Like Joey Allener, the other April student of the month, for his achievements, and dedication to the school.
Just these past few weeks I had the honor to represent Hershey High School at both the Nafme, all Eastern Symphony Orchestra and the Pma Symphony Orchestra as a Vlaninist within the High School Orchestra I've Served as the concert
Orchestra concert master for the past 2 years, and recently won the first Hershey High School Concerto Competition.
Giving me the opportunity to perform a solo concerto.
During a concert. This coming may outside of the school music department, I also serve as a Harrisburg Symphony Youth Orchestra, concert Master and I've served in this position for the past 2 years beyond music.
I've participated in the Hershey High School Athletic program by playing on the Hershey girls.
Varsity tennis team since my sophomore year of high school, and recently served as varsity team captain this past season for all 4 years of high school I've been a member of the Hershey High School student Council as a Representative and as the Council Treasurer my Junior
and senior year. I also serve as a new alpha Theta Math honor, Society, vice President and the Try and Music Honor society treasurer.
This past year, I've also been recognized as a national merit finalist.
I'm also the co-product of the Hershey High School of Science for all club, which is a group of stem, passionate students who host free monthly, science-related events for young students in the hurricane.
During the pandemic. I also served on the Leadership Council of Care Club, an organization that collected funds and goods to donate to local homeless shelters that were most impacted by the pandemic in order to get back to the community.
I always look for my own ways to spread little bits of happiness in a world often too bleak as a music, honor, society leader, I have initiated and organized, ceasedal recitals at the traditions of Hershey retirement community where members of the society perform free recitals for the
residents, I hope to take the comfort and joy that music has brought me for the past 10 years, and share it with those who may need it most.
After high school I plan on attending a 4 year university to study engineering physics, and I aspired to become a professor one day, just like my father.
Lastly, I would like to thank you again for this incredible honor.
Have a wonderful evening.
I should also mention that Alicia was at the all State orchestra.
This weekend at Kalahari, one of only a hundred 50 musicians selected across the entire State of Pennsylvania.
So a true honor to her talent.
And next up in our last student of the month, for the 2022 23 school year, is Joey Allener.
Gosh! I'm so short tonight.
Hi! My name is Joey Allener. I'd like to start off with just a few thank yous.
First of all, thank you to my parents for pushing me to reach my goals and have high aspirations and find success inside and outside of the classroom.
Thank you to any administrators, faculty staff teachers, anyone at the school who's helped make Hershey High School a comfortable and safe environment for me to learn in.
Thank you, my teachers, especially for giving me the resources and opportunities necessary to learn and succeed in the classroom.
Thank you to my brother. He's been an inspiration to me and a role model yeah, I just don't think I'd be where I am today without his influence.
He's really been a big part of my life.
Yeah. As far as school activities go, I've been a part of Minnesota all 4 years during high School last 2 years have been the one of the fundraising committee directors, and this year we raised $40,000.
So we're very happy about that. The past 2 years I've been a part of Key Club, and also the past years have been a part of the same crew as far as community involvement.
I have helped out with Trigger treat for Unicef and Valentine's for veterans.
Both of those were through C club and I've also helped out with the Ben and Tim Mem Memorial 5 K.
I helped set up a little bit with that, and I also helped run the car.
Wash which raises funds for that scholarship.
And then we also have our wall for clean water, if we have to mention, we have a walk for clean water for T.
Club coming up, and less than 2 weeks. So we're very excited for that.
I would say my favorite service project has just been my entire involvement with Mini found the past 4 years.
I think what 4 diamonds does, what their fun does.
It's truly incredible and inspirational, and I'm just happy to be able to be a part of it and to contribute and know that I'm making a difference on somebody's life out there.
After graduation I plan to attend, swallow More college, where I will be pursuing a degree in computer science and continuing continuing my athletic career as a runner I'm getting in both cross country and track, and I will be doing indoor and outdoor track, in the winter and
Spring, respectively.
I hope to maybe pursue a master's degree at grad school.
After your swap more, and I hope to maybe minor in mathematics and economics as well as major in.
Thank you.
Just a quick note about Joey as he talked about continuing his athletic career.
He's sitting talking to his dad about practice today and just casually mentioning that he's running 6, 45 miles.
And meanwhile I'm hoping I could do that in 800 meters. So Joey is clearly a leader, not only academically and within our community, but also on the athletic fields.
So thank you very much for taking the time to honor these students today, and throughout the course of the year we're still lucky to have the rotary support them and to have you support them as well.
Thank you, Miss Schmidt, and congratulations to Alicia and Joseph, to their parents, their families, their teachers, phenomenal to see the the students of the month come through and it's always a joy to hear hear a little bit from them about them and what they're up to and what they're
planning to do so again. Congratulations!
Moving on to Ida. Jen. Item 2 B. Special education.
Comprehensive plan for 2023 to twenty-twenty-six.
This is short, short, and Mrs. Persing, I hope I got those right.
Did great.
Alright, I'm Kirsten Eric, and I'm the director of Special education.
Angie Pr. Saying, is our assistant director of Special education.
I know last Board meeting you approved the comprehensive plan.
Our timeline was a little out of what we would normally do, but we did want an opportunity, you know.
It's a very long plan, with a lot of technical jargon, and we thought it might be helpful if you had more of a layman's overview of the plan.
And what went into the information so we have a little slide show so that you can follow along.
Our specialty plan will be State approved.
Coming up here in May or June, and then that is in effect, for 3 years, at which time that we would need to do an updated plan.
So the purpose come straight from Pde. This is something that has been in place for quite a long time.
We are monitored by the State every 6 years we had a special Ed plan every 3 years, and then the District Strategic Plan.
Some components of it were 6 years and some components of it were 3 years.
It was very much out of alignment, and so the State finally said, Okay, stop created a subcommittee called Phase 2.
A. And got us back into alignment so now we are no longer a component of the strategic plan, but we are in alignment with this data strategic plan.
So our Three-year Plan should be coming along around the same time as the districts plan.
And then every 6 years of global monitoring that way every 3 years something is happening, and every 6 years the State is doing a deep dive into our actual paperwork and practices coming on site during observations.
So this is kind of like an interim, if you will, into how we are making sure to implement Ida and chapter 14 regulations.
One thing I do want to note the State loves to do this, they completely changed.
How we submit the plan. So the old plan was under a different website through leader services.
And then they moved the strategic plan to the future ready site in my Pd.
Suite, and then they slowly moved our plan over to that as well.
So, although you could look at the plan from 2020 to 2023, and now you will see that the components are the same.
But how you report is very differently. For example, before you report is very differently. For example, before you reported personnel in a very specific manner.
Now some of this personnel aren't even captured, so it's a little difficult to do an apples-to-apples competarison from an old plan to the new plan, but hopefully, if they stick with the system, we should be able to do a pretty straightforward comparison, every 3
years, so the data sourced, we do state reporting on December first, we have to take a snapshot of all the children in our district that are eligible for special education type of support, level of support exceptionality race gender all of those things that also helps with our
reimbursement from the State. That's how we get some of our monies.
And then again in June we have to report graduates, and some of those end of year things like discipline.
So these all then become what are called the state performance plan indicators and that's how the States all of them report to the Federal Government on how they, as the State Education Association is in compliance with Ida.
And then we're reporting to the state how we're in compliance with both Idea and Chapter 14.
So that's kind of how all of these pieces work together.
I will say, when that information becomes available, because we've submitted the information we already know exactly what our data says.
We know what our least restrictive environment numbers are. We know what our exceptionality categories are, and how many students qualify in each of those exceptionalities.
So when the plans come out, it's not a surprise.
Any of those areas of need or those areas of strength that we have, we should already know.
Basically, the plan is a place where we can capture all of our action steps.
Really an opportunity to say, you know, here's how here's all the good things we're doing.
And here's what our data shows for the areas where data might show some concern.
Here are some action steps that we're not going to take to address that.
Oh, sorry!
So, as I mentioned, the State has several indicators, not all indicators are addressed by the plan I think I wanna say, it's about 12 to 14 of them.
Any flag indicator requires action steps. So of all those indicators are's only 2 that we're flagged for as having our data not exactly where the State wants us to be, and they do look at trends, which is really important as well, so one of those is indicator, 5 and
that's the least restrictive environment. If you jump down to the bottom where it says least restrictive environment, those are the 3 categories that we have to report in.
So how many of our students are in their regular classroom?
General education, setting more than 80% of the day. We did not meet that, but we do have a positive trend, which means our actions.
Steps are working in the general education, setting less than 40% of the day.
So in the special education, setting more than 60%, we have met that, and with a very stable trend with that and then the third category is they're actually outplaced in a separate setting.
We have met that consistently, however, we are starting to see a negative trend, which is something that you know.
We wanna keep an eye on the other indicator is our disproportionality indicator.
We were flagged for over identification. Our specific one was, students who are black, having a specific learning, disability.
We have apparently over identified the number of black students that have a specific learning, disability.
Disability, category discipline, and I forget what the third one is.
But that's something that the State, if you have a 3 year trend, then the State flagged.
You. And so we have to set aside 15% of our funds to try and work on proactive solutions to that.
So that is something that we have a team of people in place, for we are looking at the data. We have analyzed it, and we're trying to figure out what we can put in place to have better outcomes there.
And just going to talk a little bit more about that as we get into that section.
So another component of the education program is we have to identify all of our staff and then we have to identify caseloads.
So teachers can only have so many students on their caseload that they are responsible for doing the paperwork and so you have to do a combination of looking at the type of disability and the amount of support and that identifies how many students.
They can have on their caslads. Oh, sorry!
So I did a little calculation there, just so you can see what we have to do.
So, for example, if if a teacher has 5 students who receive itinerant learning support, that's 10%, other caseload is they have 8 supplemental learning support.
That's 40% to itinerary autistic support is 25%.
1314, 1516 students up that uses the 87.5% of that teachers capacity.
We may not go over 100% so one of the things you have to keep in mind is that in Dairy township 25% of our students would disabilities have autism.
An autism, caseload of itinerate is 12 kids, an autism caseload of supplemental and or full time is 8. So you will see that we tend to have a few more teachers possibly than our neighboring districts, just because our autism, population is so high and we tend
to go over those 1 point, O Casas, we also capture our non-instructional staff.
So that's our related services, our especiallys, that includes our pair ofprofessionals.
We really had minimal changes from the 2020 Plan.
But typically that reflects shifting student needs.
So we may need more personal care, assistance in the form of paraprofessionals, or the depending on our students.
We have those out placements that impact those numbers.
Do we need more occupational therapists because our caseloads are getting high?
Less speech, therapists because our case loads aren't as high as they used to be like.
That's something we have to reanalyze. We do it annually.
But for this report we have to do it every 3 years.
Alright, and he's gonna talk about the next sites.
So another part of our plan is to look at our professional development that we want to put in place over the next 3 years.
And so we are required by Pde to address the categories you see up on the screen.
So we had to look at autism, posit behavior, support par professionals, transition, literacy, parent training and iep development.
And so within those 7 categories we then had to outline a description of the training we would provide to address each of those categories.
So within the plan, which, if you have looked at it as much more lengthy, it has each of those items broken down.
How many hours of training we would be recommending who would be providing the training?
So that may be in district staff members. That may be consulting with Capitol area and immediate unit that maybe we're Potan, which is Pennsylvania training and technical assistance network.
And they provide a lot of training on site if needed, in certain areas.
So all of those categories we've identified trainings, and we've identified who would be providing those and the audience.
So for some of these areas, we would want to train all staff meaning general educations, special education teachers administerters paraprofessionals.
There are certain areas that would be more suited specifically for a special education.
Teachers, there are ones that are specific for our Paris. We have done a lot around parent training over the past few years, and we will continue to do that.
And we have found that typically what has worked best is we put out surveys to parents.
Asking, what areas do you feel? You need support with? Obviously over the past few years that's looked a little different where we've pushed out screencasts and had had have held zooms.
But we have that all embedded in this to move forward over the next 3 years.
And that is majority of that's our overview of our plan.
Any questions about what we've presented.
This is Lindy Drew. Thank you for taking the time to put this together.
It helps to digest all the information in the Comp plan.
As we were going through it. So I appreciate that. Could you speak a little bit more regarding the flag indicator about the disproportionality and over identification of black students like what that really means, and kind of how we arrive at that sure you will talk through that present presented I actually presented at a conference this summer
on this very topic with Dr. Peterson. So there's a formula that the State uses.
It. It compares the number of students with disabilities that are black compared to your general population in a smaller district that could mean the difference between, you know one student which creates your over identification so you do have to dig a little deeper.
Into how many students we're actually talking about.
Our data indicated that about 50% of those students moved in already having that exception.
Ality and 50% of those students were identified by us.
One of the things that we hypothesized was that we need to look at the curriculum in our tiered intervention and make sure that we are presenting an equitable curriculum and that's something that we've been working through and where we've been targeting
our funds to look at that we worked closely with all 3 of our school psychologists to make sure that you know that's a consideration as we're going to identification.
But yeah, it's we once you hit that 3% threshold for 3 consecutive years where it's a 3% difference between total reg population and total special education population.
And that's where you get flagged. If you have a three-year band. Okay?
So that number is also calculated, based on, regardless of where the student is if you have a 3 Year plan. Okay? So that number is also calculate, based on, regardless of where the student is in the education least restrictive environment settings, so whether it's general education out placement everything correct okay, and honestly, you could have
0 like, it's a possibility that a hundred percent of those children moved into the district, with that exceptionality.
But it doesn't change the fact that we still have a responsibility to.
Then look at, you know, is there a way to move them back into teared supports, and that require that level of support through special education?
Are there? Are there things that we could do to increase their access to the general education are there? Are there things that we could do to increase their access to the general education curriculum so that they're no need special education?
So it does require a dive. We have an equitable education for all students at all.
Places, so you know, being able to look at it from this lens is helpful cause we don't always hear.
You know those types of numbers. So thanks for kind of playing that up for us this is Lindsay Cock.
I have a couple of questions, but do you still have the Powerpoint?
I just I I need. I had a question, and I didn't write it down before in my notes, but when you had mentioned one of the flags that was for the lease, restrictive environment, and you had mentioned that with 5 students for the least restrictive environment, and you had mentioned that with 5 students, moving
we would be back at.
Okay, okay, so yeah, so the indicator, 5, that moving 5 students would meet that indicator is that going to be due to laurel life?
Then the implementation of that program are those. What? Exactly, I guess.
Do you mean by the 5? You mean 5 students moving out of the district?
Okay. So when we looked at those categories for lre at the bottom, there, we have our kids in one of those 3 categories and so we're trying to move students into the more, the more lesser, neat.
I'm not saying that a good way, the least restrictive environment.
I'll just go with the wording that the state given us.
So right now, like we ran this report. You know, it's a snapshot on time, and that could change.
It changes every time we do an IP, because if the students receiving, you know, 78%, and they moved to an 82% in the genet environment, they've moved into that other category.
So it's kind of in flux throughout the year.
But we did a snapshot at a time, and so we're monitoring that.
But yes, we're very close to. If we had some students shift into the more of a at least restrictive environment, they would.
Then we would meet that threshold of this. So that was just.
It was the 5 students that if moved we would be where we need to be.
Okay. Yes. Okay. I also had another question that I was hoping you could just expand on related to the parent training that if moved, we would be where we need to be. Yes, okay. Okay. I also had another question that I was hoping you could just expand on related to the parent training.
You had mentioned that there you utilize parent surveys to find need.
Are there certain amount of meetings that you need to have per year?
Are they like once a month meetings? Do you get good feedback from parents with the surveys related?
So over the past at least 2 years. We put out surveys like, what do you need?
Do you need more about disabilities in general? Do you need more information about your child's IP and like how this is implemented?
And so we're trying to provide trainingings that are broad enough, that we're not talking because we can't talk about a specific IP in a training.
But talk about you know the components of the IP talk about how students are evaluated and identified, and really just any questions that parents have.
So we've put those surveys out at the start of the year.
And then based on that feback, we've tried to tailor our trainings to meet those needs.
I we would always like more participation. I think we have some, but I think we we would love more from the number of parents that we have.
We have a lot of communication but I don't know that it's always that they're attending our trainings, and yet some are pushed out like I said through screen cast.
So that's kind of that was part of our survey like, do you want it?
Live in person. Do you want to add a time where you can just watch and then reach out? If you have questions.
Because, you know, we're trying to account for you know, everyone's different schedules with kids and work and everything.
Thank you. Sure.
If anybody else have any questions, yeah, this is Kathy Sicker. I'm interested in what you said about how we triggered a a 3 year pattern for over identifying black students with learning disabilities.
I just had a training at work today about equitable classrooms at work, at hack, and I thought your answer was interesting.
Because today they talked about giving you some of the factors that impact students, success and learning is having a sense of belonging.
You talked about looking through your curriculum to make sure it's equitable, and I would imagine that you know we're a majority white District and perhaps our curriculum is biased against minority students, or what are you looking for in the curriculum that could be
unintentionally over identifying black students with learning disabilities.
So the State has recently started to promote some more resources around and Stacy, I don't want to talk at a chart.
I know there's a grant that the State has recently put out as well about some key indicators that you can look for as you review your curriculum, and I know we've been doing that in the right-hand side.
You know, it's just about working through Reggae curriculum K to 12 tiered intervention, special education.
Obviously, there's a lot to go through. And all. But yeah, it's exactly what you said, making sure that they see themselves so recently, we became aware of one of our interventions that we're using for reading has come out with a second edition.
And it is considered to be an inclusive now program.
With the second edition. So we're exploring whether or not it makes sense for us to go ahead and and purchase the updated one.
So that more of our students do see themselves in this program.
Will that increase our gain, based on the students that are currently using it?
The profile of the students that are currently using it, the profile of the students that are currently using it. So we have to analyze all of those pieces.
So it's not only looking at the curriculum, it's looking at.
Who's using the?
As well, and making sure that we're matching that, because in all honesty right now we haven't been flagged for students who are Hispanic with specific learning, disability.
But I suspect next year again, because our numbers are small.
It is a little bit of a numbers scheme, but that doesn't change the fact that we need to make sure that we have an actual field number again, because our numbers are small. It is a little bit of a numbers scheme, but that doesn't change the fact that we need to oh, this is Erica, schmidt I
have a question about that. So when you're looking at, and I guess Dr.
Winslow can kind of when you're looking at this curricula.
I mean, are you? Just? I guess you're not trying to separate the students by color, right?
I mean, you're just getting. I'm kind of confused on what you mean by equitable.
So if students have materials placed in front of them, and the norms and the values of the characters in those stories are traditionally white or something else, or if students are seeing materials that are geared towards a black population in a Spanish population, and African population whatever it might be and that's, in
isolation is, instead of embedded throughout materials.
Then you're not really working towards an equitable curriculum.
It needs to be diverse it needs to be across all of those different materials.
And I just want to also take a step back. And as a reminder, a curriculum is taking the standards and all of the materials, and putting everything together, whereas a program is just one of those materials.
Excuse me. So when I talked about the program, the reading program that we use being reissued and updated to be more equitable.
That's just one material that we could use across all of our students.
But it's all of these interwoven pieces that we need to look at.
And that's what the State is getting better about how helping us. And we've had some profound speakers that have come in and are going to continue to come in, and who are really helping us to better understand what an equitable curriculum looks like so that we can learn that and we
kind of apply that knowledge to the materials and start to build a repository that all of our kids can see themselves.
Hey? Thank you.
Anybody else have any questions this Terry singer? I just had one question. You might have covered it.
Capital area intermediate unit. I know you mentioned. Did you specify what types of services we benefit or secure from them for our students?
There! He didn't, could you? There it! There's a few places that we utilize.
The capital area, intermediate unit. We do use them for some of our out placement.
We have a couple of students in some of their emotional support programs and autistic support programs that have a more intensive need.
And we're able to meet here, and then we also use them for some of our related services.
Specifically deaf part of hearing services and audiological services, and then, if we have a student who is receiving, perhaps instruction connected in the home, we might use them for some of their direct add or their behavior support books, it's not a lot, but there definitely are a few key pieces that
we rely on them, for we do have a liaison from our board that joins their monthly meetings.
So Doctor Cock? Yep. So you know. Okay.
And go ahead. I I just have more of a statement for you with it.
This is just kind of thinking out loud with the big. A board turnover that we're going to have pretty soon.
I know one of. I first got on the board. I came through the special needs we did.
We did a tour, and then we were down in the apartment, and then we saw the new build out, and I'm just wanted to say how important that was, because I think there's there's a disconnect here, you know, at the board. Level.
Versus what you do every day, and it's I think it's very important, especially for new board members coming in, because I just don't think that we can grasp what challenges that you face when we hear them in theory.
And then to that note. I wanted to say the last meeting that we had an executive session when you 2 presented was such an eye-opener, and it's just important that that information gets passed along as new people come on because I really this is not anybody's
fault you know, when you hear it, it's one it's just it's it could be a big discconnect. So I just think it's super important, because the work that you do is just it's mind Boggling.
So thank you.
Thank you, miss. If anybody else have any questions. Well, thank you, Mrs.
And Mrs. Persing very much for coming and presenting the plan, and I guess I would just say I hardly endorse what Mrs.
Maynie just said, you offer opportunity for board members to come visit to once in a while.
I'm sure it would be very helpful. The numbers are always open.
They have. Funny. There, too. Do you still have the bunny? We have a variety of animals, those who might be interested.
Okay, moving on to agenda. Item 2 C. President, communications.
I'd like to announce. The Board met in executive session prior to this meeting to discuss informational items.
Agenda. Item 2D. Recognition of citizens. This is an opportunity for residents and taxpayers to address the Board on matters related to the agenda citizens wishing to speak should come to the microphone to raise their virtual hand those present in the room may register by completing a
4 located near the sign in sheet and providing your full name and address, if attending virtually, you must have registered individually with your first and last name and address to be recognized.
Once recognized or unmuted, it is only necessary that you identify yourself by providing your full name.
This is a reminder that public comment is not a forum for personal attacks.
Antagonistic behavior or harassment. Please be advised that you are accountable for any legal ramifications and liability that results from statements that misrepresent the truth to fame individuals or disclose personal information that is not a public concern to provide other residents with an opportunity
to speak each speaker during the public comment. Portion is limited to 5 min of speaking.
Time once recognized and limited to one opportunity to address the board during each of the public comment periods, if necessary.
The board may set a maximum time for the public comment.
Portion of any meeting. I will ask for treasury. Mrs.
Sicker to please keep time. Are there any residents or taxpayers here who would like to comment at this time?
Yes, you can, because that was an agenda item. Yep. So my name is Jennifer Sloppy, and I have 2 parent, 2 children here. Yeah.
Can I do it after I talk first? Yeah, that's fine.
You can go ahead. So my name is Jennifer Sloppy, and I'm a parent here in the district, so I have one child who's very neurotypical.
Another child who's neurodiverse, and you know, get some special education services.
And I really, I'm sorry. I don't know your name, but you mentioned the idea between belonging in academics.
Success. And so the questions like I have as a parent or well do, our special education students feel like they belong.
Do they have any friends? Those are the type of questions.
I, as a parent, have. I know the Special Education plan. You know.
It's what the Government wants to know wants to know these numbers.
But you know, are the buildings really making our kids feel like they're included, and like, how many of them have friends right?
That's not something that's gonna be in this plan.
But and I know most of you are probably parents, and you know, before you have children.
Could you explain to someone what it is to be a parent like?
It's just such a lived experience, right? Like.
And then having a child who has down syndrome or autism, or Adhd, it's if you haven't lived that experience, it's really hard to understand it's really hard to know what are the right questions to ask, and you know I really appreciate everybody's service on
the school board and the big question you have in front of you now is this new elementary school right?
Like, what are even the right questions to ask when you want to build such a big project?
And one question is cause. The other thing in the report is, you know, they are very specific on what spaces they want for the special education rooms.
So you're gonna build this new building? What spaces are gonna be there for special education students?
And it's really complicated because you think about the building you have now was built in 19.
What 50, 51 what did we do with these kids back then?
Right, you know, if you've seen the movie force gump like, what did force Mom have to do?
Just to get her kid to be allowed to go into the building right, and that and then he didn't even get any special education services, you know.
He had to learn to read from Jenny right, and then, if you've seen the movie rate man, that's what we used to do to these kids right?
And so when the elementary school bond we have now was built, they weren't even acknowledged, as you know, part of our community.
So, you know. I hope we can be more inclusive and and that's a really hard question.
What does your building need to look like in the future? Because special education has changed so much right?
So what's gonna happen in 5 years? 10 years, 15 years?
What kind of spaces are you gonna need for them? And I know, like I've sent you some emails.
So one of the video I asked you to maybe watch 3 min of that comes from a group called Guys in the Balance.
And that's really what is like for our kids. It's not like, oh, no, my kid might not get to Yale and I'll have to go to Penn State like it's will my kid be able to function in independently what happens if I get sick, and I can't take care of my
kid, and they have to go to an institution. Will they be okay with that?
Like well, you know, as my kid gonna die by suicide.
Those are the kinds of things, the special education parents are thinking about.
So I know you have a lot of tough questions to ask.
You think about these things. But I just want to thank you all for your time and your service cause.
I know it's very difficult. You're all volunteers.
So. Thank you. Thank you.
Hi Kate, just say thank you for sharing your perspective, and I know it's can be daunting to get up at the microphone, and I just appreciate you're using your voice and being an advocate as a parent and sharing that I I think a lot because i'm very passionate about
my kids, you know. Thank you. Is there anyone else in the room who would like to speak?
Okay, Mister Iella. Anyone virtually have their hand up.
At the time there are no virtual hands raised.
Okay, we'll go ahead and move on. Then to agenda.
Item 2. E. Standing committee meeting reports, the communications and finance standing Committees.
Met today. This is Smith. Do you have a communications report?
I do so. First and foremost, we should congratulate Sarah Carpell for our Instagram site.
Won an award, and that was all of her doing so.
We want to say thank you to Sarah for that.
So we also got to meet the intern that was working with Miss Garpel, and she was lovely and she kind of recapped what she did with with her, you know, for the half of the year she was with you right okay, and then we discussed
the website is continuing to be worked on and hoping to have that this summer before hopefully, August is is the goal.
If not earlier, and with that we also have Miss Carpell.
Has the audio. We're doing the the transcriptions that are currently on our site right now for all the board meetings we are going to be adopting.
Having one year of the audio with transcriptions on the website, and then we will have 3 years of a captions. Right? Okay?
The transcription. I think of what we were talking about.
The long dialogue. I don't make sure we realize it just close captioning, so.
Now I've lost my train of thought. You are at the free air part, anyway.
So we'll be doing a 3 year.
Of the Pdf. Getting this right why don't you explain that part?
Because I'm getting myself confused on this. So we're just gonna reduce the amount of the storage to keep on the website.
So the minutes that Miss Ag. Writes for us in that are approved.
Every board meeting. We're going to bring that down to 3 years, and then audio recordings, which is the full recording of these meetings, not video, just audio is gonna be one year with close captioning for 88 compliance.
And for accessibility. Thank you. Instead of having everything on there from 2,006 right?
Okay, let's see. And.
We will. We did have a very big discussion on our procedure for photos and social media that involves our kids.
There's been some concerns about from some parents that you know they don't want their kids to be seen on social media.
So I think we talked through that, and Miss Karpel does, you know.
First. There's the photo policy, and then if there's going to be more information, Miss Karpel reaches out and there's a whole Second Level for permission.
We were discussing the accolades of the students and whatnot there's just a lot of concerns for public access to our kids.
So I think parents just need to understand that if they do not want their children on the social media, they need to reach out to Miss Carpel or the teachers, and so we'll kind of work on that, even for next year to kind of let parents you know be aware that these kids do get
posted so. And then, lastly, there's gonna be a May verse will be the next newsletter, and then that will be it for this year.
I think that's it. Any questions for Mr. Schmidt at this is Lindsay Drew.
If if I could just add comment more than question, I listen to the meeting today, and unfortunately had to disconnect to leave to come to finance so I wasn't able to speak for public comment.
But regarding the storage on the website, I was just curious.
I understand the majority of it is for accessibility reasons.
And so one question was, Are we gonna go back and tag the Pdfs of the minutes from previously to make sure that they are accessible when they're stored on there?
I did some research on local districts and I know a lot of districts use board docs.
So they're able to be housed off site, which probably has a different accessibility.
Component to it. That's not something that our district has invested in.
We've looked at it. I think you know, perhaps down the road it would be a benefit.
But the other component of it from the audio and video recordings has centers around like the maintenance and storage, and obviously housing those audio recordings takes up a lot of space.
I was just curious if we've considered utilizing a service like a Youtube or Vimeo, because you can keep them there.
And they have, the auto close captioning functionality within it, so that then it would just be link.
Placements on the site and not doing that, so we would meet the accessibility as well as the minimum, like minimizing or minimizing the storage aspect of it.
I know there are some districts that do that. And so it was just curious.
If that's something that we have looked at. I know board members will still have the ability to access the archived, but I know probably comes as no shock to most former members like I love receipts, and having the history in my notes and those things and so even before I was a board member
as a as a resident, as a parent. I like being able to go back through, because sometimes there are things that happen, you know, over the span we look at something as like the concession stand.
Conversation was years in the making, and being able to go back and refer to that, even if you just have a good timeframe being able to go and peak at the agenda and the minutes to be like yeah, that was where that happened.
And then seek out the audio recording has been really beneficial in some situations, and so I would just look at it from while we'll be able to access it as a board.
How easy is it gonna be for parents to do that, you know, without going through the process of having to contact and receive a specific one, because sometimes you don't know what you don't know until you're listening to one or 2 meetings, so if there is some way, to be able to make that a little bit
easier. I know that's not something that's a board direction.
It was just more from like the common and perspective of a board member who is also a parent and a resident.
I think that it would be, appreciate it to be able to have access, you know, to those in in a way that doesn't burden staff and administration.
I will look into it. Thank you. Okay, thank you. Anyone else have any questions.
Thank you, Mr. Smith. Mrs. Secker, do you have a finance report?
I do thank you just to let everybody know our meeting.
Did run over by 10 min. So there is. It was a lot on the agenda, and a lot of great discussion.
So I do encourage Board members to listen to the audio recording to get the full details.
There are times when I get this report that I don't feel like I give the meeting justice when I just give you some highlights of it.
But we did have an update from the Milton Hershey Trust Fund.
Fulton financial advisors. They did a detailed performance review, reviewed our payment history, our current.
Alexocation of the trust is 62% equities, 27.4% fixed income, 5.7% cash and 4.8% alternatives.
The balance as of March thirty-first is 46,000,500, and if you do recall, that's kind of back to slightly higher than 2019 numbers.
So in 2019, we were about 45.8 million and then 2020, 2021 and (282) 020-2021.
It went up. Our highest was 55 million dropdown in 2022 drop down by 12.7 8%.
But now, year to date, we are up 4.5 2% to be 46 million.
We got our final calculation. They calculate an average of 5 years on the 4% for the budget for next year, 2323, we'll get $1,000,848 from the trust as our 4%.
And just as a reminder. You know, we typically do do a round of 4%, we did increase it twice in the last few years or back to our 4%.
You, the you still can do it anywhere from 2 to 7%.
Many funds do take out anywhere between 4 to 5% but obviously you want to ensure that the trust will grow over time and not take too much out.
We had an update from the Food Service Department just as a reminder.
They are a proprietary account. So they're basically a 2 million dollar business.
But at the heart of that is the students and the kids.
They did get one full year of free breakfast and free lunch and 2122 in the last year they got free breakfast, which did help with the account.
So they ended in an excess in 2022 they did see many challenges.
There was a 30% increase in food costs, and they did have to hire for 14 new staff members at the beginning of this academic year.
Did I? It was 12 new staff members, but thankfully we did increase the starting salary by $3 an hour, so he was able to fill all those positions and serve the meals that we needed to serve.
They are in unsure of the funding, moving forward for any free breakfast or lunches, and we also did increase meal prices by $1 as well.
We are projected to come out with a on the positive this year, and there are many unknowns in projecting the budget for next year, including whether they're the 2022 kids Fed Act will continue so he is projecting a deficit of a hundred and
67 million for next year 167,000.
You have to watch me when I say things to catch me 167,000.
Let me slow down. Some of the expenses are went back into his budget such as some equipments came out of the capital that went into his budget.
But there are some funds to cover that in the reserve.
A cyber school update we do have 85 students in still in cyber school.
That is less than from last year we had a hundred 9, so we're still budgeting 1.5 million for cyber school funding.
We talked about the projected budget for next year. We do have predicted salary increases, baked into the budget because of contracts.
We have 7.7% medical health insurance increase.
We? Mrs. Purcell has worked with the budgets to decrease different light items of that.
If you remember that last year we had a 3.4% increase on the millage this year, the X one index is 4.1%.
So the Finance Committee did recommend to the 4 next meeting, May eighth, the full board will be getting a presentation and reviewing the proposed budget.
The Finance Committee voted today to recommend no more than a 2.7% increase to millage to the full board for a May eighth vote, just as a reminder we will vote for the final budget in June.
But this is just the proposed budget. There are some numbers that we're waiting to come in to see where we land.
If we stay at the 2.7, or if we can go under that, the even with the 2.7% proposal millage increase that does show us at a deficit of 479 for that budget and also as a reminder that the median income and
dairy Township was 162.
So with the millage increase of 2.7%, that's an additional $85 on your taxes.
Sorry. $2 a year. So the Median assessed home value is a hundred 62,000.
So if we increase your millage rate by 2.7%, that's $85 a year for our tax bill.
So basically, if your house is assessed roughly under 500,000, your taxes would increase $255 a year.
Did I make any other mistakes?
You had a lot to cover listening to you.
How are you done? I hope so. I think it is really beneficial for folks who are not on the Finance Committee.
If you have the opportunity to go back and listen. The attachments are on there on the agenda, and that it can help break that down because the numbers on their own sometimes are hard to follow.
And there's a lot of conversation around what the numbers mean and where they come from.
So I think it's would be beneficial. Hmm, thank you.
Miss Sacker. It was a lot to cover, so thank you very much.
Does anyone have any questions or anything? Anybody would like to add, I have a question.
This is Lindsay Cuk. This is might be a Dr.
Winslow question, but I was listening to the cyber update, and so we're at 85 students.
Now, is there any perspective like, do you have our pre covid numbers?
Probably not off the top of your head, but if we were to look at like 2019, or was it sorry?
Say again, 46. Okay. Thank you.
I don't know why I have that one off the top of my head, but I do. It was a very steady number for quite some time leading up. I don't know why I have that one off the top of my head, but I do it was a very steady number for quite anybody else. Have any questions.
Okay, thank you very much. Mrs. Sicker.
Moving on to agenda. Item 2 F. Student representatives report representatives Aziz Forster or Patel.
Do you have a report? We do thank you. This is Disha Patel.
And, as Miss Mitch said in the beginning of this meeting, there's only 4 more Mondays left until the end of the year, and graduates, and@theymca.
You think government model convention, which was last week? We had 3 students run for statewide position, linguistics. Lydia Mcmurtan for Chief Justice Lydia Mcmullen ran for editor-in-chief, and Sarah Anderson ran for blu Speaker of the House which is for
the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth graders, and they were all elected as the presiding officers for the 2,000 22,024 school year.
And then congrats to our music department for getting named.
The best community for music education from the next foundation, and congrats to Mr.
Brian orchestra director of the year. And then later in May, the keystone start on May fifteenth. And then everyone should have received an email saying that we're operating on a 2 and a half hour delay schedule for students that are not taking the tests what school starting at 1003.
Okay, this is Olivia Forster, speaking the walk for clean water raised around $19,000 this year, which is amazing.
Students are getting ready for Ap. Exams coming up next week, and the following week the Sophomore Junior Prom, is this coming weekend students participated in a construction trade.
Expo day, last week at Lebanon Valley College, 6 elementary students were named winners of the Hershey American Legion.
Auguster auxiliary unit 3 86 is Americanism.
Essay. Contest. Trojan Buddies had a very successful track and field event.
Last, Friday and the commitment day for seniors is Monday.
May first coming up. Thank you. Thank you. How many Mondays you're left again for?
Does anybody have any questions for our students?
Would you know that I committed to Gw. In Washington, DC.
To study public health. And I actually wrote my essay about the School Board.
So thank you.
I committed to Japan University just to study business and all.
Fantastic congratulations!
Yeah. Thank you. Again, moving on to item 2 G. The listed items are on the anticipated may a 2,023 Board of Directors meeting agenda.
When I say the listed items, it means they're on the screen.
There we go!
Agenda. Item 3. I'm finished business. There is no one finished business.
10. Item, 4. And sent agenda items. The consent agenda contains routinely adopted items and items that normally do not require public deliberations on part of the Board the board member may pull items which will then be discussed and voted on separately they have a motion to
approve the consent. Agenda items as listed so moved Maria.
Mami, second Lindsay cuff. Is there any discussion?
This is standard voice, vote all in favor. Please say, aye. Any opposed.
No motion to passes. Thank you.
Moving on to agenda. Item 5. New business. Item 5.
A personnel, resignation. Dr. Winslow. The Administration recommends the approval of the personnel.
Resignations, may I have a motion to approve the personnel resignations so moved primarily?
Second, Lindsay Jordan. Is there any discussion?
Yes. Please. Mr President, Debbie Arvic, who is on here as a soon to be retiree, is going to be a huge loss to our business department.
She does our payroll, and she is just a huge asset to the department, and when she is finished, which will be towards the end of August, early September, and we have a new person in there.
We will have a completely turned over business office in a year and a half.
So it is a lot we appreciate everybody's patience as we, as everybody knew, learns new roles and finds their way.
And I really appreciate all the work that Mrs. Purcell and Mrs.
White have done to get us in a place where we are functioning mostly smoothly.
At this point. But now Mrs. White is learning payroll, just to make sure that she has that as a backup, so we will, Miss Debbie.
A lot, and I just wanted to take a minute and thank her for all of her work publicly.
And to give a little picture of what our business office is going through.
How many years has she been here? Did you say 15?
Well, thank you for sharing that. I think I remember hearing something about that earlier in the week.
During the planning meeting for the finance. Yes, I didn't hear that.
Maybe she would be able to help part time a little bit here and there.
That's why her dates extended a little bit she's going to stay on through the summer just to scale back a few days.
Oh, I see. Okay, to help out with a transition so we are very grateful for that, very grateful for this white for sitting and spending a lot of hours side by side with her right now, thank you for sharing that Dr.
Winslow. Obviously, it's always tough to see anybody leave seeing a high school guidance Counselor Miss Gingrich is also difficult.
Do we know if, how quickly we'll be able to replace her?
Given that high school seniors are desperate need of their guidance.
Counselors works pretty quickly. I would anticipate having someone to start the year with I don't think that'll be an issue.
Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. It should be with with the hires that you get in June.
July, okay, okay, yeah. Yeah. It should be with with the hires that you get in June, July.
Okay, sure for you, Umhm. And we had a motion that a second we're still in the discussion period.
Anybody else have anything they'd like to say.
Okay, this is a standard voice all in favor. Please say, aye.
Any opposed. No, thank you. Motion passes agenda.
Item 5. B. Personnel. General, Dr. Winslow.
The Administration recommends the approval of the listed personnel and recognition of any listed transfers.
I have a motion to approve the listed personnel and recognition of any listed transfers so move Lindsay.
Second Maria, Mammy. Is there any discussion?
This is standard voice. Vote all in favor, please say Aye.
Any opposed, no motion passes. Thank you. Agenda.
Item 6, delegate reports the Pennsylvania School Boards Association Report is attached. Dr.
Cronin, do you have anything you'd like to add?
Yeah, actually, just a reminder that it's now coming out weekly.
So each of the rate the reports may have or 3 weeks depending on. When we last met.
So it's if you notice that that's one.
Thank you.
Agenda. Item 7 special reports. Are there any board members who would like to give a report?
Okay. It doesn't look like anyone's giving a report.
Dr. Winslow, do you have a superintendent's report I do, and I do just want to clarify that this is Gary has been out all year oh, I know I realize that.
Okay, so there's been a temporary person in and I know she was going to be staying with another new person.
She is okay. If I could ask that. Yes, I didn't want everybody to like get worried about that.
So don't be conscious. That's exactly what I was hinting at.
That's that's exactly what I was thinking about that. So there'll be continuity.
That's why that's exactly what I was hinting about that. So there'll be continuity.
That's a night to report a lot of awards, and I will talk about that's why I wasn't. That's exactly what I was hinting at.
Children in grace, 3, 3 did a good night's sleep, eat breakfast.
Don't stress. Just try your best that's all there is to do with it.
So lots of my glory has been stolen again this evening.
But I did want to give kudos to it's really exciting.
Of it, but she won that award. Mr. Buderbaugh again did get the middle.
He's our middle School high School orchestra director, and he won the PA orchestra director of the year, working from the Pnsylvania, Delaware String Teachers Association.
So just an incredible honor that he is very humble and modest about.
I'm getting a text that I'll elementary started Psa today.
Sorry. I thought they were all starting on Tuesday.
Middle school starts tomorrow. The music department did win the 2023 best communities and music education award.
Again. This is a long-standing kind of tradition that the department wins. This award.
It's very exciting that it keeps coming. But a lot of that congratulations and appreciation, of course, goes to the music department, but also goes to the School Board.
The community and the families who support those programs. They can only do what they do because they have the support of of all of us.
On top of the many individual words. The Hershey High School you think Government did win delegation of the year at their General Assembly weekend, which is also super exciting.
They just had an incredible showing. I also wanted to share 2 of our students who were dairy township students, but are now Dauphin County.
Technical school students also won some awards. They had the skills U.S.A. competition.
And in the job skills, demonstration. Brianne Snedeker placed first and qualified for the State competition this month, which is super exciting and Ethan Gruber placed third in the Hvac competition.
So they are doing great job with their programs at Dauphin County technical school that concludes my report.
Thank you very much, and congratulations to all those who have been honored and recognized.
Moving on to item agenda. Item 7 C. Board. President's report.
I do have a report. If there's a couple of slides that are kind of come along with this.
I'm reporting on the Pennsylvania School Boards Association Advocacy Day which was on April eighteenth, 2,023.
It was organized and scheduled by Psa and Dr.
Winslow and I met Verly with 2 staff from Senator de Santo's office, and I met virtually with representative menhappy to advocate for several issues related to public education, who are advocating for increases in State funding for basic education and special education these are
huge budget increases being proposed by the new governor.
I believe Miss Purcell noted earlier. We're not gonna know the outcome of this until late June, or even even later.
But as proposed, it would represent a close to 800 million dollar increase in basic edge of basic education funding across the State and 200 million dollars for special education.
So we were talking about that with the State Senator, representatives, office personnel also for a 25 million dollar increase in career and technical education and 100 million dollars each for student mental health needs and school safety needs.
Additionally, while we were not advocating to eliminate charter or cyber schools, we discussed the urgent need to address charter, cyber school reform related to 3 issues.
One is transparency to our tuition rate.
Calculations, and 30'clock The Payment reconciliation process.
So both Dr. Winslow and myself had some the time to talk with the staff of the Senator, and then the representative, and we're hopeful, if not this year.
Maybe next year there'll be some meaningful reform.
That will continue to provide families with the options for students to go to charter inside our schools, but have some reforms that that make more sense in terms of the costs of attending, and some of the accountability issues.
So that's my report. And if anyone is interested who is in the room or watching virtually, I'm sure if you wanted to express yourself on on these funding issues, or any issues related to cyber schools, you can reach your representatives through the information on the slide and I know you can find that
information. If you, if you just Google, it, so feel free to weigh in, I'm sure they'd appreciate hearing from you.
Moving on to agenda. Item 8. Recognition of citizens.
This is an opportunity for residents and taxpayers to address the Board on matters related to the agenda, or matters of district governance, not on the agenda.
Those who speak around the same guidelines outlined at the initial public comment portion of our meeting I will ask for treasurer, Mrs.
Sacred, to please keep time. Are there any residents or taxpayers that would like to comment at this time?
We can start in the room again. So anyone here? Okay.
You could just tell us who you are. That's all you have to do. So. My name is Dr.
Kimberly, Ernest, I'm a licensed psychologist, and licensed professional counselor here in the State of Pennsylvania.
I have about 18 years of direct care, experience with special needs, kids and adolescents to prevent at home placement.
But I'm not here to speak to you today in my professional capacity.
I'm here to speak to you today about my son Silas Ernest, who is a brilliant, intelligent, energetic, sweet, kind, 7 year old boy, who up until yesterday was a first grade student at the Ecc.
Yesterday my family had to make the difficult decision to remove him from, and I apologize I'm so nervous right now, so please forgive me.
But yesterday my family had to be the difficult decision to remove him from the Acc.
After numerous issues surrounding his safety occurred repeatedly throughout the academic year.
Despite several outcretes from my husband and myself to the teacher, the assistant principal, the principal, and ultimately our superintendent.
Our concerns, continue to go on met. I have a brief timeline to share with you surrounding the incidence.
If that's okay, I think I have about maybe 3 min left.
So last year we had a wonderful kindergarten year. We had Mrs.
Whitehead. She was incredible. She's been around forever.
So I'm sure most of you know how amazing she is.
My son is a little nervous and anxious, in new situations, and she was fantastic.
He had a great kindergarten year. He was selected as one of the students to show the Trojan way. So you'll see him in the video showing you how to wash your hands appropriately in the bathroom after you use it.
Then we had some concerns. Towards the end of the year little girl kept hugging him and hanging on him, and we also had some trouble on the school bus, in which a little boy broke his headphones, taught him some exceptionally colorful language, and through several of his items off of the school
bus I contacted the Transportation Department, requested to have a seat me.
The seat was moved, everything went really well. Then, at the beginning of this year you can imagine how my husband and I heart absolutely dropped when we discovered that they had been assigned to the exact same classroom out of a 11 classrooms at the Ecc.
My son and this little boy were assigned to the same classroom, and on day one I called Mrs.
Stein, our miss miss Stein. I apologize. Miss Heidi Stein, and we requested respectfully that he'd be moved to literally any other classroom.
My call wasn't returned, nor was my email. So I did escalate that to Dr.
Winslow's desk, at which point she did respond and encourage these sorry Heidi to get back to me, which he did, but I was told at that point in time, despite hearing my concerns and the struggles we had last year that there would be no changes made to classroom
assignments in September of this year this little boy started slapping my son and I volunteered for a school disc for a a field trip, so that I could go and learn a little bit more about what was going on, at which point I got to witness this little boy hanging on
my son, and all kinds of different things. In October.
He slapped my son so hard that he left remarks on his face.
The teacher took photographs of it, but did not tell my husband or myself about the incident until we followed up with them in November of this year.
My son came home using the n word which is any of the other colorful language.
I'm an adult. You might have been able to hear any of that within my home, but the N.
Word, was absolutely a word that has never been used within my home.
And that came again from interactions with this young man.
On December ninth I received a note home and my son's handwriting.
That said, I am bad, and I will not be bad anymore.
That was related to an incident that he had in steam, in which the teacher sent me an email saying, You'll get a note home.
Describing an incident when I called to ask for more details and request a meeting, because my son has not often had struggles like this.
It took me until January fourth for her to meet with me, at which point in time, I said, it is plainly unacceptable as a mental health professional, to have a child right lines saying over and over again, I am bad and I will not be bad.
I gave her that feedback and asked her to tell me what happened to which she told me she had.
She couldn't remember what occurred, which was fine. It was a month, so it took that long to get the meeting, but also that day a little boy had taken my son's face and smashed it into the ground.
During math class and given him a black guy. A week later he came home pleading from the mouth because he had a tooth knocked out at recess.
I'm sorry. Absolutely. A week after that I started noticing, and he was making statements about not what he to be live anymore.
So, like all the desperate meeting, the counselor, Miss Stone, Miss Funk, and the teacher at that point very classroom.
Next you get.
We continue to have these issues since February. But then, last week my son was punched in the stomach again by the same child, and has proceeded to since tell us that he had a headache and couldn't go to school after going through numerous testing including invasive blood
work to rule out the cause of the headache, I told my son he didn't have to go back to school anymore, but I did need him to tell me the truth about the headache, at which point he told me he no longer was comfortable going to school that he was terrified.
Of this little boy, that this boy had slapped and hit him, including smacking him in the genitals, and that he doesn't feel safe, as if there is.
If the school district is able to keep him safe. So at this point in time as of yesterday, my husband and I removed him for traditional home schooling, and we are now 2 full-time working parents, paying exorbitant dairy township education taxes and only able to do it as a result of the tribe that
gathers around us and so I'm not here because I'm seeking enough intervention.
But I'm here to share my experience as a parent.
I think it's great that we're winning awards, but it kind of feels like a smack in the face.
When I know that my experience at Dairy Township would not win any awards on Instagram or otherwise.
Thank you so much for your time. Today I appreciate the opportunity to share my story. What was your name? Again?
I'm sorry. My name is Dr. Kimberly.
Ernest, B. R, n E. S. T. Thank you. Dr.
Ernest, thank you.
Is there anyone else in the room who would like to comment?
Mister Alice, is there anyone online?
I say one thing I just wanna thank this mom for telling her long story, and she's not the only one she's not the only one.
There's a lot of us out there. Okay, thank you.
Let me comment as a parent.
Go from here.
I'd like to make a common as parents.
Donna Cronin, 4, 7, 6, English Iv. Court, Hummels Town, PA.
As a parent sitting in the room, and hearing that I hope I don't start crying because that was very emotional.
But I just want to make a plead as a parent to the district to realize that rules are put in place for organization, and I I know the rule that once you're in this classroom, you're pretty much.
You have to stay there has been a role since I first came to the district in 2,002, but I had a situation back in 2,004 when my third son was having issues with hey?
Student, and was placed in a second grade classroom with a number of difficult students that we're not interacting together.
Maybe as individuals, they were fine, but a group that when they came together had difficulty, and I brought it to the admin to the principal at the time, and was told we do not move kids around.
And I, you know. Okay, fine. But this was before school started.
We went in for the visit, and I looked at the names in the classroom, and I was like that.
How did anybody put these same boys together, including my son? And I mentioned it to the teacher, and went to the principal.
And then I just said, You know, good luck to the teacher, and I even heard from the first grade teacher who had said, I noticed all those same kids together, and I even thought it was a problem.
Nothing was done. My son ended up getting having troubles with this same kid.
He ended up one day at recess, having needles stuck in his coat into his neck, and he took them out and then he was charged with having.
We, but he was, that was the kind of bullying that was going on with these kids.
And and I that was just a tiny story.
But several of the boys in that classroom all had difficulties, because of the placement.
I still talk about those paid parents. They say I can't believe that second grade class or no.
I'm sorry I was third grade class, and thankfully that teacher survived that year because she's a great teacher.
But I felt sorry for her all year, so in any case, it's a rule you can't change students, but that will has to be really reconsidered when they're seriously.
You know, in advance you have to sometimes trust people for what they've seen and what other teachers have seen, because it our year was not great, but it was nothing like that.
And I'm just thankful that we didn't have to pull our kid.
I really want parents to be listened to when they know situations.
I don't know the whole story, but just in general, please.
Look at what parents say, and what other teachers say, because a lot of things can be avoided in classroom dynamics, that's all.
Thank you. Thank you. Dr. Cronin.
Anyone else that would like to comment.
Am I able to say something? As a board member at this time as a board member at this time? No, I'll have to say something. Okay. I just wanted to say, Thank you.
First of all, for sharing that I also have a first grader, and I can everything that you went through and I do think it's completely unacceptable that that happens to you.
And so, while I know we can't address this now, I hope this conversation isn't over, and we need to have a conversation about this and the policies, and what you experienced, because it's unacceptable.
So thank you. I'd like to. I'd like to request or suggest a quick post exact after this, because I just kind of feels not right to go home like adjourn the meeting.
Go home, and then, like I'd like to at least like kind of debrief a little bit on what we heard.
That's just me as one board member. I'd like a quick post exact after.
What is up next? Is there anything else for the good of water?
It sounds like you're suggesting that one additional thing that could be done for the good of the order would be to convene for post exact sessions.
The second I'd like to make a motion to convene for a brief post exact.
After this meeting I second the motion. Dona Cronin.
Any discussion. All those in favor say, aye, please, Hi! Anybody opposed.
Say No, hey? Just so. It's known publicly.
We will be convening after this meeting for a post executive session. Mr.
Singer, this is Lindsey Drew. I said it earlier after the first public comment to Miss Poppy.
Thank you for speaking, and for bringing a personal experience. Dr.
Ernest I didn't feel I could adequately maintain composure.
Hearing your story as a mom, so as a mom. Thank you.
I can't speak to what your personal experience was. I don't want to speak on behalf of our administration or our staff.
But as a mom, thank you for sharing that. I know it's really hard as a parent to stand up and be an advocate for your child.
Whatever the situation, and, I believe, appreciate your courage. Thank you.
We're up to agenda. Item 9, adjournment.
The next public board of Directors meeting will be held. May eighth, 2,023, starting at 7 Pm.
Please refer to the district website to register for virtual attendance, as the meeting draws closer, may I have a motion to adjourn this meeting?
So moved to Mary, Mammy. Second really convene.
Thank you.