Okay, I'm going to call the meeting to order at 6 PM on Thursday, September 18th, 2025. If I can ask everyone to please stand for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance to the flag United
States of America and to the republic which stands one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Just before I start commendations, I want to welcome Melissa to our first meeting. Congratulations.
Good. All right. Are there any commendations? Okay, we'll move on to public comment. Any signatures? has raised I'm signing every time I see the public comment
well we have this this meeting yeah yesterday the high school had an evacuation drill during match block which went very smoothly it was a very busy week for sports this week both soccer teams as well as volleyball uh field hockey Hockey golf uh each had
three games. The boys soccer is currently five and two. Girls soccer is four with two ties, four wins and two ties. Volleyball has five wins and one loss. Field hockey is three w has three three wins, two losses and one tie. Girls cross country is on a roll with
three wins. Boys cross country has had a tough start to the year with three losses, but the rest of the season is looking up. and football has won their first two games and they're on their way to f um this Friday evening versus Shepard Hill over by uh Rhode Island. The marching man has begun pra has begun
practicing and will perform at the next home football game. In other news, the junior class has opened up to donations for their class auction which will take place later this year. Uh school counselors have been conducting senior seminars with the senior class about the college application process and several
colleges have begun visiting MHS which will happen throughout November. Uh now through November senior college parent night was held yesterday evening and a financial aid nights planned for October 28th. Thank you.
Okay district updates superintendent. Thank you Mr. Chairman. Um good evening. First I'd like to welcome new school committee member Melissa Kus. Uh she and I have been a couple times already and I'm confident she'll be great additions to the committee. So welcome and look forward to working together. Uh school
is in full swing. Fall sports are underway as we just serve from well. Um our open houses has been taking place. Uh this is an exciting part of the year when things uh start settling in and we begin to hit our stride as we move through the fall. I've attended all the PTO PCO meetings with so far the
exception of vets which I believe was scheduled to attend in October. Yeah. Um and was excited by the turnout um of so many caregivers that just really well attended um which is great. So thank you for all your support you provide to our students. Um, Rashana begins Monday,
September 22nd at sundown. So, I want to wish take a moment wish members of our Jewish community at the museum. Uh, it's also Hispanic heritage month beginning September 15th, October 15th. I just want to acknowledge that. Um, the district has been conducting Alice
drills again as well just mentioned uh each building. My directive in collaboration with our police and fire departments is to conduct a full evacuation drill for the beginning of the school year, a lockdown drill in the middle of school uh year and then another full evacuation in the fall. Um
that's a sad state of affairs that we need to do these drills, but it will always ensure that we are putting safety and security of our students and staff first. Uh doing the drills is one way to be as prepared as possible should catastrophic catastrophic event occur. uh desi um attendance accountability
reports come out tomorrow. So we'll be taking a look at that data to see how we fared with last year's attendance across the district. I hazarded guess the numbers will not be not be great given the absolution of the makeup days. Um but we should still be able to determine how we are strength. Some more to come
on that after analysis is completed. Um I'll be providing more focus updates on our anti-discrimination committee and on our enrollment in a few minutes. Our wellness committee is coming together. Um I'm sending out a newsletter tomorrow. So in that newsletter I think seven community hope some community
members uh to join the team. On October 9th will be participating in the MGH surf which is substance use and riskrelated factor survey. The main survey is administered by MGH and there will also be supplemental questions via MHS anonymous Google form. The survey is ask questions about our students mental
health and substance use behaviors. The survey is completed anonymously and confidentially although students have the option to provide identifying information should they want to follow. So purpose of the survey collect data to give our community a sense of needs and strengths of our student population
the need for programming in the curriculum assembly is extra offered to community events. Um and there's about 100 districts in the state participating the survey. Um this is done during magic lockes on a day four. This is all from they got sent
out already. So I just kind of um pretty much show that language paraphrase it a little bit. There explicit directions regarding how parents can opt their students out of the survey if they so she was like thank Gina Hart for her hardwork coordinating this important data collection tool and she will share the results in the spring. I think I mentioned this last time it's in the
spring tally the results of their section. Uh the board of health worked with town leaders and community partners and developed a needs assessment in collaboration with UMass Dart uh UMass Boston. Sorry don't stop my way. Uh entitled COM CAHM
which stands for creating a healthier marble head. Um I was part of uh helping develop some of the questions. I just wanted to share that uh they're finish up the flyer now and once that's uh finalized we send out from the town to everyone in town 18 years of age and older. But we will also put in our
digital backpack. I think it's a good way to just kind of get that out to folks. So, and I want to share that's another great way that we are collaborating with town. Um, which is which is awesome. Um, I always try to be reflective and strive to model that for our administrators and staff. So, I
wanted to share the body of an email that I sent to other staff. I think it's important during this time. Um, so if you'll just indulge me for a second. Uh, that email I sent out was it just was simple. at all. I feel compelled to share that we be mindful of how and when we share our views regarding political
and social commentary. We are all representatives of Marblehead public schools and we should continue to strive to model understanding, acceptance, and belonging for each other, our students, and community members. Sometimes this is difficult and sometimes we need to reflect on what and how we communicate.
I appreciate being the education leader of a district that is leading the way. Thank you for all that you do. promise me the times that things are happening. I thought it was um always thought it was good to send out a message then I think um and then I try to end my updates with a positive note so I got a little little bit more stuff to share
but um I think it's important I thought about ways doing knowledge to celebrate our staff and I'm working on developing a process to nominate staff for for going you know above and beyond the work that they do and until I craft that tool get into place I asked the principal administrators um to send me names of staff that they thought should get an
extra shout out of course this is never easy for administrators at home now There's so much good work going on by so many great people. Um, but I want to share out some of the kudos. Um, so I skipped the accommodations at the beginning because this is a little bit more um personalized and and expansive. So from Scott Williams, village
principal um he says, "I would like to acknowledge Zach Dixie who is a building based substitute teacher at Village. Every day Zach comes to work with a smile consistently going above and beyond to meet the needs of our students and staff. He supports our general education population and works very closely with our special needs kiddos in
our ABA program. Zach is truly committed to the village. We're lucky to have him here every day. Mr. Dixie. Um, from Dr. Carlson, Christine Shaowski consistently goes above and beyond in her role, demonstrating outstanding dedication to students, staff, and families. She works
tirelessly to ensure transfers are accurately and timely or accurate and timely. A task requires both precision and persistence. Christina has been an invaluable source of support for new staff, providing guidance and encouragement to help them feel welcomed and successful. She also brings the
voice of equity to resolving issues, ensuring the decisions are thoughtful, fair, and centered on student needs. Her unwavering commitment to students and families, reflects her deep care and professionalism, making a lasting positive impact in the school community. She also shares that Mike Gardi has made a significant difference at MHS through
his unwavering support of students both in and out of the classroom. As a dedicated football, basketball, and baseball coach, he builds strong connections with student athletes and helps them grow as individuals and team members. In his role as lead teacher in the math department, like Michael supports students learning needs in class during magic block and after
school, always going the extra mile to ensure their success. He also serves as a mentor providing guidance and encouragement that inspire students reach their potential. Michael's leadership commitment and care embody the very best of MHS. Um and one more from Dr. Carlson. Danielle Moer um has
has made an outstanding impact on our school community through her dedication to improving and supporting school culture. She has thoughtfully created signs and posters highlighting her staff and students fostering a sense of pride and belonging throughout the building. Danielle works closely with new staff to ensure they feel supported offering
guidance with grade books, magic blocks, scheduling and e hall pass. Her efforts helping uh her efforts help colleagues feel confident, prepared while the creativity and positivity create a welcoming environment for everyone. Danielle's commitment, collaboration, and school spirit shine through it all she does, making her an invaluable part
of our community. Assistant Superintendent Ferrer shared that our instructional coaches Rebecca Brandene Graziano, Mary Leblanc, Emily Perez, and Daniel Moa are working hard to um help ensure our teachers, instructional assistants, and students have a successful launch of the school year.
Thank you to our instructional coaching team for supporting the amazing teaching learning cafe schools. Matt Levan, principal at Vets shares the Juda Hudaro. Um Jay has been a valuable resource when planning and executing safety protocol at MDMS. Jay has
provided input and resources of helping to design procedures around student movement during fire and safety drills. Uh he also wanted to celebrate Tony Callahan um who has worked hard Sunshine Club to provide our colleagues with a tremendous level of support as we have
transitioned in a new school year at MS. I thought that was pretty cool. he's he's brand new and he's just getting to know his staff and glad he was able to kind of you know highlight a few great folks there. Um and then by the assistant superintendent Maria Pledo
says we like to recognize our team chairs Tanya Brusso Ashley Leman Megan Nante and Trina Chino for their organization and efforts in working with staff and families to support students as we start the school year. She also says cheers to Victoria Ryan for helping to support all our schools during the
school year. So, um, you know, the principles are short of sending me stuff while I'm in Austral meeting, but I just want to share I thought that would be a great way to end my updates, positive notes. Thank you very much. Yeah, I just want to reiterate, you know, superintendent that was like the
shout outs and and, you know, I would encourage you to continue. Yeah, I think, you know, I I've been thinking about it for a while, you know, um and just I think it's important to celebrate staff and my idea is just to kind of come up with, you know, Google form and I can do a link um so you know, community members thanks to all um
community members and staff, celebrate each other. Um I think it's a great way to just kind of just recognize folks. It's simple, but it's also I think I appreciate that. All right, you have our our next item, enrollment update. Oh, I think um
actually since there was a couple iterations uh we printed out which one just so make sure we're all looking at the same thing. No, no. Um it was the one to make a couple. So, um Frank, that should
be I was You have it? I have it. Awesome. I'll share it with you because I can't I'm not able to share my screen. Yeah, I don't see their request. Okay. Looking for I just
Thank you. You got it. Do you want me to Okay, perfect. Thanks. Right. Well, that's coming up. Um, here we talked a little bit about the enrollment um piece here in Marvel Head Schools. You know, clearly there's been um slight dip in enrollment um especially from
last year to this year. So, we we started um kind of falling apart some of the data and that's what's being shared tonight. I don't see this ongoing discussion because we really need to um continue to dig deep into the uh into the data to say you know what kids at which grade level are going where and
ending up where and why. So those are questions we're going to obviously be asking more deeply of you know schools and parents and things like that. But this is just this is just an overview at this point of of where we are. So um you can go to the next slide please. So the current enrollment overview total K to2
enrollment uh it's 2513 students and the dispute distriution across schools are are outlined there. So there's 88 students at Marland High um 351 at vets 84 at village 445 at Brown and 318 at Glover. And then um there's other
programming that accounts for it's 107 students. So 31 home school, 46 out of district and there's 30 students the private placement. we have to count those cuz I mean there still our students we have to um we have to make sure that if they're receiving any kind of programming from the district that we
count them. So potentially you know homeschool students even though they're homeschooled they still can avail themselves of extracurricular activity sports and things like that if they if they um maintain the things that they need to maintain. Uh similarly with private placements they may private
placements but we may provide special services like so for instance maybe kid our school that needs you know speech language or something like that where we still be um providing some services it's not frequent but there are some so that's sometimes the numbers look a
little um little off because of that. Can I ask a question? Yeah. Do you look at this like is total enrollment when you're comparing your rear change inclusive of the additional programs? Does it feel like it'd be a hit or missing for like what the actual capacity is schools versus outside of
the schools? Is it just done on a a net basis including both of those things? The second yeah that's your sale that way. So we kind of have to we kind of follow the way Desi does it and we'll try to pull it as best we can. And some we'll talk
about a little bit but like some of this is the NASDAQ projections are are part of like how we kind of look at trend you know overall trends but that's that's really more regards to population stuff. So we look at birth rates death rates you know kindergarten age all this
stuff. So um so next slide please um is enrollment distribution by spring level. So we just broke it down elementary school prek to three. So again, Brown school is 445 where the largest class is 104 um in grade 1, grade two is 107,
larger schools 318 students, normal enrollment in grade three is 85 combined total 76 students. Middle middle level which is so middle level village and vets. So
village schools 484 see the break down there four 133 fifth grades 169 sixth grade 162 and that's is 351 students with seven school gra I should I don't like I said this is
snapshot time so you get the long reports on Monday to Monday and they can change from a week to Wednesday to Friday so you know we've always saw a little bit of w sometimes like when we looked at which I think 25
somewhere high school is 808 like I said grade 9 is 210 grade 10 is 2011 grade 11 is 212 and grade 12 is 185 I think we had a pretty large graduating class last year which I think counts for some high
school uh and then the next next slide um the enrollment change notable enrollment changes at transitional grade level so grade three spring 25 grade four fall 25 we went minus 15 students grade six
spring 25 to grade 7 fall 25 we're down nine students in grade 8 to grade 9 are 15 uh minus 15 students so that those transition grade four 7 8 to 9 are where's ones where we see the biggest dips now the grade 8 to nine you know
clearly that's that's students they go to you know um private school or that's tagged um so you know asking a good question I'm going to interrupt bacteria unless you want to um did you do this for every grade or just these grades because I haven't had
a chance to dig all it but you know we actually as of this week have an 8% decline um we have over 200 students less today than we did in June so it might be helpful to do this across all yeah we we we highlighted the three three um three largest areas for for
this discussion we could certainly continue to go into the deeper dive um but I think you know when we look eighth grade and nth grade is tax and they they vary. Sometimes they take five kids 11 to take. So it's it's it varies and then
um private school uh is also obviously where where folks go. But you know like I said we'll we'll we'll we'll get into a little bit more um detail as we move forward because I want to make sure that um we're we're understanding why like that that's third grade to fourth grade
transition is a weird year to have that as we get sleeping. you expected in the 89th a little bit. Um those two other areas that are the kind of high have that kind of um so then we look at the historical trends right next one. Um
so this kind of goes through from you know 2019 to current. Um you can see that we've dipped a decent amount from you know 20 the 1920 school year with 2963 students to current uh 2513. So
there's a overall pretty good size um decrease there and the key periods again we kind of highlight the higher ones. So 1920 to 2021 was a 8.7% decrease 21 to 20 2122 is a 3.8
between appointments another two another two year so you know that's that's a that's a large I think it's also important to note historically I think 2017 graduating class was probably the peak of this sort
of generation where we had almost 3,300 students in the district so I mean this is this is like we're not bearing the weight here this is a you know huge thing and this seems to be a little bit higher this year. Not as high as 2019, but we're at close to 8% 7.9%.
So, yeah. And it's it is it's concerning for sure. And I think, you know, and I'm I'm we're going to call off, you know, what it is because it's it's it's nothing to hide here. This is this is there's a fifth in the world for sure. Um there's trending in that way in a lot of public schools, most public schools, but um
we're talking about we have to look at all saying what can we do differently to keep kids you know maybe going elsewhere other than tomorrow at high school. We have to look at you know the private schools pulling kids at certain ways for certain reasons. Charter school you know um you know there is a trend across the
nation that charter schools are are increasing there alone as well. So there's a lot of factors. Um, but that's why, you know, we're looking at the the overview of this, but we're gonna Julie and I are going to talk in depth about how we're going to kind uh to try to start coming up with ways
like, you know, we we talked last year with the administrators. So, again, this year around the transitional grades that's always, you know, going from middle school, high school to middle school, what kinds of things can we do to make sure that students understand what we have to offer? So, there's a lot
of things that we need to, you know, um, take high school you know, leads a program in, you know, sports and um drama, banded schools, etc., and have them, you know, really focus on seventh to eighth grade students so they know what what to expect coming up. Um, a lot
of us have look at that's that's usually one big area that we can look at less looked at. I find the grade specific numbers more
helpful because otherwise I think you have to find a way to strip out what Jen is referencing of that there are just fewer children than there were 10 years ago from we can't solve for that problem we should be looking at and addressing students if families are choosing to
send their children elsewhere why and what well I don't know if we necessarily know that so I've asked for census which is very easy to yet. So, I've asked for it just for my own identification from the town clerk. So, we could get it by age by by birth date. So, I think and I got
to go do the math or do the dates, but if we get we could get a census report like prek through 12, how many student how many children of that age live in the town and then compare that to what our census is. Um, preschool jumped out at me last
year. where we graduated um 13 I think presk into I guess to kindergarten and this year we have 76. So that was that's a big that's a big uh loss and I think you know there's the
whole you know the universal issue that of clearly declining enrollment the question of why is important right because I would love to be able to educate every child in this town we can and we should it be great but meantime we're not and so we have you know there
are budget implications to that there's you know there's opportunities right we have declining enrollment we have budget that you know the town meeting provides to us. um we have opportunity to leverage that budget with the planning.
It all has sure and I think um and everything that was you know that's all I think you look at fine. So I think I think um you know the question about the census and how many kids and like we you know when you look at the numbers like
when you say we had 16 2,617 students 23 24 25 we have 2564 students right so you know you can see that amount of students left but like to your point the census well actually yeah
it'll tell us how many how many school age kids there are so how many more missing you know, which I don't imagine, you know, a lot more than that, you know, but you know, we have we have to we have to make sure we're educating somehow making sure that every kid that lives in district gets educated when
they're educated schools. If they leave Mar schools, we have to where they're going. So, we know we know they left they went to private school, but uh you know, charter school, whatever. Um, so
that's that's the data that we'll look at more closely. Um, do we do that? Yeah, just do we report that? So it's not it's not really I mean it's not really portable to this. I mean to the to the state you have the actual status and I mean you could report right X number
of students went to private school X number moved out of really you either go to private school you go out of town or you homeschool might be helpful to her. Yeah. And I think um yeah, that's that's what I'm talking about. It's it's e you know if you if you're if
like there's a grade level of two or three kids like okay that's not too big. I mean this is in the overall but when you look at like the three grade levels we talk about there's a preponderance about
and it's curious why why six why um so yeah those are all those are all things we're we're already looking at the other thing that's clear is I think this year senior's class 185 but like in 2017 I think again I think that was the
peak in that class was like 26 65 I think I think we're like 240 mushrooms. So two players left here and then you look at 911 to what 9101 the high school they're all over 200 it's not much but it's over 200 and then K through8 and preK through8 there's no glasses over 200 so
it's clearly whatever it is they don't live here they're not born they're not whatever they we're not seeing glasses over 200 and that's the next tweeting on the one that data
sorry question do you guys look at enroll enment trends excluding the additional programs is like it's down 51 students this year but 107 of capacity on here are people that are maybe just coming to like you want the program or not. Do we ever look
at it? Yeah, we we always look at that. Yeah. So so a lot of like especially the students that's those are kiddos that may be here today and then have a team meeting tomorrow and then three weeks they're out of district
or vice versa. So the the the idea and the plan is to to continue to speculate programming. We're still going through some growing pains still. Um but when we get to a point where I feel comfortable that we that our programs
are solid enough to start having those meaningful conversations with parents to say, "Hey, this program is solid where we have kids in it. We're bringing kids back and getting them to get them back in." My whole philosophy is we need to educate our kids with our case as a district. It's and that's to me that's not a money thing to be in the money
that's not the reason for me it makes the most sense to do that. We're not there 100% not there yet but we will I 100% the next couple years. I'm wondering if these patterns and declines will look different if we stripped out that group of students. There's been an issue
different yeah we look at the class that's obviously something very important for us right class. pay for different reasons, right? For teachers, for balance and equity in terms of students, um, traditionally for where we place our supports, right? Where we students need additional
support. So, we look at all that. J, can you tell me your prek number from last year? I thought I saw that we gradu I'm So, we had 33 at Brown School. Yeah. So I go by
these reports unless they ask reports for some reason June 2nd in June 2nd which is the last report before the graduating seniors. Once the seniors graduate the reports are off the seniors are gone. We don't have the new kindergarters.
I know. So it's it's when we have our students in for the student services testing. So we had 18 I think fall under that P um and then 42 came in for an assessment. So you're reporting them as pre they all you have to put you have to categorize
them when you're when you're either providing some sort of a service or an assessment. So they have to go somewhere. So let's look at the week before. So if we just look at the bottom of just um Brown school and Glover school, what I'm seeing here is under um so for example, Brown School or Zissen and then the
bottom 33 and then Glover 3. I just want to make sure. So that that's what's that 71. So I mean okay so then I don't know where we've lost kids then we should probably not
kindergarten is down too. Yes. And you'll see that with what we know it's going to be for this year's kindergarten. Yes. And last year this year's directions and that's that's mainly my birth. So, and the other thing too like prek will e and flow a little bit too. I think
that's why when you were saying that sounded really off to me. So, I think you need to look at that. That's not weird. Well, yeah. It's it's it's how it's how it when you asked me the question. I need to look at this a little bit closer. Some of that some of those numbers look a little wonky. Um so
you know kindergart you know kindergarten will have a flow or preschool flow based spot like oh you know got a you know they're coming here might say they start here then they go somewhere else and then they come back kindergarten. So those things can happen too. So in the prek prek um numbers I
mean we want to see those higher because then you know see higher. So you know when we look at go to the future projections next one please. Um so this is this is kind of where the NSD reporting comes in. So they look at short short-term long-term and then
growth factors. So the shortterm um 26 27 they're projecting 25 21 students which will be an increase of 2.1 and then the the following year is moderate increase of to 2537 which be 6. on the
longer term. Uh it looks like you know within they do like a 10 year projection. So within 10 years looks like we'll be kind of back up some 2017ish um numbers now. Well 10 years from 2020 years
so right the full the full 10 year projection. So I think um so that if the projections are are fairly accurate which NZX generally is that's pretty pretty close. Um I I mean I've over the years I mean within like 10 12 kids. Um
so that's that's that's hard to see that you know hopefully that that trend trends upward and we have to you know we have to kind of look at that um to make sure that we're everything that Jal staff are doing. So and then the growth factors stable rates projected annual
project 160 163 annually consistent migration patterns and auto trends they look at that's what it's pretty matrix they look at it just it helps us to kind of data year to year a lot of um they base
you know destiny when we look at the destiny numbers that's not that's usually an October sort so a lot came from October and then started pushing and stuff. So, and then the last thing is just the project that they're
projecting chart. Um, so all in all, yes, the meta message here is we're down on enrollment. Uh we're got to continue to take a deeper dive into the areas that are like the most concerns for us and look at and try to come up with some reasoning and ideas and thoughts and
then also work with the administrators and the teachers to say what what can we do differently to kind of keep people here um stay ahead and graduate. Um and I think you know it's an ongoing discussion. It truly is. Uh and you know
that that our district placement numbers I think they go right down to I think you know I think last year we were at like 57 I think a district we're a little bit down 46 now. So that's that's that's not bad. So but happy to have more conversation
chat I think you said this but what's the 2526 projected percentages? That's what we really want to know, right? To compare this year's enrollment. Yes. So, um just plus 2.1%. 2.1. Okay.
Pretty steady really. Um we just want to add in also like you know with with a focus on sharing the great work that's happening in Marble County Public Schools. We've been very intentional that I mean our high school just scored 33 out of 100 um for the weekly news and we'll be sharing more
about that soon. And and all the things you see we've had some really great local press. I do feel that we're really trying to be thoughtful and strategic in the communication um you know newsletters and and and you know sharing broadly. So I just want to appreciate the numbers you know for what they are
right now but we always going to continue that conversation about showing the great work that is happening in model and I think I think that goes hand inhand with you know our collaboration with the community. I think, you know, it's been been one of my pushes since I've been here is really like how do we how do we partner with, collaborate,
discuss, um, you know, everything with community members, too, because the more they hear and see that we're actually, you know, listening and and trying to to do things better. Um, you know, we're finding ways to just really kind of, you know, student voice, we talk about that.
Staff voice, how do we how do we continue to get input and hear what the staff are saying? How do we address concerns of staff? Um, you know, there's there's things that are going super really well this year. There's some areas that we're that we're really focused on and I go into schools there.
There's some areas that were struggling with some areas doing really really well. So, celebrate the positives. How do we how do we focus on providing extra resources and support to those areas that are struggling? Um, and I think when we do that and people see that we're not
um that that's a good thing that that that's how we grow and we can build sustainability talk about socializing. It's really important to get some of that demographic data that Jen was talking about. There's things that are
beyond our control. Yeah. And also as we're having these important conversations about staffing and budgeting and you know taking into account the enrollment data I think it's really important that we balance not
over correcting you know these NASDAQ predictions have proven to be reliable and they're showing that start to trend upwards not to where it used to be but in that direction I think when we have and we have conversations you know we're people
going to be having a bunch conversations and all, you know, this kind of will tie into that, right? So, but like if you look at, you know, say like a certain class has 17 kids in it and another one has 24 kids in it and another one has 18 kids in it and they're all the same grade level, the same school, you know, that how you not really a way to
consolidate those three classes, right? Without, you know, making it 29 kids. So, you have to be mindful of that, too. So, there's there's areas for sure that the numbers are low in certain classrooms. The other part of that discussion is why are they low? Um that
could be purposeful. So just say for instance we have four four first grade classrooms. One might be at 17, one might be at 22, 22 and 19. That 17 could be purposeful. It could have kids that maybe have greater needs in that classroom or provide extra support, less
students. I mean that's that's generally a way to address some of those extra needs. Um so those things happen too. And then you look at you know sometimes AP classes are lower because everyone asks for sometimes you know special education classes need to be smaller. So when you just look at just the number
about the discussion they can be misleading as well. So I just preface that as we get get in the budget conversation because that's important to kind of be a little but quickly going to back up. So we want to be mindful of that too. Yeah. Absolutely. Correct.
Thank you. So is there a couple quick questions? So you know obviously you said you want to do some more detailed analysis of the data. You know when that'll be ready by and you can kind of come back and provide a you know more detailed perspective on the data.
Yeah. Just so we can you know agenda item for us to probably not the 30th meeting but sure the first October. I just want to be mind I don't want to rush it because you know the the the issue is is you know
you can look at our data manager to pull poll certain things and that would be helpful and we we start uh but I want to make sure that over reporting is you know fully accurate. So we want to make sure we have the time to to pull it down. I'm not trying to rush. I just want to know when when it's reasonable for us to
expect and let us know. Yeah. And I can let you know I mean we have conversations all the time. Yeah, we're good. We'll be good to go at this point. So, the other question relates to making the data available so that
everyone comes kind of close to the same answer. I don't know that's a day tomorrow or some kind of public form so that you know you know I asked Julia for you know what's an enrollment number I get X and I asked Henry and it's X plus you know I so I think it's important
right data can be very difficult to understand correct right and so I'm just curious like is there are we trying to create like a data mark we can say this is where we're pulling data from and this is why we're doing that and so please use the data you're doing your you know if you want to do your own self analysis or something like that
and I think the answer to that It depends on what what you're looking at. Okay. So, to Melissa's point, you know, the greater number does include those those other services. Um, do we pull those out and say this is the actual kids that have, you know, bodies in seats? That's one discussion. Why do we
have these other kids sub? That's another discussion. But in totality, this is the number we responsible for. So maybe maybe enrollment's not even name. I mean, it's it's who how many students are we responsible in in public schools? is a 2513 kids. Carl, how many
kids have their rear ends and seats? 207 less than that. So the numbers um so yeah, so there's that, you know, so I think it depended on what the conversation is, but there's different ways to pull the data, right? You know, you know, I I found this
isn't this is not this isn't a current thing. I found that in general media will look at the desi numbers and make extrapolations from that and that's really not a good way to do it because the numbers are never they're always um so that's important to know. I know
exact occurrence here, but um that's important to know. I would rather say someone say here's what I saw on the SE numbers. If they're looking at that, you tell me like where we are correally. That's a much better conversation to have and easier to get that actual
enrollment discussions those questions have to be asked to get the right results. If I could to Al's point, I think even outside of enrollment, there's a broader conversation we can have around
district data, you know, how it's being publicized because for us to have these conversations around MCAST performance or enrollment or whatever the topic is, making sure that we're all we being the community as a whole
starting from the same place, it will make those discussions work. No. Yeah. I think having these discussions at this this this level in terms of what we're looking for is really helpful, but it's one thing to
just say, "Hey, give me, you know, I want we want the MCAST data." Well, okay. But there's stories to be told about that you know and not to go down that rabbit hole but this year's MT because now that it's not graduation requirement I tell you straight out the
numbers much different straight up. So you know those are that's the partition. All right. Um Mike next up for an update please. Thank you. Um, so I was asked to provide
an FY25 fiscal update and I did put something in the packet. Uh, it has changed already, but I think we are getting much closer with the town to finalizing the fiscal year 25 numbers. Uh, this afternoon I got some awaited
news as as I mentioned in my memo. We were waiting for some transfers to come through and they had reclassed some of our reclassified some of our expenses that we had spent out of our local budget. the town had some opera money they needed to spend. So, they looked at some of our expenses that they could
justify using ARPA money for. So, I'll give you a little bit of the update. Um, it it looks like and I feel pretty confident with these numbers much better than I did a week ago when I when I wrote this report. Uh, it looks like we are going to as a as a school department return about $240,000
$240,819 to the town out of our LEA budget. uh today they transferred or did a reclassification of another $213,122. So all total it will look like the school department turned $454,000
to the town for fiscal year 25. I could pause there for a moment because I know that's information you didn't have coming into this evening. All right, good. Uh so just the highlights from fiscal year 25. So our
salaries were budgeted at $38.5 million of which we expended approximately $36 million leaving a surplus of about $2.5 million of unexpended salary funds. Uh primarily this can be attributed to vacancies in our um positions early in
the school year last year. Most of you recall had a lot of vacant positions when we first started last year and uh we're in a much better place this year. But those vacancies uh provided part of that. The other part of it is that we had some special education positions that we could not fill last year. We had
to uh fill them up with contract service providers and uh when we pay a contract service provider. I can't take it out of a salary line. I have to take it out of a contracted services line. We did not do budget transfers last year. That'll be a goal of mine this year is that we do budget transfers throughout the year
so we can kind of align. Um and and I certainly don't want to sh anything but this wasn't our budget last year. We were working with the previous administration's budget. We had to rebuild the entire thing. It was probably we so we could understand it. Not not that they did anything wrong, but we didn't we need to understand in
our own terms. So um it was probably late in the calendar year before we actually had uh a budget that was uh something that we could digest and understand. Uh and then at that point we were to the new the new budget cycle and that was a whole new process for all of
us. So we we spent a lot of time uh trying to communicate be transparent give the accurate numbers um make some great estimations and I hope we did a great job. We'll know at the end of this year um
and so that's kind of the salary when we get into contracting services. So if we were $2.5 million under budget you can imagine we were somewhere over budget. That's primarily came in contracted services. Uh we budgeted at 2.3 million and we came in at 3.3 million in
expenses and I I broken that into four primary categories. First was maintenance. Uh I think later in the year when we realized we were going to have some surplus funds, some unexpended funds. We focused on some things that we could do in the district to improve our facilities. One-time expenses, you know,
you hire staff, those are long-term expenses, recurring expenses. If you do other things, there's recurring expenses. a one time onetime expenses. We met with all of our principles and said, "Hey, if you you had a few dollars, what would you like to do to spruce up your stool, painted some flag poles, we did some brick work, uh we
replaced some doors, some windows, um things like that." Uh so we were over budget in uh maintenance by $388,000. We were also over budget in special education with our contracted service providers uh by $296,000. Again, when we
couldn't fill positions, we had it back filled with contract to service providers. It's kind of a we draw a pretty clear line with those two salaries being contracted service providers. Um, special education out of district transportation. Um, you know, Lisa Marie and Victoria have done
phenomenal work. They spent, I think, the first six months last year trying to identify all of our kids that were out of district because I don't think there was a really um documented list of those students. So we were over budget by $1 and uh $39,000 in transportation for
other district duties. Uh and then finally, you know, when you all know when we got to town meeting, there was a little change in our capital requests and we had already committed to not committed at that point, but we had planned to do we had already bid the painting of the pack and the
reupholstery of repacked seats and um we got cut back to doing one or the other. Uh because we had already committed to doing the seats because we ordered the material, the fabric, um we packed painting out of our capital ask per request to the town. Uh, so we spent
$138,000 of our budget money, LEDA, local education agency budget money last year, last year's money to paint the pack. Um, we started right before it was like the last week of June so we could cover an expense in FY25 in some of it
occurred in FY26. So I worked that all out with uh Alicia before we got to the end of the year and said, "Hey, look, if I have money left over and I sign this contract, we'll start it in June. it's going to carry into July. She says, "As long as it starts in June, you're good." So, we made sure that that was going to happen. So, that was the the majority of
the contracted services. Um, another bucket we looked at is supplies. We budgeted our supplies last year at about 1.3 million and we expended about 1.24 million uh 1.24 million. Uh, so we're approximately 65,000 budget supplies.
supplies are classroom supplies, office supplies, custodial supplies, um, it's custodial. Those are probably the primary categories. There's some other smaller supply lines. Um, but those are those would be the main ones out of that
category. So, we're a little bit under budget there. Um, so back to Lisa Murray and Victoria. Um, our special education, as we said, they were trying to find out where the students were and get a good documentation on it. We've got a, you know, we got a great shared document right now that we are constantly
updating. Um, but our special education tuitions last year were approximately 1.24 million over budget. Um, and again, it wasn't our budget. We didn't we're going to handle it, but it wasn't our budget to to defend. Um, if you consider
that we prepaid 900,000 tuitions the year before for last year and we took 1.1 million of last year's budget to prepaid this year, the net over budget really was about a million, just slightly over a million dollar.
Uh, and then so tuition, the other items of note, um, legal expenses were $328,000 over budget. That is, uh, contracted service. So you can take that out of the extra the 1 million that we contract services. Legal settlements
were approximately 9,000 over budget. Natural gas was approximately 54,000 over budget. And on the flip side of that, electricity was 240,000 under budget. Um I did not have these projections when I built the FY26 budget. So working on
basic, you know, rolling forward existing numbers. We will probably be over on electricity again this year and probably I'm sorry under under budget on electricity and over budget on um natural gas. Hopefully we will not be nearly as far over budget expenses.
Uh so that's kind of the wrap up on FY25. I gave you uh a list of all of the line item expenses for the year. um those are going to change a little bit because of the 213,000 I believe in reclassifications that
happened today. Um and I will again provide an update on those minds if anybody's looking. So as we move into FY26 uh we've just completed our first payroll u for our 10-mon staff. Uh I have to say um that
happened last last Thursday the 11th. a week ago. I I have to give a huge shout out to our HR departments. Um Lisa Deir, Gloria Sen have done a great job boarding people making sure work that needed to get completed got completed in
a timely fashion. Uh Carlen and Kristen, Carlen's our payroll supervisor and Kristen payroll coordinator and Kristen is our assistant business manager. Um they meticulously went through every hire packet. Uh and and it wasn't just the hire packet. You have to also have to give steps and pulling increases to
all employees. They scrubbed everything. They they did an amazing job for um for the amount of work that needs to happen in that short period of time. Uh and and I have to compare it to last year. Night and day difference. Just an amazing job. Um and then also upstairs, Kathy Carrie
and Amanda um have worked with us tremendously making sure that everything was good. I'm not saying it went perfect. We have we had a um probably less than a dozen uh probably of employees who questioned their payroll. We might have missed a
coverage block. We might have missed an hour overtime somewhere. Um we might have missed a stipen. Everybody got their paycheck. They may not have been ex exactly what they were looking for. Uh on the plus side, we spoke with every one of those employees. We made sure that it wasn't a financial hardship for
them and um identified that we did not have to run a supplemental payroll last week. Um and if anybody had, you know, they all said we take only two weeks. Had anybody said they couldn't, we certainly would have taken care of them uh in a timely
fashion, including the town saw in a weekly favor. So we could have thrown stuff on this week if we absolutely needed to, but uh it's a lot of work put in to pull in people into their payroll. So we said we asked brought up parking lot again we did a great job amazing um so as we talked about the implementation
of munis uh there are several people in this district in the town who have used mun in other communities um it is I think we were all expecting it to go a lot smoother because we all used it before it hasn't gone horribly but there have been a lot of you know things that
have delayed us you know a paying bills you know vendors being set up because they didn't get transferred overright there were a lot little quirks that delayed something. So, we have some vendors who are not shooting pleased with us right now. Um, we we worked with the town this week to make sure that all outstanding invoices that were sent out
could be paid in a very timely manner because have some vendors who are would prefer that to get their money in in less than 30 days. We're a little over 30 days with some of our vendors right now. Not months, not three or four months, but you know, six weeks, seven weeks past two. So, um, you know,
something that we're not proud of, but we are working diligently to make sure that's taken care of. Um, we are transitioning. So, that was just AP accounts payable, general ledger, accounting, uh, we are transitioning our
payroll into our HR modules January 1st of 2026. So, three more months. We've been working around a lot of full day meetings once or twice a week with our HR payroll department. So they are very entrenched and you put that on top of trying to quit a school year telling
them they they've really bent over backwards to make this happen. Um so they've been in training and whatnot. So uh what I will say is because I have to caution last year I started giving budget reports in December and January.
Um what's happening right now is all payrolls going through software and all expenses are going through um Unice. It's not really called Unice. That's their old unit. It's called PRP or thing. Um, I need the town to take the payroll
expenses. We're crosswalk and have it hit as a journal adjustment into MI and they haven't they've been they've been focusing on getting f 25 closed. So, they haven't made those transfers yet and and I don't know once we start to do
them how smooth it's going to be. And I don't want to commit to something. I can probably do my own crosswalks for reporting purposes. Probably take me an extra day or two to pull out the reports for you. But um I just caution that it may not be as smooth until we get to January or February the reporting. I
will give you as transparent information as I can. It will be as forward as I can. Um just just understand that it may not be what you you received last year. Um so there we go on that. just to um kind of go over what some of the things
that we did this summer. Our custodial staff uh huge kudos to them. They were just amazing. Um on on you know when I arrived here last July there were a lot of a lot of things wrong know what they were doing not what they were doing what direction they were supposed to be going
in who they were reporting to you know what what they should be working on during the summer. So um you know Todd and I created a list with all the custodians maintenance guys. We said, "Hey, these folks are um hey, look, this is our expectation this summer." We set the expectation. They took it as a
challenge and they far exceeded my expectations. But so, uh, just to cover some of the schools at Glover, we did, uh, finalized the HBAC installation. And, and I'll caution that it's only about 20% of the building because that's all it was designed for. So, not every
classroom has HBAC, not every space has HBAC. They have heat. They don't have they have they have ventilation they don't have air conditioning. Um so levers system really from what I understand never really function properly from the start. Um we had a a
called MEP professional mechanical electrical plumbing professional on site the entire time or on nothing throughout the project about one day a week and um you know it was critical to have him there. we really dialed in to this
contract to make sure that they were doing everything they needed. So, very pleased that the Glover HVAC is up. Uh, special thanks to our PTO at Glover. They donated uh $50,000 for new equipment. Uh, I've been over there once or twice now. The kids love it. It's a
little little uh climbing structure with hoops and very similar to the one that's at village. And I'm not sure if this one had brown or not, but very some village. Um, kids love it. They were playing on it. They I didn't know we could get so many page on structure, but they they
did a great job. Uh, so thank you to the PTO. And then uh I don't know if you recall, but um the previous town meeting, not this past one, the one before the town meeting, uh they had approved some money for new surfacing of playgrounds. So we were able to use that and resurface the weather playground. Um
the the rubberized surface there was um like a Massachusetts road. There was some there was some Yeah. Look like the plows had just come through. Uh also at Glover we did some painting whiteboards. Um whiteboard though I don't if you know the the the walls in the hallway at
Glover are actually whiteboard painting. So you can use a white bar with board locker on it. um over over 10 or 11 years they they so uh our own custodial maintenance staff took care of that. So thank you. And they also painted uh the
stairway. Uh there was a stairway that was just cement and it it just look it was just cement from the first floor to the second floor. It's actually a seating area. I think it's a little like staging area. Uh they they painted it green. It's a it's a pretty it's a pretty green. Yeah, it's green. It's
but it looks a lot better than what it is. Uh and then also we rearranged the main office. So if anybody goes into notice that Don's desk is back where it was a few years ago and uh flows a lot better in the main office there. That's where we did most our work. But can can I just add one one two things
that come up? Sure. Um so also the playground um we did some really good playground structure horizoning. Um my my hope is that you know upgrade that like to get some builders out of there retainable or something and we looking
at how the way that it's just designed for so like stuff gets washed out there rocks and scramble all so we're going to continue look at that and then the other ask was uh there's um glass cases on the first and the second floor and I was just talking I was talking after the PTO
scoring I grow up just looking at it see the glasses you shadow glass or not just cuz it's you know cable. Yeah. So, so we're looking at that. We we have to try to determine if it's I'm assuming that it's like like the kind of glass spider not shattered um because
it's a newer building but like I strong John I would come up with a test for [Laughter] uh so moving on to Brown School. Uh Brown, you very new school, so not a whole lot to do there, but um we did install a bottle filling station. Uh
it's a little shocking that a new school like that didn't have a water access for our students during lunch. So there's now a bottle filling station in the Brown School in the cafeteria. They had down the hall. They could tell the bottom that just wasn't in the cafeteria, but students were during lunch and all breakfast. Um there were
some blinds and some windows that needed some repairing motors and things like that. So those were repaired. Um, if anybody knew that in the cafeteria there was there's a trim that goes over the stage and a couple of pieces of the trim had become loose. Todd's team went up
and had taken them down immediately to make sure that nothing fell on anybody and some of they were able to reinstall them and secure them properly the way they should have been uh installed in the first place. So, uh, thank you to them for that. And, uh, thanks to our PTO at Brown, there is not sure that
it's up yet posted there. Uh there's going to be a new netting system on the playground to keep the balls from going down the hill towards the tower. So there's I think that PTO was said either we keep buying more balls by a net. So I think they chose by the head. So thank you.
Uh the veterans. Uh so as I mentioned earlier, we got the pat painted which was huge. We got the new upholstery in the back which is huge. It looks great. Um, we would like to to do the runners, get pocket runners in there eventually, but you know, we ran out of time and money, but uh,
Patrick looks great in the new the light fixtures move work on that. Also, um, we added u many split units to um, one of the classrooms. It's right above computer lab or it is a computer lab and the windows were not sufficient to keep the
theme that all energy coming out of the computer system. So, uh, we had a mini split there. And I think we put a mini split in the IT space. In the gymnasium, we did get some wall padding. It's been on the plan for about 6 months. It finally happened. So, the new wall padding is up
in the gymnasium as veterans. Um, this really wasn't a summer project, but I had it on there. Uh, we painted the flag pole. Uh, the main flag pole. Uh, somebody continually reminded me how bad it looked. Um, so, uh, that that got done. So when I went over look at the flag pole to see how bad it was. I
noticed that the front entrance uh all the brick work around the front entrance which really isn't the front entrance both front entrance. Uh it needed to be repointed uh probably being reset and whatnot. So um we got both those things. black hole was painted and brick entryway was um
spruced up so that was supposed to uh at village you know I gota say village is that school that huge shout out to that custodial staff they well all staff that's custodial staff was down she was
there their primary lead guy in person in their assistant uh and just Marilyn there rocked the summer she just she just crushed So with her team, they they they worked really hard. Um and Marilyn's not a lead, not an assistant lead. She just
the next the next man up. So she uh she she go um but village when I went through village last summer. Um you know they they kind of joke with me that somebody left paper gloves on my desk. I was way issue one one day or something.
Um, I was going around all the overhangs over all the doors and windows and probably uh projectors and smartboards and you know the floors look great, the walls looked okay. They were there were areas that they weren't hitting. Uh, and then when I went to that building, these
guys caught on quickly and uh went out to the village this year. I'm telling you, I could not find a speck of dark dust. I was so proud. So, uh, thank you to them. But uh the only thing we really did over there this year that was a primary project. There were a lot of other projects. Uh the primary project was for independent skill award
which was a donation from um it was National Grand Bank and sports and football youth football. So um so thank you to them. They they used it last week. They said fantastic. So that's great. And you can control your phone. I can probably mess with their school but
uh it's great. Uh so and then um we just move on to the high school. Um during negotiations you were up and downstairs all the time and I noticed how bad the front stairs I mean stairway looked uh just chip paint and stuff. So um while they were painting when they got done painting the pack we told them hey can you go over and hit the stairs too. So
they did that. It was that was a contractor that we used. Um we have made substantial progress on the fire doors. That's been the never ending project. I I think everything is tied in except for one connection that we need the the sprinkler company to come in and tie in
something so that the doors actually go down when the fire alarm is full. Right now the doors go down. If the smoke detectors in that immediate area, identify smoke in that area, they will go down. But if the whole building is set off, they don't go down. So um they
have fire. It's uh something we're working on. Um we can put them down manually. You can break down if that get that detector right there at that location. We did put in a new entrance source. Unfortunately, they boarded the wrong size glass for the canes above the door, the um
skylights. What are you called? Um side lights transom. Transom. Yes. Um so on the first day of school, they weren't in, but I understand by that Friday, they did install. So they're in. Pleased about that. The new entrance source are all done. That was a capital project meeting
a couple years ago. Um, we did install mini splits in the athletic director's office, food service director's office. Those are two offices that are used year round. Didn't have any air conditioning. So, in the summertime, they got quite um quite warm. So, uh, and I'm almost done
here. Uh, food services, we installed new cooking equipment, warming equipment, and prep materials in most of our schools. Um, I I believe village is going to get a home vine before the end of the year serving line on both sides of the village school. So that's that's amazing because I think the older one is
a little dated, some wood tops on it, things that we we regular stainless steel. So John Constino and his team working on that. So thank you to Jo to make sure our food service areas are as as good as um
I copy the custodians. So final thing is transportation. Um so currently we're running four big buses. Last year we ran three big buses and two mini buses. This year we're running four big buses which is our spare no longer have a spare which very causes me some um you know if
something goes down four big buses we don't have a backup bus uh which means we have to do double runs fortunately it's a small town we can get around relatively quickly um but we don't have a spare bus right now and so we're running our four big buses those are uh those for students K to six who are
outside of two miles uh provided transportation no charge per state law and students inside of two miles are paid to ride. So, uh maybe we were a little over ambitious on letting kids pay to ride, families pay to ride, and over booked our buses a little bit. So,
that that's a concern for me. Um but I have to tell you that it's a it's a need that parents call us consistently going, "How can I get my child on the bus?" I had to be here by a certain time or I can't get I got a little one at home. I can't you know, it's hard for me to juggle. Um and I I feel for them. I
understand that. But we are passing right now. So we had to tell parents recently and I support them at this time and you know kids decide not to take the bus we find out there's a little certainty. I don't believe in sending half empty buses into school and tells
the family said to sorry we can't support you. So we'll we'll continue to work on that. Um and and really great news is uh we purchased an electric bus, an electric van, not a bus, sorry, an electric van. It's a 7D van. It's a Ford
Transit E350. It holds approximately 10 or 12 passengers. We are primarily going to use that for special education transportation in the morning and the afternoon um when we out of school. Uh, but we're also going to be able to use that some of our special education groups
that need to go to the supermarket during the day, going to maybe some junk coaching during the day or small field trips. Um, and then after school, some of our small athletic teams, maybe like the golf team. Um, you know, teams that don't have 30 or 40 players uh will be
able to use that. And, uh, what a seven vehicle is is it's a regular vehicle, but it's got the flashing lights on it. It's got this, you know, u safety equipments on board, fire extinguisher, everything that's required when we have on a bus, it has on it, but it's a smaller vehicle to if we use it on a
fixed route, meaning in the morning, in the afternoon, picking up and dropping off students at their homes, you're required to have a 7D license. Not hard to get, but that's something that anybody has unless they have a plan to drive a seven le vehicle. Uh outside of that normal schedule, anybody can drive.
So, our athletic coaches, as long as they have a valid driver's license, um, proof of insurance, they could drive them in if they choose to. Never tell them they have to drive it. But if they said, "Hey, we really need to get to this match." Earlier today, I get six kids and got, you know, certainly say,
"Hey, here's the keys to the van." If you're comfortable driving it, let me see your license. Let's get a photo of it. But, um, with everything, you know, up in the up and up. um on non gravity trips. Um anybody can drive that in. So that is my recap of 25 and summer
of 26. I got to thank you for and you and the custodial maintenance staff for all this work. I hear this run down subcommittee but the kids I I think it makes such an impact on their school day when you talk a little about what would you change
your school at least half the things on about the facilities or something so it it really has a huge impact and I they did a great job so thank you this this fall's challenge is going to be leaves you know and I know we we partner with park and wreck but
when I walk into a building in December and I still still see leaves like that and a Oh, they they were cleared away, but they blew back again. I I'm now my focus going to be on leaves now. So, you know, the full H leaves. Yeah.
Look out leaves. All right. Um, we also have the next item around I just had a couple comments. I guess I'm sorry. Any comment about the budget? Apparently not. Um, so thank you for the update. Um we I there will be I guess a
budget subcommittee meeting at some point but I am one person I would like to see the current budget reported and similar I don't know whether how possible it is we should always get that monthly even if we get it quarterly would be my request but budget you know
budgeted spent and covered showing us you know on the major line items um I think the other thing too is that we really do I mean we are legally responsible to vote the transfers So, I know we didn't do it last year, but I think we need to make sure we do this year. Yeah, we should vote.
And did we I don't know if we voted the or maybe we did vote the payment bit. Yeah, my memory is a little foggy on that one. And then we talked about it. We talked about at least matching the prepayment from the year before 900,000.
Okay. Um and we to 1.1 million. Okay. Well, let's make sure. Yeah, the 1.1 million. I don't believe we voted the 1.1 million. Well, some that's important, but also I think we have to vote the surplus goes back. Do we not? Or maybe I I used to do it. I don't know if we have to.
Do you think the town will take it from? No, I think the talent, but I do think that it's required to do that. Yeah. And I think and I think it's good to be transparent about it to let everybody know that, you know, we were fiscally responsible. We, you know, I'm sure we could have found a way to spend another $400,000, but we thought it was,
you know, we did, we've got our pack taken care of. We got a lot of projects taken care of. Made sure that, you know, we were fiscally responsible and return some money to free cash. I mean, that goes right close right to free. That's outside of my area. Yeah, that's
all good news for him. I did actually have a question. Um, we came in, you know, several million, a couple million dollars under the salary line last year. And I, to the best of my
recollection, we're now in a pattern of we've had a couple of years where we've had budget surpluses that have been attributed to unfilled positions. And I know you haven't been here and it's not your budgets, but I would like to better understand
those unfilled positions. you know, are are they similar or the same positions either sitting open or you know returning employees through them? Um just to better understand how this is happening.
I think the simple answers we always look at, you know, if like last year there was a lot unfillable just whatever we could good chunk of them. So that money didn't that doesn't mean that we didn't fill them at all. It just means that it took a while to fill them. And then we
always look at um you know there's open positions do we need to fill them and if not that's that's probably nutrition right so we look at that um right now we only have so many small they just hire a special educator for the high school so there's one more
there were also hired teacher there so this is just a tidbit to So I don't think we have open at this point or two ideas that require staff. So I feel I feel bad about that. We don't have a lot of folks
full around that. So I think that the actuals will be much easier to track. um at this point say this well we had a budget in this building we always look at where do we bring um you know retirement
last year yeah and I'll say within my budget um as we get into the budget subcommittee be able to see this more clearly uh every person is is listed with their step their call and their salary and that's how we built the budget. There were only two lines in the budget that
do not directly tie to a person. One is lane changes. Um step changes, lane changes step, but lane changes. These are people who um go from 50 credits or 30 credits or 45 credits to 60 credits. Um we usually don't know that exact
number when we build the budget. So, uh there's there's a line item in there for for lane changes. And the other one is retirements because we don't always know retirements, but we know there's going to be a savings. So, lane changes increases our budget. um that's a that's an add to our budget and retirements is a decrease on our budget. So there are two lines on the budget that don't
directly tie in the individual and and those are those two lines and they're relatively small than $1,000. It's not it's not but you'll you'll see that as we we get to the budget process and based on what you're describing then we should be shooting for more accuracy on
the salaries line probably moving forward right um I think we are I feel very comfortable the accuracy now when the budget was built for 25 I can't say I did not build that budget and and I rebuilt it best I could and I and I found some pockets of money and I
scratched my head and I said you know is that was that for lane changes? Was that for retirements? Was that for for something else? You know, I couldn't tie it up and um you know, we needed to move forward. There was a lot went on last fall when I was trying to rebuild the budget. There was I think
Yeah, there's there's going to be some outlier things, right? But I I think Melissa was getting to it like there probably is some pattern, right, of retirements or some pattern of turnover and do you take that into account in the forecasting 100%. in the budian in the budget.
It's hard. It's hard to do patterns in retirements. No, you can say it's you know some pop out some couple just like missing in any direction by that amount of the number just like
people well I wonder why you ask for that much money if you don't. Yeah. I think there's two things though that I will start in September. and we'll hear this till June or May. We have to have many staff accountability. I've been
asking for that for this is my seventh year. Um to get to be to account for every single position budget, right? So or I'm sorry I take it back account for every position that's in every so what's their case load, what's their class
and then the other thing is a zerobased budget. So what we tend to do is we roll over every year. So or we what we've done in the past is this is what the village school budget was last year. This is what the village school budget will be this year including contractual obligation
a zerobased budget process is go away and say okay how many students we have to school how many and you build it and that has also been which it's a lot of work and I know that's hard to do and but there might it
is at least it is as flat to do something because that would give you not only accuracy in what you have, you know, in what you have, but accuracy in what? So, uh, lane changes in this current
year budget is budgeted at, uh, $235,000 and retirements are budgeted as a negative $181,000. So, they almost balance each other off between retirements and lean changes. So, everybody says, "Oh, you have you have savings from retirement." Yeah, you do.
But you also have people who are continuing their education and becoming more uh getting more professional development across you only have you only have savage retirements if you're not if you're able to hire staff. I mean
there's you know world language you know special ed there's some really difficult position to fulfill where you don't always g gain that you know solid you know you have a top step second grade teacher it's it's probably a little bit easier to get a second grade teacher
than it is you know while highly trained special educator so I think uh yeah what we we always look at that so we look at nutrition look at you know how we how we can manage their numbers And you know, realistically, um,
I felt good where Mike is right now in his process from where we were when we started, but I feel much better. Um, and I think, you know, when we have the budget conversations, everybody's budget or not, or whatever, I think even if you do not based budget, it's all starting
quietly, then adjust it from there. So, those conversations we have, I believe, well, I have to be comfortable with how Mike is comfortable building his budget as well. So, you know, I I just I just feel I feel right has a really good handle on where things are. He's going to have a lot of conversations with student services, a lot of conversation
with John Constantino, one of the other directors all efficiencies and where we want to hold some stuff. And I think we should know are a good thing, right? Yeah, you know that we want Yeah, we want
love to have everybody have a Yeah, it's really great thing for our students for obviously for for our success but for our students. I think on the on the comment of um based budget, I think mun is going to help us I don't know if we're going to get to a zerobased budget at least not this year. Um but it's going to help us
get to what a zerobased budget looks like. Munis will allow us to take the contracted services line or to it. I'll just give that an example within mun. be able to put Dell computers or HP computers or whatever in an amount so we
know exactly every line how much we're spending with every on may not be with a vendor but it may be for um you know our aspen you know there's a cost to ask we'll be able to align everything out so that people will be able to see actually where we're spending that IT money um and things like that so that's I've had
that experience with Tyler Technologies company that makes munis they have another product very similar called um infinite visions And we did that in different visions. Uh in my last district, we were every every every budget leader for their department will
line that in the note. Julia will sit here and go, "Okay, Mike, this is what we're spending on math curriculum. This is what we're spending on social studies curriculum. This is what we're spending on English curriculum or this is the PD I need. Here are the PD that we're going to actually go for." So, it'll be a lot more transparent. You'll be able to see
where where dollars are being spent. I don't know if it's zero based budgeting. I get it. You throw the whole budget out. It's not all over. I'm not sure. You know, when you talk about principles, other than class sizes and in staffing, principles only have three budget lines. They've got a supply line, but two
supply lines. One's for their office, which is only a couple of thousand dollars, and one is for their students, their classrooms, their teachers. Uh, and then they have a professional development buying. Other than that, everything else is salary building up. So there's not a lot to, you know, I mean, unless you want, unless you want
to line them up crayons and and and not, you know, I don't, we can say every teacher gets $500 for the classroom supplies at at grades one to three, and every teacher grades four to six get $400, what whatever the number is, but we can we can work in some some
variables and some um some calculations to bring some equity and make sure that that it aligns with the enrollment of the school. I'm done. All right. Um, you're almost up. Uh, disposition of audio meters.
Uh, yes. So, um, Megan Calprren, who is our Sorry, I got to bring up the Yeah, I had to bring up the memo. uh the autobe nurse uh identified that there are audiometers in our school buildings that were from the 1990s. They were replaced
last year. She said, "What do I do with them?" I said, "Well, school community has to put on a surplus before we can do anything." Um she did tell me that she found them on eBay for like $50 or $60 and if they're still on eBay, then they're probably not getting $50 or $60 for them. Once we declare them
surpluses, we put them on the states list that any but any other agency in the state can get them from us for free. I don't think anybody wants them. Uh and then we can uh either try and sell them on eBay, which we might get for these eight of them if we got $400. I think
I'd be shocked. Um or we we could send it to uh electronic recycling company to just get them off take our hands so they're responsibly disposed of. Uh but there are eight of them. uh some schools have like two or three and I think that's probably because we have closed schools and you know things have just
migrated into the building. So there are eight of them they would like to display surplus so that they can post them. Okay. So this is a voting item so we need a motion to declare eight set of aometers.
I I could as surplus been 40 years since I saw it. Okay. Uh any discussion? Want Mike to say one more time? Um sorry.
I think I think uh Melissa in favor or not favor? In favor. Thank you. Yeah, I wasn't replacing it. Henry
Al in favor. The motion passes 40. Okay. Um, back to our superintendent. Uh, update on anti-discrimination committee. Um, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Uh, can you put up another PowerPoint for me, Frank, please?
Frank's getting that up. The committee has asked for me to do a um update on discrimination. I think I think I left the door locked. not have to go downstairs. Um, I'm not starting now. Anyway, so anti-discrimination committee update.
Uh, we had a meeting on September 18th. That was our first meeting of the year. Um, I'm I'm pretty happy with the way the meeting went. I think, uh, you know, I was rejuvenated by a conversation that the school committee had in regard to, um, you know, making sure that we have some deliverables, making sure that, you
know, it's kind of at the forefront of everything. And not that it was a lot, just, you know, again, lots of stuff going on trying to get the committee going. We had members, we had an excitement. Um, it just, you know, the year just kind of kind of not started up. It kind of went along and I don't feel like we ended the school year with
the committee where we wanted it to be anyway. So, this is actually good. So, we had this uh same members of the committee all all decided they wanted to come back and continue the work, which is great. Um, the first slide, can you go next slide for me, please? Um, is just, you know, kind of agenda items. So, it's very basic. I welcome everybody
back. Uh we review meeting norms, make sure everyone and make sure that we're all active listeners and we respect everybody points. Um which I find is very important to do, you know, even with adults about children, kids, but adults sometimes need that reminder. Um
then we started talking about how we can define some plan deliverables for the school year and then we ended with kind of reviewing some resources. So that was the overall agenda. Next slide please, Frank. Um so part of the conversation was you know where should we start and this is always this is always the
Toronto police these kind of committees it's like you know there's members of the committees they're very passionate and um about certain things or areas that they want to see um and I think the conversation is very lively and very um productive because uh we talked about
you know what groups we're looking at administrators we're looking at educators looking at students and caregivers parents community members how do we how do we provide some some you know uh some speakers or some you know conversations around anti-discrimination
generally in the focus a lot of times we end up talking a lot about anti-semitism because that's obviously um something we have to address uh here in Marblehead and also globally so I have a conversation um kind of focus on on that um and we said that we got to kind of
have that as as one of our main folky but also to make sure that we're also talking about racism, we're talking about xenophobia, we're talking about LGBTQ plus. Um, and it should have been those are all part of the discussion. So, um, I think there was some good balance discussion in the meeting around
that. We talked about, you know, anti-semitism is number one issue and racism number two. And then we said, well, we're not going to really put numbers on those things. We're going to we're going to address all of them in, you know, whatever is in the forefront and we can address differently or more um, you know, more informed way. So it
was good good conversation. So I thought that was great. Um and then if you can put the next the next slide up. So we determined out of uh on the on the teams where would we focus first? Um so we decided meeting with the administrative team first. Um uh we had a presentation
from Dr. Mary Bar Halpern um to the school committee. It wasn't you the audio wasn't great so we didn't hear like everything that she was saying but she has she had a pretty good message around um anti-discrimination. Obviously, um this a lot of her tilt is towards anti-semitism. Um and that's
okay and that's fine. So, I'm actually I was supposed to be with her say I was supposed to be with her yesterday. She was on a plane. We're actually meeting tomorrow. So, I I put in that we're meeting Wednesday meeting tomorrow. So tomorrow morning I'm going to do a Zoom meeting with her and the conversation is about how she can bring some of her
thoughts, ideas around um uh how we can address um you know hatred and discrimination in the school setting at the administrative level so that that you know we can kind of push that down to the educators and students as an
initial thought. Um so I'm going to have that conversation with tomorrow get a better handle on what she'll bring to the mix. uh what that will look like. Uh my thought is likely we have the meet as all administrative team um monthly. So I possibly at her next meeting if if if
her schedule lines up and it makes sense, I'll bring her into that forum. Um and we'll have you know an hour, hour and a half discussion around um some of the things that she thinks might be helpful to Mar. Um and again not solely anti-semitism but definitely you know
large part of it. Um so that's that's one one deliverable that that we're working on. And then I think um uh we also talked about other presentations um and discussions around you know what that would look like. We talked about utilizing some of the local resources
foundation etc around um what kind of programming do they have. So when we get to like educators and students and and parents um what makes sense at what level does it make sense and what form is it in school assembly for the students during the day is it in reading
you know assembly representation for the parents would want to be a zoom meeting. So those are the those are the conversations we're already having. So we can kind of meter out um administrators and likely uh educators, students, parents maybe in that order. Still figuring that that that part out,
but how do we how do we leverage some of the um some of the local resources? And part of that will also be, you know, what is what have other school districts done in the role at that discrimination? What's been helpful? A lot of it is how do we vet, you know, um presenters, what do they look like and what do they bring
to the mix? Similar similarly like when we're talking about bringing these folks to talk about substance abuse alcohol we had talked about the heritage committee um you know who we bring instead in a way that's helpful um knowing that in the realm of anti-discrimination
um some people might be seen seen or heard as being a little bit divisive and we talk a lot about that um and I think the answer was that we have to live sometimes in our uncomfortability to be able move forward and have those discussions and real and let people
speak their truth and hear the truth and and accept and and have conversations that might be hard and you know that's a great way to frame it that was framed by members of the group and I think um when we move forward yeah whoever we bring in there's going to be some people that say
I I don't agree with bring that person or people in um but we're going to look to do the best we can to make sure that whoever we're bringing in speaks to the greater discrimination piece um in coupled with strategies we can really combat hate and hate
speech and everything in addition to what we're doing in in the anti-discrimination committee we're having those ongoing discussions administrators we're having those ongoing discussions through administrators to the educators and and how do we how do we make sure that we have a reporting mechanism in place for
um anything discriminating discrimination harassment bullying and how one of those reporting method look like and how are they used? So, we talked a little bit about that in the committee as well and and um Asia Johnson who sits on the committee had some really good ideas about maybe um
coming up with ways for especially at the high school where um you know barcodes but they do some reporting of the you know harassment discrimination um you know hate speech and stuff so that we have we can capture that and they can you know be anonymous um to
give us data but it's better when it's not anonymous we can actually address it. Um so we talked about that. what does that look like? How will that how will we collect the data? What will we do with data? Um who manage that data? So those are all conversations. So it's great we can all say we have to do this this this and this but then it's how do
we actually get the systems in place? So we have reporting you from the you know classroom teachers to the administrators to how do we track that that's great but um I don't think we have any specific or enhancement we have in regards to how do
students actually selfless so we have a lot of that okay and then you go to the next thank you so um special commission on combating anti-semitism I think um at least some of us if not all of us were on on that um call and um we talked
about this in the committee and I think there was a lot we didn't get we didn't get to get into a whole huge um deep deep discussion but we had we had sat at the ADL um Julia and I went with Michelle Carlson and Christine Chakowski
went um and and heard from Rick Armeni about the special commission on combating anti-semitism and what the K2 recommendations were from that committee to Destiny. So there's conversations happening at the state level which is great and then the local levels which is even better. Um and part of those
conversations are the recommendations and you guys you guys all have the documentation so you can go through it. Those recommendations are from the committee to Desie and we're hoping that Desi's got to do something with her that will be more helpful to us but we're
also not going to wait for Desi's stuff because we know how that goes. So I said this in the meeting. I said sometimes DESIE will take the information and say that's a local decision have at it and sometimes they'll create a mandate for
us or mandates for us and this wasn't taken that well but I said they end up being unfunded. Um but that's that's what does and that's been my experience the last 30 years. So um we'll have to see how they fall. In the meantime, we started kind of going through and we identified at least three areas that we
thought were um maybe a way to focus in this committee work. Um that doesn't mean we're not going to look at all the other areas. These are the these are the highlighted ones that we started talking. So um there's a bunch of different ones, but this one uh the first one was measures to increase awareness and understanding of
anti-semitism and broaden appreciation of Jewish American heritage. And specifically under that with D and I paraphrase this a little bit antibbiased education for school committees and all K to2 faculty and administrators and includes anti-semitism aligned with does
desi develop framework. So again hasn't developed a framework yet but hopefully they will but in the meantime I think we need to look at ways to make sure that we're having the antibbias education um for everybody. So we so we can start moving in that way. Uh next slide
please. Um the next area was also under the first one but to increase awareness understanding. Um we looked at E which was schools and districts should work with community organizations to create and implement programming for Jewish American Heritage Month treat the JA HM
in equivalent fashion to other history identity and heritage months. That's I think that's great. I think that's that's a good way to kind of really integrate um the Jewish heritage American heritage into stuff that we're already doing uh or what we're doing and how do we enhance it so that everyone
can kind of understand similar to um Hispanic heritage month we we do things and we start so we started talking about different heritage months in addition to this and what does that look like what are we doing currently what can we do better can we do more um so those are in
depth discussions that you know we're not going to solve on an hour now, an hour and a half committee meeting, but the good conversation happens that people sit at the table for bringing it back. You know, um the administrators at the table bring back to the to their folks and we we have those bigger discussions. And then the third one uh
talked about was uh was under number two which is measures to improve safety and security for Jewish communities and specifically B which is school counseling department should um first work to deepen their understanding of the effects of anti-semitism on the mental health of Jewish young people um
and apply trauma-informed interventions to incidents of anti-semitism and expand access to mental health resources for Jewish students targeted by anti-semitic harassment or violence. So, I think it's great. It's focused on the on the on the Jewish students and and how how we need
to um address um all these areas through school counseling. It's similar to what you know we we do, but we need to make sure that we ensure that we're doing it for the Jewish students um specifically when there's you know obviously things anti-semitism but similarly we do the
same thing for you know there's you know racist LGBTQ plus etc. um we take the same approach. This is, you know, this is specific to the commission on combating anti-semitism, but it's a good model to make sure that we're um that we're following for all forms of
discrimination. So, I just want to I just want to make sure everyone understand we're talking about um all those things. And then some of the other action talked about was we're going to meet with students. I have to set up the uh uh magic blocks with Dr. Carl so I can get in and talk to the kids. I did
that last year a couple times. It was phenomenal. They have great insight. Um, but I have to get that squared away. Uh, the Oh, we talked about a policy subcommittee reviewing the anti-discrimination policy at some point to and recommend adding language specific anti-semit. So I think that's that's a good place to start because we
have the bullying harassment policy that's been updated and everything and that's really kind of an Xall for anything that's bullying harassment discrimination but we have an anti-discrimination policy that's kind of a separate add-on to and I think that's a good place to start maybe adding in some of that some of that
language and then where do we go from there? So that that was an initial conversation which I thought was great. Um and we talked about speeders presentations for educators and students and caregivers. Um, in regard to anti- discrimination, we didn't we didn't really talk about this too much in in in this meeting, but just I want to share,
excuse me, share um that we're working with Dr. Darnice, Darnice Aronte Jackson. Um, she runs uh it's called Disruptive Education Equity Project. It's called Deep. Um, and we're working with her and her company or her agency to do an equity audit of the district.
And what and we'll talk more about that. Uh, so we had all the initial conversations, then she decided to have a baby, so we have to wait for her time on maternity leave. Um, and then and well, I'll get into a deeper conversation about what that looks like. But I think it'll give us really good
information about practices, our practices in district along like every other hiring practices to counseling to, you know, reporting to, you know, athletics, everything kind of it's got to be a catchall. So I think um those
conversations and know in that deeper dive not deeper dive um into that equity piece will be good. It's going to really give us good ideas about how we're addressing um discrimination and all things. Uh and then we're going to
continue research area presentation workshop regarding anti discrimination and again partnering community resources ADL weapon JCC etc. quite the most and you know as we look around uh you know the community here has been like wonderful like I get
emails I can't even I can't honestly can't keep track of like all the resources people are sending me around blocks right so trying to sip through it and you know not even sure it's I've been here a year but a year of acronyms I'm not still getting people so I'm
trying my best um but it's been great it's it's almost it's almost almost too much information it's hard to sift through But I'd rather have more than not enough. So I feel good about where the committee is. I feel good direction we're going in. I feel good about you know how we move forward. After the
meeting, you know, as one of the members who's been been a little vocal and I said, you know, how you feel? So now I want to do things faster. I said that's okay. Now we're going to go slow to go fast and you know, some of this some of this work has to take some time. Like we're having conversations. We're coming
up with some some specific deliverables. We're going to do timelines that. So I think think we're about to raise very small in the list. So that's my happy to answer any questions, thoughts, comments, ideas. I have several um just a couple
questions. Um, one thing that was loud and clear from some of the folks that are on the task force, and you I think sort of touched on it, but it was this idea of really trying to strengthen our procedure for reporting and the and that process because I've
heard from multiple staff members that are um unclear on really what they're supposed to do when they see this, hear it between students or between adults or whatever. So, I think you touched on it, but I didn't
necessarily I find that a little odd, but I mean that's that's fine. It's either one of two things. Um, I'm not sure why it would be that unclear. I mean, we talk about see something, say something, we talk about here's here's how we do it, but we can certainly continue to make sure that the the administrators in the buildings are
are being even more clear. We talk about this in our ad all meeting. We talk about we have our safety committee. Hopefully, join up. We'll talk about it there again. Um, so yeah, the more we talk about the better. Um, so looking at clarity, but I appreciate that the feedback.
When will we have deliverable dates? Um, as soon as we schedule, I'm going to meet with uh meet with Dr. Mary Alurn. I'll have a date when she's coming. And then what we plan on doing is once we once we had her come in and uh have a
conversation to see we utilize her in other areas. Do we we have other people come in? Will she have ideas about components? So uh she's available that that was the first that was the first present we decided on
discussing brain specific. Did you talk at all about curriculum? We didn't get your curriculum. No. Do you expect to or do you not? Um, it depends. I think we do we do curriculum, we do curriculum review, we
do curriculum oversight. Um, I think there's been some conversation about curriculum. Um, what we talked about was when we do the review the curriculum, we make sure that we have an antibbias lens doing the curriculum. So I think that the conversations we had we had conversations last year about like
specifically like is there other areas that we identified as that we could look at. I think the conversations were very general. There wasn't anything that was like in this whatever other than other than um the one student who had identified some
stuff in the high school that we that we corrected right away when that was identified issues that was but that didn't come up in the because what because we're embedding that and not everybody but I think committee that has gone through a
curricular review process recently so I think that if it comes up they'll absolutely address it but I a phone call because it's established part of our review process. Well, that may be but my in my conversations with task members staff members was the issues around having you
know subject matter experts in in terms of um the curriculum I mean that came up right saying we review our curriculum but last year with inaccurate curriculum. So I think that was my understanding that this was something I'm just asking if this is
something this task force talked about Uh we haven't this year. Yeah. Okay. We've had one. Okay. And then um at some point would the task force come before the school committee? Um we could I mean I'm giving up the
committee. I mean I that's not like so complaint. I think it would be help in the spirit of transparency, it would be nice to hear from that that committee um at some point maybe halfway through the year and just have them maybe talk about it so that the community can see
I think I think um I mean obviously I'm open to whatever I'm one person this school committee may not agree with. Yeah, I'm open to whatever whatever the committee wants. I mean I think you know um I've had one meeting this school year and after another I probably have some more information to share and I and I committed bring it back after committee
um an update. um that and if it's it means you know will to have a lot of members come in that's fine. Um I would say if that's going to happen I'd like to have a lot of the committees coming in because I rather not have I want to make sure there's a representation
committee. Yeah. Part of your presentation was educating the school committee. All right. So maybe we can combine something. I mean I look to you know to I look to whatever you think is the best way to further this cause. Right. And if it's to bring a task force here,
absolutely. Let's do it. Um, but you know, I kind of again look to that task force to kind of help us understand what makes the most sense to help them be successful. And I think, you know, and I don't mean this isn't this isn't commentary. I'm calling it a committee. Task force has a really negative connotation to me. don't
uh this been a committee anti-discrimination committee that's working is like I think again we had a really good my estimation and pretty much everyone I talked to from the committee had a really good feeling about how this meeting went and we're moving in the right direction and I
think once I talked to Alburn um I have a better idea of what bring to the mix and then yeah we'll kind of go from there that's that's the plan that's called the model so that's all that schedule. How frequently are you planning to meet?
Meeting monthly, right? Okay. So, we should get an update sort of once. Yeah, that'll be obviously you know, you know, I can certainly share out the how the meeting our goes tomorrow. That's you know,
now we're meeting. So if I meet with her and she says yes, I can come and I can come up with a date with her and it's also possible all that fun. I don't know which is I wouldn't be
surprised if there are funding. So all right uh we'll move on to the consent action and agenda items on our agenda. Um again this is a portion where we can combine several motions into one
motion. However, that doesn't mean we can't discuss any of the items right that are being discussed. So um I will call for a motion in a second and then we can discuss items for so warranted. So, under the consent agenda, I am looking for a motion to approve the
following. The identified schedule of bills totaling $58,281.3. The school meeting the school committee meeting minutes of 9425 September 4th, 2025. Also, policy updates, and I believe I
need to read these, so please bear with me. Um, policy ABC, tobacco products on school premises prohibited. Policy BJ, school committee legislative program. Policy CBD, superintendence contract.
Policy CE, administrative councils, cabinets and committees. Policy CH, policy implementation. Policy EEC, student conduct on school buses. Policy EBD, emergency closings.
Policy EC, buildings and grounds management. Policy GBC, gifts to and solicitations by staff. Policy GBEC, drug-free workplace policy. Policy GBJ,
personnel records. Policy GCJ, professional teacher status. Policy JICA, student dress code. Policy Policy JI, student complaints and grievances. Policy JJF, student activity accounts.
Policy JQ, student fees, fines, and charges. Policy JRD, student photographs. Policy K, public complaints. I'm also looking this motion to include an approval of the school committee
operating protocols, the appointment of our superintendent to the Northshore Education Consortium Board, and so I'm looking for a motion and a second, please. Second. Okay. Um, since the policy is a big
component of this, I'd like to kind of ask the policy committee to kind of briefly explain, you know, the edits and why they're part of the consent agenda, please. So, one of the things we're working on this year is going through MASC's recommended policy changes. And these
are all extremely minor uh versions that were in the share driver line. So you can see exactly what they are. But things like punctuation, adding a legal citation or very minor language changes such as changing pyramid to pyramid and
they do not change that. Thank you. Um the school committee operating protocols, we did talk about them at our retreat. Not sure if we voted on them or not, but uh Alicia from MASC had recommended that it is kind of a best business practice for school committees
to approve them at the beginning of a school year. So that's why it's under consent agenda. Um superintendent, do you want to talk a little bit about the consortium board, what that's about? Uh so I I sit on the Northshore Educational Consortium Board. Um the board is made up of solely of
superintendent of the districts that are required like consortium and it's an annual appointment by consortiums and in collaborives to appoint uh the school communities to appoint their superintendent as board members. Um so it's just it's a
regulation. So just there's really no other choice other than the superintendent to be on that board. That's all. All right. Is there any further discussion on any of these items? I just had a couple comments in the minutes. Um
uh a couple things. Um one is is it possible to page them? Sure. Um and then uh you should have the time we should have time. Um
you have approved the draft with those changes. Um, and also, um, we probably should have some either like the the logo or our letterhead or something. Probably take the letter head off the or the letter head. Um, I don't I don't
I don't know that letterheads necessary appropriate, but something that probably are um should be because I mean otherwise, right? I I guess guess we have to amend the motion just to include those uh
edited. I don't know. Yeah. Okay. I guess the assumption that as Thank you. Thank you, Secretary. Oh, one more thing. Um I do are you posting as drafts or on the website or
do you wait until we approve them and then they're going to get and then they get posted? I've been waiting until we approve them, but I just because I'm I'm hoping that we're going faster because I think if we are posting at any point posting drafts, I think the watermark draft that is really going to
be clear, but I think if we're not posting these on the website, this is fine because it's right up. Henry, do you need the do you need the logo JPEG on the logo? The the right M. Sure.
You probably should I would do is create a PDF or a document a blank document with that and then you just copy and paste that. Yeah, that's I mean I have a sort of template that I want to all this. Yeah. So Julie will send that to you.
Oh and one final thing that um we'll vote on the motion. Um, all those in favor have a roll call on this. Okay, the motion passes five five
Z. Okay. Um, John, superintendent, I believe you and Julia. Yeah. So, this next item on the appendix K ratification. Yes. So, um, Julia and I go over this.
Um uh just as a background uh JLMC met last year to to talk about and pedex K that was one of the two things that were initially charged but uh PEXK um was discussed within that within that um that group. So for administrators for
members of the union they talked about the changes that need to happen. Uh it's my understand the chair of um union presidency uh to to do that any Oh yeah. No, no, go ahead. I'm sorry. Okay,
that's pretty much it. Um mine's not Is it gone? Okay. So the um our objective um was outlined in the memorandum of agreement that the WA and the school committee came to last November. Um and so it outlined what the
JLMC's task was um who would be in the membership and it gave us a pretty firm deadline of March 28th um to um make recommendations for appendix K. It's all about educator evaluation. Um so as it says here, you know, if the union ratifies it, um then it would go before
the school committee and um that's correct. So we had the JLMC um so you can see we had equal representation from our unit A members um as well as administrators and it was a very collaborative, it was a great group. We had very long meetings. A lot of great
work happened and I'm just really grateful for the collaborative effort there. um Katie Fergon um and I were the co-chairs and we worked collaboratively to the discussions through the the entire 15 pages of appendix K. So I just want to highlight some key updates
um as you just mentioned policies. We did some of the the updated language definitions, job titles and pronouns. Um we also streamlined and reorganized sections to really help um make it clear between we have two groups within the unit A in terms of evaluation process
and it's the teachers that um are within their first three years of employment in Rob public school so they're considered nonprofessional teacher status and then those who have been here for and had successful proficient um or above uh ratings for three years they're professional teacher status so we try to make some delineations between those two
groups um no change in the nonPTS test um for evaluations and for for teachers who have been here um it would shift from one observation every two years to one observation every year um for no less than 10 minutes. Other than that,
we aligned the dates. Um it was really long overdue to do this. Um and so we came together to do that. The MEA ratified this on August 25th. Um, so it is now our recommendation and I believe all 15 pages were for you and happy to
answer any questions, but um, we're hoping for the navigation motion session motion to ratify the K. Second. Second. Excuse any any further discussion?
Okay. Um, all in favor? All right. The motion passes 5 Z. Thank you. Our next item is I just want to make sure I have you sign this before we leave tonight. Sure. Tackle me if you need to.
Um so uh Kate is going to talk about the 2526 year-long agenda. Thank you. Um so this was in the shared guide for everyone to review. Um just to recap, we discussed at a meeting in late August developing a year-long agenda to
inform both the committee and the public the direction of the committee's work this year and the anticipated timing of certain payments. Um, at that meeting we looked at examples that we had pulled from some other districts and discussed formats that were applicable to
committee members. Um, and Jen shared with me after that meeting the master planning calendar that has been used by the committee in the past. Um, and that informed some of what went into this agenda. Um, so we're hoping to approve this tonight
and then website and whatnot. It is not meant to be an exhaustive list or a set RFS deadlines but just sort of a gentle command if I have here the motion to approve I
can make the motion in this great so motion to approve the 2526 marin agenda second um so a couple things um I um set school committee goals for October. Um I think we have a meeting on the 30th of September.
Um I don't know whether it might be the will. I mean we this committee was formed June 10th and we're setting our goals in October. It just seems like I was going to discuss that just that will be the primary focus of September 30th meeting is us setting our goals. Um the next thing is regarding the roof.
I see we're approving the roof project in no the uh contract in November. Um I think there's going to be a decision to be made in terms of the type of roof. Is that something we're gonna the school community is going to have to decide? So, uh,
as I've been discussing with left field, RDA, and Henry, um, they are going to have the bids, well, the general contractor and five trades, his five trace, um, compiled and ready for a
subcommittee meeting, a roof subcommittee meeting on November 5th, I believe, or 6th, right in that time frame. in order for us to bring it to you that that week that it's Wednesday, it's Thursday night's meeting. If it's Thursday afternoon, it's Thursday
night's meeting with a recommendation uh from the subcommittee as to which direction to go. Um and that's in November. That's the first week of November. I think the first week November 6th. So then is that recommendation beerous
with the actual contract because Yes. So we'll have the contract. No. Um yes we will at that meeting that night we will the subcommittee will present their findings of or the recommendation on whether they should go liquid apply
for a new member in the form of the contract in the form of a contract. So you will approve a contract one way or another that night and then we will go to select board at their next available meeting to get them to approve the contract. But they don't the select board does not vote on the type of roof. They vote on
the form of the contract. That's the contract. Sounds like the same with us. We won't vote on the type of room until we vote the contract. But you're going to decide which contract you want to vote. You want to vote the contract that has the liquid applied roofing or you want to vote based upon recommendation of something based on the recommendation of sub. But
it's I guess my point the select board does not get a say in type of they're just that the contract meets the form of the attorney and the funding needed to do the project has been appropriated by town meeting and subsequent. So they're just really it's just a a uh
formality for them. You guys you guys actually have you guys have a Okay. The only reason I'm ask I didn't mean to get dar I thought we had two I thought we had two iterations. We only had one iteration. I didn't know if we had to give direction on the title roof and then they come and then come back with
the it's all no I believe the contract will be you'll have you you'll have both drafts contracts you vote on one or the other okay is my understanding but that's how I understand I do want to suggest that we consider adding in January the war any war articles that we may come forward with
or must be voted in January I don't know if you want to add that or not to consider that was maybe I don't see more in articles. I think they were on into December. Yes.
Okay. I would I would suggest you Well, that's fine. They usually they're due in January. Um tell you might want to add T meeting to May. Um the the um Q4 FY26 report will be in
June. So this you know we've been doing Mike's been doing these monthly reports I know. And then with the switch in systems, Sue wasn't sure what he'd be able to do. And so I set this up as sort of getting a detailed report a month after a border
closed, which would be July. That's all. But we don't meet in July. So I had just figured in so it would be a like my intention weekly a weekly I'm sorry, not a monthly a monthly update. That's what we started to do last year. Once we
got to December and January, my intention would be to do weekly monthly also. Um I just I can't I'm I'm very concerned about committing to something not having a single system that we're working from salaries right now. I mean there's a lot of things I can't do until we get into January.
Yeah, that that that's all I I think maybe it should say preliminary because you are not going to have a Q4 report in June. So maybe these other ones appear to me will be actual quarterly reports. a month after the border, but that one should maybe just say preliminary. Um,
and then we need to vote transfers. I suggest we put vote transfers in June. It's just I'm I'd like to get to the point I'd like to get to the point eventually when we're doing transfers at every business. I'd like the I consider the first meeting of the month when I get my report. I would like if we have transfers to do that are
critical that we get them done every month so that they're not well I I was like well I think if we can just put them down for June should like um for June so that it's on there that
we know we have to do that before the end of I'm happy to add those things um like Kate said it's it's too we'll have to a lot of stuff and having fun. There's certainly things we're going to need to do this year that
so make those changes. Okay. So, I'll make a motion that we accept. We have a motion. I'm sorry. Motion discuss. Sorry. So, any further discussion?
Okay. Everybody in favor? Motion passes 5. Thank you. So, I'm looking for a motion to accept a donation to the Marvel Ed Public Schools Glover donation fund. There's a cash
donation. Oh, I'm done. Um, hold that thought. Uh looking for a motion to accept a cash donation in the amount of $4,95263 from the friends of Marvelhood. This donation will purchase training and supplies from the great book B books
foundation at Glover and Brown School. We are partnering with the council on aging to train volunteers to come into the schools and work with some of our second and third graders during the what I need block twice a week. Purpose of the program is to offer opportunities to empower our students with high quality
literature and engaging discussions where they focus on writing. Can I just ask for clarification? Is this the Friends of the Marble Public Schools? Yes, it is. We should make that clear. It's Friends of Marble Public Schools. Any further discussion?
All those in favor? The motion to pass is 50. And now looking for a motion to accept a donation to the Marblehead public schools Glover donation fund. It is a cash donation in the amount of $50,000 from the Glover School PTO for the
Glover playground. So second. Any discussion? All those in favor? Motion passes. 5 Z.
Okay. Um, our last item under our school communication discussion item section is discussing subcommittees, uh, members and their roles. So I'm going to ask Kate to call this conversation, please. Um, so again, another document that was
in the drive for tonight's meeting. Um, with a largely new school committee, we thought it was important to make sure we had an agreement across the committee as to the roles and responsibilities of our subcommittees um, and then of the chairs of those subcommittees. So, the goal is
that we can vote on this um, then include more robust descriptions of the committee's alternative materials. Um so the document walks through each of our four standing sub commmittees um as well as a group of theory committee and the
various vending leazison roles. Um like I said outlines what the responsibilities would be sub chair and then it includes some information Henry's been using technology to create subcommittee minutes or to create our committee minutes. And so there's some
instructions in there on how to use that same technology to easily create an initial draft that does need of I'm not going to make a motion we adopt minutes.
I'll second any any discussion on this? Okay. All those in favor and the motion passes 5 Z. Um so now we we have all our members.
We're fully set as a school committee. Um I just want to review where we are. Uh we kind of waiting to be at the state before we filled all the remaining decisions. So under uh the communication subcommittee, Henry was approved uh to be on that and so there's an opening
there. And I'll go through all them first just so we have a good lay of the land and then we can discuss the specifics. Uh on facilities, we had voted for Henry and Jen to participate on that subcommittee. Uh likewise in policy or Kate and Jen to be
on that subcommittee. Um on the budget committee, um Jen expressed interest. I'm not sure we voted for that. Um, so, um, I'll ask Jen if in a minute if you still want interest there. Uh, so there will at
least be one opening. Uh, and then we have an opening on one of our less on positions for the health and wellness team. So I guess I'll first ask this how many I was on the master plan but change that
it's for me and you didn't have the SACE on there which we have done in the past. Yeah, I didn't put I Yeah, I didn't put the school advisory subs, but we can we can definitely discuss that.
So, so Jen, you're kind of you're not interested in the town master or planning position. I am happy to do it, but if someone else wants to do it, I'll do. Okay. They have already sent stuff. I think they've got a meeting already. I don't know. They're getting stuff on
it, but I don't certainly somebody else wants to do it. Okay. Um, and your interest in the budget, we continue to work. Okay. Is that um will that be your third committee? Are you okay with that, Jen?
Or Yeah, as long as I'm not doing the master. Okay. Okay. Um, I guess we can just take this individually. I like to motion uh to appoint Jen to the budget. subcommittee
and do we have anybody else? I was gonna I was gonna ask for nominations after that, but Oh, excellent. Oh, second. All in favor? Okay, that motion passes five to zero.
Um, I'll stick with that same committee. Do we have anybody who's interested in I'll nominate listen. Okay. Any discussion on that? Um, all in favor? Okay, that motion passes 5 Z.
Okay. So, in terms of our subcommittees, that leaves the communication position. I believe it's the last remaining one. Um, I'd love to do that. Okay. Um,
I'm only hesitating because I'm I'm none of them, which I don't know if I should be ecstatic or feel that there's an obligation that I shouldn't be on something. So, that's what I'm that's what I'm kind of going back and forth on.
I think it could be valuable to have someone straddling budget and communication about whatever happens with the budget this year. Um, and I don't know what Jen's feelings are
except I'm happy to step out of policy. Yeah, the concern I have there is that Kate is the vice chair. Then I kind of, you know, I I had run into a forum problem and if just Kate and I want to have discussions around designing the next meeting. So that's why I'm not, you know, I wouldn't, as much as I like
policy, I'm not I wouldn't be interested because of that reason. I don't think that would be all right. So, um, I I like the connection you make, Kate. So, I'll make a motion that we have Melissa be on the our communication
subcommittee. All you Okay, all in favor. All right, the motion passes. 5 Z. All right. So, I I guess we have um the health and wellness, the town master
plan. What was that? You mentioned the superintendent. Oh, it was time to just the health and wellness was listed right. Okay. Thank you. I'm happy to do the health and wellness. There is a component to what they're
doing. So, I thought I was getting both of these. All right. I'd like to make a motion for K to be lay his on the health and wellness theme. Second. All in favor?
The town master planning position. Can I entertain a nomination, please? You want to do it? All right. All right. I go a technicality. It wasn't seconded. Uh, all those in favor.
All right. The motion passes. 5 Z. Okay. So, I think we have all our positions filled. Before we move on, um, there's been some confusion around the full membership of the facility subcommittee, which is
becoming increasingly distracting and problematic. And in order to rectify that, I'd like to make a motion to limit membership of the facilities, budget, policy, and communication subcommittees to the school committee members who have been voted on to those committees um at
a meeting since on or since July 2nd, 2025, and to not have members of the public serve as members of public facilities, budget, policy, communications. Sorry. So I know where the scholar is clear the
society chose to address this. Um the facilia subcommittee has always had members of the public that have participated since the inception of in fact we dedicated our organic garden to a member of longtime member of that committee who passed
away. Um so I understand the political aspect of this. I think there other ways you could have addressed that. I think it's a mistake that we don't have subject matter experts from the community who have consistently and we've had many over the years um
involved because arguably well I shouldn't say there may be school members that have subject matter experts I don't know necessarily I know I don't I don't know about Henry and Mike himself even said you know like is not a subject matter expert so I think it's a
mistake I think it is not good governance do that. I think we've always um practiced that and it has helped us tremendously. Um you know Jeff St. George and Jeremy Fander were um were great members of
that committee and helped them that long-term sort of master plan I guess for lack of a better word that we have is people but we not have but um so that
Jen I always have about denying community members. But I think according to our own policies, the committee is meant to be sole committee members and we have subcommittees that have other
members including roof advisory committee building subcommittees. There are subcommittees that have had and facility subcommittees are perfect because it's never we're not the only school district that does that. So, I just I'm I understand what you're trying to do, but I think it's a mistake to to do it
this way because we're setting a precedent that is going to limit us as far as our ability to really do what's best for our facility. I and they're not rebelling but I I view it as you know as as they're written
this we've just you know voted on is they're high level these are high level committees right they shouldn't really be fired down in managing projects and when that's necessary form another subcommittee and put the appropriate subject matter expertise and community
members on that and I think that'll be something we need to continue to do as is appropriate. Yeah. But I'm going to push back on that and say that um the facility subcommittee has never managed what the facility subcommittee has done which is
listed here is you know review the capital requests establish a long-term master plan which was done um that was done with input from central president. Okay.
So I think a master plan is a perfect example of a place where we could put together tax oriented committee you know specifically to develop one. So you would not have a facility subcommittee doing a master plan that
has been part of what the facilities you're administering the master plan it's been created but the facilities ma subcommittee has traditionally been tasked with creating master Right. They could solicit input from others. I
would think we're not prohibiting that from happening. Would the roof committee be open this up to members of the public to apply for their role on this committee? We could certainly that's what we've done in the past with the facilities. We can certainly do that.
But we haven't. We haven't because we haven't had to. We had one person left, two two people left. They were long time members. So it was like from many years. Any further discussion?
Um all those in favor of the motion? All those against. May the motion passes for all. All right. Are any other items around subcommittees? Um just in closing, um I mentioned this
already, but we uh you know, Jen, your your point is valid. We do want to focus on our school committee goals. uh then um so uh that would be the predominant focus of the September 30th meeting and then the October meetings a component of
those will be the superintendent's evaluation and goal setting and you know we'll see where we are around the district plan at that particular time. So that's just to give you a kind of idea of what we what we'll talk about at
the future school committee meetings. All right. Um, looking under correspondence. Um, yes. Uh, you skipped over. Yeah, I did. Correspondence, please. Is it possible to get a copy of the
letter that was sent to the family of Selena Gil or if I could get a call? Um, should I draft? So I know John said one we voted that I met I met
we voted that any other correspondent siders. Okay I am looking for a motion and vote to meet in executive session for the following reasons. Executive session pursuant to chapter 38 section 21A3
purpose 3 to discuss litigation Marvel head school committee and marvel teachers association MPL-24-10570 as an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the litigating position of a school committee and the chair so declares
executive session pursuant to chapter 38 section 2183 purpose three to discuss threatenment litigation by The former student services chairperson Lawrence Skelton learned as an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on a litigating position of a school committee. Then chair so declares
without intent to return to go to session executive session pursuant to chapter 38 section 21A3 purpose 3 to discuss litigation Marblehead school committee and Marblehead teachers association WMAN-25-11574 as an open meeting may have a
detrimental effect under litigating position of the school committee and the chair so players without intent to return to open session by the way the first paragraph I should have also said without intent to to return to open session. Executive session pursuant to
chapter 38 section 2183 purpose 3 to discuss litigation Marblehead school committee and Marblehead teachers association WAM-25-11575 is an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the litigating position of the school committee and the
chair so declares without intent to return to open session executive session pursuant to Massachusetts general laws chapter 38 section 21A1 for the following purpose discuss complaints brought against a public officer, employee, staff member, or individual.
OMI complaints the MEA. Second. Okay. All in favor. All right. The motion passes 50. So, uh, chair statement. Um, committee will now be meeting in the executive session pursuant to chapter 38, section
2183, purpose to discuss litigation. Marblehead School Committee and Marblehead Teachers Association MPL-24-10570 is an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the litigating position of the school committee and the chair so declares without intention to target open session. We will also be
meeting at executive session pursuant to chapter 38 section 2183 purpose 3 to discuss threatened litigation by former student services chairperson Lawrence skeleton learned as an open meeting and a detrimental effect on the litigating position of school committee and the chairs of declares without intent to
return to open session. We will also be meeting in executive session pursuant to chapter 38 section 21A3 purpose 3 to discuss litigation marble head school committee and marvel head teachers association w2-11574 is an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the litigating
position of the school committee and the chair of the plan without intent to return to open session we'll also be meeting executive session pursuant to chapter 38 section 213 purpose 3 to discuss litigation marble head school meeting and marble and teachers association Bill of M25-11575
is an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on the litigating position of the school committee as chair so declares without intent to return to open session. We will also be meeting at executive session pursuant to Massachusetts general law chapters 30A
section 21A1 for the following purpose to discuss complaints brought against a public officer employee staff member or individual. OMI complaint and it we are now in executive session.
We'll go over to this room right here. How long is it?