NH Muni WatchStatewide meeting record

All towns · sau-41

COOP School Board Meeting 9/16/2026

The COOP School Board reestablished the Grading and Assessment Committee with a 7-0 vote. The committee's scope amended to include the role of homework in grading. Membership will include board members, administrators, staff, students, and community members. Beth volunteered to serve on the committee. The committee must deliver a prioritized list by the April board meeting and report goals by the May or June meeting. Regarding food services, the Budget Committee discussed exploring monetary donations from end-of-year balances and community contributions to cover negative lunches balances. The board was notified that SB 574 established a commission to study SAU consolidation and noted ongoing legislative discussions regarding HB-1300. Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuitcAuoeT4

Video

I was going to say, I don't think this was intended to be just a snapshot of having served a few years back.
I think it was intended to include both, you know, summative and non-summitive.
Like, where are we going?
We need to get you to hear.
Let's watch your progress.
And so it was kind of generic so that it could try to hit all of them.
And that's why you say it hints at.
But I think the important work is the specifics that are to follow, because reassessment is,
that looking at that growth. You didn't know it today, but do you know it next week?
Okay. And then the one thing I'd like to see added in the new stuff would be the
role of and the grading of homework, specifically, whether, you know, I get a, I'm on
this newsletter thing and that's turning into a really big debate, especially where
competency-based grading is coming into competency-based assessment.
I don't think it's turning into it to,
I mean, there's been huge debates about homework for the past 20 years.
I know, but it's getting very public to the point of actually becoming things that people are voting on.
Well, I think it's because of a lot of the data that's out there, and it does impact our co-op,
but it's especially at the elementary levels, because that's something that I've followed for a long time and is a big concern.
So I'd really appreciate that being in there, too.
Okay, so we'll amend that to include the homework, okay, the role of homework.
All right.
So we're just going to need to pass this, approve this as a committee.
It technically has been a committee, but it was a subcommittee of Instructural Practices.
Now it's going to be its own board committee.
What's the intended membership of this?
So I believe board members will serve.
I don't know what the other, I assume, Dot is going to take charge of it.
And then I can tell you what it looked like before.
No, but last month we talked about should the committee initially include board members?
We did.
It doesn't have a deliberate, and I didn't hear an outcome of that.
My assumption was that there would be a board member present on the committee.
I know you felt like it doesn't sound like board-level work.
My assumption was based on how it existed before.
The work has to be done, whether it includes a board member or not.
I think it's important for the board to hear what the work, you know, progress on the work.
I think it would be nice to have a board member present so that we don't afford out.
You know, after months of work, and then the response is, that's nothing, what we want.
And I think if a board, if the board is going to approve it as a board committee,
then a board member should be on it.
I think that the administration has the ability to create committees without our approval.
So if we're going to actually approve it, then we should at least have some participation in it.
Last month, I was thinking after we went around and around about it for a while,
that maybe we don't want to be part of it, and you guys just go and do your thing.
But if we're going to approve it, I think, at least while.
board member needs to be on it. What's my opinion? Where is everybody else on that?
I would agree. Okay. I think it's a really big task and it was, it was an interesting and really neat
to be on because it's so bright. A lot of that initial work, it was post-pandemic and it was hard to me,
but it was really kind of narrowing things in. So I think it was actually really helped.
Krista and I served on this. Yeah, and it took a long time to get to this point. It did. And they were
community members on it. So the makeup would be what it, I was.
I would imagine it would be what it was similar to before, which was a couple of community members,
administration, staff members, a student, obviously middle school participation as well as high
school participation. The middle school was well represented. We had a middle school administrator,
I believe it was Yolanda. At the time, we had, so was the assistant principal, but then, yeah, yep,
and we had a teacher or two, and same at the high school. I mean, it was really well supported all around.
When would it be the proposed date of delivery of this prioritized list?
Wow, that's a really interesting question. I don't know if we usually put a date on things to it.
Well, when you have a deliverable, I know for our other committees we had when we were going to report,
sometimes it was December, sometimes it was before March meeting, sometimes it was before the end of school,
depending on what? I would think that you'd want to give that, I think you would want to, what?
Otherwise, it's open ends. So I would think you'd want to hear back from the committee by the end of the school year.
I don't think, or maybe summer.
I would say prioritized list would be prior to the end of this school year, okay, by March.
So you can start cleaning, what does that work look like?
Do you want it to be?
Oh, a priority?
If you're just talking about the prioritized list.
By the April meeting, by the March?
Oh, just the list?
Like prioritizing this?
I'm looking at the bottom what the deliverable is.
It's a develop a prioritized list and set product goals with a timeline.
Oh, well, that would probably sooner than any of the meetings.
Right, but I think by March.
Yeah.
So the April board meeting prior to the April meeting?
Yeah, we don't have a, I would not say March and say prior to the April board meeting.
Yeah, April, so.
Okay.
Because March is just March.
Well, if it's going to be prior to the April meeting, then it's going to be in February.
Oh, by the April.
And that means that.
By the April board.
Oh, okay.
Yeah, I thought you said before.
She said prior, but we just changed it to buy.
So that means that we get it in April.
Most likely.
And then does that give us enough time to authorize action based on the recommendation?
Okay.
Sure.
On the agenda now.
Okay.
Now that the discussion is over, of that, can I release?
Yes.
Yes, absolutely.
Do we have on non-public tonight?
We do.
We do.
So on the April agenda, we need that.
And on the May agenda, we need, or June agenda, we need goals, we need goals.
So I need to write that time.
I want to make it.
Yes, you're released.
Thank you, gentlemen, for coming.
April is grading assessment out.
And then May, June.
Oh, yes, you are.
Do you have a voice changer and the blanket?
That's what you need?
Yes.
Okay, moving on.
I think the facilities committee, we don't have an update from facilities committee.
Okay.
Facilities committee, we don't have an update.
The budget committee update.
Chit-chat, man.
Does somebody, hey, guys, do you want candy because we have a lot.
Amy brought extra.
I'm going to save it for next month.
All right.
Pass the bowl.
All right.
Budget committee update.
A couple of things.
We don't have.
The first one I have.
What it relates to this discussion that was prompted by Rob on the unassigned fund balance,
there was a discussion in the budget committee and recommendations by some members
that we track and post the ending unassigned fund balance and the percentage of total budget
demonstrate the stability.
One of the things that was pointed out was that when you look at the actual budget that
gets spent, there is really good consistency, less volatility than what was necessarily
voted.
Again, because we're planning for worst case, sometimes
that's a lot more volatile than the actual amount.
So this was in the context of the dashboard.
Oh, dashboard.
To find a way to essentially make that a metric that can be readily accessed by the community.
Amazing.
Because one of the updates I gave to the budget committee was the dashboard.
Thank you. That's helpful.
I think that's a great idea.
Great idea.
We discussed food services.
and there was a lot of interest expressed in the possibility of allowing monetary donations
from individual end-of-year balances, from community members, parents, businesses, etc.
Darlene, in particular, has experience with that in her work and day jobs.
So, for instance, if people have a balance left at the end-of-year balance.
left at the end, they, there is a method by which they can donate it to the food services
but also, but also.
That does exist and that does happen, but is the question, can we advertise that more?
Was, that wasn't the question.
I don't think, I don't think they knew what, we didn't know for sure that that was possible.
But also to actually put out a, an appeal to community members
to let them know that there are people in the community who would benefit from help.
Yeah, I mean, that would be.
And she said that in the community in which, the area in which she works, they've had five-figure donations
from individuals and organizations.
So...
Tens of...
So the, if you have a kid who doesn't use all of their, like, if you have a, what does it call
my school bucks money for their food, you can, for food, so they didn't, they didn't use it all.
You can take that and donate it to students in need.
Is that, okay.
Does that for last year's, like, because it does it roll over.
Right, it rolls over.
Well, you can give it to a sibling, but there are multiple options.
They didn't know that there was an option that.
I feel like I checked a box and did it one year, like when.
I think you have a, right, the year.
I know I have money.
That was, I just wrote them in the order that was said, but the bigger focus was making it known that
community donations from individuals and or businesses or institutions.
So there's some sort of fund that kids who need to access money can access money.
So donations go to decrease negative balances.
Okay.
It's not that families have to reach.
Okay. I see. I see. I see. Okay.
I don't know all the mechanisms. I just made the note that if you're looking for more clarification on how that might work.
Okay. Absolutely. Reach up to. Yeah. We were notified that the SB 574 established a commission to study the SAU consolidation. It's been, it's, either it was passed or it was.
was being react with, I'm not sure which.
I don't know what's coming up.
So consolidating SAUs so that we would, so that Gina would end up having the entire
Hillsborough County?
That would be that, what was the last, the last time was for quantity of 12 total?
I thought it was all the counties and then Manchester and Nashville.
Yeah, I thought, I thought the same.
I think it was Manchester, Nashville, was separated and then all the counties.
Yeah, I don't know what, she just gave us a number.
I didn't look into its SB 574.
And then we had a discussion on HB-1300 and the impact of potential actions needed.
It follows along the same lines as our conversation tonight.
And we already made the motion and approved that, so we're good.
So that's the event.
Great. Thank you. So budget committee, and we don't have a statement committee update because we really don't expect it.
The next month will have one.
Is that when we see them in October and May?
Okay, October and May.
I need to make a note of all the things that I need to be tracked.
Okay.
Great. So moving out of discussion and into deliberations at exactly 742 B.
Okay. So I need to see what action the board will take regard in the grading and assessment committee.
I need a motion to approve the reestablishment of the grading and assessment committee.
Is that with some of the added suggestions?
With the added suggestions.
And so moved.
Moved by Beth.
Second.
Second by Kate. Is there anything else?
After we make this motion, I'll ask if anybody wants to serve on it, but once we get through that.
The only thing I, do we have, just confirm what it is that you made note of as additions to?
We added the language related to the role of homework.
And did you add the, and the, and the, and the date.
End date.
Oh, buy the eight before.
Okay. I just wanted to make sure that was kept.
Are all those in favor?
Seven zero. Okay.
Okay. So motion carries. And then at this point, I mean, I can give you guys another month to decide, but is there anyone with a burning desire to be appointed to it?
Because I'd love to do that tonight. Beth. Anyone else? Okay. If anybody else...
I'm assuming it's a daytime line.
I assume it really was almost always right after school at 2.30.
So, um, I will.