[2:18] I think you're all

[2:33] » Hey Ray,

[2:35] >> I'm in.

[2:37] >> Recording in progress.

[2:39] Hey Ray, how are you?

[2:46] [laughter]

[2:47] >> Yeah, we got a little bit of rain all of

[2:48] a sudden there.

[2:50] >> Yeah.

[3:08] Well, I suppose we need rain,

[3:20] but it's a lot less cheery than the blue

[3:22] skies we had for a few days.

[3:36] Hey.

[3:38] >> So, Ray Oh, yeah. I'm on I'm in my car.

[3:43] I'm heading home. Um I'll get on uh when

[3:46] I get there.

[3:49] >> Okay. Are are you're heading from the

[3:52] post office to your house or

[3:54] >> Yeah.

[3:54] Okay.

[3:56] >> Thank you.

[3:57] >> Yeah.

[4:02] » Lonnie is not going to be with us. I

[4:05] have no idea about Katherine,

[4:08] but we need all three of them in

[4:13] Lori. Good to see you again.

[4:17] >> Long time no see, Ray.

[4:18] >> Yeah, Ray. Really?

[4:20] 24 hours anniversary. [clears throat]

[4:24] >> Less than that.

[4:25] >> Like Groundhog's Day.

[4:27] >> Yes, cuz we lasted a while.

[4:53] I'm curious whether anybody knows about

[4:56] what happened with the pressure test

[4:58] that

[5:00] Nicole was going to do on the train

[5:03] station

[5:05] offices.

[5:10] No one's here that went to it.

[5:13] >> I'm out of the loop, of course.

[5:16] >> Yeah.

[5:20] [clears throat]

[5:22] Hopefully. I mean, she did a lot of lot

[5:24] of insulating work. Hopefully, there's

[5:28] some impact showing in the

[5:32] or test.

[5:35] Oh, wait.

[5:37] Hear from Mary some point, I suppose.

[5:40] All right.

[5:44] Are we all ready now?

[5:46] >> I mean, yes, they're still printing, but

[5:47] you can go ahead and get started.

[5:48] >> Okay. Thanks.

[5:50] >> All right. So, I'll I'll open this

[5:53] meeting. Oops.

[5:59] uh the Dart Bennington Grad School

[6:01] Credential Committee meeting for

[6:04] Wednesday, September 9th, 2026

[6:08] at uh

[6:10] open it and um I don't see anybody to

[6:14] offer public comments.

[6:17] So we will move to the consent agenda. I

[6:20] would ask permission to move the the um

[6:27] actual agenda puts the uh financial

[6:30] report down in um

[6:34] treasurer's report in FYI, but I'd like

[6:39] to move it to the consent agenda area

[6:42] where it has normally been. If that's

[6:45] acceptable to the rest of the board

[6:47] that's here,

[6:49] I'll make the motion we do it. Um,

[6:53] have a second.

[6:58] » A second.

[7:00] >> Okay. All in favor?

[7:03] >> I.

[7:06] » Matthew, you're in favor.

[7:08] >> Okay. All right. So,

[7:12] >> now we got a headphone.

[7:14] Okay. Uh Doug, so do you want to would

[7:19] you like to go ahead with your treasures

[7:21] report?

[7:22] >> Certainly. Yep. Um again, not a lot this

[7:26] month. Um this is a fairly slower time.

[7:29] Um so uh transition from uh Mnt to Bank

[7:34] of Bennington has been going very well.

[7:37] Um, as we talked about last month, uh,

[7:40] we're beginning to use the new accounts

[7:43] as the primary. So, all new checks and

[7:45] everything have been written from there.

[7:47] Um, the first state aid for this fiscal

[7:52] year is due tomorrow. Um, last I had

[7:55] talked to Renee, the state had said

[7:57] everything was going to be on time. Uh,

[8:00] so we will find out uh tomorrow or

[8:03] Friday, depending on which day I can go

[8:04] in and check to make sure that that went

[8:07] into the new account. Um, so what I'm

[8:10] going to request in case it doesn't, is

[8:14] for a motion um for us to transfer funds

[8:19] as needed from the old Mnt accounts to

[8:24] the new Bank of Bennington accounts.

[8:26] That way there, if it does go into the

[8:29] old account, I can just have Britney cut

[8:31] a check from that account and deposit it

[8:33] into

[8:35] um the new account for items going

[8:38] forward. Um and I don't have an exact

[8:40] amount. That's why I wanted to just make

[8:42] it a general as needed transfer from old

[8:46] to new.

[8:47] Okay,

[8:48] >> Doug, would it make sense to just say

[8:52] any funds that are deposited into the

[8:56] Mnt account that are dispersed should be

[8:59] transferred over to Bank of Bington?

[9:01] >> Um I think Kieran um as needed is better

[9:04] because there's still

[9:06] >> well becauc because there's still some

[9:08] funds that have been in there that we're

[9:10] kind of leaving. So, you know, depending

[9:13] on how much checks are over the next

[9:15] month or so, um it may be a little bit

[9:18] more than what the state deposit is. Um

[9:21] this way here, I would be able to just

[9:23] do the money, you know, whatever amount

[9:25] was needed versus having to come back to

[9:28] the board for an approval. So, that's

[9:29] why I kind of figured if we just said as

[9:32] needed.

[9:38] » Makes sense.

[9:40] Okay.

[9:42] U so

[9:43] >> I'll make a motion.

[9:45] >> Thank you. And um I'll second it. Are we

[9:49] Do we have any further discussion?

[9:53] Seeing none offered, I call the

[9:54] question. Are we all in favor? I

[10:01] crickets on this.

[10:03] So, Matthew Kieran, could you speak up

[10:06] and say whether you're for or opposed to

[10:09] this?

[10:12] >> Not kidding.

[10:13] >> I I'm in favor.

[10:15] >> Oh, thank you, Karen.

[10:18] Well, that passes for

[10:22] >> Okay. Um, and then the only other piece

[10:25] that I have to follow up with Renee and

[10:27] the attorney is the final document for

[10:30] the loop on the tax anticipation note.

[10:34] Um, it's just in a holding pattern for

[10:37] that last piece. The good news is so far

[10:41] we haven't needed it. Um, so I haven't

[10:43] really had to push on that. Um, we have

[10:45] the documents.

[10:46] >> Last piece. Sorry.

[10:48] >> Yep. The last piece needed is the

[10:50] attorney opinion letter that she

[10:52] couldn't complete until everything was

[10:54] signed. Um, which has been completed.

[10:57] Um, when I spoke to Renee on,

[11:00] >> I believe it was Thursday of last week,

[11:03] she had sent another email to Dena to

[11:06] follow up on that letter. Um, and I

[11:09] didn't get a chance to talk to Renee

[11:11] yesterday or today to see if that letter

[11:13] had been sent to the bank. Um, so that's

[11:16] the only piece, but like I said, it's

[11:17] not at this point in time, it's not a

[11:20] uh, you know, we're not needing of the

[11:22] funds. There was um, some carryover from

[11:25] the uh, from the um,

[11:29] uh, construction funds that weren't

[11:31] dispersed. So, that's been in the

[11:33] operating account, which kind of floated

[11:35] us, which we normally don't have in our

[11:37] operating account. Um, so that cash that

[11:40] wasn't dispersed,

[11:42] we've been floating along with for the summer months.

[11:46] >> You've been paying our bills out on the

[11:48] balance sheet as its own entity.

[11:51] >> Exactly. It's still all accounted for

[11:53] and, you know, as the taxes come in or

[11:56] we need to advance from the loan, it's all it's all still there.

[12:00] >> Okay.

[12:01] >> It's just, you know, a cash position,

[12:03] you know, a physical asset.

[12:07] So I have I have one uh particular

[12:10] question which really doesn't relate to

[12:12] our meeting much except that we we do

[12:15] have on our warrant a payment to the

[12:19] painter and he's bugging me for money.

[12:22] So I have a question about will the

[12:25] checks be available tomorrow? Will you

[12:27] come in and sign for them? Is that the

[12:29] way

[12:30] >> typically that's how the process works?

[12:32] Yep. Um, the only thing that would

[12:35] happen is if for some reason I got

[12:36] completely tied up at work and couldn't

[12:38] get over there. But I'd say 99% of the

[12:41] time I go over tomorrow at lunchtime to

[12:44] sign all the checks that were approved

[12:46] tonight.

[12:47] >> Right. So, um, well, that that's good. I could come pick up

[12:54] the check for Roy and the check for the

[12:58] village school and the check for Lori

[13:00] because I dropped

[13:02] I could drop all three checks off to

[13:05] various the parties and of interest.

[13:09] >> Yep.

[13:09] >> Okay.

[13:10] >> Yep. If you stop over in the afternoon,

[13:11] usually usually I get over there by

[13:13] noon. Um so if you stop over anytime

[13:16] after noon time, it should be all set.

[13:19] >> Okay.

[13:21] >> Um

[13:23] All right.

[13:24] >> And then my last little my last little

[13:26] bit will be the same thing I said at the

[13:28] village meeting last night. Um, I'm in

[13:30] the process of uh updating tax bills. My

[13:34] goal is to have all of those um out in

[13:37] uh into Matt's office. Uh hopefully by

[13:40] Friday or Saturday uh with Monday being

[13:43] the absolute latest. Knock on wood. So

[13:46] far everything's been going smoothly. So

[13:48] if that continues, I'll be uh bringing

[13:51] all the bills and those will be out um

[13:54] very soon to uh all the residents of

[13:56] North Bennington and the Shaffsberry

[13:58] one.

[13:59] I'm sure there will be a collective

[14:02] hurra.

[14:04] >> Yeah, I'm sure.

[14:06] >> Yep. U Well, I think that usually comes

[14:09] in the fact that they pay their bill

[14:12] once they

[14:13] >> Exactly.

[14:15] >> Okay.

[14:15] >> So, unless there's any other questions,

[14:17] that's all I've got and I'm going to

[14:18] jump off and go back to working on tax

[14:20] bills.

[14:22] >> Yeah. I I don't see any other questions

[14:25] offered and I don't have any further

[14:28] questions. So, thank you very much Doug

[14:30] for being

[14:31] >> Thank you guys. Have a good night.

[14:34] >> Thanks.

[14:37] >> Um

[14:40] the agenda.

[14:42] Oh, the consent agenda.

[14:45] Okay. So the consent agenda

[14:59] well that that's the minutes from August

[15:02] 12th May 26 and of course the warrants

[15:07] there's a war

[15:13] » Yep. Thank you.

[15:15] >> And

[15:25] only one.

[15:31] Okay. So, the minutes hopefully you

[15:34] read. Um I read them and they seem to be

[15:38] accurate. Um

[15:41] and then the warrants um there's a

[15:45] warrant which is to do with the transfer

[15:49] of money from the intent account to the

[15:52] bank the bank benitent account

[15:57] in the amount of $300,000

[16:01] and then there are

[16:06] I'm sorry I had some trouble reading

[16:09] because I I went to the eye doctor this

[16:12] morning and I my eyes are still partly

[16:14] dilated.

[16:18] Um,

[16:21] so what is this?

[16:27] Okay. So,

[16:32] there's 300,000, there's a voided check,

[16:35] and then there's $231,36954

[16:42] that

[16:53] Okay.

[16:55] Um that large amount is

[17:00] 221.

[17:03] Oh yeah, 221,369

[17:07] and chain. Uh so that there's payments

[17:11] to the SU for various elements of the

[17:16] services that they provide the district.

[17:20] um that totals of 62,000

[17:26] and

[17:28] 129.

[17:30] There's

[17:32] one one tuition payment to Highland Hall

[17:36] School

[17:37] for

[17:39] $243.

[17:44] a payment to Lorine for her minutes for

[17:48] August for $50.

[17:50] And u

[17:53] then the paint painters check for uh

[17:56] painting the windows on the gym and also

[18:00] uh attending to issues with the gutters

[18:05] left to us by the installers of the

[18:09] gutters

[18:10] or that's 13 and a half thousand

[18:14] And finally, the village school uh

[18:17] tuition for 70 students,

[18:21] 142,000

[18:23] 6

[18:24] >> 60

[18:25] >> 680

[18:28] >> 660. Thank you. Okay. So, um that's so

[18:35] that's the consent agenda.

[18:37] [clears throat]

[18:38] I entertain a motion to approve public

[18:41] parts of the consent agenda.

[18:44] So we can move forward.

[18:47] >> So moved.

[18:49] >> A second.

[18:50] >> Thank you. So all in favor

[18:54] >> I thank you. So

[18:59] I don't think I can.

[19:02] >> All right.

[19:11] Having gotten through the consent

[19:13] agenda, we have no policies, which is

[19:16] the next item on the agenda. The fourth

[19:19] item is the superintendent report.

[19:22] And um the superintendent is not here,

[19:26] but the assistant superintendent is

[19:28] here.

[19:29] Bethany Lorge and

[19:33] or is yours or the table.

[19:35] >> All right. Uh good evening everybody. Um

[19:38] again, my name is Beth Lorge. I'm the

[19:39] assistant superintendent filling in for

[19:41] Tim tonight. Uh a few updates that uh he

[19:46] wanted to share um the updates in

[19:49] regards to the merger study.

[19:51] There is a uh they've uh chosen a lead

[19:56] facilitator. His name his name is David

[19:58] Ys and he is actually um I don't know if

[20:02] they would call him the CEO or the

[20:03] director of the tutorial center here in

[20:06] Bennington. um but he is the lead

[20:08] facilitator and they also chose uh

[20:11] regional facilitators and so the

[20:14] southwest region the region that we're

[20:16] part of chose uh the name is Dr. Lavell

[20:20] Brown and so I'm just going to give a

[20:22] little bit of a snippet of of who Dr.

[20:24] Brown is. Uh Dr. Brown is an

[20:26] accomplished educator, author, national

[20:28] thought leader who has served as a

[20:30] teacher, principal, school c CIO, and

[20:33] superintendent of Ithaca New York

[20:36] schools and is a founder and CEO of Love

[20:39] to Achieve.

[20:42] Named the 2017 New York State

[20:44] Superintendent of the Year, Dr. Brown

[20:46] has received numerous national honors.

[20:49] Uh there's um a humanitarian award,

[20:52] national school boards association 20 to

[20:55] watch. He earned four degrees from the

[20:58] University of Virginia and serves as an

[21:00] adjunct faculty member at Sunni

[21:02] Courtland and St. John Fischer

[21:04] University. As a nationally sought-after

[21:06] speaker and leadership facilitator, Dr.

[21:08] Brown has engaged thousands of educators

[21:10] and leaders through professional

[21:11] learning, strategic planning, community

[21:14] engagement, and initiatives, including

[21:16] the Courageous Leaders Network. He's an

[21:18] author works uh that works focused on

[21:22] and his work is focused on

[21:23] transformative leadership,

[21:24] organizational culture and expanding

[21:26] opportunities for young people. So this

[21:28] was a email that we had received that um

[21:31] gave the biographies for each of the

[21:34] region and each of the region's

[21:36] selections for their um their regional

[21:39] facilitator.

[21:41] uh with the next meeting being the first

[21:43] merger meeting being October 15th.

[21:47] Uh the regional facilitators their their

[21:50] role is basically to um confirm organize

[21:54] merger study committees within their

[21:56] assigned uh regions. Support uh

[21:59] consistent communication with

[22:00] communities throughout this process.

[22:02] Facilitate struct structured merger

[22:05] study conversations.

[22:07] monitor committee engagement and draft a

[22:09] final merger study report and

[22:11] recommendations from their regional um

[22:14] committee. So they have selected a lead

[22:17] facilitator and then all of the regions

[22:19] have their facilitator with the first

[22:22] merger study committee meeting on

[22:24] October 15th

[22:26] >> and we don't know where that will be.

[22:28] >> Do you not have an uh

[22:31] >> no location yet? No, no details on that

[22:36] meeting.

[22:36] >> Nope.

[22:37] >> And whether it's

[22:41] call for all of us to be convened in one

[22:44] location or whether we probably there

[22:47] will be assumed

[22:48] >> I'm assuming there'll be a virtual

[22:49] option as

[22:52] >> um Yeah, go ahead.

[22:56] >> He has no direct experience in Vermont.

[22:59] >> As far as I know that this person is,

[23:01] you know, their experience isn't in the

[23:03] drug store. I will say that most of

[23:05] these regional leaders appear to come

[23:08] from outside of the state. Um some from

[23:11] Massachusetts.

[23:12] Um there's a few there's one or two from

[23:14] Vermont. Um

[23:17] Massachusetts. Yeah, I think there was

[23:21] one from New Jersey possibly. So

[23:25] they're a little bit more regional.

[23:28] >> Yeah. Well,

[23:31] you can't break the form down. No,

[23:33] that's

[23:35] >> uh the second item is just a reminder of

[23:38] a change to the board meeting calendar.

[23:40] So, um an action requested would be uh

[23:44] just to for a motion to adjust the board

[23:46] meeting calendar. So, uh I believe this

[23:49] was

[23:51] included.

[23:53] Um

[24:00] the idea with this is that there is no

[24:03] October meeting of this board. It's just

[24:07] the SPSU.

[24:09] Uh in the SVSU board meeting, they're

[24:11] sharing achievement. So uh achievement

[24:14] across the SVSU will be shared during

[24:17] that meeting but there would be no um in

[24:20] there's no individual boards um that

[24:22] month as well it as in February

[24:26] and then April and June. The idea with

[24:31] October and uh April are that we're

[24:34] sharing achievement um results of

[24:36] students and then uh the February time

[24:39] period is for outreach before budget

[24:41] season and the

[24:45] June one is for retreats. So there will

[24:48] not be board meetings held that during

[24:51] those months.

[24:51] >> No individual board meetings at those

[24:53] months.

[24:54] >> Correct. So, we make continuing

[24:57] resolutions for the board to approve

[25:01] forms.

[25:03] Is that what happens?

[25:05] >> Yeah, I would have to

[25:07] I'd have to get clarification on that

[25:09] one. Yeah.

[25:09] >> Yeah.

[25:11] >> Well, I'm sure the rest of the board is

[25:12] going to be happy with that. [laughter]

[25:15] I don't know about Lori

[25:18] because u it reduces well it reduces our

[25:22] work but it reduces our income as well.

[25:26] Um so do we have any choice about can we we

[25:33] can decide whether we want to push back

[25:35] on this?

[25:37] >> I think you can have discussion about

[25:39] it. Yeah.

[25:42] But I know that the other the other

[25:44] boards have um

[25:46] >> approved it,

[25:47] >> have agreed to have those individual

[25:49] just the SVSU board uh meet during those

[25:52] months.

[25:54] >> Um

[25:56] well, I'd like to hear from

[26:00] Matt, Kieran, and Lori are here.

[26:06] They have

[26:08] objections or comments to make. What choice do we have?

[26:15] » Well, yeah, because we uh we won't have

[26:18] a facilitator, obviously.

[26:21] Ray, I think um when we have the um

[26:29] board meeting directly after the

[26:33] uh vote in March,

[26:36] >> we we always have a paragraph

[26:40] authorizing you to sign warrants.

[26:44] >> Yes.

[26:45] >> Between board meetings. Um, so I don't

[26:49] think that needs to be a separate motion

[26:52] because we've authorized you to do that

[26:54] anyway.

[26:55] >> True.

[26:56] >> So

[26:57] >> that's true.

[26:58] >> I think that's okay.

[27:01] >> I I accept that. I've understood that

[27:05] for a long time. I just like to make

[27:07] sure it's still on on the table.

[27:10] I'll just I'll just rake someone's lawn,

[27:13] Ray, and make up the difference or

[27:15] something, you know. I I'll be okay.

[27:18] Thanks, though.

[27:20] >> Well, you know, maybe maybe we just make

[27:22] it as a stipen for the year instead of the

[27:27] parcel.

[27:28] >> There you go.

[27:31] >> Thanks for asking though.

[27:33] >> Well, I mean, it's it's important. So,

[27:37] and um

[27:40] I I don't mind not having

[27:45] monthly

[27:47] get together like this. I I mean I like

[27:50] it usually but until I unless I make a

[27:53] mess of it but u um but um

[28:00] and this board doesn't have a lot of

[28:04] tenantous business. you know, we

[28:07] basically

[28:09] need to approve our warrants and uh

[28:13] right now our main discussion would be

[28:16] uh

[28:18] the merger

[28:21] effort. Um

[28:24] so I I'm not going to object to it

[28:27] myself

[28:29] and u it won't affect our stipens

[28:33] because they're in the budget. they'll

[28:34] just come to us.

[28:38] >> Um,

[28:39] >> that only they'll only affect our

[28:42] scheduling for our annual meeting

[28:44] because we'd have to do it in January as

[28:46] opposed to when we do meet in February.

[28:50] >> Yeah.

[28:53] >> Well, normally it's in March. Well,

[28:56] >> right. We usually set a date usually

[28:59] that February meeting,

[29:03] » right? But that that I don't think we

[29:05] can change that because that

[29:08] um that's tied to a vote.

[29:15] And uh so that's the one thing that I

[29:17] don't think we we really want to change.

[29:23] Um Paula, you know, we we normally put

[29:26] that meeting on a Saturday anyway

[29:29] because um

[29:31] uh

[29:34] the community keeps saying, "Well, yes,

[29:36] we keep that meeting on Saturday." And

[29:39] then and and it is a meeting that has

[29:43] um

[29:45] doesn't affect the vote on the budget

[29:48] because that's by Australian ballot or

[29:51] the vote for individuals

[29:54] to uh assume

[29:57] positions on the uh the board.

[30:05] But um I would

[30:10] seems to me we should do away with the

[30:12] meeting even though it's difficult

[30:14] sometimes to get much participation.

[30:22] That's just my opinion.

[30:29] But u everybody give me your thoughts

[30:32] about what to do about the annual

[30:34] meeting.

[30:36] annual four meeting

[30:42] and you can send them to me in an email.

[30:44] We don't have to discuss it now.

[30:50] Okay.

[30:54] So, I'm it says action required which

[30:57] means we're supposed to accept this,

[30:59] right?

[31:00] >> Motion to it adjusts the calendar.

[31:09] Okay. So, what's the motion?

[31:12] I guess

[31:13] >> we'd be taking off. We normally don't

[31:16] have a meeting in July either.

[31:19] >> Correct.

[31:19] >> We still keep that uh or would we just

[31:22] readjust because we don't really have a

[31:24] lot going on.

[31:26] >> Yeah.

[31:27] It has always been I mean that was

[31:30] that's been not just our board but other

[31:33] boards have not met in July in general.

[31:41] » So could you could you write it?

[31:45] >> Yes.

[31:48] So it would be the it's an adjustment

[31:50] for February,

[31:53] April.

[31:57] Uh

[31:59] February, April, and June.

[32:02] >> Okay. February, April, and June. No

[32:05] meetings.

[32:07] Individual boards just meetings.

[32:10] >> I thought October. Didn't you say

[32:13] October?

[32:14] >> Yes. Sorry, you're right. October,

[32:16] February, April, and June. the October

[32:18] and the February are the ones that are

[32:21] the uh um student achievement that would

[32:25] be done through the SVSU.

[32:27] Um

[32:29] and then the uh the one that is in

[32:35] sorry no February one is the outreach.

[32:38] So the idea is that with budget season

[32:40] approaching that boards would be um

[32:43] spending time in their community and you

[32:45] know uh communicating with them. So

[32:48] nothing in February,

[32:50] nothing in April. That's when student

[32:53] achievement is shared and then nothing

[32:55] in June. The idea behind that is for

[32:58] retreat board retrief

[33:01] >> and that's a change to the calendar

[33:03] going forward or is it just for this

[33:05] year? As of right now, it's just for

[33:08] this year.

[33:09] >> Okay.

[33:18] » I guess we have we kind of being forced

[33:21] into it, aren't we?

[33:24] Um

[33:28] well, we need certain services to to

[33:31] have a board meeting because we now have

[33:34] to we have this dual

[33:37] format where the public can participate

[33:39] through Zoom

[33:41] and u

[33:44] unless we figure out another way to do

[33:46] that.

[33:51] I don't know. I didn't I didn't realize

[33:53] that's what was on this sheet. I saw it

[33:56] for

[34:02] it and then dawned on me that that's

[34:04] what was going to be.

[34:08] So, um

[34:13] can we table this?

[34:20] I don't think we can because it would

[34:22] start next month, wouldn't it?

[34:34] Hey, Justin. Probably just for the

[34:36] October meeting if you like

[35:01] Does someone make a motion and we'll

[35:04] have a

[35:12] » I guess I'll make a motion to

[35:16] the adopt the

[35:22] you know, change schedule for this year,

[35:25] this academic school year.

[35:30] » I'll second that, I guess.

[35:34] » All right. Well, we have a vote. All in

[35:38] favor?

[35:40] I

[35:40] >> I

[35:43] opposed.

[35:46] Abstension.

[35:50] Um just so that I can uh make sure to

[35:52] bring this back. One question would be

[35:54] is this going to be carried over to

[35:56] future ears?

[35:57] >> Yes.

[35:57] >> And then the other one being that could

[36:00] it maybe be adjusted or um or is it have

[36:03] to be to this one? Is that another

[36:05] question that you had or

[36:07] >> Well, my primary objection is to

[36:13] » probably to cancellation of

[36:20] if our annual floor meeting would occur

[36:23] in February,

[36:26] what happens in March? Is that canceled

[36:29] too?

[36:31] It's in pink.

[36:35] Uh, no. The ones that are highlighted

[36:37] are the ones that you're holding.

[36:39] >> Okay.

[36:39] >> Yeah. So, you'll still have them in

[36:40] March.

[36:50] » So, um, let's look at the calendar for

[36:53] next year.

[37:26] Does our charter speak to any specific

[37:28] uh

[37:31] meeting dates?

[37:32] >> It may

[37:34] and that's something I haven't checked.

[37:47] Okay. February of 2027.

[38:07] Yep. We would actually have that annual for meeting in on the 27th

[38:13] of February.

[38:28] Well,

[38:29] >> we usually don't have anybody from the

[38:31] SVSU though for our annual meeting.

[38:34] >> No, we don't.

[38:36] I mean, we we have had, but normally we don't. And um

[38:43] and sometimes we have decent numbers.

[38:48] um

[38:49] sometimes we don't have very much in the

[38:52] way of participation.

[38:57] » I mean I think the annual meeting this

[38:59] year is I mean now that there's been a

[39:01] little bit more movement on the merging

[39:04] of SV like union supervisory unions

[39:08] maybe we'll have a little bit more

[39:11] participation this year or this coming

[39:13] February.

[39:15] >> Yeah.

[39:15] if we can get, you know, like the local

[39:18] >> the local politicians again, you know,

[39:21] to

[39:22] >> come in and potentially, you know, talk

[39:24] and about any updates of where

[39:27] everything's going.

[39:30] >> So, that's a good point. Uh I believe

[39:32] that the merger discussions are supposed

[39:37] to have be at an end by the end of this

[39:41] year, right?

[39:43] >> So,

[39:43] >> yeah. So, u there could be an interest

[39:48] in talking about it depending on what

[39:51] happens to this district

[39:56] for sure. And

[39:59] prior to that,

[40:00] >> end of next year, March 2028,

[40:03] possible community votes on proposed

[40:05] merged districts.

[40:06] >> That's 28. That's a full year beyond.

[40:09] Yes.

[40:10] um

[40:12] >> study the reports are due September 1st

[40:15] of next year,

[40:17] >> right? But I I believe the merger

[40:20] committee work is all this year.

[40:22] >> Correct. And then with their and then

[40:24] the regional um facilitators I believe

[40:28] have their their reports due September

[40:31] 1st.

[40:32] >> Yes. Okay.

[40:33] >> So they're going to give them a long

[40:35] time. They're not going to give the

[40:36] committee much time.

[40:38] >> Correct. Yeah. Well, it's

[40:42] what is that? Is that participation or

[40:44] is that beyond?

[40:48] I think

[40:51] um

[40:53] yeah, I I guess I'm not really happy

[40:56] with this. uh

[40:59] at least I think um

[41:02] I don't I I may not object to the other

[41:05] dates that are on here but I object to u

[41:10] since it does affect an annual meeting

[41:14] for us I object to that and I think I

[41:18] don't see how it in in any way

[41:20] interferes with the supervisory meeting

[41:23] because they don't run the feeding

[41:24] anyway.

[41:25] >> Yeah, I can get clarification. I think

[41:27] that that can still be held

[41:29] >> Yeah.

[41:29] >> and February.

[41:31] Um and then the only other ones were

[41:35] the October,

[41:37] April, June.

[41:39] >> Correct.

[41:39] >> Yeah. But I'll get there. I mean, I can

[41:41] make clarification.

[41:43] >> U

[41:45] because of the calendar.

[41:47] I think March 1st is

[41:51] I should have paid attention to it. I

[41:53] think that's a Monday.

[41:54] >> It is.

[41:54] >> Yeah.

[41:56] Uh so you could normally most people

[41:59] like Bennington holds their their

[42:02] meeting on first Monday, the Monday just

[42:06] before the vote and um our community

[42:10] just decided at some point to move it

[42:13] backwards so that more people they

[42:15] thought more people would participate in

[42:18] the meeting and they haven't changed it.

[42:24] Um, okay. I'll get clarification on that

[42:26] one.

[42:27] >> Okay.

[42:27] >> And then come back to you about it.

[42:29] >> All right.

[42:30] Okay. Um, what else?

[42:33] >> Confirm representative for merger study

[42:35] group. So, that was you, Ray. Correct.

[42:38] >> That's that's me.

[42:39] >> Okay. And then the last thing is just

[42:41] that in the um board

[42:43] >> I mean the board could could say that

[42:45] they're they're still supporting me to

[42:48] be that member, but I don't anticipate a

[42:52] change.

[42:53] >> Okay.

[42:54] Um,

[42:55] >> speak up if you want.

[42:58] >> I'm still good with you doing it, Ray.

[43:01] >> I'm sure Matt can agree.

[43:03] >> All good, baby.

[43:05] >> All right.

[43:06] >> And then the last thing is just that the

[43:08] SPSU goals are in the um in the board

[43:11] packet.

[43:11] >> Yeah.

[43:12] >> Um outlining what the SPSU uh you know

[43:14] decided they wanted their priorities to

[43:16] be. So they're based on policy, merger,

[43:19] and communication.

[43:22] >> Right.

[43:22] >> Preview. That's it.

[43:24] >> Would you like to describe each of those

[43:27] just briefly? I mean, I know what the

[43:29] policy one is.

[43:30] >> So, yeah, the the main idea for each of

[43:32] these is for policy adopt required

[43:34] policies consistent with law, ensuring

[43:36] full full compliance by the end of the

[43:38] 2627 school year. So, making sure that

[43:41] all of our policies that uh we have are

[43:44] updated and reviewed and revised if

[43:47] needed. Um there are some that are very

[43:50] outdated and have not been reviewed in a

[43:52] very long time. The merger participate

[43:55] in good faith in the merger study

[43:56] process. So that's kind of

[43:59] self-explanatory of all the boards uh

[44:01] the SPSU being a part of the merger

[44:03] study and being involved in also sharing

[44:05] that information back to their boards.

[44:08] Um and then communication continue to

[44:10] grow systems for community input

[44:12] especially on the merger study and

[44:14] budget investments priorities. So, um

[44:17] making sure to get feedback from the

[44:19] community about what priorities are

[44:20] financially and also opinions uh as we

[44:24] move through the merger process

[44:27] and that's for just this school year.

[44:29] >> Yeah. And uh that leads us to the

[44:33] chair's report because uh item B is

[44:38] community meeting on regarding the

[44:41] merger study. Uh so I talked to Tim

[44:46] Newold about this and uh I have

[44:50] mentioned it to Tim

[44:52] um Payne as well

[44:55] and Tim Newold has uh talked to Seth

[44:59] Bongards about a meeting possibility

[45:02] which turns out to be uh September 29th

[45:08] and at likely at 5 or 5:30 in the

[45:12] evening.

[45:13] in the uh

[45:16] the school gymnasium.

[45:22] Um,

[45:25] I would assume that we would all

[45:27] participate in that

[45:29] and um,

[45:33] Seth being the most knowledgeable,

[45:37] our most knowledgeable partner from uh,

[45:41] legislative side, but we could invite

[45:43] other legislators who are important to

[45:46] our community. Tim Corkran and uh,

[45:52] Oh, little fair weird. Um,

[45:56] >> Tim just joined us, by the way.

[45:58] >> Oh, hi.

[45:59] >> Yeah.

[46:00] So, uh, actually, I could turn the board

[46:04] the floor over to Tim if he wishes to

[46:07] speak on the the tw the meeting that

[46:11] we're sort of trying to put together for

[46:13] we are trying to put together for the

[46:15] 29.

[46:17] >> Uh, thank you, Ray. So Ray and I talked

[46:20] and um we've been connecting up with uh

[46:24] other people in the community um

[46:26] Southshshire R school, different parent

[46:29] groups and things like that. And the

[46:30] idea is really to have um anformational

[46:34] night. I know that they've done this in

[46:35] some of the other um regions throughout

[46:37] the state and and other um districts,

[46:40] but it's just to make sure our

[46:42] electorate and our district is as much

[46:44] informed about what the processes are

[46:47] happening far as the the merger

[46:49] discussion and the and the and the cessa

[46:52] groups as well and what those might

[46:54] mean. And so the idea is to just um

[46:57] bring folks together so that they

[46:59] understand um what this process is going

[47:02] to look like um where it's going to go

[47:04] and and also get an insight as to what

[47:06] our community wants with this process.

[47:08] Do they want to be um a district that

[47:12] considers merging or do they want to

[47:14] remain their own separate district? So,

[47:16] I think it's a it's a way to get the

[47:18] word out, um, invite as many people as

[47:20] possible, um, and maybe get some

[47:23] legislators there who might be able to

[47:25] speak into, you know, what this may lead

[47:27] into down the road.

[47:31] >> Does that make sense, Ry? Or do you need

[47:32] me to explain?

[47:34] >> No, that's that's the gist of the

[47:37] meeting. Yeah.

[47:38] >> Uh you you had sent me some documents

[47:43] that which are visa documents about the

[47:45] process. Is that right?

[47:47] >> No, they were they were made by parent

[47:48] groups up in the northeast kingdom, I

[47:50] think.

[47:51] >> Okay.

[47:51] >> And um and and and they've shared it out

[47:54] with different districts throughout the

[47:56] state to make sure people are informed

[47:59] and and just gave them a template of

[48:00] different things that they can use. Um,

[48:03] so I think uh people down here need to

[48:07] um look at those, make it our own, and

[48:10] then see if they want to use that as a

[48:12] as the the points they want to share at

[48:15] that meeting.

[48:17] >> And those [clears throat] those

[48:19] documents had a definite focus on

[48:22] preserving school choice. And that's not

[48:27] surprising given that the Northeast

[48:28] Kingdom has a lot of school choice.

[48:32] >> Yeah. And I think the some of the other

[48:34] people um in the Manchester area have

[48:36] also been involved in the creation of

[48:38] these. Um and if you're up in that where

[48:41] up in up in that area, they're already

[48:44] um lawn signs out uh in various places

[48:47] that say, you know, maintaining school

[48:49] choice and stuff like that. So they're actively um

[48:55] making their position known in some

[48:56] parts of the in in the Manchester

[48:59] region.

[49:01] >> Yeah. And uh the school choice districts

[49:05] tend to be on this diagonal from

[49:07] southwest to northeast

[49:11] >> concentrations in northeast and

[49:14] southwest. Yeah, if you go back to when

[49:16] um when the maps were first started

[49:18] putting out, I think one of the maps did

[49:20] have sort of a a swath from the the

[49:23] southwest to the northeast of these are

[49:25] where the the schools and the

[49:27] communities that have um choice or who

[49:30] are nonoperating

[49:32] um mostly are.

[49:35] So, you're right.

[49:38] Now, I I skimmed through the U

[49:42] document that was colorful. I skimmed

[49:45] through both documents, but I looked at

[49:47] the one that has the color and it's

[49:50] easier.

[49:52] Um

[49:53] that they're they're both interesting to

[49:56] read and they they

[49:59] point out the pitfalls for nonoperating

[50:02] districts in Yes. those communities. if

[50:05] they want if their community wants to

[50:08] continue the operating system that

[50:10] they're under, which is a choice system.

[50:13] >> Exactly.

[50:15] >> But um and I I know I sent this out late

[50:20] today because I I did I just didn't get

[50:23] it done. But uh I'd appreciate it if u

[50:28] and Matthew would look at those

[50:31] documents

[50:33] and uh Lori as well. Um

[50:37] because I think they're crucial to us

[50:41] working with our community to see it

[50:43] that we'll

[50:46] you know we will have to vote on this in

[50:49] some way or another.

[50:51] And uh [clears throat]

[50:54] the

[50:55] um as it is fairly clear from reading

[51:00] them the uh if you want to remain as a

[51:03] choice district, you're going to have to

[51:05] vote not to merge

[51:09] with the uh in in the merger group that

[51:12] we're in.

[51:14] Now I don't is there any option for us

[51:18] to switch to a different merger group?

[51:20] Can do you know that?

[51:23] Have you thought about that or I I

[51:25] suspect not for us?

[51:28] >> I'm sorry. What was the the question

[51:30] again, Ray? It was unclear.

[51:33] >> Well, there are different merger groups

[51:35] or merger studies and you you

[51:37] theoretically can move to a different

[51:40] study group if you

[51:42] >> I I I think you theoretically can. I

[51:44] haven't heard of anybody

[51:46] >> trying to do it

[51:47] >> trying to to create one that hasn't been

[51:50] um a recommendation so far, but that

[51:52] doesn't mean it won't happen.

[51:54] >> Right. And I don't know if there's any

[51:57] advantage for us anyway because we're

[52:04] isolated in our orphan district is

[52:09] >> I I think I think if I go back a couple

[52:11] iterations of this education reform

[52:15] discussion at one point it was thrown

[52:17] out that maybe all of the nonoperating

[52:20] districts could become their own. But I

[52:23] think

[52:23] >> but then they they determined that you

[52:25] had to be contiguous.

[52:26] >> I think that yeah the contiguous piece

[52:29] became problematic there.

[52:31] >> Yes.

[52:33] So I I think that um

[52:37] well just my perusal of it says suggest

[52:41] to me that if we want to stay

[52:44] nonoperating and provide choice for our

[52:47] students then then we have to u reject

[52:51] merger but we'll have to do that through

[52:54] a vote as as I understand it. Is that

[52:58] correct?

[53:00] >> I don't. Yeah.

[53:04] Previously in 2016,

[53:07] Act 46,

[53:09] we we could uh excuse ourselves from the

[53:13] vote

[53:15] because of our different operating

[53:16] system. And we did uh despite the

[53:21] superintendent of the Vermont

[53:24] superintendent schools,

[53:26] Dan French, trying to tell us we had to

[53:28] vote. he turned out to be incorrect.

[53:33] But now I think we don't have that

[53:35] option. So we do have to have a

[53:37] community v mode.

[53:40] So

[53:42] uh we need to know what our community

[53:44] thinks and that's part of the reason

[53:47] behind this meeting. I don't know if

[53:49] we'll get sufficient interest to have

[53:53] some

[53:55] a census of the meeting tell us

[53:58] something of of use

[54:01] something we didn't know already.

[54:06] Is that enough said on this topic?

[54:10] Anybody else have anything else to say?

[54:17] All right. So, and that's

[54:21] so we're we're we've sort of affirmed by

[54:25] not affirming anything that I'm going to

[54:28] continue as the representative for this

[54:30] study group and u [clears throat]

[54:36] you know where to find some information

[54:38] about what's going to happen.

[54:40] >> The plan is September 29th for that uh

[54:44] community meeting.

[54:45] >> Yes. Okay. That's a Tuesday.

[54:48] >> Okay.

[54:50] >> 5:30 in the North Benon gymnasium, which

[54:53] you've never been. So,

[54:55] >> yes, I have. Oh, you have a Okay.

[54:58] >> She came to visit. It was great.

[55:02] >> I got a great tour. Thank you, Tim.

[55:06] >> It's a

[55:08] old but tiny little building.

[55:11] >> Exactly. and and you know if you maybe I

[55:14] could show you some pictures of what it

[55:16] looked like before the renovations in

[55:18] late 90s.

[55:23] It's quite quite a change. So anyway,

[55:27] um

[55:30] that's that. Uh I I had a facility

[55:35] a kind of a brief discussion of what we

[55:38] accomplished this summer on the

[55:40] facility. We had

[55:43] basically three projects,

[55:46] two of which have been completed.

[55:49] uh we couldn't get all the pieces the uh attempt to resolve um the

[55:58] occasional leakages from the west wall

[56:02] of the building into the building from

[56:08] excessive moisture and soil. We we were

[56:12] going to excavate

[56:15] uh rep three points where it was stone

[56:18] foundation.

[56:20] Um coat that with a

[56:24] u rubberized coating that prevents

[56:26] intrusion and then uh

[56:30] re

[56:33] returned the soil that was excavated.

[56:36] And um

[56:41] also in Kate in

[56:45] remove probably the concrete enclosures

[56:48] to the windows that are at the uh

[56:53] lower level there

[56:56] uh with uh a different sort of enclosure

[56:59] galvanized steel enclosure but we

[57:02] couldn't get u

[57:05] the excavation

[57:07] the masonry work and the uh

[57:13] other work all together.

[57:16] So, so that we could get it get it done

[57:18] in the time we have. So, we're going to

[57:20] do that.

[57:22] Our my plan is Tim's plan is that we'll

[57:26] do this next year, next summer when we

[57:29] can get a better ordinance.

[57:32] But we did accomplish two other tasks.

[57:35] One is uh

[57:38] repainting the uh arched windows in the

[57:41] gymnasium which were beginning to show

[57:45] signs of rust on the exterior in order

[57:48] to preserve it because u those windows

[57:52] which are from the 1930s

[57:55] would be very difficult to replace or

[57:58] rebuild. So we need to preserve it even

[58:01] though of course there's single pain and

[58:04] that's that is a big heat loss.

[58:08] We successfully did that. And um

[58:13] as I've said before,

[58:16] um I had Roy go look up use the lift to

[58:20] look at the gutters to see if there what

[58:23] why they were having some leak issues

[58:26] and he he discovered why that was and u

[58:30] I asked him to take care of and that got

[58:33] done. The other item that we wanted to

[58:36] do was um the

[58:41] pickup of the um dumpster

[58:47] off the parking lot. Uh was creating a

[58:52] large divots in the parking lot.

[58:57] um making it difficult to you know a

[59:01] little less

[59:03] a little more difficult to

[59:07] act

[59:09] to to pick the dumpsters up and dump

[59:11] them. So,

[59:13] uh we um count contracted with

[59:21] concrete impressions, was it to create a

[59:25] slab of [clears throat] concrete there

[59:27] that would obiate that problem, which

[59:30] has been done.

[59:34] So, um

[59:36] hopefully

[59:38] we've uh prevented the parking lot from

[59:42] having to be repaved anytime soon and uh

[59:46] given it solid foundation for many years

[59:49] to come.

[59:51] That's all been done if I we are paying

[59:55] directly the painter and Tim

[59:59] uh will pay for the concrete. will

[1:00:02] reimburse the middle of school for that.

[1:00:07] Okay, so that's all I have to report and

[1:00:11] um

[1:00:14] see else down here.

[1:00:18] [clears throat]

[1:00:20] Okay. Yep.

[1:00:23] I think we're done. So, I'd entertain a

[1:00:26] motion to uh adjourn the meeting.

[1:00:29] >> Motion to adjurnn.

[1:00:31] Thank you.

[1:00:31] >> Second that.

[1:00:33] >> All in favor? Yes.

[1:00:35] >> I

[1:00:36] >> Good night. Thanks for being here.

[1:00:38] >> So, Ray, we'll see you in Octo We'll see

[1:00:41] you in November. Correct.

[1:00:44] >> In November. Yes.

[1:00:45] >> Okay. No October.

[1:00:48] >> Well, yeah. Okay. Right.

[1:00:50] >> I mean, maybe I'll see you before then,

[1:00:52] Ray. But

[1:00:55] >> I'll see you tomorrow afternoon, Ray.

[1:00:58] >> Okay. Okay.

[1:00:59] >> Cuz you're you're the delivery guy

[1:01:01] tomorrow, I guess. Thanks.

[1:01:02] >> Yes, I'm going to be the delivery guy.

[1:01:05] >> All righty. Thanks so much.

[1:01:07] >> Okay. Take care.

[1:01:08] >> Have a good night.

[1:01:09] >> Good night.

[1:01:10] >> Thanks everybody. Have a good night.

[1:01:12] >> Yeah.

[1:01:16] Just for me, this is great.

[1:01:18] >> You can keep those. Yep. You like um All

[1:01:20] right. I will get

[1:01:25] a triggeration

[1:01:27] on that February.

North Bennington Prudential Committee // 9-9-26

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