WEBVTT

METADATA
Video-Count: 1
Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=ro_WBwK4Olo

NOTE
MEETING SECTIONS:

Part 1 (Video ID: ro_WBwK4Olo):
- 00:00:00: Meeting Opening, Roll Call, and Consent Agenda Approval
- 00:02:58: East Hampton Savings Bank Donation Announcements and Acceptance
- 00:05:08: Student Representative Updates: High School and Middle School
- 00:08:39: Public Comment: Alice Barber - Support for Override
- 00:12:08: Public Comment: Kelly O'Conor - Support for Override
- 00:15:50: Public Comment: Jason Omar Rodriguez - Support for Override
- 00:19:25: Public Comment: Kenzie Assu and Jessica Kenny - Override Impact
- 00:21:54: Public Comment: Aaron Ferris - Special Education and Override
- 00:25:13: Public Comment: Rebecca Althornne - Staff Efforts Amid Uncertainty
- 00:26:59: Public Comment: Avery Ascu - Student Worries About Cuts
- 00:30:24: Public Comment: Alex Alvarez -  Diversity Club and Override
- 00:32:52: Public Comment: Walter Baker - Student Council President Statement
- 00:38:44: District Showcase: Recognizing Pioneer Valley Excellent Teaching
- 00:44:36: Superintendent Goal Updates and Override Scenario Strategies
- 01:15:19: Non-Renewal, Reduction in Force: Exploring Staffing Options
- 01:39:58: Business Update: FY26 Appropriation and Surplus Equipment
- 01:47:15: Future Meetings and Adjournment


Part: 1

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This government meeting is brought to you by Eastworks and our local cable subscribers. Order. Good evening, East Hampton. Welcome to a regular session meeting of the East Hampton Public School Committee. I'm going to roll call in. Is

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Sam on this call yet? Just before we roll call it. >> One, two, three, four. Mayor, we're just going to need you to vote on the uh consent agendas tonight for a court. >> Thank you. Okay. All right. We're going to roll call in. Mayor Salem Derby

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>> present. >> Bonnie Atkins >> present. >> Ericette >> here. >> Megan Harvey is absent this evening. Congratulations. Yeah, my mama Megan once again. Uh Sam Hunter will be joining us later this evening and Linda Marque may be tuning in remotely as well, but for now they

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are not here and chair Laura Scott is present. Going to move on to our consent agendas. We're going to start with the finance. Um I will entertain a motion to approve the finance and other consent agenda items as written on the agenda.

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>> Looking for a so move. So >> thank you, Eric. Can I get a second? Thank you, mayor. Uh, all the >> Oh, did I do it? >> No, we need you. And >> Oh,

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>> we're just going to have to surrender and return when we have a quorum for our finance. >> Linda's there. Is Linda here? >> Yep, she's >> Oh, there she is. >> Okay, great. So, we have a motion and a second to accept the consent agenda for

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finance items. Linda, can you hear me? >> Okay, great. Linda, I'm going to ask you to roll call vote first. >> Her mic's not on. >> Linda Marquee, your vote. >> Her mic is not on.

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>> Just unmute, Linda. >> Or raise a hand. Can you do your hand? >> Thank you. That's an I >> I >> Bonnie >> I >> Eric >> abstain >> mayor >> I

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>> and Laura Scott I motion carries um in the consent agenda other items. >> Yeah. Undertain a motion to approve the minutes of the April 28th 2026 meeting. >> So moved. >> Thank you mayor. >> Second.

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I'll >> second. Thank you Bonnie. We have to roll call this vote too. Linda, >> thank you. Linda Bonnie >> I, >> Eric, >> I, >> Mayor, >> I, >> Laura Scott, I. Consent agenda items pass. We're going to move on to

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announcements. Go ahead. >> On May 30th, 2026, East Hampton Public Schools Technology Department is hosting an electronics recycling event, and East Hampton Savings Bank has generously donated $200 towards the fee of hosting this event. So, entertain a motion to

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accept the donation from the East Hampton Savings Bank in the amount of $200 to be paid paid towards the fee of hosting that May 30th event. >> One move. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, L. Was that Linda? >> Mhm. >> Oh, Linda. Yeah. >> Thank you, Linda. She's on the ball. Uh,

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can I get a second? >> Thank you, Bonnie. Um, any questions, comments, discussion? It looks like there's another note here from Julia. Um, East Hampton Savings Bank has also sent an $890. Oh, that's a second motion. I see. Okay, great.

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>> So, East Hampton Savings Bank's also sent $89. >> Hold on one second cuz we got to vote on this one first. So, we got a roll call. Linda, >> that's an I. >> Great. Thank you, Linda. Bonnie >> I, >> Eric, >> I, >> Mayor, >> I, >> Laura Scott. I motion accepted. Thank

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you very much to East Hampton Savings Bank. East Tampa Saves Banks also sent $8990 as a donation raised through their participation in the funding our futures program. This program allows bank customers who are opening a new get real

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checking account to select from a list of registered school districts will then receive a $10 donation. Each year, East Hampton Savings Bank cut the district a check for the funds raised through the program. So to entertain a motion to accept the donation from East Hamming

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Savings Bank for $890 to deposit the funds equally between Mountain View School and East Hampton High School staff recognition accounts. >> So moved. >> Thank you, Bonnie. Can we get a second? >> Second.

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>> Thank you, Linda. Um any questions, comments, discussion? Seeing none, we will roll call vote. Linda >> I >> thank you Linda Bonnie >> I >> Eric >> I >> mayor >> I >> Laura Scott I uh motion passes and thank

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you again to East Hampton Savings Bank feels like a little bit of product placement but also we're so grateful so that's great we're going to move on to the superintendent uh the student representative updates as would you like to go first this evening all right bringing up the rear once again hello Walter how are you

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friend tell us what's happening at East Samson High School >> um Well, uh, right now we just had our or not right now. Last week we had our, uh, election for our executive board for the next school year. Um, >> is this the student council executive

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board or the classes? >> The student council. The classes are in June. And then last week on Friday, we also hosted our last kids night out of the year. >> So, that was exciting. Um, and yeah, that's about it. We're planning the senior barbecue and um

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uh graduation planning and then um we're also tomorrow we're having our a first um committee meeting to uh work on uh student voice initiatives. >> Great. And who's our new executive board for student council? >> Um so I'll be serving um a second term

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as student council president. Uh Liam Scott Smith, a sophomore, will be serving as the vice president. Uh Jess Atkins Barber, a sophomore, will be serving as the secretary for a second term. Um June Halfacaker, a sophomore, will be serving as the historian for the

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student council. And Iran Oldbe, a freshman, will be serving as the treasurer for the student council. >> Awesome. Congratulations to all. Welcome back, Walter. >> All right, Henry. The hot happenings at Mountain View. Um,

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the middle school band has a band concert on May 21st, which is a Thursday. >> Nice. >> Um, MCCAST for 8th grade. Um, science and civics is still going on. Uh, science is this week. Civics is next week.

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>> Um, track and field and baseball ends this week. And um the New York trip for 8th grade is happening Thursday and Friday. Um uh the 28th to the 29th, Thursday to Friday. >> That's very exciting.

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>> Um and uh track and field is having a fundraiser for the Rodriguez family who lost their father uh this week or last weekend. It is um Sunday to Monday on Memorial Day weekend, 3:00 p.m. to 3

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p.m. And it's going to be 24 hours where our coach, Coach Ryan, is going to be running on the track and we'll accept donations for like other people to run it. >> Uh he did this last year, but this time it's for the Rodriguez family. >> Right. >> That's a wonderful gesture.

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>> Um we'd be remiss not to point out that the middle school concert is next week. The high school band concert is tomorrow, right? Wednesday night. Yes. >> Yes. So, >> I believe it starts at 7 >> tomorrow night at 7 >> 700 p.m. at the high school tomorrow evening. It's always a wonderful show in

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a beautiful space. >> All right. Anything else? >> That is it. >> That's great. You're good. >> Um, I did prepare a statement about the budget. Should I do that now? >> Comment. >> Um, you know what? I'm going to have you not do public comment but go right

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before the superintendent update because that is when we are going to discuss that's the section where we'll be talking about the budget when I share. So thank you for preparing that. We want to make sure that we get enough eyes on you. So we are going to now move to public comment. Um for those of us who

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are joining us in person if you have thoughts you'd like to share please um take uh step up to the podium. We just ask that you share your name and city of residence. Those of us joining remotely, if you want to raise your virtual hands

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and we will get to everyone in the order in which we see them and we'll begin with the people who are joining us in person. Uh over to my name is Alice Barber. I live at 22 Vad Street. I'm speaking in support of the override.

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While I know that those of you on this committee are not the ones who will decide the outcome of the override vote, I feel the need to voice my support publicly, particularly around how the failure to pass this override might impact our local children. I have been a psychotherapist for children for 30

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years. My specialty is working with children and teens who have experienced trauma, often severe and unthinkable trauma. Melissa. >> We're going to ask everyone joining us remotely, just a reminder to mute your mics. >> Sorry.

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>> That's okay. >> Go ahead. >> Uh, my specialty is working with children and teens who have experienced trauma, often severe and unthinkable trauma. I know two things for certain. One, that children who have experienced such things heal in community, not by

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themselves. and two, that public schools, for all of their shortcomings, save lives by being that community. I have sat with countless children, some of the most vulnerable members of our community, who have told me this, that a teacher saw them, that someone gave them

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a chance, that someone told them that they are smart. Many of us in this meeting can probably point to a teacher who did this for them. I am the proud product of a public school education, and for me, that was my music teacher, Mrs. Sheila Bourjau.

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With no shade to academics, I love academics. Most often, children point to the parts of their school experience that are the exact places that, while I don't know for certain, fear will be cut from the budget because, as it stands, there is no other place to cut.

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Ours was not a budget of excess to begin with. Music, band, art, cooking club, sports, diversity club, student council, theater. remember this year's production of Annie, the Bright program, which has helped increase our graduation rates,

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and we the people. All of these and more give students opportunities to be and become more than report cards. They allow students to know themselves, find their voices, and exert their power. All the while, with each success in one or more of these activities,

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lending success to their future selves. Success in school is a key predictor of future success, no matter how someone might define the word for children. Especially those who have experienced trauma, which is more common in our schools than folks may know. And behind

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each one of these activities that promote this success is a teacher who recognizes the parts of and in our children that might allow them to thrive. Many of these teachers are now facing uncertain futures themselves. For me, passing this override is a moral

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imperative. Thank you. >> Anyone else who is in here in person? We're going to revert to online, but we can come back to those in person if you feel moved to speak. We're gonna do Yeah, I think Kelly had the first name up. >> Yeah. So, Kelly, if you want to go ahead

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and unmute yourself. Kelly O' Conor. Um, >> yep. Good evening. I'm speaking to support the override. My name is Kelly Rodrig and I'm the prek to two school psychologist at Mountain View School. I have proudly served this district for the past 12 years and I began my career in East Hampton not only as an educator

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but also as a resident. I lived in East Hampton for four years and despite now having a 40-minute commute, I continue to work in this district because I deeply value this community and its schools. In my experience, East Hampton what? In my experience, East Hampton is home

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to some of the most compassionate, evidence-based educators and programs, as well as highly engaged and proactive families. Although our schools have grown and evolved, the collaborative and supportive culture that defined our smaller neighborhood schools continues to exist today. My concern, however, is

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that we are continuing to face significant budget redu reductions. We risk losing the talent and veteran teachers, specialists, coaches, and promising new educators who make this district exceptional. I began my career here at Naples School in 2014 as the

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school psychologist and counselor, working closely with Judy Averil and our district team on a variety of initiatives for special education programming and social emotional learning programs. When we transitioned to Mountain View School in 2022, both veteran and new staff experienced a

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significant period of adjustment. While change is never easy, one thing that remained constant was the unwavering dedication of our educators to collaboration, professional growth, and doing what is best for children. Over the course of my tenure, I have witnessed students, families, and

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educators and programs thrive when schools are adequately staffed and students are provided with the academic and behavioral and social emotional supports they need to succeed. As many of you may know, all children are entitled to a free and appropriate public education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The

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special education services provided in this district are among the strongest in neighboring communities. And while the budget reductions will impact all students, there's significant concern that our most vulnerable learners will be disproportionately affected. In recent years, educational initiatives such as literacy grants, intervention,

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and programming, and specialized behavioral supports have evolved and become more streamlined following the consolidation into one large building. Now entering our fourth year at Mountain View School, many educators feel we are finally reaching a point of stability and a position to continue improving

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systems and outcomes for all students. Facing substantial cuts at this critical point is deeply disheartening. Many of my colleagues are concerned that reductions in staffing and programming will limit our ability to proactively teach the self-regulation, social, behavioral, and academic skills that are

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essential for each student's success. We are already seeing increasing numbers of students requiring immediate behavioral and emotional support and without sufficient staffing and intervention programs, both classroom learning, and our overall school climate will be negatively affected. For committee members and community members wondering

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how these changes may affect them, the simple answer is they will. Budget cuts will fundamentally change the educational experience and the broader community's Hampton. Fewer teachers and reduced programming will result in a larger class size, fewer support staff, fewer enrichment opportunities, and more

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disruptions to daily learning. At a time when children are experiencing unprecedented rates of mental health challenges, it is more important than ever that we remain proactive in teaching and supporting emotional regulation, resilience, and social emotional development. I respectfully urge the committee and the town to work

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collaborative collaboratively to preserve current levels of support and to develop a sustainable budget plan that minimizes these cuts both now and in the years ahead. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you very much, Kelly.

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Um, anyone else joining us here tonight? Good evening, Mayor Derby, Dr. Balch, school committee, and everyone else here. I am at a loss for words for the situation

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that we are currently going through. Earlier today, we had a meeting with our superintendent and she said something that really stuck out to me. And I'm grateful that she said this. She said

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that if this override does not pass, it could be a catastrophe. I want everyone who's listening and everyone who will listen to hear those words carefully.

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that if an override is not passed, it will be a catastrophe. I agree with this completely. I have tried contacting everyone that I could contact

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minus the White House and I said if an override does not pass and if we don't have a resolution to this problem there's going to be greater problems that you will have to deal with.

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The first time that I stood up here a couple of months back and I spoke, I said something regarding our unions, which was that our right to gather is not a privilege. It is a universal principle. I'm going to say that same statement for

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all of us here today. The right to a quality education is not a privilege. It is a universal principle. Therefore, I'm asking everybody

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who is listening to vote yes for the override, for the sake of our students, for the sake of those who are going to come afterwards.

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We have a wonderful opportunity to give these students a chance to have a quality education and I want to see it continue. Working in East Hampton as a PAR educator

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has been a wonderful opportunity for me to grow and to impart into the students that I see every day. And so I want to invite everybody if you're willing to join me in saying yes

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to the override on the count of three. Is that okay? One 2 3. Yes to the override. >> Yes to the override. >> Let's say it louder. Come on. With some conviction. Yes to the override.

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>> Yes to the override. >> Thank you. >> Sir, can I ask you to close with your name? >> Sorry. That's all right. >> My name is Jason Omar Rodriguez. Uh, again, I am a PAR educator at East Hampton High School and I live in Holio,

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but I'm here because I love this city and I want to see it thrive. >> Thank you for your service and your statement, Mr. Rodriguez. >> We got Jessica. >> Okay. Uh, Jessica, Kenny, go right ahead. You can just unmute. Hi.

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>> Um, so my name is Jessica. Can I ask you before I was the BCBA for the district? Um, I was a parent and actually I have all of our family is listening on two different computers, but the person who actually wants to talk is one of our children, Kenzie Assu.

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>> Hi, Kenzie. >> Hi. Um, I wanted to talk about the override. I personally think that we should pass it because um if it doesn't get passed most of the non main academic classes in our school get cut and I

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personally think that a lot of those for a lot of the kids in the school those classes mean a lot for like me personally my friend group right now I met through an orcs class and I think that these classes mean a lot to the students the academic classes obviously

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mean a lot too cuz there are main classes and that's why they wouldn't cut them. But all of the arts classes and the technology classes and the music classes, they also mean a lot to the students and I think they're kind of a break for the students from our academic

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classes. They're like a fun other class that we can take and if we get those cut, I feel like that will greatly affect the students. >> Thank you so much, Kenzie. Mom, do you have anything else you want to share?

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>> Again, um have waited years to be able to work for East Hampton Public School and I work with some of the kids that have a need that is greater than, you know, just the average daily hardships of school. And I think that the reason

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that East Hampton is one of the strongest schools I've ever worked in is because of the adults and the people that show up. And that starts from the superintendent all the way down to our custodians and our office staff and our paras and everybody. So we don't live in

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chick. They they are choiced in. They have been since um kindergarten. And so this override is just really important. >> Thank you very much, Jessica. Anyone else joining us in person or

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online? Yeah. Go ahead, >> Jason. you too tall. Hello, my name is Aaron Ferris. I'm special education teacher at East Hampton High School. Obviously, I am not from here. Um, 5 years ago, I pulled into town, stood on top of Mount Tom, and said, "I'm going

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to live here." And I moved from Virginia, picked up everything I had, and I moved up here. Um, and I don't currently live in East Hampton, but East Hampton is my home. Um, funny story, when I applied for the job,

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Bill emailed me back and said, "Did you mean to apply for this cuz I applied for a PAR education job?" Um, and with my doctorate, he was a little bit confused, but I was like, "Yes, I want to I want to be in this system."

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And for some odd reason, I took the job as a special education teacher after teaching high um college, excuse me, college for 16 years with no understanding of what I was going to be doing. Um,

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nine months later, these kids have changed my life. Take your time. You have all the time you need. Thank you. >> Sorry I haven't cried yet. >> I apologize. Don't apologize. Don't apologize. Take your time.

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>> As a first year teacher, just got my license. I know that my letter's in the mail. And that's okay for me, but it's not okay for some of my students.

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Okay. All right. So, when I got my job September, August, I don't know. It's been a long year. I read those IEPs the first time reading an IEP. It's like

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wow this is a lot and most of them said build a relationship with your students and that is what I have done and I want to continue those relationships not for me but for them

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and even though I don't live in East Hampton and it's my chosen yes >> my chosen place I like it's such a good community and I want to be able to continue to do the good work that I

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didn't know I was supposed to be doing. So, um, for what that's worth, thank you. >> Thank you very much, Aaron. >> You can clap. You're allowed to do what you want. Is there anyone else um joining us in person or online who'd like to share

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anything? Go right ahead. >> Hi, my name is Rebecca Althornne. I'm also working in special ed at Ess. And I would just like to say I think there's been a lot of um positive commentary on what we're doing in the schools. And I

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wanted to add that since we've had notice of this override. Um the conversations that have happened among teachers, the attitude that people have been having in the school has not been, oh look, this might happen. We

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might lose our jobs. Let's just kind of give up. Um the attitude that I've been a part of and that I know a lot of my peers have been a part of has been how are we going to help these students complete their year even though this is

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kind of hanging over all of us and there have been um I think some real efforts towards continuing to instill hope in our students continuing to be positive in the face of something that is putting us

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all in a, you know, easily negative mood. Um, and I think for what it's worth, our our staff and our schools um are doing their best with what we have and we'll continue to do the best

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with what we get. That's it. >> Thank you very much. I love you all. >> Anyone else joining us in person or online care to share their thoughts? >> Okay. I'm going to ask Walter if you

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want to read your statement now. >> And then um and then we will close. Oh, we have one more raised hand. So, uh Ryan, would you like to go to speak? You want to just unmute yourself? Hi. >> Hello. Um, my name is Avery Ascu. My

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father is Ryan Ascu. Apologies. >> I am another student at East Hampton High School. And I wanted to share my thoughts and experiences on this um, override. I have

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been I have applied for the great opportunity to be a teachers assistant for one of the staff at the high school and I as a result of hearing about this override and everything that's happening

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I am worried that we aren't able to do that anymore. like we like our conversations are constantly like, "Hey, if I'm not going to be here next year, you have to find somebody else or you're like or we won't be able to do this

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together." And it's for a pretty I am would be taing for one of the health teachers at the high school. And it's like it's crazy that this is like an important program, but we may not still have that teacher. And I think too along

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with what some of the other speakers have said, these teachers make a big impact on people and not even just the teachers but the other staff as well like the counselors and the administrators and everyone. I think that

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they have just made such a big impact on our lives that if this override is not passed, I won't like at least for me, I won't really know like what to do because they have just been a big part

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of my life and I've been around them for so long. For reference, I'm a junior in high school. Um, so it's been about three years in the high school and I've been through Whitebrook and Center Pepin since first grade and

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I think that it is kind of just like really worrying not only for the staff that um, one of the previous speakers mentioned, but that's all all the students talk about. It's constantly

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like a worry in our conversations too. Like there's been classes that we've we know aren't going to run next year. Um so we've been told like, "Hey, you need to find another class that you're going

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to do or um like teachers that we don't know if we're going to be able to work with because their classes aren't running or the curriculums are changing." Um, and so I think that it's

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important not only to the staff of the school, um, but the students as well. So yes, that's all I wanted to say and I want to thank you for your time. >> Thank you so much.

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Um, Alexander Alvarez. >> Hello everybody. How you doing? I'm Alex Alvarez. Um I'm a teacher at Eastampton High School. I've been in East Hampton High School for about 10 years since 2016

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and um I moved from Ammer High School to teach in East Hampton High School and I live in Ammers and I commute 30 days 30 30 minutes every day. So I would say that when I arrive to is

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high school, the community is amazing. the school community, the students. Um I don't mind commuting and my commute before was only five minutes and I moved to East Hampton because the curriculum

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we teach how we teach in addition to that I am the creator or founder of the diversity or diverse learners club in Hampton High School which I believe if the override doesn't pass will be cut

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and I want to say that when I arrived to Hampton High school. I said one year teaching there. I look around and I say this is the place in which I want to spend the rest of my professional career

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as a teacher. Amazing place. Small school students are great. Are they perfect? No, they are not. They are awesome. They are awesome kids. I speak with them all the time. I have a good relationship with them. And I will tell

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you that I feel like I'm relatively safe possibly if they were right doesn't pass. But I'm here because I care about the community. I care about the kids. I care about how they going to be successful. If we got all those programs, right?

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How can we support the kids emotionally, mentally, physically? Because obviously the sports probably probably going to be cut as well. So, I urge everybody who's listening to me

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that please vote yes for the override. Um, we need this and I know that it take a village to raise all these kids. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Alvarez. Anyone else joining us in person or online have shot thoughts they'd like to

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share? >> Seeing none at the moment, Walter, would you like to share your statement? >> Sure. Okay. Um, so I just want to start by saying this isn't I have like a a thing that I wrote, but I'm going to just start by

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saying so yesterday um I was asked by um my student council adviser, Mr. be to come up with a statement that would be reflective of something that the entire student body at the high school would

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feel in regard to um the current fiscal situation and the tax override. Um and I'm going to be honest, in that minute I really was just like, "Oh my god, this is just crazy." like and I didn't I

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didn't take it fully for what it was and I went home and I was just astonished like truly astonished and I just stayed up and I did a lot of research and you know seeing all of the things um that could go um

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is crazy and you know to be um where I am today and who I am today is only because of the things that are like extra that have been uh able to have

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been offered um through funding um that we would be losing. And you know there's some I you know I'm recognizing there's a crowd online. Um and there's some of my old middle school teachers and if you knew me in middle school you know it was

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a hot freaking mess like you know. So if you're seeing me here I'm sure you're as surprised as I am. And um but I'll just go ahead and get into it because I don't want to get upset. Okay. So good evening everyone. Uh members of the school committee, city officials, educators,

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families, and community members. My name is Walter Baker and I'm speaking tonight as the student council president of East Hampton High School. Tonight I want to speak about what the failure of this override would mean for students in East Hampton. If the tax override does not pass on June 9th, our district will face

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nearly $3 million in cuts. A district our size or in a district our size, there's no possible way to absorb cuts this significant without serious consequences. Teachers and staff members who we care about dearly would lose their jobs. Class sizes would increase. Student support services would be

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reduced. Programs, electives, clubs, athletics, arts, music, and other enrichment programs would face major cuts or complete elimination. While those things may sometimes be labeled as non-essential, I can tell you that as a student, they're absolutely essential to the experience that

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students have in our schools. In the experience that I've had all the way from kindergarten up until now, I'm about to be a senior. For many students, these programs are the reason they come to school motivated and engaged. They're where students build confidence, leadership skills, friendships,

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discipline, and a sense of purpose in their community. I know that I found my purpose in this community the last 3 years at the high school. Um, coming in, I never really thought I would be a student council president. And I would say that my friend group um revolves

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largely around the people that we hang out with in these extracurriculars and build connections with through these programs. Uh, one example that's especially important to me is the we the people program, which is a nationally recognized civic education program that

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gives students the opportunity to deeply study the constitution, public policy, and the foundations of our government. Through programs like we the people, students learn how to think critically, engage respectfully in civic discourse, and become informed, active citizens.

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The loss of opportunities like these and all other extracurricular activities would further uh would cause further negative implications for the district. Families want to send their children to schools that provide strong academics along with opportunities in athletics, art, music, music, leadership, and

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extracurricular involvement. When those opportities opportunities begin to disappear, many families may begin looking elsewhere, whether through school choice, private schools, or moving to other districts entirely. In the long run, declining enrollment would create even more challenges for the district financially and

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academically. The effects of cuts of this size would also extend beyond individual programs. Larger class sizes and reduced staffing affect the overall learning environment for students. Teachers and staff members who have built strong relationships with students and families could lose their positions.

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And the loss of those relationships and support systems would be deeply felt all throughout the district. As the student council president, I've heard endless concerns from high schoolers involved in every part of school life, athletics, music, academics, student government, art

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programs, and students who simply want to know that the opportunities available to them today will still exist for younger students in the future. Right now, when many high schoolers think about their role models or mentors, they think about upper classmen, recent graduates, and student leaders who came

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before them, they think about the people whose footsteps they hope to follow one day. But in a few years, when the younger students are in high school, they aren't going to be thinking about our mentors anymore. They're going to be thinking about us. And many of us now are worried that the paths we were once encouraged to follow may begin to

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disappear behind us. We're worried that the opportunities that helped shape our own experiences, the opportunities that helped us grow into leaders, teammates, performers, mentors, and active members of our school community, may no longer exist for the students coming after us. We're worried that younger students may

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one day look ahead searching for those same footsteps to follow only to realize that the path is no longer there. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you, Walter. Um, we are going to close public speak, take a brief two-minute recess, and then we are going

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to come back and pick up um with our Actually, let's do the district showcase and then do a two-minute recess. How about that? >> All right, great. Um, for our district showcase um this evening, we are honoring and recognizing Ryan Nash, who

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is an educator at MBS, who was awarded the Grin Spoon. We had the opportunity to celebrate um her um recent accomplishment um last week at the Ginsspoon Award dinner. Um it was amazing opportunity for all of us to get

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together. We were by far the loudest table. We had the most laughs. Um and it was such a great display. Um and it is truly a testament to the educators we have in this district. that you got to see, you know, even the Ginspoon um

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nominees in in the letters that individuals wrote about those educators. I look past and I look at previous Ginspoon winners and just such an incredible representation of dedicated, caring and compassionate um educators

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and we are so grateful for all of you. Um I have Dr. Pasqueeni Torquia um here tonight to say a little bit about Ryan Nash and her contributions to East Hampton Public Schools. >> Ryan is joining us remotely as well. We'll try not to embarrass you too much.

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Ryan, >> good evening everyone. Um it it's a great honor to recognize Ryan Nash of this evening on her um being the Pioneer Valley Excellent in teaching award recipient this year. Um, I'd like the

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community to know the basic criteria for winning the Ginspoon Award is um, teacher lensure by the Commonwealth, employed full-time, good attendance, and I'm rating in the top two categories exemplary or

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proficient in their educator evaluation. But beyond that um the suggested criteria for winning the award is excellence in teaching practices, effectiveness and creativity, impact on students, support of and positive impact

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upon other teachers practice, participation in professional development and evidence of going above and beyond in classroom and community. Now, the Pioneer Valley Excellence and Teaching Award is not an award that is

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nominated by um administrators. This is an award that is um given by peers. And I'd like to just take a moment to read what some of Ryan's colleagues, and I hope that you can see her face on the screen this evening, um wrote about

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Ryan. Ryan's impact on students cannot be quantified. Nearly every student from preK to 2 knows who she is and considers her their safe person at school. This extends far

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beyond the students she provides direct services to. Furthermore, she is often the first person to notice and raise the alarm for students who may be struggling and in need of assistance or outside support. students feel safe with her and

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knows she will fight to support them. Another teacher, Ryan goes above and beyond in many ways in addition to the normal scope and sequence of her job. She works hard to adjust her schedule

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>> to go into every kindergarten classroom social emotional lessons and creates tailored lessons when she teaches when she or teachers see the need in any grade level. She constantly makes

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herselves available to not only students who need anything from encouragement to conflict resolution, but also staff members. Staff members from grade levels outside her purview frequently seek her out for advice and support.

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And lastly, creativity is one of Ryan's strengths. The students she works with are all very different. And because Ryan knows all of them so well, she is able to tailor

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lessons, conversations, and situational supports to their needs, often supporting multiple perspectives simultaneously. For example, for a student who is struggling with disengagement in class or mild disrespect, she finds

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opportunities to connect them with school members who need a need a hand with kindness-based initiatives like making and delivering hearts for each class on Valentine's Day or kindness week, the cereal drive, and the

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Christmas toy drive. students feel proud of their contributions and know how important they are to the Mountain View community. Congratulations, Ryan. >> Congratulations. >> Thank you all.

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Thank you. >> Ryan, you're welcome to speak, but I don't want to put you on the spot. So, feel free if you just want to Irish goodbye. I understand and appreciate. >> I just want to say thank you again. and I am truly very honored.

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>> Well, it is us who thank you. We appreciate your service and dedication to the district and we hope that your career here continues far into the future. Um we are going to take a brief two-minute recess. When we open back up, we're going to move on to the superintendent goal updates and we're also going to move on to a um discussion

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around strategies to address the school override scenarios for. So, for those of you who are joining us and interested in that, um I just want to take a moment off camera to thank our guests for coming tonight and we'll be back with you in just two minutes. >> Yeah, >> we're going to call that to order if

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everybody's ready. >> Okay. Thank you everyone for uh giving us grace for just that brief recess. We are going to move on to the superintendent update beginning with the superintendent goal update. Awesome. I have one goal update and it's regarding our strategy for district improvement.

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We have a great group of folks that are committed. We had our second meeting. Um we had 18 people there um really talking about trying to distill what are we'll call them big rocks for our dis our strategy. So, what are the three to four

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priorities that we're going to focus on for the next 3 to 5 years? Um, we had some really good conversations. Um, I had initially proposed um some big rocks and they actually helped me refine some of those big rocks and told me that, you

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know, that's probably not a big rock that should probably be in the school improvement plan. So we we really work together where we're landing on um the the strategies uh first one being academic excellence um the second inclusive culture and belonging the

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third being family and community partnership and the fourth coherent systems and student transitions and last meeting I said all right middle school transforming middle school is going to be one of our strategic priorities and that is the example they're like actually that should be in the school

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improvement plan. Our big rock are what are the systems and transitions? So, I really appreciate getting that reflective feedback and having a group of individuals who are so committed and and so educated around, you know, what

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it looks like. They I give them homework um each meeting. They have about 45 minutes of homework. So, they actually, you know, we had a Padlet. It's been a great experience. So, I I appreciate that. Our next meeting is on on June 4th and we will be presenting some of that

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information at the upcoming school committee meeting. Um and then we're going to take, you know, our pillars. We'll have a graphic and we'll explain all of that and talk about the action steps we're going to take and some of our outcomes aligned to those actions

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and to those pillars. So great. Um, thank you all so much for being such great partners in the work and diving in with us and um, we'll present that to the school committee and we'll also be publishing a draft for public comment

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um, through a survey as well. So, trying to get as much input on our strategic plan um, as possible. >> Wonderful. >> We're going to move on to strategies to address the school override scenarios. Did you want to hook up at the podium? I am going to the

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I think we'll have a PowerPoint I believe the superintendent has created just to help walk the public talk the public and members through these different avenues. >> Um while while she's hooking in >> Oh, hi Sam. Hey Sam. >> This is Sam.

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>> Go ahead. >> Um I just wanted to say that I'm here. I um I will be in the meeting in approximately like 15 minutes and I'm listening. >> Thank you, Sam. Um, so Sam, if you Oh, you can't see these PowerPoints because you're in the car.

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>> I'm in the car. Yeah, I probably shouldn't be looking at powerpoints. >> Touche, >> but I will be soon. I'll be right there. >> Oh, okay. Great. Okay, great. >> Michelle, do you want me to kind of lay the ground of what this is? But this is

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about laying out these We have We're going to be presenting on May 26 these two. We've been discussing the two options for the budget moving forward. Neither of which will look exactly like the budget that we passed in March. The option A um the will be if the override

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does pass on June 9th. And the other would be in the event that it doesn't. And so we are talking about primarily tonight, how to move forward as far as staffing and the implications on that. >> Okay. Yes. Great. Thank you for framing that. Um, and I'd just like to start

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with our core values. As much as we can lean into our core values, particularly in the current, you know, fiscal situation that we're in, the more we, you know, focus on who we are and our beliefs, I feel like the the more grounded we will be and the decisions

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that we will make will be in service of our students, our community, and our families as well. So, just, you know, learning equity, belonging, and shared responsibility. And I think all of these discussions touch at each one of these and and are are at our very core. Um,

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and this is just sort of an outline just so people are aware of kind of how school department budgets work. We have this very unique sort of process unlike any other department in the municipality where our budget process is, you know, very much a public process. um and what

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is the role of sort of the school committee in the budget process and what is the role of the superintendent in the budget process. Um so the school committee and we I adopted this adapted this from the Massachusetts Association for School Committees. This is what it

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you know basically is on their website about um the the financial roles and responsibility. So your job as a committee is to make sure that the funds are appropriated for the district and that we are balancing needs and

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resources being fiscally responsible with that money and to really oversee the development of the annual budget. So we work very closely um Julia Sari Franks, myself, the school committee really work together collaboratively,

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the mayor as well to you know figure out what our budget is going to look like, what we need, what we have to what we have to have and the school committee plays a really big role in the school department's budget. And then once the budget is passed, you know, it is my

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role as the superintendent and the business director to then implement that bud that budget, you know, and it's a very public process which I think increases, you know, sort of transparency. Um, but you know, we enact the budget in which is set by the

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committee. So that's why we're having these conversations because, you know, as the superintendent again, I enact the budget in which you set. Um, and you know, just listening to everybody. Um, and oftentimes in education, you know,

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we talk about data and we talk about accountability and we talk about things and we say behind every number is a student. And as we head into tonight's budget conversation, I'm very aware well aware well well aware that you know when

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we're talking about numbers behind those numbers our students our staff their their lives their they're who we are as a community and I know that. And so when we read off

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numbers and we read off line items, I need everybody to know that we are all thinking about the people behind those numbers and the implications. And you know, Walter and others spoke about what this means for students. So I just want

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everybody to know that that is real and that we are all feeling it. I think that, you know, I appreciate everyone who came to speak out tonight, who's here. um you give up as educators a lot of your time um to the school

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community and being on here is more time and I very much appreciate that. Thanks for showing up. Um I appreciate it. I know our students and our families appreciate it as well. And one thing that was most powerful for me is when I

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started um our my listening sessions every sing we did a keep start stop protocol. What do we need to keep doing in East Hampton? What do we need to start doing and what do we need to stop doing? And for every single time I had a

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session, the keep the community said we need to keep our teachers. We have the most caring, dedicated educators in this district. I had parents come up to me and say, "So and so saved my kids' life.

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That teacher saved my kids." And there were weren't three parents. I had about 11 parents when I started. Name different teachers that have saved lives. And we know this, right? We we te

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teachers are so fortunate to be different difference makers in kids' lives and you know you can ask a group of adults who were some of the most influential people in your lives growing up I talked about that in my interview

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it was a teacher you know it's parents sometimes but most often it's teachers so the impact of the profession is profound and that is how we're going to frame tonight's session while we're talking about numbers members, we fully are aware of what we're talking about

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here tonight. Um, I presented a timeline. Um, and some of this a little some things have come, you know, to fruition. Um, we have had, you know, sort of the the press conference, right? We had the special

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meeting vote about the override. We announced the override and on May 6, Mayor Derby presented his budget and we were given numbers in that budget. Um I had the um ability to speak to some

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educators today at EHS. Tomorrow I'm having conversations at MVS. Um tonight we're here to talk about some budget proposals and options um that we can employ to help get to the budget numbers

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we need to get to. Um on May 14th and 15th, we're going to have discussions with um any educator who has non-professional teaching status that they're going to receive notification um of of non-renewal.

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On May 26 is our next school committee meeting. So, we have the numbers, but it is our work between now and our next meeting to prepare two budgets for you um that include the override budget and the failed override budget. So, that is

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our next meeting. Um that meeting will have a lot of information about the programs, um services, activities, and funding sources that will be um that we'll have to make decisions around during that time. May 27th, the

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following day, the school department will present our budget to the city council finance committee. Um, and then June 9th is the override day. We'll have a subsequent meeting on June 11th, um, where we're going to talk about, you

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know, what happened during the override and what changes, what what plan we need to enact. And then um June 12th, you know, depending on, you know, the success of uh the override, we'll begin to, you know, any teacher when if the

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override is successful, we'll begin to uh recall educators or issue them letters of reasonable assurance that they have a job next year. Um we hope to do all of that work before June 15th. It is our goal that educators know their status before they go into the summer.

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We're going to talk about a little bit about that. Um and then June 17th, the city council will vote to to propose to finalize the budget. Um in our previous meeting, um we talked about two scenarios. So we have two scenarios. We

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now have numbers attached to those scenarios. So scenario one is if the override is approved, the mayor presented his budget. um we would need to cut from that budget $922,63 from our proposed school committee

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budget. In scenario two, if the override is not approved, we will need to cut $2,771,418 from our proposed level service school committee budget. In both of these scenarios, we are pro we are prioritizing fiscal

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responsibility, transparent and student transparency and student needs. Um the school committee will review and vote. Um and of course you know it's always sort of subject to change. Um this is a very evolving process. Um and it is it

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is pretty comp it is very complex. um because you know pe we have a union we have very strict you know sort of rules and processes that we need to follow. We're going to talk a little bit about some of that. Um here's just sort of the representation.

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So in this slide you'll see um this is our 26th budget right here. So it's the third column is the 26 budget. So this year's budget. Um then the fifth column

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you'll see the amount that school committee requested for this year. So $24,969,268.16 is what >> we approved in the third week of March of this year. >> March 24th. That was the budget we presented. That is a level service

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budget. So the same level of service to to support FY26, right? Okay. We didn't we were reallocating positions. We were not adding positions. We actually cut positions. So we looked at the administrative structure at Mountain

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View, for example. Head of schools, three principles, transition to uh principal and two assistant principles. So cuts were made to get to level service budget. So in column

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six you have two scenarios here. There are brackets at the bottom. Scenario one is if the override passes. So this first line here is personnel. It is our biggest bucket in our budget. We are a

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lean budget in this district. I we make decisions based on like it gets down to do we really need seven chargers? Can we get away with five? And I'm talking about >> laptop chargers here.

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>> Like we are a lean budget here. Um and most of it is in teacher salaries. So scenario one, cutting from the level service budget if the if the

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override does pass 922,60363.50. So that is if the override passes. Um you look at the difference. So that is in staffing $713,59.50. So that is what we will need to take a

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look at for staffing. Okay. Both are going to rec whether the override passes or not. We still have we will touch staffing regardless because we just don't have

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any other numbers. These are all we are trimming from everywhere possible. We are making cuts anywhere and everywhere pl possible before they hit the classroom, but there's just not a lot to cut. So here we have what the most we

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could possibly cut from any line item and then staffing is last. But we believe that with the override we can provide more or less the the level services that we need to provide to kids. We will we

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be asking teachers to do more? Yes. Will you have larger class sizes? Yes. Will you have um I I I'll give a scenario. So, right now, I think the easiest scenario to sort of wrap your head around is um nurse a a nurse. I'll use

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this is an example. Okay, we have a nurse um at the school and we came out of COVID and right there was contact tracing and there were all there were a lot of the nurses did a heavy lifting.

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Okay, we've come out of COVID and we have nursing staff. So, we're taking a look at our nursing staff. Okay, now we have an RN and you have an LPN. So, being fiscally responsible in this time of budget concerns. So, all right, do we

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have an LPN position? This is an example, right? It we'll still have the same level of service sort of in the nursing suite or wherever it is. Um, but you know, of course, the RN will have to now distribute more medication, right?

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But maybe the the band-aids and the ice packs are going to go for to the LPN, right? So, it's an example of a cost-saving measure that we can employ. It's asking teachers to do more with less, yes, but c can we legally meet our

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responsibilities to students by making those cuts? and and do we want to? Absolutely not. But we have find ourselves in a place where we have to. So that is an example of one of the strategic cuts we could make. Again, if

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the override passes, it would be strategic decisionm. >> Can I interject for one second? I want to remind the public if they're wondering why we are talking about even a yes vote on the override requires nearly another million dollars in cuts from the budget that we had proposed and passed in March. That is because of what

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the mayor was very clear at the initial press conference that the strategic shortfall is upwards of $8 million. The budget task force opted not to ask the citizens for that full 8 million plus. They are asking for 6.9 million which is

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the minimum to try to protect level service across all departments. And it requires all of our departments, depending on the percentage that we play in the overwride city budget, to make cuts from the initial budgets we had proposed earlier this spring. Would you say that's a fair assessment?

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>> I we repeat it a lot, but this is a very complex issue and some people are tuning in for the first time. So go ahead. Thank you, Dr. Boss. Yep. So again, like the override strategic, it would be very strategic. It would be, you know, it would be employing like like you had

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mentioned to then not put the burden on the taxpayers and we recognize that we're in this situation. So, we will do we are uncovering every rock possible um while meeting our legal obligations. If the override fails,

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you have scenario two and we are looking at staff reduction of 2,519,270 because you know we and we trimmed the most amount possible from the rest of

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the line items. Um, in scenario two, the total amount to the school district is 2,771,418. Can I make one more comment for the I just want to reiterate to the public the kind of work that's been happening behind the scenes. When we say we've cut every item, we have cut things. When we

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hired Dr. Bal, she was a first year superintendent. There was a mentorship program that is a few thousand dollars yet. That's cut. Uh, this school committee will no longer be attending the annual conferences at the Cape. That's cut. Literally, anything that we

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can cut that saves a salary or saves a position or saves an academic program has been cut. When we get to look to $2.77 million, >> it's just >> we have no other choice. Yeah. >> Now we're talking people. Now we're

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talking personnel. I just want the public to understand literally every pen and pencil and subscription and everything everything has been reviewed. Go ahead Dr. Walsh. You are correct. Um and you know um Julia sorry Franks our

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budget director has been amazing um at trying to uncover all the rocks. Right. We renegotiated a copier contract um to save us some money but that was >> $80,000. >> Yep. just to get to level service for this year. >> Yep.

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>> So, um this is where we are. We find ourselves in either scenario one or scenario two. So, I have some options. We have to talk about staffing decisions. So, um I have some options to present, but before we make uh that

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presentation, I have some definitions to review. I could hear Laura in my head when I was putting this together. um clarification. There are a lot of acronyms in education and I just wanted to kind of go over because I'm going to

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be talking about these things right now. So, we have what is called um nonprofessional teaching status. NPTS is what it's called. It's often referred to as non-tenure. So, I know a lot of

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people can sort of relate to tenure. um educators. An an NPTS educator is somebody who is in their first three consecutive years of teaching in East Hampton. You could have 20 years of experience. You could um you know be a

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veteran teacher, but you are new to East Hampton. You become a nonprofessional teaching status educator because it is from your higher date in your current district. Right? >> So that is one of the the criteria. The second is you have to be doing that

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consecutively. And the third is you have to be teaching under an appropriate license. So if you are licensed as a biology teacher, but you're teaching chemistry, that year will not count. So we do everything, you know, we post for the positions. We try

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to we hire the most qualified person for that position. Um because our our goal is to get everybody to professional teaching status to have a a veteran tenur staff. Um so we have that sort of bucket the nonPTS

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um that the per our EA contract and per um legal requirements. June 15th is the day for notification of nonPTS educators to tell them their status. And if you go

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back to that timeline that I had presented before, you heard me say May 15th. You heard me say letters are going to go out. Um, and I I we made the decision to do that to let people know

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as early as possible. Do I do I want to do this? Absolutely not. Um do I think it is um fair to employees to let them know about their status as early as possible? Yes. It also um teachers who

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are non-renewed are eligible for unemployment. Um and once they get the letter um that a non-renewal notification, they can start the unemployment process. So they can upload their documents. They they can prepare

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get themselves prepared. um if they are if they don't receive that letter of reasonable assurance and I think it is only fair and right to give people as much time to do that as possible so that there isn't a lapse in

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pay for some individuals. So giving people and also we do not want this to happen, but it also allows them time if other positions in other districts are posted to apply for those positions

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before people who don't need jobs are looking, you know, maybe to just change districts. Do I I we do not want that, right? We have amazing staff. Um but I also think for fairness and for equity

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that giving them as much notice as possible is what I think is right and just by people. So um we don't in that non-renewal notice we don't have to give a it could be for it could be for a

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whole host of things that educators receive um a nonPTS sorry a non-renewal notification and we have this other thing called a reduction in force so that is specifically outlined in the EA contract so it's basically where you

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look at people's lensure their seniority and you look at programs and you make strategic decisions based on program. So that is a reduction in force. You're saying okay based on budgetary implications we cannot offer X program

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so we need to then cut that program. Then we start to look at educator lensure we start to look at seniority. It is a very complicated process and it involves a lot of time working with the union working with educator lensure to

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figure out how that reduction to force process works. It's also subject to the grievance procedure. So not getting that process right has implications legally and financially. And would you say relative to like let's say for example

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this is a process that might have been reviewed for example when we consolidated the three elementary schools and the single middle school into one building. This they might have taken that year proceeding to assess programs redundancies you know people approaching retirement

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etc. And with 12 months of planning and some assurance about the programming you're maintaining you can kind of maintain this reduction in force tree. this situation where the turnaround is less than 30 days. >> It is is very complicated process.

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Incredibly fraught. I have a stack of paper on my desk for educators that are adding additional licenses. They are renewing licenses. So, it is like the target is moving constantly. We get uh prek prek enrollment numbers, right?

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That you're like, "Oh, wait. We have 12 new kids registered. We're going to need another K classroom." We had five students enrolled last week and uh four of those students require special programming. So it's this very much a jigsaw puzzle that you're trying to

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navigate um while being mindful of seniority in lenture and this very very um you know it is very specific in the contract. So it is very much tied to contractual obligations and teachers

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earn prof right through the through the reduction enforcement process. We're typically talking about educators with professional teaching status. So um that is also um I in non-renewal. So non-renewal is

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basically you are telling this non-renewal only applies to educators with non-professional teaching status. So, we are telling that teacher that we cannot um we're making a decision about their employment for the upcoming year. So, that is a non-renewal notification.

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Um we don't again we don't have to list the reason um for that as well. Um, and then a a letter of reasonable assurance is sort of the the the last definition that I'm going to talk about. And it is basically a piece of paper that we give

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to the educator saying we reasonably believe that you have a job here next year. So based on the number of letters that we hand out there, it's anywhere from like $50,000 to, you know, say whatever the top of the teacher salary

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is, $90,000. Those letters are basically us saying you're going to we are going to have a position for you in the upcoming year. Um >> and that we will know after June 9th after we get the certified election results. We cannot know prior to that I guess.

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>> No. Um and so if you get a re a letter of reasonable assurance, you don't you no longer qualify for unemployment. So that is sort of one of the things. It's like you if you get receive a non-renewal

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notification and you subsequently get a letter of reasonable assurance, you are no longer eligible cuz we're saying nope, we got you for next year. >> Mhm. >> Okay. So, those are sort of the definitions. Now, we're going to get into the options that I need everyone

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here to consider um about staffing and decisions and how we get to because we have to plan for the override to fail. We we h unfortunately right we have to make those decisions and then if the

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override is successful reasonable letters of reasonable assurance will then be um will be granted but we need to you know we have to plan and prepare for both scenarios and we are um but what I need you to all consider are

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three options that I'm going to present to you this evening. um option A and I'm gonna um after these options we're I I'll briefly go I'll go into the pros and cons of each of those. I talked a little bit about them um but you know just specifically for option A, B and C.

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>> Yeah, she has a separate slide guys for each option. So you can hold your questions till she gets to the specific option slide. >> So option A is um we non-renew all non-professional teaching status educators. there are approximately 40 of them in the district and uh we do that

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May 15th and I talked about why for the May 15th um and we would then provide letters of reasonable assurance to the educators that based on need programming funding override success etc that we

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will know we need some of those positions back so they will get that letter sometime between June 10 and June 15th the letter of reasonable assurance we are hoping to get them. My goal is that every teacher before they walk out

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on either the 22nd or the 23rd >> um knows their status for for the next year. Okay. >> Option B is sort of this combination of a reduction in force and non-renewal. Um so we'd issue sort of this blend of

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non-renewal and reduction in force letters based on programming and area of need. And option C is to do a reduction in force by straight seniority. So you have a list of everybody who is employed in the district and you just go through

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based on programming and you go by seniority. Um and again you look at lenture through that process. So I'm just going to go through the pros and cons of sort of A B and C. It's a very small font. I apologize. Um, option A, um, the

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non-renewal of non all nonPTS educators. Um, it is a more equitable and legally consistent process. Um, nonPTS educators are considered year-to-year contracts under Massachusetts law. Um it allows

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the district additional time to work with the principles, myself, human resources, the EA um to figure out what we need to do contractually with the reduction in force. Um it allows us a little bit of

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flexibility um while the override is sort of in limbo at the moment. um helping to avoid sort of unnecessary reductions in program like letter not letter letter not letter um and then there typically

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in Massachusetts um this is what happens in districts that are facing budget crisis um this is something that's employed across the state I pulled letter right from the MTA and right from that letter says you know

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typically um districts that are facing financial crisis this will employ this as one of the one of the options um to do that. Um, you know, the cons here, and this is

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a con for I think all options, right? We we care about our teachers. Their emotional support and stability matters to us in receiving this letter. Doesn't it you're it is somebody's life

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that you're handing a letter to and we understand that. Um and some of these letters who some of these teachers that receive these notices, they might start looking elsewhere. Um and this does not also, you know, um

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provide us uh we still may have to make additional cuts. Um you know, this isn't the solution because we know that we need some of these programs. Um so that is option A but again highlighting that it is sort of employed

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by other districts and that it is equitable and at least a legally consistent process. option B which is this sort of blend of reduction in force and non-renewal notifications

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um it allows us um to take sort of more targeted approach this program that program but like I had mentioned that is sort of a moving target every single day um we are getting new numbers we're getting special ed we have a lot of end ofear evaluations for IEP meetings and

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placements are changing daily and you know the RIFF process is bound by legal obligations and it and making mistakes on that could be costly to the district. Um again it giving we don't have a lot

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of time and I think you know some districts that are facing an override have significant amount of time to plan and prepare what this process could look like. Um and we don't have that luxury of time right now. Um some of the cons

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of this right again like I mentioned right it's sort of a moving target it's very complicated making mistakes in this um are subject to the grievance procedial procedure in legal counsel so making a mistake in sort of a giving a reduction in force letter to a educator

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who has PTS status our teachers have earned that professional teaching status um and that gives them protections um and the timeline line for the reduction in force is not outlined in our contract but it is for the nonPTS

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right we have to notify them by June 15th there I mean our goal is to do that for all educators but there is no contractual obligation for the reduction in force um and again even if like all the planning in the world we get a piece of

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paper for a lensure it literally throws off it's and it's you you know, an educator who has um an elementary license uh pre-K to six can teach any grade level. So, you know that then you're if you have to add a a grade two,

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right? Who do you add by seniority? This person gets this license and then sort of you're playing this game. It's not a game, but you're trying to match up lensure, seniority, experience, and all of that comes into consideration. >> And many of these educators have more than one. >> Correct. like you can be prek through

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six and special education for example you know >> you could have an ESL license there we we have you know our educator lure sure sort of data is like this thick and it we're adding and taking away and some people have a primary license you can

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add a license um and then this option C the pros and cons here um you know when we started this process the union was like we've historically done reduction in force um by seniority in this district. And you know, my thinking on

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that is we've this is unprecedented time. We have never had to cut 2 million 20% of staff. >> We've never So, I'm going to I'm going to take past precedent here on sort of the reduction in force and put it over

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here because this is really unprecedented times. um and you know considering being fiscally responsible. If you go by straight seniority, you could have an educator who is lower

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on the seniority list that is, you know, has more experience who is $75,000 and then higher up on the seniority with the same license. And they could even just be a a week in between $54,000.

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And if you do straight by seniority, you you would accept you take the 94 or I don't forgot what 75. We'll say 75 and 50 will go easy. You take the 75,000 first over the 50 and we have to

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consider every we have amazing teachers. We have to consider every the entire scope of our current fiscal situation. So um it it is strictly that the con of that right. strictly going by seniority. You're not

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taking into consideration any other budgetary considerations. Um and again, you you know those lower cost positions. Um you we have to consider that right now. So those are I I'm willing to answer

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some questions. We have options A, B, and C. None of them which I am and we know that none of these are any options we would consider any other time any other place. What's your preference in your professional estimation?

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Um I think that the non-renew option A non-renewal of nonPTS educators is legally and contractually the Does anyone have questions about the

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three options? >> And just know that that is not the the the end. That's not going to answer all of our problems, right? It is a start. It'll give us a little bit of time and we need time. And I I can tell you I know I need time.

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>> Mhm. >> With Oh, sorry. >> With the middle option B, reduction force and non-renewal. Is there um a likelihood that you're sending out these notices to people and since you're saying it's a moving it's a moving target. You're sending out notices to

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people and then a week later saying actually you don't. >> Yeah. >> That's my that's what you know shot up to me. I've been pink slipped before as a teacher and if you can avoid giving people that anxiety and then removing it and then they're thinking is that going to happen again where it seems like

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the A and C are more streamlined to this is >> if you did A and let's say worst case scenario override fails called dead body everybody but let's just play that game then um we may be faced with additional

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reduction in force because there isn't a time limit on the reduction in force >> there. There is not there's nothing in the contract that so we do have more time with the reduction in force but for now we could just limit it to option A

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>> for for non-renewal of nonPTS. >> Does anyone else have questions? This is like super highlevel administrative work. I think Michelle is just making every effort to be extraordinarily transparent, but we are not expert. >> I like appreciate the opportunity to

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hear about all three of these options and kind of understand your thought process and um I haven't been a superintendent before uh during a um fiscal crisis um or at any other time. So, this has been like I I appreciate

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you kind of describing each of these options. To me, the first one I'm I'm leaning in that direction. It seems like that is is also what you seem to think would work best. And I I think the thing that that I prefer about it is that from

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from my perspective anyway, it's easiest for me to explain like out of those three options, that's the one that if I've if I've got people from the public asking me, it's it's easiest for me to explain to them kind of how these decisions are being made. I I think that

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knowing that other districts that this is, you know, MTA sort of recognizes this is a strategy, not a strategy, that this is >> um something that you you may have to do as a district. Um because you are an at

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unfortunately in your first 3 years, you're a year-to-year contract. Yeah. >> And but I do I've prepared sort of anou um that I am going to send out. So, if you are an educator and you do receive a non-renewal notice, um what does that

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mean for you if you then subsequently get a letter of reasonable assurance, right? Cuz we are going to call back any and all educators we can, right? Ultimate goal is override passes and we issue letters of

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reasonable assurance. People know where they stand. Um, and what does that then mean for you as somebody who this process just happened to? Well, you know, I have an a memo that says basically your original date of hire stays, right? Your acred sick time

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stays. >> It's as though you never got correct. It's like an invalidation. Now that the budget has shaped up and the override is successful, I can now reasonably assure

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that you have a position for next year. >> Linda has a question remotely. Linda, do you want to unmute? >> Go ahead. >> I just wanted to um first say that I share with you Michelle, we see that

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our teachers are our most valuable asset. We all agree with that and this is an unfathomable decision that we are looking at. But I do I agree with Sam.

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Uh I think option A for me is the one that I can see well this is the group. We're not saying they're not dedicated. We're not saying they are not great teachers. We are not saying anything of that. This is just the group that it

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seems that we can at least on a yearto-year contract basis. I feel that that is the best option right now in my mind. And again, none of these are options that are easy for any of us who

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truly care about public education in East Hampton. >> Thank you, Linda. you had something. >> I just wanted to add one more thing too, like and and I think we're all we're all trying to make sure that this that this

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clear that we understand kind of how um how uh this decision is going to impact real people's lives. And like Eric had said, you know, that he um had been pink slipped before. My my wife spent 6 years of getting pink slipped from one

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district to another because she wasn't able to get that those three years in one place and it was just unlucky. Um and um it was really hard on our family and um I just want to say that I um I'm I'm with you and your family going

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through this. You know, I know what that's like. I'm sorry. Could I say something? >> Of course, Bonnie. >> Um, first of all, I just want to thank you so much, Michelle, for like

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completely laying this out because it is a whole world that as a school committee member, I'm this is administrative stuff that like you know the ins and outs of and you work closely with the union to figure this stuff out and I so

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appreciate that. Um, this is really brutal and I just want to like say this to the public. I think people really the the feeling in the room which if you're online you're not feeling exactly what's happening here.

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It is brutal and holding the intensity of this is really beyond a lot of people's capacity. Um I think option A is um it seems the

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clearest. It is something we can repeat and understand. And I want to say one thing having been laid off before it is doesn't as though it it affects people and it's very personal for those individuals.

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the um timeline issue is less personal. It is a really clear way to look at it. It's not someone's goal of a program. I mean, certainly those things could come, but if you've like, you know, picked uh

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something to teach that doesn't get valued in the way we would like it to get valued, this is not in this first option. you're not having to struggle with that as well. This is simply time in, you know, in the

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district for now. And I think that's actually in a fiscal crisis that can actually be a little bit helpful. >> Yeah. >> Um because you're not soul, you know, soulsearching. I mean, I was a philosophy major. I mean, I spent a lot of time soulsearching.

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Um and you know it was not a valued uh major I might add. Um >> every school committee needs a philosopher. >> Absolutely. Absolutely. So I I really um

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I think option A feels like it gives a little bit of time. there's a little bit of air and um that people sitting with the pink slip

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can know that this is truly about how much time in the district has nothing to do with how extraordinary you actually are and what you've chosen for your life goals. Um, we appreciate the fact that you have chosen to teach in this

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district that we love, like as school committee members, you know, like we love East Hampton and this is a devastating place that we're at. But option A seems to me and

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listening to Dr. Balsh whom I trust completely. She is letting us know exactly what would work best for her and I really see why it would. Um and so I

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really I support that option. >> Anyone else nar? >> Yeah, I think I can do this. Um, you know, it's I think it's for me this is extraordinarily difficult. Um, you

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know, I I too was pink slipped 5 years in a row. Um, and coming from being a, you know, a teacher for 25 years to being mayor and having this be my first budget experience is a little bit uh, intense to say the least. So, you know,

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I think it's um you know, there's a lot of blame to go around. I feel a very extreme weight related to this um because I can empathize deeply with the experience that people are going through

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now. So, you know, for me, I like I I mean, I think option A seems like it's the cleanest, but it's none of these options are >> are acceptable, you know, and so um you and I think that that goes for me this

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becomes a mission, which is, and this is what I'm why I'm working like 12 to 15 hour days every day, which is how do I figure out how to minimize the impact of this regard regardless of the outcome of what we're doing and finding ways to

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bring revenue and advocate for the city and you know again mitigate the damage that not dealing with this sooner has kind of created. Um so I don't even know if I'd said anything coherent but it's just

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it's a lot and I and I just want to acknowledge that like I get it. Um, and uh, I'm going to do whatever I can to help move us forward. >> Thank you, Mayor. >> Anything else?

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No, I just I was going to say the consistency in a sounds like it's you mentioned legality and I I think with money being the top issue that we don't need to take risks of what if we misstep in in BNC and I think your priorities

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are going to be to staff the buildings as best and equitably as possible. And I think if we're if we're in the mud on B and C and worrying about other things, it's just pulling your attention away from what's the most important priority. >> Thank you. Don't ever let the city say

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that the people that are serving aren't willing to sacrifice. >> Um, >> okay. Um, do we want to wrap this? >> Do we need a motion? >> No, we don't need a vote. This is an administrative that this is um Dr. Dr.

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Ber going above and beyond by really trying to educate us on the administrative options that she was faced with and what she's chosen to do moving forward. So, our next um meeting is May 26th and that will be it's a big meeting. Um

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it'll be the override numbers, it'll be the non-override numbers, it'll be the programs, the stipens, all of the things on the table if the override is not successful. um and you know our very lean budget

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and yeah we'll be presenting both those options and how we can get to those numbers um meeting our legal obligations to students. >> So basically to the public we've already talked about what those numbers are. So what we'll be presenting on the 26 are

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the details of how we got to those numbers. >> Yep. >> Okay. and it might include additional sort of like decisions about reduction in force. I think we'll have a little bit more information on enrollment. Um more IEP meetings will have happened. Um

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and we'll have, you know, a better sense of where we are. >> Can I add like one more thing? Um, I I just want to also point out because I think like there's been a lot of kind of changing uh there's been like a changing understanding of our city's budget

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really quickly in the last few weeks and if this was like normal times and we were talking about um a $900,000 cut to the school budget, like we wouldn't be happy about that. You know what I mean? Nobody would be like, "Okay, that's the good option." You know, like if we

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didn't like if if that if that was what had been presented, we would have people coming and speaking about >> we would have a packed room talking about a million dollars from the level tonight. So like I just want to make it really clear because I've heard some

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conversation in various Why aren't you offering a middle option? >> Why aren't you offering a middle option? This is the middle option. There it is. >> Because the middle opt offering a middle option in other communities did not work and it confused people and um there's data that shows that and this is the middle option. Like we are we are not

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asking >> stitched together enough that it's worth asking the public to increase their taxes. >> This is the middle option. So this is the compromise. We're cutting $900,000 from the school budget from a level service. Honestly, like I'm I'm angry

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about that, but I can't actually spend time being angry about that because that's if we >> million. Exactly. That's the good. So, that really bothers me. >> Um, and I just I don't think that the public has a great understanding of that and um I I would like them to. So, the

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people put a microphone in front of my face. >> How about a megaphone on the >> um So, >> all right. Well, I think this is a the intensity. >> Thank you. Thank you for everything. >> Like I and I mean that like everything.

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>> I think the next few days at the schools are going to be really tough. I recognize that. >> Um our principles are going to be having conversations with staff. It's it's going to be really hard. Um and I appreciate everyone's understanding. I

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thank you for all being here. Um if we didn't have to be here, you know, it would be everybody's first choice. But um so thank you for everyone and my heart is going out to everybody. >> Thank you Michelle. Okay,

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>> we're going to move on to the business update. Uh Julia Sari Franks is attending a conference representing the district. Probably the last conference we will >> last conference for the next decade that any of us will get to go to. >> That's right. Um, so I am going to take the helm of

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the business update, which is, you know, aside from everything we've already discussed, pretty light. Uh, we're going to begin with the FY26 local appropriation report. Um, according to data, as of April 30th, 79% of the local appropriation has either been spent or

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is encumbered. Um, also, the East Hampton Public School Department is requesting that the items belonging to the IT department and listed on a memo that we have attached in our packets be declared as surplus equipment. the items are outdated and have been been replaced by other equipment in the district. Um,

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this includes this is stuff they're finding as they're cleaning out old offices and buildings. It includes 70 desktop computers, 116 laptop computers, 67 Wi-Fi connectors, various cords, cables, and connectors. Most outdated and not functional. They've been in

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storage awaiting an opportunity to dispose of them in a responsible manner. And then this this electronics recycling event that we talked about earlier is giving us an opportunity to do this. Each of these items has an estimated dollar value of less than 500 bucks. Um, so we can dispose of them once we

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declare them surplus equipment. Uh, so I would entertain a motion to approve the declaration of listed items as surplus equipment and authorize their disposal. >> Uh, so moved. >> Thank you, Sam. Can I get a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Eric. We have to do a roll call vote because one of our members is remote. So we are going to begin with

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Bonnie. I >> Eric >> I >> Sam >> I >> mayor >> I >> Linda >> I >> thank you Linda Laura Scott I motion passes. Uh the next is um a funny little sticky wicket about chapter 44 revolving

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accounts. Um we had lost book accounts prior to the consolidation at MVS. And so what we have discovered is that there was a lost book account for Maple Center in Pepin. And um what Julia

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is suggesting is that we create a new chapter 44 or lost book revolving account for MVS Elementary at large. So we'll we'll do that motion first and then the secondary motion will be to close those individual accounts. Does that make sense to everybody? Okay,

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great. So, I will entertain a motion to approve the creation of a chapter 44 lost book revolving account for the MVS elementary school. >> Uh, so moved. >> Thank you, Sue. Can I get a second? Thank you, mayor. Uh, we are going to roll call. Bonnie, >> I. >> Uh, Eric, >> I.

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>> Sam, >> I. >> Mayor, >> I. >> Linda, >> I. >> Laura Scott, I. Motion carries. Thank you. Uh the second I will entertain a motion to approve the closure of the chapter 44 lost book revolving accounts for MA Maple Center and Pepin schools

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and the transfer of any remaining funds into the newly created MVS elementary chapter 44 lost book revolving fund. >> Uh so moved. Second. >> Thank you Sam. Thank you mayor. Uh Linda >> I. >> Thank you Bonnie.

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>> I Eric >> I >> Sam >> I >> mayor >> I >> Boris Scott I. Motion carries. Um, and the last action item we have under the finance report is um, our transportation contract extension. So, we currently have a contract with Durham School

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Services. It was a three-year initial contract beginning in FY23. Um, and then it gave us the option to extend for up to two additional one-year renewal periods. So, we did a one-year renewal last year. This is our last option for a one-year renewal. we would

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be flatout idiots not to take it because the one-year renewal right now is just a 3% increase. And I don't know if you've watched oil markets lately, but if we were to go back to market, it would be um much much much much more. >> Let's just freeze that as long as we can. >> Yeah. Well, we only got one more. Wish

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we were on year four, but we're on year five. Um so I will entertain a motion to approve exercising the option for the second one-year renewal extension with Durham School Services for transportation. This is a just an aside for public. This is our general big red or big yellow buses. This is not

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vanpool. This is not special ed transportation. This is not mckin vinto. These are standard gen. >> Go to my Facebook page to see all about it. >> That's right. Okay. So, I will entertain that motion to approve exercising the option for the second one-year renewal extension with Durham School Services for transportation services for FY27. >> Uh, so moved.

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>> Thank you, Sam. Can we get a second? Thank you, Mayor. Uh, Linda, >> I Bonnie, I Eric, >> hi. >> Sam, >> I. >> Mayor, >> I. Laura Scott I. Motion carries. Um and lastly, Julia included a included a personnel report for the month of April

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26 where we are happy to announce that we had one hire and it was a substitute custodian and we are so thrilled that he is joining us. Patrick Celloy maybe a fellow Frenchie. Bonjour, welcome. We're happy to have you.

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All right. Uh I don't believe we have any other new business. Um I don't believe we have a policy subcommittee. >> We don't. But there have been a bunch of updates that um the Mass Association for School Committees just put out their policy updates. So I'm going to go through that. One of them is um um

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finally I'm really excited about the um there's there's there was a new law well there was new guidelines from um Desi regarding restraint and seclusion um of uh kids and uh there's suggested policy updates from MASC. So, I'm going to be

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um getting that on our agenda and we'll be looking at our >> Furthermore, the public may remember that earlier this year the committee unanimously voted to enter into a contract with MASC to do a policy project to the tune of $3,500. We have

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temporarily cut that because we are cutting everything person that we possibly can. So, we are going to do that work by our >> So, my other So, actually my other my other kind of update in that regard is I'm going to spend this summer kind of putting I'm going to talk with um Liz

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Leond at um MC and get see how much I can get for free um of in terms of their support and in coming up with some structured way to kind of go through and update our policies. >> Right. as we do um we do not have a finance

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subcommittee update aside from the ongoing budget conversations that we are not doing in subcommittee. We have just brought that conversation forward to the full committee throughout CES. Linda, you have not yet had your first solo CES meeting, right? >> They're meeting at the end of May. >> The end of May.

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>> The end of May will be my first. >> Okay, wonderful. So, Linda will report back after that first meeting. Um I believe that brings us to future meetings. Um, our next meeting is May 26. That one's a doozy. Have some protein

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and a nap or attend remotely so you can watch. We will be talking about details. Yes. And the June 11th is a date change. >> And the June 11th, right, was initially going to be June 9th, which is the Tuesday, but for obvious reasons, we delayed that June 9th meeting until

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Thursday, June 11th. Um, we're just going to leave it there. Uh, I will entertain a motion to adjurnn. >> Uh, so move. Second. >> Thank you, Sam. Thank you, mayor. We're going to roll call out. Linda, >> good night. >> I hope you all consider everything you heard tonight. Good night.

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>> Thank you, Linda. Bonnie, >> good night. Eric, >> good night. >> Sam, >> good night. >> Mayor, >> good night. >> Okay, Scott, good night. Thank you, East Hampton.