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Uh, we have used Jerry McKibben for I've been here a long time and I can't remember using anyone else besides Jerry. He understands our district. He understands this area. He was born and raised in north north north uh west Allen County and he he has done a good job um I believe in providing uh accurate information. Um demographic studies are uh impacted by a lot of different factors. So you really can't take them any further past the different factors that are going to come into play as years go by. but he's been fairly spoton on what he has predicted for us as far as our enrollment over [clears throat] the past several years. So this would allow us to have population estimates and forecasts for from 2025 to 2030 to 2035 by age, sex, total population of our district 4 elementary uh attendance areas, enrollment forecast by grade up and through the 2035 36 school years for each of our four elementaryaries, Decal Middle School and Decal High School, and then a written report summarizing uh all of his f findings and his forecast results.
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I looked into it a bit more and it looks like that the next hearing for this is scheduled for March 26, 2026. Um, and again, this is a regulation. I think that the state is I get the impression that they're taking it seriously. I'm not sure what the status is of the other bills that are in the process. So, um, what I had done, um, given that Maurice, you had a, I, I think the way we left it the last time we're actually sitting here at the end of the meeting, if I remember correctly, was my feeling was, um, we're not really seeing any of these seven hydroxy metroine concentrated products in Ashland. It didn't really seem like it was an issue. I felt as though we should maybe consider just waiting for the state to act on it. And Maurice, I think you rightfully said, well, um, you know, why wait when maybe we should be proactive?
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Um is okay. Hoy Farmers Union uh in support. Kelly Timi and and Deven Cooperative on Zoom. Sorry your name. >> It's okay. Um Aloha chair, vice chair, and members of the committee. Um my name is Kelly Timmyi. I'm the director and co-founder of the Enliven Cooperative, a workerowned notfor-profit ecosocial learning organization in Hilo. I'm testifying in strong support of SB2716. Over the past three and a half years, I've been providing cooperative technical assistance to more than 20 cooperatives across Hawaii um in all stages of um our supply chain in our food system, in agriculture, including aquaculture, in energy, housing, water. Um as county mentioned, cooperatives keep wealth, jobs, and decision-making in local hands. There is a significant momentum currently for groups across all sectors wanting to create new cooperatives, but currently there is no designated institution in Hawaii to offer this essential cooperative technical assistance support.
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So, there's a lot of different inputs that may be affecting eighth grade. >> So, some planned adjustments. Um, we really focused our most of our attention for planned adjustments on sixth grade because that's where we have more concern with the data. Um, we know that we know that all of our teachers sixth, seventh, eth kindergarten through eighth grade are working really hard and like Mr. Man alluded to at the very beginning, it's a busy time of year. It's always a busy time of year. Um, but one of some of the things that we learned as we started to analyze what do we think is going on? What is the difference? Um, in eight of our nine schools, sixth grade teachers are off pace by curriculum by at least a couple of weeks, some by three to four weeks. So, that led us to note that maybe we need to take a look at pacing adjustments.
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Um, we're watching a rendition of Hamlet and it's going to be a play. I just think that's super fun opportunity. I don't know many other clubs that take trips out to Chicago. So, I'm excited to get to learn more about that, especially because we read the book in AP Lit and now we'll get to see like a different interpretation of it. I'm very excited. Key Club's off to our state conference. I talk about Key Club all the time because I love it. Um, big Key Club fan. It's called District Convention and Leadership Conference. We're going this Friday. We have five state officers. This is kind of our last time to recognize them because they'll be ending their terms then. But we actually have one student at Bavia. Her name is Emmy Stronac. She's a senior. She was part of one of two people who planned the entire event for over 500 people.
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And I think we talked about this a couple months ago. It's but it's in regards to students and their vaccines and their physicals and all of those types of things. Right now October 15th is the deadline for when all of those things are due this year. Um even with many phone calls and many emails and many more phone calls. We had a lot of students particularly at the middle school and at the high school who did not have their physicals and or vaccinations done. What happens then? They're excluded from school and they can't come back to school. those things are are taken care of. Uh more districts are moving towards what's called a first day exclusion, which means that you have all of that done before school starts. Um it takes some good communication on the front end for for that to occur. Um so we began having that conversation.
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So very very fine day say that. So um with that thanks everyone for being here tonight. Thanks uh to the Brian and Stephanie for keeping us vocal and moving forward. Mr. Bainy, thank you for your reports tonight. Uh we are ajourned.
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The total cost of the study is $5,900, which I think is reasonable. There is an additional charge if we want him to come in person for a presentation. The last time we did this in 2021, he presented virtually and I I [clears throat] wouldn't recommend paying additional uh fee to have him come in person. and I think he can present the information virtually and he can provide all he can answer all questions that the board might have uh in that uh format as well.
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Why wait for for a problem? And I think that, um, Raj, when you had mentioned that one of the establishments that was selling a matum product was asked to stop selling that product based on the food code, which you have, you know, every authority to do. I think that isn't, you know, a bad problem, but um if we had some regulation, you know, that might not have had to happen. And so what I went ahead and did was I looked at House Bill 4394. I looked at the um the model of theratom consumer protection act um and some other ordinances um plural from places like I think it was North Attalboro or Attalboro and then one that I think was from South Hadley from an email that we had received prior to this meeting. um and then at some other sources and I can't remember but I basically took all of those things and put them together and drafted what perhaps a regulation might look like in um Ashland and again this is regulating catam products um it's not a ban onratom and then what I did was um and again I'm not advocating for this I'm just putting it out there is maybe something to discuss if we wanted to regulate it this is one thing that we could do and it would be aligned with that house bill that I'm talking about Um I then I thought okay maybe this is going to confuse everybody because you know where is this coming from last minute.
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The biggest barrier for new cooperatives remains the high up upfront cost of organizing, technical assistance, legal services, and governance design which which can cost thousands putting cooperative ownership out of reach. >> Can you wrap your testimonial? >> Yes. Um SP2716 addresses this gap by creating a cooperative development program in DBED to to fund cost share grants and nonprofit partners who can provide this needed support. And and with this bill um this can really help our infrastructure to grow a a resilient co-op economy. Thank you. Ma mahalo. >> Uh next up actually we have 21 people in support of this measure. Um, if I missed anybody, anybody else wishing to testify on the measure? Angela, notice you. [laughter] >> Thank you, chair. Um, and aloha committee. Angela Melody Young testifying um in uh strong support of this legislation. Um as proposed, it will um foster economic resilience um and it will assist with community wealth building um by helping with startup capital and technical support for um cooperatives.
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So, something that we've committed to doing is this summer looking at our curriculum guides and adjusting standards. Whether that means moving essential standards up or conversely whether that means giving a little bit more time in some places for prioritized standards because one of the things we're hearing very loud and clear from our sixth grade teachers is like I'm behind. I'm behind. My students are struggling. We're not quite ready to move on. Um we've already solicited feedback. We sent out a survey to middle school teachers to all teachers in fact asking for their input on the new curriculum maps. they were new for some grade levels and then the ones who did not have an adjusted curriculum map asking for their feedback on things like if you needed a little bit more time in one particular area what might it be. So we're looking forward to incorporating their feedback when we try to make those changes this summer.
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Um we're so endlessly proud of her. Battavia has a great pathway for Key Club. It's our service and leadership club at the high school. So we'll be off in Springfield this weekend representing each other. But five state officers on a team. I think there's 40 high schoolers. It's all student led is really great representation coming out of one club. So, we're super proud of them. Uh, Scholastic Bull on the bottom right. Novak won all Dukane conference award. Super proud of him. Um, that's like our trivia team and we have some more competitions coming up, but we had our big conference game and he won that award. Then youth and government, we had a rose fundraiser. We just wrapped those up and sent them off. There's a picture of me with Chelsea Booth in kind of the middle bottom. They're like chocolate roses. We put little notes on them and it sent them out through the school.
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Joyce is actually going to present to the board in March on that um possible change for this district. The good thing about that is is that there does it's a little encouraging. um you don't get to start school, you don't get your schedule, you don't get your, you know, your locker, you don't get any of that information until you've gotten all of that stuff in. So, a little extra work on the front end for some of our health techs and nurses. Um but she'll present a little bit more about that. We discussed e-learning plans. Um again, we have talked about that here as well. Um we are looking towards creating an e-learning that would be used for extended days off versus just singletons. being off one day. So, that is a work that we'll be currently using. Um, an example that that I talked about is West Aurora actually has an e-learning plan, but they didn't use it this last snow day.
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So I would be happy to entertain any questions that you might have. He is someone that is utilized quite a bit by a lot of different schools, other superintendents that I that I work with and meet with. U we all speak very highly of uh Jerry McKinnon [laughter] and the the the work that he's done for not only our district but for other districts and I would just ask for the board's consideration to move forward with this proposal. >> Thank you, Steve. >> At this time, I'll ask the board for a motion. I'll make a motion. >> I have a motion and a second.
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So I put together a summary sheet that I sent out to Laura. She emailed to everybody and basically it just provides a little of the rationale for this and um I think more importantly it outlines the key provisions in this draft or straw man regulation which would be something like this. Uh you've got to be age 21. You've got to have a photo ID. So just at the the same way we handle tobacco products labeling would be required of the product um the ingredients serving sizes limits on 7 hydroxy metroynine and that would be um 7% and that number comes not only from the consumer protection act but it seems to be in that 2% a number that scientists that are studying this and have testified at um in front of congress um health and human services they seem to focus on um a 2% limit or 1 milligram per serving.
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And um this um will help with um the targeted assistance for um high poverty need communities such as Native Hawaiian communities and um also for um farmers, local farmers, and encourages local ownership, improves um the quality of life and job quality um while helping to um grow economic development by reducing the reliance on um outside corporations and um I think this will really help with the small businesses in Hawaii um and to support um agriculturally um grown um businesses and other businesses. Thank you. >> Thank you. Then we have Gregory Msakian in [clears throat] opposition. Uh anyone else wishing to testify on the measure?
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Um, one of the things that our coaches are doing and have been working on since really since benchmark one, but are continuing to lean into is meeting with teachers one-on-one to figure out, okay, we're behind. How can we get back on track? What things are the most important? What do your students already know? What are their strengths? And let's set a calendar um along with some pacing and some deadlines. And then coaches are continuing to follow up particularly with sixth grade teachers weekly to help them plan effectively and figure out when can you move on and continue to retach this standard in small groupoup instruction. Um something else that we know we want to be able to do is to provide additional training on Freckle and Waggle which are our adaptive digital tools that can provide additional support for students during small groupoup instruction. Freckle uses their FastBridge diagnostic data to assign standards to students that are at their level.
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We had to go and buy more roses because we sold out. So, that was a super great fundraiser and that'll help send us to Springfield in March, end of March. Sounds right. So, we'll bring our bills there and have that fundraiser helping us out. Esports Dukane Conference tournament is coming up. BSU has had some really huge things. They had their BSU cafe. So, they just have such a great community. It's really great to see them. I went to one of the meetings. It's just so inclusive. We love it. And then bottom right, that's a picture from the history of hiphop event. They had it at the BFAC and I think the middle school came too cuz my brother was telling me about it there. Like teachers went up on stage and we're doing fun. It's just a great way to immerse our kids in the different history of different factors in media.
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They actually took the snow day, right? Um, I know there's always questions about when is the last day of school. Um, again, we we end pretty early in this district. Uh, so part of that is by law, we have to build in five emergency days at the end of the calendar. That's just required. Um, we can have whatever we want in the middle, but we have to have those have those days built into the end of the the school day. Whether we our school year, whether we use them or not is is is irrelevant. So, but when we present a calendar, we add those five days in. U there are some ways of perhaps in the future for the next superintendent [laughter] that they can look at some other alternatives. Some of those are taking days that may be, you know, currently um days off and then having school.
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Any discussion >> in in that demographic study? Is it possible and I don't know, he might not be able to do this. I'm just thinking out loud. >> Okay. Is it possible that he could recommend what redistricting the district would look like in order to utilize and equalize the use of the current facilities? you have >> I assume you're referencing [clears throat] the the four elementary areas. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> I did ask him also um there's always been discussion about the growth seems to be coming from the south from northern Allen County. So what would it look like or what does the forecast tell him about any type of additional elementary school between Auburn and Allen County? So he'll probably come with some specifics on that as well, whether it's 10, 15, 20 years forecasted. It's just that's one of those big strategic items that you'd want to get at least on our list, >> right?
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