Uh can we refer out services to them? We're not offering those services. We're just uh working with a company that we could go ahead and offer the services out to the families and then it's up to the families as to whether they choose to accept those services or not. But many times when when families are in crisis, they are not aware of all the resources that are available. So, it's just a way for us to at least provide information about services uh that may be available to them if they so desire. So, that's kind of an overview. If there's any detailed questions uh yet can come on up and ask, but we'll wait and see if you have any other questions. Okay, questions? Great. I'll take a motion. I move to approve the memorandum of understanding with cartwheel health services as presented. Second. All in favor?
You know, some of the volatility kind of comes out um because right now, as Mr. Levali said, we're in a very, you know, it's it's a very uncertain market right now. the uh the the funds that we need for the STO project. Um we can delay those because our project's going um we don't need the full $20 million right now for the Maricopa High School project. Um what I'll say about interest rates in the future, um it could get worse if we wait. If it gets better and it's significant, we can always do what's called a refunding, similar to like a mortgage refinance. there's a cost of issuance there, but we've done refundings um in Dr. Lobman's tenure. We've done a refunding whenever um we analyze our our interest rates and and and it's worth uh doing a resale at a lower rate for a a tax savings.
um and nor is it our responsibility to uh cover up their mistakes. Uh it it's just bad business on RJB's part. Uh when this issue is discovered, we were thoroughly prepared to work with RJB. However, they have showed no willing willingness to take any accountability financially uh with this situation. Rather uh they have taken a blame the customer uh approach which is just not uh uh good business practice. Uh so we are pleased to tonight uh to enter into an emergency 3-month contract with uh citywide building uh citywide building maintenance. Uh they have agreed to move up their time frame. Uh I I think I I nearly gave Mr. Batista a stroke when I asked if he could start on on April 3rd. Uh but uh uh then there again, he said him and his team are committed to this district and and they've been working hard to make that a reality.
That way it's also cross reference to all the policies we may adopt, may update, things like that. But then we can hit the carry specific policies at the end. So if we're doing a general press update now, carry policies at the very end. So it all ties together and we can also probably save some legal fees because we can submit them to the attorneys one time and say, "Hey, do we have we created any conflicts by oursel by going outside of press? Does this conflict with anything we have already?" And I think that makes sense when we're talking about the cross references. I think that makes sense to go back and decide which new policy numbers or whatever that we need to change in the cross references which I've done mind you. I have zero I'm fine with that. I'm fine with that. I'm fine with that suggestion.
It could be for students and again truly it's what I need. So if a student needs an intervention that's what they're receiving. If a student is on grade level and maybe needs some reinforcement then that's what they receive through best practice instruction. If a student is performing well above and beyond, then we provide them with enrichment opportunities. We're trying to create this second dose of instruction that really is tailored to meet the individual student needs. So, all of that has been on our plate, the 2425 school year, and this would be a great time for me to say thank you to our amazing and phenomenal teachers for this tall task. This is no easy feat, especially if you're in education yourself. You recognize this is a lot. while it is only four bullet points, it is a lot. And so kudos to our teachers and to our administrative staff who are um really on the front lines doing all this hard work and to our students as well whose brains I'm sure are being uh exercised even more so.
The staff is highly professional, and we get thorough paperwork daily describing his activities. I leave relaxed and ready to work." End of quote. We believe that highquality, reliable child care will help attract and retain high-quality employees as it has already attracted high-quality teachers. Medicine is currently benefiting from energetic city and community leadership that is helping to bring many new amenities to our area, including hopefully state-of-art community center to serve all ages. These new amenities along with comprehensive child care led by schools will take Madison and Jefferson County to another level and improve quality of life for everyone. We enthusiastically support Dr. Brown and her excellent staff as well as this school board in their efforts and we urge all of our citizens to do the same. Thank you. Thank you, Nadia. We appreciate your time. [Applause] Now, I'd like to recognize Mr. Rick Roll, please.
And for me, um, I'm g just try to move this out of the way. Mike, people were trying to get in. They were on my screen. All right. Sorry. No worries. Nobody put it back up. We're good. Okay. Not anymore. It was I just took care of it. We're good. I know. Okay. So, when we look at this stuff again, 80% relates to salaries and we have contractual obligations. We have five unions that we negotiated contracts uh last year. So they're in year one of of three-year contracts. So all five of them are in that first year. So next year we're we're taking into account all of the salaries, the cost of living increases. Teachers and and other professionals within the community go from or within the education community go from steps and lanes. So steps meaning years of experience they're going down. Lanes meaning meaning professional development that they may have received.
Um, we as city officials want to hear from the youth. And that is one thing that I am pleased to say and very happy to say that I'm very excited to hear from the youth today because their voice matters. Um, not someone from the street, but their voice matters for what they're going to see for their country and what they're going to see for their district. And it's very important that you the people, you the mayor could stand up and speak to those students will be very appreciative. Um, Monday, next Monday, I'll be receiving the award. Um, very classy little get together, I guess. Um, uh, I'm very happy for what I do with the marching band as drum major, with the vice president as students of color group, um, with the youth leader at the CTC youth coalition at the fur cog. I'm very happy for what I do.
They connected with their um unit on circuits. They come back. They've got all little projects. They were having a great time. Uh we updated uh Miss Kiesel and I updated the report card handbook. Um we're working on really trying to be able to on the report card. It's really tough. You want to be able to get a lot of information, but there's only so much real estate. And so as part of that, um, in the handbook, we've articulated out every standard that's being reported out in the exact language that is for that standard. So if you look and you see, all right, my kids got a three or my kids got a two or whatever they have, what does that actually translate to to the exact standard? So we've articulated that out for the entire first trimester, the second trimester. Um, and then we're now in work for the third trimester.
Attendance was very strong. I had a group of students for student le conferences myself and just the the energy and the reflection that the students have from that experience. I don't think they realize it until they're done and they're like, "Wow, that feels really good." So, the parents are very proud of their children and the leaders of the groups are very proud because they put a lot of work over a series of months into that. Um, attendance was strong as I mentioned and the energy throughout the building was very positive. The conferences provide a valuable opportunity for parents, students, and teachers to connect and to discuss their progress. Following the conferences, Director Gold Snider, 10 other staff members, and myself led 86, seventh, and eighth graders to Washington DC. Uh, the trip was filled with enriching experiences including tours, museum visits, um, and very and a lot of memorable learning opportunities.
Um we have mentors from those different companies. A little over half our mentors come from these companies or come from all their local businesses in the greater Danbury community. Um we also have mentors that are retired school teachers or just retired and now want to give back to their community and they have a little bit more time. We have a few students from Westcon that mentor and then um the other ones kind of from all different community groups. Um, we spent a lot of time this year really trying to engage the community and going to different community resource fairs. For example, just set table at the early childhood fair last week. And we're also trying to connect with other community groups um senior center to Kanas to Rotary to find those that are serviceminded and that want to give back. Um, so that kind of just um summarizes um we're pretty busy this year getting the word out there about our programming and um what we're doing in there for schools.
So, thank you very much for um allowing us to be here today and talk to you. Thank you. Thank you. about to eat so something we did differently this year around assessment was we changed the assessment calendar so a lot of times I'll come and speak with you all about our summitive data for the year, our growth um and those are very important um overarching goals that we have as well as um analysis that we need to do. We have a lot of interal um benchmarks and other assessments that are conducted throughout the year. We took a critical look at when we were doing those assessments. Um I proposed change and it was met with mixed reviews in the beginning and so uh we met with multiple stakeholders including um principles as well as the um the CRC folks that you're hearing from tonight to move some of the assessments to December and then doing some of our final assessments in March.
Okay, got it. Yeah. So, mid or above grade level went from nine students diagnostic one to 67, right? And early on grade level went from 54 students to 98 students. Okay. One grade level below went from 254 to 261. And then two grade levels like we diagnostic one two grade levels below is 126 and now there's only 75 right I love it I think it's great and I know we have a lot of growth but even like if you look at like 8th grade diagnostic 3 said 70% in math of our kids are below grade level and 56% of them are below grade level in English and they only have a few weeks left before they move on to high We I was just we know there's work to be done, right? We've had those conversations, but I think it's important that we celebrate growth, right?
Thank you very much. Item number 10 is reports and presentation. A school transition update. Dr. Fuentes, please. Thank you. At this time, we'll share with the board um the additional steps that have occurred since last meeting as we prepare for our transition for next school year. So, we'll start with um business services and we'll invite Mr. Franklin to share with you his portion of this report. [Music] All right. Good evening. Um so um business services on the facility side for school transition. Um upcoming uh projects or projects that are out to bidder in design. We actually completed removing trees at the three schools that are getting portables. You can see those there. And so the removal of those trees is so that we can then pave that area to place the portables and we will end up planting new trees elsewhere on the property in place of those.
And uh I'm turn I'm going to turn over to our teachers, our great teachers. Starting with Mke, third grade, our student of the month awards. Mr. Plee. Good evening everyone. It is my honor and joy to recognize a student whose actions, character, and quiet leadership truly stand out not just in our classroom, but across our entire school community. This young lady enters class each day with a warm smile and a positive spirit that fills the room. From the way she speaks kindly and respectfully to her willingness to help others, whether it's for a friend who speaks another language or to a teacher who needs a hand after school. She leads not with words but through example. She is respectful, responsible, and ready. And most of all, she she brings genuine heart into everything she does. Whether she's studying the classroom, offering help without being asked, or simply showing up with kindness and grace, she makes each moment count.
I I I motion carries 50 8.4 discussion and consideration of approval of the 20 202526 salary increase. This is based on discussion we had relative to the budget the last couple meetings. So the recommendation uh as a general rule for the different groups that are uh presented here is a 1.9% increase. You will note that the support staff does not have an increase because uh we do their increase in January as as a result of the minimum wage increase. Um and we we tried to project that out in previous years but uh it became more expensive than we projected. So then we ended up giving a double raise. Um, so the recommendation is 1.9%. The agenda item also speaks to uh exactly what um uh would be changed to the salary schedule. It's easy with teachers because it's a 930 added to the salary schedule, which makes it 54,000 as a starting.
So, that's always an option for us. Um but the future's very uncertain. We don't know if if waiting is beneficial or not. um when we go to market if the markets are really volatile um Stifl will will advise us to to delay maybe weeks or days or or um you know whatever that duration that we're allowed to to hold on if the markets are really volatile but outside of that um you know I think the best the best course of action is moving forward. So just because we approve it tonight doesn't mean it goes to market until he said the 28th or May 5th, right? Yeah. This resolution triggers a number of events. We have uh calls with rating agencies to determine our our our rating our um which will will determine our our rates and whatnot. And then they want to get to market as soon as possible to really see where the rates are so we can lock in a rate.
Uh you will notice in the board packet that we have provided a uh three-month uh contract that will abide by the previously uh passed bid uh along with uh the the monthly pricing that's seen there. And we uh are anticipating uh no issues for the remainder of the three months and looking forward to this partnership with citywide building maintenance. I just wanted to also add that I appreciate um Mr. Shepherd's work through all of this, even from when we started having these issues with our previous custodial service alpha um and the payroll issues we've had and navigating trying to work with our custodians. I want to thank you to our community, our parents, our PTO's um our staff really came together around the holidays when those individuals were really struggling to get regular um pay. Um in no fault of Mr. Shephard or his department.
Um I suppose that means that I'll print this off and then just check them off as well that that we would Well, yeah. And and I know that we're getting these in chunks and we're doing a chunk each month. So this would be the chunk of okay after today we're tableabling 140 until we get to the very end. Not that it's going away. This is not a no. I again I agree with you. These are very good ideals. These are things we should do. But I also think that if we're adopting press which has been vetted several times. It's just worth having a conflict check to make sure that we have not picked up one l one piece of language that's going to come back and bite us in the end. We want our policies consistent. Okay. I'm I'm kind of with the let's leave this for the end.
So when we look at kindergarten CBMs, CBMs are um letter names, letter sounds and numeral recognition in English. they have one minute to come up with as many names, sounds um or recognized numbers. Um if it's answered in Spanish, um it is considered wrong even if the response was correct. So this really is only assessing the English side, right? And so I tell that to you to keep that in mind because we are a dual district as well. And you'll see that as we uh move forward. So these are kindergarten CBMs in English. You'll notice from beginning of the school year to middle of the school year, we have seen great gains in our kindergarteners in their ability to recognize letter names, letter sounds, and numbers. Um the jump from 42 to 74% with letter sounds is essential because I think oftent times when we think of literacy instruction we think oh letter names is where to start but really it's letter sounds is where we should be starting because that's how they start to make sense of words and piecing those together.