2026-06-03 Capitol Planning Region, CT YouTube / Video Storage transcript source: youtube BOE Meeting 6 2 26 · passage 61
Susant is making great progress and she's going to fill you in now on the food service update. >> Sure. Thank you. So, we formed the committee back after the April finance subcommittee meeting when we had been speaking about nutrition services at the finance subcommittee. Um, and it really turned into something that we needed to have an offshoot of. So, the committee is comprised of myself, Mrs. Le Chance, Chair Daniels, um Mrs. Robbins, and Dr. Gman, as well as our food service coordinator, um Maggie Dreger. Um and we really hit the ground running. We have met already formally three times, um with myself, Amy, Dr. Gman, and Mrs. Robbins meeting an additional four times at each of the schools. So we've eaten now at Cherry Brook, CIS, CMS, and CHS with the main goal of looking at food services from a holistic perspective and making sure that we're it's equitable, drives um participation and is also mainly financially sustainable.
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2026-06-03 Maricopa County, AZ YouTube / Higley Unified School District transcript source: youtube HUSD Governing Board Meeting June 2, 2026 · passage 62
However, we can have a process to make sure that governing board members are updated about what's happening in that can come forward within a process not necessarily needing a policy change. >> Sorry madam president. So, >> so um first I um you know I appreciate the fact uh what was mentioned earlier that um at times we have been sort of some of all of us some of us have just said things and we proceed with doing that. We should vote on that like we're about to do right here. I uh I appreciate that and I appreciate board member Van Hook writing something down so we can discuss. Um, but going sort of back to the conversation we had uh moments ago, this is something you and I talked about yesterday, and I was fully intent on bringing that up here publicly, as I as I think we should.
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2026-06-03 Capitol Planning Region, CT YouTube / Video Storage transcript source: youtube BOE Meeting 6 2 26 · passage 62
Um so data discovery was our first step and finding out really what we need to do and how we can fix that and make our food services program um more financially sustainable. um and educating ourselves on the issues and challenges that are faced with having food service program in district. Um and we also have had a focus group at each of the schools where we met with uh a small select group of children at Trey Brook, CIS, CMS and CHS. Um and the spectrum of those students were ranging from students who ate the lunch at school every single day to students have who have never even once eaten in um our cafeterias. And we got a lot of really honest feedback which um we will take and we are going to meet June 16th. Um Dr. Gman also provided us with action steps and an action plan that we are going to look at a little bit more in depth and potentially finalize um at our June 16th meeting.
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2026-06-03 Maricopa County, AZ YouTube / Higley Unified School District transcript source: youtube HUSD Governing Board Meeting June 2, 2026 · passage 63
Um, you talked about regulations and procedures. I know a little bit about how curriculum departments work and uh all of this. I uh I would appreciate um not changing the policy and letting Mr. Burkshshire work uh on a cycle. I believe the way this policy uh proposal is presented, it's it's cumbersome. I don't think it's feasible, especially with some of the cuts we've just had to make in our curriculum department. Um and I think there's already a process for much of this to be done. And um for example, I think um item D to ensure that it's in compliance. I I like that's just a given. I mean, that's state law, so it's it seems a little bit a little bit redundant. So I I don't know that we need to change this. I would prefer to just maybe have a report sometime in the future that talks about what you've come up with, what you've seen.
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2026-06-03 Capitol Planning Region, CT YouTube / Video Storage transcript source: youtube BOE Meeting 6 2 26 · passage 63
And then today um we presented to the finance subcommittee um an increase that is mandated um and it's the minimum increase which is 10 cents to um the lunches. So Cherrybrook will go from 375 to 385 as well as CIS 375 to 385. Um and CMS and CHS will go from $4 to10 $410 not $10. So um and that will be for we will present that and vote on that as a full board. Correct. No, >> no, we already done we already did as >> and then um free breakfast. Do you want me to >> and then also for the 27th school year um 100% sure that breakfast will be free. Okay, so that has been finalized that breakfast next year will be free um for all students in the district. >> Thank you. Great report.
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2026-06-03 Maricopa County, AZ YouTube / Higley Unified School District transcript source: youtube HUSD Governing Board Meeting June 2, 2026 · passage 64
Um, but some of these 90 days and three-year cycles, um, I think it's it's it's it's a little bit it's restrictive and we already have these policies and procedures and people that do these things. So, I'm not in support of uh changing the policy as presented. >> President Wade, um, uh, Mr. Birkshshire. I I wanted to make sure um I love the idea of this because I do want us to touch base with our resources. Again, fiscal responsibility. I just always want to make sure that we're touching base with that um bottom dollar. And then yes, the age appropriate. I know some resources, I don't know if many of them, but they are sometimes perhaps like updating. So just making sure that the age appropriateness is in there. I do like the D paragraph. That's a good one. But I really wanted to make sure that this was uh doable.
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2026-06-03 Capitol Planning Region, CT YouTube / Video Storage transcript source: youtube BOE Meeting 6 2 26 · passage 64
Any questions for Mrs. Tucson on the food service situation. >> We wanted to attend that meeting. Are we able to attend it? >> Oh, of course. >> Yeah. It's always open. >> When is it? >> June 16th. >> 11:30. >> I think I'm 99% sure. 11:30. But >> we'll get 100% sure in a second. >> Okay. Um, and if anyone is wondering, the number one across all schools meal was French toast. >> 11:30 11:30 on the 16th is the next food service meeting and that's held on the second floor. >> Okay, let's uh move on uh to curriculum. Mrs. Cerp, this >> Oh, policy. >> Oh, I'm sorry. because there is no policy policy report Mr. We did not meet tonight to start something now to pick it up in September. Didn't seem to make any sense. But as you saw, as you will see in a few minutes, we have lots of policies to close out the year with to approve.
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2026-06-03 Maricopa County, AZ YouTube / Higley Unified School District transcript source: youtube HUSD Governing Board Meeting June 2, 2026 · passage 65
Um [snorts] I'm all about getting the numbers, seeing what what works uh for the teachers and and such like that. That way we can purge the list or just scale it back. What are your thoughts, Mr. Birkshshire or President Sup or Superintendent? Sorry, I don't know who to ask questions to. >> Thanks. I'm going to steal Marcus' thunder [snorts] because we've had plenty of conversations related to that. Yeah. When I when I look at it and the the staffing that we have in order to be able to do this, I do think we need a very cyclical process so that things are reviewed in a meaningful time and in a meaningful way. And I don't have any problem with saying, "Hey, are we spending money?" Ultimately, we want the same thing as you. Are we spending money on a resource we don't need? Right? Like we I don't want that at all.
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2026-06-03 Capitol Planning Region, CT YouTube / Video Storage transcript source: youtube BOE Meeting 6 2 26 · passage 65
>> That'll take us right past 8 o'clock. It certainly will. Okay, great. All right, then. Thank you, Mr. Curriculum, Mr. >> Sure. Um, so I actually am reporting on two curriculum committee and the technology committee. Um we met on 527 for curriculum committee and as we've been talking about a lot lately technology is is a really big um theme. The curriculum committee has been working on it more seriously the end of this year and will be moving into the next year as well. One of the things we found out at our meeting uh last week it was is Matt Mervvis who is the director of AI strategy and innovation at Ed Advance and he is also the co-host of Chat edu which is rated the number one AI and ed educational podcast by Forbes. Um he's going to be presenting at our board retreat in September.
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2026-06-03 Maricopa County, AZ YouTube / Higley Unified School District transcript source: youtube HUSD Governing Board Meeting June 2, 2026 · passage 66
And to be able to review it. I do think that as we look, we can basically mirror some of our adoption things as we're getting back into adoptions where we can take a look and say, "Hey, we're going to address English this year. We're going to address math. We're going to keep going and we're going to address those." So, they're cyclical on how we look at it. We know that teachers, there's been some changes in how we've done supplementals and I think the changes in supplementals have helped slow down some of the implementation of supplementals. when a teacher brings forward a supplemental to us now it's basically saying can I use it next year not can I use it next week >> that's part of our new policies correct Mr. and that and and that has been put out within the last two years as we look at at supplementals and at novels and we run those procedures through our ed services and our teaching and learning curriculum and instruction departments.
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2026-06-03 Capitol Planning Region, CT YouTube / Video Storage transcript source: youtube BOE Meeting 6 2 26 · passage 66
Um and that is super super exciting. I've heard him speak before and he is amazing. So that will be really good to hear. Um and then we also spoke briefly about our district curriculum site where parents can go um to a website for detailed curriculum information and that should be live by July 1st. Correct. >> Um so that that's a really good benefit as well. And then in the technology committee um in your virtual packet online there were a couple of documents there. So we met on 521. Um, we basically went over what I talked about last month that the curriculum committee went over. Um, but we heard about uh, do you know when it was, John, that they surveyed the teachers? Was that in the fall of last year of this year? >> It it was in the spring of this year. >> Okay.
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2026-06-03 Maricopa County, AZ YouTube / Higley Unified School District transcript source: youtube HUSD Governing Board Meeting June 2, 2026 · passage 67
And so, you know, when I look at what what a formal cycle is, yes, I I would be able to come back and propose to you guys a formal cycle and give you an updated regulation because there there does need to continue to have that. And can we strengthen that and make it doable for the personnel that we currently have, you know, people that we would look at handling this is not necessarily the classroom teacher. No, it's it's our teaching and learning department, our curriculum and instruction, our district content specialists because that's part of what they need to do to be able to do it. Again, we have four of them now. We used to have 11. And so, some of that needs to be taken into consideration to make sure that we can fit the demands of what we want. Ultimately, I think we all want the same things.
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2026-06-03 Capitol Planning Region, CT YouTube / Video Storage transcript source: youtube BOE Meeting 6 2 26 · passage 67
So, it was very recently they surveyed the teachers. They discovered three main focus areas where tech and the the tech team can better help um, in the classroom in integrating technology and in helping um, the faculty. And what I asked um Jeff to do is to take those three main focus points and kind of give us a bulletointed list of the initiatives and the specific ways that they've been um working on that. And I think it's very beneficial for all of us board members to know, excuse me, because it is coming up more often in the community. Um and I think it will give us some really good talking points when we're reaching out to the community, when the community is reaching out to us with questions. Um so that like I said is virtually in your packet that you brought. Um and that is basically it.
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2026-06-03 Maricopa County, AZ YouTube / Higley Unified School District transcript source: youtube HUSD Governing Board Meeting June 2, 2026 · passage 68
We want vetted appropriate curriculum used with our children. And if something is there that not, we need to be able to take it out. And if something's not used, we need to be able to take it out. I completely agree with that. And so whether the you as the board want to direct me to change the policy and work on that or if you want me to direct me to change the uh procedure or develop a process that's easier for everyone to understand, I'm good with that as well, but I wanted that to be your guys's decision. [snorts] >> Thank you, Mr. Lassenheiser. Um I wish to express uh gratitude to Bis Van Hook in bringing it up. I think we should have something in place that looks at what we have and where that is. Um I think my concern would be in line probably with Mr.
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2026-06-03 Capitol Planning Region, CT YouTube / Video Storage transcript source: youtube BOE Meeting 6 2 26 · passage 68
>> Excellent. Any questions for curriculum and technology? >> I sorry when the um meeting with the at advanced AI >> that's our um s um I'm sorry our retreat in Okay. Thank you. Yes. >> Should be September 4. >> Yes. Okay. >> Just I'm reading it right Michelle. It looked like that uh Jack and his team would have come up with several uh solutions as he calls them. Yes. that would appear to be saving us a fairly decent amount of money. Am I reading that right? >> Yes, you are. Um and I reported on that last month. The two big ones I think are um the app, the in-house app or program that we put together to track druy to buy that would have been $8,000. We put it together for about 200. Um and then also a program that will track the usage of different apps on different devices.
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2026-06-03 Maricopa County, AZ YouTube / Higley Unified School District transcript source: youtube HUSD Governing Board Meeting June 2, 2026 · passage 69
Glover in that I am resistant to change things uh policy-wise again that are quite restrictive. Where my concerns are and I know some of you have have expressed parts of that um is that we are making cuts and so I struggle writing any kind of policy that has some restrictions in place. For example, in terms of timing that we have to do certain things within a certain year time frame when that doesn't really kind of keep in mind we we may have to be using our supplementals longer than we intend. um we may have to use things not that are inappropriate and all of that. And again to be clear, a lot of the language for the things that uh you have concerns on like being appropriate and all of that is covered in other policies because again to [snorts] Mr. Glover's point, it's the law.
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2026-06-03 Capitol Planning Region, CT YouTube / Video Storage transcript source: youtube BOE Meeting 6 2 26 · passage 69
We're building that inhouse to buy it would cost approximately $36,000. So there are definitely some cost-effective money-saving solutions in that list. That's why I think it's very important for us all to look at. Um and our next curriculum meeting is actually this week. It's on Thursday the 4th 9. >> Okay. Thank you very much.
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2026-06-03 Maricopa County, AZ YouTube / Higley Unified School District transcript source: youtube HUSD Governing Board Meeting June 2, 2026 · passage 70
So we are doing that. So I don't believe that that language needs to be put into yet another policy because again we already have that. that is part of our policy and I'm you know very grateful that we have those policies in place and I think our new process of doing both books and supplemental really will help reaffirm some of those things. Um I'm resistant to to your point the staff we have available to accomplish some of these things like the 90 days from when this policy takes effect. I don't see how that reasonably gets done considering what the next 90 days are. Like I I I just I go I don't think that's realistic. I also go I don't think that we have to do that in any kind of an immediate process for it to have any kind of positive impact or there is no negative impact by us not immediately going through what essentially is a long list of things that have been here for a while.
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2026-06-03 Capitol Planning Region, CT YouTube / Video Storage transcript source: youtube BOE Meeting 6 2 26 · passage 70
Any questions for curriculum technology? Further questions? Okay. Hearing none, we'll go to um CRE, which I've already given you a little bit of an update on that. So we'll move on to the insurance committee. This is Tucson. Okay. So, we have not met since we as a board last met. Um, we meet this Thursday um at 7 pm. However, I did meet with um Chair Windsor and Mark Penny just to prep for potential the negotiate teacher negotiations that we will have this fall. Um, and that was really just a prep for what we would like to be doing and looking at to make sure that our benefits are as equitable and financially sound for both our employees as well as the taxpayers. Um, it's it's a balance and it it's going to be >> Yeah. So, we're um >> no magic no magic. >> No, there's not unfortunately.
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2026-06-03 Maricopa County, AZ YouTube / Higley Unified School District transcript source: youtube HUSD Governing Board Meeting June 2, 2026 · passage 71
And I think the benefit to not giving a or to [clears throat] not necessarily giving a very restrictive time frame is allowing us to have the ability to do it with forethought instead of doing it with haste. Because again, as we started this evening, budget constraints are concerning. And as we move into next year, we're going to have to have really terrible conversations again because we have no idea what state budgets are coming through. And we know for a fact that this is the end of our override. This is the last year that we have in front of us. And so being a teacher who has been in districts, this one uh when financially things were were not great, uh we had to essentially piece things together in whatever way that we could find. And so I am appreciative that this policy got started. I think the way and and the the process that it has impacted is great.
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