I ask that you consider prohibiting the use of minutes spent on the I Ready program as being used as a component of a student's grade. Time on task is not an accurate proxy for student proficiency or growth and contradicts again the publishers's recommendations for implementation. Third, I ask that I consider the extent to which IRE is being implemented as a general instructional tool to help offset the wellocumented staffing shortages that we're experiencing or as a targeted intervention tool to help our students succeed and compare our implementation to the recommendations of the Iran publisher. The third issue I'd like to raise tonight and perhaps the easiest of the three to address is public access to board meetings. Um I'm one of the watchers of every board meeting including your subcommittee meetings and I want to thank you all for all your selfless service uh that you provide to our community.
B. And when I tell you the way this child's face lit up, I mean, it's one thing for me to be like, "Hey, you did great." But when he saw her and her smile and then Dr. He beats up the phone. He would have thought the kid had just hit, to use your metaphor, sports, a grand slam. Nailed it. Um, that was not the only time. That is now every time a student finished their test and did well. He said, "Can we FaceTime with Miss Borman?" I'm like, "Sure." Sorry about that, by the way. Um, so that that speaks to the relationships of the coaching that goes on here. It is not about simply sitting there and making us, you know, teachers have us sit through meetings. We're talking about the theory of what's happening. They're in there. They're in my And I know you're in how many classrooms?
Diagnostic one like um and this is in not the projective this is in the actual um so like a lot like all of them were 80% or more were below grade level when they started in every grade in math. Are we are we going to look at a new report? Oh, I'm sorry. Okay, I'll wait. Is everybody ready to move on?
um in 19 uh oh preschool assessment reports. We are now required to do a formal assessment report and they average from 19 to 45 pages in this district. Adding to the load, in 1995 the government decided that SLPs could do medical billing to bring funding back into the school districts for the crucial services that we provide. that is also 15 years older than the law of 55. When we stretch and take and don't support our service providers, we open the district up to litigation as we simply do not have enough time to do it all. We need to do better for our kids than we did in the 1980s. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Kagan. Hagan. Sorry. Our next speaker is uh Miss Melanie [Applause] Anttoveros. Hello. My name is Melanie Antveros. I'm a teacher at Sierramont. I think some of you know me from having taught your children US history.
Each of us in this room has a light to share with those around us. Our light is what lifts each other. Our light is what takes cheerleaders and softball teams to state. And our light is what creates unity. In a light of a recent events that have in a sense shaken our community as you know I can tell you that my light has been dimmed a little bit. I have felt the sting of sadness and just bummed for a lack of better word. We have to do better. We have to lift each other up. We have to change the words that we say to each other. Words have power as you know. And I speak imperfectly on this matter because I am far from imper from perfect. We have to extend grace to each other. We have to be quick to forgive and keep moving.
I love it. I I got to spend some time with Principal Lopez over at Simington. Um got the grand tour Very fun. There's a a fun energy. Walk in the front door and the and who who was at the front office? Who's the front office person? Teresa. Oh, she will make you feel welcome. Um, and don't mess with her because she loves the place. She loves those kids. And so it was fantastic. Um, there is a wonderful there's a good feeling going through classrooms, seeing teachers, seeing kids. um the the library. Uh that was kind of a center heart for for Principal Lopez. Just we she stopped in there for a minute and just kind of basked in the joy of being in the library. Um so it was wonderful to be be there in Simington, see what's happening. Um there's just so many good things happening.
sometimes three to four or 5% above the amount that they actually need to make the payment because then there could be 2% delinquencies or 3% delinquencies. Uh so they have a they look at historical data the county does and say oh in the Maricopa area you're running at a two or 3% delinquency people that aren't paying the taxes. So we're going to set we're going to overlevy if you will by 3% as an example. I see. And so that way then every year the investors get paid. You do never want to have the investors not get paid. Yeah. That would be damaging to your credit rated the district. Thank you. Um just so I can understand when we look at our tax bill and there's line items, right? Mhm. So, there will be two, one for the previous bond and one for the upcoming or are they going to get put together on one line item?
It's early literacy instruction. Um we have limited data currently through Star Renaissance. So we're looking at other additional benchmark assessments um to see which ones can better support not only our students uh the monitoring of our students academic growth but then to inform instruction for our teachers to give them the data they need to then pivot on their instruction and grow from there. And so when we come back from spring break, I was going to say winter break. When we come back from spring break, um we will also be sending a survey out to all staff uh with links that give them information on MAP NWA and links on I Ready and providing them the opportunity to voice their choice between the two as well. Um so that way everybody has an opportunity to weigh in on the decision and this would be a replacement for next year's Star Renaissance.
Um, and I feel like that is a responsibility or rather like a civic opportunity more so for our students. tonight. I I don't I'm not sure that that should be the responsibility of the custodians. I know it's petty, but I really see that more as a learning opportunity and a civic opportunity for our students lowering and raising. It's it's an honor. Yeah, I agree. I mean, I looked forward to it when I was in fourth, fifth, and sixth grade being on that team that went out and got to raise the flag and take it down at the end of the day. So, I don't know who's doing it, but Sure. I know at some of our schools, this is not a question I've asked principles, it hasn't come up in our conversations, but I know two of our schools I've physically been present and saw our students.
Uh, good evening everyone. Just real quick, we've got an opportunity in a few agenda start spending some referendum money on some exciting changes that are happening in the district. I just want to thank the community again for their overwhelming support in in giving us this opportunity to make our schools stronger and safer. Uh and so I'm looking forward to seeing this all play out and appreciate the trust that the community has put to us with this with this referendum.
We will ask each of the person to limit their comments to three minutes and that the topic be limited to the proposed project under consideration. Notice of this preliminary determination hearing was published as legally required. At this time, I will ask that Miss Kristen Mlen, our bond council, explain the purposes of the hearing. Miss Mlullen. Good evening. Thank you for having me. We're here tonight because under Indiana law, anytime a school corporation proposes to spend a certain amount of money on a project, you must first hold two preliminary determination hearings. And tonight will be the first hearing of the two. At this meeting, um, we will describe the maximums of the project. It does not force you to issue bonds to actually do the project or anything like that. It is truly a time for the public to hear about the project and the maximum cost.
That's something to um be careful with the messaging. absolutely want everyone to feel like, you know, if they want to do this that there's a way. So, um I am going to investigate further who I would need to speak to um in more detail. Uh, for example, I know like I'm not familiar with the whole procedure of that part of it yet because um I've I'm more familiar with other districts that I've worked at in the past where you would I'm assuming it's something similar where you would talk to the counseling department, guidance counselors um who work with students and who are familiar with situations in terms of like who is eligible for uh free and reduced lunches and things like that to identify students that might be on the list who are interested and you know to be able to reach out and make plans.
All while my nine-year-old daughter wonders where she'll go to school next year. I was also shocked as an employee because I was here 10 years ago when the new school was designed and built and the mayor's suggestion that we can fit 788 kids into that building didn't sound right to me. Sure enough, a 10-second Google search revealed that it was built for 585 students, not 788. So, where did that number come from? It came from the NASDAQ report, the consultant you hired to analyze possible reconfigurations of our district. So, I'd like to remind folks that that very NESD study proposed four feasible options for Greenfield, none of which included cramming the middle school into the high school. Mayor Dorger, it is dishonest at best to cherrypick one number from that report that you like and then ignore the report's actual recommendations. Uh, about that number though, it's from page 79 of that report.
Um, why we can't have more deep fried foods, why we can't make things crispier because we have to adhere to certain health and wellness standards. Um, but they recently asked if we could start roasting vegetables instead of steaming them. U, they thought that the kids would like them better. So, we tried it. The kids asked that. We tried it and they are eating more of their vegetables now that they're being roasted versus steamed because as um I can't I won't say the student's name but they said that um they won't be so mushy and they'll retain their natural flavor. But he's right especially carrots carameliz that was the one that serious. No, it's not sugar. It's natural. And of course it was natural. We started with the carrots and they were ahead. Yeah. So, it can't be roasted carrots. And we've been partnering with our our, you know, Chartwells is our our food service provider.
And then at BHS, that's 59 devices plus 20 monitors, uh 29 teacher desktops, 21 computer lab desktops, and and 20 monitors as well as a handful of other individual um computers as well. So given that um you know, we we'll have that exposure in October of 2025 and they're on the seven-year, you know, replacement cycle anyways. So really the intention is to bring this in and do this a little earlier um with the excess funds here. Um, so that that is really the purpose of that transfer. So we have a motion to transfer a $6,500 [Music] um from salaries and benefits to uh technology equipments. So move a second.
While I appreciate the board meetings are accessible and live streamed, the audio feed on those meetings does not seem to be directly connected to our Zoom feed making it difficult for remote participants to hear clearly. Additionally, subcommittee meeting documents such as your finance subcommittee meetings are often not made available for public consumption prior to the meeting, making it challenging for community members like me to follow along. Um, I urge the board to improve transparency by improving audio quality and document access for all of our meetings. I'll close quickly by taking a moment to thank the faculty and administration. The challenges we face are many and the work ahead is significant. The willingness of every faculty member and administrator to engage in this difficult work is clear and I commend members of the board for their diligence in reviewing the district's financial position and business office for their responsiveness in rec improving financial reporting.
Many, many, many, many across every school. Um, so every time she would come in, we would do a lesson. Sometimes I would lead, she would allow me to lead, sometimes she would lead. Um, and it's it became almost u not a lesson for stooges, but it became very much where we were coaching each other on the fly where I might ask a question. And I think some of you in your instructional rounds have have come in during one of these lessons where I will say something and MJ will jump right in and be like, "What's another way to say this?" Um, so to I have a lot to say, but I want to go fast. This has truly been a like it's been a team teaching. So we finally finished our sorry it took us so long. Um, so I look back at this same cohort's uh growth from last year.
Does anybody have any questions about the proficiency reports? Okay. I had just Yeah, go for it. Off the far right of all of them and there's a it's like um I'm still looking like just for example on the reading proficiency report for grade five it shows 72 out of 90 students participated. Where were the other 18? You know and and then grade six only 75 out of 93. So that left out a bunch. Mhm. So um there are some students that don't test, right? Like some of our SDC students don't test. Some students maybe weren't able to complete the test because maybe they were absent. Um some of our independent study kids don't take the test. So there are some students in within those grade levels districtwide. Also, some of the students weren't here for diagnostic one, like they came to us later in the year, and so you don't have that comparison, right?
I am speaking here to begin with for a fellow teacher at my school who could not be here because she's actually working her second job so that she can live in this valley. So, I'm going to read what she wrote. Dear school board members, as a teacher in our district, I regret I am unable to be present at today's meeting to speak in person. The reality of working a second job in addition to teaching to afford living in the Bay Area has made it difficult for me to attend, but I feel compelled to share my thoughts. The cost of living here is overwhelming and it is becoming increasingly hard to balance my duties as an educator with the financial strain and exhaustion from rushing from school to my second job. I ask you to consider raising teacher salaries not just to retain quality teachers but to ensure that we can focus fully on our students without the constant stress of financial instability.
And we have to support those around us that are helping us raise our children. There is no room for pettiness in this amazing community. And I believe that we all are doing the best we can. We have to remember that we are all tiny specs on a little tiny planet and we're all walking each other home. I'd like to also ask the school board to create some sort of code of conduct that our student athletes and parents must agree to and sign before they start a sport. They represent not only our youth from town of Wahoo, but you represent yourselves. It is our job as adults to teach our athletes how to act and they are teenagers and we are their example. In closing, I want to leave you with this quote. Our words have creative power. With our words, we can speak blessings over our future or we can speak negative things over our future.