Meeting transcript
BOE Meeting
September 10, 2025 · Watch on Zoom · All meetings
K. Go ahead. Good evening, and welcome to the September regular meeting for the Andover Board of Education. Do the pledge of allegiance.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Do we have any public comments? Krista? No. I'm all set. Thank you. Kathy Hargnett? All set. Thank you. Sandra Goldrick? I'm all set. Thank you.
Liz? And Kim? Hey. I'm here. I'm here. No. I don't really have anything for now. Thank you. I was trying to unmute. On true social curtains arising stone conservative politics. He was a cofounder of Turning Point USA, which advocates for concern Yeah. Yeah. Okay. And Anne? Nothing special. Okay.
So we'll move right on to communications. Does anyone have communications that are not addressed elsewhere in the agenda?
I handed yours out that we received from Kate that has your credits earned for the courses that you've taken. Thank you. Okay.
Do we have student celebrations? It's not a direct student yet, but I would It's it's a celebration. Yeah. I Christina Fraser and I last week were able to go over to RAM and meet with Hebron and Marlboro and RAM and talking about ways to elevate our invention convention and hold a regional invention convention in between ours and the finance. Super exciting. So I think it's a celebration. Right? Yes. So we're really excited about that. We were able to do some really cool collaboration, and then RAM and their students that are in the National Technical Honor Society, I think it's I hope I'm saying exactly right, were part of the meeting and thinking about how the students, they could support the younger guys and all of the elementary schools in this work. So we are looking at being able to bring all the details aren't totally mapped out, but 10 to 15 students from each town
into the RAM regional semifinals while still ensuring that each town gets their allotted spots. We won't lose out, but it will also it actually will allow us to potentially send more if we were able to the top three of regionals would go plus your three from each town. So that also adds a little more opportunity for us as well as, of course, that regional piece and getting the kids together. That and it just gives them more Another level to to display and talk to people they don't know. And so we'll be able to invite the community. So we're really excited about that. Obviously, way more details to come, but I I just couldn't wait. I wanted to celebrate that that initiative is in progress. So Awesome.
Okay. We have approval of minutes from our August meeting. Does anyone have any
concerns with them? Don't tell me, mister Shannon. Pardon? They spelled Anne's name wrong. I did.
I saw it. You what? Well, because that should change, though. It should be a n n e, Kremay.
Other than that, make a motion to accept the minutes of the regular board meeting of 08/13/2025. That's good.
All in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? Okay. Good. Does anyone want to add or delete any items that we have on the agenda for tonight?
I I I don't have anything. So Jerry, you good? Not really. I
I think it's fine. Eventually, I'd like to see us add in something with the the board's presence with other items. I mean, we can take them one at a time maybe and not add them all at once. I don't want this to I don't want this to become long. So we we
What what do you mean other? I guess I just don't know what you're talking about.
Well, here. Yeah. Let me see. Several things that on the discussion and actions. The Norton Fund Mhmm. Something I like an opportunity for us to discuss. The, bathroom project and how well it's moving up. The, action item on the 9,000 policies, some things are just, grammatical, and and I I would I would count on Shanna should probably pick those all up. And the other ones are maybe things we want initiate that we haven't initiated in this particular category.
But just to take them, you know, one at a time. So the review for the 9,000 policies tonight, just so that we're all on the same page, was to say, as good as it is with fixing a couple of grammatical errors in one pile, need to really fix or change things in another pile, and then we look at it again in a month. Yep. Right. That's good. So in terms of tonight, I don't think we're gonna get down to, like, super nitpicky stuff. We're just gonna try to put them into piles. Okay. Sounds good. Because there's it's stack. Oh, yeah. I'd like to take it back. Yeah.
Okay. Mean, I potentially would like to add something on the buses. I wanted to give Kayla a chance to address, like, the bus schedule first. But Yeah. We do that's being addressed in her report. Yes. Happy to give an update. Anything else? I'm all set. Okay.
In terms of an oral report, the only thing I have is just to thank everyone for their feedback in terms of our evaluation for the board and written evaluation for the superintendent as well. I really appreciate everyone collaborating on that so that we can get to written reports for both of those. If anyone has further questions, just let me know. Aside from that, everything else should be addressed in the agenda. I think in terms of the the goals and strategies for how we achieve our goals, Really just a discussion for tonight. I think Celeste wrote some stuff on the Word document, but I it would be good for us to come up with Yep. Just some bullet news tonight. I don't think it'll take a long time. Good.
Well, okay. Alright. So a few of the things that would normally be here are already down in yours, so we don't really have to to to talk about that stuff now. We're gonna get to in in just a few minutes. So after school grants, I know everybody's asked, and I have emailed them every single day gently so that they're not like, oh, take her out of the pile. They promise, promise, promise that we'll know by Wednesday morning next week because they've already been scored. And Well, that's a special day. Yes.
Yes. So next Wednesday. By next Wednesday. Oh, by next Wednesday. Are already scored that they do know who is getting them and who is not. Okay. That it's a matter of going into the eGrant management system and putting everything in for who got them, who didn't get them. And if you got one and it wasn't what you asked, the ability then for them to put the messages in and say, this this is what you asked for. This is what you got. Tonight, I have to change your budget and your goals. So we should definitely know by Wednesday of next week. Even the kids are asking me now. They're like, hey. Are we good? I'm like, I know. I'm so sorry. So we will definitely know that by next week. And as soon as we know, we'll tell everybody. On Tuesday at midnight, I guess. I know. Every day, I'm like, please let us win. I'm like, needed to win something so so much in my life. I did do also the first two episodes. It'll be every Friday morning of the information in four minutes, eleven seconds or less. Yep. The only two people that wouldn't get it via Seesaw are Jerry and Shannon, which I sent it to them separate. Yep. So that way they Should we or can we post those? She's meeting with the I have a website up there for you. Oh, I was also gonna say, like, on town Facebook
things or from the PTA maybe on Facebook. PTA. Absolutely. Yeah. You know? Yeah. We're gonna so they're we're hosting them on our Fireball YouTube channel. So then all we need to do is direct to that link Okay. To anybody who Okay. Certainly wanted to share it could. Okay. Yeah. I could share it on the TTA. Yeah. So And then you'll add the link on the school website. Yeah.
Okay. Okay. So and, you know, I I know, like, the first one got a lot of of people to look at it. It's it's easy to, you know, watch something that's short, you know, that's less than four minutes. So I do think that people will do that, and and we'll get more people than giving me ideas for what they would like to see on there. Yep. So, of course, obviously, we're gonna as soon as we find out if we got the after school grant, there will be a quick one so that parents will know what to expect with that, how it will work. So, you know, it's it's it's good. It's good that we we have this, and and parents anyways are definitely looking at them. So so that's a good thing. So we'll try it. We'll see how it goes. Let's see. Taylor's gonna do an LGP update as part of hers with the new preschool. In terms of other grants, we still will have we didn't use this summer all of the rest of the summer mental health money. We're gonna have to kind of, as the year goes on, see what we can do with it that's not summer because it expires in June June 30.
So it will expire before we start our summer program for next year. So, you know, I'll have to go back through and kind of ask and inquire, is there stuff that we can do in preparation for activities for next summer? I just didn't wanna call the grant people until they tell me about my after school grant. I really wanna annoy them. But then I will find out because there is some money left with that. Did some services this summer, but they didn't quite spend as much. They were transitioning with staff, and so they gave us a program. But they didn't make it as robust as it could have been financially. So we'll see. You know, we may, worst case scenario, be able to work with to do something from June 15 to June 30 before that money, goes away. So that would be, like, the after school loans. Right. Yeah. So and as long as it's expended by June 30, it's good. So we're working on that. Our title grants will be given to us this year again, so that's good. That will offset a little cost of our on reading interventionist, which, you know, we didn't know if we were getting it this year or not. So it it we're grateful that it worked out to that advantage, you know, that we will have that. We will continue to have our IDEA grants as well this year. So the good news for us is some of that $170,000 that we didn't know if we were gonna have to take that out of our 2% nonlapsing With these grants being secured for this year again, some of it should be able to go in there.
And so we will have more news halfway through the school year. Do you know how much? Like, 20,000? Or I would say, let's see, 14 is one of them. Three is title two. Three is IDEA six nineteen. So those I know of for sure. Okay. So, you know, I would say that there is a possibility there of 20, you know, provided that we can put those expenses there, which I think we can. So that will help. Let's see. And then let's see. I'd sent you guys all the legislative updates. If there were any questions on any of those, let us know. I know Taylor is working on the ones that, were directly related to policy and procedure for principal. So, we've talked about some of the things that she's had to do as a result of that. We're still waiting on well, we'll get to solar. We're still waiting on the, that, but we had what do you call it? An energy audit. They were free through many businesses that are looking to see who qualifies for more of the Eversource programs. And so Scott and I made sure that we we took advantage of this one because one of the things that we know we'd wanna do after the solar is to get the lights in the hallways changed over to LEDs. And we had done just one small area at the top of the stairs outside the office down to you know? And so this Vince Costanza came in with the owner of of the company that
was assigned to our region here, and they've done the complete energy audit. They went through the everything related to the boilers. One of the things was the steam traps that we had got fixed. Those of you who are on the board remember this thing that we had where they had come through, and they had taken all the pictures of all of the the steam traps. And they had created a report in the end that told us about their functioning levels and what needed to be fixed. Mhmm. We did this two years ago, and we had 16 of all of them at the time, and we had prioritized them. Well, now by now, we've already fixed the 16, so he's gonna be looking into whether or not part of it would be a rebate program. So things like that that that they're looking at for us. So we're working with them. And like I said, they've already come in. They've they've done everything they need to hear. And, by next month, we'll have that. In terms of regular facilities and operation We don't have their report yet done, but they're verbatim. We're verbatim. Okay. Yeah. And, normally, Kate, the way it works is they'll give you a list of, like, projects, and then they'll tell you what rebate or program would be associated with it. So, you know, it may not be stuff that we are even looking to do right now. Yep. But they would say, hey. If you did this project, you may be able to get x number of dollars back, 80% paid, 60% paid, whatever. So we'll definitely look at whatever programs they'll offer us.
In terms of other facilities and operations stuff that was done, this month. We've had the pest control done. We've had the, hood done, in the kitchen, the fire panel antenna done. Just prior to the start of school year, we had the outside of the windows cleaned, and we'll do that every two years. The deficiencies for the suppression system in the kitchen were done and fixed prior to the first day of school. And there were two other things in that. They were bath and towel. Oh, the when we get down to the project updates, the asbestos sampling was done and passed the hazmat for the bathroom. The oil filters were changed on all of our units. The fire marshal inspection was done. The fire alarm specialty design lockdown door had to be replaced. When we did the first test of the button for a lockdown, the lock needed to be repaired. It's good thing to Yep. Repair. Yep. And then the service station inspection of the oil tanks and meter rooms done. So
all those things are good, done, updated, And
I think that's it. Oh, and we're waiting still on it's been going up and down. I probably should have considered it when we first got the pricing a month ago for oil, but you never know. You never wanna go for one. Right? And we're like, it'll go down. It's not going up significantly, but we're still in the fifties, and we're in the fifties now. So we're $2.59 with this contract, and it had come in at a low for us at $2.51. And we were just hoping to get it in forties. One day, was, like, $1.49, and we were like, it'll get lower than that. And then it went up the very next day. One forty nine or $2.49? Yeah. Was gonna say, you didn't lock it in there. One half down. Half down. So so and that was, like, one day. Yeah. And I was like, oh, man. I missed the boat on that one. But we still watch it every day, and it's still in the fifties. It's not higher than what we're paying now. So we'll still watch it for another couple weeks and see what happens to it. When do we lock in by? What what when do we usually lock in by? It depends. It depends. Year, we didn't lock in till January. But the following year Okay. That actually, that year, Sherry was here. Yeah. That year wound up the best price. Okay.
So but that if we get in the forties, I wanna lock in. Yeah. Yeah. Because it still will be a savings every year then for the last three years. Okay. So that's that's where we are with that. So okay. That's it for me. Questions? I like your four eleven
pieces that you laid up on the Well, I I hope hope that they thank you. I I hope that they will meet the needs of people real quick like that for things. That's a great point to take. It works. It works. If it doesn't work, we won't do it next year. Thanks, Beth. Yeah. Thank you.
Okay, Taylor. Alright. Take it away. Okay. Just a few updates to start. Yay. We're back to school in it. We had a great opening. Very smooth. Just kids just excited to be back. And I think teachers felt that, staff felt that, kids felt that, so we're excited. We can feel the growth. You know, we can just it's just funny having fourth grade in a new wing and and getting adjusted to five, six and just you know, there's a lot of kind of growth and change, and it it's going really smoothly. So thank you for all your support there. A couple quick updates before I will present survey results. So our website, we are meeting next week with Eastcon with Nick who does our tech here with he's kind of taken over the website work as well because now we're just in updating mode, and he can do that. But there's some changes just with what's required on our website and also what we think would be helpful. So we're gonna be adding, as we talked about, some more of that professional development information, also some of the curriculum maps, and then, you know, the videos too, and just kind of some other pieces. But we what happens when you have a website, you start adding and you just start adding things to, like, random places. It gets a little so we really wanna be strategic. I don't wanna just keep throwing things up there. So we're meeting next week to really think about the organization and make sure that it's logical and parents can find things that they need. So that'll be good, though, once we can get some of those updates
on there. Professional development. We had our professional development prior to school, and I we talked about yes. I keep thinking because we had PTA. Was bored of it. That was prior. Yes. We had, kinda we talked about building thinking classrooms, some math professional development. We do some safety and security professional development, some health, professional developments. We look at some data initially. We're not data heavy on the first day of school, but we do look at some of the last year's data that we have to prepare for this year. So it's a lot of moving parts, and then we also do a lot of special education file reviews, and kind of training because new teachers and making sure that kids are ready to go on day one. So that's kind of the majority.
There's a lot of work. I just said a lot of the things that went into those three days prior. And then we have a half day professional development coming up next Friday. So that's when we have a half day, that's a two hour session that we have with staff where we will look at beginning of the year benchmarks, which we are making plenty of progress on already. And then we will do looking at that data, how that's going to impact our work in the math building thinking classrooms, that professional development. Hopefully, if you have kids here, they've already experienced some of that work, and we've really I I'm amazed at day what are we on today? Day nine, I think, of school, how much, teaching and learning has already occurring, which is just amazing. So lots of good things happening there. Buses, I know that became, a concern for some parents on bus three. So right around, this I think it was the second day of school that Friday, a couple of students had reported that bus three was feeling very full and that students were seated three or four to a seat. I contacted DATCO right away. It was the middle of the day. The bus wasn't there. I contacted DATCO right away. They Joel, who's our manager there, said, I will look into it right away. You know, I don't imagine that, but, certainly, I will check.
And he confirmed pretty quickly that that wasn't the case. Then I, of course, in that afternoon, I'm on the bus, and there was at least seven or eight empty seats. So I found that, I mean, pretty the busing didn't shift that much and who was on the bus to day two. The bus driver did indicate at that point that some students were sitting three to a seat, and then she offered other seats, and they declined the older kids, particularly. But they're legal to sit three to a seat. Yeah. That's And so that was interesting. And then bus three so so we we feel very confident that we had the right appropriate amount of kids on the bus. Bus three's route was taking typically since I've been here, bus three is always the last one to settle into the on time in the morning route. They're they're quick in the afternoon, but then the challenge was they had a sub driver early on in the school year last week and a little bit into Monday, and so they were arriving later than we'd like. It was about 08:40 to 08:45. Yesterday, she's or today is Wednesday. So yesterday, she was back, our regular driver, and they were here. They're now here 08:32, 08:33.
Still not sufficient for us, so we are pushing those stops just back four to five minutes, and that will get us right where we need to be. So I'm feeling like that. I've been on all the buses. None of them are very crowded at all. In fact, we would encourage more kids. You're welcome to take the bus. And what's the length of time? We are clocking in. Today was 04:09, which is pretty that's a little quicker than usual from last year Okay. At our last bus check-in. Yesterday was 04:14.
Oh. That's what The I mean, just bus two, though, it looks like the last scheduled stop is after 04:30. It's always that way on that schedule. And so, I mean, I just I'm hoping that there's not kids who are on especially, like, littles that are on the bus for an hour and a half. No. We haven't been past 04:14. The first day, I think we were 04:27.
The the routes always look very long. And when I first got here, I was like I was like, I was like, this is and was like, no. No. No. It's because we root everyone, and it takes time. We don't take people off the route. And so they reassured me that was not the case, and I haven't been the case. Because of the road closure for bus two there That's a significant the routing looks late too often because of the three to four students who are affected by that road closure aren't on the bus. They're just not taking the bus right now. But if there is one or two of them that occasionally do, they're still they're last or later, but it's it hasn't been now that we're in the routine past 04:15.
And that I don't think that road's gonna reopen until, like, December. Was it December? November. November. That's
what I have. So I'm come on, Caitlin. There's no year on it, by the way. Those poor families are But is it not even insignificant?
Oh, no. It that is a detour. Yeah. Like, I mean, there is And those are bus kiddos, you know, regular. So I'm sure it's always are hopeful. They can ride the bus. I want you to know that's very much an option to them, and we have a route for it. But, yes, they would be, you know, in that 04:20 to 04:35 time is what DACA was estimating. And, occasionally, like I said, one or two will, but those parents are are good and aware of what that looks like. So I think we've smoothed out there, and, hopefully, smooth sailing there. That's fine. LGP. So our the local governance partnership, which is, if you remember, formerly school readiness, early start funding, that group, we've been meeting and exciting this week. We started our interviews for our parent ambassadors. So that's the behavioral that the EastCon has done a great job, and I'm sure other organizations advocating with the state that we needed more than one parent ambassador because these are regional groups coming together. And so,
you know, you can understand why we want more than one. So we are now gonna have three, which is awesome, one from each town, Hebron, Andover, and Lebanon. So that's great. We had each town had multiple candidates and that are fantastic, and we started that interview process. So we hope to finish that by the end of September so they can begin their work in October, which means we're we're looking at we're working on bylaws next week. Fun. If anyone really comes to that, you're welcome. And then The 9,000 something. You know? Come on. And then by October, we'll be up and running, so to speak. And the big work of this year is the parent needs assessment, I think I talked about. It's really we're just supposed to be working towards what does the community need. So how do we gather information throughout the year on what particularly the zero to five
family needs. So they'll be doing that.
Okay. Questions on that before I do surveys? Any of that? Just so you Just the the website, and I know I had emailed you. Is there are are you gonna put that active school calendar back up? Because I Yes. That was helpful. It really was. Yes. Yeah. Okay. Talking about on that home page right now, it's the stagnant school calendar. We were worried that people wouldn't see the first day of school change, so we wanted that, like, smack in their face all summer. All that were nice. We had two people. Yes. But we wanted it right as much as we could, but it will go back to that fluid. Yeah. That was great. Okay. That by month so you can see, like, the events. Yes. That was great. Okay.
I'd like to offer an up and appreciation for the bus drivers. There was one day God. We were following a bus along with three or four other people, and the driver was courteous. She pulled over. I think it was a she. I don't if it was she or she. Pulled over and let us all pass. I said to Anne, I said, the the stoplight is you know, the the brake light the red lights are on, but they weren't flashing. So she said, no. That you can pass them on there. And I thought it was kinda kind of them to be considerate of those of us following. Yeah. Only once you get behind, sometimes you can't you can't un get behind. And Long Hill Road is a tough one. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We have great so. Great
bus drivers. So and they've been you know, I've had the since I've been here, it's the same bus drivers. Lisa was new a couple years ago, but that's fantastic. Our bus manager also subdrives, which I find helpful because he knows the kids. So even when I'm working with him on on any sort of issue, there's just a little more context, which I think is nice. He knows the life of a bus driver. So K. Alright. Okay. I'm and, again, I'm sorry. Don't wanna take up too much time tonight, but I do wanna show you the survey. So let me see. We're gonna share the screen. Survey. Do a live show.
K. We just need all these little things to go in. Okay. I stop moving. Okay. So we have three surveys tonight. We're gonna talk about family survey, staff survey, student survey. Okay? And so these were all administered back in May. Family survey this year will start with a lower respond rate. That's not very many people. So, unfortunately, you have to take that for what it is, right, when when you look at the data, which the data is good. But would I love to see 200? Of course, I would. We were a little surprised. It was not I believe the year before I wrote it down, if there is it was not in the nineties. Really? So less than almost families are I was just gonna say that's not the number of families. So keep well, not necessarily. A mom and a dad could fill it out. People and put it up. So it's also we don't know that. We assume it is, but I don't know. My husband and I both filled out the survey for Bolden not even knowing the other one did. So you just don't know.
But still, that's that's still a I know. So that's something to think about for this year. We've thought about that. The year two years ago, we had a paper copy at our evening of the arts that we collected some results from. Again, we probably got 15 that night, but maybe it would be 15 in addition to this. I'm not sure if those were 15 that would have done it at least. You know? Yeah.
So Did you did you send it out as an email as well, or was it only on Seesaw? It was on Seesaw, and I think I even I think we even had classrooms send it out because sometimes that works better too as if I'm a teacher. I will say for myself, personally, I have a very hard time seeing the things on Seesaw because it's very slow that, like, for something like this, if I got it as an email, I would definitely gonna do it. But if it's, like, a link on Seesaw, I might completely miss it. Yeah. So minute. Yeah. The Seesaw communications sometimes get lost too. Like, if you get multiple, like, alerts or something, I Yeah.
It's lost in that ether, and it's never coming back. Like, I can't we're working on that. It's one of the things this year. I don't know if you are if you're a parent, you noticed instead of sending me sending communication through message, we're doing this post in a classroom. Because the feedback we did get, there's a couple comments here about not being able to go back because we all miss things. Like, we're all busy. Right? Or I don't look at it when they send it. We're hopeful in a post more, you can just go through the feed now and see the last four things I posted. Except that I still can't read them. Because it's tiny. Because it's, like, this big. Interesting. Like, on your phone? Or Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So something we can look at is a mobile. Maybe I'm alone. Like, this is the only place that I look at anyway. Oh, no. No. Most people. No. No. Yeah. There's this setting where I set it to mobile view, but it's something I'm lucky that we have staff pair, so I can usually test out. Can I see your phone? I wanna see what this looks like. So I'll take a look at that and see if there's anything I can do. Okay. Or anything that's, like, formatted as a slide. I can't commit. Good feedback. So we'll work on it. So, anyway, it's 48. That's where we're starting. Okay. But we'll look at the data. Right? Go look at that. It's 48. We wanna give them their moment. So as a family, we feel connected to what's happening at AES and feel welcomed into the school community. I didn't wanna do math while we're talking, so here it is. 91.7.
That's agree and strongly agree. That's fantastic, I think, in terms of looking at feeling welcome and connected. Meeting the academic needs of needs of their child, 87.5%. I also love that there's no strongly disagree here, so that's always a good thing. Neutral and disagree. So, again, another area where we're doing very well. My child feels safe at school and has trusted adults to talk to, 89.6%. So that's, again, a breakdown and no disagrees. We staff was very excited to see this, that there's a couple neutral, which, again, you're not sure exactly how to interpret when a family chooses neutral, but I think that's great.
Was there somebody trying to enter behind here? So sorry. Go away.
I know you don't wanna I know. What if it's somebody sorry. Let me just do that real quick. Don't know what we've done.
I don't wanna risk it, but it was something we didn't know. I'm sorry. Please don't. That's it. Alright. There we go. So that was great to see no disagree there.
Did you just get another person? Oh my goodness. I don't think so. I think we're good. That was that one. Alright.
Regularly informed of my child's progress at school. This is the last multiple choice, and this is the question that we use to drive our work for parents this year. So 75%, not terrible, but certainly, we'd love that to be 90% as well. Again, more of a neutral. So with 48 people, I think this is only, like, one or two, you know, people. So some things we're working on for that. In the strategic plan, which I'm gonna share in more depth next month because that has so much academics in it too, and that's when we're gonna look at that data. But you'll see a part on, of course, family focus. And what the leadership team really talked about in the past few weeks is making how do we make that clear? Because I think a lot of teachers are sharing progress, but sometimes it doesn't have meaning a significant meaning to families, or they don't know how to make meaning out of it. And so that's what we're gonna work on this year. Sharing benchmark data, that will be new. It is state required. And so with that, we wanna be very intentional on how we share data so that parents can make sense of it. Because that can be overwhelming to get benchmark data. That means the data we gather three times a year on every student. You might see a yellow and just be like, what does this mean? I don't know. Should I be concerned? Not concerned? So we're really gonna work hard on creating these parent friendly guides to help you to look at that data
and be like, okay. I understand this about my child. This might be what's happening at school. Or if it looks like this, here's what might happen, you know, things like that. So that's the work. And then report cards too, we've done a little updating. Nothing dramatic that you might think, woah, what they do, but just looking at the standards, making sure they align to our curriculums. But even that, if you your child gets a two on this standard, what are we really saying? Right? Sometimes that's a little bit hard for a parent to wrap their head around or to take any action on. There's you know, we're very lucky. We're in a school community where parents want to be engaged in their child's education, and we wanna give them the tools to do that. So sometimes you look at it and they're like, I wanna help, but I'm not sure what you wanna do to fix that. So just creating more opportunity for parents to know and understand where their child is at. So that's family. So
comments families can also sorry to move that, but I'm not gonna families can also comment, just narrative on this survey. We had comments. So out of the 48 respondents, about 20 comments. Couple of things. So because, again, it's a low number of respondents, most of these only had one comment, but I it's worth talking about. It's worth understanding and thinking about. So the first one was fundraising. Someone was concerned about fundraising and wanting the money for field trips or any of those enrichment to just be built into the budget or things like that. And so, certainly, if you're not aware, we do two fundraisers a year for the school, and we're they're gonna look a little different this year. We're gonna try something new popcorn. Everyone loves popcorn. We do two fundraisers a year, and that's so that we can fund those field trips and those enrichment opportunities. We don't ask families to pay for field trips or enrichment opportunities throughout the year. And so that money goes directly to student activities, and families will support that. When I send home a permission slip, you're not asked to send in $20 so your student can go. Or to Boston, you'd be asked to send in much more than $20 to do that trip. So that is why we do those two fundraisers, and, certainly, there's no obligation for families. We still aren't even if you don't fundraise, you're not charged later for the trip or anything like that. And we do well, but I I understand. I understand that, you know, families choose where to send their money, and sometimes that's a difficult decision. So we do have two. So PTA will often they may have some other initiatives they're working towards,
but the school does too. Just want you guys to be aware of that. A couple comments on enrichment and after school programs. I'm like, yes. I agree. Just we gonna be able to bring those back? So I'm like I'm trying to over. Oh, there's September 7. We are looking forward to that. And the others the nature of the enrichment comments are we're starting to see that more in class, but more and more and more. And that's really the more work that we're doing. And, again, we're excited in the way the board has supported fully staffing us to have a little more opportunity for that now this year too with our STEM and innovation. Communication, we just talked about Seesaw. There were a couple comments about Seesaw and trying to streamline communication. So that is the way one of the ways that we're doing that this year, and and that's specifically on building events. I did not have any negative feedback on communication directly from teachers. It wasn't about their style or anything like that. It was just about those building events, which is what we were talking about. So really trying to figure out the best way to do that. And so right now, we're doing it as post. You've joined a classroom and hoping that that feels again, even if in the moment you missed that alert, if your routine is just on Sundays to go take a look at that and be able to scroll look at the sizing to make sure that we can fix that, but it's a little bit more of a stable place to hold things.
We do have school messenger that we can use for emergency alerts and, you know, things that come up that will be a little more direct call to your phone, you know, like snow closing and things. But what can be difficult and the challenge that all schools face is we have so many flyers that nowadays that we send digitally. To do that via emails is tricky. Mass email systems there. You know? And so we we we love Seesaw in the way that it works for kids and the way that it allows parents and teachers to interact. So we wanna continue to just give it another shot and see if we can manipulate it to to be successful for us. But, certainly, if not, then we would look at other alternatives. Parent trainings, this did come up in a comment about offering opportunities for parents to come in and maybe gather about, parenting's ways of parenting or ways to support kids. And we immediately thought of the LGP and our parent ambassador and kind of that work that's happening, and so I think that will be a really nice tie in to serve families in that way. Not particularly zero to five, but how does that translate to our elementary? You know, certainly something for us to think about. And then honestly, which is great, most of them are about their positive school experience. Questions on family survey? Okay. No. I'm good. I'm good. Great. So student student survey, we survey third through sixth graders. So last year, it was a 103. Occasionally, might not match our exact enrollment. You know how that goes depending on kiddos, but that's how many we have. More than our family.
So that is I always point out in this one, there's not a neutral. We do an I don't know for kids because there are kiddos sometimes who read a question, and they don't know what to put, and we don't want them to just guess. So we'd rather them have that out and then deal with it on our end, what we need to make sense of it. But that just so you know, we don't let parents say, I don't know. I don't know. But but kids can. So adults in my school care about me. 84.4%. I know.
Because we've been neutral means. Instead of that, maybe you've got I don't know. You Instead of neutral. Yeah. I don't know.
What you'll find in the student survey is whatever is not positive is mostly I don't know. There's not a ton of disagree and strongly disagree, which is great, but that does the I don't know will be stronger, a bigger percentage than sometimes it would be with adults, which makes sense. So 84.4%. I like coming to school. We know this is a stretch to ask kids, so bear with us. 62.1% positive, which at first, you're like, ugh. But remember, we're we're asking eight to 12 or eight to 11 to 12 year olds on any given day how they feel. So we're we're actually with the I don't knows, we're not terribly upset about this. That's pretty good. Yeah. And then the schoolwork, do feel. We like we like this one. How does the schoolwork feel? And I think a great Just One point for Just Right, I think is And that's pretty good. Notch. Right? We That's that's right. Like, woah. And I I so I think it's a nice spread. What I actually, what we don't like to see is a lot of blue is actually for us harder a a worse indicator, if you if you know what I mean. Yeah. Because kids sometimes kids will say too hard no matter what, but too easy really thinks, A lot of kids are thinking it's too easy already checked. Say that also no matter what. You're right. You are you are I don't know what you mean, Caitlin. You're absolutely right. So I think we were we were pleased with this spread. I have a trusted adult I can go to when I need help. We were really excited about this 86.4%. That was up from 76% last year. And we really feel strongly that that work we've done on climate and culture and with our houses have helped that. We also added in a little more to the question, just some examples of who that might be
when you need a trusted adult. So we were happy to see that. I like that you added, like, specifications of who that Yeah. Yeah. Again, if you're applying to an eight year old, we don't actually call it always a trusted adult. So I don't know one down. Yeah. Yeah. So so clarity and actually and I'm cutting to the chase here, but as we looked at this as a team, we've talked a lot about that. How do we give clarity to the questions for kids Yeah. Without we're not trying to lead, but we just want them to know what we're asking so we can give get good data. Teachers help me when I need it, 88.4%. I think that's really high. I think that's a really strong number for kids. That just speaks to the relationship they have with teachers here, so that was really exciting. And, again, a little bit of I don't know here.
I feel safe at school. So this is 75.7. That's the one we, obviously, as our lowest chose to kind of focus on. And we need to dig deeper into this. Right? Because to adults, this means a lot of different things. We're not sure exactly, right, what that means to an eight year old, does it mean something different to the 11 year old. So this is the area. And, again, a higher, I don't know, percentage too of, like, they don't they're not sure because if you add that together, you're at 85, almost 90% with that. I don't know. So we really wanna dig deeper into this one. So some of the ways we're gonna do that is starting with more frequent check ins. We're not talking about I promise we're not gonna heavily survey your kid every month or anything like that, but we do wanna do more frequent dips of just seeing what if we're gonna focus on that, we want kids to have feedback. Because when we get this feedback in May, it's great, but those sixth graders, goodbye. And, like, we didn't get to act on it. Right? We didn't get to try to improve the situation for anyone. So we wanna we're going to look at doing that a little more frequently so we can act and and make some changes.
Again, with safety, as an adult assumption, we are assuming right now, does that mean peer to peer, right, and the conflict? But, certainly, it could be something different to kids. We have to examine that more. But those are the kind of peer to peer and then student to teacher relationship we're looking at. One thing we've put in place that we're really excited about this year is restructuring our fifth and sixth grade lunch and recess waves. So our fifth and sixth grade both have about 26, 27 well, sixth grade is 28 students. Fifth. And they actually both have 28. But fifth is separated into home runs. Right? That is where most of our conflict exists. It's the age, right, of fifth and sixth grade where peer conflict increases. Our kids have also been together for a lot of years in one room. Those things Oh, yeah. For a long time. Yeah. So we're have we have the normal developmental, and then we have that layered in. Right? And so we wanted to create a way for teachers to have some flexibility to make social groupings that made sense. So we actually have lunch and recess in an hour, right, to my best, where fifth and sixth can be mixed but separated. Does that make sense? So some of sixth and some of fifth could be out at recess block a and go then go eat lunch block b, where the other fifth and sixth graders are at lunch first and then going out to recess. And in sixth grade, students were able to get some choice and movement in that. So they were able to identify, oh, I'd love to go out lunch first, and this is my best friend, we're gonna play this. And really just
starting to create what we're calling safety, not to them, but to us, because we need to get to a baseline. We want every student to feel safe at school. Not to say we and I I just wanna reiterate, we're not saying students should never face challenge and should never, you know, interact with peers they don't normally get along. That's not what we're doing here. However, we need to reduce at that age some of the tension that can spike from a day and allow them that downtime, which is what lunch and recess is in a way that that feels good. The other benefit is that can be flexible. Right? So students and teachers can move into those blocks without impacting math. So when things change and sit social dynamics always do They they can change. Fourth grade is also in one of those recesses. So that's nice because there are some kids who wanna play big team sports. There's 36 of them, so they wanna play soccer. And there's others who want to sit on the blacktop and read, and they don't they're annoyed that that basketball game was even going to happen. So, again, not that we're saying you never have to be in a space that you're uncomfortable in, but there's not a need to create a space you're uncomfortable in if we don't have to. So that's really
it was weird at first. Kids were a little like, what's happening? And now it's just really settled in, and so we're excited about that. So things we're working on. We're continuing in our houses. We're continuing zones. Our counseling team, Kara, we're excited at the you know, last year, we're able to move her. We had some more funding in the mental health grant, not the summer, the regular one, to move her to four days a week. I only ask once a week for her to be five days a week. So, you know, she's work nights. Yeah. But that is a huge difference because that what that means is I have a counseling staff here every day of the week because my counselor is here a day and a half on that off day, right, that Kara is not here. I can't put into words the effect that has on a building and for having someone there to step in to help a student in a moment that needs it. That support can feel very different coming from counseling staff than from the principal. And there are moments that you really need that to feel supportive and not disciplined. I promise I'm supportive, but it's just different. Right? So we're excited about that. I feel like I'm talking fast. I'm sorry. No. I'm good. I'm doing fast. You're good. Questions on students? Okay. Let's get to staff. So staff also completes a staff survey.
32 respondents of about 50 staff. It's a better ratio for us. Again, I can't see who it is, so we can't require them. This is all staff, so we're not it could be a para, could be a custodian, could be a teacher, just for your mind so you're looking at it. There's a lot more questions, so I just did them a little bit differently so you could just see. The scale is one to five, strongly disagrees, strongly agree, and this is the average right here. So I won't go through them all. Yeah. They're they're this is a these are great scores for this this first this first one. And I do work with leaders, unions to try to make sure I have questions that feel that are represent what people want to express too. So sometimes that we shift and add things. Then we have these, and we're gonna talk about this one. The information is communicated. I'm gonna show you kinda what we're doing this year. That was where we were a little bit lower. We increased special time. We made sure we have collaborative planning here. When we talk about this as a staff and they all say, Taylor, I'm always gonna give you a one. Like, I want it to be all day every day. Like, they so, you know, that was a we are always looking for more collaborative time. Not enough time in the day. Not enough time in the day. But these you know, there's certain ones that really matter. Right? Feeling heard and valued. That's great. We're above agree.
I love this one. Recommend. That's a win. Would you tell a friend to come here? Right? Because otherwise, sometimes you wouldn't. So we really were pleased with all of the results.
Is it work my workload is reasonable? Is that, like, specify, like, or not enough or too much? Or It does not. Okay. That's a good point, though. Yeah. I'm not sure anyone's saying that they don't have that much. I would be shocked, but maybe it can't you know what? I'm gonna ask tomorrow. Positive. Yeah. Would anybody mind more? I mean, I have employees who tell me that. I'm with what I'm doing. I want to learn a new thing.
You know what? You you're not you are right. I don't think that was the case here. Whatever. And that is only because I think all of our employees are working double time all the time to do what's best for kids. So I again, there was no even when we debrief, when we do this as a whole staff so even if you didn't take the survey, you're part of the debrief, and we have small group conversations and kinda what do you think about this, what can we do. Yeah. And then so this is just an example. When we talked about the communication plan, we said, what is it that needs? And it was calendars, calendars, calendars. So we actually this is just a screenshot we created for the staff. We have a whole doc now by month where you could see it go straight down. We put every single thing on that calendar because what people are missing and if you work in a school, you would know. But, like, if fourth grade's going on a field trip, you might be in fifth grade, but you don't realize they're out. And then one of the fourth grade teachers had duty with you, and you're like, where is she? And then you didn't go like, there's things that happen that you almost just don't anticipate,
so we really needed a flex of this. Mhmm. So some staff created this, which is awesome. Again, our staff survey feels really driven by staff, and it's a team. It is, don't get me wrong, a reflection of me as well, but they really we wanna work together. So they created this, and that's going really well so far. That's great. Yeah. They have a few opportunities to write feedback, and so I just share trends. What's one area in our school community you've seen the most progress? Sorry. It's blocked, but that's what this is. All the comments were really into these three categories. Bookworms, which was our new reading curriculum, our houses, and our climate, our school climate. So they were all in those. One area you think we need to continue to focus on, that was the communication piece. We talked about the calendar there. And then there was a couple other topics that came up, continuing on community and collaboration, challenging behaviors, and our houses. And lastly, we ask about any areas you feel some this says professional development would be good for.
These right here came up the most, math, which you know I've talked about and what we're doing. We're continuing our zones in SEL, and we're continuing working on bookworms. A couple narrower I saw call call them are less common topics that come up. Para training, which we've already implemented. They're we're seeking some more information on autism and the state funded three it's called three two one Insight, a paraprofessional portal. It was okay last year. This year, we were happy they added almost like a level two, which our parents were more than ready for, which really had some action steps and some more. So they started some of those modules before school started. The early early childhood standards and specials connections team, that's our induction program for new teachers. So we started that tonight. They were here till five going through kind of what that looks like for them, and then science and social studies. And overall, we talked about as a staff what came up is our professional development has to be personalized because to fit the needs of, you know, thirty, thirty five staff that require professional development, one size won't fit all. We can't do one professional development and hope everybody gets something out of it. So that's PDAC, which is our committee that plans professional development,
is really working on that. That's great.
What questions can I get? Do any questions I can answer? But I wanted you to have all those. So a lot of goods a lot of good stuff and a lot of clear areas where we can have direction on. And I think you'll see that next month when we do student data too, a lot of great stuff and a lot clear directional areas. And I think the strategic plan that you'll get a copy of will really reflect
our plans to address those. I I have a question. What are what are the check ins gonna be? Like, with those like, what are you envisioning, like, that to look like? We'll use Google
forms still. The kids are most comfortable with that strategy, but it will be specific. It won't be like we won't be asking all the questions every time. So we're gonna think about ways to craft. When we're thinking about how students feel safe, what does that actually look like, feel like, sound like to a kiddo? Okay. So how do we craft that now into maybe three sub questions? Right? So the student's gonna take the the survey
Yeah. Just like they did. When somebody and I'm when somebody isn't nice to me, I know what to do. Like, may you know what I mean? Like, there might be just some we need to break down a little bit more and figure out. Do I feel physically safe? Yeah. Yeah. Right. We Sure. How do we know what that really means? So that's kind of the work we're gonna start. And that will happen in the next month or so just to get a better direction to go with kiddos. And it may be different. Right? Might be third and fourth. There's something different than fifth and sixth or whatnot. And our current third graders did not take the survey last year, so we have to keep that as yeah.
And then what's Like and then what do you do with, like then how are you gonna address it? You know what I magic. You don't know. Yeah. Yes. So couple ways.
So our school psychologist already emailed staff today and was like, okay. How can I come into your room? What are specific areas on day eight you're already seeing that you want some whole group lessons on? Right? Because sometimes it's that. Sometimes it's whole group instruction. We see 70% of kids are not sure what to do when someone's mean to them. Okay. We're gonna design lessons explicitly just like we would teach multiplication. Right? We're gonna teach that explicitly. Sometimes it's small groups. So sometimes if you remember, our student surveys are not anonymous. We don't feel like that's healthy because what could happen is we could get some startling or unsafe answers that we wouldn't be able to act on. And that's I just don't I just don't believe that's healthy for kids 18. So that also, though, allows our school counselors to take a look and say, hey. Joey is really concerning. Like, do we know about this? Well, how do we go about it? So there's kind of a twofold way that we look at that. And it may be in certain areas of the school. I don't know. Maybe it comes up the the cafeteria is feeling overwhelming
for kids. Okay. You know, I I guess I don't know until we know. Right. Okay. We wanna figure. Thank you. Taylor, I'd like to say thanks for the work you're doing here. Mhmm. I think you truly meant this Thanksgiving like home. Thank you. So it's families, the kids, teachers, staff, and and I think it really makes a difference. These people in this environment feel cared for and knowing that you're going to act on any problems. The one thing about the counselor from AHS, from personal experience, I can tell you that when they come in from recess where all the interactions sometimes collide, and you're a teacher. You have the other 28 kids in your room, and you have this two of them are having a problem for something that happened at recess, and you had nobody to go to. You didn't have a problem. We had a school I was working in. Of course, we had a school social worker. Mhmm. Whenever I had a problem, she was there. Yeah. And she took that problem, and she taught the kids how to problem solve. Exactly.
And that support is really, really important. Absolutely.
And kids come to trust and rely on it. Right? They build relationships with our counseling staff. So
Dallas, can we just take one second piggybacking on on Jerry's comment? That is, Jerry, one of the reasons why we absolutely do need to have some of here five days a week. And right now, currently, we're four days a week so that we'll go into our budget, you know, for next year because That's important. Happens That's what's that last day. Nothing yet today. Oh, I'm sorry. Nobody's here to help you today. But, Taylor, can you just take a second? Mhmm. Because you've done something, you know, amazing. You've created a leadership team. Sure. And can you tell them how many people in the building? And this is not a paid position. No. No. Okay. Can you tell them just briefly about your leadership team? Yeah. So
we have a lot of teacher leaders in the building, and and teachers just step up, step in, wanna help out. And so this year, we decided to kind of formalize that a little more and say, hey. Who are you in the building that really wants to move forward? Who who wants to drive the work with me? And I had 10 people immediately, which is a high number. Remember, we have 17, but I have a little under 30 certified staff. 10 of them immediately were like, let me join the leadership team. I was like, where are we gonna meet? I was like, gonna do it in my office. I thought there was gonna be, like, three, and I was like, alright.
And when I offered it, there was just a Google form, right, if you wanna do it. And I just put a question like, what excites you about this work or something like that? And everyone was like, because I wanna move us forward. I wanna be part of the forward movement. And that is, I believe, true of all staff, but to have 10 really step up. So we're meeting weekly. We meet every week, which is a lot, but it's that's the work. And we've already they already have two learning walks planned where their the leadership team is gonna start by they walk through all the rooms, and they're looking at lenses. I don't go to that. It's not evaluative. This is, like, coworker, peer to peer. Like, how do we move forward, which is huge?
And then they're working I gave them I drafted the strategic plan, and it was almost like, thank you. You know, like, we'll go we'll take it from here. And we have early childhood stuff being added in that I hadn't quite quite, you know, identified it. And so I'm excited. I'm excited about that work. And, again, the work has to come up. Right? It can't you know, you guys set the vision here as a board of ed. Valerie then says, here's the vision. I say, here's the vision, but they're the people on the ground, right, putting it into place. So I'm excited about that. The work was happening, but now we're doing it kind of all swimming in the same direction. So our word this year we keep using is clarity. Clarity. We need to be really clear on where we're going.
10 people. That's a third of them. Not a single and I and I wanted her to express that because this is why we have the best teacher union anywhere. Not a single question of, well, do I get paid for this? And then my email was like, remember, this is a lot of work. Yeah. I was like, I gave you a couple of hints in it. Yeah. That's what I think. I'm just gonna I just need you to understand the commitment, that level. I haven't seen that anywhere. A third of them said, let's do this. That's why it's like a family. Yeah. Hello to five of them on here. Right. All five of them. 12345. Yeah. That's why I wanted that's why I wanted you to acknowledge that because you won't find that anywhere, and that's that's, you know, very important. You know? You won't find that anywhere. And it just I mean, the representation from all parts of the building too, which is great. Teacher Yep. Who also is on that committee on her time. Yeah. That's great. So that's awesome. Thank you. Yeah. We're going. We're moving. As you give. It is. This is not awesome.
Okay. I promise. I'm done now. For for next month. Yes. SBAC. Mhmm. And I'm ready? Or yeah. Yeah. So we'll do SBAC will be the summative, of course, the summative of last year. And then by we also will have all of the benchmarking for this fall, which includes I Ready, DIBELS, and RM Plus Math. So Okay. Lots of fun stuff to present. I will keep it Right?
Will I? Yeah. I'll do my very good. And neither one of us mentioned in so one last kudos here, but neither one of us mentioned September 24
on the calendar is the The back to school? Sorry. Yes. Back to school. Just for anybody who's watching, it is September 24. It's on the calendar, but, unfortunately, it's either one of us have met from that prior to. So we can't wait to welcome the families. It's on the school side. I know it is. Yes. Yep. But Yes. I'll let know. Know, but I'll let the board know. I will be sending are continuing in our family engagement activities each month. So we have planned those for the whole year, which is great. So I'll be able to send those to families, and they can mark their calendar. You haven't sent that out yet? Nope. Alright. Nope. So they will come SPTA. I was like, guys, you don't have them on your calendar? And they're like, well, you'd have to send them. Yeah. So It helps. My fault. Yeah. But I will get those out, and then that way you can mark you know, you'll know them way ahead of time, which is hopefully helpful to families if you wanna engage. Guys rotating this day? Yep. They're all on just smattering of days. And that is why we moved our back to school event this year to a Wednesday just to mix it up a little because sometimes we do get family feedback. Everything you guys do, a whole school is on a Thursday, and that doesn't work for me. So, absolutely, why not shift? Now I'm done, I think.
Report. Terry is not here. Terry's on vacation right now.
So we'll get to that. Know? But prior to that, we do have that position posted. Okay. This will be Teri's last year with us. Yep. She is going to plus I retire during the course of this year, but work part time with the number of hours that she can work and still, be retired. So people will see her all year long, but we will begin, the, screening process, next week, because she's not here this week, and move forward. Hopefully, we'll get a number of people that are interested in, you know, a part time position. So, we'll update you next month, with where we are with that. The paper that I just passed around, that was the most up to date addition to the financials, and that is, the pre K page. Okay. So you guys did receive the expenditure report as of September 2, and you received the custom expenditure report steps by object code there. Does anyone have any questions on those two specifically?
That's when we went through the balances. I don't have any I don't have any questions. Anybody on those?
No? Okay. I know you've just got it, but this is that sheet that, you know, we promise will be included with every single financial update on the pre K. So you'll notice that if all of the, anticipated revenue comes in, that's that first line on the top there for tuition. And, again, that means that we've received the tuition agreements back from all of the people that are enrolled in preschool. And if all of them, make it through to the end of the year, because remember, there's always that option too, that we could wind up losing the person, they decide not to stay here. If that happens, then $2.52 is the anticipated tuition there for the year. And it's broken into three categories, and it's broken into three categories because that just lets you know that that is the tuition anticipated to come in from the, students who fill either a regular slot, an early start slot, or a smart start slot. So that's the reason why they're in three categories. That's it. Because that's in addition to whatever we get from grant funding. Right. So somebody could fill a smart start spot. We get the Smart Start grant, which is 65,000, but then those candidates also pay something. And that will total 31,000.
Does that make sense? Yep. Okay. Yeah. It just doesn't have budget numbers on there for the the For the what? For the teachers. Like like, I get that's the expected revenue, but there's no, like, expected cost.
Am I missing that? It is not on this sheet. What you see on the right hand side there is what the what's come out so far. See how it says two teachers and three parents over there? I think it would be helpful to have, like, what And then it says teacher or parent here. Right. It would be four teachers and four paraprofessionals.
It would but it would go under this column, right, the second one over that says budget?
So right now, this is the expenses that have gone through Edmunds to date. Right. But under budget, there's nothing there. Correct.
So could can you guys add that so that Yeah. She would put in Edmonds, it won't be in there, but I will ask her to give you that in a separate in a separate
box on the bottom because this comes right out of Okay. So, like It'd just be helpful to compare what's in the data with the
Yeah. Like, what like what we get. Right. Yeah. It's not in Edmonds. She's gonna have to create that for you. Yep. Do you see on the bottom where it says Smart Start? Because you put that budget into the Smart Start grant, it says to the right on the bottom, $60,067.54. Do you see that? So that's already in our system because it's in there under the anticipated expense for, Smart Start. So she has to just create another document for you, and I'll let her know that you want that. And the document will just show you what the salaries are for those I mean, we don't need it broken down. We just need to Just total budget. Yep. Yep. Yep. Budgets. So, absolutely, we'll add that to that one for our panel. Okay? And then in your packet, if no one had any questions on that one, the other things that were included there were it'll actually wind up leading right into the Norton Bond, but, you see the bank statements that are in there as well. Mhmm. Yep. So the first one, just remind you that says school improvements account, that's our 2% nonlapsing account. And this one is, as of it says statement period 07/31/2025.
And I say that just because it won't match up with the other one that's in here that came right off of their system. So this was as of July, and it was a 2 '50. The next one is still only that original seed money that went into the capital of the 8773. The third one on here is the cash value that is in that Norton School Fund. So this receives interest. The cash available in there is $14,280. That next one is as of June 30, but this was the balance sheet by class on the town side in their financial system, so not the bank statement. And this one is the one that'll show you the three, the two side by side, the school improvement. That shows you $2.59. That capital with the, surplus from last year that had been added to it,
and that's the $5.27. Yeah. Yep. And then the balance sheet on the next page shows you both the cash of 14,279 in the Norton and the investment of 62,000 for the total of 78. This is the first time we've seen that on here that it has both of them together. And that's why it says 58 thousand's restricted because that's Bank of America. It's helpful to have that. It is. Yes. Absolutely. So then on the next page, she is showing you where, anything that has been paid out of that account as of June, of 2025 to that date there, was taken out. So, like, in the capital fund, you can see a total of 45,545 has been taken out. That was the cover of nobody upright. Yep. Yep. So so these are ultra helpful. So I'm glad that we were, you you know, able to get these. And moving forward, I hope we can include them every month.
And so that way, we can see that on a regular basis. Yeah. Right. If there are any other questions or things that you want besides adding the salaries to the next month. That'd nice.
I think just adding the salary. Yep. Yeah. If if we can put this with this stuff so we can see it beforehand. Yeah. Beforehand. Yeah. Makes sense.
Does anyone have other questions on line items specifically? I do not. Aaron? I'm
gonna go back to list now. Sure. I'm sorry. I I answered your question. Go ahead. It is for our known expenses Okay.
Which, include tuition and the known responsibilities to the IEP. Okay. So remember, when there are other meetings that take place, that could change. So it is the ones that the the expenses that we know of so far with that particular student. So it could go up or down depending It won't go down. It won't go down. Whenever somebody had placed them in new environment, it is it's the services that are there try to not be too the services that are there, for example, hypothetically, are tuition and power support. Mhmm. So that is a must. Yep. There may be other expenses. Okay. I will also tell you that we have a student that's in a a magnet program that we also have a responsibility to for services. And it won't show up separately in this line item. It will show up just as as that, you know, tuition. Still tuition. It is. Right. And that's special. What about transportation? So Was that under student transportation?
Yes. But we, at this time, do not require a separate bus for the student that is out placed. Okay. So it's a mileage reimbursement. But that could have changed. Correct. Right now, it's a mileage reimbursement. Are you able to share how long
that expense period is? That would identify the student. Got it. I can tell you that regardless of the grade, that student would be in here for the whole year. The whole year.
Yeah. I guess that's what that's my question is. How The amount of money that's encumbered Yep. That that covers known expensive.
It could go up, though, depending on needs. Right. Based based on what we know so far, that would be the yearly expense. Right? Okay. That's what I was asking. Yes. But if it's a yearly But if there are more services that are added, then it will increase. Do you have other companies? Anyone else? I I don't have any questions. Okay.
So We're gonna we're gonna go back to it from November? Yes. We'll go back to that.
We'll move on to liaison reports on. We already heard about the LG. I'm sorry. Was I supposed to wait? No. You're you're fine. Anything for CMP? Nope. Anyone else have ETA? Anything? We had our first meeting on Monday.
Just set in the calendar and looking at different activities and fundraisers and, you know, working with Taylor and other members. So we had a good meeting, good turnout. So Great turn. Looking forward to a good year. Okay. We'll move on to the Norton Fund.
Okay. So this has been kind of a project in the making here. So I'll tell you how it began real quick here is that the Norton Commission actually received this that said, you have a check for a dividend in the amount of $345 that's not been cashed. And the Norwood Commission was like, well, thanks, but it's not us. And so Can you pass those? Yep. Yep. And so they were like, thanks, but that's not us. And so they did contact the treasurer, and the treasurer was like, I don't I I don't know what we mean about that check. We didn't receive this, Jeff. So the packet that I just put around kinda could put it in perspective for you. So it started with, and this was in August that the treasurer did reach out and say the town doesn't have this check valid. According to this email exchange with the Norton Commission, you need to contact BOA, which is Bank of America, and request a replacement check. But I didn't know about, the relationship with Bank of America, we're not on there. So I I couldn't do that. So that's why a lot of the the stuff that I'm looking up and trying to I've got a lot of pieces to the puzzle. I've been working on that for a while. But to put that together, we're gonna need some some more information. And so you'll you'll see through here that it started in August. And the second one then, the second page there was a little confusion for the treasurer because she she didn't really have a lot of information. And so I said, well, I have the information. I'm piecing it together.
So she did issue a a FOIA request for this that I've been piecing together, and I told her that I spoke with Eric. Eric came to my office. I showed him everything that's in here so that I could explain to him, like, look. We have this and we have this, but I need this and this for us to be able to put it together. So I did, just make a verbal request, actually, an email request that just said, hey. Can you tell me what you have on your side for all of the transactions that occurred in this account? So in that packet, it's really tiny if you look here. Sorry about how tiny it is. So I kind of, you know, wrote on the bottom here. What the treasurer provided was the transactions from 2021 on the Norton School account. And what you can see there is there's a debit of $52.44, but I'm not really sure. We need to get them to get some back information for us because we didn't take anything out of that account. So I'm not really sure what that's for.
And then there's a credit in there for dividends from some length of time for the 5,900, but then it shows an overall negative balance if you look on there. So I'm not really sure. I think that it might just be a matter of a decade of money not quite being put where it was supposed to. Maybe not everybody knew. Maybe there was confusion about Norton School Fund, Norton Commission, Norton Library Fund. But I think, as I explained to Eric, I think we need to do some more work together on this to be able to figure out kind of what's been going on with it. Because I I think if if the Norton Commission was a little confused, like, that's not us. I think maybe over time, there there there might have been some some confusion there. So I think the other thing we need to do is we obviously need to see what the dividends and the interest were. Think we need to make sure that there is another co person on this account, and I'll show you in here where, from 1960 through, there's been a couple of times that the board of education has said that we would like to do that, and it hasn't been done yet for whatever reason. And so I think that we do need to make sure that whether it's, you know, the same situation that we have with our accounts where it's the the board chair and the superintendent just to be able to get those statements. Because it looks like I'll show you in here. It looks like they've tried to do that before, and then maybe they did. And then it just when there was a change of staff or whatever, it felt really right. So I think we definitely need to do that. So the first thing I did just to kinda see the history, if you look, is I went back through from 2016
to the actual audit then. So you're looking at those pages that show you just the page from the audit that has the names of the funds highlight there. And so in 2016, you'll see there that there was an expense. It says archery from 2015. That's because I saw the $2,000 deduction, and I'm like, what is this? So I kinda went through everything I could find because in here, I do actually have a file that has everything. I I give them a lot of credit. Everything that's ever been purchased all the way back to 1960, the kiln. I mean and they've got these great old I'm like a lover of everything history related. So, you know, everything that they've purchased. They bought an Apple computer for $3,257 in 1987. Oh my gosh.
Yeah. I was like, you got me off here. The hospital computer cost. Yeah. They bought for $69
a Califolden model record player at some point in 1972. So it's kinda comical to go through here. But so the last one, the last purchase that I could see in our records was a $2,000 purchase in 2015 for archery equipment. So it lines up nicely with this thing in the audit. So our balance had been 24,000 back in 2015. You see 2017 here, 41,000 under the Norton School Fund in 2018, '45 in 2019. And this is just all public with the 45. This one had 45,000, and then it looks like something changed in 2020. I don't know what happened with the 8,000 or the 5,742 there. I'm not really sure. Unfortunately, at this point until we work together, she wasn't able to give me any of that information either.
We're gonna need more information on that. And then in '22, what was interesting is that it looked like our money was split. And it looked like it was split because what started to appear here was due from other funds, the amount of $2,159. So I'm not really sure why it was altered. If something it it maybe that's the year that they opened the Stiff account. If they took it and invested it. Well, no. The investment was done before that. But if they moved something over to a Stiff account or something, I just I don't have the eonsearch to it. So
What is what is the point of the funds? Like, why why there's a letter? Right. There's a letter. In here. It basically says that this this guy, Chester Norton Yep. In his will Which I have in here. Made it has has made a gift to the town and that the income shall be expended for the support of its public schools. So, basically, it's basically saying the real report of your inquiry because it looks like somebody the the Board of Education asked the judge that probably probated the will. Yes. And after exhaustive inquiry, the language of the will can only be construed as to encompass this fund, and it's used under the nineteen fifty eight general statutes, which provides in brief that the town treasurer as charge of the fund shall keep a separate account thereof, but the income of such fund is subject only to the control of the court of ed to be applied for the benefit of the school. Right. In whatever way we see fit.
And we just have, like, not. That was dated 1961.
Right. Yes. So and then here's the will. Here's a copy of the will. You have the original documents here. And Yes. And then it looks like the first time the board of Ed here kind of got an understanding that it there were some shares was 2008. Yep. But I'm guessing in 2010, so that's why I put this in here. In the minutes Yeah. It said Norton School Fund, it said Jay Liddy made a motion to approve that all the correspondence for the Norton School Fund be forwarded to Andy Managia, superintendent, so that the stock fund can be managed in a timely fashion. So I'm guessing that they probably had a conversation similar to what we're doing now in 2010. And, so they were supposed to be getting that. But in 2011, on the next page,
it looks like and I don't know who this person is. I just know that they were First Selectmen. It said Robert Burbank. Yeah. Martin Burbank of 2010 I mean, '11, it says that they tried to make an change to this. And it says no documentation was submitted to support the fact that this person was able to be the beneficial owner. Right. So he had this thing certified and sent in to oversee that, and the bank said, no. You're not the beneficial owner of this. And so I included that for you. And then it looks like in 2011, probably this is probably why the board of education said in those minutes, time out. We need to have more of an active role because the letter dated March 2011 was a town clerk that was giving the authority to Mr. Burbank to oversee that account and said that he had the right to to be that person. So Is he still that person? That's what we have to write out. There was that person. Nobody authorized to be that person. Well, he wasn't supposed to be, but no board people were ever put on that account. Right. Yeah. So Just a letter from the town clerk. So that's where we definitely need more information for the last ten years on this so that this board then can figure out, do you wanna keep it as a b
Bank of America stock? It looks like some of it is liquid already, all of the interest. Like but you can't make any decisions until we have all of that. Right. So we definitely need to get more information on this, but it looks to me like the last withdrawal would have been a purchase, an expenditure, 2,015. So all of the interest for 2015, so for ten years Yeah. Yeah. All of that interest does have to be there and available. So that's why I think in this latest statement that we received from the town in our financials, and I said this is first time I've seen this, now that number 78 is appearing. So I think that's the roughly 60,000 in shares plus the 18 that's somehow there in liquid form. We just need more information on that. And who so how does Charlotte Nelson who I know who that I know who she is. On the Norton Commission. She's on the Norton Commission. And so when they said when Separate. Right. Right. Correct. When the bank said somebody needs to cash the check for 300 and, actually, if you do the math, $345 a quarter in interest is about right for $60,000 in that investment. Yep. So I I'm pretty confident in that $78,000
number. What we just need from the town then is she printed that sheet out for us that she had accessible to her in her computer. We need them to do a little research and go back to all of the documentations. Because when I spoke with Eric in my office, I said because he didn't know either. None of us knew. I said there has to be documentation that was given to the auditor from 2015 until now as to the increase and decrease to that account. So all we really need to do is to have somebody go back through the data, the information that they gave Michael, the auditor, to support that account from 2015 to 2024 for us to see the ups and the downs of it because all of that interest then would be yours, for that account. And it is an unrestricted account in the sense that according to that 1960 letter that Celeste just read, like, you can spend that on whatever you deem necessary. Not that we're gonna spend it, but I do think long after I'm gone and you guys are gone that they do need to have this account in order so that they know what they have available. And honestly, I mean, I would say as as just as a townsperson,
I feel like if he wanted that money to be gifted to the use of children, like, it would probably be a good idea for us as a board to come up with a way that we can recognize that on a yearly basis by doing something with
a percentage. It looks like So I know that the Northern Commission gives out a scholarship
Right. Every year. That's what My confusion was that that's all I thought it was. I didn't realize they were separate. They weren't like a statement. And then there is something, I think, that's also affiliated with the library. Yeah. They get it all. Right. Right. So it's
it's really confusing to right. A lot of Nordens. So they were three Nordens? Three daughters. One Norton who did three Right. Three separate. Actually, they I think one Norton from which three was created to benefit different parts of the town. Parts of the town. He didn't he didn't deem library commission, scholarship, board of ed. That's right. He didn't put that out in as well. Words.
He was talking about the children of the town. Right. Yeah. So he had benefited from kids. Mhmm. Yeah. Yep. He had benefited from No. He did leave the library separate, and it was Oh, okay. Perfect. For books. Correct. Right. And he so his will has all of his relatives in there too. It's quite fascinating. All of his relatives in here. A thousand dollars to this one, 200 to that one, you know, $200. Like, it it was it's fascinating. I love that stuff. You tell who the history I know. I was a history teacher. Gonna like, to sum this up, you're gonna keep investigating. Yes. But I I do need this information from the town. And I know, like I said, I did tell her with the FOI request. Sure. I showed everything that's in this packet to not the packet. All of this, the originals, to Eric when we met, and I don't have a problem giving them a copy of it. But right now, I'd like to get the other stuff over there so that it's a puzzle that I've given them that's complete and not bits and pieces.
So can we or the board formally request that information from the town, or are you already getting it through conversation? I'm not getting it. I would I would like us to be able to formally request those documents.
K. And what do we need from Do you need us to to do
make a motion to do a FOIA, or what what do we what would we Yes. Make a motion to do a FOIA for the rest of the documents. From the town. From the town.
What is important? Would anyone like to I'll second it. Okay. Any discussion further? I
have a question or idea. Would it be better to communicate this if they're on the way into that and get it through I have sent it. I would tell you no by communication,
which has already occurred. Okay. That's what I wanted to tell. What do you guys need to get access to the bank? It was an M and T Bank or no? Bank of America Bank of America. So
first of all, we do have to have a list of who's even on there because, ironically, this did happen with something else that we were doing, this other account that we were doing for Early Start where it was a core account. And believe it or not, the former assistant finance person to the town was the only name that was on there. So when I was asking Eric, he wasn't being confrontational at first. He was like, I don't know what you're talking about, and he didn't. None of us knew whose names were on there. And so then as it got further, then we realized that someone else's name was on there, and then it became a project and a half. So it's possible, Jerry, that there's only one name on there, and that person may not even have an email that exists, which is why the bank reached out to what they saw as the Norton Commission and said, help us,
because they don't like uncashed checks at the bank.
No. Yeah. So how do we get that information from the bank?
I will request the original documents from town hall regarding that account.
Do we need to add that to the motion? Nope. Nope. Just motions. Yeah. So Fine. Just second, Lee. Yep.
You guys good on voting on the motion on board? Yep. K. So we are going to ask for an FOIA from the town for the rest of the documentation that goes along with the to finish the puzzle. All in favor? Aye. Anyone opposed? K. Five, please. Six zero. Jerry did, Dawn. Okay. Good catch.
Solar project update. It's an easy update. The email is from Ryan Lanieris explaining why we haven't put exactly on the calendar yet. We're getting there now. He said there has been high. I hope all is well. There's been a lot of back and forth internally regarding that conduit path we need to take to get to the building's main electrical room. I know that the original concept was to run the conduit on the side of the building, but we're running into a little bit of electrical code issue with that path because we're not using that one piece of the roof map. He said where we would like to propose instead is just to elevate that conduit about 12 above the roof. I did call him, by the way. I said, explain to me. Is there any other code issues with that? He said no. And so I said, does it interfere with any of the guidelines of the agreement that we made with you? He said no. I said, well, then by all means, is that what you need to do? And so he said by elevating it, it's gonna enable the town or the school to replace that roof sometimes in the future, without impacting the solar project at all or the roof itself. We've done it on multiple occasions with some of our municipal and other commercial clients, and it's worked out very well. So once that was, you know, established, he said, we are looking to start this construction as soon as possible. It's a relatively quick process to get the solar installed once the staging area is there and a construction schedule can be set up, which I told them to speak to Scott and to Taylor about, making sure that it won't interfere with anything that is going on. So by next month, we should either have this thing in, or we should be on their docket. So that's the great news.
Good. Bathroom renovation,
Yes. Hazmat. If anybody wants to see that report, it's this thick. There's nothing in here that's negative. It's just when there are things that have to be noted for a contractor, that's what's in here to say just like when we have our regular and things done, it'll say, you know, there is a a blackboard there. So if that were to be removed, that area could be a potential source underneath, like, just that kind of stuff. And it needs to then be given to the bidders. And so the process is complete, and the list of contractors, Richards Corporation is the general contractor. Crest Mechanical is the mechanical and plumbing. Markel Electric is the electrical. Spectrum is the tile and flooring, and Central Connecticut Acoustics is the sealer. So we're doing well. Move it ahead.
Do we have, like, an expected date for demolition to start?
No. They have, again, asked about calendar so that they can and we've already told them. Taylor and I have already told them if there's a portion. I was like, there's these great days in October. I know. They so they have our our calendar. Yeah. And we know that if there is a day or two to give a long weekend where we have to corn off a little part of the hallway during school hours, we're willing to do that. So they know all that, and now it's just working with this group to make sure that we can get that schedule moving forward. So it's all good. And do we know what the total estimated bids are? No. Because we we have this now, and then their next step will be to they they were waiting to have that hazardous material inspection. And as you can see, the date on there is only August 25. Yeah. Because any of these contractors would need to know if there was an adaptation adaptation to what they put into their Right. Right. So,
yeah, they'll work in sheet. And then process, just so everyone is aware, compared to previous capital improvement projects that have been done within the school, like, we're following the same process in terms of RFP and selection and making sure that it's not, like, someone's buddy down the road that gets gets the job. Right. Okay. Nine thousands policies. Do we have some? Okay. The highlight of my day. Thank you. I think we need to cut case.
Was the highlight of my thing, right, too, when I was getting up. Mhmm. Highlight. I mean, what else are gonna do on a five hour flight? Watch movies. Watch movies.
Well, I read the news. Yeah. She was responsible. Thank you. Sure. Thank you. To your heart. I appreciate your drink. No. That was excellent nighttime. Went to sleep reading. It was riveting. Okay. So I got,
like, the this table that they gave us to begin with on the side, and then I think we just go through one by one. Yeah. It's just If someone has, like, grammatical or, like, little things that they wanted changed, I feel like maybe we should put those in a pile. Yeah. And we can look at them after. Didn't even look at them. Like, I have I have, like, a a silly thing on some of them where it says, like, the hand versus I did those. Or, like, chair from the chair. Yes. Person. I did those. For whatever. Yeah. Okay. 9,000. I don't know. Does
anyone have concerns with anything on that? I do I do not. Okay. Okay. So we're gonna put that in the in the good pile. Okay. $90.10. 10. The only notes I wrote on here were changing
his to his or her. Yeah. I would say it's up. Stairs we Or the Yep. Yeah. I had that. See that we're just changing that. Twice.
And then I had a question. Oh, that's the next policy. Just kidding. Okay. So then we can put that in the good pile except for the small change. Yes? Correct. Yep. K. $90.12.
I just had for number seven, do we provide for the performance appraisal of personnel? Do we do that number? That's a bill too. Yeah. For the legal yeah. We don't provide performance appraisal personnel.
I had six circles as well. It doesn't say they do superintendent. Right. It doesn't say they can provide for. Nobody provide for.
I I still don't I don't understand that. To provide for the performance appraisal of personnel. I I looked at that as we're providing performance appraisals of personnel for for the school.
Statute. See on the top, it says under state statute and or town charter, you can get but not limited to. Okay. So in other words, you you don't have do it for it
to occur. Right. Right. Okay. I had a question on three. It says to elect a superintendent, which seems like an odd word choice. We don't know where it's So I would change it to select, but just so you know, there are other places not here. There are other places where that person is elected. It's just not I wrote a point. So selector. Select. Okay. Okay. Cool.
And then I had a question on 13 c. It says the school district shall provide Yep. Educational opportunities for students to interact with other backgrounds. Do we do that? Requirement. I understand.
It was just We do. Okay. We have I guess I missed it. What do you call it? Do you get together with people from Hebron and Marlborough? I'm sorry. I missed it. Which
one? Racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds that are different. So we also have the One of those apply. That we connect with them? What was the I can Shall provide educate provide.
Students and to interact with students. Yeah. So, actually, one of the things we just we've been doing the last few years is our fourth grade participates in a grant funded Mhmm. Field trips where they partner we partner with schools in Hartford and Lindum. It it just brought up a question in my head of, like, we have We do. So it looks different in different years depending on what opportunities are here, but that was last year, one of the big ones. Okay. So, Henry, it's just for school. Similar. So then they go on field trips together. They had Yeah. They had 10 pounds. So just different ways. Sorry, I was So in number three, we're gonna change the left to select. Yes.
And I don't think we need the legal reference to the charter of the town of Wyndham. No. We definitely don't. Yeah. I thought we thought we could take that one out. On there. Yep.
Great. 9020. I I know that it says that it's, like, correct, whatever the way that it's written. I had questions in regards to if we needed to update this to include, like, social media in a different way or or really just the wording of, like, the distribution to staff members and parents, guardians as a press release, or is that still the language that's used?
Well, the social media is in districts that have it, they have different policies for social media. Policy. So leave this the way it is then. Yeah. This is about public statements. Okay. 9030.
The only thing I thought was important is, just in the second line, to say the Andover Board of Education recognizes the need to maintain open communication between itself and the school staff. I don't know. Maybe it's indicative or, like, clear, but thought it was important to put in school. To add the word school. Shannon Wearing on that one. Second line. Itself and the school staff. Here. Itself and the school staff. Second line. Right here. It's sort of crystal clear. Clarity is moving. There we go.
I don't care about that. Yeah. Anything else on 9030? No.
9040. Take out man at the chair. Throat just man needs to go away Yep. To be chairperson, which is what's used in a lot of the other ones. Ones. 9110?
Yeah. This is this is a a thing we need to talk We we have to change this. Yeah. Well, first of all, when we when we vote to replace somebody on the board of ed, it's always for the remainder of the term of the board member that's being replaced. Yeah. And in
thinking about that, it's very important that that occur because of how our town elections are done. So every two years, we do four. Every other two years, we do three Mhmm. To have a seven member board. But if we did what this was calling for, and I think what may be in our charter, it is the and and later on in these bylaws that we would have an extra person elected. I just think it's very important we do it until the end of the term for which we're replacing. So I said, any vacancy, blah blah blah blah, shall be filled by appointment by the board of education for the remainder of the term of the board member's place that is being filled, except that if the Board of Education neglects to appoint such member. For some reason, I thought it was sixty sixty days. I thought it was longer than thirty. I'm pretty sure it's sixty, but we need to check that. Was that statute, or was that the charter? I think it's in the charter. Okay. The I don't even think it's I think it was a minor ordinance, but it may be now in the charter. So
not until the election. Fill out the term. Like Yeah. So for example,
Eric you replaced Steve. Right? Yeah. Okay. So he got, like, all all of Steve's term. And then the other thing is, obviously, the term begins with a regular I think it would be regularly scheduled November board of ed meeting because the election's always gonna be before the first
Yeah. Second Wednesday of the month. My question was, should it be November or December? Because We did November last Yeah. Last time. Okay. Yeah. I just I know we had issues with people being able to, like, go to the town clerk and get sworn in, whatever, to I was not just officially a member until December. December. That's why. Yeah. Well,
so are you are you talking about, Shannon? Because it says term of office of the board of ed shall be four years each term beginning. Remember, we moved
elections from May to November. I'm just saying we moved So then the will begin November, that person may not be able to vote. Yes. Regular schedule.
And not not and I also think it's important to do regularly scheduled November board meeting so that we're not in case we change it from the second one. Yeah. That that way, it's still just within that November. Yeah. Yep. Okay. Yep.
So I wrote these things down, and I'll I'll send them out to you guys before next meeting. But first, I will call Kate and make sure that it doesn't go against
any of the state, whatever, state change that. Okay? But I can leave you right with Thank you. Okay? Same thing with 9120. 9120. Yeah. So I would just say at the November meeting of the Board of Education, the board shall elect by ballot, blah blah blah blah.
Right? And that and this is where I said, like, my November 30, if they're not that in December.
Most people I'm so sorry. That's right. At the December meeting Right. The board shall elect. Okay. I'll give you the change then. But Yeah. This this one.
And then I wasn't sure what the where it says board officer vacancies should be filed through special elections held at the next regular meeting. Does it have to say regular meeting? Because I thought we've had special meetings to I don't think we've done special meetings where we elect officers.
Board officer vacancies shall be filled through special elections held at the next regular meeting following the board's official acceptance of the resignation. We've not always done that. I know. How about instead instead of shall May? Because it'll depend on when the resident Yeah. Because, like, with Steve, it was, like, August, and then we're like, oh, we should just wait until after the If you change it to May depending on when that person resigns Maybe so. You could do that. Okay. Make sense? However,
this same thing is, like, in another two or three of the bylaws, and I think this is the way we should word it. Did you see him in in subsequent bylaws and said how we secretary is gonna be filled this way? Remember, secretary and president and chair
are by law the only two positions you need. Right. Yeah. Okay. You don't need to here. Yeah. Because that's for specific I know. That's current. I understand. Well, we have to do that. The secretary gets a secretary. That is a requirement. Yeah. You know, he I have a question to these timelines. Let's say chair is not taking reelection in November.
You have a November meeting without a chair in place because you haven't held We never have. And following meeting, there's never somebody in place. I open the meeting by law. I've always done it. Which way you would By law, we start that December meeting with nobody. She she starts it. And the superintendent about November. You could have a November meeting. Whatever meeting.
Who do because it'll occur after the election. Because if if Kate, let's just say hypothetically, wasn't running and she was at that not not there, that meeting would be run by another officer. Got it. It's the December meeting that will always open for us with no person. Okay. That's in every district. Whatever that meeting is where you select your your people, It's the superintendent that always opens that meeting in every district, goes through the process of selecting a chair. Yep. You guys do. And then that chair immediately takes over the meeting and goes through the other offices. Okay. So that's just how it is. So you literally go, like, ten minutes of a meeting Mhmm. Without without. Yep. Do you need help? Are you okay if we keep going? Yeah. Yeah. 9121.
On number 3, I thought we should put approve the board meeting agenda as drafted by the superintendent. Isn't that what it said? It just says approve agenda as prepared, but I don't think it says what agenda. Like, it could be a budget meeting agenda, so I think it's just important you put approve the board meeting.
But it's the chairperson of the board of ed. Right.
I I feel like just saying agenda makes it That'll go. Any meeting. Specific for any meeting. So you think it's prepared, though, as or as drafted is I think it's okay. Okay. Yeah. No problem. My my question on there in terms of duties was do we need to add something about communication with the other boards in our town or no? Yeah. That would be good.
Yeah. I mean, you're the the the chair's the point person for, you know, for to communicate the lights and Maybe number five covers it.
I In case we don't wanna have relations with any of the new bores hereafter.
Excuse me. No. It's not if you don't want to. It's not specified. But it's not required. Number five,
I think It's a catch all. It's not a catch all. I think number five reserves the right of the other six members to have a say in something. Yeah. Do do you know what I mean? Which is the goal of Cave there. You know what I mean? They're gonna say, remember, you're a seven member board. So I think the good thing about number five is it's as directed by the rest of the board of education so that a chairperson can't take it upon themselves to to not that Kate would, but you know what I'm saying. Like Right. Do anything Yeah. Without being directed by you guys. Okay.
So let me leave it the minus. Okay. K. Alright. Okay. I was just simple. One twenty two.
So this is where I was saying. See the last paragraph in the event of the chairperson. All of that is covered by ninety one twenty. Yeah. So I think we can just delete that paragraph.
Right? I said delete the whole thing. That's what I said too. It just said on a different policy. $91.20. Okay. Here we go. And on 9123, it's also not there. Yep. Sounds good. Yeah. Yeah.
9123, I did have a thing to add. What's that? Well, I think that the secretary should be responsible, because this is what we've done for years, of taking detailed notes during the board's meetings to check the accuracy of the clerk's minutes Mhmm. And correct the same at at the subsequent board meeting. I just think that would be a nice thing to add. I mean, the secretary is supposed to take detailed notes Mhmm. In case the board clerk doesn't isn't able to do the minutes and stuff. So I just think it might be a good So how would you want number two changed then, Chan? I didn't change number two. I added number three. I just said take detailed notes during the board's meetings to check the accuracy of the clerk's minutes and correct same as necessary at subsequent board meeting.
Can we just add number two? It says keep the minutes of the meeting in the absence of the board of education. Okay. Oh, interesting. Okay. Like, and to
And to to get on the accuracy. How you said double check accuracy. Yeah. But you could add it to that. I got it. But don't we all do that by reading the minutes? Like, in like Yes. You know what I mean? I like, we all do that. I think it should be somebody's point responsibility,
though, to take the minutes or take the notes and to check the accuracy. We're all supposed to do it, but I think it would be good to have a point person whose job it is. I just thought that would be a good thing for the secretary to do. Well, how about, Shannon, then eat the minutes of the meeting,
like, something about and submit in the absence of the board clerk? So in other words, you're always doing them, but you're the one then you know what I mean? Like Yeah. I don't know how you guys would I like that. Yeah. Just add and submit. They'll keep the minutes
and keep the minutes of the meeting And submit. And submit in the absence of that. Yeah. Yeah. Okay.
So you don't wanna add check the accuracy You all of the minutes. Do. That's a vote for you guys. Well, I hire you. Know You what I mean? Yeah. I get it. Okay. Fine.
I just thought it funny that the legal reference on that one was salaries of secretary.
Yeah. Who's getting paid? Right. Right. Somebody used to get paid. It's less because it's in there, not me.
9125, they made a note that we need to modify it to to include greater specificity regarding the duties of counsel. Because it also just says, like, submitted to him or her by by who? By Joe Schmo? By, like I'll get you a couple of copies and send them to you. I was just gonna say, is there a straight template? There is, but I'll get you a couple
of ways that people might have modified it and send them to you for 2125. Okay. Same thing for 9127. 9127.
It also says be more specific. Sure. Talk to the same thing. I thought it sounds great the way it is, but I don't know anything about auditing. So Yeah. I thought it looked fine. But that's good. We've done And then I read their note, and I was like, oh. It
wasn't. Just, like, consider, though. Yeah. So we'll get some. Ninety one thirty one. I think it's okay the way it is. Yeah.
Concerns? No? No. It means we act as a committee of the whole instead of separately Yep. Individually.
Ninety one thirty two. I thought it was interesting that a committee is considered to be in session for one year only.
Did you just have to remain with committees every year? Yeah. Which we actually do with liaisons too. We're like, hey. So that's a Yeah. Anyone
have concerns with that one? Don't have. 9212. Yep. Ten days. 9221.
Same thing to take out the board officer vacancies, that whole thing, because it's covered by 9120.
But this one, Shannon, wasn't okay. Right? Yeah. It says It said the bylaws We haven't referenced the state guidelines, so we need help on this one. Okay. And also guidelines. Yes.
Okay. Yeah. I said state guidelines need to be referenced. So yeah. Yeah.
But okay. And then my only question was the where it says vacancy, it it says add a regularly scheduled meeting. But I but I thought that it also could be a special meeting. How about maybe filled?
That's what we did on the prior one. Think, though no. The May was in there because it depended on the offices, but I actually think Plus? It's because it's the this is what I said to you before. Because it's chairperson or secretary, and those are the mandated required ones Mhmm. That I think that does
have to happen. But that's under board member vacancies. It's not under officer. Officer. Right. So the secondary It says under board member vacancies. It says the vacancy will be filled at a regularly scheduled meeting. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I guess my question is, like, is that a state guideline? Or And we're gonna find out. We're gonna find out. Yeah. I couldn't find out. So we'll put that in the next file. Got it. Paragraph one,
I think we need to take out until the next regular town election because that makes it compliant with our things. So any vacancy occurring shall be filled by a vote of the remaining members and then of the board period. It's not until the next regular town election. Should it specify, like, to complete the existing term?
We already did that, so I don't know if we do that. It's in the other policy. We just have to make sure that you're still Well, just because As long as they're already agencies. Yeah. But it still goes in the in the fifth. In the Two v six file. Yeah. Yeah. Board member orientation, 9230.
So the third paragraph has to be after the general election in November? Yeah. Yep. Right. Yeah. I changed that to November. And And then the new member's officially assuming I just said their positions. Doesn't have to say in July or whatever. Yeah. Just assuming the position. Or their positions is what I said. Yep.
That's it. I think on that one, because I had to go through this, I think it's required that they attend
There it doesn't have to be that month. It is required that they view the orientation, but it doesn't have to be that month. Okay. So
the third paragraph, notified and given the opportunity to attend sessions, is that or
Honestly, Eric, what's gonna be different is we're gonna have to now put a legal reference in there. Oh, just legal reference. Okay. Yeah. To say you gotta do it, the statute. Yes. K. Ninety two forty Professional development. The only thing that they It says we need a statement on reimbursement.
They get the statement from some other group. Got a ninety two fifty paragraph about reimbursement that we could use. The very next one. Mhmm. Yeah.
It seems silly to me to put in two parts I
get it. But one is about our professional development and using I I think we We need put the best one. Reimbursement in general. Yes. Yeah.
Although it specifically states attending conferences. I know. I know.
And maybe we should change a little something in there because we don't get paid to go to the conferences.
No. But it specifies registration fees, meals, lodging, transportation, and other expenses as appropriate. Okay.
So hold on. So do you wanna put those two together then as
Yeah. Then we I'll make sure you can. I don't see a problem because ninety two forty doesn't have any legal reference to say that that one needed to exist on a Like, needs to be separate. Right. Right. So I'll ask them if if they can combine them. Yeah. If 924050 can go together. 9260. Good. Yeah. 9270.
I just had a question on a legal reference because I don't think I don't know if civil union still exists now that there are marriage rights. So I just had a question for myself. I'll just find that out. Okay? Okay. Ninety two seventy one. It's grammatical.
Yeah. I have, like, two grammatical things, but they're not, like, a big deal then. Could somebody tell me what a star chamber is? Where where are you looking?
It's it's like a meeting. Right? Like, it's a no. It's like like it's it's like a secret meeting. A secret meeting of, like, all these I missed that one. It's in It's on the first It's on the second on the other side. A movie called Star Wars. Like, a secret meeting as if you were, like, a cavalter. That's kind of what it would be. Yeah.
Basically, like, don't have a meeting that's separate from the meeting. Right. Okay.
Right. I wonder if that changed in, like, a new version. I'm gonna look that up. In terms of, like, the actual wording. I like starting You like starting? No. I I haven't I haven't seen that in forever, so I'd like I'd like seeing that. Like that? Yeah. 9,300.
Hold on one sec. The $92.71, I think we might need and I'll look into this might also an an another citation other than something from 1989. Yeah. So Okay.
I need to look at that. It was a good year. It was not. Was someone born that year?
Taylor's like that. No comment. No comment. I'm Taylor Swift. T was
born then. We're the same weed. We were like, I could have been hurt. God. Oh my god. Right.
Okay. So in between that January 9300, it says we should have policies potentially for civility and board member code of conduct. For 9300? No. For 90 We need to add 9270 We should add 9273 and 9274. Were you opening on the website? Before 9300.
Are you opening them on the website? No. Well, I mean, Oh, you feel like no. I do. Okay. The email You just have a digital. I have a digital. I would. Now all of sudden, I was I was most interested in this. I just We've opening a. I will have a policy about, like, a consumable for me to have that. Oh, me too. You have to go to have And the other thing is the possibility of, Yeah. Yeah. Like, in case of emergency, think we should have something.
Where are we where are we about further one They're recommended bylaws because they the number wise, they come in between where we are right now. So Right. Also, one on civility, board member, code of conduct, and then electronic electronic board of ed meetings. Yep. I think it's very interesting. Which we probably should. Absolutely. Mhmm. But 9,300, you were that's good. Right? Yes, ma'am. Yep. 9311.
The question was whether we want our new policies reviewed by legal counsel. I was like, do we want to pay for that? But
That was my question. My question was also about a policy committee. Yeah. Like, do we actually have a committee? A committee. We have on you. The committee of one.
So I I said, for number one, the Board of Education may make suggestions and requests for policy development to the superintendent, And then the superintendent may suggest or recommend policy to the Board of Education and took out all the stuff about the policy committee. Mhmm. And I get rid of number two and three and took policy committee out of number four. Yep.
K. That does. Yep. Sharon? Yes, sir. When we do this and we update it with Gabe, are we entitled to those services from Gabe as these policies are revised over the years? No.
We just pay for the review again. We just pay for review again. Yes. Well, it was only $400, and look what we got. I mean, it was What's the deal? It was a little more than 400. Oh, I thought it wasn't. Okay. No. I think it was, like, 1,300.
It's it's 100. It was well worth the well worth it. Oh, well worth it. Yeah. And it yeah. Alright. So we're good with $93.11. Let's see what what we should Yeah.
Yep. 93. I already copied that. 12. Yep. I was confused by the wording on this, but I don't know if that's problem. The Robert Schmholz problems. Okay. The second of two regularly scheduled meeting not less than four weeks apart in the calls for which like, it's just it's a run on sentence of awfulness. Maybe it is. Yeah. But it's supposed to be that. Oh, probably is drafted by a lawyer. It's your second reading. No. I I I understand. Thirty days in part.
It's a rabbit hole. She's right. Yeah. So he writes poorly. It's my point. So
okay. I will see if I can remember. In fact, I will say I mean, it's what we're doing, but I get it. It's very wordy, very yeah. I get it. Yeah. We're paid by the word. So there we go. Put into English. So we're learning three thirteen. They said we may need more specifics. So you wanna guess? More specific guidelines. Yeah. Samples, ma'am? Yep. Great.
And how is that different from, like, the two thousands of what your duties are listed in? I'm sorry? How is that different than the two thousands language that we have on your role? What is this trying to do that those other ones are not
is what I It says in addition to what your job is, you guys can ask me to do administrative stuff. Okay. That's what this is, of which we know that. But it this is it's just in here.
Ninety three fourteen. Some of the rabbit's stools that's not even what Yeah. Another one that I just I don't like how it's written. I have a hard time reading it. K. But this one came from the newly revised. I don't know. Say it out loud and then be like, let's say an English revised another one. That other one that's poorly written. I need Robert's Rules for dummies. They're probably Okay. I'm sure they have that. It's all good. I see a Christmas present coming up. Yeah. The hundredth the family Robert's rules for veterinarians. Mhmm. Okay. Ninety three twenty. The second paragraph, obviously, is way too antiquated. Yeah. Put in virtual.
Yeah. Yeah. Like, regular meetings of the board of ed shall be held at the Andover Elementary School, and then I put and virtual because we do
and maybe virtual. I know you don't wanna stick like it always is virtual, but I think you should have something in you know, there should be something in there that I put unless otherwise agreed upon by a majority vote of the board of ed. Like, because we could we could agree to have it in the town hall. We could agree to have it in the community center. An emergency could cause us to go to library or something. So
On on that second one? No. On the regular The third paragraph? Yeah. So I think their point on this one, though, Sheehan, is legal. The board shall establish annually the dates for their regular meetings No. No. No. No. No. First sentence. I know. And file a schedule with the town clerk prior to January 31. We're required to do that. If there's any change that's made to where we tell them, for example, it's gonna be, it it can be noted that it then has to be a special meeting. So it has to be a special meeting if we don't have it here. It can be. I can see if something changed with the fact that since 2020 with virtual options. But when you put out that calendar at the start of the year, the law says that's your regular meetings. That's what you've decided. And so that somebody has notice of your whole year's plan, if you make an alteration, then it's supposed to not be your regularly scheduled meeting. So, Shannon, I will find out if in fact there is a difference now that we had those changes to legislation about, you know, going remotely.
K.
So there's possible that that's the reason is because the public is entitled to have your schedule for the year. And the schedule is one thing. I think location Yeah. Virtual is separate. Yeah. So we can find out legally if that is. So electronic board of education meetings is 9321.
Like, it should be in policy right after this. So, really, we need to look at examples of that and then modify this so that it's not like Yeah. Because, like, shit about that. I mean, what if something like this like, something happened and we if we just put up a notice that it's here you know, it's not here. It's over there. I would absolutely check this one. Yeah. So but then to have it be a special meeting that changes everything.
So then for the second paragraph, you're saying, like, we shall give notice on the school website, or what it what is it going to I just took the whole thing out.
Like, the entire thing gone? No. I That we're not giving notice. Rewarded.
I mean, it says any change but it says any change in such schedule shall be provided in writing to the town clerk. Oh, I'm at the bar graph above that. Oh, okay. Where, like, someone has to request
So good. You know, but I think I took the whole thing out.
We're talking about two different things. You have to you have to send in a notice that you want to receive the notice, then that has to get mailed to you. I got rid of all that. I'm just saying it should still say we shall give notice of our meetings.
What paragraph are you on? Yeah. The second paragraph. The board of shall give notice by mail. Notice, it says by mail. Shouldn't it's still saying that we should give notice. Who has filed a request, you gotta read on. There's gotta still be a legal requirement?
Yes. That's that's what I'm asking. Is there's a legal Oh, that's the whole thing out. Whole mumbo jumbo. There's gotta still be a legal requirement. You made a living on it, Chase.
So I created mumbo jumbo. That's why. Okay. Number one at the bottom of the thing, I think there shall be written email notice of the meeting to each board of education member,
not a written notice of the meeting delivered to your home. Yes, we We don't need that anymore. We may not need it. It could just say written notice. Right. Just gonna say notice.
Yeah. So I I'll get the update for you. I don't wanna deliver to my home.
I'm a hand deliver. Thank you. Right. That's important. Wanted a Safety carrier. Carrier. Yes.
Michelle. And I think on the second page, we could take out emergency. So all meetings of the board of education, regular and special, shall be open to the public. Because emergent there are only two kinds of meetings according to page one. Yeah. Anything we can take out emergency? Yeah. With the with the exception of executive sessions. Right.
So all the meetings of the ward of ed, comma, regular and special, comma, shall be open to the public with the exception of executive sessions. Just wouldn't an emergency meeting be a special meeting? Yeah. No. I will double check because
Eric and I know where Eric's going with this. There may be a guideline that says without twenty four hours notice in the event of an emergency, you can have a meeting. So so then if he's right, there may still be, you know, some stipulation that says right without twenty four hours notice. So you just say But isn't that an electronic notification shall be open to the public with the exception of executive session and just get rid of the naming types? We'll check and make sure. We'll check. Yeah. You might have to name them. But,
yeah, we'll check and make sure. Because I think the electronic meeting is gonna get into the 9321 too. So what we're gonna have to add
Yeah. The policy we're gonna have to have. Yeah. And then and then once we add that, it'll help you, like, modify this one. Okay.
Okay. How about at least twenty four hours prior to the time of the regular eating? Again, this shall be posted on the school's website. This would be great and on the town's website. Right. Oh, I'm on ninety three thirty. Thing at me. It's an Oreo.
It's an Oreo? Oh my god. Was soap. Oh my gosh. Soap. I thought I thought it was those compressed towel. You know the, like, the Yeah. Yeah. The blow up sponges? What? Then I punched him. I was like, it doesn't squish like a towel. I don't know what is it. Stop. What did you water, Caitlin? It's just happening. Smelling it. I'm like, what did she do? Oh, she thought it was clogged. I get it. Okay. I'm sorry. She thought it was a towel. 9323. Yes. Holy guacamole.
Well, 9321 too. We're gonna just get templates on that for electronic meeting. Okay. Great. Okay. And then 9323, the second paragraph, at least twenty four hours prior to the time of the regular meeting, the agenda shall be posted on the school's website and on the town's website would be awesome.
And take everything else out. I I just put on the paragraph above, I put any member of the board of ed may call the superintendent. And I put or and or chair and request any item to be placed on the agenda because the chair and the superintendent work together to formulate the agenda. So I just thought maybe by adding and or chair, it's just one one more person that you can call to request an item to be placed on the agenda. Great point.
Yeah. And then we'll just have to look at what it says in terms of online posting. Yeah. Yep. Yep. Ninety three twenty five. So they would like us to include time limits on speaking and behavior. And the behavior restriction. Excellent. Although I don't know how we're supposed to
limit behavior if it's virtual, but we just cut them off, I guess. I'll get wording for you because usually, it's two minutes or five minutes depending on what I've seen. So I will get wording for you. On this one? Yeah. This is a participant. Maybe 25. I like how it's one symptom. Is. Yeah. Like to know we started
after 10:30 for what we're gonna Yeah. Is that? That's because Yeah. I should've I I put down earlier than 10:30. Twenty five point four.
Oh, point four. Sorry. We're on twenty three still. We're still on twenty three. Okay. Anyone have anything on the point three?
Ninety three twenty five point three? The yeah. No new topic will be started after 10:30. I've seen it like that. It's like that. Yeah.
Like, earlier than that. Yeah. K. Are we actually changing it? I think so. I don't know. But it's yeah. 08:30?
Well So we can go to 09:50. Yeah. So So I was gonna say you either have to put a time in or you gotta take it out because the one above it says and on our agenda, you know how it always says two thirds vote? Right. And I think we're gonna take Yeah. Say we're gonna put it on there at the start of a meeting.
Add it to the agenda, so we have to address it. So we kick it out. Okay. Yeah. Just take it out. We'll do that one in honor of Celeste. I think the board meets.
6AM. Ninety three twenty. That is definitely not Celeste. I said what? Go on local. The porn's 4. 9320. 534. Yeah. Said we want to invalid.
Oh, yeah. That's fair. Problem with it. They did. Why? And then they went to roll calling They did. Every meeting. Yeah.
Oh, shall reflect have each board member again? Yeah. It's But
it does. If we do seven zero zero, it reflects So it doesn't really make sense. Unanimous. I The only time it matters is if we elect somebody,
and we've done that where we Or show what it for. I mean, it would also matter if if, like, four people say yes, two people say no, one person abstains.
Right? But they but they but they wanted they wanted saying, like, you know,
you know, Shannon abstained, you know, like, the role call. I don't think that's necessary. So this one was one of the ones that they put in here would benefit from a national policy language. So let's get some additional language and see what you guys like. Okay.
Okay? Yep. Yeah. And then, also, my question would be, like, does the town charter say something that anything about it? Yeah. No. Don't make sense. It does not. 9327. My note on that was replacing electronic mails, electronic
communications. In general, electronic. Yeah. I also there's something is it was it in this one where it's like, if you don't have a computer, we can get Yes. Yeah. It will be And a modem? You'd be updated. Yeah.
Should I take this? We can So, like It's AOL. I'll I'll get you an updated one.
I just have AOL. The district's technology specialist. That's missus Fraser. Christina. Okay. 9330. I had a question about the 50¢ per page and the fee exceeding the cost to the school district for someone asking for paper copies of paper. Need to update that one too. Uh-huh. Like like, are we allowed to update it to say just electronically provided?
So drives. So I'll look at an updated one because I know there's laws just like with FOIA when somebody makes request. Yep. The actual law says that you can charge. So I'll get you an updated one on this one just to make sure that whatever you guys choose doesn't conflict. $93.50. Public hearing. Same time. Good?
Self evaluation. I had questions on this in terms of timing because the times that it states are not what we have done. Yeah. Traditionally, we've we've done it in, like, July or August. Right. During the summer. Yeah.
So are we allowed to change that? Is there some legal implication? Have we just not been following the law correctly? Or because otherwise, I would say, like, May. Right? Like, schedule a date in May to report prior to, I don't know, August 31 or something.
So I will check for you because this one was actually revised by the board if you look at the bottom It was. In December 2020. Yeah. And so I just I will look back and see if it had to do with the fact that our elections Elections. Were in May. Yeah. I think so. I bet that's why. So that's probably why it had to be done by May 31. Yeah. Yep. Because it had to be done during the tenure of the then board. Right? Right. So I will get this for you and see because, otherwise, we could change the dates. No problem if they were only in here for a line to that. I think that that one, we also added the appendices.
I think that's what we did in 2020 also. Yeah. So I will absolutely Hold on. You're 9420. No worries. It's just recognition. Yeah. Yeah. K. Okay. Woo hoo. Look at us. What's that? It won't take 2,000.
Right? Oh, it won't be updated. It'll say '25. So
since there's quite a few next time for you to look at the templates on, we stick with 9 thousands right in the we'll wait till the following meeting to get another pack. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So there's a lot of Yeah. It is. And it might even be the meeting after that because there's a lot that we need to Okay. So we won't do it the next one until Yeah. The least gonna Oh, yeah. Do a new packet until Yeah. Yeah. Okay. And I was trying to give you, like Yeah. With two meetings ahead, but we'll wait because I think we have meetings left to still do this. Yep.
So the goal was six series and not nine. Yeah. Yeah. No. It's a big draw.
Okay. The last thing that we have on our agenda is talking about goals and, like, a way to measure the things that we put as goals for ourselves. So I don't know if we wanna just quickly talk about that and brainstorm, and then we could have written lists of them or revise it and vote on it next month. Yeah. Okay. So the new goals we put up at the top of the agenda so everyone can see them. We said elevate academic and social emotional growth for all students. So what are measurable ways that we can do that? I
had a couple ideas. Mhmm. Establish classroom size guidelines based on or evidence based studies. I don't know how that goes with. Okay. How the doctor
I I don't know. I I guess that's not where my head was with what this one was.
But I think you have to separate the academic and social emotional. Well, yeah, in terms of, like In in terms of you're setting the elevator, know, increase the progress shown academic So the for all students, and then you do one for the emotional social emotional.
Right. Yeah. So we need ways, like, what are physical things that we are going to use to show whether or not we are achieving these goals. So, like, one example for academic would be look at what I Ready testing in the fall and compare that data with I Ready or as back in the spring. Right. Yep. Could you use some of those surveys?
Surveys is just Okay. That's where I was going with that, with the surveys. Just the specifically how you you know, you're gonna check-in more, you know, and then kinda depending on what comes back, you know, dig a little deeper. So I think that those definitely those those surveys. If you have a social worker,
and you also look for work through social worker. Now he or she use, the progress could be huge in terms of their emotional
I had a question in in terms of academic progress. How often are they taking those three times? And, honestly, I feel like as a board, we only ever look at that in the fall. We look at the year before. So is it possible for us without giving student data, like, to look at it in the middle to see, like, as a whole. Right? Not even by grade, but, like, as a whole, like, how much have we moved forward.
Yeah. I would say you probably wanna look at it by grade, but yes. Yeah. Yeah. That's what we do certainly as a school. So just so, like, us as a board having that shared with us more. And and next month when I do the beginning of the year data, you can see the format that I share it in, if that makes sense and how I would show it to you in the same way. Yep. So then that would be October. When else?
So our midyear benchmarking, some is in December, some is in January. Just kinda so probably
you probably wanna go February. So February? Yep. Because I don't know we've all been done all of it in January. Which is probably why we haven't done it because that's Feels like budget. I
know. I mean, June as well. I the problem is I can't report out because unofficial summative scores to you in June. July. I can't do it till I'm doing it now. This would have been the earliest. It is now public. You could see it. So with with the way our budget is now,
that's done by February. Right? We're done in February. So what if we had said March? However, I wouldn't even put a date on it because
so your purpose here is to strategize, and and Eric started to say something that you said establish. And I think the key is continue to support. Because I know where you were going with that idea of I'd like to support x, y, and z, so why don't we have a certain number of students? And that part, I think, is less realistic than my goal was so that we can support. So your measurables there, you just talked about comparing that data three times a year. There's three natural times anyways that you're gonna look at that data. Start of the school year to drive your goals. Mid year. Mid year to drive your budget. End of year. And end of year to drive your evaluation.
So we just say three times And I think there's other data we can look at end of year just can't it will be SBAC. Right. Because we don't like to double test kids. I don't do I Ready in May just when they're doing SBAC. So it would just be DIPPLES. It would be more k three
at the end of the year because I'm gonna share free tips. Are your measurable means. Yeah. What about for social emotional?
We use my surveys. Like, she was You do the surveys Yep. Multiple times. We haven't, but we're going to as I talked about. So that's new for us. And
I think that that gives you something measurable then just by nature there if you're utilizing them to see in driving the goals Yeah. In driving the budget and in driving the evaluation.
I I think I mean, you brought up class size. Maybe not I think I feel like it's really big guns to to state, like, instituting, like, a massive anymore. Yeah. Class size. But I will say for myself prior to the end of budget season last year, like, I went and looked for a comparison of class sizes for Marlborough and Hebron just to see, like, how large our classes were comparatively to the kids, like, when they go. So I think maybe, like, addressing that, talking about it more
because there are differences. Is there are differences. The danger is this is why a lot of districts get away from it Mhmm. Is because there are other factors. Right? What does 28 or 29 look like when all you have is a teacher and a part time psychologist? What does it look like in another district when you have 28 in a class and you have three interventionists, two parents, and a teacher that work with those 28 kids? Mhmm. So that's the tough part is, is it 28 kids? Is it 28 kids? Like Yeah. We traditionally here, in my tenure here, we have been, I don't wanna use the word understaffed, but we have not had the privilege because our numbers have been down of having some of the support staff that they do have in our neighboring communities. For example, we talk about enrichment, and that's gonna be a goal. Taylor talked about that earlier. There is a full time enrichment teacher in Hebron.
That's all they do is is invention convention and STEM and enrichment. That's it. That's their job. When we talk about, you know and and other communities as well. So when we talk about, for example, what would that look like for us here, we don't have that luxury. Maybe someday we will, but it is for us right now. Our class sizes are actually larger than theirs. Right. And so we we we we wanna be a little careful about using a number. Because if you use a number, you know what I mean, by itself remember, even last year during budget season, I I said the year before, we were able to do that. It wasn't easy on the teachers, but we were able to maintain that number. Based on the data that we had moving forward to the twenty five school year, we knew it wasn't reasonable. So we had to split them. It just wasn't reasonable. So I I I do think that you guys looking at that data three times a year will naturally drive those things. Yeah. Drive
the rest of those decisions. Yep. Okay. So that's probably enough for Yeah. The whole point. Yes? Yeah. Develop additional communication strategies to reach community members with clarity. This brings up question of Facebook or other distribution methods, not, like, interactive, but just posting for informational. Is that something that we should have? I have personally thought for many years that we should, and we never have. Or do we try to distribute that in other ways? My salary is over $4.11.
That's undermined. That's immeasurable for me. Because that is It is. But how are we how
are we getting that to people that are not parents? Correct. Because we're not right now. Right? Like, you guys got it, but Right. Was, like, a specific thing.
I'm with you. I think a Facebook page for the school would be helpful. Yes.
For the school? For the board For of Yeah. The board of Yeah. Okay.
So we could you could post that stuff. You could post the four one ones. You could post, you know, what whatever budget meetings, you know, something like that. I I think it would I think it would be helpful.
So then we need to flush that out a little bit more. Are there any other but I think we could put that as a measurable goal, like, having an informational BOE Facebook page. Yeah. Yep.
Are you on a board chair listserv for Kate? Yeah. Can you kind of flush it out with them and find out how many have it and if they do? Yeah. I went to last year at the
the CE meeting, I went to one that was specifically just about that, and it was about fifty fifty, like, in that breakout session. And people were talking about, like, the pros and cons, and it seems like most of the cons were people who had it open for comment Yeah. And then got into discussions instead of just posting information. So I I like, very clearly, I think it needs to be just posting information. No comments. No comments. Correct. I agree. Just distribution. That's it. Just for your information, we're having a meeting or, you know, you're you know, whatever. But Here's this video. Thank you. That's it. Are there other methods of communication that help get our information across more clearly that we aren't currently doing? Well, you guys are younger.
So I'm familiar with Facebook, but I think maybe you should be doing TikToks. I
am not of that generation. Yeah. No. I don't think I know. I don't think there's anybody on the board that is Gen Z here. No. No. And I don't think the very The the people that you wanna reach are on TikTok either. Yeah. Maybe Instagram.
But you just say it. A reason. They like TikTok. I mean, they like Funny. Funny. Employees about it because they're all that generation, but I I think that's gonna help us with community. Oh, I think the Facebook page is is where channel. My my question was, are there other ways to engage the older generations in our town that wouldn't access this stuff on a social media platform that we aren't currently doing? Is there a way to have your videos accessible for
like, can you play them at the senior luncheon? Or Yeah. I don't know if they would want us taking over their senior luncheons. However For four minutes. However, I am going to I will be working again with the Test. Yeah. With Test. We're gonna have a meeting actually on another matter. Yes. Yeah. Back. Oh, good. So the other thing is this year, I'm gonna be back in Right. Doing the side corner. He can't keep out of range. Okay. Yeah. So if there's anything that the board wants in there, I'll be able to put that in there. So
you know? And and and maybe this is something you're gonna talk to Easton about, but I'm are you gonna have some kind of four one one link on our the on the right. On the school website. So so I think another way communication wise is just website. Website. Website.
Because to be honest, like, in our our education part, like, BOE part of the school website is way better than what it used to be, but it still kind of really sucks. Yep. Really? What is there a particular thing? The fact that it's just, like, a list of a million things, I I just I aesthetically, like, it's not nice to look at or to access or to find things super easily.
Maybe that's just my own I would just need very I just would need clear direction
I can on that page, because I was not it was not really on our website list, but no. But it can't be, but to rearrange it. So if there's something specific you guys I have some PTO suggestion. I have a team. Yes. PTA. Gotcha. Yeah. Or to bet I just yeah. But we I can I can write down specific suggestions, and it's not about content so much about, like, layout and accessibility or organization? Yeah. Let me know. I also would really like to somehow be able to update the information that's on the town website? Yes. I know we don't have control of it, but we get a lot of feedback from people who say they can't find things because they're only looking on the town website.
And it the information that's on there is not correct. Right. But I think the town website links links our website. I know. Like, so if they can't I'm I'm with you, Caitlin. I know. But that's that's they gotta figure that out. But I'm sure that there's a there is a link that links us. You you can link back to the school website. There is. But I can actually work with Tess Yeah. And say, hey. When you send out your newsletters
There's a newsletter. You can put something on the bottom that says, hey. If you wanna know what's going on at the school, here's how you'd find out and put our Yeah. Link there. Yeah. So I'll talk to her Friday about that. I'm sure she'll be open to that. Because there is a newsletter. There is They do. She has a newsletter. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. My mother-in-law gets it in Columbia and, like, knew about events at our community center that I had no idea about. It's awesome. I'll ask her Yeah. If that's okay Yeah. With her. I mean, obviously, they they they control that. Yeah. Yeah. I will request.
And then you're gonna do the superintendent's corner. And there's also a very nice article on River East. I hope you guys all got the chance to read it. So I was gonna bring up the River East. Is there an opportunity,
Valerie? I don't know if your counterparts do this with their chairs, but to do a quarterly or semiannual,
like, little write up? Yeah. Last year was the only time I didn't have it in all four times. Right. But, yes, it's called the Superintendent's Corner. So they let us do it correctly, and it's called superintendent's
corner is what they're allowed to put. So it has to be from before. Yep. Okay. I just didn't have four in last year. You know? Yep. So this drag I definitely guys did see it, there was a great article that was on, like, the first page of our program, which is really awesome. So
okay. Good with communication? I had one more idea. No. Think about it. So I know the town usually does their ordinance meeting in the spring prior to the budget, usually. I'm putting out a feedback that the town would like to know more information about the school, whether that's budget or just So they should come to our meetings that we already have scheduled. I understand that, but they don't. This is an avenue where people are in the room, and it would just be a here's the state of the school. Hi.
Not with that meeting, but just held afterwards. I just wanna put that out there as a way you have a 150 people in that room to be able to communicate your Would you hold it afterwards or before? Because sometimes those drag on for a long time talking about, like, how much we're gonna charge people to pick up dog poop if they leave at a soccer field. That's right. But, yeah, you can do before.
Yeah. I mean, I do think it's a good way to meet people where they are because It is. It is. I would just say maybe do it before because if it's just an overview Yeah. Like, we can have it be a set amount of time. Yep. But it it's a captive audience, potentially. Yeah. Yeah. Mm-mm. Trying to get the word out. The other thing that I would like to try to achieve is and it may not be possible, but for our town budget meeting for us to actually have a seat at the table if they want us to be participating in the meeting Mhmm. Which did not happen this year despite asking for it. And then there was feedback from town members that they didn't have information available to them in in paper format, which should have been supplied.
Wasn't Right. They had enough the first week. Was the first one. Second week. So I didn't because that was a So maybe just, like, us being more
pushy about those things occurring. Yep. Right. The next one does not require discussion. Update a six six policy manual. We're doing it. We're doing it. Continue to do it. Yes. It it Put it keep it on the agenda. Put the Nike swish. Yes.
And then process for updating a one, five, and ten year capital plan on a yearly basis. I like it.
So so we're creating a process to update it? Or that that's where I'm getting, like so what are we looking to do then? We're creating a process to update it?
Yeah. Like, I think we need to have specifications for when it gets updated, who's involved in the process, when do we present it What's on it. What's on it? Like, how specific is it? Like, what a page is it? Right? In in order of importance. Or Yeah. Yeah. Yep. And I feel like to figure that out because there's no good example from our town, we need to possibly look at other school districts or other towns and see like, for a town that's maybe similar in size to us or relatively similar, like, what do they do? What could we follow? Good benchmark, basically. Yeah. Right.
Sounds excellent. I would Let's do it. I have I
think there was also a discussion last time of looking at what Sally. Sally. No. Right. So I'd I mean, I'd I'd also like to see that. Just see that document. You got that stuff. And I didn't. Was it was the one that just has the
the costs on there. Yeah. We just none of us have seen it or maybe Yeah. Just to see it. Maybe Shannon has seen it. Or should Jerry's seen it. The rest of us have not seen it. Yeah. I saw emails it. She's been out all week. No. They will start filling up. Didn't start.
But she wants Carrie and I were members of Star. Yeah. But to get eyes on that would be helpful. Yeah. Yep. I thought you said that. I'm sorry.
So I think in terms of, like, seeing that old one and then That might help. I mean Comparing to other towns relative to our size. Yep. Is there a timeline with which when we would want to maybe do that by, like, to put it on the agenda at some point? Is there anyone that's interested in maybe looking into that further? I can I mean, the only I I I work with the board chair of Talend, but that's not comparable in size? No. But it could be But I can certainly ask him what Sure. What it looks like. What they do. You know? They're a little bigger. They're a lot bigger. But What other towns are relative that we should be looking at? Or maybe that's where we need to start. It's like, what are the towns that are reserved? Example. Yeah. Yes.
That that's where we'll start. Okay. Scotland, do you guys have anything up in Scotland that you do? I told you there's a town plan. Okay. Ours is added to theirs. So, like, that's a good together. So maybe there's be Yeah. There's no town plan. No. I understand that. But Scotland had maybe look at Scotland's and just see what that looks like and then kinda go from there.
It's very basic Yeah. Because we share an account. Right. So it's like, okay. So how much money do we have? What are we buying? What are we Right. But it's a it's a start. Right? It's a start. So I would say so then I have one other one. So start. Like, I feel like we should look at it for six. It's a start now. Right? We've never had one. So Let's try to look at, like, five. Okay. So maybe for for next meeting Yep. Like, if everyone can try to look, and we could try to see, like, what are maybe those five towns. Yeah. We're for towns that have the general same demographics. And what potentially.
Yeah. We're looking at budgets? Are we looking at No. Just at population? Just at a capital. Oh, in terms of, like, what makes them similar? Mhmm.
Or you wanted just the capital? Yeah. What do you want us to bring to the next meeting?
How about how about just schools that have a capital plan that you could fund? Okay. Because I don't I feel like that's probably not gonna be that easy to actually find. Okay.
I guess we'll And what it looks like. Alright. But that's a place to start. Right? Right. Yeah. But, yeah, if you can have her email us what Yeah. What Sally's was. Oh, yeah. What Sally. Yep. And then we'll try to see let's just try to see everyone try to look and see what we can find. Mhmm. Okay. K. Anything else? Eric, do have other thing? No. I'm good. K. Okay. So
we're all good with goals and how to measure them for now? Yeah. Okay. Excellent. K. I like that some of them are very easy to measure. Did we update sex, or did we not update? That's why it's not. Right. That's why I did it. Yeah. Good. We're up to comments from the public on agenda items. And do you have any comments for us tonight?
No. I'm trying to think about if I can find out if there's a plan from the town. I'm asking Eric.
Yeah. Because it would be nice to model it after. I've seen where he put out a list, just a little project summary for December 2024 is what it was dated, and he puts the school stuff in with his.
Right. That list that we had come up with of our three things. Yes. That was just added to there. Yeah. Which is generally speaking, what I'm saying, it happens in towns. Right. Right. It's like yeah.
Okay. But he's still looking for something for you. Okay. Okay. Alright. Jenna Goldrick? I am all set. Thank you. Thank you. Kim?
Hi, Caitlin. I actually do have a comment. In your enrollment report for the packet, you mentioned that you have 62 children in the pre k program. But at your last meeting in August 2025, you said you have 68. Can you clarify that? Yeah. I'll answer that for you. In preschool, as we've mentioned before, there are students that have spots reserved for them, but they haven't had their birthday yet. And so those Andover residents that are coming to us either from the birth to three program or the parents are holding them till that birth date, they are part of that number that Taylor's been reporting. They just may not be seats in the building until their birthdays. Okay. Can you update this, though? Because it says you have 68. They're not nope. Technically, they're not enrolled yet. So until they're enrolled in our system, we can't put that on that official document that says enrollment summary. We can just continue to report to you that since they're anticipated, that's what we have as our unofficial number so that we don't fill those spots with somebody else since it's already their spot. Mhmm. Okay. Thank you. You're welcome. Jenny Moran?
Thank you to all of you for plugging away into almost 10:00 at night to get things updated and things presented well and clear. Thank you. Christina Fraser? No comments. Thank you.
Thank you. Anyone have any other action items that we did not talk about? I do not. Our next board meeting will be October 8. Items for the next meeting, we talked about SBAC Yep. And and DeVos probably rehashing out specifically our our goals regarding the capital stuff in terms of, like, which other towns. Yep. And then relooking at the 9,000 series? Yep. Anything else?
Do an update on Horton and Taylor's strategic plan. Okay. Anyone have anything else? I think that's it. Left. Alright. May I make a motion to adjourn? Second. 947. Alright.
And we have cupcakes for Caitlin's birthday, which was this week. Alright? Yes. Happy birthday.