School Committee - Grafton Public Schools - Regular Meeting

Wow, that was amazing. Good evening, Grafton and guests in the room. Uh, welcome to the, uh, April 7th, 2026 school committee meeting. I call this meeting to order. Um, and we have um very exciting first group of presenters. But first, I'm going to open it up to public comment if there is any public comment. All right, let's get to the highlight um presentations uh and school update from North Grafton Elementary and South Grafton Elementary. And welcome principles uh Flynn and Wallace.

All right. Good evening everyone. I'm Julie Flynn. I'm Melissa Wallace. and we are not really going to present to you tonight. Rather, we are going to have our students present to you. Uh, as you know, over the last couple years, South Grafton and North Grafton was part of a um program with the Department of Education and the May Institute to put together a PBIS plan for our schools and we worked on that for the last couple years and this year we're on our own without the support of the Department of Ed and May. and we are doing a phenomenal job. So much so that they actually came back to us and asked both schools if we would be model schools for other districts to come out and see us. And so we've had Shrewsbury coming to um meet with both schools and observe to see what our programs look like because they are also working towards um having a PBIS program at their level as well. So we have a number of presenters and I think maybe it would be best if we first introduce all of them and then we'll go by school and have the students come up. So, let's Dr. Cummings. There we go. All right. So, North Craftton team, could you stand up from North Craft Elementary and come on board? We'll introduce you one at a time. So, we have Hannah. You can pop to the back. We have Amar, we have Liliana. Wave. We have Skylin. Eloise. Emmy, Ben, Garrett, Paxton, and Zoe. And then we'll let the self grafted crew. Come on up. Selfcrafted up.

I just want to wait. I have someone up at the back. We have crew who's in preschool. We have Ira who's in kindergarten. Can you go to the back? We have Vinnie who's in kindergarten. We have Bin who's in first grade. And we have Dawson who is in first grade. All right. So, we are going to get started with um Eloise and Hannah and Bin and Dawson. So, Eloise and Hannah, why don't you come up first and we'll give them a seat so they can sit down and they can

share their parts. Are you wondering what PBIS means? Mhm. I am. PBIS stands for positive behavior intervention and supports. Now, I bet you're wondering what that all means. It means that all the staff in the school are teaching and talking to us about the positive behaviors they see in us every day. Brendon Dawson. Yep. Brendon Dawson, come on up.

And Brendan Dawson's going to talk about how uh PBS in our school helps us learn to be kind, safe, and be ready. So, Brenn, we learn to make good choices. We learn to make good choices. We practice being kind. We practice being kind and we get recognized when we make good choices. And we get recognized when we do good choices.

All right, Paxton, Skylin, and Liil, you are up next. All right, Sky, you're up first, buddy. KB is our school of teaching all students how to be kind, be safe, and be responsible.

Our teachers recognize us in class when they see us in the hall, at recess, and at lunch. Everywhere. When our teacher recognizes us, they give us a penguin print like this. Then we get to put a pom pom in our class jar. Once we fill our jar, our class gets to do something we go on, like bring your stuffy to school day or lunch in the classroom. Once all of our class fills our jar, we put our pom poms in a grade level jar. Once the whole grade Wait, once the whole grade like once as a grade like picnic munch or extra wishes and sometimes the penguin print has a star on it. When this happens, you get to put your name in a raffle. Every month at all school meeting, Miss Olympics two students add a raffle for each grade. Those students get to help out around the school like bus line helper or announcements.

All right. So now we're going to share with you our three school rules. Obviously as a prek to one building we're trying to keep things as easygoing as possible. So we have three rules at both schools. So, North Captain students are going to share about our school. Garrett, you're up first, buddy.

Our first school rule is to be kind to everyone. We learn in practice how to be kind when sharing materials. When we see someone is feeling sad or how we talk to one another every day. Sometimes we make mistakes and out unkind with our words. We are still practicing.

Next up we have Amar and Ben.

I have the pink. Our second school rule is to be safe. We learn to be safe in how we move through the building, how we play on the structure, and how we use our bodies at school. Sometimes we play too rough or run in the hallway. When this happens, a teacher will have a social conference with us to talk about why it is important to follow the group plan or walk in the hall. Our students are between three and seven years old, so we are still learning. And lastly, we have Emmy and Zoe.

Our third school rule is to be responsible. Responsible is a big word. That means making good choices and fixing our mistakes. Being responsible at NGES looks like students taking care of their class supplies and materials. It sounds like us using an indoor or 1 inch voice in the cafeteria. And it feels good when we understand that we can fix it and apologize for making some of us sad. Our teachers left to recognize us for being responsible. They might have heard hero or a secret line leader. what they are looking to see that they are being a responsible student that are all school meetings. Miss BL looks and listens for students who are being responsible audience members. And in the cafeteria, we can show how responsible we are by cleaning up our trash and space. Have you noticed we are doing this at home too? Stay right there. Students, do you want to stand up and we can ask if they have any questions or comments?

We'll just stand right around um school committee, do you have any questions or comments for our students? Well, first of all, I want to thank you all for being here because this is the best meeting I've had so far this year. Um, and you guys did a great job explaining everything. Does anybody have any questions? I have a lot of questions, but does anyone want to go first? I have some. Yeah, go for it.

You guys did an amazing job. I have a quick question that I'd like to see by hand raises. How many of you have received a penguin print? Oh my goodness. Is that everybody? Yes. Wow. Leora. Leora also received a penguin print. Oh, you guys like the penguin print? Yeah. Yeah. You like Oh, and I get a penguin print. You should give one to Dr. Cummings, too. He probably deserves a penguin print for that as well. A Well, I don't want to take up all your time, so we're gonna see if anybody else has any other

Yeah. I heard someone mention the Heerty hero, and I've heard about that, but I don't really know what it is. Can anyone explain that to me? Um, a Heerty hero is someone who is maybe like following the rules most integrity and um being the best listener and maybe someone who might help the teacher if like a Heerty hero. Wonderful. Thank you. Have you ever been a Heerty hero? Well, there's usually not a Hagerty hero in my class. That happens in other classes. Okay. Yeah. Oh, cool. Wonderful.

One time. Okay. Um, has anybody ever filled up their their pom pom jar? Wow. Wow. And what kind of prize do you get? You kind of like get to um like do lunch on on the stage. Yeah. Yeah, I've seen that before. Or where else? I know Liliana, you really are hoping that your classes can have lunch where in our classroom. In the classroom. In the class. Very fun.

All right. A couple questions. Thank you all. Thank you all for reminding us all about being kind and being safe and being responsible. And sometimes I think as grown-ups, we're still practicing as well. So, it was a really good reminder for us, especially for me to hear tonight. Um, and what I wanted to ask is, um, you talked about being responsible. I think Emmy did. And it's responsible is such a big word. Can you tell me what it means to be responsible in first grade? Is that different than being responsible in kindergarten?

It means that you follow the rules. You I mean, do you have materials in first grade you're responsible for? Yeah. What are some of those materials? Folder and tool box. your tool box and your folder and it's important that you take care of them, right? That's being responsible, right? Yeah. Awesome. Can I also ask um what happens? Has anybody ever gotten a penguin with a star on it? Whoa. Wow, that's so cool. What happened when you got a

When you get a penguin print with a star, you go to the office where you see Mrs. Taus. She gives you a paper penguin print. You write your name on it and then you get to put it in a first grade raffle and then when you do you get like any prize. Any prize? What kind of prize? Like you can get maybe like a bracelet or bouncy ball or like an eraser or picture on the back of the like cafeteria sometimes. Find out what's behind the scenes. Thank you. Wow, Garrett. I think you talked. Did you talk about being kind? Yeah.

Can you tell me about a time you were caught being kind? So, once someone fell on the platform and I open them up. You did? Were they okay? Yeah. Good for you. That's awesome. What happens when you're caught being kind? Did you get a penguin print? Uh, yeah. With a star? Yeah. No. Okay. Fair. Anybody else have anything? I can ask them. Yeah. So, um I think at the end Zoe when she was presenting mentioned about how have we seen them doing this at home. So, can someone share with me how you practice your school rules at home or outside of school?

Nice hand, Zoe. I forgot what I guess. That's your memory. Go ahead. I remember um sometimes when like my brother goes to another school uh and they get home before me so they're always watching t well sometimes they're watching TV when I come home and I usually try to have my videos but then they're watching their show so usually I just watch with them

that's very kind. Yeah. Well, thank you again. You guys were great presenters. I was really, really proud of you and we're really glad you came. So, thank you

Hold on. Good evening. Here are the salt students. And they're going to start with our uh all school slogan that we say every day. And we're going to start with Drew. And Drew, you're gonna start with Olly. Tell them. Say it fast. Be safe, be kind, and be

ready. Okay. And first graders and kindergartens, let's all say it together. Ollie gives a hoot. Be safe, be ready, and be on. Good job. Nice. Okay, we're gonna have Dawson and Vinnie come on up and I'm gonna ask them a series of questions and they're going to answer kind of like a panel. So, come on up. So, Dawson and Vinnie, come on up and sit here.

So, Dawson, how do you think the school committee can earn an outstanding olly today? Well, I would think that they would need to be eyes watching when I'm talking and ears listening. That's how I would think they might earn one of the tags. Do you think they're earning it today? Yeah. You might want to get one. Get someone a Ollie tag. So close. Thank you. But I already got this. So, thank you.

A Oh, nice. Vinnie, how do you show kindness at recess? If someone wants to play a game, you should include them. Very nice. That is showing kindness. And Dawson, how do we show ready and safe in the hallways?

Well, ready and safe, I would think of safe is not be wobbly in line and bouncing all around in line, bouncing um and hitting your friends back and forth. And being ready is eyes forward and voices off when the teacher says voices off. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, thank you. And Ira, come on up.

Ira, can you tell everybody how you earned an outstanding ollie yesterday in art class? I hope somebody understands something. Nice. What did you help them with? Do you remember? Um, I helped them when we were making our rainbows. Making making our clouds. We used cotton balls and then we did it like we're belly pinching and then you you break it and then you glue them on.

Excellent. Great job, Brenn. What are some ways we can earn an ollie for our classroom jars? Um, doing your best to be quiet and hoping everyone else does. And even at library, even if you you helping picking it up. Nice. And Ira and Binn, what has your class earned for filling your classroom drawer with Ollie's? Bren, first camping day and beach day. Camping day and beach day. What is that? Tell the school. What is that? So for camping day, they took little things and put it over our desk and we got to do work under the little camp thing.

Fun. And beach day, we got to bring a beach towel and sunglasses and our teacher gave us legs and got to do our work on that. Ira, do you remember something that you earned for your classroom? Movie stuffy pajama day. Pajama day. Thank you, girls. Brennan Dawson, come on up.

I'm sorry. Okay. So, some of these are our experiences that would happen at South Grafton Elementary School. You both won our outstanding olly raffle at assemblies. Can you share with everyone what you got for your prize? Dawson, I got to make a suncatcher with Miss Wallace. Um, there was like this heartshaped suncatcher where there's like a bottle of liquid paint you and there's little spots you get to fill in and then when it's dry you get to pick it up and take it home. and Brit.

I got a stuffy sleepover. So, I got to take my stuffy to school and have it for the day. And then when it was night, I got to or at the end of the day, I got to put it into a tent at Miss Katie's office and then they caused mischief and took a picture and Miss Katie made a little sad. So, then I got to have it for the next day and take it home. What was a mischief that happened during your stuffy sleepover?

At the cafeteria, they took a picture of themselves and in your office they were playing on the phone and climbing everywhere and pretending to be the principal. Kind of crazy, huh? Yes. Do you remember what we've earned as an entire school for our outstanding Ali's Dawson? Well, I know we earned the big glow stick party. Thank you.

And um some of our staff and home PBIS things that we've done, just something simple, is that we have staff shoutouts on our board. We have a home um uh brochure that we send home to everybody and we do like a kindness bingo for our staff as well. But we also Oh, we also do as some of we'll do that in a second. We do our who's who and some of you participated in this. We do staff who's who at Southampton Elementary School. And I want to thank you all for coming to do our who's who. Where is my friend crew? Is he here still here? No, he left. Okay. So, I'm gonna have everyone of my other four come on up. Can you go give this to Mrs. Otton? This is her who's who.

Um Dawson, I mean Vinnie, can you go give this to Mrs. This is Eve's hooh whooo right there. Can you just wait? Thank you. Dawson, can you go give this to your Who's who? That's Thank you. Can you go give this to your and Vinnie? Oh, Vinnie, come on. You come up another great pair. Can you go give this to your

Thank you. And then both South and North just have a special video that we're proud of, all of our staff and students.

Of course, it sure works. It happens. Technology. We try. Keep going. See if it goes a little further this time.

And we practiced this too before we did. We played the whole thing. But you have it to watch. Great. This is this is South and North coming together as schools to really embrace PBIS and the positiveness of our schools across the entire town. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you.

And I also want to thank every all you friends. Stand up. Stand up. And if you want to give some outstanding to the school committee and Mr. uh that would be great. No, nobody wants to give one. Come here. You're doing a great job. Thank you, friend. I appreciate it. Thank you so much already. Thank you so much. Clean it up. Wow. Oh, Vinnie, my buddy. Thank you so much. Can all the students maybe get in front of the desk so we can take a picture of you?

Really like a picture because you guys were amazing. You got a penguin print. Let's go behind you. Oh my gosh, you guys. That's amazing. Wow. Are we trying to take a picture with all of them? Are we in the picture? Oh, yeah. I wanted to just take a picture of that. All right, this is fine. Thank you guys, I guess. I feel bad over your shoulder. Yeah, it's too much.

No, we I did not want to be in the picture. Am I being blocked by first graders? All right.

A little. Here we go.

Oh my. Okay. Best presenters we've ever had this year. Everybody look this way and give a big smile. Cheese. Great job. Thank you so much.

No, I don't. I got I mean I mean I'm just saying I'm not not at That was so fun. That was awesome.

What amazing readers, huh? I know. Really? Seriously. Give Frank a run for his money. Huh? I know. Definitely. They are my favorite guests. Oh, I'm so excited to show Eve my outstanding Holly. I'm so impressed. I know. Is it a sticker? I might put my sticker on the back of my Mr. Star is proud of you. Oh, that seems appropriate. I'm going to do that.

I love it. Maybe for the car. Isn't the miss caration? Yeah. So, they're staying for Mrs. Car. That makes sense. All right. That makes sense. Okay. Um, you Yeah, you come on up. So, Mrs. Carr, can you come on come on up?

So, this is Mrs. car 1C teacher extraordinaire and this past year Mrs. Carr was nominated and awarded um for being one of the um Blackstone Valley promising practices practicing educators um because of the work that she does in her classroom and she's amazing as you all know um Mrs. car has worked very hard particularly in this past year to implement project lead the way um this p I should say this past year and again this year and that was what she was awarded um this for so we are so grateful for your being so um you know in uh willing to try new things take risks in your teaching um and even as a veteran teacher always being willing to learn something new and bring it to your students so that they're getting the absolute best of the best um right kids is she the absolute best Um, so we thank you so much. We want to just say a quick little thank you to you and um, Dr. You had anything else?

Perfectly said, Julie. Um, it was great to recognize Mrs. Carr. She gave a beautiful speech about her project. Um, it was awesome. We have fantastic teachers and, uh, Miss Carr exemplifies everything that's great about Grafton. So, thank you. Thank you. I appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you so much for coming. Thank you everybody. Thank you.

Like really plummet right now. Yeah. You know what? High to a low. I don't like joyfilled children. Joy will go. Oh, Mrs. told you about it. Both my kids had Mrs. Car just asked if he could invite her to his amazing knowing that this was I didn't even conversation in my house. Yes, we love Mrs. Carl. So, I did tell her. I hope you did. Yeah, but now I don't I don't want her to feel obligated. That's right. She's out there now. truly uh guess who's coming in public already.

I will follow that. Well, I am sort of sad to move from that to this. Um but we do have to talk about the reduction budget. ready. I couldn't even hear you. Yeah, I I brought it up, but I wasn't happy. Um, I knew that wouldn't be great to follow, but it's it's even worse than I anticipated.

Um, it's hard to put into words how much I hate to discuss reductions. Um to me it represents a dismantling of all of the collaborative work that school committees you guys but previous school committees uh taxpayers through override votes it's the the entire staff representing GPS um all the work that's been done over the 15 plus years to build us up on a shoestring budget to where we are today. Um but nonetheless, here we are. Obviously, over the last, it feels like forever, but uh since really September, we've been talking about budgets focused primarily on getting to a level service budget. Now, we need to face the uh potential ramifications if indeed we don't have a successful override and a reduction budget goes into place. Um I'm going to do my best to answer any questions you have. some of the like the real specifics that are more school-based. I can get those answers easily in two weeks, usually a lot quicker than that. Uh, but I'd rather uh be conservative and speak to what I know as to instead of how I think it will play out in terms of schedules, impact, implications, etc. So before we dive into the FY27 reduction plan, I think it's really important to talk about the fact that going into this current year, so FY26, we reduced by over 600,000. So it's not one year million, 4,000. We're building on two years of reductions. That was $162,000 in non-personnel and 447 in personnel going into this year. The only thing that we're looking to bring back is that uh human resources. It'll be dependent

on needs, but my hope is to bring back HR. Uh it was a well-intended effort, but in any organization with over 570 people, um I can tell you firsthand it's impossible to do uh justice to what needs to be done in the world of HR with somebody doing it along with other positions. Dr. Cummings, before you go on, do we have this in our drive, this presentation? No, I don't think so. Okay. I just wasn't sure if I was missing it.

Um I should have put it in uh an hour ago. Sorry, I didn't. Um so nothing that was reduced last year with the exception of the HR position bringing back for FY27. We're also not not filling any of the new requests for FY27 that were six and a half positions requested from principles to strengthen existing programming. You've all seen some version of this uh literally a hundred times. Uh we are incredibly lean here in Grafton. We are in the bottom 4% in per pupil spending in the state of Massachusetts. So out of we're about 12th from the bottom out of 320 districts. No district around us is even close to us. North Bridge is literally the closest and every year they spend over 2.7 million more than we do. So we are super super lean and do an outstanding job with the resources we have. when we began the reduction process, looking at that over the last, you know, month, um, and slowly narrowing it down, uh, to a to a more or less final list. Of course, we try to reduce around the core. That's that's not unique to Grafton. What's unique to Grafton is we are already so incredibly lean. Um, I've worked in districts where you could have reductions like this for three or four years with kind of middle management, probably all important positions, support positions that don't require any kind of interaction with students. You could have years of that with layers and layers. We we didn't have layers last year. We definitely don't have extra layers this year. Uh, we do try to balance the reductions as we talk about class size. I obviously don't want we

can avoid it. Uh 26 in a class average at North Street and grade in grade six and then grade six at Milbury Street has 21. Uh it's not always going to be perfect, but we try to align. Um I'm going to be talking about music programming which is vibrant at both Milbury Street and North Street. We're not looking to eliminate one program at North and have a vibrant program at Milbury Street. We try to keep it balanced. Um, you'll see I've made an effort to spare the lower grades in the first year of reductions as much as possible. So, when we talk about class sizes, that's going to be 25 plus in grades four and up. Um, so we're trying to preserve the the education for the students that were just before you as well as grade two and three as long as we can. And then essential services, that's we do have things that uh are really important. They might not have been as important 30 years ago. Um, certainly counseling services, nursing services, special ed services. Um, We're just we've got to hold on to to some things um just to be safe and functional if you will but with a a few years of reductions we will without a doubt be hitting upon those services. Okay. So for the for the FY27 reduction um we need to take that what we presented or the school committee voted on as a level service budget. Um the number in terms of funding provided to us is 1,ion4,000 roughly uh short of getting to that level service budget that was put forward.

I've shared this for a couple meetings back. This is early on what I thought to some degree we would end up impacting um in terms of reductions to get to the million4,000. And this was shared previously. Obviously tonight I'm going to speak more towards more to actual details. Um I think it's really important to I don't think any of you forget but those who might be watching um I think it's essential to remember that when I speak to these reductions by and large these are actual educators actual people that we have. Some districts do the move of say they've requested 15 positions for the next year and then they suddenly don't move those forward and they consider them cuts. That's not the case with with us. These are actual people uh tremendous educators and people who are going to be impacted. Um the first two are district level reductions. I am not going to what I just said not counting them towards the actual reduction and I'll speak why uh speak to why uh one would be the AI and integration and digital learning specialist position that we've had for uh about five years now um we would reduce that position but we do have to backfill with a tech support position because we reduced tech support last year and the year before that when we moved Moren uh into Neil's position. So um there'll be a cost savings in terms of salary comparison. So there's some savings there, but that in we will have to backfill that position. And then that curriculum coordinator position. So two years we were at we had a total curriculum department of six. Last year we went down to three. As you know, due to some health issues, we moved one of

those three curriculum coordinators uh to cover the assistant principal at the high school. So, we've been functioning with two and we would maintain that. So, we wouldn't fill that position. I would recommend that we reduce athletics. We would eliminate uh middle school sports. For us, that is eight teams. Um you can read them there, but soccer, cross country, uh basketball, boys and girls, soccer with boys and girls, baseball, softball, and track and field. Um we have hundreds of students who participate without a doubt that impacts students. Uh I'd also eliminate uh the JB2 teams that we've built up over the last four years where we have tremendous you remember it wasn't too long ago we they had the athletic presentation and we've got hundreds of kids who want to participate in sports. Um the JB2 teams allowed us to broaden that and we still had to make some reductions or cuts um but it helped have more children or students, I guess, high schoolers, uh, participate. So, that would be soccer, uh, football, volleyball, and basketball. In total, between the coaching stipens and transportation cost, that would reduce our budget by 41,000. In terms of the the first uh presentation of personnel reductions, we'll focus on Grafton High School. We have three and a half positions that we reduce. A math teacher position that's going to result in increased class sizes throughout the math department. Um a French teacher, last year we had to move

away from French at the middle school. This reduction would eliminate the French program districtwide. We would no longer provide French a foods and consumer science teacher. I believe she sees through electives um it's well over a hundred. It might be 150 uh students. Um a lot of students as you know be it consumer sciences and the foods they go to school and look forward to their thing is electives whatever it might be. Um so that's going to eliminate the program and we are going to shift to um significantly more study hall areas which we've largely moved away from. um that often isn't too impactful in the community with the people my age because we all had study halls way back when. But in the many years that have taken place since then, the best practices has certainly moved away from study halls unless it's uh just desperately needed. And then lastly, uh 0.5 guidance counselor. Again, uh years ago, we cited the need to be more competitive, uh help our students be more competitive, and we introduced college and career counseling services. We would decrease that position uh by 50%. I skipped now to the middle school. That would be three positions. So, we've talked about the impact of French that now it would be districtwide. Uh, we would reduce two Spanish teaching positions, reducing programming by 50% at the middle school. Right now, it is a vibrant program. It is tied directly to teams. It's considered an academic block. That is

100% best practices and what you want to see in a middle school or any school that has a foreign language. Um I'm not sure at this time how we're going to proceed in terms of does it become a special for grade seven and eight? Does it shift to just eight? You don't have world language in seventh. Um almost all of these reductions have a messiness or a connection somewhere else that as it comes up I'll try to talk to you. Obviously this will just in very quickly have an impact on the high school offerings. Uh they'll have to frontload entrylevel Spanish and in many ways start from scratch. Uh that's a far cry from where we stand today. Uh thanks in large part to the programming that's provided at the middle school. and then music teacher. Um, that position that's going to I'll say it openly, that's going to be James Brienne's position. He's spoken beautifully at a number of of meetings. Uh, does a phenomenal job. All these teachers do a phenomenal job, but just top-notch um reducing our music offerings by 50% with a very vibrant districtwide music programming. That's that's substantial. Um, I'm not at this point sure, I'm actually doubtful that the remaining teacher, Mr. Singley, who's fantastic, how he would he manage chorus, music classes, and band. And I can tell you quite frankly, it's going to have a massive negative impact. No question about it. At the elementary level, five positions in total. As I mentioned earlier, we're doing our best to preserve, at least in year one, as much of this damage impacting lower elementary. It's going to be inevitable.

I am sure of that if we go down this road, but you'll see we there is this is it. This is a lot, but there isn't another slide with the lower elementary at this point. Um, so both of our instrumental teachers, um, again, fantastic. They've been here for a few years. Um, it would eliminate the band programs at Milbury Street and North Street Elementary School. I don't know the exact number off the top of my head, but I know it's well into the hundreds. It might be even 400. You go to those the band evenings and you can't believe how many kids are in band at the elementary uh school level and they're killing it. It's fantastic. Um so those programs would be eliminated and I'm probably whipping a dead horse here, but of course that's going to have a tremendous impact on the middle school. what we do at those two levels obviously have a has a massive impact on the high school. Uh there's just no way around that. And then uh finally for the personnel positions um a grade four teacher, a grade five teacher, and a grade six teacher. Now it's not actually going to play out that we go to each grade level and like select one teacher. Everybody has been spoken to, but it's all based on certification. A very common certification is grades one through six. So, it's going to be based on seniority, etc. if we do have to uh reduce. But in terms of class sizes, this is how it's going to play out. Grades four, five, and six and up will go to 25 plus um per class. So, that's that's going to be class average. And that's not based on like wish or or any

kind of long-term thinking. It's not taking into account the NASDAQ report with moveins. This is based on actually enrollment three weeks ago in enrollment has only gone up for us. There has not been a a backtrack at all. Um, so if I see 26 and know that's the class average at say grade five in North Street, in my head that's 28 29 if we're lucky. And that that obviously we can speak to that, but that has a massive impact on on everything. Sorry. So I do have well I I'll show it anyhow. Uh so in total 12.5 positions, one position being that curriculum coordinator position being unfilled. Um the three elementary positions right now I am feeling very confident probably 95% sure that through attrition in the form of retirements we'll be able to hold on to those three individuals. Um so we have we have three elementary retirements and I think we can make it work with with certification. So that's certainly my goal. Um obviously any way in which we can retain people we do but a lot of positions like instrumental unless there's a secondary license we don't have there's no fall back. There's there's nothing. Um and the way this is plays out is between now and miday of course with full support from myself, principles, their colleagues, these individuals will and should look for positions um in other districts which

would be a massive loss to us. We put in all this work to get them up to speed, get them they're doing beautifully like with a lot of work. Um so to lose them would be uh just devastating on a on a number of levels. Um so I foresee a definite job loss of 8.5 FTEE full-time equivalency and as I just mentioned uh I believe we're going to have uh three positions retained through attrition. And then just this is I put this just as a backup slide, but I'll forget about it. But I did uh dive into what area district high schools offer. And these aren't handpicked. They're all the districts that touch us. U you can see and you can see obviously there's a a clear correlation with spending and funding. Um, I have some backup slides, but I can take any questions you have.

Go ahead. So, Dr. Cummings, you and I met yesterday and um, we spoke about how on the February 10th meeting, the school committee had asked that you present alongside a reduction budget. What uh, let me see. I had emailed it to you even this morning back to what the meeting had stated that uh we asked for you the committee had asked you to bring forward with the reduction budget what it would look like if we implemented a $100 activity athletic transportation fee activity yeah it was an yeah it was on February 10th activity athletic transportation was only I thought it was only act athletics you can go back and watch the meeting activity athletics

I don't transport no no it a transportation fee is what it was that the committee had asked for a $100 type transportation fee. Yep. Okay. Tied to athletics. Yes. Go back. I I emailed you this morning. I I I told you the the the meeting date and everything to go back.

I mean, I recall I I don't want to get into fees today because this is a very specific topic. Um I recall us talking about it. Uh, I also recall that if we increased fees and we brought our stipens up to market value, we made $20,000, which I think is negligible in the doesn't save a position. Um, but I'm happy to bring it back on another day. I just don't want to spend time on that today. I want to talk about these actual reductions. Uh, the only reason I bring it up is because we had stated in the meeting that it be brought forward with the reduction budget. I definitely didn't put anything together. I do know We spoke of it yesterday. Yeah. Okay. Yeah.

$100 sports fee, whether you call it athletic or or trans athletic transportation. I think that's the new thing,

but I think of that as an athletic fee. um that would when we factored in um that 20 rough I think it was 17% for free and reduced um that was the estimate of revenue brought in for that was 70,000 at the time and this is just my recommendation you guys are the school committee the fact that and I definitely have slides and can speak to this that our coaches across the board. Our siphons are incredibly low and haven't been touched in 20 years. We are are less than half of what area districts get. So, not even to be competitive with the Shootsberries in Westboro, but to be at least in that ballpark would have taken at the time $120,000. Um, so we'd be off by 50,000 in my estimation or my my thinking is that it is wildly unfair to have pay paytoplay athletics and pay a few dollars on the hour to our coaches. Um, so with the reductions, if you if we have to go through with the reductions and lose 13 teams, that total instead of 120,000 to be in the ballpark, you'd need 93,000.

But could you use the 70,000 to bring back the 41,000 of the instead of redep instead of getting rid of athletics completely and saying like, look, we clearly we can't up the the stipens. If we're getting rid of athletics completely, wouldn't it be better to to bring back? I I don't believe so. I think it what we're what we do with site is wrong. Just flat out wrong. But then to eliminate it completely, you don't think is wrong. They won't have sip. You're right. They won't have anything. So, no less of a stipen and having athletics in middle school. That's my recommendation. Can we talk about like world languages? Yeah,

I'm an I have an athletic kid. I get it. It is important figuring out, you know, it I started to cry when I thought about not having a middle school basketball team, but I really cry when I think about our kids being behind in in language when they try to apply to college because we have Spanish as a special

in middle school. I mean, there's no chance these kids can take Amy Spanish if they don't take Spanish in middle school, for example, right? So, um, that's kind of where I'm more concerned at this moment. I happy to bring athletic fees to another meeting, but I want to talk about that core academic stuff that I think is is impacted. Um, kids that don't have exposure to band until middle, you know, you're just not going to have the the vibrant music programs that we have. I mean, this puts our kids at a disadvantage when they try to apply to college. And that's to me where I'm more concerned. I don't know what we can do differently, but I just I I want people to understand what the choice that what these choices will do to our kids when they move to the next level.

Yeah.

Um the other thing I wanted to point out, which I think you stated, but I just wanted to say it nice and loud, is like this is year one of reductions. Like this is the one year if we don't have an override this year, it just gets worse. And I I wanted to say that. But the other thing I wanted to say because we've talked so much about salaries of our teachers is if we lose these teachers, the band teachers, the Spanish teachers, we are getting a little smattering of people that are going to apply if we're able to bring those positions back. Like we're not going to get the people that we have now. We're never getting them back. And that's like we can pass an override in two years and be like actually we want to restore the schools. It will be an uphill battle for years and years and years to restore to where we are now.

Yeah. Question taking a deep breath. I mean it's it's gross to sit here after what we just witnessed um and talk about all this and I think we all know that. Um my question and I know you started this saying I my guess is you don't know this yet and that's okay but if you bring um Spanish down to an elective um that's a half. So what what replaces that? Fantastic question. We don't know yet. I don't know. So if there's a chat then I mean you could not you could have middle school study halls. Right. Definitely not there isn't this, you know, closet of just wonderful things waiting to be opened.

Um I know you know that but but people will think it that does not exist. Yeah. I mean I knew the answer sort of. Um yeah. So I I was trying to just think about it. Um because there's also right like all these are bad choices. You said beautifully in the beginning we don't have a lot

to be you know I'm the one who's always fighting. We need a communications person. that would be the first thing to go and a kid wouldn't, you know, we wouldn't really impact, right? But we don't we don't really have anything that. So, we're going to sit here and we're going to say, "Yeah, we know we know music is important. We know it's tied to math. We know it's tied to success and all these things. I mean, we have to go with what's mandated by the state, right? I mean, I was joking personally. I get rid of math, right? When have you know, no, just kidding." For the math teachers at home, but you know what I mean? like we don't have that kind of of things. We have to teach what the state requires us communities and eventually we're going to get down to that. The good news is this isn't a done deal, right?

No, this has a chance to not happen and for me like I am going to fight like hell to make sure it doesn't happen. And for people who are upset or don't want it to happen, you two get the chance to work to make sure it doesn't happen. And like that was my only thing that I am holding on to right now. Um, and I know we have to be practical and think ahead and, you know, we'll maybe we can just go line by line and and see what we can find. But, um, I don't know. I just I don't know. Like we can't I can't give you anything else to think about. I've been thinking about it for a year. Haven't found anything else.

So, to kind of piggy back on what Laura is saying with the um you know, next next year if we get the override the the 1 million. I've spoken with Kathleen. I've tried to speak with Evan. I've spoken with you. My biggest issue is the being financially responsible, right? Like we have been told by the select board that if an override goes through it would be for $5 million for five years. Unquestionably, I mean I could have asked one of the kindergarters that came in here. If you take $5 million and you divide more than1 million into it in year one, you're not going to have enough come year four or five. By year four, you'll be out. So I've taken what the town is saying that 1.167 and used Evans projected forecast of next year we would go up by 4.5% then 4.7% then 4.3% then 4.1%. At the end of those five years you'd be at 6,381,000. So you would definitely run out of money by year four or you would have to take bigger cuts in year four than you would today. So last year when we were faced with look we have to make these reductions and I I know this is going to be a terrible statement even after like even after you buffered me from the kindergarteners but fin like financially we cannot make that 1.167 last us five years and we all know this right? So, you'd have to in in order for that to last five years, given the percentage of increases that Evan is stating, the first year would have to be at 914,000 total. The town's portion of that, the school's portion of that would be about 786,000.

That school's portion would be 86% in FY27, right? But you're running that out for the I know you say that, but no. The No, no, no, no. No, I'm not running the 786 out of the five 8614. No, I'm not. I'm running the 914 after 5 years. I I remember I showed you. We're definitely 700,000 short of level service as a town over the course of five years. Well, no, we're 1.3 million over the course of the five years short with the with the way that we're budgeting it today of the 1.167.

Okay. It's I don't know if we need as a committee to decide like is it financially responsible that we if in FY27 I know that we need it and I know that we it's what we need but is it financially responsible to say we are going to take 1 million out of a $5 million override on year one. I don't think it is. You will run out of money by year four undoubtedly. or have to make blocks. William, he's not quite ready. Okay. Whenever you come down. Okay.

Tell Matt to tell some dad jokes or something. Or you'd have to make Yes. larger cuts. So, the cuts would come, but they would be bigger come year four than they would today. I don't know if it's financially responsible of this committee to to state that we need I we need clearly that we will expend 1 million in year one. So you're asking him to lower the budget more. You want him to cut 300 like that. We I'm not asking him to think financially responsibility is we cannot we cannot make $5 million last five years if we take more than one million out in year one.

But what what's the number in your head that would be the the number? Well, for the town would have to be 914 based on the percentage of increase that that Evan is showing for his projections over the next four years. So instead of 1 million4,000, you'd have but you would take even less than and I I I know it's not ideal and I and I get that, but I need it to be understood that if we do this, we all are coming in with that agreement that by year four and and it will be out. We will be out of money. Okay. Come year four. Madam Chair,

yes. I I would like to just say that I I mean we've been through this before. I trust that I mean maybe year one, you know, when we look at year two, we're going to have to look at year two a little differently, but we need to at least also be conscious cognizant of what we're um what we're selling also like we're going to change it. I I don't I think we focus on year one and we have the money that we need and we discussed year two budget year two and three and four I mean then we can have a full plan out well and the other thing is ninth inning here

we can also increase you know tuition in special education like there are other ways to we know there's a gap we know that when the select board didn't approve a a override that fully funded so we understand that I I get that I just think that we as a town have collectively kept kicking this can down the road and that is what we are going to do yet again even if we get the $5 million override with year one being greater than a million understand exactly what you're saying okay today

again happy to bring it up and delve into this more at another meeting but today we're with Dr. Cummings, right now we're talking about what the reduction budget looks like without an override. And I don't want to muddy that discussion with okay, what do we with with this? I understand exactly what you're saying. The math makes sense to me what you're saying, but right now we're talking about what if there is no override. So, I just don't want to I want to stick to the agenda. I guess I'd also like to add that I think we've proven to be good stewards. Um, and I do not want it out there that we are will not be good stewards if the override passes. Fair,

right? We made two of them last longer than they were supposed to. So, um, I feel confident that we can be good stewards again. I also want to say I feel like you've done a good job of being aware of I mean you don't have a lot of choices here in what you're cutting but I I feel like the choices have been very conscientious and I know you've put a lot of thought into it and it's horrible to have to do that. So I see that. So

yeah, um I actually have had a lot of band um parents reach out because they, you know, had the feeling that they may have been up like on a, you know, um to be eliminated tonight and, you know, they're very upset, especially at the middle, I mean, at the um the upper elementary level because like you said, those bands are huge. They take up the entire stage. Um and you know, tons of kids are playing and they love it. They they absolutely do love it. Um, so I I know that hopefully, you know, they'll get the message tonight, you know, tomorrow in the next coming days and um they'll be able to spread the word that we are in dire need of of an override and more funding. Um, and then, you know, also the the link, you know, kids who take language arts, um, mostly all the kids by the time they get middle school have some exposure to it. So, I hope you know people are watching and and will learn about it and will want to turn out for the schools.

This sucked. Thank you, Jay. I know. I don't like it, but you're leaving because I don't even know where we're I think we should go to review bullying prevention. Yeah, let's go to the bullying. Oh, sure. Prevention then we'll talk roof when you get back, J. Yes. Okay. Thank you. All right. Uh should we review the bullying prevention and intervention plan?

Yeah. I spoke with Dr. Cummings prior to the meeting. You wanted me to point out to the committee that the only thing that has changed in this document is that there had been written I'm trying to even find the document in here. Uh at one point something about vice superintendent where he changed to administrator. Yep. That was the only change in this. Yeah. In this documentation. Yep. And it's still in line with sort of best practice and right what other districts are doing. Um, so do we need to just make a motion to accept it, right? Or do we read this aloud? How does this read it? Right. Okay. We just make a motion. Yeah. Okay. So, yeah. Yeah.

Do I have a second? Second. All right. Motion made and seconded. All in uh any other discussion? All in favor? Great. Um, no student activities today. um enormous. We added to the um future agenda. We added having the science fair winners come next time. That would really cool. I don't understand what they did exactly, but it looks amazing. It'll be awkwardly long when I ask. Oh, yeah. No, yeah, Laura and I were there because it was amazing. And it's I know. I loved it.

I know. So that's a lot of questions for her about her project. I'm very excited. Yeah, I am too. So Leor, you know what I'd like to add to the agenda? Something I feel passionately about because of tonight. I'd like to bring to the agenda the discussion of moving the the school committee meetings from Tuesday to Wednesday to avoid any conflict with select board. Select board. I would just like it to be put as an agenda item for discussion. An interesting conversation. Does it have to be Wednesday specifically? Well, I know that Dr. Cummings doesn't like Mondays is very difficult because of holidays and such. Uh Wednesday, Thursdays, it's like you're at the end of the week, Wednesday. I just want to bring it forward as a discussion. I could talk then

because it's not on the agenda today. So, I would just like that added as an agenda discussion. Sure. Uh we are supposed to be every other week. I know, but we always sync up at some points up and it becomes a problem and it just if we just had it on a totally different day, we will never have this, right? Yep. Fair. Yep. Happy to discuss that and then we can go to theirs. Yeah. And then it is not able. So anyway, I know it's not an agenda item, so we can't really talk about it for tonight, but happy to talk about that. That on the agenda. Oh my. I know. We did once move them. They were moved. They were on Mondays. Yeah. Started. Yeah. They didn't like it on Mondays.

We had a member comment to do Mondays, so we moved him. Okay, it's doable. Yeah, I don't have an issue. Um, cool. Okay, we will have that on the agenda next time. Um, approval of minutes. Oh, can we just go back? Actually, so before that, I think we should before you even have the discussion, maybe some we can take somebody can take it as an action poll. No. To um just find out if it's feasible roomwise. Yeah, I can do that. I'll go. Okay, I'll do the leg. Yeah, I'll do the leg work. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, maybe we could do

then we'd have consistent sound, wouldn't that? Yeah. Okay. So, anyway, interesting. I'll do the leg work on there might be a lot of reasons that this would be but I know well I just don't want to have that I mean I and we might have our own personal opinions on it but I don't want to have the discussion if it turns out it's not a even a doable thing totally makes sense yep okay thanks Christie y uh anything else on future agenda that we can think of

oh I Didn't we say at one point that we were thinking of having um the PTO presidents come in PTO PTG? Remember that we did say that that was I know it's now it's very late in the year kind of for that but and remember we had kind of touched on that once of having just a brief presentation to kind of recognize all the work that they do and that it would be a good thing prior to we could do it on May 12th. It's a nice thing to do at the end of the year and they can talk about all the things they've done. That sounds like a positive meeting which like I do like that because Yeah. Great.

All right. We'll add that on the 12th thoughts. No, I mean it's just like an personal thing. So the 26th um is my son's graduation. Oh, there you go. I will not be here for reorganization and reorg. I think it is tricky when it's but it's that's fine. Well, if we get done if we get the dates moved. I I got the No, no, no, no. If we get the school committee committee to the Wednesday. Yeah. We would have a conflict. That'd be amazing. See, maybe.

I mean, but I just I did I don't know. I don't want to bring it. I mean, it's not life or death. And there's a possibility we'd be done by seven and I could try to dial it in. We started. You're not invited. Yeah, you you're not allowed. We don't want you here, Laura. From the from the auditorium. You want me to like You could watch Cooper graduation. Put it on the screen. Like Mrs. Carr. No, I didn't. Where? Swing it. Where's your graduation going to be held? Okay. It is at the TCU Center. And I I love Grafton's graduation. I hear this one long. Ours is great. Definitely not singing.

Ours is always nice. Um All right. Yeah. So that's good to know. All right. No, it does matter. You should be here on the reorg. It does matter. It does matter that way for the reorganization. You should be Yeah. And it's the update from Grafton. Yeah. Right. No, you you should be here. Yeah. Not Skip Cooper's graduation will be here. But he didn't even care. Still, if you watch you care, I'm going to tell you to go. We'll see what we're going to do here, though. That's good to know. Thank you. All right, thanks. Yes. All right. We have two sets of minutes.

There's three in the drive. Is there a reason that the March 10th from workshop? I think. No, but the workshop's listed here. March 10th is in the drive as well. I don't know if there's a reason it's not listed here or not, but um do we not? Oh, we have March 10th. I hadn't we was this an issue with the sound on maybe I'm not that's what I'm mean we can reapprove them right does it matter no it just yeah she just didn't have all the comments she didn't have all the comments you've been captur so I think that's why it got moved into this um this week's agenda I mean it on our agenda it just says approval of minutes so it we can approve it and it's

yeah fine so then we have March 10th March 24th and the July 15th workshop minutes. All right, I'll start with the regular minute meetings. I'd like to make a motion to approve the March 10th and March 24th regular minutes meeting minutes. Motion made and seconded. Any discussion? Seeing none, all in favor? I. Great. Unanimous. Then I'll take a motion on the July 15th workshop minutes. I'd like to make a motion on the to accept the July 15, 2025 workshop minutes. Second. Motion made and seconded. Any discussion?

Um, so my only discussion is it's kind it's kind of more like the agenda versus I mean I'm just used to how Rebecca Mahoney typically right typically when we meet like for a workshop or executive session, they're pretty vague, right? Um, we had a workshop. It was about how we work together. Um, we did discuss potentially putting taking some of the because we have the um I have the Yes. And that's they're not forms. You know what I'm talking about. I'm happy.

So, we thought about we're not bringing the norms tonight because for a lot of reasons. We're not going to talk about the norms tonight. So, before we do, I will have scanned those and put those Yeah. So, we have to refer to them. Exactly. Because there is more data. Let's capture that we had the workshop I think there fine. So I'll take a vote. All in favor? Great. Thank you. So speaking of the minutes, while we're talking about those the executive session minutes, do we have those like old like we we had executive session? I think they all been submitted. We've approved them, I think. No, we don't weren't there though. Yeah. Yeah. No, I don't think we've approved them executive session. Okay. So those we should try to have all of those for that.

Maybe we can do a little next meeting. double check that we have. I actually Yeah, I think I submitted some and they never made it into the into any. Yep, that's fair. Thank you. Y Okay. Anyone have any questions on the warrants? No. Uh questions, comments on the town audit report? Uh I met with Kathleen today um just to tying some of the numbers from the town audit to uh our in our budget book to the the year end.

Um so there were just some discrepancies but she explained the reasoning okay why those discrepancies exist and then she also had placed in the end ofear audit. So there's two audits in case anybody's curious. The end of year audit is kind of what we send to Desi for the per people expenditures and the other one is the town audit. So the the end of year audit is what it's my understanding us the accounting firm when they're here doing the town audit they do that

also. Uh like I said that's for DESIE. So that gets addressed to the school committee. That's something that comes to us supposed to be annually. And then the other thing is the town audit which the select board hadn't even received it yet. So um but that's what those are. Yep. Oh and just to bring up in regards to the audit I know that at one point somebody had mentioned to me you know how that stabilization account uh the balance somebody like I had said on my slides that it was 10 and whatever thousand and somebody else said it was 50. No, according to the audit, I was right. It'sund and some odd 104,000. Just so that we're all Great. That's wonderful on that. Good.

Oh, and speaking of that, sorry, one more thing. I've spoken with Dr. Cummings. Um, in regards to the warrant for that, for the 200, right, for the stabilization, uh, we think that it is best practice at this point given everything that's going on that that be placed on the October town meeting. Agreed. That's fair. I think so. We're all in agreement with that. Okay. I So, I think he's going to mention that downstairs when he's there. Okay. And if not, I know that they know to hold it. So, great. That's all. Yeah, totally agree. Um, all right. So, you guys brought have some some policy. I do.

Yeah. I said comedy, which is funny. Excited about it. Um, she was ready. She was wearing a So, a bunch of audit. Sorry. No. Um, so it looks like a bunch of these are kind of the yearly, you know, check the box ones, but then some of them are Oh, some of them are super exciting. Well, we're going to get through the the boring ones first. Yeah. I figured you'd group them that way. So, we have we're doing two reads on things because um you know there's contact changes and stuff and you're supposed to do two reads. So, madam So, I'm gonna go um Yep. Just

Madam Chair, I'd like to recommend that we take policy AC, non-discrimination policy, including harassment and retaliation, as a first read. The only changes to this were contact updates. And we still have to do two reads on it. Okay. Because it's second. I know she doesn't want to, but we do. I don't I mean, it doesn't matter. It's like literally an administrative change, right? To me. Yeah. To me, we'd need to read the I don't know. It's something whatever. Fine. Doesn't hurt either. Doesn't hurt. Fine. Okay. So, first read. Yes. Motion made and seconded. All in favor? Oh, yeah. I I great. Okay.

Same type of thing on this one. I'd like to make a motion to accept policy AC-R non-discrimination policy including harassment and retaliation. First read or first read. Second. Motion made and seconded. All in favor? I assume if there is discussion. Yeah, I'll please tell me and I'll tell you where you can probably expect that. Yeah. Uh, Madam Chair, I'd like to make a motion for the first read of two on policy ACA, non-discrimination on the basis of sex. Second. Second. Motion made and seconded. All in favor.

Right. Madam Chair, I'd like to make a motion to accept as a first read of two policy ACAB, sexual and sex based harassment and retaliation. Second motion made second. Sorry. I was like, I need that one. Great. Madam Chair, I'd like to make a motion for the first read of two on policy ACGA, civil rights grievance procedure. Second. Motion made and seconded. I assume that's another one that's just a contact. Yeah, these are all in favor. All right.

Again, a contact update. Uh, Madam Chair, I'd like to make a motion to accept it was a first read policy ACGB title. Oh, what is that? Nine, sexual discrimination grievance procedure. Second. Motion made and seconded. All in favor? Right, Madame Chair? Uh, does this need to be two reads? Not really. I guess we I mean like it's just like policy states we're supposed to do two reads. So that's the only like I to make a motion to accept policy DM cash in school buildings. Second. What's the change there?

There are no changes, but we have to just review these annually. In fact, I'm going to put I'm going to actually put that in this one because we're supposed to be reviewing these annually as this is the change that I'm putting in right now as you can all watch. Okay. Annual review and with no change at I mean it's that's what our policy. Okay. All right. Next one. All in favor. I next one we're holding because uh Mass Association of Gifted Ed is is coming up with uh updates to their policy. So this is a hold. Okay. Policy IKB. This is also a hold because we're waiting on uh more information in regards to the high school and the central office kind of Okay.

Getting some information together. Okay. Um, Madam Chair, I'd like to accept policy IKF graduation requirements. Second. Motion made and seconded. All in favor? Right. Madam Chair, I'd like to make a motion to accept IKF competency determination. Second. Motion made and seconded. All in favor? Great. Madam chair, I'd like to make a motion to accept policy JF ABD, unhoused student enrollment rights and services. Second. Motion made and seconded. All in favor?

Here we go. This is a one read one. Madam chair, I'd like to make a recommendation to delete policy JICB, care of school property by students. Why are we deleting it? Go ahead, Laura. This is all you. Somebody wanted to delete it this summer and somebody else said, I know, but we realized it was covered. It's covered in another policy. Great. Like student conduct or Excellent. So, we try to make our way away from our own policies, right? Oh, this is a graph then. Great. Let's get rid of it. Perfect. Yes. If it's covered elsewhere, fantastic. A lot of growth on my part, but good job. That's impressive. All right. All in favor. Great. Madam Chair, I'd like to accept policy JICFB, bullying prevention.

Second. Motion made and seconded. All in favor? Okay. Madame Chair, I'd like to make a motion to accept policy JICJA, cell phone policy. But I'd also like to note that this I would imagine that this is going to be changing over the summer. So, but given that we're doing our annual review, this is an annual review policy. Okay. So, it hasn't been changed to reflect what we think is happening in the world. No, because we don't have that information that finalized. We're hopeful that MASC will make one because if it's a state law then then really they should be holding the state should all have the same policy on that. Yep. Agreed. Second. Okay. Motion made and seconded. All in favor.

Great. Okay. So, this one's a big one. Madam Chair, this is a new policy. I'd like to recommend that we accept new policy JN DB- AI use of artificial intelligence and I expect there'll be a lot of discussion. Yep. So that is one we wrote. We wrote that does not exist from correct. Yes. First let's make the Yes. So I made the motion. Okay. Motion made and seconded. I think we have discussion. So let's dive in.

So before we start the discussion, Laura, Mrs. often and I have um gone through defy reports through met with uh Jen Mannon numerous times. We've received feedback from the superintendent. We've been working on this policy to give you an idea since I think about June or July. Like it's been months. We know that this is going to be an everly changing

policy. We're fully aware of that. We we're trying we've like there have been so many hands in this pot to try to get to where we are today with this policy. Um but we do we are fully aware that yes the committee is going to have thoughts on this. Um, but we know that this is going to be everly changing. And again, kind of with the cell phone policy, we are all hopeful, not just Grafton, every district that I've spoken with is hopeful that MASC or somebody or Desi has a little bit more.

Yeah. So I can I I just I was when I was at an um in my board meeting last weekend, this came up a little bit and one and this is not an MASC, but one person was like we think instead of having one policy, it's going to be like woven throughout other policies like it would be in homework, it would be in so that and I didn't I figured you know this is our our start. This is a starter. That might actually wind up being the direction we go at, right? Yeah. Which makes sense in a lot of ways, right? But this is super messy, but that again it's going to probably go through MASC because a lot of our policies I mean 95% of our policies are MAC policies.

So and that's the whole purpose of why we use policy services, right? So can I pull us up a little bit and talk about sort of what the driver was for developing this policy? Like what are we wanting to address? Are we wanting to address use by students, use by staff? Are we what are we concerned about? Like what are like what's the so genesis and purpose of the of the policy today?

It's sort of both. It's because right now it's the wild west out there. So there's no clear guideline for students and or staff to fall back on when they're speaking to their students about AI. There's different guidelines. There's different buildings have different thoughts. It's we fair which kind of fair but there needs to be an overall the school committee kind of needs to take a stance on on this just as anything else like homework right that's fair each building could have their own different thoughts on that but we took a stance on it

this is not going away this is not a bad this is and we've we've heard you know we've heard from our students uh concerns even during our our meets with the high school students of staff using AI or or when they're allowed to use AI or or I've heard from different buildings of students under 13 using AI when not even in compliance with COPA to be doing so there needs to be some Madam Chair

I also feel Like I mean I this kind of has to do with this policy. It kind of doesn't but it's I feel like it'll be fascinating to watch where it gets integrated because a lot of the students we have now in the upper grades it's like this has been dumped on them later and it's sort of like internet for some of us who are older and it's like how do you use this? And I'm hopeful that it will become you know more more obvious because students will have sort of directed learning about it when they're younger as we move forward. But it's like exactly the wild wild west right now because it can do so many things and I feel like students to no fault of their own. I don't I mean even adults it's sort of this ambiguity of when is it acceptable to use this and when is it not and so I mean I really do the red light yellow light green light part what feels

very tangible practice right that's what's being used that that's um what Jen Mannon had stated is like the guideline of the district the overall guideline I mean it's not just the wild west for the students it's the wild west for the teachers as well like when when is it okay to let that student use it when is it okay to it's is Is it okay to allow a 12-year-old to go on AI to make an image? No. No, it's not. Cop re states that um explicitly. So, and when is it appropriate for a teacher to use it for lesson planning like and those kind of cheating and when is it using it as a tool? Right. What is the difference of

I mean I think it's really interesting that like we don't specifically say here you can't write a paper with AI, right? But I'd like to say that I think I mean but yeah policy we don't typically get down because I feel like that's a handbook so I know you have to citing sources for you know what they do and again maybe this is a handbook thing but what would constitute cheating turning in a paper you didn't write or you know so right and I mean it goes beyond papers like you can code fully in AI I know that that Monica Allen up at the high school uh doesn't allow the students up there to use AI for that.

But we want science fair kids not the winners. I don't like they were told me they talked about how they integrated AI which is absolutely should learn how to do that. It's going to be a job someday. It's going to be a job today. I mean if it were up to me I I think that we should be teach like having an AI course for like fifth graders to you got to start early with with telling them no we don't even have Spanish,

right? Yeah. No, but like a Yeah. Yeah. But I'm just saying like a even um a day type of kind of like how we do a day of coding or something like that. A day of AI. What is acceptable? What is not acceptable? Is it okay to lie about your age to go use AI? Is it okay not to? No, it's not like right, you know, when is it cheating? When is it using tools? What what is AI? And and I we have a task force right now. Um, Jen Mannon is working with um there's some students I know there's even a first grader on it. Awesome.

There's some students on it. There's parents. There's teachers that are are trying to work this and I hate to use this term. It's kind of a band-aid at this it is point because we we are well AI is ever evolving. I mean, you know, it used to be just like a, you know, a tool and then now it's gotten so broad where you can do, you know, a multitude of things with it and people are just learning how to how to use all the tools and you know, it can help with their well also I mean we can't ban first of all you can't ban it right no

Google right when you Google something you get that AI am I now cheating like so typically we tried to do and and this one I mean just kind of talked through a process. We worked with this isn't Lauren Christy's writing, right? We met several times with our leaders. Well, sometimes we sometimes some of the bad ones haven't been, you know, as long as we've now deleted, but it for a long time. This is like version like 7.0. Yeah. So, but I mean, so I I understand like it'd be great to list all the things like you can and can't do with it, but we don't even know what we can and can't do. And maybe in one class they would say, you know what, use AI to write a paper and then here I want you to rewrite the paper in class,

right? Or I want you to find out what was wrong with what AI used to write that exact tool. We don't typically like get that into Yeah. We can't get that granular in it. And we try to make this as we try to make all of our policies one page because once you start getting into these multiple pages, nobody is reading it. That's we see that and we did try to have AI write it just to see what it came up with. Yeah. My son was like thinking several times I tried. Yeah. I didn't have claw. Um

but it's funny um the the stances of of some students. Laura and I spoke in depth about this. Like her son and my son are both like don't don't do it. It's don't do it. It's it's the devil. But then you know you've got fifth graders who are like this is amazing. Oh look we have you can write your own music. I mean right you can do so much downfall right? Even my sixth grader was sending me an email and he's like I used it. It automatically filled it. Well that's AI like that's not right.

Yeah. So I think for us this was I think our um best thinking on how a good um a start for an AI policy that people can look at for guidance. I don't think this is a CYA policy so much as it more of it's like hey this is where we're starting and this you know I I would expect we'd probably even look at it again in September. I mean right well this will be constantly coming up and especially getting feedback from our staff as like hey so I mean if you guys certainly if you have other thoughts I wonder I know that like it's not up on the screen and people can't see at home. Do you would you like like if I if we go through each paragraph at a time or something that I could figure out how I bet you could do it.

Okay. Don't use AI to figure it out or keep talking amongst yourselves. Amongst ourselves. It's definitely makes sense. It's well written. I think it's a great I do like that it's using kind of what we're already using with the stoplight model, right? Um so we tried to make sure that it's like students and staff. So like students and staff are responsible for eliminating bias and ensuring accuracy with the So what does that mean eliminating bias? So I get the ensuring accuracy but eliminating bias meaning like if it's um bias of the AI part, right?

Like so is but it's a computer. So what is it like? Well, so you're responsible for for noting whether this is a biased article like a biased that if it's true or not. Basically, well, kind of so inappropriate like No, but yeah. Yeah. I don't want to state anything in like it's um so if you just keep writing 4 + 4 equals 10, right? AI will tell you that after a while. Your your AI bias. That's right. But I'm just using this because I can't I can't remember what we said. It's a good question. It's a great question and honestly Christine and I are just trying to I cannot remember if you were using it for politics and it was clearly clearly leaning one way.

If you were like using it for civic class and it was clearly because you have only certain only certain things because you have clearly like maybe a biased it that way. Could the in that section though I almost feel like the I almost feel like instead of saying eliminating bias it should say like identifying. Yeah. because you know you may that bias may be appropriate. Okay, Laura, you or it's a really interesting that's educational too learning to understand bias%. Yeah, I like that. I like it. I like identifying better. No, that one. Yeah. Good. Spelling on live television.

It's easent for you. Yeah. And I'm sure there's a ton of people watching this part of the show. There were earlier, but I'm guessing that we've lost them now. Once we lose the This is a big deal. But the whole, you know, I'm just kidding. Motion made and seconded over and over. We lost people there. I love it. That's great. That's a great recommendation. Yeah. Y for educational and that's why I do think we probably will be moving into all the reasons that you brought up. We'll probably like we're going to see it like I think in homework we talked about we may have No, maybe not. What? What? Like it's it goes in everything.

Oh, yeah. No, no, it's gonna Yeah, like um staff students must adhere to the district's acceptable use of digital resources policy. And then we have three bullets. Do those come from the acceptable use? No, this isn't Well, yeah, this is Yeah, in the acceptable use policy, like we talk about Furpa and COPA, but these is AI specific, right? So I mean we can get rid of the bullets and just like or side bullet it like right it does sort of read like now I will tell you about right yeah so it's something about it doesn't I see what you're saying that's fine I can just that better

but there's not sentences well the first one AI as a supplemental instructor like is a supplemental or should be used as a how about that AI should be used as all right Yeah, students and teachers. Yes, students and staff. It's the whole thing. I would just say we can go back and work on some sentences, right? Yeah. We don't need to do it live. Yeah. Yeah. But I just want that whole thing to like make sense. Yeah. Okay. Great. Make it make it better. Make better improve. Rephrase. Make it make sense.

All right. Great. But overall, I think it's great. Um agree I think can we vote on it with like I'd like Yeah. Yeah. So let's first read the motion. Great. Thank you for the work. No one seconded it. I'm just I'll second it. I thought so. I just It's been a while. I couldn't remember. Yeah. So I thought that was that's great. Thank you for all your work on it. Yeah. Um now somebody has to tell jokes because we need Jay. Well, can I take this moment to apologize that I insinuated that we should cut math? I was just joking because I'm a terrible Now we're apologizing for jokes. You went the wrong way. I know, but I'm serious. You've had like half anxiety about saying that the entire night that

Oh, no. I I Yeah, that's why I shouldn't talk. Okay, go ahead. I think it was clear you were joking. Yeah, it was at times. I just don't act my thing. We know that. Yes, but you probably use it more than you think. Well, my son, you know, math is his right. Um, what was the other? Can I just ask in regards to I know that Dr. Cummings has put his review stuff in the drive. When are we going to be receiving that in the next few days? Just setting it all up. So, our thing. Yeah. Okay. And are we meeting with the high school again anytime?

I do not have that scheduled. We probably should one more time the end of the year. Yeah, I'll talk to Tracy about that. It's been It's been a lot. I'm missing our student activity report. Uh if anybody student activity report, the the play is this weekend. Yeah, you can do it for us. On April 10th, 11th, and 12th, they'll be showing they'll be doing The Little Mermaid. Also in the district, we have pasta and bingo night at the Milbury Street School on Friday. On Friday evening, we've got sixth graders. This is the first time it's being brought to Milbury Street thanks to Mr. Wilshshire. Uh, bring that over. Milbury Street never did any sort of fundraiser for for

How did you raise money for the U-Haul and stuff? I don't know. I think just Mr. Karu paid for I don't know. I have no idea. It's very It's a lot of fun. I have no idea. Excited about it. I started it with Mr. Wilshshire. I was the first class to do it. 2019 that date might be significant. Yes. The last thing I did. Can I make a plug for the North Street movie night coming up this Friday? It's our last movie night of the year. So, tickets on sale. We're going to be watching Zootopia 2 possibly. Possibly. And you all committing to that for Zootopia? Yeah. Do you want to go? Should we all go? No, we're going up. I'm going.

Yeah. I'm working. Uh, and then also, uh, it's what? Assistant principal appreciation week this week. It is. So, thank you to all of our assistant par last week. Thank you, Paris. Thank you, Paris. Hope everybody had nice holidays during the season of holidays. It's the season of holidays. Well, we didn't lose viewers before. We're definitely losing.

We take a recess, Madam Chair. May I take May I move to take a make a motion to request a recess? Uh, James in the booth. James, we can stop until we come back. Maybe take a break. All right. Can we go down and listen to do whatever we want?

This seems silly. It does. All right. You know what? We can I'm making the call. We're turning. All right.