May 27, 2025 - Work Session Public Board Meeting

001Mr. Antonio here. Mr. Badger here. Mr. Blefeld here. Miss Kavachi here. Mr. Golen here. Miss Keranikis here. Dr. Morris here. Mr. Walker here. Mrs. Ginsburg here. Isabelle Dcasta here. Harris here. All right. All right. Will everybody please join me for the pledge of allegiance. Right. Welcome everyone to the May 27th meeting of the WISA Hickens School Board. If you take a look at our agenda, you'll first see a listing of our prior meetings. We met on April 28th for a work session, May 5th for regular public meeting, and May 12th for finance committee meeting. And then at 4.2, we list out our upcoming meetings, and that's our next meeting on June 2nd. All right, we'll move into presentations. And the first one we have is Wissa Hicken High School monthly highlights. So today, uh, very

002exciting. Our first Wagen town hall meeting was, um, taking place from 1 to 2. Unfortunately, I wasn't there because I had to go visit my cardiologist. But, um, yeah, I did help like kickstart it with a bunch of other students. And we're all really excited. And the task today was bring one other student to help the club go into its planning phases to see it like go in full force next year. And we're really excited to u see how it's going to like develop. And another exciting thing, we're going to have blue and gold day on June 3rd. It's always really fun to see like during the whole school year, you have fun, you have lunch, but this is like a day where it's like pure fun and then you have finals afterwards. So, um

003for the junior the juniors, sophomores, and freshman as well, so it's a nice day to relax. And then another good thing is that APs and keystones are over. So, we can all relax. Um, and yeah, I I know there was um an issue with Psych and some of them had to take late because I think there was like an overlord on over something. They had an issue with the um Blue Book app, but luckily all of them took their exams Friday, so that was good. And then Victory Laps, our seniors are unfortunately leaving. I'll miss a lot of them, but yeah, that's exciting. They're going to walk by the elementary school and that's really nice. So excited to see that. So, we also just had our Whistlink fly over to the middle school. So, the

004Whistlink leaders went over to the middle school and talked with the eighth graders and got them excited and talk to them a little bit about what to expect from high school. So, that was great. And then they'll help lead freshman orientation next year in the fall. Um, we also on sports updates had a number of teams make district playoffs. Volleyball for the first time made districts um as its third year. Also, special shout out to setter Nate O who got a thousand career assists. So, that's a super exciting accomplishment. Baseball also made district playoffs as well as girls and boys lacrosse. Another thing to make note of is that High School had their art show in the square gym. I hope some of you guys got to see it because there were definitely some impressive

005pieces of art in there. I'm like, no way a high schooler made that. So, yeah, that was really cool to see and lots of great talented artists here at Waker. Awesome. Thank you for those updates. And I always love the art show. I love our art and I always love that art show. It's amazing. Um, for those that don't know, can you tell us about Blue and Gold Day? Yeah. So, Blue and Gold Day is um a day for high schoolers um for 9th to 11th grade. And essentially during the morning they have um like a regular schedule and then for like a session they'll have one activity and they have to go on infinite campus and sign up for an activity. Um all the teachers like host something you have like badminton board games

006u a walk around the parks. It's like really nice. So you can like distress right before taking finals or you can have a study hall as well if like you're really stressed and you want to prepare for your study hall. So yeah, they have that and then they also have the um an ice cream social. So every student is assigned like um a teacher and then they all go out in like a certain part of the school like around the lawns and then they eat their ice cream. It's like an ice cream sandwich. So they get to socialize with their friends. It's usually by grade and then after that they have a second activity which is the same like uh variety of what they offer like badminton uh kickball and all those activities. So yeah,

007it's like really fun way to distress for the students and yeah, it's like it's the end of the year so like they might as well relax before they like leave for summer and have like a great summer. Yeah. And I've been hearing great things about the town halls. So basically do you have like reps from all the different clubs that are part of that town hall? How does that work? Yeah. So essentially we are trying to gather every student. It's not just limited to like student club leaders of like certain affinity groups. We have um student council. We have group leaders of like affinity groups and we also have um I believe it's the uh the dreamers the dream forward. Um but yeah, those were like I guess the people who wanted to have something

008but we didn't know what that something really was cuz we wanted to have a voice in the school because we students make up like the largest body of people in that building but we don't have like a really organized way to sometimes get our voices across. So Mr. Brooks heard that and he was like, "Okay, well, we have to find a way." So, he gathered all of us together in like um the lower calf and he presented this idea and we all liked it. So, yeah, we're trying to organize it. And I think people sometimes think it's just for student leaders, but it can be like literally any student. Like, say you don't have a club position. Freshman can join too. I mean, it's not limited to them. As long as you have like a

009vision and you want to like get a point across or even like advertise a club event, you can like go and um present that. 28. Wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing all that. Um, other comments or questions from the board? Yeah. Oh, go ahead. Do either of you happen to have any of the results um from the boys and girls uh track teams participating in the uh pen relay events? No. But um I do know that Tori placed she won a medal and then I believe uh Brooklyn also won a medal for the girls. I think the boys also did pretty well. Yeah. Anyone else? All right. Well, thank you so much again for this highlights. All right. We'll move on then to our second presentation, retiring staff recognition. Danielle. All right. Good evening

010everyone and welcome. We are thrilled to have you join us for this very special evening as we honor and celebrate our remarkable individuals who have retired or will be retiring. Um this is uh between July 1st of 2024 and June 30 of 2025. So tonight is all about recognizing um your dedication uh your impact and the legacy that you've that you're going to leave behind. Um, also a heartfelt welcome to all the all the families and friends that are here um to cheer our retirees on. Um, and in just a few moments we'll hear from the supervisors and principles of our honores and each retiree will be presented with a gift that they got to hand select. Um, and it's a token of our appreciation um, for all that they've done. This year we're proud

011to celebrate 32 total retirees um, from across the Wizen School District. Among them are custodians, special education assistants, clerical staff, teachers, nurses, and administrators. Um, each one has played a vital role um in shaping the success of our students and our school programs. Their contributions have been invaluable, and we're deeply grateful for their years of service and commitment. While not all of our retirees could be here tonight, we are delighted to have many of you with us um here in person. Um but before we begin that that part the recognition part uh please enjoy this short presentation honoring all of our incredible retire Where's the looks like? Yes. [Music] Well, there was supposed to be music with that. So, uh, thank you all for being in the room with the awkward silence. So, it's a

012little strange, but um I do want to say thank you to our communications department, Kristen, um and Elizabeth, for putting that together, um and getting all those wonderful pictures, uh so we can we can honor everyone. Um the next part uh part of this is uh for individual acknowledgements. So, I'd like to uh welcome Dr. Blair to come to the podium. Good evening. So tonight, Paula Bwaters. Paula. Paula, I am honored to stand here today to celebrate someone who has been an absolute fixture in our family and consumer science department for so many years. Paula has seen many colleagues come and go from her department of two over the years, and she has welcomed and mentored each one. I have to confess something right off the bat. The kitchen is right across the hallway from

013my office, which has come in handy sometimes. I can officially say that the cinnamon bun unit, as Paula knows, is my all-time favorite. The smell alone is a public service that you do for the whole school. I'm really hoping that retirement does not mean the end of it. But beyond the mouthwatering treats and the countless students welcomed into the program, what really stands out about Paula is her incredible resiliency. Life has definitely dealt her some tough cards, probably enough for a whole deck, but every time she's found a way to overcome obstacles and come out on the other side as a stronger and more grateful person. Honestly, I've called on her strength when I was facing my own challenges and look to her to be a role model. She's been a reminder that even in

014the hardest of times, there's joy and purpose to be found. Paula's husband and children mean the absolute world to her. They are clearly her greatest joy and pride. So, as we send her off into this exciting new chapter, here's hoping for at least one whole week post retirement, everyone in your house picks up the cooking duties. Thank you for all the lessons and kindness you've brought to the high school. We'll miss you all. Amy Found. Did you wonder how your picture got up there? Yeah. Uh Amy Found is someone truly special. There isn't a person at the high school who would not feel that exact same way. Amy has been so much more than a health and PE teacher. She's been a mentor to students, a leader in her department, a role model for staff

015and students, a cheerleader, and a team player. She emulates all the core values of the high school. From the gym to the classroom to the prom dance floor, where she somehow managed to be both junior class adviser and in my mind, our unofficial prom queen, she led with warmth, with grace, and always with kindness. When I think about Amy, I always think about the chain of random acts of kindness that decorated her classroom. If you ever had a conversation with her, you know the first thing she was going to be never, excuse me, the first thing she asked was never about the task at hand, but it is always, "How are you doing?" And she meant it. As department chair, she led with what can only be described as an Olympic level patience and compassion.

016What I will miss most though is Amy's heart. She's just the nicest person. She talked about her family so often and with such pure joy I felt like I knew them too. And honestly, I'm hoping for an invitation to your Sunday dinner at some point. She spoke about her family often, and when she did, you didn't just hear it, you felt it. The love she carries for them radiates in everything she does, and Amy inspires all of us to bring that same love and humanity into our work. Now she's off to live her best life on a bougie vacation, so well earned by lots of newfound time with her grandbabies, as she called them. Amy, thank you for being the heart of the high school. For every moment you made better, for every life you

017impacted, including mine, we will be forever grateful. You've made a difference in ways we can never express. Thank you for being who you are. I have the largest number. So like you're going to be real sick of me by the end. Everyone else has a couple. Matt He Matt, it's hard to believe that we're here talking about you retiring because for as long as I if I has been at Whista Hickin, I've been hearing the same thing. What are we going to do when Matt retires? No one is smart enough to teach AP Econ like Matt. Matt is economics with a hickey. He's been the gold standard, setting the bar, not just for how we teach content, but for how we connect that content to the real world. Year after year, students leave his class

018understanding how the world works in ways that they'll carry with them forever. He's a master at what he does. But what's so neat about Matt is that while he's known as the econ guru, there's this whole other side of him that's just as impactful. Recently, he's taken the lead with our civics club, bringing in local politicians, helping students explore politics in thoughtful, respectful ways and creating a space where our students can wrestle with big ideas in a safe and meaningful manner. That's something we need more of in this world and Matt has helped foster it at the high school. And then there's Dungeons and Dragons. I'm going to be honest, I have absolutely no idea what happens in there. Magic, Monsters, Dice, I don't know. All I know is that I appreciate that Matt brings

019that kind of passion and creativity to students who are looking for their place to belong and connect at the high school. He just gets kids. Matt has always been a team player, quietly supportive, dependable, and rock solid when it comes to backing up his colleagues and the administration. He cares deeply about his students, and you see that most clearly every year on graduation day. It's one of his favorite days of the year, not just because it marks the end of a long haul, but because he truly takes pride in seeing his students step into the world ready to take on whatever comes next. That's the heart of who he is. Someone who invests in his students and celebrates their success like it's his own. And now it's Matt's turn to start his next chap next

020chapter. And honestly, it sounds kind of amazing. He'll be biking, climbing, traveling, and most importantly, spending time with his daughter who means the absolute world to him. Their bond is something really special and it's been beautiful to see how much joy and meaning that relationship brings him. And I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that he has a very interesting goal that he shared. He wants to break the world record for running a mile at a hundred years. He's figured it out. He can add a minute every decade to his current time and still break it. I remembered this. I fully plan on being there for that. not running next to him, let's be clear, but cheering very loudly from the sidelines. Matt, thank you for everything, for your brilliance, for your kindness,

021and for your spirit. You've left an incredible legacy here, and we're so excited to see what your next adventure will bring. Next is Jane. Jane, it is bittersweet for me to be here to celebrate someone who's been a true rock for our students. Jane Mitchell, our incredible classroom assistant in the infamous A1 classroom. If you've ever spent any time in that room, you know it's full of genuine joy, laughter, and a kind of magic that just can't be manufactured. And a big part of that is Jane. Jane's heart is so big. She cares deeply about each and every student. She laughs with them, mentors them, and supports their growth in a way that's honest, authentic, and completely one of a kind. Some of my favorite memories of Jane come from those moments when I've had

022the chance to spend time with her in A1. We've made bracelets, rocked our craziest socks, and my personal favorite, we played a lot of categories. I even think we were on the same winning team once or twice, and for the record, the level of compet competitiveness in that room is higher than what you see on their Friday night lights. What I've always admired about Jane is not just her energy with the students, but how much she supports her colleagues, too. I always appreciated that she made the effort to show up at the 7 a.m. early morning check-in meetings with the support staff each time. When Jane speaks, you know, what she's saying matters. She's one of those people whose words carry weight and meaning. When she would share something, I would listen. Over the last

023few years, I kept hearing whispers about Jane might retire someday, and I'll admit, I just tried to ignore it. She's just so integral to our artistic support program. I honestly couldn't imagine how things would work without her. But as much as I'm going to miss her, the unselfish part of me is really excited for Jane and the new adventures waiting for her in her retirement. Jane, I hope your next chapter is full of as much joy, laughter, and happiness as you've brought to AOL. All right. My last Jim. Yes. Do you want to read it? No. Okay. You just want to make sure I'm don't skip anything. Okay. Jim Shoemaker has made a lasting mark in the lives of so many students and colleagues. He is one of the WHS legends. I had the privilege

024of getting to know Jim pretty early in my time here on a trip to Washington DC in the fall of my second year with the Higgins. Nothing bonds people quite like being in Washington DC on election day of two 2016 and riding the train back to Philadelphia that evening. From the trip, I knew Jim was one of a kind, passionate, steady, thoughtful, and someone who had clearly already earned the deep respect of everyone around him. It was obvious, and it's only become more obvious over time. Jim makes history feel alive and relevant. His passion isn't something you can fake. You can see it in the way his students light up during discussion. You hear it in the conversations that come out of his classroom. Conversations that are civil, reflective, and deep. He doesn't just teach

025history. He teaches students how to think, how to engage respectfully, and how to figure out what they stand for in the world. He's instilled a true sense of citizenship and social responsibility, something that doesn't show up on a transcript, but that stays with students long after they graduate. That's a rare and powerful gift. Jim has never been about what happens in the classroom. Over the years, he's poured his time and energy into being a junior class adviser, whistling, and sad leader. If you know Jim, you know that he's always been someone who shows up. He is kind and humble, and he is a fierce advocate for kids. And that's why today is so bittersweet. Because as much as I want to keep him here forever, I know retirement makes sense when you hear him talk

026about what's next. Jim will be working side by side with his son in a landscaping and deck building business. And I have to say I may or may not have had Jim and his son powerwash my house. And I can confirm Jim brings the same work ethic to a pressure washer that he does to a classroom. When Jim talks about this once in a-lifetime opportunity to work with his son, it's easy to see why he's excited. And even though the selfish part of me wants him to wants to beg him to stay, which I have, I know this is right. I know this next chapter will be just as meaningful for him and just as lucky for the people he'll be around. Jim, thank you for everything. You've helped shape the school community into something

027we're all very proud of. Thank you, Lynn. I'd like to welcome Mrs. Bower to the podium. Well, Jim, I'm so glad you came up here to stand because I'm gonna ask my people to come up and stand, too. I don't want to be on camera by myself. So, Susan Brown, can you come up, please? It's my great pleasure to introduce and honor Mrs. Susan Brown for her dedicated career in Louis school district. Sue began her journey with the district in 1993 as a general music teacher serving students at Blue Bell, Shady Grove, Stony Creek, and Madison Avenue Elementary Schools. When Lower Glenn Elementary opened, she added that to her roster as well. Over the years, Sue taught thousands of students from kindergarten through fifth grade, instilling in them a love for music and the arts.

028After many impactful years at the elementary level, Sue transitioned to Wicken Middle School, where she continued to teach general music and took on the role of coral director. Remarkably, Sue has taught in every school building in the district except the high school, leaving a lasting impression on generations of WISN students. Beyond the classroom, Sue embraced numerous leadership roles. She served as a mentor to new teachers, chaired the fine arts department, represented her colleagues as a WA building representative, and even coached field hockey. Her commitment extended to active involvement in both the Whisten Education Alliance and the Pennsylvania State Education Association. One of Sue's most cherished accomplishments was directing the school's drama productions. Her shows became so popular with overwhelming student participation and community support that she eventually split the cast into two groups and added

029extra performances. As Sue enters retirement, she looks forward to relaxing at her home in Ocean City, New Jersey, visiting her children who live out of state, and cheering on her favorite football team, Buffalo Bills. Sue, thank you for your service, your passion, and your unwavering commitment to our students and community. We wish you all the joy that retirement can bring. You've truly earned it. Troy Deabach. It's my distinct pleasure to recognize Mr. Troy Deabach this evening. You could say Troy was destined to be a math teacher. After all, he was born on March 14th or 314, a date celebrated in the math world as Pi Day. Troy began his journey with the Wistican School District in 2006, teaching seventh grade math at the middle school. From the very beginning, he demonstrated unwavering dedication to his

030students, not only those in his classroom, but also the many he has mentored through math math counts. Troy known for going above and beyond, making himself available before school, after school, and even during lunch. He's often one of the first to arrive and the last to leave, a true testament to his commitment. Under Troy's leadership, the WMS Math Counts teams achieved gold level status 18 times over the past 18 years. While Mr. Hickin, Troy has also coached 35 students who advanced to the state competition and three who qualified for nationals. There was even one student who finished second in the country, an incredible accomplishment that speaks to both Troy's teaching and coaching excellence. Troy is more than a teacher. He's a teacher leader. Colleagues frequently turn to him for professional guidance. As a WA building

031representative, he's been a strong advocate for both students and staff. Within the math department, he is a respected voice, regularly sharing best practices and instructional strategies to help all students succeed. Upon retirement, Troy will join his wife Teresa, also a proud Wick and retiree, and make Ocean Grove, New Jersey, former vacation home, their permanent home. A devoted Bruce Spring Bruce Springsteen fan, Troy is deeply involved in the local music scene and currently organizes concert series. He's also a passionate sports enthusiast, especially when it comes to baseball, and his beloved Detroit Tigers. Troy, your impact on this district, your students, and your colleagues is immeasurable. Enjoy your well- earned retirement, and I hope to see you at one of those Jersey Shore concerts one day. Sharon Frankenfield So, I'm honored to recognize our next distinguished retiree,

032Sharon Frankenfield. For the past 20 years, Sharon's been a dedicated and valued member of the Wicken School District. She began her journey with us in 2005 as a child specific assistant and later transitioned into the role of a classroom assistant within Middle School where she's made a lasting impact. Sharon has truly done it all. Beyond her classroom responsibilities, she's worn many hats, serving as the art club adviser, lacrosse coach, and volleyball coach. Her commitment to our students extended far beyond the school day, and her enthusiasm and energy were felt in every role she took on. I've had the pleasure of getting to know Sharon personally during our morning chats at student arrival. Her warm smile and kind words greet students and staff alike, setting a positive tone for the day and creating a welcoming atmosphere

033for all. As Sharon steps into retirement, she looks forward to relaxing, spending quality time with her two grandchildren, and continuing her passion for jewelry making and crafting. She also has an exciting trip to Ireland planned this fall with a former colleague, another Wikcin alum, just the beginning of many adventures to come. Sharon, your presence has been a gift to the Waken Middle School community. You'll be deeply missed, but your legacy of kindness, creativity, and dedication will remain with all of us. We wish you the best in the next chapter of life. Joanne B. My pleasure to recognize Joanne Gour who retired earlier this school year after a dedicated career in the Wikipen School District. Joanne began her journey with the district in 1999 as an elementary school teacher at Stony Creek. Beyond her classroom responsibilities,

034Joanne took on several leadership roles, including serving as a student teaching cooperating teacher and safety patrol coordinator for many years. She also provided vital one-on-one instruction as a homebound instructor, supporting students who were unable to attend school in person. Later, Joanne transitioned to WISC Middle School where she taught sixth grade and continued to demonstrate her leadership. She served as union president for the WISC education alliance, working closely with teachers, support staff, and administrators. Joanne was a collaborative and respected member of her grade level teams and contributed meaningfully to both the English language arts and science departments. Her natural leadership and expertise in curriculum and technology made her a go-to resource for colleagues. In the final chapter of her teaching career, Joanne taught seventh grade English language arts, making a seamless transition to the new grade

035level. She also served as the adviser for the boys and girls who co boys and girls who code after school clubs, further enriching the school community. Since retiring, Joanne and Paty have been enjoying well- earned time traveling and visiting family and friends from Maine to North Carolina. She's also been spending quality time with her beloved dog. Thank you, Joanne, for your many years of dedicated service to the Wikipen School District. We wish you all the best as you continue to enjoy your welldeserved up here. Problem. There he is. You snuck in. I didn't see you. Hi. It's my pleasure to recognize Mr. Rob Illuminati who also retired from Wikin School District earlier this school year. Rob joined Whisten Middle School in 2007 as a technology education teacher and devoted his entire career in the district

036to that role. When the need arose, excuse me, Rob also stepped in to teach art, embracing both subjects with enthusiasm and flexibility. Throughout his tenure, he brought creativity, innovation, and a hands-on approach to his teaching, inspiring students to explore the exciting worlds of technology, design, and artistic expression. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Rob took on several leadership roles that enriched the school community. He served as the unified arts department chair where he supported colleagues and helped shape the direction of the department. Rob also led the WS newspaper and served this as the sponsor of the TV studio club, giving students a platform to express their voices and develop media production skills. Now that Rob has entered retirement, he has more time to enjoy his many talents and hobbies. A skilled real estate enthusiast, Rob

037is sure to stay busy with projects that reflect his passion. And as a diehard Philadelphia sports fan, Rob can now cheer on all his favorite teams with even more enthusiasm, perhaps from the stands themselves. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Rob on his retirement and thank him for his years of service, leadership, and dedication to the Wicken community. Rob, we wish you all the best in in this exciting new chapter of your life. Abby test. It's with great pleasure that I recognize Abby Tess for her dedication and service with Dickens School District. Since joining the district in 2002 as a middle school social studies teacher, Abby has spent the past 23 years inspiring students with instruction that is both meaningful and engaging. Her passion for education and commitment to student success success have left a

038lasting impact on our school community. Abby is widely regarded by her colleagues as both an advocate and an ally. She has consistently championed the needs of her students and peers alike. As a fluent Spanish speaker, Abby often served as a translator for students and families, ensuring that our English learners felt supported and understood. She also founded and advised our GSA club, standing as a proud ally to the LGBTQ plus community and fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging for all students. Beyond the classroom, Abby has been a steadfast advocate for her fellow educators, serving as a WA building representative. Her open door policy and collaborative spirit made her a trusted problem solver and a source of support for many. She also played a key role in our sunshine club sunshine club, organizing events that brought

039joy and connection to our staff from early morning breakfast to end of year celebrations. As Abby looks ahead to retirement, she plans to transform her upstate New York property into an off-the-grid retreat, spend quality time with her two children, and stay active with her CrossFit routine. And knowing Abby, we wouldn't be surprised to see her walking to school as a substitute teacher, attending schoolboard meetings, or volunteering at Mr. Lenny's homework club. Abby, congratulations on your well-earned retirement. Your energy, enthusiasm, and dedication have made a difference in countless lives, and something tells us you're just getting started. Thank you, Miss Bower. Appreciate that. So, I'd like to ask Mr. Lety to come up to the podium. Uh, good evening everyone. Uh, first I would like to thank everyone for attending this momentous occasion. Um, first retirey

040that I would like to acknowledge, Miss Sue Barry. I think we're going to keep it going. Come on. So, it is with deep sincere appreciation and warm wishes that we celebrate the retirement of Sue Barrett, our dedicated library clerk and main office assistant. Sue has been a constant and caring presence in our school and her impact on students, families, and colleagues alike is something we will treasure for years to come. Whether providing support in the library or welcoming visitors and helping students in the main office, Sue has brought kindness, patience, and reliability to everything she does. She has been a steady hand during the busiest of days, a calming presence for students who need comfort. She truly was the go-to person for the staff who knew they could always count on her. Sue's deep commitment

041to our school community was evident in the way she took time to get to know the students and treated every family with respect and care. Her work behind the scenes ensured that so much ran smoothly, especially those late last minute laminating jobs that the teachers would spring on her. Her warmth and professionalism helped create the welcoming environment that makes our school feel like home. As Sue begins her next chapter, we thank her for those years of service and her unwavering support and the countless ways that she has made a difference in the lives of everyone, not only the students. Her presence will be deeply missed, but her connection to Lower Gwyn will always remain as she only lives down the street. And now I would like to call Maryanne Slater. It is with deep gratitude

042and heartfelt appreciation that we celebrate the retirement of Maryanne Slater, a dedicated fourth grade teacher and a proud graduate of Whistah Hicken School District. We can clap for that. Maryanne's journey has truly come full circle from that aspiring student to a beloved educator. Throughout her years, she has felt has left an unforgettable mark on the part of our school community. Maryanne's impact on students and family has been nothing short of extraordinary. Over the past two years, I have received countless emails and phone calls from parents praising her dedication, her compassion, and her ability to bring out the very best in her students. Her classroom has always been a place where every child can feel seen, supported, and encouraged to grow. Not only academically, which everyone here knows Maryanne Bush's students academically, but as kind, confident,

043and capable individuals. The relationships that she's built with her students have been lasting and meaningful, inspiring generations of learners. But Maryanne's influence doesn't stop there at the classroom door. She has been a trusted mentor, a collaborative colleague, and a steady, uplifting presence among our staff. Personally, I uh I will always be grateful for the support and insight she gave me my first year as a building principal. Her positivity, um her experience, and her perspectives were invaluable. She has consistently gone above and beyond to support all of our new teachers, offering her time multiple time after school and on weekends. Sorry, and the wisdom to help them build the confidence so that they can thrive in their roles. Her quiet leadership has strengthened our school culture in ways that will continue to be felt long after

044retirement. As Maryanne embarks on this exciting new adventure, and yes, I do mean adventure. She'll be traveling south, not to a warm beach, sun and sand, but to Antarctica in the cold I hope you have a jacket. Um and u that no doubt will include visits to the faroff places she once brought to life for her students. So we send her off with sincere thanks for a remarkable career of service and dedication. Her legacy of kindness, excellence, and integrity will always be felt here at Sah. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Lenny. I'd like to invite Dr. Bianca to the podium, please. Um, I just want to echo what Phil had said earlier. Um, I've worked in this district since 2008 and I've had the great fortune to meet many of the people in this room

045along my journey and it is just truly an outstanding group of people that have done so much for this district and for the kids. So, I'm honored to be here and to see um all the great words that your colleagues are saying about you. It's it's truly welld deserved. So, um I actually have two that I'm going to do right now. Um, I'm going to speak for Stephanie Washam, who uh is the principal of Stony Creek, but she couldn't be here tonight. So, I'm going to speak for Lisa Matthews if Lisa wants to come on up. Good to see you. So, Lisa was currently working at Stony Creek, but prior to that, Lisa worked at Shady Grove in the special education department. Oh, sorry. I'm reading uh Stephanie Wam's words right now. I'll let you

046and I transition to mine. Um she started her career as a onetoone aid moving into learning support role. She works well with children and is supportive of whatever they need. If a student needs extra time, comfort, support in any way, Lisa's always there to provide it. Even if her schedule has her going someplace else, she'll always make sure that the needs of a child are met before attending to whatever it is that she was going to do. anything that a teacher asks of her or needs help, Lisa's always there in a heartbeat. Um, I wanted to share that at Shady Grove, um, Lisa worked for years one, I think four four years with me while I was at Shady Grove and spent the past two at at Stony Creek. And, um, a support staff member

047has a lot of different roles and a lot of different challenges. Lisa could be asked to be helping out kindergarten students, fifth grade students, all different types of reading levels. And I just want to recognize that Lisa could do that no matter the level of the students, the age of the students. And that is that is saying something. If I were to go talk to my fifth grade teachers tomorrow and tell them they're going to teach kindergarten next year, like you would have more retirements than what we have here. Um, and it just takes special people to do those jobs. And while Lisa was working with us at Shady Grove, she was able to fit the needs of all kinds of learners. So for that, I was very appreciative. So congratulations. And I would like

048to ask Christy Wolf to come on. So, to be fair, Christie retired earlier this year in the winter, and I would say we see each other every three weeks or so. Um, she just can't seem to stay away. She comes back to her at Shady Grove. So, as a classroom assistant at Shady Grove, Christy prioritized building lasting relationships with students. For Christy, the job went well beyond the school day and even the children's years at Shady Grove. She took pride in the students success well after their elementary school experience. It's not was not uncommon for Christy to come up to me and say, "Hey, can you believe Jane's going to high school next year or um Mason joined the middle school play? Uh she's working in an elementary building and she's keeping tabs on her

049students." Um just because they left Shady Grove in elementary school, they never stopped being Christy's students. Um, I will remember and I want to recognize Christie for all the little things that she did around Shady Grove that made a large impact. Twice a year, Christy would take it upon herself to fill the planter boxes in front of Shady Grove, selecting different annuals or decorative plants to help welcome and beautify our front front entrance. Before we I I came in today, she drove she said the planters are looking in that shady Grove. They are empty. Um it's the hold in our hearts that Christie has left us. Uh but it made such a difference as a welcoming space. Uh Christie made efforts to encourage students to read by bringing in a therapy dog uh for the

050students to sit and read with. Um and while Christy was working at Shady Rob, it still wasn't uncommon to see her working many high school sporting events using it as a chance to reconnect with so many of her her former students. Um lastly, um Lynn spoke earlier about our A1 program and that's our life skills program. Um Christie would promote whatever uh whatever things they were working on that class and one of the last things that that the kids were producing were these greeting cards. They're absolutely fabulous. They're handmade. Um and they were called the Beyond Cards program and they're still in our faculty room. I used them to send out birthday cards and and and congratulations to people. But Christie brought that to us working with the high school team to ensure that other

051schools had access to the cards. And I share that as my last example, one of the little things. I mean, they were called beyond cards and it really fits Christy because Christy always went beyond her responsibilities as a classroom assistant. You're already missed and I appreciate the way you always went above and beyond. Thank you very much, Dr. Ba. I would like to bring up Mr. Russell, our director of building buildings and grounds. Good evening, everyone. Ah, that's a tough act to follow. Uh, so, um, everyone who I'm going to speak on tonight has already retired and they're already living the good life. So, uh, first I'd like to, uh, bring up Ken Brook. Okay. So, uh this evening we're uh we're pleased to recognize and congratulate Ken Brookke on his retirement of 11 years

052with of dedicated service as a custodian at the Waken High School. Uh Ken has been a dependable and hardworking member of our co custodial staff. He his contributions have helped maintain a safe, clean, and welcoming environment for our students and staff alike. Outside of work, Ken is a proud Philadelphia fan, Philadelphia Phillies fan, as you can tell, his co and enjoys spending quality time with his grandchildren wherever he can. He also finds peace and relaxation at a shore house in New Jersey, where he enjoys fishing, one of his favorite pastimes. In addition to Ken's work at the district, he is also passionate about cars and is known to be a skilled mechanic. May keep him on speed dial. We thank Ken for years of service, his years of service and dedication to the Wahhing community.

053We wish him well. Um, pardon me, we wish him all the best in his retirement as he enjoys time with his family and friends, fishing trips at the shore and cheering on the Phillies. Congratulations. Happy retirement. Okay, Rick Walsh. Where are you? Come on down. You too. And Rick's also tan, as you can tell. Uh this evening we'd like to recognize Rick Walsh and congratulate him on his retirement of nine years of service as a custodian for the district. Rick has been a valued member of our middle school custodial team. Known for his positive attitude, strong work ethic, and the care he brought to his role as a custodian for the kitchen area. He got along with everyone and consistently went above and beyond to ensure things ran smooth. Outside of work, Rick is an

054avid fisherman who enjoys spending time outdoors, especially teaching his grandson how to fish. Rick is also a talented musician who plays guitar and has spent many evenings sharing his love of music by performing and singing local venues. We want to thank Rick for his years of service and for the many ways he contributed to our school community. We wish him all the best in his retirement and hope it's filled with great fishing trips, time with family, and plenty of music. [Music] I recognized my next victim. I mean person, Mr. Bainy. Mike Bainy, come on up. Best dressed guy in the room right here. I'm marking on my tan. This evening, we proudly recognize Mike Bainy. For 24 years of dedicated service to the district as a custodian for central office, Mike has been more than

055a hardworking and dependable member of our team. He's been the heart of this building. Known for his warm smile, friendly demeanor, and incredible incredible thoughtfulness, Mike has brought a personal touch to everything he did. Mike made a point to check on employees working late, never forgot a birthday, and always made new staff feel truly well, and I can attest to that. Mike was always good for supplying some healthy treats. His legendary cream donuts, which I'm told are fat-ree, of course. One of the most anticipated events each year in central office is Mike's world famous St. Patty's Day, a celebration that brought everyone together and reflected the sense of community Mike was a part of here at Central. Beyond the walls of Whist Hicken, Mike is a proud supporter of all things Philadelphia, especially the Phillies

056and the Eagles. Go Birds. Uh whether it's whether it was game day excitement or just everyday pride, Mike never missed a chance to show his Philly spirit. Mike's president has made a lasting impact on our central office community as he enter I have as he enters retirement as he started retirement several months ago. We thank him for his years of service and friendship and wish him endless happiness, relaxation and winning seasons ahead. Thank you Mr. Russell. I would like to ask Mr. Burker to the podium. I know, Don. You got to come up. There's no bus for you. You got to walk over here. Don, let me start by saying thank you and best wishes on your pending retirement. As you retired, the district and I and I am sure the community want to express

057their heartfelt thanks for all you've done over the years. In order to get a better understanding what you did, I've spoken with your staff and they shared some of the best ideas I could give you today. It's been shared that you were the perfect person to bring Wisah Hicken and First Student together under one roof. And I quote, "Doing so with a calm, generous spirit that reinsured both employees and parents'." Other members of your team stated that your kindness, knowledge, and willingness to help have been invaluable to the entire transportation team. You've helped build something strong and lasting here, and your positive attitude, even on the most challenging days, made a difference. On a personal note, Don, it's been one year that I've been able to work with you. I find you to be one

058of the cheeriest guys in the world, no matter how bad the situation can get. You jump into a bus and go get the kids anytime. You've always put the students first, and I really appreciate everything you did. You will be truly missed as you go on to the next chapter of your life. But we wish you the best because you've earned Thank you. And we have one more to go. So, Dr. Chrisfield, you do the honors. Thank you. And yes, I would be happy to do the honors for Miss Beth Power Bower. You didn't tell me that. Pardon? So, by my count, this uh is going to conclude a 35 year career in public education. So, first of all, everybody should know that the rules um in Pennsylvania were different back then. You could start

059teaching at age 14. Um, not all those were here in WHIS, but we have had the pleasure of having Beth in our mix for over 23 years or 23ish. Um, starting at Shady Grove as a principal and then moving on to the middle school as a principal there. Now, that is a whole lot of West Nation young people over two decades worth both nurtured and served. And I think one of the important points I'll tell one story. We were in this room about a week ago with the leadership council which is a district senior administrators and leaders and we were sharing some comments about well about Beth and you know we got to hear some quirks personal stories and things. Jonathan I think I heard I think I'm not converting. think I heard her say

060she's promising to do all the cooking as of July one. I don't have Oh, okay. Well, then maybe some of the cooking. Um, but I what I also did here and what I really want to share is um because she had uh been in different schools, different colleagues, and different people have been in decision making mode with her either in a crisis or in a long-term strategic type thing or anything in between. And when somebody said in this room, I said, 'Well, you know, Beth, she's pretty decisive and, you know, kind of kind of is quick, but every single time, every single decision, she would always ask us in the room, well, what's the best outcome for the kids? What's how do we do this that's best for the students? And and if you walked,

061you sat around this room, everyone's head was nodding. Yeah, that's Beth. And I think that as decisions get made and they're popular, they're unpopular, they're difficult, they're easy, if you have as a northstar what's in the best interest of students, then you're going to be a fantastic educational leader and that is that power for 35 years. So Beth, on behalf of everybody here, thank you. Thank you. Thank you for everyone for that presented this evening. And um I do want to thank everyone for their many many years of service. I was trying to add it up as we were going through the presentation. I think I got to 612 plus or minus. So that's a lot of years of service to Whista Hickens. So, we really appreciate your dedication to our students and also just

062the impact you've had on our families and our community as a whole. So, thank you so much. Any other board members have any comments? Yeah, Dian, go ahead. Um, I wanted to say thank you to all the teachers um for all your service. Um, but there's one in particular that I have to speak about. Um, because she touched me and my kids' lives. My kids were lucky enough to have Mrs. Slater as their fourth grade teacher last year. And at the first day of school, I picked them up and I remember asking, "What did you learn that day? What did you learn today?" And in getting my thoughts together, I asked my son, "Do you remember what Mrs. What you learned the first day of Mrs. Slater's class last year?" And he said without hesitation,

063he said, "Yep. Pick a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life. Maryannne Slater loves teaching and that comes through in every single interaction and thing she does in a day. When you ask any any parent whose child is Mrs. Slater, they will inevitably tell you it was their child's best year. She has an incredible way of making every kid feel valued, respected, important, and capable. She knew how to teach something, how to teach it a different way, and then how to encourage questions that made the child feel smarter for having asked them. She gained respect of the kids because she showed them respect. She asked their opinions and she spoke to them in a way that I hope every adult would speak to children. Mrs. Slater went above and beyond.

064She gave up her lunch period to run a lunchtime book club with the kids who wanted to participate. She introduced her students to poetry and she stayed after school to help kids that needed it most. She wanted to personally ensure that each of her students was successful. A classmate's mom shared with me, quote, "Mrs. later single-handedly changed the trajectory of my daughter's academic career, and I could have said those same exact words about my own daughter. Truly, I can only imagine the number of lives that you've touched and changed over the last 34 years. The last thing the last thing I want to say is just thank you so much. My sorry one more line. My kids left loving your loving school, loving learning, loving poetry and loving you. And LG will truly miss you.

065Thank you so much. Thank you, Diana. Everybody's gonna be crying. Any other comments? Marshall, I do. Um, okay. Go ahead. Behind the blue dance. Um, I am not a Wishing graduate and so my math skills may be a little hazy, but like Amy, I was trying to figure out how many years of service we have. I have a little different number, but I don't know who's right, but I came up with 661 and a half years of service for all of those we honor tonight. Which means that, if my math is correct, that uh each one of you has an average of over 21 years of experience in this district. Which means that for almost an entire generation, all of you have touched the lives of so many students and families for almost a generation.

066And I can't think of a more incredible way to serve others within the community to make others hopefully have a better way and a better life. So for all of you, thank you for all of those years of service and thank you for everything you've done and congratulations on your retirement and enjoy. So finally, now that you have all of this additional time on your hands, please feel free to come to all of the board meetings, ask many questions as you'd like. Enjoy. And we always have refreshment. So enjoy your retirement. Thank you, Marshall. Anyone else? All right. Well, Daniel, I think we should do a picture. Can we find a big enough location to do the picture? Um, we probably have to do it out in the lobby. What I was thinking is Kate

067is available um to get individual pictures with your principal or supervisor. Um, and then we can email them out to folks. Um, that might be best because I think it would take a long time for the board to to get get together. So, we'll get some pictures out there. Kate Kate will be available. Now, you don't have to stay unless you want to, but this is your moment where you can exit and get some refreshments out in the lobby. So, congratulations again. Thank you all for being here. All right, this is your last chance to leave before we continue. All right, so we're going to now move on to our next presentation. Uh, Gaziah, um, you're going to do Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month recognition. Thank you so much, Miss Lour, for joining us this

068evening. Um, and we're excited to welcome Miss Lour to help us recognize Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Before Miss Lour begins, I do want to acknowledge that we've received a request from families and students um to consider closing school on Lunar New Year effective in the 2627 school year. And so I thought this would be an opportune time to acknowledge that um and to let the community know that we are um working to establish a consistent and fair process for reviewing calendar related requests. And that includes, of course, looking at what other districts have in place to make those decisions as well as helping to develop some clear criteria for us to use as we evaluate proposals. And we did receive a proposal from uh from some of our students and families on this topic.

069And so we'll certainly keep the board and the community ab breast as we continue through the process. Um but this was a wonderful time for me to just mention that, acknowledge it before I turn it over to Miss Lour. Thanks for joining us this evening. Thank you. Good evening everyone. Thank you for this opportunity to present. As you know, May is Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders are a diverse group of individuals who come from almost 50 different countries with backgrounds spanning more than 100 language and dialects. We recognize the need for our curriculum to include Asian-American Pacific Islander heritage and history all throughout the course of the school year. In May, we've asked our principles to share information about how their schools have recognized and honored Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders. This

070presentation will highlight just a few examples from each of our schools. So, we start with Blue Bell Elementary. Students from the middle school and high schools, Asian Student Association and Indian Cultural Association worked together to visit all four elementary schools. And what they were able to do was to read to our students. So in that far right corner, you'll see some of our student leaders who are there with their books. And again, they participated in this activity at Laura Gwennit, Shady Grove, and Stony Creek. At Blue Bell, our school librarian curates a collection of books by and featuring Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, which is a practice that we have across the district. Although the collection of books is especially prominent during AAPI month, the collection of mirrors, windows, and sliding doors is available for students

071and staff to access all year long. During the month of May, Blue Bell Elementary welcomed parents and high school students from the Asian-American Pacific Islander community to read books and share presentations with students. Bulletin boards highlighting famous and influential Asian-Americans and Pacific Islander students are across the different um school building hallways reflecting what the students and staff have explored. And it's very visible throughout each course of the building. Again, in the far right, you'll see our students visiting Laura Gwennit and reading with our students. Laura Gwenned Elementary. This month, LG held our school, one school, many cultures event. Families created displays of many countries, including China, Cambodia, Korea, and India. Exposing students to calligraphy, chopsticks use, traditional dances, and henna. Students also had the opportunity to learn how to write their names in Korean. Kindergarten

072classes also read aloud Sakura's cherry blossoms and painted cherry blossom branches using bottle claps at Shady Grove Elementary. Um during library encore classes, kindergarten and first grade students learned about Asian-American Pacific Islanders. Students explore the concept of culture and discuss ways they can show respect to all people. They also learned about Joanna Hoe, the acclaimed author of The Eyes That Speak to the Stars. Her experience as a child of Chinese and Taiwanese immigrants inspired her to write the book. Students themselves drew pictures of their own culture and shared them with their classmates. Students in third grade participated in an Asian-American Pacific Islander virtual field trip in Seessaw. Watching videos, reading articles about Asian-Pacific islands, the students were able to stamp their passports as they learned about different Asian countries and their cultures. On display in

073the main hallway of Shady Grove is artwork and sculptures depicting different types of dragons. Fourth grade students learned all about the importance of dragons in Asian culture, as well as the differences between European dragons and Asian dragons. Students use clay, chalk, and pencil to sketch or create their dragons. Stony Creek Elementary, again, in that far right corner, you'll see our students. During Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Stony Creek librarian Amy Jones shared a recorded virtual author visit with Grace Len with Stony Creek Elementary second graders. Lynn's newest book, The Gate, The Girl, and the Dragon, which was released this month, um was one that the students explored with her. During the virtual visit, Lynn navigated between talking about her new book and Chinese culture and doing a directed drawing of a Chinese lion with with

074students. She was very engaging and the second graders loved it. One third grade class was also able to view the author's video and created their own drawings of a Chinese lion. Second graders also created and celebrated Asian-American Pacific Heritage Month stories. So they dived into reading stories by Asian-American Pacific Islander authors. They connected these texts to the comprehension strategy they were learning, summarizing using Somebody Wanted But So then. Some of the books students read included The Name Jar by Yansuk Choi and Ugly Vegetables and Fortune Cookie Fortunes, both by Grace Lynn. Mrs. Harris's third grade class studied contemporary Japanese artist Gaio Kusani's artwork and tried their hand at replicating her style. You'll see the photograph with some polka dots. You'll also see it toward the end in the thank you. At our middle school this

075month, middle school art students explore the works of Asian-American and Pacific Islander artists, including famous printmaking artist Fukusai Fukusai is known for being one of the most influential Japanese artists and print makers. Eighth grade artists referenced his work that of others to draw inspiration for their own prints highlighting an endangered species endangered species of their own choosing. The middle school library is selling a celebrating Asian-American Pacific Islander Month with fiction books written by Asian-American and Pacific Islander authors as well as non-fiction books that feature Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders and their stories. Bookmarks are also there very prominent in the library featuring famous Asian-American Pacific Islanders and their moving words of wisdom available for both students and staff in the library. In celebration of Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the Korean Club at the middle

076school hosted a series of engaging arts and craft activities throughout the month of May. Students explore traditional Korean folk art and the four gracious plants, plum, orchid, chrysanththeium, and bamboo, which hold very deep cultural significance. Students also learned Korean vocabulary, enriching their cultural and language understanding. The Asian Student Association celebrated and shared cultural traditions with our eighth graders. from creating vibrant designs for Diwali to hosting a fun and delicious ramen day and practicing and participating in an AsianPacific Islander book reading event where again they sponsored it for all four elementary schools. And lastly, we have our high school through our health PE department. We'll see the two top photographs. They both reflect today's dance fusion class. Student leaders from our Indian cultural association presented a garba dance. This is a circle dance. It's a traditional

077folk dance um that really talked about the history and culture behind the dance. Students highlighted the origins of it in India and focused on how they performed it in a circle which symbolized the cycle of life and the universe. In our science department, students researched a member of the Asian-American Pacific Islander community who made an important contribution to environmental science or promoted environmental awareness. Additionally, students also had the opportunity to research how practices, traditions, or local knowledge from Asian-American Pacific Islander communities have furthered the field of ecology or the environmental sciences. finding stu students researched a member of the AAPI community who made an important contribution to the field of physics or engineering. In the English department, students in many of the English classes participated in literature circles and independent reading projects that included titles

078by Asian-American Pacific Islander authors. In AP Lit, students listen to Amy Tan's essay on her beliefs and the messages of joy, love, and peace they bring in her work. Um, this was found in the book. This I believe her essay is a part of that collection. And lastly, in social studies, American government students had the opportunity to visit the Asian-American Pacific Islander website to learn about the month, identify a current US politician who's Asian-American Pacific Islander, research this US politician, and compose a letter thanking them for their civic service. Thank you. Um, again, this is a picture of Mrs. Harris's third grade class. Um, once again, they studied Japanese artist Cristiana's artwork and tried their hand at replicating the style. Again, the polka dots are key. Um, but again, thank you for the opportunity to

079share briefly some of the interesting things that our students participated in during the month of Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Any questions? Well, thank you so much for that presentation. It's always so wonderful to see the amazing things that are going on in our schools and to see what they're learning about during these months. So, thank you so much and I'm sorry I jumped on there at the beginning. Uh, any other comments or questions? Well, again, thank you so much. Thank you. All right. Well, that brings us then to our first public comment period. Um, I'll just read our notes here. The board appreciates hearing from the community. A maximum of five speakers be heard on the same topic. Please limit your comments to three minutes. In the interest of fairness and in order to

080treat all speakers equally, it supports practice not to engage in dialogue with speakers. When appropriate, we will both responses on board docks. um in public if you're here in present in in person, excuse me. Um please um when you approach the podium, please state your name and your affiliation with the district. Um and the same if you're virtual. All right. And you can use the raise hand feature um your vote. All right. So our first person for the first public comment period was Beth Ages. Hi, my name is Beth. I'm from Whitpain Township, um, parent of students in the district and I wanted to speak tonight about item 15.14, the proposed agreement with the MCIU for participation in the virtual high school. Recently, screenshots were shared with me of material from a history course in

081that virtual academy. The material was teaching the history of Israel, but it was presented as a one-sided narrative, one that delegitimizes Israel's founding and questions its legal right to exist. This wasn't a balanced educational resource. It was biased and deeply concerning. From what I understand, this content has already been shared with both the administration and board by several individuals, not myself. Um, and I hope that there'll be some discussion about it tonight. I'm not sure if there's been a response since I was the one that sent it. But I'm here because I just wanted to share that we need transparency. Wondering how the curriculum for this virtual academy is reviewed before it reaches our students. How is all curriculum at WIS actually being vetted right now? If this kind of agenda-driven content made it into

082a course, what else in the curriculum has similar biases? Not just on the topic of Jews or Israel, but overall lessons like this are not just academic. They have real world consequences. They shape how young people view entire communities and in some cases like now they help normalize dangerous misinformation. Just days ago, two young people were gunned down outside the Jewish Museum in Washington DC by a man yelling free Palestine. That kind of anti-Semitic violence begins with what's being taught to our students. Over the past year, I've personally reached out a few times to share some other examples of concerning materials in our schools. I'm speaking tonight and as part of the Jewish Families Association to ask that please take our concerns seriously. This isn't about politics. It's about ensuring that our schools promote truth,

083balance, and safety most importantly for all students. And it's about ensuring that our students learn critical thinking. I ask you please don't approve this agreement without first addressing what's going on in the curriculum and making sure that it reflects an accurate and unbiased view of history. We're asking for action so that my children, our children, your students aren't the next victims of violence. Thank you. Thank you, Beth. Is there anyone online? There are no hands raised online. Okay. So, we'll move on to Karina Taylor. So, I'm glad to be here as uh the first graduate of Whistley Hickin to talk at public comment since that policy has been renewed. I really wanted to talk about that the fact that public comments started an hour and 23 minutes since the board meeting started and it just

084seems really overt that you guys have packed this agenda so you can get everything out and then just have your last board meeting on June 2nd for the year. There's so many unresolved issues and I think it's disrespectful. There's people that wanted to speak but couldn't stay. And there's other school districts in the community in our county that meet twice in June and not once. And you did that last year again. There's over 50 item agendas on this meeting. Over 13 that's coming out of the board report that are complicated matters. So my first question would be what was the average attendance in the budget hearings or in these tax meetings or the meetings that discuss the tax increases because there's there's so many questions I have about this and it may not get discussed

085but this is the next step before you just go ahead and probably do a consent vote next month. So, I really want you to take into consideration that when you look at all the items that are on this agenda and that you're going to meet in June and and that will be the last for this year. um whether you're really engaged with the community or not, whether you answer the question about the virtual academy, it just seems like you have thrown in the kitchen sink and just said, "Okay, this is what we're doing and we're going to address these things and not really care about really explaining to the community um why all of these are on at the last meeting." Um I'm so glad she brought up the word bias. And I um want

086to say that I have experienced bias. I've experienced board members looking at me in a sething way and I felt it and I really don't care. But I think that if people come here and I'm pretty much seasoned, I pretty much know what I'm talking about. I pretty much can decipher what's on these agendas. You should still respect that. Because people are asking me how all of a sudden in the budget you were able to hire a science teacher and a social studies teacher for the middle school to reduce the class size after there was a big careerhuff for sixth grade. So if you think only black parents reach out to me, you are absolutely wrong. White people do and it's an election year. You're going to be challenged. Thank you. Thank you, Carina. Is

087there anyone online? There are no hands raised online. Can we go ahead and close our first public comment period? Oh, actually I'm so sorry. Say I see you do. Did you know which number you're here to comment on 15.1? Oh, 1520. Okay. Uh you're our last speaker for the first time period. Oh, you can go ahead. Oh, there is no 1520. I'm sorry. Do you know which 19. That's okay. Oh, there's no 1920 either. 20. Okay. Health, wellness, and safety. Oh, there's no report for that this evening. So, there's nothing specific under that agenda item to address. So it's agenda items. So there's something specific that we'll be voting on. Those are the items that are addressed during the first one. The second period, it can be any any topic. So if if it's something

088just general regarding safety, we'll keep for the second period. So at the very end, we have a second comment period that's for any topic. Was there anything else on the agenda you did want to speak on? Prior meetings. So, it's something that happened here in the boardroom during a prior meeting. Okay. As long as that's what it's addressing is a pri one of the prior meetings identified there. of the prior meeting identified as either April 28th, May 5th, or May 12th. So the meetings are April 28th, May 5th, and May 12th. That's the content under that section. So if it's addressing one of those prior meetings, okay, that's fine. Are you sure? Okay. All right, then we will go ahead. And there's no one not online, correct? Okay, then we'll go ahead and move on.

089Um the closest first public comment and we'll move on to board president report. Um this evening we have a number of budget uh related items um that we'll be voting on next week. Um Tim, do you mind taking us through what these all are? Sure. So the first one is resolution 525 which is the final budget for the school district of 2526 which includes the PTE 2028. Our expenditures and revenues are balanced at 133,382,693. The next one is the annual tax levy which is W6-25 and that sets the millage rate, the real estate tax, interim tax, utility, taxes, due dates and delinquency status and a discount period. Next we have resolution W725 was a property tax and rebate program. This is for senior citizens, lowincome families where they can apply for rebates. They reply apply

090through the state and then 30% of whatever state grants Hickin will do. We rev the form to make it simpler and easier this year that can be found online and we will be sharing that with the state representatives as well as putting in the public library as requested. The next one is the annual farmstead and homestead resolution which is W8-25. Then we have W9-25 which is the continuence of allowing for installment payments. W10-25 is the Wixhagen Public Library tax rate of 3.364 mills which is a 3.5% increase. As the taxing authority we approved the was the Hicken Valley public libraries tax increase in connection with the fin. The next one would be financial function of the school district which is in the best interest of the district. Authorize the business administrator to carry out certain

091fixed obligations and financial in investments basically to do my job. The next one is to present a general policy of authorization to the business administrator for investments and purchases. Again reviewing the purchases, expenditures and investments for the school district for the upcoming year. Next we have um the most efficient economical use of monies in the district for best interest of the taxpayers to make sure that we do the fiduciary responsibilities to the taxpayers. The business administrator will be authorized and directed to make payments without approval of the board of directors first having secured all the previous amounts owing. We also present the list of bills each month so the board does approve them in a rears. Next we have the approval authorization to solicit bids for equipment items and construction as needed for the district.

092Next we have the request for authorization of administration to require budget transfers as per the auditors in the annual audit. And then next we have the efficient and economical use of monies and to allow timely progress related to summer facilities project authorize us to make change orders up to $10,000. We don't have any this summer, but it is an annual approval. And then the next one will be 17 7.24 and 7.14 will be next week. We'll appoint um the two student board reps that we uh chose this evening for the two-year period. Um all right. Well, thank you so much for going through all of those. Um as they relate to the budget, these are all matters we've reviewed the course of several months in our budget workshops. So, I know we've had the opportunity

093to ask a number of questions about these, but does anyone have any questions or comments they want to make at this time concerning? So, I just wanted to make a comment and then I have a question. I mean, we the board kind of came in at the 11th hour with a very big ask and that was to reduce the class sizes of sixth grade. Um, and I did want to acknowledge the administration and say thank you for making that happen because, you know, we got the email from Mrs. Bower stating that the class sizes would be smaller. I think that's really important for all those students in the class of 32. Um the number one question I received following that announcement uh because Mrs. Bever's email was brief is how did you make that happen?

094Are you able to share that with us or is that something you can just briefly address? Sure. Um right. So we as you know the budget had in it a math teacher to address class sizes in that discipline and because we knew that these this is a big incoming class and as you know the ELA class sizes um aren't the issue because there's two teachers um the math teacher is going to be not anchored in any one pod was a little unusual. It provides for some anomalies, but at least it does get the math math class sizes down. And um and then of course, as we just went over, um the budget was incredibly difficult this year. And even with a owner's tax increase, the um there was pages of new items denied. Just didn't

095have enough room in the budget for them. So the other two subjects, science and social studies, did not get the same treatment as math initially. Now they are. So those class sizes will be about the same as math, which will be about 24. One, um, vacant position from the high school. We don't have anybody hired for it yet, but we've transferred to middle school and and we will instead hire a middle school teacher for that. Then the other one is able to we've got over the last three or four weeks a little more information on incoming students and their um IEP needs and we can uh it appears um hire one fewer oneonone aids that will save part of that salary and then the other remaining part of that salary will be when we convert

096a a 10-month full-time clerk to a 12-month part-time clerk. So, about the same hours total, but we uh do not have to incur benefits on the second option. So, adding those two savings together gets us to that second teacher. Yeah, I also want to thank both of you for meeting with us to hear out the sixth grade incoming sixth grade class concerns. We definitely appreciate your time and effort on that. Um, any other comments or questions, Joe? I mean, I guess a question I'll I'll or comment I want to put out there regarding the middle school. I mean, we know based on um enrollment projections um and enrollment trends that we were going to have a particularly large cohort of students coming into sixth grade at the middle school, which was going to put pressure

097on class sizes. In the budget that um we had been discussing, we had made provisions to add a math and English teacher, which was going to reduce class sizes, sixth grade class sizes for math and English um to keep them more reasonable levels. Um but at least myself personally, I was not fully aware what the class sizes at social studies and science um classes were going to be. And when we got information, at least for me, got more specific information on how large those classes were going to be, um I think myself as well as several board members felt that that wasn't really acceptable. And we asked the administration to make further adjust adjustments to be able to bring those class sizes down. Now, the budget that we're dealing with, um we're in essence, uh

098proposing to adopt and vote on next week, uh a budget that increases taxes by 3.5%, which is the maximum tax increase that we're allowed to do by law. Um, it's 3.5%, right? What's that? 4.5. Okay. What? Oh, 4.0. Okay. 4.0. Right. So, we we're increasing taxes to the maximum allowed by law. Um, which caps how much revenue we could raise. At the same time, we were having a number of expenses that were increasing for various reasons across the district. So, in trying to come up with a compromise that brings our budget in balance, we had to make some tough decisions about trading things off. Um, we would love to do everything and put and fund all the ideas that people had to make the district stronger, better, provide more services, supports for our students, but

099we have a fixed pie we're dealing with, right? So in in essence what the board has to do is prioritize which is more important and then give funding to one thing but that means by definition not funding something else or shifting resources over here by taking away from somewhere else right and so um again in a more recent conversations we had about the budget when it became clear at least to me and I think some other board members the class sizes that we would have to deal with in social studies and science sixth grade we knew that we had to do something to try to adjust and deal with that. And the administration, Jim kind of summarized, did some things to trade off uh savings in different buildings um at different schools to try to

100cobble together essentially the funding that would allow us to get additional staff for sixth grade at the middle school and reduce class sizes for social studies and science. But again, it's all about trade-offs and it's about prioritization. Um and those are the tough decisions that we as a board have to make to try to bring bring the budget in balance. And on whole, I think this budget represents probably dozens of these types of decisions and trade-offs we have to make. But on balance, I think it's the best budget that we can come up with and does the most good with the resources that we're able to to raise for the district. Thank you, Joe. Anyone else yet? Yeah, just a comment that uh uh we also realize that the future years beyond this year are

101also going to be very challenging and so uh we appreciate public input um at our public workshops on the budget. Uh we try to be transparent with all the decisions we have to make and as we move forward in the next years, we would uh really appreciate public input as we make those decisions. Yeah. And Joe, just to comment further on what you were saying, something I didn't realize as a parent before I joined the board was we cannot run a deficit like the federal government does. We can't say, "Oh, we're just going to borrow a few extra thousand dollars and make it work or a million dollars and pay it back later." That's not how it works. We have to have a balanced budget every year to Harrisburg. So, um, that makes it really

102difficult when you actually have to work within the dollars that you can bring in. So, thank you for those comments. Anyone else? Lots of comments. All right. Well, thank you again and thank you for going through all of those, Tim, and reviewing them for us. So, we'll be voting on those items next week. Uh, superintendent report. I have no report tonight. Superintendent report. Thank you. Uh this evening I'd like to share a brief recap of the professional development um our staff experience on May 20th. Um they had a wide range of professional learning and collaborative experiences on that day. Um primarily it was focused on curriculum implementation and instructional resource planning and collaboration. Some of the sessions included a focus on math instructional strategies and student engagement, planning for science curriculum implementation, and collaborative work

103around Act 70. Act 70 focuses on instruction about the Holocaust, genocide, and human rights. Um, while ACT70 has been in place for several years, recent events made it timely for staff to revisit how we approach these topics with students. um our ELA, our English language arts and social studies teachers had some collaborative conversations and in uh explored instructional resources um including the Pennsylvania Department of Education standard aligned system. They have resources online to support school districts with Act 70. And they also shared strategies to promote empathy and critical thinking as they navigate these topics and conversations in the classroom. In addition, our health and physical uh education teachers, our music teachers and art teachers visited the Boys and Girls Club for a tour of the beautiful new facilities there. They also use that beautiful new

104space to focus on opportunities to engage in collaborative discussions around the topic of strengthening community partnerships. Uh I just want to extend a sincere thank you to our administrators and student leaders who planned and helped facilitate these meaningful professional learning opportunities. their leadership helps ensure that we continue to provide um the most incredible support to our students and help us to continue to grow in our efforts to support them. Thank you. Wonderful. Thank you so much for that information. Uh anyone have any comments or questions? I have a quick question. In that training you mentioned, is there like specific material on how the staff can be more sensitive to um like what you had mentioned a lot of things that are happening with the Jewish community and how they can help support students more fears

105around that. That that was part of the conversation. Um there are resources and one of the resources I mentioned is the Pennsylvania the PTE SAS system which is standard aligned system. Um there are resources there. There's also some online training that staff can access there as well. Um the most important part of this opportunity on May 20th was for the staff to come together to share resources to explore the resources that are available there and to share some of the strategies that they've used that have been helpful in navigating these conversations because we all know that they're sensitive, but they're also very important and it's it's important for staff to know how to create safe spaces um that are going to be supported with empathy. So yeah, it was good. Is there something similar to

106that kind of training that could happen like for the kids at in like either the middle school or high school? Like an age appropriate um I don't know like maybe not even for just about like Judaism, but about other cultures, how to be sensitive to other cultures that you might not have grown up with or be aware of or be exposed to. Thank you for the Thank you for Thank you for the question. Um there there are and so that's been a part of some of the work that staff have been doing throughout the years. Um we have partnership with ADL as you know um but there are other resources and approaches that the staff have been using. So we've been training staff more globally around how to support students in the classroom. So that

107is ongoing work that we've been doing outside of May 20th PD day. Um so yes and yes. Thank you. Anything else? All right. Well, thank you again, Dr. Laura. We'll move on now to our board solicitor for board, Michelle. Thank you very much. Um for uh to be voted on next week, there will be there are two settlement agreements between two different families. One must be for tutoring, reimbursing a parent for tutoring that was paid over the course of the 2024 2025 school year. And the next one is um involves providing additional extended school year services. Both of the agreements are adapted for for board review and that's will the only two items for the board this week. Thanks Michelle. Uh anyone any comments or questions? Yep. All right. So we'll move on. Um board

108secretary reports. This month there are three items for approval. April 28th work session, May 5th regular meeting, and a May 12th finance committee. Thank you. Any comments or questions? Seeing none for treasur report for the board approval. We'll have the April treasures report this month. Great. Thank you. Any comments or questions? Great. Thank you again, Danielle. HR report. All right. Hello again. Uh for your reviews tonight are four items under section 13 of the human resources report. The first three action items include resignations, appointments, a change of status, leaves of absence, extracurricular changes, volunteers, and ESY summer appointments. Item 13.4 is for the approval of the 2526 salaries for the act 93 employees per the provision contained in the act 90 act 93 compensation plan currently in effect. And that concludes my report. Great. Thank

109you. Any comments or questions? Danielle, looks like there was a lot of positions to fill for the summer. So, thank you for all that work. Any other comments or questions? All right. Well, then we'll move on. Thank you again. All right. Communications Committee. Zappy. No items to report this week. All right. So, we'll move on to our curriculum and technology committee report. Tan, thank you so much. We have a several items. I'm going to pass it to Dr. Dan, please. Thank you. Yes, please get comfortable. Um, we have 16 items for review this evening for which will seek board approval on June 2nd. Item number one includes a review of the students who were tuition waved for the 2425 school year in accordance with our board policies. Item number two is for an extended field

110trip for a workshop and competition for high school our high school yearbook students. Item number three is the district's request to run high school courses that are currently identified as having fewer than 20 students in the course. Of course, we al always mention that um these numbers are the preliminary numbers and they reflect primary course requests, but once the schedule is finalized, there may be some adjustments. Uh in the past, we had um some questions around the low courses that are listed here, and certainly once I run through all of the items here, I'll open up for board questions. But I also want to acknowledge that um in the fall fall board curriculum and technology committee meeting uh we reviewed the updates to the courses. I know that was a request from the board for

111this uh for last spring for this fall. And so we're certainly prepared to to do that again this upcoming fall. Item number four is the projected professional development expenditures for the 2526 school year specifically aligned to the implementation of our new math curriculum resources. Item number five is a list of outplace services and tuition costs for the extended school year for summer 2025. Item number six is for outplace services and tuition for one student. Item number seven is for approval of proposed revisions to the code of student conduct. These specific provisions are limited in scope and focus on extending and expanding disciplinary responses to vaping. It's something that we know um we need to focus on and try to discourage as much as possible. Um as well as um creating alignment with the recent revisions

112to board policies 241.9 and 8:15. And so while tonight doesn't include a full review of the code of student conduct, um we do have a plan for a comprehensive review for conversations in the item number eight includes a summary table of the district software maintenance and support agreements. These are annual subscriptions and service costs to continue the use of various software programs and services in the district. Item number nine is for the purchase of laptop replacement devices and laptop bags. Item number 10 is to purchase replacement projectors. Uh, in most cases, these projectors that are being replaced are over six years old and are well out of out of warranty, so they desperately need to be replaced. Item 11 is for the purchase of addition additional staff devices. Item number 12 is the annual review

113of an agreement with the MCIU to administer our district's access program for 2526. Item number 13 is an annual request for our district's participation in the Gateway to College program. This program is specifically designed for students who are at risk of leaving school and or are significantly behind in credits. Item number 14 is an agreement with the MCIU for the virtual high school consortium. This program is for students who accelerate through our course offerings and need additional courses beyond what our high school offers. Item number 15 is for an agreement with the MCIU for their virtual program which is called MVP Montgomery the MCIU virtual program. That's where MVP comes from. Uh and this program is for students in grace K12 who choose to enroll in the Whisten Virtual Academy. And finally, item number 16

114is for anticipated costs for the NCIU shared services for the upcoming school year. And that concludes our report. Great. Thank you so much, Dr. Dwan. Um, are there any comments or questions on any of those items? I do have a comment. Um, I have serious concerns about the MCIU program. Um, specifically, as it was mentioned, not only earlier in the meeting, but also through uh, numerous emails and letters and personal contact received regarding uh, specifically the issue of Israel and how it's taught by the virtual academy. Having reviewed it, uh I'm by no means an expert. I do have some uh basic knowledge, maybe more than a lot of people. I believe that what I have seen is not only uh incorrect, but I believe it's inappropriate. I don't believe it is a model of

115what we should be learning. I don't believe it is an accurate model of what we should be learning. And before we commit to this, um, and I don't say this lightly because we can't know every single agenda. We can't know every single lesson that's taught. But when this type of a lesson is not certainly fair and to say the least fair and balanced, but also inflammatory, I believe we need to look at this seriously and significantly before we commit to it. So, um I haven't seen um specific responses to a lot of the public concern about this and before I vote on it, certainly in positive fashion, I think we need to review this and make sure uh that it is appropriate, accurate, and uh and whether it should be part of our Thank you,

116Marshall. And um we we've been in touch with Dr. Speaker at MCI. Can you provide some more information about that? Yes, thank you for that. Um we've been in touch with the MCIU as you mentioned Dr. speaker is the executive director um and she reached out to the um the program provider which is Imagine Learner and excuse me Imagine Learning um and got a response from the VP of curriculum there. Um they have been of course we've expressed the concerns that have been brought to our attention and so they have been made aware and they have been um they're committing to reviewing that specific lesson but also reviews reviewing that section in the course overall to identify what revisions may need to be made to that lesson. So they are absolutely aware. They're taking it

117seriously and they're exploring what adjustments need to be made. Thank you, Dr. W. And I also just wonder um so and looking online like it appears you know the syllabus has changed over time anywhere from it looks like 14 to 31 pages for just this syllabus. Um we were provided three of the slides. Um is there any chance we can see the rest of the slides so we can see the rest of the context of what's being taught in that course? We can certainly explore that. Yes. Thank you. Great. Thank you. In in regard to their review, has there uh has any indication been given as to how long this review is going to take place and when it will be finalized before they make a decision as to whether any changes or updates are

118made. That's a great question. Thank you. They had they did not make any indication to that, but they did express that they are taking this seriously and devoting their attention to it immediately. Um, I know that they said they'd be in touch with us again in the coming weeks. Uh, I don't know that they'll have the full review done at that time. Um, but they wanted to be responsive to our outreach to them for sure. My my question is like first of all, I appreciate your comments and I certainly appreciate Marshall's viewpoint. I'm not Jewish and so I rely on Jewish colleagues and members of the community to sort of inform me about things. So in having said that and they are taking it seriously is there like a timeline that we have to vote

119on this yes before we might know because what I don't want to do is take away the virtual option for students that need it. There are some students who are disabled or have other issues that depend on that virtual option. And while we want to make sure the curriculum is in line with our standards, we also need to make sure we're not losing the opportunity provided to our students. [Music] Thank you. Um, our agreement with the MCIU would need to be approved at the at the June 2nd board meeting in order for us to move into the 2526 school year in order to make this option available to families who wish to enroll in the in the virtual academy. And Dr. Dewan, the courses that are listed um in I'm trying to see which document

120number this is 15.14. Um, I'm assuming this isn't an exhaustive list of the courses. Oh. Oh, virtual high school. I'm sorry. I'm looking at the wrong I was looking at the course list because I didn't see honors history listed there. Okay. Which so 15 has the content. Okay. And we don't have a list of courses there. Um, do we have any way to limit the courses that the students would take or something? I I do think there's um I do think there's absolutely a way to move forward with the agreement and then if there's such a time when they come back with their review and we don't like it then we either don't do that part of the agreement we don't do that that course or we tell them to to do better. I don't

121think that that we need to table the whole agreement on this one issue which is very important and as Dr. said they're taking it very seriously. We don't have a time frame for when they're reporting back, but um we we won't just do whatever they give us as a result. I think we're going to take a very close look and I'll we can reach out tomorrow to see what the estimated time. I would hesitate to make them do something before June 2nd though because then it might be incomplete and I don't know that we'd necessarily get all the changes we want. I think it'd be helpful then to be able to see the full set of slides, see all the material other than just three slides that have been you need to is two layers

122removed. So, but we can we can get to that and not sure about June 2nd, but we can has there been any indication that other districts have reached out with similar concerns? Do you have did they share that? I didn't ask that of Dr. Speaker. I can. I'm just curious to see if, you know, because if other districts share the concern, maybe they would be able to expedite it or whatever. Yeah. And I'm sorry, just a question. If the agreement has language in it that allows us to, you know, review the curriculum, etc. We can certainly take a look at it. And I think that the issue here is our this agreement is with us and the NCIU. So they are our ally on and so they it's been brought to their attention how one

123of their vendors has something that needs some attention. So I think we're we're they and I they and we are on the same page and their vendor is getting on the same page and is there language in the contract that we can delay such decision for the 2526 school year looking into that. So, um, my thought in this is that, um, I I understand the the need to do a review to make come up with like appropriate changes, revisions or a response, but I think, um, again, like Dian, I'm not I'm not Jewish, so I have to rely on my Jewish colleagues and other friends for um, you know, their views on this. And I think at a minimum, to me, a response back from them that would say that there's no changes would be

124not accept would would not be acceptable, right? So, it's really about what changes are they're going to going to make um to the content of this curriculum subject or component. Um, and I think ideally I would like there to be some opportunity for them to solicit feedback from Jewish advoc advocacy groups or um some Jewish like educators to get some feedback on whether or not their proposed revisions or changes are sufficient or appropriate. Um, and I think at a minimum what we should do, I mean I understand the need for the larger agreement, but I think at a minimum until those changes are made that we like bar usage of that curriculum um until again approved revisions are made. You're talking about that piece of their program that right that specific uh yeah the world

125history like I mean I would go so far as to say like we we get a commitment from them until they make appropriate changes that we get some feedback or input and some assurances that they're acceptable to the Jewish community that we don't offer that within the course offerings that are available through this through this agreement. Let's let's have the MCIU do some do some more investigation. uh with their vendor and we will have we will share what we talked about tonight with MCIU and report back. Great. Thank you. One one last comment. Um again, this is a program that's that's being run by the McGomery County Intermediate Unit, which serves 22 all 22 school districts in in Montgomery County. We're just one of those 22, right? And I think a large number of those

126other districts also use Montgomery County for these same services. So I don't know, maybe we're the first ones to have raised to their attention, but I wouldn't be surprised there might be similar concerns at other districts as well. So this goes beyond just just us in Wahhiken. Um, and it affects anyone across McGomery County that's also using the same service from the IU because then they also have access to the same curriculum from this vendor. So it's a much bigger issue than just a hickey. And I'm just curious with the Hickin, how many students do we have that enroll in this? know between 20 and 30 to give or close to 20. All right. Thank you. Any other comments or questions on any of those? Yeah, um for the code of conduct, um this was

127a little hard for me to track because you took specific pages out of a 21page document and we're only seeing what struck, which I understand you're trying to be succinct. Um, and some of this makes a lot of sense to me from what I can see from this document. My biggest question would be like how do we cascade this information right to our students, our teachers, our our community at large? Like how I mean I I I appreciate there's a lot here, but like how do we get this disseminated? Um, you know, communications also important. How can we share? Thank you for that. We've been having conversations about that. Um while our initial conversation centered um conversations with the board, what really needs not the board is not important, the board is very important, but

128and what really needs to happen is conversations with families and students. And so um every year building principles communicate around the code of student contact with families and they communicate with students. And so we're looking at what more can we do with that and ensuring that the revisions that are made in the code of student conduct will be a part of those conversations at the building level in conversations with students and staff um at the outset of this the school year, the new school year and then revisiting it throughout the year because reminders are always important as well. I know our principles do a great job of that initial communication and they remind students as well, but reminding families about the code of student conduct is also really important. So, it's both. It's both a

129conversation at the board and larger community level, but also building leaders engaging in those conversations and making sure families are aware and updated around the changes is going to be really important. And I totally appreciate that. And and to be fair, I think at the elementary school it it's maybe a little bit easier to kind of do this, but maybe like thinking of additional strategies for middle and high school to ensure that there's communication, reinforcement, reminders, whatever you want to say there. But we continue that to ensure that we're pulling that through every day in every way. Thank you for that. All right. Any other comments or questions? All right. Do you want to check to see about the sound? If if anyone online I have another comment. So sorry. Now I feel like I'm

130ultra loud. One thing I'd like for us to revisit, I know we're going to look at those numbers again in the fall for our low um enrollment classes. One thing I would love for us to entertain, especially since we have this relationship with Mount Gow Community College, how do we kind of pull some of those students into that program versus having those classes in our school so that we can start to balance our class issues and our enrollment issues in the high school. So, not a, you know, not an easy task, but something I think we need to start being a little bit more creative about how we're looking at our classes. I mean, clearly we're having a problem with our languages. You know, like we're we're hosting a whole host of classes with very

131small enrollment numbers. And please, I I'm bilingual and I understand the importance of language, but we also have to balance, you know, our our like how are we going to balance everything out? We we keep we keep on many of these classes and it's putting a real strain I think on our financial budgets and I I know I know that's like not a a nice subject to talk about. I don't like to talk about it but we have to be real. Like some of these classes I just it's I struggle every year looking at this. And what do we exactly consider to be low enrollment? Because like looking at some of these it under 20. Okay. I was say like French academic 18, Spanish 18, like we have a number of classes that have like

13218. Thank thank you for that. Um and it is it's an ongoing conversation for sure. We certainly want to make sure that we're being efficient with our with our staffing. Um one of the things I do want to lift up um it was actually something that I learned as I was exploring and preparing for um for the conversation this evening. Um looking back the historical sort of um story about how we identify which courses are deemed as low enrollment um in 2018. So, prior to 2019, 2018 and and earlier, um the board policy had identified low enrollment as fewer than 20. In 2019, the board policy changed to actually list out course range guidelines for high school courses. And many of these courses, and this perhaps is a conversation for the board curriculum and technology

133committee meeting in the fall, but many of these courses actually fall within the range of class size guidelines for that specific subject. So, world language, for example, um as you as you mentioned, I think you know, some of the numbers are 18. They're very close to 20, but they many of them fall within in fact in fact all of these fall within the range of our board policy for what um the guidelines say around world language courses. So, we've continued with the practice of presenting to the board classes that fall under 20. Um, but it's actually not what we need to continue to do. Um, that doesn't mean we shouldn't continue to have the conversation, which is why we're here tonight still presenting to the board those classes that are under 20 because it is

134an important conversation and especially when we're thinking about the budget and finances and how we can be more efficient with our staffing. Um, and I know we all agree that the courses are important to our students to ensure that they have access to the courses that are um, important to them that they're interested in and having the options available to them. But if we can perhaps have some conversations in the fall around um, what the historical view has been, I know um, Vice President Antonio has already inquired about looking at a five-year look back to compare numbers. Um, so we're prepared to do that and then to have some conversations around what are what are some some creative ways that we can be efficient with the courses. Um, but I know at the end of

135the day we all want for our students to have the courses that they want and they need access to. Um, and so the conversation will continue. Thank you. Thank you. Any other comments on any of the curriculum items? No. All right, then we will move on. Um, next is um 16 uh facilities and transportation. Joe. Okay. Good evening. We have uh two items for discussion uh tonight and then vote for next week. The first one 16.1 is a motion to award construction of a fence with sound barrier blankets at the middle school um in an amount not to exceed $85,000. This is um an alternative solution for the sound issue of the middle school chillers that we've been talking about for several meetings now. As you recall, at our last set of meetings, we voted

136down a proposal um to build um I think a more extensive sound barrier wall that would cost us 300 about 375 $370,000. So, this is um again an alternative solution that's much less expensive. Uh since that last voting meeting that we had where we voted down the the the more expensive wall, um the administration and led by Tim has uh examined a total of eight different options for possibly reducing the sound issue and getting us in compliance with lower winded sound ordinance. of those eight options, the $370,000 wall was part of them, but it had several others with varying costs and varying tradeoffs. And I think the motion or the item 16.1 here was option number three on that eight item list and I feel represents the best compromise of um likely solution to get

137us in compliance with sound ordinance as well as cost um for the district. So, uh, that's something for us to we can discuss tonight and also then hopefully vote on next week. Um, Tim, is there anything else you want to add regarding action item 16.1? Um, I think, uh, most of the options that are available would address any sound mitigation this summer. This is the best one out of all. any of the other solutions that we have would be uh significantly more expensive and none of them will be able to address anything this summer. I think this is a good compromise. Information that we've provided on the blankets are anticipated to reduce the sound between 9 to 12 dB which should get us within compliance with the ordinance is going to be a 14t high

138fence. We have video that we've watched on examples of how blankets work to see how they work and can actually walk around walks around the blankets and you do not hear it. Now practicality ours is a lot bigger than that one. So we'll have to see how this does but we will be testing it and ensuring that we continue to get underneath the ordinance. Okay. Um and Tim, can you also give us a quick rundown on 16.2? Sure. So, uh, with the addition of the PACE classrooms, Sunny Creek, the staff has increased between the aids and all individuals that come there, uh, parking is very tight to say the least with regards to just staff there during the day. So, this is to add some additional parking out front of the building. That'll relieve some

139of that stress with the amount of staff parking there. Thanks. Um, okay. Is there any comments or questions um on those two items in particular? 16.1 Tim. Yes. I'm just curious. We have so much beautiful green space at Stony Creek. Where were you planning to put this parking lot up front? So you know the circle the grass when you first come in on the soon as you come in that portion of the circle or this oval for lack of it's not really a good shape to describe but when you first come in you turn right like you'd be going to the back parking area around the front of the building. That area there's going to be parking spaces but townships reviewed it. They given us all the different requirements and that was entered into the

140bid and that was presented out to the It's going to be in the center part. So, okay. So, it's not going to really take away from any of the green space around the school. Just that over the green space. When you come in, you you go to the right. Yeah. It's going to be right there on the lefth hand side. All right. Thank you. Any other comments or questions? Well, about the fence, aren't there blankets already on the chiller? Are these different blankets you're talking about? There are so many blankets for chillers. I know. Are there? Yes, these are the So, the different ones were actually put into the chiller. Um, the ones that are on the chiller significant with laser measured out and fitted around the chiller. This is going to be ones that

141like for lack of a description just keeping layman's term. It looks like a big wrestling mat, a gym floor mat that eats the sound up. The coefficient, it says when it hits it, you know, according to their specs, 100% of the sound that hits it gets absorbed by the material. So, we're going to really be dealing with the material, the sound that gets around the material, which, you know, it's air. It's going to go up and around. There's no way around that, but the sound blankets that were originally installed are a different type of blanket that actually go on the chiller itself. I see. So then the fence will be on on the outside of that. So it'll be like these sound barrier absorbing things and then like that fence you're talking about. So the

142chiller has a sound barrier. There's currently a fence six feet away. We're going to take that fence down, put a 14t fence up with the sound blankets. Anything further? Just very quickly based on what I'm hearing with this particular solution, it will keep us within township regulation for noise. Correct. That is the projection and it does it at less than a quarter of the cost of the prior solution we've been talking. That is correct. So even if we have any additional difficulties, we've still paid less than a quarter of what we paid for the other one and we could if we need to look for another solution, but it is anticipated this will resolve the issue. That is the anticipation. Correct. It will resolve the issue. Thank you. All right. Anything for All right. Thank

143you again. U finance. Yeah, we have a number of items 11 uh for review and then vote next week. Um first two are just the normal uh monthly approvals of financial report and the list of payments. Uh 17.3 is a resolution to uh revise the tax collector's compensation. 17.4 is approval to pay our insurance premiums. 17.5 is our membership for the PSBA. Um 17.6 is approval to accept a donation from the uh Whisten Band parent association to be used towards purchase of a new trailer for the band. Sounds great. Uh 17.7 approval to accept a donation um from the lower Gwended HSA uh to be used towards the school garden. 17.8 8 approval to accept donations from uh the Whip Township for three Knox enclosures and Knox document cabinets. I'm not sure what a Knox

144box is, but I'm sure Tim can explain. Um for uh use within Whip Township. Uh 17.9 is transfer of unallocated funds uh to the capital projects fund so that our allocated budget does not exceed 7% of the total budget. Uh 17.10 is uh approval to commit uh the fund balance for following components. Uh compensated abn absences uh capital projects and special education. And then finally 7.1 17.11 is approval of board docs pro subscription uh to allow the public to view our board docs. Great. Thank you, Steve. And the Knox box um enclosures, those are the things you can just secure payment into. Is that what you're referring to? No, these are uh for life and safety fire departments. They're on the side of the building for keys so they can access the building. The only

145people that have the key to the knock box would be the fire. That was another example I saw online here was fire. All right. Thank you. Um any other comments or questions? Yes. All right. For uh items like 17.6 where we're looking to purchase new trailer for the band, do we look to sell the existing equipment um that will offset the cost or how do we typically handle those situations? Typically, we would the existing trailers currently owned by the marching band, which is they're going to sell to help fund this their portion of it. So if it was ours, we do put them up with the obsolete items. And but in this case, the trailer that's being replaced, which is out back, that's going to be sold by the marching band unit because they actually

146take owning the new one be by the district and have used for multiple groups also. Great. Thank you. Any other comments? No. All right, Marshall. Mercifully, I have noformational or action items this evening. I didn't even call policy yet. You kind of jumped the gun there, but thank you. Racial equity. No items for this evening. Thank you. Health, wellness, and safety. Jean, yeah, there are no items for this meeting. Back to Marshall. um extracurricular about eight hours worth of information to provide to all of you, but given the hour, I'm just going to cut it to nothing. But thank you. And I'll hold up on my NCI report until next week on North. We had a meeting last week. Um in addition to um the administrative things that we covered, uh we did get um

147a presentation um from site logic and GKO architects who uh talked to us about options that we can look at for expanding the capacity issues at North Monco. I must say this Site Logic IQ, if Tim's not talking to them yet, he should. It was quite an impressive presentation. They actually archive every single piece of equipment and kind of tell you what the shelf life is for each thing that you own and can kind of can help you do your five, sevenyear plans. So, it's really an impressive presentation. Um we also in the general meeting got um kind of a walkdown of all the uh students who've gotten awards recently and it was quite an impressive presentation. That's all I think. Yeah. Great. Thank you so much. Any comments or questions? All right. Then we'll

148move on to PSBA. Um now through June 27th, you can submit proposals for PSBA's legislative platform for 2026. I have some ideas. If any of you do, maybe we can talk about it next week. Through through June 26th, you said. Yeah, June 27th. So, we can talk about next week. Yeah. Thank you. And ERC? No. Okay. Thank you. All right. Well, that brings us to our second public comment period. Uh, the board appreciates hearings in the community. A maximum of five speakers be heard on the same topic. Please limit comments to three minutes in the interest of fairness and in order to treat speakers equally. It's the board's practice not to engage in dialogue with speakers. When appropriate, we will follow up with responses on board docs. Um when approaching the podium or if you're

149on Zoom, uh please state your name and your affiliation with the district. Um so first, um says Hi say settles and resident I am here to discuss the absence of a teacher on May 2nd May 12th I'm sorry 2025 I'm deeply concerned about the lack of transparency and accountability within the district regarding this incident. Parents were not informed that the sixth grade 67 period was without a teacher in the classroom for an entire period except for Mr. Linton occasionally checking in while managing his own class. This lack of supervision resulted in a student being hit in the head with a laptop. Additionally, a student was confronted in the hallway leading to a planned after school fight involving two other students. This incident was video recorded deceptively edited to portray the aggressors as victims and then

150circulated throughout the school. The students were clearly out of control that day, which I believe is a direct consequence of the principal and district's oversight and leaving students unsupervised and vulnerable. This is an unreasonable burden to to be placed on sixth grade students. To my knowledge, neither the school principal nor the district has apologized for or even acknowledged this serious incident. Given the district's history of spending millions on lawsuits, I'm concerned that this lack of action will lead to further financial repercussions. I felt it was important to bring this to your attention now, especially as we are in a position to vote for new candidates who have promised to prioritize compassion and transparency within our district. So, we can't do campaigning in in the board firm. I don't think anyone campaigned. I'm just mentioning candidates.

151I'm sorry. I No one campaigned at all. I said that this would be I'm bringing this to your attention as we are in a position to vote for new candidates. I didn't mention anyone or any candidacy. That's your insecurities. But thank you. All right. Um, moving on. Um, our last speaker is Carina. I really had some positive things to say about Dr. Joan's comments and Tim's the adjustment for the chillers. I see why now you don't feel like you have to go on any further because you've covered everything. I just want to regurgitate two quotes that I think really are interesting in terms of the budget and the teachers at the middle school. Deianne had said at the 11th hour she was able to talk to administration about the concern and then Joe said you

152know until weren't aware of the constraints that were facing the sixth grade class. Um, and then in terms of what were the tough choices that you had to make in the budget, it seems like you guys are talking to yourselves and not to the community. So, I want to throw out some things that I've experienced and terminology maybe because I can help you discern. I think you guys need to address implicit and ex explicit biases on this board. I think you need to address racism versus pre prejudice on this board. I think you need to um really look at when the white parents in this district complain versus the black parents. Things get swiftly done when it's the white parents. I've known um I've been here since Dr. Presfield started and I don't know one

153p black parent complaint that deals with somebody's kid that's been addressed. Um you constantly say they trust you, but where is that validated? I'm really really concerned because as we wrap up this year I can only talk about myself and I just want to just for the record make sure people understand that at the November 4th meeting there was four lowered police that were looking at watching me and asked me to behave myself. So I did a right to know request with the police department and I asked if they ever had any disturbance of the peace reports from when I was a teenager until an adult and they haven't. So, I'm not a threat to you. I'm not a threat to the community. Didn't appreciate the police. Two times this year, I have been muted.

154Whether it was Amy, whether it was the girl in the back, the fact is my comments were muted. Lastly, when we look at the difference between practice and policies, I have told you several times and I have it in writing that this superintendent has told all the principles that none of the black parents can have me in the room with them when they're advocating. I asked him what that was. He said it was his practice, so there is no policy. So, black parents that want an advocate in the room, whether they have an IEP student or not, should be able to have someone advocate. This is very serious and I'm sick of it. And I'm not going to stop talking and I'm not going to stop speaking the truth. I'm not. So, in the brevity

155of time, I'm not going to go over the three minutes. I'll be here next week, send out emails, and I'll continue to Facebook post. Thank you. Great. Thank you, Karina. And Amanda, I forgot to ask, is anyone online? Okay. Thank you. All right. Then that brings us to board comments. Uh, do any of my fellow board members have any comments this evening? Just have one comment. Every single one of our budget meetings is public. And I think there was one woman and my son that attended the budget meetings and that's it. So I don't think we can be accused of lack of transparency when people just don't show up. That's my comment. And I will note that our last meeting as well, our last budget meeting, we did have I believe four or five guests.

156Yeah, the final one, we did have a few more guests. So we don't allow comment from the gallery during the board discussion. So uh any other comments from my fellow board members? No. All right. Then do we have a motion to adjurnn? Second. All right. All those in favor? I adjourned.