January 12th 2026 Regular School Board Meeting

001of will call the uh school board meeting for Monday, January 12th, 26 to order. I will note that access to meetings are both streamed online as well as um residents are welcome to come and attend our meeting. Uh we will move into the uh meeting opening and roll calls. >> Mr. Lee >> here, >> Miss Potter Nelson >> here, >> Mr. Summers >> here, >> Miss Mercer >> here, >> Mr. Kowolski >> here. >> Miss Eer >> here. >> Mr. Pope >> here. >> Miss Bushman >> here. >> Mr. Liebreick >> here. >> We have a quorum. >> Thank you. You will stand for the pledge of allegiance. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with

002liberty and justice for all. So we will move into our Mandana Bliss Award and the Mandis Santa Bliss Award is a symbol of our deep appreciation for the unwavering commitment and outstanding efforts demonstrated by our staff members for educational excellence in the Stevens Point Area Public School District. It is named in honor of Mandana Hale Bliss, Stevens Point's first school teacher and trailblazer, whose exceptional service and dedication continue to inspire us all. This award lends us the opportunity to shine a light on remarkable contributions made to this district by our staff and to recognize their exemplary service. I will turn this over to superintendent. >> Thank you, Meg. So, we are going to be honoring a fifth grade teacher at Kennedy Elementary School this month. Her name is Brianna Weber and we have sixth grade

003students Taylor and Pepper here. So, I would like to ask uh Brianna and Taylor to come forward. Congratulations. A definition of a teacher is a person who teaches, especially in a school. But my definition of a teacher is someone who is caring, funny, and encourages me to grow, not only in school, but as a person as well. My definition describes Mrs. Weber. She always takes her time to understand her students, encouraging us with patience and kindness. She always has a smile on her face and creates a a a space where we feel supported, safe, and confident. She's not just a teacher, but someone who has made a lasting difference in all of our lives, including me. >> Congratulations. >> Come forward, too. We're going to go uh take a picture here in the middle and

004then each school board member would like to shake your hand after the photo. >> Come here. >> Start over here. You get to go. >> Thank you so much. >> Congratulations. You did such a nice job. >> Congratulations. This is the best part. >> Thank you. >> Well done. Congratulations. >> Nicely done. >> Good job. >> Congratulations. We will now move into our public comment section. Um we allow for both um inperson comments as well as email. Did we receive any email comments? >> We did not. >> Okay. So we will move into our uh inperson comments. Uh first I have Carol Hobie speaking on behalf of Sparta and she is speaking on HG. Hi everybody. Thank you for having me here today and this opportunity to present to you some information that we shared

005at our general assembly today. Um my name is Carol Kobe, 27 Hazelwood Drive, Stevens Point, Wisconsin. I'm the current president of Stevens Point area retired teacher association. It is a 100 plus member group which was established in 1969. At today's general meeting, we discussed item 8G. We unanimously passed this motion that I present to you now on their behalf. It reads as follows. The Stevens Area Retired Teachers Association supports the motion regarding the tax bill insert as presented to the Stevens Point Area Public School District School Board on January 12th, 2026. Thank you. And then we will have Carol speaking as Carol agenda item. >> Right. >> Who are you before? >> As president of Sparta speaking on their behalf. Well, you know, >> so but this is this is something that out of um

006that I'm referencing board policy manual bylaws PO0144.3 which is conflict of interest. Um, in regard to item HG, I believe that a public school board member, Alex Summers, operates a charter school whose students are voucher eligible. Um, perhaps this needs to be fully disclosed and perhaps he should abstain from public school board matters involving vouchers. Thank you. >> Thank you, Carol. We next have uh Heidi um is that close >> close. So the is not pronounced thank you all for letting me share today. Um I know that you have done a lot of work to bring a new um portion for the AG and we just wanted to thank you for that work from our school and from um all that you've done. But it is important to us that the current funding system although

007very important for our school is very confusing. I think it's difficult for the district to manage the way it's currently. Our position is that the funding system for the WPCP should be changed so that taxpayers are treated equally in financing the state's final choice programs. Today this is not the case. School districts with residential choice students should be treated the same way that the Milwaukee schools public schools are treating the students there with no property tax impact tied to school choice participation. The term for this is decoupling which means that the state not local taxpayers should be responsible for funding choice students. Ultimately school choice did not create the problem. The funding structure did. School choice cost taxpayers less than per student than it than the other students in the district. Providing a choice for

008our parents. Um it's 70% less per pupil what we spend for those that are part of the parental choice program as opposed to those other students costing taxpayers less. Um, again, I just want to encourage you to consider the wording choice within what you've already changed in that we would like to see decoupling legislation that would reduce property taxes for almost everyone in the district and eliminate the current funding confusion because obviously it is confusing and I'm sure it's very difficult for you when you're setting up your budgets for the year and we would like to see that decoupled from the system. Thank you very much. I I will just note in in um response to that just as an item of interest in one of our final agenda items tonight, we will be as

009a board discussing two competing resolutions that will be coming in front of um the delegate uh group down in Milwaukee at the state schoolboard convention next week. One of the resolutions is supporting decoupling and the other resolution is not supporting decoupling. The the decision that is made down at that delegate assembly provides um >> guidance to the Wisconsin Association of School Boards Legislative Advocacy Wing. Um, and so that is a matter that the board will be discussing this evening in the event that is something people are interested in either watching at the meeting tonight if you're already here or watching on streaming service. Um, the final speaker is Chris Lawrence, 8G. I should move that. Excuse me. Good evening. Um, hi, my name is Chris Lawrence. I'm with School Choice Wisconsin. Um, I'm actually a

010hearing of um, four school choice students. Um, I don't live in Stevens Point area, but I represent School Choice Wisconsin. We represent schools statewide, including a few here. Um, one you just heard, Heidi. Um, we have many others around the um, state. Um, over 400. Um, I want to speak generally about just school choice. um just so the board can have a good understanding of why parent why there's tons of demand for school choice why the program has grown tremendously over many years it started in Milwaukee and went to you know racing in Wisconsin we also have a special needs scholarship program u first thanks for the opportunity to speak and um so school choice what is it it's really about empowering parents to do what they believe is best for their children very simple

011um it's about finding a learn a learning environment where their child feels safe supported and able to succeed these families often are not turning away from public education. They're just making a more thoughtful, reasonable decision um based on their child's individual needs. Um and parents take this, they they consider a whole host of things, safety, um academics, faith, um and many other reasons. Um in Wisconsin, our parental choice programs are designed to expand these opportunities for families who may be otherwise limited by income and often location. Um, so for the Wisconsin program, you know, the the families who qualify, their incomes are 220% below the poverty level. A family of four, single family, four, that's 70,000 a year. Um, it's not a lot of money. Um, and many around our state. Um, there you can

012find places where you simply don't qualify because it's the cost of living is too high in those areas. Um, and the demand um, there's tons of demand for school choice that exist for a variety of reasons as I spoke um, earlier. um many of them small class sizes, more individualized attention. Um like I said, faith-based is a big thing as well. Um better instruction um and um you know in a safer environment. So in general, just school choices recognizes um the important truth that students are not a one-sizefits-all. That's the reason why the program exists. It gives parents these options because sometimes some options just doesn't work. We have parents, we have families in this program. Some send their kids to a private school and a public school at the same time. Very common thing

013actually, more common than you would expect. And they do this for a variety of reasons because they're looking at that child and they're just saying what is the best need for that child. And they and they just and and this program gives parents that freedom and opportunity to like really tailor directly to that child. Um and like I said, I have four in the program. I drive um I'm I'm in brown deer but I drive over three four or five cities in a you know multiple suburbs in Milwaukee. I got a kid in inner city Milwaukee and far out in like Wa Tulsa if you're familiar with that. It's about a 30 minute drive. I had one going to a boarding school in Watertown. Um and I live in I live in Brown Dear it's

014an hour away but that's a sacrifice a lot of parents make to get their kids a better education. Um and a lot of people and there's over 60,000 kids um in the program now and they're better board. Thank you for your time. I appreciate it. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> No one else has signed up for comment. Is there anybody else here who would like to speak this evening? Okay, we will move into our presentations and we have our student representative from Good evening everybody. I hope everybody had a great uh winter break. Next week is very big for spash. It marks the end of the second quarter and the first semester and we will be starting our new semester. So the second semester on the 27th. Along with that, we will also be

015starting our 2026 2027 registration process with the annual elective showcase on Wednesday, January 21st. So, all 9th graders and their families are invited to come to SPASH to tour elective classrooms and learn about all of the elective options at SPASH. Later on in that evening, Mr. Bondorf meets with new students and families to introduce them to Spash and Spash's programming. Last week, the Golf Coaches Association of Wisconsin recognized four members of the Spash Girls golf team as academic all state. Congratulations to Carly Costa Husky, Vanessa Hatfield, Maline Anderson, and Jenna Barber for receiving this outstanding honor. Our girls golf program had an incredible season this year, and their recogn recognition certainly fits with the team's other accomplishments. Congratulations to the head coach Janessa Reed and assistant coach Scott Anderson for their role in leading and

016supporting these outstanding student athletes. Another big congratulations to Smash students Keegan Ops, Evan Fornier, and Wyatt Witty for taking first at Skills USA competition for the team engineering event. Thank you to the students and staff in the geometry, geometry, and construction classes who made the holiday open mini golf course possible for our community and school. Over the three days it was open, approximately 3,027 people played this course. It was a great success. The SPASH one act plays are happening on January 23rd and 24th. They will be performing in the Spash auditorium at 700 p.m. SPASH's musical department finally gets a break from concerts and parades. Their next performances will be coming up late February and early March. Lastly, Spash's winter sports are right in the thick of it right now. Girls basketball is doing great

017with a strong record of 9 and two with their next home game being on the 22nd at 7:15. Boys basketball has a record of 7-2 with their next home game being on the 23rd at 7:15 as well. Girls hockey is having a solid season as they are currently 2-2 in conference with their next game at 5:00 p. game tomorrow against the Central Wisconsin Storm. Boys hockey has an outstanding record of 13-1 with their next home game on the 23rd at 700 p.m. Girls gymnastics has a meet tomorrow at 5:45. Boys and girls wrestling has a have a home meet on the 15th at 700 p.m. and boys swim team has an upcoming home meet tomorrow at 5:30. Thank you for listening to the Spanish update for the month and have a wonderful evening. >> Thank

018you. >> All right, we will move into the communications report. Sarah O'Donnell. >> Hello. Great. >> Let's hop right in. We can kind of see. Oh, look at that. Mr. Ne. All right, we've got our December storytelling events and engagement. Um, lots and lots to cover. Um, in December, we had just a really good month um running around capturing thank yous and some of the great events that Lily mentioned. Um, some unique events. Uh, WSP was able to hold our education day this year. We had some snow last year that prevented that from happening. So really glad um that the days and I we did had uh kind of worked around that for us and just lots of great concerts and performances and just really glad to be able to share um all of that

019with our community. I am clicking it's not doing anything. There we go. When we look at our website and digital engagement for the month of December, um we saw slight growth year-over-year. Um for that month, um engagement was up significantly, which we continue to see. We did see event count drop. Um pretty good at 9.8% year-over-year drop is significant. Um so we'll take a look and just see kind of if there were specific things that either people couldn't find or were looking for or if it just overall was a month where folks just really weren't looking to download. um things because December is just quite busy for all of us. Um a new feature that we have added to the website that I forgot to include on here is an AI chatbot. Um so if

020you are on that main page, um we've put some preloaded questions in there for folks that we think are most likely they're looking for. So like calendar, lunch menus, um enrollment information for when that season opens. Um, but it's nice because we've also been able to see what questions people are asking as well and adjust um some of where that information lives on the website. Um, so if you get a chance and you're on there and notice that it's in the uh right hand bottom corner of the website. The other piece uh that we are continuing to look um at for website and digital pieces is the title 2 digital accessibility compliance that is coming up in April. I will continue to mention that every month. Um we continue to do our trainings inhouse. We

021did not do anything in December because it's just so busy. Um, but we'll start back up again with accessibility labs beginning in January where we just offer folks to come in. We'll do some review and then offer them work time to work specifically on any documents they're concerned about, pages they're concerned about. Um, so working to continue to keep that top of mind for folks that are really doing that external communication. That's really what we are uh focused on. So website mainly some of those other digital pieces. Uh media coverage and public relations was a little bit slower for the month but still um had some nice stories in there. Social media engagement for the month. We saw a slight uh rise in total audience for both Facebook and Instagram which are two main uh

022main channels that we are living on digitally. We saw a drop in impressions and engagement month over month. Not significant but enough that it was a drop. Um, so we'll continue to look uh and manage that. I was excited. I saw over the weekend we got a notification from Facebook thanking us for our high quality content and letting us know that they would be increasing our engagement within the algorithm. So I have no idea if that actually will happen, but I was really excited. We've never received that notification before. So I was like, "Okay, well thank you Facebook. That was a nice little message on a Saturday." Um and then looking ahead, this is the same list we've been working off of for um for the semester. Uh so midyear update would be kind of

023the next big thing that we'll see here. Um as um our staff student rep had mentioned. Um we that'll we'll communicate that coinciding with the end of semester. Um so that will be both mostly a digital piece. Print is just astronomically expensive. It is even the postage is just it's really expensive. So, we're keeping that as small as we can um while still communicating to all uh everyone, all of our stakeholders. So, we're trying to reach more than just families and staff in the community. Um continuing to do referendum and budget updates, engagement recognition, um that internal capacity and support. And then enrollment campaigns are our biggest focus right now um as we move into enrollment season. So, thank you. Anybody have any questions? Sarah. All right, then. Thank you, Sarah. >> We'll move into

024our superintendent report. >> Sure. Thanks, Nick. Um, thank you to um our community. Once again, we had three different groups uh provide money to our money for meals program. Miriam Meeks donated $500. by Zaki family farms donated $1,000 and key Churchill Price donated $35972. >> Not wait, what is it? >> Did a typo. >> I didn't know who Peach was. >> Princess Peach. >> Our apologies. >> SLT subs or Jersey Mike donated $43028 to the Boston School Forest for the cooler time plunge. Congratulations to Monica Anderson. She is a teacher at Washington Elementary School. She won the hot 96.7 and Cheryl Tire of the Month. Uh teacher recognition. Semester 1 ends as Lily indicated next week. Reminder, we have had two inclement weather days, so we've used up our built-in days. So, if we have

025any more inclement weather days, they will likely be e-learning days. So, I just wanted to make sure that the community and parents and and students were aware of that. State education convention is next week. We have some board members attending that. So, um please take a look at the itinerary that Nicole sent out. There's a variety of things happening throughout the week. Portage County Business Council dinner is Thursday, January 29th at 6 o'clock at the Holiday Inn. If you are interested in attending, you need to let Nicole know ASAP. We have heard from G at this point. So, and Meg. So, G and Me will be attending and Chris and I will be attending. So, if anyone else is interested, just let us know. The student art show will take place February 5th here at

026Bliss from 4:30 to 6:30. Generally, we've had some board members welcome people as they enter Bliss. So, if there's any board member that is interested in helping to do that again, please let Nicole know. >> Can you repeat the dates? >> Yes. February 5th from 4:30 to 6:30. >> Thank you. >> And then I just wanted to remind everyone that we did get seven individuals that were interested in being placed on the ballot for the April election. I'm going to read those seven candidates in the order in which they will appear on the ballot. Chris Scott, Jeff Eel, Alex Summers, Elizabeth Potter, Nelson, G Pope, Ted Kowolski, and Miguel Gabrielle Campos. And that wraps up my report. Any questions? >> All right, we will move into uh the community task force. >> Sure. So I

027am going to introduce we've got Mark Roppers who is on the screen with us. Unfortunately he um for us he has to present at another school district uh tonight. So we do have Nick with us. Nick works for MD Rockers as well and is very knowledgeable and has actually been the person that we've worked most closely with. So welcome Nick. It's nice to see you back here again. >> Great. Well thank you for that introduction Corey. Uh nice to be here again. Nice to see you all again. Um I was here uh two months ago at the November 2025 uh board meeting to present our enrollment projections project uh that we had prepared uh for most of 2025 uh and then presented that to you all a couple of months ago. Uh today I'm here

028to talk to you all about our long range facility planning project. Um we have worked with several Wisconsin school districts uh on such a long range facility plan. Uh so I mentioned in our November meeting we worked with about 50 Wisconsin school districts on enrollment projections. Uh for many of those they've hired us again for the next step after enrollment projections uh which is based on those projections creating a long range facility plan. So what this can involve uh is potential grade shifts and changes um attendance area changes uh building utilization changes. Um you'll remember from our enrollment projections uh one of the schools that we had projected enrollment and capacity issues at was Clover Whiting Elementary School. Uh so this long range facility planning effort would address that among other other potential issues. Um

029we have skills and expertise uh expert experience in uh two kind of buckets uh to in creating a long-range facility plan. Uh the first being the technical development of different options. Uh so creating different scenarios, exploring different options as to what the district would look like under a certain grade group shift uh under attendance area shifts, under changes to building utilization. Uh the second bucket is in uh the process of a long range facil facility plan uh and creating it as well as meeting facilitation. Uh and we would do this through a uh community member driven task force. Uh so the next several slides I'll go through the six six tasks uh that uh kind of guide the district through such a long-range facility planning project. Uh we'll have a couple examples as well too

030that Mark will that Mark will go over uh later on in the presentation. So the first is assisting with the initial process steps um really starting to kick off the task force um assisting the district with task force composition and selection of task force members. uh advising on the task force charge as well as criteria uh that will be utilized by the task force in comparing different options. Uh so not only enrollment projections but also facility information, programming information um among many other things. Uh a big part of this task is also just organizing and collecting information from a lot of different disperate areas within the district that are in different departments such as current learning environments, physical environments of the schools, uh the physical quality of the schools, uh the fiscal health of the

031district in general, uh among many other conditions. Uh it's it's kind of hard to see this image here uh but we use this as a a one pager for a district we worked with recently uh to show a bunch of information about uh their elementary schools. The year the year they were built uh the year they were last modeled or updated um or renovated. Uh the deferred maintenance that is uh required at each of those schools. if the schools have air conditioning um as well as our enrollment projections in comparison to uh the capacity of those schools. Uh task two within our proposed scope is our uh task force meetings. Uh so we budgeted nine task force meetings uh to assist uh such a community member-driven task force uh in progressively achieving its charge of

032uh creating and sharing the preferred long-range facility planning option uh with the board. So the first couple of meetings would be uh icebreaking for us to get to know task force members and vice versa. Also to get to know district staff that we uh that will be heavily involved in the process. Um probably the first two or three meetings will be that along with foundational knowledge. Uh we'll be presenting task force members with a lot of information and a lot of data and that will certainly take a few uh task force meetings to get uh get them up to speed with everything related to the district. Uh we'll get into broad directions then for long-range facility planning, specific factors and components that are addressed in a long-range facility plan. Um and then get into actual

033option prep, evaluation, uh and then getting to that preferred option and uh the longrange facility planning report. Uh task three and task four, uh I'm kind of talking about them at the end of the last slide, but task three is narrowing the range of facility planning factors and options. So at a more broad level discussing specific components uh that will be included in our longrange facility plan others that the task force may not want to take up. Task four is establishing, communicating and evaluating detailed options uh specifically up to eight different options uh for future school facility related changes. Um so this can include as I mentioned earlier attendance area shifts, grade group shifts. Uh we know the district has a unique grade group structure. um as well as potential building utilization changes. Uh we

034also envision that each option will have uh phasing components. So there could be short-term phasing uh things that can be implemented within the next 2, 3, four years or so, more medium-term phasing within the next 5 to 10 years, and then long-term phasing likely 10 years and beyond for the district as part of a long range facility plan. and Mark will go through a couple uh examples of uh some recent long range facility planning efforts we've been involved in around the state. >> Thanks, Nick, and thank you for allowing me to participate remotely. I I'm in the Wanaki uh school district right now doing the same thing that Nick uh did for you guys back in November. So, uh we had a divide and conquer. Um what you're seeing here on screen are uh some

035examples of from other school districts of some of the tools we use to communicate uh and help uh a task force such as being proposed here evaluate different options for how the district could uh change over time in the factors that Nick uh indicated. This happens to be from the Sun Prairie School District and was a tool to help the uh task force evaluate just one of many options that that U task force considered when it added its second high school and converted grades uh and its grade groups to bring uh uh 9th graders back to high school at the same time and uh add at add another middle school. Uh so there were a lot of moving parts uh during that process. The map on the left shows the one attendance area scheme associated

036with the uh new middle and high school configuration. Um, and you'll recall with the uh information that we shared with you in November that we've got uh uh similar kind of building blocks or neighborhoods crafted for the um um point school district that could be utilized to help with this type of task. But what you see in the middle of the screen uh is uh what we called the dashboard uh that helped evaluate uh each of the options. Uh there are in the bold text there five criteria that the school board in that case asked the task force to utilize to uh compare uh different options and to bring forward one that best met the criteria and then you uh if you squint you see a lot of numbers and so forth. We helped then

037develop metrics uh to help the task force um complete that evaluation. The uh next slide uh shows a a slightly different type of presentation. Uh this we put together for a long range planning process for the Oregon school district uh just south of Madison. Um and this was uh it's called PATH, but it's one of the options that that district uh considered to deal with uh rising enrollment. Um the reason I present this or represent this is that it kind of represents the fact that this is not a u um process that will result in you know everything being done all at once but uh in uh Oregon just as we proposed for uh your district um there were short-term middle-term and long-term components of each of the options that were put forward uh to

038eventually kind of evolve to a facility plan over a period of uh 15 years and make short-term decisions in the early stages that led to a logical long-term solution. >> Great. Thank you, Mark. Um the last couple of slides here, uh so task five uh is refining, mapping and evaluating that preferred option uh and associated phasing with that option. Uh so this will be validating describing that task force preferred facility option. Uh that will end up serving as the district's long-range facility plan. Uh and then task six uh is project management and board and staff interaction. Uh so we budgeted up to 15 staff and consultant team meetings. Uh these are really focused uh on two things. Uh the first is preparing for the task force meetings. Uh making sure we have a presentation for

039the task force meetings. uh preparing materials uh exercises for the task force uh and then later on in the process um helping to uh discuss internally um you know potential um options and other broad components that would be will be discussed with the task force. Um and then the second we'll be following up uh from those task force meetings as well. Uh so making sure we have all task force uh member questions answered. uh making sure that we are directing uh any resources to any other departments in the district um and just uh keeping everybody on the same page um in preparation and debriefing from those task force meetings. Uh we also have a couple board of education meetings uh in which we'll be coming uh in front of you guys again um to just

040give you an update on how the task force is doing um any questions that task force members may have of you all um regarding guidance or direction for the charge or clarifications um as well as uh at the end the task force findings. Uh last slide here is our proposed timeline. Uh so over the next uh few months uh as winter wraps up and we get into spring of 2026 uh we would really focus on that task one uh preparing everything for the task force um as well as starting some of our first foundational meetings um including um you know understanding more about for uh full day 4K beginning this September. uh into summer and fall of 2026, we would have continued task force meetings uh and then actually get into preparing and showing uh

041the task force and discussing with them evaluating different facility options. Uh through fall of 2026 uh and into winter and and potentially into early next year, uh January of 2027, uh we will have our final task force meetings uh with that uh ending in a preferred facility option um and associated phasing with that long-range facility plan. Thank you. >> Yeah. And that is the end of the presentation. I'm happy to take any any questions or comments that you all have. Um >> how many members are you anticipating or would be ideal for the task force? >> Yeah, we we have found anywhere between 40 and 50. So around 45 um is really ideal. Um any fewer than that, we feel like we don't have as cross representation of demographics that we need. Um and anything

042larger is difficult to work with. >> Okay. So that actually is a good segue to my next question. What is the selection process and what are we doing to ensure that we have diverse representation? >> Yeah, great. Um so the selection process, how it's worked with other school districts is um we will send out um the district will help send out through social media, traditional media, um other meetings with parents and other community members uh to get people interested. um and then they'll submit an application. Um we typically have seen and it's up to you know board and district policy you know what you want the composition of the task force to look like. We've often seen uh recently um couple districts we've worked with have had three buckets uh of what they want their

043members to be in. Uh one parents with children in the school district. Uh one parents that don't have children in the school district or have never had children in the school district uh but are still taxpayers. And then the other is staff and teachers. >> And then where does the board input fall into this process. >> Mark, do you have a comment on that? >> Yeah, absolutely. Um, in a number of different places, particularly early, um, uh, we will, uh, work with you to develop the specific charge for the task force. Um, what do you want them to look at? what perhaps don't you want them to look at uh during uh the process. We just completed a process for instance that was focused on elementary uh um schools. Um the district probably has needs

044at the middle and high school level, but it was the the board just decided that was too much to chew on in one time. They were right. Um and so they charged the task force to focus only on elementary schools. I'm not saying that that's what you are going to do or should do. That's just one example of how a the board us kind of define this the the charge. Secondly, um you will you will help we will ask you to set the criteria that the uh the um task force should use when it develops and considers different options. Uh criteria could include transportation efficiency, uh minimizing change for students, uh how how how well an option uh performs against keeping kids at the schools they're at versus not. Um social demograph social and dem

045demographic factors could be considered an important criteria as the task force looks at different options. So, uh B, we will ask you to help set the criteria that the task force uh utilizes. Uh uh C the task force invariably will come up have questions uh when evaluating and deciding what its charge is and what the criteria are. Uh we'll do our best to um help um answer those questions, but we will almost certainly have to come back to the board once or twice to get clarification. uh and further guidance uh to help the task force. Um so those are three ways that we will you know definitely propose to involve the board and kind of setting the program uh for the task force. They're focused on what you want them to to solve. >> And

046then from there, thanks Mark. And then from there, the board's role is to react to the recommendation. >> That's correct. uh you'll uh um first off, you're not the recommendation won't be a surprise to you when it comes. So, you'll Nick mentioned a couple of opportunities we have to to meet with you uh and update you on the process. Uh we'll work with the the district um uh uh to have information shared with you obviously uh throughout the process beyond those two meetings. also work to make sure that there's a robust web presence where all materials will be available so people can kind of chart the progress and uh trace how the task force got to where it got to at the end. >> Thank you. And I would also add to some of the

047criteria. We also we work with several districts. So we have you know dozens of different criteria that we've used with other districts and that we're able to calculate. You know metrics qualitative quantitative metrics for um some districts say oh yes these three are almost important. Another district might have three other very different important ones. >> I wanted to ask um said 45 people roughly. Uh do they are they at any point in this process alto together at a meeting at once? >> We would expect them to be at every task force meeting. >> Are there subgroups that go off? Because it looked like you had some other meetings like 15 staff and some other >> that's typically where the consultant and district staff will just meet uh to prep for those task force meetings. Make

048sure materials are prepped. Uh do debriefing from the last task force meeting. um just make sure district staff and the consultant are on the same page for you know the next task force meeting what's coming. >> Can you refresh me? How many meetings of 45 people? >> Nine. >> And you're saying if we okay this by next year at about this time we would have >> because I saw it's what is it fall. So at next year at this time we would have come to some kind of >> and we would ideally have our first task force meeting within the next two three months this or so or or so then we'd likely have about one a month uh through the end of this year probably extended to early next year. uh when you mention

049your three buckets of uh people uh I'm asking I'm suggesting is it wise to have a school board liaison whoever that might be to be at they won't be obviously be at all the little meetings and planning meetings but at the 45 person meeting uh I know you're going to report back to us things like that but I'm just saying the personal >> I view of it to tell the what their feelings are. And uh I mean I would I would envision it as like a non-participating observant. >> Sure. I'm not opposed to having a board member or two. I would not recommend having more than that. >> But I would want to set as you're going not if you want to show up. >> Right. >> Okay. >> And we've seen districts have one

050or two board members there in a nonparticipatory just watching role and then some that do not. So our our job is to set to say what we what we want you to look at and we need to do that if we want to start on this. We need to do that by the next school board meeting if we're going to start. >> If the board approves this tonight, we'll work with Nick and Mark to determine what the process is for the board creating those parameters. So yes, you create those and then at the very end you will react to the recommendations um and make the final decision as to where we're going to go from >> to stay at that timeline. we'd have to do it at the next schoolboard meeting. >> We will work

051with you and your uh district staff to develop a very detailed timeline so that we can deliver what we promise uh in that in that schedule. Uh, and I will also say for task force member recruitment, it's um typically advisable that we actually set those meeting dates up front so that task force members know, hey, we're going to ask you to commit to nine meetings and these are the nights that we're going to ask you to commit two and a half hours uh per night to come. Uh so that helps uh everyone uh plan their schedule and it helps the task potential task force members you know understand what they're getting into and uh understand the commitment they're making. >> Agree. >> I just want to be clear because apparently we're going to vote on

052this tonight >> on the $52,000 expenditure. Uh I want to be clear exactly what we're voting on. uh by the next schoolboard meeting, you will have worked with Rafers, MD Raers, our administrative staff to say these are the things we want the the the task force to look at. No, what you're voting on tonight is to allow us to move forward with MD Roers, create a communitywide task force and then I I'm sure we'll probably g be able to have that for the next board meeting. But we haven't even had an opportunity to talk to Nick and Mark about that because we weren't sure if the board was going to let us move forward. >> But there's going to be a lot of work done between now and the next school board meeting. And you're

053going to come back to us and say these are the things we've identified for the task force to work on. You want us to okay that? We will give some recommendations, but you guys will ultimately make that decision. But we'll come with some sort of a recommendation, >> but we have >> a starting point to react >> at at the next schoolboard meeting because I'm trying to nail down the timeline because this is fast >> as quickly as we can, G. As quickly as the goal, yes, I can't make any promises because I've not had a chance to talk to make it work yet. Well, and and the bottom line is if we approve this as a board, which is to create a task force, just the creation of the task force is going to

054take some time. I mean, it's going to be setting out >> and we want it to take time, right? We want to be very thoughtful. >> We want I mean we we want I mean this is this is not a has to be done by a certain date. >> So that timeline is irrelevant. Well, that timeline is the guidepost as always timelines are because ultimately I believe what we want is for us to do this >> right and take the time that we need to ensure at the outset that we are pulling together a representative task force that this board is comfortable with to be able to do this work on our path over the course of the next approximately year. Correct. Correct. Correct. Yeah. >> Some may also ask, you know, how do we

055intend to pay for this this fee? We did recently just learned, and Chris will talk a little bit about this later on in the budget evaluation process. We did receive, we weren't expecting to receive anything, we received an early reading professional development grant for $51,870. So, this is a onetime expense. It seems to make sense to utilize those funds to pay for the MD Rogers work with us. >> That's that grant is an early reading grant. >> Is it supposed to be spent on that? >> No, it's not. It was an early literacy reimbursement grant, right? And so the we didn't expect to get anything. >> Yeah, we were just I applied for it, not anticipating to get anything. >> Onetime funds. Um we will only get them this year. We won't be eligible eligible

056to apply next year. So, no strings attached. >> No strings attached. >> We did the work and paid for it. >> Thank God. >> Um, I have a question. With the approval of this, are those meetings then open record open meetings records things that we have to be aware of? Correct. >> Yes. I mean, they we won't post them per se, but we will put them like on the website or wherever we So any information that's talked about done would be >> absolutely >> applicable for >> the record >> record. Okay. >> A lot of districts have created like a a community task force web page where they do post meeting notes and and documents. >> Awesome. >> Any other questions of um you guys >> from any board members? Okay. Hearing none, then I

057would be looking for a motion to approve the establishment of a 45 to 50 member community task force and to authorize entering into a professional services contract with MD Roberts Consulting not to exceed $52,000 to facilitate the task force process and support facilities enrollment and programming planning efforts. Some move. >> Second. >> I have a motion and a second. Any discussion on the motion or any questions of administration? >> Certainly. Mr. Lee. >> Yes. >> Mr. Summers. >> Yes. >> Miss Potter Nelson. >> Yes. >> Mr. Mr. Liebre. >> Yes. >> Mr. Pope. >> No. >> Mr. Kowolski? >> Yes. >> Miss Bushman? >> Yes. >> Miss Mercer? >> Yes. >> Miss Earler? >> Yes. >> Motion passes. >> All right. >> Thank you very much, Nick. Thank you. Look forward to seeing you all.

058>> Thank you very much. We appreciate the confidence. >> That's exciting. Okay. >> All right. We will move into our consent agenda and that includes the minutes of the prior school board meeting of December 8th, the approval of the schedule monthly bills and employment recommendations. >> Do I have a motion? >> I move. >> Second. >> All right. I have a motion and a second. We will go ahead and call. >> Miss Bushman. >> Yes. >> Mr. Pope. Yes, >> Miss Mercer. >> Yes, >> Mr. Kowalsski. >> Yes, >> Mr. Liebreick. >> Yes, >> Miss Oh, I'm sorry, Miss Potter Nelson. >> Yes, >> Mr. Summers. Yes, >> Mr. Leak. >> Yes. >> And Miss Earler? >> Yes. >> Motion carries. >> All right, we will move into the business services portion of the agenda

059and >> All right, so reporting from the January 5th business services HR uh update uh committee meeting. Uh we did have some public commentary at that meeting similar to the public commentary that we had tonight. Several citizens came in and spoke regarding uh the uh voucher disclosure that we'll be discussing shortly. Um we had Beth give us a uh yearly turnover report uh with very good news I think in that our uh turnover has gone down now for the uh second year in a row um and maintains at uh a healthy level of turnover. Um the primary non-retirement reason that folks give in terms of leaving um is left for another career. So retirement was the highest percentage of those who chose to leave the district. Uh leaving for another career was the second again

060often occurring in those first five years. Um in addition, Beth gave us the overall uh engagement and employee satisfaction numbers uh that came out there. Um and uh engagement remains up with 86% of uh employees uh satisfied or highly satisfied with uh with their employment. So that is also good news. Um we discussed several things that Mike will be putting forth in front of us tonight or uh the admins. Uh that includes the property tax bill insert uh regarding the voucher spending that we will discuss, 10-year capital improvement plan revision and roof bid. Um and then lastly, I just want to take a moment again to give kudos to our citizen member Tanny who uh is doing a great job at uh kind of holding us to account and acting as a uh forensic accountant

061in those meetings. >> She is an accountant too. So yeah, good thing. Yeah. >> Thank you, Barney. So, at this time, I'm going to ask our auditor, Amber Danielle, to come forward. She is going to give us two reports tonight. She's going to give us our annual financial audit report and then the audit report from CO. Mike, as I indicated earlier, is not feeling well. He is on screen. He will be available to answer any questions as as well. So, with that, Amber, good evening. So, I'm going to start as Corey mentioned to start with going over the main district audit first. Um, and so, um, similar to your past, I'm going to go through various pages, but then if you have any questions as I do go along, please just pause and make me

062answer them right as we go. Um, so just past the table of contents is the independent auditor's report. Um, this starts off with, you know, first things first, the audit opinion, which is, you know, top thing we always want to know. So in our opinion, the financial statements um that we audited as of June 30th, 2025 present fairly the financial position of the district, which quote unquote is a clean audit opinion, which is what the district strives for. Um in doing our audit, we follow generally accepted auditing standards, government auditing standards, and then because the district spends more than $750,000 of federal funds, we follow the single audit as well. Um 2425 is actually the last year the single audit threshold was $750. it actually moves up to a million dollars for the 25 26

063year you're still so that means you're still going to have the single audit but you know it is still something that changes it actually then like changes the thresholds at which we pick programs to look at as well so different things that come through one thing that was different for 2425 was there was a new accounting standard as I've talked in the past few years there's been a couple of new ones over the last few years and this one is talking about compensated absences it's Gazby statement 101 on. So, prior to this rule, some districts and some governments may have only picked up a liability for those retirement payouts for the sick leave or for vacation or only if you got it at retirement kind of thing. It never considered, oh, hey, somebody might have

064200 hours that they might actually have to use because they actually get sick and then ultimately does get paid out. Yes, through salary that way, but it still gets paid out. And because it's acred based on pre previous year service, it needs to be picked up and reported. So that was a change for all the governments that went through. And the result of that change added, I apologize, I had my page noted here. Added increased your liability by $1.4 million for picking up that plus it also had to pick up the FICA portion, payroll taxes added on to it. Because before the standard said didn't say anything about whether or not you had to pick up that portion or not. It was silent. So some governments did, some governments didn't. So basically the standard one

065is to get everybody on the same playing field. So that's what that emphasis of matter paragraph in the audit opinion is all about that. These audit opinion letters won't always have that paragraph in there. It's usually if there's something significant enough that hey, this is a big change, the board needs to know about it. The rest of the letter is pretty standard. It requires to discuss different things that the management is responsible for and then what we do from the audit perspective and just different reports that we go over with it. But overall, as I said before, it was a clean audit opinion, which is what the district strives for. Moving then to some financial numbers. If you go to page eight, um, excuse me, page 16. So page 16 is your balance sheet at

066year end. And I'm going to focus primarily on the general fund since that's your main fund of operations. For financial statement purposes, this includes fund 10 and fund 27. DPI obviously requires you to keep 27 separate, but financial statement versus says it's got to be combined. So when you are looking at those numbers compared to maybe Skyward reports you may have gotten, that's where the difference comes in. So your general fund had just under $36 million of total assets at the end of the year, $24 million in cash and 10.5 in tax receivable. Now that taxes receivable came in in August, so then it was very liquid, moved right into your cash balance at that time. Very consistent with what we see with districts throughout the state. Your total liabilities were just about $16.7 million.

067The majority in that acred and other current liabilities section. That's going to be your summer payrolls and related benefits for the most part. That what is what makes up that amount. So obviously it'll decreased as those summer payrolls got paid out in July and August. Again, very consistent with what other districts have. The remaining balance of that is your fund balance. So in total, the general fund fund balance was $19.3 million at the end of the year. And there's various categories in there. Your not spendable category, this is amount that was prepaid for next year. So insurance premiums, different things like that that was prepaid for next year. The restricted category is when the third party gives you funds and says you can only spend it on X, X, and Y. So that's what that

068number is. The committed funds is when the board itself makes a resolution that says we're going to put money aside for this project. So this amount here, this is the playground matching thing with the PTAs that that's what that amount is. The remaining balance unassigned is amounts that are available for cash flow purposes, covering budget deficits next year. All of a sudden some expense pops up or whatever, whatever that ends up being. One area that we always look at when it comes to that unassigned fund balance is we look at a ratio of that amount to expenditures. Just because you don't get your state aids for so long, you don't get your taxes for so long, you got to have that cash flow balance there. So right now that amount was 16% of the 24

06925 expenditures. We always usually recommend somewhere between 15 and 25%. Every district's a little different because of the timing of your own cash flows and different things. So you know every district then sets its own policy. You guys have set your policy at 20% of next year's budget and right now so then this 18 million is actually 13% of the next year budget. So, a little bit. It's obviously below what your targeted is, but I think the board's well aware of that and is making success with it. When you do fall down like that, that's when you have to do that short-term borrowing. And so, it's obviously just something you look into, you watch. It's obviously when you short-term borrow, you incur other interest costs that you wouldn't have if you didn't have to short-term

070borrow. And even though we look at in the industry say 15 to 20%, 15 to 25%. We have some districts that keep it as low as 5%. They just know they short-term borrow way more. So, it's it's that cost benefit line that you watch to determine as you set your budgets, as you're setting, you know, watching your cash flows and timing of different things to watch to determine where you really want that set. Any questions on that? The next big fund here, just wanted to point out is your long-term capital improvements fund. You got just about $4.9 million set aside. That's at fund 46 that DPI allowed you to set aside, create, and set up. And basically, you can only use that funds on the stuff that's in your 10-year capital improvement plan, but you've

071been able to put aside money the past few years to keep growing that balance. The other governmental funds are your donations, food service, debt service, all of them are smaller. And because they're smaller, we don't have to do as much sensitive work on them and that's why they get shown in the one column. If you move to page 19, this is your income statement. The bottom part of your income statement. And I just want to kind of just focus a little bit on the overall result. So if you go to that bottom part of general fund, it says your net change in fund balance was 1,339,000. So obviously you were able to have more revenues or have less expenditures that came in and allowed you to increase your fund balance. The budget actual statements in

072the back will show you more detailed levels of which categories of expenses or which categories of revenues came um up or down. primarily your budget came in under on the expense side that allowed you to increase that fund balance. Your long-term capital improvement fund though, you did spend down $1.2 million of your fund balance on projects, which again is kind of what it's meant for and allows you to give that flexibility in terms of spending it down. Any questions on the financial numbers? >> Okay, ask right now. All right. So, on the previous page on 16, that is the number we've talked about a lot, right? 18,300 something,000 that we want to be at 20%. I always thought it was hovering at about like 18 or 19, but you're saying it's only 13 >> 13%

073of next year's budget next year's budget because that's how your policy is written is of subsequent year um budget. So, if we didn't do anything to it, it would be 13% next year. But we're planning on doing the on page 19 the 1.339 >> that added to it to get you to that one or to get you to 18. >> Oh, that's already been added in. >> That's already been added in. >> All right. Thank you. >> Moving then way towards the back to page 76. This is a summary of auditor's results. Um th this table gets included when you have um basically single audit stuff but I think it's a nice onepage summary to say okay yes you had for your financial statements right there at the top unmod modified audit opinion and then

074when it the next part internal control or financial reporting were there any material weaknesses identified no were there significant deficiencies identified yes and then were there non-compliance material to the financial statements noted no significant deficiency that's noted which is in more detail on the following pages is the finding about financial statement preparation. So you know we've talked about this in the past just for costbenefit purposes most districts like pretty much all my districts that I work on every year hire their auditors to prepare this document. Out of the 70 80 some pages that are in here the auditor is responsible for about 15 of it. The rest of it is to be prepared by management. But again, for costbenefit purposes, most districts outsource that to their auditors because you won't want you have your main

075finance department take 40 to 50 hours to compile everything in here. And so it's just important to understand that yes, this is a deficiency because it's outsourced because there could be things that are just slightly missed that aren't material just because, you know, we miss slightly updated one little policy or something that that gets put there. But Mike and um Jackie review the documents before we final print these all. So there is that level one level of review and also just this meeting having you ask questions and review things also plays into offsetting that report and that finding. Most of my districts have that finding. So it's not unusual. DPI is aware of it. When they reach out and ask you what you're doing about it, you just explain what you're doing by having us

076present the meeting and they ask questions. >> So that answers that part of the basic financial statements for your federal awards. Similar questions. internal control over major programs. Were material weaknesses identified? We didn't have any in what we tested. Were there significant deficiencies identified? Yes, we had one. When it comes to buying and doing contracts under grants, if things cross the $25,000 threshold, you have to look and make sure that they're not on a list that says they can't get federal be paid with federal funding. While the district did it, it didn't document that it did it before the contract was signed. So, it's a little minor thing that's an easy fix. Just, you know, I I've even told people if you print it and use electronically because then at least you have the file

077modified date in the computer. If you want to physically print it, change it so your header has the browser date on it. You know, simple thing to just put in the file. So, nothing nothing overly significant, nothing that results in a question cost or anything, but just something to enhance your internal controls on. And this year, we specifically tested the special education cluster. We only have to test um in this year we only to test 20% of your total federal expenditures. So that mean we only have to test one program. If depending on how much you spend and if what your risk status is, sometimes we test 20%, sometimes we test 40%. And that's where the difference comes in. Then on page 77, we do the same analysis but for your state funds because DPI

078wants us to test programs in addition to what the federal government gave you. So this year both and consistent with prior years no no no control findings for the state programs unmodified opinion and nothing that we had to report to the state. We primarily tested just your equaliz this year. It gave us enough coverage but again that also fluctuates where DPI might say we have to test certain things every once in a while but overall that was the results of the district's overall financial statement audit. Any questions on that? Okay, moving then briefly to the pods audit. Um I'm not going to go overly in involved in this one. Um this audit was only required because of the grant funding that um pods received. This is the last year of it. Um so the pods

079won't necessarily won't receive a separate audit again until they get awarded another expansion rate from DEI if and when they do. Um, so we focus solely on the costs coded to the pod's location and basically DPI requires us to just do a test of expenditures and then capital assets that were purchased with the grant get picked up in here. Overall, we had no issues with that. We were able to reach out and read read the pods governance meetings and or minutes and all that kind of stuff and got through everything. Um and again this one has that same finding of preparation of financial statements. Overall it was very very um very clean. We were able to work through everything and again it's the last year of that audit because the last year of the grant

080funding and if and when more funding comes we're available to do that audit as well. We do it a lot of times just in September after we've done the main district audit because we've seen so much of it that we know it takes a little less to get the charter school audit done. And with that, I'll open it up for any other questions on either of the >> So, we'll be looking at um two separate motions. The first motion would be to accept the 2024 annual financial report. >> Second. >> I have a motion and a second. Any questions or discussion on that? All those in favor? >> I. >> Any oppose with nay? >> Motion carries. Uh I am looking for a motion to accept the 2425 pods annual financial report. >> Second. >>

081I have a motion and a second. Any discussion or questions? >> Hearing none. All those in favor with I. I. I. >> Any oppose with nay? >> Motion carries. >> Okay, we're going to jump into the 10-year capital improvement uh plan revision. So, Mike, are you available to talk about this or do you want me to? >> No, I can go through it. >> Okay. >> Um, yeah. Um, hopefully everybody can see and hear me. Um, I'm bringing this to the board sooner than what what we brought when we brought it last year. And the reason that we're doing that is because a lot of the projects that we want to work on, we work on over the summer. And so we need time to secure contractors. Um, and then also I'm bringing it to

082you early because all the projects that we had for this current fiscal year are are finished. Um, so that allows me to get this to you a little bit quicker. Um, and and we do not have any more projects then for this fiscal year. So uh in the summary last year's projects we had budgeted 2 million 14,900 but we spent just a little bit less than that on those projects of about just just a little bit under of about 1.9 million. Um those were projects replacing roof sections at Ben Franklin, updating PA systems at Ben Franklin, Jefferson and Madison, and then replacing roof sections at McKinley. And the big project of resurfacing the tennis courts at Smash. So those are the projects that we were able to complete in this 10-year capital improvement plan. And

083before I go any further, I should mention that these projects are financed through fund 46. So Amber talked a little bit about that in her audit report. That's really a a fund that we use to kind of save money from year to year for projects like this. Okay. So, one of the things that I wanted to mention in here is that sometimes a lot of times we are doing these projects over the summer and because we're doing over them over the summer, we often have to start them in June, which is a little bit of an issue since the fiscal year ends June 30th and the new fiscal year begins July 1st. So in certain cases, in order to get projects finished when we need them to be finished, we have to start them in

084the prior fiscal year. And so we did that with the tennis courts. So I want to point that out to you so you're aware of it. The um total amount spent, the 1.9 million, that includes any expenditures that actually occurred in the prior year. Okay? So that's what gets a little tricky. when we start in June, we have to record those expenses to the prior year even though we budgeted it for the next fiscal year. And I just want to make you guys aware of that because that's going to happen from time to time. And it's probably going to happen this summer with our new projects if you guys approve them. Okay. So for our new projects, we are looking at our um on the table that fiscal year 2027 column and those new projects

085are roofing work at SPASH and then three PA systems and those PA systems are at Kennedy, Clover, Whiting and Washington. Um and the total cost for those projects is $2,520,900. Um that 2027 column, those are the only ones that we're committing to. All of the other projects in in in other years like 2028 and beyond, those are projects that we would like to do at some point and in some cases need to do. But whether we do them or not depends on if we have the funds to do it and it also depends on priorities and priorities change so they can shift from one year to the next. So I just want to make you aware of that. And then I also just a little bit more on fund 46. Um the way we build

086fund 46 is at the end of every year if there's money remaining in fund 10 we have the option to either put it to fund balance or to put it into fund 46. And when we put it in fund 46 it does get recorded as an aidable expense. So there's some advantages to doing that. It also helps build this fund. Are you guys hearing me? Okay. >> Sounds great, Mike. Okay. All right. Thanks. Um, so we're recommending those uh four projects, the three PA systems and the roof at SPASH. Um, the roof at SPASH desperately needs to be done by the way. Um, and that is uh for 2,520,900. >> So basically, Mike, there's three different motions, correct? number one to approve the 10-year plan. And then number two, to accept the bid for the

087staff roof. And then the third motion is to allow us to move forward with getting bids for those three PA systems and then get the work started as soon as we can. >> Yeah. I put them as three different agenda items. So I don't know if we have to go one at a time. >> Yep. >> For that or if I can do them all at once. >> We'll do one at a time. We'll go ahead and do one at a time, Mike. So, right now, we are looking for a motion to approve the revised 10-year capital improvement plan as presented. >> So, moved. >> Second. >> I have a motion and a second. Any discussion on that motion? All those in favor with I. >> I. >> Any oppose with nay? >> Motion carries.

088Did you want to talk about the spash roof bid, Mike? >> Yeah. Um, so this was in the capital improvement plan for a different year, we moved it to uh the current year and um because I had it in the plan in a prior year, we did go out to RFP to get some bids, hoping that you guys would approve it for this year. Um, and since you have, I can now take those bids to you um to get approval before we, you know, accept any of them. And what we did is we looked at three different roof types, the uh the type in the middle, if you look at that table, the roof type in the middle is a K membrane roof. And I do have Chris here if you do need have any

089questions on specifics on that. He knows more about it than I do. Um, but that is a pretty high quality roof with a 30-year warranty where the other uh roof types only have a 20-year warranty. And so we um did a little checking from the committee meeting. People asked about insurance and how that would impact our rates. I did check with our insurance uh uh brokers or reps and they did get back to me and they they did tell me that a longer warranty roof usually has a a better impact on rates in the long term. So there's some advantages that way and then just the fact that it's a better quality roof. And what we were looking at is Mer Roofing Company um choosing that K membrane roof M roofing company for $1,920,900. Um

090that's to us we feel is is probably the best deal. It's actually cheaper than some of the uh bids for the a lower quality roof. Um and it gets us that extra 10 years of warranty. So that's our recommendation to the to the board for that K membrane roof by Mara roofing for $1,920,900. >> I have a question. >> Um Yep. Can you or you tell us why they're so much cheaper, like $170,000 cheaper in comparison to the other companies? >> Come on up. >> Oh, come on up. >> Yeah, >> probably a variety of reasons that some if you don't know, some you know, you guess speculate on is one wants to work wasn't. Uh, biggest thing is M roofing is out of Marshfield. They do a lot of our roofs and have in

091the past. I know when I was at Boston school, same thing. Uh, a lot of times want to keep their guys local so they'll be able to say, "All right, I have this in bid it early. I can put that our guys can stay local. They're happy with their family. They just they like doing business here." Uh, plus they work a little more with that style of roof. Uh, kind of like the tennis courts where I expected a different company to have a higher bid knowing that they've done it more times. They know where what the true cost is versus I'm guessing this one. I know there was a bid out of this one that really surprised me being skewed high like how did they miss that so far? And it's one of those reasons

092come up. >> Any other questions? >> What exactly is the warranty mean? Now, you know, you look at my own home and you get a warranty from a roofer and sometimes it's I've heard of full replacement value after so after so many years. Some of it's prorated over time. Uh, you know, you get incidents of leakage. I know on those flat roasts it happens all the time. All the time. And and it's the reality of this. So it's very hard to understand. I got a 20 year roof and it leaked after, you know, I got a brand new roof that leaks in one year. Guess what a flat roof does? That just they leak one day, two days later they don't. >> So what do they cover? They say >> all repairs. Uh so if

093I have a leak in a roof, I simply do a warranty claim through TMCO, which is a a parent company. Uh they come out and send a repair crew and repair it. Uh it's just it's easy. I've never had them do anything more than come to repair, get it done. Uh, but they also build up more uh, credit say probably at year 20. They might look at the condition roof and say, "Well, this one's probably pretty pretty good, but if we recall with it, we can add another 10-year warranty to it." Depending on how it goes, but it's just full repairs on it. We don't I've never had it where a roof completely failed and say, "All right, it we replace the whole thing. It's just sections do it and they repair it." Because the

094underneath is where most of your cost is on the insulation, all the other stuff. It's just a thin membrane on top. if they had to repair it. Thinking back and it's I'd have to double check it, but I think professionally in downtown had this where the trim goes the master company that went in had a membrane on the top that was just faulty. So, they replace the whole thing under warranty. So, odds are that's probably what they would do if they have a faulty membrane. Any other questions about >> Marshfield? Probably the closest company compared to the other >> commercial is local here. Uh yeah, but >> y >> they did part in Franklin last year. >> I was surprised. I thought they would be lower, but it's just what it is. It's said, "Hey,

095she wants to come." There's a lot of >> That's a half That's a lot of money. >> They have a lot of jobs. >> Yeah. >> Half That's a lot, right? >> So, throw number out there. If I get it, my wife, >> exactly. >> Chris, could you remind me what section of Spash you're >> Yeah. So, this is the auditorium. Uh the next section down which is kind of covers the library in that area. So, it's probably about I don't know if it's quite half the building. Uh most of the building is covered from 2019. Uh we put all new roof on the sections. Uh which then goes out till give it 20 years off. That's what 39. Uh but those two sections reason we want to do both I would like to split

096it over two years. Uh the lower part of the library has got more leaks and it's end of life. The higher part if I want to do that I've got to do staging on the lower part. If I got brand new roof down there you damage it. So it's like there. So, we're going to do all in one shot. Probably in reality it saves you in the long term because I've not seen cost go down yet. >> When I do, I'll let you know. >> Any further questions? Then I'm looking for a motion to approve the K membrane roof to be installed at Spash by M Roofing for 1,920,900. >> Some moved. Second. >> I have a motion and a second. Any discussion? >> Thank you. All those in favor with I >> I post

097with nay. >> That motion carries. >> Okay. And then the final item, Mike. >> Yes. So, that leaves the last three projects that we just approved in the 10-year capital improvement plan, and those are the PA systems. And we'd like to get those going as quickly as possible, which means we have to get an RFP out, which we we have ready to go. We just have to send it out. Um, and we want to start getting bids for those projects so we can move forward and also get those done over the summer months. And so what we're asking the board for those three PA systems, um, since we've we've approved them now in the plan, um, and and to avoid any kind of delays, uh, we just want to be able to go out and

098get some quotes, select our, uh, make our selections, and then implement it and start it going without having to come back to the board for approval. Um, and what would happen is if if we ended up uh let's say not being able to get quotes within the dollar amount that we have listed, the $200,000 per building, then we would come back to the board. But if we're able to stay within that that dollar amount, we'd like to just move forward with that to get things moving forward. And so that's what we're asking. So the >> any any questions on that >> any question? The motion doesn't reflect the the cap, I guess, and and I don't think that you're going to go over it or, you know, do anything un towards, but I feel like

099it should reflect that cap in it. >> That can be added into >> any questions at all about going out for bid, allowing it for Okay. So then I'll be looking for a motion to approve administration securing final quotation beginning vendor selection and beginning work on the three approved fiscal year 2027 10-year capital improvement plan PO system projects at Washington Kennedy and Clover Whiting without the need for approve further approval from the board. So long as the projects are within the cap that is shown in the uh capital improvement plan. >> So >> I have a motion. >> Second. >> All right. I have a motion and a second. Any questions on that motion? >> Hearing none. All in favor with I >> I. Any oppose with nay? >> Motion carries. That brings us to

100the property tax bill in sir. Sure. So, I'll start and then I'm going to turn it over to Mike. So, last month the board reviewed a proposed resolution and an FAQ um that related to providing grade greater clarity to our taxpayers regarding our school levy and the portion that supports public schools and the portion that supports the Wisconsin choice program or the voucher school program. At that time, the board decided to table that agenda item, ask for us to go back and bring it through committee and then bring it back to the board at this meeting. So, following the committee input as well as input from individual board members that reached out, we decided to get rid of the resolution. we decided to get rid of the FAQ and instead we came up with um

101an insert and this would be exactly what we would be asking the municipalities to put in their tax bills. So I'm going to ask Mike to kind of go through it and and share exactly what's on this form. Um and then the ask for you is to allow us to go ahead and start communicating with those. Corey, could we put that up there for everyone to >> I think just so everyone can see >> looking at >> okay I'm gonna I'm going to read through the background in summary and then I'll go through the insert itself. So just under the current state funding structure, the Wisconsin parental choice program is funded in part through deductions from local school district equalized aid. The reduction is offset through an increase in the district's local property tax levy.

102For the 202526 fiscal year, the private school vouchure levy totaled $3.79 million. This represents 7.6% 6% of the total levy and is equal to an estimated tax impact of 52 cents per $1,000 of equalized property value. The Stevens Point Area Public School District would like to ask municipalities to include the cost of the locally funded portion of the private school voucher program as an insert with the property tax bills. The business services human resources committee reviewed, discussed, and pro provided input on the exact document that will be shared with each municipality. Several Wisconsin communities have taken similar steps to increase transparency and help residents understand how state funding formulas shape the school portion of the property taxes. The purpose is to promote transparency, accuracy, and community understanding. The district would request mun municipalities to include

103the insert in the annual property tax bill. If approved, administration would be in contact with the city of Stevens Point, the village of Cloverbert and all relevant town boards. Okay. So, the insert itself, um, we did make some changes as Corey pointed out when we took it to committee. And so what I thought I would do is just kind of highlight the the changes. Um, and maybe I'll just read through that too, that way we're going through it all. So it starts out with property tax bills often raise questions about how schools are funded and what factors influence school tax portion of a community member's bill. The Stevens Area Public School District serves students and families across the community, providing learning opportunities from early childhood through high school. The district is committed to responsible stewardship

104of public resources while supporting highquality instruction, safe learning environments, and the day-to-day operations that allow schools to serve students every day. So, that language um may get resized if we need to depending on the cost of um of uh making the insert and the size that the insert has to be. Okay. um how we approach financial stewardship. Uh long-term financial planning and forecasting, regular review of spending and efficiencies, balancing fiscal responsibility with student learning, safety, and operations. And then the part that's in gray, that's the table, and that table is currently using um uh current information. So if we were to put that in the tax bill this year, which we're not, but if it would have went out this year, those would have been the numbers that would have went in there. So what

105goes out next year if this gets approved and municipalities agree to this will be different. It'll be based on what those numbers are at that time. We did make a few changes there based on the committee's uh um recommendations. So in that top column where we have percent change um we added year-over-year. We thought that would take away some confusion there or the committee did. Um in the school levy row under the each column um we added percentages. So for 2425 under for school levy was 92.3% of the total levy for that year and the voucher levy was 7.7% of the total levy um making the bottom the last uh total levy row at 100%. So we added those also to try to um provide clarification. And then um the next part what the school

106board and district do control So, what we do control, we control the approval of the annual school district budget, decisions related to voter approved referendums, long-term planning for facilities, staffing, and operations, and then we added a committee's recommendation, which was a really good recommendation, um, an ongoing review of budgets and programs because we are doing that and we're very actively doing that. So that was added. And then what the school board and district do not control, state funding formulas and per pupil aid amounts, revenue limits set in state law, inflationdriven cost increases, and state policy decisions that impact local school funding. So that's the insert that we are asking you to approve um to ask municipalities. So then there'll be a separate ask of municipalities um to put that in with their property tax bills.

107And I'm happy to take questions. >> I have a couple questions, Mike. So first of all, thank you. There's been so many conversations and revisions and additions and I think this final draft reflects all of that feedback and I think we landed in a really good place. Did we identify the estimated cost for print? >> We did. Sarah is here also to answer questions, but we did receive um two different quotes and it would be our recommendation to go with UNS for $771.99. Um that would be a black and white insert. If you wanted to do a color insert, it would probably be about $300 more. >> Yeah. >> And and just to include then that would be 2100 or 21,000 pieces. They would print, cut, prep, bundle, package, and deliver to each municipality. So,

108it's everything. >> Okay. Thank you. Second question is, uh, given municipalities do not move forward in this direction, where are we housing the communication so all of our residents and taxpayers can have the information? >> Sure. So, if a municipality decides not to, we did think of a backup plan. And here are some things that we talked about. We would continue to ask annually. So they may say no one year but may choose to do it another year. Um if they don't in include it in the tax bill, we would ask that they just have them available because a lot of people still do go in and take their payments into their municipality. So we would just have them available if they decided to take one at that time. Uh we would include the information

109on our website and in other um appropriate documents that we send out. We would continue to communicate this information annually because we feel like over time, you know, it builds understanding with folks. Uh we would engage with key stakeholders. I mean, I'm on several community boards. We've got other connections within the community. We could talk about it with with those individuals, possible media media release or other community outreach. Um and you know, anything else that would come up that we just we haven't thought about initially. So, we do have some plans in place and hopefully most of them decide to put it in. >> Thank you. >> I have some questions. Um, so one, I think I know that this is still the draft. I think there should be just a smidge more clarity. So

110rather than saying the school levy, say like the Stevens Point school district levy rather than the school levy, I think the more we can qualify and then rather than saying voucher, the Wisconsin parental choice program rather than voucher um because the technical name is the Wisconsin Federal Choice Program and and what that's supporting. Um and then the other thing would be the dollar amount above the percentages. So 16.61. So then saying that's an increase of whatever that is 6,800 and 900 and some thousand. >> Oh, so you're saying >> Oh, so we're consistent all the way. >> So we're consistent all the way across. >> Because right now it's not. >> Yeah, that's that's a good point. >> Um because right now it just says 16, but what that increase that increases the six million

111or whatever that is. >> Um I just think that it's consistent all the way across. It's also how a tax bill reads. It always reads a percentage and the dollar amount. Um, that would just those are two pieces. Um, I do think though as I spoke at the last board meeting, the the Q&A that previously came out, there's been a particular taste of bias. And I know that uh Miss Colby brought up a conflict of interest. There is no conflict of interest. Um while um I have founded a a choice school um I do not benefit from putting this in a tax bill. There is no benefit. Therefore there's no conflict of interest. I know the laws. I know the requirements um the options. So there is no conflict of interest in this. Um and

112in fact I can speak more clearly to that. Um, moreover, having the inclusion of varied solutions, varied standards, um, more opinions is kind of what makes this board work. And so, because of the previous document, there's a lot of bad taste on behalf of those families, um, they felt targeted with that. And because of that, this property tax bill does still have a sour taste in in famil family's mouths. Um, so my recommendation would be to change those few things to further clarify. Um, so Stevens Point school district levy, um, WPCP SNSP levy, um, and then the dollar amount above the percent to keep it consistent all the way across. My only concern, Alex, with the WPCP people acronyms, they don't understand. I think we would have to spell that out. Okay. >> But I

113think people do refer to them as vouchers. >> Um >> the one thing I'm going to have to talk to Sarah about this. We I think are already going to have to cut down the amount of verbiage that we have in here. So if we're going to add even more, I think other things may have to go. So, um I I don't know. I guess I'm interested in what the rest of the board feels about those two recommendations. >> I I do think it adds clarity to say Stevens Point area school Stevens Point district levy versus school levy because some people I mean people don't sit close to this, right? They might think is it a school levy? Is it the district levy? It just adds clarity. That's always a good thing. Um the Wisconsin

114parental choice that is what it is. I I know vouchers also confuse people like what is a voucher? who gets a voucher. If you call out the program, they can go research and they can look into it. That's just my recommendation. >> I disagree with that. I think that it's commonly known as the voucher program and to put it as the Wisconsin actually confuses it. >> The Wisconsin choice because frankly I didn't know it was Wisconsin choice until the representative did talked about it here today because I commonly think of it as a voucher program. >> In state law, it is Wisconsin. Yeah, we're calling it what it is. >> And I understand that now, but it was an education process. >> I think it's better to be vouchers. >> If we're going to put

115it in there, I would say then we put voucher in parentheses or something to that because it does I think the common vernacular that people understand is voucher program. I do agree with the inclusion of the amount >> um in addition to the percentage in all three com columns. That's a good call up. >> Do you have a comment on this conversation? because otherwise I just want to make one comment. >> Go ahead. >> You know, the the reality is we're going to be providing this. We're going to be asking municipalities um for their permission to insert it. There is the potential municipalities to say, "Yeah, we will, but we want you to change couple things here and there." So, I mean, ultimately, I think um we can approve tonight this and then I think

116it might make sense prior to next year when this is actually happening that that it is brought back to us and that we are able to approve that that final language based on again the state's considerations and potentially if a municipality wanted to make some changes. So I I guess what I would say is tonight um I'm in support of those changes, but I do think it because this is the first year and um you know the municipalities ultimately are in charge of what they choose to provide to each of their residents. So, um I guess I'm saying in the spirit of that, can we, you know, make a decision tonight about kind of what we're authorizing >> to begin the conversation? >> Oh, yes. >> And then it could come back next year just

117>> Yeah. just for us to approve it prior to the time that it's going out to the municipalities. Plus, that allows us to inform ourselves about what's on the tax bill in case we have questions. And it also allows us a chance to inform the whole community, even those municipalities, residents in those municipalities that might not have chosen to insert it in the first year. >> Chief, >> um, first of all, a little bit about the arrangement. If I'm a a voter or somebody walking in, I'm looking at the gray stuff right now and I'm not really looking at anything else. I'm thinking average voter going to end up in the garbage after I look at it and I'm looking at the gray grid. If we can figure out how to present this uh because

118people aren't going to read sit down and I would I shouldn't say that >> most people are not going to read this whole thing but when I picked it up I was immediately drawn to this grid and I was going to look at that because it's a little easier to look at the numbers maybe don't have a lot of time but I want to look at this. The rest of it to me is kind of ancillary because people generally are not going to read the details. So if we could rearrange this somehow to present the information we want that we know people are going to look at. >> It's the gray box. >> Well, and it's there's other stuff there that's just as important. For instance, uh after all, we are the public school board

119and we seem to be tiptoeing around this. We don't want to offend the voucher schools. They have boards. They have people to advocate for them. We should advocate for the public school. So, I wouldn't be afraid of stepping on toes. For instance, uh underneath, now that I said nobody would read it, I'm going to read it. Uh underneath what the school board and district do control, approval of the annual school district budget. We control the public school budget. We don't control voucher school budgets. Plus underneath what the school board and district do not control. I think it's kind of disguised under the last one. State policy policy decisions that impact local school funding. Am I right in thinking that uh uh we are now under a a kind of a control for the vouchers and

120next year that control goes off for the number of vouchers that there is no control next year. I think somebody said >> a cap. >> Yeah, there's no cap. So we don't >> but that's only for enrollment, right? So >> but we don't we don't know. It could skyrocket. It could go away. No, there's two state there are two >> school districts in the state that have reached cap >> just two >> and after next year >> but nothing's going to change >> but there is no cap next >> but there's no change of course there's a change I can add what Mike has told me before because we had long conversations about this we are well under the cap >> um and so the likelihood that we approach that cap is extremely unlikely now

121income limits would be a different story but We're only talking about the actual cap on the programs. They don't think it is likely that we are going to approach that cap. >> But people should know the caps are up. There wasn't control before. There's not going to be control. >> But that's a different That's a That's the WY resolution. That's not a This >> I don't I don't >> I get the feeling we're tiptoeing around this. We're a public school board. We should be operating in the in the for the public school. If vulture schools do not like this or uh feel offended or were stepping on their toes, they have school boards to advocate for them. >> Oh, you're on the public school. >> I'm going to exercise the reality that we are straying

122from the motion and the substance that is in front of us. All right. We are not here to talk about whether or not what our personal feelings. >> Well, I don't I don't We're talking about what's on here. >> What we are focused on is what is on here, but not >> That's what I was focused on. >> Well, but it's straight. So, I'm asking that what you're recommending, G, is that we move the box up to the top. >> No, I'm recommending that the box contain information. Uh, it could contain a little bit more information. Not much because people aren't going to read a lot of detail, but uh it's the it's the part people will see. And I think we should take more time to look at that. And I do agree with

123Alex's suggestion that we we put in the money amounts across there because that looks like it should be in the last >> button. >> You could you could put public school levy or whatever >> to differentiate between school and voucher. >> Uh >> I don't think there's much of a difference. That's >> No, you said parental choice >> vouchers and >> Yeah, I'm talking about the school levy should could say public school levy, >> right? >> Yep. >> Yes. >> I I I do like I do think you may bring up a good point. That top part, if we could go up that red box, I almost say nix it. I mean like let's get >> Okay. Well, I I mean no one no one is going to take time like Okay. And I mean,

124yes, we do provide quality in they want to know how this is impacting their bill. And I think where it gets to how we approach and all the way down I like that. I mean because >> yeah, you could do that in one sentence that top part just to say what this is. Are you Yeah, you're right. You could eliminate because it says it at the top. >> Yeah. >> Property tax. Um, and just because I was asked this based on this, once again, this is a net zero impact to the Stevens Point school district budget. So, it doesn't impact the school district budget because someone's like, well, the they they don't understand what the word levy means. So, they think it's the district budget. That is not the case. A levy is the tax

125dollars that are being asked. So, I was asked that a few times because they didn't understand what the word levy was. And so they're like, "What is the levy? Is that the school district budget? Why is it so much of the budget being given?" And I said, "It's not the budget, it's the amount of dollars being taxed to the local taxpayers." So I don't know if there's a way to define levy. I don't know that. But that was a question that someone had. They're like, "Well, they the word levy was confusing because >> we all understand what the word levy means, but they're like, well, what is a levy?" levy is what >> I've talked to Tom Owens hours and hours and hours and I still couldn't give you a full definition of a levy.

126>> In a way, this actually helps to solve that because what this will show taxpayers is the dollar amount being levied for the Stevens Point area public schools and the dollar amount being levied for the discuss something else >> those rules and so so it currently you know the bill is our bills are misleading because the amount that's on the bill indicates that it's going all going to the local Stevens Point area public schools. So again, I think this may help to clarify to members of the community that this is the amount that is going to the public schools with the levy and then this is amount the for private schools that is going to the levy and based on state law, the way the legislature and their infinite wisdom set it up, the public

127school district is required to levy the total amount. I hear you though, Alex. I think if we get rid of that verbiage at the top, we might be able to have some space to define what >> Levy is. Because >> the sentences you just said summed it up perfectly. Why couldn't we just write those sentences in there? >> Mag, say it again. >> It's recorded. >> I I if that was there, I would read that. And if that was the only thing there, that would be fine. Can we say that this needs to this needs work? It's not going out this week. >> Oh, no, no, no, no, no. What you're This is just the general draft. What you're doing is allowing us to go and speak to municipalities to see if they would consider

128putting it in bills. If they give us feedback, like Meg said, we'll bring this back next year and have you take a look at the final draft before it goes to print. >> Get it as close as to what we want. >> Yeah. >> Incorporating. And please, if you have any other ideas or thoughts, reach out and let us know. >> I'm glad you brought up the top box because when you said it was some some parts were wordy. I was like, if I was turning that into an English teacher, they would have sent that back. You need to be way more concise. Um I was hearing Mrs. Young's voice in the background. Um uh the other thing is we do have I I expect that like for instance you send this to the city

129of Steven's point and the makeup of the alders there this is going to be yep they're going to put it in no questions asked but what and I get there may be some that don't my question how does it hand's handled in St. Thomas Stockton where we have kids that are here some that might be right >> that are split you know and are we asking them to sort through that >> it already is 10 years already. >> I we'd have to sit down with them and kind of figure out what the logistics would be with each. I'm sure there's going to be with every single municipality. Okay. All right. So, I am looking for a motion to authorize administration to request municipalities, including insert with property tax bills that identifies the portion of the

130levy supporting public schools and the portion of the levy supporting the private school voucher program. Um, as discussed. >> Oh, as discussed. >> So moved. Second. >> All right. I have a motion, a second. Any further discussion? >> I'll once again say this still feels like an school choice versus public school fight and and I think a lot of that was because of the last document. So, I just want that noted that it still feels contentious to me. >> So, if we are to vote vote on this, that means we're going to work on this before they see it or we're just going to go ask them and then work on it. We'll ask them if they will have ask if they have >> with the revisions. >> Well, but I'd like to see the

131revisions before we ask them. I mean, if we're going to go to them with a document and say, would you put this in your uh tax bill next year? Uh >> I would like to see it. >> That's what we discussed. So, Corey's going to provide >> No, you just said we're going to go ask. The motion says we're going to get ask them. >> Correct. But but but Corey indicated that that they will make the changes with respect to highlighting that it's Steven area public schools and >> WPCP discussed revisions. They'll put the dollar amounts in and then prior to sending it out next year, they will bring back the final wording for our approval based on feedback that they've received from municipalities. >> That's going to have to happen before next year. I

132mean, you've got to talk to them. >> The tax bills aren't going to go out until next year. >> Yeah, but it's going to be a process. you're going to have to refine it >> and it's going to take a lot of time to connect with those. >> So, we're not going to just wait till next year and bop it out. It's going to correct. >> We've already had uh maybe 25 minutes of discussion on just that. And I would not ask uh municipality to put it out unless we alled >> because they they'll look at it and say I'm not going to do that. This is this motion isn't saying we're we're asking municipalities to put this version in sample. >> This is just an example. So they have something to react to. They

133can bring back that feedback. They can >> but they're going to look at it and say you want us to put this in and you're say no no we'll give you something else a little bit different >> minor tweaks. I would say >> I would say we should go to them with what we want them to put in and then they can say yes or no. >> Oh that's not what we said. >> That's what we're doing in general. And if they want something to change, we'll have to change. >> We just I think we're directionally aligned on the language and I think there might be some minor tweaks. So I think when Corey goes to them, she's going to say this is this is what we're looking to have you put in recognizing that

134before this goes to print, we'll take it back to the board for final agreement. There might be some minor tweaks and then but but Corey's saying it's going to take time to have the conversations with all of the municipalities. And so this is just allowing her to do that with our pretty much directionally aligned language recognizing we're gonna have some tweets. >> Correct. >> Well, what I said was we should go to them with our final thing and say, "Would you put this in?" >> They may have thoughts on this that we haven't even thought about. >> So, you're going to entertain like 15 to 18 different noisions. one final that you will see before it goes to print. But you are allowing me to go talk to municipalities to show them the draft given

135the input that you've provided tonight and then I'll come back with any input that they have. >> Okay. >> Can you call a roll, please? >> I have Yes, I have a motion and a second. I have a request to call on the vote. Um and I will ask >> Miss Bushman. Yes, >> Miss Potter Nelson. >> Yes, >> Miss Mercer. >> Yes, >> Mr. Kowolski. >> Yes, >> Mr. Pope. >> Yes, >> Mr. Liebre. >> Yes, >> Mr. Summers. >> No, >> Mr. Leec. >> No, >> Miss Eer. >> Yes. >> Motion carries. >> Thank you. We will move into educational services committee report and I'll turn that over to G. >> Chair. Oh gee. >> Oh no. Anyway, um we had three things happen at our educational services meeting. One of which you're

136going to hear from Jen a little bit later, so I'm not going to talk about that. Uh one was a a nice description by Trevor, and I'm not going to say his last name. >> I can now. New kitchen. >> You say that. >> New kitchener. Great. >> New kitchener. >> New kitchen. >> Kitchen. Well, that was that's easy. >> Am I right? >> New Trevor. Anyway, Trevor is the junior high counselor at Ben Franklin, one of them. And he was talking to us, showed us some statistics about uh how last year went, how this year's going as far as meetings and what those meetings were about. And what I did like at the end, he gave us some anecdotal information uh just what he felt kids are feeling like and what they're saying. and

137and so forth. And uh at the end, I asked that we could have a high school presentation. I think we're going to have that sometime. Uh and uh part of it was working with the character strong program with the kids. Okay. Then the other one was a presentation by Jeff Mills about the numbers, the junior high enrollment trends. And uh it looked like uh a couple years ago we switched Kennedy kids to go to Ben Franklin instead of PJs. And that has evened the numbers up. >> Is that the other way around? >> The other way around PJ PJ. >> That's what I meant. >> Okay. >> And it showed that the numbers have nicely evened up between Ben Franklin and PJs over a period of a couple years. Smash uh is kind of holding

138steady back up and down a little bit. Uh we're at 1470. Uh roughly 500 kids a class and pods is uh up and down a lot. Uh they've gone from 120 to 86 and now up to 105. And those are the trends that uh Jeff gave us. He we asked him about uh uh CFS >> CF CFC, sorry. uh and he explained to us it's very very difficult get numbers on that because kids are very fluid there going in and out at different times of year. So that was his report and that's my report. >> Thank you. >> The last item >> Oh yeah, the one item that is the item for action is the open enrollment space determination for 2026 27 school year. Thank you very much for the introduction and again happy new

139year. Good to see all of you. Uh each year our school board gets to take a look at open enrollment spots both within general education programming and special education programming. Uh so that's something we regularly talk about every single school year. Um in determining general education open enrollment, we of course look at our overall practices and policies. uh you're very aware that we've especially been digging into open enrollment in general um with different recruitment campaigns and so our overall recommendation would be the same as it's been um since I've been in the director's seat to have open seats for open enrollment in general education programming no limit to that uh looking for students to be able to enroll in any of our programs with general education programming for special education uh it's always a lot

140more that goes into it at one point historically would we count number of students. We've learned a lot from then that one student can require much more than another child and also that that can change depending on the type of programming or the age of their programming. Um for example, our little children require much more hands-on support um compared to our senior high school students. We're also quite a large district, so we offer programs that are special uh such as pods with our charter program or we have beyond 18 programs such as project search for job training. So, we look at each of those and consider uh how can we serve our students who live in our attendance area and then potentially could open spots for students who live outside of our attendance area. For

141special education, uh we have a lot of students right here in Stevens Point who need us. Uh so, I'm not recommending any open seats other than one open seat at Point of Discovery School. And as I've talked about, uh PODS always has its own application procedure. So, they go hand in hand. the student would both need to meet the requirements and the um the mindset, the grades, all those kinds of things that is taken into account to be accepted into pods as well as be a good fit for uh a mostly inclusion model that we run at point of discovery school for for special education. We look at each of those applications individually make a good fit. Uh in the past you've seen some numbers for project search which again is a beyond 18 program

142uh for students who are working on job skills training and that's in partnership with DVR or the the department for for vocational rehabilitation. Uh so students with disabilities who need some job training aren't quite yet ready to move on to a full-fledged job after high school. In the past, we had opened that program up for open enrollment, but that's come with a lot of uh cons to the district. Uh in con consultation with the business department and also the DPI, um I'm recommending that we don't have any open enrollment seats in that program, but that we do honor any LEAs or local districts in the area who'd like to look for a seat in our program. Again, if we have it, we would always serve our students in Stevens Point first through a 66301 agreement,

143uh, which is basically an exchange of funds for them to pay for their student to attend our beyond 18 project search program. That's in alignment with the financial recommendation straight from DPI. So, you would have no spots for open enrollment, but just know that through our application project through Project Search, we would accept districts looking to send a student to Project Search through that process. and they've all been notified of that change. Um, I'm happy to answer any questions, but the full motion would be two-part to approve unlimited general education 4K seats and unlimited K12 general education non-resident seats available under open enrollment for 2627 school year presented. and then two to approve zero multicategorical for early childhood programming uh for grades K6 for grades 712 uh for pods and for project search uh I'm

144sorry for 1 C at pods uh as presented >> so any questions of Jending at all with respect to the recommendation so we'll do these in two motions The first will be to approve unlimited general education 4K seats unlimited g K12 general education non-resident seats available under open enrollment for the school year as presented. >> I have a motion. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> I have a motion and a second. Any discussion or questions on the motion? >> Hearing none. All those in favor with I. >> I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries. The second motion is to approve zero multicategorical all disability areas for early childhood programming. Zero multicategorial categorical all disability areas for grades K to six in person. Zero multicategorical all disability areas for grades 7 to 12. parenthesis bends

145PJ's spash CFC in person one multicategorical all disability areas for pods and zero multicategorical all disability areas project search available for the 20 2627 school year is presented >> second >> I have a motion and a second any discussion on that motion >> hearing none all those in favor with I >> I any opposed motion carries. >> Now we're going to move into W resolutions. And so what we did last year, I'm hoping we could maybe do it this year, is um if board members have any concerns about any of them, could you shout out the numbers and I'll have Corey keep track of them and then we will work through those rather than going through every resolution. >> I think we've done I'm sorry. Oh, that's I I was just gonna say Corey sent

146something regarding kettle marine and if you could just add a little bit of clarity in terms of what you're looking for us to do with that information. >> Could I could because mine pre it'll >> go ahead. >> I just want to say this real quick. >> We've usually if we don't discuss it, we vote yes. Is that correct? >> Yes. >> So we we don't have to discuss the ones we all feel. >> That's correct. >> Clarification. If people don't have a concern about one, we tended to just vote for us and then we rather than going through every one of them. >> We did that one year. It was fun. >> Jen, my understanding Oh, I'm sorry. >> No, why don't you answer Jen's question first? I'll ask. >> My understanding with the

147penn is that they are asking or they they will be introducing at the delegate assembly um the opportunity for districts to belong to W B on a tiered level. There are some districts that have chosen not to um collaborate with WASB because they don't agree with their advocacy efforts. So, they want to take part in parts of WASB but not the advocacy part. And the way that works at the delegates assembly is all the resolutions that have gone through the regular order process, which are the ones that we're looking at tonight, are acted upon. Okay? And then there is a time at the end of that where school districts are able to if they had made a proposal and it was turned down they are able to request that it still be reheard even though

148the committee said no to >> and this is one of them. And then there's another section of proposals it sounds like like this one that have never been >> presented at all and so are coming up new. And that's why it it indicated that it requires a twothirds I think it's a twothirds vote for any of those if it hasn't gone through the delegate committee and been approved. Those other two categories require a twothirds majority vote to allow the membership to hear it. >> Okay. >> Um so >> they do come up often. Yeah. Anyhow, so >> what kind of fun am I walking into? >> Well, in the past they have uh it's difficult for something to come in at the end >> because people They don't know. Well, they don't know. No, people

149are unaware of what's going on. And I don't recall. >> I correct me if I'm wrong. I think I've been to four four of those. And people usually say, "Let's do it next year." If you really want to go through the process, >> so you'll be one of the smartest people. >> Oh, >> you'll know. >> You would have been anyway. >> Okay. So any board members with uh >> questions >> or questions about any of the >> So I guess just I mean well I don't one and two no what is it like so are we >> we're sending forth two opposing motions >> correct that would be >> inor have to vote on one or the other. Yeah. >> Okay. So we vote on them separately. >> Yeah. Well, you decide what direction

150you want Jen to vote at the delegate assembly. So, with nine and 10, >> okay, she's going to need to know >> or 101 with this group. Which one does this group support? But there's there's a caveat to that is because people will get up and they will propose changes substantive changes in many cases that will change the whole reverse the meaning and uh then you vote on that and then you vote on the resolution after that. And so if if if Jenna's going to be there, you know, you got to some some will change, right? So our direction might not mean anything by that. >> Well, if I understand generally how this group feels, I feel like I can hopefully represent given whatever >> and the motion as it's always been G is that

151we allow Jen to make the decision on behalf of this board when she is there and I would recommend that we do that based on the information that she hears during the debate. >> Okay. So 10 and 11. Yeah. >> Start that there. >> Okay. And any other >> I I have a few. So number one um then I asked Chris on I don't know what number three means. I'm >> I can get a little bit of >> Okay. So um number three and then number five I think that's what the conversation about. Um, number seven. Number nine. So, so far I have 1 3 5 7 9 10 11. >> That's Let's do all of them then. What the heck? >> Because I got questions about other ones. >> Oh, jeez. I got a

152question. >> What numbers? >> We gonna just take numbers to talk. >> List all questions. Two, four, six, seven. >> Two. Uh, yeah. Two. Uh, 10. And >> what are the two that are exactly opposite? >> We're already two. >> I'd like to for a second. >> Okay. All right. Let's start with one. Two. >> No. One. So, I'm looking for uh conversation about number one and for the benefit of the community. It is titled opposing the removal of caps from the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program. And the rule or the resolution would indicate that the WASB supports maintaining an enrollment cap of 10% and an income pack income cap of 220% of the federal poverty level on participation in the Wisconsin Parental Choice program. >> So do you want to >> So right now it's

15310%. This year it's 10%. There are two districts in the state that have reached the 9% cap. Um I don't know if they reach the 10% cap. Um it seems the legislature has made the rule of the after the 10% cap it goes away and the 220% cappa on federal poverty 11. It just doesn't seem like we need to have an opposition when why my opinion is choice schools and public schools can work together in a collaborative environment and to this I think impedes collaboration. >> So I do want to clarify that the so people don't think that we're like >> voting no I think we need to clarify. I'm just saying I want to clarify that that we are going to recommend um Jen >> vote either yay or nay at the school board

154conference delegate assembly. >> Correct. What what happens then is those positions that are taken at that delegate assembly are put into the WB resolution book that provides direction to the WASB as to what matters to approach the legislature on to ask them to change state law. So it's not like we're >> this is right and that that is an influencing arm but it's not I mean we're >> not correct. >> Um and the second thing is if we vote for decoupling it does not impact local taxes. If we vote on decoupling >> are we talking about number one or >> Yeah. So it it talks about number one >> of decoupling, >> right? But it talks about um increases local tax burdens in the resolution submitted by Marinette in the in that. So it's not

155it is related to number one. So it can if their thing is that it affects tax burdens, but it wouldn't necessarily affect tax burdens. It's decoupled. So, so I have I guess I'll I have two reasons that I would support this. And the first one is currently without with the current system with not decoupling the increasing number of students that are choosing to attend voucher schools impact the amount of state aid funding available at the state level because both public school as Mike explained at a previous meeting both public schools and the choice schools are being funded from the same pot of money and so it does potentially impact that. Um, I also do have some concerns about the um, income cap because I do believe that philosophically when the choice program was first brought

156in to place um, the concept was that it was really to help utilize dollars, public dollars to support those families. amilies who could not afford to choose um to attend private schools. Um and so I have some concerns about um lifting that cap because I mean I had >> there's no >> I had my kids attend both public school and I had kids attend private school and as a parent um we paid for private school for our kids. we put >> there's no resolution anywhere in the legislature about the 220% >> but it has been there in the past supports maintaining an enrollment cap of 10% and an income cap of 220% of >> the legislature has repeatedly brought up an income cap for discussion >> universal is that we're finding out >> this is

157what the >> I'm just reading what the resolution is so >> right there >> so my I I believe it's I mean I understand the importance providing choice. But I do it's my personal belief that if a family can afford to pay for private school for their children that they should they should do so. >> 220% of the federal poverty level is significantly low. I would say 150% is also low and 100% is low. They can't afford it either. So I mean I think we just need to be careful when we say if they can afford because there are people that don't fall within these guidelines that still can't afford thoughts on number one. >> Okay. So, I'm going to um ask for board members to take a vote on how we would like to

158have Jen um vote on this item. Um >> so, do we say yes or no? >> Yes. Would be opposing it or supporting it and no would be opposing this, right? >> Yes. Yes, would be in the affirmative. >> You're supporting it. >> And so just just so I'm clear, this isn't changing anything. This is maintaining. >> Okay. >> And also what I heard is there's only two districts in the state that have come close to the 10% cap. >> Okay. >> I would add to that though, while we are not close to the 10% cap, our voucher costs have gone up 1,08% over the last 10 years. And that is not going to to that I don't think is going to diminish. Will we ever reach the cap? I don't know. But I would

159like it to maintain in place >> and it's also statewide. >> I mean so so that that statewide this program has an impact on our so so I am asking again for a mot for a vote. If you vote yes, it's to tell Jen to vote yes on this resolution. If you vote no, it's to tell her to vote no. So, all those in favor of Jen voting yes, say I. >> Raise your hand so we can. >> If if everybody says >> I. >> Okay. All those in favor of Jen voting no. Okay. So that's a 70 >> and just Yeah. Okay. So family of five at the 220% level is $37,000 just for reference. >> The person who spoke said 70,000. So that was interesting. >> Just as I mean I I believe

160your math. >> GPT say, >> um, >> this is in Wisconsin. >> Yeah. WC. You'd have to I don't know what the numbers are. Okay, next one. The next one is two. >> So two is titled revisions to the school district and school report card process. >> What is >> the resolution is forwarded. The WB calls on the state superintendent of public instruction and legislature to collaborate and amend the school district and school report card process and relevant state statutes to reflect the following considerations. A. Student achievement and growth should be valued equally. B. Eliminate practice of waiting student proficiency based on free and reduced lunch population sizes. C. Take into account schools with a high degree of advanced placement, international balorate, dual credit, career and technical education and extracurricular offerings. D include fiscal efficiency

161in report card scoring. and E any changes to the report card scoring and or relevant statute should be considered with input from school leaders from all ceases in the state. >> So G what the concern >> I would vote to oppose this for the following reasons. First of all, I know Jim, you have talked about this before and I do agree with you that it's the data to the raw data before it's adjusted >> is important to know, >> but I think you've gleaned that from some of the information, right? It's in there, but you got to look for it. Uh, and I would say okay with that, except that uh we're public school. We don't choose who comes through the door and some school districts are very poor >> uh and have and take

162their students as they are and they would be penalized by this because they can't say well we don't want you we want you because you're going to do well and we're going to offer balorate programs and stuff like that but they're I don't want to say forced they're mandated that's forced uh part part of the trust is that we take everybody and so I think that needs to be incorporated into the final scoring for achievement uh and I also wrote in here uh what uh schools recognize and reward schools that well aren't they rewarded because they get got great students already those students are doing real well so uh uh I would say that uh oh the other thing I wanted to say I was at a meeting last year where a whole room full

163of people were just livid about our achievement scores the way they're total because Chris and I have talked about it those the numbers they don't really mean what you think they mean uh so people are crying for some other method but I don't like the things that were listed here because I think a public school takes kids as they are and we do the best job we can do and we have wonderful teachers. As I almost jumped out when the gentleman before said they were looking for better teaching and that just just I almost jumped out of my chair uh because we have great teaching and it should not be denigrated by the fact that we take students that uh many private schools will not take. So that's my >> I I I didn't like

164this resolution just for not for those are good reasons too G but I just thought it was way too vague. I I don't I don't see good direction include fiscal efficiency. Who gets to define fiscal efficiency? What is the reward for like take into account okay what does that mean exactly? Like there's it it's just not >> clear. >> There's not enough clarity in this resolution for me to feel comfortable with what these things mean and what we're telling them that we want to do. >> Jim, I don't know anyone that besides Chris and Corey that reads the school report cards as much as you. I would love your thoughts here. >> I think this is muddy in the field. I think the district report cards are complex enough and almost too complex and they

165keep changing them. So, how do you go back and compare? >> Yeah, you're right. >> And so, >> I to me I I focus on there's a whole lot of stuff that you try to make reasoning or excuse or however you want to say of why one school might do better than the other and recognize that. Yeah, we looked at Cedarberg and how Cedarberg or New Berlin, they got, you know, 90 percentile or 90 uh scores in the 90s for English and math. Well, they also don't have >> they don't have uh near the number of >> free >> and reduced lunch. Now, in our own district, we kind of went against that. I mean, Jefferson has a high level of that and yet they perform >> quite well and that, you know, that should

166be called out, but as as a positive thing. >> I see this is just way too complex, way too vague, and I don't I am not in favor of constantly throwing nuance into the DPI report. >> You know, one thing you said too was uh you said 90%. >> I think it slipped out. >> Score is 90%. >> Score is 90. >> Well, you say 90%. But what what do people what do people see when they see it? They see what you said 90% >> they think achievement not true. >> Not at all. >> I would be in favor of of a different way of doing things, but I'm not in favor of these. >> I just thought it was a bit ironic that the rationale for the change was that the DPI keeps changing

167>> asking the DPI to change it again. So I guess I'm hearing consensus of us that we should vote for the gent vote no on this one. >> No. >> Okay. Thank you. >> No, >> I think we've got consensus. >> Okay. Number three. Number three is >> I just don't know what it means. >> So it's called amendment to resolution 5.22 funds distribution. This is a this is amending an existing thing about fund distribution. Um, and it states that the WASB recommends that the state education agency, which would be DPI, be assigned the jurisdiction, to supervise the distribution of all funds intended for educational programs serving youths of elementary and high school age in any school system receiving public funds in Wisconsin. Additionally, WSB supports state educational agency supervision and distribution of all federal

168education funds if federal funding from the US Department of Education is changed to be federal block grants or other funding sent directly to states from federal agencies. So it repeals the existing flow through which is the W the current is that the WB supports all federal GL grants flowing directly to school districts and cooperative educational >> and now it's putting another person in the mix. >> No. So currently the the existing resolution indicates we do have some state and federal grants that flow through our through the DPI. Um we have some federal grants however though that do flow directly into school districts in the form of flow through funds or flow through grants. Um so >> in anticipation that there's been some discussion about potentially transitioning say title one, title two, title three, title four

169to block grants and this resolution would prevent potentially employing a third party organization to manage those grants. This is sort of proactively suggesting that the DPI has the experience and the expertise to be able to manage grants that they would be the entity that all federal and state grants would flow through if indeed there is potentially a change in some of those block grant structures that currently exist for federal program >> and but specifically title one two three four >> correct I mean that's an example those are examples of some federal grant funds that flow through our district and those currently right now come through the they come through the DPI. But in the event that there would be a change in that structure that there would be block grants. Absent this resolution, there could

170potentially be a third party organization that could be employed to manage those grants. This resolution suggests that those should continue to flow through DPI even if the grant structure changes to block grants in the future. I need your explanation and the rationale. >> Third parties such as like >> well are they talking about like the in that someone could do like a federal like a in their federal return if they wrote something for like a parental choice like universal parental choice. Is that what it's talking about from the feds? Because they're you know but it's talking about f an agency distributing that money. Is that what this is talking about? >> I don't I don't believe >> what do you mean by third party? like who would be the third party? >> Well, and no

171one no one says that in the resolution, right? So, it's a little silent and it's a little vague on that. Like, could there be another organization that would potentially manage those grants outside of the DPI or I I was surmising that they >> want it to come directly to DPI and not to the legislature >> because well, what what they're directing it because, you know, it could be the federal government. >> This is also not clear to me. So I'm not comfortable >> with f anything dealing with federal. Nobody knows. It could change tomorrow. So really this I don't know. >> And what their recommendation is is that those funds just go directly because they're using >> they want them to advocate for that. >> And from that perspective I would be in I would

172be in support resolution in the event there were a change to federal grant structures in the future. If that's what it means to say for education, >> we don't know what it means and that we're not we don't want the legislature to say, "Well, I know they sent it here for education, but we're going to send it to >> just, you know, >> clear your >> I would assume there's legal issues with that anyway. But >> has there been a legislative proposal to do something different? Like what is this reacting?" >> All we know is that there's going to be changes. don't know whe >> are are people comfortable with directing Jen to make a decision >> based based on the discussion there so that you know generally speaking if if the concept is that

173it's just a way to ensure education funds go to education that we are generally supportive of that Um, but I I think right now she's really the one that's going to be in a position to make an education hear what's going on the conversation. Are are people comfortable with that? >> Yes. >> Okay. All right. So, that's >> You're on your own. >> Okay. >> Clear as mud. >> Number five is >> No. Number four. >> I didn't hear anyone say anyone said number four. Number four. >> Oh, okay. >> Okay. >> So, number five is substance abuse disorder and treatment aid creates the WB supports legislation to establish a new cateorical aid to fund and support schoolbased substance use disordered prevention and treatment related services. This aid should be comprehensive in order to fully

174fund necessary resources and staffing that districts may need. Special provisions should be included for small schools to address issues with economies of scale. Use of these funds should be identified and prioritized at the local level. Such uses may include but are not limited to contracting with service providers, employment of specialists or other professionals, training for staff, and any other additional resources as needed. Um, my difficulty with this one is schools deal with mental health. We heard that at educational support. Do we want to go further into that or do we want to tell that maybe there should be more grants to provide that but schools should stay in the school lane not in the uh social worker counselor mental health lane like is is our job to hire more mental health or is it you

175know I think education should say education we deal with it. But is it our role, our responsibility to do more social work, more? We deal with it. Yes. But is it our role? No, not necessarily. >> Students, I'm not I'm not arguing that point, but but is it our is it our role to do that? >> Well, we're going to be dealing with >> my my problem is the new monies. Like, what are we talking about? Dollar amount >> $50. It's the peanuts out of the jar thing. Just now we have another peanut coming out of the jar. >> Yeah. >> I I >> But I I we have to deal with it. I'm saying not saying should we we have to >> see we don't know that. That's what makes me uncomfortable is I

176can't I'm not going to support more new monies across the state when we don't where is this money coming from? What is the dollar amount? How is it being allocated? How is it being managed? This is also vague. >> I mean >> we know there's growing needs. >> I'm generally supportive. But why don't we say it goes to the county and the county, you know, provides those to us rather than us saying, do you know what? Those are our employees now. >> Don't we do this already? >> I mean, but it's through grants and it's not through our funding. It's through grant funding. >> Well, this actually creates special funding. >> Special a new categorical categorical aid. >> We do it already. So, >> but it's not through us. This is this is telling us

177that we have to fund these things. >> Two, one, I think it's and It's not that we ignore this stuff. It's that >> you should this should abuse uh substance abuse treatment should not be taking place inside the school. That should be taking place in private and private or at centers like that. I think that's an expansion of scope that we should not be doing. >> Oh, go ahead. Go ahead. I didn't want to >> too The other thing is, you know, I see this as a gimmick. The same way the local municipalities switched around our property taxes with taking garbage service and water ser and sewer service off of our tax bill but not changing our tax bill and then adding the whole night like creating a new utility, you know. So they were

178this was a way to let's increase funds but yet you know the money ends up being fungeible. And so this is a backdoor way of of asking for funding. And I think it's a a little bit devious in my opinion. I think it's I think if we're going to ask for fun, we should get general aid funding and not say, well, we're going to >> and then be able to prioritize it based on district need for 11,000 whatever from our state. Now we want another this, you know, and then say, well, now the money we were going to spend on that now we continue to spend on something else. It's a it's a backdoor way of not being open and honest about how we're doing the funding. And I I I opposed it when their

179tax bills did that and I oppose it like this, too. I don't like I don't like the shell game and >> well, they get into this to to owning the substance abuse treat within the district. I there are avenues, there are paths, we help our students that need to go there, but to have it live within the school district, I agree with you, Alex. Let's focus on what we currently have within our remit and we have a lot of opportunities to improve that remitt right currently anyway without growing the scope. >> In talks with our previous some of our site people that I talked to they even said schools should be good at identifying and then refer to the appropriate source and not not be doing it inside the school. So, and and and I

180would agree with that, but but I would like us to live in a perfect world. >> Yeah. But it's a problem that does exist. I do believe I do believe that that I mean to me what this was was an indirect way of saying our school districts need additional financial support to deal with the the significantly increased mental health needs and and and addiction needs and counseling needs that so many kids have and frankly many families um are not capably addressing. And so we are dealing with it in our schools and it is taking a lot of our staff time in particular teachers to to manage classrooms. And so the concept of recognizing the the need for for social workers and school counselors, mental health professionals within our schools, I do think in some ways

181reflects the reality of that need. So um I'm not real comfortable with the mechanism by which they're asking to do it. I mean, they're literally asking to create a separate >> new basket of money. Um, and my preference would be that they just >> work within the existing increase >> general aid. >> Yes. >> To support schools in delivering um providing the staff. >> I agree. I agree. But I understand that the underlying need because I think we're seeing it in our >> right. So >> everybody want to say no. >> Everybody comfortable with >> no >> what are we raising? >> I don't know. G STARTED RAISING HIS HAND. I just figured So, so why don't we go ahead and take a vote? So, a vote a and we're going to make it simple.

182A vote yes would be to tell Jen to vote yes on this. And a vote no would be to tell Jen to vote no on it. So, are there any members that would like Jen to vote yes on this? >> One, two, three, four. Are there any members who would like Jen to vote no on it? >> Next one is seven. >> Seven is universal state covered meals. >> I forgot eight as well. Universal state covered meals. Create the WB supports state legislation to establish and fund a universal school meal programs to cover the cost of all student meals not covered by federal programs. Um, as I shared with Chris, while on the surface it looks great, giving kids a pop-tart in the morning with red dye 40 when we know that increases ADHD and

183hyperactivity and doesn't actually give them, you know, sub like true sustenance. I have a problem with just giving them junk food because I in our school and maybe it's different in Spash uh in Point District. Um but I know at Rashel they would get you know a pop-tart and a thing of chocolate milk or you know a thing of cereal and some high sugar high things aren't setting kids up for success. So while it's great to give them something, we also know that when we give them whole foods, good foods, it increases. If we give them sugar, of course, it's going to create more issues. It doesn't qualify. And we're talking about all over. We're talking about here to Beaver Dam to Adams to Marinette to to Madison. like there there's no qualification of quality

184food that we know can actually improve learning. This is just here's some food. I have a problem with that because I want good food given. It doesn't qualify that. I'm not just going to be like here and we're going to give crap food. I want good food given to these kids. >> I I would also like good food given to kids, but I have worked extensively in communities where there is no food available to kids. And if I have to choose between a Pop-Tart and nothing, I'm choosing the Pop-Tart. >> Frankly, this district and of course, we've only done the lunches. We haven't done breakfast or anything, but the lunches are nutritious and they are balanced and our staffing here, they are doing excellent job with nutrition >> and they've been awarded nationally. >> Well,

185remember we went to lunch, I can't remember what school, and every kid gets an apple on their tray. What do we see in the garbage can? Yeah. >> And it was discouraging, disheartening that we're doing everything we can. >> But why are we paying for it? >> So that's so so I I I would like to say sorry. Sorry. I haven't I've been raising my hand and everyone's talking over me. So I No, that's okay. No, I I'm not looking at this as a nutrition from a nutrition lens. We do not currently deny meals to students that need it. One. Two, I am not open to paying for meals for families that can't afford it. We are already like I look at the budget. I look at it from so so to me what this

186is doing is just expanding that cost. We are not denying meals for children that can't afford it today and this would be paying it for meals for families that can afford it. And so I'm I am going to say no. >> I think yes. This Oh, sorry. Someone does someone have their hands up. Having lived in a state um previously where we did have both breakfast and lunch covered it is a gamecher across the board. I am 100% in favor of this. >> I also agree that with Liz and it eliminates an administrative burden uh of having to track who is and is not eligible for these programs. It takes a lot of burden off our staffing in that way and that's why other states have moved towards this because they said the administrative burden

187costs more than actually providing >> food for our students. >> 100%. >> I think did you have a comment? Yeah, I think if we're going to be consistent about talking about affordability, I mean I would send my kid anyway or whatever. But I think the idea of let's fund every lunch whether you know we at this district, let's be clear on this too. We already have universal free breakfast for everyone, not just the low low income and reduced that are free and reduced. Everybody is eligible for free breakfast. Anyone who's eligible for reduced also gets it for free. We cover that difference. So in our district there I mean there really is even no such thing as a reduced. If you're reduced, it's still free. >> So there's still no cost. So we've taken that

188level and brought it up and they already get this. This would mostly be let's fund >> all the kids and particularly the ones that don't. I think I also see this as similar to our our mental health issue that this is a move in the neck chairs and we're going to ask for separate extra funding that we can then redirect funding in another way. I think it's the same principle here. It's not no voting no on this doesn't mean you're against kids getting nutrition. The kids were talking about already getting it. >> They're already getting it for free. Can I I would like to see the data on it actually costing that much more to administer >> compared to having kids that can manage what's >> so I'm I'm I'm in support of this and

189the main reason I'm in support of this is because we have always had a significant number of families who choose not to apply for free lunch even though they are eligible and even though they need that we have had a significant problem also in that families who are eligible for free and reduced lunch and then because they maybe get a little bit additional money and then no longer are eligible. even if they get back to the point where they're eligible again, it can take significant time for them to be um reapproved and allowed those free meals. Um we as a district currently are sitting at how much money in terms of >> bills lunch a lot. We're we're significant dollars because families, yes, we are feeding children, but that is racking up bills and debt

190for families. And we as a district are seeing increased increased families with socioeconomic pressures. Um, I'm especially very concerned moving into next year as we take a look at what the impact of some of the federal um, uh, programs that maybe are going to be limited in terms of food stamps, in terms of Medicaid. So, for that reason, I guess I'm in support of this for those reasons. >> Can I ask a question? uh school lunch debt, you know, uh we have uh I don't know what is our free and reduced lunch rate >> what is it 47 >> 37 >> I think it's 37 >> is our school lunch debt is that included in it or is that just the people who can afford to pay but aren't paying >> the school lunch debt

191is the amount of debt that people have that they've gone below like into the negative >> but those are the people who are supposed to pay the people who are getting free and reduced are not included in that. >> No, they would not be they would not be contributing to that debt >> really. >> So a lot of people who should be paying but aren't >> and and that is only people who apply for free >> because they won't say no to a meal >> which they may not do. >> So I think we've all um had our say. So again, we're going to do it simple. If you vote yes, uh it's telling Jen to vote yes on this. If you vote no, it's telling Jen to vote no on this. So all those

192saying yes, >> yes. >> And all of those saying no. >> Okay. Next one is uh >> eight. >> Okay. Public Education Endowment Fund create. The WB supports legislation that creates a public education endowment fund to be invested on behalf of Wisconsinites to fully and equitably fund public education across the state >> or we could just fully fund it >> rather than having people donate. >> But is this like asking people to donate to this >> and then how is it being allocated? There's there's nothing. It's too it's too ambiguous. >> It's all just too ambiguous for me to be able to support because while all schools should be well funded, not not the argument, this is there's no mechanism. There's no nothing. It's no >> we want >> and people can still fund that

193we accepted donations. >> So if Portage County received all this funding, it could potentially go to it. Yeah, I see what you're saying. >> We just fund 21. >> Yeah, we just >> My concern about an endowment fund is that an endowment fund, you basically I mean a traditional endowment fund, which I'm assuming that's what this is, you donate money and then the fund holds all of the principle and the only that can be spent is the interest. And um and I >> even interest on a billion isn't enough >> when when funding is needed now. And so I would prefer to encourage people >> to donate to their local districts if they want to >> directly. So that's my >> I agree >> feels like consensus sounds like a no. >> No, I got

194it. >> Okay. Consensus is no. >> Okay. >> Do you remember that one year there was like 30 of them? Thank god there wasn't 30 this year. >> But it seems like it's they're going to generate a lot of discussion. >> Just wait. >> We have home early one time. >> So nine got have a >> amendment to resolution 3.241 early childhood education funding and public private partnerships. Amending existing 3.241. The WASB supports state-f funed public school 3K and full day 4K for all Wisconsin children. The WASB also supports collaboration between public schools and other public agencies and programs, private child care providers, and Wisconsin institutions of higher learning. The WAP B further supports district discretionary use of expanded Title One dollars to earlier grade levels by districts meeting the benchmarks for National School Lunch

195Program. NSLP direct and categorical participation in 3K and 4K student households meeting income eligibilityility for NSLP. That is the existing language that is an existing resolution. So what this amendment does is it adds the following. All publicly funded 3K and 4K schools, including schools receiving voucher funding or funding through public agencies other than DPI, must have the exact same accountability, reporting, and transparency standards slash and requirements. The WB opposes a state funding mechanism to provide private child care providers with a per pupil payment for 4K instruction. All 4K programs should be funded through school districts with local flexibility to contract with private child care providers to provide 4K instruction as determined by the school board. There's a lot of opposition from from me. One, why the the last paragraph most especially um why can't a

196private school like Kanand receive private, you know, monies as well? And why can the district be the only one that can get funding when kaland and right now as it's said in the state statute that they can receive funding for 4k? Why is the district the only one that can receive that funding? That's a that's a problem for me because we and we contract with them and that's still allowed. But why can't they still get the funding for 4K instruction for their own students? That's a problem for me. Currently they for just this year they created a get kids ready program which was the first time that they allowed um child carees to receive money directly from them if they're not contracted with the district. But when they contract with the district we provide them

197with funding. They do not have to have the same requirements as far as lure goes and many other things that the public school system does. Um, so that's why both Chris and I discussed we would prefer to contract with them and pay them directly rather than providing two different funding mechanisms with not the same accountability. >> So are you saying yes or no for you? >> I would say that we um that we support this. I'm in square >> and this is year one that there's an option for additional funding through DCF which is the department of children and families >> and we currently at least at this point in time I am unaware of any of our private um childcare providers partnering with DCF um unless they have not made me aware of that.

198But at this point in time, all of our community partners are still continuing to partner with us unless they've made a decision that they may be aware of. >> I would agree with this. I like this because of the the same accountability and reporting. >> Agreed. >> That's what stuck out. >> Okay. >> Why don't we go ahead and take a vote on it? Um, again to voting yes is telling Jen to vote yes. Voting no is telling Jen to vote no. So how many people would like Jen to vote yes? >> Six. Okay. >> And how many would like Jen to vote no? >> Okay. >> Now we have to talk about together. >> So, I'll read both. >> I'll read both of them because it really is >> one or the other. >>

199Well, it's one or the other. >> Well, do I want you to read them? Don't Don't we kind of understand what they are already? I don't think you need to read them. >> So, >> I'm reading them so the community >> that's watching us, if they want to know what it is we're voting on, they'll have >> sense. So 10 is supporting quote decoupling quote of public and private school funding. Create the WSB supports legislation separating funding for parental choice and independent charter schools from the public school equalization aid formula and instead supports the state taking full responsibility to fund payment to these schools. And 11 is opposing quote decoupling quote of public and private school funding. Create the WB opposes legislation separating funding for parental choice and independent charter schools from the public school

200equalization aid formula and instead supports all publicly funded schools being funded by a combination of state and local tax dollars, >> which is the way it currently is. So which is what is the current? >> So I support 10 so that it takes it off our voter our voters and it takes it off the taxes from the local constituents. >> You know I've heard uh both ways that decoupling will benefit public schools or couple or keeping it coupled will benefit I've heard. >> I've heard both. Yeah. And I I really don't know what to say about this cuz I think nobody knows what it will do, >> if anything. >> I came in here thinking I might vote no on both of them to be honest because I I don't whether regardless of how we

201feel about voucher funding. The underlying issue here is really whether or not vouchers should exist in the state. And we're not going to solve it through creating two funding sources or one funding source, you know, or it goes back to like just increase the general aid for heaven's sakes. I I I don't I don't know that I feel informed enough to to vote yes on either. >> It's the peanuts in Mike's jar. All you're doing is dividing the same peanuts. >> Not going to make it, I think, won't make it any different. If I had to choose between the two of them, then I don't know that I want them to decouple because I think we should keep one source of funding for all schooling in the state. >> Walke is currently decoupled. Just for

202the record, Walke is currently decoupled. >> Yeah. One year. >> It feels like a big shell game to me. >> Correct. collect property tax >> wouldn't need an insert. It would save us 700 bucks. I I can argue the other way because whether it's taxes to the local from the from us locally or it's taxes from us through the state, we're still paying taxes. And so ultimately, at least in the current situation, based on our law discussion earlier, we do have the ability to have the taxpayers be informed about how much of their tax dollars are going to support both public schools and both private schools, which provides some level of accountability. I do believe with both organizations. So I'm kind of this one I'm kind of with with Marne in the sense of not

203supportive of of either with the caveat that if Jen at the delegate assembly gets some real clear >> well per you guys per G this is going to go to 7:30. They're not going to have a quorum at the end. And this is at the end. We might not even get there. I mean, I'm just I'm just being real. Okay. So, I mean, this is the reality. Yeah. So, again, I feel comfortable with >> he said till 7:30. Is this 1:30 to 3:30? >> Right. was saying Jen >> should educate herself based on all of the conversation that's going to happen and vote in the best interest of our public schools. I I agree with Jean in being to a number of different WASBY events, decoupling or not, it could go either way, >> but

204I I think that Marne's probably correct. Leaving it coupled is probably in our best interest. The way school funding is done is very complex. You go in, you go out, you go in and out, depending on students back and forth and left and right. It's been a system we've had, whether you like it or not, for decades. It's probably better we stay with that because it's it's proven. We know how it works. If you take it apart, weren't we just like complaining about how funding works? And now we're now we're getting a chance to say, do you know what? Funding is working differently. Private schools aren't going to be funded by local taxes. We complain about it and now we're offering >> we're not complaining about that. What we're complaining about is that people don't

205understand how the funding's done and where the funding is coming from. That's what we're talking about is the transparency. Okay. Not the way the funding's done. >> I think I think I am frustrated with the funding model and I do think it is very complex. So I I think you guys are saying the same thing. >> I don't think that decoupling fixes any problems. It just hides them. It just it just takes that transparency out further. Now it's okay. A portion of your taxes are still going to fund private schools either way. When they're coupled, you know exactly what that portion is. >> Decoupled, it's whatever the legislature says it is. >> Yes. So, what I'm hearing you guys say is that um we are going to wait to see if we even get to

206this in the delegate assembly and I will hear what everyone and then we'll I'll make an informed decision. But per the likelihood is very slim. >> What's it >> I'm comfortable. I am Jen. Jen knows >> okay. >> Thank you for doing that. >> There was one more. Oh, I don't care. I don't care. >> Yes. W >> But they they said one year it got so contentious people were just like arguing and then one. Yeah. So >> I have I have the wonderful opportunity to be the timer again. So I'll try to move all your best executive coaching skills. >> Motion on that one. Okay, this is a motion. >> Oh, okay. So, motion. I'm looking for a motion to approve the 2026 WASP resolution and I'm making a motion to authorize our official

207delegate to vote on behalf of the full board as discussed this evening with respect to the 2026 WB resolutions. >> So, move. >> Second. >> All right. All Uh any discussion on that? >> All those in favor of I with I >> I post with motion carries. >> This is always the toughest spot to be tonight. It might not This might be the toughest night ever. >> Yeah. So now I am >> about 30 minutes >> looking for >> kidding. It is not going to be >> I'm looking for a motion. >> Oh, we're doing budget. >> A little nervous where we were going there. >> We're good. >> Okay. >> Fire away. >> Quick version. >> All right. Thank you. >> You will all be pleased to know that the budget evaluation update is

208relatively brief this month. um recognizing that we were out of school for about two weeks in December. So um relatively short updates, but I want to leave in with just an update on position review. We've reviewed a total of 548 positions. Um 514 of those we categorized this fill as is. Positions that are currently frozen is five and positions eliminated for those of you who don't remember. Um that is up one from so that's exciting. It was 28 last month and I'll give you an update on that in just in a minute. Um, we're continuing the work on co-curricular programming review. I had indicated last month when I shared the update that we have about 700 students participating in over 50 identified co-curricular programs and or clubs. Um, recognizing that the number was large, we

209did want to do a market analysis or we wanted to do some local comparative analysis. So, we are in the process of gathering the data from WASA, DC, Everest, Wisconsin Rapids, and Marshfield just to get a better sense of what number of clubs that they're running um and co-curricular programs they're running in their districts. Also, what is the total of stipens that they're paying out? Um once we have all of that data, we're waiting on data back from just one of those districts. Um we want to review options to develop a system to classify co-curricular clubs and activities. You remember when we did the athletic programming review, we categorized all of the different sports into different tiers. Um, and we thought that we could lay that same model over the top of this. We can't.

210Um, it's just different. Um, and in spite of wanting to simplify things to that degree, we recognize that we're just not going to be able to use the same model. So, our plan is potentially to develop maybe bands where we could make some decisions about um where compensation might be placed within a particular band. Um and that might be some way for us to at least sort of clean up the current model because right now there are just a lot of var there are a lot of variations within how how staff are compensated for serving as an adviser for any of those clubs. variations from building to building is >> just even in terms of yes from building to building but also how they're compensated. So we might have one >> club versus >> versus

211say like forensics or FFA, right? And one of those adviserss might be getting a segment that's considerably higher than another even though they're supporting a similar number of students, >> okay, >> in that club and they're meeting of they're meeting relatively the same number of times. So, we want to look at some criteria in terms of how we can categorize those and how we can at least wrap our mind around that compensation model because right now it's just very open-ended. And quite frankly, this hasn't been looked at for a really long time. So, some of the decisions that were made about why some positions were funded this way and others were funded this way were made by people who aren't even here anymore. Um, so it certainly warrants um us taking a little bit of

212a closer look at how we do what we do and how we sort of tighten it up moving forward. When do you have when do you plan to have that complete? >> So once we have the data back from the one remaining district. Um the hope would be that we're planning Beth has done a lot of really hard work on this up to this point. So I'm reporting but I have not done the lion share of the work Beth has. Um so the hope would be that in the next month we could bring back an update. Um we do need to involve a couple other stakeholders in these discussions once we get all the data back, but the hope would be in the next month we could give you at least an update on kind

213of where we are in terms of that. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Yeah. Um, also want to take a look at balancing existing positions with current needs. In other words, do we need all of these clubs if we're running clubs and paying a stipen for perhaps a group that is only three or five or seven students? And those are where the conversations become more difficult. This program and budget review has been I don't want to say easy, but easier until we start to make decisions that truly impact students and impact families. So, that's when the conversations become a little bit harder and we recognize they're coming. Um, in terms of world language programming updates, I provided a brief update on this last month, but we're going to begin working on course proposals, that will come

214to the board in December of 2026 to shift from uh a six course sequence to five in 2728. And we'll adjust the course sequence for Spanish and for French. French and Spanish will run 1 through four. And French and Spanish, the fifth year will be the AP option. Um, we also do have the concurrent enrollment option for both French and Spanish. that'll be the sixth year and when the the level six in the event the enrollment for that level six class is not large enough um students would still be able to take the class through WSP and I talked a little bit about that um over the last two months but we're prepared now to prepare those course proposals and to also incorporate that into um the the the course guide for the upcoming year

215for 2728 ELA programming review um we're in the process now of getting into what is our largest program review up to this point. So, we're scheduling meetings with ELA department leaders um to begin a comprehensive review of current course offerings, analyze course sequence to identify whether or not we have any courses that are duplicative or addressing the exact same or at least similar standards. Um we also want to look at opportunities to streamline pathways while maintaining rigor and student choice. We recognized that that was something that came out of our work with um that came out of our work with h their name is escaping me at the moment >> handover um handover when we they they identified the need to incorporate student choice and to be sure that that was kind of central to

216our program review moving forward. We're going to continue to analyze historical enrollment trends to identify those courses that have low enrollment courses that could potentially be combined or phased out over time. Again, I think it's important that the board, the community and staff that are tuning in listen or that are listening know that, you know, we've been able to do all of these staff reductions up to this point um as part of the program review through either retirement or through resignation, our goal is to continue to do the same. So even if we identify horses that could potentially be phased out and or eliminated, our hope is still to continue to do that through attrition um without having to cut to positions um whenever we're able to do that. Um we want to also evaluate

217the potential for staffing and scheduling implications um based on the proposed changes that we might come up with after meeting with those department heads. I do want to report out on some of the cost savings that we've identified up to this point for 2526 that we'll realize. Um, as I said, this this process continues to evolve and we're getting increasingly sophisticated. We've realized now, at least I've realized that we have to be intentional about yes, calling out savings, but also calling out which of those are just one-time savings and which of those are recurring. Um at the beginning of the budget evaluation process now almost three years ago um we said you know let's make it a goal to find or identify a million to 1.5 million in efficiencies annually. Um we were all really

218intimidated by that but in year one we found approximately 1.1 million. Last year we found approximately $810,000. Um now I realize that we need to find about a million annually in recurring savings. So the onetime savings are great, but they are just one time. That top one there is the early literacy professional development reimbursement that Corey referenced earlier. That somehow ended up being almost the exact amount we needed to fund the rawers proposal. I don't know how that happened, but >> serendipity, I guess. Um, we also have a cost savings that will be recurring from our Midstate YA consortium grant. Currently, we write that grant with other surrounding districts. I believe there are about six of them that are part of that consortium. We've now because we've been in the YA business for long enough

219to feel comfortable enough taking on the grant writing component of that work on our own which would allow us to take that the grant writing fee is $35,000. So that has been those have been funds that we've not have had access to. Um, now that we can take on that grant writing on our own internally with our own staff, um, we'll have that additional $35,000 recurring. >> Chris, go ahead. >> Just acronym check. >> Oh, that's right. >> Oh, youth apprentichip. >> Thank you. >> Sorry. >> Um, the youth apprentichip program. >> And who's writing that now for us? >> Um, it would be Bryceki, right? >> Yes. >> Yeah, he'll take right now. >> And you know, there has been some interest in how do we continue expand our YA programming. So that additional

220$35,000 we can invest back in potentially expanding some hours for staff within the current um CCT program or department that would allow them to continue to be out meeting with those business partners, enhancing those relationships and potentially hopefully resulting in more student placements. Um the rental income from the professional building that's this year only that we can count on it because we're going to sell it next week. um >> that's right. $54,000 that's this year only, but it is annual income that is at least a one-time um source of revenue that we identified. Um the the partners in education through Portage County Business Council. Um that's an $11,000 savings in recurring. Um so that will be moving forward. Um we can count on that being funds that we won't be spending. And the eliminated position

221that I referenced earlier that took us from 28 to 29 was a EA position out at Kennedy Elementary um that we were able to reduce based on a resignation that came through recently and that results in a recurring cost savings of 40,519. >> We're not going to fill that position. >> We are not going to fill that position. >> Is it recurring or is it just a one year? Tom always said it was a one year. >> No, because that position is getting eliminated. >> Well, right. But Tom always said when someone resigned, it's a oneyear savings. systematic reoccurring. So >> if you don't fill the position, >> if you don't fill it at all, Tom would argue that it was only a one-year savings when someone resigned and then we hired someone in at

222a lower salary. >> Tom would have argued that that was only a one-year savings. >> We're sweeping this role. >> But if this were completely eliminating and not filling, >> I was only realized once. I think what what I always got the sense I got from Tom was that you know so you eliminate that position. So the the budget is going to be $40,500 less for next year moving forward. You're not you're not going to take away another $40,000 but you won't >> budget have to budget forward. So, so don't >> that's that's that's how the way I could understand Tom's that that you don't get to keep taking an additional 40,000 away but you are saving 40,000 each year because otherwise your budget would be $4,000 more. Yes. >> Right. Yeah. >> Yep. >>

223And lastly here we'll maintain the ongoing analysis of the athletic spending on a monthly basis. And again we're kind of developing a baseline there. So, we're looking at those monthly expenses so we can get a better handle on why we saw costs increase in that department so significantly over the last two years. Um, we'll continue the world language work. Um, advance the co-curricular review by identifying the low enrollment activities and also develop that that system for categorizing the stipens and also continue the prek12 staffing process which Jeff and I are. We both have our timelines laid out and as all of you know that is typically where we found our largest cost savings when we've completed that annual staffing process. So um we are we're looking at sections and we're rolling up numbers to the

224upcoming year and Jeff is preparing numbers for enrolling staff and what number of sections we'll offer out our secondary. So more to come on that. >> That's awesome. Awesome. Thank you so much. >> You're welcome. >> You are welcome. >> Okay. future meeting dates and times. We have our uh regular board meeting on February 9th. Um, I'm now looking for a motion to move into close session under statute 1985 C considering employment, promotion, compensation or performance evaluation data of any public employee over which governmental body has jurisdiction or exercises responsibility. Um uh we are looking at specifically administrator contracts including the superintendent. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All right. Um could you call the vote please? >> Miss Bushman. >> Yes. >> Mr. Pope. >> Yes. >> Miss Mercer. >> Yes. >> Mr. Kowalsski.

225>> Yes. >> Mr. Libre. >> Yes. >> Miss Potter Nelson. Yes. Mr. Summers. >> Yes. >> Mr. Lee. >> And Miss Erler. >> Yes. Hey.