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Keene Board of Education Special Emergency Meeting for January 9, 2021

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Keene Board of Education Special Emergency Meeting Date, Time: Saturday, January 9, 2021 – Following the budget work session. Meeting Location: The Keene Board of Education members attended the meeting remotely. Transcription available upon request.

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the meeting over to you George and thank you rob to call the or the meeting of the limit special emergency meeting of the Keene board of education for Saturday January 9th 2021 a special meeting because it's not one of our regularly scheduled meeting this meeting has been called for the purpose to determine the format that will be holding our first deliberative session in the first Saturday in February it's an emergency meeting because we're still operating under the state of emergency guidelines from the governor's office concerning covid-19 and precautions there from that allows us all to be participating remotely and can vote remotely etc etc we are not taking public input at this particular meeting if you have public input you wish to submit you're welcome to do so via writing or email care Oceana poke at the central office all right Rob and Tim and I have been batting the stuff around for a couple days state law does allow us to hold our first deliberative session in a room or Matt it's complicated for the new folks on the board let me give you a quick rundown of what that means we are in SB to town according to state law which means that our budgetary and warrant voting is actually split into two sessions in a normal year the first session called the deliberative session happens early in February on a Saturday and normally we be in the High School auditorium this is where it's actually not run by the school board is run by the school district moderator and this is the meeting that all Kean voters can come in motions to change our proposed budget as well as some of but not all of the proposed warrant articles and all voters in attendance boat either yay or nay on the motions and those go in do the final budget numbers this smaller things that can be changed but primarily it involves people trying to move the budget up or down for various reasons I'm yeah we'll see I don't like this position that you added propose that you remove the amount of budget that matches this new salary or I disagree with this cut that you've done I propose that you put it back in and asked me if I specific dollar amounts most of you are familiar with this if you've been around there on teen for a while he was seeing some of these meetings to a long time some of them are confrontational some of them do fairly quickly and then our second session is is our voting session first Tuesday in March So Undercover the precautions we are allowed to hold a Rob second Tuesday in March school board meeting under covid-19 lines in the wording of the law is if you are unable to hold your deliberative session due to code you can hold it virtually what that entails is as follett's the deliberative session is split into 2 the first sin is a virtual session open to the public at which the board presents their proposed budget and their proposed warrant articles and then closes the meeting we don't take any commentary we take any questions we don't take any emotions within a week we hold a second virtual meeting at the second meeting the board can make motions and take action upon the Budget Inn warrant articles based upon input from the public that we have received in the interim at the end of that session the budget and War articles Arkansas finalized and we'll go to voting the tricky Parts here are first of all I don't know in Tim may or may not know if there's actually time in our timeline to do this because he has a deadline at what she has to submit the finalized warrant articles to the state and the other end I get to really quick Tim the other concern is the public will not be afforded the opportunity to make changes to the budget directly they can suggest changes but the board makes or does not make those motions as they see fit I guarantee that there will be people in the community that will be upset that they did not have the opportunity to make those motions themselves right Tim you have any answers or robbed yes we are mean if you decided tonight we would make the timeline you know George you did a great job describing it there would be two deliberative session instead of one if you change the other thing that's difficult and more difficult than it sounds if you did this your posting notice would have to be a direct mailer to every voter and multiple mailers if they live at the same address it's not per address it's addressed to the person at their home it is it is a little onuris and they they have less said basically because as you said they can make suggestions but they won't be there to make the changes of boat nice to Rob Bob that's exactly what I was going to bring up the requirement for the mailings of all important documents all relevant documents that have to be made to each registered voter not just each home would that be twice would we have to send it once price to the first session and wants prior to voting all right so was that sell and there's two more requirements one is that in order to do it in the remote format we as a body have to vote on that which is why meeting today and the second is there would be an extra item on the voting ballot if we use this remote form at the very first item on the voting would be do you approve of this alternative method of deliberative session if the public votes no to that very first thing then it is a sin come to that everything else on the ballot is disapproved nothing else passes on the ballot except for new board members everything else fails obviously there's no way we can tell what the public will do or not do in that case you know like everything else having to do with covet IM sure that there's members of the public that would like us to do this remote and I'm sure that there's members of the public they would like us to do this in person all right I saw a John tan first and then it goes John we're not hearing you since you mentioned you board members I'm going to ask just remind me when the election is in what board were talking about that will be on during the deliberative session is it the same board or is it whoever he can elected newly-elected know it'll be this bored so the timeline is the first session is currently scheduled for February 6th yes yes and that's it that's a Saturday that's normally the one that the liquid come out to the high school and make changes to the budget and then the second session is scheduled for March I want to say 9 in that would be the last meeting that anyone who is seat is up would be honest the last night of this 2021 School Board in the following. It making it is so like my turn your interim storm and at the end of that meeting and then re-elected than you know back on the next day but finger you had your hand up Town meetings and deliver do sessions saying that they can postpone them or move them because of this exact concern you school boards fall under that or not fall under that and the second question is how it is when it comes to the second session where people go to the rec center of boat is there any allowance for like an absentee voting in that scenario let me do the first one the second question first cuz it's easier we have always had absentee ballot not still in place and we are also covered by the same thing that the state was covered back in September and November that this year covid is an acceptable reason for an absentee ballot that remains in place until how to remove the emergency orders to the first question yes the legislature did pass that yes it does apply to school boards it is complicated for Rob do you want you might be able to explain this better then I can cuz you just explain it to me 2 days ago so typically what we do is we get all of our professional contracts out before April 15th as soon as we have a budget we prepared we get him we get them back before April 15th so we know what vacancies we have and don't have without a budget we cannot issue a contract because we don't know what the outcome of that budget vote will be and if we can I wish you a contract that puts a lot of people kind of in limbo whether or not they are going to are not going to have a job we might be able to make an empty promise that oh well don't worry as long as a budget sapru but it doesn't really provide a lot of job security the people when this has happened in other districts some really close by Maytag Mass Exodus of people leaving because the School District budget was postponed until May and people really wanted to make sure add a job for the upcoming year as they were heading into this, so a lot more complicated and it can really impact your Staffing level letting your Staffing pattern and you might lose some really good Oak so you don't want to lose as a result of that so so I'll tell you guys and then I left it up to some more questions the recommendations from the administration are to hold that we also have the I like hearing coming up a week from Tuesday and that's where we present the budget in general that meeting will be virtual that's not covered by the state law that's just one of our meetings in which the chair he can decide if it's going to be in person over and based on how we've been doing the rest of our meetings it made sense to hold that one virtual I expect will actually get better attendance attendance at it than we normally do by holding that when virtually it would be hard to get worse than the law two years where we had one person last year two people attend the year before so that meeting will be virtual that's the Tuesday the 16th steam no thank you the administration recommends we go ahead and hold first session in the auditorium in person as we always have there is a belief that we are able to do it distance and that it's holding it in the virtual format is is so complicated that we will end up having trouble running it smoothly and running it fairly they also recommend that we do not take the option of bumping out to May or June for the reasons that just stated what that we keep that option in mind if this region blows up in covet numbers that's the sort of decision that were also allowed to make on short notice so their recommendation is that was that we hold on to that thought in case we absolutely need to but otherwise we go ahead with the traditional in-person meeting on the February 6th so I'll take further questions clarifications Etc just for for my knowledge and public knowledge if you want to vote at School Board how do you do that do go through the town clerk or through the SIU fruzsina at the SAU thank you my wife said to do that before Rob just to add on to the in-person format for the deliberative session if we get to a point where capacity is compromising distancing we have the ability where we can use overflow rooms if you will and through the use of technology which we have had the facility in this essay you for another District we can continue that meeting with that being streamed into overflow rooms if that makes sense and I think we may actually I think we may actually have to do that like I think we have to provide a separate room connected virtually or people that cannot wear a mask for whatever reason I have to go back and look or you know the administration will have to go back and look at the statute again but I think that we have to provide accommodation if we run this in for we need to provide accommodation for people that want to attend in person but for medical reasons cannot where I'm at John to order and or Rob would you just reiterate felt the why of the desire to have it in person other than that we've done in the past which I appreciate no that's the way it's supposed to be done historically what what's the Y I'll go first George if you want that opportunity to actually the debate to be able to make it in person since to the Warren articles I think it preserves a important part of the process whereas if we don't do it that way that responsibility is only to the nine members of the school board you know it does create a little bit more transparency with a community and give them that ability to weigh in on what they feel should or should not be on the final warrants and that's important to preserve at practice so that's why I didn't put forward a recommendation I was just giving you the superintendent's recommendation I will tell you the the pros and cons for me since you've asked I didn't certainly the my concern for not holding it in person is the same as what Rodger stated I'm uncomfortable not allowing the public to make direct motions as scary as that concept is coming from the school board side where you always worried that we're going to run into a situation like what Winchester it in this year were so much money was cut from the budget at the deliberative session that it forces you to make really really hard decisions involving personality and program, I still feel that that's in Awareness me to town which means that this is the opportunity for the public to weigh in and we would be taking it away from them albeit legally we would be taking that away from them for the entrance to call fine. Point George if you wouldn't like in a virtual format they cannot do that right in the virtual format the first session we present the budget they are given text number of days to submit written questions clarifications and suggestion in the suggestions can be blatantly as blatantly as the poor wording but you know as specific as Iraq and that you cut $50,000 but the second session is still just us and we decide whether to take action on any of those suggestions from the public the public is never given the opportunity to directly make motions and vote upon them the the obvious benefits to doing it virtually is you know we are still on Earth endemic and while our numbers are looking a little bit better you know we don't know what they're going to look like in a week we certainly don't know what they're going to look like in 3 weeks you know so there's a our schools are currently remote though it will probably be hybrid by February 6th if everything continues as they are now so certainly there's a reason to say Hey look it's not safe to bring this many people into one space Sia Peter I'm almost done and the other benefit that I see to going virtually over in person is my concern about what the population is that would still come to a being in person obviously not everybody that usually comes would come and my concern is that the people that are most likely to want to cut significant amounts from our budget are also the ones that are most likely to not care about I guess I don't want to go further into that statement is the benefits to remote and I'll stop flattering let Peter speak first part about what I was going to say it was going to be a slightly more politically correct version of your final statement mine was going to be more that I and I haven't decided this is not stating a side or whatever but I also think I can what are the things to think about in the common tub over taking away the right to vote there is an individual on this call who is very active in board meetings who I know has stayed in the past that they would not be able to show up to vote in person thing virtual format would also remove any opportunity for that individual who is a very supportive and vocal parent from being able to voice their opinion on a virtual format at least they would be able to give their opinion to us be able to speak and we would be able to take that into consideration and everything that you mention in the final part of that the question that I have is to you George have you consulted with the moderator and the clerk and the attorney that they would be able to attend in person and what is the contingency option if one or more of them is not able to I have not I don't know that the Administration has either we have legal guidance on this but it's actually not from our district legal guidance it's from I think the team that we mostly Labor Relations and they sent guidance out to every municipality in the state explaining this is a virtual meeting format so we got robbed we don't Evans input from Kathy your bath doing we we we do not we did reach out to the Secretary of State the Secretary of State made it very clear that this is a decision that does rest solely with a governing body which in this case would be the King Board of Education I think just the worry is an I don't know at least I can't remember how we replaced the moderator before but just making sure like can we run like but if that's then doesn't show up can we run something in person she's the district clerk just wondering about those positions and what state law because if they don't show up and we're not able to hold it then and again it's not something that necessarily we need to know right away right now but it's something to think about that we're not showing up like a couple days before and Beth is saying nope and we're kind of in a pickle and having to do something else now that's a valid point and I don't want as I wouldn't want to speculate on how we would handle that I do know when we didn't have a moderator we were able to appoint one but it was not quite the same situation that was a situation where we are moderator actually had resigned so we were filling a vacancy that's not the same thing as moderator cannot attend I don't know what state law says about that as soon as I get points b r i c a have any freedom to to follow a different model meaning could we hold a virtual one and allow people to vote and I don't need I'm thinking like a cop my headlights set up a doodle poll where you don't have to enter your name but people could vote on motion so we could do it remotely and still allow the public to make motions and boat on them have to check their ID based on the legal guidance I would say no and honestly I can't think of a way that we could do that securely and make sure that those are actually Keen Motors and honestly that is not their cap at 1:30 cross their keyboard so Chris Roman how can we be sure that everybody who wanted to be had good internet that can survive an hour or two hours without going and we have school children that their parents don't have the ability to have quality internet and someone say hey I want to participate but I didn't have internet how do we answer that question I honestly I don't think that's any different than hey I wanted to participate but I couldn't get to the school building on a Saturday morning which we get every year you know it's it's our job to hold a public meeting in the in the format is consistent with state law but yeah we understand that there's always people that can't make a given meeting for a given reason it just changes the reason that people can't make their that said it certainly valid that I'm not everybody would be able to attend virtually just does not everybody would be able to attend in person you know switching from I see a jack when switching from one to the other does not necessarily solve all of our problems right Jaclyn go ahead and then our covid-19 through the roof again and we see the writing on the wall and move your lies okay we have to quickly shift to remote what going back to that mailing that Tim Minchin has to be done what's the cutoff date on that it almost seems there's going to be some Line in the Sand with the deadline date that even if I covid numbers are high if we miss the deadline for the mailings then we have no choice but I'm thinking it sounds like with the state laws that we would still have Forge ahead with him person so I'm curious how we would handle that all right Chris. Chris Rob listen and tell me if you think I'm I'm getting this correct cuz you read the same stuff I have my belief is should we decide to go forward in person and then covid-19 explode on February 1st so then we look at it and say there's just no way if we've gone remote we can't bring people into the building at that it's too late to do the mailing and that is where Rob would have to access the we're going to have to pump it out until May Austin they're going to rob I do believe we could still open the meeting and based on the voters that were attendance move to recess it and then pursue a remote meeting which would allow us enough time to get the mailings out and do a virtual meeting another anime we've done that in the past when there's been snow storms on these dates we open the meeting and immediately recess it so yes there are if we choose to go ahead and I think this is the gist of the question if we just today decide that what we want is the person format and then situations change shortly before the February 6th meeting and we decide we have to change we do have a way to do that alright other questions are applications does it slowly turning off your videos one at a time Lip lip lip look good is there a hard decision but Peter was talking about someone who wouldn't be able to come to the meeting and would not be able to give an opinion if we had it in person they will be able to give an opinion the same as before because the public hearings before this almost a month and 3 weeks before and they have all that time to get their opinion to voters between now and then plus that's a virtual so they can attend that and if you decide to do the deliberative session virtually even if they can attend they only can give an opinion they can't vote so there's no opinions being just people aren't disenfranchised from their opinion and expression it it's whether they're going to be able to vote or not and only in person will they have that right to vote I just want to point that out but I don't want people to think if we have it in person that you can't give an opinion which is not true you can yeah that's that's correct in to expand on that even the deliberative session on February 6th is not supposed to be the venue for giving an opinion anyway that is just comes down to the moderator it's up to the moderator to and what they're going to allow but the antenna that meeting is for people straight up to make motions and for the public to discuss those motions and vote on them that's not really the time to come in and say hey I think you're spending too much money on buses but not making motion to change anything just give it to ya you want to make opinions like that that's what the public hearing on the 19th is for George I've got it make it fresh and I'm the one who's turning off videos when they're audio is breaking up just to hopefully some meeting all right do we have more questions or clarifications Peter Tim completely I think that I did not communicate but I was talking about correctly in the sense that let's say there was a conversation in the finance committee about looking at different budget options with cutting and there are and I mean George the way you said it I'm just going to go that way there's certain people of a political persuasion that are more likely to not attend those people have that political persuasion would be the ones that would come to a meeting and vote for well the school board cut 2 million 3 million again I'm kind of worried with George's opinion that it's in our either way for me I honestly feel like both of them are inequitable in different ways one we're taking away the direct vote in the other it it's it's taking away the ability for somebody who is in a high-risk category or has a family member is in a high-risk category for being able to come and actually Vote or make a mode and could potentially say I want to add that to million back in and everybody votes there I think that I think it is kind of although George you said it in a way that you were kind of like this is just something I've been thinking about but I mean that's a concern Army definitely a concern for me is that there is a certain political leaning that would show up and has shown up in large numbers recently is it okay to go ahead and go either one's a great a great response but I've actually cuz our numbers are going up and are higher than they've ever been in this region there's been a lot of stuff quarantine going on people are finding out left and right that they've been exposed in your your quarantine minimum to 10 days or 14 so I think we're under a thing of what if do you have board members who just physically cannot be there or we have members of the public who want to be there but they are not allowed to be there or do we run into any funny issues with that with preventing them from taking Park William I guess that's one of the things that you certainly consider when you're deciding which is the appropriate format for this meeting as far as board members you know straight up if one of us is sick turn on covid time this way if one of us is sick on the day of the deliberative session we don't come we can't be there bar someone the academy so I could show up with covid-19 nothing that the district could do are you really going to buy a plane ticket just to come to the meeting and with cover five of us say that we can work we're talking in person five of us say we can't come because we all have to quarantine we all have covid-19 VRBO then the meeting doesn't happen because you do have to have a quorum of the boy even though it's being run by the moderator rather than the board chair so that's a somewhat more likely in the time of covid-19 in a normal year but that's always a possibility and I don't know what state law says about that but my it would be if you don't have a quorum you don't have a meeting and you just have to figure out how to reschedule it George I don't know how sorry I just don't want to be categorically wrong I think we should check on that because I feel like you don't need any board members that have the riddle recession actually meeting in the district with you or moderator I think at that point your budget set and when you vote at that meeting your voting as immunity members answer clarifying questions I think the deliberative session to put and I've seen district meetings not the same thing start with you know no board meeting cuz about no board members because of a snowstorm so I don't think of you are meeting at that point that makes sense to me we'll check my my guess is Tim's correct on that Chris Peters question was Chris will you going to do for the clarification on this done and get out on the table no it's a totally it's a parliamentary question all right when I get to Peter's question do we have the right to bar people because of covid-19 it's a public hearing I don't know the answer Rob do you know the answer it's our building we do have rules like I assume we're requiring masks so if somebody doesn't want to drive back because they're grumpy they get them in so are we we can't prevent someone from coming in with a gun and we have rules about guns yeah we can and we have well we haven't applied it but weighted Sheriff Rivera has explained it there was a way that we can do that and be subject to a lawsuit but I think that that's where somebody could show up and there's no there's no state-mandated core there's no like a you must stay home legally and even if it's a close call the governor has issued a mandate for masking so what about yeah but what about Peter's other question if you know we're not allowed to say if you have covid-19. Come to this meeting or if you've been exposing her supposed to be isolating you can't come to this meeting you know we can save for a normal school day but are we allowed to say that for this delivered a session or are we just able to recommend it I will have to I'll have to confirm but I do think that if you are issued a quarantine by by public health than there are legal ramifications if you violate that I want to say you're about that but I'll have to confirm it but of course we can't be standing at the door do you have covid either Lakeshore can I add on to that answer yes sorry I just want to point I mean I think you should check on that but I just want to point out that are safe and procedures aren't design do not let anyone in with covid-19 like everyone has Copic I've been in contact with people with cool bed casually like I just know of them but I've never had to quarantine because I've never been within six feet for 15 minutes in their space that's the whole idea so I think if we talked about having a direct session we need to think of it as if people coming will be contagious and everyone should leave their knowing if everyone there was contagious I'm fine... If we can't see set up like that that we can't set it up that's how it's supposed to work ice Tim Jordan Apollo Elementary we have to be really careful because we shouldn't be talkin about anybody's political persuasion we don't want to come across that when making decisions based on keeping one political group or not so when we talked we shouldn't be talkin anything about any political persuasion child remember this is being recorded you don't want to give the people the wrong impression thanks Chris further clarifying questions alright so if we do nothing we are currently scheduled to open in person deliberative session on Saturday February 6th if we want to move to Virtual someone will need to make a motion that we I think about the wording for a second 2 change the format of our deliberative session first deliberative session to Virtual as provided in I'll get the HP number in a second but as provided in the state law passed regarding cobra pashtuns if someone wants to make that motion I will look up the number of the house bill going once going twice all right rob it looks like we're going to go forward with preparations for an in-person for the deliberative session there are still some Logistics your folks will have to work out in order to get the distance thing we might have to change member we normally we put non-voters up above and voters down below we might need that whole space for voters and you'll have to check on legal guidelines as far as who can and cannot come in and making sure that bath and Catherine are able to come and I'm missing at least one what we need for extra rooms for video feeds we'll take care of that you were forgetting Adam and Adam yes I will my guess was that Adam would be able to find somebody from his office that was willing to go all right so that was all I had for the public portion of this meeting we do have a non-public as well I don't really want to extend this for too long but does anyone have anything that they want to add to the public question yeah I see motion manga because I had no idea you could vote absentee that either maybe through our Facebook or you are email list or something as it gets closer to send out instructions reminding people that you do have the option and how do you do it what's the timeline I think that would be helpful yeah I think we can do that Rob let's have either say no throw it on release don't you put it on a release I do get asked every year by one or two people how do I vote absentee Peter had to find out one year that is a vote absentee every year so that's right how was your trip wasn't it you're my wife at the boat house and seeing every time it's knew we always have to go look it up so that's a good point I'm good thank you alright see you nothing else can I have a motion to go into non-public in a quart with RSA 91 - 84 staff personnel I thank you Jennifer can I have a roll call weights in Africa yes Branson Allen Miss Hansen open settings ancient Houston Declan said yes Donald Trump announce Liam on the call anymore mr. Starkey yes mr. right all right yeah I'm willing fight Robin Tim I think Tim Yeah Tim speaking to the contract Robert we going to do a separate link or we just going to ask Rachel to step out that we're going to resume the public portion of today's meeting Chris has no reason to steal the minutes on this one right no cuz everything's over all right all right that was only had four business in this we have coming up we have education committee on Tuesday only ad, members are required to attend that when the rest of you can do whatever the heck you do on Tuesdays when you're not sitting the board meeting the next budget session is Saturday next Saturday I want to say 9:30 is that accurate Kristen 92 is it 9:30 yeah 93021 that's what's scheduled okay and that's followed by sleep in a few hours by another full board session and session will be the answers to the questions that have been put to Tim and his people as well as any that you all email in the next day and a half followed by the finance committee can make adjustments to the does budget review the warrant articles Again Sam refresh my memory does the finance committee bring recommendations on the reserve funds and on the building fund in the special ed funding what not they will yes recommend something to the board thank you and then the full board the finance committee will explain the changes that they made and and the full board can take action upon the budget in the same manner move it up or down and as well approve all of the warrant articles that will be presenting the public in the future and I don't anticipate any other action next week we've got we do still have one outstanding negotiation going on which is an impact bargaining one but now so it's possible that we have a non-public to look at looking for that but too early to know rob their stuff we're supposed to remind people of no that's for the full board meeting yep that's for the Tuesday the 19th and that will be the next meeting the Tuesday following the budget and there will be a full board meeting on Tuesday the 19th probably preceded Krista. Chris Cotton's that preceded by personality and that what this point tentatively not so yes yes you will okay full board is at 6 that night followed by a public hearing at 7 at which we presented the budget to the public that will be virtual Rob yeah I mean it wouldn't hurt if folks looked inside of the shared folder at the calendar for next school year and I know a lot of folks like to have that early so that they proposed calendar for next year is already in the drive if you can take a look at ahead of the Tuesday the 19th meeting and have actually send questions to rob in advance so that he's ready to answer them that night ideally we should vote and take action on that the calendar does have to be approved by bored and we would like to hold that boat on Tuesday the 19th so take a look at the calendar and advance and get questions to Rob so he's prepared to answer them all right I think that's all we have is an L7 assassin in a public session do we want to announce the filing deadline if somebody to run for school board and has anything been put out the way we did for the interim position but that'll be cool do the actual filing date but anyone who is following this recording the filing. If you wish to run for school board is January 26th 26 + 78 to the 29th I believe I'll check those days but it's pretty darn close to Accurate we do have a number of seats up this year there will be three three-year seats one two years seat into 1-year seats and when you file you have to indicate which type of seat you are filing for and we'll go through that that's a good point Jacqueline will probably true that every meeting we have between now and then all right being no further business before the board thank you all for hanging out for an insane number of hours on a Saturday huge thanks to the finance office and the administration for presentation of budgets today the work that they put into that is is pretty astounding and they were clearly all well prepared today so thank you everybody involved and I will see you next week this meeting is at done before 4

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