7.29.2025 Fall River School Committee

Um, I'd like to call to order the regular meeting of the for school committee for July 29th. Uh, Deb, would you please call the role?

Mr. A here.

Mr. Bailey, Mr. Das here.

Mr. Corey, Miss Laravey, here.

Miss Pereira, Mary Kugan here.

Salute to the flag.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Pursuant to the open meeting law, any person may make an audio or video recording of this public meeting or may transmit the meeting through any medium.

Attendees are therefore advised that such recordings or transmissions are being made whether perceived or unpersceived by those present and are deemed acknowledged and permissible.

We have no recognition awards tonight.

No student comment. And we have two people that wrote in for um Mr. Chair, citizens input. Mr. Das, um just very quickly on student comment, um and I thought it was just a good time to bring it up now because we're going into the new year. It's my understanding that student comment in the past was supposed to be or at least allow supposed to allow the student delegates to participate throughout the entire

meeting. I don't believe we saw that this year. So, if that is the intended purpose, hopefully the instructions can be um given to whoever those student delegates are because I'd love to hear their opinions on items relative to the agenda and not just the delegate report.

I yield.

Thank you.

On that, Mr.

I would agree with uh Mr. Das. So we I believe that we were supposed to get an update from what are the expectations for the uh student delegates so that when they signed up they knew what they were getting into.

And traditionally what it's been here is they come they tell us a few things about what's happening in the school then we tell them to go home and that's really not the purpose of a student delegate and if it it was going to change somebody was supposed to bring something back to us. So I don't recall ever getting anything from the high school but just some clarity on what it

is. I think it's beneficial, but the I think the point of having the student delegate is to participate along the whole meeting as Mr. Dia said. So, if you could please check that and get back to us with an answer. Thank you.

We have two citizens that signed up for citizens input. They both mailed in a letter. Um, Deb, can you please read uh Rachel Goysman uh Davis Road Westport?

This letter was not easy to write by any means. As a current employee of the Farra public schools, I have to share my feelings on a few matters. I have been in the district for nine years. My titles have included substitute teacher, clerk, facilities and operations clerk Henry Lord and clerk at Dery. On a positive note, I absolutely love the kids, co-workers, and parents of this

district. I enjoy Dery and am proud I am part of the this amazing team.

I have given my heart and soul to every position in every position I have held in the district which should speak volumes. Mr. Das asked at the last meeting about exit interviews. He and many others want to know the reason for people for people leaving. I feel it is equally important to know how the current employees feel as well. I have applied for many positions and have been bypassed. Haven't been called for an

interview. The last position I applied for was at CUS. I did not receive the position. A current office parah received it. Was she a good fit? Yes, I saw her in action. I believe there should be stipulations in place for current staff. Your year should mean something. I accepted this loss. The position arose again, so I went for it.

I took my hard-earned time to go on these interviews. I asked myself for what. Clerk hours are 7:15 to 3:15 and are adjusting adjusted accordingly to school hours. The hours they preferred were 6:30.

For me, that was a deal breakaker. I have a 7-year-old to get off to school in the morning in Westport. I asked if this was a deal breakaker and told no.

Although weeks later, I received an email that I was not selected. It was a sting for sure. What hurt was that I was not hired. It was it has been known that outside people get positions first. I would think this district is here to make these to make their staff the best of the best.

Allow opportunities for lateral moves or other. My job is not easy. I wear many hats. Sometimes we just need a change of scenery. For me, I always had a passion for younger kids. So, it was a great opportunity. I think all employees look from time to time. It's sad that I applied to Westport and received a clerk position on the spot. I didn't take the position because the HR department did

not post the position internally. It was accepted by that candidate which was sad to watch when I had done the same and don't even get an opportunity in the far public school system.

I truly believe people are promised positions through who they know and other reasons. It is not fair to us current employees. Many people feel this way in the district. I just believe they think what's the point of speaking. Many people don't get opportunities at change because they are so good at what they do. So the principal or supervisor keep supervisor keeps them there. That is

nice to know your thought so highly of but sometimes you want to spread your wings and you should have that right. I believe this committee does want to know what is going on in the district on all levels. You can expect help if you don't speak up. Lastly, these contracts that these contracts are in place for a reason. Although although when it comes to clerks, many rules are broken or

adjusted to meet the needs of the person or the school. Hours are being changed at different schools, especially during vacations and summer due to summer hours. It is not fair to the other clerks who show up every day and do the same job and follow the rules. Thanks for your time.

Next up, Dave Olivera, Robersonson Street, Paul River.

Member of the school committee. Here we go again. This committee trying to attack and talk down to uh Mr. Das. the policy subcommittee was just a joke and for the chair to accuse him of putting together a list of inputs is downright disgusting. Well, if he did or not has nothing to do with anything. So unprofessional of the chair. With that being said, hate to disappoint Mr. Corey

and Miss Pereira. I don't need anyone to ask me to write to this body. I can see with my own eyes how you have treated him. Why? because he asked the same question over and over. Well, isn't that too bad? You don't like there is the door. Thank god three members won't be returning. And as for Mr. Das comment about the mayor, he is right. We had a productive mayor back then and didn't

hide money from public safety to find it because the union called him out on it.

and for the superintendent to roll her eyes to a member of this board is not needed since she has since she was handed the position. Let's finish staffing the school department before you judge anyone. And for Miss Pereira to state everyone has lives. She is right. But you also vote on a calendar year schedule. So plan around those dates. And yes, things might happen.

Well, it be sick or a funeral. But to a Karen Reed case, really shows me the vice chair don't care about the students and staff, if you ask me. In closing, I hope we have five new members on that stage come January, especially a new mayor to help Kevin and Colin move this school district forward without any distractions. Thank you, Dave Olivera.

Thanks, Deb. Chairman, excuse me. Can I make a comment? Oh, sorry. Go ahead. Sorry.

Okay. Um, Mr. Yeah, just on the on the first one about uh clerk and the issue, can we just address any issues relative to is is the what she said accurate? Are we following the contract? Does the contract read that internal candidates get a get the position? Because what she put in there and what is in the contract should be very clear. It's not a secret.

Sure. Um so we there is language in the contract that um with all things equal that there is I don't want to use the wrong word but like preference given to an internal candidate.

So that is and did that happen?

I I can't speak to that because I wasn't part of any kind of hiring committee and it's so I guess my question is just so I mean I guess I would say no it didn't. Um I I mean I think that we followed the contract is what I would say. I think that we are working within a contract.

So my only concern is and we've we emailed about this before as well. So it's not a secret to anybody. This lady sent this over 30 days ago. So my only question I guess is just trying to figure out have we over the course of the contract in all cases followed the contract because if it looks like the lady just put that somebody that wasn't even an internal candidate received the job over them.

There has to be a process then for how do you tell the person who didn't get the job that the other person was more qualified when they're not even working in the role. Like I guess I'm looking for the process of have you looked at it? Have we followed the clerical process all the time in HR?

So I can't speak to here's what I think. I think that in the moment that I say we have followed the contract every single time, I'm going to be presented with something that happened two years ago. Um, and you know, I'll somehow be held responsible for that. What I can say, but I think everybody can understand that it's very difficult to talk about something specific. Um, I can't speak to why a person wasn't

hired without divulging information about the hiring process other than the fact that the hiring process was followed.

And I guess my thing is if you're internal candidate, there's language in the contract that says you're supposed to get the job. If all things were equal and you didn't get the job, I think it's incumbent upon the hiring person principal HR yourself whoever to explain you didn't get the job even though you were here because this other person was more qual like something like that. I guess that's we can't tighten up

the practice, but it isn't necessarily a matter of not adhering to the contract.

I think that we if this is a person who is stating and I met with the individual who said I didn't hear back it took you know a there was um a length of time that you know she felt was too long and she was never given a reason I think so that's something I guess my that's my point is you're saying that when we get a letter like this it sort of troublesome

for one in that the language is probably not clear like it could be fix you know it could be made better.

But in the end, if we have an if we're saying that an internal person gets some sort of preference if that's what the contract says, they deserve an answer as to why they didn't get that preference.

I guess is, you know, even if it's just to say the other person was more qualified, they had more experience, they were bilingual, they I I just think that we have to tighten it up.

Um, and I'm not so sure that this is the only contract. This young lady's one that actually submitted something. I think these things are happening throughout the system in HR and I think HR needs to tighten up with how they especially for internal candidates. If the internal candidate is not getting the job and not entitled to the job, I think it should be explicitly state so that we don't get into wishy-washy

language about they have a preference or they don't, you know, if it's if it's open, I think we need to say it's open for anybody to apply for and the best candidate will get the job. When we start to put language that says they have uh preference if all things are equal, that now becomes a little bit of a quagmire because it's very subjective and it doesn't necessarily it's not very clear. So whatever you can

do to try to clear it up, I'd appreciate. Thank you. I miss Perr.

Yeah. So I had two things. One, Mr. Aar already kind of addressed, but I'm just going to agree with what he's what he's saying. Um I work for the state. I work in a union. when I apply for jobs internally and if I don't get the job I'm I'm given a reason why and I think it's important especially for our internal candidates because I also think it's helpful in

I don't know the best word to use but educating them to be the best employee so why didn't you get the job was it your attendance was it your t was it your education was it whatever give them the skills to be able to get the job the next time it's up there so anyway I agree with what he's saying um the other thing I want to say Just a point of clarification to a citizen's input

comment. I am going to defend my colleagues um because too uh often we get thrown under the bus. We do vote on a calendar. That was not a scheduled meeting on our calendar. It was a meeting that was put in after. I'll set it at the special meeting which clearly they watched but I guess they missed that part. So if you're watching, we were given four dates. Miss Laravey could make three. She couldn't make one.

That one date was the date we chose. It was her birthday. She went to dinner.

I think that's the last time we should have to hear about that. Honestly, it's ridiculous. With that, I yield.

Mr. Mr. Das, quickly on the um first citizens input, um did the individual that gave the input give a date? I if I missed it or did they not give a date on like just hiring um Quagmire?

She can send you I I don't statement from the individual.

Yes. Did they mention we got Right. No, I understand. I'm asking if if I missed it, did they provide a a date?

No, they did not.

No, they didn't.

Okay. Um I think that's something we should follow up on as we um revamp our HR practice in the district. I yield.

Okay.

Uh, next up item five is the subcommittee updates instructional subcommittee. Uh, Miss Laravey.

Okay.

Can I do facilities first? Go right ahead.

Yeah.

So, facilities.

Oh, hold on.

Yep. Facilities. Okay.

I just have it up.

So, facilities and operations subcommittee meeting was on uh July 14th, 2025. There were two discussions uh to vote to refer. One was the power purchase agreement for two solar energy systems uh for RPA and Panska and the disposition of WY school and a former stone school. Uh first the power purchase agreement uh for the two solar systems. Mr. Pico reported the district has had quite a

few of our buildings looked at for feasibility uh for adding solar systems whether it be on the roof, ground mount or canopy.

There are two schools that are on this particular request in that sponsor and RPA. Miss Pico stated the neighborhoods the schools are in determines whether or not the power companies have the ability to add the systems. There are other schools that have equal space or even more space to put systems on, but these two buildings currently are in the area that they can move forward with. Uh Mr.

Pico also stated the FAC school is going to have a canopy in the parking lot because the roof is not very conductive to solar and RPA. The fact that it's a brand new roof is very enticing to us to have it there. He said the height and the because of its height and there's no shading at all on the roof is a plus because RPA roof is new. These there are

no issues with them putting the system on the roof. There's zero cost to the district whatsoever. Moving forward, the district will receive a discounted rate for electricity for the life of the agreement which is 20 years. At the end of 20 years, the district can have them removed if they choose if we choose to or enter into another agreement in 20 years. The subcommittee voted to refer

it to full committee. Next was the disposition of WY in uh the former stone school. Uh as far as the WY school goes, Mr. Mr.

Pico stated if you look at similar buildings like the WY school, we don't have any quite like that in the district because most of the two units are still in use. WY school will be about 8 million renovation and the district will really only have a single unit after renovation. So square footage wise, it's not really a building that we can use to best serve the district. WY has been

sitting for a long time. Wy has a couple of roof leaks that we can repair that we patched and we continue to patch. So while he is in a position that could be up that could be put on the tax rolls.

Mr. Pico said it's probably going to cost about 10,000 to empty it or complete empty it out completely. We don't have a lot in there, but we do have we would have to dispose of um the former zone school. Mr. Pico stated we have uh we had looked at this site to put a modular building in for prek a little while back. Those numbers came in quite high and the committee voted

against for what we were looking to do and that had nothing to do with the centerpiece which was that building like WY. It's a single unit school and requires a lot of work. So again, Stone is a single unit. The building's building does have space on the capital improvement plan that we sent in this year to the city. had 89 million uh requests for a school to be added in the

next 5 years to renovate that building.

Again, it's a one-unit school. So, it's about six or seven million to renovate, not build that school to a single uh unit school. and then whatever addition we decide to put to it or if um it was new construction. The former stone school is also on the historic register so it's a little more difficult to take down. Uh the committee voted to refer uh there were two updates. Uh one was the

pace center. Uh the roof replacement is finished. Skylights were all removed.

There were no major major structural issues inside. The fire suppression work has started. Mr. Pico said the auditorium is huge area above up above the ceiling that has to be protected and there's a lower area where the seating is backstage already had fire suppression but that all needs to be upgraded to today's standards. They have been going back and forth now for about 3 weeks and

trying to get all these answers ironed out in a work workable way. He also said it would be said it would be closer to December to have the complete fire suppression uh system uh operational.

The rest of the work can and the rest of the work can begin. Uh next uh topic for just discussion was mold issues in the district. Uh there we have Mr. Pico said we have dehumidi uh dehumidification uh going on in all buildings. Uh currently we are still mixing our cooling and our heating to make up for a little bit of the lack of dehumidification.

Mr. Pico stated the ultimate goal is to eventually have the state-of-the-art systems in all of our buildings and until that happens we have 25 heavy duty units that we bought. We haven't had wet floors in any of the schools as of yet.

Uh we have been making we have been mix again we have been mixing uh that temperature of heating and cooling at the same time and we have uh we have the dehumidification units that we didn't have last year to help uh our buildings have changed has changed temp set temperatures so they are now running anywhere from 71 to 73 in the buildings.

It totally change has totally changed everything. Having temperatures set at 68 to 71 degrees like last year in the years uh previous was too cold and a big part of the problem. Um that's all I have for facilities.

Facilities.

Well, Mr. Dus, your question is on facilities right?

Yes. Um Mr. Das just trying I was able to um watch the meeting in person and the the conversations especially around the old stone school and potentially revitalizing that just made sense. Um I believe my colleague to my far left has mentioned before that we have a class size crisis in the district. is a school that does not require much maintenance to get back up and running and I believe

we should look into utilizing that building and opening up more classroom sizes within the district. That's my position as one member. Obviously, the Wildly School that's um long gone. Maybe the city can um agenda, I don't know, turn into a I know it used to be um an old bomb shelter maybe, but I don't know what they're going to do with that. I agree. We should get rid of that one. But again, it's the old stone

school. I would like as one member, I'd like to see some action by the administration taken on that. I yield.

Okay. Next one.

Do you want to go next? You want ahead?

Well, I haven't. And then you go next, Mr. Dice. Okay. Thank you.

Uh the instructional subcommittee was held on June 30th, 2025. Uh there were five discussions for a vote to refer. uh the Morton criminal justice job description, impact coaching for new teachers at Talbot, impact coaching train the trainer, ESL curriculum purchase, and the Boston College uh partnership. There was one discussion on the Bridgewater State University partnership uh special ed and Tessol, is

that how you say it? Not even sure. uh to update math curriculum enhancements and to re the district's curriculum when we don't have technology readily available.

So the first discussion discussion to vote to refer was on the motion uh the Morton criminal justice job description.

The vision is all three middle schools have one program currently that aligns with offerings at the high school. Talba has a construction craft labor program.

CUS has a culinary program. So this would be the opportunity to add a criminal justice program at Morton. This job description was voted to refer to the full committee. Uh the second uh is impact coaching for new teachers. Impact coaching for new teachers at Talbet. Uh this organization comes in and coaches brand new teachers coach brand new teachers at Talbet every week for the

year. And they do one-on-one coaching as well. They come in and observe the classroom, meet with the teachers and do some collaborative planning. Impact coaching at Talbet. Uh this was voted to refer to the full committee. Impact coaching train the trainer at Westall Fansa and Watson at these three schools.

The intention of the of the coach the trainer would be at this would be that this is a train the trainer model. They would come in and train people that are in a coach or a department chair position. any sort of role around providing feedback, supporting teachers with that with the year-long partnership with the intention that they'd be trained by the end of the year. Train the trainer was voted to refer to the

full committee ESL uh ESL curriculum purchase the SL ESL curriculum uh was being recommended is HMH English 3D.

It is for newcomer newcomer students in one year and year two of receiving uh multilingual services with this curriculum having uh Louisia Prime seal.

Admin looked into other curriculums but did not have the seal. Admin said that this is the curriculum that they feel is best for the district. ESL students in middle and high school uh will be uh will have the HML ESL curriculum. This curriculum was voted uh to refer to the full committee. Discussion for Boston College uh is going to be grantf funded.

Boston College partnership I should say.

The district has been doing some grant funding work around the curriculum that they were building around systemic functional linguistics ped pedigogy can never say that with uh advanced students. This Boston College partnership will have a focus on students who have come out of the foundational levels but is still uh designated at m multilingual learners.

This partnership was voted to refer to the full committee. I don't think I think it was just a discussion.

So, oh no, it was a vote. In the fall, the district was launching two uh this this is discussion on Bridgewater State University partnership. Uh in the fall, the district is launching two cohorts of 25 graduate students for a master's in special education and masters in ESL.

Students are going to be able to take advantage of what's called the tech grant because of the areas of high needs. Um between tech grant and the tuition reimbursement that the district currently offers is going to be a cost effective for educators. There are 38 educators uh already interested in the first session. Update for the math curriculum enhancement modern classroom project-based learning. The modern

classrooms is a pilot program with several schools participating at no cost to the district. This is a curriculum to address how to meet the diverse needs in the classroom. Modern classroom works with teams from LNO Visa Green Spencer Gordon uh Stones Tanzy West and Doran project uh project based learning which is funded through 18 foundation. The district has already done this in the

sixth uh in grade six last year and is rolling it up to seven next year, seventh grade next year, is also looking to do something similar with RPA in stone.

Uh the review of the district's curriculum when we do not have technology readily available update, Mr.

Reposo stated because we were forced to be in a situation with no internet we saw educators make uh that pivot and had kids work in groups had kids work in partners so he thinks that uh it was it was a productive outcome stated educators are good at being extremely uh flexible and that's what happened in a situation like what the district experienced educators are not going to be able to execute the same

thing that they're used to but some curriculums there are books books to come with those online curriculums. And he stated there's an opportunity instead of a student reading a text and answering questions on an online platform, they would revert back to the uh book meeting adjourned at 50:05.

Mr. Das, parent and community.

Thank you. Um the parent and community outreach subcommittee met on June 30th, 2025 at the admin building. Myself and Mr. Corey and Mr. Bailey were all present. Um the first item on the agenda was regarding parent and community notification around accused heinous offenses by staff members. Much of the conversation centered around recently resigned member Kevin Galloway. I asked the questions as to whether the

administration would investigate as to whether Mr. Galloway committed any offenses at Derpy High School. something that other members of the committee called for along with myself. I am unsure of the disposition of that investigation at this time. I also asked about parent and community notification and the disposition of an incident that the vice chair brought to the attention of the administration. The subcommittee

also discussed our relationship with news media organizations in the community. Um the pace center also came down and gave a presentation and um it should be about now that the pace on the go bus should be up and running by now.

At least that I hope. And the subcommittee finally um discuss um parental notifications around adverse health conditions. We had a member of the nursing staff. I believe it was from I I don't want I think it was Watson, but I could be wrong on the school. And we had a a very good conversation and the remaining two items were tabled. I yield.

Thank you. Uh next up, item six.

Chairman, Mr. Mr. Mayor and just instructional I think I heard something in there about the ELLL or the um DLA and I might be mistaken but I just wanted to state for the record I'm still waiting after months for the total amount cost of that program and I don't know if it was mentioned or not but just want to formally make that request again. Thank you. I yield.

Item number six is the superintendent report. Uh Dr. currently.

So the um the first thing um around which I'll provide an update is a hiring update. Since our last meeting, we've had 57 new hires including 40 teachers and eight paraprofessionals and there were another nine support positions in the district hired. Um, we've also had eight rehires, 109 transfers or reassignments within the district, 29 resignations, and four retirements.

Um, next up is the summer programming update. Um, so this summer we have um we're hosting more than 1500 students across uh nine different programs. Most of the programs are coming to an end this week um on Friday, August 1st, but we do have two programs that are continuing into the next week. So, I just want to highlight some of the programs um that are coming to an end um either this week or next. These include

um Dery's summer school and Dery's Evolve uh program summer school um serving upwards of 400 students in total. Want to make a note that Dery's summer graduation is this Friday at 9:00. Um, we do have some students who use summer school as an opportunity to continue grade level work um, as they work toward graduation and we will celebrate their graduation this Friday.

We have 21st century learning center programming across multiple schools including Green, LNO, Henry Lord, Doran, Dery, and CUS. Again, more than 400 students participating in those programs as well as 10 student interns. Um, so we have current students who are working in those programs. Students are working alongside teachers in these 21st century programs to help assist plan and teach

the curriculum. The internship program will continue actually into the school year. All of the sites um the 21st century sites are participating in highquality project-based learning activities. Our students have been on field trips to the Echitarium. They've done Boston Duck tours. Uh been to the Southwick Zoo in the Kennedy Center.

They're going to Battleship Cove tomorrow. and we're hosting an end of summer, end of program barbecue, field day this Friday um where all of the students will actually be here at Derphy High School to experience a wide range of activities to cap off um what really has been such a great summer for them.

Additionally, we have our ESY at Connley, Spencer Bordon, and Dery culminating this Friday. Those programs have served over 250 students in the district. Our MLL summer program has served 55 students. that's also um coming to an end. And then the last piece um is middle school summer school for Mort and Talbet Cus Henry Lord and Doran. We are holding um those programs have been held at two different sites

both Morton and CUS and each of the those um two sites had between 75 and 100 students. Derphy's summer enrichment program, which is popular every year across the Fall River community, served 150 students. Um, all summer that's actually not ending until next Friday, um, August 8th. Those students, as you know, are participating in a wide range of wide range of activities, including

culinary arts, sports, engineering, and cosmetology. And then finally, um, RPA's summer program is, um, also coming to an end next week that's ending on Thursday.

um they were serving um around 40 students this summer. So um it's been really busy. We have do have some programs coming to an end. Um I had an opportunity to see um you know the programming here at Dery just today.

just um lots of kids really engaged at the high school level. Um in terms of really focused academic work um simultaneous with a lot of students um 150 of them in the building just plain participating in summer enrichment activities and so you know the school has just been really busy and um it's been exciting to just see that kind of um presence for our students across um so many of our

schools. In terms of an enrollment update, I wanted to um let the community know that right now kindergarten registration is at 706 students and um we have our at our PACE center, we're currently assisting between 80 and 100 students a day. So that's been a very busy place for um for the staff there.

And as of July, our total um July 29th today, our total enrollment is at 11,58 students um with more projected for the coming school year.

I want to give an update. Um you know, we titled it here the 100 club update.

It's really um a focus that we've had.

It's really um centered on a focus that we've had around parent communication in the rollout of Parent Square as a platform in the district a couple of years ago. Um we are I think in a you know a very good place in that right now um you know we were alerted you know we track the data we had 100% of our families um identified as contactable in the district and that's a great place to

be because you know since I've been in the district we've always hovered somewhere you know in the 90s and you know hoping to get over that 95% mark.

Um, and we hit a marker this summer where we found where we had all of our families contactable. Now, as we're registering people, it's going to be very important for us to make sure that we're identifying um and and loading correctly those email addresses, telephone numbers at which people want to u be reached so that we can um make sure that um everybody is contactable uh to start the school year. But just a

reminder to families that as any of your contact information changes over the course of the school year, we'll be l we'll be looking to stay in that 100 club. Um and we expect at different times that it will dip when things like that happen. We're doing outreach to families to make sure that we do have some kind of um you know that that we're better contacting people. And so you

know schools will see parents in person.

We can send notes home and things like that. But I just want to encourage people to update their schools. um so that we can have that information on file. Some other updates from that 100 um that 100 club is that so we do have all 17 um we do have all of our schools activated um and using the platform. So we're at um 100% there. Um we've trained 100% of our staff in terms of um you

know clerical and admin staff on the platform and also we have um you know we're we just want to highlight that we're you know we're fully aligned with federal regulations in terms of the the communication and that this parent square really is such a bright spot for us um in terms of our communication with parents and we're looking to um be even more effective in terms of leveraging

moving forward. Um, tied into that, if I just actually um skip to the the last piece before going back for the mold update is that uh we did use Parent Square to send out a district survey um this past week. Um it went out on Monday. As of last night, um I'm sorry, it went out yesterday. As of last night, we did have um 250 240 uh responses from families. Um we're going to keep that

remaining open and through Sunday. We're trying to get some feedback from folks as we're working on a redistricting plan to identify um some you know characteristics. What are people looking for in their schools? We're also floating this idea of um looking at the K to8 model that is already successful in in the district at two of our schools and looking at the potential for um expanding that KA model K to8 model into

other schools. So looking for some feedback there as well. Um the survey really only takes just a few minutes to complete. And um again it's really about there's you know a satisfaction element to it. Where are people um you know finding positive elements in their schools that they can identify for us and then also trying to help us prioritize in the redistricting process and get potential um perspectives on

that K to8 configuration. So, I just want to encourage everybody to participate and that is coming out through Parent Square.

Um, I'll circle back now to um a mold update and just want to talk about two um different kinds of testing right now that have happened recently in the district. Um, one is um air quality testing that we've done using um a vendor that we've worked with in the past, Common Sense Environmental. Um we've done testing at both Fonica and Lno this summer and just kind of the high level el you know feedback is that

um the schools haven't looked better um you know since we started testing and we're getting um positive you know positive reports for you know all of the classrooms where all of the levels are below um what some consider to be that acceptable threshold. So getting very um positive um results there. And then also wanted to highlight that we did have um schools that were identified to

participate in um an air quality um study that was being done by the department of uh public health. The asthma in schools data um to action project and we have four schools that are participating. Two of them Spencer Bordon and Doran have already participating with air quality testing at the um end of last school year. And then we have two more schools um Morton and CUS that we will be participating um

as we kick off the new school year. So I just wanted to share publicly some of the recommendations that were made. Um these are recommendations that were general recommendations to apply at the schools that were tested as well as um all schools across the district and truly all schools across Massachusetts.

Those um included considering um reducing the number of items stored in rooms and in storage areas, operating supply and exhaust ventilation continuously when the building is occupied, checking UNI events and exhaust vents during occupied periods to ensure they're operating at full capacity. Educating teachers and staff on the operation of those units. Um and consider using a tracking program to

collect and administer work orders for mechanical systems. replacing water damaged ceiling tiles and um cleaning and replaces replacing other water damaged materials and then avoiding the use of brooms and feather dusters. So again, those were general recommendations made for both of those schools that can be applied across all of our schools. And then there were some um school specific recommendations that

I wanted to share. one for Spencer Bordon was um continuing with the plans for the roof repair and replacement and continuing with plans to remove um worn carpeting from remaining areas of the school. Um and then there were some specific rooms identified. Um particular care should be taken with the art storage room, storage rooms 1A and B and um identifying that the ladder contains

filters used in HVAC equipment which need to be kept clean and dry before use. And then to control dust, high efficiency particular um arrestance filters um the hepailters um equipped vacuum cleaner in conjunction with wet wiping all surfaces as a recommendation.

And then at Doran, um there were recommendations that to control dust um those same filters um would be used and then examining long-term plans to replace um HVAC units, roof and windows.

So, those were recommendations um that were made to us going into summer and it's something that we are beginning work on at those schools and we're looking forward to participating in um the data action study in the fall for more and cuss where we hope to get more feedback that will support us um in the work that we're doing here in the district.

Thank you, M. Mr. Das.

Thank you. Um Superintendent, do you have the redistricting survey? It's on the Did you just Yep. I already spoke to it. you spoke to it first. Okay. Um so just um few question comments. First um I'll just say with the 100 club it's really good and I'm happy to see the um the outreach and um the good things that are happening with parent square and when the contract comes out today I'll be

supporting it and I'm glad to see the progress that's been done by the administration and the district. Um I I will say one thing and at least for this member it's the K through8. Is this the first time you're bringing it before the committee's attention that we might be switching to um I I don't think so. Um but if you don't remember then I like then I I mean we I don't believe so. I think

that we have.

Yeah. Um so okay. Um, so on the summer programming, um, I've asked, I believe, for months now, both in meetings and in emails, for a breakdown on the cost associated with Dery High School summer program. Don't recall receiving that yet. I'm going to be visiting myself on Thursday as well, just to visit and see the good things that are happening there. But I would love to get that

information on the breakdown because I believe when we when other members of the committee approved the budget, I didn't vote for the budget, but it was um a big increase within Therapy High School's um summer program, and I'd like to see that information um on the mold and I made my my thoughts clear at the at the last meeting at the policy subcommittee and and online as well in emails. Um I'm as one member very

concerned with the reports that I received and the reports that I looked at especially the air quality reports.

Um, and just to reference one of the air quality reports at Doran, the information I saw that we have um, unit vents that are blocked, unit vents that are deactivated, exhaust vents not operating at full capacity, severe corrosion on rooftop AUS, water damaged ceiling tiles, visible mold on gaskets of refrigerators and freezers, And there's pictures to show. It was disgusting to look at and wall damage. And that

it's just information at Dorne. So once again, I understand we have companies that we contract with. We have employees. I believe we for at least the vent the HVAC system, we contract with ENE.

Is that accurate, Mr. Pico?

So we do contract with ENE. We do have employees on staff that do this work. We are also talking about 2 million square feet of building. Mr. Das um and um unit vents in an average building probably number 50. So multiply that out by 18 buildings and let's just say we we have our hands full with taking care of all of those units. However, there's a big difference between two or three

items being singled out as examples of what's going on than having a epidemic or portraying the buildings to be sick buildings. There's a big difference and very disingenuous.

Did I say what I would say? What I would say, let me finish please because I didn't interrupt anybody else. So I I would prefer that when as the superintendent said these reports were not brought down on us because of there were issues. We were part of a study because of asthma. Totally different situations.

The Doran school is next to an expressway. I'm sure you read that in that in that report. And the fact of the matter is those cars are traveling back and forth all day long. And there is a chance that that could help in determining whether or not these buildings are bringing in any of that outside air. Now, the corrosion on top of a rooftop unit is paint. The paint has rust on it.

They're not corroding and ready to fall apart. The paint is missing on those.

That's all. As far as some of those units that were shut off, sometimes the unit events are a little loud and an instructor may shut it off, may turn it back on when they leave.

Custodians may shut it off, turn it back on. So, as far as being nonfunctional, I have no evidence that units are nonfunctional completely. the the report is made for for our advisement. It's not made as punitive and it was never meant that way. And I'm sure that when the other two reports come back, we're going to get the same little pieces here and there. As far as ceiling tiles being

wet, um or stained, I don't know when it happened. I don't know. The discoloration tells me they're older. Um but it could be an infiltration from the outside. heavy rain coming through the brick seeping in. It could be on a valve that is dripping a little bit. There are a whole bunch of reasons why those things could happen. And as we seen in in LNO, we're seeing in FACA and we're seeing at

um the Green School, all of those items are getting addressed.

But the massive amount of work and the am and the amount of manpower hours that it takes to do this work in 10 weeks is a blink of an eye. And we really don't have the ability to do a lot of work in schools when school's in session. So, I don't paint that picture. I've been doing this kind of work all my life and I can tell you and in the report it

actually says that we are typical. We're not below average. We're typical of what schools in the state are experiencing, especially during this time of the year.

Record heat, humidity.

I I don't know how many buildings could possibly sustain it. I know one is doing a very good job at sustaining it and that is the Watson. So is Dery High School.

Two buildings that are currently state-of-the-art.

Everything else is just a touch behind that and with some state grants and um federal grants hopefully some of those other things will be taken care of. Um, but we are working diligently and it's not that the people who are doing the work are incompetent or unable.

They're doing as much as they possibly can with the time they have to do it with.

Yeah. Um, and and thank you for that explanation. Um, I mean, just going back to the beginning, I I I don't recall ever seeing um, six schools or at least in public. Again, I just what I mentioned with just what I've seen in the report and I understand it was something we volunteered to do, which I'm happy we took the initiative to do so. And there's certain things that are natural that take place in schools and

as he referenced during the summer hours, but there were also individual items that were referenced that again, we hire outside contractors a good amount of money to do. And that's where I'm coming as one member again, especially with the vents being blocked and deactivated. I think it's definitely worth having the concern and it's definitely worth asking the questions and I thank you at this time.

So the if I could so I mean just a couple of things I wanted to highlight.

So those were among the recommendations kind of you know make sure there's not a bookcase blocking event. I don't want it to be portrayed out there that we for some reason are like purposefully blocking vents or that there isn't a fix for these things. It's literally their recommendation is like just make sure you check. So we have been working with um FREA health and safety committee. We

put together some guidelines for teachers. People did checks in school last year. We'll kick off the school year doing that again. Um just reminding people that, you know, as you get into school and you're rearranging your furniture, make sure you're use you're leaving this much space um between a piece of furniture and your vents. make sure you know we we're discussing um you know purchasing stickers that we can put

on top of the unit events like do not place anything here just for reminders because once things start rolling nobody is doing anything purposefully to um impact the air quality in any of our schools. But sometimes as a you know when people are looking for an extra place to put you know a bookshelf or a stack of whatever they might cover the vents and we just want to collaborate with people and and make and you know

support people not to do that kind of thing. It I guess I I just I don't want our staff members um unnecessarily concerned about coming back to school. I don't want families unnecessarily concerned about coming back to school.

We participated in a voluntary study. I did a follow-up call. I you know I mentioned at the subcommittee meeting I did a follow-up call with DPH to say can we talk about this um in in terms of like what's here and I mean the person I spoke to was just floored like oh wow had no idea that you know it would it would come to this you know understand that yeah you're right like it it's

typical it's what we're seeing um you guys have done such great work that individual was actually part of the a DPH team that we invited in last year around the mold um did walks um at Green and Lno. We received extensive reports.

He came back um to see schools as part of this study, the asthma and action study and you know knew about the work like the progress that we'd made. So I just don't want there to be some like mischaracterization of what that report said. I understand that it was, you know, it looked gross. Um, that there was a refrigerator that had some mold around the gasket. I'm not trying to minimize it. I do think that

plenty of people have some like basement refrigerator that needs to be cleaned because mold starts to grow or there's some kind of mildew or whatever.

What was the location of that refrigerator?

Um, I don't know that it was disclosed.

I could go back into the report. It's it's not in um a it's not in a student area. Um but certainly I'm assuming I assumed because of it was a refrigerator that it's probably in a staff workroom and it needs to be addressed without a doubt. But I don't want to when they come into a building and they do an extensive look at the school and the only visible mold they saw was on the

gasket of a refrigerator potentially in a teacher's room. I'm not saying that that's not something to be attended to, but it's not something to like raise alarms around. That's all I'm saying.

Okay. Um I have a question.

11,58 students. Is that how much is that up from last year?

You know, I meant to um check when I got this report today because we had um hovered um I don't know. Do you remember what it was? October one of last year, Mr. Almita? you know, is it up or down?

I think it's up.

I So I Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah.

Well, the other thing is when you were talking about 80 to 100 families a day in the PACE center, do you know if if they're all coming or what the percent break breakdown is 40 in, 60 out, 60 in.

So I I mean I will say this, when we talk about 80 to some of it's repeat, right, customers, right? They're they bring in some of their stuff, they need to send in more paperwork. So, we're not anticipating 80 to 100 new enrollments every day for, you know, for the next um month. It's not that. Okay. But I was just speaking to like the the busyiness of the place.

Um and so I I mean it also as part of this, we are I should have mentioned as part of the enrollment piece, I don't think I'm breaking any rules here. Um, you know, we we did send out um a survey to parents like, do you know if your can you tell us right now if you know your student is not returning? We did get about 80 or so people who um

were still on our roles that we are working you know on removing now. Um and and that kind of work will continue.

Sometimes it has to do with the lists that we get from um you know charter schools and and vocational schools and things like that and we have to update those pieces. And then which is why just to kind of put it out there too why we hit the pause button on um really meeting any transfer requests and things like that because we have to see the way we have enrollment settling at each

individual school and then um and then we start to address those requests.

Okay. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

Mr.

Just a few follow-up questions. The uh the mold issue, I think we talked about last year getting rid of uh I don't know was horseair um tiles at the green. I think those all removed.

I would say probably about 80% of them were removed. And I also remember um I think we were talking about not removing every piece of insulation that had any discoloration on it because that would be a monumental task. But at the time I recall the trouble rooms or the hotspot rooms, whatever you called it, I think those were going to get removed fully so that that would eliminate any need. So,

I'd just like at some point to get a report that any of the trouble rooms that was identified by us or the teachers or staff that those are fully uh removed so that we're not going to see even whether it is or it's not mold.

I think we agreed that those were all going to get removed.

Yes. And we and we also are doing some of that work in house. Y so we have a couple of employees doing that work now.

So I think it it was probably um we're making progress. I think it's not nearly what it was last year. So, I do think that's a good thing. Just when we tell people we're going to do something, we should make sure we do it. As I'm sure you know, the uh issue that the union mentioned about us teacher and I've been away, so I is that all set the room with the testing and there was some

believe so. There is an individual teacher concern that's being addressed.

It's being addressed. It's not the um hiring update on the first one. I happened to go to the website last week and I searched for open positions and it looks like it's kind of convoluted.

There's two uh sites for hiring or to look at vacancies. So, I clicked on it like as if I was looking for a job. Clicked on the one that I think it told me to to look at and it said there was one vacancy at Dery High School and we know there's more than one vacancy at Dery High School. Then I think the other one has 50 or 60 whatever it is. Is there any

am I doing something wrong? If I was uh to go to the website now, what why one we have two up and why don't they match?

So we are transitioning from one to the other. That's the short answer and Mr.

Lai can address the rest.

Yeah. So we're in the process of transitioning our job posting platform from uh talent ed to frontline. So, while we're in that transition, we are keeping old postings prior to June 30th on talent ed until that they're closed out. Um, any new postings as of June 30th moving forward will be on Frontline. Um, so there is a combination of both. Do you know what site you were looking at

that listed only one at Dery at the time?

Can I just I'm sorry, point of point of clarification. I just Googled um Fall River, Massachusetts school department jobs and about 53 jobs just came up. So maybe they're on different websites, but they appear to be relatively easy to find.

Oh, yeah. I mean, we have we have plenty of postings on both websites.

I guess what I did was went to the website.

Yep.

And I was trying to navigate like anybody else would to say I want a job in 12. I clicked on the button that said employment.

Yep.

It pops up a screen with two sites to look at. Yeah, one of the sites which I thought I was on my phone but I thought it was the site that it recommended like use this site while we transition to another site. So I clicked on it and it said one under the uh and I the moral of the story I guess is I don't think it's an opportune time in the busiest season to

be migrating from systems. That would be my opinion. And two, why don't we just get rid of the other one and put them all like direct everybody to the newest one? because if it was confusing to me, if I was looking for a job, I wouldn't have applied because it said one. So, I know we have openings and you have a presentation. I didn't want to ask at that time, but

did you know what what do you know if it was Schoolring or Front Lines? I'd be able to help a little more if you knew which platform it was.

I think it sounds like the old one.

School or uh Talented? I mean, yeah, I I I can check. I mean, it is possible that the vacancies we had up until June 30th, we've cleared all those and maybe we only had one left as of June 30th, but we certainly have postings for Dery. I think you would agree. I think anybody would agree. We shouldn't have anything up that doesn't isn't accurate.

So, if we had something up that ended on June 30th that said one vacancy at Dery High School.

No, no, no. What what I'm saying is if if a position was posted, any positions posted up until June 30th are on our old platform. We are keeping those positions open on that platform until they get filled. So what you might have seen was on the old platform, there was only one Dery vacancy because that was the only posting prior to June 30th. If you had looked on the new platform, you would

have seen the the number of vacancies that we have listed at Dery.

And you think that that makes sense?

Well, it's the best that that we can do.

So this is a system that I inherited when I started. Um, you know, so I I wouldn't have chosen the summer months to transition this, but it was the best that we could do at the time with kind of what we have working. Um, and we did look at taking every single one of our open positions on the old website and transitioning it to the new site. That was going to be a monumental task. Um,

and and we thought that this was going to be an easier process kind of for everybody.

I I would just tell you, I'll give you my opinion. It makes zero sense and it it actually flies in the face of being a high functioning HR department when we have a website that pops up to say apply for these jobs and it's confusing. Makes zero sense. Take the jobs down in my opinion. Get rid of the old site, start the new site. If that means somebody's got to work a little extra to post them,

so be it. It doesn't make any sense to me whatsoever when we're talking about hiring. Just my opinion.

Thank you for that feedback.

Thank you. The um question I had uh last week or last month was on uh the list of rooms by school in compliance with all of the policies like get your clutter out, get your um still waiting on that.

Uh the um wait a a copy of what we sent out to No, we basically at the subcommittee were talking about you had issued an a um memo to the principal saying no clutter, no p don't put stuff on on heaters or whatever. Mhm.

I asked that the subcommittee for a report by school to have them issue to you something to say, I'm the principal of the school and I assure you that there's no rooms that have clutter or this or I have five rooms that have it just so we can get an idea because it was sounding like we were kicking the can down the road like we're going to talk to people nicely. We're going to

check it and that's what created mold.

So the request was so that the principles now are responsible to walk around their room or their vice principles and say yes all these rooms are in compliance. That's basically uh what I was asking for but the K to8 survey um I we to answer Mr. We've talked about K to8 for a long time. I think we we haven't done it soon enough in my opinion. But I would encourage anyone

that is saying that whether it's the administration, school committee, parents or anyone, please tell me whether you think yes or no are our current middle school model is the current middle school model that we have working yes or no. I'd like that answer at some point from you and the entire administration because the answer to that question is no. It's not working in my opinion and talking to everyone.

We've said that for three, four, five years. You look at the rankings in the state. I say it every year with the MCCAST. Our middle schools were all in the bottom 5% 4% whatever the number was. It's not working.

So let's do and I encourage you to do surveys, but I encourage you more to make action. We've been talking about this for years to say it's not working.

So let's just keep doing the same thing.

soak more money into it. And so it's not working. The middle school model is not working. So I'd encourage Mr. Das, parents, whoever, try and tell us that it's working. It's not working. So you need to do a survey, but you really need to have action of your team to say we're going to go forward with it. And we did, just to clarify, this has been an issue for years. It's not maybe Mr. Das is

only recent in here. I can assure you, sir, that this is an issue and it's something that we need to uh address sooner than later. Thank you. I'll share a copy of the um survey as well this week.

Thank you, Mr. Das.

Thank you. And just to clarify, I'm not I wasn't I I guess just quickly on the um on the survey issue, um I didn't know there was any detailed immediate plans for change.

That's what more I was trying to get at.

If there are if there are um if you have intermediate or you you're eyeing some schools, you you you'd like to see change in the short term. Um, I think the committee should just get a heads up just to so we can digest the information. That's I don't have um an opinion for it against I'm still like trying to decipher that because but that's been talked for a while. But um just quickly I had a

follow-up question for the HR director on Mr. Aguar's questions had um very chairman. Can I ask clarify what he just said?

So Dr. Kula can clarify. I I think what you were just saying is wondering if it's happening. The survey is not meant in my opinion for September.

This is more for long-term planning. So to answer that question was just so everyone's clear that you're not looking at to move to make a K to8 school in a month and a half.

No, I was I was more thinking maybe at the next year, end of next summer.

Yeah. Long that's I think on long-term plans. So um Mr. dire HR director ju just um very quickly on on my colleagueu's comments um you said where school school spring was what you would what would you call school spring uh it's talented ed or talent ed where you said we're moving away from talent ed yes we're going to be uh housing our uh vacant postings on uh front line

okay I am on um all right just wanted to bring it to your attention because on I'm on talent ed right now. And for Dery High School, this is just Dery High School. I see 29 open positions. So, I'm just trying to figure out if um we're trying to fill these positions. If someone applies right now on School Spring, is there any word I mean, I can go through it, but is there any verbiage

or wordage telling them, are we well, I guess one, are we still getting those applications if they're applying through um School Spring? And two, if we're not getting those applications, how um is there a way that you would be notified through Front Line?

We absolutely are still getting those notifications. Um so hiring managers are still reviewing their open postings on talent ed and then they're also reviewing the the new listings on Frontline moving forward.

Okay. And um I see you over for the district I I still see over um 200 positions or do it for um on school spring right now. So, I mean, just echo my colleagues comments. I just don't want to see a situation where where turning away applicants just because we're switching mid mid-stream. But again, I'm nothing I'm sure if the front line works better for you, you're trusting it, that's fine. But I do share

some of my colleagues concerns, but I yield. Thank you.

Okay. Thank you. Item number seven, uh, is the approval of minutes. We have five sets.

Motion to approve.

Second. I have a motion to approve all and all.

Um, Mr. Das, thank you. Um, on 72. So, and I checked this morning and I checked and I took a photo of it as well as of 1:55 p.m. when I was preparing for the meeting. Um, I did not see the regular school committee meeting minutes for 6:00 9:25. I see them now. I do see them now in there.

They weren't there at the time of um 155 today. So I was I didn't have a time to review those minutes. I'm not sure if my colleagues were able to, but I'm not going to vote vote for the 69 minutes. I don't think they were in there at 155.

So we couldn't have reviewed them.

All right. So we'll take out 72.

Excuse me. I just want Mr. Per point of clarification. I got off an hour work early today to just review everything for this meeting. Um, so I'm going to go ahead and vote and if my my colleague didn't have time, I totally understand that because we have jobs and things and if it was too late, he can just abstain and that's cool.

Okay. But I think he wants to vote on the other ones, don't you?

Um, uh, Mr. Chair, I had plenty of time to re review for the meeting. It's just the minutes for 69 were weren't in there at 155. Mr. per if I may. Um, at 6 the 6925 minutes, they just weren't there.

It has nothing to do with not having time to review them. They just unfortunately weren't there. So, I So, we're going to go with 71, 73, 74, and 75. I have a motion, a second, Deb. Oh, Mr. Gaga.

Yes. So, one of the things I think we should do, and it's a policy that uh I think it just makes sense. So we do minutes of the meeting but we also televise all the meetings. I think the official uh minutes or the official documentation should be the video. So if something's in the minutes that is not what is said at some point the common sense would prevail to say yeah well

let's go back and watch the video and it says we voted on A and C and there happened to be in the minutes and only AB ABC should take president. So we I think at some point talked about this and then they said I think the attorneys got involved and started to say no it's it's got to be the minutes and I'm like but if it's a if you're watching what

the person said and we voted on shouldn't that matter. So if we could just have attorney Assad check into if that's possible to say the official minutes of the meeting is the video at that point we probably when it's televised can actually take minutes that are not as cumbersome to be like a transcription and go by what you see. remember that Bruce in my opinion.

Does that have to change the law on that?

Yeah, I think I think of course obviously I support you 400% but I believe there's a law against that cuz I do think but I do think with time that that's something we should talk to the legislators about cuz they let you do the uh hybrid meetings and everything else. So why can't you use the video for the I think the uh governor and lieutenant governor come up with the whatever they

call that uh going to help municipalities.

Yeah. You know, I think you should bring that up to because it it makes absolutely no sense. And what it does is creates a time consuming and I want a transcription the best I can. But if it was something in that minutes that I didn't read that I felt was we voted on, I would say let's watch the video. All right.

And then we make a transcription. So that should count for something. Okay.

I want to vote from regardless of All right. So we got 71737475.

Deb, call the role on those four, please.

Mr. A.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Corey. Miss Laravey. Yes, Miss Pereira.

Yes.

May.

Yes. Now 72.

Motion to approve.

Second.

I have a motion to second on 72. Deb, can you call the role in 72, please?

Mr. Drag.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. Das.

No.

Mr. Corey. Miss Laravey.

Yes.

Miss Pereira.

Yes.

Mayor Cooper.

Yes.

Travel requests.

Motion to approve.

I have two. I have a motion and a second on both.

Discussion.

Question.

Mr. Aguia. Do we have a policy yet even though it's not on one of these for reimbursement that official I think it's still has never come before us you know so we it so on the agenda today later yes got it thank you de call the role on the travel request please miss yes Mr. Bailey Mr. Das yes Mr. Cory.

Miss Laravey.

Yes.

Miss Pereira.

Yes.

Yes. Item number nine is the acceptance of donations.

Motion to approve.

I have a motion to approve.

Second.

I have a motion in a second.

Um, Mr. Mayor.

Mr. Das.

I mean, we can just um either have discussion or can we put a hold on the um get them up.

The green block party. Um all the ones for the green block party, those donations.

So the green block party you want held, which is there's three of them. The um wooden kits, um the soccer kits, there's the um one hour petting zoo and the DJ services.

All right. So you want the three items related to the Green Elementary School held.

Yes.

Okay. I have a motion and a second on the others. Deb, can you call the role, please?

M.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Corey. Mr. Laravey. Yes, Mr. Pereira.

Yes, Mayor Kugan.

Yes, Mr. Das. On are you going to take them all together or are you going to talk one at a time?

I I'll take them all together.

Um, so the green block party, I believe this was held on or around June 7th of 2025.

And when I went to review the video, the penning zoo and um the DJ services, and I'm just going to assume the kits and all that were used at that past event, and the donations are before us today.

Can someone remind me what the the policy is for accepting donations? Is it we take the donations, use them, then it comes before the school committee, then we accept them, or is there I would appreciate if you could remind me of the policy.

around accepting donations. We we have donations before us today that we're accepting.

Does it have to be That's that that's my question. Have to be I'll look it up. I Do you want me to look it up and read it?

Sure. I mean, I guess what my concern is if we accepted the DJ services, we used the DJ services, we used the petting zoo, and those donations require school committee approval. Yet, before the fact, we're utilizing those donations before it came before the school committee. I I would have issue with that as one member.

Motion to table all three till next month so we can check it out.

Second.

Great.

I have a motion, a second on table, and to call the role. M drag.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey, Mr. Das, yes.

Mr. Corey, Miss Laravey, no.

Miss Pereira, no.

Mayor Cougan, no.

Can I comment?

Request a fiveminute recess so the superintendent can get the information requested.

Hold on. She had a hand up. Miss Pereira, I was just going to make a comment that stopping the meeting to have her re-evaluate this or not passing it when literally it was a petting zoo for kids.

It already happened. This is absurd to me. I'm sorry you guys. It is. Have her look up the policy for sure. I want to know what it is for the future. But we're not going to going to vote to accept a donation that already happened or we're going to stop a meeting to have her go 10 take 10 minutes. It's ridiculous. Have her look at it tomorrow and have her email us what the policy is

and then we go forward with that. That's just my opinion. We can do whatever we want. However you want.

Can I get a motion in a second?

Mr. Chairman, Mr. A, hang on.

Yeah.

Peacefully. Go ahead. Mr. Yeah, it's not really complicated.

It's not.

So, what it is is that there is polic Excuse me, Mr. A has the floor, please.

Thank you.

Sorry.

So, the only comment why I wanted to table it was because it was the quickest way to just move this. It's already happened, but at the same time, there's rules that we put in place for a reason.

There's policies that we put into place for a reason. Now, I don't want the superintendent trying to figure out try to find the policy now on the fly. The easiest thing was to table it. Just move it till next month. and we would have already moved on. But no, we want to vote no because Mr. Das brought it up.

In my opinion, so now I ask for the minute so that she can take it relax for a second and then she can go and try to get it without being under pressure. I'm trying to help the superintendent here.

This is not an issue. We have policies in place. We're going to have grants that come before us. I have the same exact question that Mr. Das just had that I've had almost every month that we're approving things after the fact and that shouldn't happen on grants. It shouldn't happen on donations or whatever it is. If we're accepting a donation as saying thank you, then it shouldn't say acceptance of donations.

So there's probably some language in the people that create the agendas to say maybe it shouldn't say acceptance of a donation. Maybe it should say acknowledgement of a donation.

acceptance implies that the school committee is actually voting to accept it. We've already accepted it based on them getting it. So, the language should probably change. The policy might need to be changed, but all I was trying to do is help the superintendent.

I appreciate it. I will read the policy.

Um, it's KCD, public gifts to the schools. The superintendent will have authority to accept gifts and offers of equipment for the schools in the name of the committee when the gift is of educational value. In the case of gifts from industry, business or special interest groups, no extensive advertising or promotion may be involved in any donation to the schools. Gifts that would involve changes in school

plants or sites will be subject to school committee approval. Gifts will automatically become the property of the school system. Any gifts of cash whether or not intended by the donor for a specific purpose will be expect accepted by the vote of the school committee handled as a separate account and expended at the discretion of the committee as provided by law. The committee directs the superintendent to

asssure that an appropriate expression of thanks is given all donors.

So, so I think those are October 2016. So, I think that these gifts of support to a school event um are fine. Um, they all speak to things valued at a specific amount. They were not cash um, donations.

Miss Perrera, my only point, my colleague, way to the left, I don't disagree with the questions you ask. I appreciate your service here. I've learned more from you than probably anyone sitting up here.

What I don't like is sometimes the show, and that's what I do feel I get from my colleague directly to my left. You can shake your head all you want. You talk about me making faces, you're doing it, too. And guess what? I don't have a problem with it. Here's the problem I have. When did we get this agenda?

Anybody want to tell me? Friday.

Friday.

A draft went out.

Friday. So, if I looked at this and I had a question about the policy of donations and I got this agenda on Friday, by today I'd know that answer.

That's what it bothers me, Kevin. It's because it's a show for the TV that extends our meeting. That's a good question. I already knew the answer to it because we've been doing this and that question was answered a couple years ago. But if he had it, do the research. It asks it. what I don't like.

You ask questions you actually don't know the answer to. That's different. Do your research. Do your homework. Get out here and ask good questions. I have nothing wrong with what you're saying.

But I don't want to table something that I feel comfortable voting on. If somebody doesn't feel comfortable, then table it. I feel comfortable. That's why I said no. Not because it was him, because I'm comfortable with it.

Yeah.

I have zero issue with your question, sir. At the end, Mr.

Two things. One is I think uh what the superintendent read must be on our policy. uh update. There's been an update to that policy since 2016 that's probably not listed, which just raises another issue of how do we have it?

Because on that policy, it also says we will not accept an anonymous donation.

Four or five years ago, we received an anonymous donation. The committee rejected it. I think Mr. Costa was still here on the board. That policy was changed, but it's not reflected in what you just read. Therefore, tells me that whatever you're reading from is not up to date. Another totally different issue.

Problem.

Yep. It's totally not your issue, but it's an issue for the committee that how do we update it? The the only thing I would say is that based on what you just read, this needs to change to say uh acknowledgement of donations. When it comes time that a donation needs to have our approval, it would go under approval of a donation. So, I just think the good part of that came out of this is that we

actually can make a change for the better. I'm going to vote for it because it's already happened. I do like petting zoos and I do like DJs to play and all that stuff. So, it's not an issue of that. All I was trying to say was let's just follow the policy. So, I'm going to vote for it. Yes. And I feel comfortable doing so. Thank you.

Go ahead.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, and to like my colleague to my far left, I also support petting zoos. I support DJs and it was a great event. It comes down to principle.

But, however, another issue that I have with this, and if I can use a personal example, is with the fire department.

and I was going to make some baked goods for the fire department. I reached out to the fire chief. The fire chief told me it was a donation and it might have to go before the city council. So, there may be some different laws in terms of accepting gifts that that should be looked at as well. Again, this is what was told to me. So, there's that as well. And again, it just comes down to

to pro policies and protocol. And as Mr.

Aguar has said again, we shouldn't be putting the cart before the horse. And whatever the policy is, small or big, it should be followed. I yield.

Real quick, may I real quick, just a point of clarification for my colleague to the left. There are differences when we provide gifts to people who work in the community. It's an it could be an ethics violation. That could be why you providing food to the fire department may be different than an outside entity.

I don't know. Just point of reference.

Maybe I'm wrong.

I don't want to belabor this point at all, but my colleague just said something that I find totally ridiculous.

So he or any member of the community wants to buy baked goods for the fire department, police department, or anything like that, it's a damn shame.

If the chief said to him, and I'm assuming what he said was accurate, that you can't get baked goods or food to the I mean I that's absurd. So if that said, all I'm going to ask you, Mr. Das, is please do me a favor. send me an email on school department email and the mayor and the school committee and the chief to say why can't I give you baked goods because that's ridiculous. That's one of

the most ridiculous that Mr. Mr. Mr. Yeah. Do you know how many times we have events yourself at TAS where we bring the extra food to the police station? We bring I mean, you know we I think you're agreeing with me that that statement is absurd. I've heard that as the chief after as the mayor of the city, if the chief of fire police told Mr. Das he can't get baked goods as

an appreciation to any of the members.

If that's the case, please put it in an email so Chief Bacon can actually respond cuz I I can't believe that he would say that. I I let's just let's let's vote on the three green school party kids or whatever we're doing.

I have a motion, a second on green school. Could you call the role, please?

Deb, who made the motion?

Who made the motion? Meaning, I'll make the Yeah, I'll make the motion.

Shel seconded it.

Mr.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. D.

Yes. Yes.

Mr. Corey. Miss Laravey.

Yes.

Miss Pereira.

Yes.

Mayor M.

Relative to donations.

Okay. Mr. Hagar. Just a um suggestion to the superintendent. I know I bring this up all the time related to the um the thing where the uh teachers or staff can go out and request donations from public and stuff. Can you please send something out again so that they're not asking for things that we should fund?

We have money in the budget to fund certain things. It really bothers me when staff members, teachers, or whatever are sending out those things asking for donations for stuff that the school department should pay for. So now is the time as school year starts, people are going to start going a little rogue with it if we can try to re rein it in. Thank you.

Item 10, the approval of I have to actually do my part of acknowledging Oh, I'm so sorry. I forgot all about we got so caught up in the petting zoo. Go ahead.

On behalf of the Fall River Public Schools, the acceptance of a $10,000 donation from the Brookline Center. This donation will be used to provide 100 families basic need supplies throughout the district.

On behalf of Green Elementary School principal Dr. Liz Dunn, the acceptance of wooden kits, five boxes, flower kits, banks, football, and soccer kits valued at $855 of donation from Home Depot Somerset.

The donation was used um for hands-on activity at the green block party.

on behalf of Assistant Superintendent Chief Academic Officer Brian Reposo, the acceptance of click pens, uh 25 um a 12-in ruler, 50 sticky notes, 25 decal sheets, 25 book lights, 25 postits, um 144 pencils, 25 non-woven totes, um a donation from Imagine Learning, donation to be used to support the administrator institute and new teacher orientation.

On behalf of Green Elementary School principal Dr. Liz Dunn, the acceptance of a one-hour petting zoo valued at $350, a donation from Blazing Saddles of Fair Haven, Mass., this donation will be used or was used for hands-on activity at the Green Block Party. And also for that green block party, um, on behalf of Green Elementary School principal Dr.

Liz Dunn, the acceptance of DJ services valued at $250, a donation from GSD DJ Services. The donation provided um music at the green block party. On behalf of Assistant Superintendent um chief academic officer Brian Reposo, the acceptance of 100 swag bags filled with mugs pencils pens notepads a highlighter, and a power clip. Um a donation from Renaissance. This donation will be used for the administrator

institute and um also on behalf of assistant superintendent chief academic officer Brian Reposo. the acceptance of 60 notebooks, 40 hats, 50 water bottles, 20 OSE flashlights, and 20 totes. A donation from the 18 Foundation. The donation will be used at the administrator institute and the new teacher orientation.

Thank you, Dr. M. Mr. Aguio.

Just uh thank you for the uh acknowledgement of those. I would just like to say for the record, in my opinion, this isn't being done with fidelity across the school district. And it's not to criticize anyone. I think there's a lot more people donating money and supplies and things to schools all over the place. So I think we either have to revisit the policy do some sort of because what you know whatever this

was pens pencils this or that there's donations happening all over the place businesses and not everybody's doing it.

So like Liz Dunn's name's on here all the time.

She's the one that fills these forms out. Liz Dunn's not the only principal that gets things donated. So is not the only person. So we're being disingenuous if we are saying only certain ones. So, I would like to request that superintendent come back to us with a either a different policy or something to say we want to acknowledge the we already made it so that you didn't have to do it over unless it was

like a certain number but something where we just say we acknowledge the 1A foundation for a donation this one that one because we need to streamline it but the point of this is so that we thank people for donating there's no way this is the only donations thank you I yield thank you 101 approval of grants we have a number of grants listed there.

Um, can I get a motion in a second?

Unless someone has a hold on any of those grants to the list bar and the bottom two, the bottom two is coordinated family and community engagement and intensive assistance and bar is right in the middle. I got a hold on three.

Motion for the others.

I have a motion to approve and second on all the other grants. De, could you please call the role?

Mr.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. Dus.

Yes.

Mr. Cory. Miss Larvy.

Yes.

M Pereira.

Yes.

Mayor Kan.

Yes. Mr. Aguia. Bar Foundation first.

Yeah. The Bar Foundation was just uh timing the um it looks like this is July. It looks like they applied. I'm not sure if this was brought to the committee before just logistically before we applied for grants. I think supposed to approve that we're going to apply for grants. And I'm assuming that happened, but I don't know in the um backup. It doesn't necessarily say it.

I'm not opposed to the grant, but all I'd ask is that you please look at it just I think we got to get into the pol like so our policy is that we the committee would have to approve applying for grants so that if the grant was something that we now had to spend money on or or commit to certain things we would have a bite at that apple per se before

I know what the B foundation is like a continuation they've been doing it.

Yeah. No, I believe and I believe we have I I believe we have and we have for all of our grants. We've been submitting the letters to the school committee prior to appro prior to submitting proposals to the state for for the grants.

So, I just um I think this is the grant um beyond beyond engage New England grant $150,000. I did put it in the I did put some kind of notification in the Friday in the weekly updates. Um, but usually we get beforehand that's all I you know most times it's going to be nothing but there has been grants that we might vote on that say now it's binding us to there's another one later on that we're

committing to three years but there's only one year on here that's all I'm asking is that I'm not opposed to it just I think that we do so I make a motion to approve bar second second on bar de please call the role Mr. Hag yes Mr. Bailey Mr. Das yes Mr. Cory, Miss Larby, yes.

Miss Pereira, yes.

Mayor Kugan, yes. Coordinated family and committ on this as well. The um in looking at the um this particular grant when we look at the budget for facilities for the when we get that submitted to us, is this grant taken into consideration in our budget that we approve?

Is this grant specific? Yeah. Um the salaries are So when it says that we're paying when I looked at the grant it said something about we're paying for either a couple of salaries then some I think facility whatever it is we're doing something are those netted into the budget is my question or now that we're approving this now yes they are the salary so they're assumed that that we were getting this yes

so therefore if we voted no to accept this grant we would have a deficit Yes, it's sort of so we really don't have a in a choice in that and then when we do the budget where is that I guess how do we know that that's happening other than for this particular piece to look into the detail of the budget I think you understand my question right so are you asking when we know we're

getting the funding is that what is that what you're asking yeah so let's say it was for uh custodians for instance so if I look at the list of custodians in the budget line items there should be two custodians that That's what it says here, correct?

That are paid for on this grant and that should be in the budget somehow for us to see.

Correct.

Is that in the It would that would be listed that way, but we don't have any custodians that are charged off to this grant.

Who's who's getting paid in here?

There's something in there about fixing buildings or something for this for the CFCE grant.

I thought I read something about 140,000 for two staff to service the building or something.

Correct. We have we so the folks that we have on that grant um it's actually a few people. There is it's a portion of the director's salary that gets charged for CFACE. It is the play group learning facilitator that gets charged there. Um Kristen, you know better than I do.

Hi. So this is a grant that's in the early childhood department. So there are two early childhood teachers that run all of our playgroups are charged to this grant. We have the home visitors that run the parent child plus program are charged to this grant. The early childhood grant coordinator that is charged half to this grant and half to the other um early childhood grant that we have. Those are the primary staff

members and there's one um clerk in the early childhood department that's also charged to this grant.

Is there something in here with uh you got to approve joint funds or something?

I read somewhere in here about custodians. I I believe are we listing things in here to say we have to match funds or something?

No, there are no custodians in this grant.

I don't I guess I guess I'm reading this that it's in the grant for some reason to It must be for joint funds because it says about public schools covering I think it's in the inind section.

So yeah, so we're required as part of this grant that the school department there's an inind piece to this and so the CFCE office is run out of the early childhood office at the pay center. So part of the inind support from the school department for this grant includes the use of that office space which includes the custodial services that um for that building. So yeah, those are all inind services that as the

lead agency for this grant, we provide in kind in support of running this grant out of the early child.

Those two are where like what do we have for is that the maximum that we use for in kind like multiple facilities, multiple facilities multiple So no, they're run out of um in terms of the school department, they're run out of um my office. So the staff all have office space um in the office. All of the play and learn groups are the space for those are provided in kind by a

variety of agencies in the community. So um Westport provides us space at the annex, the Somerset Public Library, Fall River Public Library, Boys and Girls Club. There are several uh locations throughout Fall River Somerset and Westport that those locations provide us access to space to run the groups as an inind um support of the grant and the program. So it says here children's

museum allows us to use the museum for welcome to school readiness event and free admission during the event. Yes.

Do we not we can't pay them?

We don't pay them. That's their partnership with us to run the event. So they provide us access to the museum during that event. We support the museum in a variety of ways too. They sit on our advisory council for this grant as well. So they're just partners with us.

I appreciate their donation. just that if we if in my mind if we're paying if we're getting a grant for $520,000 and we have little nonprofits like the children's museum or whoever that we're using their space I don't know why we wouldn't pay it pay them like you know I I appreciate their donation but if we have 520,000 we're counting what they give us as in kind why don't we just pay them a few

dollars I said the same thing about sports we get the um poor of a country club we don't pay them anything to have Jeffrey use it never got an answer for that for years. Same thing like why are we why are we not paying at least something to cover the the event. I I just don't see it when we have proven 520,000. I think we can find some money

to not have to say we're doing inind to these little um groups. Maybe it's we're not what people want to do, but when we're getting 520,000 I personally like to give them something. Uh with that I yield. Thank you.

Do I have a motion and a second to approve the coordinated family?

So made second.

Deb, can you please call the role on the coordinated family?

Mr. A, yes.

Mr. Bailey, Mr. Das, yes.

Mr. Corey, Miss Laravey, yes.

Miss Pereira, yes.

Mayor Cookie.

Yes. And the intensive assistant grant, Mr. Aguar.

Yeah. I just um I think I'm most just concerned with we've been getting this I think for a few years now and I'm trying to figure out what are the results that we're seeing from and I truly don't know if it's I just know what I read on the scores but like how is this working and I know you were the principal before now but ultimately we didn't receive this until this this

is a three-year grant that we actually uh went through the application process during my final year at Talbot. The reason that we were um invited to apply a small number of schools is because at the time Talbot was a school that was in the first to third percentile. You have to be in the first, second or third percentile to receive this grant to apply for this grant which is a million

dollars for three years. We applied during my final year at Talbet. At that time though, Talbot moved from the second to the 7th percentile and you know improved their data at that time.

So last year was the first year of implementation. We still have the grant.

Um this is year two and then this coming school year is year two and then uh the final year will be year three. Uh the intention of the grant is really for to pour a lot of resources into a school um and try some things out and see what you can replicate at scale. Right? So we're also using it as an opportunity to say are there things here that are working that we can then replicate potentially

in another middle school or across a different site. Um so this you know some of the costs for this year um there are two positions I want to note on there.

Um we had written one position in initially last year this past school year uh that position uh went unfilled.

So I connected with um you know with Desi just around um being able to bring a second position on for this year so that we could you know sort of accelerate and utilize those funds in that way. Um so I think you know this is this is actually entering year two. last year was the first year um of having that um these additional funds.

The um Thank you. The uh my next question was on the reading specialist because I know it went vacant. I think we created a job description specifically for this. I believe we should have reading specialists at the elementary school, not the middle school.

And I want to note that we've recommended someone for appointment for that position and the second position was also a literacy based position. So Talbot will have the influx of two positions for next year due to the you know the funding and both those positions u individuals have been recommended for appointment for both those roles.

Very good. The last part of it is the um instructors for the um professional development and I don't think this is in kind. I think this is actual 180,000 uh for contracted services. If under a separate cover you could sort of send us tell you what it is. send us a little blip like when we see these things and it says $180,000 for um coaching.

Yeah. So, one of them would be as an example, one of the things that may be on later or something or was that subcommittee was the impact coaching.

So, that that 180,000 will be several different partnerships, but I can certainly send all uh breakdown of what that is. I'm going to approve it, of course, but I think that what we get uh as committee doesn't necessarily tell us what we're looking for in sort of a summary. Yep.

So, here's what the coaching is because we get we spend millions of dollars on coaching, planning, professional development, and some, myself included, have no idea what some of these people do.

Even you putting your name and signing it to say I'm behind this because this is a proven track record, whatever. Yes.

Superintendent the same thing. It'll just help us to sort of approve it but feel confident that it's the right thing. So motion to approve.

Second.

I have a motion a second on intensive assistant grant. De call the role please.

Mr.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Corey.

Miss Laravey.

Yes.

Miss Pereira.

Yes.

May.

Yes. Item 11 is the approval of contracts. And we usually take these in bunches. Um the first one uh the first one is continuations. There's four. Any discussion on any of those four grant? I mean those four.

Deborah Harris.

Which one?

Deborah Harris. Not to hold a discussion item.

Okay. Any others?

Just continuations. Um the you said the first four grants.

The Yeah. Continuations.

Sorry. I said Deborah Harris. No. No.

None.

Contracts.

I mean contract.

I'm sorry. Contract.

Contract.

So just Deborah Harris.

Just Deborah Harris. Okay. Um, any discussion on the other three? No.

Motion to approve. Is there a second?

I have a motion to second. Deb, call the role please.

Mr. A.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey.

Yes.

Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Corey. Yes. Miss Laravey.

Yes.

M. Perero.

Yes.

Mayor Cougen.

Yes. Mr. Agot. Deborah Harris.

Yeah. I don't really have a question, just a comment. So, I was fortunate to sit on um a Zoom call or whatever the device was uh with Deborah Harris and her team and Miss Obenchain and I can't remember who else was there, but I just wanted to, you know, compliment her and Miss Obchain and Superintendent Curley for their inclusive practices. We're doing things differently. It's 100% I'm

in support of it. Uh the conversation was genuine. It was honest. She was going to give us a report. I haven't read it yet. that's in here. But at the end of the day, when we look at it, we say, "Well, that's a lot of money." But we're getting a lot of service for the money. So, it's not just somebody making money to stay at home. It's a it's a

team. They're all going to come to uh support us. They're going to make recommendations. So, although this is a lot of money, it it's money well spent in my opinion. And the inclusive practices is really being focused on by Miss Open Chain. So, I just wanted to highlight that and say thank you. And a motion to approve.

Thank you, Deb.

Second, a question.

Oh, I thought we had a second. Okay, Mr.

Mr. Dus, I just had just a quick question. I echo my colleague statement. This um to what he said about how we're we're getting a lot of good services and I believe it's the same one I also sat in as well. I'm not sure. Was it the same one?

Yes. I'm sorry I didn't hear you.

It was the same It was the same Zoom meeting. I think I sat.

Yes. Yes. Yes, you were there.

Um could you just go into what is going into this next year just in terms of this contract just if anyone has any questions watching at home?

Sure. Of course. So we were fortunate that this committee supported um a program evaluation which we are required to do through special education yearly.

This year we chose to focus on our inclusive practices because our um data when we compare ourselves to the state and to surrounding districts. the number of students served in substantially separate classrooms is higher than the state average and higher than New Bedford Taon local um districts. So, as a way to move to more inclusive practices, we asked Deb Harris and her team to come in and if you have a chance

to look through the report, I encourage you to do so because um she goes into great detail. They did um focus groups which some of the committee members were a part of but they did focus groups with administrators, teachers, central office staff. They observed I think it was like over 50 classrooms throughout our district. And based on that, they gave us um specific goal areas focusing

around um um professional development for teachers, a shared vision for the district so that we develop systems and structures that support inclusive um practices. And as a result of the goals, the services that we will get this upcoming year, if this committee supports her partnership with us, is that every school will have what we're calling a trailblazer team consisting of general education teachers, special

education teachers, um, administrators that will work specifically with Deb and her team to become experts in inclusive practices. And then myself and uh, Mr.

Reposo at the office of instruction will partner to continue that work throughout the district. So they will become they will be trained. They will become resources for their school buildings. Um they will become um kind of models that we can send other teachers and other um support staff to observe and then um train the rest of the district. and our whole goal is to support the staff and

students in being able to meet the needs of all students in the general education classroom.

Thank you for that. Um and I'm happy this is continuing. It's so the 220 is not just going just to her first. It's going to she has a team I want to say there were six people over the course of um when she came up to do the program evaluation and they will come up. Some of them are local people, some of them are out of state people and they will come up. It's

not just to her, it's to the entire team, right? I guess just for um agenda purposes and just I don't I don't recall seeing like the actual like I saw the I skimmed the report, but I didn't see like the um like the line by line. I could have missed it, but I guess if she has like a third party company, that's what should appear on because it appears that like like if you're looking at

Oh, so her company bridge every gap is what the name of her company is which should right and that should be on the agenda. It just says her name.

So I think this going forward just to clear out some things that that's what it should say. But I yield.

Do I have a motion to second them?

You do.

Uh call the role please.

Mr. A.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Corey. Miss Laravey.

Yes.

Miss Pereira. Mayor Kugan.

Yes. Miscellaneous contracts. Uh there's a page a full page of them and a partial and two pages. Anybody have any holds on miscellaneous contracts?

Diligent.

Diligent. Okay.

Um I have Hold on. Hold on. Let me diligent. I got What else?

I I put them on the I'm going to list them if they're here. They're They're here. Um the Lexi only the I core 5 um E+. Hold on. Go slow. Lexi Lexia Learning Systems.

Yeah, just the I core 5.

Just the I core 5.

I just have two Lexia Learning Systems.

Mr. Dasia the second one.

Okay, second one. Okay, go ahead.

Yeah, the Lexia Core 5. Um, Mr. Digress are diligent. Um, E+ E+.

Um, impact coaching.

Impact coaching. Um, health for literacy is on the is on the new.

It's I think impact is not on those, Mr.

Okay, that's fine. Um, amplify.

Do you see E5? Oh, I got E. I have E+.

Is that what you mean, Mr. D? E+.

Yes, that's Did I say E? E plus. That's what I meant to say.

Okay.

Um, Hill for literacy amplify and cor and both curriculum associates or hill for literacy. We've already approved.

Okay.

That's right. Sorry, I my my notes are a little scrambled today. So those can a police hold Imagine Learning and Incident IQ.

Okay.

And Magic School.

Okay. Magic School. Okay. So, whatever we have left, can I get a motion?

Second.

I have a motion and a second on miscellaneous contracts.

Just a quick question on all of them.

Just trying to um because I know superintendent sent me an email shortly before the meeting. Just trying to understand the rest of them. Um believe in your just just quickly on procurement. I believe you mentioned um somewhere state and some were um me pull up the email.

I have it right here. Um soul source just educate me on what that is. A lot of these contracts are soul source. Just explain what that is quickly.

essentially they're they're the only only vendor that can provide the product or the service.

Okay. You okay? I I just want to before we vote, we already had a motion in a second. I'm holding Diligent E+ Technology, Imagine Learning, Incident IQ, Lexia Learning, the second one, Magic School, and that's it. Anybody? Did I miss any?

Amplify.

Amplify.

Mr. D. That's on first page. First page. Okay. Right at the bottom.

One identity, please. On the last page of the one. One identity is on the last page.

Okay. Top one. All right. So, let's vote on the rest. Deb, please call the role.

I need a motion.

You did.

I think Mr. M.

Mr. A.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Corey. Miss Laravey.

Yes.

M. Pereira.

Mayor Coug.

Yes. I think uh Mr. Mr. Aguar amplify.

No, it was Mr. Dus.

It was Mr. Dus. I'm sorry, Mr. Dus.

Yeah. So, I'm just um and the reason why, as you might have noticed, I'm holding some of the um teacher coaching positions. I'm just trying to get understanding on how this helps push the district forward. So, that'll start with Amplify.

So, Amplify, Miss Kennedy is the director of ELA. Amplify is our uh middle six to 8 ELA curriculum. Um and so when we adopted that um two years ago I believe uh we um just started rolling it out two years ago uh part of their service uh is they'll actually have a coach come in walk with the school principal um the department chairs um they'll visit classrooms um visit teachers and then provide feedback or

actually provide professional development. So when I was principal at Talbat, I would actually walk with the coach there. Um it was very helpful for me as a school leader to learn about the program and then based on what we observed, we could actually cater the professional development um to what teachers needed. At that time we had two teachers that actually walked with us as well. Um and because they're the person,

they're the people that are teaching this curriculum every day. Uh their insights were really important to help us develop, you know, what the training should look like. So these folks will come in and help build um capacity of people in the district to be able to more effectively utilize the program.

Thank you for that. And and I understand like with with obviously any you know co teacher coaching program that's the goal is to um help the professional adult development.

But I I guess as one member, you see a lot of these contracts come across and I'm just seeing seeing if you could be a little bit more concrete in maybe providing some examples on how they help maybe in a specific instance have helped progress teacher development anywhere.

I'm Yeah, I mean I can speak specifically to Talbet. Um we saw you know for our teachers given that this was a new curriculum uh ELA curriculum um they were able to come in they actually came monthly um every single month to school walked classrooms and then their next visit they would facilitate a professional development session. So it might be about how to run, you know, a small group, um, you know, how to use

how to look at your data, you know, in the system. Um, how to support kids with their writing. Um, and so, you know, I would say that we certainly moved the work forward, particularly at our school. We saw an improvement with writing as an example in ELA. Um, and I think, you know, that was directly connected to some of the support we received there.

And I believe you might have brought it up at some point. Um are we starting any in-house um coaching programs like with our own maybe more experienced teachers?

Um we have coaches in the district instructional coaches. So we have people in those positions. Um I think it's important this piece is really around because this is specific to a program that is still pretty new to us, right?

This particular curriculum. um we're only in year three and so you know it takes a bit to get really comfortable with a with a curriculum and so this is really specific to um these are experts that know that curriculum resource really well but we absolutely do have coaches and as you know one of the things we have um that we brought forward to instructional was the contract with impact to have a train the

trainer model uh for three schools that we're going to start small with as a pilot and see how that um works. And um I guess my last question on this specifically with the with the ELA program, are we seeing um substantial increases in the numbers like in terms of um like test scores and things like that and just like the raw data? I mean grounded in our data I would say that we

have not seen substantial increases in the numbers but I think we've seen um you know in some of our lower grades uh and in elementary level we've seen some improvement but I I would say no that we haven't seen substantial increases in numbers.

I appreciate your cander super assistant superintendent. Thank you. I yield Mr. Just uh I know you said this is the in the this is the third year or second year.

This is year three I believe we're moving into year three. This year will be year three.

Um, we wouldn't necessarily not do this in year three.

You know, probably two years ago, we knew we were going to do this for three years.

Guessing, you know, the coaching subject to money, I guess, is the issue, right?

Yeah. The whole this would actually fade for next probably this would not exist next year. Our our hope was to have three years of coaching with Amplify, but then we would be com comfortable enough with the program.

No, I get We're just trying to streamline as we go to new things. So yeah, three years ago, if we would have said we're going to commit to a three-year cycle of this, it eliminate this need for being on.

So at the beginning, we just say we're committing for three years of of 64,00 bringing it back every year, right? I just think it's cumbersome sometimes and then it looks like we're spending another 64,000. If you spent 64,000 two years and didn't finish the third year, we'd be asking why didn't you do the third year, right? So sometimes it gets to be like we're going to question things, but I think

something like this with curriculum, we know we're doing it for three years. If we had a 5-year purchase of textbooks or something, we're going to do five years.

So my only recommendation moving forward is if things like this come up, wonderful, just do it three years ahead and then we're we're committing to other years. I I think that some of with the new curriculum and the um the professional services to support implementation, we started out with some grant money. Um and so we had very intensive coaching in the district for both ELA and math. Um,

and when we entered into it, we knew the grant funding was going away, that it would be more intensive in year one and didn't at that point weren't at that point really able to project out what the funding would look like three years from now, how much we would need. But I agree with you. I think it it would absolutely streamline the whole process if we could get that approval and just

commit to it for a number of years the way we do the materials themselves.

Thank you.

So on that one I have a motion to second.

I don't have a motion. Motion to approve.

Second on amplify. I have a motion to second.

Any discussion further? Deb call the role.

Mr.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. Das.

No.

Mr. Corey.

Miss Laravey.

Yes.

Miss Pero.

Yes.

Mayor Cougar.

Yes.

Next one that we have a hold on is diligent.

So my question is on this. We talked about this at a subcommittee. I thought we were going to get a presentation on this before it came to the full uh committee, but my question is does board docks already end? This starts on July 1. So board ducks is what we've currently been using. I am not a fan was have not been a fan. I think we were sold a bill of goods and we wasted

$15,000 as I recall for several years.

So So if I if I may, um I agree that there are areas Board Docs could use a lot of work. Board Docs is actually going to um no longer be a company. Um Diligent saw what the company was doing and they basically um recreated a software that's used for city council town management software. Um this is totally different because this is going to now give a public facing view of the school committee. So, it's an

all-encompassing tool where the video will be as we talked about before with minutes. It will all be grabbed through AI. So, the minutes are actually there in text. The video is actually So, any of you could go back tomorrow morning and look at tonight's video and at 17 minutes and 36 seconds, it would show whoever the speaker is. It would be text on one side, video on the other. It translates into endless uh

languages. So if there's a language barrier for a parent and or a community member, um it will translate. Um it will also do something that um we do not do right now as close captioning and it will do that in any language. So basically anyone from the community can come in now into the public facing piece. They can search policies, they can search procedures, everything lives under one boat. Um, and the piece that I

like about it the most is it's very easy and super user friendly to use. Um, board docs agreed to let us just continue where we were for now. There will be some work in the back end. This is actually a project that I'm going to take on myself um because my staff are working on beginning of the year stuff.

So, we'll take about 3 months to finish because what they're going to do is we're going to ingest all of our old material that sits in the board doc software. Now, um and then moving forward, I would anticipate uh probably November's meeting would be used with this software. The other nice piece some districts use and it's something that we can talk about at a subcommittee meeting

is uh a lot of districts what they give their city councilors andor selectman and or school committee members is an iPad and they're actually able to put it into meeting mode and it actually follows along so you can actually follow along. You can be looking at my packet of information right now for diligent as we're having the discussion. It will also allow you to make a note on that section. So you can either email

yourself right there that says remind me to ask this question at a later date.

You can highlight something just something that you saw that caught your eye. It becomes an interactive experience where you can highlight on the iPad as well something that we can do. People still like paper. Um, for for me as a as the CIO, it's somewhere we can put everything together and with the ransomware issues that we had in the past, um, everything is encrypted on the back end and it's a place where we can

secure all of our documents moving forward. Um, an instance tonight where uh, Superintendent Curley was trying to find the procedure for donations, we could have done that on the fly right there because everything lives in that system. Um, so yes, I I think everything you're saying sounds good to me.

Yep.

The problem is we were sold a bill of goods five, six years ago with everything single thing that you just said that said Board Docs is going to do every single thing that you said except for the front-facing piece of it. So, not blaming you. I'm going to support it because I think it's it's moving where I think we need to move. But I wasn't happy with Board Docs. Board Docs was

actually the MASC, Mass Association of School Committees. They weren't upfront telling us that. We had to try to find that out. Uh board docs was an absolute mess. It's a waste of time. What we have on board docs we could have done on a Google doc for free. So we wasted 15,000 just knowing that if we're now going to double it to 28,000, we need to get something from it. And at the

subcommittee meeting, Mr. Cabell, I think volunteered himself to to take the lead on this. So he's going to have to come back to the subcommittee and answer questions if it doesn't work out. But I for one will not be happy if we waste money on on a program like this because board docs was a total waste.

Yeah. No, and like I said, uh we're trying to move forward with different softwares. Um this one will be my project and I will come back and hopefully you all motion second.

Mr. Das, thank you. And just um piggyback off my colleague and I'll vote to support as well just based off of um your hope that it can we can use more features and get our money's worth out of it. Um, I mean, just so we don't have the situation again, maybe technology subcommittee can just hold make like a quarterly update on this just so we can get updates on

what we're doing with it. And this is a one-year contract, correct? The one-year.

Yeah, it would be a one-year contract.

Okay. All right. So, that makes me a little bit more comfortable. So, then it could be re-evaluated. Um, so yeah, I I think having quarterly updates just so we we we know where we stand would be helpful. My opinion is one member. I yield.

I have a motion and a second on diligent.

I have one more question.

Mr. A, you mentioned the city council can use it or uses it. Is there a way to combine it and and sort of help like either pay for it or jointly?

We probably could. However, it would be an additional cost and we would have to figure out how the data lives on their side as opposed to our side because I'm actually going to build a physical server here with backup to the cloud.

So, that would be something that we'd have to sit down with the city. Um, if it worked out, you could talk to the city side and see if they could do it.

Thank you. I yield.

All right. I have a motion to second on Tiligent. Deb, call the role, please.

Mr.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. D.

Yes.

Mr. Corey. Miss Laravey.

Yes.

M. Perrero.

Yes.

Mayor Kuban.

Yes. Next hold was E+ Technology LLC.

Yeah. Um obviously um Oh, it might.

Yeah. Um obviously and the reason I want to put a hold on this, we we went through um what we went through this past spring and I think it's just important just to um just notify the committee how this technology will help from many in instances going forward. Um so in the past before COVID technology was always kind of we were the basement dwellers.

We would get cut, money would get cut before co co now becomes technology is everywhere. Um we were slowly building up our infrastructure. Um replaced firewalls. Um the one thing that we never did was have an agent on all of our actual endpoint devices. We used the actual firewall to scan the network in hopes that we would be secure. Um, this is just adding to our firewall. It's

called um, EDR and basically it's just a little listener on the machine and if there is ransomware, viruses, malware, it picks it up and it isolates that machine. Um, basically renders that device useless on the network. Um, and then it would have to be brought to a technician. They would find the threat, either powerw wash the device or swap out the device with the student and or

staff member. So, this is just one more um added level of protection um with our actual firewall appliance.

Okay, I yield.

Any further questions?

To approve.

I I have a motion to second. Deb, call the role on E+, please.

Mr. A.

Yes.

Mr. Mr. Bailey, Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Corey, Miss Laravey.

Yes.

Miss Pereira Mayor.

Yes. Imagine Learning. Next. Um, was that Mr. Das also?

That was me.

Mr. Aguier.

My only question is it says additional uh licenses. And um just curious.

I'm assuming this is Egenuity. Is this something different? No, it's the same company but like or all these names sound similar to me too. Um this is my understanding this is actually IM illustrative math um which is the elementary mathematics curriculum and it's just the additional student uh licenses to have access to the core math curriculum at the elementary I don't see it I I don't maybe I missed

it in the package but that's why I asked the question seemed like it said additional so that implies that we're paying for some already and we need additional so that begs the question of why do we need additional they must be doing great work on the ones we have so therefore we need new ones We have additional my students.

It's just student textbooks. So, we signed on for a three-year contract. So, I had to predict enrollment two to three years ahead. So, this is really just based on the numbers at the end of June and being projecting for enrollment at the start of the year. It's just for additional text just for the online access online and textbooks physical textbooks.

Okay. It just says here subscription based. That's why Okay.

I was thinking but thank you. Do I yield? Motion to approve.

Second.

A motion is second on imagine learning.

Any further discussion? Deb, call the role please.

Mr. A.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Corey.

M. Larvey.

Yes.

M. Pereira.

Yes.

Mayor Kish.

Yes. Incident IQ.

I had a question on that.

Told Mr. Aguia.

So, my question on it is I know what it is. Uh, is it possible for us to get something uh as far as data? I'm concerned that we're not getting enough um information data from what these programs are so that we can see how how it works, what it is. Uh absolutely. I think at one point we talked about incident IQ being similar to another program that maintenance was using for

their own stuff. Could we have combined them? Those were like thoughts on my head, but I haven't seen the data on either one. Um, so I can put a one pager together for um the superintendent's Friday email on what incident IQ does do for us um and what it can do. Um there are other modules that could be used. Um and I would say the same on um streamlining personally like if this is

the system that we're using to um identify important features of Mrs.

Cabraw's department. This isn't annual.

Like this is we know we're going to need this next year.

So same thing like why do we have to come here every year to say the same thing. If we had this as a contract if we can get it to lock into a price or whatever then why would we not as far as this member things that you know you're going to need why do we have to keep coming back here with new?

So this year um I actually had the option of going with the 5-year license with this software. However, um they're going to be um overhauling their back end and using a different programming um language. So, I was hesitant to go with a 5-year license because currently on staff, myself and one other member know that language and I want to wait and see um through some of their chatter and use

um they going to create what's called the sandbox for us to get used to the new back end of the software. And I just did not want to go all in on something 5 years if I wasn't going to be able to support it. internally.

Get it. I get it. I just if it was in here to say this is why it's a one year.

You know, I think we see a lot of things over and over the same thing and we're going to do them. So, I think streamlining it makes sense. So, okay.

Motion to approve.

Second.

I have a motion to second. Further discussion. Deb, call the role, please.

Mr. Hag.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Corey. Miss Laravey.

Yes.

Miss Pereira.

Yes.

Mayor Coug.

Yes. Lexia Learning was the next hold.

Thank you. So um just understand so this is the English curriculum for certain this is uh um supplemental uh reading well it's part of the core curriculum but it's uh focused on reading um in elementary level yeah so that we we use wonders as a resource um but uh students also have lexia with a focus really on reading yeah and I guess the same questions as amplify um this this this is the second

year I remember this came before subcommittee when I when I was um upon my placement on the school committee. Um this was one of the um first things that came in for in terms of it was I think it was even before you came in your position. How many?

Yeah, we've had this for several years.

I don't know exactly how many, but we've had it for several years. Um we do have some data um that I can share that we actually asked uh Lexia for. They compared us, they they won't tell us who, but we're compared to a neighbor a neighboring urban district. Um, and just comparing the performance of our students to theirs. Um, and you know, we are um really us showing some really strong gains particularly with student

accuracy rates like outperforming that other neighboring district. And so that's something I can certainly share that's just a brief one pager uh just around you know uh the impact of Lexia, right? But I guess our our reading overall I guess have has the numbers improved since we've had this on? Like are we do we have good numbers in terms Kennedy can speak to that?

And so yes, the numbers have improved in terms of the accuracy rate for students.

So when we're looking at students actual ability to read, we look at two different measures. Um and that's just their ability to lift print. So it's their fluency rate which tells us how many words they can read within a given time of grade level text. and then their accuracy rate which tells us how correct they are. In order for students to comprehend text, they have to be correct

in what they're actually reading. Um, which I think goes without saying. And so this program is designed to support students in being more accurate readers.

Um, I just want to say though that Lexia in itself is not the reason why are the only reason why our accuracy rates are improving. We have teachers who are providing small group. We've improved tier one instruction. So, it's just part of the recipe that is that has helped our students become more accurate readers of grade level text.

Yeah. And just with the program itself, um this is more like a student stuck behind a screen looking at the text and um would you say it's from what I've heard is pretty hardcore. Like it's um pretty um the student has to put in a lot of work into this. So students are placed into the program um at their own level and so students take a placement test in the beginning of the year and they're placed

in um five different categories which are aligned to the essential components of reading. Um so students um when they're originally placed they're then they then receive instruction in the platform based on where they are. So you might have a student who is a second grade student that's still working on first grade skills and that's where they are in the program in an effort to help

close the gap and get them to where they need to be. So I would not say that students are sweating while they're um while they're engaging in the platform, I would say it's at a just right level for them. And if teachers find that it is not a just right level, then we readminister the placement to see if maybe there was something fluky that happened like children guessing correctly.

Right. I guess f but this is not I guess one concern that I have it's not hands-on it's more all right you're going behind the screen and you're going to read it through the screen so but I I guess um one I guess concern I have with any curriculum that comes forward uh superintendent I think um in the backup we should receive the numbers and seeing if there's improvement or if we're you

know plateauing in terms of um improved scores I think that's um just going forward that's something we should definitely have in the career Are you I should also mention that some students are they they get um their own diet of how much lexia they need. So a student who's significantly behind will have more minutes than a child who is reading closer to grade level. So it ranges from like 20 minutes a um a week to

potentially 75 minutes a week.

Sure. I I know I said I just one quick um followup and I don't believe this went before instructional. I know it did the June before. if um next year if we can get whoever's here just gets an update on um what the the scores look like going forward. This is a one-year contract.

This is a one-year renewal.

We have to renew it yearly. Yes, yearly. Okay, I yield. Thank you.

Further discussion on Lexi. Do I have a motion to second? Deb.

No motion to approve.

Second, Mr.

The um the dinosaur.

Yes.

Is it scheduled out? Like are we using it? And I'm I'm not being it was used on Monday. Yeah. No, it was actually critical of it, but I think that we need to we made the investment.

It's part of the process, but I know when we ask the question, superintendent gives us like it's going here and there, but it might be good to just voluntarily just say here's what it is for sure each quarter or something like that. So that when anybody says did we get our six grand worth it that we would get it.

Definitely. I have a document that shows where she went this year. Um, I'll happily share that in the finale, um, in Dr. Curley's, um, memo this week if you'd want to see what happened last year. Um, this week she was at the luau at Vavveris. Um, they had a big reading event. We have a lot of reading events that are scheduled throughout the summer. And so she visited Vivera school

on Monday um, where they had this luau for the students from across the district. Any parent and family was welcome to attend.

Thank you. And I I usually use Lexi and SDMath sort of English and math the same. I had a question on SDMath. If somebody could answer that quick. The um when we the students go on they um on the program is there is a student able to just continue without passing any tests, quizzes or assessments in STMath that you know of? So there are quizzes, but only for grades two to eight kindergarten and and first grade

don't have to take a quiz. And if a student does get stuck while they're on it, then teachers should be coming over and trying to get them to progress. If I could ask uh if you could email the super me through the superintendent that question just to see if the program actually stops or can the student just continue forward if the teacher doesn't get involved so that they move forward even though they're

not passing the assessments. I'm just curious of uh of that particular issue.

I don't need an answer now. Just if you can research it, get it to me through the superintendent. I appreciate it.

Thank you. Um I just want to be really clear about the um the request around Lexi. So I did um so I did share at one point during the year what the calendar was for the year I think because there was a request around mid year. Um and so I did provide that all the appearances through June and then are you saying Miss Kennedy that since June 13th there's been one additional She said

okay so I'll I'll and I'll so we'll provide that right it's not a gotcha it's basically no I know I think even quarterly just it keeps it fresh in our mind that these are the things that happen and uh so that we're justifying what we spent and this Lexi my last question on Lexia was there's one that's related to ELLL students and one that's not did we just address the

I think there was only a question on the Lexia core there is um there is another Lexio program English as well separately.

So what I would ask is that we get data relative to because I think that was new uh think is the data on I didn't really look at it but uh as far as assessment in the backup all of the data and how we performed with Lexia English was um linked.

Can you give me a quick summary?

Sorry.

Is it working? it is the whole slideshow um says kind of gives you the background. Our access scores were strong this year. So I mean we have reason to believe that again as Miss Kennedy said about Lexia um core 5, Lexia English wouldn't be the only component of that. However, it is for our newest English learners. So, it's just accelerating them to be able to access English more quickly, which means

they access grade level curriculum more quickly, integrated more quickly, and our access scores are showing improvement. So, thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you.

All right. And I have a motion, a second on Lexia core five. Deb, please call the role.

Mr. Higer, yes.

Mr. Bailey, Mr. Dy, yes.

Mr. Corey, Miss Laravey, yes.

Miss Pereira, yes.

Mayor Kan, yes. Next hold was magic school.

Just want to request uh data by month.

That's all we'll do. Motion to approve.

Second.

Motion to approve in a second on Magic School. Further discussion. Call the RO please.

Mr.

Yes.

Mr. Bal. Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Corey.

Mr. Larve.

Yes.

Mr. Mayor.

Yes. The last hole in that group was on one identity. Um that was me. Okay, Mr. Aya, uh just uh I can read what it says. Uh but ultimately, is this something that we were doing inhouse manually by who was doing this the current year and how?

So, we've had we've had um one identity um it used to just be called Ping One.

They changed names. We've been using this service for around the last six or seven years. Um but before that time, it was one individual, a phone call, logging into a server. Now, this is all automated. Um we will be um around Christmas time rolling out two factor authentication for staff um just to tighten up again security after our ransomware attack and this software will be um will turn on that module there

will be no additional costs covered in the contract. So my comment is the same as on the other ones that we've done this for six years. Why are we So I think the way we did make a transition I don't know at some point this year or last I can't remember where the grants are listed as like continuation grants. So there's a whole the whole first section was continuation grants. Uh I'm sorry contracts. It's

continuation contracts and it starts with continuation grant contracts. and it goes to continuation miscellaneous contracts before we get to um there's a whole other section with new contracts. So this whole first block has three different sets of continuation contracts. So that would that's meant to signal like these are vendors and partners with whom we've been doing business. We split them up into grant

miscellaneous and special education. And then there's a whole other section of new contracts and there there are grant contracts, miscellaneous, special ed. So I I mean I think and maybe it's not a strong enough signal um that all of these that we've been talking about are all continuation grants uh all continuation contracts uh repeat uh customers we are. And then we'll we'll talk about this other section which has

a small number. It looks like five new contracts to us.

Yeah. I just think it Same same comment. I look at continuation differently than others.

Okay.

It's confusing to me why it's continuation then grant. Like it should be all it's basically just the way you're looking at it. But in a continuation I would say we don't need to see this every year.

Like let's say we continue it for three years. We get it lock into a three-year contract. We should never even see a continuation contract is what I'm suggesting. So that next year it that won't be on. It just help to streamline it. You know, I like to check on things, but when we know it's automatic, three years, five years, so every five years you got to bring it back or every three

years you have to bring it back.

Okay.

That just to me would streamline um this process, you know, a little bit. Uh Mr.

Cabraw had one on here. I don't I got too many papers out. One of the contracts is says one year, but in the backup, it's actually has a quote for three years. So along those same lines, if you can check into when I was digging into the backup, it said one would be uh 43,000 this year and next year's 50,000 and it's a three-year contract, but on here is only one. So just along that same

line, if we approved what's in the backup, we approved the three-year contract because the backup said three years. So to me, that shouldn't come back.

Okay.

It doesn't need to come back. So just trying to streamline. Thank you. I yield.

Okay. Thank you. Any any further questions on one identity? Do I have a motion to second?

Approve. If it's not already there, I need a second.

Second.

I have a motion to second.

Deb, call the role, please.

Mr. A, yes.

Mr. Bailey, Mr. Das, yes.

Mr. Corey, yes.

Miss Laravey, yes.

Miss Pereira, yes.

Mayor Kugan, yes. The next four are special education. Uh, next five, I'm sorry.

Next five are special approve. South I was going to put a hold on South Coast Collaborative.

We have a hold on South Coast Collaborative. I have a motion to approve the other four. I have a motion and second on the other four.

Discussion. Deb, please call the role.

Mr. A.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Corey. Miss Laravey.

Yes.

Miss Pereira. Mayor Coug.

Yes. Mr. Das. South Coast Collaborative.

Yeah. Very quickly, I'll support this.

Um, just trying to This actually might be a financial question. I'm just trying to understand from uh last year going into this year have what was the increase in tuition?

I'm sorry.

What was the increase in South Coast Collaborative tuition?

Thank you.

This was this is at Yeah. So, this isn't tuition. This is assist of technology. Um, we contract with two of South Coast's AT staff and they work in the district. This year we're reducing the time because our SLPs are taking over some of the um augmentative communication pieces of the assisted technology role. So, South Coast is going to support us with reading and writing assisted technology

needs. So, evaluations, IEP meetings.

No, I went I went through that and and I knew that that's why I was going to support it. I figured um if it was if the the information was readily available. I was just genuinely curious on what the tuition costs were the just the increase. And if you don't have to right now that's fine. I guess what I'm trying to figure out is when um whenever there's an increase in any of

the collaborives my opinion as one member believe the committee should just be notified right away if we don't do that already. That's what I was just trying to get out of that. But I'll make a motion to approve.

Mr. Jim, I have a motion. Motion to second. Mr.

Agno, I think we brought this up last time with the tuition. Isn't the tuition regulated by the state?

They just can't willy-nilly just tell you it's not whatever they feel like.

Is that correct?

There are thresholds set by the state, a maximum amount by which any of those any of the collaborives can increase tuition and so within that range. Um, right. I'm saying there's a check and a balance to it. I think Mr. 's point is trying to do a check in a balance and I would agree with that premise. All I'm suggesting is that to me the biggest answer to that question is always

there's a check in a balance that they just can't charge us whatever they want and there's a the state board actually kind of has to approve some of that. So just to alleviate his concerns but I would have the same concern if it was just whatever they wanted and I'm sure you probably would too but it's controlled. I yield. Thank you.

So I have a motion, a second. Deb, can you call the role on South Coast, please?

Mr.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey, Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Corey. Miss Laravey.

Yes. M Here.

Yes.

May.

Yes. Okay. So, we have two new ones and two leftover miscellaneous ones on the last page.

Impact coaching.

Hold on. Impact coaching. Any others of those four?

Nanics.

Nutanics. The last one. Hold on two.

So, Mr. Das, both impact coachings.

There's two.

Yes. Correct.

Okay. So, why don't we just vote on HMH Education Company? Can I get a motion to second on that one?

Motion to approve.

Second.

Discussion. Deb, call the role on HMH, please.

Mr. AA, yes.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Corey. Miss Larry.

Yes.

Miss Pereira.

Yes.

Mayor Kugan. Yes, Impact Coaching Partners. The first one, 68,000. Mr.

Dus, sure. I'm going to start with procurement. Um, and I know there was just an email just sent right before the meeting on this, but I'm just trying to understand is this state contract or is this um something we had to go out to bid for?

No, not to my knowledge. No impact or is it exempt? If this I think it's still impact coaching is an exemption. It's mass MGL chapter 30B section 1B 22. It's an exemption for job related training educational or career development services to the employees of a governmental body.

Okay. No, that's fine. The reason I was bringing it up because if you add the two together it would be 100,000. I know that puts it kicks a new set of um procurement but thank you for that. So now on the um substance um same line of question as I had for the last one. Um what are we what are we getting out of this?

So this is something new. Uh this is really you know to be totally transparent trying something new. Um we uh I'm starting small scale. So um the goal would be you know using tag funds um to target three schools initially.

There are two different models here as I presented at subcommittee. Uh the first model um would be a train the trainer model. So to build capacity and then um that would be at Fansa Westall Watson.

And so this team would come in and train the instructional leaders on um how to be you know how to be more effective uh as instructional coaches. Uh that would just be for one year because it's a train the trainer model. Then they would be effectively trained and we could um you know spread that across the district to other schools. Uh the second model is uh just specific to Talbot through the

intensive assistance grant. Another part of what they offer um is direct teacher coaching. Uh and so this I believe is for up to five new teachers. Um and they actually come on site weekly and provide uh coaching uh to up to five new teachers and they will take teachers in their first or second year. No, thank I and now I do remember you presenting this so I but I guess so my last

question would be what what would be the differences between like this one and like the other one like just say for example this is new you're liking the feedback you're getting from from this team um you're getting a lot the educators are getting a lot of good information and that and we're seeing some positive results is there a way we can you know get rid of the other one or

was there was there was was it needs different yeah so I think That's a great question.

I think that's the intention is we're trying something new. We're going to study it, see what, you know, what the feedback looks like from folks. I want to clarify that these are these are two different things. So impact uh coaching, the coaching that they do is curriculum agnostic, meaning that they may coach a science teacher, a math teacher, an ELA teacher. Um they're focused solely on

new teachers. So a lot of that coaching is really focused on management um you know uh uh sort of beginning level like planning for a lesson delivery. Um the other coaching for instance with Amplify or Carnegie is really related to the use of that particular resource or curriculum. So when those folks come in and support, they're actually coming in to support our coaches already who might

be have a literacy background but may not necessarily um be an expert in using amplify yet, right? So they're really focused on that the delivery of that particular program. um this is something new and yes I mean I think the idea is part of the reason we really wanted to partner with them for the train the trainer model is because if we do see some positive results now we have folks

that can actually spread this knowledge to other folks in the district. Um so you know that was one of the reasons we wanted to pursue that and we kept it small enough across three schools. We were obviously intentional about the schools that we selected um being Fonica, Westall, Watson um where we felt like at those sites um we know that we're doing you know some intensive kind of turnaround work at those schools.

Westall is obviously a new school. Um, but we felt comfortable about moving forward. All of those principles are also on board and so those that that'll really be our like pilot test site to learn from it and and determine get feedback from those teams and say, "Hey, this is something we should definitely think about expanding or you know what, you know, this was a great pilot, but maybe not something we

want to expand upon."

No, I appreciate that and I'll support it. Thank you. The last thing I'll say is um to superintendent I I don't think um I guess I don't think I'm asking for much in saying in terms of procurement we can um this include like just the email you just sent prior just including the again the either the exemptions or what process we went through for procurement um on the contracts um just

adding it to the backup I think um that would help stream streamline the process in my opinion but I'll make a motion to approve motion motion New approved. Do I have a second? Mr.

Mr. I think I think it's important just because we the word coaching is here and people in the community staff whoever uh have strong feelings about coaches or not coach, you know, not having coaches.

Uh I I just think we don't do a good enough job, I think, of selling what's the rationale. We can say all the time and I've said it myself, we don't have our achievement levels where they need to be and we don't raise achievement levels in my opinion without having the proper coaching. Where can I take whether it's in schools or sports or whatever it is I don't think we do a good enough job

explaining what coaching actually is. Uh so I'm just wanted to take this opportunity to see maybe at some point Sure.

to put up to forward what a rationale for why do we use academic coaches in education because we really I can't tell you how many times I've had to defend the hiring of coaches but a one pager that we put out to the public absolutely will make sense. Same thing with administrators. And I want to name to to exactly to that point that this particular train the trainer um people

that are in this are not just people that have a title that has coach in it.

Um the principles in this there will be a department head in this um they will be um a a director uh sitting in these sessions. And so you know all of those folks even though as a school leader you know I may not have coach in my title but it's my responsibility to help improve um and build the capacity of my teachers. So I think a one p one pager I think would do us all

uh a service. Same thing with administrators, vice principles, assistant superintendent. I think we need to sort of cluster it. I had a conversation with a constituent today related to why do we need three assistant superintendent? And it wasn't said in a bad way. It was just looked at, you know, everybody gets paid good money. Why do we need it? And my answer was because we need to improve

instruction. We have 11,000 students, x amount of teachers. you know, I I I defended it, but I think we can do a better job of explaining why do we need x amount of each of those folks. So, maybe you can work on that. Appreciate it. Thank you.

Yep.

So, uh I have a motion and second on impact coaching partners. The first one.

Um Deb, would you please call the role?

Mr. Yes.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. Das. Yes.

Mr. Corey.

Miss Laravey.

Yes.

Miss Peran.

Yes. Impact Coaching Partners too, Mr.

Dus.

Oh, I'm sorry. I'm going to take them together. I have a motion to approve.

I have a mo I have a motion a second to have call the role, please.

Mr. Drag, yes.

Mr. Bailey, Mr. Das, yes.

Mr. Corey, Miss Laravey, yes.

Miss Pereira, yes.

Mayor Kugan, yes.

Mr. Ragar, and Nutanics. Uh the only thing I I want to highlight this for is that I believe this is an in a a contract is going to help us to secure our network in our IT the IT world and I think it's a good thing that we're doing but I think we also don't acknowledge all the work that we're doing and money that we're spending to make sure that

we're as secure as possible. So I just wanted to highlight that I support it but I think it's a good thing that we're being proactive trying to be on the cutting edge of things and making sure that what happened before doesn't happen again.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Motion to approve.

Second.

I have a motion, a second on nutanics.

Deb, call the role, please.

Mr. Drag.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Corey. Miss Laravey.

Yes.

Miss Pereira.

Yes.

Mayor Kugan.

Yes.

Item number 12, committee of the whole discussion and vote to approve the selection and appointment of Lindseay Mada.

Motion approved.

Second with a question.

I have a motion, a second on Lindsay Mor, district nurse. Mr. Das.

Yeah, nothing on the appointment. I'm I'm just um question on basically um the process. Um obviously in our backup we're provided information that could be considered personnel and I just believe in the district we have a pattern of selectively giving information and this is a prime example but other questions on other matters go unanswered. So I'm just trying to figure out what the

balance is here genuinely. I just wanted to put that out there. I yield Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Yeah, just a as a comment to my colleague. So I believe the difference is that the school nurses actually fall under our purview to approve them. So therefore, we have to have access to it in order to approve it. Technically speaking, this is actually an interview. Uh because it's a position that falls under the school committee. I think that's what makes a difference. U just as a point of clarification.

I have a motion, a second on 121.

Lindsay uh Ma De call the role, please.

Mr. D.

Oh, Miss D. I'm sorry, Steve.

Thank you. And and thank you um from the clarification of my colleague and and if I then could just add to that and if you look at the city charter, this the school committee has direct superintendence over um basically maintenance or anything noninstructional the way I interpret that. So, I think it's uh something we should have a conversation about at a different time. I yield.

Damn. Call the role in 121, please.

Mr. Hag.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Corey.

Miss Laravey.

Yes.

Miss Pereira.

Yes.

Mayor Kan.

Yes. 122 is discussion and vote to approve the membership renewal.

Motion to approve.

I I have a motion to second on approval of the membership in Mass Association of School Committee. Mr. Aguar.

Yes. So I I believe this doesn't uh it's not time sensitive based on reading the information. Uh has to be approved by October. I believe I personally have some concerns with how the MASC has assisted us and it's a $9,000 expense which I never realized was that much money. It also says in there that we have unlimited access to a staff member from MASC. So I would like to request

that we get the information on how many times we've communicated with MASC throughout the year to justify the spending of $9,000. So I'd like to make a motion to table till next meeting.

Second.

Um on the motion to table point of parliamentary inquiry. I don't think we can discuss.

Have a motion.

We have a motion to accept first.

Motion.

I believe a um point of parliamentary inquiry. I believe a motion to table takes precedence.

Is that right, M? Okay.

So on the motion, go ahead Deb.

Mr. A.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. Dus.

Yes.

Mr. Corey. Miss Laravey.

No. Miss Pereira.

Yes.

Mayor Couan.

No. Motion's tabled.

12.

123.

Is a discussion and vote to approve the criminal justice job description.

Second. What a question.

At Morton. Um I have a motion and a second on the criminal justice job description at Morton. Mr. Das.

Thank you. um just had um a question from a conissitu constituent I received the other day um on the position in the in the program. I'm as this was explained before I'm for this I'm not but again just an explanation as to um why we chose middle school to um again just why we chose middle school to um implement this program that might have a question.

Sure. The other two um middle schools that we have, CUS and Talbot, both have a program that feeds to one of our CTE offerings at the high school. Um Morton was the only school that did not have something yet. And so the principal there advocated to potentially add uh a criminal justice um as a as a pathway um as a class.

If I can clarify my question, I I guess more of why we chose middle school and not high school. Again, this is at the high school. So this exists this already exists at the high school.

So criminal justice already exists at the high school, right? No, I no I understand. Um I guess why do we choose the question I again I support this. The question I received was more around is it too playing devil's advocate is it too young of an age range to bring a criminal justice program to was the question. What would be your response? Again I support it. I think this is something we should have

at that level. But if anyone has any question in the community as why Sure. I think so. Similar to I'll use the two other examples. We have a culinary program at the high school. We also have a small um middle school version of that. We have a construction program at the high school. We have a very small middle middle school version of that. So having been the principal at Talbot, what happens in that

construction program is very different than what happens at Dery. Um but it's like really an introduction. So I think would be the same case here. Exactly. I think and and the way that um the principal is envisioning this is that this would actually be an opportunity for kids to get uh CPR certified um and some of those other pieces that I think it's certainly appropriate at the middle

school level to get kids um educated, you know, in that way. So this is really just a very small introduction. You know, by no means is it going to be uh the same type of material or course work that they're doing at the high school level.

Of course. Um, and if you have any I believe you had backup information on this that could just be reforwarded so I can just share with that parent. So I appreciate that. Thank you Mr. Angular.

So my question is though why is it called criminal justice teacher? I I'm not sure when reading the job description social studies with CPR maybe a little bit. I just don't understand why are we just uh where did this morph into? Where's it in the budget? Is this just a trans? Uh we see so many of these things that it doesn't sit well with me when we go through the budget and then they say,

"Well, we can't find this teacher, so we create that teacher, then we do this, and everybody's doing all kinds of different stuff."

No, the the intention here, it's a it's a fair question. The intention here was literally to think about what could we add at Morton to feed one of the high school programs given that uh CUS already has a culinary and Talbot already has a construction craft labor laborer. And so when they looked at some of those other options um for instance cosmetology there would be a major increase in terms of like what does the

space look like you know all those sort of sort of investments and so this was one of those programs where we felt like we could add this at the middle level um but it's not necessarily going to take us to do some sort of buildout right even thinking about taling that construction craft there was a cost associated with that in terms of getting equipment tools that sort of thing um

and so really This was just to align and be able to offer kids something a little bit sooner, expose them to some potential opportunity and see if it would spark an interest in that CTE pathway at the high school.

I guess I'm just missing the point of if you're at Talbot and you have social studies, what do you get? What is the excuse me, social studies at Talbot? It's called what?

Social studies.

Social studies. So at Morton, what is social studies called?

Social studies.

And they're going to do this separate.

This is like a unified arts. Yes. So the the way construction, craft, culinary, or this is is this runs as part of your unified arts schedule. I'm assuming like at Talbot, kids could select it as an option. Um and and actually say, "Hey, I'd like to take that construction course." Um so it's actually as an it becomes an option for kids as part of a unified arts. I I I just for whatever

reason I'm having a hard time figuring it out, but responsibilities item one says teaches courses in social studies, history, geography, American government, political science or humanities to people's utilizing course of study by the school department. Like that's what's getting me to think this is just a social studies class. Then there's a little bit of thing about uh oversight and then students in CPR, first aid,

instruction, citizenship. Like I I just don't see this as truth and advertising the way I see it.

I think it's a madeup uh way to just call it something, but I I think it has potential to be very awkward in that it's a social studies teacher. It's a social studies class. The degree is meant for a certification in social humanities or social studies. I I'm not necessarily opposed to it. I just don't know why. And then where did it come from in the budget? Was this in the budget? Uh I as what?

Teacher of criminal justice even though it didn't exist.

I'm sorry.

It was approved in the budget. We didn't have a uh bring it. Exactly. So we it's not has not been posted.

Quite honestly, I think we could have done the same thing just calling a social studies that that it's a social studies teacher that's going to do some a couple sections all sections of adding CPR. Uh because it's it to me it's going to be awkward if you're teaching social studies. Maybe that's maybe I'm missing it. Am I missing something that that first item says I think teaches courses in social

studies or am I just I think where that came from is that truthfully I don't know that we have examples that we were able to pull from and say, "Hey, this is a criminal justice teacher at the middle level."

And so I think the principal as they were working on the job description utilized probably a social studies job description tried to amend it, right?

Because the closest um area of focus we would find is someone with a humanities kind of background. Typically criminal justice is like sociology, some sort of background like that. At the middle level, we don't have the same it's not going to be the same certification as someone who's teaching that at the high school, right? Because this is not a CTE program, but it's really this sort of

introduction. So, I understand completely what you're saying around that that first bullet. So, I don't know if it's us having to maybe further amend what is in the content of that, which is totally fine, too. Well, I I I just think at some point, I don't know if I guess in if it was in the budget, it's such an additional position that they added to their that begs the question,

what did they lose in order to get another teacher if they were already servicing the same number of kids. So, I don't want to go against this, but I do think based on what you said is that number one doesn't necessarily have to be they're not going to teach social studies, right, to the students, right? It could be I think we should change the qualification so that it's not just Massachusetts educator within

humanities and or social studies grades 5 through eight. It should say Massachusetts certified educator 5 through eight with a teaching license.

You could get a great candidate for this job that is a math guy.

Yep.

Or a science guy. So by us putting in qualifications, you're pigeon holeing yourself. So then I can bet you what's going to happen. I mean a lot of people have social studies, but we get it October. We couldn't find a candidate.

We didn't have it. So now we want to morph this into something else.

I think we should open it to as wide a net as you can. So I'd make a motion that we just get rid of the humanities and social studies and just call it a certified educator 5 through8.

Second.

Shall we?

Can I miss Pereira?

I have a motion second.

I'm trying to wrap my head around that because that kind of confuses me. So we're hiring a teacher to teach a criminal justice intro introduction to criminal justice course. So when I think of criminal justice, I think of it as something that falls under social studies, right? So I think of social sciences being social studies and I think of things that fall into place under that. Criminal justice being one

of them, focusing on um societal norms, on law enforcement, on protecting and public safety.

That's how I'm looking at it. is something under social studies. So, I don't want a math teacher teaching it because that that doesn't have the qualifications of the person we need in my opinion to teach criminal justice. I think we need somebody who has the humanities experience, the social studies experience sociology psychology, any of those given social sciences is what we're looking for. So

maybe it doesn't have to necessarily say humanities, but I certainly don't want a science teacher or a math teacher because that's not I I don't know. In my opinion, it's it's obviously up to you to decide, but in my opinion, I don't think a math teacher has the qualifications we need to I think I think the point, as I'm understanding it, and correct me if I'm wrong, is more to

cast a wider audience and not limit it because you could have, for instance, someone who has passed an ELA MTEL, let's say, who maybe could be a good candidate, but if this specifically said humanities, then that person might be excluded from this particular is that sort of but I would I I think that's what he's saying. But I would think and I agree to a certain extent, but I think we have to

be somewhat specific because I wouldn't want a math teacher applying for a job thinking they're just a teacher because I think the skill set is totally different um for the two subjects. So I understand what he's saying. We want to use wordage that we're going to attract the most amount of candidates possible, but I also want to make sure we're attracting the right candidates if y that makes sense. That was my only

Mr. Das, thank you. I think um and just and actually I was originally going to ask this question and I'm glad this was brought up because it reminded me. I think a a good compromise here would be under qualifications um placing strongly strongly prefer because again if I'm hiring someone for this position a criminal justice teacher and I'd want someone with either a law degree or a criminal justice degree. Um

we probably won't get someone with a law degree. they're not going to be a teacher, but maybe you could um get an up and cominging person with a criminal justice degree that might have gone to law or may have stopped or something like that. So, under qualifications, we should place in strongly preferred someone with a law degree or criminal justice degree because that's what we're

trying to look for here. But again, we can also open as Mr. Agar was pointing out, we can also open up the qualification. So, I'd like to make an amendment to the motion that we add under qualification strongly preferred um an individual with a either a criminal justice or law degree.

Sure.

And we have a second.

Second.

Okay. Are we voting? Um Deb, can you tell us what we're voting on now, Mr.

Aguar? So, I guess the we're on the same page, I think, casting a wider net. So, when you're looking at hiring someone, we shouldn't have a job description that looks like this.

Quite frankly, that's an HR issue. We This has already gone to subcommittee and it's before us. It says in here, the qualifications are very tight. It doesn't say anything about what Mr. Das just said, a background in criminal justice or anything else. That's a shame that we're sitting here right now with this job description for a criminal justice teaching position and the language says more about teaching social

studies and history than actually having some skill set in criminal justice.

That's a shame. But with that being said, what if we had a person who had an English license, as you said, Mr. Mr.

Reposo, and they've become a police officer and they've worked for 20 years and they retired and they said, you know, I'd like to get into teaching.

currently they can't apply even though they might be the best candidate to teach a criminal justice course. That's all I'm saying. If we just say a certified teacher, it allows you superintendent and the principal to say I have this great candidate and if you want to get this job, you have to have a license in teaching.

Just like an elected, this is an elective.

Exactly.

If we have a fizzed teacher who might be the greatest guy in fizzed, you know, and we say they have to have some you can morph it so that they can have something else like you can have a science, whatever. All I'm suggesting is that we open it up, have a wider net, so you're not standing here in November saying we can't find somebody. But there's no way in hell this should be

before us with criminal justice teacher in the job description and not one word in the qualification says anything about criminal justice. Shouldn't happen.

That's an HR failure.

Can I ask a question?

Yeah. I I'm just wondering about, you know, we obviously want to be able to post this position. We don't have a meeting again until August 18th. I think that beyond the qualification section, um I do actually think that we need to revisit responsibilities as they're listed and I'm just wondering what kind of leeway we have in terms of getting this approved that we get approved to make some improvements even to the

responsibilities and post without coming back for um approval of the I don't know the words themselves. I don't know. It's like it's a it's a leap of faith.

I think to myself, I have no reason to not I don't really care what's in the responsibilities. Quite frankly, I want him you, him, and the principal to be able to hire the best person most qualified to teach the kids in a month.

So, by opening the qualifications up, you have a wider net. I would say change the responsibilities later. It doesn't really matter to me because the real thing is getting that body in the seat to teach the kids.

Open it up. have something that just says something background in law, criminal justice or something. It it just makes the most sense to put it up there. We can approve that now and then if you want to change the job description in December, feel free.

Let's go. Let's go on the vote. Um Deb, uh you please tell me what the amended vote uh vote will be.

Mr. um Das's amended motion was uh under qualifications to have strongly preferred a law degree or a background in criminal justice.

Fine. Um, do I have a motion to second?

You do.

Okay. Call the role, please. De Mr. A.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. Dus.

Yes.

Mr. Corey. Miss Laravey.

Yes.

Miss Pereira.

Yes.

Mayor Cougar.

Yes.

124.

On the original.

Oh, I'm sorry. On the original as amended.

Okay. That's the amendment on the original job description. Deb, call the role please.

Mr. A.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. Dus.

Yes. Mr. Corey, Miss Laravey, yes.

Miss Perau, yes. Mayor Coug, yes. 124 is a presentation. Recruitment for the Florida public schools is referred by the parent and community outreach subcommittee and presented by Brian Lai, human resource director.

Okay. Thank you. Uh excited that I get to actually present this. I think I've had it uh ready to go for a little while now. Um, and one slight change, I I kind of just changed the title of this earlier today to um, recruitment and retention. I know that originally it was just listed as recruitment. Um, I think recruitment and retention go hand in hand. And as you'll see, um, as part of

this presentation, we definitely talk about both. Um, so what we'll discuss, uh, you know, throughout the presentation is just some of our efforts this past school year in recruitment and retention for our, um, staff here in Fall River and some plans that we're looking forward to continuing uh, next school year.

So, uh, the first thing that we did this past year that I wanted to highlight is our career and job fairs that, uh, we attended and, um, held here in Fall River. So, the first one that we went to was at Bristol Community College that took place on May 1st. Uh, this was a a small event. We we only connected with about five or six individuals, but I I did think it was important to get our

names out there. Um, you know, names and faces, especially for local events. Uh BCC will have another job fair that they'll hold in November and we'll look to attend uh that as well. Um I think getting out there and setting up tables as many events as possible is really key to sort of um advertising our vacancies and and why people should come to work for Fall River. Um coupled with that and

I I think this was a great event. Uh our FRPS job fair was held on May 5th at Dery High School. Um this is the first time I've attended this event obviously, but I know that it's been ongoing for a couple years now. Um, I thought this event was a success. As we opened the doors at 9:00 a.m., we had a group of about 20 people waiting to come in. And

throughout the the next two hours, there was a constant flow of people that were coming in uh for the job fair looking for opportunities. Um, a few things that we had set up at the job fair. We set up QR codes sort of throughout the fair where uh applicants could scan their phones. There were two different QR codes. one of them took them to a um Google form where they could complete

their basic contact information and also the positions that they're interested in. We still have that information. So, that's something that we can utilize as we have vacancies that come up and people that attended our job fair. If they listed some of our vacancies as potential openings, we can reach out to them to say, "Hey, we know that you attended our job fair. We do have a

vacancy in whatever it may be, security, ELA teacher, paraprofessional. Uh here's a link. we encourage you to apply. Uh a few other uh resources that we provided at that job fair, we did have a bank of computers set up with assistance um to help people apply on-site. We had about 50 applications submitted as a result of that job fair and eight hires districtwide were uh result of that fair.

The next job fair that we attended was at Bridgewwater State University. That was on May 7th. Um smaller turnout than past years. I've attended this one in in previous districts that I've worked in.

Um I do find this a good event to attend because it's catered towards uh education majors specifically at Bridgewwater State. So they advertise this pretty widely. Um I think we'll look to attend it next year, but um I know that I did speak with Bridgewwater following that uh job fair and they're definitely looking for some feedback. Um I think everyone was kind of disappointed with the turnout. So we're

hoping to see um more turnout uh at next year's uh uh event. Uh the last one that we did attend was the mass hire job fair that was on May 15th just down at government center. Uh really great turnout to that event. Um most of the candidates that we met with were for some of our non-licensed positions. So might be for security maintenance, custodial or paraprofessionals, but we met with a number of u uh interested

candidates and we did provide them with um access to our job posting platform and ways that they can apply. So, that's something that we'll look to continue uh obviously this year and um if there are any job fairs that I can attend in the fall, I'll look to do so outside of that BCC event.

So, something that we've uh looked to really do, and I know that this has been happening since well before I got here, and we'll look to continue these partnerships, but uh partnerships with our local colleges and universities. Uh geographically, we're really in a a great spot where there are plenty of local colleges and universities to tap into and partnership with. Um, so I want

to talk a little bit about the ones that we have in place currently. So with UMass Dartmouth, we have our MAT programs. They help teachers obtain their master's degree and advance their licenses. Fall River is one of uh three public school districts and two charter schools that are part of the MAT program with UMass Dartmouth. Um, some of the advantages with this program are uh it includes a cohort of colleagues from

FRPS. You're actually working with colleagues across the district as you kind of go through this program. um and you kind of build those um you know networking opportunities and and kind of um collegial friendships. Um we also um have tuition assistance through our teach grants uh opportunities and classes are able to be taught in Fall River. So the uh instructors can actually come down and give classes in

Fall River. They don't actually have to travel uh anywhere else. The ed doctoral program that is actually a new program that they're starting to run this upcoming fall of 2025. Um, back in March, we held an info session for our employees who might be interested. We had a pretty good turnout for people that were looking for more information into the program. And, um, we'll be looking to see, uh, what the numbers

look like for this fall for that cohort.

Uh, we also have, um, Roger Williams University. Um we are on the ground level planning of uh specialed masters program with Roger Williams and I think that would look pretty similar to sort of what we have set up with uh UMass Dartmouth. We held meetings with reps from Roger Williams this past spring. Uh and I think that's something that we'll continue to sort of flesh out and discuss more with them. But again, just

another opportunity for our um employees to, you know, potentially advance their uh their skills and their lensure and um gain those uh master's degrees and advanced degrees.

Bridgewater State uh University, another uh local um institution that we partner with. This past year, we were able to purchase MTEL prep courses directly from BSU. Uh this is going to help us support our current educators who are working towards their license. We have a number of educators that um need to take their MTEL courses to uh obtain their lensure or uh get off of waiverss. Um so be to

be able to purchase those MTEL courses in district, run them in district, uh provide that support to our educators. I think that's a a great feature and a great benefit for them as they kind of work towards our lensure. And with BSU, there's also a new um special education and TESSL masters cohorts that are also going to start this fall. Uh we just announced this opportunity at the end of

June and we held some info sessions for our staff at the end of the school year.

So we're uh excited to see that opportunity kind of um you know take shape and flourish in this upcoming school year.

So this slide uh is about grow your own and this is an opportunity uh for the district to sort of build supports that will allow us to create a pipeline um of educators. This has been um a number of meetings that we've held locally in in district with um stakeholders from from kind of all over. Um through those meetings we've kind of developed a vision for kind of what this grow your

own program kind of entails and look like will look like. So the vision is to build a sustainable diverse and wellsupported educator pipeline from K to2 through career placement and retention with strong community institutional and financial partnerships. So, uh, during some of those early planning phases, I just highlighted a few of the things that we discussed here as, um, you know, things

that we've talked about, key areas to kind of focus on. So, I'll talk a little bit more about each of those. So, early talent cultiv uh, cultivation. Some of what our group talked about was tapping into our high school students who we know are interested in uh, becoming educators, entering uh, the education workforce and making it easier for them to become whether it's teachers or

paraprofessionals. So kind of figuring out what pathways make sense for them um and making sure that they have the access to those pathways and figuring out how uh you know the district can support them in in getting into those pathways um higher education and paraprofessional uh pathways. So providing current employees with pathways and support to advance their careers. So some of the

things that I've already discussed were the MTEL prep courses, the MAT programs that uh have support from the district, partnerships with local colleges and universities. Um those are all pieces that we um you know think can help with our higher education and paraprofessional pathways.

The next point there is uh financial access and stability. So this is often the biggest uh barrier and a lot of this is you know people can't afford uh programs. um people are looking for higher wages for you know positions that they're looking to come into. So uh the question that we developed was how can the district support here? Um we have tuition reimbursement, we offer stipens

for additional duties, we have increased salaries as our uh recent uh CBAs have been uh finalized. So those are all some of the you know brainstorm ideas that we have but I think this is probably the area that needs kind of the most fleshing out and um maybe determining how how the district can you know support in that area.

Uh the next one which is support and retention. So uh partner uh excuse me strengthening our mentoring uh mentoring programs outside of teaching positions.

I know that um we are recently uh this school year we are starting our FRAA mentoring program. Um so that's going to be new for any new FRA mentors. We have also had some preliminary discussions with our paraprofessional union. I think both sides really recognize the need for a paraprofessional mentor program. um we don't have anything set up right now.

So, PAR professionals who are new to the district come into the um into those roles. I think they kind of get trained on the fly. They get trained by people in their buildings. Um but having a more robust sort of support program, support and mentorship program um I think would be really beneficial. Another point that we talked about and I know that this has come up at this committee uh as well,

analyzing data when people leave employment. So looking at exit interviews, holding in-person exit interviews, um and actually analyzing the reasons why people are leaving Fall River. Um you know, looking at the numbers, we we see a lot of people that, you know, resign and and leave for other districts. And I think we constantly have vacancies. So we're looking to sort of close the gap in those numbers there.

And um I think analyzing why people are leaving and and you know, if there are reasons that we can affect that we can change, then you know, figuring out ways the district can do that is important.

And then the last part is uh partnerships and ecosystem development.

So again continuing to partner with our local colleges and universities. Uh we have partnerships with our staffing agencies where after a certain number of hire uh hours that a staffing agency hire works, we can hire them as permanent staff. So continuing to sort of cultivate those partnerships I think is important. Um and we also talked about partnering with financial institutions for educator focused

incentives. Um, again, that's a real preliminary idea, but I think um, you know, that has a lot of um, you know, potential and um, you know, areas where we could reach out to sort of local community uh, businesses and and figure out ways they'd be willing to partnership with uh, the district.

So, the next part and again both with retention and recruitment, it's about spreading the word. So, it's advertising that we have vacancies, letting people know how they can apply. um describing to people why they want to work here, selling people on the district and that they want to come here and this is a great place to work. So, uh this slide really just highlights some of the ways

that we can get the word out about our openings and vacancies and um again why people should come to work here for Fall River. So, currently uh we utilize our website and job posting page to advertise our uh job posting vacancies.

As was mentioned earlier, we're in the process of switching platforms for job postings. Um, I think that the new platform with Frontline, it will provide um an increased, you know, visibility because it connects our current job postings to sort of a wider job posting platform. Um, I know that we're able to sort of pick up our current job postings on, you know, Indeed, um, here and there, but with this new frontline

platform, it'll connect directly to K12jobspots.com.

So both of our um any of our vacancies will not only be posted on Frontline, they'll also be posted on K to2 job spots, which I think has a much wider sort of um range of people looking at it than than Frontline might.

Uh some of the other uh pieces that we um or that we utilize in in terms of uh spreading the word, we use our social media uh accounts and our platforms. Um I'm currently utilizing sort of LinkedIn and Indeed as I mentioned and also utilizing Handshake to advertise job uh postings and vacancies. Handshake in particular that is really at targeting um college you know seniors and and juniors who are about to enter the

workforce. Um that's also a way that we can advertise our our job fairs and um you know other offerings to sort of um you know new newly uh graduated um seniors from local colleges and universities who are looking to get in the workforce here in Massachusetts. And then we of course have uh JGPR PR firm um that works to get positive stories and press out there. I know that that uh

JGPR created a press release for our job fair back in May. Um, we've also worked with them to highlight the Bridgewater State Masters program that we announced uh last month and uh they are putting together some resources that share some of our new contract highlights um that we'll be able to push out to um the the public.

That brings me to sort of the last slide, which is the new contract highlights. Um I've only listed a few here. Um so the top section are sort of you know all um all bargaining units received these benefits. The four weeks of paid parental leave for new parents and $400 perfect attendance stipen. So really any position um in the district for the most part um are you know could uh um receive those benefits uh this

upcoming school year. And then for FREA specifically I just highlighted um a few of the new uh contract um uh benefits that have been included. tuition reimbursement, our $4,000 stipend uh for uh licensed uh special ed teachers working in subseparate classrooms, our $2,000 stipen for licensed teachers working at RPA. Um the $2,000 nurse stipend uh for nurses who hold a national certification, and then just

our updated salary scale. Again, to me, these are just points that we really want to try to highlight and promote on kind of our, you know, public postings.

um you know some of our information that might get put together by JGPR um and and kind of package these things in a way that say hey these are some of the reasons why you want to apply to our our open positions um and and I think you know the next I think agenda item that we're talking about as a potential referral bonus that would be something that you know we'd look to highlight as

well. So it's all of those kind of benefits um you know people why why do they want to work here we should sort of list those in a very easily um digestible way and and make sure that we can get that out to the uh community.

And with that, if there's any questions about the retention and recruitment presentation, Mr. Das.

Yeah, I think that the presentation you gave was overall good and and I think um no one can say the district isn't trying to make some strides. Um I personally believe and just seeing either comments from different staff members or just um speaking to them directly, I think um a lot of it comes down to the inner core.

Um, obviously we'll see what happens after this year. We obviously just approved some new collective bargaining agreements, so hopefully that helps. Um, I I guess I'll start with the the the stipens you just mentioned. Obviously, when we're presenting these, I think it's important that we make sure we mention the strings attached if there is some to some of these. Um, obviously, we

received some complaints on there. So, I think that's just um one way we can go.

Um again I I am happy to see that what the work that we're doing um with the different colleges. I think that's really important in in the grow your own program.

Um I think what I I think it's important that the and I mentioned this earlier that but the committee should know exactly the reasons why educators or any staff member is leaving and again that's including to the committee the exit interviews. So, what I guess um have you done any exit interviews um since you've arrived on the job or are your staff?

Uh we we've only done uh inerson interviews are you talking about?

Any any any So, anytime someone leaves, we we do offer them a link to sort of a a form, a generic form that they can fill out, which is an exit interview, right? And um not not to cut you off, but um just trying and and not any specifics, but what's the general um practice? the general no the general feeling what like what's one of the main reasons why people are leaving you say um

and we can have a frank conversation I I mean it could be any number you know some people just you know are I got a new opportunity that pays better um other people it might be a very specific event that happened or you know they they didn't like you know something about their work environment other people um I've seen you know I'm getting out of education altogether so you know

I'm just leaving the workforce it's not a you know fall river public schools thing I I'm just you know looking to uh get into a a new um area. Um I wouldn't say that there was one specific um you know salary I think when I first got here and with the old contracts probably was a big issue. I think they don't mean to cut you. Have you seen less and less of those being salary

related since the new contracts have come in? Uh to be honest, I I'm not sure that I I could say that just because by the time everything was settled, I I'm not sure how many exit interview responses we got that were sort of after everyone got their their updates. But um that'd be something I'd be looking at, you know, especially in this next school year.

They did, of course. And in terms of retention and just making sure we have um a good morale and me personally, I believe there's a little bit of a um morale issue in this district and um a culture issue and I think that could be a small part as the reason why we're having issues with um retention on a on a retention basis. Would you say this district is zero tolerance for sexual

harassment? Would you say we're zero tolerance for sexual harassment?

Yeah. When issues come up with sexual harassment, would you say we're zero tolerance?

I'm not sure how this is relevant.

Yeah.

Yeah.

We're the HR director just made a um presentation which includes um retention and recruitment.

So, and I'm bringing up an issue that I believe might contribute to that. I wasn't going into any specific. I think my line of question is reasonable. I think that when we get some feedback um from staff members via exit interviews that sexual harassment is the reason they've left, I think it becomes a relevant part of this discussion.

I I wouldn't know what's in the exit interview. Superintendent, you haven't provided a committee with those exit interviews. I think it's a relevant question to ask.

So, I'm just saying that we will take a look and we will get back to you.

What I can say I've never seen anyone fill out an exit interview that said that they've left for sexual harassment since I've Oh, I've heard a few things, but again, I think it's a relevant question.

I would ask you to refer to back to the Please don't interrupt. Superintendent.

Thank you.

Oh, wait a minute. Wait a minute.

I have the floor. I No, wait, wait, wait.

The superintendent should not interrupt when members I agree. I will not interrupt.

No.

Again, my question was very clear in terms of recruitment and retention. Not going into any specifics. Would you say HR director this this district is zero tolerance when it comes to issues of sexual harassment? The public deserves to know.

Not in this context.

Yeah.

Uh I I would hope so. And I would say that uh the answer should be yes because we have plenty of issues here.

Hold on. You're interrupting him now.

It's my floor.

No, no, he was talking.

Continue. I apologize.

Uh as I was saying, I I would hope so.

And since I've been working here, uh, I think any sexual harassment claim that has come across my desk, we've acted accordingly and absolutely appropriately.

Oh, I disagree.

Not relevant.

Yeah, it's not relevant. That's enough.

Come on, go to your next question.

Oh, those are my questions.

Okay. Anything further? Mr. Agia, thank you for the presentation. Just uh on the slide that's here, the updated salary for teachers of 54,000.

has that the issue of step two been addressed? I I believe I asked that before. So yes, if I'm looking later on the agenda where it says um a teacher on step there should be nobody on step one anymore. Y so they're automatically starting on step two. Y so if they had two years experience they'd be on step four. You know am I reading that right to that's how you get to that 54. Otherwise it would

have been 52.

Do you understand what I'm asking?

Yeah. So, uh, I I'd have to go back to see if that is the step one to step 12 range or the step two to step 12 range.

I I could have included the step one because we have a step one range in our contract, but you're right.

But in essence, the practice of correct we're now giving everyone that comes in starting at step two.

That's happening is the question. The other one was the step 12. I saw a few step 12s in here, which also was a benefit I think. Um, uh, which is just another example.

That's how you get to the maximum because we made the change to allow you to get 12 a step for each of the years.

Yep.

Um when there was something on there about social media and uh advertising, you know, whatever, something like that.

But then in the transfers here, it says that we underspent the advertising budget in HR. It just begs the question of before I even saw that slide, I was already questioning why did we not spend the advertising money in HR in the budget transfers that we had. Was it an overabundance of it or just I'm just curious of why because the slide indicated we advertise as much as we can. We try to recruit. Yeah,

I would I would think the answer would have been the opposite that because we have so many vacancies, our we expended, but I don't think I'm reading it wrong.

It said somewhere in here that HR advertising had a surplus.

Okay.

I'm just trying to jive how do those two things go together? Do you have any So, I I'm not sure of the the surplus necessarily. Um I I do know that one thing that we didn't do this year is we didn't um sign on with Cox Media at the at the beginning of this school year. So the beginning of the 242 school year that was a big chunk of our advertising

budget for HR. Um and I think collectively we felt like it there wasn't enough bang for our buck so to speak. So that's the only thing that comes to mind in terms of that might be why we underspent and I I think that is the reason why.

So, that Cox Media had to do with some radio ads, some billboards that were put up. Um, I think advertising maybe last year around our job fair.

It looks like 31,000 as I'm reading into it. So, we had 31,000 in in surplus advertising funds in the HR department, but we got so many vacancies that we I I'm just having a hard time figuring that out. I would say that we should spend the entire budget in HR knowing we have the issues that we have. I think that's sort of uh self-explanatory. So, I do appreciate the uh presentation.

I have to spend as much money as I can in in any regard and certainly with advertising. So, I uh loud and clear.

I agree. And I also think uh speaking of this and the recruitment and uh whatever the title was on here, I think you should you and the superintendent should revisit the conversation that we had about the HR recruiter and the $75,000 position. Uh, I know at the time of the budget it was back and forth. Whatever it is, the at the bottom line is is I was trying to advocate to add another

position because I think you need it. I think you need a recruiter. You need we need to do something different. And I think the time is to do it now so that we can get the job description out or whatever. So, as far as I'm concerned, the missing link to some of this is having a recruiter uh help with the um how to get somebody certified, how to do that. That's the missing link that I

see. That's what was in the 2018 report.

So my request is to revisit that at a future meeting and I yield. Thank you.

Okay.

Mr. Chair, can I ask a quick follow up on Mr. August's question?

Yep.

Very quick. On the um HR recruiter and um the position itself, do you believe it's um to to my colleagueu's point, would you see any usefulness in adding I know we talked about this during budget season, but I mean we're about we're a little bit in. Do you think there's any usefulness to adding? I I mean not not necessarily at this time I kind of still feel the way I did during during budget

season. Um but you know I think depending on how the start of this school year goes and and certainly you know once we get into sort of the the first quarter of the year um looking at you know the number of vacancies we have how hard they are to fill um my tune could change come next budget season.

And um last last um comment I'm just going to make. If there's um a surplus and you're looking for different ways to advertise, do we utilize or I guess there's a question, but do we utilize social media like in terms of maybe like Facebook advertisements um reaching out to local like what's the local media companies we advertise with?

Uh in terms of like what do you mean by advertise? either positions or events coming up um or I'm trying to keep it within the scope of um we could be doing a lot more at advertisement in my opinion but keeping it within the scope of this item in terms of anything to do with recruitment.

I I personally in like my department I don't have any connections with local uh sort of um uh kind of what you're referring to here.

Um, I also I don't control the social media accounts for the district, but I know that we do utilize them and that could be something that we utilize more to sort of highlight our our open vacancies.

Yeah, and that's what I was just trying to point out there. Maybe um reaching out to the communications director, reaching out to um IT director um and just maybe some making some sort of plan for social media and advertising position I think would be helpful. Yeah, I think that what we've done with um with our press releases obviously is we've gone through JGPR so that when we settled our contract, we did that. We

just partnered with them to develop an infographic highlighting all of the the pieces. I know that's on our website. I think it's getting pushed out to like to other entities. So, I think that we I think that we could leverage them in that way as well, just to do some outreach to local social media and and other outlets. I think that makes sense.

No, I agree. And yeah, and I'm excited to see the hopefully that helps a little bit. I yield.

Okay.

J 12. Mr. Aar, one more question that beg the question I had before the uh whatever the initials are, JBJ, whatever that consulting firm is.

I thought we got rid of them.

The contract was ending and I thought we got rid of them. So every we um at I would say let's say midy year we picked them up for a sevenmonth contract because we when we went to cancel their contract last year um we were looking to cancel we were reminded of the fact that we actually did sign a two-year contract and so that kind of dragged out for a

few months so that that by the time we were really potentially like better positioned to use them there were seven months left. They agreed that they wouldn't hold us to an additional year.

Um, and we signed a seven-month contract with them, which we already agreed to, which we already agreed to, but we ended up really only partnering with them for seven months. It started in that end uh through October I believe of last year of this coming fall which is what we originally agreed to because yes I just feel like we need to before anybody renews anything with that company or any company it needs to come

back before the full committee because that's what I had recalled that we would we finished out a two-year we're finishing out the two-year contract in October of 2025 and then several months before it'll be up to us to decide if we want to continue with that. That's all. Thank you. I yield.

Discussion 125 on referral bonuses and how it would look financially for the district as referred by the parent and community outreach subcommittee.

Motion to approve option three, which is the um bonus for ESL 600, others 100.

There's no there's no motion on there's no vote on here, Mr.

It says just a discussion.

It just says discussion on the agenda 125.

Listen.

Okay.

May I make a question? I mean, yeah, it's just a discussion. Yeah.

I I don't know.

Why would we have a subcommittee meeting 3 months ago? We asked for some them to come back to us with something. We have a subcommittee meeting and then it comes back to us without an option to vote for it.

Hold on. Hold on. Mr.

That's my question is like what is going on? Want a clarification? Sure.

You done, Mr. Agia?

Yeah, I'm confused. I'm done.

Go ahead, Mr. Das.

Just to um answer Mr. I believe this came before my the parent and community outreach subcommittee and it was a vote there by myself and Mr. Bailey to refer this. Um, this was not supposed to be a discussion item and we in the board docs we have three options either which I assume was for the committee to choose which one we wanted within the backup.

So I mean even if it is a discussion I we could still take a vote to um unless the administration has a a plan I'd be willing to hear that but if not I'd like to take action as one member I think we're able to but I'll listen to the presentation first.

Go ahead, Mr. Lai.

Sure. So, I I believe you have two pieces of backup for this. There's the uh sort of one pager that kind of gives you an outline or description and then there's the um spreadsheet that gives you the three options. So, on that spreadsheet, if uh you look at that um first column has the job titles and uh next to it the amount is the total number of vacancies in each of those job

titles. Now, this isn't up to date accurate today. I believe this was done maybe last month. um but I think it'll still give you an idea for sort of the discussion that we're having. So if you look at the number of vacancies and then looking over into um the three options, each one has a rate and then potential amount. So each one is broken up by um the different referral bonus options

that that we have. So the very first um um grouping is a $500 or $250 referral bonus based on sort of the hard to fill positions. So, we've identified special ed teachers, um, regular ed teachers, and ESL teachers as sort of those harder to fill positions. So, if, uh, a current employee was to refer someone to those positions and they were hired, and that, uh, new hireer stayed in that role for

the full year, the current employee would receive $500 for those positions.

And then all other positions would receive a $250 referral. So the grand total at the bottom um of that first option $68,750 that is if every single one of the current vacancies 194 that we had listed was filled the person stayed in that position for a full year and all of those positions was referred by someone in the district. So that is if you know every that's sort of a worst case

scenario you know in terms of like how much money we might clarifying question when can you explain what general ed teacher means the regular ed teachers the the where it says general ed special ed like I don't know why general ed is in the hard to fill position is meaning like math and science is it more specific to that or I believe that is yeah really any regular ed position that's a licensed

teaching position. Um, and I would assume those are more core subject positions. Um, but I think what we did was we kind of looked at the the amount of vacancies that we have and sort of coupled that with the the requirements for those positions. So that's how we sort of identified the hard to fill positions. So as you can see, regular ed is the the third um highest number of vacancies after special ed teachers and

par profofessionals special uh special ed paras. So, I think that's why we sort of determined that that was you think that personally I think that's only because of the volume, the number, not necessarily uh hard to fill, per se.

I wouldn't want to be given a $500 bonus to the easiest position filled if somebody referred. So, I think we need to, if I may, I'm just trying to move this forward. Yeah, I think the point of this was the harder filled positions, which is probably ESL and special ed in my opinion. Uh, so I would like to start with something very small like that and say we offer a $500 bonus under these conditions for special

education and ESL.

How about how about math? Are we okay on math superintendent?

I honestly would have to take a look specifically at the We got a lot of math positions open.

That's usually tough.

I I don't think that that's a hard to fill position, but I I can pull up. I would say that in some cases what looks like not hard to fill does get filled with someone who's not currently licensed.

We have wavered teachers. So I think that that can sometimes make the different when we difference when we look at you know elementary teaching positions there's not like you know a large number of elementary school teachers who are unlicensed second grade fourth grade whatever it is. But when we get into areas of specialty, we see more a higher incidence of unlicensed folks, people on waiverss um filling those

positions. So when we look at G regular ed teachers, it might not be indicative. If we were talking about filling some of those regular ed positions with licensed individuals, licensed, is that what you're saying?

Oh, or just licensed.

Just regular.

Just licensed. I think that could be um a fruitful conversation in in some numbers to look at.

I just think if we do it as a pilot to start with, I think it's smart to do it with the immediate see if it works out. I do think uh ESL I think Mr. Reposa wants to say something but by however we define it I think is probably where you have to talk about is it certified. I'm assuming by this motion it would be certified. So if you, you know, recruit a certified PE person

because you don't need a masters to be certified per se. You could be in the So if we do 500 for each of those positions and I refer as a worker, my friend who I say is great to work in Fall River, I would get that money at the end of the year if they were certified. I think keeping it small is you think I'll just with sped NSL.

Yep.

Okay.

500. Could we loosen it in a way so that we're talking about licensed hard to fill so that if we are identifying middle school science as an area of need or um you know middle school math or high school math or something that we might be able to attend to those where even though there's a smaller you know there'd be a smaller number if we're talking about high school licensed high school math teachers say or licensed

high school chemistry teachers um that we would be able to apply it in that Personally, I would have no problem with that. But I thought that's what we sent it to the subcommittee for and that's what I thought we were going to get back. What we got back was general ed teacher. That's why I asked the question. Okay.

If you think that math high school math and middle school math is is the highest needed or whatever, I would say that's totally fine. Just this wasn't what we asked for.

So, Mr. Mr. Agar, your you have three categories, hard to fill, licensed, and um sped and ESL. That's fine. So we'll just do those three for 500 each. You want to make that in the form of most?

Well, I think I think the superintendent is asking that we expand it. So we just need the language so that she gets clear direction. Is it high school math? And so maybe we can is it acceptable to to it would give us a moment to examine some of the data. But if we just identified it as hard to fill licensed teachers, licensed teachers in hard to fill positions.

Well, how are you going to just how are you going to keep track of that? It's my that's my only question. I think we would identify now like I think what we would have to do is identify the need right now in terms of the openings um what is most difficult for us to fill now it might be that that landscape changes a little bit because we might find pe we might find people filling and

we're filling the positions but maybe at you know a quarter into the year or halfway into the year we're still looking at um maybe hard to fill is defined a little differently then I don't know fine with me I got I got a question. So, if we bring in a licensed sped teacher halfway through the year, do I get half the money?

Yeah, we would have to talk about Yeah, we would have to talk about the pro rating of the of some of these bonuses.

Sorry.

Oh, they have to stay a year anyway. So, if they go from January to January, that's a year.

That would be Yeah.

calendar year.

It's a calendar year.

Well, it's a Mr. Das.

Yeah. And I I agree with everything like with the special ed and the ESL and um the 600 the general ed now looking back at I know I originally made the motion but I think just for the general ed 600's a little too much but if there's some if there's like a big number of general ed positions that we need to fill we need to fill quickly giving some incentive to again if we fill in these

positions we could potentially um bring down class sizes. That's the way I look at it. So, I'm not opposed, and I know we're talking about making this to be like an original, like just a pilot program, but I'm not opposed to general ed positions getting receiving a $100 bonus. I don't think that's um I make a motion that we offer $500 to special ed, ESL, and high needs positions as determined by the

superintendent of schools.

Second.

Second.

All right. So, we have a motion, a second, Mr. Chair, on those three categories. Oh, Mr. D.

Um, do you still Hold on. Do you still want that? Okay, Mr. D.

Um, I don't know if the appetite's there, but I just want to put it on the record. I'd like to make a an amendment to the motion to include general ed positions um of the superintendent's choice to to receive a $100 bonus.

Do I have a second?

Hearing none.

Roll call on Mr. Aguar's amendment for three categories. Go ahead, Deb.

Mr. A.

Yes. Mr. Bailey, Mr. Das, yes.

Mr. Corey, Miss Laravey, yes.

Miss Pereira, Mayor Kan, yes.

Um, can can I just actually say one more thing?

It would be a separate vote.

So, I just want to um take a look um at the the special education par profofessionals, which were a a different tier um to be compensated uh with a bonus of $250. We know that those are hard to fill positions. We know that we went the entire year with many positions unfilled and we um are we we know already that we will likely start the year using um paraprofessionals that

we find through agencies um and we do pay a higher rate for those. It is in our best interest to fill those positions as well. And I that we offer the new hires well the whole par professional professional spot.

250 second with a question. Mr. Das, um, wouldn't that fall under the 600 that we just approved?

You had it.

Well, those were for teachers.

I wouldn't.

You had I I wouldn't even I would You don't want it to be the 600 as well.

You just said 500.

It was They make half the salary.

It's relative to It's relative to the salary, Mr. Pereira. That's right.

You all set?

Yeah.

Okay.

And I thought Mr.

Mr.

I thought we already addressed the highest need of special education Paris through the contract.

So we already given them a good better bump than $250.

Sure.

You know to with our licensed special educators. We did the same thing with that group. And I think this is potentially like an incentive for people who are working for us currently to kind of pound the pavement, encourage their friends to come and um and people I very likely you're correct are already doing that like you should come work here because if you work in a substantially separate

classroom and you're going to earn so I I think that that is likely happening but I just didn't want to. My only question would be are you are you referring to special education sub separate classes or inclusion or do we not have those in the it's no we do have both and but the the hardest to fill are in the substantially.

So I make a motion that we offer a $250 bonus to substantially except for teacher assistance. Second same same as the teachers they'd have to be eligible to work associates degree or have a passing parro second what was that Mr. U A 250 250 for those are same similar in theory the license for those things categories go ahead call the role please Mr. A yes Mr. Bailey Mr. Das yes Mr. Cory Slaravey.

Yes.

Miss Pereira, yes.

Vancouver, yes.

Okay. So, um 126 is a discussion and first read of the revised walkers and writers policy.

Motion to approve with a question.

Second.

U Mr. Dus.

Thank you. Um I'm actually um seeing it come through the backup. I'm happy um superintendent administration took um the feedback of the committee and addressing some of the the language in there and just tightening it up. So, I I appreciate that.

Um my question is more on the procedure.

And going into subcommittee, I was going to actually make a motion that this be referred as a first read.

I don't believe the subcommittee made a motion to refer this as a first read.

Yet, it's here as a first read. So again, it begs the question as to the to procedure of adding certain things as a first read and certain things not because I believe it was just referred just to come here without it being a first read. So I'm just trying to get some clarification on that.

I so I'll answer but obviously other people have more experience with this. I think it's been the it's been my assumption that policy changes always come as a first read and then there is an option of the committee to wave the first read and actually vote to approve the policy. So I but if we come and we just bring it as like a policy to be approved that then we risk it being tabled or whatever

you know whatever could happen but when it comes through as a first read there's the opportunity to kind of bump it up through the process right I I guess the issue I have there is um and I that's um that's fine however we I don't believe we have been consistent with that as a committee I believe we've had policies on here before that haven't been a first read um months prior and it's been an issue so

that's where I'm just trying find the consistency and I believe the the reason as to why was because it wasn't referred as a first read. We ran ran into that issue before. I believe it was with um the health curriculum.

Okay, this is going back a few months. But again, I I I'm fine with approving it as is. I don't think it's anything controversial in here. It's just tightening up some language. Um however, just again for procedure sake.

Motion to wave the first read.

Second with a comment.

Miss Pereira. So the healthc care policy that first read was waved at that subcommittee meeting. Um the reason that was done at that time Mr. Das was because it was an urgent situation. It needed to be approved quickly. And the director of nursing asked she said I know usually it always goes as a first read. But is it possible that maybe we can move this along because I really

need this done. And I I believe it was me, Mr. Corey and you.

No sounds. So that's why it happened there. But usually it always comes as a first read from what I've seen and then we can always like we just did you know wave that. But I think that's why it happened from my recollection with the healthcare policy. That's all.

One quick followup.

Mr. Das.

Um and just on policies in general I believe we approved some policies at the at the last meeting as a first read. Um I don't see them here today as a second read. I don't know if just to keep the agenda or if it's I don't know if it's oversight or if it's something we're just going to bring back at the next meeting or it's something I could be wrong on, but I

could have figured I just don't want a policy to be approved as a first read and then it's either forgotten about or or something like that. That's something we should just check in on. I'm not trying to make a big deal about it. But again, I support the waiver. I think again because it's nothing really controversy. I yield. Yeah, there might be. Yeah, my uh what I'm looking at here in green

is that totally new language.

Say that again.

The green.

Yeah. So, I think what we were trying to do here was um I got to go back because I was skipping forward. Um was just these are what's in green are policy changes. Some of them were um initial changes that I brought to subcommittee.

um other pieces of it were recommendations that were made at the table. Um but I I can see where you can't see the difference between those.

But yes, so I think that the policy, you know, say in the that main paragraph with a lot of green, the former language said information regarding transportation services to all students who qualify will be mailed to the families of these students in mid- August. in my um you know in talking with transportation that the practice really wasn't that the practice is actually what is there in green that the

requests are coming that we ask people to do it annually and then we are communicating with people prior to the start of school um and so we were looking to make sure that the policy reflected practice I understand that it's problematic if for some reason we had practices that violated the polic policy in some way. I don't know, you know, how it evolved over time. I just know that for the last few years, um,

what's in green, aside from the August 15th, that was just a recommendation that we put in a date there. Um, what was in green is actually how we've been doing business.

So, I it sounds like this is just uh language clarifications, but I read on the second one. Additionally, students may be reassigned to the neighborhood schools if the requested school becomes overenrolled from one year to the next.

I think that's a that is a more that's new, right? So, I don't think that's a policy change. I I don't think that's a language change. I think that's has implications that are a greater No, I agree. I mean, I would say that that's probably like the substantive change to um to policy, but I think um you're are you referring to the transfer?

I think it's on the second one. I I I might have jumped ahead, but ultimately as I was looking at it, first read, same argument I've made the last time. I don't necessarily scrutinize this because as much as I could because it's first read, but then when it shows up as first read and then we make a motion to change it just now it's like okay now I got to look at the fine print here.

We either got to do first reads or not.

I believe when we talked about this 3 four months ago the referral was made to the policy subcommittee or to yourself madam superintendent to clarify what are we doing with this first read thing that went nowhere but we're back again with first read. So I'm So I'm not, you know, okay, I didn't make a motion for this to be anything but a first read. So I think that the preparation that you did in

anticipation of a first read, I think it was appropriate, but I think there's members that want to push this forward now is my point.

So I think that's where I'm saying, okay, there's going to be three members here to say we should go and make this to wave the first reg, which is what the motion is. Now it's forcing me to on the fly figure out three members are going to vote to just push this forward. Now I'm figuring out what is it that language sticks out to me as something that should be highlighted. And I think

it's actually important and it would actually make the case because this is new that this actually becomes the policy now before August so that it because that has implications. So when you are filling up a school from the pay center, this language should be very clear to everybody that you will be reassigned. We kind of informally reassign people to FONCA this year by you know opening up when we imple if you

do a reorg that's long overdue this language is going to be very important because people have to go back to the school their neighborhood school. So so my understanding is that that is actually communicated to people um when they request the an indistrict transfer.

It just was not language that that showed up here. And to be honest with you, I don't think we've done it in the past. And so I I think we're talking about two different things. The Walker rider is is what the agenda item is. So I don't know if people want to kind of put that to rest before we move on to the transfer um policy or procedures. What however it's

my only two sentences. I think we need to clarify the first read moving forward. I don't set the agendas. I don't look at the agendas. We just got to clarify what it is and what it's not.

I'm totally I think both of these should be approved today as a vote because it's the time it's already people should know if that's a practice and it's not in policy we should make it policy. I'm trusting that what you're saying is true, that the pay center does it this way, the transportation does it this way, so why not vote for it? So, I'm going to support it even though the

first read thing is still not okay with me. Thanks. I yield.

Uh, anything further?

Do I have a motion and a second that?

Well, you have a motion to wave the first read.

Oh, yeah. A motion to wave the first and approve and a second and approve. Motion.

So, it's one motion. wave the first read and approve the new policy for 126. Go ahead Deb.

Oh, I have a second.

You do. You do.

Mr.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Corey. Miss Laravey.

Yes.

Miss Pereira.

Yes.

Mayor Kan.

Yes.

Well, I know I heard discussion about the transfer of policy. So, motion approve.

Second.

And wave roll. Sorry. Okay. So, it's the same thing. Okay. 127 a motion to a motion to approve and wave the first read requirement. Mr. Das.

Yeah. Um the concern I have with this policy and this just my position as one member um I don't believe um and it's and this this could this has been the practice. This is just to clarify this is a new policies. This has been procedures being placed into a policy.

Um, and I just don't believe we should be I this could in my opinion uproot students. And I believe there should be a grandfather clause attached to this. I don't believe it's helpful for any student just for even if it's no no fault of their own to randomly get a call or email and be moved um from one school to another just because of um staffing. if they're at that school,

they should stay at that school. If you like your school, you should keep your school. That's just my opinion. Um and also, I think there should also be some more conversations around um again special programs. I know I received I believe um I forwarded to superintendent there was um a complaint from a parent around and thankfully this was able to be resolved because there was um room at

that school. However, I could think of situations where this a potential scenario can't be resolved. If um there's a student receiving um special programming at a specific school, I don't want to see them be moved. So, with those two reasons, I won't support this policy.

So, I have a motion and second to Mr. Aar.

So, uh it's basically uh this question actually is from the last one, but I would like to get clarification on it.

says in the last policy, special education um students that are entitled to transportation. Now, I've heard some disturbing news uh during the school year where the contracts for busing vans or buses, they don't allow our staff who's familiar with the children with special needs to go on the bus to get them settled, to get whatever we need to do in order to um get them ready to ride

the bus. Is that a policy? And if it is, we have to change the policy because there's no way in hell a if she's the monitor and I'm the bus driver and I'm driving a bus with 20 kids on it and a staff member can feel like you're the student that might need a little extra care right now to help you get on the bus, get settled, get whatever, that you shouldn't be able to

get that assistance from our staff. And if bus companies are telling us that they're not going to allow them to do that, the bus company needs to be told they don't have a contract anymore.

And that's happening. I have a very good source that this is happening by the buses. So we don't need to go into it now, but please put it on the next agenda because if that needs that cannot happen not one school day in my opinion.

Yeah.

Thank you. I yield.

All right. So on the on the motion uh to wave the first read and approve I have a motion and second Deb call the role on the transfer of policy.

Mr.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey, Mr. Das, no.

Mr. Corey, Miss Laravey, yes.

Miss Pere, yes.

Mayor Cougar.

Yes. Okay. I'm going to ask the committee's indulgence to go to 12:10. I know we uh we exit at uh 10:30, so I do want to save some time for um executive session, but these uh solar agreements need to be done before August 1. So 1210 motion to approve.

Second.

Have a motion to approve and a second on so 1210. Deb, could you please call the role?

Miss, yes.

Mr. Bailey, Mr. Das, yes.

Mr. Corey, Miss Laram, yes. Miss Pereira.

Yes.

Mayor Krueger.

M.

Yes. Mr.

Chair, can I ask a quick question on 1210? I know we just approved it. I just and I supported it. I just had a quick question. Do we have um and I was at the subcommittee. Do we have any plans on expanding Mr. Dery or any other schools in the near future?

Motion to go to 51. So, Dery already has solar on the roof of the um of the uh fieldhouse and and um in the document I provided there's some backup um Muiard asked for some backup on the solar and and its production and where we have it.

Right. I think it's a good program as um I I I guess why I just like to know if there if there's any plans if there's any schools that don't have this right now. We're planning on expanding it. The ultimate goal would be to have it on every building. Whether it's feasible or not for a company to do that is based on how much electricity we can produce.

Some roofs don't don't um perform because of the shape of the roof, the design of the building. Um so it would and then whether or not the area can support the solar um influx into the br into the grid. So we we did have three buildings that were um that we were looking into. 251 was one along with this package. Um but at the time we couldn't get enough of um information

from national grid for the support. So currently those are the only two that are available now but we would be bringing more to the to the uh committee in the future.

Just quickly on national grid you bless you you ran to the issue of them just not responding to No no no it wasn't response. It's basically whether or not they the calculations whether or not they can take in the amount of um electricity we can produce into the grid.

Okay. And they and they didn't have a determined answer.

Not on those. The two that they that were we asked for were were okay. I understand.

It's the others that are not so far.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr.

Just a point of uh we talked about this at the U meeting. It begs the question always. People say we just put a brand new roof on somewhere. They're going to penetrate the roof with the solar. Mr.

Pico indicated that that's not the case.

So, I don't want people to watch and say, "There's a brand new roof now.

They're going to stop poking holes in it with solar. There's a system in place that that's not going to happen."

Correct.

Exactly. It's a ballast system. It does not penetrate the roof.

Thank you very much.

Motion approved. 1211.

Second.

You want to do the Wyman School, too?

Okay. School. You made a motion. Second 1211. Um WY school Deb call the roll.

Mr. A.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Corey.

Miss Laravey.

Yes.

Mr. Pereira.

We did just did it.

Yes.

Can we go back to 128?

Well, if it's not going to be long, I want to try to leave us an hour for executive session.

128 is I think uh probably simple.

Okay, we'll say a prayer. Expense and reimbursement policy is 128.

So we um so we have an existing policy for expense reimbursements. Uh we originally took a look to see if uh we would want to amend this policy. Um it doesn't seem that it's that a policy amendment is necessary um in that what we are using internally for um you know for tracking for making requests and and and tracking um is the you know there are copies of the forms attached. We based on some previous conversations

here with the committee, we did update the forms um to include um you know that first form under expenses. It usually that the original form just had a registration fee and then the substitute fee. Um we added in lodging and meals. It also had transportation in terms of mileage, but we added in a line for transportation like Uber, Lift or rental or you know something like that. So that prior to

when someone makes a request for travel, we have all of the expenses. There are no there aren't going to be any hidden costs. We understand that people may need to, you know, estimate um some of the expenses um if we're talking about lodging and you know, they can't make the lodging arrangements until they get approved. But we would we're asking for an estimate here. And we did add to the form a $40 um per day

maximum reimbursement for meals. So that's on the um request that requires approval. And then once it's approved and um folks attend the PD or for some other reason are traveling um then they fill out the travel reimbursement request form and include only those things that were approved um prior to the travel.

Mr. Chair, Miss Mrs. uh Miss Laravey.

So could you explain what is I'm sorry a substitute fee is I'm not sure what that is. it's a teacher who's out of district for the day or two days, we actually have to pay $150. So, we're just trying to get an accurate picture of all of the costs, hidden costs potential of somebody going to a professional development beyond paying for the PD and the car ride there kind of,

right? And and so a three-day event, uh, conference whatever professional development right away is $120 for meal reimbursement. That's plugged in right away, right? So, we anticipate that could pay we could pay up to sometimes we know when we approve um participation at a conference that there are three meals a day that are um included in the conference and then we wouldn't expect necessarily

to be reimbursing people $40, right? So, it's not an automatic.

That was my question. So no matter what it it's not a definite that we are providing $40 a day.

No, people have to provide receipts.

So when they do, you know, the next form afterwards, they provide receipts for their meals and it's up to heard in cases where some do and some don't. No matter what, it's $40 a day whether you you have three meals provided or none. So I was I just wanted to make that that wasn't the intent.

Okay, I yield. Mr. Das and Mr.

Thank you. Um so very quickly I I obviously brought some scenarios um to the district. So just want to get clarification on the vice chair's point.

If um let's just say there's a because I've seen the the the batches come through of pizza parties and we're ordering $70 for a pizza. Would that be covered under not for a pizza but for like Dominoes or things like that? Would that count towards a meal reimbursement if it's like a piece of party?

So when generally speaking, I think the things that you would see through come through on a batch, they're not related to they they are related to this because they they would use the same they could use the same kind of reimbursement form, right?

Be covered under the policy.

Um clarify this is expense, right? So specific to expense reimbursements, the the way the policy works. Um, yes, because it's all about carrying out your duties as a professional in the district. And so if somebody sh puts out money for some kind of event that also has to get approved.

It's not Nobody hands in a receipt and says, "Hey, I I bought pizza for this thing. Can you pay me back?" No, it gets approved ahead of time. Someone has to say yes and then they hand in their receipts after the fact, right? So if it's like at Dery and they're they're getting pizza, they have to go through that pro process you just mentioned right?

Or or anywhere. But if it's like in the district, my colleague said it was the travel policy, but this is more than just travel.

So this So right, so we did these forms that we're that I supplied here. There just was a lot of um discussion at different points around what it looked like when we reimburseed people, you know, whether or not we would approve uh the travel and things like that. So this is the backup for that kind of um expense reimbursement. first the approval then the um you know then actually meeting the request for

reimbursement. But yes, people do there is a form that people fill out when they are going to get reimbursed for um some kind of expense if they're buying pizza for some kind of celebration or decorations or you know what else, right? And that's that would be under this policy we're discussing. That's what that's where I'm just trying to clarify.

That's covered under the policy. It may not be these exact forms, right? No, that's that's perfectly fine.

is um for vehicles. So when we use district vehicles, are we um so when we use um district vehicles and where where do they get g where do they refuel is my question. Are we are they refueling on their own like the individual employee and we're reimbursing that expense or are they going to the district pump?

I mean to city pump?

Okay. So there's no reimbursement. Okay.

I yield.

Can we vote on this? Um, Mr.

So, I wasn't as confused as I am now, but the uh I think we when we send something to subcommittee, you come back. I I I think we need to just do a better job of clarifying what it is. So, this this expense policy here, reimbursement has two different things.

The way I see it, the first one is how do you get expenses for incurring authorized expense and carrying out their duties such as we bought pizza for a thing and the principal says I'll reimburse you the money. That's a that's a set policy. Then we've been asking for a travel policy which is totally separate from this which is the second paragraph. So I would request that we take take them both out. Okay.

And then use the same terminology but there's questions like the $40. You just admitted that there's some um let's say I was at a conference when they pay for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

If we didn't do anything different, I can go out after dinner and spend $40 on whatever I wanted. And so we'd be paying under the three meals already as part of the cost and $40. Like that's just an example of how the specificity of it would allow us to know that there's a good check and a balance in it. So I would just like to request that we table this till the next meeting and divide

out those two and hash hash them through.

Okay. So two separate policies.

Two separate policies. So that I discussed at the subcommittee meeting and said was that I wasn't positive about the um the policy element of it. So I I think when we right we've never had any kind of limits on this before in terms of say the $40, right? So we haven't had limits on this before. Um, and I was apprehensive, I guess is the word, about putting the $40 into a policy because

that seems like the kind of thing where we could figure out like three months from now. It is like, wow, that's not really a um that doesn't work for whatever reason and we need to change it. Now we're coming back to the pol.

Now we're coming back versus when the um if the a reimbursement policy said says um the administration will annually set the parameters for reimbursement. I like that's the kind of wording I would think is impossible.

I 100% agree with you. That's what I would personally that's what I was expecting. Two separate policies. You come up with it. Now you're using a form that is a district form. We don't that's not the policy. If that form has to be updated like the 70 cents a mile turns to 60 cents when the gas goes down then that you can do that without the policy.

But I just think this was more confusing than it has to. But I think we're all on the same page. We need some controls. M Miss Pereira, my only was just for clarification. Um I liked the two forms and I'm not sure if that's what Miss Aar is trying to You're not talking about that because I like the concept of the two forms, right? So, one, I'm requesting to go to a

conference or what have you. I'm going to do my research. I'm going to go online. I'm going to say, "This is what I think a hotel's going to cost. This is what I think whatever." Um, I might have to Uber, whatever the case, gives it in.

So, the superintendent has a concept of how much is going to be spent before she approves. And even though those numbers may change a little bit, for the most part, it's going to be relatively the same. I am fine for putting a limit on food and such. Um, I don't think necessarily just because they're providing food means we don't give them because you don't know people's dietary restrictions or whatever. Um, and I'm

fine with setting a a limit um, you know, on food. But if if if the committee isn't comfortable and they want to table this, go ahead. I didn't find it complicated. I thought it was fine the way it is. But if other people think it is, then I'll I'll happily agree to table it.

Mr. Chair, Mr. Das, very quickly, um, just one more point. I just want to bring up with this policy and um if this so nothing's changed this the policy we have before is nothing changed here this is what is currently standing you superintendent put it in procedure in terms of meals $40 a day I support that we need to have controls um there was recently a financial batch um which came across my computer in which

an individual who was requesting reimbursement from a hotel received more than $40 Um, I didn't really I asked about it. I didn't really get a clear response as to whether that violated the policy we're discussing today. So there was a response that I thought you received but it wasn't from me clarifying for you that that was a travel reimbursement like prior to today and we didn't you

know we didn't have the procedure in place so that it didn't really it didn't apply.

When did we put we haven't put it into place yet. This was what I proposed um at the subcommittee meeting for a procedure like for a form the form that we usually use but that we would actually name right on the form and and message to people it's a $40 max reimbursement.

Right. We had not advertised that at all.

We Okay. I I guess I was under the impression this was already advertised because I know this was brought up a few months ago and procedures don't really need a school committee approval to do. So I thought this was already practice and just my recollection coming up. I believe one of my colleagues mentioned that you would play we even took a vote on it that you put in this um certain

proced you would develop procedures and then we would take a vote on the policy.

I could be wrong but that's my recollection of the situation. However, I think um putting in the $40 meal whether the committee votes the table or not is within your discretion to create a procedure. So I'd like like to see that put into place ASAP. in my opinion.

Sure.

I yield.

Okay, Mr. Chair, one quick comment just so the reason why I wanted it separated to on the policy was I do think that we need to tighten up the language about what we reimburse as a district for each place because it's willy-nilly. There's all kinds of signatures on it and I think that taking a good look at that for instance, one school might say they're going to reimburse a teacher for

whatever they they buy pizza for kids or whatever. The next principal says no, I don't have that money. We're not doing that. So now we have different people.

So I think tightening up or expanding it with some kind of system makes sense. So make a motion to table.

Second.

Deb. Call the role please on the motion to table.

M. Dragon.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Corey. Miss Laravey.

Miss Pereira.

Yes.

Mayor Kugan.

Yes. I'm going to ask to request to move up executive session.

Can I get a motion in a second on that?

Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Who is that? Mr. I'd like to make a motion that we approve 12.12, 12.13, 12.14, which is the year-end budget report, quarterly update and quarterly transfers, uh, as recommended by the administration. I personally have looked at this myself. We're in good shape.

It's already late in the year. Mr.

Almeida balanced the books. I think we're in a good position financially.

Get to executive session. Do I have a second on that? Do we have Do we have discussion? Hold on.

Second on Kevin's motion. Yes, second.

Do we have discussion on this? Because we're gonna go come back at the end.

Then I I had a question on some of the shortfalls in the in the budget.

You got 30 seconds.

Yeah. I mean, let's go. We're trying to get the executive session, Mr. D, please.

All right. I had some Yeah. I mean, we don't have to follow the 10:30 deadline.

Um, let me see. Let me get my notes up.

I wasn't prepared. Um, so facilities and operations, the 480 shortfall, it was that um what I think that was some contracts that were um that went over budget. Maybe go into a little more detail.

Not sounding.

Here we go.

No, it's not working again.

I can hear you.

Keeps bouncing back and forth here. No, we just had some cost increases this year. Um, our supply costs went up and uh some of our contracted services went up um to cause the shortfall.

Yeah. Again, um for the sake of time, but I think we should um definitely take a deeper dive into um what some maybe some of these um again individuals that contract with us. I think um we could take a second look at my opinion. And this the last one was a superintendent line item. We had a shortfall for legal services.

Yes.

Um what which um we just saw we saw an increase in legal service cost this year compared to previous years.

Is that mainly um was outside investment?

There's a lot there's there's a lot more going on this year than has gone in the past. Yes.

Is a lot of that going to Michael Joyce?

No.

That's none of that's attributed to Michael Joyce. Michael Joyce his budget falls within the sped department.

Okay. Is what what would be an example of um an expenditure in a superintendent line item for the Can we just get a breakdown on the Friday memo?

Absolutely. Good idea.

I yield. Okay. Uh motion to approve those three items.

Yep. I have a motion and a second.

De call the role, please.

Miss Dragon.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Corey. Miss Laravey. Miss Pereira.

Yes.

Mayor Kugan.

Yes. Can we go to executive session now?

Can I get a motion? Second. um for your information.

No, thank you.

We don't have motion to go to executive session.

I'll second it. Um what are the reasons?

Um m Mr.

National Law Chapter 38 section 21 A7 to review and approve the executive session minutes for June 3r 23rd 2025 special meeting the school committee. National Laws Chapter 38 section 21A1 to discuss complaints brought against school committee members. National Laws Chapter 38 section 2183 to discuss strategy with respect to litigation regarding department of labor relations in a

matter of for school committee and asked me council 93 MUP 42 24- 10666 as as a chair's deter open session may have a detrimental impact on the litigating position of the committee mass general laws chapter 38 section 2183 to discuss strategy with respect to litigation regarding the department of labor relations in the matter of the for school committee and Ashby council 93 3 MUP 25119

as the chair has attuned the open session may have a detrimental impact on the body position of the committee mass general laws chapter 38 section 2183 to discuss strategy with respect to litigation regarding the department of labor relations in a matter of for school committee and for educators association unit a m 251130 as a chair determined that open session may have a detrimental impact on a

biding position of the committee national laws chapter 38 section 2183 to discuss strategy respect for litigation with regard to Massachusetts Commission against discrimination complaint as the chair has determined an open session may have a detrimental impact on a bargaining position of the committee.

National Laws Chapter 38 section 2183 to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining agreement including hearing grievances relative to all professional teaching employees of the for school system including coaches title one teachers, nurses, occupational physical therapists and specialists in the teaching profession represented by the for educators association as a chair

determined that no possession may have a detrimental impact on a bargaining position of the committee. National Law Chapter 3A section 21A3 to discuss strategy with respect to collect the B relative to all administrators and employees represented by the for administrators association as a chair determined that an open session may have a detrimental impact on the bargaining position of the committee master law

chapter 38 section 2183 to discuss strategy with respect to cut the body relative to all cafeteria employees of the for school system represented by the American federation of state county and municipal employees council 93 uh local 1118 Uh as the chair has determined that open session may have a detrimental impact on a biding position of the committee national law chapter 38 section 2183 to

discuss strategy with respect to collect abiding relative to all maintenance employees of the forest school system represented by American federation of state county and municipal employees council 93 local 118 as a chair at no concession may have a detrimental impact on the bing position of the committee master general law chapter 38 section 2183 to discuss strategy of dispect to collect the body relative to all

custodial employees of the former school system represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Council 93 local 118 is chairs determined that open session may have a detrimental impact on the bargaining position of the committee national law chapter 38 section 2183 to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining relative to all safety security employees of the forest

school system represented by the American Federation of State County Municipal Employees. Council 93 local 118 as a chair has determined open session may have a detrimental impact on the bargaining position of the committee national laws chapter 38 section 213 to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining relative to all civil clerical employees of the forward school system represented by the for

department of civil service clerical employees association as the chair has determined open session may have a detrimental impact on the bargaining position of the committee national law chapter 38 section 2183 to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining agreement including hearing grievances relative to all power professionals employees of the for school system represented by the forum federation of

par professionals as the chair has determined that open session may have a detrimental impact on the volume position of the committee m chapter 38 section 212 to conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiation with non-union personnel and or to conduct contract negotiations with non-union personnel including Shan Sibon uh Latno principal Debbie Sardina communication specialist. We will reconvene. There may

or may not be statements at that time.

Deb, call the role, please.

Mr. Chairman, sorry.

Just a point of clarification. So, I I see the one down here on uh uh the second one from the bottom to discuss strategy all power professional employees of the for school system. I've been getting calls from uh par professionals wondering why we're not doing what we need to do. Uh can somebody please just explain where we're at with that briefly so that for the edification of anybody that's asking? M

um Mr. A. Yeah, we are going we are going to discuss that in executive session. I have had conversations with the bargaining uh uh head for the the union and uh uh I think that everyone is will be very happy in a very short period of time.

Thank you very much.

Call the Mr. Chair.

Um I I just want to very briefly to state for the record my displeasure of the revised agendas. I yield.

Mr. A.

Yes.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Cory. Miss Laravey.

Miss Pereira.

Yes.

Mayor Cuban.

Yes. Recess to executive.

We're back in session. Uh Deb, would you please call the role?

Mr. Aar here.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. Das here.

Mr. Corey, Miss Laravey here.

Miss Pereira here.

Mayor Kugan here.

Mr. Mayor, Mr. A, may I just ask a clarifying question? So earlier in the meeting, you indicated that we were up against a 10:30 timeline.

Yeah. Can you please explain for the edification of the public and the members what does that 10:30 deadline refer to and what does it mean?

It means that we try to get out of here at 10:30 because 5 hours is enough. But at the same time, a couple of quick issues we had to wrap up tonight to keep the agenda rolling and we're going to finish it up right now.

So when you say try to I believe that the members of this committee in their infinite wisdom decided to say we were going to end our meetings at 10:30, right? And in trying to be consistent, I think we either end the meetings at 10:30 or get rid of that rule because what happens is when it's convenient, we say we're going to go and a little bit more. So if we're going to talk about a

complaint and somebody had a question, we're not going to Kevin, that's enough. Come on, Kevin.

Kevin, we're going to do this.

The reason Mr. Mayor No, Kevin, you're just you're just Kevin please.

Are we going to stop at 10:30 or we're not?

We're going to stop at 10:30. You can hold us.

What time is it now?

I don't know, miss. Anything further to come before the committee?

Mr. Mayor, like to make a motion to approve the executive session minutes for June 23rd, 2025.

Move. Uh, second.

Deb, call the role, please.

Miss Drag.

No.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. Das.

No.

Mr. Corey, can you get Shelley back here, please?

We shouldn't point of order. We shouldn't be interrupting a meeting mid vote.

Yeah.

Miss Laravey.

Yes. Miss Pereira.

Mayor Kouan.

Yes.

Mr. Mayor.

Mr. A.

I'm justifying my no vote because it's in violation of the policies. The meeting was supposed to end at 10:30.

A point. Point of information. Are members of the committee supposed to give directions to other individuals instead besides superintendent?

Don't know that. Mr. Das, next violates city.

Yes. I'd like to make a motion to approve the custoial frontline MOA as negotiated.

Second Deb, would you call the roles for the custodians? And who is it for?

Custodians. Custodians.

Mr. Dia.

No.

Mr. Bailey.

Mr. Das.

No.

Mr. Corey. Miss Laravey.

Yes.

Miss Pereira. Mayor Kugan.

Yes.

22. Again, like to make a motion to approve the maintenance frontline MOA as negotiated.

Second.

Call the RO dead, please.

Mr. A, no.

Mr. Bailey.

Mr. Das.

No.

Mr. Corey. Miss Laravey.

Yes.

Miss Pereira. Mayor Kugan.

Yes.

Mr. Mayor, I'd like to make a motion to approve the cafeteria workers uh frontline MOA as negotiated.

Second.

Mr. A.

No.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. Das.

No.

Mr. Corey, Miss Laravey.

Yes.

Miss Pereira, Mayor Cougan, yes.

Uh, finally, Mr. Mayor, I'd like to make a motion to approve the MOA, the frontline MOA, uh, security guards as negotiated.

Second, Deb, call the role, please.

Mr. Drag, no.

Mr. Bailey, Mr. Das, no.

Mr. Corey, Miss Laravey, yes.

Miss Carrera, Mayor Kugan, yes.

Mr. Chairman.

Motion to adjurnn.

Motion to ajourn. Second, Mr. A.

Just want to just verify why I voted no on all it's after 10:30.

I know cuz Okay. Thank you.

That's not the policy of the school.

Gotcha.

Thank you, Mr. A.

Ajourn. Yes.

Mr. Bailey. Mr. D.

No.

Mrs.

Cy. Ms. Laravey.

Yes. M. Pereira. Mayor Coug.

Yes. Journ.