Welcome to the Monday, March 23rd, 2026 meeting of the Dennis Yarmouth Regional School Committee. The Dennis Yarmouth Regional School Committee will enter into executive session to return to public session to discuss strategy with respect to to litigation. Executive session is necessary to protect a litigation position of the body. May I
please have a motion to enter an executive session? >> I move to go into executive session to discuss strategy with respect to litigation and to reconvene in open session. Ex. >> We have a motion in a second. We have any discussion. Seeing none, we'll do a
roll call vote. Mr. New? >> Yes. >> Mr. Martin? >> Yes. >> Miss Landers. Miss Bemis. >> And I vote yes. We will return shortly. Thank you. Welcome back. Uh, please stand and join
me in the Pledge of Allegiance. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
I'd like to welcome Miss Kylie Martin and have her do our student representative report today. Miss Martin. >> Thank you. Okay. Things have been going well at DY as a student. It's been calm because of all the tests near the third quarter ending. Last week, we had a
wonderful guest speaker come to our school, Emma, and I hope I don't butcher this, Benoy, who was a teen suicide survivor who survived her attempt, leaving her paralyzed. She came to share her experience and her passion about the teen suicide epidemic in order to help
others. More recently, the eighth and 11th graders had recently had their civics action projects, also known as CAP day projects, showcased in the gym. For those who don't know what CAT projects are, it was a couple monthlong class project where you and your peers
collaborated to create a poster and research about an issue you would like to resolve. It was a very fun experience and very enriching to see everyone else's different projects. That's all. >> Thank you so much, Miss Martin.
Uh next we will have a discussion regarding a letter from the Yarmouth select board um in regards to the regional agreement. Uh we received a letter from uh the Yarmouth Select Board uh dated February 24th uh asking our
assistance in implementing provisions of the regional agreement uh also known as amendments for purpose of a regional working group to review. We also have a memo from Dr. Smith in regards to that um stating that the agreement may be
amended from time to time and manner here and after provided but no amendment shall be made that shall substantially impair the rights of the holders of any bonds or notes of the evidence in debtness of the district then outstanding or the rights of the district admission to a town or town to the district and reortion a corner of
capital costs of district uh represented by bonds and notes. Um, in order for the regional agreement to be opened, the only one who can open the regional agreement is the school committee. Um, so we've had a request from the town of Yarmouth and we wanted to open
discussion. Dr. Smith, anything that you want to lead that I missed or >> um, no, just to reiterate uh, what the through the chair that the you know there's only two mechanisms to which the regional agreement can be opened. One is by a signed petition by 10% or more of
the voters and the second is by majority vote of the committee. So the select board in the way they constructed their letter was looking for your assistance um because it is your authority to open the regional agreement. Um and what they proposed was a working group uh put together a working group made up they
didn't they didn't propose the structure but just sort of a general loose idea that it would be made up of some representation from Dennis, some representation from Yarmouth, some representation from the school district to go through um the school uh the regional agreement and have conversation about any amendments that might need to
be made. Um so if the committee decides that this is something that they do want to vote on um whether it's tonight or in a future meeting that they do want to um bring this group together, exercise
their authority to um look and review the regional agreement. uh I propose I gave you some things that you could potentially direct um some items that you could direct um the office of the superintendent to do to help you uh through this process. Right? So just
sort of understanding it's your authority to open it and then as superintendent I can support the committee um in uh establishing a structure um for you all to and recommend one um that you all would then uh you know approve is this is going to
be the working group uh then I can work with both our legal council and the department of ed to fully understand and report back to you what the process is for uh amending a regional agreement. Uh there are steps um that we would have to go through if it was to get all the way
through. Um then use that to establish uh a timeline in order to if there were going to be changes to be made in time for town meeting of next year because I know enough to know there's not enough runway to get it done between now and the upcoming town meetings. So you're talking about a a year plus away at this
point. Um and then establish some type of communication mechanism to um to to invite participants as well as set up some type of regular way for the public to stay informed in this process and any other ideas or directives that come from
the committee. Okay. So any questions or discussion from the what was the last date that the agreement was last done? >> 2019 was the last year. Um I don't have the exact um month in which it was accepted but it would have been a town
meetings of that year in 2018. over six years ago. Okay. Six, seven years ago. Miss Beas, >> I guess at at this point I'm seeking uh a better understanding um instead of looking at all of it. Uh
because I went back and sort of did a cursory look at the different times. I think if I'm right that this agreement has been in place since the early 70s and then I looked at when it had updated changes and it always seemed that there
was one section at a time in the late 70s it was changing the composition of the committee. Uh and then the 80s was the proportion representation. Um and then you know and and 2019
um which ultimately went to town meeting. It's my understanding and there's a lot of information in the public record that there was a we sort of approached it. Let's look at a lot of things. let's update the language, you
know, so it reflects current practices, uh, pre kindergarten versus kindergarten and, you know, let's do an editing or revision as well as looking at a section. And it was ultimately decided and voted on in both town meetings that they only wanted to look at one specific
part, which had to do with appropriations uh, and and changing that percentage. So, it seems to me that either the the town people from both Dennis and Yarmouth has spoken, let's look at parts, not a 50-year docu 50-year-old
document. So, I I guess I'm curious to know more or understand more what are the areas of discussion before I even think about it. I I'd like to have more specifics perhaps or way to garner some more information than just this
invitation to begin. It was it was a complicated time in 2019 when we embarked on this >> um amendment uh to the regional agreement. Um it was
there was pressure from the towns to make changes um as we were entering the budget approval process and also looking at um
you know upcoming projects. And so um the committee was formed mostly with the intent of looking at the cost sharing. Um, at the same time,
I would I could go back and look at all my notes on my somewhere, but we ended up doing like a full look at the agreement and like we had planned to delete like language that was now moot
about like things that happened in the 70s and take out typos and update language to make it gender like we had. And then things got really tense and time got really short and we
had to let go of a lot of that and just I mean it came down to like we were like sitting in a room at Wixon getting ready to walk into town meeting and like hammered out an agreement that
it was it was it was not a clean process. process as you're describing. Um so I mean no matter what you do when if you for if we form a committee and start
looking at this it's I mean I don't want to put too a negative a spin on this but it is opening a can of worms right the minute we say we are going to make amendments
everybody is going to want right from both towns a lot of changes and I don't know that we need to fix something that's not broken right now. I mean, we have a lot of other things on
our plate right now with negotiations with unions and litigation and a building project and, you know, there's only so many of us and so much
time our administration has to dedicate to these things. So, um, you know, if if there were if there were one or two specific items that needed to be updated because they were impeding our progress or really causing
problems, I think that would be one thing. But, you know, there's outdated language in there. It's not hurting anybody. There's, you know, m, you know, things in there. It's not hurting anybody. I'm not um Yeah.
I'll just move down the the line so everyone has opportunity. If you have nothing, you can say nothing. Mr. Martin, how often does this come up as far as, you know, from one town or the other, requests for reopening?
>> There has there has since my time on, so five years, there's always been comments about the agreement in passing. Mhm. >> Um, and I've said in >> I' I've I've said to them over the last two years to have something in writing and they have done that. >> So, but they they have requested it
numerous times over the since 2019. >> And what's I mean, what's the motivation behind it? Why is there why is there such an urgent need to reopen the agreement on their part? >> Uh, there's you know, one of the things is the discussion about this this building. This building is not mentioned
in the agreement. Um there's older old schools that are not there that no no longer exists. Um you know there's concern about the the split. Um there's concern about how capital is used. These are the major things that have been brought up specifically about it. Um
people have asked about the makeup of this board. There's been discussion that there should since there's a seven 7030 split that there should be seven Yarmouth and three Dennis. And again, these are just people's opinions >> um and things that have been said. So there those are from my from my
knowledge and from the letter those are the things that have been brought up the most. >> Okay, Miss Beimis. >> So point of clarification, the they is it one town or is it both towns that expressed an interest and reopening this?
>> Um the town of Dennis has verbally expressed interest. I we have not received any letters but in in meetings and in our tribe board they again they have showed great interest in it but to this date we have not had uh you know any letters from them or statements at
any of their meetings. Mr. Again, I as the others have stated, I concerned about the motivation behind this letter and before I would recommend opening this back up, I would would want
more specificity on the part of both towns if they want to reopen it. Why do you want to reopen it? uh that's what I'd be looking for that you know reading the letter it's a very general accounting as to why we want to we'll cover every base and uh let's just
open it up but I get the feeling there are specific items that are on their minds that they want to address and I don't know whether the two towns will agree on those specific items being wanted to open up and if two towns want
to open up the same item Fine. If one does and was does one doesn't I don't I don't see a need then. >> M Marshall. >> Yeah. I I would just echo Miss Lander's concerns that
there seems to be a lot going on and now may not be the appropriate time to open the scan of worms. The only other suggestion I have would be to invite uh representative from each of their two towns to speak to us in a
future meeting and you know maybe voice their concerns publicly about what they want to see about it and then take that feedback and schedule another future meeting for us to discuss it further. I I think that will give them the opportunity uh that will give us some clarification
and then you know at a future meeting we can make a decision. Miss Landers, >> I I'm not saying I'm opposed to that, but I also think that we have to be mindful that, you know, someone could
ask us to open this agreement based on the fact that they want to add the name of a school in, which seems like a very easy sort of generic, you know, simple fix, but it could turn into a lot more than that very quickly, no matter matter what
the you know the the sort of the entry point is. Doug Smith, >> would it be helpful for me to prior to maybe any next steps to to get some of the I do know like they they have to go
through the department of ed for approval and just even just to be able to come back to the committee either by the next meeting or the meeting after that and we have another big thing to present at the next meeting which I'll talk about during the superintendent report but so in one of your two meetings in April to be able to come back and say here if the committee was
decide to do this. This is sort of what the process as far as who would need to approve what um if amendments were even to get because there's one thing to put a group together. There's another thing to get a an amended regional agreement all the way over the finish line um
about who can approve what when and everything that has to happen in order for to get all the way through to the end line. So I could bring that to help just inform the decision- making as well because there are certain things that are and aren't allowed and certain approvals that we need. You know, you
can a town can draft something or a set of town, you know, group, a partnership of towns can draft something and they can set up the department of ed and they can say no, you can't do that or this or whatever it is you're trying to do. Spis, did you have something? Morning.
>> Um, can we if it comes down to it and we and they express what it is that they'd like to talk about or address, then can we open it provisionally and address those things and not open the the whole or is it all or nothing?
>> We can do, >> Miss L. It's our agreement. >> We can amend whatever provisions we want or don't want. So, okay, we this committee could look at one particular portion or the whole thing or certain
portions. It's that's why they're asking us to open it. It's it's our agreement. It's up to us to amend it. So, we could amend it any way that we all agree to. >> So, okay. So, all right. So, >> it's just a matter of how much time and
energy goes into Right. Okay, >> Dr. Smith. >> Oh, >> I just would like is there general consensus that you all want me to bring you back some additional information? I just wanted to get a sense at least for my responsibilities what my next steps
are or am I contacting the towns trying to set up a time to have them bring a representative? Both. I just just trying to get a little before the discussion ends just a little clarity on >> I think I would like to hear from both towns um to see their concerns publicly
and then um whether you want to give us that information at a meeting follow on that or at the same time I'll leave that up to up to you but I I feel again constant questions so let's let's get them in front let them discuss it and
then we can look at it from there Mr. I agree. I would like to more specificity. I'd like to know why they want to open it specifically and then I would like to know what the process is from the state standpoint and then make a decision whether I would
like to go forward and open up specific areas. I don't want to open up the whole package. >> Miss Landers, >> could we hold this for like a summer workshop meeting? I'm just thinking there's a lot on the upcoming agendas. We've got superintendent evaluation
coming up. You know, we've there's I know that your agenda is already pretty much set through the end of the year and there's a lot happening. Um so just a thought that you know those meetings we don't often you know those
aren't those are times for you know maybe some discussions like that. But um just a thought, >> I'll take a review of the upcoming um committee meeting topics and then review it with Sarah and Dr. Smith and
and take a look at that. But I feel like as long as within hopefully by our next meeting, we can just give them an idea of when we'd like to meet and have a discussion. So we'll hold for now. Um we'll but our expectation is that we will try to find a date to have them representative from
each town um have a discussion but again we want to give them time too. So we'll have to look at that. So thank you. So next is uh subcommittee representatives leazison report. Anything from school committee leaison from town of Dennis
>> at uh tomorrow night's uh Dennis select board meeting. It's the beginning process of looking at the warrant for the upcoming town meeting and there will be looking at all of the articles. Um, and within that, of course, there will
be a discussion uh about the two schools, our school system and the Cape Cod Tech School. So, a fairly long agenda. Um, if you're listening from home, the meeting starts at 4. There's other things on the agenda. So, I'm
assuming this would probably start around 5 5:30ish. >> Perfect. And then I know Dr. Smith will talk about the town of Yarmouth and his superintendent report. Uh so we'll move to superintendent report recognition of donations and acknowledgements. >> Thank you. Um so yes, so we want to
start with donations. So, uh, in the packet, the committee has a, uh, a memo to accept donation of a series of board games that were, uh, and other toys that were donated by, uh, Miss Mary Craig to
the, uh, Ezra Baker School. And these will support, uh, and grow uh, excuse me, uh, indoor recess, other enrichment activities that'll be distributed throughout the building. So, I want to thank uh Miss Craig for her donation to
the school and helping again provide um in the way that our community just continues to do a wide variety of um materials to help support enrichment for our students in this particular case at the Ezra Baker School. And then I also just want to just acknowledge uh each of
the K3 schools either have had or are about to have um community uh reader events at their schools. Uh so there's read across America is ongoing and so each school has been doing a wide variety of events circle centered around
uh read across America including community readers having community readers come in. And I just really just want to acknowledge not only uh our community participants who come in um to read um to the students that make this happen, you know, uh a wide variety of
people and a wide variety of roles all across our school community that come in to support the students in this way. Um and then to the in order to get all those volunteers into the building, right, and to get the word out and to get a schedule organized, it takes staff doing some stuff that's above and beyond
their normal day. Um, so each building has a point person um or a couple point people that have taken the lead. So just just want to acknowledge those people and the time that everybody's putting in to support our students and support a a joy and a love of reading in our community.
Um moving on. So, uh, as, uh, the chair mentioned, uh, I, over the last couple of weeks, I've been in front of the select board in Yarmouth, the finance committee in Yarmouth a couple times, or myself and Dr. Gillson have been. I
haven't been there by myself. And then, uh, we had a joint meeting with the Dennis uh, school, excuse me, select board and finance committee. the first the second meeting with the finance committee and then all the
select board meetings and the joint meeting with the finance committee and Dennis all occurred uh either immediately after or within the week plus after the committee voted their final budget. So, that was helpful in that we were able to present uh the
final information on where it sat uh and present um you know our our 4.223% budget increase and we got some great questions from all the groups. You know, I I will I made a did make a comment at the Fi Yarmouth finance committee
meeting. You know, we've worked uh really hard about from from the time I started here wanted to have as much transparency as possible in our budgeting process, but we I think again a lot of this credit goes to Dr. Gillson. We've really taken it to a
whole another level this year in that, you know, providing the committee much earlier, the line item detail, getting that out to the public as well. The quarterly reports give line item detail. Um, and then we posted three years of our end of the year reports uh as well
onto our website which are available for people to look at. Really just sort of show like we're not we're not hiding anything. The sort of the on a flip side of that coin is we're feeling sort of uh maybe a level of
scrutiny that nobody else is getting because we're letting everybody see everything. And now people are looking line by line at all of our stuff and and and and as I mentioned at the finance committee meeting, I just want to make sure people aren't losing sight of the forest for the trees. Um because it's
easy when you're looking at 1,200 lines to find a line or a couple of lines that look like they're um under spent or overbudgeted, however you want to look at it. Um but you really have to zoom out. We had a classic example around uh transportation when we met with the
finance committee where general ed transportation looks like it's either overfunded or overbudgeted or under spent, however you want to look at the that um that same perspective. But when you zoom out and look at p transportation as a whole, right? When
you include all of our special education transportation, all of our um uh out of district transportation, all of our transportation costs as a whole, we're running currently in this current fiscal year a slight deficit. Uh, so you have to look, you have to sort of understand
what you're looking at from a zoomed out perspective as well as, oh, I see this couple of line items like right here that I can zoom in on. Um, and say those look like they're too big. Um, we have to be able to also look out of the big picture and really only people that are
in it every day have that perspective. And, you know, our budgets are set up with a higher level of detail because of the way we have to report to the Department of Ed. So we have all these many lines and you can get lost in all the lines. Then then municipal reporting is just it's close but it's not quite
exactly the same. Um so I and I I get it. So we kind of are a little bit of a an enigma and sometimes um like I said sometimes people get lost in the forest or lost in the trees for and lose view of the forest. Um but I think
you know we've done we've done our due diligence in trying to present all that information. I'm working on a well I'll talk about that in a second. Um and so we've got one vote so far. The Yarmouth Finance Committee voted 61 to uh support on the ballot and then we're waiting for
I don't Dennis hasn't voted yet. They're talking about their path at tomorrow's meeting and Yarmath Select Board has it on the agenda to discuss it. I don't know if they're taking a vote. It says they may or may not take a vote tomorrow. Um so those will be
forthcoming. Uh next legislative breakfast. So annually is an annual opportunity for us to get together with the Cape and Islands delegation of uh our local representatives at the state house. And
so there's an opportunity for you know us to speak to them about things that are important to DY uh and get our advocacy platforms out. The superintendents are organizing organizing around a couple of key ideas that both are all the way from our state superintendent association down to also
here on the Cape. Some things that are pressing issues for us. We have a final planning meeting this Friday um for that. The date uh is April 13th. DY will be hosting. We'll be hosting the legislative breakfast at the high school. Uh starts at 8:30. Should be
done by like 11:30ish at the latest. If any of the committee members are interested in participating, just shoot uh Sarah an email because we are working on an RSVP list. Make sure we have enough chairs, tables, and um some food for everybody. So, just if you we'd love
to have you. Um it's a great opportunity to get elected officials and staff people all in the same room and talk about issues that are important to all of us. So, again, that is the 13th of April at 8:30 a.m. at the DY High School library. Um and again it'll be
representatives from all around the Cape. Uh next a couple personnel updates. Uh so we have had uh in central office in particular um we had our accountant position uh transferred out
of the district and then so we're in the process. We have that position posted. We fortunately were able to bring back somebody who is retired in that position, has been filling in for us a few days a week um part-time to help keep things afloat on the accounting end, but that's a critical position for
us that we're currently working on replacing. Um and then our treasurer, Mr. New, uh informed us a week or so ago that he'd like to re-retire. Um so he's going to go back into retirement at the end of the year. Mr. Ferris, what did I
say? Mr. New, congratulations. You got a promotion. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah. Uh Mr. Ferris. Yes. He uh I was wondering why is everybody looking at me so weird. My mouth was moving faster than my brain or the other way around. Um the Yeah.
Anyway, so he announced at the end of July he would uh he's wants to go back to being fully retired. Um, so we actually already have already posted for um actually have a meeting with somebody um another person who we've done some work with um who is local and is has
that similar background. So I I will keep you updated once we get um that position moved a little bit further along, but we do have some runway runway for that one. But that is a that a position we want to make sure we get somebody back in that slot um before um
Mr. Ferris leaves us. Um and then last on the list, uh override planning process. So, uh we've got some some numbers from the two towns. So, Yarmouth is so with the school committee's approved budget, Yarmouth is looking at
a $1.48 million um override. There's some smaller change numbers at the end there, but it's a roughly 1.48 million. Um and Dennis, it's just under 350,000. Um Dennis, we and Cape Tech are the only
things on for override in Yarmouth. In Dennis, it's also us and Cape Tech for smaller numbers. And then my understanding is the town will also as for their operating budget also be looking for an override for general operating, but I believe they're
discussing all that tonight. I mean tomorrow night, excuse me. Um, so we've begun contingency planning for if an override doesn't pass. Um, and so just I'm sure everybody already
knows this, but for the general public who's watching, um, in order to if we work off the worst case scenario, which would be a override failing in the town of Yarmouth, uh, going back to our regional agreement
conversation, we because we assess the two towns and the way the assessment formula works, we can't just take $1.48 48 million out of the budget and say, "Okay, Yarmouth, we're not going to charge you, but we're going to charge Dennis their full freight." So D, let's say Dennis approves the override,
Yarmouth doesn't. We still have to get the budget down to a number where Yarmouth's assessment would be below the 1.48 million that needed was needed for override. So the
in order to get to that number, it's the operating budget from where it currently sits has to come down $2,129,996. Um, which is a big number. Um, so we had a meeting this morning um, or maybe it was early this afternoon,
sometime today, sometime before this meeting. Um we had a meeting with all the department leads uh so you know special education, technology, facilities etc. plus all the building principles and uh I gave them directions
on uh total sums of money that need to come from each of their spaces. Um and they're now have a week on Friday everybody will come back with recommendations um for what potential cuts would look
like if we found ourselves in this worst case scenario. And we're going to start to build a contingency plan uh to serve a couple of purposes. One is to make sure that the public is wide aware or well aware well aware of um what vote
impact has right one way or the other. Um and to uh present that to the committee as well. And then also to uh so that if we do find ourselves in a worst case scenario that we're we're not starting that conversation um at that
time which would be you know after the ballot in May which is you know I think I think in Yarmouth it's the I think Yarmouth is the last one. It's like the third week in May. So that's a doesn't leave us a lot of runway between the end
of the year and um uh the yeah between then and the start of the new fiscal year. Um so the team has been given some directions around making sure they can they protect the core program. So like we can't not teach English, we can't not teach math, we
can't not teach science, etc. We can't not provide our special education services, we can't not provide our English language learner services. Um, so they have to look at the periphery, look at things like electives, look at extras, for lack of a better word. I don't like that word, but um, but things
that are outside the core program. Um, look at general education supports for students. Um, and then look at class size. Um, we have class size parameters that we're trying to stay inside of, but um, they will take all that into consideration. But I want to be clear,
it gets very difficult very fast because while we were able to find a lot of savings and and substantial savings by like not replacing a retirement um and g gaining that full salary, this would not be a situ and the reality is almost all
of this is going to be personnel related because that's the biggest portion of our budget. There will be some other places that we'll look for that will have other impacts, but that's we just want to sort of prepare the committee and the public for what we're going to be presenting in at at your next meeting. Um, so and then we have to
think about the way the the contracts work is um this most senior people if uh are going to be entitled to a position to which they're licensed, to which they're qualified, which allows them to bump out less senior people from those positions. So we have to estimate what
that um average sort of um position at a lower sort of lower down the seniority chain is likely to be. Uh so right now that number is about $85,000 per staff position. Another
added layer of complication on top of that is the district carries our our own uh unemployment insurance. So for every um teaching position um there's 20 there's a 21,000. So you save $85,000 but there's a $21,000 liability for the
unemployment insurance for that person. Um so you really look at you know 64,000 per teaching position. So you can start to do some math. It starts to add up really fast to a large number of positions. Um so that's just a rough
ballpark. You know we will have a much more detailed and what does it look like? What will be the what do we see as the impacts on those? um and you know there won't be a vote that will be required by the committee or anything because nothing will have happened but we want to start that conversation get
that in front of you and then get that in front of the public as well so they understand sort of what's at stake. I'm also working on getting uh I have the the median household costs in at least one of the two communities and I think I have the the rate of
increase that's going to be on the taxes. I'm just trying to get as much information as well just so that we can continue to communicate um that information. I think that is all I have. >> Any questions? Miss Pumis >> um you use the phrase number in each of
their spaces. So um how will it be proportioned or is there any sort of guidelines within that? And then the other question that comes to mind is when you talk about the core programs um I'm thinking about the typical school
day do you look beyond sort of the activities in Richmond and what makes us you know offer much to students is that part of the consideration as well uh and you know late buses for example or anything like that
>> yes those are all places that we will look um those because those are outside kind of what I would define as the core, right? The core is we have to teach reading, we have to teach math, we have to teach science, we have to teach social studies. Um I missed one in there
somewhere. Um but uh we don't have to offer athletics like we don't have to. Now again the principles have some autonomy to look and we're going to look and then we'll bring it all back and look at holistically because you know I can't have Ezra Baker take go down one
path that's very different than Station Avenue so that now they end up with completely different elementary experiences potentially right so we'll have to but their initial assignments are to go back into their spaces and look um and and do the do the leg work
first oh and then to your first we proportioned it equally equally amongst the spaces. Mr. New currently electives and unified arts within the district, do they supply um spaces for students? So take the high
school case. It's a seven period day. Correct. So if you have seven periods in the day and you're talking about your core curriculum, what you what are you calling core? Four subjects or five? uh at the high school it would include the world language.
>> So that'd be five. >> Yeah. Sorry. >> So then there would be two periods that have to be accounted for. Correct. >> Correct. Yeah. >> And so the students would have to go somewhere. >> Correct. >> Okay. And uh in the case of the elementary schools uh the unified arts
programs there do they provide um time for the uh classroom teachers to have their meetings and uh their team and whatever. >> Yes. And I've seen >> prep time. >> Yes. And I've seen ways that districts
work around that solution if they find themselves in terrible situations. But again, it would mean uh most likely a loss of prep time and meeting time for the faculty at the elementary and the middle schools. >> Again, I I don't know what's going to be
proposed yet, but I do know I worked in a district at one point in time when they had such a bad cuts that they did have to cut all the all those types of positions. And what they ended up doing is starting their school day >> like 45 minutes later or whatever and everybody had prep in the morning.
>> Yeah. So there's lots of considerations that have to be taken into account. >> Yeah. But I mean something as drastic as this. >> Yes. And nothing I just want to be clear and I think I think you and I are on the same page. Nothing about this is anything any of us wanted to be doing. It was a very somber meeting this morning, >> right? It almost you know it almost
boils down to 40 positions. >> Yeah. you're roughly in the right ballpark. Yeah. >> Depending upon sort of again where because you know does it is it all depends upon the level and how much the the position um >> because we're going to look at all sorts
of different things but yes you're roughly in the right ballpark. Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Anyone else have any questions? Miss Pis, >> I guess um has an override failed in either of the
towns in the past or long time ago or >> I'm going to I see head shaking down here. I not Yeah, I think it was 2000. They said two early 2000s was >> Yeah, yeah, the override failed. Um, and
we ended up with a we had to have a joint meeting of the two towns, the famous tent meeting out on the football field of the two towns, right? So, yeah. Yeah. And so, we must have had to start, >> did we start the fiscal year with the
112th budget that year? Probably by the time the tent meeting happened, it got settled and came up with a number. Yeah. Yeah. It's messy and expensive. Mr. New >> and isn't that u due to the case where one town approves the budget and the
other town does not? >> Yes. >> Then we go to the big tent. >> Correct. >> Okay. And again to that to that point the the cost I think someone mentioned the tent meeting cost almost $90,000. So if not
more. So it's not cheap. Okay. So next meeting we'll have some more discussion of what could happen. None of it's going to be good. None of it what we did with our budget was good. We weren't all none of us were happy with where we ended. We
had to cut things that we didn't want to do and we seem to do that every year. And uh I think the I I just hope the towns continue to support us as they have in the past. So bring a friend Dr. Smith.
>> Yes. Sorry, one thing that I failed to to mention. So parallel to this. So then I'm going to be working on some like public facing com you know I we've done all the budget presentations here but um I'm going to be working on some some
video content which walks through the tries to simplify our budget process simplify the budget that the school committee approved and simplify some of the major influences on that um so that
it can be shared out more broadly. ly um with folks as well as well as some comparative information, right? Um I want to have people understand sort of where this budget sits in the context of the rest of the Cape, where it sits in
relation to our two sending towns. Um because we're facing the same challenges as all those other school districts as the two towns. Um, and we've brought in an operating budget that is well in line
with everybody else. Um, you know, I've said this at the finance committee, so I've already said it on public record, so I might as well say it here, too, because and I know it's going to upset some folks, but the fact that since I've been superintendent that we've had two
overrides in the town of Yarmmouth are not because our spending has been significantly out of control. Last year we needed or first year here we needed help because we were coming out of COVID. But this is this the Yarmouth Select
Board has a policy that says anything over 2 and a.5% in assessment will go to override. The town budget in the town of Yarmouth is up more than 2 and a half%. And they're not seeking override from the voters. is due to select board policy
that the school budget if it goes over two and a half percent goes to override. So, it's a policy decision, not a we we can't spend right decision. Um, and I can just say from the person who stands
on town meeting floor in the last couple years, that's usually the complaints I get is the schools are not staying inside their spending because they're not staying inside Prop Two and a half. It's been a policy decision, not a not a fair um apples to apples
comparison when municipal budgets are growing at a different rate at this in the last several years. Anyways, great. Lots of great conversations coming up. Uh next we'll move to school committee business finance subcommittee. Um
what do we discuss? We we what we we we discussed was um where we were in the budget and the idea of the this planning. So the override planning process was discussed um and then the amounts that were given to the town. So that was our our major
discussions during that. Um and then at MEES building committee um we during that snowstorm I don't remember when I last met during that snowstorm they they still had uh every school in the state was closed. they still had the the uh
awarding of the um the schools and we did get a letter in invitation to uh participate in the um what's the feasibility study. Uh this the building committee has met uh last week. Um we
reviewed the letter there. We reviewed the all of the required documents. Uh we made some adjustments. um answered some questions. Um we will be there's a lot of timelines and dates that things are due. So uh those will be sent out um and
then we'll start working on an OPM after that. So uh we will have a smaller a small C to the big C of the uh building committee that will review the bids uh and the bid process for that. So we walk through all the steps that will happen
um you know over the next over the next year. So, we'll continue to um update the committee as things come up. Um but the the process is moving. Any questions about finance subcommittee or
building committee? Anything I missed? Seeing none. Perfect. Uh next is the consent agenda. Looks like we have two items on there. Anyone want to? We have a motion and a and a second. Any
discussion? It was for the the gently used games and the minutes from January 5th. Seeing none. All those in favor say I. I. >> Any opposed? Any abstain? Perfect. Bills requisition payrolls are just rounding
the corner. Um there are two four that were also emailed. Uh, so please make sure you check your district email and um virtually sign those. I only saw it twice. Sorry, there's four.
Uh, school committee meetings and topics. As as Landers talked about, we have a busy couple of weeks. Um, our next meeting will be April 6. We'll vote for school choice participation. Um again we students can leave anytime they want but we it's up to us if we
want to accept them and we'll be discussing that and obviously if we're losing money we'd like to recuperate at some but we'll discuss that at our next meeting and then we'll have discussion of our MLL director entry items presentation after that first her first
year and then calendars today is what so next is April Uh, April Fool's Day, we'll have an hour and a half early release. You can play a joke on your student. Uh, and then April 3rd will be a half day students. It's
great. Two early days that week. Half day for students and staff on Friday, April 3rd. Our next meeting will be on the 6th and then April vacation will be the 20th to the 24th. There will be no school for anyone.
And public comment. Anyone looking to speak at public comment? Seeing none, anyone like to make the fast the last motion. Motion to adjurnn. Do we have a second? Second. Any discussion? Seeing none. All those in favor say I. I. Any opposed?
Any abstain? Thank you. We'll see everyone April 6th.