 We're doing executive session first. I'm going to call the order of this beloved meeting of the school committee And I'm looking for a motion to go into executive session for the purposes stated here negotiations of non-union personnel Superintendent Bodie to conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations with union are on non-union personnel our contract negotiations with union and or non-union in which it's Inheld in an open meeting maybe have a detrimental effect and to conduct strategy with respect to collective bargaining or litigation in which have held in an open meeting may have a Detrimental effect collective bargaining may also be conducted and We should have an attorney so move which moved by mr. Heiner second by Dr. Seuss roll call mr. Heiner. Hi mr. Pierce dr. Allison ampey miss Starks mr. Thielman Dr. Seuss the chair votes in the affirmative. We are in executive session. We'll see you in about 15 minutes. Thank you We're back Welcome. This is the meeting of the Erellington school committee on February 11th 2016 if it is not February 11th, you're watching us on tape or digitally recorded We begin by taking a quick look around us. We have sixth grade color and space paintings Six graders explored a wide range of contemporary and historic artwork both realistic and abstract looking for different techniques That artists employed to show space in their work. We also explored color theory. They mixed Contrasting or complementary cover colors and analogous or related colors as well as different values of the same colors and seventh grade has mixed media still lives Seventh graders were inspired by contemporary artist Daniel Gordon who works with the idea of a still life But in a whole new way he creates the objects for his still life Sets up the still life to give his unreal objects the feeling of composition of traditional still life Compositions he photographs these assemblages and the photograph becomes his final artwork He is known for his bright bold colors and patterns in each of his still lives So that's the inspirational wonderful Arlington artwork on the walls. We now proceed on to Public participation. We have two people Greg. Cristiana is first Come up to the microphone. I'll state that we do public participation for three minutes We generally do not we do not comment during public participation. We may Move things into subcommittee or schedule things for later meetings Mr. Cristiana great. Thank you Of course, I wanted to recognize the the efforts of the the Arlington enrollment Parent group. I've actually just recently met two of the members. I think Julie and Ryan So I'm nice to meet you And so I'm coming at this I rolled like entirely new to like the Arlington like political and educational structure I don't really know anybody But I do want the best for my kids and Bishop and as they go into middle school and high school here So what I wanted I don't know if you can respond now, but at least if we can take the discussion offline I'm just kind of struggling to find out like from the school committee's point of view What are the thing like beyond what the the enrollment parents group is already doing Being a good like an awesome huge great advocate for you know the public schools What else should we be doing like from the parents end to support like is the vision that I'm not questioning Whether your vision is ambitious enough. I'm asking you do you believe that your vision for the public schools in Arlington? is ambitious enough and Is there anything more it what should we be doing from the parents side that would allow you to kind of Kind of fulfill like what would be your druthers for for our kids? And so if you have any reservations about like what's like feasible or rational or whatever Like if you set that aside, like what are we doing everything that we can do? And I'm not I'm not saying that as a slight that I think you're not I just don't know So I just wanted to kind of throw that question out there just kind of innocently and honestly Thank you very much. We're not going to comment, but I'll just make two things that Feel free to contact any of us offline I can tell that Dr. Seuss is chair of the community relations committee and she'd be more than happy to Give you the lay of the land and secondly, I'm just as an advertisement for everybody I think the time you can take out papers for town meeting for another couple of days. That's our legislative branch Five o'clock today was Well, I got my signature certified Town meeting you've done you've done the big part and that Was that 15 okay good, that's sort of You town meeting members get all the information prior to town meetings so you get stacks of stuff and That you can read through and figure out but now we're having a conversation in public participation Which I can't so I'm going to stop talking right now But thank you for coming and you please call me call Jennifer call all of us. We can have a conversation on the side Great. Thank you so much Mariah Terrell I First sat before all of you here at this table approximately one year ago It was my first time in this room and I was asking for your attention in regards to our Thompson School fourth graders in their class sizes Over the past year I have played paid closer attention to your meetings and discussions as the town right wide enrollment challenges have become the Forefront and are no longer isolated to the Thompson School I am impressed and amazed by the amount of hours that you all put in the meetings you attend in the paperwork You have to go through on a daily basis. Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication to our schools However, as I find myself tuning into more of the discussions and meetings I am surprised to find that here we are in February of 2016 and still having the same discussions still guessing How much things may cost and with no clear plan or goals in place? Yes, the Thompson School will have two temporary modular classrooms next year, which is critical, but it's a band-aid It does not get the Thompson School what it needs in the long term and it's not in line with a long-term plan The middle school enrollment is now on the brink of being disastrous and again There is no clear plan in place for a while It has been assumed that 20 modular classrooms would sit in the parking lot at the oddison But a couple of meetings ago It was mentioned that they might not be able to sit there due to the air flow that needs to get to the school Then at the facilities meeting on Tuesday night It was mentioned that the modulars probably could not be stacked at the oddison as the site cannot accommodate that configuration So I'm just wondering if someone from the modular company has actually looked at this space and is putting modulars at the oddison school Even a viable option When hearing discussions about how much it might cost to renovate the Gibbs school We have heard anywhere from 14 million to 30 million dollars a new proposal of a permanent addition at oddison is now on the Table with a labeled cost of 12 million Does this include blasting into the hill or relocating the parking lot in dealing with traffic flow or extra gym and cafeteria space? We understand that opening up a second middle school would require difficult conversations with the current Gibbs tenants and the teachers at OMS who may or may not want to move schools However, you held on to the Gibbs building in case of enrollment needs and we have trouble understanding Why using the building has not been the forefront of these options Every week that goes by without a decision being made or a plan proposed is another week that our teachers staff and students are paying the price as More administrative solutions are put into place the quality of the education We are providing is declining and our teachers and our staff are being asked to give up the dedicated state Space that they require and deserve so tonight I ask you that when you talk about what to present to the task force meeting on the 23rd Please push hard for a feasibility study one that looks at all of our options space at Thompson To accommodate the East Arlington Elementary School growth Renovating the Gibbs school in an addition to oddison it needs to include how long each option will take in the cost that will incur For the temporary fixes during the process if there is money in your budget I'm not sure what is holding you up or why this has not been done But if the money needs to come from the town then please make the plea for the importance of getting it done now It's now past time for hard figures and timelines in order for the process to move forward So please continue to do what you do best and advocate for our students and teachers. Thank you Can you provide a copy of your marks to you miss the sterile? Thank you Anything anyone else for a public participation Hearing none next order of business is a vote to approve Superintendent voting's contract. We have negotiated a contract for an additional three years for the superintendent. I Need a motion to Authorize the chair to sign the contract on behalf of the committee mr. Thielman so moved second by dr. Seuss Any discussion? Mr.. Heiner this is just to authorize you to sign am I correct? Yeah, we're not the contract itself Well, oh, well we we've yes to approve it and so we'll do the sign. Okay, so that's authorized to sign fine Okay, all any discussion on that All in favor I oppose that's unanimous now on approving the contract itself Motion by mr. Thielman second by dr. Seuss Second by mr. Pierce yeah, he looks like he wants to second this any discussion in the contract mr. Heiner Nope, no discussion any just any further discussion Mr.. Pierce I just wanted to say I'm very pleased to take this vote in a couple of minutes It's something that I think our district is well served With your leadership dr. Bodie, and I'm very happy to be able to take this vote tonight. Okay any other comments? Hearing none. We'll do this as a roll call because this is an important one mr. Heiner. No mr. Pierce Yes, dr. Allison Ampe. Yes, miss Darks. Yes, mr. Thielman. Yes, dr. Seuss And the chair votes in the affirmative. We have a contract approved. Do you accept? I do thank you very much I will sign on behalf of the committee and I want to say I want to say how appreciative I am of your confidence in my leadership of this district and I Look forward to continuing our collaborative relationship Okay Next order of business will be to approve an addendum to the contract for Diane Fisk Johnson our CFO Motion to approve by mr. Pierce second by Ms. Starks any discussion Hearing none Hearing none, I will take a roll call on this one mr. Heiner. No mr. Pierce. Yes dr. Allison Ampe. Yes Miss Starks. Yes, mr. Thielman. Yes, dr. Seuss and the chair votes in the affirmative That's a 6-1 vote that is approved the following motion mr. Heiner. I move that the that the committee has authorized the expenditures of As presented as presented in the documents for principle contracts attendance for the principal contracts and For specific jobs as prescribed under our policies Okay, motion by mr. Heiner second by miss Starks any discussion on that this will be a roll call mr. Heiner Hi, mr. Pierce. Yes, dr. Allison Ampe. Yes, miss Starks. Yes, mr. Thielman Yes, dr. Seuss and the chair votes in the affirmative that is approved Arlington public schools new website presentation Can I invite Julie Dunn to come up and show us this is this is a little bit of background we have been looking to Create a new website the one that we have right now while it's Has a lot of information the navigation on that website is As often challenging for people so I want to to thank Julie Dunn As well as claudie Bertoli who many of you have never met but claudie is Is one is our webmaster among other things that she does and also Karen to sony who has worked on this as well this is taken I Don't know what we say Julie may six months or more of a lot of a lot of hours that have been put into into this and I and I this this has been shown to the Community relations subcommittee for some feedback which actually We've made some adjustments based on that feedback and so Julie's here tonight to present this to everybody And you can tell them about our launch date and all of that So that's the test website which Will go live next Thursday I Do We have a vast television audience worldwide on a CMI TV. It's it's it's a wonderful service Okay, thank you This is I want to I want to start by saying it's not actually a new website It's actually a facelift and a revamping of our current website. It's so that so I just don't want Anyone to think this is a brand new website. It's not it's a reworking of our existing website updated for ease of use and updated for the look and I hope it is going to meet with Approval but we also realize that there may be comments moving forward and we will be very happy to you know Take them as it goes forward, but at this point that the IT department is planning to take it live next Thursday the Thursday of the vacation week So the school website will actually be down for a portion of that day And we're also going to send a heads up to parents that Friday could also be a day where the website may not be Available just in case there's additional work to be done. So we'll be sending a Communication out to the parents about that so that people know and can get information out of it now So let me just Show you some of the key changes The first one is as you can see we have a banner that moves that shows photographs of all the schools Most of the schools photos were taken by Arlington High School students Which is really exciting for us a couple of them were not but the lion's share were taken by Arlington High School students So we're really happy to have a banner showing all of our schools We've reorganized the menu you can see we now instead of having a long in the old website We had a long banner down the down the side with all the all the things you would be able to see now We've organized menus. So I'm going to actually start with administration. You can see the drop-down box And then we've organized items related to administration here. We have it Superintendent's welcome page and then we have quick links for other administrative items here For instance, let me show you facilities and enrollment. Here's a page Which we've organized the Arlington High School facilities information the Stratton elementary school renovation our enrollment school enrollment task force the various population enrollment forecasts and projections that we have so we have a place for that under administration but there's the general look of the administration drop-down box and You know so we hope that's going to be easy for families to use Then you'll see that We've taken this is how you see it's not a new website This is the school directory that we've had in the past, but it's been updated for the look of the website So so that's what's there in the school committee area We've split apart your members and the policy manual that was together before but now it's some Sorry That's not doing that. We'll do that So we've got the members here There you are I believe there's a desire to have photographs of the school committee members So feel free to send us photographs and we can put them in here headshots and do you? You can send them to the superintendent's office or to me either one. It doesn't it doesn't really matter You have a preference for the format JPEG enough. I Think a JPEG is enough. I'll ask Karen to send out more information about that Okay, actually we can send the pictures to Karen and let her know why don't well If she sends it to us and then we'll send roll reply back We've actually already got a page formatted waiting for the photographs So is but we're not going to do it until we get a photograph of everybody. So So just so you know, we're ready to go with the photographs. Yes, mr. Pierce that includes you Thank you So that's our school committee section you can see the policy manual is now Separate it used to be all on one page. We think this will be a little easier for navigation of the policies separate from the school committee members Under district these are all items that existed in the past, but they've been reorganized. These are topics relevant district-wide We have sub menus. So in departments you slide you slide over and see the various departments that we have direct links to Under Families we have Again things that directly relate to families with sub menus for instance bullying We have our bullying incident report form and the bullying prevention plan Here under CPAC CPAC has their website and their brochure So this is for families. You've got Arlington Community Education Where'd that go community education which slides over you have the adult programs high school programs youth programs? so Then under staff these are again links that are of use to staff. We have the bullying again Into the portals Power school portals resources. These are community resources. This is a link to the after-school programs that are on our website Arlington Youth Counseling Center as you can see community yet again in case people go to it a different way And then a link to the town of Arlington's Community resources most of these things virtually all of them are on our current website They've just been reorganized. So it's just easier to find and we think the look is a little nicer Let me go back to the home page and just show you on quick links These can be shown opened or shut. It's a nice clean look with it shut We've got the calendar on the front page the home page There's highlights of news here if people want to see news that's old. They can go into the district There's news again and news archives. So nothing's lost In the quick links Again, these are things we think that people are just going to want to go to frequently. These can change over time But yeah, and for instance, we're coming up to registration Registration registrations here under families. So if the family wants to register their their student, it's right there and It's also under district. So if somebody says, you know, because you can register district-wide You can also think I'm a family. I want to register. So we've tried to make it as user-friendly as we can If someone says, oh, I want to be welcomed by the superintendent There you go right from the home page and if you click click sorry on the picture It always takes you back to the home page Mr. Heiner What I'm going to suggest is going to take a lot of time and stuff and so I'm not looking for it right away The possibility on bullying that the thing to also have a link to the policies that we have in the different Did it have policy? I didn't have a glass of the day. Yeah, it's in the bullying plan But in any of the other ones that we have policies on that show up here Link to the policy as well across reference to it. I use bullying Bullying to the school right to the school committee policies when I'm saying not just the school policy That particular one you might have a handbook relation to it the process the reporting aspect There's a lot to that particular one other ones with regard to Field trips and stuff like that might just have one policy You just we've got the parent forms and handbooks here, right just different It will take some time to go through the whole policy to do the cross-linking and stuff like that But sometimes we it just helps people they know the topic, but they don't know where to find it in the policy So the search interesting that we have a search function on policies. It doesn't always take you to the policy It's not something that's gonna happen. It's a long-term piece. It's it and I appreciate that I've seen it in other I think I think this is wonderful. I think you and everyone else that's worked on this done a phenomenal job Thank you. It's really nice Yeah, it's been a group effort and it's been Great, I'm I'm excited. I hope I hope you are. I don't know if there's other concerns comments suggestions Would you show them the elementary the oh, yes, this is this is like the pièce de rosey stones here I go. I was saving it for last I got so excited. I forgot it. Okay. Thank you Kathy this is We have created new schools pages This takes you to The school website That's not changing. Here's bishops school website and But here's save the Bishop website. This gives you a basic description of the school Links to their their own school website a map, you know where the school is you have all the phone numbers You have the name of the principal. You have the report card letter overview full report card a link to the DESC school profile And we have this for all the schools Oh, that's great the most important thing you can see here the arrow and the target This is to make sure people know This is where you're gonna get all the detail on the school. You go right back to the current school website That is, you know independently Managed by each school. They still have their own look. They have their own information. They have everything the way they want it But we also have a consistent Heading page if you will with a with a picture of the school and The information about that school. Let me show you the oddison and the high school Here's the oddison all the elementary schools have the same layout So here's here's the oddison you have the principal and the assistant principals And then all the other information same you have a little bit more information because it's you know the bigger schools are a little bit more complicated structurally and then We are gonna go to the high school So here's the high school. So it's a quick reference. I like it. It's a quick reference Dr. Seuss Three questions. They're not long though This looks great. I'm really excited One question is a school improvement plans Reference here can parents get or people get to that for each of the schools there. They should be on every school They should be on each school's website. They're not on we didn't put it on this page I know they're Inconsistently on the websites. It might be nice to have put it on here. Just so we can double-check to make sure that because Actually the beginning of the year Julie in combination collaboration was a lot of us We created a list of things that needed to be on right each of maybe better at this point I think so we've double-checked them Then just two more questions. I'm a big believer the wisdom of the crowds as you know Is there a way for people to get back to you about insights or feedback that they have? When they're looking at the website in a couple weeks So suppose somebody says, you know, there's just something we didn't think about that should be on there And just no one had thought about it. It's a great idea. Is there a way for people to give you that feedback? Well, I don't know if we hadn't thought of putting up a separate structure in place But I believe the notice that will go out tomorrow just saying that the website is going to be down because it's going to be Getting a new look we can add a phrase there. Please, you know Respond to a ps superintendent at Arlington dot K-12. I don't know if that's yeah appropriate. I think I mean It might be small, but you might find something that's useful Then last question sorry to is the the dashboard which I know is on our Goals that's further down the road. We think that will come under administration Okay, so are we thinking that we can get a district? I say or district or district right or district do we think it's in process We don't have a date yet that it will be done by we hadn't you know, right really focusing on this It's been going on in a parallel track. So okay, so some possibility that June, but we're not sure The dashboard is really going to end up. I we think as a continuous document a document. It's Not going to be an interactive document as you might see in a content-managed One-year snapshot Well Yeah, we'll be one year, but it yeah, but we're still working on developing the various Dr. Allison ampere There's a part on the current website that's called creating safe schools Yeah has how do you get to that from this one right there, right, but I didn't see what the Right there. I was here safe. It's so okay I can't read that Okay, yeah, it's also here under district, okay, so you get there two ways Okay, my question is that that section the creating safe schools actually has Information that would be helpful for parents about bullying and stuff and can we get Going to add that to the bullying. Yes, we can do that Yeah, or get into the part where it talks about bullying We mean here and add it to this yes. Yes. Yeah, add the drop-down menu. Yeah, there's no reason not to add that there Also, yeah another way. Yeah, it's helpful information. It's really hard to find on the current website Okay, and Where's budget budget is in several places. It's under school committee and they all go to the same thing. Yeah, okay Okay, great. That's as you see the the same layout of the page, but just with the new banner Okay. Yeah, it's also under administration budget information So some people might think of it as administration. Some people might think of the school committee. Okay And then the one last thing is I I understand that there's a couple different places people can find the registration information Yeah, but I'm a little worried that the comments. I've seen from people that I don't know and stuff It can be hard for them to find information When and they're really they start looking for it early About how to register their kindergarten or stuff and I'm just wondering if I can't I'm sorry I can't read everything really well. I'm wondering how easy it's going to be for them to find well I think I'm not working on the Now but I'm thinking when the new When when it's really open for kindergarten registration will probably put it in in the quick links at least, you know for a while I mean, that's what I was been discussing Recently, okay, I'm thinking it may actually be something we'd want to have all the time the you know before it's live You just say it'll you know, there'll be information here in March or something, you know registration. Okay, you see what I'm saying If you're a mid-year, you need the registration right people register all year. What if you're showing up late? Okay, thank you mr. Heiner I Can't see that five is the handbook in each one of the school Student handbook in each one of the school pages It's the the elementary handbook is under Families, okay, it's on the schools. It's the elementary handbook is not linked directly there I'd like to recommend the I think it's great under the families But also have it on each one of the schools And I know you there's a different one for the middle schools and the different one for the high school So I think it should be on our our page and on the hand as a link Specific handbooks just suggest the other thing Kathy this goes back to Concerned I've had a long time We now are directly and we have been directly linking to the independent web pages of the school are they Are we are we going to continue to monitor them to make sure that they're within the all the legal plan always have thank you Seeing no other Comments, I just want to say this this is really a good-looking website and I'm looking forward to it Going live. I'm sure that folks in the town will love it. Thank you very much Thank you, Julie, thank you for all your efforts Unfortunately miss Schaeffler is ill today that there's a virus going around she seems to have Gone out to catch it So we're going to reschedule her for the next meeting, but she asked me to pass along This information just regarding the Minuteman Technical Institute the current yearly operating cost About four million dollars is going down a three point three million dollars and will be lower after the regional agreement is approved The cost of proposed new building Darlings in about a third of the actual reimbursement rate of the one forty four million I assume that she's saying that it's the a third of the Remainer after the reimbursement rate and won't be changed regardless of the regional agreement. Unfortunately Eight towns have approved revised regional agreement so far the remainder are scheduled to vote prior to March 1st and the msba module 5 Will be there soon Requires all 16 towns to approve bonding by 523 so if the regional agreement fails in even one town Minuteman will go immediately do a district wide vote under 16 and and that's that's the message. I'm not going to entertain questions on that. We can question her in two weeks Fiscal 17 superintendents proposed budget dr. Bode Could we Perhaps go forward on the agenda Johnson that might be helpful. Miss Johnson. Is it the capital planning committee? I think that just questions of the importance. She's here for this. Okay 8 10 p.m. We're really rocking and rolling park on paper versus Computer in on our hold harmless This is in response to questions from members. So this is an update Going to let dr. Cheson respond I know that some of the questions came up as a result of an article that Appeared in Ed Week and was reprinted by a number of Blogs and a number of newspapers That park scores were lower for students who took exams on computers as opposed to those who took them on paper if One looks at the article carefully You'll see that there's many statements that Not only was that within a state but also within a district so while They are still looking at that and the director of the park program Says that they're still looking at the data. There was very uneven data from State to state and also from school to school There are some things that they've looked at that indicate that it's possible that the socioeconomic climate or the familiarity with technology or You know the academic nature of the district might have come into play and there's just so many variables at this point That they cannot know One thing I also want to point out is that they're looking at basically one year's worth of data And really for statistical analysis, that's not say it's sufficient enough data to draw any meaningful conclusion However in the article it does mention several states that have had years worth of online testing data and in those longitudinal studies they have found Minor differences sometimes a little higher sometimes a little lower but not statistically significant NAPE which is a national test that students take actually found that in some cases students did better On the test that was online there. NAPE is getting ready to go online and also the access test Which we give our students who are English language loaners This was the last year that you had a paper and pencil option next year will all be online So there's much more to come in the future We are going to prepare our students whether they're taking paper or pencil Or online in order to be prepared for the test and I think one of the key things to call into mind is that We are in a situation where we're quote-unquote held harmless Not only is the district held harmless Which means that if the district was a level two Disis strict this year which it was that it cannot be lower than a level two for the next two years Nor can a school go below and if they actually show an increase they can be receive a higher level and That also goes for our teachers We feel like our teachers are being held harmless and also our students because there are some points Well, we'll use still use that information to identify those students that might need Additional assistance There will be no student that would be negatively impacted if they should not do well on this test So while it is something, you know, we feel like we need to watch it keep an eye on We don't feel it's anything to be concerned about at this point Cool any questions or mr. Heyner currently Do we have the ability to do regular testing? day-to-day week-to-week testing on it as on the computer where I'm going coming from on this is the one of the statements in the study and several other studies on this say the The regular use of a computer for this type of activity and what I'm suggesting is if we know ahead of time And I'm sure we to some degree which schools which grades are going to be using the computers to start doing this so that the the regular usage For testing is through a computer a similar media that should eliminate that that issue and and provide similarities Certainly all the students at Bishop and Audison which are the two schools that will be taking the test online will be doing a practice test online And they will also be utilizing those tools that are given an online test I guess what I'm suggesting is Regular testing if you got math or something like that instead of using any paper or pencil on your regular testing And I know it's a burden to do this for the teacher But start using a computer media to do regular testing so it becomes a normal procedure for testing in Eliminating that that variability if you do it in isolation just for one test It can be sure it I want to control that variable Absolutely, that's a suggestion going for every other test or every third or fourth test to do it on a computer to develop that Comfort comfort factor with the students. We actually already do that at Audison them in the engineering program the tech engineering program They use what's called jog-nog, which is a It's not so much of a test as it's an online test simulation for the MCAS They've been using that for three or four years now They actually have gotten recognition for a very creative use of that in addition a lot of our Faculty members will use Google Forms, which is a way to do a little quiz online We also use a number of other software tools where teachers will do give a formative assessment quiz So that's something we already have in place, but I certainly will also talk to the two Instructional technology folks to have them work as much with the teachers to give students as much exposure to that kind of And that to me that would eliminate the the issue of a New thing and causing that bring down that anxiety level using a new tool sure. Thank you My concerns with the park versus on paper versus computer wasn't just based on the education Article but at week article, but also reports from other districts in Massachusetts My recollection is Worcester and I think Newton had also done a B testing and saw differences with computer significantly lower and I'm not I think it's something that we want to be aware of and it also to me suggests Well first it sounds like they're if these differences are real and I understand what you're saying about statistical significance and stuff, but Assuming that they're real for some reason. They're not dialing the tests equally It is a reason to try and get everyone into the type of testing that we will be doing going forward Assume especially assuming it's computer-based during the whole harmless section So I would think that this would push us a little harder to try and get to all electronic testing before the end of the whole Harmus so that then we've got our baseline whatever it is And then we just go forward That's an excellent point and we this year We wanted to give faculty as much input as possible as to whether their their school did Paper and pencil or online and so the two schools that are doing it or those that wear the you know Majority of the faculty felt comfortable doing that But it's our hope that if we you know, we can demonstrate a lot of people's anxiety was about you know Making sure that technology was going to work and if we can demonstrate that I think we'll have people a lot more comfortable Because our teachers are very comfortable using technology on a day-to-day basis I think that they just want to make sure that in a testing environment that the system is stable and you know And some folks are a little cautious, and I think that that's fine Dr. Sears I so I say I was at Bishop last night where dr. Cheson and Linda Hansen presented information to the Bishop community about the test and I thought it went really well, and I thought the presentation was great And I thought you answered lots of people's questions, and I wanted to remind people that there is another presentation At Thompson on Wednesday the 24th. It's at 7 to 9 30. I have And it's just important for anyone who has concerns or questions come to the presentation or reach out to you separately and And just sort of get everything aired and talked about right that presentation will be for all elementary level students And then on March 8th. There will be a presentation at Odyssey and sponsored by Odyssey's Opaq to provide information to the middle school parents Speaking of Thompson school. I failed to mention the meeting the meeting this Foley is with us is already a wrap welcome tonight We're glad you here Dr. Cheson, I think dr. Bodie. I just on the 24th The the presentation is also about the Massachusetts Common Core State Standards And we will have our director of math math Coleman and our literacy coaches in the elementary As well as I believe our director of ELA to yes, yes, so dead Perry and we'll have Linda Hansen and Tim Tim is When is the one on the 8th? It's gonna be in the evening. They're gonna sponsor an evening meeting. Yeah Any other comments or questions on this? hearing none Superintendents report right Well, I think the first thing I just want to talk about is snow snow days I've had Some feedback from parents, and I think that it's good to hear what they have to say the The storms that are the most difficult to make a decision about are these storms that start really at 7 or 8 o'clock in the morning and Go through the school day. They're just so difficult because the information that you have the night before And for that matter Even at 5 in the morning, which is when our decision needs to be made and we need to make I need to make that decision For a number of reasons one is our medical buses. I need to notify Notify them if we're not going to be in session Also, we have a we have a fair number of teachers who travel great distances from New Hampshire From the Connecticut border so some people to drive it an hour and a half in good weather So they need to know Certainly no later than 5 30 Even earlier that we don't have school. So I think it's important people know that and why the timing of these decisions particularly the one on Monday That that as that we went through that day on Monday the storm Changed course didn't start as fast and we didn't get as much snow The one on Friday actually sort of exceeded their expectations in terms of how difficult the travel was going to be So they have a tough time with that as well. And of course Superintendents also have a tough time and I just want people to understand that Really take this very seriously and spend Agonizing hours about this because I do know that it affects people very much and for people who are working they have to Find child care or stay home themselves and that can be a burden for them as well So to the extent that when we can make I can make the decision in the evening. I will do that But if there is some uncertainty about the forecast, I'm going to wait to the morning and At five at five or very shortly after five you will find it on all the media our website But I and I'll call I've had to delay the calls because they're linked at the moment Most parents don't want to call much before six So Yeah, so teachers they'll probably have to check their their email as well, so Maybe we can unlink these going forward so we can just do different timings on it but And the thing that I also want to say and I need to say every year and probably multiple times is that I'm probably going to make Decisions, hopefully not that Families might think It's too dangerous for their child to be out or it's too dangerous for them to be out and That is a decision that is their decision to make and all they need to do is to call in their child and Explain the reason and that will be an excused absence. It will be an absence, but it will be an excused absence on Our end we probably can run our buses if we get four inches of snow Much beyond that is is very tricky Particularly with the hills in Arlington and also some of our buses go long distances so that is sort of a Cutting number if you're listening to the weather in which we pay a lot of attention You start going five six inches with uncertainty At the you know at the end of the day got to go with safety What that does though to us right now is that our hundredth eightieth day is the Friday of the third week So I'm hoping that the Whether gods are with us and we don't have any more snow In February and March once we hit April 1 even if the snows were fine in terms of extra days Can I ask a quick question? Yeah, I'm Dr. Allison Ampe This the day that the high school was dismissed early because of the bomb threat Did that count as a snow day or it's just it was considered a day of school. Okay Thank you Yeah, I had the snow day thing is such a Difficult thing to do just and I don't like to second-guess superintendents because It's difficult, but I thought that both calls were right on and the logic behind it was fine Mr. Pierce. Yeah, I mean getting the call during the Super Bowl was perhaps the best present I Merchals were awful the Super Bowl were you know that was the best possible time. It was time that way I Really on these little tests I have to tell you a very funny story and I won't one of the teachers I was visiting one of our schools the other day and so I would go into the classroom and You know introduce we talk a couple minutes And so I left and the teacher was explaining to the person what my job was and blank faces, you know, these are little Young young children, but then she said well, she's the person that calls snow days and one little boy chirped I love that person So cute so cute Anyway, I would like to ask I have a couple more things, but I'd like Alice and Elmer to Tell you a little bit about a course that we're offering here, which Really speaks to our goal about improving the social emotional Climates and cultures of our of our our school Sure, so we're partnering with Leslie University to offer it will ultimately be a series of four graduate courses Covering I'm helping traumatized children learn so that ultimately You know, we would be able to say we have trauma-informed practices the course developed out of the Legislation if you remember the Safe and Supportive Schools Act, which ultimately got released under one of the gun bills later on but Leslie worked with the And law project out of Harvard as well as mass advocates for children to create this course Some people might be familiar with the purple book, which is kind of the handbook on how to work with Trauma-informed practices, so we've started the first of the four courses last two Fridays ago tomorrow will have Another class we have 25 percent of participants from pre-k to the high school It was open to all faculty, so we have ta's We have specialists. We have gen ed teachers. We have guidance counselor social worker school like psychologists who all signed up for the course The courses are intended to be taken as a series so that at the end people would receive a certificate of Completion that wouldn't you know result in saying your trauma-informed practices But we're hoping to Be able to offer offer several iterations of this as we go forward But we had the first cohort started and the feedback from the first class was great It's a mixture of on-site and online learning, so they'll get three graduate credits for each course and Leslie has an incredible grant which is allowing Participants to take the class for five hundred dollars for three graduate credits Wow So we're really excited about this and looking forward to continuing the rollout A little bit off-subject, but I've been reading with interest some of what they've been discussing down on the Cape Specifically with stress for for youngsters and Doing things like meditation in the classroom Developing that is sort of a practice Mm-hmm What are the what's the district's thoughts on on employing such a strategy and I would I would welcome that It's actually we have it going on in several pockets already Dr. Cheson and I met with the folks at AF to look at a development and exploration grant to Expand some that work because they were noticing the number of grant applications They were receiving across the district around things like low yoga in the classroom mindfulness Exercise desk things of that nature, you know, they're addressing some of these issues So we are going to be applying for one of the AF grants to develop and explore a Behavioral health group that will look at how to implement these practices across the district We have a lot of practices going on in the district, but we're trying to get some better coordination And also looking at you know, what is really effective in fact? I was in a class today and the teacher was doing There's an online program where the kids could move to it. It wasn't a dancing was actually moving to it Just to get them to have a movement break to just settle so I mean it's a so there a lot of teachers are doing this people have experimented with lighting in their classrooms So there is quite a bit that actually is going You know smaller initiatives like things like that to apps about breathing and whatnot to larger school-wide a couple of our schools Have adopted responsive classrooms. So that's a building-wide Culture that they develop and build and we're expanding that training More grant money so it's it's done like as dr. Bodie said it's something that we want to try and bring some You know cohesion to so that we're Rolling it out effectively. I don't know how this relates at the PTO meeting the other night one of the parents Demonstrated and I don't know if I'm pronouncing, right? hook hook stool And I looked at that and I said my gosh I wish I had had a couple of those for my class the base is Circular and it allows the person sitting in it to not a lot of range but just enough motion to dissipate a lot of nervous energy and Some of us me included could probably use the and I I went online they come at all sizes They do and actually I believe some of the AF grants in the past have been requests for those kind of purchases The one of the parents was sitting in it and they were by the end of the night They were fighting over it. They all wanted to sit Well, yeah, but this gives you three moments three degrees Dr. Seuss I have a big question and it's probably premature to answer this I know that each school has a slightly different social and emotional process some do responsive classrooms and others to Pause every enforcement and then open circle and Do we think in a few years that we're going to Have sort of an across-the-board approach or do we think that we value sort of the different approaches that different schools are doing Well, I think that it is a little premature. We value what the schools are doing and And and it's certainly on the consciousness of every principal and and school in our district What we're trying to do is get coordination provide resources Whether we I don't think it's a particularly good idea to say we want you to be a responsive classroom school I think that's something that becomes it's more organic and it develops and and we can provide the resources for that but what we do want to make sure is that we have effective practices in all of our schools in all of our classrooms and It's it's something that we are very conscious of and taking very seriously And I think the work that we are hoping to do through the development and expansion grant would be looking at some of That what our effective practices would our practice is we want to extend to other schools and as Dr. Bodie said, you know whether or not it's PBIS or Responsible do you have a school-wide system for recognizing values behavior? You want to see reinforcing them when you know and then having that school voice be The school voice has to be a large part of it, but it also has to include. I think community stakeholders as well So it's it is a long timeline, but it's yeah Thanks for the update Dr. Allison Abbey, I just wanted to add my voice to mr. Pierce that I also looked into the The program that they're trying to get rid of in Dennis Yarmouth and was impressed very impressed and Would suggest that it's something that we should look into as to have as part of the repertoire that the schools can choose from Or at least to consider it One of the things we feel very fortunate about is that When Allison was in Reading prior to coming here, she was actually the person that began The programs they have there that was on the front page of the globe so there's been she has a lot of experience with this and and actually a number of our Coordinators are working together. It's really going to be a whole district effort as we move forward But I think if we can secure some funding for this will be make Make this go faster Okay Just a couple of other things and then we can get to the budget since I'm in in this One is very exciting is that our high school robotics club Participated in the regional us first meet last week and there were 17 teams and at the end of the man other Contest competition Harlington High School ranked number three. So this was a This was a big jump in terms of their performance from last year And I really want to acknowledge the team would work very hard and the two advisors are Ted Fuse and JCG So it's terrific. The other piece of good news from the high school is that The Arlington High School mock trial team finished the preliminary round and advances to the regional round Which will be take which will take place sometime in March March 6 and so there were So this was these the fourth year we participated in it and the high school will be one of 32 teams in the regional competition so and Beginning the competition 130 130 schools had been involved. So this is it's another great accomplishment and Congratulations to Joe Sancinito and his team Mr. Heiner Dr. Bodie those open to the public I Don't know the answer to that I could find out There's a couple of members that might would like to go and cheer the mock trial. Yeah, that's the robotics No, well, it's hard to cheer robots Marco Rubio was a dog go there All right, so do you want to go into budget back to the budget? All right Miss Johnson's back from capital planning And I want to thank her and and Julie done is here tonight also for their help in putting this this presentation together It's trying to make this very synthesize all of the work that has gone on over the last few months really So as we've looked at the proposed budget so for people who are listening right now This is a superintendent's proposed budget, which has had a lot of input from teachers from administrators from the school committee and the budget subcommittee there's a lot of a lot of input into this and At this we will be talking about it But at the first meeting in March the school committee will vote on this budget and will then become the school committee's budget Which will then be presented at the finance committee about a week later so we had several budget priorities for the development of this budget and the first That's right. I'm supposed to do If it works I Think it's up sit it up Yeah, I'm trying it. I'm hitting up and it's not going it's not no I meant up at the The camera. I'm sorry. I think it's no it's into my laptop. That's what I thought. Yeah, that's control. Yeah, I'll just sit here Okay, hit the arrow Can you put us back in the dark? Thank you. Oh Okay The the first priority is the retention and compensation of faculty and staff FY 17 budget will be the second year of the new contracts and So the budget will fund those contracted Those contracts as well as an additional two percent for staff outside the collective bargaining and this evening tonight I think the committee for approving that for principles a second priority was enrollment growth and class size mitigation and In this area one of the high priorities was the oddest and half cluster and for people don't understand What that means is that we're going to have Two teachers that will have 50 or 60 students and a regular cluster is probably around 120 students In which they have four core teachers. So the two teachers that will Be teaching will have be duly certified in math and science and then English and social studies We are going to need probably four elementary teachers to right now or in the budget for Thompson We have an approval to move forward from town meeting with two modular classrooms We know of the two reserves that one for sure is going to be needed at Hardy already And very likely another one will be needed at Hardy So I'm we're anticipating this probably before elementary. We also are going to have More instruction more teachers for Arlington High School mathematics The third priority Is the support for our high-need students? One of our district goals is to close the achievement gap and every year We've made a lot of progress in this area and in order to do that requires support and so We're going to be funding elementary learning specialists too. We originally thought that we would have we would ask before but When we began this process we had wish well We'll go over in a couple minutes. We thought that we would the the list of Ass that we wanted to have for next year guided by these priorities was about 3.8 million What we're going to be able to fund is about 1.5. So That's one of the reasons why this this will be reduced We also are going to have some additional math coaching at the elementary level and interventions With the growing population at the middle school will need a nurse and another and a part-time social worker And then we need again to support our high-need students at the high school co-top math course and the fourth priority was essential curricula materials and unfunded mandates the Common core the implementation of the Common Core math state standards is required and will continue to require a lot of professional development For our teachers. We have done a lot of work over the last few summers And we'll continue to do that in aligning our curriculum to those to those standards and also creating our own assessments and and Analyzing those assessments. We also have been short changing for a number of years now k8 curriculum materials and We've sort of reached a point where we can no longer do that and so we're going to be looking to Expand materials that are in elementary level in math science reading and writing and Some of these materials we targeted at different grade levels and some several grade levels We need more. We need more materials in it for health education Our sec our social studies books at the secondary level are so out of date It's embarrassing and those need to be replaced and they will also involve digital copies with just a classroom set There'll be art materials that are needed to be ordered as well. So it's a full range of Not only curricular areas, but also levels. So these are the budget priorities. We're going on to the next slide our total appropriation our total budget for FY 16 was 59 59.4 million dollars If we are and of that Our town appropriation was the the majority of that money at 53.5 million with grants at 2.4 and revolving and revolving account fees and so forth at 3.3 That that was FY 16 as we look to the anticipated revenues for the FY 17 budget We will our revenues will be about 62.6 million dollars again, which the majority of the funding for this comes from town appropriation at 57 million and grants are going to expect you to go down somewhat this year particularly title one and As well as our fees So the total increase When you combine all of our revenue sources is about 5.4 percent Which is a different percent then actually what the increase is in the town appropriation, which is 6.4 so but the net revenue increase is that and As a footnote on all these slides one of the things that those that are those that are listening tonight and those that want to do more Exploration exploration with our budget it is on it is on our website and can be accessed under budgets on the left-hand side And as we go into the new website, they'll be a little bit easier access to it. Alright, so the proposed budget changes So we have a net increase of 3.2 million dollars for next year of which We just it if we just address salary increases That will be 1.7 million dollars Which leaves us about 1.5 to address Enrollment other enrollment growth hires as well as Needs of the district so Approximately 2.4 million dollars is not going to be funded with the revenue that we have now what is included here And you won't be able to see this at all in terms of In terms of the actual numbers, but I think you can see it in terms of the color-coded the The brighter green is what is being funded In full In full in full. Yes funded in full exactly when you go to the darker green that is partially funded and Then the the unfunded is the brown All right, so you get a sense of that and you can go through could you just Might go through the next page as you can sort of see a visual with how what that looks like these This document this PowerPoint will be on the website tomorrow So anyone who wants to take a better look at all of this or we'll be able to do that All right, if we move on to This is a very familiar circle that we've seen in the past and It shows graphically Where the sources of revenue are for the school department budget and again? You can see that the part that's sort of the dark the The darker green I would say the darker green Yellow green is town appropriation and the grants, which is the almost brown is Much smaller sliver And in fact, that's different than it has been in past years and then our revolving fees So it just gives you up a good a good visual on that and in the next circle diagram it takes all of the major budget Categories but budget expenses by each magic major category and shows how that relates Again, one of the things that you can see is that the the two largest wedges here are Instruction for regular education, which is the green and then instruction for special education Which is the sort of the light purple lavender purple? Moving on now this this diagram here. I think is very illustrative in In in really showing what's happened where we have put the money over the last few years that we have in the way of increases from fiscal years to the next fiscal year and The first set of bar graphs, which maybe you can't see is elementary The second set is secondary and then special education what you can see is that the money that has revenue for the money The revenue has all gone to Instruction to the classrooms what you see here is that curriculum instruction materials and Relation relating to that which probably includes some of our professional development is fairly flat our administrative costs again are really relatively flat and then other items that have be lumped under facilities or transportation again and Remaining pretty flat so one thing I also want to point out is How we define special education and I give a lot of credit to Diane Johnson and in in creating a Consistency across many years So we can compare a special education cost from year to year and defining very specifically what are our special education costs and these include our Grant funded costs our special education grant funded costs Legal and transportation costs which directly support special education students That's it We also have interventions and our definitions of Interventions in Arlington includes all of our support in math and literacy our TI our ELL programs academic challenge and enrichments guidance and All of these interventions support both regular education students general education students and special education students Now why do you why are they both necessary? Well the special education? Our legally mandated costs for eligible students Whereas interventions reach really all students who struggle and Students who might necessarily not be eligible for special education services We go to the next diagram here This is looking at our costs Over several fiscal years in terms of you go from FY 13 actuals to 14 to 15 Then we have FY 16 projected in FY 17 proposal. So what what did we what can we take away from this this information? That One we're seeing an increase here in the the money again the going going directly to Our classrooms We also see that there is Some growth in the interventions. I think you can see it. It's the the red there Are the It's the intervention. So there's a slight increase over these different years for that The so the green is their general Ed pretty sure that's the one Yeah, and then the yellow is special education So again like the bar graphs we saw before the increase going into those program what we also see That administration is barely flat again over all of these years and If you can barely even see it on this graph, is there a color there? I can't it's blue It's sort of a blues. It's very it's very small. That's professional development You can you can sort of see it right there We pointed out on there. We can get your laser. Yeah, yeah, it's in between So there's been some talk. Well, can't we just reduce special education as professional development costs to fund other things? And there's really we're There really cannot But that but I would do want to say this and it might give the impression that we are not providing professional development for our teachers And that's really not the case at all. In fact, the research has shown and in fact, I think there's no question about this They're probably the most effective Professional development you can give teachers is having them work together Visit each other in their classrooms and we have in fact in one school We have a team of teachers and they go and they they watch another teacher teach We doing a lot of videotaping all of these are very significant and powerful professional development These costs really reflect the mind the work that we might do in the summertime in terms of stipends and and stipends to teachers to Do workshops which they do in the summer So again that this graph here sort of reflects the same thing we saw on the other graph as to where the money is going and What our priorities are? So if you want to have more information about the budget and I think Dr. Ampey wants to talk a little bit about the different ways that People can participate in this process going forward until the vote of the school committee you can find the budget on the district website and All of the details Thank you. Thank you. Dr. Allison ampe Um Give me a sec. I didn't realize I was going to be up. Maybe I'm asking a heater Great presentation. Thank you. It's very clear and easy to follow. Thank you and everyone to put it together Quick question on the revolving accounts Why are you anticipating an increase? It One of the things that we discussed in terms of meeting our essential our essential ads to this coming budget for 17 Was to take $250,000 out of reserves. So that's the $250,000 coming in from our reserve balances is flowing in through that category. That's what why did You look at section section 3 in your budget book You can see it when you I'm just looking back at this. It should it showed an increase and you've answered it Thank you. The other question under budget priorities. You mentioned the high-need students and especially in math on The graphs of the cuts and things that you're proposing the high needs is still in the air for the on math for the elementary but not for the high school and I would ask you to look again Have a co-top program in math at the high school Right, but the high needs math is I'm on page 104 of the Colored pages. It's three of four where you see the high school. That's the special ed department Section, so if you go two more pages down You'll see that the two in green at the top are the co-taught math courses at the high school Okay, but the high needs part is is how we're judged on our These are directly targeted at high-need students Even though they're not in special ed, they can be high needs and not special ed That's why they're under the high school and not under special ed High needs math high school on the first page, right There was there was a hope that we would be able to write there was a hope that we would have a More high-needs math some of the FTEs fall under special education Some of the FTEs fall under regular education And so we've funded the ones that folks have done a phenomenal job with with all the restraints And I appreciate it all I'm asking is if you could take another look put that one back. That's my Push that's all. Thank you. Dr. Allison ampe first I just want to follow up on that on that same item 11 lines 11 12 and 13 the F the original FTA I think it's meant to be 0.2. It's clear in the money But it says to and that makes each one. It's it's the colored sheets Lines 11 12 and 13. Oh, it should have been you're correct And that's my fault. I was the one who did this page, right? No, and I I want to say Thank you for doing the page because I think it makes it really really clear And just so much easier to understand And that was just a little thing. Yeah, I forgot the decimal point. Yeah. Yeah, that's fine It just for someone not looking at it. It looks like we're dropping two teachers here and two teachers Yes So when me can I start circle back to the question that was raised before? Yeah, okay So the budget subcommittee has been doing some outreach efforts and we had one at Thompson On February 9th. Our next one is going to be hosted at Otteson's Otteson Middle School's OPEC meeting on the 26th At 830 any parent doesn't have to be middle school is welcome to come to that and we'll be discussing the budget and taking questions and stuff And then the other ones are to attend school committee meetings to attend budget subcommittee meetings to come to the public hearing That will be at our next meeting and or to contact us and we've set up a email list email Account that goes direct to the budget subcommittee and then we'll report out to the full school committee. It's ASC budget 2016 at gmail.com Or you can just find one of us and ask Just add to that Mr. Hainer Enjoyed going to Stratton and Hardy and the other night Thompson to the PTO meetings doing school committee budget process well received part of the presentation the PowerPoint was a listing of All the links that we had to the request from all the schools and stuff when they brought it in and again to the email page and Parents have asked for that and it's again send it to us. We'll be happy to send it out to get the input back from them Missed on. Can you enlighten us again? Thank you Dr. Allison ampe the resolution Can I ask a question about the budget first? Oh, please do yeah, um, so actually I have two questions Which is down from years before first is Where's the credit that we're getting from the town for solar? How is that reflected in this budget? It isn't okay? And when will it be or I mean not not necessarily will it be reflecting the budget, but when does it start? Hating our books. Yeah, it will begin to hit this year and hopefully will help to fray some of the cost of the elevator When the facilities budget migrates to the facilities department, it will go with it So the school department is not going to realize the long-term benefits of the solar So, but war energy bills go with the facilities yet Okay, so the whole thing all things going okay, so we lose both credit Okay, so that was question one and then question two is looking at section section eight Page eight and nine It's athletics ice hockey and Actually, it's kind of two questions one is There's two places where there were athletics listed and I didn't understand why I Actually on page five It's listed at the bottom. This is in the high school total. There's transportation and stuff Then it shows up again in page six and stuff We split we split athletics out from the high school at a certain point in the budget history So some of the history resides in those early because a history, okay But then my question about the hockey I'm asking about this because this was one of the things that you had listed as Needing there's an uptick in the amount that we're funding for athletics And you said that it was ice hockey thing But the girls ice hockey hasn't changed that much in terms of price. I did not I did not spend a lot of time Carefully I very carefully allocated all of the coaching expenditures sport by sport But I did not spend as much time carefully allocating the other expenditures sport by sport Okay, I'm leaving that up in the hands of the athletic director and what you see in here in both the projection You know, basically I did the projections with her very minutely Rolled that forward But in certain sports, she's replacing uniforms and equipment so that you know baseball may be high in FY 16 and I've projected it high in 17 But actually it's going to go to golf or something else, right? So there's those kind of fluxes not with the salaries because we got those right on but with expenses There's okay So the fact that the ice hockey is high for the boys and loafer doesn't mean necessarily that that's what the time is doing It could be no money's are in the wrong pot correct The expenditures we work very hard to get to the right place But the revenues aren't always in the exactly the right place They're in the right domain in this case athletics, but they're not necessarily parsed out sport by sport with the exception of the salaries Or the coaching stipends, okay Okay, thank you Mr. Thielman I Actually had a question about grants But just in terms of the hockey is that would that be a factor of the number of participants in the sport? Are there more ice time is very expensive? You know, I know the ice time is more expensive, but are there more boys participating in girls? Okay, so that might be a factor in the number of students participate. I believe there are more levels. Yeah, that's usually a factor in hockey Okay, so my question could you do I I went through this and I didn't for Cindy brought her books, so I'm using hers but Yeah, I probably didn't need to admit that but I did I The grant difference from this year from last year this year, could you just summarize that for absolutely maybe for me and for the public? I think people might want to know that I have assumed no kindergarten grant because at the time we were putting the budget together That was our best information. Yeah, it does appear that that may be incorrect So we may get a bonus there that may in fact allow us to go and and put in those full-time kindergarten TAs Where now we have half-time kindergarten TAs? Yeah, title one We have assumed that our our poverty level fluxes right on a junction and this year we benefited I'm assuming we're not going to benefit next year Oh, so that could go either way so that could potentially go up But I feel it's always better to be conservative and get a pleasant surprise than an ugly one Okay, and so those are our two principal grant changes. Okay, so you you made a conservative projection based on yes I did okay, but we could get news We could get better news by before July 1 And kindergarten we might get before July 1 correct correct and typically we don't get final grant numbers until sometime over the summer Okay, so that's usually why in September I bring back a revised revenue projection to show you where the you know These are estimates on the grants and show you where they actually came in. Okay, so I just want to clarify so if We were to get X number of dollars and grant money over the summer that might trigger the hiring of more staff It would depend on what the grant was and how it was specifically purposed Yeah, you know if we need it another I Don't know what I mean. It would really depend title doesn't give us it does give us some flexibility So we did this past summer when we got some more title one money. We hired some literacy tutors and and math tutors in the title one schools So it's it's very restrictive and what we can do with it Title one. Yeah, the title one is the kindergarten grant title three is extremely restrictive But the but the kindergarten grant doesn't doesn't free up other money and other parts of the district No, they're very clear now that they wanted to supplement not supplant and so in this case I mean preliminarily because we haven't seen their proposal about what they're putting forth for a grant But it looks to us that taking our TAs from half-time to full-time would be Supplemental it wouldn't be supplanting. We're already providing the halftime TAs and it's been a strong desire of the principles for a couple of years Okay, and it would probably be our first okay the fee decreases you said fees are going to be decreased no, no They're flat fleas of fees are flat. You're projecting the same fees. Okay. That's it. Thank you Dr. Seuss actually I have one question about fees then on section three tuition in revolving Says that we're only going to get 90,000 Yes, that was an adjustment. We made this fiscal year Because when the tuition in was initially developed I in fact inherited their estimates when I got here and they were estimating something in the neighborhood of $500,000 annually which proved to be extremely Optimistic okay over time we were collecting more money We would lowered the projection to something more reasonable But a couple years ago the state stepped in and made it much more restrictive and how and when and why we could bill And so that made it Even less likely to collect money so it took a couple years to really shake it out and see what these new state restrictions were going to do These are budget numbers not actual so about how much we've been getting The 90 is much closer to what we're getting what we've been getting even though we keep budgeting one 90 No, we haven't I revised the reproduction for 16 and I'm carrying the 90 forward, right? Okay, okay? I and I have a sort of off of Jess's Point about that we're going to get sort of new news coming in the next few months There's some chance that we could get slightly more chapter 70 money, and I know we're not talking about riches but maybe a tiny bumped up and And this year according to Adam's budget. We get anything over 126,000 that's assumed Is there can we sort of create sort of a a list of the kinds of things we might fund if we got a small bump and I mean We're not talking about going too far down the list because it we don't think there's gonna be a huge bump But but is there a way to to sort of present to the public? You know these are the kind of things we'd like to fund if we had an extra hundred thousand or something well I would answer that two ways first of all I attended the Mazbo workshop where we had a number of people from the state talking about the chapter 70 And I think the chances of getting extra chapter 70 or like Slim to none, so I don't think we have to spend a lot of time thinking about how we'll spend it because I don't think we're Gonna see it this year, and they were pretty clear about that The other piece of it is that the entire striped Document is exactly what we would be spending the money on depending on how much we got so again when we see if we were to Get magic money, that's where we'd go first No, of course I was just wondering if we can sort of create a subset of it and say this Without knowing the money, you know if we had two hundred thousand dollars We may have these priorities if we had twenty thousand dollars we'd have different priorities right so to make a list without knowing the number I mean we want all of those things so I think that our first priority honestly would be reserve Positions right right sure, and we really won't know in some cases till the summer or early fall We've had to put in point twos here and there when the class size were too big and we couldn't do anything So I think that's probably where the money would go Now should We be fine in those areas, then I think we can go back and take right take a look and Certainly welcome Opinions of the committee and I said to the ministry of team We would certainly want to have their input into a tube so it'd be a sort of collective decision Yeah, actually one of I mean I noticed that the ta's there were no reserve positions left And so that was sort of a worrisome thing that is a concern in fact I already know probably one where we probably should fund so I yes It's it's going to go into the classroom in some form and in way of staffing I guess one of my priorities would be high school website designed I know it's been bad at about here and there Dr. Allison ampy now the resolution okay so Over the MA I see let's serve it was brought to our attention that the suburban coalition Which is a statewide organization of local officials that advocates for resources funding and support at the state level Had put forth the resolution which they are encouraging local communities and school committees select men Everyone into finance committees to pass and to communicate to their legislature About the foundation budget reviews recommendations. I'm not going to read the whole thing Because I read the there for that there for I'll read the there for Be it is lots of wear as is and then be it there for resolve that Our school committee calls on the Massachusetts legislature and the governor of the Massachusetts to fully fund And adopt the recommendations of the foundation budget review commission in the immediate future and it has rationale Which I'm also going to skip over But I felt that This would it would be good to add our name to this and send it on and I would actually additionally Move to authorize the chair to communicate to the board of select men And also the finance committee about this and to suggest that they too would consider signing on and sending it on A second on the motion mr. Thielman any discussion on the motion to adopt the suburban coalition resolution Mr. Pierce mr. Chair, I'm happy to support this motion. I think it's a really important thing to get out to the public that It's an untenable unsustainable Reaction for the local municipalities like Arlington to have to deal with What we're dealing with on a yearly basis where we clearly know what the numbers are to fund our schools and the vision that we have for our schools and We're fighting with both hands tied behind our backs in terms of what we can do as a town to to levy Further tax dollars to fund that vision so The burden is falling squarely on a regressive type of tax and It's it's good for the for the public to know that a study was finally accomplished Telling the legislature what the state needs to do to help our our schools fund themselves And that's just what this resolution is is saying that we wanted to do we want the legislature to pay attention to that Foundation study and and and act on it. So I'm happy to support this I'm glad that you brought this to our attention and the MASC lists are for for also articulating the subject. Thank you Just as a point of clarification almost is that the foundation budget review commission Documented that the foundation budget which drives the funding formulas for chapter 78 Has been under inflated over many many years so that the foundation budget has not kept pace with the cost Of providing an adequate education and back in 1993 when we went to add reform and that funding formula The foundation budget was costed out to Get to the cost of an adequate education So they made recommendations to go and work to catch up and instead of catching up the governor's budget has a negative Zero point two two percent inflation rate in essence a deflation rate and We all know looking at these expenses the things are not deflating our costs are going up Our special egg costs are going up our transportation costs are going up Everything we do goes up and It's totally unrealistic of the governor to go and present a budget with a negative inflation rate And that's why I wholeheartedly support this resolution, and I thank dr. Allison ampy for bringing it before us any other comments Hearing none all in favor of adopting the But I think it's also helpful the public to know what this could mean to Arlington If it was fully funded and and we'd have an annual increase in the range of 3.4 to 3.6 million dollars All in favor I opposed I see an amnesty vote. Thank you Are we done with the budget I assume so We go to the consent agenda All items listed with an asterisk are considered to be routine and will be enacted by one motion There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a member of the committee so requests in which event the item will be considered in its normal sequence warrant for approval warrant number one six one one one dated one twenty eight sixteen total warrant amount five hundred forty thousand three hundred sixty dollars Minutes for approval regular draft minutes for approval January 20th 2016 motion by Mr. Pierce second by Dr. Allison ampy all in favor I Opposed the consent agenda is adopted unanimously we now go to the enrollment task force discussion Mr. Heiner asked for us to Make have some specific questions here, so I'm going to ask mr. Heiner to start Also quickly deferred of the facilities committee meeting that we had the other night the My concern is that we have I would like to see an independent Analysis done Dr. Bode and other people have already done a lot of work on that I Just want us going forward when we have our meeting I think it's on the 23rd that that we have a proposal from the school committee with a definitive approach going forward with this and Whatever it goes and I defer to the facilities committee on this I I'd like to see an independent thing done for you so that this it's there How much time it would take I don't know? It's important one of the other aspects in the documents that I saw tonight is about bringing this Forward in timelines and stuff. I Don't know if it's practical it if Gibbs is on the table if that's the way we decide to go or whatever we go The possibility of phasing it in over a multiple-year period To stretch the cost out to the impact and things of that nature. I'd like that to be part of the discussion. Thank you Which excuse me what you saw on on the green agenda today was Proposal I brought the facilities committee the other night. That's all. Thank you. Okay. We'll do that in the wrestling the facility facilities committee report So we'll go down a subcommittee liaison reports and announcements policies and procedures Mr. Pierce, thank you. Mr. Chair. We had a meeting on February 1st We were going to review our meeting dates and times and we did we discussed that at length We are supporting no action at this time on our meeting dates and times for a couple of reasons Dr. Bodie had mentioned to us that she had had conversations with both the high school and middle school principles about Making sure if at all possible to any extent that school events specifically theirs Could be adjusted to our calendar We have 20 dates a year and it's much harder for for for us to go to these events particularly in the fall If we're here, so and they expressed a willingness to do that So for a lot of reasons we think that this is a good time for us to meet This is a early enough time for us to meet and get out of here and still get to bed And we like Thursday night meetings. So no change Projected or recommended to the committee Dr. Seuss oh, we also discussed the possibility that if there was a period of time where it just was Impossible to avoid significant events. We could on sort of a one-time basis shift our schedule without shifting it for the entire time We have flexibility on the 20 dates we choose under our policy, but we do have to choose them We we also discussed on another topic which we've been wrestling with the last couple of meetings with regard to Our files concerning what we were talking about tonight with principles and and knowing Any addendums to their contracts and what their contracts are going to be calling for We have several policies on this type of subject of budget and approval and authority So we're talking about consolidating them Into into one document Is something that we're going to be talking about and hopefully doing and presenting to you the other thing we'll be meeting again on February 22nd at 815 didn't we send it to council to get recommendations Different policies Rebecca Bryant right. Yeah, we have counsel who are going to be they're going to be looking at these policies and and and trying to update them and Specify them to our purpose and that's something that is is to be done. I I've been in contact with our town council about the Electronic signatures on warrants just waiting to hear back from him on that That's that's all I can think of reporting. Mr. Bad mr. Pierce Mr. Heiner Just go back on the policies on thing From my I brought those forward and from my perspective that it worked well tonight and I'm very happy with the way it went tonight So, thank you. Okay Anything else mr. Pierce nope we now go down to budget dr. Allison happy You heard most of what we talked about as said mr. Heiner has been doing wonderful job going out and talking to Pto's where went in if they were available and he was available and stuff We would have liked to have spent to everyone's but that's not possible this year And that's why we've asked other PTO's if they're willing to host And the public hearing will be next at our next meeting But you can also come to our budget meetings. I think we'll probably have one in the next couple weeks But it's not yet scheduled Okay Enrollment challenges, you know Facilities facilities so facilities has mostly been dealing with shockingly cool enrollment task force issues We had a meeting on Tuesday this week the ninth and we mostly were discussing The document that you saw that I sent out sorry for its lateness given that we just met on Tuesday and I I Didn't have time to kind of make all the changes that we discussed at the meeting until today So if people want to pull that up what I'm hoping for is So we meet as the school enrollment task force on the 23rd of February, which is the Tuesday after break so Tuesday after next week and What I what we want to try to do is show, you know have a clear Document that you know states here are the options here are best of our abilities And I put in here as a footnote that these are our estimates But that obviously we need an architect and we need the money if we want better time and money estimates obviously and Just trying to lay it all out. So we decided that really the things that we wanted to get across to the Task force was what are the costs and we broke those out in three ways? What are the building costs? What how long do we need modulars for that option? And then what is the kind of incremental staff costs? In so and and we played around with this a little bit Kathy did a great job trying to come up with like an actual dollar amount of you know, we know that for x amount of students we need y number of You know administrators teachers and staff If we stay in place at oddison And so then what we tried to do is come up with okay, but if we're not at oddison If we do go outside to the Gibbs or build another school or do something else there is some incremental Additional staffing needed that we can't quite you know put a dollar amount on so what my Way of looking at it was well if if the number of staff that we need just for the enrollment was x say it's you know 10 new teachers and a new nurse and you know a couple of guidance and whatever if you take them if you take part of the School out and put it somewhere else My estimate was okay, then if you're gonna do that that incurs a 1.5 times Increase in those 10 people not in the total staff obviously but in the 10 So if it was 10 on site at oddison then if it was at Gibbs It would be that we would need 15 because you have That many more and they may not be five new people It may be bits and pieces of FTEs that have to now be housed at that school Because when you move it obviously you need there's just more people that you need So we've still kind of struggled with like how we want to you know explain that because you know I think something I think what's really important is just to note that there is an additional cost in having in Choosing a decision that is not based at oddison if we decide to not Grow oddison in place that part of that cost is that there is some additional staffing Don't necessarily know what it is, but we can we can assume that it's some amount You know more than that so that's so we're trying to get that and then also we added a column for kind of the longevity of the solution Again just to reflect that new construction tends to be the 50 plus years and Renovating Gibbs, which is already a really old building is probably not gonna have as much longevity so just so that kind of all that was out in there and then The piece that we hope dr. Bodie will fill in Before the meeting obviously is kind of what is the educational impact and viability of that? choice Just so that they can also get a read from what we're thinking of we had when you saw it last it had pros and cons In that but I think that the pros and cons part of the problem with those is that it's Totally based on your point of view one person's pro is another person's con and it's the same exact thing So it started and they started to get really long and then there were so we We decided that kind of those weren't as useful in the document for the school enrollment task force So what I'm hoping tonight is that you guys have I know you didn't have very long to look at it But if there's anything else you think we should change or add before it kind of Before we fill it in and and take it off to the school enrollment task force on the 23rd Can you clarify when you have estimated cost does that include the modulars that you're mentioning or the modulars in addition to the building cost What do you mean? I don't have actual modular costs. Those are just the years Okay, so that's when they need so it shows the years we would need it, right? So there'd be in addition to the building cost There's modular costs for the each of those years. Yeah, for exactly the different solution. Okay. Yeah Mr. Thielman, I think it would be good if we can take care of these point to put in this Estimated building costs estimated modular acquisition costs. So yeah, I think you should so I think it should have a because I think what we And is there any way I mean you had on the chart the other night an Estimate of the incremental cost if we were to use the Gibbs you don't you're not comfortably using that number. Oh I think that I need to revise it a little bit. I think that After the discussion I needed to change the administrative piece of it But it's going to be you know, that's basically it that it would change at this point You know, it's really hard to say what the incremental with respect to staff because until you actually schedule Yeah, actually move and decide what which group is moving. It's really difficult. Well, you know one thing that you might do Because I think I think the group we're gonna be presenting to you on 23rd it's gonna like to see some numbers. Yeah, so what they might like is a range I Can we can do a range though? I have to say our estimates when we first did this When Diane was talking with Triumph that we got Different numbers that turned up with This actually went out to bid and that is one of the issues too is everybody would like to have very sure numbers But the only time you really get sure numbers is once you've gone out to bid and the bids have come in So, no, okay, let me only clever I'm talking about the incremental cost In the incremental cost Column you may want to put a range. It could be from five. Oh, I see I see So don't give an exact number It also did and then that incremental the week. Do we is a utility number for the Gibbs? Good point. No, we don't have a utility number. That's a good point We should put that in although there will be more utilities if we build at the odd as well So I feel like that's a zero sum Utilities are no longer going to be a concern of this All right, so let me just So it's important that we know the modular cost range and then we know we already have the numbers for Renovate Gibbs we have the numbers for addition to the out of some middle school The other question that was raised that was raised by a parent That was when the parents book it caused me to think about this is We're are we clear on? When an architect can come in and do a good analysis of the of the odyssey well, that's something that we would have to Hire somebody to do. Yeah, we we have Asked the the Lord Coles to do a timeline and also to Lay out as Ruthie Bennett did What are the needs of the building at Gibbs? So we're very clear the one thing that we're I think we're on very Solid ground on is what the renovation cost would be at Gibbs, but I think it's also helpful when people see what it what would it entail and One of the reasons why I think it's helpful to see that is that it speaks not only to the cost to just to find the cost But secondly to how long it's going to take It's not going to be a year project that that will be Unreasonably short and the odyssey we can't we can't get that good at numbers for the odyssey for the Tuesday Well, one of the yes, that's the other thing. I actually have asked Miss Coles to do as well That one of the thoughts on the addition was to have it be actually three stories and The first story be parking because that is a huge problem up there And then the second and third be the classroom. So that number that we have for new construction is Based on only what it would be if we only had those two floors I don't it's not going to be the same per square foot for a garage as it is But I don't know what that number is and so she's going to look at that next week and give me that number So we'll have a better number there Now having said this see there is a difference between What I've been told by Other architects not just HMFH. What is the going per square foot and what MSBA? Uses and but the thing is this is most likely not going to be an MSBA project So I think we'd be wise when we think of the cost to see what the going rate is But the figure we have now for the Addison is Market rate is the market rate not MSBA not MSBA rate exactly All right, so I mean, I think but I think what the task force is going to want And I think with the parents. Yeah, this is yeah, the numbers is is as firm as possible They're going to be asking for and they have a right to ask for estimates on Modulars best estimates we have right now knowing that it could change So that they so everyone can see the total a total cost So there's a column at the end of over the total total cost and in the incrementals as best we can estimate because I think I think that's what the people want to that's what people want to see right now and then We'll see where the conversation goes, right? I have a sense of where it's going to gravitate to based on the numbers I have a sense of where that committee's going to go one of the One of the issues with any incremental cost and going out to another building is that that is in perpetuity You're going to have those operating costs now There are going to be increases in operating costs through all these years because our enrollment is growing so And that would be true if we just had an addition at oddison as well that would be taking care of So there are a number of issues that people do want to look at but one of the issues too That's not totally captured in this chart and numbers is that if you put an addition on oddison You also have modulars on site and how you manage that is Is it is is going to be an issue? So I think that some thoughts even going into well, how could we mitigate that during that period of time? So that some thought is going into that and you know another issue too is the capacity of those is Johnson point out is what is the capacity of the town and the school department to manage? multiple building projects Simultaneously, that is not an unfair thing to put into the calculus of all this too But it has to be done. We don't have much choice. We can't wait to fix the oddison We do have a choice though and how we approach this we don't have to do we could concentrate our efforts in a fewer locations You know if we if we go with the eighth grade at the high school model We're already doing the high school project. It will add to that, but it won't be a separate project to manage We throw down modulars wherever we have to to keep oddison going and Then we move the eighth grade out. That's a project. We'll get money from the MSBA Take the Gibbs off the table completely if we have to go to the Gibbs or we have to build at the oddison That's another whole separate project. So we've got the Stratton We've got the high school which is going to be a massive amount of work and we're probably going to have to do something at the Thompson too So, you know, we've got three for sure. We've got Stratton high school and Thompson And then if you want to add a fourth to that at some point people's heads will explode. I think But we did we did three simultaneously In the late 90s on the elementary rebuilds But high school project high school is a huge project, but what can we do? Mr. Heiner stratton will be done before we get the stratton construction will be done will be moved in within two years But the feasibility for the high school will be That's people we're not okay, but we're not going to have three running simultaneously, that's all I'm saying Yeah, and and dr. Dr. Bodie is specifically stated that we do not have any guarantees once or wherever if MSBA is going to give us The eighth grade that So that we have to keep all these things are up in the air right now. So I'm not willing to make any firm judgments right based on this because things are still in flux on all this right now Dr. Allison Ampe So I don't know how much the task force is going to look for this But I think it's really even more important that we're bringing to it the educational impact and What are these different solutions going to mean for the children? How are the how is it going to affect their both their experience their ability to learn their social and emotional Wellness all of these things for all of these objects and and partly because everyone's gonna be looking at the money I think it's even more important that We're coming back and we haven't talked about it that much, which is why I'm bringing it up now Just I really hope that you'll flush that out and definitely so put it out to us Maybe before you send it just so we can see so we know what the talking points are But that's you know, if there's been any research on if any of these alternatives work better in other places or or Just I think that's something we could use more information about The intent is to get it out to the facility subcommittee and I have no problem with giving it to the whole committee I was ambitious the thing I was gonna get it done tomorrow There's so much going on, but it certainly by early next week At the very latest because I want you to have a chance to take a look at the meeting is about a week after that Mr. Thielman, thank you. So I mean that's Keep I mean the committee is gonna ask what is the superintendent's opinion as to what is the best educational option for the children? And whatever dr. Bote says is probably what they're gonna gravitate to so I mean I think So if it's If it's sixth grade at the Gibbs then that'll be what's the best educational option if it's the eighth grade at the high school If it's expansion in the middle school, so I mean, I think it's this is the time to dialogue with the with the superintendent about this because I Mean, I think that's the message that they're they're looking for in the 23rd. What's the superintendent's educational recommendation? Well, what's the educational recommendation is part one part two is what the cost is so Kathy's got to speak to that and as far you know, Diane I think the one thing I just want to say is I think we're gonna have have to have multiple projects going at once We're gonna have a feasibility study at the high school. We're probably gonna be having doing something with it with the middle school I don't know where it's gonna be what the committee is gonna vote what we're gonna dot But we're gonna have a middle school construction project going a feasibility study at the high school and then you know, whatever the wrap up of the Finishing product finishing everything at the Stratton There's no there's no question that there's going to be multiple projects But how many multiple projects and of what complexity and that was one of the things I was thinking about is You know even throwing down modulars is hard work, you know, there's a lot of management to that There's a lot of planning. There's a lot of there's a lot of work that goes into that. I Was trying to think about it, you know because the numbers that we got back on the Stratton modulars We're so distressing so out of sync with very reputable quotes that we had well not quotes But estimates we had gotten from, you know trustworthy vendors It was so out of step and with so many other districts locally Also in the same situation the competition for modular classrooms is really high and they're gonna they're gonna make full play of Capitalism on us and and that makes me very worried about trying to do these cost analysis on numbers that feel Extremely soft and and the other thing too that I was trying to think about is You know and only in my little teeny tiny piece of education Which is trying to get the best educational environment with the resources we have I can't speak to curriculum or those more important things But where are we going to get the best classroom for our kids to sit in with the money? We've got well that so We're gonna probably going out of the voters for a debt exclusion vote So that's why we need to range And that's why we need to be saying that we're gonna get we're gonna, you know Use your dollars as wisely as we possibly can for the edgy for the education of our kids But I think we're at a point in the next several months. We're gonna be asking for a debt exclusion for the middle school expansion and and the Thompson or hopefully a Thompson expansion, so I think we're going to be doing that and and So I think we just have accepted that's what we're about to engage in About to embark upon Dr. Seuss. Oh So as a former academic I know more than anybody that they're conflicting literature out there people keep quoting Oh, the literature says this leisure says this But it might be valuable if you know of any sort of Survey of literature to sort of send that around even if it's at a higher level than we can really understand We can sort of skim it Just might help sort of people on the task force and us sort of talk more intelligently about these educational goals and Mind fields and so forth the different options. Mr. Heiner I Agree with mr. Thielman. We should we need to have this discussion on the educational part, but it's a chicken and egg thing Money's driving just about everything we decide to do We want education the best education It's gonna cost a lot of money. That's a fact. We need to have a parody For whatever is going to resolve the issues it at odd us and we need parody not the Cadillac and We have we need to keep that in our minds on that I Find it very hard to make a decision on educational factors if Gibbs is in play, but Gibbs is going to cost that Three times as much as what? Modulars are in addition at odd us and is going to cost if I had my choice I'd separate the buildings because the idea of having a 1,400 student school is Bawls me very much to try to manage and maintain its stuff If nothing else just a if you had to evacuate a building of that size In constricting the space, but the same time if it's going to cost three times as much to bring Gibbs up to online I couldn't support that so With all my rhetoric We need to have a good feel for the cost. We only have this meaning to make a decision. We're really bound. I Don't know how to resolve it. I mean the the education part We we produce a wonderful education product in this district I don't know how we do it with the what the limits we have on our money But we do it to the faculty the administration to their credit We need solid numbers or as close to solid numbers as we can to make these decisions from my perspective Okay District accountability curriculum instruction assessment. Okay, we are on the second reading of the Evaluation process and procedures dr. Seuss sent me some comments So just to clarify In the timeline per policy CBI by March 31st 2016 That assumes that if we haven't there's no park scores or We don't have any data the superintendent to say data not available Or you know debt that's whatever would not not completed or not available Dr. Seuss pointed out the community relations subcommittee has no plans to present another survey because there's so many other things going on so That's just something to be noted So I mean it says if conducted by the community relations subcommittee and then the final thing dr. Seuss pointed out in her email was In goal 3.1, and I agree with this and I'm so I can accept this Dr. Seuss says the goal 3.1 should be sharpened. We need a plan. We also need a comprehensive analysis. So she's asking that Instead of a plan to respond to the report a comprehensive analysis of our options financial analysis educational analysis, etc So cat, they didn't even talk to you about that but that So it's I think I need to understand a little bit more what you're asking the financial analysis of what? Well, you kind of have it in this hole But in the budget No, no talking about for the end. So so I'm sorry So goal 3.1 is develop a plan to address space needs related to anticipate enrollment growth over the next 10 years Okay, and so an evidence That you've done that Instead of a plan to respond to the report. I think it's just special. It's just taking it's more than the plan It's just it's the educational and that's basically the chart we have here Okay, so we that wording is fine. So the wordings fine anyone else have any suggestions No, I don't think the subcommittees to meet again I think we got a plan and I'll just edit I'll take these edits good Just to Mr. Heiner just thank you. I'm sorry just to reiterate One of the policies in the discussion was that they're in March the superintendent is going to give us an annual an update A mid evaluation update on what's going on, right? So I just I just wanted to mention that so the schedule it for one on the agenda for one of our meetings in March That's correct. That's right Community relations dr. Seuss So we have not met well we did we so we met for 10 minutes today We have not done a full-fledged meeting and the purpose we met for 10 minutes for is that at our last community relations meeting the superintendent sort of tasks myself and Miss Hansen a a representative To come up with a survey for parents and teachers To ask about calendar changes and this would be changes not for the next year We recognize that we need lots of time to sort of under if there's going to be a change We need tons of time to know that this change is coming but but to do the survey this year for a change for 2017 and 18 and so it came up with a version that I'd like to present for first read and this is in the novice Attachments backup material and so I'd like to get people's thoughts on it if the chair so Oh, it's Okay It's brand new to us Miss Starks being on the subcommittee. I saw it before the full committee And I think it's great. I think it's well worded I think it that it really gets to the heart of the questions that we want the only feedback I gave was that I would like to make sure that parents understand that We are not tying ourselves to doing anything No matter what the outcome of the survey is that the survey is just kind of a dipstick to try to understand what people think about these items because We need their input so but otherwise I thought that they were well worded I thought that you know you kind of even in the Having to deal with the difficult discussion of Religion and religious holidays that I felt like even that question was well done Didn't really take a side or but I just I thought it was good Mr.. Thielman said one suggestion in the opening paragraph instead of The survey will be given out the educators and parents of February 2016 No, no, no, it wasn't the date actually and could result in change of the school calendar I would say and will inform Discussions about the 2017-2018 school It's gonna inform the discussion. Yep, I wouldn't I wouldn't I mean I Function of a contract. Yeah, that's about it. So we'll inform discussions. Yeah Dr. Allison ampe I had a few comments on On question for I think the way the question is worded Makes it difficult if someone supports not holding school on One but not all three days. It's right. That's the whole point Where are they're all in or they're all out? It doesn't right, but I think religion or religion You're talking my question the pre-labor days start days. That's what you know for no for Question, yes, but let me finish then it says, please indicate your level of support for holding school on all three of the following religious holidays, yep, and so if If you're not all in For whatever reason I Think how you answer that I have no idea how I would answer that And and I think the data that you're going to get from that is Questionable, Dr. Seuss. I just hope that you're fine. So originally we had separated out and we thought that that was treading on sort of It just felt like we were worried about causing offense by separating them out and we thought that we were potentially getting at People's preferences for individual holidays with a second set of questions or the second one because teachers and parents are going to get Different ones because we do want to see is there a significant group of people who would take this holiday off or who would Have their children stay home from school, right? I'm just saying I think question four that you have the chance of getting there is no answer that you can't check a box that conveys what you you can't say I just want to get rid of one of the holidays and not the other yeah, that's right I'm not saying that I'm just saying that there's not an ant, you know, I I Can't answer that question with the ants, you know one through five doesn't give me an answer that Indicates my ants indicates my feelings about that the way that the way it's worded right now because you want to separate it The holidays, I'm maybe misunderstanding. Is that what you're saying? Yeah, it just I don't think So I personally don't like that question I understand why you did it that way and I understand that there's the other one below that But I'm just saying that question to me doesn't your things. The second thing is Why not just send different surveys to teachers and parents instead of having parents only your teachers? We are yeah, we are Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, this is yeah, yeah, we are gonna do that Yeah, and then I would hope that we're gonna ask some demographic questions, so we know who's answering the survey Oh, good point. Yeah, then you know, you know, how many kids do they have what a what? Are they teachers or not or or whatever? I didn't think of that and Let me see those were And finally, I'm just wondering about the question three I'm not positive. Everyone's going to follow It as written. I'm wondering if it's like Monday before Labor Day Tuesday before or dates or something that I'm just I'm not sure People will understand what you're asking. Yeah, I was what what date you know what days you're actually talking about there, right? Yeah, this was a tricky one We thought the chart was easier than then wording but but we could say Monday before Labor Day for example in that chart Yeah, or something Mr. Thielman so in question for I'm wondering if you could just say Please indicate your level of support for holding school on religious holidays. Yeah One indicates so you don't say you've already mentioned three to give people the context. We don't hold school on these three religious holidays Please indicate your level support for holding school on religious holidays Period so they got the context One two one three five and then we leave room there for comment. Oh, yeah, we could do it. I wanted to make a Because I mean I think they may you may find that people who celebrate other religious holidays that aren't recognized Articulate their position. Yeah, that's not bad idea. Great Yeah, any other comments? I want to say there was there was Mr. Pierce. Thank you There was something done within the last couple of years and I it might have been just to the teachers Regarding the holidays just to the teachers. Oh, no to the Labor Day issue, right? No, there was a survey Several years ago Actually, Miss Foley probably can remember. Yeah, I just can't remember if it was also parents I know we got So I'm on that question, Mr. Chair, I'm just wondering about the The essence of sort of survey survey overload on terms of the same question being asked every couple of years and wondering about the The benefit of that I That's an interesting point the chair In conversations with the superintendent and with people attending the Subcommittee meeting prior to this meeting expressed his concern about going into the religious holidays question at all and Stated that if this were before us for a vote tonight, I'd probably vote against the survey for that reason I really don't want to go there. It's been something that we've dealt with repeatedly over and over Since I've been on this board in 2001. I think that we've landed where we should be on that and I don't want to even Make the Presumption that this could be on the table. I think that it's where we belong Mr. Heiner the survey was done Just prior to us adding the other two Holidays the Jewish holidays, that's what we send out. That's why when that survey came up, right the Thank you Dr. Seuss, I guess I don't remember as a parent less, you know involves in school to be a minute getting a survey So I don't I got the results. Okay, great Dr. Allison ampe Yeah, school calendar survey. It was done for the 2013-14 school year It was done the reports were reported to us and 12 12 12 And it was done for parents and I think also for teachers, but the one that I have here is the parent one Okay, I know we had teachers also. So yes, it was done. Okay, and at that point there We talked about Rosh Hashanah Yom Kippur Christmas Eve and Good Friday and there were Significant respondents on all of these days that would not have their children go to school Like around a six or more. Yeah, so it just asked the question if school was held on this way Which is just our other question afterwards. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah So I just wanted to defend our thinking about including it and I guess I wasn't aware of the history of the questions When I talked to people whenever one's frustrated that school is going so late one of the things that sort of mentioned to me is Why don't we think about getting rid of the holidays and and with the understanding that of course if you Celebrate that holiday you need to take it off that you know as of many holidays, right? That of course that that would be an option So I thought it was That's why I thought it was valuable to include it because it's something that comes up in people's minds So it would be referred back and say we just asked this question. Well, yes I actually I didn't know that so I yeah, I'll look at those Yeah, now maybe we should maybe then that's four five and six. Mm-hmm to take it to take off Yeah, okay, you can still keep four is what your what's your level of support for holding school on religious holidays And just see if there's any change in the We could I mean there's a huge amount of people have come into town in the last three years, but yeah Okay, okay guys Please I think we have to be very very careful asking any question using the word religion. We are we are a public We are we're supposed to be divorced from that Discussion it's gonna happen. It's gonna happen. Well, I'm saying is we should limit our discussion on this because it's a no-win situation My my stock response in this you want to get out earlier? We start earlier you know Let's not monkey around the middle if you want to get out earlier in June start before Labor Day period Let's let's figure that one out. Let's figure out of Tuesday's a bad day for for the Open enrollment. Let's see if we can move the school starting time back to 830 at the high school Do that? Get rid of the The stuff in the middle. I would I would I will tell you I will not support a change in the two vacations I will not support a change in In the holidays at this point I just think it's a non-starter and I don't even want to go there asking questions like it's a possibility Any other questions or comments on this Miss Foley, do you have any because you guys are partners in this and If anybody is going to be impacted by this as the teachers The end of year You know I had a boy leave to go to Pakistan for a month It came back and you know, he's still struggling I had another boy just leave to go to Puerto Rico for a week. I had a little girl go to Peru for a week I've had I mean, I'm having people pulling their kids out all the time and Yes, I will say by June we are fatigued and again I have people trying to end the school year early June as well and pulling their kids out To send them to camps to take them on vacation to go to all these different things So I don't know. I guess in some ways what I'm saying is that this the survey is a good thing I just think that you're also getting into a much much much bigger discussion about year-round schools and things along those lines as Well, it's a it's a huge It's a huge issue. I as an educator with boots on the ground. I'm just telling you that this is this is what I'm seeing It's doing All the time now so and I don't know how to stop it and I try to give them You know try to explain to them what what what that means for their child, but But yeah, I mean, I guess you can say yes by by June people are pretty pretty fatigued kids students Starting earlier in the school year My opinion Might be a better thing But then does that mean that then we're all fatigued by the beginning of June I said at the end of June and people to start pulling their kids out earlier then as well So I don't know. I don't have a good answer for you. I work in a district. It starts before Labor Day, and it seems that The June issue is a lot less even if just with a three-day head start And it gets us out of that perpetual snow day worry, too Yeah Yeah Have we calendar and surveyed out right now? Yep. Do we have anything? Let's see Executive session minute review subcommittee mr. Heynard Mr.. Mr.. Cheryl and I are working on it the goal is to have it done by the end of March and for your approval Or if it comes into April you can deal with dr. Seuss Yeah, we'll do that after we get through the Warrant committee everybody get paid and the school enrollment task force is yeah, just want to add one thing I would like to I think I don't know if I mentioned or not I did the Paula plunge. We had a high school teacher join us this year. Mr. Flanders, and I wanted to commend him and He tried to he tried to get some high school kids three signed up. They didn't come they were the smart ones, but We all went in and windshield was 15 degrees Oh glad you got a cold day of this. I was worried about that warm winter Dr. Seuss Yeah, I'd like to announce my intention to apply for the chair ship next year and And of course it's gonna be subject to a vote and so see if you guys vote me But if that happens, I'd also like to start requesting Your thoughts about what committees you want to be on and and other such things fairly soon And so you're gonna send us and I will send you I will actually Borrow Paul's excellent spreadsheet that he did last time and maybe tweak it, but pretty looked pretty good So I'm and send that out soon. Great. Okay Any announcements or anything else from any of the members Do we have any need for additional executive sessions seeing none Yeah, well miss Schaeffler didn't show up, so we had a 15-minute advantage Motion to adjourn by mr. Thielman enthusiastically second All in favor We're adjourned. Thank you