This government meeting is brought to you by Eastworks and our local cable subscribers. All right. Today's June 25th. It's uh 1 minute past 6. This is the uh June meet regular meeting of the Southampton school committee um which we delayed by
two weeks to get in yearin transfers. Five members of the committee are present along with our superintendent, business administrator and building principal. Thanks. The first item on the agenda, Norris reorganization. We are going to delay that and go out of order. We'll take that up under new business letter
F. So, first item for tonight is approval of the minutes of May 14th, 2025. Move to approve. Second. There's a motion made by um Kim, seconded by Jen. Any discussion? I'll just note that my name is spelled
wrong. Sorry, I wasn't here. Having no discussion, all those in favor? I opposed. So moved. Public comment.
Uh circulation of warrants, announcements, correspondments. Amendments. Principal's report. Okay. In your packet, you have the principal's report for June. Our enrollment has not changed. We still have 481 students with two out of district students included in
that number. Um, under student life, I have u meteorologist Dan Brown visited our third grade classes at the end of May. Kindergarten classes celebrated their eggs hatching with a chick party on May 30th. Our arts in the park event was held on May 27th. Um,
field day for students in grades K through six was held on Monday, June 9th. I don't know what happened with my editing there. We held a step up ceremony for grade six students. Um June 12th, preschool held their end of year picnic at Konet Park. Kindergarten visited the Southampton Fire Station,
library, and police station as part of their community helpers unit. Grade one visited Stanley Park for some outdoor activities. Um grade three also visited the Clark Chapman house here in town and they visited Jordan. Grade four students went to Westfield Starfires game. They
also walked to Bank ESP in Southampton as part of their financial literacies savings makes sense program which is a great little community event. Fifth graders visited Five Wits in Alberine, New York and grade six visited Sunny's place in Summers Connecticut and there was so much going on that I may have
missed something. Um, some of the academic things. After some great work with assistant superintendent Michael Fett, the middle school ELA team has chosen Common Lit 360 for their ELA curriculum in grades 6 through8. Mr. Hodgson and Mr. Smith from
Norris served on the team and we're looking forward to professional development and implementation for the school year 2526. And under staff news, we have a few staff members retiring this summer. pair of professionals Sandy Klitsch and Kathy Costello. Also retiring is Johanna
Keefe, grade one teacher and special ed um special education secretary/admin assistant Brenda Tibo also retired this month. These employees have well with Mrs. Costello, Mrs. Klitchch and Mrs. Tibo. Over 50 years combined experience at Norris and then if you add that that
first grade teacher, it's probably 80 years experience at Norris. So, um, a lot of dedication to our to our school. It was sad to see some of them go. I think they probably wouldn't have done that if we didn't have budget cuts. Um, so, so it was a little bit difficult on
the last day of school, but we want to wish them well and we will miss them all. Questions. Uh, my only question is, uh, school choice is listed as 40. What What's anticipated to be when we start the new
year? Well, we're going to take out the three in sixth grade and we're going to add two in kindergarten. So, 39. You're the math guy. Sorry. I would say 39. Yeah. Okay. 39. I'm not good thinking on my feet with
the math. All right. Uh, superintendent report. I'm I'm thinking about getting an abacus for uh principal Duda. Um so so the the the report that I presented uh and shared has a little FYI at the top. The
the Senate final FY26 budget was shared um in the folder for the school committee. Those are live links so you can take a look at those budgets and there is the the change from uh 2526 Senate final. Uh one piece of good news
is that uh the sped transportation costs are going to be funded at 75%. So that is uh an increase from uh what was projected and what is has been in the years past around 40 44% I believe. So
it's a sizable increase and it certainly will um have a positive effect. uh the nurse leader position uh was discussed as a stipen position and the uh position was posted. I did get
feedback from the nurses at midyear to ask how the the position was was going. Was it fulfilling the responsibilities that it was meant to fulfill? Was professional development happening as it should have happened? And the the
feedback I received uh was uh was relatively positive. People had good things to say about San Peas and the work that she was doing. Uh the nurses were happy with the support that we had received from Michael Fdet in preparation for the school year that was
and that will continue into the 2526 school year. Uh when the position was posted for the stipen there was only one applicant. It was Sam Pas again. So later in the agenda, there should be a um a motion to um yeah support the the
the nurse leader position approval. Um just an FYI, the the towns of Southampton, Westampton, and Williamsburg all uh worked on a grant to hire a mun municipal energy manager. Um,
I was asked by the town administrators if I would sit on the uh the the hiring committee and then the oversight board. I'm glad to do that. So, that position is going to be a shared position and there'll be more information forthcoming
on that. the um uh the the the next piece of the report really focuses on advocacy with the the struggles that many districts including ours is facing with respect to budget. There's been advocacy efforts at the
state level and at the local level. Um I have written letters uh various school committees have written letters. We've attended events including the Ways and Means Committee at UMass in uh in the midyear and then um Margaret Larson and
myself, Don Scaparotti, Principal Hoes and two students from the high school uh went to Northampton High School. We were invited there. Seven school districts were talking about the challenges that we are facing as a regional and as a
rural district. Um the presentation was kind of led by Alisa um uh Cologne Garcia and Keegan Butler, grade 11, grade 12 students that sit on the school committee at Hampshire. They did a really really nice job presenting the
realities and the challenges that are being faced by our district with respect to transportation costs around um uh the regional realities around sped costs and um I don't know Margaret if you wanted to speak a little bit because you were
one of the ones on stage in the heart the hot seat. Um, Secretary Tutweiler was in attendance and he was very receptive to the message and I think those advocacy efforts had some effect. I think so too. I think that the most important aspect of it was the advocacy
of the students. So there were a few, you know, adult presenters, but mostly it was students and I think that that had an impact. Um, I was just very impressed with all of them. I just, you know, I was basically on stage for decoration because the students really
did the work. Yeah, I agree. I mean, the students actually at Northampton High School, the youth commission uh is is a student-led group and they organized this event. They advocated with the state to get Secretary Tutweiler here.
um he attended the ways and means uh meeting at UMass and then he cancelled this event in I think it was March. Yeah. And so they kept at it, they kept bothering uh they kept advocating to him and he came back and
he was really gracious in his attention and uh the students were really impressive. I mean it shows the leadership that our two students had but also that this generation of students have around getting involved and being part of the process. So it was really an
excellent opportunity to see our students in action and uh I think it had effects and Joe Cumberford were there as well. That's correct. Um so that was that was an excellent opportunity for for um
advocacy and the rest of the report is really focused on the work that the business office has done. Dawn will speak to some of that though we're focused more on 20 uh 25 26 than on 24 25 uh etc. Um, the last thing I wanted
to talk about was the work that the attorney general Andrea Joy Campbell is doing in conjunction with the governor. And that work is really focused on the unease, the uncertainty, and the fear that many um demographic groups in in
our schools are feeling based on executive action at the federal level. And the counselors at the various schools have had some conversations with principles, principles with me, and uh they were worried about what response
can be given to students and their families who are in fear that their group is going to be targeted for um negative outcomes, if you will. and the uh the the attorney general has
shared many resources around know your rights and um reassuring our students and their families that Massachusetts is going to welcome and include all students in our buildings and support and protect them as we are charged to
do. And so there's not much we can do in Washington, but there's a lot we can do locally and that is the work that has to happen. And as we can see tonight, many of you are here for um for other reasons, but similarly engaged and
active and uh sharing the message and the support for education here specifically and generally in Massachusetts questions. Uh chair's report, we completed the uh superintendent's evaluation. and we're going to bring that up later under
letter E under new business. Um there will be a transition at ADC um this cycle and the next dup is Southampton will chair that committee. So more to come on that Hampshire Regional School Committee update. Uh we
approved some great field trips. We had a lot on our agenda that's very similar to this and we read six policies and approved them which we probably need to start doing a little bit more of that here because I know we have some
policies that were written in the stone age. Good PTO update. Yep. PTO had their last meeting of the school year on June 10th I think it was. um they've started their
planning for the fall and one of the things that was brought up and I don't know if anything has happened since that meeting um but in light of the um failure of the override they are talking about having some sort of a um school
supply drive over the summer because of classroom supply lines being zeroed out. um they were thinking that that might be a way that they could help in the current situation. Good. School council. Yeah. Finalized the
school improvement plan which looks awesome. And so I'm not sure when I'm going to present it in August to the school committee. Yeah. Little tweaking I want to do but thank you. Collaborative for educational services.
Uh they're meeting tonight. So I'll be there. I'll provide the executive summary at the next meeting. Their executive director, Todd Gabet, is stepping down from his role. Um, he sent out an email indicating he's spending more time in the classroom and he's taking a position, I believe, as a
principal in Chester Elementary School. Oh, wow. Um, wants to be back in the classroom. He's an educator by training. And they I think some of it too is they've had a very very rough year fiscally as many areas and districts have and they had to go through massive
layoffs as well. So I think he's feeling it might be time to have someone else take the reigns but that's um the work continues to work but the discussion at the last few meetings has been around budgetary issues and and staffing around that. Okay.
Uh select board update. We're in the process of closing out the year. There's a uh meeting another meeting scheduled for Monday night between finance and select board. School committee will be on that one. Um that's more to handle the uh deficits that were created in this existing budget that we're closing
out which we're going to talk about in the next subject. Um so we'll go in greater detail about that shortfall there. Um that's it for them. So budget finance team update. So, we're
going to I'm going to turn it over to Don and and the team in a minute. Um, but basically, I think the way this is going to go is we're going to get an update. There's going to be a lot of information in there. There are going to be some required votes that are needed. One of them is listed under line A under new
business. Um, but as we go along, I think first we'll kind of explain everything, give us a a picture, and then we'll go back and I believe there's a series of five or six bullet points that we need to hit on. So, Don. Okay.
Um, everybody moves along so quickly. I always slow things down, but I'll try to go quickly. Well, this is the important one. This is where we want to spend the time. All right. I want to I want to understand, so just do what you got to do. Copies. I do not have any extra copies. Is there a way to project it or
make extra? I don't know if you're You can have my copy. Okay. Thank you. Um let's see. If we start with the um first page, if you start with the first page, this is just um really to show the FY25 column and what the school committee
voted on. This is merely just to show that you did have an FY25 budget of 6,562. There was town revenue, a non-town revenue of 931 applied and the town contribution, these are the ones that are highlighted in yellow. Um the town
contribution was 5,631506. And then from that um there were state there was some state aid and then the school committee votes on this other section and you voted for 25,000 from the foundation reserve nothing from
school choice preschool revolving and um so that's just to lay the stage of where the funds were planning on um supplementing the budget. And then the next one are the legal size paper and that's where we actually ended up or
where we're projecting that FY25 will will end up. So for right now the the conversation is regarding the shortfall in fiscal 25 that we're trying to close the books on. All right. Okay. Yes. Which is $330,000.
Um so this just this is just for ease of presentation so you can see where um the shortfalls are. There's um a shortfall of about 40,845 in the staffing line code and that's primarily due to um the substitutes that
are hired to cover various maternity leaves. Um because you're this year we had three you had three three maternity leaves. Two maternity leaves and an illness. Yeah. Yeah. two folks out on using their available bank sick time. So that drew down their salary lines. Yes.
At the same time, we put long-term subs. Exactly. And which doubled the impact. Yes. So that which is why we have that $40,000 shortfall. That's the primary driver of that. Mhm. And then the next one um is sped tuition services and transport is projected to be over about
257,000 and that's primarily being driven by the fact that contract services were considerably over the budget. The budget was 8,000 and contract services was 200 and something thousand. So that is the full rationale and reason for why we're
over in that line. That's the major component of it. Mhm. Um and then buildings and grounds is over by about 36,693 and that's primarily due to um unforeseen maintenance across a number of areas. Correct. Maintenance and
repairs. Correct. Maintenance and repairs of which I believe 20,000 or 22,000 is related to our antiquated boilers. And then um the administration line code is is under about 18,000 and
we're looking into that um to see where that is. I think that it's in two places. Um some supply lines were underspent and um we we'll come back with some more information on that. We're really focused on why you're overbudget as
opposed to under. That's 5% of the contributes to 5% of the whole issue. So, I'm skipping over that. Oh, that could be me. Yeah, it's behind you. Excuse me. Sure, it's late breaking news on the budget, but we're going to ignore that.
Um, and let's see. Then we go to the instructional non- salaries over about 11,000 and that's basically due to technology hardware and software purchases that were a little bit more than was budgeted.
Um then the other one is school committee is over $3,000 and that's because the Massachusetts um Association of School Committee dues were not budgeted. Um they will be for next year but they were not budgeted. um I want to
say with our predecessors. So um we're trying to anticipate those areas that were not budgeted this year that need to be budgeted for next year and we believe we've captured most of them. So that gets us to the shortfall of $330,59.
Yes. And then the next page pause. Yes. Any questions at this point? No. Okay. Okay. And then the next page talks about how we're going to cover that shortfall. Um, so we're going to cover that shortfall by moving things from the
general fund where everything gets charged off to various grants or special revenue accounts. And this is how we are proposing it be done. So for school choice
um we had budgeted 309 622 to be used and as of the end the beginning of June 271,000 was going to be used and we anticipate another 76. So
all total we expect to use 347,98 um to offset the budget. Now, the 309 was was projected. And so, you'll see over in this column where you see some red, this 38,286
is the amount over what was planned that will need to be used from school choice. Um, so that's so that's going to be part of as we go down this list, that's going to be part
of what hopefully will be one big motion. We need to authorize the additional 38,286.48 to be spent from school choice. If if when we get to the bottom, everything's in agreement. Can I ask a question about
this though? All right. So that 309622 was our what we anticipated our school choice in was going to be. It wasn't what was sitting in a revolving it wasn't what was sitting in account. It was correct. So are you saying that our
school choice in exceeds the 309622 that we ant that we you put in and it we have this other 38,28648. Not quite came in this year. Not quite. But um the 309622
is what anticipated was anticipated to come in. That's what came in and the other amount is what you had in a balance. We had we were sitting on a reserve. No, I understand that. So what I what was what was that balance? Okay. So we're pulling it from the reserve,
not because we got additional school choice money in this year. Yes. And I I don't want to give you that balance right at the moment because I'm not quite sure. I have to look at something else before I give you that balance. But I can tell you that we will need to use 347, which is $38,000 more than we had
in our plan in the budget than was authorized for 25 for 25 for 25. And before I go through the detail, I think I should just say of the 330, all of these things which we will go over in detail will bring it will bring
it down to um 219,000 or almost 220,000 over budget. And then we still have a plan to bring it down further. But that's but that's what each of these is going to do. Yep. Okay. Now this next one, the foundation reserve, we had planned to use 25,000. The school
committee had suggested at the beginning of the year or at the end of last budget season that we use 25,000 from the foundation reserve. I don't know if you remember when Bradley was here a couple of you know when we were looking at the budget for 26 the idea was we could not
use that 25 that 25,000 in FY25 because we were putting everything that was in that foundation reserve 120,000 towards 26. So I'll try to say that again. What that
really means is we can't spend that 25,000 on on this year because we got to hold it in obeyance for next year. And so that will require a motion to say the school committee originally voted 25. We're now going to vote to use zero in
20 in in this year FY25. Is that clear as mud or is that Well, I think I think so my memory I agree with what you just said. That was what Bradley indicated to you. I I disagree with Bradley because the
original foundation reserve was $154,000. Mhm. So, we committed $25,000 which brought us down to the 125 because originally we well go back even further. We pledged $25,000 as the funding source for the alarm system and building
security enhancements. We didn't need to use that because we got the state grant. So, I believe there's an incumbrance out there that needs to be reversed. Okay. Double print. But we have Do you want me to follow up with We only have until Monday to figure this out. So I I it'll
eventually fall it'll eventually fall out. Okay. Um but we'll go forward with the plan that we're outlining if the school committee agrees to it tonight. Okay. I I think eventually 25,000 will come back to us. I just don't think we have enough time to chase the paperwork and justify it to Bradley. Okay. All
right. Then the next one is the preschool revolving account and we had authorized the use of $50,000 that was in the preschool revolving and we are projecting that we will be using
$71,249 of that. um only partial prek teacher gets charged to that revolving account and one parah is um offset as well.
We're we're going to later on we're going to have a separate lengthy discussion about prek. Okay. But just suffice it to say that we will need to use an additional 21,000 out of the preschool revolving. So that's the number you see in red. We're going to
need to have a vote to use an additional 21,24962. Y Okay, hang on. So, does that impact the $40,000 for fiscal 26 that we put in the budget?
Potentially. No. Meaning meaning that we're we're right now we're anticipating this is going to be part of the conversation. We're anticipating collecting 97,000 in receipts. 92 or 97. So that 40 would be so moving this to cover the the the shortfall in 25 isn't going to adversely
impact the fiscal 26 budget. Correct. But there's more there's more to Okay. Yes, that that's correct. And stay tuned for additional conversation on preschool. Okay. All right. Okay.
Then circuit breaker. We authorized or the school committee authorized 183,000 of that 01. We are we will be using all of that. Um and there will be no circuit breaker otherwise listed REAP. Um no. Did we jump over something? No.
No. Right after preschool revolving is circuit breaker. Oh yeah. All right. Yep. Yep. Yep. Um and then we've got rural aid from various years. The reality is you are supposed to use rural aid in the year that you receive it and that's what we will be doing going
forward. So we need to use all of the rural aid up. Um we had the school committee um plan was to use 117963. We're still going to plan to do that, but it does leave about 68,000
remaining, which you'll see down at the bottom as a suggestion for additional relief. But we're going to go forward with that plan of using the 117. And so just on the rule aid, when when generally when is rural aid certified?
When are we made aware of what that dollar amount is? Rural aid comes in September. I'm gonna say I think it's October. I'm gonna say October. So it so it comes in three to four months after we've set the budget. That's correct.
But we need to spend it within 5 months. That's correct. That's right. So that's correct. What we were told by uh Jay Sullivan and his team was that the practice of rolling it over is not Well, I get that, but how how how can you
budget for that? The budget if we don't know what the number is when the budget has to get done. Well, you we estimate based on the prior years is what practice has been. Yes. Yes. And then it's up to the the the Senate, the the House, the governor to
determine what actually gets funded. And that's the advocacy work that's been been happening. We need to fund it at X level. Now, rural aid is where you have a little bit more um leeway in that it
can be used for just about anything. Um, a lot of principles will use it for things that um, they have not seen that they need, you know, that wasn't anticipated in the budget. Um, here we're using for we're using it to move
things off the general ledger onto rural aid. So, it's not necessarily in addition to, it's to fund what's in the budget. Okay. Okay. So then sped 240
um sped 240 is as the name would imply it's for special education and that um needs to be used within I think that's a 27 months and um we authorized 130,000 and we're going to
need to use about 150,000 um which means we'll have to ask you to authorize an additional $20,628 for this here. And what's the current balance in that? Let's see. I think the balance is sitting in fiscal year 24, right? That's
correct. And that's one of the But that's still only that's one of the grants that that we have been working on. And um our forensic work in the accounting side of things had to go back to 19 to make sure
that we were closing out and moving grants forward. So this sped 240 is um it's one of those grants that's a consortium. So all the districts are together and when it's written historically we're not going to do that moving forward so that Southampton has
Southampton's and West Hampton has West Hampton's etc. But we have funds in there. We're identifying uh exactly how much uh we should have that answer tomorrow. Yeah, I think we'll have it tomorrow. But as of yesterday when we
met, you had a ballpark idea and you're waiting to certify it. But roughly ballpark idea. Let's see. I I'll get I'll get back to you on that. I'm not quite sure. I'll have to look that up on another piece of paper as well. So there's two things we
have to look up. Yeah. The balances. You did ask me to be prepared for balances, but I'm not. We can't approve it if we don't know we have the money. So what if any impact will that have on fiscal year 26? um it will not have any impact because every year we get an allocation.
So we would just be using up what we have available. Got um so the circuit breaker that we have built in what was the second? No, sorry. Sped, we're not on circuit breaker yet. We're on sped 240, right? All right. So
we didn't choice. All right. So for sped 240 for 26 we built in 130. So we're still assuming we're going to get that. Yes. Yes. Yes. Will that number change once we start doing it as individual schools versus a lump sum of everybody?
No. No. Um, however, starting in 26 when Michael Ferdet, who writes these grants, writes the grant, it won't be a consortium grant as as veto said, but I just wanted to point out that they're 27-month grants. So,
next year will still be spending out of the consortium. Correct. until that 27 months goes by, it'll still come into Hampshire and be transferred to each school. So, starting with 26,
um it'll just come when the the the money will come directly to the school once it's drawn down. Yep. To each school. But the 27 months has to pass before that happens. Okay. Then the next one is this reap.
And uh FTO, help me out on this. Reap, when how often do we have to spend that one? Reap is another another isn't that is that 27? Yeah, reap is another one that you have a window of time beyond one
year. Yes. To to spend that. And so that's why you see 23, 24, and 25 listed. You hadn't identified 23 and 24, but because we identified that there are balances there that we need to use up,
um we are putting 23, 24, and 25 towards um towards that. I I mean, the bottom line really is we're looking at all available sources of revenues. We are closing out grants
appropriately and using them as they should be used. And what we're trying to do or not what we're trying what we are doing is making sure that the practices that we are putting in place are in line with the regulations that drive the
grant or the the claim with respect to uh circuit breaker or um sped increment or um rural aid where it has to be used in the year. We're we're doing things the way they're supposed to be done. And that's the challenge that we're facing
right now is that we're cleaning up that stuff and trying to move forward at the same time. right now. I don't think that this the school committee actually allocates REAp and any of these other grants, but so there's not an action you
would have to do per se on those, but we're just since it was organized a certain way at the time of the budget. I'm just letting you know that we're using it a little differently. So that's why those aren't in red. That's correct. That doesn't have to be in the motion.
That's part of the reason. And also, if you look at um if you look at just 25 reap, it was we were going to use 56,500 of it. And you'll notice we're only going to use 45. So, we're actually 10,541
less than what we expected. But because we're using the others, we're over um but you do not have to make a motion or do anything about that. It's just basically letting you know. But we need to we need to see it in order to get
from the $330,000 shortfall to the bottom line. Exactly. Exactly. So then if we go on to sped 262 um which is again for special education, but 262 is elementary um preschool and elementary.
Correct. And so um there we're going to need to use um all of the 75 that had been allocated and some additional money that we have found in a previous year's sped 262. Um
then when we go another 27 month one. Yes. Yes. Um and then title one, title two and title four. As you see there, these are available to us in that the person that we had who was doing the
grant reconciliation identified amounts that were still available to spend and we are using them and using them up so we don't have to send any money back to um the federal government because these are federal grants and that has been um confirmed by
the powers that be that we can still use that even though it's Yes. Yes. And yeah. Yeah. The only the only uh concern we had, one of the concerns we had was around
REAp because we lost our administration rights to it. Um and that happened whether it was a year ago or two years ago depending on the different districts. So when I first got hired, that was one of the first tasks that I took on was renewing our registration.
So, we had access to that money and it took us um I think until this past month or so. Yeah. To get all five districts renewed. It's a bureaucratic nightmare. Yeah. It's it's it's a lot of fun. But bottom line is we have now access to
REAp as we should. We all we know now what we can draw down on these grants. We know now what we have to use in um in rural aid and we're using all of it to the best effect as Don is outlining.
So um you'll see then title one, title two and title four and then um after that it's ARPA. Um, ARPA,
John, you know more about ARPA, but the the point is that there's amounts being charged to ARPA. Um, and we did through December of this year. Uh, but there was nothing in the, you know, budgeted in our documentation
that took that into consideration and therefore that's why you see that 33 over. Yeah. Yeah. Yep. So basically after the application of all of those offsets um that's 88,000
and you take that away from the 330 and you get 219. So now we're over 21900 let's call it 220 220,000 and then these are the potential additional offsets that we can use to
bring that number down further. Um those offsets total 132,261 and we did find some additional money in title one that was remaining. So we're going to use the rest of that almost 9500 and then in rural aid I mentioned
that that balance has to be spent by the end of this year and so we'll we'll use all of that and apply that to the expenses. And then extraordinary relief is something that we qualified for this year. It's it's from circuit breaker. Um
and that also has to be spent in the year in which you get it. So we just got it what a month ago and they have and you have to use it by the end of the year. But they expect that because that's al that's based on your special education expenses. So we've already
told them that our special education expenses met the threshold and then some and that's why we got the money. So they're saying you can use that to offset some of your special ed costs. Mhm. So then we go that's an additional 132. And so that brings us down to
87,653. That is what we had communicated originally to the select board that we needed. That's why this documentation is put together this way because we had to I think last week or the week before identify to the select board how much we
would need in in aid from from the town in order to cover this year's budget. And so that's what the 87 is. But wait, there's more. You go down to the schools. The summer school is a cost
that can be charged to sped 240 and we have an additional 28,42 that we can use. So it brings it from 87 which is what we told the select board a couple of weeks ago down to 59,250
that we would need from the select board when we when we spoke to the um to Bradley and to the to the select board. I wasn't there that night, John, but my understanding was that um there was uh $4,000 identified from the reserve fund
and another $83,000 from an encumbered fund of some nature. And so they were planning on being able to cover the full 87. That was the recommendation from the town accountant. It was it was tabled for lack of supporting documentation. That's right. Like it's coming back up Monday night. Oh yeah. And so Monday
night we'll be providing this documentation and then um that'll bring us down to needing from the town 59,2 $250. You still need to pay 87 and use the 28 for 26.
Well um that's up to the school committee. Um what was the question? I didn't hear what Jen said. I said if the documentation supports that they were okay with the 87,000.
Why? No. Um just to clarify, a number was sent from central office to the town of $87,000. Bradley used that number, but carried out in an email. I'm going to use this as a placeholder. We need the documents
to back it up. Mhm. Oh, this document. I thought you said the town needed to look into documents to see if you had the money for that. No, no. the town wants to say, "Okay, you say you're 87,000 short. Prove it." Show us where here's where this is. And then because if the
town doesn't find it, then it just it's a ding on the free cash, which reduces the overall money. I mean, one way or the other, it's got to come out of the pocket. And what's what we what I was told yesterday was that this is fiscal year 24 money that needs to be spent now. And because we're running in that
27month cycle, this spent 240 28,000 which is why summer school which is substantially special ed, correct? Needed, right? Just is justifiable. I was just saying if this was $28,000 that we could kick to the 26
budget, I'd rather do that. But if you're saying it has to be spent, it does. We we have we do have money coming for we're going to get to that money to potentially I think there's going to be a recommendation to restore. I'll leave it when I see it, but yep. Stay tuned. 15
minutes from now. Okay. I think well I think this is a big picture but just to Jed's point I mean is there and John I'm gonna use your crystal ball here with the select board. What's up if we to reduce the school of choice from reserve by the 28,42 draw down that sped 240 so that we're
only drawing approximately 9800 out of reserves from school choice if free cash and the select board can come up with the 87,000. What you can propose it. I mean I I wouldn't
but the select board didn't vote on the 87,000. It was right. Bradley said crystal ballpark. Yeah. Okay. And then there's there's some late breaking news which is in order to meet the curriculum for next
year. Um they're purchasing across all schools some curriculum. Mhm. Um for math and English uh what is it? ELA. And that portion for Southampton is about $17,000.
And so we were going to ask for that 17,000 to be charged to school choice. So it doesn't add to this. And right now everybody else has ordered it. Southampton right now will not have this material for next year. Correct. But everybody else will. So So we would like
to be able to order that and and if you would authorize it to come out of school choice, then teachers would have it in time to be able to uh prepare their curriculum this summer. Yeah. What does that leave us in school choice once like what's the balance of choice? That is
that's something I'm going to give get you in a little while I think a little while tonight. No, tonight I'm hoping I have to look at another document if it was sent to me and if it wasn't I'm not going to give it to you. But um John, do you remember when Kyle was talking about it last night? He was looking on his
computer what that was. I want to say there's $130,000. Yeah. Because we were anticipating 240 coming in. Yeah. But that but that assumed 40 six school choice and now we're down to 39. So we'd have to adjust that. That means only 195,000 will be
coming in next year. There's only 39 school choice children for next year. The minimum. 39 * 5,000. Yep. Is what's coming in. But we're only reducing it by 1K. No, in yesterday's conversations, we were using the school
choice number of 46 in our calculations. All right. And now we're 39. Okay. Which is fine. It's not actually the money hasn't come in yet, right? I'm just saying for the numbers we were doing, but but the the one of the things that we did talk about and that I've um
talked about previously is what's called sped increment. And so sped increment is you have school choice students that are here that receive um special ed services. In the past, the claim that was done was
not as robust as it could have been based on the service grid that the students have, the services they receive in the building. Michael and Amy have done a fantastic job of reviewing IEPs
and services, etc. And so just for example in sped increment in 24 we receive $59,516. For sped increment 25 which we'll receive in the coming year we will receive $166,485.
So that's a difference of over $100,000. So sped uh excuse me, school choice is going to reflect that in the upcoming year. And so that is the conversation
I wanted to have about a school choice but b sped increment and c need in the building especially related to special ed services. So wait a so are you saying let me sure I understand this. So if we
got 39 school choice kids, that's 195,000, right? Then we're going to get this additional 100,000 in sped increments. So our school choice in if you lump those two things together is going to be $295 over the course of the year. It'll it comes in monthly, right?
But so it's like $110,000 more than what we accounted for in the fiscal 26 budget. Correct. Assuming all those students do indeed come and last through the year. Correct. No, that 195. Yes. That other increment was based on
this year's number. It lags. It lags a year and then it comes in monthly. Okay. So, we have more coming for school choice than we thought we did when we made this budget. And the reason that is is because the claim was made. Okay. And
two months ago, it's more robust and precise than has been made in the past. Yeah. And I think that claim was just put in what was it? March or April. Yeah, it's it's due in March. Hold on one second. I don't I don't want to speak out of turn
right here. Yeah. Well, that's extraordinary relief. Oh. So, since you've brought that up right now and we're just going to have a conversation and we can just keep going till everyone's satisfied with everything. Do you have a recommendation tied to
that directly related to why that money is coming in? And do you have an ask? My my recommendation based on the the the fact that the override didn't um didn't pass based on the advocacy we've
received from um from teachers from the principal uh from the sped director. My recommendation would be to look at the reduction that we've made and I think in this instance there was a retirement in
um of a sped teacher that wasn't going to be replaced. My suggestion or excuse me my recommendation would be to use sped increment school choice to bring that position back.
Now there's other cuts that were made. However, based on the information that I've received from the SPE director, um, conversations I've had with the principal, I think the neediest
population in the building is our special ed students. If we proceed without doing this, then the services that those students in the building um need are going to be
provided by the remaining sped teachers, special ed teachers, excuse me. And so that will thin out the the hours if you will, that they have available for the program. My recommendation would be to bring back
that or to um bring that position back. Now, that being said, you have a teacher retiring at a certain rate after x amount of years, they're paid at a higher rate. We hire someone at a lower rate. We use the sped increment. We bring the position back. We're able to
provide the same services as last year in special ed. That would be my recommendation. So, we're not offering that person that retired their position back. It would be hiring. Well, that person retired. So, so yes, we would be posting for the position that was going
to be absorbed. Okay. But that if you're going to hire someone at a lower cost than what you were paying the person who retired, that doesn't use the whole 110. Well, wow. You've got benefits. You've got So, will it that So, that's my question. Who's saying benefits? I said it. No, that's a town expense. That is a
town expense. So, true. So theoretically, I mean, so there would be more there's more money, right? We're not going to use the full 100 because I don't I don't have the pay scale in front of me, right? I don't think that a teacher goes up that high. And well, my so my question is is there something
is there anything else that we had to reduce that we can restore just to be clear though, we have to make sure that we're using the funds appropriately. Yeah. Right. So spent increment can only be used would be used for spent. Now, we
could use the balance uh for another special ed cost in the building and then shift it to. So, the conversation could be use x amount of dollars to um
offset the the uh the budget and bring back something beyond what I recommended. And is that something that we can do tonight or is there a reason that we couldn't do that tonight? I I mean there were we won't know the amount that we can use to offset
something else because you don't know who you're going to hire. So you don't know the but the decision and in my experience over time in the various districts I've been when the reductions have been made and revenues have been realized after the fact then um
a pink slip could be withdrawn. Yeah. So, or so of the hund of the the identified intercept. No, that's not intercept. What's the word? This money sp increment. Increment. Of the do we have do we have a firm number on the
increment? Yes. And it is 166485. All right. 166,000. But I want Yeah. Sorry. But we we already have a portion of that was already in there because whatever we got last year we probably rolled forward. So
the net new is 106 969. Let's let's call it 105. Okay. Right. So the committee could authorize the use of $105,000 of which first you identify I'm assuming a 1.0 correct special ed teacher. Sorry.
That's my recommendation. Yes. Uh and you know for all intents and purposes it would be a step one unless extraordinary circumstances were there but it'd be step one whatever that salary is it could be base or step one masters and that would be if it were step one masters it would be 74,325
so call it 75 out of 105,000 that we can give them discretion to find the appropriate sp so we don't actually have to identify the line item tonight correct we can say come back in August, what are you doing with that third order if you have to have a
special meeting? And if I if I could kind of enhance the recommendation, if that's the mindset, then I would suggest, as you were saying, Kim, that we would use that to with another sped cost in the building, which would then
allow us possibly to um bring um an interventionist position to 75 as opposed to a 6. Like hypothet hypothetically right now all our special ed paras are in the general fund right
well I don't know this but I'm guessing there's something over there in the general fund related special ed paras that could get reclassed out of the general fund which then frees up that money to then be used for a atypical position which may be the inter well the interventionist would wouldn't that fall
under special yes no that's a tier two no that wouldn't but the reason it's important the Reason it's important though is because if students don't get that intervention, Yeah. right, they might then need an need IP. Right. So there's an
opportunity for us to uh be creative with our use of this um 106 105 right with respect to the need in the building and the cuts that we've made. And I think John what you just said about
authorizing the use of 105 to bring back it has to bring back a teach it has to restore educator at 1.0 And then the balance defraying a Paris something in it's going to be legal, you know, it's got to be a way to do it. We just need
that spell out correct for a vote. Yeah, but we're not in the situation. I hope it does. We're not in the situation of supplant versus supplement, right, with this. This is not a grant. Okay. So, so that's not an issue. So, you could take the balance say we're going to say what
are we going to say? 30,000. Is that what we said? No. Total of 105. Okay.usus. -75. All right. So 30,000. Theoretically, you could take 30,000, apply it to another special ed cost that we already have in the budget, and then take that 30,000 to
be used to restore something that we had to cut because the override didn't pass. And 30,000 is more than enough to cover a 0.25. Well, that wouldn't be special, though. But we're miss Yeah. Yeah. No, we're saying I also had two pairs go out the
door. They're retired that I'm not replacing. That's going to be so just Yeah, I get it. And and that's the conversation that we need to have, right? But I just want people that's why I'm looking you in the eyes. I want you to understand we're thinking about what is the greatest need in the building.
And that's why the first thing that I thought about and the first conversations I had and the first input I received was around the special ed position. And then the conversation was around
that intervention uh position and the uh integral nature of it with uh early literacy. Is it possible to give us a rundown of what every grade level looks like as far as number of teachers, number of pairs
sped that is working for each of those grade levels. Do you know what I mean? Like well the I know that first in kindergarten or kindergarten is going down to three. First is going down to three. Two has already been at three. Correct. But like do they all share a
sped teacher? Is that sped teacher there? Like where is the sped teacher missing? Well for next year it's still it's not up in the air but I don't have it solidified yet because I didn't know what was going to happen tonight. And the paras are only assigned to students
who have IEP. So it's not like I say you know well except kindergarten the four the three kindergarten classes each have a parah other than that the paras are deployed based on IEP someone so the spend teacher that retired was
servicing what kids uh fourth and fifth grade I believe. Okay. So, so what we were planning to do for next year was the special ed team leader, the neuro one of the neuro diversity teachers and the other neurodiversity teacher all
sort of helping to take over those those group not those groups in fourth and fifth grade but all kinds of shifting was going to happen with the teachers. Um and then the two sped paras were also fifth and sixth grade. Correct. Correct.
Yep. Yep. Correct. So that sixth grader, they're they're moving into seventh, right? So they that pair was going to be redeployed anyway. Well, it wasn't a one to one. No, those are just general like Yeah. Right. So I think what what what happens now is
that once we vote on this, then Veto and Alisa go figure out and make a recommendation to us of what they plan to do with it based on the needs of with the additional 30. Yeah. Yeah. So, go. So, I
guess my question I my question then would be um if if if there's an approval to use or if the motion is to use the 105 to return the 1.0 and then immediately move forward
with the 1.0 post post it the other 30 depending on how we figure out and then transparently we communicate that but there's not no need for another approval. Right. Well, it depends on how they word the motion. Okay. It would be awesome if you the motion so that we
didn't have to come back for another approval. We could So, under discussion, listen to the motion and if it doesn't. Yeah. I mean, I feel like we need to let you do your jobs. I feel like that's a very important part of our relationship with you. I appreciate that. So, on this one, anybody else on just this one? I
just want to make sure I have a clear picture of general staffing for the building and that like yes, we're staying yet to this one, you know, full-time sp teacher, which I'm not saying is a bad idea. I just want to make sure that
like every grade is going to be as equally assisted as it possibly can be. Like are we every grade still has three teachers or are there some grades that are only having two? Oh, no. grade still has three teachers as of right now.
Okay. Unless we restore something K and one, but every grade K to six has three teachers. But we're still not going to have a L like a K to2 reading specialist. Correct. That's the interventionist you're
talking about. Is is that the reading specialist? Yeah, that's what you're talking about. That that that's the other piece to this. We have a full-time reading intervention teacher right now. and uh 6 6 and and last year before the coach we had two full-time we had 2.0
math right it is 6 math as of right now 6 math 1.0 That's personal language or reading. Yeah. But but to be clear, the only certification is a reading intervention. It's a reading certification. So, but but to Jennifer's point, Yep. Before the school year
ended, y we had X number of special education teachers. Yes. Which is how many did we have? Five. It was five. We'll say it was five. One retire. We're down to four. We're restoring that cut. So, we're going back to before. We had two people doing interventionist, one in
math and one in No, we had two reading interventionists and two part-time math interventionists, which equal 3.0 then two full time two. And what do we have right now way after the cuts? 1.5 1.6.6
1.6. All right. So, in my brain, early literacy is a huge issue. Absolutely. And so I would want to have as much full push towards having
a full-time K2 reading interventionist or as close as we can get to that and that would be the intent behind the use of that 30,000. So we take the 6 but and we add it and bring it up to as high as we can. Maybe it's a point8. I don't
know if I can have this conversation without saying names. The point 6 is mass. It doesn't it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter the the the the need in the building as you've just articulated is early reading intervention. Right.
Right. But I would say for me and the sped director and the principal, the 1.0 sped teacher is preeminently more important. Okay. High need students drive our data, right? We need to take
care of them, right? and secondarily using that balance of 30,000 to restore as much as possible of that reading specialist. Maybe it gets us to 0.9. I don't know. I I have to look at the numbers. I because
that has to do with where you are in the salary scale and all that stuff. Right. Right. Right. Right. But that my recommendation and I I love the enhancement to it is to use that 105 to the best effect by returning a 1.0 sped teacher and as much of a reading
specialist as possible. Right. Jen, are you good for a moment? Yes. Yeah. No, we can we can come back to you. No, it's not it's not a coming back to it. just trying to without saying the question that I want to say
which I don't think I can say so move on and I'll ask everyone yeah in my experience we're talking about FTEES we're not talking about individuals is that what you're saying we in a in a public setting we can't give any names other than we can only talk about
superintendent in public lucky devil that I am um any any other I'm first the comm I'm coming I'm coming over here in a minute. Okay. The committee. No, I'm good. To the extent Elizabeth, you want to say anything as
the president of the union and and you don't have to, but I'm just giving you the floor first if you want to. I mean, I can say a little. Okay. Sorry. I think what we would want to say is whatever it's basically what you've already discussed
a lot of cuts have happened but even like beyond people um going from four to three in one grade level is a change a certain teacher moving grade levels is a big change not having a budget is a big change there's so much um that's
changing for next year. So, I feel like the most that you guys can to impact all of the academic learners um that that's what's necessary and I feel like that's being discussed. So, and I appreciate that, Elizabeth. And
just so you know, for full again full transparency, um we had a meeting and with with the union leadership and we talked about um what priorities there were in the building and what
if they had their brothers, right, what they would want to do with the budget. And we I've received emails from teachers, from parents, if we can do X, that would be amazing. And so I've been balancing those things,
that collaboration with the reality as I see it as a superintendent. And I feel the best move right now is to bring back that 1.0 bed teacher, excuse me, special ed teacher. And then to use the balance of that 105 to bring our
interventionists up to as close to 1.0 as we can. Then we have two, I would say, reading interventionists. That's the data that we need to really look at because that's what's um showing the need as opposed to math which are
better scores. And to your point, Jen, from grade prek to three, that's where we make the most uh improvement, right? The most gains in literacy. So that's
kind of my rationale. Um, I have listened. I have responded to every email I've received and I I told people I can't make any promises. However, if the revenues show themselves and we can do something, we are going to do it. And
this school committee has shown their receptiveness to that and support of that of our kids despite the challenges we're facing. And I think that says a lot about the people that are sitting here and the people that are, you know, in in the offices, you know, working.
Thank you. Any anybody else want to be on this? Clarification. So, we eliminated Can you introduce yourself? Hi, Stephanie Lour Perah at Norris Kindergarten. We eliminated one full-time reading interventionist.
Correct. Correct. Correct. Yeah. And now we're talking about $30,000 to bring up somebody else. I I'm I'm confused because that's not going that doesn't make sense to me. We had three interventionists, three FTEEs,
right? One of them was a shared.5 math. Okay. The other two were reading interventionists. the the 0.5 uh reading inter math interventionists
were cut. Yep. And one of the 1.0's was reduced. So what we're doing is bringing that reduction as far back to 1.0 as we can. So going from three to 1.5 1.6 6 back to
1.9 one. I I I don't know the I I alls I have is $30,000. That's all I'm talking about. I can't confirm that I'll bring that one position back to a 1.0. I can't say that right now. But it's going to be closer than a.5 or a I get that. My only
It's close. My only other thing is is being in kindergarten and knowing how it works, 21 students, is you're going to have more IEPs. You're going to have more intervention problems because we're not going to be able to service those kids the way that we can with 16 in a
classroom. I get it. Yeah. So, I get it. We're going to be in the same boat if we don't have interventionists and we still have only three. But bringing a special ed teacher back and No, but in five. Yeah. But And
bringing the intervention position as back to one as we can. I I know. I know. I know. I'm feeling like Solomon here, right? Cut that baby in half. Yeah. So Dylan,
that's what I thought. So I'm kind of confused. Don, um, this is this is a a plan and a good plan for a year, correct? Because you getting that um sped increment this year. That
is to say, it will be coming in and available to spend in FY26. Correct. It's not something you can count on every year. I'm not talking about 26. Right. Right now we're trying to minimize to the extent at least I am to the extent possible minimize the cuts
that that we had to take. And as soon as July 1st starts, we need to start regardless of what else is going on. We need to get next year's budget done ahead time. And Norris needs to be the first one to the to the town with its department budget, not the last one
coming in. And here's where it is. And and at that point, this is the true expense of running the school. Here's what we need to restore. Yeah. Right. And and maybe we found some efficiencies and we got some cut. Whatever the case may be. Now, here are all the offsets we can apply. This is an offset that we're
applying and it may not be there the following year because this offset is only coming in because we do participate in school choice. Yeah. Right. So later on we're going to talk about potentially opting out of school choice tonight going forward or at least having that
discussion. So there's a lot of moving parts here. And and I think to that point really it's being communicative with the the the community. This is the effect if we cut a kindergarten
position. This is the effect if we don't have two interventionists. This is the effect if we don't have a sped teacher at the the upper grades in in that way. And you know how uh how Lisa deploys her resources,
that's a principal's purview. So, she's going to look at need and maybe that goes back to early childhood. You know, I don't know what the grids look like at the upper grades. You know, to John's point, sixth grade's leaving. How much need is out the door? How much services are going out the door to to Hampshire?
And then what do we do at Norris to best meet the needs of our kids and support them? I when I was interviewed, that's what I said we were going to do. The reality is if if there's a spike in IEPs, there's going to be a spike eventually in auto replacements and that's a cost we can't control. Once
that's awarded, it's gone and it's whatever $170,000. I mean, it's it was a $257,000 issue in this budget. Correct. Right. So, there's an educational piece to the p to the voters. Yeah. On lack of funding and what this causes. Lisa, I
just want to say that even though it doesn't feel like it may not feel like to everybody that this is the right choice, right? We're picking special ed. Why are we picking special ed? But we're we're plugging up a hole that needs to be plugged regardless of
where it is. Everything is so important, but the money is in spend, right? We have to spend it on special ed. So, that makes makes the point to me. Also with increasing class size in kindergarten and first grade because of the reduction
of those teachers. I totally understand and see it's either bring back a teacher which we can't do or give more money towards intervention for literacy. Of course that's huge and it's very very important. We have to hit them when they're young when they're when they're in K and one. Our scores already in
first grade always show that our kids are lagging behind in the first part of the year and then they make up for it in second grade. So we we have to keep the support in the lower grades. Um but I also want to say that eight years of me being principal now this is 11 I was
fighting for a math intervention right we wanted math intervention. It was always, can we get one, can we got? Finally got two part-time math intervention teachers, a really good program, Bridges, really good professional development, and now our math scores are good, but we also have to weigh like so that's going to go away
maybe for a little bit, but our teachers are fantastic and they're doing a really great job with math and maybe we can get that back at some point. But, you know, if you had asked me two weeks ago, what did I want? I wanted to have both reading and math intervention. But at the same time, I see how important it is
to keep the literacy in the in the younger grades, especially with the increased C class size. And like I said, we're we're plugging a hole because we have there's nothing else we can do. This is a triage situation. Yeah. And that is the bottom line. And and again, I can't say this enough. We have
collaborated with the the union leadership. We have listened to parents and teachers that have sent emails. And I truly feel like this recommendation is the most solid we can make in a really
not nice situation. And I'd like to add one more thing, and that is we just spent 15 or 20 minutes talking about how we were going to make up for the overbudget situation of $330,000 this year. So, we just spoke
about that and now we're talking about really working hard to try to add back. And so, I think if you just, you know, understand how it's just such a balancing act and and we we are short this year and even in
the face of that, we're looking at how can we possibly bring something back. Um, right. And part of this is is um you know again nothing on you Don or veto um but the the pred your predecessors right
all all these funds that are in older years that had they been applied or been in you know perhaps our general um revenue ask number would have would have been properly stated but it it was so
convoluted yes that um when we finally started getting cleaned up and oh well now here's the real number we have. Yeah, that was probably more of the harder sale. How come in one year there was such a big jump? Well, it's nobody wanted to listen to all the all the pain
and issues that have been uncovered and painstakingly fixed. You know, the fact that we're drawing down grants from 2, three years ago now. I mean, they should have been spent then. I know and and not using it, but we're cleaning up. We're doing our best to clean it up. I agree.
and we appreciate all the work that that you are doing in central office and Michael and Amy and credit. It's it's been a really fantastic team to go back and take a little bit out of that office. Thank you. So
maybe I would I would suggest that maybe we do this in a couple tranches. The intent of this single page here that shows an ultimate bottom line of negative 59,000. Yes. is uh if we approve this as is and any action that needs to be taken I yes no as it is then
this is the document that will be shared with finance and select board Monday night yes and is this in your view is this sufficient I think this is enough I think with the conversation behind it all we can walk them through it okay um but that you know obviously we're authorizing additional expenditures from
accounts um where we're being told by Don and her team that there are all these entries in Donning your dawn you you and your team are confident that the the existing balances where they are are sufficient to meet these needs and in some cases
are in s excess. Yes. Okay. Yes. Um, and then again the the recommendation down on the bottom, which I think is the the one potential issue, but you know, I would put it forward that we do it that we shift the $28,42
for summer school out of the general fund into the special ed 240 um allocation, which gets down to the shortfall of 59,250. Yeah. So,
I'll make a motion to approve this as stated and to authorize such adjustments as are listed on this page to resolve the $330,59
shortfall down to a $59,2508 shortfall that we are asking the town to absorb within its general fund. Is there a second? Second discussion. Do we need the details on each of the
red items in your motion or you want to take care of that in a different motion? I'm just saying because we we've already read it into the record as we went through it and just All right. So, it's from the document that's titled offsets per FY25 approved budget. Correct. And John, in terms of discussion, and you're
on the select board, so, you know, just give me some, you know, some guidance here. When we say we're $330,000 over, um, that's really prior to the offsets and some of these offsets were already planned. So, it's not as though
it willy-nilly. It ties the two documents together. Yeah. But just so that that the select, you know, people who aren't as used to being on the school, you know, understanding the school budget, you never plan to be 330 over, you were always going to be using
some offsets, right? Anyway, right. Um, okay. Any other discussion? All in favor? I I opposed. No. Two nos.
Two nos. Two nos. Motion passes three to two. Second item is do we want to um adopt the superintendent's recommendation
of the use of the 105,000 in sped increment increment sped increment funds. Yeah. So, I move that we authorize the use of the $105,000
sped increment to restore a 1.0 sped teacher and as much of a reading specialist as possible. Understanding that the 30,000 needs to be shifted because Yeah. Is there a second? Second. There's a
second discussion. Does that I'm just standing up. No. No. But does that the wording of that motion work for you? Uh can we add that it be the first priority be for the
reading? No, I'm sorry. What? The K to2 reading. Well, the mo that that's the only option they have. They can't use the money the 30,000 for anything else. The way the motion was made. Oh, sorry. I didn't hear Kim say that part. Yeah. Okay. One special ed um teacher and then
the balance roughly 30,000 to be used to restore as much as possible. Can I change that motion a little bit? Sure. Sorry, I didn't hear you say reading. I So to restore a 1.0 O FTE special education teacher with the additional
30,000 to be used to offset other special education costs savings from which shall be applied to restoring the reading specialist as much as possible. Okay. What he said what he said that's the motion. Thank you. That's that's the
better way to say it. We need a good legal the motion was amended. Do you second the amendment? Yes. Everybody in favor of the amendment. You're not approving it. We're just approving the wording. Yes. All in favor? I. Okay. Now discussion on the new motion.
If any. No. Okay. Vote. We'll vote now on the amended motion. All those in favor? I opposed. Abstaining. Passes by the Okay. Um,
next item. I lost. I think we have a couple more votes here on revenues or I have a cheat sheet here somewhere. I'm sorry. John or no still. Uh so now let's go to preschool. Okay. Um
continuing on the being the bearer of all news. Um the FY25 preschool expenditures are before you on the on the top sheet and you can see the personnel, the FTE and the salary associated with each. In addition to
running the pres to run the preschool, there are preschool supplies, a van driver, and van expenses. And all of those total $283,994.14. Um those are those costs are covered in the following way. Preschool revolving
sped 262 and the bulk of it being charged to the general fund. It looks like this this document and it says FY25 preschool expenditures. So that's just to get the lay of the land as to what that is. Um this year
well this year it's 283 all in. Yes. Yes. And the funding source is 92,000 from revolving, 14,000 and change from sped 262. The balance 176 is being carried by the general fund. Exactly. To get to 283. Okay. And then next year,
this is what it would look like. And we're on the next page titled fiscal year 26 full FTE projected preschool expenditures. Yes. And in the same way um that those costs would be they would go from the 283 or
almost 284 to 291 almost 291,000. You see it on the left side of your page. Mhm. Mhm. On the right side of the page is a situation whereby
if you were to Well, may maybe I can Is this another recommendation? Yes, this is this is a potential a potential recommendation or a point of discussion. So, let's start with discussion. Okay. And then see where it goes. So, so in the in the
conversation that we've been having around around the funding of preschool, the recognition that the um uh the revolving account does not fund all the positions, nor is it uh robust enough to
um run the program without uh support from the general fund. Right? We all know that um early intervention is requirement for our for students in that need it and so school uh excuse me preschool is
mandatory for us to offer to provide services. the um the conversations that we've had and the recognition that the funding of the program uh doesn't cover the
salaries etc. of the employees uh brought us to a place where we looked at how we might um find savings there. And the the the discussion that we wanted to
put on the table was around the um use of PAR professionals in the preschool program on Fridays because they only meet four day uh they meet with students four days a week. On the 5th there's no students. So there's a potential for
savings if the pair of professionals weren't um working on that fifth day. So this was just again what we were trying to do was identify revenues and identify savings
and and and this area was one of one of the and regardless of it was one of the idea not one of the ideas it was one of the suggestions for review that was forwarded to us to to us by certain parties. So, so we looked at this. Y um so just I So I just want to check one
thing. Yeah. So, um when when we when I discussed this yesterday with um the team down there, um I honest honestly don't have a full comprehensive working knowledge of prek. So I asked for clarification which Michael provided and so I'll just share this with you so you
guys know what he sent me. Um, integrated preschools are mandated to provide publicly funded early intervention services for students with disabilities beginning at age three. So, we can't eliminate prek. In Massachusetts public school integrated preschool program, class size is capped
at 20 students with one teacher and one aid and no more than five students with disabilities. If there are six or seven students with disabilities, the class size may not exceed 15 with one teacher and one aid. And right now going into
next year for the prek we have 42 about 40. About 40. Yeah. And they're in four groups. AM PM twice. So we're at we're at 10 with with one teacher and one parah. One teacher, two pairs. One teacher, two pair. But it's rolling. So the kids are coming in. It's not like
it's going to stay that way. Yeah. It will it the numbers are going to adjust. The numbers will So right. So the current staffing is in excess of what we're required to do. So, we're good with that. We're, you know, not that I'm saying we have enough staff, but but the
but the other takeaway is is that on Friday there are no students in the building for prek. Correct. And right now there is a potential savings of 3.5 because one parah only works every other Friday. Correct. Right. So, and three of
them are on Friday. So, that'd be a 0.1.1 and a.5. Right. So if we were to say no par no preschool paras on Friday that would be an $11,196 savings that's in the general fund that
could be redeployed somewhere else correct within the budget. And this is this is this is purely a financial um statement, right? It doesn't speak to the role of the paras on Friday. It
doesn't speak to the fact that they are helping teachers prep and prepare, prep and clean and get ready for the the upcoming uh week. So, as other teachers and other programs are being um affected
negatively, this would affect our preschool teachers and um the PARS especially because they they were the ones that would be reduced. Um but there is a cost savings there and that's what we are sharing. I I don't necessarily
after the other recommendation and the um and the uh response from the school committee, I don't necessarily know that there's enough meat on the bone to make a recommendation there. The only thing that we could talk about is um the cost
of preschool. Well, that's step two. Okay. So, so step sorry again since we're on discussion the qu you know I mean 11,000 is 11,000 the followup question for me would be and I'm not expecting an answer tonight is what would that should saving that 11,000
there where's it going to get redeployed within the budget and does that make sense and I don't think anyone's prepared to answer that tonight so the second piece is the fact that we are currently so the preschool program is costing $290,000
as currently laid out for next year of which we will collect roughly $92,000 in receipts and an offset. Preschool is a revolving account. It should be self- sustaining. We'd have to quadruple or triple tuition in order to
get close to breaking even. And u first pay that's 10 equal payments and the first payments has already been received. So I I don't know about we need to address we need to deter we need I think the committee at some point
in time relatively soon needs to set a policy on how much we want to collect in um receipts from the preschool. Is it a a quarter? Is it a third? Is it 50%? Is it 100%. set the policy and then once the
budget's there, that tuition gets reset every year as it grows. If we want out of it because the more we collect in the preschool, it's just going to free up and this year it would have been we would have had so we pulled $176,000
from K through six to support or augment preschool. And if we didn't have to do that, what cuts wouldn't have had to be made if that 176,000 stayed and the K through six question. Two questions. Uh, one is what
does preschool cost right now? $240 times 10. So $2,400 $2,400. And not everybody pays and there's a sliding scale, right? So that that makes sense. Go ahead. Um the second question is I'm curious about the burden this
uh reduction in staff would place on the classroom teacher. That's the full prec I I would suggest that we take the $11,000 savings just as anformational point and unless administration comes
back to us with I'm just more curious about what you know I mean because this obviously came as a recommendation from people an interested body an interested body um and so is that interested body aware of a of a burden that this might
place on the classroom teacher because I assume that they are using their their paras on Fridays. Can I ask a question about preschool? Well, is does anybody have an answer to Margaret's that question? I mean, I feel like Neato
explained how much the pairs are used on Fridays to help the teachers. I'm sure the teachers would say yes, it's a burden because they're cutting, they're pasting, they're gluing, they're organizing, they're filing, they're cleaning, they're supporting, they're doing some recess duties. If we don't
have people Monday through Thursday, we definitely use them on Friday. Um, a and if I could just add to that and what I said previously, when I was working in in in West Springfield, we had a similar conversation about Coburn Elementary School where we had a
preschool program and similarly on Fridays there weren't students and so the paraprofessionals were there and working and that was one of the questions I asked because we were going through some budget woes and the similar answer was they are important to
the work we do to end off the week and clean stuff because that's important. We're preschool in that space and then prepare for the next week. Cutting doing that stuff that as an English teacher at high school I never
did, but I had my own cross to bear there. Putting out putting away the centers from this week, pulling out the centers for next week, you know, making sure everything is just right for those little guys. And then they have time in between the classes, but you're changing over from the morning class to the
afternoon class and you need a lunch. So yeah. Um, so like John mentioned there, the only ones that pay for preschool are the peer kids, not the intervention kids. Do we get reimbursed for the intervention
kids though? Do you know what I mean? Like like my son had started, my youngest started preschool. They all went through this preschool program. I love it. I'm not copying it. Um, and he started halfway through the year, but because he came from
early intervention for his lack of speech, um, you know, he was one out of the three I didn't pay for because he had a learning disability that needed to be serviced. Y do we get reimbursed for those kids that are coming in off of
early intervention that need to receive services? Do you know what I'm saying? Cuz they are not paying. Are they choice? No. No. But they're not that they claimed on circuit breaker. They have an IEP and they have services, but I don't know. But they're not. There are students. Yeah. Right. So who? No. Is it
in the chapter 70 formulas? Do you know what I mean? Like that's what I'm trying to figure out. like raising the tuition cost to four times the amount for the six out of 11 kids and you know five of them are IEP kids. Do you know what I
mean? 20 out of 40. Exactly. Do you know what I mean? I'm trying to see if that like that's I would suggest and I'm Do you know what I mean? Yeah. I do I I hear you. I I know what you're saying. I just I feel like a claim is only made on a choice student, right, to the sending
district. I don't know if I I would say what John said is correct. It's probably in the chapter through how it's funded because there are kids there Southampton. Jen, to your point there it may we it may sound
logical that say whatever the percentage is 40 40% of the children at any point in time the maximum that could be on IEPs would be 40% whatever that percentage is right to me that's a general fund number right so we would have to fund that because I more than
likely we're reporting in our chapter 70 equation and we're getting the money in that way for it so the only thing that we I would think should be on the preschool revolving account is the atypicals like that that should be self-sufficient. No, I understand that. I was just didn't know if there was somewhere that the non-atypical kids
were it should be circuit breaker according to well circuit breaker would only be school choice. No circuit breaker. Yeah, I'm taking the Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Circuit breaker something called SBMP
which I don't know anything about and IDA grants. All of those can be used. ID. Okay. And I'm I'm thinking that the next chair should really make this part of the August/September meeting. We really get into the meat and
guts of it. And I'm just going to say that maybe we can look towards allocating those things like more appropriately to saying like, okay, this piece maybe for x amount of things should go towards preschool. You know what I'm saying? I got an answer for
you. So, if you don't mind if I read it. Um, the circuit breaker program is a state reimbursement program designed to help districts offset the high cost of special education. Um, DESIE sets an annual reimbursement threshold at 52,419.
Only the portion of eligible costs above that threshold are reimbursed is reimbured at 75%. Right. So, it's not fully reimbured. Right. And so, what I was thinking about was a sped increment was a choice in kid. we would claim. So
it's not a claim, it's part of the circuit breaker. So to your point, yeah, you have to hit the 56, but you got to hit that 56 before you get anything. And then it's not 100%, it's 75%. So 75% over 50 or 75% of everything over above
above the threshold. Kim, so in possibly doing, you know, if we were to do this, um, the paras aren't in on Fridays. Is that a contract thing? Like, I don't know. I don't have the power contract in front of me. So, is there
anything in the PAR contract that says their work week is this to this and this is, you know, I don't think it gets that. Okay. Granular. Okay. I don't think preschool is its own beast in the contract. They follow our contract, but
they have their own things. Like, none of us work half a day on a Friday, but they do, but it's not stated in the contract. So, it's very gray area. It's a it's a unwritten past practice that's
happened. Yes. Just like their sick days and their personal days are all calculated because of their full-time position isn't full-time. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. And I and I think if we were doing this for any other reason than to shift dollars to somewhere else
where cuts, this would fall under the overwrite sales. We're doing these cuts. Whatever we're doing now by contract, we're only doing for a year because by contract, we're required to restore all this funding a year out. Otherwise, I'm sure for all the right
reasons, we're going to Yes. For all the right reasons. I mean it's not happening September 1st. So the um where is it? So for now we're kind of taking this
under advisement. Is that that'd be my recommendation and and we we spend more time studying this. I I ultimately think it needs to get I mean first of all to get my support I'd want to know where this money's going, right? And and they're not prepared to answer that
right now. Right. You said you'd like to know what where the money if I was to vote in favor of this. I need to know where the money's being redeployed, right? If it's being redeployed to buy basketballs, then I'm probably not going to go for it. Yeah. Obviously, that's not going to happen. Um, but
see me afterwards. Just the fact that you didn't retire makes Jacob's life happy. So, I'll get you some basketballs if you want. That's what I told him. Um but I but I think the tuition piece and that cuz I don't know when the last time tuition was
adjusted. I think 2021. Yeah. So I mean it should be part of an we should have a policy and this is how we do it and spelled out so that we all know it going forward. We can see how other districts do. Okay. Um
we voted on that. We did that talked about. Okay. So that's the end of that list. Um, so next is the nurse position and you're seeking approval of the posting. No, the posting was made. Yep. Um, it was just approval of SAMP's in
the nurse leader stipen position which is already budgeted. Which is already budgeted and which uh has gone to the other school committees because we moved this date. This is the last school committee. Sorry, I wasn't put on the last item. Just go for it. On the budgeting stuff.
Sure. Are there any other accounts that we want to look at withdrawing money from for the purposes of supplementing the fiscal year 26 budget at this particular juncture? No. Because we've taken what we know from you know
the extraordinary relief which has to be used now the increment which we just found a use for. Um you do have a balance. We've it looks like of about 135. Is that what it is in school choice? About 101 after we
Yes. Yes. Right. Oops. Sorry. Yes. Before tonight's vote. And also the the one other motion which I I don't think was included the curriculum, but we'll come back to that one. Okay. All right. After we finish answering his question. Okay. I I don't believe that there's
anything else that we could I think we've really gone through it very carefully and and I I think it's based on what we know right now. I think in the August meeting will be another opportunity because we'll be farther. I mean right now we're a week before or Monday we closed the books, right? And
then we got to the 15th of July to make adjustments and then everything's like locked. So then by the August meeting we should have these are the available balances. Here's what the comm and then the committee will have real numbers or better numbers than tonight to decide
okay we can put this in or not put this in. Um the other request we had is that South as previously stated there is a curriculum roll out which we can go back and add details to but Southampton's
portion is to the tune of about $17,000 give or take. Um, all the other schools have ordered it and we have not because it was placed on hold for this. The recommendation for right now to get the
order in before June 30th is to allocate $17,000 from school choice. To get the order in to get it back by September. Correct. Yes, that's correct. Is it more than 17? Um, let's see. Less than 18,000. It's
It's less than 18,000 up up to 18,000. Okay. To get to get the order in by June 30th so that it's in the hands at the start of school. Yes. And in an alignment with everybody else.
We're doing a warrant on June 30th and hence if if we get the approval tonight, we can go ahead and put that on the warrant. Does anybody want to make that as a motion? Well, I just have a question. If the numbers you said when you guys were working on numbers yesterday or whatever
you using the number 46 that was for the Yes, we did. So are our numbers is are Don's numbers reflecting the 46 number or the actual 39 number? Neither one because Don's numbers are reflecting the unencumbered reserves
that we've been carrying as a balance. Okay. Thank you. Make sure that we're not giving away money. We don't. So it' be it'd be that 130 minus what we already pulled out, the 20some. Yes. Plus the 5,000 time 39
for next year. For next year. Yes. Okay. Is there a motion to spend up to $18,000 out of school choice funds by June 30th for the purposes of purchasing the required rec curriculum? Well, I'll make the motion. Is there a
second? Okay. Motion. I'll second the motion for discussion purposes. Motion made and seconded discussion. Speak to it. They're not going to. So, what's your thoughts there? I'm sorry. I was looking at something else. Okay. So, is this for the is this for the new ELA
program that they voted? So, all this paperwork is in the hands of Michael and I'm not sure exactly what it is, but I think it's common lit ELA curriculum for It's what we looked at. Yeah. Yeah. So, the but sorry, it's not just ELA. It's
bridges. Yeah. So, you're talking about into math, right? It's grade six math curriculum. It's grade six ELA curriculum and it's Bridg's um math curriculum from K to five that we would need to reorder. So is that consumables? Is it like workbooks and stuff that the
kids get? So the only thing that's new is the common lit ELA grade six materials. So for that that's all of the teacher stuff plus whatever the students Right. Right. And and that was a collaborative work that was done horizontally all sixth grade with the seventh and
eighth grade teachers. Right. So they all have the same work. Correct. If we don't do this, then our sixth grade doesn't have the new sixth grade ELA stuff, right? And our math students don't have the consumables that they
Yeah, I strongly recommend that we are in support. Is sixth grade getting a new math program too or just a new EL? It is a new it is like year three of the new math program called into math in grade six which is also the same in middle. So it's consumables for all of the grades.
Some of it's bridges, some of it's inter and six interm. So it's really about curricula and the supplies that go with them. Is there any way to use not the consumable parts for the kids um in at least the fifth and sixth or the
sixth grades math part and use the online portion to you do their stuff to like well I think they do use a lot of the online portion but when you're using the books the workbooks you're either copying it spending it on copy paper but the workbooks are all online I know that
because I've dealt with Adeline's stuff and it has all of the sheets and everything in Um, so I'm just questioning whether or not they can they have their laptops if they can do all that on their laptops and forgo the paper that is redundant to
what they can have they can get at online cuz I know they can do it all there. I just want you to know that we do not just cart blanch order everything. Oh no, no, I know. We ask the teachers what do you need for next year? What do you use? Um, I'm not going to order books if they're not using the
book. So I can't say I understand. Well, I I I would say, and I'm not an a sixth grade math teacher, but as a father of four, watching my kids do stuff on paper, right? And I understand that as well in this extreme environment of this
year, again, it's just is that another way we can just chip a little bit more off? I'm I'm personally uncomfortable with that, Jen, because some students need that physical interaction with the paper, particularly
for math. Okay. I'm just Yeah. Yeah. No, I think I it's a great question to ask. Um, but you know, we this has been a long fought battle to have consistency amongst our elementary schools. And I know the principal at the high school
desperately wants, you know, more consistency. So when students are coming into seventh grade, they have that, etc. and so on. And and realistically, one of the things I talked about when I was first hired was the strategic plan and the ability for us to really have some horizontal cohesion across the
elementary schools in preparation for seventh and eighth grade, right? And I'm not suggesting that we don't use the curriculum. I'm just saying they all have laptops. It's a way for them all to use the technology that they're already given in a more meaningful way.
And those kids that do need the physical stuff, it is available to print. It is available if you get order half the amount of books. I'm just saying. I also want to say which I forgot. It is also a change and it's a new edition. The new
you knew I would think of it at some point. Um so she's laughing. I'm like talk to me someday. And she started talking to me. So, Michael Ferdet is in charge of ordering the newest addition of bridges across the all the schools.
So, this part part of this 17,000 is so that Norris can be on the up and up with everyone else when it comes to the latest edition for bridges so that we're all the same. It's not like hundreds and hundreds of workbooks that we're going to throw at the kids. That's that's if if that were the case, it would be
$60,000. It's only to get us to to where everybody else is in the the better edition of bridges cuz we purchased one that was close to being outdated. Now it's outdated and it's going to get us to where everybody else is. So again, I
am not discrediting any of that. I know, but I'm saying that my son definitely came home from third grade with four full workbooks of five pages ripped out of it. Not used. Okay. So that's what I'm saying is that even though they have them, they're not necessarily using
them. We're giving them technology. I know once they get to the high school and stuff, all their stuff is online. All their maths online, everything is online. I'm just looking at any possible way for this coming year to save and scrim by. I'm not saying that one way is
better than the other. I can't do math in a workbook, but I also can't do the math that you're teaching my six-year-old either because that's not the math that I my sixth grader because that's not the math I learned. They're a different breed of student. So, I'm just saying that there could be exceptions
made for those kids, like Margaret said, do need the physical pen and paper, and I fully understand that because I would be one of those kids. But I more times than not were getting my daughter's stuff that she needed from the full insane amount of information on that
website for that math program. Well, I can say for this cost of $18,000, it's definitely not workbooks that are not going to be used in third grade because there's no way that that cost would be able to we wouldn't be able to order workbooks for everybody. It's only for
the new rollover of the addition. This is more so this isn't for consumables. It's for like the teacher materials. I don't I don't have I'm trying to just understand I'm getting two different answers, right? No, I understand. What I'm seeing here on this one invoice
that's for the Southampton School District into math um six. Well, that's different. We want to look at um math learning center. The math learning center. Okay. Let me see. Let me see if that was provided to me.
I know it was provided to by Michael to see if it was provided to at the microphone. At the microphone. Yeah. So, sorry. It's cuz we're live streaming. Okay. So, um we it's the consumables that we use every year, but
Alisa's really good about talking to the teachers about which consumables they use. So, for instance, I don't ever use home connections, but I do use the number corner books and the student book. And so, she talks to us, asks us
what we what we use, and that's what gets ordered, excuse me, every year. And so, but now they're also adding new teachers manuals because we were using
um the second edition which is now not going to be made anymore and it's moving to the third edition. And so um and it also has some manipulatives that have been changed as well. So that's where the cost is really coming in for this.
The others we use every year and that just got added to this, but the extra cost is the new manuals. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Sunday, it is the transition kits. Yes. When I didn't know what I was talking about at first and I was talking about consumables and then I
realized it was the transition kits. That's exactly what we're talking about, the transition kit. Perfect. It's not consumables. It's the uh game boards, number corner change, and teachers additions that they need in order to transition to the new addition. Great.
Sorry, we got there. We got there. Thank you. I wasn't prepared for that. Other discussion? All those in favor of the motion? I I opposed. So moved. Okay. And I believe that's the last one related to budget.
last night, right? Okay. And did we act on the I forget. Did we take the motion to approve the the nurse leader? Yes, we did. We Sorry, we stopped. We stopped. Yeah, we got All right. So, is there an act is there an
action on that? So, is is there a motion to approve the uh appointment? Motion made by Margaret, seconded by Dylan. All those in favor? I. All those opposed. So, passes. Um,
concession bargaining offer. Is that a a mute? There is no offer, right? So, we're going to bypass that. Yep. Cafeteria compliance letter. Do we have a letter? It's actually it's it's in your packet. It's the meal
charge policy and procedure paper. Yep. It's not. So, we had our cafeteria audit this year and one of the things that uh came up is that we don't have anything on our website as a policy that talks about uh the meal charging. What what is
free? What is charged? What where can we hold money and things like that? Well, come to find out after I was asked to come to the school committee with this policy that we wanted you to look at, there is already a policy apparently and it's in your packet as well. So, I think
Kim put both in there. The one that I'm being asked if if you can look at Yeah. Okay. and the one that's already in the file, EFC, Universal Free School Meals, the one we're being asked to look at, the the the first one. Do you know what
that abbreviation is up on top? Is that EFC one? Probably. That's what it looks. That's because we were wondering if that's already EFC in the policy manual that's there. So, I think Okay. I think
whatever's in this letter needs to be included in the policy. So, if you if the school committee Yep. would take some time to make sure that we're the same as the other school districts, I suppose, and the man in the policies because we were not in
compliance because we didn't have it available to them. Well, I actually don't think we have the policy anyway. the things that are in here, this EFC and EFD that are in here, the the source is MASC complete rewrite 2023, but and
same for the other one, but it it doesn't say anything here about Southampton having adopted it. Okay. So, I think what we had in our folder though, I think we had an old one in the online folder that was from like 2010.
So, I think I think we're in the situation where there's probably there is something. It's not this 2023 one. It's a 2010 one. So, I think we need to probably what we're looking at is whatever this William E. Norris Elementary School meal charge policy and
procedure, we need to compare that to the mask recommendations and put those things together. That's what it sounds like. That's what I That's exactly what I was thinking. So, is this like a So, this isformational and and then it'll come back to us for first read. I'll volunteer to do that. Okay. The only
Thank you. The only thing that I would point out is on the the first document that we have is I would want to add in the last paragraph at the very end all it says is any amount remaining as a credit balance at the end of sixth grade will be refunded.
um that that's fine, but add by when? By October of the following year or I mean 90 days after the close of school, you know, obviously something that's convenient because the I'm assuming the cafeteria manager or the food food director, whatever that title is, um
director of the cafeteria probably isn't here necessarily in the summer. So to allow sufficient time, but hey, this is when you should expect this refund coming. And I know in the past it was there's been confusion about the sixth grade money now needs to go to Hampshire
regional and that created an issue that we had to absorb within it should say June 30th because it should the money should stay for that year. I don't disagree. I just I me personally I leave it to administration to figure out whether or
not that could actually be done if we close school on June 20th on late year. Does that allow sufficient time to get those refunds processed out the door? State budget allow for free ongoing. Okay. So, uh Margaret will take this up on behalf of the committee to do the consolidation and offer a draft at the
August meeting. Very good. My agenda. Okay. Wait, what are we on now? So, we are now on superintendent's evaluation. And in your packet was the form that was completed on June 2nd and then
shared. Um it is a public document now. It's it's been read and reviewed in a public setting. So there I don't believe it's necessary for us to read all four pages into the record here because it was done it was done at the
ADC level. Right. Yes. It's it's Yeah. Okay. Unless somebody wants to read it. The only the results weren't The only comment I have for you is um in the very first paragraph about the number of evaluations that were submitted and it says nine from Hampshire Regional, which
looks like it's only half of Hampshire Regional, but it specifically said on the evaluation form if you sit on two committees to only do it once. And so I did it for Norris. And so there were actually more people in Hampshire that submitted,
you know, so all of us who because I think most people who sit on two committees did in fact do it, right? But otherwise it looks lame and I don't think we're that lame. We have our moments, but this Well, I think there's certainly opportunity to reflect on the
process this year and to refine it as we move forward into the second year. Yes. What you talking veto? Where was this actual numbers? Where was the evaluation shared publicly? What what public meeting? What public meeting? Well, the
superintendent's evaluation is usually read into the a public record somewhere or do we just merely make it? Each each of the school committees have done this as an agenda item. Have they just accepted it in written form or have they actually read it into the
minutes? Accepted it in written form. Okay. All right. Is everybody comfortable with that doing doing that here? Oh, this is a public document. It's in our So, anybody who wanted to see this could ask for it. Yeah. And get it right. Okay.
Do I make up my motion? Is that Would you want to do that? to to accept it the document to adop accept and adopt the document and indicate it to the public record. So move there's a motion made. Is there a second? Motion made and
seconded by Dylan, seconded by Jen to um accept and adopt the four-page superintendent evaluation dated June 2nd author or signed off by Tom Clary, chair of the all district committee. All in favor? I opposed. Okay, now we
get to the good stuff. Election of officers and committee assignments for 2025 2026. The impact of this election will take effect at the conclusion of tonight's executive session.
We still is there we need to elect a chair, a vice chair, a clerk and then do committee assign. Well, then we could do committee assignments tonight or save that for the August meeting. Let's do them tonight. Okay. So let's start with
do we have a slate for chair, vice chair and clerk or do we want to take them one by one? I do not want any job for the record. So one by one. Okay. Is there a rec uh anybody want to nominate anybody or self-nominate for chair? I nominate Kim
Shot for chair. Nomination for Kim for chair. Any other nominations? Any other? Any other hearing? None. Clerk to cast. Motion closed. Nominations for chair. clerk to cast one ballot for chair. So moved. You speaking English? Yeah. I don't know
what you just said either. What did you just say? We You have nominations. You call for nominations three times in a row. Okay. At the conclusion of nominations, you close nominations. There was only one nomination. So the motion is to close nominations and for the clerk to
cast the ballot for chair. And now the chair has been elected. Now we'll move on. as well. All in favor? I I opposed. Nominations are open for vice chair. I nominate Margaret Larson. There's nomination for vice chair Margaret
Larson. Any other nominations? Any other nominations? Hearing no other nominations. I move that we close nominations and the clerk cast one ballot for vice chair of Margaret Larson. All in favor? I opposed. If you come to town meeting that we get through the caucus.
Nominations are open for clerk. Is there a nomination for clerk? Jen, you willing to do it again? Again, I suppose so. Okay. A nomination. Nomination for Jen. Any other nominations? Any other nominations? Hearing no other nominations. Move that we close nominations for clerk and that
the clerk cast one ballot for herself as clerk. All in favor? I. I. We now have committee assignments. Let's let's um Can we elect an ADC person first? Because I'm I'm automatic, but we need a second ADC person. He's correct. So there are two ABC positions. The first
one by default goes to the chair of the committee which will be Kim at the conclusion of executive session tonight. And we need an alternate. Is there a nomination for an alternate to uh not an alternate for a second to ADC? I nominate Margaret Larson. There's a
nomination for Margaret Larson as the secondary to ADC. Any other nominations? Any other nominations? All right. Actually, no. We're doing appointments. We don't have to do nominations. So that's an appointment. All right. So all in favor of Margaret Larson holding the second seat at ADC
say I. I. I. Opposed. So moved. Um uh liaison to Hampshire Regional School Committee. I nominate Jen Johnson. I oppose that nomination. No, I'm just kidding. This vote will put you on the Hampshire
Regional School Committee. I know. Okay. Yes. Are you willing to accept it? Yes. Yes. Good. Thank you. You have a choice. Uh, listen. I don't have to do chair and that. So, I'll give you that PTO liaison. We need to vote on that. Kim,
do you want to do that again? Hold on. We got to You want to do it all together? I mean, all right, we'll do all in favor for Jen. Jen, that one I want to get locked in. Everything else, everything else everything else we can do all together. Yeah, we need a PTO,
school council, collective collaboration for education, and select board. I'll selfishly take the select board with spot. All right. All right. So, John has select board. I'll do school counsel again. Margaret wants Anybody else want any of these things? Speak up if you do. And then what is there? Collaborative.
Dylan, do you still want collaborative? Sure. I I will do it if someone else wants it. That's fine. Do you want PTO instead? Cuz you're getting something. Collaborative. So, so I don't want to be selfish, but can I keep PTO? Yep. Good. Cheers for all you. All yours. All
right. All right. So we have Kim for PTO, Margaret for school council, Dylan for collaboration, and myself for select board. Everybody in favor? I opposed. Okay. Done. Wait, one more thing. So according to the all districts
agreement, we have to vote to delegate the authority to us to carry out the contents of the agreement at ADC. Is that a motion? That is a motion. Second. There's a motion made by
Kim, seconded by Margaret to authorize the two representatives to the all district committee to act on behalf of the entire committee at ADC functions. Discussion hearing none. All in favor? I opposed. So moved.
There being nothing further to come before the public body, the chair moves for that we go into executive session. We will not be returning to the public session for any vote under MGL chapter 3821A subsection 2 to conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with non-union personnel or to conduct
collective bargaining sessions or contract negotiations with non-un personnel specifically the principal and we're inviting the superintendent and the subject of the motion into executive session. The subject of the motion
just the superintendent. I didn't know. Yeah, not me, right? You're free to go. You're free to go. You're free to go. Dismissed. All All in favor of executive session. Roll call. Jen. Johnson. I. Lumber. I. So move. We are adjourned from public
session at 8:08. Stand. Thank you.