001Let me see. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Yeah, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. [Music] 30 seconds. [Music] Here we go. [Music] I'd like to call to order the school committee meeting of July 21st, 2025. If you are able, please stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Uh, roll call, please. Miss >> here. >> Yep. here. >> Um, this meeting is being recorded. It can be livereamed on the Dartmouth High School TV media YouTube channel. It will be rebroadcast on DCTV Channel 9 on Wednesday and Thursday at 5:00 p.m., Friday at 6:00, Saturday at 8, and Sunday at 2 p.m.
002It will also be rebroadcast on DCTV Channel 18, Monday and Saturday at noon, and Thursday at 3. We now welcome public comment from the audience on any topic in this evening's agenda. We have allowed 10 minutes for this. Please approach the mic and state your name and keep your comments to three minutes so others will have time to speak. I don't believe we have public comment today. So um let's move on to approval of the minutes. Has everyone read the regular? >> Motion to approve the regular session minutes of June 9th. >> Second. >> U motion by Mr. Nunes, second by Mr. Oliver. All in favor? >> I >> opposed. Um unanimously accepted. Um and the executive. >> So move, Madam Chair, with the stipulation that they be held until the matter for which they
003were intended is complete. >> Second. >> Uh motion by Mr. afternoon. Second by Mr. Oliver. All in favor? >> I >> All opposed. Okay. Um so we have a again unanimous approval of the minutes for June 9th um of executive session. Um and we have a short agenda today. We are going to start with the superintendent's update. >> Great. Thank you. So um it's been a while since we've been together. So, it's nice to see everybody and be here together. Uh, we have had a number of things happening in the Dartmouth public schools over the summer. Um, so we're pleased to share with you that uh this past just this past couple of weeks, we've had 65 of our students um participating in summer school at Dartmouth High School through the summer school credit recovery
004program. I know we still have a few we're working closely with and that really allows us to ensure that our students are staying on t on uh track for graduation. We want to make sure that they're recovering credits from coursework that um were that they were challenged with meeting the requirements of during the regular school year. Uh we have an English teacher, Jesse Griev, who coordinated our summer school program. And we do believe that this is an important opportunity for our students to make up work and really to be supported in a way that we want to ensure that they are in fact staying on track and able to graduate with their class. Um, also worth mentioning is that it seems like now it was a lifetime ago, but really it wasn't. that back on
005June 16th and 17th, we did once again hold our two-day curriculous curriculum summit which is really popular with our teachers here in Dartmouth. I have to say I had the opportunity to pop in a couple of times on them and they were truly highly engaged and this is where teams of teachers are coming together to work on curriculum development and revision and again I thank Katie Paveo and Dr. T-Bolt for you know they really do coordinate and serve as the point people for making sure that this two-day opportunity uh for almost 90 teachers and so you can see there's a great deal of interest um across the entire district representing the elementary level the middle school level and the high school level. We also had um an ESY program um again extended school year for
006our students um again and I thank and I'm going to invite them up in just a second as Lauri Denisio and Kim Redlon. Uh but we had 65 students uh attending a fiveweek session and we had another 90 students who attended a 4-week session. So you can see that there are a number of our young people who are still in fact quite connected with what's happening in school even during uh the month of June and late June and and throughout July. And I I just will take a minute to thank the folks who run all of those things and especially our facilities and custodial crew who are really here and helping to make sure that the environment is is uh really when you think about it, they have every this is a high school and
007we have elementary students here, we have middle school students here. So, you really have just such widely different um just uh needs of students and they do such a great job supporting us. But this does give me a chance to segue into inviting uh Stephanie, not Stephanie um but um Lori and Kim up to update you. uh they're going to talk about some significant changes and I think really you'll be pleased to hear about some of the improvements that they've made to service delivery for for a good number of our students. So, just a a reminder, this is is part of our teaching and learning update and you should have received something. I know it was earlier today just giving you an overview of what they're going to talk about. >> Hello. >> We'll talk
008quick because we know the agenda is short and we don't want to elongate anything. Um, as you're all well aware, the strategic plan calls for vertical and horizontal alignment, and that includes our special education programs as well. So, today we're going to talk about some of the changes that we've made to sort of um work to those efforts. Um, but these changes didn't just begin this school year. about three years ago in in 2022 when um I was at Quinn, we started looking at our past and pals programming um to see uh what's working, what's not working, what can we do better, what's our vision for this program. We started with conversations with the Quinn staff and started making small changes that we could make within the building at that time. Um that began with
009creating a scheduled collaboration time for staff and just has slowly grown from there. when we hired an assistant director uh we made part of that job to sort of oversee these substantially separate programmings as well as the outdist programming. So with this with um onboarding Kim this work accelerated greatly. This is her zone of genius. Um this is where her expertise lies and so she has really taken this from a vision to reality in the last two years. Um and it's also expanded from beyond Quinn School to our middle school and our high school again with that vertical alignment. So over the course of the last three years, we've made small changes that have had a positive impact on student learning and staff collaboration. This year, we re really focus on memorial memorial memorializing those
010changes um with the new IEP so that they're actually happening and they're supposed to be happening and and they're on paper now. Schedules were made around these changes. Um protocols were made around these changes. So we just started putting things in writing to make them a little bit more um uniform. Okay. So we took the PALS program and we took the past program and we combined them. So now rather than having the two programs which were connected but separate, we now have one program that we're calling Compass. Um, and we still have the essence of both of the programs, but really it is one umbrella program that houses all of the great stuff of both of those programs under one. So, they are now Compass is now vertically aligned. PreK, now that we have that
011substantially separate classroom at the prek um through 12th grade and then we have Atlas um for our postgrads. And it really is allowing us to increase that programmatic cohesiveness. So that way as kids are leaving Kushman at PK, they're going to a um classroom at Quinn for kindergarten that is continuing what they did at Kushman. And then when they leave Quinn, they're going to DMS, which is continuing what they did there. And then so on for the high school as well. So it really is just kind of keeping that seamless learning. um that they've been doing but still having the same focus areas where we had PALS was really focusing on the life skills and pass was focusing on social skills. We still have those f focus areas. We're just um being able to kind
012of eb and flow and intertwine them all without saying, you know, one or the other. We're able to do all now, which is um what's best for kids. So, um, to kind of highlight some of our upgrades, as we like to call them, um, at the elementary level, some of our upgrades are really memorializing, as Larry was saying, the life skills and social skill lessons that we're doing within the classrooms. Um, the increased collaboration now really with the new IEP of shared um, goal writing. So, the classroom and speech are having combined goals. OT and PT are having combined goals and skills are being worked across settings, not just in isolation in one area. So that's really helping kids generalize their uh learning and making faster progress or better progress. Um we have adaptive art
013music classes that are happening in that small group setting. So for students who are having a difficult time in that larger music class or art class, we have that smaller um environment for them where we're also um for AP as well, but we're also bringing some models from their gened classroom into that smaller classroom with some reverse inclusion as well. Um vertically aligned curriculum. So, we worked a lot with the um now Compass teachers on curriculum that is supplemental to what's going on in the general ed classrooms. So, that way we can vertically align not only at Quinn, but it's pulling up into DMS here as well. And then also relevant staff training. So really what are what do they need as teachers and as ESPs and as related service staff um in providing that
014during the half-day trainings and then upgrades in the middle and the high school. We worked really hard on some modified grading rubrics so that way when the students are in the general ed settings um they're being graded on their effort and participation and how that aligns with the new IEP. Um, so really capturing, you know, their efforts with working on an assignment versus just, you know, grading based off of what a typical grade might look like. um shifting some of our resources and hiring special education teachers to ensure that we do have the same alignment throughout uh Quinn Middle and High School for um both a life skills focus and a social skills focus. And then increased use of learning partners. As you all know, up at the high school, they run an amazing learning
015partners program that has pulled down and the middle school has done an amazing job of expanding it down there and we're doing that down um also at Kum with the reverse inclusion, but really expanding that learning partners program as well. But we've also had some administration upgrades as well in terms of what we're doing behind the scenes. So, obviously updating our program descriptions to be very transparent with all of the amazing things that we're doing. Um, we've created some staffing rubrics to ensure that all students are being supported um appropriately and really looking at where and when students might need additional supports um in certain settings and then updating procedures to ensure appropriate placement decisions are being made. So again, before when it was pass and PALS, it was kind of okay, you're in PASS,
016next year you're in PASS, the year after you're in PASS, um or PALS, and the last two years and prior to um but we've really focused on getting the teachers together, really looking at each student, what is their focus area, you know, for this coming year and where which classroom setting would be the best to be able to um you know make sure that they are learning those skills and excelling in that area and again with compass being that overall we're able to place students in the most appropriate setting for them. So what does this actually look like? Um the first two uh pictures on this side that's um adaptive music. So, it's a lot of hands-on, it's a lot of small group, um, a lot of instruments really tailored to the kids ability level,
017um, and also engagement. That middle picture there, that is a life skills lesson. Um, in our K and one classroom, in Miss Melo's classroom, as you can see, it's all hands-on deck. In that picture, our RBTs, um, registered behavior technicians, we have occupational therapists, we have speech therapists, as well as, um, our ESPs. And it's just everyone working together on a project again cross we're working on you know the language piece of it the fine motor piece of it all sort of working together um to create an outcome for these students and it's an awesome time for collaboration for staff as well. Um the picture in the top corner with the beautiful blue sky, that is the um the PE class, oh unified PE that's held here um at the high school that predated us
018and we're just sort of tacking it on um to what we do because that's an awesome uh setup here at the high school. And that bottom picture with the flower, um that's also a life skills lesson. and our staff is so amazing that when we started these life skills lessons, they started reaching out to um a local um store. So that was all of those um the flower, the pot, the the the dirt, that was all materials donated by Home Depot. So we've found some really great community partners um as we sort of expand our offerings at school. And I I need to end with a huge shout out because I can have the best ideas ever, but it takes people to really carry them out. So, first of all to our staff who again
019three years ago we said, "Well, what if we try this?" And they have just taken it and ran with it. Um our ideas um and and again they take what we do and they make it happen, which is really the magic. Our students and families, you know, Kim attends most of these IEP meetings and we talk about the the IEPs look different now, right? There are less goals. the goals are more focused and so everyone's been really accepting and actually really excited about that that the the the more functional their IEPs are um the better the outcomes for the students. Um our district admin again I go to Katie Pave and I say excuse me we need more art and music for AP I mean for adapted music and she says okay I'll I'll fit
020it in the schedule. Um, so it's awesome to have that support from that level. And our building admin, I can't tell you the number of um, uncomfortable conversations Kim and I have had to have when we sit down and say, "Okay, this is what we're going to do with your teachers." And also, we need more space in your building. And they have been awesome. Um, they really see the need for this uh, change in programming and they are excited to make it happen in their building. So we are so grateful for all of those people because they are really taking these ideas and making them a reality for our students. So before we change the program description on the website, we wanted to let you know that we are now going to call call this
021compass and sort of this is this is the why behind all that. So if anyone has any questions, I'm happy to >> let Kim answer them. >> Way to delegate. >> Yeah, good job. I would say a huge shout out goes out to you both of you. Thank you. >> Um yes, Kathleen. >> Um I think you answered this, but um ironically the parent of a child who requires substantially separate services and has benefited greatly. Um there's always been flexibility. And so ironically, I always come to kind of worried when I hear subsparate. Um, and I think you spoke to this, but I just want to call it out for the public to make sure that I understand it that um, and let me start with I love it. I love the vertical and the
022alignment. I love it sort of like you know where you where you are. It might not be where you are in the future, but if it is where you need to be, there's like a path for you all the way up through >> the entirety of your education if you >> need that. Um and just so that I understand. So you mentioned um general ed and then the the reverse inclusion which I have admittedly makes me just makes me have like a little I trust the two of you. I trust this. I do love a lot of this and I'm excited for it. Um but I just want to make sure that there is still that individuality. I think there is because you said you said general ed and then you said reverse inclusion. So
023I think there's the opportunity >> not reverse inclusion term is is a word. Um but really what we're trying to do is more meaningful inclusion. Right. So what would happen before is that there'd be a number on the IEP. If you're in this classroom you get 5 by1 120 of in the B-grid of inclusion. And sometimes that works for some kids and sometimes it doesn't work for other kids. So what we're trying to do is just be more meaningful about what that looks like. There are some students who do better um in PE with uh you know you know their third grade class they can participate and there are other kids who just can't handle it's too many kids especially at Quinn when you're talking about you know 50 kids in the gym. Um so
024it is just a word but I think meaningful inclusion is >> it's like an extra option really. I mean it's sort of yeah it's it sounds very like you're very meaningful and planning for that. So thank you. And then the only other thing that I had a question about is um in the description it said uh adaptive skills include recreation opportunities under adop um under the adoptive physical ed umbrella. I just also want to make sure that again back to the individuality um I remember my son years ago really doing well. He needed a onetoone but he was there early in the morning at a walking club at Quinn. So kids still would have access to >> other opportunities the life of the school. Yes. >> Yeah. Or any activity of of the life of
025the school and not just the adapted versions of >> this is just during this that part during this >> this is great. Thank you. >> Yeah. And even so not just at Quinn but at the middle school where they have the after school clubs things like that. um any of the students participate. We have many actually that participated in after school clubs and if they needed um any staff assistance then they would participate in that and then if there was any at Quinn eventually then that would happen as well. >> Excellent. Thank you. Exciting. >> Yep. Mr. Oliver. >> Thank you, Madam Chair. I think overall the des I appreciate this description and I appreciate just the combining of the programs. I think it makes a lot of sense. So kudos to both of you
026for putting this together. Um so just so I understand this correctly. So we have a total of >> 10 classrooms throughout the district. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Without count >> without without >> K to 12. That doesn't include >> that doesn't include preschool. >> Yeah. >> I think that's really it. Um I I appreciate the great presentation and I do honestly like come just hearing about it first and like we did with the uh the the pro one of the other presentations you did. So certainly helpful for sure. I do have a question if you don't mind kind of outside of the realm of this presentation. Are there any other besides uh the compass program and we have Atlas, right? Any other um separate subsppar is are there does Dartmouth run any uh therapeutic
027learning classrooms or anything like that? >> So, we can only do one thing at a time, Mr. Oliver. Um >> Okay. Touche. >> I I honestly I honestly didn't know. >> Yeah, we we currently do not have any therapeutic learning classrooms. Um there is a classroom um the middle and high school have uh have step up which you can consider a therapeutic learning. It's it it's not subseppparate. It is sort of that partial inclusion where kids um can go there for a certain period or leave class if they need a break. And so that exists but not nothing at the elementary level. It's on the to-do list but >> so I look forward to seeing your presentation. No, I'm kidding. I'm kidding. >> Thank you both very much. >> Thank you. Thank you. Okay, so
028back to um just a couple other things that I wanted to update you on. Uh kindergarten enrollment. Uh the numbers continue to be updated current. Again, Jen, I have to again just shout out what what a great job she does in getting kids registered and making sure all the appropriate paperwork is completed. Right now, we have 185 completed registrations. Uh there are 15 still in the queue. So that means they've started but they haven't quite completed yet. So those students uh won't be officially registered but we expect to have at least another at least another 15 students which of course will bring us up to 200. I think last year we had 205 um and looking 205 kindergarteners. We are definitely paying attention obviously to enrollment and looking at some of the enrollment data that
029we had gain garnered from uh NASDAQ when they came in and did the study. It's pretty close and so we're going to continue to watch that very closely. remember some of the decisions that you made last spring as we were considering budget implications were related to uh numbers and there was talk about uh certainly uh class size right now we think that class size at the kindergarten level looks it looks really good I mean we're at between 17 to 20 we're watching the potter closely um but at the same time we're making decisions that we think at the end once registration kind and kindergarten starts that we'll have uh that we'll have really reasonable better than reasonable class size at the kindergarten level which is obviously something that we strive for. I'll also mention as
030far as kindergarten is concerned that I'll do it under uh safe and family engagement just because um there are all three schools are planning events in August to invite families in um whether it's for uh popsicles and just to play in the schoolyard but um and to meet teachers as and to meet their administrators and just to get a feel for the building. And so that's something that I think has been in place in Dartmouth for a number of years and I'm uh able to see some of the emails that are going out to families and I can see that all three Quinn DLO and the Potter have events planned for August. So the Colt retreat uh we had our two-day retreat. Colt by the way stands for central office leadership team. Uh that's the
031the seven of us and that's really important time that I think that we have together as a team. Uh this year we were at South Coast Collaborative in Swansea. they um allowed us to use their space and I thought that was really important for us again because it pulls us away from the day-to-day and it allows us to really focus on paying attention to uh what what our priorities are for the upcoming school year and as also a way to celebrate the accomplishments that we've had to date and just that collaboration is so important. And so we also use that time to plan for what's going to be upcoming which is next week will be our principal retreat and our district leadership team retreat. So we have three days where we'll come together at UMass
032Dartmouth and a lot of the planning for that happened over that two-day central office leadership team retreat. I also was able to attend the ISTY conference. ISTY stands for National Society of Technology. >> Thank you, Mr. Galashaw. And and the ASCD conference, Mr. Galashaw totally encouraged me to go this year because it was a a joint conference between the curriculum folks and the technology folks. And if ever you could see worlds colliding, it certainly is now. You could certainly predict that it's been happening. As Mr. Oliver stands sits here at the table and knows that, that's certainly part of his world as well. uh but you can no longer separate them because technology is in the classroom. It's what our students are our students and teachers are utilizing to provide and I know Mr. Gala's
033just chomp. Yeah, it's so exciting. Um but we but we were joined by uh Liz Vosce and Sandra Chica, two of our instructional technology coaches. And you can't um you you can't in any way I think underestimate the importance of those instructional technology coaching positions. So, I always appreciate having the opportunity to talk about it here at the at the school committee because those are the positions that you're supporting every year in the budget and those positions are truly critical in supporting our educators who are in turn supporting our students in not only the use of the hardware because the hardware really now has become sort of the afterthought. It's the instructional soft not just software but instructional technology that we need to be focused on and and be supporting our educators in using that
034effectively. Long gone are computer labs. Hate to date myself but I was a teacher when there were computer labs in schools and we brought our class there and willingly gave up our students to the technology lab manager and that is just not the case anymore. All of our teachers uh have to have a certain level of expertise in the utilization and understanding of how to use technology to support teaching and learning. Um so AI, you'll be hearing more about it. uh uh chairperson Coughlin and I met uh just a when we were planning this agenda and she actually brought up uh having some sort of presentation this fall on where we are with AI and where we are in developing policy that supports the school department's use of it. Uh so you'll be hearing more
035about that. Last week Katie Ross and I attended the MASS conference. It was excellent and we attended I believed attended sessions that are really true this year for at least for me and from the conversations that I had with Katie and Ross were particularly relevant to the work that we're doing in the district and one in particular I'd mentioned is leading strategically by and that we I um we just actually purchased the uh these leading strategically books by Liz Elizabeth City and Rachel Curtis out of Harvard and they were there presenting. So, mostly Katie and I, I think we were super nerds and we were so excited and we had the books with us, so we got them autographed. Um, but the session was really excellent and what we we're committed to is using what
036we learned and using what's part of sort of the the teachings in that book to help to shape the work that we're doing with our school leaders at the district level. So, we also received an update on some of the funding challenges resulting from decisions made at the federal level which could affect our funding levels and we talked about whether or not to update you on that and we thought we need to put it off because honestly the picture just isn't clear enough for us yet. Uh, so we're obviously monitoring what's going on very closely and we hope to have a much clearer picture to share with you in August, but honestly we just don't know enough right now. And I saw there was a change just today to federal funding that had was related
037to afterchool and summer programming that doesn't actually impact us right now. I'd also mention to you that we had three faculty members, Gary Lowour, Annne Brown, and Stephanie Santos, our new associate principal here at the high school. They I had mentioned that they were attending a math conference. Um they did that was sponsored by Carnegie. Uh we look forward to hearing more from them about their experiences, but my the initial feedback that I've gotten has been that it was a very positive experience. If you remember um the conference is sponsored by Carnegie Learning Carnegie is and sponsored by it's not their conference they sponsor it and it's really just obviously centered around uh mathematical practice and and from what I understand it was a very positive experience for them and so I hope to share
038more about that. I'm going to turn it over to Mr. Kylie because I know he has some updates because guess what? There's a lot going on in the world of facilities and budget. Nothing stops. that to say Maguire. So, um we were fortunate to hear from the MSBA um that our statement of interest um is one of 96 statement of interest that they're going to come and take a look at for the high school roof and window project that we submitted. Um so, they are scheduling a visit in August. Um and on Wednesday we're going to have a Zoom call with them to sort of talk about what that would entail and what information they need from us. We've already along with the statement of interest um on the microphone. >> Sure. [Music] >> Okay.
039Is that better? >> Okay. So um along with the um statement of interest we had provided them information regarding uh an engineering report that we had done give them a lot of detail um in terms of what the deficiencies are and like I've said before it doesn't take a whole lot to identify deficiencies. You can just look up right now and see the stains on the roof on the ceiling tiles and a lot of um you know issues we've had through the years are still still there and need to be addressed. So um our hope is that they that we rank somewhere on their list and and are selected. Um but we'll we'll keep you posted and find out um you know what their what their stance is. I they have a uh board meeting
040on October 29th and I my understanding is that's when they're going to decide what projects um to recommend to to move forward. So we've got a while before we'll find out, but with any luck we'll be we'll be on their list. >> Mr. Kylie. >> Yes. uh question around if you you may not know this but how many projects do they typically fund or is there a a pot of money I assume >> it really depends on the on the scope of each project so it's hard to say they only have so much money and they definitely do not have enough money to fund 96 projects right so um last year 75 projects um were submitted a statement of interest for 75 projects and I believe they funded in the 20 range. >> Um so
041but again it's all scope like in terms of an accelerated repair project this is a big one. Um, while Dartmouth High School isn't one of the bigger high schools in the state, it is a sizable building that if if the windows are included as part of the scope, which we included in our application, it would be a pretty pretty lengthy, complicated, expensive project. Um, as compared to some of the others like replacing an elementary school roof or something like that. So, it really depends how many of those they have. Curious. Yeah. Yeah. And and they won't give us any indication at this point, but um but at least they'll be able to see what we, you know, the certainly identified need that we have >> the condition >> and um we'll be on a list
042somewhere. So, if it's not this year, we'll continue to pursue it. >> All right. Also in facilities, we have uh quite a bit of work going on in the buildings in the summer. Um besides the traditional, you know, cleaning of the buildings and routine maintenance projects that we have, we have uh the fire alarm replacement at the DLO school and the Potter School that are going going great um ahead of schedule. the potter school is done with um all of the rough work and installation of the devices and is at the point where they'll be testing that that system soon. The old system is still operational at the moment and is what we're relying on, but but pretty soon um that'll be done and they're working on the dlo school system now and um we're
043shooting like for second week in August to be done, tested, all wrapped up. Um so that's going very well. We're replacing the um the lighting and rigging in the in the auditorium here. um and that was part of an ARPA funded project that the town um allocated funds for. So we're we're doing that this summer. Um most of the the work is being done by our own maintenance staff. So um it's it's a big project and and there's you walked right by one of the big lifts that we're using to access uh all the intricate um areas of the of lighting and the ceiling. uh in the auditorium. So that's that's really kind of just beginning that project. Um but we hope to have that all set for the start of school. We're creating an
044ADA bathroom at the Quinn School. Um so there there previously was not an officially compliant ADA bathroom at the Quinn school. So that's that's being completed uh by our maintenance in in-house maintenance team. um grease trap replacement, HVAC repairs, kitchen renovations. So although we don't we didn't receive a whole lot of money um in terms of the capital improvement plan funding from town meeting, we're still managing to cobble together some projects to try and improve the the facilities. So we're working on that. Um we're also going to be um repairing the sound system at the stadium. So, we're hoping to have that equipment in play all in place, installed for the start of football season and sports season in the fall. So, >> can we just put it under lock and key? >> Yeah. Yeah.
045Well, we're going to have a different setup for sure. >> Okay. >> Than what we had. Yeah. >> So, that's uh what we're working on in facilities. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. Yeah. Sorry. Share a microphone. Okay. So, I also wanted to update you as to how we're doing with staffing. Um, I am pleased to share that I think that we're we're near complete. We still have a few key positions, but to be filled. We still have an open special education position at the high school and an ESP LPN for the Atlas program. Um, at the middle school, we still have an ESP that we're working on filling. At the Quinn, we do have one special education teaching position. It's a one-year position. We have a teacher who chose to take parental leave for
046the year, and so we're looking to fill that position. Um, at the Potter, we are looking to fill a literacy coach position, and the interviews for that are Wednesday. Um and then dlo we have an ESPLPN and the Kushman one ESP. So we still have a good handful of positions but we do feel really confident uh and excited to be starting the year with nearly a full complement of our teaching positions filled and and as always I think at every uh school committee meeting I say don't forget substitutes and and ESP positions. So, uh, and you heard there are a couple of key positions again that we're still looking to fill. I already talked about family and community engagement again about the ind incoming kindergarteners. So, for kindergartcoming kindergarten families, if you haven't heard anything
047yet, you should be soon. And I just would give you a quick update under safe and supportive schools. Um, we and if Mr. Kylie wants to chime in even though we have to share a microphone a little bit on the hall passes because he has more he sat in on a couple of meetings with the middle and high school principles. So I just like him to just mention that. So, um, for the upcoming school year, we're going to have in place an electronic hall pass system, which is a kind of a fairly modern development, um, in in how, um, we allow students to leave classrooms and track, um, their frequency of of, you know, leaving the classroom during during uh, class time. So, we're in the process of procuring that and um we'll have it
048in place at the high school and the middle school next year. >> Very good. Very good. >> And so I think today I mean just to just today we met with um with with um what's our new opioid? I'm sorry I don't it's it's Rachel. >> Rachel. Oh, Dalo and and we also met um with with Heidi and we talked about ways where that opioid money can help to support our schools. This has been an ongoing conversation. It's not brand new. Uh but there are ways where so we're expanding vape detectors at the the use of vape detectors at the high school and we're actually going to be using a more advanced model that we think will be more effective and that our administrators will find uh that not only are they easier to use,
049but they're easier to respond to. And part of the conversations that we had, by the way, are, and we said this before, that the vape detectors are certainly meant to be used as a deterrent, number one, um, not punitively, but there are consequences for use for vaping in schools. So, we just need to be clear about that. And at the same time, what our true intent here is to use vape detectors as a deterrent and then if needed to offer the kind of support and intervention that needs to happen to actually deter our students from engaging in vaping, which is obviously unhealthy for them. Uh the other thing that we talked about was uh adding additional afterchool programs. And so we're hopeful that we'll be able to come to you at some point this year
050and talk about how we're utilizing that funding to help support additional opportunities for our students to participate in afterchool programs. And we are also uh happy that the board is supporting us to the select board meaning um to uh add some additional security personnel here at the high school. Am I missing? Oh, the um also the the Wayfinder curriculum, which is a social emotional learning curriculum that we've already used, that we've already committed to that we'll be uh utilizing this fall at the high school level. And then finally, I just mentioned that we will be introducing very soon a new SRO at the elementary level. We look forward to I know that Mr. Kylia has talked with with the chief and that he has a couple of people I think who are going through the
051training process and we'll look forward to hearing from them. But we again thank the police department for continuing to support us with those with that position and those positions. And so that's all I have. >> That's a lot. Thank you very much. Um I don't have as much. Um, we all got a letter from the select board inviting us to a meeting. It was late today. So, if you haven't looked at your emails, then do. Um, we've been invited to attend the August 11th select board meeting, which is at 6:30. You're not here. Okay. >> Um, >> do you either of you know if you're open for >> attending? You got to be kidding me, right? >> Or we'll just >> I should try. Yeah, I should be available. I have that week off. My
052son has a week off, but um the Washington County Fair doesn't start till Wednesday. So, >> okay. >> I might be free that Monday night for that. >> Okay. All right. That's fine. Um we will represent and if you have anything that you know it's about uh goal and role sharing and how we work together. So, if you have any comments that you want us to move towards them, please let us know. >> Beautiful. >> We'll do that. Thank you. >> Okay. Um and also reminding everyone of our retreat August 18th for goals of the coming year. And speaking of goals in the coming year, I think later this week or next week, we will get from the superintendent um evidence of her goals of the past year. >> Yes. Thank you. Um uh you
053can expect to have the evidence actually as early as tomorrow since it's ready to be sent out to you. So much like not much exactly like last year if you remember I sent you a PowerPoint and uh attached you had links to each piece of evidence for each of the goals and then the standards. So it'll be the exact same format. I just want to say that this year I did make sure with help from my colleagues that every single link opened. >> Helpful very helpful. >> Very helpful. So we did go through it and so you should all be able to access all of the evidence in there and if you remember you it's the goals that I presented to you in the fall and the st the indicators related to the standards. So
054you'll get those tomorrow. >> Okay. >> Terrific. >> Perfect. >> Thank you. Um and I do not have anything else. Kathleen, would you like to >> I just wanted to um since it's the first time we've met this summer, uh sort of share some cons condolences for the tragic passing of um Mr. Joseph and uh really commend the high school and the leadership. I'm sure everyone had a part in it in offering uh time and hours for students who might need extra support. Um I received a lot of emails about that and so I thought that was fantastic and again just the condolences to the family. >> Yes. Yeah. Thank you. Uh I do want to say the high school folks up here really came together and did a tremendous job supporting the family and
055obviously the the student body here. um a student that we're, you know, very sad obviously of how tragic um the his loss was. >> Good. >> Okay. All right. Um, so our next regular meeting of the school committee is scheduled for Monday, August 25th, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. here in the Dartmouth High School Library Library Media Center. And I would like a motion to move to executive session pursuant to 30A21A3 to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining where an open meeting would have a detrimental effect on the school committee's bargaining position for Dartmouth Educators Association and AFSCME and not to return to open session. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Uh motion by Mr. N, second by Miss Amroll. Uh all >> roll call. Oh, roll call. >> Chris Oliver. >> Yes. Yes. >>
056Yes. >> Thank you. >> We are returned. >> Yeah, that just rolled right off. That was perfect. right here.