Dresden School Board 08/19/2025

001at 6:07. Apologies for the delay everyone while I'm waiting for quum. Thank you every being here and wrapping up your summer in a very fast way because we have lots to do as you guys have probably noticed from the Norwich and handover meetings already. In terms of agenda review, we have a couple things we're going to move around. Um, we need to swap out or not swap out, but we'll be appointing the new hires accepted by the superintendent over the summer to be after our nonpublic. Um, which we will need to go into. And then Robin, I believe you have a couple of additions to that one as well. >> Yes, we'll add a >> Yes. >> Tuners to that additional list that you guys have seen. >> Yes. Apart from that, does anyone else

002have any agenda review suggestions or thoughts? >> Neil, >> and can I just ask clarification on the March intensive discussion? >> Yes. >> Uh >> that is more of an update on the policy committee's work over the summer. It is intended to be fairly brief. >> Okay. So >> there there's noended >> there will be more discussion at a future meeting. Correct. >> Awesome. >> That is basically the sum of the update. Thank you. I'll reiterate when you get there. Thank you. >> All right. Any other uh things for agenda review? Right. Seeing none, we'll move on ahead to public comment. If anyone is here representing the public and wishes to speak on something not on the agenda already, they may do so now. For folks on Zoom, please feel free to raise your virtual

003hand. And seeing nothing, move right along. There's a second chance for public comment at the end of the meeting. No one else comes up with a new topic. move on to this report of the high school rep. They are not here. >> Anyone know where they are? >> We will move on. >> Well, I just >> Yes. Good. >> Well, yes. I council executive. I just wanted to say we are having a council retreat this year. Okay. >> It's organized by our moderator, assistant moderator will be doing school well on Tuesday and that's very exciting for us. And the uh theme is going to be citizenship and what a citizenship looks like, citizen looks like here at Hamilton High School. And we're going to be looking at two of the recent resolutions. One is the

004student affirmation resolution. It was done at the end of last year. And the other one is we have a resolution about the climate action plan and council advocating for that. So more on that at the next meeting. >> Great. Thank you for that today. >> Um, >> and who is the new moderator by the way now? >> Rachel Cole. >> Okay. >> And Sarah Gar is the assistant moderator. >> Okay. Great. Thank you for that update. Moving along to the RMS principles report of note. There are things we'll talk about later, but you may know it is a new RMS in room principal. Welcome, Anissa. >> Good evening. >> Come up and say hi to everyone here who already knows me. >> Number of individuals. Um, Anissa Morrison, uh, interim RMS principal, I believe, when

005you get to your work later on. Um, I have my report in board docs. Really RMS has been a very busy place this summer getting ready for the school year. Um, as I put that report together, I was excited about the work we have done. And then I saw the report of the high school admin and I was like, "Oh my gosh, I have so much more to do." But with educators trickling back into the building and with everyone returning on Monday, I know that our team is going to like be really busy um this year and I look forward to the work that we're going to do together this year. Um we're in the process of uh filling my role for the year. Uh we've advertised and um pulled together a committee to hire

006an interim associate principal. So that's progressing and I believe we are fully staffed >> other than that which is an awesome thing to have in >> we know cross fingers. >> Yes. Well, well, actually, no. I'm sorry. I received a resignation yesterday for a part-time elective staff member, but I was able to do some finagling and problem solving that mostly >> provocative. >> Yeah. So, we'll roll with those punches and when educators return to the building, pull together individuals to look at that position. >> When I read through the notes, I did read a little fast. that I saw an ACC office and my hopes were up, but I guess what there is too. >> Yes. >> And we um have the our athletic director coordinator is not a teaching position, not a administrative position.

007It's administrative assistant level position. Uh but Brandon Hannon um is the individual who was selected um after the process that we went through in the spring. He is joining the Richmond community after teaching uh high school chemistry and being the head track and field coach in Pelum and another more southern New Hampshire community. Um yeah, so I'm excited about him joining us. It'll be that work in progress as we bring uh athletics into the Richmond School. >> Thank you. Any questions >> for Nissa? You're welcome. >> Thank you for joining us in this new role. We appreciate it and we will talk to you soon. >> Then moving right along to the HMS principal report. You may notice HHS principal is not here. Anyone wish to comment on those notes that she provided or wish

008to talk about anything else specific to the high school report? We are being remarkably efficient. Let's keep it going. >> Oh, okay. >> What's the UDL training? What's that stand for? I just don't remember. >> Universal design. >> Thank you. >> I bet several different folks chimed in on that. That's why we're such a >> move right along to the sobatical presentation. And Shannon, you want to show us what you have? >> Yeah, I will. >> Busy the last year. It looks like >> believe it or not, this is me trying to be great. >> Revity gravity is great if a program. We also want to hear what you've been up to. Go ahead. >> A lot of them representing the PowerPoint. I know you have it up there. >> So, first of all, for

009those who don't know me, I'm Shannon Pog and I'm English coordinator and teacher at Hannover High School and this is my 16th year in addition. Um, and I'm going to try to be quick, but first I wanted to thank you all for supporting this important part of our district. Um, the teachers I work with are incredibly curious, intelligent, passionate people when you give us time to explore all those different pathways you don't have time for during normal school year when you have everything else on your plate. Um, I couldn't believe all the things that kind of rose to the surface. Um, and I'll try to give you some overview of some of it. So, I I ended up going into like a contemplation, exploration, keep things open, and then I did a lot of creation

010and then some collaborations came up in the spring that I want I'll talk about really briefly. Um, so first, this is a if you look at the school programs I visited, I had it goes into two slides because there was a lot in September on a big trip and then some in October. I had over 50 interviews with schools all over the country. my commonality. I was just trying to look for schools that were doing things a little bit differently, a little bit less stage on the stage, thinking outside the box, seeing what are the commonalities that kept students and teachers engaged. Um, and trying to look at what came up. Um, the next slide I talked about all these words that come up, right, when you go to all the schools. There was a

011design thinking school. I went to a systems thinking school, one that did everything interdisciplinary. They all had their individual focus. And so, what does this mean to Hanover High School? what's the key, right? And all of those um and but I found a lot of themes across these visits. A lot of it was focus on teaching the skills, not the direct content, right? Um thinking was explicitly taught. So that's something I've been doing some thinking of. If somebody were to look on the outside from our handover high school and middle school curriculum, what would they say our philosophy of thinking was? I'm I'm still kind of coming around on that. Um, reflection was embedded in all classes. >> People slowed down enough to do the reflection. That's a key thing I'd like to make sure

012we keep bringing back around. Uh, vast student leadership opportunities rotated in classes and throughout the school. So, a lot of students from a lot of different places getting ownership over the community, student and staff ownership and personal investment in the building and the lands. So >> there was opportunities for staff to slow down too to have those those leadership without it being an extra burden. We'll talk a little bit about that and a lot of learning impacting others. A lot of community connections that I think there's a lot of potential here for our schooling also. I'll talk about that. And then this is where I think it's the hardest embracing the messiness and not one single outcome. But the schools where I saw the most engagement, there were a lot of teachers that said the

013hardest part was just letting go of the one answer. Students couldn't come in with the one thing that they were going to learn. I had to kind of open up the process and have them have some leadership means, maybe some failures and having them have reflection on those failures and and all that. Um, and then the next slide I talked about the biggest commonality when I was thinking about it is focus on the nonlinear systems we're teaching. So the systems and lessons include problem solving and create connections inside the land or each other. So none of this I'm going to memorize this one thing and regurgitate on the test, right? I'm not saying none, but you know there's some place for that, but when you look at the overarching theories, there was a larger purpose

014to it. Um, so I'm back at this, you know, what is this soup and where do I land and I go into the the watershed, right? So this is my metaphor. I'm an English teacher. Um, systems thinking is like a buzzy another word which I actually believe in, but I I think that's kind of the overarching thing with all these sub tributaries of education. Like you can do place-based learning, proficiency based, 21st century experiential learning, but unless you explicitly tie in some systems thinking principles, you're not going to have the same impact on those um those lessons and those systems. Um so thinking about how that applied and I got my little goal here. The goal is to increase our connection with our community, each other, and our land. So, how can we get people

015more tuned in? And then the underneath all of it, how do we create systems to help students, staff, and community members of all personalities and demographics connect with one another more to solve authentic problems, which you know, you you all know that's why you're here, right? To get kids more tied in. So, one of the things I did is I created an ecological literature class, which is going to begin at the high school spring of 2025. And that's one of the tendrils of I have a lot of experience with the the placebased literature too. And it's going to focus on ecology. How do we deeply observe the land around us and our place and write about it? The next bit is going to be more environmentalism. How have humans relationships environment changed over time? So

016you'll get a lot of the classic works in that. And then modernity, where are we now? Where are we going next? And then they'll have a statement of belief. Um, so that's the overarching brush strokes of that that class. I'm really excited to teach it and help kids slow down and just observe and take a break, right, and write and practice that sort of writing. Um, I put on the next page a picture of the textbook, which I forgot to bring, but I read the whole thing and marked it up and created this really cool spreadsheet. Um, I took some spreadsheets classes on my spare time this year because I think they're so efficient. Um, so for every reading in this book, I have this where I could use it. What are some key terms

017and notes on where it would tie in? So, I'm really excited because most people when they start a class, you're just building the airplane in the air and I have really laid it out for what are the important pieces and connections. So, I'm really excited about that. Um, okay. Uh the next one is I created a small PD class which is was still airplane bare bones at this point. But I thought if I were going to bring some of this some of the larger things I think I could teach is what are systems thinking and if I had a group of educators I okay we're going to talk about placebased education and what that is and what are systems thinking within that and how can I apply to what you're doing right now and then

018kind of go each week by some of those buzz terms that I showed and have them really practice applying it to their curriculum. So the next steps is I'm going to actually ask my admin if I for my um rectal development this year look into where I could teach that. What's the avenue for that? So um okay, tell me if I need to slow down trying to speed up through it. I had a few collaborations that happened in the spring that I was really excited about. The first one is I had uh Julie Cook, learning specialist, who's now your PL coordinator at Hen High School, and Sally Hair, who's teacher and instructional coach. They said teachers want to do more project-based learning, but they say, "I don't know what to do. I don't even know

019how to start once I get these different projects. How do I grade this, you know, diarama with this essay and have the same grade on them?" and I'd seen a lot of the project based learning while I was doing it. So, we um designed a training for wherever they may be on the ladder, a little ladder on here. I created this little metaphor and not that this is like the highest peak of everything, right? But that question of how can educators study the ladder while students gain autonomy. So, those are the questions we are exploring in small groups. Um those are hyper links on the next page. The we tried to do the UDL approach to RPD where if people were just ready to kind of look at a lot of resources and explore what

020that means for them, they could do that and then we had a way for them to discuss it and then we had a workshop and create. We had um we went around a teachers applied principles right away. It was really cool to see to go in classrooms and see a science group that used created a rubric together that they immediately used for their final and then another group that was about to debut a social studies project that actually refined it with the learning specialists in the room based on some of these principles. So my takeaway from that is we do need more time like that. Um, one of the ideas I have on the next steps is once again in that era of like creating an SEC or credit bearing class where educators can create

021what some schools like to called PD30s or 60s or 90s. I think you have teachers who'd be ready to take that next step of presenting at conferences or taking some of the presenting at some of these inservice days. they have their own things that they're authorities on and if they had time to create that I think you'd have some people stepping in to do more of what we were able to do in that training because you just once again you don't have time but how can you build it in with the added benefits um all right uh the next one is advisory focus Sarah and Chris Cyel have been working really hard on fine advisories ever since this transition from common ground to advisor circles and what they kept on getting feedback on is they

022need to make it more experiential. So they called me in in February because they know I have a background in experiential education and they said okay how do we do this and in our conversations we came up with a way to combine some of the existing systems and get them students more in the community all in one little wheel. It's on this page I have you know this is the cassell wheel. This is what guidance counselors use to guide advisory. This is the portrait of a learner which hopefully you know well and then my systems thinking and I did it with the previous professional development also like we spent all this time we agreed on these principles. We should be tying that in to all of our new systems. They're good. So we're we find

023a way to merge those. And then the next slide I said how can we use advisor to help students connect with themselves each other school our larger community but while still staying grounded in principles of portrait learner. This is our brainstorm when Chris and Sarah and I sat down and um we're trying to look through and what we came up with is a governing question for each year. They're just pretty basic that we never we didn't have before. or it was just kind of >> lesson by lesson students got and they learned that they were mostly doing scenarios where they'd read about something and then discuss it. So, um, freshman, it's going to be, you know, who am I? Sophomores, who am I in relation to others? Then it's who am I in my community,

024this Dresden community, then who am I out in the world that the seniors are transitioning and all the activities are going to fall under those different umbrellas. And if you look on the next page, we are going to be tracking and this is my screenshot once again, my spreadsheet. I love my spreadsheet now. Um, we're just going to be observing and reading and talking and saying, "What are we hitting on for the Cassell? What are we hitting on for portrait to graduate?" And different modalities, so it's not all the same thing. Um, students are getting a little variety. And we already have two interested students that we're going to push through the new ELO program who are excited to create more community connections. They're going to reach out to Anitsa and Arbest and elementary schools.

025And we have ideas of pie in the sky like getting elementary school students here with the juniors because who am I in my community and creating some reading groups right or um getting the elder centers over and talking to the seniors and they interview them or you know so we're trying to think big ideas of how can we fall under these questions and and do all that. So this was kind of the avenue for a lot of the different things that I saw that I wanted to do more. So we're continuing that. for presenting all the details to staff on Monday or fine details. So, it was really fast, but that's like the overview of a lot of different tends that I had going amid other things this year. So, any of you have any

026questions for me? >> Shannon, that was awesome. Thank you so much. Just great to see so much work come out about sobbatical especially in regards to the uh connections across the community and things on advisory and people class also. Yeah. You have any questions for Gina? >> I have a comment. A question comment is I love your grounding questions for advisory. >> Um it reminds me of how I think about leadership development where you start as leader of self then leader of teams and leader of organizations and then leader in like the broader world. So like I'm just crazy about that slide. Good. Um, my question is I was really curious about what you noticed in the themes around how these other schools and programs are teaching. What I would say is how to navigate

027uncertainty or to lead through things that are not certain, not checklists. And in the work I've done where >> young graduates often struggle to do things without a checklist in today's workplace. And so I guess like I'm curious more for us to think about how do we help our students get more comfortable navigating ambiguity and uncertainty because that is a gift we can give them in our school system that other school systems are not doing other than these extraordinary private schools that are on here. Yeah. >> And and I agree too. I think a lot of schools are turning to the project based because that gives inherently some decision- making. Yeah. And if you do it right, I have a whole actually didn't even put on there creative hacket for phases a project based learning

028of like here are the guard rails you can help and still create that place of uncertainty and safe spot. >> Yeah. >> But it's it's hard especially with AI and all that's emerging with that, right? They say that we need problem solvers. >> Definitely. We need more even more of those human based power skills than we ever needed them before because the AI is going to enable us to do some of the things that we taught people to do that are sort of boring frankly, right? And so I think it actually >> once we get through this like fear phase, I think we can see the opportunity, but I think there's just so much ripess. So just really excited to see that you did this work. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> It's

029it's great to see too that we coincidentally just finished reviewing our big survey that we did in the spring and it tied into a lot of these things strictly the AI question experiential learning and it's fascinating to see the the push and pull from the parents perspective on this >> where we're seeing so much we need to stop doing pen and paper. We need to get more experiences and creation experiences. There's still a big plethora of people saying now we're way too crazy and we need to go back to multiplication tables and we're losing true knowledge creation. >> There also similar comments made about advisory which is some people are loving it. We're having open discussions. My students are learning like this is soft nonsense that is doing nothing bring back the real stuff and

030there's a there's a tension there and >> both side has fair arguments. I love that you guys are trying to push forward while still kind of threading that needle. Yeah, >> and it's it's great to see discussions made around that. So, thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Any last comments? Robin, >> I just wanted to compliment Shannon on her work. I was able to meet with her a few times throughout the school year and I was just so impressed with the work that she was doing and excited by it. Um, one of the things that I loved is just being able to have that opportunity to go and see what's out there and the innovation that's occurring. I've talked to her about my experience opening Bo High School and having that same opportunity

031and having worked in schools with things like projectbased learning and um it's exciting to think about the potential that those might have on our district as well. So I just wanted to say that I thought you personally benefited from it. >> Oh, thank you. Good. >> I I just have a a question from the English side. Um because you are an English teacher and the McKibben book, he edits it and I can see with my period little eyes Alice Walker and I can see the word thorough. So I know of at least two excerpts in Shave's speech. But it would be really wonderful if you could just shoot me. Maybe the rest of the board doesn't care, but what is the literature in the course? It goes from it starts at >> You don't need

032to Okay. Yeah. >> Yeah. I just I would like to know. >> Great. Yeah. >> I will say I'm very glad the CEO Wilson mentioned >> anything else for Shannon. >> Thanks so much for coming on during the summer. >> I appreciate it. >> Moving on to business discussion. I will put my policy chair hat on briefly and note that everything we are approving tonight theoretically is something that we've discussed at previous Dresden SOU meetings back in the April May June time period. This is the one about public publicly publicly accessing our records, how much we charge, is it fair to charge? And we've had these discussions before. I don't recall there being any suggestions made as a result of the previous first readings and they are unchanged from that time period. Of note, they

033were approved at handover last week. Um, were they approved at Norwich come up in Norwich? >> Norwich. Okay. >> Well, they wouldn't come up in Norwich because these are New Hampshire specific. >> Okay. There's that other issue. Thank you. Okay. They were approved without comment last week. Any further discussion on those policies? >> Um I only note that I think that there were like a couple very minor um typos or things and not in the forms one but in the the art policy one. Yeah. >> Okay. Feel free to shoot them my way if they're grammatical. >> Yeah. It's it wasn't substantial to the the meaning of the policy at all. >> Okay. Thank you for letting us. check on me. >> Then moving on to March intensive and I'll I'll feel this one as

034well. So, as you folks may remember back in May and June, there was a discussion that March intensive really needs to be looked at uh with a board lens for various reasons. There was a board push for it, there was an administrative push for it. And not necessarily an oversight change, but more let's be more transparent and open with the communication of what it means, how folks are selected, how chaos are selected. a lot of fairly nittygritty stuff for the board level just that we needed to we needed to get a sense of a policy in there and we have and that was the policy committee's summer task if you will and we have met about it in fairly granular detail. Several folks in the room were there to thank you for being there. Uh

035we've had four meetings for about six hours total with many different stakeholders in the room. We are not done yet with our passing policy. We are creating it from scratch. There's not an NHSVA template to look at for something like this. So, we are being very thorough. I expect it will prompt much discussion at the board level when it gets here. And of course, now we are being pulled away with other policies based on new laws and regulations on both sides of the river, but we are intending for each policy committee moving forward to be approximately 50% March intensive and 50% other stuff until we're done. And I'm I'm seeing good things. We're getting lots of head nods from our various stakeholders. Any immediate questions on that? Looking at Neil, any questions on that? Knowing

036that there's a policy to come, Neil? >> Yeah, and I don't mean to I I appreciate all the work that you're putting into this. I guess I was kind of hoping that a broader general general board discussion on March intensive would in >> would ensue prior to then taking a look at drafting policies around March intensive. I think I've got my concerns are more along the premise of the program itself and not the execution so much of the program which it sounds like the policy is really focusing >> we're not actually trying to get in then to that's a great call out and by doing some of that not much of it is not as much process is more like why are we here what is the point that is part of it and then

037the communication piece of a lot of those things are thought about but it's more traditionbased. This person said that rather than here is what it is on paper. What is the point of it? How much is education? How much is outreach? How much is learning and experiential to the point of Shannon versus how much is it other things because different folks are telling us very different things and what they envision March intensive to be. >> So the policy is more >> here is why it is here and here's what we hope to do with it. It is not intended to be here is how it is going to be run per se. All right. I I guess um my hope is that then if we do end up having and I and I still advocate

038for having a portal discussion around March intensive, right? that whatever work the policy committee has done up to that point um if the discussion um I don't want it to be a reflection of the work that was done in the policy committee for you all to be offended that another board member suggesting that maybe that is not how they want I don't want it I don't want it to get contentious just because a whole bunch of work was done we're presenting it to the board I really hope you like this and it turns out maybe that the board doesn't or changes. I don't want people I don't want it to create a a a dynamic where the where sort of a free flowing discussion can happen without worry that you're going to upset somebody because

039maybe a lot of work was done in a particular area and here's the output of that. Right? >> I would agree with that. I would hope that would not be the case. And part of that I think would be sort of the giving us all something to look at and be like how much do we like this conceptually versus how much do we like it implementation wise and all those things where I think it will kind of circle back to your point as well as the other points that are being made within the policy committee itself. De >> I would just say given Neil's concerns that we schedule a conver that conversation about March intensive like >> in 10 minutes. Um, obviously it's not on today's agenda, but it should happen at our next meeting,

040>> I think. >> Or members, your thoughts. >> I agree. >> I was going to say if there's maybe where let's get an update on where you're at now or where you're like directionally. So then we can be like that feels right or here's what I'd want you to think about. That's what I'm hearing is like how do we help ensure that the policy committee's hard work is being in the direction. >> Do you know what I'm saying? Like that's not fully baked. said it's like a b it's a it's a it's a cake you could still put some chocolate chips on and they would like get in the top instead of like just melt on top. Do you know what I mean? >> I love when you're baking them. >> Yeah. >> My my

041question then separately though my question on merch intensive is are we using some of the survey data to inform >> Yes. because there was, I thought, really good insights in there about that were contradictory to what I've previously heard that some how much strife there is from parents. And I just hope we're using the data to inform our strategy and how we think about it. >> Yeah. And and to that point, the survey was was being done concurrently. So like we didn't see in the first couple, but we did in the last couple of meetings. And you are right then and that's one of the reasons why we do surveys is you say so much great anecdotal information in the free text comments as well as that doesn't necessarily match the sentiment gathered from the

042PowerPoint for example where the top four choices that were chosen by almost 600 parents was basically I like it please don't make it go away >> that was a far bigger concern than it has these problems with equity or cost or what have you if you look at the free text comments of which there were what about give or take it's the exact opposite where people are saying either a combination of this I'm having this problem I've heard this rumor of this equity issue and then what are you talking about which is always something we that we kind of have to remind ourselves a lot that we get into the nitty-gritty as a board as we're supposed to kind of in an over in an overarching advisory sense but just because we know it and

043it's been a source of discretionary for years does not mean that parents have any idea what we're talking about even though it may seem like old hand nature to Lisa, >> yeah, I I just my heart started to race a little bit with what you just said and I started to think of um we have to be careful too in interpreting the data because sometimes the people who are fine with something wouldn't be fine with it if they knew of the problems that other people were experiencing. And just because I personally haven't had the experience that this is problematic doesn't mean that I would be fine with it if Gina was having problems with it. So I, you know, I I get that overall people want it to happen. And I'm not saying that I

044am one of those that wants to, you know, get rid of it, but I do feel that you don't know what you don't know. And if you have had your kids get every single one that they want and they can't travel anyway because they're on 47 sports teams. And so the fact that you're a family that can't afford to send their kid to Spain doesn't come up because they can't go anyway. Um, you know, I might check that it's okay. But, um, yeah, I just I just want to kind of speak for the people that did very carefully express some concerns that >> and to the end of your point is your point is sounded well taken and that is one of the reasons why we have separate drop-own menu answers as well as pretext

045to get at. I don't mean anecdote in a negative way at all. It's more it's it's one person's experience. >> I think what I heard was we just need to note that most of the people said this which is true and also they may not have all the information. >> Okay. >> And that gets back to the communication piece as well which a lot of this comes out to so much of at least from our perspective seems to be based on rumors or traditions or someone told this and this horror story or this someone skipped the line or whatever it's going to be and reaching out commun communication piece of here's how it works. here's what it is, here's what it isn't, here how the process is done, this is how the um lottery is

046done, etc., etc. Kelly, and then I think we should probably move on since this was not intended to be the conversation, >> right? Can can you just clarify? Currently, there is no official policy, >> correct? >> For it there is is there a handover high school? I mean, there's a set of procedures within Hanover High School, right? >> There are internal documents of how the process works. Those have not been publicly available. Okay. >> And one of the reasons that this is coming into light is to have those things. There's no real reason that I've been able to ascertain, I think Robin's nodding her head here, as to why they're not publicly available. >> Okay. And so a lot of what the policy might eventually become and I'm this I'm speaking as person one here

047is more taking those documents and having them be part of the policy unless we see issues of concern and some of which we have >> some of which seem to be totally fine >> but those things are not publicly available which prompts rumors and thoughts of how things how decisions are done >> right >> and there is a process right now it seems to be fairly done well from my experience fairly consistently but it's not known as to it's not codified. Yeah. >> Thank you. Thank you for the work. >> Um Michael Costa needs to be promoted to panelist. >> Oh and his hand is raised in his >> Noah. Can you move and I see David is joining us as well. Thank you David. We'll jump back in a little bit. >> It's true.

048>> Yes. For yeah they need >> David. That is the following meeting by the way. I can talk to you offline. All right, Michael, you have you have a thought on March intensive, sir. >> Um, one, a lot of gratitude to be promoted to panelists. Thank you. Um, it's just been a while, but dreams do come true. Um, and and just trying to make sure that I understand what problem we're trying to solve with March intensive. >> Any more, Michael, or was that the question? >> That's my question. What problem are you trying to solve here? >> I would say a little bit of what I I just mentioned where um needing to codify a situation where there is repeated discussion question comments across the board and across the staff and across the students going

049on for many many years. That'd be my one-s sentence reply to that. And anyone else feel free to chime in here? >> Yeah, Garrett who was also in the policy. with I mean what we I apologize I missed a couple of them but what we talked about the last policy committee I think answers your question Michael and Ben keep me honest here but the policies that we're putting in place are really just a policy that specifically is making sure that we've got things like the field trip and the chaperones tied up right is with regards to outofcountry travel those type of policies to kind of put make sure that all this is being done you know safely and under our you know right and a good manner. >> And then the other policy I think

050is >> really kind of putting in policy what the March Intensive has as far as how they run their program so that it's open for everybody to see as far as how it's selected. But then I think what the policy committee is not doing which I think would maybe be more what Neil's asking for which is a much more broader discussion around March intensive which I think you know whether that's up to the school board or whether that's up to I think from the policy committee. We made a I made a comment last week that I don't think the policy committee should be telling the high school how to run different programs. We're just putting the policies in place to make sure that the programs are run run according to our right >> safety guidelines

051and travel guidelines and everyone knows how students are chosen for maybe March intensive it's a little different but we're not actually telling the march intensive what to do whether they can do international things with the expenses whether it's even worthwhile I mean that's not that's not what we're doing in policy so if that's what Neil wants to do then we should have we need to have a I think specific to that, right? >> Yeah. >> I kind of went on that. Sorry, keep going, but I kind of went on that in the policy a little bit like we're not making policy about how like frankly math is taught or how history is taught or even I mean at the end of the day the high school has decided to do this march intensive. That's really

052up to the high school and up to the administration about whether you know we're policy is not saying to do the program differently. >> Right. Exactly. We're just making sure it's run according to how the school board should thinks it should be run in a safe manner. >> If I may. >> Yeah, Michael, just one second. Um, that as we've all seen hopefully in writing that our job is not to run the schools, it's to make sure the schools are run well, putting policies and budgets into place for that to happen. So, which I think is why the goal we're all trying to do here. Michael, followup thought. Yeah, my my one followup thought is um I appreciate Garrett's answer because that's exactly the tension that I'm trying to illuminate when I listen to these

053discussions last spring and again now. It seems like some board members want to reconsider the program as a whole and others want to beef up the policies around it. And so when we speak about this, I just think we should be playing with each other about, hey, what problem are we trying to solve so we can have those conversations discreetly, right? So that's it. That's my point >> and Ben. >> So we're beefing up the policies around it. What Neil was proposing. We are not like if Neil thinks that we're going to come back with some more views on how the March Intensive programs run, what is being done in it like then we're wildly missing the mark from a policy perspective. >> We're trying to do we've discussed this. We've gone in circles on

054this too at policy as we should. That's place for it. >> But um we're happy to have these further discussions. I think having something to look at will help with that. And I'm seeing head nods as well around the room. So that was intended to be the brief. Here's what's happening policy since one of our task was to bring a policy back ideally today and we're not quite there yet, but we are making good progress on that. So your permission, I'd like to move on then to the RMS student handbook. Anessa, you want to walk us through uh the updates of what's been happening? The changes to the handbook are pretty straightforward. Um the two major changes uh one is to the academic integrity uh up is the update to that policy and that came

055from staff conversations uh that Tom Hermanson our tech integrationist had in June where the staff began to look at what the impact of AI could be on academic integrity. Yeah. Um the tech team uh shared a rubric um like a just a stoplight rubric that uh and the teachers agreed that that's going to be included um in all schooly courses and assignments for students as a guide to uh determine whether or not it was appropriate to use um AI on a given assignment. So that section of the handbook reflects that change. Um the other change is I simplified our language around uh cell phones and personal devices knowing that the FAU uh policy committee is working uh on updating district policy in response to the belt-to-bell law and our intent as a district as a

056school is going to be to have students not use personal devices um 8 to three really not even with teacher permission because that classic thing of when I take it out of I get to um maybe snap a picture of an assignment. I then see a notification and may go down the rabbit hole. So to really be present um to do our best to hold firm on not using personal devices during the school day, they'll snap pictures with iPads, etc. >> Any questions for this one? >> Kelly. Um, all right. Well, she's gonna kill me, but my daughter has been telling her friends that if you use your cell phone during school, you will be arrested. And I just haven't >> My children does, but I don't. I might get >> um I should probably

057tell her to stop saying that. But I am curious, this is sort of middle school and high school question. Do do we have a sense for sort of what are the disciplinary procedures or we we're waiting >> what it said there is pretty straightforward that if an adult sees you using your phone it could can be confiscated or taken for the day. Okay. >> It doesn't say that it is like sequestered in the office for 10 days in a row after five. Yeah. It's really just that if adult sees it >> adult has that right to have taken for the day. >> Okay. I don't know if I saw that, but that's probably me just not reading very well. So, okay. Thank you. >> And I will um chime in as well. Going back to

058the survey, one of the questions we asked was about AI, and the parents really stepped up on on this one. We got eight full pages of 90 comments. So, many highly nuanced points that I that I didn't consider at all, including by several experts in the field who identified themselves and offered their assistance, which I thought was pretty awesome when that happened. Um, and that's Dartmouth resources and all that sort of thing. But that was very insightful and I I'm probably pass to Bryant and a couple that would be wonderful. We had a couple of our two eighth grade administrators did a two or three day professional development on AI and they're excited about bringing it into the classroom and using it as a tool. >> We also had a question about devices and one

059of the things that came up throughout the survey kind of regard irregardless regardless of the question was that um that there was a very strong support for the no phones policy. I don't think I saw a single comment that was don't you dare take my phone away is usually the exact opposite. >> So that was um and as we talked about in policy when folks came to us about what's going on with the bell the bell ban where policy on that that is coming we just have the the juggling going. >> Yeah. And that's why I did as simple as possible just really state the preference. Gina question for you Robin. Is there going to be communication to parents of high school and middle school kids before school starts about it? Because I think a

060lot of kids are asking their parents questions and >> there will be some we've just technology right now. We are closing down outside use of the internet anyway because of all the issues around security too. So, there's information going out about that that you will have to use a school device and so we'll send something out. >> Yeah. And then maybe a related question is for kids who have play sports and who go to another school in New Hampshire and are expected to be able to do like there's there's going to be quite like my daughter said she hands in homework sometimes doing notes or that that teachers ask. So, I guess are teachers changing how they ask kids to hand in assignments based on some of these changes. Um, because I think there's going

061to be those kinds of questions we need to be prepared for or my daughter who is going to play sports till 10:00. Is she gonna be allowed to use her device? I guess it's fine after. >> Yeah. Uh this is a question that is more just a wondering as this changes for students. Um I'm curious about staff policy and I know that's not like state statute but um challenges with um adults on personal devices um in buildings and how that's being >> when I think about uh the workday I think about doing our absolute best to be present and I know that if we're engaged in whatever like we're not being present is like my goal number one. That's one of those things that I really strive for and I hope that other adults in

062our school community will do that exact same thing because it's how we're at our best. >> Great points and um I have a question for you as well, Robin. When you sent out that email about the amounts only available to students, I immediately got push back from some parents. >> It was not in the context of student safety and privacy. is more in the context of the building is publicly used for many things and I'm often here for hours in the audience for a play or a sports team. I need to be in contact for a job. I'm on call of those things. So, what would be your response to those people who parents mostly want access to their phones while they're here? >> Right. No, I do understand that, but honestly, right now it's

063more a security issue. That's one of the reasons that they've gone to, you know, really trying to protect the network at this point because of the security breaches that have happened in other school districts. So that is the concern with opening up the network at this point. >> I mean if someone that's obviously the issue, right? So >> Deb and then Kelly, >> this is probably premature, but everything just went off about the elections, >> so I assume that's a conversation that's happening with the town and the supervisor of the checklist, >> right? >> Yes. And there are circumstances that we will need to provide access for, you know, examples like that. I'm sure. Yeah. like for all of you for school. >> We're special, right? So our circumstances more based >> that is >>

064but um I think the you know it came up on Facebook recently on the SA70 Facebook page. Um, and I know we sort of saying in Jess, we need a a cell tower, >> but with this policy going into place. I It's a safety thing and this is a very dead zone and we have kids out here >> until, you know, the very end of the day doing sports, getting left at the end of the day with no way to reach parents. I It is a safety issue, especially for our high schoolers. I think parents tend to be more on top of middle school >> plans and whatnot, but high schoolers, you know, and we have kids who get way far away. Anyway, I think, you know, as and maybe it's a true x Collins

065question, too. As we think about doing our rooms, maybe we do some sort of collaboration with one of the cell phone companies and get that figured out as a safety thing. And that solves all those issues with parents needing to have access being able to be at our meetings and having access. >> They can't access siblings. So, >> and that sounds like it's also a facilities budget type discussion as well that can come up budget uh meetings this coming up this fall as many of our us are aware of. Any other comments on the handbook? What we got diver? >> Okay. Um this is actually about cell phones but I thought you might be interested. Um we had done small groups in the advisories and asked students to comment on their cell phone use at

066the high school part of our cell phone policy committee work last year >> and I had taken look all the responses so I read all of them. Um and what really struck me was how much our kids in high school use their phones to stay in touch with their parents. Mhm. Mhm. >> And what was really interesting, which you would expect, you know, about transportation, we need to know, you know, who's going to pick me up, where I'm going, who's on, you know, first base, who's on second kind of thing. >> But there were a lot of kids who said, "If something bad happens, >> I shoot her at the school. >> I need to call home." >> And that really struck me. So there is I'm a, you know, I'm a psychiatrist by trading.

067So the amount of anxiety channeled into I need to be connected to a safe person. I have safe people here but my parents need to know I'm okay. So I don't know how that focus you know comes into our planning of this but again tower or something so that you know that idea of reinforcing that that communication um you know it's a very deep topic. I just wanted to remind us all of that one. >> Yeah and I think some of that is exactly about communication right because we know that actually it's unsafe in moments of crisis for kids to have access to their cell phones. that actually makes it way less safe. Um, >> and schools didn't have phones for kids for many, many years. And so I think it's all about that communication.

068How does that letter go out? What are the rules about using the phone in the office? Like, let's go back, you know, 20 years here. Um, parents could reach their kids, parents could get messages, parents could check on practice, all those things were possible. So, I do think it's really about a communication piece about how we and some of that is not districtwide, right? A lot of that is specific procedures for individual schools and just reminding them how do we Yeah, dispel that. >> Yeah. And we've definitely heard anecdotes like to your point of like kind of that the push and pull here is there's situation that I'm aware of where a student had to change their plans at RMS >> um because they're they're supposed to go to a friend's house and then that

069friend was homesick so never came to the school. So the kid who was supposed to go to the friend's house like, "Oh, I'm I don't know what I'm supposed to do here." At the same time, the parents called the school to tell the kid, "Okay, here's the new plan." But the school didn't tell the kid for five hours, right? >> But and because the schools are always like, "Well, the day is not over yet. They don't have to worry about it." But the kids getting anxious being like, "I don't know what's supposed to happen and does anyone else know that my plans have changed, etc., etc." So, kind of like I see both sides there. But also, we can't ask the person at office who has the phone to do all these things instantaneously. Everyone's

070busy, but then >> stuff will happen. So, anyway, everyone good to move on? >> Okay, great. Thank you much. Let's move on to jumping around fast. Budget guidelines for next year. Uh is this you or Teresa to get us started? >> Teresa, you want to pop on over here and give us some updates, please? >> Oh, sorry. >> Um so, yeah. So, uploaded is the Dresden's um budget guidelines and the meeting timeline. I'm hoping that tonight if we can somehow plug in some dates that we could possibly get that squared away. That way um we're already set and we know where we're going with this and everything else. Um and of course the um yeah the guidelines I told you that right and then the quick models uploaded too for Dresden. Um but so where

071I'm at with that right now. >> Okay. I think it will be pretty challenging to do scheduling stuff right now um as we as we speak. I think we'll probably do that by email with polls or availability or things like that. >> Um looking at the group here, but I think that'd be very hard to do right now on the fly. In terms of the quick models, any summary quick summaries you want to provide us? Um the biggest thing with the let me put that back up with the Dresden um we'll be going back into negotiations for service staff um right now contract last year. >> Sorry. >> Yeah. >> Yes. Um and the other iss that you'll see that um the salary for the updated base for the projected um for teachers and support

072staff because we went into negotiation. Teachers are out in 2027. um the insurance premiums and insuranceances that about about a 10% increase at this point based on the 2526 census. Uh we project about a 574,000 um increase at this point based on everything that's happening with the insuranceances and New Hampshire retirement will not change. We're locked in. This will be our second year locked in. um special education at a district. Again, that's based on um projections and working with the uh special ed director. Transportation increases. We renewed our contract with our transportation this past school year. That was like a 13% increase, but now going forward it'll be like 5%. It'll it'll be a lot less increase. Um but we're locked into that to 2030. Um and let's see I think and debt service um

073just all these notes here that I've regularly scheduled bank loan payments we're making those and everything else and um ones that we can't pay off it through the bond banks things like that can't pay off early but this last year we paid off a couple um that we were able But it's just the highlight >> questions. Terra, >> can you remind me Teresa for the SAU70 assessment is the CPI 3.3% just a pure guess like a placeholder or is it based on penny? based on looking out um yeah it's it's based on still going back out looking at the CPI census for the northeast areas and things like that using those charts and graphs information. >> I ask only because we were in a very strange position last year of being so overbudget on SAU

074so I'm trying to I guess gauge from you if this is an indicator that things are looking better or it's just a placeholder and we haven't gotten down to the details yet. Yeah, I would definitely say that without a doubt. It's it's definitely based on placeholder a time and a period period in time. So, it will change here and there, but we we'll look >> I don't know. We'll look at some more details and figure out if that's because that may be one of the first things that gets adjusted. Okay. All right. >> Yep. >> Thank you. >> Any other comments for Teresa or the administration on this? >> No. And I I did note that there was a four chairs meeting that happened immediately before this meeting actually um where we just wanted to

075note that with the budget cycles being so complex and so many moving parts and as we've noticed we have a lot of new personnel either new completely or in different roles than they were before that we have to be sort of let's more mindful this year. I think the the individual board chairs have to be more involved when they tip our guard in terms of the budget cycle and so let's all just go take a big breath and let's be patient especially this year. So any other comments on that otherwise? Thank you very much Teresa. Then moving on to the Norwich finance committee which is also a quick moving thing. Um I this came up briefly at handover and I think at Norwich Committee which was uh dissolved several years ago has been recreated and

076their current chair reached out to Garrett and I for our respective chair roles to kind of discuss what that means and what it doesn't mean. We had a conversation at handover about it last week. Norwich themselves had a conversation about it as well. And there's been some emails flying around between different committee members and members of and our our group. And Garrett, you want to walk us through kind of what's happening? >> We have a quick background. It's been it's been um >> yeah, lots of intrigue for some reason, even though it hasn't been here for 10 years plus, this Norwich Finance Committee, but >> yes, and sometime over the summer, the Norwich Select Board appointed a Norwich finance committee with the purpose of both reviewing the town budgets as well as the school budgets.

077So, we get that email. Um, Neil very kindly gave me a quick history of this, the Norwich Finance Committee. I'll just give everyone here a quick history as well since I think everyone um seems quite interested in it. So, basically, there was an elected body that was charged with reviewing the school budgets years and years ago. Um, in 2012, we learned that the elected finance committee in Norwich was not allowed by the state law, at which point it was dissolved. And then in 2013, Neil and Carrie um Callahan, who you everyone knows from he's now a town select board member and has served him in handover finance committee for as long as I've been a school board member >> and Hover School Board years ago along with folks like Carrie Asmus, who I don't think

078is on there anymore, but um anyways, they had drafted anou and also a a letter that was a charge at that point. Um, and I think it existed for a couple of years, Neil, and functioned okay and then basically uh the Norwich side fell off um dwindled to a couple members and fell apart. I think it did come back together again, the Norwich finance committee. I was actually part of it with uh Lily's husband um Omar and a couple other folks, but that was really just that had nothing to do with the school board. It was just charged with some town things. So we did that and then that I think has been disbanded as well because it was not really too much was to data. Um anyway, so here we are. Um and I

079think that what we've since done is I have reached out to Carrie who kindly call me back today. So what my goal was was I've got theou from Neil. I've got the charge from Neil from about 10 years ago. I was going to talk with Carrie Callahan just understand how the handover finance committee is selected >> and appointed in handover if there's anou in place if there's a charge in place just to align both committees because obviously if you read the compact it says that the Dresden Finance Committee will operate by the same rules and regulate basically the same rules and goals as the Hannover Finance Committee and the Norris Finance Committee. But the Nor Finance Committee has none of those. And I don't really know what the Hanover Finance Committee kind of rules of

080operation are. And so that is the next step. We had our board meeting in Norwich. They they had tasked me as the chair to go talk to our select board. Um I think one of the things that has been causing everyone a little bit of angst is obviously the Nor school board wasn't asked to um approve any of these members. Um, I think Kim has told most of us that Nor school board needs to approve the committee members, but my understanding is is talking to the Hanover folks, the Hanover town approves the members, but the school board has no choice in the members other than they have an appointed. >> Yeah, we we Yeah, we have one person that work them as a liaison, right? Yeah. >> Which was formerly the department now, I believe.

081Is it Renee or Ter? But Kim Kim has told us under no uncertain terms that the Norwich one needs to have the Norwich school board part of the approval process. I'm not sure if that's because ofou that was previously in place. >> Um, do you know why? >> Yeah, I couldn't hear. >> I'm wondering if it's part of the context that >> anyways. >> And then we have a member of the audience who wish to speak to this. Would you like to say >> Wait, wait. No, >> it's a whatever order you want to go in. >> Well, Neil D was just speaking. >> Um, yeah, I mean, just some clarification. So, as as Garrett had pointed out, years ago, it was an elected body. Uh, Norwich learned that that wasn't legal. So, they dissolved

082the elected body. At that time, that elected body had purview over both the select board, the town budget, and the school budget. So just by the fact that that was set up that way that body opined on the school budget and together with the handover finance committee made up the Dresden Finance Committee. When Norwich discovered that that elected body was illegal, it dissolved. It left us then with no Dresden Finance Committee because we couldn't constitute a Norwich finance committee at that point because the committee dissolved. the school board and the select board got together to develop anou determine how are we going to now that this body needs to be appointed how are we going to handle those appointments right who's going to have the authority what is the charge of the committee going to

083be what roles and qualities are we going to look for in committee members and so Carrie and I at the time and folks that don't know Carrie was a Norwich board member before he was a board member we worked with the select boards to develop that and it laid all of that stuff out it gave the parameters for how the appointments would work for this new appointed finance committee and it was approved by both the select board and the school board. We uh entertained some uh folks who wanted to become members of the finance committee. It worked kind of for a short period of time but then participation in the finance committee kind of dwindled. The interest wasn't there. We weren't able to field enough members to be able to adequately staff a finance committee

084for it to do its job. and ultimately it fell apart. The select board thought perhaps a smaller finance committee with a smaller charge to just look at the select board budget might generate some more interest, might get other people involved in the process. And so the select board unilaterally decided to get out of theou agreement at that time. They had the authority to do that. the MO agreement was written such that if either body wanted to withdraw, they could withdraw. Um, a few years later came back and said, "Hey, we're thinking about spinning this thing back up again." And we're like, "Okay, we've got an oldou that laid out exactly how we would handle joint appointments to this finance committee." But then things kind of fizzled out that nothing ever really happened. Fast forward then

085to a couple weeks ago where it was a surprise to both me and I think my fellow schoolboard members that the select board decided to appoint a finance committee and at the same time uh give them a charge to take a look at the school budget and at that point I was like whoa time out right we had a previous on this I understood that you backed out of theou but select board you just can't go appointing people to a new finance committee and tell them that they've got turvy over the school budget and to reach out to handover finance committee and say here we are is back together again let's go right and so that's how we find ourselves here at this moment tonight and I would still say that I think there needs

086to be a conversation between the Norwich school board and the Norwich select board about uh how are we going to appoint members of a finance committee if you really want them to have purview over both the select board town budget and the school budget accurate Okay. And I didn't realize Carrie was a Norris select board member. I thought that he was a school board member. >> He was he's right. But I thought we did theou I was just assuming that he was >> No, sorry. Yeah, that's school board member. So therefore theou might have been for both might have been based on handover. Anyways, I all that's to be said I will talk to the select board in handover. But before I did that, I was thinking it'd be worth talking to Carrie just understand

087how you guys do it on this side of the river so that at least then when the select board says, well, you know, and we can at the end of day, I guess we don't care. We can do it differently in Norwich, which is fine, too. But I at least wanted to figure out, okay, how do you do it in handover? What is the charge in handover? Do we need to change the charge in Norwich so that it matches the charge in handover? At least aligns with the charge in handover. Because at the end of the day, these two committees, at least in my opinion, Norwich and handover finance committees are both working together on the Dresden finance committee, right? And are both upon our individual budgets as well. >> Yeah. So there's both some

088urgency to this in the sense that it's coming up on budget season as well as non- urgency too and that we need to things need to hash out on that side of the river. >> I think the urgency is like this fall. So, >> so at this point, knowing that this is a company, there's many moving parts. I've received many emails today on it already, including from u the chair of the currently formatted, whatever you want to call it, Norwich finance committee. So, I'm I'm thinking about being as much. Any immediate questions we have as a Dresden School Board or do we kind of wait and hear what's going on? Carrie, >> I think my only question is >> uh sorry, >> Carrie. Um, uh, I am the only person who just sits on the

089Dresden Finance Committee and having not done any of this, my assumption is I just looking at committee assignments, my assumption is that that committee will not actually uh come together until this has been addressed. And so I shouldn't worry about scheduling or when that's happening until this is >> um, yeah, I think there might be some finance budget conversations. Yeah, we also need to look at that because I think if I'm reading our compact correctly, the Dresden Finance Committee needs to come from members of the handover and Norwich finance committees, >> which might mean that Carrie could not be a person and it would have to be. So anyway, we we have some things to figure out, I think. >> Don't worry about it yet. >> Oh, no. I was just like I'm literally the

090person on that as I was listening I was like well maybe that's why >> I'm going to request to be replaced if I have to do both. >> I'm just going to tell you that right now. I'm on two budget committees. >> It's not going to work well. >> Duly noted. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Any other conversations on this? Otherwise I think it's going to be a little Let's wait and see. >> Comment from the public. >> I just wanted to say I'm Christy James. I'm the vice chair of the Norwich Finance Committee. >> You're welcome. >> Thank you. And Stephen Herburn, I did watch your uh meeting from Thursday night. I understand the history which goes back many years, right? And we were appointed by the site board. Every one of us, there's

091five of us. We had to be vetted. You know, we had to fill out a long application. Obviously, we have to have a lot of experience in finance and we all do. And we all felt that we had a need to to support as as an advisory board or a committee, excuse me, committee to this to the suck board and also to the Dresdston School District or whatever uh as needed, not as something we said we're going to per No, that was not that's not our charge. So, I just want to make that clarification. >> Yeah. Do you have you read the charge that was approved by the select board? >> Uh the new select board the last small paragraph. We did it the last meeting. Okay. You did. Okay. >> The problem is the

092charge is I'm not sure if the select board can make a charge for the school board not to get like bombastic here. But that's the problem is is >> bombasted. I don't know what why you would use that word. We're not trying to get like into a heated discussion here, but I think that's the problem is is the select board basically named the Norwich finance committee that's going to have purview over the Norwich school budget without look to asking any of the and again that's why I want to talk with handover and understand how they do on this side of the river too. >> Okay, fair enough. I I I've not been here. Unfortunately, I just don't want this to turn in a big waste of time for everybody because having served on the Norris

093Finance Committee, it was a big waste of time. >> I did it for two years and it was a huge waste of time and I just stopped. >> Okay, that way we're hoping it's not going to be like that >> at this point. I also remember this is a word board meeting, not necessarily a conversation back and forth. But I thank you for coming for nice to have a face in a name besides a person I'm speaking with by email. Uh Stephen, I can think >> Stephen couldn't make it tonight. Okay. So, >> so it's great to hear your perspective and we appreciate you being here. Um Neil, parting thought and then we'll move on. >> Yeah. No, I um I definitely appreciate anybody in Norwich that was willing to step forward and serve on

094this committee. I have no issue with the folks that, you know, stepped forward, volunteered, and are willing to serve in this role. My issue is what I believe to be just an overstep in authority of the Norwich Select Board in in pulling this body together because they never reached out to the school board for, you know, our input. And it just seems inappropriate to, you know, con to appoint a committee um and then ask them to do some work and become a member of the Dresden Finance Committee without ever consulting with the school board. That's my issue. It's not the people that have been appointed. >> I think it was intented to be like that, but Okay. >> Yeah. >> Well, noted. >> Uh, thank you for that back and forth and let's move on.

095>> Ben, can I just, you know, 20 second thing, I I just wanted to say from H perspective that we very much appreciated the handover Finance Committee's >> exchanges with our with our board and >> we are, you know, Kim Hartman stepped down from the board last spring, so we are also in a transition moment. Um, and so all kind of trying to figure out what that new relationship looks like at this point from our standpoint. So, but just wanted to say a word of appreciation to them. They've always been, >> you know, a big help to us. And so, >> and of course going along with that, the handover finance committee itself also has new leadership >> and the previous person Kaspus who also used to be a chair of the school board >>

096and did a deep dive on our finance each and every time and we really appreciated it that they're there in an advisory capacity and sometimes they disagree with us. Most time they don't >> ask good questions >> and they have great questions. They came to board meetings all the time and you might remember them from the annual meetings where they come up and say we agree, we disagree and things like that and they are detailed. They are nuanced and they care and absolutely hope we keep that going in whatever context that happens next. >> Let's move on to business requiring action. I know >> thank you Christie. >> I note before we take any further votes that we are absent two board members tonight. Renee Sullivan and Marcela Deass are not here and Michael Costa

097is with us virtually. So with that for the noteaker, let's move on. Does anyone have um first I'll take a consent motion for B through H and subtracting G for those of us who are tracking. We'll move that to the end after public. So if someone wants to give me some language on that, I appreciate it. I move to approve items B, C, D, E, F, and H as listed in the agenda >> by consent. >> Second by Lisa. All those in favor, >> we have to do >> we have to go around. >> Oh, yes. Thank you. >> Discussion. >> Yes, feel free to have discussion. I think I know where you're going on it, too. Go. >> Best interest. Did I miss something? >> Yep. I think that got switched around >> because

098I don't want to vote on something I don't feel >> just through. >> Yeah. >> BF. >> Okay. I will read that. >> Thank you for catching. Uh so if you wish to resend your motion. >> Yes, I resend my motion. >> Neil, are we doing this correctly? Oh, >> I didn't mean it. I move to approve items B, C, D, E, and F as listed in the agenda. >> Okay, that current motion is seconded by Lisa. And any further discussion? I will take a roll call vote starting with Michael, please. >> Michael, is that a yes? >> Yes. >> Thank you very much. And then Garrett >> yes, yes. >> Christy, yes. Deon, yes. >> Nelson, yes. >> Russell, yes. >> Yes. >> Mama, yes. >> And Keen, yes. That is unanimous. Thank you,

099everyone. The best interest placement, I suggest we do a we talk about that in non-public. Everyone okay with that? So, um, we'll have to do a bit of agenda review switching. Sorry, I missed that earlier, everyone. That I think that was added, um, after meeting our meeting. Okay, we'll move on to reports and communications. Uh, I'll start in the chair report. We've talked about it a few times tonight, but we definitely are in a state of transition. We have a new superintendent. Welcome, Robin. We'll talk about them at SAU. We have a departing superintendent. Hello, Jay. Thank you for being here. Not the turf Jay over and over again. We'll talk about him later at SAU in great detail. So, stay tuned. We have a new um interim principal at RMS. Thank you, Anissa. We

100have a new business administrator. We have all sorts of new things. We have a new interim principal at Ray as well. So the times they are changing and so let's all be as patient as we can. We talked about the survey briefly. We will talk about that more at a further date. The results you're looking I sent to you a couple days ago are SAU wide. We will get to specific school powerpoints and pre-text comments uh later. They will also be available publicly. you saw all necessary redacted information was done by myself as well as three administrators and so we intend that to be fully available. how that will be um distributed I think will be up to the administration and any questions on that we can do tonight otherwise we can save that for

101a future meeting that'll be more of a focus >> and I think that's all I have to report apart from stay tuned for budget stuff right committee reports I know it's early on in the year but has anyone met I know tuition met earlier today anything to report immediately uh Terry >> Neil you'll see it soon public okay thank you much on Any other immediate committee reports? Ben, >> just to let you know that October 4th is the school board delegate assembly. So, we will need to have on our September 23rd president agenda as well as handover agenda deciding on the resolutions. And if anybody wants to go along with me, um, I am allowed to bring the guest or we could split it. You could vote for Dresden and I'll vote for handover and

102whatever. >> And I'm just so a status of our own resolutions, the ones we initiated. >> Yes, our resolution went in on time in July. So, it's all set. >> Thank you for your the collective efforts on that >> and for the resolutions you mean that are coming. Those are all the ones that were submitted, right? >> And then we will review all >> right. And those haven't have nobody's seen those yet. >> Okay. So, that'll be a fruitful discussion in September at two different boards. So, thank you for taking a point on that. >> And we also have, I neglect, I've mentioned, we have a new interim director of curriculum and instruction report occasionally short-handed as assistant superintendent distinct role. And Lauren is out of town tonight, so we will not hear from directly,

103but if anyone has any comments on her report, which is attached, feel free to ask Rob in now. >> Kelly, >> and I'll just add that she was at the handover meeting and I believe at Norwich, right, representative. So if anyone wanted to see her live and in action go to YouTube. >> Thank you. We will see her at future meetings as well. >> Seeing none, we'll move right along to Oh, is there was the superintendent supposed to have a report here as well? >> They are. I think we put it in the SAU. >> Okay, we'll save that. We rewarded Lisa with that one. >> Okay, going along to the BA's report. Teresa, anything else specific to Dresden? Um the only thing that I can add that I know you guys have already heard

104the spiel pretty much on the other reports. So it's pretty much the same just um the the sports um talking again with the transportation um or Mike and everything else. Um that he's still not con he's still saying that we should be fine for transportation for the middle school sports and everything else. The only thing is that we'll probably still have to coordinate, make sure that if for some reason the high school has two games going on and then all of a sudden the middle school has it on the same day, that's the potential. But but we won't right now it's he's not worried about it. He's saying we'll have buses. >> Great. Any further discussion specific to resident? Right. Thank you, Teresa. Okay, we'll move right along to we do have a need for

105a non-public regarding uh personnel as well as a best interest placement as well as legal advice. So if someone we will be in there for a while folks with our apologies. If anyone would like to try to get a motion out of that be much appreciated. >> Okay. >> Is everything listed? >> Bless you. >> Looking at looking at >> they say and on this >> and we're looking at C. >> B C and L. >> Yeah. that it's the same RSA. >> Yes, sir. >> Okay, >> go for it. Um, I move to enter into non-public session at 7:26 p.m. under RSA 91- A 32 Cors B C and L. >> Second by Lisa. >> Uh, going around the room starting with Michael again. >> Pasta. Yes. >> Christy, yes. Sorry. Nelson. Yes. Russell.

106Yes. >> Yes. >> And yes. We'll be back in a few minutes, everyone. Thank you. >> You just said we'd take forever. It can't be both. All right. So, let's move on to just lost. Okay. >> All right. Uh, do we have a second opportunity for public? Any member of the public wishes to speak about anything that was not previously discussed or anything else not on the agenda, please do so now by raising your hand virtually or in person. >> I forget our motion the motion. >> Right. Seeing none, we'll move back on. And can I hear a motion regarding the tuition agreement? Sure. >> I move to approve the version of the lime tuition agreement recommended by the tuition committee. >> Do I hear a second? Seconded by Gina. Any further discussion on the

107tuition agreement? Right. Seeing none, I will take a vote of note for the notetaker. We lost Michael during our private session during the non-public. So, we are all here in person. So I can take a all hands up for those who approve the tuition agreement. That is unanimous. Thank you everyone. >> And now any other motions to make? I'm not aware of any. >> We do have one more about um best interest and our and our employ our hires. >> And our hires. >> Yes. Thank you. Would you like to make one of those motions, please? >> Kelly. Move to appoint the following new hires accepted by superintendent Steiner and BAMS for the summer. Uh read them all. HS John Gardner as 1.0 FTE chemistry teacher. HHS Steveni as a point8 FTE music teacher. HHS

108Andrea Tonkin as a 1.0 FTE learning specialist. RMS Alejandro Herrera as a 51 FTE Spanish teacher. RMS Kim Brag as a 1.0 middle school counselor. And would you like to also recommend our new interim principal? >> Oh, and our new interim principal at Richmond Middle School, Anissa Mars. >> Any discussion? >> Or sorry, a second. Yeah. >> Second by Lisa. Any further discussion? Right. All those in favor of new hires. That is unanimous. Again, thank you everyone. >> And then would someone like to make a motion about the best interest placement? Kelly again >> move to approve the HHS student best interest placement as discussed >> seconded by Lisa again. All those in favor is also unanimous. Thank you everyone. The next meeting is on Tuesday September 23rd. It will be a voted deck. And

109if you have anything else you want to add to the agenda, please send it to me. Otherwise, I take a motion to adjourn at 8:23. I move to adjourn the meeting at 8:23 p.m. >> Seconded by Lisa and going around the horn starting with >> actually for the notetaker I I think I voted and you called my name on those two other things to strike my votes but I can vote to close the meeting. >> Yes. >> Christie yes >> yes Russell yes >> yes. We are adjourned everyone. Thank you. We'll see you in a few weeks. Except we're also missing you in a few minutes.