001We have trips and we can cover those trips. So those people are covering. >> Do we still have uh drivers that drive just extra trips? >> Yes. Max, David Long, Michelle, and Dan Phillips. >> Okay. >> Just curious, we we uh fly, do we have coaches that still drive the white bus? >> We do. In fact, I had uh two I was supposed to do three white bus trainings today. I only did two, but um we have I think four or five total that we're working on for Kirk. We went to the uh coach's meeting, the first coach's meeting he had and kind of scooped them all up at once and got paperwork so we could get it to Mindy. So, we have a pretty good confronting list of uh and that's what we try
002to go to first. We follow Kirk's lead. If he says they need a white bus, then that's what we try to get them. If they need a yellow bus with a white bus, then we try to accommodate that, too. We just kind of go off what Kirk says they need >> as a makes it easier, right? other than football. >> Yeah, >> we can use the white bus. >> Absolutely. >> Okay, good. Thank you. Other questions for >> Thank you. Okay. I entertain a motion to approve the extension of weekly bus driver hours uh for the 2526 school year. Motion consideration extension of the weekly bus driver hours for 256 school year. >> Thank you. It's been moved and seconded that we approve the extension of the weekly bus drivers for 25 bus school year.
003Those in favor signify by saying I. I. Any opposed? Motion carries 30. Uh, next item is approval of onboarding specialist and mentor teacher positions. Okay, this was um apparently there's no sound. I got it. >> Is it going in? >> Okay. Um, this is something that will be uh bargained into the contract. We worried about with the union and this will happen when we do our bargaining, but we had to start the year with these people in those positions. So this was the pre-approval we were looking for um for those folks listed below 1 through 7 to start as either an onboarding specialist for the new teachers to the corporation and then the mentors who would help mentor those new teachers as they came on. This move uh was eliminating what we used to call
004leadership positions. Um originally those would have been like a department head. So like when I came here we had six English teachers and you had a department head over five people. Well, we don't have that many teachers anymore. So, that model really wasn't useful for us anymore. So, we decided this was going to be something that would help us help new teachers and help teachers who are struggling become better teachers. So, um that's what this is. There's no cost involved. We're just shifting what was already given for those other positions to these three positions. >> Okay. Thank you for that explanation. Uh any questions for Steve on this item? So, I do have one question, Steve. As we move forward to approve this, do we need to approve um the creation of these positions and
005then separately approve the >> I think we can approve them at all once. >> All right. Very good. I'll entertain a motion to approve uh the onboarding specialist and mentor teaching positions and uh those individuals as listed for those positions. I'll make a motion for consideration of all individuals uh mentioned for the onboarding specialist mentoring teachers positions. >> Second. >> Okay. Thank you. It's been properly moved and seconded we approve the onboarding specialist mentor teaching position teacher positions and those individuals listed for those roles. Those in favor signify by saying I. I opposed. Motion carries 30. All right. Item F, we have some uh donation requests that we need to approve. I will entertain a motion to approve uh the donation request as listed. >> I'll make a motion to approve the consideration of donation
006requests as revised. >> Second. It's been properly moved and seconded to approve the donation request as revised. Uh any questions on any of those? real Kirk did a great job by the way. I just want to call him out on the McGavoc on football. >> It was a really big donation. They will take the place on the scoreboard. >> So, that's not it. Anyways, um so real quick, uh we had a meeting with Brandon Bishop of Coca-Cola the other day. Um he made it very adamant that he wants to continue to be a partner with with Taylor and with other area athletics. Um he cut us a $500 check, $250 to the athletic department, 250 to football because football had kind of tried to hit him up for some money as well. Um then Coach
007Patchet did his own separate little kind of fundraising thing trying to get some signage for sponsorships. That's where the McGavin comes in. Um shot Steve in Texas this morning. I got a phone call from Summers Heating and Cooling. Um cuz in the in the letter that I sent out back in uh July, um we talked about three different sponsorship levels. A red sponsorship for $100 for for the season, get your name in like the program or something like that. A black sponsorship for $250. Um and then a Titan sponsorship for 400. Um Brad Hal Ford jumped on as a Titan sponsor. So we have Brad Hal for as a Titan sponsor this year for $400. Um, but then at the very bottom of the letter, I kind of shot for the moon and Steve and
008I had talked in a previous conversation about needing to update our sponsorships on our scoreboard football field. So, I put a thing on there if you're interested in that. We could set up something like $5,000 for a 5year sponsorship. And Summers called me this morning and took us up on one of those um one of those things. So, don't have that one to approve just yet because I haven't got all the paperwork in, but that'll be coming down the pipeline. So, that's that. So, who's going on score? >> That would be Summers. Summer's eating. Okay. And I if I is he there's a tie to Taylor there, I believe. Maybe with Summers. One of the heating. Maybe it's not. >> Yeah. One one of the one of the key guys. Okay. Okay. So, I don't
009know how many more. >> Yeah. So, next board meeting first game. We'll get that on the board. >> Yeah. >> What's our first I know we have the scrimmage. >> Scrimmage this Friday. First game then, first scheduled game is two weeks after that. >> Week two, >> we're on the road the first week and then week two we're at home versus Greenwood Christian. >> Okay. All right. Very good. Excellent. >> Thank you, Kurt, for your work on that. >> Um, so I will entertain a motion to approve the donation request. We already did that. >> We just got on it. >> Kirk was just a little slow. Okay. >> Oh, we didn't vote. >> Yeah, we voted, but you guys. >> Oh, thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Okay. Those in favor of approving the
010donation request as revised by saying I. >> I. I. >> Any opposed? Motion carries three. Mindy has got to keep us in mind. She doesn't. >> Yes, she does. >> Okay. Okay, next item is something about human budget authority or something. You don't want to think about that one. Okay. Next item is consideration resolution of budget authority. It's something we do every year. Um it just allows uh Steve and Ray to uh revise the budget as needed based on funds we are allocated for that year. So I will entertain a motion to approve the resolution of budget authority. >> I'll make the motion for consideration of resolution of the budget authority. All >> has been properly moved and seconded to approve the resolution of budget authority. Any questions on that? I those in favor signify
011by saying I. >> I. Any opposed? Motion carries three zero. There you go, Rene. >> All right. Ready or not? >> All right. Next item is gives Rene authority to publish uh the calendar year 26 budget. So, I'll entertain a motion to approve the publishing of county 26 budget. >> Make a motion to approve the consideration of public publishing the uh 2026 budget. Second, >> it's been properly moved and seconded to approve publishing the 2026 calendar year 2026 budget. Are there any questions? um on the the attachment that I gave you guys. That's the proposed budget. And again, we have to advertise much higher than what I actually think that we'll get and stuff, but I have to advertise a higher rate for um the taxpayers to be able to get the budget that we
012need and that kind of stuff. So, next week is the day that I actually have to advertise the budget. Um but I kind of want to give you guys an idea of what what to kind of expect. Um, Steve and I, I know you guys have heard that we've been talking to policy analytics about the Senate Bill One and how it's going to change our property tax income and that kind of stuff. So hopefully soon we'll know our new certified net assessed value for um our area. So that will give us a better idea of um what our home's values are in our area. So what we will be able to set as a rate for but I always have to budget high or advertise high and you know budget my expenses high and budget
013my revenue low. Um it's just how you you you get the your full budget with the same >> but then and then what we did just previously gives you the authority to to actually >> amend that as >> Yeah. Renee, what what do you what is your in your estimation? I mean the tax rate went down a little. It did go down, >> but they raised the assessments 20, 30, $40,000 on homes. So, it should be a watershed. >> I would hope so. I I I do feel like our assessed values in our area will go up. I mean, we're kind of looking at 10 or 15% increases here in our area. Um, >> this will be the last time we have those values go up for a while. >> Why would you say that?
014>> The changes, sorry. >> No, you're No, go ahead. Um the changes in Senate Bill one, that's the bill that passed with this last legislation changes. It added a lot of homestead exemption or homestead deductions for all the taxpayers. So basically um everyone's going to get an extra credit on your property tax bill that you get. So next year your tax um so let's so in 26 the bills that you get from the auditor's office your bill is going to be down a little bit because of more credits that you're all homeowners are getting more credits >> unfortunately for a school who receives income for that our income is going to go down because we're not collecting as much money. So does that do those credits start the assessed value down or just the tax
015>> the tax bills down? >> Tax bills down. >> Yeah. >> Our assessed value hopefully will keep on climbing and going. You know last year we had a bit you know we were at two or three maybe 4% uh increase in assessed value. Last year's a big increase at 10% a big you know bigger jump. You know, this year I I would love to say that we're going to be at 10, but I >> when you're at the certain break, you want to make sure that you have those values be higher so you get more money from that. So, >> right, >> but the cliff for us is in two years, 2028 is where we just go through it. >> And what drives that cliff? >> PTRC. So, there was um PTRC, which is a
016public tax relief credit. Every county got this credit from the state PTRC. Our county and Howard County just said, "Everyone get some on your tax bill. That's where they put the money towards." Uh that's $11 million. That's going away. So that's more >> Countywide for our county here. >> So your tax your property tax bill like they say is going to go down. 28 it's not going down because that is being removed. >> Oh, it'll go down 26 or 27 then back up. >> Right. Back up. So it's like a game they're playing but then that doesn't help us because then we end up with 87% circuit breaker. >> So talking carrot call what it look like for the addition across from where I'm at. >> So we're not sure yet because they're >> what
017I heard from the economic development commission that's who um issues you know all those new building permits and kind of knows when they're starting. They said that um things are not looking fast over there and the very earliest would be next spring that they could even start breaking ground that they're kind of behind on you know like the the paperwork process and the permits and all of that kind of stuff >> and we have to open it up. >> Um we they are getting close to building we just had a meeting about the um new apartment complex that's going to be just north of Walnut Creek. um do this I forget how many apartments they said we're open. >> I don't know but it is being tipped. >> So it's being tipped. So no matter
018what the value is for the next 10 years it's automatically capped at a certain amount. >> I'd be surprised if that you're talking about fast at all this. >> You said they could break ground on some next spring. I think it's the earliest I've heard it go slow. Okay, it's been properly moved and seconded to approve the publishing of the calendar year 2026 budget. Those in favor signify by saying I. I. Any opposed? Steve. All right. Last item under business is consideration of project 30 mentor program at Taylor Elementary School. >> Who wants to tell us about that? >> Oh, yeah. Sorry, I didn't know if you guys had questions. Um, >> yeah. So, basically for us, um, first off, um, last board meeting you guys had approved Julie Herd's office on as our new
019counselor. Um, and she's been awesome. It really has been a blessing having her in the building. Um, she's she's really taken her role um, extremely seriously, starting well, meeting students. you know, we had a pretty good idea of what students thought they needed to see her early and often so that she can build that relationship with them and and start giving them some um giving them the attention that that they really need and start home. But Julie has been amazing in our building. I can't say enough great things about game changer for sure. Um we just got we're being more proactive um rather than reactive with um you know some of our students that we know have a a difficult time. So, she's been awesome. One of the things that she wanted to bring back
020or bring to Taylor Elementary School was Project 30, the mentor program with Coach B's actually a part of that. >> I was going to ask that same. >> Yeah. >> And so, Julie um Julie worked with that program. She she she was a member of the program and she spoke very highly of it and said that was something she thought Taylor would really benefit from. Um, and like I said, I I've had no reason to question anything that Julie Herdzong says in my building. So, she says it's a great idea. I think it's a great idea, too. And it's just the idea that we do have obviously we have students that can use a mentor, just another adult, another, you know, pair of eyes, another like set of hands to help them, maybe take play
021some basketball, just talk, just just kind of be a part of their lives. And we know we have students that have that need. Um, and I think our students could really look forward to it. everything that we've thrown at them, whether it be Narrow Gate Ranch, um any of the any of the things that our counselor does with them, it's worked out very well. So, I think this will be another program that really benefits our students. Um and so that's what we are looking to get approved tonight. So, and I don't know if Coach B has anything given that you work it, you've seen it. I've never seen it in action, but Julie speaks very highly of it. So, I don't know if there's anything you want to add. No, Julie and I have done
022it for the last four years and we've been at Elwood Hayne Ped Park Sore with kids. Um, and it's a great program and we just work with the with the administrators and the teachers at what's the best time for this individual. We go in for anywhere from a half hour to an hour, spend that time with them and just develop rel. It's just really unbelievable. So, I still got a little boy that I've been with. He's now in the seventh grade at paper press and we just stay with him and you have that choice whether to stay with him or not. Only goes through fifth grade. But um yeah, I I surely got we've got we've got enough grandparents and people that have time to spend a half hour with some of our kids. I
023think I think it's wonderful. >> So it's like a half hour for kids. >> Yeah. And depending on the the teacher and the time and you know the issues go on that you know we've done as much as different years I think we I think we how many days do you typically go into the school >> per week >> uh I got two Joey and I both have two kids we mentor so we go on two different days and we we try to stay consistent with that but the schools are great about have something else come up come in a different day or And Julie is unbelievable to work with. She started she didn't start the program but she led that program for quite a while and that's how we got started. So she's a
024great communicator and I think with Kelly and Jake be it be a piece of cake to try to get it coordinated. I hope and pray we get enough adult people that want to take an interest in our kids. >> How do you find adults? >> So Julie looks for volunteers. She said she also know it. She has a pretty good outreach, I think, of of someone else should be would be interested in it. Kind of just pick the brain with maybe some other administrators. See if they have maybe for teachers. We have a few things going down the pipeline possibly using for teachers in that building as well. We're just not quite ready to unveil that. So, I think she kind of has an idea of how how she should be recruiting those. I think
025she she knows what to attack there. >> What's your target? >> I don't know her target specifically. I think she really we kind of need to see, you know, how many students we think would benefit from it. I mean, all students can benefit from a mentor, but obviously some more so than others. So, she she really is every day meeting with with certain, you know, certain students and doing different things with them, working on some skills. Um, so I'd say maybe, you know, after maybe a couple weeks, we'll have a pretty good idea of how many she thinks um will benefit from those mentors. So I I I mean maybe like 10 15 kids, 20 kids. I don't know. It's all going to depend on what she thinks and who who better to make an
026educated guess on how many how many people will need than Julie having ran the program herself in the past. >> I think J I think I'm not positive, but I think that she actually know she sends paperwork home with the kids or whatever, but there's got to be permission from the parents, I believe. Yeah. >> And then also once you get it I I a person to mentor they give us the freedom to all those kids I've made contact with uh going through the parents be able to take them to the show or take them to the park and they have a great Christmas program. U sponsors Christmas time and they spend almostund I think it's $150 a kid. Wow. We find out what their needs are and we give it to them and they
027shop. The Chrysler people shop and it's up to the UAW and they feed them pizza and these kids get bags and this fall. >> It's pretty cool. >> Yeah, very excited. >> That's something we've got here for years. >> Yeah, it's a good thing. It's if we're not going to invest in our kids, that's a problem. That's why we're here. >> Very good. Thank you, Jake. I'll entertain a motion to approve project 30, the project 30 mentoring program at Taylor Elementary School. >> I'll make a motion for the consideration of project 30 mentoring program at Taylor Elementary School. >> Second. >> Okay. So, prop move second that we approve uh project 30 mentor program at Taylor Elementary. Are there any other questions? Seeing none, those in favor signify by saying I. I. Any opposed? Motion
028carries 30. All right, Mr. Deshawn, what else do you have? >> Just uh elementary news, which is exciting. And >> while you're up there, tell us how the first week of school's going so far. >> Yeah, I first week of school's going great to be 100% honest with you. Um we, you know, within our building, I feel like we're really with our systems already. Um I actually invited Mr. Sean down Friday, so be the third day of school. It is all running together already. like that. So, like pretty crazy to think about, but last Friday was our third day of school and our second grade team. Um, in an elementary building, you know, the first few days are kind of getting to the rhythm, you know, making sure, you know, here's what we're going to
029be doing, maybe dive into it a little bit, but you're not really all the way in. Um, obviously, as they get older, by the time they're through fourth grade, they they start doing their work earlier. You can imagine get it right in first grade. It takes a little more time to get used to that schedule, but second grade had already dove straight into our Youly program, You Fly Phonics. Um, they actually go into it on the second day of school because it's just a very important part of what we do. Um, and they were so excited on on Thursday. uh they came down to our office and they were just so pleased in the fact that the second graders now who were first graders there there was no like teaching them breaking down the words
030and different things like that. They already had those skills because we did it last year and so they are super excited about what our kids already know given how how quickly they grew the second graders last year before the I read test. Um, so they they had a good idea of, hey, we were able to pass, you know, almost 50% of our kids last year on the IR3 test second graders and they did not come in with the same base of knowledge as these students came in with. And so they are super excited. Um, and we really just had a big increase start to the year to be honest with you. Um, haven't had, you know, too many issues. Obviously, anytime you're bringing in new 5-year-olds, like we're starting to, hey, we have to stay
031in here. I know it's a long day and um but really I mean I think it's been great. Kelly, you you agree with that? >> I agree 100%. I we've really been able to just jump in and focus on what we need to focus on. You can see kids are just falling in line with the exception of those kindergartens, you know, >> like hurting cats. But um >> and and we do have a big first grade class as well. And so we have some big class sizes that we're like working through and trying to see how we can break interventions and just trying to do some different things. Mr. Hill and obviously Mrs. starts off, they're busy. Um, but it's a good busy. It's not like we're not getting anything done busy because we we're
032stand still with behavior issues. We're able to kind of get those kids out, try to teach and keep going. So, I'm >> feeling too like the last couple years it's just been a lot of moving pieces and I feel like this year we have everything in place. It's just it's very settled and everybody knows their role and they're ready to sit around. You know, we did move, if you remember last year, we had moved like moved 50% of our of our teachers and moved them around to try to, you know, target specific groups and put teachers where we thought, you know, mindset wise, you know, where we could maximize them so they'd be most comfortable, whether that be K through four. And so last year, a lot of people were learning a new grade level.
033And this year, it's like, oh, we're good. We're ready to go. So, I think it'll be years a I don't think we had could have had a much better start now to be honest. >> All right. Tell us what I read. >> Okay. So, um I can't give specifics. Correct. >> Okay. So, I can't give specifics, but I will say that we definitely >> When will those be released? >> I don't know how long to look in. >> I don't know. But we we do know our score. Um and so >> so you you've seen us. >> Yes, we have. >> Yeah. Yes. I we have seen our scores. We've seen other scores how we compare, you know. So we our goal coming into last year um and I should do that at our point.
034We were like here's where we got to get to. We wanted we wanted to get to 70%. We actually cleared 80%. So we were very happy with that. Um it was it was pretty awesome. >> Yeah. our teachers. Yeah. So, between our between our teachers who really dug it with the new curriculum, um the new youth fly program um really K through three and then our fourth grade team, you know, getting the benefits of that this year. I mean, they can tell a big difference. So, really, seriously, K through four, all of our teachers deserve just a huge amount of credit for sticking with that and uh creating a system that we we know works. uh we believe in and we really think you know there's really no kid what what you know I I
035feel like it reaches everybody. We saw growth in so many of our kids. We shared some I I ready data with you guys at the end of the last year kind of signifying how much we grew as a school. Um you know over 90% growing at full grade level. That's that's awesome and it's it's just it's really good to see the hard work pay off. Um, you know, we have a great literacy coach, great title one coordinator, um, Christy Crouch from Christy High that took that very personally, those I read scores. Um, and so the year before we had we were at 65.9%. Um, and then this year we cleared 80. And so our the previous school high was uh just just over 70% and uh 2022 it seemed like everybody in the state was
036just high that year in terms of their scores. Um and we usually hovered right around that 60%. And so last year when we bumped up to 66 we felt like hey we we're on the right track and then obviously we cleared 80. Not by a whole lot but we did clear 80. you know, we feel really good about some of the breakdown of, you know, kids, whether it be by by gender, by race, by um special ed, by so economic. We we checked out that breakdown and we actually cleared the state and a couple of those in terms of the state average. Um but we we did go from a red school because we were under 70. We skipped the orange all together and went straight to yellow. So, that's pretty awesome for our teachers
037and staff members. It really is a total team effort. Whether it be title one paras that pull kids, um obviously our sped teachers kids, grade level teachers, office staff, it really is just a group effort. So, I'm I'm super proud of that. Um we did send an email out um just after school trying to get people to wear their two t-shirts for a picture tomorrow. Um and we're just going to celebrate it. So, can't give specific numbers, but we definitely cleared our goal. Um, and then meeting with our teachers or sorry, meeting with our literacy coach today, meeting with our title one director, kind of looking up, um, what's in third grade this year? How many, you know, second grade? We passed, we passed 42 kids in second grade. Last year, um, our previous high
038was like 21. And so we like doubled what our previous high was. So we already have about 50% of our kids passing this year. And so we set a lofty goal. We would love to get to 90% at the end of this year. We think that that is attainable with our data. It is going to take hard work and obviously as you get closer to those big big big numbers. Um it it gets harder. It gets harder to grow. But we do we do think that that is a realistic goal for us. >> Sounds like a really great story for the truth. >> When we get that message out we can get to do that. Don't point any fingers, but it's very cool. Um, when the data does come out, one thing I really dove
039into the second half of the day was, you know, we are we are different. And when you think about I mean, we know we're a different school, right? We know that we have kids from all kinds of different backgrounds, which is awesome. Like, I think that that is what makes us what we are. But um when you look at the breakdown of like hey like in the area like honest honestly like a our African-American students passed at a higher rate percentage wise than any other than any other school in the area and cleared it by a pretty good amount. We were above state average. when you really start digging into it and seeing, hey, like even even though we have maybe some lower income families for on free use lunch, we were right, we were
040right there at state average for that, you know, for that socioeconomic group. So when you even even the number seeing it um and then the breakdown of all of our groups and and how that really kind of makes sense because we're a small school that is very diverse. the other schools around us outside of Cook aren't extremely diverse and you can see that in the numbers. I sent Steve a couple like crazy stats. I I won't say it out loud, but if you really look at some of the other schools, it's it we just have we have more diverse students and and they are passing at a higher rate than other schools in our area and it's very cool to see. So, I'm super excited. Um and we'll definitely kind of create some stuff for
041you guys to see visually. Very easy stuff. So you guys can check that out once that department is lifted. >> So how does you know as I was looking today I couldn't find IV school but you can see I learn and some of that kind of stuff right. How does I read translate into I learn? >> So I learn >> I know they're different. >> They are they are certainly different. I would say iLearn is more immersive. It brings more stuff to the table. it's a little more um you're looking at not only like reading strategies but also writing some other critical thinking type stuff. Um and that's kind of what we're really attacking this year. It's like kind of like the next phase of it because we we knew when we were like hey
042reading strategies like we put everything into those I scores because kids could be held back. Obviously we're still teaching critical thinking. We're still doing that within it, but all of our interventions were really geared towards like can our kids read? If they can never read, they're never going to pass the island anyway. So, we really put most of our interventions, really all of our interventions into that. And that's what we wanted our teachers to focus on. So, this year, it's really working in more writing time for our kids. You know, our kids don't write a whole lot. They like to text. They like to type on the computer. Um, but one thing you got to think about when you're doing writing and you're doing some of that stuff, like your phone corrects some of that
043stuff for you. That gives you, if you don't put a capital letter, it capitalizes it for you, right? If if you make an error, it gives you a sweet line. And so our kids learning to write, learning to critically think and do some of those things is going to pay huge dividends for us. Obviously, that's what we do in life, right? You have to critically think. You have to be able to communicate not only through your words, but through written language as well. emails, all that stuff. So, I think this year I'm very confident that our iLearn scores our I learn scores pretty much stayed the same. Uh math kind of went up um in a couple of grade levels, but with the data that we had last year with some of our younger grades
044doing that that I rated math, we really feel like we're going to see a raise in iLearn scores as well. I learn is simply more immersive. There's more to it. It's uh you're it's just a wider wider range of testing is how I would. >> So what is I Ready? >> I Ready is the program that we use to track our student. We got a lot of eyes. So um I Ready is what we use to kind of track what students are doing throughout the year. That's they're getting ready to take the test type stuff. Um we also have I Ready Math, which is our math program that we just do all of our math from. Um, and so I Ready gives us data and gives us so that we can kind of expect where
045are our kids struggling at, what are our kids doing well, you know, how at what rate are they learning? And it and it's really good because if a kid like if you're taking a test and you answer a question wrong, your next question kind of bumps you down a little and then oh, you got that right. So he's really around this he or she is really around this level and it really tells us like what we need to be working on with individual students. So it's more it's not an assessment test. It's more of a software program that you can get data from to help. >> So I ready for us picture like you're going you're going to calcul. But what we are actually judged upon as a school corporations I learn and I ready
046is there to help us inform us what inform us how and what students are learning. And then I ready math is simply the math program that we use um in in our building to to teach math and it does >> it's our curriculum. >> Okay. >> Lot of eyes >> just overall can be summarized very% great job. So and our teachers seriously just deserve teacher support staff. They just deserve awesome price. put a bow on that for them. Two years ago when they inherited that, the school didn't have a singular curriculum that everybody stuck to. Um it was really hot hodgepodge. And so about halfway into the year in his first year there, we we adopted a series ahead a year ahead of when we were supposed to and dug in and started doing the
047right thing and then it went up a little bit and then a year consistency we see what happens. So, and they had to catch up too because you're teaching kids now who were two or three years behind because what they had was not working in the first place. So, I think that's why the growth is a little slow in the first year, but better now. And I think that's why he's feeling like it's going to be even better next year in year three. >> Yeah. Yeah. I mean just if you consider so when I was hired in April of I don't know how many years it all we like we had passed 59% of our kids as a whole and when you think about the fact we're sending second graders on and they're already like
048if no one else passed the test I would have a heart attack but if no one else passed the test in third grade we're already sitting at like 50%. So when you think about that, like at one point after their third grade year a couple years ago, we only passed 59% of kids. Now we're literally putting kids into third grade and 50% of them have already passed. >> So it I mean you can't I mean just that right there kind of tells you all you need to know. And that second grade group that accomplished that last year went in not really have not not really they just did not have the youth live phonics the year before. And if they did, it was very small, just trying to get teachers to teach it to get
049used to it. Um, so this group that's hel first graders, which is, you know, kudos to the first grade teachers that really taught that with fidelity. Now our second grade teachers like, "Oh my gosh, these kids just we don't have to reach a whole bunch of stuff. They're just hitting around running like they they're going." And Mr. Shot came and watched all four teachers, including Mrs. Wy, who is brand new. Um, and so they're super excited about it. So >> teachers usually don't want you to come in all the time. You know, they get a little nervous, but they were so excited for us to be in the room in a show. >> Yeah. So I if you can ask, but you can't answer some. How many kids how many third graders did we hold
050back? >> Um overall, we didn't hold back many. It's hard for me to give you that number. Here's why. Because a lot of those a lot of the kids that did not pass their their parents decided, hey, instead of being held back in third grade, we're going to school. >> Oh. So that's, you know, it's it's been different. We we really maximized our score based on who should have passed and he didn't we did have one kid who literally missed it by one point >> and had to be held back at third grade because of one literal point. >> And so um it's it's kind of hard to tell. I don't have the I I would say it was it will probably be like seven or eight. Um we did have some special ed suits
051that get cause exemption. They did that's where that's kind of where our numbers kind of get skewed a little bit. if they didn't pass, but they do get to move on because of the good cause exemption if if they had it in their IEP. And there's a lot that goes into that. But yeah, we didn't have as far as general suits, just a handful, but we we had a whole back. >> So good. Great job. >> Yeah. Thank you. Appreciate it. >> Well, paid for the trip, man. >> That's right. You got it. >> Pleasure. >> So, Heather, how how did your first week go? >> Good. I've heard good. >> Yeah. I mean, we had fifth graders that knew how to do lockers, which I mean, every year we're seeing just the basic things
052that we don't think about at the start of school. Like simply a child knowing how to roll the locker combination who's never done that before. Typically, we have the graders standing in the hallway crying because they're never going to get this. And so like just little things that make it just good. um we are having some growing pains because in each of our four content we have at least one new teacher and so that's like Jake's talking about consistency and gaining that traction and you feel like you start to gain that traction and then now you have to hire a new teacher and so that places some burden on I burden not in a bad way but it is an additional layer of responsibility for the teachers who are returning to because they feel that
053that pressure to to help those teachers and so and then they feel bad because those teachers just feel like they're at the deep end with, you know, a child's floating, you know, and and they have seven blocks on their feet. So, you know, we'll work through some of that. I think what you approved tonight with the mentor program and the onboarders, um, I think that will be a tremendous help to just allowing some of these teachers to gain some traction, which which is what we need. you know, we need them to get on board early and have that traction and feel good about it because the quicker they know what they're doing, then the quicker that translates into students being engaged and and knowing what they're doing. I did read um the state did send
054out an email today. Um I think it there was the board of education meeting. So um state results on I read were 87.3. So they did release like a immediate release today, August 13th. That's what I saw. I didn't see that. >> Yeah, Indiana achieves unprecedented growth in third grade literacy rates. So, um, and it looked like the board had approved I mean I haven't seen the official but you can release it yet, but I mean the state did release the statewide scores like I said were 874. So, >> yeah. Okay. Good. >> Yeah. >> Thank you. >> And Mr. Sh, how did how does how did the construction end up? You get it all done? For the most part, >> there's little straggles out there. >> Well, yeah. Right at the beginning of the
055year, we had a fan on a brand new unit burning and the smell was in the middle school. So, they had to come back in and do that. So, um the majority of the stuff is done. Now, we got to work on the chiller that we ordered a couple years ago and it's here. The structure for its here. So, that'll be the next thing that goes in. And then with the bonds that we're doing when we issue those then we'll do our last children get that last >> I do briefly one thing if you have time or you stop by the middle school we had a complete repaint >> this summer >> Mr. Sean invested and allowed the middle school. We've kind of been begging for a lack of better terms for several years now
056um to kind of a refresh and not have kind of just the blah cream and you know just >> yeah ours was blue high school's green and so um Mr. Frankle and I worked together to pick out obviously the colors that we now have in the middle school. We initially were met with a little like you what do you think about as they as they were painting it and you know over the summer I got some oh lord like you I mean then I was nervous that we're doing like our our whole building this way but all our classrooms got a refreshing paint they look amazingly better and then our hallways are completely done and then Mr. Sean approved and and we even brought in with Mrs. Adams to allow us to get some new
057uh number plates that are black and not blue so they match kind of the scheme of what we were going for. And I think we I we had a really positive reaction. You know, kids came in. It looks fresh. It looks new. It looks like those banners and we got some new banners. Yeah. And so, um this is kind of a nice refresh. You know, hopefully kids will take a little bit more pride in their school and what they walk into every day because it looks way more modern and it does definitely does not look institutionalized. So, I think that makes a difference, too. >> Good. >> I do call it institutional cream. I like I know that sounds awful, but that's I mean, I made it. I made it for years. So, I'm super
058thankful that the the financial powers allowed that to happen for us. >> Good news is we have cheap labor in Mr. Mr. Gman and then they had part time Mr. Weeks came in and Mr. And then JT Barnes finished up with those two guys are work horses every year. >> Every time I came in this summer they were here. >> Yeah. >> And the best part of it all Brandon's jealous. >> Uh the only last thing I would say is we were talking about some of these programs. Uh narrow gate. Last year we it was exclusive to the elementary school. They're opening that to the middle school and high school this year and so we'd like to get a group working on that. I don't know that they've identified the children yet most benefit. So
059as soon as we get that we're going to start sending them to narrow as well. So they're excited about having us. >> Excellent. >> Very good. Great program. >> Oh, it's just fun. >> Real quick numbers athletic. >> Uh depending on the sport, um we're down a few football. I think last time I talked to Coach Patchet, he said he was up to about 25 to 28 for the football team. Uh boys soccer is holding right around 15 again, which is where we were at last year. Girls soccer is just a little bit lower than that, right at the number they need to to participate. um with a full slot on the field. They're at 10 to 11. They have another girl who's on the fence. Um cross country's numbers are up just a little
060bit. We actually have what they call a full team. You have to have five runners to be able to score. They have five runners this year. >> Um it's all boys. We don't have any girls running, but we have five boys. >> Um volleyball, they were they were struggling um late last week with six to eight girls. And then we had another call out of school and the coach sent me a picture last night. Last night, two nights ago. Um, and they had 16 or so there. So, it's jumped up a little bit. Um, the one we're really struggling with still is boys tennis. We have two or three kids that are really interested. Um, but you can't score in a meet without five again. So, um, not great, but we're in better shape than
061some other school. Like I know Tri Central is already cancelled. Um, boys and girls, they don't have boys and girls cross country. Um, they're probably going to be varsity only for volleyball. Um, >> someone told me they might have like 10 for >> Yeah. >> Not Yeah, not very many for football right now either. So, um, but we're seeing it like we had our AJC meeting last week and I mean they're seeing it everywhere where numbers aren't what they used to be. Ross, I just got a call from Rossville's 80. They've always had 15 to 20 guys on their boys soccer team and they're holding steady at 9 or 10. We're supposed to play them Monday and that game is going to be postponed until they have a couple more guys that are hopefully joining
062this week. Um, >> wow. They don't have football and >> Yeah, they don't have football to compete with. So, it's I mean numbers are they're going down everywhere. Okay. >> Can I add something real quick? Yeah. I think part of the reason why the elementary school has been off to a great start is because Jason McCord has been in our building and he has >> been wonderful and put out so many fires for us. So, we appreciate that. >> Awesome. Thank you. >> He's not here, >> but thanks. Ronnie, did you have something? >> Nope. Okay. Anybody anything for you guys? >> Some good news. >> Yeah, some good news >> yesterday. Okay. Uh, I will entertain a motion to adjourn. Which meeting is scheduled for? >> I don't see it on our list. >>
063September 10th. We have an early meeting then, Mr. Dan. >> No, I believe what we did is we postponed all that. We'll get that. I've got it in my office, but we pushed those back because we felt like doing spotlights so early didn't give you guys anything of value. So, >> we pushed all those back. So, we talked about after first year. >> Yeah, we did. Yeah. For elementary. Uh, I'll send you those dates cuz I put them on the calendar. >> Perfect. >> Okay. I'll entertain a motion to adjourn until our last meeting on September 10th here at 6 p.m. I'll make a motion to second. >> All those in favor say I. >> Thank you everybody for coming. Appreciate it. Have a great evening. Come here. >> I got to move this.