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 20, 2023
REGULAR BOARD MEETING – 6PM
HYBRID MEETING: WINDHAM REGIONAL CAREER CENTER CUSICK CONFERENCE
ROOM AND REMOTELY VIA ZOOM
DRAFT MINUTES
Summary:
● The Board approved the hire of a new Auto Shop instructor for WRCC.
● Finance Director Frank Rucker presented the first draft of the WSESD FY2025 Budget for the Board to review. The budget is level-funded at $65,707,962, a 2.8% increase from last year’s budget, and will result in a projected tax rate of 1.59.
● The Board closely reviewed the budget items for Board-specific expenditures.
● The Board announced that they will be scheduling an executive session soon to review information regarding the Sexual Abuse Investigation.
● The Programmatic and Performance Equity reported on their meeting to discuss food access equity across the district. The committee is interested in looking into the possibility of establishing a district-wide or supervisory union-wide Independent Food Service program.
● The Board discussed the possibility of hiring an administrative assistant to support the Board and will vote on this matter at the next meeting on January 9, 2024.
WSESD Board Members Present: Chair Kelly Young (KY), Anne Beekman (AB), Tim Maciel (TM), Ruby McAdoo (RMC), Robin Morgan (RMO), Shaun Murphy (SM), Eva Nolan (EN), Kimberly Price (KP), Matt Schibley (MS), Deborah Stanford (DS)
WSESU/SD Staff and Administrators Present: Mark Speno, Frank Rucker, Nancy Wiese, Julianne Eagan, Hannah Parker, Keith Lyman, Jon Sessions, Kelly Dias, Brin Tucker, John Gagnon, Mikaela Simms, Jody Nutting, Robin Macy
Media Present: BCTV, Chris Mays (Brattleboro Reformer),
Others Present: Mindy Haskins Rogers (Northampton, MA), Jody Normandeau (Dummerston), Kerry Amidon (Vernon), Kate O’Connor, Kristina Naylor, Liz Adams
Please note: attendance may be incomplete.
I. CALL TO ORDER
KY called the meeting to order at 6:01pm.
KY read the hybrid meeting statement.
II. STUDENT MATTERS
There were none.
III. ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
– WRCC New Hire
Nancy Wiese, Director of Windham Regional Career Center (WRCC) presented a candidate for hire: Jason Goldsmith to teach Auto Shop.
MOTION BY AB TO APPROVE THE HIRING OF JASON GOLDSMITH.
A discussion ensued regarding the process of filling this position after the departure of the previous Auto Shop instructor. Ms. Wiese shared that it is difficult to hire people who are working in a business-sector field to a teaching role because the pay is generally lower. Additionally this position was listed mid-year which is a difficult time to hire. Board members noted the candidate’s lack of experience in working with a diverse population. Ms. Wiese emphasized that he will be given mentorship and support because he is new to the teaching field. He plans to attain his CTE certification while teaching.
ALL VOTED IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION.
IV. Fiscal Report [6:20 to 7:05]
● Review of 1st Draft of the WSESD Budget [45 minutes]
The proposed budget is $65,707,962 – a 2.8% increase over last year. This is a level-funded budget; the revenues are equal to the expenditures. Over 70% of the budget is dedicated to direct instruction. Debt service has reduced due to paying off the bond for BUHS renovations. The district has made significant investments in facility maintenance and many have been completed. It appears that the projected tax rate will go up to 1.59 from 1.51 – an increase of 5%.
Our enrollment is stable and Act 127 has resulted in a big increase in equalized pupil numbers: from 2204 last year to 3721 this year. This results in a reduction in per pupil spending – from $23,418 in FY24 down to $15,707 in FY25.
Nine positions were added last year. A number of small adjustments to the budget result in a net increase of 1 employee for FY2025. There is an increase of 4% in salaries. The vast majority of that increase is in health insurance costs. Health insurance is no longer within the school board’s purview to negotiate, it’s now assigned to a state health commission due to Act 11. This budget is mostly in line with other district spending throughout the state. WSESU tends to spend more on intervention and support because we are higher in poverty than some other areas in the state.
Mr Rucker gave an explanation of the state funding formula and how the tax impact is calculated. The state has recognized that the impacts of the COVID pandemic are still impacting students and have committed to subsidize the tax rate for the next four years to make sure that there is no more than a 5% increase over the previous year, so that brings our projected tax rate down to 1.59%. These are really necessary expenditures and we feel the 5% increase is warranted. This is still at a lower tax rate than three years ago for FY22. Traditionally we have stayed within an inflation rate.
This year we experienced a 67% drop in WSESU subgrants (which includes ESSER funds) resulting in an 11% increase in state funding from the Education fund. Our fund balance is in a fiscally sound position.
A discussion ensued about how the education fund is used to support equal per pupil spending across the state.
Mr. Rucker reviewed the Capital Plan. The plan includes $6.1 million planned expenditure in capital projects which will bring the Capital Fund down to $379,008. Given all of the substantial investments we have made with ESSER funds, the district is in a good position. Mr. Rucker reminded the board that the bid process is proceeding for the Oak Grove project. There have been two bids and he asked to have the board vote on this at the January 9, 2024 meeting.
Jody Normandeau of Dummerston asked for clarity around the impact of the WSESU budget on the tax rate. Mr. Rucker explained that the WSESU costs are higher than usual due to a number of positions that were added last year and funded by ESSER funds being shifted to local funding. The WSESU costs are already included in this budget and the tax rate calculation reflects that.
● Board Budget
The board opted to continue this discussion into an evaluation of the proposed WSESD Board budget, which was scheduled later on the agenda under Board Business.
A discussion ensued regarding the line item for “Other Professional Services” which includes legal services. There was difficulty predicting how much would be needed for this. Mr. Rucker explained that if the funding is more than is needed, he will ask the board to transfer the balance to the general fund at the end of the fiscal year. If the need is greater than what is budgeted, then that will be drawn from the general fund.
The line item for Advertising is mostly used to advertise open positions in the district. It was suggested that Mr. Speno and the HR Director review that number and assess the amount needed.
The Printing and Binding costs have been much lower than what is budgeted due to a decision to publish a summary of the audit rather than printing the entire document. It was suggested that that line be reduced to reflect more accurate costs.
Travel funding was budgeted at $325 which would not be enough to cover board members traveling to VSBA conferences. Mr. Speno suggested increasing that to $1500.
There was a discussion of the Supplies budget. Last year’s expenditure of $12,212 was mostly spent on catering for occasional meals and the board’s end of year appreciation food gifts to district staff. SM asked that these expenditures be more formalized. Mr. Rucker suggested reviewing the district’s procurement manual which helps us adhere to federal spending guidelines. School district’s can’t spend federal money on food so we don’t generally spend on that unless it’s paid for by local fundraising.
RMC asked board members to consider whether the VSBA provides enough professional support.
KY asked board members to be prepared to finalize this portion of the budget and vote on the proposal to hire an administrative assistant on January 9.
V. CONSENT AGENDA
● Clerk’s Report – Approval of Minutes – December 12, 2023
AB MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF DECEMBER 12, 2023. MOTION
PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
VI. PUBLIC COMMENT ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS
There was none.
VII. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A. Sexual Abuse Investigation
KY announced that there is a need to schedule an executive session for the Board to speak with attorney Kendall Hoechst, which was not able to be accommodated by this agenda.
Mindy Haskins Rogers of Northampton, MA asked about the board’s commitment to transparency and how much of the report will be released to the public. KY replied that she is not able to answer that before having the discussion with the board’s attorney. She reiterated her commitment to indicate on the agenda when the board has something to present to the public regarding the investigation.
Ms. Haskins Rogers reminded the Board that it is nearly two years since the investigation opened, and several months since the Board announced that it would be wrapping up.
IX. BOARD MATTERS / TRAINING
A. Leadership Council Updates
No Leadership Councils had met since the last Board meeting. Ms. Normandeau asked that Leadership
Council minutes be more comprehensive since the meetings are not recorded.
B. Board Sub-Committees
● Programmatic and Performance Equity Committee
RMA shared that this committee spoke about food access equity. They would like to look into whether it could be worth considering a district-wide independent food service system. Understanding that the budget related to food is at the SU level, they decided to raise this at the WSESD Board level and allow for conversation at a future meeting before moving the conversation to the SU Board. Food Service Coordinator Susan Grabowski said that Dummerston is working on a grant related to exploration of Independent Food Service. There is a Patrick Leahy Farm to School grant that could be helpful if we wanted to take steps toward independent food systems.
Mr. Rucker urged the Board to identify what problems they are trying to solve with this before delving into the issue. He mentioned that the Farm to School grants are small and not going to provide substantial support for a project of this scale.
● Personnel Committee:
TM asked if the Board could delegate approval of 1% grants to administrators rather than convening the Personnel Committee to approve them. Mr. Rucker replied that it is within the Board’s purview to delegate that task if they wish to. RMA noted that some school districts also delegate approval of the warrants and payrolls to the Finance Committee and wondered whether that is something the board might like to consider as well.
● Social Justice Committee:
EN noted the schools’ role in supporting communities in the event of climate-related disasters. She asked whether that’s something the committee might wish to take up, or if there might be a need for an Environmental Resilience Committee. Mr. Speno replied that that type of planning would fall more under town management. For large-scale crisis events, the school district is a partner with efforts led by the Red Cross and coordinating with emergency responders and town staff. For Brattleboro-specific events, the Town Manager’s office coordinates with emergency responders and school systems.
C. Administrative Assistant to WSESD Board
Board members expressed enthusiasm for the idea of having more administrative support. Mr Speno reminded the Board that Executive Assistant Mo Hart’s position already provides administrative support to the board and recommended the board get a better understanding of what her role encompasses before considering adding a new position.
KY clarified that this role could be a complement to Ms. Hart’s position. She mentioned some specific responsibilities that the board would be looking for support with:
● Digitizing and maintaining the orientation binder
● Keeping track of the rotation of policies that need to be reviewed
● Arranging locations for board retreats
● Managing google drive resources
Mr. Speno expressed concern about developing a parallel system that doesn’t work with what is already in place.
RMO expressed that Board members are feeling beyond their capacity to hold all of these responsibilities and looking for more administrative support while not wanting to add more workload to what is already a full-time position for Ms. Hart.
Paul Smith suggested the Board consider whether hiring a position that is reportable directly to the Board is allowable by statute. KY said she would get clarification on that from legal counsel.
KY called for a break at 8:07.
The meeting was reconvened at 8:16.
IX. Executive Session
1VSA §313 (a)(3) the appointment or employment or evaluation of a public officer or employee, provided the public body shall make a final decision to hire or appoint a public officer or employee in an open meeting and shall explain the reasons for its final decision during the open meeting.
MOTION BY DS TO FIND THAT PREMATURE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE WOULD
CLEARLY PLACE THE PUBLIC BODY OR PERSON INVOLVED IN SUBSTANTIAL
DISADVANTAGE WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE WILL BE A SEPARATE
MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER 1VSA §313 (A)(3) THE
APPOINTMENT OR EMPLOYMENT OR EVALUATION OF A PUBLIC OFFICER OR
EMPLOYEE. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
MOTION BY DS TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER 1VSA §313 (A)(3) THE
APPOINTMENT OR EMPLOYMENT OR EVALUATION OF A PUBLIC OFFICER OR
EMPLOYEE, PROVIDED THE PUBLIC BODY SHALL MAKE A FINAL DECISION TO
HIRE OR APPOINT A PUBLIC OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE IN AN OPEN MEETING AND
SHALL EXPLAIN THE REASONS FOR ITS FINAL DECISION DURING THE OPEN
MEETING, INVITING IN KERRY AMIDON. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
KY announced that no action was expected to be taken after this session.
The Board entered executive session at 8:18.
The Board rose from executive session at 8:53.
X. Executive Session [8:30 to 8:50]
1VSA §313 (a)(1)(F) confidential attorney-client communications made for the purpose of providing professional legal services to the body.
MOTION BY TM TO FIND THAT PREMATURE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE WOULD
CLEARLY PLACE THE PUBLIC BODY OR PERSON INVOLVED IN SUBSTANTIAL
DISADVANTAGE WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE WILL BE A SEPARATE
MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER 1VSA §313 (A)(1)(F)
CONFIDENTIAL ATTORNEY-CLIENT COMMUNICATIONS MADE FOR THE PURPOSE
OF PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL LEGAL SERVICES TO THE BODY. MOTION CARRIED
UNANIMOUSLY.
MOTION BY KS TO ENTER EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER 1VSA §313 (A)(1)(F)
CONFIDENTIAL ATTORNEY-CLIENT COMMUNICATIONS MADE FOR THE PURPOSE
OF PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL LEGAL SERVICES TO THE BODY, INVITING IN
ATTORNEY JOHN KLESCH AND MARK SPENO. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
The Board entered executive session at 8:57.
The Board rose from executive session at 9:13.
XI. Executive Session [8:50 to 9:25]
1VSA §313 (a)(1)(D) grievances, other than tax grievances
MOTION BY KP TO FIND THAT PREMATURE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE WOULD
CLEARLY PLACE THE PUBLIC BODY OR PERSON INVOLVED IN SUBSTANTIAL
DISADVANTAGE WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE WILL BE A SEPARATE
MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER 1VSA §313 (A)(1)(D) GRIEVANCES,
OTHER THAN TAX GRIEVANCES. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
MOTION BY KP TO ENTER EXECUTIVE SESSION UNDER 1VSA §313 (A)(1)(D)
GRIEVANCES, OTHER THAN TAX GRIEVANCES, NVITING IN MARK SPENO AND
MEMBERS OF THE UNION. ALL VOTED IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION.
The Board entered executive session at 9:16.
The Board rose from executive session at 9:49.
MOTION BY AB TO ADJOURN. MOTION CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:50pm.
Documents presented:
● WSESD FY25 Proposed Budget Summary & Detail
Submitted by Robin Morgan, Board Clerk
This represents my understanding of the above dated meeting. If you have any changes, please submit them at the next board meeting.
