[0:33] Okay. You can have

[2:48] dinner on a small train

[2:50] . Okay.

[2:52] Good evening, everyone. This is the

[2:55] Woodbridge School Board meeting dated September 22, 2026

[3:00] . The meeting will begin at 7:03 PM

[3:02] . Roll call of committee members. Deputy

[3:07] Chairperson Lynn Piagick.

[3:09] yes.

[3:10] Well, Secretary Sarah Beth del

[3:11] Prete is absent tonight

[3:13] . Well, Jackie

[3:15] Capiero is also absent tonight.

[3:16] Megan Canantzer.

[3:18] yes.

[3:19] Jeff Hughes. yes.

[3:20] Michael Strambler.

[3:22] yes.

[3:22] Sarah Obvirkar.

[3:24] yes.

[3:25] Aaron Williamson.

[3:26] yes.

[3:26] And I am the chairman,

[3:27] Stephen Lawrence

[3:29] . Well, tonight we also have in

[3:44] attendance Superintendent Christopher Montini, Director of Programs Donna Canin, Director of Special Services Carrie Bolsharding, Principal Anna Lisa Sherman, Vice Principal Cheryl Touffer, and Secretary Marsha Di Genero

[3:45] . Now, let us recite the oath of loyalty

[3:49] . I

[3:57] pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And I pledge my allegiance to the Republic,

[4:00] symbolized by our flag,

[4:02] one nation under God, indivisible

[4:04] , a Republic where liberty and justice are for all

[4:07] . Now, any

[4:16] letters or emails received by the Board of Directors by 4 PM today have been

[4:18] posted online on BoardBook

[4:20] .

[4:22] Now, let's move on to comments from the general public

[4:25] . Since we have

[4:29] n't found any members of the public wishing to express their opinions

[4:31] , we would like to reiterate that the

[4:33] Board

[4:35] welcomes public participation and appreciates feedback from the

[4:37] community, whether through letters or comments expressed at meetings

[4:42] . No one will be expressing their opinions at tonight's meeting

[4:48] , but please note that the Board of Directors will not respond to any

[4:49] opinions submitted during the opinion-expression time

[4:52] unless necessary to clarify the issue

[4:54] . We will

[4:56] take your opinions into consideration and the

[4:59] school district management department will contact you at an appropriate time

[5:00] .

[5:04] Now, let's move on to the positive topics of the meeting

[5:06] . Here is the latest information from the PTA

[5:08] . Aaron

[5:11] Murphy will explain

[5:12] .

[5:18] yes. Hello everyone. I'm

[5:20] Aaron Murphy, Vice President of the PTA

[5:22] . I'm here in Monica's

[5:24] place. She is

[5:25] currently overseas. Now, let me give you a brief update on what we've been up to

[5:30] . Please keep the

[5:33] following dates in mind

[5:34] . The ice cream

[5:36] party has already taken place

[5:38] . It was very well received. I'm sure some of you participated, but it was a

[5:41] wonderful

[5:42] event. The day for the photo shoot is

[5:44] approaching.

[5:47] Then, we

[5:49] distributed QR codes to everyone at the open house

[5:51] . This is the

[5:56] best way to see all the events we're hosting this year. As you can

[5:58] see, it's a very busy

[6:00] year. We are constantly

[6:01] adding new events.

[6:03] So, let's

[6:05] see what happens this year. Well, as I

[6:07] mentioned earlier, we've

[6:09] already had an ice cream party, and we also had a

[6:11] welcome back lunch

[6:12] . I think it was well-received

[6:14] . Everyone seems

[6:15] happy when we welcome them

[6:17] . Well, we celebrated about 150

[6:19] staff and teachers

[6:21] . The Colony Pizza Truck was also there

[6:24] , and everyone seemed to like it

[6:26] . I think that's good

[6:28] . I'll come again, but I asked how many pizzas they had

[6:29] . There were 104

[6:31] sheets. And so, everyone was happy

[6:34] . There were lots of hugs to welcome everyone back

[6:38] . At the ice cream

[6:39] party, we served approximately 1,200

[6:41] ice creams

[6:43] . This is

[6:45] after I placed an order and returned part of it. In other words, I

[6:47] ordered too much, but there were 1,200

[6:49] ice creams

[6:50] . There's a wonderful principal there

[6:54] . Well, I'm doing a few new things this year

[6:58] . We are testing a new payment

[6:59] platform

[7:01] . It's called Zeffy. The

[7:03] system works by processing all

[7:05] payments through it

[7:06] . Up until now, I've been

[7:08] trying it out with Beecher apparel. You can place an order by

[7:10] clicking on a QR code

[7:12] or

[7:14] by simply tapping your smartphone. There are no fees whatsoever

[7:17] . There are

[7:22] no credit card fees or platform fees. However, you will be

[7:24] asked for a tip, which will be given

[7:26] to Zeffy. It's not for us

[7:28] . Therefore,

[7:30] if you are asked for this tip and

[7:32] choose to pay it

[7:33] , you need to clearly state in your message that it is to

[7:35] help with platform payments and will

[7:36] not put you into the PTA

[7:39] . However,

[7:44] since you're paying a significant amount in credit card fees, this can help you drastically reduce your costs

[7:46] . So

[7:48] , this year I'm trying out a new photographer

[7:50] . I haven't been here since COVID,

[7:53] but I've had the

[7:55] same company take photos of me outdoors

[7:57] . It became clear that the

[7:59] communication with that company was not

[8:00] very good

[8:01] . The photo shoot

[8:03] took a long time, and we received several complaints about that

[8:05] . Therefore

[8:06] , we decided to commission this reliable photographer

[8:08] . It

[8:09] 's a local company. I've heard good things about it

[8:11] . Mrs. Finelli had

[8:12] worked with them before and I

[8:15] believe she had good things to say about them

[8:16] . So far, customer

[8:17] service and

[8:18] communication have

[8:19] improved. I also like that it's a local company

[8:21] .

[8:22] Well, that's next week. Let's see

[8:24] what happens. If all goes well

[8:26] , it will be a

[8:27] big victory for us

[8:29] . Well, the new

[8:30] thing is that this year we have a new fundraising

[8:32] committee chair who has some

[8:34] great ideas for new fundraising activities

[8:36] .

[8:39] So please listen carefully

[8:41] . We will not be making any announcements yet

[8:43] . We are exploring several ideas

[8:45] , and if all goes well

[8:46] , they could lead to a new and

[8:48] exciting fundraising campaign for us

[8:49] . There's a slight

[8:50] gap in the budget. I'll

[8:52] show you the budget, and I

[8:55] hope this will cover the costs.

[8:57] Hopefully, it will

[9:03] help preserve tradition and welcome more community partnerships. Well,

[9:06] another recent change is

[9:08] ScholasticNews. Therefore,

[9:10] we partnered with Scholastic to host a book fair

[9:13] . You can

[9:15] receive a portion of the funds from Scholastic Dollars and

[9:17] use a portion of those funds for your budget

[9:19] .

[9:23] With those Scholastic dollars, you can get Scholastic magazines delivered to your school

[9:25] and Scholastic news that teachers

[9:27] use in their curriculum

[9:31] . What we did this year showed us that we could do

[9:33] this, but we weren't

[9:34] really

[9:36] sure. We worked

[9:38] with Professor Sherman to see if

[9:39] this was feasible, and we conducted a

[9:41] survey of teachers. We

[9:43] realized this was possible a

[9:44] little late, so we

[9:46] conducted a survey of teachers to find out who was actually

[9:47] using them and how much we should

[9:50] actually spend rather than buying them for everyone

[9:51] .

[9:53] In that case, it probably won't be used

[9:54] . Therefore

[9:56] , we conducted a survey to find out

[9:57] approximately how many teachers, classrooms, and

[9:59] grade levels were using them

[10:00] . I placed an order accordingly, but as I

[10:04] mentioned earlier, it was a little late, so I

[10:13] hope to try this again next year before actually placing an order, and hopefully understand it better so that the amount I spend will be appropriate

[10:14] . Um, here is our

[10:17] budget proposal. This is

[10:21] something we've been working on all summer.

[10:22] We will vote on this

[10:24] . We will hold a vote on the budget on September 30th

[10:26] . Well, as you can see

[10:29] , this is

[10:30] typical for us, with

[10:32] 42% going back to schools and improving academic performance

[10:34] . This includes things like school

[10:36] events, teacher grants, and contributions back

[10:38] to the school

[10:41] . Well, 24% will be

[10:43] allocated to community events.

[10:46] These include ice cream

[10:47] social events and international

[10:48] festivals.

[10:50] Well, there was another big

[10:52] event, but I can't

[10:54] remember what it was right now. A

[10:55] night of mathematics. A night of science. Yes, that's

[10:59] right. All of

[11:01] these activities that bring a community together are not

[11:03] fundraising activities, but they are of

[11:05] that kind

[11:06] . Furthermore,

[11:08] activities that express our gratitude to our staff are among the

[11:12] top three things we spend the most money on. These include the New

[11:13] Semester Welcome Lunch,

[11:14] Valentine's Day Lunch, and Teacher

[11:16] Appreciation Week. Therefore,

[11:18] much of it goes back to the schools

[11:19] . Security costs are

[11:21] high, so we are trying to reduce them and

[11:23] monitor the situation carefully.

[11:25] Ensuring the safety of an event requires

[11:26] significant security

[11:28] costs. So, the

[11:32] income we expect is being

[11:34] earned in pretty much the same way as before

[11:36] . Our fundraising campaign is

[11:38] clearly the largest fundraising campaign we've ever undertaken

[11:40] . I expect to earn $24,000 this year

[11:42] . There were also many direct donations

[11:45] , totaling $18,000. This represents a

[11:49] significant portion of the direct donations we receive from individuals

[11:51] . And then there's the

[11:53] reading marathon, which we'll be holding again this year. Last year, I

[11:54] believe we made around $15,000 in profits

[11:56] , so I'm

[11:58] hoping for a bit more this year.

[11:59] Kwassi is a long-standing tradition

[12:01] . We generate revenue from the book fair

[12:03] , and we also generate revenue from the photo shoot

[12:05] . So, we're expecting revenue of approximately

[12:09] $78,000. We have

[12:12] sufficient reserve funds, although they are slightly lower than the budgeted amount

[12:14] . We currently

[12:17] have approximately $113,000 in funds

[12:19] . In other words, they have sufficient reserves

[12:21] , which act as a kind of buffer

[12:23] . Also, we have a

[12:25] new fundraising event coming up,

[12:26] so this year we'll try to see if we can

[12:27] balance everything well

[12:29] . These are our

[12:31] executives. I'm sure you've all seen us around,

[12:35] so I won't introduce everyone

[12:36] , but we do have a new member

[12:38] . We have a new chairperson for fundraising

[12:39] . We have a

[12:41] new accounting staff, but

[12:43] they are very knowledgeable about finance

[12:44] , so we are

[12:46] truly fortunate to have them on our team. Yes, that's right

[12:48] . Next, we'll show you some photos of us

[12:50] , what we do

[12:52] , what we bring to the community

[12:54] , and the

[12:56] last slide is about our upcoming PTO

[12:58] meeting. Everyone is

[13:00] welcome, anytime. It will be

[13:03] held in the cafeteria on September 30th. There

[13:07] is also a QR code to the website. Do you have any questions

[13:10] ?

[13:12] This is wonderful. I

[13:20] appreciate not only what you all do, but also your continued innovation, genuine exploration, and your attitude of questioning things instead of taking them for granted. This is a wonderful example for our

[13:22] community and our children

[13:24] . thank you. Do you

[13:26] have any questions? Do you

[13:28] have any comments? As always, it's

[13:29] wonderful

[13:31] .

[13:31] Yes, that's right. thank you

[13:33] . Now, let's

[13:36] move on to the motions for approval. The

[13:40] minutes of the regular board meeting on August 17th, along with the budget

[13:42] explanation, budget overview, and

[13:44] detailed budget report, are

[13:46] included in tonight's agenda items for approval

[13:49] . Is there anyone on the board who would like to extract something from tonight's

[13:51] agenda items for discussion

[13:52] ? It appears no

[13:54] one is present, so could you please submit a

[13:57] motion to accept the resolution

[13:58] ? Lynn

[14:00] Piajic. I

[14:03] move to approve the proposed consent.

[14:04] Um, secondly, Aaron

[14:06] Williamson.

[14:08] unfortunately. no.

[14:11] Those who agree? thank you

[14:13] . It was a unanimous decision.

[14:16] Okay. Now, let's move on to the report

[14:18] . First, we'll

[14:20] hear from Superintendent Monty. I was trying to say Monti,

[14:22] Martini

[14:24] . Montini. This is my

[14:25] first time. This isn't my first time

[14:27] .

[14:28] Thank you, Chairman

[14:29] . Well, members of the board, the new

[14:31] semester has gotten off to a great start

[14:33] . I would like to express my gratitude to the faculty, staff, board of

[14:35] directors, parents, students, and

[14:37] of course, everyone who contributed to a smooth start to the new school term

[14:44] . As you saw earlier

[14:46] , the PTO did a fantastic job welcoming students, faculty, and

[14:47] staff, and organizing

[14:49] community events to kick off the new school year

[14:54] . This will help

[14:56] build a strong school community

[14:58] and inevitably lead to a fantastic

[15:00] grade level.

[15:03] As you know, and as all of you attending are

[15:04] aware, we have

[15:05] completed three open houses

[15:07] . They were very successful, and

[15:09] many people participated. The

[15:11] parents were able to find the classroom and

[15:13] meet the teacher. It was

[15:20] wonderful to see so many members of the board of directors and the construction committee

[15:22] . There will be some overlap between what I'm about to say

[15:26] and what Mr. Sherman will say

[15:29] . Therefore, we will omit the ice cream

[15:30] party and the farmer meet-and-greet

[15:32] . That was your

[15:33] report that was on the waiting list

[15:34] . Now,

[15:37] regarding the staffing report

[15:39] , the staffing is very good

[15:40] .

[15:42] All staff members are present, except for those with specific qualifications. We are

[15:44] currently looking for a long-term substitute teacher

[15:46] . Then there's

[15:49] one para educator and two cafe staff

[15:51] . There might be three people in total

[15:52] , but we hired one person today

[15:53] . I'm not sure if there were two people or not

[15:54] . It's very

[15:56] good. I'm getting a thumbs-up from people who truly know the situation

[15:58] . So

[16:00] , we are in really good shape and are

[16:03] working hard to fill the remaining seats. A year

[16:05] ago, we only had five or six paramedics

[16:07] , so we asked a temporary staffing agency for help

[16:10] . Therefore, things are

[16:12] much better now.

[16:17] Then, immediately after the last board meeting

[16:19] , on the first day with the teachers, a new

[16:21] teacher

[16:23] joined the staff. Rachel

[16:26] Paul is a

[16:28] first-

[16:30] grade teacher who joined the school just in time for the start of the new school year. Rachel

[16:32] comes from Foot School and

[16:38] has previous teaching experience at both California and Calvin Hill Daycare Center. Therefore, we

[16:40] welcomed her during a break in the board meeting

[16:42] . And,

[16:46] following the relatively new tradition I have learned here, I would like to

[16:52] honor the teachers who have earned, or will soon earn, tenure. In

[16:55] Connecticut, after completing a 40-month

[16:57] teaching term, teachers are expected to

[16:59] obtain tenure and return to their roles

[17:01] . If you previously taught in a previous school district, the term will be

[17:07] slightly shorter.

[17:09] Now, let us commend the

[17:11] following staff and teachers who have reached this milestone

[17:13] . I will

[17:15] briefly read out their names. It's only a

[17:16] handful.

[17:18] Tiffany Bucco,

[17:19] James Mace,

[17:20] Catherine Matos Romero

[17:21] , Emily Miriam,

[17:23] Paola Ortiz, Robin Rogerson, and

[17:25] Jacqueline Taylor.

[17:29] Congratulations, everyone! That's

[17:30] truly wonderful.

[17:33] I'm sure she'll

[17:41] build a long and fulfilling career supporting Beecher's wonderful children

[17:42] . Recently, I've started calling it an award

[17:45] , but in reality, it's a

[17:47] tribute from the Yukon.

[17:53] Our wellness team—and by "

[17:55] wellness team," I don't mean

[18:01] service providers like psychologists or social workers—but rather a

[18:08] committee of teachers and staff who work together to advise and guide schools on healthy habits and activities for teachers, students, and faculty

[18:10] . Beecher was

[18:20] recognized by the Food Policy and Health Division of the Rad Center at the University of Connecticut.

[18:22] Well, it was reported that we were recognized as one of the most powerful wellness committees in the state

[18:27] . Much of this is based on

[18:29] information provided in triennial assessments

[18:31] and WellSAT scores

[18:33] . UConn was asked by the State Department of Education to compile

[18:38] professional training for other school districts

[18:40] , and they

[18:48] contacted us to learn from our experience and use it to help develop their own professional skills. That's a

[18:51] truly wonderful compliment.

[18:56] Well, I hear a lot about the

[18:58] table and

[18:59] cafeteria choices using our local ingredients,

[19:02] but we also pay attention to the staff's well-being, and I ca

[19:06] n't find the right words to describe it, but in the mornings, we

[19:08] listen to music in the art room,

[19:10] drink coffee and paint

[19:11] , or take walks around the school

[19:13] . I also participated

[19:17] . I was drinking coffee and watching other people

[19:18] paint

[19:20] , and it was cathartic for me

[19:21] .

[19:23] Well, I think they're taking the overall experience very

[19:25] seriously

[19:27] . I think this applies to all children,

[19:29] and also to teachers and staff

[19:31] . And I think it's wonderful that the committee, which

[19:33] generously provides its time, has been

[19:34] recognized by the Yukon

[19:36] . So, that meeting may not have

[19:38] taken place yet

[19:39] , but I

[19:41] think it will be held soon. It was at the end of

[19:42] September, right?

[19:44] Oh, the

[19:45] 28th. It's the end of September. Great job, everyone on the team!

[19:49] Finally, I'd like to talk about the enrollment situation

[19:52] . Let's

[19:54] begin as usual. There were 853 new students at the start of the new school term

[19:56] . This is

[19:59] 5 fewer than predicted and

[20:01] 3 fewer than when school started.

[20:04] Therefore, it's almost the same as last year

[20:05] . The number of kindergarten students was slightly lower than predicted

[20:09] , but the number of students in other grades

[20:11] increased slightly, so it's roughly the same as predicted

[20:13] . As of June last year, the

[20:17] number of enrolled members was 875.

[20:20] In other words, the number

[20:22] of students increased by 19 throughout the academic year, but this is

[20:24] actually

[20:27] slightly less than the net migration of 29 students over the past 10 years

[20:29] . Over the past 10 years, there have been

[20:34] 34 cases, or perhaps I should say over the past 5 years

[20:36] ... Did I say 10 years

[20:38] ? We have had 34 students in the past five years

[20:40] . Therefore

[20:43] , the average class size is

[20:46] very good, ranging from 15 to 21 students, and the

[20:49] class size

[20:51] situation is excellent. Mr. Speaker, that concludes my remarks

[20:55] . Do you

[20:56] have any questions or comments

[20:58] ? got it. Just one

[21:00] simple question. Are the transfers

[21:03] distributed across the entire grade level

[21:06] , or are they

[21:08] concentrated in specific grade levels

[21:10] ?

[21:10] Yes, first-year students make up the largest group, followed by

[21:13] second-year students, and the number

[21:16] decreases as the age increases.

[21:17] yes. I will share those statistics

[21:22] . It might be listed here as well

[21:25] , but there are 19 first-year students. This is the

[21:27] number of students transferring in. I was not given the

[21:31] net number of transfers per grade level

[21:32] . got it

[21:34] .

[21:35] This is

[21:39] something we've started calculating and tracking ourselves, and we can also

[21:41] obtain that local data

[21:43] . yes. Now, let's talk

[21:48] about updating the strategic plan

[21:50] . Principal Sherman returns to the right side

[21:55] .

[21:59] Good evening, everyone.

[22:01] Good evening. We are very pleased to be able to

[22:06] share the latest information on our strategic plans

[22:10] . This is a brief reminder of what the strategic plan

[22:12] was

[22:14] and a reflection on the work we have done regarding the strategic plan

[22:17] . For those of you who were still with us at the time

[22:25] , this was

[22:27] started in the 2021-2022 academic year. We

[22:29] have a core team of stakeholders, and I actually just

[22:31] found this and

[22:33] counted them, and it's

[22:35] over 20 people from the entire community who gathered to

[22:40] discuss our goals and vision—what Beecher School should be. The

[22:45] core team of stakeholders then identified three areas of focus

[22:47] . One is the

[22:49] modern learner; another is

[22:51] building diverse and healthy collaborations; and the

[22:53] third is an academic framework

[22:55] . Subsequently, the core

[22:57] group disbanded, and its members

[22:59] joined other teachers to

[23:03] develop initiatives to address these goals

[23:05] . The goals of modern learners were

[23:10] centered around project-based learning. I'll

[23:11] show it above.

[23:13] And on the right, you can see some initiatives that educators have

[23:15] discussed and considered

[23:18] . They wanted to achieve that goal

[23:21] . In short,

[23:24] this was centered around PBL (Project-Based Learning)

[23:26] , and even more importantly

[23:28] , it involved considering the individualization of student learning and

[23:36] increasing opportunities to enhance student autonomy throughout the curriculum through collaboration across departments and grade levels

[23:38] . So, that was

[23:41] precisely the goal

[23:43] . What we actually accomplished in achieving this goal is something we,

[23:48] as a school community, are truly proud of

[23:49] . First, I started by getting in touch with Ross Cooper, the author of the

[23:51] book "

[23:52] Project-Based Learning" shown above

[23:55] . And then we

[23:57] got an opportunity. First, we

[23:58] purchased the book for all staff members

[24:00] and held a book club meeting about it

[24:02] . Additionally, Mr. Ross had the

[24:05] opportunity to visit Beecher Road Primary School. He

[24:07] actually came twice

[24:08] . The third time was probably the most

[24:10] worthwhile

[24:12] . Because we had

[24:14] dispersed our efforts with him

[24:15] . And by the

[24:17] time he came for the third time, we were

[24:20] fully engaged in learning by reading books together and discussing them

[24:22] . We

[24:24] reviewed our learning units and

[24:27] identified areas where we wanted to introduce project-based learning

[24:29] . Furthermore, we introduced at

[24:31] least one

[24:32] project-based learning

[24:33] unit in almost every grade level.

[24:35] And Mr. Ross came back again, so

[24:37] we were able to look back on all of that

[24:38] with him, grade by grade

[24:40] .

[24:42] And I was able to ask him specific questions that were tailored to each grade level

[24:45] . And

[24:47] those conversations were very productive

[24:49] ; Ross is

[24:50] incredibly knowledgeable and

[24:54] really helped each team grow in the areas where they needed to improve

[24:56] . Therefore,

[24:57] that day I spent with Ross was

[24:59] truly a wonderful learning experience

[25:00] . Furthermore,

[25:04] as we continued to engage in project-based learning, the

[25:06] unit grew and

[25:08] began to expand beyond departments.

[25:10] In other words, we started from the question, "What is this

[25:12] ? What is it like?

[25:13] How do we integrate these

[25:14] ?"

[25:16] Furthermore, much of this

[25:17] project-based learning took place at the

[25:20] same time as our HMHIntoReading learning

[25:22] . And

[25:25] these two implementations are undoubtedly

[25:27] very different.

[25:29] Therefore, our teachers were really struggling with how to get these

[25:31] two important tasks done with the students

[25:34] .

[25:36] And now we are in a

[25:38] stage where many integrations are taking place

[25:40] . The sample here is from the

[25:41] second year students, and you can see it spread out in the hallway

[25:45] . They were creating a massive mural of the sea

[25:48] , which was just one part

[25:50] of a unit inspired by Project-Based Learning (PBL)

[25:52] . Therefore,

[25:55] all the students were able to create this mural together

[25:57] , and

[25:58] they also researched animals

[26:00] . This is a photo visible in the bottom corner

[26:02] . They then

[26:07] considered various ways to present their research on animals.

[26:09] The photo you see is from a

[26:11] short story written by a student that

[26:13] includes information about animals,

[26:15] but when you

[26:17] walked around the cafeteria on presentation day, there

[26:24] were posters, skits, technology integrations, PSAs to save various animals, and public service advertisements

[26:27] . This was a truly empowering experience

[26:30] for our little second-grade friends

[26:31] , and

[26:33] this is just one example of our PBL unit

[26:35] . The next goal

[26:39] was an academic framework, and this

[26:41] goal was actually related

[26:43] to our curriculum

[26:45] . Many of these goals

[26:55] focused on designing a vertically aligned curriculum and ensuring that it was integrated into the curriculum work, and ensuring that

[27:01] conversations about inquiry, differentiation, and student autonomy took place in all of all students' Level 1 learning

[27:03] . As you know

[27:08] , we have completed the revision and creation of the ELA (English Language Assistant) curriculum for grades K through 6

[27:13] . The

[27:15] majority of these changes are due to our HMH (Home

[27:16] Medical Health)

[27:17] initiatives, but we also made

[27:19] some revisions to the curriculum for grades 4 through 6

[27:21] . The math curriculum for grades K through 6 is now

[27:23] complete

[27:25] . The science curriculum for grades K through 6 is almost

[27:29] complete, and the

[27:31] library technology curriculum for preschool education is also nearing completion. We

[27:37] plan to submit it to the curriculum committee and upload it to the website this year.

[27:42] This summer, we also had the opportunity to conduct a collaborative project for 5th and 6th graders in social studies

[27:47] , and we

[27:49] plan to publish this on our website later this year

[27:51] . Next, we plan to work on social

[27:54] studies, music, physical education, health, and art for grades K through 4

[27:57] . And perhaps even more

[28:00] importantly, we need to

[28:03] review the curriculum revision cycle and

[28:05] continuously

[28:07] review and update all curriculum documents to ensure that none of them become

[28:08] outdated or incomplete

[28:12] . The

[28:17] teachers at Beecher School worked on this project during the summer break in the middle of the school term

[28:20] . I spent time on this task after school

[28:22] , and also during summer vacation

[28:24] . In particular

[28:27] , literacy and mathematics experts and

[28:29] STEAM teachers spent an

[28:34] enormous amount of time creating these documents and checking every single comma

[28:36] . At some point,

[28:39] I looked at a literacy expert and

[28:44] said, "Don't worry about it anymore. It's okay if you miss a comma."

[28:46] Therefore, their attention to detail and their

[28:50] dedication and passion for this work were

[28:52] very evident in their efforts to achieve this goal

[28:54] . And the final goal was to

[28:58] build a healthy alliance

[28:59] . This was about

[29:03] diversity,

[29:05] equity, and inclusivity at Beecher Road School,

[29:07] what those things mean,

[29:08] and

[29:10] how the community can collaborate,

[29:11] engage in the community experience

[29:13] , and develop a common language and norms

[29:17] . We also make an effort to talk a lot

[29:19] about being aware of and supporting differences

[29:21] , and

[29:24] about respecting each other

[29:25] . Therefore

[29:28] , while this initiative is, of course,

[29:30] always ongoing in all schools

[29:32] ,

[29:34] CARES meetings have become particularly frequent in Beecher

[29:36] .

[29:38] And during that CARES meeting

[29:40] , we also started some really fun activities for the whole school

[29:44] . Therefore, there is one photo of the CARES meeting in the corner

[29:47] . An activity

[29:51] related to this gathering was for

[29:52] all the students to

[29:56] write about how they show respect, creating a

[29:58] giant chain of paper that stretched throughout the entire building

[30:00] . We also did

[30:07] some really fun activities during these gatherings. There was an activity where we had to pass a

[30:10] ball to people around us using only our elbows

[30:13] . It was a little comical, but the children did a

[30:15] really great job

[30:17] . Furthermore, all gatherings

[30:27] adopted a model of shared conversation and definitions, supporting activities, and school-wide experiences to effectively convey the message

[30:29] . The

[30:31] members of our wellness team worked

[30:33] incredibly hard on these CARES meetings

[30:34] . When I say "

[30:36] members of the wellness team" here

[30:37] , I mean the school

[30:38] counselor and social

[30:39] worker. They also

[30:44] worked hard on developing these lessons and providing support in the classroom.

[30:48] Furthermore, there is a lot of evidence throughout the school

[30:51] . As you know

[30:54] , I think you've heard me talk about our annual monthly

[30:56] celebrations

[30:59] . It's Hispanic

[31:01] Heritage Month right now. We've already kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month with a Spanish quote shared by sixth graders and their

[31:04] foreign language teacher

[31:09] . Additionally, the

[31:12] entire school is organizing

[31:14] many shared stories and activities to celebrate these different months

[31:18] . And it is clear that this

[31:20] extends to the entire curriculum

[31:22] . There's a

[31:24] painting by the art teacher there

[31:25] . Then there's the

[31:27] Hispanic Cultural

[31:29] Heritage Month bulletin board that I highlighted

[31:31] . This is just one example of the activities we do at Beecher School to

[31:34] celebrate diversity and foster true respect

[31:38] . Furthermore, the

[31:42] collaboration with the PTA remains strong

[31:44] , with the PTA bringing International Night to Beecher School

[31:48] , and teachers actively

[31:50] participating in it.

[31:53] Many students from various grade levels are actively participating in and supporting International Night by

[31:55] making decorations and coloring national flags

[32:01] . Now,

[32:06] this strategic development plan is nearing its end

[32:08] . As

[32:12] Mr. Mancini

[32:14] told the staff when he participated,

[32:15] even with a new superintendent in place,

[32:17] much of this work is so

[32:19] wonderful, powerful, and

[32:21] beneficial to all students that it will

[32:24] continue no matter what happens in the future.

[32:26] Project-based learning is

[32:30] firmly integrated into our learning units at present and will

[32:32] undoubtedly continue in the future

[32:33] . We have begun to delve deeper into collaboration across grade levels and departments

[32:37] , and

[32:39] this will definitely continue

[32:40] . This year, we're working on shifting our care model

[32:42] a bit more towards an advisory approach

[32:45] , and we're

[32:47] very excited to see what that will entail

[32:48] . We are

[32:51] discussing further what that will bring. And, as I

[32:53] mentioned earlier, we

[33:00] want to successfully manage the curriculum revision cycle and develop a new strategic plan to move us forward in the coming years. We

[33:04] talked a lot, didn't we? Do you

[33:05] have any questions?

[33:07] wonderful. Yes, no, I

[33:13] had a presentation on project-based learning a few months ago

[33:15] , so seeing and understanding how strategic plans are actually put into action is something

[33:19] many people do

[33:21] , but they don't always

[33:22] go that far

[33:24] . I really think this is a

[33:27] powerful approach in terms of priorities

[33:29] . I

[33:32] commend you for narrowing down your priorities to just three. This is because doing so can sometimes cause

[33:36] delays in the work

[33:37] .

[33:38] yes.

[33:38] Well, in terms of promoting that

[33:39] , just seeing this come to fruition is a

[33:42] huge benefit for learners

[33:43] .

[33:43] thank you. Any

[33:45] further comments?

[33:46] Any questions? Parents

[33:47] ?

[33:48] First of all, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the multiple superintendents who have worked to make

[33:50] this a reality

[33:53] .

[33:54] Mr. Montini was, well,

[33:56] talking about that

[33:57] , but I said, wait a minute

[33:58] , I'm the only administrator left

[34:01] . So, yes, I will give that

[34:02] presentation

[34:04] .

[34:04] wonderful. congratulations

[34:05] . Thank you for actually implementing

[34:07] and completing the plan

[34:08] . I

[34:10] have a question. It's

[34:11] not after the next slide

[34:13] , but

[34:15] under the updated academic framework, it states that it has been revised and

[34:17] published, and includes ELA, mathematics,

[34:19] and foreign languages

[34:21] . I'm curious about the situation with Spanish

[34:25] . It was the

[34:26] only subject that wasn't mentioned in the presentation

[34:28] . But it looks like it's over from here on out

[34:30] . World

[34:32] languages. it's over.

[34:34] I'm sorry, I skipped over it

[34:36] . I'm truly sorry.

[34:38] please. It was

[34:39] completed last summer. What we were

[34:41] working on wasn't a

[34:42] year ago, but last

[34:44] summer. But I'll

[34:46] check to see if it's listed there. I

[34:48] thought it might not be listed. In other words, I haven't

[34:50] seen it yet. Yes, it

[34:51] probably hasn't been published yet

[34:53] . I apologize for skipping that part

[34:55] .

[34:56] However, I was working on world languages during the summer

[34:58] .

[34:59] As per previous practice, we intend to share this information with the school board's

[35:01] curriculum committee

[35:03] and post it on the district's website

[35:06] . Furthermore, while doing this

[35:07] , I discovered that the math

[35:09] pace guide was apparently wrong

[35:10] , but the curriculum documents were

[35:12] wrong

[35:13] . Therefore, I've corrected that as well

[35:15] . Actually, I was

[35:17] exchanging emails with Professor Prawlic, and he asked me, "

[35:18] Wait a minute, why is

[35:19] n't this included?"

[35:20] Therefore, we will also make sure that the mathematics is

[35:21] officially released as soon as possible

[35:23] . Currently, there are

[35:24] pace guides, but

[35:25] no curriculum guides

[35:26] . Therefore, it will be made public

[35:28] .

[35:28] Regarding mathematics, we

[35:32] worked very hard with the middle school teachers to ensure that everything was clear when we got to it.

[35:34] Yeah.

[35:34] Well, I'm in fifth grade, so I just

[35:38] received a letter about things to consider before starting school

[35:39] . There have

[35:42] been some changes to the curriculum at the junior high school, so I'm

[35:45] curious about what happened with the Spanish language program.

[35:49] Yes, that's a good question. So

[35:51] , well, we have to give Amity some praise

[35:53] . The

[35:55] new Deputy Director of Education there,

[35:56] Dr. Shannon Carlson—though I don't think she's new—has been

[36:05] fantastic at organizing vertical collaboration meetings with us. She's started with core

[36:06] content areas, language arts and

[36:08] mathematics, and is expanding into MLL and libraries

[36:10] . Well, I

[36:14] think her intention is to further expand the world language program

[36:16] , and she also wants to continue the social studies class that started last year

[36:18] .

[36:21] So, we don't know yet whether they have casual,

[36:25] frequent conversations with their middle school colleagues, but we don't

[36:38] know if they have had purposeful discussions about the curriculum, curriculum design, and what it will look like in the transition from 6th to 7th grade

[36:40] . However, that is our goal for this year

[36:41] , and it will undoubtedly influence our

[36:43] curriculum design and what it will be like

[36:47] . Another administrative

[36:50] point we discussed was that, in

[36:52] the past, we had

[36:53] oral and written exams for sixth graders, but

[36:57] these have been discontinued due to the impact of COVID-19

[37:00] . And we were

[37:03] discussing whether it should be revived or not

[37:04] . This is because it gave us

[37:07] very valuable insights into what and how we teach

[37:09] . Furthermore, this information was also conveyed to the junior high school

[37:10] , allowing them to understand the academic

[37:11] level of our students

[37:12] entering the school

[37:13] . Therefore, my

[37:15] answer is that there will likely be further developments in the future

[37:16] .

[37:17] They no longer categorize languages by level

[37:18] .

[37:19] Yes, I know about world languages

[37:21] .

[37:21] So part of my question is

[37:23] , if they stop dividing students into levels

[37:25] , and all students start at the same level

[37:26] , and some

[37:27] primary schools like ours focus on language while others don't

[37:30] ,

[37:32] ultimately everyone will be at the same level

[37:34] . I

[37:39] believe that the school district should discuss this matter at some point. While our

[37:42] students spend a lot of time in Spanish

[37:44] ,

[37:48] considering decisions beyond our control, we at Amity

[37:58] believe we need to consider whether to add culture when learning a world language, or whether to expand to other cultures. I don't know what the possibilities are

[38:01] .

[38:02] However, we acknowledge that we did not resume that conversation after they made that decision

[38:08] . I

[38:08] agree. This year will

[38:10] undoubtedly be a year in which we focus our efforts

[38:11] . thank you

[38:13] .

[38:13] Yes,

[38:14] thank you.

[38:16] Any other comments?

[38:22] How does this content align with the level-based classifications for middle school mathematics? What are we doing

[38:24] ?

[38:25] Yeah. As I mentioned earlier

[38:27] , we are having a cross-sectional conversation

[38:29] . There are opportunities to have those kinds of conversations

[38:32] . Well, we've actually talked a lot about the

[38:36] algebra preparatory classes we offer, what they will mean

[38:38] for the children in the future

[38:40] ,

[38:42] and the work we're doing to

[38:44] adjust and change the way levels are assigned and determined in middle school

[38:50] . So

[38:52] , I've heard that some of that information has recently been

[38:53] changed in Amity

[38:55] . It

[38:56] arrived at our place about a week ago

[38:58] . Yes, it was a week ago

[39:00] . So, well, we're having a

[39:01] discussion about it at our school

[39:03] . In fact, a meeting is scheduled for this week or next week

[39:05] .

[39:06] Poor Maureen, I'm

[39:07] always causing her trouble

[39:09] . A meeting has been scheduled for the 6th grade math teacher to

[39:12] discuss the matter with Mr. Krawieck and Mr. Etchberg

[39:13] . Furthermore, as I

[39:15] mentioned earlier, there is a

[39:17] cross-cutting liaison meeting of the boards of education in order to continue these discussions

[39:18] .

[39:20] Furthermore, it should be mentioned that all teachers attend the liaison meetings with the Board of Education

[39:25] . Teachers and administrators

[39:28] attend, but separately

[39:30] , there is also a curriculum meeting with the Board of Education

[39:31] , which

[39:33] I usually attend as well.

[39:36] And it's just administrators, no teachers

[39:38] . So,

[39:39] it's usually an opportunity to talk to Chris and say, "This

[39:41] meeting is taking place, and

[39:42] this is what we're talking about."

[39:45] And of course, he has the

[39:47] Superintendents of Education conference.

[39:48] Therefore, many discussions are taking place to ensure that we are aligning, to the best of our ability, the values that we cherish as a school community

[39:52] , while upholding them

[39:59] . Therefore, we are

[40:03] constantly continuing that effort

[40:04] . got it.

[40:06] thank you. got it

[40:07] . What do you think of the social-emotion

[40:09] curriculum? Is it

[40:11] posted,

[40:13] or what are you using

[40:14] ? That's a good question. Yes, there is

[40:19] currently no formal social-emotion

[40:21] curriculum.

[40:24] Well, I

[40:32] know that the wellness team and Carrie and Cheryl have been discussing and considering it, but there isn't a

[40:34] formal curriculum at the moment

[40:35] . Furthermore, the school

[40:39] uses responsive classrooms

[40:40] . Of course, CARES is

[40:42] run as a school,

[40:43] but there is currently

[40:44] no formal curriculum. This doesn't

[40:46] mean it won't change in the future

[40:47] . That's the

[40:49] situation right now. got it.

[40:55] Now, let's

[40:57] move on to the BRS update.

[40:58] Oh, I'm here. You don't have to

[41:00] go anywhere

[41:01] .

[41:01] That's me. Um,

[41:04] hello everyone.

[41:05] thank you.

[41:06] Well, interestingly, even though it hasn't actually

[41:08] been that long

[41:10] , it

[41:12] feels like I've been at school for a very long time

[41:13] . But looking back at what I said at this conference last year

[41:17] , I realized that what I was really talking about was the

[41:19] start of the new school term

[41:20] . And then I

[41:22] thought, "I want to do that

[41:23] ." It certainly feels like I've been at

[41:25] school for a while now

[41:26] . So, I was thinking about it

[41:27] , and it's

[41:29] always the best day of the year. As

[41:31] Ms. Montini recently said

[41:32] , it's truly wonderful when all the

[41:33] children come in through the door

[41:34] , the hallway is

[41:36] filled with them again, and there's

[41:37] laughter and chatter, hugs and hand-holding

[41:38] , friendship, and all the

[41:41] learning and team-building that's already underway

[41:43] . As you know, the building is

[41:46] empty,

[41:50] filled with lots of boxes and busyness, without the

[41:53] little children to breathe life into it

[41:55] , and then it

[41:57] becomes full again. That's

[41:58] probably my

[42:00] favorite day of the year. So I'm

[42:03] really grateful that everyone has come back. As

[42:05] Professor Montini

[42:06] mentioned, it was truly

[42:13] wonderful to welcome all the families back on the evening of the open house, and to have so many families participate in such an informative evening

[42:14] . Also, as has already been mentioned

[42:16] , the PTA's ice

[42:18] cream social event was a great success

[42:19] . We also received a very special gift from local farmers who kindly

[42:22] cooperated with us

[42:25] . Is it okay to say that

[42:26] ? Yes, of course

[42:28] . I received a special gift

[42:29] . This

[42:31] is a special tote bag. Well, the

[42:34] local farmers who usually supply ingredients to the cafeteria

[42:37] joined us for an ice cream party

[42:38] . And they shared food and

[42:41] information with us

[42:43] , which was really fun

[42:45] . I

[42:48] learned a lot about hydroponically grown lettuce and found it

[42:49] very interesting. I

[42:51] spoke with that farmer for a long time

[42:53] . Well, I'm

[42:55] really grateful to Jessica Hill

[42:56] . She is a wonderful person who brings

[42:58] not only food, but

[43:00] also knowledge and information to the school community

[43:02] .

[43:05] Well, I'd like to talk about something a little unusual

[43:08] . At Beecher, there is an

[43:12] activity called Beecher Bike. There is a

[43:15] wonderful group of parents

[43:17] , and the school is student-led, and

[43:18] of course, environmentally conscious

[43:20] . They

[43:22] gather in the cornfield in the morning and then cycle

[43:24] to Beecher

[43:26] . This started last year

[43:28] . As I mentioned earlier

[43:29] , with parental support, she

[43:32] spoke extensively about this issue within her community to encourage

[43:34] more people to participate

[43:35] . Now, for

[43:37] the first time this year, officers from Woodbridge Police

[43:38] Station will

[43:40] join the students on their own bicycles whenever possible

[43:42] , actually riding them to school

[43:44] , and picking them up and

[43:47] dropping them off again at the end of the day, if possible

[43:49] . So, having police officers riding

[43:50] bikes to

[43:51] school with the children in this

[43:53] community is a

[43:54] truly

[43:55] wonderful partnership

[43:57] . Well, last week we probably had the

[44:02] highest number of bikers ever to come in by bicycle from the cornfields, with Sergeant Bloom leading the way

[44:05] . Sergeant Bloom also happens to be a

[44:07] police officer that year

[44:09] . It was wonderful that the police officer

[44:12] led the students to Beecher on their bicycles

[44:15] . Well, this is

[44:17] unusual, but I wanted to share it with you all

[44:19] . I

[44:22] mentioned Hispanic Heritage Month. It

[44:24] starts on October 15th and will continue until October 15th

[44:26] . As I mentioned earlier

[44:28] , the sixth graders are

[44:29] sharing some wonderful Spanish quotes

[44:31] . I would like to thank

[44:34] Professor Goldberg and Professor Kearney for leading this initiative

[44:35] . And

[44:37] to celebrate this special month, there will also be

[44:41] stories and activities to share with the entire school over the next few weeks

[44:43] . Also, there are many firsts I'd like to

[44:44] share with you all

[44:46] . I've already experienced so many firsts

[44:48] this school year

[44:49] . Our

[44:50] first field trip was a success

[44:52] . The Mac Community

[44:55] visited the Institute of Native Americans. We had our

[44:56] first ever evacuation drill involving the entire building

[44:58] . We had our first ever school-wide walking

[45:00] event

[45:01] , which is one of

[45:02] my favorite things that came about because of the pandemic

[45:03] . Furthermore

[45:05] , Woodbridge Police Station

[45:10] always supports this by blocking the entrance to prevent anyone from coming in while the children are walking by

[45:12] . The first story we shared with the entire student body was

[45:15] titled "Let's be bold."

[45:17] And some students even started the

[45:20] school year by having me read that story to them

[45:21] . Then, some students

[45:25] saw it on display in the library, and several

[45:26] young students came up to me and

[45:29] said, "We saw that book in the library

[45:31] ." Then I told them they could borrow the book,

[45:34] but they were

[45:38] surprised that they could borrow a book I had read to them, and they just stared at me

[45:39] . Also, we

[45:42] used a special milk machine for the first time

[45:44] . It feels a bit like I'm back in university

[45:46] . When you

[45:48] press the button, milk comes out, not a carton

[45:50] . Well

[45:52] , the chocolate milk is very

[45:53] popular. It's fat-free, yet it

[45:56] tastes like a chocolate milkshake

[45:58] . Well, we also made good use of the

[46:00] milk machine on Ernie's pizza day

[46:01] . This was also

[46:03] something we did for the first time

[46:04] . As you can see, I've had

[46:06] many wonderful first experiences, and there will be many more to come

[46:07] .

[46:08] And none of this would have been possible without our amazing

[46:10] staff, every single one of them

[46:11] . The 2026-2027

[46:13] academic year has truly gotten off to a

[46:15] fantastic start

[46:16] . Finally, the learning enrichment and

[46:19] achievement program, LEAP (formerly TAG

[46:21] ), will begin in October. Talented and

[46:24] outstanding fourth through sixth

[46:26] graders have received information to

[46:27] sign up for their preferred themes this year, and

[46:30] Ms. Buck is contacting them to inform the teams in each grade about their

[46:32] group assignments

[46:33] . The conference will be

[46:38] held once per cycle, from 8:30 to 9:00, and will conclude with another large-scale LEAPiganeerExpo in May

[46:43] . This is my latest update

[46:45] .

[46:46] wonderful. I'm very excited!

[46:48] yes. Do you

[46:49] have any questions? Do you

[46:50] have any comments? yes?

[46:52] Milk is very

[46:53] popular. Milk is very popular

[46:55] . I heard about it. Yeah. I've heard about the

[46:57] milk.

[47:00] Yeah. At first, there were a

[47:02] few issues because it was a new product, and some

[47:04] children were probably

[47:06] drinking more milk than necessary, but things have

[47:08] settled down a bit, and now no one is getting

[47:10] sick. It only

[47:12] happened once. Yes, and the

[47:14] kids really

[47:15] love milk. So, a child

[47:17] drinking lots of milk is

[47:18] n't the worst thing in the world, right

[47:19] ? Therefore, I

[47:20] accept it.

[47:21] Yeah. It's incredibly fresh and

[47:23] truly delicious.

[47:24] Yeah. And I

[47:38] want to applaud Jessica for everything she did to attract the kids in the cafeteria and make them excited about going there, and maybe even buying lunch or milk.

[47:41] Yeah. So

[47:42] , um, um, on

[47:48] behalf of all of us, I would like to express our gratitude for the work she did in the cafeteria

[47:50] . It's truly

[47:52] wonderful. The same goes for

[47:53] adults. Every time I

[47:55] do a tour... today, um

[47:56] , I was giving a tour to a new staff member

[47:57] , and I was

[48:00] talking about the fresh, farm-fresh ingredients we source, and I

[48:03] said, "If you'd like, please come and buy a salad

[48:05] ." The lettuce and other vegetables are grown on farms

[48:06] , so, you see

[48:08] , adults are also benefiting from them

[48:09] . That's why we're all having

[48:11] fun. That's

[48:12] wonderful.

[48:15] Thank you so much

[48:16] .

[48:16] thank you.

[48:18] Now, let's move on to the VRS Construction Committee's report

[48:21] . Lin.

[48:25] Steven, you can join us too

[48:27] . Among the audience is Mr.

[48:32] Madnick, who is a member without voting rights

[48:34] . And then there's

[48:37] Donna, Chris, Lisa,

[48:38] and everyone else who's been involved in this project

[48:41] . We made an update last month, so I would like to

[48:47] update you on the situation from the last board meeting to the present

[48:49] . You have now

[48:54] seen the preview of our second newsletter

[48:55] . This was mailed to arrive in your mailbox during the week of August 21st

[49:02] . We also

[49:09] distributed them at open houses and ice cream parties

[49:11] . Marty

[49:15] Halpern was a wonderful person

[49:16] , and he said, "Did it arrive in your mailbox

[49:18] ? If not, here's a

[49:20] copy

[49:21] ." In this way, we are trying to

[49:26] inform as many people as possible about what is happening

[49:27] . The

[49:30] last piece of mail the committee will be sending out is this postcard, which probably

[49:33] arrived in your mailbox yesterday or today, or at

[49:35] least we hope it did

[49:38] . Well, that will be the

[49:43] final official communication from the Construction Committee

[49:46] . Many members of the committee

[49:52] and the board of education

[49:56] attended all three open houses

[49:58] ,

[50:00] answering questions and

[50:02] distributing materials to parents who came.

[50:07] Steven and I explained the

[50:10] project and its financial implications at all three open houses

[50:12] . I think it was well-received

[50:17] , and we were able to

[50:22] share information with people who hadn't heard about the process or its financial impact before

[50:24] . On September 10th,

[50:29] Marty, Stephen, and I

[50:34] set up an informational table at the ice cream party,

[50:36] inviting anyone who wanted to talk to us

[50:38] . We

[50:46] recognized that the ice cream party was a very important event for the community, so we did

[50:51] n't try to actively approach people; anyone who wanted to talk was welcome to come

[50:54] . And I was

[50:57] able to talk to many people

[50:58] . Maria Madanick and

[51:04] Marty Halperin have been

[51:14] extremely busy over the past month, attending numerous town committee and council meetings to share project outlines and information with committee and council members

[51:16] . We

[51:23] held two community forums. The first one was held on

[51:25] Saturday, August 29th, at the town hall, or rather

[51:28] , the town library

[51:30] . About 20 or 25 people attended

[51:40] ,

[51:42] sitting in a circle with the committee members. Participants

[51:44] asked questions, and

[51:46] many of the committee members were able to answer from their respective perspectives

[51:48] .

[51:55] In other words, the participants included teachers answering questions,

[51:57] committee members, and members of the construction committee

[52:01] . The second forum was

[52:04] held on Tuesday, September 15th

[52:05] . It was

[52:07] held at Beecher Road Elementary School. I

[52:13] believe Vito and Lisa visited the site before the official meeting. I

[52:20] think there were about 30 people who toured the building that evening

[52:22] . After that, Maria

[52:25] gave a presentation,

[52:30] followed by a question-and-answer session

[52:32] . On September 8th, the

[52:37] Urban Planning and Land Readjustment Committee

[52:43] voted to decide whether this project conforms to the town's conservation and development plan

[52:45] . This is part of the grant application process

[52:48] . On September 17th, Chris,

[52:54] Marty, Maria, and I

[52:57] attended the Finance Committee meeting and gave a briefing

[53:04] . Also in attendance was Jim Giuliano, the consultant who helped us with our grant

[53:06] application

[53:11] . I

[53:14] answered as many questions as I could at that meeting.

[53:16] And I believe the Finance Committee

[53:18] met tonight. Right

[53:23] ?

[53:23] yes. The

[53:27] Finance Committee needed to vote to recommend

[53:29] approving, rejecting, or amending the bond resolution

[53:34] , and to

[53:36] request the town council to hold a special townspeople's meeting

[53:39] . The meeting was

[53:43] held tonight, so Maria might be able to

[53:46] tell you whether it took place or not

[53:47] .

[53:48] Oh, there was a meeting. A

[53:49] motion was submitted and passed by a vote of 4 to 2

[53:51] . Well, the

[53:53] selection committee will meet tomorrow to consider a

[53:56] motion calling for a special townspeople's assembly and a referendum

[54:00] .

[54:02] wonderful. And, well

[54:06] , after that meeting, a period of quiet

[54:08] begins, and restrictions are placed on advocacy activities

[54:11] . In other words, the

[54:15] committee remains silent at that point. Is there anything you'd

[54:17] like to add?

[54:19] Well,

[54:21] this was a

[54:23] fantastic collaborative process across the entire community

[54:25] . Well, I think this was a

[54:34] real opportunity for community members to connect with and collaborate with people they haven't necessarily worked with before

[54:35] . Regardless of the outcome of this

[54:39] referendum, I believe this points to a

[54:42] wonderful direction for the community going forward

[54:44] . Well, I

[54:55] think this was a very important learning experience for all of us in terms of understanding what kinds of questions community members are asking. In other words, the

[54:56] interesting thing is that there are people who are wondering how to

[54:58] pay for this

[55:01] . Will the construction work cause any inconvenience to children

[55:06] ?

[55:08] Therefore, I am truly grateful for the breadth of this community and the

[55:10] depth of the serious questions

[55:12] .

[55:14] And I think we've all become better able to communicate the importance of this potential

[55:16] project

[55:17] and

[55:18] what it means for our community

[55:24] .

[55:26] Therefore, that's wonderful

[55:27] . Also, in that context

[55:29] , I would like to remind you that one or two of the newly adopted

[55:31] Board goals for 2026-2027 is to

[55:38] develop and adopt a long-term plan to ensure that BRS buildings meet the needs of all students

[55:43] . And that is

[55:46] precisely why we are here

[55:47] , and what we believe this

[55:48] project can

[55:49] bring to our community

[55:52] . Do you have any questions

[55:55] ?

[55:57] Now, let's move on. got it

[56:01] . Let's

[56:02] move on to the latest information from the Facilities Committee

[56:03] . This is a

[56:05] good sign. The

[56:07] facilities committee held a

[56:10] meeting on September 3rd, following the schedule posted by Masha

[56:11] . 7:30 AM.

[56:16] Thank you, Marsha. It's

[56:18] not 7 o'clock. Yes, it was a

[56:21] very busy summer for Vito and his team.

[56:23] Yes, there was a lot of really good

[56:24] work. The

[56:26] school

[56:27] looked wonderful when you all returned. As always, it's

[56:28] wonderful

[56:29] . Yes, the team's efforts deserve

[56:31] praise. What they're accomplishing in such a short

[56:33] time and with minimal resources is

[56:34] truly

[56:35] unbelievable. This is

[56:37] wonderful. Yes,

[56:38] Vito said that the usual small

[56:40] roof leak was repaired and inspected during the summer

[56:43] . Yes, I believe 120 repair

[56:45] tickets have been closed

[56:46] . This is wonderful

[56:48] . It's an enormous amount.

[56:50] Yes, one of the great things about this summer is that

[56:51] summer is the time for testing

[56:53] . The

[56:54] sprinkler system,

[56:56] kitchen hood, emergency lights,

[56:57] play area, and fire alarms

[56:58] were inspected. Yes,

[57:00] everything was fine

[57:01] . Yes, all the detailed paperwork has been

[57:02] processed. Well, once again

[57:04] , I'd like to offer a lot of praise to his team

[57:05] .

[57:06] They are doing a good job

[57:08] . Please keep up the good work

[57:09] .

[57:09] Yes, they are doing a great job

[57:11] . got it

[57:13] . Now, let's move on to the Finance Committee's

[57:15] report.

[57:18] In the weekly reports that she compiles, Donna

[57:22] kindly pointed out that the progress rate for the new fiscal year was 16.6%

[57:24] . This is

[57:26] equivalent to two months' worth.

[57:28] Furthermore, the

[57:30] total projected cost across all categories is

[57:32] currently estimated to exceed the budget by approximately $10,000

[57:34] . It's just a

[57:36] small step, but of course, this is in the

[57:37] very early stages.

[57:39] And, as you know, there have been some

[57:40] major changes

[57:42] . Therefore, when you look at the list

[57:44] , it's something worth paying attention to

[57:45] . For now,

[57:47] that's the only part we're seeing

[57:48] . So, let's start with the

[57:50] lower expense side of the ledger, the 100 series

[57:52] salaries. It is currently

[57:56] estimated that the company has a profit of approximately $52,000. Just

[57:59] before the start of the school year, we added an extra first-grade class to bring the class size

[58:01] within the board's guidelines,

[58:05] but

[58:07] the cost of this additional class was offset by savings from the retirement of two teachers

[58:08] and the opening of a vacant half-day teaching position

[58:12] . Therefore, these

[58:14] savings combined were sufficient to cover the

[58:16] costs of the new certified teacher positions

[58:18] . Additionally, in the

[58:20] section on salaries for uncertified staff

[58:22] ,

[58:25] there was a saving in the uncertified staff salary because one of the para staff was hired through a staffing agency,

[58:27] but this resulted in an

[58:29] increase in the cost of other purchased services

[58:31] . I will

[58:33] explain this later. The 200

[58:34] Series employee benefits are estimated to be

[58:36] approximately $18,000 under budget this month

[58:39] . This

[58:41] amount will definitely change based on the selection of new staff members who joined the insurance program on September 1st

[58:47] . Furthermore, for staff hired through temporary staffing agencies

[58:52] , this is not considered new employment, and it also

[58:54] represents a reduction in payroll taxes and wages

[58:56] . Furthermore,

[58:58] other purchase services for the 500 series,

[59:00] such as student transportation, tuition, and

[59:01] internships, are currently

[59:03] estimated to be approximately $16,000 under budget

[59:05] . This

[59:14] reflects a combination of lower-than-expected workers' compensation insurance costs and finding a cheaper transportation provider through one of our job placement assistance programs. At this point, the option that is

[59:17] roughly in line with or

[59:19] close to our budget is the

[59:21] specialized purchase service for the 300 series.

[59:23] This includes legal audits and

[59:25] other fees, 600 Series

[59:27] materials and supplies, 700 Series

[59:29] furniture and equipment, 800 Series membership

[59:30] fees and charges, and miscellaneous expenses,

[59:33] including Ezra Academy nurses

[59:34] . Next, on the

[59:37] high expenditure side of the ledger, there is only the 400

[59:39] Series Purchase Real Estate

[59:41] Services, which is

[59:43] currently estimated to be approximately $91,000 over budget

[59:46] .

[59:49] Most of this overpayment

[59:55] reflects the unexpected $55,000 repair cost to the chiller, which was discussed at the last board meeting. Also

[59:58] , the temporary workers I mentioned earlier are

[1:00:00] included here.

[1:00:03] Of course, we don't know what will happen to utility costs, especially electricity

[1:00:07] bills, but on the

[1:00:09] positive side,

[1:00:11] unlike many of us,

[1:00:13] fuel prices are fixed this year

[1:00:15] , which is a big advantage

[1:00:17] . I would like to add that this was decided after negotiations with the town

[1:00:21] . So,

[1:00:24] regarding that point, we'll leave it

[1:00:27] until we finalize the budget,

[1:00:28] until we finalize next year's budget

[1:00:30] . Don, is there anything else you'd like to

[1:00:31] add

[1:00:33] ? Well,

[1:00:35] yes, within employee benefits expenses

[1:00:39] , health insurance is probably the

[1:00:41] largest item, and the new

[1:00:43] staff elections won't

[1:00:45] come up in the invoice until September

[1:00:47] . Therefore, you will be able to

[1:00:49] better understand that section from next month onwards

[1:00:51] .

[1:00:53] So, it shows an excess of $10,000

[1:00:55] , but we won't

[1:00:57] allow it. As the years go by

[1:01:00] , you find ways to save money

[1:01:02] . got it

[1:01:04] . thank you

[1:01:05] . Do you have any questions or comments

[1:01:08] ? Okay,

[1:01:11] now let's

[1:01:13] move on to the cable liaison's report.

[1:01:15] Unfortunately, the cable company representative is

[1:01:17] unavailable tonight. I don't know if you have any

[1:01:19] questions

[1:01:21] , but I

[1:01:29] think you've probably received the proposed resolution for 2027 from CABE in your email. Sarabeth will represent us at the representatives' meeting on

[1:01:34] November 19th as the CABE liaison

[1:01:41] . So, if you'd

[1:01:47] like, please read this

[1:01:49] . If there is anything you would like Sarabeth to discuss at the representatives' meeting

[1:01:56] , please pass that information on

[1:01:58] to her.

[1:02:01] She will take it to the representatives' meeting

[1:02:03] . Also, the CABE conference will be held on the 20th and 21st

[1:02:12] . Some of you may have already registered, but you may have

[1:02:24] received an email saying that you can still register

[1:02:25] . It's

[1:02:28] perfect. Thank you, Rin

[1:02:30] . you're welcome

[1:02:31] . This

[1:02:32] is a presentation for the upcoming meeting.

[1:02:34] Well, in October, there will be presentations on the SBA test

[1:02:38] results

[1:02:39] and

[1:02:43] discussions about electives for the 2027-2028 academic year,

[1:02:46] followed by a vote at the meeting in November

[1:02:48] . Monthly announcements for upcoming meetings

[1:02:52] . Okay, let's say the

[1:02:54] curriculum committee will have a

[1:02:56] meeting on Wednesday.

[1:02:58] no. The Curriculum Committee will

[1:03:02] hold a meeting next month, similar to the Finance Committee. Well,

[1:03:05] yes, those will be done.

[1:03:07] And the

[1:03:07] policy committee

[1:03:09] may also hold a meeting someday. The

[1:03:10] policy committee as well. Wait, oh

[1:03:12] , how did I overlook the policy committee

[1:03:13] ? It might be next

[1:03:14] week. But that's not the case

[1:03:16] .

[1:03:17] Oh, yes. Oh yes,

[1:03:18] because that's it

[1:03:19] . No, but you don't have

[1:03:20] until September 28th

[1:03:22] . Well, yes, that's right

[1:03:23] . sorry.

[1:03:24] Excuse me, it's this month.

[1:03:26] You are absolutely right

[1:03:27] . There will be another confirmation on September 28th

[1:03:29] . Now, the absolute thing we all need to

[1:03:32] know is that the

[1:03:34] BRS Building referendum will take place

[1:03:45] on Tuesday, October 13th, if the selection committee decides to hold the referendum tomorrow (which we are confident it will)

[1:03:47] . Therefore, we need to

[1:03:50] contact our entire network before that day to ensure people are

[1:03:52] aware and go vote

[1:03:53] . That's all we can

[1:03:55] say. No matter

[1:03:57] how you choose to vote

[1:03:58] , be sure to go and vote so that your

[1:03:59] voice is heard

[1:04:01] .

[1:04:01] And there is no early voting

[1:04:02] .

[1:04:04] For informational purposes, there will be

[1:04:06] no early voting for the referendum

[1:04:08] , but absentee voting will be available. That

[1:04:10] 's an excellent point. There is

[1:04:12] no early voting, but absentee

[1:04:13] voting is available. And I'm

[1:04:15] really glad you said that. Because

[1:04:17] someone asked me

[1:04:18] . "I want to vote, but I can't go

[1:04:19] here. What

[1:04:20] should I do?"

[1:04:22] Voting will take place over the course of a full day. that's right

[1:04:23] . that's right

[1:04:24] . Everything is as usual. It's

[1:04:26] regular.

[1:04:27] yes.

[1:04:27] And finally, the date we can confirm is that the

[1:04:29] October

[1:04:31] monthly meeting of the Board of Education will be held

[1:04:34] here in Town Hall on Monday, October 19th at 7 p.m.

[1:04:38] Now, let's move on to the new topic

[1:04:41] . New agenda items

[1:04:48] include a community letter regarding the construction project and appropriate measures. I hope you all had the

[1:04:50] opportunity to verify this

[1:04:52] . Basically

[1:04:54] , it

[1:04:58] 's an informational letter about a project that reflects what we've learned.

[1:05:03] Mike, thanks for the suggestion to make the minor adjustment of moving the text from PS to the main body of the letter

[1:05:07] . The

[1:05:15] fact that the referendum complies with state law indicates that the creators have approved the selection committee to

[1:05:19] proceed with the project with the full $118.5 million

[1:05:23] . This is a requirement. This

[1:05:30] project will only proceed with the

[1:05:31] reimbursement we have secured from the state

[1:05:33] .

[1:05:35] This covers more than half of the costs

[1:05:37] . And that

[1:05:40] refund is clearly stipulated in the law

[1:05:42] . In other words, the

[1:05:46] final piece of our application is the

[1:05:48] approval of a referendum. If that happens

[1:05:52] , you will be guaranteed to receive that repayment rate

[1:05:57] . Of course, in order to construct a building

[1:05:59] and receive full repayment,

[1:06:01] all parameters must be

[1:06:03] met

[1:06:05] . However, to the question of whether we would promise

[1:06:07] $118.5 million even without receiving repayment from the state, the answer is

[1:06:12] absolutely no

[1:06:14] . That will not happen

[1:06:16] . We will only move forward if full reimbursement from the state is

[1:06:18] promised

[1:06:20] . This is clearly stated in the law

[1:06:23] . That said

[1:06:25] , there are two ways to

[1:06:26] do this. It can be

[1:06:29] done by agreement, or by proposing a motion

[1:06:31] and discussing it as part of that motion

[1:06:33] . Ideally

[1:06:35] , we would like to share this letter with the community tomorrow before the period of quiet begins, and the

[1:06:43] goal is to include the names of all board members. However, I would like to

[1:06:45] start it. Would it be

[1:06:47] better to do this as a motion

[1:06:48] ? Would it be

[1:06:50] better to do so by mutual agreement?

[1:06:51] May I ask a question to confirm something

[1:06:52] ? Of course

[1:06:53] .

[1:06:54] Well, we have a written commitment from the state

[1:06:56] . Is it 53%

[1:06:58] ? that's right. The

[1:07:00] actual figure is 54%. There were special requirements

[1:07:03] , and I think they were special

[1:07:05] , but Maria has already left. Was it

[1:07:08] special education? I'm trying to

[1:07:10] remember it accurately

[1:07:12] . There were specific matters that needed to be written into the law

[1:07:15] .

[1:07:16] Regarding preschool education. I got it

[1:07:18] .

[1:07:18] Regarding the expansion of preschool education.

[1:07:20] Yeah. Yes, and 5% for housing

[1:07:22] . It might have been part of the residential area

[1:07:23] . that's right.

[1:07:24] However, this is a statement of the fact that 53% are secured in writing

[1:07:28] .

[1:07:29] In other words, it is included in state law

[1:07:30] , but our application will not be

[1:07:34] submitted until it is approved by a referendum.

[1:07:35] Yeah.

[1:07:35] Or, it means that part must be completed, and yes, that's correct

[1:07:38] . Therefore

[1:07:40] , there is no question as to whether you are eligible for that level of refund

[1:07:43] . got it

[1:07:46] . However, it's a

[1:07:48] matter of qualifications. Because it states that the

[1:07:49] community's burden will be $55 million

[1:07:51] . As far as I understand,

[1:07:52] the amount is still unknown

[1:07:54] .

[1:07:54] Yes, that's what Tony calculated on

[1:07:56] $118.5 million using that payout rate

[1:07:58] , and it's how much the payout would be

[1:08:02] . In reality, the actual

[1:08:04] refund rate was 54%, so he

[1:08:06] deducted 1 percent

[1:08:08] . However, regarding the contingency fund

[1:08:11] , he calculates it at 53%

[1:08:14] . In other words, that's the

[1:08:19] amount of money Woodbridge needs to issue in bonds

[1:08:21] . got it.

[1:08:27] Well, if I were to state my point

[1:08:29] , I think the board

[1:08:33] needs to stick to the facts about what our needs are

[1:08:35] . Because, as far as I

[1:08:36] understand, there's

[1:08:38] still a gray area regarding refunds

[1:08:39] . So, can we honestly say that if this

[1:08:41] project is approved

[1:08:42] , the community will have to bear up to $55.5 million of the costs

[1:08:45] ?

[1:08:46] This is a fact. that's right.

[1:08:48] In other words, this is to ensure that the budget does not exceed $118.5 million

[1:08:55] . The

[1:09:00] overall project budget

[1:09:08] includes everything from new desks to the demolition of old existing buildings and the installation of new playgrounds and recreational facilities

[1:09:10] . that's right. In other words,

[1:09:14] this is the number. Frankly

[1:09:17] speaking, I'll just say that the editorial team has no choice but to

[1:09:18] stick to these numbers

[1:09:21] . In other words, this

[1:09:23] project cannot

[1:09:25] cost a single cent more than $118.5 million

[1:09:27] , and that amount is

[1:09:29] $55.5 million, which the town will have to

[1:09:31] bear. And

[1:09:34] this is to ensure that everything in the design

[1:09:36] meets state standards so that you can

[1:09:38] receive a full refund

[1:09:42] . For example,

[1:09:46] even if you build a huge auditorium, you

[1:09:49] won't get a full refund from the state

[1:09:50] . Because it does not meet state

[1:09:52] standards or building guidelines

[1:09:54] . I see.

[1:09:57] Therefore, if you don't mind

[1:09:59] , I tend to get too fixated on numbers

[1:10:02] . Because I'm not 100% certain yet

[1:10:04] . I believe the school district

[1:10:06] should explain the facts about the school

[1:10:08] . These include space limitations and

[1:10:10] issues related to ADA (Advanced Health Insurance). I

[1:10:12] believe that's our area of responsibility

[1:10:14] . Signing these numbers makes me feel like I'm

[1:10:18] stepping into some uncharted territory

[1:10:20] . Am I wrong in my thinking

[1:10:22] ? In other words, I

[1:10:33] think people need to understand what costs mean to the town.

[1:10:37] In other words, in a sense, if

[1:10:39] we can, we should be able to

[1:10:43] carry out the project for less than $118.5 million, and

[1:10:45] personally,

[1:10:47] assuming the referendum passes, I think we need to work on

[1:10:53] this process with the minimum amount necessary to get exactly what the schools of the future will need

[1:10:57] . In other words, it's potentially

[1:11:00] possible to do it for a much lower price

[1:11:02] . However, what I find

[1:11:04] important is that,

[1:11:12] regarding this project,

[1:11:13] some in the community are using it

[1:11:17] as a blackmail tactic, saying that they must bear the cost of $118.5 million

[1:11:18] . We

[1:11:28] believe it is our responsibility to provide concrete figures so that the community understands that this is still a huge amount of money

[1:11:29] . In other words, our

[1:11:31] community has never worked on a project of

[1:11:33] this scale before

[1:11:35] . Therefore

[1:11:39] , it is extremely important that we do not exceed that amount in what we are doing

[1:11:41] and what we ultimately hope the

[1:11:42] community will invest in this new building

[1:11:48] .

[1:11:51] I agree, but in this

[1:11:53] part of the conversation, realistically,

[1:11:55] they could find relief measures or other options that would

[1:11:57] exceed that

[1:11:59] .

[1:12:01] As a member of the education committee, I believe that delving into the financial details is

[1:12:05] beyond our role

[1:12:07] .

[1:12:08] However, these

[1:12:10] figures were provided by the town's finance director

[1:12:12] . Therefore, we are

[1:12:22] incorporating information provided by the town, as well as information provided by experts hired by the town to assist us through this process for the past three years or more

[1:12:24] . In other words, I agree that the Board of Education is

[1:12:30] not responsible for creating that estimate, but

[1:12:32] it basically

[1:12:38] reflects the best information we get from local experts and experts we invite. Are you

[1:12:54] concerned that we don't know our place, or that we won't get the 55 guarantee? I

[1:12:56] think it's a combination of both

[1:12:57] . There are strong expressions here

[1:12:59] . Rest assured that reimbursements

[1:13:00] from 53 states for the project have

[1:13:01] already been secured

[1:13:02] .

[1:13:05] Furthermore, it's not that we don't know our place

[1:13:08] . I have no hesitation in saying, "There are space issues

[1:13:10] . We've only replaced a quarter of the roof

[1:13:11] . We'll

[1:13:13] need a new elevator.

[1:13:14] " For

[1:13:15] me,

[1:13:17] that's a fact of the school district. When it comes to the financial aspects of

[1:13:19] selling, I

[1:13:23] think we're not in a position to do so. Okay, so,

[1:13:26] as the first question,

[1:13:30] regarding our level of confidence in winning $55 million, what would you say

[1:13:32] our level of confidence is

[1:13:34] ?

[1:13:36] If you can't make $50 million

[1:13:37] , what will you need?

[1:13:39] If the $55 million target doesn't materialize

[1:13:40] , what would have to happen

[1:13:41] ?

[1:13:42] In reality, more than $60 million is

[1:13:44] expected to be refunded. 53%

[1:13:47] .

[1:13:47] Yes, sorry, it

[1:13:49] 's $50 million. 53%. In other words, it

[1:13:51] 's 53%. Yes, that's right. got it

[1:13:53] .

[1:13:55] We

[1:13:57] checked with the state legislator who wrote the necessary special legislation, and

[1:14:01] confirmed that she has it.

[1:14:05] yes. Have you confirmed this in writing

[1:14:07] ?

[1:14:07] Yes, it's the law.

[1:14:09] In other words, it was passed.

[1:14:10] But no, only up to the

[1:14:12] amount we can earn.

[1:14:13] Yes, that means the percentage of us that are

[1:14:15] eligible for a refund of 40-54%

[1:14:16] . They are

[1:14:18] clinging to outdated legislation here

[1:14:19] . If you looked at your neighbor's

[1:14:20] face and were suddenly told you had to pay $70 million

[1:14:23] , even if you insisted it was only $55 million

[1:14:24] , you probably would

[1:14:26] n't feel very good about it. I

[1:14:29] think we've gone too far here.

[1:14:30] Therefore, I think this is a

[1:14:31] problem with the project design

[1:14:32] . Refunds are

[1:14:35] determined by the project's design. For example

[1:14:37] , regarding the expansion of preschool education

[1:14:39] , if

[1:14:41] preschool education is abolished under the project, you wo

[1:14:43] n't receive a refund, right?

[1:14:45] However, the

[1:14:48] project cannot proceed if there is no one to receive a refund. I

[1:14:50] understand.

[1:14:50] This is a good example.

[1:14:53] Simply expanding preschool education would

[1:14:56] ensure that preschool education reimbursements are received

[1:14:58] . The

[1:15:00] same applies to the reimbursement coefficient for special needs education

[1:15:03] . This also

[1:15:07] provides a guarantee that the funds will be secured. In other words, it's

[1:15:12] not about whether funding can be secured, but about the space being

[1:15:14] designed exactly as described, and actually being

[1:15:16] designed that way

[1:15:18] .

[1:15:21] Otherwise, the

[1:15:22] entire project will not progress

[1:15:23] . You must follow the description format submitted to the state

[1:15:28] , and

[1:15:30] once the project is approved

[1:15:32] , there

[1:15:34] are very strict rules regarding what can be changed. Therefore, while we can

[1:15:38] create design elements

[1:15:40] , the project is built upon a comprehensive understanding of all the documentation

[1:15:42] regarding the space's needs and specifications

[1:15:47] .

[1:15:51] In other words, it's not about whether or not a grant is granted

[1:15:53] , but about

[1:15:57] funding projects as they were designed.

[1:16:00] Therefore, unlike grants

[1:16:02] , it's not what some people think

[1:16:05] . This

[1:16:07] project was

[1:16:09] designed to provide refunds

[1:16:10] . If that's the case, then it makes

[1:16:14] sense. that's right

[1:16:16] . The state isn't going to say, "Oh, you're going to

[1:16:19] get that $63 million anyway

[1:16:20] ." It's like going back and

[1:16:29] saying, "Look, we did exactly what you requested in order to get this level of refund." got it

[1:16:30] .

[1:16:33] To clarify this, let's say,

[1:16:35] for example, that they

[1:16:37] have four items they expect, and each

[1:16:39] item has a corresponding refund number associated with it

[1:16:42] .

[1:16:44] Yeah.

[1:16:47] As long as the design includes those four items, the relevant

[1:16:48] refund amount is guaranteed. that's right

[1:16:51] .

[1:16:52] And if I understand correctly

[1:16:54] ,

[1:16:55] that has already been approved, right

[1:16:57] ?

[1:16:57] Concept design.

[1:17:00] yes.

[1:17:05] If this is passed and put to a vote, I believe those

[1:17:07] plans will be submitted and

[1:17:09] scrutinized at the initial stage

[1:17:11] . Once those

[1:17:15] requirements are met, the relevant

[1:17:17] funds will be allocated to the project

[1:17:18] . In other words, you'll know whether or not you'll

[1:17:24] receive that amount at the start of the project

[1:17:26] . Is that

[1:17:27] alright? SEO

[1:17:32] reflects in the design that the design meets those standards.

[1:17:33] And my interpretation of this approach is that if

[1:17:38] none of those expectations are

[1:17:40] met at the start of the project, you will

[1:17:43] not receive a full refund. In other words

[1:17:45] , it happens at the start of the project

[1:17:46] ,

[1:17:48] not after the project has already begun.

[1:17:50] yes. As long as you

[1:17:51] promise to achieve the four items

[1:17:53] .

[1:17:53] However, this letter is scheduled to be

[1:17:55] sent tomorrow before it reaches that stage

[1:17:56] . In other words, we are

[1:18:02] saying, "Please rest assured that this is the amount that was proposed to me."

[1:18:03] Yeah.

[1:18:04] Yes, yes, please delete "Don't worry." What if we

[1:18:07] kept the first sentence of the last paragraph

[1:18:09] , deleted the second sentence, and rewrote the third

[1:18:18] sentence to "However, construction of the new building will not proceed unless the 53% reimbursement from the state is secured"?

[1:18:24] Is this a factual description? Does this mean that if we only achieve 52%, the

[1:18:27] project won't move forward

[1:18:28] ?

[1:18:29] This is a fact.

[1:18:30] So, it's either 53% or nothing at all

[1:18:32] ?

[1:18:33] Yes, actually, it's 54. So, it's

[1:18:36] 54.

[1:18:37] No, that's not correct

[1:18:38] . If we don't get that, the

[1:18:39] project can't move forward.

[1:18:41] Because that's not possible

[1:18:42] . In other words, the first step is to get

[1:18:44] it through

[1:18:46] , and then to verify that the requirements are met

[1:18:48] and that the 54%

[1:18:50] refund is guaranteed

[1:18:52] . If

[1:18:54] it's not necessary, then I do

[1:18:57] n't think the project will proceed at that point.

[1:18:59] Therefore, expressing it that way might

[1:19:02] resolve the guaranteed aspects.

[1:19:04] Furthermore, based on what we've learned in this process

[1:19:06] , it's important to note that a referendum

[1:19:08] itself isn't a vote by the town to "do this," but rather a vote to "

[1:19:14] approve the town council of proceeding with this

[1:19:18] ." After the referendum is approved, the

[1:19:25] refunds will ultimately be

[1:19:27] paid to the Board of Education. The school

[1:19:32] board must vote to accept the reimbursement from the state

[1:19:35] . In other words

[1:19:37] , there is a safety mechanism in place

[1:19:39] . Therefore, as

[1:19:40] you pointed out, if the approval rating is

[1:19:42] 45%, we will not

[1:19:44] proceed with it. However, if the

[1:19:46] approval rate is only around 30%,

[1:19:48] which means we haven't

[1:19:50] voted on it

[1:19:51] , we don't know what will happen

[1:19:52] . I will not

[1:19:53] vote until the referendum is held

[1:19:54] . Because while refunds are

[1:19:58] mandated by law

[1:20:00] ,

[1:20:02] our application is not complete until the town passes the referendum

[1:20:04] . In other words, the

[1:20:10] referendum

[1:20:12] must be approved in order to complete the refund application. And, as

[1:20:14] they say, we're

[1:20:15] already on the list

[1:20:16] . It's a list, right? That's what they called it

[1:20:18] .

[1:20:19] Priority list. Thank

[1:20:20] you for the list

[1:20:22] . We are already on your priority

[1:20:23] list. It's

[1:20:25] listed there. In order to make the refunds

[1:20:27] happen, the

[1:20:29] community needs to

[1:20:30] pass a referendum.

[1:20:32] However, in a sense, that

[1:20:34] process has stages

[1:20:36] . As you know, the refund rate will not change

[1:20:38] between now and that time, as it is clearly stipulated in the law

[1:20:42] . If the

[1:20:45] referendum is not passed this year and is

[1:20:47] attempted again next year or the year after

[1:20:49] , the only difference is that the

[1:20:51] same level of payout rate will not be

[1:20:53] guaranteed.

[1:20:55] So, what are our basic rates

[1:20:56] ? twenty four%? For

[1:21:00] newly built homes that have been renovated, the price is 32, and for

[1:21:03] newly built homes that are more affordable, it's 27

[1:21:05] . In other words, the additional

[1:21:09] allocation here is 15% for preschool education,

[1:21:12] 5% for housing,

[1:21:14] 15% for special education space only, and then

[1:21:17] 1% for optional spending after that. While elective courses are limited

[1:21:20] to a maximum of 10%, our

[1:21:21] student population is not high enough to reach that percentage

[1:21:23] . I'm thinking in the range of 1%

[1:21:25] .

[1:21:26] Yeah. Yes, I think so too

[1:21:29] . In short, I

[1:21:31] definitely like your editing. I

[1:21:35] think that makes sense. Well, I don't think this was meant to be a

[1:21:41] sales pitch

[1:21:43] . I think this reflects what

[1:21:44] we learned through this process

[1:21:48] . Unforgettable things I've learned over the past three and a half years or more

[1:21:50] .

[1:21:53] That means we'll have to invest tens of millions of dollars in existing buildings over the

[1:21:55] next 20 years just to keep the door open

[1:22:01] . That means it will

[1:22:03] cost that much

[1:22:05] . Moreover, much of this is due

[1:22:07] to rising prices. If we were to

[1:22:09] do everything tomorrow, it might come

[1:22:11] to $25 million

[1:22:13] , but this will be spread out over time

[1:22:14] , so construction costs have increased by 4.5%

[1:22:16] . You are all better aware of how much construction costs have

[1:22:18] risen

[1:22:20] . This means that we are spending this much money to continue reinforcing a building that is 90 years old and

[1:22:22] no longer meets our needs

[1:22:26] , and

[1:22:28] yet we still need a new building

[1:22:30] . On the other hand, there

[1:22:38] are also options available to the community.

[1:22:42] In other words, it's an option to boldly

[1:22:44] invest in a new building and start from scratch

[1:22:45] , rather than repeatedly making repairs

[1:22:49] , allowing you to provide educational space and

[1:22:54] other things that have been needed for many years

[1:22:58] . I think what this letter is trying to convey is that,

[1:23:02] ultimately

[1:23:04] , you're going to spend the money anyway

[1:23:07] . The question isn't whether or not to spend money

[1:23:09] , but how to spend it

[1:23:11] . Therefore

[1:23:13] , people will have to make their own choices

[1:23:15] . I do

[1:23:26] n't think anyone who reads this would say, "I still like that building. My kids went there, and I'm attached to it. I don't think there's a problem. Let's proceed as planned." While the

[1:23:27] final decision rests with the

[1:23:29] community

[1:23:30] , as a board member, a

[1:23:34] member of this community, and a

[1:23:35] representative of the students, we believe we have an obligation to provide the

[1:23:39] most accurate information possible to address the important questions raised throughout this process

[1:23:42] . And

[1:23:44] obviously, the biggest problem is funding

[1:23:46] . It is completely dishonest to see signs throughout the city saying, "Vote against $118.5 million.

[1:23:48] "

[1:23:52] Because

[1:23:55] it suggests that we, as a community, must

[1:23:56] bear the cost

[1:23:59] . This is not true

[1:24:02] . That's why we

[1:24:11] believe it's essential to provide this level of detail so that community members can make decisions based on the best possible information

[1:24:13] . Do you know the exact details

[1:24:15] ? I don't know the exact details

[1:24:18] , but to be honest

[1:24:20] , I can't say for sure

[1:24:22] . Even if I were to vote in favor in this referendum

[1:24:24] , if I were to

[1:24:27] vote in favor without feeling a commitment to concrete figures, and if I were in a

[1:24:33] situation where I didn't know how much it would cost, or if it could potentially cost an unlimited amount, then

[1:24:35] I would not vote in favor.

[1:24:39] I won't vote for anything unless I have a clear understanding of how much it will cost

[1:24:41] . Therefore, I don't know.

[1:24:43] So, is this actually useful

[1:24:45] ? In other words, in terms of

[1:24:46] thinking about this

[1:24:47] , we're still in a situation where we're saying, "

[1:24:48] If this happens, then this will happen

[1:24:49] ." I do

[1:24:52] n't think we've reached those exact figures yet. It's difficult to

[1:24:56] tell the community that our burden will be $55 million. I'll

[1:24:57] add that too. It's

[1:24:59] done.

[1:25:01] The estimate prepared for the town agrees to include the phrase,

[1:25:03] "What is our community's

[1:25:05] share?" at the beginning of the statement

[1:25:06] . The

[1:25:15] paragraph then begins by stating that the estimates currently prepared for the town indicate that the building's operation will be sustained

[1:25:17] . At least one is between $45 million

[1:25:19] and $60 million, which I think is a sufficient range

[1:25:21] . On the other hand, the other

[1:25:24] proposal states the exact amount

[1:25:25] . Therefore, I

[1:25:29] think it should be stated that, at least according to the estimates made for the town. I'm

[1:25:33] hoping Jeff will handle it

[1:25:34] . It may not be processed completely

[1:25:36] , but I understand

[1:25:37] . I

[1:25:39] understand what you're saying.

[1:25:40] And this is what I think

[1:25:41] .

[1:25:42] Yes, I understand. It is

[1:25:46] your desire to accept that unexpected things happen in life. Therefore

[1:25:48] , I hope you will point out that it is coming from outside the WBOE

[1:25:52] . Please keep that in

[1:25:54] mind. that's right

[1:25:55] . We

[1:25:56] rely on these numbers, but we did

[1:25:59] n't generate them ourselves. Even if

[1:26:01] this passes the committee

[1:26:03] , it will likely reiterate that the project will not move forward

[1:26:06] until the level of repayment that was made at the start of the project is guaranteed

[1:26:10] .

[1:26:11] That's an estimate, or rather, a change

[1:26:13] , the first change made. that's right

[1:26:14] . So, at the beginning of the paragraph about constructing the new

[1:26:16] Beach Road School building

[1:26:19] , you're suggesting that the community's share of the burden should be

[1:26:20] emphasized

[1:26:22] . According to the

[1:26:24] estimate prepared for the town, the total cost

[1:26:26] is $55.5 million, and our community's share of the cost will be

[1:26:29] $55.5 million.

[1:26:31] And two

[1:26:33] paragraphs after that estimate, will we

[1:26:36] start by continuing to operate the current building

[1:26:38] ? got it. I

[1:26:41] think that covers a fairly wide area. In other words, you can say it twice

[1:26:43] . I think I'll

[1:26:44] say it twice.

[1:26:45] Because they are the same, and they are

[1:26:48] estimates created for the town. Those are

[1:26:50] all estimates.

[1:26:51] And the reason for this, simply

[1:26:53] put, is that the range of $45 million to

[1:26:55] $60 million is because this is an

[1:26:57] estimated 20-year period, and we do

[1:27:00] n't know exactly when it will happen.

[1:27:02] Therefore, if the roof replacement is postponed for 17 years

[1:27:04] , the

[1:27:06] construction costs will increase significantly during that time

[1:27:08] , putting it on the much higher side of the spectrum

[1:27:10] . Excuse me, what is it

[1:27:13] ? It is

[1:27:18] estimated that it will be costly to keep the current building operational for the next 20 years.

[1:27:22] Taxpayer or estimated cost. I

[1:27:26] think estimation is better. Okay

[1:27:28] ,

[1:27:29] so what is the estimated cost for continuing to operate the building for the next 20 years

[1:27:35] ?

[1:27:36] No, I'll remove the "created

[1:27:38] estimate" and start with the estimated cost to Woodridge taxpayers to keep the current

[1:27:41] building operational for the next 20 years, which is between

[1:27:45] $45 million and $60 million

[1:27:49] . The

[1:27:54] estimated cost is...

[1:27:56] this should be fine.

[1:27:58] Understood, and in the final paragraph,

[1:28:05] please note that the wording of the referendum will specify the full $118.5 million, as required by state law

[1:28:07] . This also reflects

[1:28:09] many of the questions we were asked

[1:28:11] .

[1:28:12] However, delete the sentence that begins with "

[1:28:15] However, construction of the new building will not proceed unless a minimum of 53%

[1:28:18] state reimbursement is secured

[1:28:22] ."

[1:28:26] Construction of the building will not proceed unless a minimum of 53% is secured

[1:28:28] .

[1:28:37] Your handwriting is much neater than mine

[1:28:38] . This is the

[1:28:41] handwriting of a first-grade elementary school student.

[1:28:45] Yes, really. I should have become a doctor

[1:28:47] . I agree. You will receive a

[1:28:53] refund of at least 53%.

[1:28:58] Yeah. That's

[1:28:58] great. However,

[1:29:11] those who wish to have their names listed in this matter can

[1:29:13] rest assured.

[1:29:15] If you are worried, we will

[1:29:17] respect that concern as well. In other words, we are

[1:29:20] all

[1:29:22] approaching this issue from our own unique perspectives. It's not that we don't

[1:29:26] understand the building's needs and other related matters

[1:29:28] . So my question

[1:29:32] is, who do you think should sign this proposal?

[1:29:39] Aaron

[1:29:40] ?

[1:29:41] yes. Shall we have the two board members who aren't here

[1:29:42] review the text

[1:29:43] ?

[1:29:44] yes. I will send you the revised version tonight

[1:29:46] . yes. Ah, 100%. We will not

[1:29:49] publish names without the person's consent.

[1:29:52] If everyone has the right to say whether they agree or disagree, they should be treated equally

[1:29:53] . 100%.

[1:29:55] Megan?

[1:29:56] yes.

[1:29:57] Lin?

[1:29:58] yes.

[1:30:00] Sarabeth?

[1:30:01] yes.

[1:30:01] microphone?

[1:30:02] yes.

[1:30:02] Jeff?

[1:30:03] I appreciate the editing, but I'm still

[1:30:05] not satisfied. I

[1:30:06] think we've gone beyond the limits. So, I'll

[1:30:08] completely respect that. Yeah.

[1:30:10] Okay, I'll

[1:30:11] follow up with Jackie and Sarabeth

[1:30:12] . Okay. That was a great

[1:30:14] discussion. Okay. Therefore, I

[1:30:25] believe there is no need for public attendance, public expression of opinion, or a closed-door meeting tonight. So, will there be a

[1:30:29] motion to close the session at 8:30 p.m.?

[1:30:33] Aaron Williamson is in

[1:30:35] favor, and Megan

[1:30:36] Knauscher is also in favor. Those who agree?

[1:30:38] Dennis, I'm talking to you. The meeting is

[1:30:40] adjourned. Understood. I

[1:30:41] can agree with that.

[1:31:34] Yeah.

Woodbridge Board of Education - 9/22/2026

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