001line school board for August 26, 2025. Before we get started, I would like to welcome our two new members to our school district to our first board meeting. Um, Chaz and Dot, I would like to also take a moment just kind of go around the room and introduce ourselves. Um, I know we've all met, but you know, just to be uh welcoming, let's go ahead and do that. So, uh, Lynn, can we start with you? We'll just kind of go around. I'm Lynn Powers. I live here in Brooklyn and uh I'm a new school board member this this year. I was elected this year. >> Hi there. I'm Heather Rearen and also a new school board and we've been in Brooklyn for five years. >> Uh welcome Tracy Perry. Um this is my third year
002um serving and it's been wonderful. We live in Brooklyn and we have a child in RMS and CSDA. >> Johanna Trevor Haligan. I'm in my second year and my daughter is starting kindergarten. >> Allison Manion. I also have a I have two daughters, one in RMS starting first and one in CSDA in fifth. >> Hello, Gina Bergog, superintendent. >> Scott Flareity, new assistant superintendent fourth week. >> Hello, Dan Molari, principal at Richard Mahaki Memorial School. Chaz Miller, principal of C. >> Donna Smith, assistant business administrator at >> Excellent. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. And welcome uh to the party. It'll be fun. Do we have any agenda adjustments for this evening? >> We do not. >> Uh open for anybody else for agenda adjustments. >> No. All right. We can move on to
003nominations, resignations, and correspondence. Okie do. So, we've been busy this summer making sure we're ready to go to open. So, we don't have to nominate them because you gave me authority to hire. I'm just going to update you. >> So, since the June 25th meeting, we hired um Ryan Tatara. I I've known his name. I just wasn't sure how to say it. For K to6 music, bachelor's plus 15 step five um for a salary of 53,214. We also hired Renee Rosler for our grade five position. Um, bachelor step two for a salary of 47,50. And we've hired Stephanie Thornton for grade one five, the one-year position. Master step one for a salary of $53,178. And um we still have five para vacancies in our district. >> Do you know how they're split up? Like which
004schools four at CSTA and 0.5 at preschool. >> And did you say we hired two grade five teachers? >> Correct. One was, if you recall, Melissa Leaf resigned and she um is working now at the co-op >> and um Bridget Canton took a one-year leave of absence. >> And so we have a we had a one-year posit one year. >> No, that's that makes sense. >> Long-term sub position. Yeah. Thank you. >> You're welcome. And then I have some correspondence I'd like to read into the minutes. Dear chairperson, this letter is to inform you that the Brooklyn Education Support Staff Association, Bessa, desires to bargain a master contract for the year beginning 2026. This information is in accordance with the requirements of RSA 273A3. Please contact Diana Leoo to set a date for the first
005negotiation session. Sincerely, Diana Leoo, Bessa, President. That's all I have. Excellent. All right. Um, moving on to the approval of minutes. Um, the May 28th, 2025 non-public minutes are before the board for acceptance. Is this right? Of the June meeting along with several others. Uh, this particular set of minutes was overlooked. So, we are looking for an approval of minutes for the from us for the non-public on May 28th, 2025. May I get a motion? So move. >> Uh, all in favor? >> All opposed. >> Do we have a second? >> Oh, she said as so moved. Do I need a second? >> Just kidding. See, I'm out of I'm out of order. I'm >> How about you just second? >> I'll just second it and then I'll say, >> was this May or June?
006Sorry. >> This was May 28th. Um, all in favor? Do that again. Excellent. Uh, let's see. And then we have um for the June 25th, 2025 Brookline School Board minutes, the following amendments have been offered. Page three, line 22 to replace he provided a with displayed were photos. Page seven, line 17, insert R following there. Page 8, line 29, replace mine with nine. Page 12, line 35, correct the spelling of Burksog. Page 13, line 9, replace of with if. Page 14, line five, replace stated with state. Page 14, line 13, correct the spelling of want. May I have a motion to accept the minutes as amended? >> I'll make a motion to accept the minutes as amended. >> Can I get a second? >> Excellent. All in favor? >> All opposed? Abstains. >> Did you
007get that? >> Yep. >> All right. Excellent. Then um we need to approve the minutes from the Brookline School Board public hearing on the maintenance expendable trust from June 25th, 2025. May I get a motion to accept the minutes as presented? >> May I get a second? Excellent. All in favor? All opposed? Abstained. >> Yeah. All right. Did you get that? >> All right. We also need to approve the minutes from June 25th, 2025 for the Brookline School Board public hearing for the retained fund balance. Uh may I get a motion to accept the minutes as presented? >> I'll make a motion to accept the minutes that's accepted. >> Excellent. A second. All in favor? All opposed? >> Sorry. >> Abstained. >> I'm accepted. >> Excellent. And then lastly, we need to approve the minutes
008from the Brookline School Board public hearing for the Special Education Trust. May I get a motion to accept the minutes as presented? >> Motion to accept. >> Okay, I have a second. Excellent. All in favor? All opposed? Abstain. Excellent. All right. With that, um, I would like to welcome the, um, New Hampshire School Board Association who is here to work with our school board this evening. Um, they've got a training for us and I will turn the floor over to them. If you guys don't mind introducing yourselves and if you need us to reintroduce ourselves again, we are happy to do so. >> Great. Thank you very much. Um, Allison, uh, good evening everybody. My name is Barrett Christina. I'm the executive director of New York School Boards Association. With me is Will Phillips, our
009staff attorney. Um and um through uh uh Allison and Gina, we've been invited down to um give a training on uh schoolboard roles and responsibilities. And then uh I know Allison forwarded on some questions that I believe were submitted by the board ahead of time. So we'd have an opportunity to um to to hear what's on your mind and and and impart some recommendations and advice and hopefully um answer questions along the way. Um, I know I was down here in this room maybe not quite a year and a half ago for a similar training with the full joint board. I don't know who may have been there for who on this board may have been there for that one. So, at least three of you and a couple newbies if I'm if I'm not
010mistaken. Wonderful. So, um, no, we are um using the technology. Um, you're going to find that Will and I when we do this roles and responsibilities training, we do probably 50 of these a year. Um, I'm I'm guessing all across the state. Um, we like it to be more of a conversation. It's not our job to sort of just talk through the slides and dictate to you what NHSA says is the best role and the best responsibility of the school board. Um, it's more supposed to be an open conversation to hear what's on your mind and answer whatever questions um that that we can. So, um, I know that there was a lot of stuff um that um uh Gina and Allison asked us to cover. Just roughly time. I forget where we landed on.
011>> 90 minutes. >> 90. Okay, perfect. We We should be able to We should be able to do that then. We'll try and me a little bit quicker, but um as I always say, our time is is is your time. If you want if you finish up a little quicker, fantastic. If it seems like it's running longer and you want us to come down because I presume that you've got a a full agenda tonight or have to do a followup at at any time as well, too. So, um start anything to add, Will? I think I think that's pretty much about it. Uh well, we do have um a list of questions that that we received and we were going to kind of defer those till the end. >> Yeah, we're going to try and
012get through the slides in maybe 30 or 40 minutes or so. Um that's pretty typical. 45 minutes is pretty typical and then turn it over for the for the Q&A and and address some of the the topics that Gina and Allison asked us to discuss and some of the questions that that that used to in the QLS. And how's that how's that sound? Great. And as we're going, if there are questions about the slide or the topic that we're on, by all means, we're happy to entertain questions as as we move along as as well, too. >> I'll add I'll add one more thing. There are there's a little package of slides at the end about meetings and so forth. We're probably not going to cover those unless somebody has questions or or something like
013that. But just in the interest of time, thought we'd keep them in the slide deck for you to look at, but >> Yep. >> Um, >> great. Thank you, Will. So, again, there's there's the slide index. Um I presume you you all have either copies either electronic or or paper in front of you. Fantastic. Um so three core principles when NHSBA is doing its roles and responsibilities training. We tend to advocate that there are three core principles that school boards um should be should be mindful of when they're fulfilling their their responsibilities of of governing the school board. The first um core principle is the purpose of school boards. Um RSA 189 colon one uh actually I'll start out RSA 189 is a long statute that talks about many duties and responsibilities of school boards.
014They've added on to that the legislature has the last number of years. So it's now it's become sort of a hodge podge. Um one of the opening statutes in RSA um RSA 1891-8 talks about the purpose of school boards and it says it shall be the duty of the school board to provide at district expense elementary and secondary education to all peoples who reside in the district. That's why school boards exist to ensure that the students um here in Brooklyn um are receiving are receiving an education. Now obviously NHSBA you know understands that um school boards have multiple constituencies right it's not just you know primarily it's going to be parents and students and staff members but we also have taxpayers there may be times um when you got to deal um with the SAU
015board. There may be times when you've got to deal with um uh uh the the select board. Um, you may have a I don't know off hand if you have a budget committee or municipal budget committee here in here in Brooklyn, but anyway, you've got lots of constituencies and lots of ideas on how to best fulfill that duty. And we certainly recognize that not every vote on a school board is going to be unanimous. Some votes are going to be five to nothing. Some votes are going to be three to two. That's the way it is. That's why we have multiple people on a board to discuss and flesh out and and and debate and discuss and deliberate and ultimately take a vote. Um but um you know we also we try to advocate when
016we're looking at fulfilling fulfilling this duty or talking about this this first core principle. If you've got a tough question before the board and you've got different constituencies having different ideas about it and you're not sure is it going to cost too money too much money? Do we need to study it more? Always ask yourself how does this action that the board is going to take impact kids and is it going to have a positive influence on kids or a positive effect on kids bearing in mind you know yeah we wish we could have the best science lab and wish we could have the best gymnasium and the and the best facility right and that's where we weighing in all the different things from the constituencies but when you've got a policy before the board
017or when you've got um you know you're looking at an expenditure or you're crafting your budget as I imagine you'll be starting up soon ask yourself. How does this impact kids? And hopefully let that sort of be your your your driving voice when you're when you're making the decision at the board jail. Questions on that? I got it. No, no questions. All right. The second core principle, collective authority of of the school board. So, um, school boards can only act when the five of you are together at a duly called meeting at the board table. debating, discussing, deliberating, so on and so forth. Right? The meeting's got to be posted. We got to allow public comment. You've got to allow the public to attend. You've got to take minutes. I presume or are we doing
018a live recording or an archive recording at some point? Um but anyway, um the five of you collectively at the board table debating, discussing, deliberating about the issues impacting the school district. Nothing in law gives any individual schoolboard member any inherent authority to act on behalf of the board. There are a couple minor exceptions, but they're they're one-offs that that aren't really pertinent to our to our conversation. Um that said, um the board can delegate certain authority to a school board member. For example, you probably or you may have a policy that talks about um authority and duties of the board chair. It's a very common policy that many school boards have. Call the meeting to order. Consult with the superintendent on agenda and on agenda setting. Sign certain documents on behalf of the board.
019Perhaps perhaps, excuse me, need a spokesperson for the school board. Um, you know, if the press were to call or something along those lines. But when you're delegating authority to an individual board member, who's doing that? The collective board, the five of you have adopted a policy. Um or there may be sort of oneoff limited time um delegations of authority. So for example um let's say you know the board wanted to write a letter to the editor and he may delegate hey Lynn I'm going to call on you because you're at the end here. You're a good writer. You're an English teacher. You go ahead and write the letter on behalf of the school board and send it to the the union leader or whatever the case may be. But again that's the five of
020you collectively delegating certain authority to an individual board member. >> Yeah I ask a quick question about that. Um >> does it in that sense does it need is it a majority rules delegation of authority or is it does it need to be unanimous? >> I mean by and long go ahead will I mean >> it the the only thing that requires a vote that's different than unanimous is sealing of non-public minutes. I mean so I mean majority so it's a majority vote for everything except for sealing of non-public minutes which is a super majority right or >> yeah it's two/3 >> two um >> but one thing I do want to say just in talking about delegation of authority >> the authority is limited to basically things that the the board has already decided
021or just general board governance it's not the authority to make decisions on behalf of the board other than perhaps the agenda setting that a chair does with with the um you know with the uh administration. And that that makes sense because if you didn't have that kind of authority then it would be only the superintendent who could make the agenda or you'd have to have a meeting just to have an you know meet to set the agenda. So you have you know you've delegated that sort of gobetween uh with the administration to set your agenda meetings but you can't delegate your decision-making authority. Understood. Thank you. >> Any other questions? >> So, kind of along the same lines, like if someone were to go to like a a hearing at the state house or something
022and and speak. >> Yeah. >> Correct. Is that acting as the board or >> if the if the board has authorized you to go speak on behalf of the Brooklyn School Board? My name is Lyn Powers. I'm here on behalf of the school board. They voted to oppose this bill or or support this bill. If if absent that delegation of authority, you can certainly go as an individual. And what we ro and this happens routinely at the state house. Okay. >> Because I live there >> 50 hours a week from January through May. >> Often times we'll come up and we'll say I'm Lynn Powers. I'm on the Brooklyn school board. I'm a school board member. However, I'm here speaking in my own capacity. >> Okay. That makes sense. >> That's common. That's that's very
023common. >> Okay. >> Yeah. So we get one of the two. I'm here rep I'm authorized by the such and such school board or I'm here as an individual. >> Okay, >> understood. Thank you. >> Questions about that? All righty. Um the last core principle oops did I press the wrong button? Here we go. Governance, not management. So the school board governs the school district. And by governing the school district, um it's the job board's job. And I'll come back a little I'm going to skip around a little bit on this slide. By governance, we talk about policies, vision, goals of the school board, helping fulfill them through oversight of the administration. Um, but the red language there in the middle of that slide, um, we try to we try to, um, uh, uh, get
024across to our to our boards whenever we're doing the training. It's not the school board's job to run the schools, but rather to see that the schools are run well. And we do that through policies, oversight of the administration. Most of the board's legis most of the board's functions are legislative, meaning you're acting almost as a legislative body, not not in the town sense, but sort of in the state sense. What does the New Hampshire legislature do? They adopt laws, i.e. policies, right? And they adopt a budget. And we'll hear the voters adopt the budget, but you have the board has budgetary responsibilities that we'll talk about in a couple other slides as well too. That's governance, strategic planning, 30,000 foot view, policies, oversight of the administration. The superintendent, on the other hand, manages the
025school district. Superintendent implements the policies, visions, and goals of the board, manages all operations of the district and its schools. And the superintendent advises the board regarding legal obligations, practical considerations, policy, budget, so on and so forth. The way I differentiate this is that you know how often does the your board meet? Once every other week or once a month. >> So most boards typical every other week or or once a month right the superintendent is working every single and I don't mean to say that your board work isn't coming you know you do stuff on the nights and the weekends when you're not having games. But the superintendent the management responsibilities I see those as the day-to-day operations of the school district. Making sure the buses are running. Making sure the boiler is working
026in the winter. Making sure staff is on. Is that Is that a running joke here or something? The boiler. >> That's my That's my That's That's my go-to example. >> That That's my go-to example. And I always run into I always run into some school district like it's a sore issue or something like that. But >> it's better. Anyway, um the boiler working and that staff are on time and and and staff are, you know, behaving appropriately in accordance with policies and expectations and making sure your title money is is is being spent properly, making sure, as I said, the buses are running and so on and so forth. The day-to-day operations of the school management, vision, policy, budget, so on and so forth, governance of the school district. Any questions about that? All righty.
027And I think it's Will's turn. >> Okay. So, um, >> did I go too far? >> No. No, that's good. Uh, so the next one, and and notice that we're using the same line that was on the previous slide. Uh, is the hiring and the evaluation of superintendent. And of course, you're in a multi-dist SAU. Um, so that looks very different than it would if you were in a single district SAU. Um but it is the most important aspect of seeing that the district is run well. Um you know through the multi-dist SAU you have to jump through a couple of hoops but first um we've already covered that uh but under 194 C and and another uh statute school board is required to have a superintendent who's certified to do superintendent responsibilities. Um, and
028the sup school board is the one that's um charged with um that hiring process. Interestingly, I've been using SAU41 a little bit in the last few trainings that I've done because you're one of the only ones that really seem to have a succession plan sometimes. Um, you know, the hiring of a superintendent looks very different in every single SAU. not only because it's a different SAU, but also because sometimes your superintendent passes away, uh, or you fire your superintendent and you need one to come in next week or something like that. And then other times they give you a two-year, you know, I'm going to retire in two years, so start looking. I think that's kind of what happened here. And so, um, you were fortunate enough to have a a great candidate, um, right
029in house. Um the other part though a little trickier is the oversight of the superintendent which comes through uh communication, annual evaluation, policy adjustments. Um and then when you're when you're finding that you're missing maybe information or data that you think is important for your, you know, decision making, you're providing, you know, this sort of if not oversight that sort of communication that comes in between, uh superintendent and board. Um however the board is required every school board including individual district uh within a multi-dist SAU is required to evaluate the superintendent. Um however because it's multi- district it's the joint board that establishes what that procedure looks like. Um basically we advocate that a a you know a a u the process for an evaluation of a superintendent is a year-long process. You start off
030with identifying what the goals are for the district and the board and then identifying what the goals are for the superintendent to help the district and the board advance those goals and meet those goals. Um and then during the course of the year you're having periodic reviews of you know what the progress is, whether you've established uh you know benchmarks or or you know uh you know measurable uh you know measurable uh places and and so forth. But you're meeting at least a couple of times during the year um to review where uh the process is. And I think that one that the single district can do that somewhat independent from the SAU board, but it is it's part of what would feed into your board's uh review of the superintendent for the for the
031joint board. I mean, I don't know how yours works, but >> do you have if I could do you have a system in place at from the SAU level for your evaluation? Okay. >> Yes, it's in policy. >> What's Yeah, just I bring I bring that up and Will and I touch we touch on this slide um a little bit heavily than we do some of the other ones whenever we do a training only because in our experience um so many boards have a challenge with the the superintendent evaluation. um you know either the system doesn't work or the process doesn't work or the rubric doesn't work or it doesn't really line up with the goals that that the SAU set and when you get into a multi-dist SAU can become even more complicated. You've
032got three districts here and SAU 41 but you look at you know SA16 which is exor and the surrounding towns or seven seven school boards trying to do a single evaluation for a superintendent. It's it's not always it's not always easy. So, we just wanted to make sure that the SAU board is at least cognizant of that and is aware of whatever system that you're going to be you're going to be using. >> And then just that, you know, because it's SAU level, sometimes it's hard to, you know, remember that, you know, you too have your own function within that and and hopefully they, you know, they align very well. Um but you know you do have the the responsibility the authority to set goals for yourself and align those with the uh superintendent's um
033superintendent as well. Um but I I think okay >> when you say that you're saying we have the responsibility to set up succession planning and things for >> No no no for the goals the goal setting the goal setting and aligning the goals and and you know finding you so the board has to identify for itself what it can do to help advance those goals >> and then work with the superintendent to figure out you know what things are within the administration's purview to help do that >> and also what's manageable too because, you know, Brookline's goals may be different than House's goals may be different than the co-op's goals. You know, that's a lot to that's a lot to put on the plate of one superintendent. So, there needs to be communication from the
034get-go as to what Hollis wants, what Brookline wants, what the co-op wants, and what Gina can reasonably handle in a day's time, six months time, a year's time. Um, so this next slide we don't really spend too much time on. There's just uh some references if you're you know looking for um duties and responsibilities of the superintendent. You'll find that uh especially in 194 C4 uh if you look at that and within the resource package that you have that's called uh roles and responsibilities that statute uh 194 C4 is is uh reprinted in full as are the two um uh the the two um Department of Education rules referenced there as well. um which first one is duties and the other one is substantive duties of superintendent and if you look at those you'll see
035that you know really you know turning the lights on and off is within the superintendent's responsibilities she doesn't do that well she just did I just saw her walk might have been the fan >> I can handle that one >> but but but she is responsible for overseeing the person who is responsible for doing that um and then um but uh the the statute especially you look at those buckets of responsibility and you can see that that you know they're very broad. They touch every aspect of of uh operating a school district um including those in an multi-dist SAU uh because we're trying to rush through this. I'm I'm skipping certain things. But one thing I did want to point out is within 30201. So ED30201 ED just references the Department of Education regulation. Um,
036so when you see that, you know, you know where that's coming from. That's a New Hampshire Department of Education. But, um, you see that it's the ex executive officer who performs all of the administrative and leadership services of the district. And here's the important one. As those services are further defined and directed by the governing body. So that's where the governing body comes in and provides the sort of framework within which the uh superintendent um runs the manages the uh school district. And then of course also uh uh subject to any applicable statutes and rules. This this next item is also in your resource document. We're not we don't really cover it here, but we like to include the slide just to talk about it because if you look down on the far left uh
037column, you see pretty much every little area of what it takes to run a school district. And then the next two columns um is sort of looking at what is the school board's function within that little bucket of responsibility and then what is the superintendent or the administration's function within that bucket of responsibility. And so for instance um with um policy and decision- making the board develops and adopts and then on the superintendent side implements um monitors legal requirements. and I need glasses for these little things and recommends policy needs and and changes. So one of the things that we didn't point out a couple of slides ago relative to the you know the uh governance versus management is the superintendent also has not just doing the you know bidding of the statutes and rules
038and policies but also advising the board of legal requirements and then things that administration needs from the board in order to manage the district. So occasionally um you know there may be a a policy adjustment that needs to happen. So the board um with great intentions and you can blame me but with great intentions adopts a certain policy and and you try it out for four or five months and maybe it's not working so needs to be tweaked. That information you're not going to hear that. You need to hear that from the superintendent or the legislature changed something. And yes, we are going to tell the board, but it but it's the superintendent under 194 C4 who's responsible for making sure that you are aware of it and the district is aware of the legal
039responsibilities. Um, but when you look at the, you know, these general, you know, they're really general. They're not overly specific, but by policy, the board can shift the line sometimes from one side to the next. So, if things are working really well and your meetings are going too long and you're spending a lot of time just doing routine things, you might loosen a few things policy-wise or if things start to go wrong, um you might need to tighten policies. Um you know, whether they're Yeah. So just you know create more uh oversight that the board has over the administration when things aren't going right but not spending a lot of time uh you know looking at what they're doing when things are going well. >> I'll handle the policy stuff. >> Y >> all righty.
040So um you've heard us say um quite a bit tonight talking about schoolboard policy. Um, we advocate that the board, one of the board's primary functions, if not the primary function, um, is policy setting. School boards just by their inherent nature are policy setting boards. That's how you govern the school district. You've seen your policy manual, I presume. How many policies are in there? A couple hundred probably. And that that's pretty typical. Um, you know, we have our NHSPA sample policy database. There's probably four or 500 staple policies in there. We've got about 75 or so that are required by law. Probably another 150 that we categorize as quote unquote recommended. And then the rest we have are optional that we keep on file in case a a school board calls us and says, "Do
041you have a a policy on on X?" Um, but you know, why are why is policy so so important? Well, it expresses the guidelines and philosophical statements which chart the district's course of action. It advises students, families, staff, and the larger community of legal and district requirements, expectations, opportunities, procedures, and so on. And it creates a framework with it within which the superintendent manages the district and staff discharge their assigned duties. The other reason that we don't have up there and maybe make a note of this well maybe we add this to the slides moving forward is well we you know we always tweak this it adds a level of institutional stability to the school board as as as well too right um I'm going to talk about some of these these purposes as as
042well too so we guidelines and philosophical statements but that's some of them are philosophical some of them are more direct the superintendent shall do something or the student shall do Students shall not have a cell phone on school campus during the hours of 7:30 to 3:30. Right. >> Right. Um you and you and every other board this week. Um so um uh but um the one that I like to talk about primarily is is is is the one uh in the green advises students, families, staff, and the larger community. When you think of schoolboard policies, kind of when we talked about all the constituencies that school boards have to answer to, right, budget committees and parents and students and staff and the select board and whoever else. Um, you know, if I were to ask
043just, you know, an average school board member or an average person on the street, who do you think your schoolboard policies impact or are directed to? What are they going to say? Staff and students, right? But we know we have policies that address responsibilities of parents. We know we have policies that deal with the community at large. that presume without knowing that you have a policy about visitors to school, right? They got to check in, they got to sign in. Some places they got to show one ID. Um, SAU16, their SAU office, they take your driver's license and scan it, right? Yeah. And then they give you like a little sticker with, I think, a photo copy of your driver's license. So, everybody's got their own protocols. During COVID, we didn't let anybody in the
044building that didn't have a mask on, right? Those were policies that the whether it was a vendor, it didn't matter who it was, you know. Anyway, policies impacting the community at large. A lot of boards will have policies that talk about renting out space in the school, right? The the the town wreck league rents out the basketball gym on Saturday mornings or you rent out space for the garden club or the Bible club to come in on Saturdays or Friday afternoons or whatever whatever the case may be. So, your policies are not just impacting the people that are in this building eight hours a day, five days a week. It's the community at large. the institutional stability. Um, uh, are you K K through six here at the school district? So, you probably, you probably
045run into it. Um, you're probably familiar with your policies K and KB, sort of the chain of communication policies. If a parent calls a schoolboard member with a complaint about their second grade teacher, follow it. Have you talked to the teacher? Have you talked to the principal? Have you talked to the superintendent? Right? Why do we have those policies in there? One, it just makes sense to talk to the sort of lowest person possible who can resolve the issue first. But it also gives the board some cover by saying it's not me, Lynn, or Heather or Tracy saying, "No, parent, I'm not talking to you. We've had this policy on the books for 20 years that the board has decided that this is the chain of communication that that we're going to follow." So, it
046provides some I don't want to say cover, but it provides institutional support for the board when you're making decisions. And if you don't like it, you change the policy then. That's well within the board's purview. Moving on. Just in the interest of time, I'll touch on this real quick. Um, policies can come in two different two different ways. There's big P policy and little P policy. Big P policy. The policy that goes in your handbook. Policy ABC, policy BC, D, policy XYZ. It's got a code. It's got a title. And it's organized in some cohesive manner in your policy manager. Bigpe policy. However, the board is making many many policy decisions at every meeting um that are stand outside of your policy manual. For example, the board might want to go under strategic planning. That
047would be a policy decision, a lower P policy decision. Your budget is a fiscal expression of policy. Are we going to order new band? Are we going to buy new band band uniforms this year? or are we going to new buy new football uniforms this year? Are we going to redo the baseball field or are we going to fix the roof? Those are all policy decisions that just have a fiscal impact. So, a lot of decisions that the board makes are going to be little P policy decisions um that that still have just as significant effect as your as your big P policies as well too. Are there any questions about that? All righty. Go ahead. Do you have anything to add to that? No, >> no. I think it l lends itself pretty well
048to uh >> Oh, the policy class. Yeah, I'll do this one. >> Yeah, I'll I'll I'll cover this real quick. So, I think we mentioned I mentioned we've got policies that are um categorized by P priority slrequired by law. About 75 of those um between both state and federal law. Most of those are state law. Many of those are found in the minimum standards. Um, Department of Education rule 306 that underwent significant revisions. I think those became effective last December if I'm not mistaken. Um, how many policy requirements in there? Dozens. >> It's it's actually a few less. I think it's uh used to be 26. I think it's okay. >> 23. >> Yeah, 23. >> Two dozen policies within there as well. Two a handful um spattered across a number of numerous statutes. And
049then how many federal policies? 15 more than that. >> 20 maybe at this point. >> Either way, about 75 required by by law. Um and then the recommended policies um often times where the policies required by law, the law, the department of education or the state statute will say the school board shall adopt in a policy on X. All right. Other times, especially throughout the statutes and the Department of Education rules, it won't direct the school board to adopt a policy, but it will say something to the effect that the school district shall do something or the school board shall do something. So, that's where our recommended policies come in. Um, you know, it's not a legal mandate. Um uh some of them relate to and some of the other ones that we recommend relate
050to best practices sort of your own board policies about agenda setting about um handling right to no law requests um so on and so forth. And then I I talked about the the other policies that are optional that there's no policy required by law. For example, dress code as we'll ask it up there. Nothing in law that that requires boards, school boards have a policy on a student dress code, but most boards do have a policy on on a student dress code. >> When you going back to the big P and the little P, would you say that the optionals are the little P? >> A little bit of both. Yeah. Okay. >> It's a it's a little bit of both. I mean, it's a big P in the sense that it's going to be
051coded in your policy manual, but you also get to there's an expression of a little P policy based on what your board wants to do with that dress code policy. Your board may have one dress code policy, the co-op may have a because they're dealing with new scores and high scores, may have a completely separate policy. That's an expression of a little P policy. Yes. And are there any restrictions or exclusions that we wouldn't as a board we wouldn't be able to put in our policy handbook either because they're they don't fall into something that we could do as optional. >> Yeah. >> But yeah, let me >> go ahead. That's a >> Yeah, just to um so if if if the board is creating a document that it intends to be a standing policy
052or directive or you know whatever you want to call it, that that would be a big P policy. The little P policies are just the decisions you make at every meeting that are not intended to get a code and a little, you know, alphabet soup thing and put in your manual. um accurate >> for the So the question was are there things that shouldn't go in the manual? >> So well are the question there things that shouldn't or things that are prohibited? >> Uh both >> you might get two different answers. Yeah. I mean like if we wanted to I don't know give gummy bears to every board member or every student like you know th those types of decisions that maybe we all want to make to keep that institutional like knowledge going forward
053that you know if it's something that we do just because we we do it do those have to be codified I guess. So if that's where the optional policy comes in. So whenever whenever you you know if the board feels strongly enough about something that they want to create an institutional law the law of the district is you can't put chewing gum under the library tables. Right? If they wanted that to be a standing policy, then yes, you could put that make a policy and and I would suggest that if you do that, give me a call and I'll give you a code because if you do that, then if somebody else gives me a call and they want a chewing gum on the library table policy, I'll use the same code. And then if
054the statute, you know, the legislature says we need to have a policy on this, guess what? I'm going to use that exact same code so that you those districts that have adopted a policy, they'll have they'll be forewarned about it. Um, but yeah, so that the optional is just those things that you decide that there's not a legal mandate for or a legal prohibition and there's not a requirement that you have a policy on it. >> Right. I'm going to ask you to to veer a little bit into some tricky territory, but I think this is an important question to ask. Um, you know, currently there's lots of opinions, thoughts about education funding laws, but we all have right thoughts about that. We all know there's a lot of conversations. If the school board was
055trying to decide if they needed to weigh in on that at any level, whether it's city, state, federal, how would you would you recommend creating a policy about how that would go forward? Like, is that something that we could do if that's what we needed to do? >> Do you want to talk about that? Now, I already want to wait till we get through the >> I don't think there's a I don't think you create a policy on that. >> You could you could and and I think I've seen in a couple of districts that they have a you know, they have a a position for legislative, you know, here's here's what we need to do before we do this, >> right? um you know and it's it's in some ways similar to like our
056delegate assembly where where the board is authorizing a position and and you know giving some flexibility to the person who has to deliver that position. Um but >> but it's not required. I mean you could do it at you know as it comes up. >> Yeah. Let's so relative to sort of legislative advocacy on by the board. Yes. Um, I know Allison, we talked about that a little bit and there may have been some disagreement among the board about whether or not to move forward positions or not. >> I think we can safely say there was disagreement. >> I'm trying to be diplomatic that it's good. >> I'm trying and trying trying to respect everybody's opinion about the matter too. Um, let's hold off on that till we get through the slides because I know
057I think that may have been included in some of the questions that Allison that forwarded to us. So, is that does that work for you? >> That is fine. Yes. I just think it's important for us to address it because it is a conversation that's ongoing for the board. So I hear Yeah. >> Any questions about like schoolboard policy, XYZ policy, manuals type of stuff though. >> There's one more piece. >> Oh, go ahead. Go a little >> the last the last piece in that little bottom that little oval at the bottom. >> Yeah. Good. >> So our our policies, they're samples. You know, they the the the lingo used to be model policies. I'd like to think they're models, but they're not. They're samples. They're places for, you know, we offer that for you
058to start looking at them. Uh, you know, make them fit your district. Be careful if it's a if it's a required policy or a recommended policy, especially, there's probably some legal attachment to that, some statute, some regulation. Um, so like for instance, if you wanted to say, "No, no, we don't want to ban cell phones." Well, guess what? uh you might be able to identify I mean define what a personal communication device is but you cannot say that you can't you can have cell phones in the in during the school day um because the legislature said no. So if you're going to tinker with a required or a recommended just, you know, be careful that there are legal requirements, either call me, I'll tell you yes, no, or your private counsel, or you can read
059the stuff, you know, the statutes, the regulations in our samples, you know, in in our database if you have access to the database, and you should. Um, you know, the the legal references are all embedded. >> Can I just say, I'm on the policy committee for this board. your sample policies are lifesavers because it gives a like if I was coming in looking at that and having to develop one, I would have no place to start. So, I really personally appreciate the policy samples. So, thank you for offering that because it does help us a lot in terms of making sure we're on with like we're doing things legally. >> Will Will does all of them. He does a fantastic job. So, thank >> you so much for that because it really is very helpful
060for us. >> All right, moving on. You want to do this one? >> Sure. Um, so >> before we start Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. >> Before we Go. No, go ahead. >> Okay. >> I was just going to tell you to do an audit. Please not get an annual audit. >> Please. >> I think I don't care what it costs. Just pay for an annual audit. >> Done. Yeah. >> Uh yeah. >> Um okay. So thing about budgets now. Uh and there was a little bit of question. Some of the questions had to do with your finance committee. Um this co-op has an official budget committee. I believe you have an advisory budget committee or a financial committee. >> We have a finance committee which is advisory. Yeah. >> Right. And
061>> on the town level they're elected on the town. Right. >> They do both. >> Oh yes. >> Paul has a budget committee. So they they do town and schools. >> Um Brooklyn has a finance committee. >> Right. Just elected through like town. So they're not elected by the school. >> Cor correct. So it's the same as a budget committee >> in terms of elections. >> Um but there is a difference. So uh but and an and an an a unofficial budget committee. So that is an advisory budget committee. They're just that they're advisory and they look very different in every school district. Some um some advisory budget committees if you go back far enough there was actually a there's a you you might find in your town uh you know your town annual reports
062in 1942 they pass you know the there was a warrant article to create this um uh budget committee and if that's the case it it it gets a little murkier so we can't really address it too much. However, what's important is it's the school board, unless you have an official budget committee, it's the school board that has the responsibility for proposing a budget to the voters at your annual meeting. Um, but what is what is a budget? I mean, first of all, it's a, you know, it educated guesses as to how much things are going to cost 18 months after the time you're actually preparing the budget or how much money you're going to get or maybe not get from the federal government um 18 months from now. And so that that's one part, but
063it's really about policym. It's it's you know much of your budget you know the vast majority of your budget is controlled by contracts legal requirements etc. But those other parts of the budget where you you know there's some discretion that's within the board's purview not only in the proposing of the budget obviously the the voters can tinker with the budget before it gets voted on and it might go down it might uh it might pass. Are you SP2? >> Yes. >> Okay. So, so um you know and if it goes down then you have a default budget but once the budget is passed you're back to policym because even if let's say you're at the you know you're at the um you know the annual meeting or you know deliberative session somebody moves I want
064to uh increase the budget by 100,000 because I want you know uh full-time uh world languages teacher added to the you know curriculum and and you've tried that before and guess what? It doesn't work very well. Whatever it is, during the year, you don't have to spend the money on that. You you don't have to spend the money at all. You can spend the money on the roof that caved in that you didn't know was going to cave in. Those are decisions that the board gets to make. Um, you know, with the advice of the administration, but those are things that the board decides. Those are policy decisions. Um but the other thing that and and one of the only reasons I left budget in here because it you know budget is fisc fiscal expression
065of policy that's what it is. So is the spending of the money but um more importantly at the very end of this this offers a little bit uh these a couple of these places offer a little bit about how by policy you can um sort of change how management is working. So first one uh you know how do you provide oversight of fiscal expression I mean uh of of fiscal uh matters one is through your manifest review uh how do you does the full board do manifest review? No >> we have manifest >> I I another place where I talk about SAU41 is you know I' I'd go into the I used to represent Brookline a long time ago but I go into the SAU office and there's the little table. I don't know if
066they still do it this way. They probably don't, but anyway, they had these big books and, you know, at any given time, you'd see a board member from one of the three districts, you know, checking off the the manifest. But let's say things started to go sour and fis, you know, money wasn't working the way the board expected it to. Well, the board can require that the manifest review be done by the whole board. uh does and it could either be done um you know outside of a meeting, you know, one person at a time like it's it happens now or it could happen at a meeting. Not a great use of time if things are going really well. No reason to take that time at your board meetings but but it is a place
067where the board not feeling comfortable with the way things are going decides to be you know provide more oversight. Um another one is in line item transfers. So on your DRRA form, you know, there's uh lines which are different than the subcodes in your own internal accounting system. So it's not the, you know, 800 or 900 uh lines or so. I think there's, you know, 50 or so. um that that line has a certain amount on your DRRA form after your annual meeting that you know after the annual meeting approves the final budget there's a set of lines and if you need to spend money on a line that you've run out of money for you have to move money from another line. Well that change comes from is something within the board's prerogative. So
068number one, you've got that choice between which line to move it from. But number two, you've also got a policy. Um it's DBJ and DBJ is how you know what what is the process for making a line item transfer. Um, our sample, and I can't remember what yours how what yours says, but our sample says that if it's below 5,000, then the administration can make it without having to come to the board first because the the policy is your approval for things up to $5,000 and then the the administration reports it to the board and the board at that point can say, "No, no, no. Don't take it out of that line. Take it out of this line." So, you've got again, you know, that adjustment authority. Um, our amount is 5,000. We haven't changed
069that in like close to 20 years. Um, so there are some dis I think the highest I've seen it's 50,000 and then there's a couple of districts it's below that. I mean, one district has like 40 kids. So there's doesn't need to be 5,000. Um, but that's a place where, you know, the the board could say, you know, we really don't need to spend time at meetings doing this. Why don't we raise the number? or you know we had one district before I was there I >> I was representing the district he he was the one having to deal with the uh board member but she just thought that all of them should be preapproved by the board so anyway so you've got that flexibility so the point of this was you know it's showing
070where the board has authority to move the parameters or re restructure the par parameters and framework for how the administration works and that's true with almost every single one of those little buckets that was on that uh matrix that we didn't spend time on. >> Sorry, I just have one quick question. So, going back to the manifest review, you're saying like if it's not going well, would the board just say we all want to review for x amount of time and then if they felt things were getting back on track, could we then like remove the entire board and go back to just the two signers? Like, how did that why? >> So, okay. >> I mean, I I swear to go, >> but you're just asking what would be the other option. Yeah, like
071what I guess I'm just saying like if the board chooses to have the entire board review the manifest, that doesn't have to stay that way, right? If at some point the board decides that it's starting to stabilize, >> we can then kind of reverse the policy or change. That's what >> there is a there is a placeholder policy for manifest. I I don't know that you have it and it's not it ours is not overly descriptive because there's so many different ways that districts do it and you know anytime we do something people think they need to change what they do and they don't because the statute the only thing the statute says is the treasurer shall pay out money approved by the board or by at least two members of the board who have
072been authorized by the board to give that approval. Okay, >> that's that's that's all it says. So whether it's all five of you uh or two of you um or in between that number. Um but but there's also a um it's in the town statutes that specifically accepts manifest review outside of um you know, you don't need to do it at a public like a public meeting as long as a quorum of you aren't present. The real thing too with, you know, the line item transfer stuff is is important >> and generally you're not going to be running into a lot of those. Um, I'm sorry, the manifest the manifest reviews by and large your hope are going to be fine. The line item transfers should be minimal, a few a year. The classic example
073is you have a high need special education student move in and there goes your budget. or the second one you budgeted to plow the driveway 10 times and it snowed 20 times this year, right? Um, but the reason why I was I mean not joking about doing an an annual audit every year if if if there are discrepancies or problems or red flags, plasic and Sanderson, the the auditing company that does probably 90% of the school districts in the state, they're going to flag it. They're they're g they're they're going to catch it and they will present a report back to the board and the superintendent and then you know you have an honest conversation about that. Is it the person in the position? Do we need new controls? Is it why are we having
074these red flags from the auditor? And that's where your real discussion is going to is is going to have to be. It might be the person might be you need a new person. It might just be shoring up some policies and some internal controls. Yeah. >> Um where are we? I'll handle this one and let's try and zip through um in the next 10 15 minutes. We might not get to all the slides um because we've been at it about 45 minutes or so and I want to leave time for the for the Q&A and then and the open conversation. So we just want to do that quasual stuff in elementary school. >> Okay. >> Yeah. Let me ask you this before we move on. Do do you have any student discipline hearings building? >>
075We could. >> I mean, we haven't, but we could. >> Okay. No, I think the bigger one is manifest and also the staff. >> Yeah. Okay. Right. Okay. Um, so I wanted to get that just so Will and I can try to plan out the next the next 10 minutes or so. Um, another primary role and responsibility that an HSBA um advocates our our members undertake is strategic planning. Um, the law itself doesn't say strategic planning, but the the Department of Education rule that's cited on the slide talks about imposing a duty on school boards to quote develop long range plans and identify measurable and attainable short-term objectives. We kind of just use that phrase as strategic planning generically. Some boards do strategic planning, some boards do annual goal setting. Um there might be a
076middle ground that I think is is is is reasonable as well too. Um why is strategic planning so important? Well, it assists boards with personnel planning, instructional planning, other resources such as capitals, maintenance, so on and so forth. Pass, excuse me, paths to accomplish board priorities, efficient meetings. um kind of depends on what your district where your district is and and where you want to see it. Um one example um that I like to um I like to use relative to why strategic planning is so important. Um this was about 10 years ago, but I think it still holds true. This district was undergoing strategic planning and they had and they open it up to the community. if you want to be part of the strategic planning, we'll find space for you on a subcommittee
077within the strategic planning. So they had a facilities committee, a technologies committee, an instructional committee, whatever else, right? So the technology committee was like, you know, we want the latest greatest internet and and the latest greatest computers and the smartboards and, you know, make it look like a, you know, like the space shuttle was taking off inside our science lab. the facilities committee saw that and said, "Yeah, that sounds great, but our building is like a hundred years old, and we're really we're really not certain that we can run all that technology in a building that's 100 years old, still running like copper wires and whatnot." So anyway, it was like, so that that was the moment when everybody in the community, you know, the school board was like, "Yeah, I think we need to
078have a talk about some of these things and see where see where there might be some meeting of the minds and what we can what we can reasonably accomplish." But um do you do you have a strategic plan here? Do you do annual you do have a strategic plan? Fantastic. >> Um and are are there goals sort of tied into that for the board and for you and for >> Yes. Yeah. So um the board writes goals as we do budget preparation. So that's like a year in advance. Yep. >> Um there are goals presented to me as a superintendent. Yeah. >> And um the buildings present goals to the board for their work for the year and how they're going to meet. >> Fantastic. Great. Sounds good. We can move on. >> I'm just
079gonna Yeah, I'll just do one one piece, one takeaway from this. Okay, so communication very important. We kind of really really learned that during CO. Um, and one thing that really struck me during CO were the districts that had communication plans in place before CO handled a lot of the, you know, the discord better than the districts that didn't have one. And so we created a uh sample policy eg that is intended to help boards like what do you need to consider in doing a comprehensive plan? Uh how do you communicate with the elderly uh residents who don't use smartphones, don't use computers, they still get newspapers or go down in the town hall and you know look at the bulletin board out there. So, you've got to figure out how to communicate with the
080various constituencies. How much how much resources does it take to do that? Um, you know, who's speaking on behalf of the district? Usually, that's going to be the administration. The board might have, you know, a different uh approach to that. Um, who's responsible for communication in a crisis. that's usually built into your crisis plan, but you know, it might boggle your mind a little bit, but the person who's responsible for managing the crisis isn't the person who should be communicating uh because they're trying to manage the crisis, not let everybody know what's going on. Um and uh so anyway, if you don't have a comprehensive plan uh that you review annually or at least every other year, um I think it's a you know, it's a it's an undertaking that every board should have. Um
081collective bargaining. Um the only thing that I'm going to say about that is be mindful of um who you have on your collective bargaining team. I think Dan over there can probably remember a situation where that was very important, very problematic at one point. No, you want you want some you want your team you you don't want your team to be an echo chamber. It's just you know everybody just agrees. If you've got different viewpoints on your board, then great, you want to introduce those. However, if you have a very strong majority on your board, on your on your negotiating team, be careful about how uh you know the the folks you're putting on there because basically a voice can become a um a veto. Um so you hear you might have heard that as
082a board member you don't use lose your rights of free expression. Collective bargain is one of those places where you do. Um, so if you're on the team and you negotiate a contract or a tenative agreement as a team member, you are required to advocate for that passage of that contract and to vote for it. So you can't just say, you know, you can't like, you know, yeah, I signed off on it, but I only did it because I wanted to be done with this and I was getting tired of, you know, meeting right before Christmas. Um, so anyway, that's one of the place. The other place by the way are the key places non-public sessions if you know you don't get to talk about what happened in there anyway those are the places the
083two biggest places where you uh lose your rights of free expression. >> So you're just so you're basically saying that if like uh like one of us is on a a collective bargaining team and then we bring it back to the board and then we vote against it that that would not work. >> The board can the board can >> but like you individually >> the team the team member cannot. So, so the it you know you two board members on the team the the ratification vote could be two to three fails that's okay but the two that voted for it have to be the team and that's true at the deliberative session as well. So if somebody says, "Hey, you know, why did you do this?" Well, oh, because this is a great thing.
084Here's the reasons why we did it. I mean, you probably have reasons why you did it. Um, this is probably a good one to have. >> Okay. Go ahead. >> Okay. >> Yeah. I just want to be mindful. >> Yep. And I'll I'll just uh wrap quasi judicial into it. Okay. So, as board members, new ones, I don't know if you've already received uh calls and and emails from people complaining about either a teacher or another student. Um, but this is one of the the the hardest places to be a board member because you ran for the board probably because you wanted to be helpful and you wanted to help the students and you wanted to uh support the schools, but you remember going back to that very I think it was the second slide.
085You don't have any individual authority. You can't solve someone's problem. Um and and you can make it worse or make it harder to solve the problem by overinvolving yourself. So what you can do there's two two ways that you can help that person who reaches out to you. One is to give them the right road map. KB is sort of the the generic you know things aren't going well kind of thing. But in today's world we have very specific types of complaints. Uh, so bullying, that's a very common one that board members will hear from first because they're the hardest to identify and they're the hardest to sort of solve. So they they tend to just percolate. Um, but that your policy is going to be JICK. I'm pretty sure that's what it is. Um,
086know that policy. just, you know, know what the code is because when that person calls you, you can say, well, the best place to start is, you know, talking to the teacher. Um, probably by that time they've already done that. But if you can point them to JICK, that lays out the road map, the process for them to follow after they've talked to the the teacher or, you know, maybe after they've talked to the teacher a few times and it hasn't worked. Um but that process can be important uh for them to actually get the correct resolution. Um similarly there's a couple of others uh you know important ones staff concerns. So when staff are calling you and complaining you have a policy about that too GBK that says here's what you're supposed to do.
087You you don't call me I you know that's that's not that's a no-go. You go through GBK and go through the the chain of command so to speak. Um, but if you have uh you have a collection of anti-discrimination policies that are different than ours. Um, they were I think they're provided by your legal council. So, some of these codes might not match exactly like I don't think you have an ACAC. I think you have ACAA and ACAB. Um, but but knowing what the codes are can be helpful to the person. So, you knowing the codes and being able to say you want to go look for this policy um and um and if and also how to get to the policy on your website. It's a little tricky. So, maybe the best way to
088do that is say, you know, go to the SAU or go to the uh school and get a copy of the policy. Um and then uh oh and then the second way to help in that situation whether it's a complaint about a student or a staff member is to facilitate oversight by the administration without getting over involved. So finding out just enough information to pass that along to a senior administrator. Um you know in in you know I'm not sure if that would be the superintendent in in this district. some of the multi-dist SAUs they you know you know I don't know if the assistant superintendent is charge of you know one of the districts you know nope okay so everything goes to everything goes to the superintendent and and the reason for that is
089she can make sure that the people below her are aware so maybe it's percolated to the extent that the the the beef is with you know complaining about you know something and it's already gone to the principal but she needs to make sure that the principal is aware that he's got to take care of this. But it might also be that it's not even at that stage yet, but he still has to be aware >> that it's going, you know, that somebody needs to be addressing that. Um, so all you need is enough information to be able to pass that along. So, what's the name of the person? What's the name of, you know, where did it happen? Whatever it is. What you don't need to do do is go any further than that. You
090don't need to know, did anyone see it? Uh, have they had problems in the past? um you know uh whatever you know all of those that's investigation, >> right? >> And you don't need you not only do you not need to investigate um it's outside of your authority and you can actually cause real problems by overinvolving yourself. I had a school board once that um entertained a complaint from a parent without telling the teacher, you know, without going through the process. uh when we finally got to a dismissal hearing, the whole board had to recuse themselves because they had overinvolved themselves and let's just say that cost a lot of money to have to you know go through that process. So there and it caused a huge slowdown in the process. So just being aware
091of you know where your roles are um is important. So I think I can I don't question >> just one question. this is a a great road mapap for I think individuals if you're hearing from you know half a dozen people you know what like how do we then collect those and and pass those along >> so when you get the let's say you get a phone call or an email from a constituent >> and you know heck it's a small community I presume a lot of you have kids in the district which is why you ran for school board I know how this works a little bit I've done this for a while you know the parents you know the teachers, you've been on the PTA, right? It's I know how this works. So,
092what I say is you get a call from Mrs. Smith or an email and you take the call because it's your neighbor or you grew up together, the kids are friends, whatever, complaining about the second grade teacher. You encourage them, work through the process, you shoot Gina an email, and you say, "Hey, Gina, Mrs. Smith, some issue in the second grade classroom. I don't know what it is, but she may be calling you or the principal to talk about it." Okay, fine. So, and let's say you tell Mrs. Smith, I'm going to pass this on to the building level principal. Well, if a week goes by and principal or Gina or nobody else has reached out to Mrs. Smith, they're going to call you back and tell you about it. Right? So, then you say,
093Jana, you told me somebody was going to get back to Mrs. Smith a week ago. Now, she's pretty pissed off because nobody's gotten in touch with her, right? So, that leads back to your sort of oversight and evaluation of the of the of the superintendent. That's scenario one, right? It's a one-off, whatever. Something happened. Who knows? Right. Second scenario, you get a call from Mrs. Smith about something going on in the second grade classroom, right? You pass it on, right? And the next day you get a call from Mrs. Jones about the same second grade classroom teacher. And you know, that's when you get on the horn, you say, "Gina, I don't know what the hell's going on in that classroom, but I've gotten calls from 10 parents about that second grade classroom. Something needs
094to be done about it." And Gina, it kind of puts the administration in a tough spot because you know, you know, again, they can't, you know, you're going to want to report back. You're going to, the board is going to want to know or even you as an individual board member what was going on, what happened, is it resolved, this that and the other thing, but Gina also has a responsibility to maintain some level of staff confidentiality in terms of discipline or evaluation or things of that. So that's a that's a there's a real balance there, right? So, you know, the first scenario, you know, one, you know, presume it was taken care of. If not, the parents probably reach back out to you. If it's six in a week about the same classroom, then
095you know you've got a problem. So, >> and but really there's not much the board can do about that quote unquote problem. I mean, pass it along. the statute the 194 C4 that will mention that's in your packet that lists out all the responsibilities of the superintendent it says the oversight management and evaluation of staff members there's it's as clear as day that that falls within the superintendent's perview and the board doesn't have any input or say relative to that excuse me >> I guess the extra piece on that is um you know a lot of a lot one of frustrating parts about being a board member is the fact that you know you're hearing about a problem but you really can't be involved in the the solution of it. However, that you know the
096I think a third part of what you were asking was when you're maybe it's not all at once. It's it's like happening over a period of time there. Yeah. >> So over the three-year period that you know your term um you know you hear complaints about this teacher the first year and then you hear similar ones the second year and then like you're hearing them the third year. It's like do we have an evaluation problem here? I mean h are we are we taking care of these things because we should not be hearing about the same types of problems from the same >> teacher year after year. you know, those kids move up presumably. Um, and so it should be the next year if it's the kids' problem or you know, that type of thing.
097So it's, you know, the information that you obtain in the aggregate is is really where you're providing the oversight and evaluation. Um and then because we want to move into your questions, you know, all of that part, those things when we asked about the hearing, when you have hearings, school board's function is completely different. It's no longer a legislative making body. It's not a policy body. It is now a judge and jury over somebody's issue, whether it's a, you know, whether it's a a discipline issue or a manifest hardship case. Um if you have a you know request from a student to to go to a a different school or school district um the you know in that case the board is the the judge and the jury over that case and you think about
098that. So that's due process. What are the two things you think about most when you're you're okay what do I want when I have my interest at stake? I want a fair and impartial judge and I want to be able to hear and challenge the evidence that's being used in my case. Um, and that's why board members can't be involved in sort of investigating. Yes, you're going to know about things. You're going to know about things um simply because you're active in your community. You have kids in the school, so you're going to hear passively information. uh you might have even been the board member who took the original complaint. Um that's okay. What you can't do is actively look out, you know, look for the information. Um so, >> all right, with that, we're
099going to skip the rest of the slides just in the interest of time. Um if you have questions about them, when you go home tonight and read through them, you know, follow up with with Gina or or Allison. Um I've got two sets of questions here. one I think was submitted by maybe um a number of you and then the other one that I have um Tracy I believe you emailed Al for maybe two weeks or so again um I'm going to touch those first um because I think we covered a lot of those tonight I think I think some of those I think some of those were part of the conversation that we that we had tonight and I think we may have answered some of them >> so I'm going to start on
100uh uh sort of backwards from the way you submitted them budgeting and fiscal polic policy. What is the appropriate legal role of the Brooklyn Finance Committee in budget development and war in preparation given that it's not a budget committee? I think we we are you clear on that? Now, um policies, how are the required by law uh policies different than other legal mandates or recommended policies? Clear on that. If the state leaves specifics to the require required by law policies, local boards, how are those specifics incorporated? What do you can you expand on that a little There was something in a policy or something where it had said, you know, there's language that is mandated, but some of the specifics in the policy could be um dictated by the school board. You know, I I
101don't have a great example. >> Yeah. No, I know what you're saying. So, do you want to answer like in some situations the policy the law may say you have to have these three things in your policy, but does that mean you can only have those three things or does the board have some discretion to add so long as those three things are included? Is that a fair way? >> Yeah, I think like you know, not to bring up a bad topic, but like the cell phone thing, right? You know, like if there's any part of that, if we know that any part of that can be edited, you know? >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Do you want to >> Sure. Um, so the cell phone one is probably an easy not number one, it it
102does lend itself to that question pretty well. So when you read that that provision, it's it's really not overly extensive. Um and and to hear from the the folks uh who had to sit through the legislative discussions um they purposefully did not define what is covered by it other than like they talked about cell phones but that's not the word they used. They used personal communication device. Your watch, your my laptop is my personal communication device. Um, so there are pieces in there that are very clear. Cell phones banned bell-to-bell. What about personal laptops? Um, what about personal laptops that, you know, have the ability to have a hot spot off of something? Um, you know, so there might be some wiggle room in there. Um but the first answer to the question is go
103read you know read the statute or you can like I said you can call me you can converse with your uh you know the board can converse with it >> policy committee or whatot >> right >> um but but even that bill it doesn't say okay so what are the consequences who's going to enforce it and oversee it um are the is the board going to um do anything to maybe uh you know introduce the the problem, you know, the the ban into the school. Um, some schools use what are they called? Yonder bags or Yeah, yonder bags. Um, you know, I've seen like teachers with the little shoe things you hang on the back of your door. Um, so there's lots of pieces in a policy that are left to the board to decide.
104So when you look at my sample um there are pieces like I didn't I didn't cover yonder I I might have even mentioned them but I don't think I put it in there but consequences. So what are the consequences? Well, I only put two in there and they had to do with, you know, take the phone away and then call the parent. >> Discipline. The law is silent on discipline. That's wholly within the board's burden, >> right? And and then the rest, you know, in the sample policy, it says it's going to be addressed in in this code of conduct and and partly, you know, I've seen another district that they took parts of the policy, but then they put a whole thread of, you know, here's how the consequences in five different places. um
105just you know put them in the one place. But anyway, so when when there is a policy that has legal standards or or you know it's required or it's recommended because there's a mandate to do something or a prohibition um you know students can't bring guns to school. Um you know that the the policy is going to have a legal reference and you look at that and see where the wiggle room is. So, one of the hardest ones in the student code of conduct, actually in the student um due process thing, is trying to figure out what happens when the student brings a gun to school because there are state statutes and there's federal statutes and they're not really clean. So, you have to be expelled for a year, but maybe there's some way to,
106you know, uh adjust that. And so, some of them are confusing, some of them aren't. If you have questions about specific parts of, you know, one of those types of policies, feel, you know, give me a call. Can >> I just question and just please go with me. It's just totally hypothetical just to understand the process, right? So, obviously, let's say like the state like left it really gray, which gives us the ability as a board, right, to put um, you know, put some real definition around it, make it our own, right? Um, let's say that a school system just adopts it but doesn't actually enforce it. Does that just leave us up to being sued? Is that like how it works? How how does that work? I just I just was wondering just in
107general like >> Yeah, that's you know that's been that's been a question a lot of us have been asking the last couple of months. Um, and uh I don't know if you you may or may not be aware. I think it was just sent to superintendent um Commissioner Davis sent out an email, was that last week or just Monday, Gina, saying that the department is going to be collecting schoolboard cell phone policies. Did you see that email? >> Yep. >> So, I don't know what they plan on doing with them. Um, you know, I know that the commissioner and the governor met a couple weeks ago, um, trying to get a status of where school boards were with adopting the policies. >> Um, there's been a >> in general, like I don't I don't want
108to say that I'm like against it or for it. I'm not. I'm just saying talking about a policy in general that the state has put in play. I was just I just wanted to better understand like >> so >> how that piece works I guess. >> So there are some things especially if they're tied to money >> Sure. >> that they're audited. So so you know you I don't know if you've seen this big book called DAFF policy DAFF which is federal grant management. >> Um and I it's about 20 pages long and it's very >> it's a policy that's 20 pages long. very procedure heavy >> and um >> that policy was that policy was written >> you know because maybe the DOE didn't do something uh and and so they look to us
109and so we created this policy worked very well with DOE in doing it but what happens now is if they come down to do an audit a federal grant audit the very first thing they do is do you have these 12 policies >> okay >> and and they check them and if you don't then they then they say well are you members of NHS NHSBA and if so did I get that wrong yeah >> I did sorry it's only >> I've been writing I've been writing acronyms all day sorry um but NH um yeah never mind SBA there we go there we go um so you know contact us and get our current policy um but for a lot of policies they aren't but then There may be policies that create individual rights. So, you're
110required to have this policy. And if you don't have this policy and something happens that the statute or the policy was intended to, you know, h help prevent or correct, then you might have liability. >> Um, but then there are other ones. So, so the public comment statute, so you're required to give 30 minutes of public comment at your board meetings. And when I wrote the policy to uh address that, um you know, one superintendent said, "Well, what if we don't do it?" And I'm like, "Well, somebody might, you know, complain about that and then they'll put a penalty into the statute." >> Well, what if nobody complains? I'm like, "Thank you very much." Okay, I'm still going to write the policy and I'm still going to say it's required. Um but for for the
111most part there is not a somebody doesn't come down from the state and ding you when you don't have >> they used to do policy the department 15 years ago used policy audits >> they had a couple con they were I don't know if they were DOE staff or contracted mostly retired superintendent >> that that because the law I think the law still says that they're going to be audited every five or 10 years but they haven't funded those positions in 15 years. They they would go they would they would send these people out and go through your policy manual and do the checklist of all the policies that were required by law, all the policies that were in them and and at that point it was more a compliance issue. The state wasn't like
112suing them. It was more like you're deficient with these 10 policies, call Barrett or will and make sure you get them on the books. That kind of thing. >> Okay. >> Yep. >> That's helpful. I just new stuff. >> Yep. Yep. >> I will share that it comes up a lot when we have a federal grant audit. Yeah, >> a part of it >> federal grants. You got to be on top of all >> 100. But now the list of policies that we have to demonstrate. >> It's like how how is this exactly related to um you know to grants? But that's where they ding us and then you know if we don't have something >> you'll be notified that we're deficient. >> Right. Okay. And yeah and it's it's so if if somebody contacts
113me and says they were you know especially in the the the you know the federal grant things first thing is do you have the current version of the policy because they it's called the uniform grant guidance and they tinker with it you know from time to time. Um, do you have the current one? And then the other ones I think that Gina was talking about, you know, there's one you you have to have the the tobacco one and you have to have the uh drug-free workplace one and uh you have to have the I don't know this can't remember some of the other ones, but they're they're all listed and they're all in our uh manual and so forth. >> Couple more questions from from you Tracy. Um, >> how do we determine which laws
114are eligible for community aligned additions and which are not? Can you I don't know. >> I think that one the other thing. Yeah. >> All right. Um who's responsible for staying up to date on legal changes affecting policies? Superintendent statute says the superintendent is responsible for advising the board relative to its legal obligations. So and we send out the policy updates that I presume some of you get everybody gets at least twice a year and often more frequently now >> times the last volume. >> Yeah. Our favorite part of policy meeting is discussing whether or not you sent out an update. We enjoy discussing that policy. >> And then um can boards adopt fiscal policies in addition to those required by law? I presume so. I don't I don't see why not. >> Fiscal policies.
115Yeah. >> Yes. >> And some of the other um ones that are going to be a little bit more easy for me just to kind of to go right through. What's the process for a school board to set the district's vision and goals? Um so you've got strategic planning, you sort of emanate goals from that. A lot of boards would do an annual retreat. Um, it is a public meeting. Um, some boards will do them sort of out of town or offsite, if you will. Um, not that you're hoping nobody will show up, but sometimes it's a little bit more of a it's a little bit more of a comfortable setting, you know what I mean? Where you can have three or four hours not sitting on a board chair like this. Um, I've seen
116some boards will do it um, you know, on a Saturday morning and somebody picks up a box of donuts and whatever else. I've seen other boards do it on maybe like a Thursday or Friday night starting at like 4:00 if you can find the time and order pizza and whatnot and review the strategic plan. Review the goals. Um are they aligned? Um you know some of that will come from sort of board history. Some of that will come from your administrative team as to where you are with the strategic plan. Um best recommended steps for board strategic planning including how to set measurable objectives and involve stakeholders effectively. Um my preference and not to step on the work that the SA41 or the the Brooklyn board may have done previously is um you know we
117think hiring um a consultant is is is best advised. Um I say that one as a salesman we provide strategic planning services but two even even if you you know I tell boards all the time we you know if you're if you're putting out an RFP or you're talking to me about that we'd love if you went with us if you didn't. We think hiring an independent outside person to help facilitate, especially if you want community involvement, where I talked about you're going to have four or five different committees of technology and facilities and not just the five of you. Um, it it helps bring in a consultant. I've seen boards do it both ways. I've seen boards who said, "Nope, we're going to we kind of want to do this in six months, so
118we're going to keep it within the board, but we'll send out some online surveys and emails to parents and whatnot." And I've seen other boards, excuse me, that say, "No, we're going to if you're from our community and you want to be a part of this, we'll find a spot for you on on on one of the on one of the committees and everything in between." >> Can I just go ahead? >> Yeah. um just even even if you decide to do it in-house uh whether it's a strategic plan or just longterm goal setting etc those all happen at meetings >> those are all public meetings and then relative to the surveys you have to like and one of the reasons consultants can be very helpful is for the most part they're mindful of what
119happens to the survey once somebody turns it in >> so if I if if you do a survey question that says, "What don't you like about the district?" You're going to get somebody complaining about a teacher and that is going to be, you know, that document is, it didn't go the way it was supposed to go. It was supposed to come in the form of a complaint. Um, but now you've got this, you know, sitting in front of a a committee. Um, so it's just, you know, handling handling the the the public and the responsibility to be transparent and so forth is is kind of a, you know, hard thing to manage. >> All right. Um, what are the best practices for legal recommendations for new member orientation, annual board self-evaluation, and maintaining governance continuity
120amid rotating board terms? Good question. um the the new board member orientation. Um I've got a bad news for you, Gina. I was at a conference in March or April and I talked to I talked to I went to a session about um with a board chair and a superintendent in a the large size school district for for New Hampshire. I think it was about four or 5,000 students and they talked about their onboarding process. And this is going to be some things I'm going to recommend in the in the spring. Um, you know, I mean, I just, you know, I I think it's important for board members to be given a packet with, um, not the entire policy manual, but, you know, a half a dozen of the important policies relative to board governance.
121Um, the the the the complaint policies that we talked about, K and KB. So, right off the bat, you've got a some semblance of what the board's policies are. Obviously, attend any and all NHSA webinars that you possibly can. We record those and send those out afterwards. So, um, and then some boards have us down for annual training like this, roles and responsibilities every year, whether or not they have five new board members or zero new board members. They have us in every every year. Um, and they often, some of these boards start calling me like after the new year and being, hey, can you mark this date down in April? you know, they're calling me right after, you know, the first week of January because they want to get it in, you know, and
122we got 165 members. So, I'm not sure I can handle that every single year, but it's just just just just an idea. But, um, you know, yeah, just, um, NHSBA is going to be coming out with some guidance, um, in the early spring about onboarding new school board members and and some, you know, just even just a packet of documents for them at their first board meeting to read through and kind of kind of get used to at least practices, procedures, contact info, so on and so forth. >> Sorry. And is that the is that under the purview of of the superintendent or is that a board activity that we need to like on board? >> It comes from it comes from both. You know, it's often requests for training come primarily from either the
123board chair and or the superintendent is typically typically what it is. >> But if we wanted to do like a handbook or something like that like that could be a joint. you might administer the time and cost of some, you know, of what it's going to take to put that together, but yeah, certainly. >> So, uh, we do have a policy that completely has to be updated because it talks about the book that I was on the board in 2013 and I didn't even get the book. So, um, we don't do that. So, we're going to update it. And, >> um, that was part of the plan for when I became superintendent. I was going to formalize it. But, we always have invited new board members in for an orientation. They do the paperwork because
124it's a huge stipend when you're a school that whole 1500 bucks, right? >> No, it's like 300. Um, and it might be 450 if you're the chair. It's not a lot. Anyway, so you do paperwork um get a tour of the um falling down SAU building. Um, and we talk about all these pieces, but it's not formalized. And I think we overwhelm the board members. And it would be I have always felt it'd be better if we had a checklist with like something to reference so that when it comes up in a meeting you can refer back to it. Oh, okay. This is what we're talking about. >> Y something along those lines. So long as there's something that you're giving the board. The other most important thing too that I tell the new school
125board members and the superintendent as soon as you possibly can after the election say make a meeting with your if you're brand new to the board, make a meeting with your superintendent and have a cup of coffee for 45 minutes. you know, >> um I'm trying to be mindful of time. You got about >> seven minutes. >> I think you're okay for Okay, >> this is important. >> Okay. Thank you. Um what are the legal boundaries and best practices for board members when acting as private citizens in the community taking into account first amendment rights? We have a whole section, we do a webinar on electronic communications and Will has put together a whole part about um primarily social media use. So, do you want to talk about that one? >> Well, yeah. So, let's
126start with the, you know, again, you don't lose your rights to speak uh as an individual. Um, we do believe that, you know, when a board makes a decision that, you know, it boards work best when the board accepts that decision and moves on. Uh that doesn't mean that um you know like if there's a new election and you get new people in who disagree with what the old board did, that might be a time to revisit things. But rehashing things that you've already decided is, you know, not overly productive, whether you're outside, you know, beating the bush or arguing in your meetings. Um, but when when you're speaking, just like with the legislature, if you've been uh delegated the authority to speak on behalf of the board, then you can say that. But otherwise,
127people in town know your board members. So, you should be careful to make it clear that you're speaking as an individual. Um, you know, here's my, you know, this is my own opinion. It's, you know, not the not what the board's doing or what the board's decided. um you're you're entitled to do that um with with I mean this social media is a big one but um >> so I mean so just to add on to to a couple of the things that that we'll say I mean social media has changed the landscape of all of this really you know and in my opinion not for the best so you know we'll we'll we'll talk about that about sort of the cohesiveness of the of the board and respecting the opinion of the majority Right.
128So, you know, we have school board members that, you know, the contrarian on the board, every vote is a 4 to one vote and that guy doesn't gal doesn't want to vote for anything. And before he's even home, he's in the parking lot on his phone on Facebook. Those stupid board members, why don't they listen to me? This, that, and the other thing. They don't know what they're talking about. They couldn't add a budget to what, you know, whatever they're going to complain about. you know, do they have the legal first amendment right to do that? Yes. Is it good for board cohesiveness and board working together and setting an example? Oh, maybe for our kids, I don't know. Um, but anyway, so that's one example. The other example is you're in Hannerford, you're at
129the ball game after school, and a constituent comes up to you and says, "So, I saw you voted no on that motion. Why? I thought it was too much money. I wanted to study it more. I didn't think this was the right time to do it." explaining to a constituent how and why you voted a particular way is completely reasonable, right? They expect that from you that, you know, maybe they couldn't make the meeting and maybe the minutes weren't clear, right? So, you know, I mean, you know, I'm giving the two extreme examples here, but you know, sort of it it depends on the forum. Is it a letter to the editor? Is it going to conquer? >> Yeah, that's what I think I was more interested in. you know, I've written things or you
130know, and you know, or when we say things, it's always like this is my, you know, personal opinion, not you know, blah blah blah, stuff like that. >> That's fine. I mean, we see that, you know, there are there are sometimes I wish they would handle it a little bit differently, but from just speaking of sort of leg the legislature, if you will, or maybe a statewide issue, um, you know, there are petitions that get passed around by various interest groups from time to time. um let's say school funding just going to pick that as an easy topic and I'll find out about it and I'll look through the and you know it I wish it were more clear that you know these people were signing it in their individual capacity because it will say
131Jane Doe conquered school board John Smith Manchester school board I'm like you know it's identifying who they are and that they're on a school board is this petition always making it clear that they're not speaking of me you know so I've seen that before too the way that's done is not my preferred way, but it's not my petition and it's not my space to to say anything about it. So, does that answer I mean is that >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Alison, go ahead. >> Can I ask a kind of a follow- on question? So, I understand what you're saying about respecting majority. >> If we have a policy that says we we confine ourselves to policym, you know, at at this level and and really the rules you've gone through, right? And if for example
132somebody wants to write a letter to the editor on behalf of the school board and the majority votes three to two to for somebody to go write this letter and sign the Brooklyn school board but two people feel very strongly about not >> do we do the two just have to kind of deal with the fact that they're now attached to something they don't agree with? What how does that work? >> Yeah. So, so for for what I'll just call political positions that the board may be taking, whether or not it's a letter to the editor, signing a petition, writing a letter, going up to conquer to testify, given the fact that I mean, we know that schools are highly politicized these days. Public education, it just is. Let's let's not ignore that fact, right?
133Um, you know, I think, you know, my personal preference, and this is just me talking here, this isn't legal advice. This is just kind of practical advice. If the board wants to step into the political realm, I think it would be more effective um one as um advocating for or against a position. Um it would be more effective for the board and I think it would be more impactful for the board and I think it would be um give everybody on the board more cover if it were if if it were unanimous or five to zero. That's my own personal opinion. You're not going to find a law on that. You know, I don't it's, you know, I'm I'm just trying I'm trying to think of the right way to say this. You know, it
134it it it can be hard enough as a school board these days. We see what's going on in Claremont. We see what's going on with the legislature. Anything that people can use to divide boards, I think they're going to to be quite honest with you. That's my my recommendation would be if if you want to, you know, jump into the political pool. Um, you know, I think it's safer for everybody and more effective if and again, this is my own personal opinion. If it's if there's consensus among the board on how to proceed, >> but if there's not consensus, then so say I was the one who was not interested in >> I didn't have an appetite for it. I'm not part of that majority. But now my right to not voice or voice is
135taken away because I have to respect the majority. Like what what does that actually look like? >> I wanted I wanted to say like two things. One is you don't lose those rights where the the point is simply boards work better when you move on. However, uh an individual who feels very strongly about a decision that was taken, if they want to go talk about it, they can go talk about it. um it's going to cause discord and you you know it's usually the case where it's like uh you know you as Barrett said you know that one person who votes against everything >> um the the more noise that person makes the less the rest of the board will listen to that person and quite frequently the voters also drown it out. um when
136the board is taking a position that is uh public controversial um and and they don't need to do it then you know a three to two you're going to generate you're not are you respecting the whole community when you do that >> because you don't just represent the you know the people who support it you might be representing the people who don't support it And it to some extent I mean this is the way we used to think about democracy. I don't know. But, you know, anyway, but >> I I think we're jumping the gun, I would say, in this conversation just a little bit because I think part of it is that um is like understanding maybe what our role is. So, like if I go back to like what you were saying at
137the beginning, right? Um our role is to have a positive effect on kids, right? Our duty is to at the district's expense to provide education to all students, right? So, I think my question then would be let's let's not necessarily focus on our split board because we don't even know what we're for yet. I think more of my question is and and I think that this is where we want to go is maybe some of us especially us being new to the board >> and having constituents now reach out to us right about what's going on >> is understand when the state is is passing something no matter where you stand legis if it is not positive effect on our children right >> then that's where I think I think we don't need to be
138torn. It's more like okay if we decide as a board that this is not a positive effect on children >> and it is not um it's not kind of like the rules of the road >> then tell us a little bit more about how like what how what role we can play right is there's no role to play I think that's where we just cut off this conversation it's not about who's on what side it's more of >> right I think >> okay let me just finish okay >> I think it's just important I think it's important for us to understand if this isn't positive effect if then what can we do and so that we can have that conversation as a whole and then dis discuss it where I feel like we've been lately
139just kind of like hypothetically talking about it so once we get there just what are the steps >> sure I'll get to that but let's hear the >> yeah so I think I part of the reason that I know I personally think this is a good conversation to have right now is we don't have to settle on specifics but it is a conversation that our board is headed towards and it is helpful while you're here for us to just get this input and feedback because I think that is going to guide our board more effectively when we do have this conversation. We know it's coming. So that's >> I I think did some of you warn some of you reach out to Becky Wilson, our director of governmental relations now. Was that a different school
140board maybe? Did you reach out to Becky? >> Um I reached out just because she had sent some things and it and it said that they encouraged school boards to >> Yeah. And then I asked if it was if it needed to be unanimous or not. And she said it needed to be unanimous. But now you guys are sitting here tonight saying it does not need to be. It needs to be majority. >> So here here's what I can tell you what other boards have have done. A handful of boards. I say a handful. I can think of three offhand. Becky I think may be working with a couple other ones. They have a couple there's a couple of them are bigger boards. So it it's not always easy with with with with five people.
141Um they've created a legis and I know we'll talk talk about committees later. They've created a legislative committee. Okay. But at the stepping the starting excuse me I'm burping tonight. Um the um the starting point for and some of there were some questions about the NHSBA delegate assembly. those school boards, my understanding is they have adopted their own what I will just say legislative positions or legislative resolutions. They're not in policy. They're sort of standalone documents and they're they're pretty broadbased. So for example, it will say the XYZ school board supports the Claremont decisions and supports the CLA the state increasing state adequacy aid to fulfill its obligations. I'm just making that up off the top of my head right now. Right? So then the board collectively agrees on their policy positions, broad-based policy positions.
142And we tell these boards that have contacted us over the last couple of years that want to sort of get into the legislative realm. We say start with two or three, right? Don't don't try and have 20 freaking resolutions on anything because you're going to get lost in the sauce, right? Two or three. What are the two or three big issues for your school district? Is it mental health? Is it special ed funding? Is it state adequacy aid? State funding. I'm just picking topics generally. We got cell phones >> and cell phones of course. Um um and then so their legislative committee. I don't go we talked about collective authority, individual authority, some work on the committee, some discussion about committees here. I don't know how these specific committees work. I don't know if they've
143been granted authority to take positions on behalf of the board or if they make a recommendation to the board and then make a recommendation internal to the committee and then come back to the full board for ratification, authorization to testify, write a letter, whatever it might be. But their starting point is what do we stand for? What do we believe? These are the three three major topics, three policy positions that that and that that that the school board is going to take. And then their policy committee vets through the bills that are coming through. Let's say they have one on special education funding. Well, are there bills impacting special education funding? Oh, yes, there are. There three bills that are going to increase special ed funding. So, we are going to write a letter or
144sign in support or come and testify in support of that bill because it's in line with the policy position that the school board has adopted, right? Um or oppose this, whatever. Doesn't always support oppose, whatever the case may be. Um, so, um, I had a I had more thoughts and I I I lost where I was where I was going. So, but anyway, so you they've got the policy positions that drive whether or not they're going to support legislation or or or oppose legislation. Um, you know, that's a conversation that your board I mean, some of you just may not want to step into the political realm at all, too. And that's fine. You know what I mean? That's a conversation that the that the that the that the five of you have to have.
145Um, you know, again, I I think given how contentious things can be and how divisive things can be, again, my own personal opinion is if if if it gives everybody cover if if something like that is is is unanimous or there's consensus. If it's not, I mean, majority wins, but there's risk that comes along with that then. Is that am I How am I doing? No. Well, I think especially >> I should ask the five of you, how am I doing? >> So, I I think you know, one of the things if you look at uh those boards that have legislative committees, you you might find that um you know, the populace is not evenly divided. You know, that that they have a strong majority in one area or the other. >> What city they
146are? >> Yeah. >> Manchester, I know. Uh but there's >> but the other ones are >> but they're f they focus mostly on the money part. >> Yes. >> And not not the social stuff. >> Right. And and if you're in a community that you know is more divided than that and you start reaching out on you know social issues, don't be surprised if the board flips the next time. Um, you know, just like anything else, there's a reaction to it and the reaction builds the the publicity and that's partly why, especially on those controversial things, a 50-0 position is is, you know, far safer than a 3-2 position on something where a good number of, you know, the folks in your community might disagree with you, >> right? Um because you know it's I
147don't know how it is in in this district with getting people to run for office. Um but you know there are some places oh please just somebody somebody we need somebody. But then there are other places where you take a position and somebody's going to run against that position the next goround. So you know you have to be mindful of those things. Maybe if it's funding, you could be a little, you know, a little um, you know, well, maybe not in this district. >> Um, the other question too though, um, somebody had mentioned how can we better better educate our community? Um, the legislative updates that we send out every Friday that Becky sends out usually every Friday. Um, you know, if you want to share those with members of the public, certainly feel free.
148We can't add people that are not school board members to our distribution list, but I mean, anything that we send out, like our legislative update, we sent out what, a week or so ago. I mean, we consider that to be a public record. Once it gets into your hands, it's a public record anyway. So, if anybody wants a copy of it, I got I got an email from a board member today saying, "Thanks for sending on the very comprehensive legislative summary. Can I share this with other people in our community?" Have at it. Whoever wants to wants to see it, take a take. just just know that if you send it out >> uh there will be people who call you >> Yes. >> and and really go at you for opposing a bill or
149supporting a bill. >> So I I guess I just didn't really I guess I still feel like it's a little murky because if we have a policy that says specifically we confine our role to policym planning and oversight. >> Yeah. And if there are members who have an appetite for legislative action, does that need to then be put into a policy in order for them to execute? If our governing policy confines us to certain roles and we have a lane >> I get I get what you're saying. That's a good question. Alison, >> you you could adjust you could adjust your policy or the board. So there's no this this comes as a surprise but uh courts typically will not hold the board to its policies unless the policies either one violate some statute or
150rule >> or provide more protection for an individual or more rights for an individual than the statute or regulation did. Other than that the board didn't follow its policy. Oh well >> we get that question from board members and members of the public all the time. They didn't a board didn't follow their own policy on you know >> so the board could suspend a policy it could uh amend its policy or it could just create a legislative committee and that act in of itself implicitly uh changes the impact of the first policy >> then you had your hand >> well it's unrelated to it was about the communication you were just saying posting things like the NHSPA um updates on Facebook um or something to the community. Would that be a designated individual that would
151do that? >> In that scenario, >> you can either post it or you can just share it upon request. One of one of the other interested people in your community. >> We I think we were talking previously about, you know, increasing communication with our community because there's there tends to be a >> it gets lost communication plan. Yeah, back get back to the communication, >> but how to increase that and make it more, you know, make it more accessible to our community and make I have them understand, you know, where our policies are coming from and things like that. Like obviously we have these meetings, but no one ever comes and like they're online, but who's watching who's watching a three-hour >> schoolboard association, you know, and so everything now is very short to the
152point and sweet like everyone likes text. I must talk, you know, have maybe have the conversation that's a larger conversation about, we talked about communicating with your constituents and have a communication plan. I always get I'm always sensitive to administrative time when the board wants to post more stuff online because that's somebody in Gina's office that's got to, you know what I mean? And some things I imagine are easy to post and some things probably are not as easy to post when you're talking about docs and PDL. I'm just saying be mindful of the administrative time. Oh, put this online. Put this on Facebook. Put this online. Put this on Facebook. You got somebody in Gina's office who's got to take time out of their day from doing something else to, you know. Um, so
153>> well, yeah. And I'd go about posting our stuff. Like every time we do a training, we number one, we try to make it so that it's a public meeting like this one is. Some districts don't want to do it that way, but but so anything we put in a training is always available with the legislative summaries, >> you know, >> it it can it can create it can create issues for you. >> Sure. Understood. >> But um but they're still they're not they're you know they're not private documents that you know we keep hidden. Um and if you want to share them that's you know that's up to you. anything else in sort of the legislative advocacy realm. >> Yeah. I mean, I think again like kind of like Allison was saying, I know
154that it's it's a complicated issue. I just So, so what I'm hearing just to recap because my brain is fried right now is um technically it could be a majority vote. Best practice sounds like it's in your opinion it's best practice to be unanimous. That's what I mean. That's a >> fair way to >> I think and well especially if it goes outside of funding. >> Yeah. >> I mean fund funding is you know important to everybody. >> Uh doesn't matter what your position is. Um and and it may be you know you know throwing uh mandates fiscal mandates on local districts bothers pretty much everybody. um except the people that are throwing them on >> which which makes it challenging when some of your own constituents that you have to represent because you're in
155this position to represent everybody in the community >> is of a different opinion. >> So, so part of sorry >> could I argue to that though if we are representing the community but we're really here if I understand correctly our job is to represent the children right to the schools. >> You got a lot of constituents. I say kids first >> kids first but still whole community right like >> but that's the but >> if I go back to my military training right you have one mission above all and then submissions right so like our goal is to act in the best if I'm correct right our goal is to act in the best interest of the children >> make you have a duty to ensure that the children in this community receive an education
156>> so and political leanings all those things aside there is always going to be people that believe one thing versus the other, right? And and our job is to decide as as a school board if I'm correct >> which of those positions >> is in the best interest of the children. Not we're here to represent the feelings of everybody in town. We're here to represent what we think if am I understanding that correctly? Uh maybe maybe a little first I want to say the first question that you asked and he answered your question >> and you responded and I said I bet she was in the military. >> He said and you went understood. >> But anyway, >> but so maybe I'm misunderstanding then. So >> no no no I think okay so the duty
157of the board is to provide a public education. >> Correct. Okay. >> You have multiple constituencies and you represent them as well. your duty is to provide the public education, but if you just let's say your proposed budget, let's go wild because we really do want that tech thing. Voters aren't going to support it. >> And and in fact, it may be that your budget proposal was so heavy that instead the voters are going to move to amend your budget >> much lower and and look around the state. Last year, there was, you know, well, >> four years ago, there was one district that had its budget cut. I'm not even using Cudon because that's silly. But but but um their their budget was 12 million and at at the um deliberative session they they
158cut it to 9.5. >> I mean that had a huge impact. Uh Jaffrey had the same thing. So you you know you you're stewards of all of the people in your community. Okay. >> Um and and you've got to take that into account. So when we talked about that that you know that's your underlying duty, it's it's really when you get to that closed call and maybe you can't make that decision, you know, it's just I know I can't do this, this is hard or if I do this, this is hard. That might be the place where you just go to what's the better one for the kids, right? Um, but you may have run as a fiscal conservative who believes in everybody should just go wherever they want and you're going to support every
159vote that does that. I >> if that's what you ran on and you got elected, then you know that's that's your position. So, >> yes, the board's duty is to provide the education. Uh, but that means a lot of different things. You know, what's in the best interest of kids? I mean, ask five parents and you're going to get at least three different answers. >> Well, no, that would be unanimous or a majority, right? Like that agreed on that for sure. We're deciding what that might mean. >> However, what looks like that cost, >> but that's the guiding principle is what I'm understanding. Correct. Yeah. Okay. >> What that looks like is variable. And can I ask one other clarifying question on the legislative advocacy like when we were talking about unanimous versus majority and
160things is that were we talking just so I'm clear in order to do it at all or on specific issues. I wasn't sure what that if that was clear or not. >> I don't think we've had that conversation yet. >> No, I wasn't sure if that's what you were referencing. Yeah, I think it's just in general because I know like at the last meeting which I know you weren't able to be out, we kind of like were having our conversation about just stepping into it at all. We hadn't really even clarified. We were just I wasn't sure if that was >> I might recommend and I don't want to take too much more of the board's time on on the sort of the legislative advocacy piece and I imagine you're going to have further discussions
161with it. um you know, if you want to, you know, at at a subsequent meeting in in September or October or if you have time to schedule a a separate meeting or whatnot, if you want our director of governmental relations to come on down either via Zoom or in person to talk a little bit more about how some of the other boards have operated and some of the challenges that they may have run into. um you know and and let Becky sort of maybe opine as to you know whether or not she thinks you know anyway just if if you would like to further the conversation among yourselves but also have somebody here to listen to you that lives the legislature all the time you know I'm I'm happy to >> that would be very
162helpful >> I don't know if she I doubt she's watching but I'm I'm happy to volunteer Becky's time to come on down >> I mean I guess what I would say is I I mean I think we have plenty going on nobody really wants to take on I think that What we're starting to see is some extreme, right? And I guess I mean if I just threw out some kind of crazy, right? Like let's just say all of absolutely all the state funding was cut all of a sudden. This decision was being made, right? Maybe that would be an an opportunity or maybe that would be an example of where, hey, guess what? We as a board need to maybe decide as a group that we need to do something about this. So, >> I
163think it's just better to understand, right? Like what what we're talking about and just we don't have to go into this with like an idea yet. It's just that if something comes up, we want to be prepared >> in terms of and so that we're not kind of blindsided because it's it has seemed like in the spring there was a lot going on before like even Lynn and I were on the board, but we started getting all these emails and they were coming from other school boards or maybe people representing other school boards. I haven't totally figured that out. Um, but they were taking a stance on certain things. And so it just I think more from my perspective. I didn't have a a a lane. I just want to understand, right? Like if we
164decide to do this, like what does it mean? What does it look like? Is it okay? That's awesome. >> If you get emails from organizations other than NHSBA and you're curious about who they are and what they do, feel free to reach out to me and ask. >> Awesome. Okay. >> All right. Um, I know we are way over time, but I know you've got one more thing and we you were gonna cover for us >> committees. >> Yeah. Um, and and I think it's okay to to do that. I'm gonna open public input though, so that we can hit the 30 minutes on that. Is that okay? Am I allowed to do that in the middle of this or No. No. Okay. >> I mean, there's nobody here. I just want to legally open
165it. >> Well, we have the right person here to ask. >> Um, do you think we can to 8:20 and then be done. Is that enough time? 10 minutes. 12 minutes. >> What do you need us to offer for 10 minutes? >> Yeah. No. >> Um I think we you were going to touch on just committees briefly. >> Yeah. If you want us to touch on committees for 10 minutes or so. Yeah. >> If that and then we'll and then we'll put a pin in it and if we need to have you back, we'll have you back. >> Absolutely. Absolutely. >> And we appreciate the time. I know you've got an agenda to do. >> This has been overall very helpful though. I think >> one one quick before we get to the committees. Um
166I there's one other question um that I I think is important um that Allison you forwarded you forwarded to me. I I don't know who asked this. It's fine. I think it would be very helpful to get some better guidance on how we can communicate more effectively and appropriately between meetings and on email. For example, if we want to do team building or culture events, is that okay? How do we make sure we're not violating open meeting laws? You got to be very very cautious with email. um you know, inadvertently you inadvertently create a chain of communication that would invoke an improper meeting under the right to know law because it hasn't been noticed, the public isn't present, there was no opportunity for public comment and the public couldn't attend, right? Um with that said,
167you only meet once a month, right? You know, you know, I don't want to make more meetings for anybody, especially me. I get that. But, you know, maybe every other month you have two meetings a month. I've seen some boards where they do will help me out with this cuz I can't really >> Do you feel the daggers coming your way? >> Right. >> What's that? >> Do you feel the daggers going? >> I know. I know. I know. >> But some board some boards will do um and and Gina or anybody else help me figure out what I'm trying to say here. They'll do one meeting where they have to like ratify policies and reports and then the other meeting is just kind of like info only. You know what I'm talking about? >>
168Yeah. Okay. So, >> I believe No, believe me, I get it too. I believe me. I get it, too. Somebody who's out a lot of nights a year um and appreciate the work that you do. You not not I don't want to make any more meetings for anybody else. I'm just saying it's a thought. And so I asked the question and I feel like as a new board member it it's just a little um I'm still figuring it out, right? Like I've been on other boards but not as small so I don't get run into the quorum situation as often. >> But I do feel as though I guess my question was more like um like like what if we didn't even talk business? I mean could we put that as meetings? Like we just
169it almost seems like we could use like a team building just to get to know each other. Like who are you? Like do you know like when you have new people come on your team at work like you like learn you like meet them you hey what like tell me about your family right like >> I'm I'm gonna I'm gonna give you just like the the the quick Did you see that duck that was up there a little while ago? Okay so a meeting under the right to know law >> y >> if if these things exist then it's a meeting and you have to have all the other things. So you have to have notice and minutes and so forth. >> Yep. Do do you have a quorum of your public body? So your
170board or a com like even a committee can have its own quorum. Um >> are you able to talk to each other? Uh and talk to each other includes text messaging, Facebook comments, um you know uh in person any type of digital communication, zoom meetings, doesn't matter. and are you talking about things within the jurisdiction of the school board? And if you got those three things, then you're having a meeting. And the whole idea of the those parts of the right to know law is so that the public can see its governing body talking about the things that are within its jurisdiction. That's what's required. And so all of those communications have to occur in public meetings. Now as a new board member or you know one board member you can have a conversation with
171another board member but but you two have to keep that amongst yourselves. It can't go to a third one. You know the poor folks that are in the school boards that only have three school board members. They can't talk to each other at all. and NHMA which has lots of the municipal association has lots and lots of towns that have three select board members and they're very clear at you can't do board business between two of you. You just can't. Um so unfortunately if you do the retreat um or you do the onboarding or the orientation or the get to know each other um you notice it as a meeting. Um, you know, I was doing a retreat for they were doing it at some guy's lakehouse. Uh, the board chair. No, the superintendent's lakehouse
172and uh it was his wife's lake house. It wasn't his. Where are we going? >> Yeah. I just I just want to make that clear. It was >> I have six kids. >> But but they said they were having it and I'm like, you know, you have to notice that and just make sure you have a couple of extra chairs just in case. I have been to I don't know maybe 50. >> Did you go to the one at the restaurant? >> So, okay. So if we did when the owner came out and kicked everybody out, >> we would just have to we'd have to publish it is basically we'd have to give meeting minutes. We'd have to put it out, but we could do a team building and even if we didn't talk about
173schoolboard business, >> we talked about the board retreat earlier. Those are noticed public meetings. >> I've been to some where nobody shows up and I've been to somewhere a couple of members of the constituent a couple constituents showed up and wanted to hear what the board was talking about. Or I'll do the goal setting. Have at it, you know. But yeah, I mean, do you do you do you want to have a a meeting without talking about schoolboard stuff where you do ice breakers and get to know you and team building? >> I guess I was trying to get up. >> Yeah, you can do that. You just got to invite the public. >> Gotcha. >> Yeah. All right. Sorry to veer away from the from the committees. You're fine. >> But that Did you
174have a follow? >> Yeah. In the off because we're a very small town. We're all in the same location. >> We're all small towns in New England. >> Yeah. Fair enough. Like three kids are in the drama play and three of us, you know, >> social or town or not? I just >> I think we normally we normally post those, right? >> Yeah. No, if you're if you're at the ball game or the Christmas concert or or the school play or whatever, don't just, you know, you know, if you can, don't sit next to one another. Don't huddle up in the corner and make it look like you're trying. >> Just Just be mindful. Just be mindful. That's just clarifying. >> Yeah. Like Dan's daughter and mine are the same age, so we are often
175together at place, so we just are very mindful. Talk about school stuff. >> Yeah. So >> committee, sorry about that. What about what was the >> danc practices surrounding um continuity from year to year with changing of boards as it pertains to committees that renew each year. Um kind of what the recommended best practice was. Um, one of the one of the things we found, um, is there was just a a even my own having been on the board for three years, not a real understanding of like the individual committees and what they do. And so, is it better to have like a charter? Is it recommended to have a a policy for those that go yeartoear? Like what what is that? Is there anything legal surrounding any of those? And um with committees, particularly
176since we do our our one of our biggest charges is policy work, can you have more than two school board members sit on a committee, especially if we do notice the meeting uh online? >> U so kind of two parts to that. >> Well, there were a lot of parts. There were more than two. >> Well, yeah. So, so start off with uh committees and es especially you talked about institutional turnover or board turnover continuity. Um you know typically boards have at least three standing committees. Um you know they have a policy committee, they have a fiscal committee and they have a you know grounds committee or you know >> facilities >> whatever it is. bigger boards can have more committees because they're not spread too. There was one board I went to, they had
177three members, they had eight committees. I'm like, I mean, that makes no sense. Just >> um so one thing you can't do with a committee is you can't delegate board decision-m. So all of your committees are advisory only. They they they can't make decisions. the decisions that they're making is here's the information that we need to assemble, here are the recommendations we're going to make, here's how we're going to package it, and then they give it to the board and the board has to decide. Um the the the standing committees should have a policy that describes what they do. Um, our sample is very very like it it's just says here's some standing committees and uh there's a second policy advisory committees. Frankly, all committees are advisory committees. Um the the only reason there's a
178separate policy is because they created a paragraph in the right to no law that threw everybody off, but all committees are advisory committees. Um, so this this and I looked at your agenda and I saw that you have this charter for the Brookline Facilities Committee. Perfect. Um, and and if it's not a standing committee, then having calling it a charter and making sure that it's somewhere that somebody's paying attention to it, um, that's fine. um your policy committee having a something in your policy manual that says here's what the duties are here's what kind of uh discretion they have you know like so I made a sample policy that says if uh you know if NHSBA uh does a typo correction or adds a legal reference that doesn't need to go through three readings or
179two readings whatever you do um that's just something policy committee he can make the change, bring it to the board, and if the board didn't like it, well, guess what? You can go back and make the typo change and reverse it. Um, but having the scope of duties, what kind of work product you expect, those things are all fine. Um, the the what was the other thing I did see you had a committee policy. Uh, no, it was it a no, it was a committee policy. >> It was a committee policy. We needed to update our existing one. And I, you know, I I think there's a couple of pieces in there that somebody might want to ask talk to me about. Not to because I don't have it in front of me. And but
180I did see that there was like the implication that the board could delegate decision- making to a committee and it really can't do that. Um, but let's see. So what other pieces? >> And then the other piece was es particularly given the fact that one of our biggest things is policy. Um, it was always my understanding we could we couldn't have more than two people on a committee >> if two board members two board members. Sorry, not two people, two board members. Could we have more, especially if we notice the meeting? >> Um, well, then it's a board meeting, >> right? That's not >> so then it's not a committee meeting. >> Correct. Correct. >> That's frustrating. Okay. >> Yep. And and um you know the other thing >> bring more people in if they
181want. No, I mean if if you if you feel the need to have a third person and you're able to meet at 9:00 on Tuesday morning or whatever, there's a policy committee. We're going to just notice there's there's a full board meeting. >> You got to you got to go through the not you got to go through the public comment if anybody shows up or is anybody going to show up for the for the policy committee meeting at 9:00 on a on a Tuesday? Probably not. >> No, they can one district where >> Yeah. Well, >> okay, fair enough. those there was just kind of some kind of bigger broader questions because we're going to have conversations surrounding committees and >> yeah having having a formal process for establishing the committee and then giving it
182a you know closure date >> um makes sense um identifying because some committees you want it doesn't need to just be two board members you could have other you know people but you just have to be clear as to who are voting members who are not voting members That's especially true in your quorum aspect. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Excellent. >> Before we wrap up, is there anything else from this board here? You guys have anything that wasn't addressed that like you would really like addressed tonight? >> This was great. >> I think the only quick question I had the call for uh resolutions, >> delegate. Um I wasn't really sure what that is. >> Sure. So, um, every year NHSVA has our annual business meeting because we're a nonprofit. We have an annual business
183meeting. It is very similar to your school district annual meeting where any of the NHSBA school boards can submit a proposed resolution considered a petition warrant article. Okay? >> Right. And then, um, my board of directors goes through and makes my board of directors are all elected school board members from across the state. They go through and they say, "Yes, we'll support this proposed resolution from the Brooklyn School Board. No, we're not going to support this pro this proposed resolution from the Brookline School Board." Um, yes, we're going to support it with a modification. >> Can you give me like example? >> Um, >> like what have we like put forward? >> Yeah. So, um, trying to think I was reviewing them today with help from staff trying to think think of one that was
184maybe easy enough to explain. um say the you know um >> unfunded state mandates. >> Yeah. So you know um we we got one from a school board that says NHSBA opposes any state I'm making this up off the top of my head but NHSBA supports the state of New Hampshire fully funding its special education obligations and opposes you know any further cuts to special education funding period. Right. So, does the NHSBA board of directors support that? The recommendation from the NHSBA board is just a recommendation has no bearing at all. And then we have our annual meeting. The the the delegate assembly. It's on a Saturday in October. The date is changing that something came up anyway um at the Graon Conference Center um in conquered and it's like an annual meeting. Any school
185board that is a member of NHSPA can send one voting delegate. Any and all school board members that want to come and spend a Saturday at the Graponia be able to come and watch it. Um but House or I'm sorry, the Brookline School Board would be allowed one vote in delegate and we put the proposals out to the body. Do you support this proposal submitted by the Brookline School Board? And a show of hands or a voice vote on whether or not and those resolutions um guide NHSBA's legislative advocacy. So to the it's not always clean. Um but whenever NHSBA is taking a position on a bill at the legislature, we really try and tie it back to a resolution that our members have adopted. So, I can say this isn't Barrett thinking this is
186a good idea or a bad idea, or it's not Becky Wilson, our director of governmental relations, thinking it's a good idea or a bad idea. Our members have voted on this general topic, on this general position, and they either oppose or support the bill that we're talking about. So, >> it's it's it's it has the it has the structure of an annual meeting. They're almost like I said, they're petition warrant articles. My board says yes, recommend, no, don't recommend. that's advisory only. Um, more times than not, I think the body goes along with what the board of directors wants, but not always. We've had we've had a few over the last couple of years where the board has either recommended like an alternative version or not recommended at all, and the body has said no,
187that we want it as as introduced by whatever school board it was. >> Okay. Thank you. So, this is like a good path for advocacy for for our board then. >> It is. Yep. Yep. Yeah. And so so what what we do um we will be sending out the proposed resolutions I'm hoping no later than next Tuesday. >> Um and then we ask our school boards I think we got 10 or 12 proposals this year. Um it's I don't want to say frustrating but when things were not as politically charged in public education as they are now we'd get maybe one maybe two a year and now we get 8 10 12 a year. It is what it is. Um um so we will be sending those out to our to our member boards. I'm
188hoping by next Tuesday following Labor Day. And then we ask the boards to one send choose a delegate send send a delegate to come up to conquer that the Saturday that we're hosting it and also take a vote on the proposals that have been you know been brought forward. Does the Brooklyn school board support proposal one? Yes or no? There's a it's some time there's some time inensive labor to what it may take with 12 of them and you have a robust discussion it may take an hour hour and a half to get through them. >> Fortunately this year I think we of the 12 that we got I think three are kind of on the same topic. So like the recommendation from my board of directors is going to be exactly the same for
189so if you if you choose yes on number one you can probably choose yes on number two and three and and vice versa. >> Got it. >> Very helpful. >> Excellent. Yes. Your registration's open already. Email it. to change the date though. Just be aware of that. And was that Yeah, we got to change the date. >> Is there anything else before I let them before we let them go? >> Thank you very much. Thank you guys. >> Thank you guys very much. Our pleasure. Follow up. Uh if you'll indulge me for two more seconds. We've taken up enough of your time. Um thank you for having us down. Um if there's any followup, um we tend to ask that questions filter through the board chair and or the superintendent. Um if you want um
190me to um take up two more hours of your life any other time and invite me back um happy to come down and and talk about any other topic there may be if you would like Becky back down to talk about sort of the legislative advocacy piece a little bit more and what other school boards are doing. She's happy to help out with that. Um and last um thank you for your continued membership in NHSBA. You being members of the association and paying dues to the association allows us to have Will on staff to write policies and provide legal guidance and allows me to come out and do the training, allows Becky on have on to have on staff to send out the legislative updates and whatnot. So, um, we appreciate your time and effort
191and thank you. >> Thank you. Appreciate it. >> Um, I want to thank the board for letting us go over on that. I know this was long. I know this we have a lot still to go. Um, but thank you because this was incredibly important. Um, I am going to open public input now at 8:25 p.m. Um, we do not currently have anybody here, but if somebody shows up in the next 30 minutes, we will certainly invite them to um, speak. >> Can I interrupt? I'm going to um, ask if we can dismiss Donna. >> Yes. >> Thank you. >> Yes. Do we need to vote on that? >> No. Donna, have a good evening. Thank you for hanging. Um, principles, let's turn it over to you for your principal report, please. Awesome. >> All
192right. Sorry, I didn't mean to take up any more time. All right. Uh, so, uh, thanks for having us here tonight. Uh, welcome to the 2526 school year. Chaz and I will share our principal report. You'll see our our enrollment is overall in Brooklyn up by two students compared to last year's start. >> Um, but we actually lost three kids today. So, it went down. So, Oops. >> But you lost three kids just today. >> Today? Yeah. Yeah. just because of some moving moving situations, but we'll get back up again. Don't worry, >> I was gonna say those houses will sell and the kids will move in and here we go. >> But before we go any further, um Chaz and I did want to um share that we had a lot of success this
193summer with uh hiring some positions that are difficult to fill, like we were able to secure a music teacher, which is great. We got a fifth grade teacher. We had a long-term sub for third grade to fill. So, those are filled and we feel good about that. We also had new families come last week for new family orientation. Great new families. Chaz gave it towards CSDA. I gave one to RMS. Um, and then we will welcome back staff today, yesterday. And we've had a great first two days of staff trainings, but we want to also thank the board for the delicious lunchon yesterday and also the touch with um all the nice cards to all the staff. That takes a lot of time and effort. But >> I think I think we missed a few
194though. So if you want to give me the new hires, I don't think I will. Like for the fifth grade teachers and stuff. Oh, >> we would love to offer them the same. >> Yeah, sure. We can try. Yeah, we have a couple maybe. Sure. Thank you. Yeah, it's hard to keep up with the list because there's a lot of moving parts, but we tried. >> Absolutely. We just want to make sure that they all feel welcome. So, if you pass along, please >> um but we appreciate the kindness and the encouragement to start the year. It means a lot to the staff. Um also, thank you to the PTO this morning. They did a breakfast for both buildings. Um really nicely done as well. So, we you know, the teachers and all of us
195feel really um valued and appreciated to start the year. Um we talked a little bit about strategic goals um tonight and our district. We had a retreat and Gina and Dot presented the strategic goals for the district. We will present our goals at the next meeting in September. Yep. So, we'll do that. >> Um, and uh, you also have to be on the lookout for some new Instagram reels that are going to be coming out soon. >> They're going to be cool. And I What's that? I think it's actually Do you have the name of the account by the way, Gina? >> Like for the district ones because we have some people that are like texting me like, "What's the account? What's it? They can't wait to see the video. >> RMS RMMS Blue J.
196>> But the district one for the district video. >> Oh, no. It's RMS Blue J. >> Oh, it's on our own. >> CSD. >> So, there's going to be some good ones. So, >> one for each town. >> Oh, perfect. >> One for each um >> school. One for each town. >> There were three different posts, >> one for each district, >> and then two schools were joined. >> Mhm. >> But it's one video shared three times. >> Yeah. Sure. Take a look. >> It's gonna be cool. It's gonna be great. It's gonna be awesome. Right. >> It's I already saw it. It's very awesome. >> Oh, you already saw it? >> I already saw it. >> Oh, yeah. Because he's like Instagram man. Um, so quickly some building updates for RMS and then I'll
197turn it over to Chad Chaz. Um, we have a new phone system and PA system in our school. Just an enhancement to our security and also overall communication throughout the building. Um so thank you to Rich and um the district and the taxpayers for supporting that. We we're now um you know kind of align with the same system that CSDA has as well. It's the the VoIP system. Uh we did some painting this summer at the building. Uh most recently we've painted some bathroom floors in uh the grade one uh bathrooms in kindergarten. We also painted the gym. So uh Mr. Martis has a project that he's trying to um finalize through some grant money and some partnership with the PTO to put a rock wall in the gym. It's going to look great. We
198have great great plans for it, but we recently took down the acoustic panels. If you remember, there were these white panels in the gym. >> Um >> so we we took those down and we've painted the walls there. So it looks really it's just updated and neat looking. So that's great. And then um pretty soon the LED lighting, so what we have here will be similar to upstairs in the upper level um throughout our building. They're doing the work at CSA now. So >> have the the updates with like the connecting the boil or like what is >> connecting the boilers here? >> Oh, that's CSA. >> No, no, I know that was the boiler, but wasn't there also an include of like >> the panel the controllers? >> The controllers. >> Yes, connecting the
199controllers. >> We don't have a controlling system in our in our in in this building. Our building is unable to right now because we have >> like four or five different systems in our building, >> right? >> Because we have univvents, we have air, you know, we have duct systems, we've got mini split. So, we don't have a DDC control system, but something that we'll probably discuss. >> Okay. Yeah. For some reason, I thought there was something in that budget line about like maybe it was the phones. >> There was a line item that said something about control system, but that I think that would be I think CSARD. So, I'll just I'm going to turn over to Chaz and then we'll discuss the uh calendar. You go. >> Um, so I'm quickly getting up
200to speed on uh everything that's going on in CSA. Uh, we do have the the space transformations. Um, we have uh one office that was a larger office for our special education administrator. We split that into three. um giving us a little bit more flexibility with smaller office space for for our support uh uh support staff and things like that that we have coming in. Um the LED lighting has been replaced. Uh they put in the dimmers today, so they're going to be making sure they work. Um uh it's very fancy lighting and does make a huge difference. So it's it's great. Uh we had the floors uh in our uh office area replaced. So the rug is gone and got these nice uh nice looking uh hard not not hard wood but >> laminate
201thank you uh floors. Um they're really great. And um the boilers and the underground storage tank uh they got replaced a little probably a week week and a half ago. They finished all that up. Um so the back is looking better where the uh where the playground's at um and all that. So, uh, again, still trying to get up to speed. I've walked around the building a few times, but every time I walk around, I seem to see something new that I never saw before. So, I'm going to keep on doing those loops until there's nothing new. So, I'll keep doing that through September, too. >> Oh, yeah. So, uh, a few things going on. Um, I think we had I agree with Dan. I think we had a great opening. Um, it was very
202positive. It was very energetic. Um, been nothing but impressed with this district and and so thankful to be here. Um, uh, we have a CSA town hall meeting. um on the 28th. And what that is is um when I come in new to a school and I'll I'll usually do it every year anyway, but I'll have a town hall meeting where um I get all the kids in the grade level into the gym and they kind of circle around me and I talk to them about expectations uh introductions of who I am, things like that. Uh in this town hall meeting, I'm going to play off of what I did during the listening tour, which is um talk to them about how kindness matters and my expectations regarding kindness. Um and as well as thinking
203about um uh safety emotionally and physically in the building. My expectation is people will stay safe that way. Uh and do things and reflect behavior that stays safe that way. And um and letting me know uh how they feel every day. So I tell them I I ask them how how are you feeling today? I never ask them how you're doing. Um I always ask them how they're feeling. So I encourage them to tell me. That helps me support them. Uh so I do that town hall meeting. It's actually a very short meeting uh with each grade level, only about 15 or 20 minutes each. Uh we'll have a fire drill in the third. Um and that'll be my first one in the district. Thank you to Dan for so many different things, but he's
204been such a help in helping me acclimate to uh what is a very very just excellent district when when it comes to safety and any kind of safety. I mean, it it truly is. I and I've worked in several different states. I I I haven't seen a district that does it like this. Um it's absolutely spectacular. So, um uh getting up to speed on that very quickly. And then uh we have our open house on um on uh the 11th. So, we're all set. Awesome. Thanks, Ch. So, for RMS tomorrow, we're excited to uh invite all the kindergarten families. We do an open house the day before school starts. That way, it's fresh in the students minds the next day when they come to school. It's an exciting time. Um, actually have a kindergarter coming
205tomorrow. I know Johanna does and >> everybody else is they're all getting older. I know. I know. It's Anyways, so kindergarten open house is great. Our kindergarten teachers do a great job of just um getting their rooms ready before the families come and the students. We have stations set up throughout the building. So, we have a office station in the gym, a bus for the students to come out so they can acclimate to like what the bus looks like. Um the teachers give a tour around the building and they also tour the classroom and then the students go outside for like a little mini recess with our par educators and then families can hang out there later on and try to create some connection. So that's been a great um a great event in years
206past. Um we will do kind of similar to the town hall but we we typically do a RMS flag pole ceremony. I know I'm just laugh. I think something whatever somebody said something funny last year but anyways we do a flag pole ceremony and I've done this for this will be our my 11th time doing this. So we bring all the students outside we do the pledge of allegiance wings the blue jay comes we introduce all the new kids all the new staff and um we have some third grade volunteers that you know raise the flag and uh it's a great event just to get the whole community outside. We have our first fire drill coming up. Preschool orientation is the fourth. Then they start after the following week on the 8th and then our
207open house is very similar to CSDA's um the 11th. Yeah. Okay. Um so we're we're on the 10th open house and then that's pretty much it. Um the big news is picture day is the 11th in Berkeley, not the 10th. >> We got it. >> I got like eight parents. So many >> that's important day. It's important day. So um but it's the staff have done a tremendous job getting the rooms ready. The buildings look great. Thanks to technology, custodial staff, facilities, and then the dedication of the staff and our office staff >> 17th. >> Thought so. So there is an error there. So it's the seven. Thank you. >> I thought so. I thought it was the seven. So CSA's open house is the 17th. >> So the week after >> picture day. Picture
208day is the 11th. We're all excited. Yes. Picture day is he said very important. >> It's just nice that you guys don't have the same night show. >> Yeah. >> Or the next or or backtoback nights. >> Oh, when we when we do this conversation in the spring, >> it's like a fight between I want this. I want this draft because we don't want >> But >> yeah, next year I'm going to get >> It's uh it's very competitive. >> It wasn't for us, but >> Chaz wasn't there, so he didn't have a voice. >> I think someone picked it for Chaz. There wasn't me talking. There we go. No. Um, so yeah. Any questions about our principles report? And we'll have a like I said, we'll have a presentation. >> The uh the staffing
209needs at the bottom here are correct or not correct? >> I would say that's accurate. >> I know. Well, it was it's gone now because Gina said tonight is four and a half at RMS CSA. >> But because we moved some people around, >> okay, since we so we always did this report a week ahead. >> Okay. So in a week we've shifted people around and so now we lost three students. >> I Okay. I just >> just ask. >> And some people don't even know school starts on Thursday. So you know in case you haven't known >> come to Brookline for school on Thursday. We're ready. >> Are you tired? >> We had 9:30. >> It's past my bedtime. So, one thing that I would maybe like to suggest just to kind of make
210it easier is um it might be helpful from the principles to just send out little like uh review of the drop off pickup protocol. I noticed that there was the >> drop off one in the morning in there with like the name, but like I know especially here at RMS, we had changed some stuff last year like remember because the preschool moved to the behind and then we were like trying to manage traffic. So, it might be helpful for parents. >> We can set another I'm pretty sure we put something about pickup as in there as well. I didn't I didn't kind of saw something right now. So, you might have missed it. >> I took a picture of it. >> Okay. I don't >> I think I had pickup in there. >> I thought
211I saw the times, but I remember there was like a whole process of like preschool parents and which lanes and like how they >> I will do an update. That's a great point. I will that is >> it's been a long three months for us parents. Okay. Remember, >> I do an update, but I'll do it right before preschool starts because they don't talk to the >> That'll be right. That'll be >> too much There's too much right now that I want people to miss it. >> No, I think that's great. So, I just thought I'd throw that out there. And the and the updated bus schedules I know are posted online. >> We posted those today. >> They posted. Okay. >> They were posted the other day, but we put an alert >> cuz
212I went and found them and I was like, "Oh, there's no alert." So, I want to flag you for you. But >> we're good. >> You're I sure. Did you guys get an alert about buses? >> Want to make sure >> I did not check maybe. Did you not get what? Check out your parents. >> Check parents getting >> No, I got I got the picture day adjustment. I got the the welcome back one. I decided to >> it was in the welcome back. >> It was in the welcome. >> So again, I skimmed. >> Okay. Excellent. >> All right. >> Okay. Um discussion points. We have three things to discuss. The first being um board goals for 20 26 2027. Is this a starting conversation that we can start now and continue next month
213or do you need it all? It's really just a high level conversation about what what are some priorities because we um are fully immersed in developing budget for FY27. So like are there specific priorities that you see as a board um years ago it was and so then we made sure that there was money in the budget forCal curriculum. That's just an example. So >> yeah, I so I was just going to say I mean right off the top of my head I think if continuing to kind of roll in building updates is going to be important especially like >> facilities here and facilities and things like that. I I want us to just kind of keep an eye on that because I know we're hitting some critical time. >> Yep. >> Perfect. >> I
214personally would like us to see our um spe specials teachers that are split between buildings to become full-time positions in both buildings. So, I would like us to work towards being able to hire additional staff to support art and music full-time in both schools. >> Perfect. >> Um because it is it's Yeah. And those are very valuable extras, but it's very timeconuming. >> What are what are thoughts? Does anybody have any other ideas we can kind of spitball and >> you can come in anytime? This just sort of gives us a place >> to start >> to go. Yeah. Yeah. Do we have like the ones from last year? Just so we can like that we can look at like on meeting minutes maybe. >> I don't know that we did them last year just
215so I can understand kind of like what the board goals were. I don't think the board do them >> did them under Colleen. >> Yeah. No, we did not set them under that last year. So >> I think there had already been kind of a generalish conversation of like which way the budget was going to go. So they that had already like they everyone was kind of aware of like the path because we knew the boiler needed to be replaced. We knew so I don't Yeah. I don't remember. I think also because this is a negotiating year for two contracts, I think we kind of >> wanted to honor focusing on that this year and then looking ahead to to next. So, but previous year was boiler and lights, I believe, or boiler >> years
216and years ago when our class sizes were up to um 28, a focus was we need to get those down. started with policy and then it um turned into slowly but surely adding um full-time equivalents for teachers. So, you know, sometimes it's a big thing, sometimes it's a a smaller thing. Um there was a focus on um um science of reading and making sure that our literacy program was aligned, but we haven't necessarily done them every year. So >> do you I mean is this is this inappropriate for me to kind of ask you all like what are your thoughts again as a newer like should we be like for example I don't know like how we scored in terms of um you know reading literacy this past year as a school board is like
217I guess my question would be then like if we were scoring low on reading does the board need to take a recommendation from you all to say hey we probably need to maybe invest a little bit more here as do you have any >> that's next month, right? With your goals. >> Yeah. >> So, I would say yes. So, last June when we did the end of the year presentation, I believe we had a slide that shared budget considerations. So, what we'll do is maybe at the September one, we'll make sure we bring that slide back in and we can share those and maybe some some discussion about. >> So, that's your goals. >> We can propose what we're thinking, but then you you might have some from the board that you want. >> Okay.
218So, you get where I was going though. I was just trying to get examples. So that sounds like more like your goals. >> We have some from June, but we can bring those back to you guys in September and show you what we were thinking at the end of the year for this coming budget cycle. >> So if you you I would say you want um you might be considering um a board goal of um maintaining or improving um proficiency in math and um and reading. >> Okay. And that would be supporting them like >> 100%. I'm just going to use the data or if it's just trends of standardized test data and we just implemented new math down here last year um new literacy um this year here and then new literacy last year
219at CSDA. So you we're going to watch that the trends and see how how we do from that. >> Okay% helpful >> correct me if I'm wrong but I think at one point too last year we discussed looking ahead to really finding way to have accelerated offerings for our students. like we've done a good job of of meeting kids um where they're at who maybe need some extra supports, but we have been a little um short in meeting kids who need advanced supports like and that's not the right way to word it and I know that um but I believe that we had talked about that one point and I and I think that maybe Dan you had said at one point that was one of your goals. >> I'm gonna I'm gonna interrupt. Um
220so um we have always maintained a focus K to five on creating extension opportunities ways to to dive deeper but we um research suggests that accelerating doesn't make sense. So the first option opportunity for acceleration is in grade six with math. Um and so so that is is pretty strict. Um but you know as things got tight with with individuals and needs um our ability to provide extension opportunities across the board has been more limited in the last few years. >> Um and so um our desire is to be able to create those opportunities >> even though you're talking about like art and music >> going 1.0. adding staff like that would allow us the opportunity to have additional folks that can provide those extension opportunities. Yeah. So, it seems like they're totally different things,
221but they're not. And that is something that Dan had been talking about in the past. Um, but we've just been so restricted based on personnel. >> So, speaking about personnel, so I know last year we kind of talked a little bit about like, you know, wanting to shore up like the lunch monitors and like having people. Is that still a goal that we're thinking about as well? So we have a lunch monitor at RMS currently and then in this past June's presentation we put that we wanted to look to >> do one more for CSDA. So >> so that would be >> so we basically pilot piloted that it's worked well. >> Okay. >> And then looking at improve on it. >> Okay. >> This is really helpful to get us going >> and we
222can continue the conversation. >> I would just like Dan to stay off the roof. That is one of my goals. >> Fly. >> Listen I I've been on all the roofs myself. >> Okay. Gina also stay off the roof. No one going over it's just part of the jobunteer videos. I don't think that's allowed. >> Yep. >> Do we want to add this? Do we want to add board goals to the agenda again next month? And that will give you guys some time to kind of >> think about it, >> digest, think about it. Um Tracy, do you have anything weighing in on that? No, I think >> um can I potentially looking at the rest of the agenda um offer to our principles to um go they have a staff ready to meet with
223us first thing in the morning and I want them awake. >> Um I'm comfortable with that. >> Yep. >> Thank you guys. Thank you for opening schools and >> we appreciate everything you're doing. Um we will try not to keep you two here too late either. Um, moving on the the annual delegate assembly. So, I asked to put this on because um we in the three years I've been on the this is year three on the two previous years on we've been on the board, we've never sent anybody to this. Given some of our conversations surrounding legislative interest, legislative interest um I wanted to see if there was an interest from anybody on our board here to participate in the delegate assembly with NHSBA this goound. Um, I think I would be curious if there
224were if if there's more than one, if there's two of you, it would be great to be able to sit down and have two of you go through all of the resolutions and bring the recommendation to us at the next meeting of how you think we should or not support how we should if we should or if we should not support certain resolutions. Is there is there an appetite and interest um to participate in this from anybody on the board? I think we just need to know the date >> and I think that's coming out maybe next Tuesday or something. >> So we could maybe find out what the date was. I mean >> so so I think what I'm hearing is yes there is an interest but date dependent before you could commit. So
225you get >> Yeah. I've got three kids so I would like to. Sure. I mean but I want to see if that would work with our >> is there who if you if the date works who is interested if if it's a workable date. Um, who who would be interested? >> I'd be interested. >> Tracy, are you interested as well? >> I I don't think I can take on that big of a commitment. >> Okay. >> That's only one day though, correct? Like I mean, yeah. >> Yes. And it's spending some time before our next board meeting to go through the call for resolutions and and advise where you think um our board should support or not. So, yeah. Okay. Well, then we'll tenatively ask and Heather to take that on and then we'll see
226what the date is and if it doesn't work for either of you, maybe there's somebody else who can go and um >> vote on our behalf if that is agreeable to the board. >> Yeah. And then we would talk about it. >> Yeah. at this board this at the next board meeting on the 26th. I would ask I would ask the the two of you at least once they get published if you guys can go through the resolutions make a recommendation to the three of us as to how you think our board should either support or not and whoever goes then um can vote however we >> on behalf of. >> Okay. So, we're going to put that on the next agenda as well. Perfect. All right. Um facilities. I'm going to turn this over
227to Gina for this one. >> Okay. So, um I've submitted a draft charter. We talked about having a facilities committee. Tracy was appointed to it. Um whether that's still something she has time for or not, we can talk about. But, um we definitely have to get going on looking at our facilities, looking at enrollment, looking at what um our needs are. that would then drive our work to submitting to the town to show them where we are with with our um capital improvement plan, but then also kind of drive the work that we do in terms of budgeting. Um this charter, like I said, I it's a draft, but it's um very similar in um in look to both the co-op facility committee and the Hollis facilities committees that have existed. They've had three different
228projects in my um nine years as assistant superintendent and now they have an enrollment committee, but they all sort of follow this charter. So this um what this allows the board to do is say um well the the committee can draft a charter, bring it to the board, the board approves it and it really gives authority to the committee to look at X Y or Z whatever scope is here with um the um expectation that some recommendation comes to the board by X date, you know, and like in the co-op every month there's just a report out on how did the meeting go. Um and then all these meetings are publicly posted with minutes etc. So we also will see um a first reading of BDE board committees um where we more clearly articulate what
229our board committees are. So we can take this in two directions. We can um look at the policy and say great we could take a look at this charter for next month and say great this is this works. We could look at the policies and say great um we also could have the option of creating individual policies for every single um committee um instead of a charter. I just based on my own experience in our other districts, I feel that a charter makes more sense because it has a start and an end and it and it's based on the specific work that's needed and we could be more efficient about the committee meets, let's develop a charter, let's bring it to the board, let's get going. Sometimes um policies can get wordy and things can
230get lost and then they they get hidden in the big book of policies. That's a concern I have. But if we want policies also can keep us, you know, on the train making sure that we're going in a particular direction. A final potential recommendation I would have is maybe we look at BDE board committees when we're talking about policies later on and then add to the description of each of the identified standing committees so there's a little bit more meat in the policy without potentially overwhelming everyone with five, six, seven additional policies. So, like I said, this was sort of informational for you to look at, digest, think about. Um, meanwhile, I'll be calling a meeting of this committee and putting people together so we can get going on it regardless of if you just
231want to charter or if you want a specific policy. So, >> um, just a discussion. So, if there there's any I know you're digesting it, but I'll open the floor here if there's any >> thoughts. I think what we heard from Barrett and Will was really helpful if we have like standing committees, right, that are every year and kind of do the same thing, but then maybe for these smaller committees that we had talked about in in previous meetings, you know, maybe doing more of this charter work so that we don't have 900 standing committees every year, but we say, you know, these are our four standing committees and then we can talk about, you know, what are a couple of committees that would be under this charter that I think I forget they call
232them subcommittees or advisory committees um that have a specific objective and goal um for the for the year. Um I I think that would be a really nice way to kind of help organize the committees and the work and you know keep us on task. >> Perfect. Okay. >> Anything else? All right. >> Um, in that case, we're going to move on to policy, right? And go through. We don't have anything else. >> One more minute. We can close public input. >> Yes. Actually, according to my computer, I can close public input now. So, I'm going to go off of my time. So, I'm going to close public input. Nobody was here this evening. Hopefully, we have some people still with us at home. All right. policy. Dot. Johanna, who who wants to take the
233lead on our >> policies? There's a bunch of them tonight. >> I mean, Don, if you feel comfortable. If not, I can hear it. That's up to you. >> Got it. Um, so the policy committee met and we are bringing forward the following recommendations. We would like to bring KI forward visitors to schools for a fourth reading and adopt. We are going to bring IHAM health education and exemption from instruction forward for a third reading in adopt. We're going to bring two policies Ike in JFAB promotion and retention of students and admission and tuition of non-residents for a second reading and adopt and then I'll do the other ones separate because they're not ready for an adoption yet. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. So from from the board perspective in policy, what we've been talking
234about with visitors is just clarifying and making sure that we're kind of clearly laying out expectations just because there can be confusion sometimes in the middle of the school day, things like that. So it just kind of really clarifies and helps the principles know how to kind of handle um visitors. Um in terms of the IM, we were just kind of the health one. We were clarifying the language just to cover like what it is that we're actually teaching like in our district because some of the lang like some of the things that it had said weren't even they're not going to be addressed at this. So, we felt it would be easier for people to kind of just understand what was happening if we were just like narrowed it down to like what we're
235actually teaching. Um, the what was this third one? >> Um, okay. So, promotion and retention of students. Um, the thought behind that is just again kind of giving us a little bit of a guideline for if those conversations need to happen, when they're going to happen, who are they going to happen with just so that everybody's on the same page before the end of the year. Um, so that's definitely a good one to have. And then admission and tuition of non-resident students. Um we wanted to lower the percentage that um staff who work in our building might need to pay if they wanted to bring their child like enroll their child in this district. Um because it is something that we want to really make sure that our teachers understand that it's you know if
236it's something we want to offer to them and make sure that like you know we're clear about that. Um that is going to be subject to room and board approval if we get a request. Um, we did talk about possibly doing a renewal every year, but we're gonna I mean, I think Gina, you had said that like it's important for us to kind of just check and make sure we have the room. So, we would just renew if there was an out like a teacher had a child enrolled here. Yeah. We would just check in every year rather than kind of auto renew, which we understand can be a little bit tricky because if there's an out room one year and your kids's been here for a long time, we understand. But, um, we feel
237fairly confident that we would be able to address that issue. So, um, we we were able to bring it down to 50% that they staff would be paying for their child to come here, which is going to be equal across all three districts, I think, in this book. So, all really good policies that I think have been are basically just kind of clarify and lay out so that everyone's on the same page. >> Can I ask one question? I um I was looking over the meeting minutes and I might have missed it. There was a a a policy ji J I C. Did we adopt that? >> We're We haven't got to >> J. >> Oh, no. Sorry. J I CI. >> Um, oh gosh. Oh, the guns in school. >> Okay. So, that um
238legislative re Yes. So, the um firearm education in schools that got tabled actually. >> No, sorry. I It was if you if somebody brings a gun to school. >> I think we we haven't discussed we didn't talk about that at the last meeting. We might have talked about that in the spring, but I don't remember. >> Sorry. saying which agenda was it on? >> Um I thought it was the last one in >> Ji board meeting or policy comm. I'm sorry Dan board meeting >> but but you're saying we reviewed it. We had it >> says on the so on this agenda Berkeland policy June 11th agenda. It was JIC. There's a policy to be reviewed >> and I thought we had talked about it. So I just wasn't sure if I missed >> weapons
239on school property. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, >> I think we were still I think that one we as the board were or the policy committee were still reviewing because we were trying to figure out like definitions, right? If I recall I don't remember bringing it to the board >> for a read. I don't >> just let me look it up while you guys >> but thank you for asking because if it was on there we didn't have it on there. It's good to follow. >> But yeah, any questions about the four policies? >> It was first in adopt. So we adopted JIC in June. Um, any other questions about the four that we're recommending for adoption tonight? I just had a couple questions about IHAM. Um where it says um things like um in the
240fourth paragraph or I guess in the third paragraph where it says um the notice shall identify and provide contact information for the principal or designate whom a parent or guardian should contact to arrange the opportunity blah blah blah. Um, is that something that the principles feel like they can add to their workload? I I guess it just it goes also to the next paragraph where it says, "Accordingly, the notice will identify and provide contact information for the principal or other staff member." Um we I think we've tried to keep you know some of that administr like tamp it down for teachers and principles. >> So I think if I remember correctly what we talked about was it was generally the that um the fizzad teacher at CSDA is usually the person who arranges um the
241so that's usually who is getting that contact. I think the principal or designate is more just also like the principal is the one that's kind of the last authority in the school. So, they're designating either the nurse or um Tammy who's the teacher over there. So, as far as I know, because we talked >> I mean Chaz didn't really meant but I think I don't think the principal is really meeting about viewing the video, right? >> No. So, um the principal always can receive um an exemption form for this type of of matter. Um not just uh I am but the other uh policies that talk about um requests for alternate curriculum. Um, but specifically for health education, it's going to be the health education teacher that submits the information directly to the parents minimum
242two weeks prior. And the first contact is that individually, >> share your concern with the teacher. Um, for that particular thing, a lot of times they'd go straight to the principal or also the curriculum administrator. So any of those channels are fine. So we're not trying to put it on the teacher. Um, but specifically they are the one saying, "Here's the video or here's the book, >> review it." Um if you have questions let me know you know and so um and that's sort of the way that exemptions for health education specific like it's this is has always been a separate um exemption policy as opposed to like the objection to curricular materials which is just all >> I just if I just wonder if you if we would want to put more language to
243say principal or you know health teacher or something like that. So that I I don't know. So just to make it more clear, but maybe that would just make it more difficult. >> Would does designate not just devil's advocates does design not do that? Couldn't he couldn't the principal say, "Okay, health teacher sending this out. You're my designate for the collection of this one." Like >> no 100%. I I guess I'm just looking at it from a parent's point of view. like if I read the policy and I'm like, "Oh, I could call, you know, I could talk to Dan or Chaz or, you know, just to make that line of communication a little bit more spelled out. But then again, with policies, right, we don't want to make it so restrictive and prohibited that
244>> Yeah. And I mean, I see it. I see what you're saying from a parent point of view. I think too though that if we muddy it with too much because kind of like we were taking out some of the things that the topics we wouldn't be covering. I worry that if we're like could talk to the principal or the health teacher or the nurse or meg like I like that might be a lot. >> So, >> and when the teacher sends something home to the parents, they're going to say who to contact, >> right? So, like I said, this one is very specific because it's health education. And so, when this topic comes up, this goes out saying this is the top, this is a unit of study we're going to be covering beginning
245April 1st. If you have any questions, please reach out to me. So it's the the parent is probably going to see that before they read IHM to be honest and they're going to share concerns. That's typically the way it goes. The policy also allows them to go directly to the principal. So and I just was wondering if we'll have the ability to know how many opt out forms we've received. >> If you will have the ability >> like if the board, not just me. I I think it would just be helpful as a metric to see how many students need the um the option and if it puts an extra burden on staff to do an alternate curriculum for >> so um this is going to come out wrong. It's probably because I'm tired. It
246it doesn't matter because it's the law. Like we have to do it. it it's required, but it's also very possibly um identifiable because it's typically one >> or none, but like if it's one, then it's easily identifiable as the family that's opted out, right? Yeah. And so, we can't do that. Um >> in general, we can talk more about concerns about curriculum and not say that it was health or this or that. um to talk about, you know, if we're seeing trends over time, but we really can't give you metrics about something so specific. >> So, you're saying we could hear from you, hey, we've noticed an upward trend in people opting out of health education or opting out of certain parts of the curriculum and we could kind of talk about that. Would we
247be able to identify if that was health education or would we would it have to be even more general than that? Um, I mean, if I'm proposing a change in the curriculum and asking for funding for it, I'm going to say that it's due to an uptick in concern about the curriculum. Okay? As opposed to like if, you know, >> something more generic. But, um, but we're not going to report out in June that we had, you know, one request via IHAM because that completely is identifiable. I could say um we had less than 10 and you don't know if it's zero or or nine. >> Yeah. I mean I think I think that would I think that would be a useful way to to look at it. I just it would just be helpful
248and maybe it's not helpful. Maybe it would just be helpful to me and we can drop it. But to see the time allocation it takes um for teachers and and others to put together this curriculum. I know it's probably mandated by the state. Um but just to when we're talking about budget and when we're talking about all of these things like these I feel like are the extra things that um eat into teachers time. Um maybe I'm >> No, but I hear what you're saying. Is there an established alternate curriculum or is that decided on a case by case basis? It somewhat has to be decided on a case-by case basis because it's what part of the curriculum the parent wants to opt the child. >> And who would who would design that? Would that
249be the principal or would that would that be the teacher? That would >> be the teacher. >> The teacher. Okay. So I think yeah I think I mean maybe if if either not necessarily maybe every year but if we're noticing a trend or you know yeah it is it is kind of really difficult to come up with or if it's over 10 students to come up maybe us knowing that would actually would be >> yeah I just kind of equate it to all of the foyer requests that we we get and we've like talked about it and made some steps forward to how to cut down the administrative time and the financial time expense. Wait, so would would it be helpful if we just said like, hey, if it's more than 10, let us know.
250Would that be would that be good information? >> Sure. >> I think that could be helpful for us. >> Okay, great. >> Any other questions? >> No. >> Okay, we want to talk about the new ones. >> Do we want to vote to do those ones? Make one big motion. No, we do one big motion at the end. Okay. Um, so our next one for first reading is GCQC, resignation of instruction staff and there were no >> it was brand new and there was no recommended changes from the committee. The next one is >> Oh, wait. Didn't we make a change? >> It was a brand new policy. No, I know. But I thought we talked about adjusting the date. Didn't we talk about adjusting the date from the first to like >> the 15th?
251>> It doesn't matter. It's brand new to >> So, so this policy has existed in the co-op and in Hollis for nearly 20 years. Brooklyn didn't have it. Um, and so we wanted to look at it as a committee. So, some changes have been made between the Hollis version, the co-op version that's being presented to you, but it's >> it's being presented as a brand new policy. So, it's not like the whole thing is a change. >> Okay. Okay. I just wanted to make sure the date change that we talked about and committed was still in there >> because we talked about 14 because we talked about 14 days. >> Yeah. We talked about like how >> July 14th, not the first. >> Yeah. >> So with Okay. So for this one since it's new
252um is there any other feedback from the board that they would like the policy committee to go back and revisit. So basically this this policy is about if you haven't read it, it's about um if we receive resignations from a staff member under contract um after we it's initially the first July 1st of the year of a contract, right? But we I I had requested that we adjust that to about >> it wasn't in there. So I added it. >> Yeah. Perfect. Thank you, D. So just kind of adjusting it. that if we, you know, if if we're receiving a resignation and you're under contract and you've agreed after a two-eek period when the year starts, then we're basically um that we would consider that a contract for each and they're not, you know, we
253may, you know, ask like determining kind of I think like on a case by case basis, do you write a to recoup health costs? So there are so the reason it says July 1st is um if they're a returning staff member they're um then liable for their health insurance they have paid nothing for. So then they owe us money if they resign after July 1st and and many folks don't realize that. Um so if we change it to July 14th that muddies the water a little bit. I'm just going to say that. Um but um um let's see the the other the the piece that we did change was that it says will not be accepted nor will the employee be released from their contract until unless and until a suitable and fully qualified replacement
254is hired. So it's like okay fine we'll let you go now that we found a different third grade teacher. Um, so >> which comes in handy when somebody comes in two days before school starts and you can work out an agreement with the receiving you know the district to say yes we'll let her go or as soon as we hire somebody or we need a twoe window to put together a >> so whenever we hire folks um June July August I have to call the superintendent and say hi I realized that you know Mrs. So and so signed a contract with you. They've interviewed with us. We'd like to hire them. Will you release them? And so we have this conversation. So it's not a new thing. It's just a new policy for for us.
255>> I I would still like to insist on the twoe period. I understand that muddies the waters a little bit, but unless it's an insurmountable muddying, I I would prefer to have the >> Yeah. Then I would just recommend that the policy committee input language about a financial responsibility based on >> individual circumstances. >> All right. So we'll make >> is the two weeks I'm sorry. >> So um so my concern with the um after July 1. So it was like it just felt like a very kind of harsh presentation to me and so um you know some people like Allison had made the point that like some people might have interviewed and not heard back. So I was wondering if we could adjust that to have like a a little bit of like a
256grace period that like we would still follow every avenues that we needed to to like recoup money. Like that's fine. But I don't know. I just I really >> I thought the part I thought the part that you had concerns about was the last part that said that we would have to notify the department that that's what I was you were concerned about the >> I was but then you explained that to me so then I felt better about that but I I think I said that I really because you know obviously we talked about the case by case basis that how sometimes it might be >> spouse got a job in Germany like this >> but that's extenduating circumstances >> right but I just I think I felt that the the little bit of
257that twoe period felt a little more like respectful of the That's what I feel. >> Yeah. Let me just um add that they're signing contracts in April. So, it's not that they're signing a contract the last week of June and then we're saying July 1st, >> right? I would still like to talk about it more. >> Yeah. No, we we can we can get back to policy. If they're signing in April, >> think two and a half months after. >> Don't think I realized that when we had this conversation, but Okay. Yeah. I think I signed my contract in March. >> Yeah. So, I mean >> that's because we were >> there's plenty of time to find and you know if sometimes we have folks that for whatever reason they're looking for another position and
258they'll let us know in April when their contract comes out. Hey, just so you know, I'm interviewing I was really looking to um be closer to home. I don't want to sign and but I don't know what to do. And so we might give an extension or talk to the district to see if um like the district they're looking to go to to see how serious they are. So, we do work with employees every year. Um, but this is to help us with those um, you know, August 28th resignations because then what do we do? >> You make a good point too that we work with people and that so when some staff give us that heads up sometimes we're able to post potentially an anticipated job because if we don't do that, we at
259least can create a pool. So, say they do leave, we're not stuck in July that >> I understand. I hear all of that. that I would just like to read. >> No, I'm just trying to share what like to Gina's point. A lot of the staff have given us a great heads up and that's so helpful which has been allows us to create a pool. That's awesome. So, >> no, I I think I think I think it's a good policy. I think we'll just take it back to policy and kind of work out. >> Yep. Is there any other feedback from the team here? >> All right. Next then J CJ, which is otherwise known as the uh bell to bell. >> Our favorite. your favorite policy. >> This is coming forward for a first
260read. We didn't have um suggestions because that we were just trying to get it into the flow and we'll be sending something out letting parents know that it will be discussed. >> Right. So, I do have a question. I mean, does this have to be adopted before the school year starts according to the law? Like, does it Okay. So, basically, is this a read and adopt that we're doing? No. Okay. >> No. >> Okay. >> No. And so um >> it was impossible to um to meet their requirement but we are putting in a really good faith effort >> okay >> to do um to follow the intent of it. So we are making so I'll I'll share this the series of steps. Um knowing that um high school and middle school will have face
261the biggest challenges with this. Um I I put it up to their admin teams to kind of figure out what do you think first stab at it. What do you think makes most sense to develop something and then that trickled down. Um we then had our attorneys work with our student services to figure out what do exceptions look like? What does that process look like? What does a deliberation look like? Um, we then put this in all of our handbooks. So, all the parents that have completed the power school registration because they've read every little bit of every attachment that >> that is in there. They've signed off that they've read and agreed with the with handbook. Knowing that it's a lot of time, you know, especially have multiple children, you're like, "Yep, yep, yep,
262yep, check. Next." >> You do that, right? So then we sent out a communication the uh principles all at the same time 3 p.m. on a Friday sent it out. >> Um we then brought it to every board in August for a first read intentionally just a first read. Um because part of the law requires that we're going to get public input to share concerns, thoughts, whatever. And so we figured at this point tomorrow my plan is to send another communication out, another reminder to everybody that um that this is in place and that the first readings have been have taken place in each of the respective boards and that the next meetings are on these days. If you want to share your thoughts or feelings, public input will be a component of those meetings.
263Please attend on these days. >> Yeah. So is this policy starting on Thursday though? I mean like are we like >> So it's part of the handbook. So, it's a rule. So, the rule will be in force as of day one. >> Um, but the policy, >> we're going to go through three reads. >> Um, so we are going to follow the law of the bell-to-bell ban. The policy just won't be um in place >> and I think that is following the intent of the law. And just for the policy across, is it similar across the district or is it tailored for, you know, we're K through six or is is it kind of blanket? >> Um, it's pretty much the same right now for first read in all three districts because it still gives
264us um some wiggle room. >> Yeah. I was just curious because you have such a range. >> It's a little bit different because >> kindergarten to >> they already had it implemented. They've already been doing this. So they were cell phone free, but were they everything free? >> They weren't like smartwatch free, >> which they are now. >> Correct. >> So So I think the idea too in kind in in while this may seem incredibly strict for like K to six, I think the idea was I think the idea was that >> because they end up in the co-op. um if if we adopt a similar policy, our kids are used to it by the time they get to the co-op and and our and our students here are not like whoa, this is like
265this policy is way different. Like try to keep it keep keep the spirit of it very very similar and right um to to kind of go travel with them essentially, right? >> Yeah. No, I think that I think to give continuity and clarity is is great across the the steps. Can I ask a question just about a consequence of violation? I had this question when I was reading it in the thing too. Is that >> first, second, and third offense. Is that in a day or is that over a course of a month? Is that a course? It's not defined. So that's why I'm asking, right? Because it's not >> there's four now. So in our handbooks, there's four, >> right? Because it's like a first offense in the Yeah, I noticed that. >> Right.
266>> Well, when we initially read this policy, it was in the year 12,025. So we we really had to like rebuild slow roll, you know. So >> no, but it's um so typically when you say first offense, second offense, we're talking about a school year. >> Okay. And so how is that recorded? >> How is that tracked? >> Um so question. >> So that looks different in every building. So there's um a more of an electronic system um in the middle and the high school because they switch classes and so your teachers change throughout the day. That's right. >> Whereas um in K to6 you have your home room teacher. So it's going to be a little bit easier >> unless you're in gym or library, >> right? But um but it's a little bit
267easier to track and so every building has their own inter like they've always have, right? This is just another thing that we're kind of tracking. But it would be the same. Um if you look at our progressive discipline, that's what it says like progressive discipline meaning first offense, the second offense is now we're gonna have another conversation. the third offense, you know, it just gets a for whatever it is, whether it's um you know, running in the halls or it's, >> you know, some kind of >> I'm saying it does say confiscation of device for the remainder of the school day >> in the second offense. So that that indicates per day, right? So that's, you know, that reads as a per day, >> meaning that >> that day that you have that third offense,
268it's possible Right. But then do they get it back each day and they have to give it up each day? >> No. Because this that's that would be the second offense and then on the third offense. >> So I guess so. >> Do you get what I'm saying? >> What I want to say is the communication we send out to all families though. >> Yeah. >> Has changed since this. So the third offense right now is the device is confiscated for the day. The third offense, not the second anymore. The fourth offense is a meeting is going to be held progressive discipline. And that's and it says repeated misuse may result in student be required to check in their device >> daily. That's the fourth offense now. So that okay and that I'm reading that
269from the communication that we sent all the schools. >> I saw that. >> So I'm just saying that's just changed from the what you're reading for the policy. >> Right. So I anyway when you guys do go back because I'm not in the >> you bring up a good question about like is this a day or is this the whole year? >> Right. That's just >> I could see a student saying all right we took away for the period right. >> Yeah. No it's annual >> but it's annual. Yeah. >> But but also like while we're talking about that like verbal warning. So does that mean hey don't do that again or hey don't do this again and go put it away. So is it a verbal warm warning and request to put device in
270backpack for the day? Like what is that >> what does that look like supposed to be in the backpack to start with? Right. >> Well well >> yeah but >> and then that brings up issues of um compliance or insubordination. So that could lead to other issues, other consequences that aren't don't follow this and that would just be based on insubordination. >> So one thing we did bring up in the policy meeting that I felt was important was I asked Dan and Chaz if they they had strategies in terms of how to educate parents and families about it and they both said they did and that they were because I think that's going to be a big piece of it is how we're educating parents about it and kind of like working with them. Um,
271so I think that's going to be a growing pains process too. But both of them had had thought about it and kind of had thoughtful plans about how they were going to work with families to help educate also around this so that because I think if we can strengthen our education approach to parents, we might see less of a we we might have to do the consequence, you know, is if we can kind of educate parents about it. Um, I also did clarify that, um, Lauren kind of has a good plan in place for like because certainly it's going to be complicated if a kid walks in and goes, "Well, you know, so and so has an iPad and I can't have my smartwatch." Whereas, if that's an IEP or accommodation, um, Lauren already kind
272of has a good plan of how to help address that so that it can be made clear that that's a accommodation, that it's not connected to the internet, that kind of thing. So, it did make sure that those two things were in place, which I think will be helpful. Um, but I think we're just going to kind of have to see how it >> 100%. I'm just saying clarify, clarify, clarify. Right. And then the other thing to that would be like also clarifying that it's any electronic. So like is so it' be like well my first offense is my phone but now I've got my watch >> and so now I'm a first offense on my watch and now I you know what I mean? So like just clarify >> and now I have my
273Fitbit because >> right because like there's always loopholes, right? And so and like it's going to be a pain in the ass for the teacher, right, to like get through that stuff and and the more clear and the more precise and the more, you know, I just I just had those questions when I read it in my email personally like outside of these. >> But I think that's the benefit is that we're reading it as parents first and and that is giving us like good questions and a good sense of like what other parents might be feeling. Do you think that's helpful? >> 100%. Yeah. So, just as a aside, >> ju just one more thing just playing devil's advocate. >> What if they were just like put in a box or like how the
274how Will and Barrett were saying like you know a teacher has a shoe rack and everybody just like >> So I'll tell you why. So, we could spend a lot of money on pouches um and then kids cut them with scissors and then we've just spent a lot of money on pouches and someone's sitting there unlocking them, locking them and we've wasted money and now there's vandalism for we've for many years teachers have had like the shoe rack over the door and and and students put them in. Um, but then some students put the fake phone in and then they have another like it's there's so many loopholes at the end of the day. >> I guess I'm gonna have to learn some of these things. >> No, fake. Not a not a flip phone.
275>> Burn a phone. >> But um, so at the end of the day, >> supposed to be a way and and then they're like, "Oh, I don't have one. I don't have one to put it." Like we're wasting really valuable education time arguing about whether or not you had a phone to actually put in the thing. And at the end of the day, our goal is just to make sure we're providing um cell phone free education. >> And I mean, and honestly, I'll say this as the parent of a 5-year-old, she can bypass the password on most of our stuff anyway at this point. It's starting a lot younger for kids. So, I do think the the clearer that we can be and the more consistent we can be and certainly approaching I I do
276think to your point that yeah, clarifying it and making sure that we're clear about that is going to be very helpful because kids are learning earlier and earlier how to use technology to their benefit. >> Yeah. It's it's important but also not in the situation it's not helpful for that. So >> any other questions or thoughts or anything else that you guys that the board wants us to take a look at in policy planning? >> And then our last policy was BDE board committees and if you look at that um we added significant new language um in that in the first struck the first paragraph. >> Y do you want to explain this one? You want me to? No, you said you. >> Okay. So, um Gina kind of already it brought this forward in
277in the facilities update. Um, one of the things that I asked the policy committee to look at and and then I participated in this was really putting some um, governance and guard rails for lack of a better word around our board committees because if you look at the what the lines that are struck out at the beginning that was the entire policy um, it was very short. it was not um wasn't helpful and we've had a lot of even I um back in April I struggled with like what our committees are should be what they're doing um and then in doing research and looking around at other school boards and how they do committees it was like well a lot of them have standing committees and some have policies some have charters and so there's
278different ways that we can approach it. So, this is just a first draft of of um articulating what standing committees could potentially be um year-toear. Um you may not have every committee every year. We are a fivep person board. Um it kind of goes back to what Barrett was saying about how you know they had three people on eight committees and it's too much. um you know, this year being a negot negotiation year, like that really should be our our primary focus alongside facilities to ensure that we're maintaining our buildings, but then maybe some of our other ones are not um active in a in a particular year. So that this kind of just calls that out and and sets the stage there. And then there's this um section that was added towards the bottom
279with the special appointments and delegation, board appointments. So like um I sat and did the exit interview for the superintendent earlier this year. That was a one-time one-off thing. um the the delegation committee, the teacher lunchons, you know, those those things that aren't really big committees that go month over month, but have a very specific purpose, a start and a stop, um to kind of call that out and and tighten this up a little bit. So, that's what this is. Um, but we do need to I would like some feedback and maybe not tonight. Maybe on the next one people have a chance to think about it. Take a look at the charter. Um, take a look at, you know, if we would rather have a policy based on what the schoolboard association said and
280and kind of get some feedback from the team here as to how we want to move forward with um, committees. So this is again first a first draft tries to define what we're what we're doing um so that we can get a I I really want to see continuity year to year too like if we have our our facilities committee year over year are they looking at the at the SIP are they um making sure they're bringing warrants forward that are appropriate based on the work of the facilities committee to make sure we're maintaining or improving our schools and our grounds and our and our buildings. Um, so all that stuff, which a lot of that is what you see in Gina's charter. So it there's kind of different ways that we can approach it.
281Um, >> yeah. And I think to Allison's point earlier, um, I'm not sure if everybody is aware that this apparently hasn't been updated since like what 2008 like a very Oh, 2013. >> So we're very overdue for an update. So that's also a purpose of us trying to like clarify is that like you know that I mean that's over >> it's like 12 years old or something at this point. So yeah, we just kind of want to make sure we're checking in and not overlooking things and letting them go that long without even if we just look at it and say, "Okay, great, whatever." But at least knowing that we're reviewing something every 10 years would be would be helpful or longer. >> Does the co-op or Hollis have um any language like that? >>
282They they do not. They do individual charters. >> Just was wondering um and then does this I I'm trying to read it quick, but um I agree we can talk more about it next meeting. Um, are just community members allowed to be included on some of these subcommittees >> and do we have representation? >> So, the charter that I drafted >> facilities. Yes, I saw that you had a member from the community. So, >> but like um negotiations not allowed. >> Oh, okay. Yeah. But fiscal or curriculum, >> but a curriculum one would be allowed. Yeah. And I feel like I mean a policy committee would we would we have >> policy committees um are open to the public but a community member wouldn't have like a >> uh like a wouldn't be a voting
283body member >> right but like we encourage like they're posted I mean we encourage people >> um so there if you look back at the policy meeting um earlier this month it was earlier this month right >> um if you look at the minutes from that there are some >> drafts of potential policies for each of the committees to give an idea and you can look at that with um the charter and maybe we get some we can get some feedback from this group of what you where you guys think you'd like to head in terms of how we want to proceed with our committees. >> Sounds good. Sounds good. Thank you. >> Okay. Um and so I just want to put out that the next policy committee meeting is September 16th. So if you
284something comes to you between now and then and keeps you up at night and you want to share your thoughts, share that with the policy committee members so that they can bring that to the conversation. >> Yeah, definitely you can shoot me an email. Um I think mentioned she was going to start coming Alison likes to babysit me in meetings. >> Um just joking she's coming because it is helpful to have two board members on but you certainly shoot us an email so we can make sure it gets >> Yep. I'd like to start seeing two committee two members every committee and I think I'd shared this with you guys before like I kind of shot off the hit with committees earlier this year and want to kind of restructure and make it so we
285are more effective in what we're doing and we have some clear visions as to what we're doing. Um >> and we're all really busy so making sure that everybody feels like they're not being >> overwhelmed. Yeah. Exactly. Exactly right. >> Okay. Um anything else with that? We need a motion. No. Now we need a motion. >> Yes. Um, may I get a motion to accept have >> The policy memo as written. >> I make a motion to accept the policy memo as written. >> May I get a second? >> I second. >> Excellent. All in favor? Excellent. >> Thank you. >> All right. Thank you guys. Um, we have it on public. Yeah. So, uh, we need to make a motion by I'm going to make a motion that the board by roll call go
286into non-public session pursuant to RSA 91 AOL 3, 2A, the dismissal, promotion, or compensation of any public employee in RSA 91- A 3,A 2 C to discuss a matter which if discussed in public would likely affect adversely the reputation of a person other than a member of the body or agency itself. May I get a second? Excellent. Um, if we can go by roll call, we'll start down with Lynn. >> Lynn Powers. >> I I you guys. >> Tracy Barry. I >> Johanna Trader. Hi. >> Alice Manion. I So, we're entering nonpublic at 9:33. [Music]