Um and then she sent it to me because she wanted me to forward it to Raj because she didn't have his email address. So that all kind of all went down just in the last few hours. >> And um >> yes, >> sorry. And I just want to add something here to everybody because um if you know at our last meeting we um took a vote to wave the fines. Um and then Raj just let us know that the fines were paid. So, we learned the next day, everybody, that we as a board, we cannot wave fines. The only thing we can wave are fees. So, I just want to make sure the board knows that that's what transpired the next day. >> And and and just to add to that, Ed, that was for unit 2011. >> Yes. >> This this one's 204, but um yeah, same building and >> Okay.
We we we seem to have a conflict with your written to testimony and then with your oral testimony because 10 years ago DOE had called for 12 new schools on Leah Wahoo by 2030. And where are we at with that? >> Nine. >> 12 new school. Okay. So, so again, I want to be fair to the discussion and to the committee here that we have that the answers that we need when we're trying to decide on where is the best place for these funds. Um, and so I think it's a little unfair to the committee that you're not able or prepared to discuss the school impact fees only the fair share where in your testimony you had opposed it. So, I'm not sure if the department is in the business of opposing bills that they can't provide the factual data on, but it's a little difficult for us to be able to um get behind your uh testimony when in fact you you haven't come prepared.
We your teachers prove it time and time again that they can certify students here even if they only have an hour a day for a couple of years. And like I say, we appreciate their commitment to that. Um, now for those that it works for, for students who who have the time to come to a three-hour block at the community college, those are the 11 programs that we have there. And I did want to just remind everyone, we appreciate Blue Ridg's participation, particularly with our newest program. It's industrial technology trades. It's the last one there in the first column. And it has HVAC, instrumentation, and alternative energy built in all into the same program. So, they have opportunities to get jobs in all three of those fields. And Blige has had the most student count in that program. And so, we appreciate appreciate your support that I know Chris has been very strategic in making sure that we've had students in that program and we're grateful for that.
>> [applause] >> Okay, that brings us to item H2, our policies first reading and adoption. >> Thank you. >> Yes, so last month during our regular meeting I introduced and reviewed um five policies that needed revised, updated, um and so that information was shared with you after that meeting. Those policies revisions were posted on our website for the public to be able to view and question. Having received um no comments, no questions, um we're going to move forward tonight with what we would consider legally our first reading and then um a motion to approve the policies. And once that is taken care of, then we will Angie and I will get to work on revising those within our policy handbooks and updating. We're still in the process, just so you know, with NEOLA converting those numbers. ISBA is working on changing the numbers for us, so these will fall under new numbers and we're getting it piece by piece, but it's a pretty big ordeal to get those all switched.
And uh Dr. to your question. Yes, I didn't get a chance to forward that email to the board yet. You know, you know, was just a few hours back. But yes, I'll I'll follow up. You know, u now with the no heat, no hot water, that's a 24hour, you know, eminent threat to humans, right? Like that this is how it is worded in the in the code. Uh 105 CMR 410. But I I need permission from her or she need to agree for an inspection. And that's the first step you know for for us to move forward on on that you know. So I I will follow up tomorrow again that if they if they if you want us to come come out again you know to do an inspection and you know and go from there you >> uh uh other than that you know uh rodent complaints we did pick up three rodent complaints you know good weather coming more rodents coming you know so uh uh there's one complaint on Cherry Street next to town hall uh and then one at Cedrus departments and then one at Chestnut uh and Brooks you know that we are investigating and uh trying to resolve uh with a disease investigation.
Uh >> so the the bill is about the fair share amount and we talked about the impact fee um because the impact fee and the fair share was sort of the state and legislaturator solution to addressing the um need for schools when developments happen. Um the impact fee um program has already been transferred to SFA. Um that's why the focus here is on the um the um fair share. >> Go ahead. >> Okay. So, so just to be clear, so what do you want to go back to then? Do you want to go back to what we the the land contribution agreement we had last year that we we left in or do you want to go back to the land use commission and do more ECs? Like what is your in your mind the ideal compromise here? >> Well, our uh based on our testimony and our position is uh not to let the bill move and just status quo, >> right?
Um, once again, we're we're excited to have those 11 programs and nine of those are available in Xolo. There another few of them are over in Snowflake. But I wanted to finish up just by saying once again that we appreciate your teachers being willing to come to trainings. We've got uh coming a week from tonight, we're having an allNavit districtwide across all 11 districts. We are doing an advisory council meeting where we're inviting everyone in. and we're feeding everybody at Snowflake next to the auditorium there. Uh there is so much work that goes into that's just one indicator of 30 about having to have an advisory council meeting every year. And uh and so we're trying to change things up a little bit, provide more opportunities for people to come in and perhaps even represent more than one high school on an advisory council, which really helps because we have limited businesses in some of our areas, particularly those that have 1A and 2A high schools.
So, just for the sake of of remembering last month, the policies that that I'm recommending this evening, policy 2412, the homebound instruction program, we basically struck out the NEOLA policy completely. [clears throat] It was obsolete. Um not a lot of new information, just more clarity about our process and what that looks like and what we've been doing. Policy 5111, the determination of legal settlement and eligibility and enrollment of students without legal settlement in the corporation. Again, this was one that was obsolete and we needed to revise it and bring it up to speed, which we've done. The one thing that we always try to remember to emphasize with folks is this is an annual requirement if you are seeking out of district transfers, it must be done annually. Policy 144.1, compensation for board members. The revision included changing the basic compen- compensation from $1,800 to $1,900.
We've been working on a communicable disease investigation from past uh three three and half weeks you know one one person in that still in quarantine other was cleared getting you know long with from the state you know that we have cleared other individuals on that case you know uh I guess that's all I have you know and I'm open to any questions uh from from the board now >> does anybody have any questions for Raj on his agenda? Okay. None. Okay. Thanks, Raj. Um, >> thank you, sir. >> The next thing on our agenda is the consent agenda. Um, so I need a motion to review and approve the fiscal 26 year-to- date budget report and the meeting minutes from February 17th, 2026. Do I have a motion? >> So moved. >> I'll second it. >> Okay. So, I do need a roll call vote.
But the the you know at some point this is going to sunset. So if we have a bill moving we're going to try and fix as much as we can. So I need to understand what is your position then? So you're okay with the current statue then for land contributions. >> That's it's been working. Yeah. >> Okay. So, did you go back and look at any of the ECs to see if any of the ECs have any type of um requirements for for the construction portion of impact fees because this was as you said before it was pre um this this statue right that you signed all these ECs in theory. What I'm really concerned about and I think some of the genesis of this bill is that there's people still paying some of the construction portions that I assume is a part of those old ECs, but I think we need to go clean that up to to follow the intent of the what we passed last year to make sure that nobody is really paying for con construction fees at this point.
And so we're we're excited about that. Um so above all, just know that we appreciate our partnership with you. It's exciting to see you go over the 9 million mark. And once again, 90% of the career and tech that's happening, it's here at Blige. And we appreciate the opportunity for those students who can come to our college campus with us. But once again, the the action is here at the high school. And we're we're excited to be a part of that.
Policy 554.1, credit for religious instruction or release time. The option now is whether or not the school grants credit for outside religious instruction, and the policy will read, if approved, that DeKalb High School will not grant credit for religious instruction. And finally, policy 0142.3, board vacancies. Um this was revised to reflect our process, again outdated and needed revision. The laws have changed, so we're aligned to them and and have practiced it the way the way it's written, and so that will be now replaced and up to speed for us. So, our next step then would be to consider this as our first reading. And again, as hearing no public comment, getting no public comment, um Mrs. Armstrong, I don't know, do you want to ask again this evening for that? I >> I'm sorry. I am I have lost like either internet connection or I can open like our packet, but it's not letting me open any >> Can someone ask Can someone else ask?
So Jay >> hi >> uh Barbara >> I >> Maurice >> I >> David >> hi >> and I'm a yes also um so that's um approved um next thing on our agenda is discuss future agenda items um and continueratom discussion that'll be on our next agenda is that correct Yes sir. However the board feels, you know, if if you want to discuss that or however I I'll communicate with you guys, you know, before before >> before we build the next agenda. Yes. Um does anybody have any new business or old business? >> Can I just make a a comment about the the crowd um >> discussion for the future? First of all, thank you for the folks that uh joined us tonight. Um, sorry if you thought that we were talking about this tonight. It was on the agenda to talk about discussing it in in a future agenda.
Are have we embarked on that review of current ECs? Yeah, we can talk more about that, but because I I need clarity on what I mean, I drafted some of these things way back when begrudgingly for developers, >> right? But so I I I don't >> So So is it solely on land then based on the ECs? Because you said there was no statute. So So then I don't in ter in terms of extraction, I would assume you're going to get more than what was than just a fair share of land contribution. Mh. No, I think I think we um you know from the developers perspective, we we fought to be sure that we were paying whatever the fair share was as it could be defined through the best data we had at the time working with the department. So I'm thinking I'm thinking from the other side now.
I'll entertain any questions because I want to be invited back next year. I don't want to take too much time. >> I don't Anybody on the board have questions or comments? >> I had a question. Are you guys looking at expanding to any other programs? I know that you work some with Northland Pioneer College. Is there any other skills that might be offered in the near future? >> You know, we've with the cyber security and the um computer computer information systems, we're still working on that. We don't have uh as much enrollment as we have there. Um I know that the college is looking at a few things uh but I'm not allowed to talk about those quite yet, but they're a couple years down the road. But I think the main thing is uh our core programs they have I mean we're turning students away and so we're trying to trying to look at how do we expand more in other areas so that it frees up more spots for your students here.
>> Sure. >> Yeah. >> Like our treasurer. >> Secretary. >> Ask well, if there's any public comment, we can take any public comment this evening. >> Yeah. >> Um >> Yeah, no one has signed up. I didn't get anything from Ian J, so. >> Okay, great. All right. So, that being said then, um I'm recommending that the school board consider approving these policy updates and revisions, and and approve them to be uh put into place. >> All right, thank you, Lori. I'm just going to work from paper right now. Um at this time, I'll ask the board for a motion to approve our policies. >> I'll make the motion. >> Second. >> I have a motion and a second.
So, um, but your points are well taken and we appreciate it. Um, I will just say that I regarding the draft regulation for Kratom, I know that we've got and for those of you listening, we we have some educational material on a website that uh the the health department set up. On that website, there's also a draft regulation um that you may be interested in looking at. It's similar to the one that's moving its way through the state uh of Massachusetts. But anyway, I made some updates to that and wondered if I could send it out to the board for them to look at the the the updates there and I have in yellow, you know, where I made some changes, but I think that probably the most significant ones um are in some of the language and then addressing some of the concerns that you had Raj about the food code are in that.
Um and it was uh a payment a lump sum payment or it was a land designation. Um I'm not familiar with ongoing >> right because you're saying people are still paying the cash contribution. That's what you you said. >> No, I didn't say that. >> Okay. your people aren't still paying then as as things get developed because you can do it in ll cash. >> Mhm. Mhm. >> Right. >> I I think I think maybe my answer to the question wasn't clear for one of the previous senators but the question was are people paying >> uh you know these fees >> for the ECs >> the fees to the developer and the developer might bake that into the cost of the units they're selling. So they may pass the cost on. >> Right. So you're not collecting anything from the ECs right now. We've we've already either been paid and it's in the account or this is the land designation.
That's kind of our main focus right now. But the college is absolutely looking at uh a couple of other allied healthbased programs. Um and I'll leave it at that because we there's a lot that goes into that. Um but but we stand ready to to help them out with the equipment to pull that off because if you if you were to go back to the list of programs just offering automotive, we just opened that up in at the Painted Desert campus in Hullbrook this past August and to outfit that with equipment that's $400,000. Um, so we have been expanding but not necessarily adding programs as much as creating more opportunities elsewhere so that it frees up more seats for you here. And welding is still a a real tight spot. I'm I'm confident that Chris likely doesn't even advertise that because just by word of mouth, everyone was in there and we only have so many slots when we've got seven feeder high schools coming in there.
Any discussion? >> Will this be done and we'll vote on it again next month? >> This will be done. Tonight is >> Done tonight is last >> We have a couple new ones for you. We're working on the Senate Bill 78. And so [clears throat] we'll hopefully have some language to look at that. >> Sure. Thank you. >> Okay. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. Oppose. Motion passes. Thank you, Lori. Item H3 is our 2026 summer school. >> I can't even believe we're here already talking about this and thinking about this with administration. In my memo, I'll just kind of review that with you. What I'm seeking tonight is approval to move forward, get permission to conduct summer school programming, and be able to move forward with the posting and hiring of summer school positions. You think this would happen really quick, but really the time that we need to get this taken taken care of and in place gets a little bit trickier every year because a lot of our data that we use to determine how many students are going to need summer school, not just want it, is is a moving target.