So, we were required by that statute to have our first endorsement done and ready for the class of 2027. And it's a little deceiving because you got to back up two years, at least two years in front of that date because the that's when the first graduates need to get out and these are two-year programs. Uh so, we launched education pathways as our first one under uh human services there, human and public services. Our plan for our second one by 2029 is the engineering pathway. And so that means we've got to have some ducks in a row for next year on that so that that pathway can progress. Um, and there's a lot of pre-work that goes into these things before they're launched and such. I did a little deep dive, but we started work on the education one in 2021. uh thankfully with a grant from our region that that helped us get the coursework started, helped us through the application process and all the other hoops you have to jump through to kind of develop these.
It's a multi stage process but we are very close. Alan Armbrust and I did go meet with the city last week just to sort of gauge how we're doing and hey once we get approval can you guys give it your blessing shortly thereafter and what not. And the city even concurred. They said you guys are are real close to getting final approval. So we're hoping we're really I'm really hoping for this week. I'm actually praying for this week because it'd be great for the the crews to be able to have added extra week with everyone off. >> [snorts] >> That would be really helpful. And although the weather today may not have been terribly conducive to construction the weather later this week and I'm sure we'll have some nice days next week would be really advantageous to us. So we at this point we feel it's perhaps a bit doubtful.
>> Some pieces, depending also on how the rules interpret those things. >> Okay. >> If like secure Like one of the things they're talking about is like secure storage. Well, are cubbies secure storage, or does it need to be locked? Right? That depends on what you interpret secure storage. All right? So, >> And access to the phone during the day, how like >> Right. >> Yeah. >> So. >> Okay. Yeah. Is it instructional time determined by the teacher, or is instructional time from the bell to the bell? All right? So, we're just waiting to see kind of how some of these pieces shake out, depending on the interpretation the language that's finalized, and then rule making around the interpretation of that language. It may align completely with our current policy, or lead to us at some point down the road needing to re-evaluate our policy.
So, but we're making good progress. Or the last part we talked about was the bylaws, and those we're hoping to have approved cuz we've been uh reviewing those. Thank you. Thank you. All right, next up is our information items, which is our FOIA reports, and the information is included in the board packet for that. And next is old business, and on here we have board discussion regarding board town halls and coffee discussions at the different schools. Okay. I know we had discussed once we um took care of the superintendent business and got that settled, we would start pushing towards this. When would be I think we already said that we want to do it, and everybody's willing to do it. So, when do we put this on paper to actually initiate it? I would suggest that you wait until your superintendent's on board. Um and I think as soon as that happens, in July, you could start having those things set up.
>> I'll actually be out of town. I leave Thursday afternoon. So, I'll be gone until Sunday. >> I work Thursday evening. >> How long is a meeting, Senator? >> It can go long. >> Yeah, I'll take it, Cheryl. So, I guess you got to let them know. >> Okay. I appreciate it for uh looking at your calendars, but I'll take it and I guess again you got to send them so they can have a name tag for me and tell them please serve me some hot coffee. That's all I ask. >> They always have coffee. It's self-service though. >> No, no, no, no. I got personally escorted to the room. Yeah, it's it's it it it is an experience because you have multiple school districts there representing a common cause. All right. Any else for open old business? If not, new business. Okay. We have no reason to go into another close session.
I would rather have it be on the same footing and like a real conversation where we can sit on the floor kumbaya. I don't care about that. I don't I don't want to do that. And where someone stands there and talks like we can maybe have like as long as we have like some proceedings and I can help give you some things like set up like a Socratic discussion and like some rules like like things like >> Are you talking for a public work session or all meetings? >> Like a no like a public work session or >> Okay. I'll verify with ISBA what our requirements and rules are cuz I don't know if we can >> I'm just asking. Like there are like like can we do like like like like one like uh non-negotiable like like three before me like if I speak three other people need to speak before I get to speak again.
Any opposed? All right. The eyes have it. 4.2, approval of the RFP bids for mental health services. Ms. Niemeyer. Madam President, Dr. Smith, members of the board, tonight I'm requesting approval for Jane Pauley and Adult & Child to be the school-based mental health providers as submitted. So moved. Second. Properly moved, Ms. Lawrence, and seconded, Ms. Puckett. Any other questions or comments on the mental health services? All right. All in favor, I. >> say I.
242 square feet is for the sight line for the safety and roughly 2171 square feet is temporary impacts um to the south along the canal to regrade that area. So it'll be restored. There'll be a pipe underground and then the the flared end uh for the storm water improvements. Um we we meet the rest of the requirements of the riverfront area um because right now the existing work there's a drain pipe that discharges immediately to the river which you know if you want to climb over the wall on Saturday you can take a peek. we can show you where that is. Um we provided the table with all the documentation for those impacts. Um regarding the release of basement measure plan or the RAM plan, um for the record, um the site is located in a notice of activity and use limitation or AOL per MGL chapter 21E section 6 and 310 CMR40.
They could just do Swedish and German even, but Ilocano and English and and Spanish and English and they they are uh have a credential on their high school diploma and they many of them are now going to the campus enrolling in UH campuses. We also have wonderful um uh uh uh classes in many of these languages and competent speakers. Uh and so we have competent people, but they also need training if they have to translate and interpret. Just because you speak that language doesn't provide you with enough uh skills actually to be efficient and and and and clear and accurate. So, what this does is actually does good things. It brings people who have some language skills already to be trained, and we have our community that really needs translation. For example, uh the floods or hurricanes, hardly anything is translated, and so you can imagine how difficult it is in English.
Our third pathway is kind of undetermined at this time. We got to kind of look at where our students interests lie as well as where our resources lie. That could be in computer science, it could be in health sciences, it could be in business. Um it's kind of we're not ready for that one quite yet. So that's kind of like the first adult reason. The second adult reason is our old link class. If you've ever heard that term, the the acronym was learning through internships nurtures knowledge. Uh that's what the course was created about 20 years ago. Um as an internship course and that course has run its course. It's 20 years old. It doesn't really align with the state standards and the expectations of the pathways. And so it's time to retire that and replace it with the field experience. And kind of the other adult reason is the teacher that teaches that is retiring this year.
But we may be done by the time the school opens and we have been really kicking around some ideas of what we could do coming up with a a plan B if you will as Dr. Rucker likes to say. So we're not sure what that looks like. We're waiting to see when we can actually start working at North and also see kind of where we're at and how things turn roll out. So I'm confident we can make up some time given the current calendar it's unlikely we'll will to make it to the the first day of school. Good elementary elementary. So, um for North, it has been It's It'd be nice to say like it's one thing that's that's a problem, but it's really not. And because of its location and being in a flood like the most flood plain of all the spring, um it's FEMA's involved, the water reclamation district's involved.
>> Nevertheless, we'll have a couple of years of runway >> Yeah. >> if we need it. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Yeah, and then I'd say we're focused obviously on the mandated categorals categoricals getting funding for that. And I also lead the federal committee within LEND, and while you know, schools are not, you know, majority of their funding is at the state level, given a lot of the cuts that are coming at the state level, it's really critical that we um keep the federal funding that is in place there. So, we're really focused on that. And the federal committee within LAND has a meeting at the end of the month with some of the members of Congress in the DuPage area to um talk about our priorities for federal legislation and hopefully get them to sort of, you know, support them back in DC.
I think it'll be helpful because I think you can then work on um finalizing a strategic plan, right? Getting You'll get that information from there, but it'll also [snorts] by that time you will also start having some more information about the facilities, and you're going to want to be sharing, talking, and gathering information about that kind of at the same time as as well. So, I would think that that would be from a from a standpoint, that'll be the most beneficial. You're going to get the most bang for your buck. And two things will happen, too. Number one, you'll get out there and get into the groups, but it'll get Amy out there as well. Um and people will get to know her and be able to interact um with you, you know, one or two of you at a time, right? And at these uh town halls.
That was moved up. >> Can I have a motion to adjurnn? >> Moved by Bill, second by Dr. Hall. All in favor say I. >> Any nays? >> I I no nays. We are joured. Thank you public for joining us on this very inclement weather evening. Be safe if you're about or need to go out driving. And as always, God bless you. Take care.
It's like a talking stick kind of thing but like >> I'm a huge fan of the public >> Yeah like we know most of the people that come to these things and like this feels too formal and this is a this is like a thing that our community we've got to figure out cuz our our kids are going to go here. God willing my grandkids will go here. Like those kinds of things we want to happen and establish and like the decisions we make in the next few months are going to significantly impact how that happens and play out for the rest of the >> So if we get if we get legal approval to do that I don't have any problem setting up round table you know rotation around to different board members to have different board questions posed at each round table to where we have a discussion.
Any opposed? All right. The eyes have it. The RFP bids for the mental health services have been approved. And Ms. Niemeyer, did you have some guests to introduce? Yes, I do. Very fortunate that we had both Jane Pauley as well as Adult & Child. And Jane Pauley, if you could please stand, I'll do names. We have Dr. Laura Yacoe, Dr. Reef Ghassan, James Melton, and Dr. Karen Hill. So, thank you. But they were all part of the RFP >> [applause] >> And I would also like to introduce Adult & Child. We have Kelly Esposito with us and Asia Bridgewater. And again, they were part of the RFP and interview process. >> [applause] >> Thank you very much. We look forward to working with you. 4.3, approval of the common school loan. Mr. Miles. Thank you, Madam President. At this time, I ask that the board approve the application for the common school fund loan as submitted.
Mr. Campbell's here to answer any questions on that. I know there's been some debate. Um the the in December of 2022, a report was submitted to DP. DP had comments on it. Mr. Campbell updated the report to address all their comments. There's been status reports submitted. The most recent plan was submitted in January of 2026, which a commission has a copy of. Um that report will, as I understand it, will need to be resubmitted to D because D wants that report submitted for review and approval within one year of construction. At this point, our anticipated construction is likely more than a year out, potentially 18 months. So, it's too soon for us to submit to D for a plan. However, you have all the information that that's going into that plan. Mr. Campbell can get further into detail on that. So, um we've also reviewed staff comments um and we fully intend to provide a response to those.
You still get wet. Um but anyhow, um we believe that uh a program like this meets our community's needs, and also we have expertise at the university, and so we support it. >> And we supported it going over, so okay. Thank you. Deborah Halbert for the University of Hawaii. Oh. >> Sure. Um Senator Dela Cruz Al Geria, on behalf of the university, our Vice President Halbert just had to walk out, Okay. but we'll stand on our testimony. Okay, got it. Jade Butay. Aloha. Aloha, Madam Chair Kim, Senator DeCourt. Uh I'm Jade Butay, Director of the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations. Uh we stand on our testimony in support of, you know, this initiative uh builds a pipeline of bilingual professionals uh ready to serve our diverse population. Thank you for the opportunity. Thank you. I wish I was bilingual, but I'm not I'm not.
Uh Coach Piran's been doing that for about eight years. He won't be here next year. So we need new teachers to take that over. Um I'm going to make a shift then. Why do our students need this? And this is still a little bit on the adult side. Why do the adults believe our students need this? Um, so if you look at like the the model on the left and you think generationally, I'm a Gen X. I believe my peers here are more millennials and then you've got Gen Z, Gen Alpha, and now Gen Beta. But back in my generation, the pathway on the left was pretty much kind of the model everyone had. Like you do your schooling, you keep progressing to the job, you keep getting promoted, you're on that very clear linear path towards whatever you define success is. Uh, and that in this day and age is not an accurate depiction of what the world of work looks like anymore.
There's a lot of cooks in the kitchen there. So, we've gotten to as far as we can get without getting our hands wet. The high net school being ready. Uh so, any day now we're just waiting for that last permit to come in and that nod, and then it's going to be gangbusters. So, I can tell you that Pepper has at each of the sites exceeded our expectations. But, even with being with them for several months now, I'm just trying to like gauge that fall from a point of can we get to this place where we can open the school with the whole project done? You know, we would be kidding ourselves to say that we believe that is 100% going to happen. Met with um the signal and this hour, and I met with the career teachers at North this morning, and then we volunteer and staff just to kind of express it.