Are there any any questions? Yeah. Okay. I I appreciate you going over this again. I know you repeated a lot from last time. Um but it's a little little not tricky to understand. It's it's new. >> Yeah. And it's new. And as I I said last time, I I'm I'm happy to see for myself some um you know, looking at look using this regulation. Um looking a little bit creatively at lots to start maybe supplying some of these smaller houses that I I think we really need and that people are looking for. >> So um >> and it's not multifamily housing and there's nothing wrong with that. I certainly permit a lot of it, but it's >> this is a niche we don't have much of, frankly. >> And and Ashland is not unique in that regard. >> Um, a lot of cities and towns do not have this.
>> Good evening, President Guerrero, members of the board, Superintendent Freed, Executive Cabinet, and community members. Last week, school counselors across the count country were recognized during National School Counseling Week and our AUHSD counselors were no exception. Even though a single week cannot capture the impact of a counselor's work, the acknowledgement always feels good. So, thank you. On behalf of APGA, we do want to thank our schools, our district leaders, community, and board members for recognizing our counselors. We had a few board members come out and see their counselors on site, and they really appreciated that. So, thank you. and to our counselors, if you are listening, thank you for the work that you do every day for our students. A well-deserved shout out goes to Veronica Alvarez from Savannah High School. She was AUHSD's 2526 counselor of the year that we celebrated a couple of weeks ago.
>> Well, certainly the gifts could have conditions. Gifts have conditions and that's part of the nature of gifts. So, if Mr. Beni off would be so gracious as to provide that sort of a an a scholarship an endowment. I mean that we'd probably want to leave as an endowment to continue and let it be perpetual. And if he wanted to condition that gift to say let's make sure non- Hawaiians are involved and we would be more than happy to direct those funds to our many community partners. We partner with about 150 different organizations across the pyina and we would be very happy to find the best fit for what he's interested in among that the array of those partners. >> I guess same question with the private schools. >> Yeah. >> I mean because otherwise why pass this bill if you folks are able to accept the monies already, >> right?
Okay. So then I start putting in uh putting the data into two documents. One is our business uh document. So we create I don't want to say a dummy but a provisional uh budget document for fiscal year 27 in visions in our uh our business software and I start building one in the uh attorney general's budget form which is the one that you all see when we're doing uh you know when you get the reports uh monthly. Uh so I start putting those numbers in there to see where it goes. Okay. Um by March we need to be making uh decisions about contra uh about contracts about positions because uh we can offer contracts and work agreements starting March 15th and we have to let people know if they are not being renewed or their position is going away by April 15th. So we have a fairly tight window there to be uh to be making those decisions.
Well, maybe that there was the interest, but it was way over their head. So, anyway, when this came um about and we got to go to Cooko and observe the differentiated phonics, um we were super excited about it. And that's been the main thing that I've seen um by doing it this way is it has eliminated these negative behaviors because you're targeting them, you know, right right where they're at. You're challenging them um at their level. And with kids that are at their level, I I can honestly say I don't have the um behavior issues since we've started doing this that I had previously during that time. Um, I love personally just getting to meet students from other classrooms. I think that's one of the best things and that they are getting to um, meet students from other classrooms because our team which well you're not on my team, never mind.
So prioritizing that being done around that time. Um we have other security safety updates we'll bring back. But this is the portion um for the secure entries. But you know, we've had some discussion about the potential of a weapons detection system. People commonly refer them as a metal detector um at high school and middle school and um some other hardening of of building um pieces in order to be safe and secure as possible. So we'll bring more information back as we keep progressing forward. >> This item isn't informed. Does anyone have questions for Philip or for Nikki?
I was really hoping I was right. >> Animal Crossing. Animal Crossing. >> Is it even a to see Isabelle? >> Well, it's not actually Animal Crossing. Kind of. Well, kind of is, but kind [laughter] of. >> It is. >> Kind of is, but kind of isn't. >> So, >> they're slightly edited characters, I should say. >> Asher's in dead last right now, >> right behind Sebastian. Mhm. >> But Sebastian's rapid climbing. >> Whoa. What was that jump up to third from seven? >> It's called a triple shell and a mushroom >> around a corner. So it's boom boom boom mushroom. >> He zooms. >> Okay, Dr. Seuss, you can stop rhyming. >> Go boom boom boom. Then he zooms. No, you went boom boom boom then mushroom then he zooms. Well, >> that doesn't rhyme. >> Go boom boom boom then he zooms all the way to Looney Tunes.
And quite frankly, we're dusting off plans and looking to see where else we can we can do this. It's not even, you know, it's fairly straightforward. And it's it's kind of interesting. You know, you have an existing neighborhood here, but when you look at when these old subdivisions were created, they're really consistent with the neighborhoods around them. and developers through my 20 years of practice uh constantly lament why can't we build that pointing to a 10,000 square foot lot you know anymore why why do we have two acres zoning why do we have one acre zoning why can't we go back to efficient neighborhoods >> and this is a step in that direction I suppose >> so the next step in in this would be I mean, this is already an approved subdivision then. So, would this the next we won't be would we be releasing lots at some point?
Um, I think it's important to start with the staff and students who nominated her did not describe her by listing the tasks or programs that she acco does every single day. Instead, they described how she makes people feel. And some of her statements that were some of the statements about her were things such as she's a safe space, kind, caring, and consistently supportive. She keeps students accountable while making sure they never feel alone, and she always does it with humor. Veronica reflects what counseling looks like at its best. We connect first and then we give direction to our students. On January 30th, counselors, social workers, and wellness coaches train together in motivational interviewing, which is really a simple idea, but it's powerful because instead of telling a student what to do, we hear we have students, we help students hear themselves. We ask questions and help students recognize their own strengths and reasons for change.
And I I mean I think it also so on the one level it's an organizational gift. So, a gift that would go to directly to a school, but it also impacts scholarships that go directly to students. So, by alleviating a contractual obligation potentially between thinking of a of a a student relationship to the donor, right, that there's certain conditions set for that student to to be obligated to meet. So, let's just say GPA, enrollment, what have you. Um, I think it makes it less of a I need to give X, Y, and Z back to you as the donor and just rather meet those conditions. It it I think it allows donors to more freely be able to give their their funds intentionally, right, to those who might benefit and then in exchange students to receive, you know, the gift and and and have access to education.
Um so it means we're looking at adding or dropping positions uh determining if there needs to be a reduction in force. Uh determining if changes in the attendance areas uh you know we might need to look at those for schools. And right now is when we would start talking about if we needed to close a school for fiscal year 28. Okay, this is not the time for us to be talking. It's too late for us to be talking about closing a school. First of all, we don't have the numbers that would require us to have that conversation at this point. uh our enrollment numbers and um whatever at our sites are sufficient to maintain the schools we have. But I want it to be known that now is when we start looking at what those numbers might look like a year from now and might we have to be thinking about those kinds of things.
But that my other team members um, we go to recess together. So the kids know each other at recess but you know they don't always know each other's names and so forth. So, this just gives them an another opportunity to um get to know each other and I get to know kids from other classes like sweet Bianca over here. She comes to my room for phonics. So, um it's just a great opportunity all the way around. Oh, and so exciting. I haven't even shared this with Britney um or Mr. Walter yet, but today um we do an activity called write the room and hang up um site words. not site words anymore, irregular words. And the kids um go around and find them. They think it's a big deal. I you know, hide them in certain places and then they write them on on their clipboard and read them to me.
>> Hearing none, we'll go down to new business. We have Neil policies. >> Yes, this is a group of policies that need to be updated to match non-discrimination laws. And so, this is a first reading.
[snorts] >> You can stop rhyming. >> No, it's fun. You should try it. >> I'm a choir kid. I have to know how to rhyme. >> Like get back to the stream. >> No, >> we're holding second and first. Oh yeah, he tells us to get to the stream. >> Yeah, he's very off topic today. >> Very scatterrained. >> Yeah, probably shouldn't have eight before stream. >> It'll be just fine. >> That's what choir kids say. >> Yep. >> Because they know how to lie to themselves. >> Absolutely. >> Well, they only lie to themselves. That's why they're in choir. And what? Not band. >> Yeah, band directors are more likely to be like, you suck. >> Is he going to go boom box boom box boom boom box boom boom? >> The choir teacher has said I suck. >> Boom box. >> Second, third, first.
No. >> Or does this go right to this goes right to Doug Scott. >> This would go right to Doug Scott. >> These are all these are already >> these are already buildable lots. So, it would just go if you if you approve the endorsement, you approve the endorsement, they get it recorded at the registry of deeds and they they can begin building on any of the other lots >> at any point prior to that. >> Okay.
So, when a student comes into somebody's office and says, "I'm failing." The response is not a lecture, which is what sometimes we want to do, but instead it becomes a tell me what's been getting in the way in order to make you feel in order for you to be successful. Or when a student says college isn't for me, our response can be what do you see yourself doing after high school. Through that process, students begin setting their own goals. And this matters because attendance, academics, and mental health are a lasting change that happens when students feel understood and not managed. You can see this work happening right now with us in counseling. Our counselors are guiding students through course selection for the 2627 school year this month, helping them choose classes based on their strengths, interests, and aspirations. And for seniors, counselors are supporting students and families through the FAFSA and DREAM Act applications.
So I really do think it's about expanding access right to the end recipient which are are ke um I again I'm I'm not um a contractual expert by any stretch of the imag imagination but I do believe that you know when we consider accessing giving from any philanthropic donor one of the barriers that I've come to understand is that if there's too much contractual obligation right that's a deterrent so I I do believe that it alleviates some of that concern. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right. Thanks. Other other questions? >> No. >> Okay. I do have if you get both of you if you could stay there. So I don't I'm not sure that what Senator San Buymanura her concern I don't know how that would play out. But it does seem to me that if we Okay, so the question is if we pass this bill, then any potential donor like that would know upfront that there was this question as to whether or not you would have to follow the >> So they just they would have to calculate that into whether they wanted to make the donation or not.
We haven't talked about that much in in the seven years I've been here because we haven't needed to. But that doesn't mean that it hasn't been on the table every year for consideration. Okay, excuse me. I continue to work on that draft budget through April and May. Make it I make adjustments based on if the legislature manages to approve a budget early. um uh the last few years it's been toward the end of June and so I always have to in those years I have to do the budget based on current numbers and current u current formulas and those kinds of things and and and the budget that you approved the last couple of years the budget you approved in July we already know is wrong uh because the it has to be posted it has to be public um 10 days before you all make a decision and the 10 days is frequently be the 10 the the first of those 10 days is frequently before the legislature has even decided on the state budget.
So anyway, um part of my class had already done that. [clears throat] So I took um four of my students. I have 15 students in this group, which is also nice because it's fewer students than I have, you know, in my regular classroom. So anyway, some of them were writing the room and I pulled four of the students over and I decided I wanted to do traditional reading group with them. Right now we focus more on reading comprehension. Um we don't get an opportunity always to do, you know, small group reading like we used to. So anyway, I pulled these four kids over and um I chose books that were um aligned with the lessons that I've been teaching um since we started this and it was amazing. >> It was really good. >> Awesome. >> Thank you ladies. I know how much you like being stared at.
If you have any questions, please reach out to me and we'll bring them back next meeting. >> Again, this isn't in form, so please review those policies and communicate your questions. Um next under programs we have an IDE and legislative updates. >> Yeah. So I would just like to kind of um give an update on some things happening at the state house um both in IO and legislature. So I'm passing this around. This is the second draft of the proposed new accountability model for schools. So um the legislature last year tasked IDOE with coming up with a revised school grading accountability model. So, this will go back to schools receiving published letter grades and this is the criteria for how a school will get their letter grade. This has not been approved yet. It is still working through the process, but we've been informed, school districts have been informed.