School Board Meeting - 02/04/2026

001February 4th, 2026 school board meeting. Call the meeting to order and start with the pledge of allegiance. Pledge >> allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all. >> Okay. Um, are there any reviews or revisions to tonight's agenda? >> Nope. >> Uh, any changes to the consent agenda? >> Nope. >> Okay. We have a summary of non-public minutes from January 21st, 2026. Mr. Shoemaker moved to approve the non-public minutes from the January 4th, 2026 meeting. Mr. Cutter seconded the motion which passed 400. We have summary of non-public actions from the deliberative session January 31st, 2026. Uh Mr. Shoe make a motion to adjourn the non-public session at 12:30. Mr. Cutter seconded the motion. The motion

002passed 400. Um the meeting and she doesn't have who did the motion to approve the minutes. >> It was Oh, >> sorry. I should have included that. It's probably my fault, but same people. So >> So um M Mr. Should make a motion to accept the meeting minutes. Uh to accept >> you're talking about No, >> no, I motioned to adjourn. >> Right. >> That's what you left off on. >> Presentations and recognitions. >> Okay. >> We got this together. [laughter] >> Um okay. Uh we're going to start with uh the sustainability group, which I'm I'm told is the bulk of the crowd here today. >> Well, it is a definite proud principal moment. Um when you have a group of very hardworking students slide to the side guys and uh a teacher who really

003organized some deep thinking activities some great research that they had and some sustainability has been uh a new class to LMS in the last two years. I think it's it's growing and morphing into a program that these kids are very proud of. we're very proud of and I know Miss Peterson is proud of the hard work that she put into organizing this fair as well as the work that our students did. So, I'll give it over to Miss Peterson for a two second introduction and then to the reason why we're all here is the kids. Yeah. So, just to tell you guys a little bit about what this project all was. Um, these kids worked really hard. They first had to submit different proposals. I told them they could do anything environmentally related as long

004as they connected it. Um, then they had to do research. They wrote a literature review kind of analyzing different sources and what they learned about the topic. And then they had to have some sort of action project. So a lot of them chose to do videos, websites. Um Cole here did a litter cleanup which was really cool to see in our own Lichfield community. Um so a lot of unique ideas and it was really fun to kind of see the end results and I think they speak for themselves so I'm going to let them take it away. Um, some of the students will have something up on their laptop like a video or website to show you. They all printed out their literature reviews so you guys can see them and have copies of those.

005Um, so whoever wants to go first, who wants to go first? >> I love it. You're brave. >> So, introduce yourself. >> Hi, my name is Coen Balcom and I research soil conservation in the dust bowl. Yeah, >> open the Chromebook that >> was an event in the 19 in the 1900s about the 1940s that was devastating to the US especially the middle of the country. It were was frequent dust storms that actually cause many people to die from dust pneumonia which clogs the lungs with dirt and causes them not to be able to breathe. This also happened with cattle, but it's not as big of a deal if some cows die compared to humans. And then I chose the video solution. And this is a video of what I did. And you want to

006watch it. According to Columbia Edu, although the numbers are not known, hundreds, if not thousands of plain residents died from dust ammonia, a nephew from clogging of the lungs of dirt. Many people died in the dust bowl. The dust bowl happened due to bad soil conservation. Without good soil conservation, many people could die again. According to drought, many crops were damaged by efficient rainfall, high temperatures, and high winds, as well as insect infestations and dust storms that accompanied these conditions. The resulting agricultural depression contribute to the great depression. This means that bad soil conservation can lead to a bad economy. The solution, we should enforce new local natural laws tying to soil conservation. For example, can grow the same crop in the same location for more than 3 years in a row. Taking the same

007nutrients all the time is vital to the soil. If I won, I'll publicize the key books to talk to our local senator representatives about NASA conservation. >> And then I actually submitted that video to a contest to win money to further publicize this issue. >> That's awesome. [applause] I think while they're getting the next person ready to go, I think that's also an example of why those uh video recording contracts that we sent out a few weeks ago are important to get back so that kids can put together things just like that. It's a little advertisement. We're only missing about 22 in our whole school, but 22 of you at home watching, make sure you get that in. Who's next? Sure, I can go. Hello, my name is Evelyn and I did my sustainability project

008on an endangered species called the pengalin. Now, this is not a very well-known species. How many people know what a pengalin is? >> Not me. >> I don't know why I do, but I do. [laughter] I thought it was a you said penguin. >> A lot of people do hear penguin. It does sound a lot like penguin. >> So a pengalin is a mammal that lives in Africa and Asia. And it is the only mammal in the world with scales. It has scales made out of keratin, which is the same thing our fingernails are made out of. And that protects it from predators. Unfortunately, these scales are highly sought after in the places where they live because they are sometimes used in traditional medicines and penguin meat is sometimes sold on the black market. So,

009they are a target for poachers and they're every single species is either threatened or endangered. So to help with the issue, the biggest issue is that not a lot of people know what a penglin is. So I made a website all about what a penglin is. And I also made a game on a platform that we learn how to use in our computer science classes at our school called Make Code Arcade. It's a Microsoft platform where you make like retro video games. And I made one based on the problems that pengalins face. And in the game, you are the pengalin trying to escape from a person and get back to your family. >> She had she had everyone play the game during the uh during the fair and some were more successful than others during

010>> it is it is very it's a harder game. I I specifically made it hard so that way you could play it multiple times, but a lot of people only played it once, so they didn't get very far, but it was still fun. >> Does anyone else have their project to share? I hate to cut you off, Evelyn, but I want to make sure everybody gets a chance to squeeze in. Do you want to show your website or speaking of websites? >> That was that was awesome, >> awesome. >> How can we play the game? [applause] >> We can send the link out. >> We'll send the link out. Evelyn, are you okay with us sharing that with the school board, the link for the game? >> Yes, but you have to do it on

011a Lichfield school district account because I did the website on Google sites and because of my school account, it's only allows people with a school account to >> We all have good news. >> Yep, we got those. >> So, I do have the link. So, >> perfect. We'll we will share that with them. What you have, Pascal? >> Hi, my name is Pascal Dion and I researched climate change for my sustainability project. What I did was I made a website about climate change and I hung up posters around my school. And climate change is the earth gradually getting warmer due to greenhouse gas emissions. And it can cause things like sea sea level rise due to melting glaciers and drying out environments which is called desertification. And one thing that we can do to reduce

012climate change is to plant trees or use cleaner energy like solar and wind. >> Awesome. that you did. >> Yeah, I did make a simulation about sea level rise and it shows how you have to go to your work and the roads get flooded. It shows how sleepovers can be difficult. [applause] Do you want to pass your back? >> My space days of CSS [laughter] program two separate simulations too. So sea level rise and one's for desertification and it slowly the crops start to dry up. Isn't that right, Pascal? Am I remembering correctly? >> Wow. >> Thank you. So, they're implementing a lot of the computer science skills they're also learning in class, which is awesome. >> And I think as they go around and share their um papers here, the interesting part to this

013is >> a lot of people didn't do research on resources until high school or college. >> These guys are seventh graders >> doing this awesome research. Is this going to help them when they get to high school, you guys? [laughter] >> So, Jillian did one on climate change, too. So, she's going to share about >> my computer. [cough] >> Hi, my name is Jillian and I have spent the last few weeks investigating climate change and how it affects us affects and causes. During my research, I have learned over a million species are are the result of the recent climate change. Because of this, I've decided to create a video and presentation. The video is animated, but I will not be showing it due to how long it is. This project connects to my research by

014my video talking about climate change, why it happens, how it affects us, and solutions to it. One way you could you can help with this issue is by switching a solar energy, stop the use of generative AI that can that includes chat, GBT, AI study apps, or Grock. Please let me know if you have any questions. But let me first say climate change happens by you know how it's like an actual greenhouse. The sun a sunlight enter sunlight and gases enter the the greenhouse and then uh and it stays there. That's much like the earth's atmosphere. the sunlight enters and then at night some of the some of the gases like bounce off the earth causing it to be colder at night which we've all seen or felt lately. Uh but there's some gases that

015stay. Those gases that stay are called greenhouse gases. Those greenhouse gases are are would be carbon dioxide, water vapor, nitrogen oxide, anything like that. But recently due to uh due to deforestation due to due to fast fashion, oil emissions, uh carbon dioxide emissions, uh sorry, trying to think. Sorry, I don't have a great night memory. Gas emissions, anything anything um that takes up that takes up environmental and releases anything gas into the air, much like cigarettes and water and vaping would be contributing to climate change, much [clears throat] like much like AI. But I know you all live love AI, so I'm not going to force you. [laughter] A >> Jillian is an amazing artist. So I think sharing her poster and if you get a chance to take a look at her video, it's

016remarkable. >> It's 4 minutes long, but she animated the entire thing herself. I was blown away. Super impressive. She did all her own art, all the voiceover stuff. It was remarkable. So just for timing purposes, she didn't want to show it tonight, but I do want to say she did an awesome video on this. How long did it take you to make your video? >> Well, I got I kept getting distracted, so [laughter] like a few weeks. >> Okay. >> Well, taken me a couple days, but I got distracted. >> Sounds like a a big >> And she had to actually animate it all outside of class. I gave them class time to do this, but the platform that she was using was outside of class and she had to do on her iPad and,

017you know, with phone rules and stuff like that. I couldn't have her doing it in class. And I told her, "Jillian, are you sure you want to take all this on outside of class?" and she just was so motivated and she was so passionate about this that she was like, "Yes, I want to do this. I'm going to animate this video." So, all her own initiative. I was very impressed by that. >> Fantastic. Great job. [applause] >> Because we don't have his can't connect to the internet. I think the other part about this is this these were all passion projects by these students. It was a question of >> they had choice in what they researched. So, it wasn't like we were teaching them all of these things. They could go, "Well, what is what

018is greenhouse gases? What does that mean?" I could go and research and find the information. It wasn't us telling them what to think. It was them being able to go out and finding the things to think on their own. Cole, do you want to tell them a little bit about your project as I'm pulling it up? Um, my name is Cole and I did a whole project about like waste and pollution and how it affects animals, humans, and the environment. So, I did for two days I went outside and I picked up trash around like Paige and around my house and I made a website about what people can do to like help the environment and what and about my trash cleanup. So, >> what did you do with your trash? cuz you did something

019kind of neat with your trash, too. The stuff you picked up. >> Oh, I weighed it and then I put the um data inside here. >> And he took pictures, too, of himself cleaning up all the trash and got the photographic evidence. But it was really cool that Cole went out multiple times and weighed his trash both times and something literally helping to pick up our own local ecosystems and environment >> litterally. Literally. Thank you. [laughter] I love that. >> Do you have any questions for our fantastic presenters here? Anything you want to know about the class or what they did for their passion projects here? >> Oh, yeah. >> I'm super impressed with what what they've been able to do here. It's uh >> I don't know that I could make a website for

020my life depended on it. >> Was it hard? Was it hard to do the research >> or did you find it easy? Did AI do the research for you? >> No. I No. >> At least any of us here. We don't know about our classmates. [laughter] >> Good answer. >> We were specifically told not to use the AI overview in Google and actually go into websites and like take the data from there and stuff. >> But that doesn't mean our classmates didn't National Geographic. >> Nice. >> We've done a lot of work on kind of trying to find reliable sources and that's something too they're working on in other classes. I know in their English class, in their science classes, they've been working on that skill, too. And I'm really happy that we were able

021to practice and continue honing that skill with research. So, that was awesome to see. >> It was pretty hard for me because I there's not a lot of information out there on pengalins. So, I had to kind of dig a bit deeper >> for me. Um, the National Soil Conservation Service was a big help cuz that answered like half my questions. >> That's awesome. How much trash did you pick up? What was the total weight? >> I think it was like 16 lbs alto together. >> Maybe a little bit less. >> So, if you see someone throw something out their window, you're going to be really upset. >> You can read your results. >> Oh, maybe not 16. It was like I had 4 lb of trash one day and then 3 lb the other

022day. >> Wow. Awesome. >> Still a lot of trash. >> That's still a lot of trash. >> Awesome. Well, you guys did a great job. Thank you for sharing that with us. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. [applause] >> Here's Mac in the row. >> Thank you for presenting guys. I know how challenging that is. [laughter] It was yours. They were professional >> and just as the you know CIA director just going to that showcase and watching them present all the interdisciplinary skills that are required to do this project is amazing. It's such a transference of oh this is math cuz they're doing graphing, they're doing weighing and measuring and all that kind of stuff. They're doing writing. They're doing researching, speaking and listening like All of it is together. Sciences, it's just

023it was amazing. They all did such a great job. >> It's awesome. >> So confident in their in their work, too. I'm so proud of it. >> Yes. >> They This is how we give agency and we get authentic, you know, learning in to our our school. It's great. >> Yeah, that's it. It's really cool to be able to see the product of that class and see that the kids were really invested in it and the and the quality of work that's coming out of it. I mean, >> that really is going to give them a leg up when they get to high school and then go to college. >> They're coding, they're building websites, they're crazy. >> I I honestly don't know that I could do like a PowerPoint right now to be honest.

024>> I can do I [laughter] can do a PowerPoint. It's all kind of paint. >> I honestly don't even know if I could. So, >> I mean, it's understanding data analysis and and proper ways to display that data. You know, proper research practices and and discerning what is reliable, what isn't is huge in anything that you do. >> Yeah, absolutely. >> We have Mr. Benoy to talk about the UN. >> So, speaking of high school, >> nice transition. >> Yeah. No, we thought this was an excellent transition cuz we're all sitting there watching these kids present and we're like, well, that's uh the future of Campbell High School right there and the future of these organizations. Um, so I wanted to start by bragging about my students a little bit. Um, so next to me

025here is Josh and Caitlyn. And uh, unfortunately we also had Rocco who couldn't make it tonight. Uh, these are three student leaders who are very active in the social studies department. um very active in um government organizations um that we have available such as uh Youth and Government. Um and so what you're about to see this came from uh Youth and Government. So Youth and Government is a uh organization where students will practice um state legislative models. So they will go and do a mock legislative session up at the state house in conquered. Um and these three or these two and the third that you don't see here uh are very active in that organization. So um this proposal really came organically from the students. So I'm going to turn it over to you guys.

026Advance the slide please. Thank you. Um so on this trip we'll kind of be doing what we do in youth and government but more at like the world leadership level. Um we'll get the opportunity to learn um a lot about different cultures and get to play a role in um policy making and um advocating for different issues around the world and in different cultures. Um, we get assigned to different countries where we are Oh, I'm so spacing on the word. Um, what are we for them? Not their >> representatives. >> Yeah, [clears throat] representatives. We're We're their representatives for their country. um and we get to learn about it and we write papers to about the different issues of that country to work in different um committees to find solutions for these >> and they

027have so many different committees um crisis committees, general assembly committees, specialized committees. Um Josh, you want to talk about the committee that you're on? >> Um I'm on a committee and it's was it philosophers round table I think. Um and the task of the committee is to design utopia. Um and they have they assigned everybody like a different philosopher from different time periods and different countries. Um and the one I got assigned to was uh Giovani Gentelli. Um and he was an he was an Italian fascist from like World War I, World War II. um he was like the brains behind a lot of what Mousolini did um and said and supposedly wrote, but really it was this guy that wrote it. Um and so it'll be really interesting seeing him um sort of interact

028with say John Lock or Thomas Hobbs and sort of have those discussions around what does utopia look like um and what's the best form of government? Sorry, did I cut you off? >> That'll be a challenge. [laughter] >> So, this is model U and Harvard, right? >> Boston University. Okay. So, this is Mile and Boston University. I get them mixed up sometimes the different trips. So, this is a great opportunity for our kids to participate in this. Um and I think one of the fascinating things I've seen it in action um in my career before I've had the opportunity to witness um this when I was back as a teacher and assistant principal um is that aspect of it where you have to take on the perspective of um someone who you may not have

029the same um like feelings about a situation and you have to put yourself in those shoes and really look at it from a different angle and a different perspective and stuff. And um it's really incredible when you see high school students engaging um in this level of thought and and and uh you know processing the information because you're given your kind of your person and then you have to react to everyone else in the moment and really like keep your perspective of who your person is >> and sort of stay in your your character or your role to do that >> and let the the kids who participate in it are our future leaders. They do a great job with it and stuff. So um it's a great opportunity for for our kids. So, how

030many how many uh attend? Does that say 2,300? >> About 2,300 students from around the world. Um, now uh this is the first time uh hopefully if uh we get school board approval, this will be the first time that Campbell High School will be attending. Um now, um in in my teaching career, um when I was a student teacher, I was a student teacher at Conquered High School and I had the opportunity to attend um attend this conference and it was just fantastic. Um now this was about 10 years ago but um it was still just an amazing opportunity for students. Um and it's really a huge confidence booster I think for students um to be able to interact in that formal setting uh and to take on those leadership positions. Um I think that

031oh and the the opportunity to meet people from around the world. It is such a great networking opportunity and these are all ambitious driven students. Uh so to be able to see them sort of interact and form those connections uh and they can really take that with them into their adult lives. Uh so that's a good transition to the educational benefits. [clears throat] Is that you Josh? Is that me? [laughter] um the educational benefits. Um we'll learn leadership skills or you [laughter] so based the opportunity to um like we'll learn leadership skills through speaking about our countries and like taking control of the issues that they're facing. um cross-culture education. Getting to learn so much about different cultures and communities and what issues they're facing and how different policies made in one country might help

032um a similar issue in another country, then they could be on completely different sides of the world and you would never know about these issues unless they're talked about in settings like this and we'll get to work with that. Um tech technical writing skills. all of us had to write a position paper to be able to attend which basically in our committees we're given two issues we can pick from and um so personally I'm in the um women's issue committee in my um position paper I wrote on educational issues with the country that I was assigned so I got to write a two-page paper about why education is something that's not easily accessed best for young women in my country, different policies that have tried to get put in place to um fix this and

033how I believe that we could fix this. Um >> you want to speak a little bit more about the issue that your country faces? >> Oh yes. So um I am representing Capo Varde. Um it is a small country in Africa. Um my country struggles a lot with women in education. They have very very limited mandated education. So, we're mandated to have education in the US from kindergarten to um 16 or 18 through high school. They're only mandated 7 to 13 and that's their primary school. After and that's the only education that they have is free. After that, it's secondary school and they have to pay for that. And for women, that's a huge issue in their country because more than half of their population is under the age of 22 and they struggle a

034lot. I don't want to say struggle, but it's very prominent to see um uh youth marriages and it's unfortunately very frowned upon in youth pregnancies. And a lot of these schools say, "Oh, you're you had a kid, you can't come to school." So by the time they're 14, 15, they already have a kid and they can't go to secondary school, which women end up having to take on smaller jobs, which is affects them econ affects their economy um and so many other things, especially because women in this country seem to outperform um young boys. So, I get to I got to wrote a paper and research on that. Um, and I'll get to speak about that and come up with um different solutions on how to help with that. >> Wow. Awesome. >> So, awesome.

035>> How How long did it take you to research that? You seem like you really got you really uh >> um I it should have taken me a few weeks. Um [laughter] I waited for it till about four hours before the paper was due. Wow. Um, she's on a fast researcher. >> She's honest. [laughter] >> But after I have been the paper's due what, two days ago? Um, [laughter] >> you've continued researching. >> I have. I've um what I was doing in my AP C class today. Um [laughter] Um, but I have gotten to research the country. Um, and it is very interesting and it is an issue that I would have not known about and not even considered to be an issue without being exposed to a program like this where I get to

036see different issues around the world. >> Do we know if anyone from that country will be at this? >> Do we know like I mean that's >> a possibility. It's definitely a possibility. >> That's really cool. You might walk away with some international friends. >> Yeah. >> Very cool. >> We're here tonight. We This is an overnight field trip. So, we need the board's approval for the kids to go on the field trip. Um, they've taken care of all the accommodate like we're not paying for it. It's selfunded by the kids and their families and stuff. And um, >> how many are going? >> The three of them. And then >> the three and we're hoping uh that if we get board approval, we'll be able to grow and expand. U Model UN is a

037brand new club. This all just kind of came together very recently. So, >> I'll make a motion to approve the Model UN trip. >> I'll second. >> Any further conversation? >> Yeah. I just have one question. What's with the transportation situation? >> Uh, self transport. >> Self transport. >> Okay. And um, >> all those in favor say I. >> I. >> 30. >> Thank you. >> Good luck. Have fun. >> Have a great time. >> Report back to us how it all went. >> Sure. >> That sounded like it either hurt or it felt good. [laughter] >> Can go either way. Everything cracks. >> I was going to say just wait. [laughter] >> You're way too young to second knee surgery. It's only a matter of time. >> Yeah. So, um, you guys >> Oh,

038yes. >> Trying to get it up there. >> What did you guys research? >> [laughter] >> You have a video for us to watch a cartoon or anything. >> Say brand new website. [laughter] >> Okay, [snorts] this is me. Um, so for our winter sports, the girls basketball team is currently 4 and nine. Their next game is on the 6th uh versus Summerssworth. The boys basketball team is doing a little bit better at 5 and eight. Their next game is going to also be on the 6th um again versworth. The wrestling team has competed in 11 dual meets so far and the pack hockey team is currently three and six with their f with their next game tonight at John Stark. So for our past events, um uh January 20th was the midterm week. Uh

039we had kind of an altered schedule there. Uh the 22nd was the Spain trip info meeting. Um the 26th the senior almost there breakfast which it was pretty good. [laughter] It was pretty good. Um the and on the 30th judge John Brick uh came in as a guest speaker to talk about mental health in the auditorium and it was it was a decent speech. He had everybody basically we were all silent. It was really it was really good story actually. Uh there's also me uh the current events that are going on right now is we're gonna coming up on the 10th is the student council making uh we're making a staff drink cart. So we have a a sectioned off people in student council that we're going to go in in the morning and we're

040going to make drinks and then we're going to deliver them to staff in the building. Uh coming up on the 13th, we will hand out or the student council will hand out chocolate covered strawberries to the staff and students in honor for uh Valentine's Day coming up. We're also going to be handing out carnations, which are they're they're sold, not really handout, but they're sold outside the lunchrooms for Valentine's Day. Um, so for our future events, we have winter carnival, which is like a week of spirit days leading up to the Friday right before break where we have like a pep rally at the end of the day. Um, and this year we're actually doing like a unified quarter. So there's like 8 minutes of unified basketball to kind of get like that like more

041like publicity and like just like get that out there a little bit more. Um, February 11th is the eighth grade parent night. So all the like eighth grade like families and parents comes to the auditorium just like listens about Campbell. February break is coming up and the FBLA state leadership conference which is like an overnight trip at Litfield Middle School. Um students and staff are actually voting on the new therapy dogs name. Miss Grantham actually told me that it's down to three. It was Paisley, Willow, and Bailey. Those >> solution is drum roll please. Her name will be Bailey. Believe it or not, the online poll was high for [clears throat] Willow, but the kids overwhelmingly chose Bailey. So, it's >> um and then boys and girls basketball are actually playing tonight. Boys are off

042at Sandborn and the girls are away at Auburn >> and they won just hot off the presses. >> Both of them. >> Uh the girls definitely I haven't heard from the boys yet, but the girls won so they're on to the uh next level of the finals. >> Nice. Um they're still preparing for the Winnie Dip fundraiser which is on March 6th and all the proceeds go to Special Olympics and they will also be having a spirit week right before February vacation with the pep rally too. Um for school counselors week they want to honor Miss Hayes, Miss Perkins, and Miss Carol for all that they do. And on Friday, January 30th, the science explorations came to do their bubble presentation for the second graders. And on February 2nd, the fourth graders visited the um

043New Hampshire State House and New Hampshire Museum. And this Thursday is their second annual Winterfest from 5 to 7. And kindergarten registration is now open. That's everything. >> Well, registering kindergarten kids already. >> We're up to 40 already. >> Wow. It's been over a week. So, we'll see. [laughter] >> Thank you very much. Thank you. >> All right. Now, we have community input on agenda items. Seeing no community. >> We see community, but they're just not getting on, >> right? [laughter] >> We see >> not faces we usually see. Exactly. Um, >> so we'll close community input um and go to correspondence. I should have opened this up before I sat down. Okay. On the 23rd, there was uh a request from Miss Darling for everybody to sign the warn articles. On January 27th, there

044were there was a payroll manifest from an enamor. On the 28th of January, there were Renee Burgess sent us the agenda for the 31st meeting which was um at deliberative. On the 30th, we had two accounts payable manifests from Annorati. On the 30th, we had the agenda for tonight's meeting from Renee. On the 31st, Chairman Sun sent the slides for the deliberative session. [snorts] On the 31st from Miss Fos, there was a comment regarding the first robotics funding. Mr. Cutter responded uh to Miss Flesis and then responded again today um with further detail. And then um today we received the minutes from the um 21st school board meeting and the 31st post deliberative um school board meeting. And that was it as of about 2:30 this afternoon. >> We're doing it all tonight. I should

045have volunteered for that. Sorry. [laughter] Um, so now we've moved going to move on to uh the legislative update and we're inviting Mr. Peoples to come to the front of the class. >> Good evening. >> Facebook's been hopping this week for you guys, huh? I feel like you guys have been >> having to respond to a bunch of >> It's a busy time of year. Um I give you a copy of uh the next two agendas for both um education policy and education funding. Um trying to keep up with both of them, but um education policy and administration, they have their own world over there and we're pretty busy in our own. Um this week probably the the thing that most people have heard about is HB751, which is open enrollment. Um, this is a

046non-gerermanine amendment to a bill. And what that means is they basically took a bill that was already there, gutted it, and reinserted a a complete replacement um inside the bill, changing its intent. So, at this time of year, you can't start a new bill from scratch. It's the only way to to move a piece of legislation forward in a rapid uh rapid way. And we talked about that, I think, at their last meeting. I brought that up that you we keep some bills on the side that can be repurposed, you know, if they're an interimm study bill or uh something that's that um is very low value. So, whatever the the bill is, they usually got is something that's low value. In this case, um, this open enrollment bill is to meet the court order

047for a Supreme Court order, which says basically um, even though we have have had open enrollment that um, we can't charge for application fees and we can't charge uh, tuition for that outside of what's normal. So, some districts have been um using it to poach customers. I'm going to call the students customers in this case because uh if they're in a declining enrollment situation and they have space, uh they've actually been trying to get folks from other districts to come to them, which is a problem. And uh hopefully they'll address that in the rule making. Um this bill is coming back from the Senate. It's already approved over there and it's coming back to us probably next week for concurrence which is the house is going to take a vote on it. If it passes

048in the house, it'll become an enrolled bill and get slated to go to the governor for situ for signature. Um, I printed out a copy of the bill for you so you can you can read it. Can >> I ask you a question? Um, correct me if I'm wrong. I mean, at most of I I will be honest with you, I haven't dug into the bill terribly um in depth, but my understanding is that the the funding mechanism behind this is that we as a sending district will be responsible for 80% of the tuition for the student. >> Correct. >> Uh is the 20 is the other 20% the responsibility of the family or is it the responsibility of the receiving district? >> It's it it it's no money for the family. So this this

049is >> so as I'm seeing and I don't I you know I wasn't responding to um the Facebook comments but I saw a couple reps you know talking about this and promoting this. >> So Senator Sullivan's pretty laid laid that out pretty good on uh the WhatsApp page is people have been putting different things up. Um I think probably the best and clearest example but it it has nothing to do with the parents paying. It's >> so I guess what my my question though is is like the what's being posted is there's no there's there's negligible if any financial impact to any district. >> But really h how can that be the case, right? Like if we're responsible for for sending 80% out, right? So that that's 80% of our district dollars that really we

050can't really budget for. And then if you're if you're a taxpayer in a town, right? and you're going to foot the bill for 20% of any student that's coming in from from another town. So, how how how are we like saying that there's not a >> Well, there's 46 states that already have open enrollment. This actually started out in Minnesota back in, I believe, 1983. Um, I might have that date wrong, but it it's been around a long time. And in all the data that I've been uh able to acquire basically says maybe you will get two or 3% of students taking advantage of that because there's other there's other catches with it. First one is transportation. Transportation is not being provided. So if you want to you want to go to a school that's

051halfway across the state, you have to get there and back. And it it becomes it becomes a logistic nightmare. So originally open enrollment was brought about to get kids out of failing schools. Right? If you're in a district and there's 10 schools in the district and two of them are really bad, but the other eight are doing good. So in interd district open enrollment would allow those kids go to other school. They didn't have to go to school A, they could go to school B. And that was originally the intent. Um, as it's developed over the years, it's become a a mechanism for school school choice, right? >> Parent let the parents decide. >> But like hypothetically speaking, if you had, you know, kids, let's just say Manchester is an inner city, right? And they

052there's it's not a far track to come to Lichfield. uh you know I mean aside from the budgetary impact that that would have on Manchester but like our taxpayers would be paying for 20% of of any students who are not residents of Lichfield that are coming in as well. >> You need to read the bill because in all this is the the guard rails, right? So the the district needs to set up a policy what they have for capacity. um you the superintendents and all that have to work together to to enact that policy and everybody has to agree that this is what's happening. So it's just not I want to come here tomorrow and I can do that. There's there's a lot of steps to get there. >> No, I understand. I just I

053just see a lot of discussion online about this and within our community and you know at the end of the day if we're going to be you know part of the reason I'm asking this is because we were presented with a policy that we you know didn't put into place but we're going to be asked to be putting into place and you know if I'm seeing that the commentary is well there's there's a negligible financial impact to communities like I I don't I just want to make sure I understand like what the state reps are thinking that that >> well I I would read the bill. I you'll understand it as well as I do. Um the problem with many of this is many things like this and I talked to Superintendent Okonnell yesterday. Um

054the courts are never our friends in these things. >> It this is a court decision that there's this is a knee-jerk reaction that we were reacting to it >> and um >> so you know here we are. What do you do? It's uh you tell the judge, "No, we're not doing it. It's the Supreme Court this time." >> We did speak. We did speak yesterday. I talked to Mr. Peoples yesterday on the phone about this. Um >> and you know, I raised a couple of my concerns that that you know that I I have with it. you know, um my understanding, you know, um is that, you know, a school district would be would have no influence on, you know, a family deciding to send their kid to another school district and then footing a

055bill for that, right? So, a tangible example is you could have a Lichfield family decide they want to send their student to a Hudson school, right? And we would be on the hook with no say in it. This is my concern at least to >> as you voiced yesterday. >> Yeah. is that we would be paying 80% of our >> right >> rate to like the Lichfield taxpayers would be paying for that kid's education over in the Hudson school district, right? And then vice versa, kids coming here. Um, another concern I I I have with this is, and again, this has changed, this changes almost every day. Every day. >> So, um, you know, you gave us this this uh earlier today, Mr. Peles, which I appreciate. I haven't got a chance to to read

056it yet. um is make sure we're protecting the opportunities for our own local students. Um my understanding is this doesn't make this makes open enrollment every school has to do it no matter what. Right? And what I get concerned about is students who don't live in Lichfield taking the opportunities of Lichfield students from both an academic or a co-curricular standpoint. Right? Um I'll use my own kid for example in a different school district. You know, she's in theater right now, right? She has a little role, which is great. I would I'm g be honest, being transparent, putting myself out there. Maybe I'm not a great parent for saying this, but like if a kid from a different town came in and took her spot, I would feel upset about that, right? Like in that play

057and stuff like that. And um I think we have to be careful sometimes to make sure we talked about athletics a little bit and some of the the dangers that this has involving athletics and other co-curriculars, music, performance, and stuff like that. and making sure that we honor the opportunities for for our own students who live in our own towns and stuff like that that we don't lose track of that and trying to I think there's a good um thought here where we want to make sure kids have opportunities right like kids can have access to different programs and different opportunities um to make sure that they're successful in the future but not lose sight of our own kids in our own towns and communities um that we're that we represent that we work with

058on an everyday basis. So, I think this is a tricky bill that you guys are trying to to sort through and figure out a path. Um, you know, I will say like I'm concerned about the financial implications. Budgets are set, right? You know, um, you know, five kids, if we have a difference of five more going out than coming in, you know, that's a $100,000 difference, right? Um, maybe we have more coming in and that's a a benefit to us. Maybe we have more going out and that's a negative to us. But we don't necessarily have um we don't know how to budget for that yet, right? Like we just don't know because we don't know how any of this would work and stuff and and we we opted not to do a war article

059which I still believe is the right idea because this is so changing on an everyday basis. Uh my understanding is >> this right here this is ready this is approved by the by the Senate. >> Yeah. >> So it only has to go to the house. >> Yeah. And my understanding is this would supersede any warrants that are out there potentially that would get approved. So >> yeah, >> I think us waiting and allowing the dust to settle this was still the right decision, you know. >> Um >> and I think when you were talking about that, I was here and I said, you know, there's a lawsuit there's a lawsuit coming. The decision was was imminent. >> Yeah. >> We didn't know what that decision would be and that would definitely change your what

060you would put out there for a warrant. Yeah. >> So, the House can change still make changes to this bill, right? Pardon? >> The the House can still make changes to the bill. >> Yeah. I The House could possibly make an amendment to that. >> So, are there any states that are in similar situations as New Hampshire where we don't have the most robust funding for schools? >> I think there's a lot of states out there without robust funding. >> Yeah. >> I mean, um, we're we're not unusual. The the only difference is a lot of places and a lot of other places have broad-based tax other than property tax. But you'll find if you look at state after state after state across the United States, property tax is the only vehicle that's large enough

061to support the public schools. It's it it is the only thing that's stable enough. Um you a sales tax, right? Um you have a little bit of a recession. Sales tax revenue goes down. business profits tax here in the state. We have a little bit of a recession, those things go down. Uh income tax, you have a recession, those things go down. Where property tax stays level and stable for the most part, >> tax goes up. >> Well, yeah. Well, it but doesn't go down, >> right? Another on that note actually I just wanted to mention like um we did for the New Hampshire Association for Administration. So that represents superintendent um did have an open letter that they had several school administrators throughout the state um signed on to and was presented to um

062Governor AOT um and members of the legislature. They do talk about that specifically that there are states that do have full open enrollment. Um but they are significantly more um more robustly funded by their states. So they had like specifically Arizona is 43%, Idaho 65%, Mississippi 46% where we're at 29% um of receiving the the state portion. Um so it would c certainly be a lot more on the taxpayers I think. So there's so they're also the sending district's also paying special education expenses. >> Yeah. >> But that's true that that is true if you were to send a student to an out of district placement school or something else. >> But who's making the if the student is going to an out of district placement? Who's making the IEP determinations? >> The team right

063>> at that district or in our district? >> We still do like the sending district. You the both districts are part of the team, right? But it has to be an agreement on that team. So you can't just have one school say, "Hey, like we this you can't have the receiving school be like we're only this is the special like whether you like it or not." No, no, no. We get to sit at the table and you come to the best decision along with the family and other other stakeholders and stuff like that. >> So again, this one's a it's a it's a moving target at this point still. Um we'll see what the next week brings. >> Yeah, >> I think I think we're going to have a session next week Thursday. So I

064anticipate that would be on it. It's it did it was too late to get on this week's calendar. So, you know, things that are coming have to be in there by a certain date so they can publish it. It's same thing that you're used to. You have to notice your meetings. We have to notice the stuff to the public because um as the fourth graders found out when they came up on Monday, government in New Hampshire is 100% totally transparent. They can come to to the house and be participate by watching the house sessions. They can go to the senate. They can go into the governor's chambers and sit with the executive council and witness government taking place. It's it's it's very very transparent. Um I don't know how it is in other places, but

065I can tell you here there's not much that people don't know. Although I was reading the paper and governor said one department didn't notify her about another thing. So, we'll see. >> And you guys are doing um a hearing for this, you said next Thursday. Pardon? >> You're doing a hearing for this next Thursday. >> I anticipate that this is going to it's not going to a hearing. It's going to come before the House. It'll be on the House calendar for a vote. >> So, there won't be a hearing at won't be an opportunity to speak in the House. They're just going to take >> Well, there'll be a there'll be a floor speech in the House or two or three um and then a um a parliamentary inquiry and and a vote unless there's

066an amendment. >> Mhm. So again, again, I haven't heard of any amendments coming yet, but that could happen that day. >> So no public input on this when it gets to the House. >> Pardon? No public input. >> Public [clears throat] was heard in the Senate. So they already had their hearing. >> Okay. >> Um other thing that's coming, we we've we've got one bill that we're working on talking about a statewide um uh ERP system. That's we're going to Yep. to to basically um manage schools from one end to the other. Um we held that bill over. We're going to take action on it the other day, but the Department of Education has asked to have some other input in in it and they have a few changes and stuff they wanted. So, we're

067going to see that on Friday. >> What does ERP stand for? >> Enterprise resource planning. >> Accounting. It's a catch-all term for um all your your computer processes, accounting, you know, dep depends on what you roll out, what it looks like, >> you know, everything is kind of modulized like, you know, AP, AR, payroll, um in this case, we have student grading, we have there's all kinds of other pieces that roll into that. Um, again, that's one of the transparency issues we have almost exclusively when we request a piece of data. And as we've been working on special education funding solutions and um just general education funding solutions, the the the problem always comes when you ask for a piece of data that you need to make a decision. either they don't have it because

068they don't collect it, schools don't provide it, or they do collect it, but the schools don't provide it because it's too much work and there's nobody there's no um there's no carrot to have them deliver it. Um or it's it's it's HIPPO related or it's confidentiality of of some other fashion that you can't get it. I mean, even what we get for reports, the the lowest common denominator of report is 11. Anything less than 11 isn't allowed to be reported on because you might be able to personally identify a student out of out of something smaller. So, um, we're trying to get through that issue. I mean, everybody wants to come up with a solution. We really are working hard to try to do that, but we want to change the special education um catastrophic

069aid. We want to lower the lower the numbers so that it kicks in sooner, but we can't tell what it's going to cost because we don't have the data. The data doesn't exist enough to to to do that. So, literally, if we moved it from 3.5 down to to 1.5, we have no idea what that would cost. it it would be just throwing it up against the wall and seeing what happens. So >> sort of like the open enrollment. >> Yeah. >> I think this is a little bit more defined than >> you should be able to to anonymize the data. Why why can't you I mean >> so we just >> one of the challenges in special ed is when you share services right so like when you try to pull out like if

070we have a pair of professional who might be working over the case over the course of a day with 10 to 12 students right how do you monetize >> that person's time because we do things within the confines of our system to streamline processes when you have an out of district placement that's pretty easy to articulate in a dollar amount right because it's an individual now what you can share that's where it gets tricky with what what Mr. people was talking about a lot of this stuff is protected by confidentiality and and um >> could be something like that >> but like that you can put a dollar amount on but like uh I won't say like atypical identified student every student is unique but like maybe not as a high needs identified student it's

071hard to articulate the exact dollar amount that that student is costing you in special ed services that makes sense >> just out of curiosity is like I [snorts] mean you obviously work with our superintendent right like you you you take the initiative to do that which I think is great. Um >> I think you got I think you did a great job hiring him. >> Thanks. [laughter] >> Thanks. >> Can't take all the credit but >> take one of the credit. >> Yeah, you take one. Um are you like are you guys like what is the interaction like with educators of the education community in terms of like seeking out information? Because like what I'm hearing is this is a problem but part of this problem is like not really the ERP. Part of this

072problem is like how do you actually gather this data >> and that in fact is the problem. Right? So you have 117 different SAUs in the state. Everybody does it just a little bit different but they all report up on like the MS25s and stuff like that. So all the data coming up to those forms so are in some other fashion. Some people do it in Excel. We have school districts that are running QuickBooks. What you guys use? Google >> Finance Plus [laughter] and Google stuff and Google because you do. Um, so we have all this disparited data around the state that if when you ask for like that next tier down, it's a mess, right? So part of the >> So really the first step is just is making it uniform and then you'll

073be able to start to analyze what >> the proposal that's out there right now is um uh came from the other side of the aisle aisle for me. You know I'm a Republican. It came from the Democratic side and I actually concur with everything that's pretty much in the proposal. It's basically to square up the square up the data, square up the systems across the state so everybody is reporting the same thing in the same way just just to make it level level of field. Now, if you want to know if we want to drop catastrophic aid down from 3 to two or 3 to one and a half based on a little better data, we could tell that it's going to cost X dollars and we can fund that because now we can go

074to ways and means, you can go to finance and you've got a number that you can put forward in the state budget. Um, we're likely to make a decision to lower that number. it's looking imminent and just take a g take a take a guess. But it's going to come with it's going to come with some strings much like your grant funding, right? You know, there's always a there's always a little string attached. Well, this string might be that data um that we're going to lower to here and if you report that data and it's accurate, we'll give you a little bit extra. So it it seems to be the only way that we can get the the participation without legislating some, you know, something that's concrete, >> heavy. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> You guys

075got to change the term ERP. It It's not really >> term of art. >> It's not really the right term or the right tool that you guys are looking for to to be able to manage this. I I mean, it's >> I came up with another AC acronym for it and it confused everybody. was basically education related. They all laughed. But uh yeah, >> so right now you have to remember it's a bill. >> It's not even a bill. Well, I mean it's a bill, but it's it hasn't went forward yet. It had a public hearing. Um everybody agreed that there's some things in the bill that are really good. Both sides of table agreed that there's some things we'd like to do. So right now the right now we're going to take it to

076a working session and see what those things can be. Right. >> Yeah. I'm I'm concerned that if it comes down as an ERP or an MRP system is what they're going to try to put in place, they're then going to force every SAU and district to run their district using that tool. >> There's actually resource planning tool, not a data analytics and gathering tool. and those costs to the district for changing to the system and >> training. And there is one company that already has about 50% of the SAUs already. >> So >> the one we use >> no [laughter] of course not. >> Why would it be? >> Well, it's what we want. >> Probably because they charge a heck of a lot. >> But it doesn't say you're going to have to use

077it. It's only going to say that you have to report out this data in this fashion. >> Okay. Rick is in the end formatting thing. Huh? Is it a formatting thing? Yeah, >> can be. You got to collect it though and and in the end it's it's about the the the data collection. >> You can't report on what you don't have. >> So can you provide us the data points that that looking that they're looking for and then >> because it's it's a bill. All it says is we want you to collect it. >> That that happens afterwards that comes out of the rule making and the other process. It and it's at this point it's to develop a commission to do that. >> Yeah. I was say, is the state gonna fund the districts

078to put the teams together to reorganize their data? >> Um, well, your funding might come in the in the form of a lot more help in special education or or more adequacy money, right? >> So, >> I would justly maybe remind people that there's been a lot of mandates that we get that are not >> unfunded. Yes. [laughter] >> So, that that burden gets passed down to us which which makes it challenging. We talk about special ed and that's kind of the classic one where there was an interpretation for a long time of um kids would leave on their 21st birthday when that got updated to their 22nd birthday. It cost districts a lot of money. and we're working on one right now that addresses the fact that if you have a child that's that's

079in that particular situation that turns 22 during the course of the school year, the USDA um food program, if he was on free and reduced lunch, the USDA program drops them at 21. So now we have this the child gets dropped at 21. he's still in school till the end of the school year or his IEP depending on the district because there's two ways to do that. Um he's not getting free and reduced lunch anymore. He's not getting fed. So for unintended consequences is something the legislature lives with continuously and the idea is that we far it out most of those before they become that problem. >> So I I have a just a question. This is not like targeting anything, just out of curiosity because I don't know the answer to this. So, um,

080how closely do you guys work with with the DOE and with the commissioner like figuring out like because I think one of the hiccups with the parental bill of rights, for example, is the recording thing, right? And I don't know if there was or wasn't dialogue with like the DOE on like how does this now operate boots on the ground, right? >> So, that's a great question. Thank you for your question, Superintendent Okonnell, because >> we did notice. >> We work very close on that. As a matter of fact, um through most meetings, depending on which which one you're in, we will have different experts and from the Department of Education in the room with us and we can use them as technical resources like uh Rebecca Ferdet, special education, you know, Mark Magelone from

081finance. Um Caitlyn Davis, the the commissioner of education. Um they're they're very approachable and they are there for the meetings. they have to be be there as technical resources for for the committee working on those problems. >> So even with all that, every once in a while there's unintended consequences, you know, that you just can't [cough] you just can't think of them all. I I I I look at the book I don't know you guys all have a copy of the red book with which is the statute. >> I just go online. >> Yeah. >> Oh, so >> I have it bookmarked online. When when I was appointed to the education committee, one of the first things I got was this giant red book with print about that big. And it's the education statutes. It's

082enormously complex. It's been altered year after year after year after year and never been recottified. So we looked at recottifying and we're talking millions of dollars just to go back through it and like make sure everything you know is it duplicated or um or or saying do you shall over here and may over there you know to to recodify the whole statute is enormous amount of money. >> So we still have a big red book and it's going to be there for a while. Um, so to to that end and uh I mean Caitlyn Davis um when I was originally put on this committee, Frank Edlum was still the the commissioner. Caitlyn was the one that did our on boarding. You know, we spent a day with her. Um so we do have that resource

083is available at the end of a phone call much like yourself. >> Um we were down at the National Summit on Education together. Um so there there is a lot of cross-pollination. Awesome. Uh, other than that, if you see anything that's on here that that interests you, um, I gave you both both both of these. I can't um I can't talk to any of them because I haven't heard them yet. They're Friday's work. >> Thank you for the time. >> You're welcome. >> Thanks very much. >> Thank you. >> I I hope it helps. That's >> It's very It's It's great to be able to have those conversations. Honestly, more talent should probably adopt this model. I >> I I I can tell you every day I go up there, I learn something new. It's

084um it's it's wonderful. As I said the last time, um I was appointed by the speaker of the house to the career and techn technical education advisory panel. Um so I'll have more news on that on Monday. It's my first meeting there at DOE, so see how that goes. I did tour Elurn um at their open house last week. That was really good to see some of the Lichfield kids. Um, if you haven't been over there to take a tour of that facility, you really ought to go. >> It's It's quite impressive. I I don't know what I expected, but it was way beyond the uh So, >> thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Thank you. >> Okay, we have the superintendence report. When do we typically let you guys get out of here? They're

085>> they're like right now. >> We could go right now. I don't >> Yeah, you guys. >> We're going in the weeds and some not exciting stuff. [laughter] >> You guys have a good night. >> You too. >> Thanks. >> I apologize. >> All right. So, the first thing we just have here is a follow from our deliberative past Saturday. Thank you to uh those in the community who are able to attend and um and uh hear their voices heard. We appreciate that. Um so that first link is the updated warrant. We did have article one that was adjusted um by a vote on the floor went up by $9,600. Um so that is the updated language. We do need to update the budget committee um voting total there. So we will um update that.

086We didn't we were busy with our meeting. So, we just have to double check their vote total. We think it's 71, but we want to double check their minutes before. >> Yeah, cuz I think we only had >> We didn't know if Derek got on the phone or not. >> Yeah, >> cuz he wasn't present. >> He wasn't present. >> They may have gotten him on the >> I'm pretty sure it was 71, but obviously you have to check that. >> Yeah. So, we just don't know if there's one person missing for the vote or two. So, we just want to double check that, make sure it's accurate. But, we'll have >> Mr. Sun is watching. He can get us. >> Yeah. And we'll just go check the minutes as well. So, we just haven't

087done that yet. Um and then everything else remained the same. So we'll keep everything else the same and go from there. >> Okay. >> Uh the next thing is just voter day preparation. So that's the voter guide. This is um due to the town um so we can get it to the printers next week. I've left it for the board there for your review. Um we have next week to continue to provide um updates. So feel free to read through it, uh make any comments you want, any suggestions or anything in particular you want us to highlight. That's our [snorts] first draft in there. Um we've run it through administratively um through our team um and the building level administration. Um so any any thoughts that you have on that just let me know any

088comments you can comment on. >> Mr. Carter made a comment in the >> Yep. >> So you saw that. >> So you can do the same just highlight it and then add a comment if you want. Um and then we'll send it off to the printers with the town voting guide next week as well. So, >> okay, >> that's actually all I have for me. [laughter] >> Keep it rolling. >> All right, Julius, same to you. >> All right. Yes. Um, so I did um attach the DRRA forms that I had presented last week, but now they are signed. Um, I will um we keep the DRRA form the same for the warrant, even though the amount has changed. So, it'll just be updated on the ballot. Um, so we don't have to resign for

089that. Um, and then I'll just move over to my update if I can find that. Here we go. Um, the mandatory report to voters. Um, I just wanted to let everyone know that I have posted that that's been posted where the warrants are posted, which is at CHS town hall. Um, and on our district website. Um, have not fielded any questions so far, so that's good. Um, with regard to the FY25 audit, um, I just received, um, a few days ago the audit draft. So, I went through that. Um, yes, exactly. [laughter] Um, so I just need to complete the management discussion and analysis um, which I'll send back to um, our auditors and once they have that, they can finalize the document. Um, so hopefully we will be receiving that um, within a couple

090of weeks. Um we also have scheduled our audit for FY26 because we like to do that ahead of time so we get the week that we like. Um so that will be um as it has been um the last couple of years it'll be the third week of July. Um so that's been scheduled. Um with regard to solar um Mr. Dwitt and I um had a virtual meeting with um K uh last Friday um to get some clarification. Um, I think some of your questions are answers and there there there's still some >> there >> follow-up information that's needed. >> There's some headaches. Um, >> you tell >> I mean I I will say I am more comfortable with the call it the fire safety of the battery system. good. >> Um there there are

091she was able to answer all those questions and I'm more comfortable with it not having an active fire suppression within the battery system itself. Um so she was able to answer those questions. She did provide information as to why if you look at the solar usage as to why there is long terms of like you get great solar production and then the very next day you get none um and and massive spikes. So, um, that's just due to the angle that the panels are mounted at, um, which is due to, I guess, load loading on the roof or some is what she explained. >> Yeah, it it's they're they're at a very very non ideal angle to shed snow. Um my the questions that I still have that are open is um I asked for

092summary documentation. What was the what were the requirements the system was designed around? What did her model show? She did state her models are proprietary and wouldn't show me the ex the data or the calculations. And I said I just want to see the summary reports. I want to know how what was your input and how it how you got to we needed 880 solar panels and a containers worth of batteries. Um of which I still have not seen. Um I will also say that I I am a little perplexed on how the systems that we ask to be designed and for us and installed how the data of that is can't be shared with us like I'm I'm really really confused by that. Um, and like the UL [clears throat] report can go to

093the fire department, but when I asked about the specifics, she goes, "Well, I don't know if I can share that." Like, I'm go over to the fire department and I'll go get it. Right. It's like, um, there's a lot of oddities with that. >> Shouldn't she have to share that with the school with the district as a whole? >> That that's what I would think. I mean, we're the ones that were are asking for them to design the system. I would think that we would get any information that we would want around the system. I get her model is proprietary. So I I get fine, don't show me your model and how what your model does, but I would expect to get outputs from it and I would expect to get the summary information of

094how she came to that system design. >> So is she saying she's going to be delivering some of this stuff you asked for or is it just kind of she's hoping you're going to forget? >> She she said that she was going to look and provide it, but [clears throat] that was a week ago and I haven't seen anything since. That would be something she has at her fingertips or should have at her fingertips. >> I I that's what Julie and I and Miss Darling and I said when I went to go sign some of the stuff at the school the same day is like for a project that's still open and active that that should be at your fingertips. Um but so I will say with the battery system I am much more confident

095in its design. We'll reach out back out to her to get an update on the summary data or she can >> Yeah, I mean I I I also like so I can reach out as well. I know you guys are very very busy this time of year so I I can ping an email back out. Um kind of see where the that resides. >> Okay, >> that's all I had. [snorts] Thanks, Julie. So, I think we are on to CIA. So, >> all right. Here we go. >> I'm getting >> We ready for some data? >> We're ready for some data. I was just >> I knew it. [laughter] >> At least somebody's going to give us some data today. >> It's coming through the data. >> It's on camera. I'm probably going to mess

096it up over here trying to >> What? >> It's on camera. I'm probably going to mess it up trying to go through. All you have to do is hit hit your arrow over. >> I'll do [snorts] my best. >> You'll you'll be fine. It's okay. Okay. So, um in the fall I um presented our um district um assessment data um for 2025, but the state aggregated data was not out yet. Um so, we um have to wait until they got it all set and ready. And then there was a lot of other things that were taking precedent obviously with the project with GMS and all of that kind of stuff. So I've been waiting. So here we go. All right. Um so um what we're going to go over tonight is just um the SAS

097PSAT and SAT data as it compares to um the state. And um it really gives us a clear picture into how our students are progressing towards those grade level expectations and how they are performing against other um students in the same cohort across the state. >> Can I ask you a question before you start? >> You absolutely can. >> So I'm excited to look at, you know, us versus state. >> Yeah. >> Just like globally and I mean this I'm kind of putting you on the spot here. So like I don't expect you to know like the data across the country but >> okay >> I think we kind of have heard some sort of indications of this and I kind of look at this like for 40 these are percentages right like percent of

098proficiency right >> percent of students that are meeting proficiency or above >> so like I see you know lots of numbers that I mean 40 you know 20s 40s 50s like and we're not talking just Lichfield we're talking like in the state so like is That is that like that seems terrible to me. >> Yeah. So that was So if we So let's let's let's dig in, right? So let's go into let's go to Are you on >> I guess what I'm trying to feel is like are we just a stupid state or are we a >> stupid country? Our state usually in nationalized standardized testing performs well. >> So we're a stupid country. >> So like remember how I pro I presented um I Ready data, >> right? So those are nationally normed. So

099when we look at our I Ready data, we look like we're killing it, right? Like doing really because it's nationally normed. Okay. >> So like Brian or Superintendent Oonnell >> official um was saying um we typically will outperform in because we have different demographics right in across the nation. Um but so Brian if you want to just go to the math data. Um so we can see that um if you follow these cohorts you can see a drop in not only district but in state it we're kind of mirroring that and it just shows that there is a systematic issue that we need to look at and math actually is low nationwide. It's become a really big problem ever since CO and um it's really something that a lot of districts are trying to address

100and there's really great trainings out there. It's a matter of having time and funding to get those trainings um for our teachers. There's a training called OGAP which is phenomenal training in how to teach math sequentially and without it's program agnostic. So it does not matter what kind of program districts have. It's how do you teach math effectively in the different domains, right? So it's being able to this is how we are looking at these things though. So we had a math vertical alignment meeting. I gave them cluster um graphs that or cluster tables that showed historic data for the state and for us. Where are we outperforming the state? Where are we not and what are those domains that we're not and what are we focusing on? Right? So that's stuff that we're doing

101as a district to try to mitigate these drops that are going down. Can I ask you a question about OGAP? Is that what you call it? O GAAP. >> Um, when you're looking at those, you I hear you saying it's phenomenal. I'm assuming that's based off of your training and education, like your your personal, you know, perception of it. Is there are they tracking and presenting data as to uh districts that have undergone this training and and whether there were you know improvements in their data like >> so I'm so OGAP training is voluntary on like you don't like say you're going to do that cuz it's 4 days uh all day. We have had a couple of teachers go. I wrote a grant last summer for teachers to go because there were some districts

102hosting. So there were a couple of our teachers that actually went to that training and loved it. They were middle school teachers and they were like it's phenomenal. Um so it's not like right it's not like something that we can say okay this district has full implementation of all their teachers are OAP trained let's watch their data. There's it's very sporadic and it depends on, you know, some districts have more teachers that are able to do it than others. And again, it's contingents on funding and availability. Um cuz I had some teachers that wanted to sign up, but the one that they wanted was full and they couldn't make the other one, you know. So, um >> or it got cancelled. I tried >> or Yeah. So, actually >> tried to go to one. >>

103Yep. We tried to go to one and it was cancelled. It's my background [laughter] >> and I've been trying to get in to them too just because I've heard about them but I haven't been able to actually go to one and take it. Um but I do plan to. So um but that's just what we're looking at. And when we look so when we look at this data we're looking vertically as to our curriculum instruction. And then if you look at the diagonal, that's where you get your cohorts and how you're tracking how they're doing over time and where you need your targeted supports, right? Does that make sense as you're looking at that table or the graph? So, um, that's how [clears throat] we're looking at these things when we're seeing that some of

104the changes that we are making are actually being responsive and things are happening at that grade level. And then when we're looking at the cohorts like the they're starting they declined. So, if you follow the third grade from 2022, the orange down, like we were at 54% proficient district, and then we had the dip in fifth grade to 23, but then we're starting to back up bounce back up in the sixth grade, which that's a trend that I've noticed since I've started looking at the data. we have kind of that transitional dip and then we start to go up. So, we're really focusing in on those transitions going >> what's interesting about that though is that you're seeing that dip in fifth and sixth which I know is the so fifth is the transition year

105for us, >> right? And then >> but I know other districts have a sixth grade transition year but we're still substantially below the state average. But if so, look at the purple. Look at what we what >> Sorry, I was looking at the orange. >> Yeah. No. So, but it's weird. It's interesting because it also has to do with your cohort of kids, right? Sure. So, if you look at the purple, we actually go we jump from fifth grade 21% proficient or above to 31%. So, we jump up 10%. Right? and then go we go up another to 41% and then we have a slight dip in 8th grade in that cohort right so it really this is where we start drilling down into the students and what we have our CIA focus areas of

106targeted instruction like what is the actual skill deficits and how can we mitigate that gap >> well yeah I mean you can look because when you look at grade five you know just among you could look for cohort obviously trends within cohorts but also trends across cohorts >> right >> so >> yeah so >> yeah we obviously see that >> we don't what's the thought on why is there a dip in the eighth grade because we were we were trending upward what happens in eighth grade that's not a transition yet >> right so I mean and again >> two out of the four cohorts in eighth grade two of them were performing above state average two performed below state average >> right so it and it we're also Alo trying to improve the assessment culture

107and how students view this assessment and the purpose of the assessment. Um this year we implemented the SAS modulars. um once a quarter they have to take them and we're really talking about them with the students and getting this out in front of them what the importance of this and this track your data and Jen's been doing a lot of work um on that as well and I we're really having a lot of conversations around it so that the students understand the purpose because I know for myself for anybody if you don't know the purpose and you're not really invested in it especially when we get into eighth grade I was an eighth grade teacher for a very long time that test gets in front of us and we're like I feeling it sometimes and

108sometimes I'm not feeling it you know so um there's some of that and I'm not going to discount though that there are there work there is work to be done and we are really doing a lot of things right now to help with those things >> do see the the dip sort of the constant dip see the fifth or sixth >> yeah sixth seems to be bigger >> so what I'm like what I'm also looking at though is like on the state averages like how much of a variation is there year-over-year within like grade three. And if you look at like grade three, it's between 51 and 53%. So like it's not varying hugely at a state level year-over-year there. Um I haven't gotten to really look at that for there's a lot more variation

109for for us. Obviously it goes from 54 up to 66. So there's a big bigger swings. I was trying to see like how consistent is like how consistent is the state performing right >> or the changes in the state as compared to us because that >> that would start to >> and we are actually our trends are mirroring the state. You mean just directionally or or or proportionally? Because I mean I think >> in direction like we have we're stronger in the lower grades and then we start to dip down, right? And there it just it shows that there is just overall like I was saying >> but there's huge but there's much larger like the and I mean I guess the state is averaging over more people. Right. And I was just going to

110say that too, part of our disadvantage is that our our population size is so small >> that we have a smaller sample size, >> right? >> When we're just looking at our small data, right, as compared to like a Manchester that has how many fifth grades in it. >> Also, just chiming into having looked a lot at this data. I hate to chime in from the audience. You can tell me to be quiet if you want me to, but also every student that we have that opted out. So in given years, those count as a >> a zero >> point for us. So if we have >> if we have five students who said this test is a testing schmeing, I don't want to do it. All of those five students who opt out count

111as a zero towards our scores, >> right? We have to have 95% We have to have 95% participation and anything below 95% [cough] counts as a zero which is inaccurate data. >> Well, do we know have we had years where we have below 95%. >> Yes. >> Mhm. And we're trying to again change that assessment mindset and show that this is not some scary thing. And by getting them onto the modulars and to at the beginning of the year, they're starting to see that this thing is not like, oh, this is the end of the year and this is I just do this one time. It's actually being integrated into their instruction and used to inform teachers instruction. So they are getting >> So I guess like the thing that's like disheartening to hear with

112that though is like this is basically useless to look at because how do I like grade five let's just take for example going down right it it it goes from our low was 16% and our high was 40%. That's a massive swing compared to the state averages which are 38 to 40. So just hearing that those zeros like I don't know if the zero were we 16% because there was a dozen zeros in there or were we 16% because >> I don't think that was a because there was a dozen zeros. >> Well, I can't see the number. What year was that? >> That was 2023 district. And the reason why I think I I'm I think the reason why that's important to me is because now we have this wonderful thing at the beginning

113of our freaking Warren article saying, "Oh, by the way, we have, you know, this proficiency." So, you know, take So, now if if it's taking us this long to like understand what this means and what the the problems are with this, like it's just feels like a never- ending pit of despair. >> I don't think it's useless. I think one of the important things that it can tell us is how we're performing against uh the state average, right? >> Absolutely. >> This district I'm just going to be blunt. This district should be above average. >> Yeah. >> Period. Like that's it's just the way that it is. So when we see numbers that are not, this isn't like I'm not trying to be critical of individuals or anything like that, but it shows us we

114have work to do. We have work to do in math, >> right? Like we we can flip to ELA. I'm gonna flip to ELA. But I would like to know. But I mean I do I don't understand how you can if there's that thing about zeros is problematic. >> It is problematic. But that shouldn't be why we're so far away from the state average, right? Like >> because it's we don't have that many. But this data is really driving work that we're doing cuz I told you since I first came here, I saw I came up with those three curriculum focus areas >> right away. and just and that was without even like really talking to anybody. That was just a summer of deep diving into things that we are seeing and we have started

115we've come a long way and there's been really good traction and the teachers are doing phenomenal and realize okay we need to do something. So, >> so I think just for the purposes of level setting though, it would be good to know like not I you need to report this back to us, but I think it would be good to know in analyzing this what is the factor that the zeros are contributing because that's the only factor that's non that doesn't equate to the performance of our students like the actual like educational like uh you know retention of our students or whatever however you want to coin it but anyway sorry you can move on to the next thing. No. And and I think just flipping the ELA and not to step on Sarah's presentation,

116but I feel better about where we are in EA district because we're not every single grade every single year, but more often than not, we're performing above. >> So question then, can can someone opt out of math only in Okay. So, so now, so now taking a test. So, so now when you compare, >> so that is one way to actually tell a difference here is like when you compare, so for example, grade five, uh, district 2023, we were 16% proficient and 47% proficient with ELA. So, so that really, you're right, like that is actually a performance issue. That's not a just it was a bunch of zeros, >> right? >> I mean, so the other thing to keep in mind, right, the rest of the state is held to the same standard. If they

117have if they have less than 95% right it counts as a zero >> but but it can be much uh much min much smaller impact across a larger district. Well, it it's it's a percentage base, right? So that to me shows a cultural thing within that district, not necessarily. So I guess when you create it based upon a percentage, a single student can create a larger swing in percentages, but every state or every district in the state is held to that. So it's not like it only counts against us. That's part of the information that we're going to get out of this, right? is to show, >> hey, you know what? It's not only do we need to work on where these problems areas are. We need to work on people just need to take

118it, >> right? >> And and go from there, >> right? Which is what we have been really working on to make it more of a positive thing and like you can really measure how much you've grown, right? Because it's goes right to what we teach. We teach the standards. It tests to the standards. So it gives us that picture, but like um Superintendent Oonnell said, ELA, we consistently are performing either really close to or above the >> Look at grade look at grade three 2025. >> Yes. >> That's incredible. >> Yes. >> That's what all our numbers should look like. >> Yes. >> Yeah. It's they're doing phenomenal which these tell us like we have a really good strong solid um foundational literacy which is even getting better because we um implemented UFly this year

119which is that foundational literacy program and I was [clears throat] meeting with the kindergarten teachers um a few weeks ago and they were telling me how at this point in the year they're seeing more growth in their kindergarteners than they've seen and these are all veteran and kindergarten teachers, which is phenomenal to hear. And um that's why I was bringing this program in cuz I heard that from the previous district, too. And it's the proof is there. So, and I'm actually going to talk about this um later on, but we're working on something to help um with the middle school um and the upper elementary school to um get that um because we have some of the fluctuations are in that middle area here. So, um, there's plans in place to help with that. >>

120We fluctuate, but we don't have the dip. We don't have that transitional year dip, which is great to see. >> But we do see a little weakness around that, though. And I think that that's your your efforts with vertical [laughter] really helped. >> Yep. >> Improve that. >> Absolutely. Yep. All right. So, do we want to go to science? All right. So, science is this is so I want to preface science because science is really challenging because they're only tested in grades 5, 8, and 11, right? Whereas math and ELA, they're tested from grades 3 through 8 with the SAS and then they pick up PSAT in 9, 10, and the SAT in 11. So science is almost like this forgotten um thing that all of a sudden resurfaces every few years >> but that's

121looking very true across the whole state. I mean this is we're very like this is very uniform if you look at this. >> Correct. So um science was we are still you know looking at if you look at the grade levels so like grade five for this year is actually above the state right and in um 8th grade we're 1% below the state and 11th grade we're a bit um below but then that took me into a spin. I was talking Karen and I meet regularly and we were looking at this data and we were like let's see if we could track the cohort because fifth grade or 11th graders last year which are current seniors were in 8th grade and 22 and then our current 9th graders were in fifth grade. So if you

122could go to the next slide um we just wanted to see what it was. So we put it in class of 2029 which is our current 9th graders they are really closing that gap right. So in fifth grade they were 32% proficient compared to the state 38 but then in 8th grade last year they were 36% with the state being at 37. So, it's a nice way to look at how they're trending um in a positive direction, closing that gap in science. Um and then again, we have that kind of similar um cohort for 11th graders. In 8th grade, they were 24%. [clears throat] And then in 11th grade, they were 21%. So from 8th grade to 11th grade they did dip but the dip in that particular cohort wasn't huge. Yes. Are we farther

123off from the state? >> Yeah. The state went from 33 to 39 though. So it's >> Yeah. >> Right. So, and we are um that's really helping to pinpoint like talking about vertical alignment, right? like what are the areas where we are noticing that dip and how do we strengthen those concepts as students are moving up through the grades and they're actually changing the requirement for students to have science SAS in 10 in 11th grade to 10th grade so we'll see what that does. >> [laughter] >> So, I'm I'm in no way, shape, or form like a data analytics guy, but like when you're analyzing this, are you sitting down and just like writing like questions of like, okay, like do we think that like are are you writing down like sort of like a

124hypothesis of like this this is, you know, is it this right? Like is it is it that there's just this cohort of students that really were underperforming like which at which point it's like you know maybe that at that point you're like looking granular but like or is it that we're it's that the state as a whole or whatever like when you're actually analyzing this data like how are you how are you going about that? Are you just like looking at it and saying which is fine too like I don't know I'm not a data guy but are you just looking at it and saying okay well this looks like a trend because I mean obviously you have your job which is I don't envy in any way shape or form is to not only

125make sense of what this is but then to try to boil down like okay well if that is that then what changes do we need to make >> right so I go down a lot of rabbit holes um when I start looking at data I will do a first like highlevel look and just be like okay that's interesting okay I look and then I tend to look vertically first >> just cuz again I say like curriculum and instruction like how is that improving is it improving over time or not and then I go down the diagonal and then once I go start going down the diagonal that's when I start going into my rabbit holes of starting to drill down into student level data almost and um I really like to have amazing conversations with

126teachers about the data. So for example in um we just had ELA vertical alignment on Thursday um last week and I gave them the ELA cluster um performance graphs and they also the high school got the SAT and um PSAT and the conversations you know you would You would expect it from math teachers, right? But ELA teachers, I was like, you go because they were in it and they were standing up. They were highlighting. They were asking for additional data. And um at the high school level, it carried through onto Monday when we went to PLC and we were looking at the standards. Okay, look at where they're performing lower now. Where are we teaching these things? and kind of mapping that out to see where are our priority standards. So that's where we're going

127next, [snorts] right? Like here's the data picture. Now let's look at the standards and where [snorts] they're being covered and how often and what are what needs to be a priority standard so that we are really making sure that we are hitting that skill year over year over year. So that's part of that vertical alignment piece. But my brain I couldn't tell you cuz I don't really have like a specific process. I just like I once I start getting the numbers >> green man you just see the numbers. >> You should see the multiple tabs and spreadsheets that I have before and then I have to pick and choose like Brian has seen some of my graphs and it's hurt his brain. Um how some of that because I'm like I just had to put

128it together and see um what it looked like. So, >> one more minor piece of feedback just for like looking at these in the future. >> Yeah. >> Just because like >> if I sat down, this is what I probably would have to do. >> If and I this may be too much work, but hypothetically if like if on district if on each of the district lines you could put like a little like either you know green plus two or red minus whatever like we'd be able like we'd be able to take a quick look at this and say okay like there's a lot more green versus red in terms of above or below state. Oh yeah, I can do that. That's doesn't that's not >> Can I ask a rabbit hole question? >> Yeah.

129>> Have we gone back and looked 20 years ago at our scores? >> Well, did they have that? >> So, this test wasn't available 20 years ago. >> Some testing, right? >> I don't know if there was. >> But and have there been any are we doing are we teaching anything different? Are we teaching math different today than we taught it in 2010? >> Oh, I can promise. >> Yes. >> It's a loaded question, Peter. [laughter] >> It's a very loaded question. I have some help with math homework. >> But I will tell you that I do that new math in my head anyway. But the [laughter] um but because there's a lot of folks who look at the new math. >> Yeah. >> Which is new to me. The math I did was new

130then too. Um that kids just don't get math >> because it's not what I like about math is there's one correct answer. Mhm. >> I'm going to tell you right now, Dan Mitchell's at home screaming at his TV because he's like [laughter] he's so passionate about like alternate learning styles. >> The So really I mean what did it look like in 2008, >> right? So >> what were what were the standardized test scores then? >> So there's always >> what's the difference? There's always these like education we have I hate the term but pendulum swing for last lack of a better word and we were at like wrote recall skill and drill right like in who remembers [snorts] math drills like madly minute right right yes so um you have >> flashards I remember all

131that >> right so then we go oh no we need all this like abstract conceptualization types of things and then we get away from like wrote recall automaticity type stuff, right? So actually now with the changes of the 306es, they're putting math facts back into the 306es because you need that automaticity, right? You need to be able to look at, you know, 6 plus 3 is nine and just be able to do that in order to add on more complex concepts to free up your working memory so that you're not having to then try to process. Okay, six and then I'm adding three, right? So, um, we're going back to but there's a balance between the two worlds, right? So, we need to strike that balance. They need to build that nu that number sense

132and have that foundation built and then we can build on concepts which is why we're seeing such a dip because we're building highly complex concepts with students that might not necessarily have the automatic facts to be able to free up their space to understand those abstract concepts. So, uh, we're trying to kind of, okay, come back a little bit from that and let's like sometimes the mad minute isn't a bad thing, right? We need to get fast, you know, >> and we are doing those. >> That's right. So, um, yeah. So, we're coming back. So there's always these like, you know, let's do all of this and only this and no, let's do all of this and only this. Well, how about we do a little bit >> do whatever works best, >> right? All

133right. Should we look at PSAT and SAT? >> Yeah. And before you um dive into it, there's just one one thing with PSATs and SATs that I think would be interesting um particularly amongst cohorts is u what percentage of that cohort went on to college >> because one thing that we seem to talk about is like well there may not be buyin to standardized testing. However, if you are going on to college there should be buy into the SAT at a minimum, >> right? And Jen has good plans to talk about that [clears throat] because no matter what even if you're going onto a trade like so my first career was a cosmetologist >> and um being a cosmetologist I not only had to do my boards which was a practical I also had to

134take a written exam >> right like as and that was a trade but I still had to pass a high stakes written exam. So, I I love that for getting buyin for for people that aren't going to college. I'm just saying like from an immediate data point, if we're concerned about buyin because of kids that are not wanting to go for post-secary education, at least we can kind of do a correlation between did we was this cohort uh you know high population of kids going on to post-secary education and how did they perform against the state because then we might have a an indication that they're that it's it's a performance issue and not a motivation issue. >> Yep. >> So do all the kids have to take the PSAT? So yeah, they're unless they

135opt out, >> but they can opt out. If they say, "I'm going to be an electrician and I'm gonna I'm not going to do this." >> They can opt out um >> for the PSAT, they have to take the SAT. >> Yeah. >> Why do they have to take the SAT? >> Just the way it is. All juniors have to take it. >> I have chased out many juniors to take it. >> They can opt out though. >> Yeah, they can. It's just >> They can still opt out. >> It's So yeah, it's the state test. >> Yeah. And they can, but >> you chase them down, you sit them down, you make them take it, >> and then you have 25% proficiency. >> That impacts the the our overall grade, >> but it's not

136an opt in. So like we they all take it, >> right? >> So, but you get more than the certain amount of opt outs. Now you get the zeros that factor in. So it's >> which is why I think most stuff should [laughter] be opt in. >> People shouldn't have to opt into a >> Well, that's state that's statewide, right? That's a state. No opt in. >> No, you do not want optin. >> That means that it Yeah, I would prefer. >> It's opt out for everything. So for the SAS for um SAT, they if you're like, okay, SAS is this state, SAT is this date, >> then they would have to formally opt out. >> That's why I'm checking >> to not take it. Um >> the only Yeah, I think there's the the

137YBS is the only one that's now like opt in. Yes. >> For the state. >> Correct. Which is totally different. >> Y >> assessment. >> Which one is that, Jen? >> That's like the youth behavior survey from the Department of Health and Human Services if any schools want to do that. It's now an optin. >> It's not really an academic. Yeah, >> it's a non-academic survey, >> but [clears throat] all the academics. Um, and I plan to talk to the kids about I have a whole slideshow um to improve the percentage of students that take it take the SATs. Um, it worked in the previous place that I worked um really well. We went from like in the 60s to in the 90s of participation rates. So again, it's just like getting kids comfortable, getting

138kids that's part of it. like >> y >> a they might not care or they don't think they care but then you're like well oh wait a second so and so kid that some of you know wanting to be a real estate agent well you have to take a test for that so you might as well practice the collegebound kids I'm like hey you can send your scores to free for free because when they take it for the school day so we have a lot of incent there's a lot of incentives for kids they [clears throat] just have to be aware of them and then they have to buy into it and they they honestly the intrinsic motivation which is so hard to give them. But I know what our kids like at Campbell. They

139are super competitive. >> So I'm going to bring in like, hey, beat last year's scores, whatever, whatever I have to, you know, talk to them about. Um, one of our goals is just make like creating a more um like the assessment culture and the overall school is one of our building goals this year. So that included like having midterms and finals. I'm collecting a lot of feedback from staff, from students. So I'm hoping the more and like I don't know how much our teachers have talked about data in the past five >> right and that's actually a conversation that um so I had the English PLC on Monday and at the high school and it was a phenomenal PLC like we were looking at data looking at standards they were talking about how you know

140I really haven't talked about the PSAT or SAT in my class and I really should do that. Like the PSAT is in October. I should start talking about that and giving like sample questions and things like like in September. And it was just an amazing it was an amazing conversation and I was so excited to be a part of that with that group and how they were really reflecting and thinking about the things that they were doing and oh I could introduce this and I could use this to vary my questioning so that they're used to seeing that type of question and it was just it was phenomenal. But that's what bringing the data and putting it in front of everybody is doing right. It's okay. This is what our data looks like and this

141is why we have these focus areas. This is why we're doing the vertical alignment. It's why we're doing our targeted interventions and datadriven instruction. >> But I think the other thing is taking the data and then what like we can look at the data until we're gluing the base, but if we don't do something to change what the data is showing, we can just keep looking at data. >> Well, I think That's why we need to do the priority standards and really figure out, okay, here's what the data is saying. Now, what can we do? Like the high school English team has a plan already from just meeting Thursday and Monday. They have pinpointed things that they're going to start doing now in their instruction, which is >> so I think that's what when I

142was asking like how you approach it. Like I've been sitting here thinking about like if I had to try to like analyze this data myself and I think what I'd be trying to figure out is like okay am I looking at a cohort issue am I looking at a grade level issue or vertical alignment issue that's is something that we need to address with our curriculum or something within our program of study or are we looking at a statewide issue right because now it's now it's a larger issue that you know maybe we play into but it's something that we give to Mr. people to say, "Hey, you got to go, you gotta go do something about this. >> Go fix this, Ray." >> Or is it a testing issue? Is it simply just a

143testing? Is it, you know, in which case like if we can if we can answer those questions, then we can come up with better idea. >> I think the answer is yes to all of them. >> Yeah, I was going to say and culture. It's a culture thing that is probably the biggest umbrella and then it feeds into all the other >> feeds into all of them. But I think if you start from if if I'm starting from that place of like okay trying to look at these trends like >> at the baseline is this a co is this just a cohort issue? Okay. Well like we know like that's like real pretty easy to start to like because you could almost throw that out right you I don't think we're in a place where

144we can get that granular [cough] that we're going to solve necessarily cohort issues but >> um >> these numbers that it's all the state cohort. Have we gotten these numbers and tried to compare it to our cohort? Our individual cohort. >> Are you talking district? Are you talking >> as opposed? Right now it's us against the state compared to the state. >> Oh, you're talking regionally. >> Yeah. >> Oh, yeah. I can get that. >> It's available on the TOE website. >> Yep. I can get that. That's how I pull >> um that's how I get the it I they have I report >> and I achieve um and that's how I get the state data and I can get any district data. So I can pull some of that together so we can see

145how we compare regionally. Um which is fine and it's going to it'd be interesting. I think it's probably going to be similar, but like so if you go to the last slide like so Matt this is to or this is how we're doing in reading but I think everybody's kind of looked at the data. So >> if we just go to the last slide like this is why where so Matt this is like to your point this is why we have these three focus areas because it's really an issue it's all three of these things right we have to get vertical alignment so that we can have consistency and cohesive instruction year over year over year in each of the content areas. And we these patterns that we're seeing are actually helping us to do

146that strategically, >> right? Cuz we're seeing, okay, we're seeing this issue year over year. Okay, so how can we adjust that? What are those standards that we're showing consistent issues with? So let's really focus on those, right? So we can gain get those skills and close the gap. So that's all that we're doing. all of that kind that stuff now. It's it's a lot >> as as always. I mean, phenomenal work. It's it's an incredible amount of work and but I appreciate that you're presenting this to us because I'll be honest with you, this is not information that we were really aware of or privy to in this level of detail before. So, >> yeah. >> Yep. Thank you very much. >> You're welcome. If you ever want to go in more rabbit holes, go

147start looking up statistical process controls in the theory and business analytics of how that's done because that's essentially what you're doing, right? To apply that to the >> to my manufacturing world, right? It's it's all about you're using your data to drive your lessons learned, your corrections to your process to which then drives your data. Y >> and it's using your, you know, I use it, you could use it as reactive or proactive. >> So that's exactly what you're doing. And >> there's a whole field all on its own on it. [laughter] >> Can I make a motion to approve the minutes in a a block or do you want them individually? >> Uh we still have one other thing here. This L LCRC committee up. Um, so just really quick, so as I alluded

148to when I was talking about the ELA data. So, um, last at the beginning of this year, I went to, um, third grade as a request by a teacher to talk about UFly because our current um, literacy program doesn't really give a lot of great foundational skills. So, I was like, do you want to pilot you fly for third grade? It's really a K2 program, but for kids that haven't had it, it's a great use. I did it K3 in my last district and it was fantastic. So, she's using it with those students and they're responding really well to it. Then we talked about, okay, what's next once the kids that are coming up have had it? We were talking about how we really need to attack morphology and get that 34. And then I

149got an amazing email from um Miss Kramer at the middle school who said, "Hey, I'm looking at this morphology program. It was a different [clears throat] one than I had been talking about." So I was like, "Hey, let's all talk." So um we did. And then um I had um Miss Kramer, Miss Bona talk and look at the programs and I pulled in um a couple like mistress and stuff and um they decided cuz I don't want the middle school to have something and the elementary to have something different. They need I want it if we're going to do something I want it to go through. Morphology is the study of words and language by the way just so you know. Um, so they decided on Morphe Magic. So, um, Miss Kramer gave us a

150proposal at the curriculum review committee and the committee hands down said, "Yes, please. Let's do that." So, we're going to do a soft launch um this year with a couple like rolling it out. They're going to I think they've already ordered them. Um, and then it's going to be full scale um, next year 5 through 8, which is going to be great. And then we're going to do some UFly stuff with um, three, four, with three. Um, and then maybe some morphology stuff with four, but we need to slow roll that and come up with a plan with those teachers. But um exciting updates and happenings there cuz once students know how like your root words and all of that then reading [snorts] in content areas becomes that much easier. >> Amazing. >> Yeah. Great.

151>> Excellent. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. I >> am going to make a motion to approve the public minutes for the January 21st school board meeting, the January 31st deliberative session, and the January 31st schoolboard meeting after the deliberative session. >> I will second. >> Any discussion? >> Uh, all those in favor, please say I. >> I. That's it. policies. This is where I miss >> Andrew. I [laughter] >> They're all second reads. They're all second. You're fortunate. The first one you don't even have to do anything. Uh >> that's because it's >> just uh it's a new one. Well, I guess we do have to do something. We took the other one off. Never mind. Scratch what I said. [laughter] >> You do have to do something. >> So, would this be a first

152read for this? >> These are all second read for all of these ones. So, we did first read. >> Yep. Including that one. So that's a brand new policy to our policy manual even though we had it on the agenda last time for first read. [clears throat] It's actually not a brand new policy. It's just replacing a tri-coded policy and putting it in one spot. So it's it's not actually even changing the policy itself. It's just putting it in a different coding situation. Um but [snorts] that's at the recommendation of the New Hampshire School Board Association to adjust the coding to that policy for um the fibrillate So, they're all second reads. So, I can I can >> I can do this. I got this. >> All right. You got it. [laughter] I will make

153a motion to approve for second read policy EBB policy fe policy GB EBB policy IC policy IH C DLE B policy JCA policy J I C and policy JL CJ AA >> second >> any further discussion Nope. >> All right. All those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Who came up with the policy naming convention? [laughter] >> Some masochist satist. I can't. >> I don't. Like I said, I [laughter] don't like policy. I enjoy it. Like I don't know. I [clears throat] don't mind it. >> Good naming convention though, honestly. >> Yeah. There's like a there's like a rhythm to it once you like when you see it all the time. It like starts to make sense. Glad Matt did it cuz I would have stumbled over that. I would have got >>

154I'm trying to help you. >> All right. Enrollment. We had we had a dip here. >> We do, but it's not for bad reasons. So, we had um six of our seniors who uh graduated early graduation. So, with the semester wrapping up, so that's why you see a little dip in 12th grade. >> Uh we did have a couple families uh transfer out um from the high school at the end of first semester and u they moved out of state. So, they the kids left with them. Um but the dip in the 12th graders specifically is because those six graduated early so they wrapped up at the first semester. So you're all done. So good for them. Um otherwise though the middle school and the elementary school stayed pretty steady. So >> the school calendar

155>> school calendar. So we've narrowed it down to just one option here. So we um you actually saw this about a month ago. Four weeks ago is when you first saw school calendar. So, uh, we had two options. We were looking at some stuff related to early releases and then more of the traditional schedule that we've had this year. Um, you know, we got feedback from a variety of stakeholders, from community. We talked about it here at the board level from our support staff, our professional staff, our administrative teams. [clears throat] >> Um, definitely some fans of the early release days. Um, and uh, definitely some fan not fans of the early release days and everything in between. Um, so kind of taking in all that feedback I got from that from our different people,

156I think this is the best option for us. Um, I I like the I don't want to abandon the early release day. Maybe it's something in the future we can revisit. We kind of are going to try one out next year on our senior project day is what I want to do. Uh, very purposeful early release next May. Um, so we can have everyone in the district kind of celebrate our seniors as they do their their senior project presentations. Um, so I don't want to ban it completely, but we're it's not quite all the way there yet. The idea, we need some more work on it and and finalizing it. And when we started to kind of break down the days, I was got really concerned about June, like the early release version would um

157push the last day of school to the 18th, meaning one snow day pushes it into the fourth week of June. >> Um, and we start getting a little dicey here. We have a little wiggle room still. if we get a couple snow days next year um that are not remote learning days to to kind of to kind of play with a little bit and um just need a little more fine tuning on the early release and what they are, the purpose of them and everything kind of related to it. So, uh taking all that feedback, one of the things that came out of the board is adjusting a PD day. We had it um on the semester flip in the this version, you know, a couple weeks ago. We changed that to um uh to

158Columbus Day weekend to extend Columbus State weekend. Um but other other than that everything else remain so the same. So I asked the board to approve this >> already like has had no >> they provided me feedback. LSSA provided me feedback. >> They they like knew that this was what you were proposing as the final. >> I talked to yeah the pre the co-presidents over the past couple days slid I was coming forward with and stuff like that. I will make a motion to >> and I'm stepping away from the table if people are watching. >> You want us to approve this, right? >> Yes. My daughter just walked in the room, so I'm just going to go set her up. >> I will make a motion to You can set her up if you

159want. You can set her up here if you want. >> No, she's a big kid. She's in third grade. >> Uh I will make a motion to approve the 2026 2027 school calendar >> as presented. Second. >> Okay. Discussion. >> Nope. >> All those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Poor kids aren't going to get two weeks off at Christmas. Not a full two weeks this year. [laughter] >> Do we have to We don't have to approve the schoolboard calendar, right? >> Just >> I'm not. >> Yeah. >> I will make a motion to approve the 2026 2027 schoolboard calendar. >> Second. discussion. >> Nope. All those in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Okay, we're uh Oh, manifest. >> No, you got one last question. >> Program of studies. CHS. >>

160Sorry. >> It's really easy to skip over these things. Great. >> No, it's not. >> Jen's waited all night. >> Are you coming back? [laughter] Are you coming up? If honestly if I thought this the policy thing was going to go longer I would have skipped the policy and appreciate that. >> So >> you coming up? >> I can if you want me to. >> There's nothing changed. >> So we just really need to vote on this one. >> You just need to vote. Yeah. You said you would like a little more time to review last time. So >> Oh, I was Were you fine with it? >> I am fine with it. Y >> All right. I will make a motion to approve the CHS program of studies. >> 26 27th. >> All those

161in favor? I >> I sorry. Um passes 30 Z. J, we probably could have told you this two hours ago. [laughter] >> I appreciate I like listening to data. >> All right. >> Yeah, she she loves my data >> good. >> The manifest will have three signatures after I read this off. So, we had um accounts payable manifest for $83,86. I'm not going to say pennies. Um another accounts payable manifest for $52,215. a payroll um and co-curricular payout of $428,954, a manual check for $48,355, also payroll, and then uh 403b and NHR manifest for $256,28 and LESA dues for $10,83 for a total of $832,291. I will sign the sign the remaining manifest. >> Sweet. >> So, community input. Our second community input peoples. >> Raymond Peoples, 205 Charles Bankraftoft Highway. I forgot a couple

162of things and and when you were talking tonight, you spurred a couple more in my brain. Uh first was that they had made the superintendent and uh the business administrator had uh brought up concerns about the audit and I went into the state house. I met with the sponsor of that bill and we made that amendment so that they have six months to the preliminary audit, one year for their final. So, so that is a much more realistic timeline and everybody agreed based on the resources available in the state they're if that had passed it would not be >> of having [laughter] this. So, >> so uh on the other couple on the other couple of things was one of you brought up about having to put your proficiency scores in your warrant >> that

163there was really a purpose behind that. I know that you don't like that, but the purpose was to provide accountability and transparency to the general public because that's one of the things that they would see all the time. And as you're talking about state averages and averages in general, I I caution you that being average is not good. That being above average is where we want to be. ELA scores over at% >> the NSHA Science Academy of Design and Design is 85. So we we definitely want to be on the high side of that as we compare things and as we compare things within the state you also got to compare things across the country. So if you look at uh Mississippi called the Mississippi miracle 2013 they were a full grade behind the rest

164of the country. Right now in 2024 their last assessment they're half a grade above their peers. So, it can be done. And they they attribute most of what they did to returning to older teaching styles, teaching phonics, 26 letters, 44 phonics sounds or so. Um, and Mr. Plansky brought up about the mathematics. If you look at the drop in mathematics, it it directly correlates and tracks with the 2010 creation of common core when superintendent Cochran and I argued for about that for hours and hours when we put that in the budget to implement it like this was going to be the end all to all end all and it's turned out to be nothing even close. >> Can I just quickly respond to you regarding the proficiency thing? >> Sure. >> My issue I didn't

165invent it by the way. >> My issue I know you didn't. My issue with the inclusion at the beginning of article one is twofold. First and foremost, it says ELA proficiency 58%. It doesn't reference the state average. So, it's meaningless because it's not giving it's not helping like there's no basis. There's no there's no context consequences. >> Correct. So, that's problem number one. It would have been very easy to say EL proficiency 58% as compared to state average of whatever. >> Right? >> So, that bill can be amended. >> Point number one. Point number two is it's just an odd place >> to include it at the beginning because it's almost saying like hey our ELA proficiency is 58%. Do you want do you want to vote for our budget or do you want to

166just vote it down? >> Like maybe don't don't support we're not doing well enough. We don't >> I can't I can't disagree with you on that but the reason it's there is accountability and transparency. >> I know but like like maybe bring that back to them and say like what in what form? Like I think giving people the information is invaluable. We should absolutely I would love our entire community to understand but it's just it as with most things that we see with education. It's it's it's a huge thing right that we have to try to boil down for the community into one sentence and then the community is like this school district they're a bunch of morons they don't even know how to do their jobs. No >> Mr. Shoemaker I can't agree with

167you more. And and an obvious um example of that was Saturday. How many people were at that meeting? >> Yeah. >> 28. >> A lot of people watched from home, but nobody nobody was there. >> Well, I I Yeah, watching looking at the comments of the video, right, that was posted on the what's up page >> and thank I thank you, Mr. Peoples, for saying you should come down and ask the question in person >> over and over again. Um, no, and I do agree with Matt on this. It's the putting the proficiency score out there with no zero context as to what it actually means. Like a percentage is a percentage, right? It's but percentage of what? >> We just spent an hour talking about ISO really. >> Right. [laughter] Right. >> Again, I

168mean, next year they'll have something to compare that to, right? Because this is the first year. Next year they'll be able to compare year-over-year. Um, maybe that bill will get amended next next cycle to in to make it a little more detailed. >> I just feel like you're going to be the one making all the good amendments. >> I don't know about that. Um, [laughter] you don't want to know the bill I have in mind right now. It would have definitely screwed up your school calendar. Uh, >> are you talking about going after after Labor Day? [laughter] >> No, not not at all. Um, I and and I don't want to digress and keep you here forever, but I w I was at a public hearing the other day in policy and admin when the

169youngest legislator in the United States presented a bill to create or allow the creation of honor guards to raise and lower the flag at the schools during during active school hours and to make arrangements for, you know, long-term flag flying over the summer and things like that. And as you know, we live up up there. I live in a totally partisan world. So common sense is flushed most of the time. And we're either one way or the other. So on the right there was, "Wow, that's really a good good idea." And you get the kids engaged. Civic pride, you know, civic duty about taking care of the flag. There's some good engagement there. On the other side was, "Will that take 15 minutes out of my instructional time? Could they lose instruction time on that?"

170You know, so I I hear those kind of arguments and then I watched the protests up in conquered where they were the kids from the conquered high school were running through the state house yelling and screaming during proceedings and I went hm you know a good that might be a good bill to put in that when the administration allows the kids to exit the school like that that the whole school forfeits that day of instructional credit and they have to add that on to the end of the school year. So, I mean, like I said, you didn't want to hear that one, but that was [laughter] that's where it goes. And to to Mr. Dit, you brought up one of my favorite terms. I'm past president of the project managers institute here in New Hampshire,

171725 members. Lessons learned. We don't do enough of writing down what we did, how it worked, and and we keep going back and making the same mistakes again. But on that note, I'm going to say good night. Thank you very much, sir. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Any school board comments? >> Nope. >> I will just say with lessons learned, they're great to collect, but if you don't action them, then they do nothing. >> Exactly. >> Okay. So, that will do it for our public um meeting. I need a motion to go into >> So moved. >> Second. >> Roll call vote. >> Mr. Shoemaker. >> I. And I am an I. I have to read this these three things. >> Um you have to say why and I would say it is for A

172and C [cough] >> A and C. So we're going into nonpublic for >> night everyone. >> Good 91 >> A3 >> um ANC the dismissal, promotion or compensation of any public employee or the disciplining of such employee or the investigation of any charges against him. affected one has a right to a meeting and two requests the meeting be open in which case the request shall be granted. And matters that if discussed in public would likely adversely affect the reputation of any person other than a member of the body or agency itself unless the person requests an open meeting.