WEBVTT

METADATA
Video-Count: 1
Video-1: youtube.com/watch?v=65yweHUY7Lk

NOTE
MEETING SECTIONS:

Part 1 (Video ID: 65yweHUY7Lk):
- 00:00:14: Meeting Called to Order; Eagle Scout Project Presentation
- 00:03:39: School Choice Hearing and Decision to Not Participate
- 00:07:08: Public Commentary: Underfunding of Schools in Massachusetts
- 00:14:24: Consent Agenda Approval and CTE Student Awards
- 00:16:52: High School Handbook Updates: Community Service Recognition
- 00:20:14: Middle School Handbook and Improvement Plan Approvals
- 00:22:54: Transferring Funds to Cover Event Costs
- 00:24:42: Executive Session and Integrated School Principal
- 00:26:48: Approval of Addendum to Principal Contract
- 00:27:35: Middle School Updates: ELA Mcas and No Place for Hate
- 00:30:18: High School Updates: Student Council, Musicals, Athletics
- 00:33:26: Legislative Update and Recent School Events Discussion
- 00:34:12: Concerns Regarding Staff and Student Safety Measures
- 00:44:24: Legislative Agent Updates on MASC and Budget
- 00:48:15: Mark Updates and Collaborative Budget Discussion
- 00:50:55: Recognizing and Thanking Jean Coleman for Service


Part: 1

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supericial. >> All right, I'm calling us back to order after our brief recess. We are in session for the Silver Lake Regional School Committee meeting. I'll just remind everybody once again that this meeting is being recorded. If anybody wants to uh take a video or audio

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recording, just feel free to let me know. Um I'm going to go just a punch out of Warner um because we have a prospective Eagle Scout who needs to make a presentation to the school committee and he is right between things

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and we want him to be able to head to his next. So, um Max, we'll turn time over to you. Hello everyone. My name is Max Coleman. I'm a life scout with Troop 49 in Kingston. For my Eagle Scout project, I'd like to build a shed at the Davy

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baseball field behind Sierra Go. The sh have a 4ft door. It'll be placed on cinder blocks. The shed will be used for baseball and field equipment so the ground crew can more easily access tools than that side of the campus. I'm hoping I'm

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hoping to build I'm hoping to begin construction of my project off campus within the next few weeks after we'll then have a day to meet with my scouts on my troop to build the shed again. I met with Mr. Law and Mr. Ford to go over where the shed will go, which

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is behind the back stop for the field. I am not required to get a building permit as the shed is only 8 by 10. I did reach out to the conservation to make sure the site is not too close to water and I'm waiting to hear back. I'm here to ask for approval for the school committee

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shed through answer any questions. Thank you. Any questions? Would you mind discussions about this and how the school sees it? >> Questions.

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>> Yeah. How do you plan to fund your project? >> Are you still funding the project? >> Yeah, I think so. >> Is it fundraisers? Maybe. >> So, Max has done Max done a great job um

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really advocating for this project. He has taken the initiative to reach out to meet with me. He's met with Mr. Lawless and um who's our director of facilities, Mr. Core, our head custodian, um to get a lay of the land and make sure that it's something that um if he were to to

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build and put in place that they can be there for an extended period of time. Um so he's done all the right things, had all the tough conversations with all the adults. Um and we're really excited for this. Um I think it's going to be a great addition to our fields for for our

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crew, but also for our student athletes for many years to come. So, we're really grateful that he has taken this initiative and we're excited for this project and he has my full support. >> Great. Motion to parallel that support from the committee.

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We have a second. Any further discussion or questions? Just like some financial support towards your project which we want to reach out emails. Thanks. See no further discussion. All in favor?

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I. Any opposed? >> I will. >> Great job, MAX. >> UM, all right. Do we have any visitors with any comments? Yes, >> I apologize. I'm still out of order. So, we need to have a school choice hearing

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on the vote. Um, remind me how we conduct the school choice hearing >> here. Um, this is the time of year where we ask the committee whether or not they'd like to um withdraw from school choice. And if you choose to withdraw from school choice, you also need to

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provide a reason. For example, you could cite class sizes or uh financial constraints, things of that nature. If you do not vote to withdraw, the state assumes that you're going to participate in school choice. You also hold the hearing so that if people on the

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committee or in the public want to say anything pro or con regarding school choice can speak to that issue. >> Mr. Chair, through you. I make a motion to open the public hearing for school choice for the silver trust.

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>> All in favor? >> Any opposed? >> Okay. Open. Mr. Chair, I see no one from the public who'd like to address the matter. I'd like to close the public hearing. >> Um, may I interrupt? Um, we have to make

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the vote before we close the public hearing on school. >> Second. >> Does anybody from the public want to address school choice? >> We have a motion and a second on the floor. Any further discussion of it? Seeing none, all in favor?

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>> Any opposed? >> Mr. Chair, I'd like to make a motion that the Civil Lake Regional Schools not enter into school choice this year citing budgetary um needs. Okay.

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>> May I just um add a commentary to that? >> Um the spending school district only funds $5,000. Um, as we all know, it costs upwards of $15,000 to educate a child that does not have an intensive um

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IEP for any of the above. Um, another concern school choice would be if we accept the student in grade nine or seven rather or even at three for the preschool, they'd be required to PS here through um graduation for their 22nd

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birthday if they are on an IEP. and that could be um very costly unfortunately for um Mr. Fraser's reasons. I would also recommend that open to Jason's motion.

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>> I'll second any further discussion. Seeing none, all in favor of Jason's motion. >> Any opposed? All right. Now we'll go to public commentary and

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just while you come up I just ask you to limit your um comments to about 3 to 5 minutes and then I'll remind the committee um that uh if the commentary is not involving

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something that is expressly on the agenda then we we don't comment back so as to avoid any violations of the Good sir. Good for the minutes. James Dupon 2018 Elm

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Street in Rainham. Just for context, I served 18 years on the Bridgewater Rainham Regional School Committee from 1978 to 1996. I'm the first person to graduate from Bridgewater Ranham to serve on that school committee. And this is not a paid

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political announcement because none of you are voters, but I am a candidate for the school committee of Bridgewater Rem again this year after a 30-year absence. And what I'm going to say to you tonight, I wrote after I went to the budget presentation by my own school committee and my own superintendent who

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is also a graduate of the department school committee. Good evening, Mr. Chairman, members of the Sol Lake Regional School Committee, I come tonight to deliver a message regarding a matter of grave and immediate importance to the students of Silver Lake Regional School District, their school committee,

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and the administration staff of the Silver Lake Regional School Department. The issue is twofold. First, it concerns the decadesl long practice of underfunding by the Massachusetts state legislature of the various categories of so-called local

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aid, which as all of you know is a significant factor in setting the rate of the local property tax and hence how much the property owners are asked by you to pay. Prior to fiscal year 81, the first year in which Proposition 2 and a half was in effect, the cities and towns simply put

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another nickel on the tax rate to make up for any shortfall in chapter 70 or chapter 71. After Prop 2 and a half took effect, the cities and towns were limited in how much they could raise the prior year's levy to meet your assessment request.

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Consequently, many local services, mostly education, were annually paired back due to the annual recurring shortfalls in state money being returned to local governments and regional school districts. This brings me to my second point.

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Where the so-called state revenue come from? The answer is it comes from every resident and every business in every city and town, including the members of this regional school district. Why isn't that money being returned to

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you, the people who actually need it for day-to-day things like police, fire, seniors, and most importantly, hear those words, most importantly, schools. It's been my experience that our state legislators have not made full funding

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globally a priority. I have been checking chapter 70 and 71 every year since 1973 and not once for the record. Not once was it fully come. Members of the majority party bemoan how

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tough things are on Beacon Hill this year while the minority party elected representatives shrug their shoulders and say there isn't anything I can do about it. Last year, Rainham's annual budget process resulted in the failure to pay the regional school district's assessment. After failed Prop 2 and a

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half override, a large layoff of school employees then followed 41 the first year, 31 the second year, and it looks like more this year. A resident I discussed this with said,

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"It sounds like bad management." I respond that it wasn't bad, but rather a shortfall caused by our state legislators not fully funding chapter 70 and chapter 71. His response, it sounds like our local government

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mismanage their relationship with our state legislators. Mr. Chairman, as long as our state reps and state senators can get lauded for giving us half a loaf, then the residents and businesses will be told to make up the difference. And you, the people at this table,

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not the governor, not your state rep, or your state senator. You will bear the brunt of the public eye when taxes go up and educational opportunities go again. This leads me to the conclusion that the time has come for all local elected

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officials, in particular, school committee members throughout the Commonwealth. It's everywhere. This is the 21st full committee I have gone to in the last 6 weeks. Time has come for all local elected officials to demand their respective

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legislators change their vote on local aid and aid education from the current here's what's left. Here's what's left and change it to here's what you're entitled to under the formula.

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fund chapter 70. Fund Chapter 71. And if then you're short at the state level, you raise taxes. You take a vote to raise taxes and not stop making us do your dirty work. I'll just conclude by saying, Mr.

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Chairman, that I had a thought when I presented this at a candidate forum I was at earlier this week. How about we ask our district treasurer and our town treasurers and the member town to send out two tax bills. Send out

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one for what you'd be allowed to spend under the restrictions of Proposition 2 and a half and then send out another one showing you how much more you are being asked to pay perhaps through an override because they did not fully fund the

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formula. Last thing I want to say is I'm here and talk I went to the legislative committee on ways and means the joint committee and testified and there was a press release that came out of that said maybe we need to adjust pro uh the formula for chapter 70 and maybe 71

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formula formula you're not funding the one we got now the formula is not the problem the legislature is not meeting its obligation under the Constitution. They have a constitutional right to an

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education. Every student, every classroom, you have to do this. Your charter didn't say you had to have a police department. It didn't say say you had to have a fire department, highway department. It said you had to have a school. I'll conclude with that and and thank

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the chairman for the time. I'll leave a copy of my remarks for the minutes. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. um correspondence. So we'll discuss a little bit more um something a little

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bit later in the agenda related to that. Um the consent agenda. Does anybody at this time have anything on the consent agenda that they would want to remove from the consent agenda? Seeing none, could I have a motion for the approval of the consent agenda?

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Motion to approve the consent agenda as presented. >> All right. Any further discussion? Seeing none, all in favor? >> I opposed. All right. That brings us

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to >> Hey, good evening. Mr. glasses in Worcester tonight attending the MA student awards banquet with our Silver Lake CTE student of the year recipient and his family. We're proud of this year's recipient Paul Fuchane from our metal fab and welding program who has

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also been accepted to the United States Air Force Academy. Um since we talked at the beginning of the year about some of the state grant opportunities, we wanted to let you know we were successful with the competitive Massachusetts state capital skills grant. We were awarded $24,000 for our automotive technology

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program to update and enhance industry standard tools, diagnostic equipment, and classroom training displays, allowing more access to electrical components of today's cars. As we need to do each year, we need a school committee vote to approve our outdoor carpentry project for next school year,

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which will allow the contract to be signed by our superintendent and our school committee chair. Mr. glasses reviewed the project applications and submitted a project at 52 Kaggens Road in Kingston, a detached two-car garage, which is an ideal project for our students to do. The project has been

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reviewed using our rubric and is high marks against our standards, including giving full access to course curriculum for junior and senior carpentry students where all aspects of training are involved. The scope of work fits within our school year. The site has been reviewed for safety considerations. It's

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a short distance from our school which minimizes travel and maximizes time working on the project. And we've met multiple times with a family and have architectural drawings in progress and we're confident in their ability to meet our time limit. So we would ask for the school committee support to allow our

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project to move forward tonight. >> Motion to approve the project is presented. >> Second. >> Any further discussion? Seeing none. All in favor? I >> opposed. Very good. >> Thank you.

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>> Uh you were also up next to student handbook changes. >> All right. So in your shared folder tonight is a copy of our handbook proposed changes for the 2026 2027 school year that has snuck up on us. For your convenience, the changes are um

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highlighted in red and anything that we would be removing has a strike through it. So I'll give a quick little summary and I'm happy to answer any questions that you may have. um under our diploma requirement section for community service. We just want to update um the requirements for community service hours

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and also recognize that a lot of our students go above and beyond that 40hour minimum and having a special court of distinction to celebrate those students at graduation. For our National Honor Society on page nine, um just a couple of language um

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components that we would like to change and update that mirror the bylaws and what we have on our website. I'm attorney, you're scrolling. You're on you're on the desktop. Um on the next page or if you scroll down, um just a couple of updates to our dual enrollment

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and course requests both on page 12 and page 13. Just again to update and mayor of the practices that we have in the building and just making things more clear um andformational for families so they know the proper guidelines to follow if they want to enroll in a course um through a college or under

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course request if they want to take a course out of sequence or take a level that maybe wasn't necessarily recommended for them. Um some bigger changes if you scroll down on page 50 to student life. This is a new section. We've discussed this at our uh in our subcommittee meeting SS

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safer and it's to really align with um other school districts when it comes to fee waivers or payment plan requests or families needing financial assistance for things from athletic fees to AP test fees, um prom tickets, things like that.

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Um our current um practice is really any family that seeks assistance, we obviously help. Um but that really puts the onus on me as the principal to decide who should and shouldn't receive support. Um and so we want to better align our practice with

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other schools where families would be asked to um fulfill paperwork requirements through our food service director which qualifies them for free and reduced lunch. As you know, we provide free lunch for all our students, but we do get reimbursement based on those families who apply. Um, and then

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on that form, they would have the ability to sort of check a box that says they are comfortable sharing that information with administration so that we can provide that financial assistance to their students. Um, and then along those same lines, our food service director wanted to update our section in

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the handbook about the cafeteria that just better mirrors what we're doing now and the programs that we offer. Happy to answer any questions that you may have. >> Motion to approve the student handbook changes for high school.

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>> Second. >> Any further discussion? Seeing none. All in favor? >> Thank you. And I I also want to um share my appreciation for the members of our school council who works on this throughout the school year. Okay, Becky.

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>> Good evening everyone. Similarly, our handbook revisions are short and sweet. Um, there are some added and revised language for ebikes, which we haven't really thought about till this year. Um, but we've seen them

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and I'm sure you've seen them as well as you drive in to school. Um, there were typos in the bullying rationale section on page 22. We revamped our code of conduct because it was very consequenceheavy and we really try and think about and

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talk about the learning piece of making decisions that might not be best for the whole in middle school. Um so we added much of that language um in conjunction with our school council and legal counsel as Mrs. Gil stated. We added the

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same student activity fee section and we also updated telephone and electronic equipment um section along with what the technology committee suggested on page 59. You can see the entirety of the document

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which is linked in your PDF. >> Motion to approve the student handbook changes for middle school. Second further discussion see none. All in favor? Any

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>> opposed? Good. Our four-page school improvement plan is also in your folder. Um, it mimics much of what Dr. Pru already talked about, but has specificities to the middle school under each goal of the

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strategy for district improvement, building relationships, the high expectations for all. Um, our MCCAST data is in there. um aligned and engaging curriculum, much of what we talked about with open sed curriculum revision and our math

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curriculum revision and then also structures and processes to improve and focus learning. Um all of those pieces are listed in here and will be updated. You know, I find this to be more of a living document, but it needs to be accepted by the school committee. So, if

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you have any questions, we can certainly entertain those as well. Motion to approve the school improvement plan for the post. >> Second discussion. See none. All in favor? >> Opposed.

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Good. Last but not least, I do have a student activities account um that I usually we we move $10,000 into checking every, you know, often as we can when field trip money comes in, field trip money goes out. Um we have this event called Monte

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Halls. I'm sure you've heard of it. Sometimes it raises more money than we expect and we would like to um purchase some outdoor seating and some mics for the drama department for for our new mixer in the auditorium. Um those expenses will be over that $10,000

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limit. So we're asking just for your approval for this one time to move that those funds which we should move right out but I can't move them right out if I can't get them back in um to the checking account. So, um Stephanie will be helping you with that if you approve.

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>> Just for clarif $30,000 or like not 10,000 since we're talking about my understanding is that the school committee has approved the middle schools have $10,000 in their checking account. I I can hardly run an a June field trip with only $10,000. So,

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it's because it's the end of the year that I'm asking for this request. So motion to allow the onetime transfer of $30,000 from savings to check. >> Um should we adjust the amount that we have?

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>> Probably I'm not really sure how that works in the policy that would be helpful in the future. >> Thank you. >> Any further discussion? >> None. All in favor? >> Any opposed?

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Um, this matter is actually part of the executive session. Um here we told we'll be right on time at 6:00. >> Sorry for us. I feel like

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Um yes. So why don't we take the opportunity and adjourn to executive session so we can deal with the rest of the agenda. Motion to adjourn the executive session for national law chapter 38 section lead to conduct strategy session in

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preparation for collective bargaining parrofessional sports staff SLA SLAa level three briefs addendum to the integrated preschool principal contract and two to discuss strategy and preparations for negotiation teachers February 23rd PD

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day because the chair so declares in national law section 7 to comply with any general or special law approval of executive minutes of October 16, 2025 and December 8, 2025 and to return to open session.

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>> Second. >> All right. Roll call. >> Roll call, please. Jason, >> yes. Megan, >> yes. >> Jean, >> yes. >> John, >> yes. >> Mark, yes. Lucas, >> yes. Um

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I out of respect to Kathleen and Russ, why don't we do the agreements part first and then executive session. So everybody else clear up part of the previous session. >> All right.

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Um we are returning to open session. And I think now we're prepared to hear from Liz now that I've got my stuff together. Go ahead. >> Thank you. Um I am asking for your

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support of an addendum to the principal of the integrated school for the remainder of the director. >> Okay. Any discussion? Otherwise, I think we'll

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need a motion. I will make a motion to approve the addendum as presented >> and I will second that motion. All right. Any further discussion? >> Seeing none. All in favor? >> Any oppose? >> Okay.

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>> Thank you. >> Exciting news. >> I can't think of any unfinished business. So Becky, why don't we go to you? >> Thank you everyone. I just want to say that after a very hard week, I appreciate all of your support. what you

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have done that I know about and what you have not have done that I don't know about is very um appreciative and um our community has felt it across the way so thank you so much in other news um we finished up our ELAM

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cast the last makeup was today and that is going to be boxed and and moved to the state not that it really not that there's much to box but you know the things that wrapped up Um, the students worked between two and three hours, all

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of them. So, I can't say enough about their diligence and their perseverance. And five seniors came over from the high school to talk to them about why practicing that test and what scholarships they can receive in the future really matters and and that

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impacts our students. They told us last year that mattered and it did again this year. So, that was really powerful. Um, we have our last No Place for Hate assembly um on May 13th. That's after the math mcast. You're all welcome to

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join us if you would like. Um the students have been doing a great job leading those um skits and really thinking fully about what students need in order to be allies to all students in our school. On May 8th, we are having our last

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seller scholar ceremony and we are honoring all of those no place for hate leaders, our um school council, our AMD ambassadors. So all of those students again will be honored on May 8th during

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teacher and nurse appreciation week. That's at 1:00 if you want to join us. Lastly, I'm going to send Karen tomorrow morning. Um, with our partnership with 18, and I know that you'll probably remember the target I passed out in the beginning of the school year and our our

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goals. Um, 18 was a they came and recorded a video. They did a lot of head footage for the day of the learning that happens at our school. It is a pretty impressive 5 minute video. Um, it was posted on Parent Square, so you can find it there. But I will also have Karen, if

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you don't mind, Karen, just send it to school committee tomorrow and it's it's embedded in the update you'll see tomorrow. >> Thank you so much. That's all I have. >> Okay, Michaela. >> All right, I'm going to invite Carly over to the table to give our student

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update spot for you. Over there, we need to get you a cracker, too. Yeah, >> it's okay. >> It's only a couple months left anyway. Good evening, members of the school committee. I'd like to briefly update

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you on what's been happening in our school community. Yesterday, April 15th, several student council members attended the Southeastern Massachusetts Association for Student Councils conference to meet our student council requirements. There we participated in leadership

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workshops and heard from inspiring speakers. We are proud to share that our executive board president Patty Doyle ran for web master and won representing our school at a higher level. We also look forward to seeing how CAMASS continues to grow following the exciting

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transition of our very own student council adviser Mr. Pina into the executive executive director role. Our representation in Camask as well as Matthew Martell in the president role is very impressive and shows just how

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dedicated our members are to creating a thriving community. The campaign and election processes have already started for new board members across all different clubs as the school year approaches its last few months. Also, the senior run spring musical

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Shrek is coming up which I'm in. and shows will be on April 30th and May 1st. Our cast and production team are working non-stop to create an exciting and entertaining show for everyone. Many students are preparing for upcoming AP

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exams in May with support from teachers helping them feel ready and confident. Senior prom preparations are currently underway with students and staff working together for a memorable event. Spring sports have been going well with strong participation in school spirit

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across teams. Seniors have also been getting ready for their final weeks in planning senior events. Lastly, with spring vacation approaching, students are looking forward to a chance to recharge before um finishing the year strong. Thank you for your time and

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support. >> Thank you. >> The staff are also looking forward Thank you, Carly. Um, and then one other piece under the high school, um, in your folder is a copy of a memo from our athletic director, Mr. Swanson, that just highlights, um, a new pilot program

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that a few of our athletic teams are excited to be a part of through Mental Edge Academy. Um, and this gives our athletes sort of an opportunity to in addition to like the daily physical practice that they attend, it's sort of a mental practice and kind of honing in on on the game and kind of working their

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their mind's magic um on delivering higher and better performances. So, we're excited to have this opportunity and you can read all about it in that memo. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, uh, Stephanie,

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>> Mr. Chair, through you. Um, I've been doing some extensive work with our three member towns and um, Stephanie has reached out to me on several occasions with data and information and numbers and validated information that I was sharing with our constituent

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communities. I just wanted to acknowledge and appreciate that out loud. >> Thank you. >> Thanks, Stephanie. >> All right. Uh, Dr. Clifford. um my curriculum updates in the folder, but most we've discussed basically

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everything that's on it already earlier tonight, so I'm all set for tonight. >> Okay. And Dr. Cruz, >> I have a couple things. Um first and foremost, I want to thank uh Jeannie Coleman for her dedication and service to our schools and communities, and it

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has been a pleasure working with her. This is her last meeting this evening, and um we are going to miss her. Um and so I I know that the chair has is planning to um acknowledge you as well, but I I wanted to thank you on behalf of our schools.

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Uh the second item that I wanted to talk to you about is uh that we we have received um concerns, questions with regards to recent events linked to Silver Lake. Um and so uh one of the

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concerns is um how for example our districtwide um efforts to um ensure student safety and staff expectations. >> If I put in here and frame this a little bit if that's okay. >> Sure. Um, so, uh, I think virtually

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everybody here understands that, um, we had some really awful and tragic things happen over the course of the last week that, uh, happened inside of the school district that related to faculty and conduct and other things like that. I'm

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not going to go terribly deep into um, the wise and the whats and so forth. We did get a fair amount of correspondence over it. Um, one of the pieces of correspondence um was um was actually from Jean. And uh Jean, if you wouldn't

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mind, I I thought you could just kind of explain what your questions were. Um, and I thought that this was probably a pretty good forum for us to allow administration and faculty to kind of publicly get to answer those questions because the I think the level of

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competence that the administration and the faculty actually have is is is significant. Um, but it it's not the only time or place that somebody has asked something to this effect. And so I thought it was a good idea to sort of create a public record of that.

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>> Okay. Thank you, Gordon, and thanks for the responses. I I received one back from um Dr. Crew, and I know that um we talked to Miss Drew the other night as well. Um one of the questions I just had was regarding um what kind of youth protection training um is required upon

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hiring for the district, specifically in addition to the quaries and sorities that are run on all employees. Um and of course, as Dr. Crew um can attest to, um none none of this is I think all of us understand, none of this is foolproof. None of this is like going to be 100%

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but it's a matter of when we hire people for the district that they're being given um means in which they are um allowed to communicate with students for what is in place in terms of reports or mandates as mandated in orders and

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how that training goes about. So I had actually included representatives for not drawing the email as well in asking what kind of youth protection training is required of our teachers across the Commonwealth and um what in this district we have in place. So I think that that was kind of the preface of the

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conversation. I included several links to um you know in order to coach youth sports you're required to take kind of an extensive it's about an hour and a half um youth protection training as well as background check um to be a teen mom to coach um I already said to coach

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but to um teach religious education you're required to complete this training as well as to be a foster parent or to work within the um foster care system you're required to complete quite an extensive training and then um also namely um as tonight with to work within the scout program to volunteer as

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a scout leader or even just a parent that's involved with scouts, you're required to complete quite an extensive training um in youth protection um somewhat due to past practices of being a little bit too lax and some of which also um just to make sure that all

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adults that are um given these responsibilities are trained properly um to work amongst the youth. So I'd reached out to Mr. there and to the superintendent um as well as C um Katherine and Latra just to kind of ask um what is required and um was just hoping that we can kind of speak to that

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tonight to make sure that all parents realize that um prior to um our employees working with students that they are properly trained. >> Okay. So um first of all beyond the teacher preparation programs that many

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people participate in um there is also the annual training that takes place at the beginning of every school year. Some of those annual trainings contain things like um mandated reporting uh restraint training. Then there's also deescalation training that uh members of our staff

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participate in. I know it's not the same kind of uh training that you're speaking of, but it speaks to the types of things that we're trained in to try to keep children safe. Um, our coaches participate in a training program uh through the Massachusetts Intercolastic

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Athletic Association. Um, and we also uh I also want to just thank our our counselors um and our teachers for the role that they play with regards to counseling and bereavement uh whenever there's a crisis. And I know that our principles

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rely heavily on their crisis teams. Um and our partnerships with community uh agencies such as the police and the fire. Um we rely on them for information and we also work with them and collaborate with them. And so sometimes

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uh we're we're they notify us but uh then they're in an in the middle of an investigation and and we're asked to hold or to um coordinate our messaging with the community so that we're not interfering with the police investigation as well. Um but we have

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members of our our community here um that can attest to the different types of training that they participated in. Um and certainly we meet annually as throughout our districts. Uh the high school again hosts for all of our schools to participate with our police and fire to go over all of our safety

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and security uh protocols and practices with our communities. >> Jess, was there anything you wanted to add? >> Yeah, sure. And and just to echo what Dr. Bruce said, I mean the faculty and staff are trained annually in addition to our teacher preparation programs and things like that. And so, you know,

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every year we we come into our buildings and we are retrained and we and we review and and go through all of the things, you know, mandated reporting 51A, um, Mckin Vento if we have students who are homeless and things like that. Um, in addition to restraint training, not that we are restrain trained, but

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talking about like what that would look like. Um, and in addition to, you know, that that's the same as our 504s and our so these trainings do come up every single year. Teachers go through them every year. we we sign off on them. We attest to them. We it is something that is incredibly important. Every teacher

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is here, you know, for the the safety of our kids. And and and if we're not, then then that's a problem. But but we are here for our kids. And so we train and we take those trainings very seriously. Um and I will say as mandated reporters, we we will we will over report like

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anything that we think could be an issue, we are taking to our to our administrators, we are taking to our counselors. And so, you know, teachers are not holding things back, staff are not holding things back. If if we feel that there's an issue, we are taking them forward um and and are trained to do so.

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>> Thank you. Um finally we received um concern or communication um regarding um the relatives of uh of the former employee in particular uh in concern

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that um the schools had taken steps to ensure that all children feel safe during this time and what a difficult time it is for for students of various ages. So um I I just wanted to thank our principles, our staff uh and our faculty for their efforts um in asking every

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member of their community to practice responsible communication both in person and online. Um they ask our students and and we expect uh of our own staff to think before posting. Social media amplifies misinformation and can cause

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lasting pain. Um and we ask our students and ourselves that before sharing commenting that we always consider the human impact. Uh we try to mental and we try to model kindness. Our students look to the adults in their lives to see how to

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handle tension and tragedy. Um we show them the power of restraint and compassion. We ask our students and ourselves to verify sources. Rumors and allegations uh spread quickly and they uh really

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they rarely lead to healing or justice. Um our principles and faculty and staff remain extra vigilant and our administration is committing to committed to ensuring that any harmful behavior whether it happens in our hallways or on our digital platforms is

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identified and addressed promptly. I just wanted to thank them for their cooperation in keeping our school community safe. respectful and a kind environment for everyone. We appreciate it. >> Okay. Thank you. >> All right. Um Jess, do you have anything

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else from SLEA? >> Just um the SLA wants to continue to thank um just the school committee in general for the continued rapport and collegiality that we continue to build together. Um but we want to send a huge congratulations and thank you to Jeie um

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just for all of the service and years that you've put into the school committee. um the love and the care and the compassion that you have for these kids while also balancing being fiscally responsible in our in our school. I think we just saw I just I want to say that we appreciate you very much and we will miss having

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you at the table and on our school. SO >> um admin review >> there will be communication regarding Dr. Um the superintendent. >> Okay. Uh CT no report. Okay. Uh Jason

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the legislative agent. So MASC had its day on the hill earlier this year. We were trying to get out before the House Ways and Means Committee had a chance to put together their version of the budget. As you may recall, I warned you that it might be uh diminished compared to the governor's version of the budget.

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and I was right, but it wasn't as diminished as I feared. Um, checking the cherry sheets, which is how the Department of Revenue shows how it will affect each of our towns and Silver Lake. Um, it seems like we're all pretty

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much status quo. Plimpmpton, Halifax are status quo. Silver Lake is pretty much status quo with the Houseways and Means. And, uh, Kingston looks like they might have about 90 to $100,000 more to play with at the town level. Um,

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unfortunately the gentleman who was here earlier, I have many things I agree with uh him on. Um, I wish his school committee would be part of MASC. They're only one of two in the entire state that are not active members. Maybe when he gets elected, he can join back in and

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help us out a little bit. Um there was a a warning that came out from Desi about Title One funding being diminished and uh again it looks like all of us are okay except for Plimpmpton. We're seeing about $10,000 less in title one next year uh compared

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to this year. Um rural aid got cut in the House Ways and Means uh committee budget which impacts Plimpmpton and Halifax. Uh less money for our students in in our small and rural communities. Uh but there is some good news. It was a supplemental budget went that went

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through and I worked very closely uh with Rep. Linatra and Senator Fernandez and I'm happy to report that Halifax got $50,000 to help them with their extraordinary special ed um cost. Kingston got $20,000 to replace their

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phone systems. Um Plimpmpton got $11,000 for their phone systems. Plimpmpton also got $15,000 to address some roof issues. and Silver Lake Regional Schools uh will be receiving $50,000 to cover our phone replacements as well. Um so those are

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all in the form of earmarks in the supplemental budget. Um I asked Rep. Linatra to put some ear marks into the regular FY27 budget and um I know Repezy for example is putting in an earmark for the phones for Halifax to make sure all

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four of our committees are covered there. Um but the advocacy continues and uh the graduation council met yesterday and today the educators alliance met which is the superintendent association the school committee association about

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13 people from MTA four people from AFT um the school counselors association um all basically agreeing on three items uh of concern. one is we're all in it right now financially as it is. If they

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throw a bunch of unfunded mandates at us, what are we going to do? Um we're also extremely concerned about the lack of details in the report as it's written so far. Um and we want to ask uh for a delay of the report and a continuence of this council

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so we can continue what's generational work and we don't want to squander this opportunity. So broad consensus from all the people who actually work dayto-day in schools on on how we should be addressing the graduation standards for Massachusetts. The most interesting thing I heard for the first time ever is

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talking about the end of course assessments which are supposed to be tied to coursework potentially could trickle into the middle school if your children take algebra 1 because that's one of the courses they're talking about making an end ofear assessment for. So,

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some of our middle school students in Massachusetts may be subjected to um some of these if they ever see the light of day. >> Okay. >> Uh Mark, negotiations. >> Um all moving along um nicely.

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You want more detail? >> We are we we are uh we've been meeting extensively with um uh Paris court staff and most recently teachers are moving moving along um well and

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one more. >> Excellent. Thank you. Um I will give Amy's update for Pilgrim Area Collaborative. Um the proposed budget FY27 budget was presented in the amount of 11,52,953.31 which is actually a lower amount than

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the amended FY26 budget. It's important to note that collaborative budgets are not like traditional districts that are allocated a certain amount to spend. PAC is funded through tuition billing. So the budget is prepared like a business and needs to estimate student enrollments and projected tuition incomes. An amended budget is almost

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always presented and adopted in the fall after the school year starts, and there's a better pulse on what student enrollment will actually be versus the estimates from the spring. Key highlights include no significant additions and no new positions were added. Tuition will increase 3%. Collaboratives typically try to keep

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tuition increases to 3 to 5% each year. PAC understands how many local communities are struggling with school budgets and presented a conservative budget to reflect the current financial climate. still providing the same programs to help school districts and students who need out of district educational supports. The budget will be

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approved at the next meeting on May the 7th. The 4,000 and 6,000 policies were introduced for a first read. Um, and that's an ongoing effort to review and revise all pack policies to ensure they're still up to date. And they hosted a 50th celebration on Thursday,

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April 2nd. Uh, policy no meeting. Okay. regionalization study. >> There's been no um full committee meeting. There was a subcommittee meeting on Tuesday and there are convenience to send the data as requested um to the calling center.

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>> All right. Um safer. >> No meeting. >> Okay. Uh Union 31. >> There is no meeting scheduled until the fall.

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>> We met tonight. Okay. >> Um, I don't think we have any other matters. Just >> Yes, my final matter. >> Genie, I humbly apologize. I probably should have uh done more. my own

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personal life has been a bit chaotic and um so forth, but I wanted to express to you personally how much I have enjoyed working with you and um personally admire you both for the um enormous generosity within your family and the enormous amount of time you have given to um directly to the kids of the

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community and to the institutions that support the kids of the community. So um we will are very sad to see such um experience and such a large hard co um wish you very well in uh whatever things you are doing next. I will no doubt see

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you at the track meets and other things like that. >> I'm very happy to catch up with you there. So >> well thank you all very much um for the opportunity to serve. I only did three years on Silver Lake um nine years on

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Kingston. although I feel like I've met everyone through Union 31 over the years and um Dr. Fu especially, it's been a pleasure working with you as superintendent and all of your staff and um I'm going to miss you guys, but I'll be around I'll have all seven children on one campus next year. So,

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>> wow. >> Wow. So, all of you out there that you know the odds are you'll have them. With that said, we need a motion for adjournment. >> So moved. >> We have a second. Second. >> All right. Uh Jason, >> yes. >> Megan, >> yes.

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>> Jean, >> yes. >> Jen, >> yes. >> Mark, >> yes. >> Lucas, Mark G. >> Yes. >> Thank you so much, everybody. >> A complicated but very official meeting.