001Okay, it is 6 pm and to call the ed special meeting for May 6, 2025 to order. It is 6 pm. Always great hearing your board 2025 to order. It is 6 p.m. on on a loop is even better. That's great. For those of you who stand for the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America to the republic for it stands for indivisibley and for all. Next order of business is public comment. Public comment. Any public comment? Oh, yes. That was fast. If you need a second to go name, address or affiliation and uh three minutesish. Sure. U my name is Pat Hesy. I'm president of secretarial's union board of ed. Um thank you for everything you do. Appreciated all the board members that came out and spoke about staff
002positions at the board of finance meeting last week and sent emails to everyone last night. Don't know if we had time to review our I figured it save time today. Um, I'm here to talk about secretarial um reducing 12-month members and leaving the schools empty except for one in the summertime. Um, the email pretty much stated the reasons that we're looking at is like uh because supplies, students, new students coming in, taking tours, um unfunded mandates of data that they have to process every summer. I mean, the list goes on and on. Jen can talk about that when she gets up in a few minutes and also about the library aid position. I think the letters spoke for themselves on how much the library aids do. Um I did speak to Jeff today. He was
003talking about the librarians going to um Haynes to teach lessons which leave the libraries empty. Library A to be there, keep the libraries running, mend the books, and everything else she does on that long list. But the libraries would keep running and be open for the students. If the position was closed, I think I believe the libraries would be closed and that he could open them and just leave them unattended. So, we're looking and hoping that you'll support us. Um, gave our staff positions. three years ago, we were before you with the same problems almost and we're looking for um support again. Thank you for your time. Yeah. Hi, my name is Jen Pudo. I live at 250 Upper Padagans Road in East Lime. I am a member and vice president of the secretarial union.
004I'm requesting that you appropriate the funds needed to make sure that the library assistant position will not be cut for the upcoming school year 2526 and the three 12-month secretarial positions will not be cut to 10 months. A reduction in library assistant position will harmfully impact students because librarians will be shelving books instead of teaching students. Librarians will now have to repair books. Also a take taking away from teaching. Teachers will no longer have a resource to help them track down reading materials outside of the district to help with their lessons. If the 12-month positions are cut to 10 months, there will be no one in the elementary schools to answer questions to help with upcoming student transfers and withdrawals. Tours will not be given to up uh incoming students and parents to alleviate their
005fears. Uh student supplies will not be ordered and will not be available at the beginning of the school year. Class placement and teacher welcome letters will not be sent out to students and parents. These are just a couple of examples of the duties that will go unmanaged. Students and parents need these positions to continue untouched in order to ensure our schools run smoothly. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. public comments. I'm Gita Sivan. I live at Fort Knowledge Circle Islam, Connecticut and I am working as a library assistant at elementary level and I'm a member of the secretarial union. Good evening everyone. Thank you so much for giving me an opportunity to spo speak today. I'm here to talk about the importance of keeping the library assistant position especially at the
006elementary level. Elementary school is where the foundation for learning is built and school library plays a major role in that. It's not just a place to borrow books. It's where students discover reading, explore new ideas and build the research and information skills they will need for life. Elementary schools is where reading habits are born. It's where a reluctant reader becomes a curious reader and sometimes even they become a lifelong reader. And behind that experience is a library assistant there. Our role goes far beyond checking books in and out. We help children find books that match their interest and reading levels. We maintain a welcoming space that support both independent exploration and classroom learning. We support teachers with resources and we promote reading habit that lasts well beyond elementary school. This year alone, I personally repaired
007and modified over 900 books in one of just one of our schools. It's thousands of dollars I have saved and more importantly, thousands of reading opportunities I have preserved for our students. Without a library assistant, libraries often become underused or even closed off spaces. Teachers are stretched thin already. They can't also be expected to run a full library program. That means less access to books, fewer opportunities to grow a love of reading and a critical resource going to waste. By keeping library assistance in spa in place, you are investing in literacy, equity, and early learning success. Our students deserve access to a fully functioning library. And that means having the people in place to keep it thriving. Thank you for your time and for all you do for our schools. Thank you so much. Hi,
008my name is Rebecca Ammonson. I live at 13 Brookfield Drive. I'm a parent of a kindergartener currently. I'm also a teacher. Been a teacher for 20 years in a different district. Um, just a couple of things. I know you guys are really tasked with something very difficult. Having been a teacher and watched these things happen over many years. I I don't envy your position. Um, just a couple of things to think about. Um, I know that it's convenient to cut positions when someone's retiring through attrition because nobody's job is lost. But I do and I know you've you've talked about this. I've listened to your board meeting. I I just want to remind you that when you do that, you'll never get that position back. And and I think about my daughter is in kindergarten,
009right? If you cut that second grade position at Flanders, then my daughter now will be in second grade two years from now and we're faced with now that that same size of group of kids is going into a class sizes that will be smaller or larger rather because we've cut that position for every grade beyond the current grade that's going to go into that grade. And when you cut those positions, you can't get them back. So just, you know, I urge you to be mindful of those things and the impact not just next year but the years beyond that and how hard it is to get positions put back in. Um, I would also say as a parent, um, you know, I I and as a teacher, I I work in a district where we
010ask kids to pay for things like field trips and that was one of the things we had talked that you guys had talked about as on the chopping block. And I would say as a parent, we don't I don't mind paying for a field trip as long as I know that people in the district who can't afford those field trips have a fund or something to help them so that every kid can access field trips. But I urge you to kind of be flexible in your thinking and thinking about like what could we what could we do to try to like cut costs with by saving other things. So for instance, I would as a parent would never feel bad about paying for a field trip when in previous maybe there's a history of field
011trips being paid for, but like I don't pay mind paying for a bus fee for my kid if it means that we're going to keep other things that are super important, right? As long as those kids who maybe can't afford it will have the ser those those opportunities. Um, I would also just um remind you of the importance of human contact and we're in this postcoid world and kids are still struggling and every time you have an extra body or another body in that building, it it offers an opportunity for a kid to make a connection. It could be a parent. It could be a secretary. It could be a guidance counselor. But those people make those contacts with those kids who need the most contact. And and they're they they're invaluable beyond their position
012that they're hired for because they allow the teacher to do their job and they can go and meet the needs of those kids. Whether they're in the office doing a check-in because they can't handle class and they need to go check in with the secretary or they need to go to the library to do a quick check-in with the library and go get a book because their teachers like they need a little movement break. Those little contacts make all the difference for those kids who are struggling greatly. Thank you. And I do not envy your position. I know it's really difficult and I appreciate all the work that you've put into this. Public comment. Can I go again? As a mom, I want to talk. It's really limited. Each person is limited to three minutes.
013I Yeah, sorry. Um at least can I say just one sentence? Sure. At middle school level, you guys have planned to cut the uh after school club. I please recommend not to do it because so many middle school kids they are like figuring out their life over there people the kids who don't belong like in academics that's the space they meet with similar interest so I have seen like this is my kid like first time in middle school I see a big difference please take an effort to put back those after school clubs that's it thank Okay. Other public comment. Other public comment. Hearing none that closes public comment. And we have uh one agenda item for discussion action. It's on the 2025 2026 budget updates. And um maybe it's worth just spending a minute
014kind of talking how we got here and then what will happen after. So a lot of people know the board of ed had submitted a 6.72% increase budget uh board of finance after board of finance deliberations. Their initial reduction was 1.5 million below our 6.72 which brought it to 42 I think that was right. Yeah. and um at the public hearing. Thank you for everyone who came out um and everyone obviously 50 70 100 people I don't know how many people actually spoke um but it it was a lot and I think the board of finance heard um heard the messaging and heard the feedback and they reduced our um our reduction. So we originally were 1 a.5 million. It was 150,000 of savings because our healthc care insurance was just lower than we had
015projected. So that came in final. So we're really at 1.35 and they cut the 1.35 reduction to 675. So they cut that in half. Um so we're we're looking for 675. The 150 for healthcare we already is found. There's nothing that needs to get done. So, that's the piece that we're looking for and that's what we'll be discussing tonight. Um, after tonight, next Monday on the 12th is the town meeting and then on the 22nd of May is the referendum and assuming it h the referendum passes, then kind of what we're discussing now will be how we'll we'll move forward with next year's budget. If the referendum does not pass, just as a reminder for everyone, and we'll have to keep saying, if it doesn't pass, in general, that means that the board of finance
016would bring budgets down. I'm not passing thinking I don't like the number because I want it to be higher. It doesn't never in my knowledge that it ever goes up. So, um, if you may not you may want the budget to be higher, but voting no will not get it higher. It will be that we're back here um and looking at further reductions and it could be back to the million and a half that the original reduction. I don't know what it would be. That would that's a board of finance discussion and board of select. They'd have to figure out what what the number is to go back um for a vote. So let's you know fingers crossed we pass a referendum on the 22nd and then we move forward with the discussions on what
017we have tonight. If it doesn't pass then board of finance would have to come up with a new number for both the town and the board of ed and then we'd have to come back and and kind of respond over um on how we got here and where we go. So tonight the focus is that the board of finance reinstated uh half of that 1.35 million. So, but we still are facing a reduction 675,000 which is fairly significant. Uh it's over over a percent of our increase. Um so what we did was kind of go back you know to the beginning basically back to zero. Uh one of the first things we did was reinstate the the 20% we kind of asked our principles and schools and departments athletics etc facilities um to to and
018we put that money you know back in. So that's clubs except that's all that has been back in for um schools. So there's no impact uh there in any of this uh proposals. And then we started looking you know at the staffing components because again in order to to amount and get to $675,000 you have there's no other way to do it to look at staffing have something substantial to go off of. So we started with that and went back to try and find to find some of that least impact um that we uh we could um in as few of you know reductions um we could. Grant if you can you show uh that attachment uh for me um as a shared documents in board docs or I can try and share it either
019way. Think it would have to be you long as I have sharing rights. Let me see. That way everybody can kind of take a look at uh let's see. Oh, I just had to send a request to share. Marissa, can you give me uh access to that? Looks like you're in. There we go. you know, this might be a little bit small, but um um so we went back again to, you know, the staffing components to try and uh come up with these dollars. Um we started first with looking at the uh the high school you know instructional coach uh and decided that would be um one of the uh lesser impacts after getting feedback you know through the high school. So that position would be eliminated. Um we have an individual in math at
020the high school that is uh departing. So we wouldn't fill that position. Um and you can see these numbers let me preface and I put it in here includes benefits. So you're seeing high numbers but includes benefits. Um, so we uh we wouldn't fill the 6 math position at the high school. Uh, the 1.0 science position, we have the opportunity to uh eliminate that and that individual that is in that position slide over into another department, another area at the high school. So, uh, person would move over to uh to that department that position. Um, we have an individual out on maternity leave. that individ individuals coming back next year would like to be at a lesser FTE. So for language arts we are at a point 6 um producing a point4 language arts that's
021at the high school too. Sorry that's that's high school. You just didn't say LA's high school too. Yeah. So those are all the high school. Then uh we have a kind of a reconfiguration trying to get a little creative at the elementary level. We have an individual who uh currently is in a position of math coach is retiring. So we thought we'd get creative with um given the fact that you know Flanders School and Dianic Center School are significantly smaller than the Hannes as we all we all know there's many less sections um in the the school. um as a reference point and this is important for the librarian component as well. Behains has 21 sections that are taught. I think Senator Flanders have 11 sections. If I'm wrong, Daniel, you're at 14 right now.
022Okay. So, you're a little bit higher. That's right. I'm sorry. We would move it to 11 next year. Sorry. So, you're at 14. You're 21. Jeff, you're at at 11. Yeah. Mine will be 11. Yeah. Okay. So, we have a discrepancy then. So, um, with the coaching component, um, originally we thought, well, maybe we could take our Flanders math coach and split that individual between center and Flanders. Um, we thought better of that and we thought we would take our technology coach who's at the elementary level. that individual would take on some math time um and uh have a point for um FTE that he would take and assist with with math while still doing the technology components too. So we just lesson tech and he would take some of the math to help support
023center and then Flanders math coach would stay at Flanders for point A but two of her would go to the middle school. We know we have in fifth grade some area an area of uh things we're looking at is some decreased scores which we're really trying to focus in on. So we thought well why not maybe provide a little extra support is that math coach has uh some higher uh has some higher numbers obviously at the uh school. So it's kind of a reconfiguration of sorts of the coaching uh model where we're basically redistributing supports. So that would uh and then we could eliminate that one have coaching positions without making anybody's job. Then we had the elementary prek teacher. Um currently we have 78 students at prek. Next year we're slated to have 58.
024So we're having students next year at the preschool level. As Mrs. Davis pointed out at one of her recent meetings, she said, you know, we added a prek teacher because the numbers went up. going back down being fiscally responsible yet decreasing um sub coverage was our two flex floater positions that we had built after um eliminate those those individuals can become pair of professionals roughly similar positions then um you've heard some about the elementary library component the elementary library secretary have some options here you have again two librarians Flanders and Nyanic Center that are teaching and I just gave you the numbers are teaching significantly less sections and the AIDS. Um we would uh and they're both they're all 1.0 FTE but they're you know there's a discrepancy. Uh so as we've done with you
025know some other folks uh you know we had to go teach preschool from the Nic Center some other special areas go over to teach preschool at uh at William B. We went to have the two librarians, Blanders and Nic Center go support Hannes and teach sections which then frees up the librarian at uh B to be able to uh to do some other other duties because right now that's why we have that that library secretary position mostly at Lily held off that section. It frees up time option is you know do you kept the secretary I think you need we need to do something with you know your FTEES for librarians at center in Flanders because they have large gaps of time schedule and that's what we're trying to rectify. We want them in front
026of of kids and you know supporting and teaching kids. And then the last one was uh you know the high school secretary moving from 12 months to 10 months. Your kid is you know down in this office now you'd have two full-time secretaries in the same office with the kid. Also maybe two elementary secretaries from 12 months to 10 months. And then with that having a floater. So there still would be one 12 month secretary at the elementary level going between the three elementary schools. So it wouldn't be that they're just not going to have support in summer. a person would go between the three schools. Um supporting is needed. Principles are there too. Tours need to be given. I'm sure the principles would be happy to give tours. Um they're available. Um and um
027we also could predominate want to work some more hours in the summer. We're finding the need. So that was kind of the rationale behind the breakdown. Um, obviously these are you've asked for suggestions, we're trying to bring forward suggestions. It equates out to $674,882. We're still $118 short, which we can find somewhere in 60. So that's kind of a in a nutshell the breakdown some of the the rationale discuss. Thanks Jeff and thank you and your team for coming up with a proposal that you know can discuss more. So anyone Yeah. um bunch. I think the first two I'm curious about are one I'm curious if folks that would be impacted by these reconfigurations, roles, shifts, anyone whose kind of position would be impacted here. Have we folks already had conversations with them? Are they
028aware that this is being discussed? Yeah, anything you see here um every individual is is aware. Um and with some of the like reductions like the language arts position for for instance that was at the request that was at the request of the individual who wants to come back. That's 6. Um next question. Do any of these changes uh impact course offerings or just any obviously they're all going to have a negative impact on kids but yeah you you would have a a bit of an impact I don't know the extent of it right now um but you know you're reducing let's say a science future um so that's going to be some less less courses offered in the in the department of science um but that individual sliding over to another gotcha but that
029could you mean that let's say they're department of high school but a specific course might no longer be available to kids based on potentially yeah potentially unless Mr. Kid's reconfiguring you know some different things but as of right now I said that's a potential Would you agree Mr. kid or it would Yeah. would it impact elective offerings um in in the science department? Yeah. Um, you know, the silver lining is we're, you know, if this, um, goes through, we'd be keeping this individual in the in the building. Um, who would hold two certifications and depending on how, you know, numbers shift over the course of the next couple of years, if we need that person to support science, um, need that person to support tech, obviously we have, um, a good, you know, utility person
030there. Um but yes, all all of these will impact um in in you know one way, shape or form some some course offerings in particular electives uh in these core areas. The electives especially with like the national teacher shortage especially in STEM. Uh and then could you talk a little bit more about I know you had mentioned you said 11 sections at Landers but then Miss Shman said 14. Yep. If we if we add or we move the two individuals um over to Bay for some point FTE point about be about 4 FTE um and that's that's rough. um you balance that out with the sections of just around 15 16 15 that's total number of sections each librarian would then be teaching. So you're lessening the 21 for the current deans librarian because she's
031doing the most right now. So you're specifically when you're saying sections that's classes that they're teaching classes that they are teaching over the course of what period of time? Over the course of uh a week. A week. So 21 in a week is currently for Lily B. Exactly. And then you're maybe lessing that down to them and 12. So you've got equity there across. Yeah. I just wanted to make sure I understood what what was meant by by section. Yeah. Yep. Get classes taught. Uh yeah, go ahead. We can go back. Is that okay? No. Go. If you had No, no. Go. Go. So, one of my questions is regarding the elementary technology coach taking on math coaching duties. Yeah. Um, is that something they're to do? They are. Yes. Um, a teacher for individuals
032been a teacher for, you know, a number of years. Um, some need to work with the other coaches obviously. Uh, but, um, you know, it's a percentage per, you know, jargon kind of formulated. um it would be 6 um math um what an individual would be doing. So would that work? We think you very successful very well in the technology as well. The coaching model that he's familiar with. We're applying that model to that. I had concerns about the secretaries at the elementary schools, but you said if we needed to, we can bring them back permium. You could bring Yeah, exactly. That was kind of it's almost like a test to see, you know, we're finding we need more time. Then we could pick up the phone and say, would you like to work, you
033know, next week for such and such days? And we would pay him at a predium rate. The idea that's all I have for right now. Maybe um can I ask just a clarification? I think um for particular I think the um the library and the um transition of secretaries and the model that you're proposing. Um so I think that you the model considers coverage right so sections of being covered and then we have proposed You're the person loading the class three schools from the cemetery summer time. So, are we leaving are we leaving the library unattended? Um or we're not covering sections of does that mean unattended? And I think the same question for the summer school secretary traveling. Yeah, you'd have to well for the summer you'd have to work out a schedule where
034the person would float in the course of the week between the three schools. So five days a week they might be one building or they could do half days in a building. We'd have to work that. Um or during the school year um yeah if you're you're having individuals you know leave their their room. I mean, we went to, you know, the art teacher uh for now goes over and teaches some preschool class for the back leaving the art room, you know, empty for a shorter period of time. Um, but you do the same thing, but still library, but they wouldn't there wouldn't be any teaching. The library would just be open for a teacher wanted to walk a student or into the library. Um that would be done because no there's no instruction like
035they don't I ask a followup question to that okay it looks like okay so I'm just imagining a scenario where the teacher and was a book that my student or I would want I I would have I would be able to go in with the secretary's permission with the key to open the door to the library, find the book, check the book out and use it. Like the books, the materials would be available. It's just that there's not going to be a staff person. I wouldn't say there'd be any checking and you can defer to the principles, but I personally would probably say that no, there would be any checking of books out at that time unless you trained another individual potentially to do that or maybe have a professional do that of sorts. That
036could be a possibility. I don't know. I'm just asking. Yeah, but uh generally um be have that be something for discuss with the librarians would they want to allow that if they weren't there maybe they do that now I don't know off the top of my head do librarians allow that now uh no when they're not there planning time they have different things yeah so they don't allow people into I probably I wouldn't want that either when people coming in and taking out books and some things get lost and but you'd still check them out there still be a system there still be accountability there would be when the librarian's there again unless you wanted to train somebody else or you had a specific person that you know that did that um is an option.
037Again, these are all options and proposals. If we want to look in different direction, I'm happy to do so, too. Um you know, I'm not happy with any of this either. It's just, you know, we got to find 675,000. Diligence you guys did needed to do. So, yeah, it just, you know, it still stinks. uh you know it's we don't want to see cuts um but I I where else to go sort of thing I don't want to go back to supplies or any of that we reinstated all that that's less impact on kids we want teachers to have their classroom supplies they're big dollar numbers so they're so um this is kind of maybe creative thinking uh we have a student council student standard right and they all know the school other than I
038know the school and I'm just wondering if we were to put it out there like it do you have any ideas kind of like an opportunity to present them to a problem solving activity or things that might be considered I say frivolous but kind of along that line like maybe that you kind of don't need like you don't need the extra sprinkles on top of the frosting on top of your cupcake if there are some things that you could take off that would be horrific. If we could just put it out there for for our student senate to just see what they can come up with as the people who are you know we know the principles the faculty on the ground the staff is on the ground but what about what do the kids
039think? What what could they suggest? Do they see any you hands up? No, I'm not letting you finish. Okay. Uh if there if there's any fluff if there's any fluff at all. I'm just trying to think there's got to be something somewhere that doesn't is not so impactful and maybe the kids have the answer. Great point. And actually Jeff and I talked about it last week or two weeks ago. We thought for this exercise where everything is compressed, it might be hard to engage the students and have them come up with something and come back to us. But their um creep coming up in the month or two or whatever it is, we're going to go through the three-year plan that Mariana is looking at. Um and as part of that, as we start looking
040forward, want to incorporate students, parents, teacher, you know, different perspectives because everybody has a different view and they see things differently. So spot on. Um, our thought in the short term was like how quickly can we get a group together, provide us an an analysis, report it to us and us think it through and we're working on a short time frame, but right in line with your with your idea. Okay. Well, then maybe it to AI. What would AI say? Um, so I was going along the lines of Kate. Um, as I was listening to all of our students at the public hearing speak, not surprising, they have great ideas and they speak wonderfully, but I was brewing in my brain while I was sitting there that how awesome would it be if they were
041part of the budget process. And I know that our meetings are open to the public, but nobody ever comes to our budget workshops. Um, but wouldn't it be amazing if we could invite the students specifically and make an announcement at the school that we're having the budget workshop? Oh, give us your ideas before it gets to this stage, before it gets to the cutting stage. in this stage where we review it in January. But it would be amazing to have the students come and tell us what they think of our budget before we bring it to this spot. Stuck it when we're stuck in this cycle that we're in. Um because they have great ideas, great thoughts, they live it every day, see it every day. So I would I would love to hear from
042them. I'd like to hear from the staff at parents our workshops because they also live it every day. We have this like degree of separation that puts us out of the box, but they're living it every day. So, I would love love to hear from students and staff at the budgets. Nobody come. So, it would be nice if we specifically like put it out there. Come. It may be in a weird spot if it's in the library for bigger space, but it would be nice. Bigger space. Yeah. Anyway, yeah. And then Yeah. Sorry, Olivia, Vic, and then because I Yeah, put me. No, building off of that, I think that's a really great way for students to take ownership in their career. The student senate was tasked with coming up with a couple of ideas
043to save dollars or finding creative solutions to some of our budget questions and then we can work with them throughout the school year. So, it is a year-long project. I think that's a really good way for them to build some skills for when they graduate and some control over. be curious what they come up with ideas or not. You told them, look, you know, you have $675,000, you know, to to cut, you know, be interesting to see what they say. Easy ideas. Yeah. You're going to get some ideas. You're gonna get something. You never know what to say. Vic and then wait. Um, so I have I have a few clarifications and then then one comment. Um uh get the crossbar again. Hold on. A few clarifications and then hold on. Hold on. Can't tell
044if it's [Music] I've tried both settings. I apologize. I'm not sure why we're still getting that loop. Everybody's in on mute on their Anybody who's on the Zoom. Are they all everyone muted connected? No, I I think it's in internal here. Okay. Um, why don't we um can we call you and have it come through the cell phone? Sure. I'm going to call you now. Hey, Eric. I can hear you. Okay, good. We can everyone can hear him. Okay. All right. So, where did my Zoom meeting go? So, all right. I I I don't know if you have speaker phone or what, but I can't hear anything. We can hear. We hear Vic, can you make sure your computer is muted so you're not joined with audio? And then Jill, the same thing. If you
045can make sure you mute your audio and then uh Jill, we it is he the only way we were able to hear him is through the cell. So he's connected through cell phone. I'm hoping that our mics are picking up. If not, I can I guess I can probably add your I can add you onto this call. Yeah. Okay. So, there's no computer on you right now from my side. Okay. Okay. All right. So um what I was was what I'm thinking is if if let's say we use that 128 um K and the point point was that okay you know eliminating some of the uh positions especially in the library we are reducing access to the library to students. Um again this is not ideal but if we want to you know we consider
046using the 128k that the departments were were trying to scrge around and help help move out of the situation and and still maintain uh some of the access to the library. So that's a question to Jeff. Well, I I I personally felt the first thing we did was give back the 128 because I felt like the supplies and that was that was impactful on the teachers on a more global larger scale sort of thing. Um so we had given that uh that back. Um I I mean look the the board of ed can decide what you want to decide to do sort of thing. Um it out as an idea. Yeah. I wouldn't advocating for it or anything. It's just something for us to think about. you want to that 128k and and and save
047some positions because access to library is important but in the grand scheme of things what is more important I think Jeff in your administration are are probably in a better place to to make that judgment so yeah I I I don't want to take the supplies away if anything I would want to try and go find it somewhere else sort of thing um you know access to to the library um I mean correct me if wrong when the library again when the librarian's not there currently the library is closed right or they're they're working so there there isn't I'm not sure Vicc if that if you're thinking that you know we're going to reduce library access or kids when they go to their special they go to library it's a scheduled time but if they
048don't have a scheduled time um kids generally are not going to the library because they're busy with other things um they have other specials um I mean there could be Maybe it's happened an individual student. I think it happens on like oneoff cases. One-off cases. Um maybe that's something we we we look to keep or reinstate. Maybe we try and do more of for kids. I don't know. But there's only so many hours in the day. That's that's fine with me. I'm I'm just trying to see. I was trying to make an assessment where if there is an access issue that is going to come up to avoid it. So if you're telling me that it may not be that's good enough for me. So but again I'm letting you make you and your administration
049make the judge what's more important using the 128k in some way using it for something else or inating the 128k and and what we what we proposing for you. Uh second uh clarification is you know with with the elimination of the math math teacher um sorry science teacher we some some electives. Uh can you clarify are these going to be the you know electives that are considered core or these are electives that are are somewhat morons of change and it's more out of interest is if you've not made that assessment that's fine I'm just just curious to know and I'm going to and I apologies because I don't know that everyone could hear so Vic first question was around we had come up with 128,000 from each of the schools athletics and facilities as a
05020 as a 20% reduction and they had come up with an idea and we have a whole presentation on things that they would would be impacted through that 20% reduction. So the gas and that 128 the balance between reinstating that versus um to challenge it a lot right they're all tough decisions so it's um and to balance that and ask Jeff around that second question is we have a 1.0 no reduction in science the science teacher at the high school and uh the discussion was it could have some impact on electives and Vic's question is I guess maybe like double click down a little bit is like does that mean are these electives like core classes and really important I assume like you know like an AP bio or something like that um or are
051they more specialized or do you have any idea and may not have thought that through but I think do I have that is that thank you do you know Mr. kid of electives potentially. Yeah, potentially. I mean, right now, no no a AP classes or anything like that, but right now it looks like marine bio2 um and biotechnology would be impacted. Um those would be the courses that would be impacted right now. Um so, you know, electives within the science department, um you know, that uh unfortunately won't won't run. Um so that's that's right now um what the potential impact would be would be there. Uh and then obviously with the loss of the teacher some um higher class sizes in some spots too but um that's what the forecast is right now. Thanks Lisa.
052Sorry Vic I just Lisa has a followup and then we'll come back to you. when you are talking about um marine bio2 being impacted is that also marine bio3 is I think there's a rate three would also be impacted I I believe and again you got to um I'm I'm still learning the ins and outs of everything um and I'm currently meeting with all of uh you know the department heads and there's a lot of moving parts right now obviously till the 22nd Um, so I'm still studying up on all of the course offerings. Um, but marine marine bio2 right now would not run. I believe marine bio3 is specific to the Bermuda trip. Um, so um, so I can get clarification on that for you. Um, but in speaking with Miss Singer right now,
053the impact is the biotech and um, back to the Vic. So I'll I'll just make my final comment you know my my comment but before I my comment I'll just I'll just you know let you know I want Jeff to know that okay make them make an assessment what's what's what's more important for for the school with you with your administrative staff you know giving back the 128 leading the 128k with the schools uh school school administrators had and provided any of the eliminations we considering but I you know I give that decision to you and my my my final comment is I'm going to follow up follow up to what Kate has suggested because I did myself a um some kind of an anecdotal um survey of people who students who have just left
054the school to see what could it come up with when it came to to say things and I got I got a few suggestions now I do not know how how practical some of those suggestions are. Students do have ideas on how how to eliminate um you know um uh what do you call waste or uh how to maybe save money uh on various things that they are seeing in in at school. So I I would strongly encourage going forward that we engage the students senate and the purpose of okay identify identify cases where we can save money for the school and the district and see what they come up with. So um so I'll keep it short here. I have I have a few more things I would like to say but because of
055the technical issues I can I can follow up with with Jeff on you know offline just to convey the ideas that I got from three people I talked to uh on my own. Um so uh but I I'll say that for going forward we should we should we should engage the student senate and see what they can do with us. Thanks a I'm gonna hang up but um so you go back to your normal audio but if you have another question I'll just call you again. hang up. Okay. And just uh for everyone in case you didn't hear of a Vic's last point was he was kind of seconding what Kate said and what Jamie said about involving the students um in our process um to get ideas for savings and in the overall budget
056process uh and getting feedback. So, um, okay. I think I had Lee and then Estabbon. Um, this one quick. I'm just curious to learn a little bit more. The 90K reduction for sub coverage. What is the plan for that? Uh, we just would eliminate those two positions. Um, they're what we call those flex loader positions. They're comparable similar to their positions. So the individuals that are in those could roll into and take up potential job as we have opens, right? Something we created that was unique that we're trying to more flexibility to support the schools after the pandemic. Yeah. No, I I I I like the sub position. I'm curious um the plan then be for coverages, but teachers are out to utilize just daily self coverage or I think so. Yeah. building on um
057there was only two of them. So I mean the impact would probably be minimal but you know we we might have to look at increasing the number of building subs potentially that we have. We tried to increase that a little bit over years. we're monitoring at closely whether it goes up or down um based on need. You know, as the sub coverage that's dependent on the sub coverage and if we're getting a steady stream of of subs that are coming into um when that decreases, you know, there's a lot more consistency, more building subs, um probably go with more building subs. Sorry. Thank you. I I I lost my third of dodge. So, but I came up with a different bear with me. I might come back to it if I remember. So, uh one
058of the things that like really stood out to me uh at the public hearing was just all the um you know testimony about the impact of the people, right? Like the librarians, the teachers, the parents, the everybody, right? Uh so losing positions even though even through attrition, right? like that's that's that's kind of a hard pill to swallow. Um and and you know in because we know one of the things that we've talked about you know in in previous meetings and you know one of the reports that we have is that like you know like does does the student have a trusted person in the school, right? And like if we're eliminating positions, they didn't you know even if they're open um you know that decreases the number of people that like you know a
059student can feel connected to um you know the whole realm. So I wanted to throw some ideas out there some of the things that we originally talked to uh when we had that larger uh pot to make. Um and I think I'm in alignment with Jeff with the um the supplies. I think they should go back. But there were some other things that were like supplies but not part of that 128. Like one of them uh being the software reductions like the new and the annotation that was like 20 grand. Uh so I wanted to throw that out there for you know as an idea to just reconsider um that um and also um we um you know maybe put out there. So, we do have uh we did have originally four peer educator positions
060that were open that uh are unfilled, right? Then we've had, you know, and I know we started with a lot more that are open and we we reduce some of them. So, that might be an opportunity to to like look into like one or two or two, you know. Um but I am especially you know um about the the library a you know being that inequity of distribution of sections and schools. uh you know um I think more larger longer term we just need to look at like how to better look at redistributing that you know the number of people in each school uh like students that's probably something for for a more retreat on on during the summer for a longterm plan because that's that's gonna you know come back we're going to have
061to come back to this next year right when we're looking at our budget for next year we're probably going to have some similar situation. You know, just doing some simple math like we're going to be looking at again more reductions, more more difficult conversations and decisions. So, um thank and then um so yeah, so that's that's just pretty much sums it up. So yeah, no thanks. Well, first of all, I got apologize because I got to leave in a couple minutes, but um I've been around for a little while and and these board and in these this is tough and I think we're doing the right thing by putting that 20% back in because we don't have a fat supplies budget. We we are running extremely lean as it is. And I, you know, I
062know firsthand from what my wife spends outside of what, you know, buying stuff versus it's so that is I I we can't give them nothing to work. Um, and unfortunately we're we're in a position where, you know, we finally gave um an appropriate compensation for pay. Now we're stuck where, you know, something's got to give. And um I don't like losing librarian positions. I don't like losing I I really don't like losing that biotech class. I I know firsthand my daughter took that class. To me, that's the kind of class that sparks a kid's future. That's not your typical I got to take bio, I got to take physics. That's the kind of class that says, "Wow, there's like cool careers out here in science and I can do some really amazing things." So, that
063that really really bothers me that we're losing something like that. Um, but I also I got to trust our administration has been working extremely hard to try for us that are not in the buildings to come back and say what you worked on is wrong and we know better. I I'm not sure I feel right doing that. I I think we hired good people. They're giving us their best. They're not happy with what they're giving us. They're not happy to lose part of a secretary or any person. And and I know and I I feel really bad about the whole any person who cares about kids who's working in the building has made connections with kids and those kids are going to miss that person whether it's the librarian, whether it's the secretary, whoever. But
064I don't I don't know. We're going to take everything from the teachers so they have no supplies. we're going to cancel the clubs. They can't do that. The kids need those clubs. So, I I kind of think we got to trust, you know, what our administrators are putting forward here. It's tough to swallow, but I don't know. I don't see a better way of and I apologize but I switched to Tuesday and I double booked tonight so I um No, I I know we're in good hands with you guys so I trust your decision. Thanks. Thanks, Bill. I was thinking along the lines of Estabon. Um, and there were two pages in the thing from last meeting. The athletic trainer savings of $7,000. We said there was a contract negotiation page, right? Is that seven?
065Five. I actually just wrote it down. It's 5,000. Five, not seven. No. Yeah, it's 5,000. It's seven from our last meeting. It's 5K. I think I forgot. So that's Yeah. So we have that by cast. Yeah. So it's we have access Yeah. access to Yeah. So you could I mean do the software that's 20,000 that's $25,000. Um potentially. Yeah. There there's a lot of moving parts with the software. We found a software that it's hardly being used at times. We wrote them. It's not used very much. So there's there's moving parts with that. Um so if we really are but there's a there's so many software programs we could maybe nickel and dime and look to save we could definitely save some on the chopping block before they were when we were trying to they
066continue to be on the chopping block. Yeah. Yeah. They're not the answer is the answer yes to that they are still on the chopping block. Well, they could be still there. Well, sorry. They're not in the 675 that we proposed back in the budget, but I'm saying take something else out. Continue to stay on the chopping block. Yeah. Because then you've got 20,800 and then you've got 5,000. So, it's 25,800. She's she's trying to math. I'm trying to find money. I'm trying. Um, is there any way we could put it in here and try to finagle some numbers? Um, we said want to have some further conversations. I know. I know. I don't want about the software, but again, we did have it as a reduction. It was a reduction. So, I I I'd rather
067save day a reduction. Um uh it says um the software reduction says 20,800 on this slideshow last week. Yeah. I don't know. I've lost track of 14,000 weeks ago. And then now you're saying the athletic trainer is five, not seven. 25 could potentially still get cut and we could put some back in. It's not a lot to put back at staff, but it's something. Yeah, you know, the uh secretaries are getting hit really hard. There's something we could do there. No, I don't know about you, but when I Secretaries are everything when I was in school. I still remember all my secretaries. And I had 13 schools. I still remember those secretaries. Yep. You got $73,000. Um that's kind of how we looked at that equates out to a position uh sort of thing. That's
068kind of how it was it was it was brought together. So if there's opponent or pieces of that um something I know you can do some math that I can't do figure it out figure something out well so maybe Jeff if everybody's got Jeff take the action work with and lease and stuff is if we and see if anybody objects to this but if we took out software 20 grand give or take five Grand for athletics, it's about 25 $26,000. And you look at that secretary group, which is those b those last three items. Get 25 less to save. What could you do differently? Yeah. Um, so that's what I was trying to say. How would you do it differently? Yeah. It's kind of a little higher than I know. I'm stuck in the middle
069of I mean the other everything else in here is supplies and I don't can definitely work on and maybe there's maybe we can again I was going to say like the this movement from the 12 to the 10 is roughly a 22,000 $500 yeah decrease. So yeah, that would be a straight clean. I was trying to kind of look across, you know, all of them, but but that would be the cleanest way to that would be the quite honestly because otherwise I don't know how you would or you'd have to fraction the 1.0, right? Exactly. Something again has no logistics and what's the best way, but you'd have to do something fractionally. But I just said just like to keep as much contact with kids as it doesn't reinstate biotech or read bio3 or two
070but it's the right way. I'm trying I'm going through this slide deck and I'm trying. That's why we're again these are draft proposal ideas. Yeah, it was just a strong agreement with what Estaban shared and then Jamie just reiterated. I think definitely you don't want to kind of keep the entire 128K um in this proposed plan, but some of the elements that might be less impactful like the athletic contract and the the software. Kind of as an aside, I'd be actually be curious to see utilization rates for some of our softwares. We have it all. You have it all. Yeah. But we based it off of where the reduction was this morning. You know, there are some tools, especially now that we're piloting things like magic school AI, there's some redundancies acwide, which I'm guessing
071Newella is a district-wide contract. Is that correct? Yeah. So, I mean, I don't know if there's flexibility even to do it at certain academy levels, but um I think we should take a good look at all of our software and utilization accounts and really cut it even by academy level and even subject like there there could be a ton of savings in there for us. Um this issue came up. especially with like magic school AI and Noah is replacing replacing but basically bringing you the same functionality as a lot of existing software programs are and so you just I I think there could be a lot that could that's a thread worth pulling yeah academy level is that sorry like elementary middle we might find out that like yeah like I use newella every day
072uh as a middle school teacher I don't know if our high school teachers are utilizing at all and a lot of like SAS companies will offer some sort of kind of option to just provide you know licenses at a certain level and it really depend are we paying per seat or are we paying some kind of umbrella because if we're paying per seat then everyone we produce is clear if we're playing some umbrella we're probably getting some excuse by having a blanket I don't know what type of from a market perspective right now is good time to be negotiating with ENT companies. Like there is a good amount of power that districts have right now that I don't think historically has been the case, but it it might be an opportune moment for us to
073revisit some of those contracts. And I know Analise has been working really hard on that recently, but um actually have a good amount of leverage. Seven or eight years ago, we did a whole of our software agreements prior to Anaise. It was Amy. Yes. Uh saved a fair amount. I don't remember the dollars, but we did a whole revamp of really looking at what we needed and Jeff. I think too when we talked about it, certain contracts are on like three-year subscription cycles. So something might be due this year which bumps the line item a little bit up but then you won't have that in the line item next year because it's on its sub, you know, it's So just to keep that in mind, too. You know, I know Analise has been through this.
074Yeah, we have the whole spreadsheet every single one of them something. Um, you know, just another one that was on here. I can't remember the total amount the high school office teller window. Was that still No, I think that's back in wasn't it part of the facilities? That had to go. Henry, we took it out. No, I think we took it out on the first take it out. Okay. Hasn't been in for a while. Will you put that back in or uh Jamie? Jeff, there's also this morning show coordinator at Nanic Center that you don't have built. No one's running it. Yeah. Um it could be another uh another um area. It's about a thousand something. Well, that could boost it up to 130,000 maybe. The total in center is only eight. So, that one
075piece of it was didn't have a lot. But is it really that large? Three to four thou? That sounds a $2,000. Okay. That's 28. And then what we have for what about our Zoom licenses? Is it possible to do consolidation on some of those? Having one per building and having people not having case managers, each case manager having their own Zoom license. But we yeah we did consolidate and we had like one large mass one that we used for like yeah we did do some consolidating okay and how much reduction has that proved I don't remember off the top of my head we did that a while ago yeah it was it was years ago and we really consolidated it down to what exactly what we need postco during co yeah right after we exploded
076everybody had want to keep Zoom over something like a Google Meet or a Teams. I do. I do too. I'm just saying if that could potentially $20,000. There you go. And yeah, from a I'm just going to say from the PPP perspective, things run much more smoothly on Zoom. So, it's a customer service opportunity. We can record if a parent needs to record. we can share the link of the recording but I participate with other schools on Google Google meet primarily not teams um the connection is often unstable there's audio issues I just I like that we have a nice consistent um face easy facing product to use with our parents during those meetings 504 and PPT um we offer in person as well but people really do find benefit to the virtual meeting because
077they don't have to travel and things like that So I would advocate for keeping that and certainly being very mindful and only having the the licenses that we need. Absolutely. I agree. Um so I really encourage people to come in though. I really think not meeting face to face is just really just like we talk about it's so important for our students to see the teachers. I think it's really important for our teachers and all the faculties to see the parents and to see the family. It speaks volumes versus allin. It's a parent's choice. So, always welcome. But we can encourage we can encourage it can be not necessarily in their best interest. That's all I'll say. All right. So, why don't we go back with that? Let me Yeah. Any So, we have 28.
078We have uh software of 20,800 athletics of five in the morning show coordinator siphon position of two which is 278 actually 278 short we're always short to on 200 more like 276 I think it's fair but yeah that's not yeah we'll figure that out restores Well, yeah, I I would look to uh uh the secretary of world try and some backs there. The coordinator is 1,271 center. Can you say that again? 1,271. What level is that? Is that a level? Oh, it's a level one. 1,271. I think that may level one. We have levels in the contract of how much sip are. So 26 271. Let's call it 27. 27. Yeah, we're short 100. So 27 is a good number. Let's kind of go back and we can play with that a little bit to
079see if there's a way to uh to break it out. um anything summer performance could be the best way for Yep. 73 73,000 between 34. Yeah, it's about a third back. And if we find anything else too, you know, we'll um obviously we'll stop looking sort of things because, you know, the referendum passes of this or that if we can reinstate state goes for some of the other, you know, looking into other positions, too. There still could be some shifts in those other positions, too. Um, somebody else could say they're returning, maybe something looks better uh in a in a core area of some sort. um mention in Paris. We can look at Paris, you know, again. Okay. Any other thoughts? All right. This is the last thing I say, I promise. Jeff mentioned the
080referendum and I know that you mentioned this at the top of the meeting, which I really appreciate, but I have a lot of dread that there is a very real possibility that it will not pass. And so I know like it was amazing to see at the meeting last week how many folks came to champion our district. We need all of those folks and more to come and and and vote and just given turnout in the past few years. I I just I think our work is is still a lot of work ahead of us. Um, and I know obviously we can't tell people how to vote, nor should we, but I do think that um, it it needs to be something that we are rallying behind. Yeah, it's a great point and and reiterate
081voter turnout the past two I think has been extremely low. Sure. Yeah. 800. Yeah. So, when you say every vote counts and and this actually it really counts. Um, so it really is important. So making sure people get out and vote. So please, you know, spread the word. So it's great. Show up at um last week, but if you don't show up and vote, other than follow get the follow through that that we're hoping for. So thanks late because that's that's really important. But and clarification question because I was reading uh about the town meeting, right? because I was reading an article on the day about the killingly town meeting where actually what came out and like they increase the budget um that the board of ed had requested but I'm wondering you know I
082worry for us on the flip side like people that didn't go last week to you know they're going to go and like argue that taxes are too high and the board of ed budget is too high so like should we purish people I mean like I don't know how that works you know, at the town meeting. Usually not too many people show up to that one, but if they do, like, is there a possibility that we're going to finally with a production? You never know. They Well, you never know. Jeff and I were talking about that right before this meeting. Yeah. And we have to confirm because there's Jeff was looking and it it looked like it was more of the phrase formality, but it was not that there actually was a vote at the
083town meeting to push it forward. The vote happened finance push it forward. We're I guess we're all a little unclear of what the town meeting. Yeah, because that's my cure because I was just reading the article about and are they bifurcated though Estim because it gets when they bifurcate then that play but we're not bifurcated here. Say but this is the only basically says there's no public comment. It's basically to review and discuss the budget for the fiscal year um as recommended by the board of finance and then it's just the moderator shall adjourn the annual budget meeting to a referendum on the voting machines. no vote that's that's stated here in their agenda and it's just I'll just read this so everybody I'll just read it so everybody can go to the calendar on
084the town meeting click on the 12th and go down and in accordance with chapter 7.3 of the town charter the moderator shall adjourn the annual budget meeting to a referendum on voting machines resolution will be submitted to the persons qualified to vote in in a town meeting by referendum by machine vote referendum shall take Wow, this wording is unbelievable. Referendum shall take place on May 22nd, 2025 at the Eastland Community Center from E8 um other than a 5year. Let's get clarification then. Is there a vote at the town meeting? Maybe we can just get if there's no vote then it's more of a formality of having a town meeting that's probably part of our charter and this is how you do it and it's a formality. It's usually correctly formal. I mean Mariana, you've been
085doing this too for a number of years. I've always found it to be a formality. It is. It is a formality. It's it's already been sent by the board of selectmen uh to referendum. Yes. So they have to have the town meeting because it's a part of the charter. There is no vote and it doesn't look like there's public no public comment on it. So so nobody can say go to this thing every year that I have it and I I know every or call for a motion others like this does not call for you know a motion for for yays. This is not the typical like we just did the you know the capital recently and that call for yay and nays but that was at the town hall having it here too which
086is a little unique I don't we've ever had the town here they usually have it at the town hall I'm not sure what's we'll get clarification everyone I just looked I was on the charter revision you would think I would remember this um so it it because we went back and forth so it is an automatic referendum so the annual budget meeting shall be limited to a public presentation of the town of East Line budget by the board of finance, board of selectman, board of education with an opportunity for public participation by comments and questions. After reasonable discussion, moderator shall adjourn the meeting to a referendum on the board. Okay, so an automatic referendum sounds like a public hearing but with a referendum voted with that's stating there's public comment though. It does say they
087obviously have it's not on the agenda. That's not on the agenda. Agenda. It's just the Oh, notice my My guess is the moderator will call and say, "Does anyone have anyone anything to comment?" Yeah, yeah, but I don't have the charter states allowed to do that. That's what's most important. The charter states and the board of finance does not have a meeting post meeting right after. So in order to change it, they would actually have to have a meeting in which they they can't change the budget until unless it gets voted down at the referendum on the 2010. So nothing can be done until the referendum. kind of like a moot point to hear people's comments and input because you you know well maybe it's the public chance that we now have a number for
088them to influence voters correct perhaps I don't know if okay well we'll get some clarification on that it's unless the bigger piece is the 22nd where you get everybody out to I'll send another letter out prior to just reminding people of the paint, but then I have to be very careful. I can't say anything else after that or swaying one way, you know, or the other. So, it's just a reminder. Any other thoughts or comments on this? Have a couple questions. Um, so like for example, next year, what would it be like if we wanted to add some of these or in the future? Um, I think when we do this, sorry, I'll add when we do we're gonna do the three-year plan and I have a feeling when Mariana rolls it forward next year
089might roll forward at but let's just say six or seven or eight%. So they had these back that would then higher. So ultimately we're going to have to trade off. So if we had these back something else will probably have don't know. I mean, but I just how things have gone every year past years of rolling it forward. Year it was like 10% but it's been eight or something like that probably most years. So it's it's it'll be a challenge. I wanted a comment. It's it is sometimes hard to put something back in because that means something else has to give. absent, you know, needs for numbers. Like the preschool is a good example where we really need another preschool teacher because those numbers were higher this year and they're going down by 20. So
090we can we can reduce but had a situation an area where there was such growth we brought another ML teacher language learner teacher in too because the numbers were were still going up. So, and and don't forget, you know, there's another um psychologist at the middle school in the budget for next year that we didn't we needed because of those those case load numbers. So, so there they're gonna be I just I wasn't sure how that word though. Um I would be curious to see percentage wise courses that would be did particularly science electives. Um I know like two were just mentioned but I don't know how many there are overall half or is it% you put it in percent you like the number of courses that won't run um how many total science classes
091are there give or take? How many total science classes are there? Not sections, but they got bio. Yeah, I mean studies. Yeah, I mean it's all in the um program of studies there though like like um Mr. Derry said, you know, those are two um classes that can spark kids interest in future careers. I think that's the that's maybe the most important way to to think about it. There's a variety of opportunities within the science department still. I think those two are important for fields in biology, medicine, and so on and so forth. So, um, and the biotech classes is, you know, a really important opportunity as is marine bio. So, I don't necessarily have a percentage off the top of my head um other than to say that it's it's opportunities for students that
092will that will be lost. Are there other science offerings and electives? Yes. Correct. Yes. Yeah, that that was part of it. So, those aren't the you know, those aren't the only two electives in the science department, but those are the two that would be impacted by this cut. Mr. Kit, if I can ask, why did you select those? Why did why did I select those? Well, we have we do have graduation requirements and, you know, only a certain number of teachers and, you know, um, close to, you know, you know, roughly 900 students. So, you have to get kids across the finish line no matter what. Well, I know that, but why were those two classes selected to be reduced? Well, science, there's multiple certifications. Um and this cut impacts um impacts you know the
093least senior person in the department. Um and as a and you know and as a result there's only so many um folks with those you know specific certifications to be able to teach what we need to teach to um give the remaining kids the graduation credits that they need. Thank you. driven by certification. We need to vote on the budget that is now new or we just assume that it's a new budget because the board of finance cut it. I cannot remember. You needed your referendum happens. After the referendum happens, then we need to vote. I just can't remember. Yeah. And remember you have non-renewals. Uh so on May 19th we need to do those non-renewals. That's a motion because I just couldn't remember if we needed to do this action item now or maybe
094you and you'll see a just you'll see a handful of non-renewals, but we hope to read state all those positions once the referendum. I just needed I couldn't remember this. Yes. thoughts or comment. I'm sure you'll summarize kind of where we land, right? But I just um wanted to just touch on a couple of um areas that I'm aligned with in terms of I think we're talking about um the software looking consolidation completely behind um you know looking at that also within statement that's something you know another um criteria I think that Um and the opportunity to find Oh, sorry. Final note, just that just to um recognize the all of the work that's gone into the the list that you know, no one wants to do it anyway. But a complete frame have crossed
095in sort of the you know the build that's been done and and the process that has been has been taken and um trust that you say the least impactful impactful adjustments. thoughts or comments. So, um close this topic. So, first thanks Jeff and the admin team to come up with recommendation on something that we don't want to do any of these. um it's difficult and I you know I think this was thought this was a really good discussion because we could probe and try to find and tweak and push and see where um where we can get to to make some small different decisions. So I think what we've heard is that the software of 20,800, the athletics of 5,000 and the morning show coordinator site and position those three. We'd like to affirm that
096that maybe we take those three and then reinstate um some of the secretary those three secretary about a third of the cost to work and figure out best way to do that. have them and we trust I think you would to figure out best way to do that and then um you know we're going to at our retreat we're going to look at our the three-year plan so we can start looking ahead and maybe making some decisions um in terms of reshaping the curve or thinking about that part of that process we definitely want to include students and parents and teachers and secretaries the other staff ideas. We're always, you know, looking for ideas. We also want to review software license that we have, if there's any that we could renegotiate or reduce maybe the
097number of seat licenses we have or just look for potential savings there, which may may not be for this year, it may be for the next year or something, but just really take keep a close eye on on the software. Yes. I did I miss anything. So, uh that closes our discussion and action items for the night. We have board comment and future agenda items. Jamie, yep, we've had um such a truck this weekend. the Miracle League services and I think Museum. It was fabulous event, great weather. We volunteered. Hill, thank you for volunteering for the day. It was great to see you up there. Um, it was great day. The kids were so happy. It was so much fun and having it be the joint between the three programs added a little bit extra
098because we had uh shows actually the children's museum had shows put on. So there was like an aerial there was the mystic had like a balloon whale there like not a real one obviously but like a big walking balloon. They had a bunch of blocks and children playhouse stuff. So, it was a lot of fun to add in like the extra element of it. We haven't had a chance to have feedback, but I think that we'll continue to do it this way, but it was just a lot of fun. Thank you everybody for coming and supporting our organizations. Also, there were goats at school this week. A lot of rain dates for goats, too. So, I have to say my daughter's very upset because the middle school had to get their goats because of the
099rain and she was looking for it. I know. Keep your fingers crossed for Thursday. This and D were on. So jealous of her sister for having them at the high school for all these years and she was very excited to finally get them at the middle school and she was very upset. But that's also because the youth family had them for a national night out and we just bumped it up to the schools instead of so that was something we threw at the schools Thursday. From what I hear from all the schools so far, they've had so much fun with the goats. So, thank you for letting us put the goats in the schools. Thank you much. Just wanted to know it's teacher appreciation week and our teachers our teachers deserve way more than a
100week's worth of special appreciation, but true. I could not let this week go by without at least an extra special shout out. Things going on in the buildings. I've been watching all the fun PTA pictures of all the fun stuff going on in the schools. It's awesome. Well, my friend Melanie Greenhouse runs that intergenerational poetry project which is a regional um event that goes on and I know Jeff you were instrumental in getting that up and running. And what happened this year was one that I had in my writing workshop that I conduct at the senior center was the subject and she was a very interesting woman who migrated immigrated from Germany got connected with Cameron who's a junior Cameron D who was his last name Danto or something like that great great young man
101and they were able to act and she told her her story and he was able to take it from narrative from asking questions into a poetic form. They have since developed a lifelong relationship. I was out of town this weekend so I wasn't able to attend the event or any other and I know other people who have been through this program maintain those relationships. The kids graduate and they're still friends and have this relationship. So it benefits some of our elderly population and the kids grow through the process of it and it's a very literary experience. A phenomenal event Jeff sometime you can know like what's that called? I messed up. intergenerational poetry project and Melanie Greenhouse is a playwright in the area and published poet and m musician composes music phenomenally talented and she
102and I used to conduct a program at uh poises me co so that's how I became connected with her very talented amazing yeah anyway great program great participation and it's Not just our school, it's I think it was Fitch this year. So, it's a regional thing, too, which I like. So, the kids get to meet other parents, other faculty. It's hosted over in Li, not South Library, but the smaller library no library. That's the name of anyway. Phenomenal program. Want more information? I can share it with you. She actually shared with me the poems that Cameron wrote and they were just [Music] there. I'll take a motion to turn. All those in favor say I. I. I.