And when parents have experiences with that, I know teachers who really care and love teaching don't want that to be the narrative. And we hold each other accountable as teachers. Teachers and and sometimes we don't always know what's happening in in our neighbors classroom. But I think once again coming back and resolving these problems and then we appreciate you bringing it to our attention. So what we do is when we have these committees, we can talk together and our teaching staff and our professionals and our community can agree that that's a waste of valuable time. And so you know sometimes and I as a teacher I was guilty once in a while too where when I was a younger teacher I thought giving kids free time was like a reward or something that was a little bit of a break. But then when you realize I I don't remember who said it but you know the last week and a half of school can become a zoo.
I realized so I taught the first day of school all the way until the second to the last day of school because I noticed as soon as I gave students free time they're going to do all the things you don't want them to do. And then if we're allowing them so and those are conversations once again as we're striving for excellence that I want us to have with our teachers and our community. So we can we can state what that yellow jacket profile is, what we expect of our students, and what we expect of ourselves. And those are definitely things we want to take a look at and not have that be who we are as a school district, >> right? No, I love my teachers who my kids have. I I love them. They're they're great and they do strive for excellence. That was just something that I had had noticed.
The other thing is is I don't think most of your parents know that this meeting is going on because I didn't know this meeting was going on until like a couple weeks ago when I ran into a lady who knew it was going on and said, "Hey, you should come. You should come." It's not put out there. It's not widespread. We're not getting the emails. We got emails on the bus 9 cancellation. I got email, text message, and a phone call about that and so did my husband. But a district meeting, we have no clue. And so I think, you know, maybe that's something when we do a community survey to ask questions. I think asking how people um take uh or receive information the best what's the best way for people to receive information because I know um based on the feedback we've had, we've tried to be real communive and put it on the marquee and put it out on social media and put it out in different places.
Um, and so we're we're really striving to do that. And if we're falling short, we want to know how the community receives information. And some some people might need a um an oldfashioned flyer. Um because as we talked about, if computers aren't being effective that, you know, um having flyers printed out and those Yeah. So, those are things we definitely want to communicate because I know we've we tried to get it out on lots of different sources, but um if people still aren't getting the message, we want we want to do a better job communicating that. >> Thank you for that feedback. >> Can I say something about what she she just mentioned? I think I think what she's saying is she got multiple communication from the school about a bus route that probably didn't affect her. Email, text, phone call, but when it came to the open public meeting, people are having to rely on either social media or the marquee.
So why are they not getting the same form of communication about something more important that affects a whole diff that the whole district instead of just a certain class of people? >> Yeah, and that's a good question and I think probably every district that I've been in um which is not not an excuse that that's the way it's always been. We know that that's not a good reason for anything, but you know, board meetings are typically posted on the website and they have paper postings in the public areas. But, you know, I think that's something we could take a look at doing is getting those out on email and getting those ahead of time. And and >> my suggestion would also be to make I keep turning >> to make it very specific. come to the meeting so you know about the bond not the governing board of LNLP QR maybe just simplify the language to say exactly this is what we're going to do that would grab the attention and go oh that's what they're going to talk about because I think people that don't participate in this may think that they can't participate in it you know and I think if you leave it more open and simple just couple sentences and on the whole book and chapter and verse, they might just go, "Oh, yeah.
I need to be there. It's about my kids." Period. >> Oh, thank you. And we we found out the hard way with this meeting because we were going to call it a town hall meeting and then everybody was asking if it was going to be at the town hall. So, we were like, "Okay, let we we'll rename it a study session." So, we, you know, we're we're taking feedback. We make mistakes as well, and we we appreciate opportunities to get better. So, thank you guys. We're not through. Anybody still want to say something? I just like to say I I appreciate everybody that's been here. Years ago, I heard a a guy say, you know, the grass grows greener where you water it. And I think everybody here tonight is watering the grass. Uh you're not walking away from it. You're willing to give it the extra effort to make things happen instead of walk away from it.
So, I appreciate everybody that's come and the things that you've said. they're all taken into consideration and I'm sure it's I'm sure it's going to go a long ways. Appreciate it so much. Anyway, keep keep coming. Keep those comments coming. Like I said, we we're here till everybody's through. >> I have I have a couple more questions as a new board member and also as a parent. So, enlighten me. And you may not know the answers to this, but with the bond, um, are the funds specifically tied to an itemized list or can that shift? >> Itemized list. Okay. So, do we already have controls in place that will prevent re um reallocating funds after approval or what does that look like? My experience is if it says it has to be spent there, it has to be sent spent there and the money is put in the fund until it's spent for that specific item.
>> Okay? >> It can't be spent somewhere else. So whatever whatever gets the money gets spent on was in the initial uh presentation to the board that they voted on. And whether it somebody didn't pick it up or not, I don't that's their fault. Uh but all those funds were specifically earmarked for each item. >> So >> legally has to be that way. >> When will we get that if we decide to move forward? When does that itemized list come? >> Well, I don't know. >> Right. >> When we get that, >> we h we have to before we can vote on it, we have to have it specific. So it needs to be presented to us by the faculty and the administration. >> Okay. >> So we can vote on it and change it whether we need to or not. >> Yeah. So, next month at the board meeting, we should have that prepared.
>> So, it sounds like a lot, you know, from the community that people have questions and concerns on on oversight, too. So, I mean, is there something going to be in place um on how the spending is going to be, you know, tracked and reported to the public already or how does that look? >> Go ahead, Courtney. our financing system. So we use um visions is our is our accounting system and that will track so we have to code things very specifically when we when they come through as requisitions to and then when create purchase orders out of them there are six different coding categories that we have to list them all together. So we it is very specifically listed and so when I and that's how I pulled the information to present tonight too is just going to a very specific code to say these are the this is the amount we've spent so far on this item and then that's that's what allows us to actually pull all of those itemized pieces out and present it to the public.
>> Okay. >> That's also our job as a board to to have that oversight. We we should be looking over the expenditures as well. And so and and Courtney will be doing, you know, reports as, you know, her financial reports as well. And I think in generally a lot of that stuff's listed on the auditor general's website, too, for public to access it. I do think there's after the bond has been passed, I do think there's room for uh an amendment to it. I remember when the track was originally put in, it was black, but it was cheaper. Actually, we wanted to go purple school color, but we couldn't afford the purple track when it got right down to it. So, it went black the first year. We had a black track and then the next time when we had money, we upgraded it to what it is now because the original installer, I mean, two years later, it was bubbled.
It was terrible. So, um anyway, so yeah, I think there's room for an addendum and a and a and a change, but it has to be voted on by the board. It can't just be uh written in to another if I'm not mistaken. Yeah. One more. Hello, my name is Merlin Larson. I live here in Blue Ridge. Um, that was supposed to be a joke, but nobody laughed. I think everybody's really dead. It's like, okay. Um, so one of the things that I I've heard and I don't know if it's like when I'm usually in committee meetings, if there's something that's been said, I usually like, okay, that's been said. I don't think I need to say it. But sometimes it takes in these kind of forums multiple people saying the same thing to be able to say, okay, maybe that's more of a group consensus as opposed to one outlier.
Does that make sense? So that's the only reason why I'm bringing up a couple of things. Number one is is with regards to this. You've heard it a couple of times. There's a little bit of distrust. I think I I look up at you and I think I'm grateful for you. I think you're amazing, wonderful people. I look at our teachers, they're amazing. Our coaches, our administrators, I think they're great. Um, I think there needs to be and and you don't have to respond to this, more focus on getting community input. Being willing to say, I don't have the answers, let's get some input. One of the things that I would uh have asked is do we have any professional kind of advisors that we can take and ask for some consultation some consultants and consult us as to our budget expenditures and other things.
And I'm not trying to say anything bad about anybody just an outside eye outside voice professional paid. Uh I don't want that buzzer to go off. So yell at me, okay, to be able to come in and say we have some guidelines and we've come in and brought in a professional consultant outside. I believe we have a consultant on that's on a retainer right now. And if that's the case and we haven't consulted them and had them go over that that then maybe we need to get somebody else or maybe we need to get them to have some more input or maybe we need to have them consult a little bit more or something with regards to that. So there you go. Community input, being able to have that. I I think there's a lot of mistrust because of other other situations I'm not aware of, but those are my things.
I love everybody, but I also know that there needs to be trust and that needs to have a complete transparency and real clarity with what's going to be used on this. Thank you. >> And we love you, too. We don't hold it against you that you went to Snowflake. So, um uh with with that being said, we do have auditors that come in and that's a mandatory thing that we do and they do go over every all of our purchase. I'll let Miss Hoffmire talk to that um really quick. Got it. and and you know the auditors actually they do give us best practice type things. We don't have a a hired consultant um for our business. Miss Hoffmire is part of professional organizations such as ASBO where they go and and they talk about best practices for for business. Um but but yes, thank you.
And those are things if if you hear me more than a few times speak in public, I want to be as efficient as we can in the district. And that's that's very important to me. And I'm a taxpayer of the community, too. And I'm not going to vote for things that I think are unnecessary. And I'm sure not gonna ask our community to vote for things that are unnecessary. Just I don't I don't think it's fair to add taxes to people. I just am looking at cooling towers and different components and and hope that we can fix those just to have a um once again have a functional school district. Not fancy, but a functional school district. And you know what? As far as the trust thing, and I've heard that lots of times, and all I'm asking is my first year, give me a chance.
Give me a chance. and allow me to um do the best I can with our our students of our community. And I will tell you, I will love our kids in our community and I will love our community and our teachers and our adults. And I will do everything I can to make this school district an amazing place that you guys are proud of. And it's hard to say that in the first year because because organizations I've been in as a principal, as a teacher, as other it takes a little bit of time to to get that culture as a it's a mindset. It's a it's an organizational mindset of excellence and it starts with it starts and ends with me. But I can't do it alone. It takes everybody including you all. And so I hope you guys can give me that trust and that I will be fiscally responsible and efficient with the money if the community trusts me with that.
and um and just know that my um my intention is to do my best and to be transparent and to communicate with folks and to empower our teachers to just have an amazing district that we can be proud of. So, I'm hoping that um you guys give me that opportunity. More comment, questions from the board. any anything you've thought of that you'd like to share, Michael? >> Bridget, >> I I just have to say I did not vote for the last school bond either for for various reasons, but I will and I've said this the whole time to my sister. I I will give the benefit of the doubt this time and and see how that moves forward and especially since now that I get to play a part in the backside of it. So I'm thankful for that opportunity and yeah, you have my vote.
>> Siliana, sorry. >> That's all right. I just like to say that um I was one of the whiners that sat at home and said, "Why are they doing this? Why aren't they doing that? that and um my loving husband said why don't you shut your mouth and do something and just like that and that's how I feel everybody that's here everybody that takes a risk and opens their mouth and says something to us with the potential of oh how are they going to receive it thank you for doing anyway because you're speaking your truth you're speaking what you know and that only helps us to make the best decisions that can be made and I'm proud to be on this board because I can say from the top, Jonathan down, everybody's transparent. You have a question and you want the answer, you're going to get it whether it's answer you want or not.
And I feel like the board members on this board are that way, you know, on down the line. So, thanks for taking the risk for speaking up and telling us what you think. Appreciate it. >> Does take a lot of courage to stand up and and speak your mind. appreciate all of that. Here we go. >> Thank you. I'm Ally Brandon and I felt like Bridget when you said it just now of oh, I want to give the benefit of the doubt especially because I'm on the back side. I think that's what we all want to feel. So when we talk about when is the list going to be there or prioritizing it to deciding how big of a bond can we ask the community, my biggest question is when are you going to ask the community what we want on that list? Not when are you going to present it and ask us when do you want us to communicate to you about us presenting our list to you, but instead send that survey out and say this is all the things that need to get fixed.
Because at the very beginning when you said, "Oh, you don't need to convince us." I thought, "You don't need to convince us either. We just have to know that we're on the same team with it." So, if you send out a survey, definitely ask, "How do we want to communicate?" But also ask, "What do you want us to be communicating about? What are your priorities as a community?" And we'll respond. Or at least I will. I can only speak for myself. I'll respond. I want to be on a comm on a committee.