So I'm going to turn it over. They're all going to introduce themselves. Hi everybody. My name is Michaela Fowler and I'm from Williamsfield High School and I'm in 11th grade. Hi, I'm Khloe Thomas. I'm in 11th grade and I'm also from Williamsville High School. Hi, I'm Avery Kaiser. I'm in eighth grade and I represent Kulie Middle School. Hi, I'm Sydney Resmond and I'm a senior at Higgley. Hello, I'm a freshman at Higgley High School. My name is Ellie Fuentes. Hi, I'm Slade Coxin. I'm an eighth grader and I also represent Koulie. Hi, my name is Alejandra. I'm a sixth grader at Bridges Elementary. Okay, so as I said, my name is Michael Fowler and I've had the incredible honor of serving on the superintendent's advisory council this year, representing Williamsfield High School and working alongside these beautiful students from across Higgley Unis Higgley Unified School District.
Start. Start. Here we go. Start again. start all over. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, there was a committee um of probably about 20 staff members that came up with um this work that we modeled like we said over the course of four meetings this year. And I'm going to have um Monica Kollage and Sarah Han come up and talk before Dr. Sanders and Miss Can you hear me? Okay. Um so the purpose of the committee as a whole was to discuss concerns that were raised by staff members whether they were brought to administration or more informal ways through surveying. Um and then we created a plan of action to address those concerns within our building. While meeting we identified trending behaviors and we'll talk about that shortly that impact our behav our culture both positively and negatively at the building. And then last Friday we met as a whole school and the purpose of that meeting was to share information and provide staff with the tools that we have developed as the culture committee um and provide that to all staff workers.
And I appreciate Man's involvement as well and um look forward to uh to bringing that into what we're doing with the kids. So they are a big part of that. Uh Pioneer Day recently took place at Hoover. Um so was over there for a little bit on Friday and uh so just some of the activities there. So saw the students enjoying candle making, some woodworking things, medical care, um cooking um and other activities. Um Mrs. Hler put me to work in her room making some butter for some homemade biscuits as well. So, um, I said my own son came home and mentioned the medical care kit itself and we have one of, he says four of those. I believe it's in the lane place. So, the lane house. So, um, it's definitely thank you to the teachers and community members who've led those activities as lots of smiles and hands-on things going on which was very good.
That will be May 21st at 2:45. We have an early release on May 23rd. and our seniors actually have their senior prom on that day. As Mr. Dango said, there's no school memorial day. The 28th at 9:00 a.m. we have a curriculum committee meeting. senior scholarships. It's a wonderful evening is May 29th at 6:30m. And just reminder to the board of education that we will have our final board of education meeting walkthrough at Sherry Brook Primary School on May 30th at 8:30. So I would encourage everyone to attend that meeting. And then finally, I just want to the highlight of the year and something families here should look forward to is our high school graduation is early this year. I believe it's June 6th. Is that so? June 6th. We have a assistant superintendent that has a a child graduating. June 6th. I I would invite the whole community to come to that event.
Ginger is proud to be back in her home state of Colorado as a superintendent of Academy School District 20, where the team one spirit ensures that students thrive. We would like to thank Mrs. Habber for all she has done for Rampard High School students and staff. Please welcome Superintendent of Academy School District 20, Mrs. Ginger [Applause] Habber. So congratulations class of 2025 Rampart Rams today. Let's give it up for them. Let's give up. This is such a special night. Today marks the culmination of your hard work, your resilience, and your dedication. You've faced late nights, challenging exams, moments of doubt, but you never gave up. This is your moment to reflect on all you've accomplished and take pride in your journey. Our vision for you and D20 is that you have the knowledge, skills, and character necessary to be successful beyond graduation. But none of this would be possible without the help from your family, your friends, your teachers, your coaches, and other mentors.
Mr. Sison, as students, we want to thank you for supporting us, but especially outside of the classroom. You have been to so many of our games, competitions, and performances. And it means a lot to know that somewhere in the crowd, towering above everyone else, is our principal proudly wearing his Lancer gear. To the parents, family, and friends in attendance, you have been our biggest cheerleaders, and your support has made all the difference. And of course, thank you, class of [Music] [Applause] 2025. We did it. The last four years have been great and I can't wait to see what the next chapter brings for all of us. And though it is our moment, we can't forget the teachers who have helped us get here. They have devoted countless hours, lunch periods, and much of their free time to our growth as both students and human beings.
I grappled with the weight of just how vast and unpredictable the future is, and I wrestled with anxiety as I wondered almost every night if I would be good enough to succeed outside of the home that I'd always known. Other times, I became obsessed with things like perfect grades and the way that I looked in a bathroom mirror. And I hated that in a world so wide and filled with possibility I could become fixated on such silly things. But now I celebrate even those insignificant worries because every detail is vital in the story of our lives. Everything that we have felt breathed in and let go either a celebration or a struggle has made us into the courageous adults who are sitting in this room. There is such a sweetness in looking back over high school. Now just a memory book filled with photos and scribbled stories and realizing that every page is our masterpiece.
Not a single person opposed it except for maybe somebody on Zoom who I I couldn't hear what they were saying. People um who were there that day um noted a surprising lack of dissenting voices. Um and it isn't that nobody opposed it. I mean look at all the people who are here today. Um it's not that nobody opposed it, they did not know about it. And why didn't they know about it? Because you did not infect effectively engage the public. only people in a small network showed up um to support the plan. And it later turned out that a lot of those people knew each other pretty well. The actual broader public of Ann Arbor, everybody um has been learning about this plan only recently. And in the end, it took relatively little to um make that happen. It really took one conscientious and publicly spirited person with a printer.
Uh and so when we go through this process, planning board uh potentially dos this tonight, it will be submitted to this particular program. Um and it will be on that record for anybody potentially to object to and and I'll talk about the next steps as it relates to that. Next slide, please. So this is the obligation. The obligation um for the prior round which started in 1987 and ran to 1999 was 159 units. It was based upon a methodology at the time that was uh was accepted as part of uh what's known as the council on affordable housing rules. Uh the the third round ran much longer period of time from 1999 to 2025. We are ending the third round in June. So June 30th ends the third round. we begin the fourth round basically July 1st 2025 it will run another 10 years. So as you see these different obligations 159 195 and the fourth round 65 we are not only providing a housing element fair share plan for the next round for the fourth round but we are looking backwards and having to provide for um a housing element fair share plan that addresses the previous obligation.
You guys killed it. That was awesome. So with that, we have our special education report. [Music] Are you going? All right, while they are getting that up. Hi everybody. My name is Mindy Suarez. I am the director of special education. Um, and this is our kind of end of the year update. Um, I will try to make it as interesting as I can. I am going to try to not bore you with a ton of numbers. So, I'm going to kind of give you an insight of how our special education department works along with how um we've overcome a lot of different obstacles this year. So, year in review quarter one, so we're going all the way back to August. Um it's the beginning of my third year in my position. We had some unexpected staff needs, which I'll talk a little bit about. Oh my goodness, we're excited.
Over the past few months, we've met regularly to reflect on what makes HUSD truly special and also to thoughtfully discuss where we believe there's room to grow. We started with a powerful conversation around the portrait of a graduate, what it really means to be a student who leaves HUSD prepared for life beyond high school. And then we also used AI to create our own portraits. Um here are oh here are all of the leaders um who helped and support this council. And then on the next slide here are all of us the students who are part of this superintendent advisory. So yeah, we used AI to make these like Pixar thingies and we all created these ourselves. Um, what makes this journey so meaningful is that we've had real conversations with students from all grade levels about what we love about our schools and what we hope to see in the future.
Good evening everyone. Mrs. Ali and I were locking step with the culture club in this work. I must say it was not only empowering I think to the staff as a whole but as well for myself and Mrs. Ali because in doing that work we did a lot of self-reflection. We looked at our level of accountability and I think that it showed that we were just as vulnerable to look at things that we could do differently and we were hoping that that type of uh reflection inward would in hopes uh inspire others to do the same. Change is not easy. We all know that. And what we were hoping is that individuals will be empowered to allow um change to be done with grace and just be open to the fact that we're human. We all make mistakes. Uh but those mistakes can be resolved if we are honest and we're open and we keep each other accountable.
So, with that, that is your assistant superintendent report. Thank you, Dr. Bokart. Dr. All right. Excellent. Um, thank you to Stephanie for all of her efforts to help us get settled in to this admin building and for most of the setup for this event. Thank you Chartwells for putting on a great show. Um, yeah, that's a lot of food. It's beautiful. Great colors. Um, you know, one of the reasons we first went with Chartwells was because when we was the color selection of the palette, not just good old hooer, different shade of brown. So, it is wonderful. Thank you to the admin team. You know, we've had a nice transition moving in here. Everybody's pitched in, helped out, um, you know, trying to set up this room in different ways and get everything ready. So, it's been excellent. Um, you know, Dr. goart tonight. Got all these things going on, but you can see he's working with, you know, the folks from CSO and Kettle as we're still making adjustments and things that need to be repaired.
It's at 6:30. It's going to be a beautiful day outside on our field. You're wondering how I know that because it it never rains on Ken High School graduation. But I would invite everyone to attend and honor seniors to our board of education members. Claudia will send out some details to you inviting you to that event.
They've been with you every step of the way and today they share in your success. So let's take a moment and thank them for their unwavering belief in [Applause] you. Personally, I'm reminded of the legacy of my own parents, Carl and Jane Johnston. My mother was a kindergarten teacher and my father a high school English and journalism teacher. And together they taught me the importance of collaboration, creativity, and being a lifelong learner. And even though they are no longer with me, their influence continues to shape my journey. And I encourage you to hold tight to the lessons from those who have helped you along the way. So graduates, listen to the wisdom shared with you by others. A poem that captures the very essence of values like humility, grace, and living life well is Ruard Kipling's if. Kipling was a prolific writer who won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1907.
I'd like to mention just a few of the staff members who have prepared me for so much more than just a test. Mr. Donald, Miss Ward, Mr. Roger, cheer coaches Nikita, Nicole, Cararissa, and Taylor, golf coaches Babbot, and Hermio, and the late Coach Smith. The lessons you've taught me extend far beyond the classroom and will stay with me long after I graduate today. So classmates, remember to thank the teachers, coaches, and counselors that have made today possible for you. And in that spirit, I have one more teacher I'd like to thank. That teacher has only ever graced the parking lot of Liberty High School. My 2006 Nissan Extera. That car is a manual. And just like the last four years, it has taught me many lessons. If you've never learned to drive on a stick shift, it is the exact same as learning to drive an automatic, except four times as difficult.
You all have worked and laughed and achieved and created and felt in so many ways that gathering them all up into word one word seems impossible. Yet maybe that one word is courage. These years haven't been easy with part-time jobs, AP classes, family driving, managing our mental health, responsibility, and becoming observers to the chaos of the world that we are about to enter. All of that is terrifying. All of that is work. But all of us, every single one of us is here because we met the challenge with bravery and readiness to grow. Thinking about the future is staggering and I know. So, let's take a moment to go back to something simpler together. I want you to think of little you, small and childish, with a head full of dreams and a heart full of hope for the future. We looked at the world through glowing eyes, and we explored with tiny hands as far as maturity as we could get.
That's all it took. So no, you did not do enough to engage the public. Now, the public is slowly getting up to speed, but we're not experts. And because we were um not in this process from the beginning, we're behind and it's taking us some time. This plan, there is no reason why this plan has to move forward at such a breakneck speed. If you look at similar plans in other places, they have not moved this fast. It has taken years. There have been years of public comment. Two years of public comment um in Seattle and uh and uh Minneapolis, for example. Okay. So, all right. I only have uh 49 minutes left. So, I'm going to try to bridge this. Oh, 49 seconds. 49 seconds. Okay. In comparison to those plans, this map is really, really simple. This plan is really simple. Those plans are hundreds of pages with lots of supporting documents and data.
All of those add up to 419. Next slide, please. So, 419 units in a town like Bel must feel very overwhelming when you look at that. How could you possibly provide for 419 uh affordable housing units in a town that doesn't have a whole lot of vacant land? In the um second round rules by uh Council on Affordable Housing or COA, it allows for towns like you to do what's known as a vacant land adjustment. We do an analysis of the true vacant land in the municipality and based upon that vacant land, we determine what your realistic development potential is. That's what the acronym RDP stands for. So you'll see that 419 is broken up into two pieces in that first column of bubbles. RDP is 24. That's bas based upon your true vacant land with a specific density associated with that vacant land. It doesn't necessarily mean that that vacant land you have to provide affordable housing units on, but it does create the the the RDP obligation.
Um, we started the year with 74 students who qualified for special education across um, our K8 or prekate program and we started for our state audit preparation. So the realities of the first quarter was it was an audit year and what that means is we are in a self audit process. the state gives us certain guidelines. We have to submit different um deliverables to them throughout the year. At this point, we were just looking at different files to send and for them to review. Um we started the year with a virtual psychologist which we were prepared for. We also started the year with a virtual speech and language pathologist and a speech and language pathologist assistant. that was not something we were prepared for. Um we welcomed new team members through um primarily Childmind and our preschool program. We were able to secure an on-site speech and language pathologist uh for our prek and kinder students.