Meeting transcript
BOE Meeting
May 13, 2026 · Watch on Zoom · All meetings
You got it. Okay. We're repeating.
It is 07:02 on May 13, and we're calling to order the regular meeting for the Andover Board of Education. Thanks. We'll start with the pledge of allegiance. We do have a fair amount of people here tonight. We did have our annual, I don't know, social social
time meet and greet with the teachers, which is always enjoyable for all of us. In terms of an opening statement, if you have public comment, just try to keep it to a few minutes or less. We're gonna try to have a not super long meeting tonight. And for May? Okay. Tonight. I'm gonna butcher your name. Okay.
Grace. I'm all set. Jenny Morell, and just another thank you to all of you who just do so much for our school, and we appreciate beyond just snaps. Mhmm. You. Jamie, Tilda, Bailey. And, again, thank you all for all you do as a parent and a staff member. I appreciate you all tremendously. That's accept that 100% on. Sarah, goodness. Melissa, do you have any comment? Ask him. Yeah. No. I'm good. Thank you. Doris Maldonado?
Good evening. I wanted to thank doctor Bruno on her her latest accomplishment, and thank you all. I wanted to also invite you, to a community conversation that the ERC, the Early Roots Collaborative, is having virtually on June 8 from 06:30 to to six 06:00 to 07:30. And it's required registration is required, and information will be posted. It's for early inter early routes, zero to five, families, children with, from zero to five, and we're gonna be discussing with the communities of Andover, Lebanon, and, Hebron and see what's working and what's not and how we can help as a community. Thank you. Liz? I'm okay for now. 10%? I'm all set. Thank you. Okay.
I'd like to do some public speak if I can just quickly. I'll try to be clear as quick as possible. Are you actually gonna be quick? Yeah. I'm gonna Okay. I'm gonna time you. Three minutes. Right? Yeah. Okay. On Monday, I received an ethics complaint from board of education member. I'm sure other members of that are sitting up here knew about this going out. But, anyway, I actually took oh, and and by the way, it was dismissed. So in the same envelope, I got the complaint which related to the letter that I sent out to the community, and I also got the dismissal of the complaint from the state board of acts, just so everybody's aware. I kinda have a problem, like and I've said it last night. We have to be able to descend to get to a right part. You may not agree with what I'm asking about. I may not agree with what you're asking about, but we do have to work together. But I look at this as targeting
and, you know, it's the you're attempting to squash total distint. And you're not gonna it's not gonna work on me. It's worked on other people. It's worked on other board members. It's it's it's it's been successful. We've been successful with it, but it won't work on on me. And I told you, Caitlin, that I didn't wanna file any, freedom of information requests, but I decided to reverse that course. So I'm gonna give you three requests for information directly to you as the chairperson because you as the chairperson and you guys as a board do manage the superintendent, not the opposite way around. Alright? So I'm gonna give them to you, and I'm gonna ask and hope that they can sit there and and and get provided to me so that I can sit there and look at some of the details. I was gonna go over them, but I'd rather do it as I'd rather just let your board meet, but that's why I had to come today. I didn't have to come. And and please also understand, my wife's an educator,
twenty five years as a teacher. I'm not negative toward the school. I have issues related to the amount of money in the budget that's been presented and the lack of willingness to work together. That's my problem. Right? And I focus on the pre k simply because I asked you last night. You guys provide a phenomenal program. You have you have, certified teachers in those classrooms. Right? The teachers do a phenomenal job. You could raise the tuition. And you keep saying that we're gonna mandate pre k in 2027. I hope we all understand who our president is, and he ran on the that he was gonna fund it, and he's already backed out of it. So it's not gonna happen, at least in my vision. And if we wait another year, we've lost all that opportunity for revenue.
That's Okay. So you got I I will correct you on one thing. Yeah. And you're you're exactly doing that, so good job on that. Yeah. The the mandatory pre K that starts in 2027,
it is not from the federal level. That is from our state. And I hope they fund it because they're gonna lose a lot of money as well. I was with the governor today, and I do believe he plans on doing that. I hope he funds it.
K. Did you wanna give those to me now or at the end of the meeting? Let's give them to you at the end of the meeting. Did I miss anyone for public speak? No? Okay. So we'll move on. In terms of communications, we do have to celebrate our superintendent tonight. She did complete We don't have to. We're choosing tonight. Well, I will. Oh, too. And and we should because it's a huge accomplishment. She did complete her PhD, which is a giantly EDT. I like it better be a doctorate, And we're really proud of you. I mean Thanks. This card for you. Thank you, Laurie. Do you guys have any other student celebrations? We
do, actually. Taylor's not here. She had a professional development today and then another program for for her children tonight. Of course, we let her out every month for that. I'm glad missus Lutzka's here because our region did very well with the Invention Convention and the end of elementary school. We may be the smallest of the three in the region, but all three of us in the region have representatives that are getting awards at a state level for invention convention. Wow. That's a good We have two in Hebron, two in Marlborough, and we have one here. Somebody Not really. Last year, Lataska, that will be on behalf of the Endeavor Elementary School receiving an award. They don't tell you what award it is yet, but we're so proud of them. We're so proud of the school and all the staff that helped with that program. It's not only done at home, but it's also done in school too. So we are very proud of that.
That's great. Congratulations. When is the?
The what's the date? It is the thirtieth. May 3. Okay. So Any other celebrations that we missed? No? Okay.
So we'll move on to approval of minutes. So we have the regular meeting minutes from April 8.
Well, I'll make a motion to approve, the minutes from the regular meeting of 04/08/2026. It's all sorted.
All in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye. Six. And then we have minutes from our very fast April 14 meeting about the bathroom project. Make a motion.
It's it was I have one have something else. No. You did not oh, no. We have to make a motion first, and then you can as amended. Okay.
Well, did I don't even if was on a Tuesday. Is that true? It was on a Tuesday. On a Tuesday? Yes. Okay. Yeah. Excellent.
I'll make a motion to approve the special meeting minutes on Tuesday, April 14. Okay. I'll move this. I'll second that. Great. K. One favor.
Aye. Aye. K. We have opportunity to add or delete agenda items as written on the agenda. Does anyone have anything that they'd like to add as an agenda item? If
I need a motion during my report, do we need to add that, or can we just do it under my report? No. If we're gonna take action on that, we'll do that. We we Okay. Can you add transfers as an agenda item, please? Yep. Yep.
Is everyone okay if we add that under item seven d? Yes. Yeah. So I need to take a.
Yeah. I Okay. Bring it. Bring it there. It's action. Right. So all in favor of adding under item seven d, transfers and possible action? Aye. Aye. K. Anything else? No. Okay.
In terms of chairperson's report, I don't have a ton aside from just following what's going on with our town currently in terms of our budget failing, and it's now separated. I'm going to referendum again on the twenty sixth, I believe. Yes. We did have a town meeting last night. For those of you that weren't in attendance, I would recommend just watching the tape of it once that's posted. It it did go on for quite a while, and people asked some questions. So that's kind of where we are in terms of town stuff. I don't have anything else that's not addressed separately. Well Okay.
Jody will talk about the fact that we're finishing drawdowns. We're coming to the end of our family activities. And so we have one more left Yeah. Within the school school year. You know, we do 10 a year. We'll have some end of the year, activities that we're completing with, the after school grant, that will include something went home this week. I'm trying to put mine and Taylor's together. Back here. That will include something that Christina Fraser had sent out about anybody who wanted one of those summer books that we do, the summer enrichment books, the brain quest. I think we got about 98 responses to people that did want them for the sub. And so, I guess, tonight was meeting last night, so if anybody's interested in sending, sending that up, she might have closed it. So we have that going.
In terms of the RLE, project that we did over the summer, I have connected with them and made sure that that the paperwork is done on that, so we should be able to, expect and anticipate some of the delivery fairly soon of some of the materials. That stuff that you'll see outside where the solar stuff was. Do you remember outside in the parking lot? Yes. So as that stuff starts to come, that's for that project, the aerators, the lights, and the wrapping of the pipes. So that stuff will will start to appear magically, for that project. We did not receive DRIP funding yet. Jody and I are paying attention to the town on that for when that, money can be transferred over, those projects. Let's see. In terms of, we are actively still, interviewing, for Holly, this their special director who is a retiree. It's the same number of hours. It's the same week. We're just actively interviewing right now. Hopefully, that will be completed within the next two weeks. And even though that person doesn't normally work over the summer, you know, we should hope to have them meet you guys,
at the next month's meeting so that you'll you'll know who we have moving forward. You did share with me, but you looked into if we could cost share share a person with you, and the cost was, like, substantially more. The problem with that is we have a day and a half, and our cost for that position, it doesn't include benefits or anything like that. So if we looked at either any region or be brand new or Marlborough, the cost was more money because it's about 100 and about 150 to 180,000 in other districts. And so that was out of our price range that we need take per day and a half. So so, yeah, that lended us a little bit, but we we got a couple of really good Donna's the end of fiscal year. She is. Yeah. So if there wasn't a person that was ready to start, she certainly wouldn't walk out the door until we had somebody else. She's absolutely gonna do that. Know, we were lucky enough with Terry and Jody as well. So but we're pretty confident that we'll have somebody ready to go for July 1, so that's good. Let's see. We are still waiting on seed money from the town.
As far as after school grant goes, we will have that still again next year because the only caveat to that was that they had to come and do a visit and make sure that everything was on par status quo and that we are turning in our required paperwork, which we are. So that visit went well, and that should be for next year as well. The solar is up and making power, so, you know, we can start to collect data now monthly, which is what we'll do in the office with our bills, and start to see. And remember, they had said you need, you know, twelve to eighteen months of trend data to see where you're gonna set. So, we can start that data in June. Get your highest production. Yep. So so June's for us. The fact that it's before June 1 Yeah. We'll be able to start June 1 with, you know, full months. So that'll be exciting to watch that.
It will encourage teachers next year to do stuff like that, their math and lessons and their science classes moving forward. Let's see what else. Just a reminder too, Jody will be doing the financials, but we received 10 payments. So I am going through financials. April was our last payment for, this year. In terms of the projects that have been done, just around for regular repair maintenance, my tech was here. There was a little repair for the faucet in the kitchen that was done on the April 9. We are back to having the vegetation control outside, you know, and and our regular regular contract there that was done in April as well. Our sprinkler inspection was done in April as well. There was a lock that was replaced on trophy case that's outside the gym that that needed to be done.
Regular pest control. And the next week actually, today's the twelfth. I think it's tomorrow. The TK elevator pressure test and maintenance, will be done. That's an annual thing for us as well. So, nothing major in that department. Obviously, now this summer, we'll have a few projects that are gonna be completed. As far as the bathroom, I know that you'll have an update here, just below there. But, when we get there, we are, just waiting for the contract to be finalized, the contract. So that's that. And then when you guys get down to the bottom, before you adjourn at the end of the night, we had talked about over the summer having two meetings, perhaps having Mick Russo come to one of them as a retreat
with maybe having one of them either before the meeting or the place of the meeting or whatever, being a policy. So if you guys wanna talk about that at the end and figure out if they wanna schedule something, that would be good for us to look at dates and figure out if we wanna do that. So okay. That's it. Quick question. What was the REL, RLE, or RVL that you talked about? That night. That was the guy, the guy that came after RLE to do the Eversource incentivization project for efficiency.
Remember he and this other guy, Alex, did the No. I I remember. I I was wondering if that was did we get the guarantee that we'll Yes. Yes. K. And the board, they talked to, with that. Okay.
And then what was the other, money that you didn't receive from the town? We still have not received all our seed money. And I got that one. There was one before that. And the drip has not come in yet. But, Jody, the other one was The 2%. The 97. The $97,500. We're waiting. 97,000. From a 2% nonlapsing fund. That
So we we approve to to cover expenses for our overages in this year's budget at our last month's meeting to transfer that amount from our 2% nonlapsing. The treasurer has not written that check. She said that she needed, I believe, look at the procedure
for it last month. So this is a motion this is a motion that you guys have passed? Yeah. A month ago. Yeah. Soon.
And you said another one. DRIP. Is that DRIP, we're waiting no. We're waiting for the DRIP money. It's a state grant that but it for us, but it comes into the town account, we're waiting. Through four CT. Yeah. So so once that hits That one hasn't paid yet.
But it should be hitting in May. They've told us that Right. So I You should prepare. Exactly. I've asked Seed money seed money, drip money, and you want a 2% nonlapsing amount that you guys have motioned to cover this year's expenses? This year's expenses. Yes. Okay. Do you have anything
in here? Oh, yeah. I do. I have one more. I just got it today, so it's actually how to process it. Here. This is just do you remember we went over the audit, the 2425 audit? Yep. This is and we had their 125. Yeah. Just. Yeah.
It doesn't. Yeah. There's nothing. Yeah. The passport. So it is. I know. I don't know why it printed on that. Then I didn't wanna throw it away even though it was long because it already printed. So that's why I got the long notes the paper. Marci, I will send this to you. I just got it before the meeting this afternoon. So this was so this was when they sent us that draft audit, and we had reviewed it at the meeting. The next step is just that they send us, they've been they've been two iterations, so this is the final one. These are the recommendations. And then as you know, every year, what happens with the recommendations is is if Mahoney and Sable says that there has to be a corrective action plan, the corrective action plan then will be put together, and then I don't want that with Matt Streeter. So here, for recommendations where you can see current year recommendation, user access control, That's the town side, so there's nothing that the board needs to worry about or Julie and I on this one. Delays and difficulties providing system access to new employees. The town should establish formal procedures for administration of shared and position based email accounts. The second one was deficit and unassigned fund balances. Again, instead of something that we have to worry about with the corrective action plan for us, that's the town side. There were some unassigned fund balances, deficits as of June 30. The third one, bank reconciliations on the town side. That's for developing a formal process requiring a review and approval of monthly bank reconciliations.
That's nothing that this board has to worry about. The fourth one is town budgetary compliance. Preventative budgetary controls need to be in place and allow town officials to monitor compliance. Again, you guys don't have to worry about that. Jody and I don't have to worry about that. That's the town side. The one that Jody and I had to work on was the modifying the accrual basis of accounting. Grant revenues are currently being recognized by the school district on a cash basis. Okay. They would prefer them on a modified accrual basis. So I spoke with Michael, and I said, so help me to understand, because Jody's new. We're a team.
Is there something that we're doing wrong? And he said, no. You're not doing anything wrong. But to be more efficient, we'd like it done this way. So Jody's met with him already, and she will meet with him again. Do it the way the auditor would prefer it to be, reported. So then the last one on the next page. So what the auditor is looking to have done is it says the town and the school district each maintain their own respective purchasing policies. So we have our policies and procedures. The town has its policies and procedures. But what would make it easier for them since our policies and procedures are not the same is if we came up with one more step. So however we do something, they want us to have a shared final document where it says, this is what we did and how we did it for purchases,
purchasing whether or not we did a quote, a competitive quote, whether or not we did a proposal, whether or we went out to bid. So there's an understanding that it's different on both sides, but they would like, I say the four of us, myself and Matt Streeter, to to sit down with Jody and with Lisa and come up with a document. He sent a sample. It obviously has to be modified because there's like, it talked about Munis in there. None of us use Munis on the town side or or the school side. So at the end of the school year, we can sit down with four of us and come up with what would be, like, a shared document that the auditor would have regardless of if it's the town side or the schools. Okay. And then that would that would accompany everything? Correct. Okay. And then is that for a specific, like, a per specific dollar value and above? Or, like So we should talk about that.
The sample he sent from another town, it was something that was $5,000. But we would have to use the accompanying purchasing policy, whether it's the town side or the pool side. So, you know, I think between the four of us, we can sit down there certainly and look at all the policies and procedures and figure out what that final document will look like.
But in terms of what those policies are, like, they like, if we're trying if he wants things more
He's not trying to change the policies and procedures for the town or the school. What he would like is so that whether it's himself or anybody else at Mahoning and Sable, when they come to do an audit, they just want a mirror image of that final paperwork for them so that their job in the end is the same.
Does that make sense? So he's got a document at the end? It does. I just kind of it kinda makes me wonder if perhaps, like, our policies should be more like like, should we right? As the board of selectmen and the board of education, should we maybe look at that more?
What are those policies of for review? What section is that? Fourteen years. Been fourteen years. Well, don't worry. We're
right now. So I I know. What it does It just brings that up in my head that perhaps that's something We'll do that in the next step. Would you not agree? No. We should.
So we could make that the next section then to look at when I think we're ready to look at that. And he's gonna, I'm sure, give us Michael's great. I'm sure he'll give us multiple samples Yeah. From districts. He had put one in the email, but I'm sure he could provide us samples from other districts that he works with. So that would be great. Okay. So so, yep, that's it.
Okay. So we'll move on to financial reports. Okay. Great.
So we've already learned some of the stuff I was gonna talk about. So we're waiting for the 97,500 that the board approved last month as well as the the seed money. And that impacts I just want you to know how it impacts their the surplus. So the auditor and it wasn't a surprise, the number for 2425, the board of ed had a surplus of a 135,300 and change. 2% of that two some of that can go into the 2% nonlapsing, which but I'm not asking you to do that today, and that's for very specific reason of we need that cash. So until we get the 97,500 from the town, we need that the cash to be able to pay our expenses. Flow. Exactly. The cash flow. So we have a cash flow issue. So as soon as we get that 97,000, then I'll we'll come to the board and say, okay. The board can approve that to go into the 2% nonlapsing. And the remainder, you know, the board of finance will work with with Val and Caitlin to see how that what happens with that. And with that, so if you notice on the financial statements, we have incorporated that $97.05 as a budget line item. So we have it on paper here to see what our projected, you know, projected budget is, but we do not have the cash yet. So and so with that, I'm gonna pass these around, is I'm asking for let's see.
So next month, we'll have, you know, your typical end of the year transfers that you do every June. But since, again, we I want to allocate some of this money, the $97.05, we've put in an account. You know, I've ran this by the otter. It's the first time anybody's had to use the 2% nonlifesing that I know of. And so, anyway, it's in a contingency line item. So what I need the board's approval to get that out of contingency into these various line items. But I do want you to know things can still change, but I've just took taken the big buckets where I know we are already over or anticipated to be over. So I'm asking for 16,000 to be transferred to teacher salaries, which is classroom teacher salaries because we're short there. $55.86 to cover special education teacher salaries. Library salary, 19,539. Again, that was I think when your budget got cut and you knew you're you were gonna have to use a 2%, that was a line item that got cut even though the true projection was we've been we knew the salary. Paraeducator salary, 12,000. Teacher sub, 12,000. I'm hoping we don't have to use all of that, but at the end of the year, sometimes absences, you know, people have graduations and things like that. So I'm being off pretty conservative pretty, I think, a conservative estimate. Para subs, 4,000,
and transportation, 23,000. So a total of $92,125 in transfers, and that'll keep 5,375 in contingency for now. But, again, things will have to be transferred. There are also other line items where we'll have to transfer things. Like, for example, we have $15,000 for teachers who retire. It's their payout according to contracts for sick days. I don't anticipate we're going to need that.
We haven't heard of any retirements. I think we would know by now. But so, again, there's still some money in there that will need to be shifted. So Can I ask a question? And I I feel like all of us were like, I'm trying to go through line by line to look at this. You were for teacher salaries, you're at 16,000? Yes. But up on here, it looks like, like, negative 41,000. Am I reading that correctly?
No. It's Oh, It's the subline. You're looking at the object. Yeah. So what I had to do is those total so I had to take the individuals. So if you look below that teacher salaries, teachers, $16,002.54.
Oh, okay. Yeah. I had to break it up by the individual line items. Okay. Okay. Can I ask a question? Is this in the packet that's online? Because I never got my information. This is not.
Why would it be This is not because I just ran a payroll, and I've been paying bills, and I really wanted to bring the most up to date information to the board. Did you get it today, or did you Just now. Right now. Oh, I didn't get I got this part. This is what you're getting. Same thing. Can you screen share that? K. Can
I can we does somebody have Marcy's can someone take her insurance back to your credit?
Then then I'm missing. Where were you referencing the negative 41,000 on this? I was on the summary and a few of them in detail.
Summary. I'm I'm just this sent in Yeah. In the packet. In the packet. K. Page 10, I think if you're on. I just sent it to you. Okay. Email or text?
Text. Thank you. Any other questions? So, yeah, just because I'm not looking line by line. The transportation, is that for student transportation,
or is that Yeah. That's the regular transportation line for students. So, again So not special ed, but for students because of what happened with the bus and gas and whatnot. I think it just wasn't, again, an area that because you got cut, it it it was, like, taken from that line item even though we knew that Okay. It was gonna that didn't match the actual bus costs. Okay. Thank you.
But I do see that we are over special ed transportation this year, which I don't think we cut from. I think it was just the last one. Right? No. And that's probably just from an increase in gas actual well, that and specialized transportation.
Yeah. So we're yeah. So $505,100. And that's why I'm saving, like, the little transfers Oh, sure. Right, for for later, but that is a little bit it's encumbered $21,000.
Isn't it? Sure. Yeah. So I I I do have a question. So you had a budget last year of $4,565,006.09 69. Mhmm. And you're if I'm reading this correctly and the the motion to take out of the 2% lapse, and you're gonna be $92,000 over budget? No. No. Wait. So sorry. We've already had the so I know you made the motion. I'm just asking, is this on top of the $4,500,000?
So the budget Yeah. Is this year's 4,500,000. Yes. Yeah. And then, yes, there was a a board motion in my our our request K. To have $97.05 transferred from the 2%. So, yes, this is now in addition to the 4,500,000.
So the total spend for this school year will be $460,000,050,000. Whatever. Add the budget plus the 75, the $97.05.
Yeah. It's roughly a $100,000 over what the budget was.
Is the, library salary what did we change? Did we not know something was gonna happen? Why was it not in the budget?
As I said, I wasn't I'll let I wasn't here. So I We have to cut specific line items from the budget when our budget was cut at the town meeting that passed a referendum. And some of those line items that we cut, we knew it would still be over what we cut the line item to to make the budget.
I mean, I know you have the 2% nonlapsing, but have you gone to the board of finance, and have you gone to the auditor to verify that that's acceptable?
You can use It's acceptable by state law. I mean, state law that the 2% nonlapsing at the discretion discretion of the Board of Education can be used for any educational expense. So Right.
So you so these are items that got cut from the budget, but we still spent them? I'm confused.
Yes. Like, we still had to spend them in order to have the school functional. So why did you cut them from the budget?
Because the town cut our budget, and that was what passed at referendum.
And so you chose not to make any of the difficult decisions to reduce the amount of spending?
I'm not sure what you mean by that, sir. Exactly the question. You
you had a budget that the town passed. The voters passed it. Correct. Right? And the board of education decided not to make any of the cuts and spend that money. So you're over budget. Yeah. And you're
over budget because we couldn't make cuts to compromise the education of the children in this town.
You know, my wife's a teacher, and I know if my if my my wife had her budget cut very many times, and they all made it work. So I'm just I mean, listen. I am I am the first step in line. I'm not even on the board of finance, but I I have to sit there and speak for the residents. You chose honestly, you chose not to to manage to the budget that the town gave you. You chose to spend what you didn't get.
I mean, and you weren't here, so don't I'm not gonna say it's like having a savings account. I mean, so the board had the very responsible spending, and that enabled them to put money in the 2% nonlapsing and and able when they saw the need to keep the budget intact for the students,
said we have money. It's like a person using their savings account. And so So the same like, this is like you can't have your cake and eat it too. Like, we've gotten reprimanded and and told that we were doing the wrong thing when our superintendent got grants that saved us hundreds of thousands of dollars that we were under by. So now we're being reprimanded and told we're doing the wrong thing for our budget being over so that our kids are educated in the way that they need to be, and we're spending money effectively to allow that to happen. So I don't
I I I can only tell you you need, as a board, to manage to the budget that you're provided regardless of what it is. Regardless if you don't get an increase this year at all, you need to educate the children within the amount of money that you get. And you chose not to last year. That's a problem.
Right? Well, Jeff, that's our choice. No. It is. No. It is our choice. Go ahead. Thank you. That is your choice. It is. It is your choice. And the rest of the community the rest of the community needs to be aware of it. Speaking. Yeah. You can you done? Yeah. Go ahead. Great. So we made a choice that we I beg your pardon. I'm speaking. Sorry. We had obligations already to all of these people. Right? We didn't go back last year. And I think what we're speaking to very bluntly is we don't put fluff in our budget. You're correct. We went over budget. This should show you that in order to meet our obligations that we already had
contractually last year that brought about our need for the budget, that when we got cut, we didn't choose to cut teachers, cut paraprofessionals. You're right. And there's a reason for that, Jeff, because we have an obligation and a mandate to meet those contractual obligations and a special education need to provide the paraeducators that we do. So you could shake your head and sit there and say we didn't cut the way the town told us to cut. What we chose to do is to honor our contractual obligations, our need to educate the children in the way that the Board of Ed chose to do that knowing that if we in fact went over, we didn't know when we started the year that we would have our emergency fund to be able to meet those requirements. Mhmm. So
It it shows Unfortunately, we, unlike the town, don't have 1,500,000 in reserve funds.
We can't go over budget. I beg your pardon. We can't go over budget. No. I beg your pardon. We can't go over budget. Point of order because right now we're not talking about the school budget, and we're not here to talk about this year's budget right now. We're we're here right now to talk about where we're over budget from last year and to look at if we're approving these transfers on the budget order form. I don't wanna get into a discussion about the town versus the school. That's not what you're a discussion about the town versus the school. It's a question of the board of education doing its job as it was it was if the town voted on your budget,
you chose to ignore what the town voted on. We did not ignore what the town voted on, sir. Okay.
We'll let the town decide. I mean, honestly, that's that's okay. So what happens, if you go over budget? I I respectfully I know for a fact that there were so many transfers from this miraculous multi use building fund Yeah. In the last two years, Jeff, that I wondered if it was a a million dollar budget that you somehow had in this reserve fund. So please don't tell me that the town doesn't go over budget. You have $1,500,000 in reserve funds that you get to draw from that we don't have. Correct? Shannon?
Yes. You have your 2%. You're right. Yes. But we don't use it to go over budget during a fiscal year. That's not how it works. You set a budget number, and you can you can sit there and draw from contingency. You can. And and if the town and and I'm not a charter expert. But if the town went over budget, I guarantee you, I'd have to be at town meeting telling everybody why I have to use money from my reserve from the town's reserve fund to sit there and pay for something. And I will tell you based on state statute and the existence of the 2% nonlapsing, we don't need to do that. We are not I I I'm with your
I I I understand what you're saying. I'm just trying to understand what you did. Thinking about the budget transfer form. But I I just wanna add too. There there is no contingency in this budget. I've worked in many school districts. Every school district I've worked in, I'm on the board of Selectmen, was on the board of finance my own town. We had a contingency fund of of minimum of $50,000 a year. Your budget this budget is so tight, there isn't even a contingency. So in in my humble opinion, be I've only been here six months, but in my experience, that if if there was a contingency fund, that we maybe wouldn't have to dip into the 2%. But the the budgets are so low and keep getting cut that the board of ed couldn't even put a contingency fund in here. So, I mean, I think In my time on the board, we've never had one. No. So, I mean, in a lot of districts, there's a contingency.
Correct. And there's none in this budget. So to me, this is it's like using your 2% as a contingency fund. So Does anyone have Can I ask a question? Yeah. Go ahead, Mercy.
I'm I'm new, so I'm still learning about this 2% nonlapsing. And is there a original thought process for why we do this? Is it something that I under understand it's put aside in case it's needed, and I'm assuming it's because if you have a special ed child that comes in, you might need it because of the expense of it, or am I or or is it
does anybody have an answer? Way off, Marcy. You you've got the right idea. Obviously, schools deal in children, and they, you know, have children that move in, move out, get identified with special education needs. If children move in and class size gets bigger and classes need to be split and you need to hire a teacher and the budget's already established, could be an additional bus, could be a variety of reasons. So the state recognized decades ago that even though a budget is established once a year for a school district, if things change daily, weekly, with expenditures, and so, therefore, that 2%
is a statute that allows a board of education. Because sometimes even with the best of planning, you could wind up with a little bit at the end, which is great, to take 2% of your budget every year and set it aside as a contingency because we don't have another, source. In our case, yes. Some years, we'll have the 2%, and we'll have that ability to put in. And we've only had to spend it on two occasions since I've been here. This is the second occasion. And the conversation was probably just before you got on the board, Marcy, when the budget had a $160,000 cut last year. And so the board had to decide, since there wasn't a place to cut, did they want to move salary over because we still felt that it was important for children to have that additional fourth and fifth grade class. And so we knew that it would empty out, in this case, almost a $100,000 from that account,
but that was the decision. And oftentimes, is, Marcy, a decision in a district where you have a last minute special education outplacement. Could be a 100,000 or busing or something like that. So, yep, it is for the unforeseen and unbudgeted for.
I think somebody one of the select persons a long time ago had told me that that the school, if they need it, would come to the town, and the town has never turned the school down. So
That that's actually not true. I I went to the Selectmen on mostly capital things my first two years. I did go to the Board of Selectmen, when we needed to have something done to our generator, and we were denied, the money for that. And I I went for the gym when we had a lot of damage done to the, bleachers, and it was costing us thousands of extra dollars that wasn't budgeted for. And so we were just gonna get rid of the bleachers then, and then that's when the rec department, themselves, because they were the ones that used them, went back to the board of selectmen independently of us and said, hey. The school's gonna throw away the bleachers because they're broken, and they were able to fund that for the, rec department, those beautiful bleachers that are in our gym now. So that's actually we did go there a couple of times. And since then, we have just utilized, the other resources that we have.
But, yeah, if our if our 2% account was, say, it was at zero and then we got a new special ed student as an outplacement that was a $100,000, yes, we would we would go to the town. We would we would absolutely have to. Correctly. Would anyone like to make a motion? I'll make a motion. Okay. What's your motion, Jerry?
That the board vote in favor of budget transfer form that was passed out by our financials. K. And then I just have total of $92.01 25.
Yeah. $92,001.25. In terms of contingency, where the line item that that's under, it's under dues and fees. Is that correct? It's not We don't have It's no. It's weird. I don't know why it did that. I created a whole separate
code. So it's an o o it's a 900 code. Okay. And on the detailed expenditure, it's correct. But on the on the summary, it put it in dues and fees. I don't know why. It should be at the end of Yeah. So it's correct on the Oh, it is there. Okay. Yeah. So I don't know why it did that. And Okay. I didn't have enough time to be on the phone with Edmunds. So
Jerry made the motion. Did someone second? Second. And then does anyone have other questions before we vote on the motion? No? Okay. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye. Anyone opposed? Okay. Thank you. Thank you for your diligent work at trying to
make numbers As I can definitely say when I'm when I there's a button. When we're over, I have to it says you are going over on this account, and I have to override it. So thank you, because now I will not have to do that for some of these accounts because it nobody wants to do that. Right?
Does anyone have a liaison report at all? No. Okay. I just wanna reiterate, and, Val, maybe you can because I wrote this down really fast. The Early Roots Collaborative, which is the new version of SmartSearch. SmartSearch. She said the meeting is is June 8. And from six to 07:30. From six to 07:30? Thirty. Yep. And that it was a virtual meeting?
Doris, I know it's not public speak, but can you just shake your head yes or no? Is it simply virtual, or is it in person,
as well? June 8. The chairperson just asked. I'll ask her on mute. We can't see her. Yes. It's virtual only.
Okay. Thank you. And then where would someone go to sign up for that?
I will post it in the chat, and, also, there's information that's been sent to the schools and to throughout the town. It just, was sent out today. So we have a meeting on the twenty eighth, our community table with all the towns that are involved, And so we'll be sending that out hopefully by this weekend, by Friday. That'll all be, shared with the the school and the students and the towns. Great. Thank you so much. I'll post it in the chat room as well. Okay. Thank you. Thank you.
I think they have the website too. Right? They do. Might be on the website. Yeah. Yes.
Do you have anything for CFP? That's what I was saying. We did not have a meeting. No. Okay.
Does anyone else have anything, liaison? No? K. So we'll move on to bathroom project update. So and sons is who we have hired. We're still trying to flush out the finalization of the contract for that. They did intended. What's that? No pun intended. We're still planning. Yeah.
That was unintentional. Thank you, Marcy, for noticing that. To to figure out the details of that contract, but I think we're still slated for that to move forward. Yes.
They were just they weren't huge things. Eric had obviously been instrumental in the RMP. And when the contract that he utilized, it was somewhat like standard, like, municipal Yeah. One. Yeah. And when we sent it over to the attorney just to look at there were a couple things that didn't line up. Eric was great. He's like, listen. I'm not a lawyer. What our lawyer says. We also needed from Kerma. We needed some recommendations for some coverage. And had last year $25,000,000 claim, that they're still getting over where there was just a contract that wasn't quite in the favor of the client. It was too much in favor of, for what she tells me, too much in favor of the contractor. And so better safe than sorry. So our shipment attorney that would deal with these contracts is Steven Lap, and we'll have by tomorrow. But there's just some adjustment adjustments that need to be made so that we can make sure that, you know, it's good to go. And then I send it on. Okay. So,
yeah, when when Eric when I when he was helping us with the RFP, that was the biggest thing was trying to find a contract to model after, and we just we couldn't Yeah. No. It's fine. Wanted some. K. Does anyone have other questions about the Dothraene project this time? Nope. K. So we'll move on to your 9,000 serial. No. No. No. No. Yeah.
Okay. Just so we can make progress, what you got in your packets were all the nine thousands on which not very much in the way of substantive changes needed to be made. So I think I provided about 25 of them. There are about 10 more, I think, where we really have to not not only get other policies to look at that Val got to me and we got from Cade, but also really have a discussion about what we wanna include and not include as far as our policies. So this is all that I did, thematically updated the legal references. They hadn't been done since 2008, so I wanted to, like for example, civil union was still in here. Mhmm.
So got rid of that because I confirmed that no longer is an issue. In any event, so put all the changes in, and, fortunately, we're able to get it over to Diane so she could get it in your package. And the next thing, we'll do is finish out the nine thousands, thank goodness, with regard to the more substantive changes. And what may be involved in that, depending is maybe getting, different Like, versions? Yeah. I was gonna say different paragraphs because I don't think I wanna give a whole different policy, like, different paragraphs to put in or not, or different different versions of a policy. We can look at that. One of the things that we wanted to look at, that I wanted to look at is to maybe
have some issues that we can include in already existing policies. So just what I'm saying, add a paragraph here as opposed to come up with a whole new different policy. Mhmm. So the ones that are remaining are the ones where we didn't have a policy or the ones where Gabe said we had to make, significant changes to our policy. I figured just to make headway on the 9 thousands, let's get the ones that are relatively easy out of the way. Mhmm. And then we can have a substantive discussion. Okay? So everybody, I'm sure, got a chance to meet through all of them. Just because I'm looking through this, see what happens. The other thing I I wanted to do and we'll do this also is just make them
uniform. Sometimes it's referred to you know, she's we we have chairman, which is chairs. Sometimes we have Andover Elementary School, a middle school district because we're a district, superintendent of schools, all all the different stuff. Just to make it uniform. It's on policy policy. Yes. So did anybody have any questions on what oh, the other thing I did with regard to the statutes is I made the actual statute to match the language within the statutes. So if you go back and check that. And, with respect to the officers, for example, on 9120, given that we changed our elections to November, just had to make those changes. Yeah. The one that I was curious about I don't know. Legal responsibility. I'm doing my copy. Bear with me for a bit. Okay. So look at ninety one ten. I wanna make sure that's filed. That's what we wanted to. So what we determined was that any vacancy on the board of ed, we fill it for the remainder of the vacating board's member's term.
Okay? And then if we don't fill the vacancy, that's when the board of selectmen can step in and fill the vacancy. I just wanted to point that out that we had done that in line with the charter, in line with the ordinance that we're do with the faculty. But I think I think that's after sixty days. That's Yes. Yep. Mhmm. Okay. And also put in that the resigning chair board member, excuse me, has to notify the town clerk and the board chair in writing because that's when the timing starts to to click with regard to the resignation Yep. And a replacement. Okay? I changed the oath of office because it wasn't in line with what the statute said. I'm trying to go over these really quickly. Oh, there it goes. Yeah. Ninety two twelve is the big old debacle change. But
Oh, thank you. What was that one? Keep going. You said '92. Ninety two twelve is the grade here. Contract. Hope that's a lot of red just because that was an office, so the statute has changed.
That reads really weird. Yeah. I know. Was trying to do the same thing in my head.
Oh, well, it's what the person saying that it's you solemnly swear. Oh, no. It is. You solemnly swear or solemnly and sincerely affirm as the case may be that you will support So is shouldn't it be I? You will faithfully computers. This is what the clerk says to the person taking on post. Oh, the clerk. Okay. Whoever's giving the oath. This is what you do. Right? And then the person taking the oath says I do. Okay. Right? So you solemnly swear or solemnly and sincerely affirm as the case may be that you will faithfully discharge according to law your duties as a member of the Board of Education to the best of your ability abilities to help you gather up on penalty of perjury. Got it. Okay. Okay?
Do you have listed, like, the ones that aren't in this? Yes. Okay.
So there were some on which I needed several policies that finally got, so that was good. So that's duties of counsel, duties of the auditor, language regarding the new Department of Education training that just came into effect, civility, whether we're gonna add that into another one, board member code of conduct, electronic board of education meetings, and recording of votes. So that's one two three four five six seven. Eight Eight. That are, like, brand new policies Mhmm. That Kaye recommended we have. And then I did not compare these. I think we may have another couple policies That we have. We did greatly. That we had, but we had to greatly monitor. Okay. Okay?
So it will not be as much to read through or to do. Well, more to do. More for you to do. Yeah. Because we've gotta modify them. Yeah. Thank you, Gloria. Yeah. Thank doing
this. It's a ton of work. Well done. Thank you. We finally were able to make it work. So what we did what what had to happen, which hadn't happened before is Diane had to get them out of PDF into a Word document. Mhmm. So she had forwarded them to me as Word documents so I could revise them so you could see the revisions. Changes. Yeah. Because I didn't wanna just put the changes in and say, okay. They're all great. That's fantastic. Thank you. So that's what we're able to do finally. And now we know the process so I can do the other ones. Perfect. Okay? Yeah. You're welcome. Thank you. I'm glad we made progress, Finally.
So I I would like to make a motion to approve the 9,000 series policies presented tonight, with the changes as indicated in red.
I do. Great. Thank you. Just real quick. There's a few a handful, and it probably doesn't matter, but I just noticed, like, the date isn't crossed off. I mean, that's Oh, I just for many of them, I guess, it's not crossing it off. Okay. And so but it will be It's gonna be up ages as of tonight. That's okay. Like, that was literally the only thing I could come up with. It just kind of a real warranty. Yes, ma'am. Sounds fantastic. I did read them. Great. So they're 18 years old, so that'll be good to have new ones. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. There's a motion of a second, dad? Yes, ma'am. Okay. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Thank you. You're welcome.
Bye. Thanks for your patience. So we're up to public comment. Yeah.
Thanks for all your work. Married. So my sister's a loser. Always Oh, scares me. Yeah. We're ready to All set. Thank you. K. Doris?
All set. Thank you. I posted the information in the chat. Good night. Thank you. Night. Liz? I'm all set for now. Thank you. Kim? All set. Thank you. Yeah. Christina? All set. Thank you. K.
Zoom user. Viewer. Zoom user. If you could just identify yourself also. Okay. K. So in terms of other action items, we probably need to talk about meetings for the summer and when logistically those would occur. So in the past, we have started, like, our July meeting at 4PM and done stuff for a couple hours before the actual board meeting. I don't know if people like that, if that makes sense, if we need to do more than that with the policy stuff. Like, do we need to have another day as well that's just policy stuff? Or No. I think we can keep moving. Okay.
I believe that's the first day. Our meeting is supposed to be on the eighth. Does anyone have conflict with that date? Which date? July 8. Oh, yeah. I will be disembarking from an Alaskan person. Who? Okay. Is anyone else going to miss July 8?
I'll come from now. Next to Alicia. She was supposed to be on.
Yeah. And we may need to check with her too because, really, for for that, like, we would wanna have everyone. So but so then could people do July 15? There are five Wednesdays in July.
Excuse me? I'm sorry. I'm gonna miss July 8. I'll be in ill Italy. Oh, that's Alicia. There's no way. Back
from Colorado, but I'm gonna be in Italy, so I won't be able to make July 8. Let me have next time. When are you back? Let me see here. And, Brie, when are you back? Probably back on the tenth. So I'm not back until the twenty second. Oh. No. Sorry.
Why go to Italy if it's not two weeks? Yeah. I have to go.
What meeting? I lost them after July 1. That's where I was going. So I've only had in August.
K. For our August meeting. So I will not be here for our August meeting. I'm not at What what is that date? August 12.
I'll be here the twelfth. I will not be there, but call. Are
you there on the fifth? I am here the fifth. What about the August 5? Is this a regular board meeting? I'm I'm lost. Yeah. So so usually in the summer, we'll have, like, a board retreat, and we'll have that a few hours before our regular board meeting so that we can try to do stuff all on the same day instead of having, like, multiple days. It's it seemed to work better for people in the past. Alright. So so we moved away from July because there's a lot of conflicts. So now we're looking at August. Our board meeting is supposed to be August 12. I will be here August 12. Does anyone have conflict with August 5 instead of the twelfth? This was fine with it. The fifth is okay with you? Alicia? I
can do the fifth because I'm gonna be away in Florida the twelfth. So the fifth is perfect.
I was just gonna say, you're gonna be in France on the twelfth. Okay. No. Florida.
Excellent. So we're changing I make a motion that we change our August 12 regularly scheduled board meeting to 08/05/2026. Right. Yeah. Yeah. For a special meeting. Okay. Second. Thank you. Okay. And then what time would we start that?
And should we start earlier than four? Are you just doing policies, or do you want Nick from Kate to come as well? That would depend, I think, when
we would start. Oh, I definitely want Nick. Okay. So I would say Can I call Nick first then? Yeah. Yeah. So
Okay. So we'll we'll Right now, just make for right now. Yes. So all in favor of moving the meeting from the twelfth to the fifth, which would then be a special meeting? Aye. Alright. Aye. Aye. And what time would that be?
That's what we're not sure on right now. In the past, we've done 4PM, but Val's gonna check with the person who would come and moderate stuff for us to help us come with goals for the year and just have those extra hours of CE. So in the past, it's been 4PM, but we'll we'll see. And then question in terms of July. We have to have five people present. Correct? Four. Or just four? So we'll still be okay if the two of them are gone till we've got July meeting Correct. At the fifteenth. Okay. Except I'm gonna be in Italy too now.
K. Okay. And then does anyone have stuff that we need to put on the agenda for our next meeting?
Would would we put your other Yes. I was just gonna say other policy 9 thousands, the remainder of them. Should we also put
a first read through for another section or no? No. Because this is gonna be a first read through for any of these policies. Okay. But I'll look at see if there's another section, and we can Okay. See if there's headache. That was pressing, that's urgent that we needed to get. Yes. All of it probably. Right? I mean, it's been All of it's, like, twenty years old. Yeah. Yeah. No. And you could put transfers and if possible action We just Yes. I did that. Oh, you did? Okay. Awesome. Okay. If we have time, like, choose something else. And if you have to push it off push it off. Right? Well, that's why I was asking.
Put something on there. If we have to kick it, then kick it, but at least it's there with time. I mean, it's That's what I'm gonna do. Now, so we could, you know, we could have had extra time. Yeah. A bit of extra time. Put it all on. What very sporty.
Capital plan. Yeah. But that should be almost done then.
And then just so that you guys are all aware in terms of the bathroom project with the contract, once we get that signed, we may end up needing to have a special meeting if we end up hiring someone to oversee that through the summer or not. So
if you guys want to pay him, yes. But in terms of financial, that was included in 02/20 for the first round reported findings.
Anything's on the call that night, so they are aware you guys will do it at that. Okay. So But we would need we would need to have a motion to approve if we're going to pay Eric to support that support this summer. Okay. So just know that might be coming soon. If it is, it would be, like, a very quick thing. Would that be like another virtual Yeah. Yeah. That's for easy. Yeah. Anything else? Anyone want to? I'll make a motion to adjourn. That's it. K. Eight thirteen. Aye. Aye. Good. It's ended.