2026 09.17 Souhegan Cooperative School Board Meeting

Speakers are labeled SPEAKER_N. This transcript is machine-generated.

Recording

Good evening everyone. Tonight is uh the
Sigen Cooperative School Board meeting
for Thursday, September 17th. Welcome.
We have some members of the audience and
we actually have a extremely packed
agenda. So, we're going to get right
into it. Should be a couple of things
we're going to have to do from an
administrative standpoint first. But
first, um most importantly, the pledge
of allegiance rise and Mr. Herman um
this will go ahead and lead us in our
pledge of
>> allegiance.
I aliance to the flag to the United
States of America and to the republic
for which it stands one nation
indivisible liberty and justice for all.
Thank you.
>> We're going to move into affirming the
agenda and there's a couple of things
that we're going to go ahead and uh seek
permission to go ahead and move around.
Um both of them lead uh from our
functional meeting portion of our
agenda. First, we're going to ask that
we move our strategic planning portion
up uh to uh next and public comment.
We're going to actually hold right after
our strategic planning conversation to
allow folks to uh provide any feedback
uh about the uh vendor selection through
our uh guiding coalition. Uh and then
after that, we're going to move to our
student experience functionally where
we're going to go ahead and uh do some
community council appointments. uh we
have uh uh an appointment that someone
needs to leave for and we want to make
sure we take care of that and address
that uh while she's still in the room.
Uh so if I have support there, a motion
to adjust the agenda accordingly. So
move to
>> So moved by Mr. Gupta, second by Mr.
Manning. Any concerns, questions,
comments? Seeing none, raise your hands.
>> All in favor?
>> That motion passes.
>> Passes.
>> Perfect. Uh minutes will be taken
virtually through our minute taker who
is unable to meet tonight. So make sure
our voices are nice and loud and clear
and the recording will actually pick
back up. Uh Mr. Benning, this portion of
the meeting could be turned over to you,
sir.
>> Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um first of
all, thank you everybody for allowing us
to change the agenda a little bit. I
didn't plan on doing anything tonight,
but it's my 32nd wedding anniversary and
my wife let us know that we have dinner
reservations.
So
>> that could be catastrophic if I don't
make that. So, thank you for doing that.
Um, and it's it's actually my great
pleasure to introduce the folks from G&D
Associates. Uh, the, as you all know,
the the guiding coalition has been
working since June to develop an RFP to
get the RFP out. Um, our our I think
it's actually 14 member coalition now.
and a couple people have jumped on, but
um have been working to, you know, look
at all of the uh proposals that have
come in and the the presentation you'll
get tonight is the the recommendation of
the coalition to the board to move
forward with these gentlemen here. Um
but before we do that, we wanted to make
sure that they have the chance to uh
present their proposal to the board and
then um entertain any questions that you
might have afterwards. We also have I
invited actually all of the members of
the coalition tonight. Not everybody is
able to attend. We do have a couple
members here. There'll also be an
opportunity for them to speak after um
the the firm has made their
presentation. So before I have them come
up, any questions for me before we move
forward?
>> Just like to make a motion to wish the
Mannings a happy 30 second.
>> Thank you. Okay, without further ado,
I'd like to have David Stock David and
Scott come up and start the program.
>> Good evening and gentlemen, just as you
start just uh state your name for our
minute takers taking a minutes through
uh our device here.
>> Sure. I'm David Gregory
>> Scott Fuller.
>> Okay, we can you just next slide would
be great. Thank you.
And for those of you who we've not
spoken to before, um we're G&D
Associates. I'm David Gregory. I'm the
CEO. I um very very briefly um I started
my career as an elementary teacher,
moved into administration and then went
into the private sector and end up
managing um some large project called
building schools for the future with the
uh UK government. Um moved here 17 years
ago now. um and started a company doing
similar work which involved um coaching,
strategic planning, essentially helping
schools and districts go through fairly
complex change to enable them to keep
pace with where the world was heading
which should be different tomorrow. So
Scotch had said I should also say that
can we keep this quick because
apparently I have to get back to Baskin
and Robbins within the next hour.
submitted with the show that I didn't
quite get anything.
>> And I'm David's translator if anybody
needs that just with his bad jokes, too.
So, I'm Scott Fuller. I am director of
strategic projects for G&D Associates. I
was a just very quick background. I was
a public educator for a little over 20
years before doing this work. Uh, which
is in my eighth year of full-time doing
this work. Um, I was a classroom teacher
for over a decade of that, an
instructional coach for several years
before ending up in administration. I
was a
my title was next generation learning
coordinator in a district of about
30,000 students, 56 schools. Uh but
basically I was in charge of helping
people rethink what school could be and
and aligning the doing it within the
systems and making sure we were getting
the outcomes that we needed for all
students and generally getting people to
happiness whether that's the kids, the
uh educators and the families and the
community alike. Um, I have a background
in special education as well until my
master's degree is in. I'm pretty
passionate about that. And now I get to
travel the country and do that work all
over. So, um, helping people with
everything from visioning and strategic
planning to being in classrooms and
coaching teachers, everything. So, great
to be
>> Okay. Ready when you can we?
>> Yeah.
Um, we thought we'd we know you've got
the proposal, so we didn't want to take
up too much time that well, you could be
asking us some searching questions. So,
we thought we'd um dip into the main
elements of it, give you an overview,
and give you our um
I hesitate to say our way of working
because we like to pride ourselves in
being very flexible. We certainly don't
believe in a a one size fits all. Um,
and having done this work for many many
years, what we tend to do is we have a a
a core piece that we start with, but
depending on what comes out of that,
that depends where we go next. And it
also dictates how much time you spend in
different areas. Now, I'm going to give
you a very quick real world example. I
was doing um similar work with um a
district in Minnesota a few years ago.
Um and what became apparent very early
on was that they had a a a big issue
with um a split in leadership in schools
between very inexperienced and young
principles and then principles who were
very close to retirement and the two
groups didn't really talk to each other
very much. Um and there was no real
mentor program. there was no sharing of
ideas and um you know both both groups
being able to um find the space and time
to work with each other. So digging into
that more and finding ways of addressing
that and also finding out why that had
occurred occupied more time than if I'd
sat in front of the board before we
started and said this is how we will um
aortion our time that amount of time
would have been different.
Um so very quickly internal assessment
um obviously we'll put out a request
very quickly for uh document review and
we we never want a document view to be
stressful. Um so when that document
request goes out we will list out
everything that would be useful to see
with the um the added piece of and
anything else you think we need to see
or would find interesting. Um, what we
definitely don't want our clients to do
is to start to panic and produce things
that are on the list that they don't
necessarily have. The list is a in an
ideal world, everything on this list
would be there, but if it's not, that's
absolutely fine. Um, so that's usually
our that's our first starting point. Um,
we'll then start to dig into interviews
with key staff members and in
particular, uh, leadership. Um and that
can lead to um shadowing and observation
for example. So um uh we might uh it be
nice to um sit in on a staff meeting or
a leadership meeting and just see how
things are positioned, how those are
run, what types of things go on, what
the discussion is. But again um I I want
you to be very aware that running
alongside this is we have to build a
very collegial working relationship with
you. We don't want this to be, oh, it's
those guys who came in from the outside
and toted and sat in a corner making us
feel bad and then told us everything
that we were doing wrong. That's not how
we work at all. Um,
for those of you I haven't spoken to
before, one another thing we pride
ourselves on is that typically we end up
working with um, uh, clients for many
many years and that tends to happen
because we work with them as colleagues.
We don't want that label of the
consultants who come in with a fancy
PowerPoint and a program and check boxes
and then walk off at the end of the day.
That's not our job. Um
Scott, do you want to could you move us
on um to to the next one?
>> Yeah, what I'd add a couple things just
starting to talk through this too. I
think one of the themes you'll see and
probably do see is it's important us to
get beyond paper and you know we can we
can look at all of the documents you
have and all the thinking behind it and
talk to people here and there but it's
really important us like David said with
observation shadowing whether it's
shadowing students educators um
leadership uh throughout that that's a
huge part of this process and just being
local enables us to do that. And I know
David will probably mention at some
point during this how we deal with time
and um and getting the job doing doing
what's needed to get the job done
properly, not putting ourselves in the
box of perceived time. And the reason I
bring that up is because stakeholder
gathering stakeholder voice is really
that's an important piece of this. Um
you know, we'll put out a survey and
what we always say is surveys do one
thing really well. They help us develop
more nuance questions to talk to people
face to face. Um what you what you won't
see unless you absolutely push and and
demand it and we still might give a
little push back but um is putting a 100
people in a room and trying to talk to
them at once. Uh we just haven't found
that to be very effective. We find about
5 to 10 people talk a lot and the others
kind of sit back and wish they had space
to talk. So when we do focus groups, we
keep those rooms to 10 to 15 people
typically. Um we sort them in different
ways. We give a lot of options. I won't
get in the weeds and how we schedule all
those, but it's really important that
people feel they have the opportunity to
speak. So we'll set those up in formal
ways, but the reason that is demarked as
well with the timeline is because this
is something that's going to be ongoing.
we're going to talk to people throughout
this experience and throughout this
assessment. So, as we see needs to
revisit conversations come back, that's
something that's going to happen
throughout the process, we will we know
we know there's a lot of things going
on. And so, we will always be available
in any of these any of these sections to
share what we've learned along the way.
That's why you see the report here
called an interim report. We'll include
the final findings and at the end in the
final larger report, but we what we want
you to hear is it's always okay to ask
us what are you learning? Where are you
with this? And we'll tell you and and
that's and we'll always put the caveat
on. There's still more to learn or we're
still digging in. But don't feel like
you have to go through this and just be
quiet until June because reports come
out in June. Ask anytime. And I'd stress
as well as Scott mentioned time, we we
don't we don't work till the clock. So
whenever we contract to get a group to
work with, it's not we'll do three
stakeholder engagements and then when
you're done, if somebody else wants to
talk to us, well, I'm sorry, we've done
it or three. We don't limit that at all.
It might be that we have to do something
uh remotely by video or meet in a coffee
shop or if you know there might need to
be a different format but we don't limit
that time but we find that when you
start doing that you're thinking more of
the bottom line than you are of the the
outcome for the people that you're
working with. So time isn't an issue.
And while we're on that subject as well
it's Scott's time my time. We're also
not a company that we'll stand here and
tell you lots of great things and then
three completely different people will
turn up who have no idea what we told
you and just kind of do their own thing.
So for better or for worse, what you see
is
>> depends on who probably
going to do environment.
>> Sure.
>> Again, one one thing you you all asked
for was an environment scan. Now,
there's several pieces that fall into
this and certainly there's a huge
research piece behind this too, looking
at evidence-based trends and what's
coming and what's out there. This is
another area we want to get beyond paper
though and talk to actual practitioners
who's out there. And we have a network
across the country. We're fortunate
enough to have been able to work across
the country with different school
districts, organizations, and even
outside of education, hiring managers,
people that are working in the world of
AI. um and thinking about things very
differently that have a very good finger
on the pulse of what are they looking
for in the next several years as much as
you could possibly imagine 2040 which I
think is the year and it's I always
smile with that because I don't think
people could have imagined 2026 in 2020
so that's an eternity in terms of
education and the world of work but um
you know I worked I worked in a district
that their theme was um preparing
students for a world yet to be imagined.
And I remember push back pushing back
and saying, "Well, we better imagine it
somehow because we need to prepare in
different ways." So, as much as anybody
can, we'll access that network as well
beyond the research that you'll find in
evidence evidence-based pieces through
all this.
You want to talk about the diagnostic?
>> Yes. Yeah. So, these are we thought we'd
throw in just a couple of quick examples
here. Um, these are not necessarily
things that um we uh
were adamant have to go in, but they're
a good way of um putting a lens on um
the work that's been done in an
organization that you work with. So, is
everybody has everybody come across
these before? SWAT analysis, manual
analysis. Okay. character is an
interesting one because um it can be
used in a variety of ways and especially
if you type things um like the nostril
model for change. Understanding where an
organization is but also where key
people in that organization are is
critical in understanding what the
organization is achieving and what the
next steps might need to be because you
can have groups of people who yeah we're
very aware of this happening but we have
a desire to do anything with it then
maybe not. I'm a bit like that with
social media, although I I I know it's
there, but the desire to use it is
limited. Um, but using these tools can
be useful. Again, I don't want you to
think for a second that these are things
that we think are a panacea and they'll
fix everything if you use it. It doesn't
work like that, but we thought we'd just
throw them in as an example of some of
the things that we'll use.
Okay, moving on to enrollment and choice
analysis and and really looking at some
of those patterns and potential
perceived unmet needs and implications
for the sustainability of of the school
itself. Um, certainly we want to look at
your trends, but then look at publicly
uh available information of um I'm
interested to know who you think your
competitors are. I'm wonder I'm
interested to dig in and find out who
views you as competitors and how they're
framing their work and and trying to
attract different people especially as
you know what no matter what side you
fall on there is very real conversation
about choice and permits and however you
want to call it um across the country
and what that potentially means for
enrollment in different schools. So,
just taking a look at all of those
factors, but also talking to throughout
your system, people who have experienced
the school um and and decided they
needed something different or people who
had experienced through SAP 39 that
whether it be Mont Vernon or Amherst
coming through and chose not to even
come at all. Like, so trying to connect
with them and see,
you know, why they made that choice. um
maybe find out what it would take to
make them reconsider the choice um where
appropriate, but then also align that
with the perception of the school itself
and and you all of why some of those
things happen and try to bring some
alignment to that
>> and finally um what comes out the other
end. So obviously there'll be um a a
written report but we we want to keep
the end point as flexible as possible as
well if that means and it's something
we've done before a retreat with the
board and key members uh from leadership
team um and a day spent looking at okay
this is where we are this is where we
feel we could be going these are ideas
for how that could happen how that could
roll into planning and so on and so
forth that's again that's not something
we pin down right now, but again, we do
have that flexibility to make that
happen with you depending on where we
get to with it. And again, we're not on
the clock with that. So, if that
requires, you know, a lot more time at
the end rather than the last thing we
want to do is give you a binder or a a
lengthy PDF that's nicely animated, but
you've just got to sit there and read
it. I think it'd be far best to be in a
room together and work through it and
decide where we go.
>> Yeah. Yeah, as David said, you know,
handing a report over isn't um one, it's
not our style, but two, it was very
clear in the RFP, it's not what you're
asking for. Um it it it was very clear
that we have different stakeholders and
this is what excited us because we have
been preaching this for years to anybody
that listen different stakeholders need
different messaging not different
information different messaging and
framing of that information to make it
make sense to them but also to help them
understand the impact why is why should
I care why is this important to me and
so that's something we're committed to
yes we'll deliver a support. But as we
get into it and we work with you all and
we get to know your stakeholders even
more, we will actually help design those
those specialized approaches and
facilitate um where that's something you
want us to do to help onboard them to
whatever next.
>> All right, we're good questions.
>> Yes. Um thank you very much for that. Um
and just a question about the uh
stakeholder voice piece. What you said
about the surveys made a lot of sense.
You describe the u uh focus groups that
are smaller groups. Okay. And then the
last piece of that was one-on-one
interview. You sort of speak to what
that looks like and who are these select
people want to participate.
>> Yeah. Yeah. It's a great question. Um
and there are several layers to the
answer. So one um one-on-one interviews
will include you all. for instance, for
obvious reasons. You know, we don't um
because if too many of you get in the
room than we have an official board
meeting and you know, we'd rather have
candid conversations that are
confidential than onetoone. You're all
different people you're not with. And so
we want to try to pull that out as best
we can. Um it it often is advantageous
um with different positions throughout a
throughout a school or a district to
have oneto ones um where it doesn't make
sense and that often falls into the
leadership realm as David talked about.
But then you'll have community members
and stakeholders that just feel more
comfortable in a onetoone. And so, as we
said, we'll offer the focus group ideas
and it's not at times and and it's not
um unusual for some people to say, can
we just do a onetoone? Can we jump on
the phone? Can we jump on a video? Or
could we just meet at a coffee shop
somewhere and have this conversation?
and um unless there's something
um catastrophic barring us from doing it
up, we we're we're a yes on that. So,
it's a it's a really easy answer for us.
So,
>> it's often people who uh might be in a
position in your community who um by
voicing certain opinions with other
people with them may cause them issues.
It can be somebody who's maybe a a
member of a town council or you know
they they prefer to have that private
conversation. Um so we've got to be
respectful of that.
>> Great. Thank you for that response.
>> So thank you very much for your
presentation. I appreciate it. It seems
like you've
definitely has some depth as well as
breadth of work like this. So I
appreciate that. Um, so I know the SAU
also has a project going on and you've
been selected to do that as well as you
know we're looking selecting for this.
We have two different looks, two
different ideas. How would you separate
I don't want to say separate the work
but separate
who you're talking to and when and how
comfortable are you with that?
>> Yeah. So I think that that's one that's
uh um
that's always going to be ongoing and
adjustable throughout the work and the
two pieces of work while there are
similarities there also differently.
>> Um and I think the very work itself
defines different paths that it'll go
down. Um I personally I think there's
there's a big advantage to us working on
both projects because insights you get
on one side will help with the other. Um
and obviously we'll be very careful if
there was any uh political issue or any
potential conflict to sit down with
people and work work out what was the
best path to that. It's one of those
questions where we can never answer it
100% because until we're in the weeds
working with it.
>> I appreciate that because that's to me
that's a good answer. Yeah, it is. It's
going to be times reaching out to the
board or to Jim or to Mike or get it
both in the room and say how do we solve
this? Yeah. So, I appreciate that. Thank
you.
>> Thank you.
Any other questions?
This is the second time some of us has
sat through the presentation. So, thank
you very much for uh for coming tonight
this time in person, which is very
impressive to I had one comment more for
you, John. Um I really like the part
that stood out and I might have missed
it earlier, but the brief debriefing
keeping our different stakeholder
groups, you know, council,
coalition or kind of
in sections as kind of the process goes.
Here we are kind of in your timeline.
That's huge. Um instead of that one last
report. So however we work that out um
back in the coalition to help
facilitate.
>> Yeah. Are you asking u how I would
envision that happening or not
necessarily just wanted to make an
appointment and
bring back and see if
>> Yeah, that was a that was a question the
coalition I think had as well. Um we
have members of the coalition here who
asked the last meeting like you know we
spent a lot of time developing the RFP.
Now they're looking to get more engaged
and one of the things that we had
discussed when they were in the room
last time was I mean certainly they're
going to be leading the project as the
consultants right um but um one of the
things we had talked about was you know
using the coalition to then engage the
community you know to um that's one of
the one of the challenges I think that
we'll have on our end the biggest
challenge I think we'll have on our end
is making sure that we get the people
the resources the time and the
information to them when they need it,
right? So, one of the biggest stop gaps
at this project could actually be or
bottlenecks could be us. So, we want to
make sure that we're constantly working
through that. And Mike and I have
already talked about that. Stephen and I
have already talked about that. We've
talked about it as a coalition to a
certain extent. Um, but that'll be top
of mind. One, this is further
interesting to Stephan's point. This is
where I feel the asset is. You're not
just looking at
the current high school and talking to
them about what do you want in like
you're already going to be in the
community talking with feeder schools
pretty much and how that will target
kind of basically speaking to my
generation here. um I've got kids that
go to school. Uh so kind of what we want
the high schools to be and those
stakeholders which I think is a huge
asset for bring
I I can't stress enough that um the one
of the first things we always find we
have to do is to break down that barrier
of um we're not here to tell you exactly
how this needs to be done. It's a
two-way process. You know, we'll come in
with this is what we would like. this is
how we can do it this this is what would
help us with it but it's fine to say
well can we do this a little differently
can we do this this way because the last
thing we want is you go away and said oh
now we have to do this and we have to
provide this and we've got to do it by
this day and that's going to be so
challenging we'll tell us you know the
openness is the key to doing this well
>> and likewise we'll ask questions if
there's something we you know if if you
ask us to do something a certain way we
might be curious as to why and and have
a conversation. It's not just a you know
I I think this is the reason people hire
us. We're not yesmen. We're not here to
tell you what you want to hear, but we
are very flexible in how we work as
well.
>> And we're living nearby as well. That's
>> that was another big appeal for us. You
know, it's it's so nice working with
local districts that you can go down and
spend an hour in and come back again.
You know, when when you're having to fly
halfway across the country, it really
limits the way that you can work. So, I'
I'd also like to say um thanks for
putting us on first. We've obviously sat
in a lot of schoolboard meetings and
it's not uncommon to turn up at 5:30 and
still be there at 9:30 waiting to
to talk to everybody,
you know,
an army.
>> Awesome. Well, thank you, gentlemen. I
don't see any more comments from uh from
the board. So um if it pleases the chair
before um we wonder if we could just
have uh Nancy Gerson who's the only
member of the coalition come up.
>> Absolutely.
>> And just make you would you like to come
up and just make a comment about the
coalition's process here and you or are
you good?
>> Uh sure I can do that.
>> Okay. Yeah. So just for our minute just
your name and the fact that you're on
the guiding coalition is perfect at this
point.
>> Okay. Nancy Gerson, member of the
guiding coalition and for the last two
years I've also served as a community
representative on community council. Uh
so I first of all I want to thank the
board for taking the opportunity to just
pause and learn about where we are as a
community and as a school. Um I think
this is such a good time to do this uh
for a variety of reasons that have to do
with the longevity of sagen and where
they are in terms of their academic
progress and also in terms of what is
coming in from outside and some of the
pressures that have to beed too. So I
say that thank you and uh as council as
a coalition member the framing of
choosing a consultant was something that
was near and dear to my heart as a
40-year educational consultant recently
retired um who believes in many of the
same values that they bring to the
table. And the fact that we were able to
find someone who doesn't have a package,
who isn't trying to sell us a model,
who's willing to go all out to talk to
all of the stakeholder groups and who
understands and has clearly communicated
to us at the coalition meeting that had
last week that really this is about
measuring impact. What has this school
done for our community? What impact has
it had on each of the stakeholder
groups? And where do people think we are
now? And I that those sets of questions
require flexibility, they require
curiosity, and they require
non-judgmental. And we've heard all of
that from them in their interview. So
anyway, I'll just say that. Um and as a
member of the coalition, I said to the
group last week, I'm very excited to
really get started on our work. Um we've
done a lot of background work to get
started and led us through that, but I
think this gives us a place to step in.
Um, we're looking for I know the whole
group is looking forward to doing that.
>> Awesome. Thank you.
>> Thank you.
>> Set. We're all set. We're good. Perfect.
No more questions.
>> Awesome. We are not going to entertain a
vote or a motion at this point because
we promised that we would open it up for
public comment in case any members of
the public are online and want to
provide some feedback about this process
uh and just allowing that transparency.
>> And congratulations. Thank you.
>> Great. So, we're going to be moving to
our first of two public comment periods.
If you wish to speak during a public
comment period, uh in person guests will
be allowed to speak first once we go
through all the in-person guests. We may
open up for virtual speaking on Zoom. In
order to speak, please do the following.
Raise your virtual hand. Enter your full
name into the avatar profile. When
speaking, turn your camera on and say
your full name and town of residence. Uh
when you are completed, you will um I'm
sorry, when that is completed, you'll
have three minutes to speak. Our public
comment period is uh dictated by our
policy board policy BH.
With that said, uh anybody in the room
that would like to address the board,
come up to the table, state your name
and the town in which you reside.
Seeing none, Victor, any online?
No hands raised at no hands raised.
Perfect. So seeing no public comment uh
this at this particular portion we'll
keep uh it open for the statute required
30 minutes uh and uh Mr. Manning I'll
leave it to you in terms of how you wish
to proceed from this point.
>> Um well I think I mean we had the the
coalition um voted unanimously to
recommend this particular group to the
board to begin work as soon as possible.
um which was I think it was a was a lift
because a lot of the coalition members
had questions similar to what Miss Grunt
had in terms of making sure that the SAU
work and the high school work uh had had
parallel tracks right that they
understood that one led from
administration the other led from the
board and um I think we were com we got
to a place we were really comfortable
with that Nancy reiterated that as well
as the rest of the coalition so having
said that If there's no additional
questions from the board and there's no
additional questions for the public, I
think the what we have left is just move
to vote. See if the vote will approve
moving forward with G&D Associates to
start the work as soon as possible.
>> Perfect. Would you like to word that uh
that motion?
>> Yeah. Uh motion to have the board
approve the saggan guiding coalition's
recommend uh recommendation to hire G&D
Associates for our strategic futures uh
project uh effective immediately.
>> Second second by Mer. Any discussion?
>> I just want to say thank you for the
presentation. I'm feeling comfortable.
It feels like there is a like I've said
before big breath and depth there. They
understand that the the like the younger
families coming up have a say. We have a
history here. So he when it was founded
back with CES, it was very contentious
in our town. I mean people were like
you're going to call teachers by their
first name. You're going to do what in
your classroom? I mean it was a big
discussion and I appreciate that they're
so they're going to look back and talk
to people who've been here previously as
well as looking forward. So I think
that's important. That's right.
>> Seeing no further discussion, let's go
ahead and call a vote. All in favor of
the motion, raise your hands. And uh
that's unanimous. Congratulations,
gentlemen. Look forward to working with
you.
>> Thank you.
>> Thank you for coming.
>> Thank you.
>> Appreciate it. And thank you, Nancy. You
also appeared on
>> We have follow questions for you at 9:30
tonight if you
all seriously call or text if you want.
We will go remote for that.
>> Perfect. And um we're next going to turn
the meeting over to Miss Peters because
uh we want to get somebody on here to
get to her appointment.
>> Yes. Um so we are at the point where we
need to appoint some new community
council members. One of them being um uh
Nancy Garzison who has been serving and
is up for reappointment. Um you have her
letter as well as well as two others in
your packet for tonight. Um, did you
want to say a little bit about being
counselor? You're just here so we can
see you. If you have any questions, you
want to grill Nancy. Um, I've been
serving with her since April. Um, and so
the other two names are Josh Conklin and
Anne Burlac and comes hardily
recommended by uh Nancy. Now, Will Loot
is the remaining member sitting on the
community council and we do not have a
Mont Vernon representative at this time.
Um, so that's three items. Um, there was
a question because Mr. Conklin, who we
love dearly, is also not employed by the
high school and should he more
appropriately be a teacher or staff
representative. Um, and so the policy
doesn't seem to indicate any clear
guidance on that. Um, so I give you to
the board those three nominations to
consider as well as how shall we entice
someone to come down the hill. So any
discussion, Mr.
>> Just to clarify the question, how many
appointments are due?
>> Uh we have four open slots right now.
>> Four out of five cuz Will Lud is
>> Will has one more year.
>> M. So my my thought around Josh who has
been on the board last year, we
appointed him um and he was just a
substitute teacher at the time. So we
said, "Okay, that's fine for being
community council." And it became a
long-term sub. He still wasn't. Now that
he's appointed, I don't I'm just
wondering if we need to talk to the
moderator and to PPC and just say, "Are
you okay if we because there is no
guidance? Are we okay if we appoint him
or does PPC say have a push back like,
hey, wait, he's a staff member now? Now
you might have too much staff." They're
saying, "What's the perspective? Do we
want a community member?" That's my only
thought is to go ask before we appoint
him.
Okay. Any more discussion on that?
>> I have a slightly different perspective
on that. Um, which is um I mean I
appreciate Josh's interest. Yeah, he
should seek it. But I he's he's st so
he's really that's if he has community
points of view stapling that fine to
bring. really I think the five community
are
designed to be the outside like we need
that perspective community council will
really benefit from that perspective so
I would tend to say um seek the position
through the staffing process and let's
let's see if we can't find uh different
members of the community who don't play
a significant role in the schools for
that perspective it's not a personal
thing it's more of a who's representing
what stakeholder group kind of
perspective
That's my view on the matter.
>> Raj Christine, any thoughts? This is
Ammer represent we're appointing. So
obviously I want to defer to you guys to
provide your feedback.
>> My only thought is that uh Miss Garzison
and Berlac and Will are all Amherst
citizens.
I would like to potentially pause with
greatest respect for Josh Conlin and
would love to see him come through as a
staff representative. um to see if we
can't get some Mont Vernon Mont Vernon
res um representation as well maybe
submitted before our next meeting and we
can always revisit this because it is an
open spot.
>> Okay, I think that's worthwhile. It is
important to have voice right there.
Yeah.
>> Is there
a need to visit this as kind of a you
looked into finding kind of the rules
and regulations behind kind of where
Josh would fit in? Do we need to put
that on the docket for later?
>> No, there's really there's not there's
nothing that precludes him in the policy
from serving as a community member that
I can see.
>> Okay. I need I need to check the the uh
community council bylaws.
>> I think the bylaws might might define
>> I don't think the bylaw is defined. I
think it says appointed like based on
>> I think you're right.
>> Based on like uh represent like town
representation,
>> but it doesn't talk about. Yeah, that's
that's what I'm not about that.
>> Yeah, might be something we need to
>> have to be a resident.
They need to be a resident of Amherst or
Mont Vernon to be in Amherst.
>> It says town representation to closely
reflect school population thanks to
community representatives.
>> So you could have one or two Mont Vernon
reps depending how you a little
>> volume of volunteers.
>> Yeah.
>> But we would love to have our Mont
Vernon reps.
>> So if we want to pause Josh um I'll be
blunt. I'm very comfortable having Josh
appointed as uh a community member
because he does live in this community
and he has been so heavily involved in
the committee in multiple areas in
addition to serving on the community
council last year. Uh and I do see your
point, John, of yeah, we do want to make
sure that those pathways for employees
pursue the pathways for employees, but
if I lived in Manchester or Salem or
Hampton, I could pursue that employee
pathway. Um but this is a community
pathway where if you're a faculty
member, if you're a janitor, if you are
um a retiree and you wanted to volunteer
your time, uh that pathway should should
be open and and Josh has stepped
forward, step through that door to be uh
that that community based volunteer. I
understand you guys this is an amorous
sort of position um that we would be
appointed. If you guys are comfortable
pausing Josh, I would support that. But
I do support appointing Josh as a rule
member and we will clearly re advertise
for the Mal Vernon um position.
Unfortunately, we just haven't been very
successful over the past couple of
years.
>> Sorry to interrupt. I didn't wait for
you to breathe.
>> No, I'm equally comfortable
disappointing him because this did get
noticed and we've sent it out and we
haven't had people chomping in the bit
dying to get on here. So to take someone
who has been working on the community
council and is familiar with the work
they're doing has not seemed to have a
trouble with a conflict of interest
being staff versus community like I I I
don't have a strong feeling either way
and I would if if we bring his
nomination to the floor I would vote
yes.
So, as as a compromise, would you guys
be comfortable appointing Sorry, Nancy.
Nancy and um and then initially
appointing Josh with the approval of
community council and making sure that
they're okay with an employee pursuing
the community member pathway.
>> Yeah, I think that's fine. And then then
there's the council can say, "Hey,
that's okay. We also want to appoint an
>> and yeah,
>> perfect.
>> Yep.
Is that something you guys are
comfortable with?
>> Well, I'll make the motion and then we
can discuss it more if we like. Correct.
I make the motion that we approve the
nomination of Nancy Gerson and Anne
Burlac and that we provisionally approve
Josh Conklin uh with um the
understanding that community council may
take a look at it.
>> Subject to the approval of
>> Thank you. I'll second that. Second by
Mr. Brown. discussion.
>> Well, I'll speak to why I agree with
that because I like the fact we're
approaching community council to have
their input simply. That's why I
>> silly comment just gratitude to
>> to all three for showing an interest in
what's like a a really important part of
this community because and everybody's
in real life everybody has got so many
obligations and to uh consider this one
like really really grateful. So thank
you
>> members of this body are trying to you
know put a fire under community council
to really create an opportunity to have
that voice and people stepping forward
to participate in that voice is is
powerful and we don't want to minimize
or um go ahead
>> um let's just put time frame for comm
so we'll meet I think Monday for the
first time but I don't know that they
have to reply back to Unless it's a
negative, we we would be provisionally
approving him. As long as they don't
have a problem with it, he'd be
approved. We don't have to say it again.
>> But that leads to opportunity for in
action
>> for a week.
>> So, I'm just saying like give him a let
him let them do the digging, come back,
>> report back to the board their findings,
>> and then we can take it from that.
>> We can add that if you would like. I I
have complete faith that they'll deal
quickly with the dispersing of that that
matter. So if they report back, James,
that they're not comfortable having Josh
pursue that pathway, they'll let Christy
know. Christine will report back saying
we need to
evidence.
All right. Any more discussion on that?
Call the vote. Okay. All in favor of
appointing those three individuals as
stated.
>> Great. Unanimous. Thank you.
Congratulations, Nancy.
>> Thank you.
>> Appreciate your service. was through
this last time because I just stepped
into somebody else asked that.
Thank you.
>> Awesome. Thank you.
Um and then we're going to come back to
student engagement in case there's
anything else when we uh continue with
the rest of the agenda. But moving on,
uh administrative updates, Mr. Barry.
>> Yeah, we have uh friends with us who are
going to uh run us through a
presentation on on uh unified sports at
Sagen High School. So, uh, like to them
introduce that. Kelly Braley, our
athletic director, and Katie R,
special education administrator and
current. Perfect. If you guys can step
right up. Our school board minute is
going to be doing it off of the
recording.
>> Just going to sit near them. So,
everything we just said is we're doing
it together.
>> And then just speak clearly. And I know
we all know who you are, but just your
name for the record would be great.
I'm Kelly Brley, athletic director, Pet
special ed administrator. Dana Curran,
principal.
Awesome. We good.
Perfect. So, um, when Miss Peters and I
were talking about possible
presentations for this year and wanted
to kick off the year for the board, um,
unified programming came to my mind. Um,
it's something we haven't had an
opportunity to talk about here, um, in
my my years. Um, and even though it's
become a pretty important part of who we
are as a school, it also seemed like a
good time to talk about it because we
did field some questions about these
programs uh during last year's budget
process, what they are, what they cost,
what they provide to our students. So, I
wanted to give you a better picture of
what Unified is and what it looks like
at Soheen and why we do it.
So on the next slide, um I wanted to
start here with our mission uh because
unified really connects what we already
say we value as a school. Supporting
students individual strengths,
developing their mind, body, and heart
and building a community where students
learn to respect and work with one
another. For us in this area, it it
happens in three different ways. It
happens through unified athletics where
our students are becoming teammates. It
happens through our unified cooking
class where students become classmates
and it happens um through best buddies
where the focus is on friendship and
connection. So there are different
programs but they all build around the
same idea which is creating
opportunities for students to
participate, contribute and belong in
our community.
The best part about unified programming
um is that
unification of students with uh ID uh
intellectual and developmental
disabilities and uh students in regular
ed classes who are working together and
developing lifelong friendships. That is
at the core of everything. Um and sports
is obviously a phenomenal way to connect
people period. Um, the thing that I
think I when I reflect back on how
unified athletics came to sagen that one
of the things I'm most proud of is that
it was brought by a student via senior
project. Um, which is just like the
greatest, right? That's that's why we do
Senior Project. Like it's it's the
truest form of making our community
better and joining people together. Um,
so in in that there since that time
we've established one sport per season.
In the fall we offer unified soccer. In
the winter, we offer unified basketball.
Um, and in the spring, we offer unified
track. Um, and it has really changed the
way our students interact with one
another in the halls. Um, it's wonderful
to see high fives all over the place,
people coming. There's no better place
than a packed gym during a unified game
uh uh in the winter. Um, signs are made.
It is the most it is the best of sport.
People people there supporting one
another um and doing all of those
wonderful things. You can go to the next
one, please. Thank you. Um, we compete
against many other local schools. We
travel to Keen, Alvin, Salem,
Hollisburg, Line, Bedford,
um, Marramac, Milford, um, and they
travel to us as well. every opportunity
to host an event here. We have one, I
love to showcase our campus, and two, we
have facilities that are wonderful to be
able to have these events at and it
makes our kids proud to show people
around um where they spend their time
learning and growing together.
>> Um want to make sure that we recognize
our unified coaches.
>> Yes. Um, so one of them is here today,
lesson vital, unified coach
extraordinaire. Um, but we also have
Melissa Dumain who coaches, Don Gibson,
who has coached for a really long time.
I'm missing actively involved. Um, Don,
Melissa, Leslie. Yeah.
>> Who else are we missing?
>> Oh,
what's that?
Um when I joined SAGEN um there was such
a buzz about unified sports about best
buddies. Um I worked with my team to
kind of develop the next phase of that
which was unified cooking. Um in in
sports they became teammates and in
unified cooking they become classmates.
Unified cooking allows us the
opportunity to have um our program
students building functional life
skills, cooking, following recipes,
routines, meal planning, finding gross
motor skills of preparing meals safely.
Um and doing that while having an
opportunity to be supported by their
peers rather than by adults, which is
their typical experience here at school.
Um, we set it up where we have about one
one program student and about three
buddies in there and they are cooking,
learning, socializing. I walked in the
other day, they were playing Uno while
they were waiting for their quick bread
and having a great time. Um, and it is a
really just an electric place to be in
that kitchen while everybody is working
together. um and the teacher of that
class. I want to be sure to recognize um
Katie Neto who has started that program
and grown it to to be what it is today.
If there's ever an opportunity for you
to come and judge one of their cookoffs,
it is a fabulous experience. I got to do
that. They they've done a chili cookoff
and they've done a mac and cheese
cookoff. The mac and cheese was
>> out of this world. Um the special
ingredient is mustard if you didn't
know.
You can go to the next one. Our Best
Buddies program um is uh functions as a
club um here. So I've got oversight of
that as well, but Katie and I work
really closely together in making sure
that that program is the great success
that it is. Best Buddies, unlike Unified
Cooking, which is just, you know, that
semester based class or unified sports
with just is, you know, one season um at
a time, Best Buddies uh is a commitment
throughout the entire school year. So it
gives students an opportunity to connect
at different phases of their time during
the year. Winter we celebrate um
different milestones of the year al
together. Um craft projects
um
movie time together, snack times, all
sorts of activities that um connect our
students on a different level that isn't
a competitive one or you know one of a
classroom setting. This is fun and
engagement um and light-hearted
connection that lasts a lifetime
hopefully.
>> Um on our next slide, you'll see some
photos of Best Buddies together. Um Best
Buddies also hosts dances. Our our group
participates in the Best Buddies
friendship walk and conquered. And
pretty routinely you will find um
students going to have lunch in the
program with their buddies or in the
cafeteria with their buddies. One of our
advises, two of our advises last year
were always like not going to be here
today. Go and have lunch with my buddy.
Um and they'd spend that whole walk
having lunch with them and building
those social connections. Many of them
get together on the weekends uh over
school breaks and um it's really
fostered some wonderful friendships.
I think probably one of the biggest
friendships uh that's been formed is one
of Emma and Harold and that is a class
of 2025
alum. Um this is actually the landing
page of Best Buddies International's
website. Um, so our our chapter and the
connections that our our Best Buddies
program has been able to forge has
reached a an international level because
this is when you go to Best Buddies and
this is the first thing you see. Um,
their story is a really great one. If
you haven't heard it, I highly recommend
you go um and read more about it. Um,
there was a a great video I I think
that's still probably linked on here
too. Um, that uh Emma created when she
was here. Um, and it really just
demonstrates the best of like what
unified activities, whether it be
sports, educationbased, uh, or Best
Buddies, um, can offer for all of our
students. And our faculty support for
Best Buddies is Kora Bodri and Taylor
Ferdinando, two of our special educators
who are not in our special program,
which I think is unique because often it
is the, you know, program teachers who
are running these things. and it our our
reach here is beyond just those typical
program teachers.
So, uh the scope of student involvement
that we have across these programs
really demonstrates the strong and
strong demand and community support we
have for inclusive programming at our
school. Uh these participation numbers
reflect a growing commitment to shared
expectations um and experiences. Uh so
we feel really we feel really lucky and
excited. Um, we also have a lot of
community-based things that now revolve
around our unified activities. For
example, the staff verse students
basketball game in the winter has become
an annual tradition. Um, and
>> the walk in May,
>> the walk in May. Um,
so you know, these represent the folks
who make the commitment. Um, but that
the reach is much is much broader.
So why it matters is the next slide. So
you know when we talk about why these
programs matter, I think there's three
groups to to think about. First of all,
with our students with disabilities,
it's about having meaningful
opportunities to participate and
contribute, not just being present, but
being part of the team, being part of
the class or the club. It's hard enough
to be in high school. Um, and this
really gives them a way in. Um, for our
partners, for our unified partners,
there's a lot of growth. They're
learning how to communicate. They're
learning how to work with people who are
different than them, be patient, lead,
build relationships. And then there's
really the impact uh on our school as a
whole. When students regularly see their
classmates playing sports together,
taking classes together, spending time
together, inclusion becomes less of
something that we talk about and more of
just a way of being um everyday life at
Soagen. So I think ultimately that's
what we're trying to build. um a school
where belonging isn't part of a program.
It's just the culture.
Um I wanted to include student voices in
this because they probably say it better
than I can. So I won't read them to you,
but um these quotes represent um
identified and um not identified
students who participate in these
activities. And what stands out to me
is, you know, in in hearing some of them
firsthand and in and reading them
secondhand, how simple their answers
are, they talk about being friends,
being outside, getting exercise, eating
candy, just being part of something. And
that really is the point. They're not
students talking about inclusion as an
initiative. They're talking about normal
high school experiences. Um, and for me,
that's what we want. Uh, we want this to
feel ordinary. um students learning
together, playing together, just being
together.
Um
so this this last slide um again cost
came up during last year's budget
conversations. It's a fair question. Um
my hope is that what you've seen tonight
uh is what that investment looks like
for our students and our school. Um it
gives them opportunities
um to build a lot of really important
skills. Um, so this is the investment. I
think when you look back at what we've
talked about there, the these aren't
programs that sit outside of our mission
and our suggesting
students to respect one another, to
collaborate, to recognize each other's
strengths, to be part of their
community, right? And um and these these
programs are one of the ways students
actually get to live our mission um
together. And it's just very exciting.
And
I think that was the thing.
>> Thank you. Any questions?
>> Yeah, a great presentation. Thank you
for that. I didn't really fully
understand before now how it fits into
our David life. Excellent. My question
is for the participation piece. I mean
like soccer, everyone's going to play at
13. but it's barely a team. And more
basketball, do you do you have like A,
B, and C or three like just to make sure
people can play like there's multiple
teams and kind of align that with other
schools who have larger participations.
>> So So it's the way that all these work
like unified soccer is not 11 aside as
it is anywhere. It's it's five aside.
We're playing smaller field. There's a
minimum requirement for the number of
athletes versus the number of partners
that have to be on a field or a court or
on the track or part of a relay team or
anything at one time. Um, I think the
numbers are a little bit reflective too
of what's available for partners during
a season. One important thing about
unified sports is that if you play on
the like the the varsity or JV soccer
team, you cannot participate in the
unified sport that you play. um because
you're we don't want you to that that
extra training there, right? Like it's
it's a more level playing ground. Um so
I think for for fall, our fall numbers
are really high, so that impacts that.
Um and and only having five on the
field, 13 is is more than enough to
field the team. For basketball, it's
similar. Um, our partners are really
great about uh rotating through and
being a part of the experience in other
ways, demonstrating good sportsmanship
by cheering on the bench, high-fiving
everybody as they're coming off the
court. So, even if they're not out there
getting the minutes um that our athletes
are, they're still modeling how to be a
teammate in other ways. Um, and track
track numbers and and events are are
similar to to track at the varsity or
subversity level. Um, not everybody is a
sprinter in the 200. So, you need shot
put throwers and you need long jumpers
as well. Um, so there's lots of
different opportunities I think in track
specifically uh track and field for our
both our our athletes and our partners
to experience
different things um and find something
that they really love and excel at.
>> Sounds wonderful. So, there's just like
the one team.
>> Yep. Yep. Everybody Everybody goes
together
>> breaking up into multiple teams playing
just creates actual minutes, but
everyone's going to get a shot at design
that way. So,
>> everyone has some
>> generally equalized experience
throughout the season.
>> Yes.
>> Great. Thank you.
>> Any other questions?
>> Stephanie, and then
>> so I'll be sure, but I want to say thank
you for this. There were questions last
year. I think none of us understood the
extent of the program and the the way
that you really explained it about kids
Excuse me. Becoming part of the
community and feeling part of the
community is at our core. So, this is
wonderful. So, thank you, Rash.
>> Yeah, I there was a point where I was
thinking we needed to put in a work
order for the amount of dust that was in
the air because it was getting in my
eyes like I was
like really really meaningful stuff
here. Uh like so much gratitude. thanks
for leading this for our community and
or it's this there's clearly the
students are are the leaders but giving
them the the space and the support to be
successful in this. Um I'm I this is
going to sound strange. I'm going to
challenge you on the mission.
Uh the mission that you posted here is
our mission calls us to support each
student's unique gifts. Check. Develop
the mind, body, and heart. Check. And
expand the limits of tolerance. I
respectfully disagree. I don't think you
are expanding the li limits of
tolerance. I think you are doing
something about inclusion. Um because
this isn't about tolerance. This is
about community and like kindness and
love. And so tolerance isn't the word
that I'm hearing from what you just all
said. So if you could just hear me out
on that. Roll it around after I you
leave here. You don't have to do
anything with it. But at least I had to
say it out loud. Uh because I think
you're doing something a heck of a lot
more magical than just expanding the
limits of tolerance there.
>> Jason, um you still have the slide up
for investments. Uh
starting there
is this good? Do you
want to increase this program? How would
you do it?
um what can we as the board support this
wonderful program that you have going
on? I think it's awesome that this came
from a senior project. Uh that is
fascinating. Um so just like kind of
financial there and then how can outside
finances uh how can we support you know
please include the messaging in the
weekly or if we can call it games
whatever family um
>> come to the cook off judge you know
whatever it is uh please keep us
informed of those programs events they
might have been there I might have
missed it in the past I apologize but
keep us a breast of that but you know
kind of how we can help
uh be there and support and then
anything you want to change with the the
cost here. I think one of the things
that we've been talking about uh as a
staff is um doing some investigation on
expanding unified academics
um because there's some um other models
that expand out into unified PE, unified
art, unified music. um we have a lot of
our program students already taking
those classes and what's important is
like the unified class isn't the same as
them being in the mainstream
um music class. So we want to we want to
talk about what that would look like um
for both identified and non-identified
students. But it's something that we are
interested in exploring because we see a
lot of value in it for all the kids that
participate.
um you know in other ways
the cost of transportation is what's
driving a lot of those numbers that
unified track number is significantly
higher than the other numbers and it's
really because of the transportation
>> how do we typically transport students
>> for soccer our team is small enough that
we can utilize the school vans most of
the time basketball it gets a little bit
trickier sometimes we can use
one of the larger transit vans bands and
then the smaller bands sometimes they're
not available. So, uh a busing is it is
what it is. Unified track is typically a
little bit too big and the distance is a
bit further to go. They're not not every
high school has a track that they use.
So, we're often going to the same Alvin
being one that we visit um pretty
frequently. Um and that one really
really requires a bus to get kids to and
from plus that time of year we're taking
tents and coolers and water jugs and
everything else with us. So, um, so
that's why that track and basketball
trend a little bit more than soccer.
Soccer is typically a bit of a smaller
team and we can we can use the vans a
bit more.
>> Where where is this sitting in the
budget?
>> Uh, this athletics, some of it is in
athletics, some of it is in um our
activities stipend, and some of it is in
uh our student services
line.
We showed up last year when we started
talking about athletics and athletics
and some of the cost of paras and that
we kind of showed up in different parts.
So it's not under one line. It's not
only one bucket. It's Yeah.
>> I also just want to say like you said,
thank you for the work. I just want to
make sure that we're super clear that
the thank you is to Leslie and the
others that are doing it every single
>> Thank you is to ours.
>> Yeah. Thank you, John.
>> Yeah. Um, just kind of follow up to
James's question and your response. Um,
I appreciate the tension of maybe
exploring some additional academic
program. I would love to hear what the
output of that is. Um, it also occurred
to me that if a lot of those students
are already participating, like that
alone may be
helpful
and not need to be changed because
they're getting a a kind of a unified
experience. So, you know, the kids in
the special education program are
integrating with kids not in special
education program in these art and maybe
maybe that's sufficient and maybe that's
actually really good for them. And I it
would hate for us to like be blinded by,
oh, we need to add more, but actually
not recognize that we actually maybe
have a a sweet deal right now under the
current model. So, just wanted to say
that out loud and make sure that that
was something to weigh against adding
some programming. Maybe we're actually
better than than that with what we have
right now.
>> Great. Thank you. And I'm just going to
echo what everyone else said for the
sake of time. Kudos to you guys and
Lesie on are you doing basketball
>> and soccer
>> and soccer
>> and soccer the thousandpoint club from S
Milford High School Lesie Lech.
>> So nice job. Um
>> great job. The the one thing I'm I'm
going to challenge just a little bit
again to to to build upon Raj's
terminology. Um, what I would like you
guys to do if it's possible cuz the the
budget number of 18,000 I would love to
see your vision of an improvement to
that like what could make this program
better and then get that to Dana and
Dana could then float that through our
finance um uh board chair or board lead
uh and then we can actually filter that
through the budgetary process to say hey
is there support there that we can go
ahead and actually boost this up to
create a better example of this program.
um status quo is awesome as it is, but
is there a way uh to to make it better?
That's the piece that I would love to
see. And even if we have to go out as
board members and privately fund raise
for it, I would love to see what the
difference is. So, envision what you
guys would love to see from an
improvement standpoint, get that to Dana
and Dana then can forward it off to our
our finance.
>> Sounds good.
>> Awesome.
>> Thank you.
>> Great. Thanks guys for coming in.
Appreciate it.
All right, superintendent.
>> Yes. Um, I'm going to turn over to Bob
Zokus. I'm going to walk them out, but
I'll come back. Bob's gonna do my
partner.
>> Yeah, please.
>> Okay.
>> Victor's going to pull it up on the
screen.
>> Yep.
>> So, jump down to the assistant
superintendent report if you would. And
there's a link there to September's
monthly report. What you're going to see
there is something that's going to be in
each month. Right now there's a lot of
open spots because we haven't got
through a full moon. But I just want to
walk you through. So if you haven't
lived in Canvas before, the first thing
I just want to show you in the bottom
right there's a little button you can
slide so that you can make the document
a little bigger. I have to say I don't
know about you guys. Super glasses.
So I'm just going to go through each
part, tell you what's going to be there,
what is there now, and then you'll be
just familiar with it when you see it
each month. So the enrollment for the
the month we're looking at, it'll always
be the month prior. So when we get to
October, you'll be looking at the full
month of September's data. So Dely
Mooney and I will pull that number for
enrollment at the end of September. So
that's what that big number is. Then the
monthly enrollment chart, you'll just
see a line graph there for each month.
So you just see how it goes up and down.
If it does throughout the year, monthly
student attendance rate, that is
accurate as of last week. You can hover
over it and you'll get the percentage
there. So you'll see that there's a 98%
attendance rate as of last week. So
nearly every kiddo is coming to school.
That's just an average of the daily
attendance rate here at Sagen. They do
that in first block.
If you go down a little bit, we do want
to monitor absent over 10 days because
we have a new policy and new school
procedures as you know. So we're just
going to keep an eye on that. We're
going to let you know what that looks
like. And then also right next to that
truency. So if anyone ends up there,
you'll see the numbers in that spot.
We've done bullying before. It's going
to just be housed here from now on. So,
if we had incidents of bullying, you'll
see those quoted here.
You go to page two.
Um really, this is just starting MTSS
interventions. So, you there will be
some data here. We're not sure how we're
going to put it in yet. Um but we're
going to try to give a snapshot view of
what's happening at the high school for
MTSS. Um so, that'll fill that um gap
right there. Go down a little bit.
You're gonna see monthly staff
attendance rate. So that's going to just
be like the student version, but it's
going to be for staff. And then
classroom observations. As Dana and her
team go through the months, you'll see
all the classrooms that she's visiting
and that they're visiting for
observations.
>> Can I just interject one question on
that? Will the classroom observations
have have two data series? One for
informal and one for formal?
>> It can.
>> Okay. I mean, that has
>> it wasn't going to be. It wasn't going.
But if you want to see it that way
still, that's so easy to do.
>> Historically been presented that way in
the chart.
>> We're jumping ahead and that was going
to be an ask of mine as well. You can
come back to
>> I didn't want to derail you, but we're
right here. It was very quick. Thank
you.
>> Uh page three, you'll see parents
square. This comes out on the
administrative side of parents where we
can look to see what's going on. So you
can see this has already increased. I
know that. Um, but when I grabbed it two
weeks ago, there were two school posts,
three classroom posts, and one group
post. A group post, you're a group,
actually, the school board's a group.
So, that one is something that you were
um you got at the same time. But a group
can also be uh someone could create the
theater groups if if if Jim wants to
push something out to theater kiddos or
it could be a club, but the groups vary
a little bit. Could even be buses that
get posted. So, you just see a snapshot
of communications going on. Right under
that, Dave is gonna provide a financial
snapshot. If you want to go through that
right now, we can. Um, and at the very
bottom, it's just other updates, and
I'll get to those after Dave speaks to
the financial snapshot. So, we'll do
that right now.
>> Yeah. So, what we what we plan on doing
every month is showing you a year to
date where we're at that point in time
for um for proposed budget to year to
date actuals. Um, so looking at the
first one, obviously we're this is last
week, September 10, so a lot of stuff is
not encumbered yet. So you're going to
see a lot of higher variances um in the
beginning, but they'll tighten up as
time comes on. Um before we I did want
to get some information you guys before
we jump into this, you guys signed a
DOE25 last week, right? A couple weeks
ago. Um just so you know we ended the
year with a fund balance of 978
uh 147 and then of that you know we we
um cover the warrant articles of 495 to
the reserves and then we gave back
483,147
to the taxpayers.
>> Say that again real loud.
>> 483,147
went back to the taxpayers. I just
wanted to kind of give that brief update
in case you didn't catch that when you
were reviewing the document but coming
down here. So, you know, in working with
Katie on this, um, we don't we haven't
heard any revenue issues as right now.
As right now, we expect to collect what
we expect. Um, obviously Medicaid's a
number that that jumps around a little
bit. Um, but we expect to have no issues
there as right now, as of today. Um,
coming down, we come down to
expenditures. Um, you know, regular ed,
special ed, right now we're projecting
around about 130,000 to the good right
now. Um that number is obviously fluid
as we go through the process of um each
month. Um CTE tuition, you know, right
now these are these numbers are based on
um prior year enrollment. So once we get
the new enrollment numbers, we'll update
that. But currently we're you know a
little behind there, but it's about
10,000
athletic activities. So, in here we have
a couple things that haven't been in
Cumbra yet, particularly the coaches
stipens and um a outsourced athletic
trainer, which right now I'm hearing
we're not we're having trouble filling
that full-time position. Um so, we're
working through that. That currently
gone encumbered here. So, we'll see that
come through. Um
let's see. We have student services.
>> We should we should be um okay. Um
instructional support. Um right now we
have an encumbumbered PD. It's about
113,000 right now. So right now we're
seeing a buffer of above 60,000 there.
Um we got executive administration.
So talk to G&D. We have encumbered that
number which is about 50,000 for that
for that process. And then obviously the
strategic plan that we're doing for the
district um is about $8,000 allocation
for here. So we're pretty much right on
track right on the money on this
particular item as we speak today.
School administration. Um right as of
right now we're over but we haven't if
you notice down below there's a salary
benefit pool. We haven't done a transfer
to to make that happen yet to cover
those um to cover those uh non-union
raises.
Uh we got printing building and grounds.
Um the really the only thing that's not
encumbered here is a vacant position
that we just I believe filled recently
starting next week I believe. Um it's
about a little under $100,000 with allin
benefits and everything.
student transportation. Um the only
thing not encumbered here is some CT
transportation 50 about $15,000 as of
today.
Uh we got censor search it. We're we're
good there. Um
talk about the benefit pool. So you know
as of today I you know you can't I don't
want to project something that you know
we had a million dollars this year in
the reserve. You know right now we're
sitting probably around3 $400,000 as as
we speak today. That number is fluid.
that it changes on on a regular. But I
think this is a good start for this
process for the board to see this on on
a monthly basis and, you know, we can
talk about issues that come up. We can
in real time, you know, and kind of go
through that process so you're not um
getting hit over the head whatever it is
four or five months. We're always
talking about things as we see them on
these reports. Um, you know, obviously,
you know, anything you want to see
differently or presented differently or
look look to the report, you know, feel
free to let me know. More than happy to
customize in any way that you guys see
fit or want to see kind of information
you want to see. So, that's but um any
questions?
>> Yeah, pretty much all questions just
Yeah, of course.
>> Yeah, of course. And there's just one
more piece other updates and other well
that'll be a little bit of a catch all
about other stuff going on with school
and you'll see well you know light
speeded alerts is being in is used and
already it's been very useful for Dan
and her team for one particular kid out
it really was. And then star universal
screening is ongoing the windows 9th
through the 25th. That's for math and
English and 9th and 10th grade. That's a
universal screener just to get a pulse
of wherever it is. Uh and we'll kick off
some of that NTSS for for particular
students, the tier one, the tier two,
the tier three supports.
>> Awesome. Yep.
>> All right. Now, questions.
>> Raj.
>> Yeah. Uh first, uh because I always do a
little comment first. So, thank thanks
for putting this together. I love it. Uh
I I think this is like really meaningful
from a board perspective.
Uh because I think we've always, you
know, it's only my second year, but it's
been a question of like how do we know?
And I think this starts to put the that
in front of us. Um, and I'm sure it will
evolve, but like I love what's here uh
in front of us at the moment. Um, Dave,
can I just uh get a little bit of
clarity from you on a couple things
here? Yes. One, when I think of um the
the way this is formatted,
>> is this a way that you're you ever
currently operate or are you having to
prepare this for us?
Yeah, I think Amy in the past has
periodically done a similar format like
this, but you're going to get every
month now. So, it's not you're getting a
heavy lift or you getting What do you
>> Yeah. Yeah. I'm just trying to make sure
no there's a way that you can extract it
that is easier for you versus having to
like really chase it.
>> No, I think it's we'll just incorporate
as part of our our weekly monthly
process for all the boards that we work
with. Um, the one thing I'd like to, you
know, as this starts to evolve is to get
real time projections, particularly when
we get close, as we start getting to
October, November, December, January,
want to get real, real projection
material in here. Um, I'd love to see
that cuz then you can start seeing where
we're really and truly going to come
close to near the end of the year.
>> Yeah.
>> But, um, that's going to be a evolving
kind of thing as we work through the
process. I I that's what I envision is
is showing another column showing
>> projection basically and then total you
know what I mean
>> and then you can see a true like real I
mean as best you can a real time
projection for the fund balance. Yeah,
and that's what I actually was going to
go to next because I what I don't know
is with any of these line items whether
we should expect to think whether we
would think of it as being uh you know
divisible by 12, right?
>> You can't do that.
>> Yeah. No, no, no, no. Can't say that.
That's what I'm saying. But I can't tell
that from here what might be
frontloaded, what might be.
>> So, what I can do is I can do I can give
more detailed. I mean, I gave you some
examples obviously of some of the higher
level stuff, but I can probably get you
more more like that projection will do
that, right? Because once you see the
projection, you're going to know, hey,
we're, you know, regular 434, but we
project to be at 120 because of X, Y,
and Z. Y
>> So that as it starts to evolve and gets,
you know, as time goes on, it's easier
to do that, by the way, right? Because
we have more information and things are
starting to get encumbered and all that
good stuff. So I I I anticipate that
being um
a good thing to start looking for. Yeah.
Moving forward.
>> Yep. Thank you.
>> Sure. Sure. Sure.
>> Um also to Dave just that um in central
services what is eval
says eval and it is something distinct.
>> Oh uh
I will find that off to you. I don't I
don't know. I looked it up earlier and I
I saw all the IT stuff but I'll I'll
>> Okay. before the end of this meeting.
I'll look I'll look it up and get back
to you.
>> Appreciate that.
>> No problem.
>> Then the second question on for you,
Dave, is um uh first of all, I I like
your your vision and how where you're
going with this. I'm very keen to see
how it evolves. Um we can continue to
talk about it, but um so the facilities
lineup is like basically nothing $6.
I don't know why they budgeted $6. I
that's that's actually what's budgeted
there.
>> Well, probably to keep the line item
line item alive and well.
>> We've done that before. over a dollar a
very token amount. My question is
>> um but this is the budget but we also
have other expenditures through our
capital reserve funds
>> is is the the the status and standing of
those something that can be incorporated
into your portion of this maybe it's a
separate chart or so that because that
is the big important
>> balances the balances are and
>> used
yeah you know because one of the things
we were talking about Mike and Bob and I
in our meetings with James um we want to
take a look at
what projects we can start tapping those
reserves for to to start doing some good
work to continue the good work that
happened over the summer and keep it
going as as we so
what might kind of task me for that to
to look at that and what we can um you
know reasonably do with those reserves
that we have and and we should have that
in real time anyway so that's not a
problem
>> right
>> yeah most definitely
>> Stephanie James Christ
I business. You know, I think you I
always very very cautious when I see
those year-to-day obligations because I
know what you're going through. That's
just are those just what people put POS
in for
>> pretty much and and there's stuff we
know that has been encumbered like the
the strategic planning guys and the one
for the district and for so there's
things I can pull out but to get to the
final it's it gets a little difficult
right now. Someone looked at this and
like what do you mean you $2 million
already sitting there? It's like no it's
this POS haven't been put in the hiring
for the for the open position just
happened that's going to get encumbered
that's going to get moved out of there.
So it it is shifting. Um, so yeah, I
wonder if that you just put in you end
up when you do that projection just
another column just says estimated pro
estimated encumbrance or something and
then you
>> agree and I think that's what I envision
this for the future most I agree 100%.
>> Thank you.
>> No problem James.
>> Um, sorry trying to dissect some of
this. I know it's kind of work in
progress. Is some of this kind of
blank on purpose problem?
>> Yes.
>> Okay. All right.
>> Blank and you started out and I was
>> Yeah. At the end of the at the end of
the month, that's when we a lot of that
data in so next month. Yeah. You'll see
a full report.
>> Okay. All right. As we um there's
something that's not on here. We talked
about uh when it rolled out and I'm not
saying it needs to fly but just are you
able to talk to how the cell phone in
classroom has gone as we come into the
new year has that been an issue data
could speak to this
>> yeah I'm going to are you prepared to
speak for that because you'll know
better than I
>> think uh as a school community staff and
students alike did a really good job
last year kind kind of resetting what
our normal is and resetting
expectations. Um and so this year um it
we haven't had any serious issues.
>> So the policy that we have is good. We
don't need either revisit or send it
back. No, I think I think it's actually
a much better start to the year in a lot
of ways because last year the trickiest
start was with some of our laptops, our
old devices that weren't working as we
wanted them to and that's not an issue
either. So really we're we're doing
pretty well.
>> All right. Overall, okay, thank you for
this kind of filling in
progress.
Christian
>> only thing is that someone had just
asked me um so this right now is visible
to board members before each meeting or
is this you have some pieces of the
agenda the public can click on and they
can see the things that are there is
that is this piece a public link or a
and someone had just asked me if it was
possible to put something like what
David prepared um in a place where the
public could access it on our website
which might be a little more easy than
digging through board notes but They
thought that would be interesting for
people to see where we are in the budget
throughout the year. So, just throw that
out there because I was like, "Oh, he's
already making it." So,
>> very nice. Thank you.
>> So, two uh pieces of feedback for me. Um
and and I completely agree with John.
When you go up to the staff evaluations
piece, so that's going to be a little
bit deeper. So, there's three numbers
that actually have to go in there.
Number one is the formal, number two is
the informal, number three is the total.
So how much we are progressing to make
sure that everyone has um actually had
their uh their evaluation. The
district's had some issues in the past
with the perception that no one's doing
any of this. And so just as a ongoing
track record we can say hey we did
making the numbers up 14 formals uh you
know 32 informals but we're on pace um
we've met 32% of our yearly uh expected
amount. So, how we measure that within
the the Y and the X- axis. Just make
sure that we include those three sort of
numbers in there. Got it.
>> Uh, and then number two, the financial
piece. So, I'm going to make a
suggestion, Stephanie, sorry to put you
on the spot,
>> that you just work with our finance
functional lead. We have to, and it
sounds horrible to put it this way, but
we have to make it more digestible to
the average person in the community that
goes into this because they read that
and they go, "Oh my god, what is what am
I looking at?" It just creates an
opportunity for people to go, you're
either doing this or they're not doing
that.
>> And so an easily digestable,
understandable sort of fact in terms of
our track record from a financial
standpoint. What that looks like, I
don't know. And if you can work with our
financial functional lead to sort of
streamline that, make it digestible so
we're not dealing with folks in the
community that may not interpret that
statement correctly. That's my feedback.
Um, any other comments? John,
>> I have one for Bob. I appreciate the
update on the light speeded alerts. I
know we got a kind of a robust
discussion about that and I'm glad to
hear that it was helpful in the case. Um
I uh um didn't see I so I enrolled a
junior and I was curious to see what
kind of disclosure or or information I
mean there was a lot of information
about the new um like attendance policy
with the 10 days based on parent um
authorization only and there was
couldn't even get through an enrollment
process without filtering through that.
But I didn't see a an a notice not
notification or a hey this is a change
about the um light box alert or light
speed alert stuff. And then as I was
kind of looking through it in the
handbook and I guess it's there under
student wellness and safety monitoring
but talking about
monitoring software but we've always had
sort of a monitoring software but what
we did was we we turned the switch on
for a tool that we weren't weren't doing
anymore. And I thought when we had that
discussion that there was going to be um
um I don't know proper notice to
families so that they understood that
this was happening. So I'm just curious
if if if I miss something along the way
or if that hasn't really
>> My recollection was proper notice to the
students in the building which I think
we are doing through class meeting. So
if I miss the family piece we can
re-engage in that way and make sure
everyone knows.
>> Okay.
>> Yes. But I think when you filled out P
school as a as a parent, you you had to
read about light speeded and and and the
registration process and what the
changes were when you registered filled
out power school. So um I think that's
how it was approached, right?
>> You have to you have to you had to
acknowledge the handbook and it was in
the handbook updates.
>> Yeah. I also thought that we we went
back what we circled back to was light
speeded was already being used. That was
not a change. All that was changing was
now there was an alert system activated
out of there. And so there was no change
or the the monitoring of uh devices. It
was simply giving a tool to the the our
our uh the administration to have an
awareness when something uh of potential
concern was going on. Is my recollection
reasonable there?
>> Yes.
>> Yeah. So we didn't change what we're
doing.
>> What? No.
>> All right. So understand to to clarify
Raj. So we just activated the alert
system to provide intervention if a
student actually flagged as being quote
unquote potentially in danger. And so
that's the piece where then the school
then had the resource to go ahead and
intervene inside our complex. So in
utilizing a school device, we'd go ahead
and we'd be able to flag it. So
>> that's what I'm saying. I'm saying that
all we did was turn on the alert system,
the monitoring happening.
>> You are correct. And and I don't know
what's in it because I didn't get it
this year. So, um um maybe you guys can
follow up after because I know this is
the part about the report, not
necessarily that particular issue. So,
if you just write up something to Mike,
then Mike can follow with you on that
and we can add it to the agenda next
month. All right.
Any other questions about the report
that our assistant superintendent
prepared for us?
>> Thanks, Bob. Thanks, Dave. Welcome.
Awesome. Uh moving on to our school
calendar.
>> Yeah. and we'll go uh go school calendar
and I'll go back up and and and get into
a couple things up there, but the school
calendar uh Christy and and and Raj know
this. We're at PPC uh end of August and
they they brought to our attention um
that the current calendar um there's a
policy GCL that exists that states that
students cannot attend school or will
not attend school past the third Friday
of of June. Right now, our calendar ends
on June 18th
and policy says you can't make up you
can't ask kids to come back on the 21st
and the calendar that we approved in
March
called for we just rolled it over with
the template like I told the PPC today
when we wrote the the calendar we just
said hey we make up snow days here but
we didn't take into consideration policy
GCL where it says the third bride
And so they questioned like, hey, we
want you to revise the calendar to um
you know be in compliance with policy
GCL
and um we have to do that. So we're
bringing a calendar to you guys to
approve tonight, a revised calendar um
indicating that we will not be making up
snow days. And if you look in there um
uh with piece uh there's two sides to
this that
we have to make sure we're an hour based
in 2016
SE39 became an hourbased school and the
hours so it's twofold we have policy we
have to do that and we have to make sure
that we are in school for 990 hours uh
you can see in the in report that we did
an analysis of this and and Kelly
Mooney, our data analyst, you know,
reports out each year and so there's a,
you know, bit of a history here and uh
we do meet the hours, right? But if we
have a a combination of snow days and
early or excuse me, delays, we might
have to determine a way to to ensure
that we reach all the hours. And so uh
um that is kind of the update that we
have right now. And uh that's just the
reality of it.
I can see two people are upset and uh I
>> not upset I just have a different
understanding from prior negotiations
which I can't discuss any
>> so yeah I mean maybe
>> yeah yeah just I think like at this m at
this moment we just simply have
>> some structural problems we have to
address for this year
>> and then there certainly can be a
conversation about what we do in the
future and indeed we are you when we're
engaging with the PBC, our colleagues or
the PBC, you know, this is something
that we we can we can talk about. But at
this moment, we have a little bit of a
>> need to make a decision pretty quick
because snow's going to come sooner
rather than later. Uh so, you know, at
least that's where my head's at.
>> I think this comes down to school
started late. We added some days in the
last negotiation. we we in conversation
uh I vaguely remember after I was
reminded we knew this was going to be
coming um and just when we made the
calendar
you know just rolled over the makeup
days because that's what we normally
would do and uh but because of this
policy we got to find another way to
ensure that we um get all the hours that
we need by the state of required by the
state of New Hampshire.
So today we're asking about approval on
the calendar,
>> right?
>> We mitigating
factors or adaptive factors I think we
have to have as a separate conversation
because that will be a longer one in my
opinion.
>> I I concur.
>> Okay.
>> The calendar and assembly that's
attached to the agenda is that revised
or is this the current calendar?
It's under revised people back to health
simply.
>> So I am I am looking at
>> the last day of school is the 18th.
>> When
Friday which is the current last day
after school
>> the 18th.
>> So we're up against the law.
>> So this this is the current calendar.
This isn't a suggested change sir. No,
all the only suggested change is the
previous calendar said they had a hold
for snow days the week of the 21st
through the 25th.
>> Okay.
>> And if we have snow days, we're going to
have to find a different way because the
policy won't allow us to go past it.
>> And let me just be very clear, the tool
belt isn't empty. there are things and
resources that we can leverage as we go
throughout the year and we realize that
we're running short. But for tonight, um
it's just a matter of approving this,
getting this out, and then allowing us
to have a deeper dialogue with our
partners in the PPC to sort of figure
out a solution and threat a shortage of
dollars.
>> And I Yeah. And I try to give you guys
as much information in the board notes
um so we can revisit that.
>> Yep. So this is just a policy compliant
calendar. I candidly we have to approve
it. There's nowhere there's no nothing
else to do here but approve this
calendar in my opinion.
If we want to talk about other things
afterwards that are a different date
absolutely but the calendar itself it's
policy compliant. We're midway through
the school year. We're not revising the
policy on our our colleagues in my
opinion.
Christine, John, you guys have John,
>> just one thing. Yeah, it's not a super
upsetting reaction. It was just like
kind of a realization.
I'm I'm with you. I think that's a
proper uh collaborative conversation to
figure out how to fix this because we
sent some significant effort to get to
180 instructional days in collaboration
with our with our staff. And you know, I
don't know what the solution is.
But, you know, but we're an hours based.
So, do we need to change the days based?
We do understand what the pros and cons
of that is or or how this this um uh is
resolved. I'm very keen on that going
forward. Um but not making up snow days
to to is just a disservice to the
community, a disservice to students. So,
that's didn't say that.
>> No, no. I'm not saying you said that.
I'm saying that. I just want to say it
out loud so the community understands
that point of view. So, um, it's it
deserves some serious attention and and,
um, we could just sort of leave it at
that for now. And I'm not certainly not
going to stand in the way of the
calendar to keep us policy compliance.
That's also very
>> So, I'm I'm glad you said that. I'm
going to emphasize the approval of this
calendar is not saying we're not making
up.
That's very, very important distinction.
We're going to need to be creative in
partnering with them to figure out how
we make up that time. we have to put in
the the effort unless seek a waiver from
the DOE. Um as a board member, I don't
want to do that, right? We have to work
with our partners to say, hey, how do we
make this calendar work? Um what are the
g the gives and the takes? How do we go
ahead and make adjustments as we go
through the year? And um we deal with
some of those those snow events and
delays too because it impacts the
season.
>> Yeah. So, you know, my my statement was
we're not going to be able to make up
snow days in the traditional sense where
we just tack on at the end of the year.
We're going to have to find a different
way to to get there. So,
>> so let's a motion by Mr. Gupta and then
seconded by Miss Peters to approve the
calendar as presented.
>> The calendar revised calendar as
presented.
>> Great.
>> Sure. Yeah.
>> Second presenters.
>> Oh, second. And then my I didn't have my
piece of discussion
>> discussion,
>> but it's okay because we're here now.
And it was very simple. It was just that
my sense today that is that everyone's
um committed to making sure the children
get the correct amount of education and
we would like that to please happen
before the fifth the third Friday in
June.
>> And part of my discussion just very
briefly is Mike, I appreciate you
bringing this to our attention. It's
it's a struggle. I get it. But thank
you. It's early in the season. You
recognize the problem and know about it
now. So just kudos for that. kudos to
the our colleagues at the PPC who
noticed their Yeah.
>> Yeah.
>> Um so there is nuance here that there
was some discussion during our PPC
negotiation. Like I said, I cannot
discuss out in public here. Hoping we
can do it in either non-meating or
during a non-public so everyone
understands where we are and why we're
here. Um and that it wasn't an absolute
all I'm going to say. That's why I'm I'm
struggling honestly because it was in
the osc
I'm struggling to see what previous
calendar did not
align with policy.
So we have an approved calendar
policy with that and okay stay with the
previous calendar that we have approved.
The previous calendar actually had a
line saying that snow days um would have
a potential last day of date which
wouldn't be on the policy. That's the
reason you're the last sentence of the
policy
explanation there or extraordinary
circumstances which would be a
>> Oh yeah yeah yeah.
>> Yeah. That's a that's the conversation
to be had later.
>> That's the partnership. Yes. Good.
>> Okay. Well, any more discussion?
Great. All in favor of the motion as
presented, raise your hands.
Great against
and abstensions. Great. The motion
passes.
Um, moving on in our agenda.
Go to superintendent updates if you
could. I have a a couple. Um, on Friday,
I sent the brick review. I just want to
confirm that everyone received the the
brick brief on on Friday. uh opportunity
if there's any questions you guys can
always ask questions at the board
meeting um of of bricky or funnel them
through the chair you know and and we
can get there um want to talk a little
bit about transportation um
transportation hey at the end of the day
u we have not had a a a good start it's
been uh well documented um we are
actively working with uh STA uh and we
will give a a far more thorough thorough
uh report on 101 when we meet as an SAU
uh because SA
transportation falls under you know kind
of that it's districtwide. I did put
some board notes in there. Uh I have uh
plenty of information on this. You know
if you notice in the brick review we're
probably now up to about 1,400 emails
that we've been answering. Uh so it is a
is a full-time job of myself Dave and
and Karen Sainsbury. Uh and uh but also
um if you've been following the the the
updates,
we are improving overall. We are on time
in the morning. Um we are far uh more
accurate with their getting to school on
time as requested and we don't have
buses late. We're not, you know, joining
sending buses to go back out and finish
routes for people. We have enough buses.
Uh there's just a number of reasons why
it failed. It came down to, you know, uh
they weren't prepared at the end of the
day. I just felt that STA was not
prepared to open up the year and it was
evident and so there's been a great deal
of reflection on that and I will report
out more. Um it is very very difficult
to to to to envision this because we
when we hired STA you know that services
Bedford Hall Brooklyn Gtown Marramac
crazy reputable and never imagined that
that it would start this way but it did
and now all what we're controlling is
the efforts that we put in. Karen
Sainsbury is at STA in the morning and
in the in the afternoon to help monitor
uh and and and make sure we have
information in real time. Um and then we
are doing taking all sorts of actions,
you know, including uh you know,
adjusting the routes. We're going to
looking for a more formal adjustment on
the week of the 21st, you know, uh as
we've kind of analyzed the routes. Um
and then the other piece around that is
uh
changing drivers at the end of the day.
You know, we've had to do that and uh
and so um so well document. We have some
routes that are are you know um very
high profile, inconsistent. Uh MV3 had a
rough start. Um 7 11 13
we made a switch above bus 7 uh this
week. justification when else but family
bus 7 and we're just looking for
accuracy. Uh there's some challenges
here. Uh we have um we just have a lot
of stops in Amherst. We have a lot of
stops and and I think in the morning
uh there's some other factors that
besides you know route knowledge it's
slower when you pick up little kids
first it's slower and when you have a
lot of kindergarten first stops at the
end of the driveway it's slower. We have
a lot of roads that don't have sidewalks
you know so people don't want to walk
you know even if it's 0.1 or point 2. uh
we try to pick up on what the door
facing you so you don't have to cross
the street. Um it's it's complex, but at
the end of the day,
we deserve the town deserve better. The
students deserve better, families
deserve better, and we're working to to
get there. And uh and so I apologize. I
spent the first couple weeks apologizing
pretty regularly on behalf of SU39 and
STA. And uh but you know like I said a
more thorough report on 101 but I'll
take some high level questions or
feedback. Now Raj
>> uh it sounds like only bus routes with
prime numbers are having issues. Can we
just change the number?
>> Um no uh Mike back when you were doing
the contract were I I I don't have it in
front of me.
>> Yeah,
>> but I thought there was uh there might
have been some provisions related to
clawbacks for missed uh service levels.
Is that something that that is sort of
automatically happening or is it
something that a lever that you would
have to pull? Obviously, we're trying to
build a really nice relationship here.
You got to be judicious in those things.
But I just love your thinking a little
bit in in terms of that, please.
>> Yeah. So, um, you know, part of the
report you'll get is, you know, after
some legal consult and and work with
Dave and interpreting the contract on
the right approach to to to take
advantage of that language in the
contract, right? and uh at the end of
the day, we want STA to be a long-term
partner with us and uh and we've met at
length numerous times with them and uh
and so there's a plan for that and and
as we get closer or excuse me as on 101
we'll kind of communicate that out to
you guys.
>> Thank you.
>> Anything else?
>> All right. I wish was easier. I I really
do. And then just a quick budget
process.
>> Yeah. You want to just
>> Yeah, on that. But before we get to
that, I do want to make a comment about
transportation. Uh, and that is um this
company has denied this district a
successful start. And some of these
kids, it's their last start. Some of
these kids, it's their first start. Uh,
and that first week, kids were denied
that experience. That should never
happen with a vendor. It was a
catastrophic failure by this company to
come in here and not be prepared. They
were well informed as a part of the
bidding process what our expectations
were. They had ample enough resources to
go out and investigate with our local
bus company about challenges that they
had uh what are some of the things that
they could have done. Nobody met with
local law enforcement. No one met with
the fire department. No one met with you
in advance of problems that they would
actually have. They showed up with their
pants down and they failed miserably.
People are upset. People are pissed off
about the lack of service. And
unfortunately, it's all falling on your
shoulders and that's unacceptable.
Absolutely unacceptable. And so from my
perspective, they have a lot of
explaining to do. I personally would
like them to come before SEU board
meeting um and actually show up so they
can receive that feedback face to face
so you guys are not experiencing their
firsthand anymore. It is so wrong what
they've done to this community.
With that said, let's move on to mobile.
Yeah.
>> Yeah. So, uh, Katie and I are kneede or
elbow deep, whatever you call it, in the
budget process. One of the things that
we had a meeting with our principles
this week, uh, during senior leadership
to discuss how we want to approach our,
um, controllable expenses in the budget
process. And, um, you know, I think Bob
was the one who came up with this and
Mike and I were were on board is that we
want to really stay flat on those
controllables as best we can. Um, so
that's kind of the message. That was the
message that was delivered on Monday or
Tuesday. I forget what day was it?
Monday. Monday. Monday. So that's where
we're going to start. Obviously, we'll
see how that goes and as we go through
the different iterations, drafts that,
you know, may change a little bit, but
that's the message that we wanted to
convey in the start of this process as
we start with draft one for um October
for all the different um boards. Um but
other than that it's really you know the
principles are working hard on their
piece of the pie and um getting feedback
from that. Um and then we're doing our
part for the you know salaries and
payroll and all that good stuff that
goes into putting the budget together.
Um so short and sweet but um just wanted
to kind of convey that as we go through
this process. Thank you. Any questions?
Uh let's move on to personnel. We did
receive a uh request to retire effective
June 30th, 2027 month.
>> Yeah. Um
a significant one. Nicole Jean has been
a nutrition worker in the cafeteria
since September 8th, 1992. So she is an
original
>> uh and uh so she is after all these
years decided that it's the year to
retire. And uh so I would just like a
nom a motion to approve the retirement
nomination of Nicole Jean.
>> Anyone like to make that motion? So Mr.
CR,
>> I'll make the motion um to accept the
retirement from Nicole Jean with respect
and you know and honor and uh regret.
>> Second. Second by Mr. Gard. Any
discussion?
All in favor raise your hands.
Great. Thank you, Nicole, for your
service.
Um, moving on in our agenda, board
business. So, functional leads, we
already took care of strategic planning.
We moved that forward. Student
engagement, I know there's community
council appointments. Anything else
under that category for you, Chrissy?
>> No. Uh, we enjoyed that wonderful
presentation and we are looking forward
to more in the near future.
>> Awesome. Employee engagement. I know
we're going to do a non-meating tonight.
Anything else in that category, Rush?
>> No, not at this time. Perfect. Board
functions. Just uh a recap of tonight as
a part of our commitment to our goals
out of our three goals this year.
Tonight's agenda incorporated two of
them. Strengthening um the support and
actively engaging the district strate
strategic planning process and
initiative. That was our first
presentation. And then last um number
three we're going to be discussing in
our non-meating with regards to our PPC
agreement. So just a commitment to the
committee to let you know that we are
going to be focusing on these three
board goals uh throughout the year.
um policy. So, John, I'm going to turn
to you. There's a lot in here. Most of
it's first read, but uh first, do you
want to discuss the review date updates?
>> Um I mean the two there 22 of these plus
the plus the D so 23. I mean, no, not
really. I mean, we
uh I think these were seen at um ESU
level. Here they are for first read.
What I wanted to suggest to Christie
particularly um to uh you said your
community council is meeting on this
coming Monday.
>> Yeah. I would like to request the
community council between this read and
the next read have an opportunity to
look and be and and provide feedback on
any of these policies are coming us to
for a second read and if they have any
comments or feedback to to please
provide that for our consideration. some
of them they may probably wouldn't but
um you know there's a lot of stuff about
the school and um I think there's been
some concern uh expressed I know
directly I received some information
from a student who was concerned about
the reassessment policy change
um uh as to whether or not um that
circumvented a a a community council
process. Uh what I understand is
community council had approved
the student handbook back in the spring
and then there but there were subsequent
changes without any particular input or
notice or or collaboration with them.
Um, and so I was want to make
affirmative steps ahead of these types
of things and and request that that um
that community council be awarded an
opportunity to weigh in on any of these
things that they may see fit so that we
can be informed by that by our next
meeting. Would you take that message to
them or I can come in and and explain
that to them if that would be helpful as
well. Let me um touch base with the
group and see how they would like that
to happen. Like what's the best way to
um pass those along?
>> Good. Very good. Perfect. And the only
thing to add um and I know our town
administrator for Ammerst is here. The
first read versus the second read. The
first read is the introduction of the
policy to the community and the
difference between the first and the
second read. It now opens up the window
for community to provide feedback. And I
know based on your correspondence that
you said to our superintendent, the
selectman wanted an opportunity to have
that conversation. So this is the window
that now gets opened tonight on the
first street and then the window gets
closed if there's no feedback where the
board wants to adopt or the policy then
gets sent back to our policy committee
um for revisiting and and and some
massage work.
>> Appreciate that. Thank you.
>> So um anything else, John?
Um,
no, not on the on the unless somebody
has a specific question or inquiry about
any of the red lines that are provided,
provide some specific feedback, but I
don't have any particular summary for
all of these that that you get. I mean,
I got to say, it's been a pretty
productive policy uh work so far and um
it's been going quite well from my
estimation um in those meetings. So,
yeah, work is process working well.
>> Thank you. Uh, so there's no additional
action needed for anything in the policy
piece. Um, and that first one, John, is
just a quote unquote we reviewed it.
Correct.
>> Yes. Thank you. Awesome. Um, moving down
into the agenda for board
correspondence. Any questions about
that?
Seeing none, let's move to uh the
consent agenda. Let's entertain a motion
to accept um the consent agenda one,
two, three, and four.
>> I'll make that motion. um
>> like to request that the I wasn't at the
August 20th meeting like I feel like
saying from that separately from your
>> Yeah. So
>> motion haven't been made yet. So defin
I know I did I make the motion or did
you
>> No, I just
to accept uh consent agenda items one
three and four.
>> Great. Seconded by John. All in
discussion first. All in favor? Seeing
none.
Perfect. That passes unanimously. Uh
Stephanie, you want to?
>> Yeah. I'll make a motion to accept
consent agenda agenda item number two
draft minutes for August 20, 202.
>> Perfect. Second by Raj as well. Sure.
Perfect. Any discussion?
Seeing none, all raise your hands in
favor.
Opposed. Abstensions. One abstension.
Operational reports. There's actually a
lot here. Um I think the two that we've
got inside this packet um the concussion
report and the athletic activity
participation report um are typical
standard. I don't remember seeing the
athletic activity participation report
before. Um but the annual safety report
also pretty uh pretty basic. Um
organizational chart, athletic activity
and facilities. Any questions?
>> I just like to speak to the facilities
report if you guys don't mind.
>> Uh yes.
>> Okay.
>> So, uh as you know, James McCain is our
new director of facilities. His reports
are going to look a little bit different
than than previous reports. Uh you're
going to see an executive summary of on
the work, you know, T capture some of
the summer work, current work that's
happening, uh some of the staffing
changes, and then there's some projects
that Dave alluded to that, you know, we
want to, you know, move on and and and
make a plan for. Uh but keep in mind, uh
one of the things that goals we have for
James McCain is to, you know, contribute
to the refreshing of the capital
improvement plan. And uh right now um
you know we are in in that process very
early on in that process. Uh we did have
the opportunity to bring on a new HVAC
technician and that's a very challenging
position to find. we have found a a very
good match for us and uh we're very
excited and uh um so um so as you know
we're we're rebranding the facilities
department and uh it is going really
well with James and Dylan O'Brien and
their partnership with buildings and and
uh and I think Dana would agree with
that. So uh so you'll see that monthly
it just looks different than previous
ones.
James,
>> uh, did we get the
electrical grounding issue resolved for
>> Oh, yeah. We did.
>> We did. And, uh, and we ended up having
a good solution.
>> Great. We just kind of
>> uh there was a engineer came out and
we're good. So, thank you,
>> Rash.
>> Sorry. I I know we all want to get out
of here. Just a couple things. Um,
>> first of all, there's nothing about it.
What's that?
>> Uh go to uh Dana, maybe you can help me
a little bit on a concussion. I probably
I don't know previous years. These
numbers seem surprisingly low and low
numbers can be good, but it can also be
that people aren't reporting for various
reasons. Is are these numbers relatively
consistent with what you've seen in the
past?
>> They are lower.
Uh do you have
any uh hypothesis as to why that might
be happening and anything that we can do
to support any changes or improvements
there?
>> Um I think it I think it may have a
little bit to do with what you say. We
can only report on what gets reported to
us. Um and so our school protocol maint
is is is the same uh in terms of what we
share with families, what we ask for
families to disclose with us, but if
things don't get reported to us and then
don't make it to this report.
>> Okay. Are there any uh canary in the
coal mine type things that like our
faculty in the classroom might uh be
able to notice or like I know it's
complicated. There are a million things
we're trying to keep track of, but are
there other ways that we can maybe try
and elevate some of I just kid kids
brains are so precious. So, so precious.
Um, and I'm really sensitive. I'll say
to the board, my middle kiddo sophomore
in college can no longer play any
contact sports because he had like two
concussions uh consecutively playing
hockey over Bedford and then he had just
another one in hockey club hockey last
year as a freshman and then the very
first he's like, "Oh, I'll switch to
lacrosse." And gets absolutely hypnotic
on his very first practice. And so like
I'm really sensitive to this, Dana. So,
I apologize for kind of poking on this,
but I just want to figure out what we
can do to make sure kids are are
protected. They're just so precious to
us.
>> Yeah, I think it's great. Uh I think
that uh we have a very strong staff with
strong relationships with kids and so if
things seem off, they do get reported to
us.
>> Right. Thank whatever reason.
>> For whatever reason.
>> Yeah.
>> I would add that coaching staff is
really well aware nowadays too to watch
for that stuff. I mean that is high on
their priority to keep an eye on that.
>> Jason,
>> um we have a trainer on staff or
volunteer who's a
>> tries to a majority of all of our
sporting events.
>> Yeah.
>> So that's been the challenge.
>> That's been the challenge. um getting,
you know, we we were we contracted with
a company to provide us with a with a
trainer because we haven't been able to
fill the position and we still don't
have one. Um we do have coverage for
some of our events. Um we are doing for
DMs. Um we do have uh for some of our
football games we have EMTs and we have
the team dock there. So like we are we
do have coverage but we don't have what
we
>> some of the high impact contact sports
>> those are being covered yeah but not
everything
>> and not by a trainer necessarily but by
like I said EMT staff um so like we're
going to play John Stark this weekend we
don't have a trainer to send they don't
have a trainer on staff so the team doc
will be there and the EMT staff will be
there this is not a unique And there was
>> the inability to find athletic trainers
is not unique to San
>> and the reason I bring this up there was
somebody here last Friday.
>> Mhm.
>> Okay.
>> Any more questions?
>> John
three I think one on each one on each
not each piece but three of the pieces.
So just on the chart um just want to
make sure I kind of understand it's the
lines.
Is it true that you is it 10 direct
reports to you Dana's principal?
>> There's one line that goes through the
assistant AD. I presume that does not a
person is reporting to you.
>> No, I mean there's there's you know
there's functional supervision and then
there's like the official supervision
that happens. And so you know are they a
direct report to me every day daily? No.
But am I working with Kelly on the
evaluation of that person? Yes.
>> Right. Okay. So there just Yeah. Maybe
it's just a misalignment in the visual
graphic here.
>> It's really hard to capture
non- hierarchical hierarchical. What is
happening? What's not? It's very hard to
capture in an org chart,
>> right?
>> So every year it gets a little bit
better.
>> It kind of looks like for example that
the library and student learning
coordinator are direct lines to you.
>> They are.
>> And they are. Okay. So that's true. Like
it's not a criticism, it's just an
observation like oh okay interesting. So
>> yeah.
>> Okay. I'll just leave that one at that.
>> Yeah. Well, that goes straight through,
right? Okay. Listen, you can only do so
much
>> with the lines.
>> And I just wanted to just to make a note
of appreciation like athletic and
activity participation like wow that was
that's great. I mean it's a lot of
students participating a lot of
different things.
>> Yeah. So to to Stephven's point, it's
not something we usually provide at this
point in the year, but it is typically
something that gets requested uh around
budget season and so we just figured
we'd provide it early.
>> Perfect. And I'm so happy that the clubs
activities are included that
>> it's been a bit of a process to get to
that point where they're kind of
presented on equal footing. So I very
much appreciate that.
>> And then I guess facilities, I was
wasn't sure where to put this comment
in. It's kind of finance, but it's also
kind of facilities. Um so maybe this is
kind of for you David uh as well um
as uh as James.
>> Um I am curious as you're you said
something earlier about like being flat
in the kind of the like disposition of
>> control. Yeah.
>> Yeah. Right. And I agree that's a good
fine place to start is any um one of the
things that I'd be very interested in
learning more about especially as he as
James goes through the assessment
process that he talks about and he's
sort of getting deeply embedded would be
to if there's things that we're doing in
our budget that um are reasonably
uh can be reasonably planned through a
facilities
capital reserve fund planning process.
I'd like us to consider u moving those
things into that type of a process and
send outside of the budget. And I I
don't know exactly where the line is
drawn like we did a bunch of paintings.
Painting seems to me like well could be
well within that. It's something that
has to be done foreseeable. You can
probably plan it out as a again stuff
like that. No carpet replacements and
maybe furniture part of that process too
where some of those things are currently
in our operating budget.
>> Yeah. Um, I think the communities both
Mount Vernon and the Ammerst have
appreciated our long-term planning.
Capital Reserve, they see that there's a
plan and so we can reasonably put things
in there.
>> Yeah.
>> Fencing for athletic fields, you know,
scoreboards, lighting, like
>> Yeah,
>> I think it's under I think there's some
room to to really consider adding some
more things into that.
>> Yeah. So, Mike kind of tasked us with
that, James, that to do that. So, that's
that's on the on the priority list. It's
pretty high already.
>> Exactly. So yeah, we're definitely going
down that path
>> and um but it's great point though. We
definitely should be looking at
>> Thanks a lot.
>> No problem.
>> Those are my my comments on the
operational reports.
>> Thank you. Any other questions?
Seeing none, um future business, any
ideas? Miss Grunt. So I want to ask
everybody so I'm part of the townwide
CIP program that's talking fact David
was just there that we're working with
the town and between Amler school
district and so vegan school district
and we have finished listening to the
different groups present. Uh next week
we're going to kind of look at the
overall and either make suggestions or
I'm wondering do you want me to bring
back to Sohaggan? Do you want Jason and
I to bring it back at the SAU level? But
it's just kind of saying here's where
the town is kind of sitting with their
projects and why there's some things are
priorities. Here's where it looks for
the schools. We do it so much through
our capital maintenance or our capital
programs that we don't have the same
expenses the same way the town does, but
it's it's it's interesting. So, do you
want that presented? So, he again would
want to present at the SAU level.
>> So, I'll leave it up to our SAU board
chair as a Wernern person. um if I were
on the lumber and the school board I
would say thank you almost right but as
a sino person that stuff pertains to me
so um but in an effort to avoid two
different presentation two the same
>> and it doesn't need to be a big one it
can be short but
>> I I'll leave that up to you and if
that's something that you don't want on
the SEU board agenda um we can bring
that here um I'm just concerned about
our next meeting being so budget heavy
that having a CIP conversation there or
even in November where we do our second
read on budget. Um, I'll just partner
with you to sort of figure out the
timing and how we can infuse that in if
we don't do it at SU.
>> I don't know if the chairman caught the
chairman, the superintendent caught that
whole sentence of in in regards to
potentially putting it as an SAU item.
Do you want to give a quick one sentence
of just so we can talk about the CIP
because Jason was doing it is sitting on
the group as well as I am because he
representing her school board. what I'm
representing. So, vegan school board and
then we have our town. Do we want a
somewhat it doesn't have to be again
doesn't need to be big. It just be like
here's what it looks like. Here's what
the town's expenses look like going out
to 20 308. Here's what you know how our
school stuff falls in with the town.
They can be short. They can be long. Do
we want it at the SA level or just here
because
>> And is that something that like Mont
Vernon would also have the capability to
put out a give give us a little report
like that?
>> Mernon CIP report um was done six years
ago. It's
>> so you're not like ongoing at
>> we will discuss that and if we if you
don't hear can you bring it up in the
four chairs meeting again.
>> Okay.
>> Perfect. All right. Um, public comment
two of two. Victor, anybody online?
There's nobody here in the room with us.
>> No hands raised.
>> Perfect. Thank you. We're going to close
public comment and uh we'll entertain a
motion to go into nonpublic 91A 32
semicolon C.
>> So moved.
>> Second.
>> Second by Mr. Glover. No discussion. All
in favor?
>> Oh, roll call.
gun.
>> Yes. Lover. Yes.
>> Friend, yes.
>> Strojan, yes.
>> O'Keefe, yes.
>> Yes.
>> Great. We are now in nonpublic. Victor
as always awesome job sir.