So, I just ask that you guys just think about that. Just move it off of Memorial Day weekend and try to um come up with a date so it's the same time every year so everybody knows. So, it's like the Sunday after Memorial Day weekend. So, just everybody has that already in their mind. So, um, planning forward would just be a lot easier for the families and everybody involved. I think I know it's hard to do with scheduling with everything, but >> were you saying for 27s or this year's >> for 27? >> Okay. >> For 27. >> Yes. Sorry, I should have >> No, I think you did. I just just wanted to make sure. >> Yes. >> It was on Memorial Day for many, many, many years. like me going through but I think the athletics shifted later. Do you think that >> baseball sectional was always Memorial Day weekend?
>> So in the past we were if we had a bubble >> a bubble group that you know principles were given the I don't know the directive that they could do like a two three combo to kind of even it out and we did that really well. Um and teachers were okay with that. um we worked really hard to put kids together that we thought were should be together. >> So we sort of evened out our numbers um by doing a combination because there were those bubble groups that went through um we did it all the time. I mean sometimes it was um a one two sometimes it was a three four. It depended on >> depending on where the number above or below is, right? And we'll be looking at >> so I just that's another way we were flexible with that. Um >> is that feasible with the way we've been standardizing our curriculum?
>> Slow cadence. Not the typical thing like this, but literally >> 10 count in, 10 count out. >> It depends on machines and weights. >> It depends on what your program goals are, what the like athlete or the client's goals are. Um because it all depends on what are you intending to get out of it. Are you trying to get stronger? Are you just trying to build muscle? Are you trying to create more power? Are you just trying to get healthier, more fit? It all just depends on who you're working with. Some clients or athletes need to go fast. They like a faster pace. I know our strength and conditioning coach down at USI, he is on top of things. You have this much time to do it and he's counting out the reps when he's doing it. But there's I've worked with other coaches and professors that are much more let's go at your own pace.
And they they jumped on it and changed some things that they're doing in the classroom. And the data shows that again what you're focused on you'll achieve. So just kind of in review that MTSS process it supports our cental vision of providing today's students opportunities to become tomorrow's leaders. Uh the process connects curriculum instruction and intervention through intentional data use. It identifies learning patterns, monitors progress, responds with the targeted support. It functions as a continuous improvement system focused on student growth and that instructional piece as well. And this work ensures a strong core instruction and timely support is available for every student at our building. It's a great process, one that we continue to focus on and evolve in our building. And I appreciate everything that first grade did with an issue that come up with instruction and made some adjustments and saw the gains that they making with their kids.
>> Was it always Memorial Day weekend? >> I don't know about the others. >> Yeah, it it is a challenge. >> It's a ch I understand it's a challenge. I just thought if we could, you know, do some scheduling now, maybe it' prevent something in the like next year trying to if if our teams ever got that far and we wouldn't have to worry about scheduling issues then. That's all I have. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right. Uh consent agenda. We get a motion to accept the consent agenda. We approve the consent agenda. >> Second. >> Moved by Katie, seconded by Bryce to approve the consent agenda.
This goes beyond budget and finance. I don't know if that's a valid question. >> No, that's something that's something I'm talking about with the principles and with assistant superintendent Sullivan as you've mentioned with the curriculum, with the testing, right? the progress that we're trying to make. Obviously, two of our schools right are under we're in working with the statewide system of support SSOS. You've probably heard that acronym at times and that's the high school and newer right now. So, as much as we we listen, we are going to look at everything turn there's that tradeoff, right? Do we combine yet we're getting pressure that kids aren't reading as well or doing as well as standardized testing? What are we giving them? So, we'll have reports for you and I'll have not we do we do not have it today, but I'll have projections for next year at each grade in each school.
You complete the reps that are prescribed and this is how you you know they'll they'll walk you more through whereas our strength medicine coach is more like I expect you to already know what you're doing. If you find that this is effective um is there a plan that we could develop to keep it going after that? >> Yeah. And I'm currently in a class that like the whole point of it is to learn how to design an effective strength and conditioning program. I'm hoping to take what I learned there and saying here's the new stuff because it's updated. It's brand new. The professor for it, he is on top of things. There's new research out. He's going to know about it. So, I'm hoping to get more out of that box and help what I've learned. Translate it here. This is some new ideas to bring in something fresh maybe, you know, saying we can work with going for the athletes all year round as opposed to just the month of June.
Any questions? >> Thanks. Thanks, P. >> Thank you. We can move on to consent items. Approval of minutes from the January 19th regular session and February 9th executive session meetings. Approval of the January 10th and January 25th payroll and claims from January 20th through February 16th. Personnel acceptance of resignation of Loren Sprag, junior high English teacher. Travis Blackburn, kindergarten paraprofessional. Recommendation to hire football coaches Mark Stuck, varsity assistant coach. Jeff Bros, varsity assistant coach. Robbie Morgan, varsity assistant coach. Tyler Greyel, varsity assistant coach. Uh, please note that Doc Y also approved Stephen Leon and Will Hoover as volunteer varsity football coaches. May I have a motion? >> I'll make a motion. >> Second. >> I'll second. >> All in favor? >> I oppose. Passes 5. >> Action items. Um, you guys are going to start lead us. Okay, we um Jamie and I will both talk about the next uh three resolutions that you have.
There any discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. Opposed? Motion passes 6. Is the out of state travel in that? >> Yes. Okay, next would be the uh budget report. >> Yep. So, I have a little lengthier budget report for this evening. Just wanted to share some information. Um so, there is our um end of January um end of month um budget numbers. Um just a few things there I guess specifically. Um one we start over obviously with the 26 budget. Um again, school school year July to June budget calendar year though. Um in here if you go back and happen to look at 1782 notice which is our approved budget by DGF um one thing you'll notice is our debt service appropriation is considerably higher than our 1782 notice that but we encumbered um some debt service payments. So we included that in our additional appropriation or sorry not additional but that got included in our appropriation number 426.
And I hear many times from school committee members and I've heard this going to city council meetings. Mel one time with me and a few others have gone as well too where people have concerns about class sizes and what's high is is always um I guess debatable in life, right? What's what we what we all consider high, right? is is from where we came from, from what we've seen, from what we wanted for our our neighbors, for our own children, etc. is I'm joking with you. Is 24 high in elementary classroom? Is it 22? Is it 20? Is it 18? And where? But I'm saying where is it? And wherever that number is and we h we have so many teachers, right? Then we know that equals the budget. A lot of times >> we had a practice but not policy. And that practice was 18.
Can we extend it into July? There's a whole bunch of ideas around that we can definitely Moving on discussion items. None. Fair enough. Uh the approval of minutes and the first set of January 19th, 2026 is from our work session and then the February 2nd is 2026 is from our last board meeting. I will entertain a motion to approve the minutes. Second. >> All those in favor of approving both sets of minutes signify by saying I. >> Oppos same. >> Any extensions? Motion carried action items. >> Okay. Um, first action item we have is the recommendation to approve the request for proposals packet for the Brown County Schools Services. >> That's a move. >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> All those in favor signify by saying I >> opposed. Same sign. >> Extensions. Motion carries. >> Oh, discussion. Sorry. >> It's okay. See if people ask question.
So, as requested by the board, we have completed our review of some outstanding older grant accounts. During this review, we have been able to establish that a portion of the accounts held positive balances while others held negative balances. It should be noted that no funds were used incorrectly, but these balances, both positive and negative, are the result of changes in staff, timing of reimbursements, changes to quotes versus the invoices that we received, as well as stronger practices than in the past, and um even changes in the grant requirements. >> So, the next three resolutions that you guys have, um they're presented for your approval to move forward with a final cleanup of the accounts, um so that our records can be clear, accurate, and compliant moving forward. Um, a few things that you should know is that all funds involved are from local grants and donations only.
So, if you if you happen to go back and look at that, I wanted to point that out um because that that appropriated number from the 1782 was about two two and a half millionish. Um but we we carried over um our debt service payments from the end of 2025. Um excuse me. Um encumbered percentages right there in the first month a little high. We, you know, you take 100% divided by 12. Um so you're basically at 8.33% a month. Um January was a three-pay month though, so that that throws that number a little high. Um I would say when you look at this um and and it'll be something we'll talk about here in just a second, but um this is a great financial position for a school district when you look at our balanced budget ratios. Um I I would say most districts um across the state of Indiana would be would be thrilled to have um that kind of cash balance on hand um as a as a ratio in regards to your budget.
>> And the minute we went over 18, we advertised. That was a practice. It wasn't a policy, right? And it was for many years. >> Does GPS have a policy in place like that now? >> I don't know. I I don't think so because the policy manual was done by MASC. So I don't think it got personal, >> right? >> Like like local. It's sort of like the laws. But it was definitely a practice. and parents, we knew parents looked at class size was critical. Um, so where do the convers and I'm just looking for clarity, not um where like if we have some things we know we want added and I know that's a horrible word to say in this this fiscal year, but when does that conversation happen? >> Does that happen now? like if you I know you did listening sessions a lot of school committee members went out and listening sessions with whether it was [clears throat] schools PTO's um pack groups that type of scenario >> and if there are different things we've heard obviously we'll take all those into consideration >> okay and then just find out how much that would cost us to look at it >> right >> I mean it's just do we want to make the list now >> well I think we did the list a little bit right >> yeah I think I feel like it is in Yes.
>> Any discussion about the opening those? >> Uh, next one is the recommendation to approve the request for proposals packet for Brad County Schools districtwide asphalt maintenance and repair services. >> Is there a motion to approve? >> I move. >> Second. all the uh discussion. >> Yeah, I I will say for both of these requests for proposals packet um just excited for for this work to get out there. I want to thank um Mr. Steel for putting these together. I think this is a one of the few examples of how we intend to um just look at what's out there and price competitive and efficiencies and just this is a piece of the strategic planning. Um moving forward. So again, just excited for this work to happen. So all those in favor signify by saying. >> All those opposed, same. Any extensions? Motion carries. The next is the recommendation to approve the out of state professional leave request for Emily Callahan to Nashville, Tennessee for the AASA National Conference February 11th through 13th to second.
It does not include any state funds or taxpayer dollars. Funds may not be used towards salaries, benefits, or other wages. And our first priority is using available grant balances to cover the old negative accounts um because if we didn't do that, that would have then affect the education fund and we don't want to do that. Um once the negative balances are resolved, our recommendation is to place the remaining funds into a new fund that would support project-based learning and new teaching initiatives across the district. And we understand that a portion of the positive balances remain from previous PBL associated grant awards. So this new fund would allow the district to continue priority prioritizing those things while also supporting innovation and student learning across all levels. Uh so basically these three three resolutions are a lot of housekeeping.
Um so that being said, do want to jump into kind of I guess outlook. Um so finances just in generally um our the current state of our finances are very strong, very stable. Um certainly um appreciate the work that's been done over the years um you know from going back 10 years ago when when Mrs. Boon started and the district had to borrow money to make payroll um to being in a very strong and stable position today. And so, um, that's obviously kudos to Mrs. Boon, but also, you know, previous superintendents as well. And so, um, the current state is very strong and very stable. And again, I think the position we're in would be a position of envy for a lot of small school districts. Um, and and when you talk about percentages and ratios, even for larger districts necessarily. Um, what does the future look like?
>> And we'll start adding a cost to those. >> So, it gets to be >> Go ahead. >> I don't want to say it gets to be easy. Not easy, but it does get to be somewhat black and white with numbers where things equal this. And oh, we either have money. >> Three pairs equal a teacher. I wanted a teacher. I had to give up three pairs. I've lived this. Cut 26 teachers because you built a new school and now you don't have the staff to put in it. Yeah. >> No, >> I get it. But I think there's some things that need to be taken care of that >> would bring some goodwill from people, >> right? Increaseable costs, right? >> Right. But goodwill might bring money back. I mean, >> oh yeah. No, there's that trade-off, right? Keeping people in the city and not going to whether it's other private schools, school choice, charter schools.
>> I'll second >> discussion. Yeah, I realize the date is after the fact for the board meeting. So apologize for the error. All those in favor of approving out of state professional leave request for Emily Calan signify by saying I >> opposed. Same signance. Motion carries. >> The next is the recommendation to change the title of the corporation nurse to director of health services. This is no change in contract days or salary. Is there a motion to approve this change? >> I'll second. >> Discussion. >> Yeah. Um we we are working with the three new positions that we have hired um and we put out there I believe in December. Um this is one of those areas where we hired an additional nurse and it has the same title as our our current corporation nurse um Holly Gordon. So we we just wanted to have a distinct difference between the titles um so people clearly know that there is a director of health services and our new position will be a corporation nurse um to come alongside our health assistants at each school.
Um, but you can review those and if you have any questions, please just let us know. Doc, did you have anything that you wanted to add about those? >> No, just just that that those are basically to clean up old grants and get them in the right order and get them to where we could use them for other stuff >> because this address all of the old outdated grants. I mean, is it going to clean up like the whole list is going to be >> I believe that there might be a small portion left, but this should be the majority of Again, it was no federal or or state funds, no tax. >> Correct. >> I think that's the key. >> A recommendation to approve a resolution for reallocation of stale grant funds. >> So move. >> Second. >> I'll second. >> All in favor?