001This looks probably >> not actually. Wow, look at you dapper. >> Known for my passion. >> I like that hat. >> Yeah, [laughter] we call it Steve's, >> right? I think like two or three that my grandpolog I was I just thought I had the same problem. >> One of those nights that I had just chill >> because I got home, you know, big days just >> we're all here. make order at 7. I'm sorry. 640. Okay. Agenda preview. Does anybody have any changes to the agenda? I emailed Ryan with some um questions about the policy types. I neglected to take some of those comments back given all the excitement of the budget past month, but Brian got back to me with a couple things. So, we'll do that real time. I don't change the
002agenda for that. I think we still may be able to approve those policies because I get a couple clarifications that she very kindly it doesn't hit any back. Okay. So, no changes to the agenda. Any public comments and looking online attendees tonight raise your hand if you have any comments during the meeting. All right. move on to the PTR report from March. >> Sure. Yeah. Um, first of all, I just wanted to grant you for all of your work from the past. I know that was a huge lift tonight as part of your role, but I can't imagine that invested both of these meetings and answering emails from hundreds of people that were writing some. Um, and I also we sent out a PTO newsletter today that I forwarded to all of you this afternoon
003just so you can kind of take a look in my life. But um, we just have a lot of events coming up in the spring which was >> tradition. Yeah. Um, and bingo night and some other fundraising activities. So um, that will be something planning to do and hopefully getting lots of volunteers for. Um, And then update is that the onc3 the lawyer is taking a look at the final version. >> Wow. >> We have some com questions about membership and how does it define that and the current board of directors they may transition stepped down from our positions this year but once that happens we'll be submitting it. So I hope for the next meeting it's been established and we have an EI. >> That's it. >> Okay. Any questions? Comments? >> Seeing none.
004Thank you very much. Slowing things down. Just job well done on the 501c3. Um once it gets there I I do think that the more structure we put around these efforts we can then hand them off easily for the next group and there was a lot of discussion during the budget about ways in which the PTO might be able to fill some gaps. Is that like a placeholder to talk about later or already active discussions about the work? I think from my perspective the establishment of the bank account and the policies and procedures about how to operation money independently when I'm confident we'll get that in place but >> um so I think that can be happening concurrently with more defined asks for what does your PTO like we're fundraising what are we fundraising for
005>> um and now it's currently used for PTO grants for teachers and just different activities but I think based on budget where the budget landed. It sounds like there could be ways that we could support um the future budget and so celebrations and supplement planning events and extracurricular activities. >> Thank you. So if you have any specific ideas that would be great but yeah >> do other comments questions okay move on to our business requiring discussion the first item as I was just mentioning is the reading policies this is the second reading of these communication policies we had discussed these at last at our last meeting I was saying I neglected to take some of the notes back. Um, but I did uh email Ry Ryan with a few comments and the questions that came
006back through us this afternoon. She very quickly turned it back around and made some changes real time in the documents that are reflected here. My original take was is maybe we would just not do anything tonight and move this till next time, but I think based on her the changes that we made, we can probably move ahead. Um why don't we take them maybe one by one. The first one is B8. I think one overarching comment last time that I heard was is that the lack of the definition in electronic devices with regards to smart watches was something that everyone seemed really wanted to get added in. Um, so if we open up E8 and then one of the other comments was is why was the term computer mediated removed and we weren't quite sure.
007So what we did is we put that back in and then we said commute computer then we added smartwatches, tablet or phone mediated communication devices. Although we were thinking that basically a computer or phone mediated device include a smartwatch and smart smart watches need to be connected to one of these devices but maybe they don't. So that's the comment on that one. Oh actually I'll skip right to the end too. So there was a question about the so I'm jumping around video but there was a question with regarding to the form the form which is the uh permission it's a contract basically and I was asking why so for sorry these there were a question about what are these policies and are they related to the New Hampshire policies and Ryan clarified that no these
008all the wording from these policies ies is from the AOE and DSA. So these do not mimic the New Hampshire policy that need been working on and I've been working on a policy committee which is why last week I was a little bit or last meeting I was a little bit upside down on how these policies related to the policies that we have been approving over on the other side of the room. That's number one. The second one is that policy JICJ, I'm sorry, policy a JICJ says that on the third offense, quote unquote, there will be a meeting with the administration to create a personal cell phone device contract. So that is why the contract is here because I was asking where I am. I was like, are we expecting every child and parent
009at Marian Cross to sign a cell phone contract because that seems like we're not doing that anywhere else. And for uh elementary school, it seemed extremely burdensome. So that is why that contract is there. This is not intended to be put [clears throat] up first. This is a last resort contract. Okay. And then Ryan made a couple other comments. So why don't we look through first? So the main comment going back for policy B8 is that computer mediated concept as well as moving in smart watches. The other policy J I CJ didn't really change anything here because looking at it in my mind at least the definitions of the devices is basically cell phone which is number one and then the other prohibited devices means any school issued personal electronic device that connects to cellular
010networks including actually sorry Ryan did change this including smartwatches the internet or connects to Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. I suggested that today to add in because these things are may not be connected to a cellular network, but a watch is connected to a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth network or has wireless capabilities. So, I think that kind of meets everyone's concern at the prior meeting of capturing every single thing that kids can bring up to school that might be considered a device. [clears throat] So, those are those are the big changes that we made. I'm just reading my notes from Ryan. Um, >> it looks like we made it clear, um, Garrett, just to make sure that the kids from a 504 or an IEP say who might use the phone to listen to reading material, they're still
011able to use it because that that's in there. Yeah, I see it. I think it's clear. And again, just to be clear, policy B8 is for specifically for employee between employees and students, right? And policy JICJ is specifically specific to this basically the ban on use of cell phones beling some circumstances for use. And then the contract is like you said, it's really for the third offense. If we get to that stage or some becoming problem, my question is for Sean. Two questions. Do you understand what's being asked of you? Do you feel like it's administraable? >> Yes. Yes. >> Okay. >> I don't suspect we'll have to use this. >> Okay. question. >> Yeah. Um, you said that this is based on the Vermont stuff and not the other side of the river, the
012New Hampshire items. So, I guess this is sort of a question for Lauren. Um, does that create a problem? I mean, like, is is this in contradiction to I can't remember. I did not look at what we passed in New Hampshire before I came here and I probably should have. But is it in contradiction to anything Garrett that happened in New Hampshire and or will it cause problems for kids for families who have a kid here a kid at the high school and a kid at the middle school if they're having to do different things? I don't it doesn't seem like it would, but I just was wondering. >> I mean Laura can speak too. I don't think so because the the JCJ this use of cell phones I mean it's pretty basic and the
013biggest part is the bell. the bell, right? >> And just kind of said, you know what, it's the bell, you know, should not. >> Okay. Thank you. >> The other one I think probably Michael's point is obviously there's a lot of, you know, restriction, but I think that's kind of pretty much with regards to communications and in communications, communicating with students and stuff, that's already pretty clear around district. So, Thank you. Just try not to make your job hard. >> So with that is uh these are up to be approved tonight. Our business requirement action unless anyone wants to make further changes any of them for a third review. Good. Okay. All right. Seeing no further discussion, I do have any comments from anybody else. It's going twice. No. Okay. Uh, preparation for the annual
014meeting is our next item up. So, it's held on Monday, March 2nd at 7 p.m. This is the Oy meeting. This is the one where we meet with the town. We go. Do you know much about what's happening at the moment? You know very much about that. >> Can we go before after the board? >> We I believe we went second last year. So we will go first this year. >> Okay. >> I believe I will not be in the on March second. >> I not attend. I mean there's usually not do you want to do you want to use your slide shows again >> I don't really see a lot of I mean other than plug in the numbers I don't really see too much that hopefully is going to be um >> consequential
015at this meeting given well unless things completely change at the legislative level between now and based on what we just passed and the tax implications I think we >> I can present the budget do that again. >> Do we have any other need for discussion about this? And from a board perspective, as everyone knows, I think we were all there last year. Ideally, we'll come introduce ourselves. We sit down in front. Neil kindly gives his great presentation and explains how it it works. I think everyone very much appreciates that. And then uh okay so is that is Monday at 7 p.m. March 2nd. >> Okay. The school calendar. This is but this is also up for approval tonight. This has been all of our meetings on the other side of the river. I don't think
016there is anything that's on hold or subject to change or input or really open for discussion. I know asked me a little bit discussion about artford the president meeting and few other things but and the early start date at least was looks like an early start date but it's actually not that early because it's still the last week of August it's just Labor Day is much later this year than nor extremely late this year. Any comments about our calendar from the board? Um, your specific comment is when we were um working things out with the support staff, they flag this as well and we put everything into the contract. So, I think we're fine. But just to check in, Sean, that some of them I think work in camps or other things and so they're
017required days as long as they could hopefully be like the 24th and the 25th versus which I'm not worried about. I thought I'd mention it so they know we're advocating >> and we could actually work with them before the end of the year. >> That's great. >> I think the wording was going to say that they couldn't start they couldn't come into feeding until the week starts starts, right? Yeah. >> So that takes Yeah. The week of the 17th, >> correct? >> Yeah. Great. Great. >> And is that normal? Does everyone usually come back five days or >> teachers? teachers. It's usually fall week that the usually the last week >> we've done it different years. So last year we had five days at the beginning instead of spreading out to the days and I
018think it was better allowed us to the beginning of the year kind of get settled instead of splitting up some weeks. >> Yeah. Sure. >> Great. >> I I remember that change being made. I just speak from myself and feels like from a parent perspective that it's worked very well. And then acknowledging that this is a septennial problem >> happens every seven years. Okay. >> Not much you can do about it. Even if the calendar feels a little little funny. >> Is that the proper term? September. I just wanted to say subtract [laughter] >> the correct term. >> Why would I know about that? >> Is it actually a word? >> I believe we have that tell us. [laughter] >> Okay. Any other comment on >> Becky? Yes. Um so what it is earlier I
019mean we usually do a three four five start and this year it will be a three five4 start so that is different >> um and not that August 19th is early as >> mentioned with Ed assistants but potentially other people too could have conflicts with summer obligations but um the thing I wanted to bring up and it's too late for this year but just put it out there um in thinking about how could we the teachers I know talk like wow that's a really early start but they really like two weeks open the Christmas holiday and you sort of have to give somewhere. Um I would really like and this is me speaking I'm not on behalf of teachers or anything. I think that some of the days that are built into our calendar would
020be better off as school days. Most particularly Martin Luther King's holiday and Veterans Day. Um those tend to chop up the time but more importantly to really honor those people we should be in school and we should be doing special programming. You know we do special programming sort of around Dr. holiday. We have a program on some other day near Veterans Day. But I honestly think if we're looking to really honor those people being in school and committing the time, not just being in school and having to be a regular day, but commit a half a day or some sort of day to to studying, celebrating, thinking about why that day is special um would be beneficial for students. And I think it would also smooth out the calendar in those places where we go,
021you know, choppy choppy for about a five day week for quite a long time. So I like just put that in the hopper. I don't even know if it's allowed with Hartford and federal government and other stuff, but um put it in the hopper to think about. >> Yeah, I will say at Oxbow we're in school on Veterans Day and they invite all the the veterans who are alumni to come and it is a incredibly powerful ceremony that day. So it is federally allowed to have school on Veterans Day. So >> it's Vermont. >> Yeah. >> Yep. Right up the road. >> It is interesting because I think both those holiday seem to be less I mean I think we've always said that the school calendar follows federal holidays and that's how we also don't
022get into the rat's nest of all the other holidays. But then those holidays actually even though they are federal holidays and at least I've been noticing that they aren't really work holidays for most people anymore for one reason or another. >> They're not at >> Even though like the stock market's closed I think on both those days but they're not they're not even holidays for >> it's not for Dartmouth Martin Luther King. I know I don't know about Veterans Day. >> It's it we have Yeah. People work on that day. I know a lot of people just work on that phase, but not that that's right or wrong, but it is kind of interesting to me few days from the summer and have the kids get more out of it. So, okay, I will take
023that comment down and maybe send it out to you. I would just caution us. I I think you want to do anything about this. I would hold off until the end of this legislative session. Last year, the education reform bill included a provision in there that would establish statewide school calendar. And so, it's possible that whatever work happens on that may preempt whatever change that we are considering here at this local level. That would be, you know, I I don't know that we want to spend the effort on it until we know what the outcome that's going to be first. >> Yep. But for the next school calendar, it might >> I don't know. I don't know when it would go into effect. Um, and I don't know how detailed it will be u when
024they determine a statewide school calendar. So I think there's enough out there that's uncertain at the moment that I wouldn't put any effort in this until the end of the legislative session where things become a little bit more clear. I would anticipate. How would that work? You can get married students based on one calendar and then register some kids on on the Hartford calendar. Well, no because Hartford and Norwich would be at risk. It would be a statewide calendar for all states. Nor have to follow that. Yes. Or they would find a little bit different. >> Okay. Coming attractions. Okay. Um that is our school calendar. So we will move to approve that as well. Okay. I think that's it for our business discussion. Our business caring action um you had a comment on the
025minutes. I heard you. >> Yeah, I had a couple um changes to the minutes for the minutes of January 15th, which was the budget adoption meeting. Um find it. um the the motion to approve the additional monies associated that 8 um FTE tech integration position. I voted no on that one, but it's showing in the minutes that it was a unanimous vote. Um I and I will also say I don't materially I don't think anything um changes and I think it's understood but I do think that some of the motions the language is a little I don't know if it was a hard time hearing from the video recording but I believe what's written here may not match exactly what was said. Although I did not have a chance to um listen to the to
026the video yet, but it just weird. It it sorry, it reads awkwardly. So, for example, it says move for a budget of $8,891,377 for the Maring across 2627 budget. Maybe that's what we said. >> It just strikes me as it just reads a little off. >> Okay. And I'm pretty sure the other motion was not to in the service of point 8 FTE mationist I think was probably service if that was it. So unfortunately I did not have time to to watch the video but my material changes that I voted on position and then um if I could go to the um meeting minutes of the seven um change um it is the motion to enter executive session. So number 8A um I believe what I said was that premature premature discussion would clearly place
027the board at a potential potential disadvantage because um it had it could reveal details about contract negotiations [clears throat] with both of our parts. I think that's what I said. Okay. Was from it could reveal. That's the part that you speak next to. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Not that it has real details, but could reveal details. >> It also has real details. >> Okay. >> If we're being picky, it's Becky French, not Becky French. >> Your [laughter] alter ego is here, Becky. But you should work that into your classroom. [laughter] >> As far as approval of these, I can send these comments to Brian to fix. Do we approve them as amended or should we just pull on them and then you know if you're if you're talking about Robert order just having board
028members make corrections to the minutes is sufficiently just approve them and then those changes are just made by administration. Yes. Okay. Any other comments on the minutes? Other items? None. Do I have a motion to approve items B through G by consent? >> Gina, >> I move to approve items B through G by consent. >> A second. >> Neil. All those in favor? I >> I >> All right, that is unanimous. Okay, our communications reports these fairly short tonight. Uh report of the chair. I did finally get my chair letter in. took a bit to write just because I was trying to uh go through the year um of the happenings at the legislature and then try to explain make sure that uh public was clear at least on the actions that we took with
029the budget and what we did and did not do um and how we kind of got to the positions that we were in. So hopefully that was good. I sent that around to the board today so everyone can read that. If you see any errors or wild things that I got wrong, let me know. Um I think everything's I haven't heard any changes to the budget. Theresa sent a very small change to the ADM count which I reflected in my numbers which I reflected in my chair letter. So hopefully that that gets into the budget feel. Um, I would encourage I sent the link and I know it went out in the listerve yesterday to the panel that Neil did with Rebecca Hulcom a couple weeks ago. And I would say for those people that
030are watching this on video tonight, if you have a chance, it was on the list serve. It was on yesterday, so I think Tuesday the third um list serve posting. The link is there for the YouTube video. It's a It's definitely worth watching and it definitely will remind everybody what we're dealing with and gave a great summary of kind of where we've come in 2025 and where we're entering 2026 with what may or may not happen at the legislative level and also concludes with kind of people asking what can we do um as a lot of things um could potentially unfold or may not unfold but it could get um you know things could happen here that are fairly sub, you know, could be quite substantial. So, if you had the chance to watch that,
031I would definitely take the time to to spend new. It's going to it's quite educational. Um, and again, thank you for everybody for their help on all the budgets on both sides of the river. Um, I do think from here for our next meetings and we can if we should I'd like to get some thoughts as far as if we wanted to spend time at next meetings doing anything more substantive as far as work to be done. And this is probably the time to do it just because the next few months I think are a little quiet now the budget seasons and once we well actually it'll be really I guess we have one more meeting and then the whole technically the new board would be here but once that new board starts it's kind
032of a quiet couple months as far as taking some time if we want to do something before summer hits and then before we come back to school and then budget season gets in their way. So, if anyone has any comments right now and has any ideas that they'd like to do, I'm happy to take some notes, but if not, please, you know, send me a note or catch me live. >> Okay, on to our principal report. >> All right, so I don't know if you've noticed, but the last few months have been a little dreary board meeting. So, I thought maybe we'd spice it up a little bit and give you some information about what kids are learning in FCS because that is much more fun than budgets. Um, though each grade level gave me
033a little snapshot of some learning that's been going on in their classrooms with a little picture to go along with it. Not going to read through all those, but those will brighten your day for sure. Enrollment has stayed exactly the same. Um, where it's rendered for students last month and retained all of them for this month. And I just wanted at the bottom of the report just to highlight prek enrollment. We've done a lot of talking about prek. Uh we had 61 applicants for our prek program this year. Uh Greg provided some breakdown of them. There were 20 students who are already enrolled. Um 10 outside of rich residents and 27 students are weight listed program right now. And I just included in there the enrollment priority order. I think it's important to know that
034we don't have a lottery system. We have a priority um order where we take currently enrolled prek students. So if you're in our program, we don't want to say hope you enjoyed one year. I'm going to keep it keep them. And then you have to be an orange resident. Third, students with diagnosed developmental delays or disabilities because that is the purpose of universal prek students who need an extra boost. Um or students identified as at risk. And then if you have a sibling in MCS who get priority at last order the student's birth date making sure that they will be 3 years old by their birthday. So you have a healthy number. Emails went out this week telling parents congratulations you got started or you're on the wait list. Why did you respond back and
035ask where on the wait list? There's a lot of interest and I'll take any questions on these. >> How many Sean? I forget how many total spots are there. We have um 36. We fill 34 of them now. We keep two spots in case we have sweets that have a high need that move in. We try to fill them by the time. Okay, that's great. Any questions for Sean? Thank you for that update on the classes. Very nice. The applicants residing outside Norwich. Are they in Vermont or a mixture of Vermont and Newampshire? Should we look at that list of Hannah, Lebanon, Wilder? I mean, all over but close. They obviously don't get a spot unless we had >> decided that Norwich residents had priority. >> Oh, are uh >> so they still they didn't
036get a spot when we had time. >> And are there applicants residing outside Norwich who would fulfill all the students with diagnosed developmental delay or disability or at risk? >> Yeah. So they would they they would have to be a Norwich resident first and if you're a Norwich resident and have a developmental disability then you would have priority over someone without developmental disabilities. >> Yes it does. Thanks. >> Sorry if I if I haven't been following this close enough. Are there people from other towns in the program while Norwich residents are on the wait list? Okay. Right. >> I understand the priority. >> The only way that would possibly happen is if they got in at preK3. >> Yeah. >> Somehow because there's a weight list they got in let them in at preK4. >>
037Okay. >> That's they're in preK3 to get you don't want to remove people that are present, >> but there's no current that situation. >> It probably won't happen because every year it's about 15% more applicants than you report. >> Fair enough. >> Yeah. Sure. >> I'm just thinking of something you mentioned earlier, Garrett, is um I think there was some interest or appetite to explore what could look like to potentially explore like a I'm not getting stats tuition. What's it called? Um >> needs based tuition approach. I don't know if we want to do that or not. I think there's could be merit in us and we're we're interested um towns people who express interest in looking at that. So I I think what's making that come through to me is when you see there's
03827 kids on the wait list, there's a lot of need or desire. And I don't know if we even sustain it in the space or we want to um but should be on our project list. >> But yeah, any other questions or comments for Shima? Should we be worried about the second grade that they're not in the report [laughter] about the person that took the report >> or should we be worried about the person who works? [laughter] >> I'll just posly apologize to second grade for not give me some information. No, I thought maybe they were just had a really tough week >> and I totally get that they missed the deadline for inclusion. Now principles are not supposed to have a >> favorite >> and and sorry Jared Gina's comment reminded me of another
039comment from the public at one of our recent meetings. I do not remember which one, but Matt Buck talking about the sixth grade moving over. I know that that's not, you know, financially, who knows? But it feels like it's worth having a conversation. So, because yeah, that might free up space for prek. [clears throat] Okay. I just ask questions that I have and I don't want to get us off a really great question. [laughter] And I know that the race is considering looking at prek. Would we ever consider thinking about or could we ever consider a swap of uh tuition? If we were to host prek here and sixth grade were to be hosted on the other side of the river or is it just too complicated with the way funding? I >> think it's
040a good question of we do have a great prek program. We've got a good start. It would be nice maybe a lot of ways to have it's from both sides of the river has some type together. That's interesting. >> All right. As well. Thank Sean Lauren still. Yes. >> Yes. My work is submitted and I happy to answer any questions about it in the efficiency. >> Absolutely. >> Any questions for Lauren? ELA is definitely um moving to the forefront now. Question more. Gina, >> I see that you're host the director of educational technology. This is exciting. Did you choose or think about any changes to the position like in light of anytime someone leaves I always like to look at a position and see is it meeting the needs of what we have and since
041you've had time to be that role in addition to the five other roles you play I was curious >> are we is it the exact same job description or >> some slight changes yeah given what we have um boots on the ground now with the staffing and the skills that we have >> um and also thinking about gathering the applications and seeing the skills and expertise that come in and then considering that against the backdrop of the tech folks that we already have in place and potentially redistributing um some of those responsibilities after we see the candidate pool as well. So there's a few different layers to this. >> Yeah, great. It's awesome. thoughts. You did a very detailed report. It was super helpful. >> Okay. On to um Teresa. >> Um all I have
042right now is I just uploaded a um a recent year-end projection um that we're looking at for the revenue expenditures. Um, so right now, um, as of the end of December, we have a potential that we're looking at like about 477,000 for fun balance, but still a little early. >> Um, that's where we're at. And on that, I don't have a newsletter because we just been kind of hot, making sure that everything's to the printers that town reports and all that, too. So, it's supposed to. >> Great. Thank you. Um I'm gonna bring this up while it's on your report. Teresa and um and Neil and others maybe help me remember, but as I was writing my chair report, I couldn't and there was a lot of changes this year kind of at the end
043right as we were kind of changing numbers and adding things in. Do you recall and Teresa you may not because you weren't really part of this right the actual my budget process last year maybe this is really a question for you but once we made let's just say you know the final sections and the final FTE and then we and the final kind of number we added in the last $108,000 to their budget to get the final tax calculation in the prior years did we actually go back and reload like a document dated like the day after the meeting I noticed a couple times or or not. And I guess because some of this I keep a spreadsheet on my own and what I've also done is sometimes when I was putting that together a
044few years ago and going back collecting historical data when you go back and you take the financials from the meetings >> Yep. oftentimes you'd have to wait till the following year and then go look at the previous year's >> budget to get the exact numbers because what you approved I guess what did we do there and I'm not I'm wondering if that also was part of some of the confusion at the 11th power this year as far as like like did they actually load up [clears throat] a document with like I guess the the simple question is like we proved an extra 108,000 or like very large budget. Did Jamie used to go and load up that extra 108,000 with the revised budget numbers and tax calculations and stuff into docks like the day after
045>> or I I wouldn't think so. I mean I haven't taken a look at the p previous board doc kind of uploads to confirm but but I guess in my view right what what is posted in board docs or in assembly now right is correct at the moment in time that it was uploaded >> if the board made a decision that night to add some additional amounts to the expenditure rather than that's reflected in the minutes and the motion that was made >> right >> but I wouldn't then retroactively go in and change documents that were in that agenda and packet, right? That that seems to me like inappropriate because you want you want a historical record of what what what did the board look at that night? What was the information? And then the
046minutes reflect the decisions that were made, but I wouldn't go in back and start changing things. That would that would come up with the with the record. Right. Right. I I I do last year or two years ago, I think in board docs, we had a meeting on like the 11th and there was a document saved on the 12th. I don't know that that was a new one that had to slightly revised number and Jamie sometimes was updating stuff real time in the meeting and reloading them for us things. I >> Yeah, >> I don't know. Anyways, it was a little bit >> we can leave it the way it is. It was just I noticed this just doing this. It's a little bit hard to go back and look because of course the documents
047that are in there are actually not >> go back and I can still go back and load it and just make sure that it's very clearly dated. >> I think Let's be careful. Let's not do anything again. Maybe we take this offline and figure out if it's never done in the past. That's fine. >> Yeah. >> But I do and again some years we're not really making these changes like you know adding a percent to the budget. >> Okay. >> Yeah. I would I would not retroactively go back and change [clears throat] things. I certainly wouldn't change things, right? >> Change it, but like adding something in reference to, >> right, >> might be different, but >> yeah, it might be, but I I still don't think it's appropriate. Right. I mean, that agenda the
048the agenda is reflective of the meeting that was had at that moment in time. Right. >> Right. and and to add a document to that agenda after the fact would suggest that perhaps, you know, board members had that information available to them when they might not have, right? It just none of it sort of >> that's maybe it's more my thing because when we haven't I don't think we've changed the revenue number like that kind of I think we have a little bit but you then if I didn't have my own spreadsheets to calculate the tax rate it would be hard to write a letter to fix you know all the data >> right but what people need to keep in mind right is the only hard number in all of this discussion is the
049expenditure budget when we get up at town meeting whatever communication you send out at this moment in time up until those tax bills are issued is merely a forecast of what we think the tax rate's going to be. But we don't know for sure until all budgets are passed and then the legislature sets that yield number and then the department of taxes can go in and do their thing. So the only hard number is that expenditure budget number and that was set via the motion that was made at the meeting that night. So, okay. >> And that's why in my letter I put approximately and estimated to be and that kind of thing. So, we're just estimating that. So, I guess we're doing something. >> Okay. Yeah. >> All right. Sorry to take it offline.
050I just wanted to take this off topic a little bit. I just wanted to see if anyone had any recollection how it worked previously with Jamie because sometimes things happen fast. Okay. So, any questions for Teresa? So, Teresa, nothing to do then. you're not going to change. Okay, we do have a need for an executive session tonight. But before we do that, can I just brief legislative update? There is a bill being considered in the Senate right now, S220, that would put a cap on school budgets, uh, school expenditure, school budgets, um, for the next two years, um, as they were try to figure out what's going on with this whole redistricting education reform thing, right? And, um, it is, in my opinion, not a good bill for public education. Um, it would take basically
051school budgets um the amount that we just approved it would apply some sort of inflator um number onto that and that would be the hard stop limit for the budget next year. Um I think it's bad policy. Um but I encourage my board colleagues to go and take a look at it. This thing is it's changing on a daily basis. They met again this afternoon in Senate Finance. So, just to back up for a second, it was introduced by uh Senate President Prom Bill Bur. It went through Senate Education very quickly. It then moved over to Senate Finance where it is currently sitting. There have been some discussions on there. It changed this afternoon um through some of those discussions, but I I still am very very concerned about this bill and I think it
052is bad policy um affecting public education in the state of Vermont. So, I bring that up because if my board colleagues were so inclined to review the bill themselves and also thought that this was um not appropriate, reaching out to members of Senate Finance right now in addition to your own Senate leadership, so Allison Clarkson, um Beckway and Joe Major. Um and let them know that people they they need to know this, right? with um yeah, form your own opinion, but mine is this thing. >> That's what's the number S21? >> S21. >> Mr. Chairman, may I ask a question of my colleague? >> Um has legislative council or um the SBA weighed in on the legality of that bill? >> I don't know the answer to that question. Then my editorial comment was um
053we're seeing there are many parallels between education and healthcare. The draft hospital budget guidance in the state of Vermont that was published this week would allow a hospital expenditure growth of 0% next year. So there there are a lot of um there is an affinity for very simple ideas right now that perhaps don't reflect how these places actually run. So, I will I will take for good advice then reach out on S220. >> And for those of you that heard Neil's point about calling the Senate Finance Committee, one thing that I took away from that Zoom information session is that it's okay to talk to our local representatives, but oftentimes our local representatives are pushing the exact same things we are and they are very much in favor of these same ideas. And it really
054is important to reach out to the actual committee members and the chairs of these committees. >> Okay. All right. Thank you, Neil. >> Okay. On to um we do have executive session for personnel needs. Um this will require a two motion motion. Um [clears throat] I can make it. Neil, you want to make it? Uh if we got it, why don't you go? So our first motion is I move to find the premature on public knowledge regarding the personnel um as described in our executive session glasses. Uh we'll place the board at a substantially disadvantaged position because the board was disclosing our strategy on these discussions. Um in a public session there a second to that motion. All those in favor sorry Lisa second it I made a motion in favor of that's unanimous. All
055right I'll make the second motion. I move to enter into executive session for the purpose of discussing personnel issues under title one section 13A Y. Again, these are labor relations agreements with employees. Seconded by Lisa. All those in favor. >> That is all. All right. Um yeah, you can see on the public session when we'll be approving NLOU, we will come up and assuming nothing happens, we'll be approving that. But if not, there's nothing coming out of our meeting. >> The public thanks you for shortening >> one hour. >> Well, well, yeah. so far. >> Teresa, did you have something for us to sign? >> That's it. >> Okay. >> So, I only signed one lady. So, we have to sign the other things, too. >> Okay. I only signed the budget. when I printed
056out my paper. Don't worry, it already did it. Waiting for the flower. >> All right, we are backing the public session at 805. >> Uh, we have one motion here. Do I have a motion to approve theou? Neil. I move to approve theou and the norish cake association as presented. Second. All those in favor. All right. That is unanimous. The motion has been approved. Thank you very much for hard work on that. Okay. Uh agenda topics for next meeting, please get them to me. Our next meeting will be on March 4th. That will be that'll be our organization l that'll be the day after election right >> yes >> correct be our start for the beginning for the next the next >> all right with that uh do I have a motion for adjournment Gina
057>> I move to adjourn the meeting at 8:05 >> second We