a little bit more uh budget information that I know some people were looking for in regard to specifically positions that we don't intend to fill. Um if if anybody on the board had any remaining questions about that, I'm prepared to answer those and what that looks like. Yeah, yeah, sure. So, um >> People clearly know that it's it's nine, not eight. Yes, right. Last meeting I said eight and I misspoke and it is actually nine. Uh so, if I walk through those positions, uh it's one position at fifth grade at AW Becker. And that will result in class sizes of around 22 students in uh fifth grade sections. It's uh one STEAM teacher at
014or not teacher, but position. Uh teacher moving into a different uh open position. So, it's uh one STEAM teacher at each elementary school. Uh so, one STEAM teacher will remain. STEAM programming will remain. Um would just look a little bit different. Jean, do you want to speak to that before I get to the rest of the positions? >> So, currently um at an elementary school, STEAM is a special for our elementary students. So, they go once a week. That will remain in place. So, those STEAM teachers built a schedule where they have regular meetings with kids working through projects. Um prior to this recommended change, they would also build time with classroom teachers to push in and support STEAM activities in the classroom. That will be the piece that will be reduced, but students will
015still participate in a STEAM program once a week with a STEAM teacher. Thanks, Jean. Sure. Uh so, then we've got uh one section of kindergarten at uh Peter B. That will result in classes of 17 in kindergarten. And one class section of first grade that will result in class size of 16 students per uh per section of first grade there. And then at the high school, uh one ELA position and one social studies position. That's not going to result in the elimination of any electives and it should result in average core class sizes of 20. Recognizing that they don't always balance out, so there will be some smaller and there will be some larger. But the average for core classes should be around 20 students per class. Uh it's one special education position in the
016district. Uh all required special education services will still be able to maintain. Uh and then it is uh one teacher that was on special assignment moving back into a classroom role. Uh and in this case, it was our uh project-based learning coach. So, project-based learning will continue just without the coach pushing in and facilitating those activities. And that is that is the list. >> Can I add one thing, Greg? Sorry. So, I did speak to the superintendent yesterday. I was going to have another little speech tonight about the cuts, but I think last time I made my, you know, my got my points across what I felt about the cuts. I approved it tonight without any comment, but the one thing I did ask him that for next year, for the board and for the
017public, is that these, if we have cuts like this or any kind of cuts, that we hear about them, specifically what those are, before the night when we're voting. Like even now, we've already voted, now people are finding out what those cuts are. So, all those are things I think I know there's some potential restrictions, notification, things like that, but just I'm putting out there that I think it's important that in a meeting before this, we understand what those cuts are and the implications of those cuts and potential impacts of those cuts before we have to actually vote that night. So, I've asked them if you Sure. to try to work with me on that, work with all of us on that for next year, so that the community knows as well, you know, what
018what does this mean before we actually move it along to them to vote. So, thank you. Um and I just want to add I know I've said it before, but for anybody that's here or or that's listening, um we were committed to no layoffs and these position eliminations do not result in any layoffs. That's it for me. Yeah, I don't Okay. Um no. No. I think the second one. Just thank you for voting on the budget. It's a lot of [laughter] You only see a little bit of it. It really is a work of people here and and the administrators and the staff working months and months to put put this together. So, thank you very much. And thank you for leading that for us. I know it hasn't been an easy year. Uh but
019yeah, put a lot of work into it and I think we've come out with a reasonable budget even though it doesn't have everything that everybody like to see. I think we struck a good balance with what we have and keeping the programs in place that we can keep in place. Yeah, I agree. Uh Lyca, you have anything tonight? Um Well, I wanted to say congratulations to one of my two favorite teachers. Um it [clears throat] was really nice seeing that. Um and then >> Which which one? >> [laughter] >> Um they both are really special to me. >> [laughter] >> Um but yeah, I've had one as a How do I say this? Well, I usually went to both of them. I really don't know. But they both are really special and seeing them get
020this is really nice. Um so, congrats to them. Um and then I mean, I'm again, I'm really happy about the budget that we're really gone from that. It was a lot. I've never really heard that much math in my life and a lot of a lot of money. Um but thank God. Um but I mean, nothing else for me. So, nice weather, though. Yeah. Yep. All right. Thanks, Lyca. Of course. Any new business items? Uh on old business, I know that our athletic code of conduct is in the works. Uh anything further on the SRO night shift report? >> I can just share that we had a health and safety committee meeting this afternoon where we discussed that potential job description and those duties. Uh and you know, for the most part finalized it, but
021I did leave it so that those people could get back to me with any additional feedback, etc., but um generally, they felt like the plan moving forward was a good one. I had you know, I put this on there, you know, a while back and you know, I I appreciate the work that's been done. Again, Greg Mr. Chuck Mr. Chandler and I had a our quarterly check-in yesterday, so we had the opportunity to look at some of that. I don't know if you guys noticed, it was the second section that I had some questions about. It seemed to me like we were putting the SRO sort of in a custodial position to like make sure the air condition was running at all, but Greg clarified for me that they're not necessarily setting the air conditioning,
022they're not opening the doors, they're just ensuring that's all been done. If that's is that accurate? >> Yes, yes. So, the basic idea is that obviously, it's still a law enforcement officer and trained as such, but they would be doing some duties such as greeting people when they come in the front entrance, directing them to the right facility, um making rounds kind of routinely to make sure that areas are closed that are supposed to be closed and, you know, would get a list of kind of run of show of what's going on in the district in advance of people coming in, so they could go check to make sure that those spaces were already appropriately opened, ready to go, and then they would follow up with um a custodian if if need be. I read
023it a little differently. I I read it like they they had to set the >> in a way as an ambassador for us. >> you know, not that they couldn't still do that if they needed to, but [clears throat] it's not their particular role, just to make sure it's there. So, so that made me satisfied. >> And I think the other side of that, too, is in the wintertime, it's know if the heat's working in certain areas. >> Yeah, which yeah, that was the That was the anything along those lines. It's just cuz it's hot today, air conditioning. >> [laughter] >> All right. I think we could probably remove it now, right? Remove that one? I think we want to remove it or track it until the duties are done. Okay. All right, sure. All
024right. We'll just touch base next meeting with For sure. Um policy adoption review. We have eight items on here tonight. The first four are first readings. Yep. Um I know Ed had submitted some comments on two of those. There might be some further discussion around that. >> address it. Yeah, if you Want me to go through those, Mike? Is that all right? Sure. All right. I know everybody loves policy so much, but yeah, I'll see if I can answer it for you and then if not >> [clears throat] >> I just 13 five, I have questions about that. >> Yeah, okay. Yep. Um so, we again, we are working pretty hard on that policy committee to get everything done. It's a big night tonight. The first four reads um are just, you know, they are
025what they are for people that seeing it. Uh I know one of the board members did have questions about the the role of the superintendent and their duties, um you know, those purposes, cuz it's in their contract. And uh so, I haven't got a chance to respond to him yet, but I'll let you guys know. The reason we want to have that in the policy is that nobody sees that. Nobody sees the superintendent's contract contract. It is available, somebody could follow it if they truly want, but it's not easy, you know, you have to go through that effort to do that. This document not only is a working document for everybody in the school for our policies, but it lets the public also come in and see, hey, you know, these are what the superintendent
026is supposed to be doing, these are the roles, etc., about that. Mike also, I mean, excuse me, Ed also raised a couple of uh word changes we can address like some of the roles. We'll we'll look at those specifically, but the concept of why these are in here, why we're asking to have them in policy, is so the people also understand what these roles and duties of the superintendent are and they don't have to go spoiling his contract to find that out, cuz it is in his contract. Um 13 three uh is just how we handle uh technology. Like as you guys know, non-public schools, we have to give them uh, books and computer technology. You know, if they're in private schools, that addresses that. Home school student, same exact thing. Addresses what we have
027to provide and not provide to them. Um, those ones I would actually very much look at in particular home school students cuz there is issues in there around whether they can be part of clubs or athletics and I'll tell you that in our draft we had that as a no, that they they cannot be part of our clubs and athletics. Um, but that is pretty standard in most places, but please take a look at those and make sure you're comfortable with those. Last question, is there a reasoning behind that? Yeah, cuz they're not um, especially the home school students, they're not in enrolled in our school. There's no enrollment. Even in their state, right? So that puts us at potential risk and all kinds of other stuff. And it's a decision that family makes, you
028know, not to be in that, so then, you know. I just didn't know if there was a reasoning behind it. That's primarily I I you know, I don't want to speak legal, but that's primarily a legal aspect of it cuz they're they're not enrolled here, so then it puts us at somewhat of a risk to have them in that situation. But we can talk about more, but this read read see read read what it says first and then we'll go from there. AEDs are just that. You have a question about it? Yeah, so um, my question for Craig is is there people trained and it says we got to have at least one staff person who's trained. I I hope there's more than one in each building who's trained. There's definitely more than one, yeah.
029>> So nurses have to be trained? Coaches have to be trained and other people can do it on their own. I don't know about administrators, I'd love to see them take the courses. Teachers it it it's an it's a personal decision. Like if they decide to do it for different reasons. Club advisors, we try to get them to do it. But what this gets at is when you if anybody was reading into this, not only do we say where we have them and how they're available, but when we do have an after school event, there's got to be somebody in the building responsible. So for the high school, I'll take you know, Mr. Funk for example. He doesn't have to be the one to be here to do it, but he's got to ensure as
030a principal of that building that somebody is on site that has that AED. So I would encourage I would encourage [clears throat] everybody to take the training if they can. I took the training. Um, they basically tell you what to do. Right, once you open that thing up and it just it tells you what to do. But you should walk through it. Yeah. It's not as scary as everybody thinks it is, but it's uh, boy it's it's a real life saver. I absolutely encourage it, too, right now. Yeah, absolutely. Right across office at Albany County Office of Yeah, it's it's offered all over. Charging meals and food items and free meal services are updates. Um, this is second read you've seen them already, but these again just so the public knows, these are updates to
031deal with some of the federal and and state changes to what we uh, excuse me, the charging meals is more about staff, what how they can charge a meal or not charge a meal and then the the free meal service is about the students and updates to federal regulations, state regulations. And then 13 8 uh, where that one? Jackie's on there with me. Oh, it addresses uh, if somebody has request for accommodations under the ADA, what our role is and how that handles that. Um, I thought we had the uh, pet one, too, on here, but the pets, like training. They did in there, didn't they? We still are reviewing that. So this this deals with if if somebody has a request for an ADA, what are our regulations for that? All right, so obviously
032you have to give ADA accommodations to people, but within reason and it just addresses all that. So, but again, those last four are second reads and approvals. The first four are first read, so anybody out there, take a look, let us know if you have any issues with them on the first four. Thanks, Mike. Thank you. So the last four items on there, 13 5 through 13 8, if we're looking to approve those tonight, we'll need a motion for one or more of those. I'll move. Motion for I'll four of them. All four of those? Uh, 13 5 through 13 8. Seconded by Mike. Uh, is there any further discussion on those items? All right, all in favor? Aye. >> [snorts] >> All right, we have one additional hearing and petition for here, excuse me,
033from Chelsea Doyle. Welcome, Chelsea. Come on up to the mic. I handed out flyers for PTO night to everybody. Um, so tomorrow's community night at Peter B. We're doing food trucks, touch a truck, bracelet making, a steam activity, buy one get one free book fair, face painting, and a cake walk. Um, this will be with the art show. All the kids did an activity of art, which will be displayed for everybody to see. Um, we want the board members to come. It'd be nice to see everybody help the kids and support them. The event is from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at Peter B. The food trucks start at 5:00. There's also a baseball game, so if you guys want to go to that, too. Um, but we just hope you guys all make it. Thank
034you. All right. Thank you. Did you say the food trucks start at 5:00? She did. It's on the paper that she gave you, too. Oh, I didn't get that on the paper. That means show up at 4:45 would be ready. I'm just saying. Oh, so I have actually I actually do have a question about this. So our class, like the class of 2028, we have a fundraiser and we sent an email to Principal Hakim about it. Um, and I think he was busy and he wasn't able to get back to us, but it's like it's nothing much, but I wanted to know if we were allowed to do it. I think I asked you before break and we sent out an email to them and it was like a open fundraiser, so that means like
035you don't like you we already have permission, but we just wanted to see if like you guys were okay with that. So. Are you acting with the PTO? I mean PTO Yeah, the PTO was I guess so, yeah. Maybe talk to Chelsea after. Is there someone she can refer to within the PTO? They want to sell croc jibbitz at the Yeah, I forgot about that. I forgot, yeah. They're selling them at the T. W. Baker art show, so they were hoping to do the same for Peter B. That's what I got to write down. Got it. Thank you. >> There you go. Cool, thank you. Upcoming activities, we have fair amount of activity here on the board calendar coming up. So our next meeting is April 29th. Um I believe Sue, is Monday the deadline
036for petitions? Monday the 20th at 5:00. All right, Monday the 20th at 5:00 is the deadline for submitting petitions for individuals looking to run for one of the open board seats this spring. Uh, we have our budget hearing coming up on May 6th along with a meet the candidates night for anyone who's putting in for uh, one of the open board seats. Then the budget vote comes up on May 19th, which will be a vote on both the budget and board members. And then the next night we have our board meeting to review the results of that vote. Anything else anybody wants to mention? Yeah. How to and where to go to vote is widely distributed, especially the fact that you cannot cut through the high school / middle school parking lot to get to
037the back to vote from 7:00 to 9:00 or whatever the hours are that you can't drive through where the buses are. So any parent that wants to vote after dropping off their child has to pull back out around 101. Yeah, there's a map on the Yeah. But it's good to point it out. We'll get it out there early and often cuz we want everyone to come out and vote. Yeah. They don't come this [snorts] way, go that way. Are you volunteering? I No. We pay people for that. Make a motion to adjourn. Are we there? Before that, we can ask for a motion to go back into executive briefly to discuss uh, collective negotiations pursuant to Article 14 of the Civil Service Law. I'm not making that. Jackie's motion, seconded by Mike. Thank you. All
038in favor? Aye. We will be taking no further action afterwards. Thank you, everybody. Yeah.