Said miday, so it should be any time. The reason I'm bringing this up to you is that they are changing the cut scores this year. So, it's really going to be hard for us to compare our scores from last year to this year because it's gonna it's going going to appear that our kids did a lot better. Um, but I want you to be uh aware that it's really just a change in cut scores. Doesn't mean our kids didn't do a lot better. Just it's a change of cut scores. So, um we are we are going to look harder at the map, I guess, to see how our kids, you know, how they how they grow and progress. But, um I just want you to know that that information is out there. On the second page of the exhibit, you see and it you see a graphical example in reading and the NAPE is a national assessment that they on our IR test.
The first one, handle with care. This is something we started doing this last year or this this school year. Um, whenever one of our officers has interaction with a student in this district, and it doesn't have to be direct interaction, but say for instance, our officers went out to a really bad car crash and maybe a student's parents were injured in that car crash. We're going to notify the school, hey, this student just had this issue go on. So that way, if that student comes into school the next day, they've been through some kind of traumatic event, the school is aware of it ahead of time. So if they're acting a little different or so the school can offer some extra services to that student. And I will say we're not the first police department to do this, but I will say that we do this pretty well.
Um and they have drained me. So I no longer have my cushion. So I because because so many kids ate it. Is that in cost of food? Yeah. Like it's just gone astronomical. So, and we do get quite a good um reimbursement rate on free kids. The problem is our rate last year was at 36%. 36% of my kids at the elementary were free and reduced. Now, we ran it a month ago and there we have 26%. So, that's 10% less that I'm getting right from the state. So things are just What would have caused that 10% that nobody filled out applications? Okay. Yeah, because they're free. So yeah, a lot of those parents were like, "We don't have to do that anymore." And so it happens everywhere, which is I guess I did not realize, but um Mr. Jesy and I were talking about it happens.
Yeah, just to recap for in those contests where we didn't do so well, there was over 800 contest. So when you divide it out, we probably were a little closer to where we should have been. But the roll into the getting to the state contest, we had to go to qualifiers this year. We were trying to shrink the contest down. So March 27th, we competed at region two and this is where we got in. Uh we were eighth. We were ninth overall team and I ended up being fifth high individual which qualified me as an individual but we were in the top 10 so we got to stay there. Couple weeks or the week later we went to region four which is also state qualifier. Uh we have 10 high team there and very many individual awards but we're together enough as a team to hang a banner there.
That is the big portion that will go above the auditorium this summer to finish that up. Um and they've started some prep work in the north mechanical penthouse. um and starting to to get that ready for the summer work when they uh do the remainder of that project. They have started the restroom renovations and uh just kind of some before and during pictures and as we get more of those and those are completed uh we will be providing those as well. But they're doing one restroom set at a time and I believe they're still at door one working on those restrooms and they'll work their way um around the building. The science block renovation, the big project uh that was done last summer is complete. Uh both interior classrooms and the uh wall around the outside of it. We have completed the renovation uh and the move to the new administrative center and the sign went up.
Board, any questions regarding the catering RFP? done. So, are we to understand that all five of these will be our vendors? Correct. Okay. So, I love that. I love that. I love that. Especially um love the choices there. So, very nice. Just want to make sure that I was understanding that correctly. Thank you very much. Thank you. Because hold on. In the past, we only had one. Correct. Currently, we have one. Okay. That's what And that one is still on the list because they do correct work. Okay. Perfect. Thank you. Miss Lawrence. Yes. So, Mr. Miles, could you please explain in what circumstance we would need to have someone come in and cater an event and how that would be applicable if, for example, the public were to use the space? Yeah, absolutely. Thank you for the question. Um we host a number of events um here at our our current LEC and and we're going to have a great facility at the new LEC there in a great location right on the fort on the fort.
So, some of the high school teachers are having them put the Chromebooks away and doing things more of a pencil and pen traditional way. Yeah. Good. Okay. I mean, I'm a fan of using the technology in class. It's a tool. They're going to have to get in the real world. Absolutely. But I'm sure some kids are are better than others at the alt tab shortcuts to hide things around. Absolutely. So, are we doing any sort of training, professional development for teachers on how like signs to look for, what to spot, how to make sure that you know what I'm going to say probably, how to make sure a kid's son isn't going on LinkedIn, creating a profile, sending them a message during the day, like what do you know, how are we handling that? Yeah, I can talk about the elementary and then I'll ask that question.
So that's where we started and now these there were these two labs that Eric told you about my lab with Ros Candy and Rhonda working on Lin 4 and in RVin's lab a bunch of people working on Lin 14 and so in parallel we figured this out. I mean Gary's lab found that lin 14 makes an RNA which is translated into a protein but found that the lin 4 is makes a unusual kind of RNA that has an unusual structure and it turns out that it makes a little piece of RNA that's unusually short compared to all other RNAs and it's complimementaryary those of you who've had AP biology or whatever you know about about um base pairing right So the lin 4 RNA recognizes lin14 by base pairing and then shuts off production protein from that lin 14. So that was the novel discovery.
Um, but also to make any tweaks or changes that are necessary. So, I think about a year. Oh, I'm sorry. I can't hear you, Michelle. I said that helps. Thank you. About a year or so to get everybody. Otherwise, we'll just be going as is until you start implementing it once you come back if there are any tweaks that need to be made. Right. Correct. Thank you so much, Al. I saw you had your hand up. or you uh no longer need to ask ask a question or Yeah, I just just want to share with you that you know uh Stansville public schools uh did this this this restoration um last school year or I think the last two school years if I'm not but definitely last year and you know the the outcome of it is that they they hired a particular educator teacher to be responsible for you know uh res uh restore it does work it does work for uh you know to have get the the children the students back to normal but like anything else is that is only effective if the if the receiver is willing to make some changes in their life and their academic stuff.
Now, I am aware that tonight's agenda has a board report item identifying that the superintendent contacted legal counsel and the council recommended that USD244 not adopt the proposed requested release time religious instruction policy that was discussed at the April 14th board of education meeting. However, we implore that the board not close the door to release time religious instruction program with this limited level of effort. Again, I remind you that this is a communitybacked initiative that where adopted in other school districts has observable positive social emotional impact as well as improved attendance and reduced inschool and out of school suspensions. Considering the significant positive student impact which comes at no cost to the school district and in light of the legal analysis provided to you tonight from First Liberty Institute, it is recommended that the board take the appropriate time and attention as requested at the April 14th board of education meeting and reiterated again tonight here to fully vet the benefits and yes potential challenges of a released time religious instruction program at Burlington USD244.
So any further questions, comments hearing none, I would all those in favor say I. I. Any oppose? Same sign. Motion passes 70. Item number 10. Okay. So, you guys are aware that we do um as of right now this year, we host our middle school volleyball, football, basketball. Did I say volleyball? Volleyball games. Yeah. At Bushton. Um, so the contract reads that we're contracted for $6,500 and they take care of the gym, the locker room, the football field, the practice field, the markings on it, the track, the commons area, the concession. Um, they provide janitorial service and maintenance and upkeep for that. It's been brought to my attention that whenever we kind of got to the point where we were negotiating contract and talking to them that their understanding was that we were going to help pay for the gym floor to be refinished every two years on top of what we normally paid them for the $6,500 usage.
police department said they had nothing to do with this decision. You know what, again, personnel issues, so we can't go into it any further. Again, especially you students, thank you so much for your time and thank you for the effort and energy that you put into everything and we will contract through you guys, who would would you be the ones that are canceling the contract or is it the police Chino Valley Police Department? We'll leave it to Miss Daniels. Thank you. So we contract for services not for an individual. So PD can provide any individual they would like to meet the contract services and we still have a contract for another year with the town for services. Okay. So it's the police department that is making the choice not their employee. So ultimately it is their choice because it's their employee. Is there influence by the board or the school for the decision?
Right. Yeah, that makes sense. So then we have in other areas that they may contact, but um do we need to put like narcotics in here? Cuz I think Kitty, you're talking Yeah, I'm just trying to say the the names that I use every day, but the way you're wording it with the non-medical that's the drugs for non-medical purposes, totally fine. Whatever language that's colloquial and that we can use that we think is more widely understood. I'm just talking because it's the end of the day and that's how I talk at work because my wonder is is I don't think that I don't think that we're calling every time that there is a marijuana thing, but we have called when we have like pills and stuff. So, I'm wondering as you're talking like, oh, should we delineate because marijuana marijuana is illegal for children to have, but it's legal for their parents to have.
There are NAPE questions that are given all across the country. And on the NAPE test, Illinois expects a 236 score for proficiency. Connecticut is 224, Florida is 220. So student who scores 220 in Florida is Florida is meeting expectations in Illinois they're not. Um so when you see like right below that you see three bar graphs or line graphs in Illinois we're showing 39% of students being proficient. Um in Connecticut they're showing 63.9 with a lower cut score. And then in Florida which I found is interesting they count the top three categories as proficients. In Illinois, the top category is exceeds. The next one is profic meets and the next one is approaching. Florida counts all three of those as proficient. So that's why you'll see Florida would say 56% of their kids are achieving standards. If we counted all three, we'd be way higher than that.
Once we initiated this is a lot of work and it it creates a lot of oversight on Brian's part, but we send a lot of messages to the school. Um and and it's a lot of it is real minor stuff, but that way the school is equipped with that information in case they need to do something the next day. Um our community engagement unit, that is a new unit we just started this year. These are officers who devote part of their time to really not doing any quote unquote police work. They are just out building relationships with different groups in our community. Um in the first four months of this year, we just started. They've already done 40 different events and it's all kinds of events whether it's school events, um going out to homeowners associations, um going out to different groups with students or um even things like Special Olympics.
It does happen. Um but yeah, so I'm proposing that next year we do not have C at the elementary. Everybody goes, I'm glad there's no elementary parents in here because I think they would come from my head. But well, you Yeah, you you only have one though, right? So the elementary one of those days when they eat lunch at school. I know. I don't have to make as much. So I I just think that we're not going to be able to fund them any longer, which is okay. I mean, I think that everybody maybe will be okay with it. I have a press release available to go out to parents. Um, and things we're doing in our department, you know, we are, um, I'm changing a couple positions around. So, I'm making one of our six-hour positions at the high school a 4-hour position. Um, I'm going down one position at the elementary school.
And then we did the state contest there a couple weekends ago on May 3. And this was the day that we were hoping for compar to start off Aubrey was 10th high in beef and she is just a freshman. I mean we're competing against seniors and juniors. I end up being third high in beef which is this table one table here in front of us and then we end up third high team. So as you see there we go through all these super score up and then that's how you get your overall team. Uh we also ended up fourth high in reasons with very young team again individually Clay I was uh sixth overall Addison ended up 13th and Aubrey was 21st but getting to the good part we stood fifth high overall where we could secure the national trip where we were going to the exart show.
Is that just last week that the sign went up? It's been up two weeks. Uh but we have the sign up and that was kind of the last piece. They had some landscaping to do which they started over the weekend since we've had some warmer weather. And the interior of that building is complete and fully functional since uh February when we moved in. This uh summer at Salimony uh they will be doing uh new units over the gymnasium uh boiler room. Uh that work will be completed this summer. However, due to a delay in shipping, we will not be able to complete the HVAC on the air conditioning side in the summer of 25 and that will be moved to the summer of 26. So, existing air will be used for this coming school year. The following summer, we will put in the new air for elementary school.
There are times when we have internal events. It may be professional development. It may be an administrator meeting. Uh things with our own staff that these certainly would help us with, but we also host a number of out of other outside uh organizations here in the community or even across the state. Um, so there's opportunities for those uh folks to whether it's a breakfast, a lunch, those types of events and and happy to have greater greater uh variety for them to choose from. So not just to provide lunch and unlimited sauce. I mean, I would probably eat from these vendors uh on a regular basis, but no, that is not that not what this is for. Thank you to say one more thing, please. I think it and I just want to say there is a a culture of excellence in Lawrence Township and one of the things I just want to applaud um I know Miss Blankenship you are always working tirelessly Superintendent Smith when people come to see us whether it is for an interview always treating people right and I think sometimes it's really easy to say you know food is such a frivolous expense and it really goes to show that we treat people right and when people give their time, we express gratitude by filling their bellies.
Yeah, that's why I let you question. I know it's a little different at this level. Um, and I'm just looking, Joe had asked for some information about how often they're using it, what they're using it for. We're still collecting that data and it depends on the grade. Um, so for instance, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, right now it's 20 minutes weekly on handwriting, handwriting without tears that and there's a lot of assistance there with those with those kids. First grade it's, you know, they're they're watching these kids are learning how to do it. First grade is they have Chromebooks and they have iPads, not one to one, they're working on that as well, but um they have those things. they're being taught how to use this. Second grade is like an hour per day uh research typing. I don't have any information on third grade yet.