East Windsor, CT BOE Meeting - 5/27/26

001I don't have any green. So I have not heard from Fran. Has anybody heard from Fran? I went in my email this I haven't got >> usually texts. >> Oh, I don't get texts and Erica going out to the parking lot if you didn't say when I saw her yesterday. She did say I'll see you tomorrow night. So we can we can start the meeting and she can we're just doing minutes and stuff. Okay. So I'll call the meeting to order at uh 7:04. First order of business is the pledge of 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. Thank you everyone for coming tonight. Um I won't consider this an added agenda item,

002but I had a conversation today with our state rep Jamie Foster about um not getting the additional funding and uh the extension um and a lot of things. So, um, so she will be, um, I'm just telling I'm just telling the board that, uh, Jamie Foster will be joining us around 7:30. >> Oh, tonight. >> She, um, she volunteer. She said, "Would you like me to come to the meeting?" I said, "That would be awesome." So, she's going to come. So we at that point we'll take item um 122 out of order because it has to do with the new school projects and um so a motion I'll I'll call for a motion then take whatever wherever we are stop and and then we can continue that but have her come and speak to us.

003Okay. I did um just to add you have a supplemental information. It just came this morning um um regarding school projects and on I sorry I don't have mine stapled but I think it's on the second page it lists the 26 towns that receive um uh special legislation in terms of >> brief >> exemptions waiverss and other changes. Um um so you do have that as a reference as well too. >> So it's good background information to know when she's talking about it what other towns got and all of that. Um so it'll be an interesting night for sure. So I see the new members you got your new member packets. That's all of that. >> Oh okay. So there will be a test at the next meeting. Wondering what you >> talking rules. I

004was asking about that. >> Naren said I'm joking like you guys might run away. >> So there are no added agenda items. >> No. Then we will move on to approval of the minutes of April 22nd and May 13. Motions would be in order. >> I would make a motion to approve the April slain second regular meeting minutes. >> Is there a second? So made by Courtney. Seconded. >> Seconded by Casey. Any discussion, amendments, changes? All those in favor? >> Opposed? Okay. On to the May 13th minutes. We make a motion to accept May 13th regular meeting minutes. A second. >> Motion was made by Betsy, seconded by Gabby. Any discussion, changes, corrections? All those in favor? I >> I opposed. Okay. Both passed unanimously. Then we are on to we have no public student

005reps. states Broadway Elementary School continues to prove us and celebrate the growth of Broadway Elementary School students. On May 12th, Broadway Elementary School celebrated author's day. It was wonderful to see so many parents and family members fill the classrooms to celebrate their children's growth and confidence as writers. Barwick Elementary School recently hosted Meet the Instrument Nights for third graders who are planning on participating in band grade 4. This hands-on event allows students to explore and try out different instruments. Congratulations to the fourth graders on an incredibly successful spring concert held at East Windsor High School on May 19th. The students put on a fantastic performance showcasing their hard work, dedication, and development over the last year. The school is wrapping up the administration of end of year academic achievement testing. Barwick Elementary School students are

006working hard and putting forth their best efforts utilizing this opportunity to demonstrate the academic growth and knowledge they've acquired throughout the year. At the middle school, Eastman Middle School is in full swing with end of the year academic testing, including SBA makeups, assessments, and literacy assessments. On May 19th, the fourth, fifth, and sixth grade band and chorus performed at a spring concert. The students did a great job. On May 12th, the sixth graders went on a on a field trip to the Riverside Reptiles at Henfield. East Middle School softball team beat Crack Innovation School and now 2 and 0 on the season for the high school. On Sunday, May 3rd, the Connecticut Education Committee gathered at the Aqua Turk Club in Plantsville to celebrate the state's most dedicated young leaders. The high school is thrilled

007to announce Casey Max and Ra being honored at the 2026 CADs CIA Scholar Athlete Banquet. This award recognizes two graduating seniors from each high school in the state who have demonstrated a balance of academic and athletic excellence. To be eligible, Casey and Thomas maintained a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5, competed at the varsity level for multiple years, and consistently displayed exemplary character. Beyond the statistics on the field and in the classroom, this honor highlights the integrity, self-disipline, and leadership within our school community. attributes we want all students to strive for in school of undergraduate DC truly represent the very best of our school body they continue to not hide their >> thank you so is this your last meeting >> oh good still be here um next is our long list of upcoming meetings

008and events I've had people outside the board are going to thank us for this because they want to come to stuff and it's a great way for them to see it. >> Are there any questions on anything there to the superintendent report? >> Um yes, so just a couple updates. Um yesterday we had uh WSFB interview our Val Victorian and uh Sue uh Victorian um um which is Elizabeth and Tommy Romel um who are twins scheduled to attend Yale in the Yukon honors program um so they as soon as that story is aired um we'll share it out with the board event and certainly celebrating the success of two of our high school students kind of staying on on high school uh last Monday. Um, so last week, not this, uh, this current week. Um,

009we had our sports signing day. Uh, so we had both Kaylee Joselyn and Evan, uh, Bover sign letters of intent for track. Uh, Kaylee is scheduled to attend Fitsburg State and Evan, uh, University of Hartford. Um, today I know Tim was in attendance as well. We had the high school charity softball game uh, for uh, Gabby Doozy and uh, to raise funds uh, for fight first cancer. Um although um uh we were in defeat, I can tell you it was um very well attended um and uh um a strong showing by uh the fire departments as well too. >> Awesome. >> Um Friday uh this past Friday, Broadbrook held their spirit day uh wearing red, white, and blue uh going into uh Memorial Day weekend. Um we are very busy um preparing for summer enrichment.

010Um so we have close to 120 kids um who are signed up um to attend. Uh so that's our highest enrollment in the three years. Um and then I know it's on the upcoming uh meeting and events. Um but high school graduation is June 11th. Uh middle school promotion is June 16th. And uh if anyone wishes to attend um uh please notify us and we'll reserve you a seat. Thank you, Patrick. >> Yeah. No, a lot of good things happening. >> Okay. >> Next is the financial report. >> Yeah. So, the financial report, uh, feel like I've been reporting the same thing for a while now between all the town and subcommittees and everything, but um, uh, this is the same report that the subcommittee recently saw since we haven't met since then. Um, just

011to kind of echo what we talked about before, you know, no news is good news. I don't see anything critical at this point. Um, we're chasing uh year-end uh invoices, trying to close out as many open POS as we can and make sure all the grants are drawn down the coming month here. Um, and then obviously um get updated projections for June for the finance subcommittee and then the board of ed um because that number is going to be pretty pretty crucial to our FY27 number. Um, so I don't have anything specific to to kind of point out at this moment, but um, you know, happy to answer any questions if anyone has any >> any questions? Anyone? No. >> No. I've asked mine at the subcommittee. And by the way, um you all are

012certainly welcome to come and you know sit in the audience and um be part of the subcommittees, you know, what's what's going on there. Um it's kind of good especially for the well I shouldn't say especially for financial because all of the subcommittees really discuss a variety of different things and they really are all pretty enlightening. So, feel free to move any of them. >> Okay. Uh, we're on to the personnel reports. >> So, Patrick, I don't remember it being this big. >> Oh, this time of the year. >> Um, well, typically during the summer, we have our summer hires. Um, so the extended school year is our special ed program. So, those are mandated programs. um certain uh students um do qualify for summer based on their needs. Um so where it does say

013special ed um that is referring to um the staffing required. >> That's what a lot of this is. >> Yep. And then obviously you have the summer enrichment which is grant funded. Um and then you do have your typical kind like end of the year um uh changes with staff taking place. >> So given what's what's uh what you're reporting on uh what what is needed for the coming year as far as resignations or are there you know are there specifics that you're looking at >> um for um you budget? We'll talk about positions. Um I believe um um I believe we have one elementary teacher physician we need to fill. I will say it was filled. We were very excited to have that person. She may be in the personnel report honestly. Um and

014then because of uh paying attention to uh uh the budget had decided to uh she withdrew even though we had a signed letter uh withdrew and she's seeking elsewhere. So, um again, she may actually be in the personnel um report as a hire. Um uh we just got that correspondence, but I believe we had one elementary teacher and we have throughout the district one or two special ed teaching positions. Um we typically always have some type of pair of professional openings. Um um but uh as far as certified teaching positions, I believe that's kind of like it. >> Okay. Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> I have a question about the middle school discovery teacher position. >> Yes. >> At this point, where do we have that? Is that that's will hopefully be hired for

015or is that something we're going to talk about? No, that um we we have someone in the pending hiring process now. So, they're not on this personnel report, but I would anticipate they will be in uh the next person report. >> You're welcome, >> Patrick. The physical therapist, we have one who does all three schools. >> Yeah. So, based on need, that's a a part-time employment. Um on average, it ends up being uh two days a week. Um and that's based on student need. Um so it is a district-wide position. It's a part-time position. Again, um they fulfill the stu um students on um in special education who have specific uh physical therapy needs. >> So Patrick, um the 2027 budget discussion, is it something that would you think take more than 10 minutes? you

016should just skip the whole section 10, I mean section 12 and move on to the old business. >> I I don't think um >> it won't take long. >> I I don't I think it really depends on on the board. Um yes, but I mean as far as the report I have I mean it's only a couple minutes. >> We'll move on to to 121. Um, so as far as just an update on FY27 uh budget, so as everyone I'm sure is aware uh the budget uh referendum uh did not pass um uh this past uh yesterday. Um so typically in the past we we meet the very next day with the board of finance. Um however due to uh some scheduling conflicts um with town leadership um that was not possible to have a

017meeting today. So that meeting is scheduled for uh Monday um um at 7:00 at town hall. Um so really we are kind on pause until then too. I mean obviously I think it's pretty obvious that uh uh budgets will be reduced but to what extent I mean we really won't know that until um until Monday. Um a couple important updates. Um I believe it was late Thursday afternoon, could have been early Friday, but um late last week. Um Ryan and myself did receive an email from the town auditor uh requesting a discussion regarding the recent uh supplemental state aid uh funding that was uh provided specifically to board of educations. Um they had reached out following a request from town leadership. Um so we did have an initial conversation with uh the auditor uh today.

018Um during that conversation um he agreed with our interpretation of uh the Connecticut State Department of Ed's guidance. Um however um he's not um um 100% certain that interpretation is in line with legislation itself. So, he seemed to recognize there's conflicting um information and he is continuing to research. Um he suggested to Ryan and I that we reach out to a contact at OPM along with the staff attorney um at the state department of it which we did and surprisingly they got immediately back to us which which never happens and so we took that correspondence and forwarded back to the auditor. Um we do have a follow-up conversation on Friday. Um so certainly that could have an impact as far as uh where we are um especially should uh the budget uh default to the

0192% um in the charter. >> Oh correspondence what what did it actually talk about with >> which part? Well, OPM and uh so you so you contacted the attorney, >> contacted a high up person at OPM or the auditor referred me to a staff attorney. >> Yeah. >> And that was the staff. >> Yeah. And that that correspondence was received somewhere between 5:30 and 6:00 today. So um >> uh so just prior to coming into today's meeting. >> But what kind of what were the highlights of what what he said or what what they said? Uh certainly reference legislation, certainly we have our interpretation. Um but really what we did was forwarded the uh the correspondence to the auditor um to assist essentially >> Yeah. Yeah. Okay. >> Um with their interpretation. >> Okay. So

020Patrick and Ryan, if it is interpreted that it goes back to the town side, then we have to do an additional additional cuts for that amount. >> Was it 200 >> 22? >> So yep. So you would add that from where we already are and that that's the case on what to get to the 2% we would have to reduce the budget by 414 uh,000. um which obviously is uh significantly more uh than uh than where where we're at. Um so certainly um that interpretation is very important um to hear from the auditor uh where we go. Um so we're not panicking um too much but uh but that being said, we are actively working through multiple reduction scenarios. Um understanding there's still uh significant work to be done. Um we're monitoring special education. We're

021monitoring and uh we'll be working on year-end projections. Uh open enrollment is still going through the end of this week. As soon as that closes, we'll start to work on that. See if any of those ch changes uh benefit uh the budget. Um um I know I'm missing something. Um oh, and then uh I mean I I know we are um I don't know if we'll get the response, but in capital improvement we all it does include our laptops. Our laptops are in our budget. um uh that may be a long shot, but still something to monitor as far as uh where those expenses are. Um so certainly our next board of ed meeting um which is June 10th, they'll be following um the board of finance. So we'll know where we are there. I'll

022follow um um uh the last referendum um and we'll have the conversations and the guidance should be out from the auditor. So we'll have a clear picture of where we are. we'll have a clearer picture where our projections are. Um we should have um a tenative um idea where our open enrollment landed and so we'll have a lot more information uh to work with at the June 10th meeting and certainly at that time I'll be prepared to share uh recommend uh recommendations going forward but there's still a lot in flux. >> Um so >> open enrollment is the health insurance. >> Yes. So medical what employees what >> um so you you know you hope that maybe someone who takes family benefits maybe they're going on their spouses next year or something and that that

023would be a significant savings >> they get a popsicle right >> sometimes their kids age out >> well you know any number bas outgoing staff had a family incoming staff is uh single I mean any of those can work in your favor um >> or against um um so uh um so certainly something to definitely monitor. >> So can I ask a question? So OPM is kind of over even SDE as far as the similar questions is that is you know because I know there's two there's two kind of theories here but our said to go to OPM and their lawyers >> and yeah and OPM deferred us to the state department of >> it it's that we additional money that we thought would be going towards the board of ed >> is now the

024town is saying they think it possibly should be I think it's this question, right? >> Yeah. I don't know what the um the town didn't have any um conversation or discussion with us or outreach. So, we're not sure what we just got we heard directly from the auditor saying um uh that the town requested an interpretation of the application of that funding. Um and then from that we heard directly from the auditor. >> Well, that's what Lamont said. He said it was for the schools. >> Sorry. There there's a lot of interpretations that depends on on so the board of finance actually I just asked this way the board of finance actually voted on that so that then go back to the board of finance in terms of that question you think >> yeah we

025we Ryan and I posed that question to the order because we said the action had already been taken so would you want to do the action based on >> Right right Um, I will say he spoke to the auditor. He said he had spoken to some attorneys as well who have flip-flopped back and forth on their own interpretation. >> So I mean it tells you that the um um the complication behind it. So >> okay when the board of finance will meet on Monday, they can do whatever they want. >> They can resend the motion. They can go in and they can change everything. They can go in and say, you know what, >> okay, >> we know it's going to fail, so what the heck? Let's put it out at 20%. actually they have

026the ability to make any motion on any line >> relative to that budget. Um, I have one suggestion. If we can try to get people to go to that meeting on Monday with the board of finance, not just us, people who are parents, people to stand up and say, >> "Yeah, >> we support education. Please don't cut it. Don't change it. Don't anything." the um generally during this whole thing there's a lot of people putting out information that many times misleading and whatnot >> and that's not happening this year and there's not a lot of people saying you got to cut them that amount so I think people are understanding it but the word of finance only goes by who's in that room on Monday night. That's it. That's what they go by. And they

027may not go by anything, but at least maybe if 20 people show up and say, "Don't do it." >> It gives them a So, if you know anybody who you can drag there, >> it could be helpful. >> I agree with Norine in in the take of um it appears the silent majority is usually it's cut the schools. The schools aren't doing good. and we're not seeing that this year. So, I think we do have a backing of people, but they're silent. And I don't know how we can get that message across. Um except for that's a that's a great great thought. Um if we can get parents to come and say, "Please don't cut the schools. There's progress. We're doing well. We're proud of our schools. We don't want to head backwards." Um, we

028can say it till we're blue in the face, but apparently probably kind of getting sick of our faces. >> Um, Monday, uh, 700 p.m. at town hall. >> So, if there were people So, a lot of times people are nervous about getting up and speaking. If there were people that said, you know, maybe we do, but we're not quite sure. Would it be appropriate for us to just give them bullet points as far as just, you know, awareness? I don't know. I'm not >> I don't know about that. But certainly they don't have to make a big speech. You could say that to them. You could say you just say you can just say please don't cut, you know, education or >> you know what I'm saying? A lot of people are just really uncomfortable

029kind of getting up and they haven't done it before. That's all I'm saying. I guess just talking to them and helping them through that if they're nervous. >> And it can be as simple as I could ask you to lead the >> Yeah, it can be that simple. I mean they can do it from both sides of it because I mean honestly they found all in the >> but like the last two meetings the people in the audience were seven people who worked for the town and 18 people who work for the school system and als they know where we are you know you're right >> but you know I'm going to say something so if you simple as >> um I agree with what Fran Neil There you go. You know, yeah, that or

030don't cut the schools. Yeah. Leave the schools alone. Yeah. Simple. >> Yeah. If you can just >> It may not make the difference at all. It could be helpful. >> Just just talk to them, you know. >> I mean, just a reminder, too, um, >> uh, when the packet was emailed, you had a resource from the diamond group as far as what is and what is not allowed regarding messaging on the budget referendum. So certainly that's a resource that can be utilized. >> Oh, and just with one subject, I'm sure most of you saw my post. Um, thank you Darl. Daryl did that slide for me in a very short amount of time. Thank you very much. It was very helpful, very >> good slide. It was a very good slide. You do. >> We

031have much to be proud of. >> Yeah. in Congress. Anything else on the 121 budget? Well, Jamie, your timing is absolutely perfect because we are on to new business projects. So, does everybody know our state rep uh for the 57th district, Jamie Flash? >> Hi. Hi. I don't know where I should be. Maybe if I'm in this row, I'll be on the second. >> Oh my gosh. So Denise called me today and said that there were some questions about funding. And I figured it was a good time to talk to everybody about sort of how the process went, what happened, and what we can do to sort of set ourselves up for success next year in the budget process. >> So this is for the new >> for school construction. So the town of East

032Spencer had three asks and none of them were atypical really. So you guys wanted a space waiver. What is atypical about that ask is that your student population is declining. So the space waiver is a little tricky that way because you have a declining student population and ask for an increased reimbursement and the increased reimbursement would leave the balance still as the town's responsibility. So we didn't really have an explanation of would that pass at referendum. I was a little nervous about that if I'm being totally honest, but we were still working on it. um you guys had an extension for when it would get added um to come up in the fall. You wanted a waiver for the application due date for it to get on and you all wanted an increase in reimbursement.

033So Patrick and I met with the person who does the bonding for the state. Yeah, as you all know, we have pretty significant bond covenants caps. Um and so we were early. We were one of the first six schools who got in to put that request in. And we put the request in at 79% reimbursement, which is a significant increase over what the town is currently eligible for. But when we later met with the first elect, we found out that based on your current debt services, it had to be at least 80% for you guys to balance it with your current debt services and take on the additional new bond because the town has fiscal constraints. By the time I added that percentage on, I was in a place to maybe get the two rules

034in for one year, not aligned with the increased reimbursement or get you a lower amount of reimbursement that the town couldn't afford. And so we were sort of struggling and trying and I was hoping that, you know, between me and Rep. Paul and Senator Anoir, we could pull that extra percent away from one of our colleagues because there's caps. But it just didn't happen. and it felt like if we gave you a one-year extension, but you but it would fail referendum and your the town wouldn't be able to budget for it. There's a couple of things that I think would make an 80% ask for reimbursement more compelling that I'm hoping that you all can help answer, which are questions that I think based on the public discourse around this when people like from DAS

035do research on the school project that they're asking. Um, so what are you going to do with a 5,000 um foot space waiver? If like the average cost per square foot of construction is about $1,000, what is the town going to do to afford the cost of renovating that additional space? Because it'll be about $5 million of the town's bonding. So what's your strategy for making up that difference? And like we've had, you know, we had almost 90% or 95% of the community center covered by state and federal money and that failed referendum. So, how could you make this happen um when we have like the two referendum limit? Um is there a poss like should it not qualify for a space waiver? >> Yeah. Like do you really need the space waiver and are

036is it going to fail referendum without the space waiver? is right sizing a better financial choice for the state sending money to you and for the taxpayers of East Windsor. >> But you're also saying, if I understand correctly, that if we get the space waiver, we need to be able to sell how we're going to fund that additional space because it's not covered to the town and to the state. Like the DDS is ask is going to ask why, right? >> Why are you why with the declining student population are you going to put more space in? And I love all of the program that you all are doing. I just want to be extra clear. Like I wish I could just write you a check for exactly what you want, but there's a cap

037to bonding. And so all of the towns that are asking for more money, like the best the best way to get at it is to ask for your exact map of what you need early on. And the more back and forth there is, the more riskier the project gets. So asking for more after it was in the pipeline put us in a risky position for the total amount of funding. And that's where this kind of hit the um hit it. The other things that I think we need to be able to answer to the taxpayers of East Windsor and to DAS like and to the state as we're advocating for getting more money because the money the balance of that project is going to be paid for. So 80% is paid for by the state

038>> but the balance if we get a a increase in reimbursement you can get 80% paid for by the state but the balance of that would be paid for by the taxpayers. it would have to pass pass a referendum. We saw the fire department's referendum fail. The town's budgets now failed twice. So like to get that to pass, I think you need to be able to say like why what would you do to compel more voters to come out and support the balance that 20%. So, Rep Foster, just for clarification because um I know for the justification of additional space like um like that has been provided DAS um I mean prior um the board of ed members they have the 26 towns that were granted uh special legislation. I know Enfield um in speaking

039uh with them they're in the same spot with their EDS specs with um uh with uh their conceptual designs. >> Paul presented it very differently. They did um uh they did get space waiverss for their building. So where is the separation or what steps or what separates us from? Granted, I know Bridgeport's different. I know they got 95%. I know there's different but like um I mean I talked to Brford has a growing population. So that's different. >> Brford and um and they haven't done their ED specs. Um they haven't um hired our architects. So we're way ahead of them. So So I guess >> we changed our percentage. So, we changed the percentage we asked for reimbursement, which is which is a significant change. So, like I I I I understand that like and

040Representative Paul and I worked together on this. Senator Anoir and I worked together on this. Rep. Paul was under the impression this project was at a different place than Enfield's construction projects are. So, I I I don't know if that's I don't I don't know what to you know, her confidence in those differences like that makes a little bit of a difference. That's my question is how can we communication a little stronger because I I mean I've left it out there directly if anyone needs information reach out and that door has always been open and I didn't receive anything asking for any additional information >> but we had to change the cost so like it was in there earlier when it was a better percentage but then when you have to defend it at a

041different percentage >> those percentages were way out there before legislative session even began >> not the 80% that came to me after session began The switch from 79 to 80% came to me after session had started >> and it wasn't presented to Rep. Hall and Senator. >> So my my communication be uh with the first select was uh different in that that 80% was in conversations uh prior. >> Okay. So what >> breakdown? >> Well, yeah, it sounds to me like there is there is a little bit of a breakdown here. I think I think what what helped in the project that I've been successful in um is early and cohesive in it. I will tell you I know you've provided justification for the space waiver but there's push back from that and so we

042we have set up meetings and we've had you've talked to DAS you've had meetings with DAS to talk about it. Um it's I I think I I have confidence that we can do it next year. I still don't feel confident that if we had done it this year, it would have passed your referendum. And so that, you know, like I don't I think instead of focusing on what could have been different, like let's focus on how to make it better next year because I think that there's a lot of opportunity for improvement. And I don't think we're going to work together cohesively if we're like pointing fingers at who's to blame in this situation. So >> we're trying to point fingers as solve >> what we didn't get right this time. So that at least

043that's my take on it. >> Make it right for the next time. >> I'm a little nervous that 80% isn't enough for East Windsor given these budget referendums. I'm getting the feeling based on the fire department referendum failing that the taxpayers of East Windsor have a very the families in East Windsor whose children are going to the school district want new facilities. But East Windsor is one of the oldest towns in the county and your voter turnout probably reflects that. And so getting this to pass a referendum is going to require you to get a huge state investment and probably to think very creatively about how you're communicating and turning out the vote in support of it. So here are the things that I think you should probably be able to answer to DAS, to

044other legislators, but also to the taxpayers. I think you should be able to talk about like why they should pay for this when 2.9% failed which is far lower. Well, >> Jimmy, let me just talk to that part of it. >> Up until the end of February, >> everybody was on this. Okay, we this it might be a little tough, but we can do this. >> Yes. The situation that we are currently in with failing these budget referendums has to do with our grandless debacle. That has absolutely nothing to do with us needing schools. We are current our rail is tanked by $89 million. That's why our broad fire department is getting voted down which generally it doesn't. Usually it flies right through. the taxpayers currently for right now are getting hit with a massive

045tax increase if we have no budget increase. So equating our failing referendums for this year to a school building project isn't exactly correct because >> but you don't lock this in the same energy, right? like you would tank your project grant in the same moment >> and and and it would have tanked because of this >> but to have us be preparing a conversation about that for next year it won't be relevant next year we're not going to have a massive tax increase it will be a project that stands with a tax increase absolutely but not a grandless debacle on top of it >> if I'm being if I think I think you're right about it but I People's perception of financial constraint is not going to meaningfully change in a year. Like people like

046gas pumps, like every time I put gas in my car, I'm like, "Oh god, like I haven't this is I was a new driver when gas was over $4 a gallon." So like I think that the cringe that people are feeling in their pocketbook, yes, the taxes, it's just one more thing. like mo many families have medical bills or car bills and other so so even if you even if you don't answer that um I do think this is the real contender that people in the capital want us to answer is how are we contending with our declining student enrollment and a space increase like what I know we're offering wonderful programming and it's our goal to keep more kids in district and facilities are perhaps part of the problem but like how do you

047communicate that that is Um, how are you communicating with the state that we should grow our facilities when we have declining enrollment? And how do you communicate to the taxpayers that that's a worthwhile investment? >> Do they base that off of the demographic study that was done? >> Because slight uh that shows a slight increase in >> maybe the number of high school students you're graduating over. >> Yeah, because that what I think it's come down that trend over the last 10 years is down. So Jamie, for example, we have we have a lot of students that will get as far as choice for me that are coming into our school. So that would be something that we could actually build on as in terms of in terms of kind of communicating. Would that be

048something that would be >> I think I think that that is very compelling as a reason to need more space if you're taking on more choice. >> So I'm um as so like usually graduating seniors um to my knowledge that's not part of the application process. They usually ask for your like demographic enrollment which would show um the projections over time which actually shows an increase. So I'm I'm trying to >> people are talking to me about this in the capital as I'm talking to people about you know school project. So maybe it's not in the DAS application but that's been part of the conversations that people are having like how many kids are you graduating a year to to ask for what's going to be a $5 million increase in your construction costs that'll

049be paid for by the taxpayer? That's the question that you know people are aware of regional trends in education. It's conversations that we're having. Um does the modification of the school structure this is a municipal question that I think you have to be able to answer. This is not a legislative question. Um is there savings to be got? So by combining facilities are you saving transportation costs, administrative costs, overhead costs, utility costs? Those are all things that help balance it out in referendum. like yes, you're paying more in bonding, but it's a smart investment and here's the difference that'll be had. Um, and that's probably something you all have communicated out and I've missed I have not seen that yet. So, um, and then long-term operational efficiencies and like a strategy. So, like do you

050project that you'll be able to retain more students year-over-year in the new facilities? Have you accounted for that? What will it look like? I think that this question about the number of students being retained versus leaving a district comes out of schools that have rights who have made major modifications to combine buildings and then had bubbles um where then they had to shift around numbers. So, they're just trying to make sure people are planning about that um over time. But I will I will say like this year rowing on this project in the last um increase that I had was able to get we we presented the non-withstanding draft language early in the session we were early in which was the same case for what we did this year. We only asked for an increase

051in reimbursement. There was not the space requirement for it. Um but I think that next year we will be in a better position both municipal funding wise and from a um legislative perspective because we will be the absolute first and out of the gate and I think it is a good opportunity for me and my legislative colleagues to make sure that we're sort of prepared to prioritize this and it sounds to me and this is like my own nervousness in the advocating for it that if I had funded did 79.5% it would have it would have failed and it wouldn't you wouldn't have been able to fund it. And so if I could only inch it up a tiny bit more, everything else would have been useless um for the town. And that's sort of

052just the perception that I was getting based on what I'm hearing about the economics in the town right now. And yes, that's new, but this would have been approved at the same time. And so it would have fell, you know, victim to the economic climate that we're in. Nothing stops us 85% >> nothing stops here but we should what I think should happen and is that like finance and operations municipal side and finance and operation board of ed side need to have the same task and agree that it's going to be in concert in the budget that and I think that that will make a big difference and that level of coordination I think will help because Patrick and I talked very regularly But the other legislators in the mix might have been talking to

053Jason more or might have been talking and so it's not like we were we can we could be better coordinated from board of ed to municipal and from legislative end to move this forward. Uh I if I had left it at 79 it would have I could have done it and it would have failed you guys and it wouldn't have helped and you wouldn't have been able to approve the project referendum and I feel like that's not what the town wanted was for me to get a increase in reimbursement approved that the town couldn't do in their debt services and so I I was stuck between a rock and a hard place because the things that came in after like um uh you said was it old same broke um I The rep from there

054is on Rep. Comey, uh, is it Old Sabbrook or one of those shoreline towns, their reimbursement rate went up by almost 40%. So, their reimbursement rate is 15% from the state, but they got it to 60. So, like, we can go up higher. We can ask East Windsor is economically distressed. We can be more aggressive in the increase in reimbursement that we advocate for, and we probably should uh for if we want it to pass at referendum. But I do think the taxpayer payers of East Windsor and I have knocked on tens of thousands of doors. Like people are really stickers shocked right now. They don't want to spend more money. Even parents, like Ellington's referendum when I was there, parents were walking in. It was a 50/50 split of people voting yes and no

055on the budget. And it was very clear if there was a no budget that there would be teachers that could be c cut. And no one wants that. But people are still feeling really they're people don't want to pay more taxes. And so we're it's it's tricky. Like the best way for me to help East Windsor get this project done is for me to get you a much bigger reimbursement rate and not get you something that'll get you a failed referendum because I also think that that makes the taxpayers and voters of East Winds are less confident in the work that you're doing. Um, so I I know this is like not the best news and I this is I I really fed this coming. I was like I'm gonna be sitting in front of

056a firing squad. They're all going to be so mad at me. But I really I think we can do it better next year. And I know that delaying doesn't feel ideal, but I just really don't believe it would have passed referendum this year. Um, and that makes it hard to pass something that wouldn't have to pass something that would have been financially really hard for the town to cover the balance of. >> So, if it had if we had gotten the additional to 79 and it failed, could thinking about in the future if we get 80 next time and it fails, do do you have the ability to go back and ask the following year for an additional? >> Yes, you do for and for more money. But I will tell you that um we

057had a referendum fail on the the project for the community center. I don't want to misremember this because there's been so many projects over the three times it second time it passed but we applied for CIF funding through the state for the balance of it and they said well it failed referendum why would we fund that and so people do pay attention to what's happening in your town politics and so we got for another project and so it's okay but like people it's not like Hartford is so far removed from what's happening in East Windsor that they're not paying attention And I will say like you for whatever it's worth like your first blackman is very well respected at the capital. He's a very helpful ally in navigating for issues. Representative Holland Senator Anoir like

058we were all we all we all like put our pencils down at 79% too soon. Um and then when we were trying to move back to 80 and I was like and then we were like maybe it shouldn't be 85. It it was too late to get increased it. So >> can I ask a question Jamie? Yeah. >> So, none of it got >> Did any of it get submitted and it got rejected or it just didn't go anywhere? >> Everything was submitted. >> Everything was >> Yes, everything was sub. >> Who rejects it? >> Well, so it goes through all four caucuses, but you only have three caucuses represented. So, um your state the reimbursement for school budgets is decided through the bonding commission and through the board of educ the state education committee.

059So you get all three caucuses that you have advocated and put it in their request pools. And so we had it like Patrick and I met with the finance staffer from House Democrats, which is my caucus, um about it early on and we put 75 79% but basically every all the caucuses know what the bond caps are and their requests come in under the cap to get into the budget. And so >> so it got submitted and it got rejected by the three caucuses. >> It didn't get rejected by the three caucuses. It was in there until we tried to make it more >> and then what? So >> it got pulled out. >> Okay. >> Because you we fix it >> because we had to fix it. >> Okay. So and honestly I'm trying

060just to to figure out what do we do next? Um you know we we started this as a board of education project and then it became an ad hoc project. We have a a group of people who are board of edman who >> at large working with it with >> with the DPW and CSG and trying to get all of this going and up until we found out we weren't getting it. Everybody was very very optimistic. Everybody was saying we just have to wait for the number to come out through legislation. And my concern is is that if we continue that path again, we're going to be in the same place we were >> Next year. Should this be in your opinion, should it be being directed by the board of education as a school

061project and we take the lead on it and work with our funding from the perspective of they fund it? Because we I know we've gotten differing opinions on if the space waiver is good or if it isn't. CSG is saying it's a it's a given. They'll give you that space waiver. You're down to 4,500 square feet or whatever. >> But do they think that the town's going to vote yes on the space waiver? I disagree that the space waiver is a given. I think it's a bad choice for the >> There was never any conversation with anybody about that. It was all just and then we have this other lingy weird thing in our charter >> that um we cannot apply for anything until we have the referendum. We have to have a referendum vote

062before we can actually put the application in which was why we needed the extension. >> So any I mean for months we've just been sitting here waiting and waiting and hoping it was going to come out. So my concern is from your perspective is who should be leading? Should it be a board of education project to get it to get all of these ducks in a row? It's our building. We know what we want. We know what the sizes are. We know what our aspects are. We And then within that parameter talk about the money piece with the financial side on the other side of the town. >> Oh yeah. I I think you need so in I mean I don't know that this is the best way to do it but in my experience

063in Ellington the permanent building committee which includes representation from members of the public at large but also um the board of selectman board of finance and board of education. They have these public meetings where they talk specifically about the school construction project, but it includes the finance perspective in the public negotiation about what gets included in the project and their staffer who staffs that committee who is the board of ed finance director which you do not have an equivalent role. You don't have a you do have you do okay finance director. So that was the person who coordinated with me on the project in Ellington, but they were the staffer of the >> of that of the permanent building committee >> which is >> which does all capex. >> It was kind of like a

064ad hoc but we didn't have the we didn't have all the other comp. I think you need to include the town because you could be rowing in opposite directions in the absence of that which >> that's basically right. But within that's a conversation we probably have to have because I mean and and I appreciate everything you do for us and did for us but we've literally been sitting here based on information coming from either not hearing anything or information about this is what's happening. We'll know here. We'll know there in a very optimistic standpoint. Now I can tell you I've never been overly optimistic about a referendum passing. Yeah, >> but optimistic in if we can get these things then we go and we fight and we we get people to understand. Um and then

065it just kind of dissipated. >> Yeah, I guess what good would a change in application time period do if you had to change the specs in the application? Like to me, if those parts were separated and we just gave you a delayed application date and we assumed that you would get the same or more reimbursement next year or less reimbursement next year and the pix would or wouldn't be included like in my mind those parts being disjointed is tricky. >> So in the absence of getting an increased reimbursement, I'm not sure the other parts are as helpful. But maybe that's a misunderstanding. like Patrick and I did talk about it, but at this point the bond like at the very end of session he texted me. Um but at that point the bond bill had

066already passed. >> And I just have one last question for you. Um other than so the bond bill passed, however it works. Um, this was something that just happened at the state level. This wasn't and you weren't having conversations with with Jason or Patrick or anybody saying that this could be a possibility. I mean the the first meeting that I had was Denise and Patrick and Jason, Senator Anoir, Representative Hall. We were all together and then it became a much smaller group in conversation and Patrick was calling me I'm assuming talking to the other legislators too separately. Um and so like it wasn't one big we didn't have one big meeting after the original meeting, did we? We had two meetings. >> We had two. Yeah, at least >> um and I will say like

067the speed of the capital at the end of session, you know, we're there until 2 am. It's fast and furious. So, you need help from your municipal partners to keep everything sort of going at one of our adopes. >> I mean, I'm sorry, I didn't >> I think it'd be important if she comes to some of these ad hoc committee meetings. I mean, we canled like four of them when to me, I think I'm frustrated because all of these questions I feel like we've had answered for a year or more. >> But I I think I would be happy to come to meetings. I will tell you I can't like I have three towns that I represent. So unless you specifically tell me it would be useful for you to come to this meeting, I

068probably not like Denise called me and asked me for an update to talk about it and so I've come like if you invite me to a meeting and I can come, I will be there. So if you have an ad hoc meeting and you want me to come, I will 100% do everything in my power to make it to that meeting, I'll let you know ahead of time if I can't go. I think it's helpful to include like I'm not your only legislator. You have two more. So, I think it's important to include them too in that because it can't just like you have to get through both chambers. >> Yeah. >> I have one last question for you just because you've done this before. >> Um, >> in your working with the other towns

069to get every all the ducks in a row, get everything done. Do you have any or much communication with the actual like we're using CSG currently? Are they ever involved with CUG or is it basically board of board of selection for these municipals? I saw because a lot of what we were getting was coming from them. >> Yeah. So I I met with CSG with you guys on a with Patrick on a Zoom. Was this the second meeting with the full group with some of the >> They came to Hartford in person at least once. I can't recall if they were at bulk meetings. One of the questions that I was getting push back on for the space waiver from my caucus who wants to help me succeed, you know, like was about the space

070waiver and they were like, well, this happened in this other town. And I was like, yep. And like like the thing about school construction is it's all about like like first come first serve in some ways. It's about the strength of the delegation in some ways. It's about the need of the community in other ways. There's a lot of different ways that you can get a good rate in. CSG was like, "Well, it's been done before you could do it. It's a piece of cake." In my experience, you don't just ask and then get it. Like, you have to ask and then be persistent and stay at it and stay at it. My weakness in this negotiation was changing the percentage I asked for and not having a really good, strong, confident explanation on the

071space waiver requirements and how we would pay for the balance. Like, that was my weakness in my advocacy on this project, which is a little different. Like in Ellington, I got this increased reimbursement, right? The school has crumbling foundations. We need the increased reimbursement. >> That's what I said over and over again. >> It's easy. Very specific. >> Yeah. It had crumbling. >> Um and so and so like I think you need to wind up and point all three of your legislators in the same concerted direction because I think I started moving for 80% and I don't know that that message had gotten to Carol. So you I think I told them um and they were like are you sure like so like that that was >> unclear. >> Yeah. And so we were we

072could have been we could have been more um cohesive but I think the driving force of the cohesion should come from your ad hoc committee or the permanent building committee and I think that needs to include municipal representation. >> It does now. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Uh, I think that that will make a really big difference for it to be effective. And I will say like talking more often is better for me. Like I am a better advocate for you if you check in with me regularly because I might say, "Oh, I did mean to turn back. You know, I I had uh 38 priority bills. Most of them passed this year." Like for me, I might have a meeting and then hop to the next meeting. And you could call me and say like,

073"Hey, how's this going?" I could be like actually someone just asked me this question in the hallway, not in a formal meeting. Next time someone asks me that I want to have the answer to it. And so those kind of you know that that helps. So So one of the things when we were talking was that um you said we our plans were not as far along as they could be. >> That's that and and that's >> I don't know. I didn't I wasn't as intimately involved in like paying attention to what your planning schematics are. I really >> want to know for next year where should they be? How do we find out where they should be? Would that be through guidance from CSG that we should >> I you know what let me

074let me talk to Carol and say both of them have done more school construction projects than me. I'm being totally honest. Um, Carol was really under the impression that this was less far along and Enfield, I don't know that their stuff is going to pass referendum because they got multiple schools and the percentage is high, but you know, if you get it and it fails referendum and you have to ask for more next year, like I don't know how that's going to pan out, but we should. But I think she was under impression that there were schematics for buildings and that was less rigorous than what we have here. >> So Jamie, I think I just want I'm kind of in line to I think what you're saying to us too is you know in

075the future this is this is and I appreciate this in the future there is you know there is opportunity in the future but whatever is in an application isn't the only piece the other piece is that legislators and any everybody else kind of has this idea right right >> of what's going to happen and what the sentiment overall sentiment so for us and our kind what we're doing is we need to really generate a little bit more in terms of in terms of um hopefully right what the need >> yeah and can even more conversations about is that what we need to do >> I I think that that's true and I think that having more conversations and I will say more um community outreach I mean that's is that >> I think more outreach

076is essential. I think that if if there's not like I think that you need like and and I say that knowing full well that the same people you're going to put two more 2% more effort and less than a fraction of a percent more will come out, right? Like I I understand that, but I think you need like every booster club rowing with you. you need every PTO PTA and in the absence of that sort of coalition momentum behind you, you're in you know like you it's it's challenging. I will also say that for me communicating with my colleagues like I had a lot of like big documents with everything and then I would be like Patrick please give me like like the bullets on this because I I I need to be able to

077go and communicate this accurately in plain language as I'm like you know marching through the hallways of stuff. And I think you should should probably each be a proponent of the conversation that same way. Like you need to have your talking points about you know like what you're working on. And I'm sure you all already have that better than I did. But um but I think I think we can probably be a stronger united front next time. So yes. So does anybody else because I know I heard from one of the board members. Does anybody else have any questions for Jamie? Um about I think I think at this point the why it happened is less important than how are we going to make it happen next time. >> Um we are where we are

078and we're learning how to do better. Um but does anybody have any other questions? Brian, I'll just go around the room and >> thank you for coming in. Yeah, my pleasure. >> Oh, thank you. >> I mean, uh, JC, >> I wouldn't spoke, but thank you, J. >> No, thank you. >> Can you guys figure out what percentage you think you would help it pass? >> Like, what? >> We had 80. So, >> 80. >> That's where we gonna try first. No, I'm just saying. But I'm saying that when we originally went, we didn't have 79. We had 80. >> Yeah, I thought we did, too. >> What's the harm in going higher? >> Nothing else. >> I mean, what we need to do is we need to be able to justify that. >> Yes.

079We have to do we have to justify the >> legislators, legislators need to be able to justify why we're asking for that amount. We need to feed that to them. And you need to play on the different dynamics of the legislators that you have in in the room. Like different people are going to have different luck in different years asking for bonding. Like I I have on the bond agenda a couple of million dollars for my towns. It has to get onto the governor's agenda still for farmland preservation which is like my top bonding cap priority as you all know why. Um and um and like everyone's going to have money in like sort of in the in the mix that they're asking for. Um and I needed in Vernon they didn't get taxes on

080Prospect on the hospital um that like bailed and was sold out from under the hospital and that so so like we all had different projects in our bond to queue um for it and school construction is separate but like you need all of your weights to be putting it in their top three asks like all of us need to have in their top three asks the school construction higher reimbursement this number um to get you into a good place and then there are different reasons why people are good. I'm not on the education committee. Uh so um I probably would have known like the you know the bond covenants was getting the bond cap was getting reached. Um and I think in the future what we should take from this too is to not ask

081for the bare minimum you need ask for what will help it pass that referendum. I think just so you're clear, Jake, I think the first thing we need to do is we need to have a frank and honest conversation with our town side about how much money do we really have here? You know, we've been trying how much do we have and we we were honestly and I'm not against anybody 30 million, but we've had no conversations about what does that equate to and blah blah blah. So I do >> you know what what room they have like so what's falling off of their debt services that you could take up like is that 30 million is that >> we our debt service is so low we don't have debt service um we have a

082massive debt capacity we just don't >> do anything but instead of having we need to have a concrete conversation about what do we have available in our debt service that is a reasonable thing to accept that that the taxpayers in East Windsor are willing to pay for because if you don't have that number coming from your financial side and we don't have our own finances, we got a budget. Um, >> if we don't have an honest conversation about that, we can't give you a number of what we need. Yeah. >> I mean, realistically, I spend a lot of time looking at numbers and I was on the board of finance for a long time. I would say we need 94%. in order to get it to but that's me having information but that conversation has

083never been had in this entire problem. >> So I think that's the >> you telling me that that is 100% that that's a big I would say that's a big that's problem number one like like the you can't assume debt services as the board of ed without coordination with municipal budget because you're under that umbrella. So I would say that's like number one. So thank to you and and I'm just reading this for us to come to you next year. >> The best thing we can do is say we need 95 or 92% of whatever it is based on actual numbers and we can map out and say this is why and blah blah blah blah blah and then here's everything else that comes into it. Okay. And I'm not saying I can't get around

084to this, but someone will have to help me explain why we're like with the older levels where we have our population that decreases because kids go out placement and the higher grades like how do we justify the investments where our population is declining in in our trends? I I'm not saying that that's not having a good persuasive answer to that is the reason why this didn't work, but it would be very helpful for me to be more compelling. No, having a better explanation than what I've been talking about. I think theoretically you can retain more students if it gets better. That's what I've been talking about. Uh but I think that that's in theory, not in practice, like we I don't know if that'll happen, but I would say like finance person to finance person

085probably that communication would be really helpful. Um and then I am not a finance person so someone will have to help me and then we'll get there like yes >> I just um have a question because before you were saying that you know we need to have more communication and communication is always great but I guess I I'm not should we set up like a a weekly conversation or a meeting with you by we I mean Patrick or or Ryan someone to talk to because >> I would say at least monthly. >> Well, just because you were, you know, your your example was you're walking down the hall and I just got asked this question by so- and so. And I just like that that's to me that's not a situation where I can just

086randomly call you and say, "Hey, how are things?" And so, in order to make sure that the communication is that you're getting >> having a regular cadence like I can shoot when I get questions, I would try and shoot them to people like and say like, "This is something that someone asked me. What's their justification for this?" Um, and you know, you answered many of those questions, right? Like I would send you a question and be like, "Here's push back that I'm getting. What's our answer to that?" But I think a lot of times like you would go ask CSG for things and then it would take a while to get back and then I was like, "Who did push back in that hallway conversation by the time CSG gets back to you?" Um, and

087so that's tricky because so much of the work at the capital is not in regular meetings. It's the hallway discussions. It's popping into I mean that's Patrick. We did not have an appointment We walked into the finance person's office. I texted him and I said, "My superintendent's in Hartford for a celebration for East Windsor Public Schools. I want to make sure we're top of the bond agenda. We're coming in." And that's when we put in the 79% number. So, um, so and then, you know, then I was like, "We first." And, and you know, we we sort of sat back a little bit. So, >> yeah. I mean, I can say, uh, Rev. foster. It was unbeknownst to me that you're waiting for any additional information. Um, >> well, you you would get it to

088me. >> Yeah. You would get it like you would go to CSG and you always got it back to me. >> Correct. >> Yeah. It was just by, you know, sometimes CSG takes a little while. Um, but like but it was it was you would get answers to me. It's just that, you know, you don't always get close the loop back around. And we did try and increase the number and we should increase the number because I don't think 79%'s going to get you there. >> Hey, I have one quick question. Okay, we keep talking about the student rates and things like that, but do they factor in the condition of the school because these schools are really old? I mean, isn't that a factor too >> that it's not attracting the the families to

089want to stay there? >> I mean, it's dated. >> I think it does factor in. If I'm being honest though, there are some really horrific school buildings in the state. So, yes, it does. But but like Ansonia got 85% last year, 81% last year, and they had some like pretty horrific conditions um happening. Um and so um yeah, I I think being an alliance district helps you in this situation. Like that's something I use as an advocacy tool really regularly, saying like they are already an alliance district, help them get better. Uh so yeah, any other questions for my sponsor? >> Thank you for your time. >> Thank you. Thank you so much, Jamie, for coming. >> Thank you. Really appreciate it. Out. >> If you need me, call me and I will come. I'm

090happy to come to meetings again in the future whenever you need me. >> Cool. Thank you. Nice to meet you. I see you again. Oh. Um, all of that I recommend that we stop all maintenance on the buildings. >> I'm only partly serious. Only partly joking. >> Just put pass out pales at the beginning of school year for all the weeks. >> And mops. Everybody gets a a little squeegee. >> It would be tough this year though with the other budget issue. You guys, I'm not kidding. I mean, I want to school as much as everybody, but what if we went what a pass referendum? That's a valid point. I think the econ >> it's a tough economy throughout is really >> kicking everybody's ass you know and we didn't know that when we started

091and this was being our our mandate but >> Denise I really agree with you whatever I think that what we need to do is really think about moving forward so we can kind of think about you know all this other stuff but if we want to be proactive >> well we need to learn from what >> she's saying Yeah. And and moving forward, um a standing meeting with her is a great thing. >> Easy enough, >> but I think we should, as she said, get uh Carol Hall and start as well. >> Yeah. >> Because to find that they weren't all on the same page is a little disquing, >> disconcerting. >> Yeah. Well, and I mean again, I don't know why I just feel like we had we've been cancelling these ad hoc committee

092meetings waiting for this legislation to happen and if moving forward when we haven't had we had things to discuss clearly and I think we always do. I don't really think there's ever a time when we should be cancelling those meetings. Okay, >> we have things to talk about. We clearly did or we could have had opportunities, >> but until we had this meeting with Jamie, >> we didn't know what we didn't know what we were >> No, maybe not. But like it's been five like how have we not? >> I was trying to like CSG. I think >> we also haven't had meetings with >> I I think that the um the 79% sort of came out of nowhere. I don't know where that came from because every ad hoc committee meeting that I was

093in, we were talking about 80. >> I I went back. I have emails from September that said 80%. >> Where's that number come from? >> 80%. We asked that, but then I I don't know. I don't know. I I think it's counterproductive to go back over this all this stuff. I think we need to move forward. I really do. >> Yeah. >> Well, I would say counterproductive if as long as we don't make >> dwell on it, but to learn from the mistake. Yeah. I I think there's a huge disconnect between this group and what's happening across the street. I agree with you. >> Yes. Um >> and I feel like we get sort of thrown under the bus, >> but I Okay, I agree. I mean, but >> I'm going to say that if

094we continue to have those kind of adversarial kinds of things that we're doing, we are not going to be able to work. >> How are we going to heal that? >> Yeah, that's the thing. How >> some you got to clean the wound out before you can move forward. >> Oh, that's very graphic. Darn it. I was gonna use that. >> Um, >> okay. >> Is it a possibility moving forward for the ad hoc committees to be the standing meetings with some of the legislators? I feel like that's the opportunity to get everyone on the same page. And I'm sure not all three of them will be present every month or have that kind of availability, but at least like even in rotating for one of them to be present um on a monthly basis

095if possible. That way they're also hearing the same conversations that we're having. I >> I hear you monthly, but I according to what she said, stuff changes. I'd go for at least two. Shoot for all three. >> No, I think all three possible, but if not, I'm sure like during busier Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. At least one of them present, but ideally all three if you can. I feel like that's the opportunity to really capture their attention in the same conversation and in the same room as, you know, the town side. Um, and I feel like that's where maybe those connections can be built a little bit stronger. That's just a thought instead of again having these siloed meetings and having these separate conversations and then keeping everyone out of the loop. So I have to

096say with the ad hoc committee I don't know how many months we asked what what can we spend and how long did it take for talent site to tell us >> it was a very long time. >> Yeah. So we have to have cooperation from everybody that >> if they're asking for information and they want a quick turnaround and we wait and wait and wait and say well you can get this much if we don't get that and if you don't do this then you know police department gets this and then just tell us just give us a straight number. >> How do we maybe award a finance person to our ad hoc? I think we should I think we should that I thought of that when I think an ad um a finance person

097would be very important. >> Yeah, >> we um so we tried that but we were told on the side that they're not allowed to serve on any other ser >> because they might be making a financial decision down the road and then they could >> I don't think it's necessarily the board of finance the board finance gets their >> take from Amy and Jason. Yes. Abba like a chair or Hover is to the ADO >> an advisor. >> She makes >> she is to the CIP committee. >> Yeah. Decision. >> Is she is she already on? >> I don't think so. I don't know. Um >> and again she's staffing too. >> I think we she comes to those. She's not come to admire >> we need to have an honest conversation with the one

098as to what is seriously what can we do here not this well we we'll give you 30 million without any understanding of how it >> she's saying we have to have concrete numbers >> I just recently was just going through stuff trying to figure out what's going on um at one point a year ago or I don't know 18 months ago whatever it was, the fund for the construction costs for this process um had over $500,000 in it. There was money that we had gotten for HVAC um engineering and roof engineering and they took that money and they put it into one pot um to pay for this. And that's now down to a little over $200,000. Frankly, I was shocked when I saw the number. I think we've spent $350,000 on this already. How

099>> old and all the >> Yeah, it seems like golden egg >> which you know I mean it could >> we ask >> it could be but nowhere in the process was the ad hoc committee making it anything as to who are we paying what to and why are we paying it to them. >> That was a very big question. >> We there's money sitting there now that's $20 and some odd thousand when we decided to go get um what's their name? Patrick >> DG which is coming out >> to take over for the golden egg and the the IRA all of that we were told we have to pay for it ourselves there's no money for it well why is there no money for it you got 300 and some you got 200 something

100thousand there so I I for me personally there needs to be a better connection between what is our reality what money do we have who's responsible for spending it Who's responsible for getting the people? What is a true number that we can predict will pass a referendum? It's not going to happen this year, but for on a normal course of a year, what do we think that number is? Not wing these numbers out there and then we're running around spending all this money on on stuff that's like, okay, well, we're going to do that and that and that. And then to find out that It all fell apart and nobody told us. Yeah. It's just frankly remarkable to me. I had a conversation with Carol Hall today actually because we were trying to get information

101about what happened and no one was calling us back. Patrick reached out several times. Nobody's calling us back. I talked to Carol Hall today and she said to me, and I don't necessarily believe her, she had no idea we're building schools, >> which doesn't make sense because she was she was in one, but she had no and she didn't know we were looking for, you know, I was trying to explain it. She's like, "Well, what kind of extension? What do you get an extension for?" Blah, blah, blah. Um, but she was kind of just like clueless. So, and to frankly to now sit here and hear what we heard from Jamie, I'm not real comfortable with any of this. And I personally think maybe we need to reconsider hauling it all back here to the

102board of education, get our ducks in a row, figure out is this for real? What can we do? and go have request meetings that have concrete conversations because there's really no point in us for me to have us spend any more time renovating what that high school's going to look like if in reality we only have $20 million which means Jamie's got to get us 97%. I think we need to to >> Norin I I would I would I would I I respectfully hear what you're saying in a lot of ways. But if you're listening to what Jamie is saying, Jamie is saying it has to be a collaborative process that Jamie is telling us. This is what she's talked about that it has to be and board of >> how do you make that

103happen? >> We make that happen. >> Well, that's what I thought we had up to this point. I don't think so. I don't think so. And like you talking about pulling off falling off wind, I don't I don't think so. For whatever reason, there wasn't there wasn't that communication that needed to happen between both. >> Well, there you know, honestly, both there's board of education members on the adoc committee. There's board of selected members on the ad hoc committee. Board of selected members don't show up half the time. >> Yes. I buy I have I have emails from September all the way through uh April with everyone. >> I think this is kind of productive. >> So Patrick, are you are you saying that you were unaware that the 79% was even requested to begin

104with? >> I have an email from uh September that um our request was uh 79.49%. >> Okay. >> In writing. So that's what she was saying, >> but then she had to change it because Jason said that we couldn't with something with debt service. So you weren't made aware of the change is what you're saying >> as far as to 80%. I was aware that he said we needed 80% in September. That was my understanding that he directly had that conversation with Rep. Foster. >> Oh, I just seen it next to I don't. So that's way before the the session started. >> It was September 3rd. >> Was it I just do we have an ad hoc meeting scheduled for June? >> We have we have not, but we can. Uh we just didn't have

105it because we didn't know where we were until we got this from Jamie. Um, and I think it's the last ad hoc committee meeting because I think it was an 18 month committee and I think it's done. >> I would also recommend that we do not have it on the June 3rd because it'll be the day after the referendum. >> I can't I can't make June 3rd. >> Well, I think I mean I mean it almost seems like we just need to kind of start I don't want to say fully fresh. We at least have like we but >> we have a recap now. You're right. Absolutely. with all this that now we understand why we didn't get the funding. Now we understand what we need to do different going forward. Up until Jamie talked

106to us today, we really didn't know that, right? We were guessing what it was. We didn't know. >> So again, at that next meeting, whenever it is or whenever you reschedu, is it possible to request the presence of the legislators, the three of them? Because now what we're hearing from is that Arrol did say one thing. >> She didn't know and Jamie's telling us that she did know and she was fully on board. I feel like the debriefing also needs to happen with them so that they are also on the same page. >> You're saying us coordinate but >> should also be there to hear this conversation. >> Yeah. And when I talked to Carol Hall today, we had a conversation about all of it and I was kind of like on my end of

107the phone going uh confused. And she said to me that her suggestion would be that she would reach out to Jamie and set up meeting so we could all get together and get the process going so that we could, you know, start forging ahead. And I'm thinking to myself, we've already forged ahead. I am really confused. And I honestly I left it with her like, "Go ahead, Ter. Go ahead. >> I feel like we were still rowing and other people were on the boat hanging out Sunday. We didn't know." >> Well, I think I think like Betsy said, I think um you know we've learned from what we have and let's move forward and and start start deciding what are >> Thanks. My my question though is you thought you had everybody on board before

108and >> it appears they were all over the place >> and appearances were that we were all on the same page >> and then come to find out that they submitted a different number than the ad hoc committee come up with. >> So who's actually doing the changing like that? Well, then it got pulled without even being rejected by somebody. I don't really understand any of it. >> I guess the disappoint part of that part is why was a notification because I mean if it was pulled that could have been communicated >> versus the >> and the ad hoc committee could have started working like you're saying down a road of okay it's been pulled for now let's start running with whatever. Um, I think it's a good suggestion honestly the ad hoc committee because

109I think my perception of all the work that you guys did and a lot of it was CSG was kind of in charge of giving us information. Right. Right. >> A lot of it >> and we were relying on CSG giving us information and that was back and forth. What we didn't have was that other piece of what's going to happen legislatively because >> So what do you mean? I'm just saying I'm just saying that we were missing that piece and you're right as far as that legislator was. We were listening to what CSG was telling us. Oh, this will be easy. It should be no problem. Well, it was and that's what they told us. I don't want to go throwing darts again. I mean, >> okay. So, I I agree with you. >>

110Yeah. But I just thought I watch the next actions cuz I got kids at home. I got a family. I got all kinds of stuff I could be doing better than sitting on an ad hoc committee with people basically. I feel like I've been lied to wasting my time and everybody else is on that whole committee. So, how do we make sure that we have everybody on board? Because I'm sick and tired of wasting my time. I got a million things I could be doing at home. >> I think having the representatives at those meetings. >> Yeah. >> And having >> I guess more accountability >> having Townside's been on there. >> They've been on there >> the same but have everybody get to the meeting some Yeah. >> Yeah. So I don't think it's

111as important to other people >> of course. >> So >> okay. I mean, uh I'm not suggesting this, but when I did talk to um uh CSG, uh uh they did indicate that you could move forward at some point with a vote with a request. They could obviously be rejected or accepted to move forward with uh to the board of finance with a a project. And um uh regardless of special legislation in the sense that special legislation can take place any time for additional reimbursement. So you can even break ground and still get additional reimbursement on um on the back end. Now that may not pass in a referendum. >> I was going to say that would make a referendum ask a whole lot higher. >> Yeah. But >> which and and the other thing

112that she said I think I'm sorry. The other thing that I think she said is that you know we want something to happen and we want people to I mean I don't want to put something out there honestly right that's going to that has no you know it needs to pass you know because every time we try to do this there's less and less confidence you know in in the community I think that we can make things happen. So I want it to be you know like everybody else here. Um, but I'm not in favor, Patrick, of of doing something that we don't have the kind of the knowledge that we, you know, that our community is going to support. >> No, again, I said I wasn't suggesting. I'm just saying it. Yeah. As an

113option and he needs to share the options. Um, I am concerned that Jamie did point out and she did say that to me this morning was that CSG was very slow on reacting to things and I think Patrick has experienced that a lot. Um, that they and I mean we didn't pick CSG. CSG was given to us. >> Yeah. Um, I don't even know what the process was for getting them uh to bid process or something. I don't even know. Um, but if we can't get them to react and and be more responsive to what needs to be done, we're wasting our time still, you know. Um, and we don't have as strong a say on that as the town site does. I believe it was Amy who I remember that correctly who because she

114they didn't CSG in Colton'sville or wherever she was working before. >> Oh, I don't I did not I was >> there was an RFQ they put one up. >> Yeah, I think there was three different places and I >> No, there's only CSG. >> No, but I mean before that was for the architect. Oh, okay. I remember for the architect. >> Yeah. No, CSG was the only person. >> Yeah, they they came to the first the town side came to the first ad hoc meeting and said CSG's been hired. I think I I CSG did that initial thing when we all had to join the >> who came in. They're the ones who came in originally and did the roof study and the H track and came in and said, "You can't do these because

115that's how they ended up." >> And that's how they ended up. Oh. So I don't >> moving forward is the ad hoc committee going to be extended >> like in terms of >> that's up to the board of board of finance I mean board of selectment >> and they're going to have to be looking for new people because I just can't keep up with Sarah I wasn't chair at the time I can't be chair of both. >> Yeah. Was that part of the town charter that we had to do that? How did they have talk? >> No. No. >> Then how did that happen that we had to do? >> Uh Jason Reeves who felt it was something that was needed. >> So it's not that I'm disagree. I'm just trying to understand how and

116who was and what the and it was never really you know who it was what the time period. I mean there was a lot of there >> there was a whole meeting about it and when they talked uh there's like um you know um not bylaws but rules around who joins it and stuff. So that that was passed by the board of select. >> I think it has definite merit. >> Yeah, it has merit, but it's just your participants have to participate. >> I mean, it's been a while, but from what I recall from the previous conversations, it was originally um suggested that it be the building commission, but based on how our building commission functions versus other towns, it's a little non-traditional. So, it was suggested that was not the best route. Um um

117and then I believe it was the first selectman's recommendation to essentially put this ad hoc committee that would have representation similar to what you would find um building commission. Um I think >> that's why Jeff was on it. And then Ray uh we had uh and then we had the conversation back then too about having um board of finance representation and then at that point it was shared they're not um per charter is my understanding allowed to serve on any other uh town board >> or committee. >> You're thank you for recalling that. Um that's absolutely right. uh our building committee reacts to projects that are um ready to be >> built ready >> um that's their charge their charge is not to react to all buildings and projects at the front end so um

118I just find a lot of it kind of disturbing >> that you know Jamie said something well your plans have to be farther along well >> how far along they told us we can't do any any more plans. We're just doing renderings because we don't have any money to do plants because we haven't gone out and done. It's Yeah. sort of chasing a tail. >> It's chasing a tail. And I'm not on the ad committee. I've gone to majority of the meetings and it just seems like there were two competing interests to me that we're trying to get schools built and we have another site who's not being exceptionally forthright with how much can we afford realistically in our whatever. and people running the project with our engineers who are not necessarily sharing with the

119people who need to have the information to share because they're working over there on that silo alone and then you don't the representatives in it who are only talking to two people it was just like I think it all needs to be brought back to a place and then tackle a thing okay first thing we got to tackle is how much can we truly afford or how can we get rid of this space or whatever they may be calls. And my concern is that if it goes to an ad hoc committee like that again where you've got some people coming and some people not going, it just keeps getting delayed, delayed, delayed. And maybe we should be pulling it back here to re focus. What are we supposed to do? That's kind of this conversation

120tonight. And then we have another mixing, right? Can I ask considering what Norin just said that was kind of floating around in my head where the it's sort of at this point I feel I feel kind of like it's nebulous whether the way the town is set up whether we're able to do a project of this size >> and be successful. But but what's more is can we how far can we get as an ad hoc committee to get to referendum? How much money can we spend or all like I I'm confused that even if do we have the could we have somebody with legal or financial back just check and make sure how far do we have to go because if they're saying that we have to have plans can we afford to get

121to that state before we get to referendum and like or are we just stuck in a toilet bowl swirling around and going down because I'm I I don't want to waste any more time. I want I would love new schools. It would be wonderful. But I feel like at this point we're not set up to succeed because I don't know if the other side whether it's the charter or or whatever or bylaw. I don't even know. But do we have enough cash at hand to be able to get to the point where we can get to a referendum because what do we need? If you're telling me I need red, well, >> yeah. Where are we getting the money? We don't have the money. we don't produce the money that goes from the other side.

122>> Yeah. Well, I think the challenges are that things are going to become real expensive real soon. I mean, in the packets, too. I don't know if you had the opportunity to look, but you have the recommendation from the Garland >> uh company to do infrared scans, which I'm sure are not going to be >> um cheap um on the on our roofs and the lifetime. Um, one of the questions I had posed was does the elementary school does the roof have eight years left? Um, the reason I asked eight years is because the modules at that point would be 20 years and you could look at including that as an entire project. Um, I included his email response, but his email response was less than promising and said basically you're looking at three years.

123You have the high school roof that needs to be uh replaced. is not even eligible for the typical reimbursement because the building's oversized. Um I mean we've been putting off new bleachers at the high school which would be 110,000 because why would you put that money in if you're then going to get um >> a new school? >> Correct. I mean if you just drive through the high school I was asking Tim if he drives explain to me what that like like the pavement going into the high school. >> That's not good. I mean I mean the entire I mean someone was mentioning like the number of potholes and the number of repairs. I mean >> J ever been any of the reps that have been on our the high school roof. Have they ever

124looked at >> I I mean she hasn't been physically on the roof like myself but she's been in the building. I mean uh we hosted um uh um a legislative uh forum last year in the high school. She was one of the ones uh there as far as uh state reps on uh at that point it was on special education uh legislation. Um but I mean those are just uh a few of the the many examples and our our and we've been putting on hold our SIP requests. Um but those are going to pile up and the dollar amount is going in. You can go in any number of our buildings and they still have original windows which means they're 70 years old. Um so um so things are going to get um expensive really

125really quick. >> I go down though I don't want to add more >> yep to the but this year we obviously have the grandless debacle which is a major situation. Um 2027 is a revolt. Next year they will be rebal they will be be doing a rebell. The last rebell we just did taxes went way up. Um the how I'm not sure what's going on with the housing market. I try not to look at it, but um next year could be another serious tax increase to not everybody because some people go up, some people go down. Depends where you fall. But you know, the next two years are could be very expensive propositions. Um and not to say that it doesn't negate our need for schools, it but it changes. I said we asked for

12695% you know um yeah so I don't know >> communication we have to get the word out we have to put signs out we have to ask all your neighbors to go to the meetings like like James said and just get everybody to just talk about how much we need the schools and get there's like not a no cost option right not having new schools >> her recommendation of having the um booster clubs and the um PTO and the PTO. It's a good one. But um you go Yeah, you go to the booster club right now and um you're graduating, right? So I think your dad is done. >> He's on the club. >> Yeah, but he's done basically. I mean, he could very well be >> I mean yeah, >> but you know I

127s >> there's not a whole lot of people on the booster club. I do have a younger sister so he might stay >> try to forget about it. She's there. I bet you better. >> She is she does she do sports though? >> Not this year. I know she had interest in tracks but >> Yes. But you know those clubs are dying too. There's >> PTO has seven people. >> Yeah. Booster club is is getting smaller and and as we said when um >> it's a challenge that is the challenge getting out there. We really haven't had concrete. If we started in community >> communicating now or or a month ago. >> Yeah. >> Let's say we've missed some window there. >> What would we have communicated? That we were asking for money. >> Yeah.

128>> That we have an idea for the schools. >> That we want schools. Yeah. We can communicate that all day long, but we don't have a concrete plan. >> But you know what? I think that's what held us back on Sundays and and and and I and I agree with you that that we were all of us were tentative but but that held us back from saying you know for advocating for we knew we knew what essentially we were saying we wanted we didn't have the dollar amount >> right so how do you communicate >> because you say you know what your kids need this the community needs this this is not going to happen unless you help us right to make this happen. People have to go out and vote. I guess we >>

129we don't have a number, Betsy. That's that would be >> give people without a number. I >> I guess I believe that. >> I agree with that because I think that you can sense things like we're drumming up support to to to get this town some new schools. We have some concepts. We don't have anything concrete yet because we need to get people behind us. >> That's right. >> We need to be able to push this. We need to be able to know that we can get this passed. >> But where do you get them from? >> I don't know. >> I'll tell you one thing. One of the things is that we looked at what happened when we needed the uh the track done. >> When the track when we talked about the track

130and we needed that that this this school's filled, >> but they had a design and they had a cost. >> They knew what they needed first. So I mean we did we did have cost estimates though for I mean no I mean we had the public form that that information was provided um we have the trifolds we've had the renderings posted um there have been community messages uh that have >> we haven't sat down honestly >> do we have do we have a night an invitational night where we invite we send out an email or something we we personally invite we the board or we the ad hoc committee or >> well the Start off with we the board. >> I think it's the board >> because it's our kids. It's it's our >> Can

131we do that with the form? That was just >> we had form and who showed up, >> right? >> Like six people. Well, then we apply then then instead of >> I send something last night. I went and I sat in the driveway over there and I wrote a text to every person in my messaging, every person that I know that has a kid in this district or that lives in this town. >> Okay? >> And I asked them to come and to vote. And now we got more people last night. >> So if we all >> people are still I don't think people will come. >> But maybe they will. You can't you can't say that. I don't think people Okay. So, we have we still have more stuff and and obviously everybody wants

132to talk about this. So, >> why don't we have additional We'll have it again on the next agenda. >> Get your thoughts together. Not just what we didn't do or what we should do, but how we should do it. So if we all come together with suggestions, solid suggestions about whatever it is, um whether it's what the board of ed should do, whether it's what how we get the town and board more cohesive, whether it's what the ad hoc committee should be doing, let's have that discussion at the next meeting. And um it's 10 of nine, so we still have a little bit more to do. Um this was a great a really a great discussion though. Um, thanks to Jamie coming and she did that on I I had a conversation with her, but

133she's the one that said, "Do you want me to come to the meeting tonight? We'd love to have you." So, I think what she had to say was very eye opening to all of us. Um, and it gives us uh room to start thinking about our next steps because we need to start our next steps like right away. Do you um do you have any other thoughts Patrick on that? >> Um no not anything that else hasn't really been discussed or stated but I mean I think as Denise said I mean the conversation and the invite with Jamie Foster was unanticipated till today. So obviously it's a lot the process and having the opportunity to process and think and come back um I think certainly is warranted >> and it gives us time to talk

134to whoever we feel we need to talk to to help this start moving forward in a positive direction. Thank you. Thank you everybody for saying saying stuff very helpful. Um so old business I got stopped. I don't remember where I was by our first selectman who said that we need a motion to amend our motion as it's stated in the um item 13 of the agenda. It's for the purchase of the bands. Kind of tired. I had a long day yesterday with the referendum. Um uh when is that vote? It's like tomorrow or th Thursday. No. When is the vote for the vans? >> Is it on the board of sin? >> It's on It's on the board of selectman's agenda Thursday to set a town meeting. >> Not this Thursday, the following Thursday. >>

135Oh, >> board of selectment just met on this past Thursday and they didn't do it. >> So, and yeah, in Jason's email, he said um >> he needs it tomorrow. >> Yeah, he needs it by tomorrow. And tenatively the date was June the Thursday >> next Thursday and next Thursday >> the 4th >> June 4th tentatively would be the town. Um so essentially you would vote today and we would um >> we just have to change >> it have to just be >> the motion is right there. >> Yeah. >> All right. So, I'll make a motion to amend the motion passed on April 8, 2026 regarding the board of finance appropriation request for the purchase of vans by changing the phrase for an added appropriation of 200 $230,000 for the purchase of vans to

136for an added appropriation of up to $230,000 for the purchase of vans. >> I'll second. So it's so the motion was made by Courtney, seconded by Fran. So the change is up to are the words that are changed. Instead of saying we're asking for 230,000, it's up to 230,000. So um is there any discussion questions? All those in favor I >> I opposed. Okay, >> we're on to le sound and subcommittee reports only. >> I'll go quickly by these. Speaking of the vans, I'm not sure why we're getting the 230,000 or whatever. What happened was we went to the board of selectman who agreed to give us the money for the the our lodge fee money to purchase one BL van that so the board of selectmen put it on their agenda. They made the

137motion to approve whatever it is and to send it to the board of finance. It went to the board of finance last Wednesday. the board of finance approved sending it back to the board of selectmen to forward it to a town meeting. So now what it does is and we're not getting $230,000. We're gettingundred whatever the number >> whatever it's 126 and some change. >> So that will go back that has to go back to the board of selection and the board of selectmen had a meeting on Thursday. They did not put it on the agenda. So, at their next meeting, hopefully they set the town meeting to go to a town meeting to allow us to use our TMS money to purchase the van. Until that happens, we can't do anything. It has to

138go through the town meeting and get appropriated to us. So that's where we are with the van thing and that's what happened at the board of selectment and the board of finance relative to the bands. I just want to make one other comment on it. At the board of selectment we went in, we did what we had to do. There were comments made by the first selectman who told us that he called the vendor and was told the price was going to go up and wasn't on the bid list and and it caused some conversation. That was not correct. We contacted the vendors ourselves. Ryan reached out to them again and they said yes, the town did contact us, but we told them the price hadn't changed and yes, we were on the statement list.

139So irregardless, it's now sitting in the t in the funnel waiting to get to that town meeting. And hopefully we get to the town meeting. We got to make sure enough people go there. Oh yes, to have them allocate that money over to us. But in the meantime, we're on hold with any forward movement on the vans. >> Some of those town meetings, they voted on by like 5. >> Yeah. Yeah. So, so it's important >> and an important one too, right? >> And that one I wouldn't anticipate would bring a lot of people in because it serves such a small population. Um, and even that population that would show up that would be directly impacted. I mean, they basically would identify themselves as having students of special needs, too. >> So, >> but it

140would impact the town because if it would ultimately cost less, >> right? So the um >> I don't know how well that gets messaged, but you you are correct. >> This timing is coming into the end of the school year and everything. So I'm sure that once the kids get >> and Patrick will let everybody know, but just kind of keep it on your radar. That's something you have to go and vote. >> So nine members from the board of ed could sway the vote. I mean like like Courtney said, it's only been five people. If they're voting no on two other things and they're a negative no crowd and we have nine people, we would it's very important >> and if it gets linked in with the town meeting that has other stuff on

141it >> and it will be I think there's four >> there can be like a whole bunch of stuff so it's just keep it on the radio. Yeah. >> Um, anybody else liaison or subcommittee? I um I can say that I went to the scholarship night at the high school and it it is amazing. And um I walked over with Daryl. No, actually Daryl was driving away and he he said um a rough count was that that night 80 around $88,000 was given to our seniors that are that's amazing for a small small town small community. Um and we have amazing kids graduating really amazing kids. So that was a little bit of an uplifting thing. I went to the CR uh advisory council which was their annual meeting. It was last Wednesday I guess

142I believe. And um I really wanted to be there because one of our students um Nathaniel Clark I believe that's um received a uh received a scholarship um from the Bruce Douglas scholarship fund. His family was there um and it was really nice to see his family there. Very nice setting. He actually receives he was one of the ones that received additional scholarships on scholarship night as well. >> It was he was so he's shy Patrick. He was so cute. Honest it was really cute. Very happy. >> Any other committee reports? Nothing. We did have a athletic sub committee meeting >> which is to discuss uh just certain sports that we're going to be possibly looking into co-op which will hopefully help uh make it a little bit more competitive u for some of our

143teams girls basketball um I believe they're looking into coping with >> girls basketball I think would East Scramby. >> It should be East Scramby. Last conversation I had. >> Um, >> Windsor Locks. >> Baseball. Windsor Locks would be >> football. >> Yeah, there was more than one sport. >> Football and baseball. >> And then we talked about our thriving volleyball program, which was really cool to hear about. >> Really good numbers with that. And our tracking field as well. >> We also had a curriculum meeting tonight. I don't know if we have a chair person for that. >> Um, we hadn't decided anymore. I'm sorry. >> Yeah, I don't think we decided to chair. Um, we had a conversation on F FRC. I missed most of that conversation coming on my way from work. So,

144if anyone would want to share that. Um, we also had a discussion on the pathway program. Barb came and shared kind of some updates on how we're continuing to expand the pathway program. I know we had the email from Daryl um about some of the grant funding that's going to go towards expanding that as well. Um and then oh the teacher teacher of the year um that will will be coming as of tomorrow. I believe we'll have a decision on that. So the F FRC I mean uh um the director Kate was Kate >> right Kate was there and so just talks about all the stuff that they're doing incredible stuff as far as summer and so I think the plan is for them to be in kind of folded into some of the curriculum

145um stuff that we do which I think is just really good and that was your suggestion I believe Patrick just kind of tie them in and so it was good to hear it was good to hear about all the stuff that they have going Can I just a quick question to go back to athletics is um with co-oping football and baseball with I have been to a lot of sports interactions between us and Winelocks and it has been very >> contentious to say the least and I just want to when we do co-ops like that we we have a coach right? Oh, we do. >> We provide. Okay. >> Just want to >> Yeah, with the exception I'm not sure about football, but um uh basketball we would be providing an assistant coach. I I

146know that one's not with Winds or Locks and uh uh baseball as well. >> Always been a big rivalry. >> Yeah, there there's like I mean to the point of fists and knocking people down and stuff and >> the softball game was against Wes Locks today and I I wasn't for the entire game. I know Tim finished the game, but it was pretty calm and uneventful. Would you say that's fair? >> I'd say uneventful. >> Uneventful is good. >> Well, maybe if we play together, we'll become better friends. >> That could be that. >> Yeah, that works. >> It could bridge that gap. You know, it could it could close that bridge. We all have to travel. We'll bring our our doves of peace. >> Okay. There is no public for public participation. Anything miscellaneous

147and you see the correspondence? >> Yeah, I mean just to highlight again um uh we able to uh secure that >> competitive uh grant. Um it sounds like it was discussed during the brick one council as well. Um and certainly uh kudos to Daryl for his outstanding work with writings during the grant to continue our pathways work. >> Thank you Darl. makes our you do a lot a lot of print writing. We appreciate it. You make us all look good. >> Did you know that Irene Paris was our curriculum director three years ago? >> I just looked down and saw her name and I met her several years ago. We were doing a uh a visit to a local business we have opportunities. Um they had there and met her. >> She introduced herself and

148she was the Daryl. Yeah, >> her actual departure actually opened the door for me to move into central office. >> Okay, if there is um no questions on correspondence, we do have a need for an executive session. Um it is time to discuss um superintendent's evaluation. So and motion to executive sessions to include >> second. >> Yes. >> To include Patrick and it passes. >> Okay.