[00:00:06] OKAY. OKAY. GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING OF JANUARY 21ST, 2026. [2.1 Call to Order] PLEASE NOTE, TRUSTEE GARCIA IS HOME SICK TONIGHT. AND OUR STUDENT BOARD MEMBERS ARE NOT WITH US. EITHER ONE IS SICK, AND ONE HAS MIDTERMS TOMORROW. SO 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. NATALIE, WOULD YOU PLEASE REITERATE OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION MOTION? [2.3 Reiteration of Executive Session Motions] YES. WE MET IN EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS THE EMPLOYMENT HISTORY OF PARTICULAR PERSON'S. THANK YOU. I HOPE EVERYONE IS HAVING A GREAT WEEK. [2.4 Opening Remarks] ENJOYED THE SNOWY THREE DAY WEEKEND AND IS STAYING SAFE AND WARM DURING THIS EXTREME COLD OUT OF OUT OF THE MANY. MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR QUOTES THAT I SAW ON SOCIAL MEDIA THIS WEEK, ONE STOOD OUT TO ME. EVERYONE, EVERYBODY CAN BE GREAT BECAUSE ANYBODY CAN SERVE. THIS QUOTE RESONATED WITH ME THIS YEAR. I'M GRATEFUL TO THIS BOARD FOR CONTINUING TO SERVE THE PELHAM COMMUNITY IN THIS WAY. AND THAT INCLUDES OUR STUDENT BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE NOT HERE WITH US TONIGHT. BUT WE I THANK BOTH OF THEM FOR THEIR SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY. I'M ALSO GRATEFUL TO EVERYONE WHO CONTRIBUTES BIG AND SMALL TO MAKING OUR COMMUNITY OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY BETTER. PTA COUNCIL PTA CIVICS PELHAM TOGETHER AND THE PELHAM EDUCATION FOUNDATION, JUST TO NAME A FEW. AND EVERY FAMILY WHO DONATES THEIR TIME OR RESOURCES TO OUR SCHOOLS. THIS PAST MLK DAY, THE DISTRICT HOSTED ACTIVE SHOOTER TRAINING AT SIWANOY SCHOOL. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS ANNUALLY AND THE THE DISTRICT ROTATES SCHOOLS. THIS IS A POWERFUL EXAMPLE OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN EACH OF OUR VILLAGES AND BEYOND, COMING TOGETHER TO PROTECT OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY. I WANT TO THANK PELHAM POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS FOR THEIR IMPORTANT WORK. THE BOARD IS HAPPY TO WELCOME BACK TRUSTEE WILL TREVES TO OUR MEETING IN PERSON. WE'RE VERY GLAD THAT YOU CONTINUE TO RECOVER WELL. WE ALSO WANT TO WISH OUR VICE PRESIDENT, NATALIE MARRERO, A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY. HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY. THANK YOU. WELCOME BACK. WELL, THANK YOU AND WELCOME BACK. AND AND AND THANK YOU FOR SPENDING PART OF YOUR BIRTHDAY EVENING WITH US. YES. OKAY. A FEW NOTABLE BUSINESS ITEMS TONIGHT. DOCTOR CHAMP WILL BE PROVIDING HER MID-YEAR REPORT. WE HAD SEVERAL COMMITTEE MEETINGS LAST WEEK. THAT WE WILL REVIEW, BUT ONE OF THEM WAS BOND STEERING. OUR COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL FOR BONDS, FOR BOND STEERING AND BOND WORK IS TO HAVE THE COMMITTEE MEETING, THEN PROVIDE THE DEBRIEF AT THE FOLLOWING BOARD MEETING, WHICH IS TONIGHT, AND INCLUDE IT IN OUR BOARD WRAP UP. SO I'LL, I'LL I'LL DO A QUICK BOND STEERING UPDATE THAT I'M SURE WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT. SO AT PROSPECT AND COLONIAL SCHOOLS WHERE WE WILL BE INSTALLING NEW HVAC SYSTEMS, INCLUDING AIR CONDITIONING. THE NECESSARY INVESTIGATIVE TESTING IS COMPLETE AND DESIGNS WILL GO TO SCD FOR PERMITTING THIS WEEK. I'M NOT SURE IF THEY'VE GONE ALREADY OR NOT YET, BUT THEY'RE GOING THIS WEEK. THERE IS NOT AS LONG A WAIT TIME ON PERMITTING AS IN THE RECENT PAST, SO THE ARCHITECTS EXPECT TO RECEIVE PERMITS AND START THE BIDDING PROCESS IN MARCH, WITH THE INTENT TO BEGIN WORK THIS SUMMER AT BOTH COLONIAL AND PROSPECT. ONCE THOSE FILINGS OCCUR, THE ARCHITECTS WILL TURN THEIR ATTENTION TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL, WITH SITE TESTING OCCURRING OVER WINTER BREAK. JIM ALSO MENTIONED THAT ALONGSIDE ALL OF THIS, THE $1.44 MILLION SECURITY CAMERA UPGRADE PROJECT IS MOVING FORWARD. SINCE THE GRANT. GRANT MONEY FROM THE STATE IS NOW IN HAND. TURNING TO SIWANOY, WE MENTIONED AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING THAT THERE WAS A SORT OF A FALSE START ON THE GEOTECHNICAL TESTING THAT IS NOW PLANNED, THAT IS NOW PLANNED TO HAPPEN OVER WINTER BREAK. THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF UPCOMING COMMUNICATION WITH THE VILLAGE OF PELHAM MANOR AND THE SIWANOY NEIGHBORHOOD, SO THAT THERE ARE NO SURPRISES. OTHERWISE, WE ARE SORT OF LARGELY STATUS QUO WITH SIWANOY FROM LAST TIME. PRELIMINARY PLANS, NOT FINAL PLANS, ARE WITH SCD AND SHIPPO. SHIPPO AND THE DISTRICT HAS MET WITH THE VILLAGE OF PELHAM MANOR AND THEIR CONSULTING ENGINEER, WITH WHOM WE ARE COLLABORATING VERY CLOSELY. PARTICULARLY PARTICULARLY AROUND STORMWATER MITIGATION, BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN QUESTIONS ABOUT STORMWATER MANAGEMENT AT SIWANOY. I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT UNDER THE UNDER THE PLAYGROUND, THERE WILL BE STORMWATER COLLECTION AND RETENTION USING STORMWATER CHAMBERS, [00:05:08] WHICH LOOK LIKE CUT PLASTIC BARRELS. THE VILLAGE OF PELHAM IS IN THE LOOP ON THIS AND IS ALIGNED WITH THIS APPROACH. WE ARE ALSO CONTINUING TO ASSESS WHETHER HYBRID CONSTRUCTION, FORMERLY REFERRED TO AS MODULAR CONSTRUCTION, MAKES SENSE FOR THE SIWANOY PROJECT. HYBRID MEANS THAT SOME CONSTRUCTION WOULD HAPPEN ON SITE, RIGHT? SUCH AS THE FOUNDATION AND SOME CONSTRUCTION WOULD HAPPEN OFF SITE AND THEN BROUGHT OVER TO SIWANOY. THE QUALITY MATERIALS AND TOTAL CONSTRUCTION TIME WOULD BE THE SAME BETWEEN HYBRID AND DICK BUILT STICK BUILT. STICK BUILT HYBRID, IF FEASIBLE, WOULD REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF ON SITE CONSTRUCTION TIME AND THEREFORE REDUCE THE LOCAL IMPACT OF CONSTRUCTION. DESIGNS ARE BEING DEVELOPED IN TWO VERSIONS RIGHT NOW THE STICK BUILT WAY AND THE HYBRID WAY. AND THAT WILL ALLOW THE ARCHITECTS TO DECIDE WHICH IS THE BEST APPROACH OR FOR US TO DECIDE WHICH IS THE BEST APPROACH. SO FAR, THE COSTS LOOK COMPARABLE, AND IT APPEARS THAT A HYBRID PROVIDER COULD ACTUALLY DELIVER PARTS OF BUILDING A BUILDING TO THE SIWANOY LOCATION, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE ONE OF THE FEASIBILITY SORT OF CHECK POINTS FOR WHETHER WE COULD USE HYBRID OR NOT. CAN YOU GET THE CAN YOU GET THE ACTUAL BUILDING OVER TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD? THE THE DECISION POINT TO PURSUE HYBRID WILL COME AFTER THIS INITIAL DESIGN PHASE. WE HOPE HYBRID WORKS BECAUSE WHILE IT WON'T REDUCE TOTAL CONSTRUCTION TIME, IT WILL. IT WILL REDUCE THE LOCAL IMPACT OF CONSTRUCTION. NEXT WE HAVE SIX POLICIES UP FOR SECOND READING. THESE RELATE TO STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. THESE ARE THESE ARE NECESSARY UPDATES AND WILL NOT MATERIALLY CHANGE THE FAMILY'S EXPERIENCE WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION IN PELHAM. THE REMAINING. GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU. THE REMAINING POLICIES ARE IN THIRD READING AND RELATE TO BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS AND PROCEDURES. LAST MEETING WE HAD A LIVELY, LIVELY DISCUSSION ABOUT PUBLIC COMMENT, AND THE LANGUAGE HAS BEEN FURTHER REFINED TO ALIGN WITH THE BOARD'S PHILOSOPHY OF SUPPORTING EASY ACCESS TO PUBLIC COMMENT WITHOUT OVER MANAGING IT, WHILE ALLOWING THE BOARD PRESIDENT TO MANAGE TIME AND DECORUM WHEN NECESSARY TO KEEP THE PROCESS EFFICIENT AND PRODUCTIVE. I ALSO WANT TO CONGRATULATE DOCTOR KERRY TITAN WHO WILL RECEIVE TENURE THIS EVENING. AS ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL OF PELHAM MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL. IN MY OWN EXPERIENCE AS A PARENT OF A HIGH SCHOOLER, SHE IS A TREMENDOUS ASSET TO THE SCHOOL AND IN ENSURING A WELL STRUCTURED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. CONGRATULATIONS TO CARRIE TO DOCTOR STONE, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATING WITH WITH HER AND OTHER TENURE RECIPIENTS THIS SPRING. WE ALSO HAVE SOME NEW BUSINESS THIS EVENING. THE VILLAGE OF PELHAM IS HOLDING A PUBLIC HEARING NEXT WEEK AHEAD OF PASSING A LOCAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING LAW. I WILL ASK THE BOARD WHETHER IT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT AT THAT MEETING REGARDING COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE VILLAGES AND THE DISTRICT ON HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PLANS. HOUSING DEVELOPMENT BRINGS NEW FAMILIES AND NEW STUDENTS TO PELHAM. WE HAVE SEEN THAT EVEN STUDIOS AND ONE BEDROOM UNITS CAN HOUSE FAMILIES WITH MULTIPLE CHILDREN FROM OUR DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY. WE ARE ALREADY CLOSE TO CAPACITY AT COLONIAL AND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL. THE DISTRICT MIGHT WANT TO EXPRESS ITS DESIRE FOR A HIGH LEVEL OF EARLY AND FREQUENT INFORMATION SHARING, SO THE CURRENT AND FUTURE BOARDS OF EDUCATION CAN PLAN FACILITIES AND BUDGETS ACCORDINGLY. ADDITIONALLY, THE THE TRAFFIC STUDY I'M FORGETTING THE ACRONYM MNEMONIC? YEAH, THE MNEMONIC TRAFFIC STUDY RELATED TO THE WALK OVER TO TO GLOVER HAS SOME INTERESTING RECOMMENDATIONS, AND WE SHOULD DISCUSS WHO FROM THE BOARD CAN HELP KEEP THAT WORK. THAT IS PRIMARILY IN THE HANDS OF THE VILLAGE OF PELHAM AND MOUNT VERNON MOVING FORWARD. SID. OKAY, I DID RAISE MY HAND BEFORE IF PEOPLE WANT TO YOU KNOW, SOMEONE TO KEEP IN CONTACT WITH THEM, I'M HAPPY TO. OKAY, GOOD. WELL, WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT AT THE END OF THE MEETING. AND THEN OKAY, THAT'S ALL I HAD. AND WE CAN GET STARTED WITH 3.2. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO. OH, I'M SORRY WITH 3.1. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM JANUARY 7TH, 2026? [3. Approval of Minutes] SO MOVED. SECOND. OKAY. ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON THE MINUTES? [00:10:05] JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE FOLKS KNOW IF YOU LOOK AT WHERE IT SAYS JUST ABOVE WHERE IT SAYS PUBLIC CONTENT ON THE BOARD'S DASHBOARD, IF IT SAYS MINUTES VIEW MINUTES, IF YOU SCROLL OVER THAT WITH YOUR CURSOR, IT TURNS INTO A HYPERLINK. YOU HAVE TO BE LOGGED IN UNDER YOUR PELHAM SCHOOL. IT'S NOT WORKING FOR ME, BUT OKAY, OKAY, SORRY. THAT'S A NEW WAY WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT, I THINK LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, BECAUSE IT GIVES A VAL CAN TAKE MINUTES RIGHT DURING THE MEETING AND IT KEEPS IT RIGHT INTERNAL IN THERE AND HELPS EXPEDITES THE PROCESS. SO OKAY, I THINK WE NEED TO A VOTE ON THAT STILL. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. NONE OPPOSED. SO THOSE MINUTES ARE APPROVED. DOCTOR CHAMP. I'LL HAND IT OFF TO YOU. THANK YOU. JUST VERY BRIEFLY, BEFORE I MOVE OVER TO THE PODIUM FOR THE MIDYEAR REPORT. [4.1 Superintendent's Report - Superintendent's Mid-Year Report] ON YOUR DESKS IS A COPY OF THE DRAFT CALENDAR FOR THE YEAR. I KNOW I MENTIONED IT LAST TIME. I'M BRINGING IT FORWARD NOT FOR VOTE FOR ACTION TONIGHT, BUT AGAIN, TO TO REALLY FORMALLY BRING IT TO YOU FOR CONSIDERATION. WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS TALK ABOUT IT TONIGHT AND THEN SEND IT OUT TO GET FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY BEFORE WE BRING IT BACK TO THE BOARD FOR FINAL ADOPTION. IT'S BASICALLY THE SAME AS I SHARED WITH YOU LAST TIME. VERY APPRECIATIVE TO THE TEACHERS UNIT AS PART OF THEIR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT. ANYTIME WE ASK THEM TO COME BACK BEFORE LABOR DAY, THEY HAVE TO TAKE A VOTE OF THE MEMBERSHIP, AND THEY HAVE AGREED TO RETURN PRIOR TO LABOR DAY. SO WE'RE VERY THANKFUL BECAUSE THAT WILL ENABLE US TO KEEP A FULL FEBRUARY BREAK. THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY IN THIS CALENDAR, AND HAD THEY NOT BEEN WILLING TO DO THAT, WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO HAVE AN ABBREVIATED MUD WEEK. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE OF A MUD FIVE DAYS. SO I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR THAT. SO AGAIN, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR THE 2627 SCHOOL YEAR, I KNOW THERE'S ALREADY GOT A COUPLE QUESTIONS FROM FOLKS THAT ARE GETTING. THEY CAN'T BELIEVE WE'RE ALREADY THINKING ABOUT NEXT YEAR AND THEN OTHERS THAT ALREADY WANT THE ANSWER FOR NEXT YEAR. SO BUT WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT TEACHERS COMING BACK SEPTEMBER 2ND AND THIRD. STUDENTS WOULD THEN BEGIN TUESDAY AFTER LABOR DAY. WE WOULD HAVE KIND OF THE TYPICAL RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS AT STATE AND FEDERAL HOLIDAYS THAT FALL WITHIN THE CALENDAR. SO WE WOULD HAVE COLUMBUS DAY ON OCTOBER 12TH, WE WOULD HAVE THANKSGIVING. THEY WOULD DO HALF DAY BEFORE FOR OUR EARLY RELEASE STAGING DRILL. CERTAINLY THE DAY AFTER WOULD BE OFF, WE WOULD HAVE VETERAN'S DAY OFF. TENTATIVELY, WE'RE SCHEDULING PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES AND SIMILAR PLACE TO WHERE WE DID THEM THIS YEAR. THOSE COULD CHANGE AS WE GET FEEDBACK AT THE END OF THE YEAR, BUT AS OF NOW WANTED TO DESIGNATE THOSE BECAUSE THOSE DO REPRESENT SOME DAYS OFF FOR STUDENTS. AND YOU SEE THOSE REPRESENTED SOME IN NOVEMBER. THAT'S ELEMENTARY IN NOVEMBER. SECONDARY IN DECEMBER. THEN WE'VE GOT THE HOLIDAY BREAK WOULD RUN. IT'S A SHORTER ONE IN THIS COMING YEAR. SO FROM DECEMBER 24TH THROUGH JANUARY 1ST. WE ALSO THEN HAVE MLK HOLIDAY JANUARY 18TH, OUR FEBRUARY WEEK IN WHICH WE HAVE PRESIDENT'S DAY IN THERE AS WELL. THAT'S THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 15TH. THEN YOU'VE GOT PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES AND SUPERINTENDENT'S CONFERENCE DAY AGAIN, MARCH 11TH. 12TH. SPRING RECESS IS SOMEWHAT EARLY MARCH THE WEEK OF MARCH 20TH. THAT ALIGNS WITH EASTER AND GOOD FRIDAY. PASSOVER. WE HAVE THE EVENING. THE FIRST NIGHT OF PASSOVER IS A CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION. THAT'S WHY THAT'S ONE DAY IN APRIL ON A WEDNESDAY. SO THAT ALIGNS WITH OUR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING LANGUAGE. AND THEN, OF COURSE, AT THE END OF MAY, WE'RE MAINTAINING THE WE CALL THEM THE COMPENSATORY DAYS. THOSE RELATE TO SNOW DAYS. SO IF WE DON'T USE ANY, THOSE BECOME VACATION DAYS. IF WE USE ONE SNOW DAY, THE FIRST ONE GOES BACK TO BEING AN INSTRUCTIONAL DAY. IF WE USE TWO SNOW DAYS, THE SECOND GOES BACK TO BEING INSTRUCTIONAL DAY. IMPORTANT TO NOTE WE ALREADY WATCHING THE WEATHER FOR SUNDAY NIGHT. WE MAY BE LOOKING AT A WEATHER EVENT ON MONDAY, SO STAY TUNED. IF WE WERE AS AN EXAMPLE TO HAVE A SNOW DAY ON MONDAY, THEN THIS YEAR WE WOULD LOSE THAT FIRST DAY BEFORE THE BREAK. SO DON'T MAKE PLANS YET FOR MEMORIAL DAY. AND THEN FOR THIS YEAR'S MEMORIAL DAY. SO IN JUNE, JUNETEENTH FALLS ON THE WEEKEND. BUT IT'S TO BE CELEBRATED THE FRIDAY BEFORE WHEN IT FALLS ON SATURDAY. SO THE 18TH WOULD BE OFF. AND THEN YOU SEE THE LAST THREE DAYS, WHAT WE'VE DONE THIS LAST YEAR AND PLANNING FOR THIS YEAR, IF WE AGAIN, IF WE DON'T USE THE REMAINING SNOW DAYS, THOSE COULD BE GIVEN BACK TO OUR ELEMENTARY FAMILIES AS REDUCED SCHOOL DAYS. IF THEY ARE IN SESSION, THOSE WOULD BE HALF DAYS. I'M JUST GOING TO COMMENT ON SOMETHING SPECIFIC. IT'S GONE. OH, WE I DID WE DO CURRENTLY HAVE GRADUATION LISTED. I MENTIONED THIS LAST TIME AS THE 26TH OF JUNE. JUST BECAUSE THE CALENDAR IS A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, WE DID PLACE IT THERE. THE REGENTS CALENDAR HAS COME OUT NOW, [00:15:01] AND I BELIEVE TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, JUNE 15TH, 16, 17 ARE EXAMS. SO SOME OF THIS WILL DEPEND. IT'S KIND OF TIGHT TO GET IN EXAMS, PROM, ALL THE THINGS TO GET TO GRADUATION. AND AS WE SAID LAST TIME, SATURDAY THE 19TH IS JUNETEENTH. THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE'RE TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION. WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK ON WHETHER WHETHER TO KEEP GRADUATION ON THE 26TH. CONSIDER IT THE 19TH. SO THAT CAN BE THAT WILL BE PART OF THE SURVEY THAT'S SENT OUT TO FOLKS. SO THE PLAN IS AS PART OF OUR WRAP UP AFTER THIS MEETING IS TO SEND THE CALENDAR OUT, SEND A SURVEY OUT LIKE WE DID LAST YEAR, GET SOME FEEDBACK OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, AND THEN COME BACK TO YOU IN FEBRUARY WITH A FINALIZED RECOMMENDATION. RECOMMENDED CALENDAR. THERE'S NOT A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY IN THIS ONE. I KNOW FOLKS WANT TO END EARLY AND ALL THOSE THINGS. THERE JUST IS NOT THERE'S NOT MUCH ROOM TO MOVE. THE OTHER THING I WOULD ADD IS I SAID LAST TIME, THIS IS BASICALLY BASED ON THE CALENDAR SINCE WE HAVE BUSSING THROUGH BOCES, AND WE HAVE STUDENTS WHO ATTEND CLASSES AT BOCES, BOTH SPECIAL EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL STUDENTS. SO SO THAT'S REALLY WHERE THE ALIGNMENT IN PARTICULAR RELATED TO FEBRUARY AND MARCH BREAKS CAME FROM. SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TRANSITION OVER TO THE PODIUM. OKAY, SO I ALWAYS APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME MID-YEAR AND JUST PROVIDE THE BOARD AND COMMUNITY AN UPDATE ON WHERE THE GREAT WORK THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE DISTRICT. AND IT'S ALWAYS A NICE TIME TO TO PAUSE AND REFLECT ON OUR PROGRESS. EXCUSE ME, CELEBRATE OUR PROGRESS. AND THEN ALSO, AS WE HEAD INTO THE BUDGET SEASON, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE TAKEN THAT OPPORTUNITY TO PAUSE AND SEE WHAT ARE THE AREAS THAT THAT WE'RE PROUD OF, THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH, AND THEN ANY AREAS THAT WE ARE KEEPING OUR EYE ON THAT MAY NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT AS WE MOVE FORWARD. SO AS THE BOARD IS VERY AWARE, WE'RE IN SECOND YEAR OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. PERSONAL GROWTH AND ACHIEVEMENT, BELONGING AND WELLNESS AND SUSTAINABLE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS ARE THE THREE PILLARS THAT AROUND WHICH ALL OF OUR WORK HAS BEEN ANCHORED FOR THROUGHOUT THIS PLAN. IN ADDITION TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN, OF COURSE, WE LOOKED TO THE GOALS THAT THE BOARD SETS EACH YEAR TO HELP DIRECT THEIR WORK, BUT IT ALSO HELPS TO DIRECT OUR WORK AS WELL. SO TOGETHER, THE, THE BOARD AND THE SUPERINTENDENT WILL SUPPORT THE CONTINUED ENHANCEMENT OF STUDENT OUTCOMES, AS WELL AS DEEPEN COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDING OF THE VALUE PROVIDED BY THE PELHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT GOAL, AND THAT IS A BIG PIECE OF TONIGHT. TONIGHT'S GOAL FOR THIS PRESENTATION IS TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO ENHANCE AND DEEPEN THE COMMUNITY'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE VALUE THAT WE BRING. AND WHAT I BELIEVE IS WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE SCHOOL DISTRICT. I'M NOT AS MUCH OF A SELF-PROMOTER SALESPERSON AS MAYBE SOME OTHER FOLKS ARE, AND I THINK AT TIMES WE FORGET TO REALLY CELEBRATE ALL THE INCREDIBLE THINGS THAT DO GO ON IN OUR SCHOOLS EVERY DAY FOR OUR STUDENTS. I APPRECIATE THE THE WORK SESSION THAT DOCTOR COMERFORD PLANNED FOR US. WE HAD THE BOARD HAD A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SEE MORE DEEPLY THE OUTCOMES AND IN THAT, TO CELEBRATE NOT JUST TEST SCORES, BUT REALLY THE WELL-ROUNDED EXPERIENCES THAT OUR STUDENTS HAVE AND HOW THEY EXCEL IN ALL THOSE DIFFERENT AREAS. SO WE'RE GOING TO TOUCH JUST BRIEFLY ON THOSE AGAIN TONIGHT. SO AREAS THAT WE WANTED TO COVER IN ADDITION TO THE STUDENT SUCCESSES, WE ALSO, AGAIN, AND JACKIE KIND OF TEED US UP AND MAKE US A LITTLE BIT MORE EFFICIENT BY TOUCHING ON SOME PROGRESS IN OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, AS WELL AS START TO LOOK AT FINANCES. WHAT IS WHAT IS OUR CURRENT SNAPSHOT OF WHERE THINGS STAND, WHICH IS A VERY STRONG POSITION. AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE KNOW THAT WE'RE FACING AS WE LOOK FORWARD, WE'RE FACING SOME HEADWINDS AND WANT TO BE WANT TO JUST TALK ABOUT HOW WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THOSE THINGS AND BE COGNIZANT OF THOSE AS WE MOVE FORWARD. SO, AS JACKIE MENTIONED, WITH CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, WE'RE JUST INCREDIBLY THANKFUL TO THE COMMUNITY FOR PASSING $99 MILLION WORTH OF BOND PROJECTS FOR US LAST MAY. THAT WAS INCREDIBLE. I GOT TO SAY, WHEN I TALK TO COLLEAGUES, THEY'RE FLOORED AT THE NUMBER. BUT I SAY THE PELHAM SUPPORTS AT SCHOOLS. THAT'S ALWAYS WHO PELHAM HAS BEEN. THEY'RE INVESTED IN OUR SCHOOLS. WE BELIEVE IN OUR SCHOOLS. WE'RE WE THEIR BUILDINGS ARE 100 YEARS OLD AND THEY NEED WORK. AND PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF INVESTING IN OUR SCHOOLS. SO INCREDIBLY APPRECIATIVE FOR THAT. AND AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE TWO MAIN PROPOSITIONS, THE FIRST ONE HAVING TO DO WITH CORE INFRASTRUCTURE AT COLONIAL PROSPECT HILL AND THE HIGH SCHOOL. AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE SECOND PROPOSITION PASSED WAS SPECIFIC TO SIWANOY, PREDOMINANTLY BRINGING OUR FINAL BUILDING INTO ADA COMPLIANCE EXPANSION TO RIGHT SIZE THE BUILDING AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ADEQUATE SPACE FOR OUR PROGRAMS FOR OUR STUDENTS AT SIWANOY AND TO DO THOSE SAME HVAC UPGRADES THAT ARE PLANNED AT THE OTHER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT THROUGH BOND STEERING. THAT'S BEEN OUR PRIMARY AREA PRIMARY VEHICLE TO, TO BE DOING THIS WORK. AND I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO MENTION IS WE HAVE REALLY TRIED TO TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON THE PROMISES THAT WE MADE. [00:20:05] AND AGAIN, JACKIE ALREADY MENTIONED ONE THING, AND THAT'S OUR COMMITMENT TO COMMUNICATION. SO COMING INTO THIS YEAR, WE DEVELOPED A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN AROUND SPECIFICALLY THE COMMUNICATION, THE THE CAPITAL PROJECTS. SO WHAT WAS GOING TO BE OUR CADENCE OF REGULAR COMMUNICATION AND STAYING TRUE TO THAT. SO THERE'S REGULAR MONTHLY UPDATES PROVIDED AT THE BOARD MEETING AND THEN PROVIDED OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AS A FOLLOW UP. ADDITIONALLY, AT KEY POINTS, WE'VE COMMITTED TO HARD MAILINGS TO NEIGHBORS, SO WE'VE DONE THAT A COUPLE TIMES ALREADY. TO GIVE THEM INVITATIONS TO COMMUNITY EVENTS, TO LET THEM KNOW WHEN THINGS ARE GOING ON IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH TO GO BACK TO THE OPENING DAY OF SCHOOL. WHEN WE CAME BACK, THERE WAS NO MAILING ABOUT DRILLING BECAUSE WE HADN'T BEEN NOTIFIED OF DRILLING, SO THEY WERE SENT AWAY. BUT WHEN THEY DO COME BACK, THERE WILL BE THOSE KINDS OF NOTIFICATIONS. SO WE'VE CONTINUED TO DO THAT. ADDITIONALLY, WE COMMITTED TO EXPANDING INVOLVEMENT. SO THERE'S REALLY BEEN TWO KEY AREAS THERE. OUR BOND STEERING COMMITTEE. AGAIN, WE REASSEMBLED THAT AS WE DO WITH ALL OF OUR COMMITTEES THIS YEAR. SO WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE GROUP OF COMMUNITY RESIDENTS WHO HAVE JOINED THAT, WHO HAVE RELEVANT PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE AND A DEEP COMMITMENT TO MAKING SURE THAT THE DISTRICT GETS THE PROJECT RIGHT. AND IT'S BEEN JUST INCREDIBLY POSITIVE, VERY THOUGHTFUL GROUP. COMING TO THAT, UNDERSTANDING THE NEEDS AND THE VALUES OF THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS HOW THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS AND DESIGN PROCESS CAN SUPPORT THOSE GOALS. ADDITIONALLY, WE SET UP THE SITE PLAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND A GROUP TO BE VERY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT THE OUTSIDE SPACE, RECOGNIZING RECOGNIZING THE MANY DIFFERENT AUDIENCES WHO USE THAT SPACE AND VALUE IT. SO WE BROUGHT IN SOME NEIGHBORS. WE BROUGHT IN DIFFERENT FORMAL USER GROUPS FROM FROM THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS THE INTERNAL STAFF WITH THE ARCHITECTS, WITH THE ENGINEERS TO BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT WHAT ARE THE MAJOR ELEMENTS WE WANT THERE. THAT WAS OUR FIRST DISCUSSION. WE'LL BE COMING BACK OUT ONCE THOSE DESIGNS ARE A LITTLE FURTHER ALONG AND GETTING A LITTLE BIT MORE FEEDBACK, THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE PROVIDE SPACES THAT ARE THAT HAVE SUSTAINABILITY IN MIND, WHETHER IT'S TYPES OF PLANTING SHADE, COOLING AREAS, STORMWATER MANAGEMENT. SO SOME UPDATES THERE. ALSO THINKING ABOUT OUR STUDENTS AND HOW DO WE WANT TO PROVIDE SPACES THAT MEET THE NEEDS OF ALL OF OUR STUDENTS. SO THOSE IT BECOMES THE MOST INCLUSIVE SPACE POSSIBLE GIVEN GIVEN WHAT WE HAVE TO WORK WITH. SO THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE PROMISED BEFOREHAND, AND WE'RE IMPLEMENTING THOSE TO CONTINUE THE CONNECTION WITH THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS, AS JACKIE SAID, WORKING WITH PELHAM MANOR VERY CLOSELY. CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE. WE'RE GOING TO SEE THAT IN JUST A MOMENT. THE NEXT BIG DISCUSSION WITH BOND STEERING AND WITH THE SITE COMMITTEE IS GOING TO BE CENTERED AROUND LOGISTICS. WE KNOW WE'RE DESIGNING WHERE WE NEED TO BE THREE YEARS FROM NOW, WHAT THE BUILDING SHOULD LOOK LIKE AND WHAT THE PROPERTY SHOULD LOOK LIKE. BUT THE NEXT CONVERSATION IS, HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET THERE AND NAVIGATE THE LOGISTICS OF THAT SITE WHILE ALSO CONDUCTING SCHOOL? HOW ARE WE GOING TO WORK THOSE TOGETHER? SO THAT'S SOME BIG CONVERSATIONS TO COME. LOOKING AT OUR LOGISTICS TIMELINE, YOU CAN SEE HERE WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT. AND THAT'S FALL AND SPRING OF THIS YEAR BEING DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND APPROVALS FOR COLONIAL AND PROSPECT HILL DESIGN DEVELOPMENT FOR SIWANOY SCHOOL. AS WE MOVE INTO THE SUMMER, WE EXPECT RENOVATIONS TO BEGIN AT COLONIAL AND PROSPECT HILL. THE SIWANOY PLAN SHOULD BE SUBMITTED BY THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. THAT'S MUCH LONGER DESIGN PROCESS, MUCH LONGER APPROVAL PROCESS. BUT THAT'S OUR ANTICIPATED GOAL THERE AND WE'RE STILL ON TRACK FOR MEETING THAT TIMELINE. WINTER OF 2027. SO AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING CALENDAR FOR 2027. WE'RE NOW ALSO THINKING INTO DESIGN PROCESS. THAT'S WHEN DESIGN DEVELOPMENT WILL BEGIN FOR THE THE HIGH SCHOOL RENOVATIONS. SO EVEN THOUGH THE EXPANSION DIDN'T PASS, THE INFRASTRUCTURE RENOVATIONS STILL DID. SO WINDOWS, MASONRY AND HVAC SYSTEMS, AGAIN, WE DID NOT WE DID NOT BUILD AIR CONDITIONING IN THERE. BUT AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE ELEMENTARY PLANS, WE LIKELY WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME RESOURCES TO REALLOCATE AS FAR AS AIR CONDITIONING UNITS, THINGS LIKE THAT. FROM ELEMENTARY TO THE HIGH SCHOOL AS WE BEGIN TO COMPLETE THOSE PROJECTS. AND WE STILL HOPE THAT THERE COULD POTENTIALLY DOWN THE ROAD BE SOME GRANT FUNDING TO OFFSET THAT COST OF MAYBE A LARGER AIR CONDITIONING PROJECT AT SOME POINT IN TIME. AND YOU SEE, THERE ARE THE OTHER ELEMENTS THAT ARE COMING FORECAST. SO CONSTRUCTION IS PLANNED TO BEGIN THIS COMING SUMMER. AS I SAID AT COLONIAL AND PROSPECT HILL THE BULK OF THAT WORK WILL BE THIS SUMMER AND THE FOLLOWING SUMMER. THERE MAY BE SOME WORK DURING THE YEAR THAT WILL BE STAGED WHEN IN A WAY THAT IS NOT DISRUPTIVE TO THE SCHOOL. AND THEN YOU SEE, WE STRETCH OUT THERE TO 2028. SO WE DO EXPECT AT LEAST 3 TO 4 YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION. AND AGAIN, CURRENTLY WE ARE ON TIME AS PLANNED. AND THAT WAS STRATEGICALLY STAGGERED AROUND THE DISTRICT TO ALIGN NOT ONLY WITH THE FUNDING FLOW, BUT ALSO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD SUMMER PROGRAMING OPPORTUNITIES STILL AVAILABLE IN THE COMMUNITY. SO WE DIDN'T WANT TO SHUT ALL SCHOOL SITES DOWN AT THE SAME TIME. SO TRANSITIONING NOW TO A STUDENT SUCCESS AND ACADEMICS THIS FALL, WE'VE HAD A GREAT CHANCE TO DIG DEEPLY INTO STUDENT PERFORMANCE AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT, [00:25:08] LOOKING AT ALL THE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE ENGAGING, LEARNING, DEMONSTRATING THAT LEARNING AND MASTERY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WE'VE ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THE NEW YORK STATE PORTRAIT OF A GRADUATE. THE NEW YORK INSPIRES INITIATIVE THAT'S COMING OUR WAY. AND WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THE WORK OF THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS HAS GIVEN HAS REALLY POSITIONED US WELL FOR THE TRANSITION AND TRANSFORMATIONS THAT ARE GOING TO COME AS PART OF THE NEW YORK INSPIRES. SO JUST TO TOUCH QUICKLY ON THE WORK SESSION THAT WE HELD BACK IN NOVEMBER, THESE WERE SOME OF THE THREE CORE, THREE OF THE BIG AREAS THAT WE TOUCHED ON NEW YORK STATE ASSESSMENTS, NEW YORK STATE REGENTS PERFORMANCE, AS WELL AS ADVANCED COURSEWORK. AND I KNOW THE BOARD RECEIVED THE THE FULL REPORT, AND I HOPE YOU HAD A TIME TO DIGEST THAT AS WELL. I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THOSE THINGS AND JUST TO TOUCH ON THE THE DASHBOARD THAT'S BECOME PART OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE UPDATES THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED THERE. THE DASHBOARDS ARE ON THE TOP SECOND. SO JUST A REMINDER OF WHERE THIS IS FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO FIND IT. ON THE WEBSITE YOU GO TO THE PELHAM SCHOOLS.ORG WEBSITE. YOU CAN GO TO STRATEGIC PLAN. YOU GO TO DISTRICT AND THEN STRATEGIC PLAN. AND ON THAT PAGE YOU'LL FIND THE DASHBOARD. CLICK ON THAT LINK. IT WILL BRING YOU TO THIS PAGE. AND THEN THE INDICATORS IS THE PAGE THAT I'M SPECIFICALLY LOOKING FOR FOR THIS TONIGHT. IT'S A LITTLE SLOW. THERE WE GO. SO WE HAVE THE INDICATORS WHERE YOU CAN SEE MORE OF THE NUMERICAL METRICS. AND THEN ALSO THERE'S A STRATEGY TAB I JUST MENTIONED THOSE BOTH QUICKLY. SO THESE HAVE BEEN UPDATED. WE HAD SOME UPDATES DONE IN THE BEGINNING YEAR. SOME OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS WERE ABLE TO BE UPDATED FOLLOWING DOCTOR COMERFORD'S PRESENTATION ON STUDENT OUTCOMES. NOW THOSE TILES HAVE ALSO BEEN UPDATED. SO A LOT OF WHAT YOU SEE HERE, WE BEGIN WITH DEMOGRAPHICS. YOU COULD SEE STUDENTS WITH IEPS. I POINT THAT OUT. THAT NUMBER HAS TRADITIONALLY FOR US BEEN ANYWHERE FROM TEN TO 12 TO 13. NOW STATEWIDE, NATIONALLY THERE'S BEEN SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN PERCENTAGES THERE. I THINK THE STATE PERCENTAGE IS 1,920% AT THIS POINT IN TIME. WE'VE SEEN SLIGHT INCREASE, BUT NOT AS NOT AS HIGH AS STATE OR NATIONALLY. WE CONTINUE TO STAY AT ABOUT 1%. ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS ARE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED. NUMBER HAS ALSO CREPT UP A LITTLE BIT FROM ABOUT 10% WHEN I STARTED. NOW CLOSER TO 13. NOT A HUGE CHANGE, BUT IT IS SIGNIFICANT FOR A COMMUNITY LIKE OURS, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU COMPARE US WITH PEER SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THOSE WHO ARE PERFORMING AT THE SAME LEVEL. STUDENT OUTCOMES YOU ARE DEALING WITH USUALLY MUCH LOWER FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH RATE AND SOCIOECONOMIC PERCENTAGE. SO THAT ACTUALLY IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE VERY PROUD OF. WE MEET THE NEEDS OF A DIVERSE GROUP OF STUDENTS. AND WE REALLY DO A VERY VERY GOOD JOB IN DOING THAT. SO MOVING INTO SOME OF THESE OTHER INDICATORS, WE SEE SOME OF THE NEW THE RANKINGS THAT WE'VE MOVED INTO THIS YEAR. SO 426 IN THE US, THAT'S NEW YORK, US NEWS AND WORLD REPORT RANKING ON OUR HIGH SCHOOL. OUR ATTENDANCE RATE REMAINS HIGH SAT AND ACT NUMBERS REMAIN HIGH. SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE, WE LOOK TO ARE THE OUTCOMES OF OUR SYSTEM. AND WHEN I LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE THIS, YOU CAN GET REALLY IN THE WEEDS ON SOME OF THE REPORTS WHICH SOME PEOPLE LOVE TO DO. I TEND TO TAKE THE KIND OF THE BIG PICTURE VIEW AND YOU'VE GOT HIGHLIGHTED IN HERE SOME OF THE THINGS I THINK ARE REALLY IMPORTANT TO US, AND THAT'S HOW DO WE PREPARE STUDENTS SO THAT BY THE TIME THEY GET TO HIGH SCHOOL, THEY CAN THEY CAN MEANINGFULLY ENGAGE IN HIGH LEVELS OF STUDY, COLLEGE LEVEL STUDY, RIGOROUS STUDY WHICH DEMONSTRATES THEIR PREPARATION. SO WHEN I SAT BACK AND THOUGHT ABOUT TONIGHT'S TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION, I DIDN'T WANT TO REITERATE EVERYTHING THAT DOCTOR COMERFORD INTRODUCED US TO. I DIDN'T WANT TO READ REPORTS TO YOU. SO I THOUGHT, WHAT IS KIND OF THE STORY THAT I SEE WHEN I LOOK AT OUR DATA AND WHEN I LOOK WHEN I CAME TO THE DISTRICT NINE YEARS AGO, SOME OF THE BIGGEST INITIAL GAPS THAT I DISCOVERED WAS WE DID NOT HAVE SUPPORTS FOR STUDENTS BELOW THIRD GRADE. INTERVENTION SUPPORTS BECAUSE THIRD GRADE WAS THE FIRST YEAR OF STATE TESTING. SO THAT WAS THE YEAR THERE WAS MANDATES AROUND EYES. WE DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORTS. THAT WAS A CONCERN THAT VERY QUICKLY CAME ON THE RADAR FROM THE EDUCATORS TO ME, WE'RE MISSING SOME OF THESE GAPS. AND POTENTIALLY YOU DON'T WANT GAPS TO WIDEN BEFORE YOU CAN BEGIN TO INTERVENE. SO OVER THE OVER THE YEARS SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, THAT'S BEEN AN AREA WE'VE INVESTED. WE'VE INVESTED IN INTERVENTION AT YOUNGER LEVELS. SO WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY NOW TO PROVIDE SUPPORTS FOR KINDERGARTNERS, GARDENERS. WE'VE ALSO AT THE ELEMENTARY, WE FINALLY COMMITTED TO BRINGING SOME ICT IN. SO THERE'S ANOTHER POPULATION OF STUDENTS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO BETTER MEET THEIR NEEDS AT THOSE FOUNDATIONAL LEVELS. [00:30:06] SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE CO-TEACH K ONE AND TWO. WE UNDER THE PRIOR STRATEGIC PLANS AS WELL, WE BASICALLY OVERHAULED THE CURRICULUM IN ELA AND MATH AND IN SCIENCE. WE'VE IMPLEMENTED THE NEXT GENERATION STANDARDS K-12 IN THOSE AREAS. SO WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS, STARTING FROM THE FOUNDATION UP, WHICH I THINK IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. AND THEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR STATE ASSESSMENT RESULTS IN BOTH ELA AND MATH AT THREE THROUGH EIGHT LEVEL, WHAT YOU SEE IS AT LEAST 80% OF OUR STUDENTS ON AVERAGE AND BETTER ARE PROFICIENT IN MASTERY. SO WHAT THAT'S TELLING US IS 80% OF OUR STUDENTS ARE GETTING UP TO GRADE LEVEL. LEARNING DOESN'T HAPPEN ON A LINEAR LINE, BUT WE'RE PRETTY SOLID THAT 80% OF OUR STUDENTS ARE ARE PROFESSIONAL PROFICIENCY AND MASTERY. THEN THINK ABOUT THE MTS PROCESS. THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN REALLY WORKING HARD ON. WE'VE GOT A TRI-STATES VISIT COMING UP IN TWO WEEKS. ONE WEEK I WAS THINKING CLAIRE'S PROBABLY GOT THE NUMBER OF HOURS COUNTED AT THIS POINT IN TIME BECAUSE. BUT WE PUT A REAL FOCUS ON MTS BECAUSE WITH THE MTS SYSTEM, 80% OF YOUR STUDENTS SHOULD BE GETTING THEIR THEIR NEEDS MET BY GOOD TIER ONE INSTRUCTION, RESEARCH BASED, FOUNDATIONAL, DIFFERENTIATED IN THE CLASSROOM WITH THE TEACHER 80%. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, BEYOND THAT, YOU'VE GOT YOUR 20% THAT MIGHT NEED TIER TWO OR TIER THREE. 80% OF OUR STUDENTS ARE PERFORMING AT GRADE LEVEL, AND WE'RE INVESTING IN THE MTS PROCESS TO THEN LOOK AT HOW DO WE GET THE REST THERE. SO I THINK THESE TO ME ARE BIG SYSTEM PIECES. WE'VE GOT THE CURRICULUM, WE'VE PUT IN SUPPORTS. WE'VE NOW GOT A SYSTEM. HOW DO WE MEET THE NEEDS OF THOSE OTHER 20% OF THE STUDENTS? AND SO WE'RE BUILDING IN ALL THOSE PIECES. AND I THINK WHAT I KNOW THE BOARD IS SEEING AND LEARNING IN EDUCATION IS NOTHING HAPPENS QUICKLY. BUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING NOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR HIGH SCHOOL OUTCOMES, IS THE RESULT OF THOSE EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT INTO PLACE OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS. WITH THIS, IN ADDITION TO THE SUPPORTS, IN ADDITION TO THE FOCUS ON MTS, IN ADDITION TO IMPROVING THE CURRICULUM AND CONTINUING TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TEACHERS, WE ALSO HAVE BEEN EXPANDING OPPORTUNITY AT THE AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL BY IMPLEMENTING THE OPEN ENROLLMENT POLICY, WHICH I KNOW CAN HAVE SOME CONTROVERSY AROUND IT. BUT WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS WE'RE NOW SEEING THE RESULTS OF THAT. WE HAVE MORE STUDENTS ENGAGING IN HIGHER LEVEL, RIGOROUS COURSES THAN EVER BEFORE, AND THEY'RE MAINTAINING AND EXCELLING EVEN HIGHER ON THOSE OUTCOMES. SO IT'S WORKING. IT'S DOING WHAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO DO, WHICH IS EXPOSING MORE STUDENTS TO RIGOROUS COURSES AND SEEING THEM EXCEL AT THAT HIGHER LEVEL. SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT I LOOK AT THIS PAGE, I SEE ENROLLMENT IN DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSES, 438 STUDENTS. THAT'S DOUBLED WHERE IT WAS IN ABOUT 2018. AP SCHOLARS AND OUR AVERAGES ON OUR AP EXAMS, THOSE NUMBERS HAVE ALL MAINTAINED AND IN OUR CLIMBING, OFFERING ABOUT 20 AP COURSES IN A GIVEN YEAR. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS ON THIS PAGE THAT'S SHOWING RIGHT NOW THAT I THINK 90% OF STUDENTS AT OUR HIGH SCHOOL TOOK AT LEAST ONE EXAM LAST YEAR, ONE AP EXAM 90%. SO AGAIN, WE GO FROM 80% OF OUR STUDENTS GETTING THEM ON PROFICIENCY AND MASTERY IN ELEMENTARY, CONTINUING TO SUPPORT OUR REGENTS EXAMS SHOW WHEN YOU GET INTO MIDDLE SCHOOL. NOW WE'RE CLIMBING IN THE MATHS AND SCIENCES INTO THE MID 80S. WE GET INTO THE HUMANITIES. WE'RE CLIMBING INTO 96% ON THE I THINK IT WAS ENGLISH REGENTS, 99% ON BOTH HISTORY REGENTS EXAMS. IT'S WORKING LIKE EVERYTHING WE'VE BUILT. THE SYSTEM IS WORKING TO DO WHAT WE WANT IT TO DO, WHICH WAS TO MOVE ALL OF OUR STUDENTS TO A REALLY HIGH LEVEL OF ACHIEVEMENT. SO THAT 90% TO ME, WE KNOW AND WE BELIEVE STUDENTS HAVING A COLLEGE LEVEL EXPERIENCE IN HIGH SCHOOL IS ONE OF THE BEST PREPARATIONS FOR SUCCESS IN COLLEGE, 90% THIS PAST YEAR. AND I SHOULD ADD, HOT OFF THE PRESSES OF LAST WEEK. PELHAM MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL NOT ONLY WAS NOTED NOW FOR THIS FOR OUR RECENT, MOST RECENT RESULTS AS AN AP HONOR ROLL DESIGNATED SCHOOL, WE ACHIEVED THE PLATINUM AP HONOR ROLL LEVEL. I CAN'T READ MY NOTES BECAUSE THEY'RE HIDDEN BEHIND THE SCREEN, BUT THERE WERE THERE WERE CERTAIN THERE WERE THREE CERTAIN FACTORS THAT REALLY CAME DOWN. AND I CAN SHARE THAT WITH THE BOARD. I BELIEVE I DID SHARE IT WITH THE BOARD IN MY MEMO. THOSE. AND IT HAD TO DO WITH EXACTLY THIS, THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO WERE ACCESSING, THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO ARE ACHIEVING AND THE BARRIERS THAT WE'RE BREAKING DOWN TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE THINGS HAPPEN. SO WE'RE INCREDIBLY PROUD OF THAT. WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING SOME PR AROUND THAT, BECAUSE AGAIN, THIS IS SHOWING THAT WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING STRATEGICALLY OVER YEARS IS WORKING. AND WE'RE NOW THIS IS PART OF WHY WE'VE BEEN OUR, OUR US WORLD AND NEWS REPORT RANKINGS SHOT UP. IT'S BECAUSE OF THESE COLLEGE LEVEL OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS. SO THESE ARE ALL THINGS TO BE PROUD OF. REGENERON SCIENCE TALENT SEARCH THAT'S ANOTHER THING. YOU KNOW YOU SEE HERE THAT WE'VE HAD WHEN YOU CLICK ON THE LINK YOU SEE WE'VE HAD I THINK IT WAS SEVEN STUDENTS OVER THE LAST 8 OR 9 YEARS. [00:35:07] WE'VE GOT ANOTHER ONE. WE'RE GOING TO BE HONORING EMILY WALSH IN THE NEXT ONE OF THE NEXT COUPLE OF BOARD MEETINGS COMING UP, BECAUSE THIS YEAR WE HAD ANOTHER STUDENT, EMILY, WAS IDENTIFIED FOR THE REGENERON SCIENCE TALENT SEARCH. SO WE CONTINUE TO PRODUCE JUST INCREDIBLE RESULTS. OUR STUDENTS ARE AMAZING. THE PROGRAMS PROVIDE THE SUPPORT, THE FACULTY ARE INCREDIBLE. AND THEIR COMMITMENT REALLY HELPS TO FOSTER ALL THESE INCREDIBLE OUTCOMES FOR OUR STUDENTS. SO SO DO TAKE THE TIME TO READ THROUGH THOSE THINGS. JUST CONTINUE OUR ATHLETICS. AND WE COVERED THIS AT THE AT THE BOARD WORK SESSION. THE NUMBER OF SPORTS THAT WE PROVIDE TO OUR STUDENTS, WE'VE GROWN OUR ATHLETICS PROGRAM PROBABLY 30% OVER THE LAST OVER MY TIME IN THE DISTRICT WHICH IS INCREDIBLE. AND MORE STUDENTS ENROLLED, MORE CREDIT PROGRAMS FOR THEM TO ENROLL IN, AND IT'S SHOWING KIDS ARE REALLY INVOLVED AND ENGAGING MORE CONNECTED TO THEIR SCHOOLS. CLUBS HAVE CONTINUED TO GROW AS WELL. IF YOU WANT TO SEE THAT STUDENT PERFORMANCE REPORT, IT'S RIGHT HERE ON THIS TILE. THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF A WONKY SYSTEM, SO YOU HAVE TO CLICK ON THE EYE IN THE CORNER. THEN IT GIVES YOU THIS LITTLE SCREEN. THIS STUDENT PERFORMANCE REPORT IS ACTUALLY A HYPERLINK EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT UNDERLINED. AND THAT BRINGS YOU TO IT. SO SO THOSE I THINK ARE JUST SOME OF THE REALLY IMPORTANT HIGHLIGHTS THAT I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU. I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO MY PRESENTATION. SORRY. I CLICKED OFF THE DASHBOARD. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. SO WE HAVE A LOT TO BE PROUD OF. HERE'S OUR KIDS. HERE'S ALL THE AMAZING THINGS THEY DO. SO YOU KNOW THIS. IT GIVES US SO MUCH OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE THEM. WE'VE GOT OUR NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARS. WE'VE GOT OUR SCHOOL PLAYS. DON'T FORGET, THIS WEEKEND COMING UP IS SOMETHING ROTTEN. MIDDLE SCHOOL PLAY. IT'S A HILARIOUS PLAY. THE THINGS THAT OUR STUDENTS GET TO PERFORM IN JUST BRING OUT SO MUCH TALENT AND JOY AND CONTINUE TO BE THINGS THAT WE'RE CELEBRATE ON A REGULAR BASIS. SO I'M NOT GOING TO DWELL HERE MUCH LONGER, BUT JUST SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR. AND I JUST USE THOSE AS REMINDERS TO OUR FAMILIES THAT IF OUR CHILD WANTS TO DO SOMETHING, THERE ARE INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITIES HERE. THAT'S WHY FOLKS MOVE HERE. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE, IS TO PROVIDE STUDENTS OPPORTUNITIES, WHATEVER THEY WANT TO GET CONNECTED TO, ESPECIALLY ONCE YOU GET TO THE SECONDARY LEVEL. THERE'S JUST A WEALTH OF OPPORTUNITIES TO EXCEL, TO HAVE ENRICHING OPPORTUNITIES, TO FIND PEERS THAT ENJOY THE SAME THINGS, TO GROW TOGETHER, TO CHALLENGE YOURSELF, AND TO MAKE NETWORKS AND CONNECTIONS THAT WILL SET THEM ON A REALLY SOLID PATH FOR THE FUTURE, A PATH OF EXCELLENCE. SO THEN JUST TRANSITIONING FINALLY TO OUR LAST SECTION IS FINANCIAL HEALTH AND OUTLOOK. SO HOW ARE WE GOING TO KEEP DOING THIS? THAT'S REALLY THE QUESTION. WE HAVE AGAIN THIS FALL HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR SOME REALLY SOLID AND POSITIVE THINGS ABOUT THE FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT AND MANAGEMENT OF THE DISTRICT. AS WE'VE HEARD THIS YEAR, WE DO CURRENTLY STILL HAVE A TRIPLE A RATING FROM S&P. A LOT OF WORK HAS GONE INTO MAINTAINING THAT, AND THAT HAS TO DO WITH OUR USE OF RESERVES, WITH THE INVOLVEMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY AND THE SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY. AND THE WAY THAT WE HAVE APPROACHED OUR, OUR FISCAL MANAGEMENT. SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF. ONE OF ONLY TWO DISTRICTS IN WESTCHESTER WITH A TRIPLE A RATING. AND AS WE THINK ABOUT BORROWING COMING UP FOR LARGE BOND WORK, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CONTINUES TO BE IMPORTANT TO US. EARLIER THIS FALL, WE HEARD A CLEAN AUDIT REPORT FROM OUR DISTRICT AUDITORS, FROM OUR ANNUAL REPORTS. WE WERE PLEASED AND PROUD OF THAT AND CONTINUE TO STRIVE TO IMPROVE OUR SYSTEMS. SO THAT CONTINUES TO MAINTAIN CLEAN RESULTS FOR THEM. AND WE ALSO CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN STRONG FISCAL STRESS SCORE. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I DON'T THINK THE RESULTS ARE OUT FOR THIS YEAR YET. IN OUR MOST RECENT, WE WERE IN AN UNDESIGNATED CATEGORY. OUR GOAL IS TO REMAIN IN AN UNDESIGNATED CATEGORY. BUT YOU DO OVER TIME, SEE MORE AND MORE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND MUNICIPALITIES HEADING INTO HIGHER STRESS AREAS UNDER THE TAX CAP. THAT'S JUST A NATURAL MATHEMATICAL FUNCTION OF THINGS. AND AGAIN, FISCAL OVERSIGHT OF HOW YOU THINK ABOUT AND WHAT ARE THE LEVERS THAT YOU USE TO MAINTAIN STABILITY AND FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR YOUR PROGRAM? YOUR, YOUR PROGRAM MOVING FORWARD. SO WE'RE IN A POSITIVE FISCAL POSITION AS WE STAND TODAY. THE BOARD HAS GIVEN US BUDGET GUIDANCE FOR THE YEAR. OBVIOUSLY, THOSE BIG PIECES ARE CONTINUE TO GOAL WE TO STAY WITHIN THE TAX CAP, CONTINUE TO BE COGNIZANT ABOUT PROGRAMS, STAFFING TO DO OUR BEST TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT AND PUT RESOURCES WHERE THEY NEED TO BE TO SUPPORT STUDENT STUDENT EXPERIENCE AND, [00:40:08] AND STUDENT PROGRAM. BUT TO BE REALLY, I TAKE IT AS BEING PRETTY CONSERVATIVE ABOUT OUR APPROACH FOR THE YEAR. LET'S TIGHTEN THE BELT, SHARPEN THE PENCIL, STAY WITHIN THE TAX CAP, BECAUSE WE ARE COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT OUR COMMUNITY DID COME FORWARD AND SUPPORT BIG CAPITAL PROJECTS. AND WE KNOW THAT THE THE TAX INCREASES ARE GOING TO BE COMING ON WITH THOSE NEW COSTS IN THE COMING YEARS. SO WE WANT TO BE VERY SENSITIVE TO THAT. SO WE DEFINITELY ARE KEEPING THAT IN MIND. AND AS I SAID, ACADEMIC PRIORITY FOR OUR RESOURCES. MAKE SURE THAT OUR RESOURCES ARE ALIGNED TO OUR VALUES, OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND OUR PRIORITIES. SO AS WE'RE GOING AS WE HEADED INTO BUDGET PLANNING, WHICH WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF NOW. THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE ARE KEEPING IN THE FOREFRONT OF OUR MIND. HOW DO WE MAKE DECISIONS THAT IF THERE'S DIFFICULT DECISIONS TO BE MADE, STAY AS FAR AWAY FROM THE CLASSROOM AS POSSIBLE? SO AS WE SAID EARLIER AND WE'VE SAID IT THROUGHOUT THE FALL, THERE DEFINITELY ARE FINANCIAL HEADWINDS THAT WE ARE THINKING ABOUT AND THAT WE NEED TO BE COGNIZANT OF AS WE GO THROUGH THE PLANNING PROCESS. AND WE THOUGHT IT'S IMPORTANT TO, YOU KNOW, TO TO GET TO BRING THOSE FORWARD IN A TRANSPARENT WAY BEFORE WE HEAD INTO NEXT MONTH'S BUDGET DISCUSSIONS, BECAUSE THOSE DO HAVE AN IMPACT ON OUR RESOURCES, ON OUR OUR REVENUES, WHICH THEN, OF COURSE, IMPACT OUR DECISIONS ABOUT EXPENDITURES AS WE PUT TOGETHER OUR BUDGET FOR THE YEAR. SO WE HAVE SEEN AND I THINK THE REALITY, NOT JUST FOR US BUT FOR EVERYBODY, IS THAT COSTS ARE OUTPACING REVENUES. THAT'S KIND OF THE ECONOMY THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW. AND IN A TAX CAP ENVIRONMENT THAT THE WHOLE POINT OF THAT WAS TO LIMIT GROWTH OF OF OUR BUDGETS. SO MANY DISTRICTS ARE FEELING THAT WE ARE NOT UNIQUE IN THAT REGARD. SO THE SIGNIFICANT COST DRIVERS THAT WE'RE SEEING AND WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU A LITTLE BIT OF DATA ON THOSE RELATE SPECIFICALLY AROUND HEALTH CARE AND BENEFIT GROWTH. TRANSPORTATION COST GROWTH, SPECIAL EDUCATION GROWTH. THOSE SEEM TO BE SOME OF THE BIGGEST AREAS OF DRIVER OF ON THE COST SIDE. AND ON THE REVENUE SIDE, WE KNOW THAT AGAIN, THE TAX CAP TAX CAP HAS BEEN BELOW CPI THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. THE TAX CAP I BELIEVE WE ALL AT THIS POINT KNOW YOUR TAX. YOU CAN RAISE YOUR TAX LEVY EITHER 2% OR CPI WHICHEVER IS LOWER. SO THERE'S BEEN YEARS THAT IT'S BEEN LOWER. AND THERE'S BEEN YEARS WHEN IT'S BEEN CLOSE AND YOU'LL SEE, YOU KNOW, A RELATIVE ALIGNMENT THERE. BECAUSE CPI HAS A LOT TO DO WITH COST INCREASES. AND WHEN THEY'RE ALIGNED, THAT TENDS TO BE A MORE MANAGEABLE SITUATION. CERTAINLY CPI THE LAST FEW YEARS HAS BEEN MUCH HIGHER, BUT WE REMAIN CAPPED AT THAT. 2% IS THE STARTING POINT FOR A TAX CAP CALCULATION. AND I JUST WILL NOTE WE DO ALL RECOGNIZE THAT THE CAPITAL COSTS ARE AN EXCLUSION, SO THEY ARE OUTSIDE OF THAT 2%. BUT THE 2% IS REALLY WHERE THE BULK OF OUR OPERATING COSTS GO. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE SIGNIFICANT COST DRIVERS, THOSE ARE OPERATING COSTS. SO THE CAP WE'RE CAPPED AT 2% OR CPI ON THE FUNDING TO COVER THE OPERATING COSTS, WHICH IS WHERE WE'RE SEEING COST DRIVERS. SO TO MAKE THAT POINT PRETTY CLEAR SO REVENUES WE GOT CPI AS I SAID INTEREST EARNINGS DECREASING. WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT THAT TOO. WE HAD SOME VERY SLIM YEARS WHERE IT WAS KIND OF INSIGNIFICANT. AND THEN WE'VE HAD SOME GREAT YEARS. BUT WE'RE SEEING SOME CHANGES SOME DOWNWARD CHANGES THERE THAT WERE FORECASTED. BUT THEY'RE REALLY YOU KNOW, IMPORTANT TO KEEP AN EYE ON. AND OF COURSE, STABILITY OF STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT AS WELL. SO JUST TO TO KIND OF GO A LITTLE BIT DEEPER, JUST GIVE YOU SOME VISUALS. CONSUMER PRICE INDEX AT 2%, OF COURSE, THAT'S OUR 2% TAX INCREASE TAX LEVY LIMIT IN YEARS WHERE THE CPI IS ABOVE THE LINE. SO YOU CAN SEE BACK 15, 16, 17, 18 IT WAS. CPI WAS BELOW. SO THAT'S WHERE WE WERE CAPPED BUT STILL RELATIVELY CLOSE TO THAT 2%. AND THEN SINCE THE 2021 YEAR SHOT UP SIGNIFICANTLY OBVIOUSLY FOLLOWING THE PANDEMIC A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY THERE. SO WE'VE BEEN BUDGETING WITHIN A SYSTEM WHERE THE CPI IS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED, COSTS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED. YET WE'VE BEEN CAPPED AT THAT LOWER REVENUE GROWTH LEVEL. SO THAT CERTAINLY PUTS ADDITIONAL PRESSURES ON THE BUDGET. WHEN WE LOOK AT EARNING INTEREST EARNINGS, AS I SHARED BEFORE, SOME OF THOSE YEARS, WE HAD I THINK WE WERE IN THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF INTEREST EARNINGS IN A GIVEN YEAR. AND THEN 20, 22, 23, WE AGAIN, WE SHOT UP TO OVER A MILLION, MILLION AND A HALF ESTIMATE. AND SO WE HAD SOME REALLY GREAT YEARS. AND THAT REALLY WAS A LEVER THAT WAS REALLY HELPFUL IN OVERCOMING SOME OF THE BUDGET PRESSURES THAT WE WERE NOW FACING AS COSTS CONTINUE TO INCREASE. PROGRAMS CONTINUE TO INCREASE. SALARIES CONTINUE TO INCREASE. OTHER AREAS BEYOND OUR CONTROL CONTINUE TO INCREASE. THAT GAVE US A LEVER TO HELP MITIGATE THAT ON THE REVENUE SIDE. BUT AS YOU SEE, THE TRAJECTORY IS CHANGING. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT AND SOMETHING THAT WE'RE PLANNING FOR. BUT IT TAKES AWAY A LEVER THAT'S BEEN PRETTY IMPORTANT FOR US IN THESE LAST FEW YEARS. [00:45:05] WHEN WE LOOK AT TRANSPORTATION COSTS, PRETTY EASY TO SEE THE CURVE THERE AGAIN POST PANDEMIC, A LOT OF REASONS FOR THAT. BUT THIS IS, AGAIN, NOT UNIQUE TO US. BUT YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF DIFFERENT PRESSURES THERE. SO WE'RE NOT A BUSSING DISTRICT. WE CONTRACT OUT. SO EVERY NOW EVERY FIVE YEARS OR SO WE HAVE TO GO BACK OUT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. WHEN YOU DO THAT, OBVIOUSLY YOU OPEN YOURSELF UP TO COST ESCALATIONS. DEPENDING ON THE ON THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT. AFTER THE PANDEMIC, THERE WAS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF DRIVER SHORTAGES THAT ALL DISTRICTS WERE SEEING, WHETHER THEY OWN THEIR OWN BUSSES OR CONTRACTED OUT. SO THAT'S A PLACE YOU GOT A SUPPLY ISSUE THAT'S DRIVING BUSSING COSTS UP. YOU'VE GOT A STATE MANDATE TO CONVERT TO EV BUSSES. EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOT HAVING TO DEAL WITH THIS. AND THANK GOODNESS, BECAUSE MY COLLEAGUES ARE GOING CRAZY OVER IT. THE REALITY IS THE BUS COMPANIES HAVE TO TO AND THEY KNOW IT. SO THEY'RE PREPLANNING BY RAISING THEIR COSTS TO HELP ADJUST FOR THE COSTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT TRANSITION. SO THAT'S IMPACTING BUS CONTRACTS ALSO AS WE'VE EXPANDED PROGRAM. AND SOME OF THAT IS SPECIAL EDUCATION AND SOME OF THAT IS ATHLETICS. THAT'S TRANSPORTATION COSTS AS WELL. SO THIS IS AN AREA WHERE IN ORDER TO MEET OUR NEED WE HAVE TO AND THE MARKET DRIVES THE COST OF BUSINESS. SO THIS IS WHY WE'RE SEEING SOME SIGNIFICANT COST INCREASES THERE FROM WHAT USED TO BE HOVERING AROUND $1 MILLION NOW TO OVER TWO HEADING TOWARDS 2.5. WE DON'T EXPECT THAT NUMBER TO GO DOWN. SO THAT BUT THAT'S A NUMBER THAT WE'VE GOT TO FACTOR IN AS WE THINK ABOUT THINGS LIKE OUR PROGRAMS, IN PARTICULAR, SPECIAL EDUCATION. AGAIN, WE'VE MADE STRONG COMMITMENTS. WE MAINTAIN OUR COMMITMENTS. WE BELIEVE IN EDUCATING OUR STUDENTS TO THE DEGREE POSSIBLE HERE AT HOME. WE BELIEVE IN PROVIDING ALL STUDENTS A FREE AND APPROPRIATE EDUCATION. WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO THAT. AND WE ALSO BELIEVE IN THE LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT. SO WE'VE INVESTED IN SPECIAL EDUCATION. AS I SAID EARLIER, WE'VE INVESTED IN EXPANDING ICT TO OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. THAT COMES AT A PERSONAL COST, AND THAT'S ONE THAT WE'VE SUPPORTED. THE BOARDS HAVE SUPPORTED, THE COMMUNITY HAS SUPPORTED, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO SUPPORT THAT. WHAT WE'VE SEEN AND AGAIN, THIS IS EVERYONE IN THE STATE, EVERYONE IN THE COUNTRY, PROBABLY ON AN INTERNATIONAL LEVEL. I DON'T KNOW THOSE STATS, BUT POST PANDEMIC THERE'S BEEN INCREASES IN SPECIAL EDUCATION. AND IT'S A IT'S THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO ARE BEING IDENTIFIED FOR SPECIAL WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AS WELL AS THE INTENSITY OF THOSE NEEDS. SO THAT'S WHERE WE'VE SEEN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE. THERE IS THE LEVEL OF INTENSITY OF STUDENT NEED. AND THAT CAN COME IN BY WAY OF STUDENTS NEEDING TO GO OUT OF DISTRICT TO SPECIALIZED PROGRAM BEYOND WHAT WE CAN PROVIDE. IT CAN COME BY WAY OF, IN OUR CASE, ADDING ICT AS WELL AS ADDING ADDITIONAL SPECIAL CLASS SECTIONS. SO AGAIN, MORE STAFFING. WITH THAT ALSO COMES RELATED SERVICES. SO THAT'S INCREASES IN OT, PT SPEECH ALL THOSE RELATED SERVICES. AGAIN WE MEET THOSE NEEDS. STUDENTS COME WITH IEPS. WE DESIGN THOSE THROUGH THE COMMITTEE ON SPECIAL EDUCATION. SO THESE ARE THESE ARE COSTS THAT THAT WE AS A DISTRICT WILLINGLY AND GLADLY PROVIDE TO OUR STUDENTS. BUT THERE'S A FINANCIAL REALITY TO IT. SO WE JUST WANT TO BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT THAT. SO WE'VE SINCE 2021, WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN ABOUT $3 MILLION IN SPECIAL EDUCATION COSTS. SO AS WE TRANSITION INTO THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, YOU'RE GOING TO AGAIN, GOING TO SEE SOME SOME INCREASES THERE. BUT WE'RE PROUD OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE OFFERING TO OUR KIDS. WE'RE PROUD TO BE ABLE TO MEET THEIR NEEDS AND HAPPY TO WORK WITH THEIR FAMILIES. SO AGAIN, A FINANCIAL REALITY THAT ADDS SOME PRESSURE JUST FOR US TO BE AWARE OF MEDICAL INSURANCE. ANY OF YOU WHO ARE WORKING IN CORPORATE, YOU'RE PROBABLY SEEING THESE SAME THINGS. SO THAT'S BEEN AN UPWARD TRAJECTORY. WE DO HAVE A SLIGHT AMOUNT OF CONTROL AS TO WHEN WE COLLECTIVELY BARGAIN WITH OUR UNITS, HOW MUCH THE DISTRICT PAYS VERSUS THEY PAY. BUT THAT'S ONLY A SMALL PIECE OF THIS PUZZLE THAT'S AGAIN DRIVEN BY THE MARKET. SO WE CONTINUE TO SEE SIGNIFICANT INCREASES. AGAIN, A NEARLY $3 MILLION INCREASE SINCE 2021, IN MEDICAL INSURANCE ALONE. SO HERE WE LOOK AT EMPLOYEE SALARIES. OF COURSE, THERE'S GOING TO BE NATURAL GROWTH BECAUSE THAT'S HOW PAY SALARIES WORK. BUT YOU WILL SEE A SLIGHTLY LOWER SLOPE HERE BECAUSE WE DO HAVE MORE CONTROL OVER THIS. SO WHEREAS THE OTHER OTHER INCREASES IN THE OUT YEARS, WE'RE STILL ON A VERY STEADY TRAJECTORY UP OURS, FLATTENS DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE BECAUSE WE'VE DONE WHAT WE COULD TO NEGOTIATE FAIR CONTRACTS. FAIR TO THE EMPLOYEES RESPONSIBLE, TO OUR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE INCREDIBLE. WE VERY MUCH VALUE AND AT THE SAME TIME HAVING TO BE RESPONSIBLE TO THE TAXPAYER. PELHAM HAS NEVER KNOWN BEEN KNOWN TO BE LEADING THE WAY ON SALARIES. THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN FROM THE TEACHING RANKS, KIND OF A MODERATE TO A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPETITIVE. ADMINISTRATIVE SALARIES HAVE BEEN VERY MODERATE. AND OUR SUPPORT STAFF VERY, VERY MODERATE AS WELL. I THINK FROM PRIOR BOARDS AND I MAY HAVE SAID THIS IN PRIOR MEETINGS BOARDS OVER THE GENERATIONS IN PELHAM HAVE WANTED THE TOP TOP [00:50:03] DECILE OF PERFORMANCE, BOTTOM DECILE OF SPENDING. SO WE WANTED WE WANT A GREAT PRODUCT, BUT WE WANT TO DO IT. WE WANT TO BE BE EFFICIENT IN HOW WE USE OUR BUDGETS AND HOW WE USE OUR FUNDING. SO THAT DOES SHOW UP IN OUR IN OUR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS. SO THAT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT, A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, SOME OF THE PRESSURES THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT SO THAT YOU CAN BE THINKING ABOUT THEM AS WELL AS WE HEAD INTO THE BUDGET. I KNOW THAT ESPECIALLY THOSE ON THE FINANCE COMMITTEE ARE WELL AWARE OF ALL THESE PRESSURES, WHICH WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THESE THINGS THROUGHOUT THIS YEAR AS WE SAW THEM COMING. WE WERE THANKFUL YESTERDAY TO RECEIVE THE FIRST STATE AID RUNS FROM THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET THAT WAS PROPOSED YESTERDAY. SO WE WERE THANKFUL TO GET FULLY FUNDED ON THE FOUNDATION AID FORMULA AGAIN. SO I THINK IT WAS A 3.64% INCREASE IN FOUNDATION AID SPECIFICALLY, WHICH IS GREAT. THAT'S BASICALLY WHEN THEY RUN THE FORMULA. SO TO SAY DISTRICTS SHOULD GET ABOUT 3%. SO THERE MUST HAVE BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF ADJUSTMENT THAT GAVE US A TINY BIT MORE. OVERALL THOUGH, OUR STATE AID FOR NEXT YEAR IS RELATIVELY FLAT TO THIS YEAR BECAUSE WHEREAS WE SAW INCREASES IN FOUNDATION AID, WE DID SEE DECREASES, EXPECTED DECREASES. JIM, I BELIEVE IN BUILDING AID. CORRECT. AND SOME A LITTLE BIT OF FLUCTUATIONS HERE AND THERE WITH BOCES AND SOME OF THE OTHERS. BUT THOSE ARE REALLY THE TWO BIG DRIVERS INCREASE IN FOUNDATION DECREASE IN BUILDING AID. SO OVERALL FLAT. SO AGAIN THAT'S WHAT WE'RE BUDGETING WITH THE WAY THAT PROCESS WORKS, THE GOVERNOR COMES OUT WITH HER BUDGET FIRST, THEN THE LEGISLATURE COMES OUT WITH THEIR BUDGETS. THEY NEGOTIATE. SOMEWHERE AROUND APRIL 1ST. THE BUDGET GETS PASSED, HOPEFULLY GENERALLY SLIGHTLY HIGHER. AS FAR AS STATE AID IN SOME YEARS IT'S BEEN LIKE, YOU KNOW, $10,000 HIGHER. IN OTHER YEARS IT'S BEEN $300,000 KIND OF A GAMBLE THIS YEAR. AND I THINK THE OTHER BIG THING THAT'S NOT ON THE LIST HERE, BUT I THINK IT KIND OF OVERLAYS ALL OF THIS IS WE ALL RECOGNIZE THERE'S FUNDING UNCERTAINTY AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL AS WELL. SO JUST WATCH THE NEWS ON A DAILY BASIS AND YOU CAN KIND OF TRY TO TRACK WHAT IT IS. WE REALLY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN TO US. MOST LIKELY THAT WOULD BE IF FUNDING WERE EVER CUT. IT WOULD BE FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO THE STATE, AND THEN THE STATE WOULD HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW THAT THEN TRICKLES DOWN TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS. SO IT'S ANOTHER REASON WHY HAVING STRONG RESERVES IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. WHEN WE GET INTO FINANCIAL UNCERTAINTY, UNCERTAIN TIMES LIKE WE ARE, AND NOT LEANING ON THEM AS OUR, YOU KNOW, TEMPORARY SHORT TERM STRATEGIES FROM TIME. YES, BUT AS A LONG TERM STRATEGY, NO. SO AGAIN, ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT AS WE PREPARE A FINAL BUDGET TO BRING TO YOU. AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT TO BE THE MEETING, I BELIEVE IT'S FEBRUARY 26TH, THE WEDNESDAY AFTER FEBRUARY BREAK. SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO PAUSE. I'M GOING TO GO SIT DOWN AND HAPPY TO HAVE SOME CONVERSATION AND ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DOCTOR CHAMP. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR. NO I JUST HAVE A COMMENT. TO YOUR SURPRISE. TO YOUR YOU MENTIONED THE SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING IS A COST THAT ALWAYS GOES UP. AND JUST LIKE SOMETHING TO NOTE ABOUT THAT, THAT'S JUST AN INTERESTING BACKSTORY IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS NOT FULLY FUNDED IDA IN DECADES, PRETTY MUCH SINCE 1970, LIKE THE 70S, SINCE SINCE THIS BIG, MONUMENTAL PIECE OF CIVIL RIGHTS ACTION WAS ENACTED. AND THEN IN 1993, WHEN BUSH WON RE, YOU KNOW, REVAMPED IT AND MADE IT STRONGER, IT STILL HASN'T BEEN FULLY FUNDED, BUT DISTRICTS ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES REGARDLESS. SO BECAUSE OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS, FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS PIECE OF THE BILL IDEA, WE ARE WE ARE REQUIRED REGARDLESS TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES TO STUDENTS, WHATEVER THAT FUNDING LOOKS LIKE. AND IT'S AND SO THAT'S SO WE SEE OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION COSTS GO UP. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT LIKE WE'RE PROVIDING THOSE WE'RE GIVING OUR STUDENTS THE BEST WE CAN. WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF OUR STUDENTS HERE. WE CAN THANK PASSPORTS FOR STAUNCHLY STANDING BY THESE STUDENTS AND PRIORITIZING THEIR NEEDS, AND OUR DISTRICT HAS PRIORITIZED THEIR NEEDS. SO WE SEE THESE COSTS GOING UP. EVERY DISTRICT ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS SEEING THEIR SPECIAL EDUCATION COSTS GO UP. THAT'S NOT SPECIFIC TO PELHAM. AND SO I THINK WE CAN REALLY BE CONFIDENT THAT, YOU KNOW, PELHAM WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES FOR OUR KIDS, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE FUNDING LOOKS LIKE AT THE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. BUT THERE IS ALWAYS, AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, A BIG ADVOCACY PUSH TO REMIND CONGRESS HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO FUND THIS. I MEAN, IT HASN'T. I THINK IT'S ON THE AGENDA EVERY YEAR FOR LOTS OF, YOU KNOW, NATIONAL LEVEL ORGANIZATIONS. [00:55:03] IT HASN'T HAPPENED. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T STOP. WE SHOULD STOP ASKING FOR IT. SO FROM THE BOARD'S SIDE, ANY FEDERAL LEVEL ADVOCACY ALWAYS INCLUDES A PUSH FOR A REQUEST FOR THIS. AND OUR OUR CONGRESSMEN ARE AWARE OF THAT. THANK YOU. I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU JUST SAID. THANK YOU FOR RAISING IT. DO WE KNOW WHAT DEPARTMENT THE FUNDING IS COMING OUT OF NOW OR LIKE WHO'S ADMINISTERING? I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW. YEAH. I WAS JUST THINKING I DON'T KNOW IF IT'LL FLOW THROUGH THIS. I MEAN, IT'LL GO THROUGH THE STATE. IT COMES THROUGH THE STATE ANYWAY. THEY'RE MOVING IT TO. WELL, THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH MOVEMENT. YEAH. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. OH. THAT'S RIGHT. YEAH. WHICH IS CONCERNING ONLY BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE EXPERTS TO REALLY UNDERSTAND. LIKE WHAT THE WHAT THIS THIS FUNDING STREAM ACTUALLY SUPPORTS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF, OF IT. SO YOU KNOW, IT COULD CHANGE. OKAY. JUST ONE COMMENT ON ONE SLIDE THAT WAS THERE, WHICH IS A LOT OF THE THOSE GRAPHS THAT YOU SHOWED, WHICH I THOUGHT WERE VERY HELPFUL, SHOWING, YOU KNOW, YEAH, HOURS OF COSTS KIND OF GOING UP AND TO THE RIGHT PRETTY SORT OF RADICALLY POST-PANDEMIC. THEN JUXTAPOSED TO THE COST OF OUR, OUR LABOR COST, OUR EMPLOYEE COST, THAT WAS A MUCH MORE SORT OF CONTROLLED, KIND OF GRADUAL, CONSISTENT GROWTH. AND I THINK ONE OF THE COMMENTS, SOME OF THE COMMENTARY YOU GAVE ON THAT WHICH WHICH I AGREE WITH IS THAT I THINK WE YOU KNOW, THE, THE THE, THE PACE AT WHICH EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN REMUNERATED AND THOSE, THOSE PAY INCREASES HAVE BEEN CONTROLLED AND JUDICIOUS. AND WE THANK EVERY, ALL OUR STAKEHOLDERS FOR THAT. I THINK THERE'S ANOTHER ELEMENT THERE THAT MAKES THAT LINE KIND OF A BIT LESS DRASTICALLY UP AND TO THE RIGHT, WHICH IS JUST WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR EMPLOYEE COSTS, IT'S JUST NATURAL THAT THROUGH THE NATURAL CYCLE OF THINGS, THE THE THE MORE SENIOR, HIGHER PAID TEACHER CYCLE OUT AND GET REPLACED WITH TEACHERS WHO ARE EARLIER IN THEIR CAREER AND SO GET PAID LESS. I JUST WOULDN'T WANT TO CREATE THE IMPRESSION THAT WE'RE JUST LIKE CONSTANTLY GRINDING OUR OUR EMPLOYEES. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE FAIR AND WE'RE REASONABLE IN, IN THE NEGOTIATIONS. BUT THERE'S ALSO JUST THE NATURAL KIND OF ATTRITION OF OLDER, MORE EXPENSIVE EMPLOYEES FOR YOUNGER, CHEAPER ONES. RIGHT. AND, AND THE THE THING I WOULD ADD TO THAT AS WELL IS WE ALSO LOOK AT THE HEADCOUNT OVER TIME. RIGHT. AND WE'VE SEEN BASICALLY A FLAT LINE IN TERMS OF ADMINISTRATIVE ADMINISTRATIVE HEADCOUNT OVER TIME. I THINK IT WAS 1 IN 10 YEARS, 1 IN 10 YEARS, AND THEN RIGHT. AND THEN MORE LIKE IN RECENT YEARS, MORE CON CON CONTROLLED HIGH HIRING IN PARTICULAR, LAST YEAR. WE DIDN'T THE DISTRICT DID NOT HIRE BACK SOME OF THE THE RETIREE POSITIONS. RIGHT. YEAH. SO SO WHICH IS A TOUGH DECISION. BUT SOMETHING THAT IS NECESSARY TO MANAGE COSTS, RIGHT. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THAT WAS A GREAT REPORT. THANK YOU. I LOVE THE DASHBOARD. I KNOW YOU DO. BECAUSE WHEN I FIRST OPENED UP THE PRESENTATION, I'M LIKE, OH, THERE'S NOT THAT MANY SLIDES HERE. BUT THEN I'M LIKE, OH, SHE'S GOING TO THE DASHBOARD. THERE IT IS. IT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. THAT'S RIGHT. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. SO WE'LL MOVE TO 4.3 SINCE OUR STUDENT REPS AREN'T HERE RIGHT NOW. BOARD OF EDUCATION COMMITTEE REPORTS. YOU GAVE? I GAVE AN UPDATE. YES, A BOND STEERING. YES. THERE WAS. CATHY'S GOING TO GIVE ONE ON ADVOCACY. ADVOCACY? DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT SAFETY AND SAFETY? OKAY. OKAY. RIGHT BEFORE THE BREAK. ALL RIGHT, LET'S COME BACK TO CATHY. OKAY. YEAH, WE CAN COME BACK TO KATHRYN. SO LET'S MOVE TO 4.4. [4.4 Assistant Superintendent's Update on Personal Growth and Achievement] THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENTS UPDATE ON PERSONAL GROWTH AND ACHIEVEMENT. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. SO ACROSS THE DISTRICT, STUDENTS AND STAFF CONTINUE TO DEMONSTRATE STRONG ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT AND ACHIEVEMENT. THIS MONTH, OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ARE CELEBRATING LITERACY BY PREPARING FOR THE SCHOOL FOR THE SPELLING, THE DISTRICT SPELLING BEE, WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 29TH IN EACH OF THE SCHOOLS, HAS THEIR OWN SPELLING BEES IN PREPARATION FOR THAT AND SEND FORTH THE MOST SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS TO THE DISTRICT BEE. [01:00:09] AS DOCTOR CHAMP MENTIONED, WE'RE VERY PROUD OF EMILY WALSH. SHE'S EARNED A NATIONAL RECOGNITION AS A SCHOLAR AND SEMIFINALIST IN THE REGENERON SCIENCE TALENT SEARCH FOR HER ORIGINAL SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH. THIS WEEK, MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE TAKING MIDTERMS AND REGENTS EXAMS. IMPORTANT MID-YEAR CHECKPOINT. THIS ALLOWS TEACHERS AND STUDENTS TO ASSESS PROGRESS, REFLECT, REFLECT ON LEARNING, AND THEN USE RESULTS TO INFORM INSTRUCTION FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. SOMETHING TO NOTE THAT THE WEEK OF FEBRUARY 2ND THROUGH SIXTH THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WILL BE ENGAGING IN COMPUTER BASED OR CBT SIMULATION TESTING. THIS IS REQUIRED BY THE NEW YORK STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. THESE SIMULATIONS ARE NOT ASSESSMENTS OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE. INSTEAD, THEY ARE A READINESS MEASURE TO ENSURE THAT OUR TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS, STAFF AND STUDENTS ARE PREPARED FOR THE STATEWIDE COMPUTER BASED EXAMS THAT WILL TAKE PLACE IN GRADES THREE THROUGH EIGHT IN THE SPRING. HOPEFULLY THIS WILL ALSO ALLOW THE STATE TO TEST ITS OWN SYSTEM. AS YOU MIGHT RECALL, LAST SCHOOL YEAR WE HAD TWO START AND FAILED ATTEMPTS BECAUSE THEIR SYSTEMS CRASHED ON TWO OF THE TWO OF THE BEGINNING DAYS FOR THE ELA STATE ASSESSMENT LAST YEAR. SO HOPEFULLY THIS WILL BE A GREAT TEST FOR EVERYBODY. BUT AGAIN, THIS IS NOT A VALUE NON-EVALUATIVE IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM FOR STUDENTS. FOR US IN THE STATE, MAYBE NEXT WEEK ON JANUARY 28TH, FROM 6 TO 7 P.M., WE'LL HOST OUR SCIENCE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM. THIS EVENT IS GREAT. IT PROVIDES OUR SCIENCE RESEARCH STUDENTS WITH AN AUTHENTIC OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THEIR WORK AND PRACTICE THEIR PRESENTATION SKILLS WITH MEMBERS OF OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY. IT'S A WONDERFUL NIGHT SHOWCASING THE AMAZING WORK OF OUR SCIENCE RESEARCH PROGRAM. AND THEN FINALLY NEXT WEEK STARTING ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28TH. THURSDAY, JANUARY 29TH AND FRIDAY, JANUARY 30TH. WE WILL BE HOSTING A TEAM OF EDUCATORS FROM DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE TRI STATE AREA. THERE ARE 20 VISITORS COMING TO OUR DISTRICT WHO WILL BE ENGAGING IN A IN A IN DEPTH STUDY OF OUR MULTI-TIERED SYSTEM OF SUPPORTS FOR STUDENTS, WHICH WE ASKED THEM TO COME TO MATCH OUR OUR OUR SCHOOL FOCUS FOR THE YEAR, WHICH IS SYSTEMS OF SUPPORTS FOR ALL STUDENTS. IT'S ALSO A VERY SIGNIFICANT PART OF OUR FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN IN WHICH WE ARE IN YEAR TWO OF SO WE'RE REALLY WE ARE EXCITED TO WELCOME THESE 12 VISITORS TO OUR DISTRICT, AND WE ARE OPENING OUR DIGITAL BOOKS TO THEM AND ALSO ENGAGING IN MEETINGS TO DISCUSS THIS. AND AT THE END, THEY WILL PROVIDE US WITH FEEDBACK AND ALSO A FULL REPORT WHICH WILL HELP US TO DETERMINE WHAT WHAT WE'RE DOING REALLY WELL, WHICH I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF. AND ALSO, IT WILL HELP US IDENTIFY AREAS IN WHICH WE NEED TO PUT A LITTLE MORE FOCUS. AND HELP US PLAN FOR NEXT STEPS. THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENTS UPDATE ON BELONGING AND WELLNESS. [4.5 Assistant Superintendent's Update on Belonging and Wellness] THANK YOU. SO THIS YEAR AGAIN TRYING TO BE RESPONSIVE TO MEETING STUDENT NEEDS AND AN EVER CHANGING LANDSCAPE AND ALSO COMMUNITY NEEDS. ONE OF THE AGENCIES THAT WE WORK WITH, STUDENT ASSISTANCE SERVICES, WE WORK CLOSELY TO LOOK AT THAT MODEL AND SEE IF WE CAN GET CREATIVE TO GET MORE OUT OF OUR WORK WITH THEM. STUDENT ASSISTANCE SERVICES PROVIDES THE DRUG AND ALCOHOL EDUCATION TO OUR STUDENTS IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL. SO WE MET WITH THEIR DIRECTOR, ELLEN MOREHOUSE, OVER THE SUMMER AND TRIED TO GET CREATIVE. AND AGAIN WAS SHARING WHAT OF OUR SOME OF OUR NEEDS ARE IN THE COMMUNITY. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE FINDING ON THE MENTAL HEALTH SIDE IS THAT WE DO HAVE FAMILIES AND STUDENTS WHO ARE IN NEED OF MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT AND SERVICES, BUT ARE ON SEVERE WAITLISTS ON MANY AGENCIES THAT ARE OUT THERE. SO WHAT WE DID WAS WE PARTNERED WITH STUDENT ASSISTANTS TO LOOK AT OUR CURRENT MODEL WITH THEM. SO WE DECIDED WE WERE GOING TO MAINTAIN THE DRUG AND ALCOHOL EDUCATION PIECE THREE DAYS A WEEK, AND THEN THE OTHER TWO DAYS A WEEK. WE EMBARKED ON A JOURNEY WITH THEM TO APPLY TO THE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH, AND WITH THE NEW YORK STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, TO OPEN AN IN-HOUSE MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT CLINIC. THIS IS A PROGRESSIVE MODEL THAT MANY SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE MOVING TOWARDS, WHERE YOU'RE REALLY MOVING COMMUNITY BASED RESOURCES IN-HOUSE. THE EXCITING THING ABOUT THIS MODEL IS, IS THAT IT IS OPEN SOLELY TO PELHAM STUDENTS. YOU MUST BE A RESIDENT OF PELHAM TO ACCESS THE MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT CLINIC, SO WE ALL GET FIRST DIBS. [01:05:07] SHAUN. LIN, MARIA JEAN. MR. FARRELL AND I MET WITH THE TEAM LAST WEEK. THEY'RE VERY EAGER TO LAUNCH THE PROGRAM. WE JUST GOT OUR APPROVAL FROM THE STATE LAST WEEK FROM OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH. SO, AGAIN, THIS WILL SERVE ONLY STUDENTS IN GRADES SIX THROUGH 12 AND PELHAM MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL. AND IT WILL PROVIDE ACCESS TO THERAPEUTIC SUPPORTS HOUSED RIGHT HERE WITHIN OUR SCHOOL BUILDING. IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THE CLINIC ACTS AS A SEPARATE ENTITY, BUT IT'S LIKE THEY'RE HOUSED WITH US AND OUR COMMUNITY, OUR STUDENTS, OUR FAMILIES GET FIRST, GET FIRST, AND ONLY DIBS AT THAT SERVICE. SO RIGHT NOW, OUR STUDENT ASSISTANCE COUNSELOR, DANIELLE GILMORE, IS MEETING WITH OUR CLINICAL IN-HOUSE STAFF TO DETERMINE WHO'S ON DECK, THAT THEY'VE IDENTIFIED THAT THEY WANT TO MAKE REFERRALS TO RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE. AND THEN I WILL BE WORKING WITH ALEX WOLFF ON SETTING A COMMUNITY. COMMUNITY COMMUNICATION TO LET PARENTS AND FAMILIES KNOW HOW THEY CAN MAKE REFERRALS AND ACCESS THE CLINIC. SO IT'S REALLY EXCITING AND HOPING IT'S GOING TO HELP OUR FAMILIES IN THE COMMUNITY GET THE HELP THAT THEY NEED AND NOT BE WAITING FOR SUPPORT. SO THAT'S EXCITING. ALSO IN TERMS OF EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON WITH THIS YEAR, ONE OF OUR BIG ROCKS IN RELATION TO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AS YOU'RE AWARE, WE'VE BEEN WORKING A LOT ON THE SELL SIDE OF THE EQUATION. WE KNOW OUR ACADEMIC PLAN HAS BEEN BUILT OUT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS WITH, YOU KNOW, CONTINUING TO MAKE TWEAKS HERE AND THERE. AND THE JOURNEY OVER LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR HAS BEEN WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS TO START THE WORK FOR THE SELL SIDE OF OUR WORK. YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT THIS WORK. I THINK DOCTOR CHAMP PRESENTATION SHOWS WHAT AN INCREDIBLE JOB PELHAM DOES TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS IN A VARIETY OF WAYS. AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THEM HOLISTICALLY. SO WE KNOW THAT THE RESEARCH TELLS US THAT STRONG SELL PROGRAMS HAVE LONG TERM BENEFITS IN TERMS OF ACADEMIC OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS, CONTRIBUTE TO A LOT OF FACTORS. YOU KNOW THAT CULTIVATING FACTORS AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS THAT LEAD TO STUDENT WELL-BEING, SAFETY, AND BELONGING. AND WE KNOW THAT FOR THE THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY THING THAT WE DO IN THE REALM OF SEL PROMOTES THE HUMAN SKILLS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DEVELOP IN OUR CHILDREN. THAT'S COPING SKILLS, RESILIENCY, COMMUNICATION SKILLS, PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS AND TO TIE THIS ALL TOGETHER. THIS IS PART OF PORTRAIT OF GRADUATE AS WELL. IT'S PART OF THE SIX ATTRIBUTES THAT WE KNOW THE STATE IS MOVING TOWARDS IN TERMS OF PORTRAIT OF A GRADUATE. SO ALL OF THE WORK REALLY WORKS TOGETHER VERY COHESIVELY AND NICELY. AND THE FACT THAT WE'RE SORT OF ALL ROWING IN THE SAME DIRECTION. LAST MONDAY ON JANUARY 12TH, I DID SHARE AN UPDATE WITH THE ADMINISTRATIVE CABINET ABOUT THE WORK WE'VE BEEN DOING WITH THE MSHSL COMMITTEE THUS FAR. SO THEY WERE BROUGHT UP TO SPEED AS TO WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE ARE HEADING IN TERMS OF AN IDENTIFIED CURRICULUM. IN ADDITION, THE NEXT DAY, THE MSHSL COMMITTEE MET AND AGAIN, WE INVITED THE VENDOR THAT WE HAD IDENTIFIED AS THE TOP CANDIDATE THROUGH THE COMMITTEE'S REVIEW PROCESS TO PROVIDE A MORE COMPREHENSIVE PRESENTATION OF CURRICULUM. THIS VENDOR WAS SELECTED AFTER THE COMMITTEE COMPARED SEVERAL CURRICULA AND USED A EVALUATION RUBRIC WITH THE PROGRAM THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING EMERGING AS THE STRONGEST OVERALL OPTION. SO THE NEXT STEPS WE'LL HAVE IN TERMS OF THAT IS WE NEED TO BRING TOGETHER THE SORT OF THE CONTRACTUAL TEACHER TEAM COMMITTEE TO PRESENT THIS TO THEM. THEN WE WILL BE WORKING ON PILOTING THE CURRICULUM AND THEN MEETING AGAIN IN SORT OF A CULMINATION OF, IS THIS THE RIGHT FIT? SO WE'RE GOING THROUGH A LOT OF ITERATIVE STEPS BEFORE WE MAKE ANY DECISIONS ON AN SEL CURRICULUM TO MAKE SURE IT MAKES SENSE FOR THE STUDENTS, THE TEACHERS AND THE STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY FOR PELHAM. AND JUST LASTLY, QUICKLY, AGAIN, JUST A REMINDER, NEXT MONTH WE HAVE GRADE TEN COLLEGE NIGHT COMING UP. AND WE ALSO DO HAVE THE TRANSITION DISABILITIES TO COLLEGE NIGHT COMING UP AS WELL. SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING MANY OF OUR PARENTS THERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. NEXT WE'LL DO EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS [4.6 Executive Director's Update on Human Resources and Leadership] [01:10:04] UPDATE ON HUMAN RESOURCES AND LEADERSHIP. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. AS YOU'LL SEE LATER IN THE AGENDA, ESPECIALLY UNDER THE SUPERINTENDENT'S PERSONNEL RECOMMENDATIONS, A COUPLE OF CELEBRATIONS THAT I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT. THE FIRST IS TWICE A YEAR TEACHERS CAN RECLASSIFY, WHICH MEANS THEY TAKE SOME OUTSIDE WORKSHOPS OR OR GRADUATE COURSEWORK THAT THEY APPLY. AND CAN HAVE A SALARY RECLASSIFICATION. SO WE WOULD LIKE TO CELEBRATE CHRISTINA SACCO BECAUSE SHE HAS DONE AN AMAZING JOB OF GOING OUTSIDE AND LEARNING MORE THAT SHE BRINGS BACK INTO THE CLASSROOM TO BENEFIT OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF. SO THANK YOU TO CHRISTINA FOR BEING ONE OF OUR LIFELONG LEARNERS. ALSO, YOU WILL SEE THAT KERRY TITAN, OUR HIGH SCHOOL ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL. IT IS BEING GRANTED TENURE AND SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED FOR HER. SHE'S BEEN DOING AN AMAZING JOB AT THE HIGH SCHOOL. SHE WILL ALSO BE GOING OUT ON LEAVE SHORTLY. AND SO WE'RE ALSO RECOMMENDING HER LEAVE REPLACEMENT TONIGHT. MR.. JOHN KOLESAR. SO IT'S A VERY BUSY TIME AT THE HIGH SCHOOL. MR. KOLESAR IS A RETIRED ADMINISTRATOR WHO COMES TO US WITH 22 YEARS OF ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE. HE'S BEEN EVERYTHING FROM A AN ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL TO AN ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT THE HIGH SCHOOL TO AN A DIRECTOR OF HR. SO HE REALLY HAS SEEN EVERYTHING K THROUGH 12, AND HE'S EXCITED TO COME TO PELHAM. HE IS RETIRED, BUT A LITTLE ANTSY. SO HE'S EXCITED TO GET BACK WITH KIDS AND STUDENTS AND LEARN BEING PART OF THE WHOLE LEARNING PROCESS. HE AND DOCTOR TITAN WILL HAVE SOME A FEW TRANSITION DAYS PRIOR TO HER LEAVE, SO THAT'LL BE A REALLY QUICK LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR HIM. AND I KNOW MR. LLEWELLYN IS LOOKING FORWARD TO HIM JOINING THE TEAM. LAST WEEK, OUR APR TASK FORCE MET FOR THE SECOND TIME. IF YOU REMEMBER, GOVERNOR HOCHUL SIGNED A LAW THAT CHANGED OUR EVALUATION PROCESS, BASICALLY. AND SO DISTRICTS HAVE TO HAVE A NEW EVALUATION PROCESS IN PLACE BY 2032, WHICH SEEMS LIKE A VERY FAR OFF TIME FRAME, BUT IT WILL BE HERE BEFORE YOU KNOW IT. BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, PELHAM REALLY WANTS TO BE ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF DESIGNING SOMETHING AND IMPLEMENTING IT SOONER THAN THAT. AND SO OUR TASK FORCE HAS REALLY BEEN LEARNING ABOUT WHAT THE GUIDELINES ARE, WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE COMING DOWN FROM THE STATE, WHAT IT CAN LOOK LIKE FOR PELHAM. AND SO OUR NEWEST OPPORTUNITY IS TO REALLY DESIGN A NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY FOR OUR STAFF TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT BENEFITS OUR STAFF WOULD SEE IN TERMS OF PROFESSIONAL GROWTH, AND WHERE DO THEY SEE THEIR CAREER AND THEIR PROFESSIONALISM GROWING EVEN FURTHER. AND WHAT WHAT PROTOCOLS AND WHAT GUARDRAILS CAN WE PUT IN PLACE TO HELP THEM WITH THAT? AND SO THE TASK FORCE IS NOW WORKING ON THEIR NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY. OUR NEXT MEETING IS IN MARCH WITH THE HOPES THAT WE'LL HAVE THE DATA FROM THE SURVEY SO WE CAN START MOVING A LITTLE BIT FASTER. SO I'M REALLY THANKFUL TO THIS TEAM OF EDUCATORS. THERE ARE TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS WHO ARE REALLY SINK THEIR TEETH INTO SOMETHING THAT COULD BE QUITE DENSE TO WADE THROUGH TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE BEST FIT FOR PELHAM, BECAUSE WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT TO BE EDUCATORS, WE ARE LIFELONG LEARNERS. BUT TO DO THAT YOU KNOW, WE WE WANT TO BE SUPPORTED AND, AND EVEN BE A LITTLE RISKY AND TRY NEW THINGS. AND HOW DO WE DO THAT IN A SUPPORTIVE WAY? AND THEN THE LAST THING I WILL SAY IS OUR SIWANOY PRINCIPAL. THE POSTING CLOSED TODAY. WE CURRENTLY HAVE 53 CANDIDATES, SO WE WILL BE SCREENING THE POTENTIAL CANDIDATES. IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, WE'LL BE FORMING OUR COMMITTEES, SO COMMUNICATIONS WILL BE GOING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS TO STAFF TO RECRUIT MEMBERS FOR OUR COMMITTEES. AND THEN WE'LL WORK THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND HOPEFULLY HAVE A CANDIDATE FOR YOU IN EARLY MARCH. AND THAT'S IT FOR ME. THANK YOU. OKAY. NEXT WE HAVE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENTS UPDATE ON FACILITIES, [4.7 Assistant Superintendent's Update on Facilities and Sustainable Learning Environments] FACILITIES AND SUSTAINABLE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS. HI. YES. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. JUST WANT TO TAKE A MINUTE AND THANK OUR FOLKS WHO CAME IN ON MONDAY AND DID SOME STORM CLEANUP. IT WAS ONE OF THOSE LONG STORMS OVER OVER THE TWO DAYS. AND WE'RE GRATEFUL THAT THEY CAME AND DID THAT. AND WE ARE CLOSELY WATCHING THE WEATHER WITH WITH THIS UPCOMING WEEKEND. SO WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS THERE AS WELL. ALSO, IT'S BEEN VERY COLD, AS WE KNOW. AND THAT'S SOMETHING ELSE WE'RE WATCHING VERY CAREFULLY WITH OUR BUILDINGS ESPECIALLY. IT'S ESPECIALLY SUPPOSED TO GET VERY COLD OVER THIS WEEKEND AND WORK WITH THE FACILITIES DIRECTOR, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE WE KEEP OUR BUILDINGS HEATED AND WE WANT TO PREVENT ANY OF THOSE FREEZE UPS. AND THAT'S JUST GOOD ADVICE FOR ANYBODY OUT THERE WHO DOESN'T WANT TO DEAL WITH THE BROKEN PIPE. YOU USUALLY NOTICE IT WHEN IT THAWS OUT AGAIN, EVERYTHING STAYS NICE AND DRY, BUT ONCE YOU GET THE THAWS, WHEN UNFORTUNATELY, YOU FIND OUT IF SOMETHING HELD OR DIDN'T HOLD. [01:15:05] WE HAD A GREAT BOND STEERING MEETING LAST WEEK. I THINK GENERALLY IT WAS IT WAS A GOOD UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE ON OUR TIMELINE AND OUR PROJECT ON OUR PROJECTS. AS MENTIONED, AS MENTIONED EARLIER, WE DISCUSSED THE UPCOMING WORK AT COLONIAL AND PROSPECT HILL FOR THIS SUMMER. WE ALSO SPENT A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT SIWANOY SCHOOL, THE METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION, WHETHER WHY THE DISTRICT WAS GOING TO CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD IN A STICK BUILD METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION OR A MODULAR FORM OF CONSTRUCTION. AND WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO WORK CLOSELY. YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO WORK CLOSELY WITH, WITH OUR WITH OUR BOND STEERING COMMITTEE. TRY TO SEE IF THEY CAN PROVIDE A CONSENSUS TO THE BOARD. AND THEN AND SOMETIME PROBABLY IN THE MONTH, IN A MONTH TO SIX WEEKS, WE'RE GOING TO BE MOVING TO FORWARD TO THE BOARD, AND WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR DIRECTION FROM THE BOARD ON THAT TOO. AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AS WE AS WE COMPARE THE TWO, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE LOOKING AT EQUAL QUALITY. SO WE DON'T WANT TO MAKE WE DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP ANYTHING IN ONE TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION VERSUS THE OTHER. WE'RE LOOKING FOR A LOWER IMPACT OF CERTAINLY THIS CONSTRUCTION PROJECT. WE DON'T WANT TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE NO IMPACT. IF WE HAVE A MODULAR CONSTRUCTION, THERE'S STILL GOING TO BE CONSIDERABLE IMPACT. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PUT IN A FOUNDATION. THERE'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE SOME SOME ROCK BREAKING. WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH, BUT THERE'S THERE'S GOING TO BE ROCK ON THE SITE. WE KNOW THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PUT UP THE BRICK WALLS, THE FACING AND EVERYTHING ELSE. SO, SO THERE WILL THERE WILL BE CERTAINLY AN IMPACT. BUT IF THIS IS ONE WAY THAT WE CAN MITIGATE THAT, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT. BUT AGAIN, WE DON'T WANT TO SACRIFICE QUALITY. WE WANT TO LOOK AT LOWERING IMPACT. WE DON'T WANT TO DRIVE ADDITIONAL COSTS. SO AS WE AS WE AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE THINGS, THESE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN OUR COMMITTEE. AND AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD, THAT'S KIND OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT. AND WE WANT TO LOOK AT AN EFFICIENT PROCESS. SO JUST KIND OF SHARING WITH THE BOARD WHAT THE COMMITTEE'S TALKED ABOUT. THE BOARD MEMBERS THAT HAVE BEEN THERE HAVE HEARD THESE THINGS. AND IT'S JUST I THINK IT'S A GOOD THING TO SHARE OUT THERE. LAST WEEK WE HAD A WE HAD A MEETING WITH THE TOWN OF PELHAM RECREATION. IT'S KIND OF LIKE A CHRISTMAS STORY. WE TALK ABOUT RECREATION, PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE. SO IT WAS AGAIN. IT WAS IT WAS A VERY. WE'VE GOT A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FOLKS AT TOWN OF TOWN OF PELHAM RECREATION, AND WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN THE FALL. HOW DID IT WORK OUT WITH SCHEDULING THE FIELDS. NOW WE'RE IN OUR OUR INSIDE SEASON. WE HEAR THE BASKETS GOING DOWNSTAIRS. THAT'S PROBABLY THEM RIGHT NOW. AND THEN AS WE LOOK FORWARD TOWARDS THE SPRING SEASON, AND ALSO THERE'S SOME SUMMER SUMMER PLANNING GOING ON WITH THE LITTLE KIDS CAMP. NOT SURPRISINGLY, THIS GOES BACK TO OUR SUMMER PLANNING FOR CONSTRUCTION. PROSPECT HILL AND COLONIAL WILL BE UNAVAILABLE FOR THE YOUNGER KIDS PROGRAMS. THE YOUNGER STUDENT PROGRAMS FOR RECREATION. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THERE ARE OTHER BUILDINGS AVAILABLE. THAT WOULD BE SIWANOY AND HUTCHINSON SCHOOL FOR THE YOUNGER STUDENTS. SO IT'S HELPFUL FOR THEM TO GET THAT MESSAGE OUT THERE. IT HELPS THEM WITH PLANNING. AND AGAIN, IT'S JUST PART OF PART OF ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER. WE'VE AGAIN, WE'VE LOOKED AT THE UPDATED FORECAST FOR THIS YEAR. AGAIN, AS WE UPDATED THE BOARD LAST TIME WE EXPECTED JUST ABOUT $1 MILLION DRAWDOWN IN IN FUND BALANCE. AS WE LOOKED AT THE YEAR, WE'RE NOT OVER BUDGET, WE BALANCED THE BUDGET WITH $4.4 MILLION IN FUND BALANCE. AS WE LOOKED AT IT, JUST BEFORE THE JUST BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS, WE LOOKED AT ABOUT $1 MILLION OF A DRAWDOWN. RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT ABOUT 1.3 MILLION, BUT THERE'S A THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF AN ASTERISK WHEN YOU PUT THAT THERE, BECAUSE IF YOU RECALL, WE HAD ABOUT A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN A $400,000 TAX CERTIORARI, WHICH WE HAD SEPARATELY. THAT INCLUDES THAT NUMBER. I SEE. SO IF YOU BACK THE 400,000 OFF OF THE 1.3, THE NEW NUMBER OF 1.3, YOU'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT 900,000 KIND OF AN APPLES TO APPLES COMPARATIVE YEAR TO YEAR. SO A MODEST IMPROVEMENT FROM FROM WHERE WE WERE FROM OUR NOVEMBER TO OUR DECEMBER FORECAST AS WE WORK THROUGH THE BUDGET SEASON. WE KEEP UPDATING THAT AND WE LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE, AND WE KEEP SHARING THAT WITH THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AND THE BOARD. I TOOK MY GLASSES OFF. NOW I CAN'T SEE. WE'RE WORKING ON BUDGET AS DOCTOR CHAMP TALKED TO TALKED ABOUT ALL THOSE DIFFERENT ISSUES THAT THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH. GOVERNOR GAVE THE BUDGET PROPOSAL. WE'VE GOT SOME REALLY GOOD INTEL THIS YEAR FROM OUR BOCES GROUP OUR BOCES. THEY THEY HAD THE PREDICTION OF WHAT THE GOVERNOR WAS GOING TO SUBMIT FOR FORWARD TO THE LEGISLATURES TO THE DOLLAR. FIRST TIME THEY'VE EVER GIVEN A NUMBER. AND AND IT WORKED. SO AGAIN, THERE'S SOME THERE'S A LITTLE ANXIETY IN OUR PART BECAUSE WE'RE WORKING ON A BUDGET, BUT WE STILL KIND OF HAVE A BIG NUMBER THAT WE WE'RE GUESSTIMATING AT A CERTAIN POINT. SO IT'S GOOD TO HEAR YESTERDAY OBVIOUSLY, THAT THAT WE CAME IN ON THAT TARGET. SO AGAIN, AS WE LOOK AT ADJUSTMENTS, THAT'S JUST SOMETHING WHERE WE HIT THE NUMBER. AND THEN LASTLY OUT OF DISTRICT TRANSPORTATION, THOSE ADVERTISEMENTS AND THE NOTIFICATIONS ARE GOING TO BE GOING OUT AT PEOPLE WHO HAVE STUDENTS WHO THEY SEEK OUT OF DISTRICT TRANSPORTATION OR GO TO PRIVATE SCHOOL FOR THE UPCOMING 2627 SCHOOL YEAR. [01:20:07] YOU CAN FIND THE APPLICATIONS THERE ON THERE ON THE DISTRICT'S WEBSITE. WE'RE GOING TO PUT UP A PUBLIC NOTICE. WE'LL HAVE SOME NOTIFICATIONS. OR WE USUALLY WE REACH OUT TO THE FOLKS THAT ARE CURRENT USERS OF OUT-OF-DISTRICT TRANSPORTATION, AND WE'LL DO ALL THOSE USUAL OUTREACHES THAT WE HAVE ON OUR FORMS. WE ALSO SHARE TYPES OF THE TYPE OF TRANSPORTATION, AGAIN, PER PER BOARD POLICY FOR FIRST METHOD OF TRANSPORTATION IS PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. AND THEN SECOND METHOD, IF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IS UNAVAILABLE, THEN IT IS YELLOW BUS TRANSPORTATION. SO THAT'S COMING UP. AND I'M JUST GOING TO REMIND EVERYBODY AT THE NEXT FEW MEETINGS, WHEN I GET A CHANCE, I'M GOING TO WRAP IT UP AND SAY, DON'T FORGET ABOUT OUR DISTRICT TRANSPORTATION APPLICATIONS. APRIL 1ST IS THE DEADLINE. I WAS ACTUALLY REMINDING SOMEONE OF THAT JUST LIKE AN EXERCISE CLASS LAST WEEK BECAUSE I'M LIKE, IT'S COMING UP. THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT PRIVATE SCHOOL. I'M LIKE, YOU CANNOT MISS IT. AND IF YOU HAVE A STUDENT AND YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT MORE THAN ONE SCHOOL, SUBMIT AN APPLICATION FOR EACH SCHOOL. YEAH. SO AGAIN, IT'S WE WE'RE OBLIGATED AND WE FOLLOW THE LAW ON THIS. WE'RE OBLIGATED TO THAT SCHOOL. AND IF YOU SUBMIT APPLICATIONS FOR EITHER OF THE SCHOOLS, WE CAN WE CAN HONOR THOSE. AND THAT'S A STATE REQUIREMENT THAT THOSE ARE SUBMITTED BY APRIL 1ST. STATE REQUIREMENT FOR APRIL 1ST. STATE LAW THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS REQUIRED TO TRANSPORT PELHAM STUDENTS TO AT A DISTRICT. PRIVATE SCHOOLS WITHIN A 15 MILE RADIUS. SO IT'S LIKE BIGGER THAN IT'S A STATE LAW. AND IN THE STATE CONSTITUTION. YEAH. NOT IN EVERY STATE, WHICH IS INTERESTING. BIGGER THAN THE LAW. YEAH, IT IS A IT IS PART OF ONE OF THE THREE THINGS THE LAWMAKERS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE IN PLACE FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION. STUDENTS AND CITY SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO FOLLOW IT EITHER, WHICH IS INTERESTING. RARE FACTS ABOUT A DISTRICT TRANSPORTATION FOR ALL OF US. YES. THANK YOU. KATHRYN. YES. OH, YEAH. BEFORE WE MOVE ON, DO YOU WANT. IT'S OKAY. GREAT TIMING. WOULD YOU GIVE US AN UPDATE? YES. I'M GOING TO. WE HAD A ADVOCACY AND ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE MEETING. NATALIE IS THE CHAIR OF THAT COMMITTEE FOR US, AND WE HAD A REALLY ROBUST MEETING ON THE 16TH. ONE OF THE MANY THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT, I'M JUST GOING TO GO IN ORDER BECAUSE ALEX, LIKE, HAS SUCH A THOROUGH RECAP. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE DOING THIS YEAR, SINCE PELHAM HAS SUCH A STRONG TRADITION OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND OUR WE ARE KNOWN UP IN ALBANY BY OUR LAWMAKERS AS A COMMUNITY THAT IS NOT SHY TO SHARE OUR VALUES AND WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO US, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SO SINCE WE ARE ALSO NOT ONE TO DISAPPOINT AND THEY ARE EXPECTING TO HEAR FROM US, ONE OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT THE ADVOCACY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE HAS BEEN WORKING ON IS AN ADVOCACY LETTER OR VOTER VOICE CAMPAIGN. SO WE HAVE HAVE WE DRAFTED AND FINALIZED WHAT THE LETTER WILL SAY, AND WE ARE PUTTING TOGETHER A PLAN TO GET THAT OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, WHERE WE WILL BE ASKING OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SEND THIS LETTER. IT WILL BE AN EMAIL, COPY AND PASTE AND SEND IT OFF TO OUR LAWMAKERS IN SUPPORT OF KEEPING PUBLIC FUNDS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SO WE WERE TALKING ABOUT FOUNDATION AID AND TAX INCENTIVES. SO DO NOT SUPPORT TAX INCENTIVES AND DO SUPPORT FOUNDATION AID IS WHAT WILL BE THE CONTENT OF THAT LETTER WHICH WILL BE COMING YOUR WAY BEFORE THE END. I GUESS FEBRUARY, WE WANT TO BE SENDING IT OUT IN FEBRUARY. SO BEFORE BY BEFORE THE SCHOOL BREAK, YOU SHOULD BE SEEING THAT. WE ALSO GOT UPDATED ON THE RESULTS OF THE SCOPE SURVEY, WHICH HAVE COME IN, AND SO WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THOSE SOON, BUT WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO HAVE THOSE. AND SORT OF THAT WAS VERY POSITIVE RESULTS THAT WE HAVE FROM OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS. YEAH. AND I WOULD ADD SINCE THE COMMITTEE ALEX HAS BEEN WORKING TO THERE WAS A HE AND I GOT TO MEET WITH THE CONSULTANT FROM THE COMPANY WHO WHO HAD DONE THE ANALYSIS. SO SHE DID A PRESENTATION FOR US. WE'RE WORKING TO GET HER TO DO A REMOTE PRESENTATION FOR THE BOARD. WE'RE AIMING FOR PROBABLY SOMETIME IN FEBRUARY, ACTUALLY BE THE SECOND, PROBABLY THE 2ND FEBRUARY MEETING. AND I'LL DO A BRIEF BUDGET OVERVIEW AND THEN HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET HER THERE. I THINK THE BOARD WILL BE REALLY PLEASED AND PROUD OF THE RESULTS OF THE EFFORTS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT. GREAT. CAN'T WAIT. EXCITING. WELL, WE ALSO BECAUSE WE ARE VERY THOROUGH. SO I'M JUST GOING TO WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT HOW TO HANDLE MISINFORMATION. AND BECAUSE THE BIG THING THAT THE COMMITTEE TALKS ABOUT IS HOW TO THE, THE FLOW OF COMMUNICATION, BOTH OUTWARD AND INWARD FROM THE DISTRICT TO THE COMMUNITY AND FROM THE COMMUNITY TO THE DISTRICT. [01:25:01] AND WHAT KIND OF WHAT THAT FLOW. WE BRAINSTORM STRATEGIES FOR NAVIGATING COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS AND RESPONDING TO MISINFORMATION. AND IF WE NEED TO COME UP WITH SOME SORT OF DECISION TREE OR SOMETHING FOR WHAT AND HOW TO RESPOND AND AND WHEN. AND WE TALKED ABOUT YOUR ROUND ROBIN BUDGET PRESENTATIONS AND HOW TO BEST REPRESENT THE BUDGET INFORMATION, WHICH IS COMPLICATED AND SOMEWHAT CONFUSING, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE NOT ONE OF US LIKE SITTING AT THE TABLE TALKING ABOUT IT FOR MONTHS. SO HOW CAN WE REPRESENT THAT INFORMATION? AND I FEEL LIKE OUR OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON THIS COMMITTEE PROVIDE SUCH VALUABLE INSIGHT TO US, TO HELP US FIGURE OUT HOW TO TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS IN AN EASILY DIGESTIBLE FORMAT. SO THANK YOU. GREAT. THANK YOU. OKAY. WE DON'T HAVE COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC. SO DO I HAVE A MOTION TO TAKE C 6.1 TO 6.3 AS A AGENDA. [6. Financial Reports and Motions] SO MOVED. SECOND. OKAY. I'LL READ THROUGH 6.2 AND 6.3, WHICH ARE SORRY, I CLICKED THE WRONG THING. WHICH ARE WHICH ARE DONATIONS? I DEFINITELY NEED TO PUT MY GLASSES ON FOR THIS. I'LL READ THE DONATION. THERE'S A 6.2 IS A MOTION TO APPROVE A DONATION OF FUNDS FROM PELHAM CIVICORP FOR SIX DISTRICT SCHOOLS FOR THE 2025, 2026 SCHOOL YEAR. SO THIS IS ACTUALLY NOT A DONATION AMOUNT, BUT IT'S TO AUTHORIZE DOCTOR CHAMP TO RECEIVE DONATIONS. OKAY, I'LL READ IT. FIELD TRIPS? YEAH, FOR FIELD TRIPS. FOR FIELD TRIPS RELATED TO EXTRACURRICULAR AND INTRA INTRAMURAL PROGRAMING. OKAY. SO THANK YOU TO THE PELHAM CIVICORP FOR FOR THEIR BASICALLY UNENDING SUPPORT OF PELHAM STUDENTS. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER DONATION. AND THIS ONE IS FROM THE PELHAM EDUCATION FOUNDATION, AND WE THANK THEM. THIS IS I'LL READ IT THAT UPON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE PELHAM UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT DOES HEREBY ACCEPT THE MONETARY DONATION OF $20,270 FOR GRANT 2602 CLEAR VOICES. STRONG FOUNDATIONS. FM SYSTEMS FOR KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOMS AND THAT GRATITUDE BE BESTOWED UPON ITS DONOR, THE PELHAM EDUCATION FOUNDATION. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO THE PELHAM EDUCATION FOUNDATION FOR ALL THEY DO FOR THE SCHOOLS AS WELL. OKAY. SO. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. NONE OPPOSED. SO ALL OF THOSE MOTIONS CARRY. OKAY. WE CAN MOVE TO POLICY. SID, DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE SECOND READINGS. SURE. I THINK THE ONLY CHANGES REALLY TO ANY OF THE POLICIES THAT WE HAD SINCE THE LAST MEETING WERE WERE THE CHANGES THAT WE DISCUSSED LAST MEETING RELATED TO PUBLIC COMMENT? AND OTHERWISE, I THINK THE THE SECOND READINGS, I DON'T THINK WE HAD ANY CHANGES. OKAY. OKAY. SO IF WE DON'T NEED TO TALK ABOUT THOSE, DO WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE THIRD, THE THIRD, THE ONES WITH THE THIRD READINGS. AND THEN PERHAPS WE CAN ARE WE CONSIDERING WAIVING THE THIRD READING FOR THE SECOND READING ONES? NO, NO, I WOULD NOT ADVOCATE THAT. YEAH. I THINK THE PLAN WAS TO HAVE THE THIRD READING ONES BE APPROVED AND THE SECOND READING ONES, WE WERE GOING TO JUST HAVE ANOTHER THIRD. YEAH. YEAH. UNDERSTOOD. AND THESE ARE AVAILABLE IN CASE PEOPLE WANT TO READ THEM. SO IF PEOPLE WANT TO GO IN AND BECOME FAMILIAR WITH OUR POLICIES AGAIN, NOT MANY HAVE CHANGED. THEY'RE JUST UPDATES. YEAH. YEAH. AND I THINK JUST TO REFRESH MY MEMORY, THE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE ON THE PUBLIC COMMENT WERE, I THINK, SOFTENING SOME OF THE LANGUAGE AROUND WHAT CAN AND CAN'T BE DISCUSSED IN THE PUBLIC COMMENTS AND THEN GIVING THE BOARD PRESIDENT A BIT OF LATITUDE ON REALLY ON TIMING, BUT SORT OF GENERALLY HOW TO HOW TO MANAGE THE, THE PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION. YEAH, I THINK THAT'S FAIR. OKAY. SO ARE WE READY TO TAKE A MOTION [01:30:01] TO TO APPROVE 7.9? 47.13. I THINK [7.7 Policy 1510 - Regular Board Meetings and Rules (Quorum and Parliamentary Procedure) (Third Reading)] [7.8 Policy 1540 - Executive Sessions (Third Reading)] [7.9 Policy 1650 - Submission of Questions and Propositions at the Annual Elections and Special District Meetings (Third Reading)] [7.10 Policy 2210 - Committees of the Board (Third Reading)] [7.11 Policy 4230 - District Committees (Third Reading)] [7.12 Policy 5572 - Audit Committee (Third Reading)] [7.13 Policy 5660 - Meal Charging & Prohibition Against Meal Shaming (Third Reading)] IT'D BE 0.70. SORRY. RIGHT THROUGH OH 713. I'M SORRY. YEAH. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE 7.7 THROUGH 7.13. SO MOVED. SECOND. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. SO EXCELLENT. THERE'S SOME MORE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. IS THERE GOING TO BE ANOTHER I GUESS, POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING BEFORE THE THIRD READING? NO. BECAUSE MONDAY. OH, OKAY. SO THERE'LL BE TIME FOR YOU GUYS TO DISCUSS IT THIS COMING MONDAY BEFORE BRINGING IT BACK HERE TO US. YEAH. I DON'T THINK THERE'S REALLY ANYTHING THAT WE HAD OPEN TO TALK ABOUT ON THE SECOND READING. IT'S REALLY MORE TO GIVE PEOPLE A CHANCE TO IF PEOPLE WANT TO COMMENT. RIGHT. BUT THEY COULD DO THAT AND THEN STILL HAVE YOU GUYS TAKE IT BACK TO COMMITTEE. OH FOR SURE. YEAH. AND I WOULD SAY, YEAH, IF PEOPLE HAD SOME FEEDBACK THEY WANTED TO PROVIDE, THEY'RE THEIR WELCOME TO EMAIL ME. THEY CAN EMAIL YOU KNOW THE BOARD SAID ANY OF US. OKAY. YEAH. SO WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE THAT FEEDBACK ANYTIME. YEP. GREAT. THANK YOU. OKAY. OKAY. DO I HAVE A MOTION? DO I HAVE A MOTION TO TAKE 8.1 THROUGH 8.5 AS A CONSENT AGENDA? [8. Superintendent's Personnel Recommendations] SO MOVED. SECOND. ALL RIGHT. I'LL JUST SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU. YES. CONGRATULATIONS TO DOCTOR TITAN. WE'RE EXCITED TO TO HAVE HER OFFICIALLY PERMANENT PART OF THE PELHAM FAMILY AND LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATING HER IN MAY. YEAH. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? SO, CONGRATULATIONS. OKAY. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE A SCHEDULE D? [9.1 Motion to Approve Schedule D - Committee on Special Education (Confidential)] SO MOVED SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. THAT'S APPROVED. NOW NEW BUSINESS. TO. OKAY, WE CAN START WITH I MENTIONED IN MY [10.1 New Business] OPEN THAT THE VILLAGE OF PELHAM NEXT WEEK IS HAVING A PUBLIC HEARING. WITH RESPECT TO AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING LAW THAT THEY WILL, I GUESS, LIKELY PASS AT A AT A LATER DATE. AND I WANTED TO PUT IT OUT TO THE BOARD IF THEY HAD SORT OF ANY INCLINATION. INCLINATION TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT JUST ABOUT HAVING INFORMATION ABOUT DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN THE VILLAGE SO THAT WE CAN SO THAT THIS BOARD AND FUTURE BOARDS CAN MAKE DECISIONS RELATED TO FACILITIES AND AND BUDGETING. SO JUST THROW IT OUT THERE. I THINK WE SHOULD ABSOLUTELY GO ON THE RECORD SAYING WORDS TO THE EFFECT THAT OUR HOPE AND EXPECTATION IS, YOU KNOW, TRANSPARENCY AROUND WHAT PLAN, WHATEVER PLANS ARE EVOLVE THAT MAY IMPACT ENROLLMENT IN THE DISTRICT. EXACTLY AS YOU SAID. SO WE TO GIVE US THE ABILITY TO. UNDERSTAND WHAT POTENTIAL IMPACT THERE COULD BE ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. OKAY. ANYBODY ELSE? YES, I'M GOING TO JUST ONE THING. I WANT TO JUST OFFICIALLY INVITE ANYBODY WHO WOULD LIKE TO JOIN ME IN ALBANY ON THE 11TH FOR ADVOCACY DAY OR LOBBY DAY, FEBRUARY 11TH, FEBRUARY 11TH. DARRA HAS ALREADY SAID SHE WANTS SHE WANTS TO COME. YOU DO HAVE TO. THE REASON WHY I'M TALKING ABOUT IT NOW AND PUTTING IT OUT HERE NOW, IS BECAUSE YOU WOULD HAVE TO CLEAR YOUR YOUR SCHEDULE FOR THE DAY, THE WHOLE DAY. IT'S A WHOLE IT'S WELL, WE HAVE A BOARD MEETING ON THE THE NIGHT OF THE 11TH. YES. AND I WOULD SAY FOR THAT, FOR THAT BOARD THAT IS OUR TEN TENURE. IT'S OUR FULL EXECUTIVE SESSION TENURE REVIEW. SO WE DO NEED FOUR PEOPLE HERE AS A QUORUM CAN GO. NO. WELL, I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT WE WILL WE WRAP UP IN ALBANY AROUND 3:00 330. AND SO BACK TO 2.5 HOUR DRIVE. SO WE WILL BE BACK. WE'LL BE BACK BY SIX. IT WILL BE HYBRID BECAUSE THE WE THE OUR HOPE WAS TO DO SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR. THE ADMINISTRATORS CAN REMOTE IN FROM HOME. SO WE NEED A MINIMUM OF FOUR BOARD MEMBERS JUST FOR QUORUM. BUT EVERYONE ELSE COULD JOIN FROM HOME. SO IF THERE WERE, IF THERE WAS A SITUATION WHERE WE NEEDED A SITUATION WHERE YOU GOT DELAYED, YOU WOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO COMPLETELY EXHAUSTED. WELL, WE ARE WE ARE IN CHARGE OF SCHEDULING ALL OF OUR MEETINGS, AND THEN WE CAN CHOOSE TO JOIN OTHERS ON THEIR MEETINGS OR STAY LATE TO. I MEAN, SOMETHING I'VE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, BUT LIKE SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT ALBANY IS THAT YOU ONCE YOU GO THROUGH SECURITY, [01:35:03] YOU CAN. KNOCK ON DOORS, POP IN AND SAY HI SO, AND LEAVE YOUR INFORMATION AND SEE IF THEY'RE IN THEIR OFFICES. SO WE ARE IN CHARGE OF SCHEDULING OUR OWN MEETINGS, AND THEN WE, IN BETWEEN TIMES, CAN POP IN AND TRY TO TALK TO AS MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE LEGISLATIVE STAFFERS OR LAWMAKERS WHO ARE IN THEIR OFFICES AS POSSIBLE. SO WE ARE IN CONTROL OF OUR DAY SO WE CAN DECIDE TO LEAVE WHEN WHENEVER WE ARE DONE, THE DAY DOES START EARLY. WE RIDE AT 6 A.M. SO I AGREE TO THAT. NOT WHOLLY. IT'S NOT UNCIVILIZED, BUT IT IS EARLY KIDS TO SCHOOL. IT'S GOING TO BE COLD, SO IT WILL BE A LONG DAY BECAUSE THEN WE WILL BE BACK FOR A BOARD MEETING. WHICH IS JUST A COINCIDENCE FOR THE AND IT'S A, IT'S A LONG ONE, BUT WE'LL BE BACK FOR A BOARD MEETING FOR THE EVENING, SO IT WOULD BE A LONG DAY. BUT IT IS INTERESTING. IT IS EXCITING. YOU MEET A LOT OF PEOPLE, YOU LEARN A LOT, AND YOU HAVE REALLY GREAT CONVERSATIONS. AND IT'S A CHANCE TO LIKE, YOU KNOW, REALLY ABSORB A LOT OF SORT OF LIKE PROCESSES AND, YOU KNOW, INTERESTING INFORMATION. SO IT'S THE IT'S THE OFFICIAL INVITE. I WON'T MENTION IT AGAIN. SO IT'S OUT THERE IF ANYBODY WANTS TO, WANTS TO JOIN, I'M DRIVING I'M A GOOD DRIVER EVERYBODY. SO ON THAT DAY, THREE OF US HAVE EXECUTIVE THE BOND STEERING COMMITTEE IN THE MORNING, BESIDES THE BOARD MEETING AT NIGHT TIME. SO THAT PUTS THREE OF US OUT. SORRY. WELL, THAT THAT HOPEFULLY WILL BE THEN ALMOST JUST SHORT OF A QUORUM. YEAH. SO THREE BOND STEERING PLUS ONE. WHAT? SORRY. WHAT DAY IS THIS? FEBRUARY. FEBRUARY 11TH. IT'S THE WEDNESDAY. AND WE WILL BE BACK LIKE WE WON'T. I MEAN, UNLESS TRAFFIC COULD BE WEATHER OR WEATHER. I MEAN, IF IT'S BAD WEATHER, THEN WE PROBABLY WON'T GO BECAUSE IT'S IT IS A LONG DRIVE AND ALBANY IS WORSE WEATHER THAN HERE, CORRECT? YEAH. OKAY. GREAT. TWO QUESTIONS. SORRY. CAN WE BACK UP ON THE. I JUST HAD ONE ONE QUESTION ON THE CALENDAR. I WAS JUST DOING A QUICK COMPARISON BETWEEN THIS YEAR'S CALENDAR AND THE THE DRAFT ONE HERE, AND I ACTUALLY LIKE THIS ONE. THE DRAFT IT JUST EYEBALLING IT, IT SEEMS I'M IN THE CAMP. I KNOW NOT EVERYONE AGREES WITH ME, WHICH IS TOTALLY FINE. I'M IN THE CAMP OF THE FEWER SORT OF INTERRUPTED WEEKS, THE BETTER. CONSISTENCY LOOKS GOOD. APRIL LOOKS SOLID. OCTOBER LOOKS VERY GOOD. AND THEN I NOTICED THAT PERHAPS ONE OF THE REASONS WAS I DON'T. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS INTENTIONAL. I DON'T SEE ANY PLC EARLY RELEASE DAYS ON HERE. YES, AND THANK YOU FOR RAISING THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT IDENTIFIED THOSE DAYS YET. IT IS STILL OUR INTENTION TO ADD THOSE. ADD THOSE LATER. YEAH I SEE SO THAT WILL THAT WILL IMPACT. AND ONE OF THE CHALLENGES TO YOUR POINT IS IT'S MORE EFFECTIVE TO HAVE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR, AS OPPOSED TO WAITING ALL YEAR AND THEN TEACHING PEOPLE NEW THINGS. WHICH DOES PRESENT A CHALLENGE BECAUSE MORE OF THE HOLIDAYS ARE IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR TO A POINT, BUT WE WILL TRY TO TO SPREAD THEM OUT IN A WAY THAT THE BEST WE CAN TRIES TO MAINTAIN SOME OF THAT CONSISTENCY. ONE OF THE THINGS WE ALSO WANT TO DO IS GET A LITTLE BIT OF FEEDBACK ABOUT THE LATE ARRIVALS VERSUS THE EARLY RELEASES. WE'VE GOT OUR FIRST ONE COMING UP FEBRUARY 9TH. THAT'S OUR FIRST LATE START DATE. WE USED TO DO THEM BEFORE THE PANDEMIC. I DON'T KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE, A LOT OF CURRENT ELEMENTARY PARENTS PROBABLY HAVE NO RECOLLECTION OR EXPERIENCE WITH IT UNLESS THEY HAD OLDER CHILDREN. SO THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO GET A LITTLE FARTHER DOWN THE PATH BEFORE ADDING THOSE. SO I'M GLAD YOU RAISED THAT, BECAUSE I DO WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT WHEN WE SEND THIS OUT. IT'S NOT THIS IS THE MAIN FRAMEWORK, BUT THERE WILL STILL BE PLC DAYS ADDED AND THERE MAY BE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE CONFERENCES. UNDERSTOOD. OKAY. YEAH. JUST AGAIN EYEBALLING IT. OCTOBER. FEBRUARY. APRIL. LOOK, YOU KNOW, IN MY OPINION, NICELY UNINTERRUPTED. YES. SO JUST TO CIRCLE BACK, JACKIE, TO THE TOPIC THAT YOU HAD RAISED EARLIER ABOUT THE VILLAGE. YEAH. I HADN'T REALIZED WE WERE, BUT IT'S TOTALLY FINE. I DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE A ISSUE WITH THE MESSAGE OF, YOU KNOW, COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE VILLAGE AND THE DISTRICT. IT WASN'T CLEAR TO ME EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING AND WHETHER THIS IN PARTICULAR HAS ANY IMPACT, NECESSARILY. BUT I THINK IT'S FINE TO SHARE THE MESSAGE THAT WE HOPE THAT IF THERE'S DEVELOPMENT IN THE FUTURE, THAT IT. YEAH. I MEAN, IT'S NOT A PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENT, IT'S JUST A LAU THAT THAT WOULD ENABLE DEVELOPMENT. IT SEEMS LIKE A COMMITMENT TO IT. RIGHT? IT FEELS LIKE A A SORT OF STATED COMMITMENT TO A COMMITMENT TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING. IT'S A LAU TO, I GUESS, WELL, NOT A COMMITMENT TO, YOU KNOW, BE OPEN FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT. THAT'S THE WAY I INTERPRET IT. YES, I THINK WE SHOULD AT LEAST LEARN SOME MORE ABOUT WHAT I WAS PLANNING ON DOING. [01:40:06] YEAH, I THINK MY RECOMMENDATION IS MAYBE PROACTIVELY ASSIGN, YOU KNOW, LIKE, JUST SORT OF MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S AN OPEN COMMUNICATION AROUND, LIKE, AND MAYBE WE CAN DETERMINE THE IMPACT TO DO, YOU KNOW, LIKE, THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE THEY JUST MIGHT NOT KNOW WHAT DIRECTLY MIGHT IMPACT US AS THEY'RE DEVELOPING AS THEY'RE, AS THEY'RE GOING. SO DO YOU THINK TO YOUR POINT, THERE'S A COMMITMENT TO DOING SOMETHING, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THIS POINT. THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD I TO YOUR POINT, I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS OF WHERE THEY'RE GOING ON THIS, BUT WHAT I WOULD ADD IS THE HISTORICAL PIECE AND JIM'S GONE WITH ME AT TIMES TO SOME OF THESE MEETINGS IN PRIOR YEARS WHEN THEY'VE BEEN CONSIDERING DEVELOPMENTS UNDER THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION AND THE VILLAGE AND CURRENT ADMINISTRATION, THEY OFTEN HAVE INVITED US IN TO TO SAY, HEY, THIS IS THE DEVELOPMENT THAT WE'RE KIND OF THINKING ABOUT. VERY OFTEN THEY HAVE TO DO A DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY, A SCHOOL IMPACT STUDY, IN ADDITION TO ALL THE OTHER KINDS OF IMPACT STUDIES. AND THEY'LL OFTEN SHARE THAT WITH US AND WALK THROUGH IT. SO THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN HELPFUL AND COLLABORATIVE IN THE PAST. OFTEN. YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. LOOK, I MEAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE WHAT THEY'RE PLANNING ON DOING IS IS SLIGHTLY OPEN ENDED. WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT IT IS. SO I WOULD RATHER ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION AND, YOU KNOW, JUST PUT IT ON THE RECORD THAT WE WE LOOK FORWARD TO BEING, YOU KNOW, GIVEN INSIGHT INTO THEIR PLANS IN A WAY THAT'S CONSTRUCTIVE AS THEY UNFOLD. YEAH. YEAH. I KNOW WHEN I WAS ON THE PLANNING BOARD WE WORKED WITH THE DISTRICT TO GET INFORMATION ABOUT SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN. AND YOU KNOW, THE IMPACT ON THE SCHOOLS WAS DEFINITELY A HIGH PRIORITY IN THINKING ABOUT THESE PROJECTS. YEAH. DO WE HAVE EVERYTHING ON OUR DASHBOARD? IN WHAT SENSE? IN OUR POPULATION, LIKE. OH, LIKE IN TERMS OF THE POPULATION WITH THE BREAKDOWN OF THE STUDENTS, LIKE IF WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, 600 IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL OR I DON'T THINK WE HAVE IT BROKEN DOWN BY BUILDING. I MEAN, WE CERTAINLY COULD. I KNOW WHEN WHEN YOU GO TO ACTUALLY THE, THE, THE STATE DATA THE PUBLIC STATE DATA PAGE, IT'S GOT ALL THAT BROKEN DOWN DEMOGRAPHIC. LAST YEAR WE DID OR. MY GOD, IT FEELS LIKE AGES AGO WE DID THE DEMOGRAPHIC STUDIES. YEAH. SO THAT'S IN THE DASHBOARD IF THEY NEEDED THAT. THAT'S RIGHT. THE DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY IS THERE. RIGHT. SO SO THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. IF THEY NEED THAT IS EASILY ACCESSIBLE FOR THEM TO LOOK AND KIND OF GET THAT DATA AND KNOW. YEAH, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A GOOD INTERMUNICIPAL SHARING. SO IF THEY NEEDED THE DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY, THEY'D CALL JIM OR ME AND WE'D SEND IT TO HIM. SO THAT WAY THEY KNOW WHAT EVEN YOU THINK. THE STUDY IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS. AND WHEN THEY DO, JUST AS A SIDE COMMENT WHEN THEY DO DEVELOPMENTS, THE DEVELOPERS PAY FOR THESE SCHOOL SCHOOL AGE STUDENT STUDIES AND, AND THEY LOOK AT LIKE THEY GO TO INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS BUILT IN THE PAST AND FIND OUT FROM THE DISTRICT HOW MANY SCHOOL STUDENTS LIVE AT THOSE ADDRESSES. SO IT'S LIKE IT'S PRETTY DETAILED. AND WE DID A LOT OF ANALYSIS COMING OUT OF THAT. YEAH. AND I HAVE TO SAY FROM THE FROM THE DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN PLANNED AND THEN COME TO BE BECAUSE OF THAT SCRUTINY, ACTUALLY, THEY'VE BEEN PRETTY ACCURATE. WHERE THEY, THEY JUST TO YOUR POINT, THEY'LL, THEY'LL FIND OUT HOW MANY STUDENTS IN THEY USE A LOT OF COMPARABLE COMPARISONS. THERE'S CERTAIN FORMULAS THAT THEY'LL USE. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE CAN ARGUE THE MERIT OF THE DIFFERENT FORMULAS. I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON IT. I'M NOT GETTING INTO IT. BUT YEAH, YEAH. OKAY. RIGHT. BUT THAT THAT RESEARCH WAS REQUIRED AS PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT ANYWAYS, AND AT LEAST IN THE DEVELOPMENTS THAT WE WERE CONSULTED ON AND THAT HAVE ACTUALLY COME TO BE THE TARGETS WERE PRETTY ACCURATE. THAT'S GOOD. IF ANYTHING, THEY GENERALLY OVERESTIMATE HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE GOING TO END UP THERE. YEAH THAT'S CORRECT. COMPARED TO WHAT ACTUALLY TURNS OUT. LET'S KEEP THAT UP. OKAY. SO DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE OR DOCTOR CHAMP THE THE TRAFFIC STUDY? YEAH, SURE. I MEAN ALL OF THE VARIOUS JURISDICTIONS INVOLVED WITH THE GLOVER PEDESTRIAN ISSUE. SO BOTH VILLAGES, THE TOWN, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND MOUNT VERNON AND THE COUNTY ALL HAVE BEEN INVOLVED. BECAUSE OF COURSE, WE'RE CROSSING ALL THOSE BOUNDARIES, EXCEPT THE COUNTY COVERS. [01:45:03] ALL OF IT, I GUESS. BUT TO GET FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL TO GLOVER AND THEY WORKED WITH A STATE ORGANIZATION TO TO HAVE A REPORT DONE ON OPTIONS FOR IMPROVING THE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY FOR THAT TRIP. AND THEY HAD SORT OF A, YOU KNOW, LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH COST AND AND IMPACT OPTIONS. AND NOW WE'RE AT THE POINT OF SORT OF THE, THE JURISDICTIONS NEED TO START THINKING ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT TO DO AND HOW THEY'RE GOING TO GET FUNDING FOR IT IF THEY NEED IT, DEPENDING ON THE SCOPE OF WHAT THEY WANT TO DO. SO I REACHED OUT TO TO JACKIE AND DOCTOR CHAMP AND OFFERED UP TO, YOU KNOW, REACH OUT TO THE VILLAGE AND TRY AND WORK ON PUSHING THIS FORWARD. BECAUSE ALL THE CHANGES, I THINK ARE EITHER GOING TO BE IN THE VILLAGE OR IN IN MOUNT VERNON. SO THEY'RE PROBABLY GOING TO BE LEADING THE CHARGE OR NOT IN MAKING SOMETHING HAPPEN. SO I'M OFFERING TO DO THAT IF OTHER PEOPLE WANT TO. THEY'RE CERTAINLY WELCOME TO SO THAT WAS IT. YEAH I APPRECIATE IT. YEAH. AND I WOULD SAY THAT I THINK THERE'S SOME THEY HAD THE DIFFERENT THE DIFFERENT LEVELS. THE LEVEL ONE STUFF WAS VERY LOW HANGING FRUIT. IT WAS LITERALLY LIKE REPAINTING OF SIDEWALKS AND THINGS THAT SEEM VERY DOABLE. SO MY, MY HOPE IS THAT WE CAN. YEAH, MAYBE WE HAVE SUGGESTED AN ART CONTEST BY THE STUDENTS. THAT WOULD BE PRETTY COOL TO HAVE YOUR ARTWORK PAINTED ON THE. I THINK THE MOST COMPLICATED PIECES ARE PROBABLY GOING TO BE THE, THE CROSSWALKS IN MOUNT VERNON AND THE TRAFFIC LIGHT IN MOUNT VERNON GETTING IT. RE. YEAH. RE SET THE TIMING CHANGED WHEN THEY LOOKED AT LIKE THE LOW COST MEDIUM COSTS. I MEAN, DOES THIS LEVEL OF SAFETY MEASURE UP TO WHAT YOU GET TYPE OF THING. LIKE IS IT COMPARABLE LIKE THE LOW I THINK YEAH I THINK SOME OF THE BASICS IF I REMEMBER I DON'T REMEMBER ALL THE ORDERS, BUT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, BASIC PAINTING LIKE CHANGING SOME OF THE LOCATIONS OF CROSSWALKS. SO INSTEAD OF KIDS CROSSING TO TO THE BIGGEST ONE, THAT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE TO ME. INSTEAD OF STUDENTS CROSSING OVER TO THE LIBRARY AND THEN WALKING TO GLOVER WHERE THEY'RE WALKING ACROSS THE HUTCH, EXIT THE RAMPS, STAY ON THE OTHER SIDE, STAY ON THIS SIDE OF COLONIAL, AND THEN CROSS HERE. AND THEN, YEAH, THEN CROSS DOWN AT THE LIGHT, WHICH WOULD BE GETTING THE TIMING OF THE LIGHT AT GLOVER CHANGED. BUT YOU COULD HAVE SAFER PASSAGE THERE, BECAUSE IF IT'S A LIGHT AND YOU'RE NOT, IT AVOIDS CROSSING THE HUTCH. I THINK THAT WAS ABOUT LEVEL ONE. LEVEL TWO. YOU GOT MORE INTO SOME INCREASED MEDIANS AND SOME BARRIERS FENCING TO KEEP KIDS ON THE SIDEWALK FROM STEPPING INTO THE STREET. SO I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE SAFETY, HIGHER LEVEL OF SAFETY, HIGHER COST ON THOSE KIND OF ROAD IMPROVEMENTS. YEAH. OKAY. THE BIG ONE I THINK WAS THE, THE THE FIGURE EIGHT PEANUT INTERCHANGE THAT I DON'T THINK ANYBODY UNDERSTOOD. DOWN AT IN FRONT OF GLOVER. YEAH. LIKE A ROUNDABOUT, A PEANUT SHAPE. NOT JUST A CIRCLE. A DOUBLE LIKE A FIGURE EIGHT. YEAH. IT'S A PRETTY SMALL AREA. DOUBLE CIRCLE. SO. AND I THINK THEY DID EVEN IN LIKE A I KNOW. YEAH, THEY DID ADMIT THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WERE GOING TO I THINK GO TO THAT LEVEL A FURTHER TRAFFIC STUDIES WOULD BE NEEDED TO IF YOU REALLY DID ANYONE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BIGGER SIGNIFICANT COST OF ROAD. DID ANYONE DISCUSS LIKE A RED LIGHT CAMERA, LIKE THE INSTALLATION OF MAYBE CAMERAS? I KNOW THERE'S ONE RIGHT BEFORE YOU TURN INTO THE TARGET. THERE'S ONE THERE. YOU CAN SEE IT LIKE IT. JUST TRUST ME. THIS ONE THERE. SO. BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S NONE BEFORE THAT. BECAUSE I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYONE LIKE FLASH OR ANYONE BEING CAUGHT. SO THAT ALSO COULD BE A DETERRENT IF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, GET TICKETS GOING THERE. I KNOW IT STOPPED A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM AT FOUR CORNERS IN THE VILLAGE OF PELHAM MANOR. THERE'S ONE THERE. AND EVERY TIME I DRIVE BY SLOWLY AT 25, MY GPS TELLS ME RED LIGHT CAMERA. BUT BUT IT DOES LIKE IT, YOU KNOW, IT GIVES YOU THAT INCENTIVE TO KNOW. SO I'M ASSUMING IF THERE'S ONE THERE AS WELL. LIKE MAYBE THAT'S AN INCENTIVE FOR PEOPLE NOT TO RUN THAT RED LIGHT THAT THEY DO OFF THE HUTCH, BECAUSE THAT HAPPENS A LOT. PEOPLE JUST COME BARRELING OFF THE HUDSON OR TRYING TO GET INTO THE HUTCH, AND THEY RUN THROUGH THE THE LIGHTS. SO MAYBE THAT'S ANOTHER INCENTIVE FOR SOMEONE TO DISCUSS WITH THE WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HAVING THE STUDIES OFFSET THE COST OF THE UPGRADES. WHAT'S YOUR SENSE OF ALL THE TICKETS THAT THE. THAT'S RIGHT. THE TIMELINE. I KNOW YOU SAID IT'S NOT REALLY IN OUR CONTROL, BUT JUST A GENERAL LIKE A YEAH, I DON'T I DON'T REALLY KNOW. I HAVEN'T REACHED OUT TO THE VILLAGE. I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEIR PERSPECTIVE IS ON IT OR WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO DO. AND I'D BE HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOU ON THAT TOO. GREAT. GREAT. THANK YOU. YES, YES. THANK YOU. [01:50:06] YES. THANK YOU. THAT'S IT. THANKS. I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING YET. THANK YOU FOR VOLUNTEERING. THANKS IN ADVANCE. I THINK WHEN YOU SEE SIT OUT THERE WITH A PAINT ROLLER TO RECRUIT PEOPLE. TOTALLY. YOU REALLY HAVE TO THANK YOU, THOUGH. OKAY. OKAY. I'LL TAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. SO MOVED. SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. THANK YOU. GOOD NIGHT. THANK YOU ALL. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.