##VIDEO ID:36fkNZk_0sE## e e e e e e e e e e good even good evening everybody to our massive crowd welcome to the school committee meeting regular session today is Thursday December 12th 2024 we are coming to you live from Swamp at high school room b29 um we have called the meeting to order and if you are so indulged please stand for the pledge of aliance pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for it stands one nation under God indivisible with liy and justice for all all right um anything for the love of learning this evening not tonight okay okay great um just because Max is here would you like to move that up sure Max why don't we move it up so you can uh get on with your evening oh okay I'm sorry I guess we do need do I take a that no not his chair I can move up any I can move anything up um all right Max you're on oh we got to get hello uh nice to see everyone um I'm here to discuss the use and occupancy agreement for big blue Bargains at the Clark Portables uh I did speak a few meetings back um when we were still working out the details of the agreement uh we were able to come to an agreement with big blue Bargains pending uh the school committee's approval uh and I'm happy to take any questions uh it it is uh intended to be a one-year agreement it's a license agreement which does mean that it is revocable with certain notice that's that's really what um it's it's the appropriate type of agreement with with this Arrangement um they they don't have any direct costs to the district although they are picking up some of the responsibilities for some of the utilities that the only utility that is uh separately metered for that building is the electricity so that was the only one we could really uh let them pay uh there's not substantial other utility costs relative to the rest of the building but uh we we have put into the agreement their responsibility to take care of the the building um you know we we think it's a really good relationship that we want to uh continue um but at the same time we didn't want it to be a uh something that adds to the financial burden of the school District's budget and we the reason it took a little bit of time is we were just trying to make sure we had the the liability language correct both sides uh felt like that was really important um it's a fairly straightforward agreement I I think it is sets us up for uh success with the arrangement with big blue Bargains and we are excited to get it going so max I had a question just you know you actually read my mind I was thinking at Section 8 the live ability and deification can you just um maybe in plain English to explain to us what it is I guess my concern was mostly around you know people who are customers at the big blue bar going in there if something you know if they slip and fell y or you know if something happened you know what would be the liability to the district nice yeah we we worked with uh Council on this and basically we have as strong of language in this section as we possibly can you can't ever completely contract away all liability in an instance like this um but we did as we we put it in there as strong as we can but but also to be consistent uh you know with with the law so um it's it's pretty straightforward um that this section in particular was completely drafted by um KP law so we didn't we didn't have them this was this was based on a prior agreement um at another town property with a very similar arrangement with food pantry uh so we didn't need them to draft it from from scratch and we were trying to be very efficient with the process but um understanding the importance of the liability section to both us and blue bar big blue Bargains uh we did have KP for this agreement in particular redraft that entire section do they have bathrooms there yep yes handicap bathrooms too so what happens um I would imagine that we do not have uh maintenance people over there what happens should there be basic problems yeah and this is uh less common in the school district because we're very used to fully staffed buildings for occupy but on the town side It's Not Unusual at all we have many buildings that uh are not staffed full-time so we're very used to the arrangement uh where an occupant just notifies us um usually just by email if there's ever an emergency you know the police are notified and then they'll they'll reach out through the through the proper channels it doesn't happen that often thankfully so we send somebody over to take care of it uh yes now the agreement is structured to try and have them have a as much of a level of responsibility as as we thought was appropriate here so that every little thing that happens at that building is not the school and Town's responsibility that was you know part of our goal here um so if I mean we're sort of talking about this before we talk about theou the town right so with the with that whole building right uh yeah but I I I actually view this as totally separate this is an agreement between the school department and but I was just thinking so I was thinking Max I was thinking like um who's who's the custodial staff that's going to go over and take care of the problems is it town it's Town staff not school staff because the town is in taking care of that maintenance part of the building with thatou no um I think let me try and lay it out a little clearer custodial wait a minute I think I just want to make sure you're talking about theou versus I was just saying like the she brought she brought up a a problem right that we might need a custodial staff to go over there and I was just wondering is the custodial staff coming from the town side or the school side and whether like I mean that's dependent on theou it tells us who's going to take of that building keep in mind myself and some of our our staff our our school and town employees so that it doesn't and and others that aren't we typically work together um so it's not there's not like a Line in the Sand but I do think with this particular Arrangement because theou does not discuss the Portables at all um in this Arrangement this is the school department agreeing with big blue Bargains so this is almost like it not almost this is really dividing those two buildings in two that there it is no longer Clark it is Clark and the Portables because that's a question I had as well is you know if you look at both theou and the use and occupancy agreement the premises are completely different and the mou specifically calls out that this does not include so the theou says consisting of the main Clark School building Loc at 100 middle sex app swamps sket and Associated grounds this does not include what is known as the Clark School portable yeah there're two separate agreements for two separate pieces of the property ultimately in both agreements the the school department is retaining control of of of the properties and the structures at the property which is uh the intent of course the mou is not um you may it's still on the agenda but it's not ready for approval yet so I think that's where I'm confused if the if to your point about which is coming first if the town is assuming the uh building the Clark um and here under number four it says that they're going to be paying all of the utilities but the Portables are only paying for their electricity does that mean that the rest of it is going into the Clark bill which the town is going to have or is that coming to us and if so how are we doing that it's it's not coming to the school department there's no way to meter it so this I thought you said that it has a separate meter just for the electricity right so the little bit of water and a little bit of heat will just go to stay whoever's paying the utilities at the Clark building and that is not today it's the school department in the future that is not a fully determined question whoever's paying those bills other than electric will be paying the bills for the clar portable there's no other way around that no no it makes sense to me I just want to understand how you know like at the end of the day who are they calling but if there's a plumbing problem they're going to call you and somebody whoever it is is going to come and look at it if the toilet is plugged or well you know the yes like I If the question is trying to understand like who's their contact it's us but us who it's the facil facilities Department okay okay which spans both which spans both it's not a the distinction is not critical to me other than like budget okay wise essentially um but I think what what I'm trying to stress also is that for minor things like a clogged toilet they shouldn't be calling us at all they should be dealing with it right okay on on their own that was the goal even if there's a you know a small roof leak for example it's still they're supposed to be dealing with that supposed to De with it themselves okay and how is that building heated there it's gas okay and there's rooftop packaged rooftop units it has heat and air conditioning actually which they were real happy about I bet and the handicap accessibility is a big plus for them it's a really good spot after all these years it's such a huge upgrade are they going to like cleared the sidewalks themselves of snow and ice and are they responsible for that um the the snow removal is is in the agreement um they they are responsible for the walkway up to the premises but not the necessarily the sidewalk yeah okay one one one last thing that was sort of bothering me was the um dumpster that it said it was going to be close to their door or I I just want to make sure we're we're respectful of the neighbors because the dumpster's never been sort of like on that side of the Clark property before it's always been you know down below so I just think I just want to be respectful of where that where that ends up and where it gets um emptied you know with the dump truck and everything I mean yeah we we talked um a lot about the dumpster with them um at first there there's really two sides to this you really want them to have a a plan for trash removal because if they don't you have you have a potential issue for like inability to kind of get rid of trash but you also want to be respectful of how it's done they don't um if you read the language it doesn't it's not mandatory that they have a dumpster uh they don't actually think they're going to need a full dumpster at at the property and they asked for that language to be um weakened for that exact purpose uh so they may just have have roll outs um but we've been we've been very conscious of the of the neighbors and and the pest control and the dumpsters and the and the rules about how people can leave uh donations a lot of those rules were geared towards not impacting the the neighbors yeah I mean I saw that one you can't leave donations outside of hours I mean that happens all the time anyway me but I mean I hope they're just doing a driveby right to see if the donations are there in days they're not open or in mornings they're not open or something well I mean I think our our objective would be for them to just like anchor only to take donations when it's staffed because we really don't want piles of stuff there and that that would be a violation they don't either I mean people still do it people still do it yep so can I just dve tail off there where where do they anticipate a small dump going well like I said they they actually aren't as far as I understand they don't really they're not really planning on a dumpster they think they can do it with rollways um but I I would when I was picturing it I was thinking like sort of to the left of the not not to the right towards the neighbors but sort of like the back left there's a space there's like a yard there uh before you get to that retaining wall that leads to the the old dumpster area for the Clark School M so I I think they'll probably utilize that what I what I'll call like the rear area of the Portables right okay um any I have one last question who is um who's leading this on the big blue bargain side who's the there's a group I don't I don't have all the names handy but I I've there's been a uh a whole group of of um I think they're mostly parents of of children in the school district um it's a you know big boo Bargains as an organization has been around for a while uh but there's definitely been a transition uh from some of the the people that were doing it before to sort of a new generation okay okay Max just I think I know the answer but this I just want to confirm with you just the use and occupancy agreement has the townside party as the town of Swampscott and I just want to make sure that that's stemming from theou that's why it's the town of Swampscott not the Swampscott School District can you say that again sure oh at the top of the and the say it says town of Swampscott not Swampscott school district and I just want to confirm that that's because of theou that assigns things of the town again it um the signatory to this is swamps got Public Schools yeah um it it doesn't have relation to theou um we we we may want to change the the Top Line town of Swampscott to swamp Scott School District although I don't know that we need to because the the school department is to a right a sub Department of the town of swanscott right all right I I don't think it would hurt I mean I mean I was going to say it's up to you but yeah just you might want to just confirm if if KP looked at this you might just want to confirm on the parties to make sure that uh sure yeah no that's if it needs to be consistent with the signatory it might be so absolutely I mean this is a great organization they've supported the school with so much money I mean I I at their last home they shared the money with whomever were the were the um volunteers the volunteers wanted to share the money with and I don't know is this is it going to go back to all back to the school do we know or or to to any organization that volunteers your market for you that that ultimately is their decision they are they are I you know nonprofit organization I guess I guess we monitor that as as a you know since they have a onee I mean right I don't want I don't want I don't want more money going to other people and us and US underwriting sort of their home doing it for other organizations I agree except that we're not except we're not underwriting it well I'm just saying but but other organizations will come to us and say we're going to give you some money if you give us a free place to live right I'm just saying I I don't want to set a precedent for for doing anything like that in the past in the past 100% went to the school and I know that they changed their Model A little bit because it was really hard to get volunteers just from the schools but hopefully hopefully they'll ramp up that program again you know and I I just well and now that it's not in a mouse infested space I would imagine they'll probably uh be able to get Volunteers in a in a better yeah I'm just I'm just saying I'm just saying for us we should we should we should revisit this right before this contract's renewed or this this licensing is renewed or something just to make sure that that um that it's still beneficial for the schools right so I guess I got to go back to what John you were saying is are we comfortable signing the use and occupancy agreement with the town of swanscott as the owner I am I am I am are we running you could change it if if you weren't comfortable you could but say the town of Swampscott acting through its school committee I've seen that in other documents there's enough you know at the end it says that it's this you know the school is signing and swamp's got school district is swamps I'm not a lawyer John got for any guidance here yeah I'm not going to say okay just because of that technicality I mean we could if you if you want to have the vote I guess we could vote conditional on clarifying on the on the language with the parties all right um that's what I would like to do actually if that's okay so um can I just ask one more question Max I'm sorry and I think maybe that's a little confusion we're not doing anything with theou tonight correct we are not doing anything with theou great that still is with the with the town okay thank you all right so um Can someone make a motion that we accept the use and occupancy agreement between um the town of Swampscott slash the Swampscott school district and blue big blue bargain for the term of one year with the caveat that this is changed the top has changed from the town of Swampscott to the Swampscott Public Schools only because it's it's really saying it is saying two different things so I think we can sign it but I'd like that caveat to have that changed so I thought the change be conditional on what the parties like KP said of correct yeah so the caveat isn't that it's changed that the change cor corre red it might not be changed right all right I'll make a motion that we accept the uh user uh the occupancy agreement uh conditional conditional on legal reviewing the first line of the agreement great soone second right all in favor say I I I'll oppose it carries unanimously thank you thank you Max welcome thanks next problem all right so sign us what an exciting thing for them to have a decent space right and that's literally like next week yes it's been I have a car full of stuff it's been years since we've been trying to find stuff yeah some time for Christmas hold on Max you can take this with you actually if you want here you go if you could just make copies and return it to um superintendent's office it feels good feels right yeah yeah they needed a place for a long time thank you appreciate thanks for answering all our questions course all right uh do do that so one of the things that sorry one of the things that we kind of wanted to chat about is just have a little bit I I know that I think many of of us have some questions for the the superintendent um I I will ask that we keep those questions um that was out by the way it's a little uncomfortable that there's no topic on the agenda correct so um I don't even know what we're talking about well also are we gonna is there any discussion about Clark no we just brought put theou in again it's it's on the town side right now waiting for that to happen right okay then we I think we just have to acknowledge that okay because it's on your all right so thank you Amy so under the facilities director report we did have a Part B um which was the Clark School mou uh Max just confirmed with us that um the town is not ready to continue with that mou that correct well it's in their hands they it's in their hands to get us not ready for us not ready for our Prime Time as of yet okay um thank you Amy all right so um we've all had some questions for um the superintendent and I I will say and Pam I do want to acknowledge you're a little bit uncomfortable with just because there there's no list of questions per se it's not a topic talking about what are we talking about yeah I'm confused so i' I've received emails from many few about just questions for the superintendent like so for me I have one question I wanted to talk about with the change in amcast you know I want to talk a little bit about just some of our gradu I should have known the topic or be prepared yeah I I'd be happy to if something actually just came across my desk today from the state but I'm a little uncomfortable because there is no topic you didn't even have to give me the questions but if you want me to report on something I'd be happy to report on it but it'd be helpful if I so you'd like to know about the mcast I actually was going to share the document we got from the state I don't know if you received it today too with the committee we got it oh you did get it okay yeah okay it was a frequently asked questions document um and so truthfully I have had a couple things going on so I didn't even I don't know if Mr kishman had a chance to read it I just gled yeah I know I have to read it more thoroughly um and certainly I can get back to you okay I can report on that at the 19th if you'd like there's some there's some um there was a discussion on the masc list serve today about what people are doing with their policy about graduation requirements because because the 10th grade mcast was was one of the graduation requirements that's in our so I mean that has to change too but it was just sort of talking about how districts were dealing with with that but I mean that's an easy one well because mcast is going on as usual it's not going no and so we I feel like it's not that I've ignored it it's just there were other pressing matters when that came across today and so certainly I can bring it before the school committee on the 19th so Glenn would it be okay if um if other school committee members had either topics or specific questions to send them to you you can pass them on to yeah i' just like to be prepared to report out on whatever you'd like me to report out on sure absolutely okay would you share the list that you do have just remind us all yes I will do that okay um we'll come back to that at a different date um committee comment Karen uh I don't have anything tonight okay Amy I just I wish you were here tonight uh I just want to say shout out to Noel I was so impressed when I watched last week's uh two weeks the last school committee meeting uh with Mr um Frank CR Mr Franklin M Mr Franklin's uh where am I who am I where am I from I thought Noel's um was really pretty incredible and very um very intimate so I give her a lot of credit for speaking that publicly uh and I wish you were here I I did send her a note but it was pretty fabulous brought tears to my eyes right can I just throw thank you very much um I'm assuming we're we're not broadcasting live no we are just ass that's not working whatever okay um okay uh thank youy anything else John uh I just wanted to recog recognize um the band in the chorus they had a couple of things in the last few weeks they had the big Fenway Park performance day before Thanksgiving and again Sam's here so again acknowledge the football team for their great season as well um and uh you know the band did a great job at at Fenway and uh they also had the Disney trip last week and from all indications uh that went really well um very jealous of seeing them in their team t-shirts and while they were performing but uh you know again just I remember when we approved that Disney trip and it seemed like a hundred years away here we are but you know it sounds like it was you know for everyone involved just an excellent experience so that was a Glenn great thank you Suzanne just to um to piggyback off of um what Sean's saying that the chorus and the band and um also the art Department I just think if people are listening to this or have have the band with 7 o'clock or starting now to come up here because on our way into this meeting I was able to like look around at some of the artwork that's in the atrium it's beautiful and then there's going to be a concert at 7 so so yeah we have we we've been talking about um I went to a meeting about the the upcoming school I mean Town Newspaper that that's being developed and and um the people at the meeting I were I was at was were all um people of my age people that don't have kids in the school system and they were all sort of pining for um knowing what was happening in the school because they miss they miss like when they used to go to performances or or concerts and things because because that that doesn't go out to the whole town it just goes out to you know parent Square in general I mean every once in a while it makes it makes something else but these people aren't necessarily watching Facebook or Instagram or whatever so they were really excited for this news new newspaper to sort of have of these local events that so we have to remember that right that out there just to dubil if you don't mind I actually um was talking to a couple of the folks from the swampa tides and I did extend an invitation for you know when they're ready to come to join us to kind of introduce the US the community to their um I'll call it a newspaper just for what it was and I'm pretty excited about it too especially after I mean I've read the Marblehead current recently and I think it's going to be just great for the community um thank you Suzanne for bringing that up um I don't have any general comments either um Sam sorry Sam oh you know what I do want to say sam that even though the game didn't turn out the way anyone wanted the event of Fenway Park was absolutely amazing yeah I I just had a great time that was fun thank you I I had a great time too was anything from you'd like to share from student point of view I have no announcements you have one comment um me and no were actually going to talk about this together but obviously she's not here and I'm also aware that we were have been absent recently so you may have spoken about this but I don't know but um I'm going to bring it up regardless so it's come to our concern that recently there's been um it's come to our attention there recently there's been concerns about the senior prom I don't know if it's the same about the junior prom um there was an announcement made somewhat recently that they weren't going to be allowing outside um guests to prom um I don't know if you guys are aware about this or not but um you know they've always allowed outside guests I don't know what it is for the junior prom but I know at least for the senior prom they won't be allowing out outside guests and a lot of students rightfully so are concerned about it you know I know there may may not have been issues in the past but there's also been instances where it's been done on the past where there haven't been any issues so I know you know there's a way to make it happen but um yeah so a lot of students are concerned about that and I am as well people are saying oh I don't want to go unless I can bring you know my date from wherever um so yeah obviously you know there's some time before then but I just wanted to bring that up and make it known that you know there's some talk so I can fill you in that it the um announcement was made for the junior prom that they were not allowing outside guests but I would encourage you to go see Mr cohut okay because I think they came to a really good decision and now there'll be a process for allowing okay outside dates I was unaware I just you know no no I'm glad you brought it up and I actually didn't bring it up because I thought that I maybe mistakenly thought that also applied to the senior prom yeah so I would stop by make an appointment speak with them um they did overturn the decision but there is a very a more rigorous process for bringing an outside okay date now and I think that is going to happen so I can't imagine they're going to overturn it for junior and not for S so I'll clarify and then next meeting hopefully by on some of the uh Shenanigans last year it's it's been based on the difficulties at the proms um and the pattern has been that they're guests and so they you know sometimes you just go all in everybody stays in pesus and that's not necessarily the right way to do it and so they had some thoughtful conversations with some people and came up with a more rigorous kind of process in setting expectations for outside guests so and um I would imagine certainly don't want to point everything towards St John's but clearly when you have a prom at an all boy school right everybody's coming in from the outside so you know maybe there maybe there's something we can learn there yeah I loved what they came up with I don't recall it at the moment but it was basically scheduling appointment times with the outside guests with the administration and if you don't show you don't go and really having some conversations is I think where they landed so I can't imagine they're going to allow it at Junior and not senior but thank you so I'll give yeah I'll get back to you guys on that that's great I'm glad you brought it up Sam great thank you Sam [Music] um reports discussions Miss Angela is the floor thank you so I know that I tend to do the superintendence report typed up very last minute and as is the case there are two things I want to talk about that are not in the type of version that have occurred um so I was able to watch the Disney concerts on YouTube while I was working one day and it was just I was so proud and when I saw the list of 49 of our students were going the final list and the chapon that went and Mr duette and Olivia Chavez who's now a teacher up here who was one of my students and Mr roie and Mr Pierce um and so I received an email today that um from or yesterday from Kayla lir who also chaperoned and I just have to read it because I was proud of them and I am thankful for the staff members we have that give of their own family time to go but this is should make us proud of our kids it went to myself and Mr cohut it said it was my absolute privilege to escort a group of 49 chorus and band students to Walt Disney World last week the students had the opportunity to participate in workshops where they recorded their own singing playing over scenes from popular Disney movies they also sang and played on the Waterside stage at Disney Springs and were awarded a golden Mickey for their performances between the band and chorus performances a guest came up to me and asked me to share a message with the group she told me that she and her husband were walking by stopped to listen and wanted to say thank you to the students for sharing their music they knew we had traveled a long way and that it was a big undertaking but they were so impressed that they felt compelled to stop and express their gratitude it was one of the most magical moments of the trip of which there were photos and videos the students were impeccably well behaved every step of the way and received compliments from the airlines motor coaches and cast members of Disney to the effect am continually impressed by all of them and then I'd like to recognize both Eddie roie Jim Pierce for their willingness to offer these amazing opportunities to their students this is certainly above and beyond the call of their role as a teacher our students are so lucky to have them I'd also like to acknowledge Joe julette and Olivia Chavez for taking time away from their families and jobs to chaperon we couldn't have made this trip without them the entire trip was filled with music and Magic you should be proud of how well they all represented shs and the entire community I certainly am Wonder it's particularly poignant I think based on some of the budget cuts that were made last year and some of the things that we couldn't pay for and W worried about whether or not they would happen so this is a big gift on on the Educators Parts sure is wow that's that's amazing I really was I I just felt like I had to share and the other um exciting thing that happened with Mr kalish and myself um I am friendly with the ifs switch superintendent and he reached out to me several weeks ago and said would I be open to him bringing his school committee to see swamps Scot Elementary School and so yesterday um I brought Mr kesman along and we spent an hour and a half speaking with the school committee um speaking answering the questions that they funneled through Dr Blake um they are actually looking to they had a failed vote in 2018 for their Elementary School they are looking to combine two elementary schools which would total about our numbers of about 740 and um so they're in very similar in a similar place I did have a comment from one of them that you could just see my passion and enthusiasm and they had visited another school where they're like here's our school and I was doing my song and dance through the whole thing ever so excited and so much so that they ended and said can we bring some of our elected officials back with you and so so um how proud to just display such a gem that you remember when we were doing these tours yes and remember the superintendent at hail was like was like bring a bus I'll get a bus or bring a bus bring a bus of your elected officials right it was like so it was like so impactful to like you know I I did a tour or I was part of a a thing a couple weeks ago with the reading school committee and the reading the reading School building committee that's building a school and they were they were just like we've been to so many schools this is our favorite oh yeah like people have been really very complimentary they actually asked me if I would go be to their school committee meeting so they could ask me these questions publicly and not funnel them through um and I'd be happy to go Jason and I said we go and absolutely um so just that's great their enthusiasm was palpable when they left and they came in very because of your well I just we were dancing through that building and the staff was just so friendly and the kids were they walked into the Innovation lab and first graders were doing circuits how like amazing is that right so um it just it was really it was a lot of fun and it just it's the pride that that school gives this community it just it was wonderful so now on to my formal written report um as most of the committee knows and this is the first time I'm speaking about it publicly Dr bacon did inform me in early fall earlier fall that um she would be resigning from her position and moving on to New Opportunities um and because of that there's been a lot of work going around on behind the scenes and um a lot of transition planning 11 pages of the things that she does and trying to task those out right now and determining what you know what is so important to this district and everybody is stepping up principles assistant principles um but we had committed to Dr bacon that we wouldn't you know we wanted her to be sure and her position have herself settled with a contract before we went full out but as I mentioned to you um we did have we did an anticipated opening we had 21 applicants um they are there are eight that are just cream of the crop we would be lucky to get any of them all of those interviews are scheduled first round interviews are scheduled for next week it is Miss Colts Miss Raymond um Mr cohut and miss sandborn and miss zoto on those interviews um we anticipate three rounds the final round would be with Mr kishman and myself we also have Rebecca Buckland president of the Union on there as well I was trying to remember um that came through today but um we're really excited but I do have a few words that I'd like to say about Dr bacon she's been with us since 2019 four and a half years and shortly after her arrival we all know that the pandemic happened in March of 2020 she led us through this challenging time with a new instructional model of remote learning she worked tirelessly with our curriculum leaders and technology department to ensure we were doing our best to meet the needs of all our students she's raised the bar with the data analysis and datadriven instruction Dr bacon has also pursued numerous grants and played a significant role in the creation and success of the various Pathways for our students Dr bacon will be missed here at SPS and we wish her nothing but the best for the future and her last day will be January 3rd great um in high school news can I ask sure did we have any internal candidates apply we um we had one that didn't make the first round of interviews um and then we had a candidate that used to be in swamp Scot apply but the pool was so deep it was really hard to narrow those 21 down and um and so neither of them are in the first round of interviews how many do you anticipate going to the final around I don't know um it could be four from what I see wellow that's a that's an incredible field and a lot of them Deep Field so what we don't know and Mr cman you can speak what we don't know is are they ready to come on board now because many of them are employed or is this going to be a July one appointment and that's where we're we're working on for the commit so you background with us too I haven't seen a posting with more than three applicants for any job to see the 21 it was wild and when you even beyond the top eight I mean they were solid candidates sorry thank you so I just thought it was they were all solid you're absolutely right I don't mean to but there were such talent yes we had to go over those applicants again like Miss Colts did hers you did yours I did mine we like it it was yeah there's a lot what do you think is different about this got to ask a question too great question I I was not expecting 21 i' like to say it's SW yeah Elementary too except that like we had just heard from Mr kishman especially during the interview process about how how terrifying it is to not get um candidates candidates candidates yeah right well I think it's great I think it's I think it's hats off to our entire District to you know because the the folks who obviously applied did their homework before applying and and I think that's what speaks volumes about our our school district where it's going where it's been so I think having eight people go to that next final round is incredible I I just think I think that's great you just said something key what struck me and I don't know we haven't even talked about this is that they had done their research they knew about our core plan they knew about our Equity work it wasn't like they just went on the website and looked at what our navigating paths to success nobody said that they talked they talked about the work that we're doing they did their research it was very impressive at least that stuck out to me right yeah um I know we have one more meeting before Dr bacon leaves if Dr bacon is so in her if she'd like she had the time I'd love to for her to get the recognition of our next you know our last meeting I think it's next week on the 19th just to come in just so I think we can all just more publicly thank her for the very difficult job she had to do the last several years yeah she came in and then pandemic hit and we were all navigating right superintendent I know obviously the best thing is to you know have somebody to hit the ground running as soon as possible but does it is it concerning to you that we might have to wait until July no because we've spent a lot of I've spent months the last two months trying to figure out where certain pockets are going to go how we can get through this year with grants and who's going to manage those we've we've pulled a lot of people in a lot of our multi-tiered systems of support work should be building based a lot of the equity work should be building based there are committees that need to be um disseminated like Professional Standards Mr kishman stepped up he's replacing Dr bacon there so I have a lengthy list I've kind of been going through it's not ideal but we could do it because I I think especially with the departure of the the the um the heads of departments here that that a lot of that fell onto her lap well a lot of it's fallen on the principal's Labs too the principes have been meeting with this the Departments Mr cohut Mrs M Mrs Finn and Mr kman and Mrs AO they divided the Departments and they've taken that over since the beginning because there's no way she could have done that but it's it's more so her Innovative Pathways Mr C's taken that over the Grant Management of that the writing of the next Grant so um the title one grants um so working we've all worked as a team but uh Mella has been involved in those conversations as well so we're all people in the business office are working on things so I appreciate how early a notice she gave us so that we would have time to really you know folders are being transitioned and I've taken on the interns the teaching interns at the high school that program that begins in January I'm doing that to meet with the kids about who wants to go out to the school as an intern so we're all taking on a little piece of things so you can truly pick the best person not have to base it on like when can you start right exactly which is another incredible positive for us right is is Miss Bacon is Dr bacon helping at all with that first round of intru no she because she's splitting her time between us and her new opportunity she um she wanted to be able to get her feet wet in her new position um so then just a few things that went out on the big blue blast that struck me as very interesting and worthy of sharing and that is um the prospective uh student open house the other night was um Mr cohut mentioned to his staff that he received a lot of positive feedback and they had a higher attendance than last year and I know that they're actually working with Mr kishman on tweaking it for this year and then tweaking again for next year and the only disappointment was that our band and course were down in Disney and last year they started playing when everybody was walking in so um that's something to coordinate schedules for but um that was great and then this next bullet um Mr kohot sent to his staff I'm not sure if it went on the big blue blast but you know with all the talk about the high school schedule and Mr kesman has shared with me that apparently Philips Andover has the same High School same high school schedule as we have but as he's pointed out they can go take a nap when they don't have classes and things like that go work out in the gym but um so clearly it's something that Mr cohart it's on his mind so he decided to just analyze the AP data over the last several years and I can read it to you but in 2021 we had 189 test takers and 69% earned a three 3 to a five score in 22 182 test takers 67% earn a 3 to a five in 23 192 70% 3 to five and in 2024 we had 197 test takers and 76% of the students earned a three to a five that's great that's going the right direction going in the right directionless so it made him feel like you know the blips in those pockets of I can't get through the material right um have shifted it because if our kids are scoring three to five three four or five especially more and more bigger and bigger populations it's SC um is when he's looking at all of this we we've talked sort of intermittently over the last few years about the policy of um of if you take the AP you take the test um is there any reconsideration of that or I don't know that's a good question for him I'll ask him yeah um I I just I love that he took a look at this and I love that it was tied to the schedule and being really concerned that teachers weren't able to get through the material and this he was complimenting all of the teachers not just the AP teachers because they're all responsible for these scores and I thought that was great so superintendent can I just ask you is followup so is is Mr cohut still looking at the schedule generally to see where you know improvements can be made or always looking I think the innovate day where they're seeing their teachers more they would love it to be on a wednes ednesday it's on a Monday because of the other programs that we're running like dual enrollment and the professor time I think it's it's always at the Forefront of his mind of how to improve things it's not gone away I can tell you that right I don't know if he'll have recommendations if you if the committee's asking him to bring forward recommendations or bring forward a status report I can certainly have him come in the spring and and let us know what's going to happen for next year I mean I I would definitely be interested in that I guess sooner rather than later just just so you know committee has a line of sight to you know what what his thought process is because like you said you know these concerns have been floating around but just to kind of hear that there's some attention being paid to it and sure you know if there's actually some concrete I'll get some I'll get him sched about how to how to move forward that and you know it actually came up during Mr kishman's interview process you were asking about that and I think you acknowledged Jason that you know there there are some issues there that you know need to be looked at so that that'd be a good idea actually just just just a sheer amount of conversation that's happened about it it would also be good to know like how that um how the schedule has impacted course offerings and what you know because class size yeah class size we certainly got you know at in the spring when we get the um the list of what's coming up for the following year we generally have these conversations but I feel like at that point it's late because he's done all the heavy lifting already well it's interesting he just sent out and I said I'd like ask access to the document he just sent out a Google form to all of the teachers asking them what they plan to teach and offer for courses next year and one of our biggest goals is to offer more electives and um so I I would like access to that document to see what what teachers are recommending to be offered so I've I'm seeing this more than I've ever seen it before the program of studies is brought to us and that's the first time I typically see it so um I I I'll definitely have him come in the new year um and I'll look at those meetings in terms of budget meetings to make sure we have time to really have a conversation um and then the other I'm sorry I just I see I see you just making a small homework list there um I think it would be interesting if if you agree if Mr coh could actually query some of the teachers who teach these AP classes if they think they have enough time or if there are things that they would like to see as part of this conversation um you know their feedback I think that would be interesting to hear as well and I think he may have already got some data so I I'll check with him on that I meet with the high school team every Tuesday when I'm up here and I'll just add it to our agenda thank you uh so and then you know that the Northeast District chorus and orchestras and bands are near and Day to my heart and so congratulations to Hadley husted and Alex Shiloh on being selected to perform with this year's Massachusetts nor eastern district Senior Choir in January and this is where students prepare a piece they go into a little tiny room with a judge sitting there with a little clipboard and you get judged and then you get together with other regions and you put on a performance um and I know I'm dating myself Sam probably doesn't know what they are but I have records with my name on them from the Northeast District um so congratulations to Alex and Hadley um but I've started a little uh tradition here with our last meeting and kind of updating the committee on the work that Mr K and I are doing together keeping in mind that Mr kishman is still the full-time Middle School principal we do have that standing meeting so the first portion I just took what I talked about at the last meeting in case anyone didn't get a chance to get caught up on that um and then I added some new things and so in my absence Jason's now in charge of the district um we are going to the Massachusetts Association of school superintendent midwinter conference in January it is about AI in the schools there's um some big wigs speaking about AI in Pre you know kindergarten through 12th grade so we are going to that great um thank you for going to that I appreciate yeah no and and I it's also acclimating uh Mr kishman to the organizations so there's you know Mass Association for school superintendant there is the Northeast Consortium board probably towards the end of the year I'll ask permission if he can come as a non- voting member um there is the NorthShore Roundtable so just trying to uh bringing him to the tour I wanted him to meet Dr Blake because Dr Blake is part of the Consortium Board and they'll be interacting a lot um so he will conduct the finalist interviews with me he did assist with the tour um yesterday and he continues to participate in all of the finance superintendent budget meetings because in addition to all the building meetings about budgets and the capital meetings Mella and I meet frequently now going down a list preparing a presentation for you for um you know as the a preliminary presentation and so he's been part of all of those conversations beginning in January he'll attend my standing meetings with student services metco High School leadership Elementary leadership technology facilities and school committee chair meetings I'd like to bring him into those um we I I mentioned the last time he's already meeting with faculty and staff at the elementary school and high school because he doesn't want to assume that they know him and know what he's about um and so I feel he's keeping a log of our hours and our meetings so that when the two of us can't remember how many meetings he's been in we have we have a log I I didn't bring it tonight but um it I'm really grateful for the opportunity to be able to share this responsibilities of this position and the changing responsibilities of this position with someone new to it because you know it's hard to describe what you do because you don't know what your day is going to bring you go in with one plan and something happens and it's but it's the same way for a principal but I I hope you found it valuable so valuable yeah I love it so great um and then we have another meeting scheduled with The UU our yuu contacts on Tuesday next Tuesday because um max coordinated uh a license agreement being drafted by our attorneys and we have shared them with Evan and Tom and they're going before their Board of Trustees on Monday night so um it happened yesterday that we did get uh a meeting on the board for on the calendar for next Tuesday at 10:30 great um and then you did see that uh town meeting voted uh yes uh for the this the payout yes okay um and then miss wolf brought to me miss o Conor what you had brought about Morgan's message which was great and um I wish I had known about that sooner I did reach out to Mr vau and Miss illingworth and they are under a time crunch and can't possibly research it in time so I I do I miss wolf forwarded me all the information and I I think it's something that we should really try to get to the schools and so I'll continue to pursue that so just for the rest of the committee I was at um the as a parent I was at the the sports uh for the winter session uh where um you know Miss wolf and her team you know go their what everybody has to do um and a student stood up and talked about uh Morgan's message which was about an injured athlete uh sort of getting getting through the so like the the social emotional part of not competing and U Miss wolf had mentioned that it was something that she would actually like to do well beyond what they are doing currently but it's there are budget issues to which I encouraged her to we with um the superintendent uh because there is you know still $122,000 uh of the arpa funds that have been sort of set aside for the health department to work with the schools and I know that the superintendent has um been working with them and that that money is earmarked um so program B but not necessarily but but it it is such a um you know it it it impacts so much more than just the schools too I mean it it's something that really anybody could could benefit from but um Miss wolf feels so passionate about it and actually reading the presentations and looking at the story I I would like to look at I I know there's some other avenues we can pursue to bring it here and I'm I'm going to do maybe we can get some grants too yes yes and that concludes my report no it doesn't except I have two other items that concludes my formal report sorry um and so we have um a field trip form from Mr nles it is again um an overnight field trip so we bring these forward to you this is about this is for January 17th through the 19th it is um it says Dear swans school committee I'm writing to formally request your permission that the swamp Scot High School boys Varity basketball team to participate in the basketball tournament during Martin Luther King weekend we believe that this opportunity would provide our student athletes with valuable experience and competition and exposure um participating in the hoop Hall tournament will offer our players the chance to compete against teams from different regions develop teamwork sportsmanship and Leadership qualities represent our school and Community with pride and enthusiasm they'll also tour the Basketball Hall of Fame I don't know um Mr Moran if you want to add anything let's get you a microphone come on down um superintendent they did this last year and usually when you have approved who it doesn't have to come before you I just get nervous once in overnight and I'd rather no no I just remember this is like they're familiar with this yes yes I come up from sure nice to have you in front thank you can stay outside my comfort zone being in the back um thank you guys so much for allowing me the opportunity to be here um I'm super excited to talk about this um this is the first time that our basketball program um is so we've been to Springfield before so a couple years ago we went and um took the kids to some games out there to watch and then that's coach nolles that's where he grew up so he took them to the Basketball Hall of Fame which is a really cool opportunity for the kids uh but this year what we're doing is um there's a hoopa Invitational Tournament and there's like 60 teams that are participating they're boys and girls brackets um all of them in groups of four and what's really neat is that one of the teams in our bracket is one of the um Springfields International who's the team that we lost to at the buzzer and playoffs last year so yeah so depending on the way the chips fall there is an opportunity that we could go against that same team again this year which would be really fun wow um yeah so it's from uh Friday the 19th um to um that Sunday um the kids will go to school that Friday and uh we'll probably leave here around 4: get to Spring FS around 7 uh we have a reservation at the Texas Roadhouse there check into the hotel so with real people so it's going to be an interesting experience to see them out to eat but um check into the hotel and then Saturday is just a lot just a really you know packed day with lots of activities they plan a game um you know we go to the Basketball Hall of Fame go to lunch go to dinner you know it's just a really cool team bonding experience exposes them to different teams in New England they town you know towns in Massachusetts New York Rhode Island New Jersey so just lots of different exposures there um and I just really can't um say enough about the team Bing opport so you did go before but they've never played I correct that's that's great that's really good so it's a super exciting opportunity and um yeah so great we're really excited about it so we will I'm sorry ask your questions not so much for you but really superintendent I as soon as you said that the girls were playing too it's really disappointing that our girls are not going on this trip I would I would like the uh uh I would like Miss wolf to consider that I think probably they had to probably had to apply to go right I'm sure I'm not exactly too late now but these are I hear you these are opportunity absolutely all right all right so we take them to Red Rose Pizzeria oh you know what I think we are actually right I think that's yeah that's like the world's largest best pizza yeah we are you know what that's a Saturday right after the game whenever I go there all fame or whatever so what will happen Matt is we further down after my report they will take the votes but thank you really appreciate it thank you guys so much um the last item I was just going to say sorry I'm so sorry um just so you know I know the girls are looking at a trip for next year out of state so I'll let Coach Leonard talk about that she's in the preliminary stages of um yeah and they they're flying I think it's a Florida trip so I don't know I mean it's not approved yet and there's a whole lot of leg work but I know she's looking into it there you know so the last item I have is another list of surplus textbooks that Dr bacon put together um again as we have closed down some schools and um weeded through our collections um I hope you had a chance to look at this but I hope you also trust judgment that um these would be declared 1965 my favorite I could can I interrupt my favorite Journeys through North America from 1934 1934 um I'd be really curious to see that little bit we should just keep that as we should keep that for prosperity or maybe give it to like there's that um that that display at Town Hall of old school stuff that might be a good the other one that really caught my eye was the 1961 englishword building from Latin and Greek workbook wow you know it's like when you move into a new home and you go through everything right um like you find things behind the you know behind the radiator under the radiator say right right and so we're just looking for your approval um I do believe there may be um a vote there's a vote requested under actions and votes that we declare this all Surplus great thank you and that is the last of my report great thank you um I just want to point out to you that you did notice that the Lucy ckins units are on there I love looking through stuff like this I really do um okay um Mella is not uh here this evening the only thing I really have from a chair point of view um uh we are working diligently to try to schedule a tri chair meeting um prior to the end of the year um uh Mary Ellen um from the select board and the finance committee we're trying to work on a date um hopefully that'll be uh on the 23rd in the morning um and I will let everybody know definitively when that happens and then after that meeting the first meeting in January I will come with notes Etc what is transpired um anything from a subcommittee point of view you like to discuss anybody um I think the only update at this point is um suzan I going to be meeting tomorrow just to go through some of the policy updates okay and um and go through some of that so I think for now that's it Glenn yeah okay uh my only question was about the phone policy I know we've kind of bti that about right that's one of the things we have to great all right excellent um can I can I can I interject yeah you can interject um so I was uh I don't I can't remember where it was that I was reading this but there was um uh an article that I was reading about sort of the distinction between um sort of like the overarching uh policies versus more nitty-gritty policies and the and the the phones were the first sort of the first thing that I thought of and the idea that that the school committee is weighing in on things that are in in in most ways really operational the the thought was or the way that this article had sort of put it out there was that the there were sort of two kinds of policies and that the school committee uh was looking towards the the schools the users the ual um you know people who are in the trenches to to bring those kinds of edits forward and that we're approving them but really it's um not you know it's not time spent by the by a group of people who don't really know but the time spent by the people who really do that's how that's how the subcommittee generally works like if we're doing a policy on something that impacts like all the nurses all the nurses are at the meetings and they right but they're bringing it rather than you bringing it to them or or right I mean the only time we're bringing it right like I know Mrs Raymond has come and asked for a policy before you know just doesn't happen very often and a lot of times we're bringing them because we got directed to update something and we need their feedback on it yeah but it's kind of rare if someone brings a policy like I I really in the whole time I've been doing this I can only think of a couple times someone's actually said we need a policy on something well yeah I mean not necessarily a new policy but you know as we think about what's happening with that that cell phone policy the idea that we're duking it out here seems Mis think duing out yeah I don't think it was us duing out is we were trying to solicit feedback exactly from the same people that you said we should be getting it from and it was just kind of reconciling that and there was still some questions about what some of those recommendations were we just we need to clarify like we probably should have done more of that behind the scenes we we probably should have met as a subcommittee we probably should have met as a subcommittee with the people in person and and duked it out and brought to this committee something that was closer to complete right I think we thought it would be more well that was I hope you don't think that's not why I'm saying what I'm saying no but I'm but yeah yeah I think we thought it would be not the heavy lift that it turned out to be that we could resolve something with a couple of emails and you know get consensus but it hasn't quite worked out that way but that's not okay um um is there anyone in the audience today or anyone out there for on the internet for a public comment if so please raise your hand and we will absolutely uh call on you you go to the front of the line anyone out there no one's raising their hand no one's raising their hand okay uh feel free to contact any one of us and we'll answer any question you may have um so now that public comment is put to bed we're going to go to actions and votes can I can I make a motion actually you make can I make a motion that we move some of these actions and votes into the consent agenda um uh G for the Surplus textbooks the field trip um a the field trip to Spain because fi we talked about that last meeting it was at the last meeting um Miss baral presented right so it so there's no um you know no discussion around that b the the field trip to Springfield the Clark is off this we already did D right we didn't voted we did vote we have to vote so so I vote that c comes out yeah um maybe we could justf out too and just I mean keep enf separate but put all the rest of them in the consent agenda so I in so into the consent agenda I would say a b and G not not D oh we already voted D never mind no we didn't and D as well no we voted we did you made the motion I did yeah you made the motion remember conditionally okay so okay so my first motion is that we take the Clark mou out and the big blue Bargains I'll out and then my second motion oh sorry just okay I'm curious why like I'm I'm asking for a just a well because the idea of a consent agenda is that you're taking votes on things that don't require a discussion okay um and so we it's like we have this here but it doesn't and and there things here that don't require any discussion that should shouldn't be there like we should we don't have to do motion and accept for each one of these things we can just do it okay one time for all that's fine yeah all right so can you make a motion to what you want to move okay so the first was I I make a motion for C and D to come out someone second that please I seconded it already Okay can we vote uh all those in favor of removing C and D say I I all those oppos that carries and then I make a motion that A B and G move to the consent agenda someone second please I'll second that okay all those in favor say I I and there's no one opposed okay um so hold on that just leaves ianf you can just talk about that donations I got it yeah thank you all right so um we got a donation from the Weatherspoon charitable Foundation um they are located in hun uh it's a foundation they are donating $7500 um $7,500 I'll read a brief description uh this is to be utilized at the discretion of swk high school television program currently run by Mr Joe duet uh duette excuse me please utilize These funds for improvements to the program such as equipment Renovations Etc um and just to read it again this to utilize at the discretion of the swans High School television program again run by Mr dlet and please utilize the funds to improve the program such as equipment re Renovations can someone make a motion to accept I'll make a motion to approve um someone second please all those in favor say I I I uh it passes unanimously to the weather spon charitable Foundation $7,500 is beyond uh charitable so thank you all very very if I could just make a comment that this Foundation has been giving us tens of thousands of dollars for as long as I have been in this District as long as I was at Stanley school and I do know another one just came in from them that will be on the 19th uh the December 19th agenda but to acknowledge the Christie family and the this Foundation who has been supporting the schools incredibly for many many many many years and their kids have been out for many many years we could we do that publicly yeah do you think that they have the um desire to come in or do they are they just no I think they're very humble okay well we think them then yeah can you please we always send thank you notes and I'll write a note because I had the Boys At the contact is now one of the sons who was at Stanley school I mean I I remember last year at one meeting alone there was like a 10 there were three different gifts that totaled up to $10,000 easily $10,000 a year right it's really it's really these these gifts that are like so great to help the all the little programs there like you know like when when a when a student has had a good experience with Mr D that like this this right gifts keep on coming because you know the same with uh um alumni who donated all the money at the end of the year is there a when when there's a sort of when we go over the budgets is there a line item that includes how much has been gifted to us I'm sure M Stella has it somewhere so let me ask her i' be curious to know and to be able to just well just these donations alone every meeting that come in yeah so generous supplement so many like especially especially this for programming and the next one we're going to get for for for kids to go to a field trip right those are huge again this that's $7,500 is a lot of money that's great so thank you um to the withers spoon Shad Foundation uh we also have a um donation from the Geron Foundation another one of the foundations that continually makes gifts to the district um this one is for $3,200 um to be used to cover for students who to require financial assistance to attend the collegey School sixth grade field trip uh scholarships for uh eight students or so to attend the ecology school um again to the giron foundation is incredibly generous that's $3,200 can someone please make a motion to accept I'll make a motion to accept someone second second all those in favor say I I um it passes unanimously again if you could pass on our yeah that's yeah has been also Big B fantastic okay so um that leads me to the consent agenda the consent agenda is designed to expedite the handling routine and miscellaneous business of the district school committee May adopt the entire consent agenda with one motion at the request of any Committee Member or members any item or items may be removed from the consent agenda and placed on the regular agenda for a discussion so tonight we have five items regular session minutes from November 7th 2024 4 regular session minutes from November 21 2024 um the field trip uh high school trip to Spain the field trip to swans High School boys varsity basketball tournament in Springfield Mass and the Surplus textbooks is there any discussion I'll make a motion to approve thank you second please second uh all those in favor all those opposed it carries unanimously um someone make a motion to adjourn I'll make a motion to adjourn someone second second all those in favor I we are adjourned