Any opposed? Thank you very much. And agenda item number 10, uh request for future agenda items. Are there any agenda items that any board member would like to put on a future agenda? Okay. As always, if anything comes up or if you'd like to discuss a future agenda item, feel free to reach out to myself or Dr. McCord and we'll make sure that that we get those put on the appropriate agendas. Board reports. Uh I don't have anything to report from the audit committee tonight. City of Mesa liaison, Ms. Murray? >> Nothing to report. >> Thank you very much. Employee Benefit Trust Trust Board member, Mr. Jesse Brainard? >> Nothing to report. >> Thank you, Mr. Brainard. Gilbert Education Foundation and Town of Gilbert liaison, Ms. Jill Humphreys? >> There are couple things coming up in the town, so I would check their website. They have some collaborative and um feedback type situations that that community members can attend and give their feedback on future um planning.
If this is truly a priority it is sort of we missed the window for for the '27 budget. As we start talking '28 budget, we start talking about the potential for overrides and things like that. You know, how do how do we get how do people mobilize to do things like that? You know, Alan and I can't be involved in that from a political standpoint. >> Right. But, you know, you know, it's it's having those when I Alan and I were at the town meetings, there weren't masses of people standing waiting to fight for the budget, right? There wasn't a line outside the door. They didn't have to go to a bigger forum because they couldn't fit all the people. It was just us with some other town officials talking about the budget. I mean, I I it takes, you know, that that that needs that needs to happen.
I've said this before in number four, every superintendent, if you don't have a really, really, really good business manager, you're gonna fail. And I have no problem saying that. U we're very fortunate to have Mrs. Robbins at at the helm of our business department. And this has been a a tough job for the business manager because we, as you know, we brought staff from the the town that were doing school board work for the town. We brought them into our office and and this wasn't easy, but she's created a team down there that has just done a a wonderful job. So, we're we're really fortunate to have an outstanding business manager as Mrs. Robbins. We've made really good progress on expanding all our efforts for the grant, the Commissioner Network grant, which we've been talking about, the DRIP grant, um that we know that we're going to receive $84,000 this year, which some of it is already being utilized, but we'll receive $84,000 next year.
What what do we do then? Like how how does that work in the calculus of this decision? >> So the legislative session is over and they can change the mill rate and I believe that's what they're doing um today. >> I think that's right. >> So you know um I think there's going to be a lot of pressure. I mean, we're chump change at one and a half million compared to what a lot of towns are taking. So, I think there'll be a boatload of legislative pressure next year to um kind of quote fix the ECS system um to ensure that there's more money coming back to towns. Um >> the the plan for a current year. >> Okay. So then basically the town council will say, "Great, we have another 1.2 or 1.5 or whatever it is." They'll lower the mill rate, but they're not going to put this 300 back in and and we have to handle that with this.
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Um, one of our students, it's not on there because we just received his results, but it was taken in April. Um, he received a 31 in the math component of the ACT, which is actually a really good score and his composite was pretty decent. So, and those are the school highlights. Just the testing. It was testing month. So go ahead, Aaron. >> And on a side note, just while we're waiting, um we did honor the juniors today for showing up during the ACT almost that first. So the first we have a ACT test day and then we had the makeup day. Um, we had one student who did not show up on the first time and then he came in when he could and then it was 100% the quickest and it's again the first time that's happened on our campus. Mhm. Thank you, Miss for the report.
>> I'm just worried that people aren't going to look into that and just see, oh, 50 million and go, no. >> Well, I think we need to say, you know, how much it's going to cost people >> and what you're going to get for it. >> It's in it's in the resolution. >> Yeah, exactly. And so I I think you bring up a couple good points, Margaret, where I I would agree that one of my concerns is is that if we went for a lower amount, we'd be able to fix things >> halfway. And I think >> and I think that's what happened in 2016. And I think some of the things that I'm hearing now, right, wrong or indifferent, were that didn't we fund that in 2016? But I think since the lower amount was agreed upon, it wasn't a comprehensive thing. And when you have two systems working together, I just think if the one's not fixed and the other one is, it wears out other one.
This could be a a twoyear, it could be a threeyear. Um, moving those funds doesn't doesn't change our budgeting capacity. It just reallocates where we were budgeting it from. Um, scroll on now to the next one. Capital monies redirected operations. Again, that that money that we transferred at the beginning of the school year from capital into M, you know, we won't be doing that any longer. But I bring you this tonight. This is just a discussion item. So I'd be more than happy to to discuss anything that is in this document with any of you. >> I have a question. One of them you were talking about the par profofessionals. >> Yes. >> And the special needs students. Are you suggesting that we would reduce the number of par profofessionals working with those students? I'm saying maybe we need to reook at how they're allocated.
We all have different needs, we all have we're moving in different directions. I don't know many other elementary school districts that have Amira, which I think is amazing. Um so there's a lot of like new awesome things that we're doing here. What are we using as what we're learning to make sure that in the next years when we have everybody in front of us, new teachers returning and new ones, that that's being a set expectation and they're being taught on how to dissect a data or a pretend workshop. I don't know what that looks like, but you know, I love what we've done in the past years, but it's been the same repetitive same breakout sessions, same thing. And I I I I appreciated last year's cuz we were a little bit more student outcomes focused governance, but how's that evolving, too? And I know it has a little bit of I'm I'm going down a weird path that's not really directed to this, but it it's kind of intertwined, right?
So, I would I would check that. I just wanted to report on a couple things that I was able to attend and about a week ago Thursday, I think it was April 30th, I attended the uh School Connect breakfast for School Champions in which they gave their awards. And I wanted to give a special shout-out to Bob Allen of Highland High School, a teacher that does the service uh learning classes. He and I talked um at the breakfast. He was a finalist for the um for the I don't remember the one that honors teachers. I'm sorry, I don't remember the title of the award, but uh we were talking and um we share the same philosophy. This is your last chance for free education. Stay all day your junior year and senior year. That was our advice to students that um anyway, he he runs the service learning class and so helps uh students get out in the community and into our schools volunteering and so was recognized as one of the finalist.
And to that point, like the MASC video talked about a particular timeline and starting very early. So, I I would like to at least have Tracy come and talk to us maybe at the next meeting if there's room about school committee's involvement and what is acceptable and what's not because I think the conversation has to be started very early. And and I >> Yeah, that sounds like a future agenda item. >> And I'd love to get like a Michelle Griffin uh who works for the Department of Education and look at our regional agreement. I'm a little concerned here, right? So, we we in the future, right? You don't pass a budget, but the the people in particular, parents in particular, towns say, "We're going to fund it this way, right?" And we're going to give money this way instead of passing the I I just think we got to be careful of how we we do all that.
Also, you know, as you know, we have the referendum on Thursday and this administration and I believe the board presented a a budget that really looked at balancing the needs of the community and understanding the fiscal responsibilities, but also most importantly aligning with our strategic plan. We did reduce staff uh teachers and non-certified relative to our overall enrollment, learning environment and belonging. I always say that if you don't have a good environment, student achievement won't rise. The district has actively implemented monitoring school climate plans. Um very exciting that you were able to see students talk about this at the high school, the middle school. you saw CIS students talking and I'm pretty confident that Mr. Ary is going to put students uh in front of you to talk about the the climate and what they're doing and and we've done a really good job working with Edvance under Mr.
Okay. >> Correct. >> Thank you. Um I've been trying to follow all those cave updates, but they were >> dis Yeah, it's been kind of crazy. Um, the second thing that I would like I I don't know the right procedure for this or if we even need a procedure, but I would like to discuss for the finance committee before passing this on to the full board is with the exception of Heather and I, everybody else on this call was part of the board that had to do the same difficult exercise last year where sixth grade Spanish was cut from the budget at a cost of $90,000. And so, you know, Jeff, you and I have talked about this. It's always been something on my radar screen. I think most people know, you know, I I ran small world languages trying to bring foreign languages to students at younger ages.
Ian Reese Madson, cumlaude. [cheering] Paige Colleen Murdoch, Sumakum Laad. >> Connor Joseph Mallerie Dorothy Anne Nogi Sumakum Laudi [cheering] Aa Mandavati Sumakum Lad [cheering] Andrew David Needler Mason Brady Merrill Trista Anna Nukem Sumakum Laad [screaming] Xavier Todd Maxwell Noah James Peter Nukem Malachi Nathan Mcllum Kumlad [cheering] Megan Wen Cody Phillip McDow [cheering] Landon Robert Noble Magna Cumlad Magaline Claire Mintosh Na Cumlad Moira Cassidy O'Neal Nani Michelle Menddees is >> Alexa Judith Ogden Sumakum Laad [screaming] Ariana Jade Meslo [cheering] Brock Landon Oliver Sumakum Laad Cole Andrew Mesmer Brian Joseph Ortiz Suma Cumlad Adam Heru McClian Simakum Lad [cheering] Emily Nicole Peyton [cheering] Payne Everett Mixon Annette Marie Parker Cumla Chloe Grace Moore Magna Cumlad [cheering] Lauraai Alexandra Partridge, Sumakum Laau, [cheering] Matthew Jeffrey Motto, Troy Nathan Perryi, Matthew AC Murray, Jesse Lee Perry Jr., Cumlad Olivia Rose Na Suba Cumlad [cheering] Vincent Scott Pettis Jr. Bridger Michael Nelson, Magnaumlad, [cheering] >> Malia Emma Poe, Avery Alexandria Nelson, Chase Curtis Putty, Magna Cumlad, [cheering] Angelina No Magna Cumlad, Riley Reese Kirk, [screaming] >> Jake Logan Nielsen, >> Axel Omar Ramirez, Batista, [cheering] Trey Michael Nudson, >> Jaden Lee Riberty, Joseph Dit Odell, Sumakum La, Elijah Clark Richards Cumla [cheering] Yuriel Jude Irobo Okal [cheering] >> Jaden Keone Ren [cheering] >> Amina Handi Cumlad >> [cheering] >> Bin Elizabeth Roi, Subacumludy, Samantha Adele Osborne, Eden Sky Rose, [cheering] >> Colin Ryan Palmer, Cumla, William Timothy Roth, Suma Cumlad, Anna Grace Parzik, Sophie Lang, Ruskin, Cumlad, Isaac Kraton, Pereago, Sumakumlad, [cheering] Ianesh, Sorova, Kumlad, Caleb, Lincoln, Petri, >> [cheering] >> Joel Katherine Sergeant Magna Cumlad >> Taylor Renee Philippot Magna Cumlad [cheering] Everett Michael Saxton cumlad Tegan Renee Puma Cade Ellis Schneider cumad Steven Phillip Puglles Sumakum [cheering] Spencer Allan Schold Magna Cumlad Kayla Marie Radway [cheering] Kieran Emanuel Shum Gabriel Steven Abeda Redner cumlad Aiden James Scoville [screaming] August Katherine Raa Sumakum Laad [screaming] Anthony Charles Sarah Jr.
>> Okay. Thank you, Miss Bison. Next up, >> Miss Mazon. >> Let's give it up for Miss Mazon. Good evening, President Buendia, Superintendent Diaz, board members and community, and everyone uh with us virtually. Uh we have a few highlights that um I'd like to go ahead and um look over for everyone to um give um there we go. A congratulations to uh medal placements at MESA compet um competitions and uh we had a great um first year of invest team career fair. It's a grant from ASU. Um so we went over to the rec center and had a great time there um mingling and getting a lot of information from all the people present and um careers and colleges that were there. We also had a great CTE visit over at uh TOCC with Mr. Jackson. Um they had lunch for the kids. They were building things, plumbing, electric you electricians were out there.
So like your engine and transmission are both both going bad on your car and you fix your transmission and not your engine or vice versa. It's going to be maybe that's not a great example. I don't know. No, it is. >> Maybe my mechanical knowledge >> 2006. No, >> excellent example. >> Um, and so I guess my thing is my interpretation of the 2016 bond is it did some really good things, but here we are 10 years later and going on the tour, we were we're in bad shape with things and I think inflation's only going to continue to go up and >> yeah, between the time if we passed it with a lower one and actually spending it, >> it's going to go down. what could have been passed for 30 million I think in 2016 I think going for 15 million >> the problems have come back up and they're they're here pretty strong I think that's why I think going in for the more amount I think if we do the lower my opinion is and I'll respect whatever we decide tonight I'm not going to be upset and I'm going to do I'm going to keep showing up and doing my best job I can every day no matter what no matter if we don't pass the bond you know 30 million 50 million or 120 million at our full bonding capacity.
Not necessarily reducing, but possibly spreading them a little bit further. Um, yeah, a student views a one-on-one aid and it's written into their IEP if they get the one-on-one aid. But students that need just more um emotional support, maybe that's something that could be done in larger groups or something. I I'm just saying that it needs to maybe reimagine how our par professionals are doing their jobs. >> So a lot of times what happens is the number of spent students that we have special needs kids in different grade levels. Last year we lost a large amount of eighth grade special needs students who went to the high school. So we have the parapros. So then we kind of shift them around and we don't necessarily want to eliminate all of them because we always get students in the summer who come in who need one-on-one paras or so we have to kind of it's just a shell game as we wait as we have paras who retire then we try to hold off and not fill those positions.
Cuz we keep talking about new teachers and all these things and they don't know what to do. Well, what are we doing to be preventative for that? Uh well, I I can share Dr. Burgess is planning it with uh Mary Twist and CIA, but as usually planning new teacher orientation, but you're this year Dr. Burgess is planning it. And obviously we want to align it to SOFG. And what we had what had happened in the past is the new teachers, you know how we have the the Wednesday PDs once a quarter, they would only have their own new teacher training. And I can't remember if it was just this last year we or the year before we changed it where they'd go to all the same content training that all the teachers do, and then the new teachers have a separate time where they're working on things that a new teacher needs support in, like classroom management.
Um the other person that I went to see recognized was uh uh Mitzi Kazi, who is a school board member in the Madison school district, and she won the collaborative leadership award for school board members. And since I nominated her for that award, I felt pretty great that um I was able to write well enough to for her to receive that. She's an awesome person and has done a lot. She's served three terms on the Madison school board and is currently the president of the Arizona School Board Association. So, I want to report on that, and then um the other thing I wanted to report on Oh, the other part of the breakfast. It's just It was just such a positive uplifting experience of seeing our public schools being uh applauded for all the hard work that we do across the state. It was really amazing.
There are districts that have certain accounts to fund specific things, but those are you know, I'm not sure exactly how the money goes into them, how the money comes. Sometimes it's a tuition-based program. >> Sure. Sometimes it's things like that. So, I don't want to say that this is doable. I'm just saying to look at that. And I And I think to have Tracy is is a great idea to have her come. I'd love to get like the Michelle Griffins and um What's his name as well, too? Um Jay >> Jay Sullivan come and talk to us about our regional uh budget as well, too, and how it would work. And I think it you know, whenever we're able to get Tracy back or or to educate us, it might be nice to extend the invite to the different FinCom select boards to have a member come and listen, as well.