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Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. Can I touch on what I want to touch on what Raphael said and I want to go back to when we talk about equity and I'm very passionate about this because I'm a girl and I think it's just really important for girls to have these opportunities. I went to a college where it is very heavily into football and our our our college is all about winning a national championship. But the money that comes in for football pays for our female lacrosse teams, our female softball teams, our female and that is what when you're looking at equity from a larger perspective is what happens. If we're going to be a district where we talk about these things and we prioritize these things, then this is something that would make sense to me if this is our values and our and our mission and our vision that this is something that would be prioritized.
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I totally get what you're saying, Jared, and I totally get what Raphael's saying, but that is where the money is going. People think that, well, I paid $300 for this, it should just go to this. That's not how budgeting works. That's not how it works in a school district. It's not how it works in a college. It's not how it works. You collect all that money and you spend that money based on your priorities. And anybody can look at a budget and know exactly what somebody's priorities are. So I'm just saying that with what both of you said, yes, the numbers aren't going to be apples to apples, but it what are our values and what are our pillars and if that is what we are going to say, then our priorities should fall in line with that. So, I appreciate what you're saying, Dr.
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Kagatti. You do have to crawl before you can walk. It's just very hard to swallow when you look at the I would say inequalities when you look at our football program, which also has its needs versus something like this for our girls. And so, I just I I needed to it's just very passionate for me. Um the only other thing that we haven't talked about is where will they play and what does that look like since we know that our um go ahead. Um I just wanted to make a comment about having that varsity first and then adding the JV years later. I will say as someone who participated on a cheer team my first two years, we did have a JV and a varsity. Coming to my junior year, we dropped down to only a varsity team. The participation and even the vibe of our cheer team became a little bit hostile because now the entire JV is fighting for their varsity spot and it caused a lot of friction.
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People lost friends. So, I really really hope that if we're going to do a varsity only team, all the girls that participated this year don't feel like they have to fight for that 25 number spot. But that's they will they will that's what's going to end up happening. And it was every I remember every single try out every single try out my junior and my senior year every girl from JV would be trying to fight for their vars competitively. This was comp we were competing competitively. They would be trying to fight for their varsity spot. And then that's when you had people either on mat, offmat or an alternate. And then it just became super hostile between coaches. Then you had coaches and teammate relationship being broken because oh I don't understand why I didn't mark make varsity etc. And then another thing is me and Cali have the opportunity to sit here and listen to you guys explain this other girls and parents don't have that opportunity to listen to the breakdown.
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So when this comes out or say we do approve on this and families are hearing oh we're only starting with the varsity there's no JV. they're going to be like, "Okay, but Oswiggo East football has varsity, JV, and a freshman. They have a freshman team, too." So, I just, and going back to your point, I just want to make sure that with equity, and that's what we stand for as board members, sitting here and talking to the public, that we're also being fair and just as well. and also talking to parents and communicating with students that especially the girls that want to start this and do flag football. Hey, this is what's going on and this is why we're making that decision. And I just hope that the energy is still up at that three-year mark when we're considering adding a JV team that girls still want to do this.
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I don't want it to feel like now the energy is low because we're only having that 25 mark and now oh I don't want to do it. I didn't make varsity. I'm I'm I'm not good enough. That self-evocacy. I don't want girls to feel like, oh yeah, you know, I didn't make varsity. That's it for me in flag football. My interest is done. What about three years? Then they don't want to try out for JB. Three years from now, they don't want that. These are very important points and I would definitely say that um we as a administrative team are going to take them under full consideration and we'll be reviewing them. I think the communication is an important part of that. Right. And so I want to make sure that nobody coming out of here that says that somehow that this is we are we are initiating something.
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So I just have to say that very clearly. Uh none of the programs in this district I can't imagine that they all start at the same point right and so I want to say that this journey is extremely important to me. Um this is why this team worked very hard to prepare their presentations for tonight. We have a lot of support to grow it. I think that the feedback is exactly what we need to be considering and be reflecting on and we we'll take into full consideration. So thank you. I just um so what's the difference between the commitment at club level versus a a sport level? Uh as I stated be uh previously I don't have the figures for club level as what's the commitment from the student I see um practice maybe two days a week um not a regular day like type of after school activity uh it would games are are more sporadic uh they're not as it's a much larger commitment to be on Absolutely.
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Yes. Okay. Yeah. So, when you have So, when you have 44 players that are playing, we don't necessarily know that all 44 would want to continue on and we're tripling the commit. I'm not saying that. Hey, hey, um you I want them to go back and kind of see what that looks like. Um the other thing I wanted to know was uh lacrosse, your initial assessment versus um it's a great question, the outcome. Sure. You know, like how many people wanted to join, how many people ended up joining. Yeah. You know, all those types of things. Do you want is that something you want to bring back next month? Maybe a couple of us. I can give try out numbers right now if you'd like just to have that. But um initially we had 44 boys try out for the co-op team. And then we had um with 25 roster spots for that.
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And then we had uh 17 girls try out which all of them were. And then that was was that um similar to the expectations when when we when you had this analysis? Yeah, I I think we knew we had enough for a team. I I think that we weren't quite sure if we were going to have 2025 or if it was going to kind of for the boy site in particular to be fair, we weren't sure as we progressed with open gyms and people signing on, it soon became very aware that we were going to have to make cuts. Yes. Dr. Concade, did you want to add anything regarding the sports right there at this point? I just want Who did the decide? Four. No, no, no. Four. Which which sport? How many players are on a starting line? Lacrosse. You're talking about 11 for flag football.
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Football. Yeah. How many star rooms are there? How many starters? Seven. Seven. Okay. So, seven. So, how talk about last place? Yeah. Baseball. Who's on first? 25 players. You're rotating three plus. Yeah. And we have one of our coaches here who who presented tonight or spoke on on public comment who who did a fantastic coach. Sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Two wonderful coaches here tonight. Two wonderful coaches here tonight. They can speak with the intric intricacies more than I can. The flag football the what do you call it? Inter mural club. Club. How many who did they play against? So we were allowed to participate against other IHSA schools. Um the IHSA is allowing that again next year as well. So as a club team, we can participate against other IHSA schools around us, right? So the the same schools essentially. Again, it's it does cost to have officials.
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It cost for transportation, all those things are taken consideration. But I want to make a comment. When we're a club and we're going against schools have been playing flag football for like four, five years, it's difficult. It's really difficult because when we have a club, we're only go at practice two days a week on a field that's bumpy. People be tripping, falling, spraining ankles, and you're only there for like two hours. If we're going to practice a day, two days a week for two hours, that's like only four hours of practice and majority of it's warm-ups, passing the ball. But that's not that's not like good time because when we're doing this, sorry, no vests, but we're doing this and then and then we're going against teams who like buy all week good landscape, good grass, good everything, have good practice time. It's not fair.
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Like I'm not saying that our team isn't good cuz like we're really good don't play but it's just what it's hard like it's so hard because these girls have like so many skill levels know how to twist turn jump over us get into like the so it's just it's really difficult having a club and like you can see there's a difference between a club team and a sport team because just the time that we're given the location that we're given and the equipment that we're given. Thank you. So what we're going to do Dr. Okay, Dr. I Yeah, I think it's I think we've heard the feedback, but I just want to say to the the for the presenters and for all the hard work you guys, I thought the proposal is very well done. I think it's wellreceived. Um I was just thrown off by the 25 and so um well, this is what this place is for to give you some feedback and um we look forward to seeing uh where it goes from here.
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Yeah. So, we're going to you you'll get with the team and you guys will come up with some more ideas and thoughts and suggestions and then the dollar amounts for the club team and all of that and then we will get all of that information, you know, in the next two weeks. But then when we come back on the we so if possible I'm I'm hearing that the there's a a request that this come back April 28th. I think tomorrow I can speak with the team and we can reflect on what's what we can create and um Mr. Jackson has offered to raise $130,000. Mr. Jackson is on the side there to get us to the other side. So, thank you and I'll be working with Mr. Jackson. Um really appreciate that yellow that shirt has just told us that you're a beacon for this work and so we want to thank you for your leadership.
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But no, in all seriousness, we will commit to meeting uh as soon as possible and then giving the board really a realistic timeline. The financial considerations are real. Um but we also want to make sure that we are um making no excuses about our our commitment and what it means for our students. So I I want to thank our student uh board members for their feedback and everybody for their feedback tonight. I'm sorry. I know you're trying to wrap it up. Um, so if if we had a sport and a club, um, if we were to do a JV, would that eliminate the need for the club? And then that would be so an elimination of an expense. Uh, yes and no. More than likely, yes. But because of the number of students that potentially would want to participate, in theory, you could have a varsity, a JV, and still a club.
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That's where the creative part comes in, right? We are as creative as can be. Yes. um where where where are they playing is my last so um practice-wise Tony and I have both identified locations at our facilities and again being creative for this too like for OS in particular since girls flag football is a is a fall sport it does give us a little bit of flexibility where we have done you know one of the things we we have here both OE and O has OHS has is when we paint lines for fields it's all done via GPS so I can ask the people who operate that to plot top down kind of a football field anywhere in the anywhere on our premises, right? So for us, field five, which is our boys freshman baseball field, you a football field fits almost perfectly in the outfield with no issues whatsoever.
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So in the fall, that would be one practice location that they would have no issues at whatsoever. The grass wouldn't be worn down or anything else. It would be a good spot. And Tony has something similar. Tony has something similar at his place. he's identified and he's talked about a rotation of fields and we could probably do something similar as well. We have another spot in mind as well. When it comes to game fields though, they would be played at the stadium. Okay. Thank you. That's what I want to know. All right. Thank you, gentlemen. Thank you. Appreciate it. All right. Uh thank you. Um next I want to welcome uh we have a have uh Mr. Francis and Shan Deiden. We want to welcome you both. Um uh and thank you for your uh stick to itness and joining us this evening for your presentation.
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This has been a collaborative effort this evening that you're going to hear about. Um that's really been a two-year project to reflect on the ways in which we can support um our schools, particularly our middle schools. And I want to our junior high schools. And I want to thank uh John for his work as executive director and leading this effort this year. All right. Thank you, Dr. Ketti. Uh I am John Francis, executive director of schools. And we have with us I'm uh Sean Deid and I'm the OA adviser at large and a special ed teacher at Plink. Um and again, Dr. Kelgotti said this this has started I mean there are some dreams and some visions that have started in conversations in the hallways at Bernardik. um and and putting these ideas into place is is daunting, but we're we're doing one step at a time.
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Um so again, thank you for letting us come here tonight and talk about the work uh that we are are doing to outline some changes with just the overall bell structure to the junior high level for next year. Uh throughout this year, this really started in in late December when we really got a team together. I started to do a lot of research with some guidance from Dr. Zwanky looking at the schools to watch rubric which was created in the '9s if you believe it as part of the national forum to accelerate middle grade reform. Uh it just is a is a four-part area um tool to really help with some continuous improvement for how we can better service our students. The four areas are organizational structure, social equity, developmental respons responsiveness, and academic excellence. Uh, a lot of these pillars and domains is what they're called within the rubric are really outlined in work that we're going to be doing within our strategic plan.
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Um, a lot of that is going to cause um not cause, it's going to take a lot more work. It's going to take some financial um and district-wide push, but we wanted to to do something this year that we could at least get the the the the ball rolling and and do some work uh to better serve service our students. So with that, we took our junior high bell schedule um or our junior high members of the school day committee. There's a standing school day committee. We started with just the four or five of those people who are at the junior high level. Started with some initial reviewing of what we're doing, expanded our team and identified four areas that we really wanted to tackle. And this is the result of at least sticking within our school day structure of what we can do uh for our students.
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The following slides will outline the changes just to our bell schedule for next year in an effort to be more responsive to the needs of our students and Sean will take us for a little bit. We had plenty of time to practice while we were waiting with everybody's presentations which were fantastic. Um the over the overview the process has been very collaborative effort including administrations, teachers and most importantly students. Um we identified opportunities for the change that will provide more structure for our students and support instructional practices to enhance student learning. Uh compare our current structure and the changes for next year. Um and then review on how we can support students and how we'll be more responsible to their developmental needs. Um, looking at our members, um, our extended school day committee, we had teachers from all five junior highs along with a teacher and special assignment administration and district office administration.
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