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, AUGUST 9, 2022
REGULAR BOARD MEETING – 6:00PM
HYBRID MEETING: BUHS MULTI-PURPOSE 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), Deborah Stanford (DST).
WSESD Board Members Absent: Emily Murphy Kaur, David Schoales
WSESU/WSESD Administrators and Staff Present: Mark Speno, Paul Smith, Wendy M. Levy, Kate Margaitis, Cassie Damkoehler, Traci Lane, Mary Kaufmann, Keith Lyman, Frank Rucker,
Media Present:
Others Present: Sherri Keefe, Mindy Haskins Rogers, Jaime Contois
Please note: this attendance may be incomplete.
I. CALL TO ORDER
Chair KY called the meeting to order at 6:03pm.
MOTION BY KY TO AMEND THE AGENDA TO POSTPONE UNTIL 8/23 ITEM F “REPORT OF RECRUITMENT” FROM “UNFINISHED BUSINESS.” AB SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
II. CONSENT AGENDA
– CLERK’S REPORT – Approval of Minutes – July 19, 2022
MOTION BY TM TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF JULY 19, 2022. DST SECONDED. KY CALLED FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE BECAUSE MG INDICATED SHE WOULD ABSTAIN BECAUSE SHE WAS ABSENT FROM THE LAST MEETING. KY ASKED ALL WHO VOTED IN FAVOR TO INDICATE THEY WERE DOING SO (they were not asked to vote individually via roll call, so your board recorder could not record all Board members’ affirmative votes). NONE OPPOSED. MG ABSTAINED. MOTION CARRIED.
– FINANCES
Warrants of July 18, 2022
Warrant No. 1014 in the amount of $ 240.00
Warrant No. 1015 in the amount of 10,250.00
Warrant No. 1016 in the amount of 4,882.26
Warrant No. 1018 in the amount of 3,000.00
Warrant No. 1020 in the amount of 450.00
Warrant No. 1021 in the amount of 121.35
Warrant No. 1022 in the amount of 1,769.61
Warrant No. 1023 in the amount of 119,164.84
Warrant No. 1024 in the amount of 385.00
Warrant No. 1025 in the amount of 99,996.96
Warrant No. 1026 in the amount of 750.00
Warrant No. 1027 in the amount of 18,156.78
$259,166.80
Warrants of July 25, 2022
Warrant No. 1028 in the amount of $ 2,000.00
Warrant No. 1029 in the amount of 1,128.00
Warrant No. 1030 in the amount of 12,411.69
Warrant No. 1031 in the amount of 6,504.05
Warrant No. 1033 in the amount of 291,384.07
Warrant No. 1034 in the amount of 58,126.05
Warrant No. 1035 in the amount of 49,082.61
Warrant No. 1036 in the amount of 195.00
Warrant No. 1038 in the amount of 26,922.40
Warrant No. 1039 in the amount of 669.23
$448,423.10
Warrants of August 1, 2022
Warrant No. 1044 in the amount of $ 18,534.00
Warrant No. 1046 in the amount of 5,205.09
Warrant No. 1047 in the amount of 18,250.00
Warrant No. 1048 in the amount of 3,493.42
Warrant No. 1049 in the amount of 84,985.88
$130,468.39
Payrolls
July 15, 2022 $1,159,781.99
July 29, 2022 $1,018,600.31
MOTION BY AB TO APPROVE THE WARRANTS FROM JULY 18, 2022 IN THE AMOUNT OF $259,166.80; FROM JULY 25, 2022 IN THE AMOUNT OF $448,423.10; AND FROM AUGUST 1, 2022 IN THE AMOUNT OF $130,468.39. SM SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
MOTION BY AB TO APPROVE THE PAYROLLS FROM JULY 15, 2022 IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,159,781.99, AND FROM JULY 29, 2022 IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,018,600.13. MG SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
III. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS
There was none.
VI. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. Policy and Amendment Committee – Board Action Needed
• A1 – The Role and Adoption of School Board Policies – Re-adoption
• B3 – Board Conflict of Interest – Re-adoption
• D3 – Staffing and Job Descriptions – Re-adoption
• D6 – Substitute Teachers – Re-adoption
• D15 – Travel Reimbursement – Re-adoption
• F6 – Education Records – Re-adoption
• F24 – Firearms and Dangerous or Deadly Weapons – Re-adoption
• G14 – Animal Dissection – Re-adoption
MOTION BY DST TO APPROVE FOR READOPTION THE POLICIES THAT WERE PRESENTED AT THE JULY 19 MEETING. THESE POLICIES ARE BEYOND THE 10-DAY WARNING PERIOD. A1 – THE ROLE AND ADOPTION OF SCHOOL BOARD POLICIES. B3 – BOARD CONFLICT OF INTEREST. D3 – STAFFING AND JOB DESCRIPTIONS. D6 – SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS. D15 – TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT. F6 – EDUCATION RECORDS. F24 – FIREARMS AND DANGEROUS OR DEADLY WEAPONS. G14 – ANIMAL DISSECTION. AB SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
B. Panorama Climate Survey Update (from the 06/21/22 and 07/19/22 meetings)
• The history of Erin’s Law.
• What Erin’s Law is (statutes addressing suspected cases of child sexual abuse), and how it affects the reporting of suspected cases of child abuse, and how it affects school-staff training.
• Information on trainings for the District’s elementary school staff.
• Information on lessons for elementary school children.
• National child abuse statistics.
• How to include caregivers in trainings and prevention efforts.
• Definitions used in trainings.
to the SRO task force recommendations. Highlights included:
• There are no changes to what Chris Day presented in the spring.
• Work the administration has done this summer to develop systems of support to address events of this past year.
• Many staff members contributed to this presentation, but it may not represent everyone’s views.
• Challenges of the 2021/2022 school year: lots of trauma, not enough support, outmoded punitive systems, and a lack of collaboration.
• The effects of those challenges on the community.
• Systems of support to address these challenges: a student support team, how students are referred to it, what they do there, how often they meet, the collaborative model, who is on the team, and what they can do.
• A special room will exist this coming school year for student engagement: what it is (a place for students to get support), what it isn’t (punitive), where it will be located (next to the Restorative Justice Room).
MG noted that all of us are traumatized by COVID. A discussion ensued on the need to expand trauma-informed practices in all areas.
• Details on the process to develop the master schedule.
• Why and how changes were implemented to the master schedule.
• When the work started for the coming school year’s schedule.
• The VTMTSS system helped staff identify strengths and weaknesses in the schedule.
• What the VTMTSS system screener looks like, and the staff’s process for using it.
• Charts showing students’ math and literacy data, and behavioral and social-emotional learning, at various points of the previous school year, and how this affected developing the master schedule.
• Upcoming activities for staff training.
• Some non-negotiables to meet student need.
• Establishing staff norms to help them support students and create a positive and functioning school community.
A chart of secondary practices in MTSS, which covers Tiers 1-3, and what they include.
MOTION BY MG TO EXTEND THE MEETING BY 20 MINUTES. TM SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
VII. NEW BUSINESS
LD announced the new members: Kaiya Colby and Benjamin Berg, who will serve one-year terms on the School Board.
Magdalena Keppel, Miles Ackerman-Hovis, Skyler Shooer-Sampson, and Theia Wepaloki. TM said it was a privilege interviewing them.
IV. UNFINISHED BUSINESS (continued)
G. Sexual Abuse Investigation Update
KY announced there is no update, and work continues. There will be an update at the 8/23 Board meeting. Outreach continues. There is a revised draft of the press release for investigation outreach, and this draft also went to the Superintendent’s office. KY read the press release into the record.
Mary Kaufmann reported on what work the Sexual Abuse Investigation Committee has done recently, what they will do at their upcoming retreat, and how this process will continue. She noted the committee is working on a parallel track with the Board.
A discussion ensued on whether to issue the press release soon, or to postpone it, and the possible implications of each option.
MOTION BY DST TO TABLE THE DRAFT PRESS RELEASE UNTIL THE NEXT BOARD MEETING. MG SECONDED.
A discussion ensued on issuing the press release, and working with the Superintendent on it.
VOTE ON THE DST MOTION: MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
MOTION BY MG TO EXTEND THE MEETING BY 10 MINUTES. AB SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
V. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Superintendent Mark Speno gave his report on the property at 850 Western Avenue in Brattleboro and the history and relevance of it to the District and to the Academy School. He said the District is not buying the house, and the administration does not recommend buying the house.
MOTION BY KY THAT THE WSESD DECLINE TO PURCHASE THE PROPERTY AT 850 WESTERN AVE, BRATTLEBORO, CONTINGENT ON THE RIGHT OF FIRST-PURCHASE IN THE JULY 15, 1955 DEED, CONTINUING FORWARD. MG SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
Mark continued his report by announcing Oak Grove Principal Mary Kaufmann is having a baby in October, and is taking a maternity leave. The administration wants to post a one-year Assistant Principal position, and that person will work with Mary upon her return. A discussion ensued.
MOTION BY AB THAT THIS BOARD ESTABLISHES A ONE-YEAR ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT THE OAK GROVE SCHOOL. MS SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
VI. FISCAL REPORT
• The committee reviewed the end-of-year fiscal report.
• We are ending in a favorable position.
• We are meeting our upcoming deadlines.
• In a few weeks we start planning the next Fiscal Year.
• There are no updates or offers on the Whetstone Village properties.
VII. NEW BUSINESS
A. Policy and Amendment Committee:
• D9 – Alcohol and Drug-Free Workplace – 1st Reading
• D10 – Resignations – 1st Reading
• D12 – Policy on Prevention of Harassment of Employees – 1st Reading
• F22 – Student Assessment – 1st Reading
• F30 – Pupil Privacy Rights – 1st Reading
DST announced the next 10 days are the warning period for these policies, which will allow the community to assess and review the policies listed above. Anyone having questions or concerns can either contact any Board member, or can contact members of the Policy and Amendment Committee directly. Those members are DST, TM, David Schoales, LA, and SM. DST announced these policies will come up for review and adoption at the 8/23 meeting.
DST reviewed the edit marks in the policy document:
• Strikeouts are VSBA deletions, and the Policy and Amendment Committee has accepted these changes.
• Bold indicates VSBA edits, which the committee accepted.
• Highlighted in blue indicates a decision by the Policy and Amendment Committee to retain wording the VSBA says is unnecessary.
• Highlighted in red indicates Policy and Amendment Committee additions.
MOTION BY KY FOR THE BOARD TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION BASED ON AFTER MAKING A SPECIFIC FINDING THAT PREMATURE GENERAL PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE WOULD CLEARLY PLACE THE PUBLIC BODY OR PERSON INVOLVED IN SUBSTANTIAL DISADVANTAGE, REGARDING ACADEMIC RECORDS OR SUSPENSION OF STUDENTS. THE BOARD INVITES MARK SPENO. TM SECONDED.
MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
MOTION BY KY FOR THE BOARD TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER 1V.S.A. §313(a)(7) FOR ACADEMIC RECORDS OR DISCIPLINE OF STUDENTS. MG SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
The Board entered into executive session at 9:10pm.
The Board rose from executive session at 9:45pm.
MOTION TO GO FORWARD WITH A CONTRACT WITH MEL MOTEL FOR A BOARD WORKSHOP ON RESTORATIVE JUSTICE. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
MOTION BY KY TO ADJOURN.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:21pm.
DOCUMENTS PRESENTED:
• A slideshow on Erin’s Law from the Prevent Child Abuse VT organization.
• A slideshow on the update to the SRO Task Force recommendations.
• A slideshow, “Master Scheduling at Oak Grove School.”
• A spreadsheet of the Oak Grove School master schedule arranged by grade.
• A slideshow, “Master Scheduling at BAMS.”
• A chart of BAMS teachers’ schedules for the upcoming school year.
• A chart of BAMS exploratory period schedules for the upcoming school year.
Respectfully submitted by Wendy M. Levy from minutes taken by Wendy M. Levy.
This represents my understanding of the above dated meeting. If you have any changes, please submit them at the next Board meeting
