| 0:00:27 | A new board is seated | Whitney: "A procedural meeting. We're going to be opening with a number of procedural activities because we have some new school board members. I would like to welcome Lauren [Loren] Howard to the board and Mr. William Madden to the board. We're going to start out with nomination and election of the vice chair." Sprague: "Like to nominate Mike patron [Petrin], the space [vice] chair." Whitney seconded; an audience voice prompted her to call for other nominations first; none came. | |
| 0:02:23 | How the chair structured public comment | "We have a very long agenda this evening… the option for speakers is you can come up, say your piece now on the non-agenda item or the agenda related item of your choice. Three minutes per individual. And nobody can speak twice until everyone has spoken." Anyone preferring to wait could speak "after we have a full debate but prior to our vote… If we do not extend our 30 minute time limit". Mechanics: a yellow card at one minute, red at time; a sign-in sheet for name and ward; and a non-resident district parent allowed to speak on request. | OBSERVATION |
| 0:04:09 | Liza Draper (Ward 3): the case law | "I read in the paper that there's some concern about the policy that we have in place. It was put in place in 2016 for the protection of our trans and gender nonconforming students. And if you read it carefully, it has in it the comment that everything should be addressed on a case by case basis." She then walked the board through Gavin Grimm — "a trans male student who took the Virginia school board from his district to court… and he won" — two New Hampshire athletics cases, and a recent Manchester School District matter, closing: "before you unwittingly open up a real can of worms and invite unkindness, bullying, harassment and other crud into our school environments. Please think carefully." | OBSERVATION |
| 0:08:13 | Camron Lownie (Ward 2), Disnard teacher | "in the interest of full transparency, I am also a teacher at Disney [Disnard] Elementary… I can't do my job of teaching reading, writing unless the kids are emotionally safe." Three reasons, in his order: the executive order's survival is "5050 at best"; compliance in advance has not protected anyone — "Columbia University expelled student protesters in an attempt at compliance, and then five days ago, watched their budget be slashed by 400 million… you can count on the goalposts being moved"; and the data — "Queer youth in general are four times as likely to attempt suicide as their peers… roughly half have strongly considered suicide in the past year. That's the whole ball game right there." | |
| 0:11:56 | Kelly Fontaine (Ward 1), district teacher | "There was a student, that was very dear to me that was at the high school who was a transgender student shortly before this policy was written. And that student, the adults thought they were doing well. They were not. They were trying their best, but they had no roadmap. So as so they left him to blaze his own trail. He was 14. A 14 year old cannot blaze their own trail. They need to have the support of their community behind them." | |
| 0:13:01 | Patrick Adrian (Ward 1): why removal and not review? | "I was on the board, and I found it offensive that the approach being taken is removal. You have a list of policies that you're looking at that's either review or you had emergency reading. Why is this one removal? Why not review? … Frank and I were on the board that passed this policy back in 2016." He allowed the policy may need work — "would be good to sit down and look at it with an attorney" — and read the NHSBA differently from the administration: "They didn't say anything… about yanking the policies. They said exactly what I just said. Sit down. You you get together your your legal counsel and you talk about it." | OBSERVATION |
| 0:15:49 | Dylan Marsh, district parent: the funding premise | "I was so surprised that the school Board Association had made that suggestion that I reached out to a number of other school board chairs who said that that wasn't the case. And in fact, I have an email in my possession from Barrett Christina, the executive director of the New Hampshire School Board Association, to another school board chair, saying, I do not recommend removing any policy. We need to wait and see what happens." His argument on the money: "if you were to remove this policy for that percentage, then you have effectively said, we have a price that we are willing to accept to remove civil rights for students." | OBSERVATION |
| 0:17:57 | Onyx Adrian (Ward 1), Stevens High School student | "As a student at Stevens. In my past few years, I have observed a lot of things, and one of the main things that I have… observed is that students are more willing to cooperate and to learn when they feel in a safe environment." On the process: "it's more likely that you have the time to go over these policies and correct the words that are kind of vague", and "as every other policy that is in the agenda for tonight is under, review rather than complete removal." Conclusion: "I don't not think removal would be a good option at this time. And I feel as if review would be more beneficial." | OBSERVATION |
| 0:20:08 | Jess Dyer (Ward 1): what is the plan? | "I'm here today as a Claremont resident, as a taxpayer, and as a parent of soon to be two children in the school district. And mostly I am here as an ally. I regretfully admit that I have never spoke at a school board meeting, let alone, attended one. In the 30 years that I have called this town my home." Her question: "if this is really about the threat to federal funding, what is the plan going forward? Like, are we just stripping this all together? How will we still protect these children?" She closed to the students in the room: "I see you. I'm glad you're here. You matter and we're going to fight for you." | |
| 0:23:17 | Anna O'Hara and Hanna Brooks | O'Hara, a lifelong resident who "even attended classes in this very building": the policy "provides basic protections allowing students to use facilities where they feel safe… Removing it sends a clear and harmful message that some students will being [wellbeing] is negotiable… This is not leadership. It is capitulation to outside pressure at the expense of our most vulnerable students." Brooks, at 0:24:58, gave the figure the minutes also record: "28% of transgender youth in New Hampshire high schools have attempted suicide in the past year. More than one in 1 in 4 trans youth." | |
| 0:26:20 | Jen Gallagher (Ward 1) reads the mission statement back | "Just a year ago, I was sitting right where you are… Our mission is to inspire, engage, and empower every student. It doesn't say some students. It doesn't say gender conforming students. It says every student… Removing this policy negates the safety and personalization of their learning environment." Her ask: keep the policy and "review with legal counsel any potential ramifications in federal funding… We have time, and I think complying in advance sends the wrong message." | |
| 0:27:39 | Rep. Hope Damon on process | "State Representative Hope Damon serving the nine towns of Sullivan district eight… I will also reinforce that process really matters. So I am cautiously optimistic that this wise board will appreciate that the process so far is extremely incomplete, and will hopefully make a motion later this evening to table this and get legal advice and really work on how do we keep our kids safe and be fiscally responsible, because what's happening right now is neither safe nor, frankly, fiscally responsible because wide open to legal consequences." | OBSERVATION |
| 0:28:58 | Rep. Wayne Hemingway: the other side of the coin | "I'm Wayne Hemingway, state rep, district eight, Claremont Cordon [Cornish]. I'm also in Ward one. I have a child in middle school. I. Read the policy, and we say justice for all… we have to look at the other side of the coin. Where is. Where is the justice for the non trans? I have nothing against any trans or any, gay or LGBTQ person… however, and I have questions about the policy… there are there are provisions in there that do not protect everyone that goes to those schools." His specific objection: "When you allow a male into a female bathroom, without the separations and the abilities to give them privacy, as the policy says, then we are putting our children in a position where they could be harmed. Do we not have privacy and doors in our bathrooms?" And: "All we're doing is we're hearing one side of the story and we need to hear both sides." | |
| 0:31:32 | Sam Torres replies; the chair asks for decorum | Torres: "I just want to clarify something. Because Mr. Hemingway seems pretty concerned about what happens in women's restrooms and the safety. And I just want to say, as a female, I have never once felt threatened in a bathroom. And if a man were to come into the bathroom, I would feel more threatened by a man like you than any queer person I've ever met." Whitney, immediately: "I appreciate everybody's right to express themselves, but important that we remember that we're neighbors and that there are no villains in this room, and that everybody that's here is a is a person of principle because they walked out of their door and they showed up." | |
| 0:32:53 | Codi Raymond and Ken Brummel: no order, and the process | Raymond (Ward 1): "I didn't actually see in the board packet where there was a direct order from anyone to get rid of this policy, so I'm not sure what the urgency is at the moment. My other concern is that gender identity is still a protected class under state statutes, and that this could be really short sighted in terms of future lawsuits… if you can remove this policy, but you still have to provide everything that's in it until the law changes. So I think we would end up in a worse situation that way." Brummel (Ward 2), at 0:33:54: "Our government did not pass any legislation. This is from one from the top by a group of people who claim they want local control… I also worry when you get counsel from lawyers, because lawyers are about protecting assets. They are not protecting the mission." | OBSERVATION |
| 0:35:24 | Jess Dyer's second turn: two terms are not the same term | "I just wanted to clarify a few things, because it seems like some people in the audience might be a little bit confused… gender identity is not the same as sexual orientation. Totally different things. Gender identity is how one perceives themselves, and sexual orientation is who they are attracted to." The chair interjected "Please address the chair." Dyer's follow-on question about scope: "are we going to start screening, like, maybe high school students, who may identify as lesbian or gay and have them go to their own bathrooms, too?" | |
| 0:38:14 | Rebecca MacKenzie (Ward 2), mental health professional | "as a mental health professional. The mental health of all our children, especially our most vulnerable. I need your support." She pointed the board at its own data: "Claremont, CA you six [SAU 6] does a y s, [YRBS] survey every few years, and the data in that survey for saw [SAU] six demonstrates a very clearly that there are children in our school, especially those with different identities, that do not feel safe and that do contemplate suicide." She also said she resonated with what Rep. Hemingway had said, "in that every child needs to feel safe", and spoke as a Christian, a Quaker City Unity Friends member and the mother of a queer daughter who "has suffered mightily due to prejudice in the community." | |
| 0:41:30 | Supt. Pratt's prepared statement: what stays in force either way | "I feel that it is my responsibility to to ensure that all students will be provided with a safe and learning environment, free from bullying and harassment. As educators, we have a legal and moral responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of every student while they are in our care." Then the operative part: "If the policy j, B, a, b is tabled, removed or rescinded. We want to assure the community that a robust framework of existing policies and procedures will continue to protect the students" — naming nondiscrimination and equal opportunity, harassment and sexual harassment of all students, student discrimination and harassment complaint procedures, and pupil safety and violence prevention. "It also be stated that under state law, the district has designated a title nine co-ordinator that investigates, documents all complaints and makes the determination for any such harassment of or hazing." | OBSERVATION |
| 0:43:21 | Into nonpublic session — and the recording stops | Whitney: "I need a motion to move into nonpublic session." Crawford: "So moved." Sprague: "Second." Koski read the exemption into the record — the ASR renders it "RSA 9184132. Print sees a." for RSA 91-A:3, II(a) and (c) — and the clerk took a roll call. Per the minutes the board entered nonpublic at 7:15 p.m. and returned at 8:10 p.m.; on the recording only about two minutes separate the two motions, so roughly 55 minutes of the meeting are not on tape. Whitney then moved to seal the nonpublic minutes for six months; Crawford seconded; roll call, all present in favor. | MEDIUM POSITIVE |
| 0:51:14 | JBAB reaches the floor: counsel's letter | Koski: "There is a letter from Attorney Upton in your packet guiding his advice on this. And it has been rescinded by the New Hampshire School Board Association with advice to contact council, which we did." He read the operative paragraph: "The policy JBABB rescinded or enforcement of the policy be suspended. So [to a]void any possibility that federal funding might be compromised. Once we've had a complete opportunity to review the policy and prevailing and ever changing law, we can give you more informed guidance on any required revisions." The letter, attached to the approved minutes, is dated 3:49 p.m. that afternoon and states that JBAB, adopted in 2016, "has not been reviewed since the adoption of RSA 193:41 or in response to recent changes relative to Title IX" that statute number is reproduced as counsel wrote it; it is not on this project's verified citation list and nothing here rests on it. | OBSERVATION |
| 0:52:06 | The motion, as first made | Crawford: "I'll make a motion to. Let me see if I got to make this right. That the policy, the enforcement of the policy be suspended until we can have further discussion with our school board attorney and the review of this policy by our policy committee." Sprague: "I'll second." The chair restated it — "we have a motion by Miss Crawford to suspend the enforcement of policy JBAB… and to send the policy back to review" with "our school attorney and the policy committee" — and asked for a timeframe. Crawford: "with[in] the next three months." | |
| 0:53:49 | Sprague, for the motion: too specific to defend | "what I was thinking was very much along the lines of what? Patrick. Adrian, had suggested that to send it to the committee for review. Really? With a focus on a case by case, focus… And I also heard statement that I agree with the policy. With such specificity, I think exposes us to legal consequences due to that specificity. And so I think that we could craft something that protects everyone, but really puts it to either a building leaders or a superintendent, with an avenue for an appeal to the school board, where we could come up with something reasonable to preserve the intent of this policy." His summary of the defect: "one of the problems with JD [JBAB] is there's literally too much to it." | |
| 0:57:18 | Howard's amendment — and no second | "I'm in support of tabling this until we can make revisions with legal counsel. But I'd like to amend it to not suspend the current policy that's in place. Being that we're not under immediate threat of or funding being pulled because of that." He put it as a motion: "Make a motion to amend the motion to not suspend, to be worded to send this policy or table, this policy, the removal of this policy until we can consult with legal counsel." The chair: "Is there anyone in support of seconding that motion?" — then, at 0:58:09, "Seeing no second the motion fails." Madden had asked to speak first and was ruled off the motion when his remarks moved to school safety generally. | |
| 0:58:22 | Crawford explains what changed her mind | "I would like to say that I support what you're saying, Lauren [Loren], because that's where I was until I read the response from our attorney. I, I was there half an hour ago. That I did not want to take any action until a policy, until the, the attorney and our policy committee could review this policy. However, in light of the directive by the school board attorney to, say that enforcement will be suspended… I accept that recommendation from the school board attorney. However, my biggest my biggest concern is I want to make sure these kids feel protected and supported." | OBSERVATION |
| 1:01:05 | Howard: the letter does not say the funding is going | "I think in the email we got from the attorney, a lot of the languages could include withholding federal funds. It is unclear what specific revisions need to be required… And so I think based on all those things and us not having a timeline from the federal government and an actual explicit threat to pull Claremont's funding, there's no reason to remove this policy, especially after hearing from the public tonight." And: "until there is something that is an enforcement mechanism that we can actually see that goes, hey, you're not going to get this $10 million if you don't undo this. I think it's irresponsible for us to do this until Matt up in [Upton] can write a, a jab [JBAB], revision that still protects these students." | |
| 1:02:35 | Whitney: parts of the policy are already non-compliant | "there are some portions of the policy that are not compliant currently. Regardless. The NH[I]AA has remained silent now on access of transgender students in sports. And also we are non-compliant with parental involvement and notification. So those actions would be unenforceable as the policy stands now." Howard's alternative, at 1:04:03, was to excise rather than suspend: "make an amendment, to remove that specific portion of the bed [JBAB] policy for the parental rights right now… I think there are many other portions that can stay in place and protect our students." | OBSERVATION |
| 1:05:10 | One of fifteen districts | Whitney: "in conversation with the New Hampshire School Board Association, I found out we were one of we were one of only 15 districts that actually have has a specific policy related to transgender and nonconforming youth. Most districts… have been managing these students with internal structures such as, folks in the administrative team that develop plans for these kids… we are the exception and not the rule." Howard read the same fact the other way at 1:06:50: "on the basis of us being the only one with the policy, I think that's a positive and not a negative thing that we were proactive." Crawford, at 1:06:06: "we've had this policy on the books for over ten years… It hasn't been an issue. Now it's come up and I think that it needs to be reviewed by the policy committee and the legal counsel before we can start making any changes." | |
| 1:06:50 | Howard: suspension and removal land the same way | "I think suspension and removal, even if it's just three months or [are] synonymous for trans kids in our schools, so whether or not we removed it in three months or we suspend it now, the effect is going to start immediately for them." And: "it's sort of hard to tell when you don't have an explicit policy for protecting transgender students. How do you know how many, how many more students are going to stay in the closet because there is no explicit policy for them?" When Whitney said "almost nobody knew this policy even existed", he answered directly: "Trans children absolutely knew this policy existed. And it's very, very important." | |
| 1:08:19 | Whitney: the culture is the teachers, not the policy | "I personally do not feel that this policy has created the positive culture that we've had in our district that has been supportive of LGBT, LGBTQ, AI [+], plus students, transgender and non-conforming students. I think the culture that's in this district was driven by the people in this district, by the teachers, the administrators… I would probably bet $1 million at [that] every administrator at the school level would consider themselves an LGBTQ I plus ally and would bend over backwards to do everything they possibly could to ensure the safety of students". Her conclusion: "I cannot foresee a sea change of culture shift because we've put this policy in a review and suspension process." Crawford, at 1:09:55: "my motion is to table the policy. It is not to rescind the policy… And there are other policies in place that protect the children." | |
| 1:11:08 | Second comment window: Rebecca Vinduska, CMS teacher | "like my colleague, I am a teacher at Claremont Middle School and a parent of children in the district. My feeling is that suspending the enforcement is the same as removing it. You're basically saying it is not in effect for this period of time." And: "I am so proud of this district for being one of the 15 who stood up. And I am so embarrassed that we are one of the first ones who are bringing it up for removal." She addressed the chair directly — "Chairman Whitney, you bring you listen so well to the concerns… This is an issue. It has not been reviewed because it hasn't been a problem. And I am so proud of how our district handles these situations." | |
| 1:14:02 | Ken Lownie (Ward 2): the headline is the effect | "The problem that I see is that a decision to suspend… Sounds logical. It's a compromise. But, it won't have that effect the way it will be announced… that tomorrow will be that this board backed off from something from some protections it had in place." And: "I'm sorry. Candace. Miss Crawford, it's just that little piece of rescinding the enforcement of it. That's the headline that will come out of this, and we'll have a chilling effect on the kids." He closed: "bullies are bullies and they have to be challenged… Just love the kids, just love the kids." | |
| 1:15:55 | Matt Mooshian (Ward 3) | "I'm a former at large city councilor here in Clermont [Claremont]. I'm also very proudly part of the team that founded Roll Outright and brought one of the first pride celebrations to the Upper Valley." His argument: "policies like this are still necessary for maintaining their safety and their well-being… I would remind you that 28% of transgender students in New Hampshire attempted suicide. So I do want you to think for a moment about the students that will be going to school tomorrow." And on the compromise: "what everyone has said about suspending this, the message that will be sent to students is far more detrimental than anything you are going to preserve or save tonight." | |
| 1:17:59 | Eric Bentley (Ward 2): the case for suspending and retooling | "I just recently found out this policy existed. Admittedly, I wasn't paying attention before. My son just started kindergarten this year… And there's just some things in there I think are a little bit concerning as a parent." His specific objection: "You're not going to disclose information to parents, which I think is probably the number one issue in the entire policy." He also raised what he called "a borderline First Amendment free speech issue… when it comes to, compelled speech". His conclusion: "I think suspending and reviewing the policy and maybe retooling it in a way that leaves out some of those more concerning issues, would be the smart thing to do." He added, agreeing with Whitney, that he did not think the culture would change either way. | |
| 1:20:50 | The chair denies a second turn | Patrick Adrian asked to speak again on the policy's history and "some statements made by members of the board". Whitney: "I don't think the history I think the I think the policy is pretty clear… I think it is irrelevant to this board who administered the policy… I'm sorry you spoke earlier. This. This is a public meeting. This is a public meeting for the business of the board. We've been we we absolutely want members of the public here. We're extremely, compassionately listening. We hear what you're saying, but we're going to maintain order and decorum." Adrian, from the floor: "Nobody can answer that question." The approved minutes record the exchange as: "Patrick Adrian requested to speak regarding the history of the policy and Ms. Whitney denied the request." | OBSERVATION |
| 1:22:36 | Why is there no lawyer here tonight? | Karry Rochford-Hague: "I work in the schools here in Claremont, and I'm wondering why there isn't legal representation here tonight" — and then, "Is that advice able to be shared with people here tonight?" Whitney: "There's no legal representation here because we consulted our attorney and got advice… We quoted we quoted what the legal advice was. And the New Hampshire School Board Association has been consulted as well. So this is not a blind like it's not a blind recommendation." Howard added the timing: "We did get the email at 348 [3:48]… he only got us his opinion on it at 4:00 today, which is sort of hardly enough time to actually read the email… this should have been on a later agenda item." | OBSERVATION |
| 1:24:57 | The friendly amendment that removed the suspension | Crawford asked Howard to restate his amendment; the chair explained the mechanism — "You can request a friendly amendment which would allow Miss Crawford to… say I accept". Howard: "it would be to move forward with this motion, but to not suspend the policy during that period of revision and review. We can still keep the three month timeline." Crawford accepted. The chair: "now what this means is that we are now voting on a new motion." Crawford stated it: "Table it. We will table any action on this, on this policy until review by our policy committee and our school attorney" — Whitney: "Within three months." Crawford: "Within three months. In three months? Yes. That's correct." | |
| 1:26:11 | The chair speaks against the amended motion | Whitney gave her reasons at length. She began by placing herself: "I have consider myself a person who is would be considered an ally of the LGBTQ community. There have been people in my personal life who I would take a bullet for", and "I've been in health care for over 30 years. I participate in gender affirming procedures. I hold people's hands." Her objection is stated as one of consent and of women's spaces: "I'm extremely protective of women's faces [spaces]. Feminists fought very hard to preserve our spaces… I am in favor of suspension because I believe that there are more rights on the table here… I am very protective of women's spaces, and I'm very protective of title nine. I think there is a way that both can exist, respectfully." She grounded it in her own experience at 1:29:02: "as a woman who went into a woman's locker room without any thought to what I would might feel about it… I discovered, quite obliquely, that I was undergoing [undressing] next to a fully intact male without my consent." And: "I don't consent for my father in law to present when I'm undressing. So I am in full support of suspension until we can iron out these little peccadilloes." At 1:33:25 she added that "the vocal folks here do not necessarily represent the entirety of the parents in the district. I think a lot of people are afraid of social sanctioning." | |
| 1:30:42 | Howard's reply, and the chair's rejoinder | Howard: "it says a case by case basis. And if a six foot three trans woman was really that threatening to women, then it would be a case by case basis where we would figure out what is best for that student to be separated from those students. So everyone felt safe. Your concern of a male in the locker room is something that would happen with or without a policy. If a male is predatory, if a female is predatory and wants to enter a space, they are going to do that without having to be trans." He put the mirror case: a policy that assigns by birth sex "would make it so that a trans male who has a full beard looks like a man would have to use a a female bathroom, which would then create these same sort of threatening issue that you described." And the evidentiary point: "if it did, we would have had increasingly numbers of reported sexual harassment cases in locker rooms over the last ten years that the policy had been in place." Whitney: "my issue really is consent… I don't think women should have to be removed out of their spaces to go into a single bathroom." | |
| 1:34:48 | The vote: 3–2, and JBAB stays in force | The chair called for comment from anyone who had not spoken, then put the amended motion. The dialogue transcript captures only the chorus — "Aye aye nay" — and the chair's count at 1:34:52: "So 3 to 2 motion passes." The approved minutes give the names: "Mr. Howard, Mr. Madden, and Ms. Crawford voted in favor; Mr. Sprague and Ms. Whitney voted against; the motion passes." What carried was the amended motion — table any action on policy JBAB pending review by the policy committee and legal counsel within three months, with no suspension of enforcement. The policy was neither suspended nor rescinded, and the two members who wanted enforcement suspended are the two who voted no. | OBSERVATION |
| 1:35:49 | The Title IX policies: table, or read? | Crawford moved to table the rest — "until they can be reviewed by our policy committee and our attorney" — Howard seconded. Sprague asked whether the changes came from executive orders; Koski: "No. Changes to title nine to the federal law. Title nine", dated "January 9th, I believe". Koski on the process: NHSBA "recommended an emergency read that we skipped the three read process, because being outside of the federal law creates a lot of liability for the district." Crawford: "I understand the risk. However, I would I think two weeks this is just gotten sprung on us as school board members… I would like to put this off for two weeks until our attorney can be present." | OBSERVATION |
| 1:40:04 | Koski: tabling ACAC puts the Title IX coordinator out of compliance | "We did review them as a policy subcommittee. If we table AC, AC [ACAC], it lays out the processes for me to follow as the title nine coordinator. I would then be out of compliance for any title nine investigations that may occur in the next three months, and I get them about once every two weeks. And it would put me in a real bind as to which law to follow and put the district in a bad spot." Asked what actually differs, he gave specifics at 1:41:42: the definition of sexual harassment — "under the new law, it is or is are replaced with ands" — and a formal-complaint process with "ten days for, response by the defendant, ten days for response to that response by the accuser." | OBSERVATION |
| 1:43:59 | Madden: "I feel like I'm being pushed into doing something without full knowledge" | "I had my own reasons wanting this deferred. I'm not allowed to visit the schools now because the policies have not been complied with. I feel like there's no executive summary sheet here that tells me exactly what the implications are. I feel like I'm being pushed into doing something without full knowledge." Koski: "it hasn't been requested in the past" to write an executive summary for a policy. Madden: "If I was told it's been requested repeatedly for the last three years." Offered the option of abstaining by the chair, he answered: "It's an option and it's an abdication of my responsibility." | OBSERVATION |
| 1:46:48 | The tabling motion fails 2–3 | The clerk read the motion back — "There's a motion table. The remaining policies until the policy committee and legal counsel for [review of] them" — Crawford added "Up to three months", and the chair took the voice vote: "Motion fails. We'll move forward." Per the approved minutes: "Ms. Crawford and Mr. Madden voting in favor, Mr. Howard, Mr. Sprague, and Ms. Whitney voting against". The remaining policies were then taken one at a time; ACAC, AC, AC-R(2) and ACA went to second read, and ACN, GBAM and IHBCA were adopted, all on unanimous voice votes of those present. | OBSERVATION |
| 1:58:35 | The pre-populated agenda | Whitney: "prior to the establishment of this pre-populated agenda, we had issues with kind of items falling off to the wayside and, you know, not being addressed, such as issues that we've had to kind of deal with this evening… things have just kind of fallen to the wayside. Things haven't been reviewed. Things haven't been addressed." Howard asked whether it is a living document; the chair confirmed the motion adopts it "with the knowledge that there can be, at a moment's notice, alterations". Adopted on a voice vote, all present in favor. | POSITIVE |
| 2:04:56 | A $45,000 CTE grant — and the hearing it needs | Crawford: "Miss Harrington got a grant for about $45,000 for, self screening equipment and training of the staff to enhance the entrepreneurship program at the CTE program here at the tech center. And so we have to act on accepting that grant. And she she sent it to me today is an email to bring it forth. But we have to put it on the agenda and have a hearing. So that will be on next meetings agenda." She also previewed a CTE facilities and program review for the second April meeting, drawing on state Department of Education architects and regional workforce data — "an extremely important meeting, I think, in support of the CTE center." | POSITIVE |