September 19, 2024 at 7:00 PM - Bethel Board of Education Regular Meeting

Rationale: 

National Recognition Johnson School Unified Sports
Congratulations to our Unified Sports team and their coaches, Jess Bouchard and Coach Claridge as they were named a Special Olympics National Champion School! The national recognition program celebrates exemplary unified programs that embrace the three tenets of Unified Sports, Whole School Engagement, and Inclusive Youth Leadership, as well as 10 standards of excellence. Banner Unified Champion Schools also demonstrate they are self-sustainable or have a plan in place to sustain these activities into the future. Although Unified Sports is at the core, this recognition is meant as a whole school recognition for efforts by the entire school to support Unified Sports and create an inclusive school environment.

National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist
Congratulations to BHS Senior, Chiranjeevi Akkili, for being selected as a semifinalist in the National Merit Scholar Program! Chiranjeevi was one of 16,000 students across the nation selected as a semifinalist.

Rationale:  Bethel High School

• $400, for the advisory program and staff wellness, American Online Giving Foundation, Calgary, AB, Canada.

Rockwell School

• Classic board games, to enhance social & cognitive development, valued at $719, donorschoose.org

Districtwide

• 3 office desks, 2 office chairs, 4 conference room chairs, 1 table, and a Keurig, Tim Martin, Bethel, CT

Rationale:  The State of Connecticut made significant changes to the educator and leader evaluation plan.   As part of that process, they have provided guidelines which must be included in the plan and a model plan.   Our Educator Evaluation and Support Committee met last spring to make the changes. We submitted our plan to SDE and received feedback and then revised the plan based on the feedback.  Dr. Brooks will be providing an overview of the plan and the full document can be viewed below.  

Rationale:  At our BOE retreat over the summer, the BOE requested a follow-up presentation from last year on our SRBI process, the criteria for pull out intervention, staffing levels and the number of students served and those not receiving intervention.   

Rationale: 

• Letter from NEASC to BHS Principal, Mr. Troetti, regarding its June 24, 2024 meeting, review of the Three-Year Report of Progress and Planning of Bethel High School and voted to award the school continued Accreditation in the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. 

• Letter of formal feedback from Dr. Carver and the Western Connecticut Superintendents to the Special Education Task Force.

Rationale:  (Please note:  The Board welcomes Public Participation and asks that speakers please limit their comments to 2 minutes.  Speakers may offer objective comments of school operations and programs that concern them.  The Board will not permit any expression of personal complaints or defamatory comments about Board of Education personnel and students, nor against any person connected with the Bethel Public School System.)

Rationale:  Monthly Data  -  We include in the BOE agenda the monthly data as requested by the BOE.  

Rationale:  Policy 5114 Student Discipline.  This policy needed to be revised due to the policy objectives and guidelines, including the inclusion of restorative practices. There were also a number of legislative changes.   Changes include notification of hearings for expulsion, the lengths of in-school and out-of-school suspensions, changes in definitions for bullying, and teacher requests for a meeting of the crisis intervention team.  

Rationale:  Policy 4118.112 & Regulation REGARDING PROHIBITION OF SEX DISCRIMINATION AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE This policy and regulation goes into effect effective August 1, 2024. There were some substantial changes in the law that cause major revisions to both the policy and regulation.

Rationale:  Policy 5145.42 & Regulation PROHIBITION OF SEX DISCRIMINATION, INCLUDING SEX-BASED HARASSMENT - Students. This policy and regulation goes into effect effective August 1, 2024. There were some substantial changes in the law that cause major revisions to both the policy and regulation. It is important to note that the regulations are almost identical to those of an employee.

Rationale:  Policy 5131.911 School Climate Policy (replaces bullying policy). With this policy, which formally was entitled "Bullying", districts are required to adopt (by law) the model policy by CABE. The policy is the model policy. The District Social Emotional Learning Collaborative and Safe School Climate Committee will use it to develop the District Climate Plan.

Rationale:  Importance of this topic to the Board: Continued Financial and Operational Management

Key Points of the Briefing:

• Transportation Update
• Budget Transfers
• Budget Update

Summary of the Briefing:

Transportation Update:
The start of the school year went smoothly in terms of bussing. First Student is currently fully staffed, and
continues to focus on hiring and training new drivers. Also, all buses are now equipped with interior and
exterior cameras.

Budget Transfers:
At the end of June, 2024 we were able to use savings in multiple accounts to pay for needed special
education services as well as facilities repairs. The Special Education services overages were primarily
driven by increased costs for services required to support Special Education Students. Facilities
overages were driven by HVAC repairs, BMS boilers repairs and elementary school playground upgrades
for ADA accessibility. All transfers were aligned with the memo to the Board of Education in June and
subsequently voted on in the regular meeting in June.

Budget Update:
The finance team is working to close out all remaining items from the 2023 - 2024 school year. Going into
the 2024 - 2025 school year we are monitoring Special Education and Facilities spending closely as these
are the areas where we anticipate the most risk to our budget.