5 5 2025 FRPS Parent and Community Outreach Subcommittee

like to call this um Monday, May 5th, 2025 parent and community outreach subcommittee to order. Roll call. Mr.

Bailey here. Mr. D here. Mr. Cory here.

Salute to the flag.

Right behind you. 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. Um, I'd like to request um unanimous consent from the committee just to take some items out of order.

There's some time constraint for some of our presenters. Of course. No objection.

Thank you. Um so first um we'll start um with the Miss Fall River Scholarship Association if they're here. Hi. Hi.

How's everyone doing today? Good. How are you doing? Good.

Believe you have an initiative you wanted to speak. Actually, I have a little um speech I kind of put together just cuz I tend to talk a lot, but I also have um some paperwork that I would like to hand out for not only me, but my team as well. She unfortunately got a little sick before here. So, um my name is Dinda Mendes, but most people call me Dolly. And I'm the current Miss Ball

River. I'm a senior nursing student at Rhode Island College, where I have dreams of becoming a pediatric ER nurse.

I grew up in New Bedford, raised by my mom in a single parent household, just like many of the students here in Fall River. I understand what it's like to grow up in a community where resources are lacking in community outreach is also lacking. I was l I was one of the lucky people. I had a mom in a community that poured directly into me and they were my village and I exactly want to be that

village for somebody else and a lot of the students here in Fall River who absolutely need it and absolutely deserve it. That's why my mentorship program and support systems are the heart of everything that I do because every child deserves somebody to look up to, somebody who believes in them and somebody who shows them that their future is wide open no matter where they started. Growing up in a city like Fall

River, many of our students face a lot of academic challenges, but they also face the weight of growing up too quickly, the pressure of survival in the silence of not having anyone to talk to.

I currently work as an ER tech at St.

Luke's Hospital, and I understand what it's like to see both heart and heart hope and heartbreak firsthand. I know how crucial it is for students to have support systems, role models, and safe spaces to express themselves and explore their future paths. That's why I created my community service initiative, NextGen Navigators. It's built to built on the belief that every child deserves

somebody in their corner, somebody who believes in them, and somebody who helps them see that the city blocks they live on are not the ones that they're statistically kept in. From career exploration to mental health awarenesses, I want to bring resources directly into schools through mentorship, engaging activities, and community partnerships. Every Friday, I currently host a mentorship program with

fifth grade girls at Westall Elementary School. We talk things like self-esteem and healthy friendships. We do fun activities to learn about healthy and friend healthy and safe boundaries. And we do activities like um they helped me decorate the donation drive boxes for the donation drive I'm working on. And the past few months, I've also launched a donation drive aimed to collect school

supplies for students who go without. A lot of these students in Fall River and New Bedford don't understand what it's like to grow up where they're not constantly looking for what's next, where where can I get the pencil? Where can I get the backpack? They're always looking for these resources and a lot of them don't know where to find them. Um, as Miss Fall River, I plan to visit more

schools, host leadership organizations and events that give students hand on hands-on opportunities to give different careers, meet professionals who look like them, and realize that the world is much bigger than the zip code that they were born in. Whether you want to be a nurse, whether you want to be an artist or an engineer, the path is yours, and your path is absolutely vi valid. I also

can ignore what's happening around us.

Gun violence is taking our lives too soon, leaving very deep wounds in our communities and our schools. As somebody who's personally been affected by these tragedies, I want to use my platform to not only advocate for safer neighborhoods, but also leave these kids with a lasting impression, to hope, and to dream, and to believe that there's more chances to just be kids again. We

can't always control what children face outside of our school, but we can control how we show up for them inside of it. We can choose to be the ones to listen to guide and inspire these children. And so today, I ask for your support just as not as just Miss B River, but as a community member who refuses to let any student feel forgotten. Let's work together to create a city where every child has someone to

look up to, something to look forward to, and believe that their story is just getting started.

And so I printed my friend, my teen's coping kits. She has a mental health um community service initiative where it's called stop the stigma and start the conversation. So she goes into uh schools and promotes her brochures and ways to keep your mind healthy. Then I also printed my popup donation drive and my initiative on the back.

Um if I could start that was a great presentation. You you mentioned um you currently go to Westall. Yes. Are you looking to expand like Absolutely. I want to expand this not just beyond me either. I want to go to the high school and potentially get the high school students involved where they're also participating in the mentorship program.

It's just not Miss Fall River going to all these schools and it's these students who have been have been in the exact same positions, the exact same seats in the exact same um opportunities that the students that are now coming in the same schools have too.

Yeah. Um Mr. Bailey um great presentation. um on the same exact page as you. Um everything you're saying, I'm like, "Yes, yes, yes, yes."

Um just a few questions. Uh for one, how long have you been doing this before? I won Miss Fall River at the end of No, the beginning of December. Beginning of December. Yeah. So, you've been doing it since the beginning of December.

Beginning of December. Beginning of January. I started like really getting into the nitty-gritty and figuring out what I wanted to do. And how many people do this with you or just you alone? As of right now, it's just me alone. where everyone else through the community gets involved where I want it to be through the high schools, through the middle schools, through the elementary schools

and get like the students more involved too. And then um this goes on during school hours, after school hours. It goes on during school hours. Yes. So the parents got permission slips. They um knew about my initiative. I sent out like an email and students were allowed to sign up. The principal of the school brought in specific children that she felt needed the mentorships, needed the

um the guidance and we started off from there. Yeah. No, I I I I definitely would be eager to see more. Um, you know, I think it's a conversation that we've all have to have and I think we've had a good chance of having it. It's just putting the pieces together cuz I think we all see the same vision. We know where it exists. It's just how we're going to put it together and not

speaking for him, but I know Mr. Cory um also has been very vocal and something like that happening cuz he's done a lot of work. Um, yeah. And it's I think it would just be looking at what we what we're looking at support-wise with the program provides and how we can help. Um not just as school committee members. I I I think it's also how can we tap in

and help you as well cuz I do think that's important. I think often times people see us sit up here um and see us as just school committee members, but all of us actually love the work and you know we're in Trenton. And then the last thing was just like how do you like Rhode Island College? Cuz I'm a Rhode Island College as well. Um I like uh I guess It's not that bad. It's not It's

not the greatest, but it's pretty good school. Yeah, the commute's not bad, Mr. Court. Yeah. So, thank you so much for your presentation. Um I I worked along similar lines when I was I was I'm a retired adjustment counselor in the school department. And back in 2005, I took on a mentor um a men young uh she was a senior in her M's program and she mentored and uh we worked together in

antiviolence and safe boundaries and all that all that kind of good stuff back in the day. I was wondering she was Miss Fall River. I don't know if you know Michaela Gagny. Yes. Yeah, I do know her. So So Michaela is she's a stalwart.

She's still an adjustment counselor and she's an amazing woman and she's this has been her mission too as as well as sticking up for the American Heart Association because she had a physical disorder that she was able to beat just through her own will and strength and then she turned it into working with us collectively in antiviolence programming for the for the kids in school and safe

boundaries, safe dating, the whole thing, you know. So I that that was my life when I was still working. I'm retired now, but it was a pleasure to hear you present at that level. I hope that you really embrace, you know, your title as Miss Fall River and continue to shine that light with our young kids.

And when are you with the Westall School? Is there a schedule? Uh yes, we do every Friday. And And what times what times are those? I do we sometimes switch up the times only cuz we'll have like um we had pizza last week so we did a little bit later. Uh, but we'll do it between either like 12:15 or 1:15. Yeah.

So, it's like that. So, I I could call the school if if I decide, could I just drop by for like 10 minutes and witness witness to see what the group looks like and and you know how how that's going on. I could report I could report that back out to this committee. We're doing MCAST kits on Friday because they have MCCast coming up. sort of doing like little fidgets and stress balls and

little uh like a notepad just in case they want to doodle because the girl said they had they've got in trouble for coloring on the sides of their MCAT books this year. Yeah. So, since we've gotten the Student Opportunity Act, we've been able to expand our counseling uh cores in in the in the Fall River public schools exponentially to what we used to be able to field before. Um, and

and I'm really proud that we we targeted that area so that kids could have a way out, you know, right within the school day to be able to talk to to somebody for some great advice, great reflection, all that. I think it just I think it helps them to achieve at a much higher level. Absolutely. No. So, thank you so much. I appreciate it. Could you say your name one more time? My name is

Dinda, but most people call me Dolly.

Okay. Dear Linda Dolly. There you go. Thanks.

You're welcome. Thank you. Yeah, I know.

If I can just um add to this conversation. So, you know, this program actually expands. Um Mr. Bailey just said that we're more than just school committee members. I think it's important that we also like Mr. Bailey works at Diamond. So, that's a great way to expand as well. Um you have the superintendent here, the head of the PACE center. Um so, maybe hopefully we can get some sort of meeting in the near

future um like offline, not not with me, but maybe with you. Mhm. Mhm. Yeah. I mean, I think that um something that stuck out to me um when you were talking is this idea around working with some of our high school students to do some of this work. Uh it's something that we're always looking to do in terms of you know developing the skills of high schoolers and that but then also you

know developing them in a way where they're giving back to the community and I think when we can do that most immediately um that's what we impact instead of training them up and hoping that someday they do it if we are able to support them. absolutely do something more immediately. I think that can be very powerful. So, thank you. Thank you.

Yeah. No, just just to finalize um I think thank you for reaching out and um coming here and I think um some ways that you can go about it um again reach meet with superintendent the pay center um miss uh Dr. J from Dery to reach out to Dery and get something there. Um at RPA principal Kyle Riley does a great job over there with his building. Um that's another another avenue as well.

But no, I want to thank you for coming today. Um is there any other final questions, comments from the committee?

So I think and I hope you see good things with it. Thank you for the opportunity. Thank you. Have a good night. You as well.

Um, next we will move um to 3- uh six which is with pace on the go and then we'll go to 31 and then we'll go to um Mr. Alley. So yeah, so let me let me get my notes here. Yeah. So two things um I wanted to discuss and discuss some ideas. Have a good night. Thank you.

Um, I wanted to implore, you know, as we talk about the district, as we talk about, you know, recruitment, as we talk about outreach in the community, and um, just look look at more events that we could have um, as a as a district and as a community. However, when I look in the community, I see Easter egg hunts. Um, I see other districts having haunted houses. Again, these are great events to

bring in parents. They're great events to bring in students to bring in the greater community and it's also a good opportunity to you know put a booth up and have recruitment as well. So I wanted to implore the I just want to hear some ideas from the from the administration on how we can um implement that. Maybe we can apply for some more grants that go to community outreach and also just wanted to get an

update from the pace center as well on how pace on the go is going. Thank you.

So, Pace on the Go, we're getting our RV um in this week. Um so, there was some mechanical um issues, just like really um like a new starter. Um minor things, but there were some pots that were on back order, so it's taken a little longer than we expected. Um but it's complete. It'll be complete today or tomorrow. We should have it delivered by Wednesday at the latest. So, the next

step will be wrapping it. once it's wrapped. Um, I have been in this with a lot of our community partners on some out ofthebox ideas and there's some great ideas going on. However, pace on the go has continued. Um, we are up to um last time I looked at the list 380 K fall registrations which is triple the number of last year. So, it's definitely shown to be successful in going out into the community. What we've

really tried to do is any event that's happening in the community already, we'll outsource there and we'll will um be able to um be available for registration or any other service that a family comes to our table for. Um, we've also gone to parent teacher nights at schools so that we're there if they go in to meet their te uh students teacher but they have a K fall study in the fall

they can do it all in one night. So that's been another helpful tool for families uh going out into the community.

Um some of the things that we're looking forward to once the RV is racked and ready to go will be this summer.

Hopefully, we'll be able to uh launch the vaccine clinic out of the RV because it is um has all the supplies for um vaccines and also expand upon that uh with the hopes that potentially we'll be able to um provide physicals and any other medical service that a child might need on the go in the moment. they come in to register, they're missing a physical, we potentially would have somebody um a

nurse practitioner there that will be able to provide it on the spot. Um some other thoughts that uh or conversations that we've been having with some community partners um is um having health screenings there. So going out to events and um one in particular would be um lung screening with the rise of vaping really having those screenings there um at our events. Um and the sky's

is the limit. There's so many other, you know, scenarios that we're still like uh playing out that I think are super exciting. Um and yeah, it's it's going to be the first in the state. I was just at a Desi meeting this morning. Um and just the excitement of other districts hearing it and wanting to model that um really, you know, makes us proud um for this and excited to launch it.

Is it going to be based in the Excuse me. I I didn't mean that. Oh, you go. Is that based on the RV, Cindy? Yeah. Based right out of the RV? Yeah. And will the RV be mobile to different school buildings on a scheduled basis? Um, if there are any hygiene issues that arise during the day, would the RV be able to service those needs or the school nuros?

So, it doesn't have a shower, if that's what you mean. No, there sometimes is.

So, we have hygiene products already. We that comes out of pace. I have a huge supply room that's all funded through grants. Yeah. So any school that needs it at any given moment um they send our their request to us and it gets delivered to the school or the parents house that day. Good. Good.

No, I mean I didn't really have much to add. I So I think it's great work. Um it's great work. You know, it's it's it's definitely uh takes a lot of time, takes a lot of planning. Um I just a question of mine was just going to be like what does the input from the community look like? Um like um as far as uh you know uh have we gotten any

feedback on on this? Has this been already promoted? Um so no specific event has been promoted because I haven't known when it was going to be ready. So and I can't launch it until it's rewrapped. So South Coast Health, you know, donated it, but that was the agreement that we would not do anything until it's wrapped with ours. Once it's wrapped with our Yeah, we will actually probably have a little celebration with

South Coast U because they were, you know, a great, you know, they completely came back to us for free. So, um, we'll do that first. That's going to be my priority. Um, and then all the conversations and potential planning that I've had with community partners will solidify those plans and then we'll definitely, you know, market it through social media, um, Parents Square and any

other venue. Yeah, that's awesome. No, I just I just always ask that just um so people know um because it's not just plan and go, right? It takes time to to get it get it through. But I always just um ask that just because so the community knows so people are not like oh I didn't know this was going on cuz you spend so much time planning it and getting to the point and then it's like

oh you have to market it and and you know but um great job man who staffs that Cindy is it our school nurses or is it so it it's actually pay staffing that will be going out um to do these events um when I talk about the potential of a nurse practitioner. It would be um the potential of one of our current community partners maybe having a nurse practitioner assigned to the RV. So if

we had a clinic in Pace, they would come to the clinic, but we don't. So they would um work out of that RV, which is completely um it has all for medical. Is there a potential for internships from from the kids in at the college level? I don't think Well, I wouldn't as far as like a nurse as far as staffing the RV or something like that. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it would

as a nurse, it's just an I'm just think I'm just thinking out of the box, too. I think there are ways that we can grow it. So it's almost this thing where we have to go out and do it and do it well and then start thinking about what are some opportunities potentially for whether it's student volunteers who work the you know reception and kind of get I think we I think we can do that. Um

right now it seems like we could we could be waiting at pace right now for people to show up to register their students who may or may not show up. And I'm I'm not insinuating that people sit around do nothing but we could wait or we could go out. And so, you know, as Miss Kudo was saying, like we're already going out. It's just a matter of doing it in like a much bigger and better way

and with some enhancements in terms of the potential for the physicals and the vaccinations, doing some of the health screenings and things like that. Um, but but right now it's, you know, it's something that, you know, it's a new concept. It's it's it's very difficult to uh, you know, but but it's exciting. It's very exciting.

That's great. Well, and when it's something new, you know, you're just open to ideas, right? So, you know, I've had a lot of community partners that have heard about it and reached out to me, you know, and inquired, what do you think about this? And I'm not going to say no to anything that grows the program. Let's talk further, right?

Let's let's start small, do what we're already doing, and just grow from there.

And the sky's is the limit. So, I'm not going to say no to interns.

I'm just saying, yeah, we could potentially get there. Absolutely. Uh I don't know that if I'll get there right away. We already have at a lot of our events, we have um students from the high school who volunteer and we give them volunteer hours. So, we definitely students. Um that's what I was hinting at. Stuff like that. We do that already with what we do. Um so, we'll continue to do that and grow that.

Good. Yeah. Good. Thank You guys have two questions. Um, are you do you have any concerns about funding running out whatsoever? So, the grant that's going to pay for it uh for the wrapping, it does end the end of June. So, I have to get it done by then. So, um, but I, like I said, I was at a Desi meeting today and they are opening up the grant again for a multi-year grant. So, I'll be

applying for that as well. they are completely on board with this with this idea and can't wait to come down and witness it. So, I know that they'll approve that. They're very excited about the concept as we are. So, I'm not And last question. Um, do we receive or do we utilize any of the the city's um fast funding fast grants for this? No, there's this is completely in general. in general the fast grant

maybe for like homelessness or I think that question yeah I don't have the answer to that I I don't we don't I don't know directly to Fall River schools however I can tell you I've if I have a situation where a family shows up and they don't have a place to sleep um that night those kids have never slept outside I've been able to call the city and the city has funded you know a motel

uh for for a night or a couple of nights until we can get that family into shelter. So, I'm assuming it comes from I I don't know where that money comes from. I know that it's never been a no for me. No, that's fine. I was just throwing out an idea cuz I know the city utilizes the fast grant. It has I think some of it through homelessness and some of helps with homelessness helping some

of it helps with like substance abuse.

um that may not be as big of an issue in the schools as it is in the in the greater community. However, I was just throwing it out there. That's something we could apply for in the future if there was any fur or need for that. But um no, thank you, Miss Kudo. If anyone else has any questions, so I I also I know this isn't on the agenda, but I did

put together just a year in review. I did this last year. I you know, just for your you know, um if you want to just Yes. So it's a year in review of what we do as a district for family engagement and what by school what every school does to engage our family. Yeah. Miss Kudo if you maybe in a future meeting maybe um later in the summer if you want

to come back and give a full presentation for the subcommittee or even the committee. So uh if we have any questions or anything like that or suggestions or ideas we can talk about it with a full Thank you.

Um, we'll move to three. We'll move the back to 316.

That was 36. Yes. Thank you. So, we'll move back to um 31 and and if uh Mr. Michon wants to come to the podium. Yeah. Anywhere he wants.

Um, so just want to give a couple comments so the committee here understands what we're we're discussing.

So I believe it's important that and I believe a lot of us believe it's important that we incorporate the voices um of our educators and all employees of the school district into our decision-m what we decide at the subcommittee level decisions that we make at the committee level which is mainly discussed at the subcommittee level. Um the people who are closest to the work often have the

clearest view as to what needs changed.

That's why their voice in subcommittee meetings in my opinion is something that's important. Our most updated collective bargaining agreement with the at least with the FREA has a clause and thank you um Keith for sharing that has a clause that allows um their labor committees to attend and participate in subcommittee meetings which is which is good something I fully support as one member.

There's a policy that was um before you today that was um I believe we sent by email that basically codifies that language from that collective bargaining agreement into policy which would apply to all employees. So not just educators or employee it would be subjective to everyone and sub so that would allow any employee to participate in matters that have to do with their description and

their duties. pass the three minute citizens input something that subcommittee chairs can regulate. So for example, you have maybe 50 educa I mean or 50 employees coming down obviously I mean sub subcommittee chairs can of course they have citizens input however participation meeting that's something subcommittee chairs can regulate however I think it's something that would be really good for getting the voices of of

all our employees into the district. Um Mr. Sean, if you want to add anything.

Um, well, first I want to say thank you for having me here and um giving myself and and and the other employees in the district the opportunity to come to this the subcommittee meetings. I agree with you. I think this is important. Um I do have questions about the policy. Um is it the same policy that you shared with me or did you change it at all? Um in the policy it says uh employee um but

when myself and I'm an employee of the fall public schools employee but I'm also not an employee as the union president um and when my members come to school committee meetings they are acting as a union member not necessarily an employee because there are different rules around advocacy when you're an employee versus a union member. Um so I question that a little bit. Sure. I mean I think they're two separate two

separate things. So with the policy has nothing to do with the collective bargaining agreement language. That's its own language. And um so the FREA any of your joint labor committees the way I read it can come before any subcommittee and participate. That's um so that that that's already in collective bargaining. So that wouldn't be touched at all. So this would be separate and would just apply

to um just all employees that want to but that that has nothing to do with um the joint labor committees. They can come before I mean because that's already in collective bargaining.

Correct. Um okay. Okay.

Mr. Bailey. Now are we talking about um participate from a um a citizens input perspective or or The why I proposed the policy is so we have three minutes of citizens input and that's more comm we I mean we all have different opinions on how that should be interpreted. However, the way that's written into our policies is 3 minutes citizen input no discussion no conversation whatsoever. This gives more this is

separate from citizen input that would still exist. It would give the ability let's say we're at um facilities operation subcommittee and there's an issue with um I don't know there's an issue one the classrooms there's um a boiler broke down or there was flooding in a class I'm just throwing a random example up there a random scenario that would give the opportunity for for an educator a teacher to come down and you

know voice their opinion and maybe it might be they might have an individual perspective for being in that classroom that might be different either from the administration's perspective or it's the perspect I think it's important that we give perspectives to individuals that are in the fall river public schools that are in the classrooms that witness things and could give a different perspective. It'll be diff

it's different than inviting a department head to come down. Just hearing from an educator that wants to come before a committee or anyone that wants to come before the subcommittee and be able to engage in conversation, give a different perspective. That was the intent behind it. I don't know if that answers your question. Yeah, it does. It's just so few things about for me um it's just like chain of command,

right? If that's that's what I originally run to. If you have, let's say, a teacher who's coming down and they're complaining about a certain situation or a boss or something like that. Um, and this is I'm just throwing a scenario out there. Um, I think a chain of command. Um, and and what that looks like. Um, so are we like talking specifics? Um, and and you know, when we're looking at the language, what are

we talking about? um when we're talking about attending the meetings and having the ability to just talk in subcommittee meetings, which I think everyone should have the ability to to discuss, but I also believe um that there should be some form of chain of command and there should be some type of decorum that goes on where we don't get into a situation where someone's speaking on something

they shouldn't or went to their supervisor or someone above them and had a conversation. That's my only concern.

Um does that make sense? like if if it um the I can answer the the decorum piece um any subcommittee chair we operate under Robert's rules and so that's why I stated that and when I started was saying if there was 50 if I mean there there's I think any subcommittee chair can regulate that already just through our Robert's rules of order so so things so there's things don't get out of control um like sub

like chairs and subcommittee chairs call on individuals to speak. So it's not like someone can come here and just like either I don't know grant filibuster or just you like use the policy to for 12 hours at a time if if that's a I don't know that was one of your concerns. No, I'm not I'm not worried about that. For me it's it's more of like I said if it's

it's the chain of command piece. Um um I also don't want to get into a situation where we look at something on the agenda and it's like we're not talking about that and then we start taking our personal um opinions on it as school committee members, right? Because I never want to get into that and then we have teachers that are saying I got up there and they allowed me to speak but

we didn't let this person speak. Um so it's not that I'm for it against it. I'm playing devil's advocate on what that would look like if that's if we if we came. Um, and Keith, I don't know if you can speak a little to anything.

Just so we're clear, this proposal, um, I mean, I'm glad Mr. Mishan can give his opinion on it. I just don't I just want to make clear this wasn't his, the policy wasn't his proposal. It was mine.

Um, but I don't know if you have an opinion as to what Mr. Bailey just said or um, I have an opinion. I I I agree with the concern. Um, I have concern on my own end because I'm I'm elected by the educators to speak on behalf of the union. Not every teacher has been elected to do that. So if you just invited a science teacher from FOsa or third grade teacher from FSA and they

came to speak, they're not speaking for the union unless they're part of a committee and we've done the work and the training and and then they're here to speak for the committee. So, I I think and maybe that's something that I would handle on my end, but we would need to have some kind of procedural um things and like I mentioned earlier, there's there's differences when someone's speaking as an employee and

when they're speaking as a union member and which hat they're wearing at the time they're speaking can have implications. Um, so I think those are some concerns that that we need to look at with this. But but I think it's important to talk about when I look at the policy manual, which I reviewed to prepare for this, the table of contents says public participation in school committee uh

behip in my mind is a dialogue. It's a back and forth, a two-way. If we talk about parent community engagement as a teacher, we're looking for two-way communication, not a one-way, you know, thing. So, but this is the way it works.

This is where city council works. This is the way school committee works. This isn't unusual to not have dialogue, but I think it's important to create spaces where you can have dialogue. I I believe um and we we we recently just visited beedh the policy and I was full and I have to look I have to look back at the minutes. I could have I thought we voted

um I think it was a 43 majority. I think we voted I thought we voted to take that certain section out because I was the one who made the motion to do so.

However, um I I I fully agree with you. I I believe when we hear from citizens, we should be able if we have questions or concerns or if we can give our input, I'd love to do that as one member. I don't want wording in a policy to tell me that I can't speak back to I can't engage in dialogue with a citizen that came before to speak to myself and speak to others. Agreed.

Um so I I think that's something we could if it isn't taken out that's something where we can um I I I'd be in support of removing that language from there. Um, I I'll I'll yield for now to if the superintendent wants to weigh in or any of my colleagues, but that's that's my my thought process here. I wasn't necessarily suggesting that policy because the meeting could go on, you know, forever if if people just

continue to speak, but um but it there needs to be a place when that can happen. Yeah. Yeah. No, absolutely. Um I I I also think it's important just as a relationship building piece with the committee and teachers. Um, but I also, um, and I'm not talking for the superintendent, but I also always want to make sure we respect the the relationship with the superintendent as well. Definitely think

we should have a space where that can happen. Um, because it's a reality for us as well, and I said it when the young lady was just up here, we're not just school committee members. We're also citizens of the community. I know that when I go out in the community, I talk to a lot of teachers, and I know that some teachers are a little bit standoffish when it

comes to me because that I have to put on as a school committee member. But I think it's also understanding the fact that I am a a citizen of the city. Um, and I think I and I know I I I have the best interest of our students and our faculty. Um, but I never want to get into the space where um as and not saying she would, but where a superintendent has to feel like

conversation is going on behind her back. So, if the dialogue is great dialogue, and I don't expect everything to be peaches and cream either, if I'm not doing my job right, then I expect you to address that with me as well. But I think those conversations have to be had, but I just think the language and and how we approach it. Um, we have to be really um, you know, intentional on

on how that that goes. Mr. Core, so thanks Keith for reporting out on that. I I I have similar concerns about chain of command, about procedural challenges involved with an idea like this. We live in a democratic society. I like to think that we've been open enough to this point where like if you have a concern based on your body that you're free, like you're here with us right now. You know what I mean? and and

you can come here anytime you want and if there's a concern that you need to address, we're willing to hear it and work side by side with you to try to rectify a situation in as they arise.

I'm worried about broadening the situation, Mr. Chairman, to a to a place where like it would beat so many people, so many voices that we would start to lose control of the central spine of the issue. That's where I'm coming from on this. So, uh, with that, I I I'll yield.

Thank you. Um, I have some followup.

However, I want I want to give this superintendent an opportunity if you want to add anything. So, um, I mean, you know, so I offered my opinion um on it. I um I can think of all of the like really positive aspects of this, right?

I and I because I do think that when we are look you know when the committee's when we're here discussing and the committee is looking to refer something to the committee or not and I think that um I think that having heard the voices of people who are working doing the work every single day makes a lot of sense. So I had questions you know for you around kind of the visioning around

um you know is it we because we're also simultaneously having like parent groups you had requested or suggested that we have um exeicial members that are from parent groups who sit on it. So, it's like I was trying to picture in my mind what it looked like all like all of the voices where it it feels like potentially it could be take on more of like this task force feel like um piece

where you've got representation from from parents, you've got representation from the FREA and then are we also inviting to the table the all of our different unions or is it is FRAA at the table? So it becomes this like really big thing really quickly and then so it you know is it a um are we asking people to come to every meeting? Maybe they look at the agenda and they go I that's

that's agenda is not for me kind of thing. Um are we looking for input from all of those different groups when we're building the agenda. There's that element. Um but the one thing that I don't even remember if I put it into writing or if it was something that we've spoken about but we do have because we have existing policy right and then I think about the joint labor management committees like we haven't um

leveraged those committees the way they're supposed to be leveraged really since I think we might have done it well for a year or two or something and then it's kind of fallen off like they're supposed to get facetime with the committee and and come out once or twice a year, report out on what they've been working on and make recommendations.

That's the idea. They make recommendations um to the committee so that the committee can act on them. But we haven't done that in so long. It's like I I I worry potentially about kind of building in this other policy when we have an existing practice that's supposed to happen um that's not so it's like we're going to add something before we get the other thing right because we don't know

how well that could work for us and potentially serve the same purpose. I I'm not sure if that I I would Yeah. I would agree. Um, and glad we had this conversation and feedback. Um, going back to BEDH, and I'm just thinking just even if we removed language in that policy that stated that it not be a discussion, we still have rules of order and we still have a chair who decides who speaks and

who doesn't. Um, so I don't believe just removing that language would would just lead to allout chaos or lead to a lack of decorum or anything in that regard.

Um, however, when we do try and, you know, if like I remember when there were some concerns brought up either by you all or just by parents or in general, sometimes when we try to engage in a clarifying question or try and learn a little bit more, we've been told that we're not supposed to have discussion during citizens input. However, I go to a city council meeting, similar circumstances

happen. You see the opposite. you see clarifying questions had, you see resolve, you see good resolve. So, um I'd like to make a motion for forgetting the polic proposed policy for now. I'd like to make a motion that we refer to the full committee um a discussion on the BEDH policy and um whether we should have more conversations with individuals who speak with us or not. I'll second that.

motion, a second discussion. Yeah, I just I just wanted to say um I I agree.

I think when um questions are asked, we should have conversations about them. Um I mean, questions are asked for a reason. I go back to it. Um we are elected to serve on this committee and serve um the citizens. and and questions are asked during citizens input. Um I just think it gives a a bad um look to not answer questions, right? So I'm I'm I'm um I'm all I'm all for that, but I

definitely think this is something we should take a look at. I don't think we should just put it on the back burner and not, you know, um take a look at it because um ultimately I think there there questions and and relationships have to be built um amongst the staff and and and us as well. That's not taking anything away from the superintendent, but you know um we just

have to figure out how it how it's going to happen cuz um you know, like superintendent was saying, we don't want this to get all over the place and we lose the mission. I don't disagree, Mr.

Yes. So I I respect your intent, Mr.

Chairman, very much on this particular issue. It's the procedural matters. If if it can get set up in a proper procedural manner, then maybe that looks a little bit more concrete cuz right now it still appears vague to me. But but the intent of where this is coming from is a good intent to open it up to ask questions. I'm glad today that we have Mr. Mishan with us.

You know, he's a big voice within our school community and uh you're welcome to come any time and voice any concerns that may arise. We want to know. We want to know and have a two-way conversation.

So, I don't know. This may require a a committee of sorts, a a small committee even uh to to try to model a certain procedure or policy based around this intent before I think it can become a concrete proposal. because right now I don't believe it can become a concrete proposal unless it's modeled in collaboration with Mr. Mishan. Yeah.

Um so um this just to clarify um what this this motion is. This has nothing to do with the policy that was brought before us. This is more I mean this no the the draft policy I made in regards to this has to do with beh is just to refer it to the full committee for discussion to hear from more of our committee members. Okay. Um so I I would say to uh Mr. Mishan since

that language is there I would encourage you as one member I would encourage the union as one member to utilize that that policy more that the collective bargaining language more because um I think um everyone here agrees that we do want to hear more from from all the unions. I understand we have um different joint labor management committees throughout not just the FREA.

I know um custodial has it maintenance maybe FRAA does as well. They participate with FREA on those joint labor management committ. Okay. So yeah.

No, I'm glad we were able to get something um out of this item and hopefully down the in our next meeting and in the next few months to um some something so hopefully something good comes out of it where we can have more feedback we um our educators, our um our employees and just the general public more in just 3 minutes and that's it.

comment on the EDH. Um, something that happened, remember, we gave a lot of public input this past year and something that would happen occasionally. Well, I'll say, right, occasionally one of the committee members would question the validity of this the comments that were made and sometimes they could it could be confirmed or or not. And then other times there would be comments that we'll

look into it and get back to you and that would come in a Friday note, but that wouldn't be public. So that person's comments were questioned publicly and it makes it look like they said something false and that's sometimes it was sometimes it wasn't but the public never heard after that. I think that's problematic at times because they they always felt like they were being called a liar and sometimes

they weren't and that was never corrected publicly. Um, so to the point of when there's dialogue and and the committee always has the we make our comment and then sometimes you discuss, sometimes you don't, but we don't have the chance to respond. Um, and not that there should be a debate, that's not the place for it, but it's it's problematic.

So something to consider when you discuss these things more. Yeah. But Mr.

to that end, uh, I realize what you're saying like the committee always has the last voice. So it's like uh you guys leave like feeling like unresolved you know. Well well maybe a committee can be formed where you know um it'd be a side meeting you know maybe not even a subcom but its own standing committee that could report out to this subcommittee of sorts. You know what I mean? Create a

standing committee report out to this.

That way voices are going two in two directions.

One suggestion, we could have quarterly with our with our school committee meetings, but I know we we we talked about the length of them. However, I think a good idea would be to have public hearings and just on a general format on the state of the school department if there's so public hearings are a little bit more than your threeminut citizens input. So, it would be more maybe we have quarterly expanded

citizens input just quarterly, not every meeting. We still have our three minutes. However, maybe that's something we could do so there could be more dialogue or back and forth as well.

However, when this gets referred to the full committee, maybe that could be something we take a vote on. Yeah, it's going to need to be modeled. Yeah, it's definitely going to happen. I don't And also, just to add, um I don't think it's necessarily always the length of of the meetings. I think it's it's the um what's the best way to say this? uh the car that and also also getting getting

things done, right? Um I don't think it's the length if if if every I mean I'll tell you and I'm speaking as one committee member themselves when the teachers were coming up and we were discussing contracts I had no issue and I know this isn't directed towards me so that's not what I'm saying. I'm just speaking for myself. Um I had no issue of sitting there because that had to get

done for the teachers, right? But um when we receive the agenda sometimes and we have lengthy discussions on things that can be resolved. I think that's the biggest issue because sometimes things go unchecked and you know we we'll go through an item and it takes an hour to get through an item and we still leave with things unresolved. Yeah. Um yeah, Mr. M. I don't want to I'm not I just

want I'm just keeping it I I agree.

There is an issue I've spoken with superintendent. And I don't know if um it's okay to say this right now, but maybe even having some sort of um retreat um I think would be beneficial for this committee cuz that's no no secret.

There's there's issues. We have issues with the quorum. I mean obviously um but just keeping it this separate than public input. Maybe for the next meeting um I can put that as separate as as another item. Yeah. I don't know if that really has but I think it's something we need to discuss as well but on the same page.

Okay. So vote. Yeah. Take a roll call.

Want to state the motion again for me.

It was to refer the full refer to the full committee the BDE policy for further discussion.

BEDH. I'm sorry. Okay.

Mr. Bailey. Yes. Mr. D. Yes. Mr. Court.

Yes. Okay. Um so next item and Mr.

Bishan. Um we're going to if you want to stick around for um the discussion on the legislative liaison. I'm just we're just going to have Mr. I'm so sorry I have to leave. I just have a 6:30 like hard hard stop. That's why I asked it as quickly as as I could in the beginning.

I'm very sorry. Is there any way I can go to the next meeting? I'm very sorry. It's okay. What What item is this? Um this is um 35.

That's fine. We we we'll we'll we'll just move on without you provided a a one pager.

We'll just discuss that and we'll maybe have a follow up with this. Yeah. If you happen to attend the next one to talk more about it, like I said, I'm very sorry to say can't That's fine. It's been on the agenda for the full committee. Yeah, we'll make a motion to refer it. Yeah. Yeah. Well, we can still have conversation. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely.

Um All right. With that being said, um we we'll just jump right to that one.

So, um make sure we'll jump to 33. Um, and the reason I wanted to put this on the agenda. Um, Mr. Bailey, I know you weren't at the last meeting.

So, this it was actually a lot of this was derived from not issues, but just from discussion at the last meeting as well. Um, so I wanted to discuss um, two items. Uh, one I wanted to see if any of my colleagues um had a concern with the legislative liaison policy itself. Um, or if there were any or any concern with any of the bills that were presented at the last meeting. Um, and

we'll start with that and also want to discuss because we voted unanimously to um have yearly meetings with our state delegation. So, I wanted to have some preliminary conversations on what on plans of what that would look like. However, just sticking um to the first item first on first topic on that first. So, we had um five bills that were presented. Um three of them were actually recommended by Mr.

Mishan and um they had to do with special educ reforming special education. One of them had to do with reforming um transportation so more money comes into the district. And the third one, uh, chapter 70 inflation. And then chap chapter 70 inflation as well. So basically items that I I didn't think were controversial whatsoever would bring more money into the district.

Um, I thought were good bills. It it tied three to three.

Um, so the plan is um with a full seven member committee next and hopefully take a a vote and it go one way or the other.

Um and there was two other bills that weren't recommended by Mr. M Mich Mishan. However, um one of them had to do with um money coming in for prek for MSBA costs. So again, for we have the pay center and potentially looking into a bill that would allow the district to apply for MSBA funding that could help with prek. Mhm. And the second one had to do with mold set setting up a

um commission that would look into um making a mo like so the issue we had with the mold correct me if I'm wrong not the issue but one of the issues was we did it's not something that OSHA can like regulate there's no standard so say if there's no mold standard right now say okay the mold's at this level um we can't we we can't clear the classroom not clear the classroom but

it's kind of up to discretion. Um so this would kind of set up a standard that says okay mode level gets to this level can't be students educators can't be in that classroom. Um those two bills were voted down. However that's why I wanted to have the conversation to see if there was any confusion or u maybe we could take another vote on them as well. Um but Mr.

Mishan, do you have anything you want to add or Um, yes. I I didn't know I was going to talk about this tonight, but right before I came in here today, I was on a a Zoom meeting. We would talk about the Chapter 70 inflation formula. Um, and and there's a hearing on Monday.

Sure. At 1:00. Um, so we're looking for written testimony in person Zoom testimony. Um, I know you did the vote didn't pass, but individuals in the community can speak to that.

Um, I think it's very important and Mr.

Corey mentioned S SOA and how huge that is for our community and how it gave the ability for us to really build our our offerings and um meet a lot of student needs and that's um inflation hurt that though. So, we we actually it sheltered us from being really hurt by it, but it didn't allow us to grow as much as we thought we would. And so addressing that now would um would help us make those

gains that we expected. Um so I hope the committee and the community um you know supports this going forward. So that hearing is is Monday the 12th and at 1:00 at the state house and uh people can submit written testimony or zoom in.

If you want to send me some information I will vote what was taken at the state house. Um I think they're having a hearing at the state house on on that bill. It's a hearing on the bill at 1:00. Yeah. And then there's the uh the legislative delegation will be all there. The whole thing will be a a session. Yeah, it's a it's a hearing on that bill. Okay. Um so I'm not sure

exactly who will be there, but usually a good number of the representatives are present. Um and then the circuit there's a circuit breaker bill. I'm not sure when that day is and the in district transportation as well. And we have 22 bills that MTA is is supporting right now. I've only put forward three to make it manageable. I thought they were pretty and I thought they were things

that everybody would support. I did too.

Um and then I just saw that the House budget passed today and and uh Representative Fiola mentioned something about circuit breaker. I don't know exactly what that is, but it was one of the bullets that she highlighted on her post. So, I'm interested to know more about that, but it's something that needs to be addressed. Keith, I'm going to push again to try and get these bills before the committee because I again I

think these are items that would have helped the fall public schools and help our educators.

Um I I don't want to speak what happened at the last meeting, but I think maybe maybe if um if this goes on the agenda again the full committee if you want to present again um the viewpoint of the FREA or at least your own individual standpoint on how this could help, I think that would help. Um, superintendent, um, I don't know if you had a chance, um, to look at the the

five bills. I don't know if you had any opposition to any. So, it, um, what was described um, I think I sent you a response. You said, can you please comment on 31 or you know 31 33? Sure. My response clearly misunderstood what this this is 33, right? So, it said review of legislative liaison policy, right? and the potential meeting with the state delegation. So, I didn't review the

policies for this. I um I thought it would be okay because they were at the last meeting. No, I'm not saying it's not okay. Just I I wasn't prepared to speak to all of the bills. Um I will say that I I I I I support are supporting them. I think they are wins for our district.

Okay. And so I I mean I I know which ones you're talking about. I know you know you discussed them at the last meeting. So um I'm not opposed um to our supporting those bills. I'd like to make a motion that all five bills that were rejected at the last meeting be referred to the full committee. Second. So I can I speak to this? Yes. So um I feel I feel good about it. I feel

it's important to have a relationship with our legislative delegation. I don't know about codifying it into a policy, but I I I wouldn't mind if we did call for a special uh meeting time with them, maybe at the subcommittee level. Uh I remember sitting in this very room um uh when we were discussing S SOA uh back in the day. One of the big meetings was right here in this school. Um, and so I

wouldn't mind um sitting down. I I don't want to speak for any one of our state reps, but I I wouldn't mind sending out an invitation an invitation to see if if you can uh form a meeting around these issues. Um, and I I want to I want to clear u Mr. Mishan and and the superintendent uh from the joint meeting we had at the city council when councelor Ponti was proposing that idea.

Uh I did not hear him talk about uh uh net school spending in that in that formula. But I did hear the idea about trying to reach out to our legislative delegation to see what what they could do to try to help us with uh the rising cost of school bus transportation.

Uh I would never want want to diminish our NES school funding base ever. Uh so that was a hearing difficulty uh clearly on my part.

Um, being said, I wouldn't mind, you know, trying to get some answers on what we can do for chapter 70 inflation and school bus transportation's rising costs as school bus transportation has risen exponentially in in this my third term on the school committee. I can't believe uh the difference in cost from my first term to what we're paying out now. And I can only imagine what that's going to be

like in the next 5 to 10 years. You know, it's worrisome. So yes, we do need to have a discussion with the larger leg legislative body about these ideas, but I don't know about maybe making it into a coded yearly meeting. That's my only question in regards. Yeah, if I can clarify um some items. So the yearly meeting is is something that that's separate from this. Um we voted um at

the last meeting. I believe you voted for it as well that we have um daily meetings with the state um delegation.

Um so what this vote is right now was um was the five bills. Um two of them were ti three of them were tied with the three that Mr. Mishan was talking about and two others as well which had to do with MSBA and a mold standard. This is just to refer to the full committee. So I actually did reach out to repa and she said by next week so hopefully by our

meeting is next Monday. So hopefully by next week she says she'll review them and also give her opinion on them as well so we can discuss discuss that good at the next meeting. So if this passes is just re referring these um items back and it's not to codify them whatsoever.

It's just for the committee to endorse them to give our weight behind them to help them pass and then I who was um elected as the legislative liaison can advocate on behalf of the committee for the passage of these bills so I can have the committees wait pushing these bills forward that would help the for public schools just to clarify M. Yeah. No, I I was just going to say I wasn't obviously at the

last meeting but um it's definitely something I want more information on.

can't, you know, honestly sit up here and say yes or no. But if we have if I have the proper information, just hearing what I'm hearing now, if it matches, it would be a no-brainer for me, right? But like I said, um if Mr.

Mishan is going to be at the meeting, are you going to be at the meeting discussing Monday? Um Monday, I plan to be there. I was like state officer here.

I'll be I'll be here. Yeah. know if if I can get a little bit more information on these. But from what I'm hearing from me, um you know, I I I don't want to completely make that decision without having the information. But hearing what I'm hearing it, you know, it makes sense to refer.

So take a roll call vote. Mr. Bailey.

Yes. Mr. D. Yes. Mr. Curry. Yep.

Okay. And just the second piece of this as well. Um so at the last meeting we did take a boat to um have yearly meetings. Um I was something just trying to figure out how this could start with just having maybe some sort I don't know dinner or just like I don't know if it should take place. So it should be with the full committee but maybe it should

just be just a an event that we're all invited to um with the with with union representation just everyone coming to the table.

Um, yeah. I didn't know what your thoughts were on that superintendent.

Are we talking about inviting the state deleg? Is that what you're talking about? I mean, I think um I if I can clarify, I guess who should be the person that would be to set that up because I we took a unanimous vote to um have a yearly meet meeting with them.

It doesn't have to be tomorrow or but like down the maybe later in the year um before in like in the fall before they have um their bills come up again um I think would be an appropriate time. Um I I guess more just anformational to to keep it on the district radar. Yeah. I I mean I think in terms of invitation I would say this. I know that um there

have been attempts to sit with um the delegation. I will I knowing what people's schedules must look like. It is something that has to be planned in advance of course and you know months in advance and so I do think that it makes sense to to be thinking about it like you know pushing something out like four to six months or something like that and then having a very clear purpose um outlined in in inviting the

group. I think that on a um yeah, I think it would go a long way if we were really clear about the purpose of the meeting and if that was communicated um you know by the school committee through you know Miss Cabraw I think is the person who would send out invitations to something like that and um I just I just know that the cycle we've been in of like oh we want to get

this done oh we should get input from the delegation and it's a week out or even two or four weeks out I just don't It's enough time. That's all. Oh, I I 100% agree with you. Um I that's why I wanted to talk about it now just for um if we can maybe start the process of reaching out within the next week or so saying all right let's look at November,

December, October. Um let's let's see if we can get something planned then. I guess that's what I was trying to Mr.

Mr. Court. Would it be like in the form of a roundt discussion something like that? Is that what you envision? Yeah.

Yeah. Again, that's what you just wanted you want to get a dialogue back and forth. Yeah, I guess I'm just trying to um enforce what the committee voted on um and just seeing what that would look like. I'm just giving my my ideas. It can look like anything. I just think it's um what we voted on is very good um just to sit with the state delegation and just converse with them, hear what

they're hearing on what's going to happen with um in the state house in terms of education. We don't know what's going to happen even I think that's a good idea. I think having and having having the union here with us is would would be important to I I think it's I think it's important for us to get on the same page. I mean I immediately run to the uh you know the meeting that we

have with the city council. Um right so um I think it's important because obviously building those relationships as well. Um I don't think it's anything that would hurt um also to hear from them to be able to support them. Um, I think a lot comes out of the meetings where we sit with the city council and we can hear some of the things that they want, whether we agree or disagree. It's

also great to be on the same page when it comes to some of these things. So, I I don't feel like it's an issue. Yeah, Mr. B. And so, we're sitting here, we're talking about our concern for rising costs and and I hear chapter 70 inflation, which really hits us deeply because we we really depend on chapter 70 funding to survive.

uh and rising transportation cost. Then I hear about the the the financial climate in the state, you know, in the future and the projections are 9C cuts and cuts here and cuts there. So, yeah, we we need to have a discussion. So, we we know how to tread, you know, we're going to have to tread lightly at first.

We can't go in there and stomp, you know, we have to like figure it out, have a discussion, see where everything is, their budget, state's budget, our budget here in the city, and and how everything, you know, can potentially work harmoniously to get us down the road. With that, I yield. No, I I agree with you, Mr. Cory. I just wanted to make this more just anformational. So maybe that's great. either not at the

next meeting, but maybe the administration can provide some vision in the future like how this could look like. Um I don't know who would invite I don't know if it should be something that's either done either through you the superintendent or through the school committee chair. Um I'll leave that up to um the two of you to decide. However, I'm just trying to um I mean I I will say this, maybe I should think about

this a little more, but there is this element to school committee takes a vote and then people just assume that it's going to happen. People can vote on anything all day every day, but that vote really does need to be have a plan attached to it. So, it's like how do we implement what we just voted on kind of thing. So I think it would be very helpful really to the entire committee

and to me if coming out of votes like that or as part of the discussion there is some discussion about like what is the next step even this idea of like who's going to invite them. I mean my assumption you know my assumption is like well that's something that would come out of out of the um school committee office. Um, but maybe there is some different expectation from the committee and I would just want to make

sure that that's really clear so that everybody knows what they're expected to do when they leave the room. May I um to your point that I I I 100% agree with you. Um could you report that as in a superintendent update on Monday?

Um like just what you just said just like just to get feedback from the committee on what that looks like the full committee. Yeah. specific to this or just like specific? No. Yeah, specific to that. Okay. Like specific to um like so we took a vote at the last meeting. What does that look like? What what do you as the committee would like to see that happen? How far I mean I

think it would I think it might Okay. I think it might feel like kind of out of left field as part of a superintendent report, but if this is if we're talking about um any element of this like when you do your reporting out of of today, I'm happy to mention it then. I think it just in the superintendent report it won't, but I wouldn't mind if you want to call upon

me to say something um in response. I I'm not I could do that.

I I think it should go in in your reporting out when we report out what we discussed during the meeting. Um and the reason why I say that um I think as a committee um when we're looking at this, I don't think that's something that should live in her space or her space. I think it should it should we should own that. And the reason why I say that is because if we voted unanimously as a

committee to make this happen, the letter should come from the committee.

You get what I'm saying? because we've all voted on it and we've requested to have this meeting and and and we requested the information. Granted, it will impact ultimately it'll impact the the school district, but I think we need to get all on one accord as a as a school committee and and reach out because I'll tell you one thing. Um since I've been on a committee, Mr.

Aguar has been saying that we need to have this meeting. You've been saying it, right? And then now we're sitting with five bills in front of us that we're asking for more information on that in my opinion I think we have limited information on. And yes, I wasn't here last meeting. I I had No, that's fine. I wasn't trying to No, I know you wasn't. I would take it like

that. I'm just saying in in general for me um like I don't have the complete information. So, for me to sit up here um without having the information, even you or anyone else to sit up here and we don't have the complete facts or we don't know what's coming down the pipeline, it seems that things are are a little bit rushed when we when we vote on these things and and I would just I

would love more information and and for us just as school committee members, it's also great to know what's going on at the state level and things that we're voting on ultimately. I don't think you're taking a shot. That's No, I didn't think um to respond to um to the committee as we as a committee should own that. I I agree. I'm just trying to figure out how that would look

like cuz we we took the vote. Um it it was kind of it it was I wouldn't say rush, but the the it came out of a different discussion as we were discussing different things and and I think it just um it it just came out from that. Yeah.

Um I will say say this I think actually also came from the other from the last subcommittee as well. I think it was referred out from from the subcommittee at the last meeting.

Um I will say this as a committee we we we have a chair. We have we have a we we we have a chair that is I guess what I'm trying to say is who who would send out the invitation? is the committee then that should come from our our chair because I don't want to send out I'm not the chair I should I I don't think um any but individ anyone individually can do that

so I guess it'll be having to ask our chair to do so um but we can have that I'm glad you brought that up and this is up so we can have that conversation when I report out yeah I absolutely agree it should come from the chair um and and with the letter it should state um you know that the school. It's collectively that the school committee want this, but it should come from the chair. It

shouldn't come from the superintendent.

Um, so I think that's definitely something when we share out, we say that we had the discussion that it was voted unanimously that um, you know, we we wanted this meeting and if anyone opposes, we can do that. But if we take the vote to write the letter, then there um, just like anything else, if we if it's the discussion and we want to move it into a motion to to make that happen,

I think that's great. Um, I definitely think the superintendent should be at the ta at the table when we're having these discussions along with Mr. Mishon because it does impact their job, but ultimately I think we have to own this in our space and and make sure that this happens. I agree. Just to add one more point, I guess um in terms of logistics, obviously chairs, chair, the school committee the

superintendent oversees like the the day-to-day. So, it's more of like when where will this take place? um when we got booked a room. Um I if we're having food, if we're having good sandwiches, I'm kidding. But if we're having some if we're having food or if we're having um I mean things like that, the logistics that we as school committee members don't control. It was more what

I'm was I I was trying to get out. Yeah.

Then we kick that then we kick that back and then we can that makes sense. Um yeah, Mr. Sean, you have 89?

No, I'd be happy to attend. Awesome.

Awesome. Okay, so that was um 33. 33. Thank you.

Um so just very quickly, these two will be somewhat quick. Um so 34. Thank you.

Thank you, Keith.

Um so 34 um was to attempt to convene with the administration and the mayor's office to discuss ways that we can increase um the school committee's engagement in the community. Um I did invite the mayor's office to come. I understand they might have reached out.

Look um they did. So um the chief of staff reached out. I had reached out to you wanted to know a little bit more information. and you said your goal um and vision was to see that the school committee receive the same invites as the mayor and city council to events. So her response was um that she would add a school committee to um the email chain and moving forward the school committee

would receive those um invites as well.

Okay. Um easy enough.

Anyone have any questions or comments?

No, I just I think it's great. And I mean, for me, I know um as a um citizen of the city, um I try to show up to as much as possible last year. Obviously, it's been tough with a newborn. Um but you know, I I it's it's it's I think it's it's a win and I I I don't think it was intentional. Um and I know no one I

know I know no one here does, but it's it's it's great to, you know, just be added on to that. But outside of that, it's great. All right. We'll move on to um Mr. Cory, you have anything to add?

So the jet program we have I I don't know if I have the same document.

I thought it's in your packet.

Oh, I could uh could I Oh, yeah. M Gordon want. So I'm going to go back to around 2007 2006 when I was still working.

Um the Jack program was very open and and they were really trying to promote it amongst the ranks of our par professionals. Uh those those par professionals back in that time period that were interested in carrying their careers further to become school teachers than that program was available. Uh it's it's I think human nature comes into play in certain ways like when we're trying to grow our own.

Uh I don't know what it is. All I know is that nationally all over our state, not only in our community, but there are teacher shortages right now. Uh I don't know what's lending to that. There's less kids going into it at the college level.

That concerns me greatly. Um when kids come out of college in this area specifically we have Bridgewater, UMass Dartmouth, UMass Amherst, UMass Boston.

We have all of these great institutions around us. Stonehill, um the like all turning out potential new teachers. There's still a shortage, you know. So I think human nature comes into play here. I don't know what to do. I do know that I asked that question in the full committee in the recent past. I do know that the superintendent has active partnerships with Bridgewater and UMass Dartmouth, you know, at the recruit

level. I do know that we have pass past masters like Professor Arman Dearis who's created, you know, programs that are helping our teachers into M's degree level programs now, uh, right within our own school district. So, we have we already have a very vibrant thing going on with that that speaks very well to how we're trying to continue to recruit.

I think the problem I don't know if it's a the problem is there's not enough coming into for us to want to recruit more. I don't know how to solve that.

With that, I yield. Yeah. I think um hopefully as we resolve and um these collective bargaining agreements throughout the district um I know we just resolved the FREA. I know we saw um I was going to ask about how the um the job fair went and I heard from what you said it was some good things. Um so I think that can help. Um I think just you know anything that we can do to as Mr.

Bailey said before, just improving the culture in our department is um is always good as well. Um so this grow your own program that um everything Mr.

Cory was referring to. Is this so this is something that's been going on for years or so I know that so here it says we're in the beginning stages. So I think that um this is our this I think what being referred to here is kind of a branded grow your own program. Yeah.

Right. So, one of the um so there was a press release one of the in in the article someone described this I came in as a sub and then I was a parah and then I was an ISL and now she's a sack right um and oh no maybe it wasn't in the press release I think that it was the person I had on the radio show I'm sorry

it was the person I had on radio on the radio show on Friday yeah so described this experience and we're try and that potentially that that that does happen with us where People start out doing one thing and then they grow and grow and grow. And we are trying to be very methodical about that about recruiting people with a very clear pathway for them. And so we've had the Jet program

in the past that we've leveraged and now we're looking at these partnerships where it's like where we can say to somebody like we're going to support you to, you know, pass the power pro. Now we're going to support you through UMass to get your bachelor's degree. Oh, and you want to be a special educator. Oh, we have, you know, a a, you know, a concentration of courses that you can

pursue. So, really trying to help people envision their pathway in the fall public schools. It's not like, oh, we don't need all these other things. We only need teachers. Guess what? We need paraprofessionals. And if we can recruit someone to come in as a paraprofessional as we're building them, they're going to be great pair of professionals and then potentially grow into a teaching

position and eventually, you know, an admin position or a specialty um teaching position within um the FREA. So that's that's what um is referred to here in terms of the the grow your own program. um really supporting people toward lensure in a variety of ways but like for the first time we have had these partnerships with um my gosh I think it was like I mean it's been 10 years at least say that we've been

working with UMass around kind of a lower cost working with Bay Coast Bank trying to get some um you know lowcost financing for people and things like that but we're in a position right now where we can set up these um degree programs where people like low cost, no cost really if they take advantage of um the tuition reimbursement, they take advantage of the um teach grant and things like that. So we can keep people

here while they're working toward their master's degree and they're so they're staying here um during that time and then they're staying here beyond that time so that they can be eligible for teach grants. So, we're trying to be really um intentional about identifying for people like in small groups, targeted communication, not the blast email that goes out to every teacher where because it's to everybody,

everyone thinks it's not for anybody kind of thing, but really contacting small groups of people within the district around here's what we can do to support you. Let's have a meeting about it, things like that. and then also trying to um you know market that very thing in the in the wider community. So we had UMass Dartmouth at our fair on Saturday so that there was someone on site who could talk to people about if

you come to Fall River here are all the different pathways available to you and I think something like that can be really impactful. So trying to really hit it from you know additional angles um that we have.

So I I I appreciate all of the efforts that you guys are are are undertaking to try to build up the ranks. That's really good. Continue to do so. You have my blessing. This is I'm thinking out of the box again. Very novel idea. Probably will go nowhere. But like when a new business approaches a community and and the community is interested in drawing that business in, they may offer a tiff

proposal for that business to want to make it easier for them to not worry about their taxes for the first bunch of years, you know, and once they get rooted into the community and they're they're turning over profits, you know, then they stop paying their fair wage and taxes. I was wondering if we could do something similar on behalf of recruiting young kids coming out of college to come to Fall River, you know,

and try to support them maybe with their rents, you know, this to subsidize them in a certain type of way where we could support them through their first five years and maybe in that first five years they would grow to commit to our district. Because the one thing that really aggravates me about young teachers is a level of transiencece that's going on district to district to district. I ran into a young teacher

last weekend when I was out who used to work for us and left us and went to the Dartmouth school system for more for more a higher wage. And then she admitted to me that she misses Fall River because of what Fall River is and and and the the level of need that Fall River presents sort of hearkens to a person's desire to want to improve life.

So she would love to come back to Fall River. I know that for a fact, you know.

So there's one opportunity there to draw back. Why did they leave in the first place? Well, I hope we rectified that situation with our past negotiations this summer with the FEA. I hope we've become a more attainable district for young recruits to consider because I think we're offering a much fairer wage.

Just one question on one point Mr. Corey made. I'm not asking for names of individuals. However, when we do exit interviews, can the committee receive just um not not the names, just what the um the some of the reasonings are for for leaving the district? I don't know.

We it's something we fill on a mass scale. However, I think that would be helpful information as we propose policy, approve contracts to to know.

So, so the exit interviews aren't um required. And then we also do offer folks an exit survey also not required.

So it's a mixed um it because it's not entirely representative of um of everybody. So only people that fill a bad thing that it could be that or it could be not. I mean, I've read through some of them and some people respond, you know, there may be short answers like no, nothing nothing to see, nothing bad here, but like I was I was moving because my whole family's relocating or I'm so sometimes

it's just as simple as that. But it really is dependent on making sure that we have like a large number, a high percentage of people so that we can feel really confident that they're reliable kind of data points. But I think that we can um I think that's something that we could that we could share. Just want to throw out a few ideas of my own. Um do we have a like a referral bonus program

like you refers? We do not have one. I think that's something we should um take a look into. Um an ambassador program like um having individuals be ambassadors of the fall public schools that have been here for years. They could be within the district or they could be retired and just go to different community events and share the fall public schools and you know some good thing we could train them on what

to say, what to do. Maybe we can look for volunteers so it's not a cost. I don't want to interrupt you really, but I think you would be um maybe surprised or I don't know at how much of that already goes on. Like how many of our staff actively recruit um friends and family to come here and how many people who come here are not like literal strangers. I mean, it's

great to have people come into um a hiring event like the one we had on Saturday who maybe don't know anybody in the room, but a lot of the people who don't show up that we will hire are number we have a lot of people return to Fall River, people who leave and come back. Love to hear that that's a thing.

Um and just how many people are talking to people um you know whether it's friends from college or you know a um a family member people they meet at the supermarket meet at the gym and things and how much recruitment comes out. I know that when I worked at Dery um there was just full-blown I don't think Dr. B will mind Dr. B recruited people and if you looked at like counseling staff teachers so many

of them knew Dr. be because she knew them from employment outside of the fall public schools and it was like amen she was bringing in top-notch people. I was I was I was going to say um also a lot of this has to happen holistically right and you look at our staff um and granted like you know the job fairs and all these things are great but people also

and our staff also have to want to work here and love where they work to get the the word out. There's a lot of places and I can tell you and we're not even talking about the schools that a lot of jobs that I had because people raved on how great the situation was. So that's why I think also building a relationship with the staff is are important cuz granted if is pay a main component, yes,

but people also have to like where they work. We all know sitting across this table and we all know across the district, people don't get into education because they want to become rich. They get into education because of their passion, right? So yes, you have to pay people their worth, but also, you know, people have to like where they work. So that's why I think when we're having these conversations and when we

talk about having these conversations and and and you know, our tactics, we also have to lean on some of our partners and we also have to lean on Mr.

M Sean, and we also have to lean on some of our teachers to do some of the work for us because ultimately we can have all of these things and I think they're great and and there's places across Western Massachusetts that actually did some type of rental reimbursement to get people into the district. Um I think there's a lot of work that goes on, but I think one of the major pieces that

we're missing is how can we infuse our teachers into some of this work to help go out and do some of the recruiting for us over the summertime, over breaks, um at colleges and things of that nature.

Like you had a young lady up here who like you know she's saying she's at Rhode Island College. How do we get her to go to Rhode Island College and say, "Hey, I'm running this great mentoring program and although I'm going into healthcare, the district's a great place to work." Like how do we start those conversations? So I think we really need to get creative with that, but also like I say, just leverage our our

relationships. And I think I agree with you because I think there's this element of building that relationship. I I I'd like to think that if we have somebody um like her coming into our schools to do that work and she's building relationships in the moment someone says to her like, "Hey, if you have any, you know, friends at school who are interested in teaching, can you tell them about it?" Like then it's a yes.

It's not a there's no more convincing that needs to be done. She's had the very positive experience with our students, with our staff, um in our community. And it's an easy kind of thing for someone to go out and then just start saying like you this is a place that you you know you should look into. Yeah. Cuz I like to actually see some of these ideas like we I don't want

to see just a custom and nothing happens like rental reimbursement and referral bonuses. I think something that would really help. Um is this something that I'm almost want to make a referral to the committee just and maybe we can talk to um Mr. Almeida on like what that look like in cost cuz personally one way I think we can free up some money which I'm going to talk about at the next

meeting. I personally believe the city should be paying for our SRO program. We have a cost sharing agreement and there's also a um collective bargaining agreement as well in which states city should be paying for that. So that would free up around 700 to almost $800,000.

But just keeping it keeping it on this I'd love to see what the numbers will look like. I know we still have some unallocated funding and um especially the the the referral bonus. I think that's something that's feasible and I believe that's something that would help recruitment. So, I'd like to make a motion that we refer to the full committee a discussion on what referral bonuses would look like um financially

as well as rental reimbursement. Also, um, just if you can add, and I know you made the motion, I would also like to hear, um, from the director of HR on some of the taxes. Even though we had the conversation, I think he should also be included in this discussion as well.

So, sure, I'll um, so um, rental the rental bonuses, I mean, referral bonuses, rental reimbursement, and we, um, have a have a presentation by the director of HR.

Would there be a second? Oh, second.

Sorry.

I was just uh zoned out a minute. No, we're almost we're almost done.

Discussion on the motion.

Seeing none, we'll go to roll call. Mr.

Bailey? Yes. Mr. D? Yes. Mr. Cory? Yeah.

Okay. No. Awesome. All right. U we'll go through the um last two items. You should be relatively quick. So discussion and vote to refer. So convene with the administration to discuss um current practices and procedures that allow guest speakers to speak at schools and possible creation of a mechanism that allows parents, community members to request guest speakers in a process that adheres to due process and

discussion on that item. So 3-7. Um just want to now I'm open up the floor. Um just want to quickly um discuss why this is brought up. So I think it's important that um we have a protocol in place to allow the community to refer different community leaders to um speak at a school. For example, Mr. Bailey knows someone who's been a great community mentor. I'd love to see that person

speak at Green School, fill out a form, and then leave it to the administration to that school to figure out a time, place, and and to vet it. Um, I understand the superintendent may have some ideas of her own to put a protocol in place. Um, there's a draft policy that was submitted to you both that basically just states that. So, it just similar to how we um had the naming renaming policy which states that the

superintendent create a protocol around that. This is all that does. Um, it just has the superintendent create a protocol around around that because superintendent may come out with a great protocol. the next superintendent may not. And I think it's important that we have consistency when we have those things. So that's why I believe a policy in place is um will be beneficial. Um my colleague to his hand up that

yeah that's that that's that's all that's fine if you want to if creates a more efficient system for guest speakers. But I was just a guest speaker at Henry Law just recently and that came to me through email and and and by emailing back and forth. We set up dates and times and and went in. I also uh was a guest at 251 and and and had a tour of

the place and I've been doing that for like on a regular basis throughout my terms here on the school committee as a guest. I didn't know we needed a Yeah. I don't I don't I don't I don't understand RPA a few times when I I don't understand like what this language is.

There's never been any issues in uh when I was still working uh at Dery, we used to have a whole week um um there was a whole week where guest speakers from the entire community were coming in every day and running workshops around cultural and ethnic diversity and and showing off about what our community is. It could have been from a food eery. It could have been from one of the agencies. It could have

been from uh it could have been the police. It could have been the sheriff.

It could have been somebody from the churches in the faith community. But I know that all week long we were having these workshops at Dery and it completely enriched uh the whole feel of the campus and it was scheduled through English classes because English were the only classes that were mandatory on every student's schedule. So through the English classes, they were able to attend all of these workshops that

opened up to guest speakers throughout the week throughout our community. So I don't, you know, I I think it's already being done is what I'm saying. That's why I'm ask one quick clarify. So, if I want to see someone who's an expert in the mental health field or if I want to see an individual who um is an owner of multiple small businesses and someone who is an entrepreneur, what would be the process

if I want to see those individuals speak at one of the schools to talk about their experiences right now? If you wanted it, if I if you're a community member, if I'm a community member, I want to re recommend these two individuals. Um, or can I make a should I make like a three-way email with myself, um, the person I'm recommending, and the principal?

Okay. So, right now, um, I think we don't we that's not usually the practice. I'd like to recommend someone someone might reach out and offer, um, some or we might go looking for somebody. Sure. I think I think it gets a little sticky.

I'm not going to lie, if com if members of the committee are recommending I'd like you to have like my friend in to to talk to kids um because I think it puts people in a difficult situation to say no to a school committee member.

So yeah, I think it's a little bit tricky. And I also I mean I guess one of the things um we could develop a protocol. I think one of my I think one of the issues potentially is is is vetting people like like you mentioned you said financial whatever right small bit I have no idea like what somebody's background is what they and I promise you there will come a day where

we'll have someone come in that we don't really know who who raises their hand say I'd like to come in and talk to your kids and I have all this going on and they're just and then I will have people come in and then a parent will complain and say they had this guy in do you have any idea that this guy is this this this and this and I go I actually didn't know

person maybe passed a Corey did all the things but no I didn't know so it's like to what extent are we doing background checks I would say that for the most part when we have guest speakers come in they are people um that we know through organizations with whom we've been working or through maybe it's a new partner but it is um a well-known partner that has a reputation. I mean that's that that's been my experience.

Now is it possible that a school has had somebody in that I didn't know yet? I think that I think that's possible um that people have had a guest speaker in that doesn't get approved um in some way. So I I that I think is workable.

I'm not sure how we would vet like community members at large and be able to tell whether or not they are people that we want in front of our second graders or whatever. I don't know.

No, I I I agree. I I think I think that can get a little ugly if that's the best way to say it.

Um what I do agree with is is like a vetting process in terms of um you know, background checks and things of that nature. But then again, I'm gonna be honest, like not necessarily all the time that you get a a a guest speaker in that's, you know, talking to us specific things that you want to hear. I mean, I use myself, for example, when I came back, I was asked

and I talked to the kids multiple times at RPA. Um, but that was requested by the principal. Um, you know, it it was completely unscripted. We just had conversations as community members but it was requested. Um I think that has to play a big piece play a big piece in it is are the principles or the teachers requesting that person because you also you know like the superintendent was

saying you don't want to request someone they go in and then next thing you know you just triggered a bunch of students you know um and I know that's happened before in the past where you're triggering a bunch of students now you're calling adjustment counselors and everyone else trying to put out a fire that you never started. So, um, yeah, if I can just add to that, I didn't know,

um, I I didn't know there's been issues in the past, but to add to one the one the the one point I just thought of, um, when we talk about background checks, what if we want to invite someone to um, speak about gang violence and that individual maybe 20 years ago had a Yeah, let's go into that. Had had a record.

Can't pass a Corey. However, his in his or her input would be valuable to those students. Um, so I I don't know. I don't think I think we I'm sorry. Go ahead.

I've been there and done that many times over when I was co-advisor to peaceful coalition. often times we were working with the sheriff's office in recetivism and uh so a lot of times they would recommend hey we got one of your kids but he's coming out now and we'd say okay bring him into the group and we'd bring him into Derby High School and sit with all of our boy had about 40

boys in the circle and we had this guy this inmate who's still incarcerated by the way but he's coming in to talk to our kids about recidivism ism and crime the nature of crime in itself you know so very helpful very useful guest speakers enrich the process but again I knew where it was coming from the source was clean the source was a referral source and it came right to our group

and so guest speakers have always had a fairly open door policy in our schools but like the superintendent suggested it's from places that we know that have already been vetted and we and there's a sense of reliability there that we could depend on. Thanks. Are you I just want to maybe push back just on um I appreciate that just on one thing um about like what if I wasn't a school

committee member? What if I was just a citizen? I I'd have like the same idea. I'm just trying to think. I I don't think there's a place I'm just I think there's a place where either myself, members of the committee, or the the overall community can um like request individuals. I'm just trying to figure out what that pathway should look like. And I I don't disagree. I don't think um building

principal. Yeah. Right. But superintendent just said maybe that's not the best idea cuz we're a school committee member. We should and and I and and I want to say this and this isn't just about guest speakers. This is like in general. I think it's always uncomfortable when a school committee member connects a um if the school committee member is connecting we we'll say an outside speaker to a principal

and and everybody's on the same email and the email comes in like hey I um I really recommend this person they're blah blah blah you know they it's all the good things it's difficult if if that request is made one-on-one without the person CCD and maybe there's some honest conversation that could happen about like, "Yeah, the person might be great, but that's that doesn't really fit in

our curriculum." Or it just I feel like it gets uncomfortable when everybody's on the same email chain and now you're having to say no to a member of the school committee in front of somebody else or you have to disagree with somebody, disagree with the member of the school committee in front of someone else. It's like I think that just clouds things. Um I'm I'm sure I can't think of anything, but I'm sure I get

recommendations all the time, you know, around stuff like that or if not all the time, like from time to time. I'm sure I've received things like, "Hey, you should really look into this." I go, "Okay, yeah, I'll look into it." I think that's fair. And I think that members of the committee are likely to do that at any time.

Um I just that specific like, hey, how about if people on the school committee start referring people from the community? I don't know that the person being referred needs to be on that email just in case. It's a hard no for one reason or another. All right. You know what I mean? This an idea maybe. Um, and I was refer you brought up some really good points. I was in the community in

general, including the school committee.

you brought up some good points on the balance of power. Maybe if you could um just give the committee maybe like a like a one pager on a suggested um maybe we go through you or we I mean on how we should if like a school like specifically for the school committee if we have um maybe because yeah I do have a few individuals I like to refer. I like now

I like to see what that process would look like um for myself, but I wasn't I didn't put this on just for myself. I was thinking the the community at large and creating a protocol like like a some sort of jot form. So maybe like a um like a form that someone could fill out just how we have naming or renaming and then maybe it goes through you if it's a

school committee member or it goes right to the building principal as a community at large. Just throwing it out there. I don't know. Okay. Yeah, I can give that some thought. I mean, as I said, I I I wonder in general what like how to properly vet it. That's all like just to make sure um is it checking, right? Someone wants to volunteer. They raise their hand.

Hey, I'd love to talk to your second grade classes about whatever it is. Do we then do reference? Are we asking people for people who can refer them?

Are they ask are we asking have you ever done this in a school before? But that's it. I I can maybe we could table this and talk about this a few months down the road. So I'll make a motion to table. Second. Um all those in favor say I. All those opposed. Motion passes.

Okay. Move on to the last item which is a discussion and vote to refer um an enhanced community records policy. So the policy that was sent to the subcommittee, if approved, it would make, in my opinion, the Far Public Schools the most transparent school district in the Commonwealth when it comes to um requesting information. I think um the school committee needs to take some needs to have some oversight

and take a little bit of control on what public records exemptions are applied.

only exemption A as it deals with records that can't be disclosed by act by statute are mandatory just exemption A. The rest going from B all the way down I think goes down to like X are optional. Um and the committee should weigh in when those are applied in my opinion. Um we again just a little bit more oversight and that's what the policy is about. Um, I wanted attorney

Assad to weigh in a little bit on this.

Um, I haven't heard back from him yet.

So, I was thinking about tableabling this and or at least or even making a motion to table and formally ask for his opinion on the policy itself just to get more feedback. Um, but I'll hear from the my Yeah, I I'm uncomfortable unless I hear from the attorney on this. I just don't I don't I don't know where you're going at with this proposal, but is there an issue right now with

attaining any kind of public records?

No. Has there been an issue? Has there been I think that's also a Bruce question. Um and not to interrupt, but I I I think when we're dealing with this this we should get some information from Bruce before we we you know we have that discussion. I think we should just just table. I'd like to make a motion to table and formally ask attorney Assad for an opinion on the proposed policy

that that's fine. All right. All right.

All those in favor? I. All those opposed? I motion passes. So I I I was voting in favor.

Um All right. 4-1. We have new business.

Just have two quick questions. Um then we'll get out of here. Um so I was hap I was happy to see it, but the committee received a press release on Friday about the National Walk to School Day. Mhm. Um I personally think this is something and we look at transportation costs in the district. I think this is something that should be considered as more permanent.

And I I sent um maybe a few weeks ago um school patrols. There's a state law on that. Um I'd love to um maybe get some either today or maybe a Friday memo some feedback on maybe we could possibly have this be something that's part of a permanent program. I didn't know what your thoughts were in. So I will say that what um we have in the past um I'll

say like at Laternal School they used to do a walking school bus. The vice principal would walk um I don't exactly know how far out but he would walk kids and pick them up at their houses 2 miles. He did a mile radius and then a mile back. So it was a two-mile walk every day. Yeah. So he'd do that before school um for a walking school bus. He'd

leave he'd leave Lerno by 7 a.m. walk to the radius that he did, pick up the kids at their door, and then walk back to school and be ready for the school day.

Yep. And so, um, those that type of thing for a walking school bus, those that was for students who were not going to be transported because they lived within the radius of the school.

So, I think what you're proposing is that potentially we would walk like a mile and a half out. Yeah.

Students that are willing um I think it's something we should see if there's um student um appetite to do if there's you know we have student patrols um maybe those student patrols can get something on um some extra credit or something like some sort of um bonus for themselves. Um so having like student leaders and um even chaperones and just um seeing yeah maybe like you just said

I think that kind of so one thing and I think I would have to um we would have to do some research on this is that if we say that we're going to transport x number of kids outside a particular radius and initially some people say oh I'll do that walking thing we live 2 miles away about my kid can walk 2 miles and then those students are walking to school and then you know

about 5 minutes later they go yeah that is too long I I cannot walk to school every day and then it starts to get cold. We have to be prepared as a district I believe to have enough buses ready for them. So I just wonder what that looks like. I know that happens in regional areas like my own children during um like COVID when it was like half an hour um they took the bus to

school and it was a full bus and we only there were a handful of kids five or six kids on this bus I'd see it every day go what is happening but it was because if everyone was taking advantage of the bus that could it would have been full and they they they had to have that bus available that was what I was told so I just wonder if we'd be under with have

the same expectation that would be we can find that. So on behalf of that that program was awarded by the sheriff because it worked so impeccably well the walking school bus. But but when I when um when I questioned it after that teacher retired uh it was the vice principal once once the vice principal retired it was like who's going to take up the mantle to do this again? And that

particular position is not a mandate. So it all depends on the sense of volunteerism within the school itself in order for somebody to pick up the mantle to say, "Well, well, I'll be happy to do something like that." Right. But that's exactly where where the problem lies is because not a whole lot of people are willing to take up that particular mantle and and and go out on that cuz

that was pretty sacrificing on that vice principal's part. Uh uh he was duly awarded for his efforts. But you got you got to take in consideration snow days and clement weather, you know, all all all of that traffic, you know, there's so many liabilities confronting uh a decision like that. There's no way that we could mandate such a policy. I yield.

Thank you. I guess um one one last question on on that regard is I'd like to get the numbers on like how much it is to transport a student per student like how much the yearly cost would be.

Maybe we give some sort of incentive.

Let's say it's like I don't know $600 a student. I'm just making up a number to transport a student per year. We give a $300 stipen and we're cutting the cost in half for students that are willing and there's some something that's sort of limited. I don't know. I'm just looking at ideas again at transportation cost. However, one more thing I just wanted to mention on transportation that

I didn't we voted as a committee and it's going to be on the city council agenda next week. the unfunded mandate petitions which if it goes well that the state the state um fund the state formula that funds um transportation that the governor does not fund will be fully funded if it works in our favor which would bring billion not billions to the district. So um one thing as well hopefully it goes well. Um, one last

item I wanted to just personally bring up in um, for new business and I'm done.

Um, just cuz I heard um, from this media organization today and I um, reached out I said I said it at the meeting. I also um, sent a email earlier in the week.

Um, does every media organization receive press releases? Um, I mean how does that process work? Like who receives media releases? Like do we send those out? I will. Um so you know that we partner right now with um uh JGPR to do um press releases and so I will contact them and I will ask them to whom is everything sent. I believe it is to like kind of more major news outlets like newspapers um news

stations. So like we had channel 10 at our hiring fair because they got a they they picked up our press release and they and they did a story on us. So, um I believe that's the extent of it. I think we do postings to social media and then they take on um the more major news outlets. Yeah, I guess my my my personal vision um how we receive as a community

a weekly memo. I think there should be a weekly release of all the good things that happen in the district or even concerns a radio program. Yeah, we do it on Fridays, good news and positive news from the F public school. Awesome. Yeah, it's 2:00 on a Friday, but um I'm just thinking um and on demand.

I don't know. I think um I'm not I'm just I'm just kidding with you. I think we can share I will say this and this isn't um we put it out on our on our social media. So any good news that comes out of the fall public schools you can f people can find on our Facebook page.

And so if someone truly is looking for all of the good things that are happening, that's where we do it first.

That's as a matter matter of practice.

We do it there first. And then there are some things that we share out through JGPR. Um but that is the place to look and and any of these other um anybody could go there looking for it. now is we have had instances obviously where someone puts something on Facebook and then um a news outlet picks it up but not always. So we know if we want channel 10 to pick up our store, we

probably have to push it out. They're not trolling our website, but people can do that. That is where to go for the like most up-to-date information. Um and that's not to say we can't more widely.

It's just a question of who are they? I I honestly don't even know. I mean, I I'm not on like Facebook enough or whatever. Like, so I don't know who all of these like little um smaller kind of outlets are that are looking to get our releases. I'm I'm not sure why. And you mentioned one in particular. And I don't I mean, I don't know anything about that particular outfit. So, Sure. First of all, I listen

to your radio show on Fridays and I think it's really good. I think uh it carries out very well. You know, it's always it's always a comfortable discussion and it always has really good positive implications to it. I would say I I just wonder if the transmission could be shared with our own Fred TV and maybe make it as maybe a content on Fred TV along the same the same whatever was

discussed on the radio program can just get ret-ransmitted onto Fred TV in some way shape or form and and if not maybe as just a poster board you know over the topics that were discussed on the radio station maybe just make a poster board.

These are all the little positive happenings and then it could roll on on the Fred TV reel, you know, on and on and on and on and people can get it that way as well. Okay? Because there's so much there's so many good things going on that just get buried in the den of all any kind of negative happenings or critical happenings in the city all the time. That's just again that's human nature.

That's just human nature and that's the nature of the news media as well. They want bad news. They want bad news before they can get good news, you know. But I do listen to the superintendent show on S on Fridays and it's really good and it's very uplifting to me. I'll make sure to watch it next Friday. Oh goodness. I don't not even sure who I've had get the guests scheduled out for

like months and now I'm coming up on where it gets spotty. So I got to figure out who's on on Friday. I think you offered um school committee members to go on. I'll I'll go on. Oh, well, there we go. Okay. I I I might have I do think I have um We could talk off HR and but I Yes, I think that would be great. I think that would be great. All right.

Awesome. Any further new business come before the committee? No. If not, I'll entertain a motion to adjurnn. Second.

All those in favor? I. All those opposed. Great meeting. Awesome.