Exeter School Board Meeting 05/13/25

001All right, I'm going to call this meeting to order at 61 to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all. Okay. So per RSA 18974 602 for 30 minutes of public input. Is there anyone? Um, I have some public input or questions, but it's about the presentation. So, I don't know if I'm allowed to ask those after the presentation about the lights. We can pause. Yeah. Fine. Anybody else? Um, we'll start next with our PTO update. Hello. Hi. Um, I wrote stuff down this time. I feel like I can't wing it. So, I'm just going to read instead. Um, so, as I feel like everybody knows, we have our biggest event coming up um this Saturday, which is

002the Get Fit in May. Um, our fun run begins at 8:30. That's for uh K through five. So, the half mile is for kids that are K through two and then there'll be a mile race for uh kids 3 through 5 and then our 5K will begin at 9:30. However, I've heard we have a kindergarter running in the 5K, which sounds awesome. So, we definitely are hoping that we can get people to come out and cheer on. For some reason, it has been a year that we haven't gotten a lot of volunteers. Um, so we're still trying to make sure that we can get enough volunteers by Saturday. I think we'll be okay. Um, but definitely put the word out there that we're still um really looking for volunteers to make sure that uh the

003event runs smoothly. But we're super excited. This is a big community event where we have lots of community partners that are very generous with our sponsorships. So um we're very excited to have that on Saturday, May 17th. Um there was an awesome pep rally this past Friday. I'm going to let Ryan and Tanya talk more about that, but I just have to say as a parent and a PTO person being present at this like awesome, exhilarating, like exciting event, it was just like there was so much energy in the room. It was so awesome like having K through five kids in this auditorium just like getting up and dancing. We actually posted a video um on our socials of just like kids like dancing and like just getting super pumped up. It was just really

004fun to see. Um, so I'll let them talk more about that. Uh, we had our last PTO meeting of the year this month um with all of the teachers and parents and admin um and just pretty much talked about like how the year went, you know, how things how we could do things better. Um, you know, as a PTO, we just strive to continue to support staff. Um, we want to continue to organize events that bring our community together and uh connect parents, caregivers, teachers, and staff through the PTO. So, we'll continue to do that. Um, we did have someone who came in as a kindergarten. She has a kindergartener starting and she actually joined the board. So, that was super awesome to um have her come join us for next year. Um, the PTO

005helped uh support teacher appreciation week. We just um provided some coffee and some mini muffins. Um, and parents helped stock the fridge with salt, soda, and water. So, we just kind of did a couple little things to help support teacher appreciation week this past week. I hope that all went well. Um, and then another big event I would just like to comment on is there's going to be a music and art installation on June 10th. Uh, this is something that's been two years in the making. Um, before I was on the PTOR, I was on the green team and worked with Susie Finnis to create this butterfly garden right where the pickup area is. Um, and worked with um, someone from the garden club to kind of plant pollinators, things that were sustainable that we

006could see grow throughout the years. And I went to Marne Bird um, towards the end of the year like, "Hey, could you help us create like just a little butterfly garden sign um, just to say this is a butterfly garden and when it was created and stuff?" and she's like, "I'll do you one better. I'm going to create like this amazing art." And I don't know if anybody has seen it, but there are these huge cutouts. And she came up with this idea of just, you know, creating these like cutouts of um butterflies and flowers and caterpillars. And we worked with um a parent volunteer who actually went and cut out all of these um pieces. It's made out of marine plywood, which is sustainable, so it should, you know, be able to overcome the

007New England weather throughout the years. Um, and she worked with second graders last year that painted these, um, pieces, and then she worked with to kind of finish up the project, second graders this year. So, right now we have some volunteer opportunities for people to come in and work with the second graders to create thank you cards um to, you know, for the project like being held and everything. Um, and that event will happen in June. And she's looking for some volunteers, too, to kind of help like make sure the event goes seamlessly. But, uh, if you can come, it's it's after school. I think it's like at 4:30. It's after school, but it's not like at night time. So, it's 4:30 and everyone is welcome to come. This isn't just a if you're a

008student, participate in it. This is like a big, you know, event. There's going to be music as well. Um, so definitely come and show up for that event. It's just nice to see color up on the walls and everything. And thank you to facilities as well for helping put those pieces up and everything. So, I think that's it for PTO. Just one question. Given Can you guys hear me? I don't think it doesn't sound like it's on there. That's better. Right. There you go. Um, just given all the weather, is there a rain date for the Get Fit or I Oh, for Get Fit. Yeah. I don't think we've ever done a rain date. I think it's rain or shine. It's rain or shine. Okay, great. So, bring your cowbell and just I'm all for

009it, right? Run in the rain if that's what happens. It's It's always a great event. I'm excited to get run again in the 5K. My second grader is going to run with me this year in the 5K. Oh, that's awesome. We like We love to see that. That's so great. Yeah. So, even if you're not a runner, like you can be a jogger, you can like sache. I mean, you can come cheer. It's for everybody. So, just hope to see everybody come. Thank you. Yep. You're welcome. All right. I think we have two visitors to talk about the uh the proposal for the Courier Field. Yeah. Uh my name is Dan Provos. I'm here today uh tonight representing Exit Junior Baseball League, Extra Junior Baseball and Softball League. Um we are 501c3 uh that's chartered

010through New Hampshire Bay Ruth and we provide uh wreck baseball for five of the six SAU communities. Stratam plays through Great Bay. Um, but all the other five towns play through us. Um, and I'm here tonight uh to ask you to do a courageous thing. Um, we are seeking a long-term license agreement for Courier Field. Actually, for Courier and Walshfield, um, the other baseball field that's behind uh the old high school building. Um, but as Courier pertains to Ling Street and uh your board's purview, um, that's what I'm here to talk about. Uh, baseball on and exit has a rich tradition as you may know. Um, our league was formed in the ' 50s. Um, actually by Red Walsh who Walsh Field is named after. He was the original league president. Um, they used to

011play at the old Emerson School for Boys on High Street. There was a baseball field over there. Um, you can still see the remnants of that in the backyard of the condo building at 75 High Street. Um and then in the late 50s they um appropriated $2,500 to uh build a field for baseball and that became the field back here um on the site of Robinson Female Seminary. So it actually predates Lincoln Street Elementary School. That was the numbers I was just checking with Rusty. Um and then uh that field was later named um for Paul Courier who was lost aboard the USS Thresher um when it was lost at sea. Um and it's been Courier Field ever since. and Extra Junior Baseball League has played on it ever since. The reason that we are

012a junior baseball league chartered under Babe Ruth as opposed to Little League, which most most people are maybe more familiar with, is in the early60s um when Little League endeavored to create the Little League World Series, that fun event where we get to see kids in tears um on national TV at the end of August every year. Um the board at the time in exit decided rather than charter through little league which was all going to be designed to filter kids onto all-star teams and into that summerlong tournament. Uh they decided they wanted to offer more opportunity for more kids to play. And so they did not charter with little league at the time. They formed what was then a junior league. Um and instead of forming all-star teams, they partnered with the town in

013Rhode Island and they would do uh swaps. So they would families would go down and stay with families at our partner town in East Warwick, Rhode Island um and play down there and then those families would come up here and they would basically do like partner tournaments uh throughout the summer and afford more kids the opportunity to play. Uh that's certainly a model that we've continued um as a league. Um we have one of the lowest costs um per player of any of the wreck leagues outside of Exit Wreck uh in town. Um, the real cost per family uh or the the cost to play is $125 or $150 depending on your age. The actual cost per player is closer to $400. We offset that with um an extremely impressive fundraising and corporate sponsorship mechanism.

014Uh we have um almost 40 businesses in town that sponsor our league uh that keep costs down. um we do have all-star teams. Um but whereas other towns um have like a single one-off try out for them, we do a coach selection process. Um and it's really more of like a a larger snapshot of who gets to play on those teams. And then this year we are actually offering um an expanded uh summer all-star program as well to give more kids an opportunity to play. So the way that all works is every January I fill out a bunch of paperwork. I do fields and facilities for the league. Um it's basically a building use form. Um to use Courier Field or to use um Walsh Field, you essentially fill out the same form that you

015would use if you were going to, you know, sign up for the library. Um and that goes to facilities if it signs off on it. But there's a lot of like implied responsibility that comes with that form. That's just the result of years and years and years of like a really solid partnership. Um, if we are going to invest in the field the way that we would like to, uh, lights are the big thing that everybody's talking about, certainly part of the plan. Uh, we would love to have lights at Courier. We would love to have lights at Walsh. We don't know if the abutters have the appetite for that right now. Um, but I'm a long game person and I don't mind living in the land of maybe for as long as I need

016to. Um, I advise student senate at the high school and I always tell them the road from no to yes is paved by a thousand may. So, I'm going to follow my own advice with that. Um, but beyond lights, uh, the field needs to be resurfaced. Um, so that's, uh, in the tens of thousands of dollars from field mix, field material, um, new sod. Uh, there was once a bathroom in the old snack shack building, um, that we own. Um, that's no longer up to code. It's not hooked up anymore. So, that's why we have the portaotti out there. Um, there's just some general landscaping. There's a lot of tree work that could be done to open things up. Uh, people want to move the fences back, people want to move the fences forward. Um,

017so there's just there's a ton of improvement that um could could be happening over there. There's already a number of improvements that have already taken place. The media shed that was built uh in the 2000 in the um 2010s um was was done by volunteers in our league. The dugouts that we built last year um 60% of that was don lumber was donated by extra lumber. Um you know they traded that for for the for the um benefit of hanging a banner. They were giving us thousands of dollars of lumber. So, these are the partnerships that we've cultivated over the years. Um, but if we are going to endeavor to do those improvements, we'd like to have something just a little bit more concrete than a building use form. Um, and have some of the

018what's implied on that form actually in writing. So, uh, about a year ago, um, we had a lawyer um, just basically sit with us, um, a friend of my father-in-laws and go through what isn't actually implied in that document and if we can actually get it all down on paper. And so they put together uh a license agreement that kind of spells out exactly um the responsibilities of exit Junior Baseball League and what um Rusty and facilities takes care of essentially. Uh they mow the fields and we do everything else. Um and that's how it has been for a number of years. So we edge it, we turn it, um we take care of the trash, uh we use Rusty gives us use of the dumpsters. Um, so essentially what what I would propose is

019um I mean this is n a 99-year license agreement um which is a long time um and it would come up every year as an opportunity to like re-up and and um say hey are we meeting our end of the deal are you meeting your end of the deal um and that's a scary number right so it's like all right that seems like multiple generations of use uh but that's exactly what I'm proposing um because I think that we want to codify what we have in place and then turn it over to our fundraising apparatus, our corporate sponsorship apparatus. Babe Ruth International has dozens of grants uh matching grants for things like lights, for things like field expansion. Um so we have two different uh ages that really play on that field. One of them

020plays on a 46 ft mound. Uh the older boys play on a a 50-ft mound. Um so there's cost involved in in making it convertible to both. It's like temporarily convertible right now. It could be much better. Um, yeah. And so I'm here to answer any questions on that. Um, I definitely I'm not expecting signatures tonight. Um, but I would love for people to take a look at it. I think have they seen a copy of the license agreement? I know Dr. Asbel and I have talked a little bit about it. Talking about lights. Yes. And lights are I mean lights are the are the exciting part of the project. Um, as a facilities fields guy, I'm I'm actually more interested in getting the right kind of dirt there, but lights would be nice as

021well. So, I'm open to any questions. I mean, I think it's hard to ask questions without seeing the agreement to to understand what's in it. So, um, I have to tell you, my initial reaction is not very positive about a 99year lease. This isn't the Panama Canal. Yeah. you know, I mean, that's that's I don't even know if people are going to be playing baseball in 50 years. I mean, that that doesn't make a lot of sense to me to to enter into something like that. I'm not even sure that the sport has the authority to do that for that matter because um you know, typically, I mean, we exist from year to year. We do make agreements at times for things that go longer. And I can tell you, we've been a big supporter

022of the Junior Baseball League time. And you you mentioned some of the construction that was out there. I was on the board at the time and we split the cost with you on that. So, you know, we've contributed even from taxpayer funds to help support some of the projects that have gone on there beyond just the uh you know, annual maintenance. So, I don't want to say that uh you know, speaking for myself as a board member, that I'm not supportive, but I have a hard time getting my head around why you would even propose a 99-year lease. Maybe you can maybe I I can start with that question. Sure. because I haven't seen what's in there, but I don't even understand the rationale for that kind of term why you would suggest that. Well,

023so I mean 99 was a fun number um in terms of like this is a a lifetime agreement um in and you're I mean I would be happy with uh an agreement that extended towards like say we were going to do lights if it covered like the period that the lights would be under warranty. So like Musco lighting systems which is the leading lighting systems for youth athletics in the state uh in the region uh their lights are all warrantied for 25 years. So essentially um when we sat down to put this together, it was coming on the heels of um so we're softball is part of our uh board as well and a tremendous investment that our softball subcommittee made in dugouts up at the wreck field and then with the rising costs of

024maintenance um and just to stay competitive with other wreck programs, uh their rates changed. And so we had people who volunteered and built and invested in this project and now at a time where those rates were one one thing um and now they're very different and so people kind of felt like the rug was swept out from underneath them. Now I'm on the wreck board in town and I know you know th those numbers were I mean the wreck was renting out field space at a rate that hadn't changed since like the '9s since Doug the days of Doug Dicey and so they had to change they had to raise their rates but the people from the softball side of the operation didn't see the writing on the wall and felt as though hey we

025made this massive investment and now we're playing under a different set of rules. So, if we're going to try to do something similar here on our baseball fields, we need a little more assurance that we're not going to have, you know, all of a sudden a different playing field that we're that we're working with. Um, I personally don't foresee that happening. Um, just in terms of like the relationship that we had with the SAU, as you mentioned, like you've already invested in those fields out there. Um, but boards change um and public sentiment changes and I would hate to see those hard-earned fundraising dollars um not go to waste because the improvements would still be there, but now all of a sudden it's like, well, who actually owns those lights or who actually owns those

026dugouts or who actually like maintains them when there's an issue on them? Um, so a licensing agreement would allow us to say like, you know, when baseball's being played on that field, uh, we own those things. Um, and so I think it gives some more accountability there, um, in terms of in terms of our investment really. I'm happy if the board wants me to um to take a copy of that and run it past legal. I did not want to do that without the permission of the board because that'll be an expense to the board to have anyone look at it from legal counsel side. Um, so a I can do that and just see if there's other legal questions to your point, uh, Patrick, if the board can even enter into some kind of

027agreement like that. I'm not sure because our board changes also, right? Um, that might be a starting place to even see what that means for a board to do something like that because our policies all refer to building use in that process. So I don't know whether that would impact policy and things like whe this board would then have to write a different policy or over change the policy for this situation. Just not clear about that. Yeah, I agree with Patrick. I mean I my my husband coaches in the league, my son plays, big fans. I think you know obviously there's a long-standing relationship and and and it's been trust largely seems like trust based. I don't even know exactly what's in the current agreement that you're referring to. So, it would be helpful. I

028mean, I personally think it would be helpful if we're going to pursue this to go through our legal counsel and get it looked at and and just be able to look at more of the details of what, you know, what is the problem? I mean, you did you response to Patrick's question was my next was sort of what is the problem we're trying to solve here? Yeah. Which is, you know, what you've stated. Um but it's hard it is hard to respond without actually having a copy of what you're proposing and have a set of eyes on it for legal. Yeah, understood. Um and and I would just counter with are there are there circumstances where a building use form is extended over like a multi-year period because when I got start when I got

029started on this um there was not right it's not it's not an annual basis. I think I think part of the concern is that because you know it's not like uh you know a school that's over you know at school street or something that we're saying like you know you can be there for x number of years or we have a program that's there that you're there for those years and you get exclusive use of it even that field is shared use I mean you're using it during a period of time and I understand I guess your part of your concern is that because you're making sort of capital improvements on it you know how do to protect those or you know investing in those and then then all of a sudden you don't have

030access to that but we also have to be careful about that that space is used by more than your organization. We we want it to be used by your organization and we think it's a great program. We're big supporters. I mean this this board is I I think and past boards have been and I would anticipate future boards would be but we can't speak for them as you've pointed out. But we also have to make sure that it's available for others to use that in terms of that space. Yes. And I agree. Um and hence why we're uh proposing a license rather than a lease. So we couldn't lease it. Yeah. What's that? We wouldn't we would I don't think we could lease it. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. Uh and and nor would we want to

031for a lease then it's like when you lease it then it's yours at 1:00 in the morning and we're not interested in that. Um but licensing would allow for allow for that sort of wiggle room. So like right now for example uh you know anyone can request any of the facilities here right there's a process for that. Um and there's a there's a sort of tiered system of um of like who gets access and that creates I think less of a headache with our outdoor fields than with our with our indoor spaces. I know like basketball um it it's a lot. Um with with baseball, there's a rise in club baseball. Um those teams are all looking for fields. So right now on on Saturday and Sunday at Walshfield, uh you're not going to see

032extra junior baseball there. We've partnered with um several different of the club baseball, private baseball um programs. And you know, I help facilitate that through um Rusty's office. We make sure that all their paperwork is in in order. And he says, "Hey, make it work with you guys, right? we want you to have priority, but we also want to find space for other teams to use these fields. Um, and so we we block out times for club baseball to use those fields. Uh, Courier less so, but that's just because the age of club baseball, they use the size diamond over at Walsh more frequently. Um, in the last two years, there have been two additional 10U club teams that have formed and those are the teams that are going to want to use Courier. Um,

033and so again, I'm just trying to kind of see the writing on the wall. That's more requests for field time. And again, we're happy to share it, but they want those fields at a certain level as well. Um, and so what money into it? Uh, what we do is, yeah, we charge them basically a shed stocking fee. So, we let them use our like quick dry, we let them use our materials, and we give them the combination to our sheds. Um, but, you know, they're not our field, so we don't we can't charge them for use of the field. Um, but that's that's how they put money into it. So they basically buy marking lime and and uh turface field material for us in exchange for that. So I think at this point what I'm

034hearing is we can talk about this may be a non-public conversation. Sure rest of this. Okay. But I don't I'm cognizant of Absolutely. Y and I'm in the fourth inning over there so I'm trying to get back to my game too. Well, I you know and I I mean in some ways before you even have a legal review I mean I'm not even there may be legal issues but beyond I mean I don't know what's in the agreement at all what you're proposing. I mean I understand what licensing means but I have no idea what's in there. And so I I mean it there's a number of things that may be legal but don't pose legal barriers but might not be things that we would have any interest in or would want to discuss with

035you. So Sure. So I mean seeing the agreement we had no idea that there was going to be a license agreement. I think we had a preview that there's going to be some discussion about lighting on the field. That's all we knew. So, this is new to us. So, I think we just would need a chance to really see the agreement and look at it. Yeah. And know what our re reaction is. It may be that what's in there like, "Wow, this makes a lot of sense. Let's just talk about this." Or it may be that there's things are objectionable. I just have no idea. Yeah. And exactly. And I would say um look, you know, the larger conversation around that is um you know, what is implied in a building use form, right? And

036so when I sat with legal and I said like here is what is actually implied being able to codify that was helpful for us. So when I sit with like coaches for example I say like part of the agreement that we have with SEU16 is we take care of the trash. They're like okay we sweep out the dugouts. We maintain the the playing field. So none of those are I mean the building use form has three lines on it. So sitting through and saying like now let's actually spell out what exactly that document implies I think is a valuable thing for you to have anyway. Um aside from whether you you you agree or or disagree or or want to move forward it's it's nice to have that clarified. I mean from our end too.

037Esther is this something and maybe Rusty that our facilities committee could look at with you? Seems like they probably should um first before bringing it back to the board. I think full board. I think too that getting a copy of that, having you look at it and then um even like Patrick said you may look at it and say it makes a lot of sense. You may look at it and say it doesn't make any sense at all. Yeah. So I think if we can get a copy and have the facilities committed over that's a good path I think. Yeah. And then Yeah, that's that sounds like the right way to go about it. Perfect. And it's spelled out in here that it's it's renewable every year. So the 99 years is like the term,

038but it would come up every year um for review. So it's nothing is locked in. Okay. You'll email me a copy of that. Yes. And maybe you did it initially. You can email it to me again. So it's the top of my email. Absolutely. I know how that goes. Thank you all for your time. All right. Appreciate it. Uh great. Uh next on the agenda is the SA16 administrative update. You want to do steam? I do want to do steam first. Under the principal presentation. Let's do that. So under the principles presentation we have some guests who are about to is this for is this is not is this will write use presentation? Yes. So this is the wheelright trust use presentation and I think we're going to maybe hear something about our greenhouse. We

039have a we have three representatives. We have team members. They're all school students team members. and then in my class and who is also Abby who is um connected to China. So we've got the we've got a rep a representative group of uh Lincoln Street School uh that are very excited about this greenhouse that we have in our forecast. Great. Yeah. And if you guys want to grab the mic and move over a little bit, then people in TV land can hear you, too. So I'm Taylor. I'm Lauren. And I'm Abigail. Um we have a list of um benefits of our greenhouse in our LSS community and we are going to share that. So here are some of the benefits. The greenhouse can make can get kids involved in environmental protection. Make sure plants are

040safe from wind. Help plants grow longer. No wild animals to eat plants. Helps teach students about plant growth. Future veggies for Saint Vincent Depal Food Pantry. Eliminates weeds. can grow even in the winter. Um, our LSS community can watch the growth of flowers and vegetables. We can learn about different crops and we can get together as a school community to plant, grow, and harvest community and also can go to the community fridge in exit. Helps us feel good knowing that we are helping the community. Saves safe place to grow vegetables with tiny wind, little wind or rain. Helps students gain experience growing vegetables. It gets kids outside and extends the growing season. The green team community in LSS have planted plants in the greenhouse. Um here are some of the vegetables that we've been planting.

041We've been planting zucchinis, pumpkins, beans, peas, Brussels sprouts, corn, and summer squash. Thank you for supporting us. That's great. Thank you guys. So, we are we are just so thrilled. It's been a couple years in the making, you know. a couple years ago wrote a proposal through the realight and we aimed a little bit too high. We looked over at SST and thought we need something like that and we did not get accepted the first time. Um so there was a year or two of no no possible greenhouse and then Sheena the steam teacher came to me and we started to talk about well is this still a possibility? Uh where would it be located? uh talked a lot with Rusty uh and then the uh and then the proposal was kind of set in

042motion uh and then from there it's been work from the green team so green team members and then um she has done a tremendous amount of work through the steam program so that everybody's involved and she can share a little bit about kind of the community community event at Lincoln Street School and and going beyond It's just uh it's been fabulous. Yeah. So, every student at Lincoln Street has the um opportunity while they're here several times um to start with just a seedling um be Yeah, I'm really loud. Um they have the opportunity to go into the greenhouse um and be part of the process um from third, fourth, and fifth grade. Our adaptive steam class also goes in there. So, we start, you know, in the greenhouse in early, what was it, February? Yeah.

043Um, and then this is where we are right now. And then a week and a half, we'll start putting the stuff into the ground. Um, and then throughout the summer, our summer program, as well as students um in our in our community come out and do all the harvesting, the weeding, and the picking. And we take trips over to Saint Vincent to drop off probably at least four to five times a week, as well as the Exit fridge. And it's definitely a need because there's been times in the morning where I'll drop like three racks off and I'll come back in the evening to water and then see things because we have a couple um rabbits that like to eat some things. Um so I'll pick them. I'm like and take them over and the

044stuff is already gone. So it's not just here at Lincoln Street. It is the whole exit community. So we thank you expanding gardens and raised beds and looking for new ways to get more kids involved. and then ultimately uh when harvest time comes around um give the community a little taste of what Lincoln Street School green team members steam the whole gang has has been working on. So it has been thank you so much for the opportunity. Uh we started last year at this time and we just hope to inch by inch rowby row keep on expanding with the uh with the program. So it has been a lot of fun. Awesome. Thank you guys. This is tremendous. Do you guys have any questions? Have you found there to be any maintenance challenges since uh

045you started the project? Um no sunlight. Rain. That makes sense. Okay. We we did uh we bought some grow lights. So we actually have started earlier and earlier. Okay. And they helped but we really Mother Nature didn't help us too much. But we're we're right at where we should be. They're no Bonnie plants like they days, but they're they're pretty close. Pretty close. It's a learning process, too, for us and our students as we go. Yeah, I applaud you. I know that this I know when I started on the board when we were talking about Wheelright, this is sort of it's really exemplary of something that is educational, the students are involved, you all are involved, and that it's also connecting us with the community. So appreciate you guys coming out here to share um

046the result and keep on going. It's really exciting. Thank you. Wonderful. Thanks. [Music] Um Oh, your question. Yeah, go ahead. Just before we get too far away from Yeah, please stuff. I I hope that this becomes a longer conversation. On the one hand, I understand you might want to have like non-public sessions, but um just to clarify, you're talking about we're going back to the baseball. Okay. Yeah. So happy about the greenhouse about the baseball. So, I also thought this was going to be about the lights. So, that's um I'm in a butter. You know, I'm probably one of the closest to butters and I I think it's, you know, somewhat unreasonable for me to say like, "Oh, they don't get lights because we don't want the light." I just would hope that with any

047kind of lease um or any any agreement that there would be some understanding of how late the lights can stay on. Um I'm concerned uh without I I don't want to be offensive, but as somebody that lives right there and walks my kid to school every day, um after that construction project they did last year, nobody picked up the scrap wood for months and months and months. Um, and I just hope that that's not reflective of sort of the the pace of upkeep that would be, you know, ongoing. Uh because honestly it was it was just kind of gross and it's a really nice field and the families love it and you want it to stay nice. Um, the other thing I just so so aside of being a butter, I just want to make

048sure that we're not getting stuck as a taxpayers footing the bill for maintenance. Um, I'm from Kensington originally. Um, and I was younger when this happened, but uh, they put all those big lights into Sawyer Field. It was a grant. Somebody came in and did it, you know, big, beautiful, everybody's really excited, not realizing that those light bulbs cost about $500 to $1,000 a piece. And they need to be replaced every 3 to 5 years. And so now, um, I forget the guy that owns Alova who donated all the money. Now he's passed. Kids are kind of hands off. They're selling Eastman Farm. who's going to pay for all this? And so a 99-year lease when the warranty ends in 25 years, what does that mean for you guys? It's a lot of money. Um,

049I also don't think the infrastructure, the electrical infrastructure, you know, they're going to have to pay for conduits or they're going to have it overhead and you know what those trees look like down there. What happens when a line comes down and they don't have the funding from their corporate sponsors? It's just like there's so many unanswered questions about who's holding the bag at the end of the day. Um I'm also just, you know, aware of the fact that Kensington now has these big beautiful fields with stadium lights. Um but they they can barely put one team together. So now they lease the field out to teams from like Lel and Haveril and Aimsbury, not even in the state. And those people trash the field when they come. it it's really disgraceful, you know, and

050so like who's going to be responsible? Are they going to come at 9ine at night and clean the field so that when all the walkers walk through the next day, there's not trash everywhere? It's just like there's so many potential problems and you hope you can get it all on paper and make it look nice, but it's a very expensive maintenance um you know problem potentially. I also just a few things came up that actually even like heightened my concerns. They want to push the uh push the fence back potentially to make it bigger. That's that's a you know that's the school forest, right? And kids like that space. Some kids use that space after hours in ways we don't love, but you know it's a it's a walking space for a lot of people

051to get to and from school. And it it's just there's so many um potential negative outcomes from this that I hope it can be a much longer discussion. And you know I you know as a member of the public I'd love to be involved. Um but you know I think they raised I I didn't hear but I I've heard that they raised about $50,000. I mean that's not even going to cover the getting the electrical out there. So who's paying for all the permitting uh the maintenance, you know, things like that? I I think it's a big concern. Um and you know, maybe that's in the agreement. I I I would hope that something like that is um forget what else I had to say, but I basically I just hope it's a much longer

052conversation because the maintenance is really expensive. Um Oh, yeah. And I so I guess I just wonder who's using it because sunset like tonight sunsets at 8:59 and I know it's it's not little league. I forget that it's junior league. So are there really kids using the field after 900 p.m. And if they are they exit kids or you know so just like what is the real need for it? I think the surfacing and stuff that's great but the lights I think probably need to be a much bigger conversation. if he'd stuck around, I probably would have just suggested they get those portable generator lights that they use for construction projects and then this whole thing becomes a lot simpler. Um, they're a lot cheaper. But those are just I appreciate you guys letting me

053sort of voice my concerns about it. Not only is it a butter, but just a taxpayer. Yeah. Thank you for sharing this. Thank you. Okay. Um, we're gonna hop back up to our SA16 at administrative update and I sure our first big update. I'm going to ask Beth to um come up to the mic and introduce our newest addition for next year, Max, as the new assistant principal here at Main Street. Hey everybody. So, um, happy to welcome Max Ferguson here with us. Um we had a uh you know a rigorous uh search and Max was uh by far a top candidate for us. Um Max brings um to Main Street and the preschool experience. He's an experienced assistant principal. He's currently assistant principal in Summerssworth and prior to that he was an assistant principal

054um in Texas and um he brings experience um with special education, 504s, student discipline, restorative practices. Um he's really excited to join our team here in Exit. Um, I actually had the privilege um to visit his school in Summerssworth and it just happened to be at a day where they had a talent show and so I got firsthand uh to see um some of the skills that Max is going to bring to our staff and our students as a potato juggler. So, um I think Max just wants to come up and say a few words, but um this is Max and we're happy that he's joining us. [Applause] Okay. Thank you, Beth. That was a great introduction. I I don't think I'll be doing any juggling tonight, but maybe. Anybody have potatoes? I don't know.

055You have a fellow juggler. That's true. All right. I didn't do any flaming chainsaws. I topped off at potatoes. But, uh, it really is an honor to be here. Um, uh, thank you so much for the opportunity to be the assistant principal at Main Street School. Um, you know, just thinking real quick as I watched that presentation by the students from Lincoln Street, like that's why I'm in it. To see students engaged in their learning, um, proud of their learning, giving to their community, um, and be becoming ultimately productive citizens. So, uh, that's why I'm in it. And I've been in it for about 16 years. I got my start, um, as a fourth grade teacher in Texas and then, um, a little bit time as a special educ uh, special education teacher uh, before

056becoming an assistant principal. This is my ninth year um as an assistant principal like Beth said for the last six at at Maplewood School in Summerssworth uh which is a third through fifth grade school. So moving to the K prek through two setting uh will certainly be a challenge for me uh one that I'm very much looking forward to. I have a kindergartener and a second grader and it is challenging. Um so I expect nothing less. Um but I just want to say thank you for this opportunity. I'm I'm very grateful. Welcome. We're glad you're here. Thank you. Welcome. All right. Any any questions? I've had a lot along the way, but if there's any Go ahead. I've already gone through the interview process, so I wasn't going to ask any, but go ahead. I'll

057take that. That's all right. What are you What are you most curious about as you enter into Main Street School in this role? Just I'm looking forward to meeting the students. Um I took my kids to the playground uh down the hill. um just uh over the weekend and you know it's cool to see some of the families. Um but meeting the students, the staff, the families, the community. Um it's all very uh exciting for me and kind of rejuvenating at this point in my career to get um to have this new chapter on my journey. Welcome. Thank you. Looking forward to working with you. Same. Thank you. We're a pretty friendly group and we um I think next we have our financials update. Okay. Somewhere up there is the manifest. So I'll grab those

058on my way out. Um in your board pack is a current year financial. This time of year we start to relieve expenses. That's why you're going to see some expenses go down. Um, it's really almost entirely in the world of special education as we start to close out the year. Um, I did note all the changes. Did anyone have any questions? Do you have a question, Patrick? Uh, no. I don't have a question about that, but I think it's it's indirectly related to financials. is that, and this is not something I expect you to be prepared for tonight, but if you are prepared, you can feel free to answer this question. Um, there's been a lot in the news about federal funding for schools. Do we have a sense about if if our federal funding

059was cut off, what dollar figure that would be? So, it's actually in your board packet. We do. It's in the board packet. How much is it? Um it so in the board pack so what we did is so grants go multiple years. It's not just one fiscal year. So what I had asked the accountant to do was pull for each district the active grants. So it doesn't mean that those are all the grants that you had this year. Those are just the ones that are still active. So there might have been something earlier this year that happened this year but it's now closed. Those are just active grants. And so there's two things. There's your allocation which is the amount you're entitled to and then the budgeted amount that's the amount that um the principles

060have identified as activities that they would like to do. So when they decide to spend grant money it's written and approved and then that becomes budgeted what we call budgeted but the allocation is the total entitlement. So on that sheet, it should have the grants that are available to you today. Again, just the ones that are open and the allocated amount, the budgeted amount, and then it will show what is still out there, which is probably very teeny amounts. And those grants are we we the the a balance that is not yet allocated or budgeted. It's not a reimbursement basis, is it? Is it? It is. You have to write the activity and then you have to complete the activity and then you have to submit it through the grant management system for reimbursement. Okay.

061So if you you what would you look at to answer Patrick's question is the allocation. So that's how much money we get and we spend over the course of time and just those are just active grants today. So as you can see there's IDA which is special education is 225,000 roughly. Um, preschool's about 11,000. Uh, our title one for exit is 118,000 give or take. Title 2 was 34,000. Uh, title 4 is about 14 idea. Um, for the second round is around 410,000 and then you see 12,000 per preschool, title 2 35,000 and title 4 about 21,000. And it's important to look at the start and end dates of those because they do not correspond to the fiscal year. Right. So those asurances that we talked about last time that you signed off on, Heather,

062we have. And while we're on the topic, is it okay if I expand a little bit? I do have um we are going to add a cover letter to those when we submit those um that refer to the injunction. And uh this is from legal. This is the sample from legal, but I could read it so you would know what it's going to say. Um, we directed it to the grants manager person at New Hampshire Department of Ed because that's who sends out the general asurances. I have emailed Miss Labinville twice asking them if they were going to issue new assurance packages. I've received no answer which indicates to me that that's a no because we have to get them in by June 1st. And I would imagine they would have done that when the

063injunction came through pretty quickly if they were. I I could be wrong, but I haven't gotten an answer. Um so we have uh dear Miss Laden Mill encloses the executed general assurance requirements and definitions for participation in federal programs. The general asurances for the in this case exit school district the district's practices programming and operations are in my opinion consistent with the United States Constitution and applicable federal law statutes and regulations. As you know, several federal court orders and injunctions have issued which may impact certain provisions of the general assurances. And then he cites many of of the cases that are um pending. Um, accordingly in executing the general asurances, this district certifies that it is in compliance with federal law as informed by the United States Constitution, statute, federal regulations, and applicable case law

064and the requirements of the general asurances as qualified or interpreted by a bipical court orders or injunctions. So, we will put that on the cover of all of ours. This is pretty consistent with districts across the state. Um, so they did have a meeting with legal councils, an organization, I forgot the name of it. I could look it up and they drafted this and have sent it out to many districts that have requested asked this question which of course I asked right of the injunction came how does that impact our general assurances so I'm very comfortable attaching this and and moving forward um as we know that's a lot of money um that we in our operating budget I could not make up in this coming operating budget for exit particularly around IDEIDA and title

065one right and um So, I just wanted to update the board that I was going to add this cover letter unless the board does not want me to and then I will send the assurances in as without the cover letter. I think it's important to add this because I think it points out that the what they expanded on the title six we're saying we're in compliance and please know that there was an injunction and we're aware of that basically. So, while that plays out, however long that may take, um, at least this will have be on record for each district having attached this, right? Yeah. Well, just based on what's in the packet, it looks like about roughly $850,000. Yeah. I don't have it in front of me, but I did do it over April

066vacation and put it in the packet. Right. And we have a about a 24.5 million budget, so it's about 3 to 4% of our budget. Yeah. Is that is that right? Because it's included budget and so what I I don't I guess I don't understand what would happen procedurally. Let's say that the federal government cut off funds and even asked to you know claw back funds which they've done with some organizations. Do we have a right to go to the do we have the ability to go to the voters and ask them to make up that difference during the year? I know you do. If if you it's my understanding you could call a special meeting and and um put it to the voters. The biggest issue with that is if it votes gets voted

067down or that timeline, we're still trying to pay bills, right, for special education services and title one services that are also federally mandated that we provide those services. So, it's like professional development is something we can't even put on hold because our teacher contract says we have to provide professional development. And so, it's a catch 22, right? Could you take it to the voters? I imagine yes. Um the issue is if you don't turn in your insuranceances, you don't even have access to the grant system for our new allocations. So, we're going to get a whole another round that usually we have that allocation, but we haven't received it because the feds haven't given it to the state of New Hampshire yet for them to roll to us. It gives us about how much money

068we're going to get. Normally, we write those in July and then we're we're ready to roll for the next year. We have not gotten what those allocations will be. We've told that it's going to be pretty stable funding from the federal level to the state. um if the state then rolls that to us and that same stability. I can't answer that question. So, you're told that's the current plan. We're told that's the plan, but as we well know, there's allegedly a new commissioner coming on in July um and some other changes that may be happening at the state. So, yeah, at the federal level. So, that's that's kind of where we stand. I certainly would recommend that we obviously turn in the asurances with this cover letter. so we can move forward um with writing

069our grants and continuing to fund things like our summer school which is title one funded. Um that's a that's a big that's a big program. I guess I just wonder, and this is me thinking aloud about this, although I've thought aloud privately about this before this moment, is whether or not we could construct a budget that that wasn't dependent on federal funding and that if we get the federal funding, we essentially return that money back to the taxpayers at the end. So we I I don't know if I'm saying you mean next year, Patrick, for next year. Yeah, it would have to be a future. So you could build the budget if the board said we don't we want to take what we normally get in federal funding and build it into the budget. We

070absolutely could do that. We could do it out of taxpayer funding and then but then if we got that additional money, we could essentially refund $50,000 to offset the tax base. You absolutely could. Yeah. Yeah. It'll be it'll be more than that because you have your allocations that are still running and then you get new allocations for the year whatever the amount is. Yeah. I mean we already do refund money that's unspent essentially to offset the tax base whether or not we could have that be a part of our protocol. I guess I just really worry about the uncertainty about the uncertainty number one and then also being beholden to some requirement that doesn't fit with our mission. Mhm. So certainly um you know in September when you meet if that's what you would like

071you just need to let Molly know that we would like to do that as a board when you build the budget to build in all the costs of what we receive in grants into that operating budget and then you could see where that takes you. I we also I anticipate will be building in additional funds which we haven't had to in the past for um a potential voucher system. There is going to be something that we don't know what it's going to look like yet because it keeps changing every hour to hour. I feel like at least every day. We're also going to have to look at risk pool and how that comes out. We're going to be being mandated. For example, there was a um non-gerermanine amendment made to a Senate bill to have

072uh gun safety, right, for training. So, that's not a large cost, but it's going to have to be built into the budget, right? Training and and that kind of pieces. So, we're also looking at the legislature. Um, there's also a lot of impacts for the business office as far as a workload. We may be looking at another position at the SAU level because they're putting so many things. The warrant is could be seven pages long next year. If the if the current law passes as it is, they want so much information on the warrant. Um, and then if you look at however this risk pool thing comes out, how do you figure that? How are you going to manage the voucher system and the funds coming in and out? So there may be the workload

073may just be so increased that it may be difficult to do that with the current business administration department as it is. So there are some things coming that also may impact um budget increases that we don't normally have to consider. So certainly we could consider that too and add that in. Yeah. And um we will be having conversations about because if you remember we appropriate the funds for grants in the SAU. We really do want to move those to the districts. um we've been thoughtful about when to do that um because it will optically look like a budget increase when it's not an increase in the tax rate. So that is part of the whole conversation with that. Um we will have to really think through the timing especially because for a grant revenue like

074if we don't know how much grants it might spike the tax rate one year and we just have to be very cautious about but it's certainly some a place to start for the board to see it and then like we you normally do talk through what you know there are ways to offset that right there are ways to offset some of those costs. You can look at classroom number sizes. You can there's a whole bunch of things you can look at um as a board, but the asurances that you're sending in, are they at the district level or at the are they at the SEU level? They're at the each district does it? Each district does. Yes. So, if we didn't if for whatever reason we said we're not going to as a district decided

075that we're not going to sign off on that, we could make the for No, not for this year. For the next year, for future for next June, at a future time. Yes. Because you would know the insuranceances are normally due June 1st. So you would know if the budget passed. If you built it into the budget, you would know if it passed and then you could say we don't need to sign it or things maybe look very different and you may have built it into the budget but signing it isn't like it is aligned so to speak, right? They've made some changes and court has made some decisions and you feel more comfortable and then as you said if it was built in the budget you'd have it at the end of next of the

076next year after the budget was expended and you would return that to the taxpayer. the the only indicator on that process as Molly mentioned is it does make your tax rate do that and I'm thinking Paul Flynn is in my ear saying you like to keep that as stable as possible but there's an explanation as to why that would occur. So wouldn't be necessarily setting precedent. It might just be in the current mode, right? Yep. So certainly if the board decides they want to do that, you just inform the sitting uh design as well as Molly and they'll build that budget. or build more than one model. Yeah. Or build two budgets, one without, one with. Yeah. Yeah. I do have one more thing. Um, lunch prices, breakfast and lunch prices. Um, I'm sure as

077you all go to the grocery store, you know that there's rising cost on food. So, uh, Gene Pierce did submit what she wanted to recommend. Um, she said that we have not seen increased prices in a few years and our costs, um, this school year have increased more than normal. We continue to see increases which have not happened in many years, she said. So right now, breakfast is $2, lunch is $3.15, and milk is 50. She would like to move breakfast to $2.25, lunch to $3.35, and milk to 60. Any questions? So, we would need a motion and an approval to change those prices. We would continue to offer for students who needed We don't offer that. You mean the the cover the free and um the red differential? Yes. Right. Yeah. Which I believe

078we made a motion last board meeting to do for next year. We did. So you're asking for a motion to approve? Yes. The increase in pricing for Yes. lunch. and it would be effective the beginning of next year. Okay. Motion to approve the increased lunch and breakfast and milk prices. I would second. Any discussion? Um I'm not sure how I feel about it. I guess I have some reservations because I just I um I just I I just worry about the impact on families that you know that that have very limited funds already. And you know there's a lot of districts that have even gone to not a lot but there's there's districts around the country that have gone to really not charging for those things at all that have found the ways to do

079that. I just think it's such a important part that kids are, you know, have a a healthy lunch and they're not questioning whether or not they can afford it that it it just it really I I just it it concerns me. I understand the rationale because the costs have gone up, but I I I wonder if we if there's not an alternative that we can uh offset that with our budget, you know, off offset that with funds, what is the dollar amount that we're talking about in terms of the impact? I don't have that in front of me right now, but we could go back and look at that. I think it's important to note because the board did vote to cover that differential that families that um may be more impacted with an increase,

080you have already as a board covered that cost. Right. And it's also important to know that every child gets a lunch if they go in the line. No one's denied. And if there are any negative balances at the end of the year, the operating budget does cover that, right? I know we made that change years ago, but it happens regardless. Yeah. Well, at one point in time we used to chase down families for those those funds and I know stopped doing that, which is good. Um, but I I don't know. It just makes me concerned that people hesitate about doing that and feel a strain from the daily budgets of getting their kids a meal. I mean, there's a lot of families have more than one kid and we have a, you know, people from

081all different socioeconomic statuses that live in our community and we have one of the biggest trailer park, you know, mobile home parks in the state and we have some high-end. So, it's just I don't know. I just I'm concerned. I think it'd be really helpful to I'm sorry to cut you off. No, I just think it'd be really helpful to have some just solid information so we can make an informed decision based on what the dollar amount is. just because I I need a refresher. Um if a family does need support in paying for school lunch, they apply it. Can you remind me of the process for requesting? So there is a free and reduced application process. Um and not many people have eyes on that. They can't see who's on um and either you

082are free, reduced or fully paid. And so this board does cover that reduced section. Um and then free is the free. Okay. But you do have to fill out the is send it out at the beginning of the year. It's like here's the annual free and reduced and we offer to help families complete the forms. When we first get um like there's an overdrawn balance. We get these quarterly reports. We will reach out and say did you see the free and reduced form? Do you need help completing it? them again. But this you probably don't have this data point at your fingertips, but just do you have a sense that those families it sounds like you're doing that outreach and that you um that that families who do need it are you like there's a

083high percentage of folks utilizing that or I don't Yeah, completing the free and reduced. Yeah, we don't have the we don't have the actual numbers. Yeah, you don't know. Okay. Yeah. Multiple reason, right? Sure. When we get the reports, there are the same Yeah. in the same and I'm I'm assuming people must because it also impacts title one funds. So, how how many people complete it is is directly tied to how much money. Yeah. I mean, I think that sort of speaks to your concern. So, there's families that are going forward with that step. anytime there's an application that's like one hoop you have to jump through, right? And and every year and then there are likely many families that are um it also doesn't go back. So if I already owe $100, it doesn't

084wipe that out. Oh, but remember at the end of the year, we always ask the board to cover the outstanding fund balance on lunches. So they don't get they don't carry that balance year to year. Yeah. No, but sometimes you're like, well, I already So, sounds like we might need a little bit more information. And I think Patrick, are you asking for maybe just to think through another scenario of covering that cost? I guess I, you know, I don't know what the procedurally what I'm asking. I guess I'm asking Yeah, I don't know what you're looking for now. Just not to not to take a vote at this moment, but just to get some more information and then we can What information do you want, Patrick? specifically. I think that what the what the financial

085impact is of the additional what what are we trying to cover? How much money is it? Is it $5,000? Is it $50,000? $75,000 that this that this change in fees will will cost or will cover. So, we could look to see how many meals were served and how many milks were sold and then take it times the current price and the new price and determine what that delta is. We could do that, right? Yeah. I don't know if we would be able to say by increasing this it's going to make x amount of money. It was not an apples to apples because we don't know how much of that is free and reduced and we don't we don't we can't have that information. Right. So it's hard to say it's $10,000. 7,000 of that might

086be free and reduced. Do you know what I'm saying? Which we don't know. or just costs of meals um yeartoear like so track that yeah you've as obviously there's something behind that request for increase and what that would cost and it's just it's the rising cost of food service and so um typically in exit we don't have much of a loss if any um and the point is because of the rising cost of food we want to raise prices to continue that so we don't see that food service loss I I mean, the other thing you could do is say, "No, we're not going to raise it and see what the cost is at the end of the year." Exactly. Yeah. And next year. So, if we're not affecting the quality of the of the

087food, but I mean, that is one way. I mean, that's one way of really figure of really getting a finite number. No. So, you appropriate the funds for the expenditures of the food and what what you need to spend on the food service program as part of your budget. This is the revenue. And so what is raised in taxation is the expenditures that were already approved by the voters. And then we make a projection based off of revenue. And so we would keep the revenue consistent from current year to next year if we don't change prices. And then any loss at the end of the year is covered by the operating budget anyway, which we have the funds to cover that. Um we have we have a projection. I don't know exactly how much that

088loss will be. So, and exit is unique where you share a food service director because the biggest cost of the food service program is typically labor, whereas you and the cooperative share. So, you actually have quite a bit of cost savings there that some of the smaller districts that don't have the number of meals you serve don't see that, right? We're not talking about changing that. No, no, no. I'm just saying Yeah. Exit's food runs a good program. Yeah. I mean, I'm inclined to to get the data at the end of the year and see if there's really next year. Yeah. Just leave the prices status quo for another year. I mean, we could also see where we end up at the end of this year and change it before the school year starts next

089year. Well, that's true, too. And you can always next board meeting our last one. Well, we won't know until after after I wouldn't I wouldn't recommend that because you you wouldn't really have that information till notified parents till August and that's a little too late from my opinion anyway. I would either make a decision that you want more information on that delta, which is hard for what I think you're looking for, or make a decision to raise them or make a decision to leave it status quo for a year and reassess it at the end of the year and see what it looks like because then you have two years. You'd have this year. I'd rather status quo is my just that's my two cents. I know. So I I am I'm in support of

090that too. So Tim does Tim So there's a there's a motion on the table. We can vote on the motion. Yeah. Which is that, you know, I'm going to just in terms of of discussion, I I I think what we're talking about is not voting in favor of the motion. Right. Right. Because we wouldn't be approving that. So, we can go ahead and you have to call. Okay. So, all in favor of the motion to increase pricing for school lunches. So, I see none. All opposed. All opposed? I I Okay, great. Is there a new motion? I got you. I don't think I don't think we need another motion right now. We don't need to vote because we're not changing it. We just leave it. Okay. Okay. Yeah. All right. And are the manifest signed?

091Can I No. Okay. They're not signed. So, but I will work on that. All right. Thanks, Molly. I um moving on. I put the the calendar in there just because you had asked to clean up that list that was just for your review. You've already approved it pending those changes. It looks um you put the no school next to the made those changes. is that was just for so you could see it. Um I do have a couple resignations for the board to um accept. I have one from Kristen Green and another from Kelsey Sonis. One is a BCBA and one is a special ed teacher. Uh both are at Lincoln Street School. So I would ask the board to accept those resignations. I move to accept those resignations with regret. I second. Any discussion?

092All in favor? I I. Thank you. And the last thing is related to this. Um we usually have a conversation about hiring rates get hiring rights get transferred to the um superintendent for the summer months. I would ask um if we could start June 1st because there are these two people are special educators and if we get someone I would love the opportunity if they're a strong candidate to hire them and not have to wait for a board meeting for them to officially resign from their district. I know it's a little early but given the two positions and I know the sometimes the trouble of getting strong candidates and grabbing them because we're all vying for them even within SAU 16. So, um if the board would grant me as of June 1st or as

093of tomorrow to have that until um August 30th, that would be great. Or I would say the superintendent because obviously it'll change to Dr. Andrewski um July 1. Can I clarify? So, you need a motion for us to approve superintendent to hire to hire starting May 13th effective May 14th. Okay. Through August through August 30th. Okay. I'd like to make a motion to grant the superintendent um permission to hire starting effective May 14th, 2025 through August 30th, 2025. I second. Any discussion? Um, all in favor? I I I Thank you very much. I think that's it for my section except I do have one um thing for non-publicly. Okay, great. Thank you. Um, so did we have any other principal updates? We have our other our counterpart for Oh, yes. Fabulous. Let's go back to

094our It's like little peppered highlights throughout the meeting. I love it. Oh wow. Invite you to touch any to taste anything in the test tubes but only smell. Um there is a slideshow. So can you grab the Oh, should we? You can grab it if you want. That's easier. Don't drink the bug spray. It's tempting alcohol. Should we? If you want, you can unscrew it. All right. So, on the screen you can see some photos from our hydroponic garden. This was our first harvest in the winter. We got the hydroponic garden through the Wheelwright Trust Grant and the kindergarten, first and second grade students have been using it all year long. We've been using it in connection to their next generation science standards of plant and animal adaptations. We've been doing engineering projects with it.

095Um, for those of you that might not know, a hydroponics garden is an indoor all yearround garden that's powered by water. The water is rich with nutrients. There's a grow light that mimics the sun and it's really great for small spaces. It's great for year- round growing and it's even great if you're on the International Space Station. Um, so just talking about some of the connections we can make. You can see the connection to each standard and I won't read over those but those are from the next generation science standards. Um over the last three years we've really made a push to include and really focus on the science of what we're doing because the Essence team does stand for science. So you can see um in the top left corner that is a student

096who made in her science journal a labeled diagram of one of the lettucees. We have our before and after scientist scientist picture. Same on the bottom right you can see happy scientists. We also in the top right have some scientists um pruning, measuring, checking on the different growth and then in the bottom left we have some harvesting happening. Um this is a really great opportunity for the students to see how this new technology because hydroponics is still kind of new is something that they can access, they can take care of and this is completely studentrun. So, in the beginning of the year, I set it up and then after our first harvest, the second graders took all the pieces apart. We cleaned it, we aired it out, and they do everything from the planting of

097the seedlings, which is sometimes how you'll see numerous things like the chives. We have many chives in that little plant because it's completely authentic to the students. Um, they harvest, they do all of that stuff. Um, across the winter, we've donated over 25 pounds of food to the Exitter community fridge. Beyond the science standards, they're doing math of measuring, collecting data. They're doing they're writing and recording in their science journals. And then there's also the social emotional learning or the seal of care, responsibility, and teamwork. We have donated all of this food to the exit community fridge and the students have really loved the whole aspect of feeding their community. Um, they've also been super successful because they've taken it super seriously. every single steam session, every day, every class, they're checking in, they're checking

098the pH, they're adding nutrients, they're really taking care of it, and it's really kind of a living example of the power of steam combining the curiosity and the compassion in their learning um right now for our spring harvest. And this is what you have in front of you. Now that we've had many successful harvests all year long where we've donated the food, a big thing that comes up K through two is we want to taste the food we've been making. So for our spring harvest, they picked what they wanted to grow. I gave them a whole list of what they could pick. Um and they picked they wanted to grow a pickle garden. So we've been growing cucumbers and dill and chives. Um and every student has had the chance if they've wanted to to

099lick it, chew it, or eat it. Any of the cucumber, the dill, the chives as it's grown. and the second graders are taking those raw ingredients and they're doing a chemistry experiment where they're going to be pickling them and then the kindergarten and the first grade students will get to taste them. The other one that we're doing is connected to a real world world problem and those are mosquitoes and ticks. So we talk a little bit about mosquitoes and ticks and that is our bug repellent garden. So the students are taking the lemon basil which is a natural bug repellent. It's very strong. If you want to smell it, it's in the purple test tube. Has that really strong citrusy smell. Um, in the little container in front of you, that's a muddled collection of

100lemon basil. That is something the kindergarteners muddled today. The bug sprays, if you want to unscrew them to get a better smell, those are bug sprays that they used from the mint, the thyme, the rosemary from our garden. And we're going to be testing those out later on in May and in June where we'll kind of put them both out and see if oil or alcohol is a more effective method to our little recipes. Um, they also wrote their own recipe cards and they took it super serious, but the smell is very strong. Um, so yes, so we were growing a pickle garden and a bug repellent garden. And then this is just more of the connections to standards. Um, so it's kind of like zooming in a little bit more about, you know, in

101kindergarten they're observing and describing patterns of plants and animals. And with the cucumbers, they're like, "Oh, a cucumber is a plant. It needs water and light and pollination." This was our first go at fruing plants. So, the students had to make their own pollinators. That's the engineering, a little pollinator mimicking a bee or a butterfly or our nocturnal pollinators, the bats. And they had to go up to the flowers and pollinate flower to flower to flower. Because we are scientists, we did not pollinate all of the cucumbers. We left some unpollinated because one of the biggest things we do in the steam lab is we say, "Prove it." So, we can't just say, "Oh, of course we need to pollinate them." And all of the ones we left unpollinated died and the ones that we

102pollinated grew. So, this is kind of just like a zoom in more if you're interested in kind of that direct standard to application. Um, and then our last one, and these are just some photographs, um, that you can see the different students. You can see them extracting the lemon basil after they meddled it. You can see them smelling. You can see them um, tasting. You can see them harvesting, trimming, pruning, and just a great big thank you to you because the Wheelright Trust has supported innovation in our steam lab. And because of that, the students truly believe that they are scientists and engineers and change makers and they've directly seen how they as like these little people can positively impact their community and feed it and it's fun. Yeah. So, thank you. This is awesome.

103Now, you have me on on camera smelling this and but um thank you. This is incredible. And is this this is set up in your classroom? Yes, it is. I think this was the first one that I was involved with approving. So, it's awesome to see. And I love how you linked it to the NextGen science standards. That That's amazing. They'll The pictures are great, too. Wonderful. I had about 700. So, strategic in how many I put in there and which ones. Can I ask a question? What happens to So, similarly, like what happens to this during the summer? Do you just send the plants home and kind of reboot next school year or is it um so over the vacation ahead of so ahead of April vacation the second graders topped off all of

104the water all of the nutrients because we were currently growing something um this is a Fork Farms hydroponic garden system and they do recommend taking a few weeks off just to kind of like clean the system, let the system dry out, sanitize it. So at this time we don't have any plans for it over the summer. So, it will be taking a break over the summer, but we are looking at opportunities of like maybe what we could potentially connect with any summer school staff that they would like to grow or that's kind of our next step. How do we make it year round? Because right now it's fall to end of school year. Yeah. Where is it that you donate the food? The exit community fridge. Do do you interact with the people there? Do

105they get to speak about what their mission is so the kids get to hear that at all? Um, not necessarily directly. A few times when we've been dro when I've dropped the food off in the fridge, there have been people there like taking food and they were very grateful. Like this was back in January and February for like the green produce that was a lot of spinach and lettuce and it was fresh. So they were just saying this is great and they loved it. Um but we don't have necessarily a direct connection outside of that. Yeah. Thank you for this tremendous presentation and I just love the connection that there's opportunities for the students to learn about growing and plant science like all the way through and I know there's the plant science program at

106SST. It's just like it's a really nice throughine. So, thank you. Thank you so much. [Applause] Well, since we're on a roll around will write trust updates, I figured I have a couple more to share. Um, so the um one proposal that was approved uh last fall was also called the fourbrain um headsets. And so I have a couple of case managers. Most most of the people that user use the forebrain headsets are um case managers and speech and language pathologists that work with small groups or individual students. And so um the a the actual headsets are designed they utilize a bone conduction technology so that it's um designed to enhance phmic awareness skills because kids can hear them their headsets with a little microphone. I have actually a picture of a couple of kids

107that were we have approval to to show you but you can see them. They have the headsets on. Wonderful. And so it amplifies their own voice um through the technology and it helps improve articulation engagement and um in the end improves um their phmic awareness skills. Um, I actually have a little bit of a data from one of our case managers that said last year she had a student um, she looked so this was January 2024 looked at some data that the student had back then and compared it to the end of the year because she used the forebrain with in her small groups. um this student made 100% growth uh according to I Ready reading measures and um another student made 245% growth in their skills from January to um to May. And so

108that was like wow. It was very apparent that it helped to build those early literacy skills by using the technology to enhance those skills. Um, so oftentimes you'll see them working in small groups or individually with students using the headsets and the kids really actually love them and increases the engagement piece for them. Any questions about those? I have one more update. Oh yeah. So this proposal was um for sensory room materials for students in our global skills program at Main Street School. And here are some of the new sensory items that she's integrated into the program. So, there's a sequin wall. It's great for tactile sensory input and visual stimulation. And then there's the push tile, push wall tiles, um, that are great for heavy work. And you can actually see the imprints that

109they make. They're actually vertically on the wall. And then there's light switches that'll light up that, um, produce cause and effect and give feedback when you click them. um which is auditory stimulation and tactile sensory input for students. Here are some um uh other areas uh that were incorporated into that space and materials. Um jumping space, great for body awareness, vestibular input, and then spatial orientation and stimulation. Here's a swing. She actually had enough funds to purchase two swings which um are great for vestibular and pro uh preceptive input through movement and then a bubble wall which is really cool to see. Um it um provides sensory stimulation vis and visual stimulation cause and effect and is a calming uh strategy for some of our kids. And um the teacher wanted just to make sure

110to say a big thank you to all of you for supporting um her proposal. And she's just happy to see kids really engaged in using it. Okay. That's tremendous. I think I need a bubble wall. And some lemon basil. I'm just Yeah. Yeah. That's tremendous. Thank you. Thank you. Um Thank you, too. I mean, I know this was an idea that came up, but it's I I really think it's great to be able to, you know, hear back how these projects are going. So, thank you for and I can attest for another proposal that we accepted the headset and microphone technology for this very room. Um, the second the second um second night performance of the aristic hats uh I sat in the back and I could hear everyone crystal clear. So, it was I

111was very concerned the first the first night I think we've worked out the kinks but he text me and he goes your sound system isn't working. I go is Tim there. He goes, "Yes." I was like, "Oh my gosh, no." It was a weird button that somebody pressed by accident. But you learned you learned how to move past it. Night two was fantastic. Great. We've used it a bunch. We've had a lot of presentations here and they we've used it a lot. Yeah. Great. Can I just say one very quick thing because I I do want to get us along with our agenda. Um this Thursday we have our LSS annual art show. um as well as the spring fourth grade beginning band and fifth grade intermediate band and chorus concert. Um one of our

112really big well attended community events like behind that curtain right now there's about 150 papier-mâché dogs staring at you. Um and papier-mâché dogs the dog show. Oh, that's fourth grade. But if you happen to just walk down this hallway, you'll get a sneak preview of some of the artwork that the kids have been working on. It's really a fantastic um evening coming up. So, I just wanted to plug that because it's coming up this week. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks. Great. Thank you all. It's tremendous. Um, all right. I thought I thought you were going to try to remotely open the screen and have 150 dogs. I thought that was happening, too. Didn't know what was going on here. We should be able to figure that out. Yeah. Um, so we did uh I did

113communicate with all I think we're moving on to committee assignments and uh the first order of business is finalizing the committee assignments. I did have a chance to touch base with all of our board members including um those that are unable to be here today. So I think first I'll just for the minutes um and check in with you um just to confirm everyone's assignments and I think there's one that we still need one more person on. Um, so I have for safety and security, uh, Beth and Heather. For Wheelright, uh, Tim and Kate for superintendent evaluation, Tim and Beth. Uh, strategic planning that will be Beth only as requested to have that continuity. Um, the DEIJ committee is Tim and Kate. Uh, sbatical is Heather and Patrick. Policy is Heather and Patrick. Negotiations is

114Kate and Patrick. And then facilities, we have Beth and we have room for one other member of the board to join the facilities. I think right now we all have three uh committees except Beth has four because she's staying on with the strategic planning. So I open it up. I'm happy to step in if we need to. I'm also happy for one of you to join. I can be on it. You like to take that one? Great. Awesome. That was facilities. Facilities. Soar I will sh I consent. Absolutely. Yep. We did. We did skip the approval. I got so excited about the wheel right trust that I skipped right over the approval of the minutes. So let's go back to the approval of minutes before we go into our uh committee updates. Um so we

115have two uh sets of minutes to approve. And the first is the April 8th, 2025 public meeting minutes. Are there everyone had a chance to review those? Do you want to Yeah. Do you have a motion to approve? You want to do them separately or do them together? I think we can do them together for safe time. So this So if you want to make a motion, we can do um uh both the public meeting minutes and the non-public meeting minutes from April 8th. So I move to approve both sets of minutes from April 8th. Uh I'll second the approval both minutes. All in favor? I. Okay. All right. So let's uh heading back to our committee uh updates. The first on the list is the DEIJ committee. So I know Beth was on that

116one. Were you all I don't know who was on if that committee met in the interim. I think Arland did come Arland came. I was at part of that meeting because I think we were still in between assignments. Um I one of the discussions was just with all the things that are happening at the federal level sort of what the impact was and there's also some discussion about whether or not that name is uh is is the best label for the committee given sort of its mission and and it and how it's been politicized. And so there's some discussion about uh there's been some other groups that are part of our SAU that have student groups and others that have decided to rename the committees and I think that group is also going to consider

117that possibility. So they want to go through more of a process to do that but that's that was brought up and group said that makes sense to at least consider it. Okay. Any other updates on that one? Makes sense. All right. Well, I'm glad we still have the committee and really appreciate the work that they're doing across our district. Um, I'm going to skip policy for a minute and uh Tim, do we have an update on the superintendent evaluation? Yes. So the committee met yesterday morning at the SAU16 offices to compile the feedback uh from the other boards uh and to uh compile the 360 um evaluation uh feedback uh to then get ready to submit to Esther. So um that should have happened or will be happening uh in this week. Um so then

118um that will then go to the joint board chair uh once Esther completes that. So that should be wrapped up. Um overall just speaking the the um the feedback from everyone was glowing of the work that Esther has done and um just some good feedback and and thoughts for uh the next superintendent to think about uh for next year. Great. Thanks, Tim. Um, the next task force is the school safety and security task force. I know Beth has been on that. Are you also on that? Okay. Um, we're not going to meet again until the or that committee won't meet again until uh the fall. Um, but that committee met a few months ago. Uh, and I gave the update last time uh last month's board meeting. So, but I don't think I'm on that

119one anymore. So, y Okay, great. Um, and then I know Beth has been on strategic planning, but Esther, do you want to give an update on that one? Yep. The out the update is I put it in the quarterly newsletter and I will report that out at the joint board next week so everybody can hear it at once, but if you have a real interest in it immediately, you can look at the quarterly newsletter because the core values and the priority areas that have been identified through that process are also in print now for everyone. Great. Um facilities is anyone did did that facilities meet at all past month? No. Okay, great. Um we just had some great presentations for Wheelway Trust, but I know there's some others um up for discussion. So Tim, yes.

120So um there are three proposals in the packet, but we're just going to do the first two. the third one. Um, yeah, there were there was the uh Oh, wait, no, there's three pages. Never mind. There's two. We held back the third. Okay, good. Um, so there's the first one is for um the Main Street School Cafe. So, this would be the cafe mural. Uh, so the purpose of this first proposal is to replace the current mural inside the Main Street School cafeteria. Um the it will be replaced with a wrap style mural uh similar to the new one that we approved last year uh for Lincoln Street uh gym. Um the current mural was painted and designed in in uh 30 years ago. Uh so and it no longer reflects the diversity of our

121current student population. So we'd love to um replace that with uh one that reflects the greater extra community. um has uh vibrant colors, playful imagery um and will reflect the joy, curiosity, and diversity of our youngest learners. Um so the um cost for this proposal um is 7,200 estimate. Um we talked about lessons learned from the past moving forward to provide a higher estimate so that if we So that uh that includes um uh how it will be applied to concrete u the materials that would be included and then the um cost perhaps to remove the um existing murals and materials. I did have one question. I'm all for the art and I love the project. I just curious who's designing the mural? through something fast. Fast. So, it's through Fast Signs. I use them

122in Phoenix. It's kind of like a I don't know. It's a conglomerate or something. But the gentleman that came out is a digital artist. He's local in the area. And um it is So, this is the first pass. Oh, I see. Okay. And so, we were thinking like it's it's right now it doesn't look exactly like exit. So, it was just kind of like So, we've given him some feedback on tweaking it a little bit, but we kind of said like we want a bright Sesame Street kind of colors. Our students do a whole thing on the community as you all know. They walk down and we do a lot of community field trips and so we thought it would be kind of cool to put up there. the art that is up there as

123you mentioned it it's it's a little bit of an older piece and it's to um when I talked to Marne Bird she said that some of the artists that contributed to it were trying to it's supposed to look like a lot of students contributed to it but that really wasn't the case it was really a lot of adults that were doing it in kind of a a childlike style and so we talked if we were going to redo it and it was going to be something that would really brighten up that space and just be happy and alive in there and it's really massive if you look and you know when you're in the gym that that entire area would be this very large wrap. So, it's in the similar style that Lincoln Streets is.

124It's just in that um nice vinyl wrapping, but they want to go through and we kind of talked about some of the different options to install it, but it really is they're going to patch up some of the brick work. There's kind of like plywood right now that's that that art is on. So, they're going to take it off and anticipate that there would have to be some repairs and then it would just go directly onto that brick and so it' have like a nice textured look. But he said he could probably get it up in a couple of afternoons, even over the weekend. And so anyway, we're just working, but this was just the first initial pass. So you kind of have an idea of what we were thinking. Is is that based on

125a photo of It was based on some things I sent him. I see. And so this is what we've been talking about. What do you think? And then in a matter of few hours, he sent this sample. And then when he came out, I said, "There would be some tweaks because we'd really like there to be some life, you know, like maybe some birds or something in the water, whatever." And so he's like, "Yeah, that's fine. We can make some tweaks to it along the way." Right? The famous seal that's down there. There's some things that we could do. Like a cute little banner, like a plane with Main Street. I don't know. So, we've been talking about it. He said all of that was to be determined. That was my one question is just

126who's the artist? Yeah, he's a Do you have his name? I'm trying to think and actually he does have some connections to exit. I think he grew up in Amesbury but and he's in Portsouth now but he has some connections to exit but he's a digital artist. Jesse or I mean this isn't in your proposal but I have loved you know in the past when you guys have done these mural projects where the students get to actually meet the artist and in this case like learn about graphic design or I'm adding now to your proposal but I you know but I just I think that's been a nice connection for students to realize oh this is an actual career path and people do it and it's not just paint it's also graphic design and so

127you know just that's a good suggestion that's something you could do remotely, do it by Zoom. Wow, you're right. I He was like very responsive. I think I I messaged him like on a Sunday evening. He came out on Monday, already had a draft, was taking measurements and it was a really nice guy. So, I'm sure that he would be open to doing something like that. Fun. Yeah. Thanks. That was my only question. All right. Should we make a motion to You want to get through both? Yeah. Why don't we both propos? Okay. All right. So the next one, um, the next proposal is a a pretty large one. It affects both schools, so both Main Street and Lincoln Street. And this would be an installation of new electronic marquees uh to replace the current

128manual changeable marquees that sit outside both schools. Um, the goal of this project is to update the current messaging centers to be more efficient. Um, and this will allow both both buildings to improve communication, support safety, and foster school spirit. Uh, as the schools continue to adapt to evolving communication needs, the investment aligns with best practices for parent engagement, operational efficiency, and community connection. Uh, the information the message centers are cloud-based and password protected, allowing changes to the message remotely from any device. Um so there's a lot more information in this uh proposal pertaining to the legacy. Um so there's a lot of information here around how this will become an enhanced communication method. Uh this would help with improved emergency response and campus safety. Um there would be a lot of promotion of school

129culture and celebrations. Um I would um suspect that um there would be an opportunity to provide much more types of messages and a variety of messages um given the ease of updating this particular type of marquee as opposed to um you all going out there in the rain and changing letter by letter. Um so that would be the uh efficiency and flexibility. Uh and then accessibility and visibility. Um this would really um bring a lot of attention to both schools in the community um as folks are passing by. So the cost of um these two mares is not small. The the total estimate is around $60,200 uh included in both um um estimates. So, just to note that the Main Street School marquee would be two-sided because the that marquee uh faces both directions of

130Main Street. Uh where the Lincoln Street sign is simply facing um Lincoln Street um in that one direction. Um but you can see the costs uh pertaining to both of those installations. Um and that in and that does include the um installation of the structure, the wiring, uh etc. Do you all want the Lincoln Street one to stay one-sided or are you proposing it because it it's already one-sided or does it make you stood right up? Um, no. I think I think the way that we have it currently right now is is just fine. I think just kind of the way Lincoln Street is set up um and it's set back a little bit more from the road as well. Um, Main Street doesn't have that option. Um, that I I think the one side

131would be fine. Um, just additionally, just as part of this, I did reach out to Rusty and we did communicate with the town as far as any restrictions regarding a digital marquee versus, you know, what we currently have. Their only feedback was one was we're exempt as a public school, but two prefer to not have like scrolling messages or something like that from a distractability standpoint. But both of these marquees come with dimmer so that we can be respectful to the abuing properties across the street. Um, and they also have timers. So like we could set it for 7 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or 6:00 p.m. or something like that, which is perfectly appropriate for an elementary school. We don't need it beyond that. So, we are we were also just thinking about our local

132neighbors and making sure that whatever we would come up with would not be something that would be, you know, the neon sign glowing in it in at night or something like that. I do I have something to add too. So, the the actual top of the current marquee is wooden and so those would stay intact. So it would replace just the message centers on both marquees and then also the existing posts that really need to be replaced and and all of the work groundwork that would support them. So there's that piece too and that's mostly aesthetics, right? So keep kind of keep a look and feel that is similar to Yeah. Yeah. I guess I mean I don't have a problem with the project. I think it's more just sort of why this particular brand

133of marquee. How did you come to that decision in terms of that recommendation? Sounds like you thought about trying to keep it roughly the same size is the preference. I mean, this is the time to do it. If it's going to be bigger or smaller or move to a different location, you know, now is the now is the time, you know, before you put in a bunch of before you spend, you know, $15,000 on the infrastructure part of it. We've we've kind of been shopping for a little over a year. Ryan and I have talked to several different vendors and had some bids come in. Some of the ones that we initially looked at didn't really feel like they fit the aesthetic of the area. So, we're like, man, let's hold off. I don't want

134to pull the trigger on that. And then, um, we met with the gentleman that was in the area and and basically all of these other companies kind of third party through him since he's in in this region. And so, he really ran us some deals and especially with some of the tariffs and things coming in, that's where some of their parts come from. And so he was able to like kind of guarantee us a locked in price for right now as we're moving forward, which was nice. And we looked at um they came out and brought us some samples. So the different screens and then if you enhance it what the pixelation was going to be for the legibility as you were driving and so the one in front of you is like the higher

135quality one that you can read fairly well from a distance. And so we think it's like a high quality good one. But we we did shop around for a while and it seems pretty reasonably priced. I know in my last district, this was probably seven or eight years ago, we had a a big desert storm that came through and blew down our marquee and we had to put a new one in and it was about $27,000 at that time. So when this came through, I was it felt about right for when we had to replace ours previously. I mean, that would be my only question. I mean, we haven't we haven't seen like what it's like I think that the schools have that kind of neighborhood feel, right? And you see some of these more

136in the big high schools and things like that. So, I think keeping in I think that's mindful of to just think about the aesthetic because it's in a residential neighborhood. And I mean, we haven't seen that, but I don't know if you all have seen sort of the options in terms of I mean, I like that the idea that you can dim it and turn it off, but um I guess I'm curious about like how do you not run wild with like the pink, you know, like I don't I don't I'm not an expert in sort of all the choices, but how that it's I it sounds like what you're saying is is is in alignment, but you know, leadership changes and so how just how do we sort of I don't want to overthink

137it but just kind of put some guidelines on we're you know we that I don't know how you I over time how you would ensure that it doesn't you know if all the leadership changed that we wouldn't have something that um is scrolling or just kind of garish in the neighborhood and I I actually don't think I'm not worried about that now it's just more about thinking long term if this is a long-term investment I I think you're Right. I mean, that could change as leadership changes. I I we would be happy as our administrative team and maybe with our front office because I don't think everyone would have access to it. It's I mean, we're pretty careful about the messaging that we push out anyways. But maybe we could come up with some parameters

138and guidelines that just become a part of whoever steps into those roles that these are the terms of the person that takes that over that these are some considerations that we reviewed and that they should be adhering to so that it's not something obnoxious, but it was really a helpful tool. It is helpful. I mean, you could there's right now it's kind of like, oh, let's leave that up because it's a lot of work to go out and take them down enough and so it's not very timely, you know, when we're we're putting the messages out. Well, just the fact that you can do it remotely like if we had a snow day, you could put that up and nobody has to go down physically to the school and, you know, change, which you wouldn't,

139right? So, you also have just you can have multiple slides like you can have a slide and then like every 10 seconds a new slide comes in. So, right now we're limited to four lines, right? So, it's like 418 this event, you know, so so the the amount of information could be greatly enhanced. It's all sorry why he would say that. It reminded me too that you can create templates and so maybe that's something that would be helpful in the takeover is you can store templates. So it's like this is always the picture day template with you know and then you can just go through and change the information but keep so I don't know that might help with some of the consistency. Yeah, I don't mean to be like heavy. It's just sort of

140you know when you we've all been on those websites where somebody got you know the reins of the website and it's all over the place. Honestly, the number one conversation throughout this has been something that's going to fit our neighborhood community. Yeah. We're not sitting out there on a roll road where, you know, other than families coming to school or going from school, right? You know, it's it's it's we're not so you don't have to read it at high speed. So, it doesn't have to be overly large. Yeah. I think I think the choices that folks have made over the years with the the outside of the building have been great. I mean, I don't think as a board we need to try to micromanage it and I don't think we're trying to either. were

141just sort of asking questions could that I mean I'm not surprised you you've been gone through that and considered it but um I mean it will definitely be a change you know from just having that it is more old-fashioned it's kind of quaint in some ways but I understand the drawbacks to it as well but um yeah I mean you just don't want to immediately switch to something that's too high tech maybe transition a little bit I don't know the mares initially can look like the old ones and then they slowly like have more faces. It does sound It does sound like it's best that the the frames are going to stay in. Yeah, I like that actually. I think that's that's thoughtful. So, no, I the only other question I had is just a

142m a maintenance one. The maintenance is it's actually um for the actual warranty on installation is 12 months and then the actual product of the um uh the digital piece of it is five years that it's covered. What's the lifespan expectancy? Do they know just not sure? Okay. The um and the electrical piece is minimal like the additional doesn't use a lot of electricity, right? Yeah. We talked to Pat. I don't have any other questions. All right. I do want to point out that with if we if the board decides to accept both of these proposals, we will be nearing the end of the available funds in the trust. So, can you remind us how many how much is in the trust now? again um as of April um 22 seconds um I confirmed this

143with Molly um that balance was $99,000 um $99,838. So, um, and I believe that was before the last, um, there may have been something that hit that budget between that time and now. It says 128,000, but then it says 29,67. Okay. To get to the I'm just not sure. The the other thing to note is we did approve last month field trips which is an additional 10,000 that won't be charged until then. So that would put us not at but close to that. So once we if we approve both of these projects um we'd have to pause most likely to ensure that the field trips are funded next year. Oh, because there was another proposal that we you withheld, right? That that those funds won't hit that trust until next year. No, we've approved it,

144but this doesn't go until next year. No. Right. I understand. Yeah. Okay, that'll be awesome. And what's the committee's recommendation as you are the committee? um represent the the the committee does recommend that we move forward with both. I think the the um the mural um oops the mural um serves a great purpose to the heart of the purpose of the wheel right trust um to bring pride to the main street school community but also to the beautifification of the building. Um the marquees I feel like the committee feels like um it provides a an a really um efficient way to um communicate from both buildings to the community um in it uh in the efficient way. So um we would recommend both uh proposals. So my only question at this moment given what we

145were talking about at the be and I actually it's a question about sort of use and purpose of these funds. But if we were thinking forward, if we were were talking about some concern about future budgets and and impact of grants and budgets, if you know, I think often the trust and I I'll just say I'm in support of I think these projects are are well aligned with the intent of the trust. But my only question is does it behoove us to leave a buffer in there if we need, you know, support for things that might have to be cut from a future budget to have a little bit of a cushion for some of these projects that might not field trips or, you know, even the things that we've supported that really do support

146students like the sensory room or things that might, you know, come out of I don't know. I'm just putting it out there in a time of uncertainty if it makes sense to deplete the trust when it has supported some of those costs that maybe were anticipated or haven't yet put put into a budget. Yeah. And the projected fund balance right now return is 432,000. what I'm seeing on the on here that includes the that includes the revenue. So that includes what? Sorry the revenue side. So, but it's really two whatever that number is 281 261 281452 I mean 275 5559 sorry the expense right that's the only thing they could spend if they wanted to spend out of that line and is that before articles revenue but it still will be that's the amount be

147returned Right. Correct. Right. Projected. Yes. Um and is that the the warrant taken out of that, Molly? Well, so the the warrant's already been approved, but it's so the amount left in the operating budget to expend is the 275,559. But then the unanticipated revenue, a big part of it is the kindergarten closeout is the 281. You have to add those together to get to the upper right hand corner of the 557. And then you have to fund the trust first, right? So that and then it's the 432 is the projected return to taxpayers. But the 275 559 does not have the 75 or 50 out of it. And I know that could come out of Oh, correct. Yeah, it's fun. Correct. Asking correct. Yeah, but the 432 does have it taken out of it. Correct.

148Correct. And that a big part of it is Can you take Molly the special ed and capital reserve trust funds out of the entire balance or only that 275? No, it's the entire balance. And I confirmed that actually with um our friend Gordon Graham ago looking for an answer. So I didn't correct because the the wording on the warrant is from um fund balance not from appropriation. Okay. So essentially what that means is you you have that 27559 isn't in isn't reduced by those warrant article numbers. Okay. So, one possible way to look at this is to look at it at uh funding the mural out of whalright now and to consider funding the marquee out of either fund balance or capital reserve. Which I know we're putting money into capital reserve and then doing

149that it seems a little self-defeating in some ways, but it is sort of a capital project. Okay. That we're talking about. So, that's another possibility. I'm not. How long do we have those fixed prices that you So that that was a conversation had with the um our key person. Um he said he knew it was coming to the board tonight and so that we would quickly reach out to him, you know, one way or another following this board meeting. um would be understanding that those prices might increase you know given a month or two depending on depending on the the parts and things like that cost going up as well. We don't have numbers, but just to be aware that it could go up and of course there was a little bit of right in

150the proposal. So that would be up too. Okay, I see. So I guess it depends on how big of a concern you have about spending down the realight funds. Well, it's just I I I am in support of the projects. I feel like we're um or at le you know I just feel like we're in an uncertain time and I just want to put it out there that it h I think it has funded for the most part projects that sometimes we just didn't anticipate in the budget or came up and then they get baked into the budget, right? And they have as I think demonstrated today have all been really incredible. So I I don't have any problem with the proposals. I just am want to I need to I just want to think

151about that before we spend it down because it allows us a lot of flexibility for supporting those things if they come up in the future. We can't if we have to make changes to the budget for next year. Can I add I think I think with the uncertainty this amount is not big enough. It's not going to be the worry. I I mean I don't the reality is that's a very very such a small part of the budget that number um if you're gonna if we're we have uncertainty in millions this isn't going to matter honestly. So just yeah consider that when you're thinking about that it's sad when a project comes to the end. I'm I am not but I think that's part of it because I do you do see a lot of

152benefit to it. I I mean I over time I've also been a little cognizant of the impact on particularly the administrators that spend a lot of time vetting these and going through it. It can be rewarding but it's also time inensive for relatively small part of the overall budget. So you know we didn't just spend it all in one fell swoop. we could have several years ago, but it's been very thoughtful and there's been a lot of input over time and I don't I don't have an issue with it winding down per se if that's if that's if you know it's going towards a worthy project. So I I'm fine with moving forward with with having it under this umbrella under the wheel right umbrella but if if there are reservations we do have other

153possibilities that we could I'm okay with moving forward. I just wanted to take a beat and that that's how we started this board meeting to just recognize that that wouldn't be available to us. Absolutely. Right. Yeah. It sounds like we have a committee recommendation to approve it and you know I'll I'll make the motion to approve both proposals. I will second. So all in favor I I thank you. I feel like we need to throw a little wheel right party or something, you know. Oh, we definitely need to throw a wheel right. We have a like maybe a news item. I can I can just say that this is quite fitting that as my tenure ends, so does Wheelright Trust. Yes. I think those could be one big news item, right? Like the favorite part

154of the movie. It is. It is. But I I don't know who, but it's not going to go away because we need to make sure that we have enough field trips. We are going to need a full report on these mares in a year's time. Um I do wonder though just on our communicate, you know, I'm always about the comm community like I think just tonight was just I don't know that everyone is tracking as closely as we are all these projects that have come out of this trust and the impact it's made. So if we're going to spend it, we've you know spend it down. I do think it's nice if we could me that's a committee. I'm just like you know because you whispering in my ear. Um I do think it would

155be great if we could get you know some kind of summary of the type of that the many people and how and these community these projects will you know continue to impact our community as we saw. So I just think it's a it's we need all the good news we can get and I think it's a good news story. So you can put it on the new marquee. put it on the new marquee and then hand out some of this. We will scroll it. We did post our um data presentation with the glossery. So, you know, we're trying the feedback for you guys for the Well, that affects our committee assignments for next year, I think. Well, as I said, it needs to it needs to stay on for at least one more year. Yeah.

156He likes talking to Okay. Yes. I know policy. Oh, that's true. Skip all the policy. Yep. All as a big group. I'm gonna I'm gonna Okay, so uh we Any updates on sbatical? No. And no negotiations. Okay. So, we have a bunch of policies. I'm going to actually just go ahead and I hope that you've all read them. We get this because in the interest of time, there was a lot of them. I'm going to just go ahead and summarize them quickly and then um we'll open it up for any discussion for the ones that you feel like you want to discuss and then we'll go and and uh move forward to vote on them. So um there the first policy is policy code IHBAC that's the developmental delay as qualifying disability. This is a

157new policy. It's pretty straightforward as you saw. It's really just out outlines the criteria a child must meet to qualify as having a development delay um as related to um supports with the disabilities education act and the uh special education statute for New Hampshire. So that's the first policy IHBAC. The second policy code is JFABD. That's education of unhoused students and unaccompanied youth. Um, so this one is a revision uh to update changes to federal legislation. Um, there's a lot in there. We spent most of our time just really clarifying the role of the district liaison in supporting unhouse students and their families and and making sure that was really clear in the policy. This uh third policy is JFAB, education of students in foster care. Um this is a new policy um offering guidelines

158for enrollment determination and disputes, transportation for students in foster care. Um again, a lot of time just kind of clarifying districts uh point of contact for those students and their families um who then facilitate um many of those guidelines. The next policy code is JICDD, student discipline out of school actions. This is a new policy. Um, and this specifies the role of the board and school administrators in terms of imposing disciplinary measures against students for out of school or off-campus conduct. Um, we did put there was some discussion around whether the board should be included in this policy and as you can see in the summary, we determined that we should still be named in case it goes to an appeal. It would come to the board. Um and uh so that that affects I

159think that's pretty straightforward. This next policy code JLCA is physical examination of students. Um so uh this goes all this is a policy for the SAU16 but relevant to us. It's a new uh review or revision of a current policy just stipulating um protocols for when students need to submit their physical exam. Um there's some exceptions for unhoused youth uh students with religious exemptions um which speak to the former policy. Um policy code JLCH, the do not resuscitate order. Um so this is a new policy um outlines DNR orders and authorizations procedures um for the district um related to to students who do have a DNR. Um and then policy code JLF reporting child abuse. This is a revision um to to more closely track the requirements of RSA 169C. And I think oh and

160we have one more. This is a long meeting policy code JLP, parental notification and involvement in student welfare. And this is a new policy um in response to the passing of HB1312 which requires us to have a policy regarding disclosure to parents and guardians of information concerning a student's mental, emotional or physical health. So, um I'm going to go ahead and make a motion um to approve um the uh policy codes uh I HBA C JF A B D JF AB J I C D J L C A J LCH JLF and JLP as presented. I second. Any discussion? Okay. All I appreciate the hard work of the policy committee. Thank you for trusting the committee. There's a lot. Um and all in favor? I I I And then we had a few policies to

161withdraw. Um that's due in uh in response to the policy revisions and adoptions. Um and so there are um the first one is IHBDA evaluation requirements for children with developmental delays. That's been now being replaced by a IHBAC. And then the others uh to withdraw our policies JFABDR1 and that's for homeless education dispute resolution process JFAC change in school assignment. JF, JKB, detention of students, JKD, student suspension, and JKE, long-term suspension and student expulsion. So, I'd like to make a motion to uh withdraw uh the policies um just named. Do I have a second? Make a motion. Second. Oh, yes. Second. All in favor? I have a question. Yes, you have. Yes. I just Why Why four, five, and six? Why detention of students, student suspension, and long-term suspension? Why would those be withdrawn? They

162don't seem to be covered by the other policies we just passed. Um I think if I recall, Patrick, they were in the other package. I think they were in they were in previous policies that we've adopted. I did student suspension and long-term rewrote those with the policy. So they're more from they're more from another including policies from last year. Yeah, I think that makes more sense. Okay. I think because the other ones relate to the things we talked about tonight, but not not those three. Okay, I understand. Okay. Um, all in favor? I I I Okay, thank you. Well, I try to be, you know. Um, all right. Let's see. Now, I have to scroll. This is a very long packet to this this month. Um, so do we have any new business? All right.

163old business. Okay, I do think we have to go into non-public. So, um we'll do a roll call um uh to go into non-public per RSA 91 uh- A3 to section A and that is do I have to name what that is or just say A? read it. Yeah. Um the dismissal, promotion or compensation of any public employee or the disciplining of such employee or the investigation of any charges against him or her unless the employee affected has a right to a meeting. Requests that the meeting be open in which case the request shall be granted. Um so uh take a roll call vote to go into non-public. I I Yeah. Oh. Oh. Second. Okay. All in favor? I I I Okay. Call a non-public at 8:12 p.m. Okay. Uh uh coming out of nonpublic

164at 8:18 p.m. So I would like to make a motion uh to approve the recommendation of the superintendent. I second. Any discussion? Okay. All in favor? I I I great. I think without further ado, we can close out this meeting at I think it's still 8:18.