Board of Education (Regular Meeting) - 1/27/2026

Heat. Heat.

Six. Calling this regular meeting uh of the board of education for January 27th, 2026 to order. Uh with us today is Mr. Lee, Mrs. Jacobson, Mrs. Flynn, myself, Mrs. Maxon Canelli, Superintendent Tastani, Mr. Asa, Miss Raldi, and Miss

O'Neal. And Miss Bart, you look like one of the students. I'm sorry. I'm a Spartan Warper. If everyone could please stand for the pledge. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one God,

indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> You can float home on that. you know, a little balloon there, Miss Farnwer. Um, all right. Thank you. So, we will begin with student reports and let's start tonight with our representatives from Ward.

>> Okay. Uh, first off, good evening. Um, I hope everybody had a long, nice, long weekend. I know specifically for me, it was good, especially after midterms. So, first off, Mr. Brown and Mr. Gavana will

host a course selection presentation for families this Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. The presentation will provide an overview of the course selection process, graduation requirements, and new course offerings. And the following Wednesday, Mr. Brown and Mr. Cavana will deliver a course selection over overview to the student

body during home room. During the week that follows, staff will use class time to review department course offerings, speak with in individual students about the recommendations, and sign student course selection worksheets. And we are also excited to host future Mustang

night on Wednesday, February 4th. The evening will begin with a school showcase in the auditorium at 6:45 p.m. highlighting the core features of our academic program and school community. Following the presentation, families will have the opportunity to tour the building and visit elective classrooms

during the tour of electives. The evening will conclude at approximately 8:45 p.m. And for the families interested in athletics, the athletic department will host a 30 m 30 minute presentation in the auditorium at 6:00 p.m. prior to the main program. And on

the next day, the French classes will be traveling to to Quebec. I will be uh on that trip as well. And I really hope that we have fun. And I mean the itinerary it it's fun or it's fun. It's

fun. But finally, seniors are in the process of ordering their caps and gowns for graduation and we look forward to celebrating the class of 2026. And that's it. >> Okay. Thank you. And our representatives from Lelo.

>> Good evening everybody. Um, Lola was able to continue their long-standing tradition of our annual bad men and volleyball tournaments for the juniors and seniors on Thursday and Friday. Um, I can testify that um, I had a lot of fun in the volleyball tournament even though we didn't go very far.

>> I can say the same about my volleyball experience. Um, we also have our course selection process ongoing for our 9th through 11th grade Falcons. Um, so tomorrow we have assemblies for all of the grades except for seniors, explaining the process, again, graduation requirements, and then an

information session for parents tomorrow night. The Lelo leaders will also be holding an eighth grade showcase, um, which will be taking place on Wednesday, February 4th. Um, it includes both a tour of the school and information about different elective options to help incoming

freshmen choose what classes to try. Um, our student section leaders, the nest, are organizing a rock, paper, scissors tournament. Um, it's a fundraiser where we're playing each other in rock paper scissors all day to raise money. Um, and the top six people

that like win in the school competition are going to compete at the girls basketball game to win a prize. >> Um, the winner pep rally will also be taking place on Friday. um featuring uh the winter sports including team uh the

basketball teams, the hockey teams um and the indoor track teams to name a few. >> Um both the boys and girls basketball teams from Lello and Ward are collaborating to organize a knockout competition as another fundraiser for proceeds going towards the American Cancer Society. So a nice collaboration

between the schools. And lastly, Lello's home room reps will be holding uh a meeting to discuss uh changes in the food services program and to provide midterm exam feedback on on Friday, January 30th. Thank you.

>> Hey, thank you so much. Um any questions from board members? I just have one question. The knockout tournament, is that going to be taking place at at halftime of the Lello Ward game or when is that taking place? >> Yes, I believe so. I think it's a double

header, so it might be between the games. >> Got it. Thank you. Anyone else? Mrs. Jacobson, >> did you have a nice snow day? >> Did you do anything fun? >> I can say I >> I mean, we haven't had one in a while,

so >> yeah, I can say I had a good time sleeping in. >> You That's what I figured. Thank you. >> I shoveled a lot of snow. >> All right. Well, as always, uh, student reps, you're welcome to stay, uh, for the discussion, the math presentation,

etc. But, uh, if you need to go, certainly understand that. Okay, moving on. Moving on to agenda item number four, public comment. Um, I, uh, once again, as I did last time, I do have to ask, how many people are planning to give

public comment tonight? Okay, in the interest of our long agenda, we will be reducing public comment to two minutes. Um, so please be aware of that when you come up. But I also do remind you, please, please, you are always welcome to send us uh uh

emails with your comments um if there's anything additional that you wish to say. I also do want to remind you that there are two times that you can make comments both now at the official public comment time, but also in the rest at the end, but also as we get into areas

of voting items. Whenever there are amendments made, you may also speak at the time of amendments. But do please keep in mind you can only speak to the same agenda item once. So if you speak to an item here at the opening public comment, you cannot speak to it again if

uh at the time of an amendment. I hope that all makes sense. Um, so at this time if anybody would like to come up for public comment.

>> Oh yes, sorry for anyone who is new um you uh just have to press it once so the green light comes on and the time definitely does not start until after your name and your address. So once you start speaking >> okay I will use fast talking. Hi, my name is Sally Connelly. I live at 682

Tungstas Hill Road in Fairfield. I am here to question the unexpected mid-year elimination of the music secretary position. Moving Kathy Gabriel to an open position without filling her former position is equivalent to a cut. As I understand it, CT general statute section 10-20

uh 2222 allows for the transfer of line items in a budget. However, that authority is vested in the board of education, not directly in the superintendent. We need a full-time music secretary to coordinate the very complicated music calendar, instrument and repair inventory, townwide festival,

field trips, and numerous other logistics carried out by a very competent and detail- oriented person. Kathy, our music teachers and district music coordinator need to focus on what they were hired to do, inspire incredible musicians. Mr. Tani, I don't believe that you have the best interests

of our students in mind in this situation. >> Okay. Please keep to the budget item that you're speaking to, and we do not have personal attacks at the at the public comment. >> Okay. Fairfield has long been known for its award-winning music program. Recent threats to our music coordinator

position and music enrollment declines during COVID took its toll, but we are finally regaining the momentum that was lost, as evidenced by a robust, growing music program. I actually want to take this moment right now to say thank you for all the music teachers that we've had over the years and the impact that

it had on my own students. I just want to give a couple examples. My oldest Coleman is headed to the 2026 Grammy Awards in LA tomorrow for the week. Chosen as one of a group of five students who represent his college there. His band, the Load Arts, all met in Tomlinson Jazz Band. They now have

over 50,000 international YouTube subscribers and are reaching people across the world. Lastly, my son, 15-year-old Tristan, participates in the Jazz at Lincoln Center program and is playing at Dizzy's Jazz Club on Sunday. The director said he was the best sax player to come through the Tri-State

program in the 5 years since he started. These are real success stories from our music department and teachers. Please don't be shortsighted because it will cost more in the long run. Let's give our music educators the respect and support they deserve. And thank you so much to our music department and our board of education. Byebye. Thank you.

Anyone else? And again, fine if you're reserving your comments for later.

>> Chris Coffin, 279 Stevenson Road, Fairfield. Good evening. My name is Chris Coffin and I'm here to speak with you about the proposed cuts to human resources which will directly impact the music department. My family and I live in Fairfield and my son plays violin for the Vilharmonic

Orchestra at Fairfield Ward. I have over 30 years as a public educator in the arts and am currently the district head of fine arts K through 12 for the Edgemont School District in Scarsdale. As you can imagine, I wear many hats. I'm a teacher and a director of

curriculum, but my biggest job is the management of district funds and budgets. Right now, as you are, we are involved in district budget requisitions and proposals. We are looking at every line item from the cost of a pencil to

service contracts to the potential of a new hire. When we hire and retain people, we do so because they bring a valuable and specific skill set to the table, which in turn raises the bar for our department.

The proposed cut to the position, which supports the music department, will not raise the bar for the music department, but rather it will lower it. The loss of this position will offload numerous logistical tasks and responsibilities onto the teachers, thus diminishing the

quality of instruction and programming. While teachers are the backbone of any school, when you add too much weight, the back will break. Teachers will not be able to teach to the best of their ability with the added responsibilities through the

loss of this position. Teachers will have less time to bring out the best in their students and foster a long love of music. They will have less time to support students and their socioeotional needs. Teachers will

have less time for professional development and they will have less time to produce the caliber of musical productions that the Fairfield District has come to be known for. It's amazing to me that what we're really talking about here is someone's job. We are not talking about cutting

the cost of supplies or service contracts or the >> I'm sorry that's two minutes. >> Thank you. A wise principal once said to me, "Human resources are our greatest resource." I never forgot that. I would

hope that you would consider saving this indispensable position because the quality of instruction, programming, and art as a priority in the Fairfield district depends on it. >> Thank you.

My name is Kristen Miller and I live at 58 Edgewood Place in Fairfield. I am the parent of a sixth grader at Tomlinson and a kindergartenner at Stratfield Elementary. I strongly support the approach of reallocating funds within the BOE budget rather than reducing the overall budget. Once dollars leave the

education budget entirely, history tells us that they are extremely difficult to restore. I worry that a short-term reduction today could lead to long-term consequences for our classrooms tomorrow. In my children's schools and across the district, we know that larger class sizes have been a challenge for

even the most experienced educators. In those environments, the difference between a classroom that is functional and one that is truly thriving often comes down to in-class support, paraprofessionals, instructional aids, and additional adult presence. These roles don't just help students who need

extra support. They help teachers teach. They help classrooms run smoothly. They help all students grow and learn more effectively. Busing is vital for my family and many others. If we can responsibly increase efficiency in transportation by consolidating routes

and preserving service for families who rely on it, we have an opportunity not to shrink our investment in education, but to redirect it to where it directly impacts students inside the classroom. Reallocating funds within the existing budget allows us to address

inefficiencies and redirect the funding to where it's better spent to improve our educational outcomes. As a parent of both an older student and a kindergartener, I'm thinking not just about this year, but about the district my youngest child and future classes will grow up in. I urge the board to

choose reallocation over reduction to protect and strengthen in ways that support our children's classrooms for decades to come. Thank you. >> Thank you.

Hi, I'm Jillian Van Ryzen, 381 Church Hill Road. Um, I'm actually going to piggyback just on what Kristen just said. She said it much more eloquently than I will say. Um, but I have similar sentiments and similar concerns. Um, I'm here as a parent of two kindergarten students at Stratfield Elementary. Um

over 10 years ago, my husband and I chose to come to Fairfield. And when we were thinking of what town we wanted to settle down in, the beach was a draw. The town was a draw. Um having all of those things at our disposal were great. But the main reason we came here was thinking of our future family. Um and

specifically because of its strong reputation for public education. Um we made that decision believing our children would receive the level of attention and support that early learners need. I'm here because I'm worried that large kindergarten class sizes are making it harder for that

promise to be fulfilled. In having twins, I have a relatively unique perspective of seeing how their experiences have been in both classes. I have one in each of the two large classes at Stratfield. Um so that also makes it really clear that this is not

um an attack on our teachers. Our teachers are doing the best they can with the limited resources that they have. Uh my concern is that the large classes limit how effectively even the best teachers can support every child, especially at that age. As a parent who chose this community for its schools,

I'm concerned that my children and others are missing critical support at a foundational stage. Addressing class size in kindergarten and shortly thereafter feels like a meaningful way to protect the educational standard that this district is known for. While I realize that I'm speaking for just one

class and this may not affect every grade or every school and therefore may not be of the utmost importance to everyone as a parent with children in the same grade. I get one shot at raising them. Um there's no we'll know for next time. There's no I'll speak up for my child next time. I there's no

more coming. Um and so it's important to me that they get the education at the standard that I promise them. So tonight, I'm asking that you consider amendments that reduce K to2 class sizes and/or add PAR support to classrooms at maximum capacity to set up the students

for long-term success. Thank you for your concern. >> Thank you. >> Uh Melissa Lawrence, 445 Jud Street. Um,

thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight. I have lived in Fairfield for over 20 years. I am the proud parent of two high school students who are deeply involved in the music program. Last week, parents and students delivered a

clear and unified message. The arts matter and specifically the music department secretary matters not just to our high schools but to the entire district. We've repeatedly heard that the music department is a place where students feel safe, seen, and supported.

And at a time when mental health challenges are affecting both children and adults, that sense of belonging is not optional. It is essential. The music department secretary is essential to the daily operation of the department and instrumental, pun intended, to its

success. Eliminating this position shifts significant administrative responsibilities onto music teachers, directly taking time away from instruction and student support. This partnership is what allows for over 100

performances and events each year and ensures that students, regardless of financial circumstances, have access to instruments and lessons. Music education is a core part of a well-rounded education that supports academic

achievement and social emotional growth. My kids didn't find their place on an athletic field, but on a stage and in an orchestra pit. That place matters. If budget constraints are driving this decision, I urge the district to explore

alternatives. The short-term savings gained by eliminating this position will be outweighed by the long-term harm to program quality, staff workload, and student opportunity. Small cuts don't always destroy a program overnight, but over time, they change what was and

raise real concerns about what comes next. I'm asking you to please restore the music department secretary position not just for today's >> a vote to restore this is a vote to restore the arts and maintain the arts.

Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Anyone else?

Hi, Jonathan Fatigate 27, sorry, 130 Brookview Avenue. Sorry, uh, Fairfield, uh, Connecticut. Um, good evening. I'm a Fairfield parent. Uh, I grew up in Fairfield. I moved back here from New York, um, because it's a great

place to live and to raise a family and I love it here. Um, and I want to speak broadly about elementary classroom capacity and how it affects um and connects to transportation amendments being discussed tonight. Across multiple elementary classrooms,

especially in the early grades, families are seeing the same pattern. Classes that are technically within limits but functionally stretched. One teacher, inconsistent parent support, and very little margin for early intervention. This isn't about a single classroom or a single school. We have great teachers

and our school is great. It's about how the system treats classes that sit right at that threshold where no automatic staffing change is triggered even though the learning environment is clearly under strain. What stands out tonight is that transportation is one of the few areas where meaningful savings are being

identified without cutting instruction. That creates a real opportunity. I also want the board to know that parents aren't just asking for solutions from you. We know you're doing the best you can. We want to be part of the of the solution, too. So, a group of parents have already been meeting. We want to organize and help create an opt out

effort. We want to get parents involved and support however we can to make the savings as maximized as we can possibly do that as a team. We want to work with the board of ed and we want the administration wherever we can, we want to help support them. Um, but when real

savings are found, I think it's important to be explicit about what problems we're trying to solve with them. From a parents perspective, the most urgent unmet need is elementary capacity, smaller, effective class sizes, and reliable adult support, particularly in the early grades. As this budget moves forward, I hope that

we will reallocate and not just reduce the budget. Um, and that's it. Thank you so much for listening to me >> and thank you for closing the door. >> Oh, h you're welcome. All right. Hi,

Lexi Kennedy and I live at 110 Figler Avenue. Um, and I just wanted to echo what John said. Really excited to be to form more of a partnership and a group of parents where we can decide as we reallocate things where we want to prioritize our efforts. And the two

items I want to talk about quickly would be um, Paris support. Um, I've learned so much about what class sizes and adjusting that would do to the whole ecosystem. Sounds close to impossible. So um, but I don't like to use that word. Sorry. But um in the meantime, we know Paris support could be possibly a

quick fix. Um and then the other one were the uh school counselors. I know that was on the table at one point. I certainly understand why it was taken off when you look at the numbers, but again, social emotional needs. We all know what those are. We don't need to repeat what that data is and everything supports that. That should be something

we're looking at. So just want to add that. Thank you. >> Thank you. Um, Rebecca Little, 67 Brookview A. Um,

I'm here to echo some of the same concerns that the other people spoke about class size. Um, I have a kindergartener at Stratfield and I think I have a little bit of a unique perspective being that I'm a former educator. And so I have the

view of as a parent and then also having the experience of being in the classroom and being in different sized classrooms. And I know that when I was teaching and I had a really large class there, it undeniably affected the environment for

students. the environment for me, the amount of education that was able to happen in that classroom. And now seeing it on the parent side, I am seeing that same thing. And I'm concerned that um I'm concerned about some of the things

that my son is coming home saying and experiencing and um doing. and I'm concerned um about this foundational year and how that's going to look for him um and my daughter who will be at Stratfield in two years. Um, and so I

a lot of people have mentioned a lot of different um, solutions and I don't know what the solution is, but I'm just here to express my concern about the the class size and um, I would like to see amendments this evening that reduce the

K2 class size and or add PAR support um, to classrooms that are at maximum capacity. Thank you. Anyone else?

Okay. All right. Thank you so much. Uh we'll now move on. Um I am going to ask for unanimous consent from the board. Um that we would like to move the math presentation up so that our uh math staff do not have to wait around for what might be a very lengthy portion of

our meeting as we work through the budget. if that's all right with everybody. All right. So, we're now going to proceed. If you're looking at the uh excuse me, the agenda, it's item 8A under new business, which is the first reading of the math curriculum and textbooks.

And uh Mr. Tani, I don't know if you'd like to give a quick intro. Sure. This is the uh board and public's first opportunity to hear from our new program director this year, Dr. Charles. Uh she'll be accompanied by Dr. Zavagansik, our chief academic officer.

Um, this presentation was presented to the curriculum committee and overwhelmingly was pushed forward to the board. Um, we just felt that this was a critical opportunity that could not be missed when it came to programming our high school students and upcoming rising

nth graders into high school next year. Um so rather than try to uh implement a year from now in conjunction with the new textbooks that we've proposed uh for algebra 1, geometry and algebra 2, we thought this was the perfect opportunity

to have the presentation a first read and accelerate the process. Uh we are ready to to go for next year. >> Thank you so much James Evans chief academic officer and I have the pleasure this evening of introducing to you Dr.

Charles, who is our program director for math K12. Before she begins, I should note that um I did send an email out at the beginning of this meeting for questions, comments, and feedback similar to what we've done uh with other curriculum reviews. So, it's sitting in your email. The link is for later that

we'll respond to your inquiries um after this meeting as well. Um so, with that, I'll hand it over to Dr. Charles who will go through both um at the beginning our textbook proposals. Um, this went out to the community last week and we

have solicited feedback from them on um, the three books that are before you tonight, followed by the three new classes that we're um, offering and um, the three rewritten classes in accordance with the resource. So, thank you again for your time and um, Dr.

Charles will present the updates. >> Hi, good evening. uh Jennifer Charles, math director, preK12. Um very excited to be here. So, thank you very much um for allowing me to have the time to

share some updates with our mathematics curriculum and resources that we'd like to propose to you. So, let's see if this works. There we go. All right. Currently in our algebra geometry and algebra 2 program which you'll see me refer to it as AGA or AGA2 just for short hands um

we currently use preap from the college board um we use it uh as our primary resource uh for teachers and students. Um our current resource does not really sufficiently provide enough content for

the teachers. Um there are model lessons included in that resource for about 50% of the material that's there which means that 50% is not there. Um also there is limited uh in information and resources

for students for practice and support. So there is no um hard cover there's no on like resource that they can come and print out things to look at at home or practice during their time. And so one of the things that we wanted to do was

try to remedy that situation. And so we looked at what are some resources that are available um that would be appropriate for Fairfield Public Schools to kind of solve that gap that we have in material for our staff and students.

So what we wanted to find was something that was comprehensible and comprehensive and accessible um that was hard cover and also had some online resources that were aligned to our state standards. Um we wanted to have something that satisfies our needs in both a middle school and the high

school. So as you know our algebra program starts in the middle school. So it needs to be something that is accessible for middle grade students as well as upper grade students. We also wanted something that was contemporary, something released within the last couple of years. We didn't want to look

at something that was old that we'd have to then purchase again um in a few years when they come out with a new addition and something that was also highly rated. And so we looked at a bunch of different ways of selecting a resource. The first thing I

did was speak to our teachers and find out like what do we actually have in the preap program um and what's there and what's not there. Um, and based on that, we realized that we really did want to look for something that would provide

teachers with resources both instructionally, uh, for their lessons, uh, activities for students, but also, um, materials for practice, for enrichment. Um, and so we did a vendor search for available resources. We used Ed reports online, looked at their

ratings, reached out to multiple vendors, and then did a number of cycles of review. So, I brought these resources to our math leadership team. We looked through them. We brought them to the department multiple times with different books, having them explore different

types of resources, whether they were free, only online, online, and textbook. Um, I reached out to the CES math council, talked with them about what people were using nearby. Um, and all of that time as we're doing this review, we got continual feedback from the teachers

as to um, what aligned to what we currently do, what was filling those gaps, and then ultimately having a selection that um, we thought would be uh, appropriate for our needs at this

time. And so what we'd like to recommend is um a series called um Envision Algebra 1 Geometry and Algebra 2 by Savis Learning. So it was published in 2024. That's the latest edition. Every C uh CT course standard is aligned in that

AGA sequence. Um the textbook also um can be used in all of the courses. So we have an algebra book, a geometry book, and an algebra 2 book. There's online access for our faculty, online access for students and also for families. It's

used by other Connecticut schools. Um, when I was at CES, I had a really nice conversation with the math director over at Ridgefield, who's also the head of Atomic, our national math council. That's what they use there. He spoke very highly of it, saying telling me how they implemented it. So, it's been a

really good resource and support for me as we were looking. Um, it also has materials for additional practice for students as well as skill development. So, it does drill backwards. So, if a student needs help with something that maybe was a middle school skill, it does have worksheets that teachers can pull

from and provide students with very clearly aligned um, skill development that they may need in order to access the current curriculum. Um, it also has materials for enrichment. So, the books are very comprehensive. When I say every core standard is addressed, common core

standards in math have your regular standards, but they also have things called plus standards. Those are ones that are typically beyond the algebra, geometry, algebra 2 sequence. You'd see them in a pre-calculus or pro and stat class. So, this book embeds multiple of those standards as well. So if teachers

do want to enrich beyond the AGA sequence, they do have things in there that they can pull from as well as enriching with um STEM projects and content aligned tasks that are in there. So it gives students um some of the things that they're built on. It's called the three-act math uh tasks by

Dan Meyer. And those are really um engaging tests for students to look at things in real life scenarios and seeing how math plays out without giving them too much information ahead of time, allowing them to dig deeper in the mathematics and kind of make sense of it. So that way they can make those conclusions and develop their skills as

mathematicians. It also includes the use of graphing calculators, including the Desmos online calculator. So that was something that was really important to us that it mimics the resources that they're going to use on the SAT and PSAT. So a students can have that embedded practice within it. It also has

an online platform that's fully accessible. So that was something that was really important to us to our special education department um to make sure that students have things that could be read aloud that can be enlarged that could have OCR and be read. Um so right now our resource we don't have a

lot of that. So for students that may need those accommodations we our staff works very very hard in order to get those accommodations met. This will make that job a lot easier. So, just to go over some approximate costs, the hard cover alone is $121 per

book. The hard cover and a six-year digital license is $165, making the digital license about a dollar, $7.33 a year per book. Um, if you just got the digital license and didn't get a book, it's $112.

And so if you did the hard cover with a three-year digital license, it's prorated because you're not doing the six years. So it's scaled to 143 a book. Um what we budgeted for in the budget was a onetoone textbook for all students. So students would have the

opportunity to have a hardcover book and we budgeted for a six-year digital license. Okay. Here. So with that book has to come a curriculum update because we have to align our curriculum

to the proposed textbook to make sure that we are teaching what is there. So our current curriculum has four units. We've now extended that to six units in order to make sure that we really chunk up our information in a way that is meaningful for students but also

provides enough time for formative assessment and summitative assessment. um giving students good feedback as they go through. Um through the curriculum documents, we clarified the depth of content in each course and the differences between honors and AP. Um we are also recommending some changes to

our current foundations of algebra course and recommending a new accelerated pathway called algebra and and geometric reasoning. So those are the documents that you have with you. So I'm going to go through each of those courses. is the algebra geometry algebra

2 is still pretty much algebra geometry algebra 2. There's not much substance change, some small things, but overall it's still your traditional algebra geometry algebra 2 sequence. The course that we are recommending is an algebra 1 extended course. So algebra 1 extended

is for students that are in pre-alggebra 8 and um maybe need additional support be when they go into high school. Currently there is a course called foundations of algebra that is in our program of studies. That course is one

credit which means that the curriculum is allocated for one period um for the students and the additional support is built into foundations of algebra with units of pre-alggebra and then units of algebra. The students in that

foundations of algebra class do not go on to al go into geometry afterwards. they go into algebra afterwards, which means that they're off track from their peers. So, what I'm recommending is this course called Algebra 1 Extended, which is a period and a half. So, that means a

period one day, a half a period the next day. So, they get that embedded support in the pre-alggebra as they're learning the algebra curriculum. So when they're doing graphing lines, they might do some basics of graphing lines, some more slope formulas. That way they get all of

those things built in with that extended time built into the curriculum to do so. So that way when a student is doing this course, they are not off track from their peers. That they stay on grade level. So that way by the time they get to 11th grade, they are in the same

courses as their grade level peers. Um so that's the intention for this course. The other thing is our f current foundations of algebra course because it has the pre-alggebra skills built in. It is not fully a high school course. It is not NCAA approved. So student athletes

who may struggle in math and need additional support would not get credit for this course under NCAA if they are seeking athletic scholarships. So they would have to take an additional math course beyond that course. they'd have to take three additional ones beyond

that in order to get their three credits of NCAA approved math classes. By switching it to an algebra 1 extended, which is similar to what happens in multiple other districts surrounding us, that would hopefully allow us to get that course to be NCAA approved.

The other two courses is a new pathway that I'd like to propose. It's called algebra 1 and geometric reasoning and algebra 2 with geometric reasoning. Now the purpose is currently if you want to accelerate as a student you have an opportunity at the end of third grade

when you are eight or nine and then you have an opportunity at the end of fifth grade when you are about 11 or 12. After that if you want to accelerate you have to take summer courses do summer work and then take a test. We don't have an indistrict option for acceleration.

And so for those students that maybe are ready for a challenge as they develop and get older, maybe they've gone through middle school and now they really feel confident and ready for that challenge, there is no accelerated option without taking two classes at the same time. So what I'm proposing is a

new algebra sequence. And this sequence would be algebra 1 with geometric reasoning honors in grade nine, then algebra 2 with geometric reasoning honors in grade 10. From that in grade 11 they can take any number of courses that they would want. They would have

that algebra geometry algebra 2 sequence done. So for that course it follows the same general progression as the traditional sequence. But in order to get those three years in

two years, we had to prioritize high school algebra, geometry, and algebra 2 standards, which means we did not include probability and statistics standards. Some of them are included that are more algebra aligned like linear regression, things like that. But

your other probability and statistics topics, which are introduced in middle school, are not revisited during this course. If a student does want probability and statistics, they have that opportunity to take the class in 11th grade because they are now accelerated. They have that time to take

those electives. And so the other thing that we also did was really focus in aligning with the SAT content standards and skills to make sure the students are really getting those things that we know will make them college and career ready for courses that occur after algebra 2.

are really prioritizing those skills that will they'll need for pre-calculus and calculus. So really kind of honing in on that. So the geometry that students will do are going to be you're going to have your nice solid foundation of geometry. So in algebra 1 and geometric reasoning half the class the

first semester is algebra 1. The second class is al is geometry. I took some topics out of there and put it into algebra 2 to reduce overlap. What happens is our eighth grade course standards will introduce some topics in

in algebra 1 and then those top get topics either get reviewed or reinforced in algebra 2. So in order to reduce that replication this course starts off where algebra one where eighth grade ends goes right into algebra 1 and if there are topics that are introduced in algebra 2

they were moved into the second year of the course. So all of that is condensed. Currently, students take it in algebra 1, then they have a year gap, and then they have to do then they go again to algebra 2. So, there's a little bit more time that they may need to refresh their memory, to refresh those skills. Because

this is a two-year course, it does condense that time to have to retach. So, the expectation is the kids will be coming into this course with a solid foundation for middle school and will not need as much reteing because they'll come in very strong. And so in the

second year of the course, the students will do their algebra 2 curriculum and then the remaining two and a half out of six units from the traditional geometry course. Again, really focused on those geometry standards that lead to the SAT, making sure that they have those skills that they need for not only the SAT, but

also their pre-cal. Um, and they'll all use the same resource. So, it's all aligned to the Envision Algebra Geometry Algebra 2 units are very similar. The implementation guide is what will be different but the core standards are the standards

and that is my proposal. >> Well, that's one way to introduce

yourself to the district. So, um so thank you so much for that presentation. Questions from the board. Mr. Asa. >> Yes. Well, welcome and thank you for that. Um I know I've heard from members of the curriculum committee who I'm sure will speak um raving about um these

changes. I was interested just really quick. You mentioned the NCAA possibility. Um what what is involved in trying to to make sure that that becomes a reality? >> Sure. When you want to get NCAA approval, you have to submit the curriculum and then you also have to submit sample assessments like a a

midterm and a final and then any major projects that you may have in lie of a midterm or a final or a big common assessment. Since our curriculum is pretty much the same as our algebra 1 CP, that part should be algebra 1 CP has already been approved. So, it's just a

matter of making sure that we develop midterms and finals that would be aligned with that curriculum to make sure that um it would go through. >> Okay. Thank you for that. >> And if I just want to piggy back on that question is that also very important for the NCAA is that anything that smells of

remediation they reject. And that's one thing about this course that seems very robust is that it does seem to avoid that. So yeah, because it's embedded in. So we don't necessarily identify which standards we're going to be remediating in the course because it really is responsive to the students that are in

front of you. So you might see that some students need remediation in a specific area and that's the ones that you'll highlight as you dig deeper in the curriculum. So each of our standards is def is you know there's a progression from kindergarten all the way up to high school. So you just go backwards in that standard to make sure the kids have what

they need so that way they can access the grade level content. >> Mr. Lee, >> welcome to the district. Um it sounds like and and from what the curriculum showed us, committee showed us and and what I've heard >> the endgame as we know in college more

colleges now are doing remedial math for kids because they're not coming prepared. This system now it seems that Fairfield students at least will still keep up to pace with actually the next level in colleges instead of falling back a semester to get remedial math to

move on. that is that is our hope that we graduate students that are college and career ready for whatever they want to do post-secary and so we want to make sure that all doors are open to them um and they can decide when they graduate 12th grade what they want to pursue but we want to make sure that those

opportunities are available and that when they do go to if they do if they do go to a post-secary institution that they are not paying money for courses that don't give them credit towards a certificate or a degree >> Mrs. Jacobson.

>> Sorry. >> Hi. Thank you for the presentation. Um, a couple of questions. The um, Envision um, resource we um, I'm sure you were aware that we had purchased resources um, a few years ago with co money about a half a million

dollars worth. What is the main difference between this new resource and the Illustrative Math resources that we had purchased? >> Sure. Um, illustrative math is a different type of program. Um, it is very much focused on the tasks

themselves and so providing teachers with with tasks for students to engage in. Um, it started off many years ago just as tasks before they made it into a curriculum. Um, and so this textbook has tasks embedded in it, but it also has

supplemental practice and and resources for for teachers and students like providing them examples of how to do a model problem, but it also has that um tasks and enrichment materials in there embedded, but it's not the primary focus

of the curriculum. It's a component of a multi-pronged curriculum in order to make sure that students get what they need in a multitude of ways. >> Okay. To to simplify, there was um great concern about using inquiry based learning in terms of math. So, we'll

just put it out there and just not to repeat that mistake. That's not what this is, right? >> No. So, what we do um support is students having the opportunity to think critically about mathematics. Um but they're not reconstructing mathematics from scratch that have been developed

over thousands of years. >> Meaning there's direct math instruction. >> There can be. Yes. It depends on what the intention is for that lesson. >> Okay. Um the approximate costs um I was a little confused about um how many we were buying. It wasn't listed here. Um

based on the number that's in our budget book, are we doing the one is that based on the 165? So about because there's and in the backup material that doesn't tell us how many copies in the textbook um backup that you gave us. >> Yeah, it's it's based on it's based on

the the 165. So the the textbooks plus >> it is >> the sixyear license. Yeah. and um textbooks for every student uh in middle school high and the three high schools. >> That looks like to be about 2,000 copies

between the three courses, something like that. No, you're looking >> I'd have to double check on that. Um >> I just want to know what we're buying because we're voting later. So, I want to know what it is I'm buying. >> I don't have the backup with me. We um

we do it on an average usually of the students that have been in the course and then we multiply it out by the 165. >> Okay. So it is the 165 number and just that's broken down based on how many you think you might need for each of the classes. >> Yeah. The number in the book would be 1 to one plus 16 >> on average. Okay. I just wanted to make

sure that it was on the 165. Awesome. Um this doesn't change anything for the students going into transition to pre-alggebra in sixth grade. Right. This is just for those Okay. that are going into Okay. Got it. Um and then last question on the

accelerated course we're doing three years and two. How will that be demonstrated on the transcript? >> Um the course will be listed as the course name. So it'll be algebra 1 and geometric reasoning honors. And so they would have honors weight and then

>> so two courses for two credits or is it one? It's two courses. Each one gets them one credit because by sophomore by junior year they'll have another chance to take another math class. So they'll get their additional math credits that way. >> Any and just I'll ask uh why the term

geomet ge geometric reasoning versus just geometry. >> Again I'm just thinking about the I'm just thinking about the trans. >> I I I I debated on the title. Um I did it because I really wanted to focus on the fact that they are reasoning with

geometry in a multitude of ways. One of it is algebraic. One of it may be on the coordinate plane. they also are working on their communicating reasoning is not as much focused on proofs as the algebra in the geome in the geometry setting. >> Okay. So it's not equivalent to geometry per se.

>> Yeah. Because in geometry you might do more proof based things or you might have that layer. This one really hones in on that algebra in the geometry. >> Okay. Thank you. That's all the question I had. Thank you. Okay. Mrs. >> Sorry. >> Thank you. Um welcome to the district. I have I got to meet you at curriculum committee. So um Mr. Kenoff isn't here.

So he um encouraged me and Mrs. B and Wer just to share. Um we spent I think about three hours but um by the end of it um and was just really impressed with the work and the thoughtfulness um especially for these courses that really solve an issue for for students

especially incoming um nth graders. Um can I just ask some clarifying questions maybe through the chair to Mr. Tani for Dr. have a chance or anyone who's going to answer just um if this passes tonight obviously um our incoming ninth gra >> oh this is a first read but this is a

first read but next week our incoming ninth graders are coming to Lel and ward on Wednesday evening and I believe that process has already started so I have a few questions on that first how is this going to be translated next week is this going to be a part of the presentation if so I would encourage it to be as visual and detailed as humanly possible

I can already say Um, as an incoming ninth grader, the process is overwhelming and my cohort of parents has also shared that it's it's overwhelming. So, I would say a big change like this, I would make sure this is part of the presentation and pretty well explained. Um, do you have an idea how you're going to work out the

recommendations for this? Not like there's a lot of different levels. How are you kind of seeing that process work? >> Sure. So, um, what I've done is I've listed all the courses that 9th graders can take based on what their eighth grade class is. Um, and in our program

of studies, we really clearly delinate like what course and what grade you need. So, if you're in honors and you want to continue in honors, you need a B. Um, and teacher recommendation. Uh, if so, if you're in geometry honors and you want to go to algebra 2 honors, you need a B in geometry honors to go to algebra 2 honors. That kind of thing. So

then for this course, you would need an A in 8th grade pre-alggebra to go into this course. Um or teacher recommendation because your teacher may feel like you, you know, you're a hard worker, you're a go-getter, you can really do it, then teacher recommendation is okay. Um if you are,

um if you have an A minus or higher, um and teacher recommendation, you could do the algebra one honors. And so I have it really delineated for each course based on what's already written in all the curriculum documents. Um, and also in our program of studies for the courses that exist and for the courses that don't exist, the ones that are in the

curriculum documents that I proposed to you >> and excuse me for my naivveness of the process that I haven't been through yet. Um, are are most of the recommendations done by staff or by families? Like are are people going to just be kind of picking this on their own? >> It should be a collaborative docu like

collaborative initiative. Teachers do make recommendations for students for for all their courses. Um, and we do encourage parents and students to take those recommendations to listen to them and have conversations with their teachers about what the student wants to do. So that way the student can advocate for themselves, the parent can advocate

for the student, and the teacher can also serve as an adviser as someone who's worked with the student day-to-day can really speak to what they think would be a good fit for the next year. >> Thank you. I would just really re lean on that advisor piece of it as you're rolling out a bunch of new courses that you haven't done yet. Thank you so much

for the work. It's really great. Anyone else? Miss Spartan Warper. >> Um, first of all, just thank you again. Um, I really enjoyed meeting you at the curriculum committee and I'm very excited about all these changes. Um, one thing that I found really valuable, um,

that I would love for the board to hear is a little bit more about how we right now have students who are kind of going through our program with these gaps and how this is going to kind of fill them. I think I was surprised to learn that like we had students who were going and taking the PSAT and SAT and didn't actually have the skills that they

needed. And um I just think that's kind of an important thing to for everybody to realize that like our current system is missing. And I think if you could speak a little more to how we're going to fill those. Um sure. So you know currently our teachers do a great job um

working very very hard given the resources that we have right now to make sure students get what they need. Um we do know that students need as much enrichment and support as possible. And so really ensuring that our curriculum um is aligned uh from middle school and

up to um not only our state standards but also what the expectations are on the SAT. Some of the SAT standards are eighth grade and seventh grade standards and some of them are high school. Um and so really making sure we have that vertical articulation that goes through the district is something that I've been working on with um with our teachers at

at all the buildings. Does that answer your >> Okay. Anyone else? All right. Just a few questions. Um, and first of all, just as a reminder for everybody, of course, is that when our freshman and sophomores are taking the PSAT, they're doing it.

And one of the things their teacher telling them, you have not covered all this math yet. So, you know, they're okay with that. You know, 11th grade, a little bit more pressure, but then they've got the spring SAT, which is really what the ones that they especially care about. But, a couple of questions. Um, I was curious about what

you see as the the profile of the that student who's getting that A in pre-alggebra in 8th grade. Um, and just being concerned, do you think you're going to get a legitimate class full? As in obviously we'd be hoping that you could get at least 15 students to run

that course. Um, and so if you were, so for example, if you were to look at last year's eighth grade or this year's, yeah, last year's eighth grade, do you think you're going to get that? In other words, is that a a fair benchmark? Is the A minus more low? I'm

just curious. >> Yeah. So, you know, currently our students come from uh eighth grade math and they have the option of doing algebra 1 honors or algebra 1 CP and we do have a lot of students that opt for algebra 1 honors. Um so my guess is that

some of those students will probably choose this course as opposed to algebra 1 honors. Um, and most of the school I think both schools have at least one or two se uh more than two sections of students. So, if you're pulling off of that, then you'd probably have one section at least in each school um for

this course. That's the goal. >> Okay. Just a suggestion to actually check last year's eighth grade because if it turns out there were five, >> I don't know, maybe the A minus would make more sense. But in any case, it's just a suggestion. where the the or teacher recommendation because the teacher will know like yes maybe they

have an A minus but they're a hardworking kid they really want to do well you know we're not going to gate keep a kid into that really wants to try it you know what I mean like so the the important part is you using that teacher as a resource um to see if the teacher does recommend the student to go into

that something like that because the pace will be different and so making sure a student is ready for that pace I think is really important so getting that feedback from your teacher would be really an essential component Yeah. And as part of our um challenging curriculum policy, we've always identified the counselor as being a critical part about

that because >> some parents are going to be savvy enough, as overwhelmed as they might be, they'll be savvy enough to recognize a certain degree of a track. This is one way to say we don't track. These are opportunities to accelerate. Um >> but a student alone in the eighth grade

is not necessarily going to be savvy enough to do that and their parent might not be as well. Um, so I hope the counselors are involved in that discussion as well. >> Yes, I've already started conversations with um our two directors of PPS and school counseling and so and having

conversations with the counselors because they also know the students for a longer period of time. They may know they'll know the kid from you know sixth, seventh and eighth grade. They'll know their trajectory. They'll know where they've been and where they want to go. So having them as an important voice in this process is definitely there. >> Excellent. Um, and I highly recommend my

recollections there used to be a very useful chart that said if you start at this in 8th grade, here are all the options. I can only imagine how complicated all the lines and bubbles are getting in terms of one. I've simplified it with no lines and bubbles. It's more like just a table and it just

lists the courses. >> I leave that up to you because I can only imagine how complicated it's getting. >> I've tried it with the lines and it just became like a bunch of spaghetti. So, yeah. Um, a couple of other questions that, uh, the freshman and now I'm going to call it foundations because now I already forget the name of it. Um, is that going to be a 1.5 credit course?

>> It is. Yes. >> Okay. Um, and then current. >> No, I guess that that's it for me. Those are I can >> Yeah, because it's it's a period and a half a period. So, it's one and a half. Well, no. I I think that's fantastic, especially considering our graduation

requirements that they couldn't be taking something else during that time um and putting them a little bit behind their peers. So, I think that's fantastic and appropriate. Um >> any questions, Mr. Kranov? >> You want to say just a word about the presentation as curriculum chair?

>> I apologize everyone for being late. I was at a beautiful orchestra concert at Dwight. Um I just want to thank you. Uh I saw the presentation earlier in the curriculum committee. I know our whole committee is really excited about all the work you've done and these new classes. So we are excited that it's

come before the table as quickly as it has and all the hard work you did to get it in our very short timeline that we gave you. So thank you. >> Thanks. >> Yeah. And likewise want to thank you that what you've done since being hired and bringing this a lot of this what you brought to us today um are things that

have come up in past curriculum presentations reflected concerns we had about our student progress and um I think this is fantastic. So thank you so much. Uh board members this will be a voting item at our next regular meeting. And Dr. Zavajanzek, how may the uh board

members submit any questions that they might have for you about either the textbooks or the curricula? >> Yes. So, a Google sheet went out at 700 p.m. to each of you um for questions and comments either on the curriculum or the textbook. Um I left it open until the 5th uh simply so that we could turn it

around in the packet for the following meeting, but if you need it longer, just let me know. >> Thank you so much. Any final questions? No. Thank you so much. Okay, moving on to the consent calendar. Um, hopefully everyone's had a chance to

review these three sets of minutes. Um, if I could first have a motion to approve the items in the consent calendar, u made by Mr. Lee, seconded by Mrs. Jacobson. >> Mrs. Flynn. >> Hi. I would just like to make a motion.

Um I move to amend the minutes on page two in the section possible ad hoc committee for >> the organizational meeting. So >> December 9th. >> December 9th. Thank you. >> Page two. I move to amend the minutes on

page two in the section possible ad hoc committee to change both references to from to ad hoc to advisory. That make sense? seconded by myself. >> Thank you.

>> Just give everyone a chance to look again. >> Um I'll give just a little insight to this. We spoke about it at the meeting as I'm going to do it backwards as an ad hoc and it was added in the minutes as such as upon checking um the bylaws we were referencing in advisory committee.

So I just want to make sure that is reflected in the minutes. Okay. >> All right. You do that. Yeah. All right. So, um, all those who approve the amendment,

unanimous. And so, now if we can, uh, approve the amended minutes. All in favor. And that is unanimous. Thank you so much. Okay. Now, moving on to old business.

Um, item 7A, adoption of the recommended budget for the 2026 2027 fiscal year. recommended motion that the board of education approve an operating budget for the 2026 2027 fiscal year in the

amount of $246,924,831 as presented to be forwarded to the town of Fairfield. A motion made by Mr. Asa, seconded by Mr. Lee.

Any questions or discussion? Mr. Asa >> um just a procedural question in in years past as we've gone through possible amendments um the CFO would keep a tally are we doing that uh Mr. Maneri um will you be keeping so then at the end we'll have our final number

already done so we don't have to do math at the table >> yes that's that's correct >> okay uh Mrs. Jacobson, >> can I is it okay if I ask something about the follow-up questions before we get >> Sure. I think that makes sense.

>> Okay. Thank you. So, everyone has an an extra hand up. I just had a couple questions. Thank you for answering these. The top a few I don't need to follow up on. Um I'm going to start with number 20 Z3. Um on the ELA items being recurring, it's a little bit collapsed here, so I wasn't quite sure, but I was

just trying to find out is if that $139,000 a year is going to be something that we're going to be seeing every year. I just that's what I meant by is that recurring right >> based on previous answers and previous

questions that we asked about. >> I saw that it got cut off so I pulled >> Sorry that's okay. >> No one no worries. Um I'll read to you what I had here in the text materials line. Recurring costs will be minimal but that depends on the anticipated enrollment for elementary to purchase the class sets of HMH materials not

available in storage from a previous year's closed sections. The additional readaloud text to model craft techniques for writing is not a recurring cost. That was the next sentence. Um intervention resources and materials are being phased in each year for K12 interventionist. That's also part of my

role. Um we add about one to two evidence-based programs with associated professional development each year because we need to be able to address specific areas of need in tiered intervention at all levels. There are some recurring costs for digital access to their online platforms and hubs and

subscriptions for the new interventionist. We actually had two in uh one new interventionist, two new interventionists I should say, join us this year. So we had to pay for training. So that was unexpected this year. But any consumables are then paid

for by the school after the initial purchase. So a couple of recurring costs should be minimal. Um the >> so the answer is really no. It's not going to be $140,000 a year. >> No. No, it is not. >> Okay. So, for some reason next year it's just a particularly high be What is the

reasoning for that then? >> Well, I I think the the highest costs right now are the additional readaloud text to model the craft techniques. We have 200 classrooms at the elementary level and so if I have to outfit 200 classrooms with additional readaloud text, >> that really is the highest cost this

year. >> So, it's a request. The additional ones were um because when we did our original allocations in year 1, two, and three, there weren't enough. >> Well, what came with the program was one writing text for uh to model craft techniques in the area of writing. Um

and so we've got some requests to explore some other titles and so that's what that's for. So I'm getting teacher feedback and um >> Yep. No, I get it. I just wanted to see if we were looking at that every year because not at all. >> Okay. Thank you so much. We're trying it out this year and then I'll get teacher feedback on to which you know in terms

of which titles we want to >> purchase for next year. >> Okay. Thank you. That's it. Thank you. I just want to get clarification. I just couldn't read it and >> I know >> I wanted to check on that 140,000. Thank you. >> Okay. >> Um so Z4 and I'll probably just follow up

with Mr. Papa George and Mr. Testani myself on this. Um I asked a question. Um, this is in reference to our attachment G that we got on 121. It was all of our tiered maintenance tier 1, 2, and three. And maybe I didn't wasn't clear enough when I said projects 48 to

59. Um, but those are not future items. They're marked as completed and in progress. So, but there's no dollars here. So, what I'm asking for is how much did those cost?

Okay. All right. So, should I just follow up with you on that? Okay. Um, okay. So, I I want to get clarification on Z6. This is confusing since Mrs. Man,

Max Canelli asked the question. We have preschool tuition revenue that is based on what people pay to attend our ECC. We also have a question that people pay

for transportation. Two different things. Tuition payment, transportation payment. We have the tuition payment in our budget book as a source of revenue, but we do not have $400,000 of transportation revenue. Question G12,

which was Mrs. Max and Canelli's question, made it clear that we had a hundred students paying $400 a month times 10 months. That's $400,000. So, I'm trying to clarify. I feel like we we're missing revenue somewhere. Um, that's not unless this is in a line that

I can't see. Where is that $400,000? >> The the $400,000 is an is an estimate. If you look on page 63, um, prek tuition in the middle of the transportation budget. >> Yeah, that's tuition. I'm talking about

the transportation. People pay tuition and they also pay for the bus. >> Yeah, I believe what they pay for the buses is minimal, right? >> It's $400 a month for those who pay, right? If you're on

free reduced lunch, you don't pay. If you're getting services, you don't pay. These are only for the the students. And what we were told is that 100 people are paying for that. >> There there is a hundred people that would pay for that if they if everyone was paying. That's the number of kids in the program that would be paying for

that. Out of that, I believe we discovered there's approximately three children paying for transportation. All the rest qualify for free and reduced services. >> Okay? Because that's not what we got. >> I understand that. That's why I wanted an opportunity to correct that. Now,

>> so there's not a 100 students pay. >> There is not 100. there's 100 eligible, but then out of the hundred that are eligible for paying the 400, only approximately three of them are actually paying. >> So out of 200 some odd ECC students, they're either receiving services or

they're free and reduced lunch. >> Free and reduced lunch. >> So that's the population, >> correct? >> Okay. I'm sorry. >> Or is a possibility they elect not to pay for the bus service and they drive their students to >> They do that too also. Yes. I think that's important to include too because I think that

>> that would make it look like our population is >> Thank you for clarifying that because I'm like we're missing $400,000 in revenue here somewhere and I want to add that. >> Not at all. >> Okay. Um and that was the only follow-ups. Thank you, Mrs. Max and Kennel.

>> Any other general discussion? >> Okay. then it would um it'd be my preference unless somebody um wanted to articulate a different one uh to move in order through our the handout we received um regarding suggested

amendments to the budget. >> Sound good? All right. So beginning with number one uh recommended motion to reduce by 23,550 from the contracted service budget major category 4 summary object 325

department 67 to align the budget with historic actuals motion by Mr. Asa seconded by Mr. Lee and so just to uh Mr. Testani if you could clarify the nature of this cut. Yes, this is a reduction in the

recruitment line. Um we have not historically spent this kind of um amount on teacher recruitment. So we feel comfortable in reducing the budget to align more with what we've spent in the last couple of years um as part of

our teacher recruitment efforts. >> Okay. Any questions from board members? >> Uh Mrs. Jacobson. So that just leaves about a little bit under $7,000. Is that generally what you've been spending then there? >> Yeah, approximately. I mean fees for

different job fairs. Um but I mean our main >> about 10,000 for next year,000. Yeah, >> correct. Our about 11,000 right. Our main recruitment is our partnerships with the local and college universities um that have been fruitful in um putting

um highquality trained new teachers in the classroom as well as our our recruitment of veteran teachers from other districts. >> Okay, any other questions? Seeing none, any member of the public

wish to comment on this item? Seeing none, back to the board. All those in favor? It is unanimous. Thank you. Looking at number two, recommended motion to reduce by 86,500

from the staff salaries budget major category 1, summary object 129, department 60 to align budget with expectations. May I have a motion? Uh, Mr. Krasnoff, seconded by Mr. Lee and again, Mr. Tani.

Yes, this was just carried forward from previous years. It was um pointed out in this year's budget book. Um this is a summer school general instruction that um we don't need the 865. So um again uh just this was carried forward um and it

was an error in uh in the budget book. So we're just asking that that be reduced. Okay. >> Thank you. Any board questions? Seeing none, any members of the public wish to comment? Seeing none, back to the board. All

those in favor? It is unanimous. Moving on to number three. A recommended motion to reduce by 15,000 from the staff salaries budget major category 1 summary object 129 department 64 to align budgeted amount with historical

and year-to-ate actuals. May I have a motion? Mr. Asa, seconded by Mrs. Raldi. Uh, Mr. Tasani. Again, after clear uh careful consideration, this was a line item, a dollar amount that was pushed forward from uh last two

years, uh we did not spend the full amount. So, this is the reduction uh to get us to what we've averaged over the last couple of years in this category. Um it's not much, but um still $15,000 that can be used elsewhere.

>> Okay, any board questions? Seeing none, any members of the public wish to comment? Come on. Good. So, uh, again, normally not back forth, but I'm sorry if I spoke too

quickly. So, on the, um, handout, it is number three, and so it is a reduction of $15,000 from, uh, maintenance for our part-time hourly wage. Correct. >> Correct. Summer. >> Didn't I say summer? Okay.

Okay. Okay. Once again, any members of the public wish to comment? No. Back to the board. All those in favor? It is unanimous. Thank you. Um, number four, the recommended motion uh is to reduce by 42,242

from staff salaries budget major category 1 sub summary object 129 department 62 to reflect the removal of stipens. I don't think I can move my own motion. Can I? Okay. moved by myself uh seconded by Mrs. Flynn. Um and this was

uh I made this motion in uh consultation with Mr. Tastani regarding the stipens um to reduce those. There are several schools doing without it already and still producing uh the same level of work. Uh and also I think many of us thought this was something that was

really perfect to the role of why we hired our assistant principles uh in the elementary schools. So that was the reasoning behind the motion. Any comments or questions from board members? No. Any members of the public?

No. All right. Back to the board. All those in favor? Uh, Mrs. Barnworper, Mr. Lee, Mrs. Flynn, Mrs. Maxen Canelli, Mr. Asa, Mr. Raldi, Mr. Kranov, uh, Mrs. O'Neal. All those opposed? Mrs. Jacobson. Motion

passes. 81. Next. Uh recommended motion to reduce by 45,000 from the other purch purchased services budget major category 7 summary object 319 department 62 to align budget

with expectations. Motion by Mr. Asa, seconded by Mrs. Jacobson. Uh Mr. Tani. >> Yes. This was just double booked in two uh different areas. It's our restorative practices training for staff. Um, so it

will stay in one uh line item and be removed from the other. >> Okay. Any questions from board members? No. Any questions from uh any comments from the public? Seeing none, back to the board. All

those in favor? It is unanimous. Thank you. Uh next, the uh motion is to increase by 47. Can I do these as a single motion? It is one of my >> Okay. All right. So, I'll read them in

the two parts. To increase by 47,309 to the staff salary budget major category 1 summary object 111 department 60 for secretarial salary within instructional services to restore the music secretary and to increase by

30,000 to the benefits budget major category 2 summary object 2011 department 63 for secretarial benefits to restore the music secretary. Moved by Mrs. Jacobson, seconded by Miss O'Neal. Mrs. Jacobson. >> Sure. Thank you. Um, I had indicated to

the board that I was going to be restoring this at our our uh last meeting, so this is the motion to do that. I did also speak with the superintendent over the weekend about it on some of my thinking. Um, this position has been in the board of education budget book through multiple

superintendent 13 years at least going back. Um this board adopted this position just six months ago um or so. It wasn't something um that anyone raised to cut or reduce. It's been a highly valued um position through many administrations and obviously very

important to um our community who have come out for one thing this year so far. Um, I do have concerns about um some of the big areas that we are adding dollars this year um and making this very small

um cut. Uh, I did read the piece um in the Connecticut Examiner this weekend and it solidified my wanting to put this on tonight that this person went above and beyond their job, was fabulous at

it, cultivated wonderful relationships with students and staff in the building. And then I feel to say those things um and to know even more how wonderful this person seems to be since I do not know this person or this role. My children were not in music. they were athletes.

Um to then feel to say well then that is all deserving of elimination um struck me as a message that I didn't want to support or send. So I am making this motion to um yes restore on this

budget she seat because we are working off of the document before us but it is really to keep what this board adopted but but a few months ago um and many boards before them. So, um I hope that my colleagues will join me in um putting this back in. Thank you.

Other comments? None. Okay. Uh any comment from members of the public? And again, if you've already commented to this once before, um we won't do it again, but new comments.

Hi. Uh, Carol Gernzie, 241 Brookside Avenue. Um, first of all, uh, thank you for making this amendment. Uh, Mrs. Jacobson. Really appreciate it. We've heard from the public. We've heard from the may the

music parents association that rep represents thousands of students in our schools. Um, they feel this position is important. I hope that the people that are sitting at this table are hearing them. And I would just say, you know, we talk about this year after year at this board table. When I was sitting at the

table with you, the budget is a statement of your values. So if in fact you value art and music, you should be voting for this amendment. And the perception of the public will be that if they see your hand up for the amendment,

that in fact you are supporting of the arts. And if your hand is down, that you're not. So you might feel that you're an art supporter but not want to vote for this amendment. but that's not the way that it's going to be perceived. So again, I I hope that um I hope this passes means a lot to our community. Um

I found out about this um through the Mer Music Parents Association. It's um astounding to me that we're even having this discussion. I'm shocked that it was removed from the budget to begin with, but we're here today and I hope that you'll do the right thing. Thank you.

Any other members of the public? Okay, back to the board. Any other comments? All right. Um, all those in favor?

Mrs. Jacobson, Mrs. Flynn, Mr. Raldi, Miss O'Neal. Those opposed, Mrs. Bartonworper, Mr. Lee, Mrs. Maxin Canelli, Mr. Asa. Those abstaining, Mr. Kranoff. Motion fails. 441.

Next up, uh, recommended motion to reduce the budget by $648,11 from the transportation budget, major category 5, summary object 317, department 65, made Hi.

>> I >> the only one I have a number for. It's all four items. >> Yeah, I I apologize for that. So, um want to go see. >> Is it okay if we just Nobody's made the

motion yet. All I did was read some words. Can we move to the next one and you get me corrected lang or let me know when you've corrected language since I'm not even sure what Mr. Ace is referencing. >> I don't even understand what anybody's

correcting. >> Okay. So, if somebody would like to read the motion, I don't have to read the motion. Would someone like to make a motion? Okay, so we're going to move on while this is being done. The next motion is to reduce number nine to reduce by

20,000 from the staff salaries budget major category 1 summary object 109 department 64 to align the budget with current salary. May I have a motion please? Mrs. O'Neal. Uh seconded by Mrs. Jacobson. Uh Mr. Tani, if you could

speak to that. >> Yes. This is just an adjustment to the current uh uh roles current salary plus any possible cost of living adjustment that will happen July 1. Um so we feel um okay with uh lowering it by $20,000.

>> Okay. Any board questions or comments? Seeing none, uh any members of the public have a question, excuse me, a comment? Seeing none, back to the board. All those in favor?

It is unanimous. Thank you, Mr. Kranov. Moving on to number 10. Uh recommended motion is to reduce by 100,000 from the other purchased services budget major category 7 summary object 321 department 60 to align with adjusted estimates.

Motion made by Mrs. Raldi, seconded by Mrs. O'Neal. Uh again, Mr. Tani, if you could speak to that. >> Yes. After going back through the budget um last couple of years, in addition to our professional development calendar that um we've worked on over the last

several months, uh this is just an updated number that we felt overall we can um sufficiently provide professional development to our staff um by lowering the budget uh by the $100,000. So this is spread out over all departments, not

just one or two. Um so this is more reflective as we start building the budget, refining the budget, um putting together the PD calendar, the timing of this just kind of aligns best for us to um give a better number.

>> Okay. And if if people turn their um chart over, you can see the breakdown by department just in case you were curious. Obviously, we're just voting on right now the bottom line number, but just so that you see where it's from.

And since some of you are just seeing the chart, any questions there, Mrs. Flynn? >> Um, the professional development the 43800 is what what does that represent? Do you have any idea? Sorry, I didn't know if that was Mr.

Sorry. the majority comes from summer curriculum hours. Um, school improvement planning that we've gotten more in line to Mr. Tani's point with prior year spendings. Um, as well as bringing the

restorative practice training in line with what the actuals were. That was the double budgeted one. I put it in mine. Mr. Manusi put it in his. We just made sure the numbers matched what they were. We both We both budgeted for it. I just budgeted higher. He pays the bill. So,

he had the he had the more accurate number, so I brought mine down. >> Right. Thank you. Any other board members? Seeing none, any member of the public have comment on this agenda item and this motion?

Seeing none, back to the board. All those in favor? Uh, Mrs. Bartonworper, Mr. Lee, Mrs. Flynn, Mrs. Max and Canelli, Mr. Asa, Miss Raldi, Mr. Kraoff, Mrs. O'Neal opposed. Mrs. Jacobson, motion passes 81.

Are we ready? Okay, hold on. >> Um, so upon further discussion with Mr. Manuri and Mr. Kranoff, I think what um the key is is that seven and the next line under it, the 148 are from the same

major category and summary object and department. So, we would be okay with moving that motion. um the next two for the were the um the increase and the reduction in transportation those are offsets. So I would leave that up to the board procedurally whether we need to do

that or that can be a simple um edit >> but we're just I would just add the next two are also related to the same summary object department um and major category. >> Okay. Then I would just recommend that we um uh

yeah, we're just trying to figure out if we're ready to move it, Mrs. Jacobson. I don't want to move it until we're ready. >> So just so I'm clear. So are the pardon me major category, summary, object, and department numbers the same for all four

items? >> Correct. Yes. So, we could have done numbers, well, all of number eight, the 130 and the 130,000. We could have just done that on the page of the edits. Instead, it's in this document, but this

will achieve the same end. And I think this works to just do it here. >> Yeah, that's you. Yeah, that's that's fine. You don't need to worry about the 130 and the negative 130. I just >> But the point is they do need to be fixed. just rather than doing it in the

edit document now we'll just do it as part of this single motion. >> Yes, that was my intent. >> Okay, it makes sense to me. All right, so I'm going to go ahead and then we can have discussion. So the recommended motion to reduce by $648,11 from the transportation budget major

category 5 summary object 317 department 65 moved by Mr. Kranov seconded by Mr. Asa. Mr. Krasnov Mr. Asa, if you'd like to speak to your conversations with staff. >> Sure. Um, as we said last meeting, uh,

Mr. Asa and myself were going to meet with Mr. Pap George and Mr. Tistani to see, uh, if there were some efficiencies with our current, um, routes and services that we can come up with. Uh, we challenged them to try to come up with a fairly sizable number of a

reduction because we felt it was a little bloated the number. uh we all agreed 500,000 was a very fair number to be able to achieve. Um so we are moving that forward as a reduction of 500,000. Um the second one Mr. Tani put forward

so I'll let him cover that. >> Yeah. So we've been reducing the number of bus aids. Um that's been um a priority that they were unnecessarily on the buses. Um and we've been doing that since the beginning of the school

year. So this number uh reflects then um a more accurate number in the budget that um of the the bus aids that will remain um that are there through IEPs. Uh whereas the others um were just on

the buses and we've been able now to remove those and re u replace those um with um not needing to replace those uh so so to speak and have parents um put their children in the seats on the buses. This

is more in line with our ECC students. So >> Mr. Asa >> Yep. And I would just um echo what Mr. Kranoff said. Mr. Papa George and Mr. Tastani and I and Mr. Kranov spent about an hour together um really combing through and digging um and making sure

that what we put forward was um understood that it was as manageable. Um Mr. Kranoff and I um had had wanted a little bit more um but we also um understand what's reasonable. So that's how we came up with this number which is

um higher than what we originally went in talking about which was good. And just a note on the aids. Um I was fortunate enough through my work outside of the board uh to participate in some of the staff training um where aids were replaced um and participated training staff and parents and caregivers um on

securing their children in in the buses safely. That is one of the things that in my line of work um so was happy to offer that for free to the district. Um and uh it seemed to be going well. Um, a lot of the staff mentioned that they used to do this. Um, and uh, some of

them were familiar and um, so it wasn't necessarily something new to to all of them. >> Excellent. Well, I just want to express my appreciation to both of you for put putting that time in so that it could be something that staff felt heard and well thought out and I very much appreciate

Mr. A and Mr. Kasnoff you're taking that time. Uh, Mrs. Jacobson, >> um, I had spoken to Mr. Tani as well over the weekend about the bus aids, but I was wondering um I'd like to know what I'm voting on. So, um can you tell me under that where it says total transportation under 65, not the total

student, just that for that section area, what becomes the new number there under 2625 proposed budget? Right now it says 14014297. What does that become with all of these changes?

Because the regular transportation is going down 500, but then you're adding 130 back. So you're really only reducing regular transport. >> Yes, you're adding it back to regular. That's what you have on this piece of paper. You're adding it to transportation regular. >> They're all in the same summary object

and department. So yes, >> they have different line items. >> Okay. >> Yes. So there are different line items but um that is just to reflect where just the mail services which we reduced which we put on the in the budget book

that's just to reflect the line that it should have went in but they all that that the one the 130 increase and the negative 130 both net out to zero and you're not voting on the individual line items you're voting on the major category summary object and department >> right so that's what I'm asking what is the total of that column then

>> the to the the total is 648 80011 or you want to know what the new total would be after >> the new of 65 >> 13 million434506 >> sorry can you repeat 13 million >> 13 million434506

>> and so you don't you don't know what that percentage change is then do you I can find I can do it myself and so I just want to get what the total was okay thank you >> Mrs. Flint, >> I've been looking at this budget book for weeks now. That last sentence in that the reduction should have been in

the other contracted services line, that's the only piece that's stopping me because if it is all in um major the same line, that's fine. But if it's being it's a reduction that's actually applied to the other contracted service line, isn't that a different line or am

I making that up? So, if you look at page if you if you guys have your budget books and you look at page 66. >> No, I'm on page I I get >> and you look at um department 65. So all I meant to say was that when we

originally p published the budget, if you look at transportation regular, that number should have been $130,000 higher and the transportation other >> okay >> contract should have been $130,000

lower. >> I apologize for the >> No, sometimes it takes two questions. I see it now. It's I got it. Thank you. >> Yep. >> Okay. Thank you for the questions. Anybody else? Uh, Mr. Cosnoff. >> So, one, it's about a 5% redu reduction.

Um, >> is that a so a 5% reduction on the original ask where is that compared to last year's budget? Did you have that? >> I don't have that. >> I think that's what Mr. Jacobson was wondering. >> And then second, I did I did want to comment on the aids. Um, just from

personal experience, it's a matter of parents getting on and buckling their kids. It's very reasonable ask and to save this amount of money. Um, thank you for doing that. >> Any other board members?

>> Okay. Um, going out to the public, any comments on this um, amendment? >> Good evening, Greg Bosch, 470 Jackman.

About a year ago, we tried to find some savings in transportation as well. And the plan then was to change walking distances and potentially was going to result in

hundreds of students losing access to the bus. If my memory is correct, the savings at that time was projected around $700,000. I'm here tonight to speak on this item to thank all of the people that have

been involved with trying to make transportation more efficient so that we could enact a transportation efficiency plan as opposed to a cut plan. This is precisely how it is supposed to

work and I mean that sinc that that thank you sincerely. um from the bike and ped committee that offered so many different constructive ideas on how to make this more efficient to the work that it sounds like has been done with

Mr. Papa George and the transportation department and the board members that have led this charge. We are saving $648,000 and not reducing and not cutting access to transportation for students, working

families, and those that depend on it. I'm going to challenge you to find a little bit more efficiency here next year. Our buses are about 60 to 70% utilized, and this is a 5% reduction, if I heard

that correctly. I'm going to challenge you to better use this money elsewhere in the district to reallocate it where it helps students as opposed to just eliminating it from the budget. Thank you to everybody that's worked on this, including the parents

that advocated for it. Any other comments? Okay, back to the board. Any final comments? All those in favor? It is unanimous. Thank you.

Um um

Mrs. Jacobson, I'm not sure what to do with number 11. So is No, we did number 10 >> making an amendment to the revenue section and I had a motion in here so I don't

know what happened to it. >> So, can I just make the motion? >> So, if you Oh, hold on sir. Yes. So, so I looked at I looked at the prior year and when I looked at um there was a similar motion that had technical

amendment and it said no change to budget and my my assumption for why that was is because these are actually revenues that are coded to a special revenue fund. So there's really no summary object and major category that you could vote on that would be impacted

by this revenue. So that's why um that's why I put no change to budget because the budget you're voting on is only from general general funds. It's not related to the special revenue funds. So this would just be to me an edit. It wouldn't be something that you would vote on.

>> Um Mr. Krosv can >> I believe it is an offset though. >> So here like revenue coming in is revenue coming in. >> Yeah. So I'm I'm sorry. Continue. >> No, no. I'm just trying to wrap my head around that. If >> yes, >> you get an extra, you know, $56,000,

it's an offset on the positive side. You know, I guess you could reflect it either way, but it's still got to go somewhere. No. >> Yeah. So, so um with governmental accounting, there are multiple funds that a government can use to account for its operations. And what you see in the

budget book is in the town side, we call it the general fund. For the board of education, I would call it the general fund. And the items that you just vote voted on all related to the general to the to the general fund and the total number that you're voting on is related to the general fund. These revenue line

items flow into a special revenue fund. We do pay for services, but in those funds, the revenues equal expenditures, so the net impact is zero. So that's why I believe that you wouldn't need to to vote on them. >> Mrs. Jacobson,

>> whatever you want to do. All I know is is I want the zero to become $16,000 and then the other my motion didn't have a major classification. It was to amend revenue to add in the $16,000 and to accordingly update the subtotal boxes.

That was my motion. >> So, >> I'm not making the motion. I'm telling her what my motion was. So, you're just going to do that automatically. >> Correct. Yes. >> Okay. Does I'll repeat the question we asked at the last meeting. Do we need Mrs. Jacobson to add that in the edits?

>> You can tab. >> Yes, you can place it in the edits. That's that's fine. >> Yeah, but I also have I do I understand what you're saying. I just don't we've always been told that our um ask to the town is net of all revenue.

>> Correct. Yes. But this is a 56 a 16 Well, it's going to be $56,000 more revenue. >> It should come off the net total. >> Yeah. So, I I would kind of nuance the all revenue statement. There is some

revenue in the budget that does flow directly in to the fund as an offset to the expenditure. So, for example, that prek tuition line that I showed you in the transportation budget, that does flow into the budget. I just know that looking at these lines, they flow into the special revenue special revenue

funds. So it's not exactly all re it it's it's net of all revenue in the sense that you have these special revenue funds and in those funds you have a revenue and then you have an expense >> and the revenue and expense at the end of the day and that doesn't have to be shifted to the general fund.

>> So are you saying that the expense from this $16,000 is not in this budget book? >> Correct. >> Okay. So it's in a grant somewhere. >> Yes. with the state of Connecticut and how we are expending those dollars. How are we? Okay. So, there's no All right. Okay. There's no expense in this book

from that 16,000. 16,000 is going to be spent on something, but it's not in this book. >> Correct. >> Okay. Same with the 40,000. >> Yes. >> No, because the 40,000 is building rentals. I would debt that. Absolutely. >> The 40,000. Okay. So, the 40,000 would

be nuanced and a little bit of the same. I think if you were going to reflect the revenue for that 40,000, there's a there is a custodial OT line that I'm aware of that those expenses get moved to that

special revenue fund, but the but it's already net of like if you look at that line for the last two years, it's been 450 450 and we know that um uh you know expenses have increased. So, it's already recorded in that it's already

net of that amount because it gets moved out. >> Okay. So, we're just back to this motion. So, um what would the board prefer? Do would you like me to withdraw the motion and then get consensus from the body that it'll just become an edit to the book? Is that cool with everybody? Yes. Okay. So, I'm just going

to withdraw the motion as an amendment and I will add I don't know if I can add it to the sheet. Isn't the sheet locked? >> No, you can add it as an edit to the sheet. >> Okay. I can All right. All right. So then I will add it to the um to the sheet as an edit. Okay. Thank you. >> Can I just ask a clarifying question to

>> Flynn? >> Any of these that say no change to budget, this is a change in practice. Like we're we're just not adjusting revenue >> moving forward. >> Like like I said, I the when I when I was looking at this sheet, I looked at last year's sheet for reference and I

saw that no change to to budget language on the uh materials from last year. I I'm just I'm a little concerned procedurally. I like I said I'm just a Mr. Asa if you want to give me some wherewithal. I'm

>> Yeah, I think what Mr. Manur is saying is looking actually back. It's not necessarily a change in practice. Um and with regard to the transportation portion where it said no change in budget, those are technical edits within the category. So a change here and there to wash each other out. So that no

change in budget is actually um considered factual um as part of the motion that passed. >> Next one. I don't have any wording either.

>> I just So >> yeah. >> So So if you look on um I'm on the I'm on the town website and if you look at the budget archives and you look at BOE approved budget adjustments 128.25 25 on the top on the second uh sorry on the

third page of that PDF top row there was a um correction to revenue pages. It's item number 18. It was $30,000 and that was that's where it said no >> no no change to to budget. So that it

looks like you Yeah, >> I know why that is >> Mrs. Jacobson. >> I know that why that was on one page that wasn't because of that reason. One page had one number and another page had another number and that's why it was changed. It was actually an error in the book. It

wasn't like we added that 30,000. Do you know what I'm saying? >> I hear you on the 16,000. If there's no expense that is that is correct, but the 40,000 I'm not going to agree on because that's supposed to be paying for custodial fees. So that should come off the custodians.

>> Yeah. So what I meant to say by by that was that it all the budget already nets the amount that we get from those custodial fees out. So if you want to if you want to increase it, but the custodial budget would have already taken that into account. I just looked

at the prior two-year budgets. If you look at 25 and 26, it's 450. And you look at 24 and 25, it's 450. So the budget hasn't went up even though we know that salaries and such have went up. Um, so that's why I meant to what I meant to say. You could do that. You

could make a downward adjustment to that summary that major category and summary object in the 40,000 if that's what the board wishes to do. That's how you would reflect that 40,000 if you wish to do so. >> I'm sorry to ask this. Can you place me in the book for that?

>> Sure. So, um, it's a summary object 129. >> Um, >> that's less helpful to me than a page number. >> Oh, sorry. Sorry. Just get the page number here.

Uh where is it? Okay. So if you look at page 45 uh summary object 125, department 64 under maintenance of plan and operations, you'll see a custodial OT line. So, if you wished to further, like

I said, I think the $450,000 is adequate, but if you did wish to reflect that revenue reduction in the general fund budget, you would make a motion to reduce that $450,000 to $410,000. >> Can I can I just This is a revenue addition, not a reduction.

>> We're raising the revenue and keeping custodial OT flat at 450. So, netting $40,000. So, our budget. So, right, I just want to be clear on what you're saying. We would be adding to the revenue line

>> or or not. >> No, it's one. It has to be one or the other because we can't we can't add it and subtract it because then it's 80,000. >> Your intent was your intent was to reflect 40,000 or more revenue without an offsetting expense. Correct. >> So, Oh, so if I could just qualify your

state. >> Yeah. Yeah. So, so >> one or the other >> the the special revenue fund, there's a special revenue fund for these fees that we collect from people that use the facility. That money flows into an account that is not in the general fund

budget. So, there's revenue in there and then as we incur in spec expenses in the general fund related to that, we move the expense from the general fund to that special revenue line. So if you're increasing the revenue in for the special revenue fund then you need to

you would reflect it in the general fund budget by reducing the expense. So, so um so the motion that you would that I

would you would make if you wish to do that I would think to redo to reduce uh major category 1 summary object 129 department 64 by $40,000. Yep.

>> Okay. >> Okay. So, I'm going to move the motion forward so that when then we can have that discussion. So, the recommended motion to reduce $40,000 from major category 1 summary object 129 department

64 to align the budget with the revenue. Moved by >> Wait, Mrs. Maxelli. >> You got to move it. Well, we can we can Mrs. Jacobson. Uh, seconded by Mr. Lee. >> I want to add the revenue first. >> I don't think we did that yet.

>> We didn't add the revenue yet. >> So, here would be my question. All right. So, one, we've got the motion on the table. >> Um, and I hear Mrs. Jacobson's point about having that part of the book accurate. To me, the reason that the motion made

sense is that what we we even say this in the community use of facilities policy and the administrative regs that the fees that we are charging are to offset our custodial overtime. And I know so it makes sense for me to have this as the $40,000

reduction here. >> Yes. >> So again, that's why that makes sense to me. But um Mrs. Jacobson, would you like to make a different point? No, I agree with you. I just want to make sure the $40,000 gets added in on the other end.

>> Okay, Mr. Asa, >> you can add >> because now now I'm a little confused because we are going with the increased use, we are going to incur the $450,000, but it will be offset by the revenue. So, shouldn't we only be adding to the

revenue side? Because we're not reducing. We're Yes, it's paying for it, but that doesn't appear to me how that is. We're still going to pay the custodians $450,000 regardless of where the money's coming from. >> Yeah. So So, so I guess in a point in

time, right, you would pay the $450,000, >> but then but then we make it we journal entry. >> So let's say total overtime was $460,000. you would journal entry $10,000 over

from the general fund to the special revenue fund. So at the end of the year, your expense in the general fund would be $450,000. >> Yeah. Can I follow up? >> I think Mrs. Jacobson, >> Mrs. Maxin Canelli's point in mind is this. If we are going to increase rates

on our residents, our nonprofits, even for our forprofits, there should be an offset on the expense side to the taxpayer. because that's what we're doing, right? We're going to raise rates on people.

>> We're going to bring in more revenue. So, there should be a reduced cost. >> Agree. But, but we're still paying the cost. >> Unless you're assuming there's going to be more use >> or an equal amount of use even though with the same revenue is what you're saying. >> I'm just going to chime in quickly.

>> And this number I thought we were talked about was $80,000, but because of the contract and everything else really it should be higher. Um, but there's a new contract coming out as you know, so we're negotiating. Um, so 40,000 is what really makes sense based on the rates that are being proposed that um, in the

policy. Um, but it shouldn't be. We're going to raise rates on people and we're not going to have more revenue. >> All right. So, here's the bottom line. Just that we have two accountants at the table. I'm going to trust you. You are the professionals. You know the generally accepted accounting

principles. So, I'm going to go with your recommendation and and just because we've done it one way in the past doesn't mean that that's the right way. I know you've worked on the town side. So, I'm going to take your recommendation for my vote here whether we need to do this or not.

>> So, uh Mr. Kasnoff. >> Well, I I also think at the end of the day, it should reflect in our final budget total $40,000 less regardless of how we want to tally it up. Regardless

of how you want to show it in accounting, I think that's the point. We're going to bring in an extra $40,000 that's going to go towards the total budget we're presenting to the board of finance. However you guys need to account for that, that's up to you guys. But um as far as I knew, we take all our

costs and all our revenue and that's what our budget should be. I know you have to put it in a line item, but that's >> I may oversimplify pretty much how it works. >> As I talked to Miss Mrs. Jacobson the other day. Even if we increase the

revenue by increasing the rates, we are not at exactly $450 in expenditures. I mean, our custodial overtime as a result goes up annually. As you know, in in negotiating right

now, the contract that that rate's going higher by whether it's 10, 15, who knows how many percent. Um, so I I I think I am comfortable with what our two finance folks are saying

that we should probably be cautious here. We can increase the revenue in the book, but I wouldn't bring down the overtime costs because um, speaking to Mr. Papa George, we have way more than $450,000 in overtime costs annually.

>> That definitely was not what I was >> Yeah. No, I I got you. I was not saying to lower the custodial fees or lower like that's to me >> I think we should increase the revenue and just leave the budget. >> Well, when we increase the revenue, it should have that the effect on our total budget should decrease by 40,000 because

we're having an additional 40,000 coming in. However, it needs to be accounted for. That's a whole different scenario. >> Theoretically, I I hear what you're saying. I think then we should also raise how much our custodial costs are by a dollar amount because I don't know

if we're going to realize $40,000 in by just increasing the rates. Um we are losing one one um one renter that was a mainstay uh in the district for

several years. that's going to I mean that that may not be backfilled with someone else because it's not a turf field user or a gymnasium so to speak user. It's an auditorium user who um there's you know there's plenty of auditorium space that doesn't get used

now. So I'm not sure if anyone will backfill them. So raising the rates on gymnasiums and on field use that is limited. I don't know if we're going to realize an overall net of 40 grand, so to speak.

>> Okay. Um, so that is a fair point. Um, I know that I thought that first of all, I thought it was a a really good gesture uh to show the town that we're not just looking and to show our parents that we're not just looking at cuts or reductions or those

types of efficiencies, but also taking a close examination of our revenue. And this considering we were just talking about this in policy, this seemed to be a logical area that we knew we were raising rates. Therefore, shouldn't that equate to more revenue and that is something we could also uh tell other

town boards that we were doing? So, this leaves me but I I I do ultimately have to agree with Mr. Asa. I am not an accountant. Um, and we have two highly trained uh people who are advising us on the budget. I would have loved to have

included a reflection of this savings and to Mr. Krasnoff's point and to see that corresponding reduction but on the other hand I am not look interested in creating a phantom look with our budget book. I would like it to be accurate. I'm really trying to ignore the

statement by Mr. Tastani that that number should actually be much higher and I'm going to assume that he finds a way to balance this uh area. Um but we need your advice. Obviously, there's a motion on the table, but there's no problem either

with unanimous consent to withdraw the motion. We can amend the motion. We could simply vote on the motion, but I think we need some advice on how to have the most accurate budget book. >> Yeah. So, I mean, like I said, I think that the prior two-year budgets have

this is this is going to be three years without a change in that line. So then the $450,000 number is accurate to me. I don't I I wouldn't suggest changing it, but if if the board wishes to reduce it, I can if

you're asking me to advise on how you are you asking me to advise how you would make that change. >> Okay. All right. >> Well, one, we can just simply either withdraw the amendment the the motion with unanimous consent or we can just vote the motion down and then we're left with are we doing anything on revenue?

So you're going to need an answer ready for that or just what is our general strategy going to be? >> So So if if no if you don't want to change the number then I would just say withdraw the motion. >> So all right so we'll start with that. So again just so that the board is clear

the motion that I'm asking if you or if people would prefer to have a vote on the motion that's fine too. The motion had been to take that $450,000 budget item for custodial overtime and reducing it by 40,000. In fact, we're

going to expend that. It was just again because sometimes we do put numbers in that reflect the offset with revenue in it. That's not this line is not of that nature. So, the suggestion is to withdraw it and then we'll find out definitively what we

do with this number. Is the board amendable to that or would you prefer a vote? Mr. Krasnoff, >> I'm just a little confused of >> I guess where all our revenue is going because not everything is net negative. So, I'm just I'm

>> and I don't have an answer for that yet on that. And and I I may have to dig deeper. I I didn't even look at it that way and I I probably should have and now that I know how you guys are looking at it, I will going forward look at it that way. But um

I'm just I'm puzzled. I I don't I don't know, >> Mr. Asa. >> So um I think in fact um now that I'm thinking about it and what I've heard, if if we were to increase the revenue by 40,000, I would actually be looking to

increase the expense line um by some amount equal to or up to that. Um, so that being said, I think at this point, um, my my feeling is I would not support the motion. Um, and I would like to leave leave it alone.

>> Sorry. I think we're just going to take a vote on the motion. I'm not going to try to withdraw. Um, any public comment on the motion before us to reduce the custodial overtime budget line.

Greg Bosch 470 Jackman. I'm sorry. I had no intention of speaking on this. I will be very brief. This is messy. And if we are making policy decisions about what we should charge for the

rental of our facilities and we don't know what it costs us in terms of custodial services to then clean up those facilities, then I don't know how we start with the revenue question to begin with because we don't know what it costs. And any

accountant I think would begin this conversation there. That's that's not a criticism. I didn't mean it for it to sound that way. I would just encourage that these this be broken apart custoodial services uh for for rentals versus everything else uh so that we can

get some clarity here and make better revenue decisions as well in the future. Thank you. Any other comments from the board? Okay. All those in favor of the motion? All opposed?

Mrs. Bartoner, Mr. Lee, Mrs. Maxelli, Mr. Asa, Mrs. Raldi, those abstaining, Mrs. Jacobson, Mrs. Flynn, Mr. Kranov, Mrs. O'Neal. The motion fails. That leaves us back with the $40,000 revenue question any I'll come back to our

staff. So, do you recognize any way that we would logically put this in or is this going to be a I don't want to call it a to be continued discussion of us getting clarity on this, but >> I I I think it could be an edit if it if you guys just want it to be an edit. I

don't think it needs to be voted on. >> I I think for myself, I'm not sure that I'm comfortable with an edit because I don't quite understand what it's offsetting. Um, >> I would recommend we not change the revenue. Okay.

Any questions from board members? Mrs. Jacobson. So, we have an item on here. Oh, what are you saying that you want to leave

the revenue at 235? So, a cut in revenue from last year from this current year. >> Yes. Well, and >> Okay. So, why don't we get a little bit more clarity what's going on with the OT?

>> I I mean, I could explain it again, but the O the O the OT line in the general fund budget is net after you take OT expenses incurred for these events and move it to that special revenue fund and

and other events. I'm just going to add, for example, this weekend we incurred an enormous amount of overtime, unforeseeable overtime due to the weather. That can't that's not reflected in our

budget. Um, so Angelus relies on whatever revenue we generate through rentals to offset some of that. So, if we want to start looking at >> maybe budgeting better for overtime in the future, I think that may be

something we should consider um rather than just putting it in a number. But, I mean, it's worked for I don't know how many years this is has has been in the way Fairfield has done it. But if we want to look at it more closely to see,

>> I don't know what that means, but there should there should be like a trend line of actuals from what we if we budgeted 450 every year, what were the actual expenditures? >> I would probably venture to say it's more than $450,000 based on all the things that we need a

custodian for and that they get paid a minimum amount of overtime based on their contractual um collective bargaining agreement. On top of the fact that I'm not. Okay, everyone. 450 is the budget. This year it's $262,000

in revenue. So, you're talking about over 6857, you know, around $700,000 total. Total, right? >> That revenue is offset. You're not you're not expensing that. It's Well, you're expensing it, but it's offsetting

that. >> Yeah. I mean, we should get >> It's well over six. It's almost 700,000. We'd have to look at exactly what the >> Just as a suggestion to the board, would you be willing to turn this over to the finance committee to flesh out details

to answer these questions or is I I'm not It's not that I'm trying to stop the conversation. I don't know that we're going to come to a solution tonight. But Mrs. Flynn, >> can I just ask a clarifying question about what exactly the finance committee is going to be looking at?

Well, my suggestion, I'll speak to it since Mrs. Raldi was not the one speaking to it, would be what is the total overtime and then breaking down how much of that is re is anything that we are charging for, how much of that is simply like the events that Mr. uh Tani just referenced, which is where clearly

there is no kind of offset. That's the start. I would I would just hearken um last year I got sent by the finance committee to the athletic directors to look for places for revenue and spent about I don't know four and a half hours plus subsequent meetings

which it I'm happy to do but I also don't want to send people on continuous loops looking for revenue and creating a version of the truth for our town that isn't the facts that we can find revenue that does not exist. So if revenue does not exist in this line and never will, I

think we need to be pretty open and honest and start talking about it instead of kind of using it as a play. We've been talking about revenue from this line for quite a bit of time. That policy as a community member, as a PTA leader, I sat in the policy committee meeting for almost five plus years, begging for those rates to stay the same

so it wouldn't impact the community. And now it's saying I'm just a little confused where we are. So I would just say I wouldn't send people on wild goose chases if they're not going to do anything. Well, to be clear, on page 147, we have a specific line item for building rental custodial fees. It's it's not a a phantom number. It's it I'm

I'm not I'm not saying that you were, but that is is clear there. Obviously, we have more questions here. I only don't want to belabor something if we're not going to get to answers tonight. >> Mr. Mr. Asa, >> um I think a member of the public uh

coined it perfectly. this is too messy to vote on right now. Um it's a minute number in the grand scheme of things and I agree that it's something that we can look at in the future. Um but I don't think we should um spin our wheels here on on $40,000 that may or may not exist.

I understand the intent of it and I appreciate it, Mrs. Jacobson, but I think we've gotten to a point at the night um where we should let um sleeping dogs lay here. >> I'm just going to add one thing. I'm going to echo what Mrs. Flynn said. I think it is wrong for us to think that

we're going to generate more revenue um to the public because we are not a revenue generating entity. We don't have the ability. We rely on funding from the town, from our taxpayers, and some small grants um to operate annually. um the

idea that we can go out and raise all this money to offset things that are have b big price tags like fields and this and that. Um I think it's irresponsible for us to continue to have those conversations because um we are

not a a business. We can't charge for transportation. We can't charge for things. Um we have no way of of generating more revenue so to speak. Um, so I think that was a a well said point. Uh, Mrs. Flynn,

>> thank you. And that was kind of my overall point is that while I totally appreciate Mr. Asa and everyone's a point in time right now, that is not where this table has been for the subsequent years before it. So this is a shift in kind of thinking. So I just want to make sure that we're all kind of coming at it together because I mean we

hear about why don't you horse tournaments? We don't even have enough turf to supply the kids that we currently have. Like, so I just think I I agree with the um Miss Jacobson's intent, but I also really, you know, want to clarify why this isn't something we should continue looking at.

That said, are there any other motions? We have reached the bottom of the page. Mrs. Flynn, >> um I had um expressed just some concerns, um about um the current budget book and I had spoken to Miss Max and

Kennel. I didn't know if you had anything to add to that about um as it moves along to the other town bodies and any work and then I may possibly have a motion. >> Sure. And actually I would uh defer to Mrs. Raldi on this um in terms of I believe we're going to have a budget item on the finance committee agenda

regarding recommendations. Um would you prefer that people send their ideas to you as chair? Uh, and and that was just for an overview of what went well, what didn't go as well in the budget process, the budget book, gathering that information for us to discuss. I don't

know if you'd like to speak to in in what form would you like to gather that information. >> Um, on >> it's on. Okay. So, I actually haven't thought about what format, but that is an agenda item for the finance committee and doing a deep dive brainstorming

session. Uh just at the top of my head, we can start with emails. So, you know, sending emails with bullet points is a good step. Um I think, you know, we'll start there. I'll be honest, I hadn't thought about what format, but that sounds >> Sorry to surprise you with that.

>> Yeah, but that sounds good to me. >> Okay. >> Yes, Mrs. Flynn. >> Hi. Um just uh last year during the finance committee, it was brought up that um the budget book um could possibly look different. That I believe was last February or March. I had major concerns with that. I stated them at the

finance committee. Um so as a result and not um I'm just very worried that this is going to continue and for myself to be able to vote on this budget, I feel like this needs to be a motion that I'm going to make. So I'm sorry it wasn't added on to the sheets. I was under the impression that there was going to be other I just want to add it myself. Um,

so I'm going to make a motion to strike the 2526 revised budget column on pages 5 through 136 of the superintendent's budget book. Replace it with the 2526

current estimated column and update it with all associated dollars as of 12726. >> Is there a second? >> Is there a second? >> Mr. Krosnoff. Now, if you'd like to speak to your

motion. >> Uh, yeah, I can just add it one more time. >> Yeah. Can I read it one more time? It's been across. Okay. To strike the 2526 revised budget column on pages 5 through 136 of the superintendent's budget book, replace it with the 2526 current

estimated column and update with all associated dollars as of 12726. And I will give my rationale. I spoke to this in the finance committee meeting. Um there were some indications that there would be changes made to the B budget book from our former CFO. I at the time

raised my immense concerns that any changes like that would not only be offputting to this board but to our other town bodies. And at that time I had made a recommendation that if that was to happen, I would recommend including two lines on that um so that we at least could see the historical end

moving forward. Um that recommendation was obviously um not heard. So I felt um the need to bring this before us. I think it's for myself personally um the current um budget line that does not reflect where we are as of the quarterly

none of the quarterly reports I think is just a huge change practice and I feel very uncomfortable um moving forward to the other town bodies so that's why I'm making this motion um and um yeah >> other board members Mr. Kasnoff.

>> Um, yeah. I also just don't understand having the two budgets that look identical next to each other. So, I'm in support of at least striking out the revised budget line because it's not revised. It's the actual budget. There's no difference in the numbers.

>> Other board members, Mr. Asa, >> um, to Mr. our to our finance professionals here, both of you. Um, this was a change. I know Mrs. Flynn talked about um airing concerns to a

employee that's no longer here. Um, so I don't fault you in in the least about it. Um, and I'm curious because ultimately I think the spirit of this is um transparency and ease of presentation to the other town bodies and what

they're used to. um this town and most of the bodies including this one seem very averse to change a lot of times. Um sometimes change is good, sometimes change is hard and it's needed. Um I guess my question to you is um if this

motion were to fail, um do you feel comfortable having this line in here and sitting before the other town bodies and and getting questioned about it and and answering those questions as as to the change? Do you feel it was necessary or

did you do it just because it was something that happened somewhere else and and you thought it was needed? So, we've already um made some changes related to that revised budget column to try to get it more up to date because that was one of the things that we that

we heard about um sitting before the town bodies as it is. I wouldn't be I wouldn't be too concerned with it as it is. number one because um and like I said, we've already started working on making the changes, but as far as the

other town bodies um are concerned um when we looked at we went back pretty far into the future about 10 years and between the categories the numbers would change but the total budget always remained the same. So it it never included any projections of a surplus or

anything like that. So the categories would change but not the total bottom line number. And it's >> so that being said, do you do you feel that it's even needed in there? >> I mean, would would simply just removing it suffice? I mean,

>> cuz I I could see that. I I'm And then to your point that you've already started making changes. I mean, is that something that you were going to do when you print the book? and maybe you can give us a heads up on on that so we're aware because we will be the ones you know going to support um in in front of

the other town bodies. So I mean it's it's a valid point. I'm not sure I I'm not sure I understand if if we even need it in there. So I I I would say I personally wouldn't be opposed to removing it because the other town the

town budget doesn't include a modified or estimated column. It just has prior year actuals and last year's approved budget and the proposed budget. >> So, and what about the second portion of the motion where they're asking to add in what what was in there in in the past

books? Your feelings on that? >> Like I said, for me, um I I I believe that we have quarterly reports and we have reporting to let people know where where we feel like we are and that already covers it. So I think it's um

you know to me it's a bit duplicative and I don't think it's absolutely uh necessary. >> Okay. So while I still have the floor I to Mrs. Flynn I mean I would probably support the removal of it. Um I don't necessarily if if they want to change and and leave

it out. I'm okay with that. >> Okay. Mrs. Flint. Um the only reason that I um added that second piece to the motion is because at least five times throughout our Q&A document and once on tonight's they reference the quarterly. So obviously they were using it in

answering our questions. So my concern was that we're referencing documents that our our board hasn't seen before we vote on this. So for me personally, I feel very uncomfortable voting on a book that doesn't have numbers that our staff like I just me personally like I said

they're using it. I I think >> Hold on. Are you referring to quarterly one or two? >> I It says estimates quarterly two there. It's several different ways in the Q&A. I'm happy to to point it out. So like we haven't seen the Q2. I requested it. I know Miss Jacobson has. We've never not

seen that in the past. >> Mrs. Flynn, I've already spoken about that. So I would appreciate you've we you've learned I've explained that. >> I think I have the floor and as a board member, this is now >> when it's coming across as a bit performative. I just wanted to point

that out to you. >> I've made the motion just to try and adopt the budget book in the way that I think it will most accurately reflect to the other town bodies. And I think that's important to have the current estimates so that every dollar can be utilized to possibly help students and the district. Thank you,

>> Mr. Kasnoff. So, I would have liked to see it in the book originally. So, I do want to be on record for that, but I am inclined at this point. It just to me just needs to be removed.

Um, I I wish it was there originally. It would have helped me maybe change some things, but to be honest, I think we would have ended up in the same place. Um, and to that point, I would I just think the to have two redundant lines is going to be more confusing than anything

else. So, I I also would would amend the amendment on my end to just remove that line of the 202526 revised budget line. >> So, are you making amend an amendment, Mr. Kranov? >> Yes, please. I'd like to make an amendment.

>> Okay. We Mr. Kranov has the floor. Mr. Kranov is making an amendment to the motion. We can we can vote on Miss Flynn's amendment and I really do valid her point. I mean I I appreciate her point because I also would have liked to see those numbers in here, but at this

point I personally would make an amendment to remove it. >> Are you making an amendment, Mr. Krasoff? >> I am making an amendment to remove it, but I believe we need to vote on her amendment. >> No, we don't. If you're making an amendment to the motion, >> I will make an amendment to her amendment to just remove it and not add

anything at this point. >> Miss, could you reread the motion, please? >> Sure. >> Revised budget column. >> Perfect.

>> Okay. So, stopping after book seconded by Mr. Asa. discussion on the amendment and the amendment only. Mrs. Jacobson, >> the reason why I will not be supporting this amendment is that there actually are adjustments in the 2526 column, just not in the staff salaries. So, the staff

has already made adjustments in that. So, you would be removing the transparency and the shred of it that we have. So, >> the shred, Mrs. Jacobson, >> yes, the shred of insight into the items that we have actuals on here. Yes. So I will not support that because there are

actually adjustments in the 2526 just not in the main categories that probably a lot of us were reading. So it would be removing some of the actual estimates that they have actually put in this column. So that is the reason why I will not support the amendment. It would be removing the work that actually has been

done there. >> Any other board members? Sophie, could you um repeat what you were saying in terms of when they are looking at the budget, whatever the budget presentations are from other town departments or what what are the columns that are customary for them to see from

others, not the board of ed? >> Sure. So, for other departments and and I appreciate everybody's idea of what is important is different. I completely respect that. Um I'm just saying the town budget book has three years of actuals. the uh last year's adopted

budget and the current year proposed budget. >> So they have not they the town in presenting for example to the board of finance well there is no column on there reflecting where are we currently in the current year budget book in the current year's budget. Is that correct?

>> That's correct. I'm just it has been a year since I've been there so I'm just looking at this year's but if nothing's changed then that would be correct. So let me just look real quick. Sorry. >> Okay. While you're look checking that Mr. Cosnoff. >> Um, if we go to the summary page on page four,

the two numbers are exactly identical. The only place I I now see what you're saying is on page 45. The part-time employment is about a $2,000 difference.

>> They are identical because we're not >> Hey, Mr. Jacobson. Mr. Koff still has the floor. So I just if there were changes to me they were man changes. Um and I I I personally rather just strike

it and go off the actual Q1 and Q2 reports as we get it. And that way as we present we have actual numbers and when they ask questions about what the projections are we can answer those questions properly versus trying to guess and put them in this book.

So, so, so yeah, and if we're just going, if we're looking at the town budget book, there's three years of actuals, last year's approved budget, and the current year proposed budget. >> Okay. Any other board comments?

Okay. Going out to the public on the amendment and the amendment only. Any public comment? No, it's the amendment to the motion. Okay. Uh, sorry. Out to the public. None.

Back to the board. Any final comments? Again, suggest that you're clear. This is an amendment to the motion. So, striking uh Mrs. Flynn's language after the word book. Period. Full stop. And the rest would be struck. Those in favor, please raise your hand.

Mrs. Bartonworper. Uh, uh, Mrs. Max and Canelli, Mr. Asa, Mrs. Raldi, Mr. Kranov. Those opposed, Mr. Lee, Mrs. Jacobson, Mrs. Flynn, and Miss O'Neal. Motion passes 54. Now before us, we have the motion uh

Mrs. Flynn, could you read it one more time, please? To strike the 2526 revised budget column on pages 5 through 136 of the superintendent's budget book. Okay. Any comments or questions on that from board

members? Okay. out to the public. Any comments on the uh motion before us? Okay, seeing none, back to the board. Those in favor?

M >> Oh, sorry. Oh, no. Let's pause. So, you're just voting on um the motion that I originally proposed, but with that second piece taken out. So, all you're voting on is to strike the 2526 revised budget column on pages 5 through 136 of

the superintendent's book. That's it. And thank you for asking. Don't let us rush you. Okay. Um Okay, everyone. Anybody else with any questions or comments? No. All those in favor? Mrs. Bonworper, Mr. Lee, Mrs. Max

Canelli, Mr. Asa, Mrs. Raldi, Mr. Kranov, Miss O'Neal. Those opposed? Mrs. Jacobson, Mrs. Flynn. Motion passes 72. Any other motions, comments, questions? Mr. Asa? Um yeah,

just um to clarify, page two of this handout um has the update um to page 75 um >> I'm not sure what you're looking at >> back of the event. >> We we talked about that. I think we may

have talked about it while you were off conferring. Are you talking about professional development? >> Okay. Okay. >> You already voted on it, Mr. Asa. >> Okay. Thank you. >> I wasn't daydreaming. I was actually trying. >> Yes, you are. Anyone

else? Okay. >> No. Can I can I just clarify? So, we're removing >> the revised budget column. Correct. Okay. >> Correct. Making our budget book similar

in appearance to the town's budget when presenting. >> Okay. So, not adding any more actuals for prior years, just removing the one column. >> That is correct. So, they had three years of actuals. We're not asking for that. >> Okay. Thank you. >> And I don't think this is an issue that

we're done with yet. Um I do think that will come up in finance in terms of because I agreed right off the bat with Mrs. Jacobson in terms of the estimated budget being valuable information. Um Mrs. Jacobson. >> Yeah. I just want to follow that too. It's also a statutory proposal to make

that a requirement to actually be in the budget book. So, what we just removed will probably have to come back if it passes. Well, I will say I think what we were removing was what specific to this budget book. I think that piece of information is something that is going to come up again. >> Mr. You set.

>> Well, no, but I was just making a comment that while it might be a statutory proposal, uh it there likelihood of them having us go back and make changes to our budget book if that passes. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Understood. I just Yeah. The way it

came off, it was like it sounded like Yeah. Apologize to be clear for the public it wouldn't be I doubt it would be retroactive. Thank you. >> I just have a question if it as a proposal what would how would they enforce that for like um a district like

Greenwich who starts their budget process in September. >> It's just based on your estimated. It's like what Fairfield has always done. >> No, I know. But when you're starting your process like Greenwich does in September, >> but they didn't vote on it in September.

>> Well, they're f much further along by the time they would have any solid numbers. >> Yeah. Q1 wouldn't even be closed. >> Oh, I don't know what to tell you about that, but at the end of the day, I think that there is um districts and sometimes that have a lot even less

information than what we have and that there is a call for transparency around how the dollars are being spended. up. Okay. So, at this time we are back to the main motion. Any question? Any other questions or comments from board members?

>> I know. Yeah, definitely. Um, out to the public, any questions on the I >> I know I haven't read that yet. >> Oh, I I was >> Do you want me to read it first, >> please? Sure. Okay. So, so the public knows before they comment

>> a decreased amount, >> right? >> So, no longer, >> right? But the percentage wasn't in the

original motion. Do you have a new number for us? >> Yes. So the total reductions are 980,33 and the new amount is 245,944,528.

>> 500 what? >> 528 >> 28. >> Oh, >> can you repeat one more time? >> Yes. The the new total is 245,944,528 which is now an increase of

5.53%. Okay. >> Yes. >> Okay. Okay. So, I'll reread the uh motion as amended that the board of

education approve an operating budget for the 2026 2027 fiscal year in the amount of 245,944,528 as presented to be forwarded to the town of Fairfield. That is the motion as

amended. Any final comments? 5.5 p.m. Out to the public. Any public comment back to the board. All those in favor of

the motion as amended, please raise your hand. Mrs. Barnumorper, Mr. Lee, Mrs. Max and Canelli, Mr. Asa, Mrs. Raldi, Mr. Kranob, Miss O'Neal. Those opposed, Mrs. Jacobson, Mrs. Flynn. Motion passes 72. Thank you so much board members for

all of your incredible work on this and thoughtfulness and thank you to staff for being exceptionally responsive. Um very much appreciate the time. Okay, moving on uh in old business to agenda

item 7B, approval of policy 5114, student discipline. Recommended motion that the board of education approve policy 5114, student discipline. Moved by Mr. Asa, seconded by Mrs. Jacobson.

So, as a reminder to board members, this was a policy very much handed to us by um our attorney for a significant revamping, which is why the language was all in red. Are there I did not receive any questions about this policy. Any

from the board? Seeing none, out to the public. Any qu uh any comments on policy 5114?

No. Back to the board. Um all those in favor? It is unanimous. Thank you. Moving on to item 7 C, approval. Approval of policy 6151, class size.

Recommended motion that the board of education approve policy 6151 class size. moved by Mr. Asa, seconded by Miss Raldi, and I'll open with a few comments on it. As you'll see, we um in policy, so this

is enclosure number four. Uh in policy, we looked at the language that uh the board had been uncomfortable with and I believe and recommended that this come forward as a voting item. Um I don't believe that this is of a significant enough nature that it needed to be

another first read. We hope that this improves the language and reflects the comments that you uh brought forward. Um again, we did not as a policy committee uh cons reconsider the entire policy as we uh were cognizant of the original

board intention which was to give this a year. um at which point as I have promised many as both policy and as board chair that this policy will be looked at again with our newest data um and reconsidered and have a discussion about but right now we have a situation

before us and so uh the policy committee is asking for your support of this policy. Any questions? Mrs. Flynn? >> Um I just want to speak to this policy a little bit. Um, this is one that, um, I

have a very hard time not making an amendment to. I know at this point I don't think it would be supported. And I want to give my other colleagues the opportunity um to give this policy a year and

examine it and look at it. and my ask um of this board. Um I made it very clear last week that I didn't want to make changes like this in the middle of a budget, but I will what I will happily do is make changes to this as a policy. I'm not on our policy committee, but I'm

committed to being a part of any process. I truly believe that our K through2 class sizes are outside of the norm of our community and um in certain areas are a real hindrance. Um, I very rarely speak to my own experience in our

public schools while I'm up at this table. Um, not only for myself, but only also the privacy of my family. But, um, my own family has been hit by this, not only expanding a classroom, but reducing it within the first two weeks of school. And as one parent shared, I also have twins. So, I had the lived experience of

kind of seeing this year to year. Um, and an older student who also um, never had a class size smaller than 23 or 25. So um I say with a heavy heart that um at this time I really want to respect my other board members and do the work. I've also spoken to Mr. Tistani about um

additional paraprofessional support and how we can continue to look at this problem. I think that um one thing that I've learned in my research over the past I would say six years is that I don't know that there is a silver bullet for this. I think most of the research that we're using is very outdated and

I've gotten a lot of questions um is this a I think this is a multifaceted issue and I'm really really interested in taking a look at it from an educational perspective. So that's what I'm kind of charging this board to do with is not saying, you know, it's this too much for the budget or this too much

for the classroom and and all those things are important and believe me right now I I I very much respect people's um uh adherence to that, but I also want to take the opportunity like I said I I was going to take a hack at this if it came before me. So, I'm not making amendment, but I'm just going to

make a request to all of us that we examine this at the one-year mark and really listen to our community and hearken to the issues that we're hearing. Thank you. >> And uh just to hold on one second, Miss Barber, but I do want to follow up because Mrs. Flynn, you did meet with Mr. Tastani, and I I think you should take this opportunity to um give a

summary of that conversation. >> I did. I reached out to Mr. Chastani um last week um first of all from my own personal experiences in several meetings including PTA council and brown bag where it became very apparent that this is a continuing issue especially for certain buildings um uh and Mr. Tistani

um discussed through several options for paraprofessional support for our our kindergarten classrooms um that would come out of this budget process. I look forward to kind of hearing more about the details of that. They weren't fully flushed out when we met, but he was committed to um bringing more paraprofessional support at the time that we talked. I didn't feel

comfortable in making an amendment because we weren't quite sure where it was going to land in terms of people and wages and bodies. I also want to be cognizant that all of our buildings look really different and we've heard a lot that what need is really how are we going to mo most hit this problem and

really um help as many children as possible. So, Mr. Sistani, if you want to speak to how >> Sure. So we are doing a complete inventory of all the support that we have at our elementary schools across the district. Uh I am committed to um increasing significantly um and

reallocating as we talked about um paraprofessional support to kindergarten. However, um that will not then move up with first grade. So I think that we need to be clear if we're going to look at this um from a kindergarten perspective. I think we can

address that um very easily and and that's what we'll do for next school year. Um possibly even for the remainder of this school year um as we finalize just a few more um pieces of information

to put together the the puzzle fully together. However, um I just don't want to promise anyone that this will move up with first grade. Um, we are committed to to kindergarten at this time and and that's where it will stop.

>> Okay. Thank you, Mrs. Jacobson. >> So, sorry, I'm just a little confused because we just voted on a budget. Um, and knowing we have 33 kindergarten sections next year, there wouldn't be enough paras to reallocate to the 33 sections

unless you're going to be pulling all of the library paras and additional building level support in order to fulfill those. So, is this something that while you work on this might be come back to us in like May, June if we need to like do some shuffling around when we do the final adop adoption of

the budget cuz there isn't enough. >> Um well, we're looking at projections. Um kindergarten enrollment is registration is open. So, um we'll see where that lands, but I do think that we can reallocate pair of professionals

from other areas that will be better served in our kindergartens. >> Okay. >> Yeah. And again, if there is any increase to the budget, um I think it'll be very minimal, um if any, and if I have to come back here, I will. But I do

not anticipate that just given some of the information that we've gathered thus far. >> Okay. All right. Thank you. I look forward to hearing that. And I would encourage you to bring something back to us in May and June so that we're not waiting for another year, to be quite honest with you, to do something here. Um I I am kind of disappointed that we

didn't have a motion to discuss tonight. um on the budget sheet, I would have supported it. Um and and I appreciate the having more conversation, but we did that for 6 months already. So, um I think at this point, this board just needs to vote on a lower class size at some point and and figure out how we're

going to do that because um our classrooms in kindergarten and K2 are way below above our peers and these are not the same demographics in Fairfield that they were 10 years ago or 20 years ago. So, um I don't I think at some point we just need to vote on it and get it done.

Mrs. Barton Warper. >> Um, as a member of the policy committee, I just wanted to um well, thank Miss Mrs. Flynn and Mrs. Jacobson for their comments and say that I think that I do support waiting the year. Um, I know I am a new member to the committee and I

believe this is a policy that we really need to take a close look at. I know one member of the public had the made the really good point if we looked at test scores in our higher um like larger class sizes kindergarten versus our lower. And I thought that was just a

really great point and I think that we do need to do a little bit more research to see how we can help these students and um come to you know some consensus here on the class size. I do think we're up against a lot of challenges specifically with capacity. That really

worries me and um I think we're going to need some creative solutions. So, um just saying I'm open to all creative solutions. If anybody has them, please do bring them to policy and um I really do look forward to revisiting this policy and hopefully making some meaningful changes in the future. Thank

you. >> Thank you. Uh Mrs. O'Neal. >> Hi. I really just wanted to echo what Mrs. Barton Werper just said and thank Mrs. Flynn for the work she's done on this so far. I am also a new member of the policy committee and I mentioned

some of this last week I believe but when I was looking at this policy I was really looking at the specific change we are making in this one specific situation and not class size in general and I agree with everything that has been said. I think it's important to

wait the year, but I also think we need to make a commitment to come back to this um with some specific data and and looking at our capacity that is also an obvious challenge. Um and back to what

Mrs. Jacobson was saying and the idea of Paris support. I am hopeful that that is something we can look at in May or June um because I think it would be very very beneficial even knowing that the paras would just be in kindergarten.

Supporting our youngest learners in their very first year of public school is so important and can have a huge benefit for years to come. So I would definitely be supportive of that. Thank you, Mr. Krosnoff.

>> Thank you. Um, so I didn't support this originally. Um, I am going to support it now just because of the language change, but I did want to mention again that I I do plan to bring back uh hopefully before the end of the year um those

triggers to prevent classes from going over. I do think uh especially the younger kids when they go over, it's it's not a good situation. Um, so I am going to support this, but I I want to be on record that we do plan to

bring this back before the end of the year. Thank you. >> Okay. Uh, Mrs. Flynn, I'm just going to said this to Mr. Tani when we met, but I also would welcome any Well, the idea of it being budget neutral, I appreciate as

a member of this board. I would also welcome that adjustment in May or June if you find out that it does come at some cost. I think many in the community would happily and I would happily go through this budget and find the offsets to find those supports. Um I also think we've heard from the public quite a few times that a lot of these issues are

shifting and changing and I think K to2 I don't think this this the concern stops for me in first or second grade either. So like I said I think there's going to be a continuing issue. So thank you all for this. Any other questions about the proposed

language changes? Seeing none, um, out to the public, if you have not already spoken to this policy, if you'd like to come up and address the board. >> Greg Bosch, 470 Jackman. I apologize

you're hearing from me so much tonight. This is what I came for. It's important that we start in the right place when discussing this policy. This board's class-siz policy allows for K2 classes larger than many neighboring

districts and some of our DUI B peers. In addition, when we go over CAP, everyone agrees something is wrong, which is why the policy has grown into a two-page instruction manual, what to do and when to do it.

Now, this isn't about one classroom or one school. This is policy for the district. Riverfield is simply the latest example of a long running Fairfield problem. We set caps that are already too high. Many

classes start the year at or near the cap and when mid-year enrollment changes happen, this district is forced into reactive staffing decisions. The amendment being proposed tonight moves us in the wrong direction. It adds

even more prescriptive language and critically it would allow the district to teach intern excuse me treat interns and student teachers as a mechanism for compliance when a K2 class exceeds the cap.

Respectfully, that's not what this board intended in November of 2024 when it required stable support through certified teachers and full-time paraprofessionals. Staffing overenrolled classes is not

what student teachers and interns are for. They aren't employees. They aren't guaranteed to remain throughout the year, especially when their college semesters end early. And their placements should be driven by professional development and not used as

an enrollment backs stop. I also want to address some of the research cited suggesting that reducing K2 caps from 23 to 21 shouldn't be expected to help. I submitted an eight-page letter to the dis to the board of ed last night. I'm not

disputing the research that has been raised. I'm disputing the conclusions that are being drawn from it. Project STAR is a famous it sorry is famous because it found that smaller classes in earlier grades improve outcomes and that

extra adult approaches are not the same as sustained size reductions. In other sources shared with me, they're not designed to answer Fairfield's K2 question. They apply to high school and

they were just a survey of what other districts do. So here's what I'm asking you to do very quickly. reject the language that treats interns and student teachers as substitutes. There's no urgency here. We're not we're already out of compliance, but nobody's going to jail. There are no fines to pay. And for

me, achieving compliance is not more important than adopting a bad policy. Second, adopt a durable fix. set the K2 cap at 21 students as of the first day of school. So, we stop designing the system around midyear disruption.

When we go over cap size, just live with it because it's still better than our current caps. And then finally, clarify for all parents that if class sizes are exceeded during the year, we don't

rebalance or split or reorganize. we keep classrooms stable through June. That that is the grand compromise of 2026. I thank you for your time. I look forward to engaging you further when this comes back up. This has always been

um an important topic for me and I'd like to see Fairfield get it right. Thanks so much. >> Thank you. >> Any other members of the public? Okay. Uh back to the board. Um

um there's just one I guess a couple of points I'd like to raise. Um I do agree with the idea that we are looking for a durable fix. I couldn't agree more. Um however, we do have a matter of urgency right now. We have a

school that is out of compliance and I completely acknowledge that this is a band-aid to fix that. But I think it's an important band-aid that this board support because the alternative is we have a staff that is ignoring board

policy which is not a practice I encourage or would stand by. So completely agree that this is not something that necessarily we're going to keep in perpetuity. I have promised the board that this discussion is coming back. I have no intention of not

fulfilling that promise. Um, but I do believe we need a fix now to address something. And I just want to repeat one comment because we have it's been a month since almost a month since we've or it feels like a month, two weeks, three weeks since we've talked about this. Um, to me, one of the most

important things about this in policy is that this is what the classroom teacher has requested as the best means, her preferred means of addressing her large class size. um that rather than have three individuals in there where she's

having to instruct two of them, this is the model where she feels that she can best support her student learners. So that to me was very compelling. Um but any other comments? Seeing none, uh all those in favor of

Oh, hold on. Do I need to repeat it? No. All those in favor of the changes to the class size policy, please raise your hand. Mrs. Bartonworper, Mr. Lee, Mrs. Max and Canelli, Mr. Asa, Mrs. Raldi, Mr. Krosnov, Miss O'Neal. Uh, those opposed, Mrs. Jacobson, Mrs. Flynn. Uh,

motion passes 72. Thank you. Uh, next up, first we are on to agenda item 8B. Uh, and this is a first reading to delete policy 4146 4246, employee

accommodations, use of work workplace, facilities, property, and resources. So if you would look at enclosure 11 and if you would also look at enclosure 13

and within enclosure 13 um if you could turn to page B. So this um policy before you the one for deletion uh just a brief explanation. This is something coming from the audit.

It is one of our 2004 policies. It needed to be either readopted, amended, and in fact, we're looking to delete it, but we had been holding it for deletion until we were ready to move community use of facilities to the full board. And

so, if you see there on page B, that language in red, that was the idea that we wanted to be sure was captured uh before we deleted this policy. And so, I just wanted you to see those backtoback. But in fact, the discussion is only on

item 8b, the employee the deletion of employee accommodations. Are there any board questions? Feel like they're dropping like flies. No questions, Mr. Asa?

No, Mr. Asa. Anyone else? All right. Obviously, any questions? Um, if you could please let me know. Uh, next moving on to item 8 C. First reading to delete policy 6142.2 reading language and arts. Uh this is

enclosure number 12. And I will um ask Miss Goss to come up if there are any questions. I just will do my best to repeat. Well, good. She's coming up anyway. Um to repeat uh the conversation that we had uh in policy. This has now

come before this board just the once I'm once or twice or twice. Um, and so both times it uh failed to pass for deletion on a 4-4 vote. I brought it back to policy and

had Miss Goss explain uh to Mrs. Bartoner and Miss O'Neal um in terms of the nature of why staff was making this recommendation. I also apprised Miss Barton Whipper and Miss O'Neal of uh the objections of some board members to this

and I just let them then I stepped back and let Miss Goss explain it. Uh and so to that I'd like to turn it over to Miss Goss to once again explain why is staff recommending the deletion of this policy. >> Sure. Thank you. So, the policy from 2004 that you see before you actually

references 1999 um and is redlined and recommended for deletion because it's a small section of a much larger policy that was actually intended for priority school districts. We are not a priority school district. Priority school districts historically

have lower standardized test scores. They receive priority school district grants. they need much more oversight from the state department of Connecticut. Um, and they get much much more um in terms of financial resources

from the state of Connecticut because they need help to boost student achievement. Um, and so they are mandated in within this policy to do such things as create individual reading plans. They need to provide additional instruction. This is all what's written

into their policy. They have to um provide this additional instruction during school vacations on weekends during the summer um after school. They also have to retain students who are considered to be substantially deficient. And if they do not attend the summer school program that is offered to

them, they must retain them. So that is what is actually intended in this policy. And so it's it's a policy that is seven uh paragraphs long. Fairfield back in 2004 took out um one paragraph out of the seven and that's what we sort

of have before us and then I guess Fairfield put in some other um information and so it just doesn't it's not really actionable doesn't really tell me to do anything. Um what we're doing is we are aligning ourselves with more recent current body of scientific

research which is much more robust and actionable such as the 2021 right to read legislation as well as the American Rescue Plan Act otherwise known as ARPA which mandates us to implement approved reading resources mandates us to

universally screen students using approved reading assessments. mandates us to establish school-based literacy leadership teams, which we have done at the elementary level, as well as execute a district literacy plan. So, um, again, for those reasons, we are recommending

that we delete this policy. >> And just as a reminder, Miss Goss, you just said it, but this is not something that you needed policy to tell you to do. This is you're mandated to do this by the state. >> Of course. Yes. And this this is a non-mandated policy. However, right to

read legislation is mandated as is the ARPA um funds because we did take those funds and I am required we are required as a district to follow those mandates. >> Mr. Kasoff, >> so I appreciate you bringing this before

us. Again, I I still have the same concerns. I I read it more in terms of art intervention. And I know it doesn't specifically say that, but that's how I interpret this particular policy and getting rid of it. I'm not saying you would get rid of arteria intervention,

but it gives someone a leash to get rid of it and I don't want that to happen. So, I still will not support this policy change. >> Any other comments? >> Okay. Um the one thing I will ask um I'm

going to request of board members that if you I'm I do not want to take this back to policy. What I'm asking and I also would ask that you not have us maintain a 2004 policy which is in every way almost a foul of the law and is not

consistent with the law. It is not consistent with uh board of ed practice here in Fairfield. What I'm going to ask is that either we approve the deletion or my fellow board members bring forward amended language. That is my request. Um, and if you have amended language

that you would like policy to consider, please don't just send me policies, send me what you would like and I'd be happy to put it on our agenda for reconsideration. Um, but otherwise, I am asking for amended language. Mrs. Jacobson, >> I did do that the last time this was

before us and it was to just get rid of all of the items about the 1999 and to simply leave the opening paragraph. So, the policy committee was given amended language on this policy prior >> and the policy committee chose not to act on that amendment. So, if you at

this point if you are looking to have that be the amendment for consideration by the full board then please bring that forward for the next regular meeting. And to uh for Mrs. Flynn, if you could please make sure to have it in the packet or at least typed up for Mrs. Flynn so that she has that ready.

The pol in in policy. I just want to be clear. Those of you who spoke to me or spoke at that full board meeting about your reservations of this, I tried to represent those concerns, including the language, the um I'll use the word aspirational language of the opening

paragraph to the policy committee. The policy committee chose not to adopt that language and chose to go with the staff recommendation of the deletion. So I apologize that I didn't explain that more clearly. Mrs. Flynn, >> so any board members who want an alternative language for policy 6142.2

should bring it or submit it to us for the vote. >> Correct. >> That is my suggestion. If now what Mr. Kranov is talking about completely different language. That would be fine to if you can get that to policy in time. You're not beholden to. You can

just have it ready for the next regular meeting when we have this as a voting item. I hope I explained that better. Mrs. Bartoner. >> Um, and just to clarify, we did go over just using the first paragraph, and I believe the concern was that it really wasn't instructing or providing like an

action item for staff. So, we weren't exactly sure if that was enough to be a full policy. So, I don't know if there's like an way we can make it a little bit more actionable, but I think that was kind of what we were looking for. Thank you. >> Okay. Uh, Mr. Kasoff, >> and to that point, I'm by no means a

policy expert here. Um, I I would just love to see something that protects the tier intervention some way in some policy. Uh, it doesn't need to be this exact policy. Um, but I think it's important to have that. Um, I really

think there's a lot of value there and again I don't think you and your team would ever get rid of it, but a policy is a policy and lives there and it may outlive all of us sitting here. Um, and I just I want to make sure that that really good core instruction and help is

there and in a policy of some sort. Um, which I believe this was referencing at one point. Um, so maybe other people want to help me write that policy, but I'm I'm throwing it out there. I'm by no means the expert on the policy writing. Um, and I don't even

know exactly where to start about the tier intervention piece of that policy. Thank you. It >> for what it's worth, often times what people do when they're looking for it is that they look at other districts for starting points. That might be there's we are never in the business of reinventing the wheel unless we're

talking about the grading policy that but even that we looked at other districts. So, um, that would be definitely a starting point, Mr. Krosnoff. Okay. All right. Moving on to agenda item 8D, uh, first reading of policy 3515,

community use of school facilities and closure 13. Whoa. This was I'm I honestly lost count of how many times this appeared on our agenda. Um, this is actually one where I definitely

have a retroactive thank you to Mrs. Gernzie for all of her work and asking the board to look at this one and um, reconsidering the language and questioning over and over, but how is this of use to the public? How is this transparent to the public? What can the

public expect? The consistency within the policy and the regs. Um, very valuable process. We think we got it right. Um but so this is coming before you for a first read. Any initial

questions, Mr. Asa? >> Yes, thank you for this. I know I was involved with this when I was on policy. Um I appreciate you guys bringing this out and I I do still appreciate the fact that um a lot of this will will live in the regs. Um, I do notice on page B, um,

the employees may not use facilities for profitmaking enterprises without prior written approval to central office administration. I know this was added and it was talked about at length. Um, I would just say that I hope that staff um that provide our students after school

opportunities at the various buildings are allowed to continue doing that. I think that's a perk. Um, I think it's an attraction point for teachers to do. Um, they're not getting rich off of this. Um, but it's it's also um yeah, they're making money because it's their time,

but um they're offering many of the kids, including some of our kids that sit at this table, um an opportunity to stay at school an hour longer and and get some kind of enriching experience. My question to the wording here is um prior written approval from the central

office administration. The only thing that I would say is um that um and I don't know if this lives in the regs or I submit some kind of amendment to this, but I think it should be clear who they go to

um and and whether that be starting with the executive director of operations um or his or her staff members. Um, but there should be a a way that they know,

okay, if I want to do this, this is who I start with and so that that process is efficient and quick. Um, that would be my suggestion on that. Um, and I'm open to helping you guys with that if that's something, but I would

just need to know who that was to make an amendment. Um, and then I appreciate the red wording and C. Um, this is something that we've talked about and and as you mentioned, Miss Gernzie said that uh this is something that is now

outlined in the policy proposal. Um, and it does specifically say um who to reach out to. So, I appreciate that verbiage. >> And just just as a followup to that, Mr. Asa, that sentence came verbatim from the policy we're recommending for deletion. Um, I certainly think it could

be appropriate to switch that to the superintendent or his or her designate, which is very common policy language. We simply took this, >> yeah, >> verbatim out, but >> and I'm happy to make that amendment if if you don't want to bring it back. Um, but that would be again that that's a relatively easy fix, I think.

>> Yes. Um and the other point I would make regarding the use I don't think there was any discussion in policy about stopping the kinds of thing what we're talking about especially would be for example uh teachers offering paid tutoring in school buildings >> after school. That's the

>> and that's not small change. >> No. >> So that that was more that what we were interested in. Um and anything else that would be up to the superintendent's discretion, but we're definitely not talking about the offering guitar with Mr. Foster after school kind of thing. And thank you for specifying when the

report to the finance committee would be expected. That's helpful. >> Okay, Mr. Kasnoff. >> Um, so just for clarity, this is just written approval once. Let's say someone wanted to do driver's ed and ask they just send you the for the approval or

every single time they want to have a class, they need the approval. No, I think it may need to be clear. Yeah, it's probably just something that you would have to do annually just so that we have an an we have the knowledge that somebody is offering X in X school.

That's that's all it is. So if asked by a board member, for example, are you aware of this or someone that we we just have a knowledge that that's going on. We're we're not here to prohibit anyone, nor do I would want to police that. But

if you're going to do a driver's ed course, right, and you get approval, you you can do three sessions, four sessions a year, then following example. >> Well, I'm just >> I'm just he used the example. I'm just >> If you're offering a after school arts

and crafts um on Tuesdays at Holland Hill, just so that we we're clear you're offering it. God forbid that that something happens and we're we don't know somebody's in the building doing it or somebody's looking for a child. We

know that they're there. They're in this room at at this time. That's that's all we're looking for. >> So to that point, it may make sense to put that it an annual renewal or an annual written something to the >> I apologize. Mr. Kresoff, can you place me on the page?

>> Um still on that same page on B with the red line. >> Yep. Um my question or slash comment was more about the process and how often the written approval would be needed and

superintendent Tani suggested it would be an annual thing. So it may just make sense to have that in. >> Um >> Mr. Kranov when I submit my recommendated language would you like me to include that? >> If you could I just think it any clarity. >> Yeah I'm happy I'm happy to include that

in what I email. >> Thank you Mr. Hazer. Okay. Uh, Mrs. Flynn. >> Uh, thank you very much. Um, I can't remember when we went over this in uh, finance committee, but um, that was the resounding kind of agreement that that was the best place for it to go as an annual report. So, I agree with Mr. Asa. The only piece that's missing here, and

I I wonder if it got just lost a little bit or that the words Friday packet don't appear in our policies, but one resounding piece of that was that the annual report would be shared and presented to the finance committee, but that report would be shared with the entire board in the Friday packet. Now,

theoretically, anything that's discussed at finance committee should be posted, but I don't know how you annotate that in a policy. I think it's we I don't know that we can, but I just wanted to kind of say it out loud that that was also discussed. So, that I I know Mr. Kranov had had um concerns in regards to

audits, which I had said those are posted in a Friday packet. So, I I kind of had my argument prepared for you, but you didn't come for me. So, >> okay. Uh Mr. Asa. >> Yeah. And I just I I remember us discussing this when I was on policy. Um and uh and I think um it was kind of

assumed that if correct me if I'm wrong, Mrs. Max and Canelli, but that that would be posted with the agenda for finance committee and it would be a public document. So any board member could easily get it. Um and at that time if if they wanted to include it in the Friday packet, they could, but it would

easily be accessible to anybody. >> That was kind of my point of just saying, Mr. Peterson and I I don't remember um if Mr. Raldi was on the committee yet but was pretty explicit that the full board should see it that it shouldn't be just confined and we were like well it's a public exactly your point. Thank you.

>> And also keep in mind that as part of our committee and leazison reports that should be something that the finance committee chair can reference that you know this report was discussed and anybody can access it. Mrs. Jacobson >> um and I'll just stick on that same paragraph um on the fall report. I was

just curious why you picked the finance committee because there's nothing in here about money. Should because I'm going to probably bring it. Shouldn't the finance committee be reviewing who utilized the groups and what the finances around um any of the special deals that are on the

net, you know, that kind of a thing? Shouldn't it be related to money if it's going to the finance committee? >> Well, I think the idea was that spec specifically with regard to the chart that's in the regs in terms of the payment by category and that they were reviewing that. So it seemed the place for it to go which actually

>> so their final report should be a financial report as well. >> I don't think we specif I think we we I you're right. I think it was assumed that finance committee that this fall report was a financial report finance

report. Yeah. Okay. I can do an amendment >> and and by the way I'm now realizing um we had a policy meeting for February 2nd for which um we end we didn't have enough agenda items so I canceled it. So in fact the next uh policy meeting is not until the end of February. So in

fact all any sorry Mr. Kranov um any changes to this to reading to any of the policies that we're doing as a first read right now um will need to be done by amendment please submit them in advance um to Mrs. actually to Mrs. Brown who would put them in the packet

um so that we can all see them ahead of time. >> Thank you. Can I keep going? Can I keep going? Yeah, sure. >> Sure. So on C um um I I think I understand what you're trying to do here. Um although when we just for our newer board members when we started looking at this I don't know six or seven eight times ago in 2023 there was

a secret special list so to speak that existed and the reason why we brought up this policy was so that we didn't have a secret specialist of people who weren't paying what they were supposed to be paying or paying at all. I kind of feel like and I'm just reading the plain language on the language. Okay, I understand that we're trying to be

sensitive to those with hardships here, but it doesn't say that in the sense that it also could be going back to kind of a secret specialist. So, um, the language about explaining why they feel the fees will impact their program, that's kind of the language I'm probably going to look for a little bit more

specificity around because any entity would be like, well, if I have to pay any fees is going to possibly impact drug programs. Do you know what I'm saying? So, um I'm a little concerned on the openness of this and will probably being something to be a little bit more specific. Um I don't know how a decision

to offer a reduced rate will be considered based on their feelings. Is that what was is that what's happening here? >> This I to say that we wrestled. Well, you know, you were there when the wrestling probably began. >> I don't know if that's maybe attacks or

something. So it was >> well first to actually even put the language in the policy was something that only happened right at the end. At first it had just been in the regs and we thought no we want to be transparent to the public that if there is a genuine hardship that there to stop because

>> it is absolutely supposed to be about hardship because Mrs. Jacobson is correct. There was a secret list that >> it it was astounding um what was going on. maybe more about the hardship as demonstrated by something maybe.

>> I look forward to your amendment, Mr. Jacobson. >> Okay. >> But yes, that was the intention. >> Okay. Thank you, >> Mr. Asa. >> Yeah. And to that point, I think an example, Mrs. Jacobson is an organization um like a nonprofit that um

wants to use the building every week or twice a week and they don't want or don't feel that they would be able to fairly pass on those fees in full to the thing. So I don't I don't I want to be careful and cautious us about using the

word every time hardship. Um, but it, you know, there are and and again, this would no longer, you know, be be secret because we would know who's using the the facilities and that would be part of that fall report. Um, and we wouldn't

necessarily be publishing their rates, but I I agree with you. Um, so I would I would be curious to see what kind of language you could bring. Um, I don't want to keep this going, but I I just I want to say I agree. Yeah. But I just, you know, um I think I think there's some situations um that that warrant it.

>> Sorry. Can you What's a resident organization? >> Um yeah, I think Yeah, like men's basketball leagues. >> Oh, okay. All right. I'll work on something. I I just I'm not sure, you

know, feelings and stuff, Mr. Asa is where it should be. that we maybe a little bit something else. But >> I can't tell you how happy I am that we don't have policy meeting next week. I again we need some fresh brains looking at this. So I look forward to what everybody brings forward. Um because the

one thing I am hearing is I think we're all on the same page with what we're looking for. So getting improved language all four. Mrs. Flynn. >> So these edits are going to the policy committee. The other edits are coming to the full board. Oh, they're all coming. >> All of these are going to be on the

second week of February as um voting items. Yep. >> Maybe I should have hesitated on cancing the meeting, but Dr. Parish, too late now, right? Yeah. Okay. All right. Nothing else on community use of facilities. All right. I've managed to

lose my agenda. Okay. Uh, next up, uh, is first reading of policy 5118, resident non-resident school attendance in the Fairfield Public Schools, which is enclosure number 14. Um, hold on. If you turn to

page D, um, you can see the language there. Um, the date adjustment was to make it more reflective of the timeline that staff needs um, to make this work. and

we're looking to come down from 25 to 20. And we now have the situation of uh multiple children from the same family and looking to uh give some discretion to the superintendent, excuse me, on the charges for that. Any questions on this

policy, Mr. Asa? >> Um yes, really quick. Um no, no issues with it. I'm assuming you guys discussed the 25 to 20. I mean, are we was that stemmed from I mean, maybe I do have a problem with it. Um, did that curious

did that stem from situations where where this was creating a hardship for um using that word again? >> I think part of the reason is because it's based on a percentage of the per pupil expenditure. As our per pupil expenditure is rising, it was becoming >> wellre so are costs and everything. So

my I guess my question is why why are we deciding to pass on less of the cost to somebody that doesn't live in the town? I love the idea of this policy. I've always supported it, but I'm not sure I understand the rationale here. >> Well, there is no additional cost to us, so to speak. So it's for middle and high

schoolers. Um we don't trigger any sections. We don't incur any new teachers or staff members. If it is a student who requires any special services, those are paid in addition. So, um, if David lived in Monroe, for

example, and was a teacher at Lello and wanted to send his child, uh, starting in sixth grade, there would be he would just he or she would just join a class and it wouldn't incur any additional

cost to the district. >> Okay. Um, and with regard to the payment, um, why why would we I guess it's not a huge amount of money, but you know,

we we all know what teachers make. Um, would would breaking it from quarterly to annual be difficult? And and what's the reasoning behind that? We just give them an option >> really >> because it it it it says um and paid via

payroll deductions. Well, if it's an annual thing, it's not deductions. It's once. So, I just I'm just curious would would this make it more diff I mean I I want to if we're going to do this and we're saying it's not costing us anything, I want to make it as easy as possible if

the person's approved to do this. So would paying all of that money um you know quarterly via payroll like I I just Yeah. >> So so I can say say the intent with that language is it it says build build build

annually. So the thinking was is you're going to get a bill but it's not reflective of the number of payments. It's like to me it was like if you get you know you get your car insurance bill you have the the bill for six months but you you could elect to pay over you know over each month. Then again, I think we

need to specify in that that's a simple edit. Um, but I I think we do need to specify that that is over a certain number of payroll periods. >> That that I'm that I would be cool with because that means that they can pay throughout the year, which is even better than quarterly. >> So, we did include it um in the in the

regs and I could pass out a copy. I did include what pay periods it would cover and I can hand out a copy copy of that as well. >> Okay. So, does it make sense to the policy chair to just simply add as stated in the regs at the end of that sentence? >> Fine by me.

>> Okay, I'll submit that. >> And Mr. AC, just to the other reason why we lowered it, um it goes by the per pupil and there are um costs that are associated with the per pupil expenditure that are not afforded to the

child. So, transportation is not something that's afforded, but it's in the in the number. Um and you know we talked about this at length couple I don't know a couple of comm um policy committees ago and we did some

comparisons. I mean I wasn't opposed to it being free but yeah um again it's just it's an added benefit even at the the low number that we currently offer. Um, we only have four stu four kids and

two of them are in the same family. >> Okay. >> So, so it's not really something that's being taken advantage of by many families. I think a lot of it is by the time they get to middle school, they have friends and in their own um communities and they don't want to

uproot them to come. Thank you, >> Mrs. Jacobson. I specifically remember when we were working on the formula that um we took all of those things out that were not a part of um the NC so that it would not be we specifically took that

out so that shouldn't be out. Um I have a problem with this because we just um are passing a budget that is making our our three and four-year-old parents increase their tuition rates by 6%. and we're taking a 5.5 and a half or

whatever it was percent um budget out to the town boards. Um and we already are offering a 75% discount. So I don't really sure what going to 80% is. So it's just a kind of a philosophy thing. But also in your um backup the NC

that you were utilizing it sounded like I and I hope it was wrong that you weren't using 2425 for 2627. Uh I don't recall looking at the regs on this. So Okay. Um >> so you're not using So maybe I can go through the um chair to to uh finance,

but we're not using a 2425 NC for 2627 tuition rate because it's 20 because the policy says current. So it would be 2627 I mean 2526. >> Yeah. So we use the 2526 special ed um

basic contribution which is in the in the reggg it's uh >> column 4 on the table that we provided. >> So it was it's not the 24,000 >> it's 24944 is the amount that we base >> um

yeah I um I'm going to think I understand what you're trying to do. Um, I understand it's a benefit, but uh we have a lot of residents who are not seeing the same benefit. So, thank you. >> Okay. Thank you. Any other questions or

comments? Okay. Um, uh, sorry, Mr. Kasnoff. >> We just want to say I kind of look at it differently. um it's an added benefit to our staff and our teachers that um can benefit by their kids getting a

good education in the town of Fairfield. So, I actually really do like the change. >> Okay, thank you. Um next we have first reading of policy 6144, controversial issues. Um taking a look at enclosure 15

once again. So, this is one that has come um to the board and certainly was wrestled with in policy a number of meetings. Um I did my best to represent to uh the two new policy committee members the nature of the discussion

when we had it before. Unfortunately, the one thing that definitely came out of that discussion was no clear direction in terms of how we were we were completely amendable to trying to take into account board feedback on this. Um, but there was this was

definitely one where we got a few sample policies sent to us but without delineated what was recommended. Um there was a lot in here that we thought in when we discussed the uh numbers on page letter B um that we thought were helpful both to leadership and to our

staff. So ultimately we couldn't arrive at any changes to make. So yes, you are seeing the same policy uh that would came before us before. And so with that, I'll open it to questions. Mrs. Flynn.

>> Um thank you for this and please uh refresh my memory. Um in policy committing when this was discussed and even at this table um was there any discussion of the guidelines going into the rags? >> So the initial drafts of this policy

were Mr. Asa were you there for that? I think it was uh six, seven pages long with broken out by stakeholder, student, parent, staff. And we were very emphatic that those be sent to the degree that staff wanted to the regs, but that we

thought that these guidelines here for parents to see that this was useful and for and for staff to see uh in terms of guidance and in terms of protection. Um and so these we thought were appropriate for policy but

>> um can I ask one more followup? >> Of course. >> And um was there any subsequent follow-up with staff in terms of this? I guess it didn't really change much but any >> Well, staff was about as helpful as the board >> and by that I mean not I mean it it's

Mr. Testani said point blank we could get rid is not a mandated policy. We could get rid of it all together. um we could stick with the original language that was in black. This language was what was brought forward to us by staff as from CABE. Um as CAB there, they were

the ones who recommended that we update this language and so this is their CA well for the most part CE language. We did make some edits. Um so again, staff was as all over the place as the board was. Um, so I don't think this is a policy and that anyone's looking to die

on the hill of this policy, but we thought that this was pretty good and provided some guidance. And so that's kind of where we were. Mrs. Jacobson. >> Um, yeah. So, number one, for the newer board members too, and in case others forget, I would encourage you to look at

other districts um around this because it has some language that is almost the exact opposite of Fairfield's draft here. Um the one that I always had an issue with was about that guest speak guest speaker piece and then putting it upon our teachers like that they're going to have to go and um receive

information on the opposing viewpoints and I I always think of something around in the health area like a speaker comes in and talks about um vaping or opioid misuse or something like that and to come back be like but I want you to know there's another side that that's good for you like do you know what I'm

saying? So, I think that it has to be um couched around facts and science or whatever it may be. And I don't think that we should be saying that every time there's a guest speaker that comes in or teacher should present an alternative view. What if it's a Holocaust speaker?

And they're like, well, I just want you to know there's I don't know like there's so many examples I could think of. >> What was very helpful for Dr. Zavajik to keep reminding us because we went through a lot of those scenarios as well is that to remember the title of the policy and the definition of

controversial and that because >> anything except based on the definition if it is in our curriculum as a topic to be covered if it is backed by science fair it is not going to be the fair

position of Fairfield public schools to label it controversial in which case so if someone is up as a public speaker saying vaping is bad for you. It is not going to be the position of Fairfield Public Schools to present an alternative point of view. >> We're not going to be presenting the alternative point of view of Holocaust deniers as example. So, I can't I I very

much appreciate your point because we wrestled with that quite a bit and again, Dr. Zavajanzic was so helpful to keep reminding us those would be issues that the policy would not apply to. So, Dr. uh Mr. Lee, sorry. >> No problem. So, just to clarify

something, and I think you brought up briefly, if a teacher wants to bring in a Holocaust denier, is that not allowed or he has to show the other side of that? >> I think that there is that is not covered in the curriculum and therefore

I don't think the speaker would be allowed at all. But I'm kind of going out in a cliff here by saying that one. >> It is definitely not covered in the curriculum. it would not be allowed and we would have a huge issue if somebody brought in a speaker saying that it's okay to do drugs. Um I mean

>> now I I'm just saying that's you know not saying >> I understand that common sense isn't so common these days but I think we can be rest assured um I mean the FBA had representation in the room I think at

every meeting that this was discussed. Uh they actually chimed in a little bit. Mick chimed in. Uh Jen chimed in. So I think uh we landed in a pretty good space because I think Jen was there at the last meeting and had no comments regarding this

>> and she had plenty to say about science. So it was it was very helpful. She definitely is someone who's in the trenches on this one. Mr. Krasnoff. So, what my one big issue with controversial issues um is really when it pertains to current events, uh

especially current events we're having now. Um I can think of some that happened within the last week. I'm not going to go into specifics, but um we really start going down a slippery slope having people present both point of views or one point of view or another

point of view. Part of me almost feels it's the building principles and the superintendent to use their judgment on this versus writing a policy. Um >> well, if I can follow up on that, uh Miss O'Neal asked me to find out before

um our policy committee when we discussed this and voted on this is that how much is this coming up in our schools? And in fact, it is very rare. Um the teachers are sorting it out, the teachers are working through these current events. Um, so staff is is doing

well with I don't know how else to say this. Um, so I agree that there's a lot out there and that's it is tough waters that our staff have to navigate and clearly they are doing really well with it because we hear very little about it. >> So that being said, do we really want a

policy on? Now, I'm not saying we don't, but this is pretty prescriptive and I don't necessarily know if we need to define it this detailed. That that's just my opinion. >> And and fair point, I have been I've spoken with some experts on who have

certain um niche concerns who said we not only should be this prescriptive, we should be more prescriptive. And so it's that that's what very much what I mean when I say I'm not willing to die on the hill of this policy. I like it. I think it's helpful if I were a teacher. I

would find it helpful, but I acknowledge your point, Mr. Kranoff, and if everyone said no, we should just delete it or just return and that was the majority will of the board, I would still sleep well that night. So, I acknowledge your point, Mr. Bartoner. Um, I just wanted

to kind of reiterate that during policy committee, the part that also made me feel more comfortable with it was the fact that the teachers felt that it was providing them with some protection and they were comfortable with it. And I think that was a definitely one of the motivating factors that made me feel

comfortable with the policy that it seemed to be providing kind of everybody with some level of attention, but that the teachers specifically felt this was going to help them and not hurt them. So that was kind of my takeaway. Thank you.

Okay, any other questions? So once again, we we've brought you some doozies with no policy committee to fall back on. So again, any changes, um, you know, I would ask that you please have in advance so that the full board can

read your suggested language and so that Mrs. Flynn has a copy of them as well. Okay. All right. Um, moving on to agenda item nine, superintendent report. Over to you, Mr. Tastani. >> Thank you. Just a few items. Um, as I

mentioned earlier, kindergarten registration is now open. We're excited to welcome our newest learners to the Fairfield Public Schools. Um, you can visit the Fairfield Public Schools website, click on registration icon on the homepage for additional information.

And so everyone out there, tell your friends and family, the earlier they can register, uh, the easier it it is for us to get an idea again of sections and those kind of things. Um, as you're all aware, uh, we're trying to manage our transportation budget responsibly. We

have begun to consolidate unused bus underused bus routes starting Monday, February 2nd. So, some bus stop locations and pickup drop offs times may change and those who are affected will be notified directly. Families who can

provide their own transportation may choose to voluntarily opt out of bus service by completing the waiver form recently shared with everyone on Parent Square. Last count, we had about 90 folks that took advantage of the opt out. Uh we'll be working our next round

of folks um that we'll be reaching out to. uh for example of people who take advantage of before and after school care. Um if they're going to be driving and taking advantage of those programs, they should probably opt out of bus service as well. Um but as mentioned uh

here throughout the budget process, we will be continuing to work through these things to try to manage our transportation budget a little bit more uh responsibly with the help of everyone in the community. Um, that being said, we're also transitioning, it's official,

to uh another vendor, Datco, who will be handling all our charters and our sports transportation. That should relieve some of the issues we have with our our sports transportation, particularly in the spring, uh, where we had a lot of issues

with, um, lack of buses and doubling up and tripling up in some cases, uh, the last couple of years. So, we're we're looking forward to relieving some of that um that stress on the athletic program.

Uh big congratulations to Fairfield Public School high school artists. 14 students were recognized by the Connecticut Regional Scholastic Art Awards for outstanding work in photography, painting, drawing, mixed media, digital art, and one of the most

prestigious art competitions in the state. Special recognition goes to our gold key winners, Daniel Flynn, Mio Namoto, Molly Sunshine, and Olivia Wellen. Liam Donovan also earned a silver key and the prestigious Hartford

Art Scholarship for his portfolio. Uh, Fairfield High School students serve up community care. Our culinary arts students combined learning and service through a dis a district-wide effort supporting Operation Hope. students

planned, prepared, and packaged foods using their culinary skills to give back to the community while gaining real hands-on, real world experience beyond the classroom. Um, Dwight and Holland Hill communities teamed up to give back at Bridgeport and

Bridgeport. The group packed 125 food bags in 37 minutes. The community also surpassed its goal by collecting 1,07 items for families in need. So, thank you to the Dwight and Holland Hill communities. Uh, Sherman Elementary School

participated on Martin Luther King Day with a meaningful day of service, bringing students together to spread kindness and compassion. Students created placemats, cards, blankets, and kindness rocks for the community, learning about Dr. King's legacy through service with the support of staff and

the PTA. So, thank you to the Sherman PTA for supporting that. Um, just want to remind everyone the next week or so, cold weather is in the forecast. It's going to get extremely cold. Please dress for the weather. Again, today we

had several students coming to school, especially at the high school and middle school level with short pants. Um, there could be, like we had today, um, fire alarm that went off. Students had to go outside for a brief period of time at

Lello High School. And again, not dressed for the uh for the current weather. So, please just encourage everyone to dress for the weather. Um reminder, next Tuesday, February 3rd, special election here in Fairfield, there is no school for students. So, um

if you haven't gotten, we will send out a reminder on Parent Square hopefully on Monday. Um and just we finalized the contract today uh with Black Rockck Congressional Church where the CPP will be moving. Um there we thank the

University of Bridgeport for being a gracious host over the last several years. We are bringing those students and staff back into the town of Fairfield. This should um alleviate a lot of the long bus rides and um especially to and from work sites and

other community- based programming. So, thank you. Any questions? >> Any board members? Mrs. Flynn? >> Oh, sorry. I'll just say as a boy mom, um natural consequences all day long. >> Very cold. >> Anyone else?

>> Um I do have one question um regarding Black Rockck. if uh board members were interested in touring it as we had the opportunity to do at the University of Bridgeport, would that be possible? >> Absolutely. Let me know if you want me to set up um I don't know what what a couple of times just what's more

convenient. Uh Angelus and I can arrange for a tour of the facility. >> Okay. So, maybe I'll send out an email just to uh you know, gauge interest and then try to go from there. Right. Thank you. Uh any other questions about the superintendent's report? All right.

Okay. Agenda item 10, committee and liaison reports. Mr. Lee, >> so uh report from the Dwight building committee, the architectural bids are due on Thursday and then they'll start looking through it on next Tuesday to

hopefully come down with a smaller list and then uh we're moving forward there. Obviously um we as a facilities committee met last Friday. Uh we went over with Mr. Papa George uh the completions and works from 2025

and then looking ahead at the 2026 because the budget's been approved we are able to move forward and there are a couple of items there that are uh we're going to be working towards in the schools this year. >> Thank you. Uh Mrs. Flynn.

>> Hi. Um, this is an official official, but um, as requested to leadership, um, Fairfield Cares will be presenting their annual survey to the board on February 10th. It's very exciting. Um, we have a new coordinator. Um, and there will be a bunch of leadership staff to share, um, all the work that Caris has not only

done collecting all that data, but what comes out of it and all the community partnerships. So, I'm very excited for the board to see that in the community. Thank you, Mrs. Jacobson. um special project standing building committee was posted on Monday but it was canceled for the snow so I'll be going my first one on Thursday um

evening so I'll be going to that and um as you all know the legislative session will begin next week so stay tuned for all the excitement to come thank you >> okay thank you anybody over here

Okay. Well, Mr. Asa and Mr. Kranov are wrestling over that one. Um, just a couple of things uh with the policy committee is that we are hopefully just about cleared of the audit and so we are moving on to the grading policy. Um, I shared my folder within the Spartan

Warper, Miss O'Neal of all of the work and the Frankensteining that Mrs. Jacobson, uh, Miss Gernzie and I had done. Um, I think it set them back a little bit. so they understand the nature of how hard it is that we're doing. Um, but I just wanted to inform

the board that we're we're back to that. Um, and then secondly, we do have one committee that hasn't met yet. So, I just wanted to let Mrs. Jacobson and Mr. Asa know that I'd be sending out an email just to see if we can't get the bylaws committee started now that the budget is done um, and get to work on

that. So, just finding some good dates. Okay. Anyone else? Okay. Open board comment. Oh, I I forgot to share this news. So, a couple weeks ago, if you remember, we we

had the Bridgeport Elks had a student from Fairfield Woods participate in their hoop shoot. He came in first in the region. He actually participated two weeks ago. His name is I I I His name is Jude, but I forgot his last.

>> Jude Rosenberg. >> Thank you. to Rosenberg. Actually finished second in the Bridgeport in the Elks um hoop shoot. Um he lost by one shot to another kid. That's so he's he but he's very excited to try it again next year, but great job for Jude and uh

representing Fairfield. Well, >> thank you. Anybody else for open board comment uh public? Oh, Mr. Asa. >> Yes. I just wanted to take a minute. I'm sure my fellow board members also echo this. Um, so I'll just I'll state it,

but uh thank you to Superintendent Tastani, to the entire central office staff, all of the staff throughout the district, everybody that put their hand on the budget um in preparation and bringing everything to us, answering the exorbitant amount of questions um and

and getting us to a point where we passed the budget tonight. Um very grateful for that. And um like with anything, we we all never get everything we want or or feel that we need. Um but I think this board did a good job um coming to a conclusion and it's thanks

to the work of the staff and especially our finance team um who was kind of first year solo on this. Uh we appreciate everything. >> Echo that. Mr. Sparter. >> Um first of all I just want to second everything that Mr. Asa just said. Um and also wanted to make one quick

comment that um I apologize I did not get did not end up saying during the budget amendments. But going back to the music secretary, I just wanted to thank all of the parents who did take the time to either write in or come speak. I know that um it's difficult when a vote doesn't go how you want it, but I really

do see this less as an elimination of a position and I know my vote was based more on the fact that it's a change for the role. And um I really am trusting our administration that the role is going to continue to carry our stellar music program forward. And um you know, I really do look forward to supporting

the arts in the future. So thank you. Okay. Any other board members? Okay. Now, public comment, familiar faces. Okay. Thank you. Motion to uh recommended motion that the regular meeting of the board of education adjourn made by Mrs. O'Neal,

seconded by Mrs. Barnworper. All in favor? Unanimous. Thank you.