May 08, 2024 May 8, 2024 - Business Meeting - State Mandated Public Hearing on Budget

[00:00:03]

>> THANK YOU. WELCOME. I'D LIKE TO CALL TO ORDER THE BUSINESS MEETING AND

[2. Public Session - 7:30 p.m.]

PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

OF ALLEGIANCE] I'LL ASK MR. ROWE FOR A REITERATION OF THE EXECUTIVE SESSION MOTIONS.

WE ENTERED EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSING THE EMPLOYMENT RECORD OF AN INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEE.

GREAT. BY WAY OF OPENING REMARKS.

I'M JUST GOING TO TRY TO SAY GRATA AMICI, WHICH I THINK MEANS WELCOME FRIENDS IN LATIN.

WE'RE SO EXCITED TO HAVE OUR STUDENTS TO BE RECOGNIZED, AND WE HAVE A BIG AUDIENCE.

SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, WE'LL JUST MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR AGENDA.

WE HAVE APPROVAL OF MINUTES.

WE'LL APPROVE THE MINUTES, DO THE STUDENT RECOGNITION, AND MOVE UP PUBLIC COMMENT AT THAT POINT.

I ASKED FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS A CONSENT AGENDA 3.1, 3.2.

[3. Approval of Minutes]

>> SO MOVED.

>> SECOND.

>> ALL IN FAVOR?

>> AYE.

>> AYE. THAT MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY AND WE CAN START OUR STUDENT RECOGNITION.

>> GREAT. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.

[4.1 Student Recognition]

I'M ALSO GOING TO INVITE SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES TO ASSIST IN JUST A MOMENT.

HERE WE GO. THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR COMING TONIGHT.

IT'S WONDERFUL TO SEE A FULL ROOM OF SMILING FACES.

SOME YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE TO BE HONORED TONIGHT.

WE HAVE HAD THE FORTUNE NOW, NOT JUST FOR THE FIRST TIME, BUT THE SECOND TIME TO HAVE TWO YEAR LONG INITIATIVES AND SERIES AROUND MATH AND SCIENCE STEM EDUCATION.

AND VERY PLEASED TONIGHT TO HAVE TWO PEOPLE HERE WHO HAVE BEEN LARGELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT, WHO ARE GOING TO HELP JOIN ME IN RECOGNIZING OUR STUDENTS TONIGHT.

IF I COULD INVITE DR. CALLAHAN TO COME JOIN OUR DIRECTOR OF MATH AND SCIENCE FOR THE DISTRICT, AS WELL AS DR. KIM REGAL, ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, SHE DON'T KNOW IF SHE KNEW THAT SHE WAS GOING TO COME UP HERE, BUT SHE'S COMING UP ANYWAYS.

[APPLAUSE] DOCTORS CALLAHAN AND REGAL HAVE REALLY BEEN THE BRAINS BEHIND TWO INCREDIBLE YEAR LONG INTERDISCIPLINARY INITIATIVES THAT THE DISTRICT HAS PUT FORWARD.

IN THAT FIRST, YOU MAY REMEMBER THE BOY WHO HARNESSED THE WIND FROM TWO YEARS AGO, EVEN IN PANDEMIC DAYS, INCREDIBLY CREATIVE EFFORTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO ENGAGE STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES AND FAMILIES AND ACTIVITIES TO GET EXCITED ABOUT MATH AND SCIENCE TO SHOW THE DIVERSITY OF SCIENTISTS AND GET STUDENTS JUST REALLY INTERESTED AND ENGAGED.

THIS YEAR, THEY THEN TOOK THAT TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

BY MAKING IT EVEN MORE TO INTERDISCIPLINARY AS THEY LAUNCHED THE CHASING SPACE INITIATIVE.

OF COURSE, WITH OUR CULMINATING EVENT, THE NATURAL PHENOMENON THAT WAS BEYOND THE CONTROL OF ANY OF US THAT WE WERE FORTUNATE TO BE PART OF THOUGH, ALL ANCHORED AROUND THE IDEA OF THE ECLIPSE THAT WAS OUR FUN EVENT.

BUT AS PART OF THAT, THEY EXPANDED TO A MORE INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH, AND THAT'S WHERE DR. THOMPSON, I INVITE YOU TO JOIN US AS WELL, BECAME ANOTHER PARTNER IN THAT DR. THOMPSON [APPLAUSE] BY BRINGING A WRITING COMPONENT INTO THIS IN AN ESSAY CONTEST, AND THAT'S WHAT BRINGS US HERE TONIGHT, AND THAT'S WHAT BRINGS OUR STUDENTS HERE TONIGHT TO BE HONORED.

WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE SIX STUDENTS THAT WE'LL BE HONORING TONIGHT, THREE FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, THREE FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL AS OUR TOP WINNERS IN THE CHASING SPACE ESSAY CONTEST.

WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO PASS THE MIC TO MY COLLEAGUES TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE SERIES, THE ESSAY CONTEST AND OUR WINNERS.

>> THANK YOU, DR. CHAMP. ONE OF THE REALLY AMAZING THINGS IS WE STARTED THIS PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC AND HAD SOME REALLY GREAT IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY IN SOME OF THESE STEM EFFORTS, AND WE PARTNERED WITH DR. REGAL WHO WAS AT THAT TIME WITH THE JUNIOR LEAGUE AND STARTED SOME REALLY COOL PROGRAMMING LIKE ASK A SCIENTIST, WHICH WE'RE STILL DOING.

ALSO, EVENTUALLY THE DIVERSITY AND STEM MOVIE SERIES THAT WE OFFER AT THE PICTURE HOUSE.

A LOT OF THOSE THINGS, INCLUDING A REALLY COOL NATIONAL RUBE GOLDBERG MACHINE PROJECT WAS VERY COOL AND WE DID THAT ACTUALLY DURING THE PANDEMIC AND DID THAT VIRTUALLY.

KIDS WERE ACTUALLY DESIGNING RUBE GOLDBERG MACHINES AT HOME.

[00:05:04]

THAT'S BEEN TREMENDOUS BECAUSE WE'VE HAD A LOT OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, A LOT OF PARENTS WHO'VE BEEN INVOLVED AT THE ASK A SCIENTIST EVENTS, AT THE MOVIE SERIES, AND ALSO AT OUR EVENTS THAT WE DO RELATED TO OUR THEMES.

WHEN WE DID THE BOY WHO HARNESSED THE WIND, IT WAS ALSO, IF YOU REMEMBER THE HUNDRED YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, SO DR. THOMPSON WAS VERY BUSY PLANNING THAT TREMENDOUSLY SUCCESSFUL EVENT.

SHE WAS BEHIND THE SCENES HELPING US A LITTLE BIT, BUT COULDN'T REALLY DIVE IN BECAUSE SHE WAS PLANNING THAT EVENT.

TWO YEARS LATER, WHEN WE DID THIS EVENT AND BROUGHT DR. THOMPSON ALONG, IF YOU KNOW DR. THOMPSON, THAT TAKES YOU UP A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL.

WHEN WE DID THAT, SHE JUMPED IN, TOOK OVER REALLY SOME OF THE INTERDISCIPLINARY PARTS THAT WE ALWAYS WANTED.

DR. REGAL HAS ALWAYS WANTED TO USE AND NOT TO SPEAK FOR HER BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO ASK HER TO COME UP HERE IN A LITTLE BIT, TOO, BUT SHE'S ALWAYS WANTED TO USE THE HUMANITIES AS A WAY TO REALLY I'D LIKE IMPACT ALL KIDS THAT MIGHT NOT VIEW THEMSELVES AS MATHEMATICIANS OR SCIENTISTS, GET SOME OF THE ART STUDENTS, MUSIC STUDENTS, PE KIDS, BUT ALSO THE HUMANITIES KIDS INVOLVED IN THE SCIENCES AS WELL.

WE'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO ACCESS THAT AND BRINGING ON DR. THOMPSON DEFINITELY ALLOWED US TO DO THAT THIS YEAR.

WE'RE REALLY EXCITED THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT.

THIS YEAR, WE HAVE BEEN CHASING SPACE.

I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT A NUMBER OF EVENTS THAT ARE ALSO COMING UP TO CULMINATE OUR YEAR, BUT BEFORE I DO THAT, I WANT TO INVITE DOCTOR THOMPSON AND ASK HER TO DESCRIBE THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING THE ESSAY CONTEST AND INTRODUCE BASICALLY THE TWO LEVELS AND TALK ABOUT HOW STUDENTS SUBMITTED TO THE CONTEST.

I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO DR. THOMPSON.

>> CALLAHAN. ENGLISH TEACHERS, SIX 12 BRAINSTORMED IDEAS FOR THIS WRITING CONTEST, AND WE REALLY USE LELAND MELVIN'S LIFE AND HIS STORY AND HIS BOOKS AS AN INSPIRATION.

THIS CONTEST RAN THROUGH THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, THE END OF JANUARY INTO FEBRUARY, AND WE HAD MANY STUDENTS WHO SUBMITTED ORIGINAL PIECES, SHORT STORIES.

THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WROTE ABOUT HOW A PERSON'S INFLUENCE CAN CHANGE OR ALTER ANOTHER'S LIFE FOR THE BETTER.

AND OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS WROTE ABOUT A MAIN CHARACTER WHO OVERCOMES DISAPPOINTMENT, WHICH LEADS TO THE ULTIMATE COMEBACK.

THEIR PIECES WERE ALL JUDGED ANONYMOUSLY, WITHOUT NAMES ATTACHED BY TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND A LOCAL AUTHOR.

YOU WANT TO GET TO THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE? [LAUGHTER]

>> AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT AROUND THIS HAS BEEN TREMENDOUS AND AGAIN, THIS YEAR, WE HAD SOME COMMUNITY PARTNERS FOR ALL THESE DIFFERENT EVENTS FOR THE ESSAY CONTEST.

WE WERE ABLE TO ASK DR. RIGEL, WHO HAS STARTED A NOT FOR PROFIT THAT'S REALLY CENTERED ON DOING SOME OF THESE ENGAGING INTERDISCIPLINARY, BUT STEM RELATED ACTIVITIES THAT REALLY ENGAGE ALL LEARNERS FROM ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF BACKGROUNDS TO GET INVOLVED IN SCIENCE.

SHE STARTED HER OWN NOT FOR PROFIT AND HER NOT FOR PROFIT HELPED TO SUPPORT THE AWARDS THAT WE'RE GOING TO PRESENT TONIGHT SO I'D LIKE TO INVITE DR. RIGEL UP TO SAY A FEW WORDS AS WELL.

SHE'S BEEN A TREMENDOUS PARTNER AND REALLY AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT A COMMUNITY SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP CAN DO WHEN YOU WORK WELL TOGETHER SO I REALLY WANT TO THANK HER FOR HER CONTRIBUTIONS AND INVITE HER UP TO SPEAK AS WELL.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH AND TO THE BOARD FOR GIVING US SOME TIME TO DO THIS TONIGHT BECAUSE THE WRITING WAS REALLY GREAT, AND I'M SO GLAD THAT IT COULD INSPIRE SOME YOUNGER KIDS TO NOT ONLY THINK ABOUT THEIR OWN WRITING AND THEIR OWN EXPERIENCES, BUT ALSO TIE THAT INTO SCIENCE.

I AM THE FOUNDER OF MINDSET, WHICH IS A NONPROFIT THAT TRIES TO BRING KIDS TO THE HUMANITIES.

I THINK BRING KIDS TO SCIENCE THROUGH THE HUMANITIES.

MY SPECIALTY IS ACOUSTICS SO I STUDY THE SCIENCE OF MUSIC AND INTERDISCIPLINARY IS IN MY BLOOD AND SO ANYTIME I CAN INSPIRE SOMEONE TO COME TO THE DARK SIDE I TRY TO AND I CAN DO THAT REALLY EFFECTIVELY IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MUSIC, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ALL RELATE TO.

I AM PROVIDING THE AWARDS TONIGHT, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MINDSET REALLY TRIES TO DO IS ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY, AND SO ALL OF THE AWARDS TONIGHT ARE GIFT CARDS TO LOCAL STORES WITHIN LOWER WESTCHESTER, AND J ANDERSON'S BOOKSTORE IS THE TOP PRIZE,

[00:10:05]

SECOND PRIZE IS THROUGH FLOWER POWER, AND THEY ARE $25 TO FLOUR POWER, AND THEN EVERYONE'S FAVORITE AFTER SCHOOL BUBBLE TEA IS THIRD PRIZE THAT'S $15 TO PEARL DYNASTY.

I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BE A PART OF THIS, AND I'M VERY EXCITED TO GIVE OUT YOUR PRIZES TONIGHT. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> FOR OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL CONTEST, OUR THIRD PLACE WINNER IS LUCY GOLD.

SHE'S A SEVENTH GRADER AND HER PIECE WAS THE TOY SHOP.

LUCY'S NOT HERE WITH US TONIGHT, BUT WE WANT TO HONOR HER.

OUR SECOND PLACE WINNER IS LENORE [INAUDIBLE] LENORE'S [APPLAUSE] IN SIXTH GRADE COME ON UP AND LENORE'S ESSAY WAS MY SCIENCE PROJECT.

CONGRATULATIONS. OUR FIRST PLACE WINNER FOR OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL CATEGORY IS SIXTH GRADER VEDA JANE.

VEDA, YOU WANT TO COME UP [APPLAUSE] VEDA'S ESSAY WAS TITLED ATARI.

NOW FOR OUR HIGH SCHOOL CATEGORY THIRD PLACE GOES TO TENTH GRADER, ELEANOR SWORSK ELEANOR'S PIECE IS WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS [APPLAUSE] OUR SECOND PLACE WINNER IS TENTH GRADER CHARLOTTE CONE, THE GIRL WHOSE LIGHT COULD NOT BE DIMMED [APPLAUSE] AND OUR FIRST PLACE WINNER IS JUNIOR VIVIANA WRIGHT THE NEXT TIME I AM LOST [APPLAUSE] I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT ALL OF THE ENTRIES WERE AMAZING SO EVERYONE WHO PUT FORTH THE EFFORT AND WERE BRAVE ENOUGH TO SUBMIT SHOULD BE COMMENDED.

CONGRATULATIONS TO [APPLAUSE]

>> SORRY, SHOULDN'T TAKE THE MICE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT, BUT THANK YOU.

JUST WANTED TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT WE HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER EVENTS COMING UP SO WE HAVE ASTRONAUT OLYMPICS, WHICH WE ARE TRYING TO GET OFF THE GROUND FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS FROM NOW, WHICH IS REALLY COOL AND LACROSSE TEAM IS ACTUALLY DOING THAT AS PART OF THEIR KIND OF COMMUNITY SERVICE INITIATIVE.

LACROSSE TEAM IS GOING TO RUN ASTRONAUT OLYMPICS FOR OUR K5 STUDENTS, AT THE END OF THE YEAR, OUR SENIORS AS PART OF THEIR PROJECT BASED ASSESSMENTS THAT THEY DO AFTER THE APS AND AP PHYSICS 2 DESIGN AND LAUNCH ROCKETS AND THE WHOLE OBJECTIVE IS NOT TO JUST DESIGN, BUT REDESIGN ROCKETS THAT CAN SAFELY RETURN AN EGG TO OUR PLANET AFTER BEING LAUNCHED.

WE'RE GOING TO COMBINE THAT WITH AN ELEMENTARY ROCKET MAKING PROJECT WHERE THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WORK WITH THE ELEMENTARY STUDENTS TO DESIGN THEIR ROCKETS AS WELL, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A CELEBRATION OF ROCKET LAUNCHES IN JUNE.

KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THOSE WE ALSO HAVE ONE MORE MOVIE COMING UP FOR OUR DIVERSITY AND STEM MOVIE SERIES AT THE PICTURE HOUSE.

THOSE THREE EVENTS ARE BIG EVENTS COMING UP, AND WE ALSO WE'LL HAVE OUR FOURTH GRADE PALM SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING FAIR THIS YEAR.

LOOKING FORWARD TO THOSE EVENTS AND WOULD APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S SUPPORT AND THANK YOU TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR MAKING TIME FOR US THIS EVENING TO DO WHAT WE LOVE TO DO THE MOST, WHICH IS CELEBRATE THE TREMENDOUS ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF OUR KIDS SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE TIME TONIGHT [APPLAUSE]

>> IF THE BOARD WOULDN'T MIND, IF WE COULD PAUSE FOR JUST ABOUT A MINUTE AND TAKE SOME PICTURES WITH OUR STUDENTS WHILE THEY'RE HERE WITH THEIR FAMILIES.

I'D LOVE TO DO THAT DOCTORS.

WOULD YOU ALL JOIN US FOR SOME PICTURES? SO IF ANY FAMILY IF YOU WOULD COME UP, DR.

BOWMAN IS GOING TO TAKE PICTURES SO THAT WE CAN GIVE THESE TO ALEX WOLF NOT ABLE TO BE HERE TONIGHT, SO WE CAN ADVERTISE THE INCREDIBLE.

[BACKGROUND]

[00:15:39]

>> GREAT. CONGRATULATIONS, AND BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO'S WORKED SO HARD ON THE CHASING SPACE PROGRAM.

>> THANK YOU ALL. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO GO HOME AND DO HOMEWORK AND ENJOY THE BEAUTIFUL EVENING.

TAKE CARE AND THANKS FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT TO CELEBRATE.

>> I THINK WE'LL MOVE UP PUBLIC COMMENT.

[5. Communications and Comments from the Public]

>> HI, EVERYONE. SAMANTHA SCINTA, 108 MONTEREY.

I'M HERE AS A 2011 PMHS GRADUATE WHO STARTED KINDERGARTEN AT COLONIAL.

I WENT ALL THE WAY THROUGH OUR PELHAM SCHOOLS.

STARTING IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, I STUDIED LATIN FOR SIX YEARS AND WAS PART OF LATIN NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY, WHICH IS ACHIEVED BY SCORING ON THE NATIONAL LATIN EXAM.

IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, MY INTRODUCTION TO LATIN WAS WITH CHRISTINA PRIGNANO, WHO SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW VERY WELL.

SHE WAS THE MOST ENERGETIC TEACHER AND PROBABLY THE MOST ENERGETIC AND FUN PERSON I HAVE EVER COME ACROSS.

MY MIDDLE SCHOOL LATIN CLASS WAS A FULL CLASS.

I REMEMBER EVERY SEAT BEING TAKEN IN THE CLASSROOM.

MS. PRIGNANO MADE OUR LATIN CLASSES FEEL REALLY ENGAGING AND WE ALL GOT TO CHOOSE A ROMAN NAME FROM OUR TEXTBOOKS.

WHEN WE SHOWED UP TO CLASS, WE WOULD PUT ON A NAME TAG, AND THAT'S HOW WE WOULD ALL REFER TO EACH OTHER.

MY NAME WAS JULIA, AND EVERY DAY WHEN WE GOT TO CLASS, WITHOUT FAIL, MS. PRIGNANO WOULD WALK IN AND SAY, [FOREIGN].

FOR ME, HOWEVER MANY YEARS LATER, THERE'S NOT A TON OF MIDDLE SCHOOL MEMORIES THAT ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF MY MIND.

I HAD TO ASK DIRECTIONS TO THE LIBRARY TONIGHT, BUT THIS DEFINITELY STANDS OUT MY SEVENTH GRADE LATIN CLASS.

IN HIGH SCHOOL, I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE THE REVERED MR. RYAN FOR ALL FOUR YEARS.

HE DID A WONDERFUL JOB WITH THE CURRICULUM AND BECAUSE WE HAD A MIXED GRADE CLASS, HE WOULD CYCLE THROUGH SUBJECTS EVERY FOUR YEARS, SO NO ONE HAD TO REPEAT THE SAME TOPICS.

I REMEMBER THAT WE READ AND TRANSLATED THE AENEID, THAT WAS THE BIG ONE.

BUT WE ALSO READ PLINY THE YOUNGER'S LETTERS, WHICH IS AN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF THE ERUPTION OF MOUNT VESUVIUS AT POMPEII, WHICH AFTER READING, YOU WOULD NOT SOON FORGET.

I GOT TO GO TO POMPEII AND IT WAS BY FAR THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME DURING MY STUDY ABROAD YEAR IN COLLEGE, GETTING TO SEE EVERYTHING THAT WE HAD STUDIED SO MUCH.

ALSO, DURING HIGH SCHOOL, I PICKED UP A SECOND LANGUAGE, WHICH WAS SPANISH, AND I GOT TO APPRECIATE THE MUCH SIMPLER CONJUGATIONS AND TRANSLATIONS, FEWER TABLES UPON TABLES OF CONJUGATIONS LIKE WE HAD IN LATIN.

LATIN ALSO GAVE ME A STRONG APPRECIATION FOR GRAMMAR IN MODERN LANGUAGES.

THERE'S ACTUALLY NO SENTENCE STRUCTURE IN LATIN.

PART OF TRANSLATING IS INTERPRETING THE MEANING OF THE WORDS AND HOW THEY SHOULD BE ORDERED.

THIS ACTUALLY MAKES IT A LOT OF FUN TO STUDY AS A STUDENT AND ALSO MAKES IT REALLY FUN TO LOOK BACK HISTORICALLY AT THESE ANCIENT TEXTS AND TRY TO INTERPRET WHAT THEY WERE MEANING.

AFTER GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL, I WENT TO DENISON UNIVERSITY, AND WHILE THEY DIDN'T HAVE A DEDICATED LATIN CLASS, THEY DID HAVE A CLASSICS COURSE, WHICH I TOOK AND IT INCLUDED A LANGUAGE PORTION OF THE CURRICULUM, SO THAT WAS LATIN AND GREEK.

AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, I HAD A MASSIVE LEG-UP ON THE LATIN PART OF THE CLASS.

I GOT TO HOST SOME STUDY GROUPS WITH MY CLASSMATES TO HELP THEM WITH THAT MATERIAL.

IN RETROSPECT BECAUSE I CERTAINLY DID NOT HAVE THIS PERSPECTIVE AS A TEENAGER IN HIGH SCHOOL, BUT IN RETROSPECT, I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE HOW UNIQUE AND INCREDIBLE IT WAS TO GET TO STUDY LATIN IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL.

OF COURSE, I EXPECT NOTHING LESS OF

[00:20:02]

THAT IS ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS THAT MY HUSBAND, WHO WAS ALSO A PMHS 2011 GRADUATE, AND I CHOSE TO MOVE BACK TO PELHAM LAST YEAR.

WE HAVE TWIN GIRLS WHO JUST CELEBRATED THEIR FIRST BIRTHDAY A FEW WEEKS AGO, AND I VERY MUCH WANT THEM TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE LATIN WHEN THEY REACH MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL.

ANOTHER REASON THAT WE CHOSE TO MOVE BACK TO PELHAM IS THAT WE HAVE FRIENDS WHO ARE DOING THE SAME.

ONE OF MY VERY CLOSE FRIENDS, MORA TRACY, AND I TOOK LATIN TOGETHER FOR ALL SIX YEARS THROUGH MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL.

SHE VERY MUCH WANTED TO BE HERE TONIGHT, BUT SHE ASKED ME TO SPEAK ON HER BEHALF.

SHE AND HER HUSBAND ARE EXPECTING A BABY IN JULY, AND SO WE ARE ALL VERY MUCH IN THE SAME BOAT, LOOKING A LITTLE BIT FAR AHEAD TO THE FUTURE, BUT WANTING THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REMAIN FOR OUR KIDS.

WHEN I SPOKE TO HER EARLIER TODAY, SHE REALLY EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE THAT INDIVIDUAL TEACHERS HAVE IN INFLUENCING STUDENTS TO TAKE THEIR ELECTIVE COURSES.

MORA FELT STRONGLY THAT HAVING A VERY ENGAGING TEACHER, LIKE MS. PRIGNANO, AND A VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE TEACHER, LIKE MR. RYAN, HAD AN INFLUENCE ON OUR CLASSMATES CHOOSING TO TAKE THOSE CLASSES AND SEE THOSE CLASSES ALL THE WAY THROUGH.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HEARING US OUT ON THIS SUBJECT AND THANKS FOR CONSIDERING IT.

>> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] WAS THAT CLASS IN ELECTIVE WHEN YOU TOOK IT IN MIDDLE SCHOOL?

>> IT WAS COUNTED AS A LANGUAGE CLASS, SO YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE LANGUAGE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL [INAUDIBLE] TIMES SO LATIN IS ONE OF THE OPTIONS.

>> DR. BOWMAN, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG ON THIS, WHEN YOU SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE AND COMPLETE THE PROFICIENCY EXAM AT THE END OF THOSE AND YOU DO A HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT, THAT WAS PROBABLY THE CASE BACK THEN, MAYBE NOT THE PROFICIENCY EXAM, BUT HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT, AND THAT CONTINUES TO BE THE CASE.

ALTHOUGH WE DO START IN SIXTH GRADE WITH LANGUAGES, WHICH IS TECHNICALLY NOT AN ELECTIVE BECAUSE WE ASK ALL STUDENTS TO TAKE A LANGUAGE, BUT [NOISE] IT'S NOT A NEW YORK STATE REQUIREMENT.

IT'S ABOVE AND BEYOND THE NEW YORK STATE REQUIREMENT FOR WORD LANGUAGE STUDY.

>> HI. I'M PEGGY NICHOLSON, AND I'VE ALREADY SPOKEN OR WRITTEN TO YOU, BOARD MEMBERS, BUT I'D LIKE TO REITERATE JUST IN TWO SENTENCES, NOT AS LONG AS THAT, WHAT I SAID.

[NOISE] AS A FORMER FRENCH TEACHER IN THIS HIGH SCHOOL AND A LATIN TEACHER IN BEDFORD, I REALLY WAS SADDENED TO LEARN THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE LATIN AGAIN.

LATIN IS A FOUNDATION FOR ENGLISH, AS YOU KNOW, AND NOT ONLY FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE, BUT FOR WRITING, AND IT'S A LANGUAGE THAT'S ALL THROUGHOUT THE GLOBE.

HERE IN PELHAM, IT'S BEEN A VALUED SUBJECT AND A VALUED DEPARTMENT FOR YEARS.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO OFFER LATIN NOT ONLY FOR THE STUDENTS, BUT FOR OUR REPUTATION.

WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A GOOD REPUTATION IN WESTCHESTER WITH A STRONG LATIN DEPARTMENT.

I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S NOT MUCH INVOLVEMENT OF THE STUDENTS ANYMORE, BUT IF YOU'RE TO OFFER IT, MAYBE YOU WOULD START IN NINTH GRADE RATHER THAN SIXTH GRADE BECAUSE THEN THEY WOULD START LEARNING THE COGNATES OF ENGLISH AND IT WILL HELP THEM WITH THEIR SATS OR PSATS WHEN THEY HAVE TO TAKE THEM IN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO.

IT HAS BEEN TAUGHT HERE FOR 100 YEARS, I'M NOT THAT OLD, BUT I DO HAVE HEARD THAT.

IT'S IMPORTANT, AS I SAID, TO OFFER IT BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T, IT WILL IMPINGE ON OUR REPUTATION IN WESTCHESTER.

I THINK I WHEN I TAUGHT LATIN IN BEDFORD, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ENJOYED THE MOST WAS THE STUDENTS FINDING COGNATES.

WE DID A PERIOD OF THAT IN OUR BEGINNING OF THE CLASS EVERY DAY, AND IT REALLY COULD BE FUN FOR THEM, SO IT'S NOT JUST ALL DECLENSIONS AND ETC., GRAMMAR.

[FOREIGN]

>> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE]

[00:25:01]

>> GOOD EVENING, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS.

MY NAME IS WENDY LONG, AND I LIVE AT 165 BOULEVARD, AND I'M HERE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF MY WHOLE FAMILY, REALLY.

THEY'RE ALL LATIN STUDENTS AND LOVE LATIN VERY MUCH.

THEY'RE ALL INVOLVED IN DIFFERENT PROFESSIONS, AND DISCIPLINES, AND ACADEMIC INTERESTS, BUT LATIN IS THE THING THAT THEY SHARE, AND MY HUSBAND, MY CHILDREN.

I HAVE A LETTER IN MY HAND THAT MY DAUGHTER WROTE, SO YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THAT, BUT I'M GOING TO READ IT INTO THE RECORD.

DEAR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, AS A PROUD ALUMNA OF PELHAM MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2020 AND SOON TO BE GRADUATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND WITH A MAJOR IN HISTORY AND MINOR IN RUSSIAN STUDIES, I AM WRITING TO EXPRESS MY DEEP CONCERN UPON HEARING ABOUT THE POTENTIAL PLAN TO ELIMINATE LATIN FROM THE CURRICULUM.

LATIN HAS PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN SHAPING MY ACADEMIC JOURNEY AND ITS REMOVAL WOULD DEPRIVE FUTURE STUDENTS OF INVALUABLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTELLECTUAL GROWTH AND INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING.

CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, LATIN IS FAR FROM A DEAD LANGUAGE.

AFTER GROWING FASCINATED BY LATIN AT PMHS MY JUNIOR YEAR, I PARTICIPATED IN THE PAIDEIA INSTITUTE'S LIVING LATIN IN ROME PROGRAM, WHERE IMMERSION IN THE LATIN LANGUAGE ILLUMINATED MY STUDY OF HISTORY AND LITERATURE.

LATIN HAS ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY FACILITATED MY STUDY OF MODERN LANGUAGES.

STUDIES HAVE CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATED THAT A KNOWLEDGE OF LATIN HAS A PROFOUND POSITIVE EFFECT ON LANGUAGE ACQUISITION.

WHILE I HAVE PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED THIS BENEFIT THROUGH THE STUDY OF A SLAVIC LANGUAGE, IT HOLDS EVEN MORE TRUE FOR ROMANCE LANGUAGES.

RETAINING LATIN IN THE CURRICULUM WOULD PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH A STRONG LINGUISTIC FOUNDATION, ENABLING THEM TO APPROACH NEW LANGUAGES WITH GREATER EASE AND PROFICIENCY.

PERHAPS, MOST IMPORTANTLY, LATIN HAS EQUIPPED ME WITH CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS AND A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF GRAMMAR.

THE RIGOROUS STUDY OF LATIN DEMANDS ANALYTICAL PRECISION AND FOSTERS AN APPRECIATION FOR LINGUISTIC STRUCTURE.

THESE SKILLS ARE TRANSFERABLE ACROSS DISCIPLINES AND ARE ESSENTIAL FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT.

THE FACT THAT LATIN CLASSES MAY NOT ALWAYS BE FILLED TO CAPACITY, DOES NOT DIMINISH THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDYING THE LANGUAGE, RATHER, IT REFLECTS A FAILURE TO EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE ITS VIRTUES.

I URGE YOU TO RECONSIDER THE DECISION TO ELIMINATE LATIN FROM THE CURRICULUM AND TO RECOGNIZE ITS ENDURING VALUE FOR STUDENTS.

MANY THANKS, MADELINE LONG.

AGAIN, SHE IS CLASS OF 2020.

SHE'S NOT HERE BECAUSE SHE'S IN RICHMOND, JUST FINISHING UP HER SENIOR YEAR.

SHE GRADUATES ON SUNDAY, AND OUR SON WHO IS AT UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO AND GRADUATES JUNE 1ST IS ANOTHER LATIN STUDENT.

HE HAS BEEN ACCEPTED FOR TRAINING AS A MARINE OFFICER AFTER HIS GRADUATION AND HE'S STUDYING LAW, AND THE STUDY OF LATIN HAS GREATLY ENHANCED HIS UNDERSTANDING OF LEGAL TERMS AND CONCEPTS, AND OUR WHOLE FAMILY JUST FEELS STRONGLY THAT IT IS A REPUTATIONAL THING.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT PELHAM IS KNOWN FOR ITS ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE, THIS WOULD BE A VERY BIG BLOW TO THAT.

IT'S ALSO JUST SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR WESTERN HERITAGE, OF OUR CULTURE, OF OUR CIVILIZATION, AND WE JUST HOPE THAT IT WON'T PERISH FROM THE CURRICULUM.

WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE]

>> HEY, THERE. I'M JEANIE PINDER.

I LIVE AT 415 WASHINGTON AVENUE IN PELHAM WOOD.

I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF LATIN.

I'VE LIVED HERE SINCE 1997.

MY TWIN DAUGHTERS WENT TO PMHS GRADUATING IN 2012.

THEY BOTH TOOK LATIN WITH THE SAINTED MR. RYAN.

THEY WENT ON TO GREAT ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL CAREERS.

ONE OF THEM HAS A COLUMBIA MASTERS' AND IS IN A PHD PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF DENVER.

ONE IS ENTERING A PHD PROGRAM AT COLUMBIA.

I WORKED HARD HERE AS A PARENT FOR THE BOND ISSUE THAT BUILT THIS SCHOOL AND THE ONE THAT FAILED.

[00:30:02]

I'M ASKING YOU TO KEEP LATIN AND HERE'S WHY.

I MYSELF STUDIED LATIN IN HIGH SCHOOL, AND I CREDIT THAT WITH MY SKILL AND LANGUAGES.

I GRADUATED WITH A GRADUATE DEGREE IN RUSSIAN AND SLAVIC LINGUISTICS, WHICH TOOK ME TO THE NEW YORK TIMES AS AN EXPERT IN SOVIET AND EAST EUROPEAN AFFAIRS.

I LEARNED ABOUT CONJUGATIONS AND DECLINATION FROM LATIN.

BECAUSE I'VE STUDIED LANGUAGES AND TAUGHT LANGUAGES, I'M SORRY ABOUT MY THROAT, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT LEARNING LANGUAGES AT A YOUNG AGE IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

THE LANGUAGE ACQUISITION CENTERS IN YOUR BRAIN DETERIORATE, SO IF YOU GET THAT IN THERE BEFORE YOU'RE 20, YOU'RE GOLDEN, AFTERWARDS, IT'S HARDER.

BY THE WAY, THE ONLY SEMESTER THAT I MADE DEAN'S LIST IN COLLEGE WAS WHEN I TOOK GREEK, POLISH, RUSSIAN, AND FRENCH IN THE SAME SEMESTER, SO LANGUAGES.

TWO BIG POINTS ABOUT LANGUAGE.

THIS ONE ABOUT DEVELOPING THE ABILITY TO ACQUIRE LANGUAGES AND TO RECOGNIZE THEM, IF YOU DON'T GET THAT EARLY, YOU'VE MISSED THE BOAT.

I WILL ALSO TELL YOU THAT IF PEOPLE SEE LATIN ON YOUR RESUME, IT MEANS SOMETHING.

RELATED, THE QUESTION OF CONTINUING LATIN, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT YOUR REPUTATION AS A SCHOOL.

WHO HAS LATIN AND WHO DOESN'T? I KNOW YOU'VE DONE THIS RESEARCH.

I'VE DONE IT FOR YOU. WHO HAS IT? SCARSDALE, KATONA LEWISBORO, HORRACE GREELEY, BRONXVILLE, RAY HIGH SCHOOL, EDGEMONT, BRIAR CLIFF, BLIND BROOKE, HARRISON, RYENECK, HARDLEY'S, JOHN J, EASTCHESTER HIGH SCHOOL, YORKTOWN, IRVINGTON, HASTINGS, SLEEPY HOLLOW, SOMERS, NEW ROCHELLE, FORDHAM PREP, IONA PREP, HORACE MANN, HACKLEY, MASTERS, FIELDSTON, RYE COUNTRY DAY, RIVERDALE, AND ALL OF THE PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN THE CITY.

WHO DOESN'T HAVE IT? SORRY. WHO DOESN'T HAVE LATIN, MAMARONECK, YONKERS, BYRAM HILLS, PLEASANTVILLE, DOBBS FERRY, CROTON-HARMON, HENDRICK HUDSON IN MONTROSE, WALTER PANAS IN CORTLANDT MANOR, AND WHITE PLAINS HIGH SCHOOL.

WHO'S YOUR PEER GROUP? I'D LIKE TO GIVE THIS TO YOU SO YOU EACH HAVE YOUR COPY BECAUSE I DIDN'T LET YOU KNOW.

>> THANK YOU..

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> PLEASE KEEP LATIN, PLEASE.

>> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU FOR THAT RESEARCH.

>> WELL, THANK YOU ALL.

I REALLY WANT TO THANK THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

SORRY. YEAH, I'M A LITTLE TALLER. YEAH. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU TO THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS FOR YOUR SERVICE, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR HEARING US OUT ON THIS.

I HAVE JUST SOME INFORMATION THAT I JUST WANTED TO SHARE FROM A PARENT WHO COULDN'T BE HERE TONIGHT, WHOSE CHILDREN WERE IN THIS PERIOD OF TIME WHEN AFTER WE LOST MR. RYAN AND BEFORE LATIN REALLY GOT RE-ESTABLISHED, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE IT WAS A HORROR SHOW, BUT IT REALLY SEEMS TO TURN ON THE FACT THAT THE DISTRICT AT THE TIME HAD NOT MADE A COMMITMENT TO CONTINUING TO OFFER LATIN, AND SO AS A CONSEQUENCE, STUDENTS WHO WANTED TO TAKE IT WERE LOOKING IN THE FACE OF MAYBE ONLY BEING ABLE TO TAKE IT FOR A YEAR OR TWO, AND SO JUMP SHIP, AND SO THE CLASS SIZE LITERALLY WENT IN HALF ONCE THE DISTRICT DIDN'T HAVE A FULL-TIME COMMITTED PERSON WHO WAS GOING TO BE IN FOR THE LONG HAUL.

PARENTS SAY, WE ARE PARENTS OF A SEVEN-YEAR LATIN STUDENT, GRADES 6-12, FROM 2015-'22.

THE TEACHING POSITION FOR THIS LANGUAGE SEEMED TO BE SCALED BACK YEAR OVER YEAR, FORCING SEVERAL TEACHERS TO LEAVE THE DISTRICT TO FIND FULL-TIME WORK ELSEWHERE.

OUR SON HAD AT LEAST FIVE TEACHERS OVER THE SEVEN YEARS.

THIS HAD A BIG IMPACT ON ENROLLMENT.

AS THE TEACHERS LEFT, SO DID THE STUDENTS.

RUMORS OF THE PROGRAM WINDING DOWN SCARED

[00:35:02]

WE SAW THE MOST FALLOUT FROM THIS BETWEEN GRADES 8-9.

THE DISTRICT WAS NOT FORTHCOMING ABOUT THE STAFFING CHANGES, BUT WHEN ASKED, THE BOARD OF EDUCATION IMPLIED THAT THEY COULDN'T SUPPORT A LANGUAGE WITHOUT HIGHER ENROLLMENTS.

IT'S NOT CLEAR WHETHER SUBSEQUENT INCOMING MIDDLE SCHOOLERS WERE OFFERED LATIN AS A CHOICE BUT SEEING THE DWINDLING NUMBERS AND STAFFING IN THE HIGH SCHOOL, I WOULD BELIEVE MANY OF THEM OPTED FOR A QUOTE UNQUOTE, SAFER LANGUAGE FOR THE SAME REASONS.

ULTIMATELY, IT'S NOT ACCURATE TO SAY THE ENROLLMENT DECLINE HAS BEEN ORGANIC, AS WE HAVE FOUND IT TO BE A SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY.

THE DISTRICT WILL STRUGGLE TO ENROLL STUDENTS IF THEY ARE NOT GUARANTEED 3-4 YEARS OF INSTRUCTION.

LATIN WILL LIKELY NEVER BE A LARGE PROGRAM AT ANY SCHOOL, BUT CERTAINLY A MARK OF DISTINCTION FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, AIDING ITS REPUTATION, RANKINGS, ETC, WHICH WE'VE HEARD FROM OTHER PEOPLE.

SEVERAL TEACHERS OVER THIS PERIOD TAUGHT MORE THAN ONE LANGUAGE, SO IT'S POSSIBLE TO HAVE A FULL-TIME TEACHER SPREAD OVER LATIN AND ANOTHER LANGUAGE.

THESE COMMENTS ARE ECHOED BY STUDENTS AT THE TIME.

THERE'S A LETTER WRITTEN TO THE PELHAM EXAMINER BY A STUDENT ABOUT THE SAME TIME WHO BASICALLY EXPRESSED THE SAME SENTIMENT THAT WITHOUT A COMMITMENT FROM THE DISTRICT AND A FULL TIME TEACHER, THEY'RE JUST NOT GOING TO ATTRACT STUDENTS BECAUSE THERE WON'T BE THE FEELING THAT THEY CAN COMPLETE A FOUR-YEAR SEQUENCE.

I KNOW THIS IS GOING TO BE DIFFICULT AND I APPRECIATE THE HARD THINKING THAT YOU'RE DOING ON THIS AND THE TALKING THAT YOU'RE HAVING ABOUT IT, I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE EMAILS AND THE COMMENTS FROM MANY OTHER PUBLIC MEMBERS WHO COULDN'T BE HERE TONIGHT BUT WHO HAVE WEIGHED IN BY EMAIL.

I JUST ASK YOU TO JUST TRY TO KEEP WORKING ON IT AND WE'LL KEEP THE INFORMATION COMING, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, IF ANYBODY HAS ANY TONIGHT.

>> WHAT'S THE MOST EFFECTIVE STRUCTURE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN PLACE?

>> IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE MY FEELING HAD BEEN THAT IT NEEDED TO BE PUT INTO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, SO IT WOULD BE A FOUNDATION FOR ANOTHER ROMANCE LANGUAGE.

BUT HAVING TALKED TO PARENTS AND ACTUALLY HEARING MRS. NICHOLSON TALK TONIGHT, I THINK THAT SINCE SPANISH IS NOW OFFERED IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND STUDENTS TEND TO WANT TO STAY WITH THAT, IT SEEMS, THAT MAYBE THE BEST STRUCTURE IS TO PUT IT INTO THE NINTH GRADE FOR THE REASONS THAT PEGGY MENTIONED SO THAT IT FITS WITH THE ROMANCE LANGUAGE THAT'S ALREADY BEEN TAKEN.

AS MY DAUGHTER MENTIONED, SPANISH IS OBVIOUSLY EASIER THAN LATIN, MAYBE IT'S MORE OF AN ENTRY PORTAL FOR GETTING TO LATIN LATER.

IT MIGHT MAKE IT ALSO EASIER TO IMPLEMENT FOR YOU BECAUSE THEN WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT HAVING TO STRUCTURE SIX OR SEVEN YEARS OF IT, BUT YOU CAN COMPLETE A FOUR-YEAR SEQUENCE AT LEAST ONCE IN HIGH SCHOOL.

MY THINKING ON THAT HAS EVOLVED A LITTLE BIT IN TALKING TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND OTHERS.

I'M SURE AS YOU TALK ABOUT IT AND THINK ABOUT IT, YOU'LL COME UP WITH SOMETHING GREAT BECAUSE YOU'RE ALL SUPER SMART PEOPLE, SO I'M SURE YOU'LL FIGURE IT OUT.

>> WOULD YOU HAVE IT BE PURE LANGUAGE, PURE LATIN, OR WOULD IT BE PART OF A CLASSICS?

>> THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION BECAUSE I TOO, LIKE GENE PINDER WENT ONLINE TODAY TO SEE WHAT WAS OFFERED AT OTHER SCHOOLS.

IT WAS INTERESTING THAT SCARSDALE HAS I THINK IT'S EIGHT DIFFERENT CLASSES, AND THEY BREAK IT OUT.

THERE'S A PURE LATIN LANGUAGE CLASS, AND THEN THERE'S A CLASSICS CLASS THAT HAS A LATIN COMPONENT TO IT, SO THEY OFFER BOTH, AND THEY OFFER IT SEEMINGLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH FROM WHAT I COULD SEE.

THEY DO IT BOTH WAYS.

I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO THAT, THAT WOULD BE A WONDERFUL THING TO CATCH UP TO SCARSDALE AND BE ABLE TO DO THAT AT SOME POINT.

BUT MAYBE FROM NOW, FOR NOW, TO GET IT STARTED, IT COULD BE SOME KIND OF A HYBRID THAT IS LANGUAGE-BASED, BUT ALSO HAS SOME OTHER HISTORY ELEMENTS TO IT, WHICH I BELIEVE MR. RYAN DID DO.

I THINK HE HAD A PRETTY STRONG HISTORY COMPONENT TO IT AS WELL, IF I'M RIGHT.

IS THAT RIGHT? YES. I'M [INAUDIBLE] HERE.

>> IF YOU DID HAVE THIS HYBRID STRUCTURE, CLASSIC CONTENT PLUS LANGUAGE, WHAT'S THE BACKGROUND OF A TEACHER THAT WOULD NEED TO TEACH THAT? OR WHAT COULD IT BE, I GUESS?

>> I THINK THAT YOU NEED A TRUE CLASSICS MAJOR, AND I'M HAPPY TO PROVIDE, THERE'S A WEBSITE THAT IS, I THINK IT'S CALLED CLASSICAL LEAGUE OF AMERICA THAT HAS A BASIS FOR APPLYING FOR AND LOOKING FOR LATIN INSTRUCTORS.

BUT [INAUDIBLE] TRACY WHO COULD NOT BE HERE TONIGHT SUGGESTED HOLY CROSS.

SHE SAID, OH, HOLY CROSS HAS GOT INCREDIBLE CLASSICS PROGRAM THERE AND THEY PRODUCE ALL KINDS OF LATIN GRADUATES.

IT PROBABLY NEEDS TO BE SOMEBODY LIKE MR. RYAN WHO IS TOTALLY IMMERSED IN THE CLASSICS AND LATIN AND CAN JUST REALLY BE INFECTIOUS IN ATTRACTING THE STUDENTS TO IT.

MY SENSE IS THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO SUCCEED UNLESS STUDENTS CAN BE DRAWN TO THE PROFESSOR.

[00:40:03]

I THINK THAT'S BEEN THE CHALLENGE HERE IS AD-LIBBING, AND DIDN'T MEAN TO SPEAK LATIN JUST NOW, BUT AD-LIBBING IT AND, [LAUGHTER] SEE, IT JUST COMES UP IN THE LANGUAGE.

[LAUGHTER] JUST FILLING IN, I DON'T THINK IS THE WAY TO GO, I THINK IT REALLY NEEDS TO BE A DEDICATED COMMITMENT TO A FULL-TIME CLASSICS PERSON. THAT'S MY SENSE.

>> AS THE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS THINK ABOUT THIS, THERE'S THE DEMAND SIDE, AND YOU AND SOME OF YOUR FELLOW SPEAKERS HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT, AND THEN THERE'S THE SUPPLY SIDE.

AS WE TRY AND SORT OF FIGURE OUT WHO TEACHES IT AND THE VARIOUS OPTIONS FOR THAT, WHAT IS YOUR FEELING ABOUT POTENTIAL ONLINE OR OTHER REMOTE, OR COLLABORATIVE WAYS TO TEACH LATIN THAT ISN'T IMPERSONAL?

>> I WILL JUST BE FRANK, I THINK IT'S A BAD IDEA.

I THINK THAT THE WHOLE REMOTE EXPERIENCE DURING THE PANDEMIC HAS MADE PEOPLE NOT WANT TO GO THROUGH THAT.

I THINK THAT YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE A HARD TIME CONVINCING STUDENTS TO BE IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY'RE ONLINE, I THINK YOU NEED A DYNAMIC CLASSROOM WITH A REALLY GREAT INSTRUCTOR AND THAT THE KIDS WANT TO GO TO CLASS AND HAVE A LATIN NAME WHEN THEY WALK INTO CLASS, AND HAVE A REALLY VIBRANT EXPERIENCE.

I JUST DON'T SEE ONLINE AS BEING A SUBSTITUTE FOR THAT.

I COULD BE WRONG, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S GOING TO ENGENDER A HIGH DEGREE OF ENTHUSIASM FOR STUDENTS TO WANT TO TAKE THIS.

I'LL JUST ADD ONE OTHER THING THAT'S BEEN INTERESTING FOR ME HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME OF MY YOUNGER FRIENDS IN TOWN, WHOSE CHILDREN ARE JUST COMING INTO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AGE, AND SOME OF THEM HAVE SAID, FRANKLY, GEEZ, I DIDN'T TAKE LATIN, WHAT'S THE BENEFIT OF LATIN? AS I TALK TO PEOPLE, THE LIGHTS GO ON OF, WOW, THAT SOUNDS REALLY INTERESTING.

I THINK MY KIDS MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN THAT.

ONE OTHER THING I'LL POINT OUT IS I HEARD FROM AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE, ONE PARENT WHOSE CHILD DID LATIN IN PELHAM HIGH SCHOOL AND ANOTHER WHO'S A NEW RESIDENT IN TOWN WHO'S RAISING YOUNG CHILDREN.

THEY BOTH SAID THAT LATIN WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO THEM AS A NON-SPEAKING LANGUAGE BECAUSE AT THE POINT THAT THEY WERE TAKING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE, THEY DIDN'T FEEL THEY HAD THE SOCIAL SKILL OR WHAT WAS NEEDED TO PARTICIPATE IN A CONVERSATIONAL LANGUAGE IN THE CLASSROOM, AND THEY BOTH SAID THAT LATIN SAVED THEM, THAT LATIN BECAME THEIR ENTRE AT THAT PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME TO BEING ABLE TO STUDY A FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND THEN LATER ADDED SOMETHING CONVERSATIONAL TO IT, EITHER IN COLLEGE OR LATER IN HIGH SCHOOL.

BUT I HAD NEVER HEARD THAT PERSPECTIVE BEFORE, THAT AS A NON-SPEAKING LANGUAGE, IT WAS A REALLY, REALLY GREAT ALTERNATIVE FOR SOME KIDS WHO JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE SKILL SET TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A CONVERSATIONAL FOREIGN LANGUAGE IN CLASS.

I WOULD JUST ADD THAT TO THE MIX, THAT IT'S REALLY LIKE NO OTHER LANGUAGE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO SPEAK IT.

I WAS ASKING MY DAUGHTER, IS THAT THE RIGHT PRONUNCIATION? WELL, IT'S NOT A SPOKEN LANGUAGE, NOBODY REALLY KNOWS WHAT THE RIGHT PRONUNCIATION IS, SO IT REALLY IS WRITTEN-BASED, SO PUT THAT INTO THE EQUATION AS WELL.

ANYTHING ELSE I CAN ANSWER?

>> NO, [INAUDIBLE] NOT GOING TO ANSWER, BUT I WAS GOING TO SHARE SOME INFORMATION.

I KNOW I SHARED A LOT OF THIS WITH MR. [INAUDIBLE] WHEN WE MET EARLIER THIS WEEK.

SINCE YOU CAME LAST TIME, WE CERTAINLY HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH ON IT.

I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE OF POINTS I JUST WANT TO MAKE FOR CLARITY.

CERTAINLY, I'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY THAT PREDATES ME, I CAN ONLY SPEAK TO THINGS FROM WHEN I WAS HERE.

BUT A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I WOULD SAY.

EVEN FROM BACK WHEN I WAS A HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, UP UNTIL NOW IN MY TIME, I HAVE ALWAYS AND I THINK WE AS A DISTRICT HAVE ALWAYS COMMITTED, CERTAINLY IN MY TIME, TO SEEING KIDS THROUGH A WORLD LANGUAGE.

THAT POINT OF IF WE HAD STUDENTS IN THE PIPELINE FOR ANY LANGUAGE, EVEN IF THE NUMBERS WERE SMALL, I'VE ALWAYS ADVOCATED AND THE BOARDS HAVE ALWAYS SUPPORTED SEEING THEM THROUGH.

CURRENTLY, AN EXAMPLE, RIGHT NOW, WE DO HAVE A LATIN 5 CLASS WITH ONLY 10 STUDENTS, WHICH IS BELOW THE BOARD GUIDELINES, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UNFORTUNATELY, IT SADDENS ME TO HEAR THAT THERE WAS A SENTIMENT THAT THERE WASN'T GOING TO BE A COMMITMENT TO SUSTAIN THE LANGUAGE BECAUSE THAT IS NOT AT ALL THE APPROACH THAT WE'VE TAKEN.

CERTAINLY, AGAIN, IN MY SEVEN YEARS, I KNOW DR. GARCIA PREDATES ME, AND I WOULD DARE SAY, I THINK THE COMMITMENT TO THE LANGUAGES IN THE PAST WAS FOR SUSTAINING AS WELL.

AS FAR AS HISTORICALLY, WHAT I SEE, WE LOOKED AT ABOUT ALMOST 20 YEARS WORTH OF ENROLLMENTS, AS WELL AS 20 YEARS WORTH OF TEACHING STAFF.

I DO THINK MR. RYAN HAS A HUGE LEGACY AND HE DEFINITELY BUILT A STRONG PROGRAM.

[00:45:04]

I THINK THAT'S WHERE I'M SEEING ENROLLMENTS WENT FROM ANYWHERE IN THE ONE TO TWO SECTIONS WORTH.

HIGH 20S TO HIGH OF 43.

ONE TO TWO SECTIONS WORTH OF STUDENTS DOWN TO 14 IN THAT YEAR.

I THINK THE NEXT YEAR, MR. RYAN RETIRED AS WELL.

I THINK THERE WAS A CHANGE OF TEACHER.

THERE WAS A CHANGE OF PROGRAM.

ALSO WITHIN THOSE SAME TWO YEARS, THERE WAS ALSO THE ONSET OF THE MANDARIN PROGRAM UNDER A PRIOR STRATEGIC PLAN.

A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS GOING ON IN THAT TIME FRAME FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND.

BUT AGAIN, I KNOW THE BOARD HAS BEEN COMMITTED TO WORLD LANGUAGES, MULTIPLE BOARDS DATING BACK 10 YEARS TO CONTINUING WORLD LANGUAGES.

I WILL GIVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF CREDIT TO DR. GARCIA IN THE BUILDING ADMINISTRATION WHO WORKED DILIGENTLY EVERY TIME WE NEEDED TO FILL A LATIN POSITION.

I DO WANT TO TO THEIR CREDIT, SAY IT WASN'T JUST PLUGGING HOLES.

IT REALLY WAS CRITICAL BROAD LOOK TO FIND STAFF AND EACH TIME WE WERE LOOKING FOR HIGH QUALITY STAFF.

I REMEMBER HAVING SPECIFIC CONVERSATIONS WITH THOSE TEACHERS ABOUT, THIS IS A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO MAINTAIN AND BUILD A PROGRAM.

BECAUSE WE KNEW HOW IMPORTANT THAT WAS.

UNFORTUNATELY, WE SAW NUMBERS CONTINUE TO DWINDLE FROM THAT POINT GOING FORWARD.

I KNOW THAT AGAIN, GOING BACK TO 2017, I BELIEVE IT WAS THE LAST YEAR THAT WE HAD SIXTH GRADE, THERE WAS 14 STUDENTS.

WE DID OFFER IT TO SIXTH GRADE THE FOLLOWING YEAR, SINGLE DIGITS ENROLLMENT, SO IT WASN'T RUN.

I BELIEVE WE OFFERED IT THE NEXT YEAR AS WELL AND SAW THE SAME THING.

A DECISION WAS MADE AT THAT POINT TO PHASE IT OUT OF MIDDLE SCHOOL BUT AGAIN, WITH THIS HOPE OF, CAN WE KEEP IT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.

MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT APPEALS TO THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS MORE BECAUSE OF THE VALUE, AS YOU SAID, SATS TO FUTURE LANGUAGE.

AGAIN, WE OFFERED LATIN 1 IN NINTH GRADE, NOT ENOUGH STUDENTS TO RUN IT.

I BELIEVE WE OFFERED IT AGAIN THE NEXT YEAR, AND THAT'S THE POINT AT WHICH THERE JUST WASN'T THAT DEMAND.

THAT'S WHERE WE MADE THE COMMITMENT TO SEE IT OUT.

BUT AGAIN, WE'RE ABLE TO MAINTAIN A TEACHER ON STAFF.

WE STILL HAVE A TEACHER ON STAFF WHO IS LATIN CERTIFIED AND THAT'S MS. MICHAUD, SHE'S BEEN TEACHING THE CLASS THIS YEAR, AND WE'RE ANTICIPATING HER CONTINUED.

SHE IS CERTIFIED IN OTHER THINGS.

SHE IS POSITIONED TO BE A FULL TIME TEACHER IN THE COMING YEAR.

SOME THINGS, LIKE THE FULL TIME STAFFING, THAT'S NOT AN ISSUE.

LOCATION OF THE CLASS WITHIN THE MASTER SCHEDULE, NOT AN ISSUE EITHER, BECAUSE WE PRIORITIZE SINGLETONS LIKE THIS TO MAKE SURE IF IT IS A SMALL NUMBER THAT WE GET ALL THOSE STUDENTS IN I THINK SOME OF THE FACTORS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN IN PLACE BACK, I THINK YOU MENTIONED 2010, THERE WAS ANOTHER CONCERN AROUND THIS WHEN WE WERE SPEAKING.

SOME OF THOSE FACTORS ARE NO LONGER A FACTOR.

I THINK REALLY WHERE WE STAND RIGHT NOW IS WE'VE COMMITTED OVER THESE LAST YEARS TO REALLY TRY TO FIND HIGH QUALITY TEACHERS, AND WE'VE JUST STRUGGLED TO FIND TEACHERS THAT WOULD STAY AND PROVIDE THAT CHAMPIONING OF THE PROGRAM AND THE DEMAND HASN'T BEEN THERE.

CERTAINLY IF THE BOARD DIRECTS, THEY WANT US TO TAKE SOME EFFORTS TO TRY TO RESUSCITATE THINGS IN THE COMING YEAR, WE CERTAINLY WILL FOLLOW THAT DIRECTIVE AND UNDERSTAND THE VALUE HISTORICALLY THAT IT'S BEEN AND THE VALUE THAT IT DOES BRING TO STUDENTS.

WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK AT THIS AND TAKE THE DIRECTION FROM THE BOARD AS TO WHICH DIRECTION WE GO.

ULTIMATELY, WE WOULD NEED ENOUGH STUDENTS TO MAKE THE CLASS VIABLE, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, CERTAINLY THE BOARD POINTS US IN THAT DIRECTION, THAT IS THE DIRECTION THAT WE WILL GO.

>> I THINK THAT'S VERY HELPFUL AND I THINK THERE IS PROBABLY STILL SOME DISCONNECT HERE BECAUSE I WOULD POINT YOU TO A ARTICLE IN PELHAM EXAMINER BY ULYSSES CONRAD THAT WAS WRITTEN IN 2020.

WHERE HE POINTED OUT THAT WHEN THERE WAS NO FULL TIME TEACHER WAS WHEN THE CLASS WENT FROM 14-7, AND THE SEVEN WHO STAYED WITH IT WAS A SCHEDULING NIGHTMARE.

THEY HAD TO GIVE UP ORCHESTRA.

THEY HAD TO GIVE UP VISIT.

THEY COULD NOT GET LATIN INTO THE SCHEDULE.

OTHER STUDENTS WHO WOULD HAVE BEEN COMING UP THROUGH THAT ARE WATCHING WHAT WAS NOW SEVEN STUDENTS INSTEAD OF 14.

NOT BE ABLE TO GET IT INTO THEIR SCHEDULE AND IT JUST WAS FALLING APART.

I REALLY FEEL THAT I KNOW AN EFFORT WAS MADE TO TRY AND FIND GREAT TEACHERS, BUT I THINK THAT THERE HAS TO BE A FULL TIME TEACHER BECAUSE I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S GOING TO STAY IN THE DISTRICT WITHOUT A GUARANTEE OF A FULL TIME JOB.

>> I THINK THERE'S SOME NUANCE AROUND THAT.

I GUESS IS WHAT I'M SAYING, BECAUSE VERY OFTEN, YOU MENTIONED MS. PIGNANO EARLIER.

[00:50:02]

I DON'T BELIEVE SHE'S CERTIFIED IN LATIN, BUT SHE CERTAINLY WAS QUALIFIED TO TEACH AND DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB.

I DON'T SEE THAT SOMEONE HAS TO BE A FULL TIME LATIN TEACHER IN ORDER TO HAVE THEM BE FULLY ABLE TO BE EMPLOYED IN THE DISTRICT.

>> YES. I AGREE. BUT I THINK I COULD BE WRONG ON THIS AND YOU CAN CORRECT ME, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS SOME OF THE LATIN TEACHERS WHO WERE HIRED WERE NOT GUARANTEED A FULL TIME POSITION.

I KNOW MR. JOE CARROLL WHO LEFT TO GO TO REGIS, BACK, BEFORE THIS INAUGURATION.

>> THAT WAS BEFORE ME.

>> IT WAS THE SAME THING. HE HE LEFT BECAUSE, THE DISTRICT SAID AT THE TIME, WELL, HE WOULDN'T GET CERTIFIED, AND THEN I SPOKE TO HIM ON THE PHONE AND HE SAID, NO, IT WASN'T THAT.

IT WAS I WOULDN'T GET CERTIFIED BECAUSE THEY WOULDN'T GUARANTEE ME A FULL TIME JOB.

>> WE CAN'T EVEN CONSIDER NON-CERTIFIED TEACHERS MORE THAN, I BELIEVE, ONE CLASS OUT OF CERTIFICATION.

>> RIGHT. BUT THE POINT IS THAT HE LEFT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT A FULL TIME POSITION.

HE DIDN'T HAVE A FULL TIME POSITION.

I THINK THAT I WOULD JUST GO BACK AND LOOK INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE OF LIKE, THIS PERSON SAYS, FIVE TEACHERS IN SEVEN YEARS.

WHO WERE THE FIVE TEACHERS? WERE THEY FULL TIME? WHAT WAS THEIR BACKGROUND? WHERE WERE THE SHORTCOMINGS? I JUST THINK THAT IF THE DISTRICT WANTS TO DO THIS, IT CAN HAPPEN.

WE CAN FIND A TEACHER. I MEAN, IT CAN HAPPEN.

WITH ALL THE OTHER DISTRICTS THAT ARE OFFERING IT, IT CAN'T BE THAT WE'RE THE ONLY ONES NOT ABLE TO SUCCEED AT THIS.

ANYWAY, I THINK THERE'S MORE WORK TO DO ON THIS.

I THINK THERE'S MORE INVESTIGATION TO DO IS, WHAT WENT RIGHT, WHAT CAN WE DO BETTER AND SEE IF WE CAN GET THIS GOING BECAUSE I'M STARTING TO TALK TO PARENTS WHO HAVE KIDS COMING UP INTO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND THERE DOES SEEM TO BE INTEREST.

I MEAN, I'LL GET YOU MORE DATA ON THAT, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S FOR A LACK OF INTEREST THAT THE CLASS SIZE WENT FROM 14-7.

I THINK IT WAS BECAUSE THEY, JUST DIDN'T THINK THERE WAS A COMMITMENT TO SEEING THE PROGRAM CONTINUED.

THERE MIGHT BE A COMMITMENT TO IF YOU'RE IN LATIN, WE'RE GOING TO SEE YOU THROUGH, BUT NOT ANYTHING COMING AFTER YOU.

THAT'S A DIFFERENT PROPOSAL ALTOGETHER.

>> I SEE IT A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY, BUT I THINK WE'RE GOING TO AGREE TO DISAGREE ON THAT PIECE TO A DEGREE BECAUSE I THINK YOU'RE SPEAKING TO FOLKS THAT MAYBE I HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO IN THAT REGARD.

I THINK PARENTS MIGHT HAVE THAT PERSPECTIVE.

I DON'T KNOW THAT YOUR TYPICAL SIXTH GRADER WOULD HAVE THAT PERSPECTIVE.

BUT I CAN SEE, AGAIN, TALKING TO SOME DIFFERENT FOLKS.

FOR US, I REALLY THINK THE DEMAND FOR THE COURSE REALLY IS PART OF THE ISSUE.

THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY, AND THIS IS REALLY NOT JUST TO LATIN, THIS IS REALLY ACROSS THE BOARD, AND I KNOW EVERY BOARD, SINCE THE TAX CAP HAS STRUGGLED WITH THIS, WE DO HAVE TO LOOK CRITICALLY AT WHERE OUR RESOURCES ARE GOING.

IN 2010, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WAS IN PLACE.

THERE WAS A LOT MORE LEEWAY TO RUN THINGS SMALLER AND KNOW THAT YOU COULD COMMIT MORE RESOURCES THERE AS RESOURCES GET MORE CONSTRAINED.

YOU LOOK MORE CRITICALLY AT WHAT IS THE DEMAND.

WHERE IS THE STUDENT INTEREST, AND THAT DOES HAVE AN IMPACT ON DECISIONS, AGAIN, NOT JUST IN THIS AREA, BUT ACROSS THE BOARD.

DIFFERENT FACTORS IN THE ENVIRONMENT EFFECT.

>> THE PELHAM DISTRICT HAS ALWAYS BEEN MINDFUL OF THEIR RESOURCES.

I THINK EVEN BEFORE THE TAX CAP IT WASN'T, FREE FOR ALL.

I THINK WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN TRYING TO KEEP CONTROL OVER THE COSTS.

I THINK THOUGH THAT YOU SHOULD RECOGNIZE THAT THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND ISSUE ARE INTERRELATED.

DEMAND WILL INCREASE AS THE PROFESSOR OR TEACHER IS MORE ATTRACTIVE TO STUDENTS.

I THINK THAT THERE'S A DYNAMISM THERE.

IT'S NOT A STATIC DEMAND.

IT'LL BE A DYNAMIC DEMAND DEPENDING ON WHO THE TEACHER IS.

I THINK I'VE TAKEN ENOUGH TIME FROM YOU TONIGHT, BUT I APPRECIATE ALL THE THOUGHT THAT'S GOING INTO THIS AND THE HARD WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING BEHIND THE SCENES AND IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, I'M ALWAYS REACHABLE AS YOU KNOW. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>> THANK YOU.

>>THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE]

>> WE DO HAVE ANOTHER PUBLIC COMMENT.

>> I HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT, NOT ABOUT LATIN.

ALTHOUGH I DID ALSO TAKE MR. RYAN IN THE HIGH SCHOOL, AND IT WAS AN EXCELLENT EXPERIENCE, BUT ANYTHING I COULD SAY HAS ALREADY BEEN COVERED.

MY NAME IS SARAH TREMBLAY.

I'M AT 421 WOLF.

I RUN A DIGITAL PARENTING BRAND HERE IN TOWN, SO I RUN A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER CALLED THOUGHTS FROM A DIGITAL MOM AND I DO EVENTS AROUND DIGITAL SAFETY FOR KIDS.

I CAME TO JUST SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT I'VE BEEN UP TO IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF AGO WITH PELHAM, TOGETHER, WE HOSTED A SESSION ON SNAPSHOT OVER AT CHASE STATION.

REALLY JUST BASICS FOR PARENTS TO UNDERSTAND THIS NOTORIOUSLY DIFFICULT APP.

I HAVE SINCE STARTED TALKING TO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PTAS.

[00:55:04]

HE'LL BE JOINING THE MIDDLE SCHOOL NEXT YEAR.

I KNOW THAT FIFTH GRADE GRADUATION IS A BIG MILESTONE WHERE MANY PARENTS THINK ABOUT GIVING THEIR CHILD A SMARTPHONE, AND I REALLY WANT PARENTS TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE OPTIONS.

I'M PUTTING ON WHAT'S CALLED SMARTPHONE ALTERNATIVES FOR THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.

I'LL BE AT PROSPECT ON MAY 13, I WILL BE AT COLONIAL MAY 21, I WILL BE AT HUTCH PROBABLY AT THE END OF MAY AND SO OR EARLY JUNE.

THE IDEA IS NOT TO JUDGE PEOPLE OR TO TELL THEM WHAT TO DO, BUT TO OFFER ALL OF THE INFORMATION BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF OPTIONS OUT THERE NOW.

IF YOU DON'T WANT THE INTERNET IN YOUR CHILD'S POCKET AT 11 YEARS OLD, YOU CAN STILL HAVE A DEVICE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THEM, AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A PHONE OR CAN BE A DUMB PHONE, WHICH IS THE NEW PARLANCE.

OR I CAN HELP YOU LOCK DOWN YOUR SMARTPHONE IF YOU SO CHOOSE.

THAT'S THE CRUX OF WHAT I'M DOING.

IT'S FROM A NON JUDGMENTAL PLACE.

I JUST WANT TO OFFER INFORMATION TO HELP PARENTS MAKE THE DECISION THAT WORKS BEST FOR THEIR FAMILIES AND I THOUGHT YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW.

THAT'S IT. THANK YOU.

>> THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU. I HAVE TO SAY I PARTICIPATED IN YOUR TALK ON SHEA STATION ON SNAPSHOT AND IT WAS WONDERFUL.

THANK YOU, PELHAM FOR PUTTING IT TOGETHER.

IT WOULD REALLY VERY EYE OPENING FROM A PERSON THAT DOESN'T HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA EXCEPT FOR FACEBOOK BECAUSE I NEED IT IN THIS TOWN.

BUT IT WAS REALLY EYE OPENING IN THE CONVERSATION WITH ALL THE PARENTS.

I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AT PROSPECT ON MONDAY.

>> GREAT. LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU TOO.

>> YOU'RE DOING THAT WITH THE PTAS?

>> THROUGH THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PTAS.

>> THAT'LL BE PUBLICIZED, I GUESS THROUGH THE PTA.

>> YES. I WAS ON THE 803 PODCAST.

I THINK IT AIRED THIS MORNING.

IN THERE, HE LET ME KNOW, MAYBE IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO COME AND SHARE.

YEAH, WE'LL BE A MENACE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, LETTING EVERYONE KNOW ABOUT THE EVENTS.

HOPEFULLY PEOPLE CAN COME JOIN US.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

>> WE CAN GO ON TO SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.

[4.2 Superintendent's Report]

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'M GOING TO START TODAY WITH SOME STUDENT ACCOLADES.

THIS IS ALWAYS AN EXCITING TIME OF YEAR BECAUSE THINGS JUST ROLL IN.

ONE AFTER ANOTHER, OUR STUDENTS ARE REALLY DELIVERING ON THE YEAR'S HARD WORK.

WE HEARD FROM OUR THEATER DIRECTORS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.

SOME AWARDS COMING IN FOR SOCK'N'BUSKIN, THE FALL PRODUCTION OF PETER AND THE STARCATCHER, WAS SELECTED AS WINNER OF FIVE EASTERN STUDENT ARTIST GUILD AWARDS.

FOR BEST ENSEMBLE AND A COMEDY, THE ENTIRE TROOP, BEST COMEDY PRODUCTION, THE ENTIRE TROOP.

BEST ACTORS IN A COMEDY, ANDREW SCOTT AND TEA SNURCA AND BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR LIAM GINSBERG.

THOSE FROM OUR FALL PRODUCTION.

WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THEY DID AND THEY WERE HONORED IN A CEREMONY AT MANHATTANVILLE, UNIVERSITY BACK ON MAY 4.

CONGRATULATIONS CONTINUE, THOUGH.

THAT WAS THE FALL. THIS IS THE SPRING.

CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH LIAM GINSBERG AND MATTIE LYONS, WHO WERE SELECTED FROM THE SPRING MUSICAL FOR INTO THE WOODS TO MOVE INTO THE NEXT PHASE OF THE ROGER REES AWARDS PROGRAM IN THE HOPES OF BECOMING ONE OF 50 NOMINEES SELECTED TO COMPETE FOR THE ROGER RE AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING PERFORMER IN A MUSICAL.

THE ROGER REES AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN STUDENT PERFORMANCE RECOGNIZES DISTINCTION IN STUDENT PERFORMANCE AND OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATER IN THE NEW YORK CITY AREA.

IT'S REALLY THE EQUIVALENT OF THE TONY'S FOR TEENS, IS THE BEST WAY I CAN PUT IT AS THEATER LOVER.

THAT WAS FROM INTO THE WOODS, LIAM AS JACK AND MADDY AS THE WITCH, WHICH WAS INCREDIBLE.

THOSE OF YOU WHO WERE AT THE SHOW, I THINK SAW IT.

SHE HAD THE MASK ON FOR THE FIRST HALF.

I WAS LIKE, WHERE IS THAT VOICE COMING FROM? SHE SOUNDED LIKE A PROFESSIONAL IN HER 30S.

PHENOMENAL. REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THEIR BEING HONORED AND SELECTED FOR THAT.

CONTINUING WITH MORE AWARDS, PELHAM MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL WAS SELECTED IN THE US NEWS AND WORLD REPORTS FOR 2024.

AS I SAID IN MY BUDGET PRESENTATION, EXCUSE ME, ALL SIX SCHOOLS WERE RECOGNIZED BY US NEWS AND WORLD REEPORT IN 2023.

WE'RE NOW STARTING THE 2024 CYCLE, SO CONGRATULATIONS TO PELHAM MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL FOR AGAIN, EARNING THAT RECOGNITION FROM THE US NEWS AND WORLD REPORTS.

ADDITIONALLY, AND I'VE MENTIONED THIS IN MY BUDGET FOR THOSE WHO'VE HEARD IT BUDGET PRESENTATION.

WE ALL KNOW THAT PELHAM MIDDLE SCHOOL WAS DESIGNATED AS A NO PLACE FOR HATE SCHOOL.

PELHAM MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL HAS NOW GONE THROUGH THE EFFORTS, AND THEY WERE DESIGNATED JUST RECENTLY AS A GOLD STAR,

[01:00:03]

THAT IS THE HARD WORK OF VARIOUS EFFORTS THAT CAME OUT OF THE VISION DISCUSSIONS THAT WE HEARD A YEAR AGO AND THE EFFORTS THAT HAD BEEN PUT IN PLACE THERE.

THERE'S WORK IN PROGRESS, ALWAYS A LABOR OF LOVE IN THAT AREA.

WE'RE PROUD OF THEM FOR THEIR EFFORTS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN THIS YEAR.

ANOTHER ACCOLADE THAT CAME ROLLING IN IS, LET ME JUST FIND IT. I FEEL LIKE I NEED MY GLASSES.

THIS WAS THE PORTFOLIO, OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARBOOK.

THE PORTFOLIO WAS SELECTED AS PART OF THE BEST OF THE BEST PUBLICATION PRODUCED BY VARSITY YEARBOOK.

THEY WERE ONE OF AN ELITE GROUP OF ONLY TOP 10% OF SCHOOLS THAT WERE CHOSEN FOR THIS HONOR.

WE'RE VERY EXCITED FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DO.

WE KNOW WE WIN AWARDS FOR OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL YEARBOOKS YEAR AFTER YEAR.

PROUD OF THE QUALITY OF WORK THAT CONTINUES TO GO INTO THOSE YEARBOOKS.

THAT WAS MIDDLE SCHOOL. SPEAKING OF THE HIGH SCHOOL.

THE 2023 PELICAN YEARBOOK AT THE HIGH SCHOOL IS VARSITY WAS SELECTED AGAIN, AS PART OF THIS BEST PUBLICATION.

WE'RE PROUD AND THANKFUL FOR OUR ADVISORS.

THAT IS A HUGE, MASSIVE UNDERTAKING THAT THEY TAKE ON EACH YEAR.

THEY WORK WITH STUDENTS TO DO REALLY STUDENT DRIVEN PRODUCTIONS TOO, SO WE'RE REALLY APPRECIATIVE FOR THEIR WORK.

COUPLE OF OTHER ITEMS THAT ARE JUST UPDATES.

WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE THIS PAST WEEKEND TO HOST THE DOWN COUNTY NYSSMA FESTIVAL, NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL MUSIC ASSOCIATION FESTIVAL.

OVER 1,500 STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS CAME THROUGH THE HALLS OF PELHAM MIDDLE SCHOOL PREDOMINANTLY, BUT SOME OF THE HIGH SCHOOL FROM 31 DISTRICTS.

WE HAVEN'T HOSTED THIS FESTIVAL IN ABOUT 15 YEARS, I'D SAY, AND I KNOW THE BOARD REMEMBERED, THANKS TO THE BOARD AGAIN, FOR AGREEING TO OFFSET THE COSTS FOR THAT.

IT WAS INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY FOR PELHAM.

WE ONLY DO IT ABOUT ONCE EVERY 15 YEARS.

IT IS A CHALLENGE FOR US BECAUSE AS WE ALL KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE PARKING.

TO HAVE THAT PROGRAM RUNNING AT THE SAME TIME AS OUR NORMAL COMMUNITY EVENTS ON A WEEKEND WAS A HUGE UPLIFT.

INCREDIBLE THANKS GO TO VB, MR. VAN BAKOV WHO SPEARHEADED THE EVENT.

HE WAS THE CHAIR OF THIS EVENT, OUR ENTIRE MUSIC DEPARTMENT WHO TURNED OUT TO HELP AND ASSIST THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND.

THEY REALLY DID A TREMENDOUS JOB.

ALSO, THANKS TO THE CUSTODIAL STAFF AND THE TECHNOLOGY STAFF FOR ALL THE WORK THAT THEY DID.

THAT WAS REALLY A NONSTOP EVENT FROM THE MINUTE THAT SCHOOL ENDED ON FRIDAY, AND OF COURSE, SET UP BEGAN BEFORE THAT THROUGH THE GREATER PART OF SATURDAY.

I WAS ABLE TO POP DOWN AND VISIT WITH THEM AND SEE THAT IN PROGRESS, AND WE'RE JUST REALLY PROUD TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT OUR MUSIC STUDENTS AND OUR MUSIC FACULTY IN THIS WAY AND THANKFUL FOR THEIR WILLINGNESS TO TAKE ON SUCH AN ENDEAVOR.

JUST A COUPLE OF OTHER ITEMS BEFORE WE WRAP UP TONIGHT IN MY REPORT, OF COURSE, AND I SHOULD HAVE STARTED WITH THIS, BUT WE WERE SO FOCUSED ON STUDENT EVENTS.

WE STARTED THERE. THIS IS TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK.

THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR FINE FACULTY WHO DO JUST A TREMENDOUS JOB DAY IN AND DAY OUT.

THEY'RE HERE BEFORE THE SUN RISES AND THEY'RE HERE LONG AFTER THE SUN SETS EVERY DAY, AND WHAT THEY DO WITHIN THE CLASSROOM IS REALLY JUST SECOND TO NONE.

SO WE'RE INCREDIBLY THANKFUL AND APPRECIATIVE TO THEM AND THEY DESERVE TREMENDOUS KUDOS AS WELL.

THERE WAS TONS OF FOOD AND FLOWERS AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS COMING IN FROM OUR VERY GENEROUS PTAS THIS WEEK.

OUR TEACHERS GOT SPOILED AS THEY DESERVE.

TODAY WAS ALSO SCHOOL NURSE APPRECIATION DAY IN THE MIDDLE OF TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK.

AGAIN, WE'VE GOT INCREDIBLE STAFF THERE WHO JUST GIVE SO MUCH OF THEMSELVES TO TAKE CARE OF NOT JUST OUR STUDENTS, BUT THE REALITY IS THEY WIND UP TAKING CARE OF OUR STAFF AS WELL TOO.

THOSE LADIES DO A WONDERFUL JOB AND WE'RE THANKFUL FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM.

I SHOULD ALSO ADD AND I DON'T THINK WE'VE HAD A MEETING SINCE THEN.

BACK ON MAY 1ST, WE HAD PRINCIPALS APPRECIATION DAY.

WE'RE REALLY HAPPY AS WELL TO RECOGNIZE OUR BUILDING LEADERS AND ALL OF OUR ADMINISTRATORS WHO DO SO MUCH TO RUN OUR SCHOOLS.

I'M STILL WAITING FOR SUPERINTENDENT'S APPRECIATION DAY.

BUT I WAS TOLD THAT COMES EVERY DAY. THAT'S EVERY DAY.

>> WHAT ABOUT BOARD MEMBERS APPRECIATION?

>> THERE'S A BOARD MEMBERS APPRECIATION WEEK.

YES. IN THE FALL.

>> NO ONE TOLD ME.

>> DON'T YOU HAVE YOUR CERTIFICATE UP ON YOUR WALL?

>> YES. YOU GET A CERTIFICATE.

>> I'LL HAVE TO DIG THAT ONE OUT.

>> JUST FINALLY, A COUPLE OF THINGS AT OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING, DR.

BOWMAN AND I ARE TALKING ABOUT JUST THE FINAL DETAILS FOR THE SCHOOL CALENDAR FOR NEXT YEAR, AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION AROUND THAT.

I'M HAVING SOME CONVERSATION WITH INDIVIDUAL PARENTS ON THAT.

BUT WE'RE LOOKING TO BRING FORWARD THE PLAN FOR PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING DAYS, WHICH ARE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO PROVIDING THEIR TEACHERS THE TIME THAT THEY NEED TO DO WHAT WE'VE ASKED THEM TO DO IN THE BOARD, LOOKING AT OUR BUDGET AND BEING A YEAR OF REFLECTION RECOGNIZES THE INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT OUR FACULTY ARE DOING AND

[01:05:02]

WE'LL BE LOOKING TO BRING SOME MORE INFORMATION ON THAT TO YOU NEXT TIME.

FINALLY, OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING UPDATE, IF I'M STEALING ANY OF MICHAEL THUNDER ON THAT.

WE'VE HAD TWO SESSIONS ALREADY WHERE WE HAVE DONE DATA ANALYSIS.

SO THANKS TO THE COMMUNITY, WE HAD ALMOST 2000 PARENTS RESPOND TO THE SURVEY.

WE WERE SURVEYED STUDENTS AS WELL.

WE DID INTERVIEWS WITH THE FOLKS AROUND THIS TABLE, INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS AND FOCUS GROUPS.

THANKS TO ALL THE COMMUNITY THAT PARTICIPATED IN THOSE.

OUR FIRST STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION, WE TOOK THE TIME TO DELVE DEEPER INTO THOSE FOUR DIFFERENT DATASETS AND THEN WORK TO IDENTIFY THEMES THAT SYNTHESIZED ACROSS THE FOUR DATASETS.

OUR SECOND SESSION WAS HELD IT WAS JUST RECENTLY ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO.

WHERE WE THEN SPENT SOME TIME FOCUSING ON MISSION VISION VALUES.

SO STARTING THOSE CONVERSATION, OUR FINAL SESSION IS SCHEDULED FOR MAY 28, WHERE WE WILL TAKE THOSE INITIAL CONVERSATIONS AND TRY TO BRING THEM TO CLOSURE ON MISSION VISION VALUES AND PRIORITY AREAS, AND THEN HOPEFULLY BY THE END OF THE SESSION, BE ALSO IDENTIFYING SOME KEY OBJECTIVES THAT WOULD THEN GO INTO THE PLAN.

SO WE'RE HOPING TO BRING THAT DRAFT TO THE FULL BOARD FOR INITIAL PUBLIC DISCUSSION ON JUNE 5TH WITH FINAL APPROVAL AIMING FOR JUNE 18TH.

ONE THING MICHAEL AND I HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT I THINK IT WAS ACTUALLY AN AGENDA SETTING, AND I'LL JUST PUT IT ON THE BOARD'S RADAR NOW I'LL PUT IT IN OUR MEMO, OF COURSE, FOR THIS WEEK.

WE TALKED ABOUT MAYBE AT THE CONCLUSION OF OUR NEXT SESSION IF THE BOARD IS AVAILABLE SINCE WE'VE ALL SET ASIDE THAT FULL DAY, MAYBE STAYING FOR A DEBRIEF AFTERWARDS WITH JUST THE BOARD AND TAKING THE TIME TO REALLY HONE IN ON WHERE WE WANT TO GO.

SO GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION PRIOR TO THE INITIAL DRAFT BEING CRAFTED AND PRESENTED FOR THE JUNE 5TH MEETING.

>> THAT WOULD BE 3:00-4:30.

>> PROBABLY. I THINK WE'D PLANNED FOR THE FULL SESSION WITH OUR FACULTY AND STAFF AND THE BOARD TO BE FROM ABOUT 8:30 THAT MORNING TILL 3:00.

THEN IF WE COULD THEN CABINET AND BOARD WOULD BE IDEAL, SAY 3:00-4:30 FOR A DEBRIEF AND OPPORTUNITY TO TIGHTEN UP SOME OF WHERE THAT LANDS SO WE'RE MORE POSITIONED TO BE READY FOR JUNE 5TH.

AGAIN, I'LL PUT THAT IN MY MEMO.

I DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO PUT IN YOUR CALENDARS NOW, BUT JUST WANTED TO TEE THAT UP.

THE OTHER THING I WOULD PUT ON EVERYONE'S RADAR AND THIS IS JUST COMING TOGETHER INTERNALLY, SO I APOLOGIZE THAT NO ONE'S GOTTEN HEADS UP ON THIS.

WE ARE REALIZING THAT THERE'S SOME SCHEDULING CONFLICT IS COMING UP.

A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS.

WE HAVE OUR TENURE RECOGNITIONS, OUR RETIREMENT RECOGNITIONS COMING UP.

END OF YEAR EVENTS ARE COMING UP.

WE HAVE STUDENTS.

WE'VE GOT OUR INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL SCIENCE RESEARCH PROGRAM.

WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE THOSE STUDENTS BECAUSE WE HAVE WESCEF AND ICEF WINNERS.

THAT'S WESTCHESTER INTERNATIONAL QUALIFIERS AND AWARDEES.

BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE ANNUAL SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM, WHICH CONFLICTS WITH OUR MAY 22ND BOARD MEETING.

I KNOW MANY OF YOU HAVE CHILDREN IN THAT, MANY OF YOU ATTEND JUST AS BOARD MEMBERS WANTING TO SUPPORT THAT PROGRAM.

I ALWAYS ATTEND OUR CURRICULUM METERS, CABINET MEMBERS ATTEND.

BUT THERE'S ALSO TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS INVOLVED IN TENURE THAT ARE ALSO INVOLVED IN THAT EVENING.

AGAIN, I'LL PUT THIS IN THE MEMO, BUT I'M ASKING YOU CONSIDER ON MAY 22ND, SHIFTING OUR PUBLIC SESSION TO 6:30 INSTEAD OF 7:30.

SO FLIP FLOPPING, BASICALLY, PUBLIC AND EXACT SESSION SO THAT WE CAN START THE PUBLIC MEETING AT 6:30, DR. CALLAHAN, DR. TORTORELLA, WHO WILL BE HERE FOR TENURE THAT NIGHT.

WE CAN HAVE ANY OTHER TEACHERS INVOLVED, DO THOSE RECOGNITIONS EARLY, THEN THEY CAN HEAD TO THE SYMPOSIUM, WE CAN FINISH UP OUR MEETING, AND THEN WE CAN GO ATTEND AFTERWARDS.

THEY'RE GOING TO TRY TO PUSH THEIR EVENT A LITTLE BIT LATER IF WE CAN MOVE OUR MEETING TO 6:30.

I THOUGHT THAT SOUNDED REASONABLE SINCE WE'RE ALL HERE ANYWAY.

THAT ENDS MY REPORT. I APOLOGIZE THAT IT WAS LONG TONIGHT, BUT LOTS GOING ON.

>> THANK YOU. THAT BRINGS US TO BOARD OF EDUCATION COMMITTEE REPORTS.

[4.3 Board of Education Committee Reports]

>> AND ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE.

>> YES, WE DID. DO YOU WANT TO GO WITH ENGAGEMENT? THAT WAS A LITTLE WHILE AGO? LAST WEEK I THINK.

>> LAST WEEK.

>> YEAH. IT SEEMS A LONG TIME FROM LAST FRIDAY.

>> YES.

>> SO WE HAD AN ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AND SOME OF THE POINTS OF DISCUSSION WHERE WE WENT THROUGH THE BUDGET,

[01:10:02]

THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CAPITAL RESERVE AND JUST EXPLAINING HOW THAT IS DIFFERENT THAN OUR REGULAR BUDGET THAT HAS BEEN ALLOCATED FOR WHEN THEY BUILT THE FIELD, AND NOW IT'S JUST A MATTER OF VOTING TO RELEASE THE FUNDS AND THAT WE DO HAVE TO REDO THE FIELDS EVERY 12-15 YEARS AND WE VOTE ON IT TODAY.

HOWEVER, THAT MEANS THE FUNDS AND THE WORK BEGINS NEXT YEAR.

>> CORRECT, JIM?

>> THAT IS CORRECT. SO HOPEFULLY YOU IDENTIFIED 2025 AS A REPLACEMENT YEAR.

>> CORRECT. THEN WE HAD A VERY EXCITED CONVERSATION ABOUT THE CELL PHONE.

THE PROS AND CONS OF WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND RIGHT NOW IS THERE IS NO DISTRICT POLICY.

I THINK THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF MISCOMMUNICATION, A LOT OF THIS CHATTER ON FACEBOOK, BUT THE REALITY IS THERE IS NO POLICY FOR THE DISTRICT.

WHAT WE HAVE IS WE HAVE A GUIDANCE AND GUIDELINES THAT WE'VE USED IN DIFFERENT SCHOOLS, AND WE DO WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AND FIGURE OUT WHAT POLICY MAKES SENSE FOR US AS A DISTRICT THAT WOULD COVER ALL THE SCHOOLS, OR IF THAT EVEN IS A POSSIBILITY, GIVEN THAT THERE'S SUCH A WIDE RANGE OF AGES.

WE DEFINITELY KNOW IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WE MAY NOT WANT CELL PHONES OR THE WATCHES AND THEN IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, HOW DO WE RIGHT NOW BEHAVE WHEN WE HAVE THE CELL PHONES THAT NEED TO BE PUT AWAY VERSUS IN THE HIGH SCHOOL, AND EVEN IN THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVELS, THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A 14 YEAR OLD NINTH GRADER AND A 17,18 YEAR OLD KID WHO'S ABOUT TO GO TO COLLEGE.

SO THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ON THAT.

AGAIN, NOTHING, HAS BEEN DECIDED AND A LOT WILL GO BACK TO THE POLICY COMMITTEE FOR THOSE DECISIONS TO BE MADE AS TO WHAT WILL BE A POLICY THAT COULD BE LIVABLE FOR ALL.

>> CAN I ASK A QUESTION ABOUT IT? IS IT WHAT WILL BE THE POLICY OR DO WE NEED A POLICY?

>> THE QUESTION IS BOTH.

SO WE NEED A POLICY BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, WE DO NOT HAVE ONE, IS THAT RIGHT? BECAUSE THERE'S GUIDELINES OUT THERE BUT HOW DO WE LIVE WITHIN THOSE GUIDELINES? A LOT OF IT IS ARE THOSE GUIDELINES BEING ENFORCED AND BY HOME? THEN IF WE DO NEED A POLICY JUST TO ENSURE THAT, WE'RE NOT LEAVING IT UP TO TEACHERS OR OTHERS TO ENFORCE GUIDELINES.

WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE?

>> RIGHT.

>> YEAH. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S ALL THOSE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER WE NEED IT IF WE NEED IT, WHY? BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS I'M GETTING.

I'M BEING ASKED, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE.

THAT'S WHAT I KEEP HEARING AND SO I THINK JUST HAVING THAT CONVERSATION THAT I KNOW WE'RE HAVING IS IMPORTANT.

>> WE'RE WAITING FOR THE SURVEY.

I KNOW THERE WAS A WORLD CAFE AND PEOPLE DID ATTEND THAT.

BUT THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO COULDN'T ATTEND AND SO THE SURVEY WENT OUT TO ASK THOSE PARENTS THAT WE DIDN'T REACH THE FIRST TIME.

AGAIN, VERY SIMILAR QUESTIONS WE ASKED AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS JUST HAVE MORE DATA.

DR. CHAMP, I KNOW YOU SAID THAT WHEN THAT IS ALL COMPILED, YOU WILL RELEASE THAT INFORMATION.

>> ON THE WHOLE CELL PHONE ISSUE, THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT UP IN THE AIR, FLOATING AROUND.

DR. CHAN, WHAT DO YOU SEE IS THE CONCRETE SERIES OF EVENTS FROM NOW TO WHATEVER THE LANDING PLACE IS THAT WE CHOOSE?

>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. AS NATALIE MENTIONED, WE DID LAUNCH A PARENT SURVEY, WE DID A STUDENT SURVEY AS WELL, AND A FACULTY SURVEY, SO THOSE TECHNICALLY CLOSED BEGINNING OF THIS WEEK.

I WILL PULL THAT DATA.

I CERTAINLY SHARE THAT WITH THE FULL BOARD AS A NEXT STEP SO THAT EVERYBODY'S GOT THAT FULL SET.

[NOISE] WE'RE WORKING ON SCHEDULING THE NEXT POLICY MEETING.

I THINK WE'RE AIMING FOR THE END OF THE MONTH JUST BASED ON SCHEDULES AND CALENDARS.

I THINK TO ME THAT WOULD BE PRIMARY DISCUSSION AT THAT POLICY COMMITTEE IS, WHAT DID THE DATA SAY TO US? WHAT DID IT SHOW TO US? WHAT'S THE FEEDBACK WE'VE GOTTEN FROM THE WORLD CAFE, FROM ALL THE DIFFERENT PIECES AND THEN ANSWER THOSE QUESTION. DO WE WANT A POLICY? I THINK IN GENERAL, THE ANSWER IS YES TO THAT BECAUSE I THINK WE DON'T HAVE A POLICY. WE HAVE PRACTICE.

AS NATALIE SAID, IT'S EMBEDDED WITHIN THE STUDENT HANDBOOK, BUT PHONES ARE, THEY'RE MORE PROLIFIC NOW THAN EVER BEFORE SO I THINK HAVING A POLICY WILL HELP BUILDING ADMINISTRATORS AND TEACHERS TO KNOW THE EXPECTATION AND GIVE THEM THE BACKBONE FOR ENFORCING OF THE EXPECTATIONS.

I THINK A POLICY IS A GOOD THING IN THIS CASE.

THEN THE QUESTION IS, WHAT SHOULD THAT LOOK LIKE ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL? I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE DATA WOULD INFORM OUR CONVERSATIONS AS A POLICY COMMITTEE.

[01:15:01]

>> THERE'S QUITE A LOT TO DO THAT? DO YOU THINK IT'S PLAUSIBLE OR REASONABLE TO EXPECT THAT PROCESS TO BE COMPLETE FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT ACADEMIC YEAR?

>> WELL, I WOULD ADVISE IF WE WANT TO MAKE ANY CHANGE, THEN WE SHOULD AIM TO GET THAT DONE FOR THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR BECAUSE I THINK IN MOST CASES, AND I LOOK TO MY FORMER BUILDING ADMINISTRATORS AROUND THE CABINET TABLE, IF YOU'RE GOING TO START ANY CONSISTENT EXPECTATION, YOU GOT TO START AT DAY 1.

>> WHEREVER WE END UP ON THIS?

>> CORRECT.

>> I THINK THAT GENERALLY DISCUSSIONS LIKE THIS RESPOND WELL TO DEADLINES, AND I THINK THAT SHOULD BE WHAT OUR GOAL IS TO BEGIN THE NEXT ACADEMIC YEAR WITH SOMETHING IN PLACE, WHATEVER THAT SOMETHING MAY BE.

>> ONE THING THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO IN THE PAST AND THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN A COUPLE OF YEARS KNOW WITH OUR CODE OF CONDUCT, WE HAVE TO RE APPROVE THAT EVERY YEAR.

SOMETIMES WE'LL MAKE TWEAKS.

THE REALITY IS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT IN JULY AT THE REORG MEETING, BUT WE'RE ALREADY PREPARING FOR THE OPENING OF SCHOOL.

OFTEN, IF WE HAVE A SOLID POLICY DRAFT THAT'S MAYBE IN FIRST READING STAGE OR EVEN SECOND READING, WE PUT THE WHEELS IN MOTION TO BE PREPARED, RECOGNIZING THAT THE BOARD MEETING CYCLES MOVES AT A CERTAIN PACE, BUT SCHOOL OPENS IN SEPTEMBER AND WE GOT TO BE READY FOR THAT.

DEFINITELY, WE CAN. I KNOW THAT WE'VE ALREADY STARTED TO LOOK AT SOME LANGUAGE AT A PRIOR POLICY MEETING.

I THINK THE GOOD THING IS, WE DO HAVE BASE LANGUAGE TO USE RIGHT FROM OUR STUDENT HANDBOOKS.

WE'RE NOT RECREATING THE WHEEL HERE.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PRACTICE THAT ALREADY EXISTS AND HOW WE MAY MODIFY THAT SO I THINK WE'VE GOT A GOOD BASED TEXT THAT SHOULD ENABLE US TO GET TO A FIRST DRAFT RELATIVELY QUICKLY.

>> GREAT. PARTICULARLY WITH A NEW PRINCIPAL IN THE HIGH SCHOOL STARTING SEPTEMBER, WHOEVER THAT PERSON IS.

>> THAT'S RIGHT. THEY NEED CLEAR [INAUDIBLE].

>> THEY NEED TO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE DOING.

>> AGREE.

>> WE'RE ALSO NOT BEING DORMANT. IT IS INTERESTING.

I THINK JUST YESTERDAY, MR. WHELAN SENT OUT THIS NOTICE TO ALL MIDDLE SCHOOL FAMILIES.

IT'S RECENTLY COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT THERE HAS BEEN A PROLIFERATION OF PELHAM MIDDLE SCHOOL BRANDED TIKTOK ACCOUNTS CREATED BY, FOR AND ABOUT OUR STUDENTS.

TO BE CLEAR OF THESE ACCOUNTS WITH NAMES LIKE PMS DRAMA, PMS GUESSING, PMS EDITS, PMS SHIPS ARE IN NO WAY SANCTIONED BY OUR SCHOOL.

BUT THEY UNFORTUNATELY PROVIDE AMPLE OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS TO HARASS, DEFAME, BULLY, AND MOCK ONE ANOTHER AND TO DO SO WITH RELATIVE ANONYMITY AND IMPUNITY.

I THINK IT'S JUST IMPORTANT FOR FOLKS TO KNOW IT'S NOT THIS IS JUST IN THE ETHER.

THERE ARE REAL ISSUES THAT OUR KIDS ARE DEALING WITH.

>> QUESTION. WITH THE SURVEY DATA, WHICH I'M ANXIOUS TO SEE, WILL WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS IT PRIOR TO, LET'S SAY, HAVING A FIRST READING OF A POLICY AS A BOARD?

>> CERTAINLY, WE COULD. I THINK THE NORMAL POLICY PROCESS WOULD BE TO START WITH COMMITTEE AND THEN BRING IT FORWARD.

>> THE BOARD WILL SEE THE DATA, THOUGH NOT JUST THE POLICY COMMITTEE.

>> CORRECT. I'LL SEND THE LINKS TO THE FULL BOARD IN THIS WEEK'S MEMO, SINCE IT'S COMPLETE AT THIS [INAUDIBLE] TIME.

I GUESS MAYBE SIMILAR TO HOW WE DO A LOT OF OUR COMMITTEE WORK MAYBE IF YOU DO HAVE QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, I'D SAY, BE SURE TO LET ONE OF THE POLICY COMMITTEE MEMBERS KNOW YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THAT.

I KNOW FOLKS HAVE BEEN VERY RESPECTFUL ABOUT MAKING SURE TO BRING THOSE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES INTO THE DISCUSSION AT THAT LEVEL.

BUT THIS I THINK IS PART OF WHY THE POLICY PROCESS RUNS ITS COURSE THAT WAY? WE DIVIDE AND CONQUER ON GETTING THE WORK DONE.

BUT THEN NOTHING IS DONE WITHOUT FULL DISCUSSION, TRANSPARENCY OF THE FULL BOARD.

>> THERE'S SO MUCH CONVERSATION AROUND IT AND EVERYWHERE I GO, THIS IS WHAT I'M ASKED ABOUT.

BASICALLY THIS TOPIC.

I FEEL LIKE WE'RE CONSTANTLY SEEING A NEW ARTICLE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES OR EVERYWHERE.

WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE GOING ON, I JUST DON'T WANT TO RUSH INTO ANYTHING.

I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT TO THE BOARD BECAUSE I THINK IT IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION AND WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WE HAVE THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE VERY THOUGHTFUL AROUND THE IMPACT OF WHATEVER WE DO,

[01:20:04]

>> THE OTHER THING TO THINK ABOUT, MOST OF OUR POLICIES, OTHER THAN THE ONES THAT ARE REQUIRED BY LAW TEND TO BE RELATIVELY GENERAL AND MORE SETTING A PARTICULAR DIRECTION AND THEN DELEGATING TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.

>> IT'S A GOOD POINT.

DEVELOP REGULATIONS IF NEEDED.

IT'S TRUE. THAT CAN BE A DIFFERENT APPROACH TOO.

>> I DON'T REALLY SEE A POLICY THAT SAYS YOU CAN'T BRING YOUR CELL PHONE INTO SCHOOL OR YOU MUST LOCK UP YOUR CELL PHONE IN ABOUT.

I SEE SOMETHING MORE LIKE THE BOARD ACCEPTS THE GUIDANCE OF THE SURGEON GENERAL THAT WE SHOULD LIMIT ACCESS TO SOCIAL MEDIAS IN WAYS THAT MINIMIZE HARM AND THE SUPERINTENDENT CAN DEVELOP REGULATIONS TO ACHIEVE THAT.

>> THAT'S DEFINITELY [INAUDIBLE].

>> TO YOUR POINT, ANN MARIE ABOUT THIS BEING A BIG DEAL, IT IS A BIG DEAL.

DOING NOTHING, IN MY OPINION, WOULD BE A BIG DEAL.

I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN SOME PUSHBACK ON THE PROCESS, BUT WE'VE HAD A WORLD CAFE.

WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT IN THIS MEETING THAT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC MULTIPLE TIMES, THERE'S BEEN SURVEYS, THERE IS A POLICY COMMITTEE PROCESS, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS MISSING IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO MAKE A DECISION, WHATEVER THAT DECISION ENDS UP BEING.

I THINK BEING DECISIVE IS PROBABLY A GOOD THING BECAUSE I FEEL THERE'S URGENCY AROUND THIS.

WE WANT TO GET SOMETHING DONE BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.

I AGREE IT'S A BIG DEAL, BUT THAT'S WHY WE'RE ADDRESSING IT.

>> ABSOLUTELY. I THINK THAT HAVING THE SURVEY DATA WILL HELP A LOT BECAUSE I THINK THE QUESTION KEEPS COMING UP, WHAT PROBLEM ARE WE RESOLVING? WHAT ARE THE TEACHERS SAYING IN THE SCHOOLS? WITHOUT THAT, I CAN'T ANSWER THE QUESTION.

WHY ARE WE DISCUSSING IT IS WHAT KEEPS COMING UP.

I THINK HAVING THAT DATA WILL HELP MAKE THAT DECISION.

I THINK THAT BEING ABLE TO RECOGNIZE ALL THE PIECES, WE HAVE A NEW PRINCIPLE THAT'S COMING INTO THE HIGH SCHOOL.

RECOGNIZE WE HAVE GUIDELINES THAT ARE NOT BEING EVENLY ENFORCED.

I THINK KNOWING ALL OF THOSE PIECES AND HAVING THAT PLAY A PART IN WHAT THIS POLICY COULD LOOK LIKE, IS JUST REALLY IMPORTANT.

I THINK THERE'S BASICALLY JUST A LOT OF CHATTER, A LOT OF UNKNOWNS, AND I JUST KEEP GOING BACK TO THE QUESTION OF WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? THAT'S WHAT I'M BEING ASKED, IS WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? NOT WHAT'S THE PROBLEM IN OUR CULTURE.

CLEARLY, THERE'S A PROBLEM, BUT SPECIFIC TO PELHAM, WHAT ARE WE ADDRESSING AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO ADDRESS IT?

>> I KNOW JUST FROM MY TIME ON THE BOARD, EVERY DISCIPLINARY ISSUE THAT AT LEAST CAME TO THE BOARD LEVEL INVOLVED A DIGITAL DEVICE OF SOME FORM, EITHER SOCIAL MEDIA OR A CELL PHONE.

WE HAD A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY EVENT IN THE HIGH SCHOOL FOLLOWING THAT HALLOWEEN, THAT WAS RELATED TO DIGITAL DEVICES AND SOCIAL MEDIA.

>> LIKE YOU, I THINK SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE IS, WHEN STUDENTS ARE USING THEIR CELL PHONE DEVICES IN THE SCHOOL FOR THE SNAPCHAT, OR THE TIKTOK, OR THE POSTING ON INSTAGRAM.

WHEN WHEN THEY PULL OUT THE ACCOUNTS, THOSE ANONYMOUS ACCOUNTS THAT SEEM TO JUST POP UP OUT OF NOWHERE, AND THE POSTINGS ARE BEING DONE AT 10 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, WELL, CLEARLY, YOU'RE NOT HOME AT 10.

IT'S OKAY IF PARENTS WANT TO ALLOW THAT, THAT'S FINE, BUT THAT'S ON YOUR OWN TIME.

I THINK THAT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE FOR IS WHEN IT'S HAPPENING WITHIN THE SCHOOL HOURS, YOU GOT TO ASSUME THAT KID IS SUPPOSED TO BE IN SCIENCE OR MATH AND CLEARLY THEY'RE PROBABLY IN THE BATHROOM DOING IT AT 10 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.

>> OR THEY'RE IN SCIENCE CLASS.

>> OR IN SCIENCE CLASS. THE POOR TEACHERS, I COULD SEE MYSELF TELLING A KID PUT THAT AWAY, AND IF THEY DON'T DO IT, THERE'S NO POLICY.

SOME TEACHERS MAY SAY, YES, YOU NEED TO LEAVE THE ROOM.

SOME TEACHERS MAY BE LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT? I GOT TO TEACH TO THE OTHER 20 KIDS I HAVE.

WE HAVE TO PROTECT THE TEACHERS.

I DO LOOK AT IT AS NOT ONLY ARE WE GOING TO PROBABLY HELP KIDS SAY, THIS GETS PUT AWAY FOR A FEW HOURS, BUT ALSO THE TEACHERS.

[01:25:01]

IT'S A DISTRACTION FOR ADULTS, IMAGINE SOMEONE TRYING TO TEACH YOU.

>> ABSOLUTELY. I KNOW MY LINE OF QUESTIONING.

IT MAKES IT SEEM LIKE I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK THERE'S A PROBLEM. THAT'S NOT THE CASE.

IT'S MORE OF I WANT TO JUST THINK THROUGH THESE THINGS, AND MAYBE THIS IS MORE WHAT THE SCHOOL THINKS THROUGH, NOT US AS A BOARD.

BUT FOR EXAMPLE, TO WHAT YOU SAID, IF YOU SEE A POST AND IT HAPPENED AT 10:02, WELL, WHERE WERE YOU AT 10:02. LET'S SAY THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR PHONES DURING THE DAY.

AT 03:15, THAT SAME POST IS GOING TO HAPPEN, AND IF THE SCHOOL GETS CALLED, THE SCHOOL IS STILL INVOLVED, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT MISS SABIA HAS SAID.

THINGS ARE HAPPENING OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

IF LET'S SAY THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR PHONES, BUT IT HAPPENS AT FOUR IN THE AFTERNOON AND NOW MISS SABIA GETS A CALL FROM A PARENT BECAUSE OF A SITUATION, IT'S NOW A SCHOOL ISSUE.

THEY ARE TWO PIECES. THERE'S THE SOCIAL MEDIA AND THEN THERE'S THE ATTENTION PIECE.

>> EXACTLY. I SEE IT THAT WAY, BECAUSE OF OUR SOCIETY, WHATEVER HAPPENS OUT THERE IS GOING TO COME INTO THE SCHOOLS BECAUSE THEY'RE KIDS AND THEY'RE GOING TO BRING IT IN AND IT AFFECTS THEM.

BUT AT LEAST, I HOPE THAT BECAUSE IT'S NOT BEING DONE IN THE SCHOOL, HOPEFULLY THEY'LL LEARN MATH AT THE SAME TIME.

YOU MIGHT BE POSTING AND BEING A BULLY ONLINE AT THREE O'CLOCK, BUT HOPEFULLY BETWEEN THE HOURS OF EIGHT AND THREE YOU'RE LEARNING MATH.

THAT'S THE WAY I SEE IT. VERSUS YOU'RE NOT LEARNING MATH, BUT YOU'RE BEING A BULLY AT THE SAME TIME.

LOOK PERFECT WORLD THAT I'M ENVISIONING.

BUT AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS TO HAPPEN.

IT'S NOT EASY BEING A PARENT THESE DAYS.

IT'S NOT EASY BEING A TEACHER.

IT'S NOT EASY BEING A KID.

IT'S HARD ALL AROUND.

>> WE SHOULD JUST START WITH THE BASIC QUESTION.

WHAT IS THE ACADEMIC PURPOSE OF A CELL PHONE DURING THE SCHOOL DAY? WE SHOULD START WITH THAT QUESTION VERSUS STARTING WITH THE PREMISE THAT CELL PHONES ARE IN SCHOOL, WE FIGURE OUT HOW TO REMOVE THEM.

WHAT IS THE ACADEMIC PURPOSE OF A CELL PHONE DURING THE SCHOOL DAY.

I THINK IT'S A WORTHWHILE QUESTION TO ANSWER.

BECAUSE GOING ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT DOESN'T SERVE AN ACADEMIC PURPOSE, DOES IT?

>> WELL, IF YOU ASK MY KIDS, SHE SHE WILL TELL YOU ALL ABOUT HOW YOU COULD EARN MONEY ON TIKTOK AND HOW THE GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO BAN IT, AND SHE KNOWS WAY TOO MUCH FOR SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T HAVE ACCESS TO IT, SO SHE'S GOT A WHOLE BUSINESS PLAN.

>> YOU HAVE SHARED THAT YOU'VE DISCUSSED WITH OTHER SUPERINTENDENTS, REGIONAL, THAT THERE'S A FORUM THAT PEOPLE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THEIR POLICIES AT THEIR HIGH SCHOOLS.

>> CERTAINLY WE HAVE [INAUDIBLE] WHERE WE ALL SHARE DIFFERENT PRACTICES GOING ON ACROSS THE SCHOOLS, AND I KNOW THAT THERE WAS SOME COLLECTION OF DATA ABOUT REGIONALLY WHAT'S GOING ON.

THAT WAS VERY SIMILAR PRACTICES TO WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN PLACE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.

>> JUST THAT IT'S A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION.

WE ALL GOT FROM THE NEW YORK STATE SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION, THE FRONT PAGE ON THE RECENT NEWSLETTER WAS MANY SCHOOL BOARDS FOCUSING WITH IT.

>> BANNING CELL PHONES FLIGHT SCHOOL DISTRICT. I CARRY IT WITH ME.

>> BANNING CELL PHONES SEEN AS BUM BY DISTRICTS THAT HAVE TRIED IT.

>> IT'S VERY COMPELLING. WE SHOULD SEND THAT ARTICLE OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.

IT'S INDICATIVE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN OUR VICINITY.

>> LET ME JUST CLARIFY. ARE THERE OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THIS FORUM THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WHO HAVE BANNED CELL PHONES?

>> IT WAS A LIST SERVED FROM LOCAL SCHOOLS, AND AT LEAST OF THOSE THAT RESPONDED, WE WERE NOT AWARE OF HIGH SCHOOLS THAT HAD BANNED THEM.

IT'S A VERY COMMON PRACTICE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.

I THINK EVEN A LOT OF TIMES THE ARTICLES THAT YOU SEE WHEN THEY'RE SAYING THEY'RE MOVING TO.

I'D SAY LOOK CAREFULLY TO SAY BECAUSE IT'S A MUCH MORE COMMON PRACTICE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.

I'M LOOKING AT DR. BOWEN BECAUSE I BELIEVE WHEN YOU WERE A MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, I'M GOING TO GUESS YOU DID NOT HAVE PROLIFIC CELL PHONES.

STUDENTS DIDN'T HAVE CELL PHONES DURING THE SCHOOL DAY.

>> WELL, I DON'T WANT TO SAY POLICY BECAUSE IT WASN'T PART OF POLICY.

IT WAS OUR SCHOOL CODE OF CONDUCT THAT THEY WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE THERE.

>> IT WAS VERY STANDARD MIDDLE SCHOOL I GUESS IS REALLY MY POINT.

>>YES. ABSOLUTELY MANDATED, NOT HAVING ANY DEVICES DURING LUNCH AND RECESS

[01:30:05]

>> THE ONE THING I WOULD ASK IS, I DON'T LIKE THE WORLD OF BAN.

BECAUSE I JUST THINK THAT LIST IS REALLY HARD CONNOTATIONS.

I HOPE THAT WHATEVER POLICY WE COME UP WITH OR WHATEVER WE DO, WE STAY AWAY FROM BAN.

>> I CAN'T IMAGINE IN THE POLICY MANUAL HAVE THE WORD BAN.

>> WELL, AND WE WOULDN'T. EVEN AT THE WORK SESSION LAST YEAR AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, WHEN WE DISCUSSED THIS, THE SCIENCE TEACHERS ARE PRETTY CLEAR.

THERE ARE SPECIFIC ACADEMIC PURPOSES IN SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTATION AND MEASUREMENT THAT CELL PHONES CAN BE REALLY POWERFUL.

THE IDEA WOULD BE A POLICY THAT WOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE CAN BE VALUABLE USES THAT ARE PRESET.

THAT ARE CLEARLY, ACADEMICALLY, CLEAR ACADEMIC OBJECTIVES.

THERE WOULDN'T BE A BAN, BUT JUST CLARITY, UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS ARE SOCIAL DIGITAL DEVICES SERVING THE ACADEMIC PURPOSE OF THE SCHOOL.

>> ONE OF THE BIGGEST AREAS THAT I HEAR IN ADDITION TO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, USED TOOLS THAT ARE MORE POWERFUL OR MORE ACCURATE THAN MAYBE THEY CAN DO ON A CHROMEBOOK OR SOMETHING ELSE IS WHEN STUDENTS USING THEM FOR UPLOADING OF ACADEMIC WORK TO THEIR GOOGLE CLASSROOM.

IT'S EASIER TO SNAP A PICTURE ON A PHONE AND UPLOAD IT THAN THE CHROMEBOOK.

BUT ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING ONES THAT I HADN'T THOUGHT OF TILL WE START ENGAGING THIS, IS STUDENTS USING THEM TO ENGAGE WITH COLLEGES IN THE COLLEGE PROCESS BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH COMMUNICATION NEEDED IN THAT.

THERE ARE STUDENTS USING THEM, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE ACADEMIC REASONS, VERY VALID ACADEMIC REASONS IN THAT PROCESS.

AND I THINK SCIENCE, RESEARCH, MENTORSHIPS, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS AS WELL.

>> YEAH THERE SHOULD BE A THE SENSE OF TRUST THAT WE CAN FIGURE THOSE LEGITIMATE PURPOSES OUT.

THERE'S NO BAN, BUT HOW DO WE TAKE THE POWER OF THESE TOOLS IN A WAY THAT'S PRODUCTIVE FOR KIDS AND TEACHERS?

>> I THINK THAT IS THE CONCERN IS THE WORD, BAN. THAT I AGREE.

I THINK THERE'S THE GUIDELINES NEED TO BE ENFORCED.

LOOKED AT MORE CLOSELY AND NEED TO BE ENFORCED AND THE TEACHERS NEED TO BE SUPPORTED TO ENFORCE THEM AND EXACTLY THAT.

THE ART STUDENTS TAKE PICTURES ALL ALONG THE WAY OF THEIR WORK BECAUSE THEY NEED TO SHOW THEIR PROGRESS OR HOW THEY GOT TO WHERE THEY ARE. YEAH, I AGREE.

>> I THINK ALSO, JUST THE COMPLEXITY OF THIS, THERE ARE OTHER ASPECTS THAT I FIND MYSELF COMING BACK TO THE WORD BALANCE.

WHAT IS THE BALANCE? I THINK THERE ARE VALID USES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

I THINK WE HEAR FROM A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE ARTICULATE ABOUT THEIR ABILITY FOR US TO TRUST THEM.

BUT I DO THINK THERE'S ALSO THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE HAVE.

MR. ROE, YOU BROUGHT THIS UP WHEN WE INITIALLY STARTED THIS ENTIRE CONVERSATION.

WE CAN'T IGNORE THE FACT THAT THERE ARE REPORTS COMING OUT FROM THIS SURGEON GENERAL.

THERE'S RESEARCH THAT'S COMING OUT THAT IS SHOWING THE IMPACT OF THIS ON OUR KIDS.

MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH.

I NEED TO JUST THROW THAT OUT THERE TOO, FROM A MENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVE, SOMETHING IS GOING ON.

IF THERE ARE WAYS WITHOUT BANNING, BUT WE GIVE OUR KIDS ALTERNATIVES TO CELL FREE ZONES WHERE WE GIVE THEM SOMETHING ELSE TO DO TO INTERACT.

LIKE, YOU WALK IN, IT'S A CELL FREE ZONE AND WE HAVE FOOSBALL, OR CHESS, OR GAMES.

GIVE THEM A REPLACEMENT, BECAUSE WHAT WILL I DO THEN WITH MY TIME? I THINK THAT'S GOT TO BE PART OF THE ENTIRETY OF THIS DISCUSSION BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE CAN IGNORE THE IDEA.

I THINK YOU MAYBE USED THE EXAMPLE, BACK IN THE DAY WHEN THE SURGEON GENERAL STARTED TALKING ABOUT SMOKING.

NOW WE HAVE THIS THING THAT'S HAPPENING THAT WE'RE KNOWING AND LEARNING MORE ABOUT THAT THE SURGEON GENERAL ARE TELLING US, THERE ARE IMPACTS TO OUR KIDS ON A SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEVEL.

WHAT'S THE BALANCE? HOW DO WE NAVIGATE THIS AND AT LEAST START IN A WAY WHERE WE START EDUCATING, GIVING CHOICES, SO THE KIDS FEEL THEY HAVE AUTONOMY AND WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT CONNECTEDNESS.

CONNECTEDNESS AND BELONGING AND HOW DO WE GIVE THEM THAT BACK IN A WAY WHERE THEY HAVE SOME CHOICE.

[01:35:03]

>> I AGREE 100%.

>> EXCELLENT POINT.

>> I THINK THAT'S THE WORD, CONNECTION.

AND LET'S JUST TALK ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND YOUNGER, BUT LET'S JUST SAY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, THE PHONES ARE A SOURCE OF CONNECTION. FOR ALL OF US.

ADDING SOMETHING IN, WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO PULL SOMETHING AWAY, IT'S IMPORTANT TO ADD THAT IN.

NOT IGNORING THAT CONNECTION, THE POSITIVE THAT COMES FROM THAT, BUT I LOVE THAT IDEA.

WHAT TO PUT IN PLACE SO THAT THEY ACTUALLY HAVE WAYS TO CONNECT WITH THEIR FELLOW STUDENTS IN A HUMAN-TO-HUMAN LEVEL SO THEY'RE NOT JUST IN THEIR PHONE THE WHOLE TIME SITTING AT LUNCH OR WHATEVER.

>> THEN OTHER TOPIC THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT.

I KNOW, IT WAS A VERY GOOD MEETING.

IT WAS ONLY FRIDAY, I FEEL LIKE IT'S BEEN AGES AGO.

IT'S THE SCHOOL CALENDAR FOR '24 TO '25? NO. DR. CHAMP, DID WANT TO DISCUSS THAT A LITTLE BIT IN THE ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE, AND I KNOW WE HAVE A COUPLE, I THINK TWO MORE BOE COFFEES COMING UP.

THE MAY AND JUNE OR MAYBE JUST ONE MORE, BUT THERE'S BEEN SOME CHATTER ON THE SCHOOL CALENDAR.

AGAIN, THE NEXT YEAR CALENDAR WAS APPROVED, BUT THERE ARE SOME DATES THAT NEED TO GO IN SUCH AS, THE HALF DAYS THAT ARE USED FOR TRAINING, AND ALSO SOME OF THE DAYS AROUND THE CONFERENCE DATES, SO CHATTER ON THAT.

>> YES. MORE TO COME.

>> FACILITIES COMMITTEE?

>> YES. WE HAD A FACILITIES COMMITTEE MEETING EIGHT O'CLOCK THIS MORNING, AN ALUMNI ALL.

I ADDED RUSSELL DAVIDSON ARCHITECT FROM KG&D, WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE A PRELIMINARY PROGRESS UPDATE REPORT ON THE BUILDING CONDITION SURVEY AS WELL AS A CAPACITY STUDY.

I THINK IT WAS VERY GOOD.

IT WAS ABOUT AN HOUR LONG MEETING, AN HOUR AND A HALF ACTUALLY.

PROVIDED QUITE A BIT OF DETAIL ABOUT OUR FACILITIES.

WE HAVE OLD FACILITIES, WE HAVE MAINTAINED FACILITIES AND REALLY, I THINK WHAT HE'S FINDING IS NOT SURPRISING FACILITIES WISE WITH WHAT WE WOULD SEE IN OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE NORTHEAST.

WE CAN EXPECT TO SEE THINGS LIKE ROOFS THAT AFTER 100 YEARS NEED TO BE REPLACED, PROSPECT HILL ROOF, WINDOWS THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED AFTER 30 OR 40 YEARS, PRETTY MUCH DISTRICT WIDE.

HEATING PLANTS.

I KNOW THERE'S A DISCUSSION OF HVAC AND AIR CONDITIONING.

WE'VE ASKED HIM TO ESPECIALLY LOOK AT THOSE TYPES OF THINGS SO THAT THE FACILITIES COMMITTEE CAN ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT AND THEN PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THE BOARD.

HE'LL BE MOVING FORWARD IN COMPLETING THIS WORK. LET ME TAKE A STEP BACK.

HE'S ALSO WORKED ON A CAPACITY STUDY AS FAR AS MATCHING THAT WITH OUR RECENTLY COMPLETED DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY TO LOOK AT HOW OUR BUILDINGS WILL BE USED AND CAN BE USED FOR CURRENT STUDENTS AND FUTURE STUDENTS FOR THE NEXT DECADE OR SO.

THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WE WOULD DO.

THE BUILDING CONDITION STUDY IS SOMETHING YOU DO GENERALLY EVERY FIVE YEARS.

WE'RE A LITTLE BIT OUT OF SEQUENCE BY THE STATE, SO IT'S BEEN ABOUT NINE YEARS SINCE THEN.

WITH THAT, THOUGH, WE'RE NOW FINDING OURSELVES BACK IN THAT CYCLE, AND REALLY WHAT IT DOES IS IT PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR BOARDS IN THE GREATER COMMUNITY, HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT IGNORING OUR FACILITIES, WE'RE NOT MISSING ANYTHING.

AGAIN, LOOKING AT OUR STUDENT BASE, THE USE OF OUR BUILDINGS, THEN THE MAINTENANCE AND CARE OF OUR BUILDINGS, AND I THINK IT'S MOVED ALONG NICELY.

THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT RUSS SPENT QUITE A BIT OF TIME.

THE COMMITTEE HAD A NICE DIALOGUE TALKING ABOUT AND ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT.

THEN WE JUST TALKED ABOUT TWO OTHER THINGS.

AGAIN, FOLLOWING UP THE UPDATE WITH THE PROPOSITION VOTE FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TURF FIELD $350,000.

THAT WAS SOMETHING THEY AGAIN GENERATED OR STARTED WITH THAT FACILITIES COMMITTEE.

JUST FOLLOWING UP WITH THEM AND THEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE REORGANIZATION MEETING IN JULY AND OUR FACILITY YOU SCHEDULE OF FEES FOR THE JULY TIME PERIOD AND ANY RECOMMENDED CHANGES THAT THERE MAY BE.

IT WAS A GOOD MEETING.

AGAIN, ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF.

IT'S A LOT GOING ON AT THE HIGH SCHOOL RIGHT NOW WITH OUR AP TESTING.

WE WERE ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED TO BE IN ONE ROOM.

WE GOT BUMPED TO ANOTHER, BUT WE DID JUST FINE,

[01:40:02]

I THINK WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO HAVE ONE MORE MEETING BY THE END OF YEAR IF WE CAN HOPEFULLY IF THAT INFORMATION IS COMPLETE.

>> DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT ANY OF THE DOLLAR ESTIMATES OR TOO EARLY FOR THAT?

>> PROBABLY TOO EARLY FOR THAT.

WELL, WE ALL LIVE IN THE NORTHEAST.

>> THEY'RE SUBSTANTIAL.

>> YES. THEN THAT'S PART OF THE DIALOGUE BECAUSE AGAIN, MANY OTHER DISTRICTS IN THE PAST, YOU'VE FACED DEFERRED MAINTENANCE.

>> HE DID SAY THE BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN WELL MAINTAINED AND WHAT'S NEEDED IS HOPED OR EXPECTED.

THINGS ARE JUST REACHING END OF LIFE.

>> THAT WAS NICE TO HEAR. HE IS AN OPPORTUNITY.

I THINK HE SAID RIGHT NOW HE'S WORKING WITH 22.

I THINK HE SAID 22 DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS AT THIS CURRENT TIME AND HE SERVED 40 DIFFERENT DISTRICTS OVER HIS CAREER.

HAVING HIS EYE AND HEARING WHAT HE HAS TO SAY CERTAINLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

I THINK WE'VE SEEN SOME OF THAT IN OUR VISITS TO OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS TOO.

WE'VE SEEN THE CONDITION AND THE MAINTENANCE AND THE CLEANLINESS OF OUR SCHOOL AS COMPARED TO OTHERS AS WELL.

IT'S BEEN NICE TO SEE THAT, AND I THINK THAT'S HELPFUL FOR EVERYBODY, FOR THE COMMUNITY AND EVERYONE ELSE.

BUT THE NUMBERS ARE SIGNIFICANT.

I THINK THIS PROCESS, AGAIN, IT BRINGS TO THE FOREFRONT THE IDEA OF MAKING SURE WE MAINTAIN OUR BUILDINGS.

DEFERRED MAINTENANCE DOESN'T BRING US TO A POINT OF BUILDING FAILURE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

THAT'S THE FURTHEST THING FROM WHERE WE WANT TO BE.

>> I THINK WE'VE ALREADY SEEN THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS FACILITIES ARE SURFACING AS A TOP PRIORITY.

WE ANTICIPATE MUCH MORE DISCUSSION IN THIS AREA.

JIM, JUST TO GO FROM BIG TO REALLY SMALL.

>> YES.

>> I KNOW THAT THERE WAS CONCERNS ABOUT A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT AT JULIAN'S AND CERTAINLY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PLAY SET.

>> YES.

>> ARE THERE SWINGS AT PROSPECT HILL IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT TREE? LIMPHORE, CAN YOU JUST TOUCH ON THOSE BRIEFLY.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> I KNOW IT WASN'T PART OF THE COMMITTEE BUT IT'S FACILITY.

>> NOT PART OF FACILITY. ABSOLUTELY, PART OF FACILITIES.

I WAS GOING TO I PICK THAT OFF.

>> TAKE IT OFF YOUR LIST.

>> MY LIST FOR THE OTHER REPORT.

WE HAD LOST TWO BIG TREES AT PROSPECT HILL IN ONE OF THE STORMS ABOUT A MONTH AGO.

ONE OF THEM WAS CERTAINLY WHAT WE'LL CALL A LEGACY TREE.

IF YOU GO OUT BY THE PLAYGROUND, YOU'LL STILL SEE THE STUMP, WHICH WE LEFT THERE, AND WE'RE STILL TRYING TO SEE IF THE BUILDING PRINCIPAL WOULD LIKE THAT THERE AND PERHAPS TRY TO INCORPORATE THAT INTO SOME PIECE OF THAT PLAY AREA.

>> I'M SURE IT'LL BECOME A PROJECT SINCE IT'S RIGHT NEXT TO THE TUNNEL.

>> IT IS.

>> YES.

>> I CAN SEE THEM BUILDING SOMETHING IN THERE.

>> IT'S A REALLY LARGE DIAMETER TREE THAT WE LOST.

UNFORTUNATELY, WE LOST A COUPLE OF SWINGS.

THE TREE LANDED ON A COUPLE OF SWINGS.

WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR VENDOR TO TRY TO SEE WHETHER WE CAN REPAIR THAT SWING SET.

IF WE CAN'T, WE'RE GOING TO REPLACE THAT SWING SET.

WE'RE WAITING ON THAT INFORMATION FROM THE VENDOR.

THIS VENDORS BEEN FAIRLY SLOW TO RESPOND.

WE'VE ALSO ENGAGED ANOTHER VENDOR.

IF WE CAN'T WORK WITH ONE, WE'LL FIND A WAY TO WORK WITH ANOTHER.

SAME THING HAS PRETTY MUCH HAPPENED AT JULIAN'S PLAY WAITING ON TO SEE WHAT THE COST WOULD BE AND WHAT THE ABILITY WOULD BE TO REPAIR A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.

IF WE'RE UNABLE TO REPAIR, WE'LL REPLACE IT.

IT'S JUST A MATTER OF WORKING WITH OUR VENDORS AND MAKING SURE WE'RE WORKING WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE ON THIS EQUIPMENT BECAUSE WE KNOW CHILDREN ARE GOING TO BE ON THAT EQUIPMENT.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS SAFE.

>> JIM, DOES THAT FALL UNDER INSURANCE BECAUSE IT HAPPENED AS ACTIVE NATURE? > IT WOULD, BUT WE'RE STILL IN THE DEDUCTIBLE RANGE MORE THAN LIKELY.

SWINGS ARE ONE OF THE LESS EXPENSIVE ITEMS, FORTUNATELY ENOUGH.

BUT THERE'S ABOUT SIX SWINGS THERE.

FOUR OF THEM REMAIN, TWO OF THEM REALLY TOOK A BIG HIT.

WE'RE SAYING JUST IF THERE'S A WAY TO CAP IT OFF AND KEEP FOUR OF THEM, BECAUSE WE DO KNOW IN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO, WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT RECOMMENDING REPLACEMENT OF THAT PLAYGROUND.

AT THAT POINT IN TIME, I WOULD IMAGINE THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE PLAY PIECES.

>> I ACTUALLY THOUGHT WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.

THE TWO SWINGS THAT GOT IMPACTED, WERE JUST GOING TO BE CUT OFF, KEEP THE FOUR SINCE WE ALSO HAVE SIX ON THE OTHER SIDE.

PROSPECT HILL HAS A LOT OF LAND AND THEIR PLAYGROUND IS VERY SPREAD OUT AND THEY DO HAVE MANY OPTIONS OF WHAT THEY COULD DO THERE.

IT IS SAD. AGAIN, I KNOW IT TAKES A LONG TIME, BUT VENDORS, UNFORTUNATELY, ESPECIALLY PLAYGROUND.

THEY'RE VERY BUSY BECAUSE EVEN WHEN YOU BUY ONE FOR YOUR HOME, IT TAKES A FEW MONTHS FOR THEM TO COME IN AND INSTALL IT.

YOU COULD JUST IMAGINE FOR SCHOOLS OR PARKS, HOW LONG IT TAKES.

>> THANK YOU. IT'S HARD FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND.

OBVIOUSLY, THEY GO OUT AND THEY HAVE EXPECTATIONS FOR THE KIDS TO PLAY.

[01:45:02]

WE REALLY DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO BE FRUSTRATED EITHER.

WE'RE HOPING WE CAN ALL PIECES UP AND RUNNING AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

>> THANK YOU. I THINK THAT WAS IT FOR COMMITTEES.

>> WE'RE GOING TO CALL IT.

>> I'M GOING TO INVITE THE CABINET SINCE THE BOARD HAD YOUR MEMOS FROM LAST WEEK.

WE'LL UNLESS THERE'S SOMETHING BURNING ISSUE THAT YOU'D WANT TO PUT OUT THERE, OR UNLESS THE BOARD HAS A QUESTION, MAYBE WE CAN BYPASS REPORTS FOR TONIGHT.

>> I'M I ON THE MIC? ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT? I'M GOOD.

>> CBT TESTING HAS BEEN GOING WELL.

>> THERE YOU GO.

>> WE HAD THIRD, FOURTH AND FIFTH YESTERDAY AND TODAY.

TOMORROW AND FRIDAY IS 670.

>> QUESTIONS?

>> JUST STOP AND JUST ACKNOWLEDGING MAY'S MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH.

THERE'S A LOT OF IMPORTANT THINGS THAT GO ALONG WITH THAT, AND THEN AGAIN, TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR NURSES FOR SCHOOL NURSE DAY.

THEY DO AN INCREDIBLE JOB KEEPING THE KIDS AND THE STAFF TOGETHER. IT'S A BUSY OFFICE.

THEY OFTEN DON'T GET TO SIT DOWN, EAT LUNCH.

IT'S THE SAFE PLACE.

JUST THEY'RE INCREDIBLE GROUP OF WOMEN, SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ACKNOWLEDGE AND HONOR THEM.

>> THANK YOU. GREAT.

>> I JUST WANT TO PIGGY BACK ON MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH, WHICH IS MAY.

JUST WONDERING THE WAYS WE CAN PROVIDE MORE SUPPORTS TO OUR FACULTY AND STAFF AND ADMINISTRATION.

WE TALK A LOT ABOUT STUDENTS, BUT JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT AS WE PLAN FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.

THAT MAY 22ND IS RECOGNIZING TENURE CANDIDATES.

>> VERY GOOD. I'LL JUST JUMP IN VERY QUICKLY.

THERE'S ONE ITEM THAT DIDN'T MAKE THE MEMO.

THAT WAS THE SETTLEMENT OF A TAX CERTIORARI THE FORECAST OR THE EXPECTED SETTLEMENT AMOUNT FOR THE DISTRICT IS $0.

I FIGURED IT WAS A LOW RISK TO PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA RIGHT NOW, AS FAR AS THE TIMING OF THIS PARTICULAR SETTLEMENT GOES.

AGAIN, I THINK WE HAD A VERY FAVORABLE SETTLEMENT RATE.

IT WAS A PART OF A 2023 REQUEST FOR TAX CERTIORARI AND THERE WAS ONLY A REDUCTION IN THE 2023 ASSESSMENT YEAR.

THIS IS AGAIN, OUR TAX CERTIORARI COUNSEL WORKING IN COMBINATION WITH.

THEY WORK WITH US AND WITH THE TOWN OF PELHAM FOR JOINTLY WITH BOTH JURISDICTIONS. THAT WAS THE ONLY ONE.

>> IF THEY ACTUALLY HAD A REVISED ASSESSMENT FOR 2023, SO HOW IS OUR SETTLEMENT?

>> RIGHT NOW, WE'RE JUST IN A TIMING ISSUE, SO THE REDUCTION WILL BE HAD, BUT IT'S BEFORE THE TAX BILLS HAVE GONE OUT ON THE '23 ASSESSMENT ROLE.

IF IT HAD BEEN FOR A PRIOR ASSESSMENT YEAR, WE WOULD HAVE HAD A REFUND.

>> BECAUSE THEY CHANGED BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY ENACT THE TAX BILL.

>> CORRECT.

>> GREAT. THANK YOU.

>> I THINK WE CAN START OUR STATE MANDATED BUDGET HEARING.

[6. State Mandated Budget Hearing]

>> YES. I THINK WE NEED TO DO THE MOTION TO RECESS.

>> I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION TO RECESS THE BUSINESS MEETING AND CONVENE THE BUDGET HEARING.

>> MOVED.

>> SECOND.

>> ALL IN FAVOR?

>> AYE.

>> I WILL CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE ADOPTED '24 '25 SCHOOL YEAR BUDGET.

>> NO AUDIENCE. I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY VERY QUICKLY, I KNOW THE BOARD HAS SEEN THIS.

I'M NOT GOING THROUGH THE PRESENTATION, BUT JUST WANTED TO ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE LAST YEAR OF REFLECTION AND FOR THE EARLY DIRECTION ON THE BUDGET THAT BROUGHT US TO THIS PROPOSAL.

THAT'S REALLY AS I'VE BEEN SAYING, PLANTING THE SEEDS AND WATERING THEM, AND WE'RE SEEING THE RESULT OF THAT RETURN ON INVESTMENT OVER THE YEAR.

JUST FOR THE SAKE OF OUR HEARING, JUST A REMINDER TO THE BOARD, THE TOTAL APPROPRIATION BUDGET THAT IS BEING PUT BEFORE THE VOTERS ON MAY 21ST IS $93,580,000, WHICH REPRESENTS A BUDGET INCREASE OF A LITTLE OVER $2.6 MILLION AND A TAX COMPLIANT LEVY INCREASE OF 2.68%.

AS THE BOARD KNOWS, MAIN DRIVERS FOR THAT INCLUDE OUR SALARIES, ARE SCHEDULED AND ANTICIPATED SETTLEMENT AGREEMENTS FOR SALARY, COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS.

WE, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE ARE SEEING INCREASES IN HEALTHCARE COSTS, SO AN 11% INCREASE THERE, AND MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS, PROVIDING A FREE AND APPROPRIATE EDUCATION HAD SOME SIGNIFICANT COSTS IN THE COMING YEAR.

WE'RE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT TO OUR STUDENTS AND CONTINUE TO INCREASE OUR CO TEACH PROGRAM AT HUTCHINSON.

WE'VE DONE OUR LINE BY LINE, SO I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH THIS, BUT AGAIN, YOU SEE THOSE ITEMS THERE,

[01:50:02]

REPRESENTING FOR THE EXPENSE BUDGET, KEEPING IN MIND, AND I KNOW THE BOARD KNOWS THERE'S ABOUT 2% CONTINGENCY BUILT IN AROUND THE BUDGET, SO WE CONTINUE TO MONITOR THAT.

THE BIG CHANGE FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR THAT I THINK IS JUST FOR THE SAKE OF THOSE WHO MAY BE WATCHING.

IN THE PRIOR YEAR'S BUDGET, WE DID ALLOCATE $2 MILLION OUT OF RESERVES FOR CAPITAL WORK, THAT WAS NOT DONE IN THIS BUDGET.

YOU SEE A DECREASE OF 2 MILLION ON EXPENSES.

YOU'LL SEE THE SAME DECREASE ON THE REVENUE SIDE.

SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT OF OUR FUNDS GO TO OUR STUDENTS, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHERE THEY SHOULD GO.

WE KEEP OUR ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS AT 10% OR LOWER BY STATE MANDATE.

WE'RE AT 9% IN THIS BUDGET WITH OUR CAPITAL COSTS BEING RELATIVELY STEADY OVER TIME AT 16%.

ON THE REVENUE BUDGET PIECE, JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS TO HIGHLIGHT THERE.

THE TAX COMPLIANT 2.68% LEVY INCREASE IS NETTING JUST OVER $1.8 MILLION.

WE DID RECEIVE A LITTLE OVER HALF-A-MILLION DOLLARS IN THE GOVERNOR'S INITIAL BUDGET RUN.

I KNOW WE'LL BE HAVING A FINANCE COMMITTEE ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR AS WELL.

I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT FOR THE SAKE OF THE PUBLIC, THE BOARD ADOPTED THE BUDGET AT OUR LAST MEETING ON MAY 17TH, WE RECEIVED THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET.

BUDGET RUNS THE NEXT DAY, AND WE WERE FORTUNATE TO RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL ALLOCATION IN STATE AID.

JUST SHORT OF $380,000 IN ADDITIONAL FUNDS.

BECAUSE THE BOARD ADOPTED THE NIGHT BEFORE, WE CAN'T CHANGE OUR EXPENSE BUDGET.

WE'VE BEEN PRESENTING THE BUDGET AS APPROVED TO THE VOTERS, BUT ALSO CLARIFYING THAT THERE WAS ADDITIONAL FUNDING COMING.

WE'LL CERTAINLY DISCUSS WITH THE FINANCE COMMITTEE.

BUT BASICALLY, THE PRIMARY USE THERE WE ANTICIPATE IS LOWERING THE USE OF APPROPRIATED FUND BALANCE AND REDUCING OUR RELIANCE ON RESERVES FOR THIS PARTICULAR BUDGET BY THE EQUIVALENT, $380,000, WHICH IS GREAT BECAUSE THEN WE CAN KEEP THAT FOR CONTINUED FUTURE STRATEGIC USE OF THOSE RESERVES.

ADDITIONALLY THERE YOU SEE THE CORRESPONDING DECREASE IN $2 MILLION APPROPRIATION OF REVENUES.

THE LAST PIECE I'D POINT OUT IS, AS THE BOARD HAS DIRECTED, WE HAVE USED THE FULL ALLOCATION OF DEBT SERVICE RESERVE IN THIS BUDGET, WHICH LOWERED WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A TAX COMPLIANT LEVY BY ABOUT 3%.

WE'RE CONTINUING TO BE RESPECTFUL OF THE TAXPAYERS TRYING TO KEEP THAT TAX RATE RESPONSIBLE AND AS LOW AS POSSIBLE.

THERE'S A SIDE BY SIDE COMPARISON.

YOU SEE, WE HAVE THE BALANCED BUDGET, AND THE WAY FOR FOLKS TO CALCULATE THEIR SCHOOL TAXES, EVERYONE WILL BE RECEIVING A BUDGET FOCUS IN THE MAILBOX PROBABLY IN ABOUT A WEEK'S TIME.

START WATCHING FOR THAT.

IT HAS THIS CALCULATION IN IT SO THE INDIVIDUAL HOMEOWNER CAN CALCULATE WHAT THEIR ANTICIPATED TAX BILL WILL BE.

TAKE YOUR ASSESSED VALUE, DIVIDE BY 1,000, MULTIPLY BY $16.23, AND THAT WILL GET YOU YOUR ANTICIPATED INDIVIDUAL TAX BILL.

OF COURSE, THERE MAY BE START SAVINGS FOR FOLKS WHO IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL SETTINGS.

JUST SOME EXAMPLES, THEY ARE EXAMPLES.

THEY ARE NOT THINGS TO BE HELD TO, BUT JUST EXAMPLES THAT FOLKS CAN LOOK AT.

THIS IS ON OUR WEBSITE, AS WELL AS THE FULL BUDGET DETAIL.

AGAIN, HERE'S THE SUMMARY.

THAT WAS ITEM NUMBER 1 THAT WILL BE ON THE BUDGET VOTE ON THE 21ST GLOVER TURF.

THIS IS TECHNICALLY NOT PART OF THE BUDGET, BUT IT IS UP FOR VOTE.

THE GLOVER REPLACEMENT THAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, WE'LL BE ASKING THE VOTERS FOR AUTHORIZATION TO WITHDRAW UP TO $850,000 FROM THE CAPITAL RESERVE THAT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2013, SPECIFICALLY FOR THE PURPOSE OF UPGRADES AT GLOVER, KNOWING THAT THE STADIUM TURF WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT APPROXIMATELY THIS TIMELINE.

THERE'S NO ADDITIONAL TAX BURDEN.

THERE'S NO ADDITIONAL TAXES FOR THIS MONEY.

THIS IS OUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT THAT WAS DEDICATED FOR THIS PURPOSE.

WE'RE ASKING PERMISSION TO DO THAT NOW, AND WE NEED A LONG RUNWAY ON THAT.

IF IT IS APPROVED IN MAY, THE WORK IS ANTICIPATED TO BE DONE SUMMER OF 2025.

FINALLY, IN ADDITION TO THE BUDGET, ADDITION TO THE CAPITAL RESERVE, VOTERS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE ON TWO OPEN SEATS ON THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.

MAY 21ST, IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL GYM, WHICH IS AIR CONDITIONED AND ADA ACCESSIBLE.

WE'VE BEEN THERE FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW.

VALERIE IS ALREADY DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB OF PREPARING FOR THAT.

EVERY DAY, WE'RE TALKING, WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT THINGS ARE ON TRACK, SO SHE'S ALREADY METICULOUS AND I REALLY DID A GREAT JOB.

WE'RE REALLY WELL POSITIONED FOR A GREAT VOTE ON MAY 21ST, ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO COME OUT AND VOTE.

KIDS VOTE. LET'S NOT FORGET THE KIDS VOTE.

THERE WILL BE A KIDS VOTE FROM 3-8.

COMFY DAY, GAME DAY, EXTRA RECESS DAY AND TROPICAL DAY.

THAT'S THE NEW ONE TROPICAL DAY. WE HOPE EVERYONE COMES OUT.

>> TROPICAL. WE USUALLY HAVE THAT TOWARDS THE END OF SCHOOL.

SOME OF THE BUILDINGS THAT AREN'T AIR CONDITIONED ANYWAY.

>> EXACTLY.

>> CAN I ASK A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT THAT TURF?

[01:55:02]

>> YES.

>> BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ABOUT THAT.

THAT MONEY WAS FROM FUND RAISING.

>> THE FRIENDS OF PELHAM SPORTS?

>> THE GENESIS OF THE FIELD WAS ORIGINALLY DONATED BY THE FRIENDS OF PELHAM SPORTS.

THE CREATION OF THE RESERVE FUND WAS A YEAR OR TWO AFTER.

PRIOR TO MY ARRIVAL, WE CAN DO SOME RESEARCH TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE FUNDING OF THAT RESERVE.

>> THE BENEFIT OF THE TURF FIELD IS THAT IF IT RAINS, IF IT WAS A REGULAR FIELD, IT WOULD BE ALL MUDDY AND YOU COULDN'T USE IT LIKE THE FOLLOWING DAY OR SOMETHING, BUT THIS DRIES OUT QUICKLY.

YOU CAN ALSO HAVE LIKE BACK TO BACK GAMES AND PERHAPS THAT WOULD JUST KILL THE GRASS ON A REGULAR.

>> WITHOUT A DOUBT.

WITH THE TURF FIELD, THERE'S A COST OBVIOUSLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE TURF FIELD.

I THINK SOME OF THE BENEFITS LESS OR VERY LOW MAINTENANCE.

AS YOU SEE, THE LINES ARE STITCHED RIGHT INTO THE FIELD, SO YOU CAN SWITCH FROM SPORT TO SPORT AND YOU CAN HAVE DIFFERENT SPORTS BACK TO BACK.

CERTAINLY DROUGHT AND WATER RESISTANT.

WE DON'T HAVE TO WATER A TURF FIELD, WHICH MAKES IT SOME ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT AND COST BENEFIT.

IT'S USABLE IN MORE TYPES OF WEATHER.

JUST AS YOU MENTIONED, YOU COULD HAVE A REALLY HEAVY RAIN ONE DAY AND YOU COULD BE PLAYING IN THE AFTERNOON.

REALLY, THE ONLY TIME YOU DON'T PLAY ON IT IS WHEN IT'S COVERED IN SNOW.

BUT OTHER THAN THAT, YOUR UPTIME AS YOU WOULD SAY, IS PRETTY MUCH ANY DAY, ANY TIME, WHICH IS VERY HELPFUL.

>> YOU CAN ACTUALLY SWEEP THE SNOW OFF OF IT.

>> YES.

>> IF YOU LIVE IN BUFFALO. [LAUGHTER]

>> WELL, WE ALWAYS WANT TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO MOVE TOO MANY CRUMB RUBBER BECAUSE AS WE ALL KNOW, THEY'RE USUALLY ON THE FLOORBOARDS OF MY CAR.

THEY'RE PROBABLY IN THE FLOORBOARDS OF EVERYBODY'S CAR.

THEY BRING THEM HOME. THEY'RE IN THE HOUSE.

>> BUT YEAH, IT EXTENDS THE PLAYING SEASON, EXTENDS THE PLAYING DAY BECAUSE IT CAN STAND THE WEAR AND TEAR.

>> PERFECTLY HONEST. ASIDE BENNETT, WE'VE SEEN IN THE SPRING SEASON, WE END UP HAVING MORE HOME GAMES.

BECAUSE OUR FIELDS ARE NOT MUDDY.

THERE'S PLENTY OF UP TIME.

>> IT WAS ESPECIALLY FOR BASEBALL.

>> ABSOLUTELY WITH BASEBALL.

WE PAY FOR THE EMPIRES, BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR THE BUS AND IT'S HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE FOR OUR TEAM AND OUR FANS.

WITH THIS MOST RECENT FIELD THAT WAS CERTAINLY ONE OF THE UNEXPECTED RESULTS OF THAT FIELD, WHICH IS NICE.

YOU DON'T GET BAD HOPS ON A BASEBALL FIELD.

>> PLAYED ON IT. IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

>> TERRIFIC.

>> I WAS OVER AT GLOVER TODAY.

I WAS TALKING WITH TERENCE JUVANNE WHO WAS SUPERVISING FOR THE GAMES TODAY.

WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT AND HE SAID, THEY USED TO CALL IT THE DUST BOWL.

BEFORE WE HAD THE TURF FIELD.

BECAUSE BY THIS POINT IN THE SEASON, IT WOULD JUST BE COMPLETE DIRT AND REALLY JUST NOT SAFE PLAYABLE.

MUCH BETTER CONDITIONS AND QUALITY.

>> YOU'LL SEE THAT. YOU COULD SEE WHAT FRANKLIN AND ANGLES LOOKED LIKE AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR.

YOU WOULD EXPECT TO SEE MORE OF THAT AT THE GLOVER COMPLEX.

I THINK THE UPTIME IS REALLY WHAT YOU GET IN THE PREDICTABILITY OF THE FIELD BEING READY. PRETTY MUCH ALL THE TIME.

YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET WASHED OUT FOR A WEEKEND, GENERALLY SPEAKING, IF YOU GET A REALLY UNFORTUNATE WEATHER EVENT.

>> I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION TO ADJOURN THE BUDGET HEARING AND RECONVENE THE BUSINESS MEETING.

>> SO MOVED.

>> SECOND.

>> ALL IN FAVOR.

>> AYE.

>> NOW WE CAN MOVE ON TO FINANCIAL REPORTS AND MOTIONS,

[7. Financial Reports and Motions]

>> SO MOVED.

>> SECOND.

>> ANY COMMENTS ABOUT THIS? A LOT OF THINGS RELATED TO REQUIRED ACTIONS RELATED TO THE CORRECTED VOTE AND DISPOSING OF A REFRIGERATOR.

[LAUGHTER]

>> YES.

>> WHICH MORE TO COME ON THAT?

>> YES.

>> ALL IN FAVOR.

>> AYE.

>> THAT MOTION CARRIES.

THEN 7.13 IS A MOTION TO ACCEPT A DONATION.

[7.13 Motion to Accept a Donation]

>> SO MOVED.

>> SECOND.

>> I WILL READ THIS.

RESOLVED THAT UPON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, THE BOARD OF EDUCATION DOES HEREBY ACCEPT THE DONATION OF A REFRIGERATOR FOR THE TEACHERS ROOM, APPROXIMATE VALUE $500 AND THAT GRATITUDE BE BESTOWED UPON ITS DONORS, THE EGAN FAMILY.

[02:00:08]

>> JUST A VERY GENEROUS DONATION.

WE'VE GOT A REFRIGERATOR AND IT'S OLD, BUT IT WORKS.

IT'S ON ITS WAY OUT, AND THEY DECIDED TO GENEROUSLY DONATE ANOTHER ONE.

>> THAT'S FOR COLONIAL.

>> FOR COLONIAL, YES.

>> WE GOT AN SUV ONCE, RIGHT? SOMEBODY DONATED AN SUV?

>> YES. WE CAN'T SEEM TO GET RID OF IT EITHER WITH THE NEW TRUCKS WON'T ARRIVE.

[LAUGHTER] WE HAVE TO PUT NEW STICKERS ON THE SIDE DOOR.

THEY'VE ALL FALLEN OFF, BUT YOU'LL SEE A REALLY OLD SUV WITH A BRAND NEW STICKER ON IT SHORTLY.

>> ALL IN FAVOR?

>> AYE.

>> THANK YOU TO THE EGAN FAMILY.

>> YES.

>> THAT BRINGS US TO POLICY MONITORING AND GOVERNANCE.

[8. Policy Monitoring & Governance]

>> THESE ARE SECOND READINGS FOR ALL THESE POLICIES THAT WERE BROUGHT TO THE BOARD LAST TIME.

I BELIEVE THERE WERE NO CHANGES ON THESE, SO IT REALLY COMES TO YOU IN THE SAME FORM AS LAST TIME.

OUR OPIOID OVERDOSE PREVENTION, THAT IS THE NEED AGAIN, JUST AS A REMINDER OF THE NEED TO HAVE A SEPARATE DISTINCT POLICY FOR OPIOID BECAUSE OF OUR NEW CLASSIFICATION, EXCUSE ME.

>> OPTION.

>> THANK YOU. OPTION THAT WAS [INAUDIBLE] FOR OUR NEW OPTION 1 STATUS SO THAT WE CAN DO OUR OWN TRAINING AND TO BE ABLE TO GET OUR OWN DOSES THERE.

THE TIMEOUT AND PHYSICAL RESTRAINT POLICY IS REQUIRED BY NEW YORK STATE, EVEN THOUGH WE DO NOT USE TIME OUT ROOMS AND PHYSICAL RESTRAINT PIECE THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HOW TO INCORPORATE THAT AND WE'RE ALREADY STARTING TO MAKE PLANS FOR SUPERINTENDENTS CONFERENCE DAY NEXT YEAR AND HOW WE'LL COMMUNICATE THOSE THINGS OUT TO APPROPRIATE STAFF AND TRACI HOLTZ AND GREG LAU HAVE BEEN CONTINUING TO TRAIN THOSE SELECT STAFF WHO MAY BE CALLED UPON FROM TIME TO TIME TO USE PHYSICAL RESTRAINT, BUT THAT IS A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF OUR STAFF.

THANKS TO THEM FOR THEIR CONTINUED EFFORTS THERE.

THE ABSENTEE BALLOT POLICY IS ONE WE HAD A POLICY ON FILE, BUT NEEDED TO BE UPDATED IN LIGHT OF THE NEW EARLY VOTING POLICIES AND TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR MILITARY BALLOT POLICY AS WELL AS THE ABSENTEE ARE ALL UP TO DATE ON LANGUAGE.

FINALLY, THE WELLNESS POLICY, TRACI HAS DONE GREAT WORK WITH THE WELLNESS COMMITTEE TO UPDATE THE VARIOUS COMPONENTS OF THAT IN LINE WITH OUR COMMUNITY APPROACH AND VALUES TO WELLNESS AND IN LINE WITH STATE REGULATIONS.

>> ANY QUESTIONS?

>> THE ONE I WOULD ASK I THINK MOST OF THEM, WE COULD CERTAINLY GO THROUGH OUR THIRD READING AS IS TYPICAL.

I WOULD ASK IN LIGHT OF THE UPCOMING SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION THAT MAYBE WE CONSIDER WAIVING THE THIRD READING ON 8.3, THE ABSENTEE BALLOT POLICY, AND PASS THAT TONIGHT IF THE BOARD IS COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.

>> THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME.

>> YEAH.

>> I'LL ASK FOR A MOTION TO WAIVE THIRD READING FOR POLICY 1640.

>> SO MOVED.

>> SECOND.

>> ALL IN FAVOR?

>> AYE.

>> I CAN ACCEPT A MOTION TO APPROVE POLICY 1640 ABSENTEE BALLOT.

>> SO MOVED.

>> SECOND.

>> ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?

>> NO. I APPRECIATE THIS.

>> ALL IN FAVOR?

>> AYE.

>> THAT MOTION CARRIES.

>> GREAT. THANK YOU.

>> THEN WE'LL CONSIDER THE OTHER POLICIES.

>> NEXT TIME. THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU.

>> THAT BRINGS US TO SUPERINTENDENT'S PERSONNEL RECOMMENDATIONS,

[9. Superintendent's Personnel Recommendations]

>> I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE ARJORE TELLY, WHO'S BEEN WORKING IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM SPECIFICALLY COLONIAL SINCE 1997, SO THAT'S OVER 20 YEARS.

MOSTLY AS A LUNCH MONITOR, BUT ALSO, I KNOW FILLING IN AS SECRETARY DURING LUNCH TIMES.

I WANT TO THANK HER FOR HER DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE SYSTEM, BUT JUST SO LONG TERM AND GENERATIONS THAT SHE'S TOUCHED.

I KNOW JIM HAS ANOTHER DATA POINT THAT WE WANTED TO SHARE.

>> IT'S 300 PIZZA DAYS. [LAUGHTER]

>> AT LEAST.

>> IT'S WONDERFUL AND WE CERTAINLY WISH HER GOOD HEALTH, AND WE WISH HER WELL AND THANK HER FOR HER SERVICE.

>> DID WE HAVE A MOTION ON THIS?

>> MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE 9.1 THROUGH 9.4.

>> SO MOVED.

>> SECOND.

[02:05:01]

>> ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR?

>> AYE.

>> THEN I WOULD ACCEPT A MOTION TO APPROVE 10.1,

[10. Pupil Personnel Services]

[10.1 Motion to Approve Schedule D - Committee on Special Education (Confidential)]

>> SO MOVED.

>> SECOND.

>> ALL IN FAVOR.

>> AYE.

>> ANY NEW BUSINESS?

[11. New Business]

>> I JUST HATE TO BRING IT UP [LAUGHTER] BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S LATE, BUT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US JUST TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT FROM THE BOARD DIRECTION WHERE YOU'D LIKE TO SEE US GO ON LATIN.

I DON'T KNOW IF FOLKS ARE READY TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION TONIGHT, BUT THE SOONER WE KNOW IF THERE IS SOMETHING YOU WANT US TO DO, THE BETTER THAT WILL HELP BECAUSE THERE WILL BE PERSONNEL IMPLICATIONS AND WE NEED TO WORK WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL FACULTY ON APPROACH THERE.

I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF THERE WAS A CONSENSUS FROM THE BOARD TO GO IN ONE DIRECTION OR THE OTHER.

>> CAN I JUST ASK.

RIGHT NOW, WE STILL HAVE LATIN IN THE HIGH SCHOOL, CORRECT?

>> WE HAVE A LATIN 5 CLASS THIS YEAR.

THOSE STUDENTS ARE ALL FINISHING THE PROGRAM, SO WE DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE LATIN SCHEDULED TO BE TAUGHT NEXT YEAR.

>> IN 9TH GRADE OR ANY GRADE?.

>> ANY GRADE.

>> IT'S THE LAST YEAR. [OVERLAPPING]

>> THERE'S NO MORE STUDENTS IN THE PIPELINE RIGHT NOW.

OUR LAST COHORT IS IN LATIN 5 RIGHT NOW, AND THAT IS CURRENTLY SCHEDULED TO BE THE END OF.

>> BUT THERE IS A TEACHER THAT WILL STILL BE. [OVERLAPPING]

>> YES.

>> THAT COULD TAKE UP.

>> [INAUDIBLE] IS OUR CURRENT LATIN TEACHER.

SHE'S SLATED TO CONTINUE WITH US NEXT YEAR.

THANKFULLY, SHE'S TESOL CERTIFIED, SO SHE'S BEEN WONDERFULLY HELPFUL IN TEACHING OUR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS.

I DON'T KNOW IF STEVE HAS ANYTHING TO ADD OR TO SAY.

>> THAT'S IMPORTANT. I DON'T KNOW.

THERE'S SOME THOUGHTS THAT WERE CONVEYED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, BUT WE DO HAVE A FINE LATIN TEACHER IN THIS DISTRICT.

>> YES, WE DO.

>> I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE RECOGNIZE AND UNDERSTAND THAT.

>> IF YOU WERE A FRESHMAN SOPHOMORE, JUNIOR, THE MESSAGING ALL YEAR HAS BEEN THERE ISN'T LATIN NEXT YEAR.

>> THERE HASN'T BEEN MESSAGING.

>> BUT IF THEY WERE INTERESTED, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE RECEIVED THE MESSAGE THAT THEY COULD DO LATIN.

>> IT'S NOT IN THE COURSE CATALOG.

>> [INAUDIBLE] THAT WAY.

>> SOME OF THE OPTIONS ARE JUST NO MORE LATIN.

WE TALKED ABOUT POSSIBLY DOING A DISTANCE LEARNING IF THAT'S EVEN FEASIBLE OR DESIRABLE.

WE TALKED ABOUT, COULD YOU HAVE AN ELECTIVE THAT'S MAYBE NOT A FULL ON LATIN CLASS, BUT THE CLASSICS.

>> THE CLASSICS [OVERLAPPING].

>> ROMAN HISTORY, MAYBE SOME LATIN.

>> OF COURSE THE CURRICULUM WOULD NEED TO BE WRITTEN AND OF COURSE DEVELOPED.

>> OR I GUESS YOU COULD TRY TO OFFER LATIN ONE AND SEE IF ANYBODY SIGNS UP, BUT THEN YOU'RE KIND OF LOCKED IN TO FINISHING THE WHOLE SO [OVERLAPPING]

>> LET'S SAY, AS I SAID, AS A DISTRICT, WE'VE ALWAYS COMMITTED TO HAVE STUDENTS START A WORLD LANGUAGE PROGRAM, SEEING THEM THROUGH TO THE UPPER LEVEL SO YES, IF WE WERE TO RUN LIKE, SAY, A NINTH GRADE, LATIN ONE COURSE, THEN I THINK WE WOULD ALSO [OVERLAPPING] TO COMMIT TO TAKING THAT THROUGH.

>> IS THERE AN EASY WAY TO EVALUATE DEMAND? LIKE HOW WOULD YOU, TO TAN'S POINT, PEOPLE.

IT JUST WASN'T OFFERED, SO WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD HAVE OPTED IN, HAD IT BEEN OFFERED.

IS THERE AN EASY WAY TO EVALUATE WHAT THE DEMAND MIGHT BE?

>> WE CAN CERTAINLY WILL WORK WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION, GENERALLY, AND PUT IT ON THE ANNOUNCEMENTS.

YOU WOULD DO SOME KIND OF ADVERTISING THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY SHOULD WE GET A CRITICAL MASS OF STUDENTS INTERESTED IN OFFERING A COURSE AT THE DISTRICT WOULD BE.

>> I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.

>> I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TOO FOR US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT A CRITICAL MASS MIGHT BE.

OUR CURRENT BOARD CLASS SIZE MINIMUM IS 15, OBVIOUSLY, WE DO RUN SOME THINGS A LITTLE BIT SMALLER ESPECIALLY IF IT'S A PROGRAM, AGAIN, THAT WE'RE SEEING IT THROUGH OR SOMETIMES A NEW COURSE THAT YOU KNOW, WE STARTED A LOT OF NEW COURSES IN THE STEM AREAS, AND EVEN IN THE HUMANITIES AREAS, LAST FEW YEARS SO WE'VE ALLOWED THOSE TO RUN SMALL KNOWING THAT THEY TAKE A COUPLE OF YEARS TO GET SOME TRACTION.

SO I GUESS MY QUESTION THEN WOULD BE WHAT DO YOU SEE WOULD BE A VIABLE? DO YOU HAVE A NUMBER YOU THINK WOULD BE A VIABLE.

SHOULD WE AIM FOR THAT CLASS SIZE MINIMUM.

ANY THOUGHTS ON CRITICAL MASS.

IF WE WERE TO DO A LATIN ONE, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, I WOULD THINK [OVERLAPPING]

>> MULTI GRADE.

>> WOULD REALLY, WE COULD WE COULD DO IT MULTI GRADE I THINK THE CHALLENGE WOULD BE IF WE DON'T START WITH AT LEAST SOMETHING LIKE 20, YOU'RE GOING TO GET ATTRITION YEAR AFTER YEAR SO AGAIN, IF WE'RE GOING TO COMMIT TO SEEING STUDENTS THROUGH A SEQUENCE, I THINK TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE,

[02:10:02]

>> WHEN YOU SAID THAT THERE WAS SOME OFFERINGS THAT WERE EXCEPTIONS TO THE CLASS SIZE MINIMUM.

WHAT VOLUME OF STUDENTS DO THEY GENERALLY HAVE?

>> I THINK IT DEPENDS ON THE COURSE.

I DON'T HAVE ALL THE NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I KNOW IT HAS [OVERLAPPING]

>> 15, 10.

>> GENERALLY, WE TRY TO GET AT LEAST DOUBLE DIGITS THERE MAY BE A FEW COURSES LIKE SOME OF THE NEW COURSES MAYBE JUST COVERING JUST BELOW 8, 9 IN ITS FIRST YEARS.

I KNOW MANDARIN THAT'S A LANGUAGE THAT WE'VE BEEN PHASING IN OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AND IT'S A VERY SPECIALIZED, VERY DEMANDING LANGUAGE SO WHERE WE'VE GOT FULL SECTIONS THAT ARE WE ARE WITHIN THE RANGE.

WE DO HAVE MAYBE A GRADE LEVEL HERE OR THERE THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT LOWER, BUT AGAIN, BECAUSE WE'RE COMMITTED TO A SEQUENCE, WE'RE ALLOWING SOME OF THOSE.

TRYING TO THINK IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE THAT STANDS OUT, DR.

BOWMAN, THAT NEW COURSES, UPPER LEVEL LANGUAGES, CERTAINLY ARE SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS WHERE THERE ARE SMALLER RATIOS THAT'S A VERY DIFFERENT SITUATION [OVERLAPPING] BUT I THINK THOSE ARE GENERALLY WHERE WE SEE THE SMALLER SIZES.

>> A LOT OF THE STUDENTS, THEY COME IN, IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THEY START THE WORLD LANGUAGE PROGRAMS AND THEY ELECT AN ELECTIVE.

AND THEN I KNOW SOME STUDENTS WHEN THEY GO INTO THE HIGH SCHOOL ACTUALLY TAKE ON AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE.

>> CORRECT.

>> HOW MANY OF THOSE? TO WILL'S POINT, WHAT IS THE MAN RIGHT NOW STUDENTS THAT ARE TAKING MULTIPLE LANGUAGES.

>> WE ALWAYS DO HAVE.

I MEAN, PELEM IS A VERY INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.

WE HAVE STUDENTS WHO ARE LIKE SOME OF THE SPEAKERS TODAY THEY'RE VERY LINGUISTICALLY ORIENTED SO I KNOW THAT WE ALWAYS HAVE STUDENTS WHO ARE TAKING MORE THAN JUST ONE WORLD LANGUAGE.

WE'D HAVE TO DO RESEARCH TO TELL YOU WHAT THAT EXACT NUMBER IS BUT WHEN WE TRIED TO RUN IT AS JUST A HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM, THAT'S EXACTLY WHO WE WERE THINKING WE WOULD TRY TO TAP INTO.

THEY MAY BE ALREADY TAKING FRENCH OR ITALIAN, BUT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN LINGUISTICS AND THEY WANT THAT ADDITIONAL COURSE SO AGAIN, WE'D HAVE TO DO SOME RESEARCH WE CERTAINLY COULD DO THAT, IF [OVERLAPPING]

>> AND GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE'RE SO FAR AHEAD IN TERMS OF STUDENTS KIND OF CHOSEN OR HAVE CHOSEN THEIR ELECTIVE [OVERLAPPING]

>> SCHEDULING PROCESS.

>> WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FOR THE 24/25 SCHOOL YEAR?

>> AS FAR AS IF WE WANT TO BRING A NEW COURSE [OVERLAPPING] SO THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE CHALLENGE.

WHO'S INTERESTED AND THEN WHO'S AVAILABLE, BECAUSE IF LET'S SAY YOU HAVE 20 STUDENTS WHO ARE AVAILABLE OR WHO ARE INTERESTED.

IF DEPENDING ON THE REST OF THEIR SCHEDULE, WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN BUILT, IS THERE A PERIOD WHERE A CRITICAL MASS OF THEM ARE NOW ACTUALLY AVAILABLE TO TAKE THE COURSE?

>> WOULD YOU CONSIDER AFTER SCHOOL?

>> THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE [OVERLAPPING] LIKE FOR TEACHERS TO TEACH OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL DAY, THEY'D HAVE TO VOLUNTARILY BE WILLING TO DO THAT SO THAT COULD BE A POTENTIAL ZERO PERIOD YOU HAVE YOUR MUSIC ENSEMBLES SO YOU CAN STILL FACE SOME CONFLICTS THERE.

YOU ALSO HAVE ONE OF THE PHYSED CLASSES, I THINK RUNS BEFORE THE SCHOOL DAY.

AFTER SCHOOL COULD BE AN OPTION TO, THEN YOU'RE RUNNING INTO SPORTS AND CLUBS.

>> ENOUGH SOLUTIONS, ONLY TRADE OFFS.

>> THANK YOU. WELL SAID.

>> THOMAS WELL SAID IT [LAUGHTER]

>> WELL REPEATED. I MEAN, WE CAN CERTAINLY EXPLORE IT.

WE CAN EXPLORE IT THERE MAY BE CHALLENGES AROUND IT, BUT I CAN CERTAINLY ASK THE QUESTION.

>> I THINK IF YOU'RE NOT GETTING AT LEAST DOUBLE DIGITS, THEN IT'S LIKE SOUNDS, BUT MAYBE WE'LL BE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED AND 20 PEOPLE RAISE THEIR HAND AND THEN YOU KIND OF FIGURE OUT WHAT THE BEST SOLUTION IS.

>> I ACTUALLY WOULD GO A LITTLE FURTHER THAN THAT I MEAN, AND I'M COMING FROM SOMEONE WHO TOOK LATIN FOR FOUR YEARS AND FOUND IT VERY VALUABLE.

I THINK WE'RE SETTING OURSELVES UP FOR FAILURE AND FOR REPEATING THIS WHOLE PROCESS AGAIN IF WE SAY WE'RE GOING TO TAKE 10 STUDENTS AND RESTART LATIN BASED ON THAT I THINK WE NEED A CRITICAL MASS THAT'S GOING TO LEND ITSELF TO ENDING UP WITH 15 STUDENTS AT THE END OF THREE OR FOUR YEARS FOR THIS COHORT FOR IT TO MAKE SENSE.

>> JUST IN TERMS OF WHO WE'RE SOLICITING, I GUESS, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD.

IF WE'RE LOOKING AT STARTING A CLASSICS ELECTIVE, WHICH WOULD BE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING HAVING MULTI GRADE STUDENTS WHO ARE INTERESTED WON'T HAVE AN IMPACT BUT IF WE'RE LOOKING AT STARTING LATIN ONE AS A SECOND WORLD LANGUAGE FOR STUDENTS, IF WE ISOLATE THE GROUP TO INCOMING NINTH GRADERS, THEN YOU LIMIT THE NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITY, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LIMITED GROUP SO THE POSSIBILITY OF GETTING TO THAT CRITICAL MASS OF 20 IS DECREASED.

HOWEVER, IF YOU ADD MULTI GRADES OF STUDENTS,

[02:15:02]

I CALL IT A CONSTRAINT WHEN YOU'RE BUILDING MASTER SCHEDULE THE FREE PERIODS OF STUDENTS IN DIFFERENT GRADES ARE LESS LIKELY TO BE THE SAME AS YOU INCREASE THE NUMBER OF GRADES SO I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL TO KNOW BECAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY PLACED ALL THE SINGLETONS LIKE THEY'VE PLACED ALL OF THE CLASSES.

WHO ARE WE SOLICITING EXACTLY? ARE WE LOOKING TO DO A SEQUENCE? SO WE NEED TO GET AND I THINK 20 IS A LOW NUMBER THEN IF IT'S GOING TO BE ACROSS GRADE LEVELS THAT WE'RE OFFERING IT TO OR ARE WE OFFERING IT TO THE INCOMING FRESHMAN AND THEN WE NEED 20 FRESHMAN? I WOULD WANT TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM THAT KIND OF CLARITY.

>> I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT SPECIFICITY, BUT TO ME, IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE A FUN ELECTIVE, SOMETHING THAT MIXED LANGUAGE AND HISTORY AND LITERATURE FROM AN INTERESTING TIME PERIOD AND MIGHT BE ABLE TO BUILD INTEREST TOWARDS HAVING THE FULL LANGUAGE SEQUENCE IN THE FUTURE, BUT THE SCHEDULING AND THE COMPLEXITIES OF THAT I JUST DON'T KNOW.

IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THE TEACHER WOULD HAVE TO BUILD THE WHOLE CURRICULUM WHICH WOULD TAKE.

>> THAT COULD BE SUMMER CURRICULUM WORK.

>> WAS THIS A SURPRISE, THE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS IN WESTCHESTER THAT ARE OFFERING LATIN BECAUSE IT SEEMED LIKE A PRETTY IMPRESSIVE LIST.

WAS IT A SURPRISE? BECAUSE SOME OTHER SCHOOLS ARE FIGURING THIS OUT. SEEMS LIKE.

>> I GUESS EACH SCHOOL HAS ITS OWN UNIQUE SITUATION, SO I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW HOW TO ANSWER IT.

I THINK WHEN YOU HEAR EVEN THE HISTORY OF THE PROGRAM, YOU HAD A LONGSTANDING TEACHER WHO WAS REALLY LEGENDARY.

THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE. AS A SPECIALIST TEACHER I BUILD PROGRAM BASED ON ATTRACTING KIDS TO THE PROGRAM AND KEEPING THEM IN THE PROGRAM, SO THERE IS ABSOLUTELY A PIECE OF THAT, I THINK AT ANY PROGRAM.

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO ANSWER THAT.

THE OTHER FACTOR THAT I THINK ABOUT IS AND I'VE SAID THIS IN TALKING WITH MR. CINTA, A HIGH SCHOOL OF 800 HOWEVER WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, 900.

>> IT'S DIFFERENT.

>> IT DEPENDS ON THE SIZE OF THE HIGH SCHOOL.

I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE FIVE LANGUAGES BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO.

WE GOT STRONG SPANISH, STRONG ITALIAN, STRONG FRENCH, BRINGING ON MANDARIN AND TRYING TO MAINTAIN LATIN AT THE TIME WHERE YOU'RE HAVING STAFFING CHANGEOVERS.

CAN WE ACTUALLY SUSTAIN FIVE LANGUAGES? I THINK IS A FAIR QUESTION.

I WOULD HAVE TO DIG DEEPER INTO WHAT OTHER BUILDINGS ARE DOING TO KNOW REALLY WHAT THEIR PATTERNS ARE, BUT I'M THINKING ONE OF TWO THINGS.

FIRST OFF, I THINK WE CAN TALK TO THE WORLD LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT.

THEY MAY HAVE SOME BETTER INSIGHT ON THESE EXACT QUESTIONS ABOUT WHO MIGHT BE THE MORE IDEAL TARGET POPULATION.

UNDERSTANDING IF YOU DO BRING BACK A SEQUENCE AND STUDENTS ARE CHOOSING LATIN OVER THE LANGUAGE THEY'RE CURRENTLY SITTING IN, THAT HAS SCHEDULING AND POTENTIALLY STAFFING RAMIFICATIONS.

MAYBE THOSE ARE MAJOR, MAYBE THEY'RE NOT, BUT MAYBE THAT'S THE NEXT STEP FOR US TO TALK WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION, TALK WITH THEM.

I THINK ALICE ARTICULATED REALLY TWO PATHS.

YOU'VE GOT THE SEQUENCE PATH STARTING IN 9TH GRADE, LONG TERM COMMITMENT OR MAYBE THE ELECTIVE TYPE APPROACH THAT COULD BE OPEN TO ALL GRADE LEVELS, BUT MAYBE NOT SOMETHING THAT AT LEAST INITIALLY GIVES YOU A LONG TERM COMMITMENT, BUT MAYBE REBUILDS SOME INTEREST THAT COULD DOWN THE ROAD TURN INTO SEQUENCE, SHOULD IT BE.

>> ACTUALLY THREE. REALLY BECAUSE IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE USING THE SEQUENCE, LATIN, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, BUT INVITING STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT CHOOSING LATIN AS THEIR WORLD LANGUAGE, BUT IT WOULD BE THEIR SECOND WORLD LANGUAGE.

FOR A STUDENT THAT'S A DIFFERENT SITUATION BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE STATE MANDATES THAT THEY NEED TO COMPLETE, SO IF YOU START THAT IN 11TH GRADE WHEN YOU FINISHED YOUR FRENCH SEQUENCE, FOR EXAMPLE, OR CONCURRENTLY BECAUSE THAT'S WHO YOU ARE, THERE'S MORE FREEDOM FOR THE STUDENT TO CONTINUE OR NOT CONTINUE AFTER A YEAR OR TWO AND NOT GET THROUGH FIVE.

WHEREAS IF IT IS THEIR LANGUAGE, THAT'S A DIFFERENT THING FOR NEW YORK STATE REQUIREMENTS ALTOGETHER.

THREE OPTIONS ACTUALLY.

>> CORRECT. THAT YOUR LANGUAGE, AND ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE OR INTERACTIVE.

>> BECAUSE IF IT'S AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE,

[02:20:02]

>> YOU DON'T HAVE TO, BUT THERE'S A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT ITERATIONS IN THE SAME CLASS OF LATIN 1, IF YOU HAVE A 9TH GRADER WHO THAT'S THEIR WORLD LANGUAGE, YOU MAY ALSO HAVE A 10TH GRADER OR AN 11TH GRADER WHO'S FINISHED THEIR SEQUENCE OR IS JUST A LANGUAGE PERSON WHO'S TAKING ON LATIN AS AN EXTRA LANGUAGE, BUT THEY'RE SITTING IN THE SAME ROOM TOGETHER.

IT'S A HYBRID OF THOSE.

IT'S A LOT TO CONSIDER.

>> WHICH OF THOSE OPTIONS OFFERS THE MOST FLEXIBILITY OPTIONALITY OVER A SERIES OF THE ELECTIVE ONE?

>> THAT'S A COMPLEX QUESTION BECAUSE IT DEPENDS WHAT THE GOAL IS.

DEPENDS ON, ARE YOU ASKING ABSENT NOW THAT IT'S MAY OF 2024, PHILOSOPHICALLY, WHAT'S THE MOST FEASIBLE THING OR WHAT'S MOST FEASIBLE TO PUT INTO PLACE FOR SEPTEMBER 2024? WHAT WILL BE THE MOST WIDELY ACCEPTED IN THE COMMUNITY? THOSE ARE DIFFERENT ITERATIONS OF I THINK THE SAME QUESTION.

>> SOMETHING THAT COMES ON KEEP GOING ON AND ON, BUT IN OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UP AS A VALUE.

I GUESS WE HAVEN'T FINALIZED OUR VALUES, BUT SOMETHING THAT FOUND ITS WAY ONTO THE WALLS WAS TRADITION.

THEN PEOPLE ARE LIKE, WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN REALLY, BUT IT JUST RESONATED WITH PEOPLE.

BUT TO SAY LIKE, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENED FOR 100 YEARS OR EVER SINCE MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL STARTED, THERE'S THIS TRADITION OF LATIN, TO YOUR POINT OF LIKE, WHAT'S THE POINT? MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO A CERTAIN GROUP OF PEOPLE AND THERE'S A TRADITION OF IT, SO IF THERE'S A WAY TO CONTINUE.

>> I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY I THINK ASKING THE WORLD LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT MAY BE IS THE NEXT BEST STEP.

THEY'RE IN IT.

I SEE.

>> AS YOU SAY, LET US DO SOME RESEARCH WITH HIGH SCHOOL FOLKS AND SEE WHAT MIGHT BE VIABLE AND WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU WITH SOME MORE INFORMATION.

>> IS THERE A PATH TO START REACHING OUT TO STUDENTS OR PARENTS TO GET FEEDBACK ON EVEN IF IT'S HYPOTHETICAL INTEREST TO START NARROWING IT DOWN.

MAYBE WE HEAR FROM 20 PARENTS WHO ARE HYPOTHETICALLY INTERESTED, WHICH PROBABLY MEANS NOT ALL OF THEM ARE GOING TO SAY YES, BUT MAYBE WE HEAR FROM 50, AND THEN WE START THINKING MAYBE THIS IS REAL AND WE SHOULD BE DRILLING DOWN INTO IT.

>> THAT'S WHY I THINK LET US DO A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH BECAUSE I THINK WHAT THAT RESPONSE LOOKS LIKE WILL LIKELY DICTATE THE APPROACH WHICH IS MOST VIABLE.

>> SAD.

>> FINE. I'LL SAY IT. NO. JUST DEBATE YOUR TRADITION POINT.

I THINK OF ALL THE ARGUMENTS THAT WE HEARD, THE MARK OF DISTINCTION ARGUMENT, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT GOOD SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE TO ME IS LESS PERSUASIVE THAN OUR GENERAL APPROACH TO THE DISTRICT, WHICH IS OFFER THINGS THAT KIDS ARE INTERESTED IN, AND WE DO THAT ALL THE TIME.

WE FIND THE THINGS THAT RESONATE WITH THE STUDENTS AND THAT THEY WANT TO PURSUE AND WE FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.

IT COULD BE THE MOST TRADITIONAL MOST REPUTABLE THING TO HAVE ON THE DISTRICT'S RESUME, BUT IF NO ONE'S INTERESTED IN IT, THEN IT'S IT'S FOR NAUGHT.

>> IF NOBODY'S GOING TO TAKE THE CLASS, THEN WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE OFFERED THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT VIEWED AS UTILITARIAN, MAYBE OR THAT I'M GOING TO TAKE THIS ROBOTICS OR STEM OR COMPUTER PROGRAMMING BECAUSE I'M GOING TO GO TO COLLEGE AND BE AN ENGINEER, IT LEADS TO A CAREER, BUT MAYBE THERE'S A VALUE TO KNOWLEDGE.

MAYBE INDEPENDENT OF THAT YOU MAKE MONEY WITH IT AND THIS HAS BEEN A BODY OF KNOWLEDGE, JUST NOT JUST THE LATIN LANGUAGE, BUT THE LITERATURE AND THE HISTORY THAT'S BEEN VALUED FOR MILLENNIA BUT IF NOBODY'S GOING TO TAKE THE CLASS, THEN.

[02:25:01]

>> I'M HEARING THAT THERE'S INTEREST IN US EXPLORING IT. THAT'S WHAT I'M HEARING.

>> YES.

>> I HAD SO MUCH GOOD DISCUSSION.

WHAT'S OUR NEXT ITEM OF NEW BUSINESS?

>> I DON'T THINK WE WANT TO DIVE INTO THE CALENDAR TONIGHT.

>> IN THAT CASE, I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION TO ADJOURN.

>> MOVED.

>> SECOND.

>> ALL IN FAVOR?

>> AYE.

>> WE ARE ADJOURNED.

>> THANK YOU.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.