BOE MEETING AUGUST 22 2024

Summary

The Board of Education convened on August 22nd, discussing preparations for reopening schools post-recess. Dr. Selena highlighted successful orientations and ongoing construction projects, emphasizing the excitement for the upcoming school year. The board approved various meeting minutes and financial reports, showing compliance and readiness. They also addressed a subpoena from the NYS Department of Health regarding alleged fraudulent vaccinations, pledging to uphold health and safety standards. The meeting concluded with a public comment from the PFT, expressing anticipation for the school year and promoting a community blood drive.

Takeaways

• 📅 The board of education's regular meeting took place on August 22nd, with a moment of silence and pledge to the flag.
• 🏫 Dr. Selena provided an update on school preparations, mentioning orientations for pre-K and incoming sixth graders, and the readiness of the buildings post-Labor Day.
• 🎉 There's a sense of excitement as schools are set to open, with many positive activities and events highlighted on the school calendar.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Dr. Selena observed happy faces among students during orientations and noted the ongoing construction project at John H plus Fields.
• 🏈 High school students have returned, with the football team assembling and preparing for their season.
• 📈 A superintendent's conference day is scheduled for the following week, along with a new teacher institute.
• 🗳️ Routine approvals were conducted, including minutes from previous meetings and financial reports, with motions carried by the board.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Board members expressed their observations and feelings about the orientations and the return of students, noting the positive vibe and excitement.
• 🤖 Discussion about the use of artificial intelligence was tabled until an advisory from the New York State School Board Association is received.
• 🏛️ There's a proposal to form committees to handle various school district matters, such as budgeting, facilities, and student well-being.
• 🚨 The board received a subpoena from the New York State Department of Health regarding potential fraudulent vaccination documents, with a commitment to cooperate and prioritize health and welfare.

Q & A

When was the board of education's regular meeting held?

The board of education's regular meeting was held on August 22nd.

What was the main topic of Dr. Selena's superintendent's comments?

Dr. Selena's comments mainly focused on the preparations for the upcoming school year, including building conditions, staff and student orientations, and the excitement of reopening schools.

What activities did Dr. Selena mention taking place at the schools?

Dr. Selena mentioned pre-K orientations, sixth graders visiting the middle school, high school students returning, and the football team assembling on the field.

What is the significance of the mention of 'Labor Day' in the script?

The mention of 'Labor Day' signifies the anticipated reopening of schools for students after the summer recess, with the return planned right after the holiday.

What did the board members express their excitement about during the meeting?

The board members expressed excitement about the return of students to schools, the ongoing construction projects, and the use of social media to disseminate information.

What is the role of the school calendar mentioned in the script?

The school calendar is mentioned as a resource that lists all the events for the school year and is a tool for keeping the community informed about school activities.

What motions were made regarding the approval of minutes from previous meetings?

Motions were made to approve the minutes of the June 14th, July 8th 2024 organizational meeting, and the July 23rd 2024 special meeting.

What was the discussion about forming committees during the board meeting?

There was a discussion about forming committees such as a budgeting and finance committee, a buildings and facilities committee, and a security and student well-being committee to guide certain decisions within the district and to give people a sense of ownership in the process.

What was the context of the mention of a subpoena from the New York State Department of Health?

The subpoena from the New York State Department of Health was related to an investigation into potential fraudulent vaccinations in the schools, which raised concerns about endangering the health and welfare of staff and students.

What was the board's stance on the use of credit cards as mentioned in the informational reports section?

The board clarified that they do have a policy on credit card use and that the claims auditor report might have been misleading. They intended to review and potentially update the policy if necessary.

Outlines

00:00

📅 School Board Meeting and Upcoming Events

The script details a school board meeting held on August 22nd, where Dr. Selena provides updates on school preparations for reopening after summer recess. She mentions visiting orientations for pre-kindergarten and incoming sixth graders, highlighting the excitement and readiness of the buildings. Dr. Selena encourages the community to follow the school calendar and social media for updates. The meeting also includes routine approvals, such as minutes from previous meetings and financial reports, and a motion to approve various items is carried out. The board president handles the meeting's flow, ensuring all agenda items are addressed.

05:02

🏫 School Orientations and Community Engagement

In this paragraph, board members discuss various school orientations, including middle school and pre-kindergarten, emphasizing the positive atmosphere and students' excitement. They also express gratitude for the staff's efforts in preparing for the new school year. The use of social media to disseminate information is praised for its effectiveness. Additionally, there's a discussion about forming committees to address issues like security and student well-being, with a focus on involving community groups and potentially non-voting student members. The board is open to exploring these ideas further in upcoming meetings.

10:04

🛡️ Health Concerns and Legal Compliance

The script addresses a subpoena received by the school district from the New York State Department of Health regarding potential fraudulent vaccination records. A board member expresses concern for the health and welfare of students and staff, particularly those who are immunocompromised. The district's commitment to cooperate with health authorities and maintain legal compliance is emphasized. The discussion also touches on the need for the district to follow directives from health and education departments, indicating that the situation is still under investigation and that further actions will be determined by these authorities.

15:05

📊 Financial Audit and Policy Review

The final paragraph covers the board's review of financial documents, including an end-of-year claims auditor report. It mentions a recommendation from the auditor for a policy on credit card use, which the board clarifies they already have in place. There's a discussion about the possibility of updating the existing policy to include specific use cases, such as the use of Home Depot cards by teachers and custodians. The board resolves to research the matter and prepare a response to the auditor's recommendation. The meeting concludes with a public comment from a representative of the teachers, who thanks the board and central office for their efforts and promotes an upcoming blood drive and fundraiser.

Keywords

💡Board of Education

The Board of Education refers to the governing body responsible for overseeing the management of a school district. In the context of the video, it is the group conducting the meeting, making decisions, and discussing various school-related matters. The script mentions the board's regular meeting, indicating that it is a formal gathering to address educational policies and procedures.

💡Superintendent

A Superintendent is the chief administrative officer of a school district, responsible for its overall management and operation. In the script, Dr. Selena is referred to as the superintendent, and they provide updates on school activities, such as orientations and preparations for the new school year, highlighting their leadership role.

💡Orientation

Orientation is an introductory program for new students or staff to familiarize them with the school environment and procedures. The script mentions 'prek orientations' and 'incoming sixth graders visit,' indicating that these are events designed to help new students adjust to their new educational setting.

💡Labor Day

Labor Day is a public holiday in the United States, celebrated on the first Monday in September to honor the contributions of workers. In the script, the reference to 'right after Labor Day' pertains to the timing of when schools will reopen after the summer break, marking the beginning of the new academic year.

💡Social Media

Social Media refers to digital platforms that enable users to create and share content or participate in social networking. The script mentions the use of social media by the school district to disseminate information, such as updates and events, showcasing its role in modern communication strategies.

💡Motion

In a meeting context, a motion is a formal proposal made by a member, which, if seconded and approved by the majority, becomes a decision or resolution. The script contains multiple instances of members making motions to approve various items, such as minutes and reports, demonstrating the procedural aspect of decision-making in the board meeting.

💡Treasury Report

A Treasury Report is a financial statement detailing the income, expenditure, and cash flow of an organization. In the script, the board discusses approving the 'treasury report for June 2024,' which is an example of the board's oversight role in financial matters related to the school district.

💡Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines to perform tasks that usually require human intelligence. The script mentions the use of AI in schools, indicating a discussion about incorporating technology in education and the potential implications it may have on teaching and learning.

💡Subpoena

A Subpoena is a legal order requiring a person to appear in court or produce documents. In the script, a subpoena from the New York State Department of Health is mentioned, relating to an investigation into potential fraudulent vaccinations. This highlights a serious legal and health-related issue that the school district must address.

💡Policy

A policy is a course of action or a set of rules established by an organization or government. The script discusses the need for policies regarding credit card use and student representation on the board, emphasizing the importance of having clear guidelines to govern various aspects of school district operations.

Highlights

The board of education's regular meeting commenced on August 22nd, indicating the start of a new school year.

A moment of silence was observed in respect to the flag of the United States.

Dr. Selena provided an update on school preparations, mentioning the excitement of reopening and the ongoing construction projects.

Pre-K orientations were held at Schwarting and East Clan Elementary Schools, with positive feedback from parents.

Sixth graders visited the middle school to familiarize themselves with their new environment.

School buildings are in outstanding shape, with further improvements expected before the Labor Day opening.

Community groups have been utilizing the school's fields for activities, indicating a vibrant use of school facilities.

High school students have returned, with the football team assembling and preparing for their season.

A superintendent's conference day is scheduled for staff, highlighting the district's commitment to staff development.

The board approved various routine items, including minutes from previous meetings and financial reports.

A motion to approve the use of artificial intelligence in schools was tabled pending an advisory from the New York State School Board Association.

Committees for budgeting, facilities, and security are proposed to address various district needs and engage the community.

The board received a subpoena from the New York State Department of Health regarding potential fraudulent vaccination documents.

The district is committed to cooperating with the Department of Health and ensuring the health and welfare of students and staff.

A claims auditor report was reviewed, suggesting the board consider updating its credit card usage policy.

The board clarified that it does have a policy on credit card use and will review the auditor's recommendations.

A public comment session included a plug for Vinnie's Army's blood drive and fundraiser, showcasing community engagement.

The meeting was adjourned after all items were addressed and public comments were heard.

Transcripts

um like to call order uh this board of

education uh regular meeting um on

August 22nd at

709

motion need a motion oh okay sorry the

motion's gone yeah not required do it we

learned

sorry to the flag of the United States

of and to

One Nation God indivisible andice

for okay um like to turn turn it over to

Dr Selena for the superintendent's

comments uh good evening everyone thank

you very much ladies and gentlemen of

the board as well as those people

joining us uh remotely tonight um things

are really exciting we're we're getting

ready to open up we're in the last

couple of weeks of recess um today I had

the opportunity

visiting um an or a couple of

orientations we had our prek welcome uh

to prek orientations uh in our

schwarting and elementary schools uh and

East Clan Elementary School we also had

um our incoming sixth graders visit at

the middle school and they had to get

time to play with their lockers and

everything else that's going on there uh

lots of happy faces uh the buildings are

in outstanding shape they'll be in

better shape in a week from now and

ready for the kids to open and return

turn right after Labor Day uh we have a

lot of exciting things that are going on

so um I would ask everybody that's

interested in the Val please join us

take a look at our school calendar it

has all the events listed on there

you'll also be getting additional

calendars and information from your

individual schools so um it's great to

see the kids back uh I will tell you

it's been uh really nice to see children

return back even sooner uh many of the

you know as you know we have our

construction project that's ongoing over

the John H plus Fields so we have

Community groups that are using our

Fields outside here Bobcat shelding Etc

so the fields are filled with kids

Monday through Friday at this point in

time so it's really nice to see kids but

uh this week our high school kids

returned back um so it's great to see

our our football team is assembling out

on the field every morning at 8 o'clock

uh and they're getting ready to open up

their season so it always is the end of

the summer for me which is you know I'm

I am excited but I I I have seen a

number of parents that are sharing with

me that they're excited just as much as

I am about opening up schools again and

that they're excited to see the schools

open and the kids return back um next

week we'll have super tenants conference

day uh on Thursday and that's when our

staff returns and we have an an

outstanding day planned uh for them and

we look forward to our new teacher

Institute as well next week so uh I look

forward to the opening of schools um

please follow our social media for each

one of our buildings as well as the

district itself lots of uh wonderful

information is available there and be

sure to take a look at our calendar

which was just posted recently thank you

very much pass it back to the board

president thank you um moving on to uh

routine approvals um I have a motion to

approve the minutes of the June

114

right Marc second Mr Garcia all in

favor okay um

six J don't worry six in favor motion

Carri um for item number two do I have a

motion to approve the July 8th 2024

organizational

meeting Mr Marcy second by Garcia all in

favor okay six in favor motion

carried you I have a motion to approve

the minutes of the July 88th 2024

regular meeting

Mr Garcia second Mr Pella all in

favor six in favor motion

Carri uh do I have a motion to approve

the minutes of the July 23rd 2024

special

meeting Mr Garcia

second Mr morsy all in

favor

okay four in favor

what abstaining yeah I'm Asain uh anyone

voting now no AB absten okay four four

in favor two extensions motion

carried uh do I have a motion to approve

item number the five warrant

reports 146 through 147 and 2

to1 Mr Mory second Mr Garcia all in

favor

six in favor motion

Carri uh do I have a motion to approve

the treasury report June

2024 Mr Pascarella

second Mr Mory all in

favor six in favor motion

carry moving on to section four business

do I have a motion to approve items one

through 41

magio

second Garcia all in

favor six in favor motion carried leing

on to it number five pride and

Plage anyone have anything they'd like

to

share you want to go first sure I just

wanted to thank the um the Middle School

staff we had our middle school

orientation today sixth

graders um and it was just uh Mr B Rudy

I think you and I both would agree the

vibe was very exciting the kids were so

sweetly nervous but I uh they were there

and open in lockers and very happy so

thank you for everybody who was able to

be there and just I love hearing seeing

the fields at the high school so full of

children um it's kind of nice to see

them all together I know it's a lot but

it's kind fun see all the ages there and

um the I I just

the the BR the projects that are going

on in the district I think are um

amazing I'm very excited for all them so

thank you to everybody who's working so

hard to try to get

everything St finished when we can yeah

sure so my wife reports uh prek

orientation went great today my daughter

was excited she left happy which is

always good uh I've been at the high

school a lot of those days I haven't

been on the football fields at the high

school and uh as much as I have been the

last few weeks since uh many many years

ago um I really am enjoying the Social

Media stuff you put together Dr Selena

you your team I think that is a really

great way to get that information out I

just want to say thank you thank you you

getting if I had that many views in my

business I'd be I'd be looking for a new

line of work I'd be in really good shape

so it's great job uh exciting to see

thank you

anyone

else i' just like to Echo those comments

I mean I I was uh able to go to sixth

grade orientation I myself had trouble

opening the locker so um but I

eventually figured it out was able to

help out my son um in addition I I was

not able to attend the uh upk

orientation today but my son came home

excited so clearly uh we're doing

something right because he does not get

excited Le Mommy so um and it's constant

battle every day um so obviously we're

doing something because he was he's

definitely pumped to get to 3K um and I

would like to Echo Mr Garcia's

sentiments I think in terms of putting

out the information the social media

postings are very helpful and definitely

have had people um say that that's been

a great addition so um you know I look

forward to you know hopefully having

people continue to be updated on those

things sure so thank you um

no one else has anything else uh we'll

move on to item number six in the

business uh use of artificial

intelligence and I'll turn this over to

Mr

Paris as you know I brought this up in

an email to yourself um after looking

into it I understand the New York State

uh School Board Association going to

issue an advisory before school starts

so I thought we should table this

conversation until we receive their

advisory absolutely great um one one of

the things I just would like to uh bring

up is um I know there's in past

discussions uh there's been

conversations about late buses armed

security things of those sorts um and

what's that yeah so um you know I I

think those are items best probably

handled by um committees um that I think

some point I'd like for us to um action

that I think you know just obviously I'm

new to the board still uh one year in

one just over one year in is not a lot

of experience um but what what I have

been doing is trying to beef up my my

knowledge in terms of like best

practices and it seems like uh

committees formed from a variety of

interest groups within the district is

probably the best way forward in terms

of helping to guide um the uh the path

of certain decisions that are made

within a district and also gives people

a feeling of um ownership in the process

as well um and so with that I'd like to

definitely I don't know the right way to

do this Dr SL maybe could help guide us

but I I think in terms of like a

budgeting a finance committee uh a

buildings and Facilities committee um

maybe um a security and student

well-being committee um I know there's

been also discussions of at the uh state

level of requiring non- voting student

um member on on school boards that

doesn't go through I've heard of

actually student action committees that

also give advice to the board in terms

of things that they see in the school

and you know obviously doing things

through a student's eyes is helpful and

can be informative to a school board so

if um if at all possible I'd like to

maybe at the next meeting have us

understand what you think the best path

path forward is with that and

um something that maybe the board can

discuss at the next meeting as long as

the board would like me to pursue that I

will definitely put that together so if

the board is in agreement with that then

you know obviously that's something that

you guys need to um provide me with

feedback and then I'll give you back my

ideas as far as

possibilities um I can comment on all of

them right now but I'm not going to I'll

I'll put it together a little bit so we

can have something a little more

composed and then we can kind of you

know talk about

possibilities um I will tell you that

you know obviously you know receiving

feedback from the community comes in

different models or different formats um

committees for the sa committees are not

fruitful if they don't have a charge and

they specifically are told what they're

here to do it also creates frustration

with people that participate in these

things because they they wonder what

happens with this information Etc it's

all advisory in sense ultimately in the

end uh Administration will make a

recommendation to Board of Education

they're involved with it um how those

committees are organized and how they

run all the above so I'll have to frame

it out a little bit about how things

have been done historically in places

that I have and including here of things

that we've done here before some of

these things are covered already the

health and safety is already under

security um you know but we can explore

anything I'll get it together for

September thank you appreciate that um

moving on to could I bring up one more

item on please please do the better

Board of Education is aware we received

a subpoena from the New York State

Department of Health related to requests

for documents that may show fraudulent

vaccinations in our schools I am very

concerned that these parents chose to

endanger the Health and Welfare of the

staff and students in our schools

especially those that are immune

compromised one specific individual I am

familiar with is battling cancer not to

mention the families more involved with

insurance for it I'd like to know how

the district plans to protect our

children and the staff and what is the

next step that we are taking with the

Department of

Health uh if I could answer yeah yeah

please um so

um I can't discuss the details of

obviously anything that you know has to

do with families and children uh that

would be inappropriate obviously in a

public session what I can say is that

the district will continue to cooperate

with the Department of Health New York

State and um will receive directives

from them about anything that's health

related inside of this

investigation um and obviously the

Health and Welfare of everybody inside

the schools is our top priority our

nurses monitor this information catalog

it file it and then file it with the

state with which we do we'll be we are

always in legal compliance um yeah the

documents that uh we uh we see from

parents obviously uh you know we we

process them on an annual basis happens

for all new students or students that

have uh vaccinations that are required

by law and the district will continue to

look to be in compliance with all of

us thank

you I it

add um without getting into of course

things we can't discuss in public uh my

family utilized the practice involved in

that investigation I don't think there's

been any firm uh accusations or or

anything to come out of that practice

yet about childhood vaccinations I think

it's still pretty early I could say my

children got them they cried every every

shot they got um so I think it'd be odd

to just bring up a subpoena as part of

an investigation I think that at the end

of that investigation by the Department

of Health the school's going to have to

do whatever the Department of Health and

Department of Education says to do yes

and that'll play out in the proper

process just like teachers have due

process so to

students um additional in

business okay um moving on to item

number seven informational reports uh

any questions on items number one

through

11 we got the we got a um this happens

to be the end of the year we got the

claims auditor report so um took a look

at that the end of the year summary and

um just something the board should

consider going for one of the OB ations

was we don't have a policy on credit

card use I guess a governs credit card

use so that's something that they

recommended to the board we we do have a

policy Mr Pesco on credit card use oh is

that okay so that's not correct we

always had it so that's incorrect okay

all right is it something it may require

updating perhaps but I'll have to uh

research that now but we do definitely

most definitely have a board of

education policy on credit card okay if

you can point it out to them maybe they

write a letter back to us saying we're

mistaken

Peter works with them and I'll have him

work with them on that I just want to be

clear about that because obviously we

treat know how we handle uh credit cards

uh there's there's only two credit cards

in the district um and and they're in

the name of Mr perazzo as well as myself

okay uh and they reside in the safe

except when being utilized exactly yeah

so just the way they presented it out to

us looks like yes we don't have a policy

so that I can tell you we definitely do

okay so we I'll I'll explore that and

figure out what's going on yeah it's not

good that they don't think we have one

you know so I'll find out what's going

I'll research it okay Ed ify mind it

looks like they're referring to like

maybe a Home Depot card

or because it's talking about teachers

custodian mloy so that would be a

revision to credit card usage in the

district policy think fir maybe give us

language that we should y have in a

policy I think issue we'll take a look

at it obviously we're going to take the

order this very seriously and what they

suggest I imagine the Home Depot card

probably gets used more than the ones

the safe just based Home Depot doesn't

take bills but they're all after they

used they're collected like it's not

like people are walking around with a

Home Depot card I need to go to the Home

Depot to buy XO the card they bring it

back okay yeah the way it's worded I

think right it's a little uh misleading

I guess if we do have a policy so yes

very cool P thanks so much it's not

inclusive of what perhaps they're

looking at so we'll look at it and any

effici D to be I'll recommend the board

uh at that point time we'll bring it to

the board and basically the board would

then uh review the policy adjustments

the original policy and the adjustment

in the policies and they would approve

the policy and the policy would be

adopted at that board meeting we will

pursue this and as soon as we have a

timeline I'll let you know thank you

very much any other questions on Section

seven no

okay so moving on to section number

eight for public comment

good evening I did this last year but I

didn't do it too well so hopefully this

year face that way it's probably easier

to talk to the chairs um president fuke

sends his regards and apologies he's

enjoying the last days of uh summer with

his family away on vacation that's why I

am here um on behalf of all the teachers

and teacher assistants that are part of

the PFT we look forward to another

wonderful school year we thank central

office and the board for and all the

custodians as we know been running

around um making these buildings look

even better than they did when we left

um lastly I've been asked to plug uh

Vinnie's Army's blood drive and a

fundraiser that is Saturday September

7th at the Brian Moore Center from 10:

to

4: um obviously we know Vinnie's Army

does some great things for not only the

community but um New York State and I'm

sure the country at large um so

apparently doing a blood a blood drive

and a fundraiser and they're going to

have some fundraising events that same

day so again that's Saturday September

7th from 10:00 to 4: at the Brian Mo

Center thank you thank

you uh with no further uh people in the

audience to give a public

comment I'll move to uh adjourn the

meeting moot adjourn a

motion Doug second all in

favor six in favor motion

Carri good