[Applause] [Music] all the meeting order today April 8 2025 This meeting is being video and audio
recorded for future cable broadcast Please silence all cell phones for the duration of the meeting I have a motion to open this video Yes
Do a roll call Mr Mrs Yes Mr Mr Yes And we'll start with the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the stands One nation under God indivisible liberty and
justice for all So the first item will be the school choice hearing Can I have a motion to open Yes um I did send an email on this but basically I'm recommending I'm going to
be recommending against uh our school's participation for the next year in the school choice program Um I feel as though it's too late at this point and we would like to actually work with our leadership team for two years in planning something
um more thorough packet making sure that the discussion So could I have a motion to close the public hearing for the school choice
We'll do a roll call Mr Yes Yes Yes Mr Mr Next we have proposed fiscal year 25 school department budget hearing Could I have a motion to open uh the proposed
fiscal year 20 I should say fiscal year 26 school department Yes Mrs D Yes Mrs Gold Yes Mrs Fera Yes And Mr Har Yes Okay Um for the public we did review this entire presentation during this
whole committee meeting on March 19th So anybody who wants more thorough information about our budget um you can certainly tune in to the meeting on March 19th but it is required by law that we have um we need to solicit public feedback on this So we're going
to review it again this hearing And as you know these are our current mission and vision statements They both revolve around partnerships with all to promote student success and growth and aim and the aim to be a high performing school district
We are in the process right now of reviewing our strategic plan and writing a new one to begin the next school year Our strategic objectives are achieving academic excellence for all students creating thriving social and emotional
learning experiences for all students and stren strengthening partnerships with parents and the larger community So just as background we wanted to discuss in general how our operating budget is funded each year So
accordingly the key components are town appropriation state aid chapter 70 funding federal and state grants We also receive circuit break for reimbursement and revolving funds and and other sources I would say the most important
thing um to focus on is that the town appropriation is approximately 57% of the school district's operating budget and the chapter 70 funding is approximately 43% Okay the table of our chapter 7
funding over the past seven years and as you can see the average 2.28% 28% increase This year is a 1.16% increase So a little more in depth on the last seven years of funding um
chapter 70 in town Uh you can see that our chapter 70 increments have been more steady but minor Um the amount that the town is required to fund our budget has also increased you know 5%
versus the chapter 7% aid of 1% and then generally it takes more than the required contribution in chapter 7 to fund our budget that there's an additional contribution that the town needs to make um that amount for the
fiscal year 26 is about 5% more than they are required um which is still significantly lower um than the past handful of years Um all in all our total operating budget that we're looking to request is 17.1 million with which
represents a 753,29 increase A 4.5 or 4.59% increase in the town shares representative about 57% again lower in the last 3 years than it has been uh
previously So there are shortcomings in building our budget Um I will highlight a few of those The town has averaged approximately $500,000 in revenue growth annually uh based on budget to actual
projections And then over the last seven years Chapter 7 funding has averaged an increase in aid of 150 just over $150,000 or 2.28% year-over-year State and federal grants fluctuate yeartoear but generally entitlement
funds ESSA or IDA have remained relatively flat And then high school tuition costs of course uh make up approximately 2.7 million or 15.75% of our operating
[Applause] budget Okay And I know you all have seen this in the past but it's important to keep um going over this to remind you that we continue to show that our budget is mostly made up of fixed costs So we have salaries and wages We have just
over 137 fulltime equivalent staff um union and otherwise uh people under contract which that's over 60% of our overall budget or 2.65% 65% increase of overall
4.59% increase Our technology as you know we're a onetoone district Um which means that we have a device for every student in the district which allows equitable learning for all students It also permits immersive
learning better engagement etc Um but with this comes fixed costs of maintaining a strong and safe technological infrastructure that can support our devices our teachers and our student needs We have
curriculum which is the central guide for our educators as to what is essential for teaching and learning so that every student has access to a rigorous academic experience Without core curriculum teaching techniques would be disjointed and inconsistent
from one classroom to another You have special education and out of the bunch I would say this is the most volatile um unpredictable and mandated cost to a district On a per pupil basis special
education costs are at a minimum double that of a general education day student So to provide equitable services to all students the Christian public schools must have funding for fixed and mandated costs which support early
identification assessment related and social and emotional services just to name a few We also have transportation Massachusetts schools as you know are legally mandated to provide transportation to students who reside more than 2 miles from the school And
the cost of transportation in the district is approximately 1.45 million both for general and special education students and increases regularly due to contractual obligations And then we have high school
tuitions Because we don't maintain high school we are again legally mandated to pay tuition for resident students attending high school Traditionally this expense is covered in the municipal budget However in a cushion we have the added challenge of carrying the expense
in our school operating budget High school high school tuition costs make up approximately 21% of our budget And really it's also unpredictable as students move in and out of the district
We also pay tuitions for Bristol AI um Fair Haven High School and New Beth High School at this time And then operations and maintenance Maintaining and operating our facilities is costly Uh these schools were constructed over 50 years ago and much of our major
equipment is out of date and inefficient So while we work very hard to mitigate the costs that we were able to many of the costs related to those operations and maintenance are fixed and become significant budget busters In building our budget we always
approach um the budget process by filling a baseline budget or providing the same level of services we did in the previous year in the next future year that we're planning Um accordingly um our projections lie within this chart
Personnel expenses to remain fixed in uh with our staffing pattern We anticipate a $355,000 increase administrative costs According to our Jessie chart of account classifications we've been able to reduce about
37,000% at $37,000 excuse me Um instruction $65,000 People service relatively flat Um an increase in operations and maintenance again because of our aging buildings and the increase in contracted labor um from vendors Um our community
services which is our Bristol Aggie and um other out of district costs uh have remained relatively flat And then our programs with other school districts which represents our high school tuitions and our special education out of district tuitions um has increased about
$350,000 So all in all to provide a level service budget the same level of services in fiscal 25 as in fiscal 26 we're looking at a 3.78% increase or a $17 million budget
So again our budget our baseline budget is $17,13,870 So strategically we're looking to add a 1.0 full-time equivalent special education teacher and a corresponding van to transport these students that aren't otherwise able to
ride our yellow uh bus services By providing these services in house we are actually saving tens of thousands of dollars versus the cost of out of district tuition So these two asks total just over $133,000 which ultimately you take your
baseline budget of 17 million You add these adjustments of 133,000 and we land at the superintendent's recommended budget for fiscal 2026 of 17,146,872 Um another way to classify that and
highlight fixed costs um again is this small chart that will be that are visible on our website when this is posted Um personnel costs represent about 60% of our budget Um and have stayed consistently that proportionate
throughout the years um our transportation represents about 8% of our budget Our and our high school tuitions and out of district tuitions have represented about 21% of our budget So all in all we're arguing that 90% of our budget is related to fixed or
mandated costs Uh another way to view the budget breakdown is by Desi object codes And again if you look at you know object codes 0102 and 03 our salaries represent a great chunk of the budget Our contracting services have increased
about $95,000 and that's still related to fixed costs that we can't provide in district Um we've been able to cut down on our supplies and and try to decrease those if not remain flat and the supplies that we need to run our school and our district Um and we've also cut
back on other expenses Um and then a final way to view the budget is by location So when you break it down between district special education costs and where they're found as well as running the elementary school the middle school the high school um you
can see the related costs accordingly Um and a big chunk of it remains in the special education budget where costs just increase because of the rate of doing business outside of the district The next few slides is our empath data
about three years of data This is ELA and as you can see we're meeting or exceeding 12% higher than the state and I think it's important to know the fact that we do more we perform better with less money from the state Um the next
slide shows our map and again we're 12% higher than the state Science we're 4% higher than the state Um and again this shows the importance that we need to continue to fund our schools Our data has been
consistent over these years and we're again doing more performing better with less So here's some other information on demographics that make up our our enrollment in the classrooms I just want to highlight that our per pupil
expenditure is approximately $15,000 per student versus the state average of approximately $22,000 per student So that's significantly different right Although we outperform the state
right So closing remarks We um built this budget It was an all inclusive process and it took collaboration from our budget subcommittee I just would like to thank you for participating and all your time
that you donated um to working on this with our leadership as well as our staff Um in the next steps of the budget process we'll continue collaboration with this committee the public and as well as the town administration We have actually a meeting next week which is a
joint meeting with the finance committee and the board of selection to review this budget Every item in this budget is aligned to our strategic objectives as well as our district plan and the budget maintains level services and looks forward to growth opportunities and
efficiencies So we strongly recommend that people engage in the remainder of this process as considerations take place on how to address the needs of our public schools Um it's important that we hear from all stakeholders And just please keep in
mind that each percentage of our budget represents approximately 171,469 which is the equivalent of two to three teachers two school buses or chapter 78 for about 26 students All
budget decisions have consequences and behind every number is a student a teacher a program etc And just because a need goes unfunded does not mean that the need has gone
away Um again so in closing we're asking for a 4.59% increase when compared to fiscal 25 Um if we were limited to a 3% increase that would allow us $491,000 or a shortfall of
261,000 Um you can follow the chart up you know to a 0% increase we would ultimately fail level services by $753,000 Um right now the town is going through their departmental budgets Um there's been limited guidance um on what
our aotment is as far as funding is but we know there's a hardship townwide in that this is a big ask Um we're sticking to it because it's important that we provide local services Um but we will have that joint budget meeting um with the select build and the finance
committee next week to look for further guidance and you know discuss the budget and why it's important and critical that you know we maintain these services in the town of Kushner which you know the school system is one of the biggest assets if not the biggest in the town Um what will this mean for our
budget if we do need to reduce from this proposal Well ultimately reduction in staffing um changes in programming potential increase in student fees um or just the elimination of overall activities that we offer services that
we offer Um and it would just set us back because once again you know we're doing a lot with a little as it is when compared to the state Um and we want to maintain maintain I think if anybody has any further
questions just I just want to reiterate um to the public out there watching that it's really important for you to support the school budget this year Um as as we do know the town is saying that there is a big hardship but we believe our school
is important and is the big reason why people move to our town So again if anybody is available at these public meetings that occur to please attend and show your support for this and I think the other thing I know people are probably thinking like why are we even
hired site just keep in mind placement of kids is super expensive So if we can bring those programs in in house I mean we probably won't see something right away as far as a savings but over time I think we'll see a huge savings in bringing these programs back with
qualified teachers in the classroom So that's a big Yeah Thank you guys very much Would like to thank Mr Jones Mr Alcro for all their work on the subcommittee and just echo the statements of our two committee members here I think it's really important that
we have engagement um you know to get the budget further So um could I have a motion to close the proposed budget public hearing and resume the open discussion Second And we'll take a roll call Mr Yes
Mr Mrs Yes Yes And Mr Hoff Yes Okay Uh the next item is the consent agenda Everything listed in the consent agenda was distributed in advance of the meeting Does anyone have any requests for something to be removed from the consent agenda and discussed or voted on
separately Uh so may I have a motion to approve the listed in the consent agenda including the minutes for the March 19th 2025 All those in favor I say none motion passes
Dr B do we have anyone signed up for You want me to wait You guys were going to get away without hearing me Um who's the chair Um school committee members Dr Bailey I'm just here as most people know today is the last official
meeting for Mrs Banning and Mrs Gomes So as the union president on behalf of the ATA I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to you both Between the two of you you've had a combined years combined years of 17 years That's a long time Wow
Um it's easy to overlook the impact you've had on others but the truth is your influence is far reaching You've made a profound difference in the lives of those around you through your dedication to the students and the staff of the Christian um you have respected us in our jobs done what's right in
difficult times for our students and staff and never labored in your duties to what's to do what's best for families in turn doing what's best for staff The two of you have been difference makers You both you're both dedicated people who have made a big impact even with
just a small action or you have to think about positive change Thank you for your hard work on capital improvement projects negotiations and always putting forth a fair budget that supports students and teachers and for always
listening and most importantly for always hearing us Thank you for all you have done for all of us here in Kushnet You will both be greatly missed You have left us better than you found us and for that we are forever grateful So it's been a pleasure working with you I have
a little something for both of you on behalf of all the teachers actually all the staff and Oh wow Sorry Good Thank you Sorry Well thank you so much to the staff and
just everyone involved in the past 15 years It's so scary to say but yeah thank you so much again and probably more Thank you very much It's been an honor to um be a part of this committee as various
versions over the last seven or so years but um I I do truly believe that these schools are the greatest assets of this town including the teachers and the administration that drive it I'm getting Terry Um so yeah please show up for our
schools Um and again it's just been an honor Thank you very much [Applause] I think we can have further Yeah discussion on the agenda See if we can get them to
that So the next item is old business Um regarding the superintendent's contract I think at this time I'm going to adjust the order of the agenda We will address the regular agenda items first then we will move into executive session Following uh the executive
session we will reconvene to the regular meeting to discuss and potentially vote on Dr Bailey's contract So with that Dr Bailey I'll turn it over to you for Thank you So first this is the best item on the agenda tonight It's the open sed
middle school and you can see we have many students joining us tonight Um and I always enjoy when our students um have a big voice in our presentation So this is something it's a new program since last year that we've been working on We have our teachers with us tonight Um and
I miss Sylvia will come up and Miss Riveri and they'll introduce um the presentation But this is the science team at the middle school Good evening Mr Chair and members of the school
committee Um so we're very excited to present on open site at the middle school tonight As you've heard a lot about um our staff and students have been working hard on implementing this new curriculum Um and so we're just so
excited to present about it So the top uh the topics tonight that we're going to cover is um the community day that was recently please go we're trying to add to this presentation So um so the community day
in March early March we were asked if our science team would present to a group of 500 plus educators from across Massachusetts And I am thankful very appreciative And we said yes we present because we do have model educators and
students in this program Yes I was that my presentation We do I'm just emphasizing it Yes No I I I I talk about it all the time wherever I go Student industry connects was another opportunity that we had to submit student work and some of those
students out here along with the recognition that they received in front of the 500 plus science educators The students were there but Mr Solier and not team received the award for you Um we're going to have a student panel and then just review the timeline and just
look at the amount of working time that they have invested in almost two years It it's um it's quite life uh changing So our science team Mr Cody in the sixth grade Mr M is our academic coach who was
unable to be with us Nate Greenhall is our STEM teacher He takes an open science unit for seventh grade and one for eighth grade Miss Manda Greg in our seventh grade and Mr Cristia in our eighth grade They have been working extremely hard It's a lot of
work This program is not easy to come by but we had a lot of support from the top Yes staff It's [Applause] okay So on March 4th you're gone We'll switch
out So March 4th um our team was asked to present at the community day with 500 educators present And um Joe do you want to talk a little bit about what it was you presented on Yeah so we presented on how we do open sight here at at Fort
Middle School Um we talked a lot about rituals and routines Um the student engagement process Um I specifically talked about the use of artifacts and notebooks which uh as a teacher too uh what we presented on the way that we do
it here which is pretty similar to most schools but we've made some adjustments Do you want to share about what you spoke about Um right so I have a little unique situation right as um you're saying I
teach one unit instead of the full um course just because you know instead we're doing some other things and um I focused on my artifact of a digital notebook and kind of admitted that's a a working process um that I'm working on and working through with the students but also just
wanted to um highlight and talk about the ability that we have and Chris particularly because we both teach a chemistry unit that we're able to share an artifact that the students um make in his class and I it gets delivered to mine and I can keep referring back you
did this one So that was a nice point that we got to share Sorry but there's a lot of districts that are struggling with getting through the entire curriculum So this is just an innovative way that this team has come up with um sharing that workload and
making sure that all the students are getting all of the curriculum but just in a unique way and it allows the science teachers the core science teachers to really focus on the depth of the program and not just rushing through it Uh so I focus on assessments and the
assessments are very different than what we've done previously students aren't memorizing and kind of like just repeating information that they take in They have to really um figure out what's going on Like I don't just give them
answers They need to um go through things and figure it out You work as a class to make models Um you'll work as a class to do graphs and data tables And all of that information um is up on the walls So I have word walls I have models
to look at they have their notebooks or they've done work and they can use all of those things when they work on their assessment because basically they have to take the knowledge that they've learned and apply it to a new situation Um which is a very difficult thing to do
Uh and my concern was that I have students that aren't in my classroom when they take the assessment So they're it's not equal Um and so I wanted equity for that And so I started to make a slideshow that they could open on their Chromebooks so they could see all the
models that were up on the walls Um if they weren't in the classroom or if they were absent and they had to take that um assessment at a later date maybe have to go to the office to do it go to the library they would still have all those materials that everybody else had in the classroom
Hi And then I spoke about um basically organizing the walls in the classroom because there's so many things that we have to do that are studentdriven that are individual to each classroom and that as the students are coming in we're supposed to be running around the class
changing the posters from one place to another Um and last year was very difficult to do There was one day that the students walked in and they must have had 20 posters that just fell on the ground with me standing in the middle of the classroom just don't Um so
we found that or I found that magnets on the whiteboards work really well last year Um I actually got me some of those kn magnetic knife folders and so I can put posters on those um and be able to easily take them off and move them
around Um Christine and I also kind of opened up our presentation um as we introduced ourselves and one of the important things to realize about this science group is that between the four of us we have about a 100red years of
experience in the classroom Um and even with that last year was like first year teaching again So it was a completely new way of presenting the material It was a new way of teaching the kids and actually having them have a larger voice
in our classroom And so our experience helped us in that aspect But it was really first year teacher all over again And once you're a 20-year teacher you don't want to be a first year teacher But it was a it was a really I wouldn't
say fun experience but it was a really eye opening experience to kind of rejuvenate all of us all of us when we teaching Thank you Yeah Mr Sonia just hit it right on the nose and after 20 years we don't want to make a change but our team
made that change They saw this program as exciting innovative and for our students and there's nothing else you know we meet with a lot of professionals across the state across the country and um they're they are amazed that we
can pull together in a year and a half and do what other schools are not doing right now So I am very thankful for that So so it's not typical for a school district to um adopt the curriculum in its entirety in the course of one year
It's a lot of districts are doing it over the course of three So we've said this before but it was a really big ask Um and I think that they probably the teachers I'm sure would agree um that they've had a lot of support from the administration
um and the academic coach in order to make this happen So our academic coach Christine who unfortunately um is not able to be here tonight Christine Demer she did um also present with them at community day to talk about what is the role of the coach in helping with this
implementation And I believe one of the pictures on here you can see um in the bottom left corner she's kind of showing how she made those boxes with all of the um like everything kind of that the teachers would need help them kind of
laminate what needed to get laminated print what needed to get printed Um they if the teachers had a release day say the students were taking an assessment Mrs Sylvia would um release the teacher so that she would get coverage for the students to have um somebody else in the
room and the teacher would have the day to really look at the upcoming unit um some time with the coach to help plan for what's coming up Um and that was a model that worked for us It was a lot to it was a lot but it it worked and we're
getting a lot of recognition from the 18 people and the the the open-sighted community for the way that we have um implemented this program So it's exciting I'll share with you all last week I did say we should be a model school So people from Colorado and Los
Angeles should come over here to our school and see what we're doing because it is it is the same We're not here throughout the city level as other schools across the country Okay So student industry connects This was an opportunity
So want to stand up I want to say earlier this year Yeah Open up your Yeah Um I received an email from OpenSIAD and the 188 Foundation and it they were looking for student work to be submitted
um for industry connections and uh it just happened that we had finished a unit they had done their transfer task So the way that that opens assesses them is that instead of so we spend the whole time learning about McKenna and
McKenna's medical issues and we diagnose McKenna and and come up with with ways to treat her and the reasons why she's feeling the way she's feeling But the test at the end of that is about why bears put on so much weight to go into
hibernation And so that's what they call a transfer task is taking the knowledge and putting it towards something else and not just kind of regurgitating the old um the information So we got this email and we had just finished that
assessment um and that that was one of the projects that they were selecting this year to go into the uh people that work within the industry So I was able to pick 10 students to send their work in Um I would say about 2 months later 3
months later we received that feedback But before we did we had that day in March and they were the person who was speaking on the stage was um saying something like we have somebody in the audience that has an award for the the
uh industry connect and it was about the hibernation of bears I had no I really didn't think that it would have been us that that we would have had a chance at doing this and then they called my name to go up and get the award So I was very very surprised and
then when I started to see the feedback and and it's nothing that I did It's all the work that that these students did They I didn't know about this opportunity beforehand So I couldn't even coach them if I wanted to on the the assessment They wrote down what they
learned in class on that assessment Um and I picked the ones that I thought had the most interesting models and had answered the questions in the in different ways They they didn't all answer the same exact way So we sent it
out to um that we got the feedback in They were able to see their feedback a couple weeks ago Um this is a couple things that were said and the best part about it was that these are people who are currently working in the fields um that we were studying So a lot of them
were medical researchers and they mentioned several times that the work that these students did was the same work that they do every single day when they go into their jobs And so this program because of the way that it's set
up we're not only teaching them about the science and them learning about the science but we're teaching them how the industry works and how to be a good scientist And it all has to do with teamwork and communication um and and being able to let people know
what you know um in a way that they can understand it So it was a great job done by these students We have five of them here tonight U the other five couldn't make it tonight but that's okay Um with their names are on the
So so this is the banner that they sent us They sent us they gave me two certificates and another banner that was in the um that's in my classroom right now So they just keep on sending us I can't wait to see if something
shows up next month too So and I think it's a great job that these students did They really did earn this this recognition Um and I can't wait to see what they do in the future with all of this information Yes Thank you We we were with the 18 Foundation last
week and they were still actually talking about your work and how unbelievable it was Yes They said we have another surprise in May I think I I let you all know that I said "Well wait till May." She said "Well so excited to see what's happening in
May." So we wanted to um have an opportunity for the community to hear from the students um their thoughts about how science is going at middle school So um we have our student
panel here and um they're gonna I'm gonna pose a question and they'll raise their hands and Mrs Sylvia will kind of select um and we talked about earlier today that you may all have something to say about every question but there's a lot of questions so we'll select one or two and then we'll just keep moving and
everybody will have an opportunity to share Okay All right So the first question is what is one word that describes an open sight a opensighted science class Come on up You got to come on up Otherwise they won't hear you
Thank you Lucas Logan sorry Engaging Miles educational Anybody else Okay So on this is just a show of hands and hold your hands up high five because there's people sitting behind
you On a scale of zero to five zero being silence and five being chaos give us a show of hands what it feels like to you in science class So we have a little bit of everything here Um but like I said twos some threes
some fours no silence right So we're kind of like in the middle Thankfully I don't think we saw any chaos either so that's good Um so does anybody want to share why they gave the rating that they gave Go ahead uh it kind of depends on the day Like
some days we'll do a science circle where we discuss like the information that we learn in class and that can get really chaotic when people have different opinions about stuff and then some days it's really like mellow where we're just like gaining information about 39
um sometimes it's like a lot of people are talking at once but after a while it comes down and it like starts chilling and you start listening to Mr Cody more um because sometimes lots of people are
just talking over him and you can't hear him and then he brings him and then we all listen to what he's saying Thank you I think it's like Okay So now on a scale of zero to f 0 to five with your hands up high Um so a
classroom a science classroom of being like silent doing work on your own independent work or um with your desks in rows right Or a five being that you're kind of working in groups Um give us a show of hands what it feels like to you in science class
And then um if anyone wants to share why they do that please don't Uh I gave a four because um sometimes I get we do some independent work sometimes like in our notebooks but most of the time we're either talking to our
partner or Mr Cody brings us in groups So it's pretty fun that we get to actually work with other people Um I've been in all the science classrooms and there's never been a time where we're probably not working with people only for sessions and each
science room makes groups of four kids by themselves In science classes we always work together There's never a moment where we're like not allowed to share like what our ideas are with our group and we only really have to be
silent but even then we're allowed to use our notebooks allowed to look at information and a lot of the time we have ideas that we collaborate on and it's really interactive with our classmates So I'm going to phrase this question in a way So tell us about a time in science
class when things maybe didn't go quite how your teacher might have planned And we're going to keep this around the idea of like science education Okay So experiments but the learning right
Um so in our class Mr Sonora told us that where we're at right now he didn't even get to last year with the kids in 8th grade And I feel like it just makes us feel like really like we're there because like the students last year couldn't even like get to that point
We're learning with him He hasn't done this part yet because of the new like open sad program So we're kind of just like learning together During our bath bomb unit we had to do a test of the bath bombs And there was
moments in our classroom where we all got different results And we had to figure out why this was And our teachers helped us like walk through what happened why this might have been different from the other classes why we might have gotten different results and helped us understand what we were
looking at Most of the time the teacher has it under control but there's one time where the schedule changes um made it so that the experiment that we were doing didn't go to plan because it was different times when it was supposed to be 24 hours and it didn't last
for so we looked at the other team's data that was like earlier in the day so it had more time to like settle And so we had that data set Sometimes we were just kind of looking at other experiments that might work out
or experiment We had another adult and so we experiment to help with our understanding for our lesson Okay so we we touched on this a little bit but like what happened the next day So how did you move on So this is a learning experience not only for
students but for the teachers right So if you have a class in the seven last period of the day and this and then that same class meets again the first period the next day right if something needed to sit for 24 hours it didn't quite quite get the 24 hours and those are
just like little things that come up and the teachers have to just think on their feet all the time especially first year second year and then you know um but was there anything that happened the next day that helped you to move on in any of
your situations that you got stuck Anybody else want to share this Okay All right So um so a big part of open science is that they have um science circles right And they sit in circles and they're sharing
their thinking So um are there ever times when your class discussions where there's really nobody talking And and why do you think that is Yes we like in the beginning like there's usually no one really raising
their hand or trying to talk because either they don't really understand what's happening or they're just like very shy and don't want to like share their opinion But after people start like asking questions and then another person answers it and then they start
going like more into topics that they do understand then and people start engaging into the um group discussion and so after what Aia said uh I agree
with her because like there's definitely some people that are scared to be wrong And I think that's okay if you're wrong because that's a great way to learn past that So personally I think that people should like get comfortable with sharing
Like maybe like like bigger groups sometimes can help with that by like maybe Facebook class like three So like we can have mini groups so that can help with like you know getting over that fear You're hired
Yes because um some people are scared of being wrong So when one kid like stands up and answers the question they all feel confident in what they answer and then it starts to pick up before it before
everyone Can you tell us about the norms a little bit too We have a list of classroom norms Uh there's respectful and I can't remember off the top of my head what the other ones were but it goes into explanation on how we should be respectful towards
other students during classroom um discussions and how we should listen with respect Um we have classroom doors that help us like really stay on topic with what we're talking about So like one of them
is moving our science thinking forward and it's really to help us like guide us to not get off topic and start talking about something completely different but the classroom uh to be
and just be nice to our fellow classmates but they share their ideas only criticize the ideas not people who And I feel like that helps our conversations and helps people be able to speak freely in the classroom without
being worried that they're going to respond or not be received well Another one is being committed to the community Basically just means not one person is sharing answers and everybody
should be able to share absolutely about what they're talking about and it just shows that like everyone's paying attention and they care about what we're learning about Um so this question was about building trust and teamwork in the classroom and
I think we just addressed that Are we good with that Okay Um so what is one thing that you would like all of the adults in the room to know about how students learn science um using open sed we're told to like
question about everything we're doing and those questions then help us learn and by the end of the topic we're able to answer all the questions in the class after yeah and then Montana and so whenever we walk into the classroom
is always like there's always a question on the board for us to answer and we're never just like walking in and like putting our stuff down and waiting for the teacher to start We always start engaging like with our um group members about a question on the board and then
we start to answer it um right after with each other at the start of the class and then get into the topic In our classroom we're almost always doing like doing an experiment looking at field research never just looking at
statistics and foreign information We're actually seeing how things work in real time and answering our own questions with our observations And even if the teacher has to lightly guide us we're pretty much a studentled class
It takes like a lot for kids to say what they doing but it's a very like hand talking about the lesson You know when kids get off track they're really like together and the teachers know what
the lesson is but they let the students like um like teach the class like what's going on Uh so I know some people uh uh are different in learning about different
things So um sometimes science is difficult to learn when someone's just saying itish Sometimes you need models to understand what like like some people are physical learners like they need to like see it and then they understand it Some people are different They're like very easy learners like they can just
hear someone say it and then they'll understand it So I just think the adults in the room should know that different like people have different understandings of different topics So he's definitely going into teaching So I thank all of you I do from the
bottom of my heart The teachers the students I thank you all for going through this process and we will continue We still have more PD This timeline it goes on and on and on Yes Um the font is very tiny Um it shows the timeline from the beginning of when we
applied for the grant when we got the grant when we went to the grant convenient PD after PD community day and community day We have PD this summer Um we are continuing we are continuing with the open sedan project and actually any
you know curriculum the 181 we will dig into it Yes Questions Yes How did you get this program into our town How did it come to fruition Right How did it um we applied for the grant
The grant came across our desk cuz applied for this We had to get the buy in from the teachers first Um and we were struggling with what we were using before It was not user friendly at all in the co years Um so we all knew we needed to change and then this change
brought with us the professionals in the community with the PD mean 3 days 5 days P or meals morning noon and dinner accommodations overnight They pay for our teachers So there's no driving back and forth Um so we applied for it and we
received it So we got this with no expense to the budget There's no local money in our budget for this This is free open-source curriculum high quality and I have to say that our administrators our academic coach they've been involved from step one
right alongside the teachers with this Um as you know I meet onetoone with all of the staff here in preparation for listening um for input and feedback and insight for our new strategic plan next year And I will say I've met with all of
the science teachers um everyone actually and I hear the joy and the passion from every single one of them And I know Mr Sonia mentioned he felt like a first year teacher and I say this super respectfully his his excitement and
passion today when I met with you it comes right through and the kids feel it and when I listen to the students speak about science they're talking about it they're way more excited than they were when I first walked in this district Um it's just a phenomenal program and I I
appreciate every single person who's had their hands on this including our students And students stop by my office tomorrow I have something for you because I am so so proud of each and every one of you So stop by for a little
trinket from me Any other questions Just Just one more For your eighth graders they did not have this program in fifth and sixth grade Is that correct Okay I'd love to hear from at least one student What are your thoughts versus November fifth and sixth grade to now Is it better Is it worse Um now it's
definitely better cuz I was never really a science person I was more of like a math But this year especially I've been like leaning more towards science because it's more fun and engaging rather than in six you're just on computers the whole time not really like
talking with one another But it's definitely better Thank you No it's just a comment I mean I'm a teacher 20 years and have had curriculum going on my desk so many times right without any of that So the PD is so important I think you have the buy in from your teachers from your support and
from all of that PD makes it so important Um so thank you for having their back Yes No you're welcome I'm always gathering up little trinkets and little notes And one thing the four of them did was they trusted the process Yeah that's hard to do but they didn't I
know And they had a trust It's not easy teaching being a seasoned teacher and being you know so open about trying something new right But they had an open mind about it and they came together and they worked together with the administrators with the coach and each
other to figure this out And I will tell you there's many districts right now upset that they cannot get into the foundation the way we have Um I'm hearing from other superintendent how do you get in uh people want in and they're
not able to get in and the 18 Foundation has been highly complimentary to uh our district and it's because of the people in this room all of them um who really has made this happen This is why we're here That's why I told you this is the most important thing on our our agenda
tonight This is why we do what we do each and every day This is the important things right So thank you very very much [Applause] Yeah next Yeah that's great Next we have
um school choice That being said I have a motion to follow the superintendent against the participation in school choice program I would like to comment Jerry back to the podium Uh we want to give you a
little progress update on opportunity at progress report So come on back up to the podium So um the Student Opportunity Act if you recall last year school committee voted on um this our plan for the Student
Opportunity Act which is a three-year plan FY25 to FY27 Um and so this is the time of year every year where we'll need to be providing a progress report to the stage about how
we're uh making gains hopefully on our goals that we have set Um and the student opportunity act is basically um an increase that hap an increase in chapter 78 that happened in 2019 Um and
the idea is that we're closing opport uh opportunity gaps and so that we're setting targets um and hoping to um have you know achievement for all students So we based our plan off of the
2023 and pass um for the student percent of students who were meeting or exceeding expectations Um and what we found was that the group that had the greatest disparity compared to all students as far as um growth and achievement were students with
disabilities and also um all students were kind of like coming in there second So we wanted to mainly focus on um news groups and so we decided to take a close
look at our approach to early literacy And we our focus areas are implementing um um a comprehensive early literacy plan using highquality curriculum materials um that really have a strong focus on foundational skills using
reliable literacy screeners so that we can identify students and give them researchbased interventions and then um the the academic interventions Um so we've funded through this uh the
purchase of our Lexia core 5 and on the side there that's a a three-year investment the cost for 3 years um our Renaissance star early literacy and star reading so uh we look at dibbles a lot but we also look at the star reading
assessments and then we are also funding three interventionists and a reading specialist through SOA And um what we've been working on since we wrote these since we wrote this plan last year um we do have a dyslexia
protocol established It's a work in progress but we've done a large amount of that work We had a dyslexia team that worked on quite a bit actually last summer Um we're developing intervention resource libraries We've had ongoing
professional development for the academic coach and interventionists We are utilizing the Lexia core 5 Um we have reading interventionists and reading specialists in place and we're screening with Dibbles We're screening with the STAR
reading We're continuing to use highquality materials for instruction And there's weekly meetings at the elementary school where they look at different things like data review and planning and professional development Um and so this is the data
that we use The state will of course be looking at our MCAST data We don't have that available quite yet So what we're looking at here is our dibbles reading assessment Um and we're looking at the group and we're kind of also looking at
the students with disabilities So BOI is the beginning of the year So this is the number of students who were um at or above benchmark coming into the school year and then the MOI means middle of the year Um
so we've had growth Um we're showing growth Um and we have we've we've made some gains with the students with disabilities at varying levels throughout the grade levels Um but this information is important for us because as we get that middle of the year data
we can start looking at where are we putting our resources Um who are we focusing on Where do we need to make some adjustments And so all of those things are happening and this ties to the district strategic objective I won't read all of
that but these are our um indicators for achieving academic excellence for all students questions Thank you So next up our budget transfers As you reportedly we have to present to the school committee any budget transfers We
do not have any Um so there's no votes needed tonight Declaration of surplus Um as you can see from the attachment our cafeteria um we've been involved in purchasing new equipment So
we do want to declare that list in front of you as surplus which we have to do according to our policies So that's what you see in front of you Um and we need to vote for that to accept that as surplus
Any questions Can I have a motion to to declare the listed items as surplus and allow the business manager to determine what's at the agent's method of disposal for school committee So move Second All those in favor
I see none Motion passes Thank you Uh before I close my report tonight um just going to have uh Bonnie if you could get the little tips for our guest our honor guest tonight So I want to just take a moment to
express my sincere gratitude to Jennifer Downing and Sarah Gomes on the committee for their dedicated service to our schools as well as our community Your commitment to our students our families and our staff has made a
lasting impact Through every challenge and every triumph you've led with integrity compassion and a deep belief in the power of public education It's been an absolute honor to work alongside you and I I sincerely
appreciate your support all all the years that I've been here So on behalf of our district thank you both for your leadership your time and your unwavering support We wish you all the best in what comes next and you will always always be
a part of our school community Just want few comments from um one of the most noble endeavors of people is to serve their community and you need to have served
this community well And you have briefly such rewards The presentation we had recently you know was part of your creation This is where you spent all the
time coming to meetings serving on committees deliberating making has led led to made it work you saw the fruits of your labor working and that and that and take that
with you Take that moment that we all shared with you forever really You know I've worked on from on my lifetime I've worked on all three levels of government federal
state and local And I find that working for local local is far more demanded and taking a great deal more expertise than as you go up so to speak
up up the ladder where it's more segmented in your discipline Your disciplines have been buried has been you have you had to be know everything from collective bargaining issues through all those issues that we
deal with So I I just want to commit to I I know I I probably uh tested your patience sometimes No you're the reason why I'm here
But uh you know I I it's how much uh me I appreciate appreciate all your your time I I hope no I hope not going away Mrs Bones a few uh the beginning of the
meeting threatened me by saying that she's not going away that she's going to be active and I really I really approve earlier I said welcome that and I and I think we all do So and I same with you
Mrs Downing don't go away the community needs you more than ever That's all I wanted to say No just um thank you guys because moving here seven years ago I think I wanted to be like that PCO and like here I am So
thank you for taking Yeah I would echo that I thank you to both of you come by So I don't know if people realize there's a monthly meeting but in between those monthly meetings the amount of time and effort that goes into all of the subcommittee meetings all of
the outreach to the various stakeholders and town takes a lot of dedication So you guys and I've learned a lot again I'm just very honored to have served and um I've learned so much doing
this Um service Thank you And again I'm I'm with that Um I would just um let anybody know that's that's watching this that if you feel like you can make a difference in your community
then do it join get involved make noise and just uh stay true to what you believe in and you can make a change because I think I'm like one of the only ones besides John that's really seen what we've done in the past It's been 15
years since I've been involved in the school district and with the school committee and um it's leaps and bounds Changed a lot Yeah it it has changed a lot in in a good way and I hope the trajectory just stays even though Jen and I are no longer involved here in the
school committee and we hope the future people in here you know see um how wonderful this district is and how special it is um and just move it into the you know the next coming years to a better school right Keep your standards high That's all I have to say Well we're
better Our district is better for because of the two of you as well as the entire committee But I do um echo what Mr Hood said It's not just the monthly meetings None of you get a paycheck for this It's all of the meetings in between And I know like this week we're get
three late nights many of you right So I appreciate that We all have families that you're giving up time and sacrificing but you've been a great support to uh the administration the district our teachers and our students and we are better because of you So thank you Thank you for your support
That's all I have for tonight So we're going to follow that lovely presentation up in an update from the two patrons So go ahead No pressure No pressure Good evening Mr Chair school committee members It's MCAST time I know you've
heard that a lot from me and everybody else Uh I'm proud to announce it's been the second day of our full MCAST and we've done a fantastic job Our students our staff the principles they've done pre-esting testing you name it and it's gone swimmingly Um and that is with the new platform that has had so many
challenges So I I my hat is off Kudos to the entire team Fantastic job Uh we had a security update um a few months ago and I didn't get to speak about this but we've been rolling out so or single sign on to uh increase our security in the district and make it easier for our staff and students We're going to
continue that moving forward with any application that we can You would think most platforms would offer that service frequently but some platforms charge you for that just to make their platform more secure So of course those things will have to be pushed to the back until we find the capital for it but for the
ones that we can do we're moving ahead of those Uh for and you've seen that your document what we have moving forward Um behind the scenes we're still doing this with everything but we're trying to automate and make more efficient make things more efficient Um for instance I give you one right now
I'm working with and thank you to my folks We're working on an email that goes out to our new employees automatically with everything that they need to start working here Um and kind of have a good foot forward working for a cushion Um and those are things that we're doing in the tech department You guys have any questions for
me All right Thank you sir chair chairperson of the old school committee Um business managers report as normal Uh starting with the fiscal 25 budget Um ironically enough we have a quarter of the school
uh year left and there's 25% of our budget remaining Um it's not coincidence It's just fiscal management um that doesn't start with me but with the leadership team as a whole Everybody manages their departmental budget Um they stay on track with that budget as
planned as much as possible Um and it does also speak to a little bit of the fact that our budget is mainly fixed cost So there isn't a lot of variabilities and wiggle room unless we have moveins moves move outs new services and we you know pivot accordingly But um really with one
quarter left and 25% of the budget left it's a testament of just our our management of of the district Um the fourth quarter is the hardest Uh you know expenses flow in for the remainder of the year If there are changes there's not as much funding to move around to
again pivot on Um and then we try to analyze our savings to see you know what can we afford um at the end of the year what we're going to return back to the town what we're going to fund stabilization funds with or pay prepaid tuitions for Um so we're kind of in the
home stretch of closing out the year but it's also the hardest part as we balance all these other initiatives Um and again those sentiments allude to why there's no budget transfers Again as we talked about earlier it's just we're on we're on budget we're on pace we're on track
Um and we do a good job with that and building our budget and our budget process and following the budget Um facilities Uh let's see here Um just an update on the new facilities director You haven't been fortunate enough to
meet him yet but um he's been here He's been working hard Um just I want to highlight the fact that that the facilities and custodial team it has had a new approach to tackle things in house and fix things themselves and gather the tools to fixing them themselves rather
than push everything out to a contract of expense or to a vendor Um so with this method there's a lot that we're trying to do on our own and do it the right way but we're also soliciting a lot of quotes um for things that we know we can't do for bigger projects that are on the horizon And we're trying to put
those things together to sort of build a capital plan that's long overdue um just for the school buildings that started with the investment grade audit but now we're sort of extending it um to anything we can get our hands on and get vendors in and out to get quotes on Uh which is very important um because then
that allows us to say hey is this easier for us to pay for more equitable to pay for or can we do this ourselves with the right tools And then what can't we do operationally inhouse or external that we need to plan for a capital ask Um so that's important to have that vision Um
and it we've we've been off on the right step within the facilities director um and taking that approach and uh I I look forward to the bright future that's ahead of him um and our facilities because of him and the team Um food service So we talked about surplusing
some items earlier Um this is again in plan with replacing some of the obsolete equipment The items that were being surplused are 23 plus years old and pretty much they're worth salvage value at this point Um so the four items that were on the top of the list are being
replaced by two commi ovens Um so you know we're going to consolidate the equipment It's going to be more efficient and we're going to have more opportunity to uh change the processes within the kitchen whether that means prep or reheat or um new menu items It
just allows us to be more creative and slowly build out that process So I know the team's excited about that Those items are going to be installed over April vacation our team will be trained on those items Um and again it's a step in the right direction to kind of offer change through the kitchen Um which I
know they're looking forward to And then some of the other items have just been kind of taking up space collecting dust Um they haven't been working in quite some time and it's just time to dispose them and start cleaning out our kitchen So um those are being surplus now
They'll be posted for 10 days um available to anybody that wants them And then after that we'll dispose of them um properly Uh usually when the vendor replaces your equipment they'll take it off your hands for free Um and then we don't have to worry about costs for
getting that out of the district Um in addition we still remain a community elig eligibility provision district which means free lunch and breakfast throughout uh both kitchens both schools Um and that's due to our low income percentage We have to report
on that every year So we've been working on those April reports as they call them um and are ready to submit And we look forward to um as far as we know uh providing free lunch and breakfast for uh the foreseeable future unless something on the federal or state level
changes but so far nothing on that matter yet Transportation registration And so our favorite topic in the world and we look forward to it most is open registration and hoping that everyone registers on time so that we can plan our buses our routes our stops
accordingly for the next fiscal year Um it feels early but ultimately there's a lot of data that comes in on this with address changes stop changes new riders you know people that want private transportation So it's critical that when we do release the registration that
people register timely and accurately so we can plan accordingly Um as we've alluded to over the past meetings and budget presentations there's a big cost associated with transportation So it's important again that we're saving seats for those that need it and not
placeholding otherwise Um because ultimately if we have accurate data and can cut down on a bus or need to add a bus we need to be able to plan for that So we need to have that information now so that over the summer we can plan those routes plan those expenses see what needs to change Um so be on the
lookout for that We'll be sending out mailins uh with your students coming home We'll post it on our website on social media and we just ask for timely cooperation with that Um and then other matters Our sec second public hearing um regarding the ABS
project environmental project um and potential debt exclusion is going to be hosted April 16th at 6 p.m in the Albert Ford Middle School cafeteria Um this is a joint public hearing with the select board Um you may have seen our presentation previously will we will
recycle that presentation um so that we can inform the public on the project um and the impact that it may have on the taxpayers And then in addition to that we are working to put out a fact sheet with the town clerk um to send out prior to the ballot vote Um so that's important again to just make sure you
know we we realize that not everyone tunes in watches every meeting reads every newsletter The information has been there Um but these are opportunities for us to just isolate them and focus strictly on the project and the debt exclusion um and the facts surrounding them So these are critical meetings for us as we move forward to a
ballot question and a uh town vote Um and then you know I don't have any words prepared for our two school committee members that are departing but um it's been a pleasure It feels like it's been more than 2 and 1/2 years with you guys Um I've learned a lot from you I
appreciate your patience with me I hope I've been able to teach you some things as well Um but you know you think of these meetings and I I kind of laughed with Superintendent Bailey about all the committees and this and that and that I get dragged into but it only feel like a chore because you know all of the
meetings are of substance and you guys bring great perspectives and opinions and and conversation to all of those meetings that it's not like oh no another subcommittee meeting oh no another school committee They're enjoyable to come to Um I've watched a lot of meetings in other school districts and the engagement in school
committees vary Um and honestly it's been a it's been a pleasure and you know it's it's made it enjoyable working with the two of you and you know the expertise and information that you've been able to share Um and the patience and trust you've put in myself and the rest of the district So thank you Um you
will be missed That's all I have Any questions Thank you Are there any school committee member reports No more PTO reports take over We also any comments or questions on any
of the communication materials from district newsletter personnel report Okay So we're going to uh move to exec session Can I have a a motion to adjourn to the executive session to suit the Massachusetts general law chapter 38
section 2182 and 3 Then meet in sessions to conduct strategy sessions and preparations and negotiations with personnel or to conduct contract negotiations with nonel to reconvene an open session for
the purpose of voting contract and to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining or litigation with an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the bargaining or position of the public body from the shared Say that fast
Mr Yes Downey Yes Yes M Yes Turning from uh executive session As we mentioned uh during the meeting we would um go to executive session with a possibility on voting on the superintendent's contract So could I
have a motion um and I uh to to approve a new six-year contract for Dr Bailey effective July 1st 2026 and it runs through June 30th 2032 So move Yes Mrs Yes Mrs Gold Yes And Mrs
Yes Thank you Okay Motion uh passes and uh could I have a motion to close tonight's uh meeting So move Second Roll call Mr Hood Yes Mrs Gold Yes Mrs Downey Yes Mr Yes Thank you
Thank you Thank you [Music] Heat Heat