Summary of 11/7 Meeting: 

During the public comment section, there were various topics discussed, including the drama director split, an appreciation for musical director Peter Boley and the identification of a marketing opportunity for the tech center to expand beyond high school students. Superintendent Tom Flanagan recognized Teacher of the Year Aziza Malik, the Volleyball State Championship and concerns about the Israel-Hamas conflict leading to rising tensions. There was also acknowledgement of a student gun conflict and Principal Beaupre being put on paid leave, with a call for two security guards at BHS exits. 

The meeting proceeded with the discussion and action on Policy 2.2 regarding the hiring and treatment of staff, focusing on magnet schools and recognizing teachers’ hard work. The FY25 preliminary budget assumptions were discussed, highlighting estimated increases in wages and health care costs, along with a significant new cost to pay off debt associated with a new school. The meeting moved on to address Policy 1.0 Global Ends and 2.10 School Scorecards, with a unanimous passage of Global Ends and a presentation of data on all schools in the district.

Strategic Plan Priority Area 1 was discussed, aiming for a student-centered approach and addressing a 6% decrease in belonging among students. The staff percentage was noted to be low, and plans were discussed, including student and family advisory groups, disability advocacy workshops, staff peer recognition programs and workplace incentives. The meeting also covered the evaluation of instructional coaching, consistency in training coaches and principals, the need for an instructional coach at BHS, and additional initiatives like SDI (Summer Development Institute) and sixth-grade extracurriculars.

Meeting Notes:

Public Comment

• Matthew Perry
  • Drama director split
  • Peter Boley appreciation
• Marketing Opportunity
  • Increased marketing opportunity for tech center to be a community center
  • Spread to more than just High School students

Student Representative Report

Superintendent’s Report

October Reflection

• Teacher of the Year: Aziza Malik (Champlain)
• Volleyball State Championship
• Brooks Deshaw 58 goals over 4 years
• Israel and Hamas conflict leading towards rising tensions
• Student gun conflict recognization
• Principal Beaupre put on paid leave – appreciation to Sabrina Westdijk
• Need for 2 security guards at BHS at both exits

Policy 2.2 Hiring and Treatment of Staff – Action

• Hiring for magnet schools (Job postings need to include mission statement)
• Recognizing Teachers for their hardwork
• Dig and develop into goals about hiring process
• Action is passed unanimously

FY25 Preliminary Budget Assumptions – Discussion

• Estimation increases due to wages and health care increase
• Limited new investments may be proposed
• Assumptions
  • Wages: Varied, pursuant to collective bargaining agreements. Typically in the 5% range. 
  • Health insurance: 16.4% increase. This assumption is VEHI’s annual rate filing.
• The amount of care, and the cost of care, has both increased (no longer bargain health insurance)
• Huge new cost (10 Million) to pay off debt assosciated with the new school
• Schools may elect to utilize their RISE allocations to retain certain positions that are no longer part of their baseline staffing.

2022-23 Policy 1.0 Global Ends and 2.10 School Scorecards – Actions

• Global Ends and includes our annual policy compliance ratings with specific detail regarding our work to ensure greater compliance.

Goal: BSD will be student-centered and responsive to the full range of identity, abilities, cultures, and languages in our community, such that every student is challenged, empowered, and engaged in their learning throughout their time in our schools.

• Report: 
  • 1. Priority area title and goal statement. 
  • 2. List of all the metrics for the priority area with their status
  • 3. A single metric
  • 4. The data aligned to the single metric
• Global Ends is unanimously passed
• School Snapshots
  • Data on all schools in district
  • Free and reduced lunch, individualized education program, english leaders, and students of the goal majority.
• Possible district-wide data
• Motion is unanimously passed

Strategic Plan Priority Area 1 – Discussion

Goal: BSD will be student-centered and response to the full range of identities, abilities, cultures, and languages in our community, such that every student is challenged, empowered, and engaged in their learning throughout their time in our schools.

• 6% decrease in belonging (Sample set: Approx 1600 students)
• Staff percentage is similar but the percentage is still very low. (Sample set: 500 staff members)
• Most of the staff feel supported by their colleagues
• 4-year map – Fleshing out ideas for this year (What to continue? Budget implications?)
  • Student and Family advisory groups at each school.
  • Launch a disability advocacy workshop series with the Office of Equity
• Staff peer recognition program
• Staff affinity groups for staff members of the global majority.
• Discounts for BSD staff at Burlington markets
  • Additional affinity groups
  • Increase work-place incentives for working in the BSD

Evaluation on Instructional Coaching

• Consistency across District on training coaches and principals on the coaching model and the role of coaches.
• Extra curriculum on 6th grade.
• SDI – Summer Development Institute
• Coaches give regular exit cards to understand what teachers need from coaches.
• BHS currently does not have an instructional coach this year.
• Teachers have generally improved.