Good evening and thank you for joining us tonight. Welcome to the fourth and last quarter of the 2425 school year. I hope everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable spring break. We've only got about I don't know 40 some odd days to go and so it's going to be fast and furious this last quarter. Uh this last quarter is filled with many things to do. We kicked it off today. Uh this morning uh we held our fourth school connect cafe this morning at Highland High School. All feeder schools to Highland High were represented and the meeting was filled with many business and community leaders. A cafe is a roundt conversation between the school principles and local community leaders with the goal of becoming partners and working together to address the needs of each school's neighborhood children and families. In addition to the school's involved, several departments including community education, marketing, communication, admin, ad administrative services have continued to work with the school connect organization to provide this opportunity for our schools and community.
um that everything has a purpose and we just got to look at what the purpose is will be. But like I said, I I'm not sitting here with a 1.0% increase in supplies. Um and there were some other things that that were were brought up. This budget also includes $72,000 more in capital, small capital that we haven't had to include before. That was it was normally just in a a large capital improvement, but that's all important. So, um I I listened yesterday and technology is higher than it was um last year, but some of it was because it was moved from open choice into the general fund. But if I had to think right now, it's probably going to come from software. Small capital, large capital, they're easy to cut, but they just multiply the problems down the road. So, can't ignore those. Yeah. And one of the things that I heard, and I just wanted to confirm this today was regarding the sound system, the PA system, uh, regarding quotes, I wanted to find a little bit more about that.
And just a huge thank you to Highland High. Uh like I said, this is our fourth one and they keep getting better and better every single time. So, uh we're very proud of them. Our next one will be in September uh with the Campovery High School feeder schools. Also coming up this last quarter are our art shows. Elementary uh district art show is at Norwoods again. So huge thank you to Norwood's Furniture for always hosting our elementary art students. It's Monday, April 7th through Wednesday, April 9th from 5 to 8:00 p.m. And each uh region of our school district has certain nights they're going to be there. So please go check it out. They do a fantastic job. We have some wonderful artists. The high school art show is Thursday, April 10th at Global Academy from 5 to 7:00 p.m. And usually we hold it over at the Gilbert Historical Museum, HD South, but they're, if you haven't noticed, they're building a new building and have some renovations, so they'll be able to host this next year, but not this year.
So, I asked Mr. Bishop to do do a little homework on that. So, if you could just share what we found out with that. Yeah, I spoke with Mr. Richardson um who was our superintendent of buildings and ground and now is our director of public works and our uh head custodian here as well. There was a a quote that was provided to them um I believe it was two years ago on uh replacement for the PA system. We actually engaged in an init an initial walkth through with folks today to be able to hear more about upcoming opportunities. So the recommendation as as I shared with the board of select when they asked the recommendation that uh came from us for CIB was based on the data that Mr. uh Richardson had and then we scaled that across the the three schools to be able to provide a framework for that.
And the junior high art show is Thursday, April 24th at Global Academy again from 5 to 7 uh 5 to 7:00 p.m. Again, go check those out. And then we'll have the employee of the year Thursday, April 17th at the high school, Highland High School auditorium from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. We look forward to honoring our teachers, support staff, and administrators at this event. And then testing. This is April is the month for state testing. All of our schools have scheduled specific dates for their testing schedule. And I want to thank the teachers, support staff, administrators, and families for helping our students be successful during this testing period time. And last but not least, we cap off the school year at the high school with graduation events and our graduations at the high school um with the exception of Canyon Valley which it will be on I think it'll be Wednesday the 21st of May at the Highland Junior High School gym and GCA will be on the 21st at the Gilbert High School auditorium at 6:30 p.m.
Uh and we're continuing to do our due diligence to be able to make a determination on what uh what an actual cost of turnover of that project would look like. Thank you. And so Jordan will do I support the proposal. Thank you. Thank you, Kim. Back to you. Hi. Um, just a couple questions. Um, the great the greater Together Community Fund that that foundation that it goes around that we've have discussed before about encouraging teachers and kind of pushing more. I know we don't want things to sunset and then be, you know, liable to have to fund it, but how many people have applied for that grant from the Canton schools? How many teachers, how many programs? How much are we tapping into that? I I have no doubt on that. I don't think we could I can tell you that we consistently get three, six, eight teachers that go into the ed into the education foundation we provide grants to.
and the rest of our schools will be on the 22nd, which is that Thursday at 7 PM at their local football field. So, congratulations to all those upcoming graduates. We look forward to seeing you all walk across the stage with your gown and tassels. That concludes my report for this evening. Thank you, Dr. McCord. Agenda item number five, request to speak to the governing board. We have two requests tonight. Before we uh before we hear those speakers, we will uh have the admonition read. All right. The governing board may make an open call to the public during a public meeting subject to reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions to allow individuals to address the public body on any issue within the juris jurisdiction of the public body. After an open call to the public, individual board members may respond to criticism made by those who have addressed the governing board, may ask staff to review a matter, or may ask that a matter be put on a future agenda.
So this year you do have people that have applied for that. I just wrote I just wrote three checks to uh three checks to Mr. Bishop for $3200 that I think is it 30 $3,500 or so for teachers that applied for spring grants. Okay, good. Because I know we haven't always had that applications. So that is happening, right? Yes. Um, you know, I like I think finance meeting I have more thoughts and ideas and questions, but I mean it's hard for us to say who's the one running the operating of the school system, but I mean I'm sure you've looked at everything um closely and that's what you have. I didn't know if you had had looked at all staff that does not directly impact students such as you know support staff such as curriculum um at some schools there's additional language arts people um that were not always there years ago.
However, members of um however, the governing board shall not discuss or take legal action on the issues raised during an open call to the public if the matters are properly um yeah, if the matters are properly noticed for discussion and legal action. During an open call, the governing board requests that speakers refrain from voting complaints against school personnel or anyone connected to the district as it may impact due process rights. Please contact the office of talent management if you have specific concerns about any individual employee. Thank you, Dr. Robersonson. We have, as I stated, we have two requests to speak. The first one is Lizzie Stone. If Lizzie is here, if you'll come up to the podium there on this screen here, you'll have a timer.
I didn't know if you looked closely at that. I'm sure reasons why you'd like to keep people where they are. Um it does seem like we have uhulum support at all the schools which I wouldn't want to see it cut. But I know those areas that you know if you have solid teachers working and solid assistant superintendent running curriculum then sometimes those are areas that you know are are a bonus or a privilege for a school district to have. You look at neighboring towns they don't have that. So I didn't know if that was something you looked at. And then um technology there's a big push out there in the world realizing harm that technology is having on students of all ages and there was a you know a digital world that was presented and school systems bought into it all across the country. Um is there any software that can be cut that you know of course it's going to impact us in some way but can be cut really um kids you know you know we have CNN kids news being viewed in schools you know could they go without watching that is are we paying for that subscription you know are there things in technology that we haven't looked closer at that really aren't going to harm our kids in fact may benefit them to revisit on a paper and pencil with rather than doing more stuff online.
You've got three minutes to address the board. And there's a color I think uh green, yellow, and red when you're getting towards the end. So, go ahead. Thank you. Hello. I Lizzy Stone and coming to you here today as a book club president, as a solidaran of the class of 2025 at Campbell, and as a person who uses Campo's library every day. Although there have been recent budget cuts, I'm here in protest. I'm in protest of the flippet attitude on our school libraries. I'm in protest of the cuts made to teachers I've formed so many close bonds and connections with. I'm in protest of getting rid of our beloved librarian who makes our campus a better place. Before we held our book fair, there was an opportunity to enter a raffle by checking out and reading one of the wrapped up books for the blind date with a book display.
So that's really my concern, but thank for hearing those thoughts. So So just so you know, a little bit of your audio you were going in and out, but we were able to read those of us were we were able to read your comments, but your audio wasn't that great, Kim. Just just Sorry about that. But but we picked it up. But thank you. Thank you for the comments. I'm just going to read Jordan Tusan couldn't be here tonight. She sent me a little bit of a note. asked me if I would just uh um go over some of her thoughts. Um she she is opposed to cutting any um any classes. Um she feels that that would be a step backwards and she uh I think she is um she's suggesting that we go forward with the type of um audit you're you're considering a little bit more study on on class sizes where that all stands.
One of the descriptions that caught my attention was a manga with a fairy tale retelling and romance. I took the chance and checked the book out and I loved it. Since our library only had four volumes, I continued reading the series through the public libraries. During spring break, I was able to continue reading the series through the public libraries and indulge in reading most of the volumes and learned a valuable lesson for the main character that it's important to work hard and earn your place. Without the book display or our library, I may not have ever discovered the series Snow White with a red hair that I rather enjoy so much. I feel I'm not the only one who's had these meaningful experiences or benefited from the effect of having a qualified librarian. This is supported by the fact that during the 2023 to 2024 school year, there are 3,442 book checkouts at Kempo High School, while Highland High School, there were only 314 checkouts.
Uh Jordan also had concern about the art lab uh about delaying the art lab and that that send us uh save us some money and she was in in sync with you on the uh campus supervisor. She's uh advocating instead of three um just one and then of course she also uh discussed reducing non-certified personnel. So she seems to be uh in line a little bit with your recommendations. She did have questions about the drinking water that was brought up. Uh she asked if there was a way to consider kind of a um uh you know pay to pay to participate system or um I don't know I know we don't do bottles but um vending machine or something like that. She was suggesting maybe that's something looked at, but that seems to be a larger um a larger uh item and and she agrees that we need longer time to analyze the option and u um you know something that uh might require a policy change and something the policy commission looked at.
I would like to note that Highland has gotten rid of their librarian and the result appears to be less reading among its students. This worries me because Campo has a smaller student population and could potentially shrink to even less checkouts than Highland. What could this mean for our future students and our literacy rates that have been steadily declining in our country? I came here to express these worries and hope to promote good experiences for our future. Even though I'm a senior, this is still important to me because it could affect my future children when they come of age. It could affect our world in a negative in a negative way, and I'd rather not sit back and watch what I hold dear crumble around me without putting in an effort to save it. I want to use my talents to fight for what I believe in.
So she seemed to be in line with that. So those were her comments. Okay. So I'm I'm just going to close this out with just a couple of things from my side. Um, you know, when you think about the cuts that have been made with the board of education, $158,000. I I I know in in the scheme of things, doesn't seem like a big number. And I think to some extent you could say, um, the board of finance was fair with us last night. And some of the comments that they made, I I always use the term with what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Um, as I said in my email, some of the criticisms are are tough to take, but if it makes us a better board and it causes us to do some of the things that we're we're going to do, we're going to look at policy.
Thank you. Thank you, Miss Stone. Our second speaker tonight is uh forgive me if I mispronounce your last name, Stella. Is it Pchi? Pavoni. What is it? Pavone. That doesn't Pavoni. Yeah, sorry. Yeah, it's all right. Okay. Beautiful name. Thank you, Miss Pavoni. Go ahead.
We're going to look at the finance of things. But I think the thing to remember is even though that may not be a big number, here's the big numbers. The big numbers are last year uh when the referendum was uh when we were cut, we were cut by $750,000. That was after this the and I didn't go back to see how much the superintendent had cut before we got to that point. This year, you know, in your budget packets, we were cut 800 the superintendent cut $860,000 on the requests and now we have another $158,000 that are being uh requested. There's been over two years more than $2 million. And the reason why I point that out is because a parent said something very important last night. She talked about the uh thriving versus surviving and we've worked hard over the last couple years to get the trajectory of our district uh in in a position that we are now getting recognized and accommodations.
You've got three minutes and it'll be a timer up on the screen here. Thank you. Hello. Um I came here with our book club president, Lizzie Stone. She's a very smart girl. And um I just joined book club this year as a junior cuz um I really enjoy reading and ever since I was a kid, I just always found a lot of soulless in books and you know I I felt a comfortability within them because you know I just I really gravitated towards reading cuz when I was really young I had a hard time growing up and Um, Lizzy, she's been a definite friend to me and to a lot of other kids in the book club. And Miss Flertie, our librarian, she's been working at Campo Verde since 2009, since the school opened, which I'm sure is a great great experience to uh solidify her career because not only does she have a certification in librarian, um she also has her college degree in English literature and a master's in curriculum.
And while those are nice, what's more important is our kids are doing well. And my concern is if we are just going to survive. Uh if we're always looking for the places to cut and to get to the tightest spot, that's actually what's gotten our town in trouble over the years. Where the finances have to kick the can down the road. Therefore, our roads are in trouble. Therefore, our Mills Pond is in trouble. If we start taking that same tap to education and getting getting this thing squeezed down as far as we can, we're going to be in the same we're leaving that same legacy for the next generation or for the next set of board members. What concerns me about conversations about class sizes and cutting class sizes that comes out in a board of finance meeting is the fact that once that door opens and we're balancing budgets based on the fact that we we're going to cut classes and reduce and consolidate.