2.11.2026 Fall River School Committee

I'd like to call to order the regular meeting of the far school committee for February 11th uh 2026. Deb, would you please call the role?

Mr. Dia, present.

Mr. Das here.

Mr. Corey here.

Mr. Monus here.

Mr. Riley, Miss Stewart here.

Mayor Kogan here. Salute to the flag.

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

Um, I do want I do want to announce committee member Riley is joining us remotely. 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 do not have any student comment tonight. Citizens input. We have a number of people that want to speak tonight. Uh the time limit is three minutes. Um I'll keep it right here.

We're going to do this for about a half hour. First up, uh, Dennis Borges, Morse Place, a Fall River. I presume doesn't say a town. You have three minutes, Dennis.

Good evening. So, I'm here to clarify because I've been hearing rumors that council 93, so I'm here as their president of council 93, unit 1118, that we do not support the superintendent is absolutely false. We support the superintendent 100%. And I'm also here to let everyone know that council 93 will not be bullied and will not allow anyone purposely to violate our contract. We have always bargained in

good faith and we continue to. We expect the committee to do the same. Thank you.

Thank you.

Reset. It's right there. Kev, if you see I hit it. Okay. Uh, next up, Keith Michon, Triion A, East Province.

Good evening. I'm Keith Michon, uh, president of the Forever Educators Association. Two months ago, I stood here and spoke about calling in rather than calling out. Last month, I spoke about leading with integrity and treating employees with dignity.

Tonight, I want to talk about accountability. There's a thin line between accountability and criticism. If we don't understand the difference, we will stay stuck, spinning our wheels instead of moving forward. The line is crossed when accountability stops being about growth and starts being about destruction and control. Since the last meeting, I have watched and heard comments and actions from committee

members that are deeply concerning.

At the facilities and operations subcommittee meeting, Mr. Mona has directed Mr. Pico to disregard union contracts, a clear and intentional violation of labor law. Later in the same meeting, Mr. Aguiar stated that he is a union guy, but then suggested eliminating a position if the union doesn't agree to terms that are mandatory subjects of bargaining.

I'll move on before I violate 150E.

A few days later, at a policy subcommittee, numerous policy changes were proposed by Mr. disas and it was clearly apparent that he intends to micromanage the superintendent and day-to-day operations of the district which is not the role of this committee.

Again, when accountability shifts from growth to control, the line has been crossed and we become stuck. Last month, FREA shared a proposal for a health and safety MOA. That proposal represents over two years of collaboration with the administration. When we began this work, we were a thousand miles apart. Today, I would say that we're about 80% aligned and working towards agreement on the

remaining issues. We are looking for real commitment to clear processes and procedures to address health and safety concerns. That is accountability.

But we're told the committee has no appetite and our proposal was rejected.

We are not going to stop advocating until there is clear agreement on how health and safety issues will be addressed and that includes addressing safety concerns related to student behavior which will be added to our proposal when you find your appetite.

Finally, we are facing a fiscal crisis.

We may be stabilized next year because of S SOA, but we will feel the impact.

Several of you signed the MTA fiscal crisis letter this fall which was delivered with over a thousand signatures statewide. We continue to collect signatures and we will be resubmitting soon. If you have not yet, I urge you to read and sign on. Thank you. And I've shared that letter with you.

Thank you.

Uh next up, Sarah Riley. Sylvia, three minutes, please. Sarah, I will try my best.

Thank you.

In December, I wrote a letter of parent concern for a grievance hearing requested by Amanda Santos. The superintendent was tasked with leading an investigation into those concerns.

The bullying and behavioral issues at Sylvia School, the established pattern of the administration, pointedly ignoring requests for classroom support, the toxic unsafe environments for students and staff, and midterm attrition of teachers and paired professionals who can't handle the stress. And yet, I was never contacted.

Now I'm learning that we have another grievance related to the ongoing culture issue. I've observed this trend since 2020. The list of teachers and pair of professionals who have left Sylvia or made lateral moves out of the classroom is growing. The administration's responsibility is to support teachers to do their jobs. But forgive me that is not happening. Sylvia has historically been one of the best performing

elementary schools in the district given the statistical demographics. When I first sent my son to Sylvia in 2018, I had concerns, but I was assuaged by the diligence, professionalism, and the quality of learning I found there. But Sylvia's quality of education has suffered. If the average teacher retention in Massachusetts is 90% and only 70 at Sylvia, we have a problem.

St. Vincent students redistrict to Sylvia has caused an understandable strain on the resources of the school.

Given the increase in behavioral incidences and staff grievances, why has Principal Lince piloted a full inclusion program with subsparate students included in each classroom for every grade? This has strain the resources and resilience of the staff beyond what they are contracted for, and they are being gaslit for not doing their jobs. How is this compromising the learning environment? The teachers and parents

are struggling to maintain order, and they are not consistently getting the help that they've requested when they need it the most. The bullying culture at Sylvia has long been trending in a dangerous direction. Teachers and students are being physically assaulted.

Deesc complaints have been filed for bullying issues not being investigated.

Even given concerns of suicide, the law has been broken. Given all of that, how is full inclusion even being considered much less rolled out without the input of teachers, parents, and the general public? How many experienced vetted teachers have left Silia Sylvia and will continue to leave mid midterm? How many Sylvia students have been and will continue to be taught by inexperienced

unlicensed pair of professionals who are filling emergency vacancies. This conversation is no longer just an issue of basic safety for students and teaching staff cohorts, but a greater question of downward trending quality of education. We are failing these children. I'm extremely uncomfortable coming forward to talk about these issues with a child still attending. But someone has to say something. Teachers

with grievances are bound by confidentiality set by collective bargaining that protects admins. Even as parents advocating for their own children, if they file a complaint, they're mandated to keep their mouth shut and quietly transferred to other schools. Who does this protect to serve to pro protect? Given 15 years associated with Katie Brown Educational Program, I feel it's my responsibility

to speak for teachers who fear retaliation and a responsibility to speak on behalf of all students who are at risk of bullying and violence.

Administrators who have engaged in covert bullying tactics which undermine the safety of children and neglect the needs of teachers and staff in the classrooms are failing in their primary duties. How many grievances does it take? How many experienced teachers will we lose? How many staff members and students will be injured and unsafe classrooms with principles sweeping under the carpet? What will it take to

demand a change in leadership? And who will pay the ultimate price?

Thank you, sir.

Mr. Chair, next up, Mr. Chair, just like to respond to decision.

No, we're not going to respond to this.

Motion to appeal the ruling of the chair.

The chair controls citizens input.

Motion to appeal the ruling of the chair.

Second, Mr. Chairman, if somebody has a comment from a citizen input, it's the committee's right to ask the questions.

There's nothing prohibiting it in the in the rules. There's nothing prohibiting the school committee from asking.

The chair controls public participation.

No.

Well, we can take a roll call.

Well, we don't have to take a roll call, but my point is the gentleman has a question. That's all.

Yeah. Go ahead, Mr. Das. I'll play the game.

Thank you. I'll be serious.

Excuse me. Excuse me. Just want to say right for the record.

I wasn't letting anybody.

I just want to say, right, just for the record, this is not a game.

It is a game today.

No, it's not.

Oh, yeah.

So, Mr. Chairman, the gentleman asked for a question. That's all he did. He's been respectful. You don't need to be telling him anything about a game.

Well, I guess you don't need to do it. Show a dog. We don't need a dog and pony show.

The leadership. Show someday.

I will. Go ahead.

Thank you very much.

Yeah. Thank you.

Thank you. Um, I apologize for the demeanor you just heard. Just very quickly, I agree and just hearing the concerns from you all, um, concerns that we received at previous hearings and concerns I've heard that unrelated to the concerns that some of you all brought forward. I have serious concerns about the leadership at Sylvia and there definitely needs to be an investigation.

And me personally, I believe there needs to be an outside investigation because there is a a clear conflict of interest with handling this in house and I hope the superintendent does the right thing.

Thank you. Mr. Chairman, the same issue. Just a question. Uh the um speaker mentioned that there's been some complaints to filed with Desi related to Sylvia and I would just ask the superintendent if that is the case, can we please get copies of those?

Is that the case? I know that there was one last night and there may have been others. I'll check if you can just check and get to us. Thank you. Appreciate it.

Next up, Devanni Cudri, Brookside Avenue, Brookside Street, I'm sorry. Three minutes, please. Devanni.

Hi. I am a currently a power professional at Sylvia Elementary School. I currently am in kindergarten.

I've been there for three years now at Sylvia and I was at um Lerno for two years before that. Um I don't have a career or a background in this. I came into this um because of a family member that was in the system that said that we needed Paris. Um as of last year there was a pilot program put in in place by I believe was Patrick Lens um for inclusion. There were two kindergarten

classrooms, myself and um another classroom next door that were a part of this program because of Lens and he thought that we were going to be a small group last year. Our numbers were through the roof. Instead of four kindergartens, we had three kindergartens. I had 36 kids last year.

Myself and my teacher were the only ones there. There was a co-teer that was involved in both of the classrooms, so she was piggybacking back and forth. So she wasn't in there all the time. So it was myself and my teacher. That was it.

We were told there was going to be support from SPED education. Um there was going to be all these supports.

There was going to be SEAL support.

There were going to be all these supports and nothing came of it. We had called for support last year multiple times. We had safety concerns last year.

I brought them up to Michael Pachico and Jen Grafton. Nothing was done. They insinuated that I didn't know how to do my job and that I should quit my job.

Um, and this was last year.

No personal names, please. Go ahead.

Okay.

But the admin have yet to change. Um, nine teachers left last year. That's including some veteran teachers because they knew that this program was going to be a nightmare. And it is. The parents are not being told what is going on in our classroom. A lot of these incidents are getting slipped under the rug. Um, the Sachs and the SCL's are not taking some of these behaviors seriously. I just had an incident on 24 that

hospitalized me for two days. Two days cuz I almost had a heart attack. I'm 35.

This is unacceptable. The un It's unsafe. It's not fair to the students that come to school to learn. They cannot learn when things are getting thrown across the the the classroom.

They can't learn when they're getting hit or kicked or punched or spit. And this is a daily occurrence. It's not only for them, it's for us. It's the safety of ours of the staff and the safety for the kids. It has been brought up to admin. And we have been told that it's our job to get hit, kicked, punched, and spit. Do you come to work to get assaulted? Cuz I don't. And this

has become an issue. 10 seconds, please.

Um, there's a real issue with bullying as well, not only in my classroom, but um, schoolwide, and it needs to be addressed. The safety of the students and the um, administration also need to um, think of the the students parents that are not any that are that are not informed.

Thank you.

Next up, Taylor Perry, Aberdine Street.

I have Oh, you have it. It's a letter.

Deb will read that. Three minutes, please. De.

Good evening.

On January, Mr.

Chair, when is the next time they're having a a meeting that way I can attend?

Do we know? Do we know when they're having the office? De will give it to you Mr.

Okay. Thank good evening. On January 28th during the operational meeting, I came forward during citizens input to ask for an update on documented mole findings.

at Westall and Laternal elementary schools. I was not making accusations. I was simply asking a simple question.

What was the update? Is this still a present issue or has it been fully resolved? When I asked that question, Chief Operating Officer Ken Pachico appeared unclear about the time frame I was referencing and believed I was speaking about something from over a year ago. The reports I was referring to were only a few months old. Public documentation showed fungal spores at Westall, at LNO, mold spores, moisture

bacter related bacteria, and endotoxins slightly above normal thresholds were identified. Meetings were held in November to discuss remediation. This was recent. This is also not the first time mold has been discovered in the district. That makes awareness even more important. During that same meeting, school committee member Mr. Mones pressed Mr. Pico on operational responsibilities. Mr. Pacho, then

well, we we shouldn't be saying names, please.

Okay, just leave the names out.

Uh referenced uh concerns about a hostile work environment. I want to be clear when an elected official holds a department head a department head accountable for doing his job, that is not hostility. That is oversight. and I appreciated seeing a committee member step up and demand that responsibilities be taken seriously. If someone has been in this role for 20 years, then being asked about recent environmental

findings in multiple schools should not result in confusion about the time frame. As a parent, how am I supposed to feel reassured that the issue is fully resolved if the person in charge didn't initially recognize what I was referring to? There are students with asthma, allergies, and respiratory sensitivities. Mold is not a small matter. My question is simple. My concern is reasonable. If the person

responsible for o oversight does not recognize the issue when asked publicly, then parents are left questioning what else is being missed. Student health must always come first. Thank you, Taylor Perry.

Mr. Chair, thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Das, thank you. Um, if I can ask if we can at a future meeting get a legal opinion or at at a sooner date a legal opinion from attorney Assad as to the legalities of redacting names out of citizens input. I know there's a lot of um different case law and case law that just came out within the commonwealth around um citizens input and what you can and can't allow and redact and there's um a

lot of guidelines around it. So that'll be very helpful going forward. Thank you.

Next up, subcommittee updates. First up, is that okay?

Yeah, you're okay. Yeah, thanks.

I thought he nod his head.

I didn't know if he acknowledged that.

Yeah, he just nodded his head.

Thank you.

Uh, facilities and operations subcommittee Kevin Aguia, chair.

So, I'm going to be very brief because most of the items were actually referred to the full committee. So, we did go over a few job descriptions for new positions that Mr. Pacho presented. Uh, those got referred to the committee. So, we'll be dealing with those later. Uh, the naming committee also was forwarded to the full committee with some changes that's going to be discussed at um later

on in this meeting. We did talk about the snow, some issues and concerns related to the snow, not necessarily uh school related, but uh around the schools, how the streets are, how the roads are. The committee was concerned uh one of the motions was to forward a request for Alivera to come before the full committee, which is on the agenda later on as well. Uh I think it was a good discussion and I think we're going

to be meeting at least once a month for the next few months to to get a lot of the issues on the table and uh hopefully we can move forward but it was a productive successful meeting.

Thank you.

Thank you Miss Aguar. Next up is the policy subcommittee Mr. D chair.

Thank you. Um so the policy subcommittee met on January 30 of 2025 at 5 5:00 pm with all members present. The subcommittee discussed the timeline for reviewing the policy manual.

Subcommittee reviewed certain policies in subsection B. Um we table policy D which has to do with um um finance until we um have everyone there. Um the subcommittee committee also reviewed various policy and referred many to today's meeting. um some with some changes and I believe there was one or two we kept the same and um the subcommittee continues to work on a staff to student um fratinization um

relationship policy. Um I know Miss Riley corrected us that fratinization only applies to staff to staff but we're also looking to into both staff to staff which I believe is on the agenda tonight and staff to student is um currently being worked on. and I suspect that'll be brought up at the next meeting. Um the subcommittee also discussed um HR on boarding issues. Um no action was taken

on that at that time. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Das.

Mr. Chairman, Mr.

I meant to ask the superintendent. So, uh Mr. Mishan came up to talk about the health and safety committee.

Can we please get copies of all health and safety committee minutes for the last two years?

I don't know.

Yeah, there are there are meeting notes.

Whatever minutes, meeting notes. if we could get those for the last two years that he was referring to. Thank you.

Sure.

Uh next up is Dr. Curley with the superintendent report.

So um I have four things that I was going to update on tonight. The strategic plan, um an assessment update, Crystal Apple awards, and a hiring update. Um as you know, we've uh we pursued a request for qualifications for a strategic planning consultant for the district. Um and shortly after our last meeting uh meeting um the bid window closed and we received proposal proposals from nine different groups. Um

we've started the review process next week. I'll have an opportunity to meet with two members of our school committee, Miss Stewart and Miss Riley, so that we can review proposals um and hopefully cons um select someone over the next few weeks. And I would expect that by the next committee meeting um we should have the name of a consultant um to share.

The next thing I want to talk about um is just an an assessment update. We have access testing going on in um the district right now. Um it's it'll be coming to a close um in the next couple of weeks. 15 out of our 17 schools are at least 80% complete and we actually have 20 schools that are 90% complete.

Um and so that as I said that's just coming to a close just in time though for MCCAST testing which will start up um in the spring. All of the schools have submitted schedules. I would expect that they're communicating those out to families. Um if they haven't already, they um they will be available in all the schools shortly. We have the high school ELA testing window that's opening

in March. They're testing March 24th and 25th. And then the high school math testing window in May the 19th and 20th.

Um in, you know, following that March opening that the March testing days for the high school, all of the testing windows will open for grades three through eight. Um, and so we'll see those over a couple of months in the spring and spring. And I just wanted to remind people that, um, I know that last year there was a lot of confusion around MCCAST. Um, because MCCAST is no longer

a graduation requirement in the state of Massachusetts. There was a lot of confusion about whether or not testing is actually is required and it continues to be a required test for all students.

It's just no longer a graduation requirement. So, I just want to encourage all families um in their participation. The schools are fantastic about getting that information out and encouraging students to be present for the testing and um we're just looking for continued partnership with our families. We actually do very well every year across our schools in terms of those particip participation rates. Um

and then a more kind of real time update in terms of actual testing and results.

I just wanted to share um some positive news coming out of um math department.

We use I Ready um a program, an online program in grades three through eight for diagnostic purposes as well as for some personalized math instruction for students. And so all of our schools participate in beginning, middle, and end of year assessments. There's a diagnostic and then students are reassessed throughout the year to show progress. And some of the highlights coming out of our um winter testing the

middle of year, it's just very encouraging. Fonsa, Watson, Laterno, and Sylvia actually um are above the national average for growth at that mid-year diagnostic. We have Tanzy who's um demonstrating very strong performance. Um they're they're trending very positively in terms of performance on that mid-year diagnostic. and Talbot and Morton both showed that they're approaching the national average for

growth. Um, and so this is, you know, good news for us in comparison to kind of like, you know, where we've been in years past. And then also just wanted to share that our grade 8 mathematics overall is um is the grade level that's demonstrating the highest growth at midyear. So good news all around there.

The next thing is our Crystal Apple Awards. So um since 2017, the Flower Public Schools has recognized employees through this particular award for exceptional hard work, reliability, perseverance, um and just true commitment to excellence. The nominations actually come from the colleagues of staff members, which I think makes things makes it really special for um the folks that are

selected. um just in the in the case that it really reflects um respect mutual respect that folks have for each other and appreciation for people who they're working alongside each day. So last Friday during our midyear PD day we presented this year's Crystal Apple Awards to six members from five different schools and um I just wanted to share more publicly. I know it's been, you know, on Facebook and um

YouTube video and all of that, but just wanted to share um here tonight who the six winners were. So, Tony Rodrig's a Portuguese teacher at Dery High School, Courtney Santos, special educator at Henry Lord Community School, Jason Melo, security officer at CUS Middle, Michaela Peterson, um an leazison at Spencer Bordon, Sheila St. Michelle, school office clerk at Morton, and Robin Thorp,

a school counselor at um Cus Middle School. Just really wanted to say congratulations again to all of um the winners and also really to say thank you for all of the staff who participated in the nominations. We received 258 nominations this year. So that's really exciting. And then the last piece is our hiring update. Since the last meeting, we've had 15 new hires that um that included five teachers and four pair

professionals and of course various other positions. Um during that time we've had four rehires, six transfers, 13 resignations, two retirements, and seven terminations.

Mr. Chair, Mr. Mr. Das, uh thank you. Um just quickly on the Crystal Apple Awards, um congratulations to um all the staff who received it.

Will they be coming before us at the next meeting or future date?

We generally don't bring them um here.

We do presentations um within the schools during the PD day.

No worries. Um just a question on um a hiring update. Um we received in a recent Friday memo that there was um believe a transfer of an SDL position from RPA to Dery.

Yes.

Um correct me if I'm wrong. RPA and Dery are um two different cost centers and um that didn't did that come before the committee in a recent um transfer?

Yes.

No, it did not.

Can I ask why?

Because the transfer just happened.

Is it so it's going to when would that come before the committee?

Point of point of order.

Hold on.

The uh the question I think is meant for the superintendent, not Mr. Almeida.

Mr. Almeida is only the finance guy. So he doesn't make the appointments. He only follows along. So I think the question you're really asking is for the superintendent. The superintendent is the one that sent us the notice about she's just transferring it without coming to the committee. Not Mr. Almeid.

I just wanted to say that for the record. So, superintendent can ask why it didn't come before the committee.

To be honest with you, I this isn't the first time and I've alerted the I've alerted the committee in the past to conversions. We've actually done conversions um actually I think between um RPA and Evolve earlier this year. We did it with a teaching position and I hadn't gotten any feedback at that point. So, I didn't know that it was an issue.

It could have been oversight. It just I noticed it through the I I noticed it.

I know I I alerted you in the Friday email. You asked a question. I believe I answered it. I I gave the same answer via email that I'm giving now. I did not believe that I needed to let the committee know because um it it was already budgeted and so I thought it could just be reported out in the next um the next time we report out transfers. If that's not the case, then

moving forward, I will hold off on any reallocation of staff until we're able to I'll get permission.

The seal position that went to um Dery, it went to Dery. It was already in the budget.

Yes, it was a budgeted position for RPA and we moved it to Dery's Evolve program.

Yes. It it wasn't a budgeted position for Dery. It was a budgeted position for RPA. No, I'm in agreement with you that they are in two different cost centers.

I'll say it again. I believed that without any kind of budgetary increase that we could transfer a position from one building to another. I'll go back through notes. I know that we have done this before. I thought that if there was not an increase in the budget that it could be transferred and that we could have that reflected in the transfer report.

Right. But wouldn't that increase the cost in the train in the cost center for Dery?

Yeah. Yes. But so that would with everything that happens over the course of the year, the savings and salaries and things like that, it could be sustained through the Dery cost center.

Sure. That's fine. I I would support the I would likely support the position it became before us or the transfer it became before us. But we have policies and quoting policy DBJ clearly states that all requests for transfers between cost centers as approved during the annual the budget deliberation must be submitted to the school committee for approval as a part of the chief financial officer's quarterly report at

the business meetings of the school committee. So it's it didn't come before us.

Okay. I will hold the person at RPA and I will have the um I'll have the Evolve program wait.

Yep, that's fine.

I as I wish to I think if uh if the person's needed at Dery, I don't see a problem if we're helping kids. If it's not if it's if it benefits more at Dery than at RPA, um if it's an oversight, it won't happen again. Let's get going. I if the person's needed to help at Dery, let the person work at Dery.

I I fully I fully agree with you, Mr.

Mayor. If there's a need for I I'd support the transfer, but we have policies in place that should be followed is the point I'm trying to make.

I'm saying going forward, you're correct.

I agree. We should follow policy, but I'd let the person work where they're needed right now.

I want to be really clear.

I will follow policy and the person will remain at RPA until the committee votes on a transfer um the next time we do transfers.

Thank you Jim.

Go ahead, Kev. I'm sorry. Go ahead, Mr.

Heck. Yeah, I'm sorry. No problem.

So, uh I think the issue is that we have in school committee policy, one of our roles is fiscal policy, budgeting, budgeting. That's something that we should all take seriously and that's a policy. Uh I think what the superintendent is referring to in the past was if there was an issue like we needed to move a an additional special education par or something like that was more related to a need and it was sort

of acknowledged to the committee that we're going to bring this forward but I want to do this immediately for the good of the kids and all whatever it is. Uh at the end of the day the bottom line is the policy was not followed.

Superintendent doesn't have the authority to do that with our call centers. What the superintendent does have and what we do have is the ability to say at this meeting whether it's now or under new business to just say I know we didn't follow the policy but let's talk about a need here and we'd like to move the request is to move person A from here to there and then we can vote

for that on the new business so we don't have to wait but make no mistake about it the policy is very clear state cost centers and we have to get approval so that being said I think on the new business at the end we should just bring this back up and we can make the transfer okay okay I just have to make a statement there. I put this in a Friday memo. The

response I got wasn't, "Hey, this isn't allowed. I think we I think you're going to need to put this on an agenda for Monday. Let's bring it up during new business." What I got was just like this vague email like the ones I get very often. Hey, is this a policy? Are you breaking? It's just say what it is in the moment and then it would have been brought here under new business or we

could have requested an agenda item for the transfer but instead the communication is like let's beat around the bush and show up with the policy in hand. You could have it would have been more effective to actually just share the policy with me. let me know that I there was some kind of misunderstanding instead of asking a vague question. So I'm asking that in the future instead of

a question you just tell me what you know so that we can make an immediate adjustment.

I can I can answer that. So he had I I want to answer that please. So the question was from Mr. Das to the superintendent was is it policy or something along those lines to do that? That's when he he asked it.

So, so what he did was ask, "Is it the policy that you can just do that?" Your answer to him was, "No, school committee doesn't need to do it."

No, I said I believe. Okay. That's signaling that I believe that I'm acting in good faith.

Yep.

And instead of responding with the policy that he brought with him tonight, which is his right as a school committee member.

Okay. You're right.

Gotcha. No. Ultimately, ultimately at the end of the day, Mr. Mr. Das asked a question on an agenda item that said, "Do we have to know it?" Since that time, you madam superintendent and your team, I'm sure, got together and said, "Mr. Das asked about this. Mr. Almea, do we have to present those changes?" I'm sure when you talked to Mr. Almea, he must have told you, "Yes, it's a

different call center. You got to bring it." Or, "No, maybe you didn't have the conversation with him. We just roll the dice when we come here to the meeting."

So, I don't think anything was done wrong, but at the same time, we have to figure out how we're going to get it for the end of the meeting on the new business. But, uh, school committee members should not be chastised because they brought a policy that wasn't followed to the meeting. Quite honestly, the chairman to my left and I had a nice cordial conversation about uh, citizen

input time where the chairman brought a policy and showed it to me. We very respectfully looked at the policy together. That's the same thing. So, the chairman brings a policy and we talk about it. Mr. So das brings a policy and it's a problem. We have to be consistent. I yield.

All right. Okay.

We are going.

I want I can't I have to understand it's not consistent. I don't remember you having a very public discussion where where the policy was read aloud to show that one person was wrong and one person was right. What you did, you're absolutely right, was respectful. What happened here tonight was not respectful.

Okay.

In your opinion.

In my opinion.

Thank you. But what I what I do think that we all should do is work with one goal to help the district. That's my opinion and that's what we'll leave it at.

Okay. So in new business we'll bring it up.

Oh that's I I agree with you there. I thought we could make a motion right now. We can't if you want we can wave the rules and do motion so made. So made motion to allow the transfer that was recommended uh by the superintendent.

Second.

Roll call.

Okay. Roll call. Um please Deb. Who made who who made the motion?

Mr. Mr. Das or Mr. Moose.

Okay.

Who seconded?

Who second?

I thought you made the motion. Mr. Agar and I second.

Mr. I made the motion. Mr. Das second.

There you go.

Deb, call the role, please.

Mr. A.

Yes.

Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Cory.

Yep.

Mr. Monus.

Yes.

Mr. Riley.

Yes.

Miss Stewart.

Yes.

Mayor Kan.

Yes.

Mr. Mayor.

Mr. A.

On the strategic plan update. So I um I went back to watch the meeting where we talked about that plan and it was stated by you at the time that on the two members were supposed to meet with you and your team to review the strategic plan and then on fe February 15th it's supposed to be a contract issue.

Yeah. So not actually um filed for an extension to allow time for more collaboration. I met with you um and we discussed it. I um said at that time that I must have misunderstood. I thought the request was to have two members of the committee involved in the strategic planning process and to be part of that team, not part of the selection. And so just based on scheduling um concerns that I have

and you know my own schedule and the budget meetings that we've been having, I did not have time to meet with people um prior to I requested an extension and we are meeting over the break to review the the um the proposals that we have.

So internally nobody's reviewed them narrowed them down yet. only I I no I mean I've looked through all of them but and identified um I identified some that don't really have an experience but no I have not identified what we're doing and Miss Miss Stewart and Miss Riley are going to be part of the team from the start and yes to do whatever I thought think was talking about join u posting a meeting

or whatever but I just want to make sure that Miss Stewart and Miss Riley are part of the entire process that's going to happen.

Yeah, entire process.

Thank you.

Yeah. Are you Mr. Chair?

Mr. Das, just very quickly on strategic plan. Um my position as one member, they should be open meetings, public meetings if there's going to be some sort of task force with especially with two members of the committee to allow um public input and to keep the public um um involved in the process throughout the way. is um that something we can either voluntarily do with posting um

notice putting the minutes in. I know if there's um a direction from the committee to form some sort of task force that automatically becomes subject to the open meeting law. I don't know if there's an appetite from the committee for that. I'd be supportive of that. Um I yield Mr. Stewart. So I agree it will be we do have to have it and open but for right now what we're doing we're just trying

to pick somebody that part doesn't need to be open but all the rest going forward yes once there's a committee filed and everything else I agree yes it does have to go open okay item number six from 6.1 to 616 are all travel requests. Does anybody have any questions on the travel request?

Mr. Chair, Mr. Das general question on all and I did go through the backup for this. my laptop um crashed on me unfortunately, but I do have notes from the backup. Um so there's a form that submitted with all of these um travel requests and I'll say twothirds of them were fine. Um but the form states and I'm assuming this is procedures from the administration on down because I don't believe it's a

policy that they must be submitted um 10 days before the meeting. And going through the backup, there was some that were submitted um that were submitted on time. They were fine, but there's some that were submitted on the 2nd. Um two were submitted on the 3. Um there's about one, two, three, four, five that were submitted on the 5th.

Therefore, they were accepted and because they weren't today's I believe it's the 11th. So that would be violating the written procedures of the committee is if it's going to be on this agenda because it has to be submitted 10 days before a meeting. And my I'm of the position if we're going to have written procedures, we should make sure they're fully followed. So I don't know if we have

So I those are those are internal procedures.

Yes.

And we and we waved the requirement.

I guess my question would be what's the purpose of the requirement having the requirement is so that to honestly to be respectful to um to be respectful to the school committee administrative assistant who has to assemble all of these things.

So I mean that that's the purpose right. So, I guess um and so we had some late requests that we wanted to honor in um you know, looking at the value of the I'm I'm assuming you mean I know we got some just a couple days ago. So, I'm assuming those are the ones that you're referring to and we waved the requirement.

Yes, that's yeah, you explained they were they were as I listed some of the dates, they were below the 10 days. So, um, is it is it an issue in terms of like a, um, a clerical standpoint like getting these all in last minute? We running into any issues trying to put together the agenda or anything?

I think that we I'm not sure what to say. I an adjustment was made on our end. We accepted the proposals, you know, the requests and we got them on the agenda and we're here discussing them tonight.

That's a point of clarification.

Just uh which ones are you talking about?

I my my computer died. I did listen. Do you know which ones?

A few that have come. They're dated February 5th. I have one, two, three, four, five, and I believe that was the one from the MLL director for the Mr. Reposo's name I believe is the person who submitted them.

Thank you. Thank you, Scott, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Aguar, just to follow up on what my colleague said. So, I do think that we have time if if that's the one that we're questioning is in March. Um seventh, I I I don't know that it's that big of a deal, but I haven't reviewed the policy manual to know whether it's a school committee policy or an internal policy to get uh the paperwork ready. But I think we should just move these um

forward. My my question was on the uh and we talked about this at the agenda setting about cop pooling. I think we are car pooling. We talked to one of them today but I I I'm looking at listed separately. I know I'm looking at it doesn't match with what we said. So just for the edification of the public we had the agenda setting meeting which I think was a good meeting. One of the things was we

had seven different people from Dery High School who all going to the same place all getting mileage mileage mileage mileage. So, we had a discussion about maybe the best thing is to either carpool or we provide a vehicle so that they could go following up back and forth with the superintendent and those other folks that were on that meeting.

It was said that they're going to car poolool. But in the agenda here, it still shows each one getting it. So, if they're all car poolooling, I'm good with it. If I I'm just trying to get some clarification.

So, there are actually 11 people going and some people are car pooling.

Five people are car pooling.

There's taken individually.

Yeah.

They're in Providence already.

Right.

So, we we have a couple of people who live by live just a couple miles away.

They they already live in Rhode Island.

They're getting themselves there. We have about five people who are car pooling and then we have another four people who are not.

And did live here like um So, we don't have a we we don't we don't have a requirement for people. So, we asked people if they would carpool and we did get some people who who sent Kudos to them. Yeah.

Yeah.

But the ones that are not is I guess is my question. So, okay.

Uh if you live wherever you live and you have to come get to Dery, you'd have to be here anyway to work.

So, I I just don't understand. I know it's not a lot of money, but it's just a precedent setting going forward that if you're going to go to a U professional development and you're voluntarily saying, "I'm not going to drive to Dery to get in the van of the Kapoor." Fine.

if you had permission to go, but don't put in mileage. They're doing both. So, they're requesting to go to get a day out of school to go to do a training, which is important, but why are we not You get what I'm saying? Like, if they said, "Hey, you know what? I'm not I don't want to capoo. I'm choosing to not capoo, but I'm not going to put in mileage." I'm totally fine with that.

If you want to, you know, I just think you either should cap or go on your own and not have us keep paying mileage because these little things add up over the year. That's just my own feeling. So without you're on a different one, right? You're not on this one.

Yeah. I don't know if there was a question about the mob.

Okay. Hold on a sec. So motion to approve.

My thing would be I think we just need an answer on if they're not going.

Mhm.

I would make a motion to approve them.

If you're voluntarily saying you don't want to cop, then you don't get mileage.

Okay. I the only thing I would want to do is just make sure that our policy doesn't say if you go then we will pay you because I know that the practice is that they either get paid from their house or from school whichever is the least amount of mileage right and I don't know if that is a practice or if that's actually in policy somewhere that doesn't say but if you won't car pool we won't

no I I think where it comes into is then we just say you don't go That's a right of the administration to say. I see what you're saying. You know what I'm saying?

Like at the end of the day, I just think we need to tighten up some of our fiscal controls.

Okay.

Kudos to those that were going to cop.

We talked about looking at a courier van or something like that so one person could drive it.

Uh and I believe that's what they're doing.

I do think the driver, if they're driving their own vehicle, should get one person gets the mileage, but we shouldn't be paying seven people mileage for going to the same place from the same place.

Mr. Das made a motion to approve.

I second.

I have a second. Stewart, I'd like to make an amendment to that motion saying stating what I just said to the superintendent. If you're choosing to voluntarily go, you don't get mileage.

Second.

All right. I have a I have an amendment in a second.

What are we approving?

We're going to vote on the amendment first and then the policy. Deb, can you read that amendment again? Or Mr. Aguar, make sure we all understand. We're voting on Please.

Could you please repeat it?

Yeah.

Are we approving the travel request?

No. Mr. Mr. So, what we're trying to do is approve the travel request with an amendment made an amendment to say if we have seven people going all to the same place, we shouldn't pay seven different people in order to voluntarily go to this. If they come to Dery High School, they'll get in the car with the rest of them and be able to go. Instead, the original request was to pay $35 seven

times to pay travel. So, I'm trying to say if you want to go and on your own car, you pay your own way.

And it's the administration's right whether they go or they don't go.

Otherwise, they come to the school like they're supposed to come to work anyway.

They get in a vehicle here, they go to the function, then they come back and that no, it doesn't cost us anything. So that's what the amendment is.

Please on the amendment um chair.

Oh, Mr. Das, thank you. So just so I understand correctly. So we this been past practice. So we have we have five people who go in carpool.

All those five individuals could be applying for reimbursement for travel.

Yes, that if there Yes. And anything that's out of state gets approved by school committee has been approved for many years.

Well, I'm glad we're catch I'm glad we're fixing that now. Um that we can definitely address that in policy subcommittee so it's more permanent. Um was one last question on the um actually I'll wait I just want one last quick question on the travel request but I'll wait till after the vote on the amendment. I deb call the rule on the amendment.

Yes.

Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Cy. Yep.

M Mr. Monus.

Yes.

Miss Riley.

Yes.

Miss Stewart.

Yes.

Mayor Kugan.

Yes.

Mr. Chair.

Now on the motion. Now on the amended motion for travel. Mr. Das.

Very quickly. Um I do know some of these have the um substitute um the cost for the substitutes. Not all of them are provided. I know the Dery provided them. I don't think the rest did. So, if we can um just let all principles or whoever submitting these know that they should be submitting the um just so you know.

Thank you. No, I appreciate that. I yield.

Deb, call the role please on travel 6 to 16. 61 to 616.

Mr. Dia, yes.

Mr. Dus, yes.

Mr. Corey, yes.

Mr. Monus, yes.

Mr. Riley, Miss Stewart, yes. Mayor Kugan, yes.

Next item up on the agenda is the acceptance of donations. We have a number of donations tonight.

Uh there's exactly six, seven donations. Motion approval.

I have a motion and a second on approval. With a question, Mr. Das, thank you. um just something I think we should look at as a committee and um we receive a lot of donations from a lot of good organizations and I think we should look into the process of recognition. Some received more recognition than others. Um I know there was recently, I believe it was yesterday, a uh a press conference from

a $20,000 donation from a bank. That's all well and good. However, we receive similar donations all the time and I believe those organizations that donate to our either our curriculum, the helping students should receive um similar accolades. It should be some sort of um process for everyone. Thank you.

Well, on that one, Mr. um Mr. Das um committee person, Miss Stewart and I were there. That was a $20,000 donation dollar donation from um Bristol County Savings Bank that you referred to it as a dog and pony show. When a when a bank like that makes a commitment to our kids, which we hope they all do, we will acknowledge that. And as far as these others go, I'll be glad to go with

anyone anytime that they want to have their some people want to do things more discreetly than others and some people want acknowledgement. Acknowledgement for a substantial contribution like that is important. The kids loved it, the staff loved it, and even some of the parents that did come by were extremely positive about it. So, I don't believe that, you know, the way you described it

was the way to go. I think what you're saying is important when people are looking to be acknowledged and they want to help our district.

Yeah. Back to that. So, Mr. Das, go ahead.

If I can just ask a followup. Um, so this was a situation where the organization reached out to the the schools looking to have press conference. Okay. Thank you, M Mr. uh to make to make the donation, Mr. H. Yeah.

Yes. So, I I think the point is, I think, well taken. I think publicity is good for those that donate. We should do that. I think we probably haven't done that as much in the past. And I think that was the point of the comments. Uh so, I think going forward, we should just make sure that when people donate good money to us for our kids, we should have something very similar and use this

as a model for how that is. Big check, have the whatever they did. With that said, the Bristol County Savings Bank has been donating to us for many years.

And the I think some of it when we look back, if we can get maybe the last 5 years of applications from Bristol County Savings because what I'm curious as to is what was what was the five years ago, four years ago, three years ago. So, we just see the donation that's current. We don't necessarily know the history.

At the end of the day, we've been here if I think they've donated $20,000 for multiple years and this is the first time that we had a press conference such as such. So, I think Mr. Das's point was, wow, this came out of nowhere.

Let's try and get the f last five years of those applications so we can see what they were donating to us and what it is.

I know what it is now. We don't need the current one, but I'm asking for the years to go back and moving forward. I think we should recognize everyone.

Thank you. I yield.

Motion to approve.

Second.

We have a motion and second. Um, discussion. Deb, call the role.

Mr. A.

Yes.

Mr. D?

Yes.

Mr. Corey?

Yes.

Mr. Monus?

Yes.

Mr. Riley, Miss Stewart.

Yes. Mayor Kogan.

Yes. Um Dr. Curley.

So on behalf of um director of programs for multilingual learners, Kelly Cooney, um acknowledge a donation of $4,000 from the Cuddy Hunk Steam Academy, the donation will be used to pay for the bus and ferry transportation for the English learner field trips to Cuddy Hunk. On behalf of athletic director Brad Bustin, acknowledgement of 25 the donation of 25 field hockey sticks, 13 shinuards, a total value of $2,824.66,

a donation from the long stress field hockey donation will be used for players in need. On behalf of CTE director Cynthia Sylvia, acknowledgement of a $2,500 donation from South Coast Health.

This donation will be used for HOSA registrations.

On behalf of Assistant Superintendent of Student Services and Strategic Integration, Dr. Amy Bronhard, acknowledgement of a $1,000 donation from Bristol County District Attorney, the donation will be used for spring into wellness expo donations.

On behalf of Darth Dury's athletic director, Brad Bustin, acknowledgement of a $1,000 donation from the PGA of America Reach Foundation New England.

This donation will be used at the discretion of the golf program. On behalf of the Green Elementary School principal, Dr. Liz Dunn acknowledgement of various Little Tikes equipment for preK and K valued at $463. A donation from my brother's keeper. The donation will be used for prek and K. And on behalf of Fonsa Elementary School principal Kate Cobb, acknowledgement of 52 bags um the donation of 52 bags of

groceries, a donation from the Cavalry United Presbyterian Church. The donation will be used for the students and families in need at FONSA.

Thank you.

Thank you. Item number eight is the approval of grants. We have one grant.

Operation Gleam.

Motion to approve.

Second. I have a motion, a second. Discussion on Operation Gleam. Hearing none. Deb, would you please call the role?

Mr. Drag?

Yes.

Mr. Das?

Yes.

Mr. Corey?

Yes.

Mr. Modus?

Yes.

Miss Riley, Miss Stewart?

Yes.

Mayor Kan?

Yes. Now, on um approval of contracts, I'm going to take those the way they're numbered on the um agenda. 91 is contracts new. We have a facilities contract and we have RGP. Uh any discussion on e either of those two?

I got a just a question on RGB.

Okay. Um so we have a question on RGB.

Do we want to do green environmental?

Someone makes a motion to Can we hold green environmental please?

Let's hold them both then. We'll start with green environmental. Mr. Das, thank you. Um, two questions. Um, one and I and I went through the backup, but just for the public at home because um, I know the remediation in the for the asbestous RPA was was a public issues.

Can we just give an update what we're we're doing here?

So the um the LSP, the license site professional and our um our company that we've used um for a number of years, but we're involved in in the documentation with um Mass E on the asbestous piece is uh chose a few spots in the building um to start the remediation work and that's what this is. So, it's two separate um two separate times they're going to work there. They're going to work there

in February February and then April vacation and that's what this is.

I'm sorry. Um last question. I noticed we um we went out to get three quotes for this and now it's attached in the backup.

That the company did that for us? Yes.

And that's attached to the backup.

The green environmental.

Green environmental. The company that did it was Universal. Universal went out for three bids and Green Environmental was the the winning bid.

I didn't um I didn't see the I didn't see the backup on on them doing I saw the three quotes, but I didn't see the um I'm assuming they put out an RFP for I I didn't see that.

It was It might not have been an RFP. It probably was just a request for prices, but it wasn't the official because of the dollar amount was going to be so small. It didn't go out to that full advertising. He would call half a dozen people uh on a list and um Okay. So, they did call. Do they send emails? That's what I was going to ask. How that process look like? It'll

be like a a generic email.

Thank you. I yield.

Anything further on green environmental?

Mr.

Just looking at those two the first two companies, are they the same? The same name or just different?

Did I see that quick? I was trying to fish. No, they're Green Environmental is the same company who won the second bid.

Also, the same company bid the lowest bid and the second bid.

No, the the two winning bids was the same company.

So, this there's two separate there were two separate bids that we total this amount.

So, the bid was for 14 and another bid was to equal the 29 350. Those are two separate projects that are happening in two separate times, but the winning bidder was the same.

I thought I saw somewhere said Green Environmental and then Green Environmental Inc. I same company.

Maybe I'm That's what I was hearing.

Yeah, same company.

So, they didn't bid against each other.

They are the same. Yep.

They've not bid against each other.

Thank you. My only question on the uh other second one and um a couple years ago I think we did a chapter 34 for the um we never it never came through. So um as going through the minutes the the the uh chapter 34 review contractor showed up the winning contractor showed up um the we had some initial meetings with the company and then we never heard from the company again. So it didn't get done

before like I didn't know it was we never paid for anything. No, I was reviewing old school committee meetings and that's where Thank you. I motion approve or second.

I have a motion to second. Deb call the roll please.

Wait.

Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. We approving all the contracts.

No, no. We're doing green environmental.

Green environmental alone.

We're not to RGB yet.

Okay. Thanks.

One more thing.

I think that and may correct me if I'm wrong. At our agenda setting meeting, I think it was talked about that some of this money was what was the fine from the other thing or there's no Yeah. So this this is this is the um the fines are waved with the with the investment.

Correct. I just wanted to say because we talked about the fines. This is actually Yes. The basically we're not paying the fine and this this is allowing us not to pay the fine.

Exactly.

Thank you. I yield.

Yes.

De call the role please on green environmental.

Mr.

Yes.

Mr. Das. Yes, Mr. Corey.

Yes, Mr. Monus.

Yes, Mr. Riley.

Was that you on RGB?

Miss Stewart?

Yes, Mary Kugan.

Yes. Uh, Mr. Aguia on RGB architects.

No, it's all set. We I asked the question.

Oh, we already asked the question. Can I get a motion?

This is the new company.

RGB is the new company.

No, but the question is not about the old. Yes, exactly.

Are you all set?

Yeah. I thought we voted for them both together, but motion to approve RGB. I have a motion on RGB and a second, Mr.

Cory. Question.

I have a question, Mr. Cory.

Okay. I just have an inquisitive question, Mr. Pacico, on RGB. Um, if this is approved in in in the codes changed to the degree that we need major work, are we would we be assisted with MSBA funding?

Um, so the work that's probably going to in uh be involved here is not necessarily I'm going to say not necessarily. It is not eligible for MSBA funding. Sometimes what MSBA would do is partner up on some of these things if we were doing a major project. So if what do you anticipate as far as some of the code review and what they might that's So this building doesn't have doesn't

have some systems in it. It does.

It's an old It's a very old building, right? Exactly. So, those We're going to get this thing in priority kind of um order from them when they do this this particular program as they did at the um at the Nagel the old Nagel Auditorium building. We're following that that um report as we do the repairs. The roof was, you know, number one on that list.

Um fire suppression number two and so on. So, the same thing will happen here.

we will we will earmark or they will earmark for us what they feel is the proper order in which we should do things and then we need to figure out how we're going to fund those items.

I'm going to ask another question maybe not even connected to the code review but the the auditorium as it exists with the murals is there any progress or any movement on that?

We we have not done anything inside the auditorium. The um there is no more water infiltration. um the water infiltration was a plumbing issue uh not as much as a roof issue. We did have one corner of the auditorium um that there was um some leakage through the um facade of the building. We repointed those areas when we were putting the windows in and stopped whatever issue we had. So it's tight. Um, but there's um

it's I I believe that it might be more suited to be a project in itself, the auditorium, because we could apply for different funds, historical funds, and different things like that.

Is that something the city could help us with?

I'm I'm sure that if we asked for a bowl of money, we could get a bowl of money.

Thank you.

Um, on the Debbie call.

I need a second.

Second. We got a second and Mr. A.

Yes.

Mr. Dus, yes.

Mr. Corey, yes.

Mr. Monus, yes.

Mr. Riley, yes.

Miss Stewart, yes.

Mayor Kogan, yes.

Motion to approve the grant contract as well as all the continuation contracts.

Second.

Thank you, Mr.

Question.

Mr. Hold on. Do I have a second on this motion?

I did.

Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Stewart. I have a motion. Second. Question, Mr. Dus.

Thank you. Um just for the um the license the two-way radios.

Uh do we have um he's already a question ahead of me. I wanted to ask a question on the previous question on coaching.

You can it's on that's what's up now.

Oh, okay.

Yep.

But he's talking about two. We just lumped them all together, but you can ask that question, then you can ask your question.

We bunched them, Tom.

So, I don't know who can answer on the two-way radios. Um, what does So, this is a continuation and I saw we were purchasing um not just the frequency. We're also purchasing radios as well again.

So, the district was buying radios one, two at a time, maybe three at a time.

The problem is they're all aging at the same time. And um we need to do some much larger purchases on the radios both for the technology um upgrades but also the fact that the radios do take a lot of use in the cost of the time and we do have some damaged radios that we would like to replace. When we see radios in buildings with tape on them, we know

that it's time um that they have been through the ringer. Um, so we're slowly but surely replacing all of these these are state contract radios. Um, so the procurement piece on all of the stuff that you see is already been done.

I was wondering if we can if not tonight if we need the radios, we need the radios, but we can get a breakdown on um how many we purchased the last this is a continuation contract. How many we purchased the last fiscal year going into into this year? Because if it's like um if we purchase, for example, if we buy 80 radios last year, now we're buying for 80 employees. I'm just making

up numbers. And then we're purchasing another 80 radios again because all those 80 radios broke. Then um we have to have a conversation around our asset management if it's um if they're being maintained.

So we have some buildings that have 40 and 50 radios alone.

What I'm saying is that it's not we're not replacing the ones we just bought.

We're replacing radios that are probably five years old, seven years old.

Okay?

Maybe even more. I I I don't know for sure, but but I that's the case is that we're we're aging out some of the equipment that we have and u providing new ones for that.

That's that's what I was looking for.

Thank you.

Offer that on November 20 February 23rd is the facilities meeting.

So, we could just put that as an agenda item and we can get it by then. Thank you. I yield.

Mr. Chlory.

Yeah. I just have a question. If I could ask superintendent or repos to come.

Just have a question for him on impact coaching partners.

Could you just uh give me a brief description of of what that model looks like and uh and and I'm really happy to to note that it's showing progress, you know, and uh could you just give us an update on those lines too as well?

Sure. Yeah. So um I appreciate the committee support in uh this pilot last year. So I brought this forward. We um looked to pilot right now. We're doing this at Westall, Watson, and Fonica. And so I included as part of the rationale some midyear survey data from the three pilot schools, which is really teacher perception data around their experience in the process of receiving coaching as

well as some uh achievement data because, you know, it's important to me to make sure that if we're investing in something, you know, we're seeing some results, right? both with perception and then with achievement. We know that it takes a while for the achievement um um results to really show but we have some early you know promising stuff happening. So essentially this is a train the trainer model which is why um

you know I've been supportive of it. um this uh organization comes in and they actually train our um instructional coaches and department heads. Um anyone that's providing feedback to teachers around a framework for being in classrooms, providing feedback to teachers, providing support, uh maybe engaging in some collaborative planning.

Um and so this provides everyone with a consistent framework because what we've seen is across schools we might have different levels of capacity. Um, sometimes we have folks who were really strong teachers who find themselves in a instructional coach role, but they haven't necessarily had any training in coaching, right? And coaching, working with adults and and moving practice is

different obviously than um than than working with kids. So, this provides us an opportunity just to provide some of that training. And because it's train the trainer model, um, you know, our folks have that and it's something we can phase out this support over time. So what I'd like to do now is given the data you know um and the needs of our three middle schools I'm just looking

for the second half of the year to start a pilot at Talbot Morton and CUS using the same structure we've done at Westall Watson and FSCO. So you're looking at as far as the uh the needle of progress is concerned right that everything's pointing the feedback has been positive so far.

I've spoken to the school principles there and um this has been a great partner and that they share uh data with me you know around uh their progress. So so far it's been a strong you have regular discussions with the school principles around these matters as well.

Yes.

Thank you very much. I yield.

Anything further on that section? Um, Deb, please call the role on the grants.

Mr. Aguia, yes.

Mr. Das, yes.

Mr. Corey, yes.

Mr. Monus, yes.

Miss Riley, yes.

Miss Stewart, yes.

Mayor Kugan, yes.

Transitioning to the committee of the whole 101 is a discussion and vote to approve.

To approve.

Second.

Selection appointment of Key Stanton, school nurse districtwide. Anything further for the school nurse hearing?

None. Please call the role of them.

Mr. Drag.

Yes.

Mr. D.

Yes.

Mr. Cory.

Yes.

Mr. Monus.

Yes.

Mr. Riley.

Yes.

Miss Stewart.

Yes.

Mayor Kuga.

Yes.

10 two is a discussion and update on the net school spending. Um Mr. Aguar and I had a couple of discussions about this as I also did with Mr. Almeida. Um, we're going to be sending a follow-up letter to the do. We've heard from Jay Sullivan at DEES. Um, as I've explained, there seem to have been some gaps in some of the years when we started doing the uh one of the cost programs for

health insurance. Uh, we're trying to come down with a number on that. I gave uh my colleague Mr. Aguiar a sheet the other day in the office. We kicked it around a little bit, but um we don't have a clear number yet um at uh according to the CFO, she believes that with what the overage was last year uh and some this year supposedly, we will be covering what we

did owe them. But at the same time, I want a hard number. Um and that's kind of what happened when we started this stop loss program. We're the schools getting the reimbursements. We have not thrown it to the side. We're still working on it. Um, and I believe I believe we'll come to a resolution shortly.

Mr. Aguia, I just like to have the superintendent uh respond to any of the emails I've sent or the information that I handed last Tuesday to Mr. Almea and email the superintendent the next day. So, somebody from the administration, please let me know what you know, whether you looked at anything or I did not get a response.

Mr. Alita.

Sure. So, what's what's happened since since our meeting and what was provided as far as the backup goes? Uh, the difference at this time is that the prescription rebates are not included on this sheet. Um, and so, um, that would definitely affect these numbers that are here. Um, and so, uh, depending on whether or not we get credit for the prescription rebates, that would, so, um, I'm not sure why we, in order to

try to move these meetings and be productive, the goal is to get the questions asked and answered before the meeting. So, I'm a little frustrated with the fact that I met with the mayor on last Tuesday.

He handed me in my meeting this new document which is totally different than the document that you handed all of us with Sean Kadim, Cliff Pont, the CFO and the mayor in a meeting in December.

Totally different document. I left that meeting. I asked the mayor, you know, whatever. I I said, "This is different.

What is different?"

He had a chat GPT of a thing that said a rebate's not a reimbursement. Doesn't count with the law. So I have no idea what that means. At the end of the day, the law reads and you know it because I handed it out in front of all of us. Mr.

Kadim, who's got more experience than all of us, knows exactly what it was.

And it was said at that time in December, that it's the net. The point of this is so that the state would like to give you can only take credit for the net amount, not the gross amount. So if the city's getting reimbursed to the tune of a million, two million, whatever the numbers are, and they're not giving a dime to us for years, that's incumbent upon our people from the superintendent

to you to everybody because we're here on the school committee to figure out how much are we short changed. It's frustrating to me that from Tuesday, last Tuesday to now Wednesday, no word at all. I emailed response and it's not on you, Mr. I emailed the superintendent, but it is but I but I will say no no no I will say it's on me because I we've been in the middle of budget budget

meetings and budget discussions for the past I get it I understand I didn't email you on me all I did was I handed you this document on a Tuesday I got this in my hands at 3:01 in the mayor's office at 401 when we had the agenda meeting I looked at you and I said have you ever seen this document you answered to me no at that time I had

correct that tells me that the CFO in the city is doing whatever the hell she wants and just changing the numbers because when we sat with two city councilors you in December it was stated very clearly that no this isn't the case. That's where it came out that the city would have been $6 million since the mayor's taken office $6 million below net school spending in the last year. It would have been $1.3 million.

So it's now changed to they're trying to say they're over by $3 million.

That's a problem.

That is a problem and it's not for me and him to figure out. It's no, excuse me, I got the floor. At the same time, I'm disappointed because I asked the question, a simple email of yes, I got it. We don't know what it is or it's because of the stop-loss.

We I just watched a city council meeting last night. Do we take actual claims?

We do.

Yeah. The CFO from the city actually told Councelor Canuel that they take a 50/50 number based on how much the budget is for certain parts of it.

Something like that.

Yeah.

What were we doing? Do we take claims?

Because I've been asking you that for four years.

We're charged actual claims.

Whatever. Actual. It makes sense what you said. It makes sense what you told the guy from the state that said we know exactly what the reimbursement is for our employees. You said that right in the email. It makes all the sense in the world. It makes sense in the deesc. It makes sense in any way. But it just makes sense in common sense that if the mayor and the city council say we want

to fund the schools at 100%. And when they do fund it at 100%, they get credit for saying we funded them at 100%. Now we find a law that actually says it's not. They haven't been funding it. And it says reimbursements on account of the mayor and and Emily and the city are trying to say a rebate's not a reimbursement. They're trying to talk words instead of being in reality. At

the end of the the law, which is a Mass General law, chapter 72, section three, it states, "Before filing said returns, the superintendent shall submit them to the chairman of the school committee who shall count them on oath if after them they find them correct." So the way I see it is for many, many years, which I can't get anybody to give me a damn answer. How many years have we not done

this and taken the reimbursements? We said it in December, and you know that, Mr. Almea.

I do. But there's people above you that need to do this, not you. And at the end of the day, we are not getting the proper reimbursements for the children.

I just don't understand why it's so hard. And it frustrates me that the lady in the city can just say, "Oh, I'm going to make it up. I'm just going to have a new I'm just going to have a new number."

Kevin, that's not fair.

She She didn't.

No, no, but she's been modifying the numbers every time she can to make sure they're more accurate. She's not doing it willy-nilly. Let me just say she's trying to help.

My last comment is my last comment. But you're making She didn't work on the numbers. She just actually took millions of dollars out of those numbers from when you sat. Is that correct?

This That's what it appears like, right?

The new sheet that he just gave me one week ago. This sheet right here, the CFO in the city took millions of dollars away. Yes or no?

Yes.

Yes. That is a problem.

I yield. Everybody should have a problem. Everybody should have a problem.

To be fair, I yield. to be fair back and forth on this. We've gone with Jay Sullivan. We've gone with Mr. Almea and we are I as I opened up, we are not done. But when you look at what their guidance is, they're saying I understand your logic. I understand that DO will be the ultimate arbiter regarding how this will be decided. Any local argument will have to convince them their current

understanding may be different in this instance. So my point is going forward we're going to go back to the do with a sheet that we think is accurate. We're going to look at what a reimbursement is versus whatever the other thing they call it. What was the rebate?

Rebate. Rebate versus one and the same except for on your chat GPT.

Okay. So there's different.

No, no, it was mine. It was mine.

Okay, good.

I'll take the I'll take the credit. But again, we we just said we're going back to the do to get this accurate. That's what we're working on. Nobody's getting blown off, but I'm not blaming anybody.

This was something that was going on.

Maybe as we discussed before I even got there. We will correct it.

Mr. Das, thank you. Um, so that all being said, so you would agree, Mr. Amita, that the city to meet 100% true 100% net school spending owes us $6 million, give or take? Uh, so it's it's all depending and I I'll have to throw a caveat on all this. It's depending on whether or not the re the prescription rebates would be included in here. It's all based on how far we want to go back.

So that's ultimately what it comes down to.

So with that being said and taking our vice chair's position on this, which I support, the city owes us over the last six years and and I understand this is something a process that's gone back decades possibly. But with that being said, we're in the now and my position is that the city owes us $6 million. So my question is to my colleagues, what are we going to do to recoup that money?

Well, the money will have to come from me and I told you we don't have what I consider to be the solid number yet, but I will get it to you when I get it.

I think um if not now in the future we need to have some conversations around how we're going to recoup the money. I yield.

This is just a discussion and update.

Anything further, Mr.

Just I want to give Mr. Almeida some credit. So in the email that went to Jay Sullivan who's the guy in charge of finance, we talked in December and to say what is the actual question? Depends on what the question is. That's sometimes how you get an answer. So I would like the opportunity to be in your presence with other folks whoever the city maybe some city councilors and we

get people on the phone and it doesn't have to be Jay Sullivan. It can be above Jay Sullivan because at the end of the day you indicated in your response to him that you said something all along the lines of Mr. Sullivan the difference here isn't that it's a general reimbursement. you indicated in your response to him that specifically we know which employees that rebate referred to. So you have a set number

and that was brilliant because that's the issue. We know exactly what our costs were and that's what we talked about and the law that chapter states clearly that it's basically the net whether you want to talk about a rebate a reimbursement or whatever else and try to play games in order to screw the kids out of a couple million. That's not going to fly with this one member. But I

want to give you credit for pushing back because that's what I've been advocating for you to do and say what's right is right. Let's fight for the kids at that point with $6 million up until 2000 only. That's the numbers that you would presented to us which everyone on the committee has. So that $6 million from that point. This could have been going on for 15 years. At that point we would

now have to say the city owes us over the years $15 million. Since 2000 is only be when the uh mayor took office.

So since he's been in office, if we use those numbers correctly, they've not given the kids $6 million. If we go back another five years or six years, it might be 1015 million. We need to get the number and then this committee has to vote to say how are we going to recoup that? While at the same time, this talks about reimbursement if we pay the Medicaid reimbursement that we actually pay the workers goes to the

city and they pocket the money. They don't give us credit for that at all.

Correct. That's another major issue that we have to address because that's over a million dollars and it should probably be closer to $2 million if we pushed it.

But why the heck are we going to push it when they don't even give us the right to give the money? So, there's discussions that need to happen. I get it. But I want to give you the credit, sir, because you push back against the deesc. And I don't really want to look at how many years you can go back with the uh end of the year report. I want to

go back to what's right for the kids.

and what's right for the kids is we we talk about it and say this $6 million is $6 million. Let's talk to the mayor and the council about how they're going to make it right. I yield. Thank you.

That was a discussion. Uh thank you, Mr. Almea. Next up is number 103, which is a discussion and vote to approve the tenative revive school committee meeting calendar.

Uh it's in your book. Uh Mr. The only one that I did hear something from about the new one was Mr. Um Corey asked for one of the meetings to be at 6. Am I right or wrong?

Yes, I did. I I asked you if there's a possibility. Uh there was a there was a discussion uh at the last meeting to move our regular meetings to Wednesdays, but uh the vice chair has an issue with um with a personal for personal reasons for the second Wednesday of the month and asked to move potentially to the third Wednesday of the month of which I have an issue with the third Wednesday

of the month with another organization that I'm a member of. So, we were just trying to figure out a compromise as to when the proper starting time may be.

And and I know um if the reason why I said 6 p.m. is because I know the vice chair's issue would be resolved. Uh if we could meet at 6:00 p.m., then he's out of his his u his family issue at that point.

So, I think it's a matter for us to have a discussion on. Okay.

So, are you saying every Wednesday?

Uh, well, there was a there was a we're moving it from the second Wednesday of the month on a regular basis.

The third to the third Wednesday of the month and and the third Wednesday of the month, I have a conflict with another organization and you can't make the second.

So, so I think what happened is I'm not seeing the third proposal. I know we talked about just putting it on here so we could talk about it here. Yeah.

Um my issue is on the uh second having the meeting at 5:00. I have a child care issue until 6:00. So I asked to move it to the 3 instead of the second uh Wednesday. When I talked to Mr. Corey, we basically indicated that if we could say just keep the schedule as is but make the meetings at 6:00 and start the meeting at 6:00, it would it would alleviate my issue to have it changed or

we could do the first Wednesday instead.

I can't do the second Wednesday. Is Anna available on the the first?

I believe Anna's Wednesday is no issues for Anna, I don't believe.

So, let's do it on the first.

Wednesday is fine. 6 o'clock is fine.

I rather I would prefer to go earlier because sometimes these things get a little long, but we can go to the first Wednesday of the month is fine with me if we go at five. So, everyone can make it. I'm all for that.

By me.

Is that okay?

Yeah, that's okay.

So, we'll schedule like that. Is that all right, superintendent? Just February 4th is I mean um March 4th is just going to come very quickly.

Well, we got a lot of stuff. We might not finish everything up. We can go again.

Okay.

It's going to be an issue.

A motion to approve the new schedule indicating first Wednesday at 5:00.

Second.

Second. Any discussion? Deb, call the role.

Mr. A.

Yes.

Mr. Dice.

Yes.

Mr. Corey. Yes, Mr. Monus.

Yes, Mr. Riley.

Yes, Mr. Stewart.

Yes, Mayor Kan.

Yes. 104 as a discussion.

I'd like to make a motion that we table that until the next month. Uh we have a a rule that 72 hours prior to the meeting. Whoever is bringing it up needs to provide that information to the to the members. I wasn't able to do that.

So, within now and the next month, I'll work with Mr. Pico and superintendent to get some language. It just couldn't happen. And what's right is right. 72 hours was not a motion to table.

Motion to table. I have a second. De call the role on item 104 to table.

Mr. Daga.

Yes.

Mr. Dice.

Yes.

Mr. Corey.

Okay.

Mr. Dormonus.

Yes.

Miss Riley.

Yes.

Miss Stewart.

Yes.

Mayor Kogan.

Yes. 105's discussion on Brightley Software and the financial impact on the district as refer as as referred by the facilities and operations subcommittee and presented by Ken Pico, chief operating officer.

So there's a few um there's a few layers um if you take a look at it. So there was some financial items that we put in here. Um what the cost of um the asset essentials is and the payments that um that we have made. Um and there's also um including with this this capital forecast document which is giving us um some of the items that we had put in during the last goround with um

school dude that would have provided with um provided us with um more inventoryish kind of items. For instance, uh at a building, we may have 15 air handlers on the roof. In the system, there would be 15 air handlers in the roof. We would know about that system. We would know what is involved in repairing those systems, what we've done, what we've replaced in those systems. So, that's that other piece. We

would like this district-wide at some point, but it's it's a very expensive um it's a very expensive lift to get it started. So, for now, I would like to leave that one be. We do have records, but it's it would be nice to have all everything in one place. So, that's what you see at the beginning of right after the cover the cover letter.

Second part of of this um financial piece when we originally started with uh Brightley and changing over from school dude, the change over was um a little difficult. It was it was less than um it was more than what I first of all it was more than I expected but it was also um a very difficult piece for us for me as a layman working on these um on this computer program. Um we you know we

reached out for some help um to get this stuff done. So, prior to getting started with Brightly, um I did not have the ability um or at the time the knowledge to ask Brightly whether or not they offered a service to take care of this particular piece that we were doing.

I wanted certain features that were not necessarily readily available that that they could be accommodated but some of that work became a heavy lift um and it was very time consuming and on the Brightley side it was very slow moving but that was that's on me because I took long in actually asking and the implementation piece so we tried to use some people inhouse to do this work what you see in the next couple of

pages pages um is the hours that was put in to do some of this work. This this is all in-house people. Um, and it's broken down by dates and what the work was entailed.

And just so I can show you what was offered um after the fact again on me that I offered that I asked these questions after the fact is this piece called enterprise project management.

So, what this would have done was some of the work, maybe not all of the work, but some of the work that we had our own people do. Um, and if you look, that professional service um was $41,729, which we didn't contract with them to do, but it was work that they could have done. Some of the work that they would have done matches some of the items that we did in house,

but not all. We currently have a system that's much more robust than we had with school dude, but also much more robust than we had initially with Brightley.

Um, I may not be able to answer all of the technical side of some of the items that are listed. Um, and there only two small items that are not part of this.

Um, and if you see there's kind of a white dash, I'm sorry, a black dash past the item outside of the um, spreadsheet cells. Those two items are work that was done for uh, on the Nutri system moving in and out uh, data for nutrition. So, those items were pulled out out of this bottom number um, so that they could be paid out of the nutrition funds.

Mr. Chairman, Mr. Corey, M. Chico, please forgive me, but um it was I can't really uh um I'm seeing what what Brightley's uh is it worth it? Is it efficient for us to keep Brightly on a contract?

So, it's it's we have an investment in Brightly. I believe that the system is now Yes. I believe that the system now is doing exactly what we wanted to do. Um, we do some finetuning now and then on it, but we're doing it at a different pace. Um, and we are utilizing much more of the system than we ever have. some of the back data in the back um that that

shows the Brightley work and and what we pull out of it. We'll show you the um where we are with work orders uh different items uh within um the Brightly menu, so to speak. um how many work orders completed, um where we stand with some of those work orders, uh which categories they fall in, uh which departments that they um that are doing that particular work. Um, so what I would suggest is, um, if we would

take a little bit of time at the next subcommittee meeting on the 23rd and put this up on the screen for the members of the subcommittee or whoever else is there to see the system from where we see it and the amount of data that we can pull out of it.

And would you bring it back to the full committee again after that? Well, I would I would suggest that the subcommittee would make that recommendation to bring it back, but I I I believe that it it it's easier to see it in action than it is to actually look at it in this form. No, because it feels abstract to me. So, I'm just trying to get a handle on on the

motion itself. U you know, the the item itself and um I think that's a great idea. Bring it back to the subcommittee.

Mr. Vice Chair, what do you think on that?

I think we did anybody else have a question on Brightly? Mr. Mr.

Um, do you yield?

Yeah.

Yeah. So, one of the things that um why this is here before us in the full committee was because I asked for it to be on the agenda for the subcommittee last month.

So, when we met, we didn't get I I don't feel that we got the full story of exactly what's happened. So, I made the motion to forward it here so that we could finally get the information. some of the questions that I have and I I emailed the superintendent I know it was later today but also a couple of days ago related to the backup and the overtime which I think I've tried to

figure out now that these two spreadsheets are actually that's the overtime overtime for one person that works in the city in the school department to best of my knowledge yes just one person so I don't want to go on and on about the the my concerns about it I do think we can we can have a more uh robust visual of what it whether it's working or not.

My frustration is how it went from January of 2024 until now. And I I'm not telling you something that you probably can't anticipate that I was wanting this to be done sooner.

So when we did that, I had sent to the committee copy of them that meeting in January to watch. And if anyone had the chance to watch it, it's hard not to watch that meeting and realize we didn't get what we said we were going to get.

It seemed like it was going to I'm paraphrasing, but it was going to be more of a seamless transition to get this thing working up and running. Mr.

Simmons said it was on wonderful like so that meeting sort of wasn't truth and advertising to me and as we went through I was like when is it coming? When is it coming? Because I'm concerned about accountability, making sure that people know the schedules when they're coming, the principles to be trained. Uh a lot of questions. Uh ultimately I knew something was going on. I just wasn't

sure to what degree. It it bothers me and I asked earlier today for copies of the overtime slips to see who did this work and why because this is 40 I don't know 28 and 16 you know 44,000 40 $3,000 in overtime for a person who only makes $62,000 a year. So the person just for this Brightly project received $42,000 in overtime. I don't want to belabor the point. I don't

think it was appropriate. I don't want to go line by line and say, "Why couldn't that be done? Who didn't do it?" We can take that offline if we if we had to. Ultimately, this shouldn't have gone this long. I'm I'm upset about it. But at the end of the day, what can I do? You authorized it. Superintendent approved it. I There's really nothing I can do as one member of the committee

other than just to voice my displeasure that we shouldn't be paying an in-house person $42,000 to fix something that costs more than what we were told in January of 2024. the whole project was going to cost. So, I'm still upset by it, but I do think it's something that we could talk about and show us what it is. Well, I' I'd also like to have an answer to I think at the start of this,

the gentleman that's in charge of the cafeterias was the Brightly guy at one of the meetings.

I'd like all he was doing was gathering data for for Brightley. That's what he was doing. Not in charge of but gathering data.

Just want to when we forward this back.

Yes. That's one of the questions is why is the guy from uh cafeterias involved in Brightley? The other question that has definitely been on my mind and I've said this a few other times is why do we have why are we using this software and then technology uses another one for their asset management and like we were using this one first.

I get it.

I mean it's plain and simple. I've been using this since 2008 this software but Brightly only exists now. So I understand that but it is a it is a mirror of a two-way system.

My question is a two-way.

Yes.

One is if Brightly or school dude or incident IQ was the way to go. Like I I just wonder why we can't sit down and say why don't we have one whatever one that we all think or you all think that works. If we could do one for everybody that might make the most sense so somebody's familiar with it. So just when we refer this back sure that's just going to be a topic of

conversation. So with that, I make a motion to refer this back to the facility subcommittee.

Second with a question.

I have a motion to second. Mr. Das, thank you. Um I echo my colleagues remarks and concerns. Um just um piggybacking off of some of those um remarks. Um and I know this been going on for a few years. Have we ever had any staff um go out for like any outsource for any training in this software at all? ever go out uh way back when school dude first did come into the city and and

school department.

Who do we have?

Um I somebody went to um School Dude University.

We we they went out for a training.

Yeah. It wasn't under my tenure, but it that was training that was put on. Yes.

Okay. Um and it was a very robust training period. So Okay. Um, I just don't know who it was.

Going into the in-house for overtime.

What was I I apologize. My colleague said it's probably in the backup. What's the How much did we spend in overtime in house for It's It's in here.

Um I don't know the total.

That was a 2880 and 16838.

It's like 40 443,000 something like that.

Apologize. I'm better with the computers. But um that was a technology employee or was that was a technology was technology employee.

To be totally honest m Mr. Das and again to everyone I do not have the tech technology background to do this work and the feeling was that when I reached out to ask for help people helped because that's what people do. So, I don't I'm not going to say that this should have ran its course the way it did. Um, but the system needed to get up and running and the signatures on those

overtime sheets kept coming. You know, they're my signature on the overtime sheets. So, I take full responsibility for signing those. The work was getting done. Absolutely. No, I that that I don't I don't agree or disagree that work needed to be done with technology to get this up and running. Uh my concern is more of a systems concern. Um the superintendent, did you ever sign off on the overtime?

Like no.

So maybe going forward we can discuss at the subcommittee level getting clarifying those systems and sharing we have um I can clarify the system if you want me to. I mean I can do it now. So since this came to light and since some you know some other overtime came to light all of the departments when the before starting a project like this or any other that isn't you know whether it's overtime like overtime for

a storm or overtime because something needs to be done immediately. Any projectbased overtime has to come for approval.

That that is something that came up.

Yes. No, I'm glad to hear that. Um I don't know if you I seriously don't know if you reported that on that in the past, but um I know there was concerns about this in the past. Um but I'm glad we're I'm glad that's in place. So I yield with that. Thank you.

Okay.

Just uh Mr.

For the subcommittee based on that discussion we just had, if we could get Mr. tell me superintendent and you together to write something up to say what that is because I do believe that two years ago we already created a policy that said the superintendent has to approve all overtime fiscal control.

So if you can just get us that I appreciate it. Thank you. I yield.

Okay. Since that was just a discussion on 105. We'll go to 10 six which is I'm sorry Mr. um A made a motion to refer Brightly.

Oh I'm sorry. Let's let's let's refer it. Uh Deb, please call the RO.

Mr. A.

Yes.

Mr. D.

Yes.

Mr. Corey. Yes, Mr. Monus.

Yes, Miss Riley.

Yes, Miss Stewart.

Yes, Mary Kan.

Yes. 10 six is a discussion and vote to approve.

Move to approve.

Second.

Watson Pantry. I have a motion to second. Any discussion on 106 hear?

None. De I just I don't I don't I don't have a I just would like to have an update as to what that pantry is going to look like.

So, from the subcommittee, uh we did ask the question. So, it was a food pantry that was located somewhere else. They were removed from there, so they needed a place to go. It services many, many Watson uh people. So, the questions we asked were, are they going to be there when there's staff uh students there?

No, we have to pay a little overtime for a security guard to be there, but that's basically the gist of it. We're offering space to a food pantry that's going to service very many students, families at the Watson.

That's real good. That's that's great.

That's Thank you. I have a motion, a second that call the roll on 106, please.

Mr. A, yes.

Mr. Das, yes.

Mr. Cory, yes.

Mr. Monus, yes.

Miss Riley, yes.

Miss Stewart, yes.

Mayor Kugan, yes. 107 is a discussion and vote to approve the following job descriptions that were referred from facilities and operations subcommittee presented by Ken Pachico, chief operating officer.

Point of parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. Das um I have a concern and I'm just noticing this on the agenda. I would have raised it earlier that we did not list to specific um job descriptions that were changing like the specific positions and I think we would run into an open meeting law issue. Um that's that's my concern. I yield.

Does that sound right?

It probably would. Yep.

So, we'll hold this one.

Motion to table.

I have a motion to table.

Second.

Second. 107. We're have a motion, a second to table. Deb, call the role on tableing 107.

Mr. A.

Yes.

Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Corey.

Yes.

Mr. Monus.

Yes.

Mr. Riley.

Yes.

Miss Stewart.

Yes.

Mayor Couan.

Yes. 108 is a discussion and vote to approve the capital improvement plan as presented by Ken Pacico, chief operating officer.

So, um this is just um portion that's removed from the overall city capital plan and u these are the items that we have. These projects, some of these projects have been um in the works for quite some time, keep moving in and out of um the different categories in the years. Um, but we've gone through all of these uh projects and we know where some of the funds will be coming from,

projects that are going to be MSBA available. Um, and those that um will probably be a um a city bonding um piece. If you go to page on these would be page 25 which is the third page from the end. It basically just gives you a description of each one of the items windows and doors at uh Maduras at the Robert El Maderas Resiliency Prep. Um that project is been funded. That project is um probably in

80% completion. All the windows are installed. Um we do have a little bit of work left there. Um but not um not a lot left. And we're hoping to wrap that project up um by the end of this month or be um mid um mid-March fire suppression system. Um so these if you look at these here if they're all under RPA then they're all RPA 290 rock uh pieces. Um fire suppression electrical upgrade plumbing

asbestous remediation. So $500,000 of your bestus remediation is the uh estimate that that we have. If we did every little piece of asbestous, some of it will be encapsulated. Some of it is already encapsulated where we wouldn't be removing it. Floors, things like that, we wouldn't remove them. We would be encapsulating them with the new floor on top of that. Mostly floating floors.

Um motion like motion to approve. Second.

This is 108. I have a motion and a second to approve the capital improvement plan. Mr. Mr.

Mr. D, are you going or you want Mr.

Just a quick comment?

Okay.

So, this uh will also be on the agenda for a future facilities meeting where we can get into uh a little deeper into it.

This is just sort of the wish list, but I'm sure we have questions about the specifics. That'll be on an agenda February 20 uh February 23rd.

Sure.

Thank you, Mr. Das.

Thank you. Um, so all the items, um, and I'm just pulling up my laptop now to get back into the backup. All the items, this is all being paid for by the city.

Um, is it all some some we would be looking for outside source, whether it be MSBA or some kind of grant funding, CEC funding, different green um, systems funding. So, we're not looking we're putting it all here, but it does fall into different categories uh, of which we will always apply for those grants when they come available.

Right. Um, I I support the capital improvement put like everything that's listed in there. If we can just get like a list of like um the funding sources like what you just said, but in like a one pager whenever we have a moment that appreciate. Thank you.

108, please call the role.

Mr. Hig, yes.

Mr. Das, yes.

Mr. Corey, yes.

Mr. Monus, yes.

Miss Riley, yes.

Miss Stewart, yes. Mayor Coven.

Yes. 10. Yes. 10 nine is a discussion a vote to approve the naming renaming subcommittee leave to withdraw as referred by the facilities and operations subcommittee. Mr. Aguar.

So we had a list uh come before the subcommittee uh with outside uh people.

I don't want to get into a big discussion over it but ultimately the original uh plan back in the day was superintendent vets the can anybody that has a need and it's going to go to the facility subcommittee for further vetting before it comes to this thing.

So there's several layers of uh vetting for the naming and uh so I make a motion that we approve the recommendation that's in the binder saying the superintendent shall vet each request for naming or renaming prior to sending the request to the subcommittee for further scrutiny and recommendation to the full committee.

Second motion a second. Any further discussion on that one 109 Deb would you please call the role?

Mr. Agam.

Yes.

Mr. D.

Yes.

Mr. Corey.

Yes.

Mr. Monus.

Miss Riley, yes.

Miss Stewart, yes.

Mayor Kan, yes. 1010 is the first reading of discussion of a school committee officer's policy as referred by the policy subcommittee and presented by Colin Das, school committee. Mr. Das, thank you. So with this policy, basically um the subcommittee had a um very robust discussion on it and we um added some language that provides um additional additional checks and balances and um oversight over the

systems and made slight adjustments to the policies. Um, I fully support the implementation of the language.

I I yield. I'll open up for discussion.

Attorney Assad.

Thank you.

With respect to uh the first matter which is policy BDB, uh policy BDB, the changes actually I would not advise the committee to accept. uh city of Fall River has a charter. A charter is very similar to a constitution. It's actually the constitution of the local entity which is the city of Fall River. The school committee has the right to make certain rules and policies. But those rules and

policies have to be within the umbrella of the the uh uh charter itself because once it bumps up against that or conflicts with that, it is uninforcable and improper. and invalid. Uh with respect to our uh particular uh our particular uh uh charter uh there are certain provisions in there. One of them is is that the mayor makes all appointments to all committees whether regular or special. The first change

that has been recommended is to appoint subcommittees subject to the approval of the school committee. That is improper uh because it actually conflicts with the uh with the city's charter and therefore would be uninfor uninforceable.

Attorney point of um point of order or point of um parliamentary inquiry. Could you read the um section of the charter into the record that you are referring that conflicts?

Say it again.

Could you um read read the charter language?

I have it right here. Unless you got it, Mr.

G, it got it too. Okay, one second.

Can I just ask a clarifying question on this?

Sure.

Uh part two is there's another red in the bottom. Is that the same policy?

Yes.

Okay.

Okay.

Powers and duties. The chair shall approve the agenda for the school committee meetings. The chair shall preside at all meetings of the school committee, regulate its proceedings, and decide all questions of order. The chair shall appoint all members of committees of the school committee, whether special or standing. The chair shall have the same powers to vote upon measures coming

before the school committee as any other member of the school committee. The chair shall perform any other duties consistent with the office that are established by charter, ordinance, or other vote of the school committee. The vice chair shall preside in the absence of the chair. That is section 4-2 of charter. I I don't believe um the subcommittee made any changes to the um appointed authority of of the chair who

is the mayor. Um the the mayor with this um if this updated policy were to be approved the um mayor still up has the ability to appoint. We did not touch um any of that language. you you cannot inhibit the discretion of the mayor or the chair in this particular case and making it subject to the approval of the school committee does just that. Uh and it's my opinion that that is improper,

uninforceable and conflicts with the uh the city charter.

Attorneys, could you read section 4-5B of the Far City Charter into the record?

I read the all of the provisions of section four.

Correct. Could you you read 4-5B?

Sure.

No, he was saying he read it.

Yeah, he read.

He read 4-5B.

Yeah, this is a first read, right?

No, this is um I don't believe attorney. I don't believe you read the section. I'm referring to section 4-5 B of the city charter.

which has to do with school committee powers and duties.

Yeah, that's correct. But it cannot f cannot conflict with the charter. Period.

Attorneys, I don't believe you read the um the section. I I I'll read it. I have it up. Um 4-5B, which has to do with school committee powers and duties.

Section B states school committee has the power to make making all reasonable policies, rules, regulations for the management of the public school systems and conducting the business of the school committee as deemed necessary and desirable. Uh, Mr. Chair, I'd like to enter into the minutes um a communication between myself and the charter commission chair uh Mr.

which um supports my position and is my position that it was the legislative intent that the school committee can make has the ability to confirm the chair's appointments. I don't see this as a controversial issue and I'm um imploring my colleagues to support the policy as the subcommittee unanimously voted for. If we mind passing that down to the chair. Thank you.

I'd like to make a motion to approve through first read.

Wait, I'm not done yet.

Oh, go ahead.

Okay. First of all, it it violates the uh the charter. It is uninforceable. Um and it is invalid and that is my opinion. The second portion of the uh the change to policy BDB is also uh improper and uninforceable. Uh basically the charter itself and again we switch back to 4-2 gives the vice chair very narrow uh specific authority that is the vice chair shall preside in the absence of

the chair. What is on page two on the duties of the vice chair go far beyond that talks about acting on behalf of the uh for the in behalf of the chair. That is not what the uh charter states and it does not include uh the authority of the of the chair. Uh it it is only with respect to if the chair is absent that is not available or has recused himself

as a result of a conflict on a certain vote. It does not allow for the removal of the chair by any means by the the school committee. Uh the statements that are in this particular paragraph uh can be read to have a vote to remove the chair and that is uh that is improper and uninforceable under the the charter that we have. The absence of the chair as it's discussed in the charter means

he is not there or he has recused himself. He has done that in uh as a result of potential conflict also in the change it has about absence of performance that there's a potential to remove the chair that is improper. It is uninforceable and it violates the uh uh the charter of the city of Fall River.

Make a motion to approve uh send it back to uh policy subcommittee for further review.

Second.

I have a motion. Do I have a second?

Second.

Do I have a second?

Mr. Mon second.

Mr. Mona seconded. I have a motion to second. Further discussion hearing.

None. Deb call.

Mr. Chair, can I get clarification on the MO? This is to approve. We're setting this back first read back to policy. So I I believe it should go back based on what attorneys saying and because it's the first read. I think attorney Assad can come to the subcommittee and and answer to the other two members as well. Uh which he wasn't available at that time because it wasn't controversial. So I'd make that motion

so it goes back and if it does come before us, it doesn't have to go to a first read again. It would just be approved if needed to be. But it's basically to go work in subcommittee with attorney Assad, figure out if there is some language that we can re agree on that's within the duties of the school committee and then we can move on.

Call the RO.

Mr. Higan, yes.

Mr. Das, no.

Mr. Corey, yes.

Mr. Monus, yes.

Miss Riley, yes.

Miss Stewart, yes.

Mayor Coug, yes.

Um, which one are we up to? Number 1011.

First read in discussion. School committee member authority policy BBAA as referred by the policy subcommittee.

Why don't we just short circuit this if possible? Did you look at this one also, Mr. um Assad?

Yes, I did.

Do you have any comments you'd like to go before we Yes, I do.

Okay. Why don't you do that?

With respect to the the first uh change is action in addition to the the first statement. Uh first statement reads an authority because all powers of the school committee derived from state laws are granted in terms of action as a group. Members of the school committee have authority only when acting as a committee legally in session. That's a statement of law. That is that is absolutely correct.

Mr. Chair, I mean um Mr. Point of point of information.

I'm sorry, Mr. Dice. Go ahead, please.

Attorney side, if you're going to be giving legal opinions quoting state law, why didn't you provide the state law that you're that you're citing that what are you talking about?

You you just stated that I said that the state that there is state law, if I may, you just stated that there is state law that governs but that it's not provided in our backup or it's not provided here today. Well, I think didn't you call me on Sunday and ask me about this or was it was Saturday during the storm? Uh, and I and you mention you asked me to take a look at

this and I said I would do the best I could to try to take a look at it before this meeting on Wednesday. Do you recall that conversation?

Yes.

Yeah. And I did. Okay. in this particular section that I just read actually is a policy already that we have and is the law because the school committee cannot act unless it acts as a body and is in a an official session.

If I can ask a question, when the school committee signs off, do you consider that minister ministerial? Do you consider that when the city when the school committee signs off on financial batches which we do is that a ministerial function or are we acting as a full body? How would you that's that's where the the you have over here you've added here except in cases where committee members

are required to sign off on financial documents which you meant as the batches. We talked about that. Correct.

I just added a little sent a little um uh phrase after that. Now I'm going to read it to you. Says school committee members may sign off on financial documents approved by the committee and legally legally in session while legally in session. So, as long as they approve the the bill and the contract and so forth, then yeah, you you'd be able to sign it. We do that all the time.

School currently, two members of the school committee sign off on the um the either contracts under 25,000 or expenditures. So, with that language, what what would happen?

I haven't I I haven't looked at that and I'm not certain what you're saying. All I'm doing is I'm commenting on what you have proposed through the uh uh subcommittee as giving my opinion on what you have here and making recommendations.

That's perfectly f it's not even really controversial.

Uh please continue.

Okay. Uh you also have here there's a statement uh school committee will function as a body and all policy decisions and other matters as required by law. And we have here in addition will be settled by an official vote of the committee sitting in formal session.

That's the law. The uh you have crossed out will be settled by the an official vote of the committee sitting in formal session. When we discussed that uh over the weekend, you mentioned that you just thought it was basically redundant and and was not required.

Yeah, I think I think it should should stay in. One of the things Okay, you have no problem with that. Good. All right. Um, okay. You also have a chair or a quorum of the committee can call for a special meeting. Right now, the way the the rules read for the committee is that it's just the chair is empowered to call for a special meeting. You certainly could take a vote on that, but it would

be also be still remain subject to the chair approving the agenda because that's his role at pursuant to the charter. Can I ask a clarifying question on that?

Sure.

If um what hypothetically speaking, if we we have um we set we just approved a um new schedule for regular meetings.

Hypothetically speaking, if the chair did not approve any agenda for those meetings, do we just go home? Do we just not have a school committee? What would be the I the remedy?

Okay. The um the way the rule is is that the chair approves all agendas and that's what it states.

I I would assume that Mayor Kougal will approves all agendas.

Call meetings. It's not to not call them. So you're saying what if I didn't call them? My job is to call them.

If you don't Well, if you don't have an agenda, whoever the chair is does not you can't call a meeting, right? If you don't have an agenda, you've got a post.

Exactly. What I'm trying to say is if whoever the chair is either neglects the duty or doesn't follow through.

Yeah.

What do we just because there's a line in the charter, we just don't have meetings.

Oh, you know that's not the case for this.

The hypothetical question.

Hypothetically, hold on. Bruce, finish the sentence and go ahead. No, hypo hypothetically the uh question is if the mayor does not approve an agenda, do we have a meeting?

And the answer is no.

So we the answer is no.

So even though that we would we wouldn't have that would conflict with state law in itself because we we have many different requirements in terms of um financial documents we have to approve on um policies that have to be approved. So my position is as one member is and I'm imploring my colleagues to stop taking everything you hear as gospel and take action. There's some things I fully

agree that could be rectified. What I am strong weld on is the fact that the quorum of the committee, we are the school committee. it's not just one member can call a special meeting and we all know there is a need for a special meeting very soon. So I implore the committee at the very least to approve that one section of a special meeting and then we can go back and

discuss the the legal ease of attorney.

I'd request that attorney come to our meetings going forward so we don't running run into these issues going forward. But I am very strong willed.

I'm asking my colleagues to approve tonight that the quorum of the committee make a motion to approve the chair or quorum of the committee can call for a special meeting and send the rest of this policy back to the policy subcommittee.

Second um question first Mr. You want to say no just a second discussion.

So I have to respectfully disagree with the uh with this particular item. Uh it seems as uh what's behind uh the questions here is to actually change the city charter and to uh lessen the authority of the chair of the school committee and to have an entirely different set of rules in place where we as a quorum can now um override the chair. It just it just doesn't feel right to me. It's sort of like the

machine's not broken. Why Why are we trying to fix it if it's not broken?

That's my response. I yield, Mr. Aguia.

So, I would implore my colleagues to support this. This is actually the part that I just made the motion is actually just empowering the school committee at four members, which we have a lot of authority as four members anyway. So, it's basically like just reiterating, it's a low hanging fruit. It's a no-brainer. And then the rest of the policy is going to go back to the policy subcommittee just like the last one so

they can work out the kinks. But this one's sort of clear. Four members of the school committee say we want a special meeting. It should be called and then you follow the charter for the agenda is based on the mayor setting the agenda. That's in the charter. That's in the charter. This has nothing to do with his authority for that. This is empowering us to be able to say if four

members said we need a meeting, we should have it. I yield. Thank you.

May I respond?

Mr. Cory.

And so I don't disagree with that logic.

Um if four four members of this committee determine there needs to be a special meeting, all it needs to do is be routed through the chair to call it.

Let the chair work collaboratively with the committee. That's my suggestion.

That's it. That's exactly it.

Mr. Assad, is that allowed in the charter?

What's happen? Is that allowed in the charter to for the a quorum of the committee call? Yes, you could. It's it's not mentioned in the charter.

Okay.

And it's not implicit in the charter. So therefore, you can't.

Okay. Deb, call the role on that one line. And hold on. Are we doing it as one motion? Everything goes back.

Everything else back on BBAA.

Yep.

Yeah.

So it was it was I'm sorry. It was vote to approve that a chair or to keep that line in the chair or a quorum of the committee can call for a special meeting and to refer the policy back to the policy.

Anything else?

Quick clarification question on the motion. Um so this if this passes um the the set the one sent that takes place immediately.

Correct.

Okay.

I got a question. Does the quorum have to identify what the special meeting's for?

Well, they would they would have to because an agenda would have to be prepared.

Okay. Okay. And I have approval over the agenda, right? Thank you.

There's other policies on that, but Yeah.

Right. Yeah. Okay.

Mr. Aia, yes.

Mr. Das, yes.

Mr. Cory, no.

Mr. Monus, yes.

Miss Riley, yes.

Miss Stewart, yes.

Mayor Couan, no. So, the rest goes back on that same motion. The next item agenda up is number um 12 12 first reading discussion the district handbook as referred by the policy subcommittee and presented by Dr. Tracy Curley superintendent of schools.

So um included in the backup I believe are three versions of the handbook. Is that correct?

I haven't seen it.

Okay. included then are um a cover page with a summary of changes made to um our previous handbook and then there is a copy of um the handbook with all of the suggested changes as well. Okay. And so a little bit of background that I offered um at subcommittee is that each year we review our district handbook and which we started to do um this year as well. It started um over the summer and

I believe it was in like the November of 2024 was when the previous handbook had gotten um approved and we thought we were on track to do the same this year.

Um and then just ran into a lot of discrepancies where we realized that the handbook itself um some of the language didn't match what had been changed in policy. Um there were a lot of questions as to what was required in our handbook versus what we had just done over time and at that point it was a a very very lengthy document. Um I sent the I contacted our um attorney um who

generally does work with us around studentf facing um policy and practices and learned that our handbook had not been reviewed um by outside council since um 2017 or 2016. So at that time I asked um for a review of the handbook and um some feedback in terms of anything that was missing or anything that we could do to streamline the publication without violating any expectations what belongs in a district

handbook. And this document reflects um that feedback as well as some feedback um from discussion at our um subcommittee meeting. The one thing that hasn't been updated that we did talk about at subcommittee was just kind of the formatting and um some things like that, but contact information and some um other small changes were they're all reflected in the um in the summary of changes.

Motion to approve a question.

I have a motion. Do I have a second?

Second.

I have a motion to second. Mr. D, thank you. Um we had a um semi- robust conversation at the subcommittee.

Subcommittee unanimously referred this um the changes itself um I thought for the most part made sense. I know we had some discussions. Um and my my I guess my only one question is with the outside attorney, how much did they charge us for going through this? I think I believe um I would say about $6,000 ballpark. Okay. And this was a this is attorney Joy. That's right. You said it

was attorney Joyce set this up for me.

Um attorney aside, would you consider um updating a policy manual with this?

Would you consider this to be routine legal? Something has to be routine legally?

No, I have no comment on that. I haven't seen the uh uh the handbook and and I would have no comment on that.

Could we get an answer at some point about what if this if you consider using outside attorneys would you consider this being routine legally?

Using outside of at outside attorneys attorney to review this handbook and make revisions throughout the entire fall public schools handbook.

Well, what what is wrong with that?

I'm not saying if it's right or wrong.

I'm just asking if it's routine.

I don't know if it's routine, but it's it's certainly done uh throughout the district. Yeah.

Believe the policy states that has to do with um receiving like um legal opinions without the authority of the school committee. States it has to be routine.

I'm paraphrasing. I don't have it in front of me, but something that's the question. Oh, well once once you have whatever you're quoting from, just why don't you send it to me and I'll take a look at it.

Thank you.

Okay, Mr. Dia, just I don't have the summary in front of me. Excuse me. But there wasn't anything controversial, would you say?

Uh, no, I don't think so. I mean, one of the bigger things that helped to streamline was really around um code of conduct which we replicated here. A lot of the recommendations really came from and I think this is what contributed to our having um conflicting documents is that if if we would put policy language into into the handbook, the policy would change and then the handbook didn't get

changed. So this suggestion was just made that we link to policy in places.

So now it's like a link to the district district um like code of conduct um and some other policies so that we're not you know playing a game every year. I mean I would say um that substantively there really there really wasn't much there. It was really about um updating names, content information for title nine and um and things like that and then just a lot of other cosmetic kinds of things. Probably the

one thing um that I would say was substantive is that we've had language um for many years that says um that strip searches wouldn't be conducted without permission of the superintendent and that was language that um was suggested that we just completely take out at the subcommittee meeting um to just read that they're just not going to be conducted by school staff.

Yeah. So, uh thank you for that. I would just ask somebody to look back saying where the heck that came from.

The strip search language.

Yeah.

You know what I'm saying? If we can find out where that came from, it just is obviously shouldn't be there, but I'm curious of how it went. But I asked that because if for instance, if we wanted to change next month the code of conduct, we could do that and it would link up is what you're saying is probably right. when we if we're in the practice of and I think this is how moving

forward with our website the documents are going to all be editable and so that if we change it in one place and there's a link to it it will automatically change in in our documents so I I don't know was there a motion on this already no it's a first read right so I make a motion I make make a motion that we wave all readings and implement this so that we're on the same

page with this is what it is as superintendent said it's not controversial but We need to know that we have this year's updated information rather than let's just wait for six more months. Took a little while longer, but let's just do it. Wave all readings and put it in with a quick comment.

I have a motion to wave all readings. I have a motion, a second. And Mr. Das, thank you. Um to my colleague, vice chair's point. Um I did have some questions. um not necessary questions, but I I believe it's um prudent that we do review our policies around um strip searches and police interaction. So, it was actually my plan on bringing those sections to the next policy subcommittee

meeting so we could review those next week. Anyway, I was going to send the draft agenda to the administration tonight. Um so, I think believe that should be looked at along with um our communications with SRO's whatnot. and I plan on inviting the police department to come down. Um, quick question on Spirit Wear if um, we could potentially get an update or um, just maybe we could reach out to MASC on what their

what their um, guidance is. I don't like using MASC once, but I do recall um when I went for my um my training, I don't know if they mentioned this to any of the new members around um actually maybe not because it was kind of like a side question, but around um dress codes and spirit wear, there's certain like constitutional questions I do know they brought up. So, just making sure we're

in line with um all that. We can get an update at a at a future. Thank you.

All right. So I have a waving of the readings and a motion to approve the district handbook policy.

I have a motion and second Deb call the role please on 12.

Mr. Aap yes Mr. D.

Yes.

Mr. Corey.

Yes.

Mr. Monus.

Yes.

Miss Riley.

Yes.

Miss Stewart.

Yes.

Mary Kougan.

Yes. Um 10:13 is first read and discussion social networking policy as referred by the policy subcommittee and presented by Scott Cabraw, chief information officer. Mr. Cabraw, so the original policy was created back in 2023 and as we know our world is changing ever so quickly and so has social media. So, um, the superintendent and I sat down and we tried to clean up the language and met with the policy

subcommittee and came up with policy and DDD. Um, and they all voted to forward it to you all for approval.

Motion to approve.

It's a first read.

I apologize. Yeah, it's a first read with a question.

It's a first read, Mr. Cory. Glad myself uh me, Mr. Chair.

Yes, Mr. Cory.

So, no. Uh as as far as item number, uh C is uh teachers will not give out their private cell phone numbers or home phone numbers. Um are are their cell phone numbers uh listed or their phone numbers listed in any other publications throughout the district? Are they on are they on computer? Are they on the internet? Are they in the district? uh are they in the schools handbooks or any

other place where a student can get a hold of them?

We do not post any staff members um contact information or demographic information anywhere.

Back in the day there used to be a book a registry.

Yeah, we don't have a book with all staff members and their vital information.

Yeah, we don't have that little pocket book anymore.

I just wanted to make sure of that.

Thank you. I yield.

Anything else on the social network, Mr.

Mr. Das?

Yeah. know, I think this is a um a very good policy. It's robust. It updates everything we need to update in terms of um social media online use. I commend the administration for bringing it forward. It was passed unanimously. And just to remind the committee, we're also going to be addressing student to staff interaction as well. That doesn't have to do with social media. So, there'll be

more policies coming up. Um but I'm happy this one is being approved.

I yield.

It's it's just the first read. Motion to approve the first read.

Second.

Do we vote on the first read? Yeah. I have a motion to second on the first read.

Deb, call the role for the social network policy.

Ma, yes.

Mr. Das, yes.

Mr. Cory, yes.

Mr. Monus, yes.

Miss Riley, yes.

Miss Stewart, yes.

Mayor Coug, yes.

Thank you. 10:14 is a discussion and vote to approve the reviewed staff conduct policy GP EB as referred by the policy subcommittee and presented by Colin Das. Thank you. This is just um this the committee did not take any action subcommittee didn't recommend any action be changed or taken here. Um, Miss U Miss Riley recommended and I agree that the policy subcommittee should get in the habit of referring all

policies even if we don't actually take any make any changes to them just to present to the full committee to see if there is um if the full committee agrees and um take a vote there. I will say this and we had the discussion at the subcommittee subcommittee level. Um just to remind um some of my colleagues, I know this um policy has been a point of contention around certain grievances. Not to go

into detail. With that being said, I'm thinking about it. Um, I guess we could always just if there's certain issues that come up with this policy, we can always just um make new policy addresses that certain issue. So, um, my my position is that we should just keep this the same. I yield.

Anything further on the staff conduct policy.

Motion to to approve.

Second.

Motion. Yeah.

Motion to approve and a second on 10-14.

Deb, would you please call the role?

Miss Dragon.

Yes.

Mr. Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Corey.

Yes.

Mr. Monus.

Yes.

Mr. Riley.

Yes.

M. Stewart.

Yes.

Mayor Couan.

Yes.

Quick parliamentary question. Um, so now that we approved this, it's been reviewed. So, it's going to go. What's the process now putting this into the policy manual? I'm assuming it will be marked as been reviewed on this date or approved by the school committee on this date and um that will be updated in the policy manual.

Yes.

Okay. Aon.

So 10:15 is a discussion and vote to approve the 2027 budget calendar is presented by Dr.

Tracy Curley. 10-15.

So um what's here in the binder is um a proposal to alter the previously approved um budget calendar for um school year 27. and coming out of discussions. Um I think maybe it was the last meeting or the meeting before. Um, I think the idea is to offer an opportunity um the last week in February um to begin some meetings um with members of the school committee, small groups, individuals, set up some times

so that we can um discuss some of what's being proposed change in the current budget so that before it comes to full committee for a more formal um presentation um to the school committee and to the public, there would be opportunities to have some smaller group discussions um in the weeks leading up to that so that we can incorporate um any recommendations into the full budget presentation.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Have a motion to second. Any further discussion on the budget calendar? Deb, call the role, please.

Mr. A.

Yes.

Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Corey.

Yep. Mr. Monus, yes.

Mr. Riley, yes.

Miss Stewart, yes.

Mayor Kugan, yes. 10 um 10:16 is discussion and vote to approve the revised human resource director job description as presented by Dr. Tracy Curley.

So, we um as people know, we um currently do not have a director of human resources and um we have we do have the position posted with a job description that was I mean I think it was likely updated uh when we advertised for the position the last time.

Actually, not sure. and we are um just proposing some changes to the job description that include a um and I will say there isn't a lot of it's it's not necessarily substantive. It's really these are just proposed language changes um with the exception of a new um salary range that um is being proposed. But then in addition to that in subsequent um conversations um with some folks I

think that there is some interest in doing more than just changing the job description for the individual position but um taking a look at maybe some structural change um to the organization of that department and I think central office in general. Um so additional um in the backup and I think Mr. Aguar, right? You were the person who provided some of the additional backup with model from um New Bedford. It is right.

Correct. Yes. Okay.

Any further discussion on the job description?

Make a motion to approve.

I have a motion.

Questions?

I I have a question. Do I have a second?

I'll second it. Go ahead, Mr. Hear.

So, I think it's uh we obviously need a uh human resource director. Uh we've needed it for a while. We've also I think need to needed to revamp our human resource department. Uh as you know, we I tried actively to give another position. We need a recruiter. We had audits done that say we should do X, Y, and Z. I keep hearing complaints all year about investigations aren't being done. They're not being done timely.

They're not being done appropriately.

They're not being done at all. I hear people taking it forever to get hired.

Like a lot of complaints. Some might be true, some might not be. But at the end of the day, I think we just need to now that we don't have a position there, I think we need to take a good look at what do we want to do going forward.

I've always maintained uh for several years now that we need the only departments in this uh school department that do not have an assistant superintendent between the superintendent and those departments is facilities, the various facilities departments and finance and HR. And in the past, we've had in other districts have an assistant superintendent-like position, a deputy superintendent,

whatever you want to call it, that actually oversees those departments. And then you have specific people like one person is going to be in charge of investigations, one person's in charge of this. So I think we need to reorganize and revamp our HR department while at the same time trying to find somebody interim. So I think the real issue is uh to put our heads together about whether we want to create a

different position, but the interim piece is where I think we need to uh go at this point and we have a need right now. Uh so I wouldn't want to necessarily even send this out personally, but we need to do something with the interim piece. Uh, and that would mean how do we advertise an interim piece with a salary that's like this amount which I think need to you need to do but also about the

investigations like I think we just need to do something different. So if we can get maybe some updates on where that is.

Uh I did forward the New Bedford or charts to the whole committee so that they could look at what do we have what does other districts have like us. I suggested to get other ones as well but I saw that one myself. Their HR department has 10 people. they have multiple assistants. You know, they have structures in place that I'm referring to.

Uh so I don't think it's out of line to add some higher level positions uh to make us more efficient and make sure we get things done. But the two things that I think need to happen personally is we need an interim person. So we need to I don't even think we gave you authority to say what that is. So that's the question that that's the question for tonight is if if this got approved, I

would want to post it as an interim position initially and that would at least advertise it that way. It did generate some interest and I but the the outreach that I received was kind of referral to me um and also agencies reaching out to do some you know offering some kind of I think that makes sense to say use the salary listed as an interim while the committee works

on how do we figure it out while you get us information. So I do think that if we called it interim with those changes I think that would be something that I would personally would go for. So I think it was motion was made. So I'll second it if it's an interim with the question.

Mr. Cory.

So based I I support I support that action so far. But let's say once an interim person is selected then would a committee be formed by the superintendent to discuss you know the restructuring of maybe the HR department? That's my question.

a committee would be formed. We're consistent.

We don't we wouldn't do that. So the superintendent, that's her responsibility to do, but I I can't speak for the superintendent, but I would assume if we got a real great person that comes in interim where everybody's happy with them, they would be part of that process. We would, you know, if we were going to formalize it.

So I would say that's not an oper. We just like uh if it's an assistant superintendent, we would have to authorize it.

That's fine. I just want you to have an idea of what it looks like.

Yep.

I think it makes sense to do it this way and save for another day the rest of the discussion.

Mr. Chair, Mr. Das, thank you. I like just to um make this more formal. I'll make an amendment to the motion that these changes um to the HR um director description are for an interimm appointment only.

Second.

Well, what but what if a uh a cracker jackack comes along?

We'll have that discussion when the cracker jackack comes along.

I mean, I want her to know she has the flexibility. If you're going to put a committee together and somebody comes in with 10 years of experience as human resource director and my my my question would be what if we either well we just had the discussion of potentially and I'm and I'm in favor of moving this to like like my colleague just said more something along New Bever's lines. So it

might be a whole new position that that cracker jack or whoever comes in can can take a part because of the contract.

Okay.

Yeah. And I would just say that if there's going to be a structural change and we're looking more aligned to something um you know rel assistant superintendent, it would require different certifications. It could be that a person who's coming in as an HR director is does not have the same qualifications or experience as somebody that we would hire as. Um, but I I guess the the only question I would have is I

know that sometimes when people um post for interimm positions, they let people know out there, but you cannot be a candidate in the event this we post this as a permanent position and in it doesn't seem like that would necessarily be the case here because the next position would have a much more robust um selection committee and things like that. So, would it be a good problem to have to

have somebody come? So I think just I say let's go with it and let's hope if we have a good good quality person obviously we would want to keep them and and and uh but right now we just need to post with a higher salary for the interim try to get some somebody in.

All right De we got a motion.

So is that the initial motion?

Yeah the initial motion.

All right De call call follow an amendment made by Mr. Das correct?

Yep.

Called a amendment first to the human resource position.

Mr. A.

Yes Mr. Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Corey.

Yes.

Mr. Monus.

Yes.

Miss Riley.

Yes.

Miss Stewart.

Yes.

Mayor Coug.

Yes.

Now on the um on the position advertisement as amended.

I have a motion to second on that one already. Deborah. No.

You do. Mr. Corey. May the motion and you second.

Call the role, please.

Mr. AA.

Yes.

Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Corey.

Yes.

Mr. Monus.

Yes.

Mr. Riley.

Yes. M Stewart.

Yes. Mr. Mayor Kan.

Yes. 107. Mr. Mayor, Mr. Along those same lines. So, one of the complaints that I've heard and it's a struggle. I guarantee it's a struggle.

I know it's a struggle relative to the investigations, uh, the situation, um, how many are out there, how long, we've all asked the questions. People have bombarded us with information. The staff has bombarded us with information. I'm not sure that we were left in a great position when Mr. Lai left. With that being said, I'd like to make a motion that we authorize the superintendent to

contract with a law firm to clean up all these investigations and make sure they're done in a timely fashion. And the authorization is up to $100,000.

Say that again. I'd like to authorize the superintendent to spend up to $100,000 with a law firm that does investigations specifically to come in and clean up the investigations that we have and make sure that whoever we're going to get for the job is coming into a clean slate because right now it's all over the place.

How many do we have? Do you have too many?

Do we have a lot?

Too many in my opinion.

Do you have any idea on that, Trace?

I don't know off hand. I do know that just in the past week we've wrapped up a good amount.

Okay. All right. Well, it's a 100,000 up to. So, given that's and and the reason why I say that is because when when I've either heard about or we've seen bills or whatever right now, it's like if we were all law firms, you're doing one, you're doing one, you're doing another one, you're doing another one. It's all over the place. What I'm suggesting is we have we go with somebody that does

investigations and say this is our investigative agency and have them do it all. Right now, it's all over the place.

People don't know what it is and it's going on and on and on and we got people are on leave for too long. Either do the investigation, bring them back or not bring them back, whatever you got to do.

But it's all over the place and we have too many under new business or do it now when I mean we can do it now because it's related to this topic I think under human resources.

Yeah. Because it's part of how we're going to get through human resources. As part of the new human resources advertisement, we'll couple it with a law firm with a cap $100,000 to conduct all investigations pending in the for public schools. Do I have a mo on Miss Stewart? I have a motion. Do I have a second on that?

Second.

Okay, I have a motion. Second, Miss Stewart, I'm okay with that. I'll go with that.

My thing is if I'm paying somebody $100,000, can we put like a a time frame on that because I feel like some of these investigations have taken forever.

We can't put it a, you know, hey, can this be done in 30 days? Hey, can this We need a time frame on some of these things because if not, we're paying somebody $100,000 and it could take six months.

It's not. It's up to I mean, they're going to give us 5,000 for this one, 8,000 for that one. But I, you know, I don't know what you could put do for a time frame because if if we're given as much money as Mr. U Aguar put in the thing, they're going to move. They're going to move, I think. So, I have a question, Mr. Aar. Oh, hold on, Mr.

Well, they're going to take their time.

That's my problem. They're going or they could take their time. I have I will stop it. Mr. uh Corey then Mr.

Aguar.

No, no. I'm I'm in favor of the motion.

Um but how do we vet who that law firm is going to be?

Mr.

So basically what we're doing now is a hodgepodge of basically whatever Mr. Lai was saying. Oh, it's that company. This one did one. That one did one. So it's all over the place. But there's law firms that are out there that do this for a living.

So some of them have So how do we make that choice?

That's up to the superintendent to decide. So, we're giving her authority and that comes back to us for approval.

No, it doesn't need to because we got to get it done. But ultimately, if you have a law firm, for instance, that does investigations. They have 50 lawyers that all do this or whatever.

Investigators, they know how to do it.

They're professionals. It's timely. It's everything else. We're a professional organization. We have, in my opinion, been willy-nilly a little bit through the HR department of oh, it's that one, it's this one. So, when I asked Mr. Lai, how long is it that we can have an investigation? to Miss Stewart's point, he says, "Well, no, we don't tell them at this whenever they can get the

interview done or whenever they can get this done." So, it's hard to not put it because you're binding them. But my theory is we get a professional organization with plenty of workers that do this for a living. It's naturally going to be because that's what they do.

So, it's going to be more professional the way if I think this goes through.

So, it's up to the superintendent to pick an organization that has that bandwidth to be able to do it.

I yield. Thank you, Mr.

Chair. Mr. Mr. Das, I wasn't I wasn't done. I wasn't done, Mr. Das.

Continue.

No, I didn't yield.

Oh, go ahead, Mr.

So, back to my question. I I respect I I I like the idea of it, but how do we know that whoever we settle on as a law firm is going to do the job for us?

That's my question. Do we ask attorney Assad for referrals? Do we ask corporation council for referrals?

Where's where do the referrals for that law firm come from? That's what I'm asking.

I don't know if he's asking me.

No, I I I Mr. A. Go ahead. If you want to talk.

The only thing I would say to that is at some point we have to trust that the superintendent is going to pick the law firm that can actually get the work done. We not we're not privy to all of the how many we have and how many are coming up and whatever. So, we're just kind of giving her the authority to do it, and it's up to her to pick the right

person or the right organization that's going to meet the needs that she knows we have. She can't tell us all of the details by nature of exactly what's happening, as you all know. So, we have to just say, "Here's the money. Go and and it's like you have a a fancy car, you're going to go to I just want to get the best law firm possible."

And we trust that whoever's the uh she's going to pick is going to have that bandwidth to do it. And it might be somebody that we already have, but I'm just saying that we need to the urgency of this of we can't wait for another HR guy. Maybe we'll get a cracker jackack, maybe we won't. We can't wait. It needs to be the investigations are being done.

And it might be a model going forward that says that made a lot of sense. So let's when we reorg the department, that's what we do is we just contract with the it could be that, but let's just try it. And I think we should just get a roll call to move on.

Anything?

Mr. D, do you Mr. Cory?

I'm all done. I um this um very quickly on this I'm even I think it should even be considered that we could even just have a outside law department just handle HR. We don't even need the position. I think that's something that should be I think that's food for some other not today.

Yeah, let's vote.

Um and lastly, I just want to go on the record and just state I think we need to pick an organization that has um sound billing practices. my opinion, we um contract with some organizations and we'll talk about in the next item that just um rip us off pretty much and just um we don't have a contract with them, but I'll save that for the next one.

Thank you.

Roll call.

All right, roll call.

Mr.

Yes. Mr. Das, yes.

Mr. Corey, yes.

Mr. Monus, yes.

Mr. Riley, yes.

Miss Stewart, yes.

Mayor Couan, yes. 1017, Mr. Chairman, Mr. A. So on this item, uh we talked about this at the agenda setting meeting and we did talk about how to streamline things and make sure that we're on the right track with what we're doing. This particular item was asked to be on the agenda about outside law firms. We've all had discussions about how much we're paying and the like. At at the agenda

setting meeting, we do have a policy in some way. It's probably not robust or whatever, but it refers to legal reason to hire an outside attorney. That's the reason why we put this on the agenda so that we just refer this to the policy subcommittee. We don't need to have discussions about it, but moving it forward to them is there's going to be robust discussion about guardrails, contracts, and everything related to

outside attorneys. So, I make a motion that we send this to the policy subcommittee.

Thank you.

I have a motion, a second. Any discussion on this one? Let's call them.

I'm sorry, Mr. Aguier. I I could barely make out your words to the microphone. policy subcommittee.

Tom, basically, we're just referring this to the policy subcommittee without discussion.

Referring what what all of the attorneys, so the outside attorneys, how much money we spend, what's the policies, do we have a contract, do we have a a blanket contract, things like that. So, it's it's just referring there.

Mr. Das asked that it be on the agenda.

So I believe as part of uh my duty as vice chair is to take the members concerns to the agenda setting meeting and then logically say where it should go rather than have it just be thrown out and then so we didn't dismiss it. We just said it's going to go to policy subcommittee.

All right. Call the vote.

Mr. A.

Yes.

Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Cory.

Yes.

Mr. Monus.

Yes.

Miss Riley.

Yes.

Miss Stewart.

Yes.

Mayor Cougan.

Yes. 1018 is discussion and vote to approve training for all chairpersons as presented by Colin Dia school committeeman.

Um thank you and I I believe just in a brief conversation with the vice chairs that the recommendation of this go to policy subcommittee as well.

Yes.

I will just actually not to sorry not to the policy subcommittee. We just uh my I'm just going to speak briefly if you don't mind. So basically what happens on this is we talked about Mr.

Das asked that we have training for the chairpersons which currently it would be the mayor and myself as vice chair. At the meeting we talked about it might make sense for us to have chairperson training because any of us are chairs of our various committees. MASC has a thing that looks like this. It says role of the chair. It goes through this is around 10 years old but they run a

little uh training for us. So I believe that it's important that we all work on training not only the chair and the vice chair but everyone. So the theory would be to have uh the superintendent or the chair contact MASC to come down and give us a training all of us a training on the role of being a chair.

So what would you look for for a motion?

Basically just authorizing the chair to contact MASC to schedule a uh training.

I make that mo I make that motion.

Second.

De call the roll.

Mr. A.

Yes.

Mr. Das.

Yes. Mr. Corey, yes.

Yes.

Mr. Riley, yes.

Miss Stewart, yes.

Mayor Kugan, yes. 10:19 is discussion. The facilities and operations subcommittee recommend that the mayor invite Al Olivera to attend the February school committee meeting to speak about snow communication with the district as presented by Kevin Aguia, vice chair of the school committee.

This actually wasn't Thank you. This wasn't actually mentioned for February because obviously we can't mandate, you know, it was only a subcommittee, right?

So February is already here. The issue was we at the subcommittee were concerned about the uh snow as we talked about earlier. Uh we're concerned about how the streets weren't ready for buses.

Uh why the sidewalks weren't done.

Various concerns about snow removal across the city. So the school committee is under our purview to have those discussions. But uh somebody from the city which Al A Al A Al A Al A Al A Al A Al A Al A Al A Al A Alivera is the director, we asked that he come to a future meeting to discuss those uh the snow removal process. I'll maintain that we need to do that so that we can

actually fix some of the problems that we had and figure out why did we have the problems that we had and how can the school department and the city work together to make sure that the streets are done better, the sidewalks are done better, and we're ready to send our kids back to school safely. motion to send a formal invitation um from the school committee um through our clerk.

Second.

Yeah. I don't I don't even think we're supposed to be able to tell city employees to come in front of the committee.

We're asking we're respectfully asking.

Well, it's going to be really respectfully because I don't know if this is going to go through. I'll talk to what attorney Deb call the role.

Actually, yeah. I want to make an amendment to that. So, I make an amendment to that motion that we invite anyone that the mayor wants to have present to us and and if not, the mayor has to answer the questions related to the snow removal at the March school committee meeting.

Yeah.

Second.

I have a motion and second on someone appearing before the uh committee in March to answer snow questions. How's that?

Perfect.

Go ahead, Deb. Give it a call.

Mr. Daga, yes.

Mr. Dus, yes.

Mr. Corey.

Okay.

Mr. Monus, yes.

Miss Riley, yes.

Miss Stewart, yes. Mayor Kogan, yes. 10:20 is a discussion and vote to approve to have attorney Assad or an outside entity or attorney Assad's choosing investigate the use of the maintenance garage as referred by the facilities and operations subcommittee presented by Kevin Ag. Huh. It actually is the maintenance the garage as well as the an art project that was done out of the maintenance garage. And uh this has

been an ongoing issue. Uh all this is simply doing is authorizing attorney Assad or his whoever he would like to get to investigate it to once and for all finally do an investigation on what happened uh and send a report to the school committee with his findings.

Motion still made.

Motion second. Deb call.

Mr. Chair. Oh, Mr. Chair.

Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. D. Go ahead.

Be very brief. I'd like to offer a friendly amendment that we also look into the complaints the school committee received around um improper overtime use.

Is there a second?

Second.

You Mr. Mr. Mon is seconded.

Uh so the amendment is to look into improper overtime useless the complaints that were received by the committee. Yes. this attorney. Take a look at those.

Is it related to the work in the garage though?

It's an it's an amendment to to the motion related to the garage. Is that what he's talking about? I don't know what he's talking about. Overtime in the whole district or Go ahead, Mr.

So, I think that uh this is narrow in scope to the two issues that we talked about.

Yeah.

Uh I don't believe that we need an outside person to look at any thing related to overtime. I think that should be done on the separate cover in a separate time with a separate agenda item, but I don't want to cloud it by asking for overtime and then it's a bigger thing. So, if I could respectfully ask that we stick to these two items withdrawn withdrawn and then we'll deal with that in a

future meeting. And if you if it's in a certain department like if it was a complaint about thing then it should go to the subcommittee related to that department.

Okay.

Withdrawn.

Deb give it a call.

Mr. A.

Yes.

Mr. Dice.

Yes.

Mr. Cory.

Yes.

Mr. Monis, yes.

Mr. Miss Riley, yes.

Miss Stewart, yes.

Mayor Kugan, uh, yes.

Now, for your information, we have a number of retirements, resignations, appointments.

Um, motion to um motion to approve with a quick question.

Motion to approve all with a quick question for information only stuff. Mr.

um Das, do I have a second on that motion? Second, Mr. Das.

Thank you. This um one of these I already brought up. I I know the director of campus services, I believe he I know he retired. He didn't resign.

Um believe Mr. McIntyre works at um he works at Watson and I know that because we received the complaints, but um it says Tany on here. Um, so I don't know if it was like some whoever sent the I don't know who sends the information over for it to go on the agenda, but just um just wanted to point that out as well. Thank you. I yield.

Okay, Deb called. Oh, I'm sorry, Miss Stewart.

Stewart.

So, when I went to the meeting um our training that we had, we had a whole discussion about different things and on it was these new appointments and everybody's addresses on them. We do not need to put these people's address on the agenda and I'm asking that we stop putting people's addresses on the agenda.

There's no reason for it.

Okay.

No concern to you, right? No. No. Fine.

I think that's makes sense.

Reason for that, right?

Is there a reason why we have to put the addresses up?

No. No.

That call the role.

Mia, is that in So, we're approving this, but I think we need to amend it to what Miss Stewart said.

Yes.

Well, she said she'll just end it right now. And that's No, I understand. But just to put it on the record, she's It sounds like she's making a motion to eliminate that address.

I'll I'll second. So for your information going forward will not contain addresses.

Thank you.

That's your amendment, M. Okay.

Seconded by Mr.

Mr. D.

Mr. Ded. Okay. De call the role on the amendment.

Mr. Aam.

Yes.

Mr. D.

Yes.

Mr. Cory.

Yes.

Mr. Monus.

Yes.

Miss. Riley.

Yes.

Miss Stewart.

Yes.

Mayor Kouan.

Yes. Now on the accepting of the for your information that has amended. Yes, Mr. D.

Yes, Mr. Corey.

Yes, Mr. Monus.

Yes, Miss Riley.

Yes, Miss Stewart.

Yes, Mary Kan.

Yes, Mr. Chair.

Mr. um Das.

Sorry, I I should let you read the the section first for new business. I just had new business.

Excuse me.

I I apologize. I I should have let you read the section first. I had new business, but I was going to let you read the read it.

Um, anybody have anything for new business?

Mr. Chair, Mr. Das, thank you. So, um, a few things. So, yesterday at a far city council meeting, um, there was some robust discussion.

Some of it had to do with, um, SRO. So, if I can just ask if we can just finally get the backup around this because I know there was some given maybe like a like several months ago and I'm just trying to understand how the process works. My understanding, this is my understanding, someone correct me if I'm wrong. We have eight SRO positions. We have one position that was approved in

the the most recent budget. One position is currently unfilled. However, I just heard from a um a sergeant recently that's going to be filled soon. Um and during this during this budget, my opin is is it true? Actually, I'll ask a question. The budget that was approved for the SRO's, did that include the 5% pay increase for the SRO's when the chief gave them the detectives pay?

So the budget includes $800,000 for SRO for this year is what the budget includes.

Were you aware when this budget was approved if there was going to be that 5%? Did we do we include Are we budgeted for the 5% increase?

I have enough money to cover it, but I don't when I when I built it, I didn't I didn't know what the percentage was going to be.

I I understand and I'm and I'm not hostile. I'm not against the the 5% um increase that was explained to me many months ago by the chief and and their team. Um but my question is we would need a transfer to cover eventually cover that makeup. Am I am I wrong for how much money the SRO's are?

Yes.

Depending if the line if the line goes over. Yes.

Right. So and I know the the clouds they get the lines get a little bit grayed when we discuss this. Um, so the police chief, they approved the um the 5% increase for the SRO's. We don't necessarily get much of a say in in that. However, it wasn't bud we it wasn't budgeted in the budget is my concern. So that should come down either for a transfer or or whatnot. But are we currently paying for

So we are currently when they bill us when the school when the when the police department bills us, we're paying for those increases despite it not despite us not having it approved.

Yes.

Um how does the overtime currently get approved? How what's the process for that for the SRO overtime? Currently I believe that the SRO's are working two hours of overtime every day before and after uh the day you know all one hour before one hour after.

Is that contracted or how we don't have to you don't have to give me the answer now but if we can just find out how that system works of approving the overtime I appreciate that. Um, next item and if we can just get one pager on this is the uh there was conversation at the city council meeting yesterday around MSBA project and I believe the exact words were there was a breakdown in communication on the school

side. We could find out I believe the issue is resolved now but we can just find out where that um breakdown happened on which project.

I have to go back and look. I can I can it it was mentioned in the meeting. I can send you that or I can find out.

Well, I'd like to make something perfectly clear. An MSBA project is operated by the city of Fall River. It is not operated by the school department. If there is a breakdown, if there is a breakdown, it's not on this side of the house.

It is not my responsibility to do the financials on any of these projects. And I'm not pointing the finger at anyone in particular on the city side, but I was on the city side when it was my responsibility. and know exactly how all of this works. And the system is set up very simple for cities, towns to do it, but it's never set up for a school department to do it. Maybe a regional

school district. So all of these items are approved and operated by the city. In cases where I feel the project is manageable, we handle the management side of it, which means that I go to all of the construction meetings So does other people go to those construction meetings from the city side. But ultimately if there is a breakdown on the paper side of this, it normally would land on those who have to

do the paper side of this project.

Do the principles have any say in that?

Who did?

The principal would have.

No, no, no, no. It's no city person, no school department person has say. This is strictly a city. All MSBA projects are the the money is awarded to the cities. They're not awarded to the school department. We do some of the leg work, but sometimes it's all on the city side. I can tell you that five of the buildings that were built on the city that prior to me getting on this side, I did.

Okay. No, I appreciate that. I appreciate the clarification. Thank you.

I yield, Mr. So related to the SRO's, uh, how do we do we actually take school department money and shift it to the city or is it just on paper that they bill us as a indirect cost for that? We actually paying it's a month it's a monthly bill that we get uh that we tie to payroll records every month.

Yep. So when in uh July one when the budget gets approved specifically and you might not have this information but this is I think what's going to clarify the issue on July 1.

You are looking at how much it's going to cost exactly for their salaries whatever they charge whatever there's a number exact number. It doesn't come out to 800,000. I know that's not the case.

It could be 798,600.

You know, it's not just 800,000.

So, what we're looking at is trying to figure out doing oversight to say how much do are we actually paying?

When last year's was coming up, there was uh whatever number if we did it July one of the previous year, if you would have got the salaries from the SRO's, there would be a certain number. Last year they were not getting a 5% differential to be a detective.

That the chief just unilaterally gave them outside of collective bargaining.

No re no nothing. Just they're getting 5% extra. And that should not happen if we had a budget that was specifically for the number. That wouldn't have happened because now you and the superintendent would have had to say, "Wait a minute. This is going over. Has to present that to the school committee." But that didn't happen because oh, we got enough money. let's just throw it through. But make no

mistake about it that all of the SRO's whether they deserve it or not isn't the issue. It's protocol and policy. We should say this is how much we're going to pay and if they get a 5% raise unilaterally based on just a decision that the chief made that is not okay the way that I see it. So we need an exact number of what it is for net school spending how much it's going to cost.

And then you look at the overtime. Mr.

Das asked about the overtime. What is the policy for overtime for the school resource officers?

Superintendent, what is the policy for? So, SRO overtime.

The all of our SRO's work two hours overtime a day. It covers us for arrival at our early schools and then dismissal at elementary school. So, right now, everybody works two hours of overtime.

It's something that we're revisiting in the new um and you signed off on all of those to to know like so No, I do not sign off on individual overtime if that's what you're asking.

Yes.

No.

Does anyone here in the building know what is in the SROU?

Mr. Pico might you might know. Mr.

Almeida, you might know.

I have it here.

Is there anything in the SROU that's related to the superintendent signing off on all the overtime?

I'm going to tell you that I've looked at the of the um the agreement. I don't ever remember looking at it and finding any of those items.

No problem. And I'm not saying you should. I'm not saying that you should.

I'm just going to tell you I'm going to tell everybody what is in it.

It states it for the record that the superintendent has to approve all SRO overtime. That's what it says in the agreement that we've had for multiple years. And I can tell you why it came up because at one point we didn't we were struggling for finances and then all of a sudden we got a bill. I think Matt Malone might have been the superintendent and they said, "Oh, by the way," and Mr. Almeid will remember

this. Hey, by the way, you're short 22,000 or 25,000 in overtime. Well, you say, "What the hell is that?" When that came up, we created a new SROU that says the superintendent has to approve overtime. Because what they were doing is saying, "Oh, I just got to work overtime." There needs to be a check and a balance on what we're paying. We don't just say, "Here's a blank check. We got

100,000 in overtime. Just go spend it."

That's not how it's supposed to work.

So, all I would ask everyone here to go look at the agreement and say, "Does this make sense or not?" And I don't know why they need two hours. So I'd like an explanation on why do they need each of them need two hours. So that means they're working 10 hours a day. We just had issues at schools. Like if we knew and you all know that they're working two hours a day, we should what

are we getting for that? Is it just to do the at the school or is it to troubleshoot it? There's just a lot of questions on it. So I'm looking for the detail of exactly what it is and how much money the overtime is as well as who's approving it. And I I'm telling you there's a a protocol in there that says the superintendent has to approve overtime for that reason.

With that I would that I uh I I do want to be clear though. There's nobody on this stage up here that wants to get rid of the SRO's. Um what we're doing is making sure we know that the uh finances cover what we're buying and that's all this is. Um Absolutely. I got a I got another issue.

Oh, this is new business.

Yeah, under new business. So approximately 5 days ago or more on uh last Friday, I had asked this the chairman of the school committee to put an item on the agenda under our school in the agenda format policy beb. It's clear that the chair uh can deny that request. The school committee then shall make his request in writing to the chair, vice chair, and the superintendent not later than five

business days before the date of their meeting. I did that. The topic will then be placed on the agenda for the regular meeting of the school committee. If for whatever reasons that requested topic is not placed on the agenda of the meeting, any school committee member may move under new business that the requested agenda topic be placed on the agenda of the next school committee meeting, the

next meeting of the school committee.

With that being said, I'd like to make this motion. I request that the following item be placed on the next school committee agenda to review the superintendent's contract, specifically item number nine.

Item number nine.

Second.

Um I and just so that the public knows item number nine is to uh to terminate the superintendent with no cause. Um obviously um I think it's a heck of a lift to ask members that have been on the board for 40 days now to decide the fate of our superintendent. I mean Kevin and I have vigorously disagreed on this. I think she's doing an excellent job and uh there is no reason to uh change horses

in the middle of the race. I don't think we should be touching this, but again uh as I said to Kevin when he brought this up, we'll follow the rules and do whatever you uh are allowed to do under the rules. So he made a motion to go I don't even think it's it's automatic, isn't it?

No, I made a motion to put it on the next agenda. Oh, I thought it automatically went.

I'd like to get a roll call.

Roll call. Do we have Mr. Das seconded?

Yes.

Yes. Okay. Deb, call the role.

Mr. Aia?

Yes.

Mr. Das?

Yes.

Mr. Corey?

No.

Mr. Monus?

Yes.

Miss Riley?

Yes.

Miss Stewart?

Yes.

Mary Kougan?

No.

Mr. Chair, Mr. Das.

With the new school committee policy, I'd like to make a motion we schedule a special meeting next week to discuss this issue.

second and if I can just further elaborate.

Go ahead.

Thank you. Just because this is a um an issue that's deserves a lot of attention. I believe it's important that we have this one item and we discussed that one item because if it goes to the next meeting, we'll have other items we need to discuss. This one should be solely focused on that one item. I yield.

Mr. Chair, Mr. Cory, this is a real heavy lift. I don't understand where this is. This feels like for me coming out of left field.

We just had high recognition for our AP program right here at Dery High School. It's skyrocketing.

It's getting recognized, Mr.

We we just chairman point of order.

Mr.

We just we we are getting accolades for our academic growth and progress. Mr.

Chairman, I don't understand point of order emanates from Mr. Corey. Wait one second. Please go ahead. Mr. Aaron, the point of order.

Why do I get cut off when I'm making a point of order? Hang on.

In the parliamentary procedure of how we operate a a meeting, if someone calls a point of order, that takes precedence.

Well, let's hear what the point of order is. Point of order is the item before us right now is a special meeting within one week.

That's all.

Well, hold on.

That's all it is. That that's the topic right now. It's not to go where Mr. Cory was going. The bottom line is it's just a matter of we the motion is to have a special meeting within one.

Well, Mr. Corey, you can finish up what you were saying. Go ahead.

I'm I just don't like I said, I feel like it's coming from left field and uh No, I'm going to vote no on this motion as well.

Yeah. I don't uh I don't know if we're going to do a meeting next week, but I can understand within 15 days or something. I'm just not doing it next week. I don't believe guys.

I'm not doing it next week.

Okay. I'll make an amendment that we have a meeting within the next 15 days.

There you go.

Second.

I withdraw my motion. I second that motion.

Uh okay. Within the next 15 days. Go ahead. Um Deb, call the role.

It was 1515.

Mr. Agam, yes.

Mr. Das, yes.

Mr. Corey, no.

Mr. Monus, yes.

Mr. Riley, yes.

Miss Ste, uh, Miss Dor, yes.

Mayor Kan, no. But we will have the meeting. Okay.

Do we have anything else? We have a request for executive session, Mr.

Assad.

Yes, we would.

National Laws Chapter 38 Section 21A7 to review and approve the executive session minutes for January 12th, 2026 regular school committee meeting. National Laws Chapter 38 section 21A 3 to discuss strategy with respect to collective bargaining including grievances relative to all administrators and employees represented by the forward administrators associations and chairs determined that no open session may have

a detrimental impact on a bargaining position of the committee. National Laws Chapter 38, Section 2183 to discuss strategy with respect to litigation regarding the Department of Labor Relations in the matter of former school committee and ask me council 93 local 1118 docketed with the charge number MUP 2410666 as the chairs determined that no possession may have a detrimental impact on the litigating position of the

committee. National Laws Chapter 38 section 21A3 and discuss strategy with respect to collect bargaining relative to all custodial employees of the former school system represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Council 93 local 118 is a chair determining position of the committee. We would reconvene. It may or may not be statements at that time.

Motion to enter executive session.

Second.

I have a motion and a second to go in executive session. Deb, call the role, please.

Mr. Yes, Mr. Das.

Yes, Mr. Corey.

Yes, Mr. Monus.

Yes, Mr. Riley.

Miss Stewart.

Yes, Mayor Cougar.

Yes, we will be back.

Executive session. Deb, please call the role.

Mr. Dia here.

Mr. D here.

Mr. Corey, present.

Mr. Monus, here.

Mr. Riley.

M. Stewart here.

Mayor Kugan.

Anything further to come before the committee?

Yes, Mr. Chair.

Mr. Aguar.

I'd like to make a motion that we approve uh approve the executive session minutes for January 12, 2026.

Second.

I have a motion and second discussion.

Deb, call the role.

Mr. A.

Yes.

Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Corey.

Yep.

Yes. One more, Mr. Go ahead.

I'd like to approve the job descriptions as negotiated for the financial manager and athletic trainer.

Do I have a second?

Second.

I have a second. Uh, any discussion?

Dad, please call the role.

Mr. Dag, yes.

Mr. Das, yes.

Mr. Corey, yes.

Mr. Monus, yes.

Mr. Riley, Stewart, yes.

Mayor Cougar, yes.

Motion to adjurnn.

Second. I have a motion, a second to adjurnn. All in favor?

I oppose. Unanimous.