3.16.2026 Fall River School Committee - Technology Subcommittee

Technology subcommittee meeting youth March 16th 2026 um 1.01 roll call Mr. A here Mr. Das here Mr. promise here.

Two. Salute the flag.

I pledge algiance 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.

Okay. 1.03.

Right. Open meeting law.

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 recording or transmission are being made whether perceived or unproceived by those present are deemed acknowledged and permissible.

Okay. Any citizens input?

No, there is none.

Okay. Discussion 3.01 01 discussion on uh and vote to refer copy machine RFQ.

Good evening everyone. Um so as you all know copy machines we have them in every building. Uh as part of your packet you received what we currently have for our fleet. Um this is an Excel sheet. This is what we currently have. um and some of the lease payments are on there um that are remaining. What I'd like to do um and I was working with uh former superintendent um I not yet had a chance

to sit down with superintendent Reposo at this time. So he's seeing some of this for the first time as as well.

However, what I'd like to do is I'd like to go out for an RFQ uh for managed print service and the district copy center modernization. Um, so just to give you a brief example, we have a diff district copy center which has two large format black and white machines and then we have a smaller color machine. A teacher is able to go online, upload their file, they can save it there. So

it's an online, you know, storage for that teacher. And then they can tell us how many they'd like printed. The job is then printed and then it's delivered via corer back to the building. So this system that we have now is called paper cut. There are other systems out there.

So as part of the RFQ, uh you'll notice on the last page. Um we're going to weight this as a 100point scale. So you can see the waiting of the RFQ. Um very similar to what I use for other tech RFQS as far as the waiting.

Um, we want whatever vendor comes in, whether it be our current vendor or a new vendor, um, to maintain our what they call manage print services, which is that system for a teacher or staff.

uh we have found it to be very um the teachers rely upon it now because they can save and whatever they did in that first week of September for their unit.

You know, they have somewhere that they can go for the following year if they decide to use the same paper or change it up a little bit. Um they have that option. Uh and then the other piece that we'll be doing is we have a lot of different machines in the district. And by different machines, I don't mean brand. We have four Kaneka Manoto machines that we had through an old

lease during COVID that um Mr. Pico and I were able to obtain. Um those we own outright so we're still using them because they're in good shape. Um so what we did is we put those machines in areas that m um they didn't have a color copy machine. So those four machines um we own outright. There are others on this sheet um that if there were questions that we own outright. Um and

there are uh machines on this list that um probably should have been retired 10 years ago because of the number of copies on them. So what's what I'd like to happen is there'll be a walk through with this RFQ. The companies can come in. They'll be able to make an appointment. I'll take them around to the buildings. They can see the different machines. But ideally we've been standardizing and with the help of

Mr. RA. Through the course of the last four years as chair of the committee, we've been standardizing what we use.

Every administrator uses the same type of laptop. Every teacher uses the same type of laptop. Every classroom has the same type of AV equipment. So, what we'd like to be able to do is do the same thing for every building because what that does is it makes us more efficient as far as uh fixing the machines. uh it allows us to carry the supplies that are used across the district and not

different canisters, different waste bins and so on. Um and the other piece is it'll um it'll be more equitable across the district because some of the machines do a little bit more than others do. So there are some machines that will fold in the district and other buildings do not have that. And the only reason that that's like that is because at the time that we would have gone out

for lease, um I have only gone out myself as a CIO once for lease, the new high school. Um when we would go out for lease, there would be a real good deal on a machine and the people that were involved before myself, you know, they would go for the better deal. Um so ideally, this will get us more equitable across the board. It'll make us a bit more efficient. And then we're looking

for some cost savings because part of the scope of services of this RFQ is going to be to buy us out of everything that we have in our lease. So that there's one payment uh Mr. Aguar uh Mr.

Almeida does an amazing job, but we have like different payments for different machines that we're still trying to pay off. Most of them are this fiscal year or next. What I'd like the companies to do is come in and buy us out, clean us out so that we stop from zero and all of the leases for the machines. It's one line and everything will be up to date and everything will be up to date. And

again, like I said, there are a couple of machines in the district that are still decent. We may decide to keep them or we may use them and, you know, we get a little bit of money off the lease because we own those outright. Um, so this will be a process. Um, I would like to get the RFQ out um by the end of the month. I have to talk with the city um

and make sure that my paperwork is in line with the new um process and procedures that they have. Um so I will talk to Trevor down at the city and then we will post this on our website. we will send it out via um the list serve that we have and uh let individuals companies come in and we will see um I think I I don't have [snorts] a bid

opening on here but I will put a date um I'm looking for sometime the week of April vacation the end of April vacation to close the bids and then open them sometime the week we return from April vacation that'll give the vendors time to put together a package and then it'll also give us time internally internally to meet with senior staff because we're going to get, you know, quite a few

companies um to bid on this. I get phone calls quite a bit.

Yeah.

Couple things. So, you said the the district copy center is in two places.

No, the district copy center is at CUS in the basement with the staff. Uh we have two big format machines and one color machine there.

So, what happens if you're in a school and you want to copy something?

You have copy machines in schools. I think this is for larger big jobs. So you could if you know you need 500 copies of X, you could send that out to the distribution center. So we do that one on the larger jobs, but your day-to-day copying for your classroom that happens at the site level.

So is it cheaper? Like what is the costbenefit analysis of a copy center versus doing it in the school?

Um, so I actually asked our current vendor to give me some pricing. I didn't get it for here. uh I can forward it off to you, but I can tell you that if we use the big machine, it's right around 3 cents a copy for black and white. And if we do it in the building, it's around 5 cents a copy just because of the size of the toner cartridges. But I do I asked

her for a breakdown and she will provide that to us and I will uh pass it along to you guys because if it's the same amount or close to it, it really makes no sense to have a district copy center potentially. you know, if if it's negligible. Now, we got a person like there's something else on here to hire somebody to to run it. So, if it's you got to just look at the cost

That's been How long has been? It's been about six years.

Yeah.

Right. I mean, so we got to figure out is it working? Is it not working? So right now we really do do we want to tech doing doing copies?

Well, so no I I don't ideally um but during the last you know three or four years um we just held off on that position. Um that's why I put it back as a you know a budget wish list item for this year so that we can fill it. Um and what I'd like to do is I do not have a clerk in my department. So, this person would be the copy center person and then also

they could do some clerk function is you know getting some of my um paperwork done uh purchase orders and such. Right now I'm doing all of that that's not in here.

That's not in that's in a request that you made on budget or yes that's in the request but it's not necessarily here. No, just a quick this is just machines.

Yep. Color copy policy in the district.

What is it?

So right now there is no color copy policy in the district. We allow people to make color copies. Um, we actually encourage it when they're using it for board maker and such. Um, however, looking at the cost, uh, probably, you know, it gets up there, especially if they're making bigger copies. Um, that's something that we may have.

I guess my question is in internal fiscal control of schools, if they have a color copier, who's watching how much they're copying versus others? And like there's some Do all schools have a have a color copier?

Yeah. So, all schools have a color copier and we have paper cut. So, paper cut, if you're in there, it'll show that you're the heavy hitter for color. I can run a report in paper cut and it'll tell me who the heavy hitter is for color, how many clicks, how many color clicks per machine. Um, today was a little crazy with the internet outage. I had planned to do that so you guys could see

it. Um, I'll send it to you tonight.

I'll I'll email that. But, we do have a way to see it can get costly when you don't realize it. And if it shouldn't be, I don't think different for [clears throat] each school. Like if it was a policy, it's a policy.

Certain things need color and certain things don't need color.

You know, uh special ed department probably needs it more than others, but like there has to be some sort of control over it because otherwise it's like, well, we're just going to keep spending money.

[clears throat] Just a couple more questions. How many What happens if a vendor uh signs up and then they go out of business?

Um, so we've never had that problem. Um, that's a great question because if they go out of business, the machines are here and unless we pay up front or we pay No. So, typically we pay in fouryear lease cycles. Um, and that's the way that I have this set up right now.

However, um, before it goes to Trevor, um, I haven't had a chance to sit with Mr. Almeida. We can always change. would have thought just put on data. Um I think we need to get the most uh bang for our buck when it comes to everything.

Uh but that means we got to ask a lot of questions and you have to ask a lot of questions so we can say what's the rationale. My last question is what do other uh districts do for their RFQS and for their copies? Like for instance, New Bedford, Taon, wherever. What have they used and have we reached out to figure out if they're doing something that makes sense or they did this and they're

like hey no don't do that. So it's actually one of the topics of discussion for the mastc director list serve at the moment um and I can tell you that our current vendor um is the vendor for New Bedford Dartmouth um some of the school districts around here um so it's really only the one vendor um that deals with them and they do the same thing that we

do as far as paper cut um so that we have a management service. So that is basically what's the name of the vendor?

Uh our vendor is core core.

They're out of East Providence. Yeah.

And if core currently goes out of business or whatever in the next six months, all those districts are going to be they're going to be looking for new machines or they're going to they're going to keep the machines that they I don't know. Food for the question.

Food for thought. I thank you.

Colin, thank you. Um if this this RFQ um once it's passed in the paper cut contract, that all comes out of our operating budget. This isn't something we could potentially add into the um the fiscal um trying to think the name of it is has had off top my head the um capital improvement plan something that we can potentially pass over to the city.

Is that is that feasible? Is that legal?

Is that something we can That's something that I can ask the qu I know Mr. Pico maybe.

What was the question? If we can add this to the capital improvement.

If we can add this to the capital improvement plan.

Personally, I don't think it's a capital improvement. Like capital improvements for like buildings and structures more.

So, this is sort of like the uh daily routine of a school like you need copiers. Uh just like you would need printers and you know so I I've never seen in my entire career that that goes to the city. So paper cut that's the company we currently have that no so we have core and then the software that we use for the managed print services is called paper

that has a couple um how do we was were they a state contract or how do we get them out they're a state contract um they have been around quite a very long time in this district um they are very um valuable I think currently like because if we call they're here within a couple of hours um they have gotten smaller and they have not replaced people. Um so Mr.

Aguiard is right. It is a question that needs to be looked at. Um and that's something that I will do because we can't have schools without copying machines. Um agreed. No, I think it's a good thing that we're um going through the the process. as you said, I think it's a way we can um potentially cut down on the cost by going through the formal RFQ rather than just going through a state

contract. Um on my colleague's point about if the um company shuts down mid year, mid contract, that's something we can put in um either in the RFQ if in the contract that would in terms that would be more favorable to us so we can avoid that if it happens. I will ask uh cooperation council. Um and um on the last point, the color copy policy, I think it's um I think that's

something that should be uniform across every single school as well. Um okay, we will look at a printing policy, printing and copy policy and um bring a draft copy to you. Um I make a motion to refer that to the full committee.

Second.

Okay, Mr. Yeah.

Yes.

Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Moses.

Yes.

Can I ask?

And this uh company core right now they take care of all the machines, maintain them and everything else.

They maintain them. They give us the supplies. Um if the machine I've this is how they've been good to us over the years. If the machine needs a part and they can't get it, they've offered us a spare. Um, we had last summer we had two guys hoof a machine up two flights of stairs uh because we were down here and they gave us a spare to use until the park came in. So, they've been very

responsive.

And some of the machines that you say are in pretty good shape. Um, are we even looking to keep them for backup just in case we have that issue?

We may we may. It depends on how good they are. I have to look at the clicks.

A lot of the machines are in the millions of copies right now. So, it wouldn't be something that I'd be hesitant to use even if it's in good shape because we probably could get some good money taken off of the lease price.

So, now the bigger machines that you just saying we have, are those the same machines that were in the pace building?

They are. So, those are the same machines. Um, so they've been around quite a while. Um, they're still, knock on wood, holding their own, but they they are end of life.

Okay. All right.

Okay. Now, you Um 302.

Okay. 302 discussion unit vote to referate 47471 forms.

Okay. So this is just something that we do every year to just give you an idea.

Um form 470 is for our internet service provider. Um and in the packet you'll see our Crown Castle contract. It's very uh straightforward. The it just a form that I signed with the dollar amount that the federal government, the FCC pays. they pay 80%, we pay 20% of that cost. Uh our current vendor, Crown Castle, we have until u fiscal year, end of fiscal year 29. Um so that happens

every year and that's just more of an FYI for you guys and and also for the full committee. Um then there is category 2. Category 2 is for wiring and for equipment. So this year um it is currently out to bid right now. We have an -ate consultant called -ate.com.

They've been with us uh probably close to 20 years. Um they do all of this so that way there are no errors on our side. Um this is what they do every day.

They put together the bids. It's out there right now. March 28th is when it will um they will send me all of the bids and then I will go through and I will wait them accordingly and then we will pick a vendor. What I decided to do this year in network uh in the network side is um licensing is now an irradable um cost and licensing can get very expensive. So um there is licensing in

this proposal this year. There is replacement of all of the network equipment at Morton. Morton is still using the original equipment that we opened the building with. So Morton needs to come to uh current age. And then also there are 560 access points across the district that are end of life. So what happens now is like a Chromebook the technology has a 5 to 8year life expectancy and the

companies they no longer provide the software that that access point needs to run. Um so they're end of life. They give you six months and then it's a brick. it'll continue to work, but I can't do any security updates to it.

Can't make sure it's secure and we can't guarantee that it's going to continue to work. So, what happens is we've already identified those with the licensing and with the age and that'll be a project come this summer that we give to one of the technicians and they'll go around.

Um, the one thing the only thing that's a a downside for me as far as time and efficiency, the new access points are a new mount, so it's not going to just be get up there and swap it out. It'll be a little bit of work involved. So, they'll have to, you know, put the mount up hoping that they can use existing holes that are in the ceiling. Um, and typically, um, this will be the low

voltage electrician that I have on my side, except he just resigned. So, that job has to be posted. So, if I need help, um, I've already talked to Mr.

Pacho and he will help me out if we don't have someone at at that point.

Okay.

To install.

Motion to refer.

Second. Uh, quick question.

um with Crown Castle and I know this this set goes until 2029. Um are like staff throughout the district happy with the service? Are you happy with the service?

So up until this point we've had a couple of oddities.

Um yeah, today's not a great day. We've had a couple of oddities. We had we had a mouse chew through a piece of fiber at the Doran school.

Um Mr. Pico and I have never seen that.

It was outside. Um, we had a squirrel chew through fiber at Laterno and there have been some outages that are out of our control. Car accidents that have taken down poles. Um, but I am very happy with the service. Today we did have an outage and at first we thought that it was vendor related due to the storm. However, after we did some digging and some it takes time, it was

one of our buildings causing some issues um that we have found and we are now back up live running. Um we have that one building to look at in the morning.

Um and we could talk about that when you know the camera's on.

Right. Right. I I wouldn't even ask him just just for that just in general, but I appreciate it. Okay.

Mr. Yeah.

Yes.

Mr. Das. Yes.

Mr. Monus.

Yes.

Okay.

3.03 discussion Chromebook policy.

So, what you have before you is the digital resource policy that every student signs. Um, up until this point, many of the middle school students would take their Chromebooks home. Um but there you know there was never a directive that they were either taking them home or not. Um so in the last month and a half or so u middle school principles along with um Mr. Reposo, chief academic

officer. Um, we've started to kind of pull those back. Um, and now what's happening is their student take their Chromebook when they get to school, they use it throughout the day in certain periods and then it's returned into the charging station at the end of the night and it goes back into their home room.

So, that just happened at all of the u middle schools. Um, the only school that take their Chromebooks home is the high school. And just to give you folks a little heads up, what happens at the high school is as an eighth grader, they get a new Chromebook and then the Chromebooks are theirs until they're in 12th grade. We did that because the first year we opened the new high

school, we had a girl come up and she took meticulous care of her Chromebook and she didn't get the same one back.

She was upset because she took care of it and she felt as if she took care of it, she should get the one that she took care of back. So that sparked an idea. I asked some of the tech directors and a lot of the schools districts around us allow the high schoolers to keep them throughout the summer because um they feel as if they take care of them and it

has worked. Um we have had less damage um we've had accidental damage a lot of screens um and the only other damage that we really see at the high school are motherboards and it's not damage related to the student. It's just wear and tear of the Chromebooks. Um what you'll see later is in this budget I'm requesting a thousand Chromebooks. Uh the Chromebooks have a fiveyear life expectancy and then at year five chrome

um Google doesn't update the software anymore. So then we're not allowed to use it for testing and such. Um right now uh Mr. Farious is the one that updates the Chromebooks in the back end.

Um so we know the number that we [clears throat] need. A lot of the Chromebooks that are going to be end of life are actually sitting as spares anyway. So, they're not being used for testing. Um, and then what we do with those um is we have a bunch of people sit around a table and we literally Frankenstein them for parts. We put them in bins. We organize them so that way we

have parts on hand. We of course test the parts first. That saves us a bundle of money. And then um there gets to be a point right around Christmas where we run out of the internal parts where I have to purchase parts from chromebook parts.com. They are the cheapest. We do the three quotes, the homeline yards. Um and then we're able to get the Chromebooks back to the kids most of the

time within the same day. Um so uh most the the middle school buildings are manned with a technician. The high school actually has three people because of the amount of Chromebooks. So, at the high school, it's usually a turnaround within a couple of hours. Um, one person is on the floor dealing with AV classroom issues and such, and the other two are dealing with the Chromebooks.

[snorts] I'm sorry.

On that just on that comment, so you said the high [clears throat] school has 2400 students, correct?

And they have how many texts?

Three.

Three. How many kids are in the middle schools?

600ish in each.

Yes.

So, they have 1,800. And they have how many?

They have one tech per building. to some schools are seven a little bit higher 750 that makes sense or is that like as far as like the timing goes so I like the yeah I mean middle schools fluctuate six to 600 to 750 kids I'd say that range um depending on the school um so yeah one one per building similar in the elementary so the elementary has district techs which have probably two or three

buildings a piece and they rotate through if at any point there's a large scale project involving Chromebooks or other technology that a member of the team needs help from another member of the team. It's just set up and they pivot and they go and they help that person. Um I mean all chat these techs all work under Mr. Faras.

No, they work under Mr. Dunce. Mr. Faras has the instructional technology people.

And what are those numbers?

Uh there are three at the high school, uh one at the middle school and three at the elementary, I believe. Yeah.

Yes. So for text the network text or whatever the actual computer we have three and then we have three in the middle school for 1800.

So now somebody works in the middle school 1,800 students and there's one tech.

No one instructional tech one instructional person right now and there's three of those at the high school for 2400. Yes.

That's do those numbers make sense?

I need I would love to have another uh middle school person. Um I just when you start to throw out the numbers I'm just looking just straight numbers not personalities people or whatever really doesn't make sense to me but and I think the work you know if I can just make one comment I think the work has shifted you know I think I was the principal at Talbot when we went onetoone with the bills initiative at

the time and the demand for an instructional tech coach was obviously very high because this was a huge shift in how people did business. I do think that also teachers [clears throat] have learned quite a bit around like incorporating instruction. So, you know, I I understand that point and I think that we're in a different place now where teachers do have a stronger understanding because really that role

is all around Google Classroom, different types of uh uh platforms that you might use. How do you make this lesson maybe more accessible? So, sometimes they're pushing it to a PLC. That's how those those instructional tech people are utilized. Um certainly you know obviously we have a we have a need for it but I do think it's very different than going back let's say five six years ago really didn't

how does that reflect on the high school wouldn't that same theory be in the high school yeah I mean the high school also has about triple right now right I mean what do they have 2400 kids so yeah I'm saying same theory of of them getting familiar with it and maybe it's a reality you know when you look at the reality where it goes look Mr. Dunce has those folks in front

of him I would assume Mr. Dunce has a an opinion on like I can move Brian over there, Scott over there, you know, Mr. Farious, these other people work for him. He should be the one to say where you go like to make sure everyone is I I just think that's good.

Yeah. Look at the resour good policy and say okay how we doing it and and if it should almost be on a regular basis not just oh let's wait till next year with the budget if we ask for one and we don't get one or could they employ as needed right too?

Right. Yeah. you say just no. I think we should move those two over there, this one over here, but those folks I think need to be able to weigh in.

Mr. Farious and I have had multiple conversations about it. Um, and we do have a road map that we'd like to follow, but I'm just not ready to share that at the moment in public.

The, um, when you mentioned the kids in eighth grade get them and then they keep them, I it's begging the question for me that we had a a not so good roll out of the Yand Fouches. Mhm.

Because in my mind, we don't let the kids take a yonder pouch home, but we're letting those by based on what you just said, we let them take a Chromebook home. So, if a 20 to $30 yonder pouch, you can't take that home. So, you're going to take a $300 Chromebook home.

Why don't we just let them take the yonder? So, to avoid this like mess, my understanding is they do take the yonder pouches home.

No, I'm talking at the end of the year, like end of the year. Sorry. Okay.

So, they're not bringing their Chromebooks in in eighth grade and say, "Hey, I'm turning it in then I'm going to get it back in September." from what I heard you just say is they keep it all the time in 9th. Yes. In eth keep it from 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th. This year we had a mess because the departures weren't ordered then the people were doing it and then they're trying to figure out

like what are you doing?

So do you think that we just need to know uh internally in and for us we can talk in senior staff where that lives because if it does become a piece of technology then it would follow the same suit as the Chromebook. Right now it lives in a different department and we just assist. Um, so it all depends on the pouch.

I'm talking about the pouches. Yes.

But I think the devices though, at least at the middle school level, they're collected, correct?

And redistributed.

Yep.

At the end of the year. In this case, right now, they're staying in school.

But we tried, I believe last year, try to redistribute the device to the same students as well when possible. Right.

When when it was possible, they did. Um, but now they're tagged and they're on the shelf, you know, in the case.

I hear you just begs a different question of as far as making decisions and administratively why yonder pouches either don't fall under you or they fall under you. Do you only get involved when there's a problem?

So, you know, that's not right either.

U, the y pouches were a mess this year to start with. Absolute mess.

I have no problem taking them under the the the technology. I just that has to be done.

I think it has to come from the superintendent to say what it what makes sense, what doesn't make sense. But we tell two three weeks at the beginning of the year kids had made their own like like draw drawings on they're trying to figure them out like the stories I heard about the pouches from people in the just blew my mind at the start of the year. So I think that um

to me makes uh a thing pouches with the Chromebook. My Chromebook question was about the midyear move and and and and uh we don't we don't know anything of it. We I started to hear some about a month ago some rumors about well we're going to now do them. Uh my feeling is that we were told all along one is the way to go. We're sending these home everything's wonderful. Then all of a sudden without

any communication at all from the administration I start hearing well they're going to bring them in because this principal wanted them in that one.

It it didn't sit well with me. So, I I sent an email to the superintendent and you and then I don't hear anything for a month. Now, all of a sudden, oh, I'm reading this here. They're all back.

Like, we don't know any data. We don't know why. We don't know the rationale.

Uh we don't know what was uh the light speeded data. What does it show these kids are on? They're not on. Like, there had to been a rationale for why principles, assistant superintendent, you, whoever pulled them back in. I'm just I'm not looking for the answer now, but we're entitled to some kind of rationale. Why is it what did the data show to say it? And is it all um

is it all middle schools? Is it all the schools? Right now, the only ones taking it home, I guess, from reading this is the high school.

High school only.

Um but if the rationale when we see the rationale is that it's not really effective like does that mean we're going to do the high school next?

Mhm.

Because if the concerns were such that we don't want the middle school kids, what's the difference in ninth grade? Uh that would be one of my questions. The other one is the repairs. How much money have we gotten for repairs when things break?

Yeah, I would say the big reasons would be um which we can prepare something definitely um repairs also kids not having their devices.

Middle school kids are different than high school kids, right? In terms of a level of maturity. And so middle school, um, I know as a principal at the middle school level, we had to come up and put a lot of effort into a loner system because, you know, you would have on any given day, five kids in a class, three kids in a class not show up. And now our

curriculum is so driven in many ways by technology. So now it impedes that student's ability to participate. So we'd have to come up with the loner system because I'm also not going to say, "Hey, you can sit there for the day. Don't worry about it." Right? Um and so either we're trying to copy something or um but we can certainly get the information there. Right now I will say as of today though

all the middle schools are operating under the same uh protocol where the devices are staying in the school and they've rolled that out I want to say starting maybe last week or this week. I I you know I can look back but we can get that information.

If we can get anything relative to new devices that certain places got versus others. Appreciate that. I yield.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Yeah, just to follow back up on that, I think um I think with any policy, it should be uniform across the board, but of course, like you mentioned, Mr. Repos is different level of maturity at the at the middle school than it is at the high school. And I I see that in my like through myself and like just like having a loaner system, but I also know it goes to like you said, it goes

to curriculum. Mhm.

So, we could have a policy here which states we're going to keep the Chromebooks in, but I'm assuming we like throughout the B public schools, there's more homework than there might be at other districts. So, we would have to the policy if it were ever be adjusted, it would have to match the curriculum.

Um, want to kind of tackle a different issue. Um, and I've heard this from um individual principles individuals in the schools. I know we have a policy that's in place which um, talks about discipline. Um, but I'm more interested in what's the practice right now. If um, if a student is either intentionally or not intentionally they destroy their Chromebook, what are we doing to recoup that? the funds are.

So, I can tell you on my level, if it's an accident, I've instructed the technicians that are at the buildings to replace it, and you can tell when it's an accident real quick.

Um, if it's malicious, um, it's sent to the building administration for them to make the decision. Um, our technicians are not um, part of, you know, disciplined systems. Um, so they are sent to building administration and then building administration will come up with a plan and then they will let the technicians know what the plan is, whether or not Yes, we can give them another device, but we're going to build

the parents.

Is there I don't mean to interrupt. Is there data? Is there like a form you have they have to fill out? Is there something centralized?

Yeah, so they have they have to fill out the the resource policy. The parents and the kids have to sign it. Um, and it shows in there, you know, the fee structure if they break something or they're malicious with their device. Um, and then there's there's an additional form, I think, to your to your question that's filled out usually by the technician who is the one that assesses

the damage. And we'll say, okay, uh, you know, it's a screen repair. It's $50 and then that form is shared. And I'm speaking to my experience as a principal. I will get I'll have to get updated information because that's been about a year and a half, right, since I've been in that role. But that information would then get shared usually with an assistant principal. Um I may or may not get involved as

principal but usually the assistant principal is handling that and they they will then do some outreach to that parent and the student will also be potentially assigned a consequence. And then sometimes the consequence is the natural consequence of the fact that you now owe $50 for a screen repair. Um and we've had situations where we've worked out a payment plan if we've had to.

[snorts] So, we be flexible about it's more about the student and the parent acknowledging that this was maybe some intentional damage and then um we work with that family to try to recoup whatever we can in [snorts] terms of that cost and and and thank you for answering that. And to right to that point, I'd love to see as one member of the data on um like purposeful damage and how much

we're getting back if we're recouping that or if um there's some schools that we don't follow up as much. Because from a policy standpoint, I think something that we should consider is I know we have in the policy, you don't get if it's at the high school level, you won't get your diploma, you won't get um we do that already, right? There's certain things, but I'd like to know is is there still money

that is going out the door from these students? Mhm.

You mean in terms of damage that's not Yeah, we'll have to get Yeah, we would have to get information on Yeah, we'd get information, but I tell you that um when we first started the Chromebooks during COVID, people would pay if there was damage. I can tell you now it's very difficult to get payment from some of the families because of you know just the families like Mr. Laoso said they go

into a payment plan or such. Um, we do have some heavy hitters that are on their fifth or sixth device. They're not allowed a device anymore. Um, all I can say from my standpoint is our technicians just look at the device, they figure out what's wrong with it, and then it gets moved off and then um it's either fixed if it can be or they receive a loaner.

My my my opinion, and I'm not suggesting this something that this we should put on the radar is um if you're on your fifth or sixth device, if you intentionally Oh, yeah. They don't get one. If you int right well if you intentionally break a Chromebook if it's intentional that's not fair to the rest of the students that either they're held accountable because it's an accident or students that you mentioned

at the beginning that do their due diligence and take care of their Chromebook. I think it should go immediately to some sort of collection system so the student or the parent is held accountable or the student turns 18 they're held personally accountable. Y I think there needs to be um something uniform that's strong so we're holding those students accountable and we're getting our money back.

So I just wanted to mention um we were working and we were all kind of brainstorming um and we are going to roll out through uh Mrs. Sardinia um a bill or an invoice type thing through parent square. So now the parents know directly, right? Because what's happening now is a student may get the piece of paper that they damaged the screen their first time and then they never show mom or dad. But this way this

is going to mom and dad directly. Um something that we just kind of you know brainstormed and came up with and then what we're looking at depending on what the monies look like is parent square also offers parent pay. So the parent can actually pay for the device via parent square. So we're also looking at that. I don't know.

And if it's not getting paid, refer it to collections. That's my opinion.

I'm not sure like in my opinion like Mr.

Posa talked about the vice principal dealing with it. So I'm sure that they're doing it in writing emails or something. You know what I mean? So they're doing what their due [clears throat] diligence is. I hear the thing about the payment. It is a problem. But we also got to we have to understand that doing nothing is not an option. Correct.

And what we used to have in the past, I think we've gotten better with it over the years. We used to have a really either no policy, you know, so we're getting better with it. I do think we also have to have signoffs on adults the same uh staff members the same. So I'm saying like if we're going to question like if I drop my device or something like and

I'm a worker, what do I do? Just get a new one?

No. So they have they have a Yeah. I don't need an answer. I'm just saying that's the thought. Make sure everybody's on the same page. When I looked at this, it looked like you had some recommendations for policies or No, because it says discussion.

No.

Is there any recommendations for change of policy?

No, I at this time I I don't.

So, this is Oh, like Okay. So, we don't we can go to the next one because I didn't know what I'm Yeah. No, that's one more question.

Um if we can also get data. I understand um it says in some of the on one of the pages here for the policy um that if there's like that law enforcement can get involved, they're breaking it. if we can get data on that if we ever made referrals.

That's never happened, but Okay. No, never asked the data.

I'm not Yeah, I'm not sure if it's never happened, but we'll look. Yeah. Yeah.

You Thank you.

Mr. Das, are we moving on to 3.05 update?

Sorry. 04 update on technology fiveyear plan can I say something on this first?

Sure. So, uh, having been the chair of technology in the past, uh, we like to make sure that we have these five-year plans and forecasts of what's going on.

I think we need those, um, we've been talking about this for a while. I think we need to administratively just make decisions, get the plans in place so that we're not, you know, 6 months out, a year out. The same thing with the strategic plan. We haven't had a strategic plan in years. That's unacceptable not to have it. So, I do think that this has been sort of in the

works a little bit, but we need to pull the trigger on it. And um I know it says update, but I I think we need to vote to do this so that it's an active plan rather than okay, let's just wait again.

Uh just my opinion is I think we need an on the record 5-year uh tech plan approved by April 1st.

Okay. So, I just wanted to to briefly go over. So, this document, my next part is, you know, to have as the five-year plan um have it go to the full body, but I wanted to just go over a couple of things that, you know, are this is like the strategic plan as far as like the working document, you know, so it may get a refinement here or there. A lot of

the the districts now are creating a five-year plan, but technology is pivoting so quickly um that it may pivot as well. Um some of the just the pillars of the plan that that I've been working on, we're going to maximize the -ray category 2 funding to cover 90% of the cost for districtwide W57 upgrade. So, that'll be coming. Um we right now are a little bit behind because some districts

are already doing this. However, um that's definitely something that's going to be happening in the next I would say probably two years if I can leverage the funding um return on investment looking at now these are just things again haven't you know talked to other departments yet because I I look at this as a working document but look at some AI tools um for transportation nutrition

and HR um there are some really cool tools out there um in the HR area it's called an HR bot where they walk you through um digitally the process to um apply for a job. Um it also does the second piece when you're coming in to fill up paperwork. It does that all for you. So if the person in the back end decides to hire, it takes the information that they've already pre-put

in to apply and it populates everything in healthcare and all that. Now you have to go, of course, and and look at it all, but these are pieces um that I'd like to see. Um, and I I I believe now these are the numbers that I've, you know, I've kind of scratched around with in my brain.

I would say that um I not sure we should go over that personally. Um because we're not looking to we're looking to be efficient and we're not looking to put a number in my opinion on on eliminating positions so that we can save money.

This wasn't eliminated. When I look at this HR like is this coming from HR like where have we because we've been asking for HR improvements for years. So where is this coming from because it's technology but where is HR leading this charge to say we need a system as such like where is this so that's why so that's why right now this is kind of a working document because we have a vacancy in that

position. Um Mr. Reposer is our acting uh superintendent. So, this is something that I put together as a we need to get the principles and the department heads to look at some of this stuff because some of the things that I'd like to do um special needs iPad refresh um middle school refresh for the Wi-Fi 7 um I'd like to look at uh and and it didn't for some reason line up but um the nutrition

the AIdriven nutrition and route uh for the the transportation we already use one software but AI is going to bring us to places that we haven't been. And then something that we have not done in this district, I've been here a long time, is a systemwide technology audit so that we know what we have. Now, we know we have Chromebooks and such, but I don't necessarily have a master inventory, a

list of switches of of uh access of cameras. We have them all. It can be grabbed, but I'd like to finally do a master inventory. Um, and Mr. Pico and I looked at some software today that uh might actually do that for us. Send the text out, put a sticker, scan the sticker. Again, this was just a very basic if you look at it just to maximize a motion that we forward the technology

plan to the full committee for implementation starting April 1st, 26.

Second with a question. [clears throat] I had um I'm forward it to the full committee. I actually had similar notes on that. Since we're going to have a strategic plan this year hopefully, wouldn't this be also something we can implement it soon, but it should be something that should be attached to the strategic plan once we have it?

I would agree.

And um just quickly like I think it's like a a good plan overall. One um two questions that I have. One that you just mentioned about the software system. But I know we have the um what's what's the name of the that we talked about at facilities software brightly. [clears throat] So since we have that I know that's um I we don't use we don't use brightly we use in IQ

right but if we're going to look for a software to to use for um inventory I know they offer it.

Oh yeah brightly has inventory. The only thing is um I think Mr. Pico will say like trying to I don't want to get into crossing data. Um I want to leave the technology stuff technology and and that's not because of anything other than just moving in the future. It's technology and operations and it the two separate silos that they belong in. Um one question only question on the on the

plan is um and I don't know if we have this currently if um how's the systems in place work if um either a student or a staff member have an issue with any technology Chromebook or anything and um they want to report it like I know like at Bridgewater State University they have like a ticket system a staff member that's what we have so that's what we have so typically what would happen in

the elementary level is the ele the classroom teacher would open up a ticket for Chromebook number 1, two, and three, and she has an issue, it would be routed to the building technician. Usually get there within a day or two of opening the ticket, and then depending on what's wrong with the devices, the ticket is then closed that day. Um, at the middle school level and at the high school

level, um, they can open this on their own if they really wanted to. At the high school, they know that they can go to the library and it's kind of a one-stop shop. They can go drop it off one period and come back a period.

That's all I need. You should say [clears throat] the urgency of the timing of I'm not wrong. Am I that we have no technology plan active right now?

No. So we had a two-year plan at that that in your first two years when you and I were working together that's already sunseted.

So right. So the only reason why I'm saying that obviously we're going to have some things happen. It's got to be a working document, but we shouldn't go another day without having a technology plan just like we shouldn't gone a year and a half without a strategic plan or whatever. So that's I'm not trying to figure that you're going to know everything's worked out here between now and April 1st, but enough's enough.

We've been talking about this for a year and a half.

We just need to make the decision the best it can bring it to the full committee. If it needs to change, you know, in September, we can always change it, but long everything goes on way too long here of time and um it's way beyond it. We we've read about this multiple times. So the motion that is on the floor that I mentioned was April 1st.

Bring it to the full committee.

Roll Mrs. Cabo.

Mr. A.

Yes.

Mr. Das.

Yes.

Mr. Monus.

Yes.

One more question.

You mentioned about incident IQ.

Mhm.

So does Incident IQ do uh inventory?

It does for all of the schools or So it does. Yeah. So right now any person that has a device, it's in the inventory. Uh what's not in there are like switches, cameras, all that stuff.

It can do it.

But we know how many cameras we have.

Like you know all that information.

We do. But I don't want to give the impression that to the public that we don't know.

I know how many cameras I have. I just want it to all live in one place.

I get it. Just uh but if Incident IQ and I don't even know, I've never seen the program. Does Incident IQ do inventory across the whole school system? uh in any in any districts in any so there are districts that use incident IQ there are different modules that they can purchase right now we just have the technology module but you you can add on to it make it a sweet

it's no secret that I'm not happy with personally how brightly was rolled out or what it what it does uh uh we have incident IQ we have I don't know why we do all these different things and it seems like one's doing one's doing another if we get a good system that works and everybody knows how to do it.

We should have one system across the whole system. This thing of bright leak, we had a presentation the last subcommittee meeting. It was terrible. I I didn't know what was going on with it.

It's been in existence since January 2024.

Two years later, we still don't know what how to how it's working and we spent a fortune on it. So, I I would look at internally through the superintendent figuring out a way to streamline and get one system that works for everybody in my opinion. Sorry to interrupt, but we can go to the next one.

Okay.

Can I briefly just say something on that? And I I want to apologize personally because I was supposed to be at the meeting and I was supposed to be the one that was showing you guys how to use the software. Um and and I couldn't make it because I was away. The meeting conflicted with uh a personal matter. So I would have been the one to show uh you

all the software. So I do you know I apologize and if anyone wants to see it I can I can be individual.

Can I respond to the bias? Um, I don't think that's really I mean I I see where you're coming from, but that's more of um the individuals that are actually using the software dayto-day. That's for them to show us. I don't think that really I I don't want you to take the heat for something you shouldn't take.

No. No. And I'm not uh and this is something that I did. I told Mr. Pico that I would take care of that piece of the meeting. Uh and again it does it does fall on me because I should have been here showing the group the software. That's all I wanted to say with that. I don't want to blavorver the point. I will take you up on that with the superintendent to have come in and

do a brightly you know individual. U the other one would be one of the questions that I asked was how many reports have been run in Brightly for principal for everybody else and the gentleman who was doing it couldn't tell us what that is.

So if it's a system that's up and running we should know yeah we're using all these reports. So, before I do the uh show and tell, if you could get me any like a log of all the reports that have been run. For instance, at the meeting, the superintendent asked the gentleman, why don't where it says groups like to to link them together, we didn't even have the group set up. Uh so, I'll

individually meet to go over. I appreciate the offer.

We're on orchart 305.

Yep. 305.

[clears throat] update or chop budget review of capital plan.

Can I start with some questions?

Sure, Mr. Dice.

Thank you. So, um, and I know I asked last minute, but I'm hoping we can follow back up at a future time just on one part of the ORC chart. Um, someone any member can correct me if um, I'm wrong on the timeline here. However, the district had a contract with an outside vendor for um PR work and I understand we u made some modifications to one of the positions in here uh I believe

specifically the title to take on um some of the responsibility of that PR firm. So, we got rid of of the PR firm.

Um but I just came to my understanding that we still have them for an emergency.

Mr. D. So, um the only change to um that position um was some of the job responsibilities and it had nothing to do with the PR firm. Um there is currently no contract with JGPR.

Um there is only on-site um and we do not have a contract. So, there is no contract.

There is no contract.

Okay.

Um so I would still like to follow up on the I as one member we there are certain um responsibilities or certain things that um in terms of communicating with the public that um should shouldn't fall on whoever's superintendent shouldn't fall on their hands. And so if we should definitely review again just looking at what that contract that we had, what it was for and um look at the position making sure that

we're fully utilizing that position to the best that we can. It doesn't have to be today, but just for So you're looking for JDPR versus the person that we have on site basically. Um just making sure that um nothing nothing's overlapping or anything like that or Well, there'd be no overlap because we don't you know we don't use JGPR. So correct. I I meant just formally like any with their duties with that contract

was supposed to do um for the cyber security coordinator. I understand you want that um July 1st.

Seeing that it's an important I think that's something that's go you weren't here Mr. Monus. However, we um went through um quite a situation without getting into too much details. Um it's just something that we could fast track to get posted sooner rather than later.

Um I have a job description and I think it would take the vote of the full committee to um just separate from all this, I'd like to make a motion we refer um any proposed um job description to the full committee for us to approve. I think personally I'm not going to second that because I think we need more info. Uh Mr. Reposo is the new superintendent. He's not even

aware of what's been here. So I think we need to like just uh kind of slow.

Yeah. So I was just going to ask that maybe I'd like to learn a little bit more about that. What the need is for that position.

Fair enough. Fair enough. Because this I haven't seen it yet. I wasn't part of the budget meeting with Mr. Cabraw.

I was working with the former superintendent.

I yield for now.

Mia. So I could see some of the um when you have the uh or chart I understand what Mr. Das is talking about about that position. Uh I think the real question is just we need a a one pager on that we call with position a different name uh a year ago or so because it was going to do different it it was basically going to [clears throat] uh this is the communications.

So we changed the positions job descriptions or whatever to uh be relative to what we needed. We just need a one pager to say is it working is it not working because some of it is public relations.

So if they're that person that position should be doing some of the public relations which I think is what Mr. Das is talking about where JGP whatever that company was called wasn't really hired to do public relations but then they did some so it was very confusing. So all I'm suggesting is that we get a one pager from the superintendent to say the position [clears throat] is these are

the job descriptions and this is what we feel like it's either working or not working. Uh because I think some things get blamed or like oh they're going to do this or the website was one of them originally was taking a lead role on the website and so just I think a one pager would would do us all um the whole committee would would definitely um help. I don't think that's too much to

um to ask. And the um the reason why I always asked for the org chat over the years when we were um on this committee was because it's a good visual for everyone to see what happened. So under we had talked earlier about the network person has x amount of people under them. This one has x amount of people.

It's a good visual for everybody just to see. So, I don't really have a lot of questions other than I think the format should probably, you know, mirror what every all the other departments uh look like.

So, um every other department's going to mirror this because now we have it locked into the cells. Um but it will be on bigger paper moving forward. Um we will put it on 11 by7 so that we can see the bond. Um I just asked Mrs. Karl to put it on the smaller paper. Um thanks. uh the budget review which is was on the agenda is is the only new position that you're asking for in the

budget the cyber security or is there any other positions?

Just the cyber security.

So there's no other new um no the cyber security coordinator and then like I said we talked about the copy center clerk but that's already in the budget. It's been in my budget for the last four years. It's just not been filled. Um and it's something that I'm looking to possibly fill this year if the funds are available.

Yep. The only my only request would be that uh via the superintendent through the budget meetings like any department that we examine because the committee also voted for a zerobased budget or the equivalent of such that implies that we look at every position in every department in every school to make sure that we're not either having something that we could do better is if it's not

working. That's the point of I think why we want that type of information. So I guess that's just the charge is to rationalize that we have x amount of positions. They're all working to the best of you know your opinion, Mr.

Propos uh opinion so that if we have to make some moves and changes there's nothing wrong with that. We just a lot of times we just over here and we just keep doing the same thing year after year and it really if nothing changes maybe it doesn't need to change but I think getting a fresh look at it so that you guys come to us and say we examined every position we think they're all

needed and everybody's working you know fully to the best of their ability I for one member would feel more comfortable knowing that you guys say you looked at it all rather than us have to have a meeting where I'm asking you these questions and asking the schools it so we're I'm going to rely on the superintendent to be able to say we looked at it all and and we'll sit down because we haven't

had a chance to sit down together uh yet at this point. The only other thing I want to bring to um to light in that budget is we will be asking for a hardware refresh of teacher laptops and then student Chromebooks this year um because some of them are end of life. So um 350 teacher laptops and then a thousand uh student Chromebooks. That was also part of the ask in the budget,

but we'll see that again when we get to my budget.

I Mr. Chair, Mr. D.

Um, just quickly actually I yield. Thank you.

Oh, sorry. I I remember my question. I'm not sure if um this year I guess we'll find out. I'm not sure. I know last year we had like the kind of like the 500,000 build your build your own. I'm not sure that's I'm assuming that's continuing this year.

Yeah, I think um I know that's something obviously we can talk about, but I don't see why we would maybe change that. I think if there's an opportunity to do that again, we would do that again.

Sure. I would be as part of that 500,000 if like I know we talked about earlier if you need like a technician, an extra technician, that's something as one member I would be open for in terms of um that additional 500.

I along those same lines and I think uh I truly am not saying whether a department has enough too much not enough like that's not for us to decide that's for you guys to decide but the we got to get give the committee some credit over the years because if we did a a review let's say 5 years ago what the technology department looked like and what it does today as far as support staff

technicians and the like you're going to see a real um increase and an investment in what we needed. So, it might be good for you to because there's new members of the committee to memorialize that to say what did it look like five years ago, what does it look like today? Uh I been here so I sort of know that but when people say technology is getting where it needs to

at some point we can only keep increasing so much, right? You know, so there's like a fine uh spot that you got to figure out.

I don't think everybody is aware of how many increases we've had.

Can write something.

I I appreciate it.

I yield.

Uh new business.

U Mr. Chair.

Um just want just wanted to quickly just um go back to 3.04. Just throw a quick idea out there. I'm not going to like um just want to put it on your radar, something to think about. I understand. Um, we have a pretty much state-of-the-art studio that we use for our broadcasting, which um I I think um I think it's really good. I think the the staff there do a great job and um I think that's

something that should be utilized. We're looking in terms of efficiency. we, you know, have a staff either go out to Somerset, Swansea when we have um the equipment, we have the the ability to broadcast to a large audience and a large public school audience. Something I think um should be considered and I'll leave it at that.

Mr. Das, just for your uh your input, we actually Mr. Kman and I have been working along with his staff. Um Miss Martins is here as well. Uh we're looking at um creating a show that the students go out and create the content and you know the adults are there to oversee the production. Um whether or not it be with a superintendent or with a bunch of different admin teachers. Um

we haven't figured out that avenue yet.

Um but it is something that we have been talking about.

Okay. Thank you.

Motion to second Mr. Yes.

Mr. Yes, Mr. Morris.

Yes.

Thank you all.

Thank you.

Have a great night.

Thank you. Good night.