001Dr. Harrian >> here. >> Mr. Coower >> here. >> Mr. Chair, you have a quum. >> Thank you. Stand for the pledge, please. >> I'll get this going here. One second. Sorry. >> Thought you'd have it all queued up. >> I I'm I'm there now. 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. All right. Um Um, I don't think we have anybody from the audience. Do we have any emails or anything from the public? All right, moving on. Dr. Soulen, I will pass this to you. >> Thank you very much. Uh the first policy, [clears throat] what you'll see today is a number of these policies are fairly straightforward
002um and reflect the fact that we're shifting names of schools in the 2627 school year. So this is petty cash funds policy which hasn't been updated since 1996. Um so we're changing two items um you know from director of management and personnel position that no longer um exist to chief operating officer uh in two locations at the top and then the fund limit for petty cash at the building level to have cash on hand. Um we're you know making adjustments as you see here. This should actually be, you know, we're not junior high school anymore either. So, um, we'll take that out. Again, we're just kind of adjusting um for the for the times um and then adjusting the names of the building. Any questions on that one? No. >> Okay. Uh the next item
003is uh our policy around Oh, sorry. That's the wrong policy. Close that. Ages of attendance. Um, as I think most everybody here is aware, the uh state law used to indicate that you had to be five by January 1 of the upcoming school year in order to enroll. And they've subsequently shifted that back to um by September 1st. So um this is basically the update is what we're doing in our policy is taking out the transitional waiver language that's been sunset and um other than that so now we're saying you have to be five by um September 1st per the law. So other than that, everything else is is straightforward. Um and it uh reflects the change in starting age for the school. This is the um CAB which includes the summary as you guys
004have probably seen if you opened up the the policy posting. >> And this is this is a new policy or a revised policy of ours. >> It's just a revision of the ages of attendance. So like we used to have um ages uh you had to be five by January one because that was the state law. We allowed transitional waiverss uh for last year and this upcoming year um for this current year and upcoming year and now the state is dropping the transitional waiver piece and you got to be five by September one. We've done a lot in district actually for the last um two years with the transitional K program to get people prepared for this. So at this point you were probably two when the law first really changed if you're going to
005be enrolling for next year. Uh not this upcoming year but the subsequent year um at the at the oldest you were two. So I think uh you know we're we're in good shape there. the all the all the uh folks with young children in the daycare centers, they all know about this change in the law, too. Um so this early waiver piece, um let me shift this. This is the next item on the agenda, but the next the early waiver piece. Um it it talked about the transitional waiver stuff for 26 27 and they talked about having a policy for it. We've already been doing this um for the two years and now it's talking about the sun setting of that. Um, so Carol, in our existing policy, um, I don't think we have a
006a transitional waiver policy. This 51, >> this is this is new. This is a new policy. >> Yeah. So, it it's designed to address the transition to a school year that's already starting. Um, I don't know that we necessarily need to adopt this. uh they did share it out. Um but yeah, again, we've already done all the transitional waiverss evaluations that actually we're done with that now. Um and I I only think this will be a policy that if adopted will be defunct as of, you know, the the next school year. So by the time we adopt it and go through three readings, um I don't know that it necessarily makes sense. Um, you know, >> is it are we required to have it? >> No. >> Okay. Do do you think we need it?
007>> No. >> Okay. >> But I'm sharing it with you because they they floated it. We have it. Like we already are doing this. Um, but you know, we're not going to adopt a w any sort of waiver for subsequent years. It sunsets anyway. So, I'm not sure why we would adopt it for the next three months. >> I concur. Any uh discussion? >> Oh, this goes right into my arguments about uh the last the last >> I was trying to get ahead on that. [laughter] >> Well, you did. You did. So did Dr. Solen. uh if if not mandated uh if we're doing it already uh and does not add any significant value. Uh I I also concur with Dr. Solen's assessment that >> probably don't need this. There's no value. >> Yeah, to
008your point, Matt, I think it only creates confusion. So, I don't know that we we need to do that. The next one is reporting of child abuse and neglect. Um this is uh let me share it. This is 514. Um so this is a a mandated policy. So this is something that we do have to adopt. And um I we made edits here with like the alternate language and stuff. I I've I've dropped out of there, but basically um it's reinforcing that we have to provide um information to our employees about identifying sexual abuse stuff. They've made the change here is contractors employed by the board in regular contact with children other relevant contractors. So because we've been doing the uh electronic training of people for I mean I think actually before 2022 even um
009where every 3 years you have to watch a video but in addition we share the information anyway but now it includes contracted um folks as well and that's that's the change here. So it's it's really kind of a minor change um in a language perspective but you know from a um a practice p uh perspective it is a little bit more um intensive because we have to do uh more people obviously and um this talks about the preliminary inquiries uh as it relates to what does the is a when you get a a mandated reporter report, what steps do you have to take? Um I I think what they're trying to do is not muddy the water for the DCF investigation process. And for us, like we've always been told, you know what, make the
010report, DCF does the investigation. It's not your job to ask 15 questions about tell me this, that, and the other thing. And it's and what this really says is listen, get get the relevant information, you know, and then make the report. Don't you're not the investigator. Um and so that's >> do we do we share that information with uh all the employees in the district, all the mandated reporters that they should not be conducting investigations? >> Well, this is a new policy. It's a change to the DC. I'm assuming that there'll be also a change to the DCF mandated reporter video. Um, but we as a matter of practice have always told our people, don't don't get into the investigation. That's not your role. Um, you know, if they said, you know, uncle so and
011so may have been doing something or aunt this and that, you don't call mom and and say, hey, do do you what has anybody said anything about this at home? you know, your job is to take the information and make the report for DCF. >> And one of the uh just tapping into my prior career, one of the >> Yeah. >> one of the concerns that we always had um was uh people who are not trained asking too many questions. you know, if if there is a victim of of some sort of sexual abuse that that should be there should be a forensic interviewer, even just the first responding officers just taking the basic information. So this uh so we don't contaminate any of the uh victims uh >> recollections information you know >> and
012that's what I pretty sure that's why they've aside from the contractor piece further delineated what the school's role should be in this I'm imagining there was probably some sort of situation where um that happened usually That's where a lot of, you know, the legislative changes come from. But, um, you know, that's really been our practice forever. There's a corresponding regulation that goes with this change in the, um, in the policy that I'll I'll pull up as well. And who are the contractors that that were going to be responsible or if >> if you had people in the building all the time? And I would imagine um like we do this already through our biggest contractor who has any sort of contact with kids is Kelly uh services. >> So they're already required to do this
013for us anyway. Um I can't imagine a school system that contracts with anybody like that who wouldn't but if you're in the building on the regular B from let's say um you contract your food service with Aramark or Sedesco or somebody those folks would have to receive this training too. Okay. >> You know, we run an in-house food service program, but and our people get all the same training, but um this is the uh regulation that is corresponding with that policy. Um that really outlines everything that am I sharing that or no, no, I'm not. Um, this is the uh, as I was saying, the the draft regulation that goes along with this policy that articulates everything that um, you know, people need to do when they feel that a a case of abuse or
014neglect has risen. How long have we had this policy before updating it today? >> Um, I don't know. Let me let me look at the uh Carol, can you pull up the old policy and check the date on that? But the um I mean obviously it's been state law, the DCF mandated reporting. >> Yes. So the the um contractor as I was saying before is highlighted here in the red. Anyone uh contracted by the board to perform a service who is regular contact uh with children. Um other examples besides the two that I already gave uh those are the largest scale but sometimes districts contract with folks who come in and provide specialized services. uh teacher of the hearing impaired. Um you know uh and that they're they're not a substitute. Uh they're a regular
015in the building. Uh speech and language pathology sometimes is a contracted individual um who comes in and provides us. >> The last update to this policy was 2019. We've had it since 1996. I was wondering how often we have to um update this kind of policy. >> Yeah, there was 96, 2002, 2004, 2009, 2012, 2015, 16, twice in 2016, 2019, and then now >> I guess whenever the law changes. >> Is that usually because the state has added or >> Yeah. >> changed things? >> Yeah. And and obviously here you could see like the contractor was a big piece of this. So >> yeah, >> I can imagine something unfortunately may have taken place that prompted them to make that change. >> Would the service be considered contractors as well or not regular contact with
016students? >> I I that's a good question, Mark. Um that's something I I'll pursue with Emily um to confirm. They don't have regular contact with kids. >> Usually they're usually after hours, right? >> Yeah. That we don't like our uh our maintenance personnel do all the work during the day. And at Treasure High School, it's a combination at night. At the other buildings, um they're sporadically on site at night for a cleaning. you know, obviously you're more likely to have more kids there at Cheshire High at night. Um, so I don't know. That's a that's a good question. And I I don't know if that's part of their contract, their requirements, or if it's something that um want to make a note to Emily right now. Uh, and I I'll follow up on that with
017you. >> Thank you. >> Sure. That's a good question. Um, and then our last U policy for tonight, I'll just pull up and then share screen with you real quick. Um, reflects our changes in the school structure. Again, its organization of instruction um, as you can see, it used to indicate that elementary schools contain grades one through six. um the the early intervention center um Humon shall provide special ed services. Now that was originally in 97. Things have changed since then obviously um where our elementary schools now also contain kindergarten um and our Barnum school will host house excuse me the early intervention center um and birth to three. And then Human is an alternative high school program. I'd prefer that over special education services because not every student who attends Human has been identified
018for special ed services. So this is just updating to reflect next year what our district will look like and it hasn't been updated in 30 years. So, um, we're past two. >> What, um, this is a knowledge question, not a >> what prompts us to change this now versus I mean, you made the comment not in 30 years and it had grade one through K or one through six in there, right? Like, how do we think of, oh, that policy we need to change this time around for this reason? So, I would say that the there's a couple of different things. One, you know, I don't know, Carol, how long ago it was, probably like six years ago or so, seven years ago. Um, you know, it was our experience that the policy manual was
019pretty outdated and we, um, brought Cave in and they were tremendously useful. They have a policy review service where they went through the entire manual uh against state law. What do you need? And we just did a lot of weeding for a number of years on just those. Other times it it'll be where um I'm I'll access the policy and go this is out of date. It doesn't make sense. Um, and then in this case, I knew that well, we're changing buildings. Um, and I searched for Darcy and um, you know, Barnum or Dorton in the process just to search through the policy manual to see if there was anything in there that that hit. Um, and sorry, well, we need to change those at least. Um, we know that those are they're changing now.
020Um, I don't want to sign up this summer, but one of the things that, you know, we could or should be doing is probably to budget for a policy review on like a five-year cycle through CAPE. Um, something or at least through somebody to review that against the law and against um, you know, just practicality. Now, um just for I don't know everybody on this call, uh every day AI is getting better and better. >> Um all of our policies only exist in that like illanized database that's not super friendly for a download. Is that correct? >> Yeah. >> Okay. This this is this is one of those um state laws all public record. All those policies are all public record. >> Sure. >> Uh I'm going to toy around with it. See what happens.
021Uh >> yeah, >> just more more for fun than anything. But um yeah, I think >> I mean I I don't know what the right way to phrase this is, right? Like I know we can't just like pop AI into the classrooms tomorrow. Um but as a district we can start learning when it's valuable, when it's appropriate, when it doesn't go against the law. And this looks like a pretty solid use case. Um professionally, I had some national requirements from the FDA change overnight literally last week. I'm like, what do our excuse me, what do our uh policies have to uh what do we have to do to change our policies? And just go like look at that updated law, look at our pro processes and procedures, and you know, boom, here's 90% of that
022solution. So, I'm going to toy around with that, Jeff, and uh I'll copy. >> Great. I mean, I I agree with you in that Yeah, I agree with you in that um you know, certainly um there's an opportunity to look at the efficiency of it. Look at the uh um the review. I I'd be really curious at what what it spits out. Um I think you're not suggesting that we just adopt whatever it says. We evaluate. I just want to be clear for people because I know you and I know like, you know, it still takes expert level. You could look at that FDA, you know, print out and have the knowledge to go, "Yeah, okay, this is legit." Or, "No, it's not." And it, yeah, >> you know, it's still at that phase where
023it's incredibly valuable, but you still need an expert to double check the work. Um, >> it might give you a hit list of like here's 10, 15, 20 things that are like grossly >> out of date or grossly out of date or something. >> Prioritize still go do it. We still go through the the procedures and the processes for adopting it and talking about it and debating it. Um, >> correct. >> Yeah, for that. >> Out of curiosity, what is the uh cost to have CE or some someone come in and take a look at all that stuff? Ballpark. >> Uh, I want to say it was a few grand. >> I think it was about seven grand actually. I'm not positive, but I think it was somewhere around there. >> And that was many
024years ago. you know, it may it may even be cheaper now because of what Matt said. You know, it may it may be more expensive. I don't know. Um, >> so, >> right. >> So, that was the uh policies for this evening. Uh, and I'll I'll share the postings so you guys can see like what they were. Again, um my recommendation is that we probably avoid uh the early waiver policy adoption and go with adopting 3451 uh and then the picking back up the 5441.4 policy. You don't have to adopt the regulation. You adopt the policy, we'll use the regulation. um as long as you you're comfortable with that. And then the organization of instruction change is the 6130. So this is the guy here. We'd be mixing that we're not going to I mean
025considered but not adopted. >> Can you can see the highlight, right? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> All right. So, so we're going to go for a motion for review these for first reading. Is that how it's going to Okay. >> Yes. >> All right. I'll make a motion that uh we review these policies for a first reading. 3451 petty cash 5112 ages of attendance 5141.4 for reporting of child abuse and neglect and 6130 organization of instruction. Second, >> Dr. Herrian. Thank you. Uh any further discussion? >> All in favor? >> I. >> Unanimous. >> Is that all you got for us? >> Yes. You wanted more, Mark? I No, I'm just looking at 27 minutes right now. >> Not bad. >> That could be a league record for this year anyway. It's a season record.
026>> All right. Uh motion to adjurnn. >> So moved. >> All right. All in favor? We are adjourned. Thanks, guys. >> Thanks everybody. Have a good