So, Spanish one at the high school, the hours would still be more at the middle school, but they would be seen less during the middle school time. And then um the seven period day would increase times in core classes. So core academic classes and unified arts classes would um it would reduce the number of UA classes for music specialed intervention students etc. So they're really looking at both. I think this was um their opportunity to sort of bring forth the concerns that they have and what they're trying to do and how supportive the two additional middle school teachers would be to this process. It gives them more opportunities to attack their goals and achieve them. Okay. Next, we discussed some um presentations regarding assessment data. And I'm going to turn it over again to Marlene to take us through the reading benchmarks and um the kindergarten entrance inventory.
>> Do we have any issues with mold underneath that? >> No, never. There's been people think that, but we've never had any flooding in there of any >> I just humidity in the sun. >> Yeah, I we've pulled up pieces of it. It wouldn't be a bad idea to p to take up some of it and just ensure that um rubber flooring. What do we got? >> It's the It's like the square the rubber squares that that bead down. >> Yep. >> Okay. So I think the the com what we had talked about last meeting is okay are we going to >> do the HVAC project and then need time to put in install the floors and the answer is no like once the HVAC project is done hopefully at the end of August then we'd be able to get the donation and have a new weight room um in the interim for athletes that need weightlifting we have I guess used the maintenance garage in the past to do weightlifting so that would be the summer 2026 plan >> so so old school >> but they're not used to air conditioning in the weight room.
>> Does anyone else have any questions for C uh for Mike's? Any uh comments? Well, I want to thank everybody for coming on tonight. Um, I think it was a a good start of the uh community relations uh committee and uh I I really look forward to uh I too had some questions at the beginning of posting the board meeting in a different location but uh as we go through it um I think we're we're headed in on the right direction and uh I think also gives us an opportunity to look forward to uh other uh other locations. So, I just want to wish everybody uh good night and uh be safe out there, whatever you're doing. Thank you. >> We need a motion to adjurnn. >> Oh, thank you, Glattus. Uh >> motion to adjourn. >> A motion to adjurnn. >> Has to come from the uh from the members.
And I wanted to share that we I don't know what day we're we're going. We have a group going. I'm excited. >> Caravan, right? >> Somebody's going to have to drive me because I don't like driving up 295. >> And so we're we have a good group together that are going I know Dr. Smith was going to ask others in the administration or >> staff to join us. We're yeah, we're coordinating with ETA on um it worked really well last year to have that diversity of stakeholder voices, right? Board, teachers, administration. We want the same thing this year. We're going to add students as well this year. So, >> great. Thank you. Y >> happy to hear that. So now we're going to go into public comment. This will be public comment on on agenda items only. Just in case anyone is not aware, we have two public comment periods.
The meeting adjourned at 8:27 and our next meeting will be on April 1st, 2026. >> Okay. And I will read building and finance. The meeting for building and finance was called to order at 7 PM by vice chair Tony Seratori who announced he will now be the chair following Mr. Jabber's resignation as the chair. No public comments were made. The committee discussed strategic priorities relating to teacher retention, including staff engagement and recruitment and acknowledged efforts to support educator licensing and endorsements. Updates on summer building projects were also provided, including district-wide bathroom renovations and stadium lighting upgrades at Stackag and Andrew with f future discussion planned regarding new scoreboards. Financially, the committee reviewed February reports noting revenues of 5.7 million, expenditures of 14.5 million, and a total fund balance of 41 45.1 million as of month end. The group also reviewed the governor's proposed FY27 budget and compared student fees with surrounding districts ultimately recommending no fee changes for the upcoming fiscal school year.
Um, you know, I know north it's going to be the same three hallways. Um, and similar there. So, um, still very important to us and teaming or not teaming doesn't have anything to do with that location piece. Um and then this this sixth through eighth grade students they will keep that same counselor um throughout all three years. So we still have people who um really know who they are and really have their relationships with their parents that we um really need to work with in different ways. So um and then we we are still having a plan of assigning our students to wins or like a home room, right? Um and and keeping them with that teacher. Now part of the PSS process is they might be in uh Bill's wind class, right? But Jason is their math teacher. And so Jason is going to work with Bill and he's going to pull, you know, Gavin, Christy, Rob into his MTSS math win to work with them on the specific standard and specific next steps that the three students need.
So, I'll start with the reading benchmark assessment data. Um, you may or may not recall that as part of the right to read legislation that the state identified a few different types of reading assessments back a number of years ago and the dis districts had to choose one assessment. Cheshure went with a cadence. We are currently using a cadence in K through 8. In K through six that is a paper and pencil test. teachers are scoring that by hand and data entering the information into data sheets. As part of the right to read legislation, the CSD is collecting all of the K3 reading benchmark data so that they can look at how all of the districts are doing and can begin to kind of look at comparisons, trends, needs because we are doing it by hand, which frankly we're not excited about. We would like to have the digital version.
So, it's really no change. >> There's not an enormous number of teams using our weight room in the summer because at Cheshure High School, I I in my time, I think there's probably only been one summer when they haven't had abatement. And even though the weight room is kind of disconnected from the school and off of the West Gym, per law, if there's any abatement going on in the school, they they can't use the weight room. um so that they haven't haven't used it in the summer, but it would be nice to end the school year and hopefully at some point we've had to abate everything. So at some point uh to where we can use it so many times. >> Yep. Yep. >> Now this is going to be a separate HVAC system. So that'll be self-contained within the weight room itself, right? >> Yes.
First comment period is for agenda items only and the second public comment period at the end of the evening is for anything that you wish to discuss. This meeting will now be open to the public referencing agenda items only. However, if your questions pertain to student or personnel items or negotiations, we ask that you see the superintendent after the meeting.
And I said I was going to do this so I'm still doing this. Katie, I appreciate Dr. McMillan. We all do appreciate your efforts when it says to working with people with educator licensing and we know that the time and commitment you've made to everyone who has sparked interest in the possibility of Arabic. You've given them from 15 minutes to a half hour conversations individually and I know that you do that to help anyone with any of our coursework. So, it is much appreciated. The meeting ended at 7:49 and the next meeting is scheduled for April 20th at 7 p.m. at the administration center.
So that's kind of how it works. process timeline really hasn't changed. The addition to that though is I did meet with um sixth grade teachers. They asked me to to meet with them and they kind of went through some of the um previous slides and I'll talk a little bit more of that in a little bit. Then Dr. Harp also walked his P3 PTO through the scheduling process. So that's been an addition since our last board meeting. And then also uh why now? This one's another one that really hasn't changed a lot, but just to emphasize the new accountability model. The GPS does have a portion on that which is obviously going to measure sixth grade science. That's another reason to move those computer applications that computer applications course to sixth grade. And then also um taking high school credits in the middle school is also part of that new GPS framework.
we have to put in um and there's a cost to the digital version where there is not the paper one is is free. Um they're collecting that information but to we need to do a lot of work on our end to be able to translate that information to the state. So Azrazik as the prek8 curriculum coordinator, Scott Conway and Artha Cassgen in our technology department along with Ann Marie Cullin uh Amie Cullin Amarie Win and Marie Wintenberg are all working very hard to get all of the data into the format that the state needs because we have to have that uploaded to them by March 27th. We will need to continue to do this um for the long term unless we are able to purchase the digital version. The digital version, let's ballpark it at between 10 and $15,000. So, we're hopeful that um we would like to be able to use the digital version both because it would make much more um time sense to our teachers, but also because of this added layer of sharing that data with the state.
>> So in the future when we're doing abatement inside the school, even if it's got a separate air system, >> nope. If if you're if you are under 18, you cannot be in the building even if there's different >> but it's not you can't enter the building. There's no access to the building, >> but it's still part of the campus. >> Yes. >> And I would say there's you know there's a district-wide flooring that shows up a lot in our capital plan and that is what it it's abatement. It's a festive. I mean, you get new floors, but like that's part of it is >> we have a major hold on some projects because we have to abate >> the floors and if we don't have money to do that, we can't renovate a kitchen because >> Yeah. So, um anyways, uh without further ado, I'm going to pass it to Kevin at SLR.
Since we do not discuss these matters in public, we ask that you limit your comments to three minutes per person. It's also crucial for you, well, I wouldn't say crucial, but I'm going to say please give your name and address before you speak. And we are also limiting uh one comment per person per comment period. Is there anyone who would like to comment on agenda items only? Don't be shy. Come on now. >> Good evening. [clears throat] Good evening. My name is Brian Whiskwitz, president of Esham Township Education Association, and I did have um some members have reached out about an item on the addendum that was recently placed on the agenda. Um was the creation of a cabinet level position, director of early childhood education. Has this uh position been approved by the board? Uh was it if so, when was it discussed? Was it ever on the board minutes?
Any questions? Thank you. All right. Next, we have Adam from our teachers association. with a new haircut. So, I heard that was part of St. Baldick. So, thank you for that. >> No, absolutely. It's a great thing we do in District 230. So, happy to be proud of it. Uh part of it. Uh really not a lot to say. It's spring break. Teachers report is we're happy. Looking forward to relaxing. Uh get a recharge obviously heading into the summer. Happy to see that the crearyy is open across the street. So, weather's good. Teachers are doing well. Thank you. >> Thank you. All right. Christy McFarland from our ESP. Hello, good evening. Nice to see all of you. Um, as we begin our spring break, our 52-week ESPs will remain working in the schools and in the district office, continuing the important and necessary work uh of keeping our schools and our district running.
>> The next I want to spend a little bit more time with the data and in first just to remind you guys that this data is the percentage of students that passed both math and language arts. And so if we pulled out um one subject and one grade level, you're going to see higher percentages than this. So we're looking at sixth grade language arts and you look at our buildings, you're going to see like 50% passing, 60% passing or more, right? But what this um measurement is is if a kid passes language arts and passes math, right? And then all of the kids in both of our schools who pass both of those, that's the percentage um that that we're looking at there. So um the main area that I'd really like to just point out again um is if you look I want I want to start with the yellow or uh what is that under yellow?
Any questions on the reading data? >> Members questions? Dr. Go ahead. >> Um, I don't have a question. And I just want to highlight that we heard two very good reasons for why we need to be really aware of what's happening during this budget session because the um town manager has uh recommended a cut of $300,000 um to the budget that we put forth to the town. That means we might not be able to have those two teachers at DOD. And without added personnel, DOD is not going to be able to in implement a uh new schedule. And I was so impressed with this schedule that came uh forward to us. It shows so much work. It's concentrating on instructional time with the students. all the right things were uh taken into consideration and all of that work and everything that we're trying to do, you know, it's likely won't happen if we don't have um if we can't get the budget that um that we have put forth to the town.
Um SLR did our first um I would say the design work and the first design work for the field many years ago and so familiar with the project and with that. >> All right. Oh, nice to meet you all. I'm Kevin Fuseler. I'm a senior principal landscape architect with SLR. Um, just if you don't know SLR, we were Milo and McBroom. We were acquired five years ago. Uh, so between the two companies, I'm I'm going on 20 years now with them. Um, it's been a great relationship. Um, so agenda is just a quick overview of the existing conditions. Um so previous project involvement as mentioned uh we did the the first track and field not the first but the 1994 design that was before I was there. Then I was involved in the 2011 retrofit to synthetic turf and the track replacement. And then in 2024 we did some master plan studies for the other fields and this facility uh the back of the high school.
Um, and does this then create an opening for director of curric curriculum instruction? That's all. So, it to work backwards from your questions, it does create an opening for director of curriculum instruction that'll be posted tomorrow. Uh, this position is being created because we've had an expansion of early childhood, right? So we go back in the time machine. We uh created we achieved tuition free full day kindergarten which essentially uh doubled kindergarten and we've expanded the two years of uh preschool right three and four year olds increasing our both our enrollment and the operational management needs of our district. Uh, Miss McGullik's been doing that work for since the inception of those changes. Um, it is not a sustainable situation for a district our size. Uh, for example, there's a district smaller than ours locally that added this year. So, this is a desperately needed position and um we'll be able to write off a higher percentage of her salary to the uh preschool expansion funds as a result.