001Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the Watsburg Area School District where we are student centered and future focused for a world-class education. I'll now call to order the Monday, April 20th regular board meeting of the Wattsburg Area School District Board of Directors. Would you please rise to your feet for the pledge of allegiance? Where's the flag? Please pause for the flag. It's >> like the Muppet Show. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you for the flag, Mr. Breton. May I have a roll call, please? >> Mr. Blazer, >> present. >> Mr. Brumagen, >> present. >> Mrs. Heatherington, >> here. >> Mr. Morve, >> here. >> Dr. Mr.
002Pushcheek >> here. >> Mr. Snippert, >> Mrs. Will >> here. >> Actually, Dr. Will now. I was very excited to be able to say that finally. >> Yeah. >> Dr. Williams, Mr. Young, >> present. >> Thank you, Mrs. Bendig. I'll now entertain a motion to approve the agenda as presented or amended. >> So, move push check. >> Second, Heatherington. Any questions? Hearing none. All in favor, please say I. >> I. Post. Name. Motion carries. We now entertain a motion to approve the minutes uh from the regular board meeting on March 16th, 2026. >> More. So move. >> Second, Blazer. >> Any questions on that one? >> Hearing none. All in favor, please say I. >> I. We'll now enterain a motion to approve the minutes from the work session on April 13th. >> So move.
003Blazer. >> Second. Will. >> Any questions? Hearing none. All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Post. Nay. Motion carries. Uh, and finally, I will entertain a motion to approve the minutes from the finance committee meeting on April 13th. >> So, move push check. >> Second. >> Any questions on that? Hearing none. All in favor, please say I. >> I. Nay. Those motions carry. I'll now turn to Dr. Berwin to initiate school reports for this evening. >> Uh, thank you, Mr. President. This evening we have some uh students from the middle school and I'm going to uh turn things over to Mr. Paris, the principal, and they're going to uh talk a little bit about their service learning project. >> Evening everybody. >> Good evening. >> I think that's it. I think that did
004it. >> All right. So, we have some students here tonight. We have Mr. Turner and Mr. Burick here. They're going to do a little pres presentation for you. But, uh, couple years ago, we started doing some service learning projects at the middle school. And the kids and and the teachers, uh, chose some organizations to, uh, to, uh, choose each school year. And, um, this school year, uh, each grade level participated and chose a, uh, a organization to raise funds or do something for them. And I'm super proud of how it turned out. So, they're going to come up here and talk a little bit about it. So, come on up, guys. >> Sure. Thank you. >> So, as Mr. Paris said, we worked very hard this year on our service learning projects. Um, as you
005can see some of the fun that went on there. This goes right along with our Rachel's challenge. um service learning projects introduce the middle schoolers to just the value of connecting to um community service, connecting to the community. Um we follow we we're still following that chain reaction of kindness as Rachel um did prior to her death which um today is the 27th anniversary of Coline which is crazy um of that tragedy. But uh the students have been inspired to choose acts of kindness that foster connection, respect and care for others. And this service learning project is a powerful extension of that. So really getting to understand the different organizations that our community serves and or that serve our community, excuse me, and um connect with them. >> Hi. I'm Jen Turner and I am
006the fifth grade team leader and um the fifth graders this year uh we decided to do a craft fair, an inschool craft fair. Uh for those of you that have been around a while, um Mrs. Shamansky years ago had started something like that and on upon her retirement, um it kind of went off the wayside and uh this year we decided to bring that back and um the kids all made um crafts that we sold during the day to some of the the staff members. uh we had a few parents say hey come in and to the students and um in addition to that throughout this whole thing um we had one child who decided that let's do a used book sale. So with that um they raised over $850 in about 2 hours that
007um that they had chosen to donate to Avery's positive change. And then on no I think it was on the 4th of February um we were able to present that check to them and they sent us back a a very nice thank you. um Avery's positive change. They Avery was a student at um Corey High School, Corey uh school district, and um she had cancer and unfortunately she passed away uh last fall. Um but her goal was to uh not have pets go without food. So the money that we donated to the organization went to provide meals for family pets for parents or you know the pet parents uh that could not were in you know dire straits and you know instead of giving up their pets because they couldn't afford to um to feed
008them they now have access to that. So we were able to help Avery's uh mission throughout that. Turn. Here you go. Come. All right. Sixth grade. You want to talk about sixth grade? What we did in sixth grade? Sure. >> I think I'll do I'll do my own thing. >> Okay. Um, my name is Kellen Loranger. I am in sixth grade and the sixth grade service project was to make a blankets and cards for the uh Eerie Humane Society for the animals in the human in the Eerie Humane Society. I have more. We we sewed the the the blankets to it's to help the animals at the humane society have comfort and well be comfortable actually and and to share some love. We also did we also collected donations like food, leashes, toys, and treats
009is to help the people at the humane society do their work. And we and I hope that we all hope that at all the animals at the Humane Society find their forever homes very soon. That's all, folks. Good job. >> Um, my name is Charlotte Will and I'll be talking about the seventh grade learning project. So, prior to the children's grief awareness day in the fall of 2025, um, the caring place came to the middle school and they did a presentation to our school telling us what like the caring place was all about. So, the seventh graders decided to do the surface learning project about the caring place and we made some butterflies um to like kind of help signify that like throughout the hallways. Oh. Um so we put we made butterflies that had
010names of our um loved ones and caring ones that had passed because the service learn I mean the caring place helps out with um grieving children and teens help like grieve with their family members that they have lost. So the seventh graders did a penny war and which raised over $800 for the caring place >> and they got a really nice letter. We got a very nice letter back from the canning place. Thanks. The eighth the eighth graders partnered with St. Bonafest and St. Patrick's Haven to collect items to create kindness kits for homeless individuals. The kits included items such as socks, gloves, hats, and food and snack snack foods. when asked what items they, you know, would like most or needed most, socks, gloves, um, and snacks were were the one thing that they
011were really interested in. And throughout, uh, through the generosity of our community and the hard work of our students, we were able to provide over a 100 kindness kits. Um, and the organiz St. Patrick's Haven was very, again, we got a very nice letter back from them. Um, they were very, very grateful at the time to receive that donation with winter coming. Um, so that was very helpful for them. Uh so we would like to thank you for the continued support of our students and their incredible accomplishments. None of this would be possible without uh you and uh we thank you for kind of leading us to where we are now with all these wonderful and amazing students. Yep. >> Thank you. Hey, thank you. Thank you so much. We absolutely love having our students
012come and present at our board meetings. I can say this is the highlight for each and every one of us. Uh we're here to serve our students first uh here at the Wattsburg area school district. And I think I can speak on behalf of everyone uh sitting at this board table tonight. We are so very appreciative of all of you being here. Um, I do invite you to stay for the excitement of board governance. Um, but if it is bedtime, it is totally okay to scoot out. That doesn't count for everybody, just students, right? Thank you again. Thank you so much for being here. It's now time for guest and citizen comments. Do we have anyone signed up to speak with us this evening? >> There was one name on the list. I don't know
013all the students, but I thought it might have been a student who was very formal in documenting their speaking to you this evening. So, >> excellent. >> Good evening, members of the school board. My name is Grant Young and I'm a student here at Wsburg Area District. Thank you for letting me speak tonight. The Homework for Healthy Kids Act has passed and it's time for our school district and the nutrients group to follow through with providing its students in our building. Whole milk isn't a treat, it's nutrition. The nutrition facts. Whole milks. The nutrition facts in whole milk help our bodies absorb the calcium and vitamins A and D we need for growing bones. And strong brains. Skim milk strips those fats away so we can get less of what of what we need and
014often reach uh for sugary drinks instead. Studies show kids who drink whole milk are more likely to meet their daily calcium goals and stay fuller. That means better focus in class and fewer clashes before practice or the bus ride home. We already know it works. Kids drink more milk when it tastes good. Less waste, more nutrition, and thanks and thanks to new law, every school in America can now afford it without losing federal funding. Our district has always said it pushes students first. This is easiest, smartest way to improve this one simple change in the cooler. Add whole milk alongside with other options. No big cost, no big risk, just better milk for better kids. I'm asking you tonight, please follow up with the administrators and cafeteria team to help home milk get in our
015cafeterias. Give us the fuel we actually want to drink our bodies and grades or PSSA scores will help our future. Thank you. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you for sharing us with us this evening and your voice has been heard and we will be following up with our admin team. All right, it's now time for the superintendent's report and we'll recognize Dr. Kenberlin. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Uh this evening we have the pleasure of uh introducing some f new faculty candidates to you. Uh we had openings earlier this year and um we we have been working on uh interviewing selecting. We've had some uh folks teach with us for a while. Uh so we're really pleased to have um our our new teacher candidates join us this evening and Mr. Angler. Yeah, I
016would just say, you know, I know there was a lot of work done by this board on the contract last year and I think that's had an impact and and this is the first time since I've been here that we're filling positions in March and April instead of June, July and August. So, uh it was a nice change and nice not to be anxious as in those summer months, you know, hopefully we'll we'll enter the summer and be about done with hiring. So, thank you to all of you. Sorry. And with that, I will introduce we'll start with the the elementary center here. Sorry, Hillary. >> Good evening, everybody. So, we had um four positions that we were hiring for this year, and two of them, uh I'm happy to say, are people that were
017with us as long-term subs who have been proving themselves and doing exceptional jobs with our children. So, I just wanted to formally welcome them to the the staff and that would be in first grade. Abby Rhodess, if you want to give a a little wave or come on up, whatever you So, Abby actually graduated from Baron last May and then we hired her for a long-term subbing position in first grade this fall and she has been a pro. She's just been absolutely wonderful. Every time we've gone down there, it's been like she's been teaching for years. um the grade level she's with. Absolutely love her. She's just been making an impact and we're thrilled that she's finally come to us full-time and will be here with us permanently. So, welcome Abby. And then we have
018uh Jen, Jennifer Morris with us. And some of you know Jen because she does have children in the district. And Jen has been with us on and off for for several years and then took a little break and came back. and it's been about four years that she's been long-term subbing. She initially graduated from Slippery Rock and this year she landed as our full-time building sub, but then when we had an opening in second grade when Mrs. Qua Kausski stepped out to um plan weddings of all things, which was very nice. uh Jen stepped into that and just slid right in perfectly and she's been a great part of the team, a wonderful asset and we are thrilled to finally have her here with our staff permanently. So, welcome Jim. And then we have some
019new faces for us this year. And Anukica Rudd RDE, sorry. If you want to just give I look at that and I and I immediately see the Paul Rudd and I have to um Anukica comes to us. This is her seventh year in education. Initially she was teaching outside of the Philadelphia area. So I guess if you can make it there, you can make it here, right? Um, and she also taught in Boca Raton, Florida, which I give you credit for coming up to the the wintry winds that we have here. She is currently a long-term sub in Fair View, and she's going to be joining us with our third grade staff. So, we're thrilled to have Anukica here with us. So, welcome, Anukica. And then finally, we have Casey Burroughs. Uh Casey is actually
020doing her student teaching right now. She's finishing up at Fort Labou. She is in learning support there. Casey came to us. This was her very first interview ever. You would have never known that. She just did an absolutely phenomenal job. Her performance interview was amazing and we are so excited to snag her up before she even crosses the graduation threshold and get her right in this building here. And uh she will be teaching kindergarten next year. So these are our four new staff members and we're thrilled to have them here with us at the elementary center. So we only have one. So, I'm gonna make him come on up here and sweat with me in front of everybody. Um, no, I'm very excited to have the privilege to um introduce Mr. Luke Kingan, officially now
021joining Senica as a math teacher. He's actually been with us since about mid year um as a long-term sub in a math classroom. So, he's had a long four-ish month performance interview and really has been proving himself. He graduated from Barend with a in December, right? dual major of pure mathematics. Yep. >> And um secondary education. So a really unique um combination that makes him, you know, truly an expert in the classroom, which is which is what we want. Uh he came very highly recommended by his supervisor. Um many positive things he said about him, but knowledgeable, um professional, all of the I guess. um um reflective, collaborative, and and we've seen all of these things already in the classroom. He's really join in joined in as a part of the team. Um he's already
022demonstrated skills that you maybe wouldn't um anticipate a first year teacher having. So, we just feel super uh thankful to have him. Welcome, Luke. You are now a Bobcat. Um and we're just excited to see, you know, the positive impact you're going to have on your students and the community. So, appreciate Welcome. >> And for all of you, it's it's our privilege uh to be able to support each and every one of you as educators here in our district. Our administration team does an excellent job of of cultivating and bringing together great individuals to support our students across our buildings. We're thrilled to have you on the team. Welcome. Uh we can't wait to see where this takes all of us in the future. So, thank you for being here and thank you for being
023part of the Watsburg family. >> Uh Mr. Young, I just wanted to acknowledge uh Mr. Angler's work in getting us organized so early uh so that we um can hit the the new school year with fully a full staff uh and a talented staff at that. So I just I just wanted to thank him for his efforts. >> Excellent. Thank you, Mr. Angler. And thank you, Mr. Berlin. Now recognize Mrs. Vicky Bendig for the business administrator's report. >> Thank you, Mr. President for tonight uh the treasures reports as reported last week general fund 12,164,912.91 cents. The year-to-ate budget versus budget to actual report uh we have completed 75% of the fiscal year. We have um spent 64.05% 05% of the year-to-ate budgeted expenditures and we have received 73.34% of the year-to-ate budgeted revenues. And so,
024uh, that leaves us with about 3,884,3672 of the budget that is remaining. That is the difference between the received revenue and the current expenditures. capital projects uh in that account $18.65. The cafeteria has $856,38410 as of the end of March. The cafeteria profit and loss report for the month of March. As of the end of March, the month profit was $13,772.3. And that makes our year-to-ate profit $36,56644. Uh the student activities accounts have a collective $62,545 in that account. Um moving on to the bill lists. Uh last week uh the written the checks written between the last board meeting and the work session for general fund $167,745.33 and the cafeteria 40 $432.66. uh the checks written between uh the work session and this evening for general fund $11,4843 and then the bill lists for your
025approval tonight general fund $467,4869 and the cafeteria is $53,73427 and that is all I have for this evening. >> Thank you Mrs. Bending. I'll now entertain a motion to approve the business reports, payments, and invoices as presented. >> So moved. Heatherington. >> Second. >> Push check. >> Are there any questions, comments, or concerns on those? >> Hearing none. All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Oppos? Nay. >> Motion carries. Thank you again, Mrs. Pendig. There are no items under legal advisement for this evening. So, the chair will now recognize Dr. Andy Pushchack for finance. >> Thank you, Mr. President. We have three items this evening and we're going to take them each individually. The first is the proposed final budget for the 2627 school year. The recommended action is to approve the adoption
026of the proposed final general fund budget in the amount of $33,195,036 and to authorize the board secretary to post the following notice that the board of directors tentatively approve the proposed final budget for the district for the fiscal year 2627 this evening. And a copy of the budget will be posted to the district website and open for inspection by the public with final adoption scheduled for the June 15th meeting. Proposed final general fund budget 2627. So moved >> more of a second. >> Any questions on this one? Uh excellent work last week as well finance committee meeting going through this um and all the detail uh that goes into putting together a budget. We are so very appreciative, Mrs. Bendig, for all the hard work that you put into it and also your ability to
027answer the questions that we have and how we get to where we are going in serving our students and our taxpayers here in our district. Um, hearing no others, I will ask for a roll call, please. >> Mr. Blazer, >> yes. >> Mr. Brumagen, >> yes. >> Mrs. Heatherington, >> yes. >> Mr. Morve, >> yes. >> Dr. Pushcheek. >> Yes. >> Dr. Will. >> Yes. >> Uh Mr. Young. >> Yes. >> Motion carries. Thank you, Dr. Pocheek. >> Thank you, Mr. President. The second item under finance tonight is 7B, the Food Service Management Company cost reimburseable contract renewal. The recommended action is to approve the renewal of the cost reimburseable contract with the nutrition group to provide management services for our school district for the 2627 school year as attached. So moved. >> Second, Blazer.
028>> Any questions from anyone on the renewal? >> Hearing none. May I have a roll call, please? >> Mr. Blazer, >> yes. >> Mr. Brumagen, >> yes. >> Mrs. Heatherington, >> yes. >> Mr. Morave, >> yes. >> Dr. Pushchek, >> yes. >> Dr. Will, >> yes. >> Mr. Young, >> yes. >> And that motion carry. >> Thank you, Mr. President. The final item is the child nutrition procurement plan to approve the child nutrition procurement plan as attached below. So moved >> second blazer. >> Any questions on this one? >> Hearing none. All in favor please say I. >> I oppose. Nay. >> Motion carries. Thank you Dr. Push. >> Thank you Mr. President. Chair will now recognize Mr. Jeremy Blazer for buildings and grounds. >> Thank you Mr. President. Uh one item under building and
029grounds this evening. Uh the motion is to approve the replacement of the Wburg Area Elementary Center basketball back stops in the gymnasium by CM Aishin Lob for $69,877 from the committed fund for the project as seen in the attachment. So moved >> more of a second. >> Any questions on this one? Hearing none. All in favor, please say I. >> I post nay. >> That motion carries. Thank you, Mr. Blazer. Chair would also like to recognize Mr. Blazer for personnel. >> Thank you, Mr. President. There are seven items tonight under personnel. Without uh objection, I'd like to move all seven at once. Uh A is appointments. The motion is approved the following appointments as outlined on our agenda. Uh B is for resignations. Motion is to approve the resignations as attached or as outlined on
030the agenda. C is service substitute list additions as outlined on the agenda. D is for the conference school requests as identified and outlined on the agenda. E is for leave requests again outlined on the agenda. F is for the tuition reimbursements outlined in the attachment. And G is an addendum item uh ESS substitute list additions as outlined on the agenda. >> So move second push check. There any questions on the seven items presented by Mr. Blazer this evening? Hearing none. All in favor, please say I. I. Oppose. Nay. And those seven motions carry. Thank you, Mr. Blazer. >> Thank you. >> Chair will now recognize Mr. Steven Morve for policy. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Uh we have um two items on the agenda this evening. And the first one is the uh first reading
031of policies. And our action is to approve the first reading of the following policies including uh exemptions from instruction, therapy dogs, and district social media. So moved. >> Second. Heatherington. Any questions on those policies? Hearing none. All in favor, please say I. I. Oppos? Nay. >> Those motions carry. Thank you, Mr. Morv. >> Thank you, Mr. President. The second item is the second reading of policies. Um, and that includes the uh updated policies in uh regarding attendance, weapons, service animals in schools, emergency preparedness and response, attached safe to safe procedures, relations with law enforcement agencies, and school security personnel. So moved. >> Second will. >> Any questions on those ones? Hearing none. All in favor, please say I. I. >> Oppos? Nay. And that motion carries. Thank you, Mr. Morv. >> Thank you, Mr. President.
032>> Was a mouthful. There's a lot. >> All right. The chair will now recognize Miss Leah Heatherington for curriculum. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Um, stick with me here for a second as I am pitch hitting. I did not read this yet. Okay. Um I would like to bring forward two seven um items on the agenda for curriculum this evening. And if without um >> objection. Thank you. I would like to move them all as one motion. Um A being the special education plan and that is to approve the Watsburg area school district education plan effective July 1 to 2026 to June 30th 2029. B is language instruction education program services contract um to approve the LIE between the Northwest Tri County Intermediate Unit and Watsburg School District for the 2627 school year. C is
033to approve homeward bound instruction for a um Watsburg area school district student as outlined. D is to approve the uh junior senior prom at the barn on at Ivan's Run. E is a senior banquet to approve the senior banquet held at Shades Beach on May 15th. Um F is an addendum to approve services between the Barber Center and the Wsburg Area School District effective April 6th 26 to June 10th 26. and G, I think this is the last one. >> Another addendum to approve the agreement between the Community Country Day School and Wattsburg Area School District for educational services for next school year as attached. So moved. >> Second, Blazer. >> Any questions from the board on those seven items? >> Hearing none, all in favor, please say I. I oppos. >> Those seven motion
034carries. Thank you very much for pinch hitting in Mr. Snipper's absence with the mouthful of seven this evening. >> Chair will now recognize Mr. Greg Remington for technology. >> Mr. President, I have one item for tonight on technology a smart futures career planning software to approve the agreement between the Wattsburg Area School District and Smart Futures to provide student career planning software for the 2627 school year as attached. So moved. >> Second. Push check. Any questions on the smart futures program? Hearing none. All in favor, please say I. >> I. Opposed? Name. >> And that motion carries. Thank you very much, Mr. Bumagen. Chair will now recognize Dr. Veronica Will for transportation. >> Thank you so much, Mr. President. I have one item under transportation, transportation requests to approve the transportation request and ratification of
035field trips since last meeting as attached. So moved. >> More of a second. Any questions on that one? Hearing none. All in favor, please say I. >> I. Post. Nay. >> That motion carries. Thank you, Dr. Will. Chair will now recognize Miss Lee Heatherington for athletic and extracurricular. >> Thank you, Mr. President. I have two items under extracurricular and activ um athletic, sorry. um A being volunteer list additions as outlined to approve them and B being um accepting resignation as listed. So moved. >> Second laser. >> Any questions from the board on those two items from Miss Heatherington? Hearing none. All in favor please say I. >> Oppos? Nay. And those two motions carry. Thank you very much. >> Uh there are no items under miscellaneous this evening. So, the chair will now recognize Mr.
036Steven Morve for the Erie County Technical School joint operating committee report. >> Mr. President, this is on the uh joint operating committee that occurred in March. So, we're always a month uh behind on the uh reports, but uh I do always wanted to uh highlight any of the students that were recognized by the tech school that go to Watsburg School. And so, we've had uh students of the month. We had Gunner Young. He's in advanced manufacturing. And as well as Danica Russ, she is in drafting and and design. So those are the two that were uh highlighted in the last board meeting for students of the month. Um couple of other items that are coming up that actually one had happened already. Uh one was the uh ECTS formal that's uh basically their their prom
037that happened at the end of March. Uh and then also the Skills USA competition that happened on the 7th of April. Um and I believe that there were um I'm going by memory now. I think there were 17 students in the teams that uh went on and I think they're sending them on to our states at this point. So, we'll see how well they go. Uh that is early in May, I believe, is when that occurs, the state competition occurs. Um we also um uh put together the articulation agreement between the Northern Regional College um and that allows the students that are in child care and support services to receive college credit for during their uh high school career. So that was that articulation agreement was approved. Um we also uh approved the consolidation of
038parcels for the solar project. If you recall, that was part of the uh uh it was an easier move to do one parcel instead of two as part of the permitting process and approval process with Summit Township. So, the tech school did have two parcels. Now, there's going to be one. Um and that'll allow the uh uh solar project to move forward with a little bit of a smoother uh sailing. Um the uh also just want to do a quick report that u there has been an applications sent in for over $1.6 6 million of grants um some for heavy equipment, some for welding, auto body, safety programs, etc. Those are all um applications that are in to various entities for uh grants that hopefully will come towards the tech school to uh supplement the
039uh uh services there. uh grants received so far. I can report on uh a $246,000 grant that was approved for equipment that includes um auto body construction equipment drafting etc. So there are some things that are uh successful. I wanted to report that as well. Um and then in addition to that there uh we also approved the uh city mission partnership so that uh the culinary schools uh every Thursday will spend a full day at the city mission and four to six students roughly will go down there and they will serve down at the city mission um in their culinary capacity. So that was a uh a nice uh partnership that we could do with city mission. Um then just a few couple of little statistics. Um as of the 20th of February, um for
040the 2027 school year, there were over 1,293 applicants for uh enrollment at the tech school. And there were uh roughly 700 and some odd um commitments that have been made and they're continuing to go through that, excuse me, that enrollment process uh for 2027. Um and then our current enrollment uh again we have 96 open slots or slots available to us and we had 75 students enrolled as of uh February 20th. So that will change obviously as the next school year moves moves forward. So that's my brief uh report, Mr. President. >> Excellent. and you know little capacity increase from some additional classroom space last year and then >> I assume the heavy equipment maintenance and operation is probably drawing some interest >> if you recall that will that program will start in the fall
041of 26 so that'll be the newest program to begin >> so I don't have any other breakdowns I may have those uh in the April because we'll have more data >> um on where all these students are going to go >> but uh it's exciting time >> absolutely excellent thank you for your report Mr. from Marv. Are there any questions? >> I have a comment. Um, as my brother is the head kitchen manager at the city mission, I am loving that idea. >> Yes, that is awesome. >> Excellent. It's great. >> Wonderful. >> And by the way, we get a dinner before every uh joint operating committee. So, I will be by prepared by the culinary students. That happens every month and it is always excellent and there's always too much and which we always
042have leftovers and so but it is always very very good. >> Excellent. >> I don't know if you know the city mission offers free lunch to anyone every day. No strings attached. Yeah. and to have our students from our technical school from across every district uh in the county and and from ours especially that's a it's a really neat opportunity for us to be able to see it go full circle and serve in the community just as we talk about with our students here in our building. So excellent. Thank you so much Mr. Mor. >> Thank you Mr. President. >> Chair will now recognize Dr. Andrew Pushchjack for the North Northwest Tri County Intermediate Unit board report. >> Thank you Mr. President. The focus of my report tonight are going to be on two documents
043that are at everybody's seat this evening. Um there are two documents, a thin one and a thicker one. The thin one is the state mandates checklist, which is just an overview of mandates. And just to remind you, um that mandates uh outline in detail what school districts must do, how they must do it, how they must fund it, and how they may allocate money for that. Um you may have heard the term unfunded mandates. that means there's no additional resources coming from the state but you still must do it. Um so that is this shorter checklist just the general areas. The detailed list is in this book state mandates published by the IU5. Um and just to remind you the map on the front are the 17 school districts uh which are served by the
044IU. You can see the number of districts there and which districts there are. And the IU publishes this um as a mechanism to remind folks of the detail of each mandate. Um my unofficial count was 179 mandates that the school districts must follow. Um this is in addition to regular old public school code which also lists the rules that we must abide by. Um if you will see um on page letter I the definitions of must and shall and may. Um most of these are shall which means you must do it and each individual mandate is broken down to the section of either the law or the act or the school code um where it's found the time the title of the mandate the action that school districts must do the timing to do it
045and the details that must be done. So, following up our finance committee meeting yesterday, all of these mandates, funded or unfunded, are reflected in our budget. Several of them have a very um uh great impact on our budget. And if anyone needs um some easy reading, this is easy reading for you um to know what exactly the requirements are, how we pay for them, and why we must implement the things that we do. Sometimes we ask why do we do the things that we do? And a lot of times the answers are because it's a mandate that shall be um that shall be done. So I just wanted to share that with the board. This is always a popular document annually. I believe last year maybe it was 162 mandates. So we went up a
046little bit. Um doesn't seem to ever go down. Uh it seems to be um increasing annually. So that's my report. Um if you have any questions, uh look in the book. >> Uh Dr. Pushchek. >> Yes. >> Do they use shall as opposed to must because must feels more >> I think so. >> Nasty. >> Yes. It's a kindler, gentler way to say >> gentler way to say you have to do >> has to be done. Yes. >> Well, thank you Dr. Pushek for especially for bringing these. Um I I know we're all going to be perusing. Uh it's quite extensive. It's overwhelming. Um obviously we know this increases over time and that's what allows districts to continue to keep pace and ensure that uh policy and and procedure uh backs all of this. But
047um boy, if you were starting from scratch, it would be an absolutely overwhelming body of work here. So uh we appreciate the update from you and the hard work that the IU puts into ensuring this information is available for the 17 districts they serve. Thank you, Mr. President. That will conclude my report. >> Thank you, sir. It's now time for board correspondence and dialogue. Do we have anything for the goody order this evening? >> Hearing none, I will now entertain a motion to adjurnn. Second Heatherington. >> All in favor, please say I. >> I. >> Oppos? Nay. Motion carries. We are ajourned. Thank you, everyone.