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,
December 13, 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. STUDENT MATTERS (5-10 Minutes)
III. CONSENT AGENDA
• CLERK’S REPORT – Approval of Minutes – November 22 and December 1
• FINANCES
Warrants of November 7, 2022
Warrant No. 1142 in the amount of $ 55.00
Warrant No. 1145 in the amount of 545.23
Warrant No. 1146 in the amount of 4,110.57
Warrant No. 1148 in the amount of 786.86
Warrant No. 1149 in the amount of 953,664.10
$959,161.76
Warrants of November 14, 2022
Warrant No. 1150 in the amount of $ 499.00
Warrant No. 1152 in the amount of 35,139.13
Warrant No. 1153 in the amount of 6,452.25
Warrant No. 1154 in the amount of 960.99
Warrant No. 1155 in the amount of 77,220.55
$120,271.92
Warrant of November 21, 2022
Warrant No. 1157 in the amount of $ 45,805.27
Warrant No. 1162 in the amount of 100.00
Warrant No. 1163 in the amount of 43,805.73
Warrant No. 1164 in the amount of 6,766.00
Warrant No. 1165 in the amount of 166,096.37
$262,573.37
Warrant of November 28, 2022
11/15/2022 ACH Purchasing Card Payment $ 19,173.97
Warrant No. 1166 in the amount of 7,704.80
Warrant No. 1167 in the amount of 9,848.06
Warrant No. 1168 in the amount of 3,067.74
Warrant No. 1169 in the amount of 220,597.87
Warrant No. 1170 in the amount of 132.50
$260,524.94
Warrant of December 5, 2022
Warrant No. 1171 in the amount of $134,687.01
Warrant No. 1175 in the amount of 7,389.31
Warrant No. 1176 in the amount of 2,265.21
Warrant No. 1177 in the amount of 3,031.20
Warrant No. 1178 in the amount of 555.63
Warrant No. 1179 in the amount of 161,616.13
$309,544.49
Payrolls
November 4, 2022 $1,479,826.79
November 18, 2022 $1,626,648.74
December 5, 2022 $1,474,842.44
IV. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS (10 minutes)
V. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. New WSESU Website Follow-up
B. Sexual Abuse Investigation – Update
VI. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
VII. FISCAL REPORT
VIII. NEW BUSINESS
A. Policy and Amendment Committee
• F38 – Prevention of Sexual Harassment as Prohibited by Title IX – 1st Reading
B. Policy G8 – Local Action Plan – Discussion
C. Appoint Brattleboro Representative to the Independent Budget Review Committee
D. Finance Committee Recommendation Regarding Lease Agreement with the Whetstone Village Association
E. Act 250 Application – Action Needed
F. Retirements/Resignations
IX. BOARD TRAINING
A. Evaluate VSBA Training on November 16 and 17, 2022
EXECUTIVE SESSION (If Needed)
….
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, NOVEMBER 22, 2022
REGULAR BOARD MEETING – 6:00PM
HYBRID MEETING: WRCC CUSICK CONFERENCE ROOM, BRATTLEBORO,
AND REMOTELY VIA ZOOM
DRAFT MINUTES
WSESD Board Members Present: Chair Kelly Young (KY), Liz Adams (LA), Lana Dever (LD), Michelle Green (MG), Tim Maciel (TM), Robin Morgan (RM), Shaun Murphy (SM), Deborah Stanford (DS). non-voting members: Benjamin Berg (BB), Kaiya Colby (KC)
WSESD Board Members Absent: Anne Beekman, Emily Murphy Kaur
WSESU/SD Staff and Administrators Present: Mark Speno, Ricky Davidson, Cassie Damkoehler, Paul Smith, Julianna Eagan, Kate Margaitis, John Gagnon, Keith Lyman, Deb Gass, Nancy Wiese, Mary Ross.
Media Present:
Others Present: Mindy Haskins Rogers of Northampton, Jody Normandeau of Dummerston, Rosario Dominguez of UMASS
Please note: attendance may be incomplete or incorrect.
I. CALL TO ORDER
Chair KY called the meeting to order at 6pm.
KY announced changes to the agenda.
MOTION BY KY TO AMEND THE AGENDA TO:
• COMBINE THE TWO EXECUTIVE SESSIONS AT THE END OF THE MEETING
• MOVE THE TWO EXECUTIVE SESSIONS TO 7PM
• MOVE THE EXECUTIVE SESSIONS AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT TO JUST AFTER “VI. UNFINISHED BUSINESS A. Head Start / Early Head Start Carryover Request and Non-Federal Share Waiver for Grants That Ended 6/30/2022.”LD SECONDED.
A discussion ensued.
TM asked KY if she anticipated the Board taking any action after the executive sessions.
KY responded: She did not know.
VOTE ON THE KY MOTION: MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
II. STUDENT MATTERS
There were none.
III. CONSENT AGENDA
• CLERK’S REPORT – Approval of Minutes – November 3, November 8 and November 15, 2022
MOTION BY SM TO APPROVE THE NOVEMBER 3, 2022 MINUTES. DS SECONDED.
MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
MOTION BY TM TO AMEND THE NOVEMBER 8, 2022 MINUTES TO REMOVE THE WITHDRAWN MOTION ACCORDING TO ROBERT’S RULES OF ORDER, AND TO ADD THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE ROLE OF THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE BOARD IN THE SEXUAL ABUSE INVESTIGATION’S OUTREACH. LD SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
MOTION BY DS TO AMEND THE NOVEMBER 8 MINUTES ON PAGES 9 AND 10 TO COMBINE THE TWO MOTIONS TO ENTER INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION—THE ONE WHERE MARK SPENO WAS INVITED—INTO ONE SESSION, AND TO INDICATE IT WAS NOT MG WHO MOVED TO ENTER, IT WAS KY. LD SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY
A discussion ensued.
TM announced he will be sharing the portions of Robert’s Rules of Order that address meeting minutes with the Board for their consideration. TM said the Board’s meeting minutes have been drafted incorrectly for a very long time.
MOTION BY KY TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS AMENDED BY TM AND DS. THIS MOTION WAS NOT SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
MOTION BY DS TO APPROVE THE NOVEMBER 15 MINUTES. TM SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
IV. PRESENTATION: HEAD START/EARLY HEAD START GOVERNANCE TRAINING
Deb Gass, Executive Director of Early Education Services (EES) introduced the subject and announced she had some Policy Council members, and trainers, with her (they attended remotely).
Ms. Gass described what EES is and the role it plays in the community.
Rosario Dominguez, a Head Start-contracted trainer and technical assistance provider from UMASS, presented on the Head Start and Early Head Start governance training. Highlights included:
• What “inclusive (aka ‘shared’) governance” means.
• Federal requirements for Head Start boards and that EES/WSESD is the exception.
• A video about the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services leadership, governance principles, and structure for Head Start programs.
• A slide-show of Head Start federal guidance and standards on leadership and governance.
A discussion ensued.
SM and MG asked for an explanation between towns served by the WSESD and WSESU boards and how that interacts with Head Start and EES. Ms. Gass provided some history and details of the county- wide Head Start program.
KY said she will forward Head Start information to the Vernon Elementary School principal.
V. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS
Jody Normandeau of Dummerston said she recently watched a Vermont School Boards Association (VSBA) meeting and the BUHS leadership team was there to talk about drugs at BUHS.
MOTION BY DS TO TAKE A SIX-MINUTE BREAK BEFORE THE BOARD ENTERS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. RM SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
The board entered a brief recess at 6:53pm.
Chair KY called the meeting back to order at 7pm.
XI. EXECUTIVE SESSION – 1 V.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.
XII. EXECUTIVE SESSION – 1 V.S.A. §313(A)(1)(f) Confidential attorney-client communications made for the purpose of providing professional legal services to the body.
MOTION BY KY TO FIND THAT PREMATURE GENERAL PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE WOULD CLEARLY PLACE THE PUBLIC BODY OR A PERSON INVOLVED AT A SUBSTANTIAL DISADVANTAGE; PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE WILL BE A SEPARATE MOTION TO DISCUSS ENTERING INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR 1 V.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; AND 1 V.S.A. §313(A)(1)(F) CONFIDENTIAL ATTORNEY-CLIENT COMMUNICATIONS MADE FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL LEGAL SERVICES TO THE BODY. DS SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
MOTION BY KY TO ENTER INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR 1 V.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; AND 1 V.S.A. §313(A)(1)(F) CONFIDENTIAL ATTORNEY-CLIENT COMMUNICATIONS MADE FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL LEGAL SERVICES TO THE BODY; AND TO INVITE ATTORNEYS KENDALL HOCHST AND PIETRO LYNN, AND SUPERINTENDENT MARK SPENO. MG SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
The Board may have entered into executive session at 7:02pm; the BCTV recording ended when KY announced the time.
The Board rose from executive session at 8:10pm.
VII. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Mr. Speno gave his report.
Mr. Speno gave an overview of the work the board and leadership team has done on the subject of sexual abuse and harassment in schools. Highlights included:
• The goals: to increase awareness of sexual abuse.
• A focus on policy.
• Information on how the leadership team has provided professional development and resources to students, families, and staff.
• This work has been shared regularly, and this report is an opportunity to review the work, and share upcoming work.
• A slide-show, “Leadership and Board: Abuse Prevention Efforts 2022-2023.” It included such subjects as, “Districtwide Leadership and SD Board Efforts,” “School-Based Efforts,” and “Additional Work in Progress.”
• During the slide-show, Mr. Speno invited administrators to speak on the specific projects they have completed, and what projects are upcoming. The following staff members participated: Cassie Damkoehler of BUHS, Julianne Eagan of Dummerston School, Ricky Davidson of BUHS, Kate Margaitis of Green Street School, John Gagnon of Guilford Central School, Keith Lyman of BAMS, Mary Ross of Vernon Elementary School.
• The administration discusses how to provide access to students to utilize the Women’s Freedom Center as a reporting source.
• The dress code policy will come up for review soon.
• A discussion ensued on retaliation, and the administration’s responses to, and work on, this subject.
• The administration is continuing discussions on focusing on social-emotional learning, and working with Dr. Chris Overtree on the student climate survey.
• The administration is keeping track of the programs in schools and building a “warehouse” to continue, adjust, and learn from.
KY noted that when one administrator spoke, the others nodded in unison, indicating they had similar programs and results.
Mindy Haskins Rogers of Northampton commended Mr. Speno and the other administrators on their hard work. She raised some concerns and questions to consider, including identifying groomers, being confident to report colleagues who violate codes of conduct, not placing too much responsibility on children to set and enforce personal boundaries, and a reminder that the Women’s Freedom Center is not a mandated reporter. A discussion ensued.
KY said there was no further update on the sexual abuse investigation, but this presentation is part of the board’s work on the subject.
Mr. Speno continued his administrative report by announcing a new hire: Chris Brewer. Mr. Brewer led last summer’s summer program, and is an academic support teacher for BAMS. He has been hired as Interim Dean of Students at BUHS for the remainder of the school year.
MOTION BY SM TO APPROVE CHRIS BREWER AS THE BUHS INTERIM DEAN OF STUDENTS. LA SECONDED.
A discussion ensued.
TM asked Mr. Speno to provide board members with CVs of high-level applicants in advance so board members could review them before approving of their hiring.
VOTE ON THE SM MOTION: MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
VIII. FISCAL REPORT
Because Finance Director Frank Rucker was absent, SM gave a brief report. He announced the Finance Committee would meet on November 29, and then meet two more times, and then present the draft budget for FY24 to the board on December 20.
IX. NEW BUSINESS
A. Policy & Amendment Committee
DS announced the recent work of the committee, specifically on the following policies:
• F10 – Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect – 1st Reading
DS noted the edits from the Policy & Amendment Committee are to ensure that reporting involves more people and does not occur in a vertical straight line, and that the mandated reporter must report directly to the Department of Children & Families (DCF) and not the principal. The latter brings the policy in line with state law.
• F21 – Policy on the use of Restraint and Seclusion – 1st Reading
DS noted the VSBA, in their edits, has retained every term for the definition, but they deleted the definition itself. DS said that Executive Secretary Barb Nowakowski recommended they retain the definition, because “more is better.” Thus, the committee has done so.
• F35 – School Animal Policy
DS noted this originates with the Vermont Department of Health’s guidance on service animals. DS said a community member had requested waste stations for service animals. The committee declined this request because it sends a message to the community that it’s okay to walk your dog here. DS said there
are no edits proposed, but there has been some concern about bat houses, so this policy will go back to the committee for further review.
DS announced these are new policies and are being presented for their first reading. They are now in the 10-day warning period. DS welcomed the public to submit feedback to anyone on the Policy & Amendment Committee, or to any board member.
DS announced the next committee meeting is November 29. Also, the committee decided 90 minutes was not long enough, so meetings are now two hours; they begin at 2:30pm and end at 4:30pm.
B. Appoint Additional Leadership Council Member (1 – Academy School)
Mr. Speno announced Shauna Morris was seeking appointment to the Academy School Leadership Council.
MOTION BY RM TO APPROVE SHAUNA MORRIS AS A LEADERSHIP COUNCIL MEMBER OF ACADEMY SCHOOL. TM SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED
UNANIMOUSLY.
C. Early Education Services (EES) – Staff Wellness Policy
Deb Gass requested the board address item A of Unfinished Business first. KY said yes.
VI. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. Head Start / Early Head Start Carryover Request and Non-Federal Share Waiver for Grants That Ended 6/30/2022 – Action Needed
Ms. Gass requested a carry-over of $339,280.29 from the Head Start / Early Head Start budget, which includes $13,270 from the Head Start budget, and an additional amount of approximately $13,000 from the training budget. This comes from a budget that was closed out on June 30, and Ms. Gass’s request is to put it in the current budget.
Ms. Gass explained the reason why the money was not spent, and what EES’s plans are for using it in this fiscal year. It is to expand and renovate an early-education instruction center at WRCC, expanding kitchen space at the Birge Street facility, and reinforcing the retaining wall at the Canal Street property. For the training funds, Ms. Gass wants to send some staff to a conference. She noted the EES Policy Council has approved this.
MOTION BY SM TO APPROVE THE HEAD START / EARLY HEAD START CARRYOVER REQUEST FOR $339,280.29 AND $13,000. LA SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
Ms. Gass continued her discussion on the non-federal share waiver. She noted EES has to provide a match of approximately 25% on all federal money they receive. This is not new. It demonstrates a community’s support of the program. Ms. Gass said the match was hard to achieve during lockdown, so the national Head Start granted EES a waiver. Now, EES seeks a waiver to raise what they couldn’t, which is $382,057.
MOTION BY LA TO APPROVE THE NON-FEDERAL SHARE WAIVER FOR GRANTS FOR $382,057. RM SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
C. Early Education Services (EES) – Staff Wellness Policy
Ms. Gass reminded the board they approved a staff retention wellness policy last year, and she reported its success. To participate in the national push to raise wages for early-education workers, which is greatly needed, she will present a new wage scale in the spring. Currently, there are many vacancies, which adversely affects the well-being of EES staff. EES has applied to, and received, government funding to support staff well-being, and they must spend it. Ms. Gass said she sent board members the EES well-being policy, and she read it into the record. She also explained how the funding is disbursed among the staff. DS said some of the documents had not arrived and she asked Ms. Gass to re-send them.
MOTION BY LA THAT THE WSESD BOARD APPROVE THE WELLNESS POLICY AS DEB GASS PROPOSED. RM SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
X. BOARD TRAINING
A. VSBA Training on November 16 and 17, 2022 – Follow-Up
KY announced the training was on November 16 for the board and for Mr. Speno, and on November 17 for the board, Mr. Speno, and other administrators.
KY said she received a follow-up survey from the VSBA about the trainings, and she invited attendees to submit their answers to her.
MOTION BY DS TO ADJOURN. LA SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
The Board adjourned at 9:26pm.
Documents presented:
• A video on U.S. Department of Health and Human Services leadership, governance principles, and structure for Head Start programs.
• A slide-show of Head Start federal guidance and standards on leadership and governance.
• A slide-show, “Leadership and Board: Abuse Prevention Efforts 2022-2023.”
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 at the next Board meeting.
…..
Windham Southeast School District (WSESD) Board
Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022
Executive Session
Remote via Zoom
Called to order by KY at 6:03 pm., Dec 1, 2022.
Motion made by KY to enter Executive Session under 1VSA §313 (a) (1) (F) confidential attorney-client communications made for the purpose of providing legal services to the body and 1 VSA §313 (a)(1)(e) pending or probable civil litigation or a prosecution to which the public body is or may be a party.
Invited guest: Attorney Sean Toohey.
Entered into ES at 6:07 p.m.
Attending (all via Zoom): Deborah Stanford (DST), Robin Morgan (RM), Kelly Young (KY, Chair), Tim Maciel (TM, Clerk), Michelle Green (MG), Anne Beekman (AB), Liz Adams (LA), Lana Dever (LD)
Absent: Shaun Murphy, Emily Murphy-Kaur
8:01. Rose from Executive Session. No action taken
Motion by AB to adjourn, seconded by LA, unanimous consent. Meeting adjourned at 8:01 p.m.
Minute by minute
“TM announced he will be sharing the portions of Robert’s Rules of Order that address meeting minutes with the Board for their consideration. TM said the Board’s meeting minutes have been drafted incorrectly for a very long time.”
Personally, I like these minutes. I hope the intent of TM is not to reduce the amount of information in them.
Roberts Rules offers guidelines but as most people know, some boards opt for more detail. It can help with the historical record, it can help make things more clear for board members who miss a meeting, and gives us (the public) some good extra information. I’d like to think we ‘d err on the side of too much detail.
Even with the additional info here, not everything is conveyed. One has to read deeply between the lines to detect board tensions and such. For the most part, these are just good overviews of meetings. The minutes barely showed Schoales departure, for example.
One question, though – whose minutes are these? Are they taken by the board? Or is it school admin? Or is it taxpayers?