Minutes of the March 20th WSESD Meeting

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
MONDAY, MARCH 20, 2023
REGULAR BOARD MEETING – 6:00PM
RESCHEDULED FROM 3/14/23 BECAUSE OF STORMS AND POWER OUTAGES
HYBRID MEETING: WRCC CUSICK CONFERENCE ROOM, BRATTLEBORO,
AND REMOTELY VIA ZOOM
DRAFT MINUTES

WSESD Board Members Present: Chair Kelly Young (KY), Liz Adams (LA), Anne Beekman (AB), Lana Dever (LD), Michelle Green (MG), Tim Maciel (TM), Shaun Murphy (SM), Deborah Stanford (DS). non-voting members: Benjamin Berg (BB)
WSESD Board Members Absent: Emily Murphy Kaur
WSESU/SD Staff and Administrators Present: Mark Speno, Cassie Damkoehler, Paul Smith, Frank Rucker, Julianne Eagan, Keith Lyman, Jon Sessions, Mikaela Simms, Aidy Holding, Carey Fay- Horowitz, Anne Koplinka-Loehr
Media Present:
Others Present: Jody Normandeau of Dummerston, Mindy Haskins Rogers of Northampton, Massachusetts, Jaci Reynolds of Brattleboro, Lisa Ford of Guilford, Crista Yagjian of Guilford, Board Member-elect Kimberly Price,
Please note: attendance may be incomplete.

I. CALL TO ORDER
Chair KY called the meeting to order at 6:07pm.
KY read the hybrid meeting statement.
KY changed the agenda to move “IX. Fiscal Report” to right after “IV. Administrative Report.”

MOTION BY DS TO AMEND THE AGENDA. UNDER “UNFINISHED BUSINESS, F35 –
SCHOOL ANIMAL POLICY,” [IT] IS LISTED AS A 3RD READING; IT IS ACTUALLY A 4TH
READING. TM SECONDED. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

II. PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING ON THE PROPOSED FY ’24 BUDGET

SM gave a summary of the budget and what will be presented at the Annual Meeting. He requested
comments and critiques be shared after he is finished reading the summary. SM shared and reviewed a
document, “WSESD Annual Budget Meeting Overview.” Highlights included:
 FY24 is the final ESSER year.
 The goals of the projects funded by ESSER, and state and federal guidance and Acts that guided the use of these funds.
 Enrollment is stable at approximately 2,400 students.
 The projected Education Tax Rate is down by 6.5%, at $1.51.
 Because of the real estate market, the CLA rates should vary.
 Proposed spending is up 2.7% because of additional student supports, insurance, and special education service costs.
 There are 38 projects in the Capital Plan.
 Find additional information in the Annual Report, which is on the WSESU website, and in the Independent Budget Review Committee’s (IBRC) report.
 SM considers the IBRC’s report to be excellent.
 The Board has unanimously indicated they support this plan.

WSESU Business Administrator Frank Rucker noted this summary is consistent with discussions at Finance Committee meetings, and he has nothing to add.

SM said this summary is the result of a collaborative effort at the Finance Committee meetings.

Superintendent Mark Speno commended the Finance Committee on this summary.

Jody Normandeau of Dummerston asked two questions, with responses as given:

1. Why is the BAMS athletics budget connected to the BUHS budget, and that is not so for the Middle School athletics budgets for the Dummerston School and Putney Central School? And does this reflect equity in athletics for students in the different schools?

Mr. Rucker responded: the BAMS and BUHS athletic budgets are connected in the budget document because they share a facility, so it is logical to put all items associated with athletics (grounds, coaching, transportation, etc.) at the two schools in the same budget.

BAMS Principal Keith Lyman agreed, and noted it is part of District-wide costs. Mr. Rucker said one can read the budget line items at different schools and compare them to assess equity.

Putney Central School Principal Jon Sessions and Dummerston School Principal Julianne Eagan both said that middle-school students from their schools use athletic resources in other District schools, and other students likewise come to their schools for athletic events and programs.

2. How many of the new hires funded by ESSER will remain in the FY24 budget?

Mr. Rucker responded: In FY23, there were approximately 30 ESSER-funded positions. In FY24, there are approximately 24. Many of these positions were created to address learning loss, engagement, and social-emotional learning, and funding is available this fiscal year. The administration is actively discussing what to do in the FY25 transition, and there are no easy answers.

KY reported on her recent work recruiting members to the new year’s IBRC.

SM noted pages 5 and 6 in the Annual Report include important items such as cost increases and the Homestead Tax Rate information.

Lisa Ford of Guilford reminded the Board that when David Schoales was a Board member, he mentioned the need to increase insurance to protect the District against lawsuits related to the sexual abuse investigation. She asked if this is in the budget.

Mr. Speno responded: There is no way to predict what may come in the future, but the administration is reviewing their insurance policies from years ago and the present, and this work is ongoing.

Mr. Rucker responded: The District has increased its liability insurance, but this does not address past claims. The Board increased their legal line item in the budget.

A discussion ensued on protecting the WSESD against legal costs to avoid bankruptcy or financial disaster. Mr. Speno noted the District is in fiscally-sound condition and there is a financial cushion.

III. STUDENT MATTERS
BB reported on the recent professional development workshop the Student Advisory Council presented to BUHS staff. He thanked BUHS Interim Principal Cassie Damkoehler, all of the BUHS administration, and the Council’s advisors. The Council is happy with the workshop, and they continue working on matters related to student climate. Ms. Damkoehler noted everyone was impressed by the workshop. TM noted he and DS attended the workshop, and he is thankful for the opportunity.

IV. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT – DIVERSITY & EQUITY PRESENTATION
Mr. Speno thanked the community for its response and assistance in helping schools reopen after the previous week’s major storms, which closed schools for a day, and Guilford Central School for two days.

Mr. Speno gave an update on the search for a BUHS Principal. There is a screening committee, which has 20 members and includes students, staff, Board members, and administrators. Last week they conducted the first round of interviews; additional rounds will occur with focus groups containing more community members. He noted this search is similar to that used to hire the Putney Central School Principal. TM asked how students are selected to participate in this process. Mr. Speno responded: The administration helps connect students to this process.

 Diversity & Equity Presentation
WSESU Diversity Coordinator Mikaela Simms presented a slideshow, “WSESU Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice, 14 March 2023.” This was the introduction to the presentation, which included Teacher- Leaders from some District schools speaking about the Diversity and Equity work they are doing in their schools. Highlights from Ms. Simms’s introduction included:

 The focus of this presentation is on the individual schools.
 All schools have Diversity & Equity committees.
 Major improvements are indicated, including more participation.
 The committees are part of the schools’ culture, and part of staff’s responsibilities; they are not “extra work.”

Teacher-Leaders then gave their presentations as follows:
Putney Central School: Aidy Holding and Carey Fay-Horowitz presented on their school’s “Black Lives Matter at School” week. Highlights included:
 Activities, discussions, projects, and community participation for each grade.