Good evening. >> Hi, I would like to note that all school well some school committee members are in uh attending tonight's meeting are here in person and if um any um happen
to show up online then to uh check in with making sure that they can hear us. Um, so our meeting called to order at 6:46 and then we'll go into executive session under MGL chapter 30A section 21A3 to
discuss strategy with respect to ongoing litigation between PACE collaborative and vanful transportation and MGL chapter 30A section 21 A2 to conduct strategy session in preparation for
negotiations with all non personnel since an open meeting will have a detrimental effect on the bargaining of the public body and the chair so declares will return to the business meeting at 700 p.m. Um,
Mary. Yes. Uh, Hillary, >> yes. >> I mean, yes. Everybody, everybody's great. Welcome back. Um, get right into it.
Um urgent business. >> No more urgent business. >> Okay. >> We have any public comment? Nope. >> Do we have student? I do not see one.
>> We do have a funny when they send the report it goes to the students too. like they are doing something but they might just be busy end of the year. >> Yeah. >> Sorry.
>> Sure. Um the highlights, our soft currently ranked number four in Massachusetts division five. Our baseball team is ranked number seven in division 5. There were a couple of home games remaining before the playoffs and we recommend that everyone get out to support these teams. Prom was held last
Friday at Stowakers Country Club and was a huge success. Everyone looked great and had a great time. AP testing finally ends tomorrow. It has been two long weeks for our AP students and we are all glad it is over. The students will receive their scores in early July.
Upcoming tomorrow, the seniors will present their senior projects to a panel of teachers and professionals. Next Thursday, May 21st. All of the projects will be showcased in the gym starting at 6:30. Everyone is encouraged to attend to support the class of 2026 and their
accomplishments. Tech week has begun for our spring musical Camelot. The show features a talented student cast, crew, and pit band. There are shows next Friday and Saturday nights and a Saturday matinea as well. Next week, the sophomores will take the math MCCAST.
Although MCCAST is no longer a graduation requirement, it still counts towards scholarships and awards. Memorial Day is May 25th, and the Maynard High School marching band will be participating in the town parade ceremonies. The Maynard High School boosters will present the spring sports
awards by Wednesday, May 27th. Great. >> Good. >> Great. Thank you. >> Superintendent report the pro. I just want to reiterate that from great success. There were 146 uh
students and guests great evening and just a big thank you to Techan Otis and Miss all really really well. So great job to the students and the staff. Can >> I tell you how many parents I've talked to that were so happy that it was local
and everybody was thrilled. That was so close. >> And this is all messed up. I know. So cute. >> Just so you know, we sent out memo to anybody. We did unfortunately have that in a couple three incences kind of and
go a week ago. Not unusual. I mean, if you're watching the news and you get your newsletter, it's it happens everyception. We've been really fortunate that it hasn't been um prevalent here and I don't think it will be. Um there were three separate
incidents in the first week of May. Um one person was in fact you know the school administration did their job follow procedures investigating. One person was identified and suspended. Um another group of students is facing a suspension hearing and the third is
still under investigation. So they've taken the seriously and everything is done that I said we contacted and then as well we offer pure lid micro
next year to define this great just to keep the whole um mission. >> Was the belief that all three were related or they were three independent at the same time? >> Honestly. >> Okay.
um to identify compar >> Can I ask what what reporting to the anti-defation group does >> it they track it so we call them and they don't necessarily send somebody out but they do track around the entire
state so we just inform them and then sometimes in the past they will send resources um and they are more than will be a thought partner in more so in store Yeah,
>> I just great time. I read books for a couple of weeks and then as a surprise they said, "Hey, can you come back to class?" So I went back to class. They read me a book, you know. >> It was great. It was one of the highlights of
secure >> but you know a good thing. Yeah, absolutely. the green building project. Um, teachers got a tour through one and two at the elementary school got a choice on Friday and pictures.
I don't know if it's everybody got this, but if you wanted to, you got um you can see the pictures in terms of the progress that's being made. Super exciting. Still on track, still on budget. Still lots of decisions to make, but
everything keeps moving ahead. very happy with um collegi and CTA just plugging ahead when we have something we send an email and they respond really quickly. They have really um the MOA probably the next committee
meeting will schedule if that requ when it gets approved and when the new room metal opens. right accurate everything else is play here
doing update handbooks are the heart of the meeting tonight so I'm not that rocking and rolling end of the year very excited and I got look at all those happy principles right
back It's a good thing. Okay. >> All right. Thank you. >> Um well, um we're gonna have to table the um welcome new school committee members.
So, thank you. Thank you, Mary. >> Thank you very much, Mary. >> What would you do on Thursday night? >> I know. You feel so lost and bored. >> I would be way. >> Okay. And now on to the schools.
>> So, do you have a preference of who you want to hear from first? Because we have all three principles. We brought them to the subcommittee who did due diligence in reading them carefully making suggestions. So the version that he have updated. So if you have a preference I
>> start with Karen you're up. I don't know why I'm screaming yet. Sorry. Colleen can you unmute her. >> All right I'm all set. >> Hi everybody. It's great to see you. Um,
you know, I think overall our um edits to the Green Meadow Handbook this year were pretty minimal because we did a lot of work to our to overhaul our handbook last year. Um, so you know, I think for
the most part we have kept our formatting. We have updated our um information about um opting out or opting well opting out of our biometrics
ID metrics program for food services. Um we've aligned our policies with around attendance and um attendance notification with Fowler and with the high school. We did a lot of work with the subcommittee to make sure that our
policies were clear, updated in alignment with um recent changes that have been adopted by the school committee. And so, you know, our handbook is is we think in good shape and ready to go, but we are open to any
feedback that you might have or areas that you would like us to continue to edit and focus. Okay. >> Um, it has to do with the food services and I'm wondering if we the ID scanning thing. I'm wondering if we could table
that talk about that off to the side. I had I've heard from a couple of parents who happen to be attorneys uh and have reviewed the law regarding this and it's not an opt out. It's an opt in uh
>> regard. >> So that's you did. >> Okay. >> Okay. Uh because I'm getting otherwise from them. So, if I was to get the actual language, can
we send that to the attorney and have them look at it before we finalize >> what's in the handbooks regarding the >> So, what I would suggest is you this is just recommendation. >> Go for it. >> Approved except for that section. We can send
that to you. As soon as you get it, you send it to me to send it to >> that one. Yep, that works. should we approve the whole thing and then if the lawyers it out and say it's fine, it's good to go and if they don't well that makes sense.
>> Okay. Okay. We can come back and that >> Okay. All right. >> Just out of curiosity is it do you have any sense of districts like you know Massachusetts use of that program like are we like pilot programs >> program? I think there are districts
using it. >> Um, >> and is a little bit better than the old system. With the old system, they just used to have a car number, >> right? >> Then I parents like here, but in my world, you know, I put my son $72
on vacation or whatnot. Somebody's leaving their number. So, this is a little kind of saver on that, if you will. But we'll certainly double check. >> Okay. >> The legal aspect. >> Okay. >> No.
One would spend more, one would spend >> balance each other. Absolutely. >> I don't have any um or anything. Okay, so on to Keith.
>> Thank you. Thank you. >> Thanks everyone. >> Good evening everybody. How's everybody doing? >> Great. >> Awesome. Um so thanks to Mary and Hillary for sitting down with Karen Liz and I um last week a week prior to that
to review our handbooks and get them in what we feel is in really good shape. um based on the committee's request last year, um this year, um I believe Liz and I, um really tried to mimic the formatting and some of the language, most of the language in the Green
Meadow, um handbook. So, thanks to Karen for doing a lot of that leg work prior to um this year's time, we pretty much mimic the format. Um we made all the changes that Hillary and Mary um suggested. Um we are we're in
pretty good shape and we stand in the same same position as the biometrics language, but I think we're good. We just put our um father spin on it. You know, older kids, little bit different policies, not not policies, but procedures, I guess, um for certain behaviors and and other um aspects of a
middle school life. Must be perfect. I can't hear anything. Go ahead follow the conversation that we had the other day that you were going to check it with the teacher about the smart watches. >> Yeah. >> Did anything come back with that? >> You know, may I apologize. I forgot to
do that. I will uh I will follow up on that one. >> Yeah, it's open to a certain extent here, but um Yeah. >> Yeah. I'm not it's not going to prevent me from voting or anything like that.
>> Can I ask because I'm curious with the smart watches? I know the policy said that they have to be on silent. Uh, I'm not sure that that from my perspective, I'm not sure that necessarily solves the issue because
students still have the ability to sit there and do what they want on their watches and grab information and do all sorts of things. They text and whatever with the watches even though they're on silent mode. So, I'm wondering if having
them on silent is actually going to have an impact uh on students in the classroom because I'm seeing more and more and more students have their cell phones and lockers and are now opting to wear smartwatches. Um
>> so, when we were talking about it at the seventh grade unit, um Miss Dr. was talking about how at the high school they handle it basically just under behavior like >> okay >> it's not the same way they would handle any other kind of behavior like playing around on school Chromebooks like it's
the same >> issue just with a different >> with a different spin >> my issue with it and this just happens at my dinner table where you know a couple of my kids have a smartwatch they don't have their phones there but then
their watch buzzes So, and they're constantly checking it and you know that's right. It's a distraction and I can't imagine that they're not doing that classroom. So I I I personally think
that the watches should also go. >> Yeah. So So if we could just go back to Green Meadow because Green Meadow had language on page 24 said smart watches are one more way that our young students um strapped during school day. These devices must be stored in students
backpack during school day. We understand that parents caregivers may rely on these devices to stay in contact with their child. Students are welcome to wear them before or after school. So that was a free metal but it didn't go into power in high school.
>> So >> at the risk of at the risk of sounding um I guess combative and that's not my intent here at all. I just want to frame kind of the school environment and when it comes to watches there are so many versions of smart watches out there
>> um that I feel that we would literally have to u ban watches completely um there's not there's no way of even knowing what what is connected to a phone somewhere because there are so many different whether it's an Android connected you know Fitbit, Apple Watch,
etc. Garmin there's so many of them. So, I just wonder I wonder what um what benefit we're going to get out of really trying to eliminate them. It's just going to become a policing issue. Um I think at least from my perspective in a middle
school world, um communication on a smartwatch is a lot more obvious within the classroom setting than on a cell phone. Um where, you know, kids really have to get down to the nitty-gritty to get to the keys. Um, and so I feel like we're we're going to be up against a
losing battle and we're constantly going to have to be changing it because as we know technology changes every day. Um and so where the uh electronic device language came in from the follower perspective and honestly it came back
from a a real life situation where a student was actually calling um home in the middle of their class on their smartwatch. And we had the cell phone policy in play. And fair enough, the
caregiver had the counterargument that um well smart watches are not in your handbook. And so we're always trying to keep that like one step of you know what what what's the next thing that's going to happen. Um so I just worry how much
how much like I guess um fine detail we want to pay attention to in terms of getting that language for smart watches specifically. Uh but I'm open to subject subject sub suggestions of course. Um
>> I did like how you changed personal um devices, electronic devices that is more all-encompassing. So thank you for that. >> Sure. >> Um how is that um in practice? How is it working at the high school in terms of
like dealing with kids? Are kids, you know, doing this um on like to text from their watches and is that able to be addressed the normal way um like cell phones or is it working out? Like what are your thoughts from the high school
perspective as far as what's in place at Fowler? Hello everyone. >> It it has not been a huge issue at the high school. There are have been a few instances where it became a class
disruption and the teacher let us know just as they would with a phone and we came and took care of it just as we would with a phone. So, a couple of watches have been cased a couple of times. Other than that,
the the reason it works at the high school is everybody they would be texting other than their parents is also at school. And so if everyone's following the rules,
there's no one on social media they want to talk to and no one texting them except between classes and at lunch. And everyone's bought in because they don't want to lose between classes and
at lunch. >> Yeah. >> So, not a huge problem at all. >> I love the policy there. And when I was listening to the state house talk about what they're planning, I feel like they're really giving up such a huge
like piece of what you have that works so well both in terms of developing the habits for the future and in terms of buying in now. I think because our policy was partly designed by the students, >> it has gotten really great buy in from
the students. >> Yeah. >> And they're proud of themselves when they do handle it well and they're embarrassed when they get cased because, you know, even the best kids have bad days and I know I would have
been cased, too. I always tell them that sometimes you just forget and pull out your phone >> and it's just not that big a deal >> said anything. >> Thank you.
>> Um Liz, you want to go over the changes? Yeah, we have one substantive change. Like Keith and Karen, we did major overhauls last year, hours and hours,
and um we did do the format update to match Green Meadow, but our only substantive change I did share with you is our change to the age of majority procedure.
Um, we also were talked to by a couple of parents who are attorneys who told us that our former procedure, which was that we waited for the parents to sign off before we started letting children
dismiss themselves, I should say emerging adults dismiss themselves at the age of 18 and write their own absent notes at the age of 18. um the statute says we have to give that
right if they ask for it on the 18th birthday. So we will continue to inform the parents and to have them sign off but we will not withhold that right beginning on the 18th birthday. And we
have something in the handbook to remind in the same paragraph to remind families of to talk about it during the year before beginning on the 17th birthday to start talking about how they're going to handle age of majority. And you know, many
families do do choose many young people do choose to let their parents stay involved and let their parents continue to write their absence notes and dismissals. And for some students it's just
um it's better shared and every family is different. um for this one check with the attorney about the um lines I had some concerns about and still we'll go forward and approve it now but similarly if they say
anything I did say how much easier it was to read these now that they were all for it was it was wonderful I know there's a lot of work that went into it thank you very very much for doing that >> um the other thing is I didn't say this at the subcommittee meeting it's too big of a thing for right out. But um
throughout all of them, thinking about how it like addresses different um like desires for behavior and their consequences for behavior, next year could add um something to address the hate incidences and like that the
schools that there's expectation to be welcoming and you know what's like really general idea of how what kind of followup there would be. maybe that the folks could write something. Um I think that's something we could
write out quickly, but um >> we can talk about that. >> I mean, I think that has a lot to do with what everybody's doing in terms of building culture and kids buildings. >> Uh that doesn't mean we couldn't come up with a phrase that supports that
handbook. I was more thinking like if we're saying you know you have to do this or you have to do this for tiny things also be good to acknowledge also don't be racist >> we'll rephrase it anything
>> no overall talked about this the sub was the our mission that our vision our mission It showed up in all the handbooks. >> When we update, we'll update all. >> Oh, okay. Great. All right. And you said we're going to talk about that maybe
next week. Is that what it was? Okay. Actually, I forgot. I think I wrote a note that on one of your letters it has the wrong date writing letter. Maybe in the high school it says like >> So, just check the date on that letter. >> Not at the top of like the last.
>> Okay, we can check that. Yeah, >> I actually I I caught that this week. It's fixed. >> I was giving one final read through and talking back and forth with Colleen and she caught some things and I caught that.
>> Thanks. We also talked about the um the athletic mic is not >> so you have them. Yes. >> I don't know if you want to vote those tonight. That would be fine. If you aren't prepared or if you aren't ready
to do that, you want to have a meeting with Mike. set that committee might put in there about if we do find something we need to come back to. We can certainly come back at a
>> body that I was very glad about the the form of communication like the that we have to use. Yes. >> Really glad that that was put in that was necessary.
>> Yeah. I don't love that the way to avoid that is by asking like one student to promate the information for the rest. But yeah, sure. How to get how to get around that word
like do it a lot. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. Well, the app keeps like I feel like when it's the app, the parent get their information the information and it's searchable. It's like monitorable
>> versus the coaches telling like texting a captain and telling captain text >> and then who knows what happens, right? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, I'm gonna um approve all all at once.
>> Okay. Otherwise, I Yeah. Okay. Um I'll make a motion to approve the Green Meadow Fowler Mayor High School. Um and both the student and coaches athletic handbooks
um with as presented with suggested edits. Um >> all right suggested edits 2026 2027 second.
Uh all in favor thank you again. >> Thank you so much. Nice job. Thank you guys. >> Fun. >> Thank you for meeting with us on Friday. >> Thank you very much.
>> That was really helpful for you. Too much fun. >> Oh, good. >> Um, this overview of cell phone policy. >> Yes, >> that's like incorporated into >> That's what I thought.
because I think at some recent meeting three meetings ago >> and I think unfortunately that could have changed with the state. >> Yeah, I know ours is better. >> Yeah, I'm wondering whether or not we
were if things are going well with oursed. So there is an option you can do what they say and the third option you can do what we wanted to do some well you know you can get generically
more attention test results will be one way for us to tell different issues while maybe are we able to have the policy we have a high school because of the unique features of Vader being small and having
the admin that we have and like is it not would it not be able to work at other schools and that's why the state is more leaning towards the all or nothing approach or >> could they do it too just as we easy one side.
>> If it passes in October, we'll take that option and we'll write it out. I mean people send the whole thing because I didn't know how much to advocate that they do what we do versus having them be like that's not going to work. >> I mean so
>> you don't care everybody has to do that one. So >> and a lot of those are trying to figure out how to make it work. They have an exception. >> Yeah. >> On to quarter three financial report.
>> There's Wayne. Wayne actually at the manual conference. He's speaking. Thank you Wayne. >> Thank you. >> Hello everybody. from rainy and cold Felmouth. >> Rainy and cold here, too. So, you're not
missing not missing out on any good weather. >> So, good. That's good to hear. Um, so I wanted to present or go over the uh very quickly the third quarter report. I
think you guys have had it for a while and had an opportunity to um to review it. So, if it's okay, I'll just go over some highlights. Does that work? >> Yeah.
So, um, the the well, first let me back up and say that the total budget, I've said this before and I know you guys know, consists of the operating budget, grants and revolvers, and um, circuit
breaker. Um, so I'm first here, the operating budget. We're about three well, as of this report, we're threequarters way through the year. We've spent about 58% of the operating budget. Uh that's normal for this time of year. There are a number of expenses
that come in near the back end of the year that will wipe out um any type of uh or at least most of any types of surpluses we have. Um, our current
expenditure as of March 31st is 14,321,64. Um that um expenditure leaves us with uh a $725,000 plus uh surplus versus your budget and
uh a $344,720 uh dollar surplus versus the town budget. Um, as I said in my narrative, you have to be careful uh talking about surpluses because if you go back and
look at last year and the year before, we were in these same situations and we end up, you know, at budget, you know, turning nothing back in. So, while that is the case now, I don't perceive that
that will be the case uh at the end of the year. Um, I implemented a budget freeze in March to slow spending and I warned everybody to uh check their unused
encumbrances. Um, and this freeze obviously does not apply to special education. Um, so some people have uh reviewed their encumbrances, but uh when I get back
next week, I will review all of that and send notices to people that still have encumbrances for things other than salaries and give them one final warning before I cancel all of those incumbrances.
Um, right now I think I have to look. We've got I think over $2 million in encumbrances and um I need to know whether those are needed or valid in order to get a proper assessment of
where we are before we reach the end of the year. Um so going to the revolving accounts uh circuit breaker um as of the 31st had uh
a little over half a million dollars in it. Um the main thing is I said we uh have spent all of the circuit breaker money we received in FY25 which is my first concern to make sure that gets
spent. Um, I project, you know, we've got more circuit breaker reimbursement payments coming that by the time we get to the end of the year, we should be at or very close uh $1 million, which um
you know, we had some some um some classes down here on the Cape about two things about um financial reports that we do to school committees and also about circuit breaker balances. is and pretty much all my colleagues, you know,
like to carry over um at least one year's worth of circuit breaker over into the next year, which I have done, you know, about 1 million 1.1 million um going into uh the following year, which allows me
the flexibility then to take care of um circuit breaker or excuse me, special education expenses. When I say that are unbudgeted, I don't mean um uh like the the the vanpool
things, but the you can't really budget for special education as you know, because you could set a budget and I'm making this number up of say $2 million in a special education budget and a family moves in two weeks before school starts and they have uh loved ones that
need some some special attention that's very expensive. Um, and that's that's primarily what I use circuit breaker for to handle those types of things. Um, a facility rental. Um, the main
thing I would say about the facility rental is I'm spending a lot of money on maintenance um, at Fowler. um to a certain extent that's to be expected that many of its systems are at
or near the end of its useful life. Um because I think Fowler is about 25 years old. Um some of you might know that better than I do, but I think it's it's in that general vicinity and so there are a lot of things that we're spending
money on. Um, and uh, one of the things I also don't like though is I'm also spending a good bit of money at the high school. Um, and unlike Fowler, it's, you know,
not that old. Um, and I've always said the amount of money that I have to spend in terms of maintenance of that building that um, sometimes I get frustrated and said if this was a car, I'd drive it back to the dealership. Um
so the first slide that I um have under uh facilities there you see um how the maintenance money was spent that came out of the operating budget. So you get to see how that was done and then the
slide after that shows the facility spending by source. So the operating budget or the general fund as some people call it. The amount of money was spent on facilities from uh school facilities rental and school choice. You
know again this flies in the face of the narrative I heard when I first came to the district that you know the schools didn't spend money on maintaining their buildings. Um and that's just not the case.
Um the next slide you know shows facility rental expenditures. So this is money spent out of the facility rental uh account and as you see uh what I was talking about you know the biggest spend out of that account is for the high
school uh followed by uh uh Fowler. Um, but again, it's a good thing we have these accounts. Um, are you pulling it up there, Colleen? >> Yes, I was see referring to it.
Yes. >> Um and then um the last thing I show you is the uh facility spending from from school choice. Um again, Fowler and Green Meadow uh and the high school in
terms of maintenance. Um but these are things that you know some of this stuff we we just have to do. There's just no two ways about it. Um preschool has a very uh healthy balance.
Um, as you know, we get uh tuitions for our stu students that that attend um uh the preschool and um Karen is good about reaching out uh if there are uh
parents that um you know request some relief from um paying uh the tuition. Um, and the main thing in the the preschool uh that are in there are some
salaries and I use those those salaries originally um are in the operating budget and I move them into school choice as the year goes on um as a mechanism of taking some of the pressure
off of the operating budget. And then school choice revolver. Uh we've talked about this and that there is a severe decrease in revenue that we uh get in terms of school choice. That
is dictated by the fact that we have um significantly more students choicing out of the district than we did a few years ago. Um and so um those two numbers of who the number that we have choicing out
versus what we have choicing in are almost even. And um I show you just this year um look at the the the school choice revenue
that um about three years ago it used to be about $50,000 a month and you see here this year it's been a little under 9,000 a month and then it dropped um in January. So um
that's that that fund is not going to get replenished at the same rate that uh it used to. Uh the next graph shows you expenditures out of that account. And again it goes to maintaining
uh the plant and the buildings um in the district. Um and then moving on to the last revolver school lunch. Um it has uh about
$196,000 in there. Um, as usual, the number one expense out of that account is paying the invoices from Witson's every month. And that can vary anywhere from 70 to $100,000
um out of that account. So, the first graph that in my report is food re food service revenue by source. And I put this there to show you that federal reimbursement is by far the biggest
reimbursement that we have. As you know, there's no operating budget money that goes to fund the food service program. And it's important that we understand that the federal reimbursements because uh a reimburseable meal is what drives
that number. And there's certain criteria that that defines the reimburseable um meal. The next graph just shows what I said that the main expenditure out of this account um is paying witson. As you
know, the only thing that can be paid out of this account are food service related types of issues and again largest of which is uh paying witsons. Um, the next graph I want you to see is
the meals year-over-year. And, um, I'm a little concerned that the meals, uh, for 26, uh, both breakfast and lunch are down slightly. Um, not a
lot. Um, I brought this up last quarter and when I spoke to um, uh, the elementary school principal, I spoke to Karen. Um, she thought that
that was, uh, probably due to last year their um, policy about um, letting students into the building early or not. that um last year they wouldn't let them in unless they wanted
breakfast. And so being the smart students that we have, if it's cold outside, absolutely I want breakfast. So um they have changed their policy now. And so um the incentive to to take
breakfast is is taken away. I don't know um what's going on with lunch. Um it's down slightly. We'll see where we end up at the end of the year. The next slide I show is you know meals by month and that
pretty much varies also obviously by participation but also serving days in a month. Um, as you can imagine, February is a short month, so you have fewer serving days. So, you you serve uh fewer meals.
Um, but the thing that I want us to look at is the next one that says revenue expenses uh for the food service program that for the most part, our revenues exceed our expenses. And I know talking to my colleagues when I've been down
here at the Cape U many districts that's still not the case. Um people are still struggling to keep their food service program um in the black. And that's highlighted by the last I think that's
the last graph. Yeah. Of uh food service where I say food service profit and loss. You'll see our revenue is flat. maybe down just a little bit, but we are saved in that we cut expenses. Our
expenses are less than they were. So, with revenue being about the same with fewer expenses, we are um almost $23,000 in the black um for this year. So, um
that's that's always good, you know. Um, we've been in the black uh every year that that I've been here and I feel lucky that uh Witens has been a good partner in this. Last revolver is the grants and I uh
highlighted some grants that have been added since my last report to you. um the interpreter and education training uh which is fund code 199 um and that's a grant for $10,800.
And I put um in my report what what the purpose of that grant is um supporting and implementing of updated regulations regarding timeout practices. That's fund code 213. Uh that grant was for $50,000
and the supporting arts and cultural vitality teams uh is fund code uh 718 and that one is for $8,000 and uh the skills capital technology and
equipment grant which is fund code 31TC um and that is for um 75 $5,000. And as you can imagine, that's primarily uh at the high school um for them to buy um purchase and installation of equipment and related improvements
um for uh WAVM. So, you know, uh my my my summary is is that the district's financial health is stable. uh I don't have any major
concerns of uh at this stage and again I would reiterate that the surpluses that we have relative to both uh the town and the school committee uh budgets um will be spent down and they they
won't exist uh as as we get closer to the end of the year. Um but other than that I don't see anything that uh I want to draw your attention to as being out of the ordinary.
And then the uh appendices I attach what I normally attach which um I call a condensed operating budget. Um then there's a detailed operating budget and then uh the the listing of the revolving
accounts and the grants their allocation and their status. The only other thing I'll add is about the grants that um I think you know um we meet monthly um with all the stakeholders uh at the
meeting um and one of the things that we've been focused on particularly this time of year are the grants with a 6:30 end date. And um you know it's pointed out to
whoever owns these grants that um you know the intent is not to have to turn any money back in and to make sure if it's the case of where you need time sheets u that people are well aware that they need to have that done in a timely
fashion so that we can you know cross the finish line on June 30 and have everything spent or if it's something they need to buy. Same thing applies. So, uh that's been emphasized probably the last three months about, you know,
this deadline is looming out there. So, with that, I will stop there and take your questions. Wayne. >> No, I just um I had just one heading on
page three about circuit breakers. I think there's just a zero missing. He said the third bullet down said with another reimbursement coming soon. This account balance would pay for $900 if you spent $900,000 talks about a million the next sent. So
that's all. >> I'm sorry you the circuit break. I'll send it to you. Don't worry about it. >> Okay. Okay. >> Yeah. No, everything else is is great. It's still I'm still styied by by the fact that the kids aren't taking the free breakfast and free lunch that
that's going down. Still stinies me, but um so but I know the the food service continue to try to to work it. So guess that's all we can do. >> Yeah.
Karen, did I describe uh your policy there? Did I I didn't misrepresent, did I? >> You didn't, Wayne. You did a nice job. It's not a policy per se, though, because of the construction. We can't wait outside anymore. So, the students are waiting in the morning in the gym.
And I do think I I think that um to be honest, our numbers were probably inflated last year because a lot of children were doing exactly what Wayne described. They didn't want to be outside in the cold. They were coming inside, which means they would take a
breakfast. But we had tremendous amounts of food waste last year. And so I do think our numbers looked inflated, but the children weren't eating the food. They were throwing the food away. So, you know, that that's not the right
message for us either. We do have a community cooler um where foods that are not opened can be placed and you know other people have access to it but it still it didn't feel great um and so this year I suspect our breakfast
numbers represent more of what the community needs because our before school program accesses the breakfast program. Um stu there are there are students but they're coming early and they're eating breakfast. um when our breakfast opens
at 8:15 and then you know we just don't a lot of families are feeding kids at home. >> Thank you. >> I just I had a question about the food. Do we know do you track I mean you've got everything aggregated
uh for totals for lunch and for breakfast. Do you track by school and what that difference is between years? So, are we noticing a substantial difference between the students at Fowler last year, what
they were eating, and if they're eating at different rates this year, or is it more like do we know specifically that Karen's numbers for Creed Meadow are this different because of this or is
that a guess? I you know you never know why students don't take a meal. So um you know that's >> track it by school by school and then like Fowler breakfast during the month
of March 2025 was this Fowler breakfast March of 2026 was this? Do we track it that way? >> No, I don't. I mean, I could go it's it's it's on the Desi website, but
locally we don't we don't we don't track that by school. We have to report it to Desi like that. But in in all of our systems, we don't we don't track that. Um and and like I said, when I see something like that, I do like I did
when I first saw it. I reached out to Karen u and said, "This is what I'm seeing. You know, is there something I need to know about?" And that's how I knew, you know, she was very good about getting back to me with her hypothesis
of of what was going on. >> So, you do get the school by school data on a monthly basis. >> I'm sorry. Do what? You do get the school data on a month on a monthly basis,
school by school. So you are getting that. >> So you knew to reach out to Karen as opposed to Keith, right, when you saw this change, >> right? I reached out to Karen when um
when when because I think I think the reason I reached out to her was um my I suspected that you know the high school you're not going to have that large of variance that to put it another
way probably the elementary schools are the most the students are the most fickle uh of all the students in terms of you know today they might and tomorrow they might not. Um and I was right in my assumption. So yes, I didn't
reach out to uh principal York and ask her you know was what was going on. Um and I think I also reached out to um to Sue and and that's probably the first
place I went is I send her uh like I did now. um the the graph that I showed you and I said help me explain what's going on. Um she says that um and Karen speak up that uh on a daily or weekly basis
the building secretaries give them uh the food service numbers uh so they can have some idea of how much food to cook. And um Sue shared that she thought that
the numbers that she was getting um for this year versus last year at Green Meadow were down. >> So we we track we do a lunch count at preschool, kindergarten, and first grade
um and second grade. and our third graders approach it like valor where they don't order in the morning. >> Yeah. >> So, I do think I think Sue tracks it and I think um but I don't know that that's how it's reported to Wayne through the
district. I think she just tracks it for her own food preparation. >> Yeah. Because I'm I I guess I'm sort of curious if the numbers are down and we can pinpoint is we're noticing at Fowler for lunch if there's something going on
at Fowler with the food service at lunch where the students are not they are choosing not to take the free lunch and they're bringing lunch from home or they're not eating at all. Uh, and so
that's why I'm that's why I'm curious if we can actually look at it school by school for each meal to see where these differences are to try and pinpoint why we're seeing a reduction in the students who are choosing to eat
school breakfast and school lunch. I mean certainly there are kids who are going to choose I don't like this so they might be bringing something from home but I also am concerned about the students who are not eating at all and are going to the nurse or snacks because
they're hungry and they're not eating the lunch. So that's why that's why I'm curious. It's I hear stuff from kids. So, I'm trying to I'm trying to figure all of this out,
>> but the numbers the the difference the delta is not that great. Um, I think if you accept Karen's explanation, that would more than uh explain the slight decrease. you
know, if we had significant drop off in those numbers, I would be concerned and probably do a deeper dive, but the the the the difference from year to year is not that big.
And so, um, you know, when you stretch it out over three quarters of a year, um, you know, it's not that big a difference. And I think, you know, that's why I was well, I I was satisfied with Karen's potential explanation that last year's numbers were a little bit
inflated, that this year's numbers are probably a little more accurate. I think if we saw a bigger difference, you know, the difference in the lunch, uh, for example, out of a almost 104,000 is only
it's less than 2,000 lunches. That's not very significant when you're talking about those uh numbers that big. >> No, I still view it as significant. But so I'm just I'm just trying to I just I'm trying to figure it out because we
are such a it's such a tiny population. the district is so small that even though it's only 2,000, it might be more significant because we have less students. That's what I'm I'm just trying I'm just trying to reconcile
that. Um you remember before co um college game college academy rented the facilities and brought in a good amount of money when we have the new green meadow. Can we try to like find people to rent big chunks to bring in a lot more money for
the facilities or is that not really realistic anymore? >> Well, we're having probably school. >> Yeah. So it seems like we had to like move kids from meadow to the other schools in the summers and stuff like up
in >> we can sort of >> um and is there ways to encourage school choice to bring out there we share the good things at our company we put it out on Facebook Instagram
>> could they could the PR community specifically reference full choice that work or is that your >> they can tell I was just thinking if that's a drop off for us like can we pick that >> that
might be getting rid of their school choice >> because they yeah so they might only keep the kids who are there now uh let them graduate it off. >> We advertise like
maybe people like to say we've got openings and that's that's great. Yes, we do. We do that. I post it online >> and on Facebook. >> But maybe like people can make it like a
like a splashy. That's their idea. up. >> Yeah. >> Thank you, Wayne. >> Thank you, Wayne. Very, very much. >> Have fun. >> Even though it's raining
here. >> It's great. We place on Main Street. >> I love it. >> One of my favorite. >> All right. Um, the non personnel Y27.
You just make a motion. Yep. >> Um, I'll make a motion to approve the superintendent's recommended 3.5% salary increase for the 32 nonloy. Second.
Any discussion? Okay. Favor. Um, see, I'm going to be at the high school tomorrow for the student presentations, which I'm super excited about and
was great to have a fantastic time. So, that was awesome. And I did have one question about that there's not going to be a Spanish emer
the the amount that people were paying. I think that's what happened previous that it covered >> when you say >> well because well people are yeah the tuition
right >> they can't the summer school they only paid the first year they only paid the first year we only had tuition the first year why the first year I think school committee
wanted a Okay. Oh. Oh, >> I'd like to revisit that >> in the future. >> Yeah. >> Yes. I don't know if anybody else would like to revisit that, but I I >> if it's selfunded, it's amazing.
>> Yeah. >> Put that right. If it's more fun. >> No, I No, I totally understand. But it's but you know for me it's it's you know an added thing for you know those kids
you know it's definitely helps them retain the the the knowledge in between >> and that is parents are paying them anyway. >> Yes. >> Yes. >> Come up with a plan. Okay. Great. >> I feel like as long as class is like a
little bit less than they said >> doesn't Yeah. >> for their summer. >> Yeah. Yeah. as long as it doesn't they ask them to have knots as long as we make sure that we take care of the kids that can't take care of the basic is not
inexpensive so for other kids but cheaper there are some cheaper than the rest of the year and I know this because I've done it and they're cheaper than a lot of other >> all right um any reports
Um, no sub, but just on that same wavelength, if we're going to be doing it, Spanish population understandably, it feels like Spanish learning gets more attention than like our foreign breeders who are struggling. Um, we need to be
encompassing and and program it wouldn't be doing for Spanish school in favor of that. >> So, we need to have a conversation. Great.
And then I just wanted to do a shout out so I don't do enough. Um Don is one of us this year is Massachusetts. Massachusetts girls, not just boys. This Massachusetts. So um she's one of us.
>> Yeah. So it's it's pretty darn cool, you know, again. So yeah, that's something that was all got today. Um, I also want to say prom was great and I thought it was um interesting because I'm such a nut about safety and
I felt like totally safe setting my kid off because the chefs are amazing and school resource officer is amazing and I know it was handled so well that my family was like shocked that I didn't have >> I was like I'm not worried.
Um, you weren't right there outside the door. I did come 45 minutes early and she left after it was over. Like she was the last student walking out. But um and then I went to the sustainability committee
meeting and um they would like to be on our agenda in the fall and not just go through Rebecca. Um there was a lot of things that they were mentioning like offhand uh that sound like it would be um just helpful for them to like talk to
maybe like Tony and some other folks like one of the things they mentioned with the time of day that feel their water is a sustainability thing and >> that I'm fine if they want to come to school. >> So part
of just >> they have to do that too. I think they have a list of everybody they need to get feedback from and we are one of the people they provide that basically what they're creating is a master plan for the town but regarding sustainability and so they'll write goals for the town
and stuff um and like they can write in things like um if the town prioritizes walking past like they can say you know in they could like require that it be in cons consultation with the schools to provide like more common loops of
transportation to the school as a priority. Like there's there's a lot of things um that they can do. Um but we would have to give feedback anyway and something talked about before we get feedback on. Um and then I saw like she mentioned the timeout stuff and I saw a
lot of articles in the news this week about timeout policy for schools at some point. Can we get information about the current rules here for that? Um, and then is there money for credit recovery to the seller or if there's no money for Spanish? >> Yeah.
>> Okay. Oh, I hear I >> we have that. It's uh Yeah, >> right. I know we >> Okay. >> Yeah, I was laughing the video. We do
the kids typically use educ that's the right >> and then we have adults >> on site but the teachers on this are certified licensed >> yes >> so have that >> thank you very much
>> it does Um, okay. On to the consent agenda. Um, I ask without objection to accept the minutes from April 30th with edits. No objection if we want to accept it or the minutes are accepted.
And then um, warrants. I ask without objection objection to accept warrants 2667 068 and 069 objections the warrants are accepted
motion to adjurnn second. All in favor. >> Thank you all.