MASD School Board @ Windsor School - June 1, 2026

001sound is on. >> How are you? >> I'm okay. I am getting by. My eye is getting better. >> So, yeah, it's slowly. It's well I had a vitrial detachment >> glazia >> um a yeah and so it's looks as if it's going up but reality is going down because everything is reversed >> and I think my mind is compensating for a lot of the the holes in my vision had a doctor had a appointment today and I said yeah it's definitely looking like it's going down because that's what's supposed to happen gravity All right, it's that time. >> So, no more patch on my eye. >> And are we recording? >> Awesome. >> All right. >> No, clip it out. Um, I would like to call this meeting of the Mounty School District Board

002to order on this Monday, June 1st, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. Uh, moving on to item number two. Uh, any changes or additions to the agenda? And I'll just start right off. We do have some changes and additions. Uh, first off, we are going to move uh item F under items for discussion up to the item A. So the top of that that is our staff requests leave without pay. Uh we are going to insert a discussion of uh 955 and yield bill between uh discussion and role of BAC and EQS the educational reform bill. Uh and then we have a resation to add to the end of the discussion. That I think I caught everything there. Yeah. >> Any other changes or additions? Um, I don't know if this is a change or an addition,

003but um, during the ABS roof, I'd like to talk about uh, before all the teachers scatter cleaning around the building in in prep preparation of construction if it's going to happen. >> Okay. Yeah, I think we can just consider that as part of that conversation. >> Uh, any other changes or additions? All right. Hearing none, uh, let's move on to the approval of the minutes from May 4th, 2026. So, I will take a motion to approve those minutes. >> Second. >> All right. Thank you. Any discussion? Looks like we had a sound issue with that one. >> Okay, that was not good. All right, hearing no discussion. Uh, I will take a voice vote. Uh, all those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Yes. And I have an I as well. Uh, any

004opposed? Extensions. All right. >> Oh, yep. Amy abstains. Thank you, >> Amy. I abstain. Thanks. >> Yep. Thanks, Amy. All right. So, the minutes from May 4, 2026 are adopted. >> Abstain. Excellent. Okay. Uh, number four, public comment on non-aggenda items or announcements. I have an um one well um I just want to publicly congratulate Kim Goan. She was uh chosen as RBCC early college advocate of the year. She got to go ceremony at New Hampshire state. Um sure as you all know that is welld deserved. >> Uh Christine, >> I went with her. I drove her chaperon all that. Um and then I wanted to highlight senior um Tatum Flanigan for uh two reasons. One she was working towards her Girl Scout um gold award and she researched the grieving process and how children

005are often left out of that. They're called resilient and they should just so she um actually put together a training and it was an hourong um professional development on how to help grieving families and children. Um, in part two, why I wanted to highlight her, she was recently um, announced uh, the Laura Mcnotton scholarship winner, and that's just such a special scholarship because it a lot of it revolves around um, your community service. Um, and he was just recently awarded that. So, I wanted to highlight her at this meeting. >> Wow. Awesome. >> Yeah, that really is profound actually. >> Thank you, G. >> And thank you, T. Amazing work done. Congratulations. >> Uh any other uh public comment or announcements? >> Um I would I went to the U ABS spring concert and um

006it was very impressive. Uh, and so I just wanted to point that out that the uh the entire staff and the music teacher is a a huge asset. And so I want to have a shout out. The students did a great job. Um, especially the last tune. I'd like to shout out um the band in the choir, the middle school, the whole SU middle school choir. The bands were able to participate in Six Flags Music in the Parks and our middle school band across the SU was able to receive a superior rating with a score of 93. They did not give us the info on how they compared to other groups, but that was their score and their rating for the day. and the middle school choir received an excellent rating of 83. They had

007a great day at Six Flags and got to perform and get feedback on. >> Very cool. Thank you. >> I'll I'll throw some more kudos out there. Um couple weeks ago, I got to uh the privilege of being gamble volunteer at the baked bean supper over in Baked Beans and More supper. I want to clarify over in uh over in West Windsor with uh with Liz and Elizabeth and a bunch of other community members. Uh and the event itself is so much fun. I I can't believe it took until this year for me to go. I like want to go every year now and volunteer. Uh but also it's another one of those events where our um middle schoolers from ABS do actually some grade schoolers too um do such an amazing job supporting that

008event. I mean, they were they were serving, they were, you know, helping do every aspect of the process. Uh, so just another another great way that we're we're getting getting the kids involved in the community and doing some great uh great events. And I have to say that I heard so many comments about how you came in as a stranger and were only a stranger for one minute. And you you uh you uh were so friendly and and capable and willing to help with anything that uh people who were there were really grateful for all of your all of your the roles that you took on that night. Well, thank thank you. It's always nice to hear. You know, it's easy to easy to kind of blend in when you're having so much fun. I

009I really I really got a kick >> out of Yeah. >> such a good time. >> All right. Any other public comment announcements? All right. Hearing none, I will move on to uh item number five, the administrative report. So, I will turn it over to administrators. There we go. All right. Who's starting off? >> All right. So, tonight the admin report is our spring data secret, but I hear people down there. I don't want to disturb your All right, Tracy. Sorry, it's advancing on my screen but not yours. Give me a second. >> Okay. Ready? >> I'm ready. Okay. Um I'm not standing because I'm presenting. I'm standing because I cannot sit anymore. Okay. Um so dibbles um we have some great dibbles data to share with you. Um not just the this is from

010you know act 139 pushed us into this and um I guess thank you act 139 because this progress is incredible. Um to the point that it has my interventionists running through the hallways celebrating with kids. It has first graders creating something called the dibbles dab, which they happily do in the hallway now because they're so excited about their scores and it's caused um spontaneous Friday celebrations where kids are just so proud of the work that they're doing. Um I I'm I've been pretty open about I don't like this report because it lumps together um our near our below our red and our yellows, right? And so it doesn't pull it apart and it lumps together our blue and our greens and when when so I I pulled them apart because I needed you to know

011how much this is good but I need you to know how much better it really is. So what you don't see from this data is that um there were nine additional students that moved out of the red and into the yellow and they're captured in that red bar still, right? But they moved out of red and into yellow. So there's nine more shift moves that you don't see in that data. Um even in in that there um there are four kindergarten students that moved three first grade students, two second grade students um that moved out of there. Even more impressive, there were students that moved from red to green, red to blue, right? Like students that just they're they're shown in that data, right? But it's just exceptional the amount of um work that the

012interventionists, the classroom teachers are showing. Um it it's incredible. Um, and the best part of it is the students are so excited. They want to know their scores. They want to know how much they came up. And when you have that level of buy in, um, I kind of can't wait to see big factors in this. It isn't just um it's it's the direct teaching that's happening in the classroom. It's the wind structure and it's the amount of tutoring. So last year we started tutoring in January. This year we started in October and we we were able to access a lot more students through tutoring this year than last year. So I look really look forward to showing you this data again next year and being able to pull it apart because the success is

013incredible. Um we now count our students that we'll be sending letters to on two bands where before it was an incredible number of students that we were sending those letters out. I'm I'm very proud of the work that the staff um interventionist classroom teachers, everybody is doing around this. And um I joked with the staff last week, if you want to know what it takes to make a kid's day, it's uh 20 minutes before a long weekend of $18 in popsicles. That's all it takes to make a kids day. And so we took some time to celebrate with them before vacation. And it was just it was amazing. So, I'm I'm very proud of this work and the growth that the kids are showing. >> Yeah. I don't know if I'm next. Yeah. So, um

014star reading, very different form of assessment. This one is, you know, it's computerized. Our third through fifth graders, there's growth. I'm not going to say there isn't growth, but I really can't wait to see when when all this early work starts to hit our upper grades. I think that's when we're really going to see what this early intervention in um science of reading teaching how it translates up to our third through fifth graders. So I'm not in any way downplaying the growth that we're seeing in STAR for three through five. I just really look forward to the opportunity of when they start to see those benefits come up through the grids. >> They also just taken BT caps. >> They had taken BTS, >> but there's still growth, right? They they still are are working.

015And what we did here was we identified which grade levels and which cohorts are struggling. Um the interventionists have targeted the skills that they're looking at and they're and we're ready to go in September with who those students are and what they mean next. Um and this is where comprehension kicks in and it's really hard to intervene comprehension that that's a different skill than the phonics and the phicic awareness that we're targeting with the younger grades. So in the sixth through eighth grade when we do um our data dives with the team and look at the data after they take the STAR test, we were really pleased with so much growth that we saw in individual students. Um I did want to break it out a little bit by sixth through 8th grade because there's

016a difference in the benchmark in winter. There are three points of data, winter, I mean fall, winter, and spring. And that difference from winter to spring becomes more difficult. And um even though it looks as though as a whole group we went down um reaching above the benchmark and we went up in being below the benchmark. We did have it with our sixth graders, 10 of them who were still in the green and blue above met benchmark who went down a little bit while staying in their color band. We had 18 that went up and two that stayed the same. In our seventh grade, 20 went down, but they stayed in their green or blue bands of above the benchmark. So they might have gone down just a little bit with that harder expectation in

017the spring and 20 went up in the eighth grade. 19 were went up or the same 17 went down but 10 of those 17s are in the above the benchmark green and um bands. So it's hard to see it in this big chunk together. I wanted to break it out so you knew that sometimes they're really working hard to um show in just these three data points in the year that they've gone up. And sometimes I'll show you if you map an example of how something they did in the fall is almost identical to what they do in the spring, but they've changed colors to go down because the excavation is harder than a truck. Uh this is star reading per grade at nine. Um following the trend we have um gone down. But if

018you break that out, not that it's acceptable, but it's about three students that have moved from above the benchmark to below the benchmark. Spoiler alert, when we get to math, it's going to be the same. It's going to be one to two students. um which to me strongly should suggest like a systematic problem of either test burnout or um we take the spring one. We have the week off of February, we have the week for March intensives, but then we have the week off in April. So the instructional um days are a less um and the areas are burned out by both testing and surveys. Um, so I don't know if that's um part of the problem, but it does show similar results um in math. So you you'll see the similar similar graph in

019elementary, middle, and high school. And Kate, Colleen, and I were kind of digging deep into it, and a lot of it has to do with our starting points. um that when we so when when I dig into the K5 math scores and the the benchmark between you know the benchmark's lower in the spring you see growth and then in the winter you're still seeing growth benchmark between winter and spring seems significantly different and that's where we see this fall off but when I dig into the data if I look at grade one and I dig into the star results I show a a growth grow of 1.6 years that the that the first grade grew 1.6 years. They where they started from is our problem, right? That they didn't start from the beginning of first

020grade, right? They're starting from a red place. And we have that's where we So, I need them all to grow more than one year in order for us to close this gap. My our second grade grew 1.4 years. Um, if we only grew one year, we're not going to close our gaps. Um, and I have some places where we only grew a year. I have a place where we didn't grow a year. That's the problem I have that we have to to identify and address. And um, that's what we're doing. We have to one point at 1.6 1.4. That's what we have to do in every grade level every year. and then we will start to close that. This was surprising to me. I also don't like that we put this together K5. There's a

021there's a big difference between kindergarten who only took winter and spring and our fifth graders who have taken this since since kindergarten, right? Like when we put all of our grade levels together, I think our data >> it's real. >> Well, the tests are very different. >> Completely. >> Yeah, they're completely different. They're they're measuring completely different things and so it really should be K2 through five >> and and what we look at is K. We don't look at we look at students, right? So when we're when we're digging into them, we look for trend lines. >> We were just looking at trend lines of certain students >> and and we had some students that we were just looking at and they didn't have a trend line because they have a really high spring >>

022and then they have a drop off and then they have one more. But as long as that se that winter and spring are growing, we're okay. We had other students that even though they're in the red, their trend line is trending up. So we know we're heading in the right direction. So we can look at grade levels, we can look at classrooms and cohorts. Um when we put them all together, and we tend to do this even as a school, we put them together. K12, I mean, that's a I don't I don't know what kind of we don't get instructional information from me when we put a data together. So, I just want you to know that's like that's the dig in that we do when we get this data. And I we could never

023sit here long enough to present all that to you. So, I know we have to give you something more general, but um that's what we take away from this and go to work to do with our teachers. Um when we look at it at first, Christine said, "Are you ready to talk about how it looks like we we went down in math?" And we said, "Yeah, we're ready to talk about that." This isn't the conversation that we have, right? When we talk with our interventionists and we talk to our departments and our teachers, we go to we go to look at classes and and to look at the students and those trend lines for the structure. >> I forgive me, but uh when you when you're talking about trend lines, are you talking about the

024student following the student laterally? like do do you look at how a student went from last year to this year and >> yeah so one of the graphs that's going to come up from you is the same cohort over two years >> yeah yeah do you look at it over more than two years >> I haven't well I haven't in these graphs um we can look at it in well star I think you just adopted last year >> I'm not I'm not asking you to present it to us I'm just wondering if you as a principal or as a teacher follow whether a student is you know um making progress year over year or to to what degree and whether they're you know whether and then surmising what their potential might be what >> the

025difficult part of star though if for this matter is that you can't explore more than one year at a time within the data visualization of star. Um I don't know if Edclimr has that ability. Um I've built Google business that can do that but it's it's really complicated. Um it's tricky even in edge CL we tend to make our own graphs on the data >> but we are seeing a trend in um in talking about the data looking at it and our math scores across the SU and um 345 is where we need to target some for next year. So, >> which was interesting. Um it's really helped us um work together as an administrative team on expectations around our curricular programs and ensuring that people are our staff are um using the materials with

026fidelity because if they're not and there's there starts to be a drift which is pretty normal then our data we don't have adequate data that's telling us if the program that we're using is doing what we want it to do. So, we're having conversations with staff about expectations around curriculum and the programs. So, >> so the curriculum just so that I'm not inferring the wrong >> Yeah. >> thing. The curriculum teaches the test. >> The curriculum is the one standards and the test the standards. Yes. >> So, but are they Well, I mean, I guess what I'm asking is are they timed the same to to the test? >> Not always. Sometimes we have to do mapping and and move things around. >> Yeah. Which the staff has worked on actually in grade level teams.

027Um and so we're at a place where it feels like we're making the right moves. Um and now it's just making sure that we're being accountable to the program. Um which you know isn't always the most fun. I won't it's just not. And teachers are great about um bringing in things and making it more fun and creative. Uh but it you know I was just watching a webinar on if if kids are not exposed to grade level curriculum. There are significant issues with that and and they lose ground and it takes a lot to catch them up. So we're really bound to determined to make sure our kids are receiving grade level curriculum from the programs that we've adopted. A big transition for me is um when you know when I first started teaching I

028made my own curriculum but then when I stopped doing that and started using a a a districtwide curriculum you you realize that if every teacher is creating their own curriculum then every teacher is essentially developing their own K12 curriculum and that's not possible to Um and so there's huge pieces that were left out of my group mostly around geometry and yeah some algebra thinking stuff. So yeah the program is the baseline can certainly um work to student um you know differentiate in small groups and during winter time but uh everyone needs to receive grade level curriculum. So, we're working on that, which is is part of our theory of um how we how we move these scores. >> Well, good luck. >> Thank you. We'll keep you posted. All right. So, I'm going to speak

029to the red and green first, the winter on top and the spring on bottom. Similar to the reading, about a um 5% difference of students, 5% less meeting the benchmark um from winter to spring. But I do want to break it out again that in sixth grade 21 of the students went up or stayed the same. Nine who went down went down one color band. Um seventh grade 28 were up for the same. Um 11 who went down were still um at benchmark. And in 8th grade 19 went up. Five were the same. 12 went down, two were still at benchmark. And I just wanted to give you an example of like one student, how you look at one student's data points. So that's just a sample student on the right. And I just want

030to talk about how much the teachers are working with the students to encourage them to do their best. And this every child is doing three points of data in the year of fall, winter, and spring. And this is a student who has seven data points on their um star testing for math here. And in December they had this blue meeting the benchmark feeling really good moment and then had all yellows after that and then even in May with the three vertical ones their highest yellow is a little bit above their blue from December. So that is the showing of a student who is now below the benchmark in yellow but their score is actually above where they were in blue in December. And that's the the um expectations of the benchmark changing. This is also

031um just showing that this is seven data points versus most kids who do three. And in the eighth grade alone, 21 out of the 38 kids had multiple data points past three. most of them were six or seven that they tried to keep trying because they wanted to do well. And um I think in December that data point was a time when kids are back in the fall the kids are working on their wigs. They're getting ready for wanting to meet on rolls and that was feeling really good. But um just I just wanted to show the rigor and the hard work that the kids are putting in. You also had some some staffing issues. You're gonna get into that Kate with your math data. Yeah. >> Um so my next one is the um

032star math for grade nine, but you can't really um look at it in isolation. If you see a notebo and you're looking at it um coming out to the slide is the PSAT the SAT is the SAT 10. Um and what is clear is that math have a systematic deficit across board and why is that we I mean for for this year we did have a big upheaval in our math department for that removed intervention. Um but right now if you're looking at these if you're looking at these scores overall in um grade nine 10 11 and 12 they're all on there next one the one that kind of not that I I didn't know it right but if you go to the I think it's the next slide >> so that's 27% of 11th

033graders taking the spring SAT I'm gonna make >> you have the scores for the SATs >> yeah they Um I'm going to make an assumption which I think is a safe one is that these 27% that are taking it are motivated people who want to go to college. Um and so you're you're looking at our top students um or talk you know the top academic students and even with just that group taking it like the math deficit is is large. they still fall um short of the national average whereas in in reading they're comfortably above above average um and there has to be major changes across our whole system like I mean shout out to Tracy both my kids did come running home to share their star scores with me and that is something that

034has never happened um every time in their backpack somewhere um and they were pumped and they were quoting what a teacher have said, Mrs. Cop told me, look at, you know, um, so the enthusiasm is there. How do we capture that and keep it into the high school? I'm not quite so sure, but hitting on the points of um, we have to make sure that it's being consistent across the grade levels. Obviously, as you know, when they're coming into nth grade, they're coming in after years and years of deficit. Um, and the the algebra concepts, especially in the spring testing, become prevalent if you're missing that foundational skills to make the transfer to the abstract is nearly impossible. We do there are benefits to the minimal class sizes for next year. Um, and one of

035those benefits, um, is we now have two math teachers who have another block in their schedule that can be, um, thoughtfully used either for it strictly for algebra intervention. Um, it can be used, it's hard for me to use the word intervention when twothirds of the students um, need the intervention, right? So, is it really intervention or is it a total change in what tier one instruction looks like? Um, and I I think it's a combination of both. One change we did make for next year is for the algebra one, algebra 2, geometry classes. Typically, what we had done is one teacher taught so they would have three classes of geometry or three classes of algebra. Um, now we have spread them out for a couple reasons. One, it allows for um, flexibility for any

036of the kids if they need to move to a different section for whatever reason. And two, it's so the teachers can work together. So they can look at assessments together, they can plan assessments together, they can kind of teaching together, they can go and look on each other looking on each other's classrooms. So those are just some of the the things that we started with. I don't want to sound like a dummy downer because it it is a back of Colleen and said the kids are working hard, the teachers are working hard and there is growth. It's just not not enough. And how how are we going to overcome it? How do we need to overhaul? >> Was there any um any kind of uh SAT prep offered at the high school? >> No. So,

037I don't know if that's something that we want to and that is a philosophical thing to quote unquote teach to the test, >> right? Um, >> well, I mean, there's difference between that and >> teaching students what to expect. >> Agree. I agree with you. I mean, I took the classes and when I taught fourth grade, I did the practice >> what the practice test every day. Um, so do we want to utilize, you know, that block that the that the math teachers have for something like ESC, what to expect. Um, and how do we get the buy in that the elementary school kids have with taking the test? Because we are requiring everyone to take the PSATs next year and there's going to be a 20% of the population who already have a plan

038that does not involve college that are going to say this isn't for me and not take it seriously. So, how do we shift the attitude about it? How do we provide a late calling on what to expect? Hold on to that term. Um instead of test prep and how do we um switch the tier one instruction >> because that would go for both math and read. Um, >> so when I'm not dismissing reading, but when we do get to the reading, both the SATs and SATs, we are comfortably above comfortably above the benchmark, which kind of disproves the theory that, you know, we're struggling, you know, has burnout or we're struggling with this cohort of kids, like it's a math deficit, not a national issue. of course. But one of the one of the cautionary

039tales I would push out there is that uh test like the SAT, the PSAT are great for institutional observation. >> They're not instructionally um they're not um actionable assessments. >> No, they're aptitude, >> right? And so, um, getting students to care about them is is difficult if they don't care about them. Mhm. >> And so if you can choose a test that is more targeted, for example, like the STAR um and students understand that this is going to affect possibly your free period um and what you're going to be doing in the next two weeks, then that might have some impact. um I try to sell that for say the uh the SAT uh the the VCAP um ninth grade I'd love for the high school administrator to say okay next year you have a

040um a uh block five and either you can sign up for these fun activities but if you show needs here. You'll be have to be going to these math classes or science classes. The same thing with the 11th grade VTCAP. Well, you're a senior next year. That means you can leave early unless you have big holes in your VTF science test. And so it's that sort of at some point the rubber has to hit in the road and um the assessment has to impact them in an immediate way for them to care because they're so fixated especially schools that do um ABCD grades that's they're just focused on their GPA. or the number of credits they need or so how is this affecting me and for the most part it's not >> and so moving

041>> is difficult >> um >> how can parents get access to their kids scores like he's started as the petats, the sats, the the stars, all of them. So that we don't necessarily know how we we've as a parent, we've never seen the PSAT scores and I'm just learning now that the SAT scores are out. >> So they come directly to you from the company. I can send out a reminder. Um pretty sure you log in and get them, but I'm not part of it. We >> Yeah, but I mean if there was a better way to share the information directly with parents, not through the students, >> um it might help parents understand better where their student is. Um >> my assumption would be >> it goes out in the reports though that we

042send out at conference time. >> I I'm just checking what grade levels because I know we do it in elementary. elementary send out K8. We send out the report time >> with their um star scores, any behavior infractions that are major. >> You send those directly to the parents. They send them through the student. >> No, they send them right home with them at conference time that they take home a hard copy. Um SAT and opt in to a company test, right? Like everything about the SAT is like the teachers are paid by the SAT company and like we just happen to be a testing site so you don't even have to take it out there or you take it at our partner field or wherever. So usually all the communication with SATs come directly

043from the SAT >> but most schools SIS systems versus powers school has an assessment module in them. And so if you have your tech department upload them into your assessment module, those are then visible in the parent portal. >> That's I think that's what is >> I think it's through P school. I think I said edge primer, but >> it's through power scan that they >> Yeah, we just started that this year. >> But you could also have that done. I do it for star. I do it for uh my high school registar does it for SATs, PSATs, um uh advanced classes, >> AP scores go into the students oral assessment tab. >> It can't be. It's a pain in my neck, but it's a lot of work to you have to create the uploads

044and then you upload them. But the parent just clicks on the tab and then choose the year and then >> they choose the assessment and they see the scores in a very basic way. It's nothing fancy, but they're there. I don't know if you at some time are going to display educ >> display educ school >> um to put it on the portal or have parent accounts so they can log in and look at their students assessment scores in a data visualization. >> Okay. in power school. >> Okay. And just regarding the SATs, students who are who don't receive any kind of training on what to expect on the test start off with 150 point deficit. So those scores might actually be much higher. Um >> it's uh we are printing the caregiver report through

045edge of climber. It talks to power school and gathers the information. So >> you didn't get it. We can get it for you. >> Yeah. >> For an FYI, we dumped climber >> and went to next path >> is so much better. >> You went to what? Next >> path. >> Really? You dumped edge climber? >> Yeah. the people who created Edge of Langford, sold it, >> okay, >> started a new company and um the MTSS portal on it. We're going full in on it. >> Maybe I can come check it out sometime. Okay, >> because Edge Climber is clunky. >> Next path is so much better. >> I set up Edge of Climber. >> Yep. >> Took me a year and it wasn't working. with with next path two months of a slump show.

046>> Really? I would like to see that actually. >> This is worth worth checking out. >> Yeah. >> All right. Um Oh, I forgot what we were doing. Sorry. >> No, I apologize. >> Uh what is this? The comparison to free and reduced lunch. Um >> the whole building. >> It's the whole building. Again, it's a car. And again, we're looking at a new students. Um changed it does this data doesn't change a lot. Yeah. >> But just to add like when we say there is growth there could be someone um either reduced or on an IEP who >> might stay below the benchmark but be showing growth in their color >> in their color band. >> Yeah. And and this growth is is almost always slower too like that. This growth is always slow.

047Almost always slow. >> I think your line graph visual visualization was very helpful on that showing that students can't be progressing in the right direction but it wouldn't necessarily show kind of a >> and this is the same. >> Yep. All right. >> I mean, a lot of the students who have an IEP are showing growth. They just happen to be in the red or yellow. I wish I had pulled how many student the number of students right because it looks extreme but again we're talking we're probably not talking about an extreme number of students >> isn't that on the bottom >> uh or is this I'm not that could be a percent then um not a number of students that's a percent so it's not a number of students Um, Elizabeth, this is the

048cohort one that we were talking about, right? So, this is the same cohort of students from my glasses on anymore from third to fourth grade. So, that and what how they grew. This is a reading of third to nth grade. So the third this the first two bars are the third graders now fourth graders and um and not the fourth graders now fifth graders fifth graders now sixth graders >> so this is where we can start to see where we have and interesting um where we have transitions 8th to 9th like where we have a transition I don't know if that's a part of it fifth to sixth is a is a nice growth year >> um >> and that's a difficult growth year >> that's a growth kind of transition. >> Yeah. >> So

049because it you you transition um from um >> to to a lot more algebra and thinking and problem solving during that year. So that's that's fantastic. >> And even fourth to fifth >> fourth to fifth is a draw, right? >> Is a draw, but that's a big skill jump. >> And if you and if you even look at the the fifth of the then jump to six, right? And I know it's a different cohort, but that is a large. >> Is this is this spring to spring? >> Uh, yeah. >> Okay. >> And it's reading. That was reading. Next one's math. >> Uh, >> all right. Sorry, but we don't see >> coming. There you go. Look at fifth to six. >> Fifth to six. and our math department last year 6 to 12 worked

050really hard together to like really keep doing that spiral recovery and bringing topics back and back and back and I feel like that was a big change for those new sixth graders but for most of the year we did not have math intervention in the middle or high school due staffing shortages right >> so that definitely impacted All right. This is Tracy, you're up. >> Yeah. Uh, you know, we talk about our tardies. I think our our system of tracking tardies has worked really well with the um oh, what do we call the work with Kieran and the engagement coaches has been really successful this year. We have a handful of families that we work regularly with, but again, elementary students don't get themselves to school. So, um, being tardy or absent, um, we stay

051right on top of it. One of the nice things that's happened this year is I have a lot of families who call me and they'll say, "I got your letter." And they at least, and that never happened last year. And now they'll they there's at least a phone call back. And I think that's a nice um nice progress that they're reaching out and saying, you know, what can I do? Do you want to meet about this? And oftentimes I'll say, you know, the phone call is enough. let's let's just have a conversation supporting what they can just so um it's a small small number of >> in middle school we also meet every week with truency um attendance anda engagement coaches working with Katie Burke this year who's focusing on the engagement of the attendance

052trying to bring more things to celebrate in the middle school advisories with the teachers and the kids to encourage encourage the um advisory of the month and some celebrations together to be at school, make connections. But we have um some students who the small numbers make a big difference with the number of children not being in school on many days. and we we work with them. And our I would say one of our better um resources um that supports this is our our um coordinated service plans where we get to meet with um HCRS and DCF and they can offer more services to the families to help um support routines and things at home to get kids to school. So, >> and there's also we >> we just passed a bill >> that totally revises

053um both well it was the truency bill and it's no longer even the called the truency bill and it totally revises what uh what attendance how attendance is defined and um uh and it includes the causes for t the actual causes for tardiness and and uh miss school. >> Yeah, >> we did we did hit our goal though. We went from 80% to 90%. >> Excellent. >> There you go. >> It's interesting. The grass look exactly the same, but the numbers are not. So, um in every area, in every month, in every area, um we've decreased. It's interesting that the pattern stays the same um though across the year even though the numbers are are less number of logs per month. >> I think log >> the number of behavior a log we so we

054they teachers fill out a behavior log when there are incidents during the day. >> Um I think what you don't see in this graph is the difference of how the building feels. um the team that we have our phone call our response team and the number of I'll say radio calls or the calls for support um they have made a tremendous difference in the building the teachers have done an incredible job of when when we have minor events and communicating with families that has changed um the partnership with families about behaviors it's so much more collaborative Now um the communication back with families has been positive and supportive and cooperative and um the students know the expectations and we talk about it regularly in morning meeting. um extra people on the playground has really made

055a difference in the the number of writeups that we have and the incidents. And now even when there are incidents that happen, the students right away know, you know, being physical and it just it um there's just a great feeling in the building. if make mistakes then um they they understand we'll help them through and we'll teach them the things that they need to know to to own their behavior and and restore the practices. It just it feels great. >> Do do you feel as though having the behavior matrix in place and having the sort of orientation towards it the students get at the end of the year like >> yeah understanding that cause and effect and like you know my actions will having it be a little more. We've talked about how important it

056is to do that again next year. Yeah. >> Um I know when when we've felt the rise or when we've had um the months that I get back into classrooms um and can visited or when there are things going on certain grade levels go back into classrooms and talk to them again >> just to remind them. Absolutely. And even for the parents to say here's the behavior matrix. you know, we're following these guidelines. And I think you're gonna you'll see for Kate going, it might look like there's a rise in behavior. It isn't. It's a it's a rise in reporting the behaviors that are going on and the actions that we're all taking and and that's making a big difference. I think for the middle school a big big difference in August also was a

057part of the teachers just being more aware, wanting to write up, wanting to be proactive and helping kids understand and and just like breaking down um the different parts of the behavior matrix and different events and talking those through with the kids was helpful. But seems like winter is a a little bit quieter time for us in the building. the weather agree after lunch behavior. >> Wait, can you go back for just a second? Sorry. Middle school. >> Are these going to be available online so that we can look at I can't see very well. So we can look at them later. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> Yeah, there's high school. I don't want to say anything. >> Yeah, it is an increase um in reporting. And I would say if they were able to

058dive into it as small percentage repeating for next year which um that losing that position was before that that was in the first way first half of the year um really was not helpful um with with our behavior. So, I'm excited about that position next year and what do you um as well as we're revamping swarm um and I am super excited about that and I think that'll have a great impact um on the culture behavior and a lot of the students are really excited about taking part in what that looks like. Um, this is I don't know. It's it's recess and lunch. But what's funny to me about this is um if you look at where most of the incidents occur, they're in the classroom. That doesn't make a lot of sense, right? So

059the rights are in the classroom, but 11 and 12 o'clock are when they occur. So is it just before and after lunch? Um I don't think the time is is really a measure that gives me a lot of information about um changing the behavior. We have a lot of support. We have support in the classroom. We have support on the playground and we have a lot of support at lunch and recess. So I think we have people in the right places. I don't find this um measure really helpful. same middle school and high school like these are lunch hours recess. Anything before um 8 a.m. and after the 2 p.m. hour are probably just mistakes of where the day at the time of the day. Yes, >> the the 2 p.m. is people leaving early

060>> and 10 to 12 is the I mean 10 to 11 is the lunch work time. And in the classroom, um those are mostly minor um defiance, disrespect. Um they're they're the minors that the parent the teachers are working with parents. Um the majority of of writeups come from the classroom. So behavior class, the behaviors in the classroom that take away from learning. I think that's across the board for all. Yeah, the ones that make up the cluster are the minors of disruption, declines, disrespect. Yeah. >> Are the top three and they're those can be very much repeated persons. I just emailed Lori to have it in the board to look at it. Thank you. >> Jennifer, you're up. >> Hi everybody. Thank you. I know it's been a long discussion already. Uh I think

061what our colleagues have shared already is the idea of thinking about the difference between large aggregate data and things that have to do with small data and even like ABS is super small but Windsor itself as a is a conglomerate is still pretty small. So thinking about the difference of differentiation versus modification as well as things like um you know suppressing and blurring information particularly for Alberta bridge when any numbers are under 10 versus combining um I know Tracy mentioned like K through five is something hard to talk about and doesn't necessarily always make sense but let's share what we do have so just a reminder Albert Bridge school is super small so we're looking at K through three dibbles and we're seeing very little growth or if it happens to be the opposite, we're

062talking about super nuanced numbers. Um, and sometimes not even a whole individual shows up completely in these areas. So, our K through three dibbles like the um middle of the year versus the end of the year, we're looking pretty similar. We're we haven't seen a whole lot of growth in terms of those who have met the benchmark for being proficient versus not. I think Tracy also mentioned one of the big challenges that we face is where kids come in and I think it might have been Elizabeth who said do you track kids essentially between like are you seeing growth in kids and that's what we look at just like Windsor does same thing we look at is this child growing and even if they come in super low as uh kindergartener we look at are

063they making more than a year's growth and that's the data that we don't really show here but I can tell you all across the We're all looking at that data and we are seeing some positives in that direction. So star rating when it comes to third through sixth grade again small numbers. Um it may look like there's growth. We're talking one maybe two kids have areas of growth. Um but it also doesn't show their individual growth. It shows the big ideas of putting all third through sixth graders into a lump sum. Then if you go to our Star Math, um, similar data, right? You're just looking at the nuances of one kid maybe tipping over a benchmark, but you're not seeing the small numbers that we can talk about as a staff. But we definitely

064talk about these things as staff. We look at every child and say, where were they and have they grown? And I've had a really great opportunity to celebrate with some of our kids just some exceptional growth over the last months. Um, and just looking at, you know, I was having conversation the other day with a kid who looked like, you know, they're they're still in the red to yellow, but their growth over the course of what would maybe be a 3 to four month period in a school year is looking more like their actual growth is like over a years. That's huge. But that doesn't show up in that data because we're talking about small numbers and we're talking about what they look at for big data and aggregate growth. So just keep that in

065mind. We're across the board, Windsor, West Windsor, even across the supervisory union, we don't see the individual child the way that us in in these schools who are working with these kids get to see. All right. So let's talk about demographics for a minute. So for reduced lunch, we also know that this is a predictor. uh we know that we're not serving our students who need the most support and that's not just in this category, but we're also seeing that in other categories that we'll get to. So, here we saw a decline um when we're talking small numbers. Again, this might be one kid who tipped on one side or the other of it. Um, but we're seeing some growth across the board that you guys can't see when we talk about where you started

066versus did you grow for a fourmonth period of time versus did you grow for six month or eight-month period of time. So, we're seeing positive growth across the board there that we don't have the capacity to show you in these aggregate data points. um star math again it looks like we've made some small progress for free and reduced um and our non-free and reduce seem to be stagnant and that's an interesting statistic too when it comes to star reading um students with individualized education plans this is a big category for us right now in general where finding ways to work with them one of The things I can share is that our current approach that we are using which is using an orang gillingham for those who are struggling is showing exceptional progress. It's also

067highly intensive. So it requires extra time and resources by the individual to make that growth happen. But it's happening and I'm happy to sit and talk about individual growth with parents or as a group. Sorry, Koko's here with me. We're having our sleepover tonight for sixth graders. And Coco's hanging out. She just heard something. Um, but I do want to stress that it is working. It takes a lot of time. It takes a lot of skilled resources to look at the data to work with the kids and it's a daily thing for kids. Even if they are on a moderate level of need, they need the daily dose so they can build that foundation. and Tracy talks about that really well is you have to have that foundation in order for them to succeed later

068on. Um, so same thing with math. We're seeing some really good progress this year actually. It's the first year since I have been a principal that every sixth grader is in the blue or green. Is the first time in 13 years I've had every sixth grade in blue or green. is remarkable even though some of them are perhaps in a category of free and reduced or IEP and multiple of them might be in both categories. But I think the approach that you guys have supported when it comes to kids being met where they are is showing some serious growth and impact. And I think the work with um Bridget who has helped us really think differently about our math has been instrumental in making sure that these kids get what they need at the level

069they need it rather than just like what grade do you fit into. It's more about where are you and that's really powerful when we talk about things like all learners network and illustrative math to help supplement the curriculum that we already have. So time over time we're seeing growth um in most uh areas. So our third to fourth graders and our sixth fifth to sixth graders, excuse me. There's some growth there which is really hopeful. And this is more than one student when you look at the data which is good. We know we have some work still to do to make sure all of those kids grow even more to be able to meet the needs of middle school. Um, similar with math, we see growth yeartoyear. And maybe not as much growth as these

070kids need ultimately, but at the same time, I think we've got a really strong system of meeting kids where they are with our flexible math and flexible reading programs that we're trying to work through with our multi-age work. All right. So, when it comes to things like tardy absences, we have fairly good numbers. We still have some families that we're supporting. And as was already mentioned, when we talk about small numbers, we're talking about unique situations. And we're working with our families on that. We're working with our teams. Whether it's a medical thing or something that has more to do with family needs or school challenges, we're working very diligently to work through that. >> Yes. >> All right. So, when it comes to our average logs, we're kind of flowing sort of at an

071average now that we've gotten through the year. And when we look at our I mean, we're talking about 1.4 one 1.43 daily average logs. We're talking about a couple of kids who need support on a fairly consistent basis. This isn't a big issue in terms of systems. It's a big issue in terms of a human being who needs lots of support. And we know that and we've got an amazing team surrounding us with our special education department, our um tardy and um absentee group. We've just got a great team helping us with those few kids who are really struggling to show up regularly. Time of day, just like everybody else, midday is hard for all kids. Um they're they're tired, they're worn out, they've gotten through their hardcore academics for most of them and then

072we get to a little bit of freedom where life can be harder for some of them as well. So midday is still something we have created extra supports around lunch and recess time and we'll see how that impacts things going into next year as we adjust. >> So location this is a slide that we're going to revamp. So let's just go on because 178 for classroom doesn't make sense. Um, but we do know that things like disrespect is something we need more data on. What does that mean by person who reports it, disruption is pretty easy to document, but not necessarily consistent across the board because what one teacher might see as a disruption, another might be able to move through. So, we're still looking at normalizing that. And if we go to Is that

073the last subtype? I think that might be our last subtype. Yeah. >> Yeah, that's the last sub. Yes, >> perfect. Thank you. So, the big overall idea is that we're small. All of us are small. Um, and we're working to normalize what it means in all these areas. And I believe across the board, we're all working to look at students, the curricula itself as well as the imple implementation of the curriculum. So, thank you all. >> Thanks, Jennifer. >> Thank you, John. Thank you. All right, for the administrative report, thank you very much for keeping us up to date here. Uh, so we are on to item six, which is items for discussion, followed by motions if needed, and we are starting with the, uh, staff request for leave without pay. Um, so as I

074say, we have a letter here, but I know you're there, too, so you wanted to just kind of fill us in. >> Um, yeah. So I am requesting four days of through November. I am doing some family vacations that week >> and I in the letter I spoke about like other times that I spent outside of school. We're going to London this summer with students. I also spend about a week doing tech each semester with my high schoolers outside of school as well. And I'll just fill in if folks haven't had a chance to see the letter and I can pass it around too. But we're talking about October 24th through November 3rd. So yeah, >> do you get chance to see this digitally or >> else? Okay. Uh so I will There's this one.

075So we what we have to actually prove is the four days of unpaid leave, right? Okay. >> Okay. So I will take a motion to accept four days of unpaid leave for Sky uh Rob >> surprisingly. >> All right. So moved. >> Second. >> All right. Uh any discussion? >> Um sure. I I uh have to point out that I appreciate uh the planning and the letter and the respect um on how you approach this. Thank you. >> Yeah, I'll echo that. I mean just knowing about this ahead of time is is really helpful in having some context as well as is >> helpful in making this decision. Any other discussion comments? All right. In that case, I will take a roll call vote and I will start online. Uh Amy, how do you vote?

076>> I. >> Liz, >> I. >> Bill, >> I. Elizabeth, >> hi. >> Megan, >> I >> and I'm an I as well. So, your four days leave are approved. And thanks so much for for sending the nice letter for for showing up to answer questions in person. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right. Uh so next believe we are at the discussion of role of BAC. >> Yep. Um I think we wanted to start early in defining what the AC's goal is in the future. Be a budget committee next year. Should be an interesting process. Um, so I think the BAC, some of the members who were on the BAC really wanted on what their role is. >> And so the way it works is Larry presents does a really good job explaining

077a lot of information that most people are not that familiar with and how budgeting and all the formulas work. Um, and so is it the BAC approves the budget proposal that goes to the SU board or >> can can for the audience or anywhere else can you define the AC for everybody? >> The budget advisory committee. Sorry. Thank you. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Starts meeting in September usually every other week. uh while we develop the SU budget and on the on the budget advisory committee or the BAC, we have a board member from each of the um each of the boards. >> No, >> you're wrong. >> We're talking about >> I've served on the BAC. >> Oh, we're talking about the Mount. Sorry, >> let me rewind that. There is an SU BAC. There's

078also Mount Scutney. Um last year uh we had a budget advisory committee for the Mil County budget and Liz was on it and I think um I think the way that it um sugared out the budget um is preliminary looked at by the administrators who really have good depth of knowledge of the building and um what the needs are with Larry and then uh it's presented like a a draft is presented to the local budget advisory committee and then there were questions about really what their role what their role is at that point. So, we wanted to talk about that and you all were there. I hope any comments about the process, what it looked like, what we want it to look like, and do we need a BAC? >> I think we feel like

079it's transparent when we've had community members show up who want to be a part of it. >> Uh, Liz, >> um, yeah, so I was on the BAC. Um, and I think I can probably speak for everyone on there that no one really understood, as Christine is saying, what we were doing. Um, and I think, you know, kind of went into it thinking we were actually going to have a task. Um, it was more just information sessions, um, which were really informative. I mean, Larry was great and we asked a lot of questions um and made him do a lot of work, but I don't know what impact we actually had on anything. Um it it seemed more of just a way to inform community members about the budget that was already made. Um so

080I I think I think the group in general just felt like what's the point? Um that said, I do think it's good to have the community involved. I just don't think that that was an effective way to do it. Um it just kind of felt and and also like there there was not equal representation between towns. Um it was almost all West Windsor. I think we had one Windsor maybe two Windsor people. I think it was one. Um, >> so I, you know, I think it would be really important to set some guidelines, um, to make sure there's some equal representation and also really understanding of what the point is. Um I think most of us went into it thinking we would you know we would learn but then we would also like bring our

081values to it or you know say like you know as community members like this is what's important um before the budgets formed. Um just you know spending the time in those meetings just to find out what already happened. I don't I don't see the purpose. >> I think there can be May I >> Yeah, go. >> Okay. I'm I'm I'm brainstorming here. Um just hearing every what people are saying. uh if it's done. The reality is most of the budget is already accounted for in uh staffing um uh buildings, all that stuff. And so a couple goals maybe. one, the goal would be basically educational and so one of two board members um participate in an intense education on the budget and to do exactly what Liz said, ask questions, point things out and have

082that interaction. So I know in the past as a board member when we were discussing the budget when there was a board member who talked about from a board member's perspective about the budget and they were involved with it deeply. That was impactful to me >> because there was a board member or two board members who had been intimately involved and they could give their perspective. Uh so that sort of that educational portion may be extremely important. Um along with you know being able to educate a few of the uh and and get questions from the community and be able to to do that. Another way to approach it is to have Larry and the principles come up with a a general pan plan of of of what basically has to be um done and

083then have I don't want to call it discretionary spending because I know there really isn't any discretionary spending but to be able to have um directions that the the principles, a board member, this committee can then discuss especially around you know intervention. Where do we want to go with intervention? Where can we go with the spending of it? How can this be and and have a that particular group have that discussion? So that may be along with of course having a board member or two be highly educated on it. So when it comes time to vote we have something to do that. So that may be a different approach. Uh the third approach could be that to to plan an intense hour meeting for three times and have whoever wants to come um come and

084be educated by u the administration and Larry and ask the questions and get educated. I think Liz's point there about asking all those questions I think is extremely important to have that involvement. At the same time, I absolutely agree with Liz that it really needs to be defined. What is the goal of this work? Sure. And I I feel and always have felt very strongly that the board should have goals for the district and um that and and have uh defined values and that the budget should reflect those goals and values. Um, and if we can't say how the budget does reflect those goals and values, then then it warrants discussion. And that's my feeling. I I from the time that I started on this board, um, when it was a threeperson board. Um uh

085but also at the SU level I I uh would get really frustrated with Ed because he number one never let us see the budget in advance. Um and uh and all of his uh explanations went into the um and he didn't know how to use a pivot point a pivot chart and all the explanations of how each number was derived overtook what was actually in the budget >> and uh and and it felt like we were just getting the budget handed to us to to vote on. Um, and again, what are we actually doing here if we're just getting things handed to us to to vote on? Um, we don't as board members that is one of our uh most important responsibilities is to to >> so I don't like having the budget handed to

086us. That's why I've taken part in the BAC and I have caught a couple of >> mistakes along the way. But >> but to me it's part of a process of setting goals and declaring what our values are and then making sure that the budget expresses those >> more of a budget subboard subcommittee is what it sounds like you're describing. Well, that's that's up to everybody. Uh Liz, >> um yeah, I agree with Elizabeth. It's kind of weird um to put our name on something we had no part in creating. Um and really even when we got the budget, not just on the the BAC, but on the the when the board gets the budget, it's there's a lot that's so vague, right? like we don't see like you know what's being spent on supplies,

087what's being like we don't see any of those numbers. It's very vague numbers and you know it's not it's not that like I or I think anyone on the board doesn't trust the people putting it together, but it's kind of a weird setup um to be a board member and be accountable to a budget we didn't even create and we don't really have all the details on. Um, so I think as far as the BAC, I think if you're going to call it an advisory committee, it should advise. Um, otherwise maybe it's just an an education committee. Maybe it's just anformational um, you know, maybe it's a group of people who are essentially budget ambassadors to their town. Um, you know, that learn about the budget, understand it. I mean, it certainly helped me appreciate

088the complexities and um the challenges that are being faced by the district um or by all school boards. Um so I I think it's a very valuable thing, but I wouldn't I mean the average person in town also if they're advising well they don't know what they're advising on. I mean I don't like our administrators are the ones that know what's going on in the school and what's needed. That said, I think that the board should be more involved in the process from the beginning. >> And also some some of those committees and even some of the iterations that have been here in the past have been made up of uh people who like um uh community members. We don't even necessarily have children who are in the system who are worried about the amount

089of spending and the the uh the in various iterations it's been like okay why don't you get involved in the process if you want us to make cuts let us tell you what's in the budget and you can tell us what we should cut and uh and they come to on and they um get an education about what's actually in the budget and uh and start to understand how how difficult it is to make cuts. >> So, I appreciate this discussion. I think we've heard a lot of good perspective from folks who have been involved in the BAC and if you just remind we've we've only had this at the district level for quite a couple of years. >> Yeah, I know this is a fairly new practice for us. >> Two years. I know

090they had it previously, but we haven't had it in a while. >> There was a Yeah, there was a gap. The first handful years I was involved before, we didn't have a local VAC. And I I recall advocating that we did. Um because I I do agree it's important for all the different reasons that we're finding here. I I think one of the challenges that we found, especially in the last couple years that we've had that is that we've been faced with such really for the last three fiscal years we voted on, I would say we've had such a tight budget and so many restrictions coming from the state. there there isn't that what you might call discretionary. There there isn't really that as much of an opportunity for kind of vision and value to

091get put into there when it's like we are just trying to meet like what we need to meet. Um, and I think that what I would hope is that, you know, in sometime in the not too distant future when we we may have a little bit more flexibility with some of those dollars that are being spent at a local level, something like a BAC would be able to serve that advisory function, right? you know, I want to have, you know, a couple of board members and more folks in the community come in and well being educated on the process, as you all have pointed out, but be able to articulate some of that interest and and share some of that vision and really collaborate more directly with members of the uh of the administration and

092the board on that. Um, I think the reality is just the last couple cycles that that hasn't there hasn't been that space to do that. There hasn't been anything you could call anything like discretionary spending. Um I was just taking some notes about what I heard and I think in you know we're talking about the role of the budget advisory committee. Um I think that I like having advisory there. The thought crossed my mind in the midst of this that you know we could just call it budget committee and not be quite as prescriptive. But I think that even if there isn't that opportunity to advise within the committee when there isn't that kind of discretionary, you know, discretionary amounts we're talking about, the people who take part in it still have the ability to

093advise the community and the rest of the board who ostensively is not able to take part in it about what the process looked like, how how those numbers were arrived at. I think getting to be a part of it throughout the process of its creation builds a little bit more knowledge base that can be shared. I mean, I think I think Larry does a fantastic job of of mapping that out in in the uh the way that the budget comes out now. I forget the online tool that he uses, but >> yeah, the budget book when it comes out, I think is is so much more readable than it was in in years in the recent past, but having other people have their have their minds on it and be involved in that process. You

094know, having more voices that can speak in different terms as to how it came together, I think that's sort of intrinsically helpful for for the board and for the community. Um, and I also think that during the process, you know, this is where I I wrote kind of reinforcing the integrity of the process via participation. It is fantastic. You know, I I have a great deal of trust in our administration and our folks in the central office to pull this together. But when you have other people involved in these kinds of processes, you get those good questions. You get that other perspective. you can catch things that might be missed even by people sometimes in some instances especially by people who are looking at at this all the time. Yeah. And are in are kind

095of swimming in that water. >> You get that that outside perspective. So I think that's that's where I would I think that's part of the purpose, right? So reinforcing the integrity of the process via participation uh education for board and community members. I think that that's an incredibly important part of it. And then and then context or more voices during budget season. That's I think that's the output and I think that it can be you know I don't want to harp too much more on this. I think I stated it earlier but I think that when you watch you know I often watch um the town's budget committee speaking and that's a kind of budgeting where you know there's also I mean statewide in municipal and educational budgets they're very tight right now and there

096isn't as much discretion. I think the towns tend to have maybe a little bit more than schools do even in this environment. Um, so you get to hear a little bit more of that. And I think, you know, I think that's where maybe to me some of that desire to see more of that sort of like we're we're making more decisions come in, but we're also contending with the reality of what what the states put in front of us. >> Yeah. But you're also it it's the obverse as well. So when you're talking about having the discretionary spending, that's the fun part, but it it works the other way as well about having, you know, h having a shared understanding of if we have to make cuts, what are we going to cut? >> Yeah.

097Right. Absolutely. >> And having having um you know, other people thinking about that as well. >> Yeah. No, I mean it's and and I appreciate you pointing that out, Elizabeth. wasn't wasn't saying in a mutually exclusive way. It's valuable, I think, no matter whether you're dealing with a really great fun budget where you have all these excess resources, you get to make these decisions, or you're dealing with what we've had in the last several years, a really tight budget. And understanding more completely how and why it is and the kind of decisions that are made in that environment, I think, is also valuable. Even if you aren't doing the same maybe the same flavor of advising on that, it's more advising when we get to that end part when you're when you're telling the rest

098of the board and the community, hey, this is the process that got us here, even if it was a really tight, fairly, you know, prescribed process. Uh Amy, I saw your hand up earlier. What I was thinking is the in in the what Liz was saying, you know, having being told how the budget was created and not having a whole lot of say about what is in the budget, but learning what is in the budget. Um if it happened to be that a particular year the budget didn't pass, it is the budget advisory committee that can come in and since they have had the the education talking with Larry, um they would have a better understanding of what was put into the budget and then would be able to hopefully articulate, okay, we need to

099make some cuts here or, you know, whatever it was that why a budget didn't pass. You know, what do we need to do? And I think that budget advisory committee would be right there to help do that. >> Yeah. Thank you, Amy. That's I appreciate that framing. I I think that what I would say maybe to sum up all my thoughts is that there's kind of two tiers or or two types of advisory that come from the budget advisory committee. And there's one that's always going to be there and that's advising the board and community at budget season. And then Amy, as you pointed out, if there are difficulties passing the budget, being additional advisement for the community and maybe even for the board as to why it may not have passed and like what

100the process look like, that regardless of what kind of budgetary environment you're dealing with, I think that's the really that's really important. I think the other kind of advising that goes into it, which is I think has there there's more or less leeway depending on the type of fiscal environment is that advising to the folks putting the budget together during the budget season. And I think that that I think that that's also incredibly valuable. But I think we also have to acknowledge that there are years where it's really like this is where things fall out of place. There's not a whole lot of wiggle room. And you know, ostensibly and hopefully there will be years where there is some of that ability to to put those values into it and say like, okay, we have

101this excess fund, we have this money that could go to X, Y, or Z, like what do we want to do with it? And then have those kind of discussions. Um, I think I think that initial advisory function is always going to be there and I think that that's really maybe the more the most helpful framework for it, but I also want to I don't want to lose emphasis on that second one either. >> Any any other discussion on that? >> Yeah, I I think that's why I didn't like the word discretion of spending. You know sometimes I think as we move forward um the discussions that are going to happen is is prior prioritizing what we don't want to cut as opposed to what we necessarily want to spend. >> Right. >> Yeah. >>

102Which is what happened this year. >> And that's important. >> Yeah. That's important advising that can happen in that committee as well is is when when we are thinking about that we're talking to administrators with you know a couple of board members but hearing group community members too. I I appreciate you bringing that up. That's that's also part of it. What's really important though um for this group however we want to we want to rename it to the uh budget advisory uh review which I love that acrony better um there have lost my um we need to be able to um relying on the state to inform us in a timely way about what our situation is. >> Which is understandable why in the last couple years having this discussion has been so frustrating. the

103fact that >> we didn't know this with this we meeting we they didn't know a sort of budget we had >> and I would say even having more community members involved in that hey maybe we call it budget advisory and review committee bark right that's cool >> um but uh having having community members involved in those discussions early on and really getting that first person understanding of like oh like we're not we don't know what the state numbers are like this week it says they might be this this week it says it might be that the December first letter comes out and it says this thing but it's informed by all like I think getting that kind of >> minute detail about it >> in another setting and then again getting to advise the board

104on that being like this is what we did these are the things that we ran into I think especially for people who are new to it can be really valuable to hear those perspectives coming to to us and then coming to the community >> we can also shift the responsibility of this group to to to create some sort of flowchart that if we have this amount of money, what are we going to do? We have this amount of money, what are we going to do? Sort of a the input output so that when it comes down to when we know it's not just Larry saying, "Hey, we can always cut X, Y, and Z." to have some thought into it put in beforehand. >> Yeah. >> Um >> uh Liz >> um yeah, so Elizabeth

105raised a point that I I don't want to get lost here and I think you know there's two different discussions to be had. One which is you know what we're having now about the role of the budget advisory committee. Um, but the point that she made is about the board's role in the budget. And I think that's a related conversation. Like at what point does the board have like, you know, the six of us have the opportunity to say, um, this is a priority for us. if we can do it, we want to we want to put more money into the arts program or, you know, we think this is a place that we would prioritize savings so that we could um buff up this other program in our school, right? Like at what point

106does the board get to share their values and have that taken into consideration in the budget process? Because I don't I don't see that happening. um you know as as little say as the budget advisory committee had which was none um the board didn't have any either like the board even had less um so I I think that it's really important maybe maybe that conversation is a separate one from this but I think it is related and I don't want her point there to get lost because I agree with it. Yeah, and I I appreciate you bringing that up again, uh, Liz, and for bringing up initially, Elizabeth, uh, maybe it is that something that we could potentially add to our retreat, >> a retreat agenda because that to me, that kind of work is

107very retreat >> kind of coded work. >> Um, coming up with like looking at >> one of the things that we do is we look at our um, our board values every year. like we we do have a list of board values and kind of norms that we go through and we reapprove them or added them every year. I don't think it's a far cry to incorporate maybe a handful of points about what about budgeting, you know, vision, values, priorities into that. I think that would be appropriate >> and I think it would be appropriate to have this on the on the agenda flowing into the beginning of next year as well. >> Yeah, >> that's Yeah, I appreciate that, Bill. having maybe adding that to our retreat agenda and and really coming up with

108having a good discussion, coming up with some some budget, you know, but I it's just the way I think it's kind of vision, values, priorities, however that comes together for us. Um, and then I think it it would be nice, you know, because we do have board members who are on the budget advisory committee, building a little bit of time for some reporting out on that. Um so I mean the reality is not every one of us is going to be able to go to one more meeting for three months and do that but that's part of why we have leaison to all sorts of boards right so I think using that that leaison function and having it just handful of minutes during meetings to say hey this is what we've been talking about Elizabeth

109>> um just as a reminder I'm not going to be able to make the retreat and secondly if there is such a discussion at the retreat. It must be warmed in public so you're aware. Any other final thoughts on that or I think we made some good progress. I'm looking forward to having that conversation. All right. So, we are moving on to 9:55. >> I skipped the tan. >> Yeah. And I'm gonna get in big trouble. So, >> okay. So, the tan, this is the tax anticipation notice. >> We all signed it last time and then we didn't vote on it. So, now we got to sign it again. We actually have to vote on it this time. >> I think we have to vote on it first. We vote on it and then we

110sign it. We've been told not to date anything, >> correct? >> Because it needs to be dated and then uh Liz and Amy >> come in and Lori will coordinate with you to come by and sign. >> So I'm not going to put pen to paper yet. So we got to vote on it first. Um so what what is the number that we're at? >> So moved. We've got to say the number if need. >> Okay. So, what's what's our best wording here? So, uh, you need to somebody needs to make a motion to authorize, uh, the borrowing of up to 2,721,862.92 in, um, in tax anticipation for >> October 27. Yeah. >> October 27. >> Yeah. >> Sure. I said right before I >> Okay. I will uh take a motion to authorize the

111borrowing of up to2,721,862.92 cents in the tax and participation notice for FY27. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All right. Great. Any discussion? All right. Hearing none, I will uh I'll just take a voice vote on this one. All those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> And I'm as well. All those opposed, abstensions. All right, that is adopted unanimously. Thank you everyone. And now we can >> you can sign. >> Now we may sign this. All right. >> It's just glue, right? >> Just glue. She sent the pen and She's got notes here. >> Okay, I'm gonna let everyone else do this before me since I still got to >> keep running stuff here. So, kick it over this side of the table and then >> for folks online, Lori, Lori or >>

112you'll be reached out to it'll happen. >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, we got through 10, we got through BAC. We are now on to our discussion of uh act 955 and the yield bill. So, I will pass that over to our our uh our ref up in Mont Peculiar, Elizabeth to fill us in. >> Uh well, H55 we've been following all along and it did not change that much. They are advertising it as a uh uh the the um rhetoric is that was completed without forced um troops without including troops. Of course, the goal of it, one of the stated goals is to move towards a um foundation, which means that every district would receive a certain amount of every student would receive a certain amount of money for their education. That would be weighted

113according to revised weights which have not been um yet uh devised. or revised. They have been devised. They have not been revised. Um but uh uh that amount of money would go with any student to any school. So whether that's public or private um or independent um it will be the same amount and uh uh that amount would be settled at around ultimately between 110 and 112% um annually and uh 110 and 112% meaning 110 or 112% of last year's budget. So, um uh ultimately um districts that are able to spend 110 to 112 or whatever the foundation formula winds up being on their students would not have to vote on budgets. The role of the board would be how to spend that money, but the budgets would no longer be voted upon unless the

114board uh voted to spend more. And they would have uh so-called opportunity grants of up to 10% more than that, but that um the uh towns would have to vote on whether that was a possibility or not. Now because of the nature of the foundation formula, many of us believe that that actually is forced mergers because in order to be able to have the capacity required to uh be functional and not operate under threat of peril um woodf fire. And so uh uh it allows for the CISAS which are collaborative education service cooperative cooperative education services agencies of which we are already a member. Um, and uh, and so that's a supposed to be a cost-saving thing, but it's not. Ours is not fully in action yet where it is. >> It is. >> Yes.

115>> So, we're already saving money using our >> Yeah. Some some Yes. The goal is to to find more efficiencies and save more. Hartford is actually a member of the SESAD that is to the north of us. Hartford is actually not a member of our CESAD but um but they have applied to become a member and they do share some services already with us. >> Okay. >> In the the Vermont Learning Club the firsties. >> Yeah. >> Uh Hartford is not a member yet. They're not a member of right. They're a member of the one that's north, >> but they have applied to join. >> Yeah. >> I'm not sure why they would be a member of the one north just because of distance >> in the plan. They're member they're Yeah. They in the

116plan they are and that is because they're a member of the one that's >> Yeah. It is not because they screwed up and accidentally put them in a different organization different from the one they've um chose. Okay. So 955 um getting down to brass tax uh it includes the what is it called the Vermont Learning Collaborative >> um as the kind of um uh fiscal >> agent for us to be able to to be to be able to pay um moderators to guide us through um uh mergers. There's a lot of language in H955 about mergers and there's a lot of language about not being able to back out of mergers. Uh once you're merged into a district, you're not allowed to even bring it up um for I think five years. um uh 20

11730 I think it's 2031 but um those are allowed to start um taking place those discussions are allowed to start taking place in September and uh they're supposed to be really fast like it uh they're supposed to be completed by uh town meeting day of 2028. >> Um and uh so all towns will have voted um whether or not to join whatever uh merge district they decide. >> You said 2020 town meeting day of 2020. >> It's voted by the public in March of 2020. Yeah. >> If there is a merger proposal, that's when it goes on the ballot. >> Yeah. >> For voting. Um you can uh decide that you don't want to merge but you have to provide a rationale for that. Um uh I made sure I made sure over and over

118and over again that it was possible to um create a merger that was not necessarily the one that was suggested by the uh bill. There is language in there but they short it up during the committee of conference. Um, and so that it was implied by the original bill, but the committee of conference made it explicit. Um, and one board member per district on the merger committees is what I heard today. >> One board member per district on the merger committee. That doesn't seem >> that's what I heard from Chelsea today >> really because that but nobody has the final version yet. What I mean there's got to be a lot of unpacking. It said in the in the committee of conference that for the purposes of this a district and supervisory union are the

119same and defined the same way. Um yeah, I mean it was asked by um superintendent in a supervisory union and the question was is it one supervisory union member or one member per district? Chelsea thought one member per district. So but again this is hot off the press. So um I can look it up very easily uh because it would be in the committee conference report because that's where they did all that extra work. Um uh so we are foot with I I think now as of the committee not the committee of conference report but the senate version of the bill we originally were in the house version of the bill we were paired with Woodstock and we no longer are in the senate version. I think Woodstock is alone in the final or maybe

120the committee conference in the final outcome and we have been suggested with Harford which is interesting because let's say a month ago um we wouldn't have been able to discuss merging with Hartford because we have different structures their district and our supervisor were there supervisory district or supervisory union. The original bill said that uh unlike structures could not emerge. Um which is crazy. >> The goal does all similar things unless I'm emerging. >> Well uh uh originally originally I think in the house version of the bill they wanted everybody to be districts. Um >> five total. Well, that was that's the last bill. That's that's last year. Uh, no, earlier this year it was going to be they asked there be as many districts as possible. Um uh I'm describing all of this first because

121we then have the yield bill which uh uh is really hard. Um it sets spending currently at 115.5% higher than last year. Uh last year's limit was 118%. So, um, it doesn't seem it doesn't sound like 3% is that big a difference, but it actually really is. And it is the eight there are eight eight of the 10 districts in our state that would be most gravely impacted by this are in the upper valley and they're all adjacent to each other and uh and in fact the penalty is no less than uh 10 times penalties in the rest of the state for our area. Um, in Woodstock in the projections based on this year's budget, Woodstock's uh uh penalty would be $1.2 million. Um, for us, I believe it is now atund 115.5%. I think

122it's like 800,000. >> 800,000 for >> Yeah. And uh 1.2 million for H Heartland. >> Yeah. and 311 311,000 for Weathersfield. But I think Mount um I think >> Bford is also another one that is just horribly >> uh >> but Mountain Views I think is not very much anymore. Well, Mountain Views, they were calculating it as something like $7 million because the um bond was being calculated as part of student spending. >> 31,000. >> It's done with 31,000. >> Mountain View Elementary School District 31272. Yeah, >> I think Harford has a great case. that because it was Are you looking at Windsor County? >> Look at whatever they sent me today. >> And I'll just uh brief pause here just a little interjection for the good of the order. It's important to remember that

123last year at 118%. I think we were only able to either >> I think we were able to squeak under and that was only with reduction force. >> Yes. are central. So if that number drops >> and healthcare still increases >> and other costs out of our control still increase that's >> so wrong 1.9 million sorry >> we pushed very very very hard to try to get uh there to be a way to appeal and I I was trying to get people write letters to say create a way for us to appeal so that we could look at whatever is causing um these uh the extraordinary um penalties in our area or the expenses in our area, whichever, however you want to frame it. Um because it there's obviously something going on here that we

124don't really understand and uh uh it would be great to be able to actually stop and look at it. Um they didn't um they didn't even bring it up. Um I went back and watched all of the conference discussions and they didn't even bring it up. Uh they have since said, "Well, we'll go back and um we'll go back and uh revisit it in January," which we know will be too late. Um, >> and uh, so, uh, our three senators voted against it, if it matters to you, our three senators voted against it. Um, everybody in our uh, everybody whose district would be affected by it except for Charlie Kimble voted against it. Charlie Kimble voted uh, in favor of it. Um and uh uh yeah, he got what he wanted. >> He got what

125he wanted the the bond. Mhm. >> Uh >> which I think is going to create an issue for legally for the state because it opens up um a uh right to be treated equitably constitutional for other schools who have laws current laws, >> but also the bond didn't exist unless the state separated it. the bond didn't actually exist unless the state separated it from. And so >> had they not included had they had they not done that then we would have been able to have a merger discussion which could have included >> right >> been completely different but they didn't do that. they went with the separation and so their bond does exist. Um and so that regional high school aspect of uh discussions no longer exists. >> Um but it sets up the ability

126of any other school who wants to build a new school. If the legislature doesn't approve the separation, then >> yeah, >> that's not that's not equitable. >> So, let's just create ourselves. Let's have a state create a trap for itself. >> So, anyway, the deal bill uh is something we need to be speaking of budgeting. Um, we do need to have a I think have a discussion about what we hold sacred um and what's required by law. >> Yeah. Um, oh, and then that uh the uh well I can I guess I could share the SU board meeting, but the um >> Oh, by the way, we're being serenated. They're sleepovers. Um, the agency of education has come out with revised uh hazing, harassment and bullying policy and they plan to come out with prevention

127policy um by the end of next month. They're trying to do it so that it will be finalized by August. And what's important about it, am I telling you that is that it is a model policy, but actually so theoretically it's for boards to adopt or alter however they wish. But actually uh it is the rule by which uh schools must operate starting August 1st. So, it's really unfortunate that they uh have and we talked about that at the meeting today, but their plan is to roll it out in August. Um even though it won't be finalized and uh the prevention piece won't be finalized and um you won't necessarily be able to put it in uh the the tools that they plan to develop to go along with it, which include plain language that's

128readable. Um that won't be developed until later. So, you won't be able to put it in handbooks right away, but um eventually you will. >> Yeah. Which is good news. >> Which is good news. >> And uh uh Yeah. And there was also another bill, the miscellaneous education bill, at the last minute included a full uh revision of the hazing, harassment, and bullying advisory council. It added a bunch of new members which actually are really great. Um uh and it changed their charge and uh that should be signed into law the must be signed into law in the next five days. So um yeah that's it. I think that's it. >> Yeah. Appreciate the updates, Elizabeth. But just to kind of summarize succinctly, I think maybe the two No. And well, I appreciate you you've

129been there. So, I think getting like the broad range of detail and some of the history of where this has come from or where it landed um is really important. The two things that I want to point out just make really clear for for us and then for anybody who's watching this and how we how we approach this going forward is that functionally and please feel free to cut and correct me if I'm misspeaking here but my understanding is that we have in H955 a timeline that compels us to be operationalizing mergers by the beginning by town meeting day 2028. >> Yes. And one more thing. >> Sure. >> Sorry. Um, the class- size implementation committee of the state board of education met today. And one of the things that came out of that was

130that somewhere in there >> once we enter into discussions about mergers, the class size minimums are suspended until the merger discussions are completed. >> No, I agree. That's it's good to also know. >> Yeah. So functionally H955 town meeting day 2028 we we need to be the rubber needs to be hitting the road on on district mergers under that plan running on another parallel rail. We have the yield bill which is dropping the ceiling an already low ceiling even lower on us with the excess spending threshold which I you know maybe somewhat flippantly we'll just call the spending threshold because there's nothing excess about it in my opinion. Um, and the mechanism that I understand that we have right now to be able to get under that without having to make probably force and program

131cuts to be really frank about it is to merge with people on a timeline that is a year shorter than we're being compelled to. You know, I was thinking about it um like what can we do? >> Yeah. If those legislators um are serious about finding a way to help us, we could not have our budget pass on town meeting day and get an extension um for the budget. That is one thing that we could do. >> What do you mean an extension? Well, for example, if the budget was voted down, >> we would get we would I mean the budget simply has to be passed by um June 30th, I believe. >> 30th. Yeah. Goes into effect on July 1st. >> This would bring into play that we can maybe do something by January

132>> we're talking about that. Yeah. >> If you didn't have a budget by that timeline, you'd operate on 87% of your >> Yeah. So you would essentially borrow you could borrow money up to 87% of your budget, >> right? Which >> is that worse or better than >> I mean in fairness, it's you could borrow up to 87% of your budget so that you can keep going. >> Yes. >> Until you get until your budget does pass. >> So it's not as though you're gonna your whole budget is getting cut down to 87% of its previous year. >> It is. Yeah. So, um, uh, what I tried to explain on the House floor was that it it's not just the penalty that we this year. It's not just that we're uh but it's also that

133in this year all of these prices have risen dramatically and we we will have a a deficit that we have to make up for in the next budget >> and we also have the buy down all in the same year. So, um accounting for those things and staying lower than we were the years really um without without really understanding why what happened happened then why what is likely to happen is likely to happen. Um, and so I will I can explore more, but but I I feel like buying ourselves more time and having a plan for that in which we fully inform the public every single step of the way. >> Um, so we don't get to town meeting and people are like and we're like Mhm. >> I mean, this is exactly why I'm

134I'm just trying to summarize this now and be very direct and clear about it is that the conditions that we're facing now, >> you know, months out from when we have to adopt and then vote on a budget are that that that that's the reality we're facing. >> Yeah. I mean what what's the the other part of it is that any of the merger outcomes would be with another organization that uh feels the way that we do about our schools. So, um it would ultimately gain us capacity while saving uh keeping all of our our schools open. Um and >> pluser >> um so I mean that merger talk is at the SU level and I'm trying to >> well I I appreciate you filling us in with all that detail and I you know

135I I think that this actually connects back pretty neatly to our discussion about the budget advisory committee for for this year and probably next year where I think >> it's going to be really important to build into our meetings that we have an update and we're really able to continue keep this conversation >> you know at at a real surface level from now and through adoption season and uh and town meeting day because I mean this is >> you know feels like the last handful of years we've had a a number of unprecedented situations but we we we've broken the precedent yet again with this one um and it's going to be a challenge. >> Yeah. >> Um and you know, my my hope is always that we can find a way to some sort

136of mechanism that can help us, you know, persevere and and retain our our staff and programs to meet our operational needs because that's really what we're talking about here. I um >> um Senator Clarkson and I both asked our joint fiscal office to look more deeply into >> what the causes might be in this area. >> Yeah. >> Um and so as soon as I get that information, I will share with everybody obviously. Um and as soon as I get confirmation that it would be okay for us to um extend our budget time frame. Mhm. >> I can bring that to our July meeting. Are we not having are we having we're not having a telling >> August then? >> I won't be there. >> Okay. September. >> You can let us know and we

137can share it. So, >> all right. Well, thank you, Nikki, Elizabeth, and thanks everyone for taking part in this. You know, we will we will keep it up there. I just, you know, I I I think it's really important just to be direct that uh it's not a good situation. uh it's not and what really we're kind of between a rock and a hard place on it when it comes to uh the decisions that we get to make. So uh you know my hope is just that there will be some good news but in the present moment I just don't want to be you know naive about it. There is a whole lot of good news. >> Yeah. >> So >> absolutely. >> All right. Um, any more discussion, comments on this before I move

138on. >> Hold on. I needed to get up next. >> Sure. >> Yep. All right. Yeah, I know. So, uh, >> I know we we tabled this next item at the next meeting. I'm not sure what letter it is. Everything got moved around, but, uh, the EQS and the education reform bill. Uh this was some advocacy that was passed along to us uh by our our regional uh chair uh Neil Odell. Um we discussed at the last meeting. I thought that it would be valuable. Um it is something I think that uh that particular group had hoped that we could get in while uh the legislature was still in session. Although you know according to Elizabeth who I checked in with there wasn't a whole lot of movement on that particular issue. Uh, and this

139would be um making the education quality standards apply to states uh the state's independent schools. Um, that being said, I still think that it would be it's valuable for us to discuss it. I wanted Amy to be here to to sort of weigh in on it since you you have a depth of experience both on our board and on the uh um the regional boards as well uh before we made a decision as to whether we wanted to sign off on this. Um I still think that there's valuable value as this will come up again in sending this to our our local reps and then you know once session is back in sending it to the committees through all the committees. Uh so I'm just going to read the resolution that we would be considering

140and then I would I would just invite some you know brief conversation on it since we have covered this a bit before and I I would particularly be interested to hear your maybe since uh you were in attendance last time. So uh this is the resolution. Whereas Vermont has a responsibility to ensure that all students funded by public dollars are afforded substantially equal access to high school educational opportunity. Education quality standards establish the state's expectations and regulations for curriculum staffing, student supports, and school quality. Public school districts are required to meet EQS in full. Independent schools receive public tuition dollars without being held to the same standards. This creates inconsistency and expectations for schools supported by the same source of public funding and a lack of transparency and accountability for every Vermont student. Resolved that,

141and this would say the Mount Scutney School Board formally calls upon the legislators to incorporate as part of its broader education reform efforts, a statewide policy requiring that all independent schools receiving public tuition dollars meet Vermont's education quality standards. and further resolve that the mounting school board would communicate this position directly to its legislative delegation and relevant legislative committees and then we have an adoption date. So discussion. Well, I guess actually we would I will I will take a motion to uh approve that resolution. >> So moved >> Elizabeth. All right. Uh discussion. Um I I think that an alternative might be to uh have those who wish to sign on be able to sign on and not necessarily sign. >> Okay. >> So I guess uh Oh, we have a motion. >> We do.

142>> And so, um, the question is, if the motion passes, does everyone need to sign it? >> If the motion passes, it's as a board. >> Right. Right. If the motion doesn't pass, we could then have a motion to have individuals sign. Uh, >> I think that is a good alterative. I would support that. >> Elizabeth or Liz, sorry. Yeah, I spoke about this a lot last time, so I'm not going to take everyone's time up, but I just personally feel that it's too broad and doesn't come with enough information about what consequences would actually be for the schools in question. Um, I know we had a lot of discussion about transparency and I think there there are some some pieces I agree with and some pieces we just we don't know the impact of

143our actions if we sign this. Um, I just think we're talking about two different educational models. And I think we can be advocates for public schools without and still recognize that um, independent schools often fill a a role that public schools aren't filling. Um, it doesn't have to be either or. And I just I don't want to cause harm to things that are working for people. Um, I just don't think there's enough information. That's my take on it. I won't I won't keep discussing it over and over again like last time, but it's just how I feel. >> All right. Thank you, Liz. Uh, Amy, >> sorry. Um, so correct me um if I'm misunderstanding. This resolution is going to be submitted to VSBA. >> Uh, it would be submitted to our legislative delegation and

144relevant legislative committees. >> Wow. Okay. Um, so the Vermont School Board Association might even have a resolution like this. I know that for all of the years that I was involved on the board with VSBA, we cared very deeply that and promoted, encouraged um legislation to the fact that any um anything that was required of a public school needed to be required of an independent school which would include the education quality standards and there has been significant conversation about that for quite a few years now. >> Yeah. >> Any can I clarify can can I ask a clarifying question? Did does did did the did they was this when public money was involved or when public money wasn't involved? >> So any independent school that's receiving public money. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Yes. But

145that that has been um that's that's been a in the um a a talking point for VSBA for quite a while. Um, so I mean what what happens when you send something like this to your legislative representatives? They take it and they look at it and then they decide what they're going to do with it and they may or may not present a bill that has this language in it. And then of course we know that it goes to committee and whether or not it ever makes it out of any committee is another just another conversation entirely. And then if it ever gets out of committee then, you know, I mean, we all know how a bill becomes a law. But I I don't feel that I'm just a bill. Um or no, Bill, you're

146just a bill. Um, so I don't think that our signing something like this and presenting it to our legislative delegation. We would not necessarily be responsible for the consequences because once it is submitted to our delegation and they decide what to do with it, it could become larger than life or it could just go away, die in committee or before it even gets to committee. >> And heck, maybe all of those legislators that you're talking about will not be where they are. >> Sure. >> By the next session, >> Bill. >> So my position is very simple. Philosophically, as an educator, as a parent, and as a school board member, I feel very strongly that any institution in Vermont, outside of Vermont, concern that takes public money, must follow um education requirements that public schools

147must follow. So, that's my position. Any other comments before I >> I agree with Bill. I think that we are have to be held to the standard. I think every public needs >> so I I'll note too I mean I think I I fall along the same lines. I think that particularly in the fiscal environment that is being handed to us, it's the the principle is already there for me. It's I think even harder to stomach the concept of state money going to independent institutions that are not facing the same kinds of really overwhelming pressures that we are um to adhere to things like ES and state standards and oversight that I think is necessary for a public system. And I think that it to me it doesn't do a service to improve the public

148system and improve the quality the the quality of offerings and the variety of offerings. Um if you're sending money to a place where that kind of regulatory oversight doesn't exist in any meaningful way. I think that and maybe it's an oversimplification but I as somebody who has been educated in public and private institutions as somebody who has worked in public and private institutions and have really seen not only some of the the differences and they're not you know some of them are cultural some of them are qualitative being you know a student being an educator but you know on some level too I think this came up in the last the last discussion on this when we talk about about the experience of of educating in a in a public versus a private institution or

149independent institution. Um, a lot of the quality standards around how you have to compensate your staff for the kind of benefits that you offer. I mean, that's another really important consideration. I mean, I've I I and people who I know have kind of seen both sides of that and it is a really starkly different picture and and that in my own direct experience that can wildly impact the quality of the instruction we get to. Um so, uh I it seems to me that the majority of the board is in agreement on this. I do think that there are going to be plenty of times where the idea, you know, we're not going to have a unanimous vote and things need to go forward. Um, I think that because this is advocacy, I don't have any

150problem with the concept of with of withdrawing this of withdrawing this motion. And then I think outside of that just having a letter that goes out that folks are free to sign on to that isn't under the opices of being officials of the board. Um because I Elizabeth you brought that idea up. I think that that would be appropriate in this at this time. But uh you know I think I thought it was an important conversation to uh to finish. I Amy I appreciate your you know experience and your commentary on that having been on the uh on the regional board as well. I just want to make sure that that was kind of brought to a conclusion here. So, uh, I will see I draw a motion. >> So, sorry, could I ask a

151question before we do that? >> Sure. So are you suggesting that it would be we write the letter as like members of the Madison board this way instead of say the other sign >> and then sign your name because I I would rather abstain >> um I don't think it's necessarily appropriate for >> Yeah. >> Yep. No, I I can appreciate that there like and maybe you can speak to this Elizabeth, but I think that if the advocacy is getting there and it's signed by people who are concerned in the community, who have connections to this board, I don't think it really loses a lot of weight not being like an official resolution. >> That's what I I guess that's what my question was. >> Yeah. >> Is is there a different like is it

152okay? >> All right. So, according to my nice sheet on Robert's rules, I think this would that suspending this motion is tantamount to amending a motion. So, we just need a majority vote. So, uh I would move that we suspend consideration of the motion as presented. All those in favor, please say I. >> I I >> I. >> And I am and I as well. And I believe that is unanimous. So we have suspended this motion. >> Oh, sorry. Uh >> and no. >> Okay. Although uh yeah, Bill, my apologies for missing bill. >> That's quite right. >> Okay. And I don't think there's anyone left for extensions. So uh that can be noted on the record. And um I I'm happy to reach out, you know, to folks who are interested. We can we

153can work on this uh offline. >> Thanks, Davis. >> Yeah, thank you. No, I and I know we didn't end up taking like definitive actions in this, but I do think it's an important conversation to have in this setting regardless of where we land. >> All right. So, uh we are on to ABS roof RFP uh per capital plan >> as request for proposal. So, um, in the five-year capital plan, the estimate for the new roof at Albert Bridge was $180,000. Uh, we did put out an RFP. It was out for two weeks. We got >> We got one bid from the Melonsson Company. Jim is happy with that bid. He's worked with this company before, unfortunately. As you might anticipate, the cost has gone up. So, the estimated cost currently for the roof um

154is $249,315. Larry would like a motion to um expend um money out of the capital reserve account not to exceed $260,000 so that he has a bit of a cushion in case the cost is um is higher. And the plan is to um get to work on that roof this summer because it is in desperate need of >> y >> fixing. So I'll need a vote on that. >> All right. So, I will accept I will take a motion to approve uh the withdrawal or the >> up to >> yeah withdrawal of up to 260,000 from the capital reserve fund for the purpose of uh fixing the ads roof. >> Second. >> All right. discussion. >> Well, there's not a lot because that's all I know. >> Yeah. Any discussion? >> Bill, did you had

155something just kind of ancillary to that you wanted to voice? >> What I have to discuss is irrelevant. We don't approve this. >> Okay. >> Approve it. Then I just have something quick. >> Okay. >> You say it in Alex's discussion, then we'll have it. Oh, >> okay. Um, one of my concerns, uh, is in planning for this construction, uh, before all the teachers and staff go away, um, around ABS needs to be cleaned up. Mhm. >> And so, um, I am hoping that that gets addressed by Jim and the other people, but I'm also offering my help because I know some things need to be moved. I have the equipment to move it. There's there's trailers that need to be moved. There's maybe some planting beds that need to be moved. And so, if

156that needs to be done, I'm close by with the equipment to help make that happen. Um because all that stuff can't be there. >> Yep. >> During a roof removal and construction, >> right? >> So I think that needs to be done if we approve this. And I can't have no idea why how we can't not approve it. U >> I appreciate you need to be done. >> Speaking to the hypothetical world where this is approved. Uh Liz, >> does um is there like a time I know it says the summer, but I know the base camp's in there all summer. or is that going to be happening at the same time? >> Probably. >> So, Jim is already aware of that and has worked with base camp to make sure that they're not doing

157it at the same time. He's already had a conversation about what entrance kids can use and that kind of stuff with the base camp crew. >> So, I I I think the day camp for some reason I'm closely aligned with the day camp uh staff um as Jennifer shakes her head. Um I think they're planning to go to Mount Ecottney uh when uh the school is not available. >> Yes, that's what I understand too. >> Okay. Any further discussion? >> All right. Uh I will take a uh voice vote to approve the uh use of those funds in the capital reserve fund at 260,000. Uh all those in favor please say I. >> I as well. Any opposed? That being presumptuous. >> Uh and any abstensions? Okay. So, unanimous we have approved the use of

158those funds and now the things that Bill said uh can and should happen. So, they're out there. So, thanks for bringing those up. Uh if if Jennifer wants to reach out to me, if if Jennifer and or Jim wants to reach out to me, um I'm I'm I'm quite happy to help get some of that stuff done. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Okay. Uh let's see. New uh we're on to new hire. Tracy trouble. Yeah. Um if I have I have some updates and and then hire for your group. Um some SU updates. We um I think at the SU board you'll hear about um Angela Kemp being hired as an SEI for the building and Laura Taylor as an interventionist, but those will come from Jen Halls. Just to give

159you an update. Um Jillian Moore who's peering in at us as I speak is moving uh from with your approval moving from the classroom to um intervention. Um she's been wanting to make that move. Uh she um has been I think in the classroom for 10 years and really wants to join our intervention team. Um I'm happy for her. I'm uh I never wanna never want to uh stop professional growth, but she was a void right for us. And um so we've been posted as an anticipated um position for elementary school >> and and pending title funds. >> Pending title funds. We're getting close. We're getting close on that. So, what you're saying is we'll vote on Julian Moore and then there's another uh staff member to go in front of the SSU board. >>

160Couple more. >> All right. >> I was just trying to keep you up to date. >> Oh, thank you. >> Appreciate it. Thank you. >> Uh I will take a motion to approve the hire of Jillian Moore. >> So move second. >> All right. Any discussion? Best wishes to um new adventure. >> Yeah, there we go. Uh all right, if there is no further discussion, uh I'll do a roll call vote on this one. Uh so, uh I will start with Amy. How do you vote? >> I >> Elizabeth uh Liz >> I. >> Bill. >> Hi, >> Elizabeth. >> Hi, >> Megan. >> Hi. And I am the high as well. So that hire is approved. Excellent. Okay. And then at the very end here, we do have a uh resignation. That's correct. >>

161Yes, we do. >> Okay. >> Sadly, Jennifer, do you want to do the honors? >> Sure. Uh we've been very fortunate to have had Ian Golib join us midy year. Um, but as you know, um, people need a job, a full-time job, and so he's been able to find a more full-time job than we were able to offer. So, he is moving on, which leaves us an open music position again. >> Yeah. >> Yes. and go up. >> Okay. And we need to approve or >> we do because we signed a contract and the board has to >> we signed a contract. >> Okay. >> Great. So I will take a motion to accept uh or I should say to approve the resignation of Ian Gol. >> All right. Discussion. I would love no less

162to force him to stay, but offer someone a full-time position. Um, I think that professionally and symp uh sympathetically, yes. >> So, I I I understand that uh since we're having discussion >> Yeah. >> I understand that he's gone. He's already been hired someplace else. But is there no way that we could share that position with another with Windsor somehow or another? >> We're talking about that as an idea. We're certainly talking about that and Tracy and I are going to meet tomorrow and see if there's any ideas that we might be able to come up with. >> This is just going to keep happening over and over again. >> Yes. >> Any further discussion? Um, I want to wish Ian all the best. I mean, I've heard I've heard so many great things about

163the music program this year, including the beginning of this meeting. Uh, >> so, but you know, I know those kind of circumstances come up and I I completely understand. >> We can blame them. >> We can if we um >> Oh, we can >> and I will. Yeah. >> All right. Uh, so >> all right. >> Nothing. >> I'm going to take a Okay. Roll call vote to approve the resignation of Ian Gulib. Starting with Amy. How do you vote? >> I. >> Liz. >> I. >> Bill. >> Hi. >> Elizabeth. >> I. >> Megan. I. >> And I am an I as well. So that is approved. All the best of luck to you. Uh, and that brings us to the end of our agenda. I appreciate >> I was sitting here and realized

164I have a new hire, but I didn't think about it in that matter because it felt like a change in Theo, >> it's not a >> You can tell him. >> He's a Go ahead. You brought it up. Tell us. >> Uh, he we hired him to do the lighting room. >> Okay. Outstanding. >> Excellent. >> Yeah, I'm really glad it's great. >> Good. >> Thank you for sharing that. an equity coach and practicing restorative system really'll be around. >> Yeah, >> absolutely. All right, setting the next agenda. Um >> well, we know BAC, but um so we're not we are not meeting in July at all. So I won't see you all until September. >> Well, you can come visit anytime and we'll be here. Maybe you and I can get together and enjoy

165chitchat. >> The thing is that we would need to start thinking about our budget, >> right? >> Well, we first have to work on the SU I mean the SU budget usually comes first, right? And that's September, early October. And then there starts in October on October, November on local budgets. But I think September >> I'll join you if I can buy the first round. >> Okay. Definitely. >> And it it sounds like August is when we're going to do our our retreat date, which includes the warned meeting as part of that. >> Yeah, we warn it typically anyway. >> Yeah. Retreat. Yeah. >> So, what what I would say that for that um for that kind of budget, you know, vision, values, planning session, I I know you're not going to be there in

166person, but if you can just submit your your ideas to that because I want to make sure that you're >> So, where is it? >> The retreat. >> Uhu. It's going to be here unless we can find a closier spot, but all the boards are going to be here. >> Yeah, we're doing one combined. >> We have a facilitator coming. Yeah. Um presenting some information um around um numbers, what they look like, you know, potentially um if we were a single district to look at what those numbers would look like. >> So just a preliminary and then talk about what would be next. And I think our individual board portion of that would be be maybe a slightly truncated version of what we typically do where we go through the work plan. >> Go for

167doing the you're doing the carousel. >> No, not well a little bit. Yeah. But yeah, we've got some ideas. We want to make it really work. So, um it'll be it'll be good or the jury's out. We're going to try it. >> Were you a part of Were you here with I was here until 11:30 at night. Yeah, that did not work well. But >> and there were the thing about it was that there were like um that had to be taken at the board of each board and >> they weren't like it wasn't like a you know a lit match that had to go light all the matches but they all the boards >> didn't have to then come as I recall >> had to come back to SU board then go back to

168individual boards and vote on other >> it's a little clunky but we're gonna try it and make it better. So, >> so that's that's pretty much the agenda for next year. >> No, but you know, yeah. >> Yeah. Well, >> I'm sure other things will come off now. So, >> and I will um just for that um the US education reform bill, I'll I'll find a way just to get that out there and folks who who are interested in signing on to it, but that isn't official board business. So, I don't think that >> Yeah, if we can facilitate it that way, I think that that works well. We'll just we'll just remove the the board. >> Yeah. resolution like I should say be the underside. Okay, >> cool. Uh all right. Hey, I still

169have to adjourn this, right? Um all right. Uh item eight, adjournment. Uh all those in favor uh to adjourn this meeting, please indicate by saying I >> I >> opposed. >> All right. Fantastic. Uh we are joining this meeting at 9:13 p.m.