From the desk of Mary Beaudin, Landaff Select Board:

Landaff School Advisory Committee Minutes

July 8, 2025

Landaff Town Hall

Present: Brenda Dodge, John Barth, Mary Beaudin, Jamie Jarvis, Francie Kinney, Joe Wiggett

Public:  Ben Peters, Travis Peters, Molly Culver, Kolonie Hudson, Matt Copithorne, Sara Lang, Toni Butterfield, CJ Watson (SAU 35 superintendent)

Meeting called to order at 7:05 pm.

Public input: Ben Peters asked about the way the committee is deciding on the cost per pupil.  Building and other fees should be included in cost per pupil.  It was confirmed that all would be included in the cost per student calculation.

Minutes from the June 24, 2025 meeting were approved.

Old business: Discussion over further articulating cost of special education was necessary. i.e. Occupational therapy, psychological services, physical therapy, etc.

John stated that Blue School numbers should also include lawn, plowing, pest control, cleaning, furnace maintenance, and Eversource costs.

Toni Butterfield, the SAU business manager, joined the meeting and the group reviewed the newly categorized numbers.

The numbers for elementary tuition rates were inaccurate, so that will be corrected for next time.

The cost of certain things needs to be attached to the service not a person.  (in talking about special education costs.)

Discussion ensued about deciding the cost per student with the Blue School considered as a K-4 school or a PreK to 4 school. Since it is the latter, we will represent the numbers that way.

Toni also pointed out that the cost per student receiving special education services figures to be an average of $72,000 per child.

New business: Option 3 of joining the regional is too difficult to figure out accurately at this point.

Next meeting:  Firm up the numbers on options 1 and 2.  Figure out how to present the findings to the town.  Revisit the quality of education question.

Meeting dates: July 29, August 12, August 26

 Public input: CJ suggested a survey regarding quality regarding schools.  It was discussed that other factors contribute to student success after the Blue School.

 Sara Lang, a Bath school board member, shared that Bath students in upper grades have a range of choices.

Matt said that we could model out using what Lyman does to figure out the cost of option 3.

Meeting adjourned at 8:34 pm.