WSESD Board Meeting Agenda and Minutes

WINDHAM SOUTHEAST SCHOOL DISTRICT
53 Green Street
Brattleboro, VT 05301
www.wsesu.org

NOTICE OF BOARD MEETING
The Windham Southeast School District Board will meet in the WRCC Cusick Conference Room at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 12, 2021 and remotely via Zoom.

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AGENDA
I. CALL TO ORDER – 6:00 p.m. – David Schoales, Board Chair
II. CONSENT AGENDA
CLERK’S REPORT – Approval of Minutes – September 23, September 28,
October 6, 2021
FINANCES
Warrants of September 7, 2021
Warrant No. 1071 in the amount of $ 5,073.00
Warrant No. 1072 in the amount of 5,645.00
Warrant No. 1073 in the amount of 676.21
Warrant No. 1074 in the amount of 796,618.79
$808,013.00

Warrants of September 13, 2021
Warrant No. 1076 in the amount of $89,325.00
Warrant No. 1079 in the amount of 10,771.05
Warrant No. 1080 in the amount of 2,103.55
Warrant No. 1082 in the amount of 1,475.94
Warrant No. 1083 in the amount of 174,066.95
$277,742.49
Warrants of September 20, 2021
Warrant No. 1085 in the amount of $ 6,984.00
Warrant No. 1086 in the amount of 20,961.00
Warrant No. 1087 in the amount of 35,278.06
Warrant No. 1088 in the amount of 450.00
Warrant No. 1089 in the amount of 141.14
Warrant No. 1090 in the amount of 115,486.55
$179,300.75
Warrants of September 27, 2021
Warrant No. 1091 in the amount of $15,360.00
Warrant No. 1092 in the amount of 17,996.15
Warrant No. 1097 in the amount of 8,880.00
Warrant No. 1099 in the amount of 149,258.47
Warrant No. 1100 in the amount of 19,330.00
Warrant No. 1101 in the amount of 87,292.77
$298,117.39
Warrants of October 4, 2021
Warrant No. 1103 in the amount of $ 5,419.00
Warrant No. 1104 in the amount of 53,041.23
Warrant No. 1105 in the amount of 4,826.05
Warrant No. 1106 in the amount of 798,598.78
$861,885.06
Payrolls
September 11, 2021 $1,351,047.40
September 24, 2021 $1,355,346.46

III. Public Comment on Non-agenda Items (10 minutes)
IV. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
COVID Update
BUHS Climate Report
V. COMMITTEE and LEADERSHIP COUNCIL REPORTS

VI. UNFINISHED BUSINESS, if any
A. Diversity and Equity Report – Coordinator Mikaela Simms and Teacher
Leaders will share a video report from 2020-2021 and an Update on Current Activities
Opportunity for Schools to Report Out on Progress.
B. Independent Budget Review Committee

…..

Note: These proposed minutes should be considered preliminary until they are approved by the
Board at a future meeting.
WINDHAM SOUTHEAST SCHOOL DISTRICT (WSESD) BOARD TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2021
REGULAR BOARD MEETING – 6:00PM HYBRID MEETING: WRCC CUSICK CONFERENCE ROOM/REMOTE LOCATION
DRAFT MINUTES WSESD
Board Members Present: WSESU Administrators Present: Mark Speno (Interim Superintendent); Frank Rucker (Finance
Director)
Media Present: BCTV Others Present: Wendy M. Levy (Board Recorder)

I. CALL TO ORDER

Chair DS called the meeting to order at 6:15pm.
DS announced changes to the agenda:
Item V. is tabled, date TBA.

Add an item: Begin the process for the Budget Review Committee, which was passed at last year’s Annual Meeting.
DS announced that on Wednesday, October 6, at 6pm, the diversity and equity training for Board members begins, and staff may participate, too. An email about the training will come soon.

II. CONSENT AGENDA

– CLERK’S REPORT – Approval of Minutes – September 14, 2021

MOTION BY AB TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF SEPTEMBER 14, 2021. MG SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

III. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS

None.

IV. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Superintendent Update on Return to School 
Interim Superintendent Mark Speno gave a report on the first month of school. Highlights included:
Students are exhibiting significant social-emotional needs, and the administration and staff are working through this. The transition from attending school in-person one day per week, to five days per week, is difficult for some students.

COVID presents challenges, and is unpredictable. Every school except Dummerston has had at least one positive COVID test. This creates a great deal of work for staff, as it involves shutting down classrooms, contact tracing, and utilizing remote platforms for quarantined students.

Every weekend since school began sees principals and nurses at work, and this is unsustainable.

Mark wants to hire more staff to support these efforts.
– Summer Enrichment Program

Deb Kardane presented on the WSESU Summer Camp, with assistance from Matt Betz. Highlights included:

The history of the program, and its development, parties involved, the structure, community partnerships, attendance figures, the typical daily schedule, and comments about the program from staff, family, and students.

The Summer Enrichment Program staff worked closely with school principals on this.

This program provided free, publicly-funded summer camp for many students. The district should continue offering this.

– Student Engagement and Family Outreach

Mark introduced the school principals and invited them to report on the affect the new student engagement staff—funded internally, not just through HCRS—are having in their schools.
Principals from all WSESD schools, including EES and WRCC, spoke. Common themes emerged of the new staff working with teachers, helping students and families access resources to meet their basic needs, assisting students with attendance issues, and building trust with families whose parents and caregivers had their own negative school experiences. Many principals spoke of the positive changes resulting from having this type of support staff on campus, and some asked the Board to continue budgeting for this beyond COVID. MG asked about funding these positions post-COVID. Mark Speno noted the administration had discussed adding more social workers and student engagement coordinators pre-COVID—especially for schools in outlying towns—during Annual Meetings. He believes these new positions are integral parts of the schools now, and the administration is in the beginning stages of building family outreach systems. DS remarked on the notable difference these new staff members are having on schools. AB and LA thanked the principals.

V. COVID Q&A

Tabled by DS. 
VI. COMMITTEE AND LEADERSHIP COUNCIL REPORTS
DS asked the Climate Crisis Task Force to postpone presenting their proposal. He noted there is  adequate time to present this before the next Annual Meeting in March. MG said Board members need  more information about the proposal.
VII. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
B. Diversity and Equity Report – Coordinator Mikaela Simms and Teacher Leaders will share a video report from 2020-2021 And an Update on Current
Activities Mikaela Simms announced many of her teacher-leaders had left the meeting. She acknowledged the

…..
9-23-2021 / WSESD BOARD SPECIAL MEETING

ATTENDEES:
David Schoales
Thomas Nolan
Tim Maciel
Shawn Murphy
Anne Beekman
Jaci Reynolds
Liz Adams
Michelle Greene
Kelly Young
Mark Speno
Steve Perrin

——-
Called to order @ 5:05pm

MOTION: Move into executive session
MOVED BY: KY
SECONDED BY: JR
Unanimous – Yes

Rise at 5:47pm

MOTION: Accept recommendation of administration
MOVED BY: AB
SECONDED BY: KY
Unanimous – Yes

MOTION: Adjourn
MOVED BY: AB
SECONDED BY: JR

Adjourned 5:48@ PM
….

10/6/2021 WSESD Board special meeting

ATTENDEES:
David Schoales
Thomas Nolan
Liz Adams
Tim Maciel
Shawn Murphy
Michelle Luetjen Green
Anne Beekman
Jaci Reynolds
Emily Murphy-Kaur
Nell Coogan

Called to order: 1:01PM

Entered Executive Session to discuss a contractual matter.

Adjourned: 2:05PM

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