MVSD School Board Meeting -February 9, 2026

001You good, Chris? Thank you. >> Good evening. I'd like to call the uh Murmurac Valley School Board February 9th, 2026 meeting to order. Uh would you call a roll call, please? Candy. Here >> you could all please stand for the pledge. United States indivisible. >> Thank you. >> Can I have a motion to uh accept the minutes from the January 5th, 2026 school board meeting. >> So moved. >> Moved by Jessica Wheeler Russell, seconded by David. Um Sally has sent in her suggested edits. Ken, you got them. So any other discussion that's not um grammatical because we have Sally. Okay, then all those in favor of the minutes from January 20, excuse me, January 5th, 2026, please say >> I. >> Any opposed? Okay. Finance report, Sam. >> Thank you. Um, so before I get

002to the report that's in the packet, just a couple of updates um from questions that have arisen. So, one is um about the deficit from the fund balance. So we recently u received the 2425 audit and so we started 2425 about $1.3 million of a deficit. So in the whole we finished at just over $1 million. So we're able to shave off about $283,000 off the deficit for the 25 2425 fiscal year. Um, when I looked into the finances up to this date, so through January 31st of last year, we had about 5.4% of our budget remaining. This year we have 11.2% of our budget remaining. Um, you can't really compare dollars because the total budget amounts are different. Um, and I looked at past years to compare that. So in 23 24 we had

003about 8.4%. Before that we had about 16% each of the previous two years. So what that means is we're in better financial shape currently to absorb more of the deficit than we were last year. So but I caution it's just February. Okay. But we we are looking in better shape than that. Another piece um and I spoke to Tom earlier today and I spoke to Bill Hines because he had the question from Wednesday night about revenue. So because we took the $710,000 off the expenditure side of our budget, we we're going to have to do the same thing in revenue. So that that will come off. So the revenue adjustments have already been made on the website for the tax rate calculator. So folks who want to investigate, they can certainly go on there um

004and find that out. Before I get to the finance report, are there any questions on a couple of things I just said? >> I appreciate you today. Could you just explain what that means as far as the deficit as kind of how we pay that back? >> Yeah. So, um, basically whatever we don't absorb kind of gets rolled over into the following fiscal year. So, we begin our fiscal year in a deficit essentially. Um, but we aren't paying our bills or or stuff like that. Um, it does work differently than household finances. So, it's really trying to keep it as simple as as I can. Does that make sense? >> Okay. All right. Now, to the um the reason why I'm actually supposed to be speaking um the financial report. So, >> there are the

005same lines are highlighted as they were before. Um the first one for contracted pairs and professionals for 1210 function. It's increased about $2,600 since last month's report. The 1211 function has been no change and nor should that change moving forward. The 2162 function actually has decreased by $6,200. So we're at a deficit of 12,50. We're at 18,250 last month again because remember there are encumbrances that it's based on. It's not actual funds that we have paid currently. The last one is a 2490 function which is for graduation and it centers around renting the tents for MV high school graduation and then the middle school's pride night and there's no change to that. There won't be any change unless before we rent them the company gives us a different estimate, which I don't believe they will.

006>> So, I need a motion to uh accept the financial report from Sam. >> Can I just ask a question? >> Uh, we you can we have a motion and then you can still ask a question. >> Motion by Tom, seconded by Wara. Thank you, Tom. >> I don't know if if you know the answer. Fred's not here, but we have about 3 $30,000 in there site and building. Do you know what we're looking to do? Because that's been a a big piece of CIP stuff. Do you know what we're looking to do with that the rest of the year? >> Um really it's just taking care of the day-to-day maintenance is what it is. We we're he's kind of holding off on any project with the money depending on where we look at later

007on late spring. If it looks like if we took that money and used it to absorb the deficit, then I think that's the avenue we're going to go based on my conversations with Fred. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you, Tom. >> Any other questions? >> Amanda, >> there are basically two local companies and one of them no longer has the giant tents that we need. um where the staff not where the staff is where the band is and then the patrons are. So really there's only one that has that size. Other questions? So the motion is to accept the financial report from Sam. All those in favor say I. I. >> Any opposed? Okie do. Uh good news. Good news was in the digital packet for review. Um, oh, I did, didn't I? >>

008Thanks. Let's do public comment now. Before we do, good news. Thanks, Julie. >> Thank you. I I think I'm speaking to revolving revenue. I assume that's article seven of the warrant that uh that I'm speaking to uh that appeared on the warrant on Wednesday night. And I'm I I assume based upon what I heard the other night that you're going to talk about that at the meeting tonight. Uh so there'll be some discussion on that. I just wanted to give a little bit of input and I'm very confused at the appearance of that article. Uh and it not having traveled through the 11 finance committee meetings. It seems like it's a financial thing and it should have come up at any of the finance committee meetings prior to this meeting. So I'm I'm just confused

009at its appearance suddenly and and I don't support that article. I I assume though that the board will need to sign off on that article. Um I mean I assume it's administration that put it there and that the the board will need to sign off and that will be what the discussion is primarily about tonight. So >> thank you Bill. I just want to add on to what Bill said. >> Your name? >> Dan Nud Webster. >> Thank you, Tracy. >> Sure. >> I just want to add on to what Bill said. Um, we had a taxpayer at the budget meeting that came up that wanted to talk about a warrant article. This warrant article number seven. I say it has to do with money. Let's say it doesn't. The answer was we're not going

010to talk about it because it didn't have to do with money. There shouldn't be a warrant article that we don't discuss. It's our one chance a month before our annual meeting to ask all our questions. We can go home to research, figure out what we need to do. Do we support it? Don't we? I came tonight to hear what it's about. But I think in future if it's on the warrant, if it's a warrant article, we need to talk about it at the budget. That's I think skipping over it was wrong. >> Thank you, Dan. >> Yep. Other comments for public comment about the agenda items. Okay, next we can go to news. Sorry about that. Thank you, Julie. Um, good news. Uh, we have a report from PES. Um, and is there anything that

011anybody want to say about the digital packet before we have a report from PDS? Okay, go. Thank you. >> All right. Good good evening everybody. Uh I am Jen Moore. I am the principal of Penokeok Elementary School and I am joined by our counselor Melinda Fra, assistant principal Michael Lashappelle and I also have Nancy Kimble who's sitting over there in the crowd that we're going to be referencing tonight. So welcome Nancy. So Nancy works in our student support center. Um and tonight we're here just to talk to you a little bit about our tiered systems of support. So just a little bit of history here. Uh we started in 21 uh 22 to to really look at our student data um and and what that looked like in terms of students who were struggling to

012come to school um to actually be in school. And it seemed it seemed that the social emotional aspect was a highlight for us and it was causing a lot of students to not be able to attend class. Um we this this growth right here just shows where we started at 6% our initial year. And that wasn't because we didn't have systems in place. It was just that we had lots of different things in place and and things were not working together. And so when we took this um fidelity inventory in in 2122, it really opened our eyes to some of the things that we needed to do. We got our um tier one team together in 2223 and just in doing that we jumped to 59% and as you can see right now uh we

013are at 81% in terms of our um our overall growth. So, we've we've we've definitely have a very strong tier one team and our tier one team is really focused on universal supports for students uh for all students so that we can make sure that students know what's expected in our school. Um if you come to Penokeook, they will all every staff member and student will tell you what it means to be safe, respectful, and responsible in in every aspect. So one of the things that we really started to do was dig into our data. Uh when we um when we had a tier one team, we then started to look at our data. So if you look at the first triangle, that is a that is a gold standard triangle. That is what school

014data is supposed to look like. So 80% of students should be successful with our tier one interventions. Uh 15% of our students need a little bit more. they need some um some some different tier 2 interventions and then 5% require a higher level of support than that normally um involving special ed support. Um so this is our reality. This is our triangle. So we have done a lot of work and it's showing. So we have a lot to be proud of here because 82% of our students are being safe, respectful and responsible. they have safe, respectful, and responsible behavior um consistently, which is wonderful. But if you take a look at our top tier, you can see that our red triangle is much larger than it should be. Um and our tier 2, our our

015yellow uh section of the triangle is is very small, which means that we do not have uh that we need to focus on our tier 2 um interventions so that we can catch kids there. So they're they're not needing those higher level interventions um that we're seeing. So that is what we're here to talk to you today about is our tier 2 interventions. Um this is just another just another thing I wanted to show you to kind of celebrate the work that we've done. So it just shows that we um started uh three years ago at 73.6% of our our students. So that was like 26% of our students were were needing either tier two or tier three interventions and it was busy. It was really busy. Um and so you can just see that

016as the years have progressed we have are now again back at 82.4%. Um so we're actually exceeding the benchmark right now. Um but again we have work to do in our tier two and tier three. Before I hand the mic over to Melinda um to talk about our first tier 2 intervention, I just want to show kind of put in perspective why we're doing this. Uh we have 22 per uh 22.5% decrease in office referrals. Um which is huge. And when what that looks like when we're talking about time gained back for both students and teachers, 5,960 minutes, which is 99 hours, um we're giving back to students. They're in the classroom. They're they're learning. They're they're with their teachers and their peers where they should be. Um and then 4,470 minutes we've gave back

017as a as a staff. So that's administrators, counselors, um all of the time that we were putting into managing student behavior um is now being put in different places where we're able to support learning and we're supposed and we're able to work with teachers and do what we need to do there. So that's something to also um really highlight. I'm going to pass it over to Melinda. So, as Jen shared, our data was showing that our tier one systems were working, that the majority of our students were demonstrating safe, respectful, and responsible behavior, um, which were the standards we put forth um, in the tier one team at Pentacook. But it also showed us that we needed to put some time focusing on the internal and external indicators that showed students who might need some

018additional supports in addition to the universal systems we had in place. The goal is that if we detect those needs earlier, we can intervene earlier, providing a more efficient system. Students at the tier 2 level, research shows, can be successful with group and systemic interventions instead of an individualized plan, helping us to use our resource more effectively. So, we worked to develop our tier 2 team. We wanted the team to be about 8 to 10 people and um to have diverse needs with different perspectives to represent our population. We were also looking for individuals that came with expertise in understanding the internal and external factors that impact elementary students behavior. We wanted to make sure that the group could um effectively look at student needs and quality interventions while also being passionate about this work

019because it is definitely time consuming and a lot of effort to develop tiered systems. So our pedacook team includes administration, counselors, the behavior specialist, classroom teachers, special educator, and the school nurse. So typically we meet um once a month of all you special people. Um we typically meet once a month for about 45 minutes. Our initial work last year was to focus on developing the systems to include identify our goals, the roles and the responsibilities of each team member. We then used the information um that we had at our fingertips, academic grades, um attendance, nurses visits, behavioral data to help us identify some of the needs of the penok students and further what evidencebased practices would help us to further support them. As we have moved in our growth of our tier 2 work, we

020have discussed the possibility of needing bi-weekly meetings. One meeting would look specifically at our interventions and the fidelity of which they are being implemented as well as if they are achieving the desired outcomes we had set forth. We also plan to look at how the tier 2 systems we develop complement and flow with the systems we had already previously done before developing this tier 2 team. We like to call that meeting our business meeting. The second meeting we are looking to place will look more closely at student progress to allow us to make quick adjustments if necessary to ensure their success. I'm going to pass it over to Mike to talk specifically about our student of concern process that Pentacook has had in place for over five years. >> Thank you. The uh student of

021concern process is actually uh fairly unique to what in my experience uh I've seen at elementary schools. Basically, teachers have the opportunity to fill out a Google form to talk about specific students and their concerns that they may have. Uh based on those concerns, various members will be invited to the initial meeting. So, this could mean that there'll be guidance, there could be social worker there, u potentially a specialist such as OT, PT or speech. and then the administration and whoever else may be someone who knows that student. The team at that point looks at data. They look at the various academic aspects, behavioral aspects, attendance, um nurses visits and things like that and try to make a determination of what potentially could be the issue or the struggle it's happening for the student within

022the classroom environment. Once the team has kind of mapped that all out, there's discussion what the next stage is going to be or potential interventions. And these interventions truly are unique for every single kid. Um I think we've had I don't even know how many meetings this year but there are no two systems exactly the same for students once the team has come up with that put it in place for example there may be some kids who are having uh some type of intervention where they're having math in the morning or they may have some reading extra afternoon we've done a lot of things to vary it quite a bit for that student. We come back anywhere from four to six weeks to review to see if those changes are occurring and to see if

023there's been any progress for that student. Sorry if I speak fast. I apologize. One of those pieces which has been exceptionally important is the student support center. And with the student support center, this gives students the opportunity to have a check-in point, a person or an individual basically to kind of help work with them um on developing their own skills of self-regulation. And Miss Kimble does an amazing job. She has between nine and 10 students per day that come down for about 10 minutes per block. Some students come two or three times based on their needs. But typically, you'll find that when you ask the students what they want to do or why they go there, it is to have that positive structure and that one-on-one time. Many of our students um would like to

024earn that time. It's it's an opportunity for them to have that independent and very special attention that's given to them. What we found is many times these students do try to take back those regulation, self-regulation skills they have to the classroom environment and Miss Kimble works with the teachers to make sure they know what those potential self-regulation techniques are. So, our behavioral data has shown that students who have access to student support have had a reduction in externalizing behaviors. But let's face it, charts can be pretty boring at this time of night. So, we thought that hearing some student um testimonials would help demonstrate the true impact of this tiered intervention. So, um since seeing Mrs. Kimell, I go to the office less and I don't like going to the office, said one kindergartener. A

025second grader reported there's a bunch of stuff to calm you down. You can relax, play a game, or sit back and talk. And one of my personal favorites from a first grade student, I like the breathing ball and the big purple bean bag. They help me sit calmly. And I said, "Well, how does that help you in the classroom?" Well, I've learned to do the same thing in the class with is it without my ball, showing that there is a generalization of behaviors and different things that they're learning and processing and doing with Mrs. Kimble into that classroom. So, Mrs. Kimble though is truly the key to it all. Each of those students that um we recommend the student support center with, while they might have some individual things they're working on, they're looking for

026a trusted adult, they are looking for connection and Nancy does that hands down amazingly. Um and it is showing in all of our data that the students that are with her are performing better. When seeking some of the students to get these testimonials, there was one little girl who can sometimes shut down and go like this. and this is their um lack of words depiction of what does student support mean to them? Queen Mrs. Kimell. So, thank you, Mrs. Kimell, for all you do to help those students at PES. I'm going to turn it back over to Mrs. Moore. >> YEAH, >> just one more slide, I promise. Um, so I just wanted our our um next tier 2 intervention that we are putting in place and we we are uh on the heels of

027putting this in place. So it's we're going to be doing this pretty quickly. Um we're going to be doing what's called a check-in checkout which is an evidence-based practice that again provides that uh that daily touch for students so they're able to be meeting with a trusted adult during the day. This really just shows that feedback loop so that you can see what happens. So, a student um will have a morning check-in with a mentor. They will get um a daily progress sheet. That daily progress sheet will go with them to the classroom. They'll go to their teacher will give them regular feedback throughout the day based on their schedule. They'll take that to their um afternoon checkout with their same mentor. The mentor will only highlight positive things that happened in that student's day.

028This is meant to we're not talking about anything negative with this. This is only positive. Um that checkout sheet goes back home to the parents. The parents are able to see how the student did. Again, we we have conversations with families before we do this to make sure that they too are only emphasizing the positive things that happen. We're going to take care of that in data monitoring. when we see where a student how many points a student is getting in a particular day, we as the team will either up that or um we'll do what we need to do so that that student can find success. And then finally, they just continue in this feedback loop until um the tier 2 team has an opportunity to look at that student's data and plan accordingly.

029So, those are our tier 2 interventions and we're really hoping to see our triangle change. More green, less red. >> Our green is already over the top. >> Yeah. >> Do you have any questions? I'm just wondering so it addresses both academic and also behavioral issues or >> our tier 2 team is really looking at the social emotional behavioral issues. The student of concern team that has been in place for five years looks at academic social emotional behavioral. So when I said at some points we have to see how what we had kind of implements so we're not double working. That's some of the work we still have to do. But we didn't want to get rid of something that was working efficiently or was working until we had any more efficient stuff in place.

030>> Thank you. That was super informative. I appreciated it. I have a question for Mike's slide, the student of concern slide. In step one, when you send the staff referral, do you inform parents at this step? And do you invite them to the meeting in step two where you review the data? Thank you. Sorry. Um, typically what happens is the classroom teacher, if they're usually the one who makes the referral, we'll inform the parents. There's not um, we don't have parents come to the step two piece because we're kind of figuring out what that could be at that point. If something is put in place as far as, for example, a student's going to have uh, tutoring, we would talk to the parents, make sure it was okay, and we'd have a discussion about those

031potential interventions at that point. But the the step two really is more of us trying to figure out what do we have available, what resources can we use, and the team has amazing knowledge, a lot of our students, of the history behind it. So they can even tell you we've tried this or this has not been used in the past. >> Come a long way. >> Oh, I'm sorry. Come a long way. 6% to 81%. So congratulations. Do you know what your um three tier triangle looked like when it was at 6% as far as at least the red? >> I can tell you what it felt like. >> So, so I think that when we started this, we also started collecting Swiss data at this like at the same time. So, we we were

032not we had we were collecting office referrals, but we didn't have Swiss, which is a system that we use to to do that. So, we really but but it was definitely um Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You're welcome. Stole my mic. Um I don't really have a question, but I do have a perspective as a parent if you don't mind. Um I have had the pleasure of having both of my children go through PES um from kindergarten. Now my eldest is in high school. Actually, Miss Kimell was with my then kindergartener who's in, excuse me, the middle school right now since he was um um for reading and uh she is a treasure. [laughter] Um and I just want to say that all this work from the parents perspective is very communicative and it's amazing to see

033the work and the results at home with your students um as they um go through, you know, if they're in the tier 2 process. Um, seeing the success that can come from this and I'm very glad to see that this presentation happen and I have had very very good experiences with this the last few years. So, thank you so much for all the work that you do. It's a lot. Any other questions? So, I just want to also just give a shout out to Becky Kennedy who has been behind us all the way. Like, she's really been a huge resource um and an invaluable one. So, I just want to say thank you for all the work she's done. >> [laughter] >> You got it. Okay. Thank you very much for elementary school. That was

034wonderful. really truly wonderful. Um, so Nick and Silus. >> Oh yeah, >> I wasn't checking. >> Um, starting off light. Uh, all the elementary schoolers had fun in the snow that we recently had, as I'm sure some of you did, or if you're like me, you had fun shoveling it. Um, no. Uh, Panakook Elementary School is starting a penny war event from the from February 16th to the 19th where students are encouraged to donate money to help raise funds for the school's library. Uh, in a short summary, the students want to donate cash and pennies into their own buckets to boost their points while using silver coins to sabotage the other grades and with the grade that wins the most points winning an ice cream party. So, that's fun. Uh, Panuck is also also participated

035in the Reed Bowl, which is a nationwide contest that connects reading with football and lasted for the last four weeks of football season. Uh, the Salsbury kindergarteners and first graders celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day by making their own leaves for a quote unquote peace tree to celebrate peace, kindness, and community. Salsbury and Webster. Uh, second and third graders had a trip to Smitty Cinema where the second graders watched Charlie in the Chocolate Factory while the third graders watched the BFG. Um, moving on to the middle school, 16 7th and eighth graders from MV and Andover attended the Leaders in Prevention weekend program at Camp Cody in Freedom, New Hampshire through the NH Teen Institute. While there, the students learned about school climate and community involvement to bring back to their schools through workshops and

036activities. On January 16th, the MVMS sixth graders celebrated their success with the tissue drive through their rightfully earned popcorn and movie afternoon. The National Junior Honor Society uh started the new year off strong by helping collect the wreaths they previously laid out at the veteran cemetery. Um now I'm handing the mic off to Nick. All righty. So, one of the uh best events that happens here at the high school that I always look forward to is uh the unified basketball games. Of course, we have a few of them at home um every every winter. Um, so the last unified basketball game took place last Monday. It was a great game accompanied by great stand from the uh triam members who came and had a little pep band. I don't know if you saw it on

037the front cover of the conquered monitor. I'm sure you did, but we had, I believe, five schools come and join us for a little end of the year tournament. Uh, it was our second ever. We did it last year for the first time. Uh a select few from the high school band and chorus got to take part in the Lakes Region Music Festival on January 17th where they go for a day. This year it was in at Plymouth High School. Uh they went up there uh learned music and got to perform it at the end of the day. Um next Wednesday at 6 PM here at the cafeteria will be the fourth annual chocolate festival. Uh it's always a great night. Um we have little performances of both music uh both like instrumentals and vocals.

038Um so that'll be six o'clock um next Wednesday. It's kind of like a little cafe vibe. It's very um very chill. You can buy chocolate and just enjoy a bunch of music from our um performers. The Getting to Y group at the high school alongside the Capitol Area Public Health Network is putting together a screenagers movie night uh next week, February 12th, from 5:30 to 7:30. It'll be a free community screening of the documentary Screenagers Next Chapter, followed by youthled discussion from the Getting to Y student group. Uh, the Scholastic Art Awards program is the nation's longest running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. Four of our amazing artists have received Scholastic Art Awards this year, including our students Juliet Blunt, Serena Goodwin, Abigail Kerry, and Jaden Taylor. A total of 10 awards were

039earned between the four of them. Two of which were portfolio submissions. The artwork will be exhibited at Pinkerton Academy in an award ceremony will be held in February. I believe on the front of your packet, you saw the artwork, so make sure you look at that. Um, last but not least, before I get to Hades Town, uh, Marramac Valley High School is proud to recognize our football program for being named a recipient of the 2025 New Hampshire Football Officials Association Sportsmanship Award. Uh, so all of the referees come together and kind of vote for one school that they think did very good at sportsmanship and we were able to win that. You should have got an email I know a few people already got it. Um, that has the link to buy tickets for Hades

040Town, our uh, spring musical. Again, those dates March 26th and 27th at 6:30 as well as Saturday, March 28th, we'll have a matinea at 1:30 and then an evening show at 6:30. Uh, along with that email that you guys got is also the poster. So, you can take that poster if you'd like to print it and hang it up at places um or if you want to put on your Facebook page or you can put it on the community pages, different different things like that. Um because the theater department is mostly self-funded. Uh the teachers, our adviserss do get paid um from the budget, but we use whatever we make from ticket sales to go into our next show. So, it's very important that we get people to come out so then we can make

041sure that our theater program stays thriving. Um, and I believe that link will also be on the website for anyone that did not get the email or you can ask me and I can get it to you somehow. [laughter] And we have a few jokes. These were Valentine's Day related. Where do you find love in a grocery store? >> I'll be there for you. [laughter] When should you ask someone out on a coffee date? When you like them a latte. >> That's all we got. [laughter] >> Probably just as well. >> You know the jokes good when you laugh before you can hit the punch line. Um I just want to confirm the date for the chocolate um event. Is that the 18th? Wednesday the 18th. Next Wednesday. >> Yes. For those of you that

042are uh new, the chocolate festival is so fun. >> Just saying. Um, next we'll go to committee reports. So, the ad hoc streaming committee is the first one and the minutes are in your in your packet, Jess. >> Um, yep. So we met um in January 12th um to discuss some of the um requests for information which we had asked you know a cost estimate and um it is rough as Randy um you know informed us because not a lot of other districts do this kind of thing um who don't have access to like town um streaming or media. >> [clears throat] >> So, some of these cost estimates were um you know adding um new devices around $3,000 um and this would be for um adding it to the SAU uh since that's where

043we hold a lot of our meetings. Um video and audio solutions is about uh 12,600 um with a rough estimate of about 15,650 um adding microphones and then possibly labor. Um as we do have a very very small um I was very shocked uh to hear the number um tech team um just given the amount of work that has to be done for district um and so you know we'll be discussing the possibility of opening up either extended hours or you know that kind of thing. So um personnel like overtime would be about roughly 5250 an hour or maybe a new position. So I think within that discussion that we were having the committee was kind of looking more now from input given the last two meetings we had had from the board before we

044had our final meeting. So if you recall from the earlier earlier meeting which was trying to remember what date that was November or October um at that point there was some discussion about um you know the pros and cons you know pros being folks would have a excess whether or not you know they had to get their kids to a basketball game they could watch another time um and that kind of thing. The cons sometimes being the cost the setup um and Laura, you have that sheet if you had another one or do you remember any of the other ones you wanted to hit for pros and cons? >> Laura's been a real lifesaver. >> Yeah, a lot of the challenges um communication um within the meetings um from public can be intimidated, that kind

045of thing. So, given these couple of items that we've discussed, I would like to know how folks are feeling about this. Um the plan is not to have another meeting until after annual meeting. So just keep that [clears throat] in mind. So I'd open the floor for any kind of questions or comments or anything like that. >> Amanda, >> do any of our elementary school, middle school have these accommodations already in place? >> I cannot answer that question. Do you know if there's streaming or video? >> No, they do. They do not. >> Usually for panicook I At least we have to get Conquer TV in. So, I bet the other one's probably not either. >> Nope. Nope. Oh, yeah. And that's that's already been off the table right along. Conquer TV is not available.

046They're usually doing either like right now they uh there's a um council meeting or we tend to have our meetings during when like Conquer School District is having theirs. So, yeah, they're like right out. Jess, did you guys talk about those little owls you can put in the middle of a meeting that circle around with a voice? >> No. Can you elaborate on what that is? >> Yeah. So, it's uh I know that I was on a committee uh with the Department of Ed and we project it via Zoom and uh it's a just a little device that sits in the middle of a a table and when it hears a voice it circles around to the uh to the voice >> shows them >> and you can project at the same time. I don't

047know if you guys looked into it or not. >> No, smaller. Um I know that not specifically that technology I also reach out to some of the um towns, mainly Webster, to give a shout out to those select um about like how they manage to um stream and or record their meetings on a less expensive scale. But I think that that's an interesting thought and I wrote it down >> and I believe that's what I believe that's what they do. >> Yeah. So actually, yes, we did look into that. >> Thank you. >> And what was the cost of them? I don't have the the quotes in front of me right here for for that like particular device, but that was one of the because that is something that's used quite frequently in our schools.

048>> I stand corrected that. I didn't Was that part of this cost estimate that was from Randy or is it a different one? >> You know what I would want Randy to answer? I'm not 100% sure on that, but I know that that's a pretty common. >> But if you move forward, your next meeting maybe is something you guys Anyone else have any questions for Jeff? Okay, then we'll go on to policy. Policy met uh January 12th and February 2nd. Uh the minutes were in the packet. along with a gazillion policies, IC, school calendar, IKFG, career exploration, readiness, pathways, and credentials, and IKF graduation policy and academic requirements. Those are the three that need to be voted on today. Right. >> Great. >> Okay. >> So, you have um three in your packet that are

049in there for first read. Um the just to get those off the list in case there's any questions the um IHCD which is advanced coursework that is in the packet for first read most of the suggestions that were made by policy were cosmetic in terms of punctuation. Um he she became they there they them. Um and then policy J was the age of entrance was also added as a first read. Um we have Sorry, I have two different sets of notes because we had two meetings. Um, and then we also had policy I JIC K which was public safety and violence prevention. Um, it's a bullying policy. Uh, that is also in your packet for a first read. There was um some uh correction or addition from legislation. Um, but again mostly cosmetic changes. >>

050J I Yes. >> Thank you. >> Yep. Uh, we are also just for heads up looking E DG at our next meeting. We did start looking at that. It's about meeting minutes. Um but we will be reviewing that at our next meeting. Um so the policies that we have in our packet for a second read different list. Um we have policy IKF which is um sorry one second the graduation. Sorry I just what I had on my note was not title of the policy. So, I was like, "Wait a minute, that's not the title of policy." Uh, yes, this was our graduation policy. We did um update it to reflect uh the credits for the 20 I'm sorry, 2030 graduates. Um, and obviously there's more columns on it. So, it's a little busier right now,

051but that will eventually like the stuff from previous years will start to come off as we move forward with graduation years. Um, so that is in the packet for um, voting. >> We saw it. >> You saw it back last month. >> Last month >> and the month before that. I feel like we brought some stuff. >> Yes. And it was already spoken to. So, >> thank you. >> And we did not get any other updated feedback on that one. Um, then we have policy. Uh, IKF, wait, IKFG, just making sure I have the acronym right because we had it wrong. Um, policy. Um, this one is for the CL career exploration readiness pathways and credentials. Um, this was this is a new policy for us. Um, and we wanted to make sure that we

052documented the CTE um, and the work that we're doing around career readiness. There were minor changes based on the schoolboard recommendations. So, this one is also up for um, adoption. Been a long day. All right. And we have policy IC which is up for the second read which is the school year and school year calendar. Um and we didn't receive any updated feedback from anybody beyond um what we had gotten at the previous meeting. Um this policy would also look at us sunsetting policy a because everything is included in this one policy going forward. Um, and I think those are the only three. >> Yes, those are the only three, but they were there was a lot of information in them. Um, we can vote on them individually or we can vote on them as

053a slate depending on if there are questions on any of them individually. >> Yes. >> May I ask a question? Was JB one that we were going to vote on today? >> No. >> Okay. So, you voting on are you doing second reads first? >> Okay. >> Yeah. Everything Uh we are trying to do second reads on policies based on recommendations. So >> Amanda >> yes >> I read the minutes from the meeting policy meeting about IKF and my concern at the last meeting. I still stand strongly that right now privacy is assumed and not written into the policy. I do understand that these go through tide. Um, I don't see the harm in writing this in the policy. Um, stating it clearly so that families know their students information is protected. Um, there's there

054remains no reference to student privacy protections or that it's sent through Tide. It's not even stated that it's sent through Tide or um or it doesn't reference any other district policy that governs how data is shared. So, I my recommendation would be um the paragraph where it starts with RSA 189, you could add two words to the end of that statement and just say that it's um sent to the New Hampshire Department of Education via Tide. >> It's actually on the second page. It's the >> under the fourth um to make this >> but that it's the fourth paragraph down um that would so page two IKF >> IKF >> page two fourth paragraph starts under RSA 189 colon um 11 Roman numeral 2 the superintendent will submit the comp the composite results of either

055the locally developed civics competency assessment or the US citizenship test to the New Hampshire Department of Education. It's only talking about the civics exam. >> But that's Isn't that sent via Tide as well? >> Yeah, they all are. But >> it it is, but this is actually the first year that it's been required that it be submitted through Tide. Um the the systems that the standardized testing are done through the state frequently change um as are the tests that are administered. But yes, currently it is through the tide system that we would submit that information. >> And to avoid doing addendums in the future, could we just say that we're we're following the like privacy? It this just gives no indication that that's even a thought that privacy is a thought. >> Amanda, for those

056who don't know what Tide is, could you please explain it? >> It's um it's just a system managed by New Hampshire. It's a test information. It stands for test information distribution engine. >> Um I'm going to just make this align with our practices. I'm going to make a motion that we approve IKF so we can continue the conversation. >> Okay. >> Yeah. So we'll we'll go through them one at a time because this one obviously has some more discussion on it. So I'll take a motion to um >> why don't we go with uh start with policy I see. That's how they're that's how it's written in the okay >> in the agenda. Um so can we um get a motion to accept policy IC school calendar? >> Um how about I will amend because

057I made a motion. I will amend my motion to discuss IC. >> Thank you. >> Calendar. >> So that was policy IC. This is a motion made by Jess, seconded by Sally. Thank you. Um any discussion on school calendar? Okay. All those in favor of policy I see the school calendar say I. >> I. Any opposed? Okay. Perfect. >> We have to sunset. Yes. >> So I will make a motion that we sunset ICA. >> And uh Sally will second that also. Sunset ICA. Um, and the reason we would sunset is because it uh what's in IC was in a soc. Um, any discussion about sunsetting ICA. All those in favor say I. >> Any opposed? Next would be IKFG. I'd like a motion to accept IKFG. Laura, David, thank you. That is career exploration,

058readiness, pathways, and credentials. Any discussion about those? Okay. All those in favor of policy IKF say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Okay. >> And now I will make a motion that we approve. >> Thank you. >> IF Sally will second it. Uh, graduation policy and academic requirements and we can go back to discussing. >> Yes. Thank you. >> So, I need to ask some questions about Tide. Tide is owned by the state, correct? And we just access through this. >> So, the state contracts with um gosh, Cambium and >> Oh, it's even a third party. >> Yes. So, Tide is a system that's owned by Um and that is how right now the state assessment system is administered. >> That is not how it was administered >> three years ago. Three years ago

059>> um we switched from yes it was it was something else before it was cambium it similar but the >> whether the system or the test something it feels like is often progressing. I just I I'm I'm understand where you're coming from, Amanda, about uh I just don't about privacy and I don't want anything leaked either. I just these have been set up all of these policies have been set up through legal. So, I would think that if that was going to be an issue that that would have already come out and it would already be in there. Um, I don't know. That that's just my thought. I don't know what anybody else thinks. Lorna, the only concern I have is if you put tied in this and then you have to change the document

060if the state decides to contract with somebody else differently. >> So I mean if we could keep it more generic or we going to just have to rewrite this every time >> we have the data >> yeah we have a data governance manual um we also have so there's a the state of New Hampshire also has data privacy protections so whenever we're using these sort of resources they have to that um my concern and I know I voiced this last time is we would be guaranteeing um a level of uh protection that we are not in control of. It's not a system that that we manage, but it's one that we are required by the state to use. So, I'm just reluctant. A concern I would have is that we're putting something in here that

061isn't within our control. Would it be fair to state that you're submitting the data via a required state system and just ensure that it is ensures the privacy but still that's a system that's not our system. >> So that's >> using the required system could we state that maybe >> but it's yeah so that's I mean I still I come back to the same concern but it's really the the board's decision. So instead of saying like required through tie just saying required system it talks about passage of the civics exam. It talks about that superintendent will submit the composite results. So to me that kind of covers at least a small part of not identifying individual students. We're protecting the privacy. No, we are I mean student information is submitted to the state confirming that

062ex student passed the the civics assessment and that is part of a required uh state law. How does this return to the test though? um like the the results of so when the test is administered and those results you know the state pulls them from our from the through tide they they take all of them at once maybe that's >> there is yeah I mean there is there student information is shared with the state there is a degree of student information is shared with the state when you attend public school >> so I'm pretty much just going to reiterate what I think Katherine is saying, which is that um were we to codify something within our district policy regarding protection of student data, which is in fact, you know, there are policies which govern this

063outside of this policy. Um you know, and as Katherine has pointed out, we are not in control of this system. it seems to set us up for legal liability which I would want to avoid at all costs. >> Um so you know seeking to well right codifying this within the policy puts us at legal risk of something that we cannot control. So I would rather leave that to the state. Amanda, did you want to uh make an amendment >> to the policy >> to uh to the motion? >> Justice's motion is to accept it as written. >> Oh. Oh, I thought I did something. Sorry. >> When I >> in response to Sally's concern, I agree with the fair statement. Why can we not put in here that we are sending this through the state

064system not he's not sending it in an email you know which most of like some people understand that clearly but if you read this a first-time student it there's no indication that this information is protected I'm not saying that we're guaranteeing but we're using like the state's required system to submit the data I would my concerns. So I I do share I'm just skimming through some of these notes too. Um I do share some of these concerns about modifying the policy and I will come from somebody who used to work for the state IT department. We had the the subject to change which I believe Katherine has kind of touched upon can happen frequently and often with very little warning. And that means that for now it could be tied. Tomorrow it could be some

065other acronym. Three years from now it could be email or it could be a FTP or some other way of transmitting data. My concern with just codifying that is you're about going through and first off making sure that the state is going to be solid in their choices within the next 10 years which I'm going to say is not going to be the case necessarily for this specific one but they are subject to change often we already have a data governance policy which covers our portion of this, you know, of student privacy and data privacy is critical to me and I understand um you know the concerns about this. My my other concern about adding this kind of information directly is other than the legal liability is um I think kind of like what I

066was saying before with how frequently these things are subject to change and we don't own it, right? Like if you're thinking about this and I'm I'm going to explain it um I think for folks at home who might you know not quite know what we're talking about here. You know this system is is like a door that we can't go through. The the access that the admin or that we have in a district is just the internet access to connect to the system. Everything beyond that is owned by the state and they control it and it is very much subject to change. It is subject to their own data privacy which is obviously governed. Um but I don't want to start modifying each and every policy that handles student data with saying asterisks whenever the

067state you know whatever the state's doing because it's that would honest it's it's challenging all right and I think if parents are genuinely concerned about data privacy I would invite everyone to know that about once a year we update the data governance policy >> it is once a year >> once a year >> the data governance manual >> manual Thank you. I'll see manual manual for that. >> And we do approve it every year. >> Every year um that we are in compliance with the law and that if they have privacy concerns, it's really it's not that um that we are like the district is on it and that that's all I really say about it. >> Yeah. So, I appreciate everybody's thoughts and and Amanda, I think you're right. I think Catherine's right. And

068um one thing I can say is maybe on the bottom of the policy we could reference RSA 1896. So RSAs are New Hampshire state laws that we are required to follow. And in that law it states um the department shall develop a detailed data security plan. And in that plan, it must include privacy compliance standards. So, I don't know if that would be helpful if we could put reference the RSA into the bottom of that, which I don't believe it's referenced right now. >> It's not referenced because it wasn't recommended by the school board for that reference. And we do have a policy policy um >> data governance. >> Yeah. Ehab that references data governance manual as well. So we do have that policy that exists um to support us following what we're supposed to

069be following. Um so again this has been vetted through legal or through the attorneys. So we our schoolboard association as well as always have attorneys when we're looking at some of those trickier ones. Um and that RSA was not included in the list of RSAs to include. 66 1896 >> and and I will add Amanda like the schools the state is also required to follow those yes data privacy >> 100%. >> So if we're not going to uh amend the motion I'd like to take a vote on the motion >> to approve to approve to approve this as written as written. I would like to amend it to reflect either our our privacy policy or Tom's recommendation. >> Do you have a second? >> So, then >> we'd have to vote on that. Vote on

070the amendment and then we would vote on the motion. So without a second um there is no motion. So the motion right now is to accept IKF as written. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Opposed. Amanda. Thank you. Any abstensions. Thank you. Old business. We have none. >> Can I just say something just in case I don't want to respire but I want to go back to um really what Mr. Nut said about Can we wait until uh >> as as long as we can talk about warrants? >> They're they're on the they're on the um >> new business. They're under new business >> and Okay. And I'm talking petition, too. >> Okay. They're on new business. >> Thank you. >> Um well, yes and no. Um, so Kathleen, >> so in

071your packet, I'm sure you saw we have another teacher, middle school, uh, reading teacher, Kelly Lewis, who has asked to resend her notice of retirement. She'd like to remain at >> having so much fun. [laughter] >> Just letting you know. >> Thank you very much. Appreciate you. Um, so, uh, open enrollment. Um I'm assuming that you have heard uh many things about open enrollment. Um the uh I have been told and I was told last week we were going to we were going to vote on it last Thursday and we didn't and I have am told that we are voting this week um to confer or non-confer with um with the Senate. So what that would mean is that um depending on which way it goes, open enrollment could be uh the way that the

072law is written that it could be mandatory for all school districts, although there is an awful lot of discussion about um whether or not there's actually whether or not that is actually legal. Um so I asked to put open enrollment on the agenda because I I still believe that um as with many districts already, I believe that we should um have a warrant article um in our we should put an article in our warrant that um would restrict open enrollment. Um open enrollment and I'm speaking as me, okay? Open enrollment I think would um be the of many small districts. I think that we would find many small districts would be closing their doors um they would uh have to pay out an awful lot of money um to send their children to districts where

073um and Tom can certainly say where some districts don't want them to come um as uh Tom's superintendent has said on many occasions. Um so it I so it was just a discussion about open enrollment whether you would like to see a an article a warrant article added to our speak to do you want to speak to it you sure okay so uh the law right now um allows allows us as a school district to accept a certain amount of students from other districts and to also restrict um our kids from leaving our district. Um that would have to be a warrant that would be voted on by the town to either approve or not approve. Now, you can argue the the pros and cons. I I don't want to get there. Um but um

074what's happening now is there's been kind of a speed rush to to change that. >> Um and as Tracy said, they were going to vote on it um last Thursday, but it got moved to to Wednesday. Am I correct, Tracy? >> No, Thursday. >> Oh, Thursday of this week. Okay. >> So, um and what that would do is it would not allow school districts to restrict and it would um require you to also accept um students in your schools. as long as you have capacity and to my knowledge unless it's changed capacity has not been defined. >> It has not >> which I would assume would be um class sizes and where you sit with those class sizes. So >> oops, sorry. >> Yeah, that's okay. >> No, I was just going to say and

075that's been part of the issue too, Tom, is like when you say class size, are we talking class size what we have in our district or class size what the state says we should have? So, there's a lot of things that aren't defined. You're right. Sure. Sorry, Tom. I didn't mean >> No, no, no, no. That's fine. I'll just I'll finish real quick. But, um, what what that could mean is you take a look at our little schools, Webster and Salsbury, you got some grade levels there where you got seven to eight kids and let's just call it 20, you know, as as a class size. you potentially could have kids come in from um another school district uh and and we have no control over that if they come and it may not be

076a bad thing if they come. I'm just saying we would not be able to control control that here as as a school district. So those kids would come and we would get 80 to 100, but they determined it would be 80% of I believe it's our tuition. Am I correct on that? Or is it it's our tuition? >> No. >> Our our cost per pupil. I mean our cost per pupil. >> Yeah. So if we're I'll just round up to 20. >> It's 80% 80% of the sending school, >> isn't it? >> Yeah, that's it. >> That's right. Yes. >> But it's it's it would be somewhere in the vicinity of about $20,000 per kid if they came that we would get revenue. Um but There's just I just want to make sure >> and

077the other district would lose >> the other district lose it and con and on the other side of that the converse of that if we had students leave our school district to say go to conquered stuff then we lose that money that now goes to conquer. So I think it's um kind of hard to understand and it's I don't know where this is going. So I would I'll just say this. I would agree with Tracy that we should have some type of a warrant that gives us control even though on Thursday that warrant could be moved because of a new law. >> I want to add that this current law correct would be for literally this fall. >> This fall 27 school year >> very very fast that we cannot budget for right now. >>

078Right. >> Frustrates me entirely. I do have um I I have a lot of questions about adding about what a warrant for open enrollment like for our district specifically. So I don't know if we want to procedural do we add >> I think that I think that um Katherine has some uh some language some what do I want to say draft language thank you that we could use >> yeah I do have a draft for article I can share but just to clarify the cost piece it had been at the 80% what it is the sending districts per pupil to the receiving district. And if there's an over the so if the district you're sending to costs more per pupil than the one you're coming from, parents have to make up that difference. Um and

079something else to think about with capacity, which is undefined, and that's super concerning, is not only is it class sizes, but there's a very narrow um set of where we could restrict a student from coming here. Um, and we potentially could have students that are coming here with significant needs and would, you know, capacity may have to take into account the specialized services we are able to provide. Um, it's just capacity piece is going to be very a difficult thing. So, >> yes, I believe the only reason that we could to a student as if they've been expelled from >> their former school district. >> Oh, was it >> there were the capacity issues absent? >> So, would you like to show I'm sorry I interrupted. Yeah, >> you're fine. Uh, so the draft would

080you like me to share the draft language? So, shall the Marramac Valley School District to adopt an open enrollment school program designating the schools of Marramac Valley School District as open enrollment schools pursuant to uh NHRSA 194D for the purpose of enabling the district to admit non-resident students to MBSD with 100% of its eligible resident pupils permitted to attend and 0% of its resident pupils permitted to attend open enrollment schools located outside of the district and further to limit the number of non-resident pupils who may attend Valley school districts under the provisions of RSA 194D to no more than 1% of the total enrollment in a Marramac Valley school district. So that would be so >> 20 kids in >> I'm I've already prepared some questions. >> Well, you have a question. >> Well, just

081a quick question because can it be just like one class that a student would want to take or does it have to be a total? >> No, they come for the they become our students. >> Okay. Okay. >> And that's that's a that's another thing too. I mean, >> you could >> Well, I'm just my biggest concern is this is a rush to to ram something through that they haven't thought through. >> Oh, currently. Yes. David. >> Um, one concern I have uh about this is the public is going to have virtually no time to even have much in the way of education on this unless they've been reading uh articles in the paper on it or really closely following it. I think you're going to have a lot of folks at the March meeting

082who have absolutely no idea what this is really about. >> But um yes, the uh the the Senate put this on to the Senate made this a non-gerermanine >> amendment which means that it has nothing to do with what the original bill was all about a bill that we already passed through the house. So um it did not allow for any um public hearing time Jess. So I have some questions. >> Uh so um I do want to say I think um Tom you had a good question. about 20 kids in is what you roughly >> 1%. Yeah. >> Um with if this were put forth to the voters and it passed, what does it mean for Andover tuition and also what does it mean for uh the learning center? Is this >> so we

083already have um >> I shouldn't say tuition, I should say agreements, not >> those agreements are already in place. >> Okay. So, so the students with out of district placements to the learning center program, um, they wouldn't be reflected in the percentage that come in. Is that what it is that means? >> I don't know. And I don't know that it's been >> so I'm not 100% sure but from my lens a special ed placement would to me is separate. That's a something that a district is recommending through the special ed process completely separate from a parent choice. >> Yes. >> So we would kind of of those students as we are a receiving out of district school, right? So like not out of district as in the definition of open enrollment, but if we

084were to send a student to Spalding, like the similar thing, but instead they've chosen Okay. Um she said yes. [laughter] >> Um so Andover, great. I asked that question. Um, what does it mean for the Lakes Region Consortium that we entered into last spring where we um discussed allowing students to attend a a school that um participates in this consortium at as long as they stay 51% of the time within our district. Does that change anything? >> Thank you. Not special ed. >> Not the special ed. >> Never mind. [laughter] >> No, no, no. I was like, "Oh, okay." No. Um, yes. What I mean is the lakes region one um which is separate separate from the special education >> agreement. So would that affect this at all? Like the way I would read it,

085but I'm a layman is >> I mean at this point in time that agreement would continue to stand. I think as things unravel I think um or unfold I should say. I think there will be. >> So I think unravel I think unravel was the right word >> as things unfold. I I can anticipate depending on what direction it goes in sort of a domino of effects that will have to be taken into consideration but but at this time that would not be impacted >> best of my knowledge. >> Okay. >> Yeah. I know and I I feel this I think unraveled was a good choice of words. [laughter] Um, so I do kind of I share the same concerns that um Dave did, David did. And but I do want to ask um because

086would this have been a subject to discussion on our budget hearing night because it's not technically a budget related item. So I'm just I just want to make sure I would have understood the process had we done this three weeks ago instead. Would we have discussed it with the public at that point in the hearing? This warrant specifically? I think with the approach that we took this year that it probably would have appeared in the in the slideshow information. >> Okay. Um >> but worth noting like the development where the public doesn't have the opportunity to have their voice heard that just happened. >> Yeah. I'm going >> which is why which is why this came up >> which is why I wanted it on the agenda. I almost feel like this is a mini

087little um arena of what most school districts are facing right now because of the way that the state has made some decisions to or I should say the state legislature has made some decisions to >> senate upend a lot of our budgetary process at the end of the process is >> concerning to me. and it's causing a lot of chaos even within this discussion, right? Because I would have liked to have had >> more time to sit with the question I had about the consortium, the lakes region agreement, that kind of thing. So, I just want I I have to say that because this is >> bananas that we have to do this. >> Amanda and then Laura, >> I have a few. >> My first I'd like to start with asking we recently approved

088um a new student to come to our district paying tuition. How does this affect them? So, if this if this were to pass, then they would be able to come here under open enrollment and if our per pupil cost is higher than the the district that they're coming from, um the district would pay their per pupil and the family would have to make up the difference. >> But they were already planning and so we'll nothing changes. They're still nothing gets turned over from >> and and the [clears throat] um they wouldn't have they wouldn't have had to come to the school board to ask to come. >> So next year, Amanda, the parents wouldn't pay, the school district would pay. Not us. >> Right. Right. Okay. I would like to say that excuse me. [clears

089throat] A few days ago, I did ask for specifics on this um prior to this meeting. I'm disappointed that um this language wasn't shared in the packet. I think it would have been good for all of us to have a few minutes to process it instead of being handed it right now. Um I would like to discuss this sentence that it says um eligible resident pupils permitted to attend and 0% of his resident pupils permitted to attend um open enrollment schools located outside of the district. Why are we choosing 0% right off the bat without discussion? >> I I think we can have discussion about it. I think that's actually what we are doing. Um but from a financial perspective 0% is going to put the district in the least in the most safe position

090position of financial liability. >> Financially, I agree with you. Absolutely. That's the safest bet. But students first. I feel like we're doing our students a disservice by not allowing anyone to leave the district. >> I guess I would make the argument that I think we provide a fantastic education for our students and I think we can meet their needs here. >> And if we're very confident in that, we shouldn't be putting us to zero. We're very confident that we are providing the best education to students and can accommodate their needs. I feel like it doesn't look like we feel that if we're putting 0%. >> So, and I'm looking at it as um totally financial. So, Tom's committee, we met 11 times to discuss the budget. 11 times. And it was a lot of back

091and forth about the budget and this this new law, it could happen for next year. Meaning the budget that we just came up with, we could have five kids leave to the tune of $100,000. We don't have an extra $100,000 in the budget. We spent a long time getting this budget to where it is now where we are really confident that we are funding what needs to be funded. I don't want to send kids I I don't see it as saying I have no faith in our district that we're not going to allow any kids to leave. That's not what I see it. I see it as we are protecting the financial um we're protecting the finances of our district. Um so after Amanda was Lorna and then Jess then but Amanda's not done yet.

092I just want to respond that um you know given I think I'm not going to say everyone that's not safe to say because I don't have actual facts in front of me but everyone here that I've spoken to or read about their statements say students first and to me personally this sounds like finances first and students second. >> Thank you Laura. >> I'm not they've even thought about this. But I'm questioning what about transportation costs >> on the parent? >> Okay, so again, I feel like it's sort of like these vouchers, it's the same thing. Who's going to benefit from this? Because really, most parents are working. How are they going to get the kid to the other school district that they want to go to? And again, I just feel like now is not

093the time. We've worked hard on this budget. We can look at open enrollment later, but I really think it's another law that they're trying to pass without giving a lot of thought about it. They're just trying to ram it through and then we're stuck with the budget consequences and I'm sorry, but finances do have a lot to do with it. >> Thank you, Jess. >> Jess and then Dave. >> Okay. Sorry, I that was my that was I wrote it down. >> Thank you. >> Okay. >> Um I have I suppose I mean I'm looking at the map that the martyr has been um putting out recently a series on this which has been very good. >> Thank you Jeremy. I know you're there. Um and so I just want to give an idea of

094what other school districts in the area have done. We have Wilma or Karge exiting students. >> Yep. New London exiting students. So Karge exiting student zero for New London Springfield. Um and Warner, Newbury, Bradford, Pemrook also is at exiting students zero. Um Hopington and that area, they haven't made a decision yet. Um and it looks like some of the other towns around us have um yet to discuss it, but they I assume they would be very soon. Conquered will be a little bit because their voting takes place in November and I don't know if they subject to So wouldn't really expect much just yet. >> CTE complicates >> and CT complicates they're they're a whole different ball game. So I want to say that most looks like the the larger regional districts in our area

095have opted to no don't like very much zero zero out maybe 30 in like that kind of number. Um, and so I hear the idea of um, you know, school choice being students first, but Lorna actually hit on the thing that I wanted to also mention before I get to my actual question about this, which is it. I will be pretty blunt in saying that it would be the family with hs that would be the ones who could participate in this particular. >> I will be open and say that it would difficult, but I being very privileged could send my child to conquer and pay the difference. I am not reflective of most families in this district. And I feel like we'd be doing a disservice by allowing kids to leave, taking those monies away

096from other students whose families cannot do that and in the end, you know, creating a kind of domino effect of losing services. We're being a little bit more, I think, exploratory in this conversation. So, I do kind of want to turn it back to the warrant language. If we bring this to the voters, >> but next week they vote to change that >> open enrollment. >> We can still bring this to >> We can still bring it to the voters, would it have an effect at all? >> No. But yes. No, but yes. So, >> [clears throat] >> It's my belief and remember it's me who's talking. I'm not It's my belief that if the if it gets passed on Thursday that there will be litigation. >> Yeah. So, um, having this in place >>

097is just, >> um, I don't know what the word is that I'm looking for. It's safe. So, would it be safe to say if we did not put this in front of the voters and that litigation occurs, then nothing really happens? Right. >> Right. >> I think Okay, hold please. Next I have David, then Laura, >> then Melissa, then Tom, somebody over here raised a hand, and then Amanda. Okay, Jess, other questions? >> David. >> Okay. I I think a lot of what I wanted to say has been said by by Laura and and Jessica, but I I would just and the Amanda's um issue of you know students first and I absolutely totally agree with that. The problem is this particular law caused absolute chaos in the educational system in the entire state causing

098chaos and nobody benefits from chaos especially when you're trying to teach people. Uh losing faculty, losing people, having new people coming in. Uh it's it's just a bad idea particularly when we have absolutely essentially no warning about this coming up since it was simply added to uh as an amendment to a completely different bill and again no public input or discussion on this. Now, of course, this does not preclude the opportunity to put a different warrant on the article next year once we've had a chance to try to work down our deficit and to see where on God's earth are we going to be if this if this actually passes. So, I don't think we're closing the door on this and I think we're absolutely putting our students first by trying to give them the

099most stable possible environment we possibly can. >> Thank you, David. Laura, >> make sure you talk into your microphone, please. In the past, we've had situations come up and we booked with other districts as much as we could to book our things for students and that has worked out fairly well. It's been kind of hard to do it sometimes because there wasn't a way to do it, but we have done it. Okay. If we pass this, if we had this, if we add this to the warrant, it'll be on the warrant for March 4th. >> Because it's not ach. It's not a money issue, right? >> Yeah, it can. It will be on the warrant. It could be. >> It's not a money issue. So, we can add it. >> Okay. That's right. I'm going

100to Okay. >> I mean, this is this is a mess. Some kind of online calculator. I don't know how you can do that when you don't have any numbers, >> Melissa. >> Sorry. Um, I think if we put this on the warrant, it does bring it to the voters and we would get feedback from the voters about their thoughts on this. we would need to get some information out there to help support their vote on this in terms of an informed vote. Um, I'm assuming we're going to speak to it at the meeting before it gets voted on. I think it would be good for us to get this feedback from our voters in terms of like would they vote for it or would wouldn't they because that's going to give us information about how

101we would proceed next. And I do hear the wanting to put our students first. We 100% do that already. um and school choice already exists. So, we do look at that. This has a financial impact to our district that could devastate us. Um and we may not have any control over it even if we put it on the warrant article, but we would at least be informed about what our citizens and our community members feel in relation to this. >> Thank you, Tom. >> Yeah. A couple things. First of all, when do we have to make a decision on this warrant? >> Tonight. Okay. Um I will agree with Amanda that it would have been nice to have it sooner so that you know instead of tonight would have been nice to gone through it.

102Um but I'd say this um this this law really flips uh what we've been doing for years on its head and I'm I am just worried. I don't know what is going to happen and I think a warrant article like this protects the district. We control the narrative and if we have anything out there, we lose that control. And that worries me in the fact that every other district that I hear, they're saying nobody can leave. Um, so I I I'm just worried. I want us to control the narrative and I think that we we should do something um as is written here. >> Amanda, thank you. Amanda, >> thank you. Um, I I agree. Something has to be on the warrant article because without it there's no regulation. That could be that could be

103devastating financially. I agree with that. Um, [clears throat] I think we shouldn't just do something because other districts are doing it and saying zero out. I think we could make it as minimal as possible. I think we should offer it to one or two students. I think saying zero there are students that would thrive better at a different district. I think saying zero just because other districts are saying zero. I don't think one to two students even if this is a whatif scenario. I don't think letting one or two students leave is going to be a catastrophic financial impact. I think you know this this whole law is been put in place for some reason. And again I'm just going to reiterate just because other districts are saying zero out I don't think we should

104follow that. I think we should at least offer it even to one student. How are we going to know what that looks like if we're not even off No one might leave. That might not even be a scenario. But to say zero out, I am not in agreeance with >> Thank you. >> Um I'm not quite done. >> Okay. >> Um I just want to make sure I have everything. And again, without putting this out, we will not have regulations. So I do agree we need to come to a decision >> Sally. >> So I just want to clarify the timetable. So this was passed of Monday of last week. Is that correct? the Senate. >> Uh, wait, I can I don't recall when it was, >> but >> it was um, and we had

105our our public hearing was Wednesday. I think I just want to say that the criticisms of the administration for not getting this to us until now I think are a little bit rich given what the administration has been doing in the last week and a half. So I just want to you know I just felt that that needed to be said. >> Thank you Sally. Um, I'd also like to make a motion that we vote in favor um that we vote on the warrant >> as written. >> Thank you. Second, >> Jess, >> any more discussion? >> Just Yeah, just one last thing and and Amanda, just so you know, people can leave the district and go to other schools. There's charter schools they can go to. They can get possibly do tuition to other

106schools if they get accepted into them. Uh, but that's that's that's on their dime and right now I'm just not ready for it to be on the district's dime right now. >> Amanda, >> I think that falls back, you know, to a financial priority to to not even allow one student to trial this. We don't even know if there's a student interested in triing it. I think to not even allow one student to leave is a reflection that we're not um confident in the education and any um services that we could offer and provide. I would like to amend that we allow one student to leave to take advantage of open seconding her motion. >> No, I I guess my concern is if you say, "Well, we have one student." Is it going to be

107a lottery? How are we gonna I mean, it's just it's turning into a nightmare. I mean, because if you just say, "Oh, well, we just have one." So, >> it it's very hard to say, "Oh, no. Sorry, you didn't get the lucky ticket." I mean, >> if we don't have a second, then it won't go forward. So, right now, the motion is to accept the warrant as written. Did you have something to say? >> Just that the we consulted with the legal on this foreign article. Um and we didn't reach the number of zero because that's what other people have done. We reached the number of zero under the consultation with our lawyers which is probably why other districts are also at zero. Thank you. So, right now the motion is to um put this

108warrant on the um put this article, excuse me, on the warrant um as written. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Opposed? Amanda. >> Thank you. Okay. Next is the revolving revenue fund warrant article. Thank you. >> So, you're getting um sort of a fresh copy um just to give a a timeline of this particular warrant. I think right around Christmas time, I had a conversation with the auditor about after hearing feedback about trying to prepare funds for the renovations of Marramac Valley Learning Center. And so I asked him could we create a separate fund similar to what we did for um the SAU board in the retirement. He came back with some language a little while later. I sent that language to legal on January 22nd. Um we had a conference call

109with legal team discussing what we could and couldn't do. Um and we asked them to prepare some language for us. That language came in at 2:15 last Wednesday. um which was a little late. So the language that you see in front of you now is different than the language that was presented on last Wednesday or at least was part of it last Wednesday. The language that you see in front of you now references the correct RSA whereas the one from last Wednesday was from the DRRA which corresponds to things that towns can do and not school districts. So the language in front of you reflects what legal believes is correct and the one that we should use moving forward. So, I don't know if everyone's had a chance to read it, so I'll give you

110a moment. So the basic idea behind it is that we accept revenue from out of district tuition placements at the learning center into a specific fund targeting renovations of the learning center. So as those funds accumulate and we have enough to complete a project, you come before the board. the board would decide to spend the money on those and then we would spend the money to complete the project. If for some reason the tuition doesn't come in, then then we would have to put all of those projects on hold. We would not the intent is not to begin a project and get halfway through and then go, "Oh, well, we're already halfway through. We then now have to go ahead and and complete the rest of it." We would wait until we we had the

111appropriate funds to complete the project and then we would move forward. It is supposed to be self sustaining and one of the biggest things behind it is the fact that once the renovations are completed, we still have students coming in. We still are getting tuition. At that point, the board may entertain putting a an amendment to the warrant before the voters so that we would change the use from using it for the learning center. We could we could change the purpose of that. By completing the renovations, we have an opportunity to expand what we offer at the learning center. I I spoke with Julie earlier, so she can certainly correct me, but um if we add another special education teacher and parah, we could expand uh the number of students by 12. They may not

112all be out of district. Um but if we stay with the same basic numbers, about seven or eight that we have now, we're looking at an additional almost half million dollars of revenue. Um and that's going to continue moving forward. So, I know that there was talk and the decision was made by the board to to keep the learning center the way it is now with the hopes of renovating it. Um, at one point there was talk about selling it. I think it was a million dollars approximately. Um, so that million dollars that we would get in the sale would probably cover one year of of students we'd have to move out of district and pay for that. So you get a one-year return by completing this project and doing it with this fund. I

113think that the return could be self- sustaining for years to come. >> Can can you confirm the RSA number for me? >> Whatever is written >> 1943- C. >> Yeah, whatever is written on there. I have Yep. And who's who sent you the RSA? I'm asking because I'm looking at it and I >> you you have to be careful with RSAs when you Google them because they reuse them. >> Fun. >> And so you you you literally have to put RSA. >> Just learned that today. [laughter] >> It's happened where I'm like, wait a minute, that's not the one that I'm looking >> because I was confused. >> Yes. >> Um, now that I know that, I'm Pause for a second. >> Could have could have. Yeah, it's definitely not the same. [laughter] I'm gonna

114pause for a second and I'll look right now just to reconfirm with what the the lawyer sent us. >> Go ahead, Tom. >> So, just a quick question. What's what's a revolving fund? >> So, that's really the name of it based on the RSA. So, it it just is revolving. So, you you would continue to take money in just like a revolving credit. You could then put money out. Um the difference is it it targets specifically for the out of district tuition. Um and and we have to use that those funds the board does for the learning center only. You couldn't use them for for other projects based on the language of the warrant. >> Okay, Tracy, I have quite a bit of thoughts about this, but I know some people have questions and I'll

115wait till people's questions are taken. >> I talk a lot questions they want to ask. Um, so can you hold on one second? I was gone. Was there somebody before Jess or Tom? >> Okay. Thank you. >> Um, procedural questions for you. So, if we were to put this forth to the writers that approved it, at what point would this fund be opened? Are we talking the next fiscal year or right? >> That seems to make the most sense because we already have tuition that has come in. We wouldn't strip it away from this budget, but we would have to confirm with legal just just to make sure. >> Just to make sure or we could also, I assume, open it and leave it empty until we are ready to like saying that we're not

116going to do it right now. >> Well, the way it's written means when we accept, but we we've already entered into agreements for those. So, the plan is for next fiscal year. >> Next year. Okay, that's very helpful. Um, so how can you help me understand how these payments are received and how this would be funded, right? Do we receive unless it's subject to your agreement with other districts, is this like a twice a year thing where they month or payment? How does this work? >> They're typically monthly payments to the district. >> And then if we were to open this fund, those monthly payments, would they go through normal revenue streams and then be placed into this fund or would they go straight to this? Everything that comes in goes into our account and

117then we would distribute them to those particular funds. >> Okay. >> Those are just the procedure questions I have now. >> Tom. >> Okay. Um I I'll start that I am I am opposed to this. Um, we voted in November on if we were going to raise funds for the learning center, which was a 7 to10 year plan of $5 million. We've had six finance meetings since that, but not once did this topic come up. We never discussed it. It was never mentioned in a finance meeting. Um, I've been telling people that I I meet in the street and then in my presentations and in this board meeting on January 5th, we have four financial warrants. And I know some people don't think this is a financial warrant, but it is. It is. At the

118other meeting, the other night, it was said, well, this won't have an impact on the voters. It absolutely does. So if you go back to that slide that I had where here was the operating budget minus state aid minus revenues. This is revenue. So when you take away revenue that appropriation or that taxation number increases in Pinnacook you're on the hook for 33% of it because you have 33% of the population. So this absolutely affects the voters. I feel like this is in at the last minute. Um, and I'll go back to what you said just a little while ago or what Tracy said a little while ago. You know, we spent a lot of time in the finance committee and and we were talking about the open enrollment and we don't have $100,000. Well,

119we budgeted for revenue $170,000 for tuition. We have $490,000 coming in. So, you take that 490, subtract the 170, you get 20,000 left that's not going back in this year to to offset the deficit. I mean, we're still we owe a million dollars still. I think this is really really bad timing. Um I still don't know if we even have a construction plan of this is what we're going to do and this is when we're going to do it and this is how much we expect to do it. Um, I just I just think this came in at the 11th hour and it is going to have an impact on our taxpayers. I think this is the wrong year to do this and I think if we bring this in now, I think it affects

120the possibility of the operating budget and the CBA getting passed. I I think it's I said >> Melissa and then David and then Amanda. So, just for clarification, we're not talking about this fund being funded for the upcoming school year that we're building the budget for. This wouldn't impact next year's budget. It would actually impact the following year's budget in terms of we would not be able to budget in that tuition as a revenue source. >> No, the the way it's written is is it would begin with July 1st of of 2020. >> All right. I guess I misunderstood that. Um, and I do think that this convers has come up when we were talking about discussing Washington Street School and how the renovations could be funded. I so I do not feel like this

121was a surprise um in terms of like the thought about how to do it. Um, I I will say that it was a surprise for me to see it as a warrant article, but I don't feel like we haven't had a little bit of heads up that this was the way we were leaning towards thinking about how to fund the renovations at that building. Um, but thank you for your clarification. >> David's next. >> That was my question. Um, exactly is when this is does this take uh take effect? Because uh the budget presentation that uh the finance spending Tom doing was based upon the revenue coming in. So it sounds like that's not the case that that actually would be impacting this year's budget and not next year's budget. Did I hear that correctly?

122>> You mean this year's budget is in 2526? >> I mean the budget that we're asking the voters to approve on >> that's next year. So that'd be 2627 that it would have an impact then. >> Right. Um I think that's I strongly support the Mayor Backbelly Learning Center. I strongly support this way way of funding it so it does not impact our our property tax payers. Uh but I think what it's it's going to look like that we misled them and I think that could be a problem. >> Thank you. David Amanda >> I'll start by saying that I strongly support the program as well. Um, I need to go back and listen to the to the meeting for exact verbiage that I'm about to reference. Um, I voted no to this um back

123in November, I believe, um, in fear of this exact situation and complete lack of a plan for this. Um, when we voted for this project, again, I don't have the exact verbiage, but much was being said in support of a yes vote that that extra tuition that it would bring in would go to the general fund. Um, again, I need to go listen. I'm going to go listen for the exact words, but the convincing factor was the tuition it would bring in to our district and I believe many voted yes with that being a strong detail. >> Thank you, Amanda. Jess, >> um I would invite folks to go back and listen because in committee we discussed that the offsetting of the uh expansions maintenance was going to be from tuition. That was very clear

124from the beginning. Um I just want to make that clear. I >> You're talking about a facilities committee. >> The facilities committee. Yes. >> Thank you. >> Um and then brought forth um to the board. Now the um along with you know the plans and all that kind of thing of like what it's going to look like in the next few years. That being said, I um had some concerns which um about being clear with how these funds were coming in and being expended. So, I do like the idea of having a clear fund to show people we're pulling in ex students this is how many this is how much moneyies are in the account and then expending it out as required by uh facilities department. Um can you remind me how many students in

125the revenue um what is it in the revenue um presentation were included in um the numbers? How many how many students were you budgeting for in revenues for >> we didn't talk about number of students we increased from 100,000 that we traditionally used to 170,000. >> So we basically added a a whole student butvious but but the otherundred obviously didn't for whole students. [laughter] >> Yes, that's very true. >> So, sorry. >> No, I'm done. I'm done. That was the only question I had. I'm trying to grab >> So, if Laura, I'll add you after me. So, if we were to take the first 170,000 and put it into the general fund, which is what the um finance committee had for revenue and then we could put the rem if we have other students come

126in, we can put the remaining into starting the um oops starting the revolving fund. Could we do that with the way that it's worded here? >> I don't believe so. >> That would be a better question for legal. >> Yeah, >> but but I do think there is a plan that it was outlined I think by Fred. Um, there was a a CIP for the learning center outlining which projects should be done first. I know they talked about HVAC and >> elevator >> kind of in conjunction with the elevator. Um, and >> kind of right here. >> Yeah, [laughter] I know. >> You want me to read it? >> No, there is a plan. Definitely there is a plan. Um Tom, >> so I I would say that that plan was not communicated at our

127meeting in November because what was said is first of all, our superintendent and facilities director disagreed on when it would start. And it was said that yes, we would do the elevator and the HVAC system and then after that whatever comes up. That's not a plan. Um but that's what was said. If there's a written plan, I haven't seen it. Um, and I would say that $490,000 is awful close to 1% of an increase in the budget. So that 3.38 that we work so hard at is really going to be 4.38. Oh, Laura, I'm sorry. You were right here. I'm sorry. I totally skipped over you. I had already checked you off, Laura. Sorry. >> Okay, this article passes. Okay. It was cover utilities. >> Yes. >> And new computer or something like that. I

128mean the ordinary expenses. >> Yes. >> Covered in the budget. >> Yes. Amanda, >> do does anyone know when what the first date of communication regarding this article was amongst staff or whomever submitted this article? >> It was probably Wednesday >> that this idea was proposed. We got the language from the attorneys at 2:15 on Wednesday. >> Okay. Um, when did you first submit it to the attorney? >> We had a meeting with them on January 22nd and that's when we asked for for their language. the I had emailed them I don't know probably right after Christmas break um because it the sentiment was that we needed to get a plan that's what we heard from the public we needed a plan so the plan to memorialize the funds in this revolving account was developed

129>> and was this ever discussed with the finance committee of the effect it would on the upcoming budget. >> No, >> Jessica, then David, >> um, so reading the article as written, right? Would it because I I too share some concern with it being super quick. Um, would it be detrimental to the current plan? Because I am I have been in communications with about this asking um over time uh where he was on the planning for this part for the Washington Street School um or learning center. And um would it be detrimental if we amended the as written right now to start not this fiscal year but next fiscal year so that it gives people time and another year to budget for it or is that would that be too like what would you say

130to that? >> I think if you're not going to go forward with the with the warrant article then you vote it down and you don't move forward and then if you want to give people more time and you want to bring it back then we start the process earlier next year and get the communication out. That would be this is me talking. >> Yeah. >> Legally I I would hesitate to amend >> um anything that that the attorney sent us without vetting it through them. >> So, as a as a business administrator, if we were to just say, "Let's hold until next year, >> is that >> doesn't affect my job one way or another." >> I know, but [laughter] I want I want to understand like is is this because I know that, you

131know, Fred has been working through this, would this cause any issue with any any u upcoming projects within the next couple years? based on all the conversations that I saw at facilities and then again at the board, it seemed like the sentiment was to use tuition money >> to fund these projects. >> So could like say by some >> So next year, >> yeah, >> this is me thinking >> you could still use the tuition payments. >> Next year >> because you you have discussed this as a board that that was the avenue >> that that you were going to go down. Now, you would have to decide that. I think the idea behind this is to make sure that all of the funds were secured and it rolled over >> year after year and

132until you you had enough. >> Um, but again, it it it it's really up to all of you as the board whether you want to move forward or not. Okay, David, >> I certainly want to move forward with this, but I I think that uh what Jessica just said was what I was thinking is that maybe we establish the fund and u educate the public, establish the fund, and then start putting money in it, not this upcoming fiscal year, but the following fiscal year. We're keeping our promise that we made uh at the all the public hearings, and so we're not tricky stuff. We're not being untransparent or anything. Um, and also Fred has talked a lot about grants and other sources. This is not the only revenue source we're going to be counting on.

133It's going to be a critical part certainly and this is how it will be eventually self-funding. And the of course the whole reason we did that was to not hit the property taxpayers any more than we absolutely had to which was a real big part of our concern. So that's what I would be comfortable with. >> So what I'm hearing from you, David, is that you would like to amend this document, this warrant by eliminating article 7. Is that your motion? I'm up two binds. So [laughter] here here's our >> I'm ready to second you. >> Here's our here's our our possibility. One week just simply drop it for now and just, you know, talk about it over the course, you know, um get articles out in the monitor. Let people know that this is

134what we're doing so that it's not a surprise. But of course, we have talked about this repeatedly. We've had numerous uh um uh meetings that were completely open to the public. People were welcome to come. We did have folks coming. We had a lot of people who did come strongly support this. We could simply add that say that as written and simply add starting with the 2007 200. >> I don't think that we can. >> Okay. Then I would say I would um my amendment would be to drop this until next year. >> So David um the motion from David is to uh eliminate article 7 from the warrant seconded by Melissa. Any more discussion? We can roll call. >> I appreciate that. >> Yep. >> You can ask five questions. It's okay. >> What

135is the turnaround time for a verbiage change to the attorney? >> Sorry, Amanda. >> What is the turnaround time if you were to request a verbiage change to the attorney? >> Um, it the deadline to post the warrants, I believe. Let me pull up my calendar. Is the 18th of February. I don't hold out a lot of hope that they're going to get back to us prior to that. Plus, I have to have all of you sign this before we post it. So, I I think the turnaround time would would prevent that. >> Okay. Yeah. My thought process is to be holding it. >> Thanks. Thank you, Amanda. Anyone else? So, the the motion is to eliminate article 7 from the warrant as printed, the draft warrant. Thank you. Um, and the request was for

136a roll call, Candy. >> Yes. Yes, >> you're stumbling over that today. [laughter] >> No. >> Yes. vote seven to two. So it will be struck. Okay. Next, the remaining articles by petition. >> Can I make a point that that was not listed on our >> what? That was not listed on the agenda. The remaining articles that I have here. >> No. Um with that I was just going to say the remaining articles are by petition. They're not the will of the board. We do not discuss these or speculate. Um so with the exception of SB2, all of them are advisory only. So um >> can I ask a question though? >> I I feel like we had some folks who have had questions about this on the school board. I think just some procedural

137questions. Am I correct in that statement >> that would like to discuss the other warrant articles? No, we're not discussing the other warrant articles. >> Why not? >> Because they are petition warrant articles and we don't we we don't need to discuss them. >> I think it would. So, what I was about leading into was actually amending the agenda to discuss the just a discussion for questions of the warrant articles. That's what I was leading into. >> So, you want to amend the agenda? >> I do. >> I have a question about like who's going to speak to these articles because they were petitioned. So, >> we have representatives here. >> Well, no, we're not. We're It's this is Don't forget this is a meeting of the board, right? >> It's not a meeting of

138the public >> and so respectfully, it's I know I have some questions about where people can find certain things. So, it's like this is the kind of things that I'm looking to discuss, but >> I mean, I put it out there. We have a second. Folks can vote yay or nay as they see fit. >> Okay. >> And So the motion is should we amend the agenda to um add discussion of the petitioned warrant articles? We do need to discuss um the SB2 warrant article only because that does involve us going to a number of uh meetings. But um so petitioned warrant articles uh those in favor of discussing the petitioned warrant articles say I >> I >> any opposed. >> Nay. >> I do appreciate it and I understand if folks if the answer

139is I don't know that's acceptable. Okay. So um I wanted to ask about article 10 which I Article 10 which is about the Salbury and Webster questions >> that would my question is the latest information that the school board has is the small school study that was done in year 2021 >> and that is the most recent information other than yearly class sizes >> and there's no other understanding that this is a petition warrant article so the school district was not going to be able to come up with more studies in less than 30 days. >> So that is the latest information that folks have along with state guidance on certain you know procedures around um class sizes and those kinds of things and the current student data like numbers >> and they can find

140that all under reports and studies. >> Yes. Under under the >> under school board reports and studies. Okay. And both of the um >> small school studies are listed there. >> Yes. From 2013 and 2021. I've been reading them. >> So um that's the only kind of like question I had for now. But >> if other folks had other questions, >> Laura, >> so the thing I was just wondering about though, if if this got approved by the voters, it just means that we would look at this. It doesn't it's not a mandate to say you will merge. ition war articles. They're advisory only. >> It's not even the advis they're ask >> the board would consider if they even want to do the study again. And if I >> it's not that we have

141to look at >> that we have to figure you know look at merging the board would first have to tackle do we want to move forward with what it's asking us to do >> essentially like I mean the way I would foresee this is it would be another study >> right but I mean it seems to me if the public voted yes in the majority then it would be our obligation at least to >> kind of then do a study >> that would be a decision board to I think that the board would have to >> we'd we'd have to talk about that after >> after we know what the outcome of the vote is. >> Anything else? >> David, >> just a quick question. How much did we have to spend for the last

142study? >> I don't know. I think it was like $30,000. >> It was I feel like it was 25 or >> 25 or 30. >> That was 2021, right? >> Yeah. This was a few years ago. So like >> And what happened was we had started out with a certain amount of money and it wouldn't and we couldn't get the study done for that amount of money and we had to raise an appropriate one. So other questions okay only other one is SB2. Did you want to say anything about SB2? >> Well I think we have our schedule planned out if anyone's >> Everybody knows when they're going to be attending the meetings, right? They are next Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, following Monday and Tuesday 5:30 p.m. >> And they're all at the elementary school. >>

143They're all at the elementary. Well, no. >> Henook is here. >> And um and uh that's it, right? >> The rest of them are at the other schools. Yes. >> At 5:30. all at 5:30. Any other questions? >> Can we just talk about what SP2 is and how it differs from the town meeting, traditional town? >> That's what we'll do on uh the meetings. Yes, that's our job. That's why we have to have those meetings in all the towns. >> Okay. Okay. Next, manifest and journal entries. I electronically signed it and I'm assuming Melissa electronically signed it. Um, so, uh, I need a motion to accept the manifest and journal entries, David. Second, Tom. Uh, any discussion about them? Okay. All those in favor of the manifest and journal entries that you received in email

144say I. >> I. Any opposed? Okie do. Uh, assistant super report. >> Um, sure. So, uh, kid governor, uh, Liv Serret of Bosowan Elementary School, executive council member, um, Lauren, we met her here. She's from Webster Elementary were sworn into their positions at the state house on January 27th. Uh, the governor, leaders of the House and Senate, as well as the Chief Justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court, and our school board chair were all in attendance. Um the bees choir performed and unfortunately this happened on our delayed opening after the large snowstorm. The intention had been for us to have um our her classmates attend. A number of uh families brought the students there on that day because of the delay. We weren't able to to do that. We couldn't bust them. It was

145really too bad. >> Yeah. >> They were so darn cute though. and Liv didn't throw up on the governor's shoes like the previous year. [laughter] >> Didn't know that. >> Um, uh, Liv is going to be featured in some of the upcoming Granite State Challenge episodes. Uh, she's posing civics related, uh, questions to to contestants. Um, I wanted to touch on something that I think Silus mentioned, the leaders in prevention from the middle school. sent a group to camp Cody for that training. Um recognizing that one of the board and SAU goals is transitions. Uh Andover also sent a group there as well. So um it was not only an opportunity for their leadership skills to be developed but for some transition uh say activities but transition connections to be made between the two schools.

146Um, our math specialist, Jess Jocks, is taking a team of elementary teachers to Dunarton Elementary School to present on um, our practices and curriculum uh, that we use here in this district. And Randy and I are currently wrapping up our midyear check-ins with administrators and next week the admin team is going to be presenting out on their building at our leadership meeting at their uh, on their building progress towards the the new growth goal that we've talked for my report. Yeah, it was it was pretty fantastic. >> It was pretty fantastic. Yes. So, uh the superintendent is not here today. Um we do have reason to go into non-public session under Pardon me. >> Oh, I'm telling you. Jeez Louise. So, we will go into non-public as soon as public comment's done. [laughter] >> Julster,

147just want to touch on the open enrollment. I was a little surprised I didn't actually see this on the warrant last week because this didn't just start last week with the Senate. This actually started probably about a year ago with I think it was either Epsilon Pittsfield and Prospect Mountain which then made the kind of fix their language and make it so districts understand what it actually said. So from what I understand from what I've been following for months is if we didn't put a policy in place, you know, this this year, this warrant, we were going to be holding to what the Senate is trying to do anyway. That's that's what I've been reading upon. So I'm glad to see it, but I really feel like this should have been on there already. >>

148Thank you, Julie. Anybody else for public comment? >> So, I just want to say thank you for >> uh theres based in New Hampshire and sorry that I couldn't make it to the budget meeting. I appreciate I did watch online but had to be out at work so hopefully my phone doesn't ring while I'm up here. Um, on the open enrollment, I'm I'm confused a little bit. I would think that the Department of Education, the commissioner would give some sort of guidance should this go through the state house. And to me, the state house, we elect those representatives. Those are the voice of the voters. And whatever is decisioned there, I think should be respected. Um, I do question if we're going to spend a lawsuit and sue against the opportunity for that money to

149follow the child potentially to a different district. I mean, it seems like with the learning center, we're okay with kids coming to us because we can use that money to do upgrades and facilities, but if a particular child needs to go out of district, again, there's no transportation, so I can't imagine there's going to be a huge exodus um, unless that other district truly has for that child that benefits them just like the learning center children coming our direction. So, I'm really concerned with kind of hearing um what I'm hearing tonight about the open enrollment and again it being last minute. I do like the fact that the board decided to maybe wait until next year and kind of figure out the Washington Street and really have the pulse of the people. Um the one

150thing that I didn't hear in the budget that I was a little bit wish I would have heard was we really stressed as voters that we wanted to see every you know at least the major contracts go out to open bid this past year and I91A did we have one contract one significant contract in the district go out to open bid to try and save the taxpayer money and I've got no response to that question. So I just really feel like we're still necessarily doing everything we can. And I'm here to tell you homelessness is the highest rate of increase of anywhere else in the nation. And we have families, we own busers, we have people living out of their cars who are working full-time that have kids. We have to be careful about how

151we're spending money right now. We just do. Um, and then on the special ed, I didn't know. I poor Amanda. I've been knocking on her door left and right. And so if she's asking you questions, it's probably me that you have to be upset with, not her. But my question is, why is special ed such a hardship on all these school districts? Because I've done a lot of research and diligence. And if that child is on Medicaid, which most of them probably are, that is billable. Those are services we're already paying out of our paycheck to the federal government to cover that speech and that OT and that parah and that transportation. And is it just that we're concerned that we can't ask the families what insurance they hold? I mean, I think we could

152craft a really professional letter that says, hey, you know, if your child's on Medicaid, um >> Theres, that's three minutes. Thank you. >> Thank you. Anybody else have public comment? Okay, so now we'll go in. Oh, all right. Jeez Louise. Okay, we're gonna Thank you. We are going to close open. Excuse me. We're gonna close. I don't know what the No, we're gonna close public comment right now. >> Okay. How about a five minute break? >> Julie would like to respond to something. >> Yes, I can answer the Medicaid question. Um, so we have 616 students today who are on IEPs. 321 of them receive billable services which means that uh they receive either occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech and language services or have uh paraprofessional support that is medically necessary. The remaining balance of

153those students receive instructional um services only which are not billable. So any service that's provided by a special ed teacher is not billable under Medicaid. It's only those related services that are required due to a potentially um a health related condition. So 616 students, 321 of them receive billable services. 318 of those 321 we bill for. Um when this question was asked, we discovered that there were three students that we did not have the um consent in place for. And so we figured out why we didn't and we got right on top of it. Um and so hopefully within the next week or so, we will have 100% parent consent to bill for those 321 students. And in looking back for those three students that we were not able to bill for for the last

15412 months, uh the total amount of missed reimbursement was six $116.96. >> Thank you, Julie. Okay, now we're going to take a little break to go into non-public session under RSA 91A colon 3. Uh, I I And we need a roll call to do that. >> Yes. >> Russell. >> Laura Vincent. >> David. >> Laura Carile. >> Yes. >> Amanda York.