[This transcript was generated automatically from audio using AI and hasn't been reviewed by a person -- it can contain mistakes, including plausible-sounding sentences that were never actually said. Treat it as a starting point, not a verbatim record.]

[0:05] Public comment, call, we need to order it. It's too much, we're not joining in a pledge of allegiance to the bill, we're United States of America, to the republic, which stands for nation, for the dollar, in a year ago, with liberty, and justice,
[0:27] for the having online award winners.
[0:32] I don't think we can.
[0:33] So, I guess we could be curious if they show up.
[0:37] So, we know whether there's anything to space yet.
[0:41] Is there a motion to approve the minutes?
[0:45] There are a second.
[0:50] Yes.
[0:52] Hey, discussion on the minutes.
[0:56] All in the favor of approving the minutes as privy say aye.
[1:01] Aye.
[1:04] Opposed?
[1:06] abstain.
[1:08] All right.
[1:08] We have a pile of correspondence.
[1:12] Here, can you guys hear us? Okay.
[1:16] We got a letter to all wins or his or a award.
[1:18] We got a letter to Matthew for his and some.
[1:23] I'm on.
[1:24] I'm on.
[1:24] Come on.
[1:25] Yeah.
[1:25] And then you have a letter to behave.
[1:28] All there.
[1:29] With information.
[1:31] We have a town room committee for minutes.
[1:35] We have a curriculum committee minutes.
[1:39] We have a letter from the state about the healthy food certification, which will be voting on later.
[1:45] We have a letter from the events from the safety committee.
[1:48] Same as scary committee I'll comment on that later as well.
[1:52] We also have a latest enrollment in all the arts schools.
[1:59] And I believe that is all the communication.
[2:04] So executive board has not met.
[2:08] It's still committees not met.
[2:11] I don't think the policy has either.
[2:14] Anything from Woodstock Academy, Rob.
[2:18] I know they're getting ramped up for graduation and they're trying to sort of have
[2:22] quite a situation, but it's still in the box at this point.
[2:25] It was days graduates.
[2:27] you.
[2:29] Something that are other.
[2:30] Society of the State of the State of the State.
[2:32] Yeah, I'm going to go to our office today.
[2:34] Thank you.
[2:37] Anything from East Contary?
[2:39] No, nothing.
[2:42] Long range.
[2:43] You know, the minutes from our roof committee is,
[2:47] which I thought I could buy our time.
[2:50] Transportation has a met.
[2:51] It's a minutes here from curriculum I believe.
[2:56] scholarship, little be dealing with that later,
[3:02] school safety committee is minutes from that.
[3:04] I will make the comment about that.
[3:07] Christopher Vaughan is in the process of soliciting donations from local businesses to pay for
[3:14] our boards for the school and I don't think I may throw a getting enough for the eight
[3:22] we want, we might even get extra money. And if we do, we probably will start with the kindergarten playground
[3:30] and go from there, but it's in no works. It should be a problem getting it done during the summer
[3:39] and he's on it. So, and I know he's already got three paid for. So, we're off to a good start.
[3:46] And those are the spent post-hose up in the house.
[3:50] I've got four of each window so that no one can drive right in.
[3:54] And then we have extra money.
[3:56] We'll put some further kindergarten playgrounds.
[4:00] And nobody can drive in there.
[4:01] And if we get one money, we don't go for sure.
[4:04] But we're talking about 0.1 in the middle of the main entrance.
[4:09] And then I completely drive a car right in the gym.
[4:14] Yeah.
[4:14] I thought it would be good when it was done, but it didn't build a key set.
[4:18] And that one would probably, I talked to Matt,
[4:23] Dernie's from Woodstock Fence, he didn't want that.
[4:26] And he said, you could put a six inch one error,
[4:29] and I'll go and go and see that.
[4:34] So that's how I'll date on that, and I suspect it'll happen.
[4:39] So let's not expect it.
[4:43] Any questions about
[4:46] that?
[4:48] Super, then answer board.
[4:51] Well, as everybody knows, it's been teacher appreciation week.
[4:56] And once again, I'd like to extend my appreciation for the amazing staff we have at Eastford Elementary School.
[5:05] More will be provided by Carol later on.
[5:08] There's not much more that I can add to the risk court that I already presented.
[5:14] I think, again, facilities are keeping us a little bit busy right now.
[5:18] So PV project is underway.
[5:22] Hopefully it will get done this summer.
[5:25] We've also been experiencing an an onslaught of paperwork in response to getting our
[5:33] The HVAC brand, because there's paperwork that has to be filled out by the town, so that
[5:39] and I have been working on that, and there's paperwork that now needs to be filled out by
[5:44] Empor.
[5:46] So, that's a little bit of what's then going on here with facilities, and so that nobody
[5:52] surprised that they've did important that she took the tile project from the capital project
[5:59] list because she believes she could cover that project with grant funding and it wouldn't have
[6:05] to go to the town and increase the budget.
[6:11] I'm sorry, I have a meeting for that.
[6:13] Usually if that would be anything with that, it's a smart range of a sort of.
[6:16] But anyway, again, I was very pleased to be invited over to the senior group, which met over
[6:25] that the town's all and the family we're hoping to do more activities think next year starting in September with the school.
[6:34] I know that we have grandparents group and other things going on, but bringing the community more into the school has always been very important for me and it's very important for eastward elementary school.
[6:46] So that's my report unless there are questions about anything in my report.
[6:56] And again, when we get to the budget part, I'll talk a little bit more about the security items that we're discussed.
[7:05] The Bureau.
[7:06] Good evening. A couple of changes to my report under this field trip section.
[7:13] students and grades one and two are going to the Eko Tarium I'm May 17. We've been having
[7:21] some trouble with our bus company EastCun and that they have a shortage of drivers. We have enough
[7:27] drivers to run our daily routes.
[7:30] But there are asking that buses be back around 1.30 in the afternoon for many trips. So they're here and available to do the high school runs, which is, which impacts our ability to go on field trips early, because there's not a whole lot right around here.
[7:44] And the neighborhood of Eastford, so if we're traveling anywhere, of most of them used to open until 9 or 10 for student groups, then then would have to leave relatively early in order to get back in for 1.30.
[7:56] So we have to change dates on a number of things just to try to make things work.
[8:04] So that's the switch on that is what that's accounted for there.
[8:11] The readiness council, and I think there's some question out there about whose responsibility it is to set the fees that we charge for readiness council.
[8:24] We've gone back through our records a little bit and it seems that when the council was first
[8:30] instituted, we set a cap on our weekly fees at $100 for families in preschool. Our fee
[8:36] at the our cap hasn't changed. The office of Merlet Childhood puts out a sliding fee schedule
[8:42] that we base families fees off of. They set family income. They're their fees pretty much set by
[8:48] office of early childhood, but if they are according to that fee's schedule for being asked to pay
[8:54] more than $100 a week, we kind of off there at the $100. The so the question is out there,
[9:00] do we want to raise our fees in line with the cost of everything else increasing to something like
[9:07] 125 as a cap, 130, 150, or do we just leave it as it is? And it's not clear who's decision
[9:16] I mean, the town first document really is in charge of the readiness council, because it's a town program, but it's housed here in the school and it's part of the complicated. Yeah, I just think that the school set the fees based on what I can tell in the beginning.
[9:38] How long has it been since the program started, I think in 2007,
[9:44] eight, nine.
[9:44] But we'd like for an increase.
[9:47] Right.
[9:48] What other, the shit's short, like we saw.
[9:50] You know, it varies.
[9:52] Ashford doesn't charge it off in their program.
[9:55] It's free to all the students.
[9:58] Union has done some light work, because I'd add you to reach out to them to see.
[10:02] And they currently aren't charging either.
[10:05] But they're looking to charge in the future, so they have found that it's different everywhere you look, the cost of trial care if you're putting your trials in daycare could easily be $200 or $400 a week.
[10:21] So I'm working as a highly qualified certified teacher to our program.
[10:31] and just I owe him.
[10:33] Yeah, I'm increasing him.
[10:34] I mean, you know, I'm thinking,
[10:35] you know, not much I think $50, but at least $25.
[10:38] I think $50.
[10:39] Yeah.
[10:40] $50, you couldn't be here all once.
[10:42] Right.
[10:42] And that would be weekly.
[10:43] So it would be right.
[10:49] So I can bring back to the council
[10:51] that the board would be in favor of a slight increase.
[10:55] And maybe we look more than 10 years down the road before we
[11:00] I don't think that we do.
[11:09] They can just pass on our thoughts.
[11:14] Because I'm not really sure it's a foreign decision.
[11:17] So much as it would be a school decision.
[11:19] But I don't think your day would be informing you anyway.
[11:23] In case you've realized if you don't have a chance.
[11:26] Yes.
[11:27] Maybe just what's on then.
[11:28] that you've been in line with the class of everything.
[11:42] Okay.
[11:43] And then I think the only other change, well, additionally,
[11:49] in line with Blidana was just saying, for teacher appreciation,
[11:53] week, our PTO is done a phenomenal job orchestrating, something daily
[11:58] to appreciate all of our staff.
[12:01] We've had a variety of different activities and treats each day to the day we had a luncheon and I didn't mention in my report that the Board of Education did supply the cookies and the beverages for that.
[12:13] So I went to make sure I gave you guys credit for your role and that as well and the teachers are all staff are very appreciative of all of the events.
[12:22] the administration, the Board of Atty, and the PTO for making that feel special during this week.
[12:29] So, that's it.
[12:32] Any questions?
[12:37] Okay, Mary.
[12:38] Well, I also want to express my appreciation from the staff here, the teachers, and the work they do
[12:43] collaboratively, and with all our students teaching, so the press, but that was just not
[12:47] in the care of not that today.
[12:49] So, mainly the numbers are pretty much the same.
[12:52] We do are doing our CT said training for our special ed staff and we actually have a parent
[12:57] Zoom meeting on May 24 that for a clock, we're going to do it over to training for our parents.
[13:03] There's a section called a parent portal where documents are sent to that's a set of both of parents.
[13:08] So we're going to go through that as well.
[13:10] Looking ahead to next year, probably we will have more of a staff in general ed staff training as well.
[13:16] Just the busy time in our area, the end of the year, there's a lot more of there are a lot more meetings referrals, you know, valuations that come up and discussion so very busy with that again.
[13:32] Any questions?
[13:33] I
[13:35] don't think we have any unfinished business.
[13:40] Sorry, yes, the next thing would be to.
[13:44] through the scholarship recipients, 2023, but I don't think you tell us who they are anyway.
[13:52] No, we don't because they would be announced by the scholarship foundation and notified.
[14:04] So we don't want to put it in our minutes or anything. So I move that the board approved the
[14:13] recommendations of the Scholarship Committee in terms of our awards for 2023.
[14:22] There's that again?
[14:24] Okay.
[14:25] Any questions?
[14:28] All is in favor say aye.
[14:31] Aye.
[14:32] Aye.
[14:34] I think that's everybody.
[14:36] I thought we got everybody.
[14:39] You need to ask.
[14:41] So the next thing that we have to do is just a formality.
[14:45] It's about the annual healthy food certification.
[14:49] I could read both for in paragraphs to you,
[14:51] or you could just trust me and say that we just do it automatically
[14:54] because we have to do it.
[14:56] So it's up to you. You want to just do it?
[15:00] Or you want me to read it? Just do it. Okay. So the first one, we're approving the annual Healthy Food Certification.
[15:10] And it's a yes or no. And so all those in favor of the Food Certification say yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Okay. And then the second one is the same idea. It's about the sale of students of food.
[15:28] same thing they have to about meeting nutritional standards and beverages, just a
[15:34] formality, so if we're all a favorite of that say yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, okay, so
[15:47] the next thing
[15:51] we need to establish the negotiating committees
[15:59] and I guess what I would like to do
[16:01] it is rather than just, is if someone is interested in doing that, I would like you to let me know,
[16:10] maybe text me or email me because I'd like to have people on it that want to be on it and I don't
[16:15] want to just put anybody on the spot. So we need to negotiate in committee for the
[16:23] Paris and on certified and then we'll need one for the teachers and we'll move while we start meeting
[16:32] with the non-certified, we could start meeting whenever we would like.
[16:37] But the certified would be either later in the summer or beyond,
[16:42] we're still getting the dates for that.
[16:45] So if you're interested in being on either one of those,
[16:48] just shoot me an email or a text,
[16:51] and you'll have yourself a nice summer evening job.
[16:55] If they go anywhere from three meetings to 23 meetings, no, not that, but hopefully we're not going to have that problem for it.
[17:10] They can be three generally not going to get done in the last three.
[17:13] We won here when I was on the last time we did it three, but it was that's pretty unusual.
[17:19] But if we can do it, we'd like to.
[17:23] So if you're interested in that, let me know and we will give those committees formed and start thinking about what we're going to do.
[17:35] Now I guess is we're going to discuss the status of the budget.
[17:40] But it's not a big discussion. I mean, obviously, if you have questions, please ask, but I've been keeping you informed that we were.
[17:49] where we were with our budgets throughout the year.
[17:52] We are in a good place at this point in time,
[17:56] at least hopefully we will stay there.
[17:58] I'd like to thank Kimberly for all the work she's been doing
[18:01] because part of why we're in a good place
[18:04] is we have been receiving grants as you know
[18:07] that has been helping cover costs.
[18:11] And that is not an easy job because not only do we have to manage
[18:16] the budget we have to then also manage the grants and all the paperwork that goes along with that.
[18:21] But it has helped us tremendously. One of the things we typically will do is to ask you to come
[18:30] June to spend down some of the money and I just wanted to give you an idea at this point what we're
[18:36] thinking so that we could start doing some work in that direction. Obviously, we would like to
[18:44] to prepay oil, as you know right now, the budget next year is going to be extremely tight.
[18:51] So one of the things which we're not going to do right away, but we have some dollars left
[18:55] in the oil account right now, and we might have some others.
[18:59] We'd like to do some prepay on oil.
[19:01] We, with two negotiations coming up, depending on what we have left, we might need to do
[19:06] something in that area.
[19:08] And I think what we'd like to do with the rest of our money in addition to possibly sending
[19:14] some over for the special education contingency fund which had helped us tremendously
[19:21] at this point is look at some of the security items that we're discussed at the security meeting.
[19:27] For example, we have no cameras in the building. We got a price. There were about $8,000 and there
[19:35] suggestion of where we could place those. Our preschool door has an issue. If you walk by it,
[19:42] it clicks open. We would like to fix that door and we have pricing on that. We are looking
[19:49] as was requested and we don't have the pricing yet to the downstairs door. One of our vulnerable areas
[19:58] is obviously the storage area and the downstairs stores do not have a lock on them during the day.
[20:04] we're looking to put a keyless entry on that door and think I've got them right right here.
[20:09] Yeah, there's a lock on the door. A lot of it, we don't lock it because people are coming in and out of it,
[20:15] so a swipe card would make access easier. And we don't have pricing yet, but the other area,
[20:22] and we probably can't do all of these, but these are the things we've been thinking about,
[20:25] so we're giving kind of a heads up. We're looking for pricing on the inner doors to the front
[20:31] as was discussed so that it would be a double buzz in not just the buzz to the outside door,
[20:37] but it buzz into the center area and then another second buzz in. So that's where we're hoping
[20:44] to spend some of our money on and we will come back with more information come June, but these are
[20:51] some projects that we wanted to make sure we're up. During the day that door anyone could walk in.
[21:02] It's not an exterior door though, if the storage room, the old music room, we have exit doors there that go out to the background.
[21:13] When you come in, those surrounded the bottom of the stairwell, we put those gray double doors there.
[21:19] Primarily our goal was to prevent the heat loss coming in because that other areas are not heated, right?
[21:25] But it also gives an ad layer of security if somebody breaks into that little vestibule in the back there.
[21:32] It's got household grade windows in that I'm those two sides there and it's at ground level.
[21:40] They could then walk right into the school.
[21:42] So really those doors should remain locked like they were exterior doors.
[21:48] But that is the primary way that teachers take classes in and out.
[21:51] So if we do a swipe on swipe door, it would be similar to what we're planning to do with the front.
[22:01] And we do a swipe.
[22:02] We're throwing it together and told that we made years ago.
[22:07] Yeah, exactly.
[22:09] Yeah.
[22:09] We're just a little walk through it.
[22:12] So those are the things we're thinking about.
[22:15] Again, just giving you that idea that our budget isn't a good place so far.
[22:21] And we have kept some money from building repairs that we haven't spent on our where we are.
[22:28] And
[22:30] Well, that's not that we would be preparing to make decisions on at the next meeting.
[22:34] You can. I mean, I can give you all that information in the packet, and then you can decide which kind of talk.
[22:41] Yeah, we could do that for you. But again, I didn't want you taken by surprise when you see some of these projects coming your way, and I wanted to give you the rationalization why we are strongly considering these.
[22:54] And if you were at our meeting, as I know you were seeing these were things that were
[22:58] disgusted back.
[23:03] Okay, I don't think we have any additional agenda items.
[23:08] So we need to authorize the transfers that are listed on the songs back.
[23:16] Second.
[23:18] Second.
[23:19] Any discussion?
[23:23] All of the favors say aye.
[23:26] Aye.
[23:29] Aye.
[23:31] Aye.
[23:31] So at our next meeting, we'll be having a executive session, and we'll be discussing as we
[23:36] pretend it.
[23:38] All right, I'd like you all to come prepared.
[23:40] Something positive and something that could have proved.
[23:45] And we didn't normally do that last year, so she's kind of a slack and awful and not that
[23:51] great.
[23:52] But we need to do that as part of our by-laws, so please come prepared to do that.
[23:58] And we will do that during a decade of session.
[24:02] You will probably also be needing to meet, to discuss
[24:06] the non-affiliated salary of the government.
[24:10] That's what the executive committee looks at.
[24:14] Anything else on anyone's mind or heart?
[24:25] Thank you for your service.
[24:27] I'm going to let me know if you want to be on one
[24:29] of the negotiation committee.
[24:32] so I don't have to train the leader arm. Is there a motion to adjourn?
[24:39] So sorry, sorry. All right, we're done. Thank you all for calling us.
[24:44] Thank you. Bye.
[24:48] Thank you.
[24:49] We're doing different sometimes in the other room.
[24:52] Good night.