good evening again um SCH Comm members when I call your name pleas respond in the affirmative Elizabeth Ela yes Mary BR yes Hillary griet yes laa Hogan yes okay student Representatives when I call your name please respond Rachel Rachel Mar yes and staff can I call your name please respond in the affirmative call and yes uh Bri yes Charles Le y I'm here andad sorry being conducted as a Hy meeting as Allowed by chapter two of the act of 2023 signed into law by the governor healing uh March 29 2023 this act constitutes an exemption the provisions under of meeting law regarding promote meetings in public access until March 31st 2025 this committee isum person has posted on the district's website while an option for remote attendance and participation is being provided as a ctes to the public the meeting will not be suspended or terminated technological problems interrupt the broadcast by please know that this meeting is being recorded accordingly be aware that others others may be able to see you and take care that your computer that broadcast be captured by if you planning to record a broadcast please theair are available on the public school website and title 2023 2024 agendas under the tab school public is encouraged to follow along posted agenda and documents chair notes of public comments public comments agenda item is a devoted time of the school committee to hear from the public as structur Direction other rules wish to speak com by by signing up on agenda please have your Zoom name that we to speak all public comments are Li to three minutes to ensure that everyone to comment has the opportunity no person may comment with once without finish the chair as time allow the chair allowing persons to comment a second time especially if it relates to a com a topic that has not been brought any person wishing to submit written comments right by the by agenda item coms L state public comments first and last to comments minutes comments long'll be suspended at to comments are read suest that to approximately 300 words however submitting comments longer words will be included in the public submit a comment record pass end of the meeting their comment to have speaka after they theirs ask comments questions or Motions like to make um I will go through go through members additional comments or questions and time members chair will be taken call We Are One remote and I'll go ahead and call me to order at 706 be roll call Hillary R yes yes yes yes Nat are there yes okay um on urgent business no urgent business okay Wonder public comments I didn't see anyil no student represent Rachel hi sorry I wasn't working for a second um so it's just me tonight first oh can you guys hear I just want to make sure first okay perfect thank you um first we have our highlights so we had Annie and Rock of Ages Annie was put on by the high school over the weekend followed by Rock of Ages by the middle school I've heard a lot of good things and I heard about it a lot before and after so definitely a good thing um we have spring sports starting we had softball baseball track and field and the co-op boys lacrosse are being offered um winter sports the awards were last night and winter sports all just wrapped up we really appreciate the booster club for helping sponsor this event next we had a character speaker um we had mixed reactions with this we had more students paying attention than before to other speakers we've had to the school and we definitely saw a better outcome from the ninth and tth graders um March Madness we had our spirit week last week and then we also had the big pep rally this was a big thing because we got to introduce the Freshman to the March Madness like games that they're going to to be involved with for the next four years um next we have the English mcast which was today and yesterday and then we have math mcast which is upcoming in May and lastly for highlights we have the AP practice tests are starting um next up we have concerns and solutions so students have been concerned about the school lunches which is not necessarily a new thing so we've already had a lunch committee um formed but we just met with MIT or witson and we discussed some of the student issues we got amazing feedback from this we learned about some of the shipping problems and we kind of got to have more communication with them to fix some things going forward um we also had our gradua graduation update so parents can bring their folding chairs to this and then also we have that first row is for wheelchairs only um we also had a concern with the prom ticket prices the junior class is looking into raising the prices of prom just so that we can have um coverage for the expenses as well as ensure our senior trips next year and upcoming we have Earth Day so this is a big thing right now student council and green team one of our clubs is teaming up to take two blocks out of the school day and we're all splitting up to create like the advisories to teach kids about Earth Day and then some things that they can do with some activities we have the leaders of change spring egg hunt and then we also had the no one eats alone lunch activity which um it had a really good like outcome last time so we're gonna have that happen monthly we have our seal of biliteracy test coming up and our Deca representative Sylvia Smith is going to California April break obviously coming up soon um as well as Jazz night which I know Miss drov said has been selling out so that's very good term three ends this Friday and our junior class has a pickleball fundraiser coming up that is involving Fowler students as well well um we have the mock car crash accident on Alumni field I want to say coming up and a lot of teachers have been talking about that to us um and then we also have senior projects are starting so the three that we have down right now are Tessa Gilligan who's doing a self-defense class for an advisory Megan silks who's doing a physical therapy presentation and alaro Gonzalez who's doing a senior recital and that's all we have for our reports um so I'll go around see if anyone has any questions or comments on for you um know just I'm amazing how busy everybody is up at the high school thanks for sharing busy week got to see Annie and it was phenomenal I mean every presentation that is done is amazing So yeah thank you for for your efforts thank you thank you the end of it's crazy um I'm curious the three projects that you mentioned are they open to the public for example the self tenis one is that something that people can go to from the community and how how do people find out about how to think things um I think it said in our report that it's just an advisory right now so that means we have advisory every three weeks so students get to pick and it'll be an option so I'm guessing Tessa is going to like probably like definitely spread the word in the next couple weeks cuz I don't know what our next advisory is I'm pretty sure it's like one or two weeks away so the teachers and her will be putting that out and then students are able to sign up so that one advisory the other two are also advisories or are they something that the public should I think Megan's is a presentation I don't know who to it doesn't say and then the senior recital I'm actually not really sure about because we didn't really talk about it yeah so like as we're getting closer to the end of the year we want to like advertise things that people in the community can go to of the seni year project that really great think that should have um I'm not sure if you heard corly about the prom tickets did you say that that the I know the junior class is the one that puts it on so they're talking about um raising this year's price is that correct yeah I don't know if they 100% did I wasn't at the last meeting but I think it's been a talk among all classes for a couple years but I'm pretty sure they did last year and then they made a good amount to cover their expenses but then this year their senior trips got kind of covered anyways so it's kind of just a big debate among all classes coming up for prom tickets okay and um I just I kind of heard through the Great Vine about the possibility of of a bus to the prom or is that still not so we talked about it at our um sa meeting I think the main problem is anybody that takes the bus there would have to wait until when prom ends to leave which is a good amount of time so they're looking into still maybe doing the bus but like people have to find their own rides back so that's like the one issue but it's still a possibility of it happening thank you um thank you very much I actually uh I know this does come up quite frequently about the food service and I know that they were at the school committee a school committee meeting recently um so I'm just I feel like there's a disconnect I'm not sure what where it is or I thought there was some posi to but is the is the current issue more of food running out possibly is it the offerings I know I've heard a couple of different things about options not being necessarily accessible over the time I just don't know if it's just a lot of those things just intermittently or if there's one larger an issue um we had positive feedback like you said like this entire year compared to last year so I don't think it's nothing crazy I think students recently have been kind of disappointed with the quality of the food and then also before our February break they postponed a shipment for food which kind of left us with it we still had enough food for everybody but it was kind of just like the Lesser wanted options or some students were concerned about like there being too much fried food too much like lactose involved food so students kind of we sent out a survey and they were kind of just complaining about that so we talked to them about it one of the big things was the pizza so we recently found out that they have to make their own pizzas they can't well they don't it's like preferred that they do they can have shipments in sometimes of the pre-made pizzas which is what we've been getting all year so they recently started making their own pizzas and they were getting the wrong dough so it wasn't Rising pop or properly so a lot of students were not having lunch or they were trying to find another option that they didn't really like because the pizza wasn't that good of quality it was like upsetting people's stomachs so they explained to us that the staff was just learning how to make the pizza and they switch those so that is kind of fixed now right now we're still um they've had the pre-made pizzas for the past couple days but they've been learning how to use the new products since they have to make them but other than that the complaints were kind of small just about quality of the food quantity but people just sent in like um suggestions for what they wanted to see in the future what they liked and what they didn't like and then Woodson took that and kind of just brought it back to their team okay and um is there um for people who want to give feedback is there like a feedback a dedicated like meal feedback email address that make que might go to group also so I know that you interact with witson as well and I I almost feel like if parents had something that they you know wanted to share about you know maybe the younger grades who my biggest worry is that kids would skip me right or that they are like I don't like the pre meal I'm getting so I'm going to now have to pay and get something else um that's a that I've heard for some people um that because I know it's very structured where you have to get what's prescribed where to that food credit for that meal or it doesn't count as a reimbursable meal and I I just don't know if that's maybe why since kids are you know not taking that meal and then you know are buying something else I don't I don't know I just feel like there's something here that we're missing and I I think there's a little bit more opportunity for Discovery um a bit more um but I don't know if how the data collection is about when you say quality that's very subjective and and so is it a particular like when you look at the menu has someone gone in recently and graded the menu like okay these are the particular dishes that you know do we have a lot of food waste on these particular days that would be something I would wonder for wites and maybe the students can ask them that you know these are items we all see that are not um maybe that would be a good conversations because they should be kind of looking at that as well um yes so any thanks for the updates I'm hoping to hear some more positive feedback from surveys as it when is the next survey is there another one going out um it was sent out twice but students don't really fill it out we only got about like 30 to 50 kids but I think that your idea of like having like they can like rate it that day I think that would definitely help because students I don't know they don't like we can always like put it out put in announcements but they don't always check so I feel like a daily thing um super excited last week we principal York and I took two students to the Wester County superintendence recognition Lun at Holy Cross we took Megan Ray L ton of fun to accomplished High School seniors um in a variety of ways um and activities just it's a really nice recognition of a 100 or so um students uh let's see I know Rachel mentioned Annie it was probably one of the best high school plays I've SE long they were small fast and they were phenomenal just spectacular hopefully some of you saw it this week is National foreign language week and they had the international dinner tonight so if you were looking for a really high quality inexpensive date that was your ticket um you there was a mountain of food from around the world and you got to try appetizers and main dishes and uh drinks nonalcoholic drinks and desserts that but there were several hundred people there um including school committee members lots of parents lots of high school students middle school students teachers um really just a fabulous fabulous event um wavm is holding its radio it's Community radio broadcast this week so lots of people are doing individual shows so if youve had the opportunity to do that that's fabulous I will do that next time but it's been a busy week um not able to do that we have the upcoming Jazz night on April 3rd which I think you can still get tickets to um some shout outs for Green Meadow they had a great um Bingo for books and read Across America challenge which was a kind of fun a Green Meadow I there's probably a video somewhere that shows the principal and the assistant principal dressed up as characters in the book that they've been read aloud to the kids and it was the first time since three years ago since the pandemic where we were able to get the entire Elementary School into the gym and they were super well behaved and they were so into reading and cheering and it was just a great event and it was nice to have everybody there um we had the department of elementary elementary and secondary education um Department in to visit us for our tiered Focus monitoring review and that went really really well they they commended uh our dor of uh student services Jeff Ron and administrative assistant uh Ron roselo and they really talked about the quality of IEPs and the quality of TR supports and the language used in both of those and how parent friendly it was and we had some things that we need to work on as well but there'll be a draft a draft report a final report very similar to me ask in that system but great news there um we had some staffing changes as is just life nature people decide they want to retire I don't know if who thought they should beow to do that but apparently you are allowed to do that at some point our facilities director informed me he was retiring in the middle uh and we this isn't completely out of the midle um so we knew it was coming but it'll be a loss to us Bob sooy who's been at director facilities has done a really nice job really managing the three buildings and working with them extenuating circumstances and helping us through the beginning of the building process so we've posted for that so there'll be that process um our Elementary School principal obviously you know as weing we're already in the midst of interviewing there's a committee they interviewed about half the candidates yesterday they'll finish up tomorrow and we'll be sending a message out at the end of the week next Wednesday we'll have parents staff and superintendent Wednesday set the schedule depending on the total finalist so we're really moving on that one um as well as our director of student services decided to retire as well he's really as I just said our tiered Focus monitoring with you one really well um he too he he drived a very long way he work here in a long way home he decided to retire as well so we posted for that um yesterday today yesterday yesterday so we have a lot of changes it's in in some ways it's it's sad we'll miss these people but I sort of take it step back and say it's an opportunity to build and we're going to have a strong team and we will continue to make the same growth that we'll make um msba um this is great we're working really hard with the mass School building authority in the Green Meadow one of the things that came up recently was the location of the playground which I can go into a lot of detail but we it's a worthwhile discussion when we started the green metal building project the playgrounds were actually behind the building that was kind of the first iteration and then main of fire and police and whatever that's really not what we want them we want sight line from 117 so we moved into to the side of the building made a lot of sense it's all fine at the time there was a door at that side so they could come and go right out there we like that iteration two we needed another classroom so now that door went away and it became a classroom so there is no door exiting the building on that side right there um so now the question came up is can we leave the preate playground where this because that's that preate hallway and there's a side you can go in and out and move the larger playground to the front of the building which would allow the rest of the kids when they have to go out for recess and come and go they would go out the front door and right to that space which would be fenced in so there's a lot of discussion about that there'll be um there was approval to research that so it's not a done deal by any stretch there is approval to really look into that and what would it cost to do that um the administration certainly feels like that is a safer path for the life the building and logistically and operationally it's a great move but we also understand we're late in the game and it may or may not be possible so a discussion right now good discussion you and you all know this because you're around little kids but moving a grade level 100 or 125 first graders to move them down the hallway out the door and around the building that's a lot of yeah right but to go right out the door into a fenced area so much easier and you know it's sort of like the operational piece as you get out to the playground then somebody Falls their need or somebody needs the nurse it's just not as convenient as we wanted to be operation so we're working um so the solar project I'm happy to say it's coming right along um our consultant has been phenomenal with making sure that select is up to speed on amendments and everything like that they needed to add some different anchors to the panels on the roof they handled all that um they we for this particular project we do not have the electronic charging stations that wasn't part of the original project um so that's not the educational component we do have and when we get sort of a law and school committee time we'll have select I talk with Bri Byron and he'll come and talk about what happens and that's that's what I got for you I'm very excited I will say ask me question about some of that exciting stuff um but we do have our LP here that's probably I'm super excited it's been years in the making that we had done um getting up and running in a phenomenal Group which I can see most of them cing it's a horrible spot that was cing I don't know where else to put so that's my report lots and lots of really good things happening across the district any questions no just a follow up to the green metal piece so the other and it ties into the solo um that we're doing at the high school um there was also the vote to have Beth um and Beth work um toward solar energy at Green meow I asked if we were to select to go out nothing get select but some so yep choice is really good that's it and I just want to make a com one of the things going back to Annie I loved that you were talking about meow and the principal assistant principal oh my gosh just see principal York and old as part of I would like this I loved it absolutely loved it so so if you didn't see it spoiler since it's over the principal York was the dog catcher and assistant principal Dr OB was the dog the stage yeah anyway but that's it everything else is great thank you no thank mark thank you um question about the solar uh when will that or where was that aspect of the charging stations is it was it introduced as a possibility in like a different phase I did hear it I want to say select something with just I don't know some other not it did come up and maybe an add on absolutely I guess whenever whatever structure it does come up I I think I want to make sure the conversation one we're aware of it um of like when that would be implemented two that we have a conversation about um you know fees or whatever that operational protocol because I know that the DW I don't want it to be how it was um where just everyone comes in you know charging off of there that we have some so I just just L was in when that the first I heard the first that I was um what was mentioned to me was by teach it's come a couple times like ad hopping I don't know is like more advertising or coming Downstream or just like they were to see for a future project but it just would be good to just get a fine understanding um if that is something that we're should be T down and we you know just Str okay and then I think um the only followup question I I did have um I I know that there was been some updates about I you didn't bring it up but some anti-Semitism happenings in school and just other things what else can we do to really address this I feel like going out families and I think that's definitely a need but is there some type of task force or something that to together with families I know we have a lot of parents and that are that are Jewish you know I don't know their impact of what they I just I can certainly follow with principal kiney I think they have things in the works yeah I did see that you know the r it just seems to be more weakly currents at this point and um I I don't I don't know I don't have an answer I don't know what to do but I feel like maybe I don't know what that looks like I'll follow I thought his response um was pass one was really great in that it's not innocent type of thing any want there's been education and it's not just it's his responses are I think not been appropriate I I just think that they're so frequent oh Hillary I'm so sorry um I see your hands raised but I just think they're just becoming now I don't want to get desensitized to to the The Happening of and I feel like there's something that should be explored Hillary sorry hi so there was a it was it's kind of hard to hear but I wanted to clarify was Mary saying that um we are logged into to select or we aren't not okay um and then Brian were you saying there's no plan for charging stations right now and that's to come later at some point but it's not worked out it's not part of the original the initial solar project at the high school for the canopy and the roof but it can be part of the next phase but like it's not actually like planned out yet correct okay there had been an email from the high school saying that there was going to be charging stations so I think that's why people are thinking that it's coming cuz there was an email like a month or so ago that said um we're constructing the solar panels and charging stations that you know now so that's probably why there's confusion I can follow up with that anything else okay your hand was I make sure oh yes we have a r yeah okay yeah um did I just made one more com of it no Bob boy I so wish St so metal was built that it's like I it's gonna be awful to have me and Jeff we but Bob is just he's just been so instrumental at Green metal that no anyway hey we got through the B yeah yeah yes so okay so now we have Grant acceptance and I don't know yes I'll start if it's all right um a you um we're gonna come they've been very very busy in Grantland and we're going to be back in two weeks with some adjustments to Grants that have already been improved we've we've gotten some extra money but tonight we wanted to get the $45,000 Middle School career connected learning partnership Grant approved so we can start spending some money if you recall last um June Denise Denise hatch and I gave a presentation on what we what we did with the partnership Grant last year $40,000 very similar um to last year we are very late in the process of receiving word from the Department of Elementary and secondary education that we're going to get this funding we did know however a couple months ago that it would be coming so we we've already been able to um do some planning Keith um uh Kenny has been extremely um involved in what we're going to do at the middle school the purposes of it is to help students with their career related interests and um have them um have more students involved in the pathways and knowing what the opportunities are the potential High School courses that they can be taking and we are going to use of $45,000 in four different ways we have some stiens for the coordinators um team leaders of people involved in various tasks and we're also going to have a multimedia club and going have two advisers for that and that would be $110,000 of the 45,000 we're very fortunate to be able to spend $22,000 on materials related to our weekly career Readiness curriculum and instruction this every every week um the six seventh and eighth graders are involved in uh career Readiness and most of them and uh we're going to make a real push with wavm to have more exposure uh at the middle school we are going to uh we're hoping to repeat a career day that we had last year so we'll need materials for that and materials for our after school media club and that will be $22,000 we're going to have um some motivational speakers on for student assemblies on character building and that will be $5,000 and we're hoping to um take some field trips which will be a total of $8,000 that so that's the $45,000 we're asking the school committee to accept this grant all $45,000 should be allocated to the cost center 2000 instruction and also it's very important to know all funds every single penny must be spent by June 30th of this year 2024 so that's one of the reasons we like to get it approved right away them checkbook ready he will be approving so guys are spending away any questions to Charles I could um Charles um was there any conversation I was wondering about the field trips because um I think before there was conversation about having some of the students go to a college or just yes that's part of mix right um um that when we wrote the grant we we said field trips including possibly such and such and such and such so we have a little leeway there so yes that's that's in the mix I just just a comment that last year um Denise hatch I happened to be talking to her and she said come the day that they doing the whole big um they invite different businesses to come in and questions and and that um the auditorium I think and then they had the um speakers and different classes about you know what what do you want where do you want to be in 10 years and you know and then financial literacy and things like that it was if the opportunity arises again everybody go because it was it was pretty incredible engage right and we'll plan to do a presentation again in June there are two grants that are very similarly related one is the Middle School career connected learning partnership another one that you approved back uh in the fall was a myap that's both the high school and the middle school so teams have been working there is some connection between between the two of them but this one is primarily for for Middle School although High School is involved in in helping us showcase many of the things that are done there so students have a opportunity early on no questions thank you very much Charles excited you're welcome this is really great um super excited thank you uh and I just want to also sing your Praises um anytime we bring up the work that Grant M you and um everyone's doing just to really maximize these opportunities for me um we get a lot of positive back so I just wanted to St you all in a while and just all the work that planing staff andan just another big kudos for all the work that every dollar P so thank you so so we've been very fortunate that members of our staff have U developed some very good relationships with people at at desie many times uh people are critical of Desi timelines but they're under some of the same strains that we are I'll have staff members at Desi say we'd love to approve this but we the feds won't allow it they have the they have to answer the federal government so it's you know it's it's it's the state comes with h with restrictions so uh dealing with these people and getting to know them um has been very very helpful we had uh three of our staff members do a presentation uh for uh the bcap just a couple weeks ago and it was very very well received on the state level so it's our incredible staff that's really doing the work Hillary did you have any questions or comments we go into or okay so hear me Hillary oh oh here there you are can you did you have any questions or my internet is very cranky but thank you for everything you're doing Charles oh you're welcome look like you were really seriously something Hillary so I could tell that then I realized you weren't reading you were oh she's okay um so I will go ahead and make a motion that we accept we approve and um we accept an allocate the grant for $45,000 for the Middle School career conected learning uh partnership fund code 424 and allocate to cross Center 2 instruction okay any further discussion okay all in favor Mary yes eleth yes tomorrow yes Tasha yes Hillary Hillary hi sorry my internet's being very cranky but thank you for everything you're doing Charles you're welcome did you say did you say yes you're voting yes okay that was a head I think you have to say the words you're remote yes all right devotion Harris um now we will move on andan iuce everybody Ken Murphy Milo yeah um Christine yeah Brian I'm going to start when you're ready okay um Colleen do do Colleen do you have a slide presentation right I'm uh we're very fortunate to have a number of members of the district multilingual committee to present an overview of what's happening on our English Learners uh we started the committee nine years ago this is my 10th year in in mayard we had a very small population of English Learners at the time uh it has grown now to 90 90 uh students at the present moment who are English Learners we want to showcase areas where we've made exemplary progress and also areas where we're still striving for excellence e Excellence that one of the things that I want to always emphasize this has been a work in progress people have worked very very difficult very very um very very hard uh and and meeting the needs and we' we've done very very well but there's still progress to be made it's just important that everyone realize that the support of the entire mained Community is necessary areas we strive to provide for the various needs of the students whose first language is not English the pre and con if we go on the next Slide the present the presentation actually uh connects to our strategic plan in all in in in three ways we definitely employ inclusive practices that support our students and we want to note that cultural proficiency and social emotional learning has been a uh very important on a day-to-day basis of the work that our English learner um learner teachers do and our staff does when working with students uh we provide students with a superior academic experience believing that students who have been previous been been marginalized have the opportunity to take various High School Pathways and rigorous courses this is extremely important that it's it's not just a matter of having our English Learners get through the MCS we want our English Learners to um to Excel and developing Global Citizens has been an important priority we're especially proud of the work that having 15% of last year's students received the Seal of my literacy in 20123 and we were cited by the department of Elementary education for I I should said we were um given an exemplary rating for that and that's something we continue to do a great job on the next one Colleen uh we are okay we are proud of the overall success of the vast majority of our 93 English learner students we worked tirelessly we're so pleased pleased that we have formed an lpac this has been a a work in progress we realize Su sustainability requires continuous effort and funding we're fortunate the last two years we've used title three funds for the first time though the funding is limited it has not it has allowed us to hire a part-time parent liaison we and currently employ 4.6 English learner teachers we've been able to hire a part-time power professional at the high schools through the title 3 Grant as the number of students who first Lang is not English grow more support will be required this is especially important in the high school where students is age their age level and their needs require more support and uh that's an area that we continue to work with um okay uh while we are very pleased with the result of our extensive Desi audit and is still going on the compliance issues have required hundreds of hours of work from incredibly dedicated staff the suain stainability issues are a concern because it has taken uh quite quite a bit of time we're not the only District that has this it's it's a um problem that's shared by um um um many districts and that again the Desi is required by the federal government um to have all sorts of you know all sorts of checks and balances we are very fortunate very fortunate that we have an excellent percentage of teachers who received a sheltered English immersion endorsement um and that's been great but the needs of our present El students demand more concentrated and more job and bettered professional development for our classroom teachers and this is a an area of concern and area that we're continuing to to work on we continue to struggle with the meeting the needs of our many newcomers uh especially at the high school level there newcomers who come who often have little formal schooling and really need more individual a small group instruction then uh and we're trying to provide as much as we possibly can and and is um the the last thing is issue to explore it's difficult to plan as efficiently effectively as we like because we have no way of predicting when students students will move move into me it and unfortunately at time students who we're working very closely with will move out and I'm going to turn this over to um Karen Murphy who's done an incredible amount of work it's going to tell us what research is the research data is telling us um especially uh as we look at the as we look at our present English Learners Karen because cath volunteer okay the statistics from EXC the micone those statistics tell us that there's a disturbing large number of el students who get low grades they score below their class room standardized tests they drop out of school and it's really imperative that we continue to focus on reversing this trend which is a national Trend um and do whatever we can to see that these students succeed so um culture is a big piece of that it influences learning in motivation perception communication strategies and it's really important that we get the entire School Community understanding and celebrating cural differences and creating culturally inclusive environments um access um all of our students uh took the access test in January we do that every year where we assess their progress of speaking reading and writing um they receive scores in oral language literacy and comprehension based on an individual students performance the Mass Department of Elementary and secondary education sets a targeted goal for the following year if a student falls short of that bill then the team needs to meet and write an individual Student Success plan for that student and share it with parents and Guardians so that helps us Target um where we see con strength careful monitoring of progress of our Learners as English Learners as well as students classified as former English Learners or FS is also Key to Our Success see them as they move out of the program and into the mainstream of following see uh budget implications uh the most expenses that occur as a result of our work uh fall under the existing budget we have Workshop costs meeting expenses U professional development opportunities and substitute costs they're covered without a negative budgetary impact for the past two years we've gotten a small title three Grant of about $122,000 a year we've used these funds to to hire our wonderful part-time par and also wonderful parttime care professional at the high school she is absolutely key to um to connecting um with teachers um and we've had enhanced professional PD the area of shelter construction uh there are no requests for additional funding in fiscal year 2025 uh but as our student population grows in the future weeks okay um so right okay we're connecting with District initiatives um several of us are have joined the team on addressing chronic absente so um which is a state and District initiative I know at Ma we talked a lot about was being a real issue every year when all the aors meet uh we have a fairly small Grant of $10,000 word Mater um we are looking to explore culturally responsive ways that will increase student attendance it's our hope that research throughout the state will provide us with proven ways to increase student attendance and prevent dropouts and we're we're do research what are the best practices for the last four years the district has been heavily involved in diversity eqution the district multilingual committee has responded by h a pop dinners and World parents um the efforts of the Dei committee are exciting and have positive results and work with um yes so next up on uh the list is the multilingual committee um we have to give a huge shout out to Dr kabon for having put together for n or 10 n nine close to a decade um our last meeting we had 18 members in attendance um teachers administrators and it's just it's a fabulous moment for us all to connect collaborate um because of that time that we're giving together we make sure that there's no overlap in testing access and Maps um and we can also coordinate larger events um like the one that's coming up the end my app um so um major accomplishments include um ensuring that academic teachers um get their SEI endorsements in a timely manner um again communication and support for El teachers access testing being handled effectively um and in a timely manner um making sure that everyone was uh taking the test and that everyone in our district was taking that test very seriously as it is State requirement um and um our recent collaboration with um maybe M we hired our family and on at to help establish the out back and again we can't continue to shout out Meo enough for all of this work think every teacher connect with the family members of our multile students um all right our goals for the future are to continue our valuable work in supporting and planning for El population uh we want to work um more closely with District um with with the district professional development committee to enhance our offerings for teachers um in sheltered um English instruction um specifically related to strategies this has been something that has come up on a number of occasion is what te teachers want they want the tools to help our students um we want to work more closely with myap committees both at the Fowler and High School uh to continue working on our offerings um for the E opportunities to explore Pathways at the high school um summer school and vacation week activities we also just had the um the the math Camp um that was very successful um and through effective communication here at Fowler we were able to get a lot of ml ml students signed up for the math account so that was really wonderful um and then of course to make sure that students don't lose progress over the summer um elac has been working together for our year now and we've made some wonderful progress again yeah thank you so much for coming um more parents attend every meeting and um interest is high to become more involved in their children's education and extracurricular activities um we have three women who are volunteered to be our co-leaders of elpac um of course we have uh even Andel is here with us today and um we've been spending meetings assisting parents on how to navigate our school system um how to navigate Aspen um getting information on Sports and extracurricular activities the high school credit system summer activities and then the meeting that was not able to get put into this slide because we just had it um we were at the public library seeing all the offerings that were available the public Library getting library cards available and that was that was very successful um so our goal now for elpac um is for the leaders to take on more responsibility because it is a supposed to be a parent L organization um while we continue to uh support them into the coming years any questions I have some questions but I I will cycle through every I will start sorry okay uh my internet is pretty cranky right now so I don't know how much I'll get out but I just really appreciate you doing this it's really exciting to hear I know I love that you're going to be involved in um the attendance Outreach piece um several parents have reached out with concerns after reading the district's email that the Outreach and attendance Focus wouldn't be culturally sensitive and so as soon as we're done here I want to reach out back to them and say no no no well um because I think you have such an important piece there um in terms of making families feel comfortable asking for the support and identifying really what the root cause is and um I'm just so grateful that you're doing this thank you Mary no dto really really appreciate so needed and um really appreciate everybody stepping up especially the parents that stepped up the elac to be the co-leaders and that because that's instrumental so thank you all yeah thank you very much for organizing all this for stepping up and for being here tonight um I don't know if you want want to speak about this but I'm curious to hear about what are some specific areas that have been cing up lately um as far as making sure thats are okay at all I teach at high school level so I can I see some of the things happening in high school around things like for example understanding how high school benefits to things like like what um you know so I'm wondering what kinds of sure um the first thing comes up is what particular prior know what are yours and what are the children's gos and some of our children do not you know want to choose alternative paths some of them are going on a Feld trip to a trade exp position the stre social studies Department to kind of build that up so there are lots of um hurdles there all kinds of hurdles there there can be um you know aside from the economic hurdles the the culture the back most students do not come from family cultures their college is known and um and taught home you know kind of that expectation and there's documentation issues there a whole host of things that come up with students and u i h a lot of knowledge that education is power and um you know they're in a time when it's really expensive a lot of them work many hours a week to help support their families and so they're in school working um they're all lot of things going on with them and some of them here very recently so they're adjusting to the to the new culture um you know it's a very individual thing different students different cultures in expectations some cultures that our kids come from have have a college expectation others have um have not had College in their their history so kind of we try to take them where they are give them idea what success will in US ands it's complex yeah I was GNA say like I don't think I have eyes the class that supports kids and doing all classes now um and like things I never thought about for example just the way you write a number you know and then the way you write that problem yeah so when you when I doing with them the way they learn you numbers of never never so so all I think we're at 99.5% is that right Charles of our teachers have ESP one year and not next year so that part of our that they probably learn class exactly exactly so that's really Christin's been brab up to CP to different grade levels and working teachers oh CES in and so that's helpful great thank you I think our parents had a question yeah I question then i' love to I'll see what they absolutely please um so uh I had the SE question for as non- educator and that was really great to understand that it's really expected for all teaches um and I certainly understand like if you're not practicing it on a regular basis it is see where get a little rusty if your your day-to-day isn't really so I I I like we have the resource to have that your mentoring with someone is more evented strategies to support staff you'll have that fluency um Charles I just wanted to also give you kudos to because I know this has been your your your baby project fostered for so many years and I always go back to what you've said that you really need to go where the people are to really Foster that relationship building and have a team that built really kind of taking that so just thank you for for doing that the leader and getting everyone to really understand the importance the work this is for um me obviously engaged about it and I'm so pleas that have so much growing year wonderful yeah no it is and I I think all around you know top to bottom I think it's glad that this um is growing to the sense that feel support from the top B that is part of it and that we are having a part of our active conversation on how we continue to do better we don't assume that what we know now is really us it's we're everyone's learning um so I I think that's really really important um the questions I have are just three questions really one is is there some type of U like budny system or Mentor system for students that come in I know that they enter at any different grade it could be even Middle School that maybe they might be able to partner with someone who's kind of in that grade give them like their go-to as a peer where they don't feel like they need to go to old teacher but someone who might have a good profile that that empathetic you know partner um even just showing them around or you know kind of routines that are more regular that they might not be very intuitive I don't know if there's something really bad that exist a formal system but not but we do have an inl when a new student arrives we usually find a student that is um like Bilal in their first language and help their classes I would wonder if there's like a maybe like a club that could help you know just that you know kind of marri have Spanish all Spanish language students that but I'm sure that from cultural I he my own child but you know just tell oh we have student C you know this language and I and I so great but I always how does that how does that in that that's one interaction what is there they have overwhelm right all these different people and even of a teacher you know um so I just wonder if there's some type of way expand and feel that more welcoming when there's uh because they they often come from places that are u under you know very traumatic circumstances and any know anything get stability that social students Conta that's been very helpful for year year and a this so let's let's here you know instead of just looking at the but you know like you just said coming up something that's back of how we produce like that even if it's like school from school to school ET buddi buddi I project know student project there's yeah you know I just think that it would be good for the students to recognize like hey this is a group of student like kind of like student class which is also good not every student probably wants to have a on them but I think um for one the barrier of language is so sufficient that they just automatically had like this is your person know this is their email address or this is you know however and it can be guided for type of you know teacher or counselor however that might be I think that's one less barrier but one that's one friend that we've given them to start off with um yeah so just a thought there and I know that there's so many so many kids who would probably jump to that opport um as well so um so that was my one question another question I I was thinking about sping to some parents about um adult supports and parent supports I know that years ago we had mayor um classes for um English classes and they don't believe that they have them any longer that Hudson has kind of taken over that responsibility um you know with the growing in our community is there possibility that we could look to partner back with Hon to expand because I think that you know whether it's at night you know off or the library you know whatever that resource is but you know just break down a barrier for parents who they are needing to access learning English um you know I know many people would want to go speak about special education you know maybe it's time that you know where they are instead of having them you know we need to go to other towns so I just would wonder there's thought of that as the communities grow how we our M Taylor Now teacher she that's why she's not good yeah that's the and that's where I was like is there thing just there's such a a lot of meanor people are going there um you know right is there like another you know offering that people not have the resource because so anyway just a thought there and I do know that there's a parent who does teach one of the classes in in Hudson um who suggest that she you know doing it um a long time it was no so it is still called The Hudson May it is AD learning right yeah exactly it was in coolage then coolage right so anyway just a thought we dust something offn some people and maybe know what that might look like as an opportunity um and then I just mentioned ear about access special resources I know that as families come in and matriculate just you know that's always a hard um thing to kind of navigate on and what that looks like if it's not very intuitive and is there an opportun there to know have a special um I think when I talked once was a fower yeah it was like so kind of hectic like at the end of the day but I just want to revisit even if it's someone from CPAC who can you know hey like they might not be fluent in the language but maybe have a translator to help answer some just general questions about uh from a parent perspective um to another parent what what that you know what kind of how might look at a n or just very general information that maybe you know teachers might not you know always want to um so I don't know if that's something that has come up a lot I know that CAC sometimes they they do get questions from people who are not English first speakers Portuguese primarily um and I don't know if we have work that well what we do is I all and I and I work very closely with about and we try to reach out about but in terms OFA what sections of very basic 101 how do you you know your concerns and what is what you should expect that you know so just very basic stuff I know can be very overwhelming um and I kind of think about I know it happen every grade I'm glad that you're to be high school I of very overwhelming so I don't know I just wanted to throw that out there as a just B concern but and I don't want to do too much because I want to question that you all have as well for us I don't know so the um the last couple of weeks um been helping parents um register over at Green Meadow uh both uh Spanish speaking Portuguese speaking there's been a common question for well uh and it's been about preschool uh and they you know they've been asking but it's a it's a pay system um and I reach out the car I figured might as well do it early um but it's it's a question that's coming up more and more and I just wanted to bring it up now because if there are if there are funds that need to be um I know Charles might that has been that has been toing and again you know they don't bottom line is they do not have the money to pay for it um and it's one of these systems that one of the moms told me if I'm able to have my child in care then I work and then kind of you know Assist financially household and in speaking with the teachers they're earlier in there the smoother the transition will be once they get it together so among their peers they've heard it and I've heard of it so I I my first thought would be one um I don't think we any have answers right now um it's sound anything the financial to it I know Hillary in the past brought up a couple of times too about just equity and vouchers I don't know if that there is some intersection there um with looking at the preschool program but if you're able to kind of articulate some of those reoccurring specific questions I think that would be the first thing to do to take away um to bring it to school committee because we have a Dei subcommittee have a budget subcommittee um you know look at you know where we are and see you know anal analysis on about you know what that really looks like I think we are slowly making progress um with trying to have make sure there's the people who are not not limiting their access um but also I know we have capacity as well um but I think it's a very worthwhile um conversation to have and to find out more information on what those barriers are um child care in general obviously Massachusetts is outrageously not cheaper um but I think not knowing the specifics of if there's other qualifications that might you might be able to look at and maybe that might more scenario that you might be able to communicate to Charles and U BR really look I really appreciate that if it's coming on the radar as fre you're saying I understand uh I want to make sure that it's it's it's coming on our radar and that we have understanding of that hardship and we will do whatever we can to try to look into resp or it have resources I don't know anyone else yeah can I say something about that one so I totally agree and understand I have the the same worries keep me up at night trying to figure out how I'm G to afford my toddlers preschool and I want to her to go to Green Meadow really bad um one thing is I know that in the past Green Meadow has tried to do um a sliding scale with money from the school's operating budget and that that's really hard but um one of my hopes is to utilize the voucher program so that the school could actually take in money from the state um but there is a lag for families that sign up for the voucher program and so it could be really helpful for the families that you're working with now to get on the wait list um through Seven Hills Foundation because potentially then both they would be already into that waiting um and then have the opportunity of using another preschool if we don't have work that if we haven't worked that out yet or to be able to utilize the vouchers at Green Meadow um but I know I've talked to some schools that that's sort of the easiest way to make it more accessible because then the money is coming from the state instead of the Town um but there's also issues with equity and the voucher program and that there's just not enough vouchers either but um I totally understand that stress and that's one of the biggest things I think we need to do to catch kids up and make it closer to an even playing field when they enter the school um because we just we increase that divide of the kids right from when they enter kindergarten between the kids who have been able to afford preschool and the kids who haven't and the kids who need it the most of the kids that can't afford it and it's heartbreaking and Hillary I think also just while you're talking talking about State um I know every year um the conversation about expanding you know access to PR school as a state um comes up with the legislation body so we can certainly look to see I know that there's always um articles that are being advocate for something because really it shouldn't just be a Manor you know issue it's really a Statewide you know issue about access to say that so that kind of backfire on the state level though because Maryland just did that they decided that they just needed to make it free for everybody and the schools are not prepared like we wouldn't be we wouldn't have the space or be prepared to even with funding um they announced it about a month ago and schools have to accept all preschool age kids in September and provide transportation and so it's a logistical Nightmare on the flip side Mary anything really yeah great feedback though who was it um I think that's I don't know if you have any other questions um you're certainly no um I'm so excited that you're able to come tonight and I really hope to see more of you and that we get more of these conversations um wherever possible I thank you all for supporting this as well Charles thank you so much you're welcome my pleasure just a time check we're 20 minutes okay and now on to the wonderful bus transportation BD conversation is this going to be um okay okay I sure I always um okay so it's no no vote tonight for the transportation can we get a overview or explanation on what hi are you uh ready to speak about the bus transportation um information I'd be glad to thank you um those of you that that don't know you know we used Debs and our contract last time was a five-year contract that is up in June of this year so I um have written a new bid that I need to uh send out here very shortly um because the timeline is such that as you uh may or may not know you know there are procurement timelines when you send out a bid that it has to be published in the newspaper has to be published in goods and services bulletin um and then there may or may not be a um a virtual uh visit um and then you have to give people time after that to finish up their their bids and get it into you so uh the reason that I'm speaking to you tonight is um procurement laws say that contracts can only be of a three-year duration um but can go to five years with school committee approval and I would like to request that um the the bed that I am writing for contract be allowed to go to five years for the following reason is that probably the same reason the last one was for five years is you get to lock in the price uh for the next five years we all know from using our personal vehicles that gas continually goes up um and so we kind of protect ourselves a little bit from inflation by doing a fiveyear contract as opposed to a three um and so that is pretty much at the heart of why I would like the contract to be five years versus three um I would have liked a a vote because I need to um send this to the goods and services bulletin next week to be published on the 18th of April um if I had to I would wait because the contract wouldn't be executed yet but it would be nice to uh to have that approval so that um I don't kind of have that hanging out there can I just CL get a couple clarifying questions I see in the the time frame noted differently in a couple different places so I see 2024 to 2029 within the document but the document itself is titled 2024 to 2027 which I'm guessing was just a standard threeyear so you're saying it's not the 2024 to 2027 it's to 2024 to 2029 is the five year that you're looking to have a contract for I'm looking to have a a yeah a five-year contract from 24 through 29 okay um as I said procurement laws I could write it and we could do it for three years uh that's normal I would not uh need school committee permission but anytime you go over three years uh you can go up to a Max of five but you need school committee permission to do so okay so um yeah Mary if you want to go ahead yeah so um following up on that um Wayne when on page five it says be the award contract it says it's a three-year contract with two additional oneyear term so will that get changed to be no because uh the procurement laws look at the entire length of the contract uh which includes the option years so in the eyes of the procurement people that would be a fiveyear contract because we could uh exercise those options without further approval ah okay I think I understand that so you put it out to bid for five years but we're we would eventually sign a threeyear with a twoyear option included for approval if we want to extend to it wouldn't be five years automatically it's just the option to extend for those five years is that what I'm understanding is that correct yes so if you with your approval it would be a fiveyear contract the reason I wrote it the way I did and not just a flat five years is at the end of year three it gives us an out if we have issues with the bus company um if there are other competitors that potentially uh may be more competitive than when we first went out to bid so what this does is this gives us the flexibility at the end of three years if we don't want to we don't have to kind of use Sports lingo pick up that option uh we could say we're not picking it up hey we appreciate it uh we're going to go out to bed have a nice day um I another followup question just along the same line since we're talking about that um would we have to because it's really going to be three years plus two optional years would we have to um give them notice at for the third year if we wanted to so it would be we mutually agreed upon yep that we would uh pick up let for example we had the same arrangement with basic uh it was a one-year contract with them um doing our uh uh before and after school with uh one-year options that we each mutually agree upon and so uh at the as we get to end of every year uh we touch base with them and we say we would like to continue this do you and they say yes and um we we continue um so it gives uh in this case the district like I said and out at the end of three years if you want to um or you can if you're happy you can continue and you don't have to do any further negotiations uh that's because also too they have to give you the prices uh for those two option years up front now uh so that when you do pick up those years you already know what the costs are and they're locked in you know from previously so in the with in the termination the part that talks about termination it doesn't it just says a 30-day notice so and it seems to be um either party could could terminated would we want um like I would want that terate on us in 30 days I what I have more notice would we want to maybe expand that I don't know if that would be in our best interest to say maybe should be like a 60 or 90day donce if for some reason and they're not able to um and then I don't know 30 days just seem like a very small window if there's some you know change in service they're not able to do it or um to give notice of termination of a contract especially for something that very hard to to fill right away um I'm getting some echo in the room tell me again the the section that you're looking at Natasha uh it was a the termination yeah H3 um it just indicates that there is a reserve the meor reserves the right to declare this contract by 30 days in writing so we we they can give we can give them a 30-day notice but it doesn't indicate if the contract for them is to give to us did you say A3 is that what you said H isn't Harry oh okay just a second let me get there I have I don't know maybe you don't have the most up to date but H as in Harry 3 now are you in are you on um page 13 page 13 yeah oh to declare the contract on board by 30 days notice and writing should deem a judgment that the contract is not fing the terms of these specifications yes that's that's us that is uh for performance okay so they they can there's doesn't indicate in here how they can well maybe H4 H4 they have a 30-day termination notice h no an H4 no I don't see that I see it's about payment in age4 to provide services to with pays right but it's 30 it's 30 I don't know I just was wondering it just 30 days kind of is a for a contract like this I didn't know I just want to make sure that we're not on the hook with a 30-day notice at any point without Services um because I know that would I wouldn't want to see us in that position um if that's the case but if this is if you're comfortable with this language I don't know are well that's us if they failed to perform we're saying that we could get out of it by giving you $30 days notice and so obviously we would have things lined up before we gave them the 30 days notice what this says is if they're failing to reform that we can quickly get out of the contract they can't just arbitrarily decide that they don't want to work with us anymore right in the middle of the contract no that's not there this particular part of the contract is not talking about them getting out when I like they can just like stop working that's what I that's what I interpret that to be yeah I inter to say that if they they could just stop Services right so that's what they found to perform they're not they they say we can't we can't run buses no this says if they for whatever reason they're not fulfilling uh their part of a contract that could be they're constantly late when you know in the contract they're not supposed to or uh they fail tock pick up uh students or whatever that in case you know in these cases where they're failing to perform we're only required to give them 30 days notice and we can get out of the contract um question so um and this is um a subject that has come up a few times when um over the last couple of years with parents wishing that there was a camera on yeah for because people don't stop and there was an episode where one kid almost got hit and and I think we couldn't address it until the next contract is that something that we want to put in there there is there is a section in here about videotaping perfect thank you not dash cams just y that's okay sry we didn't say dash cam we said videotaping so whatever mechanis is M they use um we do talk about that it has to have the capability uh I can find that section for you they have cameras in the bus I think that's the one that we we have standard yes currently I don't think they do is there a reason why they would you do a it's not typically done I've been places where there is both a front facing and rear-facing camera so that one you can see what the driver is seeing the other one is back looking at the interior of the bus so that you can you know monitor student Behavior if there was something you know you could catch that because where I was before we had that where we had um where a parent claimed that a driver did X Y and Z and the driver said she didn't and so we had to pull the the footage and we were able to review because we could see the bus the interior of the bus and say you know X Y and Z did not happen I know Dash I think I think the questiony is is more of to protect the bus driver and the students not not to because what I've seen and I know some places have SE that video camera like sometimes with the stop sign like comes out it'll video like cars that might go back and then that could be reported to the police you know and police can um hold accountability for people who are crossing you know running fast for students or trying to that's what we're looking for more protection for the bus driver and safeguards for the students is is there an opportunity that we can um request know camera outward facing so debus does not do that in the past anyway we definitely bring it up again though bring it up yeah they would not do what coling dbus does not do dash cams but we can ask them yeah but we can bring it up I can mention it to Sandra and see yeah again we can put it in it's in the specifications um on page 25 um not paragraph H it's more protecting the bus drivers and the students from outward and trying to get some evidence that maybe give to the police to to catch these people yeah yeah because it's becoming more prevalent it is very prevalent see okay all right um Elizabeth question yeah just a quick question um so we have the ability to get out it's the three years and then after the three years we can reup each additional year if we want to and I imagine that leans that they can also so so I'm I'm guess I'm curious about how much wiggle room they would have how is it different from having a three-year contract if they can like if they can they renegotiate costs after the three years under the provisions of the contract as it is now or would they have to break the contract to renegotiating costs at years I'm sorry your question is how does it differ from a three-year contract yeah so the way it's written now your point is that we can get out of it if we want to after three years correct but I imagine that means that they can also and so like if if after 3 years it says with the option for two additional one-year terms those one-year terms would be as like lock at the same cost that we decided to free up correct they would not be able to say Well we'd like to have another redo this cont half the contract is the new but we want 5% more they couldn't do that I'm I'm sorry I I have trouble with the echo in the room so you're saying why would they not want to renegotiate the last two years I'm saying that so if after three years we decide they decide to continue with us can they also say we want to continue this next year but we'd like 5% more for no no because they have to give us the cost now for the entire five years to include those two years there's okay so it's either you keep the contract on either side for the time that you decideed three years plus one year plus one year and everything's the same or you renegotiate at one of those three points correct so you can renegotiate the threeyear point or the four-year point or the fiveyear point but you can but if you don't renegotiate then everything stays the same on both sides is that right well I wouldn't renegotiate unless I'm going out the bids and I open it up to everybody if I'm staying with the same company I'm they're locked in for those two years thank you um the the videotaping section that we were just talking about previously um nowhere here does it talk about the having interor and a Dash can so is that is that something that we can actually put in yeah I can I can be specific like that okay um and then I also I um I like the fact that you're adding a section in here and getting um specific bits um about the late buses so that fantastic thank you yeah you so it sounds like would oh Hillary I'm sorry I'm good both Mary and Maro covered my two questions okay um no I think so it sounds like we we are we you're looking for us to vote um so should we because we are we have an outstanding request about the camera should we frame our vote to include that I'm just wondering because you want to put this out to bid um next week or two weeks can this wait until our next week or a time yeah yeah right so that's why I'm trying to figure out what is the best approach with um trying to incorporate the the desire to get camera interior or exterior camera just just say maybe with approval like superintendent approve or to amend the contract to include if that's that that part that be that's one okay all right so then does that sound okay for everyone okay so I will um make a motion that we approve the recommended contract for the imitation to bid daily regular student transportation for M Public School bid number 0120 uh 0120 to4 for uh five years that 2024 to 2029 and Offa superintendent to amend the bid language regarding the inclusion of to add the inclusion of exterior cameras um that sound good right any further discussion um Brian just if you could follow this like that we find out yeah find out um what that would be that would be great get that um all right um roll call Hillary griin yes who second um Mary Bry yes Elizabeth H yeah Mar Hogan yes Taj yes Paris thank you very much I appreciate it um school choice Ste and a routine um Brian you want to speak to this sure you can see the chart which is included in the package of information which identifies the grades the projected enrollment um and our recommendation how seats will be available giving the there some unknowns in terms of the mov which still always are um en as en so there a few you never know exactly these are the recommendations for each grade which puts us in the Elementary grades at about 20 per class which where we've comfortably been for a long time um in middle school it's around 100 for grade you take into the most are really Avil 9 10 um and then that that helps R the high school we know typically we're not recommending it at this point opening usual that students want to transfer but if you got somebody that was interested is that like that being Case by case just say moving but so I would say based on this we would say no because we're saying Z seeds yeah so right I I was wondering about seven a um and I we have zero seats that we have there but you know my I I keep going back to how low our school choice you know I mentioned this about it just the revenue is dropping not that we're turning people way but um what would the harm there I mean have we if we could advertise that we would take in those those grades particular the only reason I'm ask you see a dip that anyway sixth grade you know when for other the charter schools um I'm just wondering if we would be able to open up just to test the waters to see um because it just seems that if if some they have a be off I would say we're going with what the administration recommended so could we put one or two them we certainly could does it increase class size that that just becomes a little bit harder to manage um do they also they also take consideration which we have more of those um I don't know go thetion Elizabeth um that sounds sounds fine um I guess I'm just curious about two things one I imagine that we already have school choice kids in and this distance correct that's for next year we to we to post this at so it's just like what we have available for next year but not total seats available and then um and then I'm really curious about our 10th grade class is so small compared to our nth grade class that's just of the opposite of the so you know what's interesting is last year we had 58 we had 58 n graders so this year there would be 64 actually expanded yeah we did yeah we do have great um yeah I'm I'm good with this I'm I do understand what you're saying um but you know I just especially the seventh grade I mean six six already so I'm good with this Hillary um so I don't want to go in and you know change it on the administrators who are comfortable with this but I really agree with what you're saying Natasha I think that there's something to be said for being able to advertise that we're open for all grades and that you know say a kid is coming in in you know ninth is interested in ninth grade and they have a sibling in seventh grade and it's one kid I think it could help with the advertising to be able to say it's it's open on all grades and there's fluctuations anyway so I don't know that one kid would make a huge difference um and if we keep pulling money from there um but I'm glad we're opening for kindergarten because I that's bothered me in the past so I appreciate that um I think maybe go with it the way the administration wanted for now um but then keep thinking about if we're going to be using that funding for so much um expanding the openings and the advertising for next year I mean I guess that's what I was was thinking is like it would be it' be great to say okay you know did you know mayor has you know availability from two through 10 right just so it just like you know people don't have to think about what my kid is at this grade or you know it just be like a little bit of a more opportunity of a window versus like broken up the way it is and I don't know even if you just put one one in those zeros I don't know the harm that it would really be because there is constant movement um it just again I go for just Financial perspective and advertising and how marketing would be and I I would be in favor of adding um one spot for three seven just to make it like I think it also looks good for like I know a child that moved from a school district that everybody talks about being so wonderful and they just moved to Mayor to be with friends and to have a different environment and I think that that sends a good message to their friends and stuff that they're choosing mayard um even with their other options be intentionally because of the community and the culture and stuff and so I think just them sharing that kind of works as good PR and publicity for other kids that aren't the ones coming but knowing that there are kids making that choice so um I it doesn't sound like everyone is firmly on wanting to change that right no all right so um I will make a motion then um that we accept the recommendation presented for school choice seats for 2024 2025 okay any further discussion all right yes Elizabeth yes Mar yes Hillary yes carries 4 one next item is chair report okay um I had just a few updates I've probably talked to Brian Brian are going to hear about this but uh wanted to share um so I had the opportunity to listen to um the aset presentation to bencom um on um the other night Tuesday Tuesday no Monday Monday evening and they're also going to be presenting to the SL board next week um I would recommend anyone please go in and look at their presentation to uh to see it talks about you know enrollment and and whatnot and just some of the highlights I wanted to share um so um projected for next year there will be three fewer mayard students going to as of it um but mayard is Mayor assessment is increasing by 39,000 so that was a little confusing to understand um I guess there is part of the way of calculation there's a a formula that's something to do with um a we aggregate uh formula that the state uses and it sounded as though and I haven't really looked into this myself so I I don't want to speak with her to but the way Ernie described it was that um M nerd formula is part of it is where you're at you're regionally and so I don't know if that works against us because of where our location is and how our wealth aggregate um how that's calculated so that's sounded disturbing to me um part of the presentation included information about um there was a lot of warnings that was given about um they're taking fewer out of District students into their program which means it's mostly member communities students so it's not from places that are elsewhere that would be considered pay so they're losing revenue from um non-member communities that are that that they get which means that um they're going to the increasing the assessments to all them member communities are going to be going up or continue to go up so we've seen them grow up that's 8% um and it sounded like that's going to be the trend um in addition because Transportation costs are going up and come to find out that they I asked what they charge families for transportation because I know like Charter Schools they charge like 2,000 which I think is is a lot as it doesn't charge anything for their families for transportation so that gets built into their budget they subsidize the whole so that's what meor that's part of meor assessment is um and I just you know I asked um if that is something that theyve done an analysis I know we've done an analysis of our transportation like regionally and I asked that they have done that with their member communities or what other to see if that is in line of practice because it seemed quite unusual like does that you know still charge family so I just thought that was um you know interesting they're also adding an athletic director I mean athletic trainer um into their into their their hiring so I was interested about that um and they did speak about they have that article they have an article that's coming before town meeting to add a stabilization account and the way it was forth it is that they can um once the account is created or approved and then created that they can um that account can have up to 5% of the assessment amount like for all the whole budget one of one operating year deposited into that account at any given point um which would be part of their um budget request so that they can then add money to that account so we would be funding their stabilization account as well so a lot of interesting things I will say and I um think it might be an opportunity to share maybe some thoughts with the SL board I I don't like that it would be like us versus them and these are mayor and kids I just think that it seems the equity in in in resources is is lacking and um you know I I hate that it it feels that way um you know I don't want the resource or the the cost to come the expense of meanor students and that's what it feels like it it's getting to that point so um I thought you know I may share some feedback and I'm Mar you head as well we're G watch that and share some feedback with SL board possibly um but there definitely was a surprise there so and I think that was really uh all that I had about finance committee information um just kudos to I play that already been said International night very very wonderful thing and that's that's it happy spring everybody was feel like it so and Charles I'm really happy to see you I that chop hasn't been doing a fantastic job of absence at the meetings but know I like to mix it up a bit and so happy that you're um we just able to see you even birthday so thanks thank you um Mary no I agree we uh budg yeah we need to do a budget yeah budget up tomorrow but um we have the town budget is tomorrow night and then we have a budget executive session also afternoon tomorrow afternoon and then we um Mary we'll need to plan for another regular meeting next next Thursday you could look at your calendar to see that R you mentioned before 3:00 it was better for you um because you have other stuff uh I have negotiations you have negotiations yeah so you before 35 so just anyway look at can give give back of what your oh good good okay right um and then we have our budget Town budget tomorrow night um the articles for the budget fincom was missing a whole bunch of Articles so they did not get discussed at their meeting as far as budget recommendations I know Greg had shared some some information but it looks like there's still some things that are not quite um submitted to yet as well so well Greg sets a deadline it was um February 28th and articles are still coming in W Elizabeth um the only thing I have to report is that we had the meeting the school committee but for the town um superintendent meeting and um we are very close to having the parent done um so it's in the very final stages now and I think not exactly on the timeline that we had originally decided but very so and you already saw that the student and the staff done so that means that hopefully very soon nipes um so we've had a a policy subcommittee meeting on Tu yesterday and um's Wednesday I know and um one of the things that we realized when we were going through some of these um so originally we were thinking about that the second read would be the approval um but we then realize that if we're um approving we then need to resend and some of the the policies that we're resending um Pro multiple letters so we can't approve so what so our plan is so what we'll do tonight for the second reading is we'll do a similar thing that we did last time where we're approving the policy as a whole as a second read and then on the 25th when we doist we'll we'll do all of the what the the plan is we're going to do first and second reads and then at one meeting we're going to approve all of them and do aent of all so that way there's no like overlapping and trying to figure out okay we can't resend this one but we can resend this one it will just be cleaner okay so I put in um in the policy folder I put in a a copy of uh the timeline for approving our policies um and what sections are going for what dates first read second reads um and and then we should be upset so the my our plan is to well we will end up doing second reads on the 25th but then O then we're going to do as an overall approval of all of the problems okay yeah meeting I was like uh oh this isn't this isn't how we were originally planning to do this progress um all right before iar that I just wanted to call out um I put in the folder project f for the um the bleacher that I realized I didn't put item for so I just if everyone just look over it and um if you can add some like just questions or clarifications um send it to you yeah yeah yeah because um I want to make sure we just I can send that over to when we have the next meet for the um the task force um because I know that they want to just publish them um these aren't publishing right yeah so we want to get that want to get that going I just want to make sure that the school committee had eyes on it um as a as a body um before you know just in case there's any know concerns or clarifications that thought so you all do that by the end of the week that would be great I'll just even say Sunday because I'm might look at it over um yeah oh I said I wasn't I'm good I'm just really excited about our progress with the policies um I'm really excited that in a month we will have all approved R vetted um consistent clear policies so that people in the community can actually just go to a website go to One location and find out what our policies are um there are definitely some that we should go back to but I have list of those so um once we do this we can go back and devote more time to them but it'll be so nice to just have it clear um you know when parents ask me what's our policy on whatever and I you have to go searching it's no wonder that people get confused um so I'm really excited about this and also um I reach out to do the Outreach too so I know that just to get some stuff there to um so look forward to to that okay so now we are going on to agenda right and then um so there are no minutes but there was Warren are 56 through 59 all right so without that objection uh that we accept Pro warrants 24- 056 D 057 -58 and d059 okay no objections they are accepted and then tomorrow do you so for this we're going to be doing the we'll do the one do that same that we did last right we're just going to accept the first read yes and then um and then do the same okay just so can we just do the same G accept the first and second read for okay all right so then and there were edits hold on I I um yeah I think write them each and every single one um or can we just say section A is it all of them is it all of them in section they're not all of them in that section think we been very particular which one you're right because there are there are some that already approved that were not that we didn't need to to um change so in the right the first read do you have like a ex yeah okay I'm gonna let you do this so we're doing the without objection the policies for the first read um section f section g section L so section f is f a FCB FF f f a g is GB a GB a GB GB EB C GB D GB C GB D GB I gbj GB K GCA gcba G CBB gcbc GC e GCF gcg g c i a GC j g c k GC o GC qf GC r d g d a g DB G g d d g d o section h h a HB HF section l l a lb lb C LDA a after SEC the second three sections are section a section c and section d section a a a a a c AC R ACA AC a AC a d a d c a d d a a d d A- r a e section c c a CB CB D CB I CCB c e CH H CH H SL c c CH HCA ch D CM section d d a dbg d e c DG a d h d i d i e DJ DJ a DJ D PC and as Natasha mentioned there were a few with just slight comment um Corrections and so we could do that on with edits objection I that but grab it later okay okay um all right and then actually one other thing that I I noted I forgot to mention during my chair report is that um met with the recogition and um spoke a little bit about um because they had voted to not approve the our application had which had been shared um publicly and um it appears that it um they may be willing to revisit there once the get more information for designs I think there was maybe some members who were unhappy with prioritizing the way it was prioritized we sure f i that that may be um I don't know maybe that part of the conversation so in any case um I did also say like hey Spirit of collaboration communication next time like a me so if you would like more information or this is something that you guys are voting on as a mission I think you should let us know so that we at present to understand um the concern so anyway um and they are meeting coming I think April 18th is when they're planning at task force the next one I don't know I don't think Denise sent out when it was mentioned that's over April vacation so I don't um it's the week before the Thursday before I think they're trying to do like U their meetings are off on Thursdays all right question um do we end up thinking it be sa I know that they wanted us to do a presentation and we were talking about getting was a that we're going to get all the information to them do we have a specific time frame that we be meeting them are we on new schedule at all should we get on I don't think they are said so they just s a deadline for us to get their information by July 1 I think they are later they are going to schedule so that they can go over so it would be a little bit after that fine that we would then yeah gives them time to review it and then I think the expectation is in July at some point and then will vote on do the vote and then go forward you know getting the information ready for so I will by when I he yeah with that they have a schedule their July I think they usually you know not a me so okay and it looks like um that warrant is on there they talking about all the applications and the they didn't do as much funding for approval for this annual town meeting so I don't know if that means they're expected you know for the social all right I think that's it anything else all right so um roll call Hillary yes yes yes Mar yes yes thank you all