001All right, I'm going to go ahead and call us to order here at 5:30. for the clock to hit. Here we are. >> So, I will call us to order. I'm here. Renee is not able to join us tonight. Emily, >> yes. >> Here. Chris, >> yes. >> Kyle, >> here. >> Marcus, >> yes. >> Jay, y welcome. All right. Hopefully, board members have had a chance to look over the agenda. If that's the case, if there are no changes, make a motion to approve. I'll make a motion to approve the agenda. I'll second that. Thank you. Only in April. All in favor? >> Any opposed? All right. Our agenda is approved. Um, we actually do not have a student council report tonight. Um, for one of the best reasons ever, our student council representatives
002are participating in a forensics or speech competition tonight. So, they're they're not here. with us because they're doing something wonderful out in the world and that is wonderful. So, we will hear from them next month. Um, do we have any persons requesting an audience with the board? >> Yes, >> thanks for checking. You're welcome. You did tell me before I >> You need your spotlight though. >> Any persons requesting an audience with the board? Going once. Going twice. All right. on to our consent agenda. Um there are some minutes for review and then Kyle, is there anything you want to point out from our invoices and receipts this month? >> Yeah, for expenses, uh check 29308 is the dinner theater, that's our musical theater classes going for $8598. Uh the cell bill is 29346 for
0032528. That's our online subscription to people that take online classes and Foster and Foster uh 29352 the bill for $4,875. That is a actuary study that's required every two years for our retirement benefits. >> Yeah. And then the fruit sale is a FFA fruit sale. So that's when it comes in and comes out. It's going to be 429418 for $1,46910. And the county leader bill is a little larger uh at $1,220.90 because the community ed pamphlet went out. That's $800 of that 1220. So if you look, it's a little larger than normal, but that's normal. And on the receipt side, we received in January municipality taxes from nine of our 10 municipalities. That's good. And then more will come in February as well. Oh, one thing I should point out is we have a donation.
004If you look at 252076 and 242077 from Delta Airlines, it's anonymous, but it's two $4,500 um checks we received. There must be a former Delta or current Delta Airlines employee that has a match with their company. So, we put that and I decided to put that towards our speech program and our math counts programs and we don't know who the person is. >> No. And it's really you can't hardly find out because we got a one at the library. We really wanted to know and we did some digging and we dead ends, >> right? We did a little and I guess that's the way they wanted. >> They wanted >> Yeah. So, but just come two checks gave you the table. That's really nice. And then if you look at your 25 26 budget summary,
005you always look at the percentages on the side at this point. This is through January, so it's 512. So the way through the year, so it's about 42%. And you can see where the accounts are. Everything looks in line. The insurance is at 69%, but that's because we paid for it for the months coming up ahead. So otherwise, everything's tracking well. The first two are basically salaries for staff here, which are 4 47%. So, we're tracking as we should be. And that's the budget report. >> Any questions for Kyle about receipts or invoices or budget updates? >> Uh, do you want to talk about personnel changes, Kyle, or and or >> Sure. as you want. >> Our second grade teacher, Natalie Olsen, is going on maternity leave whenever her baby's born. And longterm self for
006that position. We're really fortunate to have a veteran like that step in and do that. And then Wendy Canabber is retiring from our roots and branches. Uh she had retired once before and was uh working part-time and she has to be complete because of WR schools. And Carol Lanza, our speech and language pathologist, is retiring active June 30th. And that'll be a difficult position to fill because there's speech pathologist coming up and what is out there. In fact, I looked online today and I think there's 12 or 13 school districts across the state looking including CISA 11 and Lady Smith. So, that's going to be tough one to build, but we will start posting tomorrow for that. >> I'd just really like to thank both of those ladies for their service to our district and
007student. They've had long careers and wonderful, wonderful. >> How many here? >> Less than a dozen years here. in education. >> Oh, wow. No, she works with my son. I really like her. She's she's >> we have been lucky to enjoy both of them for as long as um I have some donations to recognize. We had um donations this month from Spark of totes of school supplies. Um Spark also donated $1,624 toward our negative lunch balances. We seem to be making strong headway on those. Um, youth sports donated made a donation toward the elementary thematic unit trip um as did the PTO. So hopefully that will be a wonderful thing thanks to their generosity. We have the pardon me the Delta Airlines anonymous um donation and the total of $9,000 that Kyle was talking about.
008Um Annie Loopo donated some ice skates. It's unique for a district to be able to have an ice skating program like we do um supported by donations like that and a lot of volunteer hours to make that program work to make the rake function and tie escapes and all of those things. So that's always incredible. So thank you to Annie. And then Crosswalk Community Church donated a subway separate for the parent teacher conferences. So that's also important. So thank you to everybody that continues to support all of the different that we have going on in the district. Um, also within our consent agenda, we have the um we have the we'll be accepting the 202526 midyear achievement gap reduction report. Um, that report is part of your extras for review. Do you guys want to
009>> talk a little bit about that? >> Yeah, you want to go ahead. >> It's it's something we accept as part of the consent agenda. I printed it for you because it might make life easier. >> Absolutely. Um and this and it's a little funny because you really >> So this is my first time going through their format, right? Because I haven't done it, but um the format's really a fall spring overlook. So um I broke up fall and last testing was December. So, we'll be able to add a third set of data points in March, but I think there needs to be a submission now. Um, so I added on the far right column is December and I added in red kind of the noticings that I notice at the kindergarten level. We know
010that between each set of testing the benchmark goes up, right? We know we reasonably they expect kids to know more. Um, and there's a big jump when you start kindergarten to that December testing. So, I wasn't super shocked that that wasn't huge gains right out the bat, but we should see those gains in March. Um, but most of our grade levels, if you go down through, are we're pulling kids out of that well below average, below average level, um, and adding more kids to above and well above average. So, that's really good to see. And granted, it's a snapshot, right? It's just one Ames web test. In the performance objectives columns, I've laid out what is actually being measured in that Ames web test. If you're curious, um it'll show you what's being assessed. What
011I do like about Ames Web is it'll give us gives you an overall testing national percentile, but then it gives you a national percentile for each of those individual skills. So, I can see that a student might be in the 95th percentile. initial sounds, 80th percentile for phone segmentation and then all of a sudden 24 percentile for word letter word sound fluency. Oh, now we know exactly where that intervention needs to be >> because it's not this overall umbrella score. They give you a national percentile for each skill. So that is a change that I do like about as web instead of fast bridge. So so this is kind of a broad snapshot. Um, we will be able to add the state test to third grade, but we don't get those results until like the
012end of May. Yeah. Beginning of June. So, I don't really have them to put on a HR report. But, um, for future, I can I can put last year's, right? We can look at ongoing progress. So, so that's where we're at. There's not a lot of changes to the report outside the scores each year. Um, this year might look different because we're using weather instead of fast bridge. >> Sure. >> Um, I can explain the whole point of AGR is is the fundings uh that help keep the class sizes smaller, right? And it used to be called Sage. Remember that? >> Yep. >> So, we have to describe what we're doing um within our classes to support the learning in smaller class sizes. And we have two sections that are larger for Frederick, you know,
013not state average large, but larger for Frederick. Um, first grade is 22 kids. Second grade is at maybe it's backwards 22 and 23. Um, those sections. And so we do have an aid that is a general ed aid who's with second grade all day. Um, so we have some higher needs. And then uh we have that instructional coaching support from Kelly Fischer right now. Um, those are all things that are listed as reasonable to continue to get that AGR funding. So, I have to kind of detail at each grade level what we're doing. And we have our RTI, our tier 2 and three support with um our specialist just >> at tier 2. So, we have a lot going on in a small district when you start working out on paper. So, So, all good
014stuff. Um, and hopefully we can we can really see um we can really see those numbers rise in March. The progress monitoring data is trending in the right direction. So, can you help me out for a second? >> Great. >> Um, so with our the AGR website is different than We we paid for as web to do the statistics kind of thing to work with AGR. >> So we >> we switched a system if that's what you're saying. >> A screener. Yeah. So we we used to have three times a year we did a screener with a product called fastbridge. >> Right. >> Now we have a product called web >> and then you just submit it to the age >> this report. >> Right. >> So they recognize like that. >> Yep. And I'll
015like three times a year I have to submit update a report on what we're doing and where we're at. We legally have to I have to uh report to the board, right? So that's what I'm doing tonight. >> Okay. >> Um and we'll do it again in the spring. >> And then with this AGR does that cuz I'm like you know how they do the state report. >> Does that does that data go to the state? >> No. AGR is really just associated with like federal funding. >> Okay. >> I'm just trying to like >> but they don't talk to each other. >> Okay. >> Here's the loops you have to jump if you want the money. >> Okay. >> If you don't hit those marks, you don't get the money. >> The funding, >>
016right? >> Like a grants. >> This is kind of like reporting >> kind of. I mean, okay. Just funding. >> It's for It's for low income districts. >> Okay. And you know, everybody doesn't necessarily utilize AGR dollars, but Frederick has always had something. >> All right. Thank you. >> Yeah. No, they're great questions. >> There are a lot of acronyms. AR is just the name of the report. >> Yeah. It's it is a lot. It is a lot. And so so they so they report to us so that we can Yes, we've seen the report. So, we accept the report as when we approve our consent agenda. We're just accepting that yes, the report was brought to the attention of the >> Yeah. So, checks and balances to make sure the school districts are keeping
017an eye on performance data and growth, >> right? >> Keeping the main thing the main thing. >> Yeah. And so then if there were if there were issues in here like when when Aerin's talking about okay we can see there's one spot here where there was some decrease but she can explain that in the kindergarten when the benchmark changes here's what happens. So we know then okay there's >> yep something happened but it's already something that they're aware of and they know what they're doing about you know what's in place to navigate that. Yeah. >> And that way if you know if all of those areas came back where we were experiencing decreases that would be our signal to say hang on what are we doing? What what's happening? >> Can I ask one more?
018>> Yeah absolutely. >> Okay. >> So when you're talking about benchmark is it on the standardized testing? >> So they're like okay like we're raising it. >> Yep. So basically the test says the average student based on a national percentile. So all the kids who take this exact test, Ames web test in the nation should score about or should know these things in okay in September. >> They should know these things in December. They should know these things in March. >> Right. And so that that expectation goes up. So if your um if your kids aren't growing, you would see their scores continue to decrease because the expectation is going up. And even if they stay stagnant, it's going to look like a decrease. Okay? >> Because the bar keeps getting raised, >> right? >>
019So, if we're keeping up with the bar, it's telling us, okay, we're on the right track. We're doing the right things. When you can when you can shift kids into that above average and well belove average while the bar is raising, that's even better. >> No, it's good. They're great questions. Are there other questions? If not, can I get a motion to approve the consent agenda? I'll make that motion. I'll second it. Thank you. All in favor? Any opposed? Is approved. Thank you. We're on to our administrative reports. >> Who wants to go first? Anybody >> first? Okay. Um, so I think the biggest takeaway I wanted to talk about was our child development day. Um, I believe in a previous board meeting, we talked about how that attendance in the past has not been
020great. And I would love to say that this year was the best year we've had in at least the last five or more years. Um, we had 10 students um, children either ages birth to three come in with their families. and it the county was in. Some other resources were in for there and it was a really great turnout. We actually walked away with uh four different referrals for bird to three which is great because then we're able to early intervene and that's awesome and so that was really good. And then I noticed we didn't put anything about 4K roundup >> and I'll let Aaron talk about that. Okay, good job. >> Okay, but yeah, that was the biggest takeaway I wanted to highlight. >> Okay, >> segue into Eron's turn. I over so 4K
021roundup was just at conferences on Monday. >> Um and that was successful to do it with a conference night. Um just like child find. >> Yeah. >> Um I I think we also have done it long enough now that it's becoming the norm and since we have branches and all the kids are they're so familiar with the school that we had great attendance. There was 21 20 >> 21 kids and two of them we didn't know about. They weren't on our list and so that means we >> we captured some out of the community that we didn't know were there. So, and that is a big deal often times. So, so that was good. Uh we were able to get registration paperwork out, sample schedules. Um Kelly made an awesome secretary Kelly Scout made an
022awesome one pager of how 4K is different than different than roots and branches. What tends to happen is >> um they get so used to communicating with the roots and branches office and they continue to do that, >> right? And then the that message doesn't land in the elementary office. Um and it happens with the kids too. You know, a teacher might say, "Oh, you can go down to the office." And they'll go down to Lisa. >> Yeah. So, um, there is some differences between rins and branches and an elementary school. So, Kelly did a really nice job of kind of laying that out how that's different. >> Yes. Um, we've got teaching assignments for the elementary school all enrolled. The teachers are very happy to know early. Um, even though on paper that doesn't
023sound like such a big deal, it really is. Um, so this year we have first and second grade in one section. So next year it'll be second and third grade in one section. Um we currently have two third grade teachers who teach together. So one of them teaches math and science and the other one teaches ELA and social studies. If there's only one third grade teacher, he now has to teach all the subject areas. Right? Same with our four five team. We have four teachers. They each teach one subject. Now they're going to have to do it differently as these single sections roll through. So I was telling Kyle on paper it looks like only two people are moving but seven people have to learn new content areas. So knowing early working on it now
024having Kelly Fischer's help um last spring we we subbed out the ones who were moving to have a day with Kelly Fisher to prepare. Um, we have flex days planned in the summer, right? So, being proactive and it makes people a lot less panicked and and you don't realize, you know, I'm thinking five years from now, but they're not. So, until it's your year, you don't think about it. So, I had a fifth grade teacher go, "Wait, >> what?" >> Yeah. >> There's going to be one section for two years. >> Yes. >> Right. Because they'll shift through. >> Yeah. >> So, it's been really good um trying to figure that out and having letting them all try to troubleshoot and problem solve together because then when I have an idea of how I want
025to do it, but if I just say if I just direct traffic and say you're doing it, you're doing it, you're less invested in it, right? So, we had a really good meeting um where everybody kind of brought their ideas and one teacher thought she had it all figured out until it was on paper and it didn't work, right? And so it was like, oh, okay. So, we're finalizing it now with the March in service, but I'm really happy for them to part of the process. Um, so that that's a big deal in the elementary school right now. Um, we use the lesson services to prepare for the state exam coming up. I mean, it comes up quick. You have spring break and then we've got to do the as web testing. We launch right
026into state testing. So, it just really does. But um want we want to make sure we continue those proactive efforts to focus on growth because that certainly made an impact for our kids the last couple years. Um Winter Olympics has been a blast. We could not have begged for better weather at all. That was a super fun day. I think we had 30 parents there. >> Um two kids and it was nice. It was very nice. So we're clipping along. I do have um and and if you guys have time as a board to talk about how you want to do this. Um I didn't put it in my board report, but I was able to map out how we can what how we have to order curriculum over the next couple of years to
027get them all staggered so that you're only purchasing one content area at a time. So you're not purchasing all four in one year. Um so I did get that all laid out still. still getting quotes, still getting prices. And of course, over the years, those will go up and whatever, but we got to get into a curriculum cycle because, you know, I can't come to the board and say, "You got an extra 80 grand." >> So, um, I'll let >> Please don't do that. >> Is that worth going to education? >> Well, that's why I thought you guys could, you know, Kyle said we'll sit down and look at it and I'm still waiting on some numbers. >> Yeah, we have one coming up >> maybe. I believe so. Yeah, it's on Wednesday. I think
028it is. >> We're getting close to have the numbers. But here's what happens. You open those floodgates when you call these companies. >> And then you're on their list >> eight times a day. >> Yeah. >> Are you ready now? >> Yeah. You almost need to get yourself a burner phone to make >> when you say, "I want a quote for X, Y, and Z." They also send you, you know, A, B, and C. And I'm like, no, no, >> just these. And they're always trying to add more. Right. So, I'm getting there. >> Um, >> well, that >> that meeting in two weeks. >> Yeah. I think it's great to have it go through the education committee first and just just because then they can really do that deep dive and I think that's
029we've been great about using that committee structure for those focused kinds of things and then they can make a recommendation >> if if there's something we need to approve at the full board level. I mean really you'd want, you know, Kyle and I were looking at a fiveyear cycle so that it would be, you know, reading, math, science, social studies, electives. >> Sure. >> But then you're >> and it might not be in that order, >> right? But then you're purchasing >> five years of reading, >> Right. Like to keep that cycle going. So, >> you know, it's trying to figure it out so that and there's certainly things that we can skim with that, right? like there's things that we don't have to keep reordering every year, but >> um so that that dollar
030amount is about the same >> more predictable >> each year. >> Yeah. >> So, we're at least getting it on paper >> and Libby might, you know, like take me out to eat or something. >> Yeah. This goes to 2037. That's a scary number, but we will be happy with that. Yeah. >> And that's important obviously for planning purposes. So, thank you. >> All right. Any questions for Aaron or Jada before we move on to practicing time? >> All right. >> Um, lots of fun stuff happen at the high school. We plan the winter wellness activities to happen on Thursdays and Fridays of this of all of February. So there's dress up days that we're doing. Tomorrow's pajamas and play on Friday. Uh then next week is white out day and Olympic flag colors. We
031separated whole school teams. Uh they were signing country. So there's competitions and trivia and lunch. And then tomorrow we'll have our first after school assembly. It's going to be ball competition be competing with our country. Um, so that's pretty exciting. It's fun. And then we'll end with a last last Friday do a bigger celebration and a half kind of day where we get to play some more extended games and should be pretty should be a pretty good time. Um, there is a dance a middle school dance coming up on the 27th also uh under the sea theme. So should be a fun thing coming up. Uh, solo and ensemble solo and ensemble middle school went very well. I got a email from or asked her email from Mrs. Insala and she said there were five
032schools involved. Uh Frederick Lester Gransburg 100 students between four sites uh two instrumental and two vocal. We had 11 events uh several from Frederick, three solos and the rest were ensemble of four to 16. Of those events, two did not perform. Uh three received a rank of one including our small class. Five received a two and one received a three. She had to explain all that to me. New new info to me. I'm not I'm not really up on on that, but uh we did really well and and the judges had really positive things to say about our facility and all of our all of our students. So, it was really awesome to hear. Um speech middle speech for middle school and high school is going on right now. So, like high school went out
033today and uh I told this morning. Um, they're practicing their speeches all over the place and and one of the groups asked me to if they could do theirs for me and I never really what I expected. I didn't expect what I got though, but it was good. >> They're amazing. >> They're super excited to read it and uh funny and um if you have free 10 minutes, someone asks you, you got to spend 10 minutes, but uh it's pretty worth it. Uh it's pretty worth it. So, I I really had a good time hearing a few of those. Um so, I imagine they're doing well today. Hopefully, aside from a lot of people being sick, but they still have the option to record their speech and send it in for the first one. So,
034even with that, we still have some options to go to the next level with that. So, it's kind of exciting. FBA state um is coming. Um so, we had qualifiers and this is uh T sent me a report for the the people that competed in that. So we had uh placing first competitions were Oliver Slather um for customer service, Kenneth Chanel hospitality and event management and Charlie Jensen for networking infrastructures. Uh second word is Aani uh for information technology Royce Anderson public administration and management Laurel retail management and then third's uh Hunter Root Bella King Mo Chanel and Carson Anderson various fans and then um placing fourth Marta Rodriguez Dad um Phillips Denver and um first through third go to state. Um and so the trip leaves on April 12th and they're returning on the
03514th. So pretty excited. Have a good number of people going to state and they're pretty excited too. But overall again report there math counts at a state qualifier Zachquist. So he's going over spring break when that's happening. So send off for him on March 5th. It's not the same day as going to state, but it's last week school. It's closest to it, but they're going over spring break, so kind of exciting. Um, so yeah, as a seventh grader also, so we'll be competing for a couple years, so it's also pretty exciting. We schedu those conversations started for curriculum and just absorbing what's going to be happen next year. Those have all pretty well. Um, that transition will be will be good. We had our final preac go out on u last week on the 11th
036and um we had some some good improvement from our first scores. Um our first scores in English were average of 16. Now they're averaging a 17.8. Uh and reading average of 16.9 up to a 19.4. math 18.9 up to a 21 and science 19.8 up to a 21 and overall composite scores went up um over two points as well in from October. So that's really good growth and I think um I think they're fairly encouraged to see some of their their improvements. So um we're still planning on some more uh prep for AC. We're going to break those down and give them some opportunities in their biking times to improve their feeling they need any need help with. Um, and the last thing I've got to share about two more things I wrote some stuff
037on here too some stuff came up before I after I put this in parent teacher conferences was the 12th and the 16th and so teachers um over here for every conference thought they had they either had parent contact um in person or we tried to get an email out or phone call. So we had reported from the teachers that back 556 parent contacts on those two days, which I think is pretty awesome. So, um yeah, it's good good to hear. We only have a third of that many students. So, it's like it's pretty cool to have so many um positive uh things go out and then spelling be happen today. Um went out. I know she made it to eight people left and she went out came back was the girl from the elementary school
038made it through the third round >> said there was of the 30 kids they made it to the last eight that's pretty cool that's very season >> that was at season and that's of you know likely would have been competing against all those schools, so eighth graders as well. So, >> right. That's pretty cool. >> That's wonderful. >> Thank you. >> Any questions for Marcus? That was a lot. >> I I just want to say thanks for all the work that you guys have been doing around the schedule and preparing for next year, preparing staff for next year. That can, like you said, be really stressful. And when they get advanced notice and can talk through what's happening, what changes are coming because there are some big changes coming. That's so important. So, I really
039I really think that's great. We have to support staff when we're throwing away stuff their way. Uh Kyle, >> uh February 9th, I attended with through Wasow at CISA declining enrollment uh workshop. There was 12 districts there. We're all pretty much facing it. There's 30 some districts in CISA and pretty much this whole region is declining. I didn't have a lot of great answers, but at least it was good to commiscerate and then have some ideas. Right now, there's six bills on the assembly floor about either consolidation or whole grade sharing. Their session should end Thursday. I don't know how much progress they'll make. The governor could call back for another special session, but sometimes they just call order and they can't they close it right away. But we'll see. Hopefully something will come out
040of that. Libby and I have been looking at selfunding our health insurance, but we're not going to do that for next year. We need to do more research and see where we're at. I'm meeting with SF next week, our insurance broker, about our health insurance and seeing our options are out there. I'm also going to review our property insurance time. And then I have the views because at our committee, the whole we talked about how many people view the meetings and so you can see the last four months, how many views we get and how long the average viewer stays on for. what it tells you, but it's interesting data. I mean, it's out there. It's available for people. So, >> it's it's 25 to 98 views and anywhere from a minute and a half
041to six minutes. So, >> it's it's there for people want to see it, so it's good. >> Excellent. >> All right. Any questions for Kyle? All right. On to our board member reports and governance. We have Um committee updates. The education committee met on February 2nd. There's anything that we haven't >> met. You want to talk since? >> Well, um I think that uh it was really helpful for me anyway. Sty explained the weighted grades. That was the biggest thing for me. to, you know, shift from a trimester system to quarterly system, making sure that each grade level has, you know, the um full credit for everything they've done. And I I really appreciated the way she took us through that. That was really good, >> right? because we want to make sure that when
042we the class of 2027 and the class of 2028 if someone took something during a trimester and someone takes it during the semester that it's weighted equally when it balances out their GPA and class rank. So the system we have balances that out. So that's good. It takes a little bit of math and a little >> a lot of math. It takes a lot, >> but we got it. And so >> it's it's fair. And no one if a parent says, "Hey, how come this kid's ranked higher?" You can they shouldn't know the other kids numbers, but you can say, "This is how we determine where your son or daughter's at and why, and it won't matter which year you take the class." So that was the first important part. >> We also talked um
043quite a bit about senior seminar um pros and cons of it and how that can change for a quarterly system. So that was that was interesting >> because over time that's mattered on which department held it. It's been in English, it's been in social studies, it's been in business that so it takes on a different take where it depends who's got that curriculum. So we're looking at then later on I think it comes up with graduation requirements of eliminating the half credit for senior seminar and there's also a half credit for business ed but they already have to uh personal finance class and um information processing as a freshman. And so they already have two in that department. That'd be a third class in there. And family consumer education because Kerry I teaches elementary, middle
044school, and high school art and then face. It's not fair to the kids to say, "Hey, you got to get a face class in, but it's going to be only offered one hour a day and it might not fit in your schedule." So, and you might not the whole four years you're in. So, we want to have some flexibility there, but we'd rather recommend that it's a half credit either in the business side department or the family and consumer education. So, they have an option. We want to still push those areas, but we can't have it that >> it's not that, you know, all a sudden you get stuck and that drives your whole schedule your senior year. Well, that's not >> you got to be fair to the students too with the scheduling. It's
045tough. >> So, with our change from from trimesters to semesters. We had previously approved those changes in those credits because you got to make it right for the classes. So, we had done that already. >> And so, now the next step, what's on our agenda tonight to approve is that that recommended change of eliminating those those three pieces that are requirements and instead requiring the half credit in either family and consumer ed or business. So, that's a thing that we would approve. Correct. And then that's what the committee is recommending. >> That's correct. >> And then on our next meeting on the 23rd, besides talk about the curriculum rotation, we have some other topics that we're starting to kick around. We talk about volunteerism, but we don't want to you can't say, "Hey kids, you
046got to volunteer so many hours if you don't have an approved list of activities for them to choose from and who's going to monitor it and how you going to make sure they're making that progress and it's a legit, not mom or dad signing off 80 to 20 hours this summer. You know, we want the if we're going to put it in, we'll make sure it's vigorous and accountable and how we're going to do it. And so, we got to flesh that out more if we're going to make that something in the future. And then we talked about is three credits of math, that's what we require, that's what the state requires. Should that be increased? Then we talked about science as well because that's three and that's just a concept we're just discussing and
047we value what's going on in uh tech ed the national arts wing and right now we're saying yeah let's keep that because we value the trades and our community survey said the community values that too and every student should have some basic knowledge of how to use a tool and the basic skills in there so yeah so that was I don't anything else Chris but >> well just to touch back on the volunteerism um >> that also seemed like a really place to make more community contact and to involve the community. And so if we can reach out to all four corners of our district and find people who might need some high school kids, you know, for the Easter egg hunt out at Indian Creek in the spring, you know, those kinds of things.
048So, um, those are some of the ideas we were tossing around. So, it could really, you know, be a positive thing. >> Yeah, I'll be interested in what you guys find. I think the biggest challenge why we moved away from that when we did a number of years ago was that it had because we used to have a volunteerism requirement and it had sort of devolved into well I swept my uncle's garage and that was a volunteer project kind of thing that happened and so having that approved list like Kyle was talking about or things like that so that kids are having experiences that match the spirit of what we're trying to go for I think would be really And when you're talking about the whole purpose of volunteerism in small communities, it makes more
049sense for them to be engaged in a community project that's maybe >> in their local, you know, or you know, maybe their family's already involved, but it's a community thing, >> right? Right. Yeah. >> Would it have to be in the district? We haven't gotten that far, but but we got to make sure the kids have access to it, >> right? >> You know, and if we said, you know, I was thrown out there so x number of credit uh hours per year. You got to remember freshman can't drive, >> right? >> And even a junior senior may not have access to a car. So you got So we've got to we got to frame it for them so that that it's a successful program and it's legit stuff to help the greater good >>
050because that's what we're trying to promote. >> And also we're going to talk about the evaluation later of the board evaluation, but uh it seems like we need more engagement with our local community and so that that would be more of our focus. >> Personally I just didn't know. >> No, cuz like in high school like I volunteered at like the humane society. There was like different stuff but it wasn't in the >> That's true. We don't have humane society. >> Not in the saying like there's one, >> right? >> But that's a drive. >> That's a good point. >> Yeah, that's just saying like some people really love animals or there's like something that kids are really interested in instead of like >> well and a list of approved opportunities doesn't mean it's a
051list of prescribed opportunities. It doesn't mean that every kid has to touch every opportunity that's on the list. >> You want a list that's robust enough to capture things that kids are interested in doing good at doing or that there's some reason for them to get something out of that. Um because otherwise the challenge is that it becomes another thing that they're volunttoled >> and they get nothing out of it and then what have we done by having the requirement which was why which was why we moved away from it in the past is we we weren't in a position to say oh we can make this be really valuable and so we didn't want to continue with it but there could be efforts to reignite it but we need to make it I think
052be valuable for that otherwise you're just having kids do tasks and they're like I hate this Right. >> That's why the committee's got to frame it before we bring up this recommendation. If we can't frame it right, >> then the recommendation don't add it. >> Right. >> Even though volunteerism is >> wonderful, but it's not done in the right vein and there's no sense doing it. >> Yeah. There's a difference between supporting volunteerism and making it a graduation requirement, is there? >> No. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Excellent. Yeah. So, we'll be we'll have an opportunity in a little bit when we get to action items to um to approve hopefully that recommendation from the committee. Um again, just continuing through the pieces of the change from trimesters to semesters. Any other things, Chris, from >>
053No, that's all I really >> um we did have our committee of the whole meeting on February 4th. We were all there. I think the biggest takeaway from that was um you know just reviewing results of the survey that the community is really interested in um a newsletter communication. So we're going to be working on bringing that back. Um that was probably one of the biggest um takeaways there. And then um policy committee met as well on February 10th. Lots going on in committee work these days. Um and we do have a policy update to approve. Um Kyle, do you want to go through kind of what you put together? >> Yeah, basically these are the policy numbers and the title and then what it uh what the adjustments were within the policy. So like
054uh 213101 was reading instructional goals, but it has to align with what's now the law and act 20. So the pol the policy that we worked on does do that alignment with each one. >> No, I was just just so so people know because one of the things just to remind everyone that since we have Niola they from time to time will give us the updates that we need to make to policies to keep them for instance in that case aligned with act 20. right it's about three times a year sends out an update and so then these are the ones that we discussed and I put down some notes so I have it but >> the policies align and this is reasons why those were on the on Nola's radar to look at >>
055any questions or >> so we'll also that's under um policy session approving those updates as all right. Um discussion from the state convention which now feels like it happened a million years ago even though it was really only a few weeks. Um so um Emily and Renee and I were there. Kyle was there as well. I don't know Emily if there were any things from that. >> I didn't my notes. Sorry, I did not prepare, but um it was a a good um convention. I think um I I think I pulled some nuggets away. Um it it felt like there was a lot of repeats and maybe that's just what happens when you've been to a number of them and then you kind of go to similar ones, but there were, you know, it's like
056I'm realizing now it's like, oh, I'm understanding more. whereas I think when I first went everything felt so new and so fresh and so like surprising but u I think my nuggets um that I'm that's floating the top of my head is um and it's nothing new but it was a good reminder to focus on one or two things at a time and I really think um after our community survey and we kind of can get excited about a lot of different things or feel like we should put our focus in a lot of different things um and then we say okay administration, do this, do this, do this. Here are our ideas or here are the things that we got inspired about and we'll do it. Like really focusing on one or two things
057while still recognizing that we're just doing all of these really fantastic things already and that those are already in play. So it wasn't necessarily like a major takeaway. It was really refocusing my own thoughts of like, okay, what do we want to focus on in the community service? What is the one or two takeaways that we want to build on? And then with of course the administration's already focusing on their task like how we can best support that. So that was kind of what I think I felt inspired by is like just honing in focus a little bit. >> I thought the keynote speakers were pretty good. >> They were really good. And it was unique. The one >> band that performed were they from Iola Scandinavia was a Usually you end up with the
058Oaklair's and the Milwaukees and the Waka Shaw and it was nice to have a >> small school represent. They were >> phenomenal. Great. >> Yeah. >> Oh, and I'll maybe you want to piggy back off of me because I think you talked about this a lot, but um I don't know what to do with this yet, but it's an area that I think we we can't neglect and we will have to focus on is AI um within the school and how students use it. how teachers utilize it, how students utilize it, how we track it, how we help students be, you know, um, critical thinkers with the use of this tool knowing that it doesn't go away. Um, and so there was a fantastic speaker on the last day that uh, Gary Renee and I
059went to and I don't know what the answer is and I think he didn't necessarily have good answers of like the best implementation of it or the best like setting expectations within the school, but it's something that I think is could be a profound tool and a profound challenge and a profound like danger, right? So all those things exist and And then how do you balance that? So, um I think we all took his resource and we're like, okay, we need to do a little bit more looking and and see how we want to not ignore it as a problem, you know, here, but embrace it and and teach students how to use it appropriately. >> Yeah, he it's already happening. I don't know. >> Yeah, that the speaker was phenomenal. um he he was
060great and there's more trainings you know happening places as everybody tries to sort of get up to speed. The one of the things I thought was interesting, he described that in 2021 AI was a novelty. In 2023, it was available and now in 2026, it's unavoidable. And he said, you know, the the pace of that, like no one has really been able to keep up with that. We're all still trying to keep up and that kids have gotten on board with it faster than adults. Surprise, surprise. And they're better at it than adults are. Surprise, surprise. Um, and he just was really he he said, "We cannot pretend that students only have access to it if we grant it. They have access to it. They're using it. That's that ship has sailed." And so he
061was really a proponent of this is not a place for you to institute behavioral policy. This is a place for you to be intentional about how can we use this thing that's there. Um, so that it just was it was really thoughtprovoking and And like Emily, I mean, I I don't know what that means, but it but he was really calling for an intentional, thoughtful process around it. And it was um it was a great it was a great presentation. So, that was really interesting. >> Um as a takeaway, I think other things that I we I got to attend a presentation by Kyle. >> It was great. >> I didn't like present. It was wonderful. It was co-presented. It was wonderful. So that was fun and really there were several sessions that I attended
062that were all about just sort of thinking about what data are you watching? How are you communicating that about about those things to your community? You know, some of this came into our conversation when we met with the committee of the whole to talk about how are we communicating with the community and what things are we talking with them about. Um so I was thinking about that when we were having that discussion as well. Um so that was really interesting. And then I also attended a session um there was a session about just you know sort of financial health of districts and how do you as a board pay attention you know what are the things you should be paying attention to as a board in order to um do your due diligence to watch
063over finance. And I will tell you everything that they listed is something we are already doing. Um the way that our meetings are structured, the way that information is available, the way that Kyle shares information with us, uh the things that we talk through, the committee structures that we have, I I was very pleased to to find that we're we're already well set up for those things. Not that that means we don't have financial challenges, but we're well positioned for those things to be discussed and managed. Um and I felt really good about it. So that was and I was sitting with two um business professionals, the business office professionals from two other districts and they were asking, "Well, do you do this? Well, do you do this?" And I was able to say, "Yep,
064we're doing that. Yep, we're already doing that." So that was really that was really good and helpful as well. >> Yeah. And something that I'm thinking about that you just brought up the other night when we were sitting and visiting and it also goes off the committee of the whole talking about how we better communicate out to the public, you know, up to the community of what's already happening and the things that they want to know, communicate the things that they want to know as I think that and I don't want to steal your 100 because this is what you had shared with me, but you were just saying that you were reflecting on the note saying that you know taking the three things that the public wants to know and like the board members
065educating themselves to be able to have that script but also putting it out in all the areas that we want. Is that these top three things of like that is um consistent information that the public is looking for and that we can put out and we can use survey, we can use the committee of the whole conversation. I think I'm kind of captioning what you're saying, but you're saying like really focusing in on >> not here's all the information that you might need, but like really consistently and regularly communicating on these top three >> things that maybe the schools >> maybe they chose like we moved out of the school because this isn't happening. Okay. Well, let's pick the thing that you think that isn't happening and let's make sure that we're updating on a
066regular basis of the thing of how we address that. >> Yeah. I think the the the sessions several of the sessions that I attended really, you know, just kind of focused on that process and a lot like what we talked about at the committee of a whole is just you and because we have our community survey data, we know what things our community is really interested in understanding better about our district. And so then being intentional about whip. So, let's not just have a newsletter. Let's have a newsletter that addresses those areas where the community is looking for specific information. Um, places where if we're identifying that maybe there's a thing that we're doing that the community isn't as aware of as we want them to be, let's make sure we're including that stuff. And
067we can use what's in the what's in the survey results and the conversation that we're having together as a board and admin team to choose those things. And that that way our newsletter is useful instead of simply >> fluff. Yeah. Not flood the information, you know, flooded it with information, but like hone it in targeted those things. Yeah, >> it was great. >> All right. Um, any questions about any of that? We are on to to our policy approval. >> Approving the updates. >> Oh, I'm sorry. >> Yep. I did miss 17. There it is. Sorry. >> It's 16 pages long. >> Yeah, I got it. >> Can you read it for us? >> No, it's a dense It's a dense little >> It's a dense little being in In my mind. I I felt
068like it aligned very well with our community survey results in in terms of that that area that we have areas of strength as a board in terms of our communication process and the ability to work together. And that what it seemed like we were all sort of responding to in completing the survey um is that desire to be more purposeful about our communication with the community and have a better understanding for ourselves as board members so that we can do a good job of that. That's what I sort of took from it as a just kind of an overall summary. And I I feel like we're on the path to doing that. Um, and I think just keeping our focus on those pieces as we move forward with the projects we have ahead with the
069newsletter and the other pieces, the the um communication strategy that that Emily was talking about. That's what seemed to come out to me in the board development tool, what where we can make improvements in our function. I don't know if others had any different takeaways or things they wanted. >> I did not feel like there were surprises or anything like that. I think um you know we were like you said we were on similar pages. There were no significant outliers where we're like oh we really need to like touch base and see what's going on here. Yeah. So it does feel like we're operating on a pretty cohesive front, the five of us and um and then the you know the questions that we have weren't a surprise that was my big take away. >>
070So I mean I'm thinking is that you know obviously we hang on to this and look at it again from time to time continue as we go through our we'll have obviously our goal setting meetings before next school year we have our process with the newsletter we have our committee structures that we're using for various projects and just continuing to keep a focus on on those pieces as we're doing that work um I think will help us and then um you know our hope would be to repeat this tool I think this is a tool different from surveys. This is a tool that we maybe do every two years instead of every year. Um so look at you know this is how we're how we feel about how we're functioning now. We can use this
071in our decision making and >> um maybe take it again. >> I think it's valuable to start somewhere because the board moves and changes and is fluid, right? You know, with new elections and things like that. So having a baseline or you know where we're at now then um if the board you know were to choose to continue to do this as it kind of um changes hands or uh then it will give a >> give an idea historically look at how the board is >> has moved along action items are >> I think there's also a value to we talked about um kind of on boarding to do for a new board member This is a good tool to reflect on say what kind of things do we see the gaps in >> and
072what do we need to make sure maybe not initially but as the year progresses for a new board member. >> Yeah. I mean that it's such a steep learning curve. We April and I have certainly talked about it. It's a you know it's a massive learning curve. >> I don't know what that means. Y and we're lucky as a board to have a new member with the questions and be willing to ask the questions that you ask because my position is if you're asking that question, a parent in our district also wants to know that information. And so I just >> I'm not doing it. I think that's I think we're lucky. I think boards don't often have the luxury of having a member that is in that position and will do that question asking.
073And I know that we're extremely lucky to have great. All right. Now we can now we can approve policies. >> Yes. >> Um were there any questions about the policy updates? I mean the one all along I felt like the one major benefit of Niola is because of the way they do their policy process. It does take some of the nitpicky details off of our plates, which is nice and the plates of our administrators. So, that's that's excellent. So, if there are no questions, can I get a motion to approve? >> I'll make that motion. I'll second. All in favor? I. Any opposed? All right. The changes are approved. And then um the possible action regarding the changes to the graduation requirements that Kyle put up. So again, we had already approved the changes to
074the credits for those class years. Um but looking at the making that recommended change into those specific required credit areas feels like a mouthful to say. Um are there questions or I will make a motion to approve that. Can I get a second? >> Second. All in favor? Any oppose? All right. Excellent. And once again, thank you to the education committee for all the work on that big big change. I think it's a great change for our district and I know it's been a lot of work. So, I appreciate everything that you guys have been doing. Um, we have our dates for um upcoming meetings. We have an education committee meeting happening on February 23rd at 4 pm. Um the ad hoc committee for survey um design now designing a survey for the staff is
075meeting February 25th >> and the goal is to have this the survey ready for the staff for March 6 and service day. >> Okay. School Perception is already working on it, but then when we get together with them, we'll >> personalize it for our district. >> That's at 5:30 p.m. >> Yep. That's at 5:30. And then, um, the facility committee is meeting on March 4th at 5:30. >> And then we have our regular board meeting on March 18th at 5:30. We should say the facility we're going to focus on >> the community survey of the >> track and football field and that kind of stuff. >> Okay. >> Was it Did you say there was a Never mind. You said education was on the 23rd. >> 23rd. Okay. >> 23rd. 23rd. >> The education one.
076>> Kyle. >> Yeah. Or if you could give it if you make it great. We can't get into this. >> We'll go over it first. >> So, it's a surprise. >> Yeah. >> You can't say no. >> That sounds great. All right. Um, we do have a close session tonight. So, we're going to take a quick, you know, fiveish minute break um while we prepare for close session. So, thank you everyone.