001But, I'd like to call the regular meeting to order and we'll start with the flag salute. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay, thank you for that. Um Could I get a motion to approve tonight's meeting agenda? I motion. Can I get a second? >> Second. Any discussion? Floor is open, Chairman. All All those in favor? Um we have a lot of people in the audience, community forum. Okay, I will make the motion that um let me get to the right page here. That Central Square School District Board of Education No, that's the wrong one. I apologize. Okay, here we go. I'm going to make the motion that the Central
002Square School District Board of Education hereby move into executive sessions to discuss matters leading to the appointment of one particular person with action to follow. Can I get a second? I'll second. Any discussion? All those in favor? We'll see you in a couple minutes. >> Mhm. >> Yeah, no. Wherever Yeah, so I'll just give you 13 then. Okay. If you want. Or 10. You can have some spots to yourself if you want, whatever. Oh, no, it's I want I Okay, could I get a motion to return back to open session? >> I'll motion. And second, any discussion? All those in favor? Okay, we have no special presentations to the board. Um, could I get a motion for item E in its entirety? I'll motion. Okay. And a second, any discussion? All those in favor? Okay,
003I'd like to congratulate Vanessa McLawhorn, our new Brewer Town Elementary principal. I'll get you a meeting. All right. Thank you so much. Welcome. >> No, thank you. It was really nice meeting you. Congratulations. Okay, could I get a motion for item F in its entirety? I motion. And second? Any discussion? All those in favor? On item G, we don't have a student rep, which is pretty normal at this time of year. So, um yeah, it just gets it gets close. Um any board members would like to report on anything? I mean, I'll just Ted, I don't know what's going on, but it's like insanely loud. Um I just wanted to recognize all the people that came out last night, and I thought it was a great event, and I thought there was a lot of
004important information shared, and it seemed like digested by the crowd, and so I hope people left feeling more informed and more confident about how much effort we're putting into trying to minimize the cuts and minimize the impact those cuts have on our students, um but also trying to be fiscal stewards and making sure that, you know, that the amount of money that the district spending is spending is, you know, reasonable, and um that asking for the tax cap is not, you know, it's it's not negotiable this year. It just isn't with a 1% raise from the state, so um but I thought it was a great event. Yeah, I I'd like to second that. I thought I thought it went really well, and um the questions were good, and audience participation, and you know, hopefully
005hopefully it helps, you know. >> there was a lot of tone and it shifted the entire time. There was, you know, people frustrated about one thing and then there was information provided and it seemed like that quelled down and then something else would pop up. And so, I just I thought it was an a wonderful exercise that I wish more of the community would participate in and/or at least become knowledgeable about. I hope everyone in that room heeded Dave's advice with respect to the tell 10. I mean, we've all talked about it the night of the vote or the day of the vote. We all send our text messages and and try to spread the word. Um, but just with respect to the messages, the information that was collected by that group of people last
006night who obviously aren't the only ones that wanted that information. A lot of them seemed like representatives for a group of people. Um, and I'm hoping that that message and those that information, you know, got sent out. I know Tom shared some information that was a subject of discussion about the music versus the athletic program cuts and, you know, he sent that out. It's on the Yep. It's It's on the It's on the website. I did send it to a few of the people that I knew personally that were at the meeting that I know will get it to the people that were, you know, inquiring about it. So, again, you know, it's hard to look at a PowerPoint and understand all the intricacies that Maureen knows and Tom knows and some of us that,
007you know, attend the meetings know. Um, but, you know, the the savings that we're making are far greater than the cuts that we're making. So, you know, the things that we're saving, the things that we're trying to preserve. So, I just, you know, I I hope that the community walked away appreciating and kind of feeling that. Well, anytime that you can get a presentation from Maureen about the budget is a good thing. >> Yes. Much appreciated. Anybody else? Um, middle school had an open house last week. It was very well attended. I thought there all the teachers were there, all the teams, admin. We had basket raffles and stuff like that. It's always nice to see the community in the building. There's great artwork and projects that were happening there. So, thank you for everybody
008that came and participated in that as well. Well, and Tom's probably going to cover this, but the the art in the atrium thing. Yeah, and that as well. It was fantastic. The amount just the talent of the students and walking around and it's incredible. >> so incredible. I mean, I feel like I'm walking around, you know, like a museum of fine art, honestly. Anybody else? Okay, Tom, take it away. Yes, so I'll just quickly lead off by saying I usually save all the other good news for the like a normal board meeting. Today is the BOCES one, but art in the atrium was fantastic, as Christie said. Always well intended attended. It was great to see Missy Stats came and the kids were all, you know, giving her love and that's awesome. And then cabaret
009was again fantastic. It's always a packed event. So, that was wonderful. As you guys said, I promised that I would have the reductions on there and and for athletics and for fine arts and they're on our website right now, as I said that they would be. I had already shared that with a couple parents. They were very grateful and they said that's good to see because what they saw it and what they understand now is that last year it was sports that had the brunt of the reductions. And then it at to the tune of 117,159 with additional 10,095 this year. So, the total for athletics was is a reduction from 25-26 school year, 26-27 school year of 127,254. And then for band fine arts, it last year was 57,851. And for 26-27, it was
010an additional 28,343. Just a little clarification, so where it says boost increase booster support. So, that was working with Mark Woods and he took certain things out that he felt that the boosters be able to cover. That's what that means. I talked to one band parent and they completely they they're aware of that. They were understood. So, the total for band for the two this current year and then next year is 86,194. And if you look, more kids are involved in sports. So, when you look at the 127 Sorry, you Yeah, you look at the 127, 254 and the 86,194, it does look equitable. And I had a conversation with the parent about that and they said, "That gives us more information than what we were looking at in at the slideshow before when it
011said that the soccer coach." It it it they're able to look at that and see that. They're also very happy to see the special patrol officer. And I will let it be known that the Board of Education did not feel good about reducing that and several board members have talked to me leading up to that and what they were approving was the total number and for more conversations, which we did and we had. And I agree too and and it Look, at the end of the day, yes, the the trooper barracks is right behind it, whatnot, but if anyone asked me, would we be reducing our overall safety and security? Of course, we would because we wouldn't have someone there. And then it just seems like every week there's a what Clinton Middle School was
012very scary. You know, thank God that father heard his daughter saying something about like, "Really? You're going to shoot up the school?" And then his radar went off and he was actually the one that called 911. It was on the news. And then the principal that got shot in the leg as he stopped a mass shooting. So, we're at a stage right now where, you know, we're we're in a mental health crisis for a number of different reasons in our country and we can't reduce that. So, I think it's a good It was a really good opportunity for people to hear people say, we you know, we can't cut special patrol officers. You know, they they're talking about a number of different things. And the last thing I'll say, and then I'll stop talking, is
013anytime that people come in and they think that what they want to save from being reduced is the most important thing, then they have a different perspective. When I was leaving, I had some parents say, you know, I came in here cuz I didn't want any band reduced at all. I didn't even think about that with special patrol officers or the work that the counselors are doing. I wasn't aware that we didn't have counselors before at the elementary. So, it it put things in perspective. I thank the board members that, you know, had the opportunity to speak up to. My cabinet, all of us felt very supportive. Uh we work very hard and I'm glad that this board is in is involved. For anyone watching this, this board doesn't rubber stamp anything. I get asked
014the hard questions, as I should, as all superintendents should by their board of educations. Been here 10 years as a superintendent and never once did I go into a board meeting and not have some type of pit in my stomach because my job is to make sure that the nine board members' voices are heard. And if it ever is a situation where I don't feel that way, where any superintendent doesn't feel that way, then they're not doing their job. And it's super important that people understand that. So, I'm we're working our tails off. Um we're in a little bit of an influx, and I will say right now, and we knew it was coming, but Paul Bursett did put in his uh retirement letter. So, we're in the process right now. Maureen, as I had
015said yesterday, um has given her heart and soul to this district. We're in the process right of right now of of heavily recruiting because it is the transfer portal. If you just leave it up to who puts in, we've got like teachers that have applied, not not even in our district, but not even business teachers, to be a business manager. But, we're in heavy recruitment mode, and we feel really comfortable. Um and my job is to make sure that we put in the very best business um administrator and that there's a whole series of things after that. Mary Ellen Kaminski is also retiring at the end of this year, which is our payroll clerk, and anyone that knows this district realizes that it's a tremendous job because we have such a huge transportation department, and
016every time there's another McKinney-Vento situation and a new bus driver and a new run, all of that drives another bidding process, which changes payroll. So, that's that's a lot. And so, our job is to make sure that we bring in the very best business administrator, that we are able to bring in the best uh facilities manager, um or facilities director three is what he currently was, and we're looking at all of that. And the key part there is the person that we're going to be able to bring in as a business manager. Again, like I said, this is I liken it to the transfer portal. It's our job is to make sure that we are getting the very best that will be here for a long time. And that's what I'm committed to. So, we're
017working very hard in that process. That concludes my superintendent report. Okay. I will make the motion that the Central Square School District Board of Education move to approve the 2026 through the 2027 of Oswego County BOCES administrative budget in the amount of 9,791 9,791,909. I'll second. Any discussion? Okay, this requires a roll count vote. Take it away, Pearl. All right, Steve Ketch. Yes. Kristi Fishman. Yes. Tom Douglas. Yes. Mike McManus. Yes. Brad Nader. Yes. Yes. Ken Sherman. Yes. Dave Dexter. Yes. And Mary >> Okay, motion carries. Next we have Can I get a motion for H2? I'll motion. Can I get a second? I'll second. Any discussion? April, do we have to uh vote for each one individually? Yes, I have to do a a roll call for each one? Not a roll call, but
018you just need to show your hands if you're going for a yes for the first one and then the second one and the third one. Okay, can I First up is Brian County District. All those in favor? Okay, second is Amy Shaw. All those in favor? And John number three, John Shelmadine. Shelmadine? Are you questioning whether he's alive or not? Is that what we're doing? Okay. On to item H3. Can I get a motion for H3? I'll motion. I'll second. Any discussion? All those in favor? And item I, adjournment. Can I get a motion? Any discussion? All those in favor? That's a wrap.