001Uh, our chair, Delsey Madden, is unable to join us tonight, so I will be heading it up. Uh, also joining us tonight, we have Rob Nato, Jonathan Cohen, Suzanne Carmichael, myself, Andrea Folsome. We're also joined by our superintendent, Amy Doyle, our business administrator, Laura Taylor, our um, what did I used to call you? Our administrative assistant extraordinaire, Jo Jody Condan. and then our student our new student reps Lucy Beardmore and Kip Headquist. Um and then the man behind the scenes, our IT director, Matt Stone, as well. Um so with that, we're going to start with the pledge of allegiance. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. So, we have special guests tonight.
002So, we're going to do just a couple of housekeeping things and then we're going to get to our very special guest. So, I promise we'll be very quick. Um, so we have one set of minutes to approve from the regular school board meeting of September 9th, 2025. Is there a motion to approve those minutes? >> Yes. So moved. >> Second. >> Okay. Any discussion? All in favor? >> I I opposed. Motion carries. Uh, with that, we are at the first uh public comment portion of the evening. Um, as a reminder, we ask that you keep your uh comments to three minutes and state your name and address for the record. Uh, if you don't have any comments now, we'll have a second public comment at the end of the meeting as well. Any comments? All
003right, moving on. Student reps, how's it going, guys? >> I think it's another great uh couple weeks at school. Things have been going well. Um, she could probably comment better on the Germans experience and >> uh, but sports are continuing to do well. Uh, bunch of teams lost games to make them not undefeated anymore, but they're still performing really well. So, uh, not not a whole lot to complain about. >> Yeah. So, um, as far as the German exchange, um, so yeah, they arrived I think a couple days after our last meeting. Um, and then they're uh leaving on Thursday. So, um, tonight we have our farewell dinner uh, Camp Methodius. Um, so I'll be leaving shortly. Um, but yeah, I'd say it's been a super fun experience. Um, there's a lot of them. There's
004like 22 Americans, 22 Germans. There's a lot of kids. Um, but yeah, it's been super fun. um just like having just new faces at school and also just new culture, new like people to get to know. It's been really an interesting experience. Um just like hosting a new person who is here. Um um yeah uh we had field trip to the Millard Museum last week in Manchester. So that was interesting. I had never been there. Um, and then today we had a field trip to Portsmith and we did a scavenger hunt um around the city. So that was tiring, but that was fun. Uh, and then we went to Hampton Beach, uh, the state park and the Germans were able to swim in the Atlantic Ocean. Um, yeah, so that's the exchange. Um, there was
005also other happenings at school. Uh, the intro to law field trip happens every semester. uh we always hear about it. Um this time it was um Hillsboro County um courthouse and it was an uh I think it was attempted murder, something like that. >> It was. >> So yeah, they that sounded interesting. Um >> yeah, I mean uh I think that's it. French exchange is October 3rd starting I think. So coming up uh pretty soon and they'll be here for homecoming. So that'll be >> Yep. fun to have a bunch of new faces for that. So, >> great. Thank you guys. Any questions? >> Was the courthouse in Nashville or Manchester? >> I think it's in Manchester. >> They went to Manchester. >> They went to Hills North. Okay. >> Yeah. >> Y they had
006a great time. >> I had I had a student on that trip. >> Oh, >> great building to >> Yeah. M Central always does a great job with those trips, so it's always a lot of fun. >> Great. All right. Um, comments from the board. >> Jonathan, >> I don't have anything in particular tonight. So, with that, we have a special guest today to talk about Constitution Day. And I think Miss Brown is going to introduce You might have to make our our microphone a little bit lower. And the microphone is to help the people online hear us. So you'll still have to speak a little loud so that we can hear you. >> So this is Athena and Athena is in third grade in Miss Donnie's class and she came today to tell you
007a little bit about the Constitution and overall kind of what's been going on at Harold Martin. >> The Constitution is like a book for the United States. The Constitution is the highest law in the country. All over all other laws have to follow the Constitution. It was written a long time ago in 1787. Can you tell me where you learned that? >> I learned it all at school. >> Can we ask you some questions about it? Is that okay? So, did you guys do anything in particular for Constitution Day that was particularly fun? >> We watched the video of it. >> That's always super fun. >> Some of the other costumes made hats and posters and created their own bill of rights, their classroom, which was pretty cool. >> There was a lot of flash
008cards to choose from. She picked her favorite one. >> Okay. >> What she thought about was this one. Why do you have this one in there, too? >> Changes to the Constitution are called amendments. There are 27 of them. It's >> a lot of amendments. Well done. >> Any other questions? >> What grade are you in, Athena? >> Third grade. >> What's your favorite part? >> Math. >> Well done. >> It's another great question. >> Math or recess? Yeah, >> just wanted to make sure things hadn't changed too much. >> Right. >> Fair. >> Yeah. I can't think of any more questions. Thank you so much for coming. And how was it speaking to us? >> Fun. Oh, I love that. You did a great job. Good job. >> Yeah. >> Some people get a
009little bit nervous, but you did an excellent job. So, thank you. >> I wasn't nervous at all. >> No, I can tell you're a very strong speaker. [Music] Great. >> Thank you. >> A picture with her. >> Can we do a little picture with her? We usually take a picture with our We usually take a picture with our special guest. Is that okay? Sure. >> Yeah. >> Is it okay with you if we take a picture with you? Okay. >> All right. >> That's a special thing that we do. I >> usually get Yeah, you're in. You know that, right? No. The last one. Yeah, you're in this. >> Why am I in it and you're not? Let's go. >> I don't know cuz I'm trying to get out. I don't I'm not already taking.
010We'll get a nice good two. your mask. >> Yeah. Lucy show. >> Yeah. >> Right up your alley. >> Yeah. Oh, >> never heard of it. >> I think I have the first one. I just We >> All right. Changing. >> Well, that was fantastic. It's always my favorite part. >> Quick. >> Um although I'm sure this next part will also be my favorite part. It's also the best director's report. >> Super fun. So, I'm just going to go in order of how they are listed. So, um Mandy, you are up first. Sorry, you were listed number one in my agenda. So, come on down. >> Oh, sorry, Mandy. >> It's fine. >> Thanks. >> So, we're in it. We're here again. We're gonna We're learning all kinds of new things at the start of
011the school year. I keep saying it's my 10th year in this position, starting a new school year, sixth year here in Hop that I'm really excited about. I'm like, you think it gets old and it's just repetitive? Uh-uh. There's all kinds of new lessons, but they've been great. You learn from them, you grow from them. So, I'm really excited to be able to welcome everybody back and continue. This is welcome everybody. Um, you really just get to learn and grow from them, too. Get to know the students again. Um, even though sometimes riding the bus is not the easiest part of my job, starting the school year in the mornings with the kids was the it was it's just so it reminds me why you're here and why we do what we do no matter
012on the hard days, you know, good days, whatever it is. So, they've been wonderful. I think they're glad I'm off the bus, but they've been awesome. Um so really what I wanted to just kind of update you guys about is the patch process is is the um program insurance and general supervision that the um DOE will do for every district every six years. It's just the cycle of what the state does. Um there are some districts who were put in a cohort earlier than us because of other findings. It's just our turn. Um we haven't had um monitoring in a while here. I'm excited because even though this is my 10th year going in, I've never done one. my previous district had just finished and um Hopington hasn't had one since I've been here. So,
013I'm excited to figure out what I learned from it and how we can be more effective and efficient and how I can put better things in place. Um because at the end of the day, we're all here to do right by kids and do better. So, I'm excited to see how that process plays out and and we're, you know, going to utilize some team members for each building to provide the DOE with what they need, but a lot of the stuff is desk audits and things like that. So, um then after that process is done, they give us feedback. All of it's just either corrective action or just like, hey, keep doing this or hey, think about this. So, it's really just meant to improve programming. So, I'm excited to see how that plays out
014and I'll keep you guys updated throughout the year because it's different phases throughout the year. It's not just a, you know, we'll know in a couple months. We won't hear back from them really until January or February with with what the next steps are and what their findings were and things like that. So, we'll keep you updated as we go, but I'm excited to walk through it and and um see what we learn. Um, as always, I gave you updates on numbers. Right now, we're about 195 students, but keep in mind this is from everybody from referral to active IEP. So, we could have had a referral three days before I printed this number and there that person is included. So, it's just a it's a guiding document, which it puts us pretty close to
015where we typically are at the start of the year. You know, there's a few more maybe. I think last year was like 188 or 189, something like that. But again, some of those referrals end up not going to some do. Um, so these numbers fluctuate slightly throughout the year anyway. Um, but I I provided you with a breakdown. I'm not going to spend time talking about the breakdown. Those are similar percentages as what we would have expected from what we saw last year. Um, so extended school year was great this year. I had updated you guys um, I think in the spring of just going about it just a little differently. Um we were able to um working with the lead teachers in my case managers really group kids by skills based in their IEP.
016So if people had a reading fluency gap, okay, what does that look like? Those kiddos were grouped versus being a grade level before they were grouped by grade level. Again, repetition of things they've already learned in trying to learn new skills is wonderful, but we really wanted to be more targeted in how we were providing it. In addition to those um lessons that they were getting throughout the day, they were then pulled for their IEP services at the same time so that they could get an additional targeted intervention for that. Um feedback from staff or and from the lead teachers were great. Lead teachers said they had some kids, a couple of them, they were shocked that this kid was like, "This is a great I'm glad I came this time." So, it was it
017was wonderful to hear and we're going to continue to build on the things that small tweaks. Everything that happened for the first time needs some small tweaks. So, we'll do that throughout this year and make it even stronger for next year. Uh, goals for this year. Really, I wanted to kind of go back to some of those that you guys provided around the um climate and culture and then the communication pieces. I just really want to work with the principles and with Amy to figure out how we can make those additional connections with families and bring more resources or trainings or whatever that plan is to families with inside and outside of special education. um just to strengthen those relationships but also um again foster our programming in different ways. So I think I'm excited
018about those. And then I wanted to touch a little bit about the work so far with with branching minds. As you read in the report, branching minds isn't an MTSS framework, but it allows us to have an educational platform where our data is stored. It's data that we already share anyway. It's the as web data, the SAS data, things like that just to be able to make really intentional decisions at the student classroom building district level. Um, so we're excited to continue that partnership. They'll also, um, work with us and our MTSS team throughout the year on really developing and clearly articulating what our MTSS system looks like and and go from there. So, we're excited about that work and and building on what we've already done. Um, and so hopefully we'll be able to,
019as always, I'll continue to report out on where our progress is there. >> Great. >> Really fast. >> All right. Questions. How are things looking staffingwise for your department? >> Um, you'll see a few things that there's, um, we are short IAS, um, Harold Martin Middle School. Um, I think some of those are going to be more official later, but they'll, you know, with some changes at Harold Martin that are new developments, um, we'll be posting for a special education teacher um, in that building as well. Okay. to the extent that you can comment. So the the raw numbers are up from last year but not a lot. >> How about the >> I'm I'm trying to remember what how we class is it zone one zone two stage one stage two >> tier one
020tier two. So in terms of to the extent that you can comment, >> are we looking at a similar at those numbers shaking out similarly to last year at least at this early stage in terms of tier one, tier 2, tier three? >> None of the numbers I gave you tonight are anywhere but tier three. Tier three. >> Oh, I see. That's all tier three. >> Special education numbers only. Tier one is regular ed. Tier two is more intervention before we get to that special ed lens. >> And then these numbers in here are the special education numbers which we would consider in tier three. So then if we added in tier one and tier two, do you have a sense about >> tier one would be whatever our student population is across the entire
021district because all kids. >> Okay, that's everybody. I thought there was some distinction there. >> And then tier two is what like five >> tier two would be like intervention. So a kiddo is maybe they're flagged on as web like they're a little below that cut point that we set in. >> So we're going to do some quick intervention cycles and see how that kiddo responds. >> So it is tier 2. >> It's not special ed. NBT. Um, but that could be all kinds of supports. >> Right. Right. Okay. Okay. Then I guess I would still ask >> you know that's so and I know I've said this and this is more philosophical I think for me but for me >> the kids aren't in the tiers. It's the supports we provide that are in
022the tiers. >> Um so a lot of our special education services are in tier three. Intervention services are in tier two. Everything else we do for every student is in tier one. >> Yeah. I guess I'm just trying to drive it sort of need this year compared to need last year. >> Right now it's shaking out to be comparable but it's you know >> okay >> that could fluctuate too. It could be that if I come back and give a report, those numbers are higher than last November, >> but at this stage out by February, >> right? >> Okay. Thank you. I would just be curious to know some of those numbers in terms of improvement and tracking the kids who did participate in the summer programming, what sort of gains they made compared to
023maybe when we start doing some of the testing and and I can look into that, but typically from a special education IDA standpoint, I want to clarify that data is data. So we use data however we can but from an IEP standpoint and IDEIDA standpoint ESY is not to make gains on their IEP goals. It is to maintain progress so that when they start back there's not so much aggression that it takes too long to move forward. >> So when we track when I do a progress report in our information system it's not about did they I don't even measure how they compared to the goals. I just provide a narrative of what they were provided >> what they were provided. So because from an ID standpoint, there's no regulation to measure because that's not
024the goal isn't to move forward. >> It's to prevent the >> Yeah. But will we obviously want the data to understand like what's working, what's not working. >> I would just be curious because the way you folks grouped them this year, like the change, it makes so much sense to me as an educator myself. So I'd be curious to see if those kids made some progress as Some of that data we may see is >> less time to I'm going to use the word catch up but I understand what you mean. So if somebody last year took two or three weeks to really get rolling within the grade level curriculum and this year it took a week that's data. >> Yeah. >> So that's the kind of stuff but I really won't have that until
025we continue a little bit but >> thank you. I I was wondering sort of on this on a similar line how um the kids felt about being grouped by >> um kind of where where their needs were met. >> So we were really intentional. >> We understand that everybody's everybody's reading fluency ability. They might that might be a common skill. >> Yeah. >> But I'm not going to >> We were very intentional to make sure it was in within one grade level of the grade level they're in. >> Got it. >> No matter what. >> Got it. And then we went from there and the and the st and the teachers who were teaching those lessons differentiated within that >> um because again there is a social component to it that we want to respect
026and they also made sure that if they were doing a morning meeting type session or at recess time or at a snack break time they were with their grade level peers for those. >> So we really wanted to be intentional in the social aspect to make sure I did hear a couple say, "Well, I want to be over there with them because that's who they hang out with during the school year." >> Yeah. >> But I'm making stuff up. Yeah, >> Johnny's getting math and Sally's for reading. They're not going to be in the same group. >> So, um, but they did try to do everything they could to make sure that they were interacting with grade level peers or just preferred peers as much as they could. >> Did it help that they were
027all cuz they were all over at Harold Martin this year, >> elementary building, my teachers said, "Please let us do that every year." >> Maybe, but what if there's construction at Harold Martin? I can't put a kindergartener in a fourth grade classroom cuz there's no chairs that fit. There's no tables that fit. Right? So we >> So but we did we already said if everything plays out where we can that is what we're going to do. It helped from a bus standpoint. It was one less stop. >> Yeah. >> From the person who has to do the bus. >> Sure. >> Route. That was really nice to take out a stop. Um but so if we can we're going to do everything we can to do that again because the teachers have asked for it
028too. >> Great. Yeah. >> Thank you. Um, and the other thing I was wondering, I know another big component is managing um, students who whose needs are significant that aren't able to be met within our district. Um, and I was wondering if you can give just an overview of how how that has been um, going for you. Um, just as far as it's the beginning of the school year, how much time is that taking or what what does that load look like? >> My well, as you see it here, the numbers are 12. So that's my case load. >> Okay. >> I case manage every one of those. Got it. >> But in addition to that, you then have to if it's a new referral. >> There isn't one right now. So don't there's not
029a 13th coming right now that I know of. >> Yeah. But if there's a new referral, it's now we have to do all the releases of information to every school to make sure we can share information. Sending all those packets out, getting that information back, making and helping the families set up tours and interviews and doing all the things, setting an IEP meeting. So that's just to start from my business end if there's transportation involved, getting that set up. Um, but from a day-to-day, um, you know, if for every student who's out, I usually meet with that team three times a year, some four. Um, but it's minimum three for every single team. So there's however that math plays out. I'm not I'm going to look to the math people, not my strength. Um, but
030so those meetings are there. Um, if there's a shift, if there's something else that needs attention, I can tell you that I probably spent more time out of district in the last two months than I have in the whole last school year. >> Yeah. >> Just because of needs and that's okay. It's my job. >> Yeah. But it's it can be significant. The cycle of that can play out. But for the most part, it's it's a it's a it's quite a number of hours every week or month depending on sometimes one week might be just holy moly, this is overwhelming and the next week I don't have any of those meetings. >> And then for the next two weeks I have a bunch of holy moly weeks. So it's it's it cycles but it's significant
031to make sure that we're taking the care because at the end of the day the document has to be accurate. Mhm. >> More importantly, the we have to make sure the students getting what they need and their needs are met. >> Got it. >> And what does that look like? >> And that can be easy and sometimes it's not. >> Yeah. Okay. Any other questions? No. >> Oops. >> On the branching minds, >> is it like integrating data from Ames web and SAS and providing new way of looking at that? Is that what it's doing? >> Yeah. So, we used to collect the data anyway and use it, but it was more it was like a kid grid and then did you have access? Do you have access to like how does that all work?
032Um, what happens with branching mind is they have a partnership and I'm I'm going to if I have if you have a tech question talking to that guy, you don't want me to answer it. Um, really what it does is if a kiddo takes Ames web, it's a short time after that score is automatically there. They give us a breakdown of each component of the AS web score. So, we have each subtest, each score. What does that look like? Um, I set the cut points when we set things up with branching minds, similar to what we were already using. If a student is above a certain percentile, it's going to show up green. If we want to know how many are in a we got to watch that, we can group them. Additionally, once we
033really get rolling with it, interventionists or special educators could say, "Okay, these three kids are in a group every day for reading fluency that I work with. I can group them in that system. I can document their progress as we go >> and it's all there and it's ready to roll and it gives us some really important data. When I met with them at the end of year, they were just like, I just have to celebrate this. When I meet at end of year, I never see this much green, >> which just means we had 81% of our district proficient in reading. >> It it when you see some of my special ed numbers, it probably doesn't feel that way, >> but there's celebrations to be had. I couldn't see that without doing those numbers
034myself in the other format that we were storing the data. It's just automatic for me. We could do that by classroom. We can do that by building. We can There's lots of different things within the educational platform that we can bring in to really help us understand and make some good decisions without taking as much a lot. It's a lot less time to put the data together. >> Thank you. And then this is district-wide data that will stay with the kid throughout their entire educational journey. >> Great. >> And you know, there's different things within that, but it's it's still part of their educational record. So, we could print off progress reports for parents right from there without redoing something and reddrafting it. They'll print it for us. >> Great. Awesome. >> Yeah. >> All
035right. >> Are we good? >> I think you're out of the hot seat. Thanks, Mandy. Okay, Dan, you're up next. >> You gave us two facilities reports. They were the same. >> What's a PDF? >> Oh, one's a PDF and one's a PowerPoint. >> But that's Jim. Jim, we got Dan. >> But I got you up here. So I I skipped you, Jim. I said facilities and then called Dan. >> Do you want Jim? >> Nope. You get to come up. You're standing here. So now you're here. At least I'm not here. I appreciate you fixing the microphone for me. >> I said Jim looked at facilities or I thought Jim looked at facilities said Dan. Now you're here. >> But you only gave us one report. So here we go. >> I did. Thank
036you. Um so athletics as Kim said it's been a fun start to the year. The weather has been beautiful. At least from an athletic standpoint, not if you're uh trying to grow anything, but standoint has been wonderful. >> True story. >> I did not have to break out the wet ball temperature thermometer once. We had today was the first day where it was kind of iffy with the games. We got them in today. So, it's it's been a good start for that. Um, homecoming is a week from Saturday and we're we're excited. So, it's uh it's been good. The team's doing well. The numbers are fantastic. I think in my report I said overall it's we're closing in on 50% of our student body, 7 through 12, playing the sport this this fall. That's just
037this fall. There are some schools that don't do that in the whole year. And uh I mean it's amazing the number of kids that we have involved in things. It really is great. The locker rooms at the end of the day are kind of crowded. I will admit that. But it's uh it's a nice problem to have. So, it's all been good. Um, in terms of staffing, the coaches, we're fully staffed with coaches, which is fantastic. We have not had an athletic trainer yet. Again, this event that we've tried to lure them with the last couple years still does not seem to bearing any fruit. Um, and it is something I think this board does need to to look at and the taxpayers need to look at eventually is we've got to get a fulltime
038trainer here. We really do. Um, that's probably the biggest thing. The other two issues, and it's something that's true about the whole state of New Hampshire, there are not enough officials, there are not enough school buses, and it's become a real challenge. Again, I mentioned the weather in the beginning. The weather has really helped with the school buses and with the officials. But as we start looking at cancelling games and trying to figure out where you can put them in, I'm already 10 days out with the bus and and they're telling me, "You have no bus this day and you can't do this." uh if we try rescheduling stuff, it's going to be a real challenge. So those are the kind of issues and while we have them is true about the whole state of
039New Hampshire. In fact, it's the whole country. Last year, I went to a national athletic director's conference and across the country, people were saying it's buses, it's short officials. Those are the two biggest issues that we have. Um so that's kind of where we stand. Other news I guess to share with you, the HMA is in the second year. This is a Hocker Mentor Athletic Alliance this year. opened it up to all juniors and seniors who play sports. I didn't just start in the falls junior and seniors. I went for the whole year. We have 30 29 and 30 at the first meeting and our second meeting is tomorrow and uh Kip said he'd be there. So, he'll be representing and uh we've got a nice group of kids and it's I think it's paying
040dividends. We've seen good examples of sportsmanship and the the team seem very positive. So, that's kind of my report at this point and happy to answer any questions you might have. >> Thanks, questions. >> So, I was at um Mansion Invite this weekend and noticed that there are more and more school districts with 15 passenger vans. >> Are we doing any math to figure out what we would need to add in the cost versus cost of buses to see if this is going to be fruitful for us at some point in the near future? >> I have talked to both Amy and Laura about this. Um the problem with the 15 passenger van is we have three teams maybe the Confederate 15 passenger van um we had one episode this fall one episode that's the
041wrong word but one one time this fall where we lost a bus and so I had to drive the mini bus with the middle school field hockey team we've only had 14 we had 16 on the team luckily I had one parent so they would drive their two daughters um but it just becomes a little bit logistics trying to get that 15 is tough we talk about maybe getting two two of those passenger vans or whatever. Um, if we did that, we really need two coaches who are willing to drive those one each. Some teams we could do that, some teams we can't. >> So, in private school world where I once lived, like all we used were those. So, if you had a baseball team with 25 kids, we took three vans or two
042vans or whatever it happened to be. So, it was common pretty common practice. Um, I think it's worth exploring. I think it's worth talking to coaches about their willingness to do that. So, they're not concerned about losing competition because they don't have transportation or they don't want to do the drop. And and I think we need to do some math about the bus costs versus, you know, whether it's a lease or whether it's a purchase, all of those things. I don't think it's going to get better. >> No, >> it's about $50,000 for a van. Um, and in order to have somebody drive it, they have to be a an employee of the district. Parents cannot drive the vans, >> but coaches are employees of the district, >> but not every team has two coaches
043to Dan's point. >> That's great. Great. >> Dan, can you share the news about the cross country team being chosen for faster? >> Sure. So, um, thank you for reminding me. Uh there is a New Hampshire cross country um called the New Hampshire cross country website. I believe that's the name of it. And what they do is they follow different teams. They have a a rankings in New Hampshire the top cross country teams. Our girls are sixth um behind all division one and two schools. Sorry. Our girls are sixth in the state right now. But one of the things they do is every year they try to or every season they try to chronicle one program. And I say every season, this is the second year they've done it. But this fall they asked to
044uh follow the girls cross country team and so they're gonna do a a kind of a series of of interviews and videos over the course of the season and follow the team as they they move along. So it's quite an honor to do that um to be chosen for that and I know the coaches in particular and I think the athletes too are pretty excited about doing that. >> They were out there today doing some filming. >> Great. >> Oh nice thanks. That's really cool. uh what age are the younger athletes that the HMA students are paired up with? >> So what I do is I open it to juniors and seniors and and I asked them to kind of mentor mainly freshman sophomores but also any juniors who happen to be on JB or
045firsttime athletes. Um one of the first meetings they talked to though was talking about middle schoolers. Um I walked outside my office and these middle schoolers walked in, get changed. It was a first or second day of school. It was the second day of trials or something. He said, "Oh my gosh, the kids in there are so big." >> Yeah. >> And I thought, "These kids are terrified." So one of the things I talked to my a day and said, "Look, there's some kids who are terrified. You guys are awfully big. You probably remember when you were that size, too." So anything you guys can do to go in there and just, you know, temper things, whatever behaviors in locker room, whatever. realize we got seventh and eighth graders in there and I haven't heard
046anything since it seems to be okay. So, so we're really focused on on high school kids, but they certainly are supposed to look out for the younger athletes as well. >> Okay, great. Seems fun. I think the last thing for me is to go back to the trainer stuff and um >> I think you both know it's pretty tough financially to pull off but I think if it's going to get traction we need some one like what are the duties what do they look for for but I also think it would be compelling to know what kind of injuries and the percentage of injuries various teams had so there's any way to track that kind of stuff that you really need a trainer there for it may help to uh add something to it. >>
047Okay, we do have a job description. I've sent that along. You'll see in the uh upcoming budget I've asked for a position once again. We'll see where that goes. There's a job description involved. I can look into the other thing. The the problem is a lot is anecdotal, you know, just yeah, >> one year happens to be a rash of injuries and one year doesn't. It's the big ones that you really worry about, too. Anything else? >> Thank you. >> All right. Now, I'll go to facilities and our PowerPoint and >> PDF >> written memo >> which I looked up. >> Did you? I realized there was enough the PDF of the athletic report and a word doc like I brought that report is huge. I was like wow there might leave a lot of
048documents and then they were all >> I loved this. I like the sunburst. I just learned about this today. I was excited to see it. >> Hi everyone. Thank you for uh allowing me to do a board update and um bear with me on the on the PowerPoint. I just I'm not going to take up a lot of time at all. I promise I'll be brief. Um but it seems that some things are better seen than um explained. So I'll try to go hand inand on that. So uh just like I start off every other one is staffing. Um and again I'm looking at like I did a board update midappril. So there's almost five months that have passed and a lot of stuff has happened. So in three different seasons. Um, so, uh, we
049did we did great, um, with hiring a new maintenance person in May. Um, he was fully onboarded, trained. We did the 90-day evaluation. Um, just working out phenomenally. His name's Rodney. He's really made a huge impact and change in facilities. I'm excited to work with him. He loves the job. He's getting to know the people very, very well. And, uh, he's just been a huge, great addition to the our team. Um you're going to see later on in your board packet about our day custodian uh Deb, which just made her 20th year working here. Um she's uh resigning and moving down south um to be with family. So nothing bad. Um but she's uh she's going to be sorely missed and uh it's going to be such a a huge um hole to fill and
050she's just been a part of Maple Street for so long. So, um, on the on the the positive side though, um, we had an internal candidate that came forward and was interested after after it being posted. So, uh, we did an interview last week with the principal and we feel comfortable with moving him over and he'll be starting tomorrow, which of of course is going to create a vacancy at the other end and that vacancy is going to be Harold Martin second shift. So, um, talked with, uh, HR, uh, today about putting that posting out and hopefully that will be going out soon and we'll be getting to rock and roll on filling that position. So, uh, that's where we're at with staffing at the moment. And, uh, as always, I'm still looking for substitute,
051uh, custodians to help out. So, if anybody knows anyone, please send them my way. Um, work orders. Um I this is a graph that was populated uh by our work order system. So it gets to show instead of just you know spewing off oh yeah we just did 211 work orders you know these are the different buckets and categories of where we're spending our time. I was a little shocked at seeing like how evenly spread it is which is pretty cool. Um, and I understand it may be a little bit you may have some questions like CA is carpentry. So, anything that falls in that category and then there subcategories after that depending on who makes a request and how specific they want to get into it. So, um, as you could probably point out
052in this, like I look at like there's in-house repairs and then the trades repairs where we're contracting out certain repairs. Those would be uh plumbing, electrical, and HVAC. >> Um the green, the bigger slice of green, which is HVAC, still continues to be our biggest contracted services driver. Um and um you know, electrical plumbing are still pretty even, but not as much. Um GM, which is the peach colored is general maintenance. So that's kind of the the catchall bucket for um the unspecified repair or just It's just a general repair u but mostly uh done by in our in-house staff. So the CA which is carpentry custodial which is obviously um in-house staff uh a lot of our work orders at least I would say probably 75 to 80% of them are being done by
053our in-house personnel. All right. Um, again, I'll try to go through this really quick, but I first and foremost just have to say that a lot of stuff happens in facilities. We spend a lot of money in facilities where we have a lot of people in and out, but our the true stars of our department is our staff, our custodians especially. Um, I know on a day like today it's easy to forget, but we've had a long, hot, humid summer, and they've worked in conditions all summer without air conditioning. Uh they stayed positive. Uh they've got along well. They worked as a team. There was no injuries. Um they I this is probably the best summer that I've experienced with my staff. I had that same feedback from them. Um and just remember to four
054out of my 11 people are brand new. So this is the first time experiencing the summer and uh they all mesh really well and worked as a team. So, I'm also very proud that each one of them had some of their own vacation time that they took to come back refreshed. But, uh, it was just a a wonderful summer with them and I just can't express my gratitude towards them enough. I think we made extreme headway. Um, and while I got this, I'm not going to belabor it, but I I just want to shout out by name. Um, Jake Stereo led our high school team. Uh, Brandon, Mikey, uh, John, and Matt all worked there. Um those are them by name. Again, they jelled so well. Five people together all summer. You would expect some
055kind of a meltdown or drama, but um that did not happen. Over here at Maple Street is Deb Bootwell and and David Duffy. Again, two people um could probably say the same thing. Things can happen, but uh it didn't. And uh I think uh Maple Street has been the cleanest that I've ever seen in my time here. And then finally over at Harold Martin, uh Brian Demaris, uh Walter Power, and Scott Muzzy did a phenomenal job in and amongst having a really busy Harold Martin. Um so with uh no activities happening, uh at Maple Street, everything was over at Harold Martin. So u it was busy there, too. So um again, couple highlights. I'm not going to there's so much here, but I'm just going to um park on some of the the good stuff.
056But um here are some um projects that the in-house staff took on. Uh mostly painting. We've been really trying to brighten up the hallways over at the high school for the past couple years. And they did that up on the fourth floor a little bit in the cafeteria. Uh it's not only wall painting, but trim work that they did. We're we're uh finally agreed on a a green a Hopkinson green color because there seems to be several. So we're we're going in that direction. Um we did some painting on the uh the first floor as well. Uh Maple Street, we did a couple classrooms. Harold Martin, uh we did some bathrooms as well. So also trying to standardize some of the color so we don't have a ton uh around. So this is some of
057their uh their their work here. Again, thank uh picture here, the two on the left is a before and after of a of a restroom up on the fourth floor. Uh again, shout out to James Tero. He has some flooring background. He's like, "That floor is very crappy and needs to be replaced." So, we had some attic stock of some um some flooring and he did that which really gave it a facelift on the right who did a uh some power washing before and after. So, yeah, shout out to them. They did phenomenal. >> It's great. >> Uh some of our This is a just a picture of we just had a staff uh training day and barbecue and and August. Um Laura was gracious enough to come. We wanted to get have our staff
058know put a name with the face. Uh Laura did a great job of just explaining some of the changes who they could go to in HR and uh accounting for different issues or different questions that they may have. On the same day again we did a a barbecue lunch. We had our cleaning vendor, Cleanorama, come and give a proportioning system overview. Custodians got to ask questions. They did a hands-on demonstration and then we did some video training. We did safety on proper backlifting and we also did a segment on cell phones. So, yes, cell phones apply to my staff as well. And uh we're trying to deal with that, too. Um and then finally, I just want to say about our our in-house is uh we did staff evaluations on everybody. So, next, uh, I
059would put this under the bucket of safety, but I believe that people noticed the, uh, the new gates over at Maple Street and Herald Martin. We did some fencing repairs that were pretty rough and, uh, could have caused some injury over here at Maple Street. We also completed the rest of the uh, camera installations. And uh, I thought it was kind of awkward to take a picture of just a random door, but we did safety film on quite a bit of quite a bit of doors and windows around the districts. >> Jim, what does safety film do? >> It's It's not good. It's slows down the intruder significant. I'll leave it there. >> Fair enough. >> Grounds highlights. Uh this is all at Maple Street. Busy here. We did some tree work along the playground.
060Some serious trees needed to come down. a a new flag pole which I think looks phenomenal in front of the school and was so needed. And then I hope that you guys seen the brick paper repairs up front uh that were in pretty rough shape. That crew worked for two weeks straight and the heat and humidity uh and not only did the brick uh paper repair, but they actually recurbed took out the existing curbs, reset them, uh grouted them and mortared them. just a tremendous shout out to uh Kuko of Stone Works, which is a local uh stone mason in the area that just I feel did amazing job over there. >> I can also say my my son would appreciate highlighting the Gaga pit. >> Awesome. >> Couple other grounds work. Uh picture on
061the left is just some added pavement over at the high school for some additional parking spots. And the right two are again it's easy to forget but we had a ton of rain in the spring. We had wash outs. We had a sinkhole that developed and all that work was completed uh over the summer among so many other things. Uh a couple other capital projects that were uh pretty expensive but came out phenomenal. Uh the two new hot water tanks over at the high school when you're inside the auditorium. Next, we expanded the sound booth uh to accommodate a sound board. There just wasn't a lot of room up there and now there's more room. Um so, shout out to our local contractor that made that happen. Uh these two photos are the library air
062handling unit being replaced over at the high school. And I know it's hard to see on the right picture, but that is uh every time we do an air handling project, we have in the beds spec for the ducks to be cleaned. So uh just for air quality purposes. So that's them with their they spent two and a half days cleaning out all the duct work just in that space. Uh last but not least, the big one and the most expensive one project that we had this summer was the Maple Street hot water boiler replacement where they unearthed uh this huge uh 6,000galon oil tank. Um I think the project went smooth. It took all summer, but it it phased really well. We had hardly any hiccups. We were under budget and um our contractor
063selected selection I believe was spot on. Uh picture on the left is the new two new units again full condensing boiler system just selling CIP committee today that last week we had uh a factory startup which meant not just the contractor but somebody from the manufacturer actually come start the unit confirm operation that everything's working correctly and as designed. So that makes me feel really really good um and should you too. Also, coincidentally, we had the boiler inspector from the state, um, which is an every two-year thing. They always come out, do boiler inspections on brand new units. That just took place today. He gave compliments that it was great, great install, great job. Uh, three propane tanks spirited out back. And then finally, we just had some hydro seating done and um and we
064had grass surprisingly um from from this the heat this summer. Shout out to uh the town of of Hopinson DPW. They gave us some great rocks to put in front of the propane tank so they don't get smashed by plows. Uh walk through with uh actual uh with Dan anyway on um all the different work that we done. I usually try to get together with him because they plow. So I told them uh we went around so we saw where all the new pavement is, where all the new gates are, where all anything landscaping that's going to affect DPW uh that they know about it. And uh that was that felt successful. Again, there's so much here that I didn't um talk about as I know you can read in your notes. Um I know
065probably went kind of lengthy already, but that's the facilities update. >> Thank you. >> Really busy summer. So >> yeah, any questions or anything I can elaborate on? Um >> I think I would just say that this um presentation is awesome. I think it is so important and helpful to be able to, you know, they say pictures worth a thousand words and to be able to see some of the projects that we spend time talking about. It's a lot different than seeing the line item to actually see the finished product, the before and after photos. I mean, I just I really appreciate you putting this together and presenting this to us. I think it is it is extremely important and helpful. >> Thank you. >> So, thank you. >> Yeah, I think if I may,
066Jim is the one that he didn't give himself a shout out, but he deserves it. We have done a lot of work this summer and this spring, and Jim has helped by taking on, you know, putting some of his own requisitions in to the system. We did some training in e finance to have him spend from these capital projects and teach him how to do that. So, he's really been great in managing with me the money and keeping track of all of these jobs and it's been a very busy summer. So, thank you, Jim. >> Shout out to Laura for teaching me all that. Like, she doesn't have anything else going on. >> Any other questions or anything else I can answer? >> I really like the checkerboard floor. It's like a nice little, you
067know, you said you used kind of like stock you already had. So, >> yeah, no cost. >> Uh, what's what's his name? James. >> James. Yeah. Well, thank you to James for being like really creative. >> It's nice. It's spiffy. >> Yeah. >> Well done. >> I just wanted to highlight I think that um you know, we talk a lot about CIP and we talk a lot about facilities and I think sometimes it gets lost in like what does this have to do with education and it's sort of like Maslo's hierarchy. If you do not have a safe place to learn, um you can't learn. uh education cannot happen if you do not have a uh safe place to do it. And I think by making our facilities a safe and comfortable place where children
068feel like they can come and um you know get the education that they deserve. Um I think it's it's vitally important and you know inextricably entwined with education. our facilities are part of the education that we provide our students and I think you do an excellent job of um you know helping provide that to the students of Hogington. So thank you. >> There's so much data on classroom comfort especially with HBAC that's the most expensive but it has so much of an impact on the learning environment. Yeah, >> that's deep in my head. So, keep you all comfortable. >> Also, the picture of the oil tank, I can't see a single leak. >> Yeah. >> So, fingers crossed. >> Yes, exactly. >> That the perk test or whatever they do comes back positive. >> Always
069trying to do it before it leaks, right? So, >> well, I don't have any other questions, and I know you just met with CIP, so >> I'm sure we'll hear from them, too. >> Great. >> Oh, and shout out to Matt. Matt and I have inter exchange a lot during the summer. So, not only do we work with no AC, but Matt and his staff does as well. Different things. >> AC. All right. >> Thanks, Jim. And speaking of Matt, you are the last person in our hot seat. And thank you guys very much. You do not have to stay for the whole shebang, but maybe you can stay for that. That would be kind. >> Yeah. Um certainly thank you to Jim and his crew. I there was a lot between them. Robbie in
070particular was just fabulous, you know, helping us think for things like projector mounts. Um, and you know, everyone is so helpful when we have deliveries of computers and it's like, "Oh, hey, uh, we didn't know they were coming. We'll, uh, we'll get there as soon as we can." And, you know, the custodians already have it inside, you know, in a safe place. So, greatly appreciate all of that help every every summer, year round. Um, but yeah, it was certainly an interesting summer. I think uh, for us, a lot of our work was dealing with new people. Um, the there was a lot of turnover at the SAU this summer. So um it's interesting to see how many different systems need login and uh you know let's get started with building and every you know other
071blessed thing under the sun. So that certainly has been interesting. Um I did want to say thank you again. The Chromebooks that were approved at the last meeting have since arrived. Um I should have gotten a good picture. There's a nice uh giant tower that was uh down here in the office here and is now over at the high school and starting to go into the hands of students uh this week. So uh that is in progress certainly according to the plans that we discussed last time. Uh otherwise uh we are still ongoing. We did not quite complete some of the network projects that we had this summer. Um obviously as you saw our network administrator was just approved early late August beginning of September. So Alex is now on board and I sort of
072thought that would be a great opening project for him. So uh we have all those wireless access points configured. Those are going up now. So um those will So, the Wi-Fi upgrades that we talked about um are ongoing. Uh so, yeah, there's definitely a few areas as the school year starts and principles are creative with space, which is a nice way of saying that what do you mean you need Wi-Fi access in this tiny little corner? You know, we've never, you know, had instruction there before. Well, we have instruction there now, so we're going to figure out how to make that work. So, always interesting starts of school in that way. Um, I did include uh just a little chart of our our help tickets. That's always a fun one to see. There's a nice
073smooth uh beginning of August and then about uh I think it was August 18th, they just start to spike and keep spiking uh as staff return. So, that's always fun. Uh we do have that out of control. We did probably spike higher this year just being down an extra person. So, um, probably the highest active ticket load that I can recall in several years. So, we are working through that backlog. Staff have been really great. Um, and trying to let us know, you know, things that they need that are a little less, uh, like this projector flickers occasionally and it's kind of annoying versus, hey, my class can't log in. Can you see what's going on? Um, those are different levels of urgency for us. Um, so yeah, otherwise, uh, it's been a reasonably decent
074start. I did mention we had equipment failure. Uh I believe the second Sunday of the school year. So that's always great when you know equipment that has usually like a 10 year lifespan, you know, just randomly dies on busy Sunday. But it was all good. Uh we did manage to get that replaced and the manufacturer since replaced that warranty. So that's all set. Other than that, you know, there have been a steady stream of issues, but uh we're feeling good uh into the start of our year. Uh we certainly working on lots of data pieces. I have great thanks for Mike Cody. the state has rolled out a new student data reporting system um in the sort of late winter, early spring with the idea that that would sort of have a nice window to
075uh practice I should say before the end of year reporting which is really kind of official reporting. Uh the initial roll out was a little bit rough from the states. I think the deadline was pushed back six times a total of about nine weeks. So, you know, not really what we had hoped. Uh but Mike is really fantastic in making sure that we have the updated data that needs to be reported to the state. And then of course the big one is the beginning of year reporting. This is all of our uh enrollment reporting. And then this is sort of what feeds into how accuracy is calculated. So it's obviously vital that it's accurate in dealing with all of the things around education treatment counts and the new reports that the state is asking for.
076never seem to ask for less data, but more data in new and interesting ways, I guess, is the way to put that. So, but I think we're in a good place there. Um, really appreciate help from AAS as well. They really stepped up and started doing like every two week um call so that they could make sure that they were rolling out new versions of the exports as the state clarified uh what they meant rather than what the documentation actually said was, you know, what they meant. happy to take any question. >> I'm always interested in the cyber security >> aspect that you guys have to deal with that I I I don't tend to think of. So, I'm glad somebody is thinking of it. >> And actually, I have some exciting news to share.
077um you know we have I think I've mentioned a few times that there are sort of ongoing partnerships between Primex um that has now actually started I literally got the welcome to your new cyber security portal that you can use with certain staff members I think about 10 o'clock today so um I'm going to be hitting up what the state has written a grant to cover what they consider high value targets which not that everyone is in high value but sort of anyone who has schoolwide access to information so certainly all the administrators, the executive assistants, uh office managers, nurses, anyone who really has access to tons of student data. Uh and that is a fully monitored uh so there's an agent on their computer, but that is fully monitored at their security center 247.
078So if there's, you know, something on their laptop and the bad guys are trying to execute a takeover at 3:00 a.m., there is literally someone who gets an alert and says, "Oo, let's block that." and then we're going to deal with that, freeze whatever is going on until we can get a hold of someone at the district and say, "Hey, what's going on? You need to deal with that." So, certainly not something that we would be able to afford on our own. That's kind of out of our price range normally, but the state did a great job in bringing in some scale. Obviously, the state has quite a few computers themselves. So they essentially said, you know, we're guaranteed this many seats, but that we have great funding for municipalities, school districts, and water districts
079to uh get that. The water has been a huge um thing, just as an aside, because uh there might be some nation state interest in attacking water systems. So um and in New Hampshire, we have very important water systems that serve thousands and thousands of people that are sometimes two guys in a laptop. Um, but they have access to critical controls. So, >> Matt, you mentioned grant funding. Do you do you know where what the source was? >> I don't off the top of my head. I believe it was the federal cyber security. >> It was from the federal government. >> Yes, I believe it was the ultimate source. Yeah. >> But certainly through a state council that >> did quite a lot of work. And I really have to say the state department of
080IT has been so helpful over the past few years which is a significant change from say a previous regime uh before uh the current do IT head and their the cyber security head came in I think maybe six or seven years ago and sort of said we're going to our job is to help the whole state and they've just done this work since then. Um, so thank you enough to Kevin and his team at the cyber security initiative as well as I should say Primex has done really great work both getting the word out to cities and towns and also sort of advocating for itself. Um, one of the things that we had briefly talked about with Amy at the beginning of the year is they might they will come out and talk to boards
081about the importance. um they can do some in private or in public session but also you know to come out and do an assessment and talk in a private session to sort of say this is where you are this is where you should be you know these are the steps that you can do along the way so I think that would be a great big so that's what it's >> excellent all right well thank you any other questions >> excellent thank you guys so much. We really appreciate it. All right. Moving along. >> Okay, superintendent goals. I'm excited to bring forward a draft of goals. My team is leaving, but um Matt will still be here and tell them what I said. Um, I have just really enjoyed the last couple of months and pouring
082myself into learning more about Hopington in this new role. And I just want to thank the directors, the administrators, and you'll see that my goals were aligned to the strategic plan, your goals, but also their goals. I also had a chance to look at um the previous superintendent Mike Flynn's goals from the previous year. I'm not quite where he was just because he had been here, you know, much longer than me. So you'll notice that some of my goals are, you know, working with Mandy, working with Laura, working with Jim to just try to understand um the um the district at that higher level. So my first goal is really around curriculum and assessment. Um one of your goals is to really look at the impact of no longer having a curriculum director. Um, and
083so I've been thinking about how that would look and I want to make sure that I provide some um, data to all of you, some monitoring, but also some really actionable steps. Um, so I'll do some work sessions with uh, my team as well as teacher leaders to inventory, you know, where we are with our current curriculum and assessment responsibilities. Those workflows, um, compliance and rule following is really important to me. it may not have, you know, trickled up to all of you, but one of the primary roles of the curriculum director was managing all of the grants. And so that now has to be, you know, put back on on other people. Um, and if you are listening to the news, you know that that's how some other neighboring districts are getting themselves into
084trouble when you're not um following the rules. Whether you have a thousand kids in your district or or 3,000, the rules are still the rules. and they actually um you the DOE doesn't doesn't care how many people you have working. You know, you have to maintain compliance. Matt talked about reporting um you know, every day the DOE is coming up with new ideas and new information that they want in new and creative ways. Sometimes they ask us to report back on data that they already have or have given us. And that's really interesting. We're like, why don't you just look in your own system? But okay, we'll continue to to do that for you. Um, I'll also look to share some some maybe some of my thoughts or ideas about how that system might work.
085Um, in the absence of a curriculum director, that work still needs to be done, not just at the district level, but also at the building level. So, as we enter the budget season, um I definitely have some ideas about, you know, how we can leverage our teacher leaders to be able to really impact change and and assure curriculum and instruction and assessment alignment in the buildings, which is vitally important. Um Mandy spoke about um MTFS and branching minds. will I'll be partnering with her to look at how are all of those systems and how can we strengthen them in the most efficient and effective way. Um using something a tool like branching minds will also help us to be able to uh look at data and then create informed reporting and decisions that that's based
086on that data. She talked a little bit about um how immediate some of that information is and that's so important for teams. As you know, when a student takes an assessment, you want some actionable um intervention or enrichment to happen as soon as possible. Um so having a system that folks can log into, teachers, instructional assistants, interventionists, it will be really important that everyone is up to speed on the data that we're collecting, why and how they can use it. Looking at finance, you know, I have really enjoyed I know that's probably a strange word. I ask Laura 5,000 questions a day. She is so kind. um and joining the finance committee uh with uh Rob and Jonathan. It has just been really great to get up to speed about how those numbers are um
087how we're how how they are developed, how we are looking to be fiscally responsible and ensuring transparency in our community moving forward. I'm excited to do the zerobased budget pilot that Rob has talked about. I think that will give us some really good conversation pieces as we head into the budget season about why we are looking at budgeting for the things that we are um what makes the budget what doesn't you know just being I think purposeful and intentional about that safety and security I know Jim has already left but that you know that committee also it's just really eye opening when you think about our facilities and Andrea you mentioned if students don't feel safe in their learning envirment environment it they're they're not available or engaged for learning. So it is really important
088that we ensure that students are safe and that our buildings are secure and so I'll be continuing to collaborate with a lot of the projects that are already in motion including um the security redesign project. I know that Rob and the CIP committee we're we're going to be talking about that later in the meeting. Um I'm excited about that. I was here initially when it was in the homeland security audit from 2016. I know it was in the initial NAS report um that's probably 10 years old at this point. So this has been a long time coming. There have been a lot of external experts talking to us about um the importance of securing the entrance at the middle high school. So I'm excited to maybe be part of the team that brings that to
089fruition. And then of course you really want to look at your our building levels of how we are creating um safe uh communities for our students and staff. So working with the building level administration to look at what are the professional learning needs of our staff and then um really looking at you know bringing that back to all of you so that you can see you know where are our needs are where what are we doing well and what are our opportunities for growth. Communication is always a need we want to make sure that our community is our communication is responsive to the community. I'm hoping to do some kind of a survey um to be able I know that you've probably done that in the past but you know I wasn't here and I
090think every person every superintendent every leader really wants um the most up-to-date data. It's hard to look at maybe a survey that was done three four years ago. You know I really want to know what are the needs of folks right now. Um I I think by and large um individuals look at gathering and digesting information from their phone. Um, so when you look at websites and information that you're putting out, you want to make sure that um, it is digestible uh, to the people that um, are receiving it. Um, but also I think we need some short and long-term plans for improvement based on the needs right now. Um, I, you know, been here long enough to know that, you know, there's some need to do some website updating. Um, maybe putting out some
091frequently asked questions about where they can find information, who are the folks to reach out to. um making sure that some of our district documents are up to date and and able to be located with ease. Um and then how do we continuously um outreach to the community so that uh we're providing the information that they need. Culture and climate is also, you know, one of your goals. Um we can't, you know, be a responsive community if we don't have strong culture and climate. Um so I've already started this work with the administrators ensuring that there are initiatives at each building um that they're working towards that and each building is in a different place. Um the middle high school has had long leadership. You know Chris has been there a long time but they
092have a new assistant principal and um she's I think done a really great job of trying to tap in to the culture and how she can contribute to that. Uh Carrie and Patrice have been here, you know, at least three years and so they have are also interested in trying things and ensuring that they have new staff and how they're coming on board and how they're folding into that community. And then finally, sustainability. Um you know, I'm I'm looking forward to the first sustainability committee. I have haven't been part of that in the past. Um so hoping to partner with those stakeholders to identify what are the top priorities. I know that there is, you know, a lot of student engagement around um recycling and using. I mean, when I was here, we went through,
093you know, the line and got rid of comp, you know, got rid of your waste appropriately, looking at composting. Um I know that um Jim and the U CIP committee are looking at energy and energy savings, waste reduction. So, um look forward to being part of those. Uh these goals really center on stable operations, improving our systems, and clear communication. I'm happy to take your questions and again really looking at this as a draft. Um if this if this is what you're looking for in my first year awesome questions, comments next time I'm going to do a fancy PowerPoint >> and with Yeah, I will I will say like at uh Hopinson especially, we have a lot of kids that care a lot about like the environmental action stuff. I know the EAC is one
094of our biggest clubs and um while there's some like grumbling about their methods sometimes of getting other kids to recycle and compost, they've generally done a good job. So, just want to throw that out there. >> Yeah. Thank you, K. >> Amy, my first impression when I read this uh over the weekend, I guess, was thank you for clear language that's not education ease. This all makes perfect sense to me. Um I think it's all very practical particularly for first year and sort of like seeing and learning um what you need to do before you make other steps moving forward. But I I the pragmatism of it I think is fantastic and that's what I like the most. >> I appreciate that. Thank you. >> I I I would would echo that. But I I
095I appreciate the organization. I appreciate trying to be succinct in communication. Um I think it I I hope that people in the community take a look at it in the sense that to just keep in mind how difficult your position is and how many different things you're staying on top of. Um, and of course these are large aspirational goals, but then there's all the day-to-day things which eat up hours. So, I guess that would just be my comment that it's um there's a lot to do. So, appreciate all that you do and all that you will do. Hopefully everyone else will keep that in mind as they uh offer critiques of the district. >> I appreciate that. Thank you, Jonathan. >> And keeping your life balance in balance. You know, there there are weekends and
096there's times to be off and you should be off and all of that business. >> We don't have one of those right now. >> Just saying and I texting each other at 6 a.m. What are you >> on Sunday morning? >> Really not balanced prop, but my husband appreciates. Maybe that should be an added goal. You can put that as one of the goals. No texting at 6 a.m. on schoolish. >> I'll just call you. >> What kind of stones are you having? Maybe that >> she knows I'm on my computer. >> We're running. >> Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. >> Do you have any comments? Sorry, you just watch. >> Sorry. No, just ambitious and I'm excited to work with you. I like the communication goal. >> Thank you. Call that last one personal sustainability.
097>> Yes. >> Add that. That's another bullet. >> Yeah. No, I I also look forward to the reporting out. I especially think that, you know, goal one and goal two under curriculum and assessment will be incredibly informative. Yeah. >> For this board as we move forward into the budgeting process um in particular. >> So, we'll see. Do you have other edits? I'm, you know, happy to incorporate and Sure. >> Yeah. And we, you know, as a board, we usually do a midyear check-in on our own goals, but seeing as this is your first year, we will likely do more frequent check-ins, um, just on individual goals, but I think they'll probably come up in a really like natural way. So, excellent. All right, so back to the agenda. Ooh, HMHS entrance redesign. So, I'm guessing
098this is going to Rob. >> So, you've got a PowerPoint in your folder and I think Matt's going to toss it up there on the screen as well. Um, so moving forward, the safety and security work group met to discuss where we're at and how to keep things moving forward. Um, so this is sort of a draft of what would be used as an info session to the public. So just so you know, so there's still some work to be done and making it snazzy and all that good stuff. Um, so Matt, you want to just go down to the next slide? Yeah. So this is the rendering of what this new entrance would look like. So you're standing on Park A and essentially looking between Chris Kelly's office in what would be the language
099arts classrooms. So think of that and yeah, if we could go to the next one. So just a recap of how we all got here. Um started after a safety and security meeting. Jim and I were talking about how do we get something off the ground? Um, the problem has always been getting it off the ground in a financially responsible way without spending tens of thousands of dollars. Um, which brought us to Jeff Del. So, I'm going to echo him again and again and again throughout this process who's an architect who works for UMass LOL. um and a former resident of Hopkinson who was willing to come up do a walk through of the buildings and we talked about the various options that had been considered through the years changing the yurt on the back
100of the gym the old teacher entrance what used to be the main office entrance and what I'm just going to call the gym ricki plan which is making this highway through what is now 202 Jeff then got Jim sent him all of the floor plans that we have and Jeff reworked those came back with what were the initial plans. Um we had a lot of in-house discussions those were at safety and security then with Chris Kelly. Chris then had them in safety and security. So that included Chief Yale um and Chief Hennessy. Chris then had discussions at the middle high school with his department heads and then I asked him to have a whole faculty discussion. We wanted to make sure that we weren't missing something and that people were on board with this. Um
101and the response was overwhelming in support of this is definitely a change that we need. So then in May we went back to safety and security. They approved the plan and moved it forward to the school board. Um, and then I think you recall that we appropriated some money to do some external engineering, uh, which cost us far less than we thought. Um, so to date, I texted Jim yesterday just to make sure. I was like, "So, how how much money have we actually spent to get where we are?" Uh, less than $2,000. Uh, $1,800 and some odd dollars is what we've spent. Um, which is amazing. So he then put this out or asked a construction company that we'd worked with before to give us a construction estimate um to test the financial viability
102and they came back at that $592,000 number and I think in all of our wishful minds we were thinking 800 to a million. Um so this is well below that. last spring um unofficially shared the plan with the budget committee and at that time they were very much in favor of the concept um at our last budget committee meeting shared the funding options with the budget committee they had already seen the plans um which I'll talk about the funding in a in a minute and the straw poll vote was very very strong in favor of moving forward um so and again you know I I think the general comment was this is long past due. This is an incredibly uh fair amount of money um maybe even better than fair amount of money to finally
103solve this problem. So that brings us to where we are right now. So the next one up this and this is just a recap again. If you're with the general public maybe they don't know what what is the problem and and staring in one direction that is the problem. we go into a double lock doors, but when that visitor gets released from that door, it's a good 25 second walk to the office and you have lots of other options. Um, some of them which could be tragic. So, we are trying to solve that gap and create what is a much safer two door lock system. Uh, next slide. Yeah. So, from the Homeland Security audit in 2022, you know, there's a lot in there. Um and the the major caveats of homeland security is surveillance,
104access control and alerting. We are doing really well in surveillance. We have improved our camera systems. We are doing really well in the alerting part. We have improved our access control. So we have the buzzer system. You buzz, they can see you, they bring you through. Uh the raptor system is in place. But that doesn't change the fact that someone with ill intent could get through that second door and you don't know what they have on their person or what their actual intent is to be and again there's a long gap to the to the office. Um the you know this part where they say in the second sentence that I think it's important how the public enters the facility instills expectations of behaviors sets boundaries guidelines and reinforces policy. When you can get into
105a building any which way you want that tells somebody how much you care about what's happening in that building. And given the world in which we unfortunately live in, how we secure things in a meaningful way is really important. Um, and then again from that same report, there's a huge disconnect between the office and the vestib. And it's not just a dining area, that's also a student academic area during the day. Study halls happen in there. Sometimes teachers bring their classes down there to maybe have a classroom exercise, all of those things. um going back to 2016 in the last NIASK report. So that happens every 10 years. NIASK is, you know, the New England Association that credits schools. Um and it's a self-study process for if you're not aware that that's how it begins.
106There's a series of questions. There are seven different subgroups. You look at those questions. You answer them. You write your own reports. And then a team of other educators comes in and they assess the validity of what you're saying. Does does what how you see your school actually match how your school functions? Um so the glaring thing for us in one of them in facilities was this problem. Some of those concerns we've done a good job addressing. Cameras, buzzer systems, secure doors, great. However, the primary concern of that gap in security where we empty into the cafeteria and or the gymnasium is still present which it's a structural problem. NAS will be back um in well that process is just now beginning again and we're still here 10 years later. We haven't managed to get
107it done. And again, I think it's really important to emphasize we haven't managed to get it done because anytime the idea has come up, the price tag is 2 $3 million or more. Um, and this approach solves it in a very pragmatic way. And I think that's one of the things we told Jeff when he came. We we want a pragmatic solution. And and trust me, Jeff is a Taj Mahal kind of guy. So for him to come up with a plan that was pragmatic, yeah, it was probably hard for him. But anyway, moving on. Um, so the benefits of the security redesign, proper twodoor security system to the office and guidance area, uh, enhances the clarity of the main office location. I think a lot of people, you know, well, I know when I
108was there, people would drive around the building like, "How the heck do I get in? Which door do I go?" Um, this makes it really clear where it is. There's visitor parking. There's an entrance way. Um, we have a facade. All of that good stuff. Enhances the ADA accessibility. So, right now, for someone who needs assistance to come in, make your way through by the uh the maintenance department into the elevator upstairs here, you would go into the office. You still have to get to the elevator. Still through the weird library thing, but it's better. Um, improves the office and faculty space. So right now when teachers go to the teachers room they come in through guidance or they come in through the office and it can be disruptive because teachers can be disruptive like
109you want to chat and people are actually doing work um or whatever might happen be going on. So it really sort of changes that dynamic and you'll see in the floor plan what I mean about that a little bit more and it also improves the meeting room security and confidentiality. So when the building was first designed in '989 there was a meeting room a very large meeting room in what is now our office and then somewhere early 2000s the ADL room came to be because we needed that for some of our special ed students. So when the ADL room came to be then that conference room got smaller because they made a teacher space and over the years it essentially got mongrelized to doing all kinds of different things. Um, and there really is no
110adequate meeting room in the office. So, if people are coming in for a variety of reasons, you're making your way through the building to another space rather than staying in the office where one should be. So, this this also resolves that issue. Uh, next one. So, everything has an opportunity cost, a trade-off. Um, so some things would get realigned. We do lose a classroom, right? So, it's a 202 is going to be part of this office u realignment which so room 206 which is now a uh I'm going to get it right I think it's a foreign language classroom gets reassigned to the social studies department uh 208 would go to the world language department and 214 which is a smaller space would go to the special education department >> 214 or 211 211. Sorry.
111Yeah. Um, so but you know, in talking to Mr. Kelly, he feels pretty confident that all of these objectives can be met without having a significant impact on education. The spaces are large enough to do what they need to do. Um, and again, you know, this was one of the things that I said, I really want you to emphasize this when you meet with your staff last April. Are people willing to make give this up? Right? It's like when we our teacher room, which was really nice back before the ADL room, but we all knew the ADL room is more important than us having a place to have lunch. So, similar kind of thing. They get it like the security of the building is critical. Here's the diagram of what it would look like. Um,
112so you can see there's that terrace which is under a canopy. So, we went for that instead of a hard structure. again to reduce costs. As soon as you put that external building up, your costs are going to skyrocket. Um to the left of where the doors are, that would be your first check-in. So you get a visual check, the person gets buzzed in, and then once they're in that vestibule, the raptor system would be used just like it is at Harold Martin School in Maple Street where you sort of have that person in that vapor lock situation. And then you can go into this lobby. And one of the things that we discussed is, you know, as part of this process, those two doors that then go out into what would be the hallway.
113Um, that's also could be another security lock, right? You could choose to have that option if you wanted to. Um, the reception and work area for uh the office staff is there, so they've got a good visual on visitors, but they also have a good communal place to do their work. uh Chris's office, the one in the middle, stays exactly the same. His assistant's office gets a little bit bigger. Um the vice principal's office because we would now be creating that hallway next to the faculty lounge. That would be separate. You you don't want the hallway just a dead end. So, we just expanded his office. So, now there's a small meeting place for him, which would be great when he's meeting with parents or students or whatever happens to be. Um the faculty lounge
114changes completely. So now instead of having teachers coming through guidance or through the office, they're going directly into their faculty lounge. Um copy machine, all that stuff that that happens in faculty lounge. The bathroom stays exactly where it was. The thing that says storage is actually um where all of Matt's fun stuff lives. Um don't ever go in there and play with the cables. It's it's not a good idea idea. I have I have many thoughts of doing that Matt but I never did it. Um then next to that is that meeting room which is designed for approximately 10 to 12 people. In the guidance area there's not much change except for there's so Mr. Dy's office would be the one to your left. There's a little tiny office that I think what initially designed
115was supposed to be for storage essentially a closet. It became an office. Um Mrs. Mer worked out of there for years. That gets expanded by a little bit in this project. So it becomes a more amenable place to work. Um and then the rest of the building stays the same. So we accomplish a lot of things with this in terms of you know how schools should function. um in an office faculty setting while also being secure. Students would come through this entrance. Uh so the buses would drop in the front, you'd be coming through here. Um in talking to Chris, you know that student access through the rear parking lot would still be in play. Um but the yurt would be locked. So the yurt is not open during the day. uh after school activities,
116sporting activities, community activities, that's a different story. Uh this is really focused on what happens between 7:00 or 6:00 in the morning and 2:50 in the afternoon. The next one, so we asked I asked Jeff last night actually. Um so the the diagram on the top is the view of what the outside would look at. And as you can tell, it's a little bit difficult to figure it out, right? So Jim had the good idea. Can we get a top-down view? So we sent him a a, you know, a Google Earth image. And I don't know if he used ours or used his, but you can now see what the exterior would look like. So there you're coming in just as you normally would, uh, where the buses come through. You've got one, two, three,
117four parking spots to the right. And then where you sort of have that quadrangle, that's where your steps are. That's where your handicap accessible ramp would be. And then the canopy going into the building. Um, we also discussed, and you know, at some point in the future, if you wanted to have parking on the other side, that's also feasible. We certainly park cars there for senior parking during the fair for many, many years and maximize profits. Um, so there's that option as well. And next one. So next steps, we would put the project out to bid with a maximum guaranteed cap of $700,000. So the construction estimate came in at 592. And in talking with Jim and the committee with contingencies and things that you might not foresee, we feel like that's a reasonable number.
118It's probably more money than we will need, but better to set aside a little bit more money and not need it than need it and not have it, so to speak. Uh the funding plan, as we've talked about, since uh you know, the unanticipated fund balance of 429 came through, we would take 429 from CIP. So, just as a reminder, uh we use that unanticipated fund balance to pay for some of encumbered CIP projects. So, that money didn't come out of the CIP account. So, that money remains there. That we have access to that for this project. And then draw 271,000 from the contingency fund, previously known as article 10. Um with that, it would draw that account down to a little under 800,000. Um, which means that going into the next revenue season, we
119already have, if we were to use the same 400 we used this year, we still have 400 to use for that, we still have another 377 sitting there available even with the reduction of 271. Um, which I think is, you know, an exceptional use of how we're using that contingency fund to to use as revenue. um community info sessions. We think it's really important to get this in front of as many people as possible. So the first one would be a parent community forum at the middle high school. Uh do that in the auditorium and then to Rotary. Um previously for budget seasons we meet with the Hopkins and Democrats and or the Hopkins and Republicans uh and the PTA. So those offers would be made and if people want to have us to discuss
120this plan. Um Jim had mentioned yesterday that we can also get some pictures the external rendering the floor map the top view and a little bit about you know the funding process. get those on some large placards at town hall, at the library, and in the entrances of the three schools so people can see what's going on. And then December have the public hearing. Um so again, we would do this presentation for at that point, probably for the sixth or seventh time. Public would weigh in, the board would vote. All things being equal, um, the security gods in our favor, we break ground in June 2026. And that and we end with that artistic rendering, which I think as you look at that and think about, you know, how you want to secure a school
121in 2025 in the best interest of everybody who goes there. Um, this is an incredible plan for under $700,000. And I am ready for any questions folks have. That was I know a lot. Uh I got one big kind of question which touched upon a little bit but just like with um uh like parent pickup and drop off would that be like centered around coming through down that way and routed away from coming in through Karge and then down that connecting road? >> Right. Great question and I'm going to defer to Chris on that one a little bit. But in the short discussions that we had, I think he would continue to do a similar process and those students would be coming in through that gym entrance. Yep. So the where the drop is now.
122>> Um but that could be a different scenario. He may choose to have the the drops happen a little closer and people walk up that sidewalk and in that main entrance. >> Yeah. I just know right now it goes out like the gym entrance but also like the current front entrance and >> just wondering about that. And then the second quick question is the current front entrance um in the plans that we were looking at back there. I couldn't really tell what the um plan was >> right >> go back I think >> I don't think there's a picture. the overhead view. >> Yeah, the in the overhead I think >> like Yeah, >> I think it's slide 10. >> Um, exactly. Especially the top image. I don't like Is there any change that's going
123to happen to the current one? It's just going to be another entrance, >> but not the main entrance, >> right? It's going to stay just the way it is. It'll continue to have those double lock doors. Um, >> it will probably continue, well, I would assume it's going to continue to be the main entrance for athletic events. um you know just as now we don't have people coming in the side back door at least they're not supposed to. >> Um but that would be the main conduit for school events. Uh >> where we also tend to have a lot more security on hand you know um for basketball games and things which is an interesting concept but >> yeah I think it's a super um cool concept. I mean, the renderings look great, and I
124think not just the like safety element, but also like kind of the flow of the in school traffic and everything um would be quite helpful to not have it as that jumbled mess with like lunches and all sorts of activities um just busying up the current entryways. So, you know, and can you bring up can you go back to the floor plan one, Matt? So one of the things we also talked about was you know student privacy like you get sent to the office okay that that happens but currently you are sitting in a fishbowl everybody knows you're sitting there they just you know it is what it is but you're it's glass all the way around in this setup um you would be coming to the office you know whilst you're waiting to speak
125to whomever you're going to speak to you're most likely going to be in that lobby area or someplace that's a lot more private. Um, and it's always best when you have student interactions that they be held in the most private condition possible, right? Nobody likes to be dressed down in public. Um, and essentially that's what's happening when you're sitting there whether you like it or not. Just like visually it's like yeah. So, so it it also helps that dynamic as well. Let's see. >> So, if we could pull 10 back up. >> Nope. >> What? >> 10. >> Slide 10. >> It's the top down view. >> Oh, >> nope. You just passed it. >> So, not having any kids in the high school and not being familiar with this >> currently. What happens in
126the morning when students arrive? Like if a student drives himself. >> So, right now park behind there. Are they walking around to the yurt to get in? >> No. So, >> are they walking in that side back door? >> So, the back of the gymnasium here. >> So, if we're doing this redesign, right? So, if we're doing this redesign, they would no longer be walking in that door. >> They would still be walking in that door according to Chris's current plan. And there's faculty assigned. So, when you morning duty is in two places, right? Right now, morning duty, there's usually a person here and there's usually a person there. So, you're at the yurt at those doors or the used to be a little funky table thing. Uh, and also back here. So, you'd still
127have >> probably shouldn't touch. >> Oh, that's good. So, there still would be a faculty person there monitoring those students coming in. >> I guess the reason that I ask is because I'm just thinking like, you know, a chain's only as strong as its weakest link. And so it just strikes me that if we harden the front entrance, but kids can just walk in or anybody can just walk in the back, then >> I see what you're saying. >> It just strikes me as that that really undercuts the value >> of >> So if you harden everything and you say everyone is funneled through here, then I get it. If if people can just walk in the other two entrances, it strikes me as >> there's one other entrance they're going to walk in through.
128>> Okay. So, not the yard anymore, just the back. >> Common practice for most schools, especially those where kids drive themselves, to have a certain period of time where the doors are unlocked from such such to to the start of school and then it's locked down for all students. >> I get it because you don't want a bunch of kids blocking in front where the buses are and and it's going to be congestion. So, I get it. I'm just thinking about the defensive >> gains and losses. >> So I think that >> there's God forbid somebody is trying I mean this whole thing is about trying to prevent >> something bad from happening. >> I'm going to answer your question. >> So having done both of those duties in both of those places. One when
129you're doing the yurt it's it's a fire hose. There's lots and lots of people coming in once. When you're doing the back entrance, I would say that the flow of traffic is significantly less. But I also know every single kid who's walking through that door. And if there's a person coming through that door that I don't recognize, I'm going to ask them what the heck they're doing there. Like that. There's not a stranger. Like it it is a small place. You don't need to work there very long to know I don't know who you are. Where's your badge? And you're not a student here. What are you doing here? No, you go around to the front entrance and you check in like every other visitor. So that's the place like he's No, I'm just kidding.
130Um, but you know what I mean. So that's I get it and and we could at some point spend money and do a double lock door there as well, >> right? >> Um, and maybe that's that's a worthwhile thing to consider. Um, but the characteristic of that school, that's what happens. That's that's >> I get it. Um >> it's a great question. It is a great question and it is part of the problem but the the bigger problem is when the normal traffic flow stops and the visitors arrive and you know it doesn't take long to you know spend time with school shooting incidents in access and I think one of the things that's improved a lot like there are years and years and years where you know the little rock by the door that's
131close to your classrooms that has come to an end. Um, so now we're going to be funneling people through the right places. And I suppose to positive potential answer is if the rest of if there's a high traffic time of day when you're trying to get people in or out and you're using this other entrance exit. If the rest of the day everything is funneled through this entrance, it seems statistically unlikely that someone that's not thinking clearly and is going to go and try to do something is going to do it in a hightra time of day. They're going to wander. That's when certainly high-profile cases seem to happen. So, >> so I get it, but it's just my initial thought looking at it, not being familiar with the flow of traffic during the school
132day in that building yet. >> Yes, soon enough I will be, but not yet. >> Quicker than you know. >> I'll also say uh as someone who who does drive here every single day in the back entrance, you have a lot a lot more parents with their eyes on that back entrance because we're back there dropping off our kids. The front entrance only you really only have the buses there. You don't have as many parents or other adults >> or walkers I see >> there. Yeah. You have walk. So you have students, walkers, and >> the one person on duty >> and and occasionally that visitor who is going up to the office, but you've got 60 kids, you know, two buses just rolled up and this this person who >> and again, you're trying
133to interact and then there's that short distance and well, let me >> it's hard versus having that ability to identify them through the raptor system and see what they're supposed to be doing there. Having the lobby for them to be in In another totally different vein, I really appreciate this full presentation, Rob. Um, one thing that I would love to see added would be something to highlight the fact that um, I love a Q&A and I would love to highlight the fact that if we were to do this, there would be no no bonding. Like we are not borrowing money for this. We are not raising or appropriating any taxes for this. This is money that has already been set aside that we can use specifically for this project. Um, you know, the last time
134that we had to bond, we had to, you know, you remember how how we had to break up that loan into two phases that we could get the best interest rates. and that was like the last time that interest rates were anywhere near uh anything we'd want to look at. So, this is the the amount of money that we would be saving on interest alone by not having to bring this um not having to bond this out is I cannot overstate it. and and you know and in the I mean you're the I'm the schoolboard rep to the budget committee, but obviously you're paying attention to all the things the town is doing and you know the $4 million plus bond for the lagoon, the $1 million bond for the septic system up here on
135Maple Street, um some of what the Kuk water precinct is going to have hit, not to have to bond and to have managed your funds in a way that we have accounts that making it possible to do this >> to me is just incredible. And that seemed to be the general consensus of the budget committee as well was, you know, you're doing this in a way that not only makes sense in terms of the amount of money that needs to be spent, but the fact that you're not locked in. >> Rob, I I I want to say thank you. I I do think that under other circumstances I would want this sum like this amount of money returned to the taxpayers, but we're talking about safety. I had a student go through the school. I
136work in a school. We live in a world where this is a concern um more and more so, right? And so I would say like anything else I'd be like return it. But it's and kudos to you for doing all the leg work on finding somebody who did the design for you know you did this as cost-effectively as possible. So thank you to the the team. Um and I think it's beautiful and I think if we can get out of it for Yeah. If we can get bids for under the 700, then I think we should do it for the safety of students and staff. >> Yeah. No, I just I just I go back to thinking about we've just had this conversation so many times and thinking about the $2 million and then thinking
137about the $2 million borrowed, >> right, >> is >> Yeah. I didn't even think of it. >> I mean, that's that's what we don't want, right? We It wasn't just the fact that it would be a $2 million project that we were worried about. We were thinking about a $2 million project, less interest, >> right? >> Um and the fact that we're not having to do that is >> it's great, >> but but getting that across to folks is challenging. >> Yeah. So, I mean, so I you know, to to piggyback on to the point you started off making, I mean, I do think not bonding it is really good. Um I also think that we need to think about messaging on the 600 because 600 is 600 no matter where whether it's >> true
138>> the point you're making. So how we present that how we sort of narrate that it isn't you know 600 is 600. So, um I think it's I think it's a reasonable use of funds. I think it's a it's but I do think that um that that'll just be something to you know for us to be continually thinking about is how to present that to the Rotary and everybody else. >> Part of that is also, you know, this is technically a capital improvement, right? >> Absolutely. >> And we we're going to spend half a million dollars on an oil tank. >> An oil tank. So when you, you know, in the context of the world that we live in, when you tell me that for $600,000, you can better protect your students, your faculty, visitors,
139whole, >> right? >> All of that. >> Yeah. >> I mean, >> I'm not saying highest and best. I'm not talking about that. I'm not talking about whether it's a worthwhile project. I'm just talking about the messaging on >> I don't think that's a hard >> where the where the money's coming from. That's all. Yeah, my personal opinion on that is that is not a hard message. >> So, I don't think that's a hard message. >> No, the 600,000 is not a hard message. But I don't think that we would want to ever say that there's like no impact that you know that we just were just moving money and we just had this money and so we've decided absolutely you know what I mean like money that's what I'm talking that's all I'm talking
140about >> already and it is a better way to say it that there is not a tax increase due to this project there every you know the tax impact would be forward >> you know that 271,000 could liquidate into fund balance and be returned. So, it is better to just call it that there is no tax increase >> and then we're back to the whole conversation about that. >> Yeah. >> I think the message though is the fact that over the past six years the board has made a conscious effort to um use its trusts uh in a in a different way. We've really looked at I think we learned a lot from the impact of the building project of having a $10 million B uh bond and saying we have to save for projects.
141We have to save for CIP projects. We have to save for tech projects. We have to save for health insurance and we have to save for special ed. We saved for those projects and this is what we were able to do. >> That is the message. We saved appropriately and we were able to do this, >> but we did raise taxes at some point and there's extra money in it. But I just want to go off that like, you know, you think about the water heater and you need a water heater. This project you don't need until it's too late. >> And I you know what I mean? Like I I just I I get kind of tearary because I'm somebody who thinks about every day getting kids out of a building and the best
142way to do it safely in case of emergency. And sometimes I pick my shoes based on could I jump out of a freaking window, a second floor window, could I lower a kid with a ladder? Could I make I think about these things all the time as an educator. And it's and if I think about them too long, I I'll quit because I can't I can't think about it too long. Um and so, you know, when I ask you those questions, Rob, about how much money am I getting back and you tell me it's $17 or you tell me it's 400, you know, >> this is not money that would be coming back to the taxpayers. >> This is what I'm talking. Not this is money that is now >> sitting the money that's in
143CIP we are not returning to the tax. It is in CIP. The money that is in contingency we can use as revenue. So again to make that sort of you know hopcotch plan we should be thinking about contingency. We have $400,000 we use this year. Are we going to have $400,000 next year? Yes we will. But because we're able to save up to that 5%, we also have some of other available funds for other situations. This has been a problem that have stared the school in the eye since April 20th, 1999 when we said, "Holy Coline was a bad day yesterday. We're going to check every backpack as it comes in." And we did that for weeks. And then we looked and said, "How do we solve this?" And every time there was a dollar
144sign attached to it. Um >> Yeah. So, you know, been pushed long enough. >> Well, I would also say too that the the school board presents we present what we think is best to the voters and then the voters vote on it. We we presented how much we think the voters should save in the CIP account. The voters agreed and so this money as a community, we have chosen to save this money into our CIP savings account. And actually the voters largely agreed but somewhat didn't agree because we're underfunding CIP. >> Correct. >> Truth be told. >> Yeah. >> That's the one >> right >> consistently that we have been underfunding and that everybody thinks is important for exactly this reason because if you have different buckets >> and you wind up managing that in
145a good way and things break your way then you have some flexibility >> without increasing the tax burden. As you're saying, Laura, >> the voters's also agreed to raise that contingency cap to 5% from two and a half. >> Exactly. Yep. So, I think it's I think this is a solid plan and I thrilled that we don't have to blend it. >> Um, so I don't know if this is a vote or I mean we're not voting. The vote will ultimately come at the public hearing, right? That's when it ultimately comes. But I do need the board to tell me yes or no. You have the green light to go ahead with bids, uh, information sessions, so on so forth as was laid out. >> This item is not, we talked about it earlier, this
146item is not technically on our CIP right now or capital improvement plan. So, we'd like to put it on with the board's authorization. So, would you like a formal vote for that? >> That'd be great. >> Yes, please. >> I would move that we put the security redesign project at the middle high school as a line in the CIP. >> I'd second. >> Wonderful. All right. Motion second. Any further discussion? >> Okay. Hearing none. All in favor? >> I opposed. None. Motion carries. Thank you very much. >> Thank you. Thank you, Rob. >> Thanks everybody. If you have any feedback on specific things on slides, you can shoot that to me directly and we'll make adjustments and we'll start getting things schedule. >> Awesome. Thank you. All right. Okay. Cooking right along. Budget timeline review.
147>> Who's got this one? >> Um happy to do it. So Amy and I have been working to develop the budget timeline for this year and it coincides with that financial presentation schedule that we talked about at last meeting. So we have already started working on budgets tomorrow. Essentially the school level budgets are closing. So they've already met with their teams. They're working on finalizing the principal budget, the director's budgets, and then over the next two weeks, Amy and I will meet with every we'll review them and meet with the staff to go over their requests for the operating budgets. Um, I have asked them to do something a little different this year um with Rob's piece about taking a look at fixed costs first and then let's see what we can add in, right?
148What are contractual obligations? what are our costs to make our schools run as status quo? Um, and I'm utilizing e finance in a different way than the previous BA used to. There is a field called requested base and there's a field called requested new. So I have asked all of our staff and I'll show it to you when we meet in on the 16th to talk about it. I have asked them for your operations budgets, can you please put everything that keep keeps us at status quo in the requested base? Whether that means that there's a 5% increase to your software that you already currently use as part of your curriculum um or you know you feel like you need markers and markers have gone from 50 cents to 75 cents. That's a requested base
149item to keep us where we are today. Then we have a new requested new field which is different um which allows them to tell us in a different way what do what are you asking for in addition uh these are not high hopes these are not pipe dreams these are items that you would like to add to your curriculum or add to your budget but are not in there currently this year and are new asks. So we'll be able to take a look at um those fixed costs and those contracted costs a little bit clearer than we have in the past. Um, so that timeline again, we we'll have our directors here on the 16th. That's the first presentation we'll really have of the operations budgets. I expect to see health trust rates for health
150insurance and dental. Um, remember it's not GMR anymore. It's not guaranteed maximum rate. It is actually the rate we will see will be set in late mid to late October. And so that's where we see in November we have the first round of the full budget presentation which takes into account all of the staff and their benefits costs as well. So we do this in two two pieces really. We talk about operations first because it's available first and then we'll talk about salary and benefits. We have no um union contracts this year as we've talked about. So, those numbers that we'll see are going to be the numbers. Um, and they're at, as we know, current rates and staffing levels at this point, unless I know specifically of of something going on. Um, and then
151as we look, we'll talk in December, we start to target tax rate impacts, we start to target warrant articles and what those will look like. um January the school board will finalize your budget and we will present that finalized budget to the budget committee on January 7th. So that's relatively early this year. It's beginning of January. Um so Rob will do that presentation to the budget committee. After that um we have the public hearing which is on February 4th which is in plenty of time before our annual meeting. >> Um >> and that public hearing is the budget committee's public hearing. >> Yes. This is budget committee's public hearing. So, um, right now our timeline doesn't have our budget public hearing if we need to have one on the school district level. I don't know
152if you do. Can't remember. No. No. Um, and then after February 4th, we'll know budget committee's recommended numbers and we'll finalize warrant articles and annual meeting is uh March 14th. Well, >> Laura, um, speaking of budget committee, I I was asked if we know what our utilization was last year. Are we up down in terms of it's utilization is not the proper word. >> Utilization. >> Um, you know what? I'm sorry. >> For what? >> For health insurance. >> Oh. Oh. What percentage of our staff take it? You mean >> the number we talking about >> like in terms of remember we talked about >> we're giving you hundred $100 and we're we're spending 142. >> Yep. >> Um do we have any sense where where we're at in that regard? >> No, they said
153they send that out when they give me the rates for next year. So that comes out as a rate summary in October when I get >> the mod. That's the mod. >> I'm like when I get new rates I'm like what are you what are you no I don't have that. Um, but I will get that when they send them out in October and I can take a, you know, give you some base numbers. We'll also have some ideas at that point, finalized numbers of who has taken the new health insurance plans and who has, you know, stayed with the the driver plan as we call it. >> Um, I will also mention as we talk budget timeline, one of the things that we had mentioned last time was that you wanted to see the
154budget committee dates and how those correspond with our dates. So on this new finance presentation that's in there's one that says WBC um there's a right-hand table that indicates the budget committee meetings now and when our financials will go to them and when we need to do our presentations so that should help us to decide you know when we get them involved in our budget sphere. >> Thank you very much for this. This is a working as we know it's a working document. So it will continue to be updated. Um and I'll just pop it into you know the board support folders for us. So we have it as when we want to project and look forward. I know one of the items now is on 1216. I'll add this in. There's going to be
155a public hearing for the high school security redesign. So that will go on to the financial presentations for next time >> on 1216. >> Yep. That was on Rob's >> he had 1216 as one of the >> public hearing dates. All right. I feel like I'm going to need a list of where I need to be and when. >> Right. >> Somebody >> We have a board meeting that night. >> Yeah. Yep. >> On 12:16. >> Yeah. >> Why don't I have that one? >> No. >> It's one of the million invites that Jody sent us. >> Yeah. >> Great. Thank you. >> So, any questions on our timelines and our financial schedules? Any of that right now? Could we send um this dual document to the budget committee? >> Sure, >> that'd be good.
156So when we send over the financials, >> y >> send that as well. Of course, >> I can absolutely do that. Thank you. >> Um right now it ends, just so you know, um the budget committee side ends on February 11th because that that is their last scheduled meeting as of right now. So once we have more meetings scheduled for the budget committee, I'll be able to update that. Any questions on the budget timeline? Six. The 16th, just we know is a Thursday. It is um really just a budget work session. That is the extra one that we add in every year to start talking. So we still have one on the 7th which may be the 9th >> and one on the 21st and then we have this extra one on the 16th in
157October. >> Can we get the uh spreadsheets in advance? >> I will do my best. The spreadsheets have to be modified with the new requested >> to the requested new but yes I will do my best. >> Absolutely. >> So so I don't have any questions we've talked about yesterday but very much appreciate the work. Thank you >> to put it together. It's organized a really helpful way. >> Good. Thanks. >> It's a good product. >> Yes. Appreciate the feedback. >> Is this lovely? The budget timeline document. Is this a public going to be a public document? >> Um, yes. It is attached to the agenda, right? >> Yes. So, I will live. >> Great. >> Yep. >> Shortly. >> Um, and I am fine with that financial presentations also being live. um so that
158folks know when there are at least finance pieces that are coming up as well. >> Super. >> Thank you. >> I don't think that's something we have to keep. No, I don't. >> Great. >> Thanks for the highlights, too, Laura. >> Which one? That financial presentations with BC. >> All right. DOE 25. What's your Super Bowl? I see. Yes. >> I um I looked at Amy today at lunch and I go, Amy, DOE25 is approved. I was so excited. Like >> we high. >> We did. We highived. It was a piece of joy. I was very, very excited. So tonight, I do need you to sign the cover pages for the DOE25 and the MS25. Those are in your board support folder. Um, just to give you an idea, DOE25 is the annual school reporting
159to the state. Uh, there's one piece that goes to the Department of Education and one piece that goes to the Department of Revenue Administration, which is the MS25. The MS25 feeds directly off of the DOE 25. Um, and yes, it is a 25page report. That's where that number comes from. um with some additional >> subsequent pages at the back. >> Um this data that we provide the state once a year provides them information on cost per pupil, average teacher costs and they use it and they present it on the DOE website. So that's where these average pupil costs are, the average teacher costs that you see in their analytics come from our DOE25s. Um, it is also our way of showing them, you know, what's on our balance sheet of where our unassigned fund balance
160is for taxes and then they compare that with our what's called our MS-24 which is our statement of revenues and so those numbers will match when we come with that and um that will come in a little later in November the final MS24. So the DOE does post the DOE25 publicly. Um they it does not go up on our website as a standard thing, but it is available on the DOE's website once they have done and once they're done and finalized all of them. And um so I do ask if you have taken a look at it that you sign both cover sheets. You'll see that the date is September 1st on the cover sheets. We did receive an extension through October 1st. That extension approval is in this little packet just in case you
161need to see it. Um, it is a very common practice, we learned, for many school districts to ex get extensions on their DA25. >> I think we get one every year. >> Yeah, >> don't kill me. But now I see that I >> No, you do not. >> I'm just pulled it when I open. >> I just opened it. >> I don't know. So yesterday in finance we were dealing with this very very strange glitch in the D25 that's showing conquered school districts um and their schools under our elementary expenditures on it but >> on school level expenditures on the right hand side >> no data just the name >> just the names are coming but they're not >> right there's the only data yes the only data is Hington school district so those cells
162can be just >> I don't know academy of science >> I don't I don't know Why? >> I don't know. >> Maybe when we send it in, we can just be like, "Also, please make sure >> Laura, can I ask a question?" >> We're not trying to take over >> because there's often questions in the community regarding like a lot of the eye platform reports on the on the DOE website. And one of the things that we consistently push back on is because I know like in my district it's sort of the same thing. How the state and probably I'm learning that they're submitted through these 25page reports. um like classroom size, like average classroom because anybody who's on the teacher contract >> counts as a teacher and then like just divided by the students
163and that's where we get the number. But nurses, librarians, speech, like anybody who maybe doesn't have a class typical classroom load. >> Yep. >> But they're counted in the count. Like is there another way to give a more realistic because like if I go to my district and I look and it's like 12 to one like never had a 12 person class right we go back to that um and I think the same thing happens here >> y >> so does can we ask the state to like accurately reflect this >> so I don't actually in this report we don't provide provide teacher counts in this report. We do provide the total amount of teacher salaries and teacher benefits, but we don't provide teacher counts. That comes actually, I think, from a report that Jod
164and I are going to do in the next couple of months that provides our employment records. >> Okay. >> But I can ask them at that time. >> Yeah. I just if they because it's a rough that we c that I consistently get as a schoolboard member but also you know a teacher where I'm like >> never had a 12 person class >> because we have speech we have psychologists we have nurses >> anybody who's covered under the teacher contract is included in that number >> and so it drops the >> we may text But it's yeah depending on which data they use >> normally it's because we're taking 16 students. >> Okay. >> So it just really depends on the data source. >> Yeah. Where they're getting it. Okay. Thank you. It's kind of
165Yeah, that eye platform is like kind of >> challenging. >> Not accurate. >> That's great. >> Okay. Thank you. >> So we need to sign these. >> Yes. Yes. What's happen? >> Do we need to vote or do we just sign them? >> You just need to sign them. You do not need to vote to accept it. Um, you just need to sign these cover sheets and so I can turn them in. Now, um, I know Delta's not here tonight. She does have a special spot on these. So, when she returns, um, I will get her signature and then I will submit them. Great. >> Thank you. You need to sign, too. Okay. Please. >> Nice try. All right. You're not that new. [Laughter] >> Can't be blamed for what you don't sign. >> We
166just signed. You do not have to print our name. You do not. >> And um I know that the DOE25 is pretty significant. If you find yourself not sleeping at night and you want to take a look at it and you have any questions, let me know. >> I have read it in the past. It is long. >> It is. >> Yes, it is very long. >> Great. Well, thank you very much. >> Getting the trophy tomorrow, J. >> Yes, keeping the power to give it away. >> Told the world >> because I finished my D35. We love that. Are you >> Thank you for keeping us in comp. No, but I sign a lot of time. >> I was very excited. >> Yeah. >> You do not sign more passes than I do. >>
167No, you probably sign more. >> Yep. >> I get a different signature. They get the R in a circle like Batman and Robin. My initials now. >> I have it on the record. What? Poor penmanship. I have >> Oh, really? >> All right. >> Do you have a nap? >> All right. Are we ready? We're almost there, guys. >> Oh, no. It's always been bad. >> We're getting there. >> Uh on next very exciting. Very exciting point there. So there's a lot here. >> We're plugging away. >> Next up is policy. Another thrilling topic. >> Um so for policy tonight we have I'm going to go backwards. So we have two final reads um which have been making their way through. We have EHB which is records retention and ECA buildings and ground security. Um
168so those two are ready for final reads tonight. We have no second reads. And then you'll see we are um working now on doing batches of policies. And so we are starting with the beginning of the alphabet. So we're starting with our A policies. Although a K policy snuck in there as well because the draft was completed and so um it was ready to go. So it it got in there. So for first reads tonight we have um AC non-discrimination equal opportunity employment and anti-discrimination plan AC-R2 uh which goes along with AC um and is not actually something we vote on. It's something that is required as being part of AC but we wanted to include it so that you can see it. It is the non-discrimination equal opportunity employment and anti-discrimination plan annual notice
169or contact information. ACA which is a discrimination and harassment grievance procedure. ACAC which is a title 9 sexual harassment policy and grievance process. KA uh the school family and community partnerships dually coded with JO. So ACA ACA and ACAC, my god, we have all of those policies already. Um, and there were no um substantive changes made. Uh, really what we did is we went through and we um realigned them to um the New Hampshire School Board Association's recommended policies um to make sure that everything was sort of in the right places. um made sure there was one block that with the new administration was required to be put in. So we put in that chunk of language. Um it was literally a paragraph. Um now I'm not going to be able to find it as
170quickly. >> It is an AC, right? >> ACAC. It was the prohibition part A prohibited sexual. >> Okay. Um, yes. It's just >> at the very top. It was actually letter A. >> Oh, it's letter A. Sorry, just letter A. It was the one little bit that we had to put in. The rest of the policy is the same. Um, and then KA is a policy that um we did not have that is required. So, take a look at those policies if you have any suggestions. They are very long. Um, please let myself or Suzanne or Amy know. >> I did see that Jonathan made a note in one of them in AC asking about uh the requirement of counselors to report. >> Yeah, just the mandatory reporting. >> Yeah, counselors are mandatory reporters. And
171so, um, >> it's it's not so much the reporting of like a crime, it's the reporting of like bullying or something where I could see that being a more nuanced conversation between a student and a counselor. >> Yeah. Typically, as as a former building administrator, it wouldn't be uncommon for the school counselor to come to me to say, "I just um had these reports and I need you to look into it." You know, typically the counselor is not doing the bullying investigation or digging into the, you know, more legal part of an investigation, but they are required to alert administration if something has happened. >> Yep. And it was really just as I'm reading it and thinking about it through what I do sometimes, you know, confidentiality can serve a beneficial purpose. I understand mandatory
172reporting laws, believe me. Um, so it was just uh more of a comment uh as I'm sort of reading through that just thinking I could envision a situation where a student wants to vent, wants to get some guidance on how to deal, but perhaps making a bullying situation public might make it worse. >> That kind of dynamic is what I'm thinking about when I'm made that comment. And >> and I will say the counselors that I've worked with, they are really a skilled group of people. you know, their national organization, the ask a model is really aligned with being able to report those sorts of things. They do it in a really nuanced way. I understand your concern and you know, counselors sometimes will say, "This is really compromising your safety and the safety of
173others. I have to report that." >> I totally get it. I'm not not even advocating that it shouldn't read the way it reads. I'm just sort of commenting on it. >> Yeah, >> I'm getting out of the policy game. It's a lot of fun. >> I mean, I enjoy it. >> I know you do. >> I also like it, Jonathan. So, >> I like it, too. I'm just sick stuff. >> I am thankful that you all like it. >> All right. >> Great. Um, so with that, is there a motion to approve policies EHB and E B E B E B E B E B E B E B E B E B E B Eca as presented? >> Yeah. So moved. >> Second. Excellent. Any discussion? Hearing none. All in favor? >> I >>
174opposed. Motion carries. Thank you. And we are on to the cons consent agenda. >> All right. Personnel reports first. So we think that Jim alluded to this um earlier tonight. Debwell uh Maple Street custodian for 20 years is retiring. Um her her last official day is October 3rd, but she will be using uh some of her vacation time that she has carried over and earned. So, her last real day is actually tomorrow. >> Oh, wow. >> And then the Harold Martin custodian that he mentioned will be filling in temporarily as coverage for her vacation until she's officially done. So, he didn't take the position on until you vote for it, but um he is going to be temporarily filling in starting on Thursday at least to cover. And so, we will have a gap at
175Harold Martin. Um the other resignation is Ruth Driscoll, which is a bit of a surprise. Kindergarten teacher has resigned. Current employees with changes to their contracts. Um, we have three of them. So, I will start with Scott Muzzy even though he's at the bottom. He is our Harold Martin night custodian and we would like to recommend him for the day position here at Maple Street. Maggie Mullahern is a special education teacher at Harold Martin and she would like to take the role of kindergarten teacher. And then lastly, Carrie Canfield, which is who is an IIA in the preschool program now, um would like to take on the preschool teacher role that was vacated by Marissa Mcan. >> So short the preschool IA. >> Yes. So, we would be shorter preschool IIA, which is an is
176is it temporarily an easier job to fill with a substitute than a preschool teacher would be >> or a kindergarten teacher. >> Yes. Um, and last time we talked about Kenda Beckwith, who is the preschool coordinator and the preschool teacher. Uh, Carrie will be filling in as a regular ed preschool teacher. So that those votes that we did for Kenda last time will still apply. She will still be doing extra case management work. Is that correct? >> Yep. And the coordinator role. >> And the coordinator role. So those votes still apply. >> Okay. >> Big thanks to Deb. I would always see her here. She she would always take very good care of like the outdoors and I don't know. She's lovely. >> She's lovely. And she cleans the SAU building for us as well
177in the mornings before anyone gets in. So yeah, yes, we appreciate her work. Thanks to Scott Muzzy. I'm sure he will be lovely here as well. >> I think also thanks to everybody that just moved these parts around to try to >> fill this hole, >> right? >> I think that's remarkable, remarkably well done. >> Yeah. So, we will have a new vacancy of a special education teacher at Harold Martin um and again that preschool IIA and a um Harold Martin night custodian. Any questions on the personnel report? Donations. Next, we have one donation tonight. It is the donor has asked to remain anonymous and it is for $1,000. And the eighth grade Washington DC trip is back this year and the donor would like to contribute $1,000 to the Washington DC trip for financial
178aid for students that may need it. They've given the directive to the middle high school to work with those students that might need it and assist them in being able to go on the trip. So, we thank them very much for this generous gift. >> Absolutely. Are they going in the spring? >> Is that when they're gone? >> Yeah. So, this money >> will end up going to the student activities accounts at the middle high school um and go into this Washington DC trip for them to spend from their student activity accounts. >> Excellent. >> A lot better than going there in the summer. Right. Next, we have a budget transfer that I need approval for. Um, I had a different note here. The budget transfer that's in your board support folder does actually have
179a little blurb right on it to explain to you why we're doing this. Jim mentioned that now we have new propane tanks that were just installed at Maple Street and we have two new hot water heaters at at the high school. Uh, we switched and converted from oil to propane, which in the scheme of wonderful accounting is two different object codes. We're going from 624 to 629. So, I need to move the budget that was in for oil over to propane in order to pay these bills out of the proper expenditure line. >> Yes, please. >> So, moved. >> Okay. So, I need you. This is um there's two of them. They're called uh 208 and 209 are the budget transfers. So I need you to make a motion to approve 208 and 209. >>
180I move that we approve. >> Um or can we do it? >> You can do it in one. >> Okay. >> Do you do you need two? >> No. >> Okay. >> I think you can do it in one. >> Would you like to >> motion? >> So I move that we approve the budget transfers as described. >> Great. 209. >> Did you? >> Yeah. Second. >> Wonderful. Any further discussion? >> There should be a quiz on in three weeks what 624 and 629 lines are. >> I'm I'm going to come back. >> Check your knowledge. >> The kids in the grocery store that know all the codes >> or was like that word gas. >> I absolutely >> from oil to propane. All right. Hearing no further discussion. >> Sorry. >> All in favor?
181>> I'm getting punchy. >> Sorry, we're getting a little punchy here. And again, this is off of policy uh DBJ, which outlines our transfer of appropriations rules, and that anything over 7500 requires board approval. So, um I do just want to say 208 is $8,000, 209 is 9,330. I will ask Amy to sign the budget transfer and then when Delsey gets back, she will also sign. Perfect. Thank you. >> All right. school board financials. So, we had spoken last time about the June 30th financials and I have redone them and put them in your support folder. I wanted to revise them based on some new the information that Suzanne and I talked about. Um, I just want to say thank you again for pointing out the what looked like a discrepancy in the revenues. It
182wasn't. Um, as I looked at it again, I realized that we have what's called earned revenue and then we have other finance uses, right? And when the district contributes money to the food service program, it's an other financing use. It's not earned revenue. They didn't earn it through sales. And so I took the revenue pro um reports and I just wanted to show you that I did break it out. So you have earned revenues and you have fund now you have other financing revenue. So you can see exactly what the district contributed and what they used for fund balance and now all those numbers tie to that finance sheet. So it's very clearly represented. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. Thank you again for pointing it out. And you can also see we have, you
183know, we did it essentially the function totals um for the general fund. And then lastly, I did want to point out that we talk about unassigned fund balance being um $500,000 and change. But on the last page of the financial statements, you'll see unassigned fund balance is at 135. That is very similar to a corporation's retained earnings account. And so that's essentially the fund balance from, you know, that's that's remained. And then we have net income because you have your revenue minus your expenses. As you roll into period one of the next year, those go into your unassigned fund balance. So you will not see them on a per on a an end ofear report. You'll see them in July. And so that number changes in July. And then it it updates. And so now
184when we look at August, you'll see that $500,000 number that we talked about. And that's all explained on the first page. I tried not to put it in BA speak. Really? >> No, I appreciate it. I think as we were starting to make some having conversations about lunch prices and and that's I think for me seeing that plainly helps me sort of >> see some of the issue. Yes. Thank you account codes as well on the front um just for 7700 7600 so you know which ones to look at on the balance sheet in the back. Thank you. >> And again, all of our monthly financials get uploaded to the um website within about a week after our meetings um once the school board has approved the consent agenda. So, last but not least is
185the August financial. And I'm kind of excited about the August financial. I'm a little bit of a nerd over here, guys. I'm really excited to be putting this together and be modifying the financials in um in this new way. So, it's revised um based on some great information from the finance committee and their feedback. And so, this new financial statement has our funds grouped together. So, you can see general fund expenditures and revenues, fund 21, which is food service expenditures and revenues. And then at the end, we have and balance sheets. So, they have expenditures, revenues, and balance sheets. And then at the very end we have um our fund 70 which is our trust funds and gives the balances of the trust funds pages are also labeled now. So we have page numbers for
186reference. So the bottoms have page numbers. There is a function key on page two. So you'll see that all of our expenditure functions for those that don't have my brain that remembers these numbers. We have a key now. So you can go ahead and link look back and forth as the at the functions and see what they are. And um lastly, I think we discussed that if there's anything that is highlighted on the first page, it is actually going to be highlighted throughout the report. So you can tie my information to the items in the report. So if I mention that there's an expenditure that's, you know, a little bit lower, a little bit higher, I'm going to highlight that expenditure for you now. So you can just take a quick look at it. >>
187In the words of Mike Tim, that's all pretty saucy. All I have to say, >> who said that? >> Mike Tim. He used to teach at the high school. >> He loved the word sauy. >> And it is. >> It's It's really good. >> Yes. It's a much it's a really it's it's a big improvement. [Music] >> I don't have a math brain so this works for me. >> Do you have any So the last piece I will mention is that um I know that the previous BA gave you fund balance projections starting in August. For me it is it is much too soon. Um I want our benefits to settle out. I want our salaries to settle out. And so one of the pieces on the front page just says that fund balance predictions
188will begin in the October financial statement that we talk about in November. And then at that point you'll see that you know a new cover page that outlines essentially that fund balance and that will be the the last you know or a addition to this. So as we move on I might continue to modify it a little bit until we settle into a flow. Um I appreciate all feedback. We als >> we also talked about the quarterly financials. Want to review that with everybody >> and that those were the quarterly financials that were run were straight out of the system and were very long and a bit cumbersome and not a useful projection or discussion. So we are not going to do those anymore. Right. >> They were 98 pages. >> Yeah. >> This this
189better. >> Good. >> That's good. Not bad. >> Yes. M good. Yes. >> And one of the pieces on the balance sheet is certainly um you know some as we look say like let's look at page six, right? We see all of our liabilities. So we see that the district has general fund due to other funds and general fund accounts payable. At our next finance meeting, we're going to talk a little bit about what all of those mean, why they're there, what they represent, so that we have a clear understanding of what exactly is represented on the balance sheet. speaking my language. I appreciate you. >> Maybe we'll create another key. >> Yeah, >> never know. >> You guys are just showing up. >> I'm gonna have to print out the key and bring it
190with me, though. >> We'll get Jim to make one of those boards, >> right? >> Big one in front of us. >> All right. >> Awesome. All right. Any other questions? >> Laura, >> thank you. >> You're welcome. Much >> right on to you. >> I'll I'll be brief. I wanted to also just note um my thanks to the folks at Herald that are uh navigating some of the changes for the instructional team. Um Maggie Mahern has really stepped up. I you know, she had said that it was her one of her lifelong dreams to be a kindergarten teacher. So, we're making it happen for her. Um Maggie was originally licensed in Vermont. She's also taught in Massachusetts and so we're just really lucky to have her here and Carrie Campfield I think will be
191a seamless transition into that role. She's already familiar with preschool for a tend to have a great working relationship and so I'll have more information on that um in in the coming days. Uh transportation I just want to notice and like recognize that transportation has been a real challenge this fall. Um we Laura and I meet pretty much every day with um for a student and >> I feel badly um for Herby. Herby comes in. It's sort of tricky for him because we are saying that this is not acceptable. Um he really doesn't have any viable solutions. Um just like all school districts uh nationwide, not just in New Hampshire, we're experiencing bus driver shortages. There was an article about it recently. We've also had some equipment failures with cameras. Uh there was problems with
192the the bus early on in the school year. Uh so I just want to acknowledge that it's been a challenge and we will continue um to do our best uh to navigate it. Uh I know that there were some, you know, there's some communication out on social media. Uh that was brought to my attention and I just want to remind folks that um the communication from the school district will not be posted, you know, in a forum. uh you would want to check your parent square or or reach out to one of us um if you're interested in learning more about the specific challenges for a particular bus route. Um we are doing the best we can. I know that the for student is doing the best we can they can but at the same
193time it's not what we expect. Um and I just want to acknowledge the impact that that has on students families. Um we will have our first all staff meeting on Tuesday September 30th. Uh the Hopkins School Foundation is coming. Uh you're welcome to come if you want to listen in. they just want to talk a little bit about their organization, highlight some of the projects that they've done and encourage teachers uh to apply for some of their grants. We will also have a required training on um students that are experiencing homelessness. Um we will be joined by actually um the main person at the DOE. Her name is Christina Dodson. She has offered to come and Christina's wonderful um and she'll be doing a training with our staff. Um, and just thank you to everyone
194for your resilience and partnership as we continue through the school year. >> Excellent. >> Great. >> Right. >> I was going to say any questions, but there are no questions. >> I have no answers and no. >> Wonderful. >> So, wish I did. >> Excellent. >> I move to accept the consent agenda as >> presented. Yeah. Wonderful. Any further discussion? Hearing none. All in favor? >> I >> opposed. Motion approved. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right, that brings us to committee updates. I know committees have met. Who would like to start? What do we got? CIP. >> So, CIP just met before we started this meeting. Um we were discussing particularly um some bidding that we got um three different sources. >> My brain is lost. >> Johnson blue and KPMG. >> Yep.
195I was looking up for what it was for. What do you guys >> It was for the um for the uh air handler uh replacement and um Bluen was was significantly higher. The other two were a bit closer, but um we all I think we all feel that the Eard and Johnson is probably the best way to go. It also happens to be the least of the three bids. Um otherwise, did we have another CIP meeting before in between? We didn't. Okay. So that's my update. >> Super. And which is what is it? >> I'm sorry. So I'm sorry. Uh yeah. So the bid was 85,000 which is exactly what we had approved for this particular job. >> Oh, excellent. >> So uh it's on the nose and it would allow us then to tackle
196the stair the stairs >> uh in addition to with the money that we've approved. So that works well because those are are much needed. Right. We did go through the public bid process um with the public bid openings. We have minutes and all of that, but we do need the board to approve um to move forward. We need a vote to move forward with Ear Johnson for this RAAC1 project. >> Okay. >> So, this is the this is the formal recommendation from the committee. >> From the committee. Yes. >> Okay. >> And for which air handler is this? This is the handler at >> uh I can pull it up here. >> The middle high school RAC1. >> Yep. >> Not RAC 3. >> Computer lab, >> right? Yeah, I think it's the computer lab.
197So, I would move that we accept the bid or we accept the bid of EARA Johnson and move forward >> for $85,000 for the RA C1 air handler >> at Maple Street School. >> And I'm going to second that. >> Perfect. Okay. Motion second. Any discussion? And this was Sorry, I was just >> This was the least of the three bits. So this was the least of the three. You guys discussed it and this was already on our CIP as well. >> Correct. Yes. >> Great. >> All of those. >> All right. Excellent. Thank you guys very much for doing that work. >> We have a vote. Right. >> Uh do you have any other questions? >> No, we already >> Perfect. >> Thank you for doing the work. >> All right. Hearing no other
198discussion. Uh all in favor? I >> unosed. Beautiful. >> Perfect. >> Uh, nothing else for CIP. No budget. >> Uh, no. No. We meet coming soon. Finance. We had a meeting yesterday 9:22. >> Started at 3:40. If you're curious, that'll be in the minutes. Um, we talked about budget transfer that you heard about tonight, the oil to propane. We talked about the financial schedule and the alignment with the budget committee. We basically talked about all the things that Laura already just talked about. Um, and we reviewed the financial statements, went through the formatting, made a few suggestions, so on and so forth. And we are going to learn all about balance sheets and what those words actually mean at our next meeting. Also, at our next meeting, we're going to have a little bit of
199a discussion about subpay uh incentive structure and whether it's worth our while or not to create said structure. >> Yeah. >> Uh what else? Safety and security. >> And we also talked about >> that that next meeting will happen just prior to our board meeting, the second board meeting in October. So, we're trying to meet our board meeting is on Tuesday. We meet on that. >> Excuse me. Sorry. Mhm. >> And we talked also about the food services and >> yes, >> how important it is for the folks that are eligible for um subsidizer free >> meals to sign up for that and outreach that we can do to try to make that easier for them. >> Yeah. >> Yep. That makes sense. and and that Laura is working with the food service director to
200try and maximize demand for what we sell. >> Wonderful. >> Thank you. >> My children appreciate it. >> Yeah. >> Uh awesome. Uh policy met, but we already went over that. You know exactly what we did because we talked about it. >> Uh lots of aids. >> Yep. Yeah. Lots of aid policies. Um the curriculum instruction and assessment. >> We're going to have our debut. >> Yes. We're >> October 8th. >> On October 9th. >> 9th. >> October 9th. >> Yes. Well, October 9th is our going to be our first meeting. >> Discuss rounding. >> Uh um any other N safety and security is not met. So I think that's everyone. and oh EMC is meeting ah I believe they're meeting on Thursday. Um I'm not going to be able to make it though. So
201Deli will give us an update at the next meeting and I'm sure it'll be great. >> What time is the curriculum on October 9th? >> 3:15 closest we can get people will be coming from >> directly from Yeah. directly from class. All right. So, any other committee stuff? No. Super. We're doing great. With that, we have come to our second public comment portion of the evening. And as a reminder, um, if we can keep our comments to three minutes and please state your name um, and address for the record. Do you have any comments tonight? No. Okay, great. I'll go ahead then and close public comment. Any old business, other business, anything else that we have not yet covered? >> The much awaited opening of Cedar Raina will be on Friday. >> That is very
202exciting. Nothing to do with the school, but very much to do with the school. >> I wonder how many kids we have. >> I quite enjoy that. Actually, >> you have some former students working. >> That's true. >> Actually, we have former student running it. >> Some of my former students are soft opening. Um, I do want to just mention, we talked about food service, free and reduced. We have three ways of filing the applications and families, their prior year applications go through September 30th, so they will expire on September 30th. So, please, please, please get your new applications in. Um, the main offices, food service, and the SAU are willing to help anybody that needs assistance in filling them out, and we do have an online version, a PDF version, or a paper version,
203whichever works best for you. and they are confidential and we take that very seriously. >> And does that also if you sign up for the free and reduced um that that affects other um grant information as well? Correct. >> It does. Yes. So our free and reduced numbers are used in the calculation of state aid. So adequacy aid um we get a certain amount of money additionally for every free and reduced student. We also get more money for title one depending our on our free and reduced our entitlement grants are they use that information. So it is certainly helpful to have even if your children are still going to have cold lunch we do appreciate anybody filling out the application so that we can have those numbers to help with state aid. >> Yes. >>
204Yeah. And that's I mean that's information. We don't know that information. >> That is stuff. >> I don't even I don't know that information. Nope. >> So it is very confidential. I would like to add though that soon if your student's lunch balance is negative, you will start to get notices from the school. And so if you are having a hard time providing lunch or paying that bill, if you could please reach out to the school so that we a don't continue to send you a bill over and over again if you need some assistance, you know, we can help you, you know, file the re, you know, the recommended paperwork. Um, but also if you are able to pay, we're encouraging people to stay on top of that over the course of the school
205year. It's it's not great when a student is going through the line and and they're negative, they have a negative balance and um so we're just hoping that you know parents, families, community, you will, you know, take those notices seriously and settle up if you're able. Also, >> yeah, >> separate uh I would just say a week from this Saturday on October 4th, there is a kids clothing sale at St. Andrews. >> Great. >> There's always a lot of good stuff. There's a lot of people working hard to organize. This is the clothing sale that used to happen at the end of School Street. >> Oh, okay. >> So, some volunteers, including uh my wife, have taken that on. And it's there's a a lot of good good things to be had for cheap. So
206if you're looking to get some good clothes for your kids, head on down on the 4th. >> Awesome. Thanks. All right. Anything else? We're good. Uh we do have a need for a nonpublic this evening, uh unfortunately. Um and then after that, we will be coming out of non-public. We will not be conducting any further business and we will be closing the meeting. So, uh, is there a motion to go into non-public under RSA 91A col 32, uh, for L legal and C reputation? >> I'll make the motion without the citation. >> Great. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Wonderful. Roll call. Rob, >> yes. >> Jonathan, >> yes. I'm a yes.