These barns can lower the outside temperature by 40°. All cows, all the cows have 24/7 access to water. Fun fact, cows can drink up to 40 gallons of water a day. While Charlotte is in the dry lot, Charlie is in her cat pen. Not much happens during her first couple months of life. At one month, she grew to 31 in tall and 108 lb. She grew 2 in and 37 lbs since birth. At 2 months, grew to 33 in and 145 lbs. Since birth, she grew 4 in and 74 pounds. At three months, Charlie is 34 inches tall and 177 pounds. She grew 5 in and 106 pounds since birth. She has more than doubled her weight since birth. In November, to coincide with the present presidential election, Discover Dair had an election of their own. It was for America's favorite cow. Our Charlie finished 46th place out of the 81 cows that are involved with the adopted cow program.
We've not raised the lunch fee at all for the five years that I've been here. Um I don't know how long it's been since before that. We do always approve the fees and then what happens is is when you get to the end of the year, you look at it and you say, "Okay, should we do the lunch fees?" And so we do the fees thinking we're not going to do the lunch fees. And so now we're bringing it back to you because this year we would like to do a 25 cent increase um to the to the to the meals. And so administration recommends the board approve the new updated fee schedule for the 2526 school year with the cost of lunch being the only change from last month's fee. So we're go up a quarter. Go up a quarter. Any comments, questions? Anybody want to raise the price on lunch fees by 25 cents?
Well, good evening everyone. Uh before we jump into the meal pricing increase, I want to write a past wrong not bringing snacks when we talked about food. So, both Erica and the snacks are available for this presentation, so please help yourself. Thank you for the cookie bribes. Yes, they're delicious. They're perfectly underbaked. Uh, anyways, so uh this evening we're going to talk to you uh mostly Erica is going to talk to you about a recommendation for school meal impre um school meal price increases. So Erica completed a really robust financial and competitive analysis for next school year and she's going to recommend a 25 cent increase to breakfast and a 50-cent increase to lunch. Uh the justification for the increasing meal price there's incre increasing labor costs and food costs and our uh desire to keep program enhancements that exist so we can offer great quality food to our students.
At 4 months, big changes are happening for Charlie. She gets her ear tag with her name and number that is specifically for her. Her number is 577. She gets her first vaccinations. Her diet changes to a sweet grain plet mix which helps her digestive system to develop. Hay is also added which is high in fiber for growth and well-being and she get she gets to eat as much as she wants. She is also moved to a dry lot with some of her hermates. She now is 36 in tall and weighs 217 lbs, which a height difference of 7 in and 146 pounds since birth. At this time, Charlotte has a very important job. Her job is to keep products delicious and healthy milk each day. In order for her to keep producing milk, she will need to be bred again. Just like in her first few months, not much happens when she is in the dry lot.
They want to. Not when my son buys three. Yeah, that's my son. In all fairness, I imagine that cost of us buying it has also gone. So, I mean, you have to I'm sure by Yeah. If anybody's been to a restaurant lately, you've seen your or grocery store or That's true. anywhere. Exactly. Anywhere. All right. Anyone want to make a motion on increasing lunch fees? I'll make the motion. Thank you, Lisa. I knew somebody come through. Second. I'll second. Thank you. That's 75 cents. Kevin second. All right. Roll call, please. Lisa Schumacher, yes. Tyson Serge, yes. Norin Friedrich, yes. Kelly Moyer, yes. Greg Meyer, yes. All right. Next one is the approval for the furniture purchase for the high school expansion project. And um this is going to come in two waves. This is the purchase for the office area which will be open in August.
Uh there was the the recommendation to increase meal prices last year that was ultimately deferred to this year. So here we are. Uh last year we were under the target price set by the Connecticut Department um uh state department of education. The target price was 3.85. Our school lunch prices are 350, 375 and $4 at elementary, middle school and high school respectively. And so we are coming here just to talk about why we are recommending the 25 cent increase to breakfast and the 50 cent increase to lunch at all grade levels. So with that I'm going to turn it over to Erica.
At five months, she is 37 inches tall and weighs 257 pounds. She has more than doubled her weight in just two months with a growth of eight inches and 186 pounds since birth. At 6 months, more big changes are happening again for Charlie. She is now 38 in tall and weighs 375 lbs. Her height has increased by 9 in and 304 lb. She is also in with a larger group of partners. Grain is increased to help with the development of her four stomach compartments. Again, she has 24/7 access to water and is between 10 and 12 pounds of hay every day. The last update on Charlotte is she is due to have her next cap in the in the fall. She will produce milk until about two months before she gives birth. Next fall, Charlie will give birth to her first cow. The station is about 9 months or 280 days.
Next month you will um hopefully have a uh consideration for the classrooms that we are are are looking at. Um this is $47,737 for the office furniture of the new office. Administration recommends the board approve this. This is part of the budget of the um factored in to the the construction. It is actually lower than what we are budgeting. So, we're we're happy about that. But um one of the reasons that is is we were able to repurpose a lot of existing furniture and reuse what we could and spend a lot of time evaluating what furniture we have, what we can use, and only added what we really needed to. So, yes. And as the superintendent, also seeing behind the curtains, your you're um and Adam Hempkins work on the on the committee holding those those uh purchases down to the minimum because you both hate spending money.
Good evening everyone. Very good to see you. Thank you for having me and enjoy the snacks. Some healthy and non-healthy versions. Um so I feel like we have been talking about this multiple times.
One month before Charlie will be due, she will be moved to a freshly bedded pen to fit her dietary needs. Right before her due date, she will be moved to a private pen. After she gives birth, she will join the milking herd. When a cow is in the milking herd, she is milked twice a day in the milking parlor. The process only takes about 5 to 10 minutes each time. cows milk to be milked. From there, the milk moves through clean pipes to the tank that keeps the milk cold until the truck comes to pick it up daily. The truck will take the milk to the processing plant, which will then pasteurize it to get it ready to drink. At this time, the milk is the milk that is destinated for other dairy products such as cheese will be made from the plant. It will be sent out to stores, schools, restaurants, and other places that need milk.
That is that is a fact. I wear that proudly. Thank you. All right. Anybody like to make a motion to approve the purchase of the high school expansion project furniture? I'll make the motion. Thanks, Kelly. Second. I'll second. Thank you, Tyson. Roll call, please. Tyson Search. Yes. Nine Friedrich, yes. Kelly Moyer, yes. Greg Meyer, yes. Lisa Schumacher, yes. All right, we're going to table item E, which is the approval for the auditing services. We're still evaluating those proposals. So, move on to F, which is establish the public hearing date and time to amend the 202425 school budget. Yes, we would like to do that for June 18th, 2025, which is Wednesday next month, because the third Thursday is Junth, which is a federal holiday. Um 700 p.m. with our regular meeting directly after. So, the budget will be posted on May 20th for the F 30-day review.
So I'll go over the information and then any questions that anyone has of course. Um so as you'll see the information in front of you um we are looking um to increase based on all the information. Thank you very much Emily for the 385 to get that target price up. Um we do see we're we receive commodities every year. So next year part of the loss um in revenue is we are going to be down about $50,000 in commodities. It's the amount given to us based on meal sales. Um so now we're working off of meal sales that were less than when they were with free meals. We're looking at a 10% increase in the cost of goods. Um due to many factors including our local foods that we're having, as well as anticipating any increases in food costs and supplies going forward into next year, as well as keeping our local foods program um going as much as it has been.
So, at this time, Charlie is almost ready to be moved to her next location, and pretty soon she'll be with her mother and the milking herd once she's bred. And I have already signed up for my next calf for next year. Awesome. Go ahead. So, Cindy, did you did you wear the dress spec specifically for tonight? Yes, actually um my mother made it for me. So, but those are holing, right? As opposed to Gernzi. Yeah, they're Yeah, they're the ones that the um the milk is used more for milk instead of the other dairy products and everything. And um actually I cut it out and my mom made it for me. So like the front calves I wasn't paying attention when I was cutting it so they're upside down and the back calves are right side up. So I just say that the front calves are in a tornado.
And so, what happens is on May 20th, we post the budget. I will email the board with it, and then on um the June 18th, we will Consider the approval. We'll have a hearing and then we'll vote on it. All right. Then we like to make a motion to approve the or to establish the public hearing date and time. I'll make a motion. Thanks, Kelly. Second. I'll second it. Thank you, Dorina. All in favor?
We've been able to introduce maple syrup, local honey, as well as lettuce grown from Torington and Guilford. Um, so that's very important to us to have that and continue to grow that as well. And having our wage increases by 5% to keep us competitive with the minimum wage increase that we've seen across the board as well as competitive in our market with the other districts of food service around us. Um, so we work very hard to put the best meals forward every day and as we can see in the documentation, it does show a loss for next year even with the 50 cent increase for lunch. Um, but that can hopefully be very much mitigated with us increasing our participation due to how delicious the meals are because everyone loves school meals. Don't know anyone who doesn't. Just saying. Um, as well as being able to help manage our food options and having all the choices available to students that they enjoy and they choose to uh consume and doing our best to manage all of our labor costs and hours and staffing and having full staff available.
So I was like oops. Okay. My mom was very happy and she was like oh yes I like that idea. Thank you for bringing the children. Good job. Wonderful. Thank you kids. Thank you, Paris. That's kind of neat. It's very neat. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. It's nice to know that it's a calf in Arizona, that it's not some place else. Yeah. Okay. Item 4.1, um, special employee recognition. Julie Jordan, would you please come up for me? Melinda, please use the microphone. Melinda, pull the microphone around, please. Thank you. Okay, this is a commendation and appreciation. On April 30th, 2025, the Fox Creek Junior High girls softball and boys baseball teams traveled to Kingman for games. But you remember this day in infamy, right? Unbeknownst to all involved, the crime spree was unfolding in the area. Starting with reports that shots were fired near Grace Lutheran Church, one mile south of Centennial Park on Harrison Street, where the girls were scheduled to play.
Any opposed? Any abstensions? Perfect. All right. Next one is the approval for the implementation. The second reading of the famed Grody Gayy policy review and the the the really breaks down into three groups. The first one is that school board which Mrs. Schumacher brought up as to whether or not we wanted to have a student on the board. Talking to other schools that have it or other schools that have had it and really looking at the whole system. The intent of this is to get a deeper school a student voice. And so what we would like to do is on items that involve more um the student involvement we will have and engage students at all levels depending on on the the topic and ask some of them to come in and and present and so it wouldn't be the same person every time. If we're looking at uh clubs or stipens, it might be, you know, the kids really, you know, they did we're we're looking at adding this sport, you know, and so a student would be able to then talk to that or if we're doing these clubs or after prom or things of that nature.
So that is mainly um we haven't increased prices since 2022 23 and that increase was actually during the time when meals were free. So that didn't have any direct impact to families. Um, we know that everyone is struggling right now. If anyone goes to the grocery store, everyone knows that everything is increasing. It's always, of course, a tight budget year as well. So, we do understand the impact that this does have to families and having that um increase. It is essential to the functions of us to be ensuring that we're providing the best quality food and options to our students to continue to be in the market and having that price point fit where we want our meals to be. Um, so I mean a small coffee at Dunkin Donuts is 265. So it is more expensive for a small coffee than for a complete breakfast at school.
Shortly after the team's school bus passed through Golden Valley, Black Mountain School on the Highway 68 was placed on lockdown after earlier shooting suspects fled from Kingman police and killed a random victim in Golden Valley. All still unbeknownst to the Fox Creek students, parents, and coaches. You are phenomenal. Shortly after 5:00 PM, the suspect was spotted near Kingman Airport with a chase ensuing with ensuing south. The sub the suspect opened fire during driving the speeds up to 90 miles per hour along Andy Divine Boulevard. numerous law enforcement vehicles with their lights and sirens along with the fire department, excuse me, fire the department of public safety fire department was not involved helicopter were moving closer to Fox Creek team at Centennial Park near Harrison Street, Beverly Avenue and I40. The suspect approached Harrison Street at at close to 100 miles per hour. As the crisis unfolded nearby, the an umpire called the game.
When we start looking at those things, we will engage Dr. Gayy and I will make sure that we engage the students more. Um much like our building reports have turned into bringing students in and sh and highlighting them. This would be the same thing. Um, policies two through seven are all benefit schedules. They're policies that I we just needed to be updated because they don't follow the CESPA contract anymore. And so I've I've edited those to follow the CESPA contract. Uh, board policy 7270 is that administration of medicines to students and it's the un um what's it called? Un undesated albuterol. Undesated albuterol. That for um anybody that might need that because we have it. Um, we just need to make sure we have it in our policy. Yes. So, really what we're saying is is for board policy 240, no changes, but we will change our behavior, but the policy will remain the same that we don't have a student on the board.