001Do you want to >> So yeah, why don't we just call I'm sure it's updated so you don't see your your tech support. You're the superintendent at day 14 at 64 6:35. Um, does anybody have any additions changes to the agenda? >> No agenda questions. All right. Any public input questions? Anybody want to address the board from the public? Is anybody online? >> Oh, I'm not online. >> I will say I talked to someone recently who said that she's always online even if we don't see her. So, there might be people online and thank you for being here. People online. >> I agree. >> All right. Why wouldn't we see that? Sorry. >> Why wouldn't we see them? I'm looking at our tech person. >> You're not logging, >> right? But we usually are. >>
002Yeah. >> No, we do see them as and they have to they okay. >> I just got confused on on YouTube. >> Okay. So maybe they're watching on YouTube. Which is awesome. >> We have no attendees. So >> So no attendees. All right. So I mean there's no PTA report which doesn't surprise me. There's no PTO attendees. All right. Uh, first item on the agenda is our 2025 2026 MCS handbook to which there are no changes and therefore no approvals are needed. >> Trying to keep it simple this year. >> That's easy. All right. Um, and then we have a sorry I I gone through all this stuff this week. So, yes, we've got the donation from the Norris Conservation Commission in the amount of $750 to help preserve and maintain the pollinator gardens. Um,
003the contact person, there's Jessica Chan, do you have any knowledge of this >> going to be on Gerard Way near the kindergarten and first grade classrooms, there were originally pollinating gardens and then when we did the septic work, we had to tear all that up. And this past year, we got a generous donation to put those pollinator guard gardens back. >> Yellow. >> All right. Well, we approve that. We do it. Thank you to the conservation commission for that. And our next donation is from the north women's club. Um my eyes. >> So, um yes, we got the So, this is the Sorry. the amount here. So these are for the >> picnic tables. >> Yes, sorry. These are for the picnic tables. Exactly. Okay. So these are the which we discussed there last one
004as well. So these are the two picnic tables for the green which are going to be a great use. I thought we'd approve these last meeting. Am I going crazy? >> I thought we asked for the money amount and I don't I still don't see the money amount. >> Okay. >> I think that's what happened last time was we didn't have the money amount and >> Okay. >> I still don't see the money amount. trying to know if they are there yet. >> Picnic tables have come in but have not been delivered yet. All right. All right. So again, we will thank the women's club, the Lions Club, and the PTO for their generosity on these because as we discussed our last meeting, those are going to be great additions. All right, on to our
005first topic, which does require a little bit of discussion. So this is the newly appointed finance committee member. you um I'm sorry your name you had email back and forth Steve Steven >> Stephen okay >> so Stephen is very generously um is volunteering is part of the nor is part of the Norwich finance committee Neil had sent me a very detailed uh history which was very helpful on the Norwich finance committee um and we can talk about if there's any issues with it so our and this is and you can help too I'll turn it over to in a second. The Norwich Finance Committee along with the handover Finance Committee who has been working as you guys all know that's um that's the folks that help us and they they have a meeting right and
006they review the budget on the handover side as well as the Dresden side and it's um as uh was it um what's your name? >> Carrie. >> It was >> and it's changed now. Okay. And then it was also the other gentleman over there. But they would always come to our meetings, review the budgets, they would meet, give us give the at least on the handover and Dresden side comments. Um, and then it was never fully functional because it was always supposed to have a Norwich component as well. And the Norwich finance committee had disbanded years ago. It had started back up a couple years ago and it wasn't part of the schoolboard finance committee. It was just doing some policies and whatnot for the select board. that's when I was doing a little bit
007of that work. Um, but I think now it's fully reconstituted and the idea is is to both work with the town as well as the school board to both review and give some input on the Norwich budget as well as the Dresden budget from the Norwich perspective. Is that that's the plan? And then I do know that there's also probably going to be a little bit of an issue as far as how it's constituted because I understand the select board appointed the finance committee and I'm not sure I've heard some runways that the school board also has to be part of that process. That's the one thing I don't know. So >> so on one side um that's Neil. Do you want to jump in first on this? Do you have a >> maybe Okay.
008So I'll give you a little bit more of a historical context as to how we got here. Right. So um many many years ago we had a finance committee here in Norwich and it was an elected body. It was elected by the folks here in Norwich and it was elected at town meeting. Um somewhere along the lines people discovered that that was illegal that we couldn't have an elected finance committee. it needed to be a body that was appointed by the Blackboard School Board. So that committee dissolved. Um when that committee had been operational, it did serve as one of the two um you know uh members of the dress and finance committee. So together with the handover finance committee, they formed the dress and finance committee and for years they did what the finance
009committee would do. They reviewed budgets. They opined on things and they offered an opinion um you know around about town meeting day on the budgets. Um one of the one of the challenges that I think the community had at the time with the finance committee that was the elected body was that >> s I'm online. Thank you. You can stay as long as you want. Thank you. >> Yeah. Uh, one of the challenges at the time was is that that you know we ended up with people that were elected position that um didn't necessarily have a a full understanding of of education finance in Vermont um and a lot of the intricacies and details associated with that. And I think as a result, some of the positions that the finance committee took at the time
010um led to a little bit of friction with the school board because they were making assertions that at times weren't necessarily true um and weren't based on um you know the reality of the statutes that were in place. When the committee dissolved, um the select board and the school board were left with some options because we knew that we would be able to appoint body if that was what the the two um groups desired that they wanted to do and if that's what the community wanted. We worked together with the select board at that time to come up basically with a memorandum of understanding as to how those appointments would work. And the agreement that we came to was that both bodies would have the ability to appoint members to the finance committee. So it
011was joint appointments. Um we then uh went along with that for a a few years, a couple maybe two or three years where we actually had an appointed finance committee. Um I'm not entirely sure why, but that group sort of fizzled out. Um and one of the claims at the time from among some of the select board members was the reason that that composition didn't work was because they felt that perhaps the purview was too large to both oversee the town budget and the school budget. It just wasn't generating enough interest community members to serve in that capacity. So the select board had an idea of let's just get rid of theou. We'll just appoint our own finance committee and they would only have purview over the town budget, not the school budget. Uh a
012few of us on the school board didn't think that that was a great approach. But that's what the select board decided to do when they basically nullified theou and decided that they didn't want to do it anymore. Um, fast forward a few years, we tried again to reconstitute a finance committee with joint appointment by both select board and the school board, but those discussions never went anywhere. Unbeknownst to me, it sounds like the select board has decided to move forward with trying to reconstitute a finance committee and has found some willing participants in that group, but unfortunately failed to check with the school board on the appointment piece of things. we don't have anou in place between the two boards, right? So, um I I would consider it inappropriate for the select boards to appoint
013a finance committee giving it a charge that they should oversee the school board's budget. I think that if that's really what we want to do with a finance committee in this town that we need to return to um either the priorou or re-engage the select board in some discussions about what a joint appointment would look like and what are some of the you know the parameters that we might want to put around you know those appointments and the work of that committee and this is not I don't want to cast any dispersions against you know the folks that have volunteered to step forward this is not their issue right they these were people that were fully willing to serve in this capacity and I applaud them for that. Um I'm just a little disappointed that
014the select board did not reach out to the school board at the time that they were thinking about doing this just to say hey you know we had anou in place previously um you know let's get back together and discuss reconstituting this this finance committee. We we did not hear from that body at all. over. >> So here we are small town politics maybe. Um I think I'll speak first as the chair and having watched the handover finance committee work and the overall idea of it I think is good one right they're basically serving as a bridge between the town and the school board and trying to you know commun make sure that when the you know that the school that the town and the select board are aware of what's going on the school
015board budget and vice versa. So they seem to have a curvy over that and I think where over there I don't think is they don't actually approve they basically review the budgets and make comments on the budgets but they don't actually >> purely an advisory capacity sounds like here though it was at one point there was >> no it was it was just it was an elected body and that elected body was going out if I'm remembering correctly and saying things like we think you should not support this budget. for the following reasons and in some cases those reasons weren't entirely um you know correct >> so how and so one of the sorry one of the things that we did when we developed that initialou of the select board in addition to theou of
016how appointments would work we also developed a separate um document that was what are some of the qualities and qualifications we would look at for people that were interested in serving in this capacity do you have experience in budgeting do And so as the boards were um you know interviewing or entertaining the candidates that expressed interest in serving, we had some questions that we would ask to try to you know ascertain whether or not people had the skill set that we thought was appropriate for the work that they were about to engage in. So first do you have a comment? I guess I just didn't I was going to ask how it started and what the you answered it so I just I it was new. When did it get announced to people in Norwich
017or >> you want to make a you sent me a very nice email saying you were just pointed to this recently and you were just reaching out and looking to start seeing kind of how you could help and >> I suggested if you had time come tonight. Um maybe if you want to talk a little bit about what you know about it and who you are but do a quick introduction and the background from what you're aware of and then I think probably from here it probably comes on to me and reach out to the select board to probably resurrect thisou if we do want to I mean I guess there's well I guess first of all why don't we stay out of that jump >> sure um so Stephen Heburn uh resident law from
018Norwich um over on Wallace Farm Road. Um have two kids in the town, one four a year away from coming from SCO, one um was recently appointed to the uh the Norwich Finance Committee, which is a Norwich Town Select Board Advisory Committee. Um and then within the committee was was elected as the the chair of the the committee. Um, and some of the stuff that we're doing right now is just trying to understand and unpick the history, what is in place, what isn't in place, what might work, what could work, kind of um how things are going. And so I think uh Neil to to your point, my understanding is the finance committee that was not under the MOU, so the more recent one was never formally disbanded. it just went down to one member
019and so was nonactive. More recently, we now we're now back to five members um plus the town treasurer. Uh the select board did adjust our charge um and the charge given to us from the select board does reference school budgets for the um the town of Norwich and the the Dresden um budget. Um, so at the moment we're just trying to unpick all of that, understand if there is still anything in place that we should be kind of reviewing, working to uh talking about or if there's nothing in place and if we're starting from fresh and we're trying to figure out what it might look like, if anything, uh, I think when it comes to the the school budget size, um, it was shared with me a historical article of incorporation of the Dresden School
020Board which references is the President Finance Committee, which says it combined with the uh the Hangover and the the Norwich Finance Committee. Um I'm assuming that that Norwich finance committee is currently referring to our committee rightly or wrongly. I don't know if it's still in the articles of incorporation and I don't know if there's any mention in the Norwich School Board article of incorporation anywhere. Um so that's essentially um where where we're at. I'm happy to give more information or answer questions on kind of what we're trying to do directly with the select board. But when it comes to the the school boards and the school budgets, we're just basically trying to find out what is out there, where everybody stands. Can we be helpful? Okay. So, um, >> and and I would just note
021if people haven't seen it, uh, the approved minutes of the April 9th Norwich Select Board meeting um, replace the charge of the finance committee and say the Norwich Town Select Board may invite the finance committee to advise on the creation of annual budgets for the town of Norwich Mars Elementary and together with the handover finance committee on the Dresden School District budget. Finance Committee may provide research into financial matters related to the budget as requested by the Norwich Town Select Board and renders nonbinding advisory recommendations for action or non-action by the Norwich Town Select Board. Um, and the minutes reflect a unanimous vote. There's evidently a comment at the time of public comment asking how the finance committee will relate to the school boards, but the minutes do not reflect the content or answer of
022that that question. >> Okay. And it doesn't seem to mention that they would act in an advisory capacity to the school board that they would get information about the budget but not advise us. Correct. >> Uh I mean I I don't want to parse it. I know there's a long history of um council advising the select board. When I read it, it just says the town select board may invite the finance committee to advise on the creation of handle budgets. That sense to me is ambiguous. advice whom on what and then on bottom it says um and you know it may provide research and financial matters relating to the budget as requested by the Norwich town select board render opinions on action or non-action um by the select board. Um it it seemed a little
023uh like um you know to I'm going to summarize Neil's comments. Uh I I think when I read this it's a blinking yellow light. I don't know exactly what it's telling me to do given the traffic situation. Um but it but it would appear my best guess is hey this is the select board's committee >> to advise the select board but could also potentially render opinions. Um I want to echo >> potentially although I'm putting my governance hat on >> I think this board should decide from a corporate perspective what advice it wants to get and from whom it should get it and when it should get it. Um uh but I want I also want to say I think echoing part of what the chair said like not here to say hey what the
024you know super glad anybody volunteers from the town. Um respectfully it seems a little bit like the select board wandered some folks into traffic and would have been great to chat about it beforehand. And then just looking at the Hannover Finance Committee, right? The mission on their website is it's appointed by the resident appointed they're appointed resident committee to advise on financial matters of the town, the Hannover school district and jointly with the Norwich finance committee as the Dresden Finance Committee, the Dresden School District. So that's why we've always had this hole because there has never been well, you know, pointed out in history. It's been a long time since there's been a Norwich finance team. I do I actually did do the one I think it was maybe the one in 2020 where it
025had nothing to do with the schoolman and supposed to help the town work on some designated fund issues and we spent a lot of time focused on policies because that's what they wanted was all these finance policies. I mean that night after night you're doing policies and then I think it just kind of frankly disbanded because I don't know who the person that was still standing you know >> um I think it may have been uh Russ he he was he was the the remaining person when uh the the rest of us were appointed he was not that was that was pretty my school important. Um I guess one question for and again I think as an overall comment here is Michael would just point out we definitely don't want this to be contentious at
026least as the chair like I think you know obviously it's an open book and we want to make sure that the town has input on our budgets and Neil and I just are on the budget committee um and again we never want to give people the sense that somehow we're making budgets and we don't we want to keep it all you know behind the curtain of the Vermont education funding system or something that no one can understand. Um but I think this is now running into how do we form this committee properly. Um I guess the first question is I I guess ask is given the fact that the handover finance committee exists you know are we obligated if there is a Norwich finance committee that wants to be formed and there's residents that would
027like to serve on it are we obligated to interact with that committee and at least maybe re-engage with anou and go through maybe a process where because the the handover finance committee I mean does the does the handover school board have you know if the handover school board has any how they choose the members I see Tony's on it was a school board rep um and then you've got Carrie and Carrie Ken was one I was trying to make out Asmus. They're the two that kind of have always come to our meetings at the Dresden level and spend a lot of time because Carrie and both of them were also schoolboard members. So they get a whole ton of experience and I see the other folks on it. >> So Tony retired from our board.
028So we have a new person Renee Sullivan and it was a board chosen representative from the handover school board to be part of the handover finance committee. >> Okay. Is just is but not actually part. So but is she not listed here then? So she's going to be Yeah, that's right. So she's going to replace Tony. >> Um, so I think I think the first question might be is do we are we obligated to and do we want to move forward with pursuing a Norwich finance committee in general as far as far as the school board goes? And I don't 100% know the answer to that. Yeah. Um, so I will weigh in with my own personal thing. I I do think a finance committee in Norwich is a worthwhile thing, especially if it's properly
029staffed and, you know, has some folks that are really engaged in the work of both, you know, the select for the school board. I think the situation that we find ourselves in is I think um you know I I think that the select board perhaps inadvertently um made a step a little bit too far in the appointment of the body and then giving them um or essentially telling them they had the school budgets. I really think what needs to happen is we should reach out to the select board. um uh reignite those discussions over theou we've gotou uh you know the previous language available so we're not starting from scratch but um I think that if we're going to have a finance committee that's got purview over both select board and school budgets um that
030both bodies need to have some role in the appointment of the members to that committee and uh I would encourage um I guess what I would suggest to this forward is that maybe we have the chair reach out to the select board with that and uh and see reactionist and see if we can move forward and I think the only other thing I would say here too is is obviously we're a little bit smaller than the handover board and so that means also that means one more set of meetings so one of us that mayor Neil would then now be attending we would now be part of the the Norwich finance committee Yeah, I'm not so sure. >> So, if I can comment on that, I think um Hanover has a structure for appointing members
031to their finance committee. We do not need to have that same structure, >> right? So, historically in in on this side of the river, we had an elected finance committee and it was elected at the time that I believe that the articles articles of agreement with Dreton were signed. Right? So that was the structure that we knew at the time that we entered into those articles of agreement with Dresden that just specified take the Hanover Finance Committee combined with the Norwich Finance Committee and you've got a Dresden finance committee. >> Right? >> The issue comes is that the way that we had been populating our finance committee turned out to not be legal. >> Right? So we've got an opportunity now to figure out then if it needs to be an appointed body, how should
032those appointments happen? And we can determine that on our side of the river. You could use handover as a model if you wanted to, but in no way are we required to adopt the same structure that handover has for their finance committee. >> Okay. Did you recall Neil in this the previous what it had envisioned as far as the size of the March finance committee and whether like a school member board member on. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. I um I was just looking at that we did have some language in there. I just don't remember it off the top of my head. >> Okay. >> I may have thought or question which is I'm just looking at the SA7 is four school boards of which norm which is one of them. The board's primary
033responsibility is the legislation development and maintenance of district policies and working with the superintendent and building administration in the crafting of a budget to deliver and defend the voters. And I guess my question is to for set all of them up for success as well as all of us is what is the role that a finance committee plays versus us if we're if it's this is what we're supposed to do and what role does the select board play in the school board budget like is that part of their what is their purview and just to there's a lot we all our time is all really valuable and so like let's not make you know where should everyone's time be allocated appropriately. So we're not doing triple work on something, you know, that's all. Um, again,
034I agree like anyone who's willing to support town things is really awesome. So um, say that >> and that theou was and I read your well, trust me, I did, but theou that we had was was what happened to that? >> Uh, it was originally executed, right? We had a finance committee for a couple of years. >> Okay. And was it operating under thisou? >> I believe it was the one that I attached to the email and I just shared that email with the rest of the board members just tonight. Um and then membership in the committee dwindled. they were we were unsuccessful in finding people that were willing to serve on the committee and so the select board um made the unilateral decision to back out of theou which they had the perfect right
035to do because that was the language that was in the said either party could withdraw from theou at any time >> right >> so they were perfectly within their rights to do that and since then though we have had no further discussions on you know re you know re-engaging in theou and it just came as a little bit of a surprise select board just decided to appoint finance committee and then apparently give them authority to oversee school budgets. >> Did you answer Gina's question? is um you know in that charge or more like tasks and whatnot weird >> and well just I think >> it's you know we there's a committee there's a select board there's a north school board is like what is each what is the purview of each organization and who's responsible
036for what and let's make sure we're being clear on roles it's this what I coach everybody what's what are the roles and responsibilities of the people in these things so we all are clear we're not creating chaos or confusion or too many people doing the same work um >> or unnecessarily problems. >> Yeah. >> And if it helps in the email that I forwarded to all of you guys tonight, there was both anou and a charge and that charge covered many of the items that you just were talking about. So it was very much and again kind of having watched the handover finance committee because we do see Carrie and the folks come to our meetings just prior to budget time and again reviewing things and they actually are going to the town they actually
037are giving their approval. So I mean there is a bit of a you know over there there's a bit of a stressful moment right when that committee shows up and if they decide they don't like something right I mean we just kind of we're eating our popcorn as nor members doesn't really matter but like that is what happens over there and they are >> you know if they don't like something they will say so yes Michael sorry Lucy first >> yeah I just um another question before we kind of do some problem solving is it seems as if this the Dresden Finance Committee from the charge and from the past history has consisted of Hannover and Norwich Finance Committee members. There has not been a Norwich finance committee. So there has not been Norwich representation
038on that Dresden Finance Committee. So, I just kind of want to also point out that if this does happen, it does have implications for the Dresden Finance Committee as well because it seems as if this committee would combine with Hanover to be part of the Dresden. And so, it just like there's another layer of this as well. So that >> we'll do that like just so you know now obviously I think what you probably knew is that at part of this charge if it is again >> the handover finance committ I just read and they state this every year that they make us aware that obviously there is no Norwich counterparts right so they're very but that would also be extending the work it's not just reviewing the Norwich budget but it's also reviewing the
039Dresden budget which is obvious well not obviously but it's it's the um middle school and the high school budgets Right. Which are two other big budgets much bigger than ours, >> which I don't think that said or did. It didn't. Yeah. So, the charge didn't mention Dresden, which Oh, it did. Okay. Okay. >> Um, I can summarize where I'm at, Mr. Chairman. Three quick points. One, I'm supportive broadly of the finance committee as a matter of good governance to help voters understand the workings of the town, the school board. Um, two, very much support what Gina said about roles and goals. I've had my own observations um when this happens over in the handover side um and you know what's the line between advice and veering into our lane as school policy makers um and
040so I think clearly delineating what the roles are and the responsibilities are and having it be co-produced by the select board and the school board would be a good thing. Um three it's early in the schoolboard season. I think we're at the risk of belaboring this topic. So what is the action step that we can take to move forward here? All right. So, I think the action step I think is what Neil suggested which I will reach out to um >> the select board and basically pretty much summarize what you just said which is that you know we're going to move forward with this. I think we need to review the MLU come up with a settlement charge give the team that's volunteered to do this clear roles and responsibilities as far as what they're
041up to. I think frankly if we do that at least your role for the school board is probably going to be pretty clear >> with gratitude for your service and gratitude >> uh to Neil for being the norisonian uh and giving us a clear and workable from which to start >> any other items on that in closing anything good >> I think that the last thing to say I think my my first point is um the reason that I reached out and came here tonight was just to understand where everything everything stands as of today if there's any other MUS etc that were out there. Um I wasn't specifically tasked by the select board to come and tell you but as it was part of our our charge that was the reason that that I
042I reached out. So >> thank you. >> Great. All right. >> Thank you. All right. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. You should stay the rest of the meeting. [Laughter] >> Thank you. >> See you later. >> Okay, I'll move on to our next item here. The uh the bit and the Lehi Foxies. Um these things are new to me. Um so these are the annual I can share. Yes. What are these? So, every year coinciding with the annual um DSBA and BSA conference, um Bisbet and Behi also hold their annual meetings. As uh members of both Visit and Behi, our board is allowed one vote at those annual meetings. And these proxy agreements then basically allow this board to designate a board member to vote as the proxy at local. >> Okay. >>
043Ideally proxy should go to a board member who plans on attending these question >> which I will bring it up again and this time around the location of the annual conference has changed. It will be in Burlington this year, October 29th and 30th. >> These meetings, I believe, will probably be the morning of the 30th. I'm guessing >> it says the 30th. It didn't say the time, but it didn't say the 30th. >> Typically, it's early morning on the 30th where the conference actually gets started. Um, do we have any volunteers that would like to be our proxy? I can't get the day off. So, sorry guys. >> Is it a It's a Thursday, Friday. So, >> it's a Wednesday, Thursday. >> It's a Wednesday night. Thursday. Good. I am planning on attending, but I
044didn't want to take that opportunity away from any other board member who was also planning on attending. >> I I will try to attend this year. I think I did. I did. I did your story. Okay. Um, so Neil, if you want to be the proxy again since you will definitely be there. Um, that probably makes the most sense. Again, it sounds like Michael. >> Yeah, >> I can be there Wednesday night, but I can't be there during the day. So, yeah. >> 20th is my mid20 anniversary. So, but if it's on the 30th and I just feel bad because Neil always takes everything for our board. So, I'm happy to help if it's needed, but if you're planning to go to um Yes, I'm excited. Go. >> Yeah. >> Um but I will say
045that the these two meetings are uh low impact and typically um I wouldn't say low importance, but the items being voted on every year are typically just approval of the minutes from the prior years. >> Okay. So, uh, in in my history, I've only in the 10 plus years that I've been doing this, there is only one year where there was an important vote in one of these meetings. And, uh, I don't believe that it's going to be happen again this year. So, you're not missing out on much. What I would suggest, chair, is that later on in the agenda, there should be a vote to select a particular board member as the proxy for both of these meetings. And then we need to record that vote with both visit and behind so that when
046you arrive at the meeting they know that you are the designated delegate. Should we do that? Should we add that as a item tonight? Probably just so we don't forget you. I think it would be a good idea to add it to night. Um, I just pulled up their website for the record. Um, Wednesday, October 29th from 3 to 8 and Thursday, October 30th from 8 to 4 with these proxies being on the 30th. So, >> so why don't our business for our action why don't we have a professional office now? >> I don't know about that. Why don't we add one more item where we will we can we can keep as a separate launch so it's not as intense. >> Yeah, I would keep it as a separate um motion just so that
047we can reference if they want to know who was designated. So a motion to appoint our representative for >> make a motion. Somebody can appoint me as a proxy. >> We'll do. >> Okay. All right. Um so we're on to our budget guidelines already. Um as well as looks like Teresa already a quick while going. Um, we actually have not had our first meeting. >> Correct. >> So, Teresa, we very kindly put last year's budget guidelines in there. >> Um, also put in a quick model. So, in a minute, Teresa, why don't you can give us a quick review of the quick model and also the meeting timeline for everybody. Um, just to reiterate, Neil and I, right, are the members of the Biance holding from Norwich. I think Michael, you were a little bit
048in and out last year. I think as a third member. >> Yeah, I I believe I'm a member of the budget committee ameritus at this point. >> Right. I was briefly part of it. He posed a serious scheduling challenge to get there. >> So, I think it'll probably Neil and myself as the two primary members. I welcome if you want to come to any meetings to Got it. >> Yeah, it's always helpful. Um, we do need to do the guidelines again, Neil. I guess we can maybe the guidelines when with the Vermont situation always confound me a bit. I think we definitely want guidelines. I I personally think that it's probably something very similar to what we put out last year because our situation really hasn't changed much as far as I mean the situation
049at the state level has changed a lot obviously because of what was just passed. um but actually hasn't changed at all with regards to our situation and kind of the long-term uncertainty. Um I think last year was in talking a bit um and you know feel free to weigh in here but I think as far as what we're looking at Sean for this next year what we had talked about a little bit I think is just getting some input from Teresa as far as whether there's some bigger capital needs for the building but I think in talking Teresa at our planning meeting that it seems like you know most of the ongoing kind of annual expensed items for building a plant are sufficient kind of on an ongoing basis. There's nothing huge that's coming down
050the pike. What is huge though is something like the roof and whatnot. So, we were going to talk about that as far as whether we need to increase the budget. So, I think that would be that would probably be the one thing that would maybe change the budget guidelines versus last year because last year the budget guidelines are pretty much kind of status quo capital needs or building improvements. I'll call it capital's wrong term for it. Building improvements, maintenance on projects, right? And that kind of 100,000 number that is in there, >> right? And that's what we've been discussing in this song this room. >> Um we had met and spent a couple hours at least um in every room I think going around here on and taking notes and and different projects that needed
051to be done. Some that were done over the summer and stuff, but this ongoing um you know regular maintenance and stuff like that that we really start need to really start targeting um and stuff. And certainly the groups each of the districts are um and that's one of those big but until we really get I don't have a full um picture and the serious like the um how much of a big project it would be right at just one moment there's enough so that's going to be critical to get as soon as possible. >> Um so I'll let you get in the quick a minute. Um but I think at this point you know this is not a discussion for tonight but at our first meeting of the finance committee which we will have I
052think right before our next meeting before our next schoolboard meeting we'll schedule one and the purpose of that meeting will really be to put together the budget guidelines to improve that. Michael. >> Yeah. I I just um very briefly tend to agree with your assessment of the relationship between our budget and the political situation. It like there are different facts, but the level of uncertainty remains extremely high, which puts significant pressure on us as a school board. Um it's not it's similar to what's going on in healthcare in Vermont. And so I would urge us to say, okay, number one, what's the budget we think we need to effectively run the school, having figured that out, two, where does that budget fit in within the political landscape as we presently understand it? Um, I worry
053about those things comingling and it being very difficult to pick a strategic direction. Um, and so I I want to keep those things and I I just happen to think that both education, healthcare, if you start making decisions for purely political purposes, there is no end to it. Um, I actually think this board has done a wonderful job navigating that uncertainty over the last couple years and I just want us to keep our eye on the ball of like, hey, what does it take to run a great school and then, okay, how does it fit in a really volatile political landscape? So, >> yeah, just um someone with a better eye for detail than myself um might want to go over the dates because there's a lot of disagreement with the day and date for
054a lot of the meetings. Like Monday is not November 10th or Monday is November 10th and it says Tuesday, November 10th. So, just there, you know, just >> I'll go back and double check. >> Yeah. Sorry. >> No, I do it all the time. So, I that's why I noticed it. I would just change the date and not realize with the the day of the week, >> right? Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Um, so I think if everyone's aligned with that, um, you and I will get together at some point before our next meeting to put that together. Probably should do it in person. No, there's already been I think the budget um budget committee meetings have already been scheduled and I think invitations have been sent out at least. I saw something come through
055earlier today. >> Oh, sorry. I didn't check my email. >> Yeah. No, that's okay. Okay. >> So, I think there's something on focus already, but if there's not >> you talking about the guideline. >> Yeah, but the guideline we typically draft the guidelines that first budget meeting that first Norwich budget committee meeting. Yeah. Those >> post September 3rd. Sorry. >> Yeah. September 3rd. Okay. So, Thursday's August 14th on the calendar. >> That's for something else. >> Okay. That's that's okay. Regular school. I seem to discuss. >> Yeah. Just to talk about it. >> Okay. Perfect. All right. So, Wednesday, September 3rd is when all the action happens. >> Okay. Um, back to this. So Da do you want to go through the quick model? Is it way too primary for that? >> Um I will
056run through Jamie has definitely I've been working with Jamie on all this. Um obviously running through my first first round here and everything else. Um but working through this uh basically it's just pulling forth the required um um anticipated the health cost and everything else projections is probably the better word I should use right now. The projections on each of these certain steps and stuff that teachers may move or others um as far as the wages and the benefits go. Um and again there's assumptions down below regarding expenditures related to the SAU um special education out of district based on needs and students that we already know about that service again what we already know and then as we get down to the bottom um you'll see some notes down at the very very bottom
057that I know that we're going into negotiations this year again. So those projections are not in there at this time. So if you're kind of looking at the percentage change um increase the you know of about 224,000 2.71% um as it sits as a quick model. Good. We have any questions or comments on that? Just a thank you to all who are involved in >> as it relates to the budget and sorry I'm going to go a little off topic here but as far negotiations when does um because that's going to be also impacting our budget this year negotiation when is that >> so technically they need to kick off I think honorable before October 1. Okay. I think that's what's in the contracts. Um, you know, certainly reaching out, starting sooner is always better.
058So, if our colleagues on on the support staff and the teachers bargaining units are willing to uh to get going early in this budgeting season, I certainly would be helpful. Do we think I mean if things go well will we have a contract before we approve the budget? Uh that is always my desire every time I enter into is to have a contract um we're doing ratified prior to the budget going before the voters you know early enough so that we can get in budget. Um you know there there are factors that sometimes mean that that doesn't happen but that has always always been our goal any round of negotiations say get them done. So that means having them done by, you know, ratified by early January. >> Good. >> Okay. Um, so that have
059any comments on budget? >> Teresa, thank you very much. >> All right. We'll move on to our business requiring action. We should be able to do it. Let's see. >> Little circle time. Yeah. Um, >> it worked. >> Um, >> one quick question. Yeah, sorry. Um, I noticed that we have a point of truency officer under business requirement action and we did not discuss it. I mean, it's Greg again, so I don't know if we need a discussion, but I just wanted to point that out. Yes. To say that because that was not part of our thing. But I think everyone's good with that. Sean, I think >> I think that because he's not here, we should do it fast. >> Definitely. like >> I mean we also have to take the visib >> so
060I guess um if you're ready Mr. Chairman, I would approve I would make a motion to approve B C DFNG. Uh and we can deal with the truency officer and the visb. >> What is that? >> Lauren updated it for us. >> No, we're going to do that separately. >> Oh, we are going to do it separately. Okay. >> Yes. So, we'll do we'll do E and H separately. Okay. >> So, I make a motion to approve B, C, D, F, and G. Second, >> Gina. All those in favor? >> All right. That is unanimous. Okay. Do I have a motion for it? Michael, >> I move to appoint >> Greg Baggado as the trinency officer for the 2025 2026 school year as presented. >> Seconded by Lisa. All those in favor. All right. Overwhelming
061support. >> That's been approved. And then item H. Gina. I move to approve my colleague Neil Oella the Norwich Bisfit proxy >> second Lisa. All those in favor that is unanimous. Thank you Neil and Greg. Okay. Uh report of the chair. I did not come up with a great report tonight but here we are kicking off the season, end of the summer. Time to check our emails again. I do apologize. I was not the best at checking my emails a couple times this summer. Um, and yeah, we're about to rapidly get into our school year, but at least looking at the floors and everything looks shiny and it looks like it's going to quickly get active around here again. So, that'll be very exciting. And starting all our meetings going into the fall. Um, I'm
062sure that all I have to report. Oh, and sorry level. Very happy to have Lauren next to me here who unfortunately is replacing Robin for the night because Robin had some family business to take care of. She was very apologetic and it sounds like things are moving well at the SAU office. We had our first policy meeting with Robin and um so obviously no entities here but thank you very much for coming to our meeting tonight and we look forward to working with you on this side of the river. >> Thank you. >> All right. Thank you Luca for that. >> Sorry. Um on to Sean. First, I just wanted to say that I'm really happy to be going into this school year with Robin and Lauren. That was very fortunate that two of them
063have stepped up to the role of superintendent and director of instruction and curriculum. And I'm I'm really happy about it. We had a great retreat um at Robin's camp and it was nice to meet as the leadership team in person all together before the year started just to get ourselves off to a good start. It's great. Um, as far as MCS, our enrollment is at 320. This is a time of year where it does change >> daily, so tomorrow that could be up or down a little bit. Um, we are thrilled to have kids come back. Gets a little lonely here in the summertime >> and it's nice to have that kid energy. We have three new goals that I put in here. Um, I'm not going to go over them, but I will tell
064you that the first one, we're still adjusting to the formatting here. that first little paragraph. Our first goal is um to improve our educational support team process and then go around positive school climate and one around instructional effectiveness. Rick and I have been working this summer to do our inservice preparation. We moved five of our 10 in service days to the beginning of the school year and last year that was overwhelmingly positive for staff to come in. It gives them plenty of time for us to do what we need to do, for them to do some classroom time. Um, for any parents that might have kids that need to come in a little bit earlier, see this building or meet the teacher, that's available and just allows us to have a softer start to the
065school year. We've been planning that out. And a little hiring update, we are almost fully hired for. We're still looking for an education assistant. So, know of anyone would like to work in that role. We would love to have them. And I want to highlight our safety committee. So we have say in the last year have a group of people that have come to the table and really are interested in safety at our school and um we took that committee out of our Wednesday committee time, made its own entity that that meets during the school day. The committee came together this summer. We spent a day together. We looked through our safety protocols to align them with what our neighbors on the other side of the river are doing. Some of the feedback we got
066from two law enforcement entities was that it's really hard to respond when different schools have called their things different names. >> You might be responding to an intruder drill at one school, which is the same as the lockdown at another and not be on the same page. Last year we did a great job as an SAU coming together and saying okay we're gonna at least call these all the same thing and this year we've taken that one step fur further to say all right our protocols are going to be similar in both schools. So our safety committee worked on doing that this summer and have worked part of our inservice time into a presentation for staff to kind of solidify that. Also, we have a teacher who has taken on scheduling all of our drills,
067coordinating it to make sure that they follow the state guidelines and is really invested in that, which is great. Other than that, we have had a lot of projects being done here very recently to get our school up and running. You should take us walk down the prek and art room hallway. Tony and I met decided that each summer we would build into our budget painting of one wing between the classrooms and the hallways and that was the one that we chose this summer. >> PreK rooms not only got new flooring but they also those rooms were all painted and the hallway was painted and it just looks makes the overall feel more positive feel. That's in that if you have any questions. >> Yeah. Just quickly, um, you said that you were just looking
068for an EA, but your report also says you're looking for a long-term sub. Did you fill the long-term sub position or >> That's a good catch. We are also looking for a longterm sub for third grade starting in October. Okay. >> And of January. >> And then this I'll put this under safety committee summer work. Um, I used the facilities on the way in the door and noticed that there is a tube extending from the ceiling into a bucket in the girls restroom. Is there a leak or what's going on? >> So, one of our hopes is that we fix our roof. That that has been that way since I've been here. Um there's a some kind of funky tile in the ceiling that catches the rain water that comes down, takes it through that
069pipe and pipes it into our toilets. Um my hope is that we will when we're thinking about roofing be able to I'm really excited because the roof over my office is getting replaced so we can >> You don't have the bucket in the middle anymore. >> Well, actually was getting kitty. >> Okay. Thank you. I didn't mean to get off track, but I just Maybe we should all use the facilities more. >> It's a water feature. >> Are we do we where do we sit right now with the prek enrollment? Are we fully enrolled for that? >> PreK is full session, but I think there's still ended up with a waiting list of about eight. >> Wow. Do people pay? I didn't know the answer to this. Do people pay peg? No. Wish that been
070around years to say that. >> Yes. >> That's awesome. >> And remind me again, this is a maybe question. We've got three. We got five sections of three now. So there's last four, didn't we? >> Yeah. >> Five like five classes with three sections versus four. So does that mean we have another Sure. How are we doing that? >> Last year we had a picture on maternity leave >> and we had doubled up a class and she came back later than anticipated. We she extended her leave but when she came back we did was split those kids back out. Okay. >> She did some intervention work. Otherwise, it would have been another session. >> Got it. Okay. All right. Any questions for Sean? Thank you, Sean. >> Go get him, Tiger. >> On to the
071superintendent report. Lauren, um, do you have any you're out of your court here? Did you want to >> I'll just be brief on on Robin's behalf because you have it in front of you so you can read it at your leisure. Um just to say that she really wanted to be here this evening um and express that to me but appreciated this space to be able to take care of what she needed to take care of. Um that she is felt the pace and energy that comes with filling this new role. Um, and she's met it from my observations, uh, just with a lot of joy, a lot of excitement, and a lot of great organization. Um, I'm already learning a lot from her. Uh, she held our new staff orientation, which I also highlight
072in my report. Um, she gave you a bit of an update on title grant allocations, and that will be in my wheelhouse moving forward. So, starting uh next month, you'll be hearing more from me about those allocations um and the projects that I'm working to help support with the administration here through those title funds. Um and then we welcomed uh at Hanover High School new staff for across the SAU um and took them on a little bus tour that I heard was great. I heard that Sean just knocked it out of this park out of the park as usual on our bus tours. Um, and that she looks forward to being back with you all next time around. >> So, those new kids that came out of the ball, there's a bunch of kids being
073led around that looked like they were new students or something. Is that what you're referring to? >> So, two things happened. The one that I >> kids that were like it looked like it was like a campus tour or something like college. I was like, is this >> Yeah. So, we had the new staff orientation was on August 6th and that brought all of the new staff that were able to attend um to the high school from 8:30 to 10:30ish. >> Okay. >> Um there have also been some summer camps grant funded at the high school bringing in some yeah some folks from 9th grade from 8th grade going into 9th grade um to be able to start to make some connections as they move into high school. >> Okay. Great. Okay. And while you're
074on the spot, >> let's do it. >> Similarly, I presented um to you my report and I would be happy to answer any questions about it. Um this was an exciting 14th day in the position and so if you have any questions, I'll do my best to answer them. But um getting up to speed on grants um everything title related um working with uh uh Chair Keaney as well as Superintendent Steiner to go through the results of um the survey that was conducted by our comm with our community. Um I'm working on planning all of our K12 meetings across the schools and we'll update you with some plans on that next month. Um and I've been helping the transition across the river uh for my colleagues there. Um, a thanks to Ryan Spoonover who have
075done a ton of work with Assembly to get things up and running and teach them how to do things like, you know, add things to the last minute. Um, we're working in frontline which is one of the systems that we use to record all of our information around evaluation and supervision to make sure that our forms are up to date and reflect the needs of all of our districts. Um, and then I also mentioned the new staff orientation as well. So, it's been busy and I anticipate it will just continue quite a bit here. It's a pleasure to be here and really this opportunity. >> Thank you very much. Any questions? What's the comment is um and it's less Norwich focused more the whole school district is we have a lot of people in new
076roles even if they're not new to the district and just maybe to offer our support and thought partnership as you are in new roles if you need that kind of help because that's an exciting time and also can be full of um challenge and fear and so just I think everyone's really wants to support all of our leaders to be as effective as possible. So I say that you >> I'm a coach. So I'm being a coach. >> I felt that. >> Michael first, did you get on as simply because you and I were I think competing for the last >> two being too. >> Yeah. >> So you're on >> right on time. Oh, it's right up right. It's up right now. >> Right now I ask a question. So just quickly I mean
077something from from this seat right the governance seat I very much appreciated Robin's work trying to align curriculum and get people in teams aligned and gathered moving forward. Um as someone who's not an education professional it just seems like it's really good well structured work. Um, so as you go into your new role, >> is there like a a well delineated plan of this is what we were supposed to do this year and I'm ready to execute it or is it hey, you and Robin have to a lot of discussion about what and I'm asking curiosity. It's not my place to make those decisions, but you know, you um it seems like this has been a strength the last couple years. So I'm just curious how you're viewing it going into this role. >> Definitely.
078Um, so Robin sent out a survey to folks last year. uh to get feedback around how K12's had been operating. Um Robin and I went over that survey to see any themes, any actionable space, any changes that we had to make and then Robin said this is now yours. So um having participated on K12 committees um facilitated been part of the collaboration that we've had between Rey and Marian Cross um I felt pretty equipped with the knowledge that I already had about K12s together with the feedback that we got from that survey um to start making a plan moving forward. Um I think what's exciting about this year is that we have done uh so much to get our curriculum documented to get these teams together to begin to just build that community that we
079need. Um that we are starting to see this year that we can differentiate a little bit more. So there are some teams that are furthering this but are really curious about that and I'm able to work with the facilitator for that K12 to say what supplies do you need? What materials do you need? How can I support you? Um, and that's been an exciting move as I'm planning these K12s this year. Um, but it's certainly a continuation of the work that has been done to capitalize on all of those pieces. >> Great. >> Yeah. Just an observation. Um, and you I'm sure you know this cuz you've been swimming in these waters for a while, but from a board perspective, it feels as if a lot of time the friction and the issues happen in
080the transition years >> where the middle school teams think that they've communicated something to the elementary school teams about what's needed for middle school and then it turns out that that wasn't as well communicated as they thought it was. and definitely going from the middle school to the high school in terms of are the kids prepared for instance honors math classes in a way that is helpful. Um, and I just want to say that as an observer I've noticed that being a theme and it feels like that might be a place to put a little attention. Um, and I don't know whether it's just a communication issue or whether it's an actual, you know, um, content or philosophical thing, but, um, it does feel like at the board level when we get people coming in,
081um, to talk about things that they wish were different, that seems to be where they land. >> Thanks for the insight. And again, not in a bad way, just, you know, >> well, there's real opportunity when we have the ability to meet on a monthly basis at least to build in time to those conversations if needed. So, thank you. >> Oh, we got on to Teresa, business manager report. >> All right. Um, I do have uploaded >> Sorry, administrator. >> Um, I've uploaded my report also. I'll just give some highlights, but um just the business department itself, we're just a little short-handed. We have been since May 1st. Um we not only have the front desk administrative position open, but um the the newly titled uh assistant VA position. We had done interviews, we hired
082somebody about two weeks in um she resigned. So that didn't work out. So, um, so it's a bit of a struggle to be juggling all of it right now and everything else. And we have the potential of being down one third person for two months. So, we're we're really scrambling to do interviews, which seems like never ending um to get people in. There's various reasons um that we haven't had any luck, but I'm hopeful and optimistic that don't turn around and everything else. So, we we just as we said, we just keep swimming and just keep doing everything you can and we're trying to make it all work and make sure that we meet the goals that we need. Um, anything else? And the HR department, they're steady on boarding everybody that all the new
083employees and stuff like that and getting them set up and benefits and stuff. So, that's going well. Um, transportation. I've met a couple times this summer with um, Mike Goodet over at student transportation for multiple reasons and some are just understanding the flow of what what's been being done at the district level or um, getting kids um, in roots sort of like we were building our own roots and I couldn't understand that but I mean roots are kind of established and they change based on students coming and going. So, it shouldn't vary that much, but we're trying to just kind of speed up and better off the process because we're just shooting them pieces of paper as they come through as people sign up on the wrership and we're just shooting that to him, but
084he gets a lot of email too, so things can get messed. Um, so we're just trying to finish those processes. Um, one of the things that we discussed was the timing of students being dropped off here and picked up out to school. Um, at this point we're um I'm going to work with Mike and and Sean and I we got a in the first I think the first couple weeks or so see how it pans out again. I really have to come over and be here to see what it really is happening because student transportation doesn't believe that the the time frame is the same as the time frame that's being experienced. So, we gota we have to work that out. So, that's something that needs to definitely be worked out and everything else is
085students can't be here when there's no staff. Um, and that appears to be somewhat of an issue. The other big issue that we've had in um when I was at the BA conference this summer, um transportation topic, um Christopher from the New Hampshire DMV, anyhow, I know this is Vermont, but it still kind of applies in the sense of um our open ridership because that's being questioned because we lock down our schools and you're not coming in unless you're let through the door, locked door, but we open our bus door to anybody standing on the corner and they could look like a student, they may not be a student. So, the potential is there for the safety. So, that's been kind of brought up as to whether or not we need to address that. >>
086Three. Um, three questions. So, one was is the staffing just so we're kind of aware especially at the next meeting. So, just so I'm clear. So the finance director position is that now the assistant. So are we down one? Are you down one person >> or two? >> Um definitely down one full person. >> The finance director position is now the new assistant VA position. Correct. Okay. >> Yes. So that position has been open since since I kind of moved into kind of been doing both since May 1st. >> Okay. So, you're down that position in a front desk position and then >> and then we have our accounts payable person that will be out um pretty much starting next week until November. >> Is there like temporary staffing or just like temp staffing? Can
087we like what can we >> That's what we're looking into for at least for that one position and accounts payable. Yeah. Like we can get somebody in to do that as a temp. Um the assistant VA one is is we have a couple potentials one very very promising um so I'm hopefully that in this next week that we'll fill that um the interview this next week >> and go ahead >> on the transportation just so we can answer your questions if you might have someone that says what what's the alternative to an open ridership having >> it it would be that the bus drivers themselves actually more or less like Like currently we only send addresses to student transportation. >> They don't get student names. So the bus drivers don't even know who belongs. They
088don't they get to know students. Obviously we already know that that happens almost immediately. They really get to know the kids based on the stops. But at the same time there could be anybody st standing at that stop >> and they pick that person up >> and they Yes. And because of our policy they just can get on the bus. And because we also we don't have just elementary riding on the bus and then the high school level at the separate which a lot of districts might do that but because we're combined there's the potential that again so that was just brought up in that meeting but >> do most other districts like have do they like have a list of kids? >> Yes. They have a roster that says these are the students and
089you're not going to be riding on your bus and you're going to be potentially maybe you're going to a friend's house. There's going to be some kind of note. it's going to be at the school level that that that rider knows and that bus driver knows or something or if a bus stop changes um again the transportation element usually the bus drivers know this >> and the kids have like they would show their school ID or something the first couple of days >> it would be ideal like if they have student IDs it's absolutely ideal >> um and everything else for for that potential yeah >> and then the time frame in your time what is that >> uh at this at the end of the day. >> I I I'll defer to Sean will
090explain it better. >> So, our staff start at the earliest our staff can start at 7:45. Our buses sometimes drop kids off at 7 between 7:30 and 7:45. So we right now we pay a staff member to come early to supervise those students who come early and in the afternoon our staff can leave at 3:10. That's the end of their day. And our buses don't typically get here till 3:30, 3:40. So Greg and I do bus duty every day, which is fine on all days except for the Wednesday when we have this great time to work with our staff. And he and I are doing bus duty up until I want to say sometimes they're a little later. So maybe quarter till. So I'd asked Teresa since she's new in this position, maybe we could
091look at that and and just thinking about kids. That's a long day or asking them to come at 7:30 and stay until 3:30, 3:45. >> And SCA my conversations with Mike is he's under the impression that there's a five minute window possibly. I'm like, it's not how I understand it. And um clearly if we're paying somebody to come late, then we have more proof that that's how it's happening in reality and stuff. But um so yeah, so that's something. And I and I did I got everybody's um the school start times and this and that what time because some of the schools like yours like that were array even though it starts like you guys are there 10 minutes you get the kids lined up so they got to be lined up 10 minutes before
092asked should they start so that would be backing the bus into needs to be at the school by this time in order for that to happen. So trying to jog those times, I I was like, some of it seems like it's infeasible to meet all those needs um and to to get the kids here or there or back over here in that little time frame to meet those bills. So that is something that definitely um we got to address. Well, it seems to be the 100% because of the is because they collect all the kids and then they have the bus that sits here for one second and everyone switches over then they take the high school and middle school kids on different buses across the river and then the afternoon >> They don't all
093switch but they have to get on the right bus because one bus goes to RMS, one bus goes to the high school and I think one bus might do both but >> and then there's we used to be a late bus. >> My kids bus went all the way to all preschool. So I just think it's different for your school, >> right? >> Is how it's playing out. >> Yeah, >> I was just going to Good discussion. I'm not sure that this is a problem for the board to solve. I wanted to go back to the staffing piece only because I think um one of the things that I know that takes up a lot of time is negotiations and I wonder if what we might ought to consider is hiring in whether it be
094an attorney or somebody else to assist us with the negotiations piece of things and maybe alleviate some of that off of the the VA >> um and and others because that can shoot up a fair amount of time. So just a consideration for this body to that. Um it's um glad you said that because I've been asking about the negotiations and how they go and stuff like that because my experience in other districts were that we did we did work directly with the lawyers and it was often that the two lawyers were the ones talking during the meeting and we just talked during caucus and stuff. So and then we were asked to add, we would but it's funny and sometimes negotiations get it done in five meetings and we're like, you know, and it
095just >> Yeah, I may um very much agree with that suggestion. Um and I think while we're doing that, we should probably have a talk at some point about roles and goals inside of negotiation. Um cuz we have a wonderful and informal vibe here in Norwich, but I found it could be confusing to our counterparty when staff members were saying things that the other side was believing that was our position and and we want to be really careful in situations like that. Um I agree with you. It's not our problem to solve the bus routes. I'd love visibility into that, but that's not we're going to do. Um, but we we do have a fiduciary obligation in the district and and I worry greatly like keeping the financial home fires burning is one thing. Recreating
096them after a collapse of staff is a totally different thing. And so like how much risk do you perceive in these vacancies? Like hey, we're hanging it together or we're falling down on some stuff. I just um collapse of AP the revenue cycle is is like a big deal. Um, right now I'm I'm I'm not um I'm not stressed at this one moment that we're going to go downhill. >> I don't feel that that I don't feel like we're a sinking ship. And like I said, we've got a couple of interviews this week. Um, one perspective um I I definitely think is is like a 90 90% I feel that confident that this person is the right person. Um, so I'm hoping that that works out and everything else. I know that. Um, if it
097doesn't, then we've definitely discussed about reaching out to a temp or something to fill in because it's really the financial end of it and the and the day-to-day task because if I'm doing those, I'm not doing my actual position stuff. It's it's, you know, it's hanging. So that's why it's critical to get somebody in there to do the financial end of it, pick up what they what that position should be and everything else. Um the other the the front desk we have perspectives again. Um we we tried to fill it a couple times but and and hired somebody but they turned it down the same second because it didn't pay enough even though they knew. And the last question we always ask them you're okay with the salary range, right? Yes. So then you call
098them back and say, "Hey, we'd like to offer you a job." Um, it's not enough. So, so that's one area that we might have to consider. Um, and it was brought up last week that maybe the range on there has to be a little adjusted, but I don't know how how adjusted. I would say one additional thing and when I say this, I want to be mindful that I am one board member. I do not speak to the board of directors. I can't take I mean the school board rather. I I don't have any power individually. Um I just can observe that there are a lot of people in new seats. Um I report to a board. I'm on a bunch of boards. The the um dialogue I like to have with my counterpart is
099when someone says, "Hey, is there a problem here?" If the answer is yes, you just say yes. Like I think we all have an appreciation for how hard this stuff is and how hard it is to have everybody be new all at the same time. And so like like if someone comes to me and says, "Yeah, we have a problem here." I'm like really grateful for the feedback and genuinely curious like how we can help. I I don't think you know it's it's okay being new to say, geez, there there's a problem here. So I don't know, you're a seasoned professional. I don't know if you I don't know if you need to hear that, but in case somebody in this new leadership structure needs to hear it like I think it's important to be
100to have a relationship, we're really straight about it with each other about what's going well and what is not going well, >> right? And and that's why I I bring this up and just wanted like I said in the little newsletter just mentioned that yeah, it's it's you know, we're >> Yeah, I appreciate that. we're we're doing everything to try to make sure that we meet deadlines and and get things done that are critical that need to get done and everything else. And and what's really also good on the other side is that um in the last couple months it's it little bit of struggle but at the same time HR finance however you want to say it in business whatever is coming together more as a team. So they're not working so independently as
101it as it was, but we're actually saying, "Hey, what can I do to help you?" Okay, what can I do to help you? So that's that's really one of the great benefits that's also been coming out of this and stuff like that. >> Thank you. >> Maybe just a quick addition on to Michael's is my observation as a board member is we have I guess I started it by saying we have a lot of new people. My second observation is we have no slack in our system with a lot of new people in roles. And so like I think that as I say this maybe for people who are working across the entire district. I want to flag that I have my my um my yellow light is coming on around how much newness and
102how much and if somebody wins the lottery instead of saying gets hit by the bus we're really exposed I think as an organization operationally and I um think we need to have some stop gap things ready to go if people are you know people get sick people's parents um do things to have children other things. So, just want to say that publicly. >> Um, I'm going to I'm putting on a fixer hat, which I tend to go to, so I'm owning that right now. Um, but I'm sitting next to Lauren and it occurs to me, and you may have already thought of this, at a district level, there are a lot of very talented, tough partners who move into this area who may be interested in doing work that gets them out into the community
103that isn't necessarily taxing their brain at a level that, you know, their previous job did. Um, I worked with a lot of those people like at Still North Books. They just wanted to sell books for a while. Um, so I'm wondering if that might be if you talk to the person in charge of tech partners with the job description for the front desk person, that might be the perfect thing. I mean, the thing about a tech partner is you use you usually lose them after two years, but you might not. Um, so you know, um, Lauren took a job with our district when she was a tech partner and she's still here. Um, and if even the business administrative position might there might be somebody who was an accountant back in New York City and
104moved here with their partner and it might be I don't know. I just it it's a resource that I feel a lot of people don't look at. Um, so >> yeah. >> All right. Keep us in the loop on this Teresa and um let us know down next we have on the other side of the river. >> Um, sorry. Um, do we need >> I don't think we need an executive session, do we, Sean? Do we have any I don't see any personnel. There's nothing in the Okay. So, we can about that. Um, all right. Any other comments for our meeting? Good. >> I have a suggestion for a future agenda topic. I just think >> Oh, sorry. Did we get there? >> Yes, we are now. >> You moved us there. Well done. Um
105I've been thinking a lot about all the changes or the uncertainty that is going on with Vermont and New Hampshire and I thought um it has been helpful when Rebecca in particular has been here and also now that Jay is serving on that special Vermont committee >> with Rebecca it would be worthwhile as a board to consider should they come to this meeting should we have like a public workshop session I don't know what it's called but um at the appropriate times to help people beware aware of what's going on. That's one thing I wanted to raise for >> um Yeah, I think that's a great idea. >> Yeah, >> a co maybe be the best. >> Um I'm thinking I mean they'll probably Yeah, reach out to them. I mean, I think it's um
106you know, you want to time it just right so that it's actually something of substance to talk about. Um and >> yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think October would be reasonable. >> October. And I mean there is a point too kind of updating everyone to make sure we level set on what happened this spring because there's a lot that happened that even those of us who are bank not fully aware of. >> Yeah. I mean I would once again highly recommend that folks read the week the emails from BSBA because there's summarization in there of everything that's happened that's coming and it's a lot of information. >> Yes. Okay. Um, Teresa, >> sorry. I just don't want to have you guys forget that we have sign. Sorry, in front of me, but I start signing it.
107I'll get a pen. >> All right. Um, with that, do I have a motion to >> I move to adjourn at 8:05 p.m. >> Second that. All those in favor? >> I. >> All right. You have to say