001Okay, I will call the meeting to order at 6:05 p.m. The non-public session may be called at any time in accordance with chapter 91A 32 ABCD E or I. And um we will hold a nonpublic session at the end of the school room meeting under section 91A3 2B. And we will now open public input for 30 minutes starting at 6:05 p.m. public. Okay. Um that will remain open till 6:35. And um All right. Approval of meeting minutes. Did anyone see any issues in the October 7th? >> The only thing I'll add is um Principal Rule is here on Zoom >> um because she is at a PLC conference, but for anyone at home watching this um Becky Rule is on the computer. >> Great. Thank you so much. >> All right, so um meeting minutes
002from October. >> I didn't see anything. >> I I didn't see anything wrong. >> I didn't see anything either. >> Okay, good. >> No issues, Becky. Becky said no. >> Um, do we do those in two separate motions? Do it all together. All right. Anything in the non-public >> minutes? It looks fine to me. >> Okay. All >> good. >> All right. I will make a motion to accept the October 7th, 2025 public minutes as written and the October 7th, 2025 non-public minutes as recorded. Um, can I get a second? >> Second. [laughter] >> That's one. That's That's two hats. Okay. One. >> Okay. Um, all in favor? >> I >> Okay, very nice. U, we only have to do the roll call thing if it's one of us that's on >> only if it's
003a school board member. We Becky does not have to do a roll call. >> Okay, sounds good. Okay, so that is meeting minutes. All right, committee reports policy is up first. >> Okay, >> Monday, what have you [clears throat] for us? So, let's see. The the AC one, there was just some requirements by law adding some some uh wording there. Um the ACA one was um is something that we just recently voted on, I I believe. Um, and what they're trying to do is align all the all the different uh policies so that we're doing them in a more organized way. So, some of these we're going to see come back that we've already done. So, it's just a get it in an organized fashion. Uh, my computer just went on uh the back of
004the you know the pretty straightforward. Yeah, I think they were all revisioned based on legislation changes in the law. Okay. >> I think I don't think anything is new. >> Yeah. Or to just get it into that >> Rotation. So there wasn't >> It was the shortest policy meeting I've been on, which was great. >> Excellent. >> Okay. Great. So, do you want me to make the motion? >> Sure. >> Okay. So, sorry forot. >> It's okay. We're all like this. >> I know. >> Okay. All right. I will make a motion to accept policies AC, ACA, ADC, GBA M, and IMDA. [cough and clears throat] >> That's it, right? That's all I have to say. Yeah. >> Okay. All right. >> Second. >> Great. All in favor? >> I Great. Thank you. >> New
005fields meeting before this. >> Oh, no worries. >> We just started. Okay. Safety and security. Any update on that? >> Becky's on screen. >> Okay. You had one last time quarterly, right? So, all right. Superintendent evaluation committee. We met last week and just went over um the 360 uh evaluation just kind of updating some of the language in it. There weren't any significant changes. So the essentially the um the template for um for the review process at the end of the year is set and um the next step is I think in January we meet and then it's mid year sometime um Dr. Jessie will will review his his goals at a joint board meeting. So you'll get like that midyear review um and then at the end of the year we'll do the classes
006that we did last year that you didn't know anything about because we're new. So >> that's that. Um, so that's all in place. Um, okay. Superintendent. Next is general correspondence. Anything? >> I believe the board has some. Is that general correspondence? No, this is different. >> What are you thinking about the Is that >> Oh, yeah. General correspondence is um I was making sure that wasn't on the somewhere else on the agenda. Okay. >> But any emails or general correspondence you had with citizens. >> Oh, >> and there the board had some and the board responded to some. >> Oh, okay. >> Yeah. >> Because it was to like all three of us. Is that why it's considered or? >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Yep. >> All right. Do I do I say anything about
007it or >> um >> we just say I got an email from a um >> Yeah, you just talk about it in general if the public wanted to like you wanted to update them or talk about it and if they saw the email. There's just some inquiry from the general public, >> okay, >> about the role of the board. >> There's actually something in there that stood out to me, which was um that they said that Kenszington Elementary was the um rated the 69th out of um elementary school in the state, which I thought was fantastic because there's over 400 elementary schools in the state. So that puts us in the top 15%. >> Yeah. And our academic scores are well above state average and have been for years. >> Yeah. >> So, >> and
008state scores are just one indicator of >> And just state scores are one indicator. Yep. >> Very true. >> I know. >> Okay. >> Yeah. My whole life. >> Our goal is to be higher than that though, >> right? >> Okay. So, that's general. We're good there. That's usually what we Okay. >> Uh, is that where I say I did the community news? >> I think so. >> Okay. Good. I did that community news. It's It went out. It was good. It was great. >> It was good. No, it wasn't as good as the one before. So, >> actually, that's the next bullet. >> Yes. >> Oh, yeah. It's done. Good. See, I skipped that ahead. All right. On top of it, >> I did send you that. >> All right. Thank you for doing
009that, Cheryl. Wonderful. >> You're welcome. >> All right. And next is the strategic plan committee and we do have a next step. We are meeting in December to go over the key performance indicators. Um, Dr. met with all the administrators and [cough and clears throat] got that sort of like smoothed out so it all makes sense to them in terms of what the goals are going to be for the uh individual schools and how they're going to be able to um >> make their metrics and it's all going to it's all going to work for them which is important. And so we will go over um in that meeting how to talk about it with the public and how to talk about it with the joint board. hear more about the strategic plan um probably
010in maybe the January board meeting. Um okay, so that is that and next is business and financials. Molly, over to you. Okay, so do we want to start in the in your board pack? Oh, here are the manifest. I'll pass them down. There's only four. Two of them have a lot of receipts to go to. Um so this year in or this month I should say in your board pack we did include the current year financial um again this is adding a lot of incumbrances still um because a lot of the things like like health insurance health insurance under the employee benefit section or special transportation we were just we were building those incumbrances um a lot of times we won't know what the employee changes are until we get that October bill. So that's
011why you're seeing changes now um and building the encumbrances for the full year. Did I did list on here what the items were. Did anyone have any specific questions? A lot of it is um special ed tuition that we put onto the Brightart preschool. Um encumbering a lot of services related to special ed, encumbering the special ed travel. Um a lot of softwares there's various software. So everything that we use from like pickup patrol, um, Zoom, all of that got encumbered and then the special transportation was added, purchase orders were open for the known students and then like I said, we always get the October bill and that's where we know where everyone lands for health insurance for the year typically. >> Okay. >> So really next month you'll get a a real better feel
012for exactly how it's going to everything's going to look. I think every month it gets a little better >> throughout the year. Um >> we always encumber to the best of our ability for the full year. So like right now I still say like make sure we encumber on though and all that. We do have a new um office admin out front who does the purchase requisitions. So just um a lot of learning there to say because she doesn't know what's happening in the spring yet. Um and so just making sure that we get all the stuff for the full year. But thank you. >> I wouldn't say next month would be perfect. I think every month it will get more accurate. >> But every month being cumber to what we're >> all Yeah. I
013didn't have any questions. >> Do we talk about the budget now or later? >> We can. Yeah. That's next on the agenda if the board's ready. >> We're ready. Sorry, I keep clicking out of my my um >> All right. Who leads this? Do does Molly talk? What do we do? >> I don't know if you want me to start or >> Yeah, we both um I think we can both talk about it. You have a detailed memo that I finalized and sent to you all to review. No. Um, you've seen a draft of a budget presentation that we decided to move to December when Becky can be present and help present with me. Not that she wouldn't be great right now, but and we also were concerned about the internet outage and update and
014connecting. So, we the board was gracious to say, "Let's have that on December." Um so we're still at the point that we came out of the budget workshop with the proposed um budget following the directive of the board and the priorities. Um we're looking at a 4.89 >> Mhm. >> Um proposed budget >> for next year, fiscal year 27. um noting that we're working hard um to update, maintain, and take care of the boiler, the HVAC, the system. That is a big um cost to the district. Um and really everywhere else we've we've we've talked we've talked about um in terms of what we could do to save money. Um, we talked about in the memo statebased adequacy being unconstitutional. We lose really a minimum of 31 per student. I also outlined for you all
015for full transparency um the cost of students on IEPs and on average in New Hampshire is additional 31,000 on top of per pupil and we do not get that back from the state or the legislature. that also 83% of those costs fall on the property taxes. So that we've tried our very best to be thoughtful when um proposing this budget to you. We've gone through it. Um there's some fixed operating costs that are associated with running a public school. Um what do you like what you have to invest in to have a safe building um and what the law mandates for free and appropriate. Um there was a um board chair Stephanie asked me and Becky to bring some history of what we used the REAp grant for. So um we did pull pull that
016cuz I know one of the conversations was do we move some curricular materials into the REAp grant. It wouldn't be a ton of money, but that was sort of a a a thought or a question. And so we pulled what we the Kensington school district used a reun. And last year there was a big tech glitch and it's not funny but like of course all Chromebooks and stuff didn't work and they all needed to be updated. Not something we had budgeted for. Becky used the reap grant to replace technology for the building midyear. >> It it wasn't it wasn't that they weren't working. They weren't working with the state with the platform that the state put out for their state testing. So, we couldn't use our Chromebooks with the platform for state testing. >> They
017weren't updated enough and we have to do the state testing >> and we have to do it in the window that they mandate. >> Yeah. >> Um so, we bought we had to buy >> I think it was $18,000 of Chromebooks. Um and then another use of um the regrant has been for extended school year salaries and services that were unanticipated based on student needs. So it's almost like a little savings account. We could have a friend move in. We could have needs change around students and needing to support staff to provide extended school year during the summer which would be mandated by the students IEP team. and Becky's covered some salaries for that. And then it's been used um for conferences and it has been used a couple years ago it was used to
018per um to purchase part of purposeful people which is a social emotional curriculum that is in every classroom um to pilot it and that sort of stuff. It's been used for um maths math some math materials to supplement math materials and some PD around um math instruction and support. So, it's little bits and pieces here and there. Um and that's that's really about a three-year summary of your reap grant usage. >> Yeah, I think it's so important to keep that as an emergency rainy day fund. >> Yeah, it always gets spent, >> right? And it's not like it's getting spent on sort of like extras. It's all stuff that >> it's needs. Yeah. >> Yeah. So, um it seems >> Did you kick her up? >> Yeah. She didn't she didn't like the conversation. [laughter]
019>> I bet it's the internet is getting it update now. So, we've lost internet. So, we've lost um >> Becky rule right now cuz we've lost internet. It should only be 5 minutes. Okay. >> For the security update. >> Um so, that's what the reef gang has been used for. We we do um Becky talked at the workshop about the new law that's requiring a structured ELA program. It requires an additional purchase of materials especially for third, fourth and fifth which is the upper end of the rope scarboro rope um pilot programs and so that is another cost that we sort of talked about is there find money for the other way. it would eat up all of the REI grants. Um we wouldn't have a savings account and we are spending a lot of
020the um M&R maintenance and repair on stuff for the building. >> So the budget is really tight. [music] >> Yeah. >> And so with that, your draft budget is still at a 4.8. Um >> Yeah. >> And Molly could What else? >> Um of course >> you don't have internet. >> Don't have internet. So >> talk without internet. Molly, >> come on. We You know what? There was a time I actually wrote with pencils still. >> Stop. >> No, I'm not even kidding you. >> I'm going to have to see a picture. >> I'm that old. >> Going to have to see a picture. >> So, I was go through the file because there's a few things I added. So, I think it was added asked to add the 5-year history of the warrant articles.
021Um, and so what I did is I did operating budget and um the collective bargaining agreement because sometimes those get put on the warrant or they are put on the warrant separately and you don't have them both every year. So that's why in the file I did the last 5 years and it's the two added together because it's >> so that's not in the board packet. >> It was in the board packet the the copy that was sent to the board. I >> I can kind of see it. >> Is this this last page district? >> No. So it should have been on the first page is the major changes. >> Mhm. And then after the first page there was Oh, I think we're back online. Yep. So then it's right there on your right
022hand. Right there. Right. Yeah, that's it's right there. Yeah. >> Oh, EKS budgets. >> Yep. So each of the years and so there's the um I called it operating but I should have called it actually no it is operating budget and then the teacher CBA. And so >> this is KES operating budgets. >> Yeah. So that that there will show over the last five years I put on here. Yeah. What the budgets were. And so you in fiscal year 22 23 is the last year there was a teacher CBA on the on the ballot. So you have to add them together. >> Mhm. >> To get to the total voted budget for the year. So that was put in there for that request. Um then >> everyone see that? I can make a copy. >>
023I missed it. And then also the page before that, if you remember, um, at all the joint board meetings, we've been talking about the grants being part of the budget. >> And just remember, I put in big bold no impact on taxation. Um, so when we go to vote, we vote for the authority to expend, not the t not what's going to impact the tax rate. So like when when uh Dr. Bennett was talking about adequacy decreasing, that does not affect your budget. It affects your tax rate. So you always have to have anything you want to expend in your voted appropriation in the budget. It's the revenue that comes in, which is the grant revenue, the state [clears throat] adequacy, the special ed aid, that is all revenue that offsets your appropriation. So you
024don't have to raise as much money in taxation. >> But what goes on the ballot, you have to gross appropriate, meaning you have to appropriate everything you want to spend. So even if you want to spend grant money and you're getting the revenue from the state to spend it, you still have to appropriate the funds. So when we put together article one this year, it's going to be >> the general fund and the food service fund and the grants all together. So it might optically look like a larger increase than it is, but we're really focusing on separating those out because your food service fund is you get the revenue from the federal and um state revenue and what parents pay and for grants you get the grant revenue from the state. >> That's really
025going to have to be explained to people. >> Yes. And absolutely. And so that's why we we've explained it in every single joint board meeting that we've had and for the last three school board meetings, I think we've mentioned every time just to to get it out there. But also, we're going to be doing a video for every district. >> And one of the things on there and how I'm going to structure it, it's going to say general fund, food [snorts] service fund, grants, and it's only the general part that impacts taxation. Because when we set the revenues, we set the revenue for food service and grant equal to expense, meaning nothing is raised in taxation. >> And yes, you will have a food service loss. However, the food service loss is part of the
026general fund, not part of the food service fund. >> Okay? >> Does that make sense? >> Mhm. >> Okay. So, that's why I put that extra page in there to show you how much. And again, we don't know exactly how many grants we're going to have. We don't know if more grants will become available. So historically, we have always appropriated $4 million across all the sus. Now this is the title and IDEIDA grants like the there's other grants that we have which food service has already been part of the budgets and we have adult ed which solely resides in the cooperative. Um so we we have been spending or spending and receiving less than that. So we did drop it down to 3.5 million across all the districts and then I did what I proportioned
027it how much the percentage that we actually spent because the actual spend is more like 2.7 >> but we might get more grants so we we want to >> that's for the whole SAU >> for the whole SAU >> and so we our percentage of it. >> Okay. >> So so it's not that we know we're receiving this amount of money. It's that we want to appropriate it so that when we receive the grant money we have the authority to expend. >> Right. >> Okay. >> And so [snorts] then on the first page we have the major changes which we did go over in the budget workshop. Um did anyone have any questions on those? >> Yeah, [snorts] I got some things. uh did you at that increase do you know what the cost per
028household is going to be of the on their tax impact? >> So that's a great question because in order to determine what you would need to raise in taxation you have to have the revenue piece and so we won't know exactly what the ad adequacy is and all of that. So what to in order to find a tax impact what you do is you take the budget change. So assuming that all revenue sources stay the same, meaning adequacy that stays the same, um you take the budget change divided by the total valuation of the town, which usually comes out on the tax card. The only town that has set the tax rate in SAU 16 right now is X. >> And so I can do it off of last year's amount, and I did build
029an Excel file. You take the budget change divided by the valuation of the town times a,000. That's how you do it. So the valuation of Kensington last year, right, was it's um 686,343,812. So 686 343812. And so you take whatever the budget changes divided by that number times a,000. >> That is how you calculate tax impact per thousand. But I caution you when you say that because that is only one side of the story. You don't have the revenue pieces in here because you don't have the final adequacy from the state nor do you have all the other pieces. You don't know the special ed a >> that could be that will change it. So you only have the expense side. >> Mhm. >> Okay. We don't know what the approval when will we know
030that you >> um so the they do come out with projected adequacy it's not final adequacy but projected adequacy um I believe that they already came out with that but again it's not final special ed aid we don't get until >> and they've changed they they changed the allocations mid-occtober this year so we do not have final allocations >> for current current and they talking about current year never mind next year >> yeah we don't >> and it's based it's usually usually based off of what you spend this year as to what you'll get next year >> and the numbers. It's it's numbers, but they don't I actually not really clear on the whole formula to be honest. The whole formula I'm not clear. >> Oh, and it goes like this. >> Yeah, it goes
031like that. But it there is like a child count number and then cost. But yeah, >> and then there's certain grants that phase out. So then they give you credit for that. Um it we will never know the official revenue >> until [clears throat] we set it next fall [snorts] and even then it's an estimate. >> Um I just wanted to do a quick um public comment is open for a couple more minutes if you have a public comment. >> You don't I just wanted to give that opportunity. >> Yeah. So assuming all revenue sources stay the same, if you want to determine what the tax impact is for the changes that you're making and what you can control, you take whatever the budget change is, whether it's plus or minus, divide it by that
032686 343812 number times a,000. That's how you get a tax impact for a,000. >> Okay, give me those numbers. >> Yep. So what whatever the budget changes, so it let's just say you're questioning on adding $30,000 to the budget. You want to know what that tax impact is? You take the $30,000, which will be your budget change, divided by 686 343812, so 686,343, $812 >> times a,000. >> Okay. >> Now, when the tax rate is set, hopefully this week or next, that number will change and I can send you that. What I typically do is I do a sideby-side tax analysis of every town in our district, but the only town that has said it so far is Exit. >> Right. >> And I won't have that information until the tax rates released. Um, the
033other thing is, um, I'd like to go into I'd like to have this be the year that we have the smallest increase in the last 5 years. And I think it's doable. We don't have to shave off much more. Um, I think you and I tal uh, we had an email conversation about it. >> It's like $24,000. I mean, where potentially could that money be uh taken taken out? >> Curriculum. >> What's that? >> Curriculum and materials. >> But just keep in mind your total budget is going to be the teacher CBA and the operating budget. >> Yeah. So, >> and that's on a separate that's not included. >> That's the teacher CBA is not included in these numbers. And so at the end of the day, yes, you will be voting on war article
034one and warn article two, but at after the vote, they get added together to become your budget. >> Um, is it possible to take instead of having it in the budget, have the um accounting firm uh money put on as a warrant article and take that out of the budget? You mean the audit inform? >> That is in here. >> It's in the budget. >> Yeah, that's 10,000 that we could that if >> could that be taken out and and instead done as a warrant article? >> Um [snorts] I I bet you' get to the same result. >> Yeah. >> Like all warrant articles are added together after the vote. Mhm. >> And if >> I guess is there a purpose just so I can understand what >> I'm just see getting Becky back on
035Zoom because Wi-Fi >> is is is looks back on. So that's [snorts] what I'm doing on my computer. Just trying to get it back on. >> I mean you could put anything you want on a warn article really. But is I guess to what would be the end goal of sorting it out? >> Bring the the bigger number down. [snorts] >> But at the end of the day they all get added together, >> right? So, next year when we come to next year when we com we start budgeting the FY28 budget that sounds so far away, but um we're going to be comparing two all the warrant articles added together. [snorts] >> Mhm. >> So, we'll be comparing >> I understand what you're saying now. >> Okay. The only thing I don't include is anything
036from voted from fund balance which is usually to a trust fund. So I just and that's where I was just cautioning in on how the advertising of it because really we're putting forth two war articles, one and two, and those are going to be added together as long as hopefully they both pass. >> Did you have other questions? >> Yeah. The other thing is what happens if um we go to voting and the budget doesn't get passed. >> Default default budget >> we go to the default. >> Correct. So the default >> and then and then >> that's going to take quite a bit off. Right. >> So it might it might not. So we haven't calculated the default yet. So what the default is is current year expenditures plus or minus any mandatory con
037uh any mandatory expenses required by special education are required by law. So anything in your 1200 section would be included in the default because it's required by an IEP. um things like an increase to a first student contract. [snorts] Even though it's a multi-year contract, we have that specific contract did not go on the ballot. It went on the ballot as part of the overall budget but not the contract. Whereas a teacher contract was a specific warrant article so that if there was an active CBA, they would still um step for the CBA in a default. Um so we do have to go through and see where there's changes. So um things like maintenance repairs that would stay at the current level. >> Um >> which would be a problem. >> Yeah. Um so the
038big the big things we would look at would be anything related to maintenance, any salaries that are not in a union. [clears throat] um in any um supplies and equipment and supplies typically software technology that would all stay at the current year budget >> and I think the >> when we became an SB2 basically district with a couple of um exceptions there were times that the default was higher than the budget because people don't understand. >> Yep. And there and yeah, exactly. >> And the other thing, Molly, I think I emailed you about I think that there's a lot of confusion about the local tax line on the tax bills, >> and people attribute it all to us. [clears throat] >> It's it's not all to us. >> No. So, there's two set two there's
039two lines on your tax bill. There's the co-op line and the elementary line. And so it's both right in tax >> and it's Kensington's aortionment of the cooperative and >> the amount we have to raise to support our budget that is not um revenue. So what they do is they take whatever your voted budget is whatever the revenues are in the fall. So, our revenue sources are adequacy, special ed aid, food service sales, um any earnings on investment we might get, any um we don't get preschool tuition here, but um uh did I already say food service sales? Yeah, >> that or if we rent out the gym and have income that way, that is all sources of revenue. And the difference between your voted budget and the revenue you bring in is the amount
040you have to raise in taxation. and that's what's on the tax card. [clears throat] So that's why the tax rate, what you see on the tax card will never match your budget. It's your budget less your revenue [clears throat] that has to be raised in taxation. [cough] >> Can I ask just a quick question? I know it's not >> I don't Is it allowed? Is that okay? >> This is >> it's just a question about a trust. Can the trust fund? >> It's really up to the board. The policy is that they can give public input, but it's not a back and forth Q&A. >> Okay. Well, if you want to ask your question, then if if it works, you can answer. >> The trust funds that we have, they collect interest. Can that interest
041come back to the how does that can that come back and help some of this? >> So, the interest that the trust funds earn resides in the trust funds. And so then when we have an expenditure that qualifies to be used by the trust fund, that balance is available to be spent. >> So it's just another way the trust funds grow. >> Yes. >> Yeah. Mhm. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. >> All right. What else do you have? Any other >> Nope. That's what I am. >> Okay. >> Um and is your is your thought about the wanting it to be the lowest in five years just sort of an optics like >> Yeah. Okay. I would say yeah >> yeah I get that but I also I don't want to do something you know
042optics based at the expense of you know >> the kids. >> Yeah. So like I get where you're coming from because we we do need to this does need to be something that the taxpayers >> um [clears throat] go for. So I get that. Yeah. Um any other >> so really the biggest thing now would be is what you would like to see any changes for December. So what will happen now is um if you have any requested changes then we would go back and make those changes or to the best of our abil of our ability come back in December with a revised budget and then then in December you would decide what you want to take to public hearing. Okay. And then you would make a motion in the December meeting to say,
043"I'd like to take this number to public hearing." And then in January, we'll have the public hearing. >> Okay. >> Followed by the deliberative and then the vote. >> So, I don't know if there's anything specific. I mean, it sounds like it's it it's really it would be relying on using the REAp grants um if we because everything it's all stuff we have to do. It's all >> Yeah. And I mean it's also it's a lot of it is legally mandated and then it's also the the values that the community has placed on the school around the staff and we've talked about um pair pair of professionals. We talked about the boiler, the machine controls that we're working on getting fixed this year. >> Yeah. I mean [sighs] I think our budget workshop was informative
044and >> we tried to align and bring you a draft budget that aligned with your goals and >> Yeah. in in what you thought the community's values were for Kensington Elementary School. >> Yeah. >> Hey, I I know I cut out for just a couple minutes and um I know you were talking about the REAp grant. >> I I guess I look at the REAp grant as sometime in the next 18 months, there's likely going to be something that we haven't planned for or knew was coming down the pike. And as much as we try to plan right now for what we know, we always know that there is also things that we don't know that's going to happen in the next 18 months. And so that money has always been available to us to
045do things that we have to do that we didn't think of or know of right now in November, a year and a half before it happens. Well, and I think in our discussions, there's not a lot of extra in our budget. >> There's not a lot of extra >> unless you want to start impacting what we do really well, which is take care of kids. >> And I have the luxury of going to all schoolboard meetings. And >> Oh, are you so lucky? >> I know. I know. And of the three I've attended in the last two days, this being the third, this is the lowest percentage out of all three. >> What's the co-op? Um, >> so the co-op is still being u worked on. Um >> because I think we have to keep
046remembering the education >> the joint you mean the joint. So at the SAU level we recognize um that a lot of the districts are going to have high budgets because of health insurance. Um >> and so we really took a really hard look at the SAU made some difficult decisions. um actually even eliminated a position the position >> as well as senior leadership did not receive as high of a raise >> as other [snorts] anyone else in the SEO. >> It it's actually the lowest percentage out of any proposed raise in the SAO is what the senior leadership took so that we could keep these the SA >> Yeah. And because Brentwoods last night was higher. >> Yeah. And then Yep. >> Um >> right now it's higher. Yeah. And New Fields, I just came
047from there and it's a few% a little bit higher. >> Um and they have Brentwood has a teacher warrant >> on the artic going on the ballot and >> um New Fields has a PAR warrant going on the ballot >> and you're still the lowest of the three >> with all the school districts. What was the health health care cost? Was that the big >> that's the biggest driver in every school district budget? Yep. >> In the state. So we offer various plans throughout the districts because it's each local board offers individual plans and they range in percentage from 14.8 to 20 something. >> Oh my god. >> To as an increase. >> Yeah. >> So that is the largest driver out of all of them. Um at this point all of the elementaryaries have
048seen the first draft of their budget with the exception of Stratam because they're meeting a little bit later this month and the co-op is still being worked on. We have a good sense of where it's at, but it hasn't yet been presented. Um, but that will hopefully hopefully be presented in the next few weeks. >> All right. I mean, I don't have any any requests for you guys. I think >> I think you really drilled down and got, you know, did the lowest you >> extra. There's no extras. >> There's nothing. >> And one of the things we're doing in all districts is making a video. So, if anyone wants to stop, >> if you want us to be in the video. >> Well, I wanted [laughter] We were actually We're looking for auditions, not
049>> Oh, excuse me. I don't audition. Okay. >> Are we going to put kids in it? >> Oh, absolutely. So, we are Yes. And so, um I've tasked all the principles with contacting our um I don't know what his official title is. Eric Jealous. He does the videos. >> The guy. >> We got a guy that does videos over at the high school. So, we've done it the past two years at the co-op and it's been super successful. Um, and then that is our presentation at the public hearing >> and we're able to post it so everyone can see it. Um, we'll >> we also have a PowerPoint presentation and we have handouts. Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. We've got a whole bunch. >> Yeah. And then um Yeah. So, if anyone wants a leading role
050in the video um just check with principal rule. >> Oh, that's real. [laughter] >> I think that would just be the chair person. I really don't know when Becky's doing castings, but she'll let you know. >> Great. All right. Thank you, Molly. Yep. >> Okay. Um, principal's report. >> Good. You won't scam me this time. Jeez, I almost >> I know. I'm channeling my inner Cheryl right now being on Zoom in a way. >> Oh, yeah. I've gotten so used to it. I'm not even like a real person. [laughter] Um, no. I I I am um my [clears throat] plane is in a few hours, but um I will say that this has been probably one of the top three conferences that I've like ever attended. So, I'm just really um excited that I had
051the opportunity to to come out here. Um anyway, so um I set my board report um and I was going to continue to report out on the core values of our new strategic plan and um select a few of those pillars each month to um talk about what's happening at Kensington that support those pillars. Um the first one was academic excellence and I was highlighting um that we launched the first of our two pilots. I know we talked a little bit at a graduate workshop that we're going to be piloting a few different reading programs this year. Um we started that first pilot which is arts and letters. Um and um it really is um an integrated program. So it does include both reading, writing, science and social studies in its units. I listed the
052essential questions for this first module for each um each grade level so that you could kind of see like what are those overarching questions that kids are trying to answer. Um and they explore poetry and they read um they read books and they watch videos and they look at art and all of those things um get them to develop their answers to these essential questions. And so you can see for something like kindergarten where this says how do people use their senses to expl experience the world um you can see how that really easily ties into science and using your senses and that sort of thing. And then if you go down to um grade level four, what does it mean to have a good heart? [clears throat] And that really dives into both like
053the figurative language of what does it mean to have a good heart, but then they're also going to be learning about the circulatory system. So, um it it is a nice way to integrate um lots of different concepts. Um the pilots, we reserve 60 minutes each day that's dedicated in their schedule um for the implementation of the pilots. Um in addition to this core program, we also have 30 to 45 minutes um for that phonics and phmimic awareness. Again, we talked about that at the at the budget meeting about that upper end of the rope and the lower end of the rope building those foundational skills. So, um, so that's sort of an update where we are on our first pilot. Any questions about that? >> No, but I love the interdicciplinary Becky. >> Yeah,
054I do too. I think it that it [clears throat] helps learning make sense when it's connected across contents, >> right? And what I I always say to people is when the kids are little, that's when they learn the best. And we don't say to them at home, today for this hour is just reading. No, no, no. Don't try to add it. You know, it's very disingenuous, I think, when we separate everything. >> So, good job. >> Yeah. So, well, really good job to the teachers because piloting a new program is hard. Um because you're doing things for the first time. You don't know where conversations with kids are going to go. Sometimes it's hard to anticipate. Um so, they're they're doing a great job. It's not easy. Um the second um core value that I
055was um highlighting was around growth mindset and I um was highlighting a lesson that um our school counselor was doing in our first grade classrooms uh about size of the problem. And again um you can see the picture with the little pumpkins. They were talking about, you know, big problems, medium problems, small problems. Um, and really trying to get kids to frame, um, things that are hard as an opportunity for growth and really getting them to see, um, and stay solution focused on problems. And so, um, she throws out different scenarios to kids of things that might happen in their day. And as a class, they talk through and decide, is this a small problem, is it a medium problem, is it a large problem? And then how do we collectively help each other solve
056the problem? So again, that growth mindset piece which is really important. Um and you know making sure that scenario of when you're eating lunch and you notice that there's smoke coming from the kitchen that we all agree that that's a big problem. >> Um and what [clears throat] we do about that. >> Any questions about growth mindset? Um and then the last one talking about smoke coming from the kitchen. We spent some time at the Kensington Fire Department last week. So um October is fire prevention month and um our our fire department invited us over for the afternoon. Um and the kids got to um do some great exploration um ride in the truck, practice using a fire extinguisher. They actually had one of the hoses out there for them to practice um shooting a
057um a cone over with the water. Um so it was it was great for um our students to work with the actual first responders in our town and build those connections and um you know so they understand that we have people in our community that are here to help us stay safe. um that we can um build good relationships with them and we're lucky to have them right next door and we can just walk right over. >> Thanks. >> Anything [clears throat] about that? >> Any questions for Becky? >> No. What conference are you at? >> I'm at coaching PLC's. >> Oh, nice. Where? So, it's been it's been two full days of um focus just on coaching, just on the components of PLC's. And it was I was just talking to the presenter. It
058was one of those is like, man, I did not know what I didn't know. And um it was it's just been really really good. >> Good. Good. [gasps] >> Cool. [clears throat] All right. >> Yeah. And PLC's are a big part of SEU 16's MTSS structure. So that is um one of the reasons why principal rule went out there. >> Who's the Oh, sorry. Who was the presenter? >> Um Tisha Thomas. >> Yeah. [clears throat] >> Um it was great and it's also um really helpful. um I was in a on a team with um a school district from Kentucky and so it's also just really helpful to hear what other schools across the country are doing and some of some of the challenges that they're facing and how they're solving some of their problems.
059And um so just that that piece of problem solving and staying solution focused um with people outside of your regular learning community is also really helpful. >> Great. Thank you Becky. Thank you. >> And I hope you get a plane out. >> Well, so my funny enough, my flight isn't leaving here now until 11:59, and I don't land in Boston until 6:30 tomorrow morning. >> What What airport are you at? >> I'm in Salt Lake City. >> Oh, okay. I've That's one of the airports I haven't been to. I haven't been to I haven't been to that airport. How about that? >> Yes. >> Well, I'm not at the airport yet. I'm in the conference room at the hotel still. So, >> well, I still haven't been to Salt Lake City. >> All right, >>
060there you go. >> Great. >> All right. Thank you, Becky. >> Thank you, Becky. Um, okay. Uh, new business. We wanted to talk about inviting our state reps to um come to a board meeting. >> Yeah, I was asked to put it on the agenda. >> Stephanie gave approval. So, >> should we um do we have any any thoughts on that? Should we Is there a do you just sort of put a general invitation out and >> Yeah, it would come from the board. >> Yeah. And it's not like come at this meeting. It's sort of come if whenever it works. >> It's however you want to structure it. It's really however the board wants to structure. >> The reps have even been in the school. Have they Becky? >> Current reps. >> Are our
061current reps reps? >> I don't believe so. >> Yeah, that's enough right there. Well, I say let's put a general invitation out with maybe with our meeting dates for the next >> six months and say we love to um hear from you about any kind of legislative updates, have you see the school, sort of see what um what the community is like here? Um yeah. Yeah. Who do you want to assign that to? That would be to uh Susan Porchelli and which one of the board members would take that on an email from their from their board email inviting them. >> She I can do it. Yeah, I'll do it. >> I vote for that. Yeah. >> Every time I hear writing. [clears throat] >> Okay. Got it. Got it. >> And then whatever information
062you need from me, >> just let me know. But I think you have everything. >> Yes. Yep. And I can find [clears throat] their contacts. Okay. Great. We will do that. Um Okay. Old business. We were going to confirm the deliberative date >> or it has been confirmed. >> It has been confirmed. >> Okay. >> It went back and forth a little bit. There was a little confusion. Um but yeah, February 3rd at 6:00 p.m. >> Okay. >> The board will hold um as you guys had picked back in August, you'll hold your regular board meeting at 5 before the deliberative. >> Yeah. >> Are we meeting at the same night as the selectman? >> I think so. I think they come after. Yeah. >> Good. >> That's good. get it all done in one.
063>> Yeah. >> All right. Any pupil related matters this month? >> Any pupil related matters, Becky? Nope. >> Oh, and um Oh, we are going to go into >> We're going to go into non-public under E. >> Okay. So, any personnel issues or >> no updates? No personnel updates. >> Okay. All right. Well, we will now go into a non-public session under 91 A32E. >> Thank you. So, we need a roll call vote. We need someone to make a motion and a roll call vote. >> I make a motion to go second. >> Okay. Roll call vote. >> All in favor? >> No. >> Cheryl. Yes. >> Yes. Oh, Stephanie. Yes. >> In case we need >> Thank you, Mrs. Coaching for me and now I don't need it. Anyway, better safe >> I got
064very [clears throat] >> I would like to make a motion to move the proposed collective bargaining agreement um with the asis to the warrant article. >> Okay, >> second. >> You say all in favor? >> Oh, I say it. I thought the person who did the motion says it. >> Yeah, Wendy second it. So then >> you say she always say >> Yeah, you always ask you always tell them the vote. Okay, good. All [laughter] you I I sorry >> we're taking this very serious. >> We are like the stitches tonight. [laughter] >> Becky, we're sorry. We're We're not >> It's a full moon and >> it is a full moon. >> I'm feeling a little >> That's okay. I I had a time change and daylight savings. So, I'm all messed up. >> Oh,
065forget it. Forget about Okay. >> Okay. So, that is done. Wonderful. And then the last thing is >> That's it. >> Mhm. That's the last thing on your agenda. Motion to adjurnn. >> Yes. >> By two. Perfect. >> Make a motion to >> All in favor. [laughter] >> See, this is where I get confused. All in favor? >> I I You have always said all in favor. Yay. [laughter] Okay.