WSESD Board Meeting Agenda and Minutes

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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 Windham Regional
Career Center Cusick Conference Room at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 11, 2022
and remotely via Zoom.

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AGENDA

I. CALL TO ORDER – 6:00 p.m. – David Schoales, Board Chair

II. Policy Review – Policy C7 – Board Relations with Administrators
• The Board will consider: guidelines for communications with administrators; setting goals and objectives for administrators; input for annual performance reviews for each administrator.

III. Administrative Report
• Afghan Family Resettlement Activities
• PreK Partnership Agreement – Action Needed
• Retirements / Resignations / Hiring

IV. Unfinished Business
• Sexual Abuse Investigation Update

V. New Business
• Interdisciplinary Climate Report Card Project – The Board will consider supporting the interdisciplinary Climate Report Card Project – This spring, the Underground Workshop, in partnership with the Vermont Energy Education Program (VEEP), is offering a collaborative reporting project for Vermont’s students: “Climate Report Card for our Schools.” The project invites students from across the state to collect data, stories and interviews, comprising an valuation of their schools’ progress toward sustainability. Participation is open to students in middle school, high school and college. The “report card” will use five criteria to evaluate progress: heat, electricity, transportation, food systems, and curriculum

VI. Fiscal Report
• FY 2023 Budget Presentation / Discussion

VII. CONSENT AGENDA

• CLERK’S REPORT – Approval of Minutes – December 14 (pending) and December 21, 2021


• FINANCES
Warrants of December 20, 2021
Warrant No. 1181 in the amount of $ 543.00

Warrant No. 1185 in the amount of 700.00

Warrant No. 1186 in the amount of 650.00

Warrant No. 1187 in the amount of 161,002.31

Warrant No. 1189 in the amount of 1,307.79

Warrant No. 1090 in the amount of 75,766.88
$239,969.98

Warrants of December 28, 2021
Warrant No. 1092 in the amount of $ 537.17

Warrant No. 1094 in the amount of 2,257.57

Warrant No. 1195 in the amount of 13,989.50

Warrant No. 1196 in the amount of` 4,827.11

Warrant No. 1197 in the amount of 122,556.60
$144,167.95

Warrants of January 3, 2022
Warrant No. 1198 in the amount of $ 1,255.00

Warrant No. 1202 in the amount of 561.50

Warrant No. 1203 in the amount of 15,223.88

Warrant No. 1204 in the amount of 1,045.41

Warrant No. 1205 in the amount of 126,602.74
$144,688.53

Payrolls
December 17, 2021 $1,669,510.22

December 31, 2021 $1,144,099.58

VIII. Public Comment on Non-agenda Items (10 minutes)

IX. Executive Sessions
• 1 V.S.A. § 313(a)1B – Labor Relations with Employees
• 1 V.S.A. § 313(a)3 – the appointment or employment or evaluation of a public officer or employee.

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, DECEMBER 21, 2021
REGULAR BOARD MEETING – 6:00PM
HYBRID MEETING: DUMMERSTON SCHOOL/REMOTE LOCATION
DRAFT MINUTES


WSESD Board Members Present: Chairperson David Schoales (DS), Anne Beekman (AB), Michelle
Leutjen Green (MG), Tim Maciel (TM), Shaun Murphy (SM), Jaci Reynolds (JR), Kelly Young (KY)
WSESU Administrators Present: Julianne Eagan (Dummerston School Principal), Mary Kauffman
(Oak Grove School Principal), Kate Margaitis (Green Street School Principal), Steve Perrin (BUHS
Principal), Frank Rucker (Finance Director), Mark Speno (Interim Superintendent), Nancy Weise
(WRCC Director)
Media Present: BCTV
Others Present: Kerry Amidon (WSESU Board Chair), Lilly DePino, Mindy Haskins Rogers, Deb
Kardane, Wendy M. Levy (Board Recorder), Paul Smith
Please note: this attendance may be incomplete.


I. CALL TO ORDER

Chair DS called the meeting to order at 6:08pm.

DS announced the recent work with diversity and equity leaders, and that he is borrowing their
acknowledgment of Abenaki land to open the meeting.

DS announced this meeting is a hybrid meeting, and its possible limitations and implications for
participation.

II. CONSENT AGENDA
– CLERK’S REPORT

DS noted the draft minutes from the December 14, 2021 meeting will come at a later date.
– FINANCES

Warrants of November 8, 2021
Warrant No. 1134 in the amount of $ 3,641.00

Warrant No. 1137 in the amount of 690.05

Warrant No. 1138 in the amount of 769.99

Warrant No. 1139 in the amount of 2,754.33

Warrant No. 1140 in the amount of 174.00

Warrant No. 1141 in the amount of 251,568.58
$259,597.95
Warrants of November 15, 2021
Warrant No. 1143 in the amount of $ 50.00

Warrant No. 1144 in the amount of 197.00

Warrant No. 1145 in the amount of 31,998.00

Warrant No. 1146 in the amount of 450.00

Warrant No. 1147 in the amount of 1,261.81

Warrant No. 1148 in the amount of 93,064.07
$127,020.88
Warrants of November 22, 2021
Warrant No. 1150 in the amount of $ 17,706.73

Warrant No. 1151 in the amount of 60.00

Warrant No. 1153 in the amount of 12,282.24

Warrant No. 1158 in the amount of 412.50

Warrant No. 1159 in the amount of 1,675.16

Warrant No. 1160 in the amount of 164,496.93
$196,633.56
Warrants of November 29, 2021
Warrant No. 1162 in the amount of $ 2,654.54

Warrant No. 1163 in the amount of 1,206.94

Warrant No. 1164 in the amount of 90,570.99
$94,432.47
Warrants of December 6, 2021
Warrant No. 1166 in the amount of $ 593.63

Warrant No. 1167 in the amount of 1,769.00

Warrant No. 1169 in the amount of 399.95

Warrant No. 1170 in the amount of 1,040.66

Warrant No. 1171 in the amount of 8,726.07

Warrant No. 1172 in the amount of 1,013.00

Warrant No. 1173 in the amount of 850,024.04
$863,566.35
Warrants of December 13, 2021
Warrant No. 1174 in the amount of $ 1,267.77

Warrant No. 1175 in the amount of 2,049.00

Warrant No. 1178 in the amount of 2,512.50

Warrant No. 1179 in the amount of 1,177.67

Warrant No. 1180 in the amount of 93,969.50
$100,976.44
Payrolls
November 5, 2021 $1,394,000.72

November 19, 2021 $1,527,970.55

December 3, 2021 $1,383,677.95


MOTION BY MG TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. AB SECONDED. MOTION
CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

III. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS
There was none.
IV. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
• Recovery Plan Update
◦ Tier I Math and Literacy Curriculum Currently Being Piloted

Deb Kardane and Lilly DePino gave a presentation on the Tier I pilot program. They shared and
reviewed a document, “WSESD Board: Curriculum Update 12/20/21.” Highlights included:


• This new curriculum is being considered at the present time.
• Why is it being considered? Teachers expressed a need for an updated curriculum, lessons from COVID, and changes in the field.
• This could increase student engagement and access.
• There was a recent survey.
• A review of the areas of the curriculum that are changing (math and literacy), and some details about the changes.
• A review of some staff feedback.
• What’s next for the staff?
• How this program relates to the recovery learning plan.
• The projected timeline for the pilot and implementation of the curriculum.
A discussion ensued on the staff’s support of this program.
A discussion ensued on how this program will be assessed.
A discussion ensued on including the subject of the climate emergency into the curriculum.
Interim Superintendent Mark Speno spoke about the importance of updating the curriculum, and he
thanked Deb and Lilly for their presentation.

V. FISCAL REPORT
• FY ’23 Windham Southeast Supervisory Union Budget Review and Its Impact on Windham Southeast School District Budget
• Act 173 Impact
DS asked AB to act as Chair of the meeting so he could participate.
Finance Director Frank Rucker discussed the FY23 WSESU Budget review, including a brief overview
of its development process and components. He shared and reviewed a document, “WSESU FY23
Proposed Budget Program Summary.”
Frank distributed copies of the document, “WSESU FY23 Proposed Budget,” to in-person attendees,
and directed online attendees to where, on the website, they could find this document.
A discussion ensued on Special Education, the Special Education funding formula, and how it relates to the tax rate and the weighting study.
Frank announced the SU Board is meeting on December 22 to vote on the budget.
DS advocated for moving slowly on the SU budget approval process because of anticipated action on
Act 173. He also said the SU Board needs time to analyze staffing, especially in regards to Act 173’s
implications. He noted the need for careful consideration on uses of COVID money, especially because
this funding will disappear. He asked the SU Board to consider whether ESSER should fund more
mental health workers. He recommended discussing this with the principals and not just looking at the numbers.
SU Board Chair Kerry Amidon disagreed, and said the SU Board has been moving slowly and
deliberately. A discussion ensued.
A discussion ensued on the priorities, and participants, in developing the budget.

VI. UNFINISHED BUSINESS

A. Update on the Educator Sexual Misconduct Investigation

MOTION BY MG TO AUTHORIZE THE CHAIR TO ENTER INTO CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS TO REAIN THE INVESTIGATIVE SERVICES OF AIMEE GODDARD OF BUEHLER & ANNIS PLC BRATTLEBORO. KY SECONDED.

Discussion ensued.

Mindy Haskins Rogers requested the scope of the investigation go back to the 1970s. She asked that the investigation not use “euphemistic language” to downplay the magnitude of the harm in any of the
victims’ reporting. DS said the scope goes back to 1973, and will go until wherever the investigation
takes it, which could include the present time. DS said Haskins Rogers’s language recommendation is a good one.

A discussion ensued on the gender make-up of the law firm.

VOTE ON THE MG MOTION: MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
VII. NEW BUSINESS
A. New Hires / Resignations
BUHS Principal Steve Perrin announced Chris Angell will retire from BUHS.
MOTION BY AB TO APPROVE THE RETIREMENT OF CHRIS ANGEL, WITH REGRET.
JR SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
MOTION BY AB TO ADJOURN. LA SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:50pm.
DOCUMENTS PRESENTED:
• WSESD Board: Curriculum Update 12/20/21
• WSESU FY23 Proposed Budget Program Summary
• WSESU FY23 Proposed Budget

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

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