001[Music] Hey, [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Call the meeting to order. Uh this is a meeting of the Winn County Community School District Board of Education. We are um in the Winn County Middle School Library. It is September 15, 2025 at 6:30. Meeting notices were sent to members of the press, members of the school board, and were posted on the front doors and/or in the vestibules of district school buildings. This is a meeting of the board in public for the purpose of conducting the school district's business and is not to be considered a public hearing. There may be a time for public comment as indicated in the agenda. The meeting will also be available to watch live at www.youtube.com/winny. Please stand and join me in the pledge. >> I pledge
002allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Roll call, please. Stellner >> here. >> Cowarts >> here. >> Veric >> here. >> Aman >> here. >> Harder here. Kundy here. Hansen >> here. >> Um recognizing the administrative team, we have Dr. Larson, Dr. Hughes, Mr. Schrader, Mrs. Dodd, Mr. Katy, Mr. Jerbeck, Ms. Horvath, Mr. Pitch, Mr. Maner. That's it. All right. Um, and any visitors, if you are here, if you didn't sign up on the white sheet back on the table, please do so. Um, and now it is time for open forum. And we have Mr. Adam Erenss. Thank you. I just on that all right. I just wanted to say Wednesday is
003Constitution Day and um for the third year in a row dropped off constitutions for the eighth graders. Thank you, Dana, for helping me facilitate that. Um, one other thing I' I'd like to talk about is uh something I just recently found out and it has to do with Turning Point USA. And I'm trying to I inquired with Peggy today. You said you weren't aware. I reached out to Mashad, but I guess she's out of the office or whatever. So apparently last year because I was helping with the the T the Turning Point USA uh chair for or field representative for this area. Apparently there was a student that tried uh someone reached out to me said they couldn't find a sponsor at the school. So that's I don't know it's kind of concerning to me.
004Um when we talk about all children that we could not find a sponsor. >> Like I said I don't believe that to be accurate. Do you know if you could just share with me more information so I >> I would >> follow up because >> Oh, and I'm not making because I don't know the whole story yet. I'm not saying >> but I do know from the field representative that they couldn't find a sponsor and I know from a parent that reached out >> who was involved in it. So, >> but as you know like groups can get established quite easily. Yeah. In our district. I mean you've seen it happen before. So if that had come about they would have come forward and I probably would have helped them find a sponsor if that
005was the only blocking point. and they never even Thank you, Mr. Shreder. They didn't even complete any paperwork. So, I just want to make sure that you're aware of that. Okay. Please share with me additional information, the who's and the >> And if I'm like completely wrong about that, I will come back in two weeks and gladly leave. I'm not trying to >> But from what I've initially found out, they could not find a sponsor. And I just think about when we talk about all children, you know, >> definitely. >> Is it only ones that you agree with, you know, your ideology or I I just have a feeling if there was other groups, there would never be an issue. But I guess that was just my thought. >> I guess I just want to
006point out we don't know that it's an issue. >> And well, hey, I'll throw it out there if anybody >> would like to start one here. >> Yep. >> Winning County be a great time to do it in memory of Charlie Kirk, someone who many people in this community respect and across the country as we see on the other hand a lot of people who think he spews evil hate for speaking biblical truth. But you know, I guess some people don't even understand the word truth. And that's that's crazy that we have u disagreements in this country. we can't even understand. We can't even come to an agreements on simple terms. So I just to keep that in mind that there is a truth and it's not my truth, not your truth. There's just the
007truth. I mean it's it's a thing. So thank you. >> All right. I will close the open forum and entertain a motion to um accept the consent agenda. >> So move. >> Second. Motion by Kundi, second by Kellowarts to approve consent agenda items A through G. Any discussion or questions? >> Roll call, please. >> Stellner, >> I. >> Cowarts, >> I. >> Veric, >> I. >> Ecman, >> I >> Hansen, >> I. >> Um, and approve minutes from August 18th, 2025 regular school board meeting. I'll make a motion to approve. I'll >> second. >> Motion by Hansen, second by Harter to approve the August 18th, 2025 regular school board um meeting minutes. Any discussion? >> Mark the word menu to minutes. >> Oh, okay. >> I love the detail. I know you're reading the the
008pamphlet. I just love it. I think I do that just so you could just to see who was reading that. >> Exactly. >> Oh, now I let out my secret. >> All right, roll call, please. >> Stellner, >> hi. >> Cowarts. >> Hi. >> Veric. >> Epstein. >> Aman. >> Hi. >> Harder. >> I. >> Kundy. I Hansen. >> I. >> All right. AI conference update. I understand we have some uh folks here to talk about that. Yeah, I think we hear about AI continuously. I was telling uh Robbie today, I think I get an email every day, how to navigate AI in the classrooms kind of thing. Um, so these uh Robbie and Lisa and Susie went to a conference this summer just to learn more about it. And as I put in your
009notes, there's a lot more questions than answers. So I guess we just really want to have a dialogue with you, like what are your wonders and questions because again, there's not a definitive right or wrong. and I kind of put some background what our district currently is doing. So again, um, ladies, if you want to come forward and start the conversation for us at least, that would be great. >> Well, I guess I'll start. I'm Robbie Bradhower and what I took from from the conference was we need to think about AI literacy versus fluency, right? Kids know how to use it. They're going to use it. Um how can we teach them the ethical use of AI because it's there like you know it's what two three years out it's been out. So even if
010we don't have it on in the school district and we lock it down, they can go home and make use of it to write papers and create answers. So um where do we as a district go with that? Like do we start, you know, educating kids at what age? What is AI? What are the pitfalls? What are the good things about it? And how can it be used as a tool rather than to be the thinker for the student? Um um I'm Lisa Olsen. Um I teach English at the high school. Uh going to the conference made me consider just what I need to possibly change in the way that I teach. I think that kids are learning different ways. Um and that the way that we assess students needs to possibly look different as
011the world continues to move and evolve. Um, so that was kind of a big takeaway similar to what Robbie said, students are using AI. I mean, I and and we've had conversations like I was telling students, um, you know, I looked up how like what what groceries do I need to buy for a recipe, you know, using AI. You know, my daughter who's in college used AI to hey, this is the chemistry that I'm studying. what are some questions that could be potentially um you know things that I need to study and so using it as a study tool and so it's not necessarily something evil but how can we te teach students how to critically think still for themselves and not just use it as a complete replacement. Um, but the hard part is,
012and this was something that I took away from the conference as well, the Department of Public Instruction and high schools all around Wisconsin, in addition to all around the country, I think are all kind of in this this holding pattern right now of like what do we do? What, you know, do we do we make policies about this? Do we um, you know, how do we ensure that students are still learning and critically thinking? um you know they they likened it to you know when calculators came out and oh no you know kids aren't going to be doing math and then when the internet came out um you know it's just part of evolution that we're moving forward and then we just have to learn to kind of change with it but back to what
013Robbie said I think we have more questions than answers at this point but the conference was definitely um very enlightening and I appreciate the fact that we had the opportunity to go so thank you you >> I'm Susie Rubidu I'm one of English teachers at the high school and they they've covered a lot of what I would have said anyway. My biggest thing is that um I personally use AI as a tool for a variety of things. Um but I have pretty strong concerns about students using AI and missing the learning process and the struggle that's important to learn the critical thinking and then have the base of information and skills that they need to actually use it as a tool and not as a crutch. And so, um, just one other thing that I
014think would be really important is sending other teachers that are not English teachers to similar conferences because we saw >> math, Spanish, science, social studies, really all teachers of teachers of all subjects were there. And I think that just being there and listening to other people talk was really helpful to get us all thinking about um how we feel about it and how we're going to use it in our classroom. So just to let you know a little bit more about that, it was in Madison. We talked about AI the whole way home and then we assigned oursel an assignment to create that document that um Peggy shared with you because we were meeting the next day. So, we're like, "Okay, when everybody gets home tonight, you have to sit down and type your thoughts
015on this document." And we did it. Like, that's how that's how much we were really thinking about it and how much we're concerned and being thoughtful about it. There's we just have so many more questions, but also um you know, just some thoughts on how we could probably appropriately incorporate education about AI in the classroom >> because kids will go home after school. So whether we have it we have it locked down right here in the district in the buildings but if they go home they can do chat GT at any time. So and then looking at also how do we assess and our practices of how do we do assessments so that we can focus on the learning and not what are they copying and pasting or able to copy and paste >> format
016of assessment. Do you have questions? Because >> Oh, yeah. >> So many. >> Well, maybe you ladies could help me remember. Um, we as a board, we approved the purchase of that software roughly less than a year ago to detect um, plagiarism. >> Um, I'm wondering, is that enough? And are you going to use it all the time? >> Are you talking about turnitin.com? >> Mr. Jerbeck would know. Turnitin.com. >> Okay, >> that is um something that we use in the high school for grades 9 through 12 and not just in English class. Um students submit work um and it's used just to detect if it's um aligns with anything online as well as studentto student. So if a student turned in a paper for Mrs. Rubidoo and then a friend was in my class,
017it would tell us that hey we've we've got a problem here. but also other schools that are using it. So it could be students in other schools too, >> like if there's an essay prompt, that's kind of general. But right >> now with AI, it does have an AI feature on turnitin.com. Um, however, AI's just as students are learning more with AI and we are, AI is getting smarter and developing things for like um making it so it can't be detected. And so that's we're back to um where we are kind of as classroom teachers, what can we do? What are some changes that we might need to make to our instruction? And one thing that actually um we just implemented this year um in all grades 9 through 12 and it sounds like in
018the middle school you're doing something similar. We gave a diagnostic writing where we gave a prompt on like in like the first week of school to get a feel for where kids at as writers. Um so that we know like this is their baseline, this is the foundation that they're coming in with. And so that right so that if then they're turning in these papers that are completely like a different voice sound, you know, so that at least we aren't spending the majority of our time policing the work. Um because TurnIt In will check for some things, but it can't detect 100% with accuracy. And that was one thing also from the conference is that um we don't want they don't want us as teachers to feel like we have to spend all of our
019time policing and trying to monitor AI and that's where we need to change our classroom assessment practices. One thing we have talked about doing is instead of, you know, let's say assigning an essay and saying it's due next week, we've already, and we've already done this for years where we kind of check along the way and look at their progress, but maybe having everything done in class like in in that we can have, you know, students doing, let's say, like their outline, their graphic organizer on the spot in the classroom and we can pull up securely and we can see what they're working on. And even we can say your screen has to stay on Google Docs so that you can't go elsewhere. So we're kind of you know there's a lot and again it's
020that we want to have we want to have students creatively or creatively critically thinking and creatively thinking. Um but also not that we're feeling like we have to walk around constantly and just monitor monitor monitor. >> So that's a good question though. That's definitely something back to what you know that we have to consider. And then as turn as we use Turn It In too um we need to I guess consider you know is this something that is maybe going to be outdated at some point and we need to you know >> that's what I was wondering. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> So >> we don't have that in the middle school. However, it's easier for us at >> middle school level. It's a little bit easier to tell if it's their voice, their writing >>
021just because of the difference in level. But we have support of Mr. Jervik and the tech department too if we need for help with that determining if I think we had three or four maybe last year in the eighth grade that we were like whoa is this their writing. >> So it's not a huge problem yet but I anticipate it'll be more of a problem. >> I just I also wanted to add on to what Lisa was saying about Turn It In. Even though it's not the best at AI detection right now, there are still benefits for other types of plagiarism that are really helpful for students and for teachers to be able to look at that. So, I wouldn't say that that's an outdated um program right now for sure. But, um it's definitely
022something to keep an eye on. >> Any other questions? >> Have a comment. I just got to find it. Um, >> yeah, we I apologize if it's a lot of rambling. >> No, >> like I said, we were trying to get all of our ideas down while they were still kind of fresh in our minds and like I said, we went to the conference kind of eager to hear what they had to say, but I think we left with Yeah. like ready to like um and as Susie said, I I think it would be extremely beneficial to educate all teachers um on this, especially you know, maybe in the upper grades um you know, and how we can potentially change our classroom practices and you know, just how can we still encourage students to be
023thinking for themselves in and understanding that there are some really great uses for AI. Um but um also teaching them that you know we don't want you to abuse it either and completely replace their thinking. So >> right >> I think you said it right. You know we don't want to hide them from it. We don't want to refrain from it. >> Um but yet we want to make sure we train and teach or educate them >> fully how to implement this just like you are >> you know for their education even beyond uh beyond high school. >> Absolutely. proper use, you know, >> but it's a great tool for teachers, too. You just have to be careful. Not everything AI generates is not it has bias. It's not always true, >> but there are
024things you can pull and use as a tool to help you with writing success criteria or activities that you might want to use in class, but you make it yours. You don't just take it. That's something that I feel like that's important to teach the kids is how like it's not and it's getting harder and harder to tell if it's real or not. Like even for for me. Yes. >> So, um like personally AI creeps me out. I I don't use it. Um I' I've seen like really creepy stories of things chat GBT has said to kids. >> I'm glad we aren't using it like letting the kids use it in school. I certainly won't let my kids use it for as long as possible because it's frightening. Um, and so >> it's I can
025see how like if the right person is using it and you're knowledgeable like you know like you guys how it could be a tool but then like if you're talking about grading assessments that's not as accurate as if you graded it yourself. >> Correct. >> I guess what are your thoughts on that? >> Yeah. Yeah. It shouldn't >> Yeah. feedback shouldn't replace teacher feedback. No. >> Yeah. And that's something we were actually in front of all staff here as in service. Just talking about AI, some of the pitfalls within that, how it generates those pieces. It's just pulling from anywhere and everywhere on the internet. So, you don't know if it's creating something that's true or creating something that's false. It's called that AI hallucination. >> Um, and that's what we staff after they went
026to that conference. We debriefed on that. is that we need to get in front of people just to make sure that our teachers are using it from an ethical standpoint too. How we talk about that where we shouldn't be just putting a student's paper in there asking to grade that that's an inappropriate use from an educational standpoint. That's something we don't want our teachers doing either. Um so they said we even talk to our staff about what are some ethical uses inside of that how we could use it as a tool. But at the end of the day, I mean, they're professionals. They know what kind of looks right and wrong, what it's producing, whereas our students just don't have to build that critical thinking skill and that knowledge base can determine as, you know,
027experts inside of that field, whatever it may be, like our staff is to be able to figure out like what's >> Yeah, I I really liked what your seminar said in that packet. Um, in a way you're kind of like policing or your detectives >> because it said have a conversation with a student, ask a student to explain their writing process >> and then you you'll be able to know probably right then already, >> right? >> If it's legit. To be fair, I we read enough papers that before that conversation, we probably know. Do you know what I you know, >> we know what student writing looks like and we've used AI as a tool, too. So, we know what AI writing looks like and just because as English teachers, we have writing in front
028of us all the time. But it is it's like, "Oh gosh, this doesn't look right." Then trying to kind of backtrack and figure out what happened, you know? But yeah, it definitely is a little bit of detecting in there. >> I'm kind of curious if it'd be possible to run a local instance of AI here. I'm not sure what the cost of that would be, but that would be something where you could then put guidelines on it to prevent the students from going too far, but still allow them to use it in school. We um I actually I don't know if that was like a year or two ago um I found um like on a teacher page that I follow someone had shared like different scenarios you know um you know I read this
029book and then I asked AI to generate a book report on it like is that ethical or not you know and just and obviously not ethical and but then different scenarios that were a little bit more like hey I used AI to help look for search terms terms for a research paper and um I needed help knowing what search terms would be the best ones to use and sure that's an ethical use of it. It's not doing the work for you. Um and so that was kind of an interesting you know and something that we've talked about um at our meeting that potentially working this into the curriculum between 612 especially and having those conversations with kids because at the end of the day like we want kids to leave school being prepared and knowing
030that hey this is out here obviously we're not going to ignore the fact that AI doesn't exist but how can we use it in an ethical way? You think about Google even when students start doing research, how do you evaluate a source, the reliability and credibility of a source, right? You teach them how to do that. This is not a reliable source or a credible source. >> Same concept. >> Yeah. >> Just another level. >> Well, I'm I it's a good start. I mean, you know, we have to start somewhere because it's it's before us. So, >> um I I imagine you'll be involved with from a curriculum standpoint and Mr. Jerbeck will be involved and >> we'll handle it as we go. And and by the way, there's a lot of people that still
031can't do mental math. So, >> I can certainly see why you why you guys feel that like all staff should be doing at least somewhat. Maybe not as in-depth as you guys did or maybe if you feel they do need it that far in depth because yeah, you can literally look up. It will type up anything for you, >> right? >> So, >> yeah, >> that's something they'll have to >> discuss in the future. I I guess >> there's one thing that did kind of upset me when I read it in the packet. >> Okay. >> It says, "Do we need to jettison curriculum and if so, in what classes subjects to add AI lessons?" I think that should never ever happen. I just somehow we got to make it work but not take away
032any time from the school day. >> That um question is in the packet because it was a question that came up over and over in the conference like >> oh from other teachers >> and presenters of >> what do we do you know like how do we bring in lessons about AI where when um >> as a district do you talk about >> replacing some curriculum with AI? So that wasn't suggesting that we thought we should. It was a question of >> how do we do it? Where do we put it and how do we fit it in? You know, so I understand your question. I just want, you know, that was just a it was like a food forthought type question of we have to do it. We have to teach about AI, but
033when and where and at what age does that start? you know, we don't know >> for sure. I mean, we have some ideas, but we don't have the answers. So, >> yeah. Yeah, and the Department of Public Instruction is still they're, you know, I was hoping to kind of get a little bit more guidance from them and they're still working out things like um I think one of the presenters was like, "Oh, the website is being developed for for you know, and it's like, okay, so you know, they're kind of at a loss right now and you know, everyone's wheels are kind of spinning like we need to do something, but what is that?" >> You look at like the UW system, that was kind of something I was interested in as we about getting
034our kids ready for college, right? Like what is what are their practices and policies around that it's um based on what I saw about a handful of the different university. It's very much up to the professors themselves like they allow it or not. Um so that's like I said there's not any clear practice on like our teacher should or shouldn't be using at the university level right now. So that's why when we talked about that's how do we make sure we're making very informed decisions right now especially when we're talking about student privacy data that you know we open those things up. We want to make sure we're making very good decisions when it comes to that. So, it's where's our kind of our scaffold of what's appropriate when um and not just opening things
035up just to let it go. So, we really want to make sure we're kind of slow inside of that to make sure, you know, making a very good decision when it comes to allowing kids access to that if there is a point in time where it's saying if this would be appropriate in this class in this context. >> So, we just want to be careful especially we're talking about student practicing. >> For sure. >> All right. Well, thank you. Thanks for starting things, getting things in motion. >> All right. 2025 266th class contracts. >> Yes, you have information in your packet regarding the six uh classes and reasons why for um some of the increase. Um so if you have any questions, I'd be more than happy to answer those. >> I move to approve
036the 2526 sixclass contracts. I'll second. Okay. Motion by Veric, second by uh Aman to approve the 25266 class contracts. Any discussion? >> Roll call, please. >> Cowarts. >> I >> Veric. >> Hi, >> Ecman. >> I >> condandy ice. Telnner. >> Hi. >> Hansen. >> I uh 2526 transportation cost to private schools. So, this is one of those things that we're required to >> approve. We don't really have a choice. Um, but we have to to approve it. And that's paying for transportation for those students that get transported to a private school within a certain um a certain mileage. >> Um, and it's paid per child and not per family. So I in your packet I believe that uh there was a total cost of what we're paying. So I would entertain a motion to
037approve. >> I move to approve. >> I'll second motion by Harter. Second by Kells to approve the transportation costs to private schools. Um any questions or discussions? I just wanted to make a point and we've talked about this other years as far as the dollars for transportation on the increase or not the individual student the individual families the amount of students per family and I asked Peggy just to point out or pull out for me because I wanted to know the cost and the cost savings if we would only pay the 785 per family the cost savings compared to the 196 that we have to pay would be $7,800. $. So, it proves that we would like to continue to promote the fact that we want to pay transportation per family instead of per student.
038As an example, there could be two, three students. We've got some families that are over $2,000. Um, and if it goes per family, it's a savings to the district. So, I just wanted to point that out. I talked with Peggy on giving us those figures. >> Maybe it's time to bring that before the WB as a resolution again. >> Oh, that sounds good. I know we've tried and tried and tried, but >> it was proposed last year, too. It just didn't go through. So, I think that would be a great thing to do again. >> Yeah, I think so, too. We got to keep hammering away at it. I think >> we have our first round of policy and resolutions, the 20 weekend of the 20s here coming up for the state committee. So, I
039can definitely make sure I bring that up. >> Okay, >> that would be great. >> Okay. Um, roll call. Veric. >> Hi, >> Ecman. >> Hi, >> Harter. >> Hi, >> Kundy. Ei, >> hi. >> Calartz, >> hi >> Hansen. >> I >> um and then we have the elementary back to school fair donations. >> Um just a list of who donated to the um back to school. So, we need a vote to accept those donations. Is that >> correct? >> Okay. >> Second. >> Okay. A motion by Verich, second by Kundi to accept the 202526 elementary back to school fair donations. Um really a sincere thank you to all those that donated. It's it's very helpful to our our students and we appreciate that support for the district. Any other questions or discussion? >>
040Roll call, please. >> Aman. >> Hi. >> Harder. I Kandandy Stellner. >> Hi, >> Calartz. >> Hi, >> Veric. >> Hi, >> Hansen. >> I >> And the uh admin reports, those were in your packet. Any additions from the administration? Okay, questions from the board. just let Monica know that I appreciate the report that we're getting as far as our project here at the middle school as we're coming to a final end on the 28 uh point some odd dollar referendum that our community supported and it gives us and identifies the cost as we're going through and with the dollars that'll be left. I'm sure that we'll be getting a final which I'm certain that there's probably areas yet that aren't complete. Um, but I do appreciate and have appreciated uh that report that she's
041put together through the two two plus year process. Okay. Um, board reports. Um, before we move into the communications, I just want to thank Dr. Larson, um, Mr. Katie, um, all those that were involved. We had our dedication of the middle school um, yesterday. It was a wonderful day. It was a fantastic event. Uh we were able to dedicate the gym to Mr. Ham last who is a has been a pillar to this school and and the community all around and it was just a very very very nice day. So um communications >> I have no communication. >> Okay. Um committee reports HR and finance >> we have not met. >> Okay. marketing and public relations. We have not met and policy. >> Uh we met prior to the regular board meeting tonight and reviewed
042policies that will be on the next I think it's is it October 6th the first meeting um excuse me in October that we'll be bringing them and then we will be meeting uh prior to that regular meeting again. We've got a few more policies that we'll be bringing. >> Okay. And with that, I would entertain a motion to move into executive session. >> So move >> second. >> Motion by Harter, second by Stellzer to move into uh executive session. Um under state statute 19.85 sub one subc and N subf for the following purposes. to approve the executive session minutes from August 18th and consider the employment status and consider compensation of public employees over which the board has jurisdiction or exercises responsibility. The board will reconvene in open session and may take action on items
043discussed in executive session. Roll call, please. >> Carter, INRE, hi >> Cowarts. Hi. >> Veric. Hi. Aman.