Good evening. I'd like to welcome everybody to the school committee meeting scheduled for May 26, 2026. Uh it is now 6:33 p.m. Um I will be starting the meeting because as we've had a um an election, we have a new member on the team on the on the
committee. So I'd like to uh start that with a point uh creating a vote for each of the positions in the um on the committee. So the first order of business is to appoint a chairperson. I'd make a motion to appoint a chairperson to the school committee for
the FY27. I nominate Jen Bartas. >> Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Okay. All in favor? >> I. >> It feels weird to vote for myself. >> Motion carries. >> Okay. Thank you very much for that. I
appreciate that, Liz. Um, next we have um chairperson. Um, >> we need to have um a chair p person. Are there any volunteers or nominations?
>> I nominate my colleague Trevor Augustino cuz he's fully retired and has I was going to nominate you. >> But I um Well, >> it's the early bird that gets the worm. >> Thank you. Well, thank you. >> I think you'll be fine with your
experience. You'll do a good job >> and we'll we'll we'll work together. It'll be fine. >> If you're good, I'm going to second that. >> Thank you. >> Actually, I can't can I can you can we have a second for that? >> The chairperson technically cannot.
So, >> second. >> Okay. Thank you. Um all those in favor? >> I >> Okay, >> thank you. Now for the subcommittee organizations, we have um policy, budget and finance,
um evaluation, superintendent evaluation, and those are really the three that we've been using. We had a community outreach or something to that effect that it was called at one point. We can have discussion if we want to continue that or if we want to stick
with the three and we can have add some community outreach as part of our meetings. Thoughts, discussion on that piece? >> Well, it's always good to have community relations in place in case we need it. No.
>> Fair. I just we seem to it seems that we don't ever end up having that portion of a subcommittee meeting because there's other things that are >> Yes. So, I'm wondering if there's a way that we could build as not a subcommittee, but build into the agenda once a quarter, once a month, whatever,
every other meeting, every third meeting, something about community outreach as a different way to tackle it, thoughts, >> Trevor, >> a pressure now. We did we did some good community outreach this weekend, but I I
think yeah, we need to do more and agree with that. But I think just somehow to get on the agenda, I think would be a good idea. >> How about this? I'm going to throw this out there. We'll see if maybe we think outside the box for from now until the end of the year. From now until
December, let's try having it rotate through on the agenda. And if we don't feel that that's giving enough time, we can then add it back as a subcommittee and um then it'll be back in the rotation. Is that a fair assessment?
>> Okay, great. So um Jenny, you've got that in the um in the notes, my friend. >> So uh just once once a month >> uh one either once a month or >> meet twice a month. So just do the second meeting if you want or the first meeting is usually something I can put
some information out about that in the meetings and we can discuss some some specific topics that might be of interest or or how we can move forward on that. >> Yeah. So, I mean, let's try for we'll we'll start with the um next meeting u as long as it's not a regular um
subcommittee meeting and we'll go from there. So, whenever that and then we'll we'll have some discussion at that point about how we want to see it go from there. >> Sure. >> All right. So, um, now to get people on
to our three existing subcommittees. The first one is policy. Liz and Trevor have been on that one. This is your chance to relinquish if you so feel so inclined. If not, we can have um the two of you
continue. I've enjoyed it very much and it's been a good learning experience for me to, you know, get into those policies and working with Liz has been a good guide for me. >> I was going to say we're in the middle of section J, too. So, it' be good to have Trevor and and myself stick.
>> Yeah, >> perfect. >> Have to vote on those. Well, it's the most important section student. >> Yeah. Yeah. Big one. >> Um, with those two um nominations, I will take a motion to have Liz and Trevor on policy.
I'll make said motion. >> Can I have a second? >> Second. >> All those in favor? I. >> Next is budget. Um, we have a longstanding practice slashprecented here that the chair is on the budget and
finance committee. So, by proxy, I'm on that. Is there anyone that would be interested in sitting in on that one? >> My work experience was very heavy in budgets. um finance, grants, bonding, uh
>> fabulous. >> He's a natural. >> Seems seems like that's what >> I ran the public utilities for the city of Chapi. >> Okay. >> So, >> so I did all the bonding on council. Um I set the rates for water and sewer. I'm going to commission water and sew commission meetings.
>> You're going to be my new favorite person. >> I mean, so I I did a you know rate I set sewer rates, water rates. >> Excellent. You're going to be fine for this. Well, you're fine. But at least I have a little bit of experience that maybe help. >> Does he need a motion? >> Yeah, we'll need good experience for
that. >> And you're Tom or Yes. Okay, great. I just didn't know if it was Tom or Thomas. Didn't want to make any assumptions. >> I'll I'll make a motion for Thomas Hamill to be placed on the um business. What is it? Budget committee. Budget and finance committee. >> Can I have a second?
>> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> Thank you. Next is um superintendent evaluation. So I don't that's been um Liz and Trevor again and you guys are sort of in the middle of it. Uh thoughts about
continuing or do you does anyone want to step off or on? >> I'm happy to stay on it as well. >> Yeah. Yeah. Again, we are right in the middle of it. But um by the end of the summer, of course, by Juling
here tonight with the recommendations, we'll be done with this year, but we'll be starting a new year, >> right? >> Um so yeah, I'm I'm happy to stay on. >> Okay. Can I I will take the motion. >> Oh, me said motion. >> Can I have a second?
>> Second. >> All those in favor? I >> Look at that. We're We're summarily reorganized. >> That's CES. Oh, see I don't I don't even Right. >> I don't even have um those on here.
>> It's a hyperlink. >> Oh, okay. >> You click the hyperlink. >> Um CES is um is one. Uh and negotiations is not technically a subcommittee, is it? I don't believe it is. >> Yeah, I think so. >> I think it is during but only when we
have negotiations. It's only this year. >> Um Okay. So, I would like to do what committees always do and nominate the new guy, but um
CES is really in the middle of it. Um and we have just started policy work over there and we have a new executive director coming in. Um and so having said all that, I think staying on would be important.
>> Can I ask what is CES? >> You can't. It is the collaborative for educational services. It is located in Northampton. Uh we are one of 37 member districts.
Each uh member district um identifies a school committee representative to sit on the board of directors over there. Um, I think that, um, it's a pretty good team going right now. And I think we've
realized that for quite some time now, a lot of the work that the board of directors should have been doing hasn't been done. And part of that is because every committee nominates the new person. Um, and so new people come on and they're like, "Yeah, okay. So moved.
Let's keep going." Tom, we use them to um provide professional development for us. They provide some um alternative educational services for for some of our students. They're a great resource for all the districts um who can't um it's where we get kind of a >> all of us get together to join up and
they provide us like I said PD what else do they provide? um >> PE alt services um >> bidding ser like cont for supplies school supplies there's collective bidding um >> transportation maybe in the future >> oh good yeah other collaboratives do
transportation >> um >> yeah so then there is an economy is a scale of having all the member districts rather than everybody working independently for these some of these projects they offer things we couldn't afford to do on our own >> okay do you
you talked about baiting and contracts. You ever you are you able to use the state contracts too? >> Yes. >> Okay. So everything's available state, county, city, Boston. >> Y >> but in some of these cases like for
professional development uh they do pro they do have uh two alternative schools here, one in Northampton, one in Holio. Um and and districts out of the the collaborative who need to send students
there, not that it's a cheap price by any means, but do get to send students there at discounted price. Um certainly districts who are not part of the collaborative can send students there and it costs them more. Um they've
talked again about re-establishing their lensure pathway given how many um around us um teachers are not fully licensed. >> So it's providing professional
development there. Uh early childhood services. >> Do you pay a fee to be part of this collaborative? >> Yes. >> Is a substantial fee? >> Not really. Yeah, >> but it's worth it's um it's worth it to be a part of it because you you get to
be a part of the bigger picture. >> Yeah. You get more more buying power with with all the districts for things like that. >> Yeah. And they really uh during that whole search for the um the new executive director, there was a lot of conversation about how valuable it would
be to have transportation because it's small pieces of Hamden Franklin. um Hampshire counties. So Franklin and Hampshire counties in particular um are the more small and rural districts who are struggling with
these contracts. Um and so while it won't happen overnight, I suspect there'll be a lot of research u done in in this coming school year about being able to get that model up and running to help save I would think significant money for the districts.
>> We'll see. So, is this considered professional services? >> Yes. >> Yes, it's a professional services company. >> So, it's exempt from 30B. You just uh pick the best company to do it. >> I don't know the entire >> I I think that that's what would happen with the collaborative >> with the collaborative.
>> Yeah. >> Um for a busing bid, it would go out and follow 30b for the busing bids. >> Oh, professional services. Yeah. The collaborative must be exempt and you just pick the best company or that the only company.
>> Well, the collaborative would um be looking to run the transportation by and large. >> Yeah, >> we're not there yet. Yeah, we're not doing that yet. >> It would be a big upfront cost which is obviously the will be the main concern. Um
>> um and getting districts to buy in so they know that their investment is will they'll be able to recoup on their investment and provide those services. We'll see where that goes. >> Okay. >> All right. So, um Liz, you're um you're good. I don't think we voted on that
yet. >> Yeah, I'll keep I'll you know, I'd like to hand it over, but I'll I'll stay there because there's a lot going on. >> Again, we can have a discussion later if it gets to be too much. Um you know, >> it would just be unfair for a new person to jump in right now, I think. >> Sure.
>> Um with that said, I will take the motion for Liz for CES. Um, I'll make a motion for Liz Lefon to be the representative to CES. >> Can I have a second? >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> Um, next is meeting minutes from April
28th, 2026, which are in your folder. Tom, are you all set up in the folders and everything? >> I sort of >> I'm around. >> Anytime you can Yeah. If you need a couple lessons, it's fine. I can help you out. Um so anyway um the meeting
minutes are in there. If you um feel comfortable, you can uh recuse yourself from the from the >> Okay, great. Um but first I'll take a motion for the minutes >> from April 20th. >> Approve or accept? What what's the standard motion here?
>> I we've done both. >> Okay. I mean I'll accept them. They're they're fine. I did read them over. >> Can I have a second? >> Second. Um before final any questions or comments on them? Hearing none. All those in favor? >> I >> I.
>> And the last is um warrants 0065, 0067, and 0070. >> They're going around for signature. Um any questions or comments on the warrants? >> I do not have >> um I'll take the motion. I'll make a
motion to accept warrants 0065, 00067, and 0070. >> Can I have a second? >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I um Tom, we can touch base about what these are um afterwards. Just we'll kind of give you a little bit of a a synopsis
about >> what everything is. Okay. >> You get to drink from the fire hose this evening. >> Okay. >> We're all kind of nerdy like that. We all go through these things like it's uh >> yeah um >> my life depends on it. >> Next visitors comments. Any citizen
wishing to speak before the committee must sign in with the administrative assistant prior to the opening of the regular session of the school committee. The visitor will identify themselves by name and address and shall speak for no longer than 3 minutes. For anyone unable to sign in ahead of time, we ask that you clearly state your name and address
so that this information can be included in the record for the meeting. Although we don't have any visitors, so we will move on. Next, student representative, Miss Brena. >> Hi everyone, my name is Brena Marino. Um, our academic updates are uh
schedules are in progress for next year. Um, we're offering a cyber security class in PLTW, computer science, innovators and makers. 37 students enrolled in at least one AP course. 22 are taking more than one exam. 19
different dual enrollment courses taken this year. Sorry. Uh student leadership and representation. Brenam Marino was selected as an MIA student ambassador. We had one student
selected to participate in the Woods Hole summer program as well as the MIT summer program. School culture and environment quarter 3 attendance competition went to the seventh grade class. Community engagement class car washes, prom, calendar raffle, autism
awareness tournament, senior nights for athletics, and arts night. Future plans and goals. Student advisory council revise academic, civic, and behavioral expectations. Okay. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you for being here. >> Any questions for Brena?
>> Um I have two questions that are the same and maybe um Mayor Jane knows the answer. I'm not going to put it on you, Brena. Um since dual enrollment and advanced placement um oftent times draw
from the same small number of students, right? I'm I'm just wondering approximately the numbers or percentages of students >> that overlap. I don't have >> it would I would think. Right. Maybe if you're going out for dual enrollment, you're staying in for an AP.
>> Exactly. Sometimes it's both students will and Yeah. >> So she is one and my daughter is one where there's going to be a little bit of both in senior year APs here and um dual enrollment. I believe the dual enrollment class that you and M are in
is going to be a professor coming to the school. They're working on that, but we're not totally sure. >> Next year they're working right to bring somebody in to do the dual room classes here. That's what we're working on for next year. >> Pardon? >> HCC. >> HCC. HC. >> Okay, good.
>> Um and so yes, it's a pulls from the lot of the same kids, but in some respects, the dual enrollment opens doors to um kids that are not interested in doing AP Yeah. classes and it provides some additional um opportunities for things
that we don't have um in a small district. >> I'm a big fan of dual enrollment because you also get your feet wet on what um college is like. college is like and uh um I don't know what people think about
HCC but um I've known many young students have gone there and then gone on to fouryear and they found it in many cases more rigorous than some of the four-year colleges they went on to. So um I think that's I love dual
enrollment. I wish it was available when I was in high school. >> And what was your second question? Just the numbers they related to the same thing. How many graduating senior seniors this year? >> You can answer that. I I wrote down 40 something 40.
It's on it's it's on the list of students out of the graduating class. So congratulations to everybody. >> Were those numbers for this year or next year, Bren? >> This year. Yeah. >> Hard work pays off. >> In your notes, too. She said
>> I will. Okay. courtesy of Gam. >> Hi, I'm Trevor Augustino. Since I got on the board, I've been uh following you guys sports and just tremendous leadership and skills out there and I just want to commend you uh guys cuz again it's been really great following
you guys and most of my interaction with it is seeing you guys play out there and bravo. >> Thank you. Thanks so much. >> Sports season is just about over. our boys um lacrosse boys um >> volleyball >> volleyball >> volleyball team just won Mass.
>> Um so >> we did that and uh the girls softball team has a tournament coming up, right? >> Yep. They u uh went as far as the semifinals for Western Mass and they're in the state tournament for
um they're in the state tournament for softball. The brackets haven't been released and the boys volleyball I think has a buy in the first round and we'll be they'll be finding out later this week who they'll be playing but I believe it won't be until next week. >> Excellent.
>> So they're doing great. >> We I am learning more and more every day. We have some hardworking um young people here in the district. I love it. >> That is true. >> And this one's one of the superstars for sure. >> It pays off. You may not think so, but
it will. >> Thank you. >> Any uh any other questions for Brena? >> Thanks, sweetheart. >> Thank you. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> All right. New business. Uh vote English
and civics curriculum. I have a little slideshow presentation for um you to take a look at. Um, I know you've all probably been hearing information about the new graduation requirements and one of the graduation requirements is that we implement highquality instructional
materials. Um, but specifically what does that mean? Um, especially within the English department, we um, you know, a lot of our English departments are uh, teachermade curriculum. So, we just want to make sure that our students are uh, getting the standards they need um, and
and grade level curriculum that they need. So what we have done is um for civics and ELA um we've had some meetings and talking about what does that look like for us at the high school and specifically uh civics in grade 8.
So um the civics curriculum was a grant we received from the 18 foundation um that talked about an eighth grade civics curriculum that requires the students to do a project at the end of the eighth grade um year. Um so the grant allowed us to get some print materials, teacher
training and instructional support for the staff. Um and specifically we use something called the democratic knowledge which if you click on that it'll show you what the the um actual um lessons are about. Um it really is you can't log in there but I'll have to send
you all the link to that but is an open source and is accessible to anybody who's interested. So really we want to make sure that our physics um our civics education is really um is more rigorous for the students. And the next one um I can read my civics engagement is in our democracy. It's a year-long eighth grade
civics curriculum that helps students identify what they value, deepen what what they value, deepen what they understand, and develop what they can do to be effective change makers. The curriculum provides students and teachers with the tools they need to experience a deeper civic learning in support of students emerging civic
identities. and it is aligned with the history and social studies framework and the educating in front of the American democracy roadmap. So um the two curriculums that that I'm setting forth have been um approved by Desi and they are and a curate and they have been um
deemed high quality instructional materials. The next one is grade 6 through 12 curriculum. As I said, the vast majority of the curriculum at that level is teacher um developed. Um and when we start creating these new opportunities for the
um students to for the graduation requirements, we are going to have a lot of oversight and what does that look like in the district. So we want to make sure that our students are getting grade level material. So our teachers in grades 6 through 8 worked with our director of curriculum and Mr. Frenier
and looked at two specific curriculars curriculums uh grade 8. They selected guide books for grades 6 through 8 and Odell um high school literacy for grades 9 through 12. These two programs are vertically aligned standardsbased and they really work one they work well. I say they work wonders. They work well
with the K through 5 curriculum as a um as a holistic approach getting through. Um each of these units are centered around a core text um like a novel or play or a non-fiction book. they have some shorter readings and genres that relate to theme, subject matter um or
topic in in the core text. This allows the students develop reading and writing skills needed to read um many types of text including articles, essays, informationational text and literature. Um one description of the curriculum says designed this curriculum is
designed around excellent whole texts student build on real world contact knowledge as literary skills floors. What's really good about this is that this Odell, especially with grades 9 through 12, reflects what literature the teachers are doing right now. So, it
isn't a big change in what they're doing. It really is just directing them in um different questioning technique and different instructional strategies. So, they're not changing the text that they're using. So, they um were quite happy with it. At first, they're like, "Oh, because nobody likes to relinquish what they're doing." doing, but they
were really happy with this because it showed us as a district that we are reading grade level material, which is great, but just looking for new ways to in infuse more grammar and more um literature and more poetry and just different things, not just reading one novel. We want to take a look at different things.
>> So, as of 2022, pardon >> before we move on. >> Yeah. >> Um I was able to get into that, take a look at Does the program specify what is actually read or the teacher to me? I mean >> the teachers the teachers can choose what is right. The teachers choose they
they pick a selection from from the from the um units. >> So so the teachers have some leeway of absolutely exactly what what is >> right. It is not a scripted text and that was that was a concern of the teachers. They didn't want something that's going to be wholly scripted that they had to follow. >> And it seems like it sets up less
assists with lesson plans and things like that. >> It right. Exactly. Assist with lesson planning. Make sure are you answering what is the core question for this unit? What do we want the students to understand? things like that. No, it absolutely is. Um they were very impressed with it. They re they really truly were. Um oftentimes it's it's
really hard for teachers to give up that autonomy and so this curriculum really works well with what they're doing. They don't have to give anything up. They're still using what they're using just um we're adding more resources to them as well. >> And is that a curate product? >> It is curate. These are all curate and
curate is is developed by >> as well >> part both of them are. >> Okay. I in particular that stood out to me because it's from Louisiana but yep. Okay, cool. >> These these are these are curate curate is the um
what's the word I'm looking for is the um vetting tool that the state uses to see what is the good quality curriculum for us. So that has been used. We only use what's in curate that is a resource that we have as a as a as a state. So yes,
>> it's >> yeah almost a state requirement. It is it is a they're not calling it a requirement but they vet all these um instructional materials curriculums and say these are the best. >> Okay what you should use. >> So they do they do a little bit of leg work for you.
>> They've if you take a look I sorry >> if you take a look I got you >> I gave a list of all the curriculums we're using K through 12. Um, so since 2022, it looks like um that we've achieved the goal from the last school improvement plan of creating high
quality instructional material and I gave uh you folks a list of what we're using um K through 12 and they're pretty much in line. Um and we're really excited that if we get audited by the state that we will really have um the cache and saying that our our
curriculums are high quality for our students. So I will need a vote unless you have any more questions on it would be the grade six through eight um ELA would be called guide books and 9 through 12 is Odell high school literacy.
>> One more question if I may. So the guide books is free >> the all free that's a free >> they're all free. >> That's free. Yes. >> Um and they come >> the training is going to cost us a little bit of money. >> I think is it free? Uh
>> parts of it are not all of it are >> well there's the professional learning that teachers need to do. >> Yeah. I don't I don't think there's a big Yeah. No. >> And is there So I know there's been curriculum review teams. You've had teachers look at these. >> We did the the English department and
the social studies department both both reviewed them. Assuming you train a trainers model for curriculum development which would keep the cost for I mean for implementation >> specifically with the English the specifically with the English one that
is the model that is going to happen um in the civic products they were they've been working on it all year. So they've been working with uh folks from the democratic knowledge project to get that under control. Yes. >> And we have funding for that. We do. >> Um
I would make a motion to accept the recommendation on the English and civics curriculum um guide books as presented. And are we doing this all at once or separately? >> I think all at once.
>> All at once. So, guide books um for civics and the literacy Odell as presented by the superintendent. >> Can I have a second? >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I >> I >> I do want to on another note you >> Oh, sorry. >> Yeah, I'm Yeah, thank you.
>> We are looking to hire some um new staff members in in in our English department because one of our English teachers is um moving on back home. Um and when I interviewed this the person, they actually use Odell already. So it was really interesting that uh >> we're not have to that person may come
in and help us train our own teachers on it. So it was great. So >> all right, next is an adjustment in the 26 27 school calendar. It appears that we have two pieces of paper. >> Well, one is one is the adjusted
calendar which is um >> that's highlighted in pink at the top. >> The the pink one is the adjusted calendar. Um, it came to Jenny's attention that we've had one too many days on the calendar, Jenny, with the um
>> in November. >> Goofed it. >> So, we have to adjust that. Um, where's my notes? Okay. Um, kindergarten registration. Now that we're moving to online registrations, we do not need to have a 3-day half day for
the kindergarten um staff members. So, we are going to um take that off the agenda and we'll just be doing kindergarten registration virtually. We however will still continue to have kindergarten screening, but we didn't think that they needed to have uh 3 days
to sign up and then 3 days to register. So, um and speaking with the um elementary teacher, Mrs. Psych, the elementary principal, Mrs. Sykes, she thought that uh that was appropriate. As I said, for stu for families that need to still have online registration um or
paper registration, they can come in and work with um the staff to to get what they need for for kindergarten students. Um and then as a result of the new change of um dates for the end of
school year now being June 10th, we have to move the um result in the exam schedule at the high school to be moved as well. So really it's just removing the kindergarten graduation kindergarten screening. Oh my
kindergarten registration and just changing the date to June 10th to June from June what was it before? >> June 11th. >> June 11th to June 10th. >> 17th. >> Yeah. And then >> and the five days will now move to um >> the 17th. >> June 17th.
>> Yep. Any questions on the calendar adjustments? Figured we get that out before September. great sense to not have half days for kindergarten registration. >> We'd rather have the kids be in school.
>> Absolutely. >> Hearing none, I'll take the motion. >> Motion to approve the adjusted calendar dated May 26, 2026. I used to hate doing calendars, Jenny, because there was always
>> Can I have a second? >> Second. >> All those in favor? >> I. Next is the bus transportation contract. Todd, >> um, in your folder, I put a breakdown of the bid received by First Student. First
Student was the only company uh to bid for the three-year contract. We do a uh joint bid with Wear and Beluretown to try to get the best pricing. um in last when they did the contract three years
ago uh one of one of the other communities requested both a collective price and an individual price. So those parameters went out again this time and you can see um that had we bid individually um the price would be higher than
through the collective bid. Um so the breakdown uh for our seven uh regular routes $665,947.80 uh late bus at $20,493. Uh there's combination of three things
that makes up our um athletic and field trip um between individual route prices, mileage rate and then wait time for the drivers. Um so giving a total bid price uh um each year for the three years of
$796,8980. Um recommend that the committee vote to um accept this contract for the next three years. >> Is this how is this compared to LA uh the last >> So this is uh 12.56%
over uh the last three-year contract. And how did it factor into what we had budgeted? >> Um the overall is a little little bit higher than about 20,000 higher than what we had budgeted but with some of the savings that we've seen over the
past couple of years. Um few less runs in athletics and field trips. Uh late bus not you utilized as much. We'll be able to cover it within our existing budget line. >> Excellent. Any additional questions? And do we need to specify that we're
doing the collective? >> Yes, I would I would recommend that. Um there will be and this is the variable we'll have to find out with the community is there will be a fuel search charge um that's built into the contract based on a market rate um that
fluctuates daily. Um, in our March or I mean for our May um invoice for this current fiscal year, it was $1,900 in fuel search charge. >> That's not good news for any school district really.
>> Um, in the winter, you know, we were we had three months where we had like $225 credits because the fuel had dropped >> on the market. So, it is worded both ways in the contract. How how are they fluctuated daily? >> It it's the open market rate.
>> Price of diesel changes every day >> out of New York. >> So that's published out of I index a lot of my contracts, but they're always monthly. I've never heard of a daily before. >> So >> fuel charges are that high where they do there is a daily rate that's set. >> So right. So they'll I I think believe
there's one day in the month that they will identify as that's when they're capturing the information, but it's based on that daily fluctuation of the markets. Also, you'll notice we've had one bidder, one is what districts by and large are
getting. So, it's not um there's been a lot of conversation about this over the years. Um and bus companies talk to one another, right? So, you get one bidder. There's not a whole lot you can do with that.
If there's no further discussion, I'll take the motion. So move. >> Can I have a second? >> Second. Do you need me to spell that out? >> No, I don't. >> I didn't think so. >> Nope. >> Uh, and you second it, Trevor. Yes. All those in favor? >> I.
>> All right. up for review is our schedule of um meeting days for the upcoming year. Let's see. Um I can tell you the first one I'm I
already know I'm away. I'll be on vacation. Um but we can um do we have we had June scheduled out, right? >> Correct.
>> So Tom, the meeting dates in June, I don't know if you've been given them. We have one on June 9th and June 23rd. >> And then that's why we skip right away
to July 21st. Um, I am fine if you all want to go ahead without me or we can adjust or we can give ourselves the month off of July. The month of July off. That's what I meant.
>> So, um, may I >> Yeah. >> Um, I think that that's reasonable unless there's some particular need that Mary Jane wants to get us together. I think it's just always been I I'm perfectly fine with having the month of July off. I think it's difficult to
>> It's hard because you never know what's going to happen. Um but if something if something comes up um we can reach out and try to schedule a meeting. We have as long as we post in uh 48 hours. We're we're meeting all of our um obligations
legally. And um you know I think for right now I'm I'm comfortable with saying no um no July meeting. >> Many school committees don't have July meetings so it's not it's not unheard of. >> We've we've gone both ways. We've had times where we haven't had July meetings and then times like during co we met a
lot in July. So um you know >> may I ask another question? >> Is it time to think about um going to the one meeting a month? I know it's come up many times. We can certainly have that discussion. I'm just not sure
how it would work with the way we organized um subcommittee subcommittee meetings >> because we I don't necessarily want to give a portion of our meeting every month and have marathon long right >> meetings. That's my personal preference,
but obviously it's up for discussion. Um, >> so while I'm on the thought, um, Trevor and I are on a number of committees together, right? >> Two of them.
>> Okay. Two. Um, I will say that we have found it uh works well to meet during the day. >> Yep. that and that's fine as long as there's no adjustments that need to be made to those committees because the
reason we started having them be part of the meeting was the meeting was already posted. Um it was a time that was convenient. We already knew that all of the members had bookended that time to keep for sort of I'll say sacred for
school committee stuff rather than trying to put more strains on people's time. >> So that's working for you guys. We can certainly um we can certainly continue that and try um but the like for budget we'll it will
still be as part of um a part of this because it's an easy way for us to have the conversation and then report out immediately so that there's not you know it's um an easy way. >> So that brings us essentially down to one committee a month. Would it work
that way? >> I guess we can give it a try. we can always um re uh re readjust as needed. I just um I'm a little leery about it. Uh but especially at the beginning of the school year just
because there's so many things that happen. >> I wouldn't change March either with all the budget >> and then November and December there's like year-end stuff. Um maybe November we could have just the one meeting because of the holidays and then oh it's not touchreen in December
>> 22 November December might be reasonable one but everything is probably fine >> but then like in January we start right up with budget stuff. Um so >> I'm I'm here for it. Maybe we do. If we don't have a July meeting, then maybe we just have um I would like to have them
two meetings in August to prepare for school in case there's any changes, any anything. >> And September makes sense. >> Yep. And then um I would say the same for October. November we could just do the 10th. >> December just do the 8th. Is that going to be okay if we just have one meeting
in December, Todd? As far as financial obligations? >> Yeah, I don't see any issues. >> All right. And then January, um would you prefer one or two meetings in January as far as budget goes? >> Um January isn't heavy hitter. It would
just be that I've sent it to the town administrators on it. The new town administrators on the same timeline. Um February is when we'll have our first look at state numbers. >> February, March. Okay. >> So January we could do one. Um, is it would it be better to do the 12th and
leave the 26th because then it would be the 8th. It'd be about a month instead of a month and a half. So, no 26th J December 8th and then January 12th. >> That sounds Yeah. >> Does that sound a good compromise? >> Is that Is that good for me?
>> And then February, March, uh, April. >> I think those have to stay. >> Those have to stay just because there's so much that's happening. Um, >> I just said the one in January, >> just the one in January. So, the the the
12th um and then February, I would say I'd like to continue with um well, the balance of the year, February through June, keep those dates. Um just because it's hard to if we don't
save those dates now, they'll become it'll become difficult to get. Yeah, >> everybody. >> Yeah. And I appreciate the ones in November, December, just and plus once you hit December, January, the weather gets a little dicey. So, >> it does. >> And then if we have to change the 8th because it's a snow day or whatever, we
can always have the other date. So, >> yeah, I think >> Good. I I have a couple questions. >> Of course. What time? Are you saying November 24th is out? >> Yes. >> Okay. Um, when does the subcommittees meet? How does that work? >> Well, that's what we were talking about.
I apologize um for not making it um more clear. So typically, no I shouldn't say typically, that's the incorrect word. In historically, what we've done is have two meetings a month. One meeting is a standard business
meeting and then the second meeting we start standard business, then break out into subcommittees and then reconvene so we can have report outs on the subcommittees and then move along our merry way. um as proposed by Liz, we're trying to cut down on the number of
meetings because that has been some feedback from um individuals on the committee that it's um it's a it's a large time uh commitment for um for no pay and not a lot of glory.
>> Um >> so when will the subcommittees meet? Well, that's what so the policy um and superintendent evaluation committees will meet when they post the two of them are the subcommittee and they'll decide um when they're going to have that and
they'll post the meetings and we'll get notification of it. We can't necessarily we can attend um but three members because we're only four out of five is a quorum. Actually, three members regardless would be a quorum. So you can um go you can't participate necessarily
as far as any there should be no voting or anything um to that respect at those policy committee um meetings that are or those subcommittee meetings that are happening because of uh quorum standards. >> I can add to that if you don't mind.
>> Go ahead. So, um, the attorney general's office actually probably 15 years ago or so, um, filed an opinion saying that, and it doesn't matter the number, um, of people on the committee that any member of a
school committee can attend a subcommittee, but you may only sit in the audience, which we usually don't have, and you may only participate, as any member of the audience would. So that you don't create the appearance of
a quorum conducting the business. >> That means you can ask questions or you can just make statements >> as long as the chair calls on you. Yes. Which I in a small committee I wouldn't see a reason not to like when the last
um budget meeting here we stepped away and sat in the audience >> um so that we wouldn't have a quorum at the table. Uh so as long as it's reasonable and it's in the flow of business, I I can't see any reason why not. So especially with a new member
trying to understand what's happening. >> Okay. >> Yeah. And then um what we will do is um budget uh finance uh the budget and finance subcommittee will be part of these meetings. We'll just step away um and have um we'll ask the other two
members to step away. They can sit in the audience. we'll get our um debrief from Todd on what's going on and then we'll come we'll reconvene. So that will just be um maybe 15 20 minutes or something out of the meeting, but it
will be scheduled. And we found with especially with the budget and finance, it makes the most sense to have those be part of the standard committee meeting because it's a nice way to be able to get the information out um to the committee so that we can have some
robust discussion if there's things that are happening which with our budget it seems like there's always um things to be discussed. >> Okay. >> Right. And so um just to extrapolate that further, the reason behind the opinion from the attorney general's office is so that other members don't
attend subcommittee and then start um um expressing and sort of pushing their opinion, right? Asking questions is always good. Standing up with what's happening is always good. Um it's creating that um again that appearance of a quorum deciding.
>> Okay. Um, how about dates that I can't go to these meetings? >> If you have um dates that that you're not unable to attend, that's fine. Just let us know. >> So, I have two right away. I got two vacations planned. >> Perfect. Not a problem. >> So, >> just you can just let us know when we
get close to the meeting cuz I don't know. I only know my July date, which we ended up cancing. But if we if we can't have quorum, we'll just cancel the meeting. >> I just tell you so you know you have a quorum or not. I mean, August 11th, I will be out of the state. >> Sure. And on September 8th, I'm out of
the country. So, okay. I can't attend either one of those. >> Yep, that's fine. And um so we'll make a note of that. And if anyone else can attend those meetings when it comes up on it, um Jenny usually does a great job and reaches out just to make sure that everyone can um can attend because we've had a couple of times where it's come
down to the um to the wire. >> Say September 8th. >> I thought you said September. >> September 8th. >> Yeah, we were following on the computer. We were following on the computer as she was typing. >> She put the 6 of October.
>> I'm still 11. >> Um, can we go through the dates so I know what they are? >> That she's updating them. They'll be in the file. >> Yep. >> Okay. I can send you a copy >> and she'll um send you an updated um uh copy. >> This is updating in the file as we
speak. Yeah. Okay. vote on it >> on March >> budget hearing SC meeting SC >> school committee >> oh okay >> no it's because it's a joint meeting we have a budget hearing first which is open to um the public where we can
engage with the any members that any members of the audience they can ask questions we can answer them and then we go into our regularly scheduled um school committee meeting where we have a regular business meeting and then uh you'll see in March 30th we have a budget forum which is us strictly
discussing the b the budget right before we get ready to vote um but there's no interaction with um any participants any audience participants >> okay but during regular school committee meeting just like the policy
they just make their statements can they make a question ask a question through the chair >> um we don't have we don't have anything that's um virtual everything is in person >> that's what I mean in person somebody showed up with the >> Yep for for the budget hearing part
regular. Yep. That's why I had done the visitors comments. It's it's only during that portion of the meeting. It's not we don't take questions from the audience during the rest of the >> um thing. We have made allowances if there's um someone that's been here for
a particular topic. Um we've taken votes on um on the fly at to open the floor for a discussion. I think in my um this is the start of my ninth year here. I think it's happened like three times and most of it was co
>> Yeah. >> Co related. >> There have to be a pretty good reason. Yeah. >> Yes. And some and sometimes, you know, it's um you make a decision, you read the room, and it's sometimes it's better to have that kind of a discussion and
open the floor rather than having people misunderstand, misspeak, and create a firestorm where there doesn't need to be one. Um, so with that, I don't think we need to vote on the dates because they are um
they are a work in progress as always. Um, anything else on school committee dates? Okie dokie. Um,
continuing business is the FY25 invoice from Pro Shred Vital Records. um vital records in last spring bought ProShred which will is our company that we use for shredding confidential uh documents.
Um in that transition, Vital Records sent the invoice to someone who no longer works for the district and wasn't employed at the district at that time. So, we weren't aware of it. Um it they sent me the invoice uh a week or so ago,
so it took them quite a while. Um and in the in the change of ownership, there was it just wasn't clear and it was missed by them and by me. Um so >> motion to approve $130.32 vital records came by a good shredder
for that money. >> I know, right? Can I have a second? >> Second. >> All those in favor? I >> I >> Okay. Um, school choice update. >> I just wanted to um give an update on school choice. Um, we have about 55
school choice students. The vast majority of them are from South Hadley. Um, so now that uh South Hadley's has their budget somewhat straightened out. Um, I'm confident that we can fill the slots we have, the 33 slots we already have, but um, I don't know how many of
them will actually be from South Hadley. Um Jenny and I will be uh working with our uh Stacy Katrumbus, our data coordinator, and um using our lottery on June 1st. So that's next Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday is next week, and we
will be um working to fill those slots and reaching out to the families. Um I did meet with a family today um to ask if that person is still interested and she said, "I think I'm going to be all set right now." So, I do have some um concerns about all the numbers that we
have as you said because of South Halley's now uh putting itself right, but um she did say that uh she'll give it another year. So, maybe we'll get that person in the following year. We'll see how it goes, but right now we have enough to fill the slots and and I'm
confident we will what we have. Um and that's what I have on that. >> All right. Superintendent's report. >> Sure. I have a few things. Um just wanted to let you know that the um we've had lots of our students who are participating in outside of the district
experiences. Um for example at the high school we had 10 students participate in construction day at Greenfield Community College. Uh student council members tour Hampshire County Courthouse um in early May. On May 11th the environmental science class spent the day at Quabin and we're looking to do more with that
environmental science class. Um more more to come on that. I'll be making some other announcements as we wait for grant money to be procured. So, I'm kind of excited about the environmental science class. Um, grade 12, all the Spanish students had lunch at La Isla in Hoyok where they got to practice their
speaking skills by ordering uh lunch in Spanish. So, they did that. That's I guess that's a yearly thing. East Meadow grade two had the rainforest reptile show here. Uh, grade three went to Od Deerford Village village. And then grade four attended the Bansky Museum of
Natural History at UMass. Um MCCAST is wrapped up at East Meadow. Uh high school has just the science. I believe that's what's left at the high school. Um on May 20th, um the high school hosted an ice cream social for the students during the day. And in the evening, they had a parent information
session. On May 21st, uh there was a kindergarten information night and we had 22 kindergarten parents come in to hear about the school. So um they were quite pleased with that number. I just in your pocket I uh you will notice that
there is the um students who picked uh colleges. May 5th was decision day. So I gave a copy of to all of you folks all of our graduates and what their college and career plans are. Um their list of college acceptances which include places like Bryant, Westfield, UMass and
several other institutions um some out of state. Um you'll also notice that there's some career plans with uh students choosing electrical and welding. And then we have some students who are interested in the Air Force as well. So that is part of that. On May
13th, myself um Mr. Dorman and the acting town administrator met with the representatives from MSBA um regarding our yearly submission for funding. Um just want to let you know, Mr. Hamill, every year we have to submit something to the state saying that uh if
we're interested in redoing something to the building, we look for funding. >> Um even though we're not looking for funding area, they'd like to meet with us and they can say do you would you would you like to put a project forward and we have to decline it typically. So
that's what we met them about and uh that letter is ready to go out or actually went out already. Um so we're not planning on building uh any renovations for the 27th school year. Um, actually I should mention Mr. Dorman and myself will be meeting with the new town administrator. I don't have it in
my notes, but we have a meeting scheduled for this Thursday. So, we're interested and excited to meet with him. That's Thursday. >> Who is the new town administrator? >> Ron Aante. >> Yeah. >> Don Ron Aante. >> Lante. And >> just a couple a couple of other things.
>> A P O Nante. >> Aante. Yeah. >> Sorry, >> I can't hear D so I have to Aante. >> Um there's a couple of letters written by some of our associations from the uh superintendent associations and um MASS
MASC uh talking about um some of the concerns about the graduation requirements. I submitted some letters um for you to take a look at if it's something that our school committee um >> you know I said please include us as well. >> And the next one is um asking for our
fair share of money for rural aid. So we're looking for that as well. So, these are a couple of things that superintendents are working with um a group of us to create some um letters and some um please to help us uh get more funding.
>> Can I throw something in there? Last Friday. >> Mhm. >> Time flies when we're having fun. Maybe it was two Fridays ago I was at CES. Um Moren Bernenda invited me and there were a number of superintendents there. >> I was We had negotiations. I didn't get
to go >> and uh ste it was interesting. >> I signed up but I was not there. So it'd be great if you could tell what happened. >> Speaking of rural schools, the presenters were um Martha Thurber and Jessica Corwin who um are running the rural schools coalition across
Massachusetts. Um and they did a great presentation. um they represented us well as they always do and they talked about the need for that 60 million that's been identified >> um as in need for rural
>> districts. What did we get 20 this year? 25 >> No, it was 12 million this year. >> 12 million something. Okay. >> 16 last year and 12 million this year. >> And so the House saw a request for 40 million which they voted down. The
Senate saw a request for 25 million which they voted down. Um, and we've got 12 million for the entire state. >> Yeah. And it was interesting to me Steve Reich was there the new secretary of
education with his team um who clearly didn't listen to the presentation the team too well because they were very clear that they had worked with the pockets of small and rural in central Mass and across the Cape and that they were part of the
coalition. Um but they decided that they would uh sort of um remind the group uh that it wasn't just Western Mass that had small and rural. While yes, the majority of small and rurals are here, they exist in central
Mass and at the Cape as well, but this coalition is working with them and they're part of the group. So, um I did talk to Steve Reich about that after the meeting. Fortunately, I worked with him for six years. Five, well, five little
more than five in Holio. Um, sorry, my time in Hoyok was six years, but Steve's was five coming and then going. Um, so that he was aware that this team had been in place for almost four years now and they did work
with districts from across the community and this was a number that was come up with. So, um, >> not that I think we're going to get there anytime fast, but, um, it's a reasonable number. Small and rurals need it. Next year, districts are going to be
decimated. If you think this year was bad for districts around us with the with the Prop 2 and a half overrides, wait till next year with the gas prices >> and many of the tariffs still in place and the cost of everything rising. Sorry, that's my five minutes of
>> No, I appreciate that because I was actually I was planning on attending but we had subcommittee meeting. So, I appreciate you with that and I heard it was very powerful. So, >> it was powerful. It was very well attended too. I was um I was um very glad I was invited.
>> And that's all that I have. >> Okay, Todd. Um I have your monthly uh summary for the budget for FY26. Um the one area that is starting to show
concern is our sublines. So um we will have two more two more payrolls. So our June payrolls um our first one will be really just about the end of subbing line. So that'll give me that picture.
Do we need to make a transfer from one of the other um cost centers to cover uh >> you don't think we're going to squeak it out? >> We're uh >> we might we might >> we might uh but it's
>> we might get $40 million or $60 million in rural. >> Yes. So um as I said, I think that will be the one area that I'm monitoring closest. We have um some earlier in the year we had some unexpected repairs uh
particularly for this building um that I did let the finance committee know about much earlier in the school year. So I'm still monitoring the overall maintenance budget to see if they can absorb that cost without having to have a reserve fund transfer. Um but that would be the
only area that I think we would possibly need to get a reserve fund transfer is for some of those maintenance items. And would the electrical problem we had at the high school be part of that or >> no? Uh well only to the extent if we're not able to cover the deductible. Um I'm
because the insurance claim has been authorized. Um national grid still I still I have been fighting the bureaucracy to get an invoice. >> They are making it difficult for me to pay them. >> Oh wow.
>> Which is an unusual statement for me. I I like >> the work the work was done and then I had to go through their process to create a job request like the work is done but yet so and this has been at least
three or four weeks and I still have not gotten an invoice. Um so >> all righty >> so that that's all I have. uh CES. >> Oh, so um we I think I told you at the
last meeting that we were starting policy work at CES. We had our first meeting. Um I was very appreciative to have uh both superintendants there, Superintendent Ricken and Superintendent Stanton from Mohawk Trail. Um I we had a
lot of positive input and feedback. We learned some things from CES. uh we made some uh ground rule agreements um in terms of you know documents that we need to have and how all that would need to align um so that we could make decisions
and we're meeting in I hope it's June June um to start actually getting some policy work done. So that's my report. We're meeting tomorrow night with the full CES board.
>> All right. Next is the um evaluation subcommittee. >> Well, Trevor, do you want to take this or should I? >> Please take that. >> Gosh, thank you. So, the first um recommendation is just on the set of
minutes. Do you have your agenda open? So, we provided a set of minutes for March 8th and March 6th. Uh there were no recommendations made at that. So I would hope that we could get a vote of the committee to accept those minutes.
March 8th, 2026 and May 6, 2026. >> I'm not seeing them in the folder. Am I blind? >> You got to go to the agenda agenda. >> Yeah. >> All right. >> We had a lot of discussion about the forms, what we did and what it would
look like and how people would access information. >> I'm not sure that's what it's called. That's what I call it. And we can get paper information. Mr. Haml, if you need it, you just have to ask me and Jenny to somebody teach you something. >> Okay.
>> She doesn't know what a hyperlink is. I'm like, "Oh gosh, >> we did make some." >> Their whole lives are hyperlinks. It's not any different. >> That's a good point. Your whole lives are hyperlinks. >> It's like when you swipe up on the story, >> that is the hyperlink.
on Instagram. >> I can't make it bigger. >> I don't know why I can't make this bigger. >> So, that's the form actually that we met on a few times before we came to
class satisfactory. Um, >> why is it not letting me open this? >> I can only get the preview. I can't get the whole thing. >> I think you can double click in it. >> That's what I'm doing. Yeah. >> Mine's coming up. >> Go right into the body of it once it
that thing now go down. Yeah. No, I guess not. I'm sorry. >> Got to have Mac, right? >> It makes life easier. >> Might make our lives easier. >> Okay, sounds good.
Okay. So, um um just a motion to accept the minutes of March 8th and May 6th for the superintendent evaluation. >> So, moved. >> Thank you. >> Second. >> Thank you. >> You have to say it.
>> Oh, I do. >> Well, yeah. You made the mo. You're you're the chair of it. >> All those in favor? >> I >> Thanks. I thought you would, Jen. So at the May 19th meeting we did uh we had finally come to some agreements and as you can see we have several
recommendations there. Um and the first is to recommend approval of the superintendent evaluation form. Um and there is a hyperlink to that hoping you can open it. Um and what we did was
and we can give you the information on paper too. >> I could see it but what we did was aligned align the form against the district goals. Um you'll see that student learning goal comes first because that's the most important thing we do even though it was
goal three, right? Uh we linked in that form the indicators that this will be um that the evidence will be evaluated against. and we also linked in the actual evidence that we'll be looking
at. So, it should all be relatively easy to go through. Again, that's easy to provide in paper as well. >> Um, and there's um I'm seeing that district goal two was not linked in my fault. I can fix that.
>> It looks like you have to right click. So for professional practice goal two, the district goal is linked in there along with the indicators 2 A and 2B, 3A and 3 C that we will use to evaluate um the progress towards meeting that goal
and the evidence um that we will use to measure that is also linked in the form. Um, just to circle back for a moment, you we only voted on the first minutes, but there's May 6th and May 19th also. >> Oh, yeah. The May 19th is the one we're
talking about now. So, >> so March 8th we did. May 6th we didn't do. >> Oh, I think we did. >> That's not I made the motion >> just for one. >> For one. >> Oh, okay. >> So, just so we circle back to make sure. >> Circle back. Thank you. >> Mhm.
So, I think that it's uh fairly easy to understand. Um I'm going to just put together a step by step for us because as you can see, it's a two-part evaluation where we evaluate the goal, measure the goals um attainment
um in those five ways, did not meet some progress, significant progress, met and exceeded. And then the overall evaluation falls at the bottom when we then measure
the in based on what we said about the goals accomplishment in the section above. We will measure instructional leadership growth um in the four categories identified by the DESIE rubric u management and operations,
family and community engagement and professional culture. Again, I'm going to put together an easy to understand step by step because for some folks um myself included I talk about this a lot in front of school committees but I
haven't used this form with the school committee. So, to me, it will be helpful to just check these off as I go. Right. >> So, looking at this form, there's some like blue um little bookmarks and some of the things. >> Yep. >> What um is there a key for that? What
those mean? >> Well, that's a I'm unclear. Those were just there when I came. I think we can get rid of those if they're not linked to anything. >> I didn't want to hit them cuz I wasn't sure. >> No, they're not put for anything. >> All right. So, maybe someone can clean that. >> I see those. Yep. Clean that up. Just
gotten rid of a couple. They are not going to anything. It's You think it's easy to update somebody else's work and then you find stuff like this and you say, "Oh my gosh, what is that doing there?" Right. >> Right. >> Um so yes, we'll make sure that that's
gone. So that's the first recommendation. um is to approve that. I'm going to read through all the recommendations and then you all can do with what you would like. Um recommend that individual electronic
I guess I would um change that to say and paper where necessary evaluation forms and evidence be provided to the school committee members before the end of June 2026 after our last meeting. So, I
thought it would be important, Trevor and I talked about this to get through all the end of year activities and let people do what they're doing and not focus on this. Um, we're going to get it out before the 30th. Um,
and then recommend that any member needing clarification on any evidence um contact the superintendent directly with questions because there certainly could be questions. Uh and the best way to get explanations are through the superintendent
recommend that members Oh, here's an important thing. Um the last meeting we did discover, Tom, that you were um elected and we were going to we decided to recommend that members who have served the full 2526 school year
complete the individual evaluations. You may want to do it just for the fun of it. I say that tongue and cheek. Um, and the reason we said that was because we've been here through the full year and our presentations at school committee and we could relate them back
to the evidence that's provided. >> No basis. >> All right. Not everybody's so kind about that. >> Thank you. >> Um, recommend that the individual evaluations are returned to the superintendent's executive assistant,
Jenny. The amazing Jinny. honor before we'd like to say two weeks after they're distributed. Um, and you should be back before I hope this isn't getting involved with your vacation. So, if we get it out before June 30th, >> I'm gone from
July. When am I gone? July. Sometime in July. >> Well, fortunately, >> I leave on the 16th and I'm coming back on the 27th. >> So, we can get this done before you even
leave. That's even better. Um, and then what we would recommend is that the superintendent evaluations subcommittee meet again uh to complete the compilation of the evaluations and then that compilation would come back um probably at the first meeting in
August or the second if it's more convenient as long as it's done and then we'll start the cycle all over and this would be helpful to you because superintendent will do self assessment. We'll start from there. will identify more key priorities and all that going forward. Um, so that's what I've got.
>> Excellent. Um, before we forget, I'll make the motion to approve minutes from May 6th and May 19th. >> Thank you. >> Second. >> All Oh, go ahead. >> All those in favor? >> I >> I thank you.
>> Okay. Great work you guys. And >> some questions before just so I can understand it. very simplified form. >> So the form that you have in front of us is a template used by it and you just made some minor adjustments to
>> this is the form that's recommended. Uh and you you can tweak and make adjustments to the form, but you have to get Jesse approval if you do. So we did not tweak or make adjustments to the form. Um, we just added the exact information
>> video evidence >> that will apply to the goals we're evaluating her against. >> Under the goals, who established the goals? >> The committee. >> The school committee establishes the goals. The superintendent at the beginning of the year, um, well, we have a strategic plan.
>> Yep. >> But at the beginning of each year, typically, a superintendent comes in and says, "This is our strategic plan. these are our strategic priorities for the coming year. These are the parts of the goals I'm going to be working on. The school committee approves that because
there has to be agreement does he says through this entire process with the superintendent. >> Um, by the way, the superintendent is the only employee in the state of Massachusetts who has the distinct pleasure of being evaluated in public.
I wouldn't call it a pleasure. >> Oh yes, I'd love every minute of it. >> Um but the only position in the state of Massachusetts. Um so first she'll do a self assessment. She'll come in with those strategic priorities. We'll talk about them. We'll
understand why they're selected as strategic priorities. Um we'll probably this will be her, do we call this really year two next year? will check in mid year on the evaluation and she'll talk to us about how far she's gotten, what's happened, whether or not there needs to
be any tweaks or changes depending on the world we live in. Um, and then again at the end of the year, we'll hear back around here's the strategic priorities, here's all the work I've done against them, and these are the indicators you
will evaluate me on. There's like 42 indicators in the Desi rubric. Um, Desi does not want you to use them all. I actually think she might have included a few too many, but it's her evaluation and it gets done in public. So, um, she
believes that those best match up with the work she's done. >> The superintendent. >> Yes. >> Okay. And so, so she'll provide the documentation how she met these goals. >> Yes. >> And then the committee takes a look at those and say, >> does this pass the faithbased test? Did
she meet these goals? and we measure them against so these indicators in the DESIE created superintendent rubric. Now I'll click on one. >> Who's Desi? >> The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The link's gone on
that. I see I got a little work to do. >> We've asked a lot of basic questions because it's my first school committee meeting. Kevin, >> yeah, that's >> I never watched the video. So >> I had the same questions. So the the other thing is that I I don't say complimentary things about Desi a lot
unfortunately but there are some videos on the superintendent um page the site for the superintendent evaluation that are incredibly helpful that Desi has put up there. Believe it or not they're step by steps. So um next year when you go into this you might
want to look. >> Yes. Okay. Good. Carla Bear created those initially when this all rolled out. Does this all make sense to everybody? >> Yep. >> Okay. Thank you. >> So, do we want to take the minutes as a
whole since all of those recommendations are written in there or do you want to go one by one? >> We just did it. >> Oh, we did. Thank you. Great. Wonderful. Terrific. >> See, don't ever make me chair. I'll lose track of what we're doing. Thanks. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. It just it was a learning
experience for me because you know all these different terms you need to like I knew the word rubric but I never seen it applied in this you know you just had strict evaluations. >> Uh so it it is it was complicated. Thankfully to superintendent Ricken and
and to uh Liz um I they helped guide me into it. I wasn't able to present what Liz just did, but a lot of work went into it and I think it you we you've got a good good work product out of it. >> It was very good. It was very good.
>> But it was it was a it was a learning experience. >> We spent a lot of time talking it through. So >> way too much time to have a journ to subcommittee at these meetings to be honest. >> Oh yeah, I know it was hours. I can tell you that the subcommittee um for
evaluation always has separate meetings just because there's so much to go and they would use when it came up for as part of a meeting the subcommittee they would use it as a tag up to sit with a superintendent or to sit with themselves and go over um tallying everything or
making sure stuff was done proof reading you know just a lot of work always. Yeah, that's why. So, a some committees will have the chair, for example, do the compilation and that way it's done outside of a public meeting. Um, since it's all public anyway, we thought we
would meet, we would sit down with the superintendent, go through the compilation, and create it that way and and then provide it to the committee. Seems like the most transparent way to do it. >> Love it. Um, anything that you want to um
um make sure we have on the agenda for our next meeting? Any closing thoughts? >> Um, I don't have my board in front of me. >> I have a closing thought. >> Sure.
>> And I probably shouldn't say this at all because whenever somebody comes up with an idea, I always say, "Oh, good. You do that." Um, never been to a never been to a school committee meeting. Never watched a school committee. No, don't watch the don't watch the video.
I highest monthly bill is my tax bill and biggest portion of that is the schools. Strong support of education. uh what I heard tonight from Vina, what
I heard from the superintendent's report about the science thing that I'm saying, why don't I know this stuff? This is important. >> What am I paying all this money for? And I don't know what you did. I mean, I was kind of blown away a little bit. You're talking about the dual enrollment.
There's no dual enrollment 54 years ago or 60 years ago. Well, to be perfectly to be perfectly frank. >> The reason is because we essentially get shushed at town meeting. I get six minutes >> to say everything that needs to go on in
the schools. Um, and mostly I'm fighting for our lives, for our budget to be perfectly frank. And then the other thing is we have tried numerous ways to get the information out. And I will say in our defense, at the last five, no, at
the last eight town meetings when we're discussing the town budget, there's a flyer that gets handed out to every single attendee at town meeting that talks about all of these things. Talks about there's hyperlinks on there. You can scan a QR code we did last year.
There's um discussion of all these different things. I might even have one in my bag, which I threw somewhere. Um but we're giving this information um in as many ways as we know how. We four
iterations of this committee ago, we had members going and sitting at Dunkin Donuts um having meet and greets trying to have conversations. We've had booths at dino days, at charter day, um gone to different public events, different
iterations of people. So I would really I will push it back on you. I am open to suggestions on how to get that word out there. But we sit here in these meetings hours after hour, week after week, in my case year after year trying to get com
uh connected with the world outside of the school community and it's it really falls upon deaf ears. So I don't know um I don't know how to do it. So, I'm I am so excited that we have technically an
outsider to come in um with no connection to the schools currently to how to get that out there. We do not have the budget to do what we used to do chalk talk. Do you remember if you've lived in town when um third oh 30 something years ago?
>> Who was it who was here? They used to um we used to print it in the graphics department and would send it out and it was a newsletter that went to every single um postal address in the town, but we don't have a graphics department anymore and we don't have the budget for um postage anymore to do mass mailings.
>> Those things do live on our website though. >> Yep. But uh to get to get the website out to people beyond school communities. I mean if you send We have a Facebook page, we have an active Instagram page. We have multiple active Instagram
accounts that are open. You know, there's all the athletic ones. There's decisions for where all the schools are going. The principal put has a very active Instagram and Facebook account. So, um I'm sort of up against it, but
it's the information is there and um so I'm excited. We'll be definitely having some um some conversations about ideas that you may have as >> sounds like you've done quite quite a bit and >> yeah so it's probably segments so you're probably hitting some but you probably
haven't hit the 70year-old who probably doesn't use this computer hardly at all. It's not scanning anything >> right but the the page that we have it's a it's a full color two-sided flyer and it talks about all of those things. dual enrollment is mentioned, numbers are mentioned, how many special ed
placements we have, what the budget is, where we've gone, what we've done. There's usually a blurb about athletics. Um, >> no, it's that you're doing that somehow. I can feel why I didn't get >> actually I just finished today. I should >> every segment of the population.
>> So, we're Trevor and I are both I mean, I'm in my second full start my second full year. I got appointed the year before that about half way throughish. Um I do have some background in school committee work. Trevor's
starting his second full year too, right? >> Yeah. This is my second year on the school committee like you. I'm retired and wanted to get more involved with my community. Um so I'm always I've went to so many sporting events where I would invite people to come and I couldn't get
anybody. But I still went, you know, and I anytime I get a chance to talk to people, I always try to make a point to say to them >> how what all the good work that's going on in schools that this is really a great community here. >> Yeah, I'm just
>> And I need to do my speech, too. >> It is. It's great, but um >> I usually she's so much a challenge. It looks like you've done quite a few things. 37 out of I don't know 42 45 graduating seniors that are taking AP classes um
and then another percentage of those taking AP and dual enrollment um and playing the sport >> um our athletic program I say our because I'm sitting on this committee not because I have a job >> you live in town it's your it is yours >> they are they are always highly
competitive in their league um and that says a lot about the kids work ethic. Um >> kids work ethics. >> Yeah, I coached over the high school last year. >> It's a nice community. >> It is. >> So, yeah, I don't have one, but we've
had um we've had those going out. We've done full packets to present at town meeting. Um so, yeah. >> No, it's terrific. I'm >> Yeah. So, >> I'm not criticizing. Don't >> No, no. I I I'm just I'm just saying that this is that's part of the problem that we face is that we've
>> been doing all of these things and it still sort of falls into the abyss, you know. So, um, we we put out there, we've done all calls to every phone number listed, that's the emergency line, um, to get people to try to come to our
meetings, to come to a budget forum, to, you know, come to a budget hearing, to just have a meet and greet with the new superintendent, to have just put when we have big events. And the people that come is the school community. We are the biggest bud part
of the budget in this town and we have the smallest amount of attendance for people outside of the town and the largest employer by far. >> And I will add to that and and so Jen's frustration is not without a great deal of merit. It's that way in almost every
community in the Commonwealth. Unless there's some sort of emotional, you're cutting a band or football or COVID, you don't see people attend. So, we're going to present it.
>> So, that's um you know, um so we'll have some great discussion. I think Jenny will put community relations on for the next uh next agenda so we can have some really open and um vibrant discussion about what what that looks like. and Tom, will we really be looking to you as
a resource of different ways that we can reach out to people and it has to be free >> because free but I mean you've done a lot of things that I did. I mean I was I shamelessly promoted my department. I did the same things you did. I put flyers on the mails. I went to the
senior center and sat there all day with information and talked to I went to every neighborhood clubs and and and did presentations and things like that. Sounds like you've you've done those kinds of things already. >> But I mean I you know I understand that the the community changes and people change and stuff, but I can also say
I've been going to it's the first town meeting I've missed because I was on business travel in probably about 5 years and it's the same 67 to 100 people that come. >> It's we don't get a lot of turnout unless it's something that's um people
feel really strongly about like the West Street School. Um >> well I didn't >> right. anything. So, I'm I'm one of those people. >> Right. >> So, my kids graduated, everything was happy. I thought you gave them great education. They got great careers right now. >> Yeah. >> Right.
>> And when when something comes up, I always vote for it because >> you gave you gave my kids a good start in life. Right. >> So, I owe it to the next group of kids to come up. So, I I didn't go any place. I didn't do any of these things. >> Right. So, that's that's what we have. And then you know we I don't want to say
accused but we get I feel like our feet are held to the fire stronger than any other department because in costs are increasing and it's you know we might be like we voted for a
level s service budget but that level service budget is down 19 full-time positions over the last four years. So that's not a great level service budget, right? But people want to know, but you're you're increasing. Why are you increasing? Where are you hiring that
money? Why is it so expensive? Why don't you get grants? All of those things. Like I can go on a tear and I don't mean to, but um you know, it's it's very difficult to to address all of those concerns. I get five to six minutes to answer every question at town meeting
and then people go through and they scrutinize our line by line and they want to know why we have to be different. Well, rules of education are fundamentally different than budgeting for the rest of the town department >> Yeah. are we are about 80 we're pushing
80% personnel and benefits in our budget. >> The best typical personnel and benefits u insurance, health insurance. >> Yeah. >> So anyway, with that
>> said, um you know, I didn't mean to get on my soap box, but I kind of like being there sometimes. Um, but it's uh, you know, I I will I really am excited to pick your brain about different ways that we can connect with people and get that information out because I'll tell
you what, my daughter graduated with a fantastic education from here. She's kicking butt and taking names. She's a rising senior at Simmons University um, in Boston, predental major. My younger daughter is in Brena's class. They're
the cream of the crop. These two gonna take over the world. I'm sure of it. Um and it, you know, it's just I'm very proud of the work that they do that, you know, we for a small school, the things that we put out besides athletics is incredibly impressive. The list of
schools, if you see where people are getting accepted to are very strong schools and where they're going besides we had someone that's um you know killed his um I'm going to get the letters wrong. AF AF fab asab
>> um and is going to be in the Air Force. We have people that are getting positions already based on their high school education from Graanby have positions in the real world postgraduation. >> Yeah, we have a student who's already he's worked all year as a uh as a custodial staff and he's got a job
already. So it's, you know, it t it takes all kinds to to run the world. And our little piece of the pie is doing great things. And it's hard to get people to acknowledge that and recognize that all they see us is pretty much as like a money suck. So we need to um
counteract that. And the more people that we can get that are on board and help us reach people is going to be >> crucial going forward. And if it's not always been, it is going to be even more crucial going forward. Um so with that if there's nothing
further um I will read the um verbiage about executive session. The school committee will now enter into executive session under Massachusetts general law chapter 38 section 21 part A to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining or litigation in
an open meeting may have detrimental effect on the bargaining or litig litigating position of the public body and the chair. So dis Chair so declares. We will be discussing uh negotiations for unit A. The school committee will not return to open
session. Jenny, can you do a roll call vote, please? >> Mr. Hi. >> Miss, >> yes. >> Mr. >> Yes. >> And Miss Bart. >> All right. Thanks everybody. Have a good night. Thank you for staying the whole night.