[00:00:03] HELLO, EVERYONE. [2. Public Session - 7:30 p.m.] I'D LIKE TO CALL TO ORDER THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING OF SEPTEMBER 25TH, 2024 LET'S RISE FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. SID, WOULD YOU REITERATE OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION MOTIONS? SURE. WE WE ENTERED EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS THE RECORD OF A PARTICULAR STUDENT OR STUDENTS AND THE PROPOSED ACQUISITION, SALE OR LEASE OF REAL PROPERTY. THANK YOU. SO I'LL KICK OFF SHORT AND SWEET, BY SHARING SOME GRATITUDE TODAY. GRATITUDE. I HAVE MUCH GRATITUDE TO THIS BOARD AND OUR ADMINISTRATORS AND THE CABINET. WE ARE POWERING THROUGH THREE WEEKS OF BOARD MEETINGS. THREE WEEKS STRAIGHT WELL, YEAH, THREE WEEKS IN A ROW AND WHILE DOING OUR DAY JOBS. RIGHT. AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR EVERYONE'S COMMITMENT TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. I'M ALSO THANKFUL FOR OUR WONDERFUL TEACHERS AND STAFF, AND FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO EDUCATING OUR STUDENTS AND CREATING THE OPTIMAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT DAY IN AND DAY OUT. AND FINALLY, I WAS AT SAFETY COMMITTEE THIS MORNING, AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS FROM BOTH OUR VILLAGES AND THEIR HIGHLY COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND WITH EACH OTHER FOR THE SAKE OF THE ENTIRE SCHOOL COMMUNITY. OKAY, SO I AM OH, LET'S LET'S DO 3.1. [3. Approval of Minutes] DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF AUGUST 21ST, 2024 BUSINESS MEETING? SO MOVED. SECOND, ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE, AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS. OKAY. AND NOW I'M GOING TO ACTUALLY PULL UP PUBLIC COMMENTS BECAUSE WE HAVE SOMEONE HERE TODAY [5. Communications and Comments from the Public] WHO HAS SOME SLIDES FROM, FROM PROSPECT HILL, NICOLE, WELCOME. AND I'LL JUST ADD TO THAT WELCOME. AS NICOLE IS COMING UP, I'M REALLY EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT THIS PROJECT. AND I KNOW FOLKS MAY KNOW THIS, BUT I THINK IT'S WORTH SAYING IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WE FINISHED LAST YEAR, ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WAS IN THERE WAS WORKING WITH OUR PTAS TOWARDS THE GOAL OF HAVING OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS AT ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS. SO REALLY EXCITING TO HAVE PARENTS LIKE NICOLE AND THE TEAM THAT SHE'S BEEN WORKING WITH, TO REALLY GRAB HOLD OF THAT VISION AND PUT ALL THE PUT ALL THE WORK BEHIND IT BECAUSE IT DOES NOT COME EASILY. SO NICOLE, I ENJOYED GETTING TO SEE THE FUN AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR LAST YEAR, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TONIGHT TO SHARE. THANKS SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. YEAH. THANK YOU. SO I'M NICOLE GIGLIO I'M THE CURRENT PTA PRESIDENT AT PROSPECT, AND I'M ALSO THE CHAIR OF THE OUTDOOR CLASSROOM COMMITTEE. SO WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR THE PAST YEAR PLUS. SO TONIGHT I HAVE THE RENDERINGS TO SHOW YOU. AND YEAH, IT'S A REALLY EXCITING THING. ANYBODY I'VE SHOWN THEM TO IS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT. SO HERE WE GO. I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT FIRST ABOUT HOW WE KIND OF GOT HERE, BECAUSE I THINK THAT ALL THE THINGS WE DID LEADING UP TO THIS REALLY SHOWS YOU HOW THOUGHTFUL WE WERE ABOUT THIS PROCESS. SO BACK IN SPRING OF 23, DR. CARR ASKED US TO REALLY THINK ABOUT HOW TO USE OUR OUTDOOR CLASSROOM SPACE DIFFERENTLY AND HOW TO HAVE THE STUDENTS BE MORE ENGAGED OUTSIDE. SO THE FIRST STEP WE DID WAS TO TAKE SOME PTA FUNDS AND INSTALL A GAGA PIT. AND THEN WE ALSO WROTE A PDF GRANT WHICH GOT STENCILS AND PAINT FOR THE BLACKTOP AT PROSPECT, WHICH WE JUST STARTED PAINTING, WHICH IS A MUCH BIGGER JOB THAN WE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE BUT WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THAT NOW AND THEN THOSE STENCILS WILL ALSO GO TO THE OTHER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. AND THEN SO ONCE THAT WAS DONE IN THE FALL OF 23, WE ESTABLISHED OUR OUTDOOR CLASSROOM COMMITTEE, AND WE BEGAN BRAINSTORMING AND RESEARCHING. WE ALSO SPOKE TO THE DEVELOPERS OF THE CLASSROOMS AT SIWANOY AND ALSO AT COLONIAL, AND WE WENT AND VISITED THOSE AND BRAINSTORMED ABOUT WHAT WE REALLY WANTED TO SEE AT PROSPECT AFTER SEEING THOSE. AND THEN WE REALIZED THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS HOW MUCH IT REALLY MATTERED TO BRING THE TEACHERS IN AND TO TALK TO THEM ABOUT HOW THEY WOULD USE THE SPACE, BECAUSE WE COULD DEVELOP A BEAUTIFUL SPACE. BUT IF IT'S NOT USED BY THE TEACHERS AND BY THE STUDENTS AND IT'S NOT FUNCTIONAL, THEN IT'S NOT SUCCESSFUL. AND SO WHAT WE DID WAS WE BROUGHT THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION INTO A FACULTY MEETING AT PROSPECT, AND WE HAD THEM TALK ABOUT WHAT AN OUTDOOR CLASSROOM IS. [00:05:03] AND BECAUSE SOME TEACHERS DIDN'T REALLY EVEN KNOW HOW TO USE IT. AND SO WE TALKED ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS, ALL THE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND THEN WE DISTRIBUTED A SURVEY TO THE TEACHERS ASKING THEM HOW THEY SAW USING THE SPACE, AND ALSO THINGS THAT WERE ESSENTIAL TO BE IN THE SPACE IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE SUCCESSFUL FOR THEM. SO THEN IN WINTER 2024, SO JUST THIS PAST WINTER, WE BROUGHT THE STUDENTS INTO IT. AND SO WE DEVELOPED A SURVEY FOR THEM, AND WE ALSO ASKED THE TEACHERS TO BRING THEM ON A SITE VISIT OF THE SPACE AND TO THEN GO BACK TO THE CLASSROOM, DISCUSS AS A GROUP ABOUT AN OUTDOOR CLASSROOM, AND THEN EACH OF THEM INDIVIDUALLY SKETCHED WHAT THEY THOUGHT AN OUTDOOR CLASSROOM WOULD BE AND ALL THE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WOULD BE INCLUDED IN IT. IT WAS A LOT OF THEM WERE VERY CREATIVE, WITH FOOD TRUCKS AND WATER SLIDES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT WE ALSO GOT SOME REALLY, REALLY FANTASTIC IDEAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT CREATIVE WAYS TO IMPLEMENT SEATING AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND SO IT WAS REALLY, REALLY SPECIAL TO SEE HOW ALL OF THEM INTERNALIZED WHAT AN OUTDOOR CLASSROOM WOULD BE. SO AFTER WE TOOK ALL OF THE STUDENTS SKETCHES, WE ALSO TOOK THE TEACHER SURVEYS, AND WE MET WITH A LOCAL LANDSCAPE DESIGNER, TRACY NEWMAN. AND SHE DEVELOPED OUR INITIAL SITE PLAN, WHICH IS WHAT WE USE TO GO FORWARD FROM THAT. SO THEN IN SPRING OF 2024, WE HIRED OUR ARCHITECT, WHO IS DANIELLE DEVITO FROM PENCIL PROJECT. SHE'S A LOCAL SIWANOY MOM AND HAS AN ARCHITECT FIRM IN TOWN. SHE'S AMAZING AND ONCE WE MET WITH HER, WE MET WITH SOME BOARD OF ED REPRESENTATIVES, AND WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO NEXT STEPS IN ORDER TO CREATE AN OUTDOOR CLASSROOM. AND SO THEN WE STARTED PLANNING OUR FUNDRAISER, WHICH WAS THE TROT FOR THE TREES. SO IN ABOUT A MONTH'S TIME, WE RAISED 72, A LITTLE OVER $72,000, WHICH IS I KNOW YOU APPROVED LAST WEEK TO ACCEPT, WHICH IS FANTASTIC. SO THIS FUNDRAISER WAS REALLY ABOUT THE KIDS. THEY ALL WROTE LETTERS TO FAMILY MEMBERS, FRIENDS AND ASKED THEM TO DONATE. IT WAS ALSO A BRICK FUNDRAISER, SO WE HAVE A LOT OF BRICKS THAT WILL BE IN THE SPACE THAT HAVE INSCRIPTIONS FROM FAMILIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND THEN ALSO COMMUNITY OUTREACH. A LOT OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS DONATED TO THE CAUSE AS WELL. THE STUDENTS WERE SO ENGAGED THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE PROCESS. THEY HELD LEMONADE STANDS AND DONATED THEIR FUNDS. THE THE SECOND GRADE WAX MUSEUM THEY OPTED TO DONATE THEIR PROCEEDS TO THE TO THE TROT FOR THE TREES. SO THAT WAS REALLY EXCITING. AND THE TEACHERS WERE INCREDIBLE. AND THEY THIS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITHOUT THEM. AS ONCE WE REACHED CERTAIN BENCHMARKS OF MONEY, THEY THEY HAD PRIZES WHICH WERE A TEACHER, VOLLEYBALL GAME, A TEACHER, TEACHER GAGA PIT, AND OR A TEACHER GAGA GAME AND A TEACHER DANCE. SO AND WE REACHED ALL OF THOSE BENCHMARKS AND SURPASSED WHAT OUR GOAL WAS. SO YES, WITH ALL OF THIS SUPPORT AND ALL OF THIS EXCITEMENT, WE WENT INTO THE SUMMER AND DEVELOPED OUR FINAL PLANS. SO THERE IS A PEEK AT THE OVERALL KIND OF PLAN THAT WE ARE THINKING ABOUT. AND WE HAVE INITIAL WE HAVE OTHER PICTURES TO SHOW YOU THAT SHOW EACH INDIVIDUAL SPACE. BUT THERE'S A GATHERING SPACE, THERE'S A GARDENING SPACE. THERE'S A CLASSROOM SPACE SO, YEAH. SO THIS IS THE GARDENING AREA. THERE'S A GREENHOUSE. THERE'S BEDS THAT EVERY CLASS WILL HAVE THEIR OWN SPACE IN A BED. AND THEN THIS TABLE WAS ADDED AFTER WE TOOK SOME TEACHER INPUT. THEY ASKED FOR A LONG TABLE FOR ONE CLASS TO BE ABLE TO GATHER AROUND AT ONCE FOR THINGS LIKE MESSY GARDENING AND THINGS LIKE THAT SO WE ADDED THAT IN. THERE'S A GATHERING SPACE. HOW WE SEE THIS BEING USED IS STUDENT PRESENTATIONS OR FOR A GRADE, IT WILL BE LARGE ENOUGH FOR ONE GRADE TO BE ABLE TO SIT THERE TOGETHER. SO IF THEY WANT TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT OUTSIDE, WE ALSO SEE PTA MEETINGS AND THINGS HERE. SO IT'S JUST A COMMUNAL SPACE FOR EVERYBODY TO, TO GATHER. THE BIGGEST ASK ON THE TEACHER SURVEY WAS A HANDWASHING STATION. AND SO WE HAD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE IMPLEMENTED IT. AND SO WE ONE OF OUR BIG GOALS FOR THIS OUTDOOR CLASSROOM IS TO BE AS SUSTAINABLE AS POSSIBLE. AND SO INSTEAD OF INSTALLING A PLUMBING LINE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, LIKE I SAID, OUR ARCHITECT IS INCREDIBLE AND REALLY RESEARCHED, AND WHAT OUR PLAN IS FOR THIS IS TO HAVE A HOSE UNDERGROUND THAT COMES FROM THE MAIN WATER HOOKUP, AND THEN IT WILL COME OUT OF THE FAUCETS, DRAIN INTO THE BARRELS HERE AND THEN DISSIPATE INTO THE GROUND. [00:10:04] AND THERE WILL ALSO BE A SPOUT THAT STUDENTS CAN USE TO WATER THE PLANTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. THERE'S ALSO AN IRRIGATION SYSTEM, WHICH WE NEED TO, FOR MAINTENANCE WISE, WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THAT. BUT FOR THE MOST PART THIS IS JUST FROM A HOSE FROM THE MAIN HOOKUP. WE ALSO THIS ISN'T IN THE RENDERINGS, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, LOCKING IT UP SO THAT NOTHING OTHER THAN WATER GOES DOWN INTO THE SPACE WHEN TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ARE OUT THERE. AND ALSO BEHIND THERE IS STORAGE SPACE. AND SO THAT WAS ANOTHER BIG ASK FOR THE TEACHERS. THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE TO BRING ANYTHING OUTSIDE WITH THEM. AND SO IN THIS STORAGE SPACE, OUR ARCHITECT ALSO WAS INCREDIBLE AND FOUND. SOURCED KIND OF WHERE WE COULD FIND SHIPPING CONTAINERS AND REUSING SHIPPING CONTAINERS. AND THERE ARE ALL OF THESE PLANS AND WHATNOT TO MAKE THEM SHELVING AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT THEY'RE GREAT. AND THAT'S ALSO WHAT THE GREENHOUSE IS AS WELL. THE GREENHOUSE IS REUSED SHIPPING CONTAINERS. AND SO THEN WE HAVE KIND OF OUR TIMELINE JUST TALKING ABOUT DISTRICT APPROVAL AND ALSO SUBMITTING OUR GRANT PAPERWORK. WE WERE APPROVED FOR $150,000 GRANT FROM AMY PAULIN. AND SO THAT PAPERWORK IS HERE NOW, WE'RE WAITING ON FINAL BUDGET NUMBERS FROM WE'VE SENT OUT ALL OF THIS TO LOCAL EXPERTS, LANDSCAPERS, PLUMBERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO GET MORE ACCURATE NUMBERS. AND SO ONCE WE HAVE THAT, WE WILL SUBMIT THAT GRANT PAPERWORK. THEN WE'LL NEED TO GO TO THE STATE EDITOR FOR APPROVAL, AND THEN CONTRACTOR BIDDING AND SELECTION AND THEN BREAKING GROUND. SO THAT IS WHAT I HAVE TO PRESENT TO YOU AND WANT TO KNOW IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT ANY OF THESE AREAS OR ANYTHING. CAN YOU JUST. THIS LOOKS GREAT. CAN YOU JUST ORIENT US A LITTLE BIT IN TERMS OF LIKE WHERE ON THE PROPERTY AND HOW MUCH OF THE PROPERTY YOU HAVE IN MIND FOR THIS? SO THIS AREA RIGHT HERE. AND SO THE MAIN ENTRANCE IS ACTUALLY RIGHT HERE. AND SO COMING OUT OF THE NEW MAIN ENTRANCE, COMING OUT OF THE NEW MAIN ENTRANCE, YOU WILL WALK TO THE SIDE KIND OF WHERE THE GAGA PIT AND THE SMALLER PLAYGROUND IS. AND THEN IT'S IN THAT AREA ALL OVER HERE. SO THIS GREEN SPACE HERE, RIGHT NEAR THAT AREA IT WILL BE TAKEN UP MOSTLY BY THIS. GOT IT. ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE TO LOSE ANY TREES TO DO THIS OR. NOPE. WE MADE SURE THAT THERE'S NO TREE. THE TREES WILL STAY. WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THERE NEEDS TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF GRADING DONE. AND SO WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO MAINTAIN THAT. YEAH. SORRY. SORRY. THERE IS GOING TO NEED TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF GRADING DONE IN ORDER TO MAKE IT ADA COMPLIANT. AND SO WE ARE GOING TO HOPEFULLY MAINTAIN AS MANY OF THE TREES AS POSSIBLE. BUT IF GRADING DOES GET DONE, YOU MAY TEND TO LOSE JUST THE TREES, MAY NOT GET WHAT THEY NEED. BUT FOR THE MOST PART, WE'RE GOING TO KEEP ALL THE TREES AS MANY AS WE CAN. AND I WANT TO SAY I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS GOING BACK BECAUSE I KNOW SOME INITIAL RENDERINGS DID CONSIDER SOME TREE REMOVAL. SO REALLY APPRECIATE YOU'RE RETHINKING AND RE-ENVISIONING. IT'S REALLY BEAUTIFUL. ALSO, ONE THING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE, WHICH OUR ARCHITECT NATURE WAS VERY IMPORTANT IN THE PLANS WAS STORM WATER AND WHAT TO DO NOW WITH SOME HARDSCAPING ANYTIME YOU ADD HARDSCAPING, YOU NEED TO REALLY THINK ABOUT STORMWATER AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND SO THERE IS A LARGE GREEN AREA STILL OVER HERE THAT IS NOT BEING DEVELOPED. AND SO WE HAVE PLANS FOR STORMWATER MEDIATION AND TANKS UNDERNEATH TO ABSORB ALL THAT DRY WELLS SO YEAH. NICOLE, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. AS A PROSPECT PARENT, MY SON WAS INVOLVED IN ALL OF THE ACTIVITIES FOR THIS LAST YEAR. YES, HE ENJOYED IT SO MUCH. WE HEARD ALL ABOUT IT. THE TEACHER, GAGA GAME WAS EPIC AT OUR DINNER TABLE, BUT ALSO, I DO JUST REALLY WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO JUST RECOGNIZE THE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK THAT THE COMMITTEE UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP HAS DONE FOR THIS PROJECT, AND HOW EXCITING IT IS THAT TO HAVE THIS SPACE AT PROSPECT AND THE I MEAN, JUST TO BRING IN THE THE FEDERATION FOR PD, FOR OUR TEACHERS SO THAT THEY CAN UTILIZE IT TO THE MAX CAPACITY THAT THEY CAN. I KNOW THAT THERE'S I'VE HEARD FROM SO MANY KIDS HOW EXCITED THEY EXCITED THEY ARE TO BE ABLE TO LEARN ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE THEIR OWN GARDEN OR TO, YOU KNOW, TO TEND TO THE [00:15:09] PLANTS AND WATCH THEM GROW. AND JUST ALL OF ALL OF THE THINGS THAT GO INTO WHAT OUR KIDS CAN LEARN IN AN OUTDOOR CLASSROOM. AND THIS IS GOING TO BE SUCH A WONDERFUL ADDITION TO PROSPECT, WHICH IS ALREADY BUT THIS IS JUST GOING TO MAKE IT WHAT'S ALREADY WONDERFUL. EVEN BETTER. AND I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT THE PAINTING ON THE BLACKTOP IS SO TERRIFIC. I KNOW A LOT OF WORK WENT INTO THAT. YEAH. IT WAS I KNOW IT WAS A BIG UNDERTAKING, AND I KNOW IT WAS A LOT MORE. IT WAS A LOT HARDER. BUT THOSE LINES ARE PERFECT. PERFECT. PERFECTLY STRAIGHT. AND IT WAS LIKE THE FIRST THING MY SON DID WHEN I PICKED HIM UP FROM SCHOOL THE DAY THEY WENT IN WAS LIKE, SHOW ME EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS AND HOW HE WAS GOING TO PLAY THERE SO GREAT, ADDS SO MUCH CHARACTER TO THE BLACKTOP ON THE OUTSIDE. AND SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DID AND ALL OF IT. THIS WAS NO SMALL UNDERTAKING THAT THIS COMMITTEE DID. SO MUCH PLANNING, ALL OF THE INPUT THAT YOU GATHERED, IT DID GO INTO THE PLAN. IT WASN'T JUST FOR SHOW. RIGHT. SO LIKE, YOU TOOK IT ALL. THE COMMITTEE PROCESSED IT. AND LIKE, WE'RE SEEING THIS NOW AND THIS IS GOING TO BE REALLY EXCITING. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. YEAH I'M ECHOING EVERYTHING. YOU YOU YOU JUST SAID KATHRYN, IT'S VERY A BEAUTIFUL PLAN AND IT WAS REALLY GREAT TO HEAR ABOUT THE PROCESS AND SORT OF AN INSPIRING PROCESS THE WAY YOU ENGAGED EVERYONE. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR COMING. YEAH, OF COURSE I HAVE TO ECHO THAT. YEAH. IT'S BEAUTIFUL. AND HEARING HOW YOU SURVEYED EVERYONE, INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, STUDENTS AND STAFF IS IS REALLY FANTASTIC. THANK YOU. SO THANKS FOR SETTING A GREAT EXAMPLE. OF COURSE. THANK YOU. SO ANY I MEAN, ANY THOUGHTS THAT YOU ALL SEE THAT MAY NOT WORK OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. IS THERE ANY INPUT ANYBODY HAS THAT. OKAY. YEAH. AND I WAS JUST I ECHO A LOT OF THE SAME. AND THANK YOU TOO FOR YOU KNOW, FOR PARTNERING WITH I KNOW THIS IS A LABOR OF LOVE IN MANY WAYS BECAUSE THE ART, THE ARTISTRY AND BEAUTY IS ONE THING. BUT THEN HAVING TO NAVIGATE THE CHALLENGES OF DOING SOMETHING WITHIN A PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. YEAH. ARE COMPLEX. YEAH, WE'RE WE'RE A BUREAUCRACY. WE KNOW THAT. BUT REALLY, THANK YOU FOR PARTNERING TOO. I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH JIM AND WORKED WITH HIS OFFICE, AND WE'LL HAVE ONGOING WORK WITH HIS OFFICE THROUGH PROCESSING OF THE GRANT. AND THEN ONCE MOVING TO IMPLEMENTATION STAGE, IT'LL BE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF COORDINATION WITH HIM, WITH MR. CONDON. BUT THANK YOU, GUYS, FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR FOR THAT PARTNERSHIP, BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS THE KIND OF EXAMPLE OF LIKE WHEN WE'VE GOT STRONG LEADERSHIP, STRONG PARTNERSHIP AND WE'RE ABLE TO WORK TOGETHER, WE CAN DO SOME REALLY BEAUTIFUL THINGS AND EXCITING THINGS FOR KIDS. SO I JUST THINK IT'S THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT IT THAT'S JUST SIMPLE AND STUNNING AT THE SAME TIME. SO AND IT'S SO IT'S SO PROSPECT HILL. YEAH. YES. IT JUST IS. YES IT'S GREAT. RIGHT. AND THERE THE SAILS AND IT'S REALLY IT'S REALLY IT'S THAT'S THAT SPACE HAS TO BE ONE OF MY FAVORITES I THINK. YEAH. YEAH I AGREE ON THAT. THAT'S I GUESS WHERE WE'LL HAVE THE RIBBON CUTTING IS UNDER THE SALES. YES. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. SOUNDS GOOD TO ME. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. BEAUTIFUL JOB. CARR, FOR COMING AND SUPPORT. SHE HAD HER OWN SONS BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT TONIGHT, BUT CARVED OUT SOME TIME TO BE HERE, SO THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENT? NO. OKAY. WONDERFUL. I'M JUST CHECKING. SO. DITTO. THANK YOU. OKAY. OKAY. WE CAN GO TO SECTION 4 SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT. [4.1 Superintendent's Report] GREAT. WELL, THAT'S HARD TO TOP. BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'LL GIVE IT MY BEST SHOT. WELL, WE'LL START WITH THE EXCITING WEEK THAT THIS IS. IT IS HOMECOMING WEEK HERE IN THE DISTRICT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL. SO VERY EXCITING THINGS GOING ON. IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN ONLINE THROUGH OUR THROUGH THE HIGH SCHOOL OR THROUGH THE ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT, A WHOLE MENU OF SPORTS EVENTS. SO WE ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO COME OUT. THERE ARE THINGS TODAY THEY WERE OFF CAMPUS AT AWAY GAMES. BUT TUESDAY THERE WERE GAMES. WE GOT GAMES GOING ON TOMORROW SWIMMING, FIELD HOCKEY. FRIDAY WE'VE GOT AT GLOVER, WE'VE GOT TWO DIFFERENT GAMES. WE'VE GOT CHEERLEADING AT 6:30, CHEERLEADING AND FOOTBALL TOGETHER AT 6:30 ON FRIDAY HERE, RIGHT AT GLOVER. OBVIOUSLY IT WILL BE A BIG GAME. SO COME EARLY, WE HAVE NEW PROTOCOL IN PLACE THAT WE SHUT THE GATE. JIM, HELP ME WITH THAT ABOUT A HALF HOUR BEFORE THE GAME. YEAH, FOR THIS GAME, PROBABLY BE A LITTLE BIT BEFORE A HALF AN HOUR. WE YOUR BOARD RECALLS THE COMMUNITY RECALLS FROM LAST YEAR. WE'RE REALLY WORKING DILIGENTLY TO PREVENT PARKING AND NON PARKING AREAS ON THE ROADWAY. [00:20:06] AND WE WANT PEOPLE TO REMAIN TO ONLY PARK IN THE DESIGNATED AREAS. IT'S HARD DURING THE BIG EVENTS AND PEOPLE REALLY WANT TO GET CLOSE AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT. WE FOUND THAT BY CLOSING THAT GATE, IT JUST PROVIDES THAT IT REMOVES THAT TEMPTATION FOR PEOPLE FOR GOING DOWN THERE, WHICH IS ALSO DIFFICULT TO TURN AROUND ONCE YOU'RE DOWN THERE. IT CREATES A LITTLE BIT OF A SAFER ENVIRONMENT WE HAVE A LOT OF STUDENTS AT THESE LARGER EVENTS AND BUSSES MOVING THROUGH. THEY DON'T ALWAYS THEY KIND OF MOVE. THEY CAN MOVE IN AND OUT OF PARKING LOTS QUICKLY, AS, AS WE ALL KNOW, AS DRIVERS. AND THERE'S PLENTY OF PARKING AT THE AT THE SURFACE LOT NEXT TO THE TARGET LOT THAT'S OWNED BY THE DISTRICT. AND IT'S A LIT WALKING PATHWAY OVER THE BRIDGE. AND THAT WAS INTENTIONALLY DONE AS PART OF THAT FIELD REDESIGN. AND ALSO THE PARKING UP ON IMPERIAL HILL HAS BEEN REGRADED, AND I THINK IT PROVIDES QUITE A BIT OF SPACE THERE AS WELL. AND THAT'S LIT LIT PATHWAYS AS WELL. GREAT. THANK YOU. SO WE DO ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO COME AND AVAIL THEMSELVES OF THOSE ADDITIONAL PARKING SPACES. SO FRIDAY NIGHT AT GLOVER 6:30 AND THEN SATURDAY SEVERAL DIFFERENT THINGS GOING ON. CROSS COUNTRY WILL BE AT A MEET IN WHITE PLAINS. VOLLEYBALL WILL BE HERE ON CAMPUS. WE HAVE VOLLEYBALL AT 9 A.M. IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL GYM AT NOON AT GLOVER BOYS SOCCER, AND THEN AT 2:00 AT GLOVER GIRLS SOCCER. SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO DO ON SATURDAY, WE'VE GOT LOTS ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO COME OUT AND SUPPORT ALL OF OUR ATHLETES. IT'S A REALLY FUN DAY. WE KNOW WE'RE BUILDING UP. WE'VE GOT SPIRIT WEEK GOING ON AT THE HIGH SCHOOL RIGHT NOW. WE'LL BUILD UP TO OUR PEP RALLY AND BARBECUE ON FRIDAY, SO IT'S AN EXCITING, EXCITING TIME. COUPLE OTHER EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENTS. WELL, ONE EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT. WE JUST RECENTLY RECEIVED OUR ANNUAL LISTING OF WHICH STUDENTS WERE SELECTED FOR NATIONAL MERIT HONORS. SO WE HAVE STUDENTS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED BOTH ON THE COMMENDED STUDENTS LIST AS WELL AS THE SEMIFINALISTS. SO THAT'S REALLY KIND OF YOU'RE REACHING THE THE PINNACLE OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT THERE. SO JUST I'M GOING TO READ OFF THE NAMES TONIGHT. WE WILL BE INVITING THEM TO BE HONORED AT AN UPCOMING BOARD MEETING. BUT FOR EVERYONE'S AWARENESS, FOR NATIONAL MERIT COMMENDED STUDENTS, WE HAD RENEE I, KATIE, KATE FELDMAN, JAKE FELLNER, LUCA GOODYEAR, MAXWELL HANSEN. UMA KANCHARLA. SORRY. MY EYES ARE FADING ME NO, I'M ALL RIGHT. JUST MAKE THE SCREEN BIGGER. UMA KANCHARLA. GRACE KIMI. OLIVER LOVELY. JOE MARTUCCI. CHRISTOPHER O'MARA, JEREMY TAM AND EMILY HSU. AND FOR OUR NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP SEMIFINALISTS ALEXANDRA HERZOG, CHARLES JOHNSON, DANIEL RODRIGUEZ, AND CARA ROSE VITALI. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE STUDENTS FOR THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS. WE LOOK FORWARD TO HONORING THEM [APPLAUSE] AND WE'LL BE HONORING THEM AT AN UPCOMING BOARD MEETING. AND THEN WE ALSO TOO ANTICIPATE, USUALLY TOWARDS THE SPRING, IF ANY OF OUR STUDENTS ARE SELECTED AS NATIONAL MERIT FINALISTS. SO WE'RE EXCITED, EXCITED FOR THEM AND ALL THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE DONE. ADDITIONALLY, TODAY, I WOULD NOTE WAS OUR FIRST PLC DAY. WE HAVE REALLY I KNOW THE BOARD IS AWARE OF THOSE DAYS. THESE ARE DAYS THAT WE HAVE HAD IN PLACE FOR PROBABLY GOING ON A DECADE AT THIS POINT WHERE WE APPRECIATE THE COLLABORATION AND SUPPORT OF OUR COMMUNITY AND THE BOARD WHO ENABLE US TO DISMISS SCHOOL A COUPLE HOURS EARLY, SEVERAL TIMES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR FOR THE PURPOSES OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING. SO DURING THAT TIME, AND I'M SORRY IF I'M STEPPING ON YOUR TOES, CLAIRE, I'M GUESSING YOU HAD A REPORT ON THIS, BUT YOU CAN EITHER CUT IT OUT OR REITERATE WHATEVER STRIKES YOUR MOOD. BUT DURING THAT TIME, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WORK WHERE TEACHERS HAVE SOME TEACHER DRIVEN TIME WHERE THEY GET TO SELECT WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO WORK ON AS A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY AND PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER TEACHERS, LOOKING AT DATA, LOOKING AT OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND OUR GOALS AND STUDENT STUDENT OUTCOMES AND HOW THEY WANT TO MOVE STUDENTS AND PROMOTE GROWTH AND DOING ACTION RESEARCH TOGETHER. SO LOOKING AT NEEDS, IDENTIFYING AREAS FOR INTERVENTION, WORKING TOGETHER AS A TEAM OF DOING THAT AND THEN REASSESSING TO TO FOSTER STUDENT GROWTH. WE ALSO HAVE FACULTY MEETINGS, DEPARTMENT MEETINGS, GRADE LEVEL TEAM MEETINGS ALL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR IN DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS. SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT. TODAY, KICKED THAT OFF FOR THE FIRST TIME. WE HAVE FOUR OF THOSE FOUR MORE OF THOSE DAYS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. AND IT'S WE HAVE VERY LIMITED PROFESSIONAL LEARNING TIME. SO IT'S REALLY, REALLY CRITICAL WORK FOR OUR TEACHERS. MOVING INTO JUST MY OWN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING I KNOW AS THE BOARD IS AWARE, I'M PLEASED AND THANKFUL TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL NEW YORK STATE COUNCIL OF SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS FALL CONFERENCE THIS PAST WEEKEND. THAT STARTED UP SUNDAY WITH THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES MEETING WHERE I GOT TO HEAR KIND OF THE LATEST BUSINESS GOING ON WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION. AND TO BE PART OF THAT GOVERNING BOARD, THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES SEAT THAT I HAVE THE HONOR OF BEING ON AND SERVE AS A LIAISON FROM THE FIELD BACK TO THE [00:25:06] ORGANIZATION AND VICE VERSA. THROUGHOUT THE REMAINING DAYS, I WAS ABLE TO DO ATTEND A LOT OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING SESSIONS, CERTAINLY NETWORK WITH COLLEAGUES FROM AROUND THE STATE. GOT TO MEET WITH NEW YORK STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT STAFF. THE COMMISSIONER WAS THE SPEAKER AT OUR FINAL KEYNOTE YESTERDAY. AND THEN ALSO TO ATTEND LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS AND HEAR FROM LEGISLATORS LIKE SHELLEY MAYER, WHO IS CHAIR OF THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE, ABOUT SOME OF THE DIFFERENT POLICIES AND LEGISLATIVE BILLS THAT ARE BEING CONSIDERED AND HOW WHAT THE KIND OF WHAT THE CLIMATE AND FORECAST IS AROUND THOSE BILLS AND WHAT WE MIGHT EXPECT. SO IT WAS REALLY HELPFUL. WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT FOUNDATION AID, AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT, THE ROCKEFELLER, THE GENTLEMAN WHO'S LEADING THE WORK WITH THE ROCKEFELLER COMMISSION, WAS THERE TO GIVE US HIS THOUGHTS AND SOME A LITTLE BIT OF A TIP, YOU KNOW, TIP OF THE HAND OF WHAT WE MIGHT BE EXPECTING THEIR REPORTS COMING OUT DECEMBER 1ST, THE I GUESS THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS THAT I WOULD SHARE FROM THAT IS THE FOUNDATION AID FORMULA WILL NOT BE FIXED IN ONE YEAR. THEY'RE GOING TO COME FORWARD WITH SOME RECOMMENDATIONS. BUT ONE OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS IS THAT IS A LONGER TERM, MORE INCREMENTAL ADJUSTMENT TO THAT. SO BUT IT WAS IT WAS VERY AN INTERESTING AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION AND HE SEEMED AND THE FOLKS FROM THE ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION REALLY SEEMED TO UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES OF THE VARIOUS SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN NEW YORK STATE. IT'S LIKE EVERY STATE. BUT I THINK WE WE ARE A VERY DIVERSE STATE. WHEN YOU'VE GOT ONE OF THE YOU'VE GOT THE BIGGEST SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE COUNTRY, AND THEN YOU'VE GOT EXTREMELY RURAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITH, YOU KNOW, LESS THAN 500, 200, 300 KIDS. AND WE HAVE TWO SQUARE MILES OF GEOGRAPHY. I TALKED TO COLLEAGUES THAT HAD 1,900 SQUARE MILES OF GEOGRAPHY TO COVER. SO WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ENROLLMENT SHIFTS, YOU TALK ABOUT TAX CAPS, YOU TALK ABOUT FOUNDATION AID, YOU TALK ABOUT BUS CONVERSIONS TO EV BUSSES THAT WE DON'T JIM AND I REALLY DON'T TALK MUCH ABOUT BECAUSE WE DON'T OWN OUR BUS FLEET. BUT THESE, THESE, THESE DISTRICTS DO. SO IT'S REALLY CHALLENGING TO FIND POLICY THAT WORKS FOR THE ENTIRE STATE OF NEW YORK AND THEN TO DESIGN A FUNDING FORMULA THAT ALSO EQUITABLY MEETS THOSE NEEDS IS IS REALLY A CHALLENGE, BUT THEY SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGE. AND I THINK THAT'S PART ONE IS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND SO THAT THEY DO NO HARM AS THEY MAKE CHANGES. SO MORE TO COME THERE. I ALSO GOT TO ATTEND SESSIONS ON COMMUNICATIONS RELATED TO BUDGET AND BOND DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY INPUT. SO PICKED UP SOME GREAT IDEAS THERE. A WORKSHOP THAT I WAS PARTICULARLY INTERESTED ABOUT LOOKING AT THE THE DISTRICT OFFICE STRUCTURE AND LOOKING FOR CLARITY AND EFFICIENCY, BECAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING TO FIND WAYS TO WORK BETTER AS A TEAM. ANOTHER SESSION ON ASSESSING OUR SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, LEARNING AND MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS AND STRUCTURE WITHIN THE DISTRICT, WHICH WAS HELPFUL. AND THEN THE OTHER SESSION I WOULD HIGHLIGHT IS A COUPLE OF SESSIONS RELATED TO THE BLUE RIBBON COMMISSION LOOKING AT THE CHANGES, POTENTIAL CHANGES IN GRADUATION MEASURES. SO THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT MORE COMING THERE, A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES COMING OUT OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS. SO THANK YOU FOR THE TIME AWAY IT WAS REALLY, I THINK, REALLY BENEFICIAL AND LOOKING FORWARD TO SHARING THAT WITH THE TEAM. AND THEN FINALLY TONIGHT TO ROUND OUT TWO THINGS RELATED TO OUR GOALS. JUST AHEAD OF TONIGHT'S MEETING, I EMAILED THE BOARD JUST OUR FINALIZED GOALS SHEET. OBVIOUSLY, WE APPROVED YOUR WE TALKED ABOUT YOUR GOAL AS A SUMMER AT OUR RETREATS WE APPROVED THOSE BACK IN AUGUST. THE PIECE THAT I NEEDED TO ADD WAS WORKING WITH THE CABINET TO FLESH OUT THE TIMELINE, THE MONTH BY MONTH WORK THAT WE WILL DO AS A AS A TEAM, AS A GOVERNANCE TEAM, AND AS A DISTRICT TEAM TO BRING THOSE GOALS TO FRUITION AS WELL AS DATES FOR THE QUARTERLY REPORTS. SO THAT IS IN YOUR INBOX. AND YOU CAN GET A FLAVOR OF THE WORK THAT IS IN FRONT OF US. SO THANK YOU TO THE CABINET WHO SAT AND REALLY DID A LOT OF WORK TOGETHER WITH ME, BUT EVEN TOGETHER AS A GROUP IN MY ABSENCE REALLY MAPPING OUT THAT, THAT ROADMAP. AND I THINK LAST YEAR THAT SERVED US WELL AND WE WERE ABLE TO DELIVER AND HOPE THAT WE CAN DO THAT AGAIN FOR YOU TODAY. RELATED TO THAT, AND BECAUSE WE WERE IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT NOW, DIFFERENT STRATEGIC PLAN, AND PART OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN THROUGH [INAUDIBLE] WAS THE ABILITY TO HAVE A DASHBOARD. SO THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO SHOW YOU A LITTLE BIT OF TONIGHT. AND THIS REALLY WILL BE THE PIECE WHERE SOME OF THE THE MORE DISTRICT DRIVEN GOALS FOR THE YEAR WILL BE REFLECTED AND THE OUTCOMES STAGE THERE OVER THE YEARS. SO I'M JUST GOING TO GO UP TO THE SCREEN FOR A SECOND AND WALK YOU VERY QUICKLY THROUGH THAT. SO, SO THIS THE DASHBOARD, AS I SAID, IS SOMETHING THAT WAS PART OF OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH [INAUDIBLE] IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE ACCESS TO FOR FREE FOR SIX MONTHS. [00:30:01] AND IF WE FIND IT OF VALUE THEN WE CAN WE CAN FOR A PRETTY NOMINAL FEE MAINTAIN THIS GOING FORWARD. IT IS A FOR IT WAS AN OUTWARD FACING DASHBOARD, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE HAVE NOT HAD BEFORE. SO THIS IS SOMETHING NEW. AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT AS WE TALK AMONGST OURSELVES AT THE CABINET LEVEL, BUT WITH THE ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM ESPECIALLY, WE REALLY FELT THAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO IT QUICKLY JUST TO GET IT DONE. WE WANT TO TAKE OUR TIME, BE VERY METHODICAL AND VERY INTENTIONAL SO THAT WE DO IT RIGHT. SO WHAT WE'VE GOT IS KIND OF A STARTING POINT. THIS IS NOT YET PUBLISHED ON OUR WEBSITE. I WANTED TO SHOW IT TO THE BOARD FIRST TONIGHT. THE ADMINISTRATORS HAVE SEEN A LITTLE TASTE OF WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE AS WELL. SO WE WANT TO SHOW THEM ONE MORE GLANCE OF THAT AND THEN WE WILL GET THE LIVE. WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR THE LIVE LINK FROM THE COMPANY TOO. SO ONCE WE GET THAT, WE WILL GET THAT UP SO THAT EVERYONE CAN SEE. SO THE LANDING PAGE AND THIS WILL BE LINKED TO FROM OUR PELHAM PUBLIC, OUR DISTRICT WEBSITE IF YOU GO TO THE DISTRICT PAGE STRATEGIC PLANNING SITE, THERE WILL BE A BOX TO CLICK THAT WILL BRING YOU TO THIS LANDING PAGE. AND IT STARTS WITH JUST AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROCESS. THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS THAT WE WENT THROUGH GIVES YOU KIND OF THE NARRATIVE ON THAT. AND TOWARDS THE BOTTOM IT SHOWS YOU REALLY THE THE ITEMS THAT WE ARRIVED AT, WHICH WAS THE MISSION VALUES AND PRIORITY. AND WE'VE GOT WE SHOULD HAVE VISION ON THERE AS WELL. WE'RE STILL DOING SOME PROOFREADING ON THIS AS WELL. SO YEAH, WE WILL NEED TO ADD OUR VISION HERE AS WELL. BUT YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE THE FOLKS THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THIS SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE PROCESS ITSELF, MISSION CORE VALUES AND OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES. WHEN YOU GO TO THE INDICATORS PAGE, THAT'S WHERE YOU START TO SEE WHAT I BELIEVE IS THE DASHBOARD THAT THE BOARD WAS LOOKING FOR, WHERE WE START TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE GRANULAR AND SHOW SOME KEY KEY INDICATORS AND STRATEGIC INDICATORS. SO WHAT WE HAVE FOR YOU TONIGHT IS THE STARTING POINT IS SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE EITHER VERY PROCESS ORIENTED OR KIND OF DEMOGRAPHIC ORIENTED AS A STARTING PLACE TO JUST GIVE SOME CONTEXT. SO HERE YOU'VE GOT INDICATORS. IT GIVES THINGS LIKE AVERAGE ELEMENTARY CLASS SIZE, ENROLLMENT, ETC.. WE TRIED TO PUT THE DATES ON SOME OF THESE BECAUSE THEY DO THIS CAME IN SOME OF THIS CAME FROM THE NYSED.GOV PUBLIC SITE, WHICH IS DATA THAT'S PULLED STRAIGHT FROM OUR INTERNAL STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS. IT'S LOADED UP TO THE STATE AND THEN IT IS PUBLISHED. IT DOES HAVE A LAG TIME ON IT, WHICH IS WHY SOME OF THIS IS FROM THE 2023 YEAR. SO ONCE EXCUSE ME, AS WE GET THIS UP AND RUNNING, WE WILL ADD UPDATES TO IT TO HAVE THE MOST CURRENT INFORMATION THAT IS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE. SO AGAIN, YOU'VE GOT HERE SOME BASIC DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ABOUT US AS A DISTRICT. STILL VERY ACCURATE. YOU MOVE INTO THE STRATEGIC PLANNING PLANNING DOCUMENTS, THESE THIS IS ANYTHING RELATED TO THE PROCESS THAT WE JUST COMPLETED. SO IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE ACTUAL PLAN ITSELF, YOU CLICK ON THE LITTLE I EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT HYPERLINKED, YOU CLICK ON THE APPROVED STRATEGIC PLAN. AND THEN YOU SEE IT'LL TAKE YOU TO THE POWERPOINT THAT THE BOARD APPROVED AT OUR MEETING. I HOPE I DON'T LOG US OUT INADVERTENTLY. OKAY, GOOD. SO THAT'S HOW THAT WORKS. THE WORK PLANS THAT THE ADMINISTRATORS PUT TOGETHER WOULD BE UNDER THE WORK PLANS TITLE. AND THEN IF YOU WANT TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE SURVEY, THE SLIDES THAT WERE USED DURING TRAINING, ETC.. SO THAT'S KIND OF THE ARCHIVE OF THE DOCUMENTS THROUGHOUT OUR PROCESS. WHEN YOU GET DOWN TO THE NEXT SECTION, YOU GET TO THE TITLES THAT ARE THEN GOING TO REPRESENT EACH OF THE THREE PRIORITY AREAS. AND THE BOARD HAS THE, HAS SEEN THE WORK PLANS AND YOU'VE SEEN THE STRATEGIC INDICATORS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED. THOSE WILL SOME OF THEM ARE ALREADY HERE, SOME OF THOSE WILL THEN CONTINUE TO BE POPULATED AS WE CONTINUE TO MEET WITH THE ADMINISTRATORS AND REALLY LOOK AT HOW WE WANT TO CURATE THAT DATA IN A WAY THAT MAKES SENSE, BECAUSE DATA WITHOUT CONTEXT IS MEANINGLESS OR CAN BE MISREAD, MISINTERPRETED. AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO A GOOD JOB OF PROVIDING THE CONTEXT SO PEOPLE CAN PUT IT IN ITS RIGHTFUL PLACE. AND I KNOW THAT THE BOARD IS AWARE OF THIS, BUT JUST A REMINDER, MISS COMERFORD IS WORKING WITH THE ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM BETWEEN NOW AND NOVEMBER 6TH TO DO EXACTLY THAT WITH OUR DATA ANYWAYS, TO PREPARE FOR THE BOARD PRESENTATION. SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO DO IS USE THAT PREPARATION FOR DUAL PURPOSES. SO SHE WILL WORK WITH THE [INAUDIBLE] THE APPROPRIATE DATA. SO WE HAVE THE STUDENT OUTCOMES INDICATORS, STATE ASSESSMENTS, REGENTS AP, ALL THESE OTHER KINDS OF OUTCOMES DATA THAT WE TEND TO LOOK AT AND THAT WE'VE BUILT IN AS PART OF THIS PLAN TO PREPARE FOR THAT SO THAT SHE CAN PROVIDE YOU THEN THAT AS THE BOARD, THE PROPER CONTEXT TO UNDERSTAND THAT. AND THEN AFTER THAT PRESENTATION, WE'RE GOING TO THEN WORK TO BUILD THAT DATA OUT INTO THIS, ONTO THIS WEBSITE. SO AND AGAIN WITH THAT CONTEXT PROVIDED. SO AGAIN WE PUT SOME GENERAL THINGS THAT ARE OUT THERE FOR FOLKS ATTENDANCE RATE OF 95%. WE DID PROVIDE THAT TO THE BOARD EARLIER THIS YEAR. THAT'S SOMETHING WE TRACK ON AN ANNUAL BASIS AS PART OF OUR ATTENDANCE POLICY. [00:35:04] WE'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE THAT I KNOW A LOT OF DISTRICTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU THINK OF BIGGER CITIES, ARE VERY MUCH STRUGGLING WITH SOME MAJOR CHRONIC ATTENDANCE ISSUES. WE DO HAVE POST PANDEMIC. YES, WE HAVE KIDS WHO ARE STILL STRUGGLING IN SOME AREAS, BUT NOT AT THE DEGREE THAT MANY OTHER DISTRICTS ARE. SO WE'RE VERY THANKFUL FOR THAT AND THANKFUL FOR THE WORK THAT OUR BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN DOING, OUR CLINICIANS AND OUR ADMINISTRATORS TO HELP SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS, WORKING WITH FAMILIES TO KEEP A REALLY HIGH ATTENDANCE RATE AND OF COURSE, HIGH GRADUATION RATE, THANKS TO THAT SAME WORK AS WELL. SO YOU SEE HERE SOME COMING SOON TILES. SO THAT'S WHERE WE'LL BE POPULATING SOME OF THAT ACADEMIC DATA EVENTUALLY. AND WE ALSO ARE WORKING ON A SYSTEM TO BETTER TRACK EXTRA CURRICULAR AND CO-CURRICULAR PARTICIPATION. SO WE DID SOME SELF REPORTING IN THE PRIOR YEARS. WE LOOKED AT IT AND SAID IT'S IT'S GIVING US SOMETHING, BUT WE KNOW IT'S NOT ACCURATE AND RELIABLE. SO WE WANT TO WORK HARDER TO BUILD A SYSTEM THERE. AND THEN ONCE WE HAVE A SYSTEM IN PLACE, WE'LL START TO POPULATE THAT OUT. WHEN YOU MOVE INTO PRIORITY AREA TWO, WHICH WAS THE BELONGING AND WELLNESS. AGAIN, YOU SEE SOME SOME BASIC INDICATORS THAT FOLKS OFTEN WOULD LOOK TO, TO LOOK AT BELONGING AND WELLNESS AND SCHOOL CULTURE. OFTEN THAT IS ATTENDANCE RATES OR STUDENT ATTENDANCE RATE, TEACHER ATTENDANCE RATE THE STUDENT TEACHER RATIO. AND THAT CAN BE A LITTLE DECEPTIVE. WE DON'T MOST OF OUR CLASSES ARE NOT 12 TO 1. BUT WHEN YOU TAKE THE AGGREGATE OF OUR LARGEST CLASSES, SMALLER CLASSES, PUT THAT ALL IN THE MIX YOU DO COME OUT WITH A 12 TO 1 RATIO. TEACHERS WITH FOUR OR MORE, FOUR OR MORE YEARS EXPERIENCE. WE THOUGHT THAT WAS ACTUALLY AN INTERESTING ITEM THERE TOO, BECAUSE THAT SPEAKS TO IT SPEAKS TO EXPERIENCE, SO TEACHER EXPERIENCE. AND THERE'S A LOT OF RESEARCH SHOWING THAT TEACHERS IN THEIR FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS GROW IN THEIR EFFECTIVENESS. SO THE SHOWS THAT WE'VE GOT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF OUR TEACHERS HAVE THAT BASE FOUNDATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE IN PLACE. BUT THEN IT ALSO SHOWS THAT THEY STAY. SO WE THOUGHT THAT WAS A MEANINGFUL NUMBER. ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WE WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT RELATED TO STUDENTS DEMONSTRATING CIVILITY IS HOW MANY STUDENTS WERE. AND THIS IS A STARTING NUMBER. HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE GRADUATING WITH A SEAL OF CIVIC READINESS. WE PILOTED THAT LAST YEAR, WHICH IS WHY 64 SENIORS OUT OF A CLASS OF OVER 200. YES, IT'S A SMALL NUMBER, BUT IT WAS A PILOT. IT WAS ALL THE STUDENTS THAT WERE PART OF THE PILOT EVENTUALLY GRADUATED WITH THAT. SO WE'VE EXPANDED THAT. WE'RE LOOKING FOR THAT NUMBER TO GROW THIS YEAR. AND THEN AS WE ADMINISTER FALL STUDENT CLIMATE SURVEYS, WE'LL PROBABLY PICK SOME SOME MEANINGFUL PIECES OUT OF THAT AND ALSO NEED TO IDENTIFY SOME PIECES FROM LAST YEAR'S STAFF CLIMATE SURVEY AND FIND SOME THINGS. AGAIN, THAT WAS SOME PRETTY NUANCED DATA IN THERE. SO WE WANT TO TAKE THE TIME TO FIND THE RIGHT DATA TO INDICATE SOMETHING MEANINGFUL ABOUT STAFF SURVEY. SO THAT WILL BE POPULATED AGAIN OVER THE COURSE OF THESE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS. AND THEN MOVING INTO THE THIRD AREA OF FINANCE OR EXCUSE ME, FACILITIES AND SUSTAINABLE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS. THIS IS A LITTLE BIT MORE DOCUMENT POLICY RELATED HERE. BUT THIS WE WE PUT IN SOME OF THE MATERIALS FROM OUR VERY LAST MEETING. OUR BUILDING CONDITION SURVEY, CAPACITY STUDY OR DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY SO THAT THOSE ARE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE. THOSE ARE DOCUMENTS THAT ARE INCREDIBLY INFORMATIVE TOWARDS OUR GOALS IN THAT AREA. ALWAYS NICE TO HAVE TO KEEP THAT BEFORE US A NICE TRIPLE-A S&P RATING. WE MENTIONED THAT AT OUR WORKSHOP LAST TIME TOO. THAT'S A STRONG, STRONG FINANCIAL INDICATOR FOR US AND SOMETHING WE WANT TO MAINTAIN AS WE HEAD INTO THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS. AND THEN SOME OF THE OTHER ITEMS THAT WERE INCLUDED UNDER THAT GOAL HAD TO DO WITH UPDATING OF POLICIES. SO AS WE GET OUR POLICY COMMITTEE UP AND RUNNING FOR THIS YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO START TO ADD THOSE NUMBERS IN AS WE PASS THOSE POLICIES AND CONTINUE TO SEE SOME GROWTH THERE. AND THEN THERE WERE ACTUALLY ITEMS RELATED TO THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT THAT WHEN WE DEVELOPED THE WORK PLAN, WE REALIZED THERE MAY BE SOME INDICATORS THERE ARE SOME INDICATORS THAT ARE WORTHWHILE IN THE SENIOR EXIT SURVEY. SO WE'RE GOING TO PULL SOME PIECES OUT OF THAT. THOSE COULD GO THERE WITH THOSE MAY END UP ALSO GOING IN UNDER THE BELONGING AND WELLNESS BECAUSE THEY DID SPEAK TO SCHOOL CLIMATE AS WELL. SO THAT'S WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT. LIKE I SAID, WE'RE DOING THE FINAL PROOFREAD OF IT. ONE MORE SECTION TO SHOW YOU AND THAT'S THE STRATEGY SECTION. AND WE DIDN'T PUT EVERYTHING THAT WAS ON THE 26 PAGE WORK WORK PLAN HERE. BUT WHAT I DID WAS WE PULLED OUT THOSE ITEMS THAT RELATED TO THE INDICATORS ON THE PRIOR PAGE AND THEN TRIED TO HIGHLIGHT WHICH WHICH OF THOSE STRATEGIC ACTIONS AND STRATEGIES ARE MOST LIKELY TO GET US THE MOVEMENT ON THOSE STRATEGIC INDICATORS. SO HERE ON THIS PAGE WE'VE GOT THE DIFFERENT PRIORITY AREAS AND SOME OF THE STRATEGIC INDICATORS. SOME OF THEM HAD SUB ACTIVITIES. SO YOU COULD YOU COULD DROP DOWN HERE AND SEE OKAY THERE'S THREE ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES UNDER THIS REVIEW KEY PERFORMANCE DATA, DEFINE TARGET METRICS, REVIEW THE MTTS FRAMEWORK AND DISCUSS PLANS FOR COMMUNICATION OF THAT. SO AS WE COMPLETE THAT WORK WE'LL THEN INDICATE WHERE WE ARE ON THAT SPECTRUM OF HOW COMPLETE ARE WE ON THAT WORK. SO I'M SORRY. THE THE GREEN BUBBLE, FOR EXAMPLE THAT THAT IS PROGRESS ON ALL OF THOSE. THAT IS PROGRESS. THAT ONE GREEN BUBBLE IS PROGRESS ON THESE THREE ON THE THREE SUB THREE SUB STRATEGIES. [00:40:05] THANK YOU. YEAH. AND SO IT'S A LITTLE CHALLENGING. AND I KNOW I KNOW THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS WE ALWAYS GO BACK TO SCHOOLS ARE SO MUCH MORE QUALITATIVE THAN BUSINESS. SO IT'S HARD BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE ARE PROCESS. SO WE'RE GOING TO DO OUR BEST TO KIND OF ASSESS, SELF-REFLECT AND ASSESS. YOU KNOW, WHEN I COME TO YOU AT THE MIDYEAR POINT, YOU KNOW, DO WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE 25% TOWARDS THAT? DO WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE 50% AND TRY TO GET AN HONEST GAUGE AS WE SHARE OUT THE MID-YEAR REPORT AND THEN THE END OF THE YEAR REPORT. AND THEN THE OTHER THING ABOUT SCHOOLS THAT I THINK I KNOW THE BOARD ALL KNOWS MANY OF THESE THINGS ARE NOT ONE AND DONE. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS YEAR BY THE END OF THE YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO 100% AND THEN WE NEVER TOUCH IT AGAIN. THAT'S NOT HOW WE DO BUSINESS. SO A LOT OF THEM WILL BE THEY MAY NOT BE FULLY COMPLETE THIS YEAR AND THEY MAY CONTINUE INTO FUTURE YEARS OR THEY MAY BE FULLY COMPLETE THIS YEAR, BUT THEY MAY CONTINUE TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE ARE ALWAYS WORKING TOWARDS AND PROGRESSING ON. SO AS WE LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW TO USE THE DASHBOARD, WE'LL EVOLVE IT AND WE'LL ADJUST AND HOPE THAT IT THAT IT FILLS, FILLS THAT THE PLACE, THE ROLE OF THE INFORMATION THAT THE BOARD WAS LOOKING FOR. AND THE WAY THAT COMMUNITY INTERACTS WITH THIS, IF YOU GO BACK TO THE OTHER SCREEN WITH THE GREEN BUBBLE WELL, I JUST SAW THAT THERE WAS DETAILS LIKE A DROP DOWN MENU. YES. SO THEN IS THAT IF WE SEE LIKE WE'RE 10% TOWARDS OUR GOAL, AND THEN YOU, HERE THE THREE STRATEGIES THAT ENCOMPASSES THIS GREEN BUBBLE AND THEN THEY HIT THE DETAILS AND THAT THAT'S WHERE MORE ABOUT WHAT GOES INTO THAT OR? TO A DEGREE. AND THIS IS WHERE AND THIS IS HONESTLY WE'RE STILL LEARNING THE SYSTEM. IT WOULD, IT WOULD LIKELY RESIDE HERE. I THINK THE QUESTION FOR US IS JUST GOING TO BE LIKE, TO WHAT DEGREE ARE WE TO WHAT DEGREE ARE WE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL? BECAUSE THIS EVERYTHING ON THE DASHBOARD IS MANUALLY ENTERED. IT'S NOT FEEDING LIVE TIME FROM A STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEM OR FROM A-- NOT EVEN THE DATA SET. NO, IT'S NOT PULLING DIRECTLY FROM. NO, NO, IT'S ALL IT'S ALL A LOT OF LABEL ENTRY RIGHT. AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO AS WE LEARN HOW HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'LL ASSESS TOO ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF IT IS, IS IT PROVIDING THE INFORMATION THAT FOLKS WANT AND WANT TO HAVE OUT PUBLICLY. AND THEN WHAT LEVEL OF DETAIL IS SUSTAINABLE FOR US TO TO MAINTAIN? SO I, I WILL ALWAYS TURN TO MY FRIEND JIM FOR A GOOD PHRASE. SO TO WHAT DEGREE IS IT? IS THE JUICE WORTH THE SQUEEZE? THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO ASSESS AS WE LEARN THE TOOL. THIS WILL BE INTERESTING. IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF IT IS RIGHT. YEAH. YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE THING, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOOD AS FAR AS CLARITY AND CLARITY IS ALWAYS GOOD. I THINK THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL. SO I THINK IT'S I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT I APPRECIATE ABOUT THE DISTRICT AND THE CABINET AND IS THE TRANSPARENCY THAT YOU'RE WILLING TO OFFER. AND THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT, LIKE WE ARE EXPLORING OPTIONS THAT YOU GUYS, THE CABINET HERE HAS TALKED ABOUT EXPLORING OPTIONS TO PROVIDE MORE TRANSPARENCY INTO WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR DISTRICT. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S LIMITS WITH THAT, OF COURSE, RIGHT. YOU CAN'T JUST BE FULLY TRANSPARENT, RIGHT. BUT WE'RE NOT A WINDOW. BUT LIKE THIS IS REALLY INTERESTING. SO LIKE, I, I HOPE IT DOES. I HOPE THE JUICE IS WORTH THE SQUEEZE BECAUSE THIS WOULD BE GREAT, A GREAT TOOL TO HAVE AS LONG AS, LIKE THE MANUAL LABOR THAT GOES INTO IT IS LIKE THE BALANCE MAKES SENSE, RIGHT? BUT BUT I DO. I REALLY DO WANT TO JUST LIKE, TAKE A SECOND AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, LIKE THE APPRECIATION OF THE AMOUNT OF TRANSPARENCY AND LIKE THE WILLINGNESS TO BE TRANSPARENT AND KIND OF THE THOUGHT THAT GOES INTO THAT. I THINK IT'S JUST ONE OF THE WAYS PELHAM IS UNIQUE AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. YEAH. OKAY. I THANK YOU AS WELL. THIS THIS PUTTING THE DASHBOARD TOGETHER HAS BEEN SORT OF A LABOR OF SOMETHING THAT WE THAT YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON, THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON. RIGHT. WE'VE BEEN THE DISTRICTS HAVE BEEN WORKING ON FOR SEVERAL YEARS, I THINK. YEAH. YEAH. I JUST WANT TO ECHO IT. I LOVE A GOOD DASHBOARD. AND BUT IT IS A STARTING POINT. IT WILL EVOLVE. IT WILL CHANGE. LIKE YOU'LL DETERMINE WHAT IS A BETTER METRIC VERSUS NOT. SO IT'S AN INCREDIBLE START. AND I THINK BEING AGILE AND ITERATIVE TO IT IS GOING TO BE KEY. YEAH. YEAH. YEAH. GREAT. ALL RIGHT. WELL. THANK YOU. THAT ENDS MY REPORT. OH. WELL, THEN I HAVE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR SOMETHING ELSE, BECAUSE WHAT I THOUGHT WAS REALLY COOL, AND I'M SORRY. BEAR WITH ME AS I PRACTICE DOING THIS, SOMEBODY WHO'S, LIKE, SPEAKING VOICE IS JUST AUTOMATICALLY SET TO LOUD. [00:45:03] THESE MICROPHONES ARE NO ONE'S EVER GIVEN ME A MICROPHONE AND ENCOURAGED ME TO USE IT. SO, LIKE, I KNOW THIS IS THE FIRST FOR ME, BUT I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE NYS [INAUDIBLE] WHATEVER THAT ACRONYM IS. MENISCUS. MENISCUS. SO MANY ACRONYMS. BUT THANK YOU FOR MAKING THAT A PRIORITY FOR YOURSELF, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S REALLY COOL THAT YOU ARE A PART OF THIS GROUP AND BEING A PART OF A WORKSHOP LIKE THAT AND STAYING ON THE ON TOP OF WHAT IS HAPPENING LEGISLATIVELY, AROUND AND AROUND THE DISTRICT OR I MEAN AROUND LIKE OUR REGION IN THE SCHOOLS. I MEAN, IT REALLY HELPS US TO THINK, LIKE PROACTIVELY WHAT WE CAN DO AND WHAT'S COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE. AND WE CAN REALLY THINK AND LIKE GETTING THESE UPDATES. SO IT'S IMPORTANT WORK THAT AND YOU'RE SO BUSY. I MEAN, WE'RE ALL SO BUSY, RIGHT? BUT IT'S REALLY IT'S IMPORTANT WORK THAT YOU'RE THAT TO BE A PART OF THAT GROUP AND TO TO DO IT. SO THANK YOU FOR MAKING THAT A PRIORITY FOR FOR THE DISTRICT BECAUSE IT'S HELPFUL. YEAH IT IS. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. OKAY. WE CAN MOVE TO 4.2 BOARD OF EDUCATION COMMITTEE REPORTS. [4.2 Board of Education Committee Reports] WITH VARIOUS REPRESENTATIVES OF THE BUILDINGS AND OUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE SERVICES. AND TOM, THANKS FOR FOR LEADING THAT MEETING. SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MEETING WERE GETTING SOME MORE CONTEXT AROUND THE DISTRICT WIDE SAFETY PLAN APPROVAL THAT I THINK WE'LL BE HEARING MORE ABOUT TONIGHT, UNLESS I'M MISTAKEN. AND SOME OF THE REFINEMENTS TO THE SAFETY PLAN THAT, THAT ARE, THAT ARE EXTREMELY WORTHWHILE. THERE WAS A RECAP OF THE BUILDING LEVEL EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM MEETINGS AND SOME OF THE LEARNINGS FROM THAT. THE TRAINING OF OUR EMPLOYEES NEVER SEEMS TO END, WHICH IS A GOOD THING. WHETHER IT'S CPR OR I'M GOING TO MISPRONOUNCE THIS [INAUDIBLE] GLUCAGON, NARCAN, EPIPEN, WHICH I THINK HAS BEEN IN USE A LONG TIME. BUT NOW THERE ARE THESE OTHER TREATMENTS BEING BEING OFFERED OR BEING TRAINING FOR THESE NEW TREATMENTS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT. THERE WAS SOME TALK OF OUTSOURCING, SOME ADDITIONAL SECURITY HEADCOUNT, OR AT LEAST HAVING A SOURCE FOR ADDITIONAL SECURITY HEADCOUNT WHEN NEEDED. WHEN WE ARE RUNNING SHORT, JUST AS A BACKSTOP FOR FOR RESOURCE. I THINK WE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE CLOVERFIELD PARKING SITUATION AND THE GATE CLOSURE THAT THE PEOPLE SHOULD GET IN THE HABIT OF, OF ANTICIPATING. SO I THINK THOSE WERE SOME OF THE PRIMARY POINTS, BUT A VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETING. THANKS. NEXT IS 4.3 ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENTS UPDATE ON PERSONAL GROWTH AND ACHIEVEMENT. [4.3 Assistant Superintendent's Update on Personal Growth and Achievement] GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU. SO DURING THE FIRST FEW WEEKS OF SCHOOL, TEACHERS ARE FOCUSED ON BUILDING STRONG RELATIONSHIPS AND GETTING TO KNOW THEIR STUDENTS. AS PART OF THAT, THEY ARE FREQUENTLY ASSESSING STUDENTS IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THEIR READINESS LEVELS FOR LEARNING THE REQUIRED CONTENT AND IDENTIFYING NEEDS FOR SUPPORT. SO IN GRADES K THROUGH 8, WE USE AIMSWEB SCREENER ASSESSMENTS FOR MATH AND ELA TO HELP US UNDERSTAND HOW STUDENTS ARE PROGRESSING TOWARD ACADEMIC ACADEMIC GOALS, TO GUIDE INSTRUCTIONAL PLANNING, AND TO PROVIDE EARLY WARNINGS OR INFORMATION ABOUT STUDENTS WHO MAY NEED ADDITIONAL HELP. AS AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE SUPPORT STUDENTS MIGHT RECEIVE, STUDENTS MIGHT RECEIVE SUPPORT TEACHERS HAVE BEGUN USING READING PLUS IN THEIR CLASSROOMS. READING PLUS PROVIDES AN INTEGRATED READING INTERVENTION PROGRAM FOR ALL LEARNERS AND INCLUDES ADAPTIVE ASSESSMENT, PERSONALIZED INSTRUCTION AND PRACTICE, AND EASILY ACCESSIBLE RESOURCES THAT ENABLE TEACHERS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THEIR STUDENTS. SUZANNE SHORT AND ELEMENTARY TEACHERS HAVE ARE ENGAGING IN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING THAT WILL HELP TEACHERS SUPPORT AND BUILD EXPERTISE IN LEADING ASSESSMENT BASED GROUP SMALL GROUP LESSONS TO ADDRESS RANGE OF [INAUDIBLE] READERS NEEDS. MARK SIRICO AND THE SEAL OF SEAL OF CIVIC READINESS COMMITTEE HAS STARTED MEETING, AND THE WORK IS BEING WOVEN ACROSS MULTIPLE MULTIPLE COURSES. AS THE PROJECTS ARE CREATED THAT ALIGN WITH THE STANDARDS AND IN THE GOAL OF GROWING THIS PROGRAM AND THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO ARE GRADUATING WITH THE SEAL. WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO THIS WORK AS IT EVOLVES. [00:50:03] BY WEAVING THE SEAL OF CIVIC READINESS STANDARDS INTO A VARIETY OF SUBJECTS, WE'RE NOT ONLY PROMOTING CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, BUT ALSO CULTIVATING SKILLS THAT ARE ESSENTIAL FOR THE SUCCESS IN BOTH ACADEMIC IN THE REAL WORLD SETTINGS. AND THEN ON SEPTEMBER 30TH, DR. CALLAHAN AND THE MATH AND SCIENCE DEPARTMENTS, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE COMMUNITY PARTNER MINDSET IS WILL BEGIN HOSTING THE ELEMENTARY STEM MOVIE SERIES AT THE PICTURE HOUSE. THIS EVENT IS FREE OF CHARGE AND OPEN TO ALL PELHAM FAMILIES. SCREENING OF IRON GIANT WILL BEGIN AT 6 P.M. AND SPECIAL THANKS TO THE KELTON FAMILY, WHOSE GENEROUS GRANT SPONSORS THIS THIS FILM. AT THE HIGH SCHOOL WE'VE MENTIONED THE ADDITION. WE NOW HAVE THREE COMPUTER SCIENCE COURSES OFFERED FOR COLLEGE CREDIT. THIS IS AN INCREASE OF TWO FROM THE PRE-PANDEMIC YEARS. IN ADDITION TO AP COMPUTER SCIENCE PRINCIPLES, WE'RE NOW RUNNING AP COMPUTER SCIENCE A, THIS IS THE HIGHER AP COMPUTER SCIENCE COURSE AND THEN OUR OUR DATA SCIENCE COURSE, ROOTED IN REAL WORLD APPLICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY AND MATH AND SCIENCE, IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH IONA UNIVERSITY FOR COLLEGE CREDIT AND COMPUTER SCIENCE. DR. CALLAHAN, THE SCIENCE DEPARTMENT HAVE WORKED HARD NOW FOR INTEGRATING THE NEW NEW YORK STATE SCIENCE STANDARDS AS THEY CONTINUE TO ROLL OUT. THIS YEAR, THE MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS HAVE ADOPTED A NEW CURRICULA THAT ALIGNS WITH THE NEXT GEN CURRICULUM THAT THE ELEMENTARY TEACHERS HAVE STARTED IMPLEMENTING AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL AS A SPIRAL. SO SIXTH AND SEVENTH GRADE TEACHERS HAVE BEGUN TEACHING BRAND NEW, HANDS ON, INQUIRY BASED EXPERIENCES IN SCIENCE AND [INAUDIBLE], AND OUR HIGH SCHOOL LIFE SCIENCE TEACHERS, FORMERLY LIVING ENVIRONMENT, HAVE ALSO BEGUN USING [INAUDIBLE] FOR THEIR NEW LIFE SCIENCE SLASH BIOLOGY REGIONS CURRICULUM THIS YEAR. THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL MATH DEPARTMENTS HAVE STARTED THE YEAR EXAMINING MULTIPLE WAYS TO USE DATA TO INFORM INSTRUCTION, DIFFERENTIATE LEARNING AND ENGAGE STUDENTS. AND THEIR GOAL IS ALWAYS TO FOSTER AN APPRECIATION AND ALWAYS THE HOPEFULLY A LOVE OF MATHEMATICS. FOR SUPPORT DROP IN MATH STARTED AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY STUDENTS CAN RECEIVE HELP IN MATH BY A MATH TEACHER BEFORE OR AFTER SCHOOL. IMPORTANT UPCOMING EVENTS. OCTOBER 5TH A REMINDER OCTOBER 8TH, EXCUSE ME, K THROUGH 5 CURRICULUM NIGHT AT PROSPECT HILL. I COULDN'T HAVE REPRESENTED THE PLC DAY BETTER THAN DR. CHAMP, SO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT FOR ME. AND THEN TO CONTINUE THE THEME OF THE EVENING, I WANT TO EXPRESS GRATITUDE TO DR. CHAMP, THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND THE COMMUNITY OF PELHAM FOR SUPPORTING OUR FACULTY, STAFF AND THE PROGRAMS LIKE THE ONES I MENTIONED AND OTHERS, TO ENSURE THAT OUR STUDENTS CONTINUE TO GROW AND TO THRIVE. THANK YOU. OKAY. HI, COULD YOU MAYBE JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SEAL OF CIVIC READINESS AND WHAT GOES INTO THAT? BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WAS A PILOT PROGRAM FOR THE STATE, AND THERE'S REQUIREMENTS THAT GO INTO IT. THE MAIN ONE BEING, IN ORDER TO LIKE, YOU HAVE TO BE ON A REGENTS TRACK IN ORDER TO QUALIFY. AND SO JUST KIND OF WHAT ARE THOSE WHAT GOES INTO THAT? SURE. I'LL SPEAK AS MUCH AS I CAN TO IT. THE SO ONE THING TO THINK ABOUT IS AS NEW YORK STATE MOVES TO REEXAMINE THE PROFILE OF A GRADUATE AND THE PATHWAYS TO GRADUATION. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE STATE IS MOVING TOWARDS IS ONE DIPLOMA FOR ALL STUDENTS IN NEW YORK STATE. WE HAVE THREE CURRENTLY THAT ARE THAT ARE POSSIBLE, AND WE ARE MOVING TO ONE. AND INSTEAD OF HAVING SEPARATE DIPLOMAS THAT NEW YORK STATE STUDENTS CAN RECEIVE, THEY WANT TO MOVE TO ONE REGENTS DIPLOMA IN WHICH STUDENTS CAN EARN SEALS THAT KIND OF ARE ADDED TO THAT DIPLOMA TO MARK THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS AND EFFORTS THROUGH THEIR HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE. SO YOU'VE YOU'VE HEARD OF CIVIC READINESS HERE. AND THEN ALSO THERE'S SEAL OF BILITERACY AND WHAT WE EXPECT TO SEE MANY MORE OF THESE SEALS BEING ADDED TO, TO THE POTENTIALITY FOR MARKING A STUDENT'S EXCEPTIONAL EFFORT IN CERTAIN AREAS. FOR THE SEAL OF CIVIC READINESS, THE STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THEIR FOUR YEAR HIGH SCHOOL CAREER MEET CERTAIN BENCHMARKS AND CRITERIA. THAT IS A KIND OF MENU LIKE IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY HAVE ACHIEVED IN TERMS IN, YOU KNOW, IN THE SOCIAL SCIENCES TOWARDS GRADUATION. AND THAT CAN BE PARTICIPATION IN CERTAIN COURSES, IT CAN BE PROJECTS AND ESSAYS, AND I CAN I CAN PULL IT UP OR PUT IT IN MY NEXT DASHBOARD WHAT THE EXACT CRITERIA IS. BUT I HONESTLY HAVEN'T MISSED THE FIRST COMMITTEE MEETING AND NEED TO DO A LITTLE MORE RESEARCH ON THE SPECIFIC CRITERIA. BUT THE IDEA IS THAT THROUGHOUT YOUR FOUR YEAR CAREER, YOU WILL TAKE THE TWO REGIONS, ACHIEVE MASTERY, AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, YOU WILL TAKE, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT COURSES IN SOCIAL SCIENCES THAT REFLECT YOUR YOUR CIVIC READINESS, IF YOU WILL. [00:55:04] SO IT'S NOT ADDITIONAL COURSEWORK ON TOP OF IS IT ADDITIONAL COURSEWORK ON TOP OF YOUR REGULAR COURSEWORK, OR IS IT LIKE BAKED IN? IT'S THE REGULAR COURSEWORK YOU'RE JUST PICKING MAYBE A SPECIFIC SOCIAL STUDIES CLASS THAT QUALIFIES AS MEETING A SEAL, RIGHT? SO THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL, BUT THAT'S KIND OF LIKE A TRAP STONE FOR WHAT YOU KNOW KIND OF WRAPS IT ALL TOGETHER, IF YOU WILL. BUT YOUR COURSE, THE COURSEWORK REQUIRED, IS COURSES THAT ALL STUDENTS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE AND MEET THE MEET THE CRITERIA. DO YOU REMEMBER? SO LAST YEAR, DO YOU REMEMBER HOW MANY STUDENTS? 64 ON THE DASHBOARD. OH, YEAH. OH YEAH. THAT'S RIGHT. THE DASHBOARD. AND I CERTAINLY WILL GIVE MORE INFORMATION, AS I DIDN'T MEAN TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT. THAT'S OKAY. IT WAS JUST INTERESTING TO THINK ABOUT, LIKE A WHAT THIS COULD MEAN FOR OUR STUDENTS OR WHAT? HOW? SO IF WE'RE, I GUESS, IS THIS MEANT TO HELP THEM STAND OUT FOR COLLEGES? LIKE, WHAT'S THE GOAL? IS THIS SOMETHING THEY'RE DOING FOR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT? I THINK IT WOULD BE BOTH. SO ANY STUDENT WHO HAS ANY INCLINATION TOWARDS TOWARDS THIS, YOU KNOW, TO TO TOWARDS CIVIC WORK OR SOCIAL SCIENCES WOULD BE INTERESTED AND WOULD PROBABLY EASILY MEET THE CRITERIA ANYWAY. AND SO THEN THAT KIND OF ADDS TO THEIR CURRICULUM VITAE OR RESUME, IF YOU WILL. AND THEN IN, IN ADDITION IT CAN BE APPEALING FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR FUTURE ASPIRATIONS AS WELL. SO I CAN TELL YOU THERE'S FOUR CREDITS OF SOCIAL STUDIES THAT ARE REQUIRED FOR THE SEAL OF CIVIC READINESS, MASTERY LEVEL ON THE REGENTS EXAM, AS WE TALKED ABOUT, SOCIAL STUDIES, REGENTS EXAMS, AND THEN SOME ADVANCED SOCIAL STUDIES COURSES. AND THEN THERE'S A RESEARCH PROJECT WOULD PROBABLY BE WOVEN INTO THAT. AND THEN THERE'S THERE'S A PROJECT, THERE ARE DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT CAN BE CHOSEN, AND EACH OF THESE HAS A WEIGHT AND YOU CAN KIND OF CHOOSE A MENU, YOU CAN CHOOSE YOU NEED SIX POINTS. AND SO EACH OF THESE HAS A POINT CREDIT NEXT TO IT. AND SO YOU CAN KIND OF PIECE TOGETHER HOW YOU WOULD MEET THE CRITERIA. OKAY. THANK YOU. SURE. THIS IS GOING TO BE COOL FOR OUR KIDS, I THINK. YEAH. AND I THINK I MEAN, THIS IS NOT PER SE IN MY WORLD, BUT I REMEMBER WHEN DR. THOMPSON WAS TALKING ABOUT THIS LAST YEAR, IT JUST ALSO ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT I THINK IS SO GREAT ABOUT PELHAM, HOW WE PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS WHO HAVE INTEREST IN A SPECIFIC AREA TO DEEPEN THEIR LEARNING IN THAT AREA. AND WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, PELHAM IS SUCH A COMMUNITY THAT'S SO ROOTED IN CIVIC AWARENESS AND COMMUNITY WORK THAT NATURALLY, IT WAS JUST A GREAT OPPORTUNITY THAT DR. THOMPSON BROUGHT FORWARD FOR STUDENTS WHO HAVE THAT INTEREST IN THOSE AREAS, AND IT MAYBE WILL EVENTUALLY PURSUE CAREERS THAT RELATE TO THIS, TO OFFER THIS EXPERIENCE THE SAME WAY WE HAVE SCIENCE RESEARCH. SO IT'S JUST A GREAT WAY THAT WE ROUND OUT OUR OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE KIDS IN HIGH SCHOOL AND THEN EVENTUALLY LEAD TO INTEREST IN WHAT THEY'LL STUDY IN COLLEGE AND HOPEFULLY FUTURE CAREERS, BECAUSE WE'RE PREPARING THEM FOR. OKAY. TRANSITION RIGHT INTO. YES. NEXT IS THE YEP ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT SUPPORT ON BELONGING AND WELLNESS. [4.4 Assistant Superintendent's Update on Belonging and Wellness] OKAY. SO LAST WEEK WAS ALSO A VERY BUSY WEEK FOR US. OUR ICT COACHES WERE HERE FOR VISITS BOTH IN ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL. AND WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE THAT WE'RE STILL ABLE TO SUPPORT OUR ICT TEAMS AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL. THIS WAS A NEWER ENDEAVOR, IT'S ONLY ABOUT FIVE YEARS OLD IN THIS DISTRICT. SO STILL HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO AGAIN DEEPEN THE LEARNING THAT OUR, OUR TEACHERS HAVE IN THIS AREA. IS VERY IMPORTANT WORK. AND THE GOALS THAT, THAT ARE, THAT ARE THERE FOR THESE VISITS ARE JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CO-TEACHERS HAVE A SHARED APPROACH AND A FRAMEWORK IN ORDER TO PROVIDE ACCESS FOR ALL LEARNERS. AND THAT'S WHAT THE WHOLE GOAL IS ABOUT THIS MODEL THAT WE HAVE IS ACCESS AND INCLUSION, SO WE'RE EXCITED TO CONTINUE TO WORK IN THAT AREA. LAST NIGHT ALSO WAS THE FIRST SEPTA MEETING. OUR DISTRICT CONTRACTED BCBA ERIC FANTINO, I ARRANGED TO HAVE HIM COME SPEAK. SEPTA WANTED THIS AS A TOPIC FOR THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. AND HE SPOKE ABOUT HOW TO SET UP YOUR CHILD FOR SUCCESS FOR THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. HE SPOKE A LOT ABOUT HOW STUDENTS, STUDENTS CHALLENGES WITH EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING, KIND OF, YOU KNOW, GAVE EXAMPLES OF WHAT PARENTS WOULD SEE IN BEHAVIORS FOR KIDS THAT STRUGGLE IN THOSE AREAS AND THEN OFFERED SOME REAL, CONCRETE STRATEGIES FOR PARENTS ON HOW TO SET UP THEIR STRUCTURES, ROUTINES, [01:00:03] HOW TO GET THE BEHAVIORS AND HABITS OUT OF OUR KIDS THAT WE WANT TO SEE SO THAT THEY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, INDEPENDENT WITHOUT THE ADULTS CONSTANTLY NAGGING AT THEM. SO IT WAS GREAT. IT WAS VERY WELL ATTENDED MEETING. WE SAW A LOT OF NEW FACES, SO IT WAS REALLY NICE. AND I THANK SEPTA ALWAYS FOR HAVING ME AND INVITING ERIC IN TO SPEAK. IN REGARDS TO SEL LAST JANUARY GOVERNOR HOCHUL AWARDED ABOUT $100 MILLION IN GRANTS TO VARIOUS SCHOOLS AND BOCES. WITH THE PURPOSE TO COMBAT PANDEMIC LEARNING LOSS, BUT ALSO TO EXPAND ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH, WHICH IS A BIG INITIATIVE THAT SHE IS FOCUSING ON. SO OUR BOCES RECEIVED PART OF THAT GRANT MONEY A LITTLE OVER $2 MILLION, AND WE'RE PELHAM IS PART OF THEIR [INAUDIBLE] GRANT. SO WE'RE A COMPONENT DISTRICT AMONGST OTHER COMPONENT DISTRICTS TO ACCESS THIS GRANT MONEY. AND AGAIN, THE GOAL IS TO BEING ABLE TO EXPAND MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS IN SCHOOLS. AND ALSO TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND EVIDENCE BASED INTERVENTIONS AND PROGRAMING SERVICES AND SUPPORTS. SO I WENT TO A COUPLE OF SESSIONS THIS SUMMER. CLAIRE IS NOW JOINING ME AS WELL BECAUSE MTTS IS WEAVED INTO ALL OF THIS. SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO BE PART OF THE GRANT. IT'S A TWO YEAR GRANT. THIS IS YEAR ONE. AND WE WILL BE ABLE TO IT'S JUST ALSO GOING TO BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY AS WE EMBARK ON OUR FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN THAT HAS THE BIG BELONGING AND WELLNESS COMPONENT IN IT, TO SEE HOW THE BOCES SUPPORTERS WILL BE ABLE TO APPLY WHAT'S IN THE GRANT TO HELP US SUPPORT OUR GOALS AND BENCHMARKS FOR SEL AND THE WORK AND THE STRATEGIC PLAN. WHAT'S GREAT ABOUT THE GRANT, TOO, IS THROUGH. THE GRANT WILL HAVE ACCESS TO 20 COACHING VISITS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND ALSO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT OUR STAFF CAN BE INVOLVED IN, AGAIN, TO ENHANCE PROGRAMS FOR US IN THE DISTRICT. SO THAT'S IMPORTANT. JUST A QUICK POINT ON STAFFING. I DON'T KNOW IF DR. FITZGERALD WAS GOING TO MENTION IT, BUT TONIGHT WE'RE RECOMMENDING FOR APPROVAL FOR THE BOARD TO APPOINT MISS SARAH FARROW. SHE'S GOING TO BE OUR NEW ELEMENTARY PSYCHOLOGIST. THAT WILL BE SHARED ACROSS THE FOUR BUILDINGS. AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE HER. SHE'S A RECENT GRADUATE FROM TEACHERS COLLEGE. SHE'S GOT A MASTER'S IN EDUCATION AND SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY AND IN EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY. SO REALLY ALSO GLAD TO HAVE HER JOIN TO, AGAIN, AS WE GO ON THIS JOURNEY IN OUR NEW STRATEGIC PLAN, HAVE ANOTHER LAYER OF SUPPORT AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. AND IN TERMS OF COUNSELING, COLLEGE VISITS ARE WELL UNDERWAY. SINCE WE STARTED SCHOOL, I THINK WE'VE ALREADY HAD 23 COLLEGE VISITS, WHICH IS VERY EXCITING. IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR STUDENTS TO INTERFACE WITH COLLEGE ADMISSIONS COUNSELORS FROM VARIOUS SCHOOLS, GET A SENSE OF THE OFFERINGS, AND FOR THEM TO EXPLORE WHERE THEIR COLLEGE AND POST-SECONDARY JOURNEY WILL TAKE THEM. THE COUNSELORS ALSO STARTED THEIR PUSH INS LAST WEEK. AS I MENTIONED IN THE SENIOR CLASSES, REVIEWING THE COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS. SENIORS. IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE SO, MAKE SURE YOU APPLY FOR YOUR FAFSA PIN BECAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT IF YOU WANT TO GET FUNDING FOR SCHOOL. AND JUNIORS ARE ALSO GOING TO START THEIR COLLEGE RESEARCH THIS NOW THE START OF THE YEAR. ALSO JUST TO MENTION QUICKLY, AND I THINK DR. CHAMP MENTIONED THIS IN HER REPORT. BUT ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12TH, MYSELF, ALONG WITH DR. CHAMP CLAIRE, DR. CALLAHAN, SUZANNE SHORT, GREG LAU, WE ATTENDED THE BLUE RIBBON COMMISSION EDUCATION FORUM, CONSIDERATIONS FOR CHANGES IN GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS. SO THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION HAS REALLY TALKED ABOUT WHAT THE PROFILE OF A GRADUATE IN NEW YORK STATE IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THEY THAT MAY ALSO CHANGE GRADUATION PATHWAYS AND WHAT STUDENTS NEED TO DO AND SHOW MASTERY IN, IN ORDER TO EARN THEIR DIPLOMA. SO THIS WAS AN INFORMATION SESSION FOR EDUCATORS, EDUCATORS TO ENGAGE IN CONVERSATION AROUND THE WORK THAT THE STATE IS DOING AND THE CHANGES IN REGARDS TO GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS. WE GOT A CHANCE AS PARTICIPANTS TO WEIGH IN ON PROS AND CONS, WHAT WE SEE AS OPPORTUNITIES AND WHAT WE SEE AS CHALLENGES IN SOME OF THE WAYS THE STATE IS LOOKING TO CHANGE GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS. SO AGAIN, THE POINT IS THE STATE IS LOOKING AT MULTIPLE PATHWAYS. ALSO SORT OF NARROWING DOWN. [01:05:01] THERE'S DIFFERENT TYPES OF DIPLOMAS RIGHT NOW. THERE'S A REGENTS DIPLOMA. THERE'S JUST A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. THERE IS A DIPLOMA WITH ADVANCED REGENTS THERE LOOKING TO NARROW IT DOWN TO ONE TYPE OF DIPLOMA. BUT AGAIN, STILL HIGHLIGHTING WAYS STUDENTS CAN SHOW THEIR ACHIEVEMENT WITHIN THAT BASED ON THE TYPE OF PATHWAY THEY CHOOSE. SO THERE'S STILL A LOT THE STATE HAS YET TO DO TO DEFINE WHAT THIS IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE BEFORE THEY MAKE ANY FINAL DECISIONS. BUT WE, ALONG WITH THE OTHER DISTRICTS THAT WERE PRESENT, WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE AT THE TABLE AND PART OF THE DISCUSSION. SO WE KNEW THE DIRECTION THE STATE WAS THINKING OF GOING, GOING IN AND HOW IT WILL IMPACT ALL OF US AS WE THINK ABOUT WHAT THIS MAY DO AS FAR AS COURSE OFFERINGS, REGENTS, EXAMS, THINGS LIKE THAT. SO THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK THE STATE'S GOING TO DO. AND WE'LL KEEP YOU POSTED AS WE HEAR MORE ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AND FINAL DECISIONS THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE. DID I SAY THAT? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. HI AGAIN. SO I HAVE A LOT TO SAY TONIGHT, SO I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT SOMETHING THAT YOU HEARD TRACY TALK ABOUT IN HER REPORT, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO JUST TAKE A MINUTE AND APPRECIATE THE THE FOCUS ON OR THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN CLAIRE AND TRACY AND YOUR DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, THEIR THEIR FOCUS IS ALL STUDENTS, RIGHT? AND ALL LEARNING AND THAT YOU'RE WORKING TOGETHER ON ON STUDENT WELL-BEING AND THE SYSTEMS IN PLACE THAT WE NEED. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, I KNOW TRACY'S HEARD ME TALK ABOUT MTSS AND HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS. AND, AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD ON THIS STRATEGIC PLAN AND WITH THE FOCUS BEING STUDENT WELL-BEING, MENTAL HEALTH, BELONGINGNESS, ALL OF THAT. I THINK THIS THIS BOCES GRANT COULDN'T HAVE COME AT A BETTER TIME AS WE EMBARK ON THIS JOURNEY. BECAUSE FOR ME AS A PARENT OF A SPECIAL EDUCATION KID, BUT NOT EVEN THAT, LIKE MTSS IS OR SERVICES THAT OR NOT SERVICES OR ACCOMMODATIONS OR, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT HAPPEN AND TOUCH ALL KIDS CLASSIFIED, NOT CLASSIFIED. ALL LEARNERS AND ALL LEARNERS CAN BENEFIT FROM THEM. SO SEEING THAT WE HAVE THIS MONEY, THE TEACHERS, YOU KNOW, TEACHERS ARE GETTING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING MORE AND, YOU KNOW, BECOMING GETTING MORE TIPS AND TRICKS IN THEIR TOOLBOX THAT THEY CAN USE. I MEAN, THIS IS ALL GOING TO SUPPORT ALL LEARNERS AND ALL OF THEIR WELL-BEING AND BELONGING AND ALL OF OUR TEACHERS AS WELL. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS. THANK YOU FOR COLLABORATING. THIS ISN'T THE LAST YOU'LL HEAR FROM ME ABOUT MTSS AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS, BECAUSE IT IS REALLY. IT'S A IT IS FOR ME, LIKE A KEY ASPECT OF WELLBEING. I REALLY DO BELIEVE THAT IN OUR SCHOOLS BECAUSE THOSE ARE OUR CLASSROOM CLASSROOM LEVEL THAT EVERYONE, EVERYONE CAN BENEFIT FROM. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH AND I'M REALLY EXCITED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS GRANT PROCESS. AS WE PROGRESS THROUGH IT FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS. WE'LL KEEP YOU POSTED. THAT'D BE GREAT. AWESOME. OKAY. NEXT IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S UPDATE ON HUMAN RESOURCES AND LEARNING. [4.5 Executive Director's Update on Human Resources and Leadership] ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO WELCOME NEW MEMBERS TO OUR PELHAM FACULTY. TONIGHT YOU'LL SEE IN SCHEDULE A AND C, WE HAVE WILLIAM STANLEY, WHO WILL BE JOINING US FOR SECONDARY MUSIC. AS MISS HOLTZ MENTIONED, SARAH FARROW IS COMING TO BE OUR SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST AGAINST ALL FOUR SCHOOLS. MARGARET ROWLEY IS BEING ASKED TO BE APPOINTED TO BE THE LEAD REPLACEMENT INTERVENTIONISTS AT HUTCHINSON. WE HAVE A NEW SECURITY MONITOR WHO STARTED. SHE'S DOING FANTASTIC AND SO AND LOTS OF SUBS. SO WE ARE CONTINUING TO WELCOME PEOPLE. WE'RE CONTINUING TO LOOK FOR MORE PEOPLE TO ESPECIALLY FOR LUNCH RECESS MONITORS. SO I WAS THRILLED WHEN I REACHED OUT TO P-TECH PRESIDENT KRISTEN WHELAN TO SEE IF WE COULD PARTNER ON GETTING SOME COMMUNICATION OUT. SHE WAS QUICK TO PARTNER WITH ME, AND SO WE'RE GOING TO START CANVASING THAT WAY AS WELL. SO NOT JUST RELYING ON SOME OF OUR TRADITIONAL METHODS OF OF FINDING FOLKS. AS WE HAVE MOVED INTO THE END OF SEPTEMBER, IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE WE'RE ALREADY IN THE END OF SEPTEMBER. WE ACTUALLY HOSTED OUR FIRST NEW TEACHER MEETING. THANK YOU TO MISS HOLTZ, WHO CAME, AND SHE REALLY HELPED THE GROUP UNDERSTAND SPECIAL EDUCATION 101 AND COMPLIANCE ISSUES. SHE HELD A GREAT SESSION TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR ROLES WERE AS EDUCATORS IN PELHAM, BUT REALLY, HOW WE'RE ALL TEACHERS OF ALL SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS. ALEX WOLFF ALSO JOINED US AND HE HELPED US TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN USE COMMUNICATION TO PARTNER AND TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR FAMILIES AND OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF. [01:10:06] SO HE DID A GREAT PRESENTATION ON THAT. WE DO HOST MONTHLY MEETINGS, AND WE DO HAVE TOPICS SPREAD OUT ACROSS THE REST OF THE YEAR. BUT I DO WILL BE LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK FROM BUILDING PRINCIPALS AS TO WHAT THEY SEE THEIR NEW STAFF NEEDING IN TERMS OF MENTORING AND SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE REALLY SO I THINK WHAT WHAT'S ALWAYS BEEN FASCINATING TO ME HERE IN PELHAM IS THE WAY THAT WE HAVE A GROWTH MINDSET. AND ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE HAVE A GROWTH MINDSET IS WE ARE CONTINUOUSLY BEING LIFELONG LEARNERS. AND ONE OF THE WAYS THAT PELHAM REWARDS TEACHERS AND ENCOURAGES THEM TO DO THAT IS THROUGH RECLASSIFICATION. SO THROUGH THE PELHAM TEACHERS CONTRACT, TEACHERS CAN RECLASSIFY INTO A DIFFERENT LANE BASED ON THEIR GRADUATE CREDITS AND IN-SERVICE CREDITS. TWICE A YEAR. AND WE ARE COMING TO THE CLOSE OF THE SEPTEMBER BAND OF TIME THAT PEOPLE CAN DO THAT, AND IT'S REALLY AMAZING TO SEE THE COURSEWORK THAT OUR STAFF DO, THE IN-SERVICE CREDITS THAT OUR STAFF GO THROUGH, AND THEN HOW THAT ACTUALLY IS IMPLEMENTED IN THE CLASSROOM. SO KUDOS TO OUR STAFF WHO CONTINUE TO BE LIFELONG LEARNERS AND MODELS FOR THEIR STUDENTS. AND THEN LASTLY, I JUST WANT TO MENTION WE ALL KNOW THAT COVID IS STILL ALIVE AND WELL IN HERE. SO NEW YORK STATE HAD HAS A PAID LEAVE COVID LEAVE. IT WAS SET TO SUNSET JULY OF 2024. IT HAS BEEN EXTENDED THROUGH JULY OF 2025. BASICALLY THAT WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT IN A LIFETIME, A AN EMPLOYEE CAN TAKE THREE COVID LEAVES OF PAID SICK TIME. IT'S ONLY THREE AND IT'S FOR THEMSELVES. SO IF A FAMILY MEMBER IS SICK WITH COVID, THAT WOULD BE THEIR OWN SICK TIME. SO WE DO HAVE PROCEDURES IN THE DISTRICT TO SORT OF TRACK THAT FOR PEOPLE AND AND KEEP ON TOP OF THAT. BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT IT DID NOT SUNSET AS IT WAS EXPECTED IN JULY OF 24 AND WILL BE EXTENDED THROUGH JULY OF 25. OKAY, THAT'S IT FOR ME. AWESOME. BRINGING IT HOME. [4.6 Assistant Superintendent's Update on Facilities and Sustainable Learning Environments] BRING IT HOME. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU. AND IT'S WONDERFUL TO SEE EVERYBODY FOR THE THIRD WEEK IN A ROW. I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO NEXT WEEK. I'LL BE HERE. SO IF ANYBODY WANTS TO BE HERE, WE WANT TO DO IT. WE'LL HAVE AN AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETING. WE DO HAVE AN AUDIT COMMITTEE NEXT WEDNESDAY. AS PREVIOUSLY SHARED, WE DID HAVE WE DID START THE DAY TODAY WITH THE SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING. IT WAS ATTENDED BY OUR SAFETY COMMITTEE MEMBERS, WHICH INCLUDE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, STAFF MEMBERS AND MEMBERS OF OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT. IN ADDITION TO THAT, A WEEK PRIOR, A WEEK AGO THURSDAY, WE MET EXCLUSIVELY WITH OUR PUBLIC SAFETY PARTNERS. TOM DRAKE, WHO'S HERE TODAY. SUPERINTENDENT CHAMP AND MYSELF, JUST TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT THE UPCOMING YEAR. AND THESE ARE NOT IRREGULAR MEETINGS. THEY'RE FAIRLY REGULAR MEETINGS. AGAIN, I THINK THEY'RE VERY POSITIVE, AND THEY JUST SPEAK TO THE OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION THAT WE HAVE EACH OTHER WITH EACH OTHER, OUR EXPECTATIONS. AND AGAIN, AS, AS WE AS WE SEE MORE OF EACH OTHER, THAT THAT WORKING RELATIONSHIP ONLY STRENGTHENS. SO AGAIN, WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL TO HAVE THAT PARTNERSHIP AND THAT'S GREAT. TODAY WE ALSO DID TRAINING FOR EPIPEN, GLUCAGON AND NARCAN. I KNOW HOW TO SAY GLUCAGON BECAUSE WILL WENT THROUGH IT THE FIRST TIME. THANK YOU. ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA, THERE'S AN ITEM WHERE WE'RE GOING TO ASK THE BOARD. THE BOARD IS BEING ASKED TO SELECT WHICH ASSESSMENT, ROLE OR BASE PROPORTIONS TO SELECT FOR NEXT YEAR'S TAX BUDGET. IT'S A LITTLE BIT TECHNICAL AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD HAS ASKED TO DO EVERY YEAR BY THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE. AND LET ME TRY TO EXPLAIN IT. SO WE WE RECEIVE A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF OUR REVENUE, OUR INCOME FROM PROPERTY TAXES, AS, YOU KNOW, AS FOLKS WHO LIVE IN TOWN. EVERY YEAR THE ASSESSOR'S, THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE, REASSESSES ALL THE PROPERTIES WITHIN THE TOWN. AND THEN THAT ASSESSMENT ROLL EACH YEAR IS KIND OF DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS. YOU HAVE YOUR HOMESTEAD, WHICH IS LIKE YOUR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OWNER AND YOU HAVE YOUR NON HOMESTEAD. THINK OF THAT AS LIKE A SUPERMARKET. PUT TOGETHER THOSE TWO EQUAL 100%. AND WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS EVERY YEAR WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, THE BOARD HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SELECT THE ASSESSMENT ROLL FOR THE CURRENT YEAR OR THE PRIOR YEAR UPON WHICH YOU WANT TO BASE THE FUTURE YEAR'S PROPERTY TAXES ON THIS YEAR, WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT THE BOARD SELECT THE 2024 ASSESSMENT ROLL. AND THE REASON WE'RE DOING THAT IS BECAUSE THE HOMESTEAD PORTION IS LESS IN THE 2024 CALENDAR YEAR THAN IT IS IN THE 2023 YEAR. IT'S FRACTIONAL, BUT IT IS LESSER. SO IT JUST PUTS A IT PUTS A GREATER PROPORTION ON THE NON HOMESTEAD PROPERTY OWNER VERSUS THE HOMESTEAD PROPERTY OWNER. AND AGAIN IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT KIND OF A PIE AND HOW IT'S SPLIT UP. THE WHOLE ASSESSMENT ROLL IS KIND OF HOW TAXES ARE DECIDED BASED ON THAT BIG PIE. BUT AGAIN, A LITTLE BIT MORE IS BASED ON THE IS ASSIGNED TO THE NON-HOMESTEAD PROPERTY OWNER. [01:15:01] SO EVERY YEAR IT HAPPENS ABOUT THIS TIME THE TOWN NEEDS A RESPONSE BY OCTOBER. AND THAT'S THE ACTION THAT WE HAVE ON THIS EVENING'S AGENDA. I HOPE THAT WORKED OUT OKAY. THOUGHT ABOUT THAT ONE FOR A WHILE. I HAD TO SAY IT. THIS EVENING, TOM DRAKE FROM ALTUS IS HERE. WE ARE ASKING THE BOARD TO APPROVE THE VERSION TWO DISTRICT WIDE SAFETY PLAN. I THINK THE BOARD RECALLS THIS WAS SPOKEN OF AT THE AUGUST 21ST BOARD MEETING, WHERE A 30 DAY COMMENT PERIOD WAS OPENED UP. I'VE NOT HEARD OF ANY COMMENTS. I KNOW THE CLERK OF THE BOARD WOULD CERTAINLY MAKE MAKE US AWARE IF THERE WERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS. THAT DISTRICT WIDE SAFETY PLAN IS ALSO ON OUR ON OUR DISTRICT WEBSITE. AND IT WILL BE POSTED THERE ONCE ONCE IT'S APPROVED BY THE BOARD. THE THE CHANGES WERE REQUIRED AS PART OF NEW LEGISLATION THAT WAS PUT IN PLACE OVER THE SUMMER AFTER WE HAD OPENED UP OUR FIRST COMMENT PERIOD FOR VERSION ONE OF THE DISTRICT WIDE SAFETY PLAN. WE ACCOMPLISHED MANY OF THOSE CHANGES, BUT WE MISSED A FEW OF THESE. MUCH LIKE MANY OTHER COMMON DISTRICTS IN THE AREA. AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS WE JUST NEED TO REAPPROVE IT. WE DO WORK HARD THOUGH, IN MAKING SURE WE'RE COMPLIANT WITH ALL OF THE SAFETY PROGRAMS. WE HAVE EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANS, WHICH WE'VE SHARED WITH THE WHICH OF WHICH WE'VE SHARED THAT WE HAVE THEM WITH THE BOARD. EVERY YEAR, THOSE EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANS HAVE TO BE UPLOADED INTO THE STATE PORTAL. SO THAT'S ALL BEEN COMPLETED ALREADY THIS YEAR. DR. CHAMP GETS A LOT OF EMAILS FROM US WHEN WE GO AHEAD AND DO ALL OF THOSE THINGS. AND ALL OF THESE EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO OUR LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY PARTNERS. WE GIVE THEM ACCESS TO ALL OF TO ALL OF THOSE ITEMS ON THIS EVENING'S BOARD AGENDA. THERE'S ALSO AN ITEM TO ENGAGE THE SERVICES OF AN ARCHITECT. AND THAT'S OBVIOUSLY RELATED TO THE TO THE THE WORK SESSION THAT TOOK PLACE LAST WEEK AND THE WORK THAT WOULD BE NEEDED MOVING FORWARD FOR BOND FEASIBILITY. SO THAT THAT'S ALL THERE. WE HAD A GREAT MEETING. WITH WHAT? WE'RE WORKING WITH PROSPECT HILL, OBVIOUSLY, ON THE OUTDOOR CLASSROOM. WE'RE HELPING WITH THE. WE HAVE TO BE THE SPONSOR FOR THE APPLICATION OF THAT GRANT. WHEN THAT HAPPENS, WE WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE TO GO TO STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT FOR A BUILDING PERMIT. WE'LL NEED BOARD. WE'LL NEED JUST A BOARD ACTION AT THAT POINT IN TIME. AND THEN AFTER A LONG WAIT PERIOD, WE'LL HEAR BACK FROM THE STATE THAT WE'LL GET APPROVAL FOR THE PROJECT. WE'LL HAVE TO BID THAT PROJECT OUT BECAUSE WE'RE HOLDING THE DOLLARS. AND WE'LL MANAGE THAT PROJECT WITH WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE PTA. SO THEY'RE REALLY EAGER, AND WE'RE REALLY HAPPY ABOUT THAT AS WELL. THAT'S ABOUT ALL I HAVE RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. JIM. I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT, TOO. WE'VE BEEN INCREDIBLY FORTUNATE TO HAVE LEGISLATORS WHO HAVE REALLY PRIORITIZED PELHAM AND BEEN VERY GENEROUS. SO WE'RE VERY THANKFUL FOR EACH OF THOSE GRANTS. BUT UNDERSTAND, EACH OF THOSE GRANTS IS A NEW PROJECT FOR THE BUSINESS OFFICE. SO JUST APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT JIM AND HIS FOLKS DO. IT'S A BIG LIFT EVERY TIME. BUT WE DO. WE'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE LEGISLATORS WHO REALLY THEY DO UNDERSTAND PELHAM. THEY UNDERSTAND OUR NEEDS AND THEY ADVOCATE FOR US. THERE'S NO SHORTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY EAGER TO DO GOOD THINGS FOR THE COMMUNITY. SO WE'RE THOSE ARE THOSE ARE REALLY POSITIVE THINGS. THANK YOU JIM. ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY. WE CAN MOVE TO SECTION SIX, WHICH I WOULD TAKE AS A CONSENT AGENDA SIX MOTION TO APPROVE 6.1 [6. Financial Reports and Motions] TO 6.6. I'LL TAKE A MOTION. SO MOVED. SECOND. OKAY. I THINK WE HAVE TOM. THE FIRST ITEM ON HERE IS TO APPROVE THE THE VERSION TWO OF THE DISTRICT SAFETY PLAN. SO, TOM, THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. THANK YOU, WILL, FOR YOUR FEEDBACK. I APPRECIATE IT, THE COMPLIMENTS AND BOTH. THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING WITH ME. 13 HOURS AGO UP AT HUTCH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. I DO APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK AND IT IS HELPFUL FOR ME JUST IN MY TRADE AS WELL. SO THANK YOU. I PRESENTED TO THE BOARD IN AUGUST ABOUT SOME CHANGES THAT THE STATE HAD GIVEN US AS A GIFT LATER IN THE SUMMER, AND THAT CAUSED US TO HAVE TO CLOSE AND THEN REOPEN YOUR 30 DAY PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT THE BUILDINGS HAVE NOT WAITED FOR THAT. WE'VE ALREADY GONE INTO ACTION. YOU, AS COMMUNITY MEMBERS, SHOULD ALREADY SEE THAT YOU'RE GETTING NOTIFICATIONS ABOUT THE DRILLS, WHICH WAS PART OF THIS LEGISLATION THAT AT LEAST ONE WEEK AHEAD OF THE DRILL, YOU MUST BE NOTIFIED THAT A DRILL IS GOING TO OCCUR IN THAT WEEK. AND WE'VE ALREADY BEGUN THAT PROCESS AT TO DATE, WE'VE ONLY CONDUCTED EVACUATION DRILLS IN OUR BUILDING. BUT DON'T WORRY, LOCKDOWN DRILLS WILL BE COMING SOON AS WELL. THIS MORNING WE ALSO CONFIRMED WITH OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS PART OF THE CRITERIA THAT WAS ADDED THIS YEAR THAT IF THEY WERE TO REQUEST ANY STUDENTS OR FACULTY TO ACT OR TO BE ACTORS DURING THEIR TRAINING IN OUR BUILDINGS RELATING TO ACTIVE SHOOTER DRILLS OR WHATEVER THEY WANT TO DO, THE DISTRICT [01:20:09] WOULD HAVE TO TAKE ON OR RELEASE THEMSELVES TO SOME LIABILITY BY HAVING PARENTS SIGN WAIVERS. THEY CONFIRMED AGAIN TODAY THAT THEY HAVEN'T DONE IT IN THE PAST, AND THEY DON'T INTEND TO DO IT IN THE FUTURE. AND I ALSO, LIKE I SAID LAST MONTH, I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND US GOING IN THAT DIRECTION EITHER BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TRAUMA INFORMED DRILLS AND THAT IS NOT GOING IN THAT THAT'S NOT GOING IN THAT DIRECTION. SO THE BUILDINGS HAVE EMBRACED IT. WE'VE ALREADY BEGUN MOVING IN THE DIRECTION. AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE THAT WE HAD TO REOPEN THE 30 DAY AGAIN. AND BUT NOW WE'RE HERE. SO THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT OKAY. OKAY. ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON ITEM 6.1 TO 6.6? I THINK I'LL JUST SAY, AND YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY SAID IT, BUT WE DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK AFTER LAST AFTER THE HEARING. OH. SO YEAH. SO WE TALKED ABOUT THAT THIS MORNING. YEAH. SO JUST WANTED TO JUST TO SHARE THAT FOR THE SAKE OF EVERYBODY WHO MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THERE. SO THE PLAN WAS PRESENTED LAST TIME IS WHAT'S BEING APPROVED PRESENTED TO YOU FOR APPROVAL TONIGHT? OKAY. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? OKAY. THE MOTIONS CARRY MOTION. THANK YOU. OKAY, SO BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM, WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING WITH OUR ATTORNEY NEXT STEPS WITH RESPECT TO THE FORMAL EMINENT DOMAIN FILING BY THE VILLAGE OF PELHAM FOR AN EASEMENT, NOT OWNERSHIP OF THE JULIANS PLAYGROUND PROPERTY FOR THE PURPOSES OF THEIR LARGE STORM WATER PROJECT. THE FILING IS ALSO TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF A PIECE OF THE PROPERTY THAT WILL HOUSE SIX LARGE DIESEL PUMPS AND A PUBLIC RESTROOM. AT THIS POINT, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION FOR THIS BOARD TO AUTHORIZE AN ACTION TO BE FILED CHALLENGING THE VILLAGE OF PELHAM'S USE OF EMINENT DOMAIN. AND I CAN READ A RESOLUTION AND WE CAN DISCUSS IT. OKAY. SO MOVED. SECOND. SECOND MOTION. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. BEAR WITH ME. IT'S LONG. OKAY. RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE PELHAM UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT, AUTHORIZING AN ACTION TO BE FILED CHALLENGING THE VILLAGE OF PELHAM'S. USE OF EMINENT DOMAIN. AT A MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE PELHAM UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT, LOCATED IN THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER, NEW YORK. HELD IN THE PELHAM MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARY, LOCATED AT 28 FRANKLIN PLACE PELHAM, NEW YORK, IN SAID COUNTY. ON THE 25TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER, 2024 AT 7:30 P.M. EASTERN STANDARD TIME, AT WHICH A QUORUM OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION IS PRESENT. THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION IS OFFERED. WHEREAS ON SEPTEMBER 10TH, 2024, THE VILLAGE OF PELHAM VOTED TO ACQUIRE BY EMINENT DOMAIN THE REAL PROPERTY DESIGNATED ON THE TOWN OF PELHAM TAX MAP AT SECTION 158.84. BLOCK TWO, LOT 62, COMMONLY KNOWN AS JULIAN'S PLAYGROUND, SIXTH STREET, PELHAM, NEW YORK 10803. TO FACILITATE THE FACILITATE THE CONSTRUCTION AND COMPLETION OF THE NORTH PELHAM WATERSHED FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECT, AND HAS NOTIFIED THE BOARD OF THEIR INTENTION TO PUBLISH THEIR DETERMINATION AND FINDINGS AND FILE SAID DETERMINATION AND FINDINGS WITH THE APPELLATE DIVISION OF THE SUPREME COURT, SECOND JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT. AND WHEREAS, THE BOARD HAS ATTEMPTED REPEATEDLY TO NEGOTIATE IN GOOD FAITH WITH THE VILLAGE TO CRAFT A RESOLUTION THAT ALLOWS THE VILLAGE TO MITIGATE FLOODING WHILE PRESERVING THE ABILITY OF THE BOARD TO BUILD FACILITIES TO ENSURE THAT OUR CHILDREN RECEIVE THE BEST PROGRAMS, SERVICES AND FACILITIES TO ENSURE THEIR FUTURES. AND THE VILLAGE HAS AND THE VILLAGE HAS CEASED NEGOTIATING. AND WHEREAS THE BOARD RECOGNIZES THE POTENTIAL LIABILITY OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT BEING CONSTRUCTED VIA VIA EMINENT DOMAIN ON LAND OWNED BY THE DISTRICT, WHERE THE DISTRICT WILL NEITHER OPERATE OR CONTROL SAID PROJECT. AND WHEREAS THE BOARD RECOGNIZES THE SIGNIFICANT POTENTIAL DANGERS AND CONCOMITANT CONCOMITANT POTENTIAL LIABILITY OF A PUBLIC RESTROOM AND LARGE DIESEL PUMPS ABUTTING A PLAYGROUND OWNED BY THE DISTRICT WHERE A SAID BATHROOM AND DIESEL PUMPS WILL BE CONSTRUCTED AND OPERATED BY THE VILLAGE. AND WHEREAS THE BOARD HAS DETERMINED THAT CHALLENGING THE VILLAGE'S USE OF EMINENT DOMAIN TO ACQUIRE THE PROPERTY IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CHILDREN OF PELHAM, THE TAXPAYERS OF PELHAM AND THE PELHAM UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND WHEREAS THE BOARD HAS ALREADY CONTRACTED WITH THE LAW FIRM MURTAUGH, VENDITTI AND CASTRO BLANCO FOR LEGAL SERVICES, AND IS CONSIDERING [01:25:02] AUTHORIZING THE FIRM TO INITIATE AN ACTION IN THE APPELLATE DIVISION OF THE SUPREME COURT SECOND JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT, CHALLENGING THE VILLAGE'S DETERMINATION AND FINDINGS. NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED AND THE BOARD AUTHORIZES THE LAW FIRM OF MOORE, MURTAUGH, CO SUE VENDITTI AND CASABLANCA TO INITIATE AN ACTION IN THE APPELLATE DIVISION OF THE SUPREME COURT, SECOND JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT, CHALLENGING THE VILLAGE'S DETERMINATION AND FINDINGS. OKAY. THAT'S THE RESOLUTION WE'RE CONSIDERING. AND WE CAN WE CAN TALK THROUGH IT. I CAN START, ALL RIGHT. I JUST READ THAT WHOLE THING, SO. ALL RIGHT, I'LL STOP. I'LL STOP. THANK YOU. OKAY. IT'S A COMPLICATED ISSUE. I THINK IF ANY OF US TRIED TO SUMMARIZE IT, WE'D HAVE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT SUMMARIES. HERE'S MINE. SO I BELIEVE I THINK IF I HAD TO SUMMARIZE WHAT'S GOING ON, I THINK THAT THE VILLAGE IS ATTEMPTING TO OBTAIN AN EASEMENT THROUGH EMINENT DOMAIN FOR TWO PRIMARY REASONS. AND THE FIRST IS, IS THAT IT'S CHEAP FOR THEM. SECURING AN EASEMENT FOR PART OF THE PROPERTY IS MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE FOR THE VILLAGE THAN TAKING OWNERSHIP OF THE ENTIRE PROPERTY. AND THE SECOND REASON IS BECAUSE THEY CAN. I HAVE COME TO LEARN THAT EMINENT DOMAIN IS LIKE A BULLDOZER. IT'S A PRETTY CRUDE BUT EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE WAY OF REMOVING OBSTACLES THAT MAY BE BETWEEN YOU AND A GOAL THAT YOU WANT TO REACH. SO IT'S CHEAP AND THEY CAN DO IT. BUT WHEN I SAY THAT, I DON'T SAY THAT IN A PEJORATIVE SENSE AT ALL. I MEAN, THE VILLAGE HAS A PROBLEM THAT ABSOLUTELY NEEDS TO BE SOLVED. AND AN EASEMENT. OBTAINING AN EASEMENT THROUGH EMINENT DOMAIN IS THE CHEAPEST, QUICKEST WAY FOR THEM TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM ON BEHALF OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS. SO EVEN IF I DON'T AGREE WITH IT, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND WHY THEY'RE DOING IT. BUT THIS IS A TWO WAY STREET. THE JOB, WHILE IT'S THE JOB OF THE VILLAGE TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR THEIR CONSTITUENTS, IT'S THE JOB OF THIS BOARD, OF THE SEVEN OF US, TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR THE ENTITY THAT WE REPRESENT, WHICH IS THE DISTRICT. AND THERE'S NO QUESTION IN MY MIND THAT THE VILLAGE'S INTENTION TO PROCEED WITH AN EASEMENT TO EMINENT DOMAIN IS GOING TO BE HARMFUL FOR THE DISTRICT FOR THREE REASONS PRIMARY REASONS. FIRST OF ALL, ONCE THIS ONCE THIS GIGANTIC INFRASTRUCTURE GOES IN, IT'S THERE FOREVER. AND IT'S INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THE DISTRICT NEITHER CONTROLS, CAN CONTROLS NOR DOES IT OWN. WELL, IT DOES OWN THE INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT IT DOESN'T OPERATE THE INFRASTRUCTURE. IT DOESN'T CONTROL THE INFRASTRUCTURE. BUT IT'S ON LAND THAT THE DISTRICT OWNS. AND I DON'T PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT ANY AMOUNT OF INSURANCE OR ANY NUMBER OF INDEMNIFICATIONS WILL EVER FULLY NEUTRALIZE THE LIABILITIES THAT THE DISTRICT WILL BE SUBJECT TO, REALLY, IN PERPETUITY, IF SOMETHING EVER WENT WRONG WITH WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE. SO THAT'S THE FIRST REASON, I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S GOOD FOR THE DISTRICT TO HAVE THIS INFRASTRUCTURE ON LAND THAT WE OWN WHEN WE DON'T CONTROL OR OPERATE THE INFRASTRUCTURE. THE SECOND REASON IS BECAUSE, AS HAS BEEN DISCUSSED AT LENGTH, ONCE THE SUBTERRANEAN TANKS ARE IN THERE, WE CAN NEVER BUILD ON THE PROPERTY. WE'D NEVER BUILD ANYTHING SUBSTANTIVE OR SUBSTANTIAL ON THE PROPERTY. AND THE THIRD REASON IS THAT THE LATEST PLANS CALL FOR A PUBLIC RESTROOM DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO A PLAYGROUND FOR SMALL CHILDREN. AND I, I JUST DON'T THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA. I'M SURE I'M NOT ALONE IN SAYING THAT. AND I THINK THAT THE PUBLIC RESTROOM OWNED BY THE VILLAGE, DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO A PLAYGROUND OWNED BY THE DISTRICT, IS NOT IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE DISTRICT. SO THAT'S WHY I AM IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION. OKAY. OKAY. SO FIRST OFF, I, I'LL REITERATE THAT WE'RE DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT FLOODING IN PELHAM AND ITS IMPACT ON STUDENTS AND FAMILIES. OUR OUR GOAL IS TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION WHILE PRESERVING JULIANNE'S PLAYGROUND FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. UNFORTUNATELY, I FEEL WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO CONTINUE TO RAISE OUR CONCERNS THROUGH THIS FILING, AS THE VILLAGE HAS DISMISSED THE DISTRICT'S CONCERNS REGARDING CONTINUING TO OWN THE PROPERTY BOTH DURING AND AFTER, DURING AND AFTER THE PROJECT. [01:30:06] AND I AGREE WITH WILL. THE PROJECT RAISES LIABILITY AND OPERATIONAL CONCERNS FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN PERPETUITY IF IT CONTINUES TO OWN IT? CONTINUES TO OWN THE PROPERTY AND THE DISTRICT DID PURCHASE THE PROPERTY, PURCHASE THE PROPERTY, AND CURRENTLY OWNS THE PROPERTY TO MAINTAIN FLEXIBILITY TO USE IT AS AN EDUCATIONAL FACILITY IF, IF IF IT NEEDS TO. AND THAT THAT FLEXIBILITY WILL BE TAKEN AWAY. I'M ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE PLACEMENT OF DIESEL PUMPS AND A PUBLIC RESTROOM NEAR A PLAYGROUND THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL CONTINUE TO OWN. BECAUSE IT ADDS LIABILITY AND SAFETY RISKS. AND THE VILLAGE DIGGING IN THEIR HEELS. THEY'RE DIGGING IN THEIR HEELS ON THIS. THAT'S OUR EXPERIENCE. AND NOT SEEKING TO UNDERSTAND OUR POSITION AND COMING TO AN AGREEMENT. I FEEL WE'RE COMPELLED TO CONTINUE TO VOICE OUR CONCERNS THROUGH THIS ACTION. THE LAST THING I'D SAY IS THERE REMAINS AN OPPORTUNITY. OPPORTUNITY FOR THE VILLAGE TO COLLABORATE AND COME TO A REASONABLE TERMS WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, EVEN THOUGH THEY'VE CHOSEN THIS PATH OF EMINENT DOMAIN, I WOULD MUCH PREFER THAT, AND I URGE THAT SO THE DISTRICT CAN WHOLLY FOCUS ITS TIME AND RESOURCES ON EDUCATING STUDENTS AND CREATING A WORLD CLASS LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. GO AHEAD. OKAY. I I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I'M. YEAH. I'M DISAPPOINTED. I THINK I HAD A HOPE, AND I THINK I'M STILL HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN COME TOGETHER AT THE TABLE TOGETHER TO FIND A SOLUTION. I THINK, AS YOU ALL POINTED OUT, IS THERE IS ONE A REAL DESIRE TO TO SUPPORT THIS FLOOD MITIGATION. I MEAN, IT'S RIGHT IN MY BACKYARD. AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE, I MEAN, THERE'S NOTHING MORE THAT WILL BE IMPORTANT TO ME IN MY COMMUNITY. JULIANNE'S IS JUST A COUPLE OF BLOCKS AWAY. AND SO WITH THAT SAID, IS WE ALSO HAVE AN OBLIGATION RIGHT TO TO THE DISTRICT. AND SO MY TAKEAWAY FROM THE CONVERSATION THAT THAT CAME UP IS ONE, THERE IS LIABILITY, RIGHT. AND SO AGAIN, WE HAVE TO COME TOGETHER TO SUPPORT REMOVING THAT FROM THE DISTRICT. RIGHT. SUPPORTING THE THE VILLAGE AROUND WHAT THEY NEED TO DO FOR THE FLOOD MITIGATION. AND REALLY BEING ABLE TO VALUE THE PROPERTY THAT WE DO OWN AND WORK TOGETHER. I MEAN, WE ARE NEIGHBORS, AND WE ALWAYS SHOULD BE ABLE TO SIT AT THE TABLE AND HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS FOR THIS COMMON INTEREST, BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE WE HAVE COMMON INTERESTS. WE DO WHAT'S BEST FOR THE TOWN AND THE DISTRICT. AND SO I WHILE WE MUST SUPPORT THE DISTRICT'S INTERESTS, THEY STILL REMAIN VERY HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN COME TOGETHER AND COME WITH SOLUTIONS OUTSIDE OF US TALKING TO EACH OTHER AND CREATING, YOU KNOW, LIKE DISCUSSING WHAT ARE THOSE POSSIBLE PATHS FORWARD TO BE ABLE TO SIT AT THE TABLE TO REALLY KIND OF TALK THROUGH THAT AND UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE OUR PRIORITIES AND WHAT ARE OUR INTERESTS FOR THAT. SO THAT'S MY POSITION. OKAY. I'LL GO. WELL, I, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT WILL, JACKIE AND DARA HAVE SAID SO FAR. I THINK WHAT I WANT TO FOCUS ON ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS. ONE, THERE CONTINUES TO BE INFORMATION OUT THERE THAT'S JUST PLAIN WRONG ABOUT THE PROJECT. YOU KNOW, I CONTINUE TO SEE, FOR EXAMPLE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR IN THE PELHAM EXAMINER THAT MAKE CLAIMS ABOUT THE PROPERTY THAT ARE JUST SIMPLY FALSE. THEY'RE NOT TRUE. I THINK THAT WHILE WE'VE OBVIOUSLY BEEN AT THESE MEETINGS NOW FOR MONTHS DISCUSSING THIS IN PUBLIC, AND WE HAVE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THIS IS IT NOW IN IN THE COURTS. WE HAVE LAWYERS INVOLVED. THE COMMUNITY MAY NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS ACTUALLY GOING ON. AND, AND, AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE IT'S PRETTY COMPLICATED WHAT, WHAT THIS WHOLE SITUATION IS ABOUT. SO I WANT TO REITERATE SOMETHING THAT I KNOW WE'VE ALL JUST SAID, BUT I'M GOING TO SAY IT AGAIN, THAT THIS IS WHAT THE VILLAGE IS DOING IS DECLARING EMINENT DOMAIN, BUT NOT TO ACTUALLY OWN THE PROPERTY. THEY'RE DECLARING EMINENT DOMAIN FOR AN EASEMENT. SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THEY'RE DECLARING EMINENT DOMAIN TO USE THE LAND UNDERNEATH THE BLACKTOP AND THE TENNIS COURT TO PUT IN THESE RETENTION TANKS, PUT IT BACK THE WAY IT IS NOW, BLACKTOP AND TENNIS COURTS. [01:35:03] BUT WE'D STILL OWN THE LAND, RIGHT. SO WE'D STILL. SO AN EASEMENT, YOU KNOW, AN EXAMPLE GIVEN TO ME FOR AN EASEMENT WOULD BE CON ED AND SID. YOU CAN CORRECT ME ON THIS, RIGHT. AS THE LAWYER PUTTING LINES ACROSS YOUR PROPERTY, IS THAT RIGHT? LIKE YOU COULD BE. YOU WOULD BE. GRANTED, THEY'D BE GRANTED AN EASEMENT TO DO THAT. IN THIS CASE, THEY'VE COME TO US ASKING FOR AN EASEMENT BEFORE THE EMINENT DOMAIN PROCEEDING, ASKING FOR AN EASEMENT TO PUT THESE ENORMOUS THIS THIS LARGE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT, THESE TANKS UNDERNEATH THAT PART OF THE PLAYGROUND. SO THEY'VE NOW DECLARED EMINENT DOMAIN NOT TO OWN THAT LAND, BUT TO PURSUE THE EASEMENT. THE PART OF LAND THAT THEY WOULD OWN IS NEXT TO THE PLAYGROUND WHERE THEY WOULD PUT THE DIESEL PUMPS AND THE HOUSING, YOU KNOW, COVERING UP THOSE DIESEL PUMPS AND THIS PUBLIC RESTROOM. SO LET'S JUST THINK ABOUT THAT. SO WE'VE GOT JULIANNE'S PLAYGROUND. SO IN THE IN IN WHAT THEY ARE PURSUING WOULD IT WOULD RESULT IN WE'D OWN THE PLAYGROUND. THE DISTRICT WOULD OWN THE PLAYGROUND. THE VILLAGE WOULD OWN THAT LAND WHERE THE DIESEL PUMPS ARE WITH THE RESTROOM AND THE STRUCTURE. THEY'RE GOING TO USE TO COVER IT. WE'D OWN THE LAND WHERE THERE'S THE BLACKTOP AND THE TENNIS COURTS WITH THEIR TANKS UNDERNEATH, SO JUST SAYING THAT OUTRIGHT SEEMS A LITTLE BIT CRAZY TO ME, TO BE HONEST. AND, AND SO THAT'S WHAT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WILL STILL OWN THAT PROPERTY, BUT THAT PROPERTY NOW WILL BE FOREVER CHANGED. RIGHT? WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BUILD ON IT. IT WILL FOREVER, AS WILL SAID, HAVE THESE TANKS THERE LONG PAST ALL OF US BEING AROUND. SO SO THAT'S ONE THING I WANT. I WANT THAT INFORMATION TO BE, TO BE CLEAR FOR EVERYONE. THE SECOND THING IS THE AND WILL. YOU SAID IT. YOU KNOW, EVERYONE MIGHT HAVE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT STORY AS TO WHAT THIS IS REALLY ALL ABOUT, OR HOW WE'VE GOTTEN TO THIS PLACE. NOT TO PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH, BUT SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT. AND, YOU KNOW, AS I THINK ABOUT WHEN THIS ALL STARTED AND HOW THIS CAME TO ME BACK IN NOVEMBER WHEN I FIRST LEARNED OF THE PROJECT AND IT WAS PRESENTED TO ME, AS YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO DO THIS EASEMENT. WE WANT TO HAVE AN EASEMENT. CAN YOU, CAN YOU DO YOU KNOW WHY THE BOARD IS NOT APPROVING IT? AND THEY AND IT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME WHAT IT WAS AND I THOUGHT, OKAY, SO IT'S JUST GOING TO GO UNDERNEATH THE BLACKTOP AND TENNIS COURTS. IT'S GOING TO LOOK THE SAME AFTERWARDS. I'LL SURE I'LL FIND OUT. I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW. BUT AS I FURTHER LEARNED FROM THE DISTRICT, FROM OUR LAWYERS, WHAT IT ACTUALLY ALL MEANS IT IT WAS CLEAR THAT IT WAS A LOT MORE COMPLICATED THAN JUST SAYING, GO AHEAD AND USE THE LAND. GO AHEAD AND JUST PUT THESE TANKS THERE AND THEN IF I THINK ABOUT HOW THINGS HAVE TRANSPIRED SINCE THEN. IT IS LOOKING BACK, IT IS NOT SEEMED THAT THE VILLAGE ACTUALLY WANTED TO WORK WITH US. AND SO I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO SPEAK FRANKLY ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE I FEEL THAT THEY WANTED AN EASEMENT. AND WHEN WE WERE UNWILLING AND TOLD THEM WHY WE WERE UNWILLING AND GAVE THEM THE REASONS, THE ONLY OTHER OPTION THEY WERE OKAY WITH WAS DECLARING EMINENT DOMAIN. AND I KNOW HISTORICALLY THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE VILLAGE HAS HAD A VERY COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIP. I HAVE NOT HEARD PRIOR TO THIS, AND YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, DR. CHAMP THAT WE HAVE HAD ANYTHING BUT A RELATIONSHIP WHERE WE CAN SIT DOWN AND TALK, GRAB COFFEE, DISCUSS YOU KNOW, WHAT THE NEEDS ARE OF THE SCHOOL, WHAT THE NEEDS ARE OF THE VILLAGE. YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE WORK TOGETHER HERE? YOU KNOW ALL OF THAT. THAT IS NOT HOW THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN APPROACHED. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? WHAT'S BEEN VERY DISHEARTENING IS THE WAY THAT THE VILLAGE HAS USED THE MEDIA AND SOCIAL MEDIA TO PORTRAY US AS THE BAD GUYS. THEY'VE PORTRAYED US AS UNCARING ABOUT FLOOD MITIGATION. THEY'VE PORTRAYED US AS BLOCKING ANY SOLUTION TO THIS. TO WHAT THEY SEE. OR BLOCKING A THE PATH TO A SOLUTION WHEN THAT COULDN'T BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH. AS YOU SAID, IT'S IN MY BACKYARD AS WELL. AND WHILE WE ARE NOT CHARGED WITH SOLVING FLOOD PROBLEMS IN PELHAM, WE HAVE BEEN NOTHING BUT WILLING TO WORK WITH [01:40:05] THEM TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THIS. YOU KNOW, IF THEY CAME TO US AND SAID, WE'VE DONE THIS STUDY, JULIANNE'S PLAYGROUND IS THE ONLY PLACE WHERE WE CAN PUT THESE TANKS. WE'D LIKE AN EASEMENT. AND WE ACTUALLY SAT DOWN TO TALK ABOUT IT, AND THEY LISTENED TO WHY AN EASEMENT WAS A PROBLEM. THEY DIDN'T COME TO US WANTING TO HAVE A BACK AND FORTH CONVERSATION ABOUT, OKAY, HOW CAN WE ACTUALLY MAKE THIS WORK? WHAT CAN WE DO? BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE HAVE TO WE BEING I'M SPEAKING FOR THEM HAVE TO SOLVE FLOODING. I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYONE HERE WHO HAS SAID, WELL, IS THE FLOODING REALLY THAT BAD? ABSOLUTELY NOT. SO THEY HAVE FRANKLY USED THE MEDIA IN SUCH A WAY AND, AND, AND SOCIAL MEDIA. AND WE KNOW HOW YOU KNOW. WELL, THINGS GO WHEN YOU PUT STUFF ON FACEBOOK TO REALLY PAINT US IN SUCH A LIGHT THAT WE'VE BEEN, IN MY OPINION, ON THE CONSTANT DEFENSE FOR NO REASON, FOR NO GOOD REASON, I SHOULD SAY. WE HAVE BEEN I HAVE RECEIVED CALLS AND AND EMAILS ABOUT, FIRST OF ALL, ASKING ME TO EXPLAIN THE PROJECT, WHICH IT'S NOT OUR PROJECT. SO, YOU KNOW, I REFER THEM TO THE VILLAGE. BUT THEN WHEN I EXPLAIN ACTUALLY WHAT OUR CONCERNS WERE, NOT THAT WE WEREN'T COMING UP WITH A SOLUTION AND ALTERNATIVES AND LAND SWAP IDEAS AND SALE, THE SALE OF JULIENNES AND WHATEVER IT MAY BE ONE ON ONE, THOSE CONVERSATIONS HAVE BEEN FRUITFUL AND PEOPLE HAVE SAID IF IF NOTHING ELSE, THEY'VE SAID, I UNDERSTAND WHY IT'S COMPLICATED NOW, BUT THE VILLAGE HAS NOT APPROACHED US THAT WAY. THEY'VE APPROACHED US AS AN OPPONENT. AND SO I JUST WANT TO, LIKE, REALLY SIT WITH THE FACT THAT THEY'RE DECLARING EMINENT DOMAIN AGAINST THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. LIKE, THINK ABOUT THAT. LIKE, THIS IS A SMALL TOWN AND WHENEVER THERE THERE HAVE BEEN PROBLEMS IN IN TOWN OR THINGS TO SOLVE, WE ALWAYS COME TOGETHER. IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THAT CASE. WE'RE NEIGHBORS. WE SEE EACH OTHER IN THE CHICO'S, WE SEE EACH OTHER ALL OVER THE PLACE, AND WE'RE ACTUALLY NOT BEING TREATED OUR CONCERNS. AND I THINK YOU SAID IT, JACKIE, HAVE JUST NOT BEEN LISTENED TO AND INSTEAD HAVE BEEN THE WAY I SEE IT, THEY HAVE TAKEN OUR CONCERNS AND INSTEAD JUST DECIDED THEY'RE NOT WILLING. THEY BEING US, THE BOARD'S NOT WILLING TO WORK WITH US. WE'RE GOING TO PUT A LETTER OUT TO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT IT. WE'RE GOING TO PUT IT IN THE PAPER, AND WE'RE GOING TO DECLARE EMINENT DOMAIN AND LOOK TO YOUR POINT, LIKE IF IT WAS A CONVERSATION AROUND, WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THIS FLOOD MITIGATION, AND WE REALLY WANT TO BE SENSITIVE TO TAXPAYER DOLLARS AND SORT OF LIKE WHAT THE BUDGET IS. I KNOW WE WOULD BE LIKE, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT DIALOG AND SAY, OKAY, HOW DO WE MAKE THIS WORK TOGETHER? RIGHT. NOBODY'S TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, NICKEL AND DIME THE VILLAGE AROUND WHAT'S FAIR OR WHAT'S NOT FAIR. I THINK COMING TO THE TABLE AND BEING FAIR ABOUT IT, I THINK TO YOUR POINT AROUND WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO THE TO THE DISTRICT OF LIKE OUR CONSTITUENTS? AND AGAIN, THERE'S MUTUAL INTEREST AND NOBODY'S INTERESTED IN ADDING TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO OUR COMMUNITY. IT'S OUR COMMUNITY. SO IT IS IT'S AGAIN, IT'S JUST DISAPPOINTING TO NOT BE ABLE TO SIT AT THE TABLE AND UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS THAT ARE KEEPING THEM UP AT NIGHT, WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN THAT WE CAN THEN SHARE WHAT WE NEED TO COME TO A MUTUAL AGREEMENT? RIGHT. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I SAY ALL OF THIS. OBVIOUSLY, I AM NOT HAPPY. BUT I AGREE WITH WHAT EVERYONE. YOU KNOW WHAT I THINK A FEW OF YOU HAVE SAID AT LEAST. AND WHICH IS? IT'S NOT TOO LATE. WE CAN STILL HAVE THESE VERY SERIOUS CONVERSATIONS AND SOLVE A VERY SERIOUS HELP TO SOLVE A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH CONSIDERATION OF THE FACT THAT THERE ARE TWO BOARDS. RIGHT? SO WE'VE GOT THE VILLAGE BOARD AND US AS A BOARD, EACH RESPONSIBLE TO US, RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DISTRICT AND THEM RESPONSIBLE TO THEIR CONSTITUENTS AND TO THE VILLAGE, AND BEING RESPECTFUL AND CONSIDERATE OF THAT, KNOWING THAT WE WANT THE SAME THING. IN THE END, THIS IS WHAT KILLS ME. WE ACTUALLY WANT THE SAME THING IN THE END AND WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO, THE ACTION THAT THEY'RE TAKING AND THE ATTITUDE THAT THEY'RE TAKING IS KIND OF LIKE TOUGH. WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS BECAUSE WE CAN. [01:45:01] THE LAW IS ON OUR SIDE WITH EMINENT DOMAIN AND YEAH, THAT'S IT. NOT REALLY. NOT AT ALL. CONSIDERING WHAT THE IMPACT IS ON THE DISTRICT, WHAT THE LIABILITY ISSUES ARE FOR THE DISTRICT. YOU KNOW, AND FRANKLY, CONVERSATIONS THAT. CONVERSATIONS THAT COULD BE HAPPENING NOW ARE NOT. AND HERE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THIS, YOU KNOW, AT EVERY SINGLE MEETING AND AND JUST LIKE WE SAW, IT'S LIKE, HOW ARE WE LEADING THE TOWN THROUGH THIS, RIGHT? SO WHEN THE DISTRICT NEEDS PROPERTY, RIGHT, AT ONE POINT, HOW DO WE BEHAVE WITH EACH OTHER? HOW DO WE WORK TOGETHER? RIGHT. LIKE, THIS IS A MOMENT IN TIME TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE OF HOW WE WANT THE COMMUNITY TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES. SO I'M 100% WITH YOU ON THAT. I'M STILL HOPEFUL THAT THIS CAN HAPPEN. YEAH. SO I DON'T WANT TO BELABOR THIS. I AGREE WITH A LOT OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE'VE HEARD. I DO WANT TO TALK FOR ONE MINUTE ABOUT THE EASEMENT AND WHAT THAT MEANS. AND YOU KNOW, THE VILLAGE IS CLEARLY CHOSEN TO TO TAKE THAT APPROACH BECAUSE THEY THINK THAT IT'S GOING TO BE A LESS EXPENSIVE ALTERNATIVE FOR THEM IN CHARACTERIZING WHAT THEY'RE DOING AS AN EASEMENT. I DON'T THINK THAT'S IN ANY WAY A REALISTIC VIEW OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN PRACTICE. WHEN THEY SAY, WE'RE GOING TO BUILD A 3 MILLION GALLON STORAGE TANK UNDER, YOU KNOW, AN AREA THAT'S LIKE HALF THE SIZE OF JULIANNE'S PARK AND YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO BUILD ON IT AGAIN, BUT WE'RE NOT REALLY TAKING THAT PROPERTY. WE'RE JUST USING THE UNDERGROUND SPACE. IT'S SORT OF. JACKIE AND I WERE TALKING THE OTHER DAY. IT'S SORT OF LIKE SOMEONE WALKING UP AND TAKING A BITE OUT OF AN APPLE FROM YOU AND SAYING, WELL, I'LL PAY YOU FOR THE BITE THAT I TOOK. AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE REST OF THE APPLE. SORRY. AND THAT'S NOT REALLY I, I LOOK AT THIS LITIGATION AS UNFORTUNATE, BUT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE DISTRICT TO VINDICATE ITS RIGHTS AND AND SEEK TO BE TREATED FAIRLY IN THIS PROCESS. AND I CONTINUE TO BE HOPEFUL THAT COOLER HEADS WILL PREVAIL, AND WE'LL COME BACK AND START TALKING ABOUT WAYS TO STOP SPENDING MONEY ON LAWYERS AND START PUSHING THESE PROJECTS PROJECT FORWARD. I GUESS I'D ALSO SAY, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THE VILLAGE HAS A VIEW THAT THEY DON'T NEED TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, BUT WE'VE BEEN TOLD BY PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THIS PROJECT, SORT OF PROJECT IN OTHER MUNICIPALITIES THAT THEY DID NEED TO GO TO SEED. AND I'LL REMIND PEOPLE THAT IT'S TAKEN SIX MONTHS, AND WE STILL DON'T HAVE APPROVAL TO CHANGE AN ARCHIVES ROOM INTO A FITNESS ROOM. AND SO I IMAGINE THAT SEED WILL NOT BE TAKING. YOU KNOW, QUICKLY RESOLVING APPROVAL OF A SIGNIFICANT PROJECT LIKE THIS WITH DIESEL TANKS AND PUMPS AND EVERYTHING ELSE NEAR A PLAYGROUND. SO I THINK, AND A LOT OF THAT COULD BE AVOIDED BY THE VILLAGE IF THEY CHOSE TO BUY THE PROPERTY AND NOT HAVE IT BE ON VILLAGE PROPERTY. THAT WAS BEING YOU KNOW, THAT THERE WOULD BE AN EASEMENT FOR THEIR USE OF A PORTION OF IT. YEAH. AND FOR THE I WAS JUST GONNA SAY FOR THE COMMUNITY IS STATE AID, STATE EDUCATION. YEAH. YES. AND AND THOSE THE PERMITTING PROCESS HAS BEEN TAKING. YOU MENTIONED SIX MONTHS, BUT IT'S EVEN LONGER THAN THAT FOR, I MEAN, THE OUTDOOR CLASSROOM. THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT A YEAR TO GET STARTED BUILDING THAT. YEAH. YEAH. I MEAN, WE'RE STILL WAITING. WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR THE APPROVALS ON THE HVAC UNITS THAT WERE APPROVED BY THE VOTERS TO FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL. FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL. TWO ELECTION, TWO BUDGET CYCLES AGO. YEAH. THANK YOU. SAID I JUST WANT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, UNLIKE YOU ALL, I HADN'T BEEN INSIDE THESE CONVERSATIONS, LIKE, FROM THE START. AND SO I THINK I THINK WE'VE ALL SAID THAT THIS DOESN'T FEEL GOOD. THIS DOESN'T FEEL GOOD TO ANY OF US. THE FLOODING, YOU KNOW, HAVING TO HAVE THESE KINDS OF CONVERSATIONS AND TO HAVE TO TALK WITH THE LAWYERS AND YOU KNOW, FLOODING IS A PROBLEM. [01:50:08] AND SO NONE OF US ARE SAYING THAT IT ISN'T A PROBLEM. NONE OF US ARE SAYING THAT WE DON'T WANT TO BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, I CAME IN AND I REVIEWED ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU ALL HAD, AND YOU GOT UP TO SPEED, AND, AND I THINK I WAS REALLY DISAPPOINTED TO LEARN HOW THESE NEGOTIATIONS, NEGOTIATIONS HAD DEVELOPED. AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT KIND OF BROUGHT US HERE? AND THE SPIRIT OF AN EASEMENT, YOU KNOW, IS NOT CHANGING THE WAY YOU CAN USE LAND PERMANENTLY. RIGHT? IT IS PUTTING EVERYTHING. IT'S MAYBE IT'S PROVIDING ACCESS SO YOU COULD DO SOMETHING, BUT THEN PUTTING IT ALL BACK SO THAT THE ORIGINAL USE OR THE LIKE THE GOAL USE CAN BE CAN CONTINUE. AND THAT'S JUST THAT'S NOT THE CASE HERE. THAT'S NOT WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO JULIANNE'S. SHOULD THESE TANKS GO IN AND I IT WILL. YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WAS ALSO DISAPPOINTED TO LEARN THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF THE A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS WERE NOT NOT JUST LEFT UNANSWERED, THEY WERE LEFT UNACKNOWLEDGED. AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS SO DISHEARTENING BECAUSE HOW CAN YOU COME TO A SOLUTION? I MEAN, WE WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY. THE BOARD OF EDUCATION HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE STUDENTS AND THE STAFF, TO THE TOWN TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT WILL ENSURE THE HEALTH AND LONGEVITY OF THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND THE BOARD HAS THOSE. THE BOARD, THE VILLAGE BOARD HAS THE SAME GOAL FOR THEIR CONSTITUENTS. AND SO IF IT FEELS CONFUSING TO ME TO COME IN AND SORT OF LEARN, YOU KNOW, HOW HOW ONE ENTITY COULD, COULD OR HAS REALLY NOT ACKNOWLEDGED AND NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY THE REAL CONCERNS OF THE TOWN AND THE IMPACT AND THE AND THE LIABILITY AND THAT COMES WITH ALL OF THIS PROJECT. AND THAT I JUST THINK IT DOESN'T I JUST IT DOESN'T FEEL GOOD. THIS DOESN'T FEEL GOOD TO BE WHERE WE ARE TODAY WITH THIS CONVERSATION. AND I AGREE, I DON'T IT'S NOT TOO LATE. IT'S NOT TOO LATE BECAUSE YOU CAN ALWAYS TURN THE SHIP AROUND. YOU CAN ALWAYS REPAIR, YOU CAN ALWAYS COME BACK TO THE TABLE. AND I THINK ALL OF US ARE WILLING AND READY TO DO THAT IN GOOD FAITH AND HAVE THOSE COLLABORATIVE, COOPERATIVE CONVERSATIONS AND AND BRING THAT FEELING BACK TO THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE VILLAGE AND THE DISTRICT, WHICH ANNE MARIE YOU SO ELOQUENTLY DESCRIBED. YOU KNOW HOW THAT IS NOT IT WAS AND NOW IT IS NOT. AND SO I, I DO REMAIN REALLY HOPEFUL THAT THAT THAT CAN HAPPEN AND THAT WE DON'T END UP IN A SITUATION BEING FORCED TO DO SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY ARE JUST UNCOMFORTABLE WITH FOR SO MANY REASONS. I MEAN, I THINK WE ALL TALKED ABOUT DIFFERENT REASONS. I MEAN, THAT'S THAT I JUST GO BACK TO IT. IT DOESN'T FEEL GOOD. BUT I THINK I THINK THERE'S THERE'S HOPE. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT, YOU KNOW, TO TO HANGING ON TO THAT THOUGHT. OKAY. OKAY. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE, AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? OKAY. THE MOTION CARRIES. OKAY. LET'S MOVE TO SAY THANK YOU. [7. Superintendent's Personnel Recommendations] SECTION SEVEN, THE SUPERINTENDENT'S PERSONNEL RECOMMENDATIONS. I THINK WE CAN TAKE 7.1 THROUGH 7.4 AS A CONSENT AGENDA. SO MOTION TO APPROVE 7.1 TO 7.4. SO MOVED. SECOND, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON. NO. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR. AYE AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS. THE MOTION CARRIES. OKAY. 8.1 ON MOTION. [8.1 Motion to Approve Schedule D - Committee on Special Education (Confidential)] I'LL TAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. SCHEDULE D. SO MOVED. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? NO. OKAY. 9.1 NEW BUSINESS. [9.1 New Business] ANYONE HAVE NEW BUSINESS? [01:55:01] I THINK WE JUST DID IT. OH, YEAH. THAT'S TRUE. NO. NO. YEAH. I MEAN, WE COULD JUST DO A QUICK. I THINK KATHRYN AND I WERE GOING TO ALSO SHARE A QUICK UPDATE AROUND SOME OF OUR DEVELOPMENT. RIGHT. EXCELLENT. WE WENT TO IS THAT DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YES. YEAH. YEAH. OKAY. WE'LL BE QUICK. I HAVE, LIKE, FOUR THINGS I JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH THE BOARD FOLKS. SO WE WENT TO THE I DON'T KNOW, WHAT'S THE WESTCHESTER PUTNAM SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION, RIGHT. AS OUR ANNUAL, OUR ANNUAL GOVERNANCE TRAINING THAT YOU USUALLY DON'T HAVE TO FORCE ME TO DO. BUT I'M GOING TO MOVE THAT OVER HERE. UNLIKE MY FELLOW KATHRYN. SO WE WENT TO OUR OUR MANDATORY GOVERNANCE TRAINING AS ALL BOARD MEMBER INCOMING BOARD MEMBERS DO ON SEPTEMBER 24TH. IT WAS REALLY GREAT. WE A COUPLE OF JUST POINTS THAT I WANTED TO SHARE. WE LEARNED A LOT FROM BOARD RESPONSIBILITIES, EFFECTIVE BOARD TRAITS. KATHRYN. JUMP IN IF I'M MISSING ANYTHING. BOARD SUPERINTENDENT, TEAM CHAIN OF COMMAND PROCESS, GOAL SETTING, EVALUATIONS, POLICIES. I MEAN, I CAN GO ON, BUT I KNOW IT'S LATE AND FOLKS ARE TIRED, BUT. SO WE WENT THROUGH WE WENT THROUGH IT ALL. AND I THINK ONE JUST KEY TAKEAWAY AND I THINK, DR. CHAMP, YOU SORT OF ALLUDED TO THIS TOO, AS WE WERE GETTING TO KNOW FELLOW OTHER NEW BOARD MEMBERS AND THEIR DISTRICTS IS, YOU KNOW, EACH COMMUNITY IS DEALING WITH DIFFERENT ISSUES, RIGHT? THEY COME WITH, AGAIN, DIFFERENT ISSUES, NOT NECESSARILY SIMILAR TO PELHAM, BUT THEY DO SHARE MANY OF THE SAME CHALLENGES THAT WE WERE ABLE TO TO TALK ABOUT AND SHARE OUR EXPERIENCE AND, AND, AND AREAS LIKE THAT. AND SO JUST, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF A COMMUNICATION PLAN. AND AGAIN, LOOKING AT KIND OF FOR THE DISTRICT AS A BOARD, AS A TRUSTEE, BUT SO SPECIFICALLY FOR A DISTRICT. AND SO THERE'S LIKE REALLY GREAT WAYS. AND I THINK IT CAME UP IN OUR GOAL SETTING AROUND, HOW DO WE COMMUNICATE, HOW DO WE ENGAGE THE, THE, OUR CONSTITUENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AROUND THESE TYPES OF THINGS THAT WE'RE GRAPPLING WITH AND DEALING WITH? AND SO DEVELOPING A COMMUNICATION PLAN WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ONE OF MANY THINGS THAT CAME UP THAT WE TALKED ABOUT AND WE HEARD SOME GOOD PRACTICES AND SOME BEST PRACTICES, AND I LOVE A GOOD COMMUNICATIONS PLAN. SO, YOU KNOW, BE ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT I'LL BE HAPPY TO BRING TO US AS WE SORT OF KICK OFF THE YEAR FOR IT. AND I JUST WANT TO THANK THANK PELHAM FOR GIVING US THIS OPPORTUNITY. AND KATHRYN, PLEASE SHARE ANY INSIGHTS OR KEY TAKEAWAYS THAT THAT YOU HAD AS WELL. I MEAN, WE COLLABORATED ON THAT SO THAT I THINK THAT ENCOMPASSED ALL OF WHAT WE YOU KNOW, WHAT WE WHAT WE KIND OF WALKED AWAY FROM. BUT I'LL JUST ECHO BEING GRATEFUL AND THANKFUL THAT WE CAN ONLY DO THIS WORK BECAUSE OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF AND YOU ALL SHOW UP EVERY DAY TO LEARN AND TO TEACH. AND SO YOU KNOW, I JUST FEEL GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE DISTRICT. AND I LOVE I LOVE A GOOD WORKSHOP AND, YOU KNOW, JUST LEARNING HOW TO LEARN NEW SKILLS. AND I THINK IT'S VALUABLE. IT'S ALWAYS VALUABLE TO GET A BUNCH OF PEOPLE IN THE ROOM AND, AND SHARE OUR PERSPECTIVES, BECAUSE I THINK YOU JUST YOU LEARN A LOT ABOUT HOW THINGS WORK. AND YOU KNOW, WHAT? WE WHAT WE'RE DOING SO WELL HERE. AND I THINK I THINK I JUST WANT TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT PELHAM IS SPECIAL FOR A LOT OF REASONS. BUT SPECIFICALLY WHEN, YOU KNOW, AT THIS WORKSHOP YOU KNOW, WE ARE LUCKY TO HAVE THE CABINET. WE HAVE TO HAVE THE TEACHING STAFF WE HAVE. AND TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT THE SEVEN BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE UP HERE YOU KNOW, WE ARE ABLE TO HAVE HARD CONVERSATIONS. WE WE DON'T ALWAYS AGREE. IN THE SHORT TIME THAT I'VE BEEN SITTING UP BEING, YOU KNOW, A PART OF THIS GROUP UP HERE WITH YOU, LIKE, WE DON'T ALWAYS AGREE. I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT, THAT WE DON'T. BUT WE ARE ALWAYS RESPECTFUL. AND WE CAN HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND THEN WE CAN COME BACK AGAIN AND AND HAVE ANOTHER ONE. AND I THINK THAT NOT ALL BOARDS CAN DO THAT. SO THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU. I THINK THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT I WALKED AWAY WITH JUST A KIND OF AN APPRECIATION FOR ALL OF US AND WORKING TOGETHER. AND SO THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING AWESOME, EVERYBODY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT, TOO, BECAUSE I THINK, LIKE, WE'RE A LEARNING ORGANIZATION AND TO KNOW THAT THE LEADERS AT THE GOVERNANCE LEVEL ARE LEARNING IS A GREAT MESSAGE, A GREAT EXAMPLE, SOMETHING FOR OUR KIDS TO LEARN FROM AND SOMETHING TO JUST TO REINFORCE. AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE POSITIVE, REALLY. KUDOS FOR OUR STAFF TOO. I THINK WHEN WHEN THE LEADERS ARE LEARNING, THEN THE WHOLE ORGANIZATION IS GOING TO KEEP LEARNING AND KEEP THE GROWTH MINDSET. [02:00:06] SO THANK YOU BOTH FOR SHARING THAT. WELL, WE'VE GOT MORE OF THESE MANDATORY TRAININGS RIGHT. YEAH. AND THERE'S OPTIONAL ONES TOO. THERE'S SO MANY OPTIONAL ONES. THERE'S ALL KINDS OF GREAT ONES COMING UP. AND NATALIE AND I HAVE TO DO BOARD LEADERSHIP TRAINING. SO I WILL BRING BACK THOSE LEARNINGS. EXCELLENT. I CAN'T WAIT FOR THAT. KEEP SHARING IT OUT. VERY GOOD. OKAY. I'LL TAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. SO MOVED. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. OKAY. THANKS, EVERYONE. THANK YOU. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.