[Music] good evening everyone today is Tuesday June 4th and the time is 6:37 and I'd like to call this meeting to order um first up on our agenda is the consent agenda first it's minutes from May 21st 2024 any questions or comments on the minutes just a comment I have let um Jackie know as well um but just the vote for vice chairperson okay just so no show that it reflects mic okay we should have that updated on our agenda uh needs to be updated as well yeah catch you if there aren't any others then I will take the motion I'll make a motion to acle minutes from May 21st have a second I'll second all those in favor I I next is warrant 7 2 and 73 I have them here in the folder we'll pass them around um any questions or comments on the warrants hearing none I will take the motion make motion War 72 73 excellent can I have a second I'll second all those in favor okay next is disposal of absolute computer visual equipments the annual year toose of that is obsolete or dysfunctional or both laptops that are failing we were able to get new laptops for all our came just in time there the other there's no cost get they scrub in data that's and they breaking down it will also includ the equipment that was call the lat Str that bought D which was covered by Insurance um that also in that room so are usually do this in like two different uh trips I usually have them come out once in late J get off for September so but excellent any questions or comments for Dave thank you thank you for keeping on top of that I appreciate it um if there's no additional questions I'll take the motion I'll make the motion to for disposal of the OB site computer visual equipment I have a second second all those in favor I um so next we have visitor comments and um I will read the thing but then also we have our new uh school committee liaison here as well so we'll uh get to him after the visitors comments just to acknowledge uh visitors comment any citizen wishing to speak before the committee must sign in with the administrative assistant prior to the opening of the regular session of the school committee the visitor will identify themselves by name an address and shall speak for no longer than three minutes for anyone unable to sign in ahead of time we ask that you clearly state your name and address so that this information can be included in the record for the meeting let me [Music] Vis Dave do you want to come sit up here so we can okay okay so anyone um anyway everyone this is Dave lante he's the newest member to the flct board and he's also been um voted to be our school committee liaison he and I spoken on the phone and um so we're ready to kind of hit the ground uh hit the ground running so we're glad to have you and um typically what we've done in the past with Glenn and um Jen Silva and others is you know we make sure that you get a copy of the agenda you just get added to the distribution and you're welcome to attend at any time if there's something that you would like to um sit down and meet with us and take part in the committee meeting we just need to know so that we can add you as part of that um for that and then also every other meeting that we have have subcommittee meetings and Glenn likeed to come on that meeting because then he would participate on the subcommittees that that interested him and it was typically um the budget one or our community relations subcommittee um and just that way he was able to be um part of those discussions and because it was a subcommittee and it's an open meeting he was able to actually participate and we got some really great ideas um from him from that participation so we're glad to have you and um we'll be talking about D and things also so you'll be able to get all those um as well anything else that you all think to add St no just thank you we're glad we're glad to have you I'm sure we'll keep you on your toes yeah I bet are you drinking from the fire hose okay um so cool you're up all right thank you I hope you're all doing well so for East Meadow a lot of the final Tes are being done for on the school year a lot of cleanup and final assignments are going out this week fourth quarter is almost over as we know s grade graduation is this Thursday at 1:00 student engagement in field day was before Memorial Day Weekend all grades had a chance to get outside the games and with one another students from including myself from the Junior and Rising senior class officers were able battle pass chapons if you will uh seventh grade orientation two weeks ago and sixth graders went over to the high school yesterday ice social as for upcoming events on June 7th the senior class will be doing a walk through of East Meadow students and staff will be chairing them of course other than these ID items excuse me it's just wrapping up the end of the year activities as for the high school graduation planning is done it'll be uh Saturday senior award week or excuse me senior Awards like to banquet today and the awards ceremony would be on Thursday Mrs Bearden and Mr steta are still working on the schedule for next week or next year excuse me mcast biology uh for grade nine is this week and teachers at the high school are giving out FS project 351 was recently our student ambassadors Noah Chambers and fith damos went to meet with other Representatives around the State volleyball won their western Mass and also made a state appearance I was told the senior trip uh went very well everyone had a great time on the water they did a boat ride around the harbor I was told and you know explored Boston uh the field trip to Sunny's for the seventh and eighth graders also went well the Brownstone field trip for the ninth graders was postponed uh due to weather issues to this Thursday and again it got postponed it's actually moved to this Friday oh okay I thought again for correcting yeah it didn't happen until late this afternoon okay um our last School attendance competition will also be held within the next couple of days as for Community engagement the book awards were done this week seventh and eighth graders uh got their recognition and the underclassman awards went out parents came out to Children kids for future plans and goals graduation as I mentioned before is the SE uh is the Saturday and Senior Awards ceremon is this Thurs so that's about all I have any questions for me I don't think so appreciate that thanks have a good one all right now for new business is first the Middle School um talki co-op with South AF so I did speak with Mr de athletic director about this this is a co-op that we currently have in place for r 9 through2 UM and they are open to allowing our seventh and eighth graders um and I did check with Mr debuk and he confirmed that self Hadley seventh and eighth graders um are also being welcomed to I know that was a question on PR Co-op so excellent that would just require a vote and the the change would be allowing s through 12 participate instead of our current nine any questions on this does he think that they'll be some interest I am not sure they did the sou heav ad and the field hockey coach came to and spent a lunch with us uh and did some recruiting so I know that there were some high school students that express interest I wasn't in there when the middle school so I didn't [Music] see so Le um if there aren any other questions I will take the motion I'll make the motion to approve the Middle School field hockey poopa South Hadley so it will Compass bre 7 through 12 oh very than all those in favor next up is school choice so I've already taken one vote on um a proposed school choice I did put an updated slide in the folder for tonight yes so after speaking with Miss Jordan and Miss Tay I think there's two places one place um we weren't sure of in March when um the school committee took their initial vote was in kindergarten we're currently have um we're planning for two sections of kindergarten and we have 29 students in rooll speaking with Miss deay um she was comfortable opening um up to four spots for kindergarten she said even if we got some additional resident enrollment she felt comfortable that they would be able to accommodate that and then Miss Jordan um we had originally she had originally recommended up to five seats in seventh grade we opened two um we had our initial Lottery we actually had three applicants at the time so two got in one went on the wait list and when she has gone back through the numbers um she felt comfortable opening up those additional three because they have open a third section of seventh grade um classes for next year so the recommendation would be to add four kindergarten seats and three additional Seven Grade seats at this time may only two grades by this so the ones in yeah I can try to talk you through that so the ones with the in the parentheses with the asterisk are what we or what you approved previously the numbers on the left are what we projected like could be we thought we could go up to um and then in the p and seven the fancy parentheses have the new recommendations so for 10th grade that's this year's current freshman class are we sure that this number is Right 41 yeah challenging I'd really like according to enrollment dashboard as the end of May we were at 41 okay so publicly I right I can clip the T um all right that's good um questions discussion comments on this so with the kindergarten for 29 the four would bring it to 33 and that's still would be like a class of 16 and 17 if those seats were to get full get filled um this year the classes were I think 20 and 21 and one21 and okay so we were comfortable with that even for additional some additional uh residence I did check in with Lisa again today on that and she felt comfortable with it okay it's within the two classrooms that we and there are we believe basic phone calls we've received there are some siblings um looking to get into kindergarten I'm not sure the number exactly but um obviously know cerence okay um anybody else hearing no discussion I'll the motion leave a motion to accept the propos no choice availability for school year 2014 so it's bring it to board we already approved it's kindergarten an additional four seats in kindergarten and three seats in seventh grade those are be the only recommendations for tonight it's in the weird little Wiggly brackets I'm say seventh grade yes four and three yes so four additional openings for kindergarten and three additional openings for S grade I have a second second all those in favor okay interim superintendent candidate do either of you want to do or do you want me to what you want to do it why don't you do it I'm been talking to much okay so just in terms of an update yeah okay so we did our finalist interviews just last week um for and we had four um really great kind of outstanding C candidates that each brought maybe some a little bit something different to the table um and after deliberating we settled on um Mary Jane brixon pending negotiating a successful contract um and I have been U speaking with her and so it's uh feel like we're we're doing well more on that um as we get all right directoral servicing great so I am these I origin this is what I had put in our last meeting and at that point I was recommending but I'm excited to introduce Nicole Haro um as our as gry's next director of pupil services Nicole has extensive experience and dedication to inclusive education which make her an which made her an outstanding candidate she believes that all children can learn in an inclusive curriculum with an inclusive curriculum and tailored instruction emphasizing high expectations clear goals and collaboration with all stakeholders she's held similar positions in other districts Nicole has had a variety of experiences that I believe will ensure students will receive the appropriate Services um for their individual needs I'm excited that mcole was able to join us tonight for a brief introduction so I can introduce her to the committee um and we can start the onboarding process I know Nicole has already been in touch with uh Megan sheeper our current director of P services and uh to get the ball rolling so happy to have her here and if you want to come up and say hello [Music] hi every welcome nice to meet you all um I'm really excited um to be um part of RI now I live in belard town so my family's thrilled that I'm so close to home too um I'm very you know um I was telling um the superintendent when we met that you know for many years I was I drive by the school and the schools and I say okay one day uh Grammy's going to open up and I'm going to be a Grammy so um I'm just thrilled I'm thrilled to work with the staff um my interview process was wonderful the committee was delightful so that really just made me more excited about the possibilities so I was thr when I got the call so um I look forward to you know working with the staff and the at the buildings and the families and get to know the Comm meting more than I know so I'm so glad there thank you I appreciate I don't know if you have any questions for me thank you I'm so excited I look forward to itk so happy that you can make so can introduce great you so for [Music] buiness superintend apologize I did not put the enrollment dashboard on here so as part of my superintendent's report I'm letting you know that we um we broke our streak we are we lost one student in the month of May so we are down to 711 um for the first time I um I know um full covered the Senior Week information the seniors trip to Boston yesterday they're at Villa Rose tonight s Awards night Thursday they have a parade here atow going a cookout Friday and graduation this Saturday at 3M C gymnasium at uh the Junior Senior High School six grade stepup ceremony is this Thursday at East meow and just a reminded for all families that uh Junior Senior High School students early dismissal next Tuesday through Thursday for final exams then false you be ear dismissed next Friday June 14th which is the last day the 2425 school question finance and operations so the only thing I have to report on is we are going to push back uh the bid opening from for the kitchen from June 13th to uh July 2nd um the architect excuse me is waiting on spe statement specifications that the subbits will need access to it's been a little bit longer to get that information make that available so we pushing rather than and trying to rush through and and then be missing something in that sense so we're still optimistic um on our timeline um but um this is an important step that we want make sure we're here anything else no um so CES we met the 29th of May um we did go through the executive director's contract negotiation and there was the finance and budget update which um they had we had talked a lot about a projected deficit of 1.3 million even been they were doing to um mitigate those areas kind of going forward um so to not be in this position again in the gr school year and we also went through the executive director's report um would focus a lot about theate graduation of student that we programs of when's your next M June junee that's the end of our agenda for our next meeting is June 18th um subcommittees we should probably have budget and finance because will be after town meeting [Music] and any others that we need to we um have community relations or should we just stick with the two Heavy Hitters for for next next time those two in my mind would would do it okay so that's it anything else that we want to make sure is on the um agenda for next time the one thing that wasn't brought up on the town meeting is next Monday June 10th um I working with Stephen on my six minute six minute sh I'm been paying phone tag and trying to catch up with Glenn so um I'll be uh working to finalize within just next actually it looks like we TR to get on a call tomorrow at around um 8:30 just again because I um I feel like some of the wording used in the booklet could have been different um so just I don't want to say what I want to say without giving him a heads up and I think I might reach out to this as well because in my mind if there was a huge discrepancy it should come from the players and as it says in booklet um we didn't give once again I think once again is actually used itemized iiz budget and we had multiple meetings with Chris and with Glenn say the major anomaly here is the school department is not required to get the detailed to the administr the administrator wants Al the budget is basically done with lightning which is completely da the Town Administrator line item budget in fact mul two at least two line item budgets prior to our meeting with him andison we met with them we given them parameters for budget and then we work within the parameters we given at that point so it's just stuff like that that um I want to have the conversation with Glen and Chris because I feel like it takes people against us giving it an underlying Vibe like we're doing something wrong and um you know I feel like if the Town Administrator felt strongly that we weren't doing thing he would have let us know because he so asked you know I'm missing this from you I'm missing that from you why AR we doing this why AR we doing that and um I take personally a little bit so um just so you all know that's the direction that I'm going because I feel like uh my voice is shaking I feel strongly about this but one of those things we've been fighting this uphill battle and I was very proud of the work that we've been doing we made great strides and I don't know where the cart went off the cracks like this kind of stuff I feel is bringing it back in almost five years and that's um frustrating and it's a little upsetting because people read this they read these booklets online and you can almost feel the energy here um when our stuff comes up and it doesn't say anything in here from this that almost $2.2 million in sing gum School budgets for West Street so that took away our gym in our locker rooms and that took away us being able to do anything else that was Ved on at town meeting and none of that is talking about in this booklet here when he's talking about state of the finances how about the schools G back $2 million if you're going to talk about things that know he's talking about 700 and something dollarars $77,000 that was given that down the hill the voted on for a new school that's not that's not a new thing that's not something that we just suddenly strung on there that's a bill a debt that the town agreed to do almost seven years ago at this point and to be very clear with people I think we've been clear in our process from the statement of interest that the have skill school building authority that we are not pushing for a new school building and I think even using things like that for example B that probably draws people's ey because people are hyper sensitive and deceptive right we have we are not pursuing building a brand new school building nor do we as do I superintendent or you of the school committee the authority to do so and we have we have sat in front of Select board past three years and ask for their blessing to do that because if it becomes apparent that this is the direction we need to do our hand tied if we haven't submitted that statement of Interest right there'd be no reimbursement there would be no reimbursement so we have taken the steps I I'll say duely by going to the Town Administrator going in front of the select board saying do you want us to continue to submit the statement of invest and I believe believe it's been a unanimous vote each time for them to say yes they unanimously approve it so I don't want it to feel like we're doing anything deceptively like we're lurking around behind people's backs trying to get a new school approved but it's been sort of we bringing it up because we want to make sure that we don't lose our lose the ability to do something if gry R kind of Lottery hug endowment or I don't know Harrison board decided he likes you know Pizza Palace more than TI place or something and wants to give us money I don't know but we would we would lose out in that opportunity if we hadn't done the statement of Interest so we go through every year last year they removed us from the list already saying we know that your Town's not ready to go so we're not going to kind of Rel start so I just I'm frustrated I am tired of the tip for taeny and I will be addressing it in my six minute um thing but I wanted to give it was to give one aness ah because I I feel attacked feel slanderous or lious which yeah um and I I don't feel it's an accurate representation of the work that we do and it feels like it's again I I think we had we had public open certain GPM um and I reached out to miss at three OCC to meet about our budget discuss our budget no I just it's feel believe the bad taste in people RS when that La of a wom environment F that rhetoric is out there and people respond to it and I hear people talking about it and I go in and I sit at some of these meetings and different things and start hearing it from my friends did why would you do that like what do you talk me about why don't you give them what they wanted like well we did we you know I feel pretty strongly that if ch Martin or Glenn seon who was the chair at that time felt like they weren't getting something they would have reached out to us because they've done so in the past we had very civil excellent meetings with them excellent meetings very productive meetings and just I feel like it takes away from that and it I not happy with it so that's where I'm at anyone ready to talk me off the ledge I'm a certain certainly willing to hear no I think that's the biggest piece right it's like all this this round work that's been done and conversations that have been had in offerings to continue conversations if people are so willing um and then you don't necessarily get a response back just from one individual or one group and then it makes all the other work feel like didn't happen because it's a different spin on everything that people had tried to work so hard to be clear about and transparent with and everything else and it is it's frustrating especially when you're trying to make those connections and build those relationships and share the information so that that same thing doesn't happen so all that is to say town meeting is on June 10th I think it's at 7 it's the it's at the gym in this building um we are part of the warrant article um the but the overall budget one I think you know that will be fine but I get my six minutes I say my six minutes our six minutes um up there and I will be addressing that I'll once I Stephen and I have been working on it once I have it I'll send it to you all um just don't reply at all but if you have any comments or things that you think we should stay away from or whatever I'll send it to me so TR right over I apolog yeah just it's it's frustrating and angering and to we spend a lot of time here and we do a lot of good work and it feels like it just gets taken away by The Stroke of a p and it's not right so anyway speak to one tomorrow and then I'll try to connect with Chris and just you know I I don't want to damage what we have I know the school um the select board is new um we have a different chair we've got a new member I don't want to take away from any of that work but I'm also tired of being trampled on our comme is stick issues say I think it I think we tried to make these and process overall has been produ yeah productive so I think the discouraging part is you get so close to the finish line and there's this seen obstacle if you will um because we've tried to communicate we've tried to be open we've offered meetings and then for use like there is a line or paragraph that page three that recognizes that other departments have they their spending has outstripped the growth rate of school spending so it is acknowledged but even that seems like the school right it's Bank yes so um and I don't think I certainly think J I don't think we're looking for a pat on the bat for the budget work that we've done or anything it's just we've done a lot of work on it and for this to come out at the Finish Line just seems I don't that's that's show so we'll have budget and finance and policy subcommittees for next time um we should keep super on there for next time um I don't know if there's anything else that you all think we need to have you know I'm sure there'll be something be brief about town meeting there anything don't go our way though there'll be a lot more budget conversation that's and did you I want to go oh yeah I did yeah we can put it in for next ex we didn't have it on here but the dates there there's a new document in our in our folder I think those look like the ones that we had gone over so I just want to you know we'll t on that next time because it'll be our last what we think all right there's we'll vote to enter into executive session under Massachusetts General hour chapter 38 section 213 to discuss strategy with regard to blooding as doing so in an open session may have a detrimental effect on the varing position of the the commit will not return to open session H hi hi hi thanks everybody