Okay. Um, good evening everyone. Today is March 13th. It is 7:01 a.m. and we will be kicking off the school committee meeting. Um, as chair of this meeting, I need to confirm that all persons and members anticipated on the agenda are
present and can hear me. School committee members, when I call your name, please respond in the affirmative. Mara Hogan, yes. Mary Branley, yes. Hillary Griffiths, yes. Alexis Fishbone, yes. Staff, when I
call your name, please respond in the affirmative. Brian Hos, yes. Um, I don't we don't have Chuck or Yeah, the Chuck or Charles. They're not here today, correct? And they're in person. Okay. Um, Wayne, I saw that you
were remote. Let me just get you. Thank you. I also can't turn on my video, but maybe that's okay. But I'm here. Oh, I may have locked things down too tightly. Sorry. Sorry. I was I'm I'm the I'm the
Zoom police today. Um I'll see if I can fix that in just a moment. Um but you can hear. Okay. Yes. I think that Wayne said yes. Okay. Um I know uh do we have any other staff
there? Brian in person. I know we have a lot of paras and Melissa. Um I know you and Nanda are you can hear me. Okay. Thumbs up. I see thumbs up there. Wonderful. Anybody else? Brian, there is
Mr. um there. Yes, Mr. Kak. Great. Thanks, dear. All right, okay. So, everyone can hear me. Great. Um, I'm looking to see if we have any student our student representatives. Um,
if they are online, Harper. Yeah, let me see if I can unmute you, Harper. Hi. Yes, I'm here. Hi. Okay, great. Good to have you. And I'll try to fix your video as well. Um, this open meeting of the Maynard
School Committee is being conducted as a hybrid meeting as allowed by chapter 2 of the act of 2023 signed into law by Governor Healey on March 29th, 2023. This act continues to exempt certain provisions under open meeting law
regarding remote meetings and public access until March 31st, 2025. This committee is convening via Zoom and in person is posted on the district website. While um while an option for remote attendance, participation is
being provided as a courtesy. The public um the meeting will not be suspended or terminated if technological problems interrupt the virtual broadcast to remote attendees unless otherwise required by law. And so um in the event I become disconnected or something Maro
you'll step in as um chair for the rest of the meeting. Um okay I nominate you. Um please please note that this meeting is being recorded accordingly. Be aware that other folks may be able to see you and take care not to screen share your computer. Uh
anything that you broadcast may be captured by the recording which is audible to and viewable by the public. If you plan to record or broadcast this meeting, please use the raise your hand functionality to notify the chair as required by law. Okay. No hands. Um along with the
agenda, most of tonight's meeting materials are posted on the website under the 2024 2025 school committee agendas. Public is encouraged to follow along using the posted agenda and documents. Uh the public comments
agenda item is devoted time for school committee to hear from the public. As such it structure primarily supports a unidirectional recording of public comments rather than a birectional conversation. Here are the general ground rules for any public comments. Anyone wishing to make a comment during
the virtual meeting may do so by uh submitting the comment through the link provided on the agenda. Please have your Zoom name matched so that we may be able to unmute you to speak. All public comments are limited to three minutes to ensure that everyone who wishes to comment has the opportunity to be heard.
No person may comment more than once without permission of the chair. As time allows, the chair could consider allowing a person to comment a second time, especially if it's related to a topic that has not yet been brought up. Anyone wishing to submit written comments to be read by the chair may do so by emailing comments for SC meeting
at mayor.k12.mma. us indicating public comment in the subject line. Please include your first and last name in your town. To ensure your comments are read, comments will only be read for three minutes. If the submitted comments are longer, they'll be suspended at the
three minute mark. To ensure all comments can be read in their entirety, is suggested that you keep them to approximately 350 words. However, suspended comment um submitted comments um um longer than 350 words will be
included in their record in their entirety. Um, meeting ground rules. I'll introduce each speaker on the agenda. After they conclude their remarks, I'll ask each member if they have any comments, questions, or motions they'd like to make. I'll go through the members comments or questions. If time allows,
please hold those speak until your name is called and remember to speak clearly in a way that helps generate accurate meeting minutes which will be taken um after this. If meeting if members wish to engage with members, please do so
through the chair to not interrupt others who speaking. And finally, each vote taken in this meeting must be conducted uh via roll call since all members are not in person. Um I'll go ahead and before we move on to the first time agenda, permit me to call the
meeting to order at 7:07 via roll call. Mary Branley here. Mara Hogan here. Hillary Griffith, yes. Alexis Fishbone, yes. And Natasha
Rivera, yes. Um, now we'll move on to the public comments. I don't we think we had any I don't we didn't have any emailed comments and I don't believe we had any um submissions. I just
will you just check to see just in case if anyone had any public comment or they submitted them and you're here if you want to raise your hand just to confirm because Colleen is out today and she I just want to make sure we don't miss anyone who
may have um submitted something elsewhere. Okay, I don't see anything there. So um any urgent business? Superintendent Hos. Oh, we served in business, but it'll wait until midnight time.
Okay. All right. Oh, and now we are going to move on to the student representative report. And I am going to Let's see. Sorry, I'm just trying to get you to So, um, Harper, so I can get your video on.
Yeah. Give me just one moment. All right. Here we go. See? Oh, maybe I can't do it in this one. Um, if you want to just go ahead and start, you might just be ready for your video just to come on in at some
moment. Okay. Okay. We've got a short report today. But the highlights are many students traveled to West Springfield to support the girls basketball team in their final four game. It was an amazing game to finish an amazing season and we are all
very proud. The spring musical, which was Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, was really wonderful and drew big crowds all weekend. And then a guest speaker named Jeff Des, who delivered a workshop today called Disrupting Success, was a really
good hands-on experience and all the students really enjoyed it. Student council represented Maynard at the state conference in Hyannis. And then for upcoming, we have March Madness next week and also spring sports starts next
week. And that's it. Okay, wonderful. That was pretty quick, but I know everything's going on. I just I think I may have un I don't know if you want to check your video now that you're able to turn it on or not, but Oh, yay.
There we go. Um, thank you so much. I'm going to just go around to see if any members have any questions, comments. Um well, actually before I do, I just wanted to um let you know last our last meeting we had um when students came to us and um they just were part of you
know our annual and um um visit to the school committee and um you know they had some great feedback that they had you know been working on. But I wanted to get a sense from you if how the food um how that's been going in the past,
you know, year since there's been a lot of conversation. It feels like it's kind of died down a little bit. Um but I didn't want to assume um unless I could just really confirm how that sense might be at the the high school now. Yeah, I feel like um I feel like I haven't heard
many issues or necessarily complaints. Um, in the beginning of the year, we would have the same thing every single day. So, that was I heard a lot of people being like, "We want to switch it up." And I feel like they've done a good job at starting to do that and
incorporating new things into the menu. Great. So, it sounds like they've heard the feedback. They've been responsive. Yeah. You know, to that feedback, the options. They did explain to us that some they've somehow laid some of the layouts of where the placement things
have helped as well. Yeah. So, um, great. That's really great to hear. I just wanted to touch on that since you guys couldn't be here at the last meeting. Um, so thanks for for sharing that. Yeah. Um, Mary. No, it's all good.
Thank you, very much for taking the time. Uh, Maro, I just had a question about the um the guest speaker. Was that for everybody or just certain classes? It was for the
eighth, ninth, and tth graders. Oh, okay. Yeah. So, each grade had their it was a separate or was it all together? um all the those three grades all met in the assembly and or in the um auditorium
and we all listened to him talk and then after there was a workshop for just 9th and tth graders. Okay, great. Thank you. Uh Hillary. Uh no, thank you for coming Harper. Uh Alexis,
no. Thank you so much, Harper. Wonderful. Well, Harper, thank you very much and happy almost spring. Yes. Um um so um if you could just I know that this the next couple of months are
going to be really challenging for for seniors or just all the grades kind of a lot happening. Um, we, you know, want to get a sense of, you know, if you're, if you guys are not able to come, um, you know, if I know the last time you, you
guys couldn't, we read your report, which was great. Um, but if there's a couple of days in advance if we could kind of get like, hey, we might have some challenges, you know, these particular days, maybe you can discuss that at the NES Sachs meeting so we can um, kind of, you know, pencil that in or
if we should just be looking for a report or not. I want to make sure we have space for you all. Um, but we also had um Rep. Hogan at our one of our meetings and I and I don't I don't think that you guys were here for that one. I think it was the same meeting. And so,
um, so I just want to kind of make sure that, you know, to consider if we have to report back on some things for you guys. Um, one of the things that did come up was about school funding. And so I know that you guys don't really have a major hand in that as part of the the sack, but I think it's important to keep
you all looped in on how we're really trying to advocate to our state representatives as much as possible. And I certainly want to make sure you guys have um space to also do that when we have them at our meetings. Okay. Yeah.
All right. Thank you so much. Have a great evening. You too. Okay. Um, Superintendent Hos, uh, floor is yours. Superintendent report. Great. Thanks. Glad to be here. Glad to have an audience. It's kind of fun. Think you should come every seat every other week.
Um, might be might be fun. Um, let's see. So, my report, um, Green Meadow Elementary School building project. We actually had our first big meeting today at Green Meadow in the cafeteria at about 9:00 with representatives from the construction
company CTA with representatives from the town. Um the chief fire chief was there. A police representative was there. Um Justin DeMarco was there. Greg Johnson was there. The building
commissioner that means I forgetting people's names but I remember um our OPM and team was there. Um the designer team NBG they were there. Um principal system principal. So it's probably 20 25
people. a little great kickoff meeting to just go through um lots of the nitty-gritty of the building project, you know, the pay, the quaries, the timing, permits, you name it. So, it's great team, very excited. Um there's an
update on radon, which is we have been going round and round and met with a variety of people and learned a lot about radon. Um it exists that I knew. Um, so what are we currently doing? The most up-to-date plan, because the plan
has changed. I'll be the first to admit. Somebody said from one of these companies said, "Hey, you should put the exhaust fans in the window that you use during CO because they'll blow all the air out." I don't know. That sounds pretty good to me. And I and other people, so I wasn't on island to myself
said, "That makes sense. Let's do that." Um, so we were about to do that and a couple other people said, "Well, watch me think that. Why are we be thinking that? That sounded really good. Um, but we did rethink that. We didn't we uninstalled one and we didn't install the others because they said, "Hey,
you're just going to have negative air pressure. You're going to pull the air from under the slab from the rooms into the room." Okay. So, how do we fix that? So, we have to do three things. Um, which we're doing over April break because as you know, and many of you
work at Green Meadow, it's not a new building. So, when something breaks, you do not go to Home Depot and get a replacement part. You have to order it. And sometimes they actually have to build it. They have to make it. Um but the units that aren't working specifically at this point in the
kindergarten wing all these four rooms have been um the parts have been ordered. Couple of those parts not surprisingly were backordered but they have already been ordered a while ago. So the the plan is to have those events
made operational the first two days of April break. um parts will be here companies on board. The next thing we're going to do, which I'm glad to say we're going to do that is balance the so we don't have and you know this air
conditioning at me but we do have ventilation system. So we have you know cuz you work in there many of you you have those big exhaust fans in the ceilings or under the cubbies and those along with the units balance the air flow and the air circulation so you don't have negative air temperature. So
we have a different company coming two days after or not two days but the following two days to balance the exhaust fans in those rooms and once and at the same time we're having yet a
third company because we all do different things one does HVAC and the third company is putting in a radon mitigation system in the four rooms that are involved for CPI/L don't ask my best answer that I
did a lot um parts per liter within the air. So they'll put So what that looks like is roughly some sort of type tube on the exterior of the room so it won't disrupt what's going on in the classroom is outside. It'll go down, tap into the
sub slab area and vent the air out. And that's specifically work way down with the link because it's heavier than it would sink. Um, and then when those three things are completed, we'll run a 48 hour test the testing area yet again.
And hopefully those three things will get those normally below four. Also get back probably at the beginning of next week our 90day test because it runs consecutively for 90 days almost at the 90th day. I would be surprised if those numbers
are low just given that they haven't. Truth be told, some rooms have gone down, some rooms have gone up, but we haven't ever got to the place where all the rooms are below four. So, I wouldn't anticipate that. So, that's why we're going forward with that because we need that building to be safe and sound for another year plus and should have a good
update after April break with uh after the 48 hour test on weight on air quality results. All right. Um, well, I wasn't going to talk. Harper did a good job. She kind of stole my thunder there because I have to say,
having gone out to Springfield, the girls, they should be proud of themselves. They played a tough game. The team they played was strong and fast. Um, they moved the ball well. Our girls played hard. They got to the final four, which is no easy task, and they
played all the way. So, good for them. Um the play I don't know how many people had the opportunity to see the play this weekend. Um phenomenal really really that's a hard that's hard. There are so many songs so many lyrics so much stage
movement and if I'm right which I I am that somebody one of the leads I just can't remember the names of all characters was performed Friday got sick. So somebody and if you know Kendall, right? Am I right on that? Yes.
Kendall had to step in and it's funny. She did a phenomenal job. That's not the funny part. She's playing this role at one point in the play I think and she plays different roles, right? Because they're characters. Um and one point is she a nurse and she's carrying this book
like this. And I think it's part of and I've heard a while. I think this is part of the play that she's like looking and doing what she's supposed to do. And then somebody smarter than me next to me says, "You know, she's has to read the script a little bit because she I'm like, I did not know
that. She is a rock star." And it when and every now and again there were so many songs it would get to and you could tell she was struggling on her word. and the gentleman who is not one of our students, experienced um piano player,
he would just belt it out and sing a couple of the words just to carry that song through. They were phenomenal. So, I was very very very impressed with just you know what, life happens and plan B and what do you do? And they didn't miss a beat. Um what else is up and coming?
So, that was just super exciting. I hope many of you had the opportunity to see it. If not, highly recommend the fall play next year and the spring musical next year as well. Um, the international dinner is coming on March 27th. If you haven't ever been to it, it's huge. It's crowded. There's a ton
of good food. It's like the cheapest date you're going to go on in a long time. If you go with something you want to go to, make it a date. It's a ton of fun. Supports the kids. Highly recommend it. Um, International WVM News Community Broadcast Week is March 17th to the
21st. They are just constantly in motion and doing great. the youth follower school. So that's high school. There's a lot going on at the high school. Is a very busy place. For those of you that work there, you know that everybody else you live, many of you live in town and you know that the follower school about
20 kids went with principal Kenny and assistant principal Snyder to the youth leadership conference, specifically seventh and eighth graders. Um and I heard it was a fantastic experience. And actually one of our seniors um went with them, which is kind of funny. Hannah
Peters, who's a senior, went with them. And when she was here, you would have thought she might have been a teacher. Very dressed up, very professional. She's also, just in case Harper didn't mention that, she is responsible for bringing the speaker today because she went to a leadership thing over the
summer and said, "Hey, this is special. This is cool. I want to bring this to the high school." And as part of her project, she put that all together. Wow. She brought So anyway, yay. And she's also never mind. Well, no, she also I think her her brother is in eighth grade
and he got to go um too, Holden Peters. So, I I was I've heard I heard that worked out interestingly. And she also she also had to put together a grant application to go to main education foundation did a phenomenal job to get
money to do it. So, yeah, all around success. Excellent. I am glad. Yeah. And then Green Meadow is doing bingo for books actually. I think it's tonight which is why a lot of people are there participating in that. So that was my
update for you. I'm glad to entertain questions or Yeah, I have um I have uh thank you very much for one also. Thank you Principal Canando. You're on um for all of that um the work that you've been doing as well. Um, uh, Brian, I had a
question about the the radon. Um, just to make sure because this is one of the things that people, you know, want to kind of understand and rightfully none of us are really experts at it. So, um, based on the last,
um, this major discussion we had at our school committee meeting, there was there's a slight pivot in the recommendation, right? So that it was as from the exhaust to now full head to not doing that exhaust
process but um installing the or getting those fixed the the unit events um miss out. So I just want to make sure everyone's clear on that piece because that is a little bit of a um a new recommendation based on different guidance. Correct.
Um, so we're not doing the exhaust fans if that's correct. Fixing the units and balancing the exhaust fans within the building. Okay. Um, yep. And then the other question I had about that was
um the testing will be after the 48 hours. Um, and when was that again? The um hour test. So, it's a two-day test and that'll be when all three of those pieces are done, the units, all three of them balancing and the radon mitigation
systems in those corros. Okay. And um last question on this because I think this is where some of the concern came up last time was um because that the spaces are elevated and there are still
occupied um for you know at different levels the the numbers are coming back. Um, has there been specific guidance that says the spaces should not be occupied during at a certain level?
Like is there a number that EPA guidance or anything that says, you know, elevated and not because that's the part I think the concern that came from parents last time was that there were some of these efforts happening but during these efforts the ele the numbers
are still elevated and so what is that? What is that trigger or decision process that would change that um that would change the directive of having the space occupied or not? Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't I don't know if I if I missed I have to get back on
that. We haven't got any guidance companies we're working with that they needed to be unoccupied and that's from four companies, right? And that's what I wanted to make sure that that's what they're they are the professionals like you have a couple of companies on and none of them have said that the numbers
project or that are coming back require the space to be unoccupied um at any point. If there's anything that you can I don't know if they or even if they have any um guidance about that that we could share publicly. That is probably the one outstanding question
I think people have um is you know with that and I don't have the answer to it and again I imagine this is you know that area um you know this is not going to be a one-time deal. So um I'm going to go
ahead and uh Mary any No, I'm good. Thank you. Okay, Alexis, I'm good for now. Okay. borrow. Uh Brian is how long does it take for
them to do that that radon mitigation like the couple days? So that's all going to be done during April vacation. Yeah. And then so are you expecting the following week to have the the radon test?
Yep. Okay. I mean if they get it all done by Friday, I would think they can drop the test Friday. Okay. So it really just depends on when Okay. Thank you. Um, usually just as a a comment about the radar mitigation, um, most of the companies, which everyone
that I know, um, they guarantee that the rate will be blown because you've done the other things, the other preventive that if it doesn't, they the radon company will actually do whatever additional remedial. Yeah. Just so that you know. Good. Thank you. So, let's get
those warranties is what we're Hello warranties again. All the warranties, Hillary. Um, when you ask when you follow up on Natasha's question about the threshold, can you make sure that they like consider a threshold for children as opposed to adults? Like if
they're different um like ask if they have different thresholds and then um possibly for if you don't know right now, but for next meeting, can we get information about a plan for the playground at Green Meadow and the road that's being built and um the playground that will be where the flag pole is? And
um a couple parents were asking about why not why the playground couldn't be on Crow Park and different things like that. So can we get sort of a summary of that whole situation and planning and contingencies? Absolutely. Hillary, is that just
um just so I want to make sure I'm understanding is that you're getting some questions about the location of the planned playground and you just wanted to have like from like why it was recommended where it's going. Um basically it's part of an update on
Green Meadow addressing the road and the playground and the location of the playground and the plans for the intermediary time period. Oh okay. where the kids are going and that that whole logistics. The interim. The interim. Got it. Okay. Thank you. Sorry, I didn't
hear that part. Okay. All right. Um so I think we are now um moving on. Oh, my agenda just closed. Um let me just make sure what's next. Okay, we have the Washington DC field trip. So I don't
know if we have Mr. Kak is available for that. He is. He's standing up. Wonderful. Kevin, good to see you. Thank you. Thank you. Hello, I'm Kevin. I'm the B director
here in Mayor Public Schools for those of you who don't know me. And I figured today I'd take you through some of the broad strokes of our Washington DC trip and answer any questions that you might ask. Um, that sound all right. Yeah. So, this
is a trip that the main program has been participating in since the late 90s for every four years or so. We did have a little hiccup during COVID. So, we're we had two years that we had to skip. So, now we're six years from our last trip was which was in
2019. Uh, the trip typically four days and three nights. And this year in collaboration with Suburban Tours Incorporated, they're a trip company, trip management company, general itinerary on day one, which is Saturday, April 26th. That's the last Saturday of
February, I'm sorry, April break. uh we'll travel to University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia uh via Deluxe Charter Coach and have some workshops with the university staff there where they'll work with our uh musicians, our band and our chorus and
whichever group is not participating in that workshop will get guided tours of Penn Museum. Uh we'll have dinner included provided by Suburban tours at a local restaurant and then we'll travel to Sinesta Select Arlington Hotel via that same motor coach and our students will stay in quad
rooms or triple rooms and then we'll have an overnight security guard. Um day two, breakfast at the hotel, travel to the National Mall via those same motor coaches, maybe a White House photo opportunity on the way depending on uh
if that street is blocked off or not. Then time on the National Mall with photo opportunities and lunch, time in the Smithsonian Museums, dinner included once again. Uh show that we'll be seeing at the Kennedy Center and then back to
the hotel after a long day. Day three would be Monday. That's the first day back from break. So our students will be excused from school that day, but they'll they will have had all of their work done before we leave or their teachers. and we're going to
check in with the teachers about that well in advance. Another breakfast at the hotel. Arlington National Cemetery guided tours. Uh lunch at Union Station. And then the big part of the trip is our performances which will be in front of
the Lincoln Memorial or on the plaza by the Jefferson Memorial. The National Park Service doesn't let us know where exactly our performance is until about a month out. So, we're still a couple weeks from knowing exactly where we'll be, but it will be one of those two locations. Either on the steps of the Lincoln or the the plaza by the water if
you have ever been to the Jefferson Memorial. More photo opportunities and dinner provided by Suburban and then the illuminated night tour of the national monuments and then back to the hotel. Day four, we'll travel back to Philadelphia, but for more tourist
attractions, uh, Reading Terminal Market, which is a great place to get lunch, and then the Liberty Bell and other historic sites as time allows, maybe the Rocky Steps for our cinema and boxing fans, and then travel home to Maynard, probably back in town by 7:30
on Tuesday the 29th and back in school on Wednesday. Uh your next page in terms of financial information, we'll be using the music travel line up at the high school, which we normally use for buses to competitions and festivals every
year, but we'll forgo the festivals as we usually do on trip year because we're taking the trip and it's usually around the same time. And then from our music activities line, uh $1,518 for our trip nurse, that's Amy Jameson from Fowler will be joining us.
For on the student parent side, uh the maximum cost, so that middle section of your financial information, maximum cost might be uh $1,300, $8.85, but uh we're have plenty of
fundraising going on and corporate sponsors have helped us out a lot. So without individual fundraising uh based on suburban work with uh finding um cheaper means of travel and uh we got
our workshops comped at the University of Pennsylvania. That number is going to be closer to about $1,000 uh when I last checked. And again that's before individual and group fundraising. So, $1,000 per student, but individual fundraising will bring that down, and
generous corporate sponsors uh in the area will bring that down. Financial assistance was requested and applied for by 9.25% of our student travelers and all the requests reviewed by the Maynard High School guidance department was fully provided by our pay it forward
scholarships. And you'll see that in the line, too. So, pay it forward is uh families choose to give an extra $25 for the next trip's uh scholarship funds. So, those were completely covered. And then um we have a lot of uh
parents, I wouldn't say concern, but questions about student health, security, and safety, which obviously we're taking very seriously. On the back page there, our staff going on a trip is uh coral director Mackenzie Forier, myself, nurse Amy Jameson, and then all
of our core uh parent chaprons, and including we'll have a suburban tours representative with us the whole time. Students will be with their uh chaperone groups and chaperones at all times except when they're sleeping in their hotel rooms. We have behavior contracts
signs and uh plans for students and guard and guardians. They they know about our contingencies overnight security service suburban setup. So there's going to be security in the hotel lobby and then all of our rooms chaperone and students will
be on the same floor and we'll have a security guard overnight walking the floor just in case. Uh student rooms will be assigned by request. So students uh request certain peers that they'd like to room with and then we try to
work out work it out so everyone gets one or two or three students uh that they request to room with and then we consult with the manned high school guidance department of course counseling department my apologies and
all of our health forms uh detailed medications and uh health information provided to nurse Amy by guardians and by student physicians. A lot of paperwork to sign in there and Amy's doing a great job working on
that. The uh myself, Director Forier, and Amy will not be assigned to chapron any groups while we're down while we're while we are down there. And that's mostly so that in case there's any individual or small groups of students who need support, they can come to us and spend some time or we can keep an
eye on them. So, we're kind of floers. Uh oh, and actually an additional chaperone as well. The nursing room in the hotel will act as triage and then we'll have actually also have an optional infirmary
room available if necessary for any students sick and that's that's just a uh something that most tour companies have put in since co. It's a good idea to have a room in case someone gets sick. For communication between all of
the adults and the tour company and the bus drivers and our students, we're using the band app that's more like a a band of but not a musical band but named for a group of any type of people. Um,
and we'll have an emergency phone number to Amy the nurse set up used for all communication. And then obviously, uh, Washington's an interesting place right now. So, the National Park Service is going to provide public event safety
notifications to all the people involved in the trip. And, uh, Mrs. is Forier and I have a lot of colleagues down there who are setting us up with Facebook and Instagram groups and notifications just in case there's any um unscheduled
public displays or large groups of people that have the potential to become an unstable large group of people. So, we're going to try to stay really safe and any questions. Um thank you
very much. I'm going to um go around to everyone else. Um um Alexis, how many students are going? 55. Okay. So, every student that wanted to go is able to correct. Others have travel plans, April
break, something like that, too. And then those students who are not going, they'll uh still be a part of the trip in some way. So, we're going to record our workshops and we're going to record our performances and then post trip activities include listening back, doing some talking about how we can get
better, what we learned, all sort of all that stuff. So, they'll be involved in some way. And the chaperoons will be on the same floor. Is it one floor that you guys are taking up? It is one floor. Um, I'm sorry I don't have a visual, but it's basically uh chaperone room and the
two rooms that they're responsible for if students are on either side of the chaperone room. Okay. Great. Um, any other ones? Alexis, sorry. No, not that. Okay, Mary. Um, yeah, thank you for this, Kevin. I It's the first time I've seen this much
detail. That's really You did a great job. Um, is are there any parts of this trip that haven't been in the past? Like the the first day, the Corsan workshops, the university? The the pen museum is brand new. Usually we stop off at a university and it's
just sort of taken tour of campus when we're not performing. But um little extra education is great. And the many the other things that are new would be uh the buildings that are new
from 2019. So, I we did not go to the African-American Museum on the mall or the Museum of the Native Indians, which are both fantastic. If anyone hasn't been yet, they're wonderful. So, excited
to do those. Um, and the kids are going to be chaperone the whole time because I see the Smithsonian museum students, you know, how do you feed the kids all together? Yes, chaperone groups are going to be between 7 and 9. So, the entire correct
all 54 students will be in the same building all at the same time. But then chaperone groups can go see different exhibits as they as they vote or exhibit together with their guide. Yes, thank you. Maro,
this is all great and I I second Mary the amount of details. Fantastic. Thank you. Um, I had a question and I don't know if there's this is probably maybe not a question for you but for Brian is um
with Amy Jameson being gone from Fowler during those times. I'm assuming we're going to get a sub. We have four nurses. Oh, okay. So So then one of
them Thank you. Hillary. Um I I appreciate the info, too. I still have a couple questions. Um are most of the So the as far as financial aid goes, are any of the kids that are not going not going because of the cost or were
you able to cover all of the costs needed by any of the kids needed support? We were able to cover all the costs. I did not hear of anyone um not going because of the costs. We could certainly survey, but at least the the six that I
know who are not going have other family travel plans. And then we we do still have a lot of funding in the um pay it forward program. And the Maynard Music Association is great about supporting too. So I think even even if we had to cover all the students who weren't
going, we would be able to. Okay. Yep. Um, so I'm most of the kids that are going kids that you um or the chorus director have worked with for several years, so you know well to know if they have concerns and stuff. Yeah, for me uh
I've seen all these students since they were in fourth grade at PA and uh McKenzie is actually new this year so she doesn't know them as well but even there's a lot of crossover between band and chorus. So, uh, even the student she doesn't know, we've had an abusive
program for a long time. Okay. Um, is do you are you worried about handling things if there is an issue um between having enough support to like get a child into the home or if the trip needs to end and you need to return
early or if there's various issues like it being that far away. Is there flexibility to handle that? Suburban uh tours is very supportive with how they can uh get students home. We're going to be in constant uh well not constant communication but send a
lot of notifications to families. And then uh we have contingencies in place for that too. So one thing I didn't mention is because we've done this trip so many times uh everyone who's run the trip before has been very responsible and has left uh tips and tricks and uh
suggestions for how to run the trip. So, not many worries. No, I think uh like I said, the I think the biggest thing with Suburban is that they're uh they have contingencies in place to to
get students where they need to be. So, they've been great to work with and a lot of a lot of community or communities surrounding us uh work with them, too. I think AB uses them for their New York and DC trips and
Malden I think is the but yeah they they be able to bring all that. Yeah. Exactly. Yes. And that's Yeah. So we'll have uh the same buses for the entire trip. They're they're just for us. So and they'll be wherever
we are at all times. It's not like they're going to drop us off and and go get lunch or anything. So they're they're part of our tour. So they can take you out to get out. Um what about accessibility for kids with special needs like physical or emotional or
behavioral? Um how how are you accommodating the different needs kids might have? We're in touch with the special ed department and notes from certain students from our special ed team chair. So plans in place to support our students. No, no students
are on uh one-on-one support at all. So, in the past, we've taken other members of our staff besides nursing to support, but we haven't uh we haven't seen a need for that from our special education team chair. As far as accessibility, um everything's handicap accessible and
like I said, uh myself and Mrs. Forier will be floaters, so we'll be able to uh support those students who we know pretty well. All right. Thank you. Sorry, Kevin. Um, I'm sorry if I um just some more clarification because I don't
I don't have the handout. What were the dates again for the trip? I didn't have that from last time. Saturday, April 26, a morning departure and Tuesday, April 29th, and evening return. Okay.
Just for because I want to make sure I have it right in the motion. So it will be from April 26th through April 29th. Okay, got it. Thank you very much. And then um I I just wanted to really extend I know it was been several years and
this trip has been you know able to come back. So thank you to everyone involved. I know these overnight trips are not an easy feat to coordinate between all the students and parents and logistics. So thank you very much for that that work. Um I do I have um just some small
feedback. Um I have a know of a student who recently went on a DC trip this year or last fall really. Um, and they I don't know if did that was the Holocaust Museum on your schedule for one of the
one of the um they just encountered some um I I don't know if it's just more because of what's happening in society, but they had like a fire alarm that was going off and the museum indicated it wasn't, you know, they had an uptick and so the the kids had to evacuate and it
was a little disruptive. So, I would just maybe um I'm glad to hear that you're not really you're kind of be floating around, but it would be great to have like that contingency when you go into each location because um you know DC isn't for the faint of heart
these days and um you know if something were to happen or just like an alarm that disrupts where like a location spot that everyone should you know meet to um if they have to evacuate would be great. So, thank you so much. Thank you.
Anybody else have any other questions or comments? All right. So, I'm going to uh make a motion to approve the quadrrenial Maynard High School band and chorus overnight trip to Washington DC from
April 26th through um April 29th, 2025. Okay. Was that Mary seconding? No, tomorrow. Tomorrow. Okay. Just want to make sure we got it for Colleen for later. Okay. Any further discussion? Okay. Um, roll call.
Hillary, yes. Maro, yes. Mary, yes. Alexis, yes. Natasha, yes. So, both unanimous. Mr. Kick, thank you very much. Um, and have a great time and look forward to hear about it when you get back.
Well, thank you, S. How many have you actually been on been here? Uh, just one DC trip and one Disney trip. Yeah. Yeah. Back. Thank you.
All right. So, um, moving on to the next item on our agenda. We are welcoming our paraprofessionals to our committee. And I see I know we have Melissa and Nanda are both here. I don't know if either one of you Oh, and everybody also I
can't see everybody there, but I heard it was a party earlier and I'm sorry I'm not there to celebrate with everyone, but thank you so much for for joining us. Yeah. Um uh oh is Brian um yes need help you
need help Brian or not that I'm much more help um remotely but I'll English. Good evening. My name is Melissa Ryan and I'm the president of the 52 member
education support association. We represent paraprofessionals throughout the district. I'm here tonight with many paraprofessionals and teachers asking the Maynard School Committee to endorse the ESP Bill of Rights. The reason we are presenting this document on behalf of the Maynard Education Support
Association is because we are committed to the belief that our paraprofessional contract should accurately reflect the work these paraprofessionals uh do and their imperative contributions to our students and schools. Misa and the MEA
have both endorsed the ESP bill of rights. Just to be clear, MISA represents the job titles on the screen. And while my focus tonight is on these roles specifically, the ESP bill of rights is applicable to all education support professionals, custodians to
clerical staff and paraprofessionals. The work of our PAR prof the work our PAR professionals do on a daily basis directly supports the Maynard public school strategic plan. Some of our roles and responsibilities include assisting students on IEPs and 504 plans with
curriculum access and accommodations and modifications that ensures their individual growth and success. supporting students with the highest needs using specialized curriculum delivery models and teaching and modeling self-regulation
strategies, certification in crisis response and deescalation techniques. assisting students with widely varying levels of EL comprehension, additional support for students, allowing them to access resources like our WAVM
program, providing critical targeted support as our population of students with trauma histories and social and emotional needs have greatly increased. Directly assisting the teacher with entire classroom management, curriculum preparation, and
supporting the student needs of our youngest learners. This also includes anything from toileting to behavior management for children who have not yet been identified or completed the IEP process. What isn't included in our official job descriptions, but we all
acknowledge as the fine print. wiping tears and noses, cheering on the smallest successes, recognizing triggers, giving hugs, refereeing recess games, advocating sometimes loudly, sharing our snacks, and being a
safe person for any and all students in the district. We happily do these things every minute of the school day for our students. At first glance, it may not seem like these connect to the strategic plan, but in so many ways, they are the
foundation. The education support professionals or ESP bill of rights contains seven ideals that we believe all paraprofessionals should be afforded in their employment. For example, recognition as educators. PAR professionals have a critical impact in
our schools and the district. We are a fundamental part of special education supporting all students that require any additional assistance and we have the insight to know what make what will make improvements in our schools. We believe that ensuring our indist training
opportunities, voices in decision-m and access to additional training outside of the school are appropriate to help with our most vulnerable students. This recognition ensures that we are an integral part of the strategic plan. Health and safety. Oftentimes, the
students we work with come with unique needs. Ensuring the workplace is safe and free from any potential verbal or physical abuse is essential so that we can perform our demanding work. Having adequate supplies, fully staffed programs, clear protocols, and
appropriate training to deal with these unique needs are critical to having successful, effective programs. Program success is paramount to ensuring appropriate seal and tiered systems of support for students. Paid family and medical leave.
Just as virtually any Massachusetts resident, paraprofessionals should be eligible for some type of paid family medical leave. Currently, paraprofessionals do not have access benefits because we work just shy of the hours to qualify.
Even if we were to work enough hours, our leave would be unpaid. This can put individuals in a very precarious situation in the event they need to care for themselves or a close family member. It often comes down to a decision to continue working in the job we have or
to stay home to care for our families. Additional access to these basic protections that all workers get for job security under these types of circumstances are important to ensuring prior professionals are afforded the same rights as other employees. Some
type of paid family medical leave ensures that we understand and implement culturally proficiency and provide tiered systems of support not only for students but for our staff and for the entire school community as well. And lastly, but by no means least, a
living wage. The jobs we do are critical to the students we support and the district as a whole. We deserve to be able to focus on one job, which should be enough, and be appropriately compensated for the work we do and the experience we bring to the classrooms. A
newly hired paraprofessional could currently start at 1758 an hour or just over $22,000 a year. The lack of a living wage has directly led to high paraprofessional turnover as new paraprofessionals gain access and quickly leave for districts making a
living wage. Additionally, the high turnover and difficulty hiring at our current pay scale has led to chronic understaffing. While the needs of our student population have grown and the demands placed on teachers have
significantly increased over the last 10 years, the average number of paraprofessionals the district has employed has decreased at its highest in 71 to now only 54, a 24% decrease. We have many of the same
struggles as you. Mortgages, health insurance costs, which will increase by almost 10% next year. student loan debt, child care cost, etc. Many of us who have stayed in this district have chosen to do so because we are members of this community and we know of the real impact
we are having on our students lives. None of us should have to make the choice between our strong beliefs in the Maynard School District and the challenges of figuring out how to pay the bills. It was great seeing the school committee members around Green Meadow this week. Uh we would love to know how
we can best support you. um and help you better understand what it's like on a daily basis in our schools. Again, we're here to ask if you agree with these statements, if you hold these as values, and if you believe the work of our PAR professionals is crucial to our students and our district
success. Um I urge you to show your support by offering your endorsement of the ESP Bill of Rights. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Melissa. Thank you so very much. Um, yeah, I'm sorry. I know everyone was clapping, so I wanted to make sure that
the applause was um well welld deserved there. And I know that was um Can you hear me? Okay. Yes. Okay, great. Um so, thank you very much for this information. And before I move on to the the rest of the school committee members, um I wanted to just ask a
couple of questions. What is what does it look like for this bill of rights? Like what have you heard so far at the state level as far as the support around the state and it um like the the viability of it being put to vote? Is
there anything else besides us endorsing this that we would be able to do? I think that's a definite start. um a lot of paraprofessional unions have started to well have endorsed um and then it's kind of trickled on to teachers unions
and now school committees. So um just the endorsement right now would be um really helpful. Thank you. Um, and then I also just you said something that is very true and I just think it's worthwhile just
emphasizing um over the years just as a parent and a school committee member and um on the Green Meadows Council and CPAC um I know many of you um have stayed around because of how much you care for
our community. um it hasn't been because we've been able to provide the best wages um compared to our peer communities. And I think that's not that we ever have not been trying to advocate more, you know, funding for the school
um and any any opportunity that we we could get. Um but I just wanted to you know take the moment to extend my you know wholehearted appreciation for um the work that our paraprofessionals do in the one you know folks that have
stayed here especially through co and now um really you know getting into there supporting the kids who have a lot more needs than um we've seen you know in the past as well. So so thank you very much. we keep fighting, you know, as much as we can. Um, you know, with
with the town. Um, as you know, one of the things later on in the agenda we'll be talking about is an override um, you know, just because part of that is really um, us being able to pay a living wage to um to our staff um, who rightly
deserve it. So um, so thank you very much. I'm going to just go around to other members um and see if anyone I'll start off with you Hillary. Any questions or comments? Um first of all, you like you really are the foundation of everything and I'm so appreciative for everybody except my kid
and all the other being able to be safe at school and being able to participate and have the experience that all the other kids get to have. Um I don't know how you do it. I read, you know, the list of things in IEPs and I think I can't do that for eight hours for my
kid. I don't know how anybody else is. Um like you really are amazing. Um I a big part to me is the um paid family medical leave. I don't understand why the original law exempted municipal employees. um everybody deserves it and
all the rationale beh there there's no reason at all to justify not including anybody. Um, one tiny logistical thing question that I'm just I was surprised by is the part about the seven years to reach the top step cuz I'm in the union and I'm on the
top step and I've been on the top step for eight years and I wish there were more steps and I'm on step 13 and I want more. Why is it a want to have only seven to get to the top? Nobody speak to that. Um I think in seven years you're
doing probably the the job as good as you can possibly do it. And our goal is to keep the path to the top short and then in negotiations typically we drop the bottom step and we add a step to the top. So therefore it's because I know a district that has like 20 steps and it's
really discouraging to see like oh 20 years to get to the top step. Uh so we've chosen to have a shorter step and and by dropping a step and adding a step to the top. That makes a lot of sense. You're never stagnant because we all
know that we're going to get a 10% increase health or a cola and then if you get a 3% cola and you're going to get 3% on because you're on top of debt, you really are making less. Yeah. So that's kind of rationale for on our part
behind it. I don't know if that makes that piece about that. I didn't know that. Yes, that makes a lot of sense. Um I I'm a little bit confused about where this is falling in terms of an endorsement like
is um what what is the bill of rights logistically for the state need? Um like does it mean that because it's not a law like how does it what weight does it hold statewide?
Um, you know, Senator Marky Marky, it was a big force behind in Washington around all this. And, um, we figure it's going to get a discussion started and if it starts here and if it starts elsewhere, it'll trickle down.
Um, and I'm sure somebody more knowledgeable than me can do a far better job. But you have to start somewhere. So, this is our like our first community start. Yeah. Get it started. And if you will endorse it, we can publicize it. We can put it on Facebook and and that will hopefully
just keep trickling through state and grow. You definitely deserve all of this and made me feel really bad that we haven't provided that. Well, we keep asking. Um I just wanted to just make just from a uh procedural um right now the MASA is
in negotiations with the school. So, I just want to be very sensitive or both parties on how much we're talking in a public meeting because those negotiations on some of those areas are still going on. So, I just wanted to I know we're all very excited and supported, but for everyone, I don't want it anyone to feel like they're in a
position to talk about something that hasn't been really um codified in a in a final agreement yet. So, just to kind of, you know, me putting my cautious hat on for everybody. Um but I think all we all can say um you know like the state
has increased the minimum wage you know over the course of the year so sometimes the that's where the goalp posts keep also moving as well. So I think it is important to have these conversations. Uh Maro, um I also wanted to congratulate
all done really amazing job know that it's and just some of my experience um with dealing with kids that have issues um with learning and
um I I honestly I don't know how to get to it, but it's you know it's well appreciated. Um, I did I and I don't know if this is kind of stepping into those bounds, Natasha, but I was was
wondering like what this does to the our talks and I don't know if that's Yeah, I I'll answer like my my perspective on this because this is
something that we I think it's a state it's a state legislation a bill that's underhab at the state level. So, um I think the endorsement at this point would be that we are endorsing state action for some of these areas, not that the school committee
would be making a unilateral decision on any type of topic. I think that's how it's been presented to us at this point is to support the state really um addressing, you know, all of the these positions at the recognizing for what
they do um and how we, you know, we can support that effort. And I think truly that might arm us um with going to the town to be like, you know, look, hey, we need to meet these state requirements if there's funding. right now we don't we
don't have that ammunition I think to to do that but if there's state requirements that need to be met that certainly I think arms us a little bit more with trying to advocate for you know whatever some of these things are um when it comes to just like the the wages and the steps I think that's the
area I would I would get a little bit less um detailed discussion about right now because I think those are the areas that we do fall under like school committee and you know purview with the um with the paraprofessional union and um I think any other time of year we
probably would have a deeper conversation but I that's the area that I want us to maybe just you know protect um just for the integrity of the negotiations that are still underway. Um so I I think if it's more of endorsing the the action of state state action
with a legislative um and Melissa please correct me if I'm my understanding is is maybe off or if you have any more to add on that. Yeah, I mean it's more of a like endorsing the belief that, you know, like any other employee,
we these are things we deserve and we'll work together to get there. It's not going to happen overnight, but we're working together. We're on the same side to to achieve these goals. I think a thousand%. I think um you know notwithstanding you know anything that's
happening with this agreement that's you know under negotiation I think whatever has been in the school committee's power over the prior two agreements to kind of bring up you know as much as we can to beyond minimum has tried you know is felt
somewhat possible. I think it makes it harder when we're only getting like 2 and a half% from the town. So it really tightens how much we can provide relief and it also again what I mentioned earlier it's been almost a little countered because the state also has
been raising their minimum wage right so then the the goalpost kind of move a little bit more at both ends right you're getting less funding from our town to of how we can you know approach and then also you know what we have to
really um pay minimally is also moving as well. So, I look to um I think our paraprofessionals who are our community members to really advocate um as much as we can in our community and your
personal lives about the override um because the substantial effort of that is to allow the schools um really to meet our living wage for our staff. that is not um really unreasonable. You know,
it's definitely over 3% that we you know, our our contracts are are you know, average and that goes to precoid areas, but even you know, a little bit more to bring up, but it's still if two and a half% we'll just never cut it. So I think that's where I would look to our
action and how we can you know support that effort of um living wage um is doing what we can on that front as well in our town. I don't know if Mary if you have any thoughts on that as well. Um again the guys are the backbone say it
as often as I can but stay you know who who handle delicately and lovingly the students that have the most needs doesn't go I know this should get paid a million dollars deserve it but um and I would love love love to have some of you
come with us in front of the select board when they are talking about you know how we don't really need this money or it's not the right time or you know that kind of compromise. That's the other word that gets thrown around is how we have to the school has to compromise. I'm like how do you
compromise a person? They either are employed and or they're not. Like that's what do you compromise there? And we so we are you know obviously dealing with trying to get our our percentage you know like we were saying if we get three and a half% every year we Brian says
we'd be in a good place a good solid place. We had um Kate Hogan here at the last meeting and we were talking to her about what can you know what can she do to help us at the state level and so we're all working together Alexis
um thank you for coming. Um my kids have been in with many of you. They you don't support them oneon-one. However, you're in their classes and you do support them. uh and they love you guys. Uh so I thank you. Uh I did have a question
though. This is now you said it's sort of filtering down into the different school committees throughout the state. Just out of curiosity, how many school committees have approved so far? One. That's it. How many has it been presented to? I don't have those
numbers. Not many. Can you can you share which one who was the signal? Way and is it just because this is the first like you it's just starting to roll. I mean it's like the second wave right so like we
endorsed it in the fall and then we reached out to the teachers recently and so it's once the the union endorses it it's like it's stagnant unless you take the next steps and so this was sort of our next step.
That was really the only question I had. I was I was curious for my own doctor. Uh, so we can do another um Melissa, I I just Is there anything else? Just hearing the questions that you wanted you or any of the other members um just wanted to share with the
school committee based on the questions you've heard. I just want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to feel like they um I think we're good. I mean, the question that I posed to all of you, you know, how can we best support you in
really showing you what it's like on a daily basis, right? What it's what it's like in our buildings, constantly having to pivot every second of every day, right? So, how do we how do we help you see what it's like in our buildings, you know? Um Yeah. I know that's a really
good I I I didn't have a chance to other boards that we go collectively. No, I was just saying I didn't have a chance to go this week, but the site visit, but I I I know that that is something that I think would be important for the school committee to to do uh periodically on
different areas, you know, just to get more into certain areas of the school. just again we talk about it but just getting some eyes on whether that be different programming uh I think that you know this recent this week was at the rain meadow um so I think that's one
area um I would also be open to suggestions you know from from you or board members if there's a a place that you would like you know a little bit more focus or attention to or just some you know discussion around um you know
please you know email as well. I I I think that um open communication is is really in key to a lot of this. I think personally like and every member we'd all you know open our purses to you guys um with you know as much. I think it's
just harder because realistically um you know we're we're denied a lot and it's really tough to see how dedicated people still continue on doing really tough job for the minimum wage that you do. So thank you very much for everyone
for all you do. Um oh Hillary, did you have one more question? Oh yeah. I wonder if you would want to do the same presentation to the select board. Sure. um or potentially even I don't think it could work for this spring but um like a
citizens petition to present to town meeting for the town to vote to endorse it. Sure. um and do the same presentation to the yeah others if you want to keep the line of communication open in regards to different uh meetings that you're having with the town or you
know I know you guys were at the sanctuary right so if you wanted to reach out to us and then we can see what we can get for volunteers to come out and help that would be great great so um just from a procedural
perspective Melissa I just thinking of just making a motion that we would um endorse on behalf of the Maynard School Committee the the Bill of Rights. Does that sound right? And then Okay. I just want to make sure that that's really what you're looking to do um that will
as a takeaway to help you in um in this effort. Okay. Great. So, um I make a motion that the Maynard School Committee um endorse the ESP Bill of Rights for
the Maynard Education Support Association um in any state effort to seek approval. Second. Any further questions or discussions? Okay. Uh roll call.
Hillary. Uh, definitely yes. Maro, yes. Mary, absolutely. Yes. Alexis, yep. Yes. So, you have our endorsement.
Um, do you need something like more formal um aside from that or is there like a a template letter or Yeah, you do have a letter. Okay. I was just actually probably should have
thought about that. So, um you know, maybe we'll make a mot is it is it you have a hard copy now because maybe Marorrow can sign it if you want. Could you get it? Yeah. No, us to create a letter. Oh, you want us to create a letter? Sure. Yeah, we can do that. if
you have a template one that maybe worked for something else or one you can send over, we can, you know, kind of see what, you know, um, so I'm not reinventing the wheel, but happy to just send that to me, Melissa, and I'll, um, and if that's okay with the school committee, just that, um, okay, I'll go
ahead and submit it on behalf of the school committee, I'll work with you, Melissa, to get that done. Thank you very much. And thank you all for coming out. Is that Carol? Did I see Carol there? I'm so not used to seeing her on all TV.
I know she's in person. I missed it. All right. Um so the next item on the agenda um is is Wayne. It looks like we have you up for the the Q2 school financial report to the committee. Um,
and did you I guess uh do we need to um Brian, are you able to share that or should I um I can try to share it like I did before with the I couldn't see if you were doing anything. give us some advice.
All right. I don't think we need to share quite quite long. So, we probably don't need to share the whole thing. Um, so Wayne, the the floor is is yours if you're are you um can you hear?
He's on Wayne, you're on mute. Yeah. Uh oh. Oh no. Okay, there we go. I think he unmuted me. My desk lamp just went out on me, so I apologize for the poor lighting.
Um, but I think um is the report up or no? Um, it's Yeah, I think so. Okay. I can't see it. So, um, it's okay. I don't know if the committee had a
chance to read it. Um, so let me ask this. Do you want me to entertain questions or do you want me to go through it? If you've gone through it and read it, I don't want to put people to sleep. No. if you could if you can kind of give like just the highlights. I see there's red. So, I think let's focus
on some of those um the key points and that you want to really um you think are important to point out um beyond just the yeah the day-to-day stuff that would be helpful. Wayne,
yeah. Well, red on this report doesn't really mean a lot. The the main difference is um where we are in regards to the budget regarding the town allocated budget and the school
committee allocated budget. Um as you know as the school committee um you allocated more money for us to spend than the town. So if you look at the town budget, you
know, it may show a deficit and versus the school committee uh budget uh which shows that we're doing fine, that we are under budget. Um that's not going to be an issue. Um,
if I if I'm allowed to cheat and and and come into present day, I can tell you that uh we are now under the the the town budget um in real time. Um, as we know, we had expected that I would use
revolver uh funds to offset uh that deficit. Um, and so, uh, I would urge that people don't focus too much that we're on a deficit in relation to the town budget because we talked about that
when we put this budget in place. [Music] Um if I could [Music] um uh on my report on page three I talk a little bit about circuit breaker and I talked about year this is year-to-ate
expenditures that um uh we've spent out of circuit breaker you know tuitions um is the good part of that both private separate day and re residential. I also may add that we also pay tuitions out of
one of our grants. Uh if I'm not mistaken, from memory, it's a 262. Um um so that helps the operating budget that we can um put some of those expenses in there.
Um, on page four of my report, I talk I get I I think graphs or pie charts are easier to understand than spreadsheets and numbers. Hopefully, you feel the same way. I think pictures. Um
and so on page four I show you uh kind of where um in terms of facilities and maintenance out of the operating budget where the money has gone. You see utilities takes up a big part of that
and other things are um plant maintenance which is the building as a clo plant versus grounds and uh supplies to keep things uh clean. Um and then I talk about expenditures from the
facilities rental revolving account again um supplies and other types of custodial things. Um on page five of the report I talk about or I showed a chart showing the school choice
expenditures and um a good bit of that is is work custodial work that FM constru uh contracted services is um that is all uh maintenance types of
stuff of us hiring people to do and fix things at the founder for middle school. Uh as you're all aware, Fowler is in that sweet spot where it is about 22 23 years old, I believe. Um if you put this
in terms of a car, you know, this is when you'd have to start replacing rotors and major systems and it starts to cost you. And so we're spending a lot of money on uh keeping the maintenance up at at the follower school.
Um, and let's see what else I'd like to switch uh to if you go like to page six to school lunch. Um, first of all, our school lunch account is healthy. Um, not every district can say that. When I talk uh to
my colleagues, that is often an issue. They're running uh a deficit in their their school lunch. Um but certainly universal free meals has really helped that a lot. Uh we saw that when we went
precoid to COVID um you know when things were free and you know the participation skyrocketed and it's great that the commonwealth has voted to continue that regardless of what the federal government does.
However, we don't know what the future may have for the current administration in Washington. But on page six, I talk about where the money comes from uh to run the program. Um just to remind
everybody, there are no operating budget funds. There are no school committee funds. There are no town allocated funds that go to operate the school lunch program. It is completely self-sufficient. majority of those uh revenues come from federal
reimbursement. Um, and considering what's going on, uh, you know, that that's at least on my radar and I would imagine probably on some of yours. Um, the state, believe it or not, very small compared to what the federal government
gives us. And then the money we take in from the students that do pay And then the expenditures uh on page seven are um for school lunch. U as you would
expect since we have Witson's that runs everything for us. Majority of our funds um that come in goes back out to pay Witson's to run our program. Um and also I show there in gold uh we
do spend some money in terms of maintaining our equipment uh pulling maintenance for example I'm sure as you know we have to have like grease traps clean once a quarter and exhaust vents and those types of things and so that's
what that money gets spent on. The next slide I'd show is operating days. Um, as you would expect in August there weren't many. Um, in December that number gets pretty small because we have fewer days.
Um, that's important because obviously that affects revenue. Um, on page eight of the report, I would just like to highlight the numbers of meals served year to date. Um, if I remember correctly, at the end
of the year for last year, we had served over 180,000 meals, and we're a very small district. Uh, and I keep talking about the numbers of meals served for two reasons. One, um, it's pretty healthy.
It's gone up. It's enough that it, um, in the five years I've been here, we have a healthy, um, food service account. But I also think that that goes to and says a lot about the good job that our food service company does and
that um a lot of our students participate in the program um as evidenced by the numbers of lunches that uh were served. Um, for those of you that uh weren't here at the last meeting, um, you know, Brian and I had
the privilege of uh, serving lunch in the Fowler cafeteria and, um, I'm not sure who enjoyed that more, if that was us or the students. Um, but it was a good time and um, I knew already, but you know, you
got to see firsthand what what good meals the students uh, get. You know, we had a guest chef and everything. And then uh, uh, Caesar, that was the second or third time that I had seen him that he had been in Fowler and I know he spent time at the high school, too. So,
they try and do things um to to keep the kids engaged. most recently uh at the high school and I think they might have done it at Fowler also they allowed the students to vote and give some input into what uh they wanted the menu to look
like. Uh so getting back to my report on page eight I show you um our revenue versus our expenses. Uh while we are able to sustain ourselves, uh as you can see, it's it's it's close. You know,
pretty much what comes in goes back out, you know, which is fine. Um as long as you have enough money to to to maintain the program and maintain the equipment and do what needs to be done. Um overall, I would tell you that
the financial health of the district as of Q2 is stable. I don't have any concerns at this stage. Um and as I said the anticipate the deficit that at this time that was running uh in relation to the town
budget um would go away once I make some journal adjustments and and apply more circuit breaker of which if I come to if I cheat and come to present time I would tell you that's already happened. Um and I expect as we have in past years that
we will finish uh the year either at or under budget. Um, and the [Music] um attachments that I have had to the to uh to my report is as as I've done in
every report is what I call the condensed operating budget by our cost centers which are the DOE codes 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 and 9,000. So that you can see those expenses broke out. And in
the report there's a legend that tells you in general what are in those accounts. And then I also include obviously a copy of the detailed operating budget in case you really wanted to see what's in the what 1000s,
what's in the 2000s. Pretty much instructional is what's uh all the 2000s. And that's usually the lion share of any of your budgets if you don't count the spade tuitions. I include a table in there of
to show you our revolving accounts, uh, our major revolving accounts and, um, you know, circuit breaker, as you know, is what I use to offset some special education expenses. Um, the lunch revolving account, I think it's obvious.
Preschool revolving. Um, I've moved some of the salaries from the operating budget, preschool salaries from the operating budget into that account to um to ease some of the uh the burden on the operating budget. Um, school f uh
facility rental, a lot of our maintenance um repairs and those things once we kind of tap out the operating budget go into that account. Um, and transportation revolving is what Colleen uses to
deposit the fees that come in and also to pay out the uh invoices to debus, excuse me. And the last table that I include um is a table on the grants. Um, you've seen this before.
uh you know that first column tells you what what the grant is in terms of its title and uh we usually refer to grants by their fund code which is that second column because every grant then has a unique fund code and I have then what
the uh what the budget allocation is how much we spent how much we have remaining uh kind of its status or when it's due and who are is the person or persons that's kind of responsible uh for those or
grants. And that's kind of a quick run through and I would like to ask are there any questions. Um I am going excuse me. Um I want to make sure I understood the going kind of
going back to the beginning. um where you were talking about um well first before I get there um utilities um have we had relief did I miss about um
solar have we done like a comparison like halfway through the year with um now that we've have solar on um just looking at the first six months of um like with the high school is there any type
of noticeable um change with with those expenses or is it negligible? I would just maybe see if you could look into that for us um as we're thinking about, you know, the
benefits, the impact of I know a lot of people were certainly looking forward to that. Um sorry and um just to clarify on the part about the the
deficit. Um so really what that represents that number is really the amount if we were purely funded by only the town allocated budget. That's how much we would be was
it negative 500,000 plus at this point. But because we are we've leaned into or we've needed to lean into our revolvers, that's where we're able to continue to offset and not not go into the red at
this point. Correct. That's correct. Yes. Okay. Um, has Winston's raised any I know there's any concern. I know they were talking about a new program with grant
funding about local food and I, you know, recently I I think there's been some USDA changes or funding changes for grants. Has there been any indication that there the program that they were going to be seeking an application for
is one of those that had um is now unfunded? to that. I just was thinking about when you talk about food and the impact. We're really excited at our last meeting about exploring that and um I think since that last meeting, if you haven't heard anything, it'd be great to
hear feedback if we could get an update about um where that still stands, if they are still able to pursue that grant funding for local farms or if that was truly one of the the things on the chopping block that is now unfunded.
Well, two things. We applied for a grant. It wasn't for local uh food. It was uh for some not us. It was it was a school. I think Winston's was directly. They had put in an application. I think they mentioned that. You mean you had Yes.
Sorry. No. Well, they they they don't put anything directly. They do it through us. We do it. They can't put in for um but that was Yeah. They I they worked with me. uh to put that in. So essence, it goes in under us. It it has to be a a
district. It can't be a food service company. Uh we didn't get that grant. Uh that was for equipment. Now, to your point of local food, um fruits and vegetables, that was a a subsidy from
the feds to encourage you to buy local produce. We got notification this week that that was done. That that was Washington had cut off the funding for that. Okay. And that was not even till the end of the year to June 30. That was
effective immediately. Um excuse me. So, okay. I thought it was I just was wanted to confirm that was what I thought. Um great. Sorry. I didn't know if you had
any more out to that. But I just wanted to clarify that that's what we had heard last at our last meeting. It sounds like we're not able we're not going to be able to explore that. Yeah. So that that funding has been stopped. What that means is we can still
get fruits and vegetables, but and I'm making this up. You you still can buy from like bird's eye. You know what I'm saying? As opposed to getting uh fresh stuff not frozen from local growers. Um, so it's not like, uh, the students won't
have access to anything, right? Um, I, um, the other question I had was about the circuit breaker. Um, I know that I just want to make sure we're
we're good with that 2-year look back and what that number is that we have to expense. um so that we don't lose it. Um Yep. I've already spent that. Yep. Oh, good.
So, we're we're good with that. So, that that that that requirement of that funds has already been spent. Okay. Yeah, that was part of the change that um I told you I would put into place so that that doesn't happen. So, what I do is I as
much as possible spend money out of that first. So, I've already expensed the 1.3 million, so we're good already. Great. Thank you. Um, I'll go ahead and um go on. Alexis, I'm going to start with you.
Two of the questions Natasha asked. One about the solar project, whether or not utilities has gone down at the high school because of that. Uh, because for the new Green Meadow School, we're putting in the geothermal wells and looking at a solar project. So, I was
just curious about that. Um, and then I know we just talked about the USDA and them cutting off funds, and I'm sure they'll that will be added to the list of litigation. Um, but the governor was quite insensed by it, like many other
things. Um, and has there been anything from the governor's office um to the schools about the potential for them to appropriate the money? Uh, because they will appropriate again for
certain things for this current year uh where they can fill in that gap. Have we have they mentioned anything at all? Not yet. No, they have not. And from what I understand, um, you know, that's a
pretty big number and I'm not sure with the Commonwealth budget from what I've seen that that that that will be a possibility. But the short answer is no. I have not heard anything. Okay. Because there are other things they have to backfill. Like for higher ed, there's a
lot they've got to backfill for us. So they'll go in and appropriate more funds. That's why I was curious. we had earned anyway. Um, and then my other question is you mentioned there was one line in there and I wasn't here for this last year so I'm gonna ask um there's one line in there about the budget
freeze during for March that you're going to implement a budget freeze. How long does that budget freeze last till the end of the year? Okay. Now, just so just so you understand, when I say a budget freeze, what that means pretty much is what I
call discretionary spending. So, in other words, it doesn't affect the operation of the district. You know, if you need to buy if a teacher needs something, then they can still buy it. That's not going to affect what staff can actually purchase
for classrooms or administration convert. It's not going to stop that from now. It does not uh you know when I send out the letter one of the things I stress is that you know the budget freeze is not
intended to impede the operation of the district. That's why Brian pays me what he pays me is to enhance the operation of the district not to hinder it. And so that is not the purpose but kind of the discretionary things you know you want
to buy you know I don't know uh an extra poster or something or whatever whatever you know we we discourage that and and if you and then if they want to do that then they have to come and make a case
why they want to do that. Um because you know I equate trying to get the budget where it needs to be at the end of the year like landing an airplane in order to hit the runway. You know I kind of have to know where I am. Um, and
so what that also does is I also mention to people about their encumbrances. And I say, yeah, I need you to review your encumbrances number one to make sure they're accurate because a person may
put in encumbrance for $10,000 for something and it actually only cost $7,500. So, there's a $2,500 difference there that I say I could take back and I can use that somewhere else to help
balance out the budget. I also say, you know, by the time March comes around, you shouldn't be buying a whole lot of stuff. You know, you if you don't have it by now, you probably don't need it. And so, I tell them to take a good hard
look at those encumbrances. And at some point I say I'm going to cancel all of them. So and that and that's excluding uh special education. Um so you know again if you don't tell me that I need this particular incumbrance here
whatever because what that does like right now we have probably $10 million in incumbrances sitting out there. And so let's just say that half of that is is salary. So there's $5
million of money that's tied up that might not need to be done. So when they release that, all of a sudden I have $5 million back into the budget and and so I need to know that in order to balance the books at the end of the year. So
that's kind of the process or my thinking of why I do what I do. Thank you so much. Okay. Yeah, that makes perfect sense. I just my first go around so I'd end up No problem.
Um Mary. Yeah. Um just um the preschool piece Wayne said um the the hope is that um that no preschool student f um fails to be able to to come to school because of the
finances. How are we reaching out to preschool families? Because we all know that if we can get these kids in early and the ones that usually can't afford it are the ones that need it the most um we can get them on a good trajectory. So what do we do to outreach?
Well, that's the actually the program belongs to the the the elementary school or the preschool principal. Um, so I don't really get involved in it other than I say uh I think she I've asked her to include in the paperwork that she
sends out that if they have trouble uh making the payments to reach out to the business office and for example, I had a family reach out to my office and they
um I think had two children, One was on an IEP and one wasn't. So they were only or no, I know what it was. The one student was a half a day on an IEP and a half a day not. So they were paying half
of the tuition. And they asked for some relief uh because of their situation. And so I sent word back. I asked them what could they afford to
pay and I will accept pretty much whatever they say they can afford to pay. I guess my concern is um parents that don't even go that next step because they they can't
afford it so we're just going to not not even pursue it. So I guess I'll talk to you again. I think I think there was some language. You know how the language we have with the student activities um fees and we said
there was some language that you know we didn't want kids or I know myself just being at the food pantry that I know that there are parents I've heard from who don't even ask the question because we just can't afford it. Um, so that's those are the
people, you know, want to be able to reach out and say, "Yeah, there is there is a solution." I think when you Google the preschool and you go to the website and you look at it and say it's 9,000 and you think, "I can't afford that." That a there and I think maybe like talking to the early intervention folks
and you know the police department and their social worker who might know families that like the kid really needs to be in a better place during the day. Like they may be able to be targeted. Maybe, you know, put it on the website too. So, I mean, I think there there's a
risk when like with that that, you know, everybody's gonna want to could be, you know, in a target like the food pantry and people who have that like those the kids that would qualify as high need that cost a lot of money throughout their schooling that we know are cost
less if we give them intervention, right? And it might be a case of just having a virtual available one that I give so that all the different the Boys and Girls Club could, you know, that kind of thing. Just uh uh make people feel that we're embracing. Emily Black,
I wonder if um if we could um part of the preschool, could we create like a a scholarship like a school committee scholarship or something to that effect that allocates like some of that money that goes
towards and that could be maybe on that link like where people like if people want to submit for a scholarship so they don't you know it's just part of the whole so it's highlighted there as an you know what I mean as an opportunity for financially. So like they're not having to you know ask for it. It's just
like their access to it is and also I think it would be more equitable. My you know my concern is that you know um people who are asking you know are are getting that opportunity but it's not an equitable approach I think to to be able
to do that. Um and I and I I know that I see Heather Heather's on Heather Newman. Um, uh, I only wanted to call you, uh, hi. Um, I don't know if this is something maybe that the Megan might
also be helpful because I know she's kind of that bridge where knows families who are um, you know, might be more in need around our community and if we have some um, I'm sorry. She Heather probably
can explain. I know. Can you uh, Okay, got it. um she's kind of a liazison with the counselor she works with. I'm sure I'm not going to exactly clarify her position, but it's it's part of our contract service. We have um like a a wrap provides wraparound and she helps
supports families, communities or families certain amount. Um, but I wonder if that might be also an opportunity where if there's families that she's on her radar for supporting that are like have the IEPs or or needs that are in the preschool or
kindergarten, maybe those might be an opportunity that she can connected. Am I making is that do you think Heather that sounds reasonable? I'm sorry. Let me let me see if Heather can speak a little bit and sorry.
My turn. Heather. Yeah. Yeah. No, that's fine. Um, so just a couple of thoughts is um, you know, I heard people talking about students who are at risk. I heard um, people talking about families who have financial um, difficulties. And
then there's mention of the um Megan Gerardi is part of our wraparound services we have a part of um FSP um and that is a service that we have for um students and families who are just
struggling in various ways who might need um assistance with counseling services and or being able to provide um resources that within the communities around um that either the students or
the the parents could benefit from. Um, so I just want to make sure so there's a couple different topics here. So yeah, let me just shed a couple of different things. As I was listening, I was thinking about um is I know that um when
thinking about students who are at risk um we are um Karen and I working on making sure that the community through um s'mores and Facebooks and things um are encouraging families to have their preschoolers come in and get screened
this spring. So that when we're thinking about like those at risk children and knowing that we want to have them get whatever services they might need if they were to qualify for disability that they're having that opportunity to do the screening which gives us a little
bit of insight as to whether or not um we might need to do further exploration. And that would be no commitment of you know there's no $9,000 attached to it or anything. It's just an opportunity where, hey, come in and have your preschooler screened. And so, I think
that that's one way of getting some of these families who might not have traditionally come in um getting their foot in the door as well as giving us some information as far as like, you know, these are some um assessments that we can do to just give us again like
that little snapshot of information. And then sometimes when we see families come in or students come in, we realize that the needs might be more significant and then we're able to um identify students even earlier, right? And not just relying just on early intervention
companies to refer them out or pediatricians, but we're also trying to welcome those families to come in on their own. And then that gives them a little bit of they're in the building, they're seeing what's going on. Um, and we can just have those natural conversations about, you know, what
does, um, tuition look like, what options are there if we're having difficulties, what forms can we give them, and resources can we give them? And I think that, um, Megan being a great resource through like what resources are, um, she's able to give
schools resources to share out of things like this. So, um it's not necessarily putting families on her radars, but making sure that we have resources from her that we can share it with families that might need them. Her um contracts with very particular families are very
significant needs where, you know, it's probably a higher level than what our counseling teams are able to support. And so, we have that, but we have multiple ways that we use Megan's resources, right? So preschool, kindergarten, when people are just entering education, sometimes they just
need a little bit of guidance. And so Megan gives the school teams that guidance so then they can give the family the guidance. Right. So those are a couple of the thoughts that I had while I was listening into the conversation. Thank you. I I hate to put you on the
spot, but I'm just thinking about some of the things you were having and CPAC has been and Megan's joined CPAC a couple of times and talking about um some of those wraparound um services that are available when kids are identified. Um so I thought there might be some relevance and then I'm glad to
hear that you and uh Karen are already on top of it. We are collaborating. We already have plans. We're trying to figure out what platforms we want to use, how we can keep the platforms easy easy to use but also confidential. Um, and then also working with technology,
getting their input. So, because we're trying to make it really easy for families to just like click sign up for that screener and then come on in. Um, and also a part of child find. Yeah, I heard someone talking about the food pantry. We're sending forms out to all
of these community um kind of places. Um so I heard you mention in the meetings also um you know other preschools in town. Um we're sending them out to churches in town. We're sending them out to we have a huge list.
I actually just sent it to CPAC not too long ago, probably last week. Rhonda has a nice long list of all the places and towns that she's sending this information out to. Again, encouraging families who feel like their child might be at risk, want to learn a little bit more, reach out to those schools so that
we're able to give them some guidance and, you know, tell them where we start, what step comes next. Okay. Um Mary, I know that you brought up I just want to finish, make sure I finish with you first. Food pantry and I have not received anything. So, I would love to have flyers available of that for some
of our families. So, I don't know if this is in the works or It came out in September. So, is it Say that again. I have not seen anything. I will resend them. We can tomorrow. How many other places have not, you know, have not actually
received them? So, I would love that. I can look into that and see what kind of confirmations we've gotten and how we're delivering them. What would be the best way to get it to the food pantry? What's the easiest? Is it email? Is it Is it snail mail? What works best for you? Me a flyer and I'll make it available.
Awesome. Easy. Yeah. Thank you, Heather. Yeah, I know. Thanks, Mary. I'm glad we kind of connected at this point. Um, any other questions? That on my list, so if you didn't get it, that's good for me to know. No, appreciate it. Mary, did you have any other budget questions or anything for um on this along these
lines? Wayne issues, you won't. All right. Um, Heather, I I think that Wayne I don't want to, but I I think um Heather I mean um Hillary had looked like she had her hand up. Is it a question for Heather? Yeah, it's sort of a spin-off of what she's talking about.
Um I was thinking reaching out to DCF to their child care coordinator. Um because I know a lot of foster parents and kids involved with DCF talk about how, you know, they have to pick between they would love their kids to go to the integrated preschool even as a nonie
kid, but they need the free child care through the voucher somewhere else. And so they're not even pursuing it. And um so like they might be, you know, those kids are obviously at high risk. Um and then uh also Emily Black at the police
department who would be working with the families that are really struggling um that aren't involved in the school system yet would be probably a good person to to connect with. Um those are great ideas. They and those two were not on my list. So thank you so much. I will
absolutely reach out to them and give them those those that information as well. And then another thing I've heard from the foster parent support group is that some towns do ask people who have high-risisk kids to do the preschool screening even knowing their kid doesn't have a diagnosis and probably won't
qualify. Um because through the preschool screening they're saying this kid is high need. This kid is going to cost us a lot of money when they're older. We'd rather pay for the money now. And then through that screening process they're identifying the kids to give scholarships to. I'm not even worried about the money at this point. I just want to make sure that if they have
needs that we're able to identify them and get them the services they need. So all preschoolers should be participating in screening. All kindergarteners should be participating in screeners just to give us that extra layer of information and then we can move forward if we need
to. So it's definitely just best practice. I guess I mean more if we're talking about like offering a scholarship to preschool. I don't I think that there's a benefit to targeting that to the kids who truly need that environment. Like there's, you know, obviously kids with special needs
and IEPs need that environment, but also kids that are high need because of English language learning or, you know, significant issues at home um could really benefit from that environment too. And so a way to targeted target that financial support to those kids
that really desperately need it and whose parents probably aren't googling integrated preschools for fun because they're dealing with other stuff. I think it sounds like if they go to the if they're going to go to the screening that they have that
opportunity to connect and provide. I think it's different if like Mary hands them a fly. If Barry sees a family struggling or the police police are at a house with a toddler and seeing that, you know, things aren't great in the home during the day and it would be great to have that kid in a safe place where they're getting care like the
attention they need during the day and they say, "Call this phone number. This person will help you." And it's calling Big Meadow and they bring the kid in and they're like, "This kid definitely needs help." They don't qualify under, you know, the IEP chart, but you know, for
whatever reason, they need that support. And so on its own it might not be a great method but if it's if it's compounded with the outreach that Heather and Karen are doing and you know working with these other people that are have the interactions with the really high need
kids I think that it could be helpful and reach populations that wouldn't be reached by googling the preschool in town and this is really back to the scholarship idea you're h you're thinking about yeah like to talk because
I I wanted us to pay I wanted us to provide preschool to the really high need kids that don't don't qualify under an ID. Um and you know there's like I know a lot of kids that have vouchers and aren't going to go to preschool because they don't want to give up the voucher for
the home daycare they go to, but could really really benefit from that targeted skilled environment. And so like a way to help the financial need get to financial support get to the kids who truly have the highest need.
I would say though that those families who are using those vouchers to attend other preschools and towns if there's not a disability present they are getting structured in instruction from those centers. So, it's not that they're
they're not and we would hope that if they were developing appropriately that they would be able to access those activities and lessons and um the things that those private organizations are able to offer. And so hopefully that is helping with those experiences.
Um you know when they're not able to access those experiences because there is some type of developmental delay or disability and they need like a higher more specialized instruction. That's
where the um that's where I feel like the integrate like that's why we want to identify them so much younger so that we're getting them ready for those like school age years moving forward. Um but again those families with the vouchers if you're able to go to any of the
preschools in town whether it's the one at Green Meadow or the others those the child should be benefiting from those environments. Yeah definitely. Can I ask I just have a quick money question about this um to
try and think you back off of this. Have we ever thought about as school committee or school for the preschool doing the tuition based upon a sliding scale? Uh there are a lot of local camps that do it based upon family's income. So the more income you have, the more
you pay. Um, and the less you have, it still provides the opportunity for the students to go and they pay dramatically less and it's made up by the families that have the ability to cover those costs. Have we ever thought about that
versus having the families have to go through the next hoop of asking for a scholarship program? So maybe Brian if we I know at one point we we have the school committee sets the rates. Um so
maybe Brian as an agenda item for a future meeting. Um that might be a discussion point to look at the tuition rates. I don't want to I don't I know that right now probably isn't a good time to to premiere, but that's a that would be a good discussion like that
with scholarship. all of those pieces that I think a little bit fall outside of um Wayne's immediate report, but I wanted to make sure that as it was talking about the needs, I saw Heather and it my mind clicked with the CPAC
thing and I um glad you were listening to kind of um add to that, you know, at least provide that little Wouldn't it have been embarrassing if I wasn't paying attention like eating your in your jammies or whatever, but no, no shame to that either. It is nine o'clock. Thank you so much, Heather. Sorry to put
you on the spot. And Wayne, sorry to steal your Wayne about, you know, he's probably like, "Hey, steal my thunder." Sorry, Wayne. I took over. No, that was all me. Wayne, thank you very much uh for your patience and appreciate. I don't I want to go back. I think Mary, you you were speaking about
the high needs and did you get all in the funding? Are you okay with that for now? I'm all good. Thank you. Okay. All right. tomorrow. Um I don't I don't have anything. Wayne, you did a great job as usual. Um thank you very much. Um I did I don't know
Natasha if you Jane Mc has her hand up, but I don't and I don't what I don't Oh, and now she took Honestly, I I didn't even notice it. Dana, I'm so sorry. Um, I don't know if
you had to blinker on by accident, but normally we don't get public comments, but I'm just going to assume that was just I saw your hand go down, so maybe it must have been just an accident. Sorry, I didn't see you earlier either. Okay, thanks. Thank you, Maro, for pointing that out. I didn't I didn't
have her on my screen. Um, anything else, Maro? No, that's it. Okay, Hillary, my question is logistically as far as money from the federal government goes, what's the timing of when it's
dispersed and like when it's ordered and when it's dispersed or when it like when would we actually feel the impact of the changes in the funding from the federal government like month-wise? Well, that food, fresh fruits and
vegetables, that's immediate. Yeah. When does title one funding come from the feds to the state to the school? Because it's it's a calculate. Is that more what you're Yeah. like title one um circuit breaker.
Yeah. Well, I don't I don't know. I just manage the money. I don't manage the grants. I'd have to talk to uh Charles about that. Circuit breaker, I think, is is is state. That's not federal, right? Isn't it like a reimbursement for a
Yeah, circular breaker uh gets paid quarterly. That's from the state. But the point is is as other monies are cut from the feds coming to the state, at some point the state may have to uh re
their budget and subsequently things could get cut. Um but you're right, it comes from the state, not not federal government. and um IDA I think um it's it's listed on the I know all of those
entitlement grants they're on Jesse's website and they actually might say when they are dispersed I don't know off the top of my hand but I know you they do do track those like the title one the IDA
um yeah we us we usually get uh the money uh or at least approval of the money because technically it's a reimbursement but right usually uh somewhere between August and October
uh depending on the grant um and so as of and tonight we speak there has not been any cuts in those but I I I listen to the news like all of you and the fact that department of education has been
slashed by 50% um You wonder even if the funding isn't cut, what if the people that administer those and send the money out are are gone. Right.
Well, that is enough to lose sleep over. I'm glad we're ending on a positive note. Um Wayne, thank you very much. Does anybody else have any other questions for for Wayne? Um Wayne, while I have you here um and I'm sorry Ear I I
saved uploaded to um to our folder tonight, but I had um um you had shared some we had talked about net school spending and per pupil spending and um you had shared with Mary and I um some of that back and forth
because the question came up in the budget subcommittee about like our the administrative number and how how that is calculated. I think on the on Desessie's website it looks back up until FY23 and um you know we just doing our
due diligence want to make sure like we can explain how that calculation and number you know gets in effect. A lot of people are under the belief it's you know the school has this really heavy administrative cost and I you know I've heard conversations about the the two
principal you know model and all this stuff. So, thank you very much for you and Brian for really kind of going deep on um that analysis and reaching out to the state um and for the school committee. I f I put um I just saved a
document. If you refresh the folder of um I put a sheet in there that has the analysis of um the expenses that um since FY 15 of what the allocations that
we um are attributed from the town. And that's the key that administrative number uh that's part of the net school spending formula is not solely the school department administration. So part of shared
services the town does so like accounting like they issue you know things that gets calculated. there's a certain percentage that uh they attribute and over the years it's ranged from like 200 up until I think look like
FY23 was like 4 4,000 I don't know 4 46 460,000 or something um which came out to higher than the school's administrative number so that amount the what they attribute to the school like
to support the school gets added to what the school actually uses for education. And that has how that's why that number appears very significantly inflated. And so um Brian and I um met we had a
leadership meeting this week. We met with Greg and uh Jeff and um and you know we we you know brought this up because I know that they this board has questioned um the levels of that and ultimately there are guidelines around
what is allowable what's not allowable and um the the state recommends having a an agreement in place um that um that what is you know what both parties are um Wayne and Brian, I
just sent an email to you guys. It was kind of um and Mary I CCG, but it was kind of in response of looking at the advisory at the state level. Um there are certain discretionary things like the state is entitled to do and when I
bounce that against what I'm seeing that we've had, there's a couple of uh variations that are a little bit off. So the advisory says like town council um you know it should not be expensed or attributed to the school. Um one of the
areas on the expenses that we've seen since FY20 was facilities director and or facility salary and um we don't they don't pay for any facility sal we don't we don't leverage any town facilities
person salary that I'm a aware of. um we pay for our own facility director entirely and I think that started around FY20. So I don't know if there was like some mistake in you know what they're doing but um so I I I suggested that you
know those are the two that jumped out. I think um I would like to um make sure that we are if there's any opportunity to do corrective retroactive corrective action on some of those pieces that we know are are are not accurate. I'd
really like to see how we can do that so that our numbers actually are reflective um of what's true and not um overinflated like PEG access. I don't know why they would be attributing expenses for PEG access. They don't
actually do anything for PEG access. They they probably just journal money to us or whatever, but there's no person that actually is doing a service for the school. So, um, you know, I I just had some questions about how that number.
So, all this to say, um I I I did let the uh Jeff and Greg know that um we would, you know, the school committee would be um wanting to prioritize an MOA in FY26 as as a as a priority so that we
can get a better handling on what these um what's allowable, what's not allowable, and we all have a better understanding of what is being attributed to the school. like they're adding staff, but are those add aid staff actually supporting the school and we're just paying 20% because they keep
adding or you know that's what I'm not really clear on. So I just wanted to share this update. This was kind of I thought um helpful information um that came up but in case any of us get asked about like it comes up I think in all of our conversations people ask about
administrative cost. This was a little bit of that background and context that it's not the school's the school's administrative cost is is separate is a small a much significantly smaller it's number. So if we wanted to recalculate
our administrative costs, uh Brian and you did this I think right you and Wayne had done like if it was only the schools it was like came down significantly. So 800 as opposed to 1300. So it was uh
it was like 293,000. And if we used that number and then did the calculation, our administrative cost would have been about $811 per pupil, which would have put us
in line with similar districts. Um, and and the facilities thing, I think you're right. I think that is a leftover from when the town ran our facilities program. and Guzo
before he left he and I talked about reviewing that because it hasn't been updated in the 5 years I've been here and probably a couple of years before that. Um, so it is outdated and
to your right, I question why we were being charged for PEG. When the PEG funds, if you look at the town's own printout, there's there's no charge and the town takes a cut of the PEG for their own use to begin with. So I don't
know what the charge on that sheet, that chargeback sheet that I put on the end ofear report, which is where DESIE gets all that data that you saw. I don't see why it's like we're getting double charged. They're not doing anything for it. I think it's just a matter of
understanding. Clearly, no one really knew how that factored into that that number. Um, but you know, I think what we can do is now we know and we'll do better. We'll have a deeper analysis of that. And I think once we codify of what
that is again um I I know that what we get in revenue from the contracts for PEG isn't entirely enough to support you know like WABM and there is part of a budgetary amount that the out of the general government I think that may
subsidize it a little bit however I think that's more of a journal a action you know versus um you know them having a personnel administrative personnel who's, you know, handling PEG or something that it, you know, I want to
make sure that that part just gets ironed out for all of us. Um, and and also I don't think even if it was valid, I think that that's a different line. It's more of educational. I don't even think it belongs in the 1000s anyway. I think it would go into more of maybe
2000s or instructions or something. So that's that's the other part too is once we figure out what's valid and what's true then making sure it goes into the right category because not all of that is administrative like even if the facilities was valid it's not
administrative we our facilities go elsewhere and the facilities I think was just an error because it only started in FY20 and I know that that's when we uh created that position um it was originally going to be like a shared
position like 20% the town and it looks like they built that into their budget. They just um they never changed it. So they actually are not spending 20% of a position we're spending. We Right, Brian, just to confirm that's that
salary is fully funded by the school. Correct. That's what we ended up correct. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. So they're basically we're funding the whole position and they're and then they're attributing 20%. So, I would like to know who that person is because they're
owed they're owing us five five years of a 20% services that I'd like to get a refund for. Anyway, that's all I had. I put a link I put a a document in the in the folder just to comp um just copied what
the email that I responded to Brian and Wayne and Mary for you as well just and um the um the sheet the expense sheet for everyone the school committee to to look over um just so you can kind of get some thoughts on that but and I put my
initial thoughts which were really around looking at that link to that advisory um that's kind of what jumped out maybe a good starting point to really understand what's allowable and what's not. Um, part of that it's called discretionary requires a school
committee approval. So, if it falls into that discretionary bucket, which is what facilities is, then it shouldn't be there because there's no school committee approval that we would be approving any type of facility expense um to be charged to the school. The only thing we have is what's outlined in
ourou and that's if there's services and we already pay for those um separately. they don't pay on their our behalf. So if they were to charge back to us and they're double dipping because we pay them um when they when they do the services.
So um that's all I had. I don't know if anyone had any questions on that. It was just want a quick update just because I thought it was important and relevant um for anyone. Wayne, thank you very much for that work and Brian as well. Um, so
we'll talk about it again at our next maybe uh budget subcommittee meeting on like you know updates from that. Mary, anything? Good. Okay. Hillary
Maro, no. All right. Alexis, no. No. All right. Um, I think we are good with that and now we're just going ahead and um Wayne, thanks Wayne. Thank you so
much. Um, all right. Where am I with my agenda? Um, oh, I think I clo I had too many folders open. Oh, here we go. All right. So, um, override um, FY26. Um, I'm going to actually table the the
the budget hearing because Colleen needs to be um available for for that conversation. But just preliminary speaking on on that topic, um I was thinking that we would have a budget hearing that um
assumes the override passes and then if it doesn't then we have to gen you know have another um you know meeting you know to redo the budget. But I didn't want to spend a lot of our effort, this, you know, the school department's effort on, you know, trying to figure out or
approving. I don't think we all any of us want to approve a 2.5% budget. And I don't want to go through the effort of pretending like that's actually a viable option. Yes, Hillary. Well, I think actually to some extent that could be an important thing to do because I think
that once the community learns that we're going to go for override and we publicize this budget hearing, I think it'd be important for people to understand what our budget would look like, what we would have to improve
given the 2.5. And so by we can't we can't do that though. We can't um I know that we can't advertise it in that way, but do we need to how do we vote on a budget that we don't have access to? And so we do that every year. We always have
our budget hearing before town meeting. I know that, but like there's, you know, and I that's like what's sort of the town has agreed to or suggested up front and so it's like a reasonable assumption to go into the budget hearing
with. But I think to some extent we we need to take seriously the idea that an overline might not pass. And as part of the preparation for that very very real possibility involves conversations that
I think are important to have. I I think that the town community members that would come to our budget hearing shouldn't leave there thinking everything's good. Like you know there's this override and they're going to get the override and this is going to be in the situation. Like I think we need to
to some extent be realistic about what might h very possibly could happen. Even if we hope like you know like hope for the best, plan for the worst like I think we may we maybe need to do a little bit more planning for the worst. So Brian and yeah, we did talk with
that's already in the works. Like Brian and Wayne are like, you know, they are planning like a go nuclear, you know, you know, like what happens if it doesn't pass, right? No one's assuming it's going to pass, Hillary. I'm not assuming that at all. I also
Yeah, let me just finish. If I could just finish. Yeah. I also want to make sure that we're respecting the guidelines of what is allowable to discuss ahead of an override because I've already been given warning about
what can be discussed. I want to make sure staff are not, you know, um, put in a position that we are like, um, like there's a lot of those pieces that I'm very uncomfortable with personally. Um, if we're advertising a
budget, that's really not what we're going to town meeting for. We're not going to town meeting with a 2.5% budget. We've already told them, that's part of what we're saying. We're going to town meeting with a one. That's what we're recommending. So, I it makes no sense why we would have a budget hearing
for what the town recommends because that's not what we're recommending. We've already accepted Brian's recommendation and that's what we would make our budget for is what we're we've recommended. If it doesn't get approved or it gets
changed, then yes, we have to come back. And we could talk about like that process when we have our budget hearing, like, hey, this is only possible if there's funding that's approved for the town. But we need to recognize if this
does not get passed, then yes, there will be another hearing that talks about what that 2% 2.5%. But those numbers of where that's going to happen isn't going to be known in the next
month. That's my worry is that that's what a budget hearing you have to do. You have to explain like where that is. And I don't think any of us at this point are prepared to to do that. I don't know. I would that's what I would I would I assume. I know. Brian, do you think that in the next month that you
would want to talk about what a 2.5% budget looks like and the positions that might be impacted? Don't you have to give I'm sorry. What's the date for? June or May? May. May 1st. May 1st.
Okay. So, if it happens, so if it has to be May 1st, don't you have to have a plan? So, aren't we going to know over the course of the next month what staff
produ because it's going to be a lot of it is staff production. Um, aren't you going to know that by then because you've got to give people slips, right? I think the practice and
confirm is that they get like because there's the uncertainty, right? But you can confirm the procedural piece. I've heard historically like there everyone or positions that might get impacted would get that they get the notice.
Wait, hold on. Let me finish please. And um from a procedural perspective, they would get that until we know for certain. Is that normally how the process works? Yeah. Okay. So would that that would still be the same, right? We
would still May 1st, right? Okay. So, so technically you're So, technically, I'm gonna ask this. So, technically, you're going to go off of the assumption when you're making these plans for May 1st, you're going to go off the assumption
that the budget is what we what the town is giving us, which we don't have a number from. Yeah, I know because I read your notice that that has shifted um potentially. So, so we we typically have two. We have what you allocate. Yeah.
Because that's what we typically spend. Yeah. Because we use our revolvers, but we're not going to have enough of that. We'll have a significant portion of We don't want to use them to that level. That's correct. Because we're going to be in the same position next year, right?
actually because there won't be any revolvers to ears and if there if I could separate the two topics like the recommendation and the budget hearing just because I want to make sure we're clear on the budget hearing part first of how we want to proceed and then we can talk about like the recommendation
the tiered stuff because I want to that I think is is super like important to hone in on as well like what we want to send to the the select board but for the budget hearing how Hillary I I hear your what you're saying um about you know
being upfront and and honest you know with the I don't think anyone's saying not to be upfront or honest um but I'm just thinking about how we've proceeded in the past and what we would need to share at that point in April which may
not be known but I think when we go to the budget hearing the final value might be unknown but we have a really good sense and there's flexibility whether revolving accounts like pretty much what we allocate that budget hearing is going to be
doable, you know, with somewhere in the room. I think in this case, you know, in even what what OIS was saying about this notification date on May 1st, I feel like the reason that that's a requirement is to be upfront with people
so that they can plan their lives and understand their families and their situations. And I think if we go forward saying, you know, either masking it by saying this is we're allocating the desired budget or by masking it by
giving everybody that could potentially be impacted a slip. We're really not being letting people make the decision, but we're not providing the information in an upfront and clear way for people to make the decisions they need to make
regarding all sorts of things. um you know in regarding how they advocate at the town level and regarding how they talk to their you know elected representatives regarding how they talk regarding how employees make decisions about their futures. I I feel like we're
I as you were talking I feel like you know it makes me think of you know humoring my child when she's talking about our Disney chip that I know full well I can't pay for like I no one no one is masking anything. I think we've all been very clear with our conversations tonight, even with the
Paris, that we do not have like what we're getting is not sufficient. However, anytime we have a budget hearing, it is always contingent on what happens at town meeting. Someone could get on the floor of town meeting and change the budget. Like that is always
the act. So, we approve. That's why people get noticed because it's not nothing is firm until town meeting happens. So that's just the process there. No one's masking, pretending. Like those words to me are like not
true. I don't think any one of us is pretending like it's going to pass. I'm just saying that focusing on doing a whole budget, having a budget hearing for 2 and a half% is actually not actually true
because we're not actually recommending that budget to town meeting. So, I will not be in a position to advocate for that and say this is what we're going to approve. I'm not approving that budget. I'm not approving as a school committee
member 2 and a half% ever. And that's what a budget that's what a budget hearing does is you're actually having a hearing on a budget you intend to approve. Do you intend to approve of two and a half budget 2 and a half% budget before town meeting?
I'm just genuine question. Does anyone want to approve a 2 and a half% budget ahead of town meeting? Cuz that to me sounds like backwards. I agree that I don't want to approve it at all. I would love for the override to happen. Believe me, I
would for the students alone. I would like the override to happen. However, my concern is for people to understand what actually goes on and to give people that
information and to know it feels very disconcerting to me to not go into this with the here's plan A and here's our backup if this doesn't pass. I mean, there are
teachers who get a pink slip in May and then the middle of August, they get rehired. They go the entire time not knowing whether or not they're going to have a job. And their teachers, this happens to every single year. They get
things let go and then they come back in August. Not part of the budget how it happened. The town, the state doesn't approve the budget. like that's outside of this particular scope. Like that's what I and I get that. However, if Brian and the
administration is going to have to start making these decisions for plan B, even though we don't want to vote on it because we don't like it and we don't want those changes to be made, I think
we have to be aware of it of what's going to happen, what that plan B is going to look like. Um maybe that's a separate Yeah. Is that a separate exercise and then a budget hearing then? Maybe that's just talking about like what happens if generally speaking,
right? Having the conversation as a school committee, parents and staff to be here for that conversation, but that's just me. You know, in preparation for town meeting, if a parent is like, "Oh crap, they want this much money. I need to figure out what's going on." And
they go back and look at the recordings. They're going to pick the town the school budget hearing to go watch the recording of. They're not going to pick March 13th looking at this agenda to think this is where I'm going to get a good overview of the school's budget plan and we have it laid. This isn't a
good meeting to this like you know this wouldn't be the good meeting to watch. The budget hearing would be the one to go to to gather all that information, right? Because we're only talking about planning. That's the only thing tonight we're talking about. It actually isn't the budget hearing. It's just the
planning of what we want to do for the budget hearing. So that's what it the the point was is that the budget hearing is generally in April. Okay. The budget hearing is intended to be the budget that the school committee will be voting
on based on the superintendent's recommendation. That's what a budget hearing is. And so by action of that, I do not think the budget hearing should be the school committee preemptively voting for a 2 and 12%
budget because of multiple reasons. One, I feel that that says we are not advocating our hardest that we're just accepting 2 and a half% and I do not accept 2 and a half%. I think that there is a risk of course of that it not us
not getting the override, but I am not going to preemptively say we're just going to make it work. I think that sends the wrong message and I am not okay with that. I also don't think it's fair to our staff and our community to get them pink slips earlier that they actually don't have a job that we're
approving that before and we're not going to bat and at least waiting to see the outcome of town meeting before we say look we've done our best and I'm sorry we tried we best but if us if we go through the effort of approve a budget for two and a half%
what does that say to town meeting you see you guys made it work I don't think that what Hillary is saying is that we we bring this to the the budget hearing as what we want to happen. But it's absolutely imperative that our
constituents know what will happen if this override doesn't go through and where else are we going to give that information but at the budget needed. So then that could be a a part of the discussion piece where we would say we
are going to be voting on this budget like the recommendation. However, Brian what again what Brian and Wayne are talking about they could talk about areas that will be impacted you know like like bus fees like athletic fees
like larger class sizes like those kind of things that will be generally talked about those concepts. But I don't think us voting on what that looks like at a dollar amount for a budget hearing is what we were we're we want to do. And I'm I don't know. I just want to make sure that that the takeaway is we want
to talk about it, right? It needs to be important conversation, but we are behind saying our original recommendations. We think we need more than that. Okay. So, I just want to make sure we're kind of bringing it all together. The
budget hearing will still be about the larger number that we're going to vote on, but part of that conversation will outline if the override doesn't pass, these are the areas are impacted. I think that it's not a brief discussion of saying if the override doesn't pass,
it's there's going to be serious effects. I think it No one is saying it's brief. Nobody's going to say it's brief. Don't put words. That's not my point, though. It's I feel like we need to lay all of the details the same way. So, we're saying good budget recommendation is this breakdown, these
cost centers, this um pie chart. And if we go with what we have, this is all of that exact same information with the the budget that's been offered to us. And not just as like a side note, but actually truly this is
the budget that we're looking at and this is how we would allocate it if we need to. But hopefully we could get this budget, we can allocate it this way. I would not be in favor of at all making a 2 and a half% budget look feasible. I
don't want to go through that effort of making it like you know because then that's that's really really specific and I don't think I think we could talk about the areas are impacted. We're going to have public hearings. I actually just go on to the planning, you
know, but I do not feel comfortable in any way to say I think we everyone knows it's two and it's a million dollars short is a lot of freaking money. Okay, everything will be impacted, you know, but I'm and I do not want to spend effort in posting information for the
public that is actually not necessarily going to be final and what's true yet. I think it's going to create more confusion. Are you guys recommending this budget? Like I don't want to even put a face that we're recommending that or we're accepting that in any capacity. I don't think anybody would think that.
You know, nobody's going to look at a budget proposal that eliminates a million dollars and think that we're okay with that, right? I also don't think we need to reinvent the wheel right now. I think we can look at what other towns who have sought or guides did at their budget hearing. Like what did ACT do last year
at their budget hearing? What's Hud what's Hudson planning to do? cuz maybe there is a way that this is supposed to be done. Um or ask mask or something like I don't know. I mean I think a lot of people think that schools have a magic pot of money that they can just delve into
because we did have a magic pot of money for several years during co where schools could dip into it to provide those things that were needed during that period of time but that magic pot of money is gone. uh and the stuff that refers to that magic pot of money during
town meetings, right? So, I I I want people to be able to go into this with eyes wide open and I think the more transparent we are with how significant this is on the schools and
the impact. Should this not pass, we have to find a way to legally do it so that people are aware of it and have as much information as possible because then they can then start talking
to other people. There are things we can't say as school committee members like we can't say how many positions are absolutely on the chopping block during town meeting. However, there are things that people can infer from the information we present based upon what
happens if we don't get a million dollars or more than a million dollars depending on if the town allocation goes down. Uh, you know, they can infer a lot of things. I think a lot of people think people are stupid when it comes to this stuff. They're actually smarter than we
think they are. Uh, and so I think being able to present it and for them to be able to then start talking about it actually helps us in our attempts to get an override pass.
And so I I mean I would rather be more transparent than people going into it thinking, well all will be good because they have a magic pot of money if for some reason it doesn't go through because we've been fine up until this point.
I'm I'm concerned about that. Um Hillary, to your question earlier, a lot of towns approve like that this is exactly what they do. They approve what's recommended and then it goes to town and if it doesn't they I've seen this happen with contracts. They do they agree on a contract and then the town
doesn't approve the money and then they have to go back and cut people. So a lot of it it as well as intended that the school may want it's ultimately the town meeting is really where that pivot is. Um, so that happens. But I know you know
Actton last year had a budget A and a budget B and all of this the same level of detail for both of those was presented on all the websites and the handouts and the town voted literally do you want to approve budget A or do you want to approve budget B at town meeting? So there
is options um for the town budget you're talking about for the school budget. the school at town meeting last year acted in Roxboro presented budget A and budget B and if budget A didn't pass then they voted on budget B and budget A was the
better one for the schools board by I don't remember exactly but yeah they when that one passed then you know everybody those two choices and see what they so um maybe we pivot then to talk about the recommendation for the school
because I think what you're talking about is kind of what we would be presenting to the select board. The select board is open to hearing what that dollar amount is that we would be presenting that would go on the warrant um for the school allocation. They're
not going to be putting 2 and a half% as part of the over that actually the select board are going to be sponsoring the article. Okay. And so there is support that we are looking to go. That's where I think the op I don't know
whatever option A was for act and box store or whatever, but I'm sure it wasn't to cut. I don't know if that's what they would off cuts, but that's not Yeah. So, I don't like I'm not really concerned with what Actton Boxboro did. I just want to make sure we're moving us
forward in in the decisions we need to make to best position us. So, what I think we left off at at our workshop and was um a million dollars is what we felt
comfortable with at that point. And um and then it would uh potentially require $200,000 for um a number that if we needed to tap in um for our revolving
accounts. So, do we still want to say like, hey, we would like one number, but if we can't have one number, then this is what the number alternative would be. So, like maybe that first number would be
um like we talked about 1 million and relying on our revolvers for about 200,000 and then maybe that second number is 1.2 million and not leaning into our revolvers. And so that's what people would vote on. I don't know if
anyone has any particular thoughts on what that would be. I have a question. Brian's memo that he sent earlier. Brian's memo that he sent earlier said the allocation could go down further
than what they've already told us. So, if that's the case and we ask for a million dollars using 200 of the revolvers and their allocation goes down more, then aren't
we on the hook, so to speak, for the rest of what they reduce. And I may have missed your first part of your question about the allocation. So
Brian put in the memo that he sent a few hours ago. Yeah. That allocation could go down. It could from what they have told us that there's possibility that it could go down even further. Mhm. So, if we put in if we said because I know we
were in agreements for the million dollars and that we would use some of the revolvers to do that and there's enough to replenish them and use them for several years by doing it that way. If the allocation goes down,
then we would then technically be in a hole for that amount because it's not in what we're requesting for the override and it's not what we agreed for the revolvers. So wouldn't we still be in a
deficit because the town has chosen to allocate less than what they've told us at this point? We would we could amend our number. So we're we would be basing it now based on what what and Greg did. Yeah, Greg.
Right. So it's right now it's two and a half%. Right. Um but there's information that comes in that changes. So if you know if that changes then we may need to you know change our you know recommendation as well. Um and the way Greg um discussed I think he's going to
talk with Lisa me about um that he would approve a budget contingent on like override passing or something like that. um or if it didn't pass. So at town meeting um we would know at that when we leave there, you know, like it's going
to be this number or or or it's with the override. Um so I think that's a good question. Um we can certainly make sure that's part of our um recommendation that we send to them like you know our
recommendation is assuming that you know is with the assumption that the 2.5 recommendation for FY26 remains and that you know we would reserve the right to amend our you know
recommendation number if that changes. Isn't the warrant and I don't remember the timing article but doesn't the warrant have to be written then you can change it on the on the floor you can change it on the floor um with uh override we'll see but yeah
you can change you can change budget recommendations on the floor um but we have time um we have up until about April I don't know sometime in early April 1st April 8th about um when the uh article will need to be finalized for.
So um so how does again how does everyone feel still is everyone still preferencing a one number and if we could have a one number and then if if it is if it's not a one number then it would be like again one point 1 1.2 and
then what maybe I mean um 1 1 million and then then 1.2 too. One number one million. Just keep it simple. Yeah. I say 99999. Yeah. You want to go in with the number that
and I don't know if they're going to be fine with this, but you want to go in you don't want to you want to go with a number that assumes we're relying on our revolvers. You don't want to have a second number that doesn't rely on our revolvers because then you can say we've compromised. Seriously. Well, that's why I was that's why I was because we've
already told them we we've taken the the career position that's not included anymore. So, they know that. Um, so that's kind of one million that have a big compliment compromise. So, that's why I want to say, do we want
to say like, okay, that one number would be one point and maybe that's the number everyone votes for, but then we don't I don't I don't know. Do we want to exclude the opportunity that people might want to vote for the We're just going to mess up because we're going to split the number rather
than having everybody vote on one 50% of people saying 1.2 50% saying one and we're not going to get either one of them, right? That's my Oh, I don't think it No, that's not how it count. That's not how it goes, though. It's it's it's the one that gets majority. Most numbers
wins. Highest number wins my correct election. So, In that chart too, they had kept that if we were over a certain amount, one of whatever came out of the the budget committee um the subcommittee
was one of those they split it where you vote it. It appeared if we were over a certain amount of money, they wanted to split it half and half. So you might get half but you might not get the other half. So I think if we stick closer to
the numbers that they put in for like the one where yeah the 900,000 they were okay with 900,000 and leaving it on its own that maybe if it's a million they won't say oh we're going to split this. I think if we present it as we need a
million we would like 1.2 so we don't have to go into our revolving funds. Nobody's going to go for the 1.2 do, right? They could be like, "Go in your revolving funds." Correct. Well, no. I don't I think it's about educating people about like what that means long term. Like federal funding is like an a
real issue. you know, obviously if we have if we need to we may have to come back to town meeting in, you know, a couple years if more likely if it so I think that's the piece that I would be worried about is, you know,
committing 200,000 across the board for the next, you know, whatever years that I don't think is, I don't know, maybe not be sustainable at some point. I guess I in higher ed we can't go into things
with fear of what this administration is going to do because it would llashes constantly. And we have learned in higher ed that at 8:00 a.m. it can be one thing and at 4:00 in the afternoon it is something else. And we cannot live
in a state of fear of what is going to happen. And I think if we live in the state of fear of what could happen with title one funding and IBA funding then we can't move and I think like you have those
conversations about that and you get to that fear place you start thinking what if I lose my job what if I lose my health insurance gas prices get insane and then you're like I don't want to spend any money on anything I like we really want to show people that title one we get over
$300,000 from Title on and you know if that goes away then what does that mean and here's what we get from ITVA and what does that mean I I think people are I think we're going to think we're going to do more harm than good but I don't
think anybody's actually going to read that no and I don't think they're going to career at this moment that's not what they're caring we're gonna have a we're going to have a public hearing with the select board um in April so this is where that education piece before
And maybe that's part of with the select board we have that conversation saying there is so much federal uncertainty at the moment that we don't know what things are going to look like a year from now and there's that possibility that we might have to come back because
the feds have done whatever they've done um and the state can't backfill for all of the towns in Massachusetts. So, just for context, for numbers, $1.2 million is for the average family
is $282. Um, so it's under that 300 like that whatever that we were, you know, it's drastically down. Um, one one million is
um is 233 approximately. So, um, I just want to put in context there, you know, I mean, I would be in support of of if we had only one number to go in, we would should go in with the number that we think is more sustainable long term.
And I would say it would be 1.2. I think the difference, huh? 1.1. Yeah. 1 point. Well, okay. So, we do want to say that 1.1. Okay. What does out to be for the
year? You have the little that that's that's the year. It's an annual um average family up to put 1.1 in to see what it would look like. Yeah. Yeah. It's it'll be um I have the website up right now for DLS. Um 20 bucks a month. Yeah. So
for people that sell it, it's $20 a month. I hate that. Yeah, it's 257 260 260 a year. No, it's a year. 260. I think we have to do a
million. Get under 250. Do a million. All right. So, I just need a number, guys. Like, we, you know, we're talking about $20. Can we just say 1.1 and and just go with that? I need to send something to the slug board or do we want to just do the two or two things?
One million. It's It's under $20 a month. It's under 250. It's under 250 like per year. Yeah. Wait, what? What was the number million? What we're originally talking Yeah. Well, I think the million was like if we had
tiered then we would have the second if we're having I don't even know the select board might they might require a tiered. Okay. So, we have to present like what number we would want for one and then if they want a tiered because they're going to decide that. We're not
just doing one. There's no committee. We just do the one period. They're not going to say no. Like we just they can. Yes. Say this is a compromise. This is us going down. You know, they they offered 500 as the lower vote. We wanted
1.4. We're going to 1 million which is meeting halfway with their lower value. It's a pretty good compromise and it keeps things simple. It gets rid of the comp complications and stuff at town meeting. So what I just from this the school committee to tell me is if there
is one number what that should be. If there's two numbers what that should be. That's what I need from you all because we don't we don't decide how the select board is going to put it on there. That's for them to decide. Okay? They're the ones who they do the ballot. We can
we can they allow they're allowing us to give them the recommendation and I'm very appreciative. But it doesn't mean that they actually have to take what we're recommending. So what I need from you all to say is yes, we strongly recommend one number. This is what it is. However, if the select board must
break it out, this is what the se school committee would recommend in those two tiers. Then 1 million and 1.4. We keep our original and we offer a compromise of 1 million. Wait, wait.
Um, so we would say 1.4 four as the one number and keep our original request and our compromised option would be 1 million. Well, our original request had the career position in so we'd take that out. So, it would not be that number because we've already that's not going
to be the number. So, it would have to that's why I was saying 1.2 too is if it's one number and then if it breaks it out I don't know that I don't know what we want to do but that's that's why trying to get those figures from you all. So I'm going to make a motion at
this point. I will make a motion that we recommend one number 1.2 two and then if it's two tiers, we would say 1
million and then 1.2. I'm still saying 1 million. We're going to lose both of them if we're doing two options. I we're just going to We don't decide that though. We don't just like I agree. I would rather just going in one, but we don't decide that. You decide
that. We are the school. We It's our decision as it's not our warrant. It's not going to be our We don't make the override, Mary. That's what I'm trying to tell you. We don't do the if it was a regular budget we were sponsoring. It's not their sponsor. They do the ballot and tell us that that won't work. Then
let them come back. They would have down. They weren't talking about the two tiers. They were a little bit higher. And we're telling them that we're trying to be sensitive to our voters to try and get the number as palatable as we can by saying under that 250 and let them have
the argument that they want to go they want to give us a higher higher and I I think if they watch this recording and they see that four of us are saying we're in favor of 1 million they're never going to go if I want to buy 2 million think there's any need. No, but what what they can say is, okay, we want 1 million and there
750 cuz they still may want two tiers. That's what I don't want to happen. Well, then what how then how is the 1 million and then the 1.2 going to happen? Because we could say we could if they go with a two-tiered approach, we
could say we would recommend it be 1.2 or 1 million and then 1.2. But what we what I don't want for to happen is that we say one number and they say no, we would like to tier it for the public and we're gonna go with,
you know, because we didn't give them a tiered number. We're going to we're going to say 1 million is your highest and then 750 or whatever is your lowest. Maybe needs to talk to them and explain the reasoning behind our 1 million vote and why we didn't want two tiers and
have a conversation to try to like compromise and come to that middle agreement. Yes, I they know that we do not want two tiers. We've talked about that in the subcommittee already, but that's not they we and we told them that hey like if you're going to have two
tiers, that's what I that's why I'm coming to you all. Like if you're going to have two tiers, please let the school committee be the ones to recommend what those two tiers are. And that's why I'm coming here. Otherwise, you have some people in the subboard just saying 5050. And I don't think that is what the decision should be resting with them. It
should be the school committee who is recommending if you're going to have two tiers, what those two tiers are. And so I try to pull the conversation back to at least allow us the input of what those two tiers would be if they decide that. So that's what I'm asking you all
to please provide me with numbers for two tiers if they decide that. Okay. So then if we're doing that then we say we recommend that we would like one tier at 1 million but if you're
asking for two then we're doing 1 million and 1.2. Great. Thank you. It's just Was that your same takeaway from that meeting?
Were you at the budget meeting where they insisted on two tiers? No. No. That was committee. Yes. This select board had they had at their meeting they had that they were talking about that approach and that's where
when I heard somebody say, "Well, just take this and just cut it in half." That's where I said please if you're going to decide because I had already told them we only recommend we said this in our budget subcommittee we would like one number and at the select board
meeting when they're deciding it because they're going to be the ones deciding what goes on the override and the the questions. So I I So are they potentially are there people potentially who want to do the two tiers because
they want to see it fail? I don't know the motivation for the members who want to see a two-tiered. I think the members who I don't even know if there's a lot of members, so it may not end up being that way. That's why I want to present them with what we
recommend. Um, in speaking to Jeff in the in the meeting, I think he was open to the one idea because of I did introduce that 1 million. However, he's just one person, you know, and so I want to just, you know, um I don't want that I want it to be a collaborative process
and I think he does as well. So, I think, you know, getting everybody our all of our members on board with that, you know, like if we're going to have a public hearing together, it has to be something we all agree on. So, I think that's the ideas like we it would work for everybody that they they support us,
but I also want to understand like what we don't want is if they decide a two-tier and we don't provide them a number, then they're going to be the ones who decide that number. And I don't think that is what we want in the outcome. I I don't know. I'm just guessing that's correct. Do we want to
provide the number if they're going to decide a two-tier? She just said we need more collaboration. Um, so I think what I suggested is what we should do as long as you know we're
we're impressing upon them that we don't want two tiers. We want one. Yes, that will be part of what we're stating in our recommendation. This is what we want as one number. Like that is we're going to reinforce that, right? We still want
one number and this is what it is. So we're good with that. Okay. So, let me just make sure cuz I think we need a vote on this. There's been a lot of conversation. Um, and I think I started to make a motion and I don't think it had a second. So, I'm going to I'm going to amend the motion that
we recommend the 1 million for a strongly strongly strongly and bold font red underline all of that. um this number be the one number that is
offered to town is $1 million for an override. However, if the select board strongly strongly strongly feels that it must be two-tiered, then the two-tiered would
be one million or 1.2, right? So one would be relying on our revolver accounts for approximately 2,000 200,000 annually and one would not be because we would you know we can make
the argument why that it's a a better option as well. So sound is that do I hear a second? Do I hear a second? Yes. Mara is that her second? Okay. Any further discussion on this part? Okay. Uh, roll call. Hillary,
yes. Maro, yes. Mary, yes. Alexis, yeah. Natasha, yes. Okay. So, I will inform the select board about what we've
agreed on. Um, and strongly emphasize all of that. how we want the one one option one number as much as possible. Thank you all. I know this is
very hard. I'm sorry I'm not there also. Um um so the collaborative public forum is um I alluded to that they're looking to schedule some but we need Colleen's input. So when she gets back we'll have
to address this. Um so they want to have uh a public forum around April either April 1st or April 8th. Um and they would like you know the school committee to participate with that.
Um Mary um I think um you know I'd love to nominate you as our our our public face to talk about some of these things. Um but hear me not right now.
All right. We'll talk when everyone's a little bit more rested about how we will you know approach that part and um April April. Okay. April 1st or April 8th right now or tenative. Is there any particular
um concerns with any of those dates? Is is that going to be um that's going to be a night thing, right? Yes, it will be a night thing. Okay. Because the um the food
um food thing is on the first. So the father national honor society is on the is on the first six o'clock. You're right. Um, and just for everyone's awareness, like you know, Jeff was saying that and
and Greg were thinking that it would be like a dry run of like town meeting, right? So that it would be and we can also hold our own Mary and I are still going to go to see the seniors as well. Um, so all
right session that we were talking what the budget thing. Yeah. Yeah. We have to schedule a date. So that's where I need Colleen just to because we have to like post there's some legal requirements to post in a certain period like in a newspaper and all this stuff.
Um like going out and doing forums and having a table here and having a table there and you know talking about certain issues or people asking questions about certain issues. Are we still able to do that and maybe we talk about it? We have
to have to. Yeah. Yeah. So, we we're going to have we need to pick our I mean um our public hearing would happen on on one of our on one of our meeting dates. So, that in April generally um but what do we have? I know we have April
vacation in there. So, huh. I said Wednesday the 16th. Right now, we've got a school committee. Oh, that was I was looking on Thursdays. I was like, what happened to the 17th? But I forgot. There we go. Um
um so maybe it's this um maybe April 16th um would be the public hearing. Um if not, I think that probably would be best because it'll be right in between like the public forum would have happened and
then um the warrant will have been decided and then it'll be before town meeting. So, does that sound like April 16th for a public hearing? Yes. Yes. Okay. All right. And then we can think a
little bit more maybe about like how we want to structure that as well. I I hear your concerns, you know, Mary I mean um Hillary as well. I'm not like trying to mask anything in any sense. um just want to make sure we're not overwhelming people about the the doom
and gloom preemptively. So, it's just a balance of information of you know what's realistic um and then also making sure that we're still doing our best to show that we're advocating um as well in every way that we're just not settling
for what the town is. Um, so just finding the right balance there. I think in my opinion 5050 in terms of the information and we need to lay out exactly what the allocation would be under both circumstances.
We can we um we'll maybe we'll Mary will maybe send feedback and then we can talk in a budget subcommittee about a little bit more because that's where we kind of started with talking about like Brian and Wayne to get that together. So if um
anyone has any strong, you know, feelings about what they would like to be incorporated in the budget hearing um just send them over and then we'll we'll discuss it in the subcommittee and seeing how we can format that and plan for that. Does that sound okay,
Mary? All right. Um I don't have anything else from the chair's board. Um, super uh subcommittee stuff tomorrow.
Um, both policy and personnel uh got cancelled this week. So um all right, we need to policy needs to be um rescheduled. Um I think personnel we're doing next week. Um we did a site
visit this past week which was really fantastic. And then um afterwards we went to um Hillary and I went to the staff meeting um at Green Meadow um which is also fantastic. Um we got some thank you very much questions which I
sent to everybody. Um and I just want to remind people that we should do a Fowler and high school site visit. Um um I will look at the um dates of
when they're um I think that theirs is also similar of timing for um their staff meetings. So maybe we can do well because that they'll do um maybe we could do a site visit before the staff
meeting for those. It was kind of funny because um the principal down here in Green Meadow didn't realize that we were coming for site visits. She was she was very accommodating. She's like, "Aren't you just here for the staff?" No way. We're here
for our we just like that anyway. So, yeah. Great. Um Hillary, any updates? No. Okay, Mary. Um, we had wellness committee meeting. That's why I'm angry
right now. At 7 o'clock this morning, we had the wellness committee meeting, but it was um it was really it was really good meeting just talking about. So, there's going to be um with the youth risk um survey that um was just done. There's going to be another video that's going to be done and that with different
participants and so um Charles is working working on that. Yeah, that's it. Okay. Um, Alexis, no. Okay. I said a lot tonight.
I'm sorry. No, I'm good. You're good. I said a lot already tonight. I'm good. Okay. No, sorry. I missed anything. Um, all right. I know I don't think we have the the warrants. There's um minutes in the
folder. Um, Marorrow I went through I know that you had some grammatical stuff um and I just went and accepted them um for them and I had a couple of same things. So um I don't know if anyone has any um
we're strong feelings about not accepting them tonight and we're we're pretty behind so I'd really like to to chip away at it if we um if we can. Um, so the only one that I had and I think
maybe I would want to leave out um is uh there was one about like I think it was like electricity or something and um Colleen had put like hybrid and I can't remember honestly. So I think it was
like remote only. She puts in the next line that it was remote only or it was remote. So, I think it's supposed to remote, but that would be the one that I Oh, I do remember that. Yeah, it was remote only, right?
Just look cuz she put in here like it was the file a superintendent conference room as a hybrid via Zoom, but then the next line it was for the minutes for August 15th and then she then the next line she said they had to move fully
remote due to the power outage. So that's why I was like I think it was fully remote. But anyway, so I'm going to just not deal not do the August 15th one just to till we get confirmation on on that. And I I didn't have a chance to look back. Um does
anybody else have any other thoughts? Is it okay if I just go ahead and for the make a motion that we approve is it August 22nd, 2024, September 5th, 2024, September
19th, 2024, and January 23rd, 2025 with edits. Second. All right. Um, all in favor? Um, Alexis? Yes.
Uh Marorrow, yes. Hillary, yes. Mary, y Natasha, yes. And then All right. So, we are going to um we'll leave the August 15th. So, motion carries. Um August 15th. We'll
revisit those once we get Colleen's confirmation on that. Um and then I will um make a motion that we adjourn. Second. Um, all right. All in favor? Alexis?
Yeah. Mary, yes. Maro, yes. Hillary, yes. And Natasha, yes. All right, we are ajourned. Brian, thank you. You can stop the recording, I
think. also.