001I I'd like to call the Foster-Glocester School Committee to order at 6:30. Can I have roll call? Mrs. Joyce, Mr. Mara. Mr. Dupuis. >> Here. >> Mrs. Keeling. >> Here. >> Mr. Joyce. >> Here. >> Mrs. Cook. >> Here. >> Ms. Pereira. >> Here. >> Mr. Rizzo. >> Here. >> And Ms. Pezza. >> She's here. I see her. >> Yeah. Yeah. Okay. >> Madam Chair, I make a motion to convene to executive session to discuss and or vote on the following matters. Rhode Island General Law 42-46-5A, legal advice pending litigation, update on potential litigation regarding alleged teacher misconduct. And Rhode Island General Law 42-46-5A, collective bargaining negotiations NEAPON and ESP. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> Aye. >> Opposed? Abstentions? >> Mhm. >> Can we please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance? >> I
002pledge 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. >> Before we begin with our staff, I mean with our student and staff recognitions, I'd like to give the floor to Aaron. >> Um, Madam Chair, I would just like to ask for a moment of silence for two long-term employees that passed away these past couple of months. One of them is Cindy Steer and the other one is Tom Hopkins. If we can just do a moment of silence for those two long-term employees just because they did so much for the district. Thank you. >> Now it's time, Beth, for our student and staff recognition. >> Is Mary Klein and Heather Pivenzi here? So, we're going
003to start our celebration tonight of all you guys with SkillsUSA. >> Hi everyone. We would like to congratulate the Ponaganset SkillsUSA students who competed in the Rhode Island competitions this year. 26 students competed in 13 competitions including carpentry, computer programming, criminal justice, crime scene investigation, early childhood education, extemporaneous speech, firefighting, first aid CPR, medical math, medical terminology, pin design, prepared speech, and t-shirt design. We would also like to recognize the following students who medaled in their competitions. Cooper Nichols took home a bronze medal in the firefighting competition. Ibrahima Fall won a silver medal in the firefighting competition. Jarian Kramer won silver in extemporaneous speaking. Marley Beloti won a gold medal in the firefighting competition. Eli Mackin won a gold medal in computer programming. Eli, Jarian, and Ibrahima will be representing PHS and Rhode Island at
004the national competition in June, which will be held in Atlanta, Georgia. All right. So, Jarian Kramer, can you come on up? Yay! Ibrahima Fall? >> Eli Mackin And Marley Belotti Um our other students that are that participated in skills but didn't place that are here if you just want to come forward so everybody can see you for just a moment. We won't read your name but we want to clap for you. All right, come on up. Yay! Ms. Bovenzi and Ms. Klein, before you leave, congratulations. Committee members, um I just want to say a really big thank you. Congratulations. Um our Skills competition um students has expanded um very very rapidly and I appreciate the work that you do in school outside of school. It's not an easy task to take the students to competition.
005Uh it's a lot of work outside of school and I just appreciate your commitment and I want everyone to know that this is part of the reason why our students are able to compete in the competitions that are national and how they place and why they place it's because of the commitment of the teachers behind that. So, thank you for being the coordinators of SkillsUSA. Thank you. >> Next up will be Charlie Myers in the lead renovators remodelers certification training. There he is. So, you give the little speech. >> Okay. Um my students may not recognize me with a jacket on. You know, it's still me. You know, just in case. Um so, the lead renovator remodelers uh it's a really important um thing that they took. We give it during February vacation. It's not
006a requirement of their graduation. Uh they are coming in on a spending a Saturday or Tuesday, depending on class they took, uh during their vacation so that they can get these credentials and learn about lead paint. It's really an important thing that we understand about how lead paint, how little it is, how little it takes. If you take a sugar packet of lead, that would lead poison 4,400 children. And once they're poisoned, it impacts their brain and it can never be undone. And there's a myriad of different things that it um shows or um displays as. It could be um problems learning language or problems learning math, upper-level math, into spatial, um behavior problems, ADHD, things like that. And unfortunately, we actually led the world with the most most lead paint poisoned children uh in
0072004. We led the world. The city of Woonsocket was the number one municipality in the entire world. And strangely enough, we also led the world with the most ADA ADD and ADHD diagnoses, which is one of the things that can show as it takes a tiny tiny amount. And they learned how to prevent that. 78% of all lead poisoned children are because of remodeling in their home, whether it's done by the parents unknowingly or by a professional uh quote-unquote professional, but you can get that from burning scrap wood in your bonfire with paint on it. It takes a tiny tiny tiny amount of lead paint to impact a kid. As you get older, it's not as um serious, but um we had young one young lady that again uh one of the most important things
008is is if you get lead poisoned, you store it in your bones thinking your body thinks it's calcium, and then someday if you're pregnant, you can actually lead poison your child 5 or 10 years after you were lead poisoned when you were younger. So, it's a really important thing and I I just hope that um training my students like this every year, I've been doing this for uh 15 years, that I can reduce the number of kids that have to go through this. So, um without further ado, um not everyone unfortunately can be here tonight. Some of them are working. Um the first is uh Gianna Borden and I don't think she's here tonight. She is working. Holston Koszuszko Congratulations, Holston. Good job. Jackson Harrop Congratulations. Mason Shanley Good job, buddy. Drew Rock Congratulations. Max
009is not here. Max is not here. Ethan Hader Congratulations. I know I'm going to screw your name up. Ryan McKenney How bad was I? >> Uh it's all right. >> Ah, okay. Zack Rockio Good job. Dan Salucci Good job, Dan. The only third-year student I've ever had do this, uh Paxton Allen Congratulations. Kean Carlos is not here. Sebastian Small is playing baseball, I think. Spencer St. Onge Thank you. David Trudeau is not here. Justin Welch And these are the only 16 students in the United States of America that have earned these credentials in high school. Um students, I will give you your actual license from the EPA uh, which was designed right here just for you. Um, and I'll give you those right outside and we'll get a picture with you as I give them
010to you. >> Did you say these are the only 16 >> in the state. >> There's only 16 in the United States. >> And so before, yeah. So before before you end, um, I'm happy you said that. That's a really important point. Mr. Myers brought this to Huntington High School when he came and I think the first class you might have had three students that that stayed with you, right? Um, he does it on February break. He does it on his own time and our students, um, benefit from it and it's not what you see in other high schools. So this is because he had a desire, a passion. You heard that at the beginning and so thank you for your time and, um, thank you for giving them the opportunity. >> Thank you for
011recognizing our students. Thank you very much. >> Next up is an outstanding athlete. Amber Shore is the indoor track and field pole vault state champion. I don't think we've Have we? Never before have we had uh, that's a Come on up. >> Congratulations on your award. >> Good luck on the next one. Congratulations. >> Congratulations, Amber. Is Steve DeNoble here? >> Okay, yeah, sure. >> Oh, okay. >> Um So, yeah, I'm the the coach of the Ponaganset wrestling team. If you guys didn't know, my name is Steve DeNoble, and I had the pleasure of coaching the first state championship women's wrestling team for Ponaganset, comprised of five girls, Marley Bellotti, Sailor Pittsy, Sophia George, Kaylee Kuchino, and did I miss anyone? I think that's everybody. And Thora Healey, is Thora here? I didn't see her.
012So, yeah, the first time that we actually have won a team has won the boys and girls. Very historic moment, something that we didn't really expect. It came down to a point at the tournament between us and North Providence. Very, very surprised, very, very happy, super excited for these girls. So, come on up, girls, get your award. First up is Marley Bellotti. That's Marley, yeah. Then Sailor Pizzey. Um, I don't think Sophia, Caitlin, or Thorafina are here, but um, all very good wrestlers in their own right, so. Uh, and then the boys team, um, you know, another another year of really good success from them. Very, very difficult year. Uh, injuries all around. Uh, coming back through a lot of adversity, a lot of very difficult moments throughout the season. Um, we had four season
013ending inj- injuries within the lineup. We had seven MRIs, um, a lot of surgeries, um, a lot of tough, difficult moments, um, but still came out winning a state title and a New England title in a close fashion, uh, but super proud of these guys, so. Uh, yeah, I'll go with he's not here. Um, nope. Nope. Uh, first up is uh, our um, state and New England champ, Colby Vital. Um, he's not here, but David Perez is one of the great Ponaganset wrestlers, so I just want to announce him. Um, uh, JV second place this year at JV states, Dylan Nelson. Um, huge team guy, uh, did everything we could for us, uh, Evan Sheeran. Uh, obviously one of the another super great wrestler lost the season early but um two-time New England champ, two-time
014three-time state champ, Joseph Joyce. No Josh. No Kenneth. No Matteo. One of our many season-ending injuries but um short uh short-term at this season came in and uh contributed a lot, Michael Lafort. Hobble on up here. >> You kind of walk like Cindy. >> No Shamar. Nico's not here. Um arguably the toughest kid on the team, sixth place this year at the state tournament, Tyler Vargas. >> Congratulations. >> It's Tyler. Wyatt's not here. Um one of the great Ponaganset athletes of all time. Um third place this year at uh at the state tournament and scored a ton of points for us at New England's, Zach Rockio. No Shamar. >> Big name. >> No Zach Winters. No Mason. No Cayden. Uh state champ this year in in dominant fashion, third place at New England's, one of
015another superstar in the sport and excited he's also committed to Harvard University, Cole Lemovitz. Oh, I'm missing it. I spelled his name wrong. That's right. Um another kid that fought through injuries a little bit um but super super tough, had a great season, second in the state, fifth in New England, um, helped uh clinch the tournament for us, Apollo Bellini. Uh, it took a little convincing, joined the season a little bit later in the year, um, but he uh he stuck it through and I'm really proud of him, Ethan Hayder, his senior season. Uh, another great lightweight that came to us, um, a few years back. He's committed to the team. Um, he's been doing everything we ask of him. He's he's grown as a man. It's Caden Hughes. Two time state champ, by the
016way. Yes, no Quinton. No Giovanni. Um, another superstar, uh, state champ this year, second place in New Englands in a super tough bout, um, super love coaching this kid, super hard worker, Carnell Davis. That's it. That's everybody, thank you. >> Chase, come on over. >> Chase. Superstar. We can't forget about Chase. State champ against his friend. Really good job in New Englands, superstar, love this kid, one of the hardest workers in the room, Chase uh Chase Armstrong. We'll get you a plaque, don't worry. >> Anybody else? >> No one else good. >> Do we have everyone? So, that concludes tonight's recognitions. Come back next month. We still have boys basketball um state champs and cheerleading state champs. So, lots to celebrate. Shelly, you good? Should I start? Okay, we are on item number seven, public
017comment. >> Just hit the mic on. >> Name and address? >> Yes, please. >> Brian Kelly, 94 Country Meadow Lane. Uh just one quick question and an observation on one of the agenda items. Uh question is posed to the two co-chairs. Help clarify to me financial town meeting. Does it or does it not follow Robert's Rules? >> All right, so this is on agenda item number >> I think it's 17 or something like that. >> Let me look. 13? So, I'll have my attorney address that. Is there another question? >> Well, just on that. Well, it's directed to you because you two are the co-chair and you two are the moderators for the financial town meeting. >> Okay. >> So, you two should know what rules you're operating under. That's why I'm asking you the
018question. >> Okay. We don't comment during public comment. >> Well, there's nothing to say you can't. >> Okay. Do you have anything else for us? >> So, you don't want to answer it? You can't answer that question? >> we'll speak about the financial town meeting on agenda item number 13. Do you have another comment? >> Okay. Um agenda item 16B. Um you have on it to delete an addendum to a property regarding purchases. The 3320 AD. You have it on there to delete it or we send it? >> Okay. Um I'm not sure what the basis is for deleting it when this addendum is meant to clarify or clarify accountability for the main uh policy of 3320. Especially when it's been mentioned twice in audits about the handling of purchase requisitions. And the only thing
019I would say is not only should this not be Not only >> I'm sorry. Shelly, do you need me? Yeah, you can close the door. >> Uh So, not only should it not be rescinded there should be uh another addition to that policy which strengthens it. I realize the current policy says that a person who violates 3320 uh would be responsible for paying the expenditure personally. Uh there should be additional language to enforce it along the lines of uh let's see. Um a recurrence of violation of violation will be will subject the employee to further action up to and including termination. In private industry, my career if I ever had somebody who worked for me who backdated the document against company policy, they would be fired on the spot. That's all I'm saying. >> Okay.
020Any other public comment? >> If I may, uh if you don't mind, please. I would just if we're not going to answer questions during public comment, if they're agenda items and they're allowed to speak No, no, no. So, what I'm trying to say is then why have it on there? That's all. If we're going to allow them to speak >> They can come back up when we discuss it. >> No, no, I know that. But, why have public comment on there? Cuz if they're not allowed to say That's all I'm trying to If we're not going to answer them and I understand that you're going to address it during the agenda item. So, why have public comment on the agenda? Cuz it's misleading. >> They've asked for public >> Well, we They asked for public
021comment, not on open agenda items. They asked for public comment to be That's not what the public asked. The public asked for public comment to be like just normal, not limited. So, that's So, I'm just saying if it's going to be limited, I think it's pointless. That's all I'm trying to insinuate. >> Okay. Thank you. Approval of May meeting minutes from March 10th, 2026. >> Madam Chair, I make a motion to approve the minutes of the open meeting on March 10th, 2026. >> Do I have a second? Any discussion? All in favor? >> I. >> Opposed? >> I abstain. I was not here for this part of the meeting, either. >> 7-0-2. >> Madam Chair, I make a motion to approve the minutes of executive session meeting on March 10th, 2026. >> Any discussion? All
022in favor? >> I. >> Opposed? Abstentions? Amy? Abstain? >> 8-0-1. >> No, 8-0-7. >> No, I abstained. >> Why did you abstain? >> I wasn't here. I wasn't at the >> Okay. Approval of monthly bills. >> Madam Chair, I make a motion to approve the monthly bills dated March 1st, 2026 to March 31st, 2026 in the amount of $1,416,799.02. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All in favor? >> Aye. >> Opposed? Abstentions? Approval of cell tower funds. >> Madam Chair, I make a motion to approve $6,000 to allow PMS students to attend their class trip. Sixth grade, Garden Memorial Park. Seventh grade, Boston Freedom Trail and Tea Party Museum. Eighth grade, Great Wolf Lodge. Funds will be allocated to offset the cost of each of air or of each grade trip. Matching funds request of $6,000.
023>> Second. >> Any discussion? >> Should Should we let her talk or just vote? Should we let Miss Gold have any questions? If we want to explain it. Do you want us just to vote or It's totally up >> Yeah. >> Let's vote. >> Is she the teacher? Is she What is She's a teacher. Okay. Thank you for for creating this for the kids, for giving them like an end of the year opportunity. Thank you. >> All in favor? >> Aye. >> Opposed? Abstentions? 9-0. Thank you. >> I appreciate it. Thank you, Miss Gold. >> Number 11, finance updates, budget and finance, the revenue and expense monthly for March. And the approval of quarter three budget adjustments. >> Uh for revenues, we're 81.51% collected and expenses were at 64.88% with that three quarters of the
024year. Through March. >> We have adjustments on that. >> So oh, so we need a motion. >> Where were the adjustments? I'm sorry. Were the adjustments in our packet? >> Yes, they're right after the revenue and expense report. Cuz I It was in with the warrant. So, is this what you're referring to here? Budget journal entries. >> Yes, those are the budget adjustments. Most of them are UCOA adjustments, and there's a few um shifts to cover some expenses. Different departments. Yes. Yep. That's for Q3. May I please ask that next time it's not in with the bills because I thought it was one of the bills. If it's going to be an item, we could have like like the item 11B at the top of it, if you don't mind, please. That would be helpful.
025>> Or at the bottom. >> No, yeah, that's fine. It was just cuz it was Yeah. Looked like it was part of the bill, so thank you. >> Do you want a minute? >> Yes, please. >> And we need >> Motion. We're going to need a motion. I just wanted to give her a minute. >> I make a motion for the approval of the quarter three budget adjustments as presented. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> All in favor? >> Aye. >> Opposed? Abstentions? >> I abstain cuz I feel like I wasn't prepared enough. Thank you. >> Superintendent's report. So, on on the personnel actions, you have uh two resignations and then two leave of absence for non-certified. >> We don't need a motion for this. >> Um well, don't we need a
026for a leave of absence we do, don't we? >> Oh. >> Um if I could just ask, we normally get resignation letters in a packet. >> Oh. >> Um I did get one of them from one of the employees cuz I reached out. I was surprised she was resigning cuz she was ill and I think it's very unfortunate that um I have the resignation letter. One of them was forced to resi- to resign. >> think you can speak about personnel actions. >> Um well, I she asked me to. >> Oh. >> She asked me to. I'm not going to talk about her I'm not There's no person. There's no names. I just think it's very unfortunate that we made exceptions for other people for medical accommodations and we didn't for this person. That's all. >>
027I think you have misinformation and I will speak about personnel actions. >> Okay. Okay. It's fine. I I have all the information with me. And she And she asked me to. So. It's a public document. The resignation letter is a public document. Is it not public agenda and open session? So, therefore, it can be discussed. I'm not saying names. I just think it's very unfortunate that we turned our back on an employee that had a medical issue. >> And And I think that comment is is inappropriate and I don't think you have the entire information. If you want to speak privately, I will. I'm not going to comment on a personnel I I can't do that and you're putting me in a situation where you're forcing me to and that's not okay. >> Okay, Shelly.
028>> Do I have a motion? Who made it? Did you make it, Aaron? >> I did not. I'm just going to make a motion to approve the leave of absences as presented in the packet. >> Do I have Eileen Cook. All in favor? >> Aye. >> Opposed? Abstentions? In addition to the superintendent's report, we received meet requirement for the right to read act. You You might have heard that over the years, the science of reading. And we are a district who meets the requirements. What that means is we've made a clear commitment to building our educator capacity to implement the science of reading. So, it doesn't mean that they're just trained, which we we have only three employees who are not trained, and they were new to the district, and we have a plan for
029them completing that requirement. It is required through RI through the Right to Read Act. We just got this letter, and we will be sending one out to families. It's work I'm really proud of. You should be proud of it. If you remember years ago, you were assigned a district literacy coordinator. Um, and most of the PD that you've approved has been geared towards not only getting teachers the awareness or proficiency certification, but what that looks like in the classroom. So, we spent many years in PD implementing those strategies. And so, this is this is an accomplishment, and I just wanted you to be aware of that. Uh, letter C is we've been asked for quite some time now for a new sign. That's just a picture of the new sign. We want to say thank
030you to the class of 2010. They have sponsored the majority of the cost of the sign. And I think it'll look awesome once it's once it's up and Uh, it will not be it will not be um neon signs. It will not be anything like that. It's still the letters, but >> Is it still happy to hear that every time I pull in? >> easily changeable one. So, this is but again, class of 2010 has really Mr. Rotundo has worked with us and has sponsored that. So, pretty happy about that. >> And again, just wanted to make sure that it's donated by the class of 2010. No, obviously no public funds or you know, not it didn't come out of our budget. It was all donated by those >> very very small part of it
031that was in the facilities, but the majority of it was was sponsored by the class of 2010. We'd been working with him since last year. >> Okay, perfect. Thank you. >> Isn't it? I know. >> Oh, definitely. >> It's a really nice gift. That How your class, Mr. Martinelli? You were the class advisor? I remember that. Thank you for that. Okay. Oh, okay. We'll thank her as well. Thank you. Number 13, legal charter clarification regarding the recessed regional financial town meeting reconvening, set to reconvene April 14th, 2026. >> Um thank you uh Madam Chair, you you've asked me to um be prepared to just review what happened at the meeting and and what the charter says about how these meetings should be conducted. Now, um just to be clear, we talk about it as a
032charter. It's not technically a charter. It was a public law that was enacted in 1958 that created this entity called Foster-Glocester Regional School District. Shortly after that and it was limited to the middle school and high school. Shortly after that act was passed that just dealt with this group. The general laws of Rhode Island and was were enacted 16-3, which allows for the creation of other regional districts. Uh Exeter-West Greenwich, Bristol-Warren, um Chariho. Um those were all created under that statute and that's why they're all fully regionalized. But you're a unique body, you were created by this statute. This statute governs how you are how you conduct your meetings um and that's it takes precedence over just about everything else in in state law. Um the charter and then of the dates have been changed
033over time, so they talk about the fight Originally, the financial meeting was in February, that's been changed to March, for example. Um but the basics of it are this. Um section 10 of that public law 109 says uh that a at least 10 days before the annual regional financial meeting at which the budget is to be adopted the regional district school committee shall hold a public hearing on the proposed budget at which time any citizen entitled to vote at the regional financial meeting may be heard. Notice of such hearing the date of such hearing together with the summary must be advertised. That's changed. Used to have to publish put it in um a newspaper of general circulation. Now we do it a little bit differently, but basically the concept is the same. You have to
034You have to have a proposed budget and at least 10 days before the regional financial meeting, you have to have a public hearing on that budget. You had that on March 10th this year. That is the time when members of the public are entitled to come and make comments on your budget and ask you to make changes to that budget before you adopt your final budget. Why is that important? Try It goes on to say the final budget as adopted by the regional school committee at the public hearing shall not may, not could, shall be acted upon by their annual regional school district financial meeting. What that means is it's the final budget that you adopt. You cannot change that. That's what gets advertised in the warrant that's served on the sheriffs and that's read
035at the at the beginning of the meeting by your clerk. That is um what's advertised in wherever you advertise the budget. So what happens to that budget? Then section 8, it's in a little bit reverse of the statute, says, "The regional school district financial meeting shall determine the annual regional school district budget as to overall amount." So, now you have your budget, which has detailed to it for explanation, but the voters at the financial meeting can't pick and choose what line items to add to or cut. They can only add to or cut to the overall amount. And historically, that's what happens at the meeting. Um you sometimes people move to add money to the budget. Sometimes people move to cut the budget. And sometimes it's just voted on as presented. If it's added to
036or subtracted from, then the budget comes back to you, and you have to make adjustments based upon what the voters did. But you don't do it at that meeting. And you cannot change it at that meeting. Um picture this. You're sitting there as a school a regional school committee, and someone gets up and says, "You know, what about cutting the budget?" And you all turn to each other and say, "Okay, let's vote to cut the budget before they vote." You can't do that. So, now what happened at the meeting? You have rules of conduct, to which you've adopted. They've changed over time, but not significantly. What is the only order of business at that meeting? The only order of business is to pass a budget. There's nothing else. Your agenda tonight contains 24 items. They're
037not all action items. If somebody moved to table one of these to the next meeting, you could do that. But when the only order of business is to adopt a budget, you cannot table that. So, to the extent that you as a district committee follow Robert's Rules when you're sitting here tonight, you're not following them at the meeting. Your order of business as stated at the rules of conduct, which were passed out to everybody at the meeting, the chairperson calls the meeting to order, you declare a quorum, the warrant is read, the business on the warrant is acted upon, and there's an adjournment. That's it. Nothing else that you can do. The only other provision is if the meeting does not conclude by 11:00 p.m., the moderator may recess the meeting. And that's what happened
038that night. There was a motion to recess, it was seconded, and everybody agreed. What is a recess? Let's take a recess right now of this meeting. It's a It's 5:00 of 8:00. We're going to take a 5-minute recess. We all leave, we come back in 5 minutes. That's a recess. It's a little different because a month is going to go by or you know, 2 or 3 weeks are going to go by. But, you're still technically in that meeting. So, you can't change anything. So, that I just wanted to give that summary. Um I hope that answers everyone's questions. If it doesn't, please ask me and I'll try to explain it better. >> I do. >> I I thought that was um a great explanation. I appreciate you doing that for us, Greg. Aaron? >>
039I just do have a couple of questions, Greg. So, I know when it comes to the charter, obviously the public is voting on. However, it doesn't mention maintenance of effort, correct? So, what's stopping say someone in the public from saying making a motion to say cut 400,000 even though we're not going below because again, are they voting on say those, you know, the tax numbers for the town? But, if they cut 400,000, obviously we can't go below say that 18% not the 18 but whatever it is in terms of our maintenance of effort, but we they can still cut the other 400,000, correct? Or something along those lines because I don't see that anywhere within >> So, there is another provision >> There is another provision of the charter that talks about what happens after
040the operating budget is passed. And this really falls to your treasurer. Um you call your business manager, but she's your treasurer as well. Um after the budget is passed, and I didn't it's up to So, your budget has an overall amount 33 million. And then it has the local appropriation 18 million or so. If someone cuts the if the budget is cut, that doesn't mean the 18 million that's bills that are sent to the two towns are cut. >> Right, but it would be a overall budget >> that that's governed by a state law of maintenance of effort, which supersedes everything. >> Right. >> Okay? So, the cuts, if they were to come, would have to come from somewhere else. Not from the And that's falls on your treasurer. She's going to be sending those
041bills to the two towns. They have to still pay what they paid the previous year. Now, you have you have the adjustment made for popu- you know, the the difference in population. So, costs are going to go up a little bit, costs are going to go down. That's happened quite often. But, the total amount of that maintenance of effort, that 18 million, is not going to change. >> No, but they could make the motion in order to cut say like just cut the budget by 400,000. Obviously, there's nowhere else to cut in terms of the maintenance of effort to the towns, in which case the only thing it would fall under would be the expenditures, correct? >> You'd have to take I I think you would have to take it from expenditures that are paid
042for out of other than maintenance of effort other of your you have significant other revenues besides the town revenue. >> Okay. >> Um if I may, I'm sorry for interrupting. Okay, quick point. So, I'd like to just point to I know you said it can't be changed, but on page 4 of 67 of the regional school district budget in fine print, it says the above figures are subject to change and presented on information available at the time of print. So, I'm sorry. That's giving me the impression that the budget can change cuz it's right here on the budget. >> I have no idea what you're talking about. >> I'll show you. Wait, right here. >> What What is this? >> This is the budget that was presented that night at the meeting. >> Right. So,
043this this was this was presented to the public hearing as a proposed budget. So, if while during the public Let's say during the public hearing someone was had come up and said, "Let's cut 100 I I'd like you to cut $100,000 from the budget." You could have all voted that night to cut 100,000. That would change. Or at the meeting your treasurer could say, "By the way, I'm going to I have to make some adjustments. Some new numbers came in or we made, you know, we need need to make those." That's a proposed budget that is being presented to the public. Once the public has their say, once you react to what they have to say, you adopt a final budget. That's it. >> Thank you. >> Yeah, I just wanted to follow up on
044I think what Aaron was getting at. So, if I understand it correctly, right now we're we're essentially at 0% so we can't go below that number for the the town's contributions. So, were that budget overall to be cut by whatever amount, $100,000, we can cut it, but that income is likely coming regardless from these other sources. So, wouldn't we just be adding to surplus if we do that? >> I I I That's It's situation cuz I've never seen it happen in this district where you've proposed a zero budget and that's been cut. That would be unprecedented. Um, so I I don't know what the I'm not going to I don't want to It sounds about right, but I don't I don't want to predict what that would be. >> to the local communities per se.
045>> Say, I'm >> It wouldn't pass through to the local communities as it's currently structured. >> I don't think it could. >> No, I understand that, but then it also allows the citizens of both Foster and Glocester because obviously the voters said no during our regional financial town meeting. And in order to give them the opportunity in order to make changes on that budget because again, when it comes to the charter, it also says like if I recall correctly like it would be presented to us in February, but then it was changed. Like I think that and I think that's what we're alluding to here later on about changing the way that our budget is going to be presented in order to present say at a public hearing ahead of time if that makes any
046sense. So like say the public hearing is in February, that way gives us time in order to adjust. That's what I thought was under >> No, you you can't do it that way. The charter says your public hearing on the budget is takes place at 10 days before the financial town meeting. >> I thought it said at least 10 days. >> I don't think it envisions it 2 months before the financial town meeting. >> But nobody says at least. It's not saying It's not saying 10 days mandatory. So then we could >> Are you suggesting there's going to be a series of public hearings? >> No, I'm just saying like instead of doing it like a week before or 10 days before, if we do it say that month before in February and then obviously
047we might have new numbers or whatever, we can then vote on you know, we can present it as the public hearing on that February meeting and that will be the one of where if we need to make any changes, we can then schedule say an emergency meeting or whatever. >> No, one So that's Okay, I think that's where the mistake is. You're you're misunderstanding what I'm saying. You have the public hearing. At the conclusion of that public hearing, that night, you approve your final budget. You cannot change it after that. So, if that's why if you have it in February February is too soon because then if you your treasurer comes to you and says our projections from state aid have changed, it's too late. You've set your final budget. You cannot have an emergency
048meeting to change it. >> Okay. I'm just going off of what you said because you also said that we could have the public hearing, but then if any of those numbers change, I thought that's what you just said earlier tonight. So, if that was not the case, then I misunderstood. >> Just clarification. What I heard Greg say was that at the public hearing you adopt a final budget that's then presented to the financial town meeting. So, whether that public hearing is in February 10 days before, 12 days before, 11 days before, it's still at the time that you adopt a budget and you adopted that budget and approved it to go to the financial town meeting. That's what I heard. So, whether it moves to February or not, the at least 10 days it doesn't
049negate that you still approve it and that's what moves forward. Does that clarify it? >> It does. It clarifies it. >> percentage over. Weren't we asking for like At the subcommittee level, I think you you guys presented or whoever presented a certain percentage over and we sent it back saying we need to cut we need to cut we need to cut and we got it down to a zero. Initially, the budget that was presented was not a zero from the subcommittee. And we sent it back and said, "No, we need it down. Our our local schools, our town, our taxpayers, we've tried to take all that into consideration." And we sent the budget back to the budget committee. And after you for lack of a better term, sharpen your pencils, you came back with a
050zero. And then we were very happy when they came back with the zero. And then we presented it to the public, in which case we addressed the concerns. >> Right. I guess what So, I'm hearing, too, is that there's a This is a process. If if if voters had concerns or wanted to share their perspective on the budget, the opportunity was would have been at the meeting prior to the financial town meeting. That to be clear, you know, it's not that you don't have a platform. It's you there is an appropriate one and there is an inappropriate one based on the charter and the process itself. >> If I might follow up on that and I appreciate you saying that. If the information was provided at the hearing, then as far as the number of
051tuition students, as far as the number of incoming students, all that information was provided at that time. That information was not provided until the night of that meeting. And that's where a lot of the questioning came into play. Um so, >> Shelly, there there are always things at that at that pre-meeting where people raise questions and then we prep for that meeting so we can clarify everything. There's always things that come up that we might not be able to prepare for. >> And I fully understand that, but we should be accurately representing the total amount for the tuition. We should be accurately representing it, not by half a million dollars off. And all I asked for it to be on the agenda the budget because I think just like the motions actually made from the
052floor, we could have had a discussion as a committee. What can we do? Can we eliminate fund balance? What can we do? The taxpayers spoke, they voted no. >> No, there was no motion to cut the >> finish, Mark. Thank you. There was a motion >> fairness, Shelly, he was speaking and you interrupted him. So, he was still talking. >> and he interrupted we can go back and we can look at the tape and about and then he answered he was he was following up on what I said. I was still speaking. He said, "Well, Shelly, I >> I don't recall calling on either of you. And I think this is where we fall as a committee. We don't wait to be addressed by the >> Well, my hand was raised. Nobody called on me.
053I'm not going to I waited for everybody to finish. >> But I think that's where the problem >> And then Amy spoke and I piggybacked on what Amy said >> Yes. >> regarding people asking questions. All this information was not provided at the hearing. The information was provided at the financial meeting, which therefore led to questions and concerns. And the $400,000 fund balance has been a concern for 2 years now cuz people spoke about it at last year's financial town meeting. There's nothing new. I voted against it openly for that reason this month. But, all I'm trying to say is I asked for the budget to be on the agenda so we could as a committee have a conversation. The taxpayers voted. What can we do differently? So, let's have a conversation cuz just like
054Mike Joyce made the motion from the floor about the warrant. We could have had a discussion and someone could have made the motion from the floor to cut 100,000, to cut 200,000. >> increase by 400. That would have been a motion. >> also if that's what we need to do, even though we're underestimating tuition by 500,000. So, I'm just saying I think and we didn't answer the question either about Robert's Rules from um the public comment question. >> Can I Can I just say something? >> Yes, go. >> Just quickly. >> Mark. >> So, the the motion for the budget failed, but there was no motion that passed for us to cut. So, why as a committee would we sit here and cut if nobody voted for us to cut? >> Well, >> when there
055was also a motion to increase >> to fund And that didn't pass either. Should we consider increasing instead? >> of our of our town council, said increase the budget to fund an investigation. >> Why would we work against ourselves? There was no motion to cut that passed. So, we cannot sit here and cut. >> Because they were they did make a motion to cut. They wanted to cut the fund balance. And that was obvious that night. Numerous people said because you couldn't cut just the fund balance. >> There was There was no motion to cut. There was >> There was a motion to add. There was concern. >> There was There was the main motion which failed. And then there was a motion to by uh Dennis Creighton to add 400,000. There was a motion
056by Lori Geddis Barry to amend that to add a dollar. >> Right, but that was it. >> Then both those motions were seconded and then they were both rescinded when someone pointed out it was getting late and asked for a motion to recess and believe you Miss Pezzella were the one to make the motion to recess. And that's those were the only motions that I have a record of and I I I'll defer to Kyle if she kept the minutes whether she had something different but my recollection was those were the only motions made. And there was an attempt to make a motion to table which I uh indicated would be out of order. >> Amy, I thought Mark did you need did you finish? >> I'm good. >> I guess so I'm trying to
057understand everybody's perspective cuz I feel like that's important. So I when I'm hear hearing Shelley say is um you know that that there's this money is being misrepresented. I In my head what you're saying it sounds like the comparison of the like the budget like the true budget and then the projections, right? So that's what I'm hearing you say. >> Budget and the actuals, yes. >> Yeah, okay. So I guess you know what I'm just trying to clarify that and then additionally I asked that that um I asked I was trying to clarify if we had any existing budget policy for the subcommittee um after the uh financial town meeting um and I think I think that that what we're talking about here warrants a larger conversation from a policy standpoint um if and I
058think you know these points are all important and I think we we need to hear what people are saying and we need to follow up. Um I don't know if if it's going to be with this budget that we do that but I think it's important that we have have had this conversation we can make these notations. We can then say all right, do we are there certain points that need to be a policy so that things continue you know as best practices moving forward. >> If if if If I think uh Amy, thank you for that. I think there's one thing to remember that the budgets are always estimates that are that are are projected and move forward and I I'm not an accountant, but I spoke with both Foster and Gloucester um and
059Anne can probably attest to this. They say anytime you make a budget, it's always open for change. They're estimates at you at the time and the important part is we had two subcommittee meetings that are open to the public. We then presented the same budget in February after we were asked to reduce it. We presented it at February School Committee meeting. We presented at the March School Committee meeting and then the public hearing was the same time. But, the estimates are it will never be an exact an exact number and the estimates are, you know, at the time that we have the information. Um there is a budget preparation policy um that is on the website and we're going to talk about it when when we get further down. So, there is something that says
060these are, you know, this is the preparation for it, but they are always estimates. >> Brendan. >> Yeah, I was going to say something similar to that and I think some of the frustration that we're hearing from the public is that the numbers that we're seeing are in fact estimates. You know, because of the time that we have to approve these items, review them, and vet them, and then present them, you know, our tuition numbers, they may vary. Um who we think is coming in March is very different than who shows up in September. The state aid that we look at in February, March is very different than what might be approved in June. Similarly, the number of kids who might have tuition out, who might need special assistance, they're forecasted now, but they may
061be different in September. So, we're forced to use some numbers that are a little bit, you know, gray. Having said that, you know, we've also heard that people want us to be a little bit more accurate to dial those in and I think that's a challenge that we should take seriously, right? I know, you know, I've been here for a little bit now. We we do tend to be conservative when we budget for the tuition kids and we do that on purpose, you know, like um partly because we don't want to cook too much of that into our our long-term budget to protect the communities because at some point it will plateau and or decline. That's something that we've discussed about year over year. Um but we're hearing clearly from the community that we you
062know, we need to dial it in a little bit and I think we need to take that to heart. Um regarding whether or not this is on the agenda tonight, I I do understand what everyone's saying. We can't make changes to the budget. You know, that's clear. That's been said. I I think it's in our best interest to come equipped with some answers that we heard uh people ask questions, you know, a couple weeks ago. You know, we know we know what they're looking for us to do and I do think it would have been a of some value just to discuss those openly here um so that we know uh either we can have more information ourselves to answer questions as elected officials or we can speak to those questions in a public setting
063that might be more appropriate. Yeah. Um that's all. >> Just to respond to that. >> Sure. >> I agree and we had some people come in. We had Buster Sior. We had um who else? >> I had about I had about four community members um ask me questions. I've answered them both. >> in a a lengthy period of time and sit with them to go through just this past week. And some of the the the the the presentation at the financial town meeting came from asks at the budget hearing. That's why that presentation was so thorough because there were some questions that people had asked on on on the March 10th meeting and we added them in in addition to some concerns that we heard from constituents. So we added that in. >> I um
064>> I think that's great. I think that's fantastic. I think that's good that we've shared this with the people who are here now and I think maybe you won't the meeting starts next week, we should just maybe present some of those questions that we heard So, we can maybe field them and you know, hopefully be responsive. And I I think we're trying. >> But like I said, the door was open and the door is still open if people want to meet. I know um Pat Henry came in, got a lot of questions answered. John Burlingame did too. There was a quite a few that came in and the door is open and that open dialogue was helpful. They had specific questions that they had answered, so. And that's true for us, too. We can always
065make time to come on in and go through things with them. Yes. >> So, just a couple of things and again, completely agree. But I also think like again, I could be overstepping my bounds, but I'm thinking that there's might also be discussion that I would ask for on the next agenda item or for next month's agenda is about that charter review because obviously from 1958, we don't have anything about if a budget fails, if there's other things that could be changed. And again, I'm not talking about regionalization. I want to put that out there right now. I am not talking about that. I'm just simply talking about if a budget fails, what needs to happen. Should we move from say a financial town meeting to an all-day referendum? That way it allows everyone and
066then if that fails from there, what's the repercussions? So, definitely, that's number one. And number two that I would also like to say is I know that this next meeting is scheduled for what, April 14th for the next financial town meeting? Can we also sort of get like not really a schedule, but like a play-by-play of where like okay, you know, obviously starting at 7:00, but are we also, you know, like if there's going to be a presentation or whatever cuz again, if it's a recess meeting, do we really need another presentation again or can we just go right into say the motions because everyone has the ability or can we make a shortened? I don't know. I'm just thinking in order just to conserve everyone's time on that and like if this is the
067case, then this or whatever like that. It's not with a game plan if that makes any sense. Cuz if not >> concern. I I was torn about it because it there could be new people, there could be the same people. We we don't know, and there's also people who had questions, right? Brendan just said we need to answer some people's questions. So >> You know, the only questions I heard was fun balance. >> My suggestion would be to make the last presentation available to folks beforehand, and really just >> Right. >> spread the word as how they can see that. And maybe we don't necessarily We don't want to >> We don't want to filibuster or anything, but if there's some specific items that we know people have some some valid questions about, we should
068bring them up, offer our perspective and our background on it, and then >> Mhm. >> you know, they'll share their own, I'm sure. >> I just don't want it to turn into like, you know, like that we have to order away. >> of >> Correct, but that we So, that's all what I have to say. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> And if I may, in 2013, we did reduce the budget. Um so, it's not like it's not possible. As a school committee, we could if we don't need the money, we should not be asking for it. We did have a negative budget in 2017 and 2013. So, that's all I think the taxpayers are looking at. The numbers don't add up. And I'm sorry. I know that I know they're fluid. I just went
069like I said, I just did it again now. I went by the student numbers. >> want to clarify, and I'm sorry to cut you off, but I just want to clarify that when you're talking about tuition, there are many different numbers. And when we gave a presentation, we gave general numbers. That 18.7 that you're trying to multiply by 268 is not going to get you the number because 18.7 is what it costs us to send a student out, not what we get in. So, if anyone wants to sit down and have a conversation, I will share with you the the inter the the details of students coming in from different districts, us sending students out, and our our expected Our hope is that we get that many students, but there is a a local town
070that just got four programs approved. We have kids right now who say that they want to come, they might not come. So, I have always been You have asked You have asked You have asked because you have been on the budget subcommittee to be conservative with that. And I followed up with the town of Foster and the Foster School Committee school department and the town of Foster and Foster School Department, all of whom use the exact number that is given in state aid. They said it would be fiscally irresponsible to not use that number, number one. The other question I asked is and not that I don't And and I work very close together, but just different lens. You cannot put a number in there that says you will get that intuition if I'm not
071guaranteed. That would be the worst conversation I have to have with you to say, right? So, we have always been conservative. That has been this committee's ask up until right now. So, in an attempt to answer questions openly and give more information, I believe some of those numbers are just misunderstood and not not presented appropriately. So, I will have a conversation with you. We will always budget a little bit under tuition because we're not guaranteed and there are some kids who say they're coming in August and never step foot in September or come in September and leave. >> So, I appreciate your response to that. I really do. And that's why I went by your slide. That wasn't what we pay out. It was what you averaged. It was 18 and I didn't even use
072that for an for a number. I used 18 even. And that's all I'm saying. Even if And I do and I respect that. So, your budgeted 4.582. That's what your um 4,508 So, at 200 the same students is 489. So, it's almost 4.9. So, it's a 400,000 even if we did save and that's you were expecting 278 students. That's what you had expected on your slide. And but 272 is the current students now. So, even if you only lose cuz you have freshman, sophomore, junior can't be kicked out. So, the only thing you're going to lose is this year's seniors. >> They can leave. >> No, they can Well, yeah, they can >> So, can I can I interrupt? I don't I don't want to interrupt you guys, but I feel like this is a
073larger conversation. This is like maybe an out of district policy conversation. Like we we're getting like >> Well, I'm not talking about >> Yeah, I I get what you're saying, but >> Yeah. Right. I don't know who else here owns a business. I'm a business person. I'm talking about dollars and cents. That's what we should be doing as a school committee, as a business owner. I talk about dollars and cents. >> Well, I I I I I understand, but let me finish with my when I I just finished with my accountant. I had to do dollars and cents. I couldn't say, "Oh, it was about this money. Oh, about this money." I can't as a business owner. And we should be giving the same respect to our taxpayers. I get what you're saying, but for
074me I'm I'm hearing like that like maybe there needs to be like a set number, which would then give you some kind of closer prediction, right? >> I'm not even going by a set number, Amy. I am giving flexibility. I'm not even using the number sheet that Renee put on the screen on the slideshow. I am underestimating it to 18 even. Like I said, as a business owner, you have a budget. As a business owner, you know what you can spend. We I had to accurately represent my income to my accountant and to the state and to the government. We should be doing that same thing to our taxpayers. We should be accurately representing it. And Shelley, we are. And we're not, Renee. We're going to agree to disagree because >> Because 4.9 is what
075I I'll sit with you for the numbers, we can. We can. We can. >> I'll make myself available >> And then what about Robert's Rules? Can you answer that question, please? >> I thought Greg did when he said that >> No, you said I could speak on the agenda item. Two things. I I think what I'm hearing from Aaron and from your earlier comments about being able to change the budget. Your public hearing here with the with the budget where it's presented, people get up and speak. You still have an opportunity to change the budget that night before you adopt the final budget. >> Mhm. >> Correct? They have not taken a vote on the budget. They're presenting it. People can make comments. They can make suggestions on you know, increasing the >> 10th. >>
076March 10th. What you do here is your public hearing. You've presented a budget at March 10th. You haven't taken a vote on that budget yet. >> We did. >> By the school committee. >> Yeah. But I'm from >> You took a vote after the people got up and spoke. To Aaron's point, people can get up and state speak. You can still vote to cut the budget or increase the budget or whatever after the people speak. >> Yeah. >> There's nothing stopping you from doing that. So I think maybe I misunderstood, but I think that's what you were getting at. >> That and then also at the pub at the financial town meeting itself from what we just had the conversation that we can still make a motion to cut or at least that's what I'm
077hearing from Greg. But obviously that money's going to have to go from somewhere else cuz we can't go below the maintenance of effort in terms of the both towns of Foster and Gloucester. So there's only other one other place and that would be say expenditures or whatever. That's what I'm understanding from our attorney. >> That's what you said and that's what he responded. >> And and where that approach comes in more importantly, I excuse me, I agree with your suggestion about doing all day balloting on the mid but that suggestion um being able to budget change the budget this would bring replace the financial town meeting. >> Right. But, the way that I'm also seeing it again, I don't know, but if from what I remember for say any of the financial town referendums, like
078I think in the town of Gloucester, is that if it fails, I'm not sure and Cheryl, I don't mean to put you on the spot, but if say the budget fails, I don't know if the town councils would need to do another public hearing on a new budget in order to present that and then we vote on a new budget after that if that financial town, you know, if that town referendum failed. So, that's another way and again, obviously all that has to be done by the charter review and that's why I'm asking for the next month's meeting to have that charter review committee at least to get us on that process cuz I think there's other things and again, this is a 1958 document that >> The the just to I just wanted to
079share that the town the charter review committee is meeting next Monday at 6:00 p.m. >> only. It's only for Gloucester. This is This would be for the region only, like the regional charter or whatever. >> Correct. >> Separate charter. >> There's two separate charters. >> My second question. Who makes the determination as to what is the acceptable length for a recess? The standard the standard for a recess in in a body of a voting body is uh example, a lunch break, coffee break, dinner break, whatever during that meeting and carried over to the next business day, not 3 weeks. >> Except that we had to get we have to get the voting machines, we have to get the board of canvassers. It says there's a lot of working parts to this meeting. >> but I'm
080just going on the definition recess. >> Okay. >> Recess does not carry over to 3 weeks. I don't care what rules you look at. So, you're going to be 3 weeks out. So, effectively your meeting ended the next business day and the next the meeting uh the next business day was concluded. That financial town meeting ended. So, my opinion is you have to start over from square one. Get a new warrant. You're going to have to have a new budget hearing, public hearing, and you're going to have to have another financial town meeting. You can't do it. You cannot reconvene a recess a meeting that was recessed that no longer exist to reconvene. That meeting is dead. >> Thank you. Any other discussion? Oh, sorry, Walt. >> Uh Walter Steer. Greg, so you're you're telling
081us they cannot change this budget? >> Yes. >> I I Well, I think the we're trying to keep some kind of normal order. I'll answer to the chair. If she wants me to answer the question, I I I'm not trying to avoid the answer, but I just want to Please direct it to the chair. She can ask me. >> You're telling the public that >> We're showing a >> you'll have to bring back the same budget that was rejected. >> Yes. >> You'll have no Is it because it was a level-funded budget or it doesn't make any difference? >> think it makes any difference because >> Well, that They just think about that. It doesn't make any sense. You know, people rejected one budget. And I I think a lot of the people if you
082would uh on the uh the fund balance with the 400,000, most people were a little upset about that. >> Right, but we never voted to When someone made a motion to increase it by 400 to take care of that fund balance, we never had the opportunity to vote on it. >> Well, >> So, we don't In fairness, Walt, we don't know how it's going to go. We're As As a committee, we presented a zero budget. A zero increase to our the maintenance of effort. Zero. We all know, cuz we all run houses, not all of us have businesses, but we all run our homes that everything's increased. Everything is increased. Your food bill, your electric bill, your heating bill, your every single bill that you pay has increased. But we kept our budget exactly the
083same. We have which is a cut. All of our bills are going up and we came to you guys with a zero thinking that we were doing the right thing. That's the budget we're showing up with next Tuesday. >> I just think that that 400,000, I think you have extra revenue on this budget, mostly in the tuition line. Because you look in past history and in fiscal years '23 and '24, each year you had a half a million dollars extra in tuition that you more than you uh said you were going to have. Now, this budget year, I think you're projecting uh >> 4.582 >> Yeah. So, what what do you think we're going to take in this year? You must have a pretty good idea. It's It's going to be more than that, correct?
084I bet it's over $5 million. >> Yes, I mean more than what we had budgeted and how we got >> See, every you know, I know you you budget conservatively, but a half a million dollars, that's a big discrepancy. >> but Walt, one of the things that we shared is that when I had that chart, historically this committee has approved a a budget that has fund balance and it has not been used. So, the the one argument is um is to eliminate fund balance, but we can't increase tuition necessarily. I think I hope we'll get that much, so we won't need to use fund balance. But, in the event that the tuition isn't there, then this budget is balanced with that. I'm hopeful based on our our our history, but this School Committee this School
085Committee prior to me being superintendent prior to me being superintendent, I went back to FY, I think, '17 or '16 in my slide, went back 10 years, has budgeted all but one year of fund balance and has not used it. That has been what this committee has historically done. Now, if moving forward, that's different, then when we meet as a budget subcommittee, we will present a budget that's different. However, you're sort of making the argument of fund balance is there, but in the past we have our tuition has come in higher, so we haven't used fund balance. >> When we put When we put fund balance into the budget, it raises our maintenance of effort. >> We're not raising the maintenance of effort. We're not raising the >> Well, next year, if you don't put
086that 400,000 in >> So, next year is >> then it's going to be cuz that sooner or later, if unless you put that 400,000 in every year for forever, sooner or later the taxpayers are going to have to make up that >> I understand I understand what you're saying, and as we go through the budget process, all of this will certainly be, right, it it included, and the budget subcommittee will make those decisions and then and then this committee prior to and then the public hearing. But, right now, what you just said is that by using the fund balance we're raising the maintenance of effort, and we're not raising the maintenance of effort. We made a very strategic, intentional, difficult, line-by-line, uh department-by-department to ensure, because that was the ask, to minimize the impact of
087Gloucester. That's the reality. Gloucester is not in a good place. And based on the the EWAC and the proration the taxes are still going to go up, but what the region can do is offer a 0% increase on local appropriations. That's what we were asked to do, that's what we presented. 0% increase on local appropriations. 0% increase on local appropriations. >> Yeah, but you put this full 100,000 in as kind of a safety valve, cuz you don't think you're going to have to use it, but you put it in there just in case. Well, I don't think that's good budgeting. >> I understand what what you're saying now, but what I'm saying is historically and Walt and all with all you you were on the committee as well prior to me starting, that has been
088what this committee has done for I went back 9 years and I stopped. So, if that's not what this committee wants moving forward, then that will be adjusted in next year's budget. But, this committee has approved that and you were on it as well and it has never had to be that set aside is there. The town used a set aside. Um so, moving forward, if there's a different budgetary process, But, we had we had budget subcommittee meetings. It was presented in February, it was presented in March, it was approved in March and in in and here we are. After the financial town meeting. So, I hear what you're saying. >> All right. >> But, you understand the tuition is also the space that we have. >> Okay, can I just go back to the
089part about where you can't change your budget? Uh I don't know. For some reason, I don't know. Am I the only one that doesn't seem to make any sense? Uh And and I got another thing for your attorney to check on. It wasn't too long ago, we had three votes. We voted on the operating, we voted on debt service separately. You probably remember that. And the school committee salaries. And then somewhere not too long ago, uh we went only to the the operating budget and debt service were combined into one. Now, there was no I think in the charter, if you read the charter, it's going to say there was a separate votes. And somewhere along the line, just the way they changed the way we voted, they changed they mixed they put these two
090together. So, I think your attorney Yes, happened well it was while I was on the committee. >> I think it was before I came on in 2020 cuz I remember when it was always the two votes. >> I think you should check the charter. >> I I can I can respond to that. So, when you built and renovated this building and built the middle school and you had debt service, um one year someone moved to cut after the motion to approve the operating budget passed, somebody moved to cut the debt service. And that was absurd because you can't violate your debt service payments. So, it was pointed out that any cut to the debt service wouldn't have to as a matter of practical uh practice come from the operating budget. And we consulted with bond
091counsel at the time, Edwards Angell at the time, and they we went through the charter and they said, "No, you know, you should not be voting separately on operating and debt service. It says overall amount." And that's why So, it had to be before 2010 we changed it to overall amount. >> That was during the it was during the and your recollection is right. >> Thank you. >> Because after the after the budget was voted on, everybody took off, but there was a few people left and they were mad, so they said, "No, we aren't going to vote, you know, you have to I know you have to pay your debt, but I don't think the charter was ever changed, so we're violating the charter." >> No, I think the point was we we were
092violating the the charter before. We were separating out the votes as a matter of um just trying to be open with the public. And when somebody tried to cut the debt service, we realized that that's a problem. And as I said, we didn't make that decision on our own. We went over it with bond counsel. The most prominent law firm in the state, Edwards Angell at the time. And they brought it to our attention that you shouldn't be doing it separately. And that's why we changed it. >> I I just >> that's the way you changed it at the meeting, but I don't think you I think it's reads differently in the charter. >> The charter says overall amount. Says it many, many That's very clear. The voters vote on the overall amount. >> Yeah,
093I think the overall amount, but it was in three different sections. It wasn't just See, even now we we have a not one vote, we take two cuz we vote on the school committee's salaries. >> There's a separate provision in the charter for that. >> Yes, I know, but I just I don't know. I'll have to read it again. >> Well, my I have a question. Realizing now that there's two separate charters and that makes sense. Um if the town can appoint a commission to review the charter for Gloucester, who then appoints a review commission for the region? >> We will talk about that at our next agenda item for that charter because that's >> Again, I think >> But part of it is also part of it is also the shorthand you use. Your
094enabling legislation, section 109 of public law 1957, is not technically a charter. It is an enabling statute. We refer to it colloquially as a charter. The town charter is pursuant to a different state law. It's completely different how a town operates with their quote charter Right. different than how you operate. So, try to you know, again, we use the term charter, it's really it can cause confusion by using it. In terms of amending section 109, you do it just like we did to move the date. Committee meets. They pass a you know, they move to change adopt a new set of you know, language in a public law. You pass it, it goes to the General Assembly. The General Assembly has to pass it depending upon if it impacts uh not just procedural things like
095moving of a date, but substantive things, it may have to go to both taxpayers. Like when we tried to reach fully regionalized in 2004 or five >> six >> that statute was passed by the committee. It was passed by the General Assembly. And then it was sent to the two towns to vote at at a regular general election, you know, it had to be on a November general election meeting. Glastonbury passed it and Portland didn't, and it failed. >> Yeah. >> Shadow. >> So, yes, um I heard So, we have budgeted um fund balance use of fund balance before you actually write. And I brought it up last year though, too. We went from 150 to 400. That is a significant increase, and it was brought up last year by the taxpayers, and I even
096brought it up here last year. That is what people are concerned about. In that bubble, and why that concern is there is because that is in the budget. It's not in the operating, the maintenance of effort budget, but it is in the budget. So, if we don't need it, take it out. Take out the use of fund balance. That's what everybody's concern is cuz that is just that bubble is going to break, and then we have to, as the taxpayers, have to take on that burden. Once you do, when that happens, if you do need that 400,000, then we have to take on that burden next year because then you're not getting it from state aid, you're not getting it from someplace else, it's going to be our burden as tax >> I can't change
097the tax rate. No, no, but next year, not this year. Next year. That's what I'm saying. So, what if we don't need it, like we underestimated state and I know I have not That was years ago that I said about underestimating. I have not said that recently about the tuition and students cuz that is revenue coming in that has to be reported. Um but what I'm trying to say is the fund use balance and I had someone that did meet with you that asked me to ask you. We hear you, but do you hear us? They met with you and that's what they feel like they're not being heard. Like we have concerns our concerns aren't being heard and addressed. So, that's she wanted me to say that to you. She met with you and
098she feels like you want us to hear you and to meet with you, but do you hear us? >> Yeah, I I hear I hear everything that everyone is saying. Part of the the March 10th meeting was we made notes and put that in a presentation, right? I absolutely hear what you're saying, but I also hear what the attorney is saying. I am here to do what what I'm supposed to do, what the committee says and what the charter says. And our attorney has said very clearly, unless I misunderstood it, very clearly the budget it's a recess meeting, the budget cannot change. I'm trying to offer explanation as to why, which we explained at the budget subcommittee, both of them, right? The two that we had. Explained in February, explained in March. I hear what
099you're saying, but I'm also understanding that's a recess meeting. So, moving forward, just like I said to Walt, moving forward next year, and and the same thing with at the March 10th meeting. There were questions about presenting at the financial town meeting and we heard those and did that. >> So, would it have been illegal if the school committee wanted to have a meeting, like as I know I asked for it to be on the agenda, the budget, would it have been illegal? What would the consequences would have been if the committee did want to say, all right, let's eliminate we can't change it on this written thing, but we can put a motion on the floor, just like Mike Joyce made the motion on the floor for the budget. Would it have been illegal
100for us to give it to a taxpayer in the audience? Here, make this motion, eliminate it from balance. Would that have been illegal? What would the consequence What would the consequences have been? Would we have been arrested, a slap on the wrist, a fine? What would have happened? Yes, I'm asking the attorney cuz I'm being told we can't do it, so I want to know what What would have happened if we did as a committee met and had a budget discussion like I know I asked and we said, "All right, we know we can't change this budget, this piece of paper, but we can have a motion made from the floor and be prepared." What would have happened if the committee did make take those steps? And we had a motion made from the floor.
101>> Well, if Well, first of all, any member of this committee could get up from the dais, walk down to the microphone, and as a taxpayer make a motion. Uh uh you can Anybody can do that. So, if you want to do that any of you, you can do that. What you're asking is to have this committee meet as a as a body to amend the budget before the meeting. >> What's >> And that would be I I would not Look, I'm just telling you what the law is. You want to do You can do whatever you want, and I'm not you know, the the um >> Stop. >> regional financial meeting police aren't going to come arrest you if you do it, if that's your impression. I'm trying to explain what the legal process
102is. If you want to violate the legal process I can just give you advice. I can't force you to do anything. >> that. I just wanted to know what the consequences are. >> No, I I guess my my my confu- I'm confused because I feel like wasn't that done with the second motion by increasing the budget by 400,000? Wasn't that the attempt to eliminating fund the use of fund balance? >> Well, eliminating the use of fund balance is not uh necessarily adding on to it. It's by reducing our spending like Aaron said. >> Okay. >> Or accurately representing the tuition revenue. Those are the two choices. Very easy. >> I was also just going to and again I'm not say asking or whatever that we eliminate say all of fund balance because again we can
103use some of that for other situations like instead of 400, 200 or whatever like that. But again we've heard from the voters so that's where I'm going to just leave it. And that's all I have to say. >> Okay. Number 14, approval of emergency school day reduction for the 25-26 school calendar. >> Madam Chair, I make a motion to approve the emergency school day reduction for the 2025-2026 Foster-Glocester school calendar as presented in the packet. >> Second. Any discussion? All in favor? >> Aye. >> Opposed? Abstentions? Number 15, approval of 26-27 Foster-Glocester school calendar. >> I make a motion to approve the 2026-2027 school calendar as presented in the packet. >> Uh I will need second on that very softly. Um any discussion? All in favor? >> Aye. >> Before we can we sort of
104like what I brought up on the Glocester side because I'm guaranteeing you I think Renee was about to speak about primary day and >> Yeah, this one right now. So if you notice um we are start So Labor Day is late this year. Uh we are still starting on the third week of um I think it's the third week when we typically start 24th, 25th. So those will be two PD days. Students will start on the 26th. That'll be your sixth graders or ninth graders and then the rest of the students will come 27th, 28th. Labor Day is the 7th and then election day uh primary day was initially the 8th. What I heard at the superintendent's meeting this morning was that it has been moved to the 9th but the governor hasn't signed it
105yet so there isn't any official report that says it's moved to the 9th. So I presented a calendar with the 8th. However, if it changes instead of me coming back to you I'd like to just say we'll move it to the 9th. We had conversation um at the at the at the Gloucester level about keeping the school day the 8th, and there are other districts who are doing that. So, it would make sense if um if you just give me the flexibility to change it to the 9th if it gets changed to the 9th. The other thing that's not in here right now is we have typically been able to apply for and be approved for three PD days. I have one of them in here on March 19th. Um I would like to put
106two more. It won't impact the start date, the vacation date, or the end date. What it will then impact is when we have those PD days. And this year you had one in October, one in January, and one in March. So, I just want to be sure that I meet with the union reps and our principals to decide what those days would look like. Um so, So, the motion should be as with the flexibility >> for that primary day. For the primary day. >> Well, I just thought that we would just approve it, and then we can always come back because >> needs to put She needs to submit it before we end up coming back in May. >> So, >> I need to submit it to RIDE by February >> Right. So, if we
107approve this, but then >> Yeah, but if she makes a change, we still approve it. >> need to I Did we do that for Gloucester? I don't >> Yeah, it was just with the flexibility to change that date. >> So, moved? >> Thank you. And I will second it. All in favor? >> I. >> Opposed? Abstentions? Policy update. We have a a few on here. >> I make a motion to rescind the face covering policy number 21-002 as presented in the packet. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All in favor? >> I. >> Opposed? Abstentions? Purchasing procedure admin regulations. So, this is this is the one that there was a a comment about earlier. If you notice, it's 3320 AD. That's an addendum to policy 3320. You updated policy 3320 in 2019. You never updated the
108addendum. The addendum's from 1999 and it speaks about triplicate. Triplicate. Do you have the original policy so we can >> It's in our packet. >> Um I I don't >> because >> know what >> on it's on the website. This is just an addendum. So if you looked at three Yeah, you can have This is what you all um approved and updated in uh 2019. This was an addendum that was never updated when you updated the policy. So um where it says requisitions are typed by the clerk, they um they have to have the principal superintendent signature. This was all when it was on paper copy. You now have an electronic system and you uh you you moved to that uh I think in like 15 or 16. >> They're not They're not asking to
109rescind the policy, only the addendum of the written portion of it. >> So I Can I speak if you don't mind, please? So I do agree. My concern is that addendum, I just read it briefly. It does not have that first sentence in there, which is personal responsibility, which is very important. Um I did not read it in there. >> What part? >> The Any person ordering items without adhering to this procedure >> Is that in there? Cuz I did not Like I said, I read it quickly. If I had it, I would have read it ahead of time, but I did not have it. The requisition is the only document that will initiate the procurement action. Any persons ordering items without adhering to this procedure outlined below will be responsible for payment. I did
110not see that on that policy, which is very important. So unless we add it to that policy, I will not support and I would recommend the school committee to not rescind this. >> So the original policy doesn't doesn't state that or what? >> If you was right here. No, it does not. It's eliminating So therefore, if someone makes a mistake, it's on us. >> That's what I'm thinking. >> Can we just make a motion to table this for further review and then bring the other policy to the policy subcommittee and then we can add what that type of language to it and then bring up that new policy >> Yeah. >> including eliminating the addendum as long as it reads >> We receive the addendum but we also offer the revised policy at the same
111meeting. >> Correct, cuz I think it was from 2019 Shelly so if we do that then we can say you know, we're sitting this >> so that they can both be in your packet essentially when you make the decision. >> At the risk of kind of sticking my nose in here but I don't I think you might want to review whether legally you can keep language that says you're going to make the person pay. So I I think there may be some legal implications and problems with that. >> The process with which it is identified on there you're saying? >> There's laws regarding what what you can how you can punish or fine employees. >> But we can add that probably like we might not be able to add that language but if we adjust
112with that 2019 language >> If if it's personnel action or something that's one thing but fine you know, financial penalty like a payment of a >> It's a little bit >> I think that might be overreaching. >> So things have to be signed off electronically. So then that's how you put it in. The that the purchases purchasing has to be signed off electronically rather than well we're going to table it anyway so we're going to there was already a motion >> Who's on policy just so I know? >> I am. >> Mike. >> For Greg, do you sit in on those? >> No. >> Only only when asked. >> You'll be asked soon. >> B. Is this on Do you have >> Yeah, it's on this. >> No, we don't have a motion. Do we
113have a We don't have a motion on B. We're just tabling it for now. >> Because This These These things were were on your your uh policy committee meeting that, you know, that we had a couple weeks ago. And I don't remember you taking any action on this one. Because all It seems like all you're doing is doing away with that person that's isn't responsible. Cuz that's what you have underlined. >> No, that was all I think that was already in there. >> That was already in there. That was already That was already underlined. >> It's on the website. Well, if that's the way it was there, we >> See, that's kind of misleading. Cuz I when I looked at I thought that was the only sentence you were taking out. >> it's posted on
114the website. That's what we're trying to do is go through old outdated policies and >> Just because you do things electronically now doesn't Do you still have this the same procedure? >> So, you don't have you don't have the the paper copy going and you don't have the white copy going, the orange copy, the yellow copy. >> Yeah. >> Um and and yes, and the school committee >> You still must have a procedure. >> We do. >> When something is re- >> Right, and that was one of the issues too that this is more of a procedure, not a policy. >> This was a procedure. It wasn't a policy. That's what I'm saying. It was an addendum to a policy. So, it made sense to rescind this because the practice or the procedure that's in
115place right now when when you went to iVisions, which is our electronic system, there's someone puts it in and then it has to be checked by like three or four layers before it's ordered. >> You know >> So, that's naturally already in there. It's not a paper copy being handed around. >> I don't believe you can make a person you know, pay for the purchase. But if they do something If they don't follow your procedure or your policy, there should be a, you know, a consequence. >> And I I can say I don't know if I can say it confidently, but I can that if they don't follow the process of of any part of um of their job expectations that there are. There are conversations and if it continues there's discipline. So, um I
116just don't know if putting it in a in a in a policy is what you want, but if you want revisit, we'll revisit it. >> It just you know, it would depend on how bad the >> Sure. >> you know, the >> But the reason for the reason for rescinding the addendum or the addendum or really removing the addendum was because it's an outdated practice and you have a practice already in place with your system. That that was the purpose for and that's what we spoke about at the policy subcommittee. >> Unlikely that practice will continue to change and then the policy will just need to keep getting updated and rescinded the procedural aspect of it anyway, right? Is kind of what you're saying. >> Mhm. >> Right, it doesn't really it doesn't need to
117be part of the policy. So, it's a procedure. >> Thank you. >> Uh letter C, revised first reading review and approval of adjusting journal entry policy 6256. >> Does the Does the policy accept Anybody on the policy subcommittee just want to share like what changed? >> It's just like a couple >> It's just the language change. It's just the stuff in red. >> Yeah. So, like it will be maintained by the business office, shall be available to the superintendent and school committee. Um because again, if I recall correctly from our conversations, they don't really deal too much with the binders anymore. Again, it's all that electronic instead of the paperwork or whatever like that. Um so, it was just striking out that language and again, this is just one of those first readings. >> May
118I please ask a question? >> Sure. >> Um so, it says the first red line says with supporting documentation. Instead of they eliminated the shall have. Um I Are we not Do we not have supporting documentation on all our things? >> If it doesn't Not all of them do. And if they don't, they're in the system and we can pull them up and view them or print them, but we don't It's just to save paper. >> Okay. So we were printing out every journal >> Oh, so I'm not saying to Okay. So this is all printed stuff to save Okay. Cuz I would like to think >> some kind of documentation needs to be attached to it. >> Cuz I would like to think that we have backup information for all our invoices and everything
119else. I'd like to think that nothing is paid without documented information. That's all. >> for invoices. It's for journal journal entries. It's just in journal entries. >> Okay. And even though journal entries they they should have the backup information as well. That's kind of what >> If they do, then they are printed. Yeah. >> Okay. And if they don't, what would be examples of ones that don't? >> Um I mean, I can't think of one off the top of my head, but we do journal entries for the audit every year and and sometimes there might be a spreadsheet that we would have that we would print. It's just really to save paper and be more in line with our practice. It's not that we have any less documentation. It's just not printing it. When we
120can. >> Okay, do you know cuz it doesn't say the printing part. I'm sorry, that's kind of why it's just throwing me off. It's just saying journal entries supporting with supporting documentation shall be maintained. So it's like doesn't say what you eliminated shall have adequate supporting documentation. So I would just like to think that all our all our journal entries and all our money that's being spent out has the adequate supporting documentation. That's all I was trying to say. So I don't Like cuz it's not saying print it out. That's not what's being said. It says doesn't say anything about printing here. I know what you're telling me, but it doesn't say that in the policy. And if I'm miss If I'm missing it, please show me. Cuz I'm looking at it in here and
121I don't see it. I don't see it saying anything about printing. It just It's eliminating shall have. >> So an example of that would be a UCOA adjustment. If we know that we have an account that's uh not a valid account, we need to adjust it. It doesn't necessarily have any supporting documentation. It's in the description. It says UCOA adjustment invalid code. >> Okay. >> So, the shell >> So, >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Does that make sense? >> That makes sense. Thank you for that example. >> Well, then Madam Chair, I make a motion to approve the revised first reading review and approval of adjusting journal entry policy number 6256 as presented in the packet. >> Second. >> Any more discussion? All in favor? >> Aye. >> Opposed? Abstentions? Last one is the revised
122first reading procedure for school cancellation policy 2460. >> Madam Chair, I make a motion to approve the revised first reading procedure for school cancellation policy number 2460 as presented in the packet. >> Eileen Cook. Any more Any discussion? All in favor? >> Aye. >> Opposed? Abstentions? Update the annual school budget preparation policy. >> So, this one is an update because uh the old policy is on the website and you all uh had a first reading November of '21 and a second reading December of '21 and it I don't know why it wasn't I wasn't the superintendent then. It never got put on the website. So, it changes the the timeline. So, I'm just informing you that the policy you approved in December of '21 will be on the website and I didn't want anyone to
123say that a a policy got put up there without your approval. Thank you. That's this one, the one in your packet. Yes. >> Then this was what I was talking about earlier tonight. So, for that I >> You approved it in December of '21 and it was never put on the website. I don't know the reason, but it will be. And I just wanted to be transparent and let you know that's the change. >> Capital projects? >> We don't We don't We haven't had any No, since our last meeting. >> No, yeah, we we did have a meeting and we went through some updates and we checked in on our projects. We do anticipate having some RFPs to review, I believe for May specific to the the water heater systems in particular, as well as
124for the tennis courts, some resurfacing work. They're looking to get some additional pricing on both of those and we'll have some recommendations to bring forward at the next meeting. >> Can I can I go back to the budget thing? That that went too fast for me. Sorry. The budget policy. You guys jumped ahead. I wasn't So I know that we're we're approving this, but it's going back >> No, this isn't This has already been approved in December of '21. So you're just putting it on there. No one changed the No one removed the old the old policy and put the new one up. So I'm just letting you know that a change in case someone asked and says you changed your budget policy, we didn't. >> And then this But this will be reviewed at
125the next policy meeting is what I'm trying to get at cuz I think, you know, with all these conversations about best practices and budgeting, I think we need to just review this and >> will go hand-in-hand with the charter because some of this is yes. I just didn't want to make a change without anyone knowing that was the reason. >> Okay, thank you. >> Uh what did you we don't capital projects? >> Well >> Yeah, Wall Street. Yeah, I was at the capital project meeting and also there was a lot of discussion on the fuel tank. Uh there was a we were given a uh detailed uh explanation of from Steve on his proposal and uh but there was also some other people in the business that were there that made had had other ideas.
126One of the main ones was not to have an underground tank again, but to put an above ground tank. And uh this gentleman said that basically no one's putting in-ground tanks anymore unless they only they don't have room. But, basically everyone's putting above-ground tanks. So, uh we had a I think there was a discussion on that, but I don't think we have there was any conclusion came to. Uh and I think >> Yeah, he was. >> The The designers will be present at our next meeting or have uh at least a response to that or some answers to what it might look like cuz I I do agree that it's worth pursuing and we should take a look at it. So, that at our next meeting that's going to be discussed further with those people
127there. >> Because there was some, you know, the other gentleman who was here who was very knowledgeable in this type of work uh seemed to think the prices were, you know, a little high. >> Yeah. And so, this this all ties back to us tabling the the basically the the approval from two two meetings ago, one meeting ago for um basically the oil tank replacement work at the high school. We're doing our due diligence to follow up and to make sure that one, the design is appropriate and two, the method of procurement is appropriate. So, when it's ready to go and I do think we have a little bit more homework, it will come back to this committee. >> And I know at the last meeting they had talked about hoping at the beginning of
128the month being able to shut the uh boilers off here so they could start installing the new ones, but I don't think they've shut them off yet, have they? I don't think so. I think we got some heat in here. But, uh so they wanted I know they wanted to uh get that started as quick as they could because they have a, you know, they've got to have them done before school starts again, but that might be the week's topic. >> Just to kind of build again on what what was saying. We had some really good public participation at our last subcommittee meeting. It was very respectful and very knowledgeable. I think all of our subcommittees could benefit from some of that public engagement. And um anything that we can do to invite those people
129to be here would be helpful. I think it would help to to mitigate some of the the larger flare-ups that we're seeing if we engage the community earlier in the process when they can really have the most impact. I don't necessarily have the answers as to how to do that. Um if we can advertise when those subcommittee meetings are, um you know >> I mean you got to really you know, like really share it and maybe Can I go with like if we invite people to if we actively invite people we know who might be interested, at least they know we we're trying. >> I'm I'm I'm also thinking like that that's kind of the whole point of like the working group piece, but I I hear what you're saying like if if you know,
130one of those pieces is going to be about communication and and engagement, I think. Like that's the point of it. >> Yeah, I mean I even we know we know some of the folks who are really really passionate about some specific issues. Like let them know that these things are happening, you know? Don't don't just trust that they're going to read the calendar. >> Yeah, and I I think that's the discrepancy of the fact that the the town and and the district is separate. They have their own working calendars on their websites, but there's no universal calendar for all the meetings. So and and you know, maybe that speaks to more of like a like a set meeting schedule to as well. So. >> The meetings are all posted. If they want to come, they
131can come. I mean, we can't we can't hold their hands. I mean Should I call people in my contact list and be like, "Hey, do you want to come tonight?" >> I I hear you, and I think that's that's correct, but I do think we can actively engage with people, too. We can reach out if if it's >> The town The town Listen, I do remember like when I came on like 3 years ago, there were town like the town um felt like it was a lot of updates to add to their thing, and then we changed locations as well. So, there were some issues, so it was like a question of who is actually Like is um Christine in the town clerk's office, is she now responsible for adding all of our meetings? So,
132there was like a question of responsibility as well. So. Right, so that was part of the problem. Yeah, exactly. No, I I don't disagree. >> Well, I think you're bringing it back cuz you didn't know what if the schools had them at the high school use them. I think that's what we were coming back for. That's the only reason. For clarification purposes. >> Oh, as if we could leave the agreement. >> So, if I may, um after the meeting, I reached out to both the principals. Again, just to recap, Folgerty has Lifetouch, West Gloucester does not. The middle school has it, the high school does not. The The high school in West Gloucester use two different two different photographers. Um it is arranged through the PTO. Um There's no cost to the district. In fact,
133you get money back in terms of uh some kind of lack of a better word kickback from Lifetouch. I'm not quite sure exactly how that works, but it goes into your activities account. Important question I thought you had was whether or not you can get out of these agreements and Lifetouch would not challenge the you know, if you wanted to get out. >> So >> But the if I could just finish what I I I The practical problems are this. For example, at the elementary school, the person who does it at West Gloucester, this is their last year. They're not doing it anymore. I think the person who does it at the high school is not interested in bidding on the middle school. Who are you going to get to do this? Second, no one,
134from my understanding, no one at either the middle school or the elementary school has None of the parents have raised any objection to this. Third, Lifetouch No No district in the state has terminated their agreement with Lifetouch because of this situation. Fourth, the representative from Lifetouch would be willing to come talk to you and address any questions that you have. So, I think the if if the principals were here, what they would ask is if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Let it continue. There's no reason to not. >> It seems like it's a building-to-building decision. >> Yeah. >> Every building seems to be doing it their their way. >> I get the impression I got was if the PTO if there was a uh the people who are actually impacted, the parents of the
135kids who's getting their picture taken, if they were upset, they would have let the principal know, the school know, and that's not happening. >> Shelly, so we don't choose Lifetouch. Like we don't appoint them. We don't assign the contract. So I don't think we have So I don't think we have the place to rescind it. Yeah, even end it. So that's all So thank you. >> Yeah. Um Where am I? 19. Yep, the fiscal strategy and advocacy working group. >> Amy >> Uh just uh on here to share the date of our our first meeting, which is the 30th of this month at 2:30 p.m. And correct me if I'm wrong, is it in the superintendent's conference room? Um this is not a set time. It's just uh to try and get something started. >>
136a set time for this meeting. >> Oh, is it set time for this meeting? Not not for ongoing meetings. Sorry. Um and we will just get started with uh priorities and setting an agenda for the meeting. Um >> All are welcome. >> It will be sent out via email as well uh to constituents. >> And we're looking for community members. >> Yeah, we're looking for for collaboration, for people who are, you know, interested in in coming up with solutions, uh doing research uh on different areas that may benefit us uh from a financial standpoint and from a sustainability standpoint. >> Okay. Do I have a motion? >> Can I just um I'm sorry, before I make a motion, can we go back to the just quickly for the for the regional meeting? I know we
137said about the presentation. I really don't think it's fair for the taxpayers to have that full presentation again. Um that we already did. >> say we were going to >> I thought we said we're going to answer questions. So >> Yeah, I did say do you want a full presentation? I'm like, Brendan >> No, no, no, no, no. >> I had a fork, he would have gotten it in the leg. >> Make it available before the meeting, but that we're like cutting it >> Got it in the leg. See, we just saved your leg. You're welcome. Now, do we have a motion? >> safe cuz he's not going to be there? >> Do I have a motion? >> Madam Chair, I make a motion to convene to executive session to discuss interval on the following
138matters. Rhode Island General Law 40 or act No, I recind that. Make a motion to reconvene to executive session. >> Second. Uh all in favor? >> Aye. >> Opposed? Abstentions? >> Mhm. >> During executive session, we discussed pending litigation and and collective bargaining. Um, no votes were taken. >> I make a motion to adjourn. >> Second. >> I just want to just remind just I don't want to adjourn, but the charter review that it's on the next meeting for the agenda or whatever that we need to do in order to get that ball rolling. I just wanted to >> Motion to adjourn. Do I have a second? >> I second. >> All in favor? >> Aye. >> Opposed? Abstentions? >> I forgot my purse in there.