001Thank you so much. >> And Terra's with us and Garrett. >> Ter and Garrett. Okay. Hi everybody. Um thank you so much. Welcome to this very special um SAU70 meeting. Um, we have two main things to do tonight and I have a quick agenda review item to add, but it's really super quick. It's just a question for you guys. So, um, like I promise there's not a lot. Um, we do have to vote on one thing. The second item is just information only for tonight. Um, it has implications for budgeting for next year, but no implications for what's happening currently. Um, and then we do ha we did have a um reason to go into non-public, but it has to do with the SAU office and we are having a larger conversation in January at
002the SAU meeting about the SAU office and staffing and needs and everything. And so due to the time and how many hours people have been in meetings this week, we're going to postpone that non-public to the January meeting because it doesn't make any difference at all for the next 30 days. So um okay, so there we are. Um called order agenda review. I just um need to ask a quick question about for the board just adding it. Um we'll add it to >> 4C. Um just a quick question about those of you that receive updates to um board docs or to assembly and to meetings via Google alerts and your Google calendar. Apparently that is not working. So I just need to know whether it's a oneperson problem or whether it's a full board problem.
003So we'll talk about that in a minute. Okay. So any other additions to the agenda? Okay. Um the public may address the board. Those of you who stuck it out with us, anything to say? say hi. [laughter] >> I hope you have all the documents you need now to be assured that we're not expecting to get money from friends with from the district uh at another time. Um you should have Erin's letter that supports our um receiving the grant for the system. >> Okay, we'll talk about that during that session. So yeah, so anything that's not on the agenda. So we're good. Okay, thanks. >> Okay, good. You're leading right up into that. Okay, nobody's online. Okay, we're good. Um, okay. So, um, >> why don't we reorder? >> I was going to say, can
004we reorder it so that 4B goes now and then you guys can leave >> if you want to. So, let's start with 4B. Follow up with a donation from the friends of Hanover Norwich schools. Um, just a quick reminder, they very generously responded to a request from the high school for a sustainability person. Um, and we voted we were voted on it at the last meeting and had some concerns because the grant said that it would be a multi-year grant and because of the budget issues, the board was uncomfortable accepting it with a promise that it would continue. Went back to the friends to ask if it could just be for this year and we received a very gracious letter that it could. So, >> what else can you all add? [laughter] >> Um, we've
005also revised >> Oh, yeah. Sorry, your name and um yeah, >> Deb Robinson. I'm uh the environmental club advisor at the high school. It is um not just the high school. This is an SAPwide position. >> And the other adjustment that was already made for the friends was for it to be a more studentf facing position rather than more um administrative. Um, so we've made those adjustments and uh eliminated any language about future years funding. >> So you all see the the current language is there and we will be voting on that when we get to that point. Um, Linda, did you have anything to add or you >> Thank you. >> Okay. And thank you both for doing this and for being here and for your patience with the fact that this took an
006extra month to approve. So thank you so much. kind of shame again just for the public statement of all I know we thank the burn foundation again just a reminder how much the friends >> also support what we do for our students >> okay great um okay so then we have Robin up with 4A yes >> a potential change in insurance vendor >> yes okay so as you know we had to switch insurance vendors for our non-union employees last year and it's been a big change and very disruptive and so Amy has been looking for solutions to that and has gone out and asked for quotes from different companies and so we did receive a possible solution and a good option for us for our non-UN employees that came in from CGI. They're a pretty
007well-known organization and they um compared some of our costs and benefits from our current plan which is the Harvard Pilgrim Plan and you can see they I include a side by side of the insurance benefits and so we have been looking at that and Amy would like to move us from the Harvard Pilgrim HSA silver plan to this new Blue Cross Anthem plan and I can review some of the um some of the highlights of the plans. One is the deductible. We will move to an individual $3500 deductible. For two or more, it will be a $7,000 deductible. Um this deductible is a little bit different. It's only subject to some services allowing for deductible waiverss on others. So that's a little bit different from our current plan. The prescriptions are not subject to the
008deductible. That's been a big issue for for our current non-UN staff. So it would resolve some of those issues. And they it also has preset co-ay caps, which is helpful too for some of the very expensive insurance um very expensive prescriptions. For preventative care, it's covered at 100%. For our co- insurance, there's none. For routine service, um durable medical equipment is the primary exception. We have a deductible cycle that will reset in January, which is nice because it will align with our effective plan date now. So, you know how we started in June or July and we've gone to January and we've had to start a new plan. So this will carry through for the entire year with the same fees. There is FSA pairing and the plan pairs with the with our FSA and
009the elections that people have made in December will cover the first six months from January to June. So that's good too. And then all the FSA funds will be available for use on January 1st, 2026. And again that was another issue that we faced with our current some of the differences um and next steps one of the big differences obviously it's a new carrier so we'll be changing again um the network the plan use a limited network but it does cover most of the place around us so we think that that will be okay um the employees and their dependents currently covered under the existing medical plan will be automatically transition to the new Anthem coverage. New enrollments will only be processed if an employee has a qualifying life event. So, that's one of the
010changes, too. Um, for PCPs, most primary care physicians are expected to convert, but we she Amy was working on confirming that uh prior authorizations and referrals um will need to be reestablished through Anthem. So that's one of the other downsides, but no one seemed to feel like that was a major downside. Amy has presented to everyone. She sent out all the information to our non-UN members. She presented a a Zoom meeting with them with the CGI people. And she also sent out a survey yesterday. I asked her today if she had any of the results, but she doesn't yet. But she's been getting positive feedback. So, I wanted to present this to you so you know what's going on, but we probably will most likely make the change to the new plan for January. >>
011Deb, >> I don't if I am being dense. I don't see what the difference in price is. >> H >> the price for what? >> For what it cost? >> The district. Oh, so actually it will probably end up being a savings for us. Okay. I end up saving money, which is good. >> But we don't know that. >> We won't know until they sign up. >> Yeah. Right. >> But um the other good thing about it is >> quoted. >> The nice thing is it's not based on what um >> our experiences are. It's a small enough pool that they're just taking us by age, which is huge. >> Okay. >> Which is helping us with the cost. Let me see. maximum we are as an experience in very >> I'm just trying to
012get a sense of what we're >> what we might >> it's the savings we're approximating about 200,000 >> so okay >> yeah which would be a good >> savings for the fun >> and I don't I don't mean to be a pill but um in looking at the app. What if somebody's in New York and they fall and break their arm? >> They're outside the care area. >> I can answer that one. >> Thank you. >> So, in in this situation, which we confirmed with talking to Amy, if it's done as a result of traveling or living out of like a college student, for example, emergency care would be covered. It is standing sort of outpatiently type visits that would not be covered. which are pretty standard in sort of national coverage type things. But
013if you are traveling and you get injured and you go to the emergency room, that would be covered in a situation. >> Perfect. >> But your college could should try to use their local doctor >> for regular to be covered. >> Right. Right. Right. Right. >> Yeah. >> And honestly, the biggest things for our current non-union employees with what we have now is the out-ofpocket expenses and the prescription costs. And it's been that's been a huge transition for people and really difficult. PH, APD, all those folks. Those places are >> Yeah, I'm looking at them. I can see that. >> Just in case you're wondering if they're not on this other document that starts with ASC, that's ambulatory surgery surgery center. That is not like regular care type stuff. For regular care, you go to
014DHS fine. >> Any other questions? Yes, Neil. >> So, I reading this, so switching to this plan would change people's max out of pocket exposure. >> Yes. Mhm. >> And are we doing any are we changing our coverage of the benefit at all to No. >> No. But we think there'll be enough >> talk to is okay with >> because there's there are savings in other areas. Um you know that some things don't affect the deductible that the like the prescription cost is a huge piece of it for people. >> The very last long was a huge improvement. like the second to last with having a cap on the cost per prescription. That's >> that is really big for our employees. >> Okay. >> And again, Amy when she spoke with the four chairs yesterday
015said she's presented this to everybody and everybody >> nobody's pushed back. So now >> can you guys hear me? Um because >> one second. Yeah. Um Cara >> um >> you're next. >> I Yeah, great. I was just again and I may have missed it while I was being moved over um to a panelist. What is the cost comparison of the existing plan versus this one? >> The cost savings to the district was estimated around 200,000. >> Yeah, >> it was >> compared to status quo. >> Yeah. especially for the rest of this school year, whatever the premium is that the employees paying right now. Um they would continue to pay that. We wouldn't go in and make adjustments on their payment. So we keep that part status quo for them and we'd still have
016about a $200,000 savings. >> Yeah, that's 40ome people. Is that right? >> It's 47. >> Yeah, just under 50. >> Does that answer your question, Tara? I mean, I'm just surprised that of um all of the data that we have uploaded into this meeting agenda, if this is the primary reason that we're getting together, that there wasn't also just a little slide about current costs versus what this because that's really what we're voting on. I mean, >> we're not voting on this. >> This is information. >> It's information. >> Okay. Because if the if if we do approve of it, I mean, I'm not understanding the necessarily the budget implications that we would then have to carry over into our current budgeting discussions. >> Teresa, Teresa, you have an answer. Go for it. >> Sorry.
017It's this is not affecting the um insurance. This is not the same affecting of the insurance with the 25.8% unfortunately. Mhm. >> I wish it was that group, but it's not. >> No, no, this is part of the SAU budget, correct? >> Right. >> But so, so what's the impact to that budget that we already have? >> Yes. >> The impact we should have save, >> the estimated >> it's not it's not Lisa, it's not that straightforward because it's a January 1 start date is not a single fiscal year. So I'm not sure. Do you know what I mean? So if we're I guess I would like to understand the numbers if we're not changing the current withdrawals from the employees um participation, financial participation, but at some point we will, right, if we're not
018changing it for 6 months, but we do change it in six months. And then what are we changing it to? And what does that how does that flow out through the budget? Those are the questions that I'm asking. >> We haven't we we haven't sat and projected that out because this kind of all came about in the last few days. It's it's really been flying that fast. So this is an update and we should have answers for that before the next round of meetings and budgets >> because honestly since we started meeting in August there were folks that were gathering information about insurance and you know and including for the SAU and we had asked I thought as a group because as a school board because that the insuranceances were impacting disproportionately our budget process
019that we be given some more information. And it's great that this is sounds like a wonderful option, but we just we do need the information as well. Yes, we'll get that to everyone. But for tonight, this is anformational update because Amy literally I think found this information like started these discussions like last week, right? >> To see what what the nonUN people thought about this idea, right? And because she got enough positive feedback from them, she wanted to let the board know that this is what is coming down the pike. But you're right, Tara. We don't we don't have firm numbers on you know the implications for the next 18 months. >> Yeah. My only concern is if the numbers end up being something strange because unfortunately trusting insurance companies to be straightforward with us
020about costs is not a thing that you can really do anymore. So, I hate to see us find ourselves in another really unexpected, unpleasant situation because we thought it looked good and we thought it was going to go a certain way, but oh, at the 11th hour, we get an unfortunate notice that hey, it's really going to look like this and not that even though we had this other conversation. So, that's all that is absolutely my concern is this marketplace is ugly, >> right? Thank you for that. My question now is do when do we have to sign up for this? Like when does this have to be like now? >> Like yesterday. Yeah. Okay. >> But we can't keep to the current now. >> Yeah. So, yeah. >> All right. >> Yeah. Here we
021are. [laughter] Here we are. So, um but yeah, we'll we'll make sure that the number we get the numbers. Um, >> I'm looking for it now, but >> for like the next eight, you know, like the next 6 months and then the year then that would get us to the next fiscal year. So like the next 18 months is what we're looking for for numbers, but I think also broken Sorry. Yeah. Broken out. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Broken out. >> And honestly, they're probably only going to give it to us for 12 months, right? They're not going to give us But we can, you know, do our same silly extrapolation that we have to do every other time. But at least we'd have something settled, >> right? We have better information than we currently have. >>
022Anything else, Tara? >> No, that that that's the gist of my concern. >> Thank you. Anyone else with questions for Robin or Teresa or Amy and Extensia that we need for them to give us answers for? Okay. Um, moving on to the addition of 4C. It has come to my attention that those schoolboard members who rely on Google calendar to update them when meetings are added or times are changed um that is not working for them. So does anyone is there anyone else who's having trouble with that with that happening? >> There's there's at least one person Gina brought this to my attention. that helps to explain like I subscribed to the SAU calendar and so when I got the email from Lisa today that said there was an SAU meeting I didn't see it
023on my calendar I said what do you mean there's an SAU meeting and so and it happened last well whenever I was in Cleveland for the Norwich meeting the Norwich meeting had moved from 6:30 to 6 and Neil was nice enough to text me and say hey are you know that we're coming and I was like no it starts at 6:30 I thought I was ahead of time and I was not So, >> um I don't know. >> I don't have it either. I don't know. >> Yeah. Okay. So, the Google alert isn't working, but is everyone getting Simly? That's my >> Yes, I am getting that. >> So, Simy is working. So, wait. I promise I'm going to get to you. Um >> but but you are getting So, Gina, everyone everyone should have
024gotten a message from Simy in your email on December 12th announcing this warning this meeting. So, everyone got that. >> I got that. >> Yeah. But I think I >> You didn't get it, Kelly. >> Oh, from Simly, I did that. >> Okay. Okay. So, everyone's getting the Simly to their email. But what appears not to be happening is the people who are using Google calendar updates, it's not updating changes. Yes, >> there was an update that I think was an email from Ryan >> at some point >> a few months ago >> in the past few months that said >> you need to update your link. Here's the steps to go doing it. Oh, so have you tried turning it off and on again? And if you haven't, do that. >> Do the update.
025Thank you so much for paying attention to Ryan's emails. [laughter] >> Well done. >> I didn't have anything else better. >> Hold on. Hold on. [laughter] But >> and remind me, we get that link back >> on the SA. >> It'll be on the Yeah, there's like an RSS feed that little like >> So do a Google search for Ryan messages and about Google calendar and it should be there. and I and if not, I'll look for it and I'll send it out to everybody. >> So, we'll do that. >> Ben, >> the the other nuance to that that I've noticed with Google calendars is that when you travel, >> it will sometimes not auto update to account for time differences. >> So, that could be a thing happened in Cleveland, which I I caught
026that when I was in Nashville a few weeks ago for a meeting where when you travel and sometimes your calendar will update times and sometimes it won't. I think that's just a Google >> quirk. Okay. So, thank you. I will um I will send I will find that link. I will send it out to everybody. If it continues not to work, Ryan is going to see all these notes, so she'll she'll know kind of what to do for the finesse. But I'm glad that at least everyone's getting the assembly email so that theoretically as of December 12th, you knew this meeting was happening via your email even if your Google calendar didn't update. Okay. >> Um so that's it. Moving on to business requiring action. Um, we have the need to approve the donation from
027the friends and approve expenditures. May I have a motion, please? >> Renee [laughter] to approve items B and C by consent. >> Can I have a second, please? Sure. Thank you, Carrie. [laughter] >> And going around, I'm going to start on the other side. McConnell. >> McConnell. Yes. >> Nelson. Yes. >> Yes. >> Gina Deon. Yes. Phil. [laughter] Yes. Yes. >> Um, Terra, are you still there? >> Yes. >> And Garrett? >> Palm. Yes. >> Okay. And Chris. Yes. >> That worked out. >> Okay. >> You solved the problem. >> Where did we go? >> Oh, good. Apparently, the problem has been solved. >> Um, we are not going into non-public as we said during the agenda adjustment, so we don't need to return. Um the public has one last time to address address the
028board. >> Everybody's good. Um agenda topics for the next meeting. Please send them to me. We meet on January 27th. We don't have any interim budget thing for the SAU. So the 27th is it. Um hopefully unless there's a special meeting which you will hopefully get your Google calendar update and also your assembly update. I did Yeah, Deb. Oh, no. I'm just gonna turn. >> Um, >> I did want to thank everyone um for the continued service. Um, it I know for the handover people in particular, it's been an intense 24 hours. Um, but also the world has been an intense place to be in for the past while, but especially the past 5 days. So, I just kind of want to thank everyone in the schools who's dealing with kids who might be having
029issues with what they're seeing in the news. Um, I want to thank all the local organizations who help our schools. Um, Wise, the Haven, um, I think Cliff does some work. I mean, the the it's just the Burns, the Friends of Hanover Schools. Um, just really want to thank everybody because it truly does take a village for all of this to work. So, just want to say thank you. Um, and I do as SAU chair want to especially thank the SAU office and staff. Um, there are so many new people in there trying new things and everybody is just I'm I'm really impressed with the flexibility and our ability to learn from where we air. Um, and I also want to thank the board members for being outspoken and pointing out when we do. So,
030I really appreciate that. So, with that said, may I have a move to adjourn? And I think Deb wants to do it. [laughter] >> I move to adjourn the meeting at 9:29 p.m. >> May I have a second? I'm gonna let do that. I'm starting with Kelly. Yes. Nelson. Yes. >> Yes. Svin. Yes. Russell. Yes. >> Yes. >> Um Tara. >> And Garrett. >> And Christie, yes. Thanks everybody. See you next See you in the next couple of weeks. saying that's >> making no my