2026-02-03 Budget Workshop & Special Meeting

001of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. So, let's just take a moment of silence to reflect on our charge tonight for the budget and moving the district forward. Thank you. So again, welcome everyone. Tonight is our looks like our one and only budget workshop to discuss the fiscical year 27 budget. As you know, the school committee was introduced to the proposed fiscal year 27 budget last month at our January meeting. Superintendent Picard gave an a presentation and we as a body had the opportunity to hear Gina's presentation a second time at the omnibus meeting. So at our February 10th school committee meeting next week, we will continue the budget discussion and at that time our body will

002be charged with approving the budget. The annual regional school district's public hearing on the budget is scheduled for Tuesday, March 3rd. And that's the evening where we need 25 voters from each town and we'll take feedback from the community on the budget. And then we adopt the budget at the school committee meeting of March 10th. The format tonight is a workshop where the school committee members can ask questions of the administration and discuss potential revisions to the budget. Gina has some updates to um her slides I believe from uh last month. So I will turn it over to Gina, but for the school committee members, I think what might be efficient tonight is um I'll ask anyone around the table if they have questions. So if you want to raise your hand, I'll put you

003in the queue for questions. Ask your, you know, maybe two or three most pressing questions. So we'll give you one round of questions. We'll get through everyone and then if you have a second round of questions, we'll go back and go to a second round of questions. Okay. Um upon the conclusion of the school committee members full complement of questions, I'd be happy to open it up to the public if the public has any thoughts or input on the fiscal year 27 budget. With that, I will turn it over to the superintendent. >> Maybe maybe not. >> You um thank you all. As you know, we're sort of shifting around the way we present the budget because um we do feel that there's some confusion that lies around especially where um the more that we

004can clarify and make it transparent and clear, the more understanding that there is across communities. So, one of the things that we decided to do was my presentation. It was removed out of the budget book for the school committee members because it is a live document that gets updated and it should be able to be utilized at meetings like this for you to be able to um ask me to update based on information that would be helpful. So, prior to this budget season, you know, the budget subcommittee had met and I met with the chair and to try to get and hone in on the kind of language that would be helpful to make the budget um thoughtful and transparent more for the community. And I think we I I mean I feel as though

005the omnibus was a very good uh way for us to collaborate across the three towns and the Cherokee school district. And I felt um very pleased about the feedback I received from both town council members and members of the public. And I do feel that we're making some, you know, really good strides at understanding how school budgets work, not just budgets. So, with the budget workshop today, there was a couple of things that we thought was really were really important. One, um, and you know, whoever had created the document, I'm not sure if it was Brian Stanley or who, but in the end, this document is a collection, this one-page summary. Um, I'm not a fan, haven't been a fan. um and you know but when you come in in the middle of COVID you're

006not changing a lot of things so this is not the area where you go to change so this document is man-made or individually made and it was created the you know I like history it was created by um finance directors requests from elected officials and school committee members and it has taken on a form based on questions and things that have come up and we have been asked since I've come here you know can you make it smaller can you make it shortterm Some people want stuff, don't want stuff, but there's a lack of um sustainability with something like this when it's created in an Excel document with formulas because you know, one corruption, which let's just say that happens. You know, your file gets corrupted. Now, you've got to ensure all your formulas are

007correct instead of ensuring that your your financial systems, which we get audited and reviewed on. So, if you go back to series of workshops, you'll probably see I typically have never pulled the sheet out. I don't use the sheet. It's not helpful to me. Um because it's not necessarily how the budget operates, it's how people want the budget to operate. So, I'm going to ask um where's my assistant? Lynn Gven is going to go to the podium. Lynn, thank you. Do you have a sheet? Do you need my sheet? Okay. So Lynn um because I always as a teacher and a facilitator sometimes it's better to hear other voices and have somebody else explain something because I you know while I do it every single day Lynn does it probably every single minute of every

008single day. So uh and she's a Charles Town resident. >> I am >> um you know and she proud mom of Charo grads. So I'm going to give the floor to assistant director Lyn Guit. >> Okay. So the sheet that you were given today is a little bit different because what we did is we had the original approved by the voters's budget and then we added another column that shows additions that we had to add to the 26 budget based on uh school committee votes to get an adjusted budget. It's uh it's substantial. So anyways, so what we're doing is comparing 27 to the adjusted 26 because and we can go into why um we have a lot of things happening with um staffing the contract. We have pro uh out of out of district

009tuitions. We have the playground that um needed to be funded. Um oh there were additional costs for for Hope Valley moving and it's a constant um with the school department. It's constantly fluid. It's not it's not like it this is it. is that when we're done because we have students coming in and out um of a district or going into special ed and and so it's a variety of things. So it isn't just one thing. So this one pager was altered a little bit to accommodate all the changes that we have done. So let me just give me one second. So on the screen right now um that you're seeing here it's basically added to the presentation. So when you see it tonight on YouTube that you'll be able to see this the screen so

010you can refer back to it. But this is really what you know Linish just shared that the one pager is not from our financial system. It is created by finance directors in the Cher regional school district to accommodate elected officials and school members to better explain. Well, I think we can all agree that the definition of insanity, right? We you all know the definition of insanity. So we're going to try it different. So we we felt as though it was really important for people to understand why I believe and I've shared this with the chair um and the budget subcommittee. This page should no longer exist. It's it is not a fundamental way the this is not how school budgets work. And this is where I think a lot of the confusion. And um I'm

011going to let uh Lynn just finish this because then what we're going to show you and I'll let Lynn Lynn start off on that next slide which is going to be an explanation of and we'll use an example of a town that doesn't exist in the member towns but may be very similar >> and what that would look like when you look at a school level budget and a district level budget with with a when you look at your municipal budgets in a regional district. But if you look at the bottom, what Lynn said over here, the auditor general, when you're looking at a school budget, it's your audit is apples to apples. >> You can't take the FY 26 budget and compared to the FY27 budget because of what Lynn just said. So, because

012it's apples and oranges and there's actually been a lot of conversation at the table with the members being confused like, "Oh, Mrs. Bard, how did you get the assistant principal for Richmond? We didn't approve that." That's a staffing decision changed in 2019 around the school accountability law. That's a decision from the management side of the house. You don't approve a line by line. You approve an example budget of where we believe all the money is because school hasn't started yet. So when that's why in the charho act, you vote yes or no and there's no money amount because you don't know it. It's the preliminary aid. We don't even get told that until June. >> So I need you to keep that in mind while Lynn continues. >> Okay. Do you want to do the

013next slide? >> Oh, go ahead. Um, yeah, Mike's got it. >> So, um, town budgets, the the biggest expense in town budgets is a school district in almost every town. And so, we came up with an example which is pretty close um to a lot of towns we looked at. And so, we we said, okay, a town budget is going to the total town budget is $30 million. We found that school districts are around 70% of the total town budget. So in the example it says out of the 30 million 21 million is the school and nine would be the other town services. So when we have an increase in the school budget and on the slide it says 8% it's not 8% for the town budget. It's only 8% for the school district budget.

014So what you would norm what would you do assuming that your town school budget is 70% your total town budget you would take the percentage of the school percentage multiplies by 70% and in this example it would be 7 uh 5.76. So it's yes you have an increase in school budget but it doesn't it is an exact percentage of what your town budget would be. I hope that makes sense. >> Questions for Lynn? >> Like I said, I don't know if this is like your town. I'm just saying in general, it seems to be around 70%. >> So, Lynn, >> so in the case of Richmond, so Richmond's town budget is about $8.2 million. >> Okay. And I think I mentioned this yesterday during our meeting. And forgive me if I'm being redundant, but so

015if our school budget, excuse me, if our town budget is 8.2 million in Richmond, when I get my tax bill, it says on my tax bill what the percentage is that goes to the school, which is 80% at least that's what it says on my tax bill. Okay? >> And then 20% to the town. So, I'm just trying >> if you I'm sorry. If you look at your town total budget, which would include the school budget, it's probably close to 30 million or 30 35. I'm not quite sure exactly what Richmond was, but your total town budget would be around 30 million, >> right? And yeah, 8 and maybe eight million was other town services, but your grand total would be 30, >> right? >> So yeah, so the town expenditures if you will. So

016the whole Yes. Not including the school budget, right? >> Correct. >> And current currently as is that also includes the state aid because that goes to the town. So it's our each town's portion of the budget plus the state aid they receive >> that also then gets paid to the school district as part of the overall >> Yes. Okay. >> budget. >> So if you go back to the omnibus meeting actually uh it was town manager Brian Roso that gave a very you know specific example around um I believe the question was around town can go over the 4%. So at the omnibus meeting um I thought Brian did an excellent job. just you followed up um member Purcell followed up regarding um her clarification which I thought were very helpful and um so I

017would definitely if you have someone that's confused or doesn't understand every member of the town council was at that meeting so I thought it was it was a sign of sort of understanding across the table that we all understood necessarily that that this was the case but I think sometimes people don't want to ask questions so when we were clarifying because again we live in this world every single day. So when you know when you look at your tax bill and I had said this to the chair, I I know that the North Province has been level funded every year that I've been there and the number of what they say that the the amount can be the same and the money doesn't go back into the pot. So when you rolled up the uniform

018chart of accounts, all that changed because districts across Rhode Island, let's just say we were being naughty and weren't making sure the educational funding was going directly into the schools, which is illegal. So with the uniform chart of accounts, they now can track all the dollars. So, what was important to understand is that if we have a million dollars uh in staffing left over because we have custodian vacancies that we've had in the past, that money doesn't get put back into the pot of money for the Char School District. It gets put into the fund balance. The fund balance comes back to the district via the town's allocation. So if you could envision it where you have the school budget, state aid, local budget, and then you've got bucket, three buckets, Richmond, Charles Town, Hopington,

019any money that doesn't get spent goes back into each one of those buckets to be reverted back into education spending. So it lowers your town's comparison cost. So that's where like and those of you may remember last year I know president um Gary when I had said um it goes back to the town he goes he was kind of a little fast and he was like that's not true and I said it is true because it goes back to the town through the the contribution because it's illegal for me or or a town to withhold our education funding to spend it for any other purpose. So then I've been asked well then why do the towns take the state aid? Why don't why does we're the only regional district that doesn't do that way. Often

020times it's just because you know it's like the pocketbook. You know you know your my nie used to hold the pocketbook and then you where the money was she would tell you and if she wanted you to know where it was she would tell you. If she didn't want you to know you had to know where the the secret candy jar was to go get the money. But in the end sometimes she may have to take some money out of the candy jar and then put it back in. That's not legal. which is why the uniform chart of accounts was created to ensure that dis district districts and towns weren't taking school money paying off bills and then reimbursing >> and that's why you know if the state aid came to us and they can't

021hold it and there's been times where we've had to have conversations while I've been here that you can't you know reduce your funding to schools and you can't uh you have to do the the maintenance of effort. It's not because we're trying to be stingy with our money, because it's illegal to take money dedicated to education to try to pay off town services. So, we recognize no taxpayer wants their taxes to go up. Me included. We get that. Um, but we for years, prior to even me being here, have been asked to reduce the budget every single year. And when you do that, parents begin to ask where your services and your priorities are. There are certain things that you cannot say no to. And certain things you can say yes to and certain things

022that are all good ideas you but you can't do them all. An example of that is our fields. I I had I had removed 1.6 million from this budget before you even saw it. And I'm not thrilled about that. But I knew if I gave it anything higher there would have been a concern. Now as time goes on where we we we have about seven retirements, you know, where we possibly could get more. But those are those are numbers that I can't guarantee. And typically you can't force someone to do that. Now we can say, well, what if we do incentives? And people have asked that. Well, yes, but you still have to buy out those contracts and there's no guarantee that you're going to get somebody at a cheaper rate, especially if it's a

023math teacher, a science teacher, something at at a different level. We've also been asked about the admin, and then I've given this information to uh the school committee. I am happy to put it in our in our uh on our website after tonight because typically um what we did was we would answered the questions requested by the members of this committee and I gave you all an update on Friday and then I know a few of you had some questions um submitted today and Mr. Zenian has um those answers for you. So what's important to understand is that we want to make this as transparent and clean as clear as possible. Um and I promise you there's no trickery here. Um because if there was trick me I would have done it six years ago

024if I could figure out how to do it. Um but what I know is you know as a teacher at heart I go back to the classroom and I think about if my if people aren't understanding then that's back on the facilitator and the and the instructor. That's on me. So what I want to do is but I also need collaboration and understanding to be able to allow me to explain things. And I'm not gonna say that I explain it exactly correctly because if you were part of my class, I'd be spending a lot more time with you. We would build be building relationships and you we would be working together. I think it's an example of myself and the chair where we may not align on a lot of things, but we align on

025one thing that we're here to support the charo students period. And we're legislated to do that as school committee members. School committee members are legislated to ensure the budget reflects the student services, not the taxpayers's bottom line. That's a town council job. So, school committee members, and if you have been elected as a school committee member, I can say this because I am a school committee member. That's the charge that you take your oath for. When you go to the town clerk, you specifically talk about the oath of a school committee person. And that's about students first, not taxpayers. That doesn't mean we forget about taxpayers. We have a responsibility to be fiscally responsible and financially responsible, which we I believe have proven year after year in our audits. But I'm telling you in all

026honesty that this budget, any more further cuts to this budget has risk and that this is my recommendation. Any further cuts I'm now in advising the committee have risks. We can share the risks in public if you have questions, but I want to advise you it's going to be a reduction in staffing and services for students just in I'm not you all have a job to do. You have constituencies. I recognize you know elections. I'm that I'm not you know blind to any of that. But my responsibility first and foremost is to advise the committee on how to best service students. And when I say offkid all the time, for me it's not a motto. It is I'm going to every single student and and we and I can tell you there are people that

027think we can do things better and I don't disagree with them, but I think we're doing the best we possibly can every day to improve better and better with the funding that we have and um I'm really proud of the budget. I understand like as fast as Hopkin came down, Richmond went up and right now I'm going I'll be at the general assembly tomorrow um with working with um lobbyists to to make sure that that they know I I went to the blue ribbon commission. I spoke uh on the funding formula. I provided information to um David Selini from the Rhode Island Foundation along with the researchers that did the work and I put out the summary in the e update that went out today to all families. Um you can get the blue ribbon

028commission report along with my very small snippet of how it doesn't imp how char and just the transportation lens is impacted if we even consider changing that funding formula. That's the job you want me to do because the like I've said the responsibility has to be a collaboration among the towns and the school committee. Um Lynn's mentioned that all of these factors. Can you go back one second? You might to the next slide the first slide that we had with Lynn the onepage summary. Thank you. So these are the factors like transportation we're going to fight every year and since you know Rep. Kenny has always been amazing at getting us our regional transportation, but it was not fully funded until Governor McKe came in and all of the regional districts continued to write resolutions.

029And Rep. Spears and and Rep. um M have been amazing at ensuring not only do we get regional transportation, but the last three years we got more state aid than we ever have. So that's a credit. So we don't want, you know, I'm not about wagging my fingers like I we need their support because they are fighting for us. So, it's not that the general assembly is bad. Everybody's well intended, but we're all fighting over the same pot of money. My job now is to go to the general assembly to share not how to get more money, but how to use it wiser. Now, do I think that I'm a magician? No. But I do know that I'm I'm I'm a pretty smart, intelligent woman who has great leadership skills. Whether people believe it or

030not, that's what I what I um I I strive for. So, I'm always room for improvement. But my fight at the general assembly is not about against the the general assembly. It's about making sure people understand how we're funding education because like I've said to you, you're not funding 35 districts. You're funding 60. And that's why people are saying, "Well, where's all this money going?" Because you've opened up the idea, we don't have vouchers here, but you've opened up opportunities for students, which is not bad, but again, we're creating apples and oranges and not understanding that that there is no villain in the story. It's just that we have to Rhode Island has the worst funding formula and I can prove it. Um, and when we get to more of that focus and focus on

031the areas like transport, if we start at transportation and we start at high need special ed, that is a good first step for any district, then all kids will begin to win. >> Are there more slides? >> There's no these are the only two that we felt were absolutely. Anyone have a question for Lynn before she takes this? >> But she'll be here any questions. I promised to give her my >> Laura. >> Um >> Lynn, since you're up there, can you explain um on your worksheet on this worksheet the um the funds transfer to capital that credit for the 641,000 and then how that relates to the the numbers that are listed above how that relates to to the budget. So that was a transfer to the capital fund because we needed additional funds

032and it was it was done in the original FY26 budget as well. >> It's it's just taking transfer from general fund to the capital fund. >> One, give me one second. I want um >> Greg to his insight did this really well because we have the school committee and I'll never forget Bill. This was Bill Day for my first year. He and I, you know, we won't say we always disagreed, but this is one where publicly we disagreed because he asked us to move it to zero. This is where when you have town pay, um, you know, uh, councelor Helen Sheen from the past now, you know, now she's back as a community member has said, "Oh, well, use your capital budget. You don't have one because you've not been funding it. You have been

033removing that funding every year in the capital budget because you were working on a plan when As we all know, we are still working on a plan 6 years later. So by after we lost the bond in May 2024, I don't have any capital dollars, which means you can't go out and get any money. You can't do projects if you don't get state reimbursement. So the $600,000 was put in for last year because we needed to rebuild the capital fund that the school committee has been moving to zero because you've been asked by the towns to do so. So that money was put in last year. Mr. Zenian was as a as a new finance director was very I thought very astute in doing that. Um and we Sharon Davis caught it right away last

034year after you go and we explained to Sharon and she was like oh I understand but that money is because we had to have a capital account in emergencies and I'm we're one snowstorm heavy away from a roof collapsing and it's I'm not you know I'm not going to lie that my nights are a little restless when I hear about the snow. So the 641,000 that is is essentially the and that comes from the operating budget. >> Is that correct? >> It's basically coming from fund balance. >> Oh, fund balance >> to the capital fund balance. >> You have to have remember the state law requires >> fund balance to the other fund balance. >> Yes. >> Gotcha. Thank you. >> The state law requires us to make sure that 3% of our operating budget

035is going into facilities. That's the state laws under the school building authority. So we and if you if you um if you've got nothing to do and you want to go back to my old slides around the bond um you know for some uh historical perspective you can you can see that those dollars um were mentioned there. So the law when the state invested in schools in 2018 when the state bond passed they specifically said with the new construction they were going to ensure that districts had a minimum of 3% allocated. Now, we let's just say we have barely made it to that 3% and you know we have because we we have not had a capital improvement plan up until recently for the main campus and now as you all know we're working on

036uh we'll be resetting our c stage one so that in September we can do our stage two but that money is your capital account because remember in elementary schools you have a total for this year to spend $500,000 and we're almost there and the winter season isn't Yeah. >> Laura, did you have any other follow-ups? >> Uh, no. >> Not right now. >> Okay. Karen, >> just quickly, if we don't have a fund balance, we don't get state reimbursement. >> No. If we don't use a state process, we don't get state reimbursement. So, if we, let's say there are districts that say, "Well, I don't want to follow all that red tape." So, they want to pay a $600,000 project, then they pay dollar for dollar. My understanding from the school committee has always been,

037we want every dollar back that we can possibly get. So, we have to follow all the rules. the $641,000 was part of the fund balance transfer of $3.1 million last year. $641,000 was to make sure you had enough money for your stage one and stage two elementary um applications. If you did not put that $641,000 aside, you would not have been able to pay your architects for your stage two. >> Would you like Sharon Davis understood that when we explained it? >> Thanks for that clarification. Paulie >> Lyn, I had a question. >> Sure. >> On the new sheet you gave us at the bottom. >> Um, the columns go 24 25 26 25 26 and then 26 27. Yeah, but it's >> which which which column you want. >> So we have Well, we

038have 2425, >> right? Then you have three of 24. That's the original budget we had. And then we had an adjusted 252. >> Okay. Thanks. >> Thank you. >> Okay. >> I'm going to write that right in there. >> Yep. You write that down. All right. So, the members of the school committee had a number of questions for the administration and then Gina compiled a a memo for the members of the school committee. I think she sent it out last Friday. Gina, can you talk about the prek tuition and uh you you have um that as a first topic on our memo status and options for fiscal year 27. Maybe we can start there before we jump into everybody's questions. >> Sure. >> So, um the pre-K tuition has been a uh a conversation. We

039are the lowest tuition in the state and I just did a a new comparison and we are still the lowest which is great. We're the best deal in town um in any town. But um the prek is not state reimbursed uh because we do not have a state prek. State prek comes with additional funding and um but you also have to have they they you can't supplant it. So you can't build a state prek unless you have prek. So we run the prek which was required by law for our special education students in that are ages three, four and five. And then uh what happens then is we have what we call typical peers. Typical peers are students um who are model peers that mean that they've met their their uh benchmark at the age

040of three, four, and five for a screener that we use to be able to um be a model for a student who who has some needs whether that be um you know OT, occupational therapy, physical therapy or AC or um early early language environment speech. So, with that being said, we have obviously the prek, which is Hope Valley Annex, still called Hope Valley Annex because that's the name of the school, not the name of the program. Um, and then for example, like we're getting prepared to just change it to the Cheraw Regional PreK because that's really what it is. Um, it doesn't matter where it lives, it's the pre-K program. Now, the whole pre-K program is not at Charles Town. We also have a we also have the CHIP program which has no tuition. That

041was a decision made by school committee members. Um, again, a great a great program that when we look at screeners that kids that don't meet the requirement for either an IEP or or early services could get prek supports to help just give them a little bit of a boost, like a ramp up ready for K. Um, and we call that the chip and that's part of our education programming for our career and technical students who work directly their classroom is is attached to the prek classroom. Um, and they work with the students um, interchangeably before they head out into their student teaching um, practicum during the school year. With that being said, even if we raise it um, like $50, I think it's is it 125? It's, you know, it's currently for three days 120,

042for four days 160, and for five days $200. That's a month. I thought it was a week when I first read it. Um, if you did if you did a 50% increase, you would go for three days for $180 a month. Four days would be $240 a month, and five days would be $300 a month. This would increase your revenue by $28,200 based on your current enrollment. any input from the members on whether or not we want to consider this as uh increased fees. Jess and Laura, I support it. Um the 50% increase, which was the recommended starting point, I think is a a good um increase to implement in the budget. I I know that in previous discussions before I was on the school committee members were not in approval of um raising the

043tuition, but I think it's um reasonable. >> Thanks, Jess. Laura, >> um Greg, can you do you know the last time that that was updated? >> Um yes, the the last I can find is 2016. >> And so with that being said, if we increased it by 50%, where does that put us compared to other districts? the bottom >> still puts you low. I I put in for a 100% increase, too, which would be for three days $240 a month. Four days would be $320 a month, and five days would be be $400 a month. That's a $100 a week for daycare five days a week, right? >> Um and that would increase your revenue with current enrollment by 56,400. >> Greg, did you have your hand raised? >> No. >> Okay. Does anyone want

044to make a motion? Uh relative. >> Yeah. Just one question. Did we consider doing a sliding scale or is that too logistically >> No. So with something like this, you would um look at um bring lunch would potentially give you a sliding um scale or um individually if someone had a hardship and they were to call the business office, we would work with them. So yeah, with the dig, it's almost like when you think about your your school box for your lunch cafeteria where you you us uh families would have electron, we would move to all electronic like we've done um with with our activity accounts with career and tech and then they would be assigned and then the money becomes directly as an a account they would call it um because it it ensures

045that the money is pulled directly every month and then we could work with families around payment plans. But in the end, um this is an area where we're losing money. You're not getting money. You're losing money running the programs. >> So, with that being said, um >> Oh, sorry, Laura. Go ahead. >> Sorry. I just wanted to with the 100% increase, do you know where that puts us with compared to the other districts? >> She But she asked where it puts us compared to other districts. >> Oh, sorry. >> I would say it puts you um in the little bit of the Yeah. >> Middle to a higher range, but there's probably still 10 districts. >> Oh, yeah. There are districts that that, you know, it's a couple thousand dollars a month >> to do

046the prek. Okay. >> Yes. I I have um I have my they only gave me a hard copy because let's just say, you know, everyone's not willing to, you know, um always do it, but all of the state preks, it's it's easy to find. But I I had to colleate so I can just share, you know, the highest. And and again, some districts don't even allow you to pick three days, four days, five days. They say you're coming 5 days. You're paying for 5 days. If your kid doesn't show up, it's a 5 days cuz we got to turn the lights on, >> right? It's just >> we're very very very >> easygoing, which is fine, but again, there's only so much I can do with the pot of money that I'm giving. >> Jess,

047>> um I I don't support the 100% increase. I would make a motion to um implement the 50% increase um as recommended by the administration. And it also says here in the memo that this would be paired with a clear access safeguard for example hardship hardship waiverss or sliding scale consideration. So we have a motion. Do we have a second? We have a second. Any discussion on this? >> So my thought on this is we if we went to 50% increase it would be estimated revenue of 28,200. If we went to 100% increase it would go to 56,400. Um, so I would assume that if we went to a 75% increase, it would be in the somewhere in the middle of that. Just from a mathematical perspective, I I mean, it's not that I um

048I'm opposed to the 50% increase. I still think that it's a great deal with a 50% increase if you're saying that we're among the lowest in the state. Um, so I would be in favor of doing something a little bit more than 50%. Karen, >> I understand. I completely understand what you're saying. I think where we haven't raised this in 10 years, we should probably start a little bit um at the 50% uh looking forward that next year we'll probably have to increase it as well. >> So, a 75% would give you an increase of $42,300. I would recommend you you start at 50 and then you do 70 you bump up every year over three years. >> Okay. Yes, sir. Any other pie? >> Are you able to tell us how many people um

049utilize the sliding scale? I want to get an idea of if there are a lot of in need people in this community, single moms or single dads who really utilize this and can't really pinch out that extra $100 a month. Is it just a few people who are accessing the sliding scale or the majority? >> The numbers are smaller. I wouldn't feel comfortable because we only have four classrooms. >> So, it's um not something I I that we could share. I can give you overall. I can't tell you who's on what scale. >> No, like is it is it a majority of the people who utilize it or just a handful? Is it >> um let me let me talk to Mr. Anderson and then we can maybe >> Okay. >> See what we can

050give you. >> I just wanted to get an idea of how many people were in need. Absolutely. Yep. >> Karen, just I'm thinking that the same people that are in need would continue and that they would stay on that sliding scale. >> So, I'm thinking it wouldn't increase necessarily for them. >> True. But if a good portion of those people are utilizing the sliding scale, that tells me that they're already struggling. If it's just a few people, then it will be easier to help them. If we if we charge a little more, we can help them a little more back and forth. >> It changes every year because they're not the same people, >> right? >> Sure. Of course, >> if you were to base it on your frame reduced, you about 23% of your

051population in cho qualifies for free reduce that. I mean, if you round it up to 25, that means you know one out of four preschool students. We >> have aboutund right. So, a majority of your students based on your free reduced lunch would not qualify. >> Okay. So, we have a motion and a second to increase the prek tuition by 50%. Um, hearing no seeing no other hands raised. All in favor? Anyone opposed? Paulie's opposed. >> No, I'm not opposed. I was just late on the >> Okay, so that looks like it's unanimous. Okay, great. All right, so moving forward. Um, are there any other questions that we would like to pose to Gina or the administration? So, you know, just keeping in mind time, we're now at 6:40, so we have about 50 minutes

052of discussion on this. And so, I'm going to go around and if you have your hand raised, I'll put you in the queue here. And I would say ask your two or three most important questions um that will maybe have, you know, impacts on the budget. And then um if we have a second round of questions, time permitting, we'll we'll get to those. Karen, >> um so just quickly, I noticed that the oil spill monitoring is going up like >> $20,000. >> So when we put everything in um I did not realize that there's a um a rebate. So the there's a rebate on that. So I was doing it based on um what their original bill is. There's a approximately $20,000 rebate that's already been taken out and recalculated into the one pager you

053have tonight. >> Okay, great. Thank you. And then my second question is more um from councelor Reynolds. He asks at the omnibus meeting if um the two the transportation could be evened out over years. >> Yes. Um I negotiated um the contract as you're beginning the contract for your approval in March, but I was on the phone with Ocean State today. Um they did reduce they were willing to reduce to 8% in year one 7.8% in year two and 7.8% in year three and that will have um uh what I did was wherever you see in this budget 11% I knocked it down to 8%. And that will give you um additional savings of let me I was going to say off the top of my head, but I don't want to. Okay. So, that's

054going to save you. >> What? So approximately $116,000 in year one of your um contract. And that money has also already been deducted um on your one pager. So if you look at the one pager where you see in parentheses um $162,458 that includes the oil spill um and the transportation. >> Great. Thank you Karen. Any other questions? >> Um, I'll let others >> Okay. Who's next? Laura, I know you had a bunch of questions yesterday during our >> premeating. So, um, yeah, Greg, just to follow up on those specific questions, were you able to circle back on that? >> Yes. Which one do you want to start with? >> Um, starting with the benefit reduction. >> Yep. So, just so that everybody's aware, during our meeting yesterday, um >> we Laura and I have

055some questions about the budget. >> Question. >> Um and Greg, I can't remember what >> page. So, so everyone can follow along. If you go to page two of the 10 pager and if you look at 612, you'll see salary reduction and then your FY26, you'll see $190,000. And then in FY27, you don't see anything. Um, so for the FY26 adjusted, there were two teachers that we um had budgeted for that we we did not fill. And um when we budget, we budget somewhere in the middle. So that 190,000 represents two teachers at $95,000 each. And then if you go to page three, line 4886, >> you're in section two, correct? >> Yes. Okay. The 10 pager. Thank you. Online section two, >> that 133,000 is um would have been the um benefit package to

056go with that. And then I did look a little bit deeper. We believe that um that 133,000 there might have been a a typo with it because it has healthcare at 88,000 and health care for two family members should be around 44,000. Okay. >> But that does not help your FY27 because that's not we we did we did not >> so we don't know if we're going to have people um that are not hired at this point. >> But this is based on what we know at the moment. >> I mean right now so when you did your FY26 original budget and you passed it, you didn't know those two positions weren't going to be filled. >> Okay. Okay. >> So then it shows as um a um it's in parenthesis because it's it's money

057that um is not being used. So the in if you looking at the previous fiscal years as well, the previous budgeted years, those numbers did were you able to figure out where the because in 25 I believe it was um you know it was a much higher amount for the benefit reduction um which doesn't wouldn't have reflected the the salary reduction. I think it was like 900,000 and then the salary reduction was substantially less than that. So that benefit reduction is you're saying that's that's health care expense. That's the health care package for >> So that's all it's your healthcare, it's your dental, it's your retirement, it's your biker, >> it's your fringe, >> it's it's everything. >> Okay. And so again, why why would we have budget like why would that number have been

058fluctuating so much like in the previous years where it was When you're looking at past budgets, you have one year where you have nine custodians that were never filled. >> So nine custodian positions at $40,000. 9* 40 is 540,000. Add another 200,000 for their benefits. You're at $740,000. >> And then you have teachers who who certified staff or other staff that go on medical and then their substitutes or day-to-day. So um this is where this is a actually this is a great example of like why the audit is where if you want to look at salary lineto line, you want to go to your audit. This is just like how again it's your actual it's your adjusted because when you when you vote you vote on preliminary numbers and you know an example you know

059that Lynn gave again was that um there were things for like whole rally we said it was about $865,000 and change maybe to to for savings but then we negotiated with the town and we offered to do more. They offered we had we collaborated and then there was a little bit more cost making sure things were done. Um and then we filled the o um the oil to make sure that they had the heat and things like that. We had to update all the fire extinguishers per the law. Um and we we said you know we weren't going to charge them because that's part of our responsibility before we turned it over. But overall this is not if you want to compare yeartoear you don't want to use th this is why this budget package

060this is where the budget subcommittee and again the school committee this is a exercise in what school committee members wanted to look at but it's you're not looking at when we say adjusted it's all the adjustments you make so you see all the transfers if you go to back all the transfers that we make typically it's areas where we've underfunded it and we needed it or surprises happened an education budget is very what we called volatile um inflexible you've heard me say because you like right now I I have another student that moved in two students you know one who that has significant disabilities but not academic disabilities so there there are things that we have are responsible to do by the law so when I have to get a salary for example I may

061have to hire an additional nurse and you have to hire an additional uh um support staff because an IEP has a specific need or request we also have transportation we had to again we got some areas where, you know, new families prop up and there's never been a bus over there and the big buses can't get in and that small bus with a monitor costs much more money than a big bus. So those when you look at salaries though, every time a teacher goes on maternity leave, this one this number changes. Every time a teacher moves from one building to the other, our a great example is our district special educators. They're our special education teachers are districtwide. They're not assigned by school. They live in a school, but they're based on students needs and

062services. As those students may leave or come in or change their IP, they may met their goal, those services change, therefore the staff can change. So if I take a staff member and we have to reassign to a different school, that number changes this budget and they're where they are because the Yukoa follows them. So regardless of where they go, this is why if we want to look, you know, year to year, I would say let's go to the audits unless there's a specific question that you that you think would be helpful in the FY27 to make sure that we clarify that that that would be great because I want to make sure that >> another question I have is the uh the Hope Valley. That was another one I had asked about. I'd emailed

063you >> which >> the Hope Valley. So, if you look at um in the the 49page budget, there's line items that are showing salaries and there's proposed budgets for >> the Hope Valley art teachers. No, it's not prek. You do have items for prek as well as um special education. It looks like those are under the 23106 Yukoa code and then 9106 which is the annex. >> What page are you on? Um it is row 86 which is page page two of 49. >> So the assigned that type of health PE teacher they do both. They they work at Charletown and they are assigned to preK. So they have to be showing up in both. So, but why does why is it assigned to Hope Valley though? I guess >> the Hope Valley that's the

064name of the school. Hope Valley annex is our prek. >> Oh, annex. >> Well, no. This isn't the annex though. The annex is under the 9106. Correct. The zero Lynn. Is that correct? The 09106. This is under the 03106. The PE health teachers. Yeah, I see it for music, too. >> Do you see what I'm referring to, >> right? So, uh, we run that whole report and see if that's pulling up a salary we no longer need. >> Okay. >> Well, no, because it's the I mean, it looks like the unified arts just have because they they they go from school to school. It just the number is not going to change your salary, I think, is the big point because you still have to pay for the teacher. So I I'm trying to understand

065this because I think Laura's point is is that there are a number of different line items here for Hope Valley. Salary music teacher on that page row 73 salary PD m music teacher Hope Valley line 74. >> So um >> look when I have my budget I can go into the person. >> Okay. We're not, again, we're not trying to, you know, call out specific individuals, but you know, you never know. It may have been something that may have been overlooked. So, um, so I mean, >> Oh, yeah. Absolutely. The only and I just >> Yes. Thank you. Go ahead. >> Because when you look, it's not the whole salary too. You've got to look at the person. That's so I can tell which person it is. >> Okay. >> Yeah. So, there's Yep. >>

066line item number 56. Line item number 57. salary art teacher help valley salary PD teacher whole valley >> go ahead >> um part of my job is to convert what we have in our Excel worksheets to our financial system and the teachers that were involved that are music um art and PE go to a variety of schools and so when uh we found that it may not have been changed in your book, but it's but like like they've been assigned to where they're actually going to be going. Either they're going like I have here the art teacher uh was going to go to Ashway being coded as Ashway instead of Hope Valley. It's still the same person, still the same teacher, just the Yakoa code was was wrong. So, it's in there, but when we

067actually put it into our financial system, it'll be coded to the proper location that this teacher >> This is why we don't use Excel spreadsheets because they don't translate from the financial system. Which is why next year my recommendation is that we use the financial system because this is where some now Lynn is literally doing two different jobs. She's remaking all of this for specific people. And this, I think, is more confusing. I mean, go to any other district, you're not going to see this because what we're doing is we're taking out information from our financial system to try to make it in an Excel document because everybody wants to play with our Excel documents in the towns, right? >> But I don't have the stat to keep doing this because you can see I'm

068more worried about the correct financial system, >> but in the end, I already like I know because I know the budget and the names and I know where they are that the salary isn't going to change. It's not going to change the bottom line. >> Okay. >> But it's just your was was wrong. The location was wrong. >> Okay. Thank you, L. >> And also keep in mind sometimes you see numbers like you see that in there but there will be no numbers. So like 73 and because in past years there was a book music teacher. Now it's just lines. You're not budgeting for it. >> Right. Right. I just wanted to ask a question so that it was clear to the public that you know that there's not people in Hope Valley that after

069we close the school that that's not something that's being allocated. So I think that you know it would be helpful if it was you know if there if those type of things that way it doesn't you know it's not >> absolutely this is why I I'm I'm suggesting we no longer do this. This is not a helpful. This is a an I'll say an exercise in futility sometimes because you're double making your budget. >> Okay. Did you have >> Yeah. My other my other question was about the FICA calculations. How do you guys when you come up with those figures? How are those how do you do those? Is that based off of your entire salary, the 7.65% based on all the salaries put together or is it just based off whatever has been listed

070under the previous year? It's the you want to it's the it's the federal we have to use the federal and state law but regularly >> we break it down by each person in each code. So if if an employee is hired >> then their social security is paid separate their retirement it's all >> pension >> right no I understand that I mean for the budgeting part of it so for the budgeting part >> we budget the number the federal government gives us >> and if or or the state gives us and if they do not give us a number which they don't always by now we budget on last year's number and then you get that surprise when you budget 2.1 and then they tell you oh by the way it's 2.3 >> right two

071years ago the general assembly changed the pension number and that we had to eat that so that we everyone said, "Oh, you got an extra $300,000." No, we didn't. It went right back into the pensions because they didn't they gave that that surprise in June. >> Okay. The reason I was asking that is because in the last, you know, for if you look at the last uh like three or four years, the budgeted amount it and then the actual amounts, it's usually about a $200,000 delta there. So, I wasn't I was wondering how that got calculated. Right? But if a for top step teacher leaves and you replace with a third step, you already you already have that budgeted and vice versa. >> So you never know which way it's going to swing. >> Okay.

072Thank you. >> Thank you, >> Karen. The one pager. I'm sorry. >> One pager >> at the bottom. >> Yep. >> From the old one pager to the new pep one pager. Richmond Richmond went down down down 228,458 but our percentage went up to 8.1 8.01 01. Why? >> No. I Are you So, hold on. Just Just can you just clarify, Karen? You You want You're looking at the original one pager, >> the one from 121. >> One from 121. >> So, it's >> okay. I have >> 12. I have 12. >> I mean one 121 it was 7.91%. >> Yep. >> And now it's 8.01%. >> Because the state aid >> state aid >> stayed the same. >> No, it didn't. Look at it. Well, mine has 17 64414 >> 17 after state aid

073>> and then 17558320. So that's an um a loss of $228,458. I teach history, so I will um say that I range at math. I'm just curious as to why. So if you look at the top, >> I'm looking. >> Excuse me. Because this one pager has caused so many. >> You're right. I'm sorry. >> Fluctuations. We >> I haven't looked into it for spring. >> We had everyone was looking at the um the budget that was approved by school committee or FY26 and then they were comparing it to FY27 and they were saying, "We don't understand. Hope Valley closed. There was about $850,000 in savings. Where did that money go?" So, if you look at the new one pager, we showed you where that money went and that $76,000 when you build it back

074in, it comes to 2.78%. >> So, the if you go back to what Lynn said, the numbers changed because um we reset the budget so that it was clear about the adjusted and what that meant. So, for example, like we had the budget vote, the yes and the no. That's you're not you didn't vote on a number. You voted on a percentage based on preliminary understanding of what the budget was going to be, but you have a legal responsibility to serve as students. So then and then the school committee takes upon itself the actions and we make transfers as requested. An example would be the Richmond playground. Correct. >> An example would be at the September where you allocate money. We like we just got a phone call right before this meeting because there could

075be a litigation that we need to be able to budget for. So that doesn't stop. That's why once you get this book, the book becomes obsolete. Correct? >> The book is only as good as the minute I print it. >> It's kind of like the new car you buy. You drive it off the lot and it's old. It's already old because now the wheel keeps spinning. So, which is why what I I I've explained this budget book had a purpose that no longer exists. And I don't necessarily know if it was ever did you justice because I I I think it it shared information with some people could understand but others took it as oh you want you know 10 8% more 5% more and in essence the state aid we have no control over

076the state aid the towns can't tell what it's going to be because the general assembly has the power to adjust the funding formula. This year they adjusted that success factor and it kicked Richmond up and brought Hopkin back down. A few years ago, we did the exact opposite. So, anytime they make those changes, the budget book is only as good as what it's printed. Which is why the comparison from year to year, you want to look at the audit. But with here, what we tried to show is that when we say adjusted, we're saying every time you make a school committee transaction or vote, we then have to adjust your budget to show the funding. Every time the state, for example, I'm waiting for the DCYF tuition to come its way. It usually wears its

077ugly head in January, February. Um, which we went I mean my first year here it was about 55,000 and last time we checked it was 92 but I'm sure I'm going to get a bill in a week or two that's going to tell me it's probably 110 and then we'll come back with you during a budget workshop and tell you we have to allocate those fundings. Foster care. I received a email from um a representative who is interested in foster care. you all as a school member get get your report but there are certain responsibilities that come with that law then there's the SR that the SRO law which means that there's mandating reporting now with SRO's SRO are not school employees yet they want the school they want the school to now be able

078to manage that work and we've said to the attorney general office we don't we they're not our employees so for example the Charles Town gives us the SRO at the middle school without fee without charge so that's a free service to the district. Richmond, we pay approximately, you know, partial of the salary of the SRO um which is about 90,000 and change. That MOA will come in front of you. Um again, it comes, it's an annual review. Those are the areas where um those are employees again where Richmond can't afford to be able to do what Charleston can do based on on the operating budget, but it's greatly appreciated. So, I think that's why when we see these towns, I think it's a it's a misrepresentation of even what the towns provide because it doesn't

079it doesn't necessarily show all that Charles Town provides us or even the services with uh the collaboration around our EMAs. The EMA directors across this um Richmond most importantly is my biggest EMA director in in an emergency. It's the EMA director that calls the shots, not your chief of police. So, right now you have a a part-time EMA director um and they don't even mention the schools and the job description at the town. That's a problem because in an emergency for your kids, the EMA director takes the lead of incident command. Now, that why is that important? Because when you know when we're and I'm not saying that I want people to raise the budget, but what I'm saying is there's dollars that can get federally accessed to support EMA directors through FEMA that the

080towns haven't accessed. So, I get we all want to come to the schools and figure out how to cut our budget, but I'm I'm telling you, your budget is lean. And we keep cleaning it up. I'm I'm still doing that work. I always look at staffing. I'm reviewing every single staffing assignment everywhere to make sure that we get the best return on our investment and my responsibility to you is to improve that every year without infringing on student needs. Um I'm I know next uh Tuesday you'll be doing a practice around some non-renewals based on um the law, the non-tenular law and things like that and those are the opportunities based on retirements that we may have some savings. Um that's why it's a fluctuating budget and what we give you is the best that

081we know at the time it's printed. My suggestion is there in there's information that is helpful like enrollment but that's projected but I would tell you that your sections um your section one your one pager should be from your financial system not this your two and three is unnecessary unless you do like I said the three even that um I would say if you wanted an overall you would go with two because that gives you the big picture but again if you want it exact then we should be using audit numbers. Okay. >> Not, you know, how many how much of the super committee moved, didn't move, because I'm not sure what purpose that serves other than saying you just that's why I think people asked us for the transfers and we we very much

082put that out there to the public and you can see most of our transfers are due to maintenance or when we have student services needs that we have to bring in. >> Thanks, Gina, for giving us that um feedback. So, you know, as a Richmond representative, I I appreciate your presentation about the slide that you put up there about the factors that contribute to the moving targets, if you will. So, transportation, special ed, you know, the five buckets that you had. I appreciate that this one pager is really um sometimes confusing to the non- finance person like myself. However, I need to understand as a school committee member what the um impact is going to be because traditionally we've always looked at the bottom line percentage increases. So, it's hard for me to sort of

083reconcile that we're sort of changing the narrative in the middle. And I'm not being trying to be difficult, but what I'm trying to understand is if the overall budget increase is 2.7% for an overall budget increase. >> Spending okay, spending increase. What how does that translate to Charles Town, Hopkin, and Richmond so that when our um constituents talk to us about what the fiscal impact is going to be, we can very clearly explain to them what the fiscal impact is going to be. So that's that's my first question. And then um my second question is um because last year we went back and forth a number of times on different line items and Gina you were very mindful and telling us you know there are staff that watch the meetings and then when we you

084know talk about different line items that uh impact a person or a program that's not helpful and people get nervous about that. So I'm trying to be more respectful and mindful of that this year. So with that being said, would it make sense for us to take a look at the budget as a bigger picture and look at the non salary and the nonbenefit lines. Anything that represents a 4% increase, that's non- salary and non-benefits. When we come back next Tuesday, is it possible if we can take a look at those line items that have a 4% increase by reducing those line items by a half a percent. What would what fiscal impact would that give you if those line items line items were potentially reduced by a half a percent. I don't expect you

085to answer that question now, but I do need feedback from you about how that could because you know we want I think all of us around the table want Cheraho to stay in the top quadrant of success. With that being said, when I look at fiscal year 25 to fiscal year 27, we're looking, you know, at uh, you know, um, what is it? 6 million >> 6.1 >> a $6.1 million increase. So, I want to be mindful of being the best we could be, being a fiscally responsible district, a high level district, but if we need to look at something, >> can you say that number one more time? >> Yeah. Half a percent. No, no, I think you you're using state aid and local expenditures together. So that's where I I would advise that

086we not do that because the state aid you have no control over state aid, >> right? >> So state aid is based on your enrollment which I have explained at the omnibus is because your funding formula is based on enrollment not student need. >> Okay. >> The uh the actuals you're looking at the the actuals from 25 which is >> Oh. Okay. Okay. So, the act our spending increased with so I said the New England inflation New England inflation is 3.2 to 3%. Uh nationally it's about 2627 but I wish I was in that part of the state. We're not in we're in New England so we are at 3.3 and our spending increase is 2.76. The reason why we said the spending increase is because the budget has I mean we can go through

087and look at the 4% increases but I I know in my head the increases are the utilities of inflation. It's the services things cost more. Um there's we we didn't we didn't ask for anything new >> right where we I we've already removed the Rhode Island students assistance counseling program and I will say that because it's a vendor and it doesn't impact my staff but it impacts my kids uh our kids. It impacts every all students on the main campus. Um we we have a robust set of services that we've been lucky to get through project AIA through the grants that um Dr. Camela has led along with Dr. Kakosi and myself and our mental our mental health team and our health and wellness work. Um we've done a lot of work with grants. We

088the only way to get this budget down is staff and programs. And the reason why I say don't uh what I what I what I don't recommend is you say I don't think you know ex staff is important because my kid didn't like that stack whatever. >> I did not do that. >> No, no, no. I know you did. >> Uh but what's more helpful is saying okay I've talked to the Richmond Town Council. You know you know is it possible to bring the fund balance to 2%. That's a school committee decision. That's up to you guys. So I I have it at two and a quarter because I told you that the auditor already told us that it's a risk. The school committee has to determine if you want that risk. I've given you

089the So now I I just that this is where I say if you come and knock it's not my door because I'm telling you right now we're already in major risk. one roof. We're one snowstorm, heavy snowstorm away from a facility where we might have to be moving into modular because I got the Charles Town roof going and I've got the Ashway roof next up and as fast as I get the main campus building committee done, I'm sure I'm going to need because remember we only did half of what the original five-year plan was. So what I need to what I need is some guardrails. Am I looking at sports? Am I looking at extracurricular activities? Am I raising cl the class sizes have already been raised all the elementary schools I've already made those

090cuts prior to coming to you. >> I didn't say anything about class size. >> No no what I'm saying is staffing. So if I raise class sizes I you know reduction of staff. I need to understand what my guard rails are so I can advise you appropriately. I'm I am just trying to come at this in a different way this year because last year it was a lot of back and forth and I think it contributed to a lot of confusion maybe hard feelings m you know mistrust and I think we've come a long way from last year at this time a lot of us around the table so I am just trying to be mindful of what constituents from Richmond and I know that we're a regional district but I am a Richmond representative

091so I have to represent constituents in Richmond. Um, I have to represent everyone, but I get more emails from Richmond, you know, residents. So, I am trying to >> parents, we're responsible for the parents. >> Okay. >> So, >> I understand, but I think that you can understand where I'm coming from, too, that I'm trying to come at this in a more creative way instead of going line item by line item, this and that. So Louise, just so >> Yes. >> So if you were to look at the 10 pager, which is basically um the 49 pager just with the the highlighted the the um bold. Yep. >> That becomes your 10 pager. >> Yes. >> 123 out of your 384 lines have a 5% or more increase. >> Okay. >> So you're looking So

092based on what you just said, I bumped it up. You said 4%, right? >> At 5% you're looking at 32% of those lines. >> Okay. >> At your next meeting. 32% of the lines, >> right? And I I mean I would ask that the committee vote on if that's what we want because that's a that's an exercise that is not necessarily strategic because it it doesn't necessarily look at services as a whole. It looks at a dollar amount. So I think what I that's not I think as as um >> my recommendation would be to share with us the a dollar amount and some guardrails like we don't want athletics, middle school, yes, no, don't look at it. Look at it. Extracurriculars, middle school, high school, yes, no. Look at it. Don't look at it.

093Um, >> teacher assistance, we only want this many like all we have we have more teacher assistance than most districts. Um, but I don't think many families, you know, this is the give and take. I I would not recommend that we go in and take 4% out of every every line. say 4% is at a half a percent. >> Oh, it's a half a%. >> Half a percent. >> Which is re which I think is a reasonable request. A half a percent. >> Well, that I I would just suggest that the we could we vote on because that that's an exercise that we can do. It's just if I need to understand look that that's not necessarily going to give you a realistic picture because I can't necessarily cut something a half percent because it

094may be a service like a contract, a vendor, a transportation contract, a bus chwell. It's like there's I can't not pay a contract. I can't not fuel or give the transportation a bus. Like I have to know we don't we we want to put depot stops in. I have to understand a little bit more than the half percent. I need to know what the guardrails are. >> I I don't have any guardrails. I'm just trying to start at a a high level place because >> supplies are I have I no furniture supplies are a minimum. >> Yeah. Because let you know again last year when we looked at you know different line items there was a lot of push back. So what I'm saying is is I understand that there's always going to be push

095back because we want to fund the district in the most responsible way to make sure that we are a high performing district but if you know when you look at um salaries and benefits that's off the table. So that's why I'm just saying >> well no you're you're in negotiations with the ESP. Okay. Well, those that's just my re that's my recommendation. That's my thought. I'm one person out of the eight nine people that are here tonight. Jess. >> Okay. Um so, a couple things to start. I I don't know if I agree with the fact that there was push back to line items, but I don't think it was productive. Um I think that what I heard was answers to questions about line items, not necessarily push back. Um, and then just to address

096your point about how to find out the increase to Richmond, that's something that I brought up omnibus that I've really been trying to do and understand and make known to folks. But it is difficult when state aid is not final and also the town budget is not final yet. Um, but what I did do was take the amount of the town budget, which with state aid and our town last year was 30.76 million, and then you have to take the increase from this year and use it with that number to get the percentage increase. And what I was getting in those calculations were 3% and below based on or that that would be four. it was 4% I can't remember and what I have written down I don't it was like 2.8 8 to 3.3,

097I think. So, it isn't the 8% that's the increase to the district. Um, so then as far as my two most important questions, um, I sent Greg and Gina a long list of line items. You know, I didn't try to be obnoxious, but I think by the time I got to the end of the email, I thought that you would probably think I was ridiculous. But I think as far as two most important things, um I would like to know what the amount is to go from 2.25 to 2% of the fund balance. I we've done that. How every year the last year? >> We didn't do it last year. Okay. >> Oh, no. I don't think we did. Oh, the two I think there's a couple years we haven't. But the two point um

098so like for the chair's point, I I what I'm not saying is it's line item. What I hear you saying is like let's say there's 32 lines half percent like that dollar amount is probably what you're looking at. Yes. >> As opposed to saying to me so what I hear just to clarify I want to make sure the >> we're going to we're going to look at let's say 32 lines at half percent and that's the dollar amount we're looking at versus take it out of that. That's I think that's to me what I'm hearing. >> Yes. Okay. >> I think that's more productive than >> so then and I agree because um and thank you for saying that because I don't ever mean to push back. I I I'm just trying to provide the

099information so you can make informed decisions. So with Jess the I I think uh we have the numbers. So Greg has there's a few questions that came up that we are going to I apologize I I had a lot going on today so I could not put it in an update but we will uh provide it to the committee so that you have it for Tuesday all of the questions that were asked today. >> Thank you. >> So Jess, I was able to answer your the ones for the 10 pager. I didn't get to the 49 pager yet. I'll do that tomorrow. But um if you were to reduce the amount of your fund balance from 2.25% to 2%, it would add an additional 163 $163,522 to your reductions. It would leave you with a

1002% fund balance. It would move Charles Town to 5.01%. It would move Richmond to 7.78% and would move Hopington to 2.15%. based on the one pager the right hand lower corner it >> okay thank you >> Jess did you have any follow-ups >> not a followup but my other question was about um it just came up the TAS I did see in the staffing that there's a reduction of five and a half TAS >> they're vacant right now okay >> well they're being filled by subs >> okay so that seems like a you know, it seems like they've increased over the last they've stayed the same and now there's a big >> we've got more certified teachers >> decrease. Um, and then I also related to that, I think the certified behavior coach that we've

101talked about, I don't know where to find that in this budget if that's included in this budget. I know that was >> actually we did that this year. The BCBA, the board certified behavior analyst, we I had to cut the extra the one that I added to this budget before it came to you, but we did a change of contract and services and returned the contract and a resignation into the BCBA this year. And actually, this interview is Friday. >> Okay. >> Anticipate I'm sorry. Um I'm just worried about the five and a half TAS. You could Are you concerned about that? Do you think that? >> No, because we're we we are reviewing the entire um uh we're modeling it after the that at the highest uh at the level. If you go back

102into the research, what you want to do is you look at your return on investment. More importantly, you look at your student services. So, you match time and effort to make sure that your students are being seen. So, it's not a smattering. There's no rhyme or reason for a teacher assistant unless it's about student services. So when you assign a teacher assistant, what we're doing um with the with the admins and the and the and the teams is we're resetting um the student needs to make sure we're prioritizing the needs of the students and that there's a strategic plan to ensure we know exactly how many based on that review. To date, we know we need five less. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thanks, Laura. Um, so Greg, is there any way that we can

103with the 76,000 um that was additional? >> Yes. >> Do you not You don't have to do do that tonight. Um, but if we could just have an overview of what those additional items are were >> and do it right now. >> Oh, okay. Great. Go ahead. $431,832 >> lower >> were salaries >> and is that from the NEA teacher negotiations or is that >> Yes, it is. >> Okay. And what is that? So that reflects the two what was the increase for that? >> It was in FY27 it was a 3.0 >> 3%. >> Correct. Correct. >> Okay. So the next line is $114,427. That's your benefit package on that. Okay. >> Your next line is $30,000 which is your relay which was um that's how we get reimbured for Medicare. And last year

104about this time I told you that we have not budgeted for that and um this committee chose not to include it. So, we we still have to pay it. The next one is 27,200, which was your moving cost for Hope Valley Elementary School to close it. The next one is $8,500 for your transportation study that you approved. And the last one is $95,000 for the Richmond playground that this committee approved for a grand total of $76,959,000 in spending that we did not budget for. >> Okay. Thank you. So that's that equates to the the amounts that the adjusted amount that's on the revised one pager that you've provided today. Correct. >> One thing Laura that there 431,000 also includes the two teachers that were put back in. >> Okay. >> Last year last year. So

105your raises >> at to put those two teachers back in with benefits was $173,000. Okay. Um, and so is there a way that you that we could get a similar type of um a similar type of report that would be able to to show because I think what I'm having the most trouble kind of reconciling with is just the the part with the year-to- date, you know, the year-end amounts for 2025 and then getting from that step to where we are, what we're budgeting for for20. 27. I know that there's certain things that you have to incorporate like in like the teacher negotiations and those increases and that needs to be incorporated into the 2027 budget. Um, and then there's other factors like the transportation, um, the special education. I know Gina had mentioned that

106before. Is there any way that we could get kind of a just a general overview of probably the top 10 items that would be contributing to that could help you know us understand that that jump of going from you know your actuals in 2025 which would be at the close of 6:30 to what is being projected for the 2027. Does that make sense what I'm asking Greg? I I just I'm not um I just want to make sure I understand too because when we did the presentation for the budget, we went over Can Do you mind going back to the slides at the beginning? We went over where the increases are based on the overall it's the slide that said budget impacts. >> Okay. So, thank you. So, that right there. So, this is where

107these unavoidable increases like we said what we've asked for. We didn't ask for anything new. the increases are coming in because we uh we have we were asked two years ago to no longer do the four-year replacement to do Chromebook replacement. So now it's a six year and they're they need to be replaced. There's no savings for textbooks because it costs more. If we want textbooks then we need to pay put more money in the budget because Chromebooks when superintendent Richie went to one to one it was to lower your costs and it actually will increase your cost if you want to do that. So that we can do, but I don't I don't feel like this committee is asking me to to add to the budget. The contractual obligations, we are the 3% salary

108increase for staff, but what I've explained is while it's great that we're improving our programs, there's more parents that want to come in attendance and the towns have raised their rates for police and fire. And at minimum, I have to cover four hours at minimum even if I have an event for one hour. >> Another question. >> No, I I recall those I recall these these increases that you were referring to. What I was asking was actually just for a for an estimated figure on each of those items because the these are are general and they're very helpful. >> Oh, I I I can do that in a in a in a table because Kathy and I have that table that we created by Yuko code, but it's not going to what what what we

109can't do is redo like this page. >> No, not the one pager. Don't >> um we will provide um I'll have we'll send it out because Kathy and I worked on a like and this like waste man the waste management law. Although if you're interested, Ezri Actton will be at the Charles Town Council on Monday presenting her her suggestions for decreasing waste management for CHO because it was a $12,000 almost $13,000 increase for us because uh the federal government removed the grant. So, she's going to be doing her her civic duty on Monday if anybody wants to go to the Charlestown Council. Um the other issue is the funding shifts in engagement. We've lost money in our Perkins grants and our federal dollars because the CTE numbers have gone more. the MET and the Davies

110have seen a huge increase in two million to 1.3 million where we're seeing less. So now all of our CTE assessments that was probably the biggest lift for us was moving all of our CTE um getting students to their clinicals. Transportation is no joke with the 128 square miles. So most of our money fell into the funding shifts and engagement the federal Perkins and the um the needs to be able to get the CTE assessments were all placed in our budget because they used to be in Perkins. But we'll give you the code by the amount. >> Right. Thank you, >> Linda. You had your hand raised. >> I'm trying to help Laura clarify because I thought that would be interesting, too. Is that you know, take the larger the largest of the five or

111six buckets and just kind of generally say, okay, teachers teacher salary and benefits is x amount of dollars. Is that what you're thinking, Laur? Yeah. And transportation x amount of dollars, special education x amount of dollars. So, like you just those are the buckets. And so, I mean, there's probably not that many of them. And you know those are the probably top I don't >> yeah the one the book we were going to actually we we we we dabbled with putting the co code right next to the items here but then sometimes while some finance people like the numbers others don't. So but what I could I would take the same slide and then with the table you'll have the exact numbers and then we can put it on the so it's almost like a

112key right >> so we can do that. Well, I've been told to do that, so I will do that. But um >> I I still think um what I'm not sure people are understanding is that when you took 2.25% of your fund balance last year, it was $3.1 million. You are now taking 2.25% of your fund balance and it's $2.1 million. So there's a million dollar you don't have. Then you have $200,000 in less revenue. >> That's $1.2 million. Your spending went up 1.9 million. >> He was explaining that to me last time, last meeting. >> You know, you you can keep cutting and cutting and cutting and you can but what you're going to at some point you're going to have to realize is >> you have less money to play with. >> Yeah.

113I think >> so. fund balance. >> It's so you're you're we can produce all these charts, but what these charts are going to show you is that you're paying for things because you have no choice and then you have less money, but you have increases. And I I think um until people really start to understand that once you get past the spending, your $12 million less from last year is really hurting this budget. >> Mhm. >> Because if you put that 1.2 2 million in. If you had another 200,000 in revenue and another million in fund balance, everyone would be in a place where we wouldn't probably be talking right now. >> Well, I mean, and you just said if we had another $200,000 in revenue, and I respect my colleagues around the table when

114we talked about the prek, and I understand that we have to do this gradually, but you know, if we could generate another 25,000, 50,000. So, I respect I respect the vote and we'll move on from it. But I think we're at 7:29 and I think that um at this point we appreciate the feedback from the committee. Thank you for being open to um giving us some u more in-depth insight into all of the factors that contribute to a moving target for the bottom line budget. So, um um I'll entertain a motion to adjourn this meeting, please. >> I'll make a motion to adjurnn. >> Okay. And we have a second by Diane. All in favor? >> I. Thank you. school committee members. Thank you. Okay, we're going to convene our special meeting for Tuesday, February

1153rd of the Cherro Regional School District. Um I am going to per the agenda stand again for the pledge of allegiance, please. 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. >> Just a moment of silence. Thank you. So, we have two items on the agenda, although I think there was really only supposed to be one item, but we can get to that um when we get to that agenda item. So, discussion and vote to review and amend the Charo School Committee rules of conduct. This was an agenda item that was brought forward by member Diane Teft. So, at this time, I'm going to turn it over to Diane. Um Diane, >> please

116proceed. Yes, you're welcome. Good evening, fellow committee members. Excuse me. Diane, hold on. Miss, can I help you? >> There is no signup sheet yet. So, what I will do is once the committee has had a chance to speak, um, if somebody wants to offer public input, I will >> turn it over to the community. Thank you. >> Yes, sure. Your point of order. conduct rules states that you shall have a public forum at every meeting. It doesn't specify the difference between special or regular meeting. So I'm curious as to why there is no public forum here. >> It it states it right in your code of conduct >> uh a number one section C I believe. If you'd like to take a look at that. >> Here is our attorney and he just stepped

117in. >> Sure. >> So um Mr. Moffet if you can repeat that question please because I just want to make sure that Hi John, welcome. I'm I'm just going to read a statement and then and then you can just just listen to it. It says, okay, so title 16, I had saw the agenda, you know, um >> uh documents. So it says, require school committees to accept and encourage a variety of opinions from the community, promote communication and understanding with the public, conduct meetings with planned and published agendas. The Cheroo School Committee implemented these statutory obligations by adopting a rules of conduct governing governing its meetings. Section 1 subsection B authorizes the calling of special meetings but but does not alter the meeting procedures or agenda requirements. Section 1 C mandates that the agenda for

118the school committee meetings shall include a public forum permitting only reordering of agenda items by majority vote not elimination. Section one subsection D establishes the sole mechanism for deviating from these requirements by allowing suspension of the rules only upon a twothirds vote of the committee. Title 16 does not authorize the unatal deviation from the adopted procedures and absent a formal suspension of the rules. The committee remains obligated to to conduct all meetings including special meetings in accordance with section one subsection C including public. >> Okay. Thank you for your input. Um my recollection is we did have a special meeting in August to talk about um the uh hiring of the vendors for the stage one and stage two application. I don't believe that that that agenda had um public comment on it. But John,

119if you want to weigh in on this because I believe you and I talked about this yesterday about this very topic and that there was some ambiguity um about this. >> Um yes, we did speak yesterday. Um, I anticipated that this question would be asked >> and it's my belief that 1B applies to special meetings, 1 C applies to regular meetings. That being said, there is nothing that precludes the chair from allowing people to speak during the meeting. So, bottom line is we all get to the same place. We may get there through different routes. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. So once the uh school committee has had a chance to talk about the topic at hand, um we can take public comment. So it just going to depend on how many people

120um stand up for public comment. So we'll we'll get there and once we get there, we will um allow the I will allow the public to speak. Okay, >> Diane, I'm going to turn it over to you. Thank you. >> Thank you again. >> You're welcome. Good evening, fellow committee members, superintendent, staff, and members of the public. Tonight, we are considering updates to the Charole School Committee's rule of conduct. These rules exist to help ensure that our meetings remain efficient, effective, and focused on the important work of serving our students, families, and communities across the Chaho Regional School District. Our current rules of conduct give us general guidelines for items such as meeting procedures, meeting times, the order of meeting agendas, Robert's rules of order being the guide used for our meetings, agenda development, communication,

121and requests for information by members, ethics and violation. However, the lack of decorum and outbursts by members at most of our school committee meetings over the last year have highlighted the need for revisions to our rules of conduct. These revisions will strengthen and clarify certain provisions to better address behaviors that disrupt a quorum, hinder our ability to conduct business, and distract from the respectful environment we all strive to maintain. The proposed updates I suggest aim to reinforce core principles of courtesy, mutual respect, and professionalism among committee members. Principles that model the same standards we expect in our schools and that support constructive collaborative collaboration on behalf of our students. These changes are not about limiting legisl legitimate debate or differing viewpoints among committee members. Robust discussion is essential to our democratic process. Rather, they are

122intended to provide clearer guidelines and decorum expectations among members so that decisions can be made thoughtful and without disruptions. and our meetings can serve as positive examples of civic engagement. I believe these refinements will help our body fulfill our responsibilities more effectively while upholding the integrity and collegiality that our community deserves. In reading the feedback online from members of the public, it came to my attention that I used the word participants in my suggested language for revisions when it should have been more appropriate appropriately appropriately said school committee members. With that being said, I make a motion to adopt the updated rules of conduct as distributed to school committee members with references to participants replaced by school committee members and removal of the first bullet point of 5C under enforcement language. >> Okay, thank you.

123So, we have Thank you for that statement. Do we have a motion? Do we have a second? Can I just ask so just for clarification? So you want to remove the first bullet point under C >> under 5C under enforcement language. Correct. >> Sign that out. And I would make a suggestion um for another additional small change. Um the last bullet point just above C. It says no person shall engage. I would change that to no school committee member as well as participants school committee member. So it's very clear these are the rules of conduct for the school committee members and that's it >> exactly. >> So Diane, did you want to um include that as a potential change to your um motion? Yes, I would >> to change >> no person to no school

124committee member. >> Exactly. >> Okay. >> No person to no school committee member. >> Okay. >> Correct. >> So, we have a motion. Do we have a second? >> I'll second. Okay. So, we have a motion and we have a second discussion. So just for clarification purposes Diane if I'm understanding you correctly in your redlinined version >> under decorum so five a under deorum under general principles and overarching statements I'm just making sure that I'm looking for all the words participants >> so committee members it says committee members and participants so we are scratching and participants in that bullet Correct. >> I'm looking to see if there's another area of Okay. So, bullet number four. One, two, three, four. So, it says all participants shall conduct themselves with courtesy, respect, and professionalism. I'm not going

125to read the whole thing. So, that should say school committee members. >> Exactly. >> All right. I'm just looking to see if there's another area where it says participants, >> specific behavioral expectations, bullet number three. >> Okay. So that would go from participants to school committee members. >> Correct? >> So in that motion under B12 345 it says no person. So we're going to say there school committee members shall engage in conduct >> and then we are removing enforcement language C the first bullet >> correct. >> Did I did I get all that? >> Yes, you did correctly. All right. Thank you. >> Well, thank you. All right. So we have a motion and a second. >> Do we have any discussion from the members? Jess. So to start, I generally feel that special meetings

126should be reserved for urgent district matters. This is our second one within matter of months. Right in our rules of conduct, it says that special meetings may be called for grievances, student discipline hearings, personal matters, litigation, and negotiations. But this doesn't fit any of those categories. Um I think it's important that we prioritize the most important topics that put our students first. Um, I think that the suggested additions are way too subjective uh to feelings, bias rather than procedure and orderly composure of meetings. Um, you did address the fact that they blur the lines between school committee members and the public. But I also think they pose a threat to freedom of expression and who determines how um we can express ourselves in these meetings. I think any revision to this policy should align with

127Robert's rules of order um which give us clear guidelines on how meetings should be organized and how we should be addressing each other. I think they should also be in compliance with the open meetings act and constitutional free speech and expression protections. As mentioned in the policy, Robert's rules are an important framework. They help us maintain order and fair expression of diverse view viewpoints. But they also include guidelines for taking actions if members are out of order in their conduct which also we have at the end of the rules of conduct already. Um I also want to mention that Robert's rules does not give the chair authority in maintaining order. um sorry does give the chair authority in maintaining order but the chair can generally not remove a member from a public meeting without a

128vote of the school committee which is in conflict with the suggested additions to this policy. Um there were points. >> No, she removed I think she removed that, right, Diane? She removed that. >> Yeah. >> Yes, they did. >> So, it's hard to follow when you're making changes in a meeting. >> Um so, you know, there were points that I agreed with, but I think as presented, as I said, um they're too subjective there. These edits are subject to personal feelings and interpretation. They include redundancies with the current policy and Robert's rules. So I would suggest a much shorter section much more simple that just is called standards of conduct for school committee members. I think um we should talk about members refrain from materially disrupting proceedings or interferes with other people's ability to participate.

129I think members shall prepare for meetings in advance and refrain from the personal use of devices during meetings. That to me has been more distracting than anyone's behavior in meetings. Um, I also think that members shall wear attire that's appropriate for a public government setting that does not display so slogans, images, or messages. This is something I received several messages about from constituents that has bothered them. It's come up in meetings before. Um, and I also would like to say that the chair may issue warnings taking caution to ensure that rules are applied equally and not based on a speaker's viewpoint. I think that these standards are observable objectives, not based on feelings, and it makes that more realistic to enforce fairly and evenly to all members. Um, I also was surprised that you didn't

130have any edits to the rest of the policy. When I want to make changes to a policy, I look at the whole policy. So, there were other things within here that I thought could be um added in as far as one D. It talks about each member having um the ability to h hold the floor twice, but there's a 10m minute window. So, you can hold the floor twice. Robert's rule specifies 10 minutes at a time. That might be good to add here. Um, also onee, it says that the school committee may give responses. I wonder if we could broaden that to include the superintendent and administrative staff. That's a common practice that we already observe. Um, I also wonder if we could shorten this section and just refer to the public forum policy. This

131is separate policy we already have. Um, and then I'd also like to include that school community members can vote to extend public forum past 30 minutes if there is a motion to do so. And there's a two-thirds majority majority vote. That's according to Robert's rules. Um, in 1G, it says that talks about sealed executive session minutes. I think that should be expanded to discussion proceedings and minutes because it's not we're not just supposed to keep the minutes to yourselves, but also what we talk about and um what happens in those meetings. >> All right. So, so I think we have a motion and a second on the language that Diane suggested. So, >> and I'm overall policy. I'd like to finish speaking. >> I'd like to finish speaking. I'm almost done. >> But I understand

132that, Jess. So, >> do you have a point of order? >> What I would like I would like to finish my thought, though, if you give me >> I'm finishing my thoughts. >> She was in the middle. >> Oh my gosh. >> Who's literally speaking? You can cut her off. >> I First of all, you have not been recognized in the audience. This is a school committee discussion. I have not called on any member of the public. So if you when when I open it up to the public, you can feel free to say what you need to say, but I will not tolerate tonight discussion and outbursts by the public. This is a school committee discussion right now. I'm sure you have a lot to say and we will open it up when it's

133the time to open it up. So we're going to ask that you be respectful and um you just let us finish our discussion, please. Thank you. So what I'm saying is germaine to the topic at hand and I'd like to finish um my suggested changes to the policy that's on the table at the moment. Um 2B, I'd also suggest that we extend the time period for agenda request from 8 days to 14 days. Um 3A, it starts with outside of the meeting setting. It discusses how school committee members should speak only for themselves. I think that should be during meetings as well. Sorry, let me just >> Yeah, I think that we should just strike where it says outside of the meeting setting. So, it just says school comm members should speak only for themselves.

134They should avoid giving giving the impression that they speak for the school committee. And I'd like to add and the Cherokee Regional School District. Um, this is not really in this policy, but I also would like to ask the superintendent. She's not at the table, but I'd like to discuss the possibility of asking requiring school committee members to undergo an annual background check just as volunteers do to uh for the school district. So, that's what I have prepared for now. >> Background check. >> Thank you for letting me finish. >> Sure. Okay. So, you had a number of things there. So, we have a motion on the table regarding Dian's specific language. So, is there I guess before we get to your suggestions because if you have other suggested changes to the rules of conduct,

135I think it would be fine to consider any of those additional changes. But the motion right now is on the floor Dian suggested language that have been redlined and so we had a motion and a second on that. So, is there any other feedback on on that? Christ. >> Chair, I was just confused by something. Why now? We're starting to come together and this is a very divisive issue. Why would we want to do this now? We've got not much more time left as a committee and you really want to hit the hornets's nest. So, that's all I got to say. >> I appreciate your feedback. I think that um there have been members around the table and I'm not going to speak for any other member but myself but what I will say is

136that there have been you know inappropriate out outbursts that have been um unbecoming and it's it's you know I think impeded our ability to to work together as a group. So, I think that there needs to be some more specific guidelines just about behavior and um you know Diane brought the um agenda item forward. I know that there have been other members around the table that have had you know a lot of um just a just have a lot of negative feelings about our ability or sometimes our inability to have productive discussions around the table. So, I just, you know, I I don't I don't I don't think it's great that, you know, we're here at this point, but I think we we should come together and we should make a renewed commitment to come

137together for this next, you know, year of the time that we have left. So, thank you for that feedback, Linda. >> I'd like to just comment on that renewed commitment. Um, you're you're sort of I'm a I'm feeling a little pressured because you're not allowing say for Jessica's ideas to be put into I know you made a motion and you made a second to accept as proposed, but we've never really done that before. We've always included other people's suggestions. Um, I feel that maybe this is a policy that like these suggestions that Jessica had um suggested should be included also because I agree with them. >> Absolutely. we had a motion on the table. So I just I think that if we have a motion on the table, we have to talk about the motion

138on the table first. Okay? >> And then if there are any other updates or any other revisions that other members have. >> But if the motion on the table passes, then there's no other revision. >> There's no other >> but there could be another motion to make an to make updates to the rules of conduct. >> Why would we want to do that? >> We've done that before. >> Yeah. where we we where we amend the um >> I I still feel I have I have problems with some of the language. I feel it's ambiguous. I feel it gives the a chair, you know, like it gets to the point where um I'm going to feel that, you know, I have to be careful what I say and how I say things. Even if I

139do get angry at some point in time, that's okay. You've became ang you've become angry at meetings. We all have. And I agree with I agree with Craig. I think that we were on a path of actually working towards together as as a group and now we're sort of back to it. It it is derisive. I don't I don't understand why we need to do this. And I I agree with Jessica that I would rather spend my time >> working on things that are important to teachers and kids and learning and keeping the schools open. >> I don't think we need this to be quite honest with you. >> Okay. At this point, I think if we follow Robert's rules and you as chair follows the Robert's rules, I think we could have very productive

140meetings. That's how I feel. >> So, would you categorize the outbursts in the past have as productive and as you know conducive to collegiality? Cuz I I haven't felt that way. >> How many outbursts? I mean, I'll say I I had one outburst. I mean, so Karen had one outburst. I don't know. There's not been like lots of them. Um, I you I think you're more I think you're more uncomfortable with the public forum. I really do >> that I am what I'm saying. >> You're more I think that the most uncomfortable is some of the things that have been said during public forum. >> I've listened to everything. >> I know you have and I and I'm not saying you haven't. I know you and I and as chair I had I had my

141cross to bear. I you know and I know other chairs have too. And you just have to you know you listen. >> Yeah. And um I just feel that this is just not helpful at this point in time. >> Okay, Laura and let's see. So we had Laura, Karen, and I think Jess had her hands raised again. >> So I think that maybe that because there is a difference of opinion sometimes and we only have one meeting a month that it may seem like there there's only been, you know, you or Karen like you had said previously. Um, but there have been multiple outbursts over the course of the last year. And I can just say from a personal perspective that to be on the receiving end of something something like that from other committee

142members, it doesn't it it's not helpful. It doesn't feel very good. Um, it's very, you know, everybody has a different lived experience in my opinion. So, I I think that, you know, just kind of laying some ground rules like this is I don't I don't see anything wrong with it. It's really not directed at the public. Um I So, I think it's mainly just, you know, the decorum with, you know, to continue on the right path. I don't think that there's anything, you know, outrageous in this in any of this stuff to be totally honest. I think we all recognize these things, but um again, we're all different people and we all interpret and take things differently. And I think that if you go back and look at multiple meetings, you can see that there

143are certain things that do tend to happen that make, you know, that make it very uncomfortable for some people. So, and I just would like to avoid that. That's all. >> Thanks, Laura. Karen, I'm going to say avoiding discomfort is not always possible. The words used in the policy in regards to decorum are about limiting free speech, giving the chair the power to silence speakers that she may disagree with. I will own the outburst that I had. But words like respectful, productive, courtesy, respectful, ridicule, anger, rudeness, impatient are subjective terms and can easily lead to unequal application. Question for the chair. Were you being respectful and courteous on June 17th, 2025 when you turned to the audience and stated, quote, I'm not finished. I gave everybody the opportunity to express their views this month and

144last month. I don't I'm going to finish my statement as Donna finished her statement last month. Don't be disrespectful. Close quote. Chair, were you angry, impatient, rude, or were you agreeable, tolerant, and impassion? Again, these are subjective terms that can be interpreted differently person. During the same six-inut speech, you stated, quote, "I am the chair of this committee, an equal member of this committee. The sooner you and the Cheraho community accept that, the sooner we can all move forward to act in the best interest of the students of this district. Again, was that professional, respectful, and courteous, or was it demonstrative, disrespectful, discourteous? I think it is safe to say we all have our moments, but now you want to have control over what is acceptable and unacceptable. We don't need this policy. Can we

145all do better? Absolutely. But this speaks, this looks like, feels like, and sounds like a limitation to people's free speech, even at this table. Okay, Jess. Polly, did you have your hand raised also? >> I did. >> Okay, I'll go to Polly and then we'll go back to Jess. Um, Jessica suggested quite a few um, changes, but I was wondering if anybody had emailed in any suggestions after the agenda was submitted on Friday and sent out to the school committee members. >> Members, if members had any suggestions? >> Yeah. Did any send any to the chair? >> not any members. >> I was just wondering. I was just one I had one word and it went off of the the word that she suggested we change. So, I was being consistent. >> So, you're you're

146going to let her finish her statement though, right? >> Yeah. Okay. >> Um, thanks. >> I was clarifying what she said. >> That's a point of order. It's a comment. >> Um, so there was that question. And I also wanted to make a point that none of these are any good unless they're enforced. I've seen so many of these over the past three and a half years. In my opinion, I will say I have seen several of these rules of conduct broken, stomped upon, and misused. especially and I suggest you all read the last paragraph of when I was censured and the procedure that went into the censuring was not followed. So I was not given a certified any kind of letter or information that I was going to be censured. I was not provided

147the proof of what I was being censured about. So these papers are only as good, like Gina said, as the paper they're on, unless they're enforced and they're upheld by every single one of us with respect to the next one. That's all I have to say. >> Okay. Thanks, Molly. Um, so Jess and then Craig, >> my state, I just wanted to follow up with um, you know, folks that have expressed discomfort at things that have been said and heard in meetings. I I do think there's um a recourse for that in the meeting. I think that if something happens in a meeting that you're not happy with that we could call a point of order and call it to the attention that someone's behavior is inappropriate and they're they're basing their statements on personalities

148rather than the issue at hand. >> But but isn't that subjective? So if I if I say somebody's behavior is inappropriate, isn't that subjective? Not if it's a you call a point of order that they're off topic that they're issu that they're debating personalities and not issues. I think that if you think someone's out of order enough to change a policy, then you can call a point of order within a meeting. I think that's appropriate based on Robert's rules of order and our current code of conduct. >> Okay, Craig. John, >> this says rules of conduct. It's also a policy, correct? >> Correct. We have a policy subcommittee. We don't use it. Why wasn't this brought to them first? So Diane's brought forward at one of our last school committee meetings that she wanted to

149have a special meeting about this topic. So, actually the superintendent and I when we were reviewing agenda items, um because our meetings have gone quite long, often sometimes beyond 10 o'clock, um Gina and I thought that if we put this item on a regular meeting, that it would again go quite long, most likely beyond 10 o'clock. And um so Gina and I talked about having this as a special meeting. So that was the she and I discussed it as a team as as we review all the agenda items. So um you know that's how this came to be. >> That didn't answer my question why I didn't go to the subcommittee first >> because a member Diane T asked it to be considered as a special meeting. So here we are. >> Can I can

150I just >> Sure. um read the the the formation of policies policy and that's something actually I asked um John to look at because there's no mention in there of a subcommittee for the policy. So there's kind of a a a sketchy area. It doesn't have to go to the subcommittee because in the formation of policies, I don't know if I'm explaining it right and I don't want to step all over John's toes, but I think I personally think it should mention something in there, the formation of policies that anything we agreed to change in policies should go to the subcommittee. But that's a different topic and I don't want to get off of this one. >> Okay. >> I just wanted to be helpful. So, are there any other is there any other input

151from the members before we go to the public? >> All right. So, I I just have >> Oh, sorry, Karen. >> Suggest this go to the policy subcommittee. I know we've made an amendment. I mean, we've made a motion and a second, but there were a lot of verbal changes to this and um I think it should be vetted out. >> Okay. Yes, of course. Um Diane, just to clarify, this is the you're adding to the existing, correct? >> Correct. >> Okay. Just wanted to clarify. >> Okay. Um so I had a few thoughts that I wrote down on paper. So um before I open up to the public, I would just like to give some comments on this. So our school committee meetings should model the respectful civil dialogue we expect in our classrooms

152and our district. members exhibiting raised voices, engaging in personal attacks, interruptions, other disruptive behaviors detract from our shared purpose of acting in the best interest to move our district forward in the spirit of excellence. In our exchanges as school committee members, we should strive to embody patience, kindness, self-control, and both our words and tone. Me incl myself included. There have been occasions when voices have been raised in frustration toward one another. We should remember and be mindful that we serve the public best by choosing restraint, seeking understanding, and maintaining composure even in disagreement. Moving forward, let us as school committee members commit to the highest standards of decorum, listening attentively without interrupting, maintaining respectful body language and tone, refraining from side conversations, and treating each other's views with respect. If members wish to share opinions

153about fellow members or broader matters outside of the meeting context, you're free to exercise your free speech rights through letters to the editor, social media, on your own time. However, when we convene as a public body to conduct the district's business, we must hold ourselves to the highest highest standards of professionalism, ensuring our environment, ensuring an environment where mutual respect and decorum guide every interaction. We face several consequential decisions ahead. As we talked about earlier in our earlier meeting, we have a fiscal year 27 budget. We have an elementary school capital improvement plan that will define our school facilities for generations. In order to deliberate these important matters and all district matters and business effectively, I feel that we must ground our discussions in mutual respect and make a renewed commitment to that. In my

154view, maintaining the highest standards of civility is every bit as essential and timely as the substance of the issues we are addressing. I want to thank Diane for bringing this in what I feel is an important topic forward for the special meeting. I think it's something that we've needed to discuss and address as a body of 12. I know tonight we're only a body of nine, but I think it's something that we've needed to discuss and address for some time and to be candid with each other and to listen to each other. Over the last year, honestly, there have been instances where remarks aimed at myself personally have felt deeply, frankly, hateful and vile, inappropriate at times, and out of bounds. Worse, there have been times when the intensity of our discussions and votes left

155me personally feeling unsafe as I left our meetings. That's not how any of us should feel while serving our community as public servants. In today's climate, where political tensions too often spill into intimidations or even violence against public officials nationwide, it's more important than ever that we set a different standard here. We can and must prioritize mutual respect and safety for everyone at this table. Our district prioritizes kindness at every level. When I went to the budget meeting yesterday in the administration building, there are I think on Craig's Greg Zenyan's door, there's something about kindness. We have kind confidence clubs. Kindness, you know, reflects in the vision 2026 strategic plan at all levels. In turn, the school committee should be that model for kindness, should be that model for dignity and respect. Whenever we fall

156short of embodying those values, we fail in our common humanity. Diane, I think your recommendations for revising our rules of conduct are wellconsidered and timely. I wholeheartedly endorse them with the revisions that you made. Um, and you made revisions that the public, I think, uh, emailed a number of us today. And I think that um I appreciate your revisions that you made um and you respected the input of the public and I appreciate that. Um and you made a I think we we uh with your revisions you made you make an emphasis in placing and upholding civility and decorum among school committee members because these are school committee rules of conduct and I hope that this can um help us in our work together moving forward. So those are my comments. So I will open

157it up now to the community if the community would like to speak. So what I would like to do is if you would like to speak um I'm going to ask you to line up behind the podium and I will give every Does anyone like would anyone like to speak on this topic? Raise your hand please. Okay. We have one person, two people, three people, four so four uh f maybe five. So, I'll give each um community member um three minutes to speak. And I'm just going to ask each of you that raise your hands to please line up behind the other because um I would like to be mindful and respectful of time tonight. Um I I am trying to make sure that we don't go beyond 10 o'clock. So So who who else

158raised their hand? So if you can line up behind Mr. Stoner, I would appreciate it. Do you keep time, please? Thank you. >> Ready? >> Not yet. Just want to set set the timer. Okay. So, um Laura is going to keep a timer for three minutes. And when the timer goes off, I'm just going to ask you to wrap it up. Okay. >> I won't be here in three minutes. >> Okay. Thanks, Mr. Stoner. Please say your name and what town you're from. >> So, my name is Gary Stoner. I'm from the town of Richmond. I sent you an email earlier today, not early enough for the agenda. Um I believe the policy uh submitted or the um that uh Miss Teft submitted was done in good faith but I do believe it's completely redundant

159with already exists in terms of a school committee code of conduct rules of or rules of uh Robert's rules of order and the principles for conducting oneself as part of a school as a school committee member. If you keep in mind the the first point of the school committee responsibilities or members responsibilities, it is to serve children first to put the schools and the children first. And if you do that all the time, you won't need issues to you won't need guidelines for code of conduct and so on. In any case, the this proposal is completely redundant, I believe, with what already exists. But what already exists needs to be paid attention to. And secondly, I completely object to putting in the hands of this chair or any other chair the the responsibility to infer

160what is right and what's wrong and to determine when that person or a person if they've been determined to be wrong in what they're doing, how they should be cut off or what what should happen. Uh so I believe as Karen said that those infringe upon uh issues of free speech. So that's what I have to say. I think you're essentially wasting your time and you should be home with your families. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Stoner. Can I clarify something with you? >> You sure can. >> Can I ask did you think um these are for all the members of the school committee? Did you think they were just for the chair? because any member can can pull up any of these and you know point of order decorum point of order >>

161mists. >> So I was just >> written policy I believe was about all members of the school committee. >> Yeah. >> And I believe I read in there that the chair or from what I could tell the person who would be the judge would be the chair of the school committee. for any public body. The chair is >> the chair runs to me quorum. >> Yep. >> So I infer that that's what is that that's what's in there. >> Okay. Thank you. I just needed clarification how you were thinking about it. >> She did. >> And your name and what town you're from, please. >> My name is Debbie Miller and I'm from Cranston, Rhode Island. Just have a few remarks. Um, I think one of the things you should consider moving forward is to

162make your school committee nonpartisan. I think that would make things a lot easier on everybody. Um, I also wanted to know what the pro >> Sorry, that was from the last time. Sorry, just give us a moment to reset the clock. Sorry. >> Go ahead. >> Good. Okay. I just wanted to know what the process is for uh reporting a school committee member that's perhaps out of hand. I mean, I saw that there was something for like uh repeated offenses, but I don't see like for the day-to-day. So, like would it be appropriate for me today to put in a formal complaint against um uh Polly Hopkins? because when I uh approached her earlier and I asked her if she could ask you where to sign up, she totally dismissed me and I felt very

163very offended um when she did that. I didn't think that was professional at all. Um I don't think it would live up to your standards um that that that you have here. I think that if school committee members can't act professional, then you shouldn't be sitting on the school committee. Okay? It's the same thing when you go to work. If my sub subordinate was unprofessional, you know what? They'd be done. Okay? If they were rude to a clients that we that we we support where I work, they'd be done. You know, and same thing for the school committee. If you don't know how to behave appropriately, then leave. Um, I think that this whole policy that you're trying to put forth should be tabled until you could figure it out. I think that the policy

164subcommittee should be for formatted a little bit more uh specifically so you know like what goes first, what goes second. It sounds you're like you're very confused here. Um and I again I just want to say that the rules of conduct I I think should be your normal everyday way of life. So if you can't per perform professionally in here and you can't perform professionally in your private life, then you shouldn't sit on the school committee. So like if just for instance, let's just say you're on social media and you post something on your personal. Okay, granted it's your personal social media, but you post something that's like a little bit unprofessional, like would you hang it on the wall behind you? Like, you know, photo of Nazis and, you know, members of the LGBTQ

165community. Would you post that? I wouldn't allow people to post that where I work. Okay. So, I would suggest that the vote be taken and um that you table it until you could figure it out. >> Thank you. >> Um >> restart. >> Excuse me, Miss Debbie Miller of Cranston. Could I ask you to clarify something for me >> or let me just give you some info. >> Is this okay? Well, she asked who who would I contact and you can contact the Rhode Island Ethics Commission. If you believe when you came up behind me two inches from my face and asked that that I didn't react and you felt offended, please contact them. Okay. >> Thank you. >> 401222 3790. Is there standard procedure for >> So, so I'm going to just ask school

166committee members um so to to refrain from speaking to the public because all of that we really shouldn't be engaging, you know, back and forth during this time of public comment. >> So, um thank you, Miss Miller. I appreciate it. >> You know, it's like we can't speak from the sidelines. The school committee members shouldn't speak from the sidelines either. Thank you. >> Not typically not during public comment. Chair >> Paulie, >> sorry. I will clarify only because I've been down this road. Public forum before the meeting prohibits the school committee members from interacting with the public on a large scale. You can clarify questions. >> You can ask things, but this is an agenda that's opened up and the public is commenting. We're allowed to have a back and forth and discussion. >> Okay,

167Craig. As far as I know, >> for future reference, you're two outbursts were wrong. And this is why you were wrong by Robb's rules. >> Okay, you asked the chair the question, the chair will ask the person standing at the podium. >> Madam Chair, the word you cannot be used to another member. All remarks are addressed to the chair. >> Thank you, Mr. >> Okay. I haven't recognized you, Mr. Olen, but thank you. Okay. Thank you, Craig. >> Thank you for correcting me, sir. >> Are you ready for retire? >> Corrected very often, sir. >> Justin, your name and your town. >> Justin Bentley Ashway. Um, so I'll be very quick. Um thank you uh madam chair for we had engaged in dialogue back and forth and thank you for allowing public forum. I appreciate

168that. I was afraid that wouldn't be happen and thank you miss for >> striking the language. The the word participants was I think why many many people are here now in the room who are a little leery. >> Um so just for clarification all of the items we were discussing apply solely to the school committee not to the public. >> Correct. um >> at least that's what her revisions um >> reflect. >> Okay. So I just at times I I just I with it was mentioned earlier the fear of of uh limiting freedom of speech uh being able to express oneself. I just I would I would really appreciate if we would be allowed to as long as it's not disruptive to the meeting during public forum to express our approval um without being boisterous.

169you know, if something said that we feel passionately about that uh great for Charles schools, I would like to be able to from the audience express my approval. So, >> okay. Thank you. Appreciate that. Justin from Hopington, um with all the changes that you've made tonight, I think it's very unwise to vote on this policy tonight. I think that you have fundamentally changed what your initial um thoughts were. I think that taking the enforcement language out of it, while I appreciate that, I I don't understand why any of the rest of them are necessary, I also appreciate that it's not um applied to participants because that is against everybody's freedom of speech. I understand that these meetings are uncomfortable. You know, I was the chair during meetings. Linda was a chair. Craig was a chair

170when they were very uncomfortable. Uh we had people with signs and a picket line out front. We had people yelling at us from the audience. Um you're always going to have some level of discomfort. You should not feel personally unsafe. And if you feel personally unsafe, that's a problem and that's something you need to address with someone who's making you feel that way. Um but I think you're you're taking this too far. You have a difficult job chair already and to now add on to your plate that you need to on the fly make a subjective decision as to whether you think someone else is going to be agrieved by the tone that someone else is using makes that job impossible not only for you but these are rules that you're making for any other

171chairperson who comes after you. >> So I think these are unwise. I understand and do appreciate the conversation. Um, but I think if you're really serious about making these revisions, it should go back to the policy subcommittee so that you can maybe lower the temperature a little bit, have some more time. Jess had many suggestions. I I don't think you're prepared to make the the decision tonight. You shouldn't be prepared with all of the new information that's been brought forward to you. Thank you. >> Thank you, >> Jess. Just to add on to what Katherine just said about revising, I think if we really truly are in the spirit of collaboration and working together, I think that the edits I suggested are valid. I think that they deserve to be considered. I don't think we

172should rush ahead to put in changes that that have already been changed from the initial one that we all just heard right here. I think if we do want to work together on this, there's a better way to do it than to just push forward with these changes if we truly do mean what folks are saying. Greg >> Greg Abdesian from the town of Hockington. Um I think I guess I'd first off I'd like to just recognize uh item 11 out of title 16 uh in the education I believe this was in your packets. Um recognize that the first and greatest concern must be the educational welfare of the students attending the public schools. I don't think that I agree I agree with member Luzon that I don't think that that these changes um are

173going to make you um a more effective group in in implementing your charge as school committee members. Um I get it. It's difficult. I've been there where you where who where you are and I' and I understand Louise that I've been uh uh I've been someone who's had a couple of outbursts. Um it's been a while. Um I've tried to maintain control and I know that I have directed some of my comments towards you. Um and in my opinion I think I had some valid points but I don't want to go there. I my feeling is this. I I think it it's a tough job and and I've been there. I have been at the the end of where you are now. Um and yeah, you just have to bear with it and I respect

174the job that you guys are doing. I believe it or not, I will thank you all for your service. Um, but I think um I think moving on this is premature. I think uh member Purcell has some very good points. Um I would there's nothing to stop you from either tableabling it or amending it based on some of the other suggestions from the members. But um I I I think you're rushing into something and I think in the end if you do this it's just going to make the divide between the members uh even wider. >> Thank you. >> Your name and the town where you're from please. >> Simon Manlo Hopington. >> Hi. The stated aim of these changes to the policy was to enable productive discussion between the members of the school committee

175and to make sure that that discussion is respectful in nature. However, given the language of the current proposal, I do not believe that it adequately actually addresses that concern and that the language used is vague in a manner that makes it unhelpful for that purpose and possibly dangerous to include for its use in other purposes. specifically the changes that were made um at Madame Tess's proposals earlier this meeting in order to change the language from referring to participants and members to only referring to members I believe are very important and a good change. However, that does not address the fact that several of the clauses and points in the language currently on the floor do not have a subject. There is no subject mentioned in the line. It does not say members. It does not

176say participants. It does not say anybody. And therefore, it is open to interpretation whom that language may be construed towards or against. Okay. >> In addition to that, the language of this proposal as a whole is linguistically inconsistent with the rest of the document. It does not use a formalized language stating whom it applies to, whom it will be enforced by, how it applies, and under what circumstances it applies that are included in the rest of the clauses of the school committee's code of conduct. For this reason, it is also very broadly applicable in situations that do not apply to its stated purpose. In addition to this, many of its provisions of when it shall apply use words that do not have a definitive meaning under its own definitions. The code of conduct does not

177specifically and rigorously define the terms that are used in this particular addition, nor are they specifically defined anywhere in other legal documents that are referred to in this code of conduct, which means that all of its provisions are extremely open to interpretation. In light of that, I would consider it not even for reasons of any of this policy, but simply for reasons of the vagueness of the entirety of the procedure and its openness to possible legal challenge, frankly, to be >> May I just interject, if you don't mind? So, our um attorney did review Dian's suggested revisions. Um, so I don't believe that Mr. Anderson had any issues with the language that was brought forward that was that were brought for forward. >> Very well. >> All right. Thank you. I'm going to have to

178hold you there. >> Thank you. >> Can we vote? >> We have allow him to continue. >> Can we vote to overrule your your ruling? >> So, we need a twothirds majority to vote to have him to continue. >> Okay. >> I'm not sure. Can we ask John, Mr. Anderson? We need a two3 vote to extend. Yes, there's some that need a simple majority and there's some that need a two-thirds. I'm not sure. >> This is a 2/3. >> It's two. >> It's a 2/3. >> Okay. I make a motion to allow the speaker to continue. >> So, we have a motion and a second. All those in favor? >> Opposed? >> Okay. Go ahead. Continue. So, you have another minute. >> Very well. Thank you, Madam Chair. >> For these reasons, I would consider

179it not a problem of the policy contained in these revisions, but simply unwise at the current time and state of this revision to attempt to put this language and these particular ideas into effect as a official policy. This needs additional polish. This needs clarification as to exact standards. And this needs to be definitive and objective in a way that is language is currently not. >> Thank you. Uh, Goldie Williams, Richmond. I want to say that there was a time when Laura and Louise got attacked and they needed a police escort out of this meeting. And I didn't think that was right. And as for being for all kids all the time, not by me, especially my oldest son. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you, >> Bruce. I'm going to keep this well under three

180minutes. Uh Bruce Olian Richmond. I want to start with a small apology to madam chair the general generally speaking the some member of the public has a right to raise a point of order or a point of privilege which I did incorrectly. >> You accepted >> to the chair lady person who must say what is your point of order? I I skipped that step, so I apologize for that. >> No problem. >> Um secondly, um in a positive spirit, I I this is pretty good stuff overall. Um I commend uh Diane T uh for trying to write the policy. Um uh I think it's well meant. I have a couple of things that wrong with it. uh being a Christian and starting with our Jewish roots uh the ten commandments are all thou shalt not

181thou shalt not thou shalt not thou shalt not thou shalt not that's why a lot of people say what should I do well that's why we have Matthew 5 that says the peacemakers the humble and whatn not you get my point the point is it comes across I don't want to address Diane that's incorrect madam chairman although it's well written and I'm an English teacher. Grammatically correct and all I loved it. Um it's very negative. I would suggest it go to a a committee. I I've been on many committees in my education days. When we had a policy, we usually had one person write it and then sit down and chair tear it apart and say, "Oh, I don't like that word. Let's change that word to that one." You got to have at least

182three or four linguistically aware people. And no disrespect to the to the author. Uh I think she had was very well-intentioned. Uh again, it comes across as a tad negative. Um 10 years from today, if somebody reads this policy, they're going to say, "What the heck was going on at Charleo? Then do they sell tickets?" And it's the week before the Super Bowl. Um being a little facicious, but I want it to be more positive because you people are about to be more positive. It's almost like it's contradictory to some extent to where you're going. So in and and to wrap it up, I would like to go to a small group uh people who carry the carry it forward in with the intention strike out or minimize some of the negative words. Thou shalt

183not, thou shalt not. And let's put in the do things. Uh Robert's rules of order can be summarized in a couple of in one sentence. civil behavior for a deliberative body to move forward. Civil was the key word jumping around. Uh so anyway, you you get my point. I I would suggest that you table it for the time being. Good idea, good opportunity. Get a get that thing, tear it apart, put it back together again, try to have a positive tone so 10 years from today, people will read it and say they did a good job. >> Thank you. >> Thanks, Bruce. So I I think that the bullets that Diane put forward for the most part are in a positive context. Committee members are encouraged to model the respectful behavior we expect of students

184and staff in our schools. All communications whether spoken or written shall reflect should reflect the highest standards of professional decorum and avoid any appearance of bias, discrimination or disrespect. So, I think I would push back on you a little bit, Bruce, about the thou shalt not. Um, and I I appreciate your feedback on that. Um, you know, I appreciate and I think all of us appreciate your feedback. Um, so with that being said, we do have a motion on the floor. We have a second. Um, are we ready to vote on this, Laura? So if there is an amendment made, so Jess had referenced a lot of things and it was a lot for me to process in one setting. So I'm just wondering if it can be, you know, I like Dian's piece of

185this. I think that it's good and that it should that it should go on, you know, as the um, you know, bullet that she has. What is this >> rules of conduct >> under the decorum? How she has that listed? I think it is a good idea to, you know, to add that in there. But I also think that with the amount of additional things that Jess suggested that perhaps it that piece since there were so many could go to the policy subcommittee, which we are we've already been told by Gina that that's policy subcommittee will not be meeting until after budget season is over. um just because of the time of year. So, >> okay. All right. So, members, we do have a motion on the floor and we have a second. Are we

186ready to vote? >> Okay. All those in favor of moving forward with the decorum section of the rules of conduct as Diane noted with her revisions, raise your hand. All those opposed? Motion carries. Okay. Could I make a motion to send it to the subcommittee as well? >> So you're So you're making a motion for your revisions to the rules of conduct to go to the policy subcommittee? >> Well, for the whole policy to go for review and yes, so I could make my um revisions as well. >> So for a specific reason >> for what's going to go to the policy subcommittee? I mean if if the school committee voted on including this language as part of decorum. So it has been adopted as as >> now a member now as part of the

187rules of conduct. >> So I have not recognized you. This is the second time that you've disrupted. >> So okay. So I'm going to ask you to just refrain refrain from disrupting. >> No it was the second but that's that's okay. Linda, >> well, I want Jessica to finish and then I'll >> multiple folks express interest at uh incorporating my amendments and I understand why they can't be they didn't want to be um made right now, but also Miss Teft had changes that were rolled into this document. Um I still think there's a lot of discussion that could be had and I would like it to go to the policy subcommittee. >> Sure. So, if you want to put that forward at our next school committee meeting about if you have um revisions to the

188rules of conduct for some other items, either it's meeting procedures or agenda development. >> Can I make a motion now? >> If you'd like to >> That's what I was doing. >> Yeah. Okay. >> I make a motion to send this policy to the policy subcommittee for further revision. >> Second. >> It doesn't matter. >> Okay. It does matter. >> So, we have a motion and a second. >> Any discussion? So just to clarify this is this would be regarding not what we at all just discussed at length. This would just be in reference to the ones that you had spoke about previously. Correct. >> People can make other changes as well. I don't think it can be specific. >> So I'd just like to weigh in on that. I mean we just had a

189discussion on this and we voted. So now to go back and make suggested revisions to to whatever Diane, >> you completely ignored my suggestions. >> Then Jess make a motion to >> I was >> but we we can only consider one motion at a time and the motion was for Dian's language. >> So again, please stop interrupting. Please stop interrupting. So you are not recognized by the chair. But okay, but this is exactly why we need rules of decorum among school committee members. And also when the policy subcommittee meets, I hope that the policy subcommittee would consider rules of decorum and and suggestions for decorum because we we can't we can't have people from the audience, you know, disrupting a public meeting. It's just not appropriate and I think everybody around this table can agree

190on that. So I would like to um So we have a motion on the table. We have a second. Um, do you want to restate the motion? Uh, madame clerk, >> what I have is that the motion is for the whole policy to go before the policy subcom. >> So, we have a second, but what's ambiguous, I think, to to what's ambiguous for Laura is if whatever we just passed is now going to be reconsidered because, >> right, then what was the point? >> Then what was the point of the >> Yes. Um so um Mr. Mafetta, can you just hold on one second? >> Thanks. >> Policy even what we just approved or you just approved can go to the policy subcommittee and be discussed and then it's going to come back to be

191voted on here. Correct. So, I think even though we just voted, you voted on some of the word choice, I think some of the word choice could be looked at. Even in the decorum section, Jess's suggestions could be um vetted out. The whole policy could be rewritten. There were a lot of changes even to Miss Teft's piece that may look differently once it's all typed up. So, you know, if I I just I think that we just had a discussion about this. We had a majority vote. It was a five to four vote. Now, to go back and suggest changes when we had a discussion about it, and now we're going to have another discussion about it in a subcommittee to me seems redundant and unnecessary and not respectful of what the majority just voted.

192>> That's my opinion and I'm entitled to it. So, >> so hold on. I mean, I I would like to add to this that once you open up the discussion to revote to vote and review and amend the char school rules of conduct, you open it up to the whole rules of conduct. This isn't just for Diane T's amendment. Once you open up discussion for this and they vote on it, you open up the whole code of conduct. So, Jess has standing in her comments. This meeting has not been adjourned. Okay. You can ask your attorney if that I served on a town council. I know when you open something up, that's how it happens. >> Sure. >> Okay. So, if you would like to possibly ask Mr. Anderson that question, I would appreciate that

193and I think everyone here would appreciate that. >> Okay. Um, so I'll go to uh Craig first and then I'll um ask John D weigh in on this. >> Madam Chair, >> yes. Just look at how many times this has already been revised, this policy. Okay, it's been revised 10 times posted. So that this >> Okay, thank you John. >> Um it's my opinion that the motion is within the scope of the agenda item and any member of the school committee can make a motion with regard to the agenda item. If there's a second, then the motion needs to be considered. >> Of course. Okay. So again, we do have a motion and a second. Um, so my feedback on this and we're on the discussion part of the motion, right? My feedback on this

194is similar to Laura's that we had discussion on this. There was language added to the rules of conduct. I don't know why the the decorum section would be revised or revisited again um at the policy subcommittee level. That's just my opinion. So Karen, >> nobody's saying that it is or isn't, but the policy should go back to the policy subcommittee so that Jess's suggestions can be discussed and possibly incorporated. >> Sure. I don't I don't think there's any disagreement on that. If you have other adjustments that you want to look at for the rules of conduct, and there were a number of them, and I'm sure, you know, most of them are really good suggestions. if we if you want to make um if you want to discuss those at length at the policy subcommittee

195level and then bring those re uh perspective revisions back with a red line just like Diane brought this forward tonight. I don't think that there's any disagreement on that among this among the table >> what the motion is. Yeah, >> that's exactly >> well I just gave you my opinion. I don't think that the the decorum section should be looked at because we already discussed it and we voted on it. So >> we have All right. So we have a motion and a second to for this to go to the policy subcommittee. So all those in favor. Okay. Unanimous. Great. >> Thank you. >> Okay. So there was another agenda item on our agenda tonight and I think there was a little bit of ambiguity and maybe a miscommunication on this. Um the item was

196discussion and vote to review and amend the code of management principles and ethical standards for school committee members. And um I think um Angela thought that I brought that agenda item forward. I didn't. So I don't have anything to add or suggest to this unless but it is on the agenda. So if anybody has anything that they want to discuss or add to that um >> speak now or Paulie >> I make a move to table this agenda item. We don't well I was just covering my butts because it's on the >> Well, thank you. table it to indefinitely. >> All right. So, we have a motion to table indefinitely. Do we have a second? We have a second. All those in favor. >> Anyone opposed? >> Hey, did you get that, Madam Clerk? >>

197So, motion motion carries. Okay. Do I have a motion to adjurnn? >> Motion to adjurnn. >> Okay. We have a motion to adjurnn. Do we have a second? Okay. All those in favor? >> Thank you. Well, anybody anyone opposed? Okay, you're going to stay here tonight, right? Have a good night.