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 at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 19, 2022 in the WRCC Cusick Conference Room and remotely via Zoom.

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AGENDA


I. CALL TO ORDER – 6:00 p.m. – Kelly Young, Board Chair


II. CONSENT AGENDA


CLERK’S REPORT – Approval of Minutes – June 21, 2022


FINANCES
Warrants of June 6, 2022
Warrant No. 1356 in the amount of $ 200.00
Warrant No. 1358 in the amount of 9,042.63
Warrant No. 1359 in the amount of 287.50
Warrant No. 1362 in the amount of 5,602.50
Warrant No. 1363 in the amount of 125.00
Warrant No. 1364 in the amount of 6,669.58

Warrant No. 1365 in the amount of 808,363.40
$830,290.61
Warrants of June 13, 2022
Warrant No. 1367 in the amount of $ 1,933.00
Warrant No. 1368 in the amount of 300.00
Warrant No. 1369 in the amount of 250.00
Warrant No. 1370 in the amount of 1,000.00
Warrant No. 1371 in the amount of 5,657.29
Warrant No. 1372 in the amount of 25.00
Warrant No. 1373 in the amount of 48,964.00
Warrant No. 1374 in the amount of 3,000.00
Warrant No. 1375 in the amount of 4,224.12
Warrant No. 1376 in the amount of 167,224.54
$232,577.95
Warrants of June 20, 2022
Warrant No. 1377 in the amount of $ 50.00
Warrant No. 1378 in the amount of 490.08
Warrant No. 1379 in the amount of 400.00
Warrant No. 1383 in the amount of 2,000.00
Warrant No. 1384 in the amount of 42.00
Warrant No. 1385 in the amount of 1,946.42
Warrant No. 1386 in the amount of 3,419.15
Warrant No. 1387 in the amount of 112,172.86
$120,520.51
Warrants of June 27, 2022
Warrant No. 1388 in the amount of $ 8,941.00
Warrant No. 1389 in the amount of 102.27
Warrant No. 1391 in the amount of 15,067.46
Warrant No. 1393 in the amount of 23,503.37
Warrant No. 1394 in the amount of 1,838.80
Warrant No. 1395 in the amount of 217,786.76
$267,239.66
Warrants of July 5, 2022
Warrant No. 1397 in the amount of $ 3,350.00
Warrant No. 1398 in the amount of 2,191.55
Warrant No. 1399 in the amount of 84,278.01
Warrant No. 1400 in the amount of 167,013.00
Warrant No. 1401 in the amount of 49,111.35
Warrant No. 1402 in the amount of 32.97
Warrant No. 1403 in the amount of 255.97
Warrant No. 1404 in the amount of 56,102.20
Warrant No. 1405 in the amount of 188.95
Warrant No. 1002 in the amount of 29,054.70
$391,578.70


Warrants of July 11, 2022
Warrant No. 1004 in the amount of $ 7,000.00

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, JUNE 21, 2022
REGULAR BOARD MEETING – 6:00PM
HYBRID MEETING: WRCC CUSICK CONFERENCE ROOM & REMOTELY VIA ZOOM
DRAFT MINUTES

WSESD Board Members Present: Chairperson Kelly Young (KY), Liz Adams (LA), Anne Beekman (AB), Lana Dever (LD), Michelle Green (MG), Tim Maciel (TM), Shaun Murphy (SM), Emily Murphy Kaur (EMK), David Schoales (DSC), Deborah Stanford (DST).
WSESD Board Members Absent:
WSESU/WSESD Administrators and Staff Present: Wendy M. Levy (Board Recorder), Mary Kaufmann, Frank Rucker, Mark Speno, Keith Lyman, Paul Smith, Jon Sessions, John Gagnon, Julianne Eagan, Cassie Damkoehler
Media Present:
Others Present: Lisa Ford
Please note: this attendance may be incomplete.

I. CALL TO ORDER

Chair KY called the meeting to order at 6:03pm.

MG asked to amend the agenda to include Board development workshops.
DST asked to amend the agenda to put on-hold the entire “Administrative Report” agenda item because the reports were sent to Board members so close to the meeting. She said this does not give her enough time to review the documents.

MOTION BY MG TO ADD “BOARD DEVELOPMENT TRAININGS” TO THE “SUMMER SCHEDULE” ITEM ON THE AGENDA. TM SECONDED.

ROLL CALL VOTE:

LA YEA
AB YEA
EMK YEA
MG YEA
TM YEA
DSC YEA
LD NAY
DST NAY
SM NAY

MOTION CARRIED 6-3.

MOTION BY DST TO PUT ON HOLD THE ENTIRE “ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT,” INCLUDING “MONTHLY REPORT FOR SCHOOL BOARD,” “PANORAMA CLIMATE SURVEY UPDATE,” ERIN’S LAW UPDATE,” AND “MTSS — PRESENTATION,” BECAUSE THE BOARD RECEIVED THE DOCUMENTS TOO SOON BEFORE THE MEETING. TM SECONDED.

A discussion ensued. Highlights included:
Words of appreciation for the administrators who put a lot of work into their presentations.
The desire of some Board members to have more time to absorb the information and come up with intelligent questions.
None of these items are new, and have been discussed at length at other Board meetings.
BAMS Principal Keith Lyman and Oak Grove School Principal Mary Kaufmann were supposed to present on the work they have done this past year.
None of the items are time-sensitive.
Whether DST should amend her motion to allow the MTSS discussion. She declined to do so.
A request for administrators to send the Board documents and presentations three days in advance of a Board meeting. DST said she remembers this particular request from last August.

ROLL CALL VOTE ON THE DST MOTION:

LD YEA
DST YEA
TM YEA
DS YEA
MG NAY
SM NAY
AB NAY
EMK NAY
LA ABSTAINED
KY YEA

MOTION CARRIED 5-4, WITH 1 ABSTENTION

Keith Lyman said he is excited to present when the time comes.

Dummerston School Principal Julianne Eagan objected to the three-day request on the grounds that school administrators’ work environment is unpredictable. She said they deal with difficult situations, and she wants the Board to appreciate this.

A discussion ensued on planning, gathering the administrators together, and the agenda.

II. CONSENT AGENDA

– CLERK’S REPORT –

Approval of Minutes – June 7, 2022

MOTION BY DSC TO APPROVE THE JUNE 7 MINUTES WITH DSC’S ADDENDUM. TM SECONDED.

A discussion ensued.

DSC asked to amend the minutes to include the following statement: “EST plans are fluid based on the needs of students and the resources we have available to meet those needs. Parents are always invited to meetings and informed of the support their children are receiving. If for whatever reason a parent cannot attend a meeting this does not delay our work to support ALL of our kids. This is a proactive approach to supporting students that does not include the same rules and regulations of an IEP (Spec Ed Plan.)”


DSC explained that this statement was not discussed at the June 7 meeting, but it clarifies EST.
Board Recorder Wendy M. Levy asked KY how this should be included in the June 7 minutes. KY did not respond. DSC said, “Include it as an addendum. [School Secretary] Barb [Nowakowski] will know what to do with it.”

VOTE ON THE DSC MOTION: MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

III. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS

There were none.

IV. UNFINISHED BUSINESS

A. Sexual Abuse Investigation Update

DSC said there is no report.

B. SRO Task Force Recommendations Update

Superintendent Mark Speno said there is no update since the last Board meeting.

BUHS Assistant Principal Cassie Damkoehler said she recently met with the students on the SRO Committee, and they will continue meeting and working together.

TM asked about hiring a mental health counselor for BUHS. Cassie said it is in-progress.

V. COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS

There were none.

VI. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

As per an earlier motion, the items included on the agenda were tabled.

MG asked if Mark had any report, especially regarding the end of the school year.

Mark gave a report. Highlights included:
The BUHS graduation was great, and the school year ended on a positive note.
We should celebrate our achievements, because the students deserve it.
The administration, especially the school principals, need time off. They have dealt with many emergencies, decisions, and extremely long hours.
The principals were heroic this year in leading their schools.

VII. FISCAL REPORT

Business Administrator Frank Rucker said the Agency of Education confirmed today that the District’s tax rate will be a little less than what was stated in the Annual Report.

VIII. NEW BUSINESS

A. Summer Meeting Schedule
MG spoke about the Board retreat and the WSESU Board’s work. One thing the WSESU Board discussed, said MG, is how they can support the Superintendent. She said the discussion about tabling the Administrative Report and its items illustrates this disconnect, and the VSBA has workshops about this. MG wants the Board to welcome and adopt these workshops so they can collaborate and systematize with administrators.

MOTION BY MG THAT THE WSESD COLLABORATES WITH THE WSESU BOARD AND CONTRACTS WITH THE VSBA TO DO BOARD DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS OVER THE SUMMER.

SM objected to this motion because it is not on the agenda. A discussion ensued.

LD SECONDED THE MOTION.

A discussion ensued. Highlights included:

Other resources for Board retreat workshops.
Working with the VSBA.
Differences between the WSESU and the WSESD.
Putting a system into place to avoid tension between the Board and the administration.
Concerns with delaying signing up for VSBA workshops, thus missing the opportunity to do so.

THE MOTION WAS TABLED BY MG AND LD UNTIL AFTER THE “SUMMER MEETING SCHEDULE” ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS COMPLETE.

A discussion ensued on the summer meeting schedule and the tasks the Board needs to do.

A discussion ensued on the summer meeting schedule and giving the administration a break.
A discussion ensued on preparing for possible summer meetings, including committee meetings, and addressing the backlog of tasks this summer before the next school year starts.

The rest of the agenda was tabled until after the Executive Sessions.

IX. EXECUTIVE SESSION – 1V.S.A. §313(a)(3) The Appointment or Employment of Public Officer or Employee, Provided that the Public Body shall make a Final Decision During Open Meeting

MOTION BY DS TO ENTER INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER 1V.S.A. §313(A)(3), THE APPOINTMENT OR EMPLOYMENT OF PUBLIC OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE, PROVIDED THAT THE PUBLIC BODY SHALL MAKE A FINAL DECISION DURING OPEN MEETING. TM SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

KY noted there were four Executive Sessions. She invited Mark Speno into one of them.

X. EXECUTIVE SESSION – 1V.S.A. §313(a)(1)(E) Pending or Probably Civil Litigation or a Prosecution, to Which the Public Body is or may be a party

MOTION BY DST TO ENTER INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER 1V.S.A. §313(A)(1)(E) PENDING OR PROBABLE CIVIL LITIGATION OR A PROSECUTION, TO WHICH THE PUBLIC BODY IS OR MAY BE A PARTY. DSC SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

KY announced Mark and Dr. Overtree are invited into these sessions.

Comments | 1

  • An addition update - 2 Executive Sessions at the start of the meeting

    II. Executive Session – 1V.S.A. §313(a)(1)(A) Contracts
    III. Executive Session – 1V.S.A. §313(a)(1)(E) Pending or probably civil litigation or a
    prosecution, to which the public body is or may be a party

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