Meeting transcript
BOE Meeting
June 11, 2025 · Watch on Zoom · All meetings
And now somebody is not on the board to ask public speak about. There we go. Go ahead. Yeah. It's always nice to me.
Good evening to everyone. We'd like to welcome you to the regular meeting for the Board of Ed for June 2025. First up is gonna be the Pledge of Allegiance in terms of an opening statement. Only thing that we ask is comments from the public. I'll be captured for you minutes or less. Thank you. I believe that it was to the flag of The United States Of America and to the republic for our wishes stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay. Comments from the public. Holly Marano. We can't hear you, but that's okay. Unmute. We're gonna mute her. Sorry? I can't actually unmute her. I can only ask her to has to. Yeah. She has to say yes. You wanna just give us a thumbs up if you have a if you don't have a comment? Okay. Doris?
Hi. Good aft good evening, everyone. Thank you so much. I just wanted to to share kudos and my respect and esteem for the entire team. For those of you who are parents and and do care for our kiddos and aren't there on the front lines, I've been there on the front lines as a substitute, and I am so impressed by how much is done and and so much that's done for the the children. And so I'm very appreciative as a parent, of a seven year old and a three year old. Thank you so much for what you do for for all of our children and for our community, the board, and and the, the teachers and staff. Thank you. Jenna Goldrick? I'm all set. Thank you. Josh?
I'm here from Fossil O'Neill to discuss the restroom renovation. Yeah. Thanks for joining us. And Ryan?
Yeah. I'm, the the solar guy to discuss the solar project. Yeah. Thank you. And Jen?
Hi. I'm here also to discuss the restroom project. I work with Josh Boudreaux.
Okay. Thanks so much. And for May. Okay. You don't have anything to share with us tonight?
I'm fighting with the court of selectmen on this for the audit and the extra blood. Okay. Yeah. We're okay.
In terms of communications, does have does anyone have anything they wanna share that isn't addressed elsewhere in our agenda tonight? Okay. Student celebrations.
I know you have many. I do. I would love to celebrate for a few minutes. So, obviously, we are close to the end of the school year, just a day and a half to go. We are it's it it feels like a celebration every day. The last few weeks, we have so many things that we want to celebrate. So it's Blue Day, so I appreciate there's a lot of you wearing blue right now. I don't know who got that memo, but I love that. I
knew it was Blue Dash. You let me know. But
I'm I'm planning perfect. We just say yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. We were excited to celebrate the house of River as they won the first house championship, and we celebrated all day long and came together. And so that was really fun. And so I just want to share a little bit. I've talked a lot this year about our new reading curriculum and about bookworms. And, certainly, we don't have standardized, you know, our SPAC scores officially available to to share, but, you know, we have building data, and then we also have that kind of maybe not the numbers necessarily, but that student growth. So if you would indulge me for just a minute, I just want to read just a couple lines from a recent assignment where every single grade level in Bookworms does a reflection at the end of the year and who they are and how they've grown as a reader and writer. And then they also do a book review project where they pick the book their their favorite book they read this year, and then they go down to the grade level below and get to share it as a way to say, they're so excited. Guess what you get to read next year? And so that was a big one of our celebrations this year. And so just a couple lines that I think you'll enjoy.
At the beginning of the year in fourth grade, I felt like my reading skills needed to be improved, and I did improve over the year. In the fall, I read a 148 words per minute. Then in the spring, I was reading a 182 words per minute. My writing skills were not that good because of my punctuation. I used to mess up my verbs, adverbs, adjectives, and all that stuff. But my writing changed when I started to read a lot more and had a lot more ideas. Like, I read more fiction books, and I had big ideas and bigger imagination. I used to read every few nights now, but I read every night at home. How was the punctuation in the Decent. Decent.
Student, I could only read 92 words per minute at the beginning, and now I can read a 150 words per minute. The goal for fourth grade is a 125 words per minute. I can read more than that. Mhmm. I did not like books, but that suddenly changed when my teacher brought a book out and we read it together. It has to be the best book ever, Tangerine, because it had action and sports, good and evil in every two characters. Now I like reading all because of that book. Writing a paragraph was one of the worst things I had to do, but I was getting better as the weeks went on, and it got easier to write. I'm still working on it. I'm trying to figure out if my sentences sound good, but still, I try my best. I started feeling more confident in myself.
So just a few excerpts. Fourth grade's always kind of that middle age and a k six to kind of see. It was just really exciting to see because, yes, we'll present numbers and data, and that matters, but this this matters too. And so then we just got to show show you just one or two where then they this was that book that you just heard, Tangerine, where they made picked their favorite book, wrote about the reasons why and kind of sold it to them. You know, this is why you'll love this book. And then they went down a grade level and said, hey, third graders. Like, guess what you're gonna get to read next year. So that was really fun. Again, kind of not only in reading, but that cross age and
just seeing that unity as we go up in the grade. So that was some an exciting celebration. And I think based on the data we have in our school assessments, we're gonna see some really good growth in that area of reading, and I'll be excited to celebrate that with you in the fall. And I think, you know, in math, while we have some some successes, it is it is going to be our area of focus for next year. And so you're gonna hear me talk next year a lot about the math world and the PD we're doing there and the plan we have to move forward in the same way that we have been doing with ELA. So I just wanted to celebrate a little bit for you there.
Matt, do you want a question? Absolutely. I saw a picture of a little boy who made it to, like, a state ratings competition. Oh, yeah. They did yes.
Oh my god. So we did. We had I don't know if anyone will recognize this name, but we had Tygin who represented us,
and Valerie actually was able to go see him. Oh my gosh. He's he was he was I've interrupted you. And it's not just because it's Mike's kid sitting over at him saying that he knows if it wasn't his kid, Mike would agree. The room is full. Imagine this. The room is full up at the University of Connecticut, and there's kindergarten through grade 12 of winners that are there, one for every grade, not five, one. And they're gonna go up on this stage, and they're gonna read their story, okay, to everybody in the room. And our Andover student goes up there like a little rock star. It's like he's not even the slightest bit nervous, and he gets up there and reads it, and everybody cheers. Okay? They weren't just clapping. They were like, wow. Look at this kid. He was he I'm not his parent. I mean, he's just one of our students, and I was so proud of him. Like, he was phenomenal. To get up there and do this, most adults couldn't do this. And he's third grand, and he was was up there. I was so proud of him. I really was. I mean, thank you for inviting me and letting me go to that because he was phenomenal, and I look forward to his stories moving forward. Didn't he read it? Yep. So I was gonna say he also presented it to his third grade class. Looked He at me like I was a little crazy when I said, well, how about in the cafeteria in front of everyone who's, like, eating or eating?
Settle down, missus Barton.
But he did a great job. His teacher said he was really proud, and the kids were just so proud of him as well, and I think that's a really cool thing. And, you know, I I we've been talking a lot as as a staff about the idea of enrichment and how it doesn't always look one way. Right? And it doesn't always mean just an enrichment class. It means how are we fostering kids, what they're interested in, and what they're passionate about. And so it's exciting to see kids kind of excel and and celebrate outside of school. So I'll add, I was waiting for my principal before, but no worries. I think go under celebrations. I have another student as well, Daxton Slater from kindergarten. So he submitted in it's called, I want to get it right, EE Smart's annual student contest through Energize Connecticut, and it was ways you can conserve energy. And so he placed out of 500 students, he was the third place winner. So he went
he made a poster on how he could conserve energy, and so miss Lionberger, his teacher, joined him
to accept that award. So that was really cool too. So we just Really? Yeah. We're to see. He's in kindergarten. Wow. And he placed third out of 500 schools. Had chosen yep. Well, no. He's about 500. No. Taylor said it, but I'm not sure that you heard that. These two boys, they entered on their own. Mhmm. The school did not enter as a school. And I say that because when I was there, with Mike that night, I had seen another, couple of people that I knew representing the town of Mansfield, and they were wonderful. Their children were in there, but the school had sanctioned this contest. Okay? So our two winners did this on their own. It wasn't something that they entered through school. So that, to me, just makes it even more special that they, on their own, are going out and participating in enrichment opportunities.
So that I thought was fantastic.
Absolutely. Taylor and Mallory, I share in your excitement and celebration of these kids. I think this is what makes this school so special. They were lucky enough to have kids like that? Yes.
The town is tiny enough, right, that, like, they can show that and celebrate that with their classmates and have the support of, right, of their little community. Yeah.
Yeah. That's what makes the school so special. Yeah. Yeah. I think it's just it's it's like, like, it's a way also to broadcast, like, the hard work that the teachers put in with these kids. It's like it was like, there's so many of them who could shine in different ways. And, like like, for us to see more and more and more of that, it's just it's like, it really does give you even more proof of, like, the great work the teachers and staff are doing here. And and it's just another another notch in the belt for this place to be proud of. Yeah. For sure. Yeah. And Absolutely.
Thank you for mentioning it. Appreciate it. Myself. Yes.
Yes. Thank you. Okay. So we have approval of minutes from our last meeting on May 14. Does anyone have any changes to those, questions? Move to approve. I second. I.
And then adding or deleting agenda items, is there anything that I need to do with Oh, right. To approve. Yeah. Thank you. Okay. It's the last week of school.
Which I'm gonna abstain since I wasn't here for the project. That'll
be 501, and then Celesta is not here to me. Okay.
Would anyone like to add or delete a different item? I I would. I sent just a communication about our school calendar. So I'd like to add discussion of amending the school calendar and possible action if the board chooses. Where do want to put that?
You wanna do it? Yeah. Wherever you guys feel. Okay. Yep.
Yeah. You need to start in favor of adding that. Yes. Okay. All in favor of adding that update back to amend the school calendar? Aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? K. So six zero. K. Anyone else? No? Good? Okay. Oral reports, aside from what's been going on with the town and the fact that we were able to pass our budget, I don't really have any other major news that isn't addressed elsewhere in our agenda, fortunately. So we did we did pass the budget bifurcated at a referendum, which is good. And we'll kinda move forward with that and figure out where we're gonna have things to align with the financial value.
So in terms of facilities, we've got two guests on tonight that will speak to the bulk of them, the bathroom project and the solar project. So I'll leave that one be for right now. Same thing with the audit, both the policy and the financial audit. We'll be discussing when we get down to d, as well as the planning of the retreat. So, the only two things that I really have right now, grant updates, we have drawn down, and Terry will talk about a financial report where we've drawn down all of the grants that expire June 30. Mhmm. And they are spent with the exception of $10 and one of them, which darn, we missed that $10. And Terry said, have bad news for you, Val, because she knows I hate that. But she did great. So thank you, Terry.
Every $10, I get annoyed then. I think I could try to order some pencils. I
could say she's like, 10 of these. I bought. Could She's like, that was $10 left. Know you're gonna be mad, but whatever. Then the other thing that I did send you guys, and we won't read the whole thing, but I'm trying to keep you abreast of, any of the changes as the state legislature now has finished their budget for the year, the governor's budget. There were two that I sent you for bill five zero zero one and then the senate bill one. There are a few more coming up, but those were the two that I had to send you. And, I did send it to the board of finance as well so that moving forward, if we do discuss things related to our own budget, unfunded mandates, changes, things like that, that perhaps if they were interested, that they would have a little bit more, knowledge about it. So there's a few members that were grateful. So those members that expressed an interest in continuing to get those, I will send them to those members of the board of finance just so that as we move forward, everybody's informed. The biggest things for us had to do with ECS dollars. That's for the town as well. We will be held harmless for the next two years, which is great because I know that the start of this budget season, that was questionable.
Doesn't affect us directly when we do the budget because that's a source of revenue for the town side, but certainly does affect the whole town as their educational cost sharing dollars. If anybody does see anything advertised about seed money, SEED, there is allocations for every town. We're still in process of figuring out what we would possibly be able to spend them on because there's limitations, and you can't supplant your budget. You have to supplement it. Mhmm. So in other words, if you had a person that was already working here, you couldn't, unlike some of the other grants, say, well, we'll pay that person with this grant because they fit the category of what the grant's written for. That's called, supplanting where you take it right out of your budget. Because it's supplemental, it's it can't be something that's already in your budget that exists. It'd have to be something in addition to right. And so we've been able to kind of do that a little bit in the past with especially part time employees. If I can show, we did that with our mental health grant. We had a mental health worker grant, and that person was only here two and a half days a week when that started, and we added another day. In essence, that contractor had a new position a third day, and so we were able to do that. So not really sure yet because it's it's I'm grateful that they gave us 14,000 that we didn't get it yet, that there's 14,000 allocated. But I wanna be careful because we don't we're not in a position to spend 25,000
to use that 14,000, if that makes any sense. So I gotta do a little bit more research this summer and see what exactly would be in our best interest to use that for. The other things don't pertain really to every student. A lot of them had to do with private rates for special education students in the state saying that we're gonna set certain caps. Some of it had to do with excess cost, which we don't currently get reimbursed because we don't meet the threshold of 4.5 times, right, each individual student. And then the last one that did pertain to us, which I know kinda was a little hot button this year, had to do with the development of preschool. And we've mentioned before, so I won't go through all of it, but we mentioned that, there is no more school readiness, that it's gonna be, early start as the big umbrella. And the state has that big umbrella now overseeing, basically, birth to kindergarten, birth to prior to kindergarten, I should say. And so that's gonna be a change because that change means that the state is expecting, that everybody take the responsibility for day care, toddler care, and preschool. And so money is gonna be tied to the ability to utilize your space and your program effectively. Doing. Right. And they are going to expect that parents this is a lot of this has to do with parents being able to have choice
and the desert areas, they call them, the day care desert areas of Connecticut where there's just no open slots. And so we are way ahead of the game there. As you guys know, I know that there's a lot of people that don't quite understand why we were ahead of the game, but it was forethought for us, and everybody understands that because we are filling our own spots, meeting the needs. Our teachers are making a teacher's salary, which is another component. They want day care centers to start paying their preschool teachers what our teachers make, so we're good. We can check that off the list. Even our paraprofessionals that are in there, their salaries are aligned. So most of those boxes, we're gonna be able to check off. It's a matter of us just making sure moving forward that, as those new regulations with the state happen, we, make sure that we keep up with them. And so Taylor and I at every meeting will update you. If there is anybody out in community that's interested in joining one of these LGP groups or being a parent ambassador, please let us know because we'll be with and with, and we'll be looking for people to fill those positions. But we're in good shape moving forward. We're hoping that our funding will increase significantly in the coming years because we are definitely open to
making sure that any of those empty spots that we've talked about before are filled with others. So, it's really good news for us. It's just there's a lot of stuff there. That's really it with those two bills that affect us. Was the I've I've read
something about in terms of the kindergarten starting age that they they that was part of it saying that they won't take waivers anymore, like, the end of twenty twenty seven. The the the waiver
is didn't get defeated right now. If there are districts right now that, do want to evaluate a child who has a birth date that would say they have to stay in preschool Mhmm. They can still do that this year.
But then they're, like, phasing it out. Right? No. That hasn't passed. It just hasn't passed. Like, what? It's written in, but it just hasn't passed. Right. Okay. Right. Yes. You did read it, Rad.
Originally, I've had two. I was also confused, but then Right. It must have passed stage one. Okay. But still But now Yeah.
I mean, I and I think that that's wise for them. I do think eventually they may come to a compromise and say, let's put it in the hands of the districts to figure out what they want to do. But they are looking at certain districts that last year allowed the kids to just go to kindergarten, and they're not scoring very well on, pre k and kindergarten benchmark assessments then. And so they're kind of looking at that, figuring what can we do. Yeah. And I do think that, especially since now there's so much more funding for special ed, that they're gonna have to also see if there's a correlation this year or next year between those kids that went in early and potential referrals. And I think it's very wise for them to take that a little slow. Because Right. Plus don't forget, if the focus right now is let's find preschool spots for kids, You can't at the same time say, at the expense of moving the older ones to kindergarten whether they're ready or not. Yeah. So they don't want anybody to do that either to say we're gonna sacrifice those five year olds that have them. You know? Just made them A larger group. Right. Yeah. So I think they're they're they're being careful, and it's a good thing, and we'll just keep you up to date at every meeting. Eric, you had a question?
Oh, I had a couple. So with the I'm gonna turn to the special education one with the position, the instructional support requirements. Yep. So can you explain what we're doing now versus what this unfunded management position?
Number five. Yes. Okay. So for people who don't have it in front of them, it says beginning in the twenty sixth, twenty seventh school year, each school much must designate an instructional support partner. The role would be that this person would participate in IEP development and planning and placement teams, PPTs, attend and provide training on student interventions, and manage the aspects of the IEP administration. The position is designed to alleviate the workload of special education staff and improve service delivery. Since we're small, I wrote on here, since we're small, this will mean that we'll have to add a person perhaps part time to take this on if it's unfunded in 2026. But just know the flip side to that is we do currently have someone that does that. We have a part time special ed director, and we have administrative assistant that assists with that. So what I'm waiting for is more guidance from them on tell us exactly what that looks like because we have that already. Okay. Not every district has that. Oh. So as soon as they give us that guideline and we could say it's met, then we're okay. So that's why I say to you, I gave this to you guys so you can follow along because I see it in the news, and I see it in newspapers and articles. But for the most part right now, we we didn't feel that we needed to add anything right now. We feel we need to follow it,
ask questions, and make sure that we're in the right place. Sure. Okay? Anybody else questions on those two? Okay. Then that is it for me, and we can move on to the other stuff and other parts of the agenda.
Alright. Do you have other questions or good? Yeah. Go ahead. So
professional development updates, I know there's only a day and a half, but believe it or not, we already start planning for next year. And so I just I mentioned briefly in celebrations that you'll hear when we start to talk about math. And so we're we're, you know, thinking critically about what kind of professional development makes the most sense. We have several staff members who have started to look at the building thinking classrooms, which is a an initiative, a philosophy, maybe you could say, about how we teach math to kids, and it's really about critical thinking. It's really about problem solving. And so that's one area that we're gonna look at and we'll use likely as a base. So that's something to to keep in mind. We're gonna continue to plan on collaborating with Heber and Marlborough in terms of our bookworms. That won't stop just because we start focusing on math a little bit more. So we've already been in discussions about that and what that can look like in terms of shadowing or continuing study. And then in continuing with RAM. And so this year, I I hope I believe I mentioned at a board meeting that we had some staff go up and visit RAM. Yep. And they shadowed so our fifth and sixth grade teacher and our math and reading specialist went up, and that was just really a tremendous impact for them, those four hours, and able to see what's happening in seventh grade, take a look at what those classrooms look like, sound like, what that work looks like, all that kind of thing. And so Ram has expressed an interest to do the same back. I mean, even their seventh grade teacher is getting a to see what a sixth grade look like in an elementary school. And so we hope to continue to partner with them.
And then even things kind of other out of the boxing. So the music department at Hebron has asked about, is there opportunity to collaborate throughout the year for the band to come together prior to going to Ram and doing a not necessarily a performance for all the parents, but together doing some sort of performance, which then led to conversations around, okay. What about kids who aren't banned? And so I I emailed back last week and said, well, what about a STEM connection, you know, for those kind of kiddos? So just I just wanted you to know those conversations are happening actively.
Even as we go in the summer, that's actually when it will pick up between all three buildings and and certainly on our PDACs team, which is that professional development teacher evaluation team we have here. So that's happening. Also very exciting, we have concluded our hiring process to add our new teachers to our team, and so I wanted to just introduce them by name to you here. Certainly, I'm happy to invite them to the August board meeting if that works for the board or whatever board meeting you like just so you can meet them in person. But we're very excited. We have two of our current student teachers.
So Christina Catarino will move into a pre k position, and that is due we had we did have a staff resignation, so she was hired. She will move to pre k, so we're excited about that. Caitlin Dalby was also a student teacher here and will move into third grade, so that's exciting. And then Grace Willdarcheck is a new teacher joining our team, and we'll be beginning her teaching adventures in her first year in fourth grade with missus Dixon. And then finally, Maureen Sullivan will join our five six team, and she comes with, experience in teaching both sixth grade and in, specifically in the reading enrichment and intervention world. So we're really excited about our new team members. And, again, I will certainly bring them to introduce to you in person, but I wanted to, introduce them by name at the very least. Questions for me? I think I've covered well, with a day and a half left, what I can cover for what we're doing. I'm just curious. Enrollment
stuff for next year, do we have, like, a a number for next year that Oh, the number. I
I can kids? No. I mean, like, for the whole school, I did not calculate it that right now, but I I can real quick in a minute. I will I do know kindergarten is right at 24 right now, and we are at 65 in pre K. And we are we have had one new sixth grader at least.
So I I can calculate it. I should have for you. I'm just interested. I know. Yes. No problem. Let me let me do that. That would put sixth grade at twenty eighth for the next year? We anticipate with a move at 27
Okay. Of a student So stay even on, like Mhmm. That's where we are now.
And that's always the interesting thing about summer too. It's Yeah. For the older grades, that's where we get the move ins, move outs. Kinder, usually, we might get one more pre K. But for the first through sixth graders, it's usually midsummer.
People are buying houses and things like that. I'm only asking because of like, I know that I know. I know. To be one It's a class for next year. So Yeah. So right now, we do anticipate splitting them into two sections for reading for ELA,
but they will be together I misspoke. Take it back. Was thinking of fifth. They will be split for math. I apologize. And ELA lends itself more to a larger group, the curriculum. So in math, they will be split into thirteen thirteen, but ELA, they'll be together. And then, obviously, there's a. And we'll be back here. By 09:30, I'll be be having a different conversation. But yeah. But I will yes. Sorry, Mike. I didn't I didn't add it all together, but we're doing very well. I So we're 65 for pre K? Yes. We we are at 65 for pre K. Nice. And you have a waiting list, though. Oh, yes. And I'm tour I have tour three tours set up, I think, for tomorrow. You know? I mean, that that
waiting list gets Yeah. Gets going. And I keep torn How many of those 65 are would be rising in the garden this next year? Oh, man. You're really putting me on the spot. Wow. Off top of my head, I do understand. But I can't
Enrollment. Got it. Check. Yes. I can. We do anticipate it's a little bit bigger because this because of that age, there was our pre K in general, yes, we're actually going to have probably two classes. We've originally thought one, but two at four and five year olds. We have so many older precares, which is awesome, which lends itself to, like, your question you're asking, I'll definitely get you that number. Is it a large Oh, that's cool. So you can have, like So we are because we have our it really helps us to and we don't have to lock in for life. We can look at each enrollment group, each 60, and say what makes the most sense for this group, which is nice. So we are going to have we have a high number of students who'll be five by January who are in pre k. Right? Yeah. That
the burr babies. So we're excited to to really be able to tailor our program to them. And going into second year now with the cutoff change, we've learned a lot. So we're excited about that.
And one more question. Yeah. Goal survey. I know it was sent out to parents. Yep. Is that something shared amongst the administration, or is that something shared with the board too? It does. So I'll do a board I'll do a presentation.
Did I do that in September with this? I I might have been a little bit earlier, but I do I we do a staff survey, a student survey, and a parent survey, and they looking good. We do the informal results. The staff survey, we've already gone through as a staff. We I actually present it directly back to them so that they can see, obviously, where we stand. So we do that at our last professional development and make plans for, hey. What do we wanna do to solve any of these problems that are highlighted? What are things we wanna carry forward? And then student survey with staff, we usually go through in the fall. We look at the student survey together and say, okay. What do we need to you know, anything we can amend? Then parent survey. Certainly, share Val and I study, and then we share. Thank you. Absolutely. Financial report. Okay.
Well, we have a bit to discuss tonight. As part of your packet, as usual, is the summary custom expenditure report for the 2425 school year, and then following that is the detail. And then as requested, at the very end of your packet is the as of June 2 where we were with the pre k information, and we are right on track with that. So before I move on, does anybody have any questions about those reports?
Okay. I have one just one question. So the extracurricular, I noticed that it was not fully spent. Correct. Was that just because no equity interests? Well That's
the coaching in the clubs? Yeah. I believe some of the I don't know. Valerie, can you answer that question? France. Right? No. Not this year. Okay.
This year, we didn't run a lot of the extra clubs that by contract we have to budget for. Because if, for example, in the teacher's contract, it says that a staff member is paid x number of dollars for a Lego club. Mhmm. You have to budget for that because It's in the contract. Correct. Because it's in the teacher's contract. But after we had two years of the after school this year, we planned the parent activities this year in lieu of some of those other ones. So, yeah, it didn't get used this year. We didn't run, a lot of those paid clubs for teachers. The teachers weren't interested this year in running those specific clubs. Okay. Doesn't mean they didn't run other things. Like, we had teachers that worked after school with the kids on invention convention and those sorts of things. They just didn't run it for pay. Okay. So Yeah. The only thing that we need have to be in the budget. Just like just like retirement is in there because if there's an electric retirement
person, you have to budget in case they retire that year. Okay. I have that. Okay.
Like, for you or me, like, looking at the budget. Right? Like, when I'm like, where are we gonna come up with this money? I'm like, if we don't have a retirement buyout, we can take that out. Right? Like, that's $15,000, but you're not allowed to.
Right? Have to budget for it. You have to have it. At the end. Right. Yeah. You could transfer it at the end, but you do have to budget for it because if by contract, if the teachers ask to do that, that's it then.
So the only thing that went into that line for expenses were our after school band practices, which is part of that kind stuff. Yearbook. Yeah. That was a club that went in there, the band after school practice. And the other one was teams, which is our teach we have a teacher mentor that that gets paid a stipend for mentoring newer teachers, and those tea and that that teacher gets $500 per person that she's mentoring. So she was owed a thousand dollars. Unfortunately, the state only gave me 460, so I had to I had to pay her the rest out of that line. So it did get utilized. It just didn't get utilized in in full. Okay. Any other questions about the current 24, 25 expenditure reports? Okay.
So Val handed out some financials for you. We did not have this the town this is the town of Andover, the accounts that we have with them, the AES Capital account, the Norton fund, and the school improvement fund, which is also the 2% nonlapsing fund. Okay? So if you could just take a minute to look through it and let me know if you have any questions. I did just get this the other day, and I made some notes to make it a little bit easier to understand, you know, where the balances are and what's going. So as you can see, like, the AES Capital monies is supposed to be included in with the AES expansion fund, but that money has not been moved over to that account. It is on the spreadsheet on the first page. It was deposited into the town's general fund. I don't think they're going to move it to that bank account because it's currently earning money in Okay. The Well, that's why I have the spreadsheet on top to tell you that at least the numbers are there, and we can see that they've been paying out of that account. Yeah. The other the other one I made a note on was the 2% lapsing. The monies have not all been deposited to that account yet either From From being completed from last year. Mhmm. Yeah. K.
But I just wanted to make sure we're keeping track of all this stuff. Any questions on those statements?
I don't have a question on the statement. I guess my only real question is on on the summary Yeah. For the instructional the IA sub salaries.
Well, I did the handout that I was gonna go over next. Yeah. Yep. Is the budget transfer form. Yep. I understand that. Okay. Get to that. My question is really, like,
is there a reason why that's so much higher than what the budget was, and is that something that you think will continue to occur?
Well, part of it was because we we utilized all the IDA money for the the paras that we normally have in there, but their their salaries are higher than that grant. So we had to put some of it into that account. Well and it was also Taylor mentioned at the beginning that, you know, we've done the hiring of the teachers. Mhmm. There were
positions that were not permanently filled with paras. Mhmm. I'm gonna be cautious because, you know, I don't like to ever give out information on particular students. So there were students that required instructional assistant support for educator support this year, and it did take us a little while to make sure that we matched the right person. So they came in as substitutes. Mhmm. And then they moved out of that line. They either stay with us as a substitute and then become a permanent heir up, or they didn't stay with us. And so Terry had categorized them with what their title was during the course of the year, which was basically a sub. If they're here during a probationary period or something like that. And then if they work out, then we move to them. I can tell you at the next meeting, Taylor will have to give you other names of paraprofessionals that we're in the process of hiring right now because all of those move in positions that were being temporarily filled with subs will be permanently filled for the start of next school year. And so that is why when she does the transfers here, you're gonna see some of that money has to go to cover in that line item because that was the legal title for them at the time. They were, you know, a substitute, but they were a substitute because we had a vacancy over the other line of a paraprofessional. So does everyone get that? Yep. Okay. So, really, bottom line then as I go forward for next year is this probably won't be the case for next year because they will be in a Correct. As as they transfer it from one line to the other, they'll be in that line. Feeling more confident about the hires for next year. Thanks, Taylor. But it always is. Right? But anybody who's listening, and Doris made a good point at the beginning where, you know, she's here now, and she's able to see how hard people work, and she is a sub. Mhmm. And so, you know, subs do understand that it is for everybody.
You see a different job when you get here. And so it's not to disparage anybody that came aboard as a sub for a para and then said, thank you, but no thank you. It's that it's a hard job. And they came aboard, and they thought, I could do this. Then there were a couple during the course of the year that said, I can't do this. Yeah. So thank you for the opportunity, but this is not my calling. And so we would go again. The last thing we wanted to do was put this was to put someone permanently in the union at the beginning without a trial just to find out that they were not happy. So
so that transfer will go all with that, and it works for us.
Did you want me to discuss any of the recommendations that I have for budget transfers?
Yeah. I feel like we should go through that. Okay. So this is this form.
Sorry. It's handwritten, but it took some doing. You guys can add this stuff to it. And like I said, these are just recommendations. If if anybody has any anything they would rather see differently, this is not no. This is just for your review, and and let me know what you wanna do. Okay? So the first set of numbers there, teacher salaries all the way down, that those are salaries and benefits. Obviously, we're moving some teacher salaries over to cover the subs and benefit money. Like we said, the retirement money that didn't get used is going over to cover the sublines and also along with the unemployment. Okay? On the second set of four numbers, once again, we're moving salaries to subs because we had you know, we have to offset that. Offset that. Yes. The next set of numbers and I tried to do this as Yeah. As easy as possible. It makes sense. It makes sense. Yes. So then you'll see, the next one is benefits to benefits. Okay? The FICA med, it I don't know what happened with that, but it it was a little higher than we thought this year. Next page. Services such as coaching and clubs. As you noted, we had a little bit of a surplus there. Services to services. So we're moving money from clubs and professional service personnel over to tech and OT.
Okay? Next section, salaries and benefits. As you know, repair and maintenance was over all year long, and we have to take care of that. Okay? Transportation and magnet school money being moved over to the tech lines. I know when we went through our budget for next year, I told you that we needed more money in the tech lines, and we should be all set for next year. And then the last three lines on that page, tuition, benefits, and retirement over to supplies. Okay? That's a little bit of a, you know, that's a little bit of a leap, but it has to be done.
And finally, on the last page, once again, supplies to supplies, utilities to utilities. We did well with oil, but we did terrible with electricity. So we had to move that over. We we agree that we had some extra money in the lunch line, and that got moved over to that's going to be moved over based on your approvals tonight to the small equipment tech line. And then finally, more unemployment money moved over to professional services. So if we did this, we would have a balanced budget for 2425. Discussion? I know it's a lot. If you need time to look at it and come back to it again The custodial salary, is that did
There was a surplus in the custodial salary. Yeah. Is that because we lost a custodian or someone didn't work at once? Time, there was four custodians. We Or we had summer more summer custodians. Right. We don't bring in the extra
some of them both. Okay. Yes. We once did bring in. And the custodian that's here at night when we switched from Steve as the head and Scott as the second who There's a Chase. Yes. Who did to Scott as the head and Anthony as the second. Anthony came in new to us, so there was a little bit of a savings there. Savings. Yeah. Okay. That makes sense.
And we had some savings in the nursing salary because I think you as you know, we have talked about before the salary includes the subs. That line does. Yeah. That line includes her sub. Okay.
The only other question that I have is on the on your second page where you have teacher salary and benefits, I'm assuming those are the benefits that would go with that. The the stuff to move to repair and maintenance. That those are your insure health insurance benefits? Yep. No. I understand. What do you need to know? I'm sorry. My question is really just, like, those two together is a very large amount of money. So is that Yeah. Was that a teacher's salary that was covered by the grant? Or
So for benefits, you're talking about? No. Why? Oh, for teacher salaries. Oh, yeah. I'm sorry. The teacher salaries, yes, they were offset by offset by grants. Okay. And then the benefits was just people coming on and off the insurance, so we had a little bit of a surplus. We really only had, like, equivalent to, like, one family surplus
Okay. On the benefits. And the and the teacher salary grant coverage, it's, like, multiple small grants for for multiple
things. Correct. Okay. When you look at the benefits Cherry, just I'm sorry to interrupt. But just so that anybody who doesn't understand, and I know you guys do, but I just wanna say it for any of our guests as well. When you look at even one change, the average board cost per person for a single person is between 10 and 11,000. Yep. The average board cost for a family is 30,000. Yeah. So when you look at 24,000 and, of course, we won't give you the details of who or what it was, but 24,000 could be two people in two different Yeah. The difference. Whose children dropping children dropped off because they were 26. And there you go. There's 24. Likewise, I will warn. So if anybody was going, wow. That's a lot of money. Once a month. Yes. When someone had somebody, that's why planning in the area of the benefits is so difficult for us. Because if someone says, I didn't used to take benefits, and now I'd like them, and I'd like to be a family plan, that's $30,000
that gets added. Right.
And you guys are not a private business like myself where I can say, that's great. You're welcome to get them through. I'm not gonna have to pay for that yourself. Right. Yeah. Yeah. We're we're contractually obligated. Any other questions on the
proposals? I just had one I I think we've talked about this before that the
growth in the supplies driven was that that was driven by the new curriculum or was new curriculum and also preparing for
we've got new teachers starting in new classrooms. We had to order supplies for them. So that's where the over is. And since we don't have a furniture line, if you needed to move the over and things or classrooms, you still have two new classrooms. So I know that number was three feet high. Yeah. Right. It wasn't
It was, like, $38,000. I have to finish. I was like, oh my god. I know. Yeah. That's why I'm like, I know every zone. Yeah. It is definitely
place for outfitting two room. Okay. And there were desks that needed to be purchased, chairs that needed that kind of stuff. Otherwise, normally, you're right, Bree. It would be that much of a. But it also was, and we were talking about it all year long, is the increase in the supplies for the main for the for our head custodian.
Right. He had nothing when he started. We had to order tools for him. We had to order a bunch of stuff. So Okay. That's where that number came from.
I I really do appreciate this and letting the the lines run over throughout the year so that we can actually see where our money is going.
Right. I think it makes everything much lessier. It I'd rather do it at the end of the year and and not do it all year long, and we just need to continue this practice. So
So I I would assume we need to make a motion to approve changes. Does anyone else have further questions? No?
Anyone need to make a motion? I move that we approve the budget transfer that transfers that Perrius presented this evening. Anyone wanna second that? Second. K. All in favor? Aye. Aye.
All opposed? K. So passes six zero. Thank you for putting all your You're welcome. Time and
attention for detail into this. Maybe before the end of the night, I can just get your signature. Yeah. Thank you so much. I got all these. Yeah. You can. Thank you, Katie. That
would be not good. Okay. We gotten reports on updates. School readiness, if you guys are We just We don't exist anymore. Now we are No. You changed. More things. Yeah. More things. All the so much. GIV has nothing to report. Okay. In
terms of town meeting updates, I think, you know, all we really have for right now is that the budget passed, and then we're gonna move forward with Yeah. We hope to see. Right. Yeah.
Mike, about 02:50. Sorry to interrupt, but that's what we're counting. Two fifty. Oh, you're not kids. Yeah. Wow. Wow.
Plus two out. Yeah. $2.52. $2.52. Okay. So Good. You do want that. Does anyone have any other for updates? No? K.
Okay. Bathroom project update. Josh and Jen, yes? You guys are up. Can you hear me? Yeah.
Alright. So how do we want to go about this? Yeah.
So I guess so just so that, like, full transparency so everyone is aware, the plans were shared with a member of our town who works in construction, and he had some feedback and questions. Those questions were emailed to Josh, and he did reply with some answers, but we kinda wanted to go through stuff in this setting as well. And then, I guess, my other thing, and I don't know if we should talk about it before Josh talks or after, is I personally feel like this is such a large project, and we kind of it hasn't progressed as far forward as quickly as it should have, but I really think that we should create a subcommittee for this project so that it can actually go where it needs to and get finished. And I know that I need board support in order to do that. So I don't know if you guys wanna talk about that part first or if you want Josh to talk about the questions and the plans. Yeah. Okay. So we'll let you talk about the questions that were submitted and kind of just an overview of the drawings, if you're okay with that. No problem.
Okay. So
do you do you have the questions in front of you?
I do. And Valerie does. And Eric, you do? Or no? I do. Yeah. Okay. So some people do and some people don't. So
for question number one, it says the scope of work defined in the drawing should include original issues that the school bathrooms have. There should be complete removal of the sanitary drains, galvanized drains, galvanized vents in the walls and tunnels. It's not shown on the drawings. So during our initial design phase, the SD phase, we had a discussion about limiting scope to reduce cost. And the limited scope didn't include removing the galvanized drains in the or the galvanized vents in the walls. And our scope was to use the newer sanitary drain that's within the tunnel. The existing sanitary drain that the bathrooms drain to now is within the slab in between where the basement ceiling is and where the new where the existing restrooms are. It's not able to be located in the field. I poke my head above the ceiling in the in the basement, and it's not there. So the only other place it could be is is within the slab in between those the tunnel and the basement. So we were gonna abandon that sanitary line and tie into the existing sanitary line in the tunnel, which seems to be in very, very good condition, much better condition than
what you would expect for the age. And also, there was a renovation at some point during for the other portion of the building with the two restrooms on the other side, and that's their sanitary pipe was used for that as well. So that was our plan there.
So then the plan would include, like, capping off the old one if and when you find it. Yes. And then use it. So sanity. Yeah.
The sanitary line now comes through the floor, and the toilets are mounted to it. So when the toilets are removed, the sanitary line will be exposed. We can cap it, and then the new flooring will come up to above that. So cap and seal at the floor and then refinish with new floor.
Okay. And I think I think the concern on that question was really just that in terms of someone bidding on the project, like, having that part explained because it would end up costing us more money. Yes? That's how I understood it. Yeah. I think go ahead.
Were you good on that question, or do you want me to answer anything else about it? I I think we're good on that. Okay.
Next question. Although most contracts will assume this repair, this is required. It's not showing on a demo plan. Extensive saw cutting and pour back of the existing slab. Please add saw cutting limits of the slab within with a detail for pour back. That'll be included in the final set. That'll be issued so that contractors get bid on it. There is very limited saw cutting, so, the cost shouldn't be crazy for that, and and we'll make sure to limit as much of the saw cutting as possible. Okay.
Get on that one. Scope of work should include new domestic water piping as existing piping is equal in age to the sanitary drainage. We didn't find it necessary, but can discuss this further. We weren't anticipating opening the wet walls completely to repair replace all the piping. Again, we were trying to minimize the cost impact to the school. So reusing the water lines was a part of our original design conversation. We can have contractors add a little contingency to their bid in order to repair any issues they see within the walls if there are any. But as far as I know, all the fixtures were on and nothing is currently leaking from the walls or, you know, accumulating on the floor. But I guess that that would be up to everybody to decide whether or not they want it replaced or, just repaired as needed.
I feel like asking contractors to have a contingency for, like, it if it does need to be repaired or replaced would probably be appropriate. But I think, yes, like, conservatively, we already know this project is going to cost us a lot of money, and no one on this board or in this town is looking to spend an astronomic amount of money to make a brand new bathroom. Like, we know that it's a repair.
I guess the only thing I would ask on, like, some of those questions would be if is there a risk that in five years, we'd suddenly have to pull this stuff out and fix it? Because Yeah. Then we really should consider doing it now versus having to redo work. Right.
When when would we get an answer to that? Right. Yeah. Not now. Right. We can get an answer to that from a contractor beginning. Well
but I guess from the age that you're seeing, like, do you know that they're like, from what you've seen, do you know generally the life of this type of stuff typically, or are we at risk of going past the extended life?
So for copper piping, I'm not really worried about, you know, that that lasts a very long time. It's just any fittings that might be, you know, at the end connection. And usually a plumber when when they get a contractor, when they get in there and they see something like that, you know, they usually will will have to replace it. So adding a small contingency to replace valves or fittings at the end of the piping as necessary, I think I think would accommodate that. You're good on that here. Okay. Okay. Thank you.
Next question, the janitor sync. We do have it selected as a floor mounted sink. I confirm that in our drawings. There is a small amount of saw cutting, and again, I will add the saw cutting to our final set. Okay.
Women's lab sink, need to open wet wall and replace drain. This is kind of on a similar, discussion we've already had about not opening the walls where we don't need to, and letting the contractor carry a little bit of contingency for any of the repairs that he may he or she may see. Any more questions? No? Okay.
Woman's room floor drain, this is required to have a sanitary vent, trap primer, or trap seal. That'll be on the final set. Add a trap seal to each one of the floor drains. There's also one in the the boys restroom below the urinal that's called out, but might not have been seen by the person reviewing this. So that's a weird question. Teachers' laboratory, open the wet wall, same thing. So we're trying to put in a floor mounted toilet in there so we can go straight through and into the tunnel into that new sanitary line we were, previously talking about that's already down there or newer, I should say. Sorry. I'm on it. You know what that yeah.
Open slab drain. Yep. That's the same thing. Boys restroom urinals. The existing urinals are embedded in the slab, which is not shown to be cut. New sanitary drain will require concrete removal from below. Two by six square minimum will have to be removed to drain and install. So we can add the saw cutting again to the plan. That's not a problem. Our new plan is to drop down behind the new urinals that we've selected and go straight into the sanitary drain in the tunnel like the rest of the fixtures here. Good on that one? Yep.
Okay. Boys bathroom laboratory, open wet wall again. This one, it kind of shares a wall with the teacher's restroom. And so there might be a little bit of rework there to get the sanitary down into the tunnel, and that wet wall will will be, opened and and piping will be routed down that wall. So that one will be completely open for us to see. And I'll that will be added to the final set. And, the floor drain, as discussed previously, there is one there. It might not be readily visible, so I'm just gonna make sure that it's more visible for everybody to see. K. I
think those those are all the concerns that were brought up by the person who reviewed all of this, which was done just as a favor. I don't know if anyone else has other questions for Josh. I guess my questions would be really on a go forward. Like, what at what point are we at now, and what do we need to do to move forward?
Anyone else have other questions aside from that? I would just ask Josh if as you reviewed these questions, did any anything come up that you didn't expect or that you had to rethink as you reviewed these?
So, actually, that that's a good question. So we did look at the recirculation, and we looked at the requirements for hot water recirculation, and the code requirement was 50 feet from the recirculation line. And in the existing drawings of the past renovation, there is a recirculation pipe within 50 feet of this restroom. So and I know that was a question of whether or not it was required and or wanted by the school. There is a recirc line in the school, and as far as we can tell from the existing drawings, it is within 50 feet of the furthest fixture.
So does that that needs to be moved or it doesn't need to be moved? Oh, we should we're it's it's compliant
with the code. And, you know, again, because we can't see behind the walls, we can't see exactly where the piping is. When the contractor comes in there to verify, he can just make sure that, you know, that pipe is where where it says it is on the clients. Okay.
Brady, you have other question? I'm just if it's not, are we gonna have a contingency for that? Yeah. I mean, what if it's not, I guess, would be my one question.
It's it is shown on a permit set from a while back, so I'm hoping it's in there. We can definitely, you know
We we can include, we can certainly include a unit price for extra feet of copper in in excess, of what is currently shown on the plan so that, and we can declare what that fee would be, or we can have the contractor offer. Assuming this is going to bid, we can have the contractor offer what he would, charge for on a per foot basis for additional copper piping, to reach that location so that it's nailed down and you don't get into a position where the contractor has now kinda got you over a barrel and Yes. Yes. Exactly. So so you don't wanna be in the middle of construction and a contractor, you know, rubbing his hands together and saying, oh, good. You know, it's not exactly what they thought. So we can certainly add the unit prices in there to nail that down in advance so that, it's a little bit more predictable when you get there.
Thank you. So in summary, in terms of things that need contingencies, it's gonna be that. Right? Like, how close it is to their recirculation. Mhmm. And then if there's piping or fixtures or fittings that need to be replaced for the water lines coming in as opposed to the drain lines. Is that Right. A decent summary? Yes. Am I missing anything else that needs to have contingency plans written into the existing plans?
I don't believe so. No. I think you've you covered it there. So does anyone else have other questions?
I have a quick question just to clarify, and I apologize for asking Josh this in a public forum. Josh, could you clarify the materials, that are gonna be used? Oh,
materials for water piping? Mhmm. So, well, you can we can either use the PEX, piping or we can use copper. Mhmm. PEX is more advantageous for price, but Significantly cheaper. Both are acceptable methods. It's just what what the contractor is going to, going to bid on. Is there a reason to not use text?
It's so the the structural integrity of PEX is a little bit less, but it's significantly cheaper and easier to install. Everything about using PEX is actually, you know Very easy. Yeah. A lot easier to to manage.
So Yeah. A lot of new renovation or new construction is using uses PEX for for for that reason. PEX is acceptable by the code. It's got good longevity. It's certainly not copper, but it is certainly rated for this use. What's the difference in life from PECS to copper?
Don't think PECS will last a hundred years, but, let me see. In the. I guess I would question
is that if you're given a choice of something that is better, but you gotta pay more for it, or if something is cheaper, you get it for less money, but it's not as good, I think we gotta decide in the next hundred years, Brie. I don't think we're gonna be.
I won't be here. Understood. But I think it was okay. It's a lot more. Yeah. It's like, how much more? Like, five times, six times as much? It's not like a one to two. Correct? Uh-huh.
Well, from what I'm I'm finding online at PEX Plumbing, it lasts around fifty years years. Fifty.
Five zero. Five zero. Five zero. The and the cost to that that to copper cost is? Depending on the type of installation between 2080% cheaper. Yeah. Okay.
Just the materials itself, but the labor to install it.
Yep. So So would we be able when we're asking for bidding to act for pricing for copper and pricing for packs from the contractor so that we can see the two different options?
Absolutely. Yes. We can use the copper as an alternate. So we'll we'll we'll use PEX as what they call the base bid, and we'll use copper as an alternate. That way, you have the option to choose the alternate if you if you want that. Okay.
And we'll include unit prices for both Yeah. Depending on which way it goes.
And then is there anything else aside from copper versus packs that we need to have, like, ask for difference of options between?
As far as alternates go, I don't believe so. Everything else involved is very typical valves, floor drains, fixtures. That's I I would not anticipate anything else. This is, Josh, the sanitary piping is PVC?
Oh, it's, cast. It's cast iron? Okay. Or or yeah. It's steel. So
what are our next steps on a move forward, like, in terms of getting stuff to a a bidding process, or what what do we do next?
So we enter we, you know, wanted to have this meeting prior to submitting the actual final bid documents. Now we can with your input here, we can refine our drawings, and then submit them to you for final approval. And then, it can be circulated to to bid. And we have agreed to help with the bidding phase, the CA phase. So throughout this whole process, we'll be here to help you and answer any questions and request for information from the contractors and review all the submittals that they may have.
Does anyone else have more questions? No? Okay. So then I guess, thank you guys so much for your time tonight and taking the time to answer questions for us. So I guess we would we would look forward to the revised or finalized plans, and then hopefully, we can move forward. Thank you, Josh. Thank Thank you, Jeff. Thank you. What's the time frame on the revisions for that?
Let me look. So probably about two weeks to get those back. Yeah. Next week. Okay. Great. Perfect. Alright. Thanks, everyone.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. You had mentioned establishing a subcommittee. So did you want to do that or talk about it now? I don't If you guys are the big documents or what? If you guys are okay with talking about it now, I would I would like to consider it only because, you know, the questions that that were asked tonight, I personally, like, as a homeowner, I've worked with techs and put in techs plumbing myself. But aside from that, my knowledge of any of this is virtually zero. Brie, I know you deal with, like, writing RFPs and that kind of stuff. Getting RFPs. But yeah. But, like, you understand the terminology associated with them. I don't like, right, if we were trying to, like, I don't know, start a new anatomy and physiology class for school, like, I'd be all over it, but I my comfort level is not with it. Like, your comfort level is not with this. It's with, like, contract and policy. Yep. Yeah. My job description pretty much covers bids and RFPs. It's we do have a procedure
at the board of in the board of ed policies on how to how to run those. It's going to take them up to two weeks to get those final. I think maybe in the interim, you know, Terry, we can work on getting a sample draft of what one would look like for us with the input. As Josh said, that's part of their process for helping us. So, you know, get that together so that when their drawings are done, we'd be able to have a meeting of either the whole board or of those board members that are interested. And by then, we have something to actually give you those final drawings as well as some kind of a template draft of what that RFP would look like Mhmm. See who's comfortable with that. If the board is not comfortable at that time, then we can discuss the possibility of having additional person from Boston O'Meal working with us on that.
Yeah. And and maybe if we have outside members that are working with us, but at least we would have something to look at. To have something physical to look at. Yep. So we can get that in, you know, going while
the final drawings are being put together. Yeah. I my concern or consideration in wanting to have a committee potentially with community members that that maybe have more expertise in this area, You know, it's a it's a big project, and we want to do right by our school for for the long haul. Right? Like, not not for ten years, for fifty to a hundred years. So And does it come with anything of a warranty? It will. Work with them? Yeah.
Yeah. Yes. But my only concern, my only reservation on opening it up opening this up to too many outside people is we've hired Boston O'Neil. We're then going to be looking to hire another company through the RFP process. And I don't want us to keep getting tied up like we did this time. You know, it's nice that Eric had reached out to an outside person, that they had questions, that we're able to talk about it. But I do warn, with a little bit of reservation of with every time somebody else says, well, I have a question about this. Well, I have a question about that. I don't wanna undermine the fact that we did vote to go with an oversight company, Fosunomia. And then when we do get the RFP in motion, we're gonna be deciding as a board. You're gonna be deciding to go with the company.
Will there then be lots of outside voices saying, well, think I you should this, and I think you should that, and I think you should this. So that is only my only recommendation to consider would be we've already lost a few weeks now because we have gone and made sure that every question was answered, and we're grateful that there were outside people that were interested. If this person wants to join that RFP process, I would say go ahead, you know, especially as long as that person's company is not going to be part of the pretty game of an RFP. Yes. So I think they are valuable to join you because they did have some questions that helped you guys gets get answers to things.
But I would be cautious about saying, well, we'll just go find another committee because we do have oversight already. I guess I guess my hope was that having a subcommittee for this would make the process move faster rather than waiting for each time we have a board of ed meeting to end up having another meeting about it to review plans and, like, that they could potentially to the board of ed. Meet meet more often. I would have had that committee could present to the board of ed instead of having to delay the process. Yeah. And and, of course, I don't have my little blue book in front of me, but when the if I recall correctly, there's a section on, like, large construction projects that does recommend having Yes. It So
I I mean, if that is what is recommended by the state of Connecticut for educational
large scale construction projects, then I do think that that is what we should And I can say the last time that there was a committee like that was when they redid their roof on the city. Yep. And that was probably the last major project that It was. That happened here. Yep. Oh, yeah. I am very uncomfortable
moving forward just us doing this. We don't have the expertise.
Which is why we hired them. But But but even just as a building forward. Consult Yep.
To get questions like we just had, concerns there. We can't do this to the seven of us. Write an RFP.
We we can't do that. And as Josh just indicated, that's one of the things that's part of the scope In our underwriting. That's part of the scope of what they're there for Mhmm. Is to assist help with that. I'm sure it's gonna help with that too. Right. I mean, I've done these RFPs and bids before.
There's a process, and we're gonna follow the process. We'll follow our policy, and we'll follow the state facts.
I'm I'm very concerned. Are you concerned about? The whole board dealing with it? We've all Like, I'm self patients that I've had with this community member who is in the construction industry and does this for a living. He raised matters that we need to take into consideration
that we none of us would have been aware of prior if if we So I can say some of them, like, because Val and I were on the initial meetings with Fuss and O'Neil, there were some things that he brought up that that were not a part of scope of the project because we said we want to reuse what we can because we don't have $600,000. Flooding it. Right? We're working on maintaining. We're not But but I I I appreciate, and I think I I really appreciate his ability to look at the plans and to come up with those questions because I think it is important. That's why I think we need to have the committee just for this that has people on it that are not just the seven of us on this board. Well, do we need a motion? I think that we do. I I motion to create a second. Okay. Would anyone like to second that motion? Second. Okay. Is there any further discussion
on that before we vote? Yeah. Of what will the subcommittee consist?
I would say that I would like the subcommittee to consist of at least two members of our board as well as what how how many other people that have some sort of expertise in this industry,
community members. And now we don't know. Well, that's go and Kate and I were already on this. You guys had already voted for that at the beginning. Yeah. I think we should consider having somebody from the
board of selectmen? I would agree with that as well.
Who would have the expertise on the board of selectmen? And do you have expertise in this area? Not really. I mean, I I went through planning and building our house, but I wasn't bullied with a hammer. I was just in the planning of it. Do we know if anyone on the board is elect No. But electricians or plumbers or anything Nope. In the field? Jeff is an engineer. Is the closest. Yeah. That's it. Jeff. Marie. Marie. Marie. He's an engineer. Sure.
Engineer, but he might he would be good. He might not be interested, but I think that to ask would be very appropriate. Got it. That person was sort of overseeing the building over here after Avery got sick, but I don't think he really knows that otherwise. Nope. I I wrote down for the floor. Certainly ask Eric. Or you can certainly ask Eric Sanderson if he would love to join us. Yeah,
he's he's already said that if he were asked, he would be interested. That would be to remember. Yeah. So but it should be, what, five people. Right? Or not an even number of people?
Oh, so we're not gonna necessarily kick a vote because it's not No. Solely a I mean, I'm just saying. I'm saying. So That would be six people, though. Two board of ed members Oh, I I just counted.
Two board of ed members. Two other members will ask Maureen Sanderson and then
myself and Ter. Right. So that would be six members. But I'm saying it doesn't have to be an odd number because you're not Because we're not they don't have to vote. Right. They're just bringing stuff to the And then is there there's no one on the board of finance that has expertise in this area either, is there? Well, you have two members right there.
You can ask. Joanne or Kim, do either of you know? Is there anyone on the board of finance that has expertise in plumbing and inspection?
It wouldn't be me. That's for sure. But we can find out. I know that
Bill DeRosa, you know, tends to have a lot expertise in matters of construction and things of that nature. You know, he has weighed in on things of that. So Okay. It's an important project,
so it's I I possibly wanted to get it right, you know, and just make sure We we wanna get it right, but I think you know, we wanna make sure that I would like to have a member from the board of trust me and the board of finance on that committee between on an effective liaison between part of and making sure that spending all the taxpayer money for good reason. Of
course. Can I say one more thing? I think that Jeff Murray is an engineer.
Correct? He's Yes. Yeah. An engineer who does have a lot of expertise in that, so that was a good call as well. So Okay. There you Caitlin,
hi. It's Kimberly Persson. If you're if you need someone from the board of finance, I would be willing to to serve on the committee. I have some knowledge of plumbing. I've had some big major plumbing issues at my house. So I would I would be happy to work on this committee if you need someone. Expertise? Not so sure. Okay. Yeah. So thank you, guys. So I think then we need to vote whether or not we're gonna yep. I just so two things.
I'm just throwing something. Would would it be beneficial? I know we have a lot of people in this community. I'm sure there's people out there who have been passive expertise when it comes to these types of things. So do we wanna limit ourselves to just this bubble, or do we extend, I don't what you call an invitation? You and I know there's a lot of people in this town who have, I'm sure, expertise on this that could really be beneficial. I would hate to just contain ourselves to just these few members that we're talking about. But the question would be
whether or not we want all of these people to be on a committee or whether or not we want the committee to exist and people to interact with the committee along the lines of what Bob was talking about. Because I did see that with the roofing committee many, many years ago. We don't want the project to get held up anymore Right. By the same token. We want expertise. Right. Right. There's a way to have a committee and have interaction with people who would be willing to offer their expertise
just like we're having Fuss and O'Neil be our consultants to offer their expertise. And That's my that's my my my link with the we're gonna have a committee. Yep. Let's actually get people who do this Sure. Stuff. Yeah. Yeah. For for real. Yeah. Yes. I would just hope that even if there's not directly people who do it on MeetMe, but there's some way that we effectively
get input from Well, maybe we make the board of selectmen and the board of finance people liaisons, and they can be committee members. We just don't want a committee of well, I don't remember how many we had for the roofing. I I wouldn't wanna see a too cumbersome a committee. That's the only concern I would have. Micah, we can make sure obviously, the meetings are always posted. We have committees. So we can make sure that on each agenda, it says, we welcome
members of the community who have expertise in the Syrian community join us. We could always put an email address in there too that says, you know, hey. Reach out with us. And so to your point, I think that it is prudent to make sure that those people know these meetings are going on so that they'll want to come to them. Right. Like, I know that Eric had had a conversation with Eric Sanderson, which is how that kind of morphed into, hey. I have some questions. So we would just have to be better, and that's on me because I'm the one that works with Diane to advertise the meetings to make sure that on that agenda, it says, if you're interested in in feedback and you're one of these professionals, please, by all means, reach out to us. Right. And we can also add to the committee.
Right? So right now, we're creating a committee. Yeah. There's You'll be fine if there's a need to add to the membership or there's a person who consistently shows up at a subcommittee meeting or a committee meeting whose expertise we value.
We just bring it back to the board and add to the committee, or the committee adds to the committee, I would say? Right. I would also be in favor of publicizing this in the River East, saying this committee is being created. If you have interest and you have the expertise in these particular fields,
we'll welcome you to submit a letter of interest and then Caitlin I think we can do that. We just we'd need to have a cut off. Or Of course. Of course. I also need to caution you guys because I am familiar with the bid process is that we're not gonna get this so cumbersome that we're gonna lose the integrity of the bid process. If you get too many people on here and people have friends and, oh, I'm gonna bid on this because I'm on I know somebody on the committee. We have to be very careful about who you choose for the committee. Yep. Those will be sealed bids and will be opened by one person. Yep. Mhmm.
Yeah. No. A 100100%. And just so that everyone is clear, Eric Sanderson is the person who who reviewed this stuff and wrote all those questions. He had been asked prior to tonight if he could come tonight. He wasn't able to attend tonight, but he had said if he were asked, he would be interested on being on a committee for such and that he would obviously, it would be a conflict of interest and not bid on the project. So just so that that's clear. Like, that
needs to be That is exactly what we're talking about. Yes. Thank you. And the only other sorry. Go ahead. Sure. Based on what I'm hearing, people want expertise input, but they don't wanna get we don't wanna get bogged down, injury. Like my father had a saying, too many cooks spoil the soup. Yeah. Mhmm. If you start getting conflicting expertise Mhmm. Yeah. What are you gonna do? I want the right cooks. Right? Yeah. Exactly. You want the right cook.
Well, that's why we have Buss and O'Neil as our consultant. Right. Right. Murray has a home renovation business now. I'm told by one of the. Wonderful. I will reach out to her. Yep.
So I still think then just, right, as a go forward, we need to have a vote as to whether or not we're training in the committee so that we can One more thing. Yeah. Just like just so I the the specific
purpose of the commit like, just to be clear about what that's gonna be so that's
before we vote, I feel like we should know exactly. Yes. And how long the committee is existing for and what their purpose is. I I think it has to be clear, but is it to gather information and feedback or to take the votes and Overseas the budget. Right? Because that's not we have somebody that oversees that, and I don't want us to get bumped down too with people thinking that every time a decision is made. It has to be voted on by that subcommittee rather than Board of Education. Yeah.
So I think I mean, I would hope that the committee would exist until the completion of the project. Yes. Mhmm. Right? Not just the bidding process. Yeah. And then what else did you say? You said what their
What the purpose of What the purpose of the committee is.
The EIC does information gathering. Nothing nothing more than that. You guys ultimately, a decision should be made by the seven DOE members. Right. Yeah. To me, that's what I see. It's a clear purpose of information gathering input.
Yeah. Yeah. Reviewing proposals, design plans, reviewing time timelines, material choices, and monitoring progress of it so that we're not spending our monthly meetings for an hour Doing. Just on the bathroom project. Yeah. Mhmm.
But is did that include them, like, them, like, reporting out and and giving their recommendations to the Yeah. They every
meeting? I think that the board members from the board of ed work on that would would give us that report on a monthly basis, and we would just add that to our liaison reports as a committee. Great.
We'll move the question with the motion as amended by everything that's been discussed.
Okay. So brief motion, Eric seconded, and then Mike added a whole bunch of stuff that is very important to specify the reasons for the committee. All in favor of creation of the committee as presented? Aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? Okay. Thank you, guys. I think it's I think it's really important as a go forward. Decide who's on the committee.
But I think I think we need to do that in the next step for Are there board members would like to be on that committee now that we have created it.
I know you're looking at me. Going all wide. Really don't. Like, I will be honest. I just took on a new role at work, and I am about to start my RERB process and my research. So that's So I'm a little bit overwhelmed right now. That would be It's okay. Oh, yeah. Okay. Yeah. Put your name down. Takes in a while. Mike
or Jerry, either of you have any I'm gonna be honest with I have zero experience in it. I'm always willing to help, but I'm if you're for expertise, I'm the I'm the person far as No. But you know who you are is you're the person that quietly listens to everyone and then thinks of the five things that everyone forgot. Mhmm. You are always that person, which I think is really The critical thinker in the group. He is. And then he comes out with the big questions that we completely forgot about. I'm I'm more than happy to to help out. I think if if you would be willing, I I think that would be awesome. Awesome. Sounds good. Thanks. I'll be more than happy to read proposals when you get them. Get them done. That's Yeah. A And I think we'll all Contracts. Look at those. Right? There we go. Okay. Great. I am still. Okay.
Anything else on bathroom project? We're good with that for now? Yes. Mhmm. Okay. And then Mike and Eric, I think you guys can talk with Val later about in terms of a go forward with, like, other community members, etcetera, etcetera. Yep. K. Solar project update. Brian, you're still here. Thank you for staying with us. Hi, everyone. How are you? Good.
Ryan, just so you know, I did just give them all a copy of what you guys had sent me, for the, draft for the amendment. Okay? Okay. Perfect. Yeah.
The the draft, have you been through it? Like, have you seen it more than just right now? Yes. Oh. Okay. Would you mind going yeah. Would you mind just going through it with us kind of to talk about the things that are different or revised?
Sure. Yeah. Absolutely. And I think, just to quickly read, we we had the town referendum, I believe, in early March, where the town was, be became party to the agreement through the referendum. Town meeting. Yeah. Yep. So the purpose of this amendment was to add the town as a signatory, alongside the board of ed. And then there were a couple other items with during the town meeting, that were voted on and and incorporated into this amendment. So this this PPA amendment, does a pretty good job capturing all of those those stipulations. And I could, I could go through it here, but, just quickly to speak at a high level, our GreenSky's attorney has reviewed this and has didn't really have any issues with it. There were, there was a couple sentences that they changed redlined and sent back to the board of egg council for review. I think I think it's Matt Rinelli. Yeah. Yes. Yep. So, yeah, the the major major items here is, one, again, the the town and the board of Ed are are signatories on the this agreement in any any type of contract solar related moving forward that has to do with the school building, they'll they'll be part of that.
And that that was fine on the green sky's end. Let me just go through this.
So when we look through it, it looks like the the first thing that's really, like, a major change from what was presented to you guys is the the schedule for estimate of fair market value and early termination. And then there's just an, like, an appendix for schedule four that shows the value in terms of when it would be terminated.
Yeah. So in the event that the school or or the town, in this case, wanted to own the project, We've never seen that happen before out of all the PPA contracts we do. But when we go to finance this project, the lender needs, they need a termination schedule just in the in the rare event that were to happen. So what what the lender requires really not so much green skies is that the it it needs to be at the purchase price needs to be at fair market value with or what's seen in that early termination schedule, whichever is high. So that's essentially what the town was asking for. However, we needed to show that baseline, which is in schedule four, of what the lender expects the value of it to be. And if fair market value comes in higher than that,
then that would be the purchase price in the event the town wanted to buy the system. Other, other items that were included included examples of, there being GreenSky has to do a structural analysis of the roof and provide that to the town prior to install. That's something that we've already completed, and we'll be sharing with the town when we submit for permits. Another pretty big item was the small portion of the roof that isn't under warranty. It's currently a ballasted roof system with with a loose stone on top of it. Because it's not under warranty, the town during the town meeting voted to, prohibit solar or any equipment to be installed on that portion of the vote on that at the town meeting? Excuse me?
We didn't actually vote on that at the town meeting. That was written into the amendment that you were sent by the selectman by the town's attorney, but that was not something voted on at the town meeting. Got
it. Okay. Yeah. I must have, there were a lot of questions. So I must have missed that. So but this was for so that stipulation was provided to us by by the town via this amendment, and we we were we're okay with that. And, you know, from a GreenSky's perspective, it it's we realized over time, and this is why it took a while to to agree to this, was that it it definitely is probably in our best interest as well as the towns and the board of ed that we don't install solar on that roof without a warranty just because if if two years from now, it's determined that a new roof needs to be put on, due to leaks or or whatever, it's, you know, the the cost of the equipment that we would be installing on there, having to remove that, relocate it, and then replace it, it would just be a significant cost that would likely invert this PPA rate to a point where, it just wouldn't make it wouldn't really generate any savings for the school, and it puts our project at risk as well. So we it's something that we were, able to agree to internally. So it's in there. It's not redlined, and we we accepted it. And I think that was definitely one of the bigger bigger bigger items that the town, at least, was focusing on.
And and when we get the the preliminary layout as you have on I think this says page eight, just so everyone's clear. The the portion of roof that that's not on, it's it's the part that's, like, off to the right that's kinda, like, by itself. That's correct. Yep. Yeah. So right. Yep.
But with the 98, I think that it was just the savings from roughly six to five to a year to seven. Yeah.
So Valerie was just saying that that does reduce the savings from about 16,000 to about 7,000. But
Yeah. I I think it's it's 7,000 in year in year one. On average, I think it's, I think it's much more than that, just because as everyone is aware, the utility rates on an annual basis constantly are going up. So we're proposing a, you know, fixed rate, but it is, you know, less production, obviously, because it's just less less risk roof space for us to build on. But it is I think in the long term, it's it's probably a smart idea for everyone for us to avoid that section because they just could become very costly. And I think the other last outstanding outstanding item was just the roof warranty. Manufacturer is Carlisle, and it's our GreenSky's responsibility to ensure that prior to work beginning, we have Carlisle and or a representative from their company come out. We'll do a pre inspection of the roof, make sure that there's nothing that's outside of warranty currently, Then they'll come post solar installation and give us a bunch of list of items that we need to complete in order to ensure your warranty remains in place. You currently have twenty one years left on your warranty,
and our solar project is a twenty year term. So it it does does work out really well in terms of time.
Great. Does anyone have any other questions about this amendment as it's presented? No?
So I make a version to accept the second amendment to the solar power and services agreement as presented and dated June 11 with the recommended changes made by our attorney and one additional change to correctly spell the first name of our chairperson on the board of education and move it forward to the board of.
I didn't even catch that. Where is that? It's on the page of the end. Oh, I didn't I didn't look there. Well yeah. That's Jerry. K. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. 600. Got it, Ryan. Thank you. Thanks, Ryan. Have a good night. Thank you. Good night. Bye.
Either more or anything? What? Not for his involvement. Not for solar. Oh, know? Oh. Jerry. Jerry seconded it, Dawn.
Yeah. So I just wanna make sure that, you know, anybody else who's watching does realize that we did accept it. I'm not saying we shouldn't have, but does realize that we did accept it with the lower number of solar panels. Because when this happens with budget season next year, that first year, we won't see a decrease because this year, we were over by 10,000. And so I definitely wanna make a note of that just because that first year with that only 7,000, we will probably have to It'll be more. Around. But we would right. So we would have to continue for the first couple of years to kinda stay where we are before we really start to see a savings. So I just wanted that noted so that everybody knows. Yeah. So
now that we've accepted this the way that it's written, it'll get finally revised, and then the the board of selectman needs to accept that as well would be the next step forward. So we will hopefully, their their lawyer has a copy of this as well. Yes? Do we know if Dennis has a copy of this? I
have a a copy of that from him. No? Okay. Because you guys voted on him. Okay. Of what's in front of you? Yeah. No. Okay. Just gotta. Okay. So that means our attorney has approved it. Marine Sky has approved it. Our board of education has approved it, and now it goes to them for the final approval, and then it's on. Okay.
The next thing to discuss is the board of ed. I know it says retreat on here. Honestly, like, professional development and or for me, the thing that's most important is us setting board of ed goals for the next coming school year. Yep. I know that Val did have, I think, sent out to survey for for times. What is it called? A doodle? Yeah. Unfortunately, it's probably me more than anyone else. The one week where there were, like, six or seven times, I am gone that entire week. That's, like, when I'm on vacation. So I wanted to ask people, is anyone not going to be present for our July board meeting?
That's the ninth. Right? Just to make sure I have the right date.
It's whatever the second Thursday is. So I will not be here. I will be
Okay. Far away from you. Is anyone not going to be present for our August board meeting, which is August 13? Oh, wait. July 9? Yeah. Mhmm. Yeah? Okay. Isn't here. July 7.
What about August 13? Is anyone not going to be present for the August board meeting? I will get a question. Okay. So I would propose, if people would be okay with it, to do what we did last year, which was to meet at 4PM and do, like, three hours leading into the board meeting so that we could just, like, set our goals for the upcoming year so that those will be, like, amended and changed on our agenda when we start, like, for the September I'll feed you. Meeting. Yes. She will. I did check with Celeste prior to this meeting because she's not here tonight that she can attend Great. That in August. So I just It'd be really good if we could get everyone to be here for that if you guys could do 4PM before the August thing. We're have somebody from King?
If you'd like, sure. I think we it would be great to have someone to help moderate slash facilitate us. Yep. Yes. And I'm really bad with people's names, but there was someone who was really good Amazing. Like, two years ago. It was a guy. And it was when you were sick and we were at Nick. Nick. Yes. Nick. He's very good. Patrice is also really good. Yep. But I like Jody. Mick. Yeah. Marissa. Marissa. Yeah. Okay.
So if everyone's okay with that, then then we'll do Sure. Yeah. Yeah. On the thirteenth. K. Do we need some we do need some motion on that. Right? It's not, like, an official thing. K. Audit update is actually two different things. Audit update is the, like, the town audit. This lovely one that was completed and sent to the state. And it's also audit update for our policy review that was done in terms of what do we do on our steps forward. So let's talk about the policy review first. We all got a copy of that on awesome giant legal paper last time. Yes.
Yeah. I know. Because nobody has file folders that don't fit this stuff anymore. It's great.
You need a hard copy of that. Hard copy of that. Okay. Oh, If it did, it was not given to me.
And I've checked about that. So I will have to get you another copies. If you wanna look at it. Here. So
they they went through all of our series. I. So it goes through I in terms of sections, and then they kind of gave us a summary of, like, how many policies are missing, how many are dated that we need to revise, how many mandated policies are missing. I feel like I mean, a lot of things are dated, and we just need to review them and update Okay. Date on things. There were I circled f and g as the ones that have the most, like, mandated policies that are missing and and the most that we need to Is it a 4000 to 05/6000 for man mandated policy is missing. Right. But in terms of, like, to revise, yeah, it's four four, five, and six are Yep. The most. Yep. Which I like I like the way they laid stuff out, but it's very clear and helpful because it's so much information. Yep.
I guess question is on a go forward, how do we address achieving
what we need to address? I think we need to start off with the missing mandates because those are a number of them. And if they're mandatory, we should have policies on them. Those are 18.
So do you wanna go through by series or no? I have the same dilemma that
you had of which how do you do it? Do you do it by No. I think we just we go by yeah. As far as where we start off. Yeah. Yeah. Go by theory, or you wanna go by mandated things missing?
I think we should oh, excuse me. I think we should start off with all the mandatories that are missing and go by series and then go back. Okay. In other words, I think the most important is the the mandatory policies that are missing.
That's where my head is at too. With the mandatory and then come back and revisit the series. Right. Good practices and all that stuff. Yeah.
So if I could just weigh in a little more of that, that would be my way. The because I I'm halfway through doing this with my other district. That sounds like it's easier to do it that way, but it's actually not. Because if, as a board, you look at your own policies, and let's say a is mandated and it's missing, but you have the missing stuff in b, c, and d, now you're gonna have to go through the whole section to say, well, we are missing the mandated one, but it's in our other policy in there and there and there. So we actually thought that that was gonna be the easiest way to do it, and it wasn't. It was easier to go in one thing. Well, I guess they did some and put Because it because if you look at their chart going across, the other problem is my predecessor utilized, shipment in Goodwin's policies a lot. Yep. So when you that was just who she preferred. It doesn't matter if you ship with a CAVE. But in some of these, it'll say appropriate as written based on a CAVE model, requires codification,
add legal updates. You know what I mean? In that chart? Yep. So if the one that is mandated that's missing, if you take the cave model, the cave model might not match up with the rest of them in that series. Yep. And then you're looking at the whole series anyways to do the one mandate that you're missing. Does that make sense? Yeah. Yeah. So we learned. We did learn. Thank you so much. Yes. We did learn the hard way, and we chose just one section to start with. Okay. And we actually then chose an easier section so that the board could get kinda used to that process of looking through what's in that section. And, oh, yeah. Now I get it. If it's here, it doesn't have to necessarily be added or deleted or whatever. It's just, you know, we can use the Medicaid model. So that is my suggestion based on that. Okay. Just simply because our current policies are both shipment and cave in this district. Because one of the times that you guys went through it before as a board, I don't mean this board, I mean as a district Mhmm. Prior to me, they were based on shipment models. Yep. And they're all fairly similar. Some of the other mandated ones that are missing that we will put in there during the course of this, by the way, they don't necessarily apply to an elementary school, but they're required. Right? So you're gonna see that, but that's why the student section here looks so bad. Mhmm. Like, wow. We're missing a lot. Yeah. Because boards prior to you guys, if they weren't mandated, didn't have them in there as they didn't apply to a pre k six school. Right. So we were finding that too when we started looking through. We were like, oh, okay. It's it's required, and it has to be in here, but it doesn't really apply to us. So we will just take the language of the cave,
model as is and put it in there. So, I actually talked to Diane about this because Diane's been here longer than all of us with the boards. Mhmm. So she's been twenty years upstairs doing this stuff. Thank you, Diane. And it looks like the two thousands were probably if we're looking to get our feet wet on this one The easiest. Is not necessarily the easiest, Janet Mhmm. But the one that probably is, the most simple in terms of the corrections that need to be added to. So so that's why she copied these for you, and I agree actually that this is probably the best one for us to start the summer with. Can I ask of Scotland? Like, when did you guys start doing it, and how far are you through? We're into we so the first section that they are going through is the nine thousands, which is just longer. So, you know, it just is. So we've done two sections of the nine thousands. I think if you notice there, you guys are lucky here that you have no missing mandates. Yeah. The rep there's only three recommended ones. But if you look at what's listed here on those pages, you've got two very full pages. So they opted to go through that one because that was just for them, the the for different reasons. Okay. And I don't wanna you know, it was, quote, the easiest one for them. I'm just curious, like like, how long how long do you think it's gonna take us to get So for example We we tried to do some of this. Oh, please. You did. Like, that's what I I tried and tried. I know. No. But, actually, you guys are not that off at me. No. When I look at page four. No. But it said seventy percent of our follow-up seizure Are Good. Appropriate. Yeah. Look at page four on this long page, guys, like, see this long chart? If you look at page four here, and I'm on that very long
page four of the one that looks like an Excel spreadsheet. A sideways paper. If you look at that, it says series 2,000 administration, and it lists them all there. It says mandated policies lacking, none. Good practice, four. And then if you look at that chart up there, there's only one x in the middle where it says add and or update legal references to the policy twenty one fifty one. Yep. And then if you look far to the right, the last time a board did go did, you know, did go through this, it was, Shannon. We it was my second year. 2022. Yeah. When Shannon started doing those, and they were updated in 2022. So this section's actually a good section to start with and then check the box on. What I gave you, Diane, was nice enough to print them out because if you go on our website, you can look at them one at a time Yep. But you have to click each one. So this way, you have a copy in front of you of all of the ones that are listed there. So this right here that I just handed you, it is all of those 2 thousands. So the only thing you would need, and I'll give that to you, would be to, look at those four recommended ones and to look specifically at 2151, which legal reference needs to be added, and then the rest of them are just reviewed. So when you say how long, if we had a meeting where you decided on those four recommended ones and added the legal reference, if you reviewed what I just gave you and the conversation and this is kind of how they did it, which worked, was
at the next meeting that they had was they said, okay. We're gonna go through these. If there's one that you think needs to be visited because you don't like the language or whatever, stop us. And they went through, and they would say, you know, 2111. Anybody? Anybody? And if people said no, I think what we have is fine, and it didn't require, they said, okay. Move it to the side. They go through the next one. If someone said, there's something I don't like about 2121, we moved it to another pile. And at the end of that meeting, there were pile. Yes. These are the five that we would like to count as reviewed, change the date on the bottom, and pass tonight. And then they would do it. And then everybody would look at just those ones where they're like, I don't like this. And so it made the process easier Yeah. Because you are accepting the ones that don't need any change and those dates, and you are looking at the ones where everybody says we need a discussion on this. So I think to Mike's point earlier, we said we don't wanna have a whole meeting where we're where you guys then were not will not be sitting here reviewing for the very first time every single one of them, that doesn't necessarily need to be visited. Does that make sense? A lot of it. Because it really did work for them, and it's going well. So again, I'm gonna restate this. So if we're doing a 2,000 series
in July Yep. I would read those 2,000, identify if I have any changes I'd recommend. Yes. Rediscuss it at the July meeting. We pull up we can discuss, pull up the ones that we think that And we say yes and no. That's no. The yes ones with no changes, we we approve.
The no ones, though. The no ones is where you guys have to have that conversation of, you know, Eric, what would you like to see different in this? Why is this language not good? And then if there are changes made to that, you could make the changes that night, but then the next meeting would be your second read on it because you'd be changing it. And you would Only when we change it, we have to have a second read? Because I we had to have a second read for all policies. Not if it's just your So we we could have that first read where we're saying change or not change. And that's I know that night, we can say we wanna. Normally, a policy has two reads. Two reads. But if you're just reviewing it, I will look that up for sure. But I do believe that if you're just reviewing it and nothing has changed, it's reviewing. It's as is. There's no changes that believe those, but I will double check. Yeah. I will too. I believe that that is Okay. You can just you change. Because all you're doing then on the bottom is saying Updating the date. Right. Reviewed on 06/11/2025. Yep. And that becomes a date. But that's if and just to to Shannon's point, that's if zero changes are being made. Yeah. Even if we're adding, like they recommended here, a new legal reference,
that would have to be the second. I believe. Right. Okay. So but so every month, it would come up, but I'm telling you, it actually kinda does go quicker. Right. But I I will make sure you have copies so that you don't have to click on each individual one of each section. Thank you. Because that's a pain that we're trying to fix. Braille, like It
is the worst. It is. You're right. Absolutely. It's the most painstakingly
awful part about it. Which is why I absolutely printed it out for you because it is for me too for you to click on each one on there. And I've talked to Eastcom working on that this summer. Alright. Great. Well, I'm taking into this. Yes.
Is if you look there notebook. Absolutely. That's correct. Diane yeah. Office. Yep. And it's on the website, but on the website, you have to click on each one of these pages separately. And so that's why I said to you, did you have like, a download folder of
$4,000,000 policy. They can fix that. Yeah. So that would be And I told thousand scroll. Or even, like, a PDF with, like, a table of contents that takes you to you the Yeah. Agree.
So let's start with 2,000? Yep. I I do think that's easier. That's up to you guys. To do. We're good. We got kind of a b plus on that section, so we might as well start with that section.
Because it's the one that you B plus. Before. We did in 2022.
Right. We did. So thank you. Welcome. So we'll do that for July. Yeah? Yes. So that's why I gave you guys all of that. Thank you.
Oh, thank you. Okay. So that that's audit one. Number one is the policies. So then we'll review the 2000 for July. So if everyone can look through this in your spare time for casual meeting.
Is there any questions in reading through it that people want me to find answers for you? I think that's my most because it's, like, 90 pages. And where we are with it, it's done. It's been submitted to the state. The board of finance and the board of selectmen will review it individually on their network. You've moved on. We haven't moved on there. Yeah. We haven't moved on But you're okay. Hey. But I need you to tell me if you have questions on that. Because on this, we're not just a financial audit. We're killing the policy. I'm sorry. Thought you said Look at yours. You can't do this one. I I'm sorry. Already moved on. Sorry.
Okay. So the the town audit Yes. That you're talking about. So it got submitted to the state already. It's finalized. It is finalized. It got submitted to the state. Yep.
The corrective action plan is being worked on right now. That is a joint effort between the town and the school for anything that, you know, the auditor needs an explanation for. I then wind up submitting to the Connecticut State Department of Ed, and Eric on the town side submits to the state on his side. So And that's where it's one corrective action plan for any citations that are in there. And so we are in the process of working on that now. And it is, like I said, 90 pages. So if there's any specific questions that people have, please let me know because if I don't have the answers to them, I will have to get them for you.
Does anyone have specific questions about the audit? When is the presentation? Has that been said? I believe, Joanne, can you correct me if I'm wrong? You guys are doing the presentation for the audit at your regular board meeting, which is the twenty fifth. Am I wrong on the date?
No. You're correct. We wanted yeah. We decided to have the auditors present to us at our next regularly scheduled meeting, which is two weeks from tonight, 7PM. We decided that it is going to be a virtual meeting. That was the majority of the board. We had a small meeting tonight, and that was decided. So, yep, that's when it is. Thank you. Okay. Thank you so much for that update.
So I would say if you guys can attend, that would be great. So we'll look forward to their meeting for the formal presentation and review.
Maybe they could send are you going? Maybe they could send me questions for that meeting then. Yeah. Yeah. If you if you guys have questions
and you're not gonna attend, you can definitely email them to me, and I can ask them during that meeting. Awesome. And then we have to look at our approved budget just to review in terms of what was what our initial budget was and then what was actually passed at referendum. It's a total what is it? One sixty. So the original budget was $4,348,058.92. No. I'm reading Oh, that's that's that's that's '25. 4,729,155 and 20¢. Mhmm. And then we did have that decreased by about 3%. Mhmm. So that the the new total would bring us down to 4,565,699 and 60¢. $6.69. Yeah. Like, $22.30 dollars.
I tried. Yeah. So so roughly, we need to decrease our budget by about 163,000. Correct. Spent a lot of time last Tuesday trying to go through the budget to see, like, what things we could decrease without, you know, having it be an educational expense to our kids or having to get rid of teachers that we desperately need, especially with a sixth grade class size at 27. We're, like, right on the edge of needing to have another classroom anyway. Yeah. I talked with Eric in terms of, like, how much diesel we bought from the town and, like, if he had a rough estimation of what next year would be. He said we needed to have at least 13,000 in our budget, and I think that was at, like,
15.
Okay. Yeah. Because they gave us a number of 16,000 for this year.
Yeah. Yeah. So I just right. Like, it's really cycling and dining Yeah. Thing to get, like, a couple thousand dollars one place or another. Yeah. And then I did talk with Val and talk with Terry in terms of, like, what could we do that were bigger items to to find that money. So the printout that's here is Terry going through and trying to see where where we could find bigger amounts of money from. Mhmm. I think the biggest one is transportation. Mhmm.
So if you look at it's on it's on page three. The biggest one is the very first line they teach her. Yeah. I know. I'm skipping that for right now. But I don't I don't like that one. That's why never heard that. About that. Say the biggest one. Sorry.
The biggest thing that I like that It doesn't directly
affect children's instructional time Excellent. Thank you. Would be transportation. Mhmm. And that looks at so 2024 actual expenditure was roughly a 103. Mhmm. The budget for 2025 was a 137. And so we made the budget for '26 the same as '25. Our actual expenditures so far this year, do you have that? It's on the summary. Oh, it's in the packet. I got it. I had this all written out on a sticky note, but I lost some. Have a problem with sticky notes. The sticky notes. Well, they stick to something. Everybody passed the thing. Yeah. Five ten. Yep.
Well, remember, I'm not done paying. I know. But But in terms of, like, expenses, you're saying were we I mean, we
we had a surplus there. Yeah. So '94 and '94 and '26.
Yeah. '95. But our surplus, yeah, is at the is that last number there. Yes. So that's why it was recommended that we reduce that line by that amount. Great. Because it's a nice big number.
So before we cut, though, I have a question. With the enrollment going the way it is, do we think we are going to need a fourth bus?
So well, to answer that, we won't know. Okay. We won't know. However, remember, whatever you guys are cutting to none of us Mhmm. You are cutting to balance the budgets. You are not saying it's it's an expenditure that we will not have. Mhmm. So the understanding is that if these expenditures come up, that is what you will have to use the 2% nonlapsing Okay. For. Yeah. So if that happens, Brie, and that's a great point, if that happens, you're not gonna say, we're not gonna run that bus. But remember, your 2% nonlapsing is yours to use for things that are not in the budget anymore. Okay. Yep. So you would vote to add that bus, and you would vote to say that it's coming out of the 2% at the end of the year when we overspend. And so that's why this process is both easy and difficult. It's difficult because you have to figure out what to take out, as Caitlin said, and and not have it directly impact the kids, you know, and hope. But
there is some money in that account if you need to use that. So it's not like you'd be without that ability to do that. Yeah.
That makes it a little bit easier? It does make it a little bit easier. Yeah. And and I think still, right, like, reducing that by 50,000 is Yep. Is probably slightly more of a reduction than what the actual will be since we're at, like, a 120 something for this year. Mhmm. But We'll we'll
If if we go through the rest of stuff, like, it's it's one area where we could take money from. So then if you look at the page the page before that in the 3 forties, the last time there is a lunch program.
Belle, can you explain exactly how that works again? Yes. So the way the lunch program works is we'll take the last ten years. We I we partner with Coventry Food Services. And Coventry is a wonderful partner of ours. I can't give them enough kudos because they, honestly and transparently, have two buckets. They have a bucket for Coventry, and they have a bucket for and or elementary school. And so they put all of our expenses into our bucket, but they also put all of our revenues into our bucket. Say, sure. You guys have to pay the kitchen people, and, sure, you guys have to pay, part of the director who we share with them that crap. You have to pay part of this. You have to pay part of that. But in the end, we're looking not to, like, make a ton of money off you guys. We're looking at a shared service with you. And so we will just continue to keep taking out all of your expenses but putting in your revenue. So when you have extra money that comes in through through the free and reduced lunch program, it goes into our bucket. They don't they don't take that from us.
When we sell lunch to our kids here, when our parents pay for lunch for our kids and for snacks, it goes in that bucket. At the end of the year, if our expenses are not covered with the revenue that comes into our bucket, we get a bill. And so pre COVID, the number that need to stay in the budget was $20,000 to make sure that that was the highest ceiling of where we had gone over before. Does that make sense? Mhmm. Mhmm. During COVID, we actually made enough money because they were giving reimbursements for free and reduced lunch at a much higher rate than they had been pre COVID. Mhmm. So all of our expenses were covered, and we were so lucky at the time. Again, the Coventry said, Andover, that's your money to spend. As long as it's spent on kitchen stuff, you're good. And we were able to do some things in the kitchen, you know, and we stole the refrigerator. Now this year, we already know that thanks to parents who do pay full price, thanks to the other revenues that have come in for the kitchen for snacks, for teacher lunches and things, we anticipate at the end of the year not using that again.
So if you were to move from there and say, okay. Trends are great, so let's take it out. If we need to take money at the end of the year and pay that bill from the 2%, we will. If we don't need to, we're good. So that is a very safe bet if you want to do that right now. But I would caution you emptying it out to zero. Because remember, any line in this budget that you empty out to zero, any line that you empty out to zero, when you have to put it back in next year, it's a 100% increase, and there may be town people that don't understand that. They're gonna look and say, oh my gosh. Whether it's a $100 or 20,000,
you have a 100% increase in the lunch line. What's going on there? So I would caution on any line that you change not to make the whole line disappear. Yeah. Even if you're attending on taking it out of the 2%, it's just that's a difficult thing to explain to people. Yeah. But in terms of a trend,
right, like, reducing that It's a safe bet if you have to thousand,
we're probably okay to do it. So that gets us to where we at, 65,000. Right? Yep. Other things that I've I personally went and looked at, and I know Val's not gonna like me saying this, but I looked at the cost of our heating oil and, like, what our contracted price was and what our cost has been for, like, the past seven or eight years in a row and what our budgeted cost was. Mhmm. It's a gamble to say to take money away from that because you never know what the weather is gonna end up being in the winter.
Well, plus we already know we went over on electricity this year, and we're using that. That And it sounds like the solar isn't gonna reduce our electricity costs Probably most dramatically. Years, so I would definitely not take from the oil.
We are already and and it's not that I don't like it for that day. We are already thousands of oil. We are already budgeting for a very good price of oil for next year. Yeah. And if you remember, you know, this again, it was a fairly mild winter in terms of the oil that we used. Plus, I will remind you that the one factor we don't control is it's not like we could say like we do at home. We'll put on a sweater on it. There are new laws this year that went into effect that mandate us to keep the building at a certain temperature.
Which is a awful one. It's not safe for people who lease their house at 63. So
and Taylor is the one that would get those phone calls from teachers this year, I'm sure, that say it's too cold in here. The other thing about that is that is part of that is a town expense that we incur. We spend almost $11,000 a year just to heat the gym. And so if this year yeah. Just to heat the gym. So if this year, there's a lot more basketball, there's a lot more pickleball, people using that gym, and the heat is on, and the electricity is on, we don't wanna deny anybody using it, but that's out of our control. Hopefully, Jeff's fans will help. So Caitlin's right that I created this one because that price is so good right now because we have the the consortium that allows us to have a good price on oil,
but I think that one's really risky. I just I just don't I really don't like taking it away from Page one. Page one. Oh,
but but I will tell you on page one. Okay. Listen. I will tell you on page one. Here's the other thing, And I'm pleading my case. If grants come in, I am 100% more likely to get a grant that covers a partial salary. I will never get a grant that covers oil. No. So I need you to understand. Even with, like if I do miraculously get this after school program next year, any additional resources can be put toward those lines, I can't put oil in there. I mean, I I just can't. So I'm begging you not to school program on fossil fuels. I'm I'm literally begging you not to testify. Have any reason. You know? Because that one is so we've gone over about 2,000. She said she was literally
begging us. But the reason reason I'm saying, you said five. I'm saying two is because to get us it was an ICG food. I know. To get us to 70. Get us back to 5 from there. Okay. Good. Because because it would take 3,000 away from diesel safely. I don't we don't control the contract for diesel. But they have a contracted price. He emailed me that along with, like, what it is But that might have happened to my fourth bus because the diesel is for the bus.
Right? Oh, it's oh, no. Not here. It's not. Is it? I would guess that diesel's in the bus. It's
the school van. I'm sorry. It's the vans. That's right. I was gonna say, think it's the van. It's the vans that right. So But the it isn't the the only it isn't the only thing that goes into it isn't just diesel. It's the it's the use We of the get billed for the use of get the van. Van. Yes. Yes.
They don't let us use the van for free. They don't let us use the van for free. No. We let them use the. That was an artificial transport. No. No. No. The special the special transport is literally just to pay people to drive. To pay the person. To pay the person to drive Okay. And then and then the vehicle is all The vehicle is under diesel. So Eric's estimation for that is probably not accurate because it's Well, that he's just giving you the actual diesel number and not the rent. Yay. K? Okay. And and just to point out too, like Valerie said, like, we had we had some some grants that offset our teacher salaries this year. Yep. And and I'm hoping that we will have hopefully the same or, I don't know, around the same. Fingers crossed. Right? So I'm not as worried about that line because of those grits.
K. I know. Grant, I'm a little over here. But I'm just nervous to touch that. Really, like, if you're going back to the first page, that leaves us with the point point 2% increases to multiple specials teachers. Right? Yes. Music, art. Not music. Not music? She's full time. Who is Spanish. Spanish. Spanish library. So is the the 78942, that's just two
that's point four? That's point six. That's all three of them. Point six. Point six. What's under library salary then? Oh, I'm sorry. Yeah. You're right. Point two. Point four and then point two. 92. So I'm sorry. The total teacher reduction is point six.
Right. But that's what this headline of, like, Yeah. That's what I was at. So $78.09 42 is point four. Correct. K. And 19 Yes. And how if we decrease that, how does that affect the students?
We take another 2% if we don't get grand cake. Right. If we run over, if we will use the 2% nonlapse or request. 100.
So, yeah, it's roughly a $100,000. Yeah. Have a I'm just saying, like, that's us taking a $100,000 from the 2%. Right. Like, we have 250,000 if they get it accurately.
Yes. Just say yes. I'm just saying. Yep. You're right. Helpful. Yeah.
I just worry about, like, a special adult. Like, if you have an outplacement and that's, like, a $150,000 place, it's
one second. And that's why the 2% nonlapsing has been utilized in the past for those unexpected things. And, yeah, to draw it all the way down is It's scary. Yeah. Yep.
I have a couple ideas. We don't have a line of credit. I have a line of credit for my business. For a reason. Yep. Yeah.
I would like us to take a look at the magnet schools line item. So it's budgeted at $18. We spent 6 and change last year. I don't know what the number is this year. It's 7 something this year. So
I would like to see that reduced by about $10 to match actuals, but I will take advisement from the administrators here. But but not That's another
60. I appreciate that, but that's another one. Like, I didn't even know we had two outplaced students in magnet schools until We don't have outplaced students. Magnet schools means
that a family has decided to choose to go to a magnet school Yes. Those students actually that are placed there now, they moved to Andover. They attended there. They have never even been registered here. Right. That's why I think at the very the first meeting that we had for the budget season at at at in the gym, I did point that out to people that, my our budget here is all of our students plus any Andover resident students that attend those charter or magnet schools, we get the bill for automatically
and outplace students. Are there other students that you would anticipate may also attend a magnet school next year that we are not currently paying? So we never anticipate because these are people we don't know. But I will tell you this. I mean, like, if they have other Yes. I will tell you family that may This year, one
of the magnet students, did surprise us with a sibling we didn't know existed. And I will tell you without giving too much information that the ones we know about now are in grades less than grade four. Mhmm. So we'll be paying those tuitions. The other thing, and I don't know if this is true or not that I will warn us of, is if a magnet school, hypothetically, or a charter school decides that there are additional services that are needed for those students, we get a bill. And I will tell you, and Holly is on now, we do know that there is one child that currently attends a school other than Andover Elementary School by choice
that will have additional expenses. Do they not move into special ed category
for that? Or They don't necessarily. No. They don't necessarily. Okay. They they can during the process, but they don't necessarily. And I will tell you I'm very careful because I don't wanna give. If the question arises about whether or not a student should be moved into that category, there are expenses leading up to it Yes. That we must pay. So if, let's say, hypothetically, a kindergartner attends there and they say, we're not sure if that child will need this, this, and this. We have to go through the process of finding out if they do require that. Yes. And so I can tell you my history. I have had students that were thirty to forty thousand dollars in charter and magnet schools. So, again, if you wanna move this, just please know that at some point, we may have to say, this is an expense we need to take out of the 2%. So I'm not saying it's risky, but I'm saying if you do it, I think that, transparently, we should know that that's not because there's extra padded money in here. No. It's because this is our anticipated
cost based on what we could see happen. So if you move it, great. Just know that if it happens, I don't want someone to then say, well, wait a minute. You didn't tell me that then because it would have to come out of that 2% nonsense. So are you begging us? No. Or is this I was begging you with the oil. I'm not begging you. Yeah. But I've Yeah. I mean, you're you're getting us. Dancing to put it in table. I think it's safer because once again, I can't put that in a grant. Right.
Perfect. And then so so you were what were you proposing, Eric? 10? I was gonna say $10
there. Reduction? I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Throw it at 80 to get it down to $10 balance. So $8 reduction to balance it. We already have $11,000
that I am 100% sure on for in Charter Magnet for next year. She can't get a grant to cover that if we so if you're gonna cut it, Erica, can't Right. Cut less than 11. So that's due at because that's what I'm 100%. Chart 40.
Decide where we make it right at the left if you want that. It's not cut
I should Yeah. Because we do have those extra services. I'd rather not panic. But if it's if it's gonna be at least 11,000 I'm 100% sure we're gonna have 11,000 if we're gonna have other services in Perth. So so, really, if you may get 12
But but, like, are would you just be then taking the $7.08 $9.42 and just
adjusting it there, like, take less from there? Yeah. Take less from where? The salaries? I've been trying to that. I'm trying to get to a place where like, let's look where we can move money the best. And I think like, when I when I looked at the numbers without that explanation, I saw $6, $18. Like, let's but I think there's some room there. Let's take some out. So I was I'd rather we my vision as I was doing this was to the plug would be the teacher number. Figure out everything else but the teacher number, and then
you balance out. I just no matter how many times I went through it and tried to pull, like, bits from other places, you can't get to that There's not a lot. Amount. No. You can't the whole thing. You can't get And keep in mind, that's that's 6335.
Then I know what I'm working with. Keep in mind too. Look like? I know what to write in them. Mhmm. That $63.35,
that expense was only for one child. Now we're up to two children Mhmm. This year. And, like bills up. And then we've got additional existing. Yes. So, like, you said, you're planning on pretty much at least 11,000
for next year. Okay. That's that's the plan if nobody moves out or in. Is there any chance that you would get a grant for psychology services instead of for a teacher's salary? We have
Could be. But remember, we already have one that will work on that for school mental health for that additional day that we have that person.
So So the 45,000 that's in the budget right now doesn't include She has more hours than that. That's that's what I'm saying. So there's there are hours in addition to the Correct. The money that's on here that are not on the budget.
I'm I'm personally inclined to keep it the way it is and
look at the grant aspect. And Listen. I don't wanna see you cut a 100 from the teacher line either. Yeah. But that does give you the most wiggle room. It does. Because if a grant comes up, we can do it. If not, you have your 2%, and you have a little bit more leeway in terms of where people go. What if a grant comes up where, the point two from Spanish is able to be covered because it has to do with culture and, you know, foreign languages. There you go. Yep. Do do you know what I mean? I'm not happy about the 163 having come up with it either, and I do believe that you may have to use the 2%. But I'm a little concerned about some of these other specific areas us falling short of and then having to ask for, you know, lots of increases. Because remember, whatever you cut it to in here is gonna affect the percentage increase of each line that you're asking for for the twenty six, twenty seven budget.
So That's what I'm most concerned about. Yeah. Because now if you now we dig into nonlapsing, we we can't keep doing that year after year. Get refunded in the next budget cycle. Now you're asking for 3% for teacher salary and benefits roughly plus
catch up on this, which is need that money either way because if we didn't think we were gonna have these expenses, they wouldn't be in here. So they're in here. This is a safe budget the way it was, and now there's a cut. So you gotta make the cut because it's gotta show We have to make cut. I know. I'm not saying. But But either way, I mean, if we went over on oil, next year's budget's gonna show a 30% increase on oil if we cut from there. If if if you go over on the teacher's Which you said you can't get a gram. Can't get a grant. Oh, I'm sorry. So It's mostly salary, so we can raise for it. It's difficult either way. I mean, come on. Everybody knows that. I would prefer the custody in areas where if Where you potentially could get a grant. Yes. That's I think that's a smart one. That's what I would like to do. Yeah.
That's fine. You know? Just a side note, though. When we go to do the go to budget season, in addition to the budget and the increases, we should also show show expenditures next year so people have a litmus for where we did go over and why there's the increases. Oh, wow. Yes.
Yeah. Which I mean, that's usually that's always shown. Right? Yeah. The one thing that's not necessarily shown is, like, when when we got a grant to cover a portion of a salary. Like like, what was the true expense for for psych services versus how much how much of that true expense actually cost by a grant? Because those are never in this. And then I think a lot of people in our town don't realize how much time and effort you guys put into getting grants to pay for stuff like that. They don't they don't see it.
I know. And that's just I mean, that's difficult. Obviously, we could sit here for an hour and talk about why school districts, you know, have problems getting budget passed this year because that happens. It does happen. You know? Anybody who's not paying attention the way some of our guests are that are on every night, every week, every month, every you know? They don't know. And so that is a factor. You know, we try to show it to people, try to make them understand. They don't always You know? But for our purposes, Kate's first opening statement was we we don't wanna take it from the kids. And, you know, either way, it's gonna come from the school itself. I believe that if we make the cuts in the safest place, we do have the 2%. To Eric's point, sure. We don't wanna use it, but probably gonna have to use some of that money anyways this year if there's grants. Hopefully not. We're gonna have to, whether it's for oil, whether it's for a teacher's salary. If there's no grants this year for us to apply for, that's gonna be a zinger for us.
So it's just a matter of where do you want in here to say you're gonna use it for. You know? I want there to be, like, a line item that's, like, funding
a new equipment in ten years that we can take it away from. I'd like to take it away from that. I yeah. Let's do that.
I I put that line at it. She wouldn't get away. There you go.
Oh, she does. But I think great bot bottom line, like, the at end of the day, probably the way that it's written out here is the safest thing to do in regards to where you think you might get grant money from to cover stuff. That is correct. I motion to accept the cuts as is.
K. Thank you. As presented. As on a second. Okay. To bring. You left. You guys really shouldn't. Sorry. Getting late.
Okay. Dawn, for you, that was Jerry's second thing. I'm sure. And Chandelina's more to ask. Do you have any other No. Comments? Nope. K. Thank you. All in favor of plus as presented? I'm, like, first. Okay. Aye. Okay. Opposed? Eric, did you say Oh, no. I meant Oh, you did. Okay. I thought you were Okay.
There's a guy next to me. Okay. So we'll modify that,
and then that can get posted so that people Yes. Have a Yeah. K.
Any public comment? What I have just Oh, I'm gonna Sorry. I'm gonna be nice and fast. Added. I promise, because I know. So I'm just gonna just so you guys see it real quick in front of you. So this is the the calendar that was approved. And as you know, we do this process. We're working alongside Hebron, Marlborough, and Ram as they're doing it, but timelines can get hard in terms of when boards approve these calendars. And so I noticed a difference. Someone brought to my attention a difference in our calendars that Ram approved. On Ram's calendar currently, so it's approved by their board on their website, they do not have this fifth as a professional development day. That's typically the referendum day. And we noticed this year, I think I mentioned to you guys, this is strange. This is different than I thought. Ram does not have day. Instead,
right here on the twenty seventh, our first day projected, they have professional development. So for those that have kids at in Andover and at Ram, they have two different days of school. So option a is you can we can leave it as is. However, we could swap so that our professional development day is also here on the twenty seventh and our first day is on the twenty eighth. The fifth becomes a regular school day. Benefits for me are that professional development in August versus May tends to be a little more effective. They need a more relevant. So there's that. Second benefit is that alignment with RAM. There is a little cost savings savings in that. We have to pay bus bus transportation on this first day of the day. Yep. Because Ram isn't transporting. Yep. I don't know the number on that, but I it's it is this. And I would say from a parental perspective. Wise. It's weird. It's weird to have a random Two different day. And Hebron and Marlboro are both different.
So it's not like we'd be match we'd be matching one of them. Like, I think Hebron is off on the fifth and Marlboro's on. So it's not and, again, we don't have parents who have kids here and in Hebron. You you have here and at Rand. So
that's my recommendation, but certainly I think I'm only going to change the school calendar for the 2526 school year such that August 27 now becomes a professional development day, making the first day of school, August 28, and May 5 is now a full day of school. I'll second it. I work on for. I will.
And and I just wanna add. So you know that there's our six full PD days would match ramps. Our six full days, they would all match. Our they have 17. We have 10. But the ones we have, the only difference is our two conference days that they don't have. So that's nice too. Eight out of 10 would match. Great. Exams. They have half days for exams. So Sorry. If you wanted to read them I just wanted to make sure everyone knew that. That good final. That feels like a really good alignment to me for families Yeah. Which is different, I think. My one request is let's get this home to parents. Yeah. I know. That's why it's Tomorrow. It's I hate that's the only part I don't say about it. Thursday. Okay.
There's a motion pending? Yep. Yep. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Okay. 600. Thank you.
So then officially school will start on the Thursday. Thursday the twentieth. Thursday of the total. But you're thinking even if you're not sending the calendar home, if you just
Yes. Will make sure to stay on the website, but I will send it. Yeah. Get a message as well.
Comments from the public on agenda item. Anne, do you have any comments for us? I'm glad to see any projects getting done. All set. Me Oh, sorry. Go ahead, Joanne.
No. No. I thought I didn't know if you were calling for comments. I'm all set. Thank you.
Thank you. I'm still in. Kim? I'm all set. Thank you. Okay. Holly? No. You're good? Good. And, Dora? I'm all set. Thank you so much.
Thank you very much. Okay. Any other action items that we missed? Well, she knew what you're Oh god. And then just a reminder, our next board meeting will be July 9, and then we all agree that August 13, we will do 4PM to set goals for the upcoming year. Dog.
Yay. We seconding and voting or not? Oh, yeah. We do still have to sorry. We need to second her vote for the adjournment. Does someone want to second her adjournment? Okay. All in favor? Aye. Aye. K.