And so if they can't manage it, then something is not being managed well. And that's why I step forward for this one. >> Okay. Thank you. Appreciate you. >> Okay. Um there are no further testimonies. Are going to ask uh the nominee Christie Mimi. Um and she is on Zoom with us. And Christie, would you like to begin with opening remarks and then we'll open it to questions by the members? >> Sure. Um, I've been a chair for the past year and a half. Um, we've been working really hard when I when you look at the revised statutes of what we need to do when we're talking about licensing. Um, we have licensed, you know, all of the all of the applicants that have applied. We're supposed to do review of 120 applicants. Um we actually review all of them. Um any any applicant that comes through.
So we're still under 1%. But a 1% growth in 6 months that we're not expecting is is something that to consider. I think this is extremely important so that you understand that even though students may not be in the seats, we are still responsible for them because they are our kids, right? Parents pay taxes, they live in the city, they're you know, they could be they can get any program that they need here. All right, so we're responsible. Those tuitions are higher than our pure per pupil spending here. It's just the way it is, okay? And we're responsible for that. The the the interest the most interesting thing with charter schools and private schools or academies and whatnot is that we get an adjustment number in January. So January will come, we'll get a bill, but we don't know what that bill is yet. So that's another hey, it's January welcome because that's the beginning of the fiscal year, right?
They are also preparing for upcoming StuCo elections and recently held a prom assembly on March 13th to generate excitement. Finally, at Sundown, students are continuing to build engagement across campuses with their March 27th field day bringing students together through fun and competition. They are planning a spirit week following spring break to maintain that energy while also participating in the Surprise Founders Day parade to stay connected with the community. Looking ahead, they will host a blood drive on April 22nd reinforcing their their commitment to service. Across all of our campuses, students continue to demonstrate leadership, school pride, and a strong commitment to both their communities and one another as we approach the end of the school year. Thank you. All right, thank you. Good job, Ben. Next item, Superintendent update. Thank you, Dr. >> President. Uh couple uh thank yous tonight. So, uh as you know, we had the Festival of Arts on March 7th.
So, I'm very proud of the girls on that. Also, this is a a point that the girls can take some real satisfaction in it. This team took us to the state meet for the 20th consecutive year in a row, which is a new ICGAA record. So, so we're very happy with >> [applause] >> We also hold the second highest number of total appearances at 30 years and only 2 years behind Valparaiso. So, we're very proud of that as well. I you might keep an eye on coach Freshour. She said keep it brief. So, if you see this or see this, please let me know. I will move on to just the introductions. Like I said, Sandy Freshour and I have coached for many many years. She started here, I believe it was in 85, I believe. 86. So, she's got a mere 40 years in the program.
If neither of these situations happen, uh, Senator Noble will be forced to make significant cuts to remain open within the current budget constraints and that's it for me. >> So, the rationale behind that is to give you folks out there some common talking points about why we're talking about the things we are. Um, we are about to go into a breakout session. So, what's going to happen is a board member uh or an administrator is going to join your table. The facilitators at each table, you raise your hand. So, at each table, there's a facilitator and a noteaker. And the facilitators are going to try to keep us on task uh and on time. You you're going to have about six questions to process through and discuss. And I want to reiterate again, you can talk to the board members. They are going to listen.
>> Okay. So, that's okay. All right. So, >> do you um >> Go ahead, Ch. >> Uh Chris, have you seen the uh estimate we got from Beals and Thomas. >> Yes. Uh we've reviewed it with the applicant and we we think it's reasonable to move forward. We we we find it acceptable and uh we we'd like to engage and get this moving. So we're we're amendable to it. >> Okay. All right. Good. >> Okay. So we're just looking for a a motion to approve Beals and Thomas is the peer review. Well, is everybody seen it and comfortable with it? >> Read it. >> Okay. >> Everyone on commissioners online were >> they're okay with the proposal from Beals and Thomas. >> And for the benefit of the public, we have two peer reviews here. This is for the wetlands peer review. Previous uh previously approved peer review was for storm water.
We have a couple new faces on defense. Julia Freese is on there. We have also um Is it Kendall Westland making a a jump in there this year? She was on the team last year, but really had a starting role this year. She's played dynamite last game. She's a heck of an athlete and uh she's going to make a big impact. We had Last year, we we had a big loss when we got when we graduated Vanessa Thompson, got shooting space, and Unfortunately for Norwood there, they scored on the play, but it was waved off before, so it's going to be a free position shot for Norwood coming in here. Alana Duffy. Get set. See the shot here. 8 m. Big stop by Alana Duffy. >> Well done. Right over to Peyton Tripp. Peyton Tripp gets it up to 12. It's going to be We've got a couple of substitutions in the game for Ashland as well up at attack.
So we have 20,000 uh license licenses in Hawaii. Um we look at what we're supposed to do. Part of our mission also is uh to uh do reviews with the EPS, the educator prep programs. So we've been working as well with uh the educator prep programs. Um, so when we're talking about I I would like to address some of the issues that um people are bringing up um when they talk about the Hawaiian what's going on with the Hawaiian work group. We've actually had multiple meetings with the Hawaii work groups to get um input from them in terms of their recommendation for the standards. So that was supposed to be on the March um the March meeting um that got postponed. Um so we have the recommendations from them. We go to them as content experts. We you know obviously our board is not um knowledgeable about Hawaiian studies.
So January's rough. We get the new increase in health benefits, we get the increase in charter schools etc. Just to kind of throw a number out of for you, any type of aid we get, any type of money or whatnot, 10% right off the top is is basically set aside for charter schools. 10%. Okay, so just just kind of keep that in your mind when we're talking about all these things. All right, it's a little fuzzy, but again, those will be posted. Our goals remain the same. We've added a lot of great things here the last 2 years including some academies, but we want to maintain the core mission which is education. Okay? And that's curricular and extracurricular. People think extracurricular is just sports and stuff. No, kids sitting in a cafeteria eating learning how to socialize is also extracurricular. It's also very important. All right, all those things are important.
Another wonderful event. Uh we want to thank Danae Marinelli on a uh coordinating another super event. She She is fabulous at that and I think we need to publicly thank her for everything that goes into that. It's amazing event and looking forward to next year's. Uh this last Saturday, uh we had free physicals, our second uh annual free physicals held on Saturday here at Valley Vista in conjunction with Dignity Health and I want to thank our uh lead athletic trainer, Selena Felton, on uh organizing that along with our assistant superintendent, Mr. Craig Musey. Um about over 250 athletes received free physicals from the doctors in the community getting ready for our sports uh for next year. So, I just want to say shout out to them and great job, and we will continue to expand that. Uh one update tonight, um before you a couple months ago was uh Shadow Ridge High School senior, Nicholas Snyder, who was a um National Merit semi-finalist.
I was I started in here in 80 82 83, but left for overseas for a few years and didn't get back in until the beginning of the 90s. So, we've coached together for 35 years. So, pretty [laughter] amazing when these girls sometimes if they start not being very respectful, I say girls, I've got t-shirts older than you and I'm not kidding. I do Also, Michelle Escher joined us this year. Michelle is there and and she has been a long time judge. She has coached also at various high schools, but when Claire was unable to come back, Michelle stepped in and she's brought a really good perspective with her years and years of judging experience. So, we really appreciate the fact that she was able to help us out and come do that for us. I'm going to introduce the girls and I've asked them just to raise their hands.
They may ask you clarifying questions. If you ask them questions, if it's something simple like, you know, what do you think? They're they're probably going to just not answer. They're going to just say, "Hey, we're here to gather. I don't want to do that." Remember, they're a board. One person's opinion doesn't carry much weight. Okay? They they have to function as a board. So, they're going to gather information. Now, the other thing that's going to happen is they're going to think and listen for themes that people are talking about. And our notetakers, our noteakers, raise your hand. So, if you're a notetaker each day, well, you're going to listen for themes and those themes are going to be recorded. All right? And the board members and the administrators are going to listen for themes that are recorded. At the end of the meeting, when we're done with our 30 minutes, we have about 30 minutes to talk through these six questions.
Um, so they're two separate peer reviews. >> Yeah. And you looking for a motion? >> Can do I hear a motion to accept the proposal for be bills and Thomas as the wetland peer review for 10 to 60 Main Street? >> So move. >> Second. >> Roll call vote. >> Aim. I >> roll. I >> Crouch I >> Hackinson I >> Molton I >> I >> W's I. So the motion passes and the Beals and Thomas peer reviewer for the wetland portion of your NOI is approved. >> Excellent. Thank you. And um just just as another question for the commission, I know we had discussed at the last hearing about potentially setting up a short call with Bowler and GCG before they initiate their review. Um we were wondering if that's still amendable with the commission and potentially do the same with Bills and Thomas, maybe a joint call or we can have a separate call with them just to kick this off to explain the project and then let them do their review.
We've been laying early in the game. Trying to pick up that number over there. I can't see it on the right attack, but ooh, underhand shot. Nice stop by Alana. Way to get down on that ball. Alana's going to outlet it right to whoever that person is. I can't really read their name. I think that is >> That is Celia Callahan. >> Celia Callahan. There we Did a good job on the clear. Got that right out to Erin Hickey over there. Now it's a leading early. Nice look to Alana. Well done. Look at that. That's how you run a fast break down. That was beautiful. That's an assist to Early after Lily Vidigonis. So Looks like Norwood's going to go and call themselves a time out, try to regroup here. 4 minutes >> 10 seconds left in the first quarter, down four nothing already to to Ashland.
So we do go to them. We have um I believe over 20 participants on that as HSTA is also a part of. We do have a HSTA member on there. So, I'm a little confused when um people are questioning um why we're not doing well. We've had multiple meetings. We've also had other work study groups with the uh CTE, the career and tech ed. So, we've really refined a lot of that in terms of the standards that they need to do. Um, so we've put a lot of the uh the we've put a lot of things in place to make sure that we're doing what we need to when we talk about standards. Um, for the teacher apprenticeship, we just I was just at a conference where, you know, they were talking about uh Texas and I know that was one of the states where they're using a lot of emergency hires and they lowered the bar.
So we want the English language arts, math, science etc. etc. All those things that we've talked about um at length every year even before I've been here. And those programs continue to do well. I can't wait to get up here when QSC comes back because we said we have some really good stuff to report on QSC. I'm very excited. Teachers, administrators have done an incredible job here and support staff. Uh we're continuing to advance the academies and different programs. We're we're working on more CTE cooperative technical education programs, right? Or cooperative business education programs. The ambassador program that we put in this year is going to be something that's incredible for the community and for these kids that are going into leadership roles in the colleges. Schools that have ambassador programs, those colleges look at those kids first. Some of the elite schools in the state and around the country, those kids get picked for the Ivy Leagues.
Well, I'm happy to tell you he has moved on to the finalist stage. Um so, uh as I told you before in in that when we introduced him, that's about 1.3 million high school juniors that get uh in the entire country that get a chance they take that, um and then 16 uh thousand of those 1.3 million are into the semi-finalists. Um he is now into 6,900 of that uh and we are hoping he gets that big money cuz it's a big money, and that's going to come out in the spring. So, congratulations to Nicholas, and I will uh keep you updated if he wins the prize at the end. So, I'm sure he will. He's a wonderful kid. Um and last couple uh heads-ups that are coming, Dysart Hero Award Dinner coming up on April 22nd. Again, uh Renee and her staff has been working extremely hard to put that on where we're going to recognize our Dysart Heroes as well as the Dysart Education Foundation Scholarship Night uh where we award all our seniors with some scholarships to move on in education.
We Our manager, Katie Castaneda, is here. Raise it up so they can see you. All right. We have some JV gymnasts. Quinn Carr is sick today. She was unable to make it. Kyla McGee, Elsa Murray, Kaori Takahashi and they were they've worked real hard and they're going to be part of that team moving forward and hopefully we'll get more experience and enjoy the varsity squad. All of our varsity gymnasts were actually part of the state team. They were following girls were alternates. Addy Gill, who also was sick today was unable to do it. Evie Richards was our floor exercise alternate and Megan Young was our vault and bar alternate and she's a freshman. Megan, you put your hand up. They can see you. Okay, thank you. All right. And then the competitors and and these are the girls who deserve the credit for where we ended up.
At the end of that time, we will then uh come back up here. We'll reconvene as a as a big group. We'll report out some things maybe that we heard, but the main themes to be reported will be reported and reported out tomorrow online. You may get some of the same information today as you get tomorrow, but our idea today is to hear your questions and try to answer them and to get things your feelings about what we should be doing. I do want to be clear on one thing. Notetakers are not writing down who said what. They are not writing down who said what. They're simply writing the themes to try to get the big ideas what it's talking about. So notetakers, you don't need to know who said it. You just need to know what they said. All right. Are we clear on the expectations?
>> When you say a joint call, what do you mean? I don't know if it would be worthwhile to have a call with Beals and Thomas, Bowler, Lucas Environmental, and GCG to we can present the facts to them and and then they can start their review. You think it would be useful or if not at least Boulder would like to meet with GCG in person or virtually to start their review before they start it. >> What um I have a question. What's what's the purpose of this? This is no one has ever requested that in my tenure on the conservation commission that the peer reviewer meet with the applicant prior to beginning their work. >> Uh just to provide a little history how we got here, what we've done with the design, point out some, you know, um the major issues, the concerns, how we designed the project.