001Okay. All right. Welcome to our regular February board meeting. Um, we previously met in close session and we'll begin our open session tonight with the pledge of allegiance. All of those who are able, please stand. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. All right, we have another um starting off with an action item tonight. um inviting Larry to remote participate in our board meeting tonight since he's in sunny warm somewhere. Where you at, Larry? >> Uh southern Alabama. >> Southern Alabama. All right. I hope it's warm there. >> Uh pretty close to 70 today. A little bit cool. >> That is so nice. Uh just to let the
002public know that Larry was not able to participate in our closed session meeting uh prior to the board meeting this evening, but he is now with us. He's got his technology figured out. Tracy was wonderful to help him and got our technology figured out. So um I have typically read our guidance from our Wisconsin Association of School Boards. I think we all remember that that this is a voluntary uh exercise of privilege and the board reserves discretion to limit, suspend or terminate such privilege for any lawful reason. Um the board member assumes all risks of any unavailability. So if you become disconnected, Larry, I'm sorry. That's kind of up to you, but we're going to try what we can and and that's the way it goes. Um uh this is does not constitute an unlawful
003exclusion from the meeting. And um again, this privilege only extends to to our uh board members. So we will take a motion to allow Larry to participate in our board meeting remotely. >> I would make that motion. >> Steve, is there a second? >> I will second. >> April, it's been properly moved and seconded to allow Larry to participate in our meeting from Alabama. Is there any discussion? Hearing none, we'll proceed to vote. All those in favor of allowing Larry to remote participate, please signify by saying I. >> I. All those opposed, please signify by saying no. >> All right. Motion passes. Larry, welcome in. We can see you. Thank you. All right. Moving on to our consent agenda items for this evening. Steve, >> I reviewed uh all the vouchers. I found everything to
004be in order. So, I would make a motion that we accept them. >> It is me. Uh is there a second? Second, >> Gwen. It's been properly moved and seconded to accept the consent agenda items as presented. Is there any discussion? >> Hearing none, we'll proceed to vote. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. >> I. >> All of those opposed, please signify by saying no. Motion passed. The consent agenda items are approved as presented. Next off to the administrative and committee reports and Mr. Gold, you're up. >> All right. Day after our last meeting, we had our freshman registration night with incoming freshmen. Um they've been working on their scheduling wish lists for their first year of high school. We had snow week activities. Um two weeks ago, good time as always.
005Last week on a short week, we had our academic and career planning conferences. We'll never have the exciting numbers that the intermediate elementary in terms of participation, but I think we do pretty darn good by high school standards. Um, and we are getting into, of course, that exciting time of the year with um the end of winter sports season. So, lots of great things going on right now for our sports teams. Future events in about two weeks, we've got our grades 9 through 11. We call it our ACT boot camp day and also our third uh practice test. that date. Um we're going to do a lot of work on some specific strategies for our state tests coming up in March and April. >> All right. >> Okay. At the middle school, our students are
006working on their individual goals. Uh it's sort of a situation where we teach them about goal setting and setting smart goals and um challenging themselves to do the best they can. Uh part of that is some of the things that they want to do individually and they set some goals for themselves but then we also set some goals for their performance uh based on where they were the year before trying to stretch them. Um so they'll be going through those with their um warrior time adviserss. Quiz bowl uh our final quiz we've had about seven or eight weeks of quiz bowl competitions with the sixth grade and the finals are coming up in two days and it will be a big deal for the final quiz bowl competition. uh Genius Hour. We kicked Genius Hour
007off a couple weeks ago and the students are getting ready to do some of their PBL projects and their uh pick their passion area and um again we spend a lot of time just helping them find something that's not easily research that they really have to get into and put time in. Um and again um we kind of give them a lot of freedom on what they want to do and some kids take it pretty amazing and some you know they need a little challenge and push but um we just had a middle school solo ensemble and um those kids did a nice job. The kids are very busy. Um we have the middle school winter dance on Thursday if you want to come in chaperone. That's always a winner. Mr. Derp come see his
008kids. >> I don't think my kids want me there. >> They don't. All right. Um, end of the second trimester is coming up here, March 4th. And then March 5th, we have the sixth grade math masters competition. And this year, we have two teams going to compete at Math Masters. And I know you probably have some. >> We do. >> That's the middle school news. >> Nothing says moving along like a middle school dance and the end of a trimester. And >> it's moving. >> Genius hour. I love genius hour. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> All right. Off to our intermediate school. Intermediate school. Um this month in January actually we took the month to read a book called A Boy Called Bats. Our entire building reads it as a readaloud. So every every classroom
009or specialist read it office staff read it. Um and then we usually have a celebration that goes along with it. So at the end of January we welcomed um a woman named Katie Wah from the wildlife program coordinator from Wild and Free Rehab organization in Garrison, Minnesota. it was a virtual visit with each one of our grade levels and she talked just about rehabilitating animals. Um the book focuses on uh different wildlife and so she spoke a lot to just what does it take to run an organization like that? How do animals get rehabbed and then released back into the wild? So I want to thank her for that and then thank Annie Brighton. We do this every year and we usually try to have a celebration. So our kids really enjoyed enjoyed that virtual
010library visit. Um this past month the IPO hosted our winter ball as always. It was very well attended. Lots of dancing. Um, Miss the Miss Amry Court comes and that's always a big deal. They run one of our booths and so um I want to thank them and Orly Shock who always organizes that. So, it's they're a wonderful addition to a great event. Um, this past month we also had our intermediate school career fair. So, our two school counselors organized 16 community members to come and present on different careers. Each of our students had the opportunity to choose three different careers that they were interested in and then they attended different sessions and they rotated throughout the different sessions. Um so I want to thank our community members for that. I think that just speaks
011to the relationship that we have with them um and how they come and they give us their time. Some of them actually came for three hours on that day and gave us their entire morning. The I did presentation. So every year our fourth grade teachers run a unit on the IDA rod and we for several years have actually um welcomed Laura Laura White who comes she has experience in the IDA rod hands-on real life experience. Um so she comes and she presents to our entire fourth grade and she brings with her a dog sled um a dog sled. She brings pictures and images and just it it's awesome. Our kids are super super excited to see her. So Laura comes from us from the middle of the state. she gives us almost a half a
012day to come and uh present to our kids. So, I really want to thank her because she's been doing that for several years. Um, parent teacher conferences and our art fairs. So, we had parent teacher conferences this past week. Um, Tom or Josh, right, we usually average about 94% turnout rate and that's where we were this year was 94%. Those are held via in person or over the phone. Um, and then in conjunction with that, we actually run our art fair. So, if you wander the halls at all the intermediate school, they are packed um with artwork. So, I want to thank Renee Anderson and Mrs. Wendy Merrick for that. We have some really great things that are out there and our kids were excited to showcase their artistic talents to their parents. Um director
013of curriculum instruction. So, we have uh sent home all of our ACT 20 summer reading intervention letters. So under act 20, any student that's on a personalized reading plan, we have to offer intense signs of reading aligned instruction that happens during the summer. So this year we're going to be running um a title one format. It looks like small groupoup intervention where kids will be uh meeting with our title one teachers. We'll do that for all five weeks of summer school. Uh Megan and I both agreed we really want to communicate with families early. We want these kids to come to this instruction. it is with our experts, our title one teachers using the curriculum that we know very very well. Um, so we sent those letter home to our families to try to get
014them to commit sooner rather than later. Um, right now we have 65 students that we sent those letters out to. So that's grades K through four. We did include grade four in that. Um, just part of act 20 is as students move through, we still have to ensure that we're providing them um, access to high quality instruction. Um, so we're hopeful that we would get a really high turnout for that summer instruction. Um, we'll have more follow-up conversation with that with parents as well. And then, uh, we continue, I feel like I report on this all the time, but we continue to have a CES literacy consultant coming and working with us. Um, she comes usually about once every other month and she's working with different grade levels. On Wednesday, she's working with grades K
015through two and she comes to the intermediate school next week. So that is just aligning our essential standards work with HMH. Um upcoming events we have love your library is an annual event that we host. We also have the Oaklair Children's Theater. Curious George is coming to our high school that's sponsored by our IPO for the intermediate school students for 10. And then we have our PBIS trimester reward celebration coming up as well. >> Um Jess, when do uh when is the deadline for parents to commit for summer school? That's kind of a complicated question. Uh Laura Shogin runs summer school and I believe those go home March 9th. I think they go home in family folders. The cataloges do. Um the act 20 intense summer instruction just per state law. That has a little
016bit more of a fluid timeline. When we screen our kids in the spring, if a student wasn't recommended from winter scores and they're recommended for spring, we would still absolutely want want to add them. Um I did ask parents to turn in the initial letter by this Friday. Um, our our thought is that next steps for any of them that weren't returned, Megan and I are going to reach out to those families. >> There isn't a timeline. >> No, there's not. We have our own timeline. >> Yes. And we have >> We're going to try and formalize it, but we're going to get anyone we can handle. >> Absolutely. >> Um, and since there isn't, you know, a, you know, a due date, >> so I I almost even hate to ask the question because
017I know what's going to happen, but could then let's say I can't make it a certain >> maybe the first week or two then but I can make it after. >> Yes. So the form that went home on the back side I listed all five weeks. Families don't have to opt in for all five weeks. They can pick you know what what weeks work for them. We're just really encouraging them to do absolutely as much as they can. Um this is an added layer on top of academic reading or academic math. This is just another layer of it. But we would absolutely prioritize getting any student in that can be even if it's for a more limited time in the summer. >> Um and do they have to register through um summer school or >>
018not through the community? Yep. Not through the community ed platform. Um the summer school registration is separate just because this isn't open to every student. It's just these 65 students. Um, so they got personal letters and then I'll sit down with our title one team and create a schedule of summer instruction based on who returns those >> because they can choose to just opt in for that as well. They don't have to be a part of the entire summer school program. They could just choose to come during that specific time slot and then come back. Most people probably won't choose that option, but that option is accord >> Okay. All right. That was all my questions. Sorry. Okay. Well, uh, the kids heart challenge has officially wrapped up at the elementary school and Miss Halverson
019has really done a fun job with it. At the beginning when she said, "Hey, if we raise over $12,500, would you be willing to have dog drill jumped on you?" And I'm like, "Sure, there's no way they're going to raise that money." >> Dog drool tomorrow. It's going to be fun. >> I hope that some dog drool. I just want to know like what kind of dog do we get? funny because she even got like staff members to send videos of their drooie dogs and was saying that she was collecting this drool. It'll be more of a soapy mixture. Um, nonetheless though, I am I'm going to be drenched at about 9:40 tomorrow because they did re reach that goal. She herself volunteered to eat dog food, which will be a lovely version of Cocoa
020Puffs inside a dog food container. I'm like, "Oh, come on. you're you're eating cocoa puffs and I actually have to wrench. Feel like I got the short end of the stick, but that's fine. But besides the fundraising, she really did a great job elevating these lessons and I was very impressed cuz I really want to kind of showcase this cuz PE doesn't always get showcased, so to speak, because people just think it's like rolling the stuff out. them. She really took these seven key lessons of eating healthy foods, practicing hands-on CPR, uh, understanding the importance of breathing fresh air, getting outdoors, and avoiding tobacco and vaping products to the point in which a lot of the kids went home and made their parents sign contracts to stop. We'll see if that actually comes true, but
021when a little seven-year-old's telling you what to do, they, you know, uh, performing small acts of kindness, staying healthy and active each day, and choosing water over sugary drinks, and prioritizing a good night's sleep. these kids were eating this up and just understanding the lesson. So, it was really important and impactful to hear that because they seemed to be better slept, like well rested. So, just a huge shout out to her and her first year as our PE teacher and just really taking it and running with it minus the whole dog drill, but we'll see how that goes. >> That sounds like a really good thing to add for our spotlight on education. >> Sure. too. My parents could come and and have those healthy habits. I could use a few myself. >> I I
022we got cutting boards one time. I want to be very careful of who you invite here. >> Well, you don't want >> uh parent teacher conferences. I would echo what Jess said was a huge success. It is curious though how many with our numbers, how many chose to opt in for the phone call versus the in person for the second round. So 21% of our conferences actually were attended via phone instead of in person, which was just a curious number to kind of share with you. We're sitting in the high 90s as well for attendance wise, but just the idea of offering that flexibility to families, they are taking advantage of that. So just something to kind of highlight there. And then at inservice, uh did something different that we haven't been able to do
023even though we only have four hours. Each hour I brought in a team and that team included everybody on the team. special ed school counselors title our specials teachers so art music PE I represented from that classroom teachers and we talked about kids of concern where are they going how are we supporting them and really started to target a list of kids of what are we doing and making sure all voices were at the table because it was nice to have the specialists at the table to be able to well this is what I see in my area or this is what how we've been able to support them so really gathering a whole collection of people that support these these children and kind of talking through how do we continue to support these children
024and families in the future. It was a great use of time for us and I felt really good about that. And then our family reading night uh was a huge success. Some people did walk the plank. Uh it was pirates themed via puppy pirates which is an Aaron Solderberg uh series. The author actually came on video as Annie Britain finds these people and she's just amazing, right? But she finds them and she runs with it and then she gets Carrie. she involved and they just have a great time, right? But Aaron Senberg started it out. There was a treasure map to find all the books. So then the kids all read the same book which was Castaway. Bought a little puppy. And then we had the family reading night with every kid dressed as pirates
025the night before. People eating scurvy dogs. Not actually getting scurvy, but having a great time. >> Well, you got to theme it up. >> Obviously. just thinking that we should have had an overabundance of oranges there if we were there was there was apples maybe right uh but we had approximately 160 people attend that event so that was I would say a very very well attended event and lots of fun there and then upcoming events the 19th's a very busy day for us we're sending the entire school offsite so we can have child development day at the school so we can actually uh introduce our incoming families to our building and our facilities without disrupting the learning of our students. So, our students are going to be at Trollhogen and Wapo. Soul Wapo doesn't have
026any more snow, so we're hoping that we can still find a way to go out there and have some fun with these 40° weather days. >> Welcome to Broken Arm Day. >> It's a good thing they all signed permission slips. >> I know. >> But I hope no kids get hurt for the record. Like, I don't know. And then we have the upcoming enchanted story trail, the winter edition, which is where we're hoping to use the school forest on Friday with some hot dogs. And we've got the local library coming. We've got the police chief coming. We've got Rivers are alive. My hope is that we can still have it and that the entrance to the school forest is safe and isn't riddled in ice because we're going to have to make that decision if
027we're going to keep it or unfortunately cancel it >> depending on the safety of inaccessibility of the trail. And second grade concert and art show is coming up shortly. Maybe we'll have to send George out with a little salt. >> Oh, I don't think we should do that to the forest. Just the entrance. It's fine. All right. Um, I'm next. So, uh, the last couple weeks I got to spend I wanted to make sure I carved out enough time to meet one-on-one with our special education support staff since I over I supervised them who were it was really great meeting. We had had just a short, you know, questionnaire of what's going well, what can I support them, and then I got to ask them with a story they're proud of um with a student
028and that was the best thing ever. So they gave me these fantastic stories. So I decided I emailed those stories to the students parents um and shared with them and I made sure the support staff um was on that email as well. And the replies that the parents sent back were just so great. I hope it filled the support staff bucket because we have some very talented support staff and so we just got to make sure we take good care of them. So that was a really fun event and I got to um actually get some good information on ways that we can um help support them. And then I also attended at CIS 11 the inter agency transition agreement. This is an annual meeting that I do with our birth of three um correspondent
029that we work with that sends us students who are receiving services in birth of three and then they transition those services to us when they become three. So we have a a document that we have an understanding of what that transition looks like and so we meet annually and we review it and make sure we sign it. So it's always interesting. Yeah. Thankfully, recognize the support staff. Thank you, fair enough. They're very important. >> And I would just like to make a comment thanking all of the staff last week for school conferences. I know it gets to be long days for the staff at the schools. Um, and so thank you to all of them for putting in that extra time. Very important piece of the puzzle. >> Sean, do you have anything for I
030do not >> district? Okay, I guess then we're off to the achievement gap reduction report with Mrs. D. Ambrosio and Challenger. So before we get started, I just wanted to recognize what kind of a format of presentation maybe the board was looking for with this document because Jess and I could talk data for hours, but we also want to make sure we're giving you what you guys are looking for in regards to the report. So, I just wanted to kind of phase it to you first before I've got various report presentations prepared as says Misty Ambro, but just wondering like what are you looking for in regards to do you want explanation? Do you want us to go line by line? Do you want an overall statement? What are you looking for? Typically, we've done
031it line by line um which has seemed to work well for board members, especially our newer board members who um both April and Larry, they've probably you've probably seen the fall report, right? >> Um but it it gives a good sense of breakdown and where we're at and allows us to ask questions on each grade level. So, if you wouldn't mind doing that, that would >> absolutely. >> Is the rest of the board okay with that? >> Yep. >> All right. So if you look at the reading reports for kindergarten, you'll see two different columns. So I want to kind of explain what the two are. So FB stands for fastbridge. Uh that's our local and then AWP seems stands for AS web plus. That's what the state has required us to test on. So
032I I felt it would be important or pertinent to give you both of those things because when we start to look at documents and when we start to triangulate data sometimes they're telling us different stories and so then we're trying to narrow it down to what is actually happening here. So as you notice there there was a dip in regards to our kindergarten space and that's something we're not taking lightly by any means. When we started the school year off, it was all about exposure to letter names, letter sounds, and really making sure our kids understood those components. And that's really showcasing that our 4K team did a really good job because when they came in, they had these what skills do you need to have before kindergarten, right? They had these skills, but now
033as the year has progressed, now it's these are skills that you need to have mastered and be fluent in in kindergarten. So that's rhyming, that's blending, that's segmenting, that's understanding nonsense words versus regular words. And when we tested, we intentionally tested after break because that would really show with after winter break, that would really show to have these kids mastered it because if they've mastered it, they would remember it after Christmas. And so what I can tell you is specifically with the FastBridge data, we had five kids that were one point away from being in that level. So that's just one thing they missed, right? So whether it's a word, whether it's a sound of that whole totality of testing, they had one thing that they missed. That was five kids. We had six kids
034that missed only five components to get to that level. So where we're sitting, we've got 11 kids that did drop because I see that drop like you guys are going, we dropped 13 kids, right? That's that's not an acceptable thing. But when we look at it and dig into that data, we have 11 of those 13 that are right there and probably have already mastered it fluently by by our time now because that was asking them to do it the second day we came back from break. Right? So that's where Fastbridge is telling us and starting off with 87% is well surpassed our AGR goal. Right? So if we get those 11 kids, we're at our end of the year goal if not a little bit higher. And then as web plus is kind of
035telling the same thing 92 to 79. So we've got we dropped seven kids there. That same story. So what our kindergarten team has done and what Carrie Shu and Lynette have started to do is we had those nine people going in. We were doing exposure and manipulation. But with round two, now that we have the data, now it's intentional. What skills are we lagging? What skills do we need action on? and they're really working in those groupings, which they haven't been able to do it at that level before. They're saying that progress monitoring data is looking good. My hope is that at the end of spring, we'll be able to actually say that and and celebrate that as a showcase. And that was one of our big conversations that we had last week with the
036team of, okay, but we need to really dig into these these kids and not say, well, the test changed. No, what are we actually doing right now? So, that's that's reading math. As you see, they stayed pretty consistent at that 88 to 86 percentile, which our math scores are haven't really been a point of target, so to speak. Math has been a really solid program. We're really targeting our reading right now, but math is still something we're offering. Do you have any questions about kindergarten? So there's a total of 62 students assessed for both as web plus and yeah. Okay. >> So of that you know 41% are in in that category we want to be the other or not. >> That makes good sense. >> Okay. Do you want me to move on to
037first grade? First grade's much the same story. As you see, there's a little bit of a dip there by about 10% with our fast bridge numbers with six kids moving. One thing also to note is our first grade has had the most transitions in our entire building. I believe we've had five move out and one or two move in. So those kids aren't like some of those kids are not the same kids, right? So that's that's another factor at first grade that's unique. We haven't had a lot of moveouts at the building, but it has happened in first grade. So that I don't know why, but that's just where it is. But if we look at the AS web plus, we only we had 85% of the students falling there, but then we had 84.
038So we had 60. So we ended up testing more than we did. So we actually moved it one more kid over when it came to as web plus with what we needed to do from fall to winter. there. Again, we've got the intense interventions with the nine with the progress monitoring. The skills that they're asked to do change each time, but we know what those skills are and we're targeting them intentionally and appropriately. And then our math scores, uh, we moved up one percentile, uh, from 57 kids being at that proficient level to 58 kids being at that proficient level. Do you guys have questions on first grade? Okay. And then second grade, uh, which is more, uh, we've got composite scores. So, all the rest of the ones on the top were composite scores.
039So, it's taking everything kind of compiling them together. Ames web plus didn't really offer that for us with the second grade. So, what you're looking at is the oral reading fluency. So that's the kids ability to read orally and be able to answer questions after that. And so we've got 69% being able to read a one minute passage without errors to then 66%. But we did move up from 38 to 39% with our fast break scores. We also have uh a higher percentage of our students who do receive some special ed services for some learning concerns in that grade level too. And all of our students, no matter what their label, whether they're English as a second language, whether they're identified with an IEP, are in this testing data. We're not leaving any kid out
040of the data. This is the grade completely in its entirety. And I know those teams are working incredibly hard to make sure that we're helping fill those gaps. And then mathematics moved up five five% when it came to the overall class, but we moved three more kids. >> How do we feel about our second Korean reading scores going into the spring trimester? Do we anticipate those coming up? Do we anticipate making benchmark there or not so much the goal? >> So, second grade's a very unique entity. uh like I don't want to target any specific population within that grade but there are some students that it is going to be incredibly hard to move from basic now they may move from 3 percentile to 8 percentile which is huge growth huge celebration for them but
041there is a bigger population of those types of students in that grade level as identified uh my hope is that those who do not who are not identified that we move them where they need to be. So that's more my goal, not necessarily the complete totality. We want individual growth and accomplishments with those individual students, but if they have an intellectual disability label, we want to make sure that we're reaching them where where they can grow and giving them realistic supports and goals and expectations. Could you um bring that the next time even across all grade levels um when we hit that end of the last trimester of what the growth was >> for nonIP versus IEP? >> Nope. just what the growth was. I mean what our growth looked like instead of just raw
042like >> absolutely I'd love to show you growth across the board of like individual students how many are actually growing from their start point >> y >> and met their because they'll create benchmark goals like to say this student because they're here should get to this point. >> Yes. >> Right. You want that data? >> Yes. I would like to give you that at the end of this trimester. >> I won't put that on the official AGR report but I'll give you that data >> if we could have that. I mean especially when we look at the challenges especially we look at even first grade that we have kids coming in kids going out I mean the growth is still a big part of that whether we hit our achievement goal or not you know
043we can't just say we didn't hit it but we didn't make any progress so if we could >> oh yeah we're making progress >> we have progress I would like to see that at the end >> absolutely >> I would assume the rest of the board would like to >> see that data as well okay grade three, as I can share, the AGR report goes up till grade three. Um, we have strategies in place to make sure that we fall within the achievement gap um program. And so, focusing on small group title, u class sizes is one of the priorities we focus on. So, those are the elements that qualify us for being an AGR school. Um, so just looking at third grade, you know, I presented on a report card last month, so I
044I know we're growing kids. It's always fun to see this is a different population. These students have not taken the forward exam. Um and u they're very familiar with FastBridge and this is year two of Ames web plus so they're they're getting really familiar with what these screeners look like. Um when you look at the fast bridge looking at third grade reading um in the fall we had 68% of our students at or above the 30th percentile. Um happy to see that we are really really close to that 80th percent or that 80%. We have 78% of our students reading above at or above the 30th percentile. Uh that's with fastbridge as web. We are very similar. Uh sitting at about 75% of our students in the winter um reading at or above. When looking
045at mathematics, you can see it continues to be a really strong point for us. Um we have a very well-versed curriculum. I should say we're well verssed in the curriculum as well as we're very fortunate during our intervention time to run math intervention groups as well. So that continues to be a growth of ours. Um so happy happy with the third grade data and where we're sitting. Um I did share this with my third grade teachers. I want them just to know that the work that they put in it's a lot. It's a lot to provide interventions to every kid every day, but this really articulates the work that's going into it. Um the other thing I want to note is Act 20 requires us to provide personalized reading plans for any student under at
046or below the 25th percentile. So that's kind of the national standard is 25% or below. Um since I I started in this role and I know the days of both or and Cheryl it was always the 30th percentile. So we have a very rigorous and lofty goal. We're saying we want our students at or above the 30th percentile which is you know just it's higher than what most districts do and it's higher than what that state is asking us to do. And I think Megan and I both feel confident leaving it at the 30th percentile. That's something we want to achieve. >> 30th percentile of our population or of the nations or anybody using fast or what? >> Yep. National percentile 30th. Yep. >> I agree. I think that um the district has always set
047the bar high for achievement there and there's no reason to back that down now. And um I do appreciate that we're doing this um three times a year instead of just the spring and fall now. So, um, obviously as more testing and our testing gets more intense, obviously it's it's nicer to see it. So, I've appreciated having this report more often. Are there any more questions from the board? >> Oh, thank you. >> Larry, you good? >> I'm good. >> Okay, just checking in. Make sure you're still awake out down there in Alabama. All right. Thank you very much. appreciate all the hard work um that you're doing there. >> All right, off to ourformational items. Dr. Derkler with our strategic plan update. >> Okay, I don't have anything to show you or anything to
048present to you other than to share the following. Amanda Warner, our director of communications, is working with administrative team to create a portal, which is what you see here. It just it hasn't been populated yet because it's just been created where it has each of the app each of the components of the strategic plan which this will then allow us to drop artifacts in as proof of goals having been met within strategic plan. And as this gets populated, I'm going to start showing this to you more and more because there's lots of information that's going to get dropped into here. The reason we created a portal is because we were nervous about having four buildings going in four different directions heading towards the same goal but not communicating with each other achieving things along the
049way. This will be our opportunity to check in to see what we're doing in each particular spot to make sure we're all heading in the same direction. Maybe not on the same pathline because it looks different by building but the same direction towards the same desired end outcome which is articulated in the strategic plan. So this is a way to channel, organize, put guard rails on our work. So this you're going to see more and more as we move forward. I wanted to show it to you tonight. So you when you see it in the future, it's like, oh, yep, I remember what this is about and we're going to start showing you things as we move forward. So that's really all I had reporting. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer
050them. >> I like that. I think that was something that we really focused on in the strategic plan is to be more of a district-wide approach instead of a building by building approach. And we think this is an excellent way for each building to see what each other is doing and build on those things. So >> it makes it become a living and breathing document because you're literally an artifact of something that just occurred. >> Yeah. Very structured. I like it. >> Any other any questions, comments there? All right, moving on to our finance oversight committee. That's me. I asked for this to be on the agenda tonight. Um so I'll be presenting this. Um I'm not going to read um all of it. Becky, did you get that scanned by any chance? >> Did
051you want it on the screen? >> Yeah, if you could just for the for the public. Um um John and I had talked about creating this finance oversight committee. um for for you know several reasons. Obviously the biggest function or or one of the biggest functions of the board is for um budget and financial oversight as well as policym. Um so the purpose of this was for the financial oversight committee to strengthen fiscal transparency, accountability and community engagement within the school district um of Amory. So, we um John and I were talking about, you know, I'm literally the most senior board member here and that's only been seven years and um our next senior board member is Steve and he's only got three years in and then we have people with um you know two
052and have just not even a year yet. So, um I think this would be a better way to help um train board members of what their roles are, what that to give us a little bit more, um control, say, monitoring, those kind of things. And so, um I wanted feedback at this time from the rest of the board members of what was presented. Again, this is just a mockup. It's nothing permanent. I would like to hear suggestions. Um, this has been passed to all of you to discuss here publicly tonight. Um, if this is something that we'd like to move forward with, then I would ask that this be brought back to the agenda next month and then the board would need to take a vote to add this as an ad hoc committee. Um,
053again, uh, this was talked about that I would like to see Steve and Larry willing to serve on this committee. um along you guys have been serving on the building and grounds committee. I think they fit together very nicely. Um and we could probably then lessen our building and grounds committee meetings um instead of monthly to at le to ask so of a commitment and then one less thing for Sean to schedule as well. But but moving after the referendum, I think this is probably more important at this time as this referendum work um is finishing up. So with that, I would take uh suggestions, comments from fellow board members at this time of what our feelings are. >> I think it's a great idea. Um, you know, having read through this, I had some
054questions for SH and I think that the way to appro So, keep in mind, as it was already stated, this was just a I think this was a framework that came about through AI more or less. Is that true or or an example from other districts? >> Yeah, I think it was a compilation of, you know, from other districts um some AI and just kind of goals that um John and I had discussed moving forward. >> Yeah. So, I think it's a good framework to get us started. um I think to put an ad hoc committee together to discuss what the actual committee role is because I I don't know that I agree with everything in here um specifically related to the members and who they are, where they come from um only because there
055could potentially be some u proprietary information that members of the public wouldn't necessarily shouldn't necessarily have access to. Um, but all of that is open to discussion and I think that we should move forward with the concept and then see where it goes. >> Any other input? Um, I agree with Steve everything he said. Um, few things. Um, I always get concerned when numbers get to be seven to nine members. I think that's a large large board to work with. Just personal opinion on that. Um I think it's a great idea. However, >> yes. Uh at this time um is the composition and and that would be actually decided on next month. But the composition to start with um in my mind was the district administrator, two board members which being appointed would be Larry
056and Steve and then um our director of finance. And clearly we have not felt that position, but um we do have somebody that's in that role that would be um expected to uh provide that information at this time. And then when we have a new director of finance, then obviously they would be part of that that committee as well. So um I think that gives us a better handle on budget moving forward and where our expenses are, where our intake is, state finance, um all of the things. I think that would be really helpful especially for both Larry and Steve and not having served on the board very long would really u be an educational opportunity for you guys to provide meaningful feedback to the rest of the board. So >> so as an action
057item. >> Yeah, we'll have to add this as um because we'll have to take a vote for the board to add this as a ad hoc committee. So I'm assuming the rest that the board is um willing to move forward with this and have it on the agenda for next meeting. >> Yep. Just to clarify that particular motion would be to form the committee and then to walk through what it looks like. >> Yes. I just I can't ask to form a committee and and not have a function of the committee. So >> yeah. Yeah. >> This is just the framework of the function of the committee. >> I think it'd be very very interesting. >> Larry, you got anything there? >> I think it's a great idea. Are you willing to be appointed? >>
058Yes. >> Strong arming you into it down in Alabama? Like what are you going to do? Fight me virtually? >> Yeah. Yeah. I did this specifically and he was down in Alabama. He couldn't fight me. All right. Um so then we'll bring that back next month on the agenda for the board to formally approve. Um adding in that ad hoc committee. All right. And then we're off to the first reading of policy 188. Board member participation in meetings via technology. Seems to be a thing going around here lately. >> Well, the policy that you see here is what we've been doing at the beginning of the last two meetings. We're simply making it a policy. So, we don't have to do it every single time. So, when a board member can't be with us and
059they need to be with us virtually, the rules of the road that you read the last two meetings is what the policy is. So passing this just saves us the trouble of having to put that on the agenda in the future because this will happen again. >> Yes. Because y'all can't stay home >> to go on vacation here yet. >> All right. Is there any I mean this has already been pretty much this is what we've been doing. So I can't imagine that we have any um >> big adaptations or corrections to that. All right. Off to our reading of update to policy 443.5 student use of cell phones act 42. No >> 426 homeless students. >> Sorry I got ahead of myself. First reading of 426 homeless students. Jess that would be you. Yes
060ma'am. Um so this policy makes us ESA compliant. Um we've obviously been supporting McKenna Vento homeless students. Um this is just our board policy. Um so I have a summary here that I will read. I know you guys have had the first draft. Uh this policy ensures that students experience experiencing homelessness receive a free and appropriate public public education equal to all of their students without stigma or segregation. Homeless students are defined as those lacking regular fixed or adequate nighttime residents. This includes students who are doubled up to hardship, living in shelters, motel, cars, abandoned buildings, or other temporary inadequate settings. Also includes unaccompanied youth not in custody of parents or guardians. Um the district will provide comparable services to homeless students including transportation, preschool access, special education, ELLL services, career and technical education, gifted
061programming, nutrition programs, and before and after school programs. Um an LEA is appointed to coordinate the services, ensures compliance for our districts, and then goes on to support students and families. Key provisions within this policy include school stability. So students may remain in their school of origin for the duration of their homelessness uh or if permanently housed during the school year through the end of that school year. Uh immediate enrollment. Students must be enrolled immediately within a school district even without required documents such as immunizations, proof of residency or prior academic records. Um transportation. The district will provide transportation comparable to other students and ensures transportation to the school or origin of when and where requested. If a student moves across district lines, transportation costs are shared as required by law. Um, dispute resolution. So,
062families and unaccompanied youth have the right to dispute eligibility or placement decisions. They will remain enrolled and receive services during the process. Um, students will have preschool access. Um, equal access to programs including Head Start may remain in preschool for the origin of their best interest. Um, public notice and records are also included in here. And then overall this policy ensures that homeless does not create barriers to enrollment, attendance, transportation, academic access, or student success in full compliance with the McKini Vento Act. It's a big It's a big policy. >> It's a mandate. It's a mandate from the federal government. We have to update this. We haven't touched this in a long time. >> No, we haven't. Although um it's important that we um did get this updated. Um unfortunately um we've had to use
063it and >> we absolutely have. >> That's always hard for me to sit here and know that these are very real things and that uh very real barriers that we have in this district um and that and how often it is in fact used and utilized. So, thank you for the people that um do that with dignity and grace um and make sure that those kids have access to education. And thank you for updating that policy. And now off to the first reading of policy 443.5, which is the student use of cell phones act 42. And this is always real fun >> as you stated. This is act 42. This is passed by the Wisconsin legislature back last summer with a start date for policy, if you will, July 1, 2026. What you'll see on
064the screen with the lines drawn through is the existing cell phone policy last viewed and heard in 2020. Act 42 simply asks us to do a little bit different stuff and I will run through the highlights. In essence, our policy was sufficient up to a point, meaning that we need to have cell phones used only when they are should when they should be used, meaning not in an instructional time. Though our staff, to their credit, in most places have made friends with social with the idea of using technology and they have incorporated into their classes and made it an instrumental part of what they do. where this policy departs, students absolutely must have access to their phones in an emergency. Our our original policy, existing policy doesn't say that. So, this explicitly says if there
065is an emergency, they can use their cell phone however and whenever they can to make sure that they are in a safe setting, so to speak. Um, the rules of the road that you see there, the bullet points at the bottom of the page, those still exist. Um, I'd like to make highlight there is a state law that's in the mix here, um, which is you can't have a cell phone in a locker room or a bathroom or a changing area. That's posted in all of our bathrooms and locker rooms. So, um, that's part of the policy and mandated to be. So, um, most of the rest of this is spelled out in a way that, uh, we already have in policies, just, uh, added more language around it. Uh there is a provision there
066in that last paragraph about a student who is uh supported by an IEP or has a uh 504 which is a version of a plan for a student that needs support. Um if it's part of their particular plan, they can have it and use it. There are students that need assistive technology and they would obviously not fall under the same oices of what this policy happens to be. um has to be in place by July 1. So that's why you're seeing it here now and you'll see it again next month for a second reading and then we'll be in compliance and if they come up with something different then we'll do something different. Any questions you may have for me be happy to try and answer. I didn't see it and I don't I don't
067I may have missed it when I read over the policy. Um, obviously you talked about a student having their phone for an IEP, etc. I know there's been talk of that, um, students that have health issues now who um, monitor those particular health issues with their phone, cell phone devices, um, diabetes obviously with our continuous glucose monitor. >> It would be my estimation that a student in that situation would likely have a 504. >> It would just be written right in there. Yeah, you're you're right. There are folks that are monitoring their health condition. Diabetes is one. >> Yes. >> With the use of their phone. >> Yeah. >> Um but would they necessarily they wouldn't necessarily have a 504 though, would they? >> Typically they do. Yes. Because yes, we have a healthcare plan
068that talks about how we're monitoring it, but have having your phone available as an accommodation. And a healthcare plan doesn't really legally say they can have that. You know, the 504 legally protects us the right to have their accommodation of having their cell phone. So it is most likely that they have a 504 um already. Yep. For that >> for students who have diabetes, we generally will create a 504. >> Okay. >> To allow for the accommodations. >> The complication with policy for me always becomes you can't write everything down. At some point common sense must prevail. And in the area of cell phone use, uh it's I said this in in a variety of settings in recent weeks, cell phones are like an appendage to kids. This is part of who they are. Middle
069school and high school kids, I don't know if there's very many that don't have a phone. It's literally part of who they are and what they do. So to come up with any kind of edict that bans it in all ways, I think it'd be unrealistic at best. Kids are using the cell phones. We want it to be minimally used in an educational setting, an instructional setting, unless we're using it for education. It would be impossible to police it in any other way other than >> Can I ask one question? >> Yes, of course. >> So, you know, it says it talks about administrative guidelines within the building. So, like on the point where it says that they're able to use them during passing times and lunch, does that mean that they can you limit
070that? It says in the policy as well that the building principles sets what the rules of the road are going to be for cell phone use. So if you have something that says something different, >> we just tell them that once they get to school, unless there's like an emergency situation with them, they have to have them off when they get to school until they leave. >> You as building principal can safely say if we have a cell phone bell to bell, you can't have it. >> Okay. I just from my level, they'll sit and stay with their phones when they're sitting right across from each other. I want to put them away and talk a little bit. >> That would be a concept. Yes. >> Okay. Yes. Um and the only reason that I've
071um brought that is um just looking at social media chatter and uh when this passed um and or was being debated in the Wisconsin state legislature um that was a concern that a lot of parents had and I think that was a valid concern rather than just you know the bigger concern was that my kid should have this in case of an emergency blah blah blah. And obviously that's in the policy to say that that that they will be allowed to have them. But um I think it's a valid concern um more so that monitoring health concerns. So I just want to make sure that that's cleared up and that we >> Well, Josh and I have been in and around high school kids for the better part of two decades now. And to tell
072parents these days that could leave a message for their kid in the office, that's a foreign concept. >> Literally go. Yeah. Absolutely. People that is a very um polarizing topic. >> Yes. All right, off to our action items and we have a school calendar update. >> So, we're going to tweak your calendar and Josh is going to walk us through that very quickly. Uh, we wanted graduation to be the the Sunday before Memorial Day, which it has been, and I think sometime we got the Memorial Day screwed up wrong on the calendar. So, we're going to make the kids go to school for one more week. >> I was wondering that was like a I was like a big gap. I'm like, why is it such a big gap? that just yeah Sunday before Memorial
073Day weekend. >> Okay, that makes better sense. So we changed graduation, keep coming to school. Um do I have a motion to amend the agenda >> as presented? >> I will make amend the calendar >> to amend. Yeah, to amend the calendar for 2026 2027 >> and that is just for the last day of senior's date, right? and our graduation date. Okay. April, is there a second? >> Steve, it's been properly moved and seconded to amend the 2627 school uh calendar as presented, changing the last day for seniors and our graduation date. Is there any discussion? Hearing none, we'll proceed to vote. All those in favor of amending the calendar for graduation date, please signify by saying I. >> I. All those opposed, please signify by saying no. Motion passed. Keep coming to school. All
074right. Social media class action lawsuit. Uh so well Riley is our representative uh from a u legal representation standpoint and they have asked us as one of their clients if we would wish to be a part of a class action suit against the social media folks that you see on the screen. Um we we are not we are not alone. There are thousands of organizations many of which are schools uh that are public schools that have joined in on this class action lawsuit. If you remember correctly, we did a class action lawsuit against Juel a couple of years ago and we are still receiving payments for that to this day, a couple years later. Uh, I don't know what the outcome of this will be, but basically this class action lawsuit that we we would
075be entering into as a school district is about the social and emotional damage that's done to kids with social media in the inordinate amount of time that building staff have devoted towards mitigating social media on cell phones in schools during the school day. It is pretty perervasive and not always productive to what we're trying to do at school. Having been at the high school for 13 years, I don't live it in the way that Josh lives it now. It's never been a bigger thing than it is now. It is uh a daily topic of conversation when something was stated or something was said or something was read on social media that creates Josh having to be on a said topic at that moment in time. It is a big deal. So, I'm not going to
076enter into a class action lawsuit without your approval for doing so. If you have questions, I have narratives that I can provide you in regards to what the damages would be, what the reasons would be, but including your approval if we're going to proceed both. >> Yes, I really think it's made a difference in the school environment um that social media then spills over to our school in school the next day environment. and it's been a it's been an issue and a problem. So, I'd entertain a motion to um enter into the class action lawsuit or hear your thoughts now. >> So, we've done this before. >> We have for Jewel The funds received from Juel were used for educating students about the danger and >> for detectors at the high school >> detectors. So
077>> there will be if if you choose to do this there if the suit is settled in the favor of the the the plaintiffs which would be us in this case there will be a financial settlement as there was in the case of Juel. don't know what that would look like. And that would be used to target social emotional well-being of kids predominantly middle and high school kids. I'm sure there are social media kids on social media intermediate as well, but mostly middle and high school. >> Yeah. It usually comes with constraints of what that money can be used for. It just doesn't go into the general correct >> ad coffers and then just be used for um you know to pay your light bill or something like that. it's targeted intervention or you know
078for um uh relief for the um you know action that that it caused or you know that that it happened. So, um, >> would we get to decide where that's going then or is that >> Yes, it when you get the money, it's not earmark say you must spend it on such and such. We choose what that's spent on. >> Yeah. >> Then I would be for it. I would make a motion that we enter into that class action lawsuit. >> Is there a second? >> I'll second that. Steve and Gwen, it's been properly moved and seconded to enter into the class action lawsuit against social media. Is there any further discussion? >> I'm just curious what Weld Riley said in regards to did they give any suggestions as to whether we should or should
079not do this? >> They asked us to be. We were one of two districts that they represent that hadn't been everyone else that they represent is in all the work that needs to be done to give to them to be a part of it. All of it's done with the exception of this vote here too. Any further discussion? Hearing none, we'll proceed to vote. All those in favor of signing on to the class action lawsuit against social media, please signify by saying I. >> I. All those opposed, please, please signify by saying no. All right, motion passed. We will go ahead and sign this up. >> That's good. There's a delay. I didn't know we voted. >> I know. I know. There's >> there's a delay. TAKES A LONG TIME TO GET TO ALABAMA. >>
080All right, off to the donations to the district. Okay, Cardinal Glass, many thanks for your donation of glass to replace a broken piece in the high school commons. >> No, no, not in the high school. >> Always pick last charities. Thank you for your donation of $1,000 to help with student lunch balances. And lastly, a donation of a youth guitar to the Emery Music Program from John and Lynn Blank. I have a motion to ac to accept the donations to the district. >> I will move. >> Gwen, is there a second? >> I'll second. >> All right. You pick. >> Okay. Sorry, April. >> All right. Uh, it's been properly moved and seconded to accept the donations to the district as presented. Is there any discussion? Hearing none, we'll proceed to vote. All those in
081favor of accepting the donations to the district with many thanks, please signify by saying I. >> I. Thank you. I was writing thank you. That was an I. >> All those opposed? Everybody voted I. So there's nobody opposed. Thank you very much. The donations of the district are accepted. Thank you. And off to our personnel action. >> Okay. New employment contracts for Mike Holm in high school varsity soccer for girls. Eden Hosy, special ed para educator. Race rolling, special ed teacher, long-term sub. Resignations for Megan Benny, clubhouse childcare. Payton Benny, special ed parah. Jennifer Clemish for special ed parah. Alan Schmidt, elementary school custodian. Reassignments of Kelsey Gates from Clubhouse assistant uh teacher to clubhouse lead teacher. Heather Hutter from assistant teacher in clubhouse to lead teacher. Termination of Anthony Boucher for custodian at the
082intermediate school in a retirement effective end of 2526 school year for Brenda Olsen as a regular eda at the at the at the ES. >> All right. Do I have a motion to accept the personnel action? I >> make that motion. >> Steve, is there a second? >> Second. >> Go ahead. It's been properly moved and seconded to accept the personnel action as presented. It was discussed uh prior in close session. All of those in favor of accepting the uh personnel action, please signify by saying I. >> I. I. >> All those opposed, please signify by saying no. All right. Personnel action passed. Community comments. Tracy, nobody. This large audience. Nobody's Nobody signed up for community comments. Karen wants to talk, but I would, but it's okay. No problem. All right. No community comments tonight.
083So, I will entertain a motion. We don't have to go into close session tonight. I would entertain a motion to adjurnn. I'll make that motion. April, is there a second? >> Second. Gwen, it has been properly moved and seconded to adjourn the meeting. All those in favor, please signify by saying I. >> I. I. >> All those opposed, please signify by saying no. >> Motion passed. We're journed. Thanks, Larry, for zooming in. Enjoy Alabama. >> We look we look forward to seeing you back here next month. Tan and warm. >> Bring bring the warm with you, would you? Ultrasound. >> Okay.