Okay. Thank you, Craig. I appreciate that as a parent. Yeah. Yeah, that's always I mean it's a great new way that make it easier for people to Yeah. Well, and you know, we'll be able to you know, in the past like at enrollment time parents would kind of have to guess what they owed based on what their food service status was the previous year. And so we'd end up having some parents who should be free would pay the whole amount and we'd end up having to Christy would end up having to like send them money, you know, back, you know, and things like that. Uh we'll be able to with this system be able to tell them when they log in it'll say you know, this much and uh um you know, and then we'll we'll talk in future also. We've got, you know, the possibility of if we want to charge an extra charge if you're enrolled in say an art class because of, you know, the materials that you would use.
I don't know if any of you attended that last year but we will have set up a table for each of the students and each of their career or college plans. And ask a mentor to sit down and sign a contract with them and then ask their parents to come and we take lots of pictures of them and then we'll hang those up for graduation so people can see where students are headed. It's my favorite day of the year so I'm really excited about it. We get Barton County actually called and asked if they could come to it this year so I'm really excited about that. College reps if we can get them to come have them come as well. Last year we even had a sports rep come and um with the students. So, excited for that. Our kids are more focused on their senior skip day than anything else I have to talk to them about but it it's a good time.
That's what we were doing. Well, the the employees had incidents where they were no longer allowed to see their provider anymore because that provider did not accept their insurance. And so, that that it's it's saying that you start to we have to look at and say, um was was it worth it, you know? Was it worth it? And but since you're covered on the same insurance, and it and you're going to be affected by it like everybody else, I'm sure you're looking at the coverage as well as you know, and making sure that you have the same coverage and and but just that's just a little concern that I have. We probably remember the board. Um I want to give an hindsight and looking back at it, Virginia, when she was at my finance office 2 years ago, she she was able to get her connected health care and address that specific issue with them in the second year.
You can see there and we also post their weekly numbers on the left side of the screen and they keep passing each other. It's a Velcro strip and they lose their minds when somebody passes them and it's hysterical. But we actually today slotted two more millionword readers. We're at 21. Um, and we Thank you. Um, we um had 21 last year. So, we're looking for for a couple more to to pass so that we can beat our number from from um last year. And I'm hoping with I think we have reading this week. Yes, we have reading this week. Um that after the reading test, they'll be able to kind of ramp that up. Now, with that said, don't change it yet. Duh. Okay. Um, all that reading leads to an increased literacy rate and an increased ability to use and and uh facilitate language since January.
This is something different. This is something more fiscally conservative. This is something that we can easily communicate, in my opinion, to the voters. And I think, in my opinion, has a better chance of of getting a yes vote. I I hear you on the communication, but again, we don't really have a lot of time, right? We're very within our time frame to file the paperwork and get it on the ballot and be able to communicate during the summer and in the fall. And you're pretty confident that this will go. I am pretty confident, yes. >> Okay. I know we've just mentioned the last two bonds, but just worth mentioning, we have not been able to to successfully have a bond pass in 20 years. Something to consider. I mean, I personally would love to see a bond go. I just keep thinking we're throwing money out the door trying to get them.
We've talked about that. We would have we're going to have to do a health life safety bond probably to get that done. It's a small increase to taxes to our local tax base. If this is in place, we don't have to do that. Our taxpayers won't have to pay for the new parking lots. We'll get the money from this and we'll pay for the parking lots. You can if you know we're getting 1.7 million estimated this year, you could feasibly probably safely uh do a project that bonds out at maybe a million dollars so that that you know there's going to be a million dollar a year bond payment. You could be pretty confident I think that we're going to get a million dollars out of this if 1.7's coming in this year. Uh but you got to remember it does fluctuate with the economy.
We gave options. Um do we remain as a co-op knowing that they can't participate or win state series trophies? Uh or do they want to split and we have an OH team and an OE team depending on numbers? Uh and we go from there. Overwhelmingly, the the feedback was to stay as a co-op. All right? What this really tells us is it tells us that that the community really values the fact that we're having these programs and these programs are successful together. And we want to stay that even though we can't potentially win a state trophy. All right? Individual again accolades can be made. Uh but the one exception to all of this came back was girls golf. We will have 11 girls golfers. So, again, low numbers. That's why we co-op. Uh seven of which are from OH last school year, four of which from OE.
Is there any discussion? All those in favor? That motion passes 5-0. Congratulations. Want me to take one? Board members, any comments? >> Um, well, thank you for being such great kids. Um, it we give a light I've been on the board 21 years. Um, and I give away a lot of recommendations, but none of them have the impact that the speech team has, primarily because I get the good fortune to coach um the Avon speech team. Um, and I have uh really enjoyed that time, but I've learned a lot more from you um than I'm sure I've taught each of you. It is a delight to see kids find their voice and to be able to speak with such conviction and such uh grace and um to be uh just so wonderfully representative of our Avon community. Uh so we won it the first year and we thought maybe that was lucky and then we won it the second year and we said no this is a trend and this year we won it and it's a dynasty y'all.
Now, I I on the way here, I noticed I didn't do my math very well under this cost breakdown section. So, I can send you some corrections on that. Um, but so that would would it basically total Covington I'm sorry, Southeast Fountain paying $21,168 and MSD Warren County 7,56 and then Covington $10,584 uh for that half-day program. And the good thing is the state of Indiana then reimbures each school for their students who are enrolled in that particular uh program. So the state will pay $1,197 per student enrolled. So the total cost isn't as high as as what what it shows. Um but really why this program matters is you know we have we have a very robust education professions program and and it's doing great and we are getting right at 50% of our students who are going furthering their education to go into the teaching field.
We are right now below appropriations what we thought we were going to spend. So, we're spending less, which is a good thing. We have about half right now in our education fund $933,903.84. In our operations fund, we have 1,396,674.01. So, we're doing pretty good. Do you have rainy day in? I do not have rainy day in there, but I think we have about two 2,634,000, I think. Um lots of upcoming activities. Um as you guys know, we're coming down to the end of the year. So, um I've going to keep that on your um weekly newsletter, those different activities. Um 4T graduation program coming up May 11th. That's when our next school board meeting is. That'll be at 10:35 in the morning over at the Toyota Visitor Center. Um and then you have graduation on May 23rd at 11:00. And have we already did the uh bleachers out there?
We are not testing reading out start first day, which is a good thing because uh, Cambium uh, had a a glitch where they sent out a panicked email um, stating that we need to pause on testing the state. Um, so we were glad that we did not start uh, I believe most of them are starting next week uh, with testing. Um, the other thing I'd like to thank you for the textbook approval. Uh, the teachers and the principals did a great job of um, really coming together and having input in in what we're doing. Um, and it was a tough decision especially at K3. Uh, they went and we visited some schools, um, had presentations uh, come here to the to the corporate office with teachers and um, so the teachers had a lot of input along with the administrators, but thank you for approving that.
Um cuz people that have coached you understand, especially um being a wife of a of a coach, it's a lot and I uh I appreciate her support. So, um excited, very excited. I think it's a great time right now for Logansport basketball. We got a really good group coming back. Uh and I'm just excited to get this thing rolling in the right direction. And I appreciate the opportunity. Thank you. Thank you very much. How many times will we see you in a sport coat after today? Uh we'll wear them back. We'll wear them We'll wear them on the sidelines occasionally. Yeah, not all the time, but we'll wear them. We'll hold you to that. I I'll I'll I'll take that. We'll wear them, I promise. Congratulations. Thank you. Taking this home. I'm sorry. That was it. >> [laughter] >> Okay, we'll dive into action items.
>> [music] [singing] [music] >> I'm broken and it's beautiful. [singing] When the SHARPEST WORDS WANT TO CUT me down >> [music] >> I'm going to send a flood, GOING TO DROWN THEM OUT. I AM BRAVE, I am bruised, I AM WHO I'M MEANT to be. THIS IS ME. LOOK OUT CUZ HERE I COME. [singing] AND I'M MARCHING on to THE BEAT I DRUM. I'M NOT SCARED TO be seen. I make no apologies. [singing] This is me. I'm broken and it's beautiful. OH. >> [singing] >> OH. THIS is me. When the sharpest words want to cut me down [singing] I'm going to send a flood, GOING TO DROWN THEM OUT. I am brave, I am bruised, I am who I'm meant to be. This is me. LOOK OUT CUZ HERE I COME. HEARTBROKEN AND IT'S BEAUTIFUL. [screaming] Heartbroken and it's beautiful. >> [screaming] >> I make >> [singing] [applause] >> I'm not scared to be seen.
We we would have those opportunities as well. So um but parents would go n- uh go into enrollment knowing exactly what they owe. And for uh you know, we can uh we'll be able to decide this as a district, but you know, uh like for enrollment we can set it to where parents can make payments toward their enrollment. So if they can't pay that whole amount at one time uh it we'll deduct from that if we choose to say allow uh allow partial payments. Um for some of those parents who need a kind of a payment plan that can be put in place. Great. Good work. Thank you. Anything else? Good. Anything more from Europe? We continuously see a lot of activity out of Wildcat Athletic Complex. It's that time of year where it's warm and people want to be outside and doing a lot of different things.
Um the other thing I have on here is Excel and CTE classes at Barton County. I wanted to just kind of show you. We've talked about this in the past and I'm sorry I didn't get this attached to the agenda today but these are the programs that the students are eligible to take in the fall. And so I just kind of wanted to let you know about this opportunity. So, they have they run two different sessions. They have an afternoon session which you can see is plumbing, construction tech, and welding. And then on the other side they have a morning session which is ag mechanics and then construction technology, plumbing, and then welding. Um so, the way those run is the morning sessions would run so that the students could complete the certificate program within that semester. So, if for example we had someone enroll in the construction technology within I'm sorry, within the fall semester they would be able to complete the the 18 credit hour certificate program for example at Christmas time.
I believe that everyone will know. You you wanted to call the 14% compared to others like Iowa, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Illinois, and so she was able to get working agreement with her so the second one that we have is title 40% So, this is just to see what this is like. The agreement and the title is input about using that savings. So, she was able to get ready for the 27 28. What I mean is this this this is impossible. I don't have any venture. So, that's part of the venture but you are part of the venture too. So, it does affect you so My good luck. I don't have any venture. You can move. The next item we have is the report on the football team expense and disbursement. Um yes sir Mr. President and the board um I have some information that I'm going to present but I'm going to give it to you all in sequence.
These are the words they've created. Go ahead. [laughter] >> Fish sticks. This is what it's like to be on an elementary school campus >> during the food competition of mobile. Yeah. >> Oh, I want a copy of that. Are you going to cut your can we cut your because um if you don't know for the million for not for their reading goal challenge if they garnered 300% of their reading goal this last quarter they were able to throw a pie at me while I was taped to a wall. Um but they didn't want that. They wanted as one um one fourth uh one sibling of a fourth grader said he wants to cut your face grass um my beard. And so, um, I'm like, "No." [laughter] And so, my oldest son is 27 and he's never seen me without a beard, and you're not going to either.
And it's very frustrating. I hear you, but did you have that feeling last year, too, or no? I was concerned then, too. That's why we voted hoping that with the L and M and the bond, everything we've asked for is necessary and needed. So, now we're cutting back things that we do need that we're still going to try for the schools. I'm not questioning that. But at the same time, we're still reducing items that we needed that were critical, as well. Oh, we did Sorry to interrupt. We did do public session where we did for capital spending and there was a 5-year and a majority of those items of now all of them were part of the original bond. So, there's a road map for 5 years. >> at cuz I'm sorry, I don't recall a meeting on when you're saying that there was a meeting on this.
So you wouldn't want to do a bond for one and a half million thinking you're going to get 1.7 every year. You might not. But you could do something and be safe about a million dollar bond that would our taxpayers wouldn't have to pay. It would come strictly from these funds. So if you ever had to do an addition or anything like that, uh this you could use these funds to do that without going to taxpayers and raising their taxes, their property taxes. Okay, I think I have there's a lot of slides here. I'm just trying to make sure I got all the information. When you see this slide here, this is this again shows big hollow 1.7 million. You'll see the distribution amongst all the school districts in Lake County. Um the first page is elementary districts. Then you'll see some uh unit districts.
So, that came back as the only only co-op that really truly says we would like to separate and form our own teams. Now, um that could be a discussion in the future, but right now we think it's still the best interest of of everyone here to continue as a co-op with girls golf as well. Can I ask a quick clarifying question? Um with low numbers, I know that the um 80% re- for for example, 80.5% percent of respondents prefer to remain a cooperative team at this time with low numbers. The other option would then be to not have a team? So, you would you would have a team. You would form two separate teams. >> But if you don't have enough numbers to >> So, th- this is why >> try and Yeah. Th- this is >> more numbers. >> it really becomes and we've got a number breakdown of how many OH students versus OE.