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>> [applause] [applause] >> All right, so mine's not much of a surprise. So, I'm I'm in the back pushing the buttons and I had to decide am I going to leave my mug up there or am I going to put the student's face? So, I decided to put the the student's face up there. So, if you're watching at home, you can't see me, um but you can hear me. Good evening. My name is Taylor Nickerson. I teach German here at CHS. In addition to teaching German, I run our school's social media and can be seen at all kinds of events with a camera in my hands. Doing this allows me to meet and get to know many students outside of my classes who I would normally not have an opportunity uh to get to know. In fact, in the past few In the past few years, I've uh given my Soaring Eagle to a number of these students who I've gotten to know outside of the classroom.
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Outside of school, she is actively involved in the Abundant Life Church in Peru, volunteering at events, services, and teaching on Sunday mornings. Leah is currently sixth in her class with a GPA of 12.0 and will graduate with academic honors. She has also received awards throughout high school, including academic allconerence, Miami County Holiday Tournament all academic team, and multiple distinguished honor role recognitions over the over her four years. She is currently working toward earning her Indiana College CPS, needing only one more college credit class to complete uh the required 30 credit hours for her first year of college. That also saves a little bit of money down the road, so that's good stuff. In her free time, I don't think she has a whole lot of that. Uh, she likes to hang out with friends, play pickle ball, go on walks, and read books. She plans to continue her studies at either Indiana University or Purdue University, majoring in nursing.
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>> I believe we discussed that it could be losing its um affordable >> Yeah. Yeah, in a few years. >> In a couple of years. Not Not right now, but >> not right now. But the Ashlin that But that building could be losing its affordable stuff in the future. So, we were going to in the future talk about how we can keep that >> how we can keep that up, right? Does that answer your question, Mark? >> That answers that question. and um and about the um the town itself. And I I went to the I and I zoomed in on the uh conservation meeting this past uh Monday. and they had the mill building on the agenda and I'm just hoping that the town don't lose their grip of what conservation can do and have the departments along with DB D and um plus storm water and grounds and all that stuff keep a good grip and be really tough on the the developer and the uh owner of the building to make sure that they stay at they stay a drift with what they have to do, not what they want to do.
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Friday the 13th, we had our spring clean lockin event. Enrollment updates for you guys. We currently have 143 students, 42 9th graders, 24 10th graders, 46 11th graders, and 31 12th graders. Since the last board meeting, we have one junior from out of state enroll current events. Jesse Gentez, the mirrorless, has begun the transformation transformation of what we will see as we enter or pass by new tech. And so far, it looks so amazing. Our radio ads um were inviting new families to check out new tech and decide if it would be a good fit for their students. That has been our our halls are filled with nervous and excitement as our seniors are in their second round of senior spotlights um showcase dress rehearsals. It is a requirement for all seniors planning to participate in New Tech's graduation ceremony June 4th at the Cascade Theater.
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I'm also available for any questions if you may have. Thank you. >> Thank you. Calbert Young for the employees retirement system. >> Good afternoon, madam chair, madam vice chair, members. Um so you have the uh retirement systems testimony and it is different than um the system has testified previously on the uh Senate bill. The testimony is characterized as opposed um to this bill. However, that opposition is due to um advice of uh external tax counsel on the bill that was not available um during the first half of the legislative session. Um, however, it there is language um for amendments that are being recommended informed by the attorney general's um opinion and review as well that could help if this bill is to progress some recommended revisions um that are also available from the AGS and external tax council for amendments that would help shore up and clarify uh in the in the bill plus the existing statute.
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Aralo. I'm the new superintendent. I've been here for about 10 weeks. uh and I'm happy to be here to be here tonight to think that we have something that is very representative of our school community and something that we can be proud to share uh with you. So without further ado, just to start so that everybody understands while we're working as a district on developing what's going to go in to our budget, it's important that everybody understands sort of frame in New Jersey this year. We had a new governor. The new governor didn't provide budget address until March 10th. Statutoily in New Jersey, the Department of Education has 48 hours to provide state aid to the school district. So, we received our state aid notification at about 11 a.m. on March 12th. And then between March 12th and now, once we had that, we were able to finalize.
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Congratulations on an unforgettable undefeated championship. I think everybody 1 two Now I may not be as good but I'm trying fantastic everybody good back there all right than you again You are of course Thank I think on to visitors are to on agenda it moving on um we do not have any correspondence that brings us to commit reports first 22% we are specif So Jesus confirmation how how much than Jesus and to use our sa So So there specifically just there is yes yes This is the first time first time and just make sure January for that. So I just make sure that password is coming in. This is for next time. Yes. Starting with the first question. Okay. All Okay. So the program just an hour ago. attend administration um we had a lot of different items to st but there was um or early leadership presentation to the parents um and there is uh presentation and ident to try and hit as many um parents as possible.
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Tonight, I'm honoring one of these students as well. Tonight, I am presenting Eddie Smich with my 2026 Soaring Eagle. Eddie has not been an Eagle his whole life. As a matter of fact, this is only Eddie's second year with us here Columbia. That's actually part of what led me to choose Eddie as my Soaring Eagle. I, too, had to switch schools when I was younger, and it was not my decision to do so. I know how hard it can be walking into a new school, not knowing anyone, figuring out where and how you're going to fit in. Like Eddie, I used athletics as a way to find my new group and settle into my new school. I I to publicly recognize Eddie and let him know that it's been noticed how well he has handled becoming becoming and being a Columbia Eagle. I know that not every day has been easy.
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Her ultimate goal is to be accepted into a three-year program to become a certified registered nurse. >> Anast certified registered nurse anesthetist. >> Anastthetist. What do they do? >> Anesthesiology. >> Oo. Leah Balls. Let's give her a round of applause. Hold this right here. >> Congratulations. Good luck. My daughter loved the stage production and things when she was in school and her student after school too. She's working for Eastern today in fact. >> Thank you. Okay, that brings us up to item 3.1, approval minutes, regular meeting dated February 25th, 2026. Entertain a motion to approve those minutes. So, >> second.
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Thank you. Done. >> Thank you, Mark. Appreciate your comments. Uh I believe uh there's another hand raised. Is that Sue? Sue Thorne. >> Yeah. >> Hi. Can you hear me? Okay. >> Yes, I can. >> Okay, great. Uh this yes it's Susan Thorne and Tony Quattro on 181 Cross Street. Thank you for just a moment of your time this evening. Um we know how busy you all are. We just wanted to thank the board, the board chair and our town manager for keeping the zero cross street and Franklin Road solar permit topic in front of Hopkin officials. Chairman Yanni, thank you for your recent update and we do look forward to updates soon regarding the meeting between both town managers uh last week and then would also like to understand if both town councils are now actively engaged. >> Thank you again. >> You're welcome, Sue.
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Upcoming New Techch events March and April. Um Monday, uh March 23rd, um at 9:00 a.m., uh New Tech's bianual career fair will happen. Thursday, March 26 at 6 p.m. Family STEM night will happen with Mr. Ernel, Mr. Lewis, and Mandis. Saturday, um March 28th through Monday the 30th, we have our Wolf Creek camping trip with Miss Hernandez and Miss. Um Wednesday, April 1st, it's Miss Stacy's Day Parrofessional Day. And Thursday, April 2nd, we have Shasta College will be on campus creating educational plans for our students. Our packets attached are our DC Davis trips, our field trips, crowdf cleanup, hat in the hat day. Uh this is Jesse painting our mural. It looks so good. You guys have to drive past everybody here. It is truly just bringing the building to life. And that is what it's looking like so far.
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Um and they are on the second page uh of of our testimony. Thank you. >> So being real quick being you brought up the Senate measure. So you said the Senate measure is a little more simplified and easier. >> It it was um it our initial um position was to offer comments on it. not to there was no opposition but comments about the the aspects that were in the bill um that the legislature should pay attention to to preserve if the if that bill was to progress. Um but it didn't uh ask for or request or provide like specific amendment languages um because the issues that tax council and the AGS have identified um you know to try and be more clear for Hawaii statutes what could be added to add more definitive clarification requirements to help shore up our plan our retirement plan statute.
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But if you move forward, we have been working on the budget for the last 10 weeks. day and night, morning and noon, looking at everything. So from my perspective, what is important when we're developing a budget, it's not what I it's not what the business administration's goals, and we've operationalized those goals to make them the district's goals. And these are the Operational effectiveness. We want to enhance our operational effectiveness by strengthening team collaboration, improving policy alignment, using data to drive decision making, and ensuring everyone participates in targeted sustained professional training. That is a goal in this budget. Trust in relationships. We want to build trust and strengthen relationships through increased transparency. expanded communication channels and offering meaningful opportunities for authentic engagement with the entire school community. That's a driving force for this budget. Overall effectiveness, we want to improve our overall effectiveness by building strong operational structures, implementing a collaborative leadership approach, and offering consistent processes districtwide to support students, staff, and the community.
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We have a lot of different activities going on in the school there are spray on the way there's grades 2 and there drama tomorrow night and challenge at the end of the month and start sports are starting for middle schoolers preparation for spring as well um working with uh other members of the step of master schedule the next Um and again there's a lot of different school events for uh people coming up there have assembly um and transiting a special presentation there month school day um and and also so a real nice uh variety program of different things going on um and you know just continue all to report thank you all and discussion also J special for next school year and also the administration or over 30 for sure so sign was always 50 in my mind um so and then people you know tend to be one of those As soon as it comes out there people who are waiting do the right way a little l start that you know then there always need to be a rush so I think we're on track of where we were last year which you know yes thank you updates however discuss to the establishing So Thanks.
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I'm sure there's struggles behind the scenes, but he has handled it with maturity and poise. Every time Eddie and I pass in the halls, Eddie's always smiling and will make time to stop for a quick conversation. Eddie and I have also learned that we have a few connections outside of school. One of Eddie's best buddies is a cousin of mine through marriage and Eddie's father and my brother-in-law went to high school together. It's obvious that Eddie is very talented on this very basketball floor and it has been a lot of fun watching him play, but I want Eddie to know that whatever happens in life, he's more than just a basketball player. You're a son, you're a friend and one day you'll be a husband and a father and don't forget you're a Columbia Eagle. On the way out of the school now, it says in big writing, "Once an Eagle, always an Eagle." Don't forget that you always have a home here at CHS and there are many people here cheering you on to succeed in life.
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>> Any questions or comments? Hearing none. All those in favor signify by saying I sir. >> I oppos. Same sign brings down to item 8 or 4.14.2 financial business. >> Yes. Ask for your approval of payroll claim listing check dated 22726 amount of $464,39943. Check dated 313 of 26 amount of $497,754.39. And that accounts payable register 22326 to 313 of 26 amount of 1,292,6928 cents. Ask for your approval as presented. >> Thank you. Entertain a motion to approve the financial business as given. >> So moved. >> Second.
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And thank you thank you for your for all your efforts as well regarding that. And this is a piece of property for folks who are not aware of it that um was part of um the Liberty Mutual headquarters in Hopington off of Franklin Road. And uh about four years ago uh the land was uh taken over by uh by Hington with respect to subdividing it into uh another property. But in the original planning board decision and discussions that were made, uh the parcel of land that's in Ashland was also deemed to be uh open space. And for some reason when the transaction took place, that particular parcel of the land, even though it's deemed open space, uh was not. So now there's legalities as who has the responsibility of keeping that uh as an open space even though Harpington had made a decision uh four years ago and it's it's ongoing uh but hopefully we'll come to some resolution uh within the next month or so >> just that's not aware of it.
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You guys have any questions? >> Thank you guys for your time. >> Thank you. Good evening, school board members. I am Emmy Soldier, ASB president at West Valley, and I can't wait to talk to you all about West Valley High School. Um, our softball team is currently undefeated at 7 and0. They have a tournament this Friday and Saturday in all of First with some tough games in the near future. They have been working very hard and are ready to take on this season, and we wish them the best of luck. Our baseball team has had a good start to their season. They are currently six and two, but eager to increase their wins. They have a game this Friday against Orland and numerous games in the upcoming week. Our boys have been getting ready for this season for months now and we can't wait to watch what they accomplish.
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Yeah, >> thank you. Uh, Osatoule for HSTA. >> We'll stand in strong. >> Okay. Anyone else wanting to testify on this measure? If not, members, we are open for questions. Questions? Um, I guess DOE being as this measure um clearly points out hard to fill uh areas or hard hard to staff. How many teacher vacancies are considered hard to staff? >> I don't have that exact number on me, but it's something that I could uh get that information and get it back to the committee for you. And then how many could we realistically be filled through this pilot profile? >> I think that's one of the things that we've talked about in the testimony. We don't have any data on how many would be interested in coming back at this point. I know that we do have some of our substitute teachers currently at this time that are retirees.
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And this budget does that. Outside of our board goals, I think it's critically important to hear from the people on the front lines about what is needed. So, one of the things that we launched when I came on is every staff member in the district on February 16th through the leadership of the buildings spent the day doing a critical reflective process. It's called SCMV. It's a reflection activity to identify successes, challenges, needs, and a future vision. All of that information was then put into a presentation for each building. I got all of those presentations. I use the information from those presentations from the people who are on the ground level, the teachers, the pars, the counselors, the administrators, the people who actually know what is needed for our students. That drove our decision board of education goals. What are our people telling us we need to be better for our students?
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