Apr 21, 2026 April 21, 2026 - Business Meeting

OKAY. GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO THE APRIL 21ST, 2026 MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.

[2.1 Call to Order]

[00:00:06]

NATALIE, WOULD YOU PLEASE REITERATE OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION MOTION?

[2.3 Reiteration of Executive Session Motions]

OKAY. THANK YOU. NATALIE. I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW KEY ITEMS FROM TONIGHT'S AGENDA.

[2.4 Opening Remarks]

WHEN WE REACH THAT ITEM, WE'LL BRIEFLY WE'LL BRIEFLY REVIEW THE BUDGET, AND THEN EACH BOARD MEMBER WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT BEFORE WE VOTE.

THIS IS AN IMPORTANT MOMENT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

IT'S WHEN THE SUPERINTENDENT'S BUDGET BECOMES THE BOARD'S BUDGET AND IS ULTIMATELY PRESENTED TO THE COMMUNITY TO VOTE IN MAY.

AS A REMINDER, THE BOARD'S GUIDANCE WAS CLEAR MAINTAIN THE DISTRICT'S ROBUST PROGRAMING THAT DELIVERS THE LEVEL OF EXCELLENCE THIS COMMUNITY EXPECTS.

WE ARE A TOP RANKED, HIGH PERFORMING SCHOOL DISTRICT.

OUR STUDENTS ARE MEETING AND EXCEEDING STANDARDS, AND THEY HAVE ACCESS TO A WIDE RANGE OF OPPORTUNITIES, INCLUDING AP COURSES, COLLEGE LEVEL COURSEWORK, PATHWAYS LIKE THE SEAL OF CIVIC READINESS, SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES RESEARCH, STRONG AND NUMEROUS ATHLETIC PROGRAMS AND EXTRACURRICULAR PROGRAMS. WE CONSISTENTLY DELIVER OUTCOMES AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT EXCEED WHAT WOULD TYPICALLY BE EXPECTED FOR A DISTRICT OF OUR SIZE AND RESOURCES.

WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE PERSONALIZED LEARNING THROUGH MTS SUPPORT AND INTERVENTIONS, AND MAINTAIN APPROPRIATE CLASS SIZES.

WE ALSO REMAIN FIRMLY COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS.

FINALLY, WE ASK THE DISTRICT TO DELIVER A TAX CAP COMPLIANT BUDGET IN A VERY IN A HIGHLY INFLATIONARY ENVIRONMENT WHERE COSTS ARE RISING MUCH FASTER THAN REVENUES. TO DO THAT, THE DISTRICT MADE DIFFICULT BUT THOUGHTFUL DECISIONS.

THEY DID NOT BACKFILL RETIREES, WHICH CONTINUES TO REDUCE HEADCOUNT.

THEY IDENTIFIED OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES, EFFICIENCIES.

THEY REDUCED SPENDING ON CONSULTANTS AND CERTAIN SOFTWARE LICENSES.

IN SHORT, THEY REDUCED COSTS WITHOUT REDUCING WHAT STUDENTS EXPERIENCE IN THE CLASSROOM.

I BELIEVE THESE STEPS REFLECT A CAREFUL AND RESPONSIBLE APPROACH.

THE DISTRICT IS OPERATING EFFICIENTLY, AND THESE DECISIONS WERE MADE THOUGHTFULLY.

I ALSO WANT TO ADDRESS ATHLETICS. THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS IN THIS BUDGET TO EXPAND ATHLETIC OFFERINGS, AND I RAISE THIS POINT AGAIN, BECAUSE WE'VE RECEIVED REQUESTS FOR NEW SPORTS AND INCREASED FUNDING FOR SPORTS.

DECISIONS AROUND ATHLETICS ARE BASED ON INTEREST, COST EQUITY AND PROGRAM SUSTAINABILITY.

EVEN WHEN PARENTS GRACIOUSLY OFFER TO FUND A PROGRAM, THERE ARE STILL REAL COSTS TO THE DISTRICT.

THOSE COSTS ARE OFTEN TIED TO STAFFING AND ADMINISTRATION, AND RIGHT NOW, THE DISTRICT DOES NOT HAVE CAPACITY TO EXPAND ITS ATHLETICS PROGRAM FURTHER. THAT SAID, DURING THIS TRANSITION THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH IN THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR LEADERSHIP, THE DISTRICT WILL ASK THAT THE INTERIM ATHLETIC DIRECTOR BRING FORWARD A PLAN TO BUILD ON WHAT HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS, DRIVEN BY MR. TOMBS IN OUR COMMUNITY, IN ACHIEVING RECORD LEVELS OF STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN ATHLETICS.

IF THE COMMUNITY CHOOSES TO EXPAND ATHLETICS IN THE FUTURE, IT MUST BE DONE THOUGHTFULLY, WITH INVESTMENT IN STAFFING AND WITH A CLEAR, SUSTAINABLE PLAN.

THIS WILL BE AN IMPORTANT PRIORITY IN THE COMING YEAR.

FROM A LONG TERM FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE, THIS BUDGET ALSO REDUCES THE DISTRICT'S RELIANCE ON FUND BALANCE.

WE'VE. WE'VE REMOVED THE INTEREST PAYMENT AND DEBT SERVICE APPROPRIATION TIED TO SHORT TERM BORROWING ASSOCIATED WITH THE BOND PROJECTS, SINCE THAT WILL FALL INTO THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE, AND WE'VE AVOIDED PROPOSING ONE TIME EXPENDITURES THAT WOULD DRAW ON RESERVES.

THIS IS INTENTIONAL. IT ENSURES WE MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT RESERVES FOR UNEXPECTED COSTS, BRINGS OUR USE OF FUND BALANCE MORE IN LINE WITH HISTORICAL NORMS, AND STRENGTHENS THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE BUDGET.

IT ALSO HELPS PROTECT OUR TRIPLE A BOND RATING, WHICH ALLOWS US TO SECURE THE MOST FAVORABLE LONG TERM BORROWING TERMS FOR THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. THERE ARE ALSO SOME TARGETED ADDITIONS IN THE BUDGET WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS EVENING AND WE DISCUSSED THEM, THE POTENTIAL FOR THEM LAST BUDGET MEETING. THE BUDGET RESTORES FUNDING FOR PELHAM TOGETHER,

[00:05:02]

THIS IS SOMETHING WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST. WHEN SPACE ALLOWS AND IT PROVIDES A MODEST REVENUE BENEFIT.

DOCTOR CHAMP CAN SPEAK MORE TO THAT PROCESS. WE ALSO HAD SO MOVING OFF THE BUDGET, WE ALSO HAD BOND STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING LAST WEEK.

LAST. LAST WEEK. LAST WEEK. YES. AS PART OF OUR COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL, UPDATES FROM THAT COMMITTEE ARE SHARED AT BOARD MEETINGS AND THEN SUMMARIZED IN OUR BOARD WRAP UP. THE KEY TAKEAWAY IS THAT ALL PROJECTS REMAIN ON SCHEDULE AND WITHIN ESTIMATED TIMELINES AND BUDGETS.

THE DISTRICT ALSO HELD A COMMUNITY MEETING REGARDING THE COLONIAL AND PROSPECT INFRASTRUCTURE WORK, WHICH WILL BEGIN THIS SUMMER AND HAS CONTINUED TO PRIORITIZE TRANSPARENCY AND COMMUNICATION.

THE MOST SIGNIFICANT OUTCOME FROM THE BOND STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING WAS THE CONSENSUS REACHED BY THE COMMITTEE TO PROCEED WITH TRADITIONAL, FULLY ON SITE, STICK BUILT CONSTRUCTION FOR THE SIWANOY ADDITION.

WE CAREFULLY EVALUATED THE HYBRID MODULAR OPTION WITH THE HOPES THAT IT WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO US TO HELP REDUCE DISRUPTION ON SITE. HOWEVER, IT WAS FOUND THAT IT WOULD LIKELY ADD AT LEAST $500,000 IN COSTS, POTENTIALLY MORE GIVEN THE RECENT PREVAILING WAGE LEGISLATION, AND WOULD CREATE SIGNIFICANT LOGISTICAL DISRUPTION IN TRANSPORTING THE BUILDING MODULES INTO THE SMALL RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE SIWANOY SCHOOL IS.

IN ADDITION, THE HEIGHT LIMITATION FOR TRANSPORT WOULD LIMIT FLEXIBILITY THAT MAY BE NEEDED TO ENSURE THE FLOORS CONNECT SMOOTHLY BETWEEN THE ADDITION AND THE MAIN BUILDING. FOR THOSE REASONS, THE COMMITTEE REACHED CONSENSUS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE TRADITIONAL THE TRADITIONAL BUILDING APPROACH.

WE ALSO HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY TEAM HERE WITH US THIS EVENING TO PRESENT AN OVERVIEW OF THE DISTRICT'S AI GUIDELINES.

I'M GLAD THE DISTRICT IS PREPARING, IS PREPARING OUR STUDENTS FOR A WORLD WHERE AI IS BECOMING AN INTEGRAL PART OF HOW WE LEARN, WORK AND COMMUNICATE. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE PROVIDE CLEAR AND THOUGHTFUL GUIDANCE.

THERE WAS AN EARLIER SESSION IN ALUMNI HALL JUST BEFORE THIS MEETING, AND I HOPE MANY WERE ABLE TO HELP.

MANY TURN OUT GOOD. FINALLY, I WANT TO ADDRESS THE SWATTING INCIDENT YESTERDAY AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUS.

WHILE IT WAS ULTIMATELY DETERMINED TO BE A HOAX, IT WAS TREATED AS A REAL EMERGENCY AS IT HAD TO BE.

THE SAFETY OF OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF IS ALWAYS TOP PRIORITY.

WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT SITUATIONS LIKE THIS ARE UNSETTLING FOR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES AND STAFF.

DOCTOR CHAMP WILL SPEAK TO HOW THE DISTRICT HANDLED THE SITUATION IN COORDINATION WITH OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, AS WELL AS THE SUPPORT THAT WAS MADE AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS AND STAFF AFTERWARDS.

WE ARE GRATEFUL TO OUR ENTIRE SCHOOL COMMUNITY AND TO OUR FIRST RESPONDERS FOR KEEPING OUR CHILDREN SAFE.

OKAY. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO TAKE 3.1 AND

[3. Approval of Minutes]

THIS IS FOR THE APPROVAL OF MARCH 25TH AND APRIL 8TH MEETING MINUTES.

ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON THOSE? ALL IN FAVOR.

AYE. AND OPPOSED. SO THOSE MINUTES ARE APPROVED.

DOCTOR. CHAMP. YEAH. THANKS JACKIE. THAT WAS VERY COMPREHENSIVE I APPRECIATE THAT.

[4.1 Superintendent's Report]

AND JUST A COUPLE MORE. SO YEAH, I DID WANT TO SPEAK TO THE SWATTING INCIDENT.

SO FIRST OFF, JUST WANT TO AGAIN THANK EVERYONE WHO DID EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE TRAINED TO DO.

FROM OUR TEACHERS TO OUR STUDENTS, OUR SECURITY STAFF, OUR CLERICAL STAFF.

AND OF COURSE, OUR LOCAL FIRST RESPONDERS WHO WERE JUST TREMENDOUS.

AND TOM DRAKE, WHO REALLY WAS OUR ON THE SPOT LIAISON THROUGH ALL TERRORISTS WHO THE TRAINING THAT EVEN HE AND ALEX HAD CONDUCTED WITH TERRORISTS REPRESENTATIVES HAD JUST CONDUCTED A INCIDENT COMMAND TRAINING WITH OUR ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM.

[00:10:04]

AND A LOT OF GREAT LESSONS LEARNED THERE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO VERY QUICKLY IMPLEMENT.

AND JUST WANT TO REALLY SAY KUDOS TO OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF WHO WERE IN A REALLY PUT IN A VERY DIFFICULT POSITION.

I THINK AS WE'VE ALL KIND OF REALIZED WITH WITH THE, WITH THE DRILLS, THE WAY THAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO RUN THEM NOW WE GIVE EVERYONE A HEADS UP WHEN IT'S A DRILL. SO WHEN YOU DON'T GET THE HEADS UP, IT SENDS A PRETTY STRONG MESSAGE.

SO JUST WONDERFUL JOB TO OUR STUDENTS WHO DID WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO AS HARD AS IT WAS.

AND THEY COOPERATED AND VERY PATIENT AND GOT THROUGH IT TOGETHER.

AND TO OUR TEACHERS AS WELL. THAT'S A LOT OF PRESSURE AND STRESS ON EVERYONE IN THOSE MOMENTS.

BUT THANKS TO THEM, WE'RE JUST REALLY THANKFUL TO HAVE GOTTEN THROUGH IT.

AND TO JACKIE'S POINT, FOR IT TO BE A HOAX IS PROBABLY AS HARD AS IT IS.

IT'S ONE OF THE BEST OUTCOMES BECAUSE WE NEVER THE FACT THAT IT WAS NEVER AN ACTUAL THREAT IS, I HOPE, SOMETHING WE CAN FIND SOME COMFORT IN.

WE TRAIN FOR THESE THINGS HOPING TO NEVER NEED IT, BUT WE DID.

AND FOLKS DID WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO TO GET THROUGH IT.

SO JUST A QUICK KIND OF RUN RUNDOWN. THE MIDDLE SCHOOL MAIN OFFICE DID RECEIVE A PHONE CALL, WHICH IS WHAT TRIGGERED IT. IT WAS A THREATENING CALL THAT WAS THREATENING IN NATURE, AND THE FRONT OFFICE STAFF DID EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO.

AND IT WAS VERY QUICKLY BUILDING WAS PUT INTO LOCKDOWN AND POLICE WERE CALLED.

THEY CAME PRETTY IMMEDIATELY AND WE WENT THROUGH THE DIFFERENT STAGES OF OUR DRILL OF OUR PROTOCOLS WITH CLEARING, CLEARING EACH OF THE CLASSROOMS ROOM BY ROOM.

ONCE WE GOT TO THE END. I, AS HOPEFULLY FOLKS KNOW IN THE COMMUNITY, ALEX WAS PUMPING OUT COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE BEGINNING AS REGULARLY AND PACING THOSE OUT SO THAT WE COULD KEEP ABREAST OF WHAT WAS GOING ON WHEN IT WAS GOING ON AND WHAT FACTS WERE ACTUALLY HAPPENING, SO THAT THAT INFORMATION COULD HOPEFULLY KEEP FOLKS IN THE LOOP AND JUST CONTINUE TO BUILD A SENSE OF CALM AND REASSURANCE THAT THE SITUATION WAS UNDER CONTROL.

ONCE WE KNEW THAT THE BUILDING HAD BEEN SWEPT AND THAT THERE WAS NO ON SITE THREAT VERIFIED BY THE POLICE, WE WERE ABLE TO SEND OUT MESSAGES TO THAT EFFECT AS WELL.

AND AFTER THAT, WE, THE POLICE, THEN WORK THROUGH WITH THE ADMINISTRATORS AGAIN TO OPEN DOORS AND TO BEGIN TO RELEASE CLASSES AND LET THEM KNOW THAT EVERYTHING'S FINE, NO THREATS. SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, I KNOW MISS SABIA AND DOCTOR THOMPSON HELD GRADE LEVEL ASSEMBLIES PRETTY MUCH RIGHT AWAY. YESTERDAY, MR. LLEWELLYN HELD ASSEMBLIES TODAY WITH EACH OF THE GRADE LEVELS.

REALLY IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO STUDENTS AND JUST TO REASSURE THEM OF THEIR SAFETY HELP PROCESS EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED, REMIND THEM OF THE SUPPORTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM, THEIR SCHOOL COUNSELORS, CLINICIANS, TRUSTED ADULTS. AND JUST TO GIVE STUDENTS A SPACE TO KNOW THAT IT'S NORMAL TO HAVE THOSE KINDS OF FEELINGS, BUT TO ALSO REMIND THEM HOW TO, HOW TO PROCESS THEM SO THAT WE CAN ALL CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD THROUGH WHAT'S A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION.

THEY ALSO HELD FACULTY MEETINGS IN BOTH SCHOOLS, THE SAME THING TO DEBRIEF WITH STAFF BECAUSE IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR STAFF AS WELL.

REMIND THEM OF SUPPORTS, REMIND THEM OF ANY PROTOCOLS, LESSONS LEARNED, THINGS THAT WE CAN DO BETTER.

SO EACH TIME WE GO THROUGH THIS, THAT IT'S NOT ONLY A DIFFICULT SITUATION THAT WE GET THROUGH, BUT WE ALSO LEARN FROM IT. AND THAT'S PART OF THE PROCESSING.

AND THEN TODAY, WE ALSO HELD A DEBRIEF THIS MORNING WITH SAFETY TEAMS, LOCAL PD FOLKS THAT WERE INVOLVED IN SAFETY COMMITTEES.

AND THROUGH THAT IS THE LESSONS LEARNED. SO A FULL DEBRIEF OF WHAT HAPPENED. HOW DID THE TIMING GO? HOW DID THE COMMUNICATION GO? WHAT WORKED WELL? WHAT WERE MAYBE SOME THINGS THAT WERE UNIQUE TO THIS SITUATION THAT CAUSED US TO, YOU KNOW, DO SOME THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY LESSONS LEARNED AND THINGS, EXCUSE ME, THAT WE, THAT WE CAN CONVEY TO CONTINUE TO PUT THOSE LESSONS INTO PRACTICE.

I AM INCREDIBLY THANKFUL TO CONTINUE OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH ALTIRIS.

THAT IN THIS CASE SERVED TO BE VERY PROACTIVELY HELPFUL.

BECAUSE YOU MAY HAVE SEEN IN THE NEWS, EDGEMONT SCHOOL DISTRICT WAS DEALING WITH SWATTING INCIDENTS RECENTLY AND WE'VE BEEN GIVEN A HEADS UP ON THEIR EXPERIENCE, THEIR LESSONS LEARNED, HOW THEY HANDLED THINGS HOW THE FIRST TIME, HOW THEY HANDLED THINGS THE SECOND TIME, BECAUSE IT UNFORTUNATELY IS SOMETHING THAT'S HITTING OUR AREA A LOT MORE OFTEN HITTING SCHOOLS.

AND OFTEN THESE BECOME REPEATED SITUATIONS, WHICH JUST ADDS TO THE STRESS AND ANXIETY.

BUT HAVING NOW INDICATORS TO LOOK FOR, WE KIND OF THOUGHT IT WAS A SWATTING INCIDENT FROM THE BEGINNING BECAUSE ALTIRIS HAD SHARED THAT INFORMATION WITH US A COUPLE WEEKS BACK, AND JIM ACTUALLY SHARED THAT OUT IN OUR STAFF NEWSLETTER JUST BEGINNING OF THE MONTH.

SO THE INFORMATION WAS FRESH ON PEOPLE'S MINDS.

AND SO FOR US, WE KIND OF THOUGHT WE HEARD WHAT WAS GOING ON, SAW WHAT WAS GOING ON.

[00:15:02]

SO SO THAT WAS HELPFUL TO US THEN TO EVEN AS WE DEBRIEF TO KNOW YOU KNOW, THAT THAT WHAT WAS, WHAT WE WERE EXPERIENCING, WE WERE NOT THE FIRST. AND IT ALSO GIVES US INSIGHTS INTO HOW WE MAY HANDLE THAT SHOULD IT HAPPEN AGAIN.

SO JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THAT PARTNERSHIP AND THE EXPERTISE THAT COMES FROM ALTIRIS.

AND TOM WAS JUST A PHENOMENAL LIAISON YESTERDAY YOU KNOW, BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, ON THE WALKIE TALKIES CHANNEL.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT AN EMERGENCY CHANNEL WITH POLICE. WE'VE GOT THE LOCAL CHANNEL TO COORDINATE THE SCHOOLS. YOU KNOW, WE'RE ABLE TO SEAMLESSLY COMMUNICATE REGARDLESS OF WHERE WE WERE, SO THAT WE COULD WORK TOGETHER AND BRING IT TO CLOSURE.

AND TOM WAS REALLY THAT CRITICAL LINK IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.

SO THANKS TO HIM. SO MOVING OFF FROM THAT TO A MAYBE STILL A LOT OF OPINIONS ON THIS, BUT CERTAINLY A MUCH LOWER LEVEL OF CONCERN.

SIGNS AT SIWANOY WE DID JUST TO PUT OUT THERE, WE PUT SOME CLARIFICATION OUT AS I KNOW THE BOARD IS AWARE.

SO WE WERE CONTACTED SOME FOLKS SHARED THAT THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ON FACEBOOK.

WE WERE ALSO CONTACTED BY THE VILLAGE OF PELHAM MANOR VILLAGE ADMINISTRATOR AND PD.

JUST SOME CONCERNS ABOUT CLARIFICATION ON SIGNAGE.

IT WOULD HAPPEN TO BE AT SIWANOY. SAME SIGNS ARE ALSO AT HUTCHINSON, LONG AND SHORT.

WE HAVE THE NEWER PLAYGROUNDS, HAVE SOME SIGNAGE THERE THAT'S GOT SOME RULES ON IT.

AND THOSE SIGNS HAVE BEEN THERE FOR. WE FIGURE ANYWHERE BETWEEN 2 TO 10 YEARS IS OUR BEST GUESS.

THEY'VE BEEN THERE FOR A REALLY LONG TIME, AND THERE WAS APPARENTLY A SITUATION WITH SOME OLDER KIDS ON THE PLAYGROUND, YOUNGER KIDS ON THE PLAYGROUND. PARENTS SAW THE SIGN AND, YOU KNOW, SPOKE TO THE OLDER STUDENTS, EVENTUALLY WOUND UP CALLING THE POLICE TO OBTAIN SOME ENFORCEMENT.

BECAUSE THE SIGNS DO SAY THAT NO BICYCLES ARE ALLOWED ON THE ON THE PLAYGROUND.

IN LOOKING AT IT, THE CLARIFICATION THERE IS THOSE SIGNS ARE IN REFERENCE TO THE PLAY SETS, NOT THE ENTIRETY OF THE PLAYGROUND. SO OUR RULES DID NOT CHANGE.

BICYCLES ARE STILL ALLOWED ON THE PLAYGROUNDS.

THEY'RE JUST NOT ON ALLOWED ON THE RUBBERIZED SURFACE AROUND THE PLAY SETS.

SO WE'VE GOT SAFETY COMMITTEE ON FRIDAY. I'M SURE THEY GOT A BIG AGENDA.

AFTER THIS WEEK. THEY WILL BE LOOKING AT THAT TO DECIDE WHETHER.

DO WE CHANGE? DO WE YOU KNOW, JUST PUT A CORRECTION CLARIFICATION ON THE SIGNS.

TAKE THE SIGNS DOWN, PUT REPLACEMENTS UP. WE'LL GET THOSE STRAIGHT.

BUT WE CERTAINLY HAVE CLARIFIED THAT WITH PELHAM MANOR THAT OUR YOU KNOW, THE SIGNS ARE SPECIFIC TO THE PLAY SETS THE PRINCIPALS OF THE RESPECTIVE BUILDINGS.

SEND A NOTE OUT TO THEIR PARENTS, TOO. WE DON'T WANT CONFUSION OUT THERE, BUT WE ALSO DON'T WANT FOLKS TO THINK THAT WE'RE BANNING BICYCLES, BECAUSE THAT IS ACTUALLY BEEN A LARGE PART OF THE DESIGN CONVERSATION AT THE SIWANOY SITE PLAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE, TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A STILL OPEN SPACE THERE, BLACKTOP FOR KIDS TO LEARN HOW TO RIDE THEIR BIKES.

SO ALSO ANOTHER FOLLOW UP ITEM. JUST SEVERAL PARENTS HAVE REACHED OUT TO US AND THIS IS PART OF THE ANNUAL PROCESS AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL.

EACH YEAR WE LOOK AT SECTIONS AS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT WITH THE BUDGET. AND AS JACKIE ALREADY MENTIONED, WE'RE NOT REPLACING A COUPLE RETIREMENTS. AND WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY WITHIN THE BOARD GUIDELINES TO COLLAPSE SOME GRADE LEVELS IN SOME BUILDINGS FROM THREE SECTIONS DOWN TO TWO.

SO THAT WE STAY WITHIN OUR BUDGET CONSTRAINTS AND STAY WITHIN BOARD GUIDELINES AND STILL HAVE APPROPRIATE CLASS SIZES.

THAT IS AN ONGOING PROCESS. SO TONIGHT WE WILL BE SETTING THE BUDGET.

BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT'S THE END OF THE STORY. ON LOOKING AT THOSE SECTIONS.

EVERY YEAR AS WE GO THROUGH THIS BECAUSE OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL SETTING, WE'RE ALWAYS WATCHING, MONITORING THE ENROLLMENTS AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL.

LITERALLY, I WANT MONITOR THEM ON A WEEKLY BASIS AS STUDENTS MOVE IN AND OUT BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR AND OVER THE SUMMER, THAT ABSOLUTELY CAN CHANGE ENROLLMENTS AGAIN AS THEY'RE WITHIN THE BOARD GUIDELINES.

WE ALSO DO LOOK AT THE MAKEUP OF CLASSES. WE TRY TO KEEP OUR YOUNGER GRADES SMALLER SO THAT WE GET THE STRONGER FOUNDATION.

THE CLASSES GENERALLY DO SEE LARGER SIZES AS THE CHILDREN GET OLDER, AND THAT HELPS AS WELL FOR THEM TO GET USED TO A LARGER CLASS SIZE AS THEY TRANSITION TO SECONDARY. SO IT'S A MOVING TARGET. WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT IT.

I'LL CONTINUE TO KEEP THE BOARD AWARE OF THAT.

AS OF RIGHT NOW WE ARE YOU KNOW, WE'RE STAYING WITH WHAT'S PROPOSED WITHIN THE BUDGET.

AND AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN THE PAST, WE DO HAVE TWO CONTINGENCY BUDGETS. SHOULD WE HAVE SITUATIONS WHERE WE FEEL IT WARRANTS TO TO ADD ANOTHER SECTION? SO I THINK WE'VE GOT ABOUT 3 OR 4 CLASS GRADE LEVELS AROUND THE DISTRICT AT DIFFERENT BUILDINGS THAT ARE AT THAT CUSP.

WE'VE HAD ADVOCACY AROUND ONE IN PARTICULAR, BUT THAT'S BY NO MEANS THE ONLY SITUATION.

SO AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE WATCHING ALL OF THESE AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT THROUGH THE NEXT MONTHS.

AND ONE OTHER FINAL PIECE TO THAT. DOCTOR FITZGERALD'S OFFICE DOES WORK ON BRINGING IN STUDENT TEACHERS, OBSERVERS, SOME DIFFERENT FOLKS. AND THEY OFTEN ARE WE ARE USEFUL PERSON.

[00:20:05]

SO IT'S AN EXTRA SET OF HANDS TO HELP MAKE SURE THAT STUDENTS GET THE LEVEL OF ATTENTION THAT THEY NEED WITHIN THE CLASS.

TWO MORE ITEMS ON THE. NOPE, I MISSED ONE HERE.

THE PELHAM MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL SEARCH. NOW THAT WE HAVE CLOSED OUT THE SIWANOY, WE'VE BEEN FOCUSING OUR ATTENTION ON SUCCESSION PLANNING FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL.

MY HOPE IS TO COME TO THE BOARD WITH A RECOMMENDATION AT OUR NEXT MEETING FOR FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL.

SO WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT LEADING UP TO NEXT TIME.

AND THEN TWO STUDENT AWARDS. AND I HOPE I'M NOT STEPPING ON EMERSON'S TOES WITH ANY OF THESE THINGS.

I'M HOPING THESE ARE THINGS THAT MAYBE IN ADDITION TO YOUR REPORT, BUT WE WERE VERY HAPPY TO GET THE NEWS THIS MONDAY THAT OUR.

FORENSIC SPEECH TEAM COMPETED AT THE NEW YORK STATE SPEECH DEBATE CHAMPIONSHIPS THAT WERE HELD AT BRONX HIGH SCHOOL OF SCIENCE.

SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THE QUALIFIERS. SIERRA LYNCH IN ORIGINAL ORATORY, THOMAS ALVES, AARON BOURNE, AND EMMETT CHO IN JUNIOR VARSITY. EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING.

AND FINN MULLEN AND THOMAS SPADAFORE AND CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE.

AND SPECIAL CONGRATULATIONS GO TO AARON BOREN FOR ADVANCING TO THE QUARTERFINALS AND THOMAS SPADAFORE FOR ADVANCING TO SEMIFINALS.

SO FANTASTIC JOB THERE. AND FROM MR.. AND I HAVE TO SAY, I FORGOT TO MENTION AT THE BEGINNING, I THINK MOST OF US GOT TO THE THE SCHOOL PLAY THIS PAST WEEK, THE MUSICAL PIPPIN.

AND THAT WAS THREE TIMES. SO YES. CONGRATULATIONS.

THEY'RE PHENOMENAL. AS ALWAYS, I'M ALWAYS IMPRESSED.

THE SINGING OF THE LEAD NARRATOR IN THE SHOW.

KUDOS TO MISS BONANNO. AND ALL THE CAST. IT'S JUST A FANTASTIC JOB, AS ALWAYS, TO THE DIRECTORS.

AT THE SAME TIME, I ALSO RECEIVED AN EMAIL LAST WEEK FROM MR. SCHLEIFER AND MR. BECK WITH WE'RE STATING WE'RE PROUD TO REPORT THAT THE FALL PRODUCTION, THE IMAGINARY INVALID WAS HONORED WITH TEN EASTERN STUDENT ARTS GUILD AWARDS. IT WAS FROM A FIELD OF 32 PARTICIPATING SCHOOL PRODUCTIONS RANGING THROUGHOUT NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY, SO THE AWARD CEREMONY CEREMONY WILL BE HELD. ACTUALLY, WE JUST HELD YESTERDAY IN TARRYTOWN, THE TARRYTOWN MUSIC HALL. BUT JUST SO EVERYONE KNOWS, JUST A WONDERFUL LIST HERE.

WE'VE GOT BEST PERFORMANCE BY A STUDENT IN A COMEDY, EDWARD PUCHALA AS ARGON WITH GOLD RECOGNITION.

SAMANTHA BONANNO. BEST PERFORMANCE BY A STUDENT IN A COMEDY AS TOINETTE.

THAT WAS GOLD WITH RECOGNITION FOR SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE BY A STUDENT IN A COMEDY.

QUENTIN MEYER AS DOCTOR BERGEN RECEIVING GOLD LEVEL SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE BY A STUDENT IN A COMEDY.

LUCY RING AS LOUIS SONG, A SILVER LEVEL ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY.

THE FULL CAST GOLD LEVEL COMEDY PRODUCTION, FULL CAST GOLD WITH RECOGNITION.

CLASSIC PRODUCTION. THE WHOLE CAST AND CREW THOSE THE COMEDY PRODUCTION AND CLASSICAL PRODUCTION WERE CAST AND CREW.

I WANT TO MAKE SURE THE CREW GETS RECOGNIZED. THEIR GOLD WITH DISTINCTION, WITH RECOGNITION FOR SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE BY A STUDENT IN A COMEDY THAT WAS WILL WILL ROSSELLO AS THOMAS DIAPHORESIS SILVER LEVEL SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE BY A STUDENT IN A COMEDY, TIA SENERCHIA AS ANGELIQUE GOLD LEVEL AND SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE BY A STUDENT IN A COMEDY WENT TO RYAN FELDMAN AS CLIENT.

AND THAT WAS IT. THAT'S A HUGE LIST. THAT'S IT.

SO I JUST CONTINUE TO BE SO PROUD OF OUR OUR SOCK AND BUSKIN PROGRAM.

THEY JUST DO AN AMAZING JOB. KUDOS TO THEM. I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY HAVE THE SAME HOURS IN THE DAY BECAUSE MR., SHLEIFER AND BECK WERE ALSO THE FORENSICS PEOPLE, SO THEY HAVE SOMEHOW CLONED THEMSELVES FROM I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, BUT THEY DO IT. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM. THANKS FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK. AND THAT ENDS MY REPORT FOR THIS EVENING.

THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE EMERSON IN OUR STUDENT BOARD REPORT.

[4.2 Ex Officio Student Report]

BUT YEAH, FIRST OFF, REGARDING THE LOCKDOWN THE OTHER DAY, I THOUGHT THAT WAS A GREAT REPRESENTATION OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND HOW WE COME TOGETHER AND SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BECAUSE AT FIRST, I KNOW MANY IN MY CLASS, AT LEAST A LOT OF STUDENTS WERE VERY NERVOUS AT FIRST.

AND THERE'S A FEW THAT USUALLY GET EMAILS FROM THE GUIDANCE COUNSELOR AHEAD OF TIME LIKE ME, LIKE LETTING YOU KNOW THIS HAPPENED. SO THERE'S A FEW PEOPLE WITH A LOT OF ANXIETY REGARDING IT, BUT JUST SEEING HOW THE TEACHER WAS ABLE TO HANDLE IT AND LIKE CALM US ALL DOWN.

AND THEN EVEN WATCHING THE STUDENTS COME TOGETHER TO HELP CALM EACH OTHER DOWN, LIKE EVERYONE WAS WHISPERING, IT'S OKAY, YOU'RE OKAY. DO NOT WORRY.

[00:25:03]

WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE FIRST GRADE, SO THERE'S ONLY BEEN ONE OTHER TIME I WAS IN A LOCKDOWN, WHICH WAS NOT A THAT WAS AT PROSPECT, BUT THAT WAS A WHILE AGO.

AND JUST SEEING HOW THE PROTOCOL REALLY WORKS, I THINK, AND IT JUST IS A GREAT SYSTEM THAT WE'VE SET UP.

AND THEN ALSO JUST HOW INTERCONNECTED WE ARE.

IT WAS GREAT TO SEE, AND I THINK THAT IS HANDLED VERY WELL.

AND THEN NEXT UP THIS FRIDAY IS JUNIOR PROM. AND IT'S GOING TO BE VERY EXCITING BECAUSE WE I MEAN, NOT TO BRAG OR ANYTHING, BUT I THINK MY CLASS HAS I MEAN, I THINK MY CLASS HAS SOME OF THE BEST ADVISORS THAT WE'VE SEEN.

IT'S KIND OF THE DREAM TEAM. IT'S FOUR OF THE MOST WELL KNOWN AND FUN SCIENCE TEACHERS IN OUR SCHOOL.

AND BELL TACOS IS PROBABLY THE HEAD OF THAT. AND HE HAS MANY, MANY GREAT IDEAS.

HE RUNS A SCIENCE RESEARCH PROGRAM, AND HE'S ALWAYS COMING UP WITH IDEAS FOR THAT.

SO THIS PROM IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT OUR DISTRICT HAS NEVER SEEN BEFORE.

I WANT TO SAY, WOW. FIRST OFF, WE CHANGED IT BY MOVING THE PROM TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.

SO IT'S GOING TO BE A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE THAN BECAUSE USUALLY IT'S IN THE HIGH SCHOOL. SO IT'S GOING TO BE WE HAD SO MANY IDEAS FOR THIS, BUT IT'S WE'RE KIND OF BECAUSE WE WON OLYMPICS.

SO WE'RE KIND OF STICKING WITH THE THEME OF JUNIOR CLASS CARNIVAL. AND THERE'S GOING TO BE CARNIVAL GAMES THERE, PRIZES TO WIN ANIMAL CRACKER COOKIES. WALTER.

HOT DOG TRUCK, ICE CREAM BAR WITH A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT ICE CREAM A LOT OF DANCING.

AND IT'S NOT GOING TO BE LIKE A SIT DOWN TABLE. IT'S GOING TO BE LIKE BAR TABLES BECAUSE THEN WE HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF FOOD. SO MANY DIFFERENT PRIZES THAT WE ORDERED TODAY. GLOW STICK. IT'S, IT'S GOING TO BE INSANE.

SO YEAH, WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE THAT. DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE WILL BE ABLE TO TOP US NECESSARILY, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY FUN TIME AND I AM VERY EXCITED TO SEE HOW THAT'S GOING TO GO.

AND ALSO THIS LAST SATURDAY WAS SENIOR NIGHT FOR GIRLS LACROSSE AND IN GENERAL, FOR MOST VARSITY SPORTS, THERE ARE FOR EVERY VARSITY SPORT, THERE'S A SENIOR NIGHT. AND THAT'S WHERE YOU CELEBRATE ALL THE SENIORS ON THE TEAM AND UNDERCLASSMEN OR FRESHMEN THROUGH JUNIORS.

THEY GET TOGETHER TO MAKE POSTERS FOR THE EACH SENIOR AND THEY ALL GET THEIR OWN BOARD WITH THEIR NAME AND A LOT OF PHOTOS ON IT.

AND IT'S JUST A REALLY JOYOUS TIME. AND THAT IS A VERY FUN, LIKE, VERY SAD FOR THE SENIORS.

THEY MOST OF THEM END UP IN TEARS USUALLY BECAUSE IT'S JUST LIKE REMINDING THEM THAT IT IS COMING TO AN END.

BUT IT'S ALSO VERY FUN BECAUSE IT BRINGS EVERYONE TOGETHER. AND THEN RIGHT NOW WITH APS COMING UP, A LOT OF TEACHERS ARE DOING PRACTICE AP TESTS.

LIKE I WAS HERE TILL 630 DOING A PHYSICS AP TEST TODAY, BUT IT REALLY MAKES OUR SCHOOL STAND OUT FROM OTHERS BECAUSE IT SHOWS THE DEDICATION OUR TEACHERS HAVE REALLY, TO ENSURING THAT WE'RE SUCCESSFUL AS NOT ONLY A CLASS, BUT JUST INDIVIDUALLY, JUST HOW THEY WORK WITH EACH OF US. AND LIKE MY PHYSICS TEACHER, HE HAD, HE HAS A DAUGHTER AT HOME THAT HE LOVES.

HE ALWAYS TALKS ABOUT HER, BUT HE SPENT TWO NIGHTS HERE YESTERDAY AND TODAY JUST STAYING WITH US AND DOING THESE PHYSICS TESTS, WHICH IS AMAZING BECAUSE IT REALLY HELPS US AS A CLASS, LIKE UNDERSTAND THE CONTENT BETTER, BUT IT JUST HELPS US PREPARE AND SHOWS THE DEDICATION THAT ALL TEACHERS HAVE.

AND THEN THIS LAST MONDAY, SENIOR ASSASSINS STARTED FOR THE SENIORS.

SO THIS IS A WHICH IS NOT A SCHOOL EVENT. IT'S NOT A SCHOOL EVENT NOT ENDORSED BY THE SCHOOL.

ME BE CLEAR. BUT THAT'S A FUN EVENT FOR SENIORS.

ALSO, NOTHING HAPPENS ON SCHOOL GROUNDS. NOTHING.

IT'S COMPLETELY OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL, BUT THAT'S VERY FUN FOR THEM AND KIND OF MARKS THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR A LITTLE BIT FOR THEM ALSO.

AND THEN ALSO SCHOOL WIDE, SCHOOL WIDE GOVERNMENT APPLICATIONS HAPPEN THIS WEEK.

SO WHOEVER THAT'S OPEN FOR ALL GRADES, FRESHMEN OR NOT ALL GRADES, BUT FRESHMEN THROUGH JUNIOR YEAR.

SO THEY CAN APPLY TO BE ON THE SCHOOL WIDE STUDENT GOVERNMENT IF IN CASE THEY DIDN'T GET ON THEIR GRADE WIDE GOVERNMENT, WHICH ALSO THOSE CAME OUT LAST FRIDAY FOR WHO GOT ELECTED FOR THOSE.

BUT YEAH, THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW. THAT IS A LOT.

THAT'S A LOT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THAT'S A GREAT UPDATE.

YEAH. IT'S GOING TO BE BIG. OKAY. THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE THE AI

[4.3 A.I. Guidelines Presentation]

WELL MR. SEBALOS AND MISS DELMASTRO COMING UP.

JUST WANT TO START BY THANKING THEM FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.

THEY WERE HERE ACTUALLY EARLIER THIS EVENING AT 6:00 IN ALUMNI HALL DOING A PARENT SESSION.

AS THE BOARD KNOWS, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO SET UP A SERIES OF PARENT EDUCATION SESSIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL.

THIS ONE WAS TECHNICALLY K-12, BUT WE HAD A GREAT TURNOUT FROM PARENTS, ESPECIALLY ELEMENTARY LEVEL.

AS THE EVOLVING TECHNOLOGIES IN THE WORLD CERTAINLY ARE SOMETHING WE'RE ALL STAYING ABREAST OF.

AND AI IS ONE THAT IS MOVING FASTER THAN ANY OF US CAN KEEP UP WITH.

[00:30:02]

WE'VE BEEN TAKING, I THINK, A MODERATE, THOUGHTFUL APPROACH UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF THIS DYNAMIC DUO THAT WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM TONIGHT.

WORKING WITH DOCTOR COMERFORD. TO REALLY THINK, BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT HOW SHOULD WE AS EDUCATORS APPROACH THIS? HOW DO WE EQUIP OUR STUDENTS TO LIVE IN A WORLD OF AI AND BE PREPARED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THAT WORLD? AND THEN HOW DO WE WORK? WHAT KIND OF EXPECTATIONS DO WE SET AROUND THAT FOR STUDENTS? AND ALSO HOW DO WE EQUIP OUR STAFF? BECAUSE TEACHERS ARE IN A VERY CRITICAL POSITION AS WE DEAL WITH THIS.

AND YOU KNOW, WHAT SHOULD THEY DO? WHAT SHOULD THEY NOT DO? HOW DO WE APPROACH THIS FROM AN EDUCATIONAL PERSPECTIVE? AND A HEALTHY PERSPECTIVE.

SO JUST KUDOS TO THEM, THE AI USER GROUP THAT THEY'VE SET UP AND BEEN WORKING WITH FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

SO WE'RE REALLY PLEASED TO HAVE THEM WITH US TONIGHT JUST TO PROVIDE KIND OF SIMILAR PRESENTATION TO WHAT THEY DID WITH PARENTS.

BUT A KIND OF A BRIEF UPDATE FOR THE BOARD SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND ALL THE WORK THAT'S GONE INTO IT.

OUR APPROACH, THE GUIDELINES THAT HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF THAT WERE ROLLED OUT AT OUR RECENT SUPERINTENDENT'S CONFERENCE DAY.

SO WITHOUT ANY FURTHER ADO, I'M GOING TO LET YOU HEAR FROM THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE MUCH MORE INTERESTING THAN ME ON THIS TOPIC. SO THANK YOU, MR. SEBALOS AND MISS DELMASTRO.

ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU TO DOCTOR CHAMP, THE ADMINISTRATION, THE BOARD OF ED FOR HAVING US THIS EVENING. I'M JOHN SEBALOS, DIRECTOR OF TECH.

I'M JOINED WITH ALICIA DELMASTRO, OUR K THROUGH 12 INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST.

AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO SHOW THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING OVER THE LAST FOUR.

IT'S ACTUALLY FOUR YEARS, BUT THE WORK OF OUR AI USER GROUP SPECIFICALLY, WHICH WAS A LOT OF TEACHERS K THROUGH 12 TO CREATE GUIDELINES THAT ARE GOING TO HELP SHAPE THE FRAMEWORK OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO WITH AI. I KNOW THERE WERE SOME MEMBERS OF BOTH THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE BOARD OF ED WHO WERE AT THE PARENT WORKSHOP EARLIER, SO THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING. I APOLOGIZE IF THIS IS A LITTLE REDUNDANT.

WE'LL TRY TO KEEP IT UP HERE. BUT FOR TONIGHT, WE JUST WANT TO TALK REALLY BRIEFLY ABOUT THE MISSION AND STRATEGIC PLAN AND OUR INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY GOALS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HELPS DRIVE THE WORK OF WHAT WE'RE DOING IN AI AND HOW THAT CAN HELP SUPPORT OUR MISSION.

IN PELHAM, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE SOME GENERAL RESOURCES AND SOME RESEARCH FOR THE BOARD THAT THEY CAN ACCESS, AND THEN WE'LL ALLOW A LITTLE BIT OF Q&A AT THE END.

SO AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD IS ALREADY AWARE OF OUR MISSION, WHICH IS INSPIRING STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE FOR ALL STUDENTS.

AND THAT'S SUPPORTED WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.

AND WHAT WE DO IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN IS FOLLOWED BY THESE THREE PILLARS, PERSONAL GROWTH AND ACHIEVEMENT, BELONGING AND WELLNESS AND FACILITIES AND SUSTAINABLE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS.

WHILE WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT HELPS ANCHOR THE WORK AND OUR MISSION, WE DO HAVE NEW INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY GOALS THAT HELP SUPPORT THE STRATEGIC PLAN TO CARRY OUT THE MISSION OF OUR DISTRICT.

SO ONE OF THE FIRST GOALS, AND THIS IS NEW AS WE GO INTO THE NEXT THREE YEAR CYCLE, IS CREATING AI LITERACY AND DIGITAL FLUENCY FOR OUR DISTRICT.

WE'RE GOING TO LOOK TO INTEGRATE AI LITERACY AND ADVANCED SKILLS AND INTERWEAVE THAT WITHIN OUR K THROUGH 12 CURRICULUM, ENSURING FULL ALIGNMENT WITH THE NEW YORK STATE COMPUTER SCIENCE AND DIGITAL FLUENCY STANDARDS.

THE LAST TIME I SPOKE UP HERE ABOUT COMPUTER SCIENCE AND DIGITAL FLUENCY STANDARDS, THERE WAS NOT A LOT AROUND AI.

AND THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF WORK IN THIS SPACE.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ALICIA AND I WILL BE DOING THIS SUMMER WITH THE WORK OF SOME OF OUR COLLEAGUES AND ADMINISTRATORS, IS WHAT CAN WE DO TO INTEGRATE AI LITERACY WITHIN OUR COMPUTER SCIENCE AND DIGITAL FLUENCY STANDARDS? AND WE, WE KNOW THAT THIS WILL HELP SUPPORT OUR PRIORITY OF PERSONAL GROWTH AND ACHIEVEMENT BY PROVIDING RIGOROUS AND RELEVANT ENVIRONMENTS THAT FOSTER CRITICAL THINKING AND FLEXIBLE PROBLEM SOLVING. TO GO ALONG WITH THAT, OUR SECOND GOAL IS CREATING A ROBUST AND FUTURE READY INFRASTRUCTURE.

AND WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT THE DEVICES AND THE WIRELESS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BEING FUTURE READY.

I KNOW MANY OF YOU ARE ON THE ARE AWARE OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH THE BOND STEERING COMMITTEE.

LOOKING AT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. SO LOOKING AT NEWER CLOCKS, YOU KNOW, IP BASED TECHNOLOGY, FUTURE, FUTURE READY WHEN YOU LOOK AT HUTCHINSON, LIKE BRINGING THOSE KINDS OF ENVIRONMENTS INTO WHAT A FUTURE READY INFRASTRUCTURE CAN LOOK LIKE. AND WE KNOW THAT WILL HELP WITH OUR FACILITIES AND SUSTAINED ENVIRONMENTS AS WELL.

AND THE LAST ONE, AND THIS IS REALLY A DRIVING PIECE FOR THE WORK THAT I DO EVERY DAY, IS THE DIRECTOR OF TECH HERE AT PELHAM IS MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, MAINTAINING A SAFE AND COMPREHENSIVE DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL USERS WITH DATA PRIVACY AND REALLY STRICT ADHERENCE TO NEW YORK STATE AT LAW TODAY.

WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS REALLY A REALLY BIG ANCHOR FOR WHAT WE DO AND OUR WORK EVERY DAY.

AND NONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO REALLY WORK WITHOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY'S DATA IS SAFE.

SO THE REASON WHY WE'RE HERE TONIGHT IS TO DISCUSS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

I'M GOING TO TURN THIS OVER TO ALICIA, AND SHE'S GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT IS AI AND THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.

[00:35:01]

IN SUMMARY, IT INCLUDES LEARNING FROM DATA, PATTERN RECOGNITION, AND UNDERSTANDING LANGUAGE, AND IT IMPROVES THROUGH EXPOSURE TO EXAMPLES RATHER THAN EXPLICIT INSTRUCTIONS.

AND IT'S DIFFERENT FROM TYPICAL AND TRADITIONAL SOFTWARE THAT FOLLOWS PREDETERMINED AND FIXED RULES.

SO AI LEARNS FROM DATA AND THEN ADAPTS BEHAVIOR BASED ON THESE PATTERNS AND LEARNING BEHAVIORS.

AND IT HANDLES UPGRADE UNPROGRAMED TASKS AND IMPROVES WITHOUT MANUAL CODE CHANGES.

SO BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE'RE ALL USING IT. I THINK WE KNOW THIS NOW AT THIS POINT IN OUR EVERYDAY TASKS, AI IS ALL AROUND US. IN THINGS LIKE SEARCH SUGGESTIONS, SOCIAL FEEDS, VOICE ASSISTANTS, SPELL CHECKERS, PHOTO RECOGNITION, PREDICTIVE TEXT. IT'S REALLY BUILT INTO OUR EVERYDAY LIVES.

THE SHIFT CAME IN NOVEMBER 2022, WHEN CHATGPT LAUNCHED, AND AI WAS NOW ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.

SO TOOLS CAN NOW DO THINGS LIKE SUMMARIZING TEXT FOR YOU.

YOU CAN CODE AND IT CAN CONVERSE NATURALLY. BUT THERE ARE CAPABILITIES AND LIMITATIONS.

THERE'S STRENGTHS THAT WE LIKE ABOUT IT, AND THEN THERE'S LIMITATIONS THAT WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT AND THAT WE WANT TO BE AWARE OF.

AND WE'VE EMBEDDED THOSE INTO OUR GUIDELINES.

SO SOME OF THE STRENGTHS. ANALYZING LARGE DATA SETS, RECOGNIZING PATTERNS, SUMMARIZING TEXTS.

BUT THEN IT CAN PRODUCE HALLUCINATIONS AND IT CAN ACT LIKE IT KNOWS WHAT IT'S TALKING ABOUT AND LACKS TRUE CONTEXTUAL UNDERSTANDING.

AND I THINK THE IDEA THAT REMEMBERING THAT IT CANNOT REPLACE HUMAN JUDGMENT AND IT CAN ACTUALLY REFLECT TRAINING BIASES. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LEARNED IN OUR RESEARCH WAS AI'S IMPACT ON JOBS.

AND YOU'RE PROBABLY WONDERING, WHERE ARE WE GETTING THESE STATISTICS FROM? THERE'S TWO PRIMARY REPORTS THAT WE ACTUALLY FOUND THIS FROM THE FUTURE OF JOBS REPORT IN 2025 AND THE ACTUAL MOST RECENT WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM BY 2030.

THEY'RE SAYING THAT 170 MILLION NEW JOBS WILL BE CREATED BY AI.

92 MILLION JOBS WILL BE DISPLACED BY AI, AND AI IS GOING TO TRANSFORM ABOUT 86% OF BUSINESSES.

WE WERE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT THAT IN OUR PARENT WORKSHOP BEFORE, AND THERE'S A COUPLE SOFTWARE ENGINEERS. AND IT WAS FUNNY, A LOT OF PEOPLE USED TO TALK ABOUT HOW CODING WAS WAS REALLY THE GOLD STANDARD IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH TECH.

AND EVERY STUDENT SHOULD BE EXPOSED TO CODING.

YOU KNOW, NOW WE'RE SEEING THAT AI IS BECOMING MORE FOREFRONT AS THAT'S STARTING TO GET INTO THAT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WORK WITHIN SOFTWARE ENGINEERING. SO YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT LIKE MORE TOP SKILLS THAT WHERE THEY SORT OF INTERJECT WITH EACH OTHER IS ANALYTICAL AND CRITICAL THINKING, CREATIVITY DATA, AND THEN A RESILIENCE, FLEXIBILITY AND AGILITY AND AN ABILITY TO SHIFT.

YOU KNOW, SO THOSE ARE REALLY BIG THINGS THAT REALLY CAME OUT IN THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM REPORT, ALONG WITH THE DIFFERENT INSIGHTS THAT THEY'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO HAVE AS THEY GO INTO CAREERS.

AND WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT FOR US WHEN WE DISCUSS THIS IN PELHAM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SKILLS PRIORITIZED OVER DEGREES, FOCUSED ON LIFELONG LEARNING IS BECAUSE IN PELHAM, WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT WITH OUR PARENTS. AND THIS IS WHY WE'RE TRYING TO LOOK AT SOME OF THIS STUFF AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH WHAT DOES AI LOOK LIKE IN PELHAM? AND NOT JUST UNIQUE TO PELHAM, BUT AI'S IMPACT ON TEACHING AND LEARNING.

AND I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY EVERYONE'S BIGGEST STRUGGLE IS THE PACE OF CHANGE.

IT'S, IT'S GOING BY AND IT'S CHANGING EVERY SINGLE DAY.

WHEN WE STARTED IN NOVEMBER OF 2022, WE WERE ONLY TALKING ABOUT CHATGPT.

IF YOU'RE LOOKING RECENTLY. I MEAN, THE NEW FLAVOR OF THE LAST FEW WEEKS IS CLAUDE.

BUT BEFORE THAT IT WAS GEMINI. YOU KNOW, AND EVEN A FEW MONTHS BEFORE THAT, THE END OF LAST YEAR, IT WAS META. IT, IT, THE AI AROUND US IS THE PACE OF CHANGE.

IT'S JUST, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN IN THIS TECHNOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT.

AND IT'S SO NEW AND PEOPLE REALLY STRUGGLE ABOUT AROUND THE RESPONSIBLE AND ETHICAL USE.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, BUT THINK ABOUT US IN OUR DAILY WORK LIVES AS WELL. LIKE WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? SO IT'S HARD FOR BOTH ALICIA AND I WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, WHEN WE LOOK AT DIGITAL LITERACY BUT REALLY KEEPING GROUNDED THAT AI IS TO SUPPORT AND NOT REPLACE HUMAN INPUT OR DECISION MAKING. AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY ONE OF THE BIG ANCHORS OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE IN PELHAM IS WE WANT TO SUPPORT AND NOT REPLACE.

THAT'S A REALLY BIG KEY COMPONENT INTO WHAT WE'RE DOING.

I WROTE THIS DOWN HERE, TECH COMPANY VERSUS TECH SAVVY BECAUSE I, WE, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT STUDENTS THAT GREW UP.

THEY TALK ABOUT THEM BEING DIGITAL NATIVES. AND YEAH, THEY ARE TECH COMPANY, BUT THEY'RE NOT TECH SAVVY.

YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT AFRAID TO TAKE A RISK. THEY'VE BEEN EXPOSED TO SCREENS FOR A LONG TIME.

THEY'VE BEEN AROUND TECHNOLOGY, BUT DO THEY HAVE THE SAVVINESS THAT'S REQUIRED AND THE SKILLS THAT ARE GOING TO BE NEEDED TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO PRODUCE AND SUCCEED IN THE

[00:40:08]

SO THE THREE OTHER TOPICS THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED WITH OUR AI USER GROUP THAT HAVE IMPACTED TEACHING AND LEARNING ONE BEING ASSESSMENT.

SO WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOME STRATEGIES THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT DURING OUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WITH TEACHERS ON HOW THAT MAY CHANGE IN THE CLASSROOMS. NEXT ACADEMIC DISHONESTY. WHAT IS THAT GOING TO LOOK LIKE NOW WITH AI? AND HOW ARE WE PREPARING OUR STUDENTS TO BE COLLEGE AND CAREER READY IN ALIGNMENT WITH NEW YORK INSPIRES AND PORTRAIT OF A GRADUATE.

SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HELEN'S JOURNEY THROUGH AI, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT, AND I'VE ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT THIS AS A TECH DIRECTOR, IS BALANCING INNOVATION WITH INTEGRITY.

AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT SCALE, WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT AI.

I MEAN, IT'S THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF TONIGHT, BUT IT'S WITH ANY EMERGING TECH. AND HOW DO WE BALANCE THAT WITH THE SCALE AND ACADEMIC INTEGRITY OF WHAT WE DO ON A DAILY BASIS IN TEACHING AND LEARNING? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE WHEN WE START TO BRING IN THESE TECHNOLOGIES AND WE'RE WE'RE PRIVATE AND SECURE WITH DATA, RIGHT? WHAT WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? HOW DO WE KEEP THAT BALANCE WHERE WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO BE INNOVATIVE, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE INTEGRITY TO THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING ON A DAILY BASIS.

ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE STARTED WITH A YEAR AND A HALF AGO AS A PART OF OUR JOURNEY, AND ALICIA WILL BACKTRACK A LITTLE BIT OF THAT JOURNEY, BUT WAS OUR AI USER GROUP. AND YOU CAN SEE THE GOAL UP HERE WAS TO, YOU KNOW, WAS TO IMMERSE A BUNCH OF OUR EDUCATORS.

AND THIS WAS A K THROUGH 12 GROUP THAT MET OVER SIX TIMES OVER THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF.

WE PILOTED TOOLS WITH STAFF, BUT WE WANTED TO CREATE A BALANCED AND CAUTIOUS APPROACH TO TEACHING AND LEARNING.

THERE WAS A LOT OF UNKNOWN IN THIS AREA. WE HAD REALLY DEEP DISCUSSIONS AROUND THE ETHICAL USE AND ACADEMIC DISHONESTY.

WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? I KNOW THAT'S BEEN A REALLY BIG THING FOR OUR SECONDARY CAMPUS.

IT'S BEEN A REALLY, IT'S BEEN A REAL STRUGGLE.

BUT WE HAD REALLY GOOD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT THAT CAN LOOK LIKE.

AND IT REALLY CULMINATED IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR WITH OUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY AND RELEASING WHAT'S WHAT WE'RE SHOWING TONIGHT, WHICH ARE TEACHER AND STUDENT GUIDELINES FOR USE OF AI.

THIS WAS AGAIN, ANOTHER YEAR AND A HALF, A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH.

AND I'M GOING TO ALLOW ALICIA TO TALK ABOUT OUR, JUST OUR ENTIRE JOURNEY FROM WHERE IT STARTED TO HOW WE GOT HERE.

SO WE'RE GOING TO TAKE YOU THROUGH WHERE THIS KIND OF ALL STARTED.

AND SO STARTING WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LOWER HUDSON REGIONAL INFORMATION CENTER, WE MET WITH, DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY LEADERS AND OTHER INSTRUCTIONAL TECH SPECIALISTS.

SO OTHER DISTRICTS IN THE REGION TO KIND OF JUST TALK ABOUT, LOOK AT RESEARCH, LOOK AT TOOLS, AND JUST HEAR WHAT OTHER DISTRICTS WERE DOING BECAUSE SOME WERE A LITTLE STARTING TO USE TOOLS ALREADY IN THEIR SCHOOLS AHEAD OF US.

AND WE WANTED TO KIND OF JUST SIT BACK AND LISTEN AND TAKE THEIR FEEDBACK FROM THE TOOLS THAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT.

AND THEN FROM THERE, WE DEVELOPED OUR AI USER GROUP.

WE FELT LIKE WE WERE AT A POINT WHERE WE NEEDED TEACHER FEEDBACK.

WE WANTED TO DEVELOP A SET OF GUIDELINES FOR OUR TEACHERS AND FOR OUR STUDENTS.

AND AT THAT POINT, WE WANTED A TOOL TO BE ABLE TO HAVE OUR STUDENTS USE SOMETHING IN THE CLASSROOM.

SO WE WENT WITH SCHOOL AI AND AT THAT POINT, WE WERE THEN TEACHERS WERE ABLE TO TALK WITH THEIR STUDENTS ABOUT WHAT THESE GUIDELINES COULD LOOK LIKE. SO IN DEVELOPING THOSE GUIDELINES, WE BROUGHT THEM TO OUR ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM.

THEY WERE ABLE TO GIVE US FEEDBACK. THEY WENT BACK TO THE AI USER GROUP FOR MORE FEEDBACK.

AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO PRESENT THEM TO OUR TEACHERS ON SUPERINTENDENT'S CONFERENCE DAY.

YOU KNOW, ALL AT THE SAME TIME, I'M JUST GOING TO I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO THIS FOR A SECOND, WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID AT THE SAME TIME WITH OUR AI USER GROUP WAS ALICIA AND I DID PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT K THROUGH 12 FOR ALL OF OUR TEACHERS.

WHAT IS AI? VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'RE SEEING TODAY.

WE DID A LOT OF PROMPT ENGINEERING. WHAT DO THE TOOLS LOOK LIKE? HOW DOES IT TECHNICALLY WORK? THERE WERE A LOT OF QUESTIONS AROUND IT.

WE HAD TO DO A LOT OF EDUCATION. AND LIKE YOU HEARD ALICIA SAY BEFORE, THERE WERE A LOT OF DISTRICTS AROUND US EVEN IN THE REGION THAT WERE THAT REALLY STARTED TO KICK OFF RIGHT AWAY. AND I DIDN'T FEEL THAT WAS, THAT WAS OUR APPROACH.

I FELT LIKE WE NEEDED TO TAKE A STEP BACK AND REALLY SORT OF DIGEST AND HAVE, YOU KNOW, A DIFFERENT APPROACH.

WE WANTED TO LEARN WHAT PEOPLE WERE DOING. WE WANTED TO SEE WHAT IT WAS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.

AND I'M PRETTY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT OUR USER GROUP WAS ABLE TO PUT FORWARD.

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE SUPERINTENDENT'S CONFERENCE DAY, THAT'S WHERE WERE WE ABLE TO WE WERE ABLE TO RELEASE OUR GUIDELINES TO ALL FACULTY AND STAFF, BUT WE ALSO HAD TWO KEYNOTE SPEAKERS FOR THE DAY.

WE ACTUALLY HAD AMANDA BICKERSTAFF. SHE'S THE CEO FOR AI FOR SCHOOLS OR SCHOOL EDGE AI FOR EDUCATION.

I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT. AND WE HAD JERRY CARUCCI, WHO'S ACTUALLY A FORMER TECH DIRECTOR IN THE REGION IN SCARSDALE, AND HE WAS ALSO THE

[00:45:01]

IT'S REALLY UNIQUE. AND OUR WHOLE STAFF GOT TO SEE THAT.

AND IT WAS A REALLY, IT WAS A REALLY GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR OUR TEACHERS TO SEE.

HERE ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM THAT DAY. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS MOST EXCITING FOR US WAS THIS, WHICH IS OUR TEACHER GUIDELINES. AND I'LL ALLOW ALICIA TO GO THROUGH THOSE FIRST.

SO YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO START OFF WITH OUR TEACHER GUIDELINES. SO WE'LL JUST WALK YOU THROUGH SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF IT. SO TEACHERS ARE ALLOWED TO INTRODUCE AI INTENTIONALLY WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF EACH SPECIFIC SPECIFIC SUBJECT.

EXPLICITLY TEACH ETHICAL USE AND CRITICAL THINKING, CONSISTENTLY REINFORCE EXPECTATIONS OF AI AND MODEL A GROWTH MINDSET.

ALSO RESPONDING TO DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGY. WE FELT LIKE THIS WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE SO MANY AI TOOLS KEEP COMING OUT.

WE, WE WON'T HAVE TO KEEP REVISITING THIS, BUT TACKLING AND BEING A PART OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING NEW TECHNOLOGY, WE FELT LIKE IS A GOOD WAY TO MODEL A GROWTH MINDSET.

AND THEN MOST IMPORTANTLY, TO MONITOR USAGE AND PROTECT DATA PRIVACY OF OUR STUDENTS AND THEN MOVING FORWARD TO OUR STUDENT STUDENT GUIDELINES WHEN THEY ARE INVITED TO USE AI IN A CLASSROOM STUDENTS ARE ALLOWED TO USE IT FOR BRAINSTORMING.

THEY'RE ALLOWED TO USE IT FOR FEEDBACK, FOR ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY TO DOCUMENT THEIR WORK AND SHARE WITH THEIR TEACHER THAT THEY'RE IF THEY HAVE USED AI, THEY'RE MODELING THAT TRANSPARENCY. THEY CAN USE IT FOR SUPPORT AND FOR VERIFYING CONTENT.

THEY CANNOT USE IT FOR ASSIGNMENTS OR ASSESSMENTS, AND THEY CANNOT SHARE PRIVATE INFORMATION.

SO, YOU KNOW, WITH THESE GUIDELINES, THERE'S THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT TRAINS OF THOUGHT WHEN IT COMES TO WHERE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WENT WHEN IT CAME TO AI OF GUIDELINES VERSUS POLICY. AND WE FAVORED GUIDELINES, BUT WE ALSO WANTED TO LOOK AT SOME DIFFERENT AREAS WHERE WE FELT WERE REALLY FLEXIBLE.

WHEN YOU CREATE BOARD POLICY, AS YOU KNOW, AS A BOARD OF EDUCATION, ANY CHANGES OR MODIFICATIONS CAN TAKE ANYWHERE BETWEEN THREE MONTHS AND A YEAR.

WE FELT THAT IF WE WERE TO MAKE CHANGES TO OUR CODE OF CONDUCT, WHICH IS ALWAYS CONSTANTLY BEING LOOKED AT, AND WE WERE TO LOOK AT THE STUDENT AUP, WE FELT LIKE WE HAD MORE POWER AND MORE LEVERAGE, ALONG WITH OUR GUIDELINES, TO BE ABLE TO MODIFY AND ADAPT, AS YOU SAW WITH THE CHANGES IN AI.

I FELT LIKE THAT WAS GOING TO BE A BOARD POLICY OR ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE TO BE CONSTANTLY GOING BACK TO.

I FELT LIKE WITH THE GUIDELINES, WE HAD REALLY STRICT PARAMETERS AROUND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

AND THEN WITH THESE CHANGES IN THE CODE OF CONDUCT.

SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE VERY BOTTOM LINE WHERE IT'S TALKING ABOUT IMPROPER USE OF COMPUTERS AND CALCULATORS, THE MAIN THING THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IS WE JUST WANT TO CALL OUT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WITHIN THE IMPROPER USE OF TECHNOLOGY TO JUST TO RESTATE IT IS TO SAY PREPROGRAM DEVICES TO STORE EXAM ANSWERS, USE ANY DEVICE TO PHOTOGRAPH OR COPY ASSESSMENT MATERIALS UTILIZING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE OR OTHER EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES TO AUTOMATE OR GENERATE ACADEMIC CONTENT WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION OR VIOLATING THE DISTRICT'S AUP.

WE FEEL LIKE THAT WILL HELP REALLY COVER A LOT OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE ACADEMIC DISHONESTY THAT'S GOING ON AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.

IT CALLS OUT REALLY EXPLICITLY. AND WE WILL ALSO BE LOOKING TO MAKE SIMILAR CHANGES TO THE STUDENT ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY AS WELL.

WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ACADEMIC DISHONESTY, THIS WAS A REALLY BIG FOCUS OF OUR WORK.

OVER THE PAST YEAR ACTUALLY WAS TALKING ABOUT DETECTING AI GENERATED CONTENT.

SO THIS IS A, THIS IS JUST A LITTLE SNIPPET FROM ONE OF OUR HIGHER FROM A HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTE THAT WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT DETECTING AI GENERATED CONTENT, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT AI DETECTORS. AND WE HAD TEACHERS ACTUALLY COME TO US AND THEY'RE LIKE, HEY, JOHN, YOU KNOW, WE SAW LIKE, YOU CAN, YOU CAN DO THIS.

AND IT CAN, IT CAN LOOK, YOU KNOW, FOR THINGS THAT ARE AI GENERATED AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING AND WHAT WE PILOTED WITH SOME OF OUR TEACHERS WITH A LOT OF THEM IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE TOOK EXAMPLES OF THINGS THAT WE ACTUALLY TYPED AND RAN IT THROUGH AN AI DETECTOR, AND THEY SAID IT WOULD BE ANYWHERE UPWARDS OF 75% OR HIGHER.

AI. AI GENERATED WHEN THEY SAW US JUST TYPE IT RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM.

SO IT'S A BIG, BIG ISSUE THAT WE WANTED TO DISCUSS.

AND WE'RE GLAD WE HAD A LOT OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS CLIP AND YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE VERY BOTTOM WHERE IT'S CURRENTLY SET, WHERE IT REALLY SAYS, WE CURRENTLY DO NOT RECOMMEND USING CURRENT AUTOMATIC DETECTION DETECTION ALGORITHMS FOR ACADEMIC INTEGRITY VIOLATIONS.

THAT'S ACTUALLY COMING FROM CORNELL UNIVERSITY, TEACHING AND LEARNING FROM THEIR CENTER OF TEACHING AND LEARNING. AND IT'S A REALLY BIG

[00:50:01]

THERE'S A RESOURCE IN THERE WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO FIND SOME STUFF FROM ARIZONA STATE, AND THERE'S OTHER RESEARCH AROUND IT AROUND AI DETECTOR TOOLS.

AND ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT THEY'RE NOTICING AROUND IT IS WHY THEY MAY FAIL FALSE POSITIVES, LINGUISTIC BIAS. SO THEY'RE SHOWING STUDIES THAT IT ACTUALLY BIASES AGAINST ELL WAY MORE THAN IT DOES A NORMAL STUDENT, RIGHT? A NORMAL WHERE ENGLISH IS THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGE.

IN TERMS OF WRITING AND THE GRAMMAR CHECKS AS WELL.

IT WILL ACTIVATE THE PLAGIARISM OR INTEGRITY DETECTION SYSTEM.

IT'S REALLY IT WAS A REALLY BIG DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD TO HAVE OVER THE LAST COUPLE SESSIONS.

AND WE MET WITH A COUPLE HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENTS AND MIDDLE SCHOOL DEPARTMENTS AS WELL ON.

CAN I ASK A QUICK, QUICK QUESTION? ARE THE ARE THE TEACHERS USING ANY OR LIKE PILOTING ANY TOOLS TO LOOK AT. LOOK AT THE KIDS CONTENT. THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

WE DO WE DO HAVE ACCESS TO ONE. IT'S CALLED IT'S IN TURN IT IN.

IT'S ACTUALLY BUILT IN TO TURN IT IN. AND AGAIN, THAT, THAT WAS MEANT TO CHECK IF SOMETHING WAS REALLY BEING PLAGIARIZED, LIKE COPY, LIKE COPY WRITTEN AND STUFF. BUT THEY HAD AN AI DETECTION TOOL THAT WAS BUILT WITHIN IT.

AND TEACHERS WERE ASKING US A LOT OF QUESTIONS AROUND IT AND WE WERE TRYING TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE WOULDN'T SUGGEST AROUND USING IT. SO THOSE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE DID HAVE TO HAVE AND IT IS AVAILABLE HERE IN OUR DISTRICT.

BUT TEACHERS ARE AWARE OF, YOU KNOW, OF WHAT CAN HAPPEN IF THEY START TO USE A LOT OF THOSE TOOLS.

OKAY. SO IN RESPONSE TO THAT, OUR TEACHERS THIS YEAR HAVE HAD A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT ARE OUR OPTIONS RIGHT NOW.

THINGS KEEP CHANGING. HOW CAN WE ASSESS OUR STUDENTS IN SCHOOL WITHOUT KNOWING THAT THEY'RE USING OTHER TOOLS AS WELL.

SO WE USE GOGUARDIAN. IT'S OUR SOFTWARE THAT WE USE TO MONITOR OUR STUDENT CHROMEBOOKS.

SO JUST RECENTLY WE MET WITH OUR SIX THROUGH 12 FACULTY AND JUST SHARED A TIP ON HOW THEY COULD ACTUALLY SEND THEIR STUDENTS ONE DOCUMENT IF YOU WANTED YOUR STUDENTS TO. AGAIN, IT DEPENDS ON THE CLASS AND WHAT THE TEACHER IS ASSESSING, BUT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO SET THE CHROMEBOOK SO THAT THEY CAN JUST LIMIT TO ONE TAB. SO IF TEACHERS DID HAVE AN ASSESSMENT THAT THEY WANTED TO GIVE STUDENTS IN CLASS, WE HAVE THE ABILITY WITH GOGUARDIAN TO SET UP WHAT'S CALLED A SCENE AND THE TEACHER JUST START PUSHES UP AND SAYS START SESSION. AND THEN THEY COULD SEND THEIR STUDENTS JUST ONE GOOGLE DOC.

AND WHEN THEY'RE FINISHED WITH THE ASSESSMENT, THEY TURN IT IN. AND THEY KNOW THAT DURING THAT TIME PERIOD, THEY WEREN'T ACCESSING ANY OTHER MATERIALS. SO WE'RE START, WE HAVE TO DIVE DEEPER INTO THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT ASSESSMENTS, BUT WE WANTED TO JUST BE PROACTIVE. AND AS OUR TEACHERS WERE ASKING, AND BECAUSE THEY'RE FAMILIAR WITH THIS TOOL, THIS IS WHAT WE GAVE THEM ACCESS TO RIGHT NOW.

AWESOME. SO AS WE, AS YOU SAW AND YOU IN OUR USER GROUP AND LET, LET'S DISCLOSE THIS AGAIN, THERE, THERE'S NO TOOLS IN PELHAM THAT ARE OPEN TO STUDENTS.

SO WE DON'T HAVE GEMINI OPEN. THEY CAN'T ACCESS CHATGPT, THEY CAN'T ACCESS CLAUDE.

THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO ANY OF THE GENERAL AI TOOLS THAT YOU, THAT YOU AND I THINK OF ON A DAILY BASIS.

GEMINI IS AT LAU TO BE COMPLIANT, BUT WE STILL HAVE IT CLOSED.

FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR REASONS THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS AROUND BUT WHEN ALL OF THAT STUFF CAME OUT AT THE TIME, YOU KNOW, SOFTWARE COMPANIES ALSO STARTED TO DEVELOP THINGS AND THE EDUCATION SPACE ACTUALLY STARTED TO GET, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS. THERE WERE THERE WERE SOLUTIONS LIKE MAGIC SCHOOL, BRISK. THERE'S, THERE WERE A WHOLE BUNCH OF DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS.

SO WE TRIED TO PILOT AND LOOK, NUMBER ONE, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WHO'S AT LAU COMPLIANT, RIGHT? WHO CAN WE ACTUALLY PARTNER WITH THE RICK AND PURCHASE THIS FROM? SO SCHOOL, I ENDED UP BEING ONE OF THEM. AND THERE WERE A BUNCH OF REASONS WHY WE ACTUALLY PICKED THEM.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LIKED WAS THAT IT WAS AGE APPROPRIATE, ITS EDITOR LAU COMPLIANT, AND THE TEACHER SPACE CREATION. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT THAT A PARENT HAD DOWNSTAIRS IN OUR, IN OUR SESSION WAS, YOU KNOW, OH, IT'S AVAILABLE FOR SIX THROUGH 12.

DOES THAT MEAN MY CHILD CAN JUST SIGN INTO SCHOOL AI AND JUST START CHATTING WITH A, WITH AN AI BOT? AND THAT'S NOT THE CASE. IT'S ONLY IF A TEACHER ALLOWS THEM TO ACTUALLY USE THE PLATFORM OR NOT.

SO THEY WOULD HAVE TO CREATE WHAT'S CALLED A SPACE OR, OR ANOTHER TOOL THAT'S IN THERE FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY USE THE AI GENERATED CONTENT.

IT'S NOT JUST THAT THEY CAN SIGN IN AND GO AND DO WHAT THEY WANT IN IT.

IT HAS TO BE TEACHER GENERATED AND IT HAS TO BE TEACHER CONTROLLED.

ONE OF THE THINGS WE ALSO LIKED ABOUT THE PRODUCT WAS THAT NOT JUST FOR THE EDUCATOR CONTROL, WE HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT LIKE, CAN THE TEACHERS ACTUALLY SEE WHAT THEY'RE SAYING? WHAT, WHAT ARE THEY GENERATING? AND SO FORTH. WE LIKED ALL THE SAFETY GUARDRAILS AROUND IT.

SO WE FELT THAT THEY WERE A REALLY GOOD, SAFE PARTNER FOR US TO START WITH WHEN IT COMES TO AI.

JOHN, A QUICK QUESTION. SO USING THE OPEN AI KIDS ARE NOT RESTRICTED.

IS THAT WHEN THEY'RE ON OUR NETWORK OR IS THAT WHEN THEY'RE ON OUR CHROMEBOOK?

[00:55:03]

WHAT STUDENTS DO WHEN THEY GO HOME THOUGH ON A PERSONAL DEVICE.

WE, WE DO NOT CONTROL SO. ANY. PELHAM. ANY. PELHAM ISSUED DEVICE.

ANYTHING IN OUR NETWORK THAT THE STUDENTS ARE CONNECTING ON, THEY, THEY CAN'T ACCESS ANY OF THOSE TOOLS.

SO IN IN THEORY, THEN TESTS TAKEN WITHIN THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT SHOULD BE SORT OF PROTECTED. LIKE WE SHOULDN'T WE SHOULDN'T BE CONCERNED ABOUT TEST TAKING WITHIN THE SCHOOL, WITHIN THE SCHOOL BUILDING. CORRECT. OKAY. YOU ARE CORRECT.

AND THAT'S WITH ALSO WITH THE NEW YORK STATE AP AND THE SATS ON THE CHROMEBOOKS, OR EVEN IF YOU ARE ON A MACBOOK, WHATEVER IT TO, TO USE THOSE PROGRAMS FOR TESTING.

IT, IT ACTIVATES WHAT'S CALLED A KIOSK MODE. SO WHAT HAPPENS IS THEY CLICK ON THE APPLICATION AND IT LOCKS YOU OUT OUT OF EVERY OTHER THING THAT YOU CAN ACCESS.

YOU CAN ONLY STAY IN THAT TEST IN THAT TEST ENVIRONMENT.

SO IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN TO LIKE A TESTING CENTER, LIKE THEY HAVE FOR PEARSON OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, YOU'RE ONLY LOCKED IN THAT ENVIRONMENT.

BUT YEAH, THEY, EVEN IF THEY WEREN'T IN THAT ENVIRONMENT, THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO ANY OF THE OTHER TOOLS.

GOTCHA. I MEAN, I'VE HEARD ANECDOTALLY AND THIS MAY JUST BE NOT TRUE.

THAT SORT OF TEACHERS ARE BECOMING CERTAINLY WITHIN WITHIN PELHAM ARE, I GUESS, OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION, REVERTING MORE TO KIND OF PENCIL AND PAPER TESTING.

YOU ARE CORRECT. REVERTING MORE TO KIND OF TRADITIONAL TESTING METHODS.

THEY ARE JUST OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION.

BUT REALLY THE RISK IS FAIRLY LOW IS YOU ARE CORRECT.

IT IS. AND AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK TO ANY INDIVIDUAL TEACHERS ASSESSMENTS BECAUSE THEY HAVE A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY IN HOW THEY WANT TO ASSESS WHAT, WHAT ARE THEY ASSESSING. BUT YEAH, THAT'S REALLY LIKE THERE, THE VULNERABILITY IS VERY, VERY, VERY LOW. IN TERMS OF ACCESSING ANY SORT OF AI TOOL, IF THEY WERE TO GIVE ANYTHING ON THE, ON THE COMPUTER. SO I JUST WANT TO QUICKLY WALK YOU THROUGH HOW SCHOOL AI WORKS.

SO IT'S AN APPLICATION THAT THE TEACHERS HAVE, AND THEY CAN SEND A LINK TO THE STUDENTS TO INVITE THEM TO WHAT'S CALLED A SPACE.

A SPACE IS A CURATED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT THAT A TEACHER SETS UP FOR STUDENTS TO ENGAGE WITH SCHOOL AI AROUND THE PARAMETERS THAT THEY GAVE IT.

SO THEY'RE GIVING INSTRUCTIONS TO THE STUDENTS AND BASICALLY HAVING THEM STICK TO THE CONVERSATION THAT THEY'RE AND THE TOPIC AND THE SKILL THAT THEY'RE CREATING IN THAT SPACE. AND THEY CAN'T REALLY ASK ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.

SO IT GOES, GOING BACK TO OUR STUDENT GUIDELINES, WHEN WE SAID STUDENTS ARE ALLOWED TO USE IT TO BRAINSTORM WHEN THEY'RE USING SCHOOL AI, THERE ARE ALLOWED TO USE IT IN THEIR CLASSROOM WHEN THEIR TEACHER IS MONITORING IT THROUGH WHAT'S CALLED A MISSION CONTROL CENTER, TEACHERS HAVE A DASHBOARD WHEN THEY'RE USING SCHOOL AI, AND THEY CAN SEE EVERYTHING THAT THE STUDENTS ARE ENGAGING WITH.

AND I'M JUST GOING TO WALK YOU THROUGH TWO EXAMPLES VERY QUICKLY.

SO THIS IS A HIGH SCHOOL EXAMPLE, A SCIENCE LAB THAT ONE OF OUR TEACHERS SET UP.

HE ALIGNED IT TO THE NGSS STANDARDS, AND HE PUT VERY SPECIFICALLY IN THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE AI.

SO THE STUDENTS WERE WORKING ON A SCIENCE LAB PREVENT GENERATION OF COMPLETE PLANS.

SO STUDENTS CREATE THEIR OWN WORK, ONLY GIVE HINTS WHEN REQUESTED.

AND THEN ANOTHER PROJECT, THIS IS FROM SARAH WILLIAMSON AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.

SHE USED THIS AS A BRAINSTORMING ACTIVITY FOR HER STUDENTS AND SHE WAS ABLE TO GIVE SCHOOL AI, ALL OF THE INSTRUCTIONS. THIS IS JUST A SMALL PORTION OF IT.

SHE GAVE IT BUDGETING PARAMETERS THE MATERIALS THAT THEY'RE ALLOWED TO USE THE THAT, SO THIS WAS FOR A SHIPPING CONTAINER DESIGN PROJECT. AND THE DESIGN FRAMEWORK THAT SHE WANTED THEM TO USE AND IT SAYS HAVE GUIDE THE STUDENTS THROUGH THE TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS, ONE STEP UP, ONE STEP AT A TIME IN THIS SPECIFIC ORDER, AND THE STUDENTS BASICALLY HAD TO FOLLOW THROUGH THOSE INSTRUCTIONS.

AND THEN IN THIS EXAMPLE, WITH SARAH, WHAT SHE DID IN THIS LESSON, STUDENTS ENGAGED AND BRAINSTORMED, HAD THEIR IDEAS, AND THEN SHE MET WITH THE STUDENTS AND TALKED ABOUT THE IDEAS THAT THEY CAME UP WITH IN SCHOOL AI.

SO IT WAS A NEAT WAY FOR HER TO KIND OF HEAR EVERYONE'S IDEAS.

I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT CAN YOU GO BACK TO THAT ONE? SO WAS IT A MATTER OF THE PROMPTS THAT THE STUDENTS WERE USING AS THEY WERE? ANAMARIE. OH, SORRY, I SHOULD KNOW BY NOW. WHEN IT COMES TO, LET'S SAY LIKE THIS EXAMPLE, WAS IT A MATTER OF THE PROMPTS THAT THE STUDENTS WERE USING? LIKE AS FAR AS HOW THEY BRAINSTORMED? BECAUSE I CAN IMAGINE AS AN ADULT HOW I BRAINSTORM WITH AI, FOR EXAMPLE. BUT HOW DOES IT, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

[01:00:02]

YOU'RE ECO BUILDER, SAM, A SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION EXPERT.

AND YOUR, YOUR JOB IS TO STAY IN A BUDGET OF $100,000.

AND YOU CAN ONLY USE TWO MATERIALS. AND THEN THEY WOULD HAVE THEY WOULD BE GUIDED THROUGH THE FRAMEWORK THAT THE TEACHER PROVIDED.

OKAY. YEAH. AND AND IF YOU HEARD ALICIA AND I BEFORE WE EVEN STARTED TO LOOK AT THIS STUFF, WE TALKED A LOT. WE WORKED A LOT WITH OUR TEACHERS WITH DIFFERENT AI TOOLS AND WHAT PROMPT ENGINEERING LOOKS LIKE.

SO THEY HAD TO LEARN HOW TO ACTUALLY PROMPT SCHOOL AI TO GIVE GOOD FEEDBACK TO STUDENTS.

SO THERE WAS A LOT OF PRACTICE THAT THEY HAD TO ALSO DO IN ORDER TO LEARN HOW TO GENERATE THIS CONTENT WITHIN IT APPROPRIATELY.

AND THE LAST THING I ALSO WANTED TO MAKE NOTE OF WAS THAT SCHOOL AI, WE'RE ONLY USING THIS AT GRADE SIX THROUGH 12.

IT'S AVAILABLE FOR EVERYONE IN SIX THROUGH 12.

BUT WE STARTED WITH A REALLY, REALLY SMALL PILOT OF THIS.

BUT WE'RE NOT DOING ANY OF THIS WORK IN OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AS OF YET.

SO THAT I JUST WANTED TO EVERYONE TO HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THAT.

BUT WHERE ARE WE LOOKING TO GO FROM HERE? AND YOU'VE HEARD THE EXAMPLE OF SCHOOL AI, AND I LIKE TO CALL IT LIKE A WALLED GARDEN, SORT OF LIKE OUR GOOGLE ENVIRONMENT. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS WE NEED TO START TO LOOK AT IS OUR VISION FOR THE COMPUTER SCIENCE AND DIGITAL FLUENCY STANDARDS, RIGHT? OF EVERY STUDENT WILL KNOW HOW TO LIVE PRODUCTIVELY AND SAFELY IN A TECHNOLOGY DOMINATED WORLD.

IT INCLUDES UNDERSTANDING THE ESSENTIAL FEATURES OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, WHY AND HOW THEY WORK, AND HOW TO COMMUNICATE AND CREATE USING THOSE TECHNOLOGIES.

THERE'S THOSE THREE CORE COMPETENCIES. I THINK THEY ALIGN REALLY WELL WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AS WELL.

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY HOW DO WE CONNECT OUR AI LITERACY WHEN IT COMES TO COMPUTER SCIENCE AND DIGITAL FLUENCY STANDARDS? RIGHT? SO CREATING A STRATEGIC INTEGRATION OF WHAT THAT SCOPE AND SEQUENCE CAN ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE ETHICAL DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP, YOU KNOW BY, BY ADDRESSING AI BIASES TALKING ABOUT THAT, THE ETHICAL DECISION MAKING AND THE PROFESSIONAL GROWTH.

ONE OF THE THINGS YOU'RE GOING TO START TO LOOK AT MORE SPECIFICALLY AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AND WE HAD SOMEONE ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT THIS WAS WHEN, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO ALLOW HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO ACTUALLY, WHEN CAN WE OPEN IT UP? WHEN CAN WE ALLOW THEM TO ACTUALLY REALLY LOOK AT LIKE, HOW DOES THIS WORK? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY GET TO HIGHER ED, AI IS COMPLETELY OPEN, HOW ARE THEY GOING TO LEARN TO REALLY USE THIS WHEN THEY'RE NOT IN OUR WALLED, YOU KNOW, OUR WALLED GARDEN WHEN THEY'RE NOT IN OUR ENVIRONMENT.

SO AGAIN, IT GOES BACK TO THAT BALANCE SCALE, LIKE HOW, HOW DO WE DO THAT? AND THAT'S WHERE OUR NEXT LINE OF WORK WITH THIS AI LITERACY AND THESE AI SKILLS, WE'RE GOING TO HOPE TO START TO LOOK AT THAT.

I KNOW IN SOME OF OUR COMPUTER SCIENCE AND SOME OF OUR OTHER CLASSES, THEY WANT TO LOOK AT LIKE, WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BUILD A GEM? WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BUILD THESE AGENTS IN AI? LIKE HOW DO WE LEARN ABOUT LARGE LANGUAGE MODELS? THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FRAMEWORK, THE WHERE AI HAS BROUGHT STUDENTS AND TEACHERS HAS REALLY BROUGHT US IN A WIDE RANGE OF PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY, REALLY COMFORTABLE. THEY'RE LEADING, THEY REALLY WANT TO GO.

AND PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY HESITANT AND THEY'RE STILL A LITTLE SCARED, AND THAT'S OKAY. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S BEEN REALLY UNIQUE TO PELHAM'S APPROACH IS I THINK WE'RE DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF BALANCING IT.

AND I THINK THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE WAY WE WANT TO GO SO FAR.

SO WHEN WE START TO LOOK AT AI LITERACY, WE'RE GOING TO START TO LOOK AT HOW CAN WE START TO EMBED A LOT OF THIS WORK, WORKING WITH OUR LIBRARY, MEDIA SPECIALIST OR STAFF DEVELOPERS AND WORKING.

WHERE CAN WE SEE SOME OF THIS WORKING WITHIN OUR OUR CURRENT CURRICULUM RIGHT NOW? THESE RESOURCES AND THIS RESEARCH WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR YOU TO ACCESS THE SCHOOL AI FOR PARENTS.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT DOWNSTAIRS AS WELL WAS COMMON SENSE MEDIA.

AND IF YOU HAVEN'T USED IT, THEIR, THEIR ULTIMATE GUIDE TO AI IS A REALLY GOOD PARENT RICH RESOURCE.

WE REALLY LIKE THE MATERIAL THEY HAVE IN THERE.

AND AI FOR EDUCATION ALSO HAS A LOT OF PARENT RICH RESOURCES IN THERE FOR YOU AS WELL.

WE PUT LINKS TO JERRY CHRISTIE'S SITE, THE NEW YORK STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT FOR COMPUTER SCIENCE AND DIGITAL FLUENCY STANDARDS AND THE RESEARCH FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA. WHAT ASSESSMENT AND THE AI ERA LOOKS LIKE? I THINK THAT'S A GREAT LITTLE ARTICLE TO START WITH.

WHEN IT COMES TO ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND DISHONESTY AT THE AT THE HIGHER ED LEVEL.

WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WANT TO LEAVE IT OPEN TO Q AND A FOR THE BOARD.

AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR HAVING US THIS EVENING.

IT'S REALLY A PLEASURE. YES. I HAVE A QUESTION.

I GENERALLY COMPLETELY AGREE WITH THE APPROACH, THE PHILOSOPHY, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, THE GENIE IS OUT OF THE BOTTLE.

AI IS BEING USED BY HUMAN BEINGS EVERYWHERE IN MANY, MANY CONTEXTS.

AND WE HAVE TO KIND OF EASE OUR WAY INTO THAT WITHIN THE EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT.

TOTALLY AGREE WITH THAT. BUT THE ONE SORT OF BIT THAT I WANT TO POKE A LITTLE BIT, IF I MAY, IS THE NOTION OF DETECTION AND KIND OF I WOULDN'T SAY, YOU KNOW,

[01:05:09]

AND IT'S ALSO HELPS MITIGATE AGAINST THE KIND OF POINT YOU MADE, WHICH IS WHEN THE STUDENT IS OUT OF THE SCHOOL PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, KIND OF NOT MUCH WE CAN DO. RIGHT. BUT I THINK THERE MAY BE, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ANSWERS ARE, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD KEEP A VERY OPEN MIND ABOUT THINGS WE CAN DO ON A PROGRAMMATIC LEVEL, YOU KNOW, USING TECHNOLOGY TO IDENTIFY WHEN ASSIGNMENTS ARE BEING DONE RIDICULOUSLY QUICKLY.

YOU KNOW, WHEN ACCURACY OR CORRECT ANSWERS ARE 100% WHEN STATISTICALLY SPEAKING, THEY JUST THAT WOULD JUST NEVER HAPPEN.

SO I JUST WANTED TO KNOW. I APPRECIATE THAT. I SEE DOCTOR COHEN GETTING TO THE END.

SO GREAT POINT. OKAY. THAT'S A GREAT POINT.

AND, AND WANT TO BE PERFECTLY TRANSPARENT. I KNOW JOHN AND ALICIA WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT AI DETECTION DETECTION TOOLS, IT'S THIS IDEA OF USING AI TO DETECT AI. SO IT'S MANY EDUCATORS, MANY PEOPLE ARE THINKING ABOUT WHAT IS THERE SOMETHING THAT I CAN TAKE THIS PLUG IT INTO? AND IT'S GOING TO TELL ME IF MY STUDENT USED AI AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT JUST THEY'RE NOT RELIABLE.

YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE WE TELL STUDENTS, YOU CAN'T PLUG SOMETHING INTO AI AND THEN PRESENT IT AS YOUR OWN WORK.

THE SHORTCUT DOESN'T EXIST FOR TEACHERS EITHER.

THAT RELIABLY INFORMS WHETHER OR NOT A STUDENT HAS USED AI.

HOWEVER, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE'RE JUST NOT GOING TO TRY TO DETECT AI, BUT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO USE OUR HUMAN ELEMENTS TO DO SO.

SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IT MEANS KNOWING YOUR STUDENTS, KNOWING HOW THEY WRITE AND THE LANGUAGE THEY USE AND THE AND THE AND THE AND THE THE LEVEL AT WHICH THEY WRITE OR PERFORM MATH OR HOW FAST THEY DO THAT.

AND THEN USING THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WE DO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SHOW REVISION HISTORIES AND SHOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE PROCESS. THE GOOD NEWS IS IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ALSO FORCING US TO DO WHAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING IN SO MANY DIFFERENT INSTANCES, WHICH IS FOCUSING ON THE PROCESS OF LEARNING AND NOT JUST THE PRODUCT, BECAUSE NOW THE PRODUCT CAN BE COMPLETED BY, YOU KNOW, AN LLM VERY QUICKLY. AND SO THEREFORE WE HAVE TO DOUBLE DOWN ON THE PROCESS AND MAKE SURE THERE ARE SCAFFOLDS ALONG THE WAY WHERE YOU CAN SEE PROGRESS AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE A STUDENT HAS WORKED AND HOW LONG THE STUDENT HAS.

AND SO THAT'S, I JUST, WE'RE NOT JUST SAYING, OH, YOU CAN'T DETECT IT, WE'RE GOING TO FORGET IT.

SO I WANT TO BE CLEAR, HOWEVER, WE DON'T HAVE A MAGIC TOOL THAT IS GOING TO, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT SOMETHING AND SAY, THIS IS AI GENERATED BECAUSE THOSE HAVE SHOWN TO BE COMPLETELY UNRELIABLE.

SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY A QUESTION IS AT WHAT AGE ARE WE INTRODUCING SORT OF SOME, SOME OF THESE AI TOOLS FOR THE KIDS? YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. SO THERE'S NOTHING AVAILABLE FOR ANYONE IN K TO FIVE RIGHT NOW.

SO IDEALLY THE TEACHERS IN SIXTH GRADE DO HAVE ACCESS TO THIS TOOL.

WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK WITH OUR TEACHERS AT THAT LEVEL.

SO REALISTICALLY IT IS SIXTH GRADE WHERE IT BECOMES AVAILABLE FOR THEM.

BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE, IT'S NOT THAT THAT'S THE LOWEST THAT IT'S GOING DOWN RIGHT NOW.

IF YOU, IF YOU WERE TO ACTUALLY LOOK AT SOME DIFFERENT AI FRAMEWORKS THAT HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED RIGHT NOW, THEY DON'T EVEN RECOMMEND STUDENTS INTERACTING WITH GENERAL CHAT BOT BELOW THE AGE OF LIKE, I THINK THIRD GRADE FOURTH AND FIFTH IS WHERE THEY EVEN START TO REALLY TALK ABOUT LIKE THE KEY PRINCIPLES OF WHAT AI IS, HOW DOES IT WORK? SO I FELT, I FELT LIKE WE DID A REALLY GOOD JOB WITH WHERE WE WANTED TO MODEL SOME OF THAT WORK.

YEAH. AND YOU KNOW, SO I WAS DOWNSTAIRS AT THE PRESENTATION YOU DID FOR THE PARENTS, WHICH WAS PHENOMENAL.

THANK YOU. AND I LOVED THE APPROACH THAT THE DISTRICT HAS TAKEN, WHICH IS VERY CONSERVATIVE,

[01:10:02]

WHILE IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT AT A CERTAIN AGE, WE ALSO HAVE TO BE, YOU KNOW, CAREFUL ABOUT IT.

AND ACTUALLY, THE NEW YORK TIMES JUST HAD AN ARTICLE ABOUT LAW FIRMS WHO UNFORTUNATELY SUBMITTED BRIEFS WITH HALLUCINATIONS.

THEY CALL IT FROM, YOU KNOW, AI MAKING UP THEIR OWN CASES.

SO JUST A LOT FOR US TO BE, YOU KNOW, AWARE OF IN THE WORLD.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS KIND OF THE BEST PART OF THE PRESENTATION YOU DID DOWNSTAIRS WAS THAT IT WAS FOR PARENTS AND THERE WAS A LOT OF Q&A.

ONE OF THE, OR PARENTS WHO WERE THERE TEXTED ME AND SAID IT WOULD HAVE BEEN WONDERFUL HAD IT BEEN ASSUMED, HAD WE HAD THAT OPTION TO HAVE IT OPEN FOR OTHER PARENTS TO PARTICIPATE EITHER, YOU KNOW, VIA LIKE A ZOOM MEETING OR AND I'M SURE THEY COULD PUT THIS.

I JUST WANT TO SAY THIS IS GOING TO BE VIDEO SO PEOPLE COULD LOG IN, BUT THE QUESTIONS AT THE END OF THE PRESENTATION WHEN YOU DID IT AN HOUR BEFORE WAS GREAT BECAUSE IT WAS THE PARENTS KIND OF COMING IN AND ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS WITH OTHER PARENTS WOULD LOVE TO HEAR.

SO JUST SOMETHING FOR US TO THINK ABOUT NEXT TIME BECAUSE THIS IS SUCH A GREAT TOPIC.

YEAH, WE ACTUALLY REALLY ENJOYED THE Q AND A WITH THE PARENTS.

YEAH, IT WAS GREAT. I FELT WE REALLY EASED A LOT OF CONCERNS OF THE GENERAL COMMUNITY.

YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SEE A TOPIC LIKE THAT, IF YOU'RE LOOKING, YOUR PARENTS WERE LIKE AI, THEY'RE LIKE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN OUR SCHOOLS? I FELT LIKE THAT, LIKE OUR APPROACH IS RIGHT. WE, WE EASE A LOT OF THOSE CONCERNS.

WE'RE NOT OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, HELPING WITH WHATEVER FORMS WE THINK, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO DO.

BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A TOUGH TOPIC.

IT'S HARD. IT'S ALWAYS CHANGING. SO IT'S, IT'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.

YEAH. OH. GO AHEAD. DO WE NEED TO WRAP? I JUST HAVE TWO QUESTIONS.

OKAY. SO I ECHO EVERYTHING EVERYBODY SAID. I THINK IT'S HAPPENING.

WE'VE GOT TO JUMP RIGHT ON IT AND BE AHEAD OF THE CURVE TO LEARN AND UNDERSTAND.

SO I, I COMMEND OUR APPROACH TO IT. I'M CURIOUS TO, AS YOUNG PEOPLE ARE LEARNING AI, THAT UNDERSTANDING, LIKE, WHAT ARE YOU FINDING? BECAUSE THERE IS THAT WE'RE TEACHING THEM TO THINK THERE ALWAYS NEEDS TO BE A HUMAN BEHIND IT.

AND YET IT'S EVERYWHERE, WHETHER YOU'RE TALKING TO ALEXIS OR, YOU KNOW, LIKE, I MEAN, SO WHAT ARE YOU, ARE YOU FINDING YOUNG PEOPLE ARE REALLY GRASPING LIKE, YEAH, THIS IS GOOD FOR AI, BUT I NEED TO, YOU KNOW, LIKE THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT IS OR IT CAN ONLY GET ME.

I'M JUST LIKE WHERE THEY'RE AT IN THEIR DEVELOPMENT AS THEY'RE LEARNING THE AI.

THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION. I THINK WE STRUGGLE WITH THAT AS ADULTS. I'M, I'M BEING VERY HONEST AND TRANSPARENT ABOUT THAT.

I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT YOURSELVES AND YOUR EVERYDAY WORLDS, RIGHT? AND YOUR CAREERS. YOU'RE LIKE, OH, YOU KNOW WHAT? LET ME PLUG THIS IN AND LET ME SEE IF THIS IF THIS WILL GENERATE SOMETHING FOR ME.

I THINK WE HAVE TO ONE OF THE SKILLS THAT WE WANT TO DEVELOP WITH OUR STUDENTS HERE IS LIKE HAVING THEM TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT SIMILAR THOUGHT PROCESS.

WE DON'T WANT THEM TO BECOME RELIANT ON IT. WE DON'T WANT THEM TO, WE DON'T WANT THE AI TO TAKE PLACE OF THEIR WORK.

WE WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO CRITICALLY THINK, WHICH IS WHY WHEN YOU LOOK AT ASSESSMENT, WHAT DOES IT MEAN? WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO ASSESS? AND THAT'S WHY WE TALK ABOUT THE CRITICAL THINKING PROCESS, THE ACTUAL PROCESS OF WHAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH.

WE DON'T WANT TO REPLACE THAT. WE DO THINK THIS WILL BE A TOOL, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO REPLACE THAT HUMAN ELEMENT.

THEY'RE GOING TO NEED THAT IN WHATEVER ENVIRONMENT THEY GO TO.

IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TRYING TO FIND THAT BALANCE. AND WE WANT, WE WANT TO HAVE IDEALLY, IF YOU WERE TO ASK ME, THAT'S WHAT I WANT STUDENTS TO DO. LIKE, OH, I WONDER IF I CAN HELP LIKE GENERATE SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

LIKE I WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO CRITICALLY THINK LIKE WE DO WHEN THEY GO INTO HIGHER ED AND WHEN THEY GO INTO THE WORKSPACE OF BEING ABLE TO DECIPHER, IS THIS GOOD OR NOT? TO BE ABLE TO USE IT? AND THEN WHEN THEY LOOK AT THE AI CONTENT, IS THIS GOOD? LIKE THEY GOT TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND LIKE, IS THIS GOOD CONTENT? AND THAT'S WHERE A WHOLE LIBRARY MEDIA COMPONENT COMES AROUND THAT AS WELL.

YEAH. SO IT'S MULTIFACETED AND IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A DEEPER DIVE INTO AND WE HAVE TO TEACH INTO THAT.

SO SOME OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE STRONGEST INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES AROUND AI THAT I'VE SEEN IS WHEN TEACHERS ARE ENGAGING STUDENTS TO EVALUATE CONTENT PRODUCED BY THE LARGE LANGUAGE MODELS.

AND, AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE THEM USE IT TO CREATE AND THEN HAVE THEM TO, THE NEXT STEP IS TO ASSESS WHAT IT PRODUCED.

AND THEN COMPARE IT TO THEIR OWN WORK. SO IN SOME OF MY RESEARCH, STUDENTS EVENTUALLY GET TO THE PLACE WHERE THEY, THEY SAY THEY LIKE THEIR OWN VOICE BETTER, RIGHT? SO I MEAN, BUT USING IT, YOU KNOW, UNLESS WE DO THAT, IT REMAINS THIS KIND OF SECRET CHEATING TOOL.

BUT IF WE START OPENING STUDENTS EYES TO. THIS ISN'T PERFECT.

IT DOES HALLUCINATE. YOU COULD PROBABLY WRITE SOMETHING BETTER AND START CRITIQUING THE PRODUCTS AND THE OUTPUT.

AND EVEN BETTER, YOU KNOW, HERE'S YOUR ASSIGNMENT, HERE'S THE RUBRIC.

[01:15:05]

SO, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, KIND OF YOU HAVE TO TEACH INTO THESE SKILLS THAT WE ALL NEED TO BE ABLE TO USE IT EFFECTIVELY.

THANK YOU. AND PART TWO QUESTION AS WE SAID, IT'S MOVING FAST, RIGHT? FASTER THAN PROBABLY LIKE, YOU KNOW, CLAUDE IS TODAY AND THEN SOMETHING TOMORROW WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO YEARS AS FAR AS RESOURCES AND SUPPORT TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE TO KEEP UP, RIGHT? LIKE THAT. WE'RE DIVING INTO THIS LIKE WHAT'S COME UP FOR YOU? OR, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT THAT? IT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION. OBVIOUSLY AS WE START TO DEVELOP OUR AI LITERACY AND WHAT THAT CAN LOOK LIKE, I THINK THAT WILL DRIVE A LOT IN TERMS OF WHAT RESOURCES WE WOULD NEED.

I'M NOT GOING TO LIE TO YOU, I HAVEN'T REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT THAT COMPONENT OF IT YET, BECAUSE I JUST DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT IT CAN REALLY LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF THE INTERWOVEN AND THE APPROACH TO THE CURRICULUM. BUT I DEFINITELY THE SUPPORT IS GOING TO BE NEEDED FOR THAT.

AND WE'LL BE SURE TO BE CLEAR WITH WHAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED FOR THAT AS WE START TO DEVELOP A LITTLE FURTHER ALONG.

THANK YOU. SORT OF RELATED TO THAT I'VE SEEN A LOT OF TALK AT LEAST ABOUT ASPIRATIONS OF SORT OF AI TUTORING AND, AND, YOU KNOW, SORT OF SUPPORTS FOR, FOR STUDENTS USING AI SYSTEMS. I'M CURIOUS WHAT YOU GUYS ARE SEEING IN TERMS OF WHETHER THERE'S ANYTHING THAT'S REALLY AVAILABLE THAT DOES THAT IN A, IN A USEFUL WAY AT THE MOMENT OR NOT. I DON'T, NOT THAT I, NOT THAT I'VE SEEN.

IT HASN'T MADE IT LIKE REALLY WIDE RANGE INTO THIS REGION YET.

I KNOW ACROSS THE NATION THERE ARE SOME SCHOOLS THAT ARE ACTUALLY LOOKING.

I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE SCHOOLS OUT TOWARDS THE MIDWEST, THEY HAVE THOSE VIRTUAL SCHOOLS.

AND I'VE SEEN A LOT OF THE AI TUTORING IN THOSE AREAS.

BUT AGAIN, THAT'S, THAT'S IN A WHOLE DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT IN TERMS OF WHERE WE ARE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION HERE AND IN NEW YORK.

I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY OF THAT STUFF ACTUALLY USED YET.

AND NOT WELL. SO AND I DON'T EVEN THINK WE'RE THERE YET, SO.

OKAY. THANKS. WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS THE AVENUE? TO, TO GET TO GET FEEDBACK FROM HOW USING AI IN THE CLASSROOM IS GOING.

IS THERE A A FEEDBACK? YEAH. OR JUST EMAIL OR LIKE, DID YOU EVEN TALK ABOUT OR STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY? LIKE THE FEEDBACK, EVEN FEEDBACK FROM STUDENTS ON HOW THAT'S, THAT'S OUR NEXT AREA IS WE WANT TO START TO PULL STUDENTS INVOLVED IN THIS.

SO NOT JUST WITHIN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AI LITERACY, BUT LIKE WHAT, WHAT DO YOU WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SAY? RIGHT? I WANT TO GET STUDENT PERCEPTION ON THAT. I KNOW MR. LEWALLEN HAS OFFERED US SOME TIME WITH WITH THE STUDENT COUNCIL TO SEE WHAT THOSE CONVERSATIONS CAN LOOK LIKE.

SO HE'S GOING TO INVITE US IN FOR SOME OF THAT. SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THOSE DISCUSSIONS WITH OUR STUDENTS.

I KNOW AT OUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY, WE RECEIVE FEEDBACK FROM ALL OF OUR STAFF NOT JUST ON THE ON THE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS, BUT ON THE ACTUAL GUIDELINES. WE ASK ALL OF OUR MEMBERS OF OUR USER GROUP TO ALSO GET FEEDBACK FROM THEIR PEERS SO THAT THEY CAN REPORT IT BACK TO OUR USER GROUP.

SO THAT WAY WE CAN ADJUST AND DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO.

AND IT'S REALLY HELPED GUIDE A LOT OF OUR WORK.

YEAH. BECAUSE I REALLY THINK THE KIDS SHOULD BE MAKING THEIR MISTAKES WITH AI HERE AND NOT WHEN THEY GET TO COLLEGE BECAUSE THE CONSEQUENCES ARE, YOU KNOW. YEAH. AND SO THIS IS THE FIRST FULL YEAR WHERE SCHOOL WAS OPEN THROUGH SIX THROUGH 12 FOR ALL TEACHERS.

LAST YEAR IT WAS JUST A SMALL PILOT. AND AS WE, AS WE ROLL IT OUT EVEN FURTHER WITH THE STUDENT GUIDELINES AND THE TEACHER GUIDELINES, WE'LL, WE'LL BUILD IN FEEDBACK MECHANISMS FOR BOTH TEACHERS AND STUDENTS AND ALSO PARENTS.

SO THAT WE HAVE A SENSE OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT EVERYONE, YOU KNOW, WHAT EVERYONE'S FEEDBACK THAT CAN FURTHER OUR DISCUSSION.

SURE. YES. THE LIST OF RESOURCES THAT YOU, WELL, I GUESS ARE THESE SLIDES GOING TO BE AVAILABLE? YEP. I WILL MAKE SURE THAT DOCTOR CHAMP HAS THEM FOR THE BOARD DOCS OR WHEREVER YOU GUYS SHARE THEM.

AND I'M ALSO POSTING IT ON OUR WEBSITE. OKAY.

SO IT'S IDENTICAL FROM OUR PARENT PRESENTATION.

THE SAME STUFF WILL BE ALL OUT AND IT WILL, IT'LL BE UNDER THE PARENT AND COMMUNITY TAB. IT'LL BE UNDER TECHNOLOGY, UNDER TEACHING AND LEARNING. OKAY. WE'LL BE SURE TO HAVE THAT COMMUNICATED OUT FOR THE FAMILIES IN THE, IN NEXT WEEK'S UPDATE. LIKE IF YOU ATTENDED OR YOU MISSED, YOU CAN FIND A SLIDE DECK OVER THERE.

OKAY. GREAT, GREAT. IT IS A GREAT PRESENTATION.

YEAH, YEAH, IT REALLY IS. THANK YOU. AND THIS IS PART OF OUR I MEAN, I GUESS JUST TO REMIND PEOPLE, THIS IS MY UNDERSTANDING IS THIS IS PART OF OUR WE ARE PELHAM EDUCATION SERIES.

THAT'S CORRECT. DO YOU WANT TO JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE GOALS OF THAT SERIES, JUST TO REMIND PEOPLE OF BECAUSE THIS IS SUCH A GREAT PRESENTATION.

[01:20:01]

AND I KNOW THAT THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE GOAL OF THE SERIES IS. BUT MAYBE CLAIRE, I GUESS IS THE QUESTION FOR CLAIRE. SORRY. MAYBE JUST REMIND EVERYBODY WHAT THAT IS.

YEAH. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT EMANATED OUT OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN WAYS THAT WE CAN, HOW DO WE TAKE OUR DIFFERENT PRIORITY AREAS AND WORK TO STRENGTHEN TIES ACROSS THE COMMUNITY, NOT JUST WITH OUR STUDENTS AND OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR TEACHERS, BUT ALSO WITH OUR PARENTS AS WELL TO PROVIDE RELEVANT LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARENTS.

AND WE THINK SPECIFICALLY OF OUR ELEMENTARY PARENTS BECAUSE OF THE FOUR SCHOOLS AND WANTING TO STRENGTHEN THOSE TIES ACROSS THE DISTRICT.

SO THAT THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, SHARED LEARNING ACROSS THE DISTRICT, COMMON EXPERIENCES THAT PARENTS AND STUDENTS CAN GET AS THEY'RE PROGRESSING THROUGH THE ELEMENTARY YEARS SO THAT WHEN THEY GET TO MIDDLE SCHOOL, THEY'VE GOT A SIMILAR FOUNDATION AND HOPEFULLY SOME CONNECTIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS THAT MAY BE OUTSIDE OF THEIR OWN SCHOOL. SO THAT'S KIND OF THE, THE GENESIS OF THAT.

THIS WAS CERTAINLY K-12 RELEVANCE, BUT I THINK THAT IT SOUNDED I WAS DOWN THERE FOR THE PRESENTATION, AND IT SEEMED LIKE THERE WAS A LOT OF ELEMENTARY PARENTS THERE.

YEAH. SO REALLY THINKING AHEAD ABOUT THEIR CHILD'S EXPERIENCE, WHICH IS GREAT.

AND I WILL JUST ANOTHER PLUG TO DOCTOR COMERFORD IS GOING TO BE, I THINK.

HAVE WE IDENTIFIED STUDENTS YET OR WE'RE LOOKING FOR OH, WE'VE GOT A COUPLE STUDENTS FROM OUR HIGH SCHOOL IDENTIFIED TO GO TO MIT WITH DOCTOR COMERFORD THIS SUMMER TO TO REPRESENT AND TO BE THOUGHT PARTNERS AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL ON AI POLICY.

THAT'S EXCELLENT. THAT'S COOL. SO COOL. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I REALLY APPRECIATE THE TIME TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THE WORK THAT OUR GROUP HAS DONE.

SO THANK YOU AGAIN. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

GREAT PRESENTATION. EXCELLENT. OKAY. NEXT WE HAVE BOARD OF EDUCATION COMMITTEE

[4.4 Board of Education Committee Reports]

YEP. THAT'S IT. POLICY. NO, WE DIDN'T HAVE POLICY SINCE LAST MEETING.

AND WE TALKED ABOUT BOND STEERING. YEAH. WE'VE HAD BOND STEERING.

YOU SPOKE ABOUT IT. YOU HAD ADVOCACY. YES. WE DID HAVE ADVOCACY.

ADVOCACY. YES, YES. KATHRYN. OH. KATHRYN. OH.

STEPPED AWAY JUST THE RIGHT TIME. SO OUR ADVOCACY COMMITTEE DID MEET LAST WEEK AND WE TALKED ABOUT WE TOOK A DEEP DIVE INTO THE SCOPE SURVEY RESULTS SIMILAR TO WHAT THE BOARD HAD SEEN AT OUR PRIOR PRESENTATION.

SO THE COMMITTEE, I THINK, VERY MUCH APPRECIATED THAT AND SAW THE, THE GROWTH THAT CAME OUT OF THAT.

SO KUDOS TO THEM AND THEIR ADVISORY ROLE WITH US OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

SO GOOD AREAS FOR GROWTH. AND ALEX SHARED A LITTLE BIT OF THE THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE NEXT THINGS WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING.

KATHRYN GAVE US AN UPDATE ON ADVOCACY EFFORTS, THE IMPORTANCE OF THOSE AND WHERE WE WERE SHAPING THOSE ADVOCACY EFFORTS.

AND THEN I BELIEVE WE ENDED WITH THE KIND OF AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE BUDGET ACTIVITIES WERE AND SOME OF THE STRATEGIC THINKING BEHIND THAT.

HOW WE'RE LOOKING TO WHAT, WHAT THE MESSAGE WE'RE LOOKING TO GET ACROSS AND HOW WE'RE LOOKING TO GET THAT ACROSS IN A MORE DIGESTIBLE AND MORE JUST MORE UNDERSTANDABLE WAY THAT RECOGNIZING NOT EVERYONE HAS THE TIME, ENERGY TO GET INTO THE WEEDS ON ALL THE DETAIL.

THEY KIND OF WANT TOP LINE NOTES. THEY WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S IN THE BUDGET.

AND ALSO AT THE SAME TIME MAKING ALL THAT INFORMATION AVAILABLE FOR THOSE WHO DO WANT TO DIG IN DEEPER AS WE AS WE DO, HAVE A VERY SOPHISTICATED COMMUNITY WHEN IT COMES AROUND FINANCE.

SO TRYING TO STRIKE THAT BALANCE AND CONTINUE TO HELP THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTAND THE VALUE THAT THE SCHOOLS ARE BRINGING TO THE COMMUNITY.

YEAH, I JUST WANT TO ADD ONE THING BECAUSE IT JUST TO HIGHLIGHT, I GUESS THAT CAME UP AS WELL IS JUST THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT YOU AND THE TEAM DOES TO GO OUT TO THE COMMUNITY OF WHERE THEY'RE AT AROUND THAT PROCESS.

AND SO MEETING DIFFERENT COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND GROUPS TO DO THAT.

SO THAT WAS IT WAS REALLY JUST GOOD TO HEAR, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, LIKE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE DOING THAT AND STILL THINKING ABOUT HOW CAN WE GO FURTHER? HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE IT'S MORE DIGESTIBLE TO FOLKS BEYOND, YOU KNOW, LIKE BEYOND THE SCHOOL PARENTS, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE HERE. SO ANYWAY, I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE THE WORK THAT HAPPENS TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR ABOUT THE BUDGET, TO BE INFORMED BY IT. WHAT IS THAT? MESSAGING WAS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, CAME UP.

YEAH. I MEAN, BETWEEN NOW AND THE BUDGET VOTE, YOU'LL BASICALLY BE ON A ROAD SHOW, RIGHT? YEAH. SO WE AFFECTIONATELY CALL IT. YES. YEAH.

THAT'LL BE TO ALL OF OUR TAS SEPTA, PTA COUNCIL, ALL OF OUR CIVICS IN THE FORMAL FORMAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, ROTARY, ETC.. I'VE GOT IT. WE JUST SET UP A STAFF MEETING FOR NEXT MONDAY.

[01:25:02]

THAT'S RIGHT. IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR. SO I MEAN, IT'S A GREAT THE GREAT TOUCH POINTS WITH THE COMMUNITY TO STAY, YOU KNOW, TO STAY IN TOUCH, CONTINUE TO BUILD THE RELATIONSHIP. AND AGAIN, HELP THEM TO SEE THE QUALITY EDUCATION THAT STUDENTS IN PELHAM ARE GETTING.

AND EVEN MEETING WITH THE REAL ESTATE AGENTS.

AND I CAN'T REMEMBER, I THINK THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT CAME UP IN OUR CONVERSATION THAT I THOUGHT WAS PARTICULARLY RELEVANT.

I THINK JUST THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT EFFORTS THAT WE'VE BEEN TAKING, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL AROUND DUAL ENROLLMENT AND INCREASING APPS AND THE YOU KNOW, THE PLATINUM DESIGNATION. AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS, THE SEEDS THAT WE PLANTED, YOU KNOW, NINE, TEN YEARS AGO. AND WE STARTED ABOUT INVESTING IN, IN EARLY EDUCATION, INVESTING IN, AT THE YOUNGER LEVEL, EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS IN HIGH SCHOOL ARE WHAT'S DRIVING A LOT OF OUR INCREASED STANDING ON US NEWS AND WORLD REPORTS AND NICHE AND GREAT SCHOOLS. SO WE'RE SEEING THE DIVIDENDS THERE.

AND THAT IS TRANSLATING TO. THAT'S WHAT IT WAS.

WE WE HAD A BRIEF CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW THE HOME PRICES IN THE COMMUNITY ARE IS A NOTABLE SHIFT GOING ON RIGHT NOW, AND THAT THERE COULD BE MANY THINGS. A NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROBABLY IS A PIECE OF THAT HIGHLY RANKED SCHOOLS, INCREASINGLY HIGHLY RANKED SCHOOLS. THAT'S SOMETHING PARENTS LOOK FOR.

SO I THINK ALL THESE THINGS ARE WORKING TOGETHER FOR US, PLUS MANY OTHER THINGS AS WELL.

BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD, I THINK, SHOULD BE PROUD TOO, OF INVESTING IN PRIORITIZING THOSE RESOURCES.

IT IS HAVING AN IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY IN VERY POSITIVE WAYS.

YEAH. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. APPRECIATE THAT.

WE'VE GOT SAFETY COMING UP THIS WEEK. WE'VE GOT ANOTHER BOND HEARING COMING UP 3 OR 4 WEEKS.

YEP. PGA IS COMING UP. PROFESSIONAL PERSONAL GROWTH AND ACHIEVEMENT.

28. THAT'S RIGHT. IT WAS IN THE NEAR FUTURE. SO MAYBE OUTSIDE IF IT'S NICE. OKAY. THAT'S TRUE. WHY NOT? OKAY.

[4.5 Assistant Superintendent's Update on Personal Growth and Achievement]

SPEAKING OF THAT, GREAT. THANK YOU. SO THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR WHERE WE ASK TEACHERS TO THINK DEEPLY ABOUT THE SUMMER CURRICULUM WORK THEY MIGHT DO.

WE SEND OUT A FULL CALL FOR PROPOSALS AND ASK FOR TEACHERS TO WORK INDIVIDUALLY OR IN TEAMS ON PROJECTS THAT IMPACT PREFERABLY MULTIPLE BUILDINGS ALIGNED TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN, DISTRICT PRIORITIES, STATE GUIDANCE AND, AND, AND WE CALL THOSE TOGETHER AND REVIEW THAT WORK.

IN ADDITION TO TEACHER LED WORK, WE ARE ALSO PUTTING OUT A CALL FOR, FOR DISTRICT SUPPORTED PROJECTS THIS YEAR THAT ALIGN WITH STATE GUIDANCE AND MANDATES THAT ARE THAT ARE COMING DOWN AND THAT WE ALSO AGREE WITH AS A DISTRICT.

SO THE ONE PROJECT IS K12 FINANCIAL LITERACY IN WHICH WE ARE TEACHER TEAMS WILL DESIGN COMPREHENSIVE K-12 APPROACH TO MEET THE STATE'S NEW PERSONAL FINANCE REQUIREMENT. AND WE HOPE TO HAVE A, YOU KNOW, DO A GAP ANALYSIS, SEE WHAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING, WHERE THE AREAS FOR GROWTH ARE, AND THEN COME UP WITH AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.

THE NEXT IS K-12 CLIMATE EDUCATION IN ALIGNMENT WITH NEW YORK STATE EDUCATION'S EXPECTATIONS.

AGAIN, LOOKING AT WHERE WE DO THIS WELL ALREADY, AND THEN THINKING ABOUT WHERE WE COULD CREATE A MORE ALIGNED AND SYSTEMIC APPROACH TO CATER TO CLIMATE EDUCATION ACROSS THE GRADE LEVELS.

WE'RE ALSO LOOKING FOR A, A K FIVE TEAM TO THINK DEEPLY ABOUT CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE EDUCATION TO IN ACCORDANCE, IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLAN ON BELONGING AND ENSURING THAT OUR LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS ARE INCLUSIVE AND CREATE A SENSE OF BELONGING FOR ALL STUDENTS. AND THEN FINALLY, WE'RE LOOKING FOR TEACHERS TO PARTICIPATE IN A K 12 REVOLUTIONARY WAR 250 YEAR LOCAL HISTORY INITIATIVE SO THAT WE CAN SPEND, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR ENGAGING STUDENTS ACROSS THE GRADE LEVELS IN OUR OUR LOCAL AND NATIONAL HISTORY ON THIS MOMENTOUS OCCASION.

SO WE'RE EXTREMELY GRATEFUL. THE SUMMER CURRICULUM WORK IS AN IMPORTANT STRATEGIC INVESTMENT.

IT CREATES THE CONDITIONS FOR STRONGER, MORE COHERENT TEACHING AND LEARNING DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR.

AND WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR SUPPORTING THAT IMPORTANT WORK OVER THE SUMMER.

WE ALSO JUST JUST A PLUG. WE HAVE STEM MOVIE NIGHT TOMORROW NIGHT AT THE PALACE PICTURE HOUSE.

[01:30:01]

ALSO STEAM OUR ELEMENTARY TEACHERS, TEAMS, INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES AND ADMINISTRATORS ARE ACTIVELY PREPARING FOR STEAM DAY PLANNED FOR JUNE 11TH, WHICH IS A DAY OF CELEBRATIONS AND DISPLAYING PROJECTS AND PRESENTATIONS, AND THEN AN EVENING FOR FOURTH GRADERS TO DISPLAY THEIR WORK AT HUTCHINSON.

AND THEN I FINALLY WANTED TO SHARE OUR UPDATE FOR STUDENT REGISTRATION, DIGITIZATION OR UPDATING EXISTING REGISTRATION RECORDS. WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS TRANSITION FROM PAPER BASED TO STUDENT DIGITAL REGISTRATION AND RECORDS.

THE IMPLEMENTATION IMPLEMENTATION IS UNDERWAY.

WE DID HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL DELAYS BECAUSE WE HAD TO HIRE A NEW REGISTRAR AND TRAIN THE NEW REGISTRAR AND GET THAT GOING, BUT THE PROCESS HAS BEGUN AS PLANNED WITH OUR INCOMING NEXT YEAR'S INCOMING NINTH GRADE FAMILIES.

AND THEN ONCE THEY'RE ALMOST COMPLETE, WE'LL MOVE ON TO SIXTH GRADE.

AND SO RIGHT NOW AS OF APRIL 15TH, 31% OF STUDENTS IN THE INCOMING NINTH GRADE CLASS HAVE RESPONDED AND UPDATED THEIR RECORDS.

VERY GRATEFUL TO THOSE WHO'VE RESPONDED QUICKLY.

THAT'S 71 FAMILIES. WE STILL HAVE AN OUTSTANDING 156.

AND THEN BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE FAMILIES WHO DID IT HAD SIBLINGS, 4% OF OUR INCOMING SIXTH GRADE CLASS IS ALSO COMPLETE.

AND SO WE'RE LOOKING WE, WE ARE LOOKING AT HOW CAN WE INCREASE OUR COMMUNICATION AROUND THIS? THANKS TO ALEX, HE PARTNERS WITH US AND HELP SEND OUT REMINDERS REGULARLY.

WE HAVE SENT OUT MESSENGER REMINDERS AND NOW WE ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGING ONE ON ONE WITH FAMILIES, WHICH IS PEOPLE ARE RESPONDING. SO JUST A BLATANT CALL AND A REQUEST TO PLEASE DO RESPOND.

IT IS, IT IS A VERY EFFICIENT AND QUICK PROCESS OF JUST UPDATING THE DIGITAL RECORDS AND CONFIRMING WHAT WE HAVE IN OUR SYSTEM. AND IT'S AN IMPORTANT STEP TOWARDS IMPROVING OUR RECORD ACCURACY, ACCESSIBILITY AND JUST THE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY OF THE DISTRICT.

SO WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL TO EVERYONE WHO HAS ALREADY DONE SO.

AND WE ARE IN ADVANCE, GRATEFUL TO THOSE WHO WE KNOW ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO RESPOND AND UPDATE THEIR RECORDS.

THANK YOU. OKAY. NEXT WE HAVE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENTS UPDATE ON BELONGING AND WELLNESS.

[4.6 Assistant Superintendent's Update on Belonging and Wellness]

WE DO OUR BEST TO HONOR PARENT REQUESTS TO MOVE MEETINGS, BUT IT'S REALLY HARD.

YOU HAVE TO STICK TO THE SCHEDULE. I THINK BETWEEN MARCH AND APRIL WE'VE ALREADY HELD OVER 400 MEETINGS, SO FITTING THEM IN AND GETTING EVERYONE AVAILABLE IS, IS REALLY A CHALLENGE.

BUT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, THANKFUL WE'RE ABLE TO DO SO THANKFUL TO THE STAFF.

AND THE CHAIR PEOPLE WHO DO ALL THE WORK, GETTING READY FOR THE MEETINGS AS WELL AS MY SECRETARIES WHO SENT OUT INVITATIONS THE MTSCL COMMITTEE MET LAST, LAST TUESDAY. AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO OUR WORK ON THE BUILD OUT OF THE PLAN. WE'LL HAVE TWO MORE MEETINGS THIS YEAR TO ROUND OUT OUR WORK, AND WE'RE HOPEFUL BY JUNE WE'LL HAVE A DRAFT OF A PLAN THAT WILL SERVE AS AN ADDENDUM TO THE OVERALL PLAN. SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

WE WILL BE MEETING NEXT TUESDAY WITH OUR DISTRICT REQUIRED PILOT COMMITTEE IN TERMS OF PILOTING OUR CURRICULUM THAT WE IDENTIFIED. SO WE PLAN TO SHARE MORE ABOUT THAT INFORMATION AS THAT UNFOLDS AND SEE HOW PEOPLE RESPOND TO THE PLATFORM AND THAT PILOT AS, AS TERMS OF ARE ALSO CONTINUED SCHOOL WORK AND DATA WORK WITH BOCES PARTNERS. THE GRANT IS COMING TO A CLOSE THIS YEAR.

IT WAS A TWO YEAR GRANT AS THE GRANT COMES TO A CLOSE.

DOCTOR COMERFORD AND I ARE WORKING ON SUBMITTING OUR DATA THAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO GIVE TO BOCES IN TERMS OF THE INFORMATION THEY WANT FROM US, AND THEN THEY PUSH THAT DATA UP TO THE STATE.

WE'RE ALSO MAKING SURE WE'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ANY MONIES THAT ARE STILL AROUND FOR US TO USE IN TERMS OF THE GRANT.

[01:35:01]

WE'LL GET SOME IPADS, WHITEBOARDS. SO WE'RE NOT LEAVING ANYTHING ON THE TABLE.

WE'RE GOING TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF WHAT WE CAN FROM THE GRANT.

IN I MET WITH OUR SEPTA CO-PRESIDENTS LAST WEEK AS WELL TO REFLECT ON THE CURRENT YEAR AND THE FINAL SEPTA MEETING, AS DOCTOR CHAMP MENTIONED, IS SCHEDULED FOR NEXT TUESDAY WHERE DOCTOR CHAMP IS MAYBE OUR FIRST ROAD SHOW STOP.

SEPTA. NO, SECOND. SECOND. AND DOCTOR CHAMP WILL BE SHARING WITH THE SPECIAL EDUCATION PARENTS AND SEPTA ABOUT THE THE BUDGET. THE CO-PRESIDENT SHARED THAT IT'S BEEN A VERY SUCCESSFUL YEAR AND THEY NOTED A LOT OF IMPROVED COLLABORATION WITH BUILDING LEVEL PTA ORGANIZATIONS. SEPTA CONTINUES TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROVIDING ZEN ZONES AT PTA EVENTS WHICH HAVE BECOME REALLY POPULAR. AND ALSO SEPTA WILL BE SPONSORING TWO SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS FOR THIS YEAR'S GRADUATION.

THEY'RE WORKING WITH MR. LLEWELLYN ON THAT. WE ALSO DISCUSSED THEIR EVOLVING PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN SEPTA AND BUILDING BRIDGES.

BUILDING BRIDGES SORT OF WAS A LITTLE BIT ON ITS OWN.

AND I THINK SEPTA IS GETTING A LITTLE BIT MORE INVOLVED AND FOLDING IN FOLDING IN THAT PROGRAM WITH SEPTA, JUST SO WE COULD HAVE A MORE FLUID PROGRAMING ACROSS THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.

SO THAT IS EXCITING. AND I'M THANKFUL FOR THE SEPTA CO-PRESIDENTS WORK IN TERMS OF THAT.

IN TERMS OF SCHOOL COUNSELING, IT IS ALSO A VERY BUSY TIME.

AP TEST PREP IS UNDERWAY. AS EMERSON MENTIONED, A LOT OF STUDENTS ARE GETTING READY FOR AP EXAMS. WE'RE OFFERING A LOT OF EXAMS ACROSS. WE'RE GOING TO BE OFFERING 18 DIFFERENT AP EXAMS ACROSS SUBJECT AREAS.

BUT WHEN WE TALLY IT UP, WE'RE GOING TO BE ADMINISTERING OVER A THOUSAND EXAMS TO OUR STUDENTS.

SO THAT IS A LOT OF PREPARATION, A LOT OF WORK.

SO I KNOW MR. FARRELL AND HIS DEPARTMENT ARE WORKING VIGOROUSLY TO GET READY FOR ALL OF THAT.

AND THANK YOU FOR THAT WORK. I KNOW IT'S A LOT.

THE COUNSELING DEPARTMENT HAS ALSO BEEN ENGAGED IN THEIR CONTINUING EFFORTS AROUND CAREER AWARENESS.

LAST FRIDAY, THEY HAD A WORKSHOP WHICH FOCUSED ON CAREERS IN FORENSICS.

AGAIN, THIS IS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CIVICS. AND THE LAST CAREER WORKSHOP AGAIN WILL BE THE FINAL ONE WILL BE JUNE 5TH.

AND THAT'S HIGHLIGHTING CAREERS IN THE TRADES AND LAW ENFORCEMENT.

SCHOOL COUNSELORS ALSO HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH JUNIORS.

SO PUSHING IN AND TALKING ABOUT AGAIN, GETTING READY FOR THE COLLEGE PROCESS.

THEY'RE ALSO MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE THE JUNIORS ARE USING SCORE AND THAT PLATFORM IN TERMS OF DOING COLLEGE EXPLORATION AND GETTING READY FOR ESSAYS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. AND MR. FARRELL WILL BE HOSTING A COLLEGE FAIR THAT'S GOING TO BE HELD HERE IN JUNE AS WELL.

AND SOME OF THE COLLEGES THAT WILL BE ATTENDING HE MENTIONED ARE NOTRE DAME, WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY AND UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO.

AND LASTLY, OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNSELING STAFF HAVE STARTED THEIR ROADSHOW VISITING ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, SPEAKING TO OUR FIFTH GRADERS REGARDING TRANSITIONING TO MIDDLE SCHOOL.

AND AND AGAIN, ALSO WE ARE GETTING READY TO OPEN UP SCORE TO OUR EIGHTH GRADERS.

SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT MR. FARRELL AND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNSELORS ARE WORKING ON IN THE COUNSELING DEPARTMENT AND THAT'S IT.

THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS UPDATE ON HUMAN RESOURCES AND LEADERSHIP.

[4.7 Executive Director's Update on Human Resources and Leadership]

SO WE'RE STARTING SOME OF THAT TRANSITION PLANNING IN MY OFFICE RIGHT NOW.

THE FIRST IS I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT MISSUS MANGONE AND HAS BEEN ABLE TO FIND FIVE TRANSITION DAYS THIS SPRING WHERE SHE'S ACTUALLY GOING TO BE AT THE SIWANOY SCHOOL.

THE FIRST ONE WAS TODAY WITH THE GOAL OF SHADOWING MRS. KRAMER GILBERT, MEETING AND BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH TEACHERS AND FAMILIES AND STUDENTS.

SO I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT THAT IS NOW UNDERWAY AND IT'S PLANNED.

THE SIWANOY PTA HAS BEEN AMAZING AND THEY'RE GOING TO HELP ME PLAN A MEET AND GREET PARENT COFFEE FOR HER IN JUNE SO THAT FAMILIES GET A CHANCE TO MEET MRS. MANGONE AS WELL. SO THAT'LL BE A NICE WAY TO SET HER UP SO THAT SHE HAS THE ABILITY TO THEN PUT IN HER ENTRY PLAN WHEN SHE STARTS IN JULY.

[01:40:06]

OUR TASK FORCE HAS BEEN REALLY BUSY THIS YEAR.

WE ARE GOING INTO OUR NEXT AND SUPPOSEDLY FINAL MEETING.

WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE ABOUT THAT NEXT WEEK, WE'RE IN THAT STAGE OF OUR OF OUR DEVELOPMENT, OF OUR PLAN, WHERE WE ARE NOW GATHERING INPUT FROM TEACHERS.

SO WE ARE IMPLEMENTING A NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY WHERE WE'RE ASKING SOME IMPORTANT QUESTIONS AROUND LENGTH OF EVALUATION CYCLES, DIFFERENT KIND OF MULTIPLE MEASURES THAT TEACHERS MAY FEEL WILL BE GOOD MEASURES TO SHOW THEIR INSTRUCTIONAL STRENGTHS AND THEIR GROWTH.

AND THAT NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY IS BEING ADMINISTERED TO ELEMENTARY TEACHERS TOMORROW.

AND I'M THANKFUL TO MRS. GARCIA AND DOCTOR CARR, WHO WILL BE LEADING THEIR OWN SCHOOLS.

BUT WE HAVE TASK FORCE MEMBERS WHO WILL BE AT THE OTHER SCHOOLS PROVIDING AN OVERVIEW AND FACILITATING THAT, AND THEN WE'LL BE CARRYING THAT FORWARD INTO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL.

SO THE IDEA IS FOR THE COMMITTEE TO COME TOGETHER, LOOK AT THE DATA GATHERED FROM THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY AND USE THAT AS INPUT AS WE WORK TO DEVELOP OUR PLAN. OUR GOAL STILL IS TO DEVELOP OUR NEW NEW YORK STEPS EVALUATION PLAN NEXT YEAR.

IT WILL NOT GO INTO EFFECT NEXT YEAR. WE WILL REMAIN WITH OUR CURRENT APPR PLAN.

BUT THE IDEA WOULD BE FOR TASK MEMBERS TO SORT OF PILOT DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF THE PLAN TO SEE HOW THEY WORK.

WHAT PITFALLS DO WE HAVE? WHAT DO WE NEED TO THINK MORE DEEPLY ABOUT SO THAT WHEN WE GO TO SUBMIT OUR PLAN, HOPEFULLY MARCH OF 2027, THAT IT THEN BECOMES APPROVED BY THE STATE OF NEW YORK? SO THAT IS STILL OUR GOAL. THE TASK FORCE MEMBERS ARE THEY THEY WANT THIS TO HAPPEN.

THEY'RE REALLY EXCITED FOR THE CHANGE. THEY ARE INVESTED IN THE PROCESS AS WELL AS AND I THINK THAT THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT PIECE BECAUSE HAVING TEACHER VOICE AT THE TABLE WHEN IT COMES TO THE EVALUATION OF TEACHERS MAKES IT MORE MEANINGFUL.

SO WE'RE WORKING ON IDENTIFYING OUR VISION, IDENTIFYING OUR MULTIPLE MEASURES.

AND THEN FROM THERE WE'LL DO ALL THE NEAT AND TIDY RUBRICS AND SCORING AND ALL OF THE 60 PAGES OF THE APPLICATION FOR THE STATE TO HOPEFULLY GET THAT APPROVED NEXT YEAR.

BUT I DID WANT TO MENTION THAT BECAUSE THESE FOLKS HAVE WORKED REALLY HARD THIS YEAR TO GET TO THIS POINT.

AND I THINK IT'S TO BE COMMENDED BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE A BIG, HEAVY LIFT, BUT WE HAVE SOME GREAT MEMBERS ON THE TEAM.

SO HOPEFULLY MORE TO COME IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS FOR THAT.

AND THEN LASTLY, I DO WANT TO MENTION THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY BITTERSWEET TO SEE MARIA ABESHOUSE RETIRE AT THE END OF THIS YEAR.

MR. LLEWELLYN AND MISS SABIA HAVE ALREADY INTERVIEWED CANDIDATES.

AND TONIGHT ON THE BOARD AGENDA, YOU WILL SEE THAT WE ARE LOOKING TO APPOINT THOMAS MALONEY AS THE NEXT MUSIC CHORAL DIRECTOR UP HERE AT THE SECONDARY CAMPUS.

SO IT'S EVERYTHING'S STARTING STARTING TO COME FULL CIRCLE AS WE CLOSE OUT ONE SCHOOL YEAR AND BEGINNING TO START THINKING ABOUT SHE HAS SHE'S BIG SHOES TO FILL FOR SURE. BUT DOCTOR COMERFORD AND I WERE ABLE TO MEET MR. MALONEY, AND WE THINK HE'LL BE A NICE ADDITION TO OUR PELHAM COMMUNITY.

GREAT. THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENTS UPDATE ON FACILITIES AND SUSTAINABLE

[4.8 Assistant Superintendent's Update on Facilities and Sustainable Learning Environments]

SO ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT, WE DO HAVE BUDGET ADOPTION FOR THE, THE BUDGET THAT WILL PUT BEFORE THE COMMUNITY.

SO WE HAVE SOME INFORMATION ON THAT. I'LL GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT LATER ON.

AND I KNOW WE'VE GOT A SMALL PRESENTATION. WHEN THAT ITEM COMES UP ON THE BOARD AGENDA, AS MENTIONED EARLIER, WE DID HAVE OUR BOND STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING LAST WEEK.

RIGHT NOW OUR WORK IS OUT TO BID. SO WHICH IS GREAT WITH OUR WITH OUR VENDORS, WE'RE GOING TO BE GETTING THOSE BIDS BACK ON APRIL 7TH, EXCUSE ME, MAY 7TH. AND ONCE THOSE BIDS COME BACK, THEY'LL BE ANALYZED.

THEY'LL BE A RECOMMENDATION MADE BY OUR CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AND ARCHITECTURAL TEAM, HOPEFULLY FOR AN AWARD IN THE MAY TIME PERIOD SO THAT WE CAN GET SOME OF THAT WORK DONE AT COLONIAL AND PROSPECT HILL FOR THE UPCOMING SUMMER.

JUST TO KIND OF REMIND PEOPLE, SOME OF THAT WORK INCLUDES A NEW NEW ROOF AT PROSPECT HILL.

OTHER WORK INCLUDED HVAC SYSTEMS, WHICH INCLUDED AIR CONDITIONING AT BOTH SCHOOLS MOVING THE HEATING SYSTEMS TO HYDRONIC HEAT VERSUS STEAM HEAT AND NEW WINDOWS. WE DON'T EXPECT TO SEE NEW WINDOWS HAPPENING THIS, THIS UPCOMING SUMMER.

THOSE THINGS HAVE A BIT OF A LEAD TIME. SO THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE EXPECTED TO HAPPEN NEXT SUMMER.

SOME OF THE HVAC WORK, THERE COULD BE SOME PREP WORK THAT BEGINS AND SOME OF THAT WORK COULD ALSO HAPPEN IN THE AFTERNOONS WHEN SCHOOL IS NOT IN SESSION DURING.

DURING THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, AT THE AT LOCATIONS AND IF SUCCESSFUL, IT WOULD CONTINUE.

IF NOT, WE'D HAVE TO REASSESS AND SEE IF WE CAN BELIEVE WE CAN MAKE THAT WORK HAPPEN SUCCESSFULLY OR NOT.

[01:45:04]

AND THEN WE'VE GOT A COLONIAL SCHOOL, WE'VE GOT A SMALL ROOF PROJECT AND THE SAME WORK, THE, THE HVAC AND THE, AND THE, AND THE WORK ON THE EXTERIOR, THE WATERPROOFING ON THE EXTERIOR.

SO WE'RE GOING TO LEARN A LOT MORE IN THE, IN THE MAY TIME PERIOD.

AND THAT WAS SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT AT THE BOND STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING. TODAY, A NOTIFICATION WENT OUT TO PARENTS BASED ON SOME TRI ANNUAL TRI ANNUAL.

YEAH, LEAD TESTING EVERY THREE YEARS, NOT THREE TIMES A YEAR THAT WE ARE REQUIRED TO PERFORM PER STATE, PER STATE REGULATIONS BASED ON ALL WATER THAT'S POTABLE.

SO POTABLE BEING WATER THAT THAT PEOPLE CAN DRINK.

THAT LEVEL USED TO BE 15 PARTS PER MILLION. THREE YEARS AGO IT WAS REDUCED TO FIVE PARTS PER MILLION, WHICH IS THE CURRENT TESTING LEVEL. PARTS PER BILLION.

EXCUSE ME, WAS THE TESTING LEVEL. WE DID FIND THAT THERE WERE 11 SITES WHERE WE FOUND EXCEEDANCES.

OF THAT, APPROXIMATELY HALF OF THOSE SITES WILL BE POSTED AS NON POTABLE WATER, AND THEY WILL BE TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE FOR THAT FOR FOR USE OF DRINKING WATER.

AND OF THOSE OTHER ITEMS WE HAVE TO CONDUCT SOME SORT OF REMEDIATION.

AND WHAT DOES REMEDIATION LOOK LIKE. IT CAN INCLUDE PUTTING A FILTER ON THAT PARTICULAR SAY IT'S A WATER FOUNTAIN OR OR A SINK.

IT COULD ALSO INCLUDE REINSTALLATION OR REMOVAL OF THE FIXTURE AND THEN RETESTING SO BEFORE IT'S PUT IN.

SO RIGHT NOW IT'S BEEN TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE. IF IT'S, IF IT HAS NOT HAD A SIGN THAT SAYS NOT POTABLE WATER.

AND IF WE, IF WE WANT TO PUT IT BACK INTO SERVICE FOR CONSUMPTION, WE NEED TO HAVE IT RETESTED AT THAT POINT IN TIME.

SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE, WE'VE HAD TO DO FOR YEARS AND YEARS.

I BELIEVE THERE WAS AN ARTICLE IN THE DECEMBER TIME PERIOD. I THINK AT THAT POINT IN TIME, THERE WERE ABOUT 40 SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE LOWER HUDSON VALLEY AREA THAT HAD BEEN THAT HAD AREAS IDENTIFIED WITH LEAD IN THEIR IN THEIR DRINKING WATER.

AND IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT THAT HAPPENS AND IT'S SOMETHING WHERE YOU DO THIS.

IT'S IDENTIFIED, YOU KNOW WHAT, IT'S THERE. AND YOU WORK AND YOU WORK TO REMEDIATE IT. SO.

BUT BASED ON THOSE EXCEEDANCES, WE'RE REQUIRED TO SEND OUT NOTIFICATIONS TO PARENTS. SO ALL OF THAT HAS BEEN SENT OUT AND ON THE WEB PAGE UNDER THE PARENT NOTIFICATION SECTION, ALL THE INFORMATION IS THERE AS WELL. CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? NOT ALL 11 OF THEM WERE DRINKING. NO, NOT ALL 11 OF THEM WERE WERE DRINKING.

AND AGAIN, WE HAD FOUR EXCEEDANCES AT HUTCHINSON SCHOOL, ALL NEW FIXTURES.

SO IT'S IT'S HARD TO PREDICT. COLONIAL AND SIWANOY DIDN'T HAVE ANY EXCEEDANCES JIM, DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH LIKE THE JUST THE OLD PIPING IN THE GROUND, LIKE WHAT'S FEEDING THE SCHOOLS? OR WE JUST DON'T KNOW. WE REALLY DON'T KNOW. I MEAN, I THINK WHEN YOU TALK TO SOME PEOPLE, WHEN THEY SAY LEAD FREE, IT MAY NOT MEAN COMPLETELY LEAD FREE FIXTURE, THAT THERE MAY BE TRACES AND THE DETECTABLE LEVEL IS 0.5, 0.45 PARTS PER BILLION.

RIGHT. SO IT'S IT'S A IT'S A HIGH THRESHOLD. AND THAT'S INTENTIONAL.

AND WE'RE GOING TO MEET THAT STANDARD OR WE'RE GOING TO REMOVE THAT ITEM FROM FROM BEING AVAILABLE FOR FOLKS TO USE.

INTERESTING. WE HAVE STUDENT SHOWERS. WE HAVE TO WE HAVE TO LABEL THE THE SHOWERS AS WELL OR TEST THEM.

YEAH. IT'S SO WE DIDN'T TEST THEM. WE JUST LABELED THEM.

EVERYTHING THAT'S LABELED NON-POTABLE DOESN'T MEAN THEY'VE ALL THEY ALL HAVE LEAD. IT JUST MEANS WE MAY NOT HAVE TESTED. WE DIDN'T HAVE TO BECAUSE THERE'S THERE'S AN EXPENSE TO THAT AS WELL. ON FRIDAY, WE ARE HAVING A DISTRICT WIDE SAFETY TEAM MEETING.

WE FOUND A SPOT AT HUTCHINSON SCHOOL IN THEIR MAKERSPACE.

SO FOR DOCTOR COMERFORD, THAT'S WHERE WE'VE GOTTEN.

SO WE HAVE THAT FROM 8 TO 9:00. OUR AGENDA HAS BEEN SET FOR SOME TIME.

ONE OF THE ITEMS WAS A DEBRIEF OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN EDGEMONT.

SO WE'RE MODIFYING OUR BRIEFING TO INCLUDE WHAT HAPPENED IN PELHAM.

AND AGAIN, JUST TO KIND OF SUMMARIZE WHAT WHAT'S HAPPENED BEFORE OR WHAT WE'VE SAID BEFORE, YOU KNOW, A LARGE PART OF OUR WORK IS TO MAKE SURE WE BUILD INTERNAL CAPACITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT FOLKS THAT ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE AND THEY KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN, WHEN AN EMERGENCY HAPPENS OR SOMETHING AND PEOPLE NEED TO ACT.

SO I THINK WE SAW A NICE NICE EXAMPLES OF THAT YESTERDAY, UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAD TO SEE THAT DOESN'T MEAN OUR WORK IS DONE.

IT JUST MEANS WE'RE HOPEFULLY THAT, THAT LETS US KNOW WE'RE KIND OF DOING A LOT OF THE RIGHT THINGS, BUT WE ALWAYS DEBRIEF AFTER THIS. WE COME UP, WE, WE'RE CRITICAL OF OURSELVES.

AND WE TRY TO, WE TRY TO DO BETTER. AND ALSO WE LEARN FROM OTHER SCHOOLS AS WELL WHEN THEY, WHEN THINGS HAPPEN. SO IT'S ALL PART OF THAT PROCESS AGAIN, TO, TO TRY TO DO BETTER EVERY TIME.

THIS EVENING, THE BOARD IS GOING TO BE ASKED AGAIN TO TO APPROVE A PRELIMINARY BUDGET TO A PROPOSED BUDGET SO THAT THE BIGGEST CHANGE IN THE BUDGET REALLY WAS THE REMOVAL OF THE DEBT SERVICE FOR THE BAN.

THAT WAS A REDUCTION OF 900. THE EXPENSE BUDGET, A REDUCTION OF 991,250, $991,250.

[01:50:08]

AS WE LOOK AT THE TIMING OF THE PROJECT, WE DON'T SEE THAT HAPPENING IN THE JUNE TIME PERIOD.

WE SEE THAT HAPPENING IN THE JULY TIME PERIOD.

SO REALLY, IT'S NOT THAT THIS IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

IT'S A MATTER OF TIMING. OVER THE COURSE OF ONE MONTH.

ALSO IN THE ORIGINAL BUDGET, WE HAD PROPOSED FUNDING THAT THE INTEREST PAYMENT WITH THE USE OF FUND BALANCE OR DEBT SERVICE RESERVE, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT HAPPENING. WE REMOVE THAT FUNDING.

SO WE'RE PROPOSING REMOVING THAT FUNDING SOURCE AS WELL.

SO IT'S KIND OF WE REDUCE THE EXPENSE SIDE BY 9912 50 RELATED TO THE BAN OR THE BOND ANTICIPATION NOTE.

AND WE REDUCE THAT FUNDING SOURCE OR THE USE OF THAT FUND BALANCE BY THE EQUAL AMOUNT.

THE PROPOSED TAX LEVY THAT WAS PUT FORWARD, PUT FORWARD IN THE ORIGINAL BUDGET REMAINS THE SAME AT 3.72% FOR THE YEAR.

AND THIS IS REALLY NOT A SHIFT OF NOT USING THAT FUND, THOSE FUND BALANCE DOLLARS FOR THE DEBT.

IT'S IT'S A IT'S A PUSH TO NEXT YEAR. SO AND WE WOULD ANTICIPATE NEEDING THOSE MONIES NEXT YEAR WHEN WE OR FOR THE FOR THE 2027 2028 BUDGET. WHEN WE'RE FUNDING THOSE THOSE INTEREST PAYMENTS.

SO IT'S AGAIN, IT SOUNDS LIKE A BIG AMOUNT. WHY ISN'T THE BUDGET BEING REDUCED? THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WHERE THAT COMES FROM. WE WEREN'T USING TAX DOLLARS TO PAY FOR THE INTEREST PAYMENT OF THAT OF THAT INTEREST.

WE WERE USING FUND BALANCE OR ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT IT.

YOUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT. SO I HOPE THAT HELPS YOU.

THAT, THAT GIVES PEOPLE A KIND OF A VISUAL, VISUAL WAY TO SEE HOW THAT HAPPENED.

ALSO WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT, WE HAD A FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING ON FRIDAY MORNING TO KIND OF GO OVER THE FINAL NUMBERS OF THE BUDGET.

THERE WERE SOME CHANGES FROM WHEN THE BUDGET WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED IN FEBRUARY. AND I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT THERE'LL BE CHANGES TO WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT NEXT YEAR FROM THE BUDGET THAT'S ADOPTED TONIGHT TO THE BUDGET THAT'S APPROVED BY THE VOTERS.

THE EVENTUAL BUDGET THAT'S APPROVED BY THE VOTERS. AND THAT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST WHAT HAPPENS.

SO WE, WE MENTIONED AT THE LAST MEETING, WE HAD AN IDENTIFIED STUDENT NEED THAT WE ARE UNAWARE OF WHEN THE ORIGINAL BUDGET WAS DEVELOPED.

WE BECAME MADE AWARE OF IT. WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT AND INCLUDED THAT IN THE BUDGET.

THERE'S ALSO ADDS AND TAKES. SO SOMETIMES IT'S UP, SOMETIMES IT'S DOWN.

BUT AGAIN WE HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET. WE'RE TAX CAP COMPLIANT BUDGET.

AND WE BELIEVE WE'RE ABLE TO ADDRESS ALL OF THOSE ALL OF THOSE VARIANCES THAT HAPPEN FROM THE FROM THE PROPOSED BUDGET, PRELIMINARY BUDGET TO THE PROPOSED BUDGET THAT THE BOARD THAT WILL BE BEFORE THE BOARD THIS EVENING.

OUR SCHEDULE WISE, WE STARTED IN FEBRUARY. WE'RE AT APRIL 21ST.

YOU'RE GOING TO SEE SOMETHING ON THE SCREEN WHERE WE'RE A LITTLE BIT.

WE'RE ABOUT HALFWAY THERE WITH WITH THE PUBLIC MEETINGS WITH.

REGARDING THE BUDGET. AND AS DOCTOR CHAMP MENTIONED, THERE'S A, THERE'S A, A DEDICATED ROAD SHOW WHERE WE WILL GO AND EXPLAIN THE BUDGET TO FOLKS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, PTAS. WE'VE MADE A LOT OF GREAT PEOPLE IN DOING THIS, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN SHARE INFORMATION AND GIVE PEOPLE INFORMATION THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR AND BETTER UNDERSTANDING THE BUDGET. I LED TESTING ONE OTHER ITEM AFTER THE BOARD APPROVES A BUDGET TONIGHT. THEY'RE GOING TO BE ASKED TO APPROVE THE PROPERTY TAX REPORT CARD.

THAT ALSO INCLUDES A SCHEDULE OF RESERVES. THAT IS AN ESTIMATE AT THIS POINT IN TIME, BASED ON THE MARCH 31ST FORECAST AND ALSO A RECOMMENDATION OF WHERE, WHERE THOSE WHERE THE WHERE THE RESERVES OR THE FUND BALANCE IS LAND AT THE END OF THE YEAR.

THAT, OF COURSE, IS BOUND, IS LEAVES IN THE HAND IS LEFT IN THE HANDS TO FINAL APPROVAL OF THE SCHOOL BOARD.

SO THESE ARE JUST ESTIMATES AT THIS POINT IN TIME BASED ON OUR MARCH 31ST OUR MARCH 31ST FORECAST.

THERE'S A TAX SURCHARGE UP FOR SETTLEMENT THIS EVENING.

IT'S NOT, NOT A LARGE ONE. THERE WAS OF COURSE REMEMBER THE LARGER ONE IN IN DECEMBER.

BUT THIS ONE HAS BEEN AROUND FOR SOME TIME, AND NOW IT'S BEEN RECOMMENDED BY COUNCIL THAT WE SHARE WITH THE TOWN OF PELHAM TO SETTLE THIS PARTICULAR THIS PARTICULAR CASE, AS YOU'LL SEE. I HAD SAFETY, I HAD THE PROPERTY TAX REPORT CARD.

WE TALKED ABOUT LEAD. WE TALKED ABOUT THE BUDGET. I THINK I THINK WE'RE THERE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

[01:55:02]

YES, JIM. JIM JUST SAVED US SOME TIME. REALLY? YEAH. THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN A LOT.

YES. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE THE DETAILED OVERVIEW THAT ACTUALLY HONESTLY DOES SAVE SOME OF THE UPDATES.

SO JUST A VERY BRIEF PRESENTATION. I KNOW THE BOARD HAS SEEN MUCH OF THIS, BUT TONIGHT IS OUR BUDGET ADOPTION NIGHT.

SO I ALWAYS LIKE TO GO THROUGH FOR ONE LAST TIME KIND OF THE BROAD STROKES OVERVIEW.

AS JACKIE SHARED WITH US THE GUIDANCE THAT WAS GIVEN TO US FROM THE START OF THIS PROCESS IN OCTOBER IS WHAT WE AIMED FOR.

AND WE BELIEVE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DELIVER ON THAT.

SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THOSE PARAMETERS. THIS WAS A CHALLENGING BUDGET, AS WE'LL TALK ABOUT BECAUSE OF MANY HEADWINDS COMING OUR WAY.

BUT WE ARE PROUD OF THE BUDGET AND THAT WE BELIEVE IT DOES STILL PROVIDE SUPPORT OUR VALUES AND FURTHERS THE STRATEGIC PLAN.

AS WE WERE TALKING EARLIER. OUR SCHOOLS ARE TURNING OUT INCREDIBLE RESULTS FOR OUR STUDENTS.

WE CONTINUE TO SEE GROWTH AND WE SEE THE, THE BENEFITS AND THE RESULTS OF INVESTMENTS IN OUR EARLIEST LEARNERS, INVESTMENTS IN OUR PROGRAMS AND INVESTMENTS IN RICH OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THEIR K-12 EXPERIENCE, AND THAT IS PAYING OFF FOR OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STATURE AS A DISTRICT AS A WHOLE.

SO JUST A SHORT LIST HERE OF SOME OF THE MANY THINGS THAT WE OFFER FOR OUR STUDENTS, MOST ESPECIALLY PERSONALIZED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AND SCHOOL CULTURES THAT WORK TO CREATE A SENSE OF BELONGING FOR ALL, AND TO CHALLENGE EACH STUDENT TO ACHIEVE THEIR HIGHEST LEVEL OF EXCELLENCE.

AS WE TALKED IN PRIOR BUDGET DISCUSSIONS, WE HAVE HAD SIGNIFICANT DRIVERS THIS YEAR, HEADWINDS THAT ARE MADE, STAYING WITHIN THE TAX CAP VERY CHALLENGING. THESE FOUR AREAS REPRESENT THOSE THAT HAD THE BIGGEST COST INCREASES FOR US AND THAT ARE LARGELY OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL.

WE'VE DONE A REALLY WE'VE WORKED REALLY HARD TO CONTROL THOSE THINGS THAT WE CAN.

BUT THESE ARE THINGS THAT EITHER THROUGH, YOU KNOW, PRIOR AGREEMENTS THAT ARE IN PLACE OR ESCALATION AND COST THAT IS BEYOND OUR CONTROL, SUCH AS HEALTH CARE, SPECIAL EDUCATION, TRANSPORTATION THAT WE'VE SEEN INCREASES BEYOND INFLATION, BEYOND CONSUMER PRICE INDEX AND BEYOND THE GROWTH THAT'S ALLOWED IN THE TAX LEVY.

SO AS YOU RECALL FROM OUR PRIOR PRESENTATION, OUR ORIGINAL BUDGET PROPOSAL TO YOU WAS JUST OVER $99 MILLION, WITH AN EXPENSE BUDGET INCREASE OF $2.8 MILLION, 2.91% YEAR TO YEAR BUDGET INCREASE FOR THE PROPOSED TAX COMPLIANT LEVY INCREASE OF 3.72%. THAT WAS THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE, AND THAT IS WHAT WE WERE PROPOSING TO YOU.

AND JIM'S REALLY TOUCHED ON THIS IS THE AREA OF TIME SAVINGS FOR US.

SINCE OUR LAST CONVERSATION ABOUT THE BUDGET, YOU PROVIDED ADDITIONAL DIRECTION TO US ABOUT SOME THINGS THAT YOU WANTED US TO GO BACK AND KIND OF TWEAK A LITTLE BIT AND PUT BACK IN THE BUDGET.

AND ALSO JIM'S OFFICE AND, AND I WOULD SAY TRACY'S OFFICE AS WELL, A LOT OF WORK HAS BEEN DONE TO REFINE SOME COSTS AND GET UPDATED BOTH ON THE REVENUE AS WELL AS THE EXPENDITURE SIDE. SO AS JIM TALKED ABOUT THE CHANGE IN APPROACH TO THE BAN WE DID SEE SOME INCREASING SPECIAL EDUCATION COSTS AGAIN THAT WERE MENTIONED AND THE RESPECTIVE TRANSPORTATION COSTS, BUT WE ALSO DID GET SOME RIGHT SIZING ON OTHER SPECIAL EDUCATION COSTS THERE AS WELL.

OUR CONVERSATION LAST TIME THE AREAS THAT THE BOARD HAD POINTED TO WERE SOME CONTRACTUAL CONSULTING SERVICES.

SO THE ONES THAT WE MENTIONED LAST TIME THAT WERE OF CONCERN, THOSE HAVE BEEN WE FOUND SOME SPACE MOVE SOME THINGS AROUND.

SO FULL FUNDING FOR PELHAM TOGETHER IN FULL FUNDING FOR THE COMMUNICATION SUPPORT, WHICH IS GOING TO HELP US TOWARDS THE BOARD'S GOALS.

AS I SHARED WITH SOME FOLKS ON THE FACILITIES FINANCE COMMITTEE CALL THIS WEEK, WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT, WE'RE LOOKING AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT COMMUNICATIONS RELATED SOFTWARES.

YOU KNOW, WHEN I THINK OF THE BOARD'S GOALS, ALL THREE AREAS STILL WERE VERY MUCH UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF COMMUNICATION.

SO I THINK THERE ARE SOME TOOLS THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO FIND SOME SPACE IN THE BUDGET FOR THAT CAN HELP WITH BOARD GOALS, AS WELL AS DELIVERING ON THE STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS OF THE DISTRICT, BUT WE'RE STILL IN THE EARLY STAGES THERE.

I JUST WANTED TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF THAT AND WE WILL KEEP YOU APPRIZED OF THAT.

THERE'S BEEN SOME JUST STAFFING ADJUSTMENTS AGAIN FROM OUR INITIAL TO WHERE WE ARE NOW, A LITTLE BIT OF INS AND OUTS.

AND FINALLY SOME PIECES OF THOSE UPDATED REVENUES.

JUST WANTED TO TAKE. I KNOW THAT JIM IN HIS MEMO TO THE BOARD SHARED KIND OF THAT FULL DETAIL LIST OF INS AND OUTS JUST SO YOU HAD IT.

MOST OF THAT WAS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAD SEEN LAST TIME.

BUT THEN WITH SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL CHANGES THE BOARD CAN SEE HOW IT WAS THAT WE BROUGHT THOSE THAT BACK INTO BALANCE.

[02:00:06]

SO A LITTLE BIT LOWER ACROSS THE BOARD. THE TAX CAP DOES REMAIN THE SAME.

AS JIM SAID, WE MADE KIND OF CORRESPONDING REDUCTIONS ON EXPENSE AND REVENUE SIDES OF THE EQUATION.

SO THAT NUMBER STAYED INTACT. AND WE ARE PRESERVING SOME OF THAT DEBT SERVICE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN USED IN THIS YEAR'S, ORIGINALLY PROPOSED TO BE USED IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, TO STRATEGICALLY SAVE THAT FOR THE NEXT YEAR, WHERE IT WILL BE THEN USED. AND OF COURSE, WE'VE BEEN CONTINUING TO WORK WITH CAPITAL MARKETS ON A LONG TERM STRATEGIC PLAN FOR USE OF DEBT SERVICE, AS WE ARE CONTINUING TO TAKE ON THE DEBT FROM THE 2018 BOND, AS WELL AS STARTING THE BORROWING AND WORK FOR THE 2025 BOND.

THE BREAKDOWN OF THAT 2.72% TAX INCREASE AT THIS POINT NOW IS ADJUSTED TO 2.28% RELATED TO THE OPERATING BUDGET INCREASES AND 1.44% RELATED TO THE CAPITAL EXCLUSIONS THAT ARE INCLUDED WITHIN THIS BUDGET.

VERY QUICKLY, THIS IS THE WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR ME AS A HOME OWNER? SO THE MIDDLE EXAMPLE IS THE AVERAGE HOME ASSESSED VALUE 1.245 MILLION.

IS THAT PURPLE IN THE MIDDLE? IF YOU HAD A 3%, A 4.7%, OR A 9% CHANGE IN HOME ASSESSED VALUE, YOU'VE GOT THE DIFFERENT COLUMNS THAT RUN ACROSS.

SO WE'LL GO MIDDLE, MIDDLE, WHICH IS THE $1.2 MILLION HOME WITH A 4.7% CHANGE IN ASSESSED VALUE.

THAT IS A DIFFERENCE OF ABOUT $684 A YEAR. AND THEN IT KIND OF GOES EITHER WAY UP OR DOWN BASED ON YOUR HOME VALUE.

EITHER WAY, THESE ARE JUST ESTIMATES. BUT JUST TO GIVE FOLKS A BALLPARK OF WHAT THAT TAX MEANS FOR THEM, WE ABSOLUTELY RECOGNIZE THAT RESIDENTS ARE BEING TAXED BY ALL ENTITIES AND SEEING SOME SIGNIFICANT INCREASES, WHICH IS WHY THE BOARD TASKED US ON THE IN THE THE INITIAL CHARGE WAS STAYING WITHIN THE TAX CAP.

SO WE'RE COGNIZANT OF THAT AND VERY RESPECTFUL OF THAT.

JUST VERY QUICKLY REMINDERS OF OUR REVENUE SOURCES AND OTHER FINANCING SOURCES.

THE BULK OF OUR FUNDING COMES FROM PROPERTY TAXES.

THAT REMAINS THE SAME. THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET IS NOT YET SETTLED, SO WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANY UPDATE ON STATE AID FOR THE YEAR.

SO WE HAVE WE ARE IN A POSITION OF HAVING TO BUDGET BASED ON THE GOVERNOR'S ORIGINAL PROPOSAL.

SO I THINK THEY'RE OUT TO AUGUST AND AUGUST. APRIL 15TH.

NO. WHERE ARE WE AT? WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE TODAY.

YESTERDAY. TODAY. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE. THEY WERE UP TO THE FOURTH EXTENDER THAT BROUGHT US TO YESTERDAY ON THE FIFTH.

ON THE FIFTH. I DIDN'T GET THAT. OKAY. SO THERE YOU GO.

UNFORTUNATELY, THE LAW REQUIRES US TO ADOPT OUR BUDGET BY TONIGHT.

SO LAST YEAR'S BUDGET WOULD ADOPT ADOPTED MAY 10TH BY THE GOVERNOR.

YEAH. YEAH. YEAH. SO WE'RE PROBABLY IN A SIMILAR BOAT.

SO WE WORK WITH THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE. SO THAT'S THIS IS WHERE WE ARE.

SO THAT IS THE 14% OF OUR BUDGET IS OUR REVENUES ARE BASED ON ANTICIPATED STATE AID.

GENERALLY WE DO NOT SEE THAT GO DOWN IN THE GOVERNOR'S FINAL BUDGET.

THAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE. GENERALLY, IT GOES UP A LITTLE BIT.

WE DID GET A VERY FULL FUNDING LOT ON THE FIRST RUN, SO WE'RE REALLY NOT EXPECTING MUCH OF ANYTHING, IF ANY. YOU KNOW, PRIOR YEARS, IT WAS MAYBE A TINY BIT IN A YEAR LIKE THIS.

BUT AGAIN, WE'RE BUDGETING BASED ON WHAT'S BEEN GIVEN AND THINK THAT IS A SOLID PLACE FOR US TO BE ANTICIPATING THOSE STATE AID FUNDS TO COME.

SO AGAIN, JUST SMALLER AREAS THERE. BUT THE BULK OF OUR FUNDING COMES FROM PROPERTY TAXES AND STATE AID.

ON THE EXPENSE SIDE, SOME SLIGHT ADJUSTMENTS THERE.

AGAIN, JUST BASED ON SOME OF THE INS AND OUTS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT.

BUT THE BULK OF OUR EXPENSES CONTINUE TO BE IN THE SALARIES AND EMPLOYEE BENEFITS TOTALING ABOUT 75% OF OUR BUDGET.

AND WE ARE A PEOPLE ORGANIZATION, AS WE SAY, EVERY YEAR.

SO THAT'S WHERE THE BULK OF OUR EXPENSES COME.

AND THEN YOU SEE THE THE INCREASES THAT HAVE COME THROUGH CONTRACTUAL BOCES SERVICES, ETC.

AND WITHIN THAT, YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE BIGGER AREAS POINT BACK TO THE AREAS WHERE WE'VE SEEN GROWTH.

THOSE ARE THE SIDE BY SIDE CHANGES. YOU CAN SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL, KIND OF WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST REVENUE DRIVERS, BIGGEST EXPENDITURE DRIVERS, INCREASES IN PROPERTY TAXES.

WE DID HAVE OVERALL, EVEN THOUGH WE DIDN'T GET THAT FINAL STATE AID NUMBER, WE DID SEE AN OVERALL INCREASE OF 385 000 DECREASE IN BUILDING AID, INCREASE IN OTHER AREAS. IN FOUNDATION AID, THE NET WAS ABOUT 385 000.

AND THEN THE INS AND OUTS OF JIM'S OFFICE CONTINUES TO MONITOR.

THAT'S WHERE WE GET TO THE THINGS LIKE THE $184,000.

AND YOU SEE ON THAT SIDE NOW THE APPROPRIATION OF DEBT SERVICE THAT WAS PUSHED OFF TO IT WAS DECREASED IN THIS BUDGET AS COMPARED TO THE PRIOR YEAR.

IN LIGHT OF THE BAND DISCUSSION THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT ON THE SALARY SIDE, YOU SEE ANTICIPATED SALARY GROWTH BASED ON CURRENT EXISTING COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

[02:05:08]

WE'VE GONE THROUGH THOSE AREAS IN THE LINE BY LINE BUDGET DECREASE IN THE DEBT SERVICE TO CORRESPOND WITH THE BAND YEAR TO YEAR, YEAR TO YEAR. AND THAT WAS ALSO YEAH, DEBT DECREASE IN THIS WAS REALLY JIM KIND OF THIS REMIND ME, WAS THIS ONE RELATED TO THE CHANGE IN THE BANDS OR THIS IS RELATED TO A DROP IN BUILDING AID BECAUSE OF ANTICIPATED END OF SO PRIOR COMPARED TO LAST YEAR WE RETIRED SOME DEBT. THANK YOU. AND THEN THIS ALSO TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THE SHORT THE BAND.

RIGHT. SO IT'S BOTH FACTORING IN THAT NET DECREASE OF JUST OVER A HALF $1 MILLION THERE.

THEN THE INCREASES IN EMPLOYEE BENEFITS THAT WE MENTIONED BEFORE FOR AN EVEN BUDGET CHANGE.

SO THE TOTAL BUDGET THAT IS BEING PRESENTED TO THE BOARD FOR ADOPTION TONIGHT IS TOTAL APPROPRIATION OF $98,260,000, A 3.72% TAX COMPLIANT LEVY. THAT IS THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE.

THAT IS WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO TO YOU TONIGHT.

WITH THAT SAME BREAKDOWN THAT AS MENTIONED BEFORE AS JIM SAID, WE'RE KIND OF HALFWAY THROUGH THE OFFICIAL BUDGET DISCUSSIONS, MEETINGS, ETC. THESE ARE KIND OF THE MILESTONES AND SOME OF THE BOARD ENGAGEMENT, THE ROADSHOW THAT WE'VE BEEN AFFECTIONATELY MENTIONING IS IN ADDITION TO THIS, BUT YOU CAN SEE WHERE OUR PROGRESS IS THROUGH THAT.

CERTAINLY WE'VE GOT A BOARD COFFEE COMING UP LATER THIS WEEK AS WELL AS I DO START BOARD PRESENTATIONS THIS WEEK, COLONIAL ON THURSDAY NIGHT STAFF ON MONDAY, SEPTA ON TUESDAY, I THINK TRACY SAID.

SO YEAH, WE'RE ALREADY GOING TO GEAR AHEAD, YOU KNOW, GEAR UP RIGHT AWAY FOR THAT.

AND THAT WILL BE THE PRESENTATION OF THIS BUDGET THAT IF THE BOARD ADOPTS AS PRESENTED TONIGHT.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR YOU TO REMEMBER. THIS BUDGET SUPPORTS OUR HIGH QUALITY PROGRAM.

THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT OUR COMMUNITY EXPECTS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS DESPITE THE FISCAL HEADWINDS.

THEY ARE REAL. THIS WAS A CHALLENGING BUDGET.

ANOTHER YEAR OF THAT BECAUSE OF THE RISING COSTS.

BUT THIS PRELIMINARY BUDGET STILL MAINTAINS THE HIGH QUALITY ACADEMIC PROGRAMS THAT WE EXPECT.

THE SUPPORT SPECIAL EDUCATION. SO THAT ALL OF OUR, OUR NEEDIEST STUDENTS HAVE THE SUPPORTS AND RESOURCES THEY NEED TO LEVEL THE PLAYING GROUND. WE ARE CONTINUING TO INVEST IN AND STRENGTHEN OUR MTSS PROCESS, SUPPORT OUR EXTRACURRICULAR AND ATHLETICS.

AND WE'LL HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT AS WELL.

AND TONIGHT, AS WE OPEN IT UP FOR CONVERSATION WITH THE BOARD AND CONTINUE WITH OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AS WELL BOTH THOSE DONE IN-HOUSE AND THEN PLANNING FOR THE ONSET OF THOSE THROUGH THE 2025 BOND. SO THAT'S IT. I'M GOING TO GO SIT BACK AT THE TABLE AND OPEN IT UP FOR CONVERSATION FROM THE BOARD TONIGHT.

YEP. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS OR HOPEFULLY YOU DON'T HAVE TOO MANY QUESTIONS LEFT ON THE BUDGET BEFORE WE TAKE IT BEFORE WE TAKE THE MOTION. I OPEN IT UP TO THE BOARD BECAUSE I SPOKE ABOUT THE BUDGET EARLIER.

YEAH. I'LL START. AND IT'S MY COMMENTS AREN'T MUCH DIFFERENT FROM THE LAST, OUR LAST MEETING.

AND FIRST, THANK YOU TO THE ADMINISTRATION. I KNOW YOU'VE WORKED EXTREMELY HARD.

AND THEN IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS TO MAKE EVEN MORE CHANGES TO KEEP THE PROGRAMING LIKE PELHAM TOGETHER SUPPORT FOR THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT AND ALEX AND JUST WANT THE COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THAT.

IT'S PRETTY INCREDIBLE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE KIND OF PROGRAM PROGRAMING THAT WE HAVE AND THE RESULTS THAT WE SEE EVERY SINGLE WEEK WITH THE SUCCESS OF OUR STUDENTS AND OUR, OUR FACULTY.

ON A VERY, VERY TIGHT BUDGET. AND I HAVE TO SAY, I'M, YOU KNOW, I LIKE THAT WE, AND I THINK YOU'VE SAID IT AS WELL THAT WE SET THE TONE EARLY ON. SO, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL KNOW WHAT, WHAT WE'RE THINKING.

AND THE FACT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO STAY WITHIN THE TAX CAP IS I BELIEVE, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S COMPLETELY UNUSUAL, BUT I KNOW MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORING TOWNS HAVE NOT DONE THAT OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.

NOT EVEN JUST YOU KNOW, THE LAST YEAR. SO I SUPPORT THE BUDGET.

I THINK THAT YOU'VE DONE A TREMENDOUS JOB IN KEEPING THINGS AS CLOSE TO THE STUDENTS, LIKE YOU SAID,

[02:10:03]

AND THANK YOU. YEAH. I SUPPORT THIS BUDGET. THANK YOU.

NO ONE ELSE. I DON'T FEEL LIKE I, I JUST I'M GOING TO YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO ECHO THAT.

I DON'T THINK I HAVE MUCH TO ADD. WE'VE REALLY TALKED A LOT ABOUT IT AND JACKIE GAVE A REALLY GOOD SUMMARY REGARDING WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO.

AND I THINK THE TEAM WORKED REALLY HARD TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

REALLY GOTTEN CREATIVE AND THOUGHTFUL AND IT SORT OF FORCED US RIGHT TO GET REALLY WHAT MATTERS MOST.

BUT IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE HEALTH CARE COSTS ARE RISING, SPECIAL EDUCATION, LIKE IT'S PRETTY EXTRAORDINARY TO SEE THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS, GIVEN ALL THE EXTERNAL FACTORS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO NAVIGATE THROUGH IT.

SO I KIND OF ECHO WHAT ANNE-MARIE SAID, LIKE I SUPPORT THIS BUDGET AND I COMMEND THE TEAM TO REALLY MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING WE REQUESTED TO LIKE CAME TO FRUITION AND BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE US THE, THE CURRICULUM, THE EDUCATION, ALL OF THOSE LIKE AMAZING THINGS THAT MAKE PELHAM PELHAM DISTRICT.

SO SAME, I SUPPORT IT. I MEAN, GREAT JOB. THANK YOU.

I WISH WE COULD DO MORE. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE'VE HAD TO SAY NO TO THAT HAVE BEEN TOUGH THIS YEAR.

BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALSO PART OF WHY WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.

THE BOTTOM LINE CAN'T CHANGE. I THINK THAT'S THE, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE.

THERE WILL BE MORE INS AND OUTS BETWEEN NOW AND BUDGET AND BETWEEN NOW AND NEXT YEAR.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS, IS WHAT REALLY WE'RE PRESENTING TO THE VOTERS.

SO THOSE THINGS THAT I THINK WE'VE GOT KIND OF SHORT LISTS OF PRIORITIES THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THE OPPORTUNITIES COME.

THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS I THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, WE'LL KEEP LOOKING TO BUT KEEPING KIND OF THOSE SAME PRINCIPLES IN MIND.

WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO TO GET WHERE WE ARE? WHAT DO WE HAVE TO PAIR? AND THEN HOW DO THOSE PRIORITIES THEN CONTINUE TO DRIVE TO INFORM US IF NEW OPPORTUNITIES ARISE TO BRING SOMETHING IN OR BRING SOMETHING BACK THAT DIDN'T MAKE THE INITIAL CUT? WELL, THAT'S IMPORTANT TOO, TO KNOW WHAT THOSE PRIORITIES ARE. SO WHEN THE OPPORTUNITIES COME. SO AGAIN, IT'S SO LEAN, BUT REALLY KNOWING LIKE WHEN WE HAVE ROOM OR IF THERE IS SOMETHING NEXT, LIKE HAVING CLARITY AROUND WHAT WE DO WANT TO ADD, YOU KNOW? SO YEAH, WE ALWAYS WANT TO DO MORE. I MEAN, THAT'S JUST THE NATURE OF IT, RIGHT? GIVE ME GIVE ME A BLANK CHECK. THERE'S ALWAYS MORE.

ALL KINDS OF THINGS I WOULD LOVE TO DO. BUT THAT'S NOT WHERE WE'RE AT.

YEAH. AND I'M NOT GOING TO SAY A LOT, BUT I WILL SAY I SUPPORT THIS BUDGET.

I THINK WE'RE AT A GETTING TO A BREAKING POINT IN TERMS OF YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR AND WHAT THAT BUDGET MIGHT LOOK LIKE IF PEOPLE WANT TO MAINTAIN THE PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE.

THERE ARE AREAS THAT PEOPLE WANT TO GROW, LIKE THE ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S JUST NOT THE ROOM WITH THE LIKE, YOU KNOW, AS DARRA SAID, LIKE, YOU KNOW, HEALTH CARE COSTS AREN'T GOING TO GO START RISING LESS THAN 2% A YEAR.

SO, YOU KNOW, ALL THOSE THINGS ARE SQUEEZING A BUDGET TO MAINTAIN, JUST TO MAINTAIN WHAT WE HAVE.

AND SO I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE SOME TOUGH CONVERSATIONS NEXT YEAR ABOUT WHAT THE RIGHT PATH FORWARD IS.

YEAH. AND TO THAT POINT, ABOUT THE BREAKING POINT A LITTLE BIT OF DETAIL HERE.

THIS IS ACCORDING TO THE INTERNET, THIS MAY NEED TO BE FACT CHECKED, BUT IS IT AI? HARRISON PIERCED THE CAP IN 24, RYE IN 24, SCARSDALE IN 24, NEW ROWE IN 2020 IN 25.

MAMARONECK IN 25. PEARL RIVER, WHICH IS ACROSS THE RIVER.

IT'S NOT LOWER HUDSON VALLEY, BUT BUT SIMILAR IN 25.

AND I BELIEVE THAT EASTCHESTER IS MAKING A PROPOSAL TO PIERCE THE CAP THIS YEAR.

SO WE HAVE KIND OF PUSHED OUT THE THE PAIN AS FAR AS I THINK WE CAN REASONABLY PUSH IT OUT WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, REALLY MAKING SOME DIFFICULT DECISIONS ON PROGRAMING AND AND SO TO SID'S POINT, ANNE-MARIE'S POINT, BRACE YOURSELVES. IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO HAPPEN. BUT I THINK WE'VE MADE EVERY SINGLE EFFORT TO PUSH IT OUT AS LONG AS WE CAN.

I JUST WANTED TO SAY, I SUPPORT THE BUDGET. WE'VE BEEN HAVING CONVERSATIONS FROM OCTOBER AND THEN PUT, YOU KNOW, A PENCIL TO PAPER IN ABOUT FEBRUARY.

SO THIS IS A LONG CONVERSATION THAT'S NOW CLOSING, AND THEN YOU CONTINUE TO DO IT WITH THE COMMUNITY.

YOU KNOW, IT'S A TOUGH YEAR AND I THINK WE'RE BEING VERY CONSERVATIVE AND WE'RE STILL PROVIDING AS MUCH AS WE CAN.

AND, YOU KNOW, JUST HOPE EVERYTHING GOES WELL.

[02:15:02]

SO THANK YOU. YEAH. I'LL JUST I'M NOT GOING TO SAY MUCH EITHER, BUT OTHER THAN TO SAY, I ALSO AGREE WITH EVERYTHING ALL OF YOU HAVE SAID, AND I ALSO SUPPORT THIS BUDGET.

AND THANK YOU TO THE TEAM AND FOR EVERYONE'S THOUGHTFULNESS AND HARD WORK AND REALLY FIGURING OUT HOW TO REMAIN TAX COMPLIANT, WHILE ALSO CONTINUING TO PROVIDE OUR STUDENTS WITH AN EXCELLENT EXPERIENCE.

OKAY. YEAH. YEAH, I WON'T REPEAT, I WON'T REPEAT WHAT I SAID EARLIER, WHAT I SAID, I'M JUST THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR HARD, HARD WORK ON THIS. LIKE EVERYONE SAYING THE ABILITY TO PRESERVE OUR, PRESERVE OUR PROGRAM AND STILL BE TAX CAP COMPLIANT IS AN AND ACHIEVEMENTS. AND THE OTHER THING I JUST WANT TO MENTION, THE BUDGET ALSO STRENGTHENS OUR LONG TERM FINANCIAL POSITION BY LOWERING THE USE OF, OF, OF FUND BALANCE AND GETTING BACK MORE TOWARDS THE, THE NORM OF THE USE OF FUND BALANCE.

SO I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT AS WELL. SO I SUPPORT THE BUDGET.

THANK YOU TO JIM AND JACKIE AND THE ENTIRE BUSINESS OFFICE FOR INCREDIBLE WORK.

THANK YOU TO THE BOARD AND THE FINANCE COMMITTEE. THANK YOU.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. TO VOTE YES LAND THIS PLANE.

DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE 2026 2027 SCHOOL YEAR BUDGET?

[6.1 Motion to Adopt the 2026-2027 School Year Budget]

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OKAY. THANK YOU EVERYONE. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. IT'S OUR BUDGET NOW. IT'S YOURS. YES.

NO. OKAY. LET'S SEE. CAN I TAKE. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO TAKE

[6.2 Motion to Approve the 2026-2027 Property Tax Report Card]

[6.3 Resolution to Cast Vote for SWBOCES Trustees]

[6.4 Motion to Approve Estimated Administrative Budget for Southern Westchester Board of Cooperative Educational Services]

[6.5 Motion to Award Contract for Bid#1 - 2026/2027 – Standpipe/Sprinkler Service & Maintenance]

[6.6 Motion To Award Contract For Bid #2 – 2026/2027 – Roof Repair/Service]

[6.7 Motion To Award Contract For Bid #3 – 2026/2027 – Irrigation Services]

[6.8 Motion to Reject Bid #4-2026/2027 – Sports Turf Care/Maintenance]

[6.9 Motion to Award Maintenance Bid #5 – 2026/2027 - Glass Replacement]

[6.10 Motion to Extend the Operations and Maintenance Bids for the 2026-2027 School Year]

[6.11 Motion to Approve Administrators' Grant for Continuing Education in the 2025-2026 School Year]

[6.12 Motion to Approve Tuition Reimbursement for Continuing Education in the 2025-2026 School Year]

[6.13 Tax Certorari Mtr. of LM 415 5th Avenue LLC v. Assessor of the Town of Pelham, et al.]

[6.14 Motion to Dispose of Equipment]

[6.15 Motion to Approve 2025-2026 Budget Transfers]

[6.16 Motion Pertaining to the Annual School District Budget Vote and Member Election]

6.16 AS A CONSENT AGENDA. SO MOVED. SECOND. OKAY.

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON ON THESE.

I WAS JUST GOING TO HIGHLIGHT, I THINK A COUPLE THE PROPERTY TAX REPORT IS THAT YOUR 6.26.3? WE DO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CAST VOTES FOR MEMBERS ON THE BOCES BOARD.

THERE ARE THREE OPENINGS AND THREE PEOPLE RUNNING FOR THE THREE OPENINGS. YES.

SO NO ONE FROM PELHAM? NO ONE FROM PELHAM THIS YEAR? NO. YEAH. SO I THINK THAT MOTION WOULD BE VOTING FOR ALL THREE.

I'M JUST LOOKING AT VALERIE FOR VERIFICATION. SO THAT'S THE MOTION. IF YOU. OH, SHOULD I DO THAT? THEN I CAN TAKE IT AS PART, SHOULD I? I BELIEVE YOU CAN TAKE IT AS A CONSENT.

I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT IN CASE ANYONE HAD A CONCERN WITH. OKAY, WITH TWO OF THE THREE ARE PEOPLE WHO THEY'RE THEY'RE RUNNING FOR ADDITIONAL TERMS. SO THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN EXPERIENCED, EXPERIENCED TWO TO HAVE PRIOR EXPERIENCE AND ONE IS NEW.

YEP. AND THEN 6.4 IS AGAIN ITEMS RELATED TO BOCES BUDGET.

THEN WE MOVE INTO BID AWARDS. THIS IS KIND OF ROLLING THINGS OVER GETTING PREPARED FOR THE COMING SCHOOL YEAR.

WITH A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT CONTRACTS AND BIDS.

WE HAVE TWO GRANTS FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION TUITION.

JIM. RICKY. JIM. CONTINUING DOCTORAL PROGRAM.

KUDOS IN YOUR SPARE TIME. THAT'S RIGHT. AND ALSO JIM BAKER ONE OF OUR TECH DEPARTMENT WHO RUNS INFINITE CAMPUS.

HE'S BEEN ACTIVELY PURSUING EDUCATIONAL PURSUITS.

SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF HIM AND HAPPY TO SUPPORT THOSE EFFORTS. TAX SURGERY THAT JIM MENTIONED EARLIER, DISPOSAL OF EQUIPMENT, BUDGET TRANSFERS. AND THEN YES, THEN 6.16 AGAIN, THESE ARE FOLKS THAT ARE BEING APPOINTED TO HELP WITH THE BUDGET VOTE ON MAY 19TH.

EXCELLENT. OKAY. ANY ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? ALL IN FAVOR. AYE. NONE OPPOSED. SO ALL OF THOSE ARE APPROVED.

OKAY. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO DENY THE CSEA GRIEVANCE?

[6.17 Motion to Deny/Grant the CSEA Grievance]

THANK YOU. OKAY, WE MOVE TO POLICY. NOW. WE HAVE ONE SECOND READING FOR THE DUTIES OF THE SCHOOL ATTORNEY.

[7.1 Policy 1337 - Duties of the School Attorney (Second Reading)]

BUT IF WE WANT TO WAVE THE THIRD THING, THAT MAKES SENSE.

YES, THAT'D BE GREAT. OKAY, SO DO I HAVE A MOTION TO WAIVE THE THIRD READING OF POLICY ONE,

[02:20:07]

ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. OKAY, THERE'S ANOTHER ONE, SID.

GREAT. THANK YOU. WE'LL GET A TALLY. OKAY. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO TAKE 8.1 THROUGH 9.1

[8.1 Motion to Approve Schedule A - Instructional]

[8.2 Motion to Approve Schedule B - Extra Duty Appointments]

[8.3 Motion to Approve Schedule C - Instructional]

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

YES. WELCOME. YES. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. THOSE ARE APPROVED. DO WE HAVE ANY NEW BUSINESS? I'M GOING TO JUMP IN FOR TWO SECONDS.

[10.1 New Business]

QUESTION WAS RAISED. WOULD WE WANT TO DO IT ON WEDNESDAY? THE FIRST. AND I THINK THAT'S LIKELY BECAUSE THE SECOND IS THE THURSDAY BEFORE A LONG WEEKEND.

WE COULD DO IT WITHIN REGULATIONS. JUST ONE DAY LESS OF PREPARATION.

I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE CARE. DOES IT MATTER. OKAY.

WE'LL WE'LL DO IT EARLIER. PROBABLY. IT'S LOOKING FROM OUR POLL PROBABLY MORE LIKE 5:00.

SO THAT WAY WE CAN GET IN AND GET OUT ON THE SECOND AND THEN FOLKS CAN GET AWAY FOR THE WEEKEND.

SO JULY 2ND. WE'LL SEND THESE OUT IN WRITING, BUT JUST AS A SUMMARY OF WHERE WE ARE JULY 2ND FOR REORG.

WE'LL DO A MID SUMMER BUSINESS MEETING ON AUGUST 26TH.

THAT'S USUALLY A LOT OF CONTRACTS AND HIRING.

YOU CAN PUT ME DOWN FOR JULY 15TH. OKAY, GOOD.

AND THEN SEPTEMBER 2ND FACILITIES TOUR AND AUGUST 26TH, END OF END OF SUMMER BUSINESS MEETING.

SO I THINK WE'VE GOT OUR MEETING DATE. SET THE RETREAT DATE.

SO MID-SUMMER IS JULY 15TH. I'M SORRY. WE'VE GOT JULY 2ND.

REORG. MID-SUMMER. AUGUST 26TH. ACTUALLY I TAKE THAT BACK.

END OF SUMMER. END OF SUMMER IS AUGUST 26TH. OH, DO WE HAVE A MID-SUMMER MEETING? WE DID NOT HAVE A. ACTUALLY, YEAH. WE DO HAVE A QUORUM FOR JULY 29TH FOR A MID-SUMMER MEETING.

JULY 29TH. YES. ALL WE NEED IS QUORUM. WE DON'T NEED EVERYBODY.

I'M FINE. I'M GOOD. BUT THEN THE ONLY OUTSTANDING.

ALL RIGHT. SO. YEAH. JULY 2ND. JULY 29TH. AUGUST 26TH.

THOSE ARE OUR THREE MEETINGS FOR THE SUMMER. THE ONLY THING WE DO NOT YET HAVE FINALIZED IS RETREAT.

SO THAT COULD. WE'VE GOT IT LOOKS LIKE WE COULD ACTUALLY, IT LOOKS LIKE EVERYBODY DID SAY THEY'RE AVAILABLE JULY 15TH. OH, DID WE WANT TO DO THE BUSINESS MEETING AND THE RETREAT AT THE SAME TIME? WE COULD ALIGN THEM. YEAH. JULY 15TH IS TOO EARLY FOR A MID SUMMER.

SO THE, I GUESS I DIDN'T ASK ABOUT AVAILABILITY FOR A RETREAT ON THE 20.

OH NO I DID. YOU DID? YEAH. WE'VE GOT FOUR PEOPLE.

I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A QUORUM ON JULY. I'M SORRY.

WE HAVE A QUORUM. I DON'T THINK WE HAVE FULL BOARD ON JULY 29TH.

IT LOOKS LIKE WE'LL HAVE FULL BOARD ON THE 15TH OF JULY.

AND I THINK AUGUST 26TH, WHICH IS KIND OF LATE, BUT WE'VE DONE IT BEFORE.

OKAY. I THINK YOU SAID YOU WERE AVAILABLE ON THAT ONE TOO, JACKIE. RIGHT.

AND YOU MENTIONED FACILITIES IN AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, SEPTEMBER 2ND.

OKAY. YEAH. SO DO WE KNOW TIMING FOR JULY 2ND? I KNOW WE JULY 2ND. I THINK I'M PROBABLY GONNA BE FIVE.

I THINK 5:00 IS THE WAY THINGS WERE KIND OF COMING.

WE DO HAVE A QUORUM FOR FOUR, BUT I THINK WE'VE GOT MORE PEOPLE FOR FIVE SECONDS.

YES, SIR. DO WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME ARRANGEMENTS? OKAY, THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW. YEAH, I CAN'T, I DON'T KNOW, OPEN IT RIGHT NOW, BUT I'LL LET YOU KNOW.

SO IT'LL PROBABLY BE IT'LL BE EITHER BE 5 OR 6, PROBABLY ON JULY 2ND.

SO I JUST, WE JUST NEED TO FIRM UP A RETREAT DATE, SO MAYBE WE CAN.

I DON'T WANT TO HOLD EVERYONE UP TONIGHT, BUT IT'S LOOKING LIKE THE JULY 15TH OR AUGUST 26TH RIGHT NOW ARE THE BEST DATES FOR THOSE.

SO I SEE OKAY. OKAY, SO WE'LL JUST CIRCLE BACK SEPARATELY ON MUCH RATHER DO IT THAN 20.

I, I, I JUST TO GET IT DONE EARLIER THAN THAT.

I GUESS IT DOESN'T MATTER. WE'LL SEE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

APPRECIATE THE DATES. DO YOU WANT TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON YOUR CONFERENCE? I WAS NOT PREPARED TO DO THAT TONIGHT, SO MAYBE I WILL PASS.

BUT IT WAS REALLY GREAT AND VERY VALUABLE. THANK YOU.

IT'S VERY COOL THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE ON OUR ON OUR BOARD AND IN OUR DISTRICT THAT ENGAGE IN ALL OF THESE VERY VALUABLE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES.

[02:25:03]

SO MAYBE NEXT TIME BECAUSE THE MATERIALS THAT LOOKED VERY INTERESTING TO.

YES. YEAH. AND I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO EVEN TO REALLY UNPACK THEM WITH THE CABINET.

I'VE SHARED THEM, BUT WE HAVEN'T HAD THE CHANCE TO REALLY SYNTHESIZE WHERE HOW THEY'RE GOING TO INFORM OUR WORK.

I SAW THE CONNECTION. SO WE'VE GOT A WE'LL DO A LITTLE BIT MORE TALKING, BUT THANK YOU.

I WILL PLAN TO DO AN UPDATE MAYBE THE NEXT MEETING OR SO.

THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. SORRY. THAT'S OKAY.

DO WE NEED TO HAVE A BRIEF CONVERSATION ABOUT THE ELECTRIC BUS ALSO DID NOT HAVE A CHANCE TO.

I DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE REVISIONS.

OKAY. THAT WAS SOME A LOT OF DISTRICTS ARE PASSING RESOLUTIONS ASKING FOR SOME ADJUSTMENTS AROUND THE CONVERSION TO ELECTRONIC BUSSES. SO I THINK, I THINK WE'RE AGREED THAT IT'S A GOOD INITIATIVE.

ALSO AGREED THE STATE IS NOT READY FOR IT. WE DON'T HAVE OUR OWN BUS FLEET, BUT WE ARE IMPACTED BY THAT BECAUSE BUSSES ARE THE COMPANIES ARE RAISING THEIR COSTS ANTICIPATING THE CONVERSION. SO THE COST WILL IMPACT US ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

SO KATHRYN WAS KIND ENOUGH TO DO SOME REVISIONS.

SO I WILL TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.

WE'LL COMMUNICATE THAT OUT AS WELL. AND HOPEFULLY AT OUR NEXT MEETING WE CAN WE CAN PASS, WE WILL BRING THAT TO THE BOARD FOR APPROVAL.

I JUST NOTED, I LOOKED AT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS IN THAT, IN THOSE MATERIALS AND THE LETTER OR THE FORM OF LETTER THAT THEY PROPOSED WASN'T REALLY TARGETED TO A DISTRICT LIKE OURS. IT WAS REALLY LIKE.

YEAH. THE OPTIONS WERE ALL ABOUT, YOU KNOW. RIGHT.

YOU OWN BUSSES, WHAT PROJECTS YOU'RE WORKING ON FOR DEPOTS AND STUFF.

AND IT REALLY WASN'T US. YEAH. SO THAT'S WHY I THINK, I THINK I THINK KATHRYN HAD TRIED TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS.

KATHRYN WAS WORKING GREAT. YEAH, I I'M THE LETTER AND BOTH THE RESOLUTION WE THERE'S THERE ARE A HANDFUL OF DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE STATE LIKE PELHAM THAT ARE THAT DON'T PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION ON A REGULAR BASIS, THAT DON'T MANAGE THEIR OWN FLEETS.

IT'S NOT THE MAJORITY. AND SO LH WAS NOT, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T REALLY HAVE US IN MIND.

SO BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T STILL PARTICIPATE.

AND ALSO THESE THE IMPACT WILL IMPACT PELHAM IN THE WAY THAT DOCTOR CHAMP HAS NOTED.

RIGHT. BUT ALSO, IF THIS GOES THROUGH AND THE STATE ISN'T REALLY PREPARED WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE, IT WILL IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY IN OTHER WAYS IN IN A LARGER WAY.

I MEAN, WE'LL HAVE BROWNOUTS MAYBE WHEN THE GRID OVERHEATS OR IS OVERLOADED, AND THERE WILL BE COSTS PASSED ON TO ELECTRICITY UTILITY USERS, WHICH IS ALL OF US AS HOMEOWNERS. SO THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS.

I MEAN, AS A COMMUNITY, WE MIGHT NOT MANAGE OUR OWN BUS FLEET, BUT THOSE ARE ALSO THINGS THAT THIS WILL IMPACT IN WAYS THAT IT WILL IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY.

AND SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT THOSE THINGS. AND ALSO WE SINCE WE DON'T MANAGE OUR OWN BUS FLEET, WE CAN'T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ANY OF THE NYSERDA INITIATIVE.

YOU KNOW, ALL OF THOSE, ANY SORT OF COST SAVINGS, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF LIKE ACCESS THOSE, BUT WE'LL STILL HAVE TO PAY OUR TRANSPORTATION CONTRACTORS THE INCREASES WITHOUT GETTING ANY OF THAT BENEFIT.

SO THERE'S MULTIPLE WAYS THAT WE. I DID PREPARE OR DRAFT DIFFERENT LANGUAGE FOR BOTH THE RESOLUTION AND THE LETTER, AND SENT THAT TO DOCTOR CHAMP FOR REVIEW. SO THAT'S GREAT.

SO JIM AND I, BECAUSE JIM'S I KNOW VERY STEEPED IN THIS AS WELL.

SO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT WORK. SO I WILL DO, I'LL PRIORITIZE THAT.

SO TO BE CLEAR, LIKE I TOOK THAT, I JUST YEAH, READ THE LETTER AND, AND RECOGNIZE EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID THAT THIS, NONE OF THESE OPTIONS WERE FIT FIT FOR US. AND IF WE WERE GOING TO PASS SOMETHING, WE WOULD WANT TO HAVE IT MORE ACCURATELY REFLECT WHAT OUR COMMUNITY SITUATION LIKE, WHAT OUR SITUATION IS HERE. AND SO I DID THAT AND THEN SENT IT TO DOCTOR CHAMP, AS I'M NOT FULLY AWARE OF EXACTLY WHAT OUR RELATIONSHIP IS. SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF I HAD ALL THE DETAILS CORRECTLY, WHICH IS WHY I DIDN'T SEND IT OUT BROADLY, BECAUSE I JUST WASN'T SURE. AND THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO BE SURE THAT WE GAVE IT A THOROUGH LOOK BEFORE BRINGING IT TO YOU TODAY.

SO JUST NOT ENOUGH HOURS IN THE DAY WITH THE WAY THIS WEEK HAS GONE.

SO THANK YOU. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I THINK THAT DOES IT FOR US.

ALL RIGHT. I'LL TAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. SO MOVED.

SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.