Good evening and welcome to the Greenville Public Schools School Committee meeting for Wednesday, October 8th at 20 uh 2025. Um this meeting is being recorded by GCTV. If any other persons present are
doing the same, you must notify the chair person at this time. Not seeing any. Secretary Den, will you call the role? >> Chair Johnson Assad >> here. >> Secretary Den is here. Uh, Vice Chair Sexton
>> here. Online, >> member Martini >> here, >> member child >> here, >> member Goodwin >> here, >> disorder >> here. >> We are all here and have a quorum. >> All right, so we're calling the meeting
to order at uh 6:46. Uh, we'll move to public comment. Has anyone signed up um in person to give public comment? And you're going to want to grab that microphone. And it takes a couple pushes to turn it on, but it will turn it to
green when it's ready. >> How's that? >> Great. >> Yeah. Hi everybody. Um, I know some of you some of you have never met before. Um, and I've given public comment at school committee before. So, um, I have opinions about the public school system.
I'm a parent of a second grader at Federal Street School. Um, I'm also a social worker in the community and um have lived and worked in Greenfield for about 15 years now. So, um, sorry, that
is my alarm clock going off reminding me to do something because I need alarms to remind me to get things done because that's the life of a parent uh, who has a kid with special needs. And so, I wanted to talk a little bit about that
tonight. Um, I'm not sure how many folks on the committee are aware of um, something called the Special Education Parent Advisory Council. I see heads nodding. I like that. um and some not and that's okay too. So um it's we say
CPAC for short, special education parent advisory council. Um it is a law in the state of Massachusetts that every school district have a CPAC. There's also just as a side note also something called an LPAC English language parent advisory
council. And um in our school district in Greenfield um around the time of the pandemic, lots of things stopped happening as they regularly would. And so the last um CPAC
meeting that was held was in 2020 uh when my child went into kindergarten at Federal Street School in 2023. So, um I knew that CPACs were supposed to be happening and I um knew what their
purpose was and so I reached out to the um assistant uh no the director of pupil services and um Dave Messing had just taken on the role and was very uh excited and had worked with CPACS and other districts that he had worked in
and was really knowledgeable about them. So, it was sort of good timing that way. And um the first year it was me and a friend of friend of mine who also has a kiddo at Federal Street. And um we met with Dave a couple of times and chatted
about what we wanted to get done and um and not much got done because that's how things grow. And then um last year a few more members joined and one of the I'm going to read to you guys a little bit if I have the time. Um, we have a flyer.
I thought I had copies of it, but I gave them all away at um, open house week last week. >> You are just about to run out of time, but I'm going to um, use a chair's prerogative to give you two extra minutes. >> I appreciate that. Um so I just want to
say um from the um department of uh elementary and secondary education the purpose of the CPAC is really to sort of honor the fact that parents are um a really important and strong voice for their kids within
the school system and particularly parents of kids with special needs. And so, um, these were developed as a way not only to, um, advise the school, um, but also the school committee. And that's really specific in the language
that part of the role of CPAC is to advise. That doesn't mean you guys have to take our advice. Um, but it means that one of the big parts of our role is to provide you all information about what the state of special education is in the Greenfield Schools. So, um, last year we managed to pull off a couple of
things, including a parent workshop on, um, getting your child's IEP started, right? Like how to write a letter and request testing and do some of those things. And that felt like a big success for us. This year, our plan is to do that as well as partner with community action to provide a workshop that's
separate from that. And um we're also going to work with the schools and the PTO's this year to offer something in April around um autism awareness month. So those are kind of our three roles this year or like our three activities this year we're going to do. But the
other thing we're committed to is showing up here every month and giving you information about what we're up to. Um, I also want to invite you, although I don't have the flyer, I can send out an email later with the flyer attached, um, to our ongoing meetings. We meet
monthly. It's 5 to 6:30. And Dave Messing is there and a part of the meeting for the first hour. And, um, just like you guys, public meeting law, our agenda is posted on the um, Greenfield Public Schools website. You can go there to see the agenda. The last
half an hour of the meeting is specifically for parent support. And so Dave leaves the meeting and there are four parents who come consistently who are available to talk to other parents. Um if they're needing resources, support, um if they need someone to go
to an IEP meeting with them, we're able to do that. If they need someone to go over their child's IEP, many of us have done that for each other. So, just also an invitation for you all as school committee members. If you have parents coming up to you who are saying, "I
can't get the school to pay attention. I can't get the school to do this testing for my child. Please send them our way." So, we're both a resource for the school and um have an advisory role for the school. So, thanks for letting me uh introduce that.
>> Thank you. >> Anyone else? Tug. this chair, not that chair. So, Doug Selwin, uh, Greenfield, um, I'm here to talk about two different things. Uh, first is, um, I know you're talking about composting tonight, or I think you
are. Um, and I just wanted to strongly encourage you to support that. Um, I've been in several schools where composting is carried out and it's a great learning tool. The kids learn how to do that way
faster than the adults do. Um, and carry it out with enthusiasm. Um, and I've never I know some of the concerns are about, you know, will that attract critters of various kinds and uh it
certainly has not in the schools that I've been around. Um, it's been managed well and it's possible to manage well. So, I encourage you to do that. Um, the second thing I wanted to talk to you about, I want to invite you to an educational forum that we are holding
October 22nd from 6:30 to 8 online. Um, and it's focused on the schools we want for our kids. What do we want for our children from from by way of education? This is a response to um of course last
year the ballot question eliminating the the MCCAST as a graduation requirement left as far as the governor's concerned a vacuum at the top even though the standards are still in place and she has a a committee going around listening to
the public um or at least presumably listening to the public and they are coming up with another one-sizefits-all plan And as a response to that, um, Citizens for Public Schools and others have gotten together and are
holding forums across the state to really ask the public, what do you want for your kids? What do you want schools to offer your kids? What do you want them to take with them when they leave? And so, we're holding conversations.
Again, it's online from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 22nd. it's possible uh and encouraging uh we're encouraging everybody in Western Massachusetts who can to sign up because our voices are usually left out of these
conversations and we want to make sure that the public the the the desi and the legislature and the governor hears from us. If you want to sign up, you can go to fcccpr us and there is a sign up button on that
page. Again, it's FCCPR, Franklin County, Continuing the Political Revolution. FCCPR us. And um we hope you will join us and add your voice to the conversation.
That's it. Thanks. >> Thank you. Any other public comment in the room? Okay, let's see. Is there any public comment from folks online? If you can raise your digital hand or
some other way, let me know. Not seeing any. All right, we will move on to report of student representatives to the committee. >> Kaylee Lewis. >> Kaylee Lewis. Kaylee, welcome. Thank
you. >> Hello. Um, so the other representative wasn't feeling well, so I have this three-page report to present by myself. Um, student council. The student council has had an
eventful month. Homecoming was a huge success. We had our first spirit week dress up, elected class officers for 8th and 9th grade, and helped at the Green River cleanup. October will bring pink out, unity day, and preparing for our
lock in and lipsync. Key Club Keycl Club students joined together with student council and sustainability club to assist with the green river cleanup on September 7 27th. 32 students worked hard to clean the
bike path that runs along the Green River. We are looking forward to the gleaning at Bostonramm's farm in early early October. Key Club will also be collecting donations using special trick-or- treat boxes that will go to
Starting Strong Zambia. This project supports UNICEF's early childhood development work in Zambia with a focus on providing sustainable community-based support for
children, families, and caretakers. Lastly, watch for key club at the trunk or treating hosted by the DSFC PTO athletics. Congratulations to our Brad's Place student athletes of
the week, Holly Babnau from girls soccer and Christina Kustav from field hockey. Congratulations. Athletes, athletics is off to a busy start. Check out a check out a game. Go to arbittorlive.com
for full schedule for a full schedule of events. NHS NHS members have started making plans for this year's activities, fundraisers, and events. We have started work on our adopt a family project, one
of our most important activities of the year. Invitations were sent out to 28 juniors and seniors who have met the academic requirements to apply for membership in the National Honor Society for this school year. Most have begun
the application process and we are we look forward to expanding our membership at the induct induction ceremony on October 16th in the ghs auditorium. French Club. French Club held its first meeting in September to plan activities
for the year which include winter and spring coffee house in December and May, taste of world cultures in m in March and many other other social activities celebrating franophhone culture such as ratatouille, the food and the film,
crepes, gal de ra I take French. I should know how to say this. and more. See the full list of planned activities here. There's a link in this, but I'm not sure how that would get to your you guys. Uh, additionally,
we continue to fund raise and prepare for our trip to France in April. There is still time to sign up to join us on this incredible adventure. Contact Madame atnh1gpsk12.org for more information.
Spanish club. Spanish club has started the year with two planning meetings that of course included dancing. We will meet next week for some Jeopardy style Spanish trivia along with other fun activities. We have also planned our
first cooking night and started plans for Diaz de I'm sorry, Dia de los Muertos celebration. On another note, plans continue for our trip to Spain in April. There is still time to register
for this awesome experience. Reach out to Senor Cludier for more information. Drama Club. Drama Club has assembled our cast and crew for our fall play, Nightfall with Edgar Allan Poe by Eric Cobalt, featuring dramatizations of The
Raven, The Fall of the House of Usher, uh, and The Telltale Heart. Students, student actors and technicians are hard at work memorizing lines and preparing technical equipment like sets, costumes, lights, and more. We are especially
excited to present this play Blackbox style with the audience seated on the stage to create more a more intimate setting for these chilling tales. Performances will be November 14th at 700 p.m. and November 15th at 2 pm and 7
p.m. and tickets will be available for pre-sale in early o November. Library club. GHS Library Club will host the 6th annual Comic-Con on Wednesday, October 29th from 3 to 6:15 p.m. The
keynote will be uh video game development past, present, and future by Paul Hake, founded founder of Hit Point Studios, a community, a company that designed games for a number of clients
including Microsoft, Disney, Hasbro Toys, Nokia, and DreamWorks. We will have sessions led by students on ciphers, kawaii, and J fashion drawing and character design, as well as other guest
speakers. The Greenfield Public Library is a supporter and co-host of this event, and we welcome high school students from other area from other area schools. If you would like more information, please contact GHS librarian gpsk12.org.
library. The library has a display for Latin Heritage Month, September 15th to October 15th, to celebrate the language, culture, and literature of Spanish speakers. We also have a display for suicide prevention month, September, to coincide
with the sign of suicide uh prevention program at GHS that GHS will participate in this week. The reader of the month is Aiden S in in 11th grade.
Hello GHS library fans. We have a new reader of the month. It's Jaden. They've formatted this weird. Aiden is the perfect October reader and he loves fantasy fiction and is currently reading Alice Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carol and The Trials of Apollo by Rick Riordan Reorden. We asked the question, what is the worst book you've ever read? Eden stated that
he loves books. Yet, there is one or seven that have stood out due to his love for excitement and adventure. Harry Potter. Aiden first got into reading when Miss
an when Miss Anna read the Magic Treehouse series to him in middle school. I like I like books. He says he especially enjoys reading at school or at home at night. Aiden
enjoys his peaceful reading time and letting the books capture him and carry him into new worlds. Speaking of new worlds, Aiden has always wanted to read The Land of Stories by
Chris Koulur and Set in Stone by Frank Morren. If he could recommend a book to anyone reading this, he would choose Harry Potter. Thanks, Aiden. And have a magical October, everybody.
digital digital wellness to help families understand the complexities of artificial intelligence and how it impacts students and their learning. There is a resource for parents and caregivers from the Thrive Initiative.
This resource shares a breakdown of an Oxford Institute of for Ethics in AI article that looks at current research about AI and provides ideas for ways caregivers can take action.
Uh, navigating AI as a parent, how to support your child's digital well-being. You may also want to take a look at the videos and tips for families page of resources from common sense media that give guidance on ways to help kids
navigate the world of AI. How to talk to your child about AI and guide and a guide to AI com companions and relationships. Ban has band ban has been off and
running since August and we have already accomplished so much. We performed two football games already and we are we recently performed at the big the big parade in the Biggie Jazz Jazz Band
has I'm so sorry. Uh jazz band has started as well and it meets every Monday at 4:30. Our next performance will be at the next home football game and we will be performing our halftime show and
debate debuting some new music and drill. You won't want to miss it. Spectrum Spectrum Club was Spectrum Club was thrilled to have returning to have returning member Spencer represent us at
the GHS activities fair. We recruited some new members and gathered some information on the best day for everyone to meet. With that information, we decided that we will be meeting every Friday after school in Miss Oly's room.
We have we may have an optional additional meeting on Tuesdays depending on interest. Come by next Friday, October 10th for bracelet making and dream building. trivia trivia team formally formerly
known as school match wits. Thanks to team leader Zach Odarski, we recruited a halfozen new students at the activities fair. We are awaiting the date and team and team we will be competing against
for as schools match wits and should know soon. We are meeting two times a week in the fishbowl at the library. Students of color club. We are recruiting new students and have had a successful day at the ghs activities
fair on September 26. Naomi Bledsoe the club's the club's mentor from com communities that caref fr FRC OG attended an a
recent meeting. The club is working on a mission statement and planning for a fall event with a food drive prior to the holidays. guidance. We are busy with college presentations,
a sign of suicides program that is done bianually, an annual all 8ighth grade intervention program called pre venture to address risky behaviors and build lifelong social emotional skills and all the
various daily activities that keep our office hopping. We have an intern, Kendra Barlo, from UMass, and Miss Paige is supervising. Glad to have her here.
Nurse, please return your dental program back forms by October 3rd. This portable dentistry program will take place in the side room of the nurse's office on October 28th and 29th during the school
day. And since that and since it's that special time of the year, a reminder per the National Association of School Nurses, students should stay home if they have a fever of 100.4.
We have thrown up multiple time have thrown Oh, sorry. Have thrown up multiple times in the last 24 hours or have watery stool. Students without without these symptoms
should stay in school to promote learning. Crochet club. Crochet club is looking to build its membership and this Friday our usual meeting day in room 2023.
We will discuss expanding activities to include other crafts if identified resources if identified resources are secured. Stay tuned. Artist of the week. The Greenfield Garden Cinema will be recognizing an artist of the week.
Teachers can nominate students for their creativity and contribut contributions in music, digital photography, art club, ceramics, pottery, film making, drama, set design, etc. The winner will receive two tickets to the
to the cinema. The first two winners are Camden T and Lila M. I can take any questions now. >> Thank you. Any questions for Calie? I don't see any, but thank you so much.
Appreciate you coming. Okay. Um, give me just a second. Okay. Reports of the administration. >> Andy. >> Uh, good evening everyone. You have in your packets the budget update for FI26 as of the 5th of October. Um, just not
much activity report on the operations side. Uh, just some technical things. If you go through the report, there are some negative incumbrances. uh they don't have an impact on the bottom line. Uh but it's a part of the year-end close. The city's still closing the fiscal year. Once that's closed,
we're assured that those things will be corrected. Uh it doesn't live with it. Bottom line is not impacted regarding that. It's a money in money out situation. Um the two other things that are important to highlight are in the in the memo. uh in this past month when we last
met, we have another special education placement uh to the tune that was not budgeted for to the tune of $38,46041. Uh when you add that to the overage in special education tuitions from last month, that brings our total projected
overage to $400,74.17. Um Mr. Messing is working to see as far as some of those changes could potentially result in some internal savings. Uh he's diligently working on that. Regardless of that, I will say uh one of the reasons we do what we do in
our budgeting is that we actually have these funds available should we need to in our evolving accounts. So there's a believe it or not, there is a method to our madness. Um so uh this would be a case in point of that situation being
that uh no need to go back as of right now for an appropriation from the city is what I'm saying. Uh and then related to special education they have released uh and it's important to bring it up now so that we can remember uh when we start the 27 budget development operational
services division they set the rates for special education tuition placements. They have set the rates for FY27 to be 3.04% increase. But in light of what I brought up in item number two, this does not mean that
when we do our FY27 budget that the FY27 special education placement tuition budget will be a flat 3.04% increase. We already have $400,000 added to the base of our budget. So, just something to keep in mind as we're going to be
starting our FY27 budget development in the next couple months. So, I just wanted to share that as well. Um, on the positive side of two things, the revolving account report with the year being closed, we are not closed, I should say, we were unable to get the
FY26 up-to-date amounts. Again, we're only in October, so there's not a lot of activity. Um, but I do want to share that the special education preliminary circuit breaker numbers have been received. When we build these budgets, the department of ed rem advises us to
budget at 70 to 72% of your claims from the prior year. We did that. That was a million dollars. Uh, but with the preliminary amount that they're they released, we're anticipated to get as of right now $1,527,398. That will be what it is. We always use
our tuition for circuit breaker uh in a rears. So that will be helpful for us as we do FYI27 budget. With that, I can answer any questions that you might have. >> Any questions for Andy?
>> Mayor, >> what was the increase last year? I forget. increase last year and what >> to um the special ed uh tuition that the state that it was set >> the OSD rate. >> Yes. >> I'll give me a second. I'll find
>> I just forgot. I can get it later, too. It's not earth shattering. Thank you. >> Yeah, they they uh they've already >> It's doesn't matter. I I >> Thank you, Andy. Thanks very much. >> 3.67. Any other questions for Andy?
Thank you, Andy. We'll move on to report of the assistant superintendent and superintendent. Good evening everybody. In my report tonight, you have um a grants update, some information on
accountability results, some DESI policy updates, a couple that I've referenced um prior, and a school choice update. So, to lead off, um we found out recently that we once again received a
Massachusetts Cultural Council Creative Experiences Grant for $5,000. This grant um is specific to the fifth grade. It was initiated by a fifth grade teacher
um Miss Anna Marfka. And this will allow um a third party called Playful Engineers. They've come to our STEM nights previously, but they'll be able to their um quote unquote teaching artists will come in to guide students
and exploring the concepts of force, motion, scale, and cause and effect through building chain reactions and creative contraptions. And this will lead to um a family engagement night where families can come in and see the work of the fifth grade students over
the course um of a week. and those dates are yet to be determined. Um, last week actually, accountability results released um from DESIE. So, I I'm planning to provide a more detailed
review at our November meeting, but did want to share a couple of key highlights. Overall, the district met or exceeded 58% of its targets. Um, DESIE categorizes that as substantial progress
towards targets. Federal Street performed particularly well, meeting or exceeding 83% of it their targets. Um, the middle school continues to show improvement. Um, just a few years ago, the middle school was in the fourth
accountability percentile across the state and after this year's results, they are in the 21st percentile. at the high school. Um they met their target for advanced coursework, which is part of the work we've been pushing to make
sure advanced coursework is accessible to more students um at the same time, the data makes it clear that there's additional work to be done um in a number of places, but Newton Elementary
and Greenfield High School are designated as requiring assistance. So, Federal Street had that um label last year and their performances moved them out of that designation. Um and Newton had been in it priorly prior and
previously, excuse me, had worked themselves out and fell back into that um category. And then I would say overall chronic absenteeism remains uh concern districtwide. I will note that most of our schools exceeded their
targets in chronic absenteeism. Um but our targets are set on previous years. So that means even if 20% of our students are considered chronically absent. If we met that target that still means 20% of our students are
chronically absent. So still work to be done but um on a positive trajectory in that note and like I said I will provide some more uh detailed information next month. In terms of DESIE policy updates I had
previewed last month the competency determination. This was something we talked about last spring. Um at the time we anticipated Desi was pushing for an October 31st submission. they have extended that submission deadline to
December 31st which is helpful but at the same time at this point they're still expecting the class of 2026 to adhere to these new regulations that um we haven't even voted on at this point.
So, we've started the conversation. I have um provided the updated the draft policy so people can review that. And I've started working with the guidance counselors and the instructional leadership team and the
admin team over at the Greenfield High School to plan for students that this could impact. and um I've appreciated their feedback and I'm I'm working to incorporate that into our next iteration
of this plan and I anticipate this will November I should have something to present but um I also and Mr. Selwin mentioned it earlier. Um I'm anticipating Desi's vision of a graduate to be coming out soon which could also
impact this work down the road. Um, but these new guidelines got released midsummer and I think many districts are have scrambled to gain a better understanding of what they mean and how we can make sure that we're getting into
compliance with them while also supporting our students with um, unfortunately it's a bit of a moving target and students who were set to graduate now we have some questions about and we're having to
think some think creatively about how we're supporting them to make sure that they remain on track for graduation. And I commend our high school team for the work they've done already um around that and we're working diligently to make sure that we provide that support
students need. You do have in your packet tonight in the consent agenda a middle school pathway exploratory policy. This also came out, this came out late in the summer. Um, and
originally it was kind of buried among the CTE schools having to create a new admissions policy, but as a sending district to a school like Franklin County Tech, we need to have a policy um to make sure that our students have the
opportunity without penalty to explore opportunities. So the policy in your in the consent agenda tonight will bring us into compliance with that. The challenge with this one is the CTE programs have
their new admissions policy due on the same date this policies due. So we had to draft this without knowing what their admission policies would say. So this also might be one that I come back with with tweaks. But I have reach reached out to Franklin County Tech and it seems
like we're in alignment. um with other middle school programs in the area that they've been working with. Um and I just want to credit the GMS principal Michelle Fenomore for her work on this. Um it's been very helpful to have her
input and um her and I and Mike Browning from the high school met last week to review it and um our attorney did review this and feels like it's in it's in line with the guidelines DESI's provided. So
like I said some of this I don't always like to say we're just doing this to get into compliance but it does bring us into compliance and then we can always um revisit it. and then the school choice update. And you can certainly read through it, but want to make sure
people are aware that we have 97 active homeschool files. Um, last year at this time we had 103. Of the 97 active files or I'm sorry that that's a misprint. There are 42
additional that are currently inactive or incomplete. That's a similar number to what we had this year. This is something I actually just before I came here signed approximately 42 letters to go back out to those families because
they're missing something in their application packet or didn't provide information in regards to their homeschool. Um so we're reaching back out to get that information. And then it talks, this goes into a little bit about
families who have reenrolled, what grades they're in, and um other students who have either aged out, graduated, left the district. Um, and those numbers will shift a little bit based on the letters that we're sending out because sometimes we get return mail that says
this family is now living in X community, which then means we adjust because it's the resident district that has to approve the homeschool plan. >> Thank you, Superintendent. Then we'll do questions for both of you
after. Uh, good evening everyone. A few things like to bring you up to date on. We're fortunate to have some nice tree plantings going on in our school at the high school led by some one of the projects led by Judy Bennett, a teacher
up there. They're looking to plant four to five trees and some of them were dead. Some of them are on the auditorium side and a few others on the front entrance side and they're working with the tree committee for that. So that's ongoing. And also we were fortunate to
receive a grant with with the city help from the city with um the grant writer Athena Lee Bradley the cool quarters grant for tree plantings and they're going to be planting trees right now along Beacon Sanderson and High Streets. And why why that affects us is it's
right at the back side of the middle school as well too that they'll be doing that. So they've worked with principal Fenomore on that. Volunteers from the Greenfield tree committee will be placing flag markers also at each tree location for that. And these some of these will go on the back side of the
ball field behind the middle school and additional ones on the tree belt for that. Uh student enrollment. I think I may be missing that sheet in there, but just we'll get it. We'll put it into that folder for you. We were up one student since the last month. Um, and that's that chart that you'll have. So, I will
make sure that's in there. I was looking for it and wasn't able to put my finger on it, but there are a lot of documents as we've said digitally. So, I think it's in there, but we are up plus one since last month on that. Um, wanted to touch base about fire safety education.
We're fortunate to have and work with our fire department. Captain Alex Kulie has been making the rounds going to our elementary and middle schools doing fire safety prevention. This is through the student awareness of fire education. It's the safe program and it is a grant
that Greenfield Fire Department has with the state and they bring age appropriate lessons to the classrooms for both public and schools. and they talk about calling 911, meeting places during emergencies, getting out and staying out, having and maintaining smoke detectors, matches and lighter safety,
fire and health risks associated with smoking, and making home fire escape plans. I was fortunate to catch some of these programs that as they're making their way around the school, they're doing a pretty good extensive day tomorrow. I know they're at Federal Street. I've seen them at AAL and the
middle school. Uh the firemen come in, they bring generally it's one or two gentlemen, people, fire people who will come in at times and show the students what's going on, talk about their plans. And you can only imagine the great comments you get from elementary
students and even younger students. Um over at AAL, the principal Tagley was mentioning to me that one of the young students was worried about their dog and was letting the firemen know that their dog Molly is upstairs or something like that. And there are different plans that
that can happen. And I did catch a tail end of one of them. And I think, don't quote me, but I think there are things with apps and people can do things online and you can even tell how many people would be in a house potentially, right? How many live there and how many animals or cats and dogs. So when firemen or fire women respond to it,
they would know what's going on. So a nice program that they're doing out there because you can never be too safe in that sense. So thank you to Captain Alex Koolie for doing that with us. Um for our facilities department just wanted to bring to your attention some
nice savings that are happening. I mean we talk about a lot of the things that happen and right we see a lot of our job is and your job is money right and spending and appropriating money but we do have a lot of talented individuals who work for us right all across the department in different ways. So this
one here is just some highlights to our maintenance department who have done many things inhouse as many things as they can obviously by fixing the Greenfield Middle High School boiler. A control system was offline. Sometimes you have to just dig and find a 3 amp fuse in the control circuit that's
blown, replace the fuse, reset, voila, right? You're back in business on that one. Uh we've had, believe it or not, we've actually had some cool mornings, right? It doesn't seem and they're coming up. Frost warning for Friday morning was issued the other day. So we may be down to 28 I think on Thursday
night to Friday morning. But one day the past week or so AAL didn't have any heat. Both boilers had tripped gas valves. Maintenance department reset the valves. Gets the system back online. Right. Low pressure fault from the supplier feed on that one. The library rooftop unit at the high
school faulted out at various variable speeds. Found some blown fuses. Replace those and reset. small things such as at Newton Elementary School, the file office cabinet snaps off. They can't access it. They were able to buy a new lock, drill
it out, replace it. Back in business in that sense. Um, so they're doing a lot of things. Walked in one day, Greenfield High School had no hot water in the school. Bad circulation pump, seized actuator on one of the domestic water boilers, swapped it back out, get it
running with a new motor from MCOR on the actuator, and they're going to swap out the pump. So, our maintenance department is working. They go into work every morning thinking they have a routine to do, thinking, right, like many of us do when we go to jobs that we're going to do certain things. And
you get in and the phone calls start that there's no heat, there's no water, that there's nothing. So, I just wanted to highlight the nice work that they do and congratulate them on keeping a lot of the things in house. And uh Director Budro has talked to me and mentioned that he does appreciate and I do want to
mention this publicly the the back and forth work that we get from the city side as well too from the craftsmen over there and the technicians whether it's the plumbers, the electricians, all the other people who have various specialties that we he says we really work together well and he appreciates
their work as well on that. So and believe it or not, one last thing on that one. We've already we just dropped off snowb blowers last week to get them tuned up and ready to go because yes, while we're dealing with 82 degree days the last two days, it's time to get make sure these snowblowers are going to run
when it happens. So, we have that going on right now. Some of our field trips uh starting the beginning of the year, we did hear some from our student report, but our band performed at the Big E, had a great time and did a nice showcase. Our Beacon
students went to a fair at Greenfield Community College recently to get our students on a college campus. The band performed at the or will be performing at the UMass Fine Arts Center on the 17th, the multiband performance. And they'll also be doing the traditional band day at a UMass football game. You
may remember that where they gathered thousands of students from across the state for that. And our GHS Advanced Euro students will be going to the Renaissance exhibit at the Mass Fine Arts Museum coming up. Also wanted to just put a nice plug in
for today was the first day for unified basketball. They had a game against Northampton and this is where we have a full team of basketball players with they're combined with special education students and regular general education students. And if all goes well with this
unified sports is staking over amongst the state and is being part of under the Mass Principles Association, the part of the MIA though not directly but under that arm. If all goes well, we hope to collaborate with the Special Olympics to bring unified track and field to Greenfield High School in the spring as
well. And we are we will be working with right now the Special Education Department is working with Department of Developmental Services, Family Empowerment, and Service Net. And we they will be holding a transition fair at GHS on November 5th. This is open to
the public and will include a variety of vendors from Massachusetts to share information with stakeholders about what services and supports are out there and available to families. So, we'll be having more information out about that. Those are just some of the good things that are going on in our schools.
>> Thank you. Any questions for the superintendent or assistant superintendent? Secretary Denife, >> I was wondering um Stephen, if you could tell us what the total amount of grants you received in the end for FY25 was now
that everything is completed and finished. >> Thank you. >> Yes, I can give you the number for I knew you were you asked this question in
August too, right? So I was prepared. The number of grants my office oversees was in FY25 was $1,94,020. That does include competitive grants and
entitlement grants. and FY26 currently it is at 1 1,670,460 which does not include entitlement grants because those haven't been secured yet. So that would push that
number to 2,5350 552. Um, but the increase for that is due in part to that opioid grant that I've mentioned before is a $ 1.5 million grant. We're the primary. So that's
distributed amongst eight other well seven other partners as well. My rationale for asking this question is because we hear so much about um administration costs and the salaries for administrators and you're an
administrator who's brought in, you know, more than $2 million in grants. So, I just want that on record for the public to understand that that's one of the things that our administrators do and if they were not present, that would not occur. So, I really appreciate you
getting that amount together so that we can keep an eye on that and thank you very much. >> Of course. Thank you. >> Other questions, mayor? >> I had a question about the homeschool.
Um, so could you explain a little bit more about that? So that there's does that mean there's 97 children that people are schooling at home or there's 97 plus 42 and
>> and how and how did they check in? I was just wondering a little bit more about how that worked. That was all. >> Sure. So there are 97 active files plus the 42 that are inactive or incomplete. So
students have to provide us with essentially a home education plan that details what content they're going to cover, how they're going to meet the for elementary, the 990 hours for high school, 900 hours of
instruction over the course of the year. and they have to show in some way how um the person or persons who would be leading that plan
are have the capacity to do so. Um so then those come through our office we approve we approve or ask for more information. I will say the laws protect the
homeschool families quite a bit and understandably so because there's a number of reasons why families might homeschool. Some are due to I mean athletics. Some we have students who are on competitive hockey teams that they're traveling all over the country.
So they do a homeschool plan and sometimes it's the actual parent or guardian providing it. Sometimes they're connected to an online homeschooling resource program which the parent or family might be paying some tuition to
be a part of. Um and then they dict and then they provide a report at the end of the year for us um to essentially move them on to the next grade >> please. Yeah. So in general, have the
number I guess this is maybe for more for the stu superintendent in general have numbers gone up like statewide and nationally for people that are homeschooling here and other in other places.
>> I can say for us our numbers are similar this year to what they are like give or take a handful are similar to what we've had in the past. Um, I don't know in terms of I haven't seen a statewide
homeschool report now that you're asking that. I'm not sure how that gets reported. >> I I have seen some articles, not anything um definitive, but some articles that say the trend is is increasing for homeschooling. uh given a
variety of reasons the activities that that he mentioned that students are in also what parents are now doing with people working remote a lot of people are working remote and traveling and not wanting to let's say stay tied to a city or a town and taking their children with them whether they do different parts of
America or different things where they're working as well too and this day and age with things being digital the access to curriculum is out there now many of the families that I'm sure that Mr. Mr. Sullivan deals with have will pay and they will pay for curriculum
from these different agencies that are out there and some they can vet for free as well too. He mentioned that some will go to online schools and will take classes digitally by somebody else teaching them. Many of our parents are purchasing I'll use the word purchase and they are paying for a curriculum
from an accredited agency in that sense in trying to support their students at home with that. Any other questions? Not seeing any. Thank you both so much for your report and your continued good work. If there's no objection from the
committee, I'd like to move up item 9A uh composting of food and paper waste discussion to now. Not seeing any objections. So, um, we, uh, have, uh, Amy Dunovan from the
Franklin County Solid Waste Management District here. If you'd come forward and turn on the microphone and can participate in the conversation with us. Um, I guess maybe we'll start with the superintendent. Can you tee us up a little on this topic and then Amy can be
here as a resource for us as we discuss? >> Yep. So, in um in your packet today, I believe it's in might be in the new business. Yep. If you go to the new business folder, there's a composting
uh PDF that I did hand out last month as well. So, it's same. It's the same. And it talks about how I I and many others met in August with some people from regarding composting. And then I gave you a cost program that would cost If we were to implement it for a full year,
starting at a full year, roughly about $20,000 in terms of costs. Um, some of those would be reoccurring. A few would be startup, like the barrels would be a startup cost. Bags would have to be purchased every year. Compostable bags. Just can't throw them in. Plastic bags.
And then obviously six dumpsters, five cubic yard, five two cubic yard dumpsters, and one four cubic for the high school. uh if we were just to do the high school as we've potentially talked about and people have thrown
about that as an idea of getting started this year if you were to do the high school because there does seem to be support at the high school through some different the student clubs and teacherled support there. I did talk with our facilities director. The cost for a year at the high school would be
about $4,000 to do that. Uh many of the other concerns that you've heard before are that it would be a little more work for custodians in and out uh trash barrels, cleanup, separation. I know yes the students would dump it in and but
somebody still has to haul it out and do that type of stuff. They are bringing out the same trash obviously, but now it's just being separated and um the as somebody mentioned earlier in the public speak the pests right at times and having to do that because I I
haven't been here when it's been done but I've heard stories from the past when they were closer to buildings obviously we'd have to keep that in mind where you were placing dumpsters and there seemed to be some different mitigation strategies that I believe member Ston talked about that could be had to try to mitigate anything that are
happening there. >> Thank you. Maybe we'll see if we can get a motion uh about composting for to to use as our discussion. Um, Secretary Denive, >> we actually made a motion in our
community engagement subcommittee meeting because we met with Greening Greenfield and so we were going to propose our motion today during the reports, but it seems like maybe it would go here. >> Yeah, why don't you do it do the the motion now.
>> Okay, hold on one second. Where did I put it? the question. Give me one second. Okay. Um, we just sort of wrote this
quickly, but um, uh, we as a community engagement subcommittee recommend that the Greenfield school committee direct the superintendent to research the cost and details of restarting the compost program at all the schools and working with Greenfield, Greening Greenfield to abide by our policies and restart the
composting program. >> Okay. And I think that's what the superintendent just presented. >> Yeah. >> Right. Okay. Great. Excellent. So maybe our motion maybe I'd like to hear a motion now that we um approve the um
pilot of a um one year at um the Greenfield High School the composting program. >> So moved. Second. >> Okay, we have a motion and a second. >> Uh good one.
Um great. So discussion. Amy, would you like to say anything at this time? >> Stacy? >> Sure. I prepared a little background info. I don't know what you all have discussed in the past, so I don't know if it would be redundant or if I should
give a little summary. >> I think a brief summary would be good and then people could ask if they have want more detail. >> Sure. Okay, great. Thank you. Um, so the program started uh in 2016
with a mass D grant that was $30,000 to begin with and that mostly just paid m the solid waste district um because as you might know Greenfield is not a member of the solid waste district. We're supported by our 21 member towns. Um we're not supported, you know, the
state doesn't support solid waste districts. The county doesn't either, but it's a great idea. Um so in 2016 we um started these programs um at all six Greenville public schools, seven with
the math and science academy. Um they did it also. It was a very successful program um because commercial composting accepts all types of food waste as well as paper. The paper lunch trays that are
used at all of the all of the smaller schools are currently going in the trash and those um cannot be recycled but they can be composted. The six schools together like toward the end of the when when math and science academy
closed. Okay. Um, the six schools that were doing it were composting five tons a month. And so it's a major program. It's not just like a little bucket in the corner where we put our apple cores. It's all types of food as well as paper.
Um, so five tons a month, 50 tons a year. Um, only interrupted by the pandemic. Um, before the pandemic, 33 of 35 schools, public schools in the county were diverting their food waste from the
trash. 33 of 35. Um, I've been working since we got back to get those restarted again. Um, and most of them have. Um, some of these schools have been composting for 25 years. So, I really want to make that point because I know
there's a a rodent problem at the transfer station right now, which I've have has my full sympathy. Um, but this is not generally a problem in schools at all. Um, you're taking the waste that's there and instead of putting it in a
plastic trash bag in a trash dumpster, you're putting it in a compostable bag in a compost dumpster that's picked up once a week. So, it's not the same as the transfer station where all the trash from the town is coming there. Um, up to 89% of a school lunch is
compostable by weight. I had some great results weighing the compost, recycling, and trash at the end of the school um at the end of the lunches with students. That's a lot of fun. Um, the school committee wrote and adopted a composting
policy in 2016, which I've handed out here. Um, just a little bit about how I set it up. I do presentations one school at a time. Um, and then so everyone in the school committee understands why we're doing
this, why it's important, what happens to the materials and how to sort your lunch waste. This is a big one for me, right? Remember, um, Principal Goodwin, make your trash pile in the corner of your tray. and and I have all kinds of little taglines and things that I say to
the kids. Um I do cafeteria announcements and monitoring. Um Greening Greenfield is going to pay the solid waste district um for my time. Um the goal of these programs is to reduce trash and eventually
reduce the trash pickups in the trash dumpsters or the capacity of that dumpster. So like for example at uh four corners they went from you know a certain size dumpster to that was picked
up every week to being able to put it on call so the custodian would call it in when it was ready for pickup. So um you know he was there getting two cubic yards out of the trash every week. It's it really adds up. Um the the cost per
school per month for the smaller dumpster for the smaller schools for the dumpster um is $185 flat fee. So the the cost just for the hauling is $11,500.
Um then plus the cost of the bags. Now, the superintendent brought up the compost barrels, but we do we you know, we we hope some of the barrels are still around, so we can hopefully find some of those and put them right back into
service to save some money there. Um the we do have monitors um at different schools. But I won't get into that. But I do have um a new opportunity with potential um key club students helping
monitor the cafeteria in the high school um led by Judy Bennett. Um and the sustainability club led by Kyle Bostonramm is also interested in helping with that. With that being said, we don't really need a lot of monitors at the high school level and even at the
smaller schools, younger kids, because kids understand this. They know what food and paper is and they and because of the way that it's set up in a very certain way in the cafeteria. um everyone has to go through the sorting line and they can't like well
they could if they really wanted to but most students are just going through that line sorting their waste on an expert level. It's pretty amazing. Um lastly um this program had a huge
impact when it ran successfully successfully for four years. Um the schools greatly reduced trash. We've taught students about sustainability and personal responsibility, sorting your own waste. Um the composting um lessons
are included in the Massachusetts state curriculum, so we're supporting that with our actions. And um lastly, I don't think Greenfield wants to be the only school district that's not doing it. So, in the county, so Franklin County is a leader in
composting statewide because of Martins's Farm, because of Franklin County Solid Waste District. Um, and like I said, waste districts are not established across the state. It's a very special um organiz type of organization. So, I hope that we can get
this program started again and and get on board with um getting all this five tons of food waste and paper waste out of the trash each month. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh any other discussion on
the motion or questions for Amy? Oh, Stacy, thank you. >> Thanks. Yeah, I just had a couple of questions. Um, one is more of like anformational is this a pathway and then another one is more specific to the motion itself.
So, the general information is could leftover building funds from the high school construction be used for this purpose if one of the intents of the high school was to be a a green building. Um, and so that's sort of a I
don't know if that's an allowable expense kind of a question. But then the other one is as the motion was stated, it's like it said that we'll pilot this in the high school. Can we also um say when we'll revisit the the
matter? Like can we can we go ahead and plan the next time that we'll talk about this and decide to either continue at the high school or hopefully expand into the other buildings. Why don't we get a answer to your first question first? I I guess yeah, what what about budgeting if we were to do
this and how would it which account would it come out of etc. >> Um if you're whether or not the high school construction project monies could be I'm going to either defer to the mayor to defer to bond counsel. I'm gonna inclined to say probably not
because since it was borrowed funds, they need to be used for a like project and I'm not sure if compostable dumpsters and other materials would fall under that uh purview. But as to far as like the budgeting for it, most
districts when they do this um would be looking at it since it's primarily from the cafeteria would come out of the school lunch revolving account and the school lunch revolving account here in Greenfield is healthy enough to take this on and actually we need to you're
allowed a certain amount to carry over in that revolving account. Uh, and when you are over that threshold amount, the USDA who oversees school food service programs look for you to reinvest funds back into the program. So, this would be an appropriate use of those funds. So,
it would come out of the my recommendation would be for it to come out of the food service revolving account. And does that mean that if we um did a pilot period with one school and then the it was successful and as we
anticipate based on Amy's report um that there would be funds also for to do it with the the rest of the schools or do we just have the money for this one school? >> The the USDA allows you to have three months worth of your revenue to carry
over in your your food service revolving account. We are I don't say significantly over that but we are over that where should we want to expand it to the other schools the food service revolving account could handle that. >> Okay. So then it seems like the the
pilot would be mainly for operational practice and just kind of getting getting started. Um, I guess may would we want to I guess if if we wanted to say for this the rest of this school
year the high school and then look at the remaining schools, what what time frame would the committee want to reconsider like voting on expanding it to the other schools? Superintendent. >> Oh, can would you answer that question
first and then I'll go to member Goodwin? Uh, I think budgetary wise as we create the budget calendar, we'd have to get that in the budget at some point in the spring and I know that uh we're waiting just for some final dates on things. Obviously the the city side budget, that type of scenario, but
you've gone through the Greenfield budget. I can speak of budgets and I don't want to use the word spring loosely. You know the exact months that things may play out here. So probably I think you'd have to by April at the latest I would imagine you'd have to have some type of idea >> based on what Andy saying though would
we necessarily need to do any changes to the budget to uh to accommodate this >> technically no you wouldn't since it's coming out of the revolving accountant that's a self-supporting program so have to necessarily >> obviously we would want to monitor
should the food service revolving account start to get a little close to what we're a comfort level that we're allowed to have and if we would then potentially need to shift a funding source from the revolving account to the local budget but as of right now we're nowhere near that.
>> The other thing I know that our director of facilities Mike Rudro just wanted me to mention too I guess there was a nice article yesterday about Martin's farm in their recorder that talked about a lot of the things that they're doing. Um, obviously I don't know all the ins and
outs of what's going on here. He had heard that there might be some potential for the farm being up for sale, things happening like that and potential what c that may affect may or may not affect the cost on this. So this is the cost as of today in the way life is running today.
>> Yeah, thank you for that. Um, member Ston, we have a question from or a comment from member Goodwin. Should I go to that first or do you want to try to resolve your issue in terms of getting an amendment to the motion before we move on to to other parts of the discussion?
>> Um, I'm not sure if it would have come as a formal amendment. I appreciate the discussion and clarification about the sort of budget sort of where this is actually going to how how this would fit in our budget. Um yeah I feel free like go to go to member Goodwin and I feel
like the other >> okay >> the other thing be should it's fine. >> Thank you member Goodwin. >> I think one of the things it hasn't been done in a long time like everything else the pandemic interfered with. Um
custodians would need to be trained and that's a big piece. Um I remember when we started it the first time it was it took some time for the custodians to really understand what we were trying to do. So I know that um member Ston
actually mentioned that we I think in a year we were talking about negotiating with custodians. So starting with one set of custodians at the high school is a good way to start a pilot and see how that goes and then engage in
conversation um as you go down the road because one of the things that will happen is if a custodian doesn't understand what they're doing and our custodians change a lot like a lot of our staff, there has to be some kind of training in place for
people who are newly hired. Um because that's when things went bad is when doors are left open and critters come to visit. >> Any other discussion? >> May I may I address that comment?
>> Sure, please. >> Um great great points. Um, yes. And so I provide training for the custodians. And when we did this before, I think I get my school districts mixed up because
I work with all the schools in the county, but I think we did a meeting with everybody at the beginning because or maybe that was a different schools district. But anyway, I meet with the custodians and I, you know, get to know them and talk to them about their
workflow and how best to do it. And it the the barrels are on wheels so they can wheel out the barrels. Um, and so so I do I provide that training and I also work with the um
cafeteria food service staff to make sure they understand the program and what we're doing. So, thank you, >> superintendent. What do you think would be a good time frame like if it once it presuming it gets started in the high
school, how long do you think it should be operational before it comes back to the committee to look at uh it potential for expansion or just checking in about how it's going, evaluation? I think I think a good five or six months if you
were to do that and that would take us really towards late spring next year. >> Okay, >> great. So, we'll vote on this tonight and then we'll bring it back for late spring. Okay, any other discussion?
Um, let's see. We have one member by Zoom, so I think we have to do roll call votes. Secretary Den, >> Chair Johnson, >> yes. >> I'm a yes. Vice Chair Ston, >> yes. >> Member Martini, >> yes. >> Member Childs, >> yes.
>> Member Goodwin, >> yes. >> Mayor, >> yes. >> It's unanimous. >> All right. Thank you very much, Amy, and thanks everyone. Thanks, Superintendent, for your research and work on that. We're um returning to original order, which means we're at the consent agenda,
item five. Um, under the consent agenda, we have approval of minutes from September 10th, 2025. Accept a proposal for a $30,000 scholarship request. Approve a um
middle school career technical education and innovation career pathway exploration policy. Approve the updated bullying prevention and intervention plan. Approve amended family handbooks. and accept an annual donation of dictionaries from the Greenfield Elks
number 1296 for all third and fourth grade students in the Greenfield elementary schools. Does any member have any um item they would like to uh I see Mel Goodwin has has one he would like to remove from the consent agenda.
>> The handbooks I would like that removed from the consent. >> Okay. Any other items to uh member Ston? Uh item D, the bullying prevention and intervention plan. >> Okay, so we've got the we're removing
items D and E from the consent agenda. Any others? Yes, mayor. >> I saw one correction on the minutes. I don't know if that means it should >> um we could handle that during discussion of the consent agenda.
>> Um so we can we can do that. Okay. Any other items anyone member would like to remove from the consent agenda? Okay. So, I'd like to uh I'd like to hear a motion to approve the consent agenda with the exception of item D, the
bullying prevention intervention plan and e the family handbooks. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Okay. Discussion. Mayor, do you have your item about the minutes?
Oh, I I read um I forget what the name of the committee now is, but um the reinvisioning the schools, it listed member Ston as not being there and she was there. >> She she I sat next next to member Ston.
>> Okay. >> Thank you. >> We can get that updated. >> Any other comments on the consent agenda? Um, member Goodwin, >> um, the handbooks, I just wanted to know
what the changes were. That's >> the handbooks will be considered separately. So, we're on the on items A, B, C, and F of the consent agenda right now. Any items people would like to comment on that? Member Childs, >> my only comment is a giant thank you to
Dr. McDonald for that scholarship and to the Greenfield Elks Club for the dictionaries. >> Take the words right out of my mouth. Thank you so much for saying that. Any other discussion? Yes. >> I'll just um to jump on that. Yes, it's great that you have alumni who are
willing to give back and $30,000 is not a small chunk of change. So, we appreciate that. And also a nice shout out to the Greenfield Elks number 1296 for distributing to all our third and fourth graders, which are 251 students. So, that is a lot of dictionaries. Thank
you. >> Yes. Thank you very much. Okay. Um All right. Um member Denife, can we have a vote on the consent agenda with the um changes to the minutes as discussed?
>> Of course, chair. Yes, >> vice chair. >> Okay, great. >> I'm a yes. Member Martini. >> Yes. >> Member Childs. >> Yes. >> Member Goodwin? >> Yes. >> Mayor? >> Yes. >> Unanimous. >> All right.
Um, moving on to item E. I'd like to hear a motion to approve the amended family handbooks. Motion. So moved. Second. >> All right. A motion from member Charles, a second from member Martini.
Discussion. >> Member Goodwin. >> I've read these a lot because I was part of the original group who wrote them. So I just questioning what the changes are. >> Of course. So we're undergoing an
integrated monitor monitoring review through Desi. Um, and through last spring and summer, we completed a self assessment. We've gotten some feedback with DESIE before
they come visit in December. And there's some opportunities for us to rectify things before they come with a corrective action. And for the handbooks, we updated the non-discrimination language to include pregnant and gender identity as
protected categories. We included the most current bullying prevention and intervention plan and forms. Um, I maybe should have done that one last. I'll come back to it. And we also included a reference to alternative
remedies in the discipline section of each because before we can use exclusionary practices, we have to consider alternative remedies. These things have been in practice but weren't in the handbooks and when Desi reviewed them, they noticed that. So, we made
those adjustments and maybe I'm won't be answering member Ston's upcoming question, but the bullying prevention intervention plan did not include um the language around staff training or
how the district reports that information. Again, it is things we were doing in practice, but it wasn't in the plan. So, those pieces have been added to the plan. Thank you.
>> Any other any other disc discussion on family handbooks? >> Okay. Secretary Den, will you call the vote? >> Chair Johnson? >> Yes. >> Vice Chair Ston? >> Yes. >> I'm a yes. Member Martini, >> yes. >> Member Childs, >> yes.
>> Member Goodwin, >> yes. >> Mayor, >> yes. >> Unanimous. >> Thank you. And uh I skipped um item D, so we'll go back to that. I'd like to hear a motion to approve the updated district bullying prevention and
intervention plan as presented. >> So moved. >> Seconded. >> Motion from Martini, second by Child's discussion. >> Yeah. Um can I start? >> Yep. Go ahead. >> Yeah. The reason that I wanted to remove this is because I did actually have some
questions um similarly to member Goodwin of just what were some of the updates that were made that we were approving. Um but I also uh as I was reading through it, I was wondering if we could get um some more information about what
are the remedies that are taken and what are the exact sort of like guidance given um before it's referred to local law enforcement. So, that's something that I would appreciate just some more information about. Um,
and that might be that's actually that's the the bulk of it that I was mostly curious to hear. And I think at some point eventually I would love to have a more comprehensive like report or presentation about um what's happening
around bullying and and intervention strategies in the district. So I I think that's a fair question in terms of before it gets to law enforcement specifically. Um
so I think that is something that has to be included in the policy for DESIE, but I think we're very careful about when and where law enforcement gets involved and it's never our first option. I think
in cases where bullying has been identified, addressed, interventions have been made, um there's been discipline consequences, and it persists. I think at some point it rises to a level where law enforcement may
need to be involved, but um I'm not aware of any bullying allegations since I've been in Greenfield that have been referred to law enforcement. Um, but I think that is a last resort. And
anytime that we're contacting law enforcement for something that is has more to do with school discipline, I think um we try to use our professional judgment if a situation has gone beyond
the capacity of the school, if there might might need to be additional resources beyond what we could do. Um, and that could look like a number of things. And I would hate to start listing things because I'm sure I would miss something or I might misrepresent
something off the top of my head, but I can assure you um, a notice to law enforcement is a last resort. >> Thank you. I really appreciate that. Member Goodwin >> is the bullying information as well as
the handbooks provided in all the languages that are spoken in our district by our families. >> Yes, in the handbook. All the handbooks are translated available >> in the plan as well. >> Yeah, because the plan lives in the handbook. So, yes.
>> Any other discussion? Um, you'd be willing to make a fuller report about bullying at some future meeting? >> I would if I had some specific questions
or and not necessarily asking anyone to think of them off the top of their head, but if it's just number of allegations or findings and think like that certainly, but if it's something other than that, a little bit of guidance would be helpful. So, I'm answering
questions that you may have. >> Okay. Member Ston, >> Glenn, I was just wondering if that's something that we could bring to a future school committee meeting to have the the the discussion to generate the questions we would want answered.
>> Uh yeah, certainly we can put that on on the agenda and people can think about it between now and the next meeting if there's something you you'd like to hear more about. The other option would be people can feel free to email me or the the inter the assistant superintendent and superintendent and share you know
whatever requests for information you have. Okay. Uh let's have a vote. Secretary Denive. >> Sharer Johnson. >> Yes. >> Vice Chair Ston. >> Yes. >> Am yes. Member Martini. >> Yes. >> Member Childs.
>> Yes. >> Member Goodwin. >> Yes. >> Mayor >> yes. >> Unanimous. Thank you. Motion carries. Um, Vice Chair Ston, would you like to give the uh superintendent search update or was it were you raising your hand for
another reason? >> Uh, yes. And happy to do that. Can we actually bump to have our five minute break now so it doesn't interrupt the flow of the presentation and the voting we're about to do? >> Um, certainly yes, I see interest in
that from the group. >> So, great. I also yeah just realized that my computer has not in fact been charging this whole time. So I'm going to see about that and what I can do. >> Great. >> Cool. >> My watch says it's 8:10. So please be back here as the clock's turning from 8
uh 15 to 8:16. >> Great. Thank you. Great. Welcome back. Thanks everybody. Um, we're moving on to this superintendent search update. Um, Vice Chair Sexton.
>> Great. >> Yes. Thank you all. And please bear with me. I think that I'm in the middle of losing my voice, but we're gonna we're gonna get through this. Um, I also want to thank uh Judy Peluchcci for being able to be on the call with us tonight um from Nestec, who's our superintendent
search consultant and who I've been working um really closely with to develop this plan that we're going to present to you today. Um, do I have the ability to screen share or does Judy have the ability to screen share?
>> I should be able to give you both that ability. Just a sec. >> That'd be great. That way we can have the slides up. >> You also have slides in your electronic packets as well. >> Amazing. Yes, they are in the packet.
>> Okay, I've made you both co-hosts, so hopefully you are able to share your screens. >> Let's give it a go. This is everybody seeing slides.
>> Uh we are now >> amazing. Brilliant. Um so this is to help keep us on track and make sure we don't forget any bits and bobs. This is a fairly um let's say it's got a lot of details that we have to make sure that we get through in order to move this
process forward. So um let's see as we get started here. The first sort of order of business um picking up where we left off at the last meeting is to really think about who the steering committee. So this is a small
um representative body from the school committee itself. This would be myself and then two additional up to two additional persons um who will work really closely with Judy to handle logistics, getting rooms set up for focus groups like who we're going to
advertise and how and getting things out like in memos or newsletters or press releases like all of these sort of details are what the work of that threeperson body is going to be. Um the official spokesperson for this whole endeavor is going to be the chairperson.
that person is the official spokesperson for all endeavors really related to the school committee. Um if at any point I feel like that could be like the person who's leading the uh you know search committee process which I guess would be
me in this case um I feel like could be a a substitute if the chair would like to refer it back to the person who is actually leading um that subcommittee. I think that's an option. Um and then I wanted to also review, you should have
seen an update in your packet, review the open meeting law requirements that are around um these kinds of meetings. So essentially because there will be because it will be an official subcommittee and official proceedings of this body. It is a public
meeting and we will need to post for it. That being said to protect the privacy and integrity of the search process for the candidates um it will be happening under the opaces of executive session. So essentially we'll open the meeting go into executive session and then begin
our agendas um and that way we're sort of satisfying our dual responsibilities to open meeting law and um search integrity. So right at this moment already we have one decision point. So for this steering
committee in the orientation packet that'd be the longer like 20 some odd page document you may have seen that my proposal is to have three members on this small steering committee myself member child's and mayor disorger my rationale here being is that these we
three are going to we are guaranteed folks to be on this committee next year providing an important sense of continuity to the process as we go through an election uh cycle. Um, additionally, I think having an also being at least a little
bit of a representative uh for for the parents or being able to at least put on that hat some of the time um is a benefit to us and then having the resources of the mayor's office at our disposal um as well as input from the larger city side. I mean, I think that
that uh makes sense to me. Um and so that is our sort of first vote if we would like to take the time to have it right now is a motion to appoint members uh child's and disorging
body from the school committee. >> If you're um someone made that motion, would you both accept that appointment? Mayor. Yeah. Okay. Um, all right. Well, why don't we why don't we have a motion
and we'll see if how how we do tonight and if we need to put it off for some reason, we can, but certainly um could hear a a motion to create a superintendent search steering committee
uh composed of Stacy as chair and um I'm sorry, Member Childs and Mayor Deser. >> So moved. Motion from member Goodwin and a second from member Martini. Uh discussion. Um
Vice Chair Ston would this steering committee, but we is there also a hope to have some type of representation or or ad at least advisory from other um people in the
school system? Can you talk about how that would work? >> Absolutely. Let me let me be clear. I should have put together a graphic or something. So this small steering committee is just the representatives from this body that will be part of the larger search committee itself. So
rather than boggling, you know, uh, bogging down members of the community who might not already know how to work the channels of communication that the three of us steering committee members will have, like we'll be the ones actually doing the nitty-gritty of reaching out for rooms, um, making sure
that reservations are followed through. That way the search committee can really focus on the work of reviewing applicants and ensuring that they meet the goals, priorities, aspirations, needs, challenges of our community. Does that make does that outline make sense where the three of us are also part of
the bigger committee that we are trying to put together which we will discuss later on in this presentation? But for right now, I just wanted to get a vote on the the composition of the three representatives from the school committee body to that larger process.
That's very helpful. Thank you. >> Absolutely. >> Any other discussion? Um, Secretary Geneive, >> I'm just wondering when you plan to start this work. >> Immediately. >> Okay. Thank you.
>> As in as in what part of what was in the packet for this uh for this section of the agenda was the like invite letter that we plan to start really broadcasting out to candidates. I mean, if we can vote on some of this stuff and get it together, we can already be um
pulling in resumes for folks. So, um it is technically I would say it has started now. We are at that point where there's like, you know, we're moving forward. So, um that being said, like the actual timeline we will be talking
about very shortly. So we can we can see what other committee members are are, you know, thinking or feeling about that. >> Any other discussion? Okay. Secretary Den, will you call the
vote? >> Chair Johnson, >> abstain. >> Vice Chair Ston, >> yes. >> I'm a yes. Member Martini, >> yes. >> Member Childs, >> yes. >> Member Goodwin, >> yes. Mayor.
>> All right. Uh, everyone's yes except for one abstension. >> Wonderful. Motion carries. >> All right. >> Sweet. >> Continue. >> All right. Moving on. Okay. So, here we are to the timeline. Does everyone see
the timeline in their packet? >> You do. It's on page two. I can I can see you a bit, Glenn, and a little bit of member Den, but everyone else is off in the distance for me, so I can't really see. >> Yeah, >> you might not. >> I'll help give you clues about when
people are looking to be recognized, but I think people know where the timeline is. >> Perfect. Excellent. Thank you. So, essentially, the timeline as presented would start the work in a pretty quick-like fashion. um as soon as we get
some of those key things in place like an interest like figuring out what our salary range is etc etc um essentially it operates in two phases with a portion of the work happening prior to the like Christmasish holiday break or the winter
break in late December early January and then picking back up in January with the ultimate selection happening at at our February meeting um so that's sort of like the broad brush strokes for first round interviews would happen prior to
the holidays. Um candidates would be informed about whether or not we would like to move forward with them for second interviews and then we would actually conduct those second interviews after the holiday break uh ends and we all come back
um for the uh needs assessment work that would also start very quickly. I think the timeline for focus groups happening at the end of this month and then training for the bigger screening committee about how to review applications as well as sort of
discussing the profile that emerges from the needs assessment work uh to to make sure that that's actually informing how we're how we're reviewing those that would happen I believe in early December or late November um with the review of
applications happening in the mid December mid December ish time. So, those are sort of like broad brush strokes. I was wondering what were folks initial thoughts like reactions, initial thoughts, feelings,
um or were there any specific dates that you noted was on a holiday we didn't notice or something like that. Mayor, >> first thank you very much for working on all of this. Member St. and I appreciate
all of your work on it. So, thus far and um I had a thought about there was an awful lot that was happening just around the holiday and so I had wondered if
pushing it back a month for a couple of reasons. Um, one is because it's the holiday and also we're going to have a newly elected board and a lot of this has to do with
relationships and to give the new superintendent a chance to really be, you know, working with the the new committee. So, for a couple of reasons, I was thinking that it might go
be pushed back just a month. And I did just a little bit of Googling, which is how I look at things. And I don't I don't know that much about timelines. I, you know, we can certainly discuss amongst ourselves, but um if anybody else has more expertise on
this than me, by all means. member Goodwin. >> I think it's an unusual time for people to be looking for a new job um with the holidays. There's sort of a rule of thumb with
educators. We're usually looking um March, April. So, and I know it's different for superintendents, but still the holidays you're kind of like everybody wants to get through the holidays before they're starting to think about things like jobs and stuff
like that. Other questions or comments? Uh, Vice Chair Ston and and Judy, would you respond to those comments? Um I I'd be glad to. Um so this timeline
is is pretty similar to others we've done when we've started in the fall. Um what there is that holiday piece. However, um in on the superintendent level, people think well in advance
about their next move. So, it's definitely an earlier timeline than most other um educators. The other thing, too, is you'll be competing with others uh that'll be looking for a
superintendent. So um so the idea is that if you can um engage people who are interested in the superintendency and choose a person
um before they're chosen by another district, uh you are in a good place. Um and and um so this particular timeline does give
individuals um six to six or seven weeks to put together an application. um the the um the interview before the holiday um you know it is a busy time of of year
but pretty much I mean after the holidays sometimes it's busy in it in in districts as well um and then have the second interview afterwards if you you certainly can push it another month um
you will be in more competition with other districts. Um I would think I've seen some postings already go out. So you certainly wouldn't be the first district to have a posting out for um a superintendent search for a job that
begins in July. >> Member Martini. In terms of uh relationship building, I'm just noting that the interviews or direct uh interactions on this
uh calendar layout here that occur prior to January are with the screening committee which is made up of members who are midterm anyway and there wouldn't be uh finalist
uh interviews with the full school committee until after the start of the new year with the new committee fully on board. So, I don't have a problem with this calendar as is. >> Any other comments or questions? >> I'll say, you know, it's it's not just a
timeline, it's also an overall outline of of how you all are thinking about the work. and I find it very reassuring because it seems very well thought out and I I think has some improvements over our our previous searches. So, thank you very much for that hard work. I will
also say um I noticed when we did our inter interim superintendent interviews um we often we were asking people to interview very last minute at very unusual times like 900 p.m. on a
Saturday night and people seem to understand that if you're you know you're ambitious enough to seek a superintendency it might mean that you're interviewing at an unusual time of year. So, um, great. Uh, all right,
then. I Let's see. Do we have a motion yet to approve the, um, timeline as presented? >> I believe we are seeking such a motion. >> So moved. >> Motion from member Goodwin. >> Second. >> Second from member Martini. Uh, I guess
we've already had our discussion, but any other discussion? Okay. Secretary Den, will you call the vote? Sorry. >> Uh Goodwin and Martini was the second. >> Chair Johnson.
>> Yes. >> Vice Chair Ston. >> Yes. >> I'm a yes. Member Martini. >> Yes. >> Member Childs. >> Yes. >> Member Goodwin. >> Yes. >> Mayor, >> yes. >> Unanimous. >> Okay. Vice Chair Ston, continue.
Thank you. Um she you should see the screen about a needs assessment up there. Um this is the piece of work that NASDAQ had proposed where they would conduct interview individual interviews with each of us current school committee
members. um an online survey for community uh input into the process with potentially a special focus on like parents and students as well as four included focus groups that may
um you know have representatives or be or be focused on the following groups with the four sort of first five being the most uh popular and with additional options or like I would consider those more specific outreach options if we
could think of them as like buckets and then a little bit more specificity about who that could be in our community. But the community parents, teachers, and administrative team tend to be the most popular four focus groups with students as like a very close fifth. Um, our task
at this point is to figure out how many focus groups we want. Ideally, at least four if four are included in the fee we're already paying. So, uh, max out on that as well as, uh, the format of Zoom or in person. And there is a mention of
having a hybrid option considering that all of our municipal meetings are done in a hybrid way to sort of match our offering there >> um, for these focus groups. >> So, my recommendation because I prioritize um, or prize so highly
student input and community input is actually to pay an additional $425 to have a fifth focus group so that we can get community parents, educators, administrative team and students all of them.
So that's that that'd be my proposal. Um or I would love to hear from other folks. Which of these sort of groups of you know like bigger umbrella labels of groups of people would you all like to see prioritized for really intentionally
gathering? What do what are we looking for in a leader? What are we what is our you know what are folks seeing as our priorities, our strengths, our opportunities? Um any of that sort of stuff?
I propose we start with a a motion uh to um I'd like to hear a motion for Stacy's proposal for uh five focus groups, community, parents, teachers, administrative team, and students and to
pay the additional fee for the fifth group. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Okay. A motion for member Goodwin and a second from member Deniv. uh discussion. Can you talk a little bit about what the
community focus group is? That's a pretty broad um category. Can you say more about what that would look like? >> Um I could talk to you about how it has been in other districts. Um, often the
community group is held in a community location like the senior center or um or or town hall. Um, and members of the community um are are invited. oftentimes we um
will send out news releases and other means of engaging the community and and also send out um perhaps some individual letters to uh select board members or uh sorry city council members or or or
groups that you really want would love to see at that that engagement session. Um, and so in your packet where it lists um different choices for focus groups, I think uh we colorcoded them so that you
could see kind of the the groups that might be um engaged as part of the community forum. Um having it hybrid would probably bring in even more people than just having it in person. Um but
that that engagement usually lasts about an hour and um it gives the community the opportunity to talk about what they want to see in the new superintendent. >> Yeah. And in terms of like specificity
of outreach, I think that that is one of the sort of first order tasks for these newly newly appointed steering committee. Um so congratulations y'all. they already have homework. Um, but I would I would view that as really any
organization, any entity really in Greenfield that has a vested interest in the education of our students, which is any entity in Greenfield we have contact information for. Yeah, I guess I uh looking at that list,
I would wonder if you would add um educational advocates on that list. Uh we have we're blessed in Greenfield to have a number of people who are just passionate about education and um constantly bringing best practices and
advocacy to the school committee and uh like to see them um called out in that in that list. Um, I don't know it's the exact descriptor, but maybe local educational advocates or something like that.
>> Would you see that as potentially being like being part of the larger umbrella of community? I could also see those folks being reached out to um from the perspective of parents because I would certainly think that our CPAC and our ELPAC folks would be part of that
outreach strategy. I guess I I've noticed that, you know, and I I guess personal connection and not being a parent myself, uh, and yet caring deeply about education and knowing there are other members in that community that fit
that profile and aren't parents, I I don't see a need to add an I think adding one additional uh group with the students that's going to increase our cost is is enough, but just to include educational advocates on your list of, you know, we have a real estate board
here listed here, but we don't have the those uh educational advocates. So, that's just a a recommendation and and it's actually not what we're especially voting on right now. I think we're just voting on the broad buckets, but I would just uh suggest that for a future
revision of that list. >> Any other discussion? Sure. >> Suggestion noted. >> All right, then let's let's vote. Secretary Denive. >> Okay. Roll call again. >> Yep.
>> Chair Johnson aside, >> yes. >> I'm a yes. Vice Chair, >> yes. >> Member Martini, >> yes. >> Member Childs, >> yes. >> Member Goodwin, >> yes. >> Mayor, >> yes. >> Unanimous. >> All right. Um, >> next. Vice Chair.
>> Okay, let's keep it moving. Okay. So, here we are now at ourformational letter. Quick show of hands. How many folks have been able to read it? How many folks would like a minute or so to rescan it and refresh?
>> All right. So, the first question, well, why don't we just ask that second question. How many people would like a chance to read or reread theformational letter? We have two hands, three hands up. So, I think we will take a few minutes to do that. And mine was one of them.
>> Great. Thank you. I find it again now. Wait a minute. >> Which page number in particular are we looking at at the moment? >> I think it starts on page 15 or 16 in the packet. It depends on if you're >> I see some folks have paper and some
folks have devices. >> Yeah. >> But it'll start with like a flashy we are seeking you know a candidate for X Y and Z and then it describes a little bit about us, a little bit about the role. It gives
some fast facts about the um district as in like how many students, excuse me, how many students we have. um what our budget was for this current fiscal year etc. >> Okay. Yeah. 15 it looks like.
>> Okay. Great. >> 15 to 17. Perfect. Okay. Um here a motion to approve the um document or letter on page 15 to 17 of
our Nestec packet. >> So moved. >> Motion from Secretary Denive. >> Seconded. >> Second from member Childs. Any discussion? >> I have two quick typos. >> Great. Um, in the both page 16 about
Greenfield paragraph, um, last sentence, it looks like we're missing space between, uh, dining, comma, shopping. Uh, so just, you know, we missed a space there. And then in the second to last paragraph, which is the last full
paragraph, last sentence in it, Franklin County, I believe county should probably be capitalized. So just the nitty-gritty. >> Copy editor at work. Thank you, member child. And certainly if people have other corrections of that nature, they
can feel free to to contact um separately as well. Um okay, any other discussion on the the letter? >> Um can I >> potentially complicate this motion? I apologize.
>> Included in this letter is a salary range. I might propose that we take that as a separate vote. if we want to ask specific questions about that. But the overall structure we can go ahead and approve for this letter
and just with the exception of the salary range figure amounts themselves and then once we have that vote then we'll put in whatever we decide but I just want to make sure that that is given some intentional and special attention. >> Okay. Secretary Den, do you accept as a
friendly amendment? approve it with the exception of the salary for the um position. >> Yes. >> And and seconded. She's okay with that. So that motion is amended. Um are there any other items that anyone wishes to
remove from consideration from the letter? Okay. Uh Secretary Den, will you call the vote? >> Chair Johnson? >> Yes. >> Vice Chair Ston? >> Yes. >> I'm a yes. Member Martini, >> yes. Member Childs, >> yes. member Goodwin. >> Yes.
>> Mayor, >> yes. >> Unanimous. >> Okay. >> Um, great. Uh so are we on to the salary now or uh
>> I think that that makes the most sense just so that we can get that last uh that detail for that letter and then uh as Judia was telling me if we approve it tonight we can start advertising tomorrow
>> which is great. Um, and so what the salary range that is represented in there right now actually represents a contract prior to the one that we had with Superintendent Patnode. Um, honestly that may have just been an
editing error from me copy pasting, but I'll put it for you as a sacrificial proposal anyway because we can always change it right now. Um, I will say that if if we were in the current if we were in the year two
contract with former superintendent Pat Node, the base salary would be 173, which is at the high end of the range that is currently in the packet. And so I just want to say it's not totally out of line with what we would be paying for a superintendent already. I didn't take
into consideration um interim superintendent Joyel's salary because it didn't feel like an applesto apples comparison and I wanted to get as close to that as I could. And so I am open to hearing other ranges that people are interested in. Um and just yeah looking
forward to some shared decision- making on this particular item. Superintendent and Andy, do either of you have uh council for us on this? >> I don't think it would take it's not too hard. Um there should be a little small
study and a little homework done. Um in my opinion, I don't think tonight would be tonight to set this range here, you do have a lot of openings in the Pioneer Valley this year that will be occurring. And while we can we know what the former superintendent um salary was, if we go
back one other superintendent, that range would be quite a bit higher on there um in that sense and you need to know the area, the market. So you have the Mass Association of School Committees out there who does salary surveys every year. A quick call can get
you those who have put the information in general areas of Western Mass, Franklin County, Hampshire County, all your general I don't want to say competitors, but you know what I mean, like districts in that type of scenario. And um I think you I would suggest that you would want some concrete examples so
you actually know what you're up against instead of I'm not trying to put anybody down, but guessing what a a salary might be because superintendents aren't going to if they look at something, they're not guessing. and they know what the salaries should be. They know I know what somebody in Gil Manu is making. I
know what somebody in Mohawk's making. In about three minutes, we could all find it out. So, probably not the best night to do that. Um, just to do a little homework on what the competitors are. >> Uh, member Goodwin.
>> So, it's been a while since I did this, but the word negotiable usually was used instead of a range. I mean, so when you applied, you knew that they were going to compete with the surrounding area. Is that not that I mean, I don't like being
stuck in a range because we know we're competing with three or four other districts. >> You do have that Mass Pay Act that's out there now where you have to put ranges, >> okay, >> in postings. And you also could, you know, put a comma or parenthesis commens
with experience that they do negotiable. But you'd want to give a range because if it was outside of somebody's range, they may not apply for that if they knew that it wasn't even in the ballpark. >> Mayor, oh, you're turning your microphone off. Uh, I'll say, um, I
think that we may want to have a I don't want to slow this process down too much. At the same time, we do need to do our homework. So I think what I would propose is that we have a very brief special meeting Zoom only um to uh let
the the team come to us with with the proposal based on some data. Secretary, >> I was I was just going to say something similar. This will be the third superintendent contract that I've worked on and I was on the group that did uh
Karen Patnodes. So this range seems completely and utterly acceptable but um things do change and get adjusted according to experience and where they come from. So I agree with you that we should have a
special meeting for this um and and put measure it with experience in our range because they are going to want certain things and we don't know where they're moving from or what the situation is. Okay, that can be part of the proposal
that we look at for our special meeting. Okay. Is that acceptable to um Judy and vice chair? >> Got the mayor. Sorry, the mayor has her hand up. Go ahead. >> Um I'm going to ask a question of the
superintendent. >> Does that seem like a good ballpark number or do you think it should be higher? because we if it's going to be commensurate with experience, could we put a ballpark number in and then add that in parentheses? >> Yeah, I I haven't done I have not prior
to tonight done a study. I think that it's probably a little on the low end. >> Okay. So, >> in that sense, but it won't take much time. I'm telling you, it won't take much time to call MASS. I can touch base with member Sexton tomorrow and call down and get you some figures to know
what somebody in Frontier is making, what somebody in Irving and Gil and everybody's making. Then you'll know if you're in the in the game or not, you know. >> Okay, great.
Um All right. Uh so Vice Chair and Judy, anything else you need from us on that discussion? Is that acceptable? So, so just so that I um can do a quick recap and make sure that I know what's about to happen. So, the steering committee,
the three musketeers of myself, Jenny, and an have been tasked now with getting some concrete these these other data about ranges that are happening in other searches going on near us, presenting that to you. Do we excuse me have a
sense of if we want that pardon me special meeting to happen next week? No, I think that I actually think that if if you all now that you're um a body, you'd have to post gather put together proposal then bring it to the school
committee. I think that's going to slow you down too much. I think that this is something we should >> de delegate to the chair of the steering committee to work with the administration to come to a proposal for the full committee just to expedite
things. I I can do and for like next week, two weeks. >> Yeah, I would want to probably next week. Yeah, I mean we need to post so so probably be late next week. >> Perfect. >> Okay,
>> we can we can have something together very I imagine pretty swiftly about that. Thank you. >> Okay, great. Does that work, Judy? That will work for sure. >> Okay, great. Thank you. All righty.
What's next? >> What is next? So, um advertisements. These are um sort of what's included already as well as optional. This is essentially the decision point of do we want
additional advertising? Um as described to me, not really, but we have to say so. What do you mean? You have to say you have to give us the option as a school committee to decide. >> Exactly. >> Okay. >> Correct. >> But your recommendation can you say why?
Why? I mean I have reason. Tell me why you don't think >> because with the fee we're already paying. We're getting everything that's underincluded which is most of the online sphere of different networks and platforms and outreach strategies. The
only thing that we would get if we paid more is being in print versions of things, which as described to me is just not where a lot of the candidates are learning about positions. And so it does not seem to me that that is worth the
cost in the same way that a student focus group is worth the cost. >> Okay. So, you need a uh it sounds like it would be good for us to make a motion to approve the list of advertisements that is listed under included and that
we are not selecting the optional at cost options. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All right. So, we have a motion for member child and a second for member Goodwin. Is that the motion that you needed from us, Vice Chair Son? >> I believe so.
>> Okay. Great. Any discussion? Secretary Den, will you call the vote? And >> Chair Johnson Assad, >> yes. >> Vice Chair Ston, >> yes. >> I'm a yes. Member Martini, >> yes. Member Child, >> yes. >> Member Goodwin, yes. Mayor, >> yes. >> Unanimous.
>> Okay. What's next? >> Okay. So, this is where I might also um have Judy step in and share some of some of her prior experience with how this has gone down in other um other searches
before. But in general, this uh is where we're going to talk about the different roles of the big school committee, us altogether, us seven. um the role of like what Judy is actually supporting and helping us do. Um and then we'll get into the screening committee and towards
the end the decision point is actually thinking about the broad brushstrokes makeup of the screening committee. This is not specific people at this point but this is thinking about oh we might want two parents or do we want three parents or do we you know like and thinking
about the types of people we want represented in the screening committee. Um, any questions about that before we actually say the spiel? >> Any questions on that? Not seeing any.
Go ahead. >> Perfect. >> Um, Judy, can I ask you this? >> Sure. um in your packet there's some um more detailed discussion of kind of the roles of um the consultant versus the
screening committee versus the school committee but I'll try to make it brief. Ultimately it's the school committee that chooses the next superintendent. And so the school committee's role in this gets much more intense at the second interview stage.
um and and that ultimately is your responsibility. It's one of the major responsibilities of a school committee. The screening committee um is the group that actually screens the applicant applications that come in, decides who
should get a first interview, interviews uh that group and then decides who will they forward to the school committee as finalists for the second interview. The screening committee is made up of a wide
range of people to get the input from different perspectives of the community. Um and and often we recommend there to be uh you know uh possibly nine uh to 11
or so folks on on the screening committee. uh it's sometimes hard to narrow it down to to that few. But on the other hand, if you have a wider group, each individual of the screening committee doesn't have as big of a
voice. So, you want to kind of um kind of balance uh that idea that people who are putting in that much time to the interviews, you want them to have have a voice. And if they're just a a one
member of 30 people, they have a much smaller voice than if they're one in nine people or 10 or 11 people. So the number is important, but it's also important to make sure that you have and
every community is a little different, you have the right balance of people on that committee. And so that's why in your packet there's um some different uh ideas for uh who might be on the
screening committee. And for tonight, we want to have you decide who are those roles. So you might say like two parents, one teacher, one, however you want to decide uh on the list, but not
individual names. And so, um, then then we'll get to work on, um, getting the the the word out to people on this opportunity and making sure that people understand what the
time commitment is and then eventually um, matching a name with each of those roles that will then come back to you for you to officially appoint those people to that group. So that's the uh
screening committee's role. Um so my role is really to facilitate this whole process. Um and and you know because we've we've done this uh a good number of times. We have some good tools out
there for soliciting people for these roles, for getting the news out um and for helping you through that that process. And then now that you have a steering committee, the steering committee really helps me to steer the
process um and do the logistics um get the I don't have access for example to your um email system to get the news out to all parents and so on. So that screening committee helps to get those
steps done in the process. That's the roles. What we're hoping tonight is to have you um decide on your screening committee um who what roles
will be um on that on that committee? Who who do you want to see on that committee in terms of roles? Um so that we can then get to work to um solicit people for those uh for that job.
>> Okay. Um then I thought as a starting point oh were you going to say something vice chair? >> I well I was going to launch into my my spiel specifically about the screening committee but if you have a question or comment now I'd be happy to hear it.
>> Nope. Go ahead. >> Great. And so, um, in thinking about the screening committee and its makeup, I do, pardon me, have a proposal, um, keeping in mind that we're looking for a group size of
about 9 to 11 people and that three of those people will already be taken up by myself, member child's member disorder. And so that leaves us, you know, with >> six to six to eight additional people.
And so my thoughts were having um three parents, one for every elementary, middle, and and high school. Um as well as three members of staff, someone to represent educators,
uh represent administrators, and then also represent like support staff folks. Um, and then here's where I would love some more support in thinking through is I would really love to have student representation here. And I know that that comes with a lot of difficulties
and constraints of working around student schedules. Um, and asking them to sort of speak for their speak for their people in sort of ways. um and balancing wanting to have representation from the broader community as well that has a vested interest in education but
finding it hard to think about having only one person in that role and how could they possibly represent the community, you know. Um, and so I know that I am advocating for having the three of us who are already on the steering committee plus three parents
and three members of the Greenfield Public Schools staff um, as I described earlier. And then yes, would love would love your support in thinking through who these other couple of folks might be. Um I I'd like to share um
I really value students and and their participation and in involvement, but I do think to both because of logistical challenges like you're discussing, but the idea of having one student and then all of these adults and thinking that they're going to go into that
environment and it's going to work very well for them. I just I just think it it isn't actually going to solicit the kind of feedback from students that we'd really want and that we have the um the focus group um we have our student
council representatives so we could be seeking their input in in other ways but I would I would argue I guess against um having a student on the um on the committee not because I don't believe in engagement But because I think if you
are going to engage, you need to do so in a in a way that's realistic in terms of allowing people to to fully engage. And I just think one student in a on a group with 11 adults is not realistic in terms of getting the best out of them
and them having a good experience of it. Remember childs? >> I'll argue against that. I'll argue that we have some students at Greenfield High School who are already getting advocacy awards for their work. We have some very active, confident students and we also
will have some high school seniors who have already turned 18 by the time these meetings are happening. So I would say that for the right student, the kind of student that we want Greenfield to produce, they would be able to be an effective member of this committee.
more good one. >> I totally believe in student involvement. But one of the things about the candidates that you need to understand is at this level at the screening procedure, there may be people who want their information kept confidential. They don't want people
know they're looking for another job. At that level, it's really important. And I know some other districts that had some problems where information got out and it backfired on them. Um, so I would just say there's no reason why you
couldn't look for somebody who is maybe a graduate of Greenfield High School, an alumni of Greenfield High School. That could also be a parent who's an alumni. Um, I'm just I think it's with teenagers right now in social media to protect
your candidates is really important in this process. Um, and I've sat on a committee with 40 people. I've sat on committees with eight people and even when you talk to adults sometimes that gets violated. So I think it it's harder
for younger people. Secretary Denive, >> I think based on the interactions I've had with the students at the Yellow conference, they are very civically minded at the high school and I think that they'd be a great addition. But if there's privacy concerns, I don't see
why they can't submit questions um and submit uh thoughts about what they would like um in terms of qualities in their new superintendent. So I think that they could be uh involved and they
doesn't have to be face to face. >> So the focus group could inform the inter focus group with young people could >> inform interim superintendent. Yes. >> One thing to consider too is when you when the selection committee whoever
it's comprised of does pick finalists that you would be interviewing with the new committee as well. I would anticipate you may have the finalists do site visits or you may do site visits there and then there's a great opportunity to put the candidates in front of students like the student council or representative while they
visit probably I would assume possibly they may visit different schools during a day if they come for a half a day or a full day and then you'll be able to gather some input that way as well. >> Okay. Um Vice Chair Ston I want to move this towards where we have an actual
motion and it seems like Um we have on page 22 a suggested profile which lists the different roles but your uh recommendation varies from that slightly. So I'm wondering if we
use this as a template could you help us to revise that um to reflect uh what you're recommending? >> Yes. Do you mean in real time right now? >> Yeah. because well I'm assuming you want the the vote on this tonight.
>> Yes. >> Yeah. So in real time right now. Yes. >> Okay. Um let me stop screen sharing for just a moment so that you don't have to watch me while I go pull up that other part of
the packet. >> Okay. Apologies, friends. The tech isn't working with me. >> Oh, that's okay. Another process could be I could read off of this list and you could just tell me yes, no, or maybe whether you want these these people on the committee.
>> Perfect. >> All right. A central office administrator. >> Yes. >> Yes. A principal. >> Maybe. >> Maybe. >> Okay. >> So, yeah, the the proposal that I had
called for three GPS staff, and I would love to see an administrative staff, an educational staff, and a support staff represented. Does that make sense? >> Yeah. Okay. So, you in your proposal,
you don't have a special >> Sorry, I'm >> there are hands. You're right. But I just want to get clear. So, in the in on this page 22, they talk about the importance of having a central office administrator as distinct from other principal for
example. So, uh, just wanted to make clear that your your proposal would be the administrator could be from central office or a principal or a director of student services or something like that.
>> Correct. And I will add that the central administrative office staff is um is like also re it would be important mostly to have good relations to get stuff scheduled and whatnot. Um so yes,
they'll have the a broad perspective of the district, but also it's helpful um in order to make sure that we can get rooms reserved and things like that. But there not essential necessarily to have on the
the screening committee itself as long as we do have good relations in order to accomplish the logistics smoothly. >> Okay. >> Does that make sense? >> Yeah, I I understand what you're saying. Member Goodwin, >> we have a lot of new principles, but
there is somebody actually sitting here who I has been at the middle school at the high school and and central office and he's also our interim superintendent. who I think meets multiple criteria. I've never been part of a committee that's put an interim on,
but you know, he's been in three schools. Okay. But we're talking about roles, not individuals at this point, but I hear what you're saying, >> mayor. Were you going to say something? >> Yes. I think um
uh I I heard when you were talking about uh parents, I think we should also have a a parent of a special needs student be. >> Okay. Thank you. Um member Martini. Uh, thank you, mayor, for saying that
because I uh was noting that there is on this suggested list an elementary and a secondary parent, but there doesn't there's not like a direct connection here to representing the interests of disabled students uh uh nor English learners. and those are two of our
highest needs groups in the district and who have benefited the least from the improvement that the district has seen year-over-year for the last several years. So, uh, so I appreciate that suggestion and I would like to, um, I'd
like to see a representative from CPAC and LPAC, um, on this list. But just in the interest of time, um perhaps we could just um read this entire list and then take Vice Chair Ston's suggestions
on uh individuals individual roles to remove or that are not being recommended here. >> Okay. Yeah. Um we could do that. Um, the other thought that I had was whether we
want to just have a general discussion now, share our feedback with member ston and add this to the agenda for the special meeting because it just seems hard to sort out in this format. Mayor,
>> I just could we also ask our superintendent if he has any suggestions as well for the makeup of this because he has a lot of experience, >> please.
>> Um, yes, thank you, mayor. I would agree with member Ston and I believe Judy who's on there that a small I say small a smaller committee is better. We want to include everybody, right? You want to include everybody. You may have to try to do multiple roles. It may be a parent
who is a parent of a special education student in that sense because if you just keep adding and adding, the committee will get unwldy. Um, I think you're going to have a hard time getting people together for the screening and for the interviews. Um, I do think the week prior to Christmas is going to be
specifically hard when you try to put 12 to 15 people in a room and say you're here Monday to Thursday nights when everybody's doing last minute shopping, that type of scenario. So, the bigger you get, it just gets tougher. And if you can combine roles in there, like we said, a parent, one of a special
education student, and you may have to leave some roles out, whether it's a business member or community member. At some point you just can't have everybody in the room but you can get impact in input as to what they want in a superintendent. Obviously you'll do that with the community forums and then
there'll be some opportunities during the public I say finalist interviews when you're doing some public interviews to then hear feedback from community members as well. So it's tough. It's always tough to say no that no we don't want somebody on here. But I would
concur with Judy that if it gets too big, it's just not going to work as efficiently. >> Okay. So, if there's no objection, let's just uh share any other feedback that
you would like uh Vice Chair Saxton to be thinking about in terms of coming to us with the proposal with this very difficult difficult thing to put forward. But um any other comments or feedback on that?
I guess the only other thing I would say on that is that um since it does seem like in one group you won't have the representation of everyone that you wish would or could be there and have a meaningful role then
then that just puts more uh emphasis on our need to be doing community engagement, getting people to these focus groups and having them involved in a meaningful way even if they're not in the room where it happens where they're determining ing which candidates get advanced. So,
all right. What's next? Oh, do you want to share again? >> Excellent question. Give me just a moment to get back where we were. Okay. So, we've effectively postponed that agenda item to our next
special meeting. >> Can you um share your screen again? >> Yes, I can. All better? >> Yep. Thank you. >> Perfect. So, all of this to be made more clear at a future date.
>> Okay. The last uh lastly but not least um we discussed having a district web page for the superintendent search. This will essentially act as like a repository of all the all the things. This is where we will be posting the info letter once
that's finalized. Um we'll be posting the timeline here so that candidates know what to expect. We'll be posting the candidate profile here. We'll be advertising for all of the focus groups on that page. um it'll be your sort of one-stop shop for a what's going what's
going on, what's happened um as far as the superintendent search goes. So, I wanted to make sure that folks had all of that. Um Judy, is there anything we're forgetting or is this >> No, I think I think you all did an
excellent job. I know sometimes you might think you you put off a couple decisions for next week, but those are good decisions to think about and to do it right. So, I think you're in a great place right now. Um, even even making
those decisions next week, we still have a good amount of time for candidates to um put in their applications in time for December 1st. So, it it adheres to the timeline. I think I think you're in a good place.
>> Great. Thank you so much. And so just as a recap, um we'll be revisiting the screening committee as well as the pay rate and range. >> Exactly. And thank you both so much. An enormous amount of work and we really appreciate it.
>> Thank you all. A lot of it was a lot of it was Judy. Really helpful. Thank you. >> Oh, no. It's been a pleasure to work with you. Everything is um everything was done on time. It's it's going very well. Thank you. >> Great. Thank you both.
>> Okay. Um let's see. We are moving on to school committee reports. Um chair's report. I have a inclusion of draft subcommittee meeting minutes in meeting packets. Um
uh Secretary Deniv asked if we could um have that as part of our practice um to include those. um and uh the superintendent agreed that that wouldn't be an undue burden. So just going
forward, we'll include those um draft subcommittee minutes minutes in the meeting packets for the full school committee um so people can stay up to date in what's going on. Superintendent. >> Yes. So you do have those in your packet in there. Also, they'll be in two spots.
So you'll get them here each meeting for new meaning, new minutes that are not even approved yet. their draft, but they're also on the your web page on on the web page for the school committee under the meetings, even in draft form, they're there as well, too. And then when they get approved, then they just
change to accepted. So, they're in two spots for you. >> Thank you. We appreciate that. Uh budget and finance report. >> Uh budget and finance did meet recently and uh we addressed uh three primary
things. the uh plan for stakeholder outreach in regards to FY27 budget development as well as amending our annual budget document uh for FY27 and uh we discussed capital improvement.
So, uh, the subcommittee previously, um, launched a an effort to conduct in-person outreach to collect stakeholder input in regards to budget development last year and, uh, intends
to do the same this year, uh, except that, uh, last year we did, um, proactively go out and send a representative to our PTO's as well as the GHS school council. uh as GHS does
not have a PTO and uh uh I myself attended to CPAC and LPAC in order to uh obtain input from them and uh and that went well and it was a good experience but uh we do recognize that these
organizations have busy schedules and we certainly don't want to um be an imposition. So, uh, our suggestion this year is that we will, um, send out a friendly message and make a subcommittee member available, uh, to
each of those organizations as well as any other school councils that are um, currently uh, in order and having an upcoming meeting. And uh, otherwise, warmly invite them to share their input by
email or any other way that they would like to if they don't um, have time. for us. Uh I would like to move that the school committee approve the uh budget and
finance subcommittee's outreach plan for FY27 budget development as stated. >> Is there a second? >> Second if we're on the committee. >> Uh I'll sec I'll second it. I second it.
Any discussion? Vice Chair Ston, I was just wondering if we could pre-note for next year around this time when we're doing our next post-mortem of the budget process. if we could compare
and contrast how it went from like going to one of their meetings and taking up a little bit of their time versus sending letters and asking for feedback just in terms of like volume and quality and um our feeling that the budget we come up with is overall representative of what
our community's priorities are. So just want to make sure we revisit it if possible. >> Julie noted. Thank you. >> Thank you. Any other discussion? Okay. Secretary Denife.
>> Uh Martini. And then I seconded. >> No problem. >> Chair Johnson. >> Yes. >> Vice Chair Ston. >> Yes. >> I'm a yes. Member Martini. >> Yes. >> Member Childs. >> Yes. >> Member Goodwin. >> Yes. >> Mayor, >> yes. >> Unanimous.
>> Thank you. Uh the next item that I said uh we discussed was the improvement of our annual budget document. The subcommittee has discussed uh potential rubrics for use in improving that document to make it um more informative
and easy to use. Uh and uh the the focus of that has been uh primarily discussing the Association of School Business Officials meritorious budget award rubric uh because it provides a
nice organized list of items by which a school uh committee could improve their annual budget uh and make it very uh friendly as I said and uh we've also looked at um
the documents that are uh or have been provided by other districts uh including those who have uh achieved said award and um districts that have u budget documents with things uh that appeal to
uh the members. So uh after that discussion the committee um recognized a few things. Uh one that uh we don't necessarily need to u
decide that we are seeking that award in order to use a rubric like that. It's published. It's public. It's on online. Anyone's welcome to look at it. uh and also that uh other school districts that have achieved it have done so via a
multi-year project. It's quite extensive requires a great deal of footwork. Uh definitely not something that you would do overnight and also something that's uh somewhat challenging to do in a situation where uh you have an interim superintendent. The school committee is seeking a staff business manager but
doesn't have one yet. Um, and so, uh, what we settled on was, uh, seeking to create the executive summary portion, which would be the most informative, um, portion of a budget book. And, uh, we
will be coming back at our next meeting uh, with members um, bringing their specific items that they might like to see in it. And the general idea uh of what that would entail would include things like uh visuals, user friendly um
graphics, concise narratives to help distill um information for uh people so that everyone can um have information coming to them in ways that works for them.
Uh there is no vote required about that because we don't yet have something to bring to you. That's just a general update on where we are on that front. And uh lastly, um the superintendent did provide for us some information in
regards to capital improvement that is needed. However, there wasn't enough information available at the time of our meeting for the subcommittee to make a formal recommendation to the school committee as a whole. So, um I will uh just let the uh interim superintendent
go ahead and share what information is now available with everyone. >> Thank you, member Martini. Um I have in front of you talked with our facility supervisor who has gathered
requests from various buildings and superintendent of super principles etc. in that sense and you have in front of you some capital requests and the earmarked funding requests. I think maybe it's not necessarily that request should be in that title. It's earmarked funding. Um some of the things that here
I'll read you them in order for the public out there. Uh the Greenfield Middle School fire panel upgrade that is I believe it may be out to bid. That's a question mark for me but I know it's being in the works with through our business department and city hall as well. And that could be if it's an
upgrade about 50,000 if it's not upgradable and has to be replaced. It could be more. There has been funding already put aside by the city for that. So, we're appreciative of that to the tune of $300,000
right now. Uh the GHS high school lighting control system updates, that's eight years old right now. It is the same company that you may or may not have remember that did Minichog High School in that sense. And those lights were on for four years. Our lights are not on for four years in that sense, but
we need to get to it before something like that happens. And a lighting control system update would be roughly $50,000 right now. Super not superintendent, director Budro tells me there are over 100 faults to the
software system in terms of things like that. So that have to happen. So yes, the lights are still going on and off right now, but we do need work after eight years for that. Um, he's suggesting replacing a vehicle, which would be a Ford truck
with a plow to replace a Ford Focus car. Right now, we have two trucks, a 2016 and a 2022. One of those has a small plow, almost like a home type of plow. I say for a residential, maybe that's a better word, residential. In that
scenario, this would put another plow on because there is a director and then two maintenance workers who do city plowing, school department plowing as well. We do have a that would replace the Ford Focus car which is basically dead. It is sitting in the parking lot right now
in that scenario. Uh floor carpet replacement at the Greenfield Middle School library and also at Federal Street School. If you walk into the middle school right now, it looks like the ocean a little like some ripples and some waves or a lake on a windy day in
that sense. And that needs an upgrade. And there's also carpeting. It could even be more and more, but this is probably the start of the work. You'll find a lot of places replacing carpeting, taking it out with whether you want to call it vinyl flooring, that
type of scenario, allergies, cleaning up messes, water damage, etc., right? In that sense. So, that could be to the tune of $30,000. Federal Street School parking lot paving. Um, think this was approved, not approved.
Let me take that back. not approved, but money was approved by the city in the past, $75,000, which is sitting there. So, thank you to the city for that. Believe the cost, Mr. Budro believes, would be somewhere around the $200,000 at this point right now
for repaving there. So, we do have 75 sitting, but would need additional funds on that. There is at Greenfield Middle School in the back of the building. If you're looking at the where the kids go out for lunch, there there is an awning roof replacement by the gym doors. That
request was for $30,000 in the past. This is a carryover. We do have So that is an earmark that we just did receive $25,000. So that that literally just came in recently. The business department and
Mr. Sullivan are actually helping with that through the gyms processing it through the state system there. So we do have $25,000 for that overhang and the Greenfield Middle School for energy recovery units. We were fortunate to have $195,000 already committed by the
city for that. But that's an expensive project that could be upwards to almost a half of a million, $490,000. They are running right now. They're they're running, but they're on limited time span.
Mr. Budau believes you could possibly do too. Those are some things to talk about and obviously as you get into the nitty-gritty of things as the budget process goes down the road and the capital projects with the city, we can bring him in as well. Um, AAL could use some exterior painting to the tune
possibly of $30,000. Summer painting was a hit this year. He was able to hire one person inside and do a lot of painting if he could do two next summer. Uh thinks we could get a lot of done lot done internally as well. More painting
for the schools. There is the Greenfield High School track maintenance and a painting there. That track is 8 years old. They generally go 10 to 12 years old in that sense, but it's starting to show some wear and tear. Not unusable at all, but resurfacing similar to you where you would want to paint a house
before it gets deplorable in that sense. and you can't catch up on that and exterior painting at AAL. And you'll see that those tail off in terms of priority as well too. We understand that there's only limited funds everywhere as well too. And I do not
have prices. He did not have prices on that. And these are issues that an issue two issues that I know that you've been dealing with in the past and I'm just getting caught up to speed on at Discovery those OCR issues with the nurse's door bathroom access and a ramp
on that. And I know that that's been I think hashed through quite a bit in the past from what I hear. So total total request and I'm not telling you that we're wed to all these requests right now, but you know this is spitballing and getting things in front of you so that you can see it would be
about 1.2 almost million, but we do have about 600 in some pockets of money in that sense. So those will be up for future discussion at future meetings. more questions now. But I mean
>> questions on the capital requests. Uh vice chair. >> Was that in the business manager report materials or was that a separate set of materials and is it available digitally? >> That's a good question. I did hand it
out tonight and I will go and see if I have something from >> I do not recall seeing that or anything >> from Miss Tower. I'll shoot it to you. Yes, I'll look. >> I would appreciate that. Thank you, >> Martin. >> Member Martini.
>> There was a question when budget and finance was discussing it as to whether the construction funds left over from the high school may potentially be used for the lighting control system upgrades. That seems like something that's uh per chance a more likely
eligible expense. And uh I think we had a similar question to that in regards to a capital item last year. So it would be great um if we could can we get some more specific information about what the requirements are? I think that might need to come from the mayor's office.
>> Yes, I think that I I can definitely look into that, but I think Andy might know as well. We said there is money that's left over from the from the um high school building project. Um
and I think it would be an acceptable use on the on the lighting, but I'm not sure. I think there'sund and maybe $130,000 left in there. There was that lighting. There's also vets field that
needed lighting. um and the track. Any one of those I think would be an acceptable use. Do you have any thoughts on that, Andy? When it comes to the borrowing of funds, I'm a strict interpretation reader of things and I would just
recommend that we consult with bond counsel because my whole normal rule of thumb is always it's like for like if you've borrowed money for >> say air conditioning. I'm just saying then you can only use it for an equivalent project somewhere else for
air conditioning. So if indeed you know the funding of the high school covered anything that would be related to lighting then potentially yes. But >> I would be concerned about outdoor lighting versus you know anything that would potentially be related to indoor
lighting. Hence the >> right >> contacting a bond council. I would hate to say yes and then have them come back and tell us no. And >> Mhm. >> Um I may I just say one thing while I have the microphone in front of me.
>> Yes. >> Um on the a couple of things on the capital, there are enormous capital requests every year. So we'll just prioritize these as we'll be asking all of us
including the superintendent and who's ever looking at to see which things are the neediest and um you know we have I think there's probably about a million left in capital stabilization and I do want to tell everybody that how that is funded is
from turnbacks it's from in the budget from the year be years before whatever is not used in anyone's budget It goes back into um you know um when we close up which
we're not closed yet but when you close the budget up it's surplus and then we put it into capital stabilization and that's how we fund all of the capital projects. So I just wanted to be clear and also this is a good news for those of us that are on all of these
committees. we will not be um doing the capital um review of the projects until January. It won't be done in December. So So that's good because it sounds like there's going to be a lot of other meetings in December. >> I was just going to add um yes, Mayor
will will be a team player. There's no doubt about it. And we put these here just as foreshadowing in that sense. And we understand that some may be pushed back and Mr. Mr. Budro is also working on a five-year plan as well. So, some of those can get pushed out to 28, 29, you know, etc.
>> Um, member Martini and then member Childs, >> I already spoke, so member Childs can go first. >> Member Childs, >> uh, quick question. Um, AAL exterior painting is listed twice. Is that an error or are there two separate
>> paint? That's a thought. Wanted to make sure. And then, um, What if I just snapped a quick picture of this to text to Vice Chair Sex Ston so that they could see it? >> Certainly. Yeah, that'd be great. >> I'll do that. Watch your phone.
>> Member Martini. >> I just had two other comments. Um, one, I just wanted to say thank you to member Denive for the work that you did to make earmark funding a thing um for Greenfield Public Schools. In the past, it was something that was never sought.
um and therefore we didn't benefit from and I realize it's not always the most reliable thing in the world but um it's really um it's really important that we make use of all potential resources. So I just wanted to
highlight that um work and say thank you. Um, and also I um wanted to just elevate the fact that this ADA complaint uh for the improvements that are
necessary at four corners is 15 years old at this point. So, I appreciate the interim superintendent's um wording that we have been working on it, but it feels more like the district has been sitting on it. And I would really
like this to be prioritized. It's not um it's not right to have an inaccessible building uh like that for students with disabilities. have uh and I just I would really like to see that be addressed and
soon. Secretary. >> Oh, I wanted to say that um when we had the summer eats program and we had McGovern visit us, um Vice Chair uh Ston and I were present and we spoke with a
representative from McGovern's office and we sort of laid it out as um please give us how to request earmarks for dummies like give us the how we do this with you. How do we make the relationship and what forms do we do and what do we do? So they're prepared for
us to start an exploratory thing. So perhaps the ADA compliant issue or one of these would be one that we could sort of dip our toe in the water with with how we do the leg work to do it. So um I did send you an email on that just to
not extend the meeting. Uh, but that's something that I'd love to talk to you about because they're waiting for us to attempt this. >> Any other discussion questions? Uh, mayor, >> I just want to say something about the
ADA part. Um, I'm not sure about this, but I think the parking lot also um at the school was an ADA issue, but I was on disability access commission for 12 years and we still have
non-compliance issues in many of the school and many of the city buildings. Um they were they were rated, you know, if they were rated in degrees of accessibility and we have gone after
the most ex the the most severe ones. Every single one of them would be great if they were fixed, but um you know there are things that should be done at Sanderson Street, there are things that should be done at city hall,
etc., etc. And every year we can do what we can do. And um if I'm not mistaken before that, you know, getting those elevators fixed was much more of a priority. And I do believe that parking
lot there was there was an actual complaint about the parking lot. Whereas I think and I could be wrong about that, but I think that the um four corners school was something that the um that the team that came out found as opposed to an actual complaint from an
individual. But that's how I recall. So just point of information. >> Thank you. Other comments or questions? I'll get on my soap box for a second. A comment I've made, similar to other comments I've made in the past, just a reminder to all of us that we live in
the richest country in the world and there are so many resources and it just reflects our lack of will as a general population to to force uh force change. uh we could have an a massive nationwide
endeavor to make every school, every parking lot, every city building accessible and it would create great jobs and you could include climate changeoriented aspects in that work. Um but we haven't demonstrated the collective will to to force those
resources uh that that we earn and that uh somehow end up getting siphoned towards the very rich instead of towards worthy projects like this. and then we end up kind of like feeling like all our projects are in competition with each other which is not great. Um so just
there's some structural issues here and thank you for listening to my TED talk. Um do uh do we need to vote on anything related to this tonight?
Well, I think that the uh normal calendar um has capital requests being submitted by the superintendent to uh the mayor's office by the end of October. And so, typically the committee would approve that slate of uh requests
now, but we've just heard that that is being um delayed by a month. So, perhaps we can do that next month. >> Absolutely. Thank you for whatever you whatever rabbits you pulled out of your hat to get that extended. Mayor, I appreciate
that because it's a more rational timeline, I think. Uh, okay. So, we will uh take that up next month. Anything else on this before we move on? Okay. Our next item is review of
year-long agenda. Does anyone has anyone noticed anything on the year-long agenda that we aren't attending to that needs to be attended to? Okay, not hearing any. We'll move on to the next item, school committee uh city
council uh relations. Um in your packet, you have motions that were made just this morning at uh the executive subcommittee meeting. Um we were asked to um make recommendations around school committee and city council relations and
so we have those for you and if I can find them I will I know I have that here. Ah here we go. All right. So, we have um we have a recommendation for you for each of the items on uh this um old
business item 8B um the October city council meeting. Are we sending someone and what are we asking them to do? Uh the executive committee would like to hear a motion that the full school
committee assign a member to present an update on the superintendent search process to the city council at their October meeting and to respond to any related questions on behalf of the committee. >> So moved. >> A motion from member Charles. Is there a second?
>> Second. >> Second from member Martini. um discussion. I'll just say uh the that um uh we had a good discussion and we you know obviously needed to look at short term in terms of next week's uh city
council meeting. We need to submit items for that agenda on Friday. Um I'd like to make it clear that this motion is very specific in terms of sending a member. We are we are not recommending uh sending the superintendent. Um and
the topic of discussion would be the superintendent search process. It wouldn't be an open call for questions from the city council or or whatever. It would be focused on the superintendent search process. >> So any discussion?
>> I'm just reading this aloud. >> Sure. Um, member member Goodwin, >> is this in line with the charter? >> Did you look >> uh the charter doesn't say anything about us presenting at city council
meetings whatsoever. And it it certainly does not say in any way that the school committee in any way reports to the city council or that um that I mean they certainly have subpoena power. They could require us to attend. Other than that, it's by invitation from
them and they they have put into their own kind of city council procedures that they have reserved a spot for us on their agenda. But we that does not require us to to attend at all. It's up to us what we want to do.
Just like we couldn't but we could we could vote to add as a standing item on our agenda that the city council president presents and reports to us every month at our full committee meetings, but we wouldn't have any authority to compel her to do so. The
only authority they have for compelling participation is uh subpoena power. Any other discussion? The only thing that would be good would be maybe we could amend the motion to include who we wanted to uh who we wanted to send. Um member childs,
>> I think that sending Vice Chair Ston makes the most sense since Vice Chair Ston is the liaison who has been putting all of this together and therefore is the most knowledgeable. So I would amend it to replace the member with Vice Chair Ston.
>> Would you accept that if if requested? Yes. Okay. And Martini, you seconded, so it's okay with you. Okay. All right. So we are voting on assigning uh Vice Chair Ston to present an update on the superintendent search process to the
city council at their October meeting and to respond to any related questions on behalf of the committee. Uh, Secretary, will you call the vote? >> Chair Johnson? >> Yes. >> Vice Chair Sexton?
>> Yes. >> I'm a yes. Member Martini, >> yes. >> Member Childs, >> yes. >> Member Goodwin, >> yes. >> Mayor, >> unanimous. >> All right. Great. Thank you. Uh, next is looking at medium and long range goals.
Um, so we would, uh, the executive committee would like to hear a motion that the full school committee invite the city council president along with any guests they wish to bring to attend an upcoming executive subcommittee meeting to
discuss strengthening the relationship between the school committee and city council and to explore shared expectations for collaboration and communication at city council meetings. Is there a motion to that effect? >> So moved.
>> Motion from Secretary Denive. >> Second. >> Second from member Martini. Uh discussion. I saw member Goodwin and then Mayor Dorker. >> Um I would just say >> sorry I said I saw member Goodwin and then Mayor Dorger. Go ahead. Member
Goodwin. >> Sorry. So inviting to I guess I'm sorry I didn't have it in front of me. So you're in in saying inviting not to the full school committee but just to the executive subcommittee. >> Yeah. So that would be me uh secretary
Dene and vice chair >> why that and not the full committee. I think we thought that a smaller meeting would be more productive um in some ways. Uh having less um
ju just having a smaller meeting where people could could have a more collaborative discussion and certainly anything that we did we would bring back to the full committee for a vote, but it would give us a chance to have a conversation and come forward to you with a proposal.
Mayor, >> I think it's probably a very good idea, but I'm just reading that tonight on something that was you talked about today and I I think the the fairness of of anything, you know, I usually read
all of my stuff. I actually asked Andy. He sent me something that I like I spend a lot of time reading my stuff and thinking about it a little ahead of time, probably like the rest of you. And so I'm looking at this and I'm I'm trying to read it and you you meet you do a good job. all of you on the
executive committee meeting, but it's 10:00 at night and I'm looking at something and trying to figure out what you're talking about. So, I am not I'd move >> a motion for you, mayor, to postpone the motion to the um October meeting, >> please. >> I mean, no, we're in October now.
November. >> Yes, I'm going to move to table that so I can just think about it. >> Is there a second on the motion to postpone? >> Second. >> Okay. Any discussion? Secretary Den, will you call the vote? Do we have to have a friendly amendment
because we didn't >> No, we the original one. >> No, we we're postponing the the motion to the November meeting so we don't have to vote on it. We can continue our discussion then. >> Thank you. Um who made this? Who is the second? >> I'm moving to table. >> Um Mayor D. It's to postpone
technically. I've been reading up on my Robert's roles a little bit about Thank you. Thank you, chair. Uh, and so is a motion by Mayor and second by uh, Goodwin. >> Okay. Uh, Secretary Den, will you call the vote? >> Uhhuh. Chair, >> yes.
>> Vice Chair, >> yes. >> I'm a yes. Member Martini, >> yes. >> Member Childs, >> yes. >> Member Goodwin, >> yes. >> Mayor, >> yes. >> Okay, unanimous to postpone to November. >> Excellent.
Great. Okay, we're moving up to item 9B, review and analysis of the current regular and special education transportation operations and discussion of consultant work. Uh, is that you, Superintendent or Andy? >> Uh, yeah.
>> I would just like to clarify that it's not regular red. It's just special education transportation. >> Okay. >> Do we have a typo in there, Andy? >> It says regular and special ed. It's just special ed. >> Okay. Thank you. Um, yes. So then I'll jump in and I know
that we we talked about this last month. So you had the packet last month and you still have the packet here and that was we had heard in the past about you know I think this happened years ago obviously before some of our time here where the city took over special
education transportation in terms of vans which we call 7D drivers and then some small buses small and medium range mediumsiz buses that require CDL for that um and there's question on did it fulfill its duty as is Is it profitable?
Maybe that's not even the word profitable. Is it cheaper than out bidding out that type of scenario? So, I know that you've had information in the past presented to you and from what I've heard, right? What I've heard, um, maybe people still question that. So, if you're questioning it, we did put
together, we didn't put it together, but we contacted Andy has contacts out there and this gentleman in a company who could do this, you know, study. you've seen all everything that would be done and it was presented last month and you voted to postpone to this month. So
there's nothing new I don't believe from our side Andy to present but we obviously would answer any questions that you have. >> Any questions secretary? >> Did the seeking of the study come from
the administration? >> I would say yes. the former superintendent based on feedback and the the seemingly constant discussion regarding special education transportation and the the questions that had come up from presentations made
to city council discussions about the overall transportation the whole concept of owning our vans etc. And then I provided information regarding and admittedly my analysis was cost basis only and comparing the cost
of special education transportation and regular education transportation honestly of Greenfield with the dart communities other districts that Desi compares us to and I did the geographically contiguous communities as well that was presented didn't seem to
you know change the concerns regarding special education transportation. So, I knew of and as does Superintendent Joyel know of the individual Rich Lee from this company who does this for a living. Uh, and so I reached out to him asking
him about coming in to do all the oversimplified review that we were asking him to do is compare self-operating special education transportation and our current sped transportation services to contracting
out and do that. That's, you know, that's the comparison, the comparative analysis that we were asking him to do. look at current operations and our current configuration versus the what it would look like if we were to contract out and where I did strictly admittedly
financial what data reported to the department of ed and going on to school districts budgets um he would actually go root by root you know and start to map out and do some comparative analysis of what is out there for the special
education providers and what it is that we are currently paying our own for those own roots and see if it you know what that who knows what that analysis would entail. So that's the the genesis of that. >> I appreciate it. And when you say who
knows what that analysis would entail, are you able to give us an idea from your own professional opinion if spending $10,000 on a study like this would yield us a savings of considerably more than that? >> I'm not It goes to the question of
it's going to c speed transportation is going to cost us money one way or the other. And the thing about it is there are so many variables involved in I mean there's so I mean when we're talking down to the level of some students on a van would require a monitor. Some
students on a van require being harnessed, they require being in in car seats, etc. and stuff. So there's that level of detail where you know to look at where it is. some students can't ride with other students and so on and so forth. And so the the $10,000 in my
opinion, if it's going to will it 100% put to rest the concerns about the fact that x number of years ago it was agreed that we would buy vans and and run our own transportation operations. I've said it before, I'm very surprised at the amount of revenue that this generates.
You know, I I am surprised by that. Um I will say when you look back at when Mr. number, you know, he was the one that the former former transportation director put forward this proposal. We fully we didn't meet what it is that
they said that we are going to do. What they put together as far as their plan for the proposal of what, you know, I'm not saying that they said it would be 100% self-supporting, but I'm saying that what it is that they put forward was not, you know, we didn't hit those
targets, but we're getting there, you know. So, if this $10,000 is going to put to rest the fact that when you look at the options that are out there for special education transportation, what our current configuration is, is a
viable option, then I would say that's money well spent. So, I think we're looking for a a motion to approve the uh consultant work on the
special education transportation operations. Is that right? I'd like to hear a motion to that. Motion from Mayor, second from member Goodwin. discussion. Okay. Second, >> mayor.
>> So, um in that and I know in that will it be looking also at um some of will it factor in like like the
cost of the actual buses and insurance costs? Okay. >> Yes. >> Any other discussion? Uh, vice chair, >> I just want to be really clear. I know I
heard Andy verbally say that even though in our agenda and in the um proposal materials it says both regular and specialized transportation that the $9,995 figure is specifically just for our
special education transportation and that that will be stricken from whatever contracts are actually signed where where it says anything other than that. Um, and by the buy, how much extra would it cost if it was our full transportation program?
>> That's correct. It is just special education transportation. And I've had discussions subsequent after the last month's meeting with Mr. Libri, and he agrees uh that that regular ed was, you know, he does boilerplate analysis work
regarding that. So, um, he he, you know, he he will take out the regular ed. As far as the regular transportation goes, I'm going to say that the due diligence is done by the Franklin County District as a whole because we join all the Franklin County school districts to go
out collectively for that sole purpose of getting more bang for your buck by having all the districts join under one collective bid. >> Great. Thank you, >> Member Goodwin. Okay. So, that takes big buses out of
the picture. So, the staffing for all of the special ed transportation would be part of the analysis as well. And that would include their health insurance, everything that >> Yes.
>> Okay. Great. >> Any other discussion? Secretary Den, will you call the vote? Chair Johnson Massad, >> yes. >> Vice Chair Ston, >> yes. >> I will abstain. Member Martini,
>> no. >> Member Childs, >> can you come back to me? >> Yes. >> Yes. Uh, member Goodwin, >> yes. >> Mayor, >> yes. >> Member Childs. >> Well, I'll just go ahead and abstain
because >> Yeah. >> Okay. Okay. >> All right. Passes. >> Passes with four yeses and three abstains. >> Uh, one no. >> One no and two abstains. Okay. Thank you.
Um, moving on to school committee self-evaluation review and discussion. What are next steps? Does anyone have any um next steps to propose from our uh self evaluation? Not seeing any, we can move on to the
next item, strategic plan review. Any uh questions or comments related to the strategic plan? Okay. Uh let's see. Discuss capital requests. We did that. >> We did >> procedures for adherence to open meeting
law. Um, I guess I'd like to just discuss why I put this on the agenda tonight, but then I'm going to suggest that we postpone um further discussion and any votes to to
next month. But, um, uh, I'm going to try as much as possible to frame this in terms of the future. Um, how would this school committee like to address if in the future um school
committee members uh try to point it towards me? Um, how would the school committee in the future like to address uh I if a school committee member uh sends an email to a quorum or more of the of the school
committee. Um, you know, we all have been to open meeting law training. Many of us at this point are very experienced public officials. There have been reminders sent out over the email. So, that's talking about the past, but in the future. Um, how would you see it
seems to me there's some of the options that we have available to us are not great. It's not wonderful to file an open mating law complaint on a fellow committee member essentially reporting your own committee. At the
same time, by its nature, email the public doesn't know what's happening over email. So, they wouldn't know whether an open meeting law violation was taking place. There, I think two um two things we want to address. One is to
try to deter uh violations of open meeting law by email. Also, we want the public to in my mind I we want the public to be informed about what what if any errors are made what is being discussed by email. So, um
that's why I I put this on the agenda. I'm I wonder if between now and next month that the committee can can think about those issues and if we can have a discussion about how we might direct the policy committee to work on creating something to address those kinds of
questions. I'm open to any discussion people want to have about it now or we can um postpone to November. Any discussion now? secretary. >> Um, I have been present during an open
meeting law complaint. I don't know if you were there. I think you were there. Um, and this was an open meeting law complaint about the mayor, past mayor, and it was about email. And I thought
that we came together really well as a committee and we made the decision for ourselves to engage in professional development about open meeting law. Um and then that was not supported by our chair at the time and it never occurred.
So we never did the work that we were that we voted to do. Uh which I thought was kind of sad because I think that it would have really helped all of us. And I know that when people come on the committee, I I also have to like everybody has messed it up at least once
and then they get a nice email from someone saying, "Don't mess it up." And then you learn. So I think that when you first come on and you make this mistake, um now we have the handbook to follow. Uh that's acceptable and understood, but
it's repeated violations after you've been told that I would like to discuss in November. And so thank you for putting that on the uh agenda and I will do my very best to think of solutions. >> Okay. Thank you. Any other questions or
comments on the topic to think about now? Uh member childs. >> So this is really weird and it feels sort of rules lawyery but I just can't get it out of my head. It's sort of like how we're all members of the committee but also members of the public. So, what
would happen? We don't have to answer this now. This could just be me being silly. What would happen if one of us were to use our personal email and send the email to the full committee email as a member of community or parent? I'm pretty sure that'd be an open meeting
violation. >> But I I don't know. It's just I I think there are some and and then also when we have people like the mayor who is a mayor and as a member of the school committee, does it count as separate
hats? >> So the I think those are basic questions about open meeting law. There certainly are resources available to us to answer that. We could certainly at the the attorney general's offices is more than happy to come and do a training
specifically for us. Um my experience with the training um one time we I don't we did have an open meeting law placed against us. We agreed to have uh them come and do a training for us. They they
presented the information but there was no real opportunity for I mean there was opportunity for people to ask questions. basically they made their presentation and no one said anything or asked anything because the because something about the the format
was not conducive to that. Uh so anyway, just a thought. Uh member Martini, >> uh my recollection is pretty spot-on with member Den's. Our former mayor
made comments very publicly in the newspaper about the discussions held in an executive session prior to those minutes being published. And uh it's true that members and that resulted in the committee making an open meeting
allow complaint about itself which I agree is preferable if we have a violation particularly something that's repeated. I think it's much better if it comes from us than coming from from someone else. Uh the committee should
have responsibility for that. Um, and it's true that we do get this online training and it's required of people and and what have you. However, it's also true that there are often um particularities that are not really
covered in that training that um leave people wondering. And uh also we all know how online trainings are super fascinating and lend themselves to people remembering details especially over long periods of
time. Uh in resolution of that previous complaint, the committee did um send its proposal on back to the state uh that it would engage in training uh
for the members and then uh the now former chair of the school committee never did end up arranging it. So, uh, the committee didn't do what it said it was going to do in resolution of that of that complaint. I think it would be
really nice to have something like maybe a working session that was specifically devoted to that. Perhaps in that type of context, uh, in a small group, in a, you know, circular setting like that, people would
feel more comfortable asking their kind of nitty-gritty questions about, well, what if this and what if that? Um, and at least the committee would be fulfilling what I think is its obligation. >> Okay. Any other discussion tonight?
Okay. So, we'll carry this uh item forward to uh next month and um uh perhaps um I'll I'll come forward with a proposal of what we maybe suggest uh that we do.
Um and uh get that to you in advance so people have a chance to think about it and we can have a discussion in November. Um, all right. Item 10 is executive session, but we don't actually need that. Thank goodness.
Uh, so I would hear a motion to adjurnn. >> So moved. >> Second. >> I'm going to say that was a motion for member Goodwin and a second from Mayor Disorger. Is there is there any discussion? >> Oh, okay. Thank you for that
clarification. Okay. Motion from mayor, second from May member Goodwin. Any discussion. Um, Secretary Den, will you call the vote? >> Chair? >> Yes. >> Vice Chair? >> Yeah. >> I'm a yes. Member Martini? >> Yes. >> Member Childs? Yes. Member Goodwin?
>> Yes. Mayor, >> unanimous. >> Thanks everybody for hanging in there. Long night. Appreciate your work. >> Good night, folks.