001Okay, we're going to call the Wednesday, May 7, 2025 board of education meeting. Sorry. Liberty, justice for all. First item of business is the acceptance of the agenda. Motion, please. Second. All in favor? I. Any oppose? The agenda is accepted. The next item of business is the consent agenda which is resolution 105 2024. Approving the items on the consent agenda. A motion. Just second. Joe. Any discussion? All those in favor? I. Any opposed? The resolution is approved. Brings us down to public comments. Do have any members of the public that would like to address the board at this time. Okay. Thank you. Moving on to full business. It may capital project update. We're working through our uh EPA project. They are finished at Controva, finished at the high school with the lighting. And today they
002moved on to the bus garage. They have uh done quality control with the weather stripping. They have some things that have not passed muster and they will be back to fix. All of it fixable. And we're working on the air handler that was installed in the uh cafeteria here. um they feel like they're working on the runway at the local airport when it's running and the cold air is coming in. It seems to be some odd mix between the piping and the that valve and they feel confident to fix it. But otherwise, all the work that we had done uh up and over spring break has gone very well and with the turf project, we continue to work with the APA. That's where we are. Okay, moving on to item B, the 2526 elementary staffing
003configuration options. This is a continuation from last meeting, correct? So, I did put my thoughts down on paper and I know if you're here at the meeting, um there were some in the back, you can see them also. So, there there is a building configuration decision to be made. Current enrollment does not require maintaining the same number of classrooms for grades three through five to meet the contractual class size limits. And where does the reduction take place? Does it take place at Petroa or Bloomingale or does it take uh place at Petroba and Bloomingdale as Nancy gave us option number three at our last meeting. So uh the question is why now? And uh Ellen mentioned we had a feasibility study done uh last year. It actually started the year before and it ran through
004last year. And when we looked at the feasibility study, there was discussion to put a committee together to look at it. And at the time it did not seem like it was the right time to put the committee together. We had four classrooms at every grade level. Um the first piece of data that came through for that was our kindergarten class size which didn't match the anticipated kindergarten class size for the facility study. So we sort of put that to the side. However, when we first put this budget together and we did what typical districts do, they do a rollover budget. We do everything we're doing this year and this is what we're going to do next year. It's called a rollover budget. Our rollover budget was $2.7 million over anticipated revenue and that was
005using the same amount of fund balance as last year. It was a huge difference. There is increase. This is this is just the reality. There's a huge increase in salaries, health insurance. Nobody in the consortium I think the paper has reported each district has said, "Holy moly, we never saw that coming." Right? We had no anticipation. um last year, the year before that we'd be seeing a 12% increase in our health insurance. Um we also just saw additions in all our other employee benefit costs, our um our retirement for our um our employee side of things went up this year. So the estimated cost staffing cost increase 8.4% year to year. And then you add that with all the other questions around budgeting that were starting to come out at that time. And I really
006needed to take a look at where we were going to find significant savings with and as we discussed at the at the public hearing. Our goal was to to preserve student programming to give our kids as many options as we can. That is what is unique about Cernin Blake is our kids can be the the star soccer player and the star of the musical and we want that. That's that makes a wonderfully holistic child and we should be very proud of that. So how do we how do we find savings that doesn't cut programming? And that's when I started going line by line by line, where could we find savings? When comparing the contract numbers for classrooms to what we actually had for classrooms, um there were there was savings to be found by combining
007classrooms and still coming in under the contractual limit. And that contractual limit was actually put in place at the last contract negotiation. So, it's fresh. Sometimes you're making decisions based on things that were put in place 30 years ago and you're like that is not valid anymore. That that maybe was valid in 1965 when they did it but it doesn't fit. But because these were just part of the last contract negotiations, these are really valid appropriate class size numbers that we're talking about here. So when you look at the sheet, you can see what we had for class sizes um this school year and what class line sizes would look like for next school year with a reduction in grades three, grades four and grade five from four classrooms to three. So the reduction is
008already happening in the staffing side of things. So the question then becomes where do we actually do the reduction? How do we do that? So if you flip over to the back, we really have three choices. Our first choice is to have one classroom at Bloomingdale and two classes at Petrova. Um that would mean approximately five students from each grade level, grade three, grade four, grade five. about 15 students at Petrova would transfer to Bloomingdale Elementary for the 2526 school year. There are some pluses for that. Preserving Bloomingdale's grades through through five classrooms supports community identity. We know that's important to Bloomingdale and it it surrounding areas. It would keep it functioning as a full elementary building rather than a primary only site. um smaller school environments can offer student and families a more intimate
009personalized experience. We do understand that in the north country transportation is difficult for families and it would provide we do talk about being full. It would provide a little extra space in petroa. Um they currently at petroa have three classrooms there. So we wouldn't be looking for space. The classroom is already available. We would take one. The other option is three classrooms at Petroa. If we did that, that means that our Bloomingdale students in grades three, four, and five would move from Petrova for the 25 26 school year. And that would leave Petrova as a UPK through grade two uh I'm sorry, that would leave Bloomingdale as a UPK through grade two school. So, Petroa does have sufficient capacity because they currently have the three. Consolidating grades three through five at Epatrova would allow for
010more efficient use of staffing and instructional resources. Maintaining three sections per grade at patroa supports balanced classes. We have general education and special education students at Petroa. Um would allow three classrooms to spread that out and keep balanced classes and collaboration among grade level teams. We talked earlier about doing curriculum work and this would put all the teachers in one building at that grade level. And reconfiguration would support equity, ensuring all students in grades three through five have equal access to enrichment, special education, and support services that are more easily centralized in one location. um special ed services beyond speech and minimal special ed services are not available at Bloomingdale. Nor could we afford to put in a whole special ed uh program at Bloomingdale. So our our students at Bloomingdale would need special education
011beyond mental health supports do move already to receive them and then combination of A and B. So he had some choices to make. It's funny, Mark and I spoke and he said, you know, you're never want to give up what your what's your role and what's the dis, you know, what the board's role is. And I'm especially appreciative of that working for the board that we have a very good working relationship and an understanding of whose role is what and we we try very hard not to cross that line. So, I actually spoke to the school attorney. I made the assumption because it's a change a possible change to a building configuration that it would land on the board's uh table for discussion. But according to Douglas, the superintendent of schools can make the decision.
012However, he says when discussing the changes to building configurations or other big discussions of changes within the district, it would be best practice for the decision to be made collaboratively. So, I I sorry I threw it on your table thinking it was yours and we were going to have this discussion together when it can be mine. And I do have an opinion. You'll be shocked to learn that I do have an opinion. It's not like me normally. Um, I I do think it is it is a conversation we should be having and we should be having it publicly. There is a an up feeling, I'm sure, that there was a slight of hand and that I stopped the conversation and putting together the committee for the facility study. That was never the intention. People who
013worked with me for a long time know that I am guilty of being an open book that I will tell you what's coming down the pike. It was my bad that I read the tea leaves in September and said, "We're not lining up. We're not there yet." Unfortunately, what hit us in February with um what none of us expected to be some financial situations that were in had we then been combing through the entire budget, which we used to do on a yearly basis. It was a good reminder to do that, but we had COVID money for years, which had allowed us to do some extra things and keep in some extra people, which is all for the good of students. But it forced me back to the drawing board and looking at everything from
014the ground up this year in order to present a balanced budget that was actually a livable balance budget um for next year. So, I I think that we need to be open. That's why I began the conversation at the last meeting. I don't want anybody to feel like we aren't interested in input and we aren't interested in having a conversation around this. So, I do have a couple of suggested next steps. One is a letter to staff and families. We would like to hear from them. Um, we make assumptions a lot of times about what we think they're thinking. Um, I'd love to hear from them and I put a letter out by Friday to the staff and families seeking input. I'm gonna blow up Gina's inbox, but she'll collect them for us. So, it's
015not through me, but through Gina. And then I would like to suggest that our May 21st board meeting be held at Bloomingdale. We begin with a work session. We have we have a pretty strict rule around not interacting during public comment, but we would make the first half hour more of a conversation. Make it clear that we're going to suspend our typical rules in order to have conversation around that. and up for other suggestions. Just thought I'd put a a a skeleton plan in place uh for conversation. When does this decision need to be made? It really needs to be made by the beginning of June, early in June. Our our staff is going to want to know, especially if there are staff that needs to make a change. We're really either way talking about
016one or two staff members that would be involved in a in a role. So, we're not talking about 30, but it's important to those one or two people that they know what next year will look like. And we often do right after Memorial Day is when we begin to let staff know um what next year will look like if there's a change for them. So, it would fit our typical timeline to be early in June. Is this letter to staff and families the whole all parent? Okay. And because I'm wondering specifically those if you know the the um the Bloomingdale families that would their children would be moved to to uh patrol if that were the you know the decision that was made. You know they're going to be impacted because if we all know
017some of those kids in Bloomingdale school are are far out there. So it's another six or seven miles to school and and you know picking up after or all the various reasons. Right. I want to make sure that they everybody Nancy I I I do think it's a community conversation. I also we had some people who had already written to us about being interested in being on the committee and I would reach out to them to let them know we're having this conversation also. I have some names too of people approach me. Oh, I remember that. I think one of the things that's important to to know with this is uh I had a conversation about keeping as it currently is two at Petro and one in uh Bloomingdale. However, the downfall of that is
018the numbers that will be in Prova would exceed the contractual agreement with the student or the teachers union uh class sizes without moving students. moving students, right? So if if if you wanted to say we'll keep two one at Bloomingdale, then some kids that are currently in Petrova have to go to Bloomingdale to reduce the size of the classes in Petrova to meet our contractual obligation. How would that decision be made? So we have done this before. This is not without precedent. Uh we moved fourth and fifth grade students to Bloomingdale. This is unfortunately a bit of a cycle in the numbers decreasing as the students move through blowing down. And we looked at um we did have some people only a couple who were interested in making the move. So if they were interested
019we we said thank you very much. Uh we then looked at location. So if you were close to Bloomingdale and then of course it matters what services you're receiving. Um where your brother and sister are. The nice thing about is if you move in either direction and there's family connected, there is room to move in either direction. So if you were moving to Petroa and you had a first grade sibling and you wanted a first grade sibling to also go to Petroa, there's room for that. Same if by moving a fifth grader and they have a second grader, there's room for the second grader to also move to Golden. So we we don't have to split a family. We can accommodate that if they want to. Um, and then we looked at who was friends
020with whom. We didn't want anybody to go who wasn't going without a buddy. So, everybody who made the move a few years ago went with somebody that they knew. So, they they had a friend in need when they got there. What we really discovered on the very first morning is that they all knew each other because they all play softball together or te-ball or hockey or all our kids do 21st century learning centers um activities now. So I think adults were much more nervous. Kids were nervous getting off the bus and entering the room. By the time they came in for the first morning on the playground, they realized it was going to be okay. They knew each other. But yeah, so we have done that before successfully. That was I'm sorry that was moving
021children from Bloomingdale to the patrol to Bloomingale. Yeah. And then Mr. Pier, we moved Bill Pier to Bloomingale. He was our pipe paper of our student. He's a wonderful addition. And that was that was voluntary. No, that was not voluntary. No. So, our our um our district policy for student placement is at the um at the district's prerogative as to where students attend. To be clear, the if the option is moving everyone to patrol, but this doesn't staffing reduction. The teacher just the the staffing reduction has already happened, right? I mean is nobody else? No. Okay. And then so one thing in that working session, not going to ask for it tonight, but in that working session next time we could see um we just made some you know you just made some very hard
022decisions based on financials and you articulated the financials we're facing pretty well. I think having if there's a way to um explain kind of here's choice A, here's choice B, and here's kind of the financial implication of both, you know, in the short and not super long term, but like this that graph is clear going this way. So, I think that's us being the it's a collaborative decision, which I appreciate you could make if you're asking us to collaborate. I appreciate that. Um, one of our biggest purviews is financial, you know, fiscal responsibility for the district. So I think having some data regarding the financial implications of the two decisions would be helpful if it's possible. Diana would also be one of the things that has concerned me with Blooming Vale is that kids with
023special education needs if they're significant end up pay um because obviously we can't afford it makes sense we can't afford to have the two full contingents and what that would look like for um would that be a benefit for having all three in one spot. um how does that work out for the special education numbers as opposed to being well I I'll just point out the you know Jane you have it on there the equity you know implications of Bloomingdale not having any special needs children and patro having all of them in that grade level or in all the great things and uh you know that's made Bloomingdale you know and na it's it's made implications for both schools and uh and it's not necessarily equitable that it's like that even though it's you know
024it's wonderful to have Bloomingdale where it is. It is it is different in that it can't have all the services and so it changes what that petroa has to then have all the services just keep that in mind. So, are we comfortable moving forward with the suggestion to put our May uh our May 21st meeting location to move down? Yeah. Make sure that parents are notified. Yes. You got it. We progress if it's going to be a 30 minute work session. Um I think it's good to have some other camp also. You know, we need to be very careful about everyone getting a chance to speak and not a couple of people nodding the conversation because there's multiple viewpoints here. So, I want to make sure everyone gets a chance to speak. We can't have
025a four-hour meeting. So, like having to kind of let people know like like Ellen was very succinct and to the point that was great and helpful. I think folks coming prepared and understanding maybe in that invitation like you get x amount of time to speak. It's not it's not a soap box time. Do we want to start the meeting earlier? Keep it at 5:30. We're going to start at 5:30, but the first part of that meeting will be the airing part, the interaction. Uh, any other questions for Diane on these choices? Uh just to this is really a question um to Justin's point about trying to estimate the cost dimensions of both of those options as much as that's possible. I mean how do you do that around like heating food? Um the under the
026second option you have kind of more efficient use of staffing and instructional resources. I think I'm curious to know like what does that look like? What are the specifics of that? You don't have don't have to answer it now. Just is that quantifiable? Yeah. Is that quantifiable or or qualifiable? What does that look like in terms of the kind of delivery of those things? I'd be curious to know some more details about that specific bullet point. Okay. Anything else for Oh, well, you you did say you had opinion on this. Did did you want to give us your opinion on we're going to wait till the next? Just wondering. I think I I'd like to hear what everybody has to say, too. Okay, moving on to reports. Superintendent report. I think you've heard enough from
027me. Onto our administrators. Uh Amy, [Music] I'm pleased to report on the um outstanding achievements of our middle school music students at this year's NISMA solo festival, which was last weekend. Uh NISMA's annual solo festival provides an opportunity for our most dedicated student musicians to perform a solo piece on their instrument for evaluation. This year we had an impressive 26 students participate uh in the event and I'm proud to share that every single one of the students achieved scores within the two highest ranking categories. Even more remarkably, three of our students earned perfect scores this year, which is amazing. Um the success is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students that they invested in preparing their solos as well as some bravery and confidence for being judged. Um and uh I
028want to send extend a thank you to uh Mr. Vanet for his work in guiding and preparing our students for this event and it reflects the strength of our music program and uh our commitment to our talented students and faculty. Um today we gave our uh second day of our math test and last week was our science test and both tests went smoothly. We have some field tests coming up in May, world language exams, regent exams, and all of our final exams and projects in June. So, as you'll hear from everybody else, it's getting very, very busy. And, uh, we're excited to announce our third annual Sarin Lake Middle School Career Day, which will take place May 21st. Uh, the event will feature representatives from over 25 local businesses and organizations. It will give our
029students a valuable opportunity to explore a wide range of careers and to connect with professionals from our own community. Career Day is part of the middle school's ongoing effort to inspire students to help them to start thinking about their futures uh with curiosity and with confidence. Um so if you're in the area on the morning of the 21st, please stop by the bus circle between 9 and 11:00 a.m. to check it out. And I would like to thank Mrs. McHugh, Mrs. McCormack and Mr. Hansen for organizing this important event for our community. Thank you, Amy. Brian, uh, just a couple things. Justin and I chatted, so I'll let him report on on some of those things where we have a couple field trips coming up. We've got our fourth graders going to Lake Mapping um,
030unit construction, which is going to be, I think, exciting. I was actually in one of the fourth grade classrooms yesterday and one of the Heart Lake staff people came and kind of gave them a heads up as to what was what they could expect and kind of did some pre-teaching um ahead of time. And just to echo what Amy said, science and math went much smoother than PLA. I'll let Justin. Thank you, Bruce. I have here Melissa um a piggy backing a piggy backing is that a word on the literacy brief and I said has come out with um best instructional practices P3 for literacy um it's grounded in the science of reading but also play collaboration meaningful talk and problem solving and our primary teachers have really been digging into that work. Um they
031are reconfiguring even in May. Um how they're doing their center is based on that work. And I just wanted to highlight that all the good work that they're doing and their willingness to um uh to adapt and uh reimagine for our students every time they have a new piece of information. Perfect. Thank you, Suzanne. Uh that was Franklin County early intervention this morning and the public one of the public health employees um just talk about the services that they're providing. They're coming out with a new program. It's called children and youth with special health care needs. And so we're looking for some help in pushing that out. So we're going to coordinate together to get some of that information families where they just scanning QR code and put in a little submission. it goes to
032um Franklin County and they can help them get set up whether it's they have a disability or they have chronic ear pain or they well whatever their health care needs might be they help them get the resources or point them into the direction that they need to go so it's focusing on thank you Katie uh state testing is also smooth up in detail so we're really happy about that this week we had our fourth episode of tucked in Tuesday it's a literacy initiative that we have where staff reads a bedtime story to students via parent square and it posts um around six o'clock and this has been a very uh popular initiative. This morning we started our walking bike to school program even in the rain. They're tough out there in Bloomingdale. U May a
033second grade's going to the Olympic museum for a field trip. Friday we have our monthly awards assembly. On May 13th, we have our grades three through five concert and also our spring family night where there's going to be a ton of activities um around the building for our families. There's a family movie night on May 15th. May 16th, Moody Tree Farm is coming to present an assembly and every student will get a little seedling to take home and plant at their at their home. Uh May 21st, we're having a Memorial Day assembly and we'll be having area veterans in attendance. Students are collecting coins for the honor flight and then we'll the students will be in student council will present a check to honor flight at the memorial assembly. So that should be nice. I
034also have exciting news in 21st century. Um in the last two days we had a state visit which is always fun as everyone knows and they came and observed how we run programs and this happens one time in the life of the five-year grant. So this entails months and months and years of work with the program committee which is Caroline, Erica Vizio, Heather Moon, Meg Ferrell, and myself. And our grant evaluator prepared us that only one other school district that she's ever worked with was in full compliance until today, which is now two school districts. So we were very, we hugged, embraced, we screamed. I'm sure Diane heard it in her office, but we are in full compliance and they are going to use some of our work as examples to other school districts. So,
035we should all be very proud. Well done. Student reports. Um, our AP exams just began and this week is teacher appreciation week. So, students were asked to write appreciation letters to teachers of their choice. And our student leadership conference is coming up soon. So athletes are fit to attend that. And this year it'll be in Lake. Um they just had the quarterly um breakfast awards today and then I believe last week um the driver's ed class made PSAs on distracted driving and we got to vote and it was it was really nice. Is that it? Yes. Okay. Thank you. Uh let's go board reports. Uh Nancy, nothing. Chelsea, I had a chance to talk to Brian as you mentioned. Yeah, just piggybacking on there just need testing before and after spring break. Um, best news
036is that uh the kids are happy to see the snow is gone and not treasuring all their snow pants and jackets and hats anymore. As a father of four, I would concur with that. So, yeah, things are going well there. And then spoke to Suzanne as well and staff recently completed a deescalation training by CPI, which is crisis prevention institute. They do a lot of training around behavior and kind of a trauma-informed approach. And it's a really, as somebody who studies that stuff, I was psyched to hear about that. It's a lot about kind of getting away from a carrot and stick approach to more of a relationship based approach, a neuroscience approach to managing kids behavior, building relationships. And so far, airports, there's lots of positive feel from the staff regarding that training. You
037can't really do better than CPI when it comes to deescalation training. So, you pay for it, but money won't spend. Okay. Thank you, Joe. Um, I mentioned this earlier, but uh, we had a recent meeting of that state at environmental ed panel. I'll be on that all next year as well, so I can keep you all updated on what are the implications for that. Um, the policy committee met on Monday and we should be sending some policies. It's on the agenda already for the 21st. You're going to see a lot of policies coming across uh, the board in the next couple of meetings. Um, and so we have a a plan to kind of tackle those by the end of the of the year. Um and then tomorrow is the the one of the final
038DEI committee meetings where we will be we will be one of the committees there are many that are looking at the updated code of conduct which is also a policy that will eventually support soon. So just FYI those things are coming. That's it. Zach, I was gonna offer a shout out to Melissa and the team for the curriculum mapping and all the work that's being done, the exam proficiency. So, so good job. I don't even need to do a shout out to school that I'm good Tori. Uh, last week I was in Washington DC. um American Heart Association called me and asked me to be part of uh a flyin to Capitol Hill for child nutrition. I apologize for not being here last week. Um the American Heart Association flew myself and 17 other advocates
039from across the country for 30 meetings on Capitol Hill as part of the National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity uh Child Nutrition Day. uh the National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity is NAN is the largest coalition of advocates for student nutrition. So specifically I was asked to go to talk about um school meals and what part school meals play for our kids and specifically um what free school meals have done for our kids. and I brought stories um to our meetings in general, but also um they were able American Heart Association, thank you Rio, got me appointments with Senator Schumer's office and Representative Stefanic's office. Um that particular appointment is three years in the making. Um, our ask as the coalition was that legislators, and I'm going to quote here so that I get it
040exactly right, support and invest in child nutrition programs so they can continue delivering healthy food to kids across the country. This includes protecting nutrition standards in school meals and all nutrition programs and opposed efforts to weaken them. Ensuring all child nutrition programs, including school meals and wick, have the resources and the technical assistance they need to be successful and expanding access to child nutrition programs, including protecting and expanding the community eligibility provision for Seth and summer meal programs, including Sunbox and fully fund wick. I keep getting the question, Sarah Lake Central School kids currently have free healthy school meals. So why go to all this effort? We also have the governor that is finally on board with our bipartisan houses and said this is something that our children need. Um and that's wonderful and they're
041printing u an agreed upon budget as we speak. However, um although the governor agrees with the houses that all children should receive free school meals, the New York State program is largely contingent on federal funding. Under the federal reconciliation budget, which we're in right now, the SEP guidelines, including the 25% threshold that got us in the initial uh free meals program, are safe at the moment. However, the proposed massive cuts to SNAP and Medicaid would be devastating to New York's school meal programs. Follow me down the rabbit hole because it's taken me several times to get this exactly right. So, bear with me. The estimated drop or that what the house is being asked to cut from the agricultural the agriculture committee programs is $230 billion. That's billion with a B. Um one of those
042places the most likely to take the largest hit is SNAP. Now the SEP um if you think back um the SEP number the SEP threshold was originally 40%. We hovered between 35 and 38. Uh we said we're still kind of hovering in that number. It was only with the 25%. when they lowered that threshold to 25%. That um we got it but also the rest of um a lot of the schools in New York State got school meals. The problem is the with the drastic massive cuts that are uh being proposed to staff and Medicaid would decrease the number of kids that are automatic qualifiers direct the direct automatic qualifiers. So that 35 38% of our hovering could easily drop below 25%. Okay, the Governor Hokll still thinks it's a great idea. Our legislators think
043it's a great idea. We think it's a great idea. Our parents we're hearing think it's a great idea. But if we don't meet that set threshold, New York State relies on the federal reimbursement through that set program. And I've checked with NISMA Council. NISMBA Council has checked every avenue possible. There is no contingency plan to backfill if the SEP program either goes away or our numbers decrease through lack of direct automatic services. I hope that makes sense. Any questions? Yeah, I have a question. Yes. So, so practically speaking, if those programs get cut at the federal level, a lot of our families will no longer be able to qualify for free free lunches. Like, just boil that down. Yes, that's the implication. It is. Okay. And it comes down to that funding. Governor Hokll herself
044has said if the cuts come through even even remotely close to what they're talking about, there is no mechanism. And New York State does not have the money to backfill. What? Why do I bring this up? This has become I don't know why my mission to feed kids. I am getting a little obsessed with it. I I need to say some thank yous before I forget because I'm afraid I'm going to forget. Um I met with Savannah Shaw, the legislative aid to Senator Schumer. Senator Schiffmer's office was in full support and grateful to have specific stories that he can take to other legislators and say, "Look, this is how it affected our children and our families." Um, they also have requests for more data from the district so they can be as specific as possible
045and put phases and specific scenarios with those numbers that get banded about. Ruth Pino has already met with me to go over them and explain even more detail. Um, we now have an open receptive line of of support with Senator Schumer's office. Um, I am supposed to be checking in with her later in the week. I also had the opportunity to meet with Representative Stefanic's office and I have been trying to get that appointment for three years. Um, thank you to Ria from the American Heart Association grassroots team for making that happen. I will just say that the appointment was less successful than the appointment with Senator Schumer. Um, I would also like to thank um, uh, Nana, the coalition itself, Christy Anderson, the American Heart Association director of federal government relations, and the American
046Heart Association grassroots advocacy team, specifically Graham Wilson and Philip Khan Pauly and Katherine Cochran from the Center for Science in the Public Interest. This trip didn't cost Sarin Lake anything. This was a gift as far as they're concerned for American Heart from American Heart Association, Center for Science in the Public Interest. Um, and Nana, we are going to continue working with them. I've um I'm continuing to work with some of the other nutritionists and school nutrition people so that we can work together. But this is something I don't want our families to be blindsided with. Um, I know it's something that we need to keep in the back of our minds. What would happen if come fall or come January, if the federal funding isn't there and New York State doesn't have the money to
047back it up, what is going to happen? This is I want to be optimistic and happy that our state has decided that this is a priority. Um, however, I want to be realistic and I want families to have a heads up that it's tenders um, in the current situation. Um, I do have and I will share with everybody links um, on what we're asking. Child nutrition, the one thing that we all agreed on from all over the country and all these conditions, child nutrition is a school supply. It is the most basic school supply. We pay for kids to get to school. We pay for transportation whether they are from a wealthy family or from a poor family. Um we pay for textbooks. We keep the heat on. Um we have teachers and mental health
048counselors. And one of the most basic needs kids have is food. Um, so I I bring this up because this is this is a big issue and it will be in our families. So I just want to keep everybody Thank you, Tori. Nice job, Tori. So we are in need of an executive session for the medical financial credit or employment history of a particular person corporation or matters leading to the appointment employment promotion the motion discipline suspension dismissal for removal of a particular person or corporation. Can I get a motion to move to executive session? So move second. All in favor? I. Any oppose? Motion is affirmed. We will take about a five minute break. Thank you.