And is it possible to move our preschool students to their neighborhood schools and bring fifth grade up? Perhaps turning one of the existing preschools into yet another middle school that may be all middle schools as 5 to eight. That's just a future proposal that is being outlined and discussed since we now have this good solid data from this demographic study. So we have a lot of information, a really solid plan for moving forward as well as the potential to explore other ideas. Thank you. [Applause] Miss Kusvich, I just want to um thank you so much. That was an outstanding presentation. Guys, remember that's a 108 page 22 122 page report that I read, but I don't know that I fully understand it until I just understood it until I heard Jannina's presentation. So, you you condensed all the important things that I think the public and this board needs to know.
Any discussion? I have a question. So, I didn't know deidentified was a word. Um, so what does that mean? That means that no personal information involving students. So no all of the information that we provide would not be able to be tracked back to an individual student. So we would send information to them that is that is not tracked back to a student's SIS number or a student's name or personal identifying information. Okay. Paragraph C here says the spe the specific confidential data including PII protected blah blah blah um and it gives a list. So, are we sending them PII or are we not? You're not sending them personally identifiable information. But this paragraph C here is allowing for that. Just I'm sorry. Thank you for the clarifying question. It's only the personally identifiable information, directory information available under through FERPA. And so any parent that has requested that directory information not be released that student information would not be included.
Um the programming that we can offer, every kid has a pathway to success. Whatever their division, their goal or their definition of success is, there's a way and there's a team of people around them, whether it's from their teachers collaborating with, you know, mental health or with counselors or with admin coaches to make sure that kids are in the direction and they find that niche where they feel welcome. And and that was my first impression of Crawford'sville. On my first day, um my department cheered I felt welcome and that's huge and I think that is just a testament to our staff um and to Crawford'sville. I've always been able to go to people and ask a question and um get the answer. And so that welcoming and environment is something that I think is unique. And so um I just think that's something special that you don't find everywhere.
Okay. Um, so first of all, I I want to say thank you. Um, it's never easy, number one, to come to a a board meeting, a public um event like this, and to speak out. I think it's obvious that you're passionate about that um about the topic. And so, I want to just say thank you for for coming and sharing. Um I will um also just kind of quickly share um of course Jennings County School Corporation is committed to um making sure that we have a safe and supportive learning environment for all kids um in the fifth grade at every school in every grade and that's extremely important to us. Um we take any al allegations of bullying or any concerns like that extremely seriously. Um, what we would want to say is if any student or any adult has information about those concerns that is actionable, something that we can if you have names, if you have situations, we want to know about those.
There was kind of a misunderstanding I think when we were talking about the size of the sign [Music] um which I don't want I don't want to be kind of misconstrued here because it talks about the sign regulations state that signs must be four square feet but really that is um I in looking at it later that that really is part of a regulation that's about um um pedaling and what was the other word something pedaling. So, it was really about it's really about a sign, a temporary sign that you might have um on your person or out in front of your business. It's not a business it's not a sign related to a a building. And so, it's actually falls under a whole different section of the bylaws um that aren't even part of the zoning bylaws. So, I just want to make sure that we're not like, hey, this is a building sign that's four feet when it it's not really that's not really the problem is we did say that.
Um, I guess if we're not planning with students education in mind, but only cost savings, I can probably solve all your problems right now. The cheapest option, just fill the auditorium with a thousand kids, give them a Chromebook, hire four or five of us to supervise. We'd save millions. Your budget crisis would be over. Kids won't learn much. But right now, it does not feel like that's our main concern. Nearly done, if that's the timer. We've put a tremendous amount of time and resources into this process of reconfiguration. Please stay the course. No magical reshuffleling of people and buildings is going to solve a budget crisis. But restarting this process, what it will do is create uncertainty and anxiety and flight. Parents won't keep their children in a district that sees those kids mainly as a financial problem to solve and not as developing humans to educate.
And then those improvement plans will be posted to our website and shared twice with the community. um once at the beginning of the year and once um later on in the school year and the questions came from these are standard questions. Yes. Yes. That was something that um was new but and I mean not exactly new but due to the new laws we they had given this guidance um just actually last week from the state department we had sort of gotten an early preview of them. So yes, all of the questions that are here are taken straight from the recommended list. Yeah, the board members questions. So we're administering after break 10 minutes looks like for each one of these surveys. Um and is there a particularly cut off time? We usually give people about two weeks. We send reminders. We try to get as many participants as possible to encourage.
Thank you for listening and for caring about the experiences of students like me. It means more than you know. Thank you, [Applause] Samira. Thank you very much for coming to the board and having the um the strength to come and view express your your concerns. We all appreciate it. We take it very much to heart. So, thank you very much for being here. Okay. Moving on to uh reports of associations. I'd like to first recognize some association members in the audience. We have Jeff Morgan Stern as a president. I believe Tony Kosh from uh CSEA there. Okay. Lazy Monger from APGA. Jennifer Casai from ALTA and Dr. Leia Al Halstrom from RO. Thank you very much for being here. Please be here. Lauren Klasker. Where is she? Ah, okay. Thank you. Thank you. The board member from U Fton Joint Union High School District. Thank you, Lauren, for being here.
Any opposed? Hearing them none. You opposed. Yes. Who's opposing? I'm sorry. I am. Oh, for close session. Uh yes, I'm opposing it because um this district stands for integrity and uh dignity and uh what I observed today was unacceptable and I want us to ride the boat uh so that we never ever as a district ever treat somebody and take away their dignity the way it just happened this this time. And I'm not happy about it. I want to be sure [Applause] Well, I disagree with you. Uh I know that gentleman and uh he is here to disrupt. He was rude to the speaker and as president, it's my authority to have him removed. If he wants to come back at another time, another meeting and follow the the directions and he's fine to stay here. But um you know as well as I know that uh he's here to disrupt and he did a pretty good job of it.
I thought you did an outstanding job. I'm sure there are people who have questions, but I just wanted to thank you and tell you did a amazing job. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Kuselvich. Um, open up to the board for questions. Yes, Commissioner Mahia, I think. Oh, did I miss? Yes, Commissioner Brak. Thank you, Mr. President and thank you Miss Cuselvich for the presentation. Just want you to remind everybody about the options for those who already have siblings in those respective existing middle schools if they have younger siblings that are only a year or two behind that they have the option of continuing to attend that respective middle school. Thank you. Absolutely. Yes. 100%. Anyone who has a sibling in an existing middle school can rise up and continue to go to that same middle school with their siblings. Students without but they have the choice because if they would like to go to the new school they could.
Thank you for clarifying. Okay. All right. Thanks. Yes sir. Any other discussion? All those in favor? I opposed. Motion carries. J two, Miss Rey. Thank you. My second item for you this evening is a followup to our study session topic where I discussed a reorganization of the educational services department in order to increase some efficiencies. moving full-time staff members who are currently specialists to coordinator roles as well as shifting uh the instructional technology coordinator position to a new title, alternative and innovative learning coordinator. A motion. I move that the governing board approve the educational services department reorganization request as presented. A second. Second.
And so I hope the kids feel it. Um, but I definitely obviously Payton felt it. But I think that's something really unique and how the community just comes together support and and when we find something that kids are interested in, we figure out a way to make it happen. And I appreciate that because that doesn't happen everywhere. So thank you for Hi, I'm Takashi Griner. I just graduated from Wash College last year. because this is my first year teaching at Crawford'sville High School. Uh my dad is a superintendent at West Lafayette. My mom is a teacher of Japanese here at Crawford'sville. So I'm familiar with the area. I graduated from Southmont, decided to work here. And uh my very first experience right after I got a position here, I teach biology and ICP to freshman and sophomores. my very first experience with Crockerville. After my interview, I was reached out to by Jenny Beach and Jay Strickland and they helped get me into this program that they made where I was given the opportunity to come in and observe once or twice a week, see the classrooms, see the kids, experience what a classroom should look like at Crawfordville High School.
Nikki, I know wants to know about those and we have a process for addressing and dealing with every single concern. But if we don't know those things are being said or going on, um there there's no way for us to act on that. As as you can imagine, um our teachers, our counselors, our administrators, um we have a variety of resources that we can provide um not only to students, but also to parents, um also to other adults, community members. I think that's extremely important. Um if a student feels that an issue has not been addressed um or resolved, um we want them of course with not only their teacher but their principal of the school, administration in the school. There are a lot of different ways that um individuals can report bullying events. Um and this is one of the um things that I want to share is so that you and others if they're watching this streamline or if they're reading it in the newspaper so that they know how to share those events because sometimes they don't want to share those events face to face.
So you'd have to put like you'd be editing Yeah, I know. record. So that's why I'm wondering what to do because it's a it's it's kind of saying that we it's I guess in these minute minute I was going to say maybe in these minutes just make a note make that correction and edit pedalling and soliciting. That's what there pedaling and soliciting under chap under section 215. Right. So may Okay. So maybe in upcoming minutes we'll make a a note back to these minutes. Um just so so that is clarified. All right. Other than that, I'll make a motion to approve the March 27th, 2025 minutes with changes that Kate and Trisha proposed. Second. Anna Tesmani. I Katherine Jersey. and Trisha Kendall. So are approved and I think we need to go back and just make sure um everything from 2024 was taken care of once once in a while.
Parents want stability. Parents want to know where their kids will go to school next year. Please stay the course. Implement the plan that the entire community has already agreed upon. Thank [Applause] you. Good evening. Pamela Goodwin um taught in this school system at Pioneer Mohawk. I could go on and on about my years of an educator. I want to first say that every year we have a problem with how to fund education. This has been going on since 1971 when I was hired here and it was called a junior a junior high and not a middle school. So on and also through a bunch of my years of education, including classes um with people who are working on their master's degree, teachers would be asked, "You're not teaching the sixth grade anymore. We're going to ask you to teach the third grade." And you have your whole curriculum, you have your whole thing, and then all of a sudden, oh, now we're going to ask you to do this.
What is the response rate in past? Do you have I had that for our last meeting. Okay. It's pretty high for the students. It's above 90%. Um the high school sometimes a little bit less. Um and as you can imagine, K through six, we have a really good turnout for parents, probably 80 to 90%. Um and then it it dips a little bit as the kids get older, but still pretty pretty robust. I I'll be sure to share those with you after this administration. Do do we give the kids class time to do this or is like advisory? We do. I believe at the high school they're doing it in advisory. At the other at um Dodd they may be doing it during their type of advisory period. In um in elementary schools they'll do it with their classroom teachers. Any other questions? Discussion. Okay.
Okay, so first off, Mr. Morgan Stern. All right. Good evening, Board of Trustees, Superintendent Matsuda, Cabinet, and staff and community. What a difference a year makes uh in so many ways. I'd like to begin tonight by acknowledging the collaborative effort of the board of trustees, district cabinet, and the asked executive board to continue together down the path of healing by committing to no layoffs for this school year. I think there was a collective sigh of relief when March 15th came and went. While there is still much work to do to be done around staffing, I believe we are in a good place. Next week, we'll be hosting our final community schools learning and leading day of the school year. I'm excited to share that Becky Pringle, the president of the National Education Association, will be here in Anaheim to attend our community schools event on Wednesday, April 16th.
So with that, we do have a a majority that wants to go in the closed session. So we'll be back at 7 p.m. I just want to show Okay. Um we're going to move the agenda around a little bit so we can get um some people out of here early. So um with that, we'll call the meeting uh to order at 8:04 on um tonight. And with that, um, we'll do a roll call. Amanda Buchanan here. Maria Okara here. Okay. Renee Longshore here. Anita Tucker here. And Rick, I'm here. Uh, guys, please join me in the pledge of our flag. Please stand. Okay. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands. One nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. right along. So, Yakaloma, are you guys here? Where's Yakaloma? There you are.
In addition, Mr. Brunzak, they won't just be permitted to go there while they're siblings there. They'll be permitted to finish through the eighth grade through their eighth grade year. Correct. Commissioner Suarez. Thank you, President Paris. Um, thank you so much, Janina. This was a fantastic presentation and I really appreciate seeing the uh city demographics point by point, especially as it relates to the social economic status of of um each district. I thought that was really fascinating and I didn't realize how disproportionate um the the numbers were in so far as um those who are economically disadvantaged and how much of those students went to Christopher Columbus versus um Woodro Wilson. So I'm curious to know how would this new distribution support the current middle school since it seems to be in better balance. So it's actually it looks a little more disproportionate than it is there.
Is there any discussion? All those in favor? opposed. Motion carries. Thank you. J3, Miss Lada. Good evening, Vice President Mcronis, governing board members. Tonight, I bring before you a request for additional staffing. We are requesting additional staffing for next school year due to the anticipated increase of special education students at Play and Learn Preschool and the opening of Tangerine Farms K8 and due to increased population projections at Torita Middle School. We're asking for one special education clerk that will be split between PAL and Tangerine Farms, one nurse for Tangerine Farms, and one half-time Spanish teacher at Torita Middle School. A motion. I move that the governing board approve new staffing of one special education clerk to be split between PAL and Tangerine Farms K8 school, one nurse at Tangerine Farms K8 School, and one halftime Spanish teacher at Torina Middle School effective for the 2025 2026 school year.