001Okay. Okay. All right. Uh, welcome to the RSU5 board of directors meeting. Uh, it is Wednesday, June 11th, 2025. We are here in the Freeport High School Library. Um, no Cara this evening and we're not sure if Moon, our student rep, will be here. He's probably uh studying feverishly for finals. Um, so if he's not, we wish him luck on his finals. Um, all right, we will get started with the pledge of allegiance. I aliance 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. I'm not sure if you guys looked at how quick our agenda could be tonight. So, just very excited about that. Um, Not that I want to discourage conversation, but um All right.
002Yeah. Nope. We skipped that part. No adding. Uh consideration of minutes. We don't have any adjustments to the agenda. I do I do have an adjustment um under the reports from the superintendent. Um I have a letter A some resignations to announce. And uh under that same report, letter B, I would like to provide a reserve account update for you. And that's it. So I let her add a few things, but um all right. Um good news and recognition. Um, well, we don't have a student uh uh rep tonight, but I will I will fill in um and I'm not sure it falls under good news, but I guess it does fall under recognition uh that this is likely the last videotaped meeting that we do of the year because we have a few executive
003sessions coming up in the hiring process. But um I did want to just thank Beth um for her six long years on the school board and all of her all of her help and all of her work on the committees and finance and uh we made her the chair several years ago and she stuck with it and super super proud of her for that. um and just all the work that you've done um through COVID and uh just just a lot of amazing things. Um and so thank you for that. Congratulations on on your daughter's graduation last week. Um I'm clearly going to be penless from now on because she is provides me with a pen for our board meeting. So thank you for that. Um 2019 crazy. So, uh, so thank you. Um, and,
004uh, she will be, um, uh, she will be followed by a new representative who was elected yesterday in panel, Chris Saviano, who is actually here with us this evening. So, uh, if you stick around till the end, which should be pretty quick, I'd love to just chat for a few minutes and and say hello. Um, so welcome to the board. Uh, you will start on July 1. U, Beth will serve through the 30th, like it or not. And um so thank you for that. Also wanted to thank Cheyenne because this is her last meeting as well. Uh Cheyenne has let us know that she will be stepping away from the board um also on June 30th. Um and so thank you for your willingness to step up and do this work because it is so
005important. Um and but but it's a lot and we totally respect that. U sometimes it doesn't always fit in to to the schedule as we'd like. So, um, so while while only a year, it was a powerful year and thank you for all of your input, uh, during that process. Uh, and I'll just say, uh, for folks watching from home, I believe the Freeport uh, council talked about um, uh, a replacement. So how the process works if someone steps out sort of midterm is the uh the town that they uh reside in will um their select board or town council will appoint someone until the next um official municipal election. So in Freeport's case that would be in November. Um so I believe the council is is beginning their process and typically what they've done
006is they've asked for letters of interest from members of the community. uh they um I in the past how they've done it is you know they'll collect those they'll do some interviews they'll make a recommend I think they have a a nomination committee or something like that and they'll make a recommendation to the council uh so hopefully we're uh we should have someone on board um prior to the retreat in August uh for that for that uh Freeport seat which would would be in place until the November election. So, uh, obviously that person would be welcome to run for the seat. Um, and then that seat would have, um, would finish out Cheyenne's term. So, that person elected in November would have a two-year term. So, the the election for Freeport in November will be
007an interesting one. We will have two regular three-year seats and we will have two two-year seats um, for folks that have been appointed through November. So, um, so we look forward to that. Colin's doing the math. Um um but just uh for folks that might be interested and live in Freeport um I would encourage you to reach out to the town and just uh find out exactly what they're looking for in terms of how to express your interest and uh we look forward to uh to Chris and uh as well as a new person from Freeport to start next year. Okay. Um Phoebe and Moon, they're not here. Uh I will thank them both though for their time. uh on the board. Uh I they will usually do their elections at the beginning of the
008next school year. So either or both of them may run again. Um we would certainly welcome both of them back because they were both great members of the of the committee. Um and while we can't talk about the superintendent search at all, one one candidate mentioned to us that how much they really enjoyed not only that we have a student on our on our board, but that they participate. And I think that's very cool that we have that and I thank them both for their for their um commitment and their uh participation. So hopefully they'll come back. Um but even if they don't, we enjoyed them very much. So I think that's all I have for good news. It's not nearly as fun as as Phoebe and Moon's report, but um it is what it
009is. So thank you Cheyenne. Thank you Beth. Welcome Chris. That's the that's the wrap-up. Okay. Public comment. Anyone else have anything they'd like to say? Nope. All right. Uh, report from the superintendent. Okay. Letter A, resignation. This these resignations will be for the end of this school year. Paula Chadwick, Freeport Middle School educational technician. Alyssa Hurling, DCS educational technician. Sierra Zaharees more street school educational technician and Marshall Flowers FHS educational technician and we thank them for their service to our children and wish them nothing but the best. Letter B reserve account update. Um, so our I want to just talk a little bit about article our article 2 reserve account that we have, which is our special education reserve account and tell you some of some things that have occurred over the last few months
010since we've had had our budget and the and how we'll be spending some of those um dollars going forward. We have had some complex special education needs that have presented themselves after the budget process which we really concluded in March on our part. Um we've had many new special education referrals. We've had new students register even this school year and recently we've completed all the CDS transition meetings for our kiddos who are entering entering kindergarten throughout the district. The purpose of the establishment of that reserve account is for needs such as such as what I'm going to explain to you. And what I say is is we think of a reserve account, I like to think of as like, oh my gosh, um emergency break glass. Um and these are some emergency break glass. Um
011we have um a student with an IEP who requires one-on-one nursing services. Um and we are required to pay for those services. um with for this student with the IEP. You may say, why is it coming out of two article two gene? That's not what we usually find nursing. That's because it's for it's to meet this student's IEP needs. Um so we checked with the state and yes, we can use that reserve article two for that. And that the dollar figure we're not certain at this time because as you know our nurses are tied to the teacher scale. So it depends on how much experience this this nurse has coming in. So that's one of the the um uses that we'll need to have. Also um out of an out of district placement generally we
012budget through the IDA grant. So if we have kids we know about so it's budgeted through our allocation there and sometimes if there's some kids um they're either already in an out of district placement or we're anticipating there might be some that's where we normally fund that for. So we have all that that money there, but there is just come with the last um few weeks actually there that there's a student who's going to need an out of district placement because we were unable to make that to meet that child's needs here. And it really depends on where that student is placed. It can be anywhere from $50,000 to $90,000. Depends on where that student will be placed. The last area we'll be spending some money out of that that reserve account is for a
013a teacher of the deaf that we need to have for a student with an IEP. There'll be some hourly services required through that. Um we're estimating will be approximately $25,000. Uh and then the last piece is we need to have some time for with a contractor for a speech language pathologist. um our our SLP team has worked throughout this year looking at case loads that we already have in the district. Um and sometimes they've taken from one school at you know I can take on this case load this many kids here so they've done all that work um and what we just to make it more manageable and also there are regs at the state we have to follow even with the reassignment of students off a case off case loads to another person across
014the district um we've the actual kiddos who are who have qualified for speech services has not declined we've added more on top of those kids. So, we're going to need to do some um contracted services. It will not be a full-time person, but we we will need to figure out how many hours we need to take off some of those folks and that anywhere it could be from $75,000 to $80,000 for contracted services. So, that is, you know, we part of we have the reserve account. We need to inform the board our intention for that. So, that is um where we're looking at at this moment. Um, we are keeping an eye for certain there's another student who may need nursing services as well. We're not certain yet. We think we can provide it through
015our own nurse at the building. Um, but that may that would be an additional additional um use of that account if that does come to fruition. But our team is still working on that. We believe we'll be able to cover it. Um, so that's that's on that. I just want to let you know where we're where we're at on our sort of our emergency break glass. So um can you tell us how much was in that reserve account to start? So what we have right now or what we have now um for for this the so what we see the um the balance the the July 1 balance of this year was 333564 we added 618517 which has it would be the balance it it would be 954081 so there's enough money in there plus
016for other uses should we need it. And the tricky ones for sure are often those out of district placements because sometimes you just don't know or might not students that are actually here but students that come in um or sometimes there are students that we have that we can no longer service. And so you can anticipate um if students stay in our district um especially the nursing services, you can anticipate that'll be an ad to the local budget next year if we the student is we're anticipating the student stays with us. Um and also the speech language. If the numbers keep rising, we may want to look at adding a pathologist next year. If we do that, you want to put that in your local budget because it's just not the IDA grant. It's just
017it's tapped for. We have some edtech positions. There is primarily edtech positions and out of district placements and a few supplies. So, we're looking at two to $300,000 out of this reserve right now that we think will be recurring in future years that need to get added to the local budget. Yes. Great. Thanks for that. Sorry about that. Well, at le you know the good news is is we have a reserve and this is what it's for. Um you know I believe we put that 618 in there is because that's our title grant funds that we thought might be at risk if federal funding were to um you know stop uh for whatever reason. Um, so you know, even even taking these out, we still have that 318 in or excuse me, that 618 in
018there to cover those title grants. So So that's good. Um, but yeah, I mean, it's clearly So it's it's not the it's actually the idea grant on this case. It's not the title grants. It's it's for IDA just for special education, not the title. The title grants you put in article one. Oh, I thought we split it. No, you'd put your your So, anyone covered under title one, it's the title one teachers that's in your article one reserve and we put money in that. This is just for special ed. Okay. Sorry. But it's still there. Whatever whatever we planned for is still there. Okay, great. Okay. Um, administrator reports. We don't have any board comments and committee reports. Um, I know it says none, but I do want to remind folks uh that next Wednesday
019we do have a board meeting here at the high school. Uh, I told you five. I'm going to ask you guys, and you'll see the agenda tomorrow. Um, 4 4:45 would be great. Um, so that we have time to to convene as a group before our uh our interviews. Um, we're going to be here. Yep. We'll be in the library. Uh that one will not be recorded for for folks who watch us every Wednesday night. Uh you'll have to find something else to watch. That one will be an executive session. So no video. Um they can watch. They can watch reruns. That's a great point. Pick your favorites. Go back. Watch them again. There's some good ones. Yep. Um yeah. So that will be uh that will be uh 5:45. Excuse me. 4:45 and we'll
020we'll start right at 5. Um about that. Uh did I have anything else? I think that was it that I was supposed to mention. I'm looking at you. You're like I don't know. Um okay, great. Oh, Anna, did you have a question? We have a meeting the 25th as well potentially. Yes. Okay. Yep. The regular time or different time? Uh that one would be at five as well. Um, yeah. So, uh, Jenny asked if we could do them a little bit earlier because by then the the, uh, the staff is on the summer schedule, so they come in earlier in the day just so that our meetings aren't running so late, um, for the folks who have to stay with us here in the high school. Um, okay. Uh, oh, one last thing on the
021on the um on the superintendent, uh, just the confidentiality agreement. the full board has to uh watch the the training video and sign off on the confidentiality. Don't worry, Danielle, I'm not just looking at just you. Um yeah, just uh it should be pretty quick. It's it's less than an hour and then you just sign off on on the form and uh that gets you a ticket to the meeting next week. So, yay. She's like, we make you sit in the hallway and wonder. you still have to come. And no snacks. There's no cookies if you don't sign. Um, all right. I think that's it for for me for updates. Um, policy review. We have none. Unfinished business. Okay. So these are the um uh these are the motions to um to accept the votes
022from the the budget meeting yesterday. So, um just a uh a quick thank you for everyone uh first of all everyone who sat up here uh for all of those board meetings and all of those folks who sat out there and watched from home um for all the effort that went into the budget. It did pass. Um 817 votes to the yes for against um 494 votes opposed. uh article two which was the question about uh we're required by law to ask this question every three years. Do we want to maintain the budget validation referendum which is what we had yesterday. Um do we want to continue that process? Uh if and and that also passed 951 votes to 346 no. Um and had that passed it would mean that our process would end at
023the annual budget meeting. We wouldn't have the vote yesterday. Um, so both of those both of those article one and article two passed. So, thank you every thank you everyone who got out and voted. Um, so these next couple of motions are around um the certification of those votes. So, do I have a motion uh for the computation and declaration of votes dated June 11th, 2025 and attached here to be approved? Further moved that the computation and declaration of votes be entered upon the records of the regional school unit number five. Further moved that a certified copy of the computation and declaration of votes be sent to each of the municipal clerks of the member municipalities within regional school unit number five. Beth and Kelly, thank you. Any questions on that one? Basically, this just
024says that we uh we accept uh the the votes that we have here and that we will share them with the communities. All those in favor? Great. None opposed. All right. And now, do I have a motion that the warrant for assessment of tax and the assessment schedule and notice of installments for each member municipality prepared by the treasurer for fiscal year July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 be approved and be issued in the form presented to this meeting and that the treasurer be authorized and directed to deliver to each member municipality its warrant for assessment of tax and its assessment schedule and notice of installments. Thanks Beth Cheyenne. So basically this one is all the paper on the table over there which basically says uh based on what we approved at the budget
025yesterday. This is the breakdown for each town in terms of how much taxation is owed as well as a schedule uh for payments because we get paid monthly from the from the towns. So uh that's what this vote is for. So any questions on this one? All those in favor? None opposed. All right. So, this is my quick reminder. Everyone needs to sign every paper on that table. Um, finance committee has has uh taken care of ours. Uh, just reminder that you have to sign on the same line on every paper. So, just pick a friend and follow behind them and just sign under them. Okay. Great. All right. Uh, new business. So, do I have a motion for consideration and approval to authorize the superintendent to hire staff between June 12th, tomorrow, 2025, and
026the first board meeting in September 2025? Kelly and Steph, thank you. Uh, so basically, uh, as you all know, we generally will vote on um on teachers and and other professional uh people under the professional contract. Um, but we don't meet in the summer. Uh, so this allows us to continue hiring um throughout that process but without having to have us here. So typical we we generally do this every summer. Any questions? Did I get a motion on this one yet? Okay, great. Um, all those in favor? None opposed? All right. Organizational business. Uh, so we uh this is where we elect. So, okay. So, I'll pause here for a second. Under organizational business, typically what we do here uh at the last regular meeting of the year is we elect our chair for next
027year, our vice chair for next year. We talk about the committee work uh and the different variety of committees. Um and then we vote on our uh school attorney and um school physician. So, we usually do those as a slate um for committees and then the attorney and the physician. Uh you'll see the only committee we have on here uh is Malik for the finance committee um because that committee does work across the summer because we are required to sign the warrants for the towns uh excuse me for the um for the bills and and our um our charter for the finance committee is that we have someone from each town. And with Beth going off the board as of June 30, we need a panel rep. Um, and we we wouldn't do that to
028Chris, uh, who hasn't even started yet. So, uh, Malik has generously, uh, volunteered, um, or volunte to to be on the finance committee at least through the summer. Uh, and then we will revisit in the fall. Um, but because we do have a new person uh from Panel joining us on July 1st as well as a new person from Freeport that will be joining us, we decided it made the most sense instead of doing all the committees now and then revisiting again when we have two new folks. Um, instead we would just wait and do it at the um at the annual retreat in August. So, we had to get Malik on for now because we need someone on finance over the summer. But the rest of the committees we will talk about in August.
029Questions? Okay. So, we will still do chair, vice chair, uh, and then Malik, the attorney, and the physician. I have a question. Yeah. Um, what what is the school physician's role? I don't know anything about that. We help uh to approve standing orders that we might have in the schools and also does some consultation with our nursing staff. Does anybody want to nominate Chris for chair for next year? Kelly, I nominate Michelle for chair next year. I second it if she will accept it. I'm happy to do it, but you know, I I don't want to hog all the fun if someone else really wants it. I'm happy to do it, though. All right. Um, yeah. Okay. I was just checking to see what we have there for the date. July one. Okay. Uh, all
030those in favor? Great. None opposed. Vice chair. I'd like to nominate Mora. I would second that. I just want to check with Mora because I know she's done it in the past and was a wonderful vice chair, but with MSMA, she was she had a lot. So, but um thank you. Yes, I will accept. Any other nominations? Great. All those in favor? Thank you. All right. So, uh, and then C is do I have a motion for consideration and approval, uh, of the following appointments? Malik Farlo for the finance committee, Drummond Woodsome for the school attorney, and Dr. Stephanie Phelps as the school physician, Cheyenne and Steph. Thank you. All those in favor? None opposed. Wonderful. All right, personnel. Uh, item 15. So, uh, do I have a motion for consideration and approval to authorize
031the superintendent to hire a special education teacher at the Durham Community School? Funding to come from two unfilled special education educational technician positions at the Durham Community School. Malik and Beth. So going into the school year right now at this I always say at this moment in time because during the summer um we definitely have an eb and flow of ed ad ed ad tech as we have through the school school year at this moment because I had another resignation today there are seven and a half openings in special education for edteex in the district and also ed techs in general we also have four gen ed ad ed techs so that's a that's a lot of lot of human beings um we also know that the case load at DCS because of new identification
032and referrals is continuing to increase. So what we'd like to do is use two of those unfilled positions and combine them for a teaching position. So that's the motion on the table for you to authorize us to do that. Okay. So we don't have the candidate before us today. There is nobody there. Nobody there is not yet. Um but I will say for the as you know we did that for the high school position this year and there there had there is a candidate that that we're that we are very hopeful that we will have for that position. And so that we think that catch is successful. So we hope this one will be too. Wonderful. Uh questions for Gan on that? Nope. All right. Uh we have a motion and a second. All those
033in favor? Great. None opposed. Uh we are back to public comment. Okay. Um, and because this is probably our last regular meeting where we're going to have someone who's who's taking our minutes and and I know we recognized her at the last board meeting, but I would just like to add my thanks to Cynthia Alexander, our assistant superintendent, who will be retiring at the end of the month and has done a wonderful job keeping us uh on track and um out of legal trouble and making the right motions and all those wonderful things. and and you do so much more for the district. But just in terms of like my interaction with you, um I have I really enjoyed working with you and I know you will enjoy your retirement. Um but th those will
034be uh difficult high heels to fill. I'll just say sparkly sparkly high heels. Okay. So there's my public comment. Um then I would uh take a motion to adjurnn. And I'm actually only gonna take the motion and the second from two people. So, [Music] thank you. So, it's Beth and it's Cheyenne. Their last official uh you know, well, I guess they still get on on camera. Their last officials on camera. Um, can you zoom in on the on the motion in a second? All right. Um, I love a good 30 minute meeting. All those in favor None opposed. Thank you guys. We'll see you next week.