School Board Workshop/Business Meeting 6/26/2025

001bring a sleeping [Music] friend. I found my raspberry pillow cookies in Louis. What is it? market [Music] sitting in the hairdresser's seat chatting about school building and I was like, "Oh my god, my life sessions. as long as you're not [Music] fresh lemonade this morning. Like I I made it with them. We like squeeze the lemons and everything and I looked at my husband. I was like, "This is delicious. I can't wait to put gin in it later. and she bus driver my old's wife. So my I think my mom is my sister-in-law, right? Yes. All right. Good evening and welcome to the Thursday, June 26, 2025 Scarboro Board of Education workshop. Um can we call the attendance, please? Yeah. Miss Jacobs here. Mr. Kellogg here. Miss Lindstöm here, Miss Peterson here, Mr. Rockenstein here,

002Mr. Pennian here, and Mr. Penny Huff will be here shortly. She'll be here shortly. Perfect. Uh, would everyone please join me for 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. So agenda item 4.0 is new business. 4.1 is an academic progress and curriculum update with Katie Mutra. So I'll turn it over. Um thank you so much for having me here with you tonight to talk about all of the things related to curriculum that are happening in our district. I'm going to start tonight. Um there are several things I hope to cover with you. Um the first is a few highlights on what has been happening through the curriculum department

003for the last school year. Been just over a year since our last update. I'll share with you spring assessment results and expectations around reporting to families as we go through those for individual student scores. And then I'll share with you our current focus areas and the related curriculum work. and we'll talk about our title funding and planning. And part of that, um, I'll say right up front, part of that is, um, an opportunity for us to open up public comment, um, by having people reach out to me as it relates to that work, um, in order for them to have input on our planning um, as required by the grant procedure. So, a few highlights um, for you. We have maintained a regular schedule for curriculum review since I began. So you know that last

004year we um engaged social studies teams and help in physical education. This year we began the review for English language arts and world language. We continued um some work that we wanted to do on K5 social studies based on the work that they had set for themselves the year before. And as a look ahead, next year we'll begin our math review as well as visual and performing arts. And there will be a continuation of some of the ELA work in um different spots based on different needs. One of the other big areas of focus this past school year has been our continued work on using data available to us to inform curriculum and staffing decisions. Um, we have worked really hard to begin implementing a process of regular data review that involves our educators so

005that they're looking closely at each and every student and how they're performing in literacy and math in particular in order to look at trends for curriculum and instruction as well as the needs that individual students might have as it relates to multi-tered systems of support. And those supports may include needs for our striving learners as well as enrichment needs for our students who are performing above average. Um, and so that has led to wonderful conversations that are um, really exciting because teachers are seeing opportunities to say, I have a tool now that allows me to take a little more risk in my instruction because I have the data that will inform me as to whether or not we can um, measure an impact an effect. And so they're um taking some instructional risks about how

006they instruct students um in order to consider as a team sometimes and not just individual classrooms how they might greater meet student needs. So that's really exciting. So uh I want to just go through the achievement results as it relates to our spring data. I'll I'll give you reading and math like I have in the past and then I'll also share with you some science information. So I'll begin with reading. Um in this up a little so you can see it in K to2 um they use the I Ready results. These are the criterionbased results for our students. So, what this is showing you is how students on the bottom performed in fall of 2024 and their most recent in the spring. And that green um coloring is the um on grade level percentage for

007students. Um so you can see for example that in the screen 92% of kindergarteners across all three schools performed on grade level in reading. Um the yellow indicates students who um they term it as one year behind. Um but that's kind of misleading. So for example, in the fall um many of the students who are in the yellow are showing proficiency in the standards of the grade level behind them, right? And so they're ready for instruction at their grade level. Whereas in the fall, the green indicates um that they've maybe begun to accomplish those early initial standards. I'm sorry. Say that again. The yellow does what? So in the fall, um it will indicate that the students are ready for ongrade level instruction. Um so that one grade level behind means that they've met standards

008the grade level below them. Um so it's important for families to know that because they can be apprehensive in the fall about their students results, but it really indicates um that they are right where they're supposed to be. And Katie, by the same token, it that um the green in the fall that that just that doesn't indicate that those students have mastered the K curriculum, right? It means that they are where you would expect them to be as entering kindergarten students. Is that correct? In the fall. Yeah. Right. Because the I Ready is um Yeah. And it's based on time of year. Yeah. So, for example, in kindergarten, that 49% in the fall shows us that they have come in with some knowledge of what we would expect to teach them in kindergarten. Um, so

009they may have some um literacy skills already. They might be able to do um some say some comprehending when the text is uh read aloud to them is a good example. Um, so they might be able to answer in the text questions already. Um, even though that's a kindergarten standard we might work on, some may show um, that they have some skills in already. So, is it safe to say that the yellow is more concerning? I don't know if more concerning is the right word, but I'm going to use it um, in the most recent versus the fall. Well, I would say like the students in the most recent who are in the yellow are students we may monitor who have maybe a specific gap we would address in order um so like they may

010have a the quantity of their standards covered but there may be a specific subdomain in which we might want to support them. So for example in literacy they may they may need additional work in say informational texts but did really well across the board in other areas and so there may be um a specific or a couple of specific gaps that we would work to fill. Um and then the students we would want to monitor more closely are those students in the red who are indicating that they need a higher level of support. And as you can see that that is a really low percentage of students K to2. And are these numbers consistent with those of our regional partners? I can't answer that um with any level of accuracy because there isn't a way

011for us to Yeah, it's an in-house assessment that we use. Thank you. I would say as an educator who's worked with K2 students for many years, I would be absolutely thrilled to see these results as an administrator guiding the work with my teachers as an instructional leader. Um these results in my opinion are really strong. Why? Great. I've never left me. Why? Yeah. Um I would say that um it the majority of our students um this is criterion based so it relates to the standards right and I would say like um generally speaking we expect our core curriculum to reach 80% we hope to re reach about 80% or more of our students um without additional supplementation and support and so these strong numbers indicate that the curricular decisions that we're making are largely positively

012impacting our students. And I think that that's really wonderful because if I'm reading this correctly, we've had our biggest um influx of students requiring special needs. And it looks like based on the most recent in kindergarten, it reflects that our school department's doing a really wonderful job meeting those kids needs and and making sure they're staying. Yeah, that's receiving the information. That's a great point, Alyssa. Right. Because as a reminder, those incoming kindergarten students um 50 of the um total number of students Yeah. uh were identified with IEPs upon entering kindergarten. About a quarter of the population, right? Yep. Yep. And 90%. That's great. Right. Right. That's amazing. That's a great point. Yep. to get into the main through year. So this is the state assessment beginning in third grade. I've given you the criterionbased

013results for this one as well. So this is the summitive results for students who are um well below below at and above state level as it relates to their under their um performance as it relates to the standards. Did you say at the first slide that that's an in-house assessment and not a state level? It is. Is that the same for this one? This is So, state assessments begin in third grade. It's for third through 8th grade and our 10th graders. Our K through two take the I Ready. Gotcha. So, this these are our reading results. And I know I asked you this last time, but I just need you to tell me one more time. So if we are in grade three of 2023, yeah, we are in grade four of 2024. We are

014in grade five. Yes. Correct. Okay. And is this so if you follow grade three just to take that point a little further, right? We can look to see how we're meeting the needs of our striving learners. For example, and in grade three 19% that well below and below. Um we're not yet at grade level. In 2024 that shrank to 18% and then in 2025 that shrank to 15%. So for like that co coho co cohort for example um I would say like our curriculum and our our teachers are um helping to get students out 15% that blue and green are 71 in third grade. They're at 86 fifth grade. And that's a Yeah, that's a substantial change. And is this entering or exiting these grades? Exiting. These are spring results. So the criterion results we

015only get in the spring. Thank you. So as it relates to this information, I have not sent results home to families yet because we're required by law to send home the individual student reports. Those come to us from the state um in the summer. I haven't heard a date yet for this year's results. I can say last year they said July and it was like late July, close to August. Um so I'm hoping to have these out in the early fall um to families when they come back. And are these additionally in line are are these in line with our regional partners? Are these numbers we are very thrilled with? The first time I've ever seen numbers like this. Um, I could go and dig into that a little bit more to do some comparisons

016and share that with you. Um, I'll get into some later slides about how we compare to the state of Maine based on our median scores and that will be roughly like that 80 20 split sort of like not that we want we're not leaving 20% behind. You look at a normative curve on where people are developing. We want we want the majority 80% kind of in the a normal range or above average range of meeting those criteria. I'm talking about criterion not normative there. Right? So we want um our students to our curriculum to address the needs of of at least 80%. Right? Because anything below that we begin to consider what the curricular whether there's a a curriculum problem. Sure. Right. Whether our curriculum is fitting the needs of our students. Okay. And to

017Ray's point, he's saying, can you repeat what you said? The third when I look at the 23rd grade, uh that is what uh actually no. So doing math there, that's adding 59 and 22 together would be 61 71 81. Oh, so there's a 5% both the time like if Yeah. moving the kids who were at below the junior levels into the green at so we were at 81 pushing people right third grade and then 86 in fifth grade with that same group 5% of the we had a 5% growth in those kids if I'm adding many people adding the green and blue together yeah or many people would say like 5% of that coho cohort saw an improved placement from below um standard to above at our above. Yeah. Yeah. And we want people, you

018know, we love our blues, but we need we want people, you know, we love our blues. And that's why I added the two together, right? And green and blue together should be at the 80% which tells us our curriculum is that's what we're aiming for, right? Yeah. It's or better or better. Or better, right? But we want to be able to address our curricular needs um with our core resources. This is the middle school's um results of sixth, seventh, and eighth grade. Looking at the one outlier there with grade seven in 2023, it seems to have corrected itself in grade eight of 2024. So, and then we'll see them again next year as 10th graders. Yeah, which will be interesting, right, to be able to track that. Yeah, it seems Sorry, go ahead. Never. No,

019I was just going to say it seems like something magical happens at eighth grade, right? Like even at that first six, period 6 2023 when they moved on to seventh, it roughly stayed the same. It did stay the same and but then they moved to eight and there is there was growth and with quick understanding 2023 those would have been kids coming back in out of the pandemic in 22 to inerson. 21 would know. Um is this reading comprehension? Thanks. So this covers um a couple of subdomains of reading. It's readingformational and literary texts as well as vocabulary. Thank you. That's a great question. Am I good to move on to school? Oh yeah. So they grade 7 2023 had like a you're saying they had pretty big well growth is that I'm I'm I'm

020still trying to follow this grade 7 2023 would line up with grade 8 204. Yeah in 7% of that okay and if you look at grade six of 23 and grade seven they're in 24 those numbers are the same. the blue and the green are the same. But when that seven grade 7 20 24 move to grade 8 2025, there's growth there. Okay? Do you see what I'm saying? So something maybe something's clicking when they move to 8th grade. Maybe they learn more responsibility. Maybe they're a little more self-sufficient with their study. I have no idea, but something seems if you if you follow those down, something seems to happen at eighth grade. And the other thing that you have to remember is like those standards that are being assessed on are changing. So there's

021a moving target. It's not we're continuing to assess you on the same stuff. Right. Right. It's like these are this is a whole new set of standards that are ratcheted up, if you will. And so, you know, are you keeping pace with the growth of the standards? And what our students are showing is that not only are they keeping pace with those, but then they're making those extra gains, right? Yeah. With with an anomaly that big in grade seven and 20 period, my question would be had how did the NAP take the statewide test go everyone in seventh grade? Absolutely. Because sometimes you'll get a bad section or a bad couple questions in the test that'll skew everything and that I mean I I believe schools, but 7% increase in that year is would be

022anomalous. whereas we're so consistent and that's consistent even from the K through2 assessment as well. And keep in mind too that 2023 was the first year of the main three-year assessment and Maine did not field test their questions prior to right. Um, and so I think there that is the question. I mean, even in year three, I think there's still room to ask, you know, to what degree because the assessment has to be valid and it's hard to know that. And that's something they're still very actively fine to pull my son's from 6 in 23 to 8 in 25. You call me and I'd be happy to have a private conversation about that. I'd love to have him sitting right next to me when we did that. If we could even if we just faked

023it and said it was something else, I would love. So, how do these compare? I I'm sorry if I missed this question already, but in from the national the tests are based on national metrics or just this is not so we'll get to that because I did give you that this year because that was a question you asked last year. Um but this is based on the standards. The main career refers to the common core state standards not the main learning results. So this is just saying when we ask questions say in eighth grade literacy um let me do some quick math. 82% is it 82% of our students are able to meet the state expectations that Maine has set for performance in those standards. Great. Which is excellent. Thank you. This is our high

024school. This is all grades combined. This just 10th grade. We have I think one of the difficult things for us is we have them take it in eighth and they don't take it in 10th. And on the other end of this assessment is um the NWA side of this assessment which is where we can gather a lot more instructional information. And so we don't um have that continuation of the same assessment year after year to access that instructional information in order to adjust teaching. So that's you know something that I think is a bit disruptive. We do use the I Ready in ninth grade um just in the fall to to check where they're at and then some students and not all test again in the spring. I don't share those scores because they're not

025they're for us to track growth. They're not for us to check track um program the achievement because not all kids take it again. only students that we um designate needing it again in order for us to get the instructional information. But that's as informed by I Ready, not the continuation of um the NWA which we have year after year prior to that. Um so it's something but it's not it's not always the same language. Sure. And do we use these data this data to mostly focus on like how we can improve our curriculum or do we kind of break it down and use those subset of names that may fall into the well below and and so that is a big piece of the work that we do and continue to do which is to

026help our teachers gain the data literacy they need to look at the results and look at the information that the scores provide and say where are my students? What do they need? um how does that align to the curriculum I expect to teach next? Where are the services within the school or within my classroom that we can provide to help build gaps that will allow them to obtain those next steps if they're striving? Um and that's continuous work that we do with teachers. Our coaches and our administrators are really um heavily involved in that work. can then um for example at K2 this year and I um plan expect to grow this um we've actually implemented um three times a year we are calling them data days where we sit down immediately following following the

027assessment results and look over every single student together as a grade level team in the building in order to say what is the data showing us. So we take that big view and say what are the trends um what might be telling us in terms of our needs for curriculum and then also what are the specific needs our students need and how can we as a team address them and that team includes not just the classroom teachers but the administrator, the um folks in the curriculum department, the instructional coach, the social worker, the special educator, the academic support team. Um really anybody who might step in to help a student. Um, and that really informs our multi-tered systems of support. So, one of the questions you asked, Alyssa, was how do we perform against the

028state? Um, I would be happy in the future to pull um an examples from multiple districts as they compare to us. I did do that in science this year because that is um what you had asked for last year. So, you will see that in science, which I think is really interesting. Um but our state score um this is our median state score um per grade level as compared in the blue to the state of Maine's median score. Um so you can see that that looks significantly better. Is that because you're really good at designing charts or let me give you the scale right the scale. Um, so the 1500 is the mark for being at or above state level. Okay. The 1525 is the mark for being above. So we are so we're doing

029we're doing very well. Very well. Yeah, that's very serious. Yeah, I thought they were I didn't and I'll point out later where where um Yeah, we'll talk about it in math too. Awesome. And then this is six, seventh and eighth as compared to our state. Same scale, right? Same scale. And to go back to something you said earlier, Freigha, this gives us a little bit of an indicator of how the state has performed, whether state scores have dropped, where we've gone off, are we following the same kind of curve or trend. I didn't put I didn't put trend lines on there, but for example, in eighth grade, you can see we've seen a steady increase while the state has not. So that's another indicator that I feel like we're doing well, right? Yeah. So we're

030not following that state trend. Indicate that your curriculum is floating, right, people above, right? Yeah. And then this is our high school. So one of the things you asked for last year was um information about the national norm. So that was the criterion as it relates to the standards. um when it comes to the main through year, for some reason, I cannot go back to 2023 um in our system, but I can go to 24 and 25. Um so for those of you who like to look at the cohorts, we're looking at so third grade here is fourth grade here, which I think is really visually easy compared to the other lines. Um the RIT score probably doesn't mean much to you, and that's okay. Um that score helps give teachers instructional information. they know

031how to um look at that score, go into our information and look at the needs as it relates to um next steps in instruction. But what I thought you would really like is the percentiles. Um so that is the median percentile for our cohort. So in grade three in 2024, the median percentile of our students was the 71st percentile. Um and I gave you this little chart. This is how um the NWA side terms those quintiles. Um so that green is a high average percentile. The yellow being solidly average. This is national national norms. Yeah. Um as they So this is their median performance as it compares to the national norms. So even the yellow has still seen some growth like the sixth grade of 2024 still is yellow in 2025 and seventh grade but

032with increase with improvement. Yes. The median percentiles. And it's just this high school. Is that ninth grade or is that 10th grade? Sorry. Yeah. So, just as a a time check. We're about halfway through our workshop. I will hurry, but I want to answer questions. So, we'll go through the math. It's all the same stuff. Um, just on the math side. So, I'll I'll give you a moment to look at that. That's great. So if again in I ready we're really looking to just decrease that red in particular um as well as the yellow. I'm going to keep going but these please these indicate that you want me to stop. Um these are our third fourth and fifth grade And again, if you do the same thing that you did with the reading and you

033and you track a cohort, you can see that we're making gains with our students. If you haven't noticed, um, grade 3 2024 to grade 4 2025, another one I'm I'm excited for math review because I want to ask those fourth grade teachers, what are you doing? Um, and you'll see in the percentiles too, like there's a there's a really interesting something interesting happened there. Yeah. Yeah. But overall really strong. Um, I was so excited, so so excited about 8th grade. Um, and I'll talk a little bit about that. Um, but if you were to go into the main ESSA dashboard, you would see that um, it ranks, if you go in and look at our district and look at our schools, it tells you if they're at or below um, state expectation. And we have

034been at state expectation in all tested grade levels in literacy the last couple of years and all areas of math with the exception of grade eight. This year, their scores place them at. So we can say in Scar Bro that we are um meeting grade level expectations based on those median scores in all grade levels in both literacy that which is really exciting. Um and I really give a huge kudos to the middle school math team in particular. Um we had sat down last June. um they were very invested in looking at their scope and sequence ahead of math review to begin addressing immediate needs. Not just in terms of achievement, their achieve goal was really to ensure a better transfer of skills from seventh grade into eighth grade because they really wanted to ensure

035like some of those foundational skills for the pre-alggebra and algebra topics were solid and recent for when they entered 8th grade. and they really felt like that would make an impact on their transfer of knowledge. Um, and it will I I would like to see a couple of years of um solid data for us to feel like the curriculum had an impact, but I believe this is an an initial look at that curriculum change. Um, well, it's not really a curriculum change, just the the sequence of standards. It is a huge and then in the high school as well and then in looking at those median scores again it's very noticeable in fourth grade. Mhm. Wow. Nice. Oh gosh. Even in the fifth grade. Yeah. Wow. Wow. Um, so the scale is a little different

036here. Um, I've in the past dropped it down to the 1490 in order for you to see how we've performed. Again, that 1500 indicates that the median score is at or at state expectation level. So you can see like this year is the Yeah, we're finally there. That's awesome. This is what um yeah, the achievement of the eighth grade which is really that's really exciting. Is that hand off from seventh grade to eighth graders? I suspect right they really um those middle school math teachers were really invested in um working together to get the scoping sequence in place so that they felt the transfer of those skills made sense. in terms of their overall curriculum. And I I do believe we've seen an im immediate impact because of that. At the high school level, um

037I did drop it down to 1495 because at the state level, as you can see that um they don't meet at expectation at the state level in the median score, we have again a jump. And then in looking at the normed percentiles, um like that blue. Yeah, it's exciting. So, you know that another way to look at that in terms of thinking about what that 81st percentile means. It means that if that's our median score, it means 50% of our population is above the 81st percentile nationally and 50% is below. And that's reflected in the 61 that's in third grade and 24th. So that growth, that's the same cohort. They went from 61st to 81st. That's huge. Wow. And we begin math review next year um to dig into that curriculum. And we're making, you

038know, bands of growth in other areas too, right? Like if you look at 2024, sixth graders at the 50th percentile and in seventh grade they're at the 63rd percentile. If you look at eighth graders in 2024, well that's not the same color. Never mind that. But the whole shift from yellow to green on that that right side really wonderful growth. But this is the type of data work that we're really trying to engage all of our staff in so that we're making curriculum instructional decisions around that. We've also used this data to help us um make decisions about where staff are needed or not needed. Right? So making sure that there are equitable supports for students, not equal supports in each school, right? And then our science scores, the MEA science assessment. Um, what I've

039given you here is our percentage of students proficient, um, either at or above expectation. Um, so I'll be transparent in saying, you know, it's alarming to me to say that 37.6% of our fifth graders, um, so we take the assessment in grade 5, 8, and 11 are proficient. Um, but the context is important, too. So, when you look at how we compare to some of our regional um neighboring districts, right, um you'll see like the overall scores are are lower, the state of Maine is 22.4%. So while I feel like there's significant room for growth and science curriculum review will be um the year out announced um in the context of how we're performing against the state and against our regional um neighbors. I think it's pretty on par in middle sorry when you say

040um you're going to do curriculum review is that from K to 12 or yes yes per topic? Yeah. Yeah. By topic. Yes, it's always a vertical review. Catching up. Okay, this is this is middle school. Yeah. And again like what I will say to add to that is our focus at the elementary level has really been on core content math and literacy because we have a strong bias that if we can help our students really be secure in those skills then they can start taking off in other areas like science and social studies as they get to middle school. That makes sense. I would also note that our elementary schools don't allow us STEM labs and other opportunities that many of our neighboring districts have which give natural opportunities to learn some of the science.

041That's true. Also very true statement. I didn't. And then this is our high school. Look at us. Oh wow. What happens? Slow and steady wins the race. Yeah. A lot of Yeah. I mean though the percent yeah I do want to point out that though the percentage is lower than what we see in middle school as compared to our partners were outperforming everyone around us yeah quite significant but also kids belonging difficult right yes yes agreed yes to go back to um Diane's earlier point that this progression of standards has increased significantly from 8th grade to 11th grade um in terms of the rigor at which they're tested. So, but also the strategy we're going the right obviously but but the trend the strategy is get the math get the reading comprehension reading and the

042math really strong so that when you're doing physics and other high school level sciences you're better prepared to Right. When is it more important to have it? Is it better to have it in third grade? Third grade or in high school? Yeah. No, they're deliberate. It's obviously working. Yeah. That's awesome. So, um, are there any additional questions about the academic achievements progress? So, as I said, we'll share those results when we get them from the state. Um, the individual student reports for the main through year come in the summer. MEA science for our families who had fifth, 8th, and 11th graders this past year, those don't come until October or November. Um, so we'll share those when they come. I have I have a question to start with. One one thing that I think both

043people need to hear, so like there was a news article two weeks ago that says, you know, Maine schools are the worst in New England. main school terrible. I always get a phone call or two or a text message with that article attached when I see those headlines. How do we talk to our parents um and other community members about how how the education is here? We always we we're known for strong schools. I believe we have a really strong solid education. But when I am confronted with Maine Maine doesn't know how to educate anybody, how do I talk to that person in three sentences? hard to agree with. No. Well, again, you have to look at the assessment measure, right? So, the NAPE, um, which is the assessment that is utilized to rank and

044order states, um, that's not a test that we ever get any local results on. That's fascinating. So when our kids take the NAPE test, they contribute to the pool within Maine. We do not get any information back from them ever to say, "Thank you for taking the NATE. Here's how your students worked." There's no way to adjust to what's going on with that data. Even though that data then is published as how your schools are doing. So we can't even tell you how we performed on that assessment. That's why we rely on the assessments that we have drilled down student data on. And who makes the choice not to give us that information? Is that the DOE? No, no, it is it's it's the national DOE, not state DOE. Okay. So, the national DOE. So,

045that's where they should turn their attention. But the other thing I would say if you get that question is when we look at Scar Bro compared to the state, we're considerably stronger than Yes. We look to the Don't say that about us because we are considerably better than the state and I think that's where that ESO dashboard can be really helpful where they can dig around and look at the different um school districts or our that's on our website right it is linked on our website and just googling MDOE as a dashboard will get them there as well. Yeah, I found out it is under the curriculum department but that whole NATE process is fascinating right because you get selected to participate so we don't participate every year who selects national DO yes so like

046last year we did not participate the year before we did when we do get selected to participate our own staff do not administer the assessment they bring in outside proctors and their own devices to give the assessment. And so we have no onus of control. None. And so imagine yourself as a middle school student and uh John walks in today to give an assessment. You know, you're you don't know John. You don't have a relationship with John. You're never going to see John again and he wants you to perform an assessment on this computer for the next 45 minutes. Right? That's how invested might our students be or not be given those parameters. I'm very persuasive. I also think children not from them. Now be in a room with them. Um, I do always kind

047of think back to when the cell phone debate was kind of thriving. Um, and all the students were coming forward and saying, you know, I'm a nine AP student or nine nine class AP student and all those things and reflecting back because if I remember correctly, APA AP exams are on a national level. Yes. Is that Yeah. So that's like another I don't have to doubt a place where we can look to and say our Yeah. And I could pull that you you if you recall there was a brief statement by Mr. Tero in his presentation from the high school regarding the average score for um and and don't quote me I don't remember the exact um score but it was uh really good. Yeah. Very very strong. Yeah. So, he he did provide an

048insight to into that, but that is a great point. Um, what I appreciate about these assessments is they do assess every child who's eligible, unlike the NAPE. Um, which is a not only are we randomly selected as a district, but not every student. Yeah, they hand select students. So, it might be 60 students from your seventh grade class. Here's the roster. They give you the roster. need to figure out how to game this lottery and like get me to like figure out how to get out of that. Yeah, I got something to drive. So, I do really appreciate, you know, the main through year in terms of us being able to look at our entire population and all students needs, right? It is actually functional for us and even if the science data lags, right?

049Yes, we do receive it. We receive it at the student level and we are able to dig into it. Right? There is no utility in um only a portion of a group being tested and us never getting any information about how they did. Yeah. Is it optional? Can you like you may not opt out? No. Even parents try parents can but we cannot as in like we can't say oh thank you for selecting me I'd rather not. All right. So, in the interest of time, I do want to cover our ESSA um planning because um this does require us to we're required by the by um the the requirements of the grant require us to share this and open it for public comment which I'll share at the end. Um on the right hand side,

050the total grant allocations are there for you for the last several fiscal years. Um you can see the funding delivered through title programs. Um we last year received titles one, two, three, and four. Um and those projects in the past have provided us an opportunity to fund um supplemental staffing for support in title one of a um title one teacher and a title one edtech at the school um that qualifies or schools that qualify based on um the percentage of students who are economically disadvantaged. Um so currently 8 corner school is um a title one school um and they this past year had a title one teacher and an edtech. Um and then title 2 funding largely supports um professional development um in our district and um title 4 we have historically moved into title

051two which we're allowed to do through the grant in order to um you know pay for that professional development. At this time we've received a title one allocation and a title four allocation. We've not received title two or title three. Um so you can see from the difference um that title two does make up a significant portion of funding and then our title one did come in lower this year. Um the state of Maine in general received a lower allocation. Um and so our portion of that is lower than it was last year. Um so the current plan um is to allocate that um similarly to what we did last year. Title one allocation must be provided for services um for economically disadvantaged or homeless students to engage our parents and families. And um the

052allocation must um allow for equitable services for eligible private schools. that's told to us by the state and this year we have a 0% because we don't um have any students receiving equitable services and the only private school that that we have had previous connection to um is actually the Morrison um and and their allocation you know has been minimal uh under $1,000. It's generally a half a percent roughly. It's been like, you know, anywhere from like $250 to $500. So, you know, that requires us to outreach to them saying, uh, we have 200, you know, we have $250 that you are entitled to if you want to come up with a project that falls under this. It's negligible. Yeah. It's not worth the cost. And the state um informs us of what percentage we

053need to reach out with. This year it's 0% as of right now. Um what's important to remember is in title one specifically the funding must supplement not supplant the local budget. Um so currently this position this title one teacher is an academic support early intervention service teacher. They're providing um support to our striving learners um as they come into um kindergarten in particular a corners with room to also provide support as needed based on decisions of the entire team for first and second graders like kindergart interventionists or nope that's what it is that's what it is yeah that's what it is in um in nature we're able to provide addition you know that staffing through the title one services for the past couple of years Um this year we're looking at an elimination of the

054title one edtech as it stands currently. Um that position um that attrition will happen um that elimination I mean will happen through attrition. Um but it was it's also necessary because of decreased funding um and lack of carryover. Um what we do plan to do is move um the title four allocation not into title two for which we have no funding currently but into title one to ensure that we um cover the cost of that title one teacher and allow us to maintain that position. Um we there's you know several ways you can invest this money but the investment in um a qualified teacher with a lot of experience in this case um to serve those students in that school is really valuable um to our district and really benefits our students. Um so it's

055really important to us to maintain that position. Um, at this time, um, I have no expectation, I guess I would say, for title two funding. I'm not planning for anything with that funding. Um, there's no indication as to whether or not we'll receive that funding from the federal government this year. Um, same with title three and they're not released that funding to anybody, right? To no, that's right. It's not just unique to Scar Bro. that is, you know, has that's related to the changes at the federal level in the department of education. So, in just a looking ahead, I wanted to give you a few of the next steps we plan to take as we enter the next school year. Um, we um have this summer invested time in curriculum development work, particularly in K5

056social studies and K8 ELA. Um that work allows us to build clarity around our standards and our units in order to um just get really tight with our curriculum um across grade levels and the teachers really invest their time in that work um in the summer. We'll continue to align our professional development to curriculum needs based on the reviews. But I would also add based on the data that we have um so a strong investment right now um in literacy because we've just finished the ELA curriculum review. So in August we'll hold a literacy PD day um which is an optional day for teachers to engage in and I'm really excited because it's open for K12. It's not just open for ELA teachers, it's anyone whose curriculum relates to literacy skills. So we have content

057area teachers, we have support teachers, we have edte currently we have 43 people signed up to join us on that day for a full day of learning in the middle of their summer. So that speaks volumes um to the investment in that work. We'll continue some of that curriculum review for ELA because there are, you know, the work isn't completed for some of the groups and they want to continue to invest in that work. And we'll begin, as I said, that math and visual performing arts in the fall. The ASA consolidated grant application is due August 1st, and we'll draft and refine our curriculum department goals for the next school year based on the current data that we have and our curriculum review worker. So, um, lastly, it's really, uh, an opportunity tonight for questions,

058comments, or an opportunity to express interest in becoming involved in the ESSA formulation um, by reaching out for public comment. Um, if you would like to speak on our plan of how we're using title funding, you can call me, you can email me. Um, and if you would like to become involved in some of that planning work, you can reach out and let me know that you would be involved would like to be involved in planning. Um, one of my big goals for this next year is to have a more transparent um more transparent committee work around that um as a planning or um just um to bring in some um a broader scope forming um I guess I would say advising some of the curriculum work and I'll be looking for community members and

059parents to join the curriculum department, educators, administrators, and looking at some of our data in the middle of the year and um giving us um some feedback from their point of view on our curriculum and how it relates um from their perspective to the work we do. Um so I'll be opening up that opportunity for people to become involved in that work. I think that's fantastic. Excellent. The date on here that says July 27th, 2024, 2025. Yes. Thank you. 27th is a Sunday. So, would it be the Friday before or No. Um, it's that day. They can reach me by email. It's it it's a 30-day period um based on the grant requirements. Just and I have to submit by August 1st. I know. Appreciate. Are there any questions? Thank you. I was just gonna

060say I was gonna say I just appreciate how thoughtful you and your but um with kind of taking these live moments and looking at our data and improving you know it's it's easy to sit back and say you know we're at the top we're done u but I really appreciate how thoughtful you guys are with it and how you guys continue to strive to do what's best for our kids and I really appreciate that. Yeah thank you. Yeah. No thank you. The presentation is really clear and easy to understand for somebody who's not coming from an educational background. I really appreciate it. It allows me to sort of understand these issues and communicate about these issues a lot more clearly. So obviously we like the good news. Yeah. Yeah. Thanks for taking our feedback in

061and making adjustments as well. That's really meaningful. And thank you for including the parents. I think that's really awesome and that Yeah, I'm excited to take that next step to I'd really like to put together like an advisory council that has a little um an opportunity for input on the on the curriculum. Yeah, they're going to That's really great. All right. Wait a minute. Agenda item 5.0 is adjourn and if there with no objections we will adjourn at 658 with two minutes to speak. Thank you. We'll call the meeting to order. Good evening and welcome to our schoolboard meeting. It is Thursday, June 26. Mr. Groen, may I have the attendance, please? Yes. Miss Jacobs here. Mr. Kellaher here. Miss Lindstöm here. Miss Peterson here. Mr. Rockenstar here. Mr. Trapinian here. Mr. Penny Huff here.

062Thank you. May you please join me for the pledge of allegiance. Algiance 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. Next on the agenda, item 4.0 is the approval of the June 5th, 2025 joint workshop and business meeting minutes. If there's no objection, I would move to approve this without objection. Yes, you're doing a wonderful job. Great. So moved. Are there any adjustments to the agenda this evening? No adjustments this evening. Seeing none, we will move to item 6.0, the 2025 spring sports recognition. Mr. Gage, would you like to come up to the microphone, please? Well, thank you for having us again this year, this season, and we'll get right started with boys outdoor track

063and coach VU. Good evening. Uh, the outdoor season was interesting with uh all the weather we had. Um, so that made it a little extra challenging. Um, a lot of rain, a lot of meetats where it was cold and not great for running fast. So, the kids had to endure a lot this year and they um they they did very well with that. And then additionally, at the end of the year, they which I'm glad to have happen this year. They finally started working on the track. So, we lost access uh over the final couple of weeks. And so, uh Mr. Gage in in his office was very helpful in getting us uh practices at other locations and so that worked out very well and um unfortunately we also had a pole vault down at

064TA all season due to some mice he eat heating up our mat. So um thankfully we had those uh the ability to go other places and uh we made do with uh with our situation uh on the track. Did very well. Uh I think 19 and 10 overall. Um sixth place in the state meet this year. Um very strong performance. Um and and again along those lines of kind of things derailing things. When you have 15 seniors and the state meet is supposed to be on Saturday and they graduate on Sunday, that's good. However, when they cancel the meet on Saturday and it moves to Tuesday, then you have project grad and uh kind of takes the steam out of it a little bit. But uh those kids still competed well, but probably affected our

065performance a bit. Um so very thankful that graduation is on Sunday usually. But anyways, uh looking at the season, did have one state champion, Wyatt Martin, in the pole vault. Um had um five individuals earned all conference uh this year and did set one um one school record in the 4x8. uh Vincent Crusoe, uh Ethan Keller, um Adakus Mariam, and Landon Springer in the 4x8. So, it's nice to see uh those guys put their names in the record books. Um very, um very big team this year, 56 kids. I think that's one of our biggest outdoor uh teams uh we've had in a long time. Um so, I mentioned 15 seniors, but that means we have a good youth and uh the future is looking bright. uh a lot of uh strong juniors, sophomores, and

066freshman. They did have three freshman make the state meet, which is unusual. So, uh future um is is definitely bright there. Um and that's all I got today. and Coach Curry with outdoor track and field. Girls outdoor track and field. Hi, thank you for having us tonight. I have three of my captains with me. Laurel Driscoll, she's a junior captain. Maya Marquee and Amelia Caruso. Laurel actually was the state champion in the mile this year. Um so that was helpful. Maya de Shaw put Amelia was on the 4x1 team which you came in second. Yes. Yeah. So they were like seated six and came in second. We were trying to get extra points to beat our big rival Bangor. Um so they as Derek said um we had a lot of challenges, weather, a lot

067more injuries than usual, a lot of illness this season. So it was quite an emotional roller coaster of a season. Um state meet was postponed which ended up lasting two days because high jump couldn't be done that day. So we had to go back the next day um where they earned the um runner up to Bangor. So it was kind of a um how do you want to say it? Not a very you know there's nobody there to watch them get their trophy. So the Bangor came back to Bangor. B came back to Auburn and got theirs, but it was kind of non-eventful. Um, I had nine seniors earn the SMAA academic award. Um, which was great. Um, they had a decent season. They actually won the Fleet Feet Invitational, which was kind of cool

068because it was 27 teams from all over the state and then we were fourth at the SMA champion and then we were state runnerup. Um we had Laurel was a state champion and then Emerson Flaker was a state champion also in the um 200 and the 400. So um like I said overall they did um had a lot of team spirit to get through all the bad weather and like coach Vave said the track and um but we have a lot of um underassmen that did really well. So our future's looking pretty bright. Hopefully we can regain regain our title next year. So thank you. Thank Coach McDonald boys tennis. Good evening everybody. Um before I start, I want to introduce uh to my right um Ben Wolf Graham who will be a senior next

069year and uh be one of the leaders on the team. Um this year he played uh varsity doubles. Um I personally like to thank the athletic department for all their help this year. I I think someone just mentioned about the weather and being able to reschedule matches and get it all in with in basically what it what equals a month. and then being able to play the the uh the schedule after that in terms of playoffs and getting it all in before graduation. So, thank you for the athletic department and the transportation department. Um the team this year, uh we were 9 and three. Uh we finished six in heel points. Uh we won a preliminary match. Uh and then we had a tough match against Kenbunk in the quarterfinals which was uh 3 to2.

070um it came down to the last match and in that went three sets and like I said I was very proud of the team and and for what they did during the season. Now in tennis there's not just team I I think I mentioned this last year there were singles and doubles. So as a the singles players um they had a a record of 25 and 11 and the doubles had a record of 17 and seven. Um uh I just want to talk about a little bit about the seniors. Um we had five seniors. I'm proud of all of them. How they created a positive culture and how they led. Um I've had seniors on this team, three of them who were all academic. Um one of the seniors was not only all academic, um

071he was second team SMA all-star and he was the 2025 valadictorian of Scar High School. and that was uh Ethan Stockwell. Um I also would like to uh thank my other seniors um Reika Baylor, John How, Connor Killup, and Jacob Lavine. So like I said, overall athletically, academically, and most of the team, they're positive role models that everyone um can look up to and emulate. So thank you. Coach McKisac with girls tennis. Good evening. Uh, first I'd like to say I I've had Ben and Ameilia in class and they're class acts. They're great kids and great students and so so great to see them also uh performing on the uh fields in uh in sports for Scar Bro. Uh we truly got some great kids at our school. Uh as for girls tennis, we finished

07210 and four. Uh we're nine and three in the regular season, 1-1 lost one in the um playoffs. We lost in the semi west what was it? Southern Maine semi-finals to Falmouth. We're one of the few teams that take points off Falmouth. So that's you know pretty nice. We had a second team singles allstar for the SMA. Ali Katsi. Uh she was also academic all-star. Four seniors were academic all-stars. had uh this is only the second year the state has actually ran run a state doubles tournament and we had a team with a freshman and a sophomore on it compete in the semi-finals. So out of 16 teams in the state they finished in the top four. Uh they were playing against juniors and seniors. Uh so we're really excited about them. They did a

073great job. Um the most important step for us though, we uh had 36 girls try out for tennis and unfortunately we don't have the facilities to sponsor that as of yet. Um, so we had to cut 14 kids from the program. Um, which I know that's a sad note and that's the hardest thing to do as a coach to tell someone they don't belong to a program. So my captains and I decided that every day we were going to honor those kids and and ask our players to show up, play their hardest. And they did that all season long. No regrets. They they just put their head down and remember those 14 and worked hard for that. I'd like to thank Michael Gage and the athletic department also for just sponsoring us and making sure

074that uh we have the facilities that we need. We have the equipment that we we can get for whether it's drying the courts or uh getting indoor time. So, you know, it's really just been a a good sponsorship by the athletic department. Um so, thank you for your time tonight. Thank you. Girls lacrosse coach couldn't make it this evening. Um, so they wanted me to share with you that the girls lacrosse team wrapped up an impressive season with a 77 record, earning the number nine seed hanging to class A playoffs. Along the way, they secured two major wins over top five opponents Chevver and Gorum and battled through several tight contests against some of the state's strongest programs. Their playoff run ended in a hard-fought matchup against number eight seated Thornton Academy in a preliminary

075round game. The team also saw a welldeserved individual recognition with four seniors named to the all academic team. Three players earning all conference honors, two receiving honorable mention and one selected to the SMAA all rookie team. Beyond the wins and accolades, the season reflected the true value of education-based athletics, building character, leadership, and lifelong skills through teamwork and competition. Boys lacrosse, coach Barrett. Okay, thanks for having me. Um, so I'll start off. I'll I'll summarize our season a little bit. Um we ended up with an 8-8 record. That's after playoffs. Um we did make it to the quarterfinals. Lost to the eventual state champion Thornton Academy Trojans. Um so pretty successful season on on a lot of notes considering where we where we thought we were going to be um going into this year. We're

076a very young team. Uh we're returning all of our starters from this year for next year. Uh so hopes are really high for how we're going to do. um want to talk a little bit about the program and what we do and what I'm proud of. Uh we we have about 60 kids year after year that participate in the program. This year we're at 58. Um and every one of those players that participate also participate in a mentorship program that we run um helping out with the youth program. Every one of those kids goes down and they they coach their guest coach at the youth practices. Um we really have an emphasis on leadership through our program and developing that leadership. Uh you know it's part of kind of the secondary function of what we

077do is um trying to get these younger kids who you know have looked up to others to be those kids that others are going to look up to. Um we I'm really proud to say that in our alumni group, we have a number of kids who have gone on to coach, to teach, um and to do other uh types of service kind of as a result of that experience they've had with us. So um that was a really big highlight. The other big highlight this year is we had a historic win against a team that we had never beaten ever, uh Cape Elizabeth. Um that was a really big deal. Really, you know, felt really good. Um, and then the other piece that I that I really think was awesome is that we started the

078season one and five. Uh, that, you know, that can really get kids down that can really, you know, bring a program um to a low point, but we really rallied and we came back and we finished the season seven and three. Um, we ended up being the seventh seed going into the playoffs and uh did a lot of really good things and stuff that we can build on for next year. Um, and I I think those are the major highlights. Um, thank you very much for having us. Coach Riddle with baseball. Good evening. Thanks for having us. I'm joined by one of our senior captains, uh, Cam Wellman. And, uh, solid year for us. Uh, we actually went, we went 16 and two, um, this year. Lost in the semi-finals, uh, to Thornton Academy after

079coming back and tying it in the bottom of the seventh down five to one, but we came up one run short. Um, again, over the last uh, last two years, it's been really successful for us. We've we've lost three games in the last uh last two years up to almost 40 uh sorry 36 wins 36 and three. Big testament to that the the senior class that we've that we've had. Um we really talk about our kind of standards that we set as a baseball program and those standards are both on and off the field for for these these young men in uh including in the in the classroom. So, um the the senior captains really take it upon themselves as the freshman come in to let them know what that standard looks like and and

080how to hold themselves um accountable. Uh but overall, it's we it it was a strong season for us. Uh we actually had u a streak of three no hitters in one perfect game uh in the middle of the year, which I've coached baseball, played baseball for close to 30 36 years, and I've never seen a no hitter or been a part of one. and yet we had a run of it. Um, which was some really great uh great press for all of us. And Cam was a allconerence defensive center fielder for us. So, a big big part of those no hitters. And uh we had multiple um allconerence players um both first and second team and all academic. And then uh Eric Swenson was uh the main Gatorade baseball player of the year for his

081his um um achievements on and off the field and in in the community. So, we're looking forward to it. I appreciate all that the athletic department does for us. We also were impacted by the rain. So, we're really hoping for some extra turf that's left over so we can turf the baseball and softball field. Uh but that's for that's for a future uh future discussion. So, thank you. That was a good one. Yeah. Didn't turf at all. Um, softball coach Rice couldn't make it um this evening, but wanted me to share that the softball team wrapped up a season marked by perseverance, growth, and strong team culture, finishing with a 6 and10 record and earning the number 11 seed in Class A South, just missing the postseason cutoff, which included only the top 10 teams.

082With a roster that was young and developing experience at the vice level, the team placed a strong emphasis on creating a positive and inclusive culture. Players were viewed as equals with a focus on team unity rather than grade level or role that that share that shared approach was one that several seniors described as especially meaningful during their time in the program. Two players earned SMA honorable mention all-star recognition and one senior received all academic honors highlighting the team's dedication to both athletic and academic excellence. The season reflected powerful lessons in resilience, teamwork, and personal growth that will carry them well beyond the field at softball and unified botchi. Coach McCormack couldn't make it this evening. Scott, he wanted me to share that Skyra High School botchi team had a fantastic season finishing with just one

083loss and the lone def lone defeat came at the hands of the SHs staff and the and the annual staff versus unified botchi ball, but rumors are still swirling that the staff may have cheated. Thanks to the support of the athletic office and community services, the team was able to play the second half of its season on two beautifully constructed professionalgrade sand courts. To enhance the experience, team members built custom scoreboards which were painted in Scar Bro colors by students in the SHS life skills program. Throughout the season's ups and downs, this 21 member team displayed outstanding teamwork, resilience, and compassion, embodying everything that makes unified athletics so special. That's spring sports. Thank you for having us. Before people leave, uh any comments or discussion from the board? as usual. Um, obviously it's harder to

084get students here um to visit us. So, the students who did come, we really appreciate your coming um and visiting us during your summer break. We know coming back to school in the end of June is not necessarily your first option. I just want to say again, we're so proud of the athletic prowess of our Scarbor students. You guys are phenomenal. Um, individually, the training and dedication it takes in order to become the athletes that you have become is a testament to your discipline and your determination. We also really love to hear about the team aspect of it and the fact that you're supporting each other. The dedication you show in the classroom um on your academics, all of the academic honors that you achieve in addition to your athletic um abilities um is what

085makes this program I think so special. Um and a big congratulations to everyone and to um our athletic director Mike Leage. um you you did a lot this year with a really tough season in terms of a lot of challenges and I really want to say thank you for making these programs so strong. Excellent. Thank you very much. Next on the agenda, thankfully I am not a board chair, nor do I like to play one on TV. So the next item um on the agenda is item 7.0 which is the election of the chair and vice chair of the board. We will take each of these one at a time. Uh is there a motion for nomination of a chair? I motion uh to nominate Shannon Lindstrom as chair. Is there a second? Second. Any

086discussion? Okay, seeing none, all in favor that looks unanimous. Thank you very much. There you go. Thank you very much. All right. Um, moving on to the vice chair. Do I have a nomination on the floor for vice chair? I move to nominate Frea Panin. Second. So, is there any discussion? All in favor? And that shows unanimous. Thank you so much. All right. So, um, for those that are here in the audience, we're going to do things a little bit differently. Our agenda item 8.0 is our presentation. 8.1 is the SBAC. So, I'm going to invite the council. Um, I see Lisa's here. Um, Charlie, Larry, everybody on the SBAC that's here to come up and from the town council to come up. Yes. To join us at the our version of a round table.

087I'm sorry. Can you say that again? So, at the meeting, at our SBAC meeting, we had indicated that we would be close to 7:45. I don't know if there's going to be some people who are interested in being here. These are the people that I think the SBAC had had stepped up that wanted to be here. Um, but if just as we have an awareness, we had said 7:45 to the members of that committee. And, um, I'm imagining there were people that would have been interested in being a part of this full thing that aren't present in the room. I don't know how we want to handle that. I can make a motion to uh change the order of the agenda and move up under new business 10.3 the appointments um uh in adv to

088go in front of 8.0 the presentation. Someone wants a second. Can I amend that and let's do the public comment and the appointments? The general public comment. So now is there a second? Second. Any discussion? Uh all in favor? Okay, that's just unanimous. So we'll go ahead and move general public comment up first and then our appointments and then we'll come back which will allow time for your committee members and potential counselors to come. All right. Is there anyone wishing to make general public comment this evening? Yeah, come on. Hello. It's good to see you, John. And as you already are aware, but just as a reminder, um you have three minutes. Um if you could please direct your comments to me. The lights in the front will direct you. When you see the red

089flashing light, that's the end of your Fair enough. Okay. Back in March, um I came before you and asked that the board consider and endorse the statement which the organization of American Historians and the American Historical Association issued concerning the federal government's current treatment of American history. Now, a couple months later in May, I had a nice conversation with Jillian, and she said that you folks were considering it, but what you didn't want to do was make an empty performative gesture, a sole endorsement on your own that would go nowhere. But my understanding is that if you did indeed endorse this statement that it would come with a recommendation to the state school board association that they do so as well. So, I've come tonight to answer that objection about uh performative gestures that go

090nowhere. What I'm proposing you do is you make alliances. You go to the state school boards association. You also go to the teachers association both local and statewide. You let you let Stacy Brener know what's going on. You get her half behind it along with Anne Carney's. Uh push it as hard as you can. address Governor Mills. The more endorsements, the better, the more force it will have, and then it can become something truly genuine that will count. And I'll give you an example of exactly what I mean. U there was a referendum a while back limiting uh capping political contributions in campaigns to $5,000 so the big money wouldn't run elections at the expense of the people. that went down and was noticed across the country as an example to the entire nation. And

091you have a chance to do something like that with this statement. What you should do, I think, is build those alliances that I've just suggested. I hope you do that. And um please let me know how things turn out as you deliberate. Uh I think this will be a noble gesture on your part. back in uh back in March, you gave a student uh award to a young lady who had spent her high school career working for inclusiveness and uh this is what the historians are trying to defend. So please consider it and please endorse it. Thanks for your time. Thank you, John. Is there anyone online? All right. And is there anyone else wishing to make general public comment not at a non-aggenda item? Your opportunity will come in just a little bit. All

092right. Seeing none, we will close general public comment. Um so our new 9.0 0 um appointments is uh we'll start with 9 3.1 um our K5 Gates teacher. Yes. Um Eric Benham has been selected to fill this position due to retirement. Uh Mr. Benham received his Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from the University of Maine, his master of science degree and education from the University of Southern Maine. He worked um in central Maine as a paraprofessional and also as a teaching intern for three years. From that uh he spent four years in the classroom working as a fifth grade teacher and for the last eight years he has served as gifted and talented teacher for Sanford public schools. And uh my recommendation would be to appoint Eric Benham as the new Gates teacher for

093K to 5. Thank you. Do I have a motion to approve the K5 gates teacher as presented? So moved. Second. Any discussion? No discussion. Nope. Never mind. Uh all in favor. Uh that shows unanimous. Thank you so much. And then 9.3.2 is our middle school academic center teacher. Great. Uh, Ann Marie Monaceeli has been selected to fill this position due to a resignation. Miss Monaceeli received her bachelor of science degree in applied mathematics with a minor in economics from Union College in Skenctity, New York, and she earned her master of science in secondary school education at the University of Albany. She's worked as a programmer and an analyst, a mathematics teacher, and also as an independent contracted ESL teacher. Since March of 2020, she has freelanced as a math content writer and editor. And for

094the last year, she's worked at the middle school as a pair professional in the math workshop, providing support to students. Uh the recommendation would be to appoint Anmarie Monaceeli as the middle school academic center teacher. All right. Do I have a motion to approve the middle school academic center teacher as presented? So moved. Second. Any discussion? I flubbed the last one. It's no public comment, but we can discuss. So I apologize. All in favor? All right. It shows unanimous. Thank you. 9.3 3.3 is the first year continuous contract administrators. Yes. So per their collective bargaining agreement uh we should be moving our administrators forward as they are probationary for their first two years just as our teachers are. Uh and so the recommendation here would be to move Chris Murphy, who is our assistant middle

095school principal, um to continuous contract, whereas he has just completed his second year with us here in Scar Bro and also Sarah Blazedell who is an assistant high school principal who is also just completed her second year uh to move her to continuous contract as well. Very good. Do I have a motion to approve the first year continuous contract administrators as presented? So moved. Second. Any discussion? All in favor? And that's unanimous. Thank you so much. 9.3.4 is our secondyear probationary administrator. Yes. So again, per the uh administrators collective bargaining groups uh contract uh I am here in front of you to ask you to move Gabrielle Laerriier who is our assistant principal at Wentworth School. She just completed her first year with us very successfully. Um and we are looking forward to her joining

096us in her second probationary year next year. Awesome. Do I have a motion to approve the second year probationary administrator as presented? So moved. Second. Any discussion? All in favor? Uh that is unanimous. Thank you so much. And then lastly, uh 9.3.5 is our wetwware school literacy support teacher. Yes. So this was a little bit of a late entrance, so it was a little out of order from our other ones. Um as you can imagine, we are uh working very diligently to make sure that our positions are filled. Um, and so, uh, for the Wentworth School Literacy Specialist, uh, we are recommending Melissa Maddock to fill this position due to a resignation. Um, uh, Miss Maddock, um, is currently a teacher at Wentworth School. for the record. Um, she received her bachelor of arts degree

097in communications with a minor in business administration and also has earned her master of science in education from the University of Southern Maine. She um has worked as a fourth grade teacher and a math support teacher uh for seven years at St. Bridges School in Portland before coming to Scar Bro. Um, and for the last 10 years, she has worked at Wentworth as a fourth grade teacher, as a math support teacher, and also has uh been a lead teacher. And so, the recommendation would be to appoint Melissa Natk um as the uh literacy specialist for Wentworth School. Thank you. Do I have a motion to approve the Wentworth school literacy support teacher as presented? So moved. Second. Any discussion? I just want to point out again, Diane, um that you've done an incredible job recruiting

098three M's level teachers for our district, all with a lot of experience and the M's plus 30 scale for those of you who are just joining us means that they're on their way to getting their PhDs. So, these are really accomplished teachers that we are again retaining and attracting um and promoting from within, which I think is really special. Thank you. Great. That's a good point to make. I'm glad you made it because I remember when I first was on the board, I thought it meant plus 30 years, like a master's plus 30 years. And what it means is it's a master's plus 30 hours, 30 additional 30 additional college credit hours of work. And so it's um it is really impressive the the level of um applicants that we're getting for these positions. Yes.

099And the expertise that that our students um most definitely benefit from on a regular basis. Yeah. And after the workshop we just had, it's really showing in our scores. Yeah. Absolutely. Any other discussion? All right. All in favor? And that shows unanimous. Thank you so much. All right. Well, we're a little bit closer to to seven. Do you want to take I make a motion to recess for five minutes to bring us to 7:45? Is there a second? John's not going to second that. Second. All in favor? Oh, sorry. discussion. All in favor? All oppose? It's not. All right. It passes. Um, four four yes to no. Thank you. We'll recess for five minutes. that too. All right, thank you. Welcome back. We are ready to move on to our new um 10.0, our presentation

100um from the ESPback. So, we'll go ahead and turn it over to Charlie. Thank you for joining us. Yeah, thanks Shannon. Um before I start, I just I I want to take a moment and and just thank the the 21 members of of the committee. Um we met nearly every Monday for the last eight months. Um many of us on SBACK1 have been at this for 18 months. And so, um, really culminating today and and while most of them aren't here today, um, I I just think it's it's worth it to to just give a note of of gratitude to the to those folks um who dedicated that much time. It was an incredibly thoughtful um, professional group of of citizens that that were fully invested in in seeing this through. And so, um, I

101was grateful and to be considered the the chair of such a great group of people. Um, and then I I also have to um personally thank um Councilman Select Larry Kane next to me. Um, as my professional uh life got a little bit hectic in the last few months, uh, Larry just stepped in um, and made sure that I didn't uh didn't screw it up too badly. And so, thank you very much, Larry, for for not letting us fail here in the last uh the last month or so. So, I appreciate it. It was light lifting. Um, and and also Haramman has just been been a fantastic partner through the through the whole process. um we we threw all sorts of random questions and research projects their way and they came back every Monday with

102the answers that that we asked for. Um and and have just been incredibly flexible um and and just a fantastic partner to work for. So again, we wouldn't be here uh today without without your guys' help. So thanks so much. Um with that, I'll get started on the slides. If we can go to the next slide, please. Uh, this is what we're gonna talk about. Go to the next slide. Slide. Oh, is this the right These are the wrong This is the wrong deck. This is Let me You want to join? All right. Give me just a little. But we are going somewhere. Anything else? change. While we wait, we can bob along the motor booty affair in the harp right now. I was just going to say too, while we're waiting, um, we have

103a new, um, board member as well. So, maybe this is a good opportunity to just really quickly introduce ourselves. Um, would you like to start, Scott? We'll work our way. John Anderson, town council. Bill Donovan, town council. Eric Kane, vice chair for ESPback. Charlie Peters, chair of ESPback. Mark Lee, architect with Haramman. Lisa Swin, architect of Haramman. Karen Shu, town council. And April sign their town council. Perfect. Michelin, town council. Not town. See how far you want to take it. Julian, school board. Peterson, school board, assistant superintendent. Diana, superintendent. Shannon Lunch, school board. Ba Tarpinian, school board. I'm Charlotte Jacobs. I'm the new uh school board member. John Keller, concerned citizen. Thank you for that. He said he's concerned citizen. pass back and forth requests here. That's a great picture, Lisa. Thank you. We all

104love it every time as our screen test. You should also see the piping clover. Oh yeah, that is okay. Um so uh we'll just jump right into the recommendation. Um so thank you. Um so we are recommending that uh Scarwell maintains the three neighborhood school solution um for the K through two grades. Uh a small addition to Wentworth and a middle school addition um to address the sixth grade portables and and expand the cafeteria. Um, and so what that project looks like is a replacement of Eight Corners with a new 380 student school on the existing Eight Corners lot. Um, renovations and additions at Bluepoint. Um, as well as Pleasant Hill to accom um Bluepoint for 232 students and 224 at Pleasant Hill. A small addition at Wentworth to accommodate uh the increased enrollment that

105starts in 20 in 2031. and then renovations and additions to the middle school um to accommodate the current um population uh all in into the actual building outside of the uh get rid of the sixth grade portables as well as expand the the cafeteria and um some of the other music um classrooms. Of note, we are also recommending a secondary referendum question um for the middle school that will address uh essentially a second story onto the addition um for an additional $10 million. Um so so you'd have theund 130ish million um initial referendum question and then a second one for an additional 10 million that would allow us to put a second story that would address the projected enrollment um that's um scheduled to hit the schools in uh hit the middle school in 2034

106and 2035. Next slide. Um so uh why did we make this recommendation? Um you know so we we looked at just like I told you guys last time in kind of what was informing us um you know the benchmarkings um which defined our priorities for programming facilities and and school security. Community feedback was a primary driver of our decision. um the school board uh priorities and guidance that that you guys provided and then the budget um um per the charge and u trying to keep it within that 70 to $130 million um capital budget. Um and then we learned so much through the process um that just continue to inform the decision and help I think every individual process that um information and make uh informed informed decisions. slide. Um, so from a cost perspective,

107um, you know, the this this option we we've got down to really two good options, right, frankly. Um, and last Monday we spent almost four hours in debate o over those two options. Um we quickly we started the night with I think four options and very quickly got down to to the two most viable ones and then debated for quite a while. Um at the end of the night, right, this um this recommendation addresses the community feedback of to keep neighborhood schools. Um and so uh the vote, our vote really aligned with that last survey. Um it was not a unanimous decision in committee but um it was certainly aligned with sort of the community feedback um with you know stronger support towards the neighborhood school option for the primaries um and also you know

108kept it within that 130 million um option with by splitting the question that allows at least the initial referendum question to come in within that budget that the community said they were comfortable with. Um and so you know th those were some of the driving driving factors um to why this was selected over the consolidated school. Um and then as far as why are we fully replacing Eight Corners um to to stay on the Eight Corners lot, right? It it allows us to really um reset that school um from a from a longevity perspective, long-term value uh rather than doing um addition and renovation there as well. Um we couldn't replace all the schools off all obviously um but that one was the best situated um to accept a larger school to um deal with

109the with the upcoming enrollment. Um I let's go to the next slide. I think that um I think I'll address all the other stuff. Um so this was the benchmarking element. So you know kind of you guys have seen this throughout the course. Um this was actually I think put together in SBA one and then sort of modified over the last 18 months but but you know ratified by the by the committee and by you guys um at the beginning of SPback 2. Um so what did we what did we leave on the cutting room table uh cutting room floor I should say? Frankly we hit most of these benchmarking um standards and so uh where you see I'll highlight kind of where the X's are. So playground fields um uh to DOE standards. So

110at the two um there are small missing um outdoor uh facilities that that you just don't have space for. So um uh I think it's a hard a hard skate playground um at at Bluepoint Pleasant Hills um like that. Um things like that. And then um the at the middle school the minimum enrollment standards uh that's where that second referendum question comes in. So there's an X and a check mark in that box. Uh moving on to um adequate number of classrooms. So we do have adequate number of classrooms at Bluepoint and Pleasant Hill. But to do that um what we did was ex we um increased the classroom size to 24 students. So the the classroom ratio. So that that's why um that that's an X, but it does meet all of the enrollment

111standards. And then again the middle school the second floor addition makes um would would what would is what would enable uh the the enrollment numbers in 2030. Just a clarify piece of that. We increased the enrollment at Wentworth um to 24, but at these primaries utilizing the existing schools, some of those classrooms are slightly under size in comparison to the DOE standard. So that that's where that came in. Thank you. Okay. So just to be clear, our our internal student um number per classroom isn't changing for the elementary the K2 schools. not for the K22 schools, but for Wentworth School to make that project uh to shave uh literally $7 million off of that project. Um we made the hard decision to change the class size um ceiling to 24 at Wentworth instead of 22.

112again that because we still have early data on what actual birth rates are. We know that that will be a a 2-year problem. Um whether or not that it exceeds that and becomes more of a long-term problem. Um, but again, I think uh within this project, we had to make some tradeoffs. And I think that was an an important trade-off for us to make knowing that year overyear that would most likely not be the average class size. And I think uh Diane worded that really well. We talked about it quite a bit at ESPback as well. It's a ceiling. So it may not be that every class every year is at that 24 jump. It's um it's really just the cut off. So, we may still see classes under that. Um, it's just allowing our

113ceiling to go up by two. Thank you. Uh, next slide. Um, so tax impact, this was obviously a significant driver of the decision. And so this first chart, um, I know it's an eye chart on the screen. Um uh this is actually also available on on the website. But so this one shows you the tax impact for the first referendum question of 129.85 million. Um so on my right I don't know it's on your right too. On the right is sort of what our assumptions that go into the model and then the table on on the left um is sort of what that tax impact will be year-over-year. So, if you look at the first 10-year average, well, if you look at the lifetime average of it, it's 386 um per year for a a

114home currently assessed at 600K. And then we break it up into 10-year chunks. So, um you can look at the data that way as well. Uh next slide. And this is the um what it would be for that additional 10 million. So, that's approximately a 30 $30 per year average tax impact for that $10 million addition to get the second second floor on the middle school. And then the next slide combines the two of those together um for a total impact of $416 per year over the life of 30 years. And obviously again you can look at it in tint your chunks depending on how you how you think about your taxes. Slide. Um, so I think I'll pause for just a second and and ask any questions and then I'm going to get into

115site layown and kind of what the project actually um what the details of of the recommendations. So macro view any questions of what we've talked about so far? And really quickly just so I can like level set the expectations for the community because this is a different format for us. This is a joint opportunity for town counselors as well as the school board. So we are voting tonight. the council would be voting on a recommendation on July 16th. So, this is an opportunity for all of us. So, um any questions from either body so far? Good. Okay. All right. Um so, starting with uh eight corners, um which is really where we're going to see the the biggest construction project will happen there. Um I one thing I I did mean to mention earlier is

116um worth noting our plan and our recommendation is to u have simultaneous construction across all five schools and um I have a later slide that you'll see sort of what that timeline looks like but just for everyone's awareness that is um part of the recommendation is that this construction happens in parallel rather than in series um uh to get through the the construction in the shortest period of time but the largest project will be at the eight corners site. Um this is a phased approach and so um what you see on the screen here is sort of the layown of where the the first phase of the new school will be and then where the existing school how it kind of abuts the existing school. So you can sort of see how you will have

117ongoing school and students in in the in the existing structure while construction happens to build this first phase. Um, and then once that's done and the students move over and then you can start working on the on tear down the the existing school and rebuild it. Next slide. And so here's sort of what the overall um site plan looks like overlaid on top of of that lot. And so you see sort of when when construction's finished, that'll be the footprint of the school, the parking, and the bus loops um within that slide. And so here's the the bubble diagram for the school. Um again, the red sort of phase line down the middle shows you where the existing school is and where the phase one construction would be. Um and so uh I think it's

118really important to highlight because I know that there there's certainly some concern around, you know, students in construction zones, right? So um there will be construction zones on the schools and there will be education zones on the schools and never the two shall meet, right? And so, um, it there you won't have your kids walking through active construction zones. They will be very clearly separated through fencing and all the safety procedures and protocols to keep students kind of away from the active construction zone. Um, so it'll be on the same lot. It'll be a budding the buildings, but the kids will not be work, you know, going through active construction zones. And so that's sort of where we see here. Um this is this is uh on on the existing site where your school where

119students will be while phase one is being built. Slide same story. Uh this is the second story of the bubble diagram for that addition or for the new school. And then um once phase one is done and students are over there and then this is when phase two construction will start with the parking and everything else. Just wanted to point out Lisa too that you were mentioning that um the administration and the school board will have very detailed plans on the on these phasing plans around um safety and um the educational impact making sure that the administration is participating in that. Yeah, Larry, that's a that's a really good point. We've um we've been through similar phase construction with many neighboring districts. Portland, Yarmmouth, Kenny Bunk, they've all gone through occupied phase renovation projects. Um

120and those are just the ones right around here. Um there's many more, but what we do is we come up with a phased um plan that we review with leadership. Um and we talk about how um it will happen. They'll review that with staff. They let parents know what to expect. Um, and then once the construction has happened, uh, the leadership and the and the contractor are in constant communication about things that are happening, whether it be construction related or school related. We even have in the specifications that anything that is to cause, you know, uh, loud noises or things like that need to be coordinated or shut off of power. certainly need to be coordinated with the school as to not to disrupt schools. So we make sure we have testing schedules and things

121like that in the hands of the contractor. So it is a very um welllaidout plan that is reviewed with everyone um and uh it starts with with safety and works all the way down to plans for packing up classrooms and and moving students and such. Next slide. And this is the second floor again. And then moving on to Bluepoint. So the onetory edition um a small a small onetory edition on the um that's the east side of the building and then the addition out back that will go um sort of into the fields there. Um, next slide. As well, uh, the bus loops obviously are changed as well. And here's the bubble diagram. Um, so just the hash marks indicate minor renovations. So that's, you know, um, paint, carpet, flooring, things like that. And then

122some of the more major renovation is the the slanted lines. Um, and then the bubble diagram for the addition and Pleasant Hill. Um, so this is the current site plan for Pleasant Hill. Um, I had I had prepared my talking points on this slide to sort of um just make you aware that uh this site has some contention um in the community there in Pleasant Hill because um this as it's on the screen will require a um basically a clearcut of the trees. um late breaking kind of just about an hour ago, uh Haramman was able to rework this site and provide us with um an updated layown that actually retains a lot of that vegetation and and um um it moves the parking lot and sort of um does some different things. And so

123I don't know that it's you know I obviously I don't have it on the slides today, but I do just I think it's a great example of sort of this will evolve, right? So what we're showing the public and what we're showing you guys today is is the you know high level design for budgetary reasons as concerns come up as detailed design um evolves you'll see these site plans evolve a little bit. Um, I think what we saw today was a good example of that where, you know, we we had the community kind of come back to us, um, with particularly concerned about the trees and the vegetation on this site and Haramman um, was able to rework that and, um, I'm sure we'll have it ready to share with you guys shortly. But, um,

124so, uh, hopefully we've that site plan is is, um, you know, to everybody's liking and we'll we'll alleviate some of those concerns about the clear cutting on that slot slide. And here's the bubble diagram um for Pleasant Hill. So, this is a a one-story addition as well as u minor renovations. Charlie, I'm wondering if you can just uh speak to I know that we had a lot of people ask questions during building committee about um the inter the interior courtyards and and how you know at first glance that that might not appear to be the best use of a tight layout. Um, but I think it actually probably does serve purpose, right? Can you speak to that a little bit? Lisa can probably speak to it better than I um because I was the one

125that kept asking that question over and over again. So, I'll let the expert I'll let the expert answer it. That was a good question. So, on on this one, we actually this is multiple schemes we looked at for Pleasant Hill. And so, we arrived at this scheme really thinking about how to be creative about the phasing. You have existing portables on site. That's that blue dash line that's kind of right in the center. I don't know if I have a I can probably my here. Um, so your portables are right here. And so we thought about how would we do this to where we can preserve the portables during phase one. So we have the whole idea is thinking about making sure we have space for all the different classrooms in the different phases. And

126so then the contractor would essentially take this portion and build that first and then we would have enough spaces with this addition in the existing school for all the classrooms to where they can then take the portables down and build this second. So with the courtyard, what we were able to do was essentially instead of having this much longer addition that was going back into the site, impeding more of the play areaing more of the trees, we were able to wrap it back around to connect to the existing building. It does two things. It makes the circulation a lot more um easy to navigate. So when you're going through the school, you're going in a circular motion in this courtyard. and you can have uh points where you can see out into that courtyard so

127you kind of understand where you are at all times. What we have found too um uh postco there's been a big push to learn outside in a lot of school districts and we've seen a lot of school districts use courtyards and especially these that are kind of more of an intimate size as a secure outdoor learning space. Um Lysath Elementary in Portland is a great example of that. They have uh through their addition renovation created two smaller courtyards and they push out into those spaces all the time. And what's nice is you're surrounded by the building so you don't have to worry about, you know, students wandering off to different locations. Um so it does two things. One, it makes um it allows us to preserve more of the site around the building. It allows

128us to have easier navigation and it provides more daylight into the building. Thank you. That's exactly what Charlie was. Tip of my tongue. Thanks. He just didn't want to, you know, take all the Yeah. Yeah. He's very humble like that. It's a it's a team approach here. Um so the Wentworth school, so uh just that small one-story edition basically to add the three classrooms required for that that student population come in in um in the late 2020s. Slide. Um, and so there you see in the red box is where those classrooms will be, uh, relative to the rest of the bubble diagram. Slide and then the middle school. And so, um, the portables get removed, the sixth grade portables as well as the, um, I think those are just being used for storage. Storage portable.

129Storage portable. So, both of those get removed. Um the one-story edition um on the other side of the gym there um will house music and classrooms and then uh the main entry gets redone as well as the cafeteria. And uh next slide. So I just want to be really clear because we're going to show a couple different iterations of this. So this is option 1.2 which is what the committee is recommending go forward on the main referendum question and then I'll go through sort of what option one is. That is what that additional $10 million question is. So, this option for the main referendum again has that one-story addition over uh on the other side of the gym, classrooms, music spaces. Um so, we relocated the music that's currently abing the cafeteria over there, which

130allows us to expand the cafeteria to support the the student population that that is there now and expected to to grow. And then the main entry um addition. And then you have some minor and um minor renovations along the way as well. Slide. And this is the so in option 1.2 there is no second floor in the addition. In the addition and then option one uh go ahead to the next one. Same layout on the first floor. The only difference is that this option has a larger music room for the third music space and a PE classroom that option one.2, right? Yep. Thanks. And then that's the second floor on the addition for those extra classrooms and that is for what the projected would be 23rd floor. So uh implementation schedule high level um kind

131of project schedule what what are we looking at at so um final design through 2026 um this all of course assumes a a successful referendum um and then it goes out to bid in Q1 of 27 uh with construction starts um in Q2 across all all locations. Um the three primary schools go out to um the end of Q3 29. Wentworth being the the shortest uh construction timeline is done uh Q2 of 28. And then the middle school depending on which option you go with the middle school goes through um 2028 potentially into 29 if you do the second floor. Sorry. staff costs. Um so these are uh at full student capacity. Um at the three neighborhood schools um you're looking at about 15 million um per year in staffing costs. Um and then utility

132costs. Um at Bluepoint you're about 129. The Acorn school we won't know yet are the the new school 140ish and then at Pleasant Hill about 134,000. So about 400,000 a year in uh utility costs. Um estimated off-site costs and obviously there's there's these are these are built into the estimates today. These are what we expect um as you get into a project. Obviously things can come up um but what what we would expect for off-site construction or off-site cost. So, a sidewalk um from the Gorm Road intersection to the Eight Corners School, uh drainage, crosswalk striping, um a hybrid pedestrian beacon at that crosswalk, um a dedicated right and left turn lanes. Um I tried to make a left on MSI today at 4:30. That was a mistake. Don't do it. Um and then, uh

133mom would interrupt to say a traffic light. There's a light coming. Light coming, but it's not going to say the same. It's not there yet. Um, but as I was sitting at the light, I was thinking a light's not enough, right? Glad to see that. I was I was had to remind myself that this is in in here, too. So, a dedicated turn lanes there. Um, and then um and then the contingency goes up with these costs as well. So, um and then at Pleasant Hill um additional sidewalks as well, drainage, crosswalk striping, um that beacon. Um, so you're um about a 1.2 1.3 million in off-site costs. Next slide. So what comes next? Why this keeps beeping? Um, so assuming uh you guys accept this recommendation, it goes to town council um later in

134July and then um campaigning and off to referendum. So, um I I'll I'll just close with um a a couple of things as far as, you know, and I know you have an agenda item tonight as far as um amendments to our charge. Um and I I mentioned it on Monday, but um I think that the committee as currently uh stood up has fulfilled its charge. Um, I would recommend that ESPback 2 be disbanded um and a task force or a communications um or campaign um committee kind of get created um bring in some different different expertise, people who have different skills and different interests and in that kind of thing to help um with that. Um and then obviously I know there'll be another committee that needs to be formed um assuming a successful

135referendum to kind of go through the project plan as well. But as far as immediate sort of what happens next for the SBA, that's that's my recommendation. Very good. Thank you. Um let's um open up to any questions, any thoughts, any discussion among us um right now. Is there anybody that has something right off the bat? Are you raising your hand behind your computer? Well, I'm waiting to see someone else raises their hand first, but I can I can Please, we would love for you. ask. Well, first, you know, I just want to thank you guys. I want to thank you guys for your leadership in this. Like there's nobody can deny that this wasn't an excellent process that was done fairly rigorously and I think with all good intentions. I did watch your guys

136meeting last week. It was the first one I ever watched. I can't watch all these. But I did watch last week and I was just so impressed by the different opinions that were there, but two how um professional, constructive, respectful everybody was. Like I think it's just to me it makes me proud to see when something like this hard is is before us that people are able to come together and work through it. And I think that's really a testament to both of your leadership for being chair and vice chair of the committee. So, thank you both for everything you did and all the staff support and everything. I have a couple questions that I'm hoping you can answer. So, when you were showing the the numbers, was that just the construction impact to taxpayers

137and what about the operating costs that are are likely to increase because of the solution that was selected? Yeah. Uh, good question. So, yeah, those numbers reflect the the capital project costs only. Um, and the operating costs actually don't increase. They stay the same, right? Because, um, I mean, one school is a little bit bigger, so you might have, you know, some more teachers or whatnot, but, um, essentially, right, we have five schools today. We'll have five schools at the end of the project. So, not a substantial change to operating costs where when we were looking at operating costs, we were looking at it from the, um, from the perspective of of the savings if you went to a consolidated school. And so with this recommendation, you don't realize those savings and operating costs, but

138um stay fairly stagnant. I mean, Diane's the expert on it, but I think Yeah. I mean, I think what uh was shared during committee was um exactly what Charlie said that if uh the committee had chosen to go ahead with the consolidated option, there would have been staff savings um because everybody would have been under one roof. And so um it was brought forward as that was how much we would be saving. If we were saving money from task from staff costs then that would be a lift from taxes, right? um we're going to grow. And so again, you know, there's there's not a promise for the future that like we're going to maintain the same number of students and the same number of teachers and the same number of programs, right? But what we

139did in this process was to say if we had the 843 students that we expect to have at the primary level, how much will it cost if we do it at three sites versus how much will it cost if we do it at one site? And so that's where that came into the tax impact. Okay. Just sorry, one clarifying point. Those are all based on today's dollars also. Correct. Yeah, that was based on like FY26 um staff um salary and wages. Great. Um you you for the eight corners option, you had mentioned Charlie that there's expansion room. I saw some expansion on some of the other grass, but I didn't see it on the eight corn or yeah, the eight corners. You don't have it on the diagram, but we can add that if you

140want. And what what kind of expansion potential does that site have? Um, we just showed an area where you could expand. You can get more detailed on that as to, you know, number of classrooms or things like that. Can I add on to that because I had a very similar question. I I saw the expansion at um point. I didn't see it at Pleasant Hill and I didn't see it at 8 corners. So, you spoke to eight corners. What about Pleasant Hill? Yeah, there's also the ability, we had shown a addition off of um and maybe it's not in this diagram, but it was one of the earlier ones on Pleasant Hill to where at the top corner of that U courtyard, there was room for expansion as well. So, all three sites have room

141for future expansion. Does it still fit with the ones? This we haven't seen the as of an hour ago. I'm sorry. The new site, the new site as well. And then um you know I know one of the things right now that can be a challenge for folks is pickup and drop off at the different schools. So having all locations under construction at the same time like what what can parents and people expect that experience is going to be like during this time period and how are we preparing for that? It sounds like we have it figured out for what it's going to be like for the kids at the school, but traffic during those peak hours, I think, is going to be a concern for many people, especially if we have multiple places like

142Pleasant Hill Road, Blueoint, Mussy, like these are all pretty hightraic areas during the commuting hours. So, I'm just curious like what is how are we going to manage that and make sure that it's Yeah. So I'm I'm gonna give it an attempt and then I'm gonna deflect again to the experts. But but because we did ask some of these questions um and essentially what what will happen is um in the in the project planning phase um once you get into that we'll start to look at the the that group the project team will look at those specific problems um and develop solutions around those unique areas timelines and things like that. So, um, and and I would suspect that that those traffic patterns will shift as construction shifts and the phasing happens and things like

143that. And each time that that project team will have to kind of look at it and figure out how we how we move um parents and buses through those zones during that time. Yeah. And again, I would just add that um, you know, this this was only voted on last week, so this is still really fresh. you've already heard this evening that we're, you know, that that we've got a great firm that is continuing to look at how do we maximize the footprint on each of the spaces. And so, you know, what you're asking about are legitimately the next steps or the next iteration in this work, if you will. I just think those are also going to be the questions that No, exactly. And again, like here we are, we're in June, John, right?

144respectfully and you know we're going to be communicating out about this project from now until November. And so, you know, um we want to be making sure that we're not just slapping together a plan that says, "Oh, here's how we can do this on an interim basis." We want to be thoughtful about that. But I feel really confident that as we move forward with a communications plan that that that we will have had time to develop that. Yeah, I think I I think that's fair and I think that's appropriate. I'm just trying to think of like as this goes out, what are people going to be asking? Absolutely. And you know, saying we'll have a plan for that. I think won't be things that people will want. If we were saying that in November, don't

145worry, we'll have a plan for that. I would agree with you. We're in June. Nice question, Diane. Thanks for asking. I I would just add that we will we'll work with folks to come up with initial plans and then once a contractor is on board, they have even more ideas at how we might do it even more efficiently and things like that. So, we will come up with a plan, but it will not necessarily be set in stone. It will be, you know, continuing to be bettered throughout the province. I would just encourage you guys maybe in your process to engage with the transportation committee just because I know they they feel strongly that they would love to be involved in this. So yeah, just to have a meeting with them to get their feedback,

146I think would be a great way to kind of hear from some people who one are experts in this and but also our Scarbor residents will have strong opinions. So I think that would be something to consider as a as a next step. Yep, it's a great idea. Those are all the questions I had extra. Fair enough. Um, I have another I have one that's traffic that's very different. Yeah. Um, so I actually wanted to talk about the X marks that you had. There was only a couple, but one of them is Blueoint School, which I live next to. And so I carried over some of the concerns that I had from the first one. And I noticed that you um you're adding the you're adding an additional loop for for driving. And I mean,

147I understand that it's absolute chaos at at during pickup time. And this I think I'm wondering I mean, I would imagine that's because more people are driving now than they used to. And so I'm wondering and I'm concerned that we're maybe more accommodating that practice as opposed to the buses where that X mark is us eliminating a playground, right? Um not eliminating. So essentially it just says there isn't a hardcape play area which doesn't exist there right now. Playground up front on Bluepoint is that being eliminated for the bus being relocated. Being relocated the picture back up, right? Yeah. And I think that that was what I wanted to clarify with because I think last time they were eliminating it and only doing one. So how do you not meet the X what why is

148there X mark? The only reason there is because if we go by the DOE standards there's a hardcape as in like asphalt basketball space that is not shown in the diagram and so that's why that X is on that. Is that what you're referring to where the kids play basketball and do all that hardcape area? No, I was thinking the upper playground. playground because I think the first round and I apologize. I think that's what they had done. And then I think generally I think I'm curious if residents understand the compromises that are made when it says we want to keep we want to keep the neighborhood schools because you know especially with like classroom size. I think that's one of the things that I think for me was great about Scar Bro and I

149don't know if we're going if that's a huge shift. Yeah. I'll just say the classroom sizes are what they are right now. So it's in Blue Point for example keeping the same size classrooms when in DOE they're actually saying to be a little bit larger and the new ones will be that size. Um so that's the difference between the two sizes. Yeah. As far as the broader question, you know, do people understand the tradeoffs? Um I think the people in the committee do and the people that have been very very engaged, right? There's been a small contingency of of residents who have come to every meeting. One of them's in the room right now. Max, thank you for being here. Um or dialed into almost every meeting. They've offered their comments and those folks I

150think certainly understand the trade-offs. Um I think that um you know these bodies have a requirement now to help everybody understand all all of those trade-offs. The fact is that the people that you know in the committee uh who understood those trade-offs accepted them right um as I've as I've said before right when everything's the priorities nothing's the priority and so we had to look at what you know what doesn't make the cut and what does right and so the community was pretty clear in their feedback to us that they wanted to maintain neighborhood schools and the cost of that in some cases is trees at Pleasant Hill or increased traffic at certain areas you Um those are those are trade-offs that we just had to accept. So um and then also I feel like

151this will be a question because I've actually already been asked it. Um the first run we had I felt like that was represented with the consolidated school was this is the most fiscally responsible decision that we're going to be making. But that was 180 million. And we're sitting here today and we're saying we can do this now for 130. And I just I'm having a little bit of a disconnect I guess and I don't know where they Okay. Sorry, 160 down to 130 where I don't know if it's just because in the first round this this option just got eliminated early or if we just got really creative and somehow this now is the most affordable option. So there are people here who were intimately part of the first the first process. Go ahead, Charlie.

152So when we when we developed the previous refer referendum, the school board had already made the decision to hire Haramman to build a consolidated school. And so there was at that point in the decision-m process, the committee had made their recommendation to the board and the board had made that recommendation prior to getting into this next level of consulting with Haramman. And so at the time when we said this is the most fiscally um responsible decision that we could be making a it was based on the site that we that was also selected by that committee and it was also based on that outcome which was the recommendation coming out of the board was to do a consolidated school. At that time we had done a business case to compare operating um the a four

153school model and that option was eliminated due to cost constraints. Okay. Thank you. I have some clarification questions on that. So my understanding was was the same as Karen's which is when we went with the business plan last time that was most fiscally responsible using the cost savings from taxes. So people are going to experience are paying larger tax bills in the future because of the lost operating cost. So the school budgets year-over-year for the 30 years these schools are in operation. The tax bills are going to be higher from the slides I looked at on the building sites $190 to $200 per household on average because we're not consolidating. So I think Karen if that I think that's what you might be talking because that's what I think about when I think about school

154budgets which I think about a lot particularly in March of every year of the last few years of my life. Um, people are very concerned about their property taxes. And so what it looks like to me, the decision that was made, at least from my viewing of the meeting last Monday, was that they would rather not pay the extra 300 30 $30 million between the option to consolidate and the option to maintain these three schools knowing that they're going to lose money in the future. So we're going to our taxpayers in the future are going to pay more money every year on their tax bills. based on this plan because they're going to save money in this bond and they're going to maintain the neighbored schools. But the the the fact is that you're going

155to expend a large amount to either build build rehab the two schools and build a consolidated school at 8 corners, which is what this plan is. And as an eight corners parent with Acorners neighbors, I heard a lot about their feelings on that, which I'll get to in a minute. But there is going to be pay. We are going to pay more in the future year-over-year because of this plan as opposed to the savings realized by not consolidating. Be really clear. People's tax people's people are going to pay for the bond no matter what schools built and they're going to lose the ability to save on their their money yearover-year for the next 30 years. So, their tax bills will be higher by about $200 on average per household every year because of this choice.

156And and to speak to something you just said, I I am confident that that fact was discussed and understood um by the building committee and that the recommendation moved forward um with that information in mind as one of those trade-offs that Charlie had mentioned. So I think that's totally fair to say. Yeah, I understand that. But I just hear a lot of like well it's not like kind of softening this business case. But I want to say the business case remains the same. Well, I just wanted to clarify that what was compared during the business case of the previous referendum and comparing the new acorners option that we're presenting this evening versus a consolidated school are not really apples to apples. That that business case was really specifically a four school model designed to have

157something to compare to the consolidated school during the previous referendum. I I think to Freigh's point though, the conclusion is still the same regardless of what we're comparing. And I think I think that's the choice that the residents have said they want. They would rather pay a premium to maintain their community schools or at least that's the assumption I think we're all making. That is the information that came across from all the surveys, right? Uh was that there was an ongoing theme, although not an overwhelming majority. Um there there was an edge. um that the neighborhood schools clearly had over the consolidated project. But again, we did do our due diligence to um work all of that out to make sure that that we were fairly representing um you know, here is the list of

158options and this is how much each of them would cost, not just initially for startup costs, but then also for ongoing costs, right? and um you know to speak about you know I think what resonated for the committee meeting after meeting was you know this this heavy weight of we are committed to finding a solution that will pass with the voters and um and in ongoing discussion that the feedback uh that they that is being received from the community. It's it's not all and nothing, right? Like we have a very split community in terms of where people are feeling. And I do I think the SBAC in their survey development did a really good job of speaking to, hey, here are the operating costs. Here are your impacts. Um and to Frea's point, I will

159say the support for the neighborhood schools decreased as they were educated on those operating costs. So, this is a large concern for me right now as um the town gets educated. Do we lose support for that K2 solution um due to the higher operating costs that will be seen year after year? Um because at this point, we're setting ourselves up to, you know, we'll have a 30-year bond on this, but the operating costs perpetuate and only increase. So to to that point right on the survey I just think it's it's worth reiterating the last survey we did um every survey was came back consistently with higher much higher support for neighborhood schools and the last survey the way that we structured it where we um we asked about support and the neighborhood schools had the

160stronger one then we put cost in and neighborhood schools still stayed high then we put operating cost in and they evened out. Um um and so they evened out, but the neighborhood schools still had more support even with that operating cost. So to John, I think you you said it very clearly, right? It seemed the message that the committee got was that the the town is willing to pay a premium to keep the neighborhood schools. And I think that really is what won the day um in our debate last week, right? We we went round and round on these costs, right? what's the most fiscally responsible and things like that. And at the end of the day, I think that it came back to what does the town want? What do the voters tell us?

161Um, and we were committed throughout the the process to to listen to, you know, the community and what they said. And so ultimately, that's that's how this one came up. And just like the community, the committee was split. So, it was a very fair representation of the community, but the the neighborhood school did have the majority of the vote that came out of that. But I was really proud of the um transparency and and commitment of the committee members to um respectfully disagree and make their points of just like we are right here. And um I I think the for me personally the overriding factor was we were from the start really trying to listen to what the community said they wanted particularly um coming out of the shadow of the defeat of the previous

162referendum. If I can I just I like I just want to be really clear like I don't want people leaving this meeting who listen to this meeting to not understand that they are going to pay $200 more on average every year for this solution because that's really I don't want that hidden in the in the in the you know the intense desire to get this problem solved finally which I think everybody feels. I don't want it I want it to be really clear what people's choices are. to Lisa's point, I think um the last round of that survey did a great job of pointing that out to people. I do think there, you know, we're seeing that shift that Charlie was saying. You know, we're coming down on the operating costs. We're coming down slowly

163and then now we're getting feedback. We don't like certain locations. We don't like So, these are some of the concerns that I'm starting to see creeping up. I'd like to talk about the Eight Corners choice. Um I am an eight corners parent. I have Well, I was until last year. I should be, but I'm not. Um, I'm an Acorn's hidden blue parent. Um, but I live in Acorn Corners neighborhood and I have a lot of toddlers around me. I have two-year-olds like right around the corner. I have a kid that was born down the street. Um, their parents are beside themselves at the idea because what you're doing to eight corners is consolidating. You're doubling the size of that school only. So, you're maintaining two neighborhood schools. You're consolidating Eight Corners and you're building a

164very large a much larger school than what's there on a site that is not popular. People at Eight Corners don't like that site. We don't have a neighborhood school in the sense that you can walk to it or you can bike to it. It's banded by Payne Road on the left and 114 on the right. And I mean, my kids are not allowed to walk to school even though they live fairly closely and they're they'd never be able to bike to school. I wouldn't let anyone walk or bike on pain road. um you be playing chicken with your life, but that school is not I mean it's just the parents are emailing us about that site. They hate that site. The traffic is terrible. Miy Road is terrible. Um at at and it's doubling the

165number of parents at drop off and pickup. You know, the parking situation, you know, aggregate the parking is appropriate, but the parking is undersized for two of the schools including Acorners. And yet you're doubling the number of students there. And so what like I understand that you're saving money by not buying you property. Like I totally understand the why behind it, but how do I account to the parents whose kids are going to be impacted for their entire K2 education at their non-neighborhood school that's now doubled in size? What do you tell them because they're not feeling positive about this? Yeah. So I I'll take a stab at this one. I I first I'll say right personally I I I don't buy into the the neighborhood school title at all any either. Right. We live

166west of 95. We don't have a neighborhood school. My kids have a 40-minute bus ride to get to Blue Point. Right. Um so that is what it is, right? And and I think the committee well I know the committee selected eight corners um if the initially eight corners was selected to be relocated. Correct. Closed and relocated. Right. And once we learned about the challenges of the lots that were available, right, and we looked at 17 different lots, right, and they all had issues, they were all compromised. We narrowed it down to a select few um that we thought were the best options for us. And then um when we moved into the second phase of looking at those lots, we learned uh they had some other challenges, right, that we talked about before around the

167soil and things like that. And so, um, became from the committee's perspective unrealistic to hit. You just weren't going to hit the budget number if you moved eight corners onto a new lot. So, we looked again at Bluepoint and um, I'm sorry, at uh, Pleasant Hill, putting Pleasant Hill on town property somewhere, right? Relocating Pleasant Hill onto town property somewhere. That option also had challenges and issues um, and was good. even building new ontown property out at Blackpoint was going to be more expensive than rebuilding on Acorners. And so the constraints of our of our task to stay within a budget number and meet all of the um the benchmarking requirements meant that we had to make these hard decisions. And so essentially um as we we looked at all of those and it came

168back to the the the most um you know realistic option was to to do eight corners on eight corners. Um I think it ended up of all of those options eight corners on eight corners was 20 million 20 to 30 million under the other options. And so significant savings by doing it this way and and understanding that, you know, I don't think there's an option out there that was going to please the entire town. Um, and so we had to make had to make hard decisions. I I would like to add on a little bit here because I think um it's really important for us all. Um, both of these bodies really really value transparency. That is the cornerstone of this body. That is the cornerstone of your body. And this process has been incredibly

169transparent. Um, I think you peeled back the curtains really well. And so the trade-off you get when being really transparent is that you're inviting the public to watch you every step of the way. And so what I have told a parent that eight corners that I spoke to essentially um I'm going to paraphrase in my words what she felt. I felt that she was telling me it felt like a baited switch. And this is the downside to being super transparent, right? And it's important for us all to remember this is that when you invite someone in the process and you let them watch every single step of the way is you're getting new information. Your opinions might change, your recommendation might change because you are working with the information you have right now. So I

170think it's important that we all kind of just remember that piece. Um I think that you from what I heard from the committee, you were going in with the intention of moving eight corners. you got soil that reports that told you that is going to be really really expensive. And so because you got that information, the committee then made a different choice that was a little bit more in their minds fiscally responsible. And so um I I hate the impression that parents are left that it that it's a bait and switch or that they're not get they're they're on the losing end of something. I really hate that and I wish there was a way around it. I'm not sure how to get around it quite yet. um because this is the trade-off to being

171really transparent and being really open and allowing inviting the community to participate in the process. Yeah, I'll just say for go ahead from the bait and switch perspective because I I saw that email as well. Um, you know, in our defense to that to that question, you know, we did as soon as we knew this that we were going to have to bring in different options, right? We all of our meetings were public. All of our notes were public. And I came to you guys in in a public workshop and explained, hey, we were at two, we're back to six, right? We're two steps forward, one step or one step forward, two steps back kind of thing, right? That's and so tried to be as transparent in that process as we could. It's unfortunate that

172it seems that parent probably missed the meeting, right? which we had a lot of meetings and um and so you know certainly don't want anyone to feel that we did anything behind closed doors or or switched the plan without you know the public coming along. The fact is that that information came to us after the last public forum. Um and so you know the the best way we could get that information out was was here in this in this room. So I think the sentiment I the bait switch is not the email I'm referring to. I'm referring to other emails that have come in about Acorners and that site being very unpopular for a parent corner parents. But I think the problem is selling neighborhood schools for having small schools as being the selling point

173doesn't work when you're doubling the size of their school and keeping it in what's essentially a business park. I I just want to add if I can um similar to what Shannon just said, you know, our role as leaders in this community is to be calm when things feel chaotic all around us and to present facts and to be transparent. No matter what solution was proposed, voted on, and brought forward this evening, that's when we're going to start hearing from our residents. That's when we're going to start hearing concerns from our parents. It would not matter if it if a different decision had been made. Absolutely. We would the emails would start coming in. And so I just want to be, you know, have this moment of kind of like taking a breath and saying

174to each other and to the committee, there was no solution that was going to come forward that was going to be met with a parade and cheers and raising Charlie on a chair through the streets. Like I I know I was really hoping for that for you, buddy, but I just I just couldn't quite get us there. Um, and so at, you know, at this time when when the community is is going to be worried, they're going to have concerns. They're going to be reaching out to us and looking for answers. And it would not matter what solution we were bringing forward because this is going to impact our entire K12 population. It's going to impact all of our taxpayers in some way that is very personal. We are talking about people's children and there

175is nothing in my seven years of public service that will rile people up faster than something that is going to negatively impact our kids. And so I just want to remind everybody your these concerns that we're hearing from parents are valid. They their worries are not to be dismissed at all. But if we weren't impacting the parents at A Corners, we would be impacting the parents at Pleasant Health and we would just be hearing from a different set of parents with different concerns. And that is not again to diminish anyone's worries and concerns. I think all of us are committed to addressing those worries and concerns and and trying to meet people where they are. But I just I just want to make sure that everybody here is aware that this is not going to

176go quietly to referendum. No, I mean the public process as a matter of course is rooted in compromise. This isn't about winners and losers. This project won, this project lost, right? Um there's not one single proposal that checked all the boxes and and this committee has worked so diligently over 18 months. They have fulfilled your charge. um you asked us to put together the most diverse group possible and I can tell you firsthand having worked with that group for 18 months that is exactly who came to the table week over week. They are a microcosm of this community. If you look at survey results and you look at how people on the committee vote, they almost match up perfectly. Um, I will say when it comes to the middle school option, um, I am concerned

177about 1.2. Um, the charge does specifically say hopefully a long-term long-term solution for expected growth of student enrollment. And right now, based on the information we currently have, we'd have completion of the middle school 1.2 2 in Q3 of 2028 with an enrollment problem beginning in 2034. So that's a six-year gap that we're we're good before we're back here. And that's really concerning because I think our entire town is rightfully getting school referendum fatigue. And I I think it's it's worthy for both bodies to consider. It it was really necessary and ESPback, you know, brought it forward as the secondary question because we needed to get within our our charge, which they did a wonderful job flagging a place where they could get within our budget. But I think our bodies need to sit and

178really think about whether we need to move to the option one in order to meet our students needs um and not be back here and looking for another long-term solution or staring at portables. Yeah, I'd like to chime in if I could. Uh I ran for council of course to save money and the way the town has developed uh whenever they go for a project it's like it's something that we need this town hall and it didn't get voter approval. So then the next town council that come in made it that they have to get voter approval to a project this big. U because the people didn't want the threetory building. They only wanted two. We needed we had an old wooden town hall. It was basically the same town hall Cape has Cape Elizabeth

179and they still have the creaky wooden floors. It's not that bad. But anyway, we we got this and it's just huge. And when we get these projects, they turn out people say, "Oh yeah, we want this." And the committees approve it. Then the people like, "What the heck? The fire station." It's like we just had a brand new police station and fire station built over here. They had to have Betty's Diner. They had to buy that and expand a lot and it's all brand new and then they needed another new one and the people voted for it was first responders. They said, "Yeah, we'll do it." But again, the committee when the people saw what it was, it's like, "Wow." And it was just over the top. So that's what everybody's gunshy about. It's like,

180and then the consolidated schools, you know, everybody says, "Well, why are you going to do a consolidated school?" My point was is cost the support for it was because of the parents warning the neighborhood schools, which I think is a good thing. But my big thing was is I just can't see demolishing these perfectly good schools and buildings. Uh the Bessie school across the street was wasn't good enough to renovate to do the town hall or an aora school. It wasn't worth renovating. But the private sector has it. And those buildings are going to be there for hundreds and hundreds of years. It isn't like they're going to go away or they're going to go into the ground. I mean, build the ski shop, what used to be the ski shop next to McDonald's is

181the high school, Scott High School. It's still there and it, you know, you outgrew it. You had to build something bigger obviously and population grew, but the point is is just to demo these perfect good builds. So, the point is is the eight corner school uh to demo what's there. the portables maybe, but the building itself, I don't know for sure. I haven't been in, so I don't I I can't really speak to that. But from what I've seen of the other schools, the old junior high that I went to, my kids went to uh that was a really good building. It was very structurally sound, could have been there for hundreds of years, and we demoed it and built a whole new school. And they say about consolidation, it's like, uh, why can't you

182consolidate the three schools then? I don't know what the The extra expense is it utilities and heat or is it employees? You know, uh can you answer that part of the Are you asking for the extra cost to build a consolidated cons? Yeah. To uh consolidated is she's saying that it's cheaper. Okay. Uh to be consolidated than have the three schools. It's going to cost us a lot more money to have them. But I mean what's the consolidation? What does it do? What's the what's the savings consolidation? So what the point I was making is we're going to pay a big bond amount for whatever either rehabilitating the schools and building the third consolidated school or building a cons. We're going to have a big bond amount whether it's you know some people have said

18390 million 160 million whatever that you're going to have a big bond. We're going to pay that off. The cost of operating a school, 80% of it upwards is personnel. That's all personnel costs. When you have personnel split between three buildings, you have to have additional personnel. You have to have three school nurses all day during the day. By law, we have to have those. If you have one school, you have one school nurse. Okay? To have three principles. Every building needs to have a leader. You have one school, you can consolidate some of those administrative costs. teachers. So, we have part-time librarians, we have part-time music teachers, we have part-time teachers who do specials. When you have them going three different places, you pay more to cover the same hours because they have to

184be there during the school day. The hours are the same. And so, you have a lot more personnel costs. And so, if you're able to consolidate those schools, you're able to less people, but also utilities. You if you build a new building, it's more efficient than any re if you ever I'm sure you've done some rehab on something at some point. Rehabbing an old building is less efficient than you're ever going to get when you build new. You can just there's efficiencies you can build in, right? So, and I the buildings look sound, but I encourage you to to look at them and and talk to school administration. They were very generous about giving tours. Those buildings have significant issues that are not that are very expensive. They're at the end of their life. And

185so, there's going to be a substantial cost to rehab them. We're going to pay a substantial cost no matter what the solution is. Right. My my concern is I want people to be clear that if they want to keep their neighborhood schools, their two neighborhood schools, consolidate my neighborhood school, then they're going to pay more on their taxes every year to operate those three schools. And that's in the materials from this aspect more. But you can consolidate. You can just say we're going to have a traveling principal. You know, it's like we're consolidating three schools. Uh we heard this about over here. We heard it about the Bessie School. wasn't the private sector bought it and now it's sort of elderly housing and it will be there again like I said for hundreds of years

186and it was very efficient for them to do and they did it you know so my point is is with the aona school uh the one thing that I disagree with is demoing the original building that's there I think I'm wondering what we could save again if we keep that you know if you have to add on you're going to add on the new addition in the front. But if you kept the older part, how much savings would it be to keep the old building? Because I can't imagine demoing the cost of demolition and carrying everything off and building all new is cheaper. Yeah, we're gonna we're going to check the numbers because that was have that number. Yeah. One of the one of the final options on last Wednesday when we had our vote,

187one of those that had survived was just do renovations at all three schools, right? Um I I don't want to misrepresent what that cost difference is. So I'll wait for her to to get it. But I will tell you that the sentiment in the room kind of the reason that that one didn't uh lost out to rebuilding was in terms of value. It wasn't you weren't saving enough, right? The offset was you were getting way more value by building the new school. Um, so whatever that difference is, the committee felt like, yeah, that's, you know, it's negligible in the in the grand scheme of $130 million project, right? And you're going to get a brand new building, a brand new school, and all the efficiencies that Freya just sort of talked about, right? Um, rather

188than having to, right, the schools today are about an R3 insulation value. So, we're going to go through and do all of that work to, you know, at the two at the other two schools to insulate an air seal and try to help with with some of those efficiencies. It was worth it to just um the committee felt it's worth it to just spend that extra um I it was less than 10 million. Was it six six or seven? Six and somewhere between six and thank you. 5.9 million. So, for five for six million, the committee felt let's get a new school. And the other piece about that is eight corners school um has the largest number of portables, right? So there are 20 classrooms and 10 of those are portable classrooms. And so you

189know that is different than the scenario at the other two schools. And that is the biggest footprint of land that we have as well. when you when you're looking at the three K2 schools that we have, Eight Corners does have the most land available and it aligns with where most of the growth is happening in West Scar Bro, right? So, it wouldn't uh necessarily make the most sense to say we're going to rebuild a giant school where Pleasant Hill is because we know that is not the area of town where new growth is happening. Um, which thank you because I was actually just about to go back to Freigha's point about one you use the term we're consolidating at eight corners and um I think because of the 2023 referendum consolidation has um a negative

190connotation in town, right? So, and when anybody wants to say something bad about schools, you say it's consolidated, right? We're not consolidating eight corners. We are expanding it certainly, right? We're making that be a bigger school. The reason for that is what Diane just said. We actually looked at the growth trends. Um the site selection committee looked at the growth trends around town. Where do we expect the highest population growth and it was around the eight corners area right out west and things like that. And so that's why that was another factor in why that site was chosen for an expanded larger school. So it's not consolidated. It is certainly larger. Um it never really had a neighborhood feel to it anyways. And so if you're going to rebuild onsite, um, that made the most

191sense to do it there anyways. So, so I I want to disagree with something that April said. I do I do think we should create a parade for Charlie and I think, you know, I mean, to be honest, and Diane said it too, like this is all about compromise. And, you know, I think we're all feeling what everybody in this community is going to feel. There's something in this that I don't like. There's something in it that you're not going to like. But at the end of the day, you know, we need to do something better for our students than they have right now. And I think the work that you guys did, I think is the best solution likely that we're going to get to with our community. Um, the thing I'm a little

192bit I I wouldn't say it's a concern. I think it needs a little bit more thinking, which is how do we bring this to the ballot? You guys had one big question of 130. I think one of the things I learned last time when we went with one big question of 160, you know, people and I think some people who are on the committee even said they didn't take the time to really understand what that was. And there was one person I was talking with just a couple weeks ago who still thought the last solution was a K through8 consolidated solution. And I'm just like, ah. And so I love the transparency of the slide that shows kind of the breakdown of each element. Um, I just I don't know one big question if that's

193going to be in the best interest or not. I'm not I'm not sure. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. But that single ballot question of 130 makes me feel a little uneasy based on the experience last time and how people might interpret what that actually means and yeah, what we put on the actual ballot itself. I strongly agree with John. I'm very concerned about it. I think the um K2 solution could fail for many reasons. Um and I think there's just more consensus around our middle school issue. Um, and I think going to ballot with one large question, um, may lead to the middle school where there are safety concerns and there we're putting money into fixing up a portable um, that the sixth graders are in. And, you know, we're not putting our money

194into a building that's going to stand forever. We're putting our money into a portable that we're all planning to hopefully replace. We've I guess I'm confused because I don't think there's anything about rehabbing portables. Well, we changed out the um desks I believe in the um port the six portable. We've changed out the flooring in the You're talking about money we're spending today. Yes. We have While we're waiting about We're like, we're not recommending to rehab portables. While we await this referendum being passed, we have to give our students a place to learn. So therefore, we're putting our money into a portable that we're hopefully based on our charge hoping to replace. So therefore, I'm I'm really concerned about leaving this as one large chunk and not being able to separate them out because I

195I do think there's consensus in this town that the middle school can move forward. I think a lot of the contention is around the K2 solution. Um so I I agree. I I do think there's a um I have a strong preference to separating these out, but So, can I go first? Yes. You're going to say it better than I will, but I want to just might have a different idea. I um I'm I'm just going to strongly disagree. And since you guys gave me a charge to and a seat here um to make recommendations, I'm I'm going to do that. Um, I think that if you and obviously it's it's the town council's job to come up with referendum questions and I I won't pretend to know that process better than you guys do,

196but I will say if you if you split the questions along each grade or each school, um, I think you run the risk of getting a very partial solution. Um, we've said in this room already tonight and I've heard from anecdotally from, you know, my circle of friends that have talked to me, there is extreme voter fatigue over this school process. And if the middle school passes and another option doesn't pass and then you're going to go back to referendum in November of 2026, um, those students are going to be here. You don't have time to keep kicking this down the curb, right? You you you've got it. This is this is the moment, right? And I think that you guys need to seize the moment. And I understand that it's not a perfect solution

197out of there wasn't a perfect solution, right? Um but but this is the moment to get this thing across. Um and the longer you wait, the less likely you are to get a full solution and the less likely you are to get a solution in time for this enrollment surge that we see coming. It'll cost and it's going to cost more. Yeah. just to to respond to that. We did that we did that two years ago and it failed and we got nothing. And so for me a partial solution is better than no solution. And I think that's the risk and I don't I don't know there's probably a lot of learnings from last time especially as you guys go communicate that if we go that path again. I'm just telling you it's it I'm

198worried that we're going to get the same outcome because 130 is a lot. It's a lot for people. And I think I just don't want to underestimate that when a person comes up to the polls, just like many people have said before that despite all the great communication education that was done, they just see that number and they make stuff up when they're voting and it's a big number. And so I just I think that's a risk that really needs some significant discussion. I don't think we're going to decide it tonight, but I just think it's something that, you know, would be wise to weigh the pros and cons because to me at least something is better than nothing. I completely agree and we tried like you said we tried to do this and it

199did in one big large chunk and it was a very different project and we have heard through community you know surveys that you know they didn't like the location last time they didn't like you know people are harping on the neighborhood schools they didn't like the neighborhood school there were three things at the top that really stood out in the um scarbor survey although I think if we put it all as one question, we risk making yet again no progress. And we have a mountain of a problem in front of us. If we put both up, can we get at least one? Can we chip away at this mountain and get some sort of progress or are we just going to keep throwing up massive numbers and massive projects to continually be shut down and

200construction's not going to get cheaper, developing the project is not going to get cheaper and the problem's not going to get go away because you're right, the students are coming. Um, but I think we there needs to be some form of progress forward. And my fear is that we're going to block all forms of progress just because the voters can't get behind part of it. So if I could just jump in for a minute. I understand that, you know, we are looking to solve multiple problems here and I, you know, I'm not discounting the fact that, you know, the middle school is among the schools that need corrections, but I cannot impress enough to each of you that the K2 the K2 problem is looming right at our back door. And you know, I think

201as school officials and school staff, we work diligently day in and day out to ensure that the needs of our students are being met. But I am here to say to you that we are not going to come up with any great short-term solutions for this K2 problem. I talked about that at building committee last week. I was really clear. You know, here's one option. uh let's increase class size at K2. How palatable will that be for citizens in this community? I think probably not so much. Um that's one solution. Another solution that I brought forward at the meeting last week was well, let's start scouring where within our buildings do we have empty spaces. Maybe we could put two second grades at the high school and a kindergarten class at the middle school and

202a third grade class or a different grade somewhere else. I don't think that the community would accept that as a solution. No one wants their kid to be in the minority and not with their peers. I shared a very personal story at the building committee last week because when I was in elementary school, my school was overcrowded and I was among the hundred kids that were sent to a basement in a uh different location, ostracized from the rest of my peers and all of the services that I needed to be successful as a student. Our students deserve better than that. Here's my third solution that I've come up with since last week. Let's add some more portables in Scar Bro. There are not better solutions for the students we know have already been born in

203this community whose families took root in this community because of the fantastic school district that we have. And I'll just one last point on this, right? Um because I think I think it's it's worth mentioning the last survey that we did we asked directly right would you support this option and it was the the two so it was the this essentially this neighborhood school option right would you support this and at the time on that survey it did have eight corners at a different at a different location right that was the only difference um but the cost was about the same and um about I don't have the data right in front of me but it was about 58% of survey respondents said yes to that Um, so it was a holistic solution presented to

204the to survey takers and about 58% said yes. That gives you any warm and fuzzy. Well, I mean, I feel I feel good about putting the H2 on the ballot. All I'm saying is how we pose it to voters. there's, you know, yeah, some ways to think about that that I think could improve the prospects of getting something. And again, I just worry 130 is still a really really high number for a lot of people. And um if if something passed, even if it is just the K through2, I don't I don't know what would happen. I just worry that that number itself is just going to be a huge hurdle despite all the hard work. So, I'd hate to see us back here and implementing what Diane just suggested because we're asking too much

205too quick from everyone. And even if something were to fail, a portion of it doesn't mean we don't go back in June. Doesn't mean like there are things that we do if that happens. Like my hope is that everything passes and we start building a school. But again with what's happening macroeconomically and you know just how people are right now like I think 130 million is not something people are going to take lightly. And I know um in Cape Elizabeth when they were going through their big bond, you know, there were a lot of people over there that I know who are are big school supporters um but they were also on fixed income and just were like, I hated voting no because I knew I needed to do it for the kids, but they

206just were afraid of getting pushed out of their homes. And so I think that's that's a real reality in Scar Bro that I think we have to think about as we put this forward. I think that was something we should have done a year ago and uh it would have created chaos in the fight between middle school, elementary schools. Uh that there would have been no clear message. Uh and that wasn't the charge that was given to us. So hearing this today, I'm going this is nuts. this this is not appropriate discussion that we should be breaking it up. Uh we've got uh uh uh a lot of problems with the schools and it would be a monumental argument as to which one should go forward. Uh I want mine well because I've got kids

207who are in the fourth or fifth grade. That's why I want it. you. It would be chaos and I'm really surprised that the discussion has gravitated in this way. I think it's quite inappropriate. Well, and I do I do think it's important too to keep in mind I don't think $130 million is nobody should take that. That is a huge number, right? It is it is very big. The problem I have when I when I'm listening to that is okay so we we've split the question we put one forward then what one passes one doesn't whatever the scenario is yes we can go back in June yes we can go back in November but every time we do that that 130 million becomes a bigger number so it's 130 million today in June it's 135

208million in November it's 140 million so I don't I don't want the message that anybody walks away with is that that number is going to somehow magically decrease because it's not. It's just not. And so that that's um that's just a very real reality of where we are. I guess I can when I think of like splitting the question, I don't think I'm thinking of I'm going to value the middle school first and put that and just ignore that we have kids on our backs and and K2 solutions that are required. I think it's just giving an opportunity for something to pass because there are there may be people who can support one and not the other. It may be financial. It may be, you know, I only wanted a consolidated and there's a neighborhood

209on. There may be, you know, vice versa. Our solution had been consolidated. But we need some step forward. And I would I would not suggest not putting either on the ballot or one. I would just recommend splitting them so that something has an opportunity to pass because if nothing passes we're back here at square one saying now it's 150 million. So if you do that just just to talk in terms of numbers right you're your K2 K through2 solution I think is Wentworth included in that. Yes. Yeah. So, so the K2s plus one worth so is 101 million ballpark, right? And then or 29 28ish for the middle school, right, for option 1.2 at the middle school plus the 10 if you were to do that. Um, so the the the extremely tax conscious voter

210will probably vote for the middle school and and not and then so you're already so that $und00 million referendum is at risk and then you put it back on the ballot in June or next year, that same hund00 million project is probably 130 million again, right? You're not saving your constituents any money by kicking this down the curb longer. I understand the the the fear of, you know, an all or nothing approach. Um, but but the risk of having the bigger part of this project get pushed down is just going to cost more to those same taxpayers in the long run. The problem is not going to go away because they vote no in November. But that same problem's going to get worse sooner. same con tax conscious person who will vote no to the,

211you know, 40 but not the 90. They were already a no for the 130. You're giving them an opportunity to cover the 40 that they do feel comfortable with. I think I think the psychology of voters is fascinating and we could probably go round and around about what h how people feel when they're presented with two separate questions. the the thing that's the most important to me if we're talking about um voter presenting this to the voters is that the K2 solution is h is going to affect this community first. And so while I hear what you're saying, Alyssa, about splitting it so that at least we chip away at this giant um iceberg that we have in front of us, the the what we're about to crash into. And I'm really liking how I'm

212developing this metaphor as I'm going is is the K2 problem. And I have concerns that once voters approve maybe a smaller portion of this that their appetite to approve a significantly larger portion of this six months or a year from now is going to be basically zero. And so that to me puts this at far greater risk than presenting it as a larger total package. Yeah. Um, I I again I think we could probably all go round and round. I think if we split it, there's a chance that people will say yes to one and no to the other right out right out of the gate. And so then we're picking winners and losers before we've we've even given both questions a fair shot. Um, so I I just think that there's there's a lot

213to think about there and I really value the conversation and I I think that as this evolves and moves through your process here at the board and then comes to the council where we will ultimately decide what goes out to referendum, I think all of these question, all of these conversations and public dialogue is really important part of that process. But I don't think any of that is going to be nailed down or decided this evening. Yeah. And I just can I just add one thing I'll pass it to you. I um agree with what you're saying completely. And the other thing for me is that last survey that the committee did. My biggest takeaway from that survey was the question on deferral of projects. So you know we talk about the the two final

214two solutions and how close the the responses were. the deferral question. It was there was it was what 80 80% do not defer 70% do not defer this project any further. And so that sticks in the back of my mind because yes, there's voter fatigue. Yes, we run the risk of breaking this up and one passing one not and then we're sitting back here next year. If one passes and one doesn't, if we split the question, we are sitting back here. Let's make no mistake about it. We minus Alyssa, we are all sitting right back in this spot in a few months having the same exact conversation. So I I can't impress I think this committee is this community is begging us to make a decision and they're begging us to be leaders. They are

215Go ahead, Larry. I think everything everybody's describing just brings us back to we started right in the very beginning is that from here forward, board of ed makes a decision, town council makes a decision is going to require an incredible communication and um education process because everything you're describing, John, is um all those factors in somebody considering, oh, that's that's too big a number. They have to we need to educate around what's in that number and the the you hear a lot that there was already a consolidated don't even matter it's consolidated there was already a project put up the last time that failed well it didn't fail just on money that failed on site and the size of the school and so for a lot of other reasons so I don't I don't want

216to assume that somebody that voted down the project last time will vote down this one um it just it's it's really going to take an a big effort so people understand value more than cost. I'm not diminishing it's a huge cost. But it's it's what it's going to take. However you package it together, it's still going to take that process. I'm supportive of it going as one question for 130. I'm just uncomfortable. That's okay. I think there be lots of moments where we're all very you'll get some sense. I'm very uncomfortable because again like and it's just you know having gone through this already once before I I want to make sure we don't repeat the mistakes of the past because this was the same conversation we had before. Yeah. And so um I I

217hate I would hate to be here again having the same conversation a third time. And so I just really I'm going to roll the dice with y'all and I'm going to support it going at 1:30, but to your point, the communications is going to be the most critical part at this point going forward. And I think you guys have a lot of this stuff. So it's not that it's not there. The question is, will people take the time to, you know, do their due diligence really, right? Because it's it's a two-way street when it comes to this. It's not just the great work that this next round of the task force or whatever is going to do. It's people taking the time to actually understand. And again, you know, that that I I've heard even

218people on the committee say things like they didn't take the time to look and then once they understood it changed their perception. And so that is a real reality of what we're going to be up against. And it's not that we can't overcome it. I think we can. Um I'm just nervous that that number will for a big portion of our community make it just a hard no. And then there's going to be those other things that are going to come up that were discussed tonight that might be the thing that makes the person say no. But again, let's try it. Let's see what happens. All right. There any other questions or thoughts for Charlie, for Larry? A quick question on the Blueoint on the Blueoint site. Is there I thought before and maybe I'm

219just not seeing it on here. There was a um emergency access around that and I'm not seeing it on on this one. Yeah, it's dashed and it just hadn't been adjusted around the um you can see and it goes under the addition. It just hasn't been drawn around the edition. Thank you. And do you um I I think you said this. I just want to reiterate. Can going forward can the designs the diagrams show the the buildouts? Absolutely. The future future. All right. I'm going to go ahead and open it to public comment. Is there anyone wishing to make public comment tonight other than me? Now's your time to shine. Come on. Yes. We need to do a pray for him, too. Yeah. If you wouldn't mind um Matt introducing yourself um just your name

220to the to the committee and then you have three minutes. the lights on the front um box in front of you. Green is good. Yellow is your time's almost up. Red is Yes. My name is Matt Garrett. I've been a habitual offender for public comment. And I have been to how how many meetings did you have? Two or 300. All of them. All of them. I went to all of them. Um, you know, one thing that that I can say is that I'm really glad regardless of the pressure presented on me by the committee that I didn't join, watching them make this decision, and it makes me uncomfortable watching them make this decision. There were so many good points about, well, is it is it uh fiscally responsible? Yes. Does it does it meet the

221benchmarking? Does it offer support for staff? Does it offer support for students? Is it less disruptive? What's it do for traffic? What's it do for this? And the one they came up with was, is it going to pass? The answer was a, well, I don't think so, but the neighborhood one will. And it was almost like against their better judgment, this is the one we're recommending because we have to do something. And like Diane said, um, you know, these these kids are knocking at our at our door right now. Um, the thing that that Charlie brought up was the value in a consolidated option of freeing up three buildings for whatever you wanted. And uh in in that same conversation, Alyssa had brought up prek and and was immediately shut down for the fact that

222that there wasn't any guidance on prek. But at the beginning, Diane brought up the fact that starting next July, you'll have to provide services for 3 to 5 year olds. And for some reason, I'm the only one that keeps bringing it up. It is by 2028. and it is 28 EDS services. So that only covers students who have special education plans. So that is not in three years, right? That is not universal prek. This is special educ. But there's still students that we know are coming. Yes, they are. Yeah. There's still students that we know are coming with it without any guidance as to where they're going to be. So we have a K through8 solution which was part of the charge which they fulfilled between 70 and 130 million which is also part of

223the charge that they fulfilled knowing there's another program coming in 2028. I misspoke. Sorry. But they're coming with them in 3 years along with the rest of them. Where are they going to go? Is that going to be another referendum? And is there going to be any guidance on that or an amendment to it or is that just going to be we'll deal with it down the road? That's that's my only question. But good luck with with that decision and all the rest of them. And um I have to commend Heramman and the and the committee for for all their work. They did a really good job. Thank you. Thanks, Matt. Um really quickly just because I'm looking at the time um I need to take a pause and may have to entertain a motion

224to extend the agenda beyond 9:30. So moved. Second. Any discussion? All in favor? That shows unanimous. Thank you. Okay. Um is there anyone else wishing to make public comment this evening? Is there anyone online? Sure, please come on. Now I know how those kids in school who want to get out and have to ask one more question. Yeah. Would you mind sharing your name with us? Absolutely. I'm Amelia Dao. I live at one Howard Lane in Scar Bro. Um, my first child started at Bluepoint 21 years ago. And um, so I I understand the school system. two of my kids have gone through the the whole time. Um, I'm a taxpayer in Scar Bro. I am a business person and I am an economist. I have had the privilege of working with some people in

225this room on both community center ad hoc committees that happened uh since 2019. Um, I'm familiar with these surveys and I'm also um painfully aware of a large demographic in Scar Bro that in my opinion doesn't value education and and schools and the kids in the way that we all should not only as humans but as people who are interested in the future economically of our um community. So, I went to Mrs. Helms in um 2001 at Bluepoint. At the time, they were talking about whether to have three principles for the um the K through2 or a shared one. And I I just had to have a conversation with her of how did it make sense to have three of these schools? It doesn't it's it's three parking lots to plow. It's three kitchens. the

226slide that you showed of the off-site expenses of of getting these things done is exorbitant. Um, you mentioned that that tax every year that we're paying. We're not only paying that, you're paying the growth of that if you were to invest it and plan for your future. Put it in your kids 529 plan. It's exorbitant. And so, we can all sit here and say, "Yep, we value kids. We want to do what's right, but this plan it it makes no sense. And to to triplicate these efforts over and over again. And you know, my kids had that village, community, neighborhood experience, they are no better off than h than they were from their experience in Wentworth where you had a large amount of kids and they got broken down into little fields. So, I I

227just beg you to please reconsider this and um what I learned from the community center um project twice. First of all, the people who answered your surveys were probably school parents. They were not that demographic in the town that doesn't support education and doesn't support our schools. Case in point, look at our Taj Mahal next door. that is here and paid for and way over what we need, but we can't get schools. We can't get our sixth graders out of portable classrooms. So, um, my my light is blinking. I want to be respectful of everyone's time, and I want to go home to bed. But I will tell you what I learned in those ad hoc committees is people want these things. They want it. They want it. They want it. They do not and

228they will not pay for it. That's been my experience. Thank you. Is there anyone else wishing to make public call? All right. So, we are going to move on. You're are are you two staying? Are is everyone staying with us? We are going to vote. So, we're going to do our vote and then we have the governance document after it. So, if you want to stay, we can Yeah. Settle in. Have your have yourself. Yes. Have some have some food over there. All right. So, um we'll we'll move on up here this side to um let me see what number we're at. So, this is 10 10.0 new business 10.1 the motion to approve the school building advisory committee's recommendation. So, do I have a motion to approve the recommendation as presented? So, moved. Is

229there a second? Second. Any discussion? Yeah. Um, based on the conversation that we've already had, um, I would like to make a motion to divide the recommendation into two questions. First question would be asking for approval of the Scarboro Middle School option one project with the assigned cost. And then question two asking for approval of the K5 solution with an assigned cost. The question two for the K2 um K5 excuse me approval would be contingent on the passing of um the first question regarding Scarbor Middle School option one passing. So, okay. I'm sorry. I'm just taking notes. Okay. So, the two questions, um, the first is the middle school project one, not the 1.2. Yes. Yes. Okay. And then the second question is, the K2 solution to be contingent upon the middle school passing K5.

230So, it includes the Wentworth platform. And that second question would be contingent on the first question passing. Okay, got it. Okay, so we have an amendment on the table. Is there a second? Second. Okay, so we're now into discussion on the amendment that is proposed. So the middle school just as one last time um the amend the amendment proposed is to split the question into two. Um so we can take one at a time. Um the first is the middle school project one not 1.2 so one is the additional 10 million added in. So the second floor onto the addition um yeah uh it's the extra classrooms to meet enrollment needs in 203435. Correct. So that second floor on the addition to meet all of our enrollment needs. um not the one that just meets

231our current needs and right sizes the cafeteria. So it's I have to wrap my mind around it because we have all of these names and all of these numbers and one one is in my mind one would be the smaller because it comes before 1.2. So I just want to be very clear that one is the one that meets all of our needs. The full loaded middle school twotory twotory edition fully middle school correctly sized cafeteria with the needs of music and art and the PE classroom. Okay. So let's let's do this. Let's take them let's let's take that one first and talk discuss that. Is there any discussion on middle school project one? Yeah. Yeah. I I know that the committee recommended um not to send 1.2 ahead and then have an other add-on

232like a a bonus 10 million dollar addition which I think is um was fascinating. I don't support 1.2. I think building a school that's not big enough when it opens or big enough right for today when we know it's not going to be big enough in four years is ludicrous. um the the surveys which allegedly drove all the decision-m was very clear that they didn't want deferments and they wanted to meet the solution. And so I I like the fact that this amendment gets rid of that inefficient and insufficient 1.2. I think 1.0 meets the needs. 1.2 doesn't meet our needs and is going to require what? Portables in four years. That's that's exactly what they've asked us not to do. That's my point on that. Overall, I don't submit I don't actually support the

233question, but I did want to have the date. John, did you are you raising your hand? Chilling. This is like the $130 million question. I mean, I I I I 400. Yeah. I I have struggled with this one so much. I I am worried about one big project going forward um for the same reasons that others have stated. It's it's like it's really risky. I think it's also risky to split it. I I hear I hear all the arguments. Um I'm I'm so painfully aware that this fails then um we have nothing and we start again. Um at the same time worried about the arguing arguing not not the arguing the uh sort of pitting the options against each other. Um and so I I could get behind splitting. I could certainly get behind not,

234but just a point of clarification that the 1.2 option, there was a writer question that would add that on. So, you know, people would have the option to add that. Um, the trouble with that is is like, oh, we're coming back with it no matter what. Um, it's just a matter of when. So, uh, I just wanted to to point that out because that might not be super clear and that does get lost in the conversation and make it difficult to communicate. So, um, either way, go ahead. And to to make it clear, like I'm not acknowledge I'm not saying there isn't a K2 issue. Like I I would love nothing more than to sit here and say at 130 the taxpayers are behind this. We've got this. We're we're soaring. We're good. But I

235would love nothing more than that. Um, but again, my fear is that we're not going to learn from our own history and we're going to put up a large ballot question and we're going to be here with nothing again. And I think it very real could happen based on the emails we're receiving between traffic impacts, leaving eight corners on the same lot. Um, you know, Pleasant Hill sounds like we've made some al changes into the vegetative buffer verse not. And you know, I think what people would love more than anything is these neighborhood schools to not change at all, but that's not going to happen. Like we have kids that need places to learn, so they're going to change. So, I just think that when we're making these big of changes, it's so risky that

236even, you know, Pleasant Hill having a new wing, eight corners being a new build, where are my kids going to learn next to these construction sites, everything's so risky that it could fail for so many reasons that I think the risk of keeping them as one question feels like a risk that we're going to fail a whole project only because of one or two factors. Mitchell, go ahead. I also feel like too if we're all very concerned about the price tag on it too. It's on our upper end of the budget that was proposed for us back and then they've done a great job at trying to get everything to fit into the budget. But how do you eat an elephant? You do one piece at a time. So if we can at least get

237some forward momentum, it would help build steam for passing a larger solution for or not a larger but a solution for the K2 system. All right, I guess I'm up. Um, so I've struggled I I I've been thinking about this a lot since the ESPback made the decision and um, if I'm fully transparent in my preference going into this, it is that I wanted the consolidated school and I wanted the consolidated school because of the efficiencies because of the to me it made fiscal sense and it was um, the responsible use of our money. The reality that I see time and time and time again is that the committee the community um has a very deep very personal connection to the neighborhood schools and we have asked in multiple surveys. We've asked in multiple ways.

238We have asked providing information about tax increases. Um, we we if those of you that were at with us at the time remember when we did our committee, we got a lot of flack for saying that maybe people didn't understand. Maybe that was the problem. And we heard a lot of feedback about that that it's no, it's not that we didn't understand, it's that we want our neighborhood schools. And so, um, at that same workshop, we sat together as two bodies and we we really said we need the community to be a partner in this process. We all did and we needed the community to participate in this project. And we went out and we begged the community, the naysayers, the people who were absolutely hard-nosed to please come and participate. And they did. To

239their credit, they did. And not only did they come day one, they sat here for 18 months. And they have worked and worked and worked and worked. And I am really really worried about the perception we give to the public when we say we wanted you to do the work. We begged you to do the work and now you've given us an answer and it's not what we want. And that there is a real danger in us eroding every ounce of public trust that we have built up to this point. And it is important that we remember that. Um this is not easy work. This land in this town is an infinite resource. We do not have land. We do not. We don't. And so I I the volunteer work workload is an infinite resource.

240The community has told us they don't want us to defer the project. I know everyone up here wants the very best for our kids. Everyone over here wants the very best for our kids. The community wants something that is going to pass so that we can have a solution for our kids. And so we put a lot of faith into them. And so I just am really really worried about um the message we send should we stray from the recommendation. I really really would like us to honor what we started. Do you feel splitting the question isn't honoring the recommendation um as it's proposed? No, I don't. I don't unfortunately I can get I actually appreciate the adding project one end to the middle school because I I think that there's um a case to

241be made for putting this forward um and solving for all of our problems right now, right? Like solving making sure we have enough room at the middle school for our enrollment. So, I can get behind that. Um but I do think separating it out this way I I think that that's the message we're sending. I'm wondering if it might be appropriate in my role as superintendent to weigh in as someone who um is charged with um trying to provide information and resources to the district. I have a point of order first just before that. I just want to make sure we're debating the amendment right now. Yes. Just to be clear before we go back to the regular. Yes. This is I wanted I just was you I was was wondering where I was trying

242to follow. Gotcha. Yeah. My really quick. Mine is my concern is in us splitting the question. We're deviating from what the committee is. I just wanted to close the Yes. Yes. I guess sorry Diane was your was your point to the amendment or to the original question. It really I think it is to the amendment. Okay. If that seems appropriate. Absolutely. Yeah. So again, I, you know, was thinking a lot about this evening and so I'll apologize in advance for um, you know, uh, reading, but I think this was the best way for me to capture my thinking about this. So none of the proposals that were reviewed by the building committee were without its strengths and challenges, including the final two options that were most seriously considered at last week's meeting. It is critical

243to understand that delaying action, splitting a question, or pursuing a different direction than the one currently being recommended by the ESPback committee would likely result in only more additional tradeoffs and broader consequences for the community. The public process, as I stated earlier, is by nature rooted in compromise. And throughout its work, this committee has listened carefully and engaged with a wide range of voices from across the community. The final recommendation that you heard about this evening reflects not only technical assessments, but also the diverse public feedback that was gathered throughout the process. This recommendation is the process of thoughtful consideration and a genuine effort to balance the differing needs and perspectives of our constituents. The board and council entrusted this committee to evaluate multiple solutions and identify the most fitting path forward. Over the past

24418 months, the committee has carried out this responsibility with integrity, with diligence, and with a deep commitment to our students and to the broader community. Shifting course, as it's being discussed right now, would not only risk a less effective short-term solution, but could also carry serious long-term consequences for our students. This community has explored nearly every viable option over the last 11 years and the time for action is now. To disregard the thoughtful, inclusive work of this committee would not only impact our students directly, but as Shannon already alluded to, it also risks eroding the public trust in our leadership and in the integrity of our community's decision-making process. Any other thoughts on that m? Yeah. Um, back to your point um, Shannon about the kind of sticking to the charge um, but then considering

245motion um, option one point uh, excuse me, option one rather than the recommended 1.2. So SBAC did come with a split question to have the extra 10 million on in order to cover what the the charges enrollment requests. So um in you had said that you would consider moving option one in which would move us out of their charge amount. Yes, that Yes, that would put you What is it? 139 140 139.9 who's count? Yeah. Do you have a penny? Yes, that um that would I mean I am fine to leave it as the committee um recommended. I I am trying to find some compromise here. Um unfortunately because I of what I've already stated, I would be a no to breaking up the question, but if there was another amendment um in the future

246that said to change this to a one, I would I would consider that. And may that might seem um that might seem contradictory, which I think is what you're you're hoping to like maybe explain have me explain. And it's not that I'm trying to be contrary. It's that um I think that the from what I can understand the committee really wrestled with those two middle school options, the one and the 1.2. And so I don't know if I don't know that I believe by by switching to the project one that we're straying too far from what the committee's intent was. Um if I'm wrong, um I I I'll take that. But I I think breaking this up we what it feels like to me is that we're splitting these up in the hopes that um

247one might pass and then we again the conversation we've had we get in a danger a dangerous situation where we're setting up these two projects to pit themselves against each other and we're setting up our parents um which fundamentally our parent groups h have really been um fairly united in supporting us but now we're pitting our K2 parents against our middle school parents and we're um pitting Pleasant Hill people against eight corners people and I don't I don't want to see any of that and so I'm trying to honor um what I think the committee has said is their very best effort at this and also what I think is is best going forward. Yeah. Can I just respond quickly to what Diane said? I just think there needs to be like I take I

248absolutely disagree that it is against it's not in that we're not adhering to our integrity or somehow being dishonest or dubious by asking hard questions and by perhaps deviating. I just let me I we've been finished. like like the integrity of this process was absolutely adhered to, but it is absolutely incumbent on us to probe these decisions, to ask these questions, to advocate on behalf of diverse bodies out there in the community um and and to suggest amendments in good faith that we think address those questions. That is really what our job is to do that. And we have to do that publicly. So we can't like privately meet and do this. we have to all in in the public talk about what we like, what we dislike, ask questions, hold people to account, and

249I don't think that dishonors the committee's work, which was phenomenal, or our integrity as people who are participating in good faith. And so, to the extent that there was an implication that I heard that sort of like we weren't honoring that integrity, I really pushed back on that. I think our job is to get up here to ask tough questions to put everything out there on the table to be radically transparent to the extent we can be so that we can get to the best decision you know to the only thing I know that I think everybody in Scarbor agrees on which is this is a very risky thing to say is that nobody wants to have this discussion next year at this time in June we want to be buying our beach passes and

250you know we'll be done with the budget like we don't want to be back here Again, I remember my first day on the board, which was right into the the charge of the referendum. My first my first meeting was the end of November, the year before that first referendum. Since the day that I've started here, all I've worked on as my number one priority is this building. And I am tired and done with it as everybody else. So just to the extent that like we have to do it this way. I don't really I don't think this is the nicest way to do it or even more most I think there's other consensus building models that might be more effective. This is what we got. And so I think I'm glad Alyssa you made the

251amendment. I think we should be asking these questions. I think we should be having these debates. All right. So, um, first and second discussion. Um, all in favor of the amendment to I'm going to reward I'm going to word it again. Um, to split the question on the ballot. Um, the first question would be the middle school project one, which is the fully loaded project plan. The second question on the ballot is the K5 solution which would include the K2 schools and the Wentworth school to be con that question would be contingent upon passing question number one. So all in favor of that amendment one two we have three. Um all opposed I can't see. Sorry. One two three four. So um the the amendment fails. So we will return back to the main motion

252which where we were at which is to accept the um SBAC committee's recommendation which is the middle school project 1.2 and the K2 the Wentworth solution and the K2 solution wrapped up in one. I continue to be very concerned six years after this building opens. Um, again, that's a move to option one. That was part of my original motion, but I'm just going to put it out there for further discussion for this board. Um, point of order. Are you making a motion? No, I'm just having a discussion right now. I'm not making a motion right now. Um, we, you know, it's been brought up multiple times. These surveys came back and said no deferments, no deferments, no deferments. and it feels like we're kicking the can down the road to then look at people six

253years after and say we have an enrollment issue. Um, so I strongly think we need to reconsider how this goes forward with a two 1.2 option. I will make a motion to amend the recommendation from the building committee to the middle school option going to 1.0 instead of 1.2. I'll second it. So, we have an amendment to change the middle school project to one from 1.2 in a second. Is there discussion? Just in support of the motion. I think I said it before. I'm not going to go over it again given that it's 10:00 almost. Um, I think that we are going to spend $10 million now or $10 million on portables in six years and it's better for our students to have this done. The survey results indicated they did not want deferments. I

254understand this takes the project above the 130 which is what the building committee was very focused on as they should have been appropriately in their charge. Um but I don't believe that setting Scarboro up to spend millions of dollars on portables in six years makes any sense. I think the the surveys were clear that they wanted this process done and I think the way to do it appropriately in which we're we have place for all our students is to amend the recommendation to the to the town council to be 1.0 and not the 1.2 Any further discussion with that? Um because I know when we're still has a decent amount of space in it. Would we want to instead of like this isn't motion yet, this is discussion possibly move that like the addition to

255Wentworth being a additional question on top of to help bring that cost back down in the original referendum question. Um, just notable, I believe the Wentworth option is only $3 million. So, um, just as a point of discussion, it wouldn't it sadly doesn't offset the 10 million perfectly. Um, but just to point out, it's at I believe three 3.4 million. That's still more saved than Yep. Absolutely. Yep. I I know I'm out of order, but I I can't I can't help myself. Um the the narrative that we have been hearing and the concern in the community is that the elected bodies will find ways to add cost back into this and what you're proposing of putting the 10 million and I understand the risks. I I was right there with you Freeda all the way

256through this. You add this 10 million back in and they the people who know that the ref that the recommendation was 130 and all of a sudden it comes out of the board and goes to the town council at 140 is going to play directly into that narrative and puts the project at risk. Do we have another bond in six years for 10 million? I mean that the problem is how many times can you try to fix this problem? That's why we let the voter That's why we recommend you let the voters choose. And I mean this this could fail because of the Acorn situation, the Pleasant Hill. Like everything is a risk in this situation. Um but there also could be a handful of people that say you didn't solve the long-term problem and

257you're going to spend 13 and they should vote for question two. They have the option to vote yes on question two. That's why there's two questions. Sorry, I'm I'm done. But that is how we got it. I am very out of order. I apologize. Meeting by the way. I I'll leave if you need me to. I'll leave over here on the school board tonight. I can hat on if you want me on his island. Sorry. Sorry. This is bring that back up. This is tough. It's not. It's none of this is easy. None of this is easy. Um I do worry um I I mentioned earlier I worry about the the um optics of of and eroding trust. I do worry that is you know to Charlie Charlie makes a compelling point like do we

258do we risk this being the Taj Mahal of middle schools? I don't think it is the Taj Mahal. I want to be very clear. But do we risk that that's the narrative that happens because we we suddenly are above the 130? I'm frustrated because I feel like this the I I feel like the solution one is what we need and I worry that by not splitting it, we leave people questioning questioning us. So yes, we are we are we have approached this ethically. We have approached this above boards. But it doesn't matter what we've done if people look at our actions and think that we've not been above board and that's what I worry about the most. Sorry, what's your worry? What would make us not be above board? I worry that people are going

259to Charlie Charlie makes a compelling point that we we have said all along this is the you know we're we're putting our faith in them. The community has come back with I've heard variety of narratives as well. Are we not going to support it? Are we going to cut take away their decision- making process? um are we going to come in over what they said that they would come in as? That is a very legitimate question that has been asked. And to April's earlier point, I think all of these fears and all of these questions are valid. All of these feelings are valid. All of these emotions are valid. And to your point earlier, all of this is a risk. Every bit of this is a risk. Um, I worry that if we change this,

260we feed into the Taj Mahal narrative that we already have in this town. That is my fear because we are now asking for 9.95 and some pennies more over and above the 130. I think that's when I go back to they've asked us not to defer. I mean, we have put our heart, our soul, beyond enough hours into this to for me to feel very comfortable saying that we put our due diligence into this. Do I think do I have my own feelings about how this solution isn't what's best for the kids? Sure. But I I think we we learn and grow in this process. and we can't help construction costs, but are they going to be pleased when we look at them and ask for $10 million in portables because those kids showed up

261and we knew and yes, yes, I fully understand. The survey came back and said stay within the amount and everything like that. But do we just want to put our kids back in portables in six years? No. we would be putting our our hope in the fact that they would answer yes to the to the solution and then yes to the second question the sub question about the middle school I think if and that makes sense but I think if you've already got people signed on for 130 million that's not a small that's not 20 million that's not an easy thing for a lot of people who are struggling right now in this economy and people who are trying to stay in their homes and all those things people are going to see $10 million

262and be like figure it out without I don't think they're going to probably sign on and and be like, "Yeah, sure. 10 million. Why not? Let's get some classrooms, kids." Because I don't think the average voter is as aware of the problem as we are. Would it be helpful if if we explained why this particular part of the project was separated from the rest of it? So, I don't I haven't heard that discussion yet tonight. That wasn't the only reason. that there were lot we were looking for 130 for sure. Why did we find it here was because the enrollment projections show this at a as a two-year bubble as an enrollment bubble. It's a short-term solution. It's a short-term problem according to the current data that we have, which we know that the data

263is flawed. We we need more birth rate data to make a more informed decision on this. No doubt about it. But what the charts showed was a two-year spike and then it comes back down. And so there is a chance that in 2029 we have more birth rate data and we show that it's this is not a trend and you don't need that two-story building, right? You don't need those extra classrooms. There's also the chance that it shows that it is a trend and we should have done it, right? But that's why there was enough ambiguity around this particular thing and this the data the the enrollment data around this this cohort that's going to come through the schools that we felt that this was an area and because it's we we weren't willing to

264accept this risk at the elementary schools because we wouldn't have time to react to it. We were willing to accept the risk at the middle school because as terrible as it would be to finish this project in 2029 and then go, "Oh, we need a referendum for 10 probably 15 million at that time to add a second story, right? We would at least have time to react to that." And so, so that was at least the rationale for why this particular scope was carved off as something to consider um a second question to leave up to the voters. Right. To leave to the voters. I don't know if this puts you on the spot, Diane, without information at your fingertips, but if you had if if this was a two-year bubble, what would what would

265it take for that two-year bubble to fit into project 1.2? Should one not pass? Should the secondary question not pass? Would you increase class sizes? Like what what would be the short term? So, again, that isn't something that we've contemplated yet. Um but you know the accurate information is that we had 25% more live births in Scar Bro in the years 2022 and 2023. In the year 2024 the birth rate went back to uh the levels previous to 2022. We don't know right now how that's going to play out. Right. Um and so we can look at our enrollment projection data, but until we actually have children born, we don't have the answer to that. You know, in reference to your question about what would I do with that number of students, even if it

266were a bubble, again, we'd have to we'd have to go back and look at other things, right? Because if in fact this was a bubble and we didn't see that continuing, it might be that we, you know, shift a grade level down. um you know utilize other space that we now have built, right? That we're building as part of the basic project, right? Because once we have spaces that are adequately built within our district, then we have the capacity to be flexible about those spaces. Our current scenario does not give us any flexibility because we are completely maxed out with all the space we have. Right? So what we need to do is somehow build some some additional space because we know we have more students. Will they continue to be at one level not

267at another level? Is that a trend? Is that a bubble? We don't know that yet, right? Um I'm sure that's less than helpful. I'm asking for a crystal ball, Diane. All right. Any further discussion? Okay. So the amendment on the table is to is to um amend the part of the recommendation to change the middle school project from 1.2 to 1.0 which is the fully loaded middle school project. Um we have a first a second and discussion. Um all in favor of the amendment changing the middle school project to 1.0 four. Um so it's four. All opposed. Okay. So the mo the amendment passes. So now we are going to the main motion as amended. So the main motion as amended would be a project that is the K2 solution, the Wentworth solution and middle

268school project one. Is there any further discussion? Yeah. Go ahead. I think I this is the hardest coat that I've had to take since I've been up here um in terms of I didn't live through masking, thank God, but um but I don't have the meaning to follow me about it. But um I usually come in here knowing exactly what I'm going to do. I'm pretty decisive. I make facts, but I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place in this vote because I feel the tremendous pressure to get this done. Um, that's not and I like Diane spoken to that. Our number one board goal since I've gotten on here is pass this because the kids are here and you've heard me run around and talk about the crisis that I see coming, which

269I believe is not overstating the problem about what our kids are going to be as the wave has started influx into our kindergarten and will continue to get worse year after year. Um, I understand that people like the neighborhood schools. Some people like the neighborhood schools. Maybe more than half of people like the neighborhood schools. I understand that there's a feeling and a sentiment that was clear on the committee that it's more likely to pass. It was based on the survey data that we had to the extent that the survey data is is accurate. Like I that is on kind of one side of me. on the other side of me is sort of whenever I have questions or I'm struggling with something on this board, I go back to Melissa Huey did a board

270orientation training my first year here and she gave us a binder kind of like the one that you have and says and and in her thing she ends her slide on when you get when things get really hard look at what your mission is. What were you elected for? Board of Eds are really weird. They're not responsible to the people who elect them. The people who elect them feel differently, which I understand. But technically under the law, we are responsible as a public board to the common good for the school district. Our first mission is to look out for students. Our second one is for staff. The third is for the school community. And I take that really seriously because I look at a solution and I have no issues with the I've been probably

271one of the harshest critics up on this board of the building committee and I've asked some tough questions um and I've definitely pressed you all but I have zero issues with how you've conducted yourselves. I have not watched every meeting either, John, but I have watched a few of them including last week's but I checked in before that. I read your meeting minutes um and I look at I look at the work that's going on there because I think that's part of my job. Um, and there's nothing that you could have done differently or better. I think what you've done is really above reproach. And I and I don't say that lightly. I have no hesitation critiquing um when I see critique, but I don't have any for you. You did a good job. You

272did exactly what we asked and you did it in a very transparent and I I don't think there could have been a better process. And I'm a big process fan. So like I that's a high praise coming for me. But I'm I'm st I'm am stuck with an option that has inadequate playgrounds and fields for our kids, inadequate parking, that has our classrooms enrollment like like larger class ratio sizes in our classrooms, undersized classrooms in other places possibly need well like we got rid of the portable situation at the middle school which I was worried about and then asking taxpayers to pay $200 more on average assume you know going forward for 30 years which is fiscally irresponsible and so there's nothing about your proposal that I like. Um I don't like what you do

273to Acorners. I don't the people in my neighborhood don't like what you're going to do to Acorners. Um I'm sure it'll be beautiful, but it it's not a site that we feel fondly for. We don't have that neighborhood feeling for that particular site. One of the big selling points was moving that off of that site. And so I'm stuck here in this place of we have to do something. The committee acted in good faith and I genuinely believe when you give committees work to do and they come back to you having done a good job that that you approve the work because we've delegated that responsibility to you and I don't have a critique of what happened. I don't think anything could have happened differently. But I'm looking at a solution that is very hard

274for me to understand how to support on any level. It compromises everything on for the students, for the staff fiscally responsibility in the future in order to get below this magical number of 130 that may or may not pass in the very end. And so I'm just really I you know I'm really struggling. I still don't know what I'm going to do. And you know I feel the pressure to pass it. I really would like to be beyond this point um on my schoolboard career, but I would I I would love I would love to not have an ESPback committee report out. I would love to have new schools for our kids on the way. Um I'm just really struggling with how to look at my neighbors in the eye and say this is the

275best we could do. To add to that too, I'm also kind of concerned too with one school being completely rebuilt and then using these old bones on some older schools about some econ not economics but education inequalities. Um let's say you have two kids and one has to go to a different school because one doesn't have the resources another one has. It just it seems like it's a nightmare for parents. And I'm sure Freila you said you have two kids at two different schools. That's probably something that's coming to mind for you as well. I think this is where I've struggled the whole time walking away from the positive goods that can come from other options for our students. And I feel similarly, Frea, in that, you know, the kids are already born, they're already

276here. I I feel this pressure to just just do it. Just do it. And that's a really hard thing to balance where you can sit there and say, you know, my my constituents, the students, the teachers who can't benefit from all of the things that, you know, teachers professionally can benefit from. I'm going to walk away from that in order to just pass. And I don't I echo you. I similarly have I've really struggled with where to be on this. Yeah, this is um this is right up there with co with some of the hardest decision- making I've ever had. And um I mentioned earlier I I came in to this process with a preconceived ideal um what I thought was the best for this community. And I have spent the last I would say

277three weeks really trying to figure out how I could come to terms like what if what if this was the neighborhood school solution that passed. And I keep coming back to conversations I had the first time we tried to pass and conversations I've had in this process with people who love the neighborhood schools. And I I can value numbers and efficiency and and savings and fiscal responsibility, but when you're talking to somebody with an emotional connection, those things don't resonate. They just don't. And you no amount of talking about the savings is going to sway them from the nostalgia they have with the comm the neighborhood school. To them, it feels like community. It feels like the ability to walk. Now to your point at eight pointers we don't even have walkers at the other

278two schools or a high number let me say we have some but we don't have a high number of walkers at any of our schools. There is a certain nostalgia that comes with a neighborhood school that I've never been able to in the two plus years we've been at this in the referendum failed referendum and now this. So I guess it's actually been three almost three years we've been at this. I've never been able to talk logic to somebody that's like, you know what, you're right. You're right. I'm gonna give up all of my feelings about the neighborhood school because it logically makes sense. And I I can't I can't um seem to overcome that there. There's no way for me to to overcome that with those that have those strong ties. And so I

279do feel um as hard as this is, I feel like we have to get we have to put this forward as is. We have to give it a shot. Um if it fails again and we're back here in a year, we're back here in a year. It there is we heard earlier in public comment that people don't like passing. They don't like passing things that cost money. Um there's a very real chance we're here in a year. There's a very real chance that we are. And I've got a I I am more concerned about eroding the public trust and eroding the the confidence that we have all spent a long time trying to build with this community and begging them to trust us, begging them to put their faith in us. And I'm so worried

280about um uh damaging that that um it's caused me to look at this in a little bit of a different solution. This is not the solution I would have chosen from the beginning. It's not. Um I do think there is some value that is different than the values that those of us that are looking at this financially see in this project. And that's what I'm basing this on. I am hoping that the people that said to us over and over again, we know exactly what we're doing. We believe very strongly in keeping the neighborhood schools. This isn't a matter of us not being educated. This is a matter of us loving our community. I am banking on those people showing up in November and voting for this. And if they don't, we're right back here

281a year later looking at solution number two from the committee and doing this again. But I I have to hope that they are going to come out as they said they would and they're going to vote for this. And that's the best I can give you. It's probably not helpful, but that's the best I got. I that resonates with me a lot. Uh the public trust uh we we put a lot of work into uh putting together a charge and putting together a committee and man we weathered some storms. Um and I'm I'm not even saying that to be funny. like I I probably have a bill for a therapist that's coming my way because rough. But, you know, in the end, this committee um worked really really hard and I think I think people

282came at it with um in a very thoughtful way. Um I think the worst part for me in this solution is not that it's the neighborhood schools. I I totally get I totally get it. I I um I have fondness. In fact, the first time I heard about a consolidated school, I thought I was going to lose my mind. So, I totally get it. Um but I think the hard part for me is that it solves the problems for now, but it's not very future ready. um somebody in the future um is going to have to figure out a solution for whatever comes next. Um and I think Scar Bro does that a lot. Um I wish that the solution was moving one of the schools to a different uh property. I do. But again

283with you uh this is what the committee came forward with. Um, everybody fought really really hard to um get this within the constraints of the charge and solve as much of it as as possible. And it isn't perfect. Um, I am going to vote to move it forward because of that. Um, I I do have major concerns about whether it passes or not. Um, but uh we will have to cross that bridge when it when it comes. I think I hear you where like you know the nostalgia it's it's so hard for people to get past but and I feel like I've said it to quite a few ESBAC members as well but I have such a hard time and I get it they're the ones paying for it but I have such a hard

284time putting someone's nostalgia and feelings who will never step foot in that school above the educational values that students who will be in those schools who build a foundation of their education I'm putting nostalgia above that and like that's where I struggle. It's not because I I don't think that kids can learn in these schools. It's not that I I don't think that the Scarboro community will We've seen test scores from neighborhood schools. They they we do well, but we I have a hard time with that. Um, and the thinking of the parents who are split between schools, the the students who don't get to go to school with their siblings because they've got to go across town. Like those are the situations where I feel really hamstrung because those are my those are my

285responsibility as a school board member. Um, any further discussion? I just kind of want to say I know obviously this is my first meeting and obviously a really big vote to be included on. Um, and like I I also got, by the way, welcome to the board. Thought in my head that I like knew exactly how I was going to vote like mo like most of you. Um, I I struggle with the neighborhood solution just because as a child who went to that neighborhood school of eight Corners, that's not a neighborhood school and most of them aren't. Um, so that's that's a huge thing for me. Um, I I just I do think too that the continued lack of investment in children's future is is the biggest issue. And I I really think that thinking

286long term down the road like having the you know adding that $10 million back into the the solution is I mean I don't know why we're going to ignore the problems that we already know are there. Um and that's just kind of my thought process right now. Any further discussion? Um, can I have a point of clarity information? Whichever one you'd like to assign it at 10:30 at night? Yes. Um, is there a way we can have like two or three minutes to just like process really quick all of this before we call a vote? Are you making a motion to recess for three minutes? Yes. I'd like to make a motion to recess for five minutes. Second. Second. Um, any discussion? All in favor? All opposed? Uh, did you What was you? I'm sorry.

287Thank you. Um, I've lost my count. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. So, six to one passes again. We'll come back at um 10 10:29. Yes. That's right. All right, welcome back. Um, okay, so we are, um, we just finished our discussion. I did want to open up. Is there anybody wishing to make public comment on this agenda item? Yes. Do I have to press a button up here? Um, I will press it for you. Yes. Go ahead. I obviously I've been invested in this for the last 18 months and the discussion I've heard in the last 30 minutes has it I'm shocked that you're debating what whether or not to accept this. And listen, if you if you watched the meeting last week, you know where I stood on it, right? I was

288a consolidated supporter. I voted for it. But what's more important than what I personally want is getting this I said that success in the ESBAC is getting a referendum that passes. And if you were only going to accept a consolidated school, then you should have wrote the charge to say that. Right? What I'm hearing now is you don't like the option because you just don't like it and you're considering not accepting this recommendation. I don't like it either, but this is the what all of the data and what the committee came came up with. As I said before, it's not a perfect solution, but it's the one that those of us who have been invested in this, who have been to every meeting, who have looked at all of the data non-stop, believe is the

289most likely to pass. And so if you don't accept this recommendation, I think you one, you lose all of your political capital in the town, right? The narrative is already out there that the board and the town council already know what they want and this whole thing was a farce and all you're going to do is confirm all of that narrative and feed right into it and you're not going to get a referendum passed this year no matter what. So I urge you to accept the recommendation as it was made. Thank you. Hi Richard Hayes. Hello Martin Avenue. Uh I respect the the amount of work that the committee put in on this. When the other school referendum was defeated, I started coming to the meetings of the first board. Uh I wouldn't make the

290commitment of attending all. So I couldn't after the first couple of weeks. Uh I was like uh Miss Libby in the state uh legislature. I was uh my my opinions weren't allowed to be spoken. So, I didn't attend any of the meetings. I as a voter uh and a taxpayer in town, uh I think it is suicidal to not accept the committee's recommendation. $130 million project is not that far from the one that was defeated. Um, these people were charged uh and spent a lot of time and effort coming up with a proposal. As the chairman just said, it was not what he wanted. understands that their charge was to listen to the community and that was a big criticism in the school that was defeated that it was done in closed doors. Uh I

291think you folks would be making as I said a huge mistake and not accepting their recommendation and further from there I understand your recommendation goes to the council which could change it. I would say to them while there's a few of them here it would be additionally suicidal for them to not accept what the board uh recommends tonight. Uh, it's a public process. I think people are are pretty aware of what's going on and uh I I think both boards ought to accept what's been proposed. Thank you. Thank you, Richard. Using self-control. You could be next. to me. You want to go first at all? All right. You know, I I would just advocate for unanimous support from both bodies to move this forward as recommended by the committee. I hear what all of you

292are saying. I feel like I was there two years ago when we went forward with the previous solution. It really was, in my opinion, the best solution for our students, our teachers, fiscal responsibility. There were issues with it for sure, but we we we've tried that. We swung for the fences and it failed. And so I think we need to to change it up a little bit, try something different this time and and cross our fingers that it passes. And to to the points that were made, there's going to be more issues that we're going to have to deal with. This is not the perfect solution. So there will be more decisions we'll have to make in the future. But I think we really have to honor the work that was done and we really

293need to, you know, applaud the the residents who who were selected that really represent a big subsection of our community to um come to us with all of this great work and really just have faith in it and move it forward. And again, I'm I'm very nervous. Um, I'm very riskaverse and I still feel like this is risky, but I I think this is probably the best thing that we're going to get from this community. Um, so I would just encourage everybody who have very valid opinions today about concerns because they are very valid concerns. Many concerns I share. Uh, but something is better than nothing. Progress over perfection. That's my motto at work. And so I feel like that that's got to be my motto on this. And so just think about the progress

294we need to make. Um, and we will continue to partner to deal with the other challenges that are going to come up. You know, as long as I'm on the council, at least I will partner with the board and make sure that our facilities are meeting the needs of our students. So, thank you. Well, this is not a site you see every day. April Scyther, 14 Huntley Drive. Uh I don't like speaking from this side of the podium anymore. It's been a long time. Uh I the very first vote I took as a school board member uh was a big one and it was to vote to consolidate and I voted against it. And for a number of years or months rather after that vote, I had to explain my rationale and my evolution towards

295a consolidated school when I straightfaced as a school board chair and then a town council member asked our community to support a $160 million consolidated school. Fast forward, here I am still seven years into public service having this conversation with our community about our school infrastructure needs. I made the best pitch that I could possibly have made to the ESBAC committee last Monday night advocating for what I feel is the best for our teachers and our students which is a consolidated option. That vote did not go in my favor and I have such respect for the committee and for the process that I am standing at the podium before you tonight saying please accept the recommendation of the committee which has my full support. It is now our duty to put something forward to the

296voters that has the committee's recommendation as its number one endorsement. And with that, we are asking the community to support the work that they asked us to do. And so I'm asking you as the board to please accept the recommendation of the ESPback committee. and I will be asking the town council to do the same when it comes to us in a few weeks. Thank you. I wasn't going to get up here. My thought Leroy Crockett 17 Imperial Lane. I agree with what's been said by other committee members. You folks tasked us with a task. We did what you asked us to do. We listened to the community. Every survey told us, "Do something and do it now. Stop debating it. Give us the option that we're asking you to give." And we looked at

297that when we went into this. Probably to a person, every one of us wanted a consolidated school because it made the most sense. It was cost savings. It was efficient. It was going to be the best for our students. it was going to be something that everybody could get the best education out of. Our special education students wouldn't have to go outside of the town for some services that we have to send them to now. So, we debated for 18 months. We did a tremendous amount of work. It's already going to be harder now for us adding another $10 million to it trying to communicate that and I'm going to be on that committee hopefully to help. But it's going to be that much harder because we exceeded what we told the citizens we were

298going to do. We told them 70 to 130. We're now over that. If we then move to not accept what the committee says, you are going to lose all the respect from the citizens in this town and you're not going to be able to get anything passed for the next 10 years. People are just going to say, "I don't care. These people spent 18 months of their time and you didn't listen to a thing they told you." So, I would encourage you to pass this and pass it as it is and give the citizens and our children a place to learn and a good place for our community to grow and come together. Yeah, right. Is there anybody online? No. All right. Seeing no other public um comments. Um so where we're at right now,

299just as a refresher, we are voting on the main motion amended, which is the K2 solution as presented, the Wentworth Wentworth solution as presented in middle school project one um with a total price tag of the 139.95 million. Um all in favor? All opposed? I'm sorry. What? How did you vote? Alyssa, you're gonna do roll. So, I thought Okay, let let me do it. Let me call it again. Okay. All in favor of the motion as I amended, as I've presented. Restate the motion. Okay, everybody. Let's go to roll call. Let's do that to make it easier. We are voting on the main motion as amended. It is the K2 solution is presented. said the Wentworth solution is presented in middle school project one. Ray, would you mind calling the vote? Miss Jacobs, that's your

300guess. Yes. Yeah. Turn your speaker. Yeah. Yes. I vote in favor of the ESBAT committees um with the amendment. Mr. Keller, yes. Miss Lro, yes. Miss Peterson. Yep. Rockenstein? No. Mr. Opinion. No. Yes. Wait. I'm sorry. Wait. No. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. You're voting. No. On. This is the amendment. No, this is the vote. Okay. Does the vote as go back? No. No. It's okay. It's okay. So, we're you're Yes. Okay. Got it. So, that the the main motion as amended passes. All right. Um, we are going to do the governance document, but I do want to just take a minute and thank you for all of the hard and everything you you've poured into this. This has been a lot and so thank you to the both of you. Um, and please extend that

301to the committee. So, okay. So, our 10.2 is an update to the SBAC phase 2 governance document. Um, y'all aren't staying for that part. No, we're done. Thank you for counselors. Thank you for joining us this evening. All right. So the phase 2 governance document um uh as Charlie indicated um the phase two work is done with the recommendation that they've provided and so that committee has disbanded. Um what is left though is a desire for the communications committee to continue their work and to prepare us for referendum. So what is in front of us now is um either updating that do that that document to allow for the communications committee to continue their work. Um and then the additional questions that we have received from the um hold on one second. I'm just going

302to pull it up. I apologize. I should have had it already. Um there are some questions from the communications committee as it relates to um the structure. Would the would the communications committee report to the school board now? Um would the structure remain the same? They do currently have a chair and a co-chair or a vice chair that that runs the committee and then they have community members that participate in are on the committee. So they would want to know if that would stay the same. um they do want to know about um approvals for materials going forward and then if there was any budgetary if there was any money in the budget to help them move forward. Um we did talk at the last meeting about communications and so since the SBAC is now

303disbanded. Um April um councelor Syther myself um Diane um Alyssa Jillian and Charlie um discussed it um that communications um from the community would now turn over to us. So our our normal way of answering communications is how we'll proceed forward um with that and that was um something that um councelor Syther agreed to as well. So from both body those that come into the school board that is how we'll we'll answer those. So um we just need a way to update this document to kind of incorporate those questions in the process um for the communications committee going forward. We're gonna open that up to discussion. Are there any thoughts on how or on the structure has has I know I I'm trying to look for the email um from Charlie. I don't remember what

304the date was on it. Um We've gotten a lot of building emails. Uh I'm trying to remember sort of if there was any sort of thought process coming out of the building committee about like what they want their role to be and sort of what they see their role as being. I think it would be critically important to get this question through referendum to have the support of that committee. So like and have the knowledge and expertise that's been developed um in that diverse group of people to the extent that they're willing to continue to help participate. You know, I don't I think our governance document kind of has a cliff because when we drafted the governance document, we were trying to get to today and next month, but we've always talked as if the

305community the communications from that committee were going to be ongoing. And so to the extent that we can support that, I think we should. I think we should absolutely amend or do an addendum to this governance document that that targets that to give them the authority to do what they want to do. But I also respect all the work that they did and want to know what what authority do they want to have like what do they what like and so I'm looking to Jillian. I'm looking to Alyssa, the people who were at the committee um to sort of fill in some of Charlie's questions because I think Charlie's right. I mean, I was I think I brought forward that I had concerns that the governance document ended. Yeah. Um and that some of their

306thoughts that they were like finally done were like accurate. We don't want them to be done. Our conversations with them have been we don't want them to be done. I don't particularly want them to be done. But I also respect that committee's work and want to know kind of from them like what what authority do they want do they think they need to run with because I would like to support their efforts. I don't want to necessarily speak for the communications committee, but um being someone who um you know has sat with them um every Tuesday in addition to our Monday night meetings um they meet every Tuesday um to develop communications and talk about the community um and how to help educate them further. Um, I think one of the challenges uh that the

307communications subgroup had is that um I I think correct me if I'm wrong Leroy, but I think you had five community member five committee members on that. Um some of us uh at this meeting tonight um have gone through another iteration of a school referendum and um I can say uh with confidence that having five people uh to try to provide enough communications to run a project successfully isn't doable. And so I know, you know, at our most recent uh building committee meetings, uh uh Leroy and others have tried to encourage other people to hop on and um assist with being present at tables in the community and events in the community because it is not going to be the work of five people that is going to convince 20,000 citizens to come out and

308vote. And so I don't know what that has, you know, how that relates to a a charge that you need to write per se. Like in my mind, it's more about how does this board and perhaps the council activate Yes. uh more bodies to help with this effort, right? I don't know that it has to necessarily be part of ESPback per se, but we need a much deeper grassroots support um and volunteerism to educate the rest of the community than we did in the last referendum. We heard very clearly after the failed referendum that there weren't enough people who knew about what the project was and that had nothing to do with the lack of efforts. Um but but we were a committee that we could count on one hand and and it's just not

309possible for that few number of humans to make themselves available at all of the events. So I just don't I just don't know to your question if this is us back. I'm bringing this together. So I I think I think it is I think we can say that I think we can authorize and again I need to think through exactly how to do it and this is not the best time for thinking through things but like I think we need we need to do an addendum or an amendment to the charge. I think an addendum is more appropriate because it's not really changing the charge. The charge is completed. An addendum is an additional piece which would continue the work of the SC subcommittee. I'm hearing that they need the authority to recruit other members

310and volunteers that may be not actual members but who would be encouraged or able to support the work if they can so be persuaded which as you point out we're going to need to have help. Yeah. But but I don't know if it's their work to do that. Like I guess what I'm suggesting is it is the work of this board to activate those people. I disagree. I think it is No, I don't. I I kind of disagree. I partially I partially agree 100% yes. Every member on this board per our board protocols is now responsible for getting this referendum passed. Two, I think we do I I do not want to lose the good work and the willingness to continue that work which at least one member of the committee at 1054 at night

311is exhibiting by his presence with us um to continue if they're willing to do that. We we can't do it either. We need help as well. The board did I mean the town council can't do it. They're going to need help as well. We're all going to need it's like an all hands- on deck kind of thing. But I think we can certainly if there's a membership willing from ESPback to continue on a comm a communications committee to be a point for us, we're we we we can use that help. If they're willing to do it, we should take that help. We need all the help we can get. We need everybody that's willing and available. Yeah. And there was discussion at Monday night's SBAC meeting um to really a plea I I'll say to

312the larger committee that even though the work of the SBAC is done, now is the time to really help and dive in with communications. And so um I I think the expectation is that there will be more than the five bodies doing the work um going forward. But I do agree with you. It's it's incumbent upon all of us to now um get behind this, support this, help recruit volunteers, help to to um staff events and to volunteer to to go door to door and to do all the things so that it's not left to five people and then we burn out our five volunteers that we have. So five might have been an overexaggeration. Yeah. Or three. Five. But if we continue the subcommittee that allow it what authorizes them to continue to meet

313as a subcommittee of this board as opposed to a volunteer committee with no authority, right? We give them the authority to recruit other members and volunteers. That's that's authority from this board that we can give them. Yeah. I don't know if we're going to give them a budget. I don't know that we have a budget to give them, but we're going to need to support them with at least photocopying costs and other other things. There's basic necessities that we have to to to authorize them to do. So we have to make funds available for them to just we have to have a meeting space for them. We have to have infrastructure for them like we have to provide that support. So we have to support them as we would any other committee that's doing the

314work of this body. You know whether it was the DEI committee when we were doing that those kind of community committees because ASPback and DEI are the only committees we have that were community committees. everything else is run by the board and we don't have a lot of extra volunteers on our committees, but like I like everyone's pointed out, this is not something that we can do by ourselves. Um, so I think we need recruitment. We need to have um an ability and a budget of some sort. Obviously, we're not having to have large amounts of money, but we need some budget for their infrastructure to set them up. Um, we need to allow them to meet and the authority to meet and to work to educate the community about this referendum and this project

315because the community did want us to go through this process and now we're not going to like hide all of our experts again if they're willing. if there are people who are still willing and I think we should reach out to the larger prior ESPback committee to see if they're able to re-engage. They put a lot of work into this too and then anyone else who's willing. Well, and respectfully, the board has changed um the proposal this evening and so there may be people on the committee who feel differently about that. True. Yeah. All right. So, I think what I'm hearing is we can work Oh, I'm sorry. Yes. Is there anybody wish you can make? Yes. Comment. Hold on, please. Okay. What we're looking for is we're looking for help from the board to

316help us with um holding events in homes or friends and family that you can get in touch with so that we can have some community gettogethers with folks in their homes, talk to them about this. Strictly educational. We're not going to tell people yes or no. It's strictly educational. Just trying to give them as much information as we can so that no voter goes to the polls uneducated. Uh I've this is my third event tonight. So sorry I did water district and the concerts then here. So um I think we want to have that. We want to have uh I know at least two other members are willing to continue on. So I think we've got at least three. We picked up one more today. Um Matt who had been not that Matt but the

317other Matt. Um he said he would join us as well and he's willing to help us out and do community events and stuff. We're going to need people to go to schools. would like to be at the open houses at the schools with some paperwork and some information for folks to have so that folks can see what we're doing and we can get to the parents there. We're trying to set up events in communities, uh, senior communities, uh, civic groups, things like that. But even if we have the open houses at the school, I don't know if they all are succinct come coming together at the same time. So, three of us can't do that. So, we're going to need more people. I guess we'd ask you folks to try to reach out to folks

318who volunteers. I have asked the the SBAC committee at least two times, I believe, if not more. And we just haven't gotten people that have volunteered. Some people are on the fence cuz not all of us voted this way. So, uh hopefully they'll come around and they'll help us, but we'd like to'd like to find out if we can get some money for some signs just telling people to go out and vote. Just telling them to go out and vote so we can put those up. I purchased uh sandwich boards for an event I run that we've been using. We have the signs already, the big sandwich board signs already made and we've been reusing them for like three times now and we can continue to reuse them because we've made them laminated. We're taping

319over and taping them up and moving them around and things like that. And Jillian's been part of it coming to my house and we've been rearranging signs. So, we need people to do that type type of stuff, but we really just need people to get out and hopefully get us some folks that can help us with this because we're getting tired. We've been doing this for a while and we can't continue to do it the same pace we're doing. So, it'd be great to get some fresh blood and some people that can really talk to some other communities that we haven't been able to get to. So, I think that's our biggest thing and maybe getting something out to the public uh in print or something that once we've actually got the town council approval,

320if we do get that and we've got your approval tonight with the option, we can now go forward with it. Uh tonight, for instance, I went around to the concerts and just put up the uh one pager that we had that you had up uh just telling people that you folks were voting on it tonight and that was the option we had recommended. and I just plastered them all around the uh park down there. So, just things like that. Things like getting out to people, getting out to businesses, seeing if businesses can put up posters, put up signs. I don't know where we're at on our budget. I don't know, Diane, I don't know if you know what our final number was as to what we spent. Uh Emily and I were both looking at

321that. Neither one of us could come up with a final number if we had used all of our monies or not. And I don't know if any of that money rolls over, but it'd be great to have some money to spend to get some information out there. That's been Elizabeth's biggest thing is Elizabeth really wants to get some money to to do some stuff and get some outreach to folks and we just haven't really had it. Like I said, we've been raising these signs and retaping them and stuff. We've been as frugal as you can possibly be. So, uh, we're asking you folks to just help us out with that and and Jillian, you might have some other things you have to say on it, but I mean, obviously there I I don't think in

322the charge we would include a a dollar amount or anything or or that we need to, but we should certainly allocate funds to the best of our ability hopefully on top of this group of people. There will be um a group that rallies around and does like a a pack uh to that they can say vote yes all they want. Um we just need to set some parameters and make sure that they know what they can what they can do. Um, and what what can money can be spent and also um I I mean I I we can try our best to uh recruit volunteers. Um but it's just I would we don't need to specify events. I would say just volunteers for events. Uh let them recruit people for that. Um and hopefully with

323our help uh recruit um I I mean that's it really. I don't I don't think it needs to be super comprehensive but I think it just has to say sort of you know because the the prior the aspect phase 2 governance document ends. So an addendum would say the subcommittee of that ESPback committee for communications can continue for the purpose of educating the voters prior to the referendum in November. They are authorized to meet. They're author, you know, according to board protocols, they're authorized to recruit other members because a lot of membership groups are closed. We're expressly allowing them to increase their membership as they see fit. So if they want to bring in more members or they just want to have volunteers, they're allowed to recruit additional support either adding members or having volunteers

324to do events and others outreach to the community within the guidelines of the law which means that they have to stick to education only. Um and the and the board will support them as they can with infrastructure which would include a budget would include basically that that's all I have to say but right now they have no they have no authority no authority to do it. Yeah. So it just needs to be brief. Yeah. It's very vague, but we have to give them authority and then the charge is to ed the purpose of this committee is to educate the voters in order to support the referendum in November. Now, obviously kind of what happens at town council that might change next month, but we don't want them to stop or slow down or disassemble. We

325want them to build stronger momentum ideally and moving towards that. You know, there's another opportunity to the referendum question was not set tonight. I want to be really clear that what the board recommended tonight is a recommendation that's non-ding on the town council. the town council can move forward however it sees fit. And so that you know that is a place where I expect there are people who I heard from tonight may want to put some efforts in for the next month. Again our charge is really clear once we take a vote and things have happened. We are all behind that vote and and I am committing to that fully right now and going forward. But I want to make sure that we have what we need to do this successfully because I do want

326to see this pass because that is my job. Yeah. And I think that this can be um I'm totally in agreement with what you're saying. The addendum does not have to be a long laborous document. It is just a very short to the sweet giving you authority to do what you've been doing this whole time. Um, as it relates to budget, I do think you could, um, take a look at, you know, with the leader being gone and the void that that leaves, um, really taking a look, and maybe this is something you and Elizabeth can work on right now. Um, taking a look at what monies you think you need and putting together, um, a budget and submitting it to us. And then Diane at the same time, Diane and Kate can be looking

327at what funds are available and then we can match the two up. But that would give you some um that would give this board some guard rails in the sense of what are you looking to spend and how much are you looking to spend and then also at the same time kind of organizes your thought process too, right? Your committee's thought process and where you're looking to spend dollars. Um I think it's a pretty simple go forward and we could we could write that I mean I have the notes written down. We could write this up. we can take a look um and then ship it over to the council for review at their next mind already. Right. So, she probably does and I just want to make sure that I have the authority to

328ask people if we can get them. Yes. Because I didn't know if we had to come to you folks or we had to go to DA. No, we can. That's Yeah, we can we can write that in there to where you have the authority to recruit your volunteers. And we also um Ry um resurrected the student newspaper, right? Or one of the students had there's one of the papers. Oh, at the high school level that might be an opportunity of place in lack of leader. That would be awesome. Yeah. Yeah. Like there there are groups that can be activated that are sophisticated in campaigning much more than people. Yeah. And there there are um there is a ELO and extended learning opportunity at the high school with journalism. Um so there is a possibility to

329have some people help you write for sure. Were you going to say something about that? Well, I was just going to say procedurally I don't know that it necessarily needs to come to council. Do you just want to leave that board? Yeah, I wouldn't hold it up with any council authority at this point. The council approved the original document. I think that any addendum you add to it can be under board purview and that it doesn't need to also be under council purview. Especially when you're talking about budgetary things like that's that's your side of the house and I'm comfortable with that. Okay, perfect. Well, we can get that done. As a point of order at your next meeting, would you just I don't know if like announce it to the board. I want them

330behind them. Absolutely. Yes. Perfect. Certainly. Good point. And if they want to approve it, great. I don't want to be like, "We didn't know about this." Certainly, I can do that for you. Thank you. All right. So, we'll work on getting that written up um offline. Okay. It is 11:08. Um I'm going to offer an idea. Um we have three executive sessions left on our agenda. Do you want to do them tonight or do you prefer to do a perhaps a remote meeting on Monday? I want to bring them out tonight. I can do it really fast. And it's really important that we get these things done before the end of the fiscal year, which is in several days. Okay. So, I'm going to call Well, first off, where what do we Can we bundle

331them? I That's what I'm going to do, but I want to hold on. I want to make sure. Where are we at on the bang it out tonight or Okay. So, I'm going to ask that we update the agenda. Um, and we um bundle the executive sessions. They're all um essentially um I I think I'm okay to do this. They are all um under the same reason um which are to discuss contracts. So, what I'm going to propose we do is update the agenda to discuss all three in one executive session and then come back and ratify the three so we're not going back and forth. Does everybody understand that? Okay. So, um I'm making a motion to bundle the executive sessions into one. Um do I have a second? Second. Any discussion? All in

332favor? Good. Let's go get it done. We will change back session. Elizabeth send her numbers. You or she either. Yeah. Thank you. Perfect. You for hanging with us. All right, thank you. Welcome back. Um, all right. Agenda item 12.0 is ratification of the 2025 2028 maintenance contract. Do I have a motion to approve the contract as presented? So moved. Second. Any discussion? All in favor? Uh, that shows unanimous. Thank you. Agenda item the new 13.0 is ratification of the 2025 2028 administrators contract. Do I have a motion to approve as presented? So moved. Second. Any discussion? All in favor? Um and that shows unanimous. And then the last one is Oh gosh, I don't know what number we're on. Um Okay. Okay. Well, I'm just going to say it. We're going to do a new

33314 point. I think it's 14.0 ratification of the 2025 2026 um superintendent contract. Um do I have a motion to ratify it as presented? Second. Any discussion? All in favor? Uh and it's unanimous. Thank you. And if there are no objections, we will adjourn at 11:32 p.m. Thank you so much.