001algiance to the flag of the United States of American public. We look forward to hearing issues at matters. Reminders to podium to speak to the board. Please keep your statements and discussions involving litigation. on on the latter part on the latter public participation at the end of the meeting. I would again like to suggest that in addition to the uh the list that you take for the meeting also each time ask the audience is there anyone else who would like to speak because again often comments occur to people during the meeting that they didn't think of it. The second thing is this is just a rhetorical question that you're going to discuss half million dollars to repay parking lots around town with parking lot every couple years. Isn't it better to spend money on? And
002that may just be the government for parking lots and questions. I would like to know why you're discussing that. I saw from previous notes that the district was $70,000 in here and I want to know is that pero and is that $,000 or $75,000 and then also they mention mentioned that one of the high school Presc,000 agreement from a couple years ago 75 up to 75,000 Other than the crediting classification law enforcement pretty appropriate and uh our staff will be helping the thorough with the work as well and $75,000 per year. Thanks for now. >> Yes. I appreciate that. >> Second all in favor say motion carries. And now moving on to our financial reports performance of budget funds decision. >> Thank you, Madam President. As you know, each month we present our financial report
003comparing the year-to-ate revenue to yeartoday expenditures for our tax funds. Our year-to- date performance of funds report as of January 31st of this year show the following. The education fund year revenue $4,69,39 year expenditures of 5,5768 the expenditure to include a monthly transfer of $655,000 in the operation fund and also in the debt service fund uh no revenue today the year expenditure $2,943 uh all debt service statements have been made today for the fiscal year and we have a tax on June. The pension debt fund year to date revenue is $345,000 temporary transfer uh from the rate of gay fund for cash flow purposes that will be paid back in December. Uh the year-to-ate expenditures is a last pension debt payment of 72,962. Uh we do have enough tax for that as well. The operations
004fund year revenue of $789,591 year state expenditures of $2,746,760. Uh the revenue does include that $655,000 transfer from education fund and the operation fund does also have manufactur and the operating fund. Uh I'm sorry, operating referendum fund. uh no revenue today expenditures of $584,268 doesn't have a tax funding June the capital referendum has no revenue nor expenditures for this year so far and the rain day fund has no revenue no expenditure that for $345,000 temporary pension fund that we paid back in we believe a review of the fund shows a positive financial position and if there are no questions we ask for financial reports for January 2026. >> You mentioned that we made our final debt service payment on pension bonds that was in January. Yes. What was the original borrowing amount for those pension
005bonds? >> I mean, I'm not 15 million. >> It's good to see that we are paying off some of our debt. So yeah, so we won't budget for that next year. >> I have a motion. >> I think I just add I'm sorry just for that context. I think you made a great point as the nuance that I think I know you know but it's always good to bring back up is that the neutrality of the pension set. So it has to be a neutral against our operation. And so in our concern with the impacts of SDA1 knowing that the uh we no longer have to take payment out of our operations increases the overall utility of our levy with the operation. just keeping that no longer be interested our utility of the money that
006we are gathering. You know, it's like when you pay off your car loan in your own personal finances, you're not making more money than you did, but now you've got that extra $500 a month that you can use for other things, which would increase the utility of your favor. I >> motion carries on to contract consideration. >> We have three. One is for our secondary schools which is the college. Um we also have store which is the host for district library and audio books that's replacing. And then we have our that we've already pre maintaining $75,000 annually per student access only or staff access or the board Is that working a little bit with the library? >> Yes, the previous system was magic system. I imagine it'll be the same. So there's a charge for
007that. Is that just >> Yeah. What end up happening is the the followup services are no longer going to be offered. And so as they're trying for that, the minimum requirement was $500. We spent well over that on our audio books and I just have a question for Dr. in the officers. I know we budgeted like 75,000 but that's not correct. Uh is part of the uh is part of the 2020 first amendment that we did last year. Can you refresh us on how the salaries are? >> And what year is that? And so potentially if that does not get what that will have to be examined just like every other portion is 75,000 per officer Um what does the pay >> quite a bit? Yeah, quite a bit. the the uh average salary is
008over and when you add in the training, the equipment, car the total cost of employment certainly facilitated with the board of works and BPD. Uh and so when we talk about our plan for utilization and where we see the need not only in being able to extend out campus but also uh be able to teach a CT was very excited about that prospect of engaging students you know even recruiting uh from uh and really all with you know our philosophy of expos exposure to find something that um just found out that the numbers this year I've seen what our trend has been as far as request for that law enforcement class 26. So I think when the word spreads that instead of going off campus to another community to take this class that you don't
009have to worry about and lose that travel time. I I can see this again part of the selection process which again great partnership understanding that this particular position is a little more specialized for duty offic law enforcement, but we're really excited. >> I I don't think that's something we want to talk about. >> That's their business. But I will say there has been plenty of >> interest from that perspective too. I know that she has shared in our executive session um personel staffing. There's no concern with that. I thought it was appreciated that we're able to figure out how to utilize another way that makes sense for the other duties that has to incorporate them within great um What time frame are we looking at for when they would be able to teach it? the
010certification and all that looking for this coming up and July started looking at and learn So when we go into the grand scheduling process for you know 2100 students doing 73 a day uh there's a lot ofations that exist conflicts that have to be resolved and so we place the class where it most conflicts. So could it be a class versus class vice We will see when we go through the process because we don't want to opportunity just education component responsibility is one of the best parts of this position because I think the law enforcement class has been pretty popular for years and fills up very quickly. So that students >> I just want to also say Dr. just want to thank you for your interaction with Chief McIntyre this keeping us up to date.
011So appreciate the efforts and coming back with your recommendations. Thank you. Yeah, I was just going to say as that, you know, again I I see the public scrutiny, right, that executives have in the public sector, right? And I've got a newound respect for Dr. McCall and Chief McIntiger for operating in the professionalism um that they have under this circumstance. And you know, my hope with this situation and anytime it comes especially to safety and security of our our students and our staff is that the conversation can take place with us. Um, you know, some of the things that I do want to share that we've done as a school board during this whole entire process um is that, you know, I've gone back and I've reviewed the public works meetings from 2025 in this
012year. Um, you know, I continued a stream of conversation with Chief McIntyre. I did reach out to him um to confirm that, you know, the has his blessing and that he's he's happy with it. Um, and he confirmed that yes, he's in approval and that it was signed by public works last week. Um, we held two executive sessions. The chief was invited to both of those. um the first one he was unable to attend and I think it was a good and working session where we were able to kind of just better understand everything that goes into keeping all of these buildings safe. Um there's so many processes and procedures that not only the administration but the staff spend so much time on and ensuring that the students are safe and you know you you
013think you understand that from a conceptual level of detail that goes into it. Um you know just again you have an appreciation for all of that work. Um we did have our second executive session where the chief and assistant chief were able to attend. Um the three biggest takeaways I took away from that were that first and foremost he is confident in the safety of our schools and um he spoke specifically to some of the summer with the administration um and just the foot in there. two, he confirmed that he's confident in his staff and their ability to respond to emergencies at Belaro Community Schools. Um, we talked a lot about friendliness, the ability to get to the each of the schools. Um, you know, they run drills and practice with the administration team and
014again just that confidence that's there. And then three, the request for an additional SRO was mainly administrative. Um again there's no eminent concern of safety with our schools. It's just um you know his guys are doing a lot of calls and all the administrative work that goes along with that. So I'm glad that you know we can add an education component with that as well. Um, additionally, I, you know, I personally have talked to 10 over 10 other school districts on how they are approaching school safety and what their stance is. And I think the one clear takeaway is that there there is no one answer. There's no one way to kind of approach this. I mean, some districts are increasing pastoral officers. Some have decided to create their own police departments separate from their
015city or towns. Some are actually reducing the number of SROs and increasing technologies or increasing mental health professionals. Um but they're all facing the same problems, these same conversations and it requires just continuence of the conversation as you know society changes, as situations change. Um, I think the biggest takeaway for me is, you know, in a lot of the research I done, the one significant impact on school safety that has been proven is behavioral threat assessment. And I feel confident sitting here today in understanding the resources that we have not only through the SRO officers but through our school counselors and our mental health professionals that we have a team that is able to deliver on behavior health threat assessment um very strongly. So, uh, just wanted to share that with the community because it's,
016you know, we've been having conversations. Um, we've been doing the work on our side and, you know, we take this very seriously. I I want to just confirm that, you know, if I have children that go to the schools, I ever thought for a second that, you know, there was an issue. I mean, I I have texted Dr. from a call in one instance where um there was a concern but um we all take this very seriously and appreciate the effort and time and um of our administration. I just want to say thank you again real quick add on to this. I also wanted to say thank you to Dr. call um for following the process that we have in place to regularly review it and when it makes sense and when we have something
017that addresses all the needs that's when we move forward with our own position work as it was supposed to um hopefully everybody can see forward that we have good process in place we're going to adjust that as you need to thank you for continuing to do that work it's not always the most glamorous the most pleasant but it is what gets results Thank you. Overall, we definitely appreciate how much we've grown uh in that process. You you don't know what you don't know until you realize you don't know it. And so, um we're thankful for our private investigator that's on our board who uh actually call us and get all the information we need. So I really do appreciate you all for this discussion um and summarizing our events from the beginning to uh vote
018on these contracts. May I have a motion? So second all in favor say >> I. Any Motion carries. Um we are now moving up next to hear from you after we will move on to >> Thank you. We have to uh Central Elementary set memorial elementary received $725 books and supplies. Uh, the TJ Middle School Science Olympia team received $100 from James Jorgensson, $1,000 from Charles Carlson and Denise Wever, $75 from the Sandy Family Trust and Cassie Sandy, and $50 from an intera state house received $2,000 from holiday. The rest of the team received $500 from Frederick. Uh athletics used as the administrator of discretion received $237.80 from the summer. The decade team received $250 from alarm and $500 from credit union program received $20 to be used districtwide for negative school lunches. $500 from
019Elizabeth and Joseph Bur, $1,532 from First United Methodist Church, $623 from Valo Sunrise Kanas, and a backpack and snacks program received an anonymous donation for shelter table food at $85. >> Thank you. I have a motion, please. >> Second. >> All in favor say I. I >> opposes the motion carries. We are now moving on to all business back to Dr. >> I will turn it over to Paulor. Uh just a quick slideshow here running through some of the progress. Um we'll run through some progress photos and talk about how we work at the uh veil facility for the renovation and the addition. Uh over the last four weeks we've uh did a hot tap on the water man on the south end of the building for the new addition. um cut in and two
020things the masonry work with the core frames. You can see the two pictures there with the backpack programs. All the drywalling painting have been completed at the first base at this point. We're waiting on the carpet. All the ceilings have been installed. Just waiting for drop ceiling tiles. And on the addition on the south side of the building, we completed our water in. Next pictures here basically show that orange water man coming in on the south side going to the storage room on the bottom left picture with the water meter installed for the next four weeks. Uh just like I said, we're installing part BCP tiles based in the classrooms. You can see some pictures there as well. We're going to be turning over the first phase classrooms here in the first or second week
021of March. Moving on to the second phase demolition there. Um on the exterior for the south side of the veil edition, we're installing our sport structures, pouring our courtyard concrete, and moving our way out and putting some foundation started this week. hoping that our first will be on Thursday. Following that, underground electrical and underground plumbing for the new addition and then finally in the new professional room all the new Facebook. Just some pictures there on the left side. This just kind of gives you an overall picture there on the south end. Works going on. I guess foundations will be moving and hopefully you guys can see some short pleas. Uh I got to say guys we have the show uh directing traffic making it all happen. Uh it's one thing to schedule summer work when
022no one's around. It's another to coordinate uh this space in my building while we're still teaching classes and I got to say they've been tremendous with our male kids as well. Uh going out of way to be educational to talk about what they're doing, why they're doing it, uh allay any concerns they might have as well and I think peak some interest for uh some future recruits as well. But just tremendous job uh and Dr. Ben and his staff as well. You got to be flexible when you're working through uh this kind of work. Uh and not only are you flexible, but Dr. B does a great job of coordinating efforts uh with his kids uh to help be a part of solutions moving class materials from one room to another room. and now they'll
023be moving it back back filling in phase one as following the teams over phase two. So it's just tremendous uh teamwork all the way around something like this. Thank you Dr. >> Thank you. Appreciate >> that. We are continuing request for permission to advertise The boilers at high school useful life action is to replace corporation created estimate estimated budgetary time replacement acceptable received by the March replacement will be scheduled to begin June with completion August 26. oil replacement as part of the 2026 capital projects plan. The budget estimate for this project is $1.5 million. Also with that, the following asphalt projects are planned as part of the 2026 capital projects plan. The parking lot ceiling and stru parking lot and the asphalt replacement of the admin building here. The budget estimate for these projects is
024$500,000 combined. If acceptable bids are received and approved in March, the work will take place on Sunday 26. The administration requested the board approved. We have for And that is the going rate of asphalt and asphalt is one of those things. It has to be done. If you ignore it, it will pay more later on. Fix it. point. If you let it go too long, you don't seal it. You do things like that weapon cracks in no time. Water makes it better, freezes and expands. I have a few minutes. May I have a motion to approve? >> Any opposes? Motion carries. Thank you. Thank you. >> We are moving on to new business cancellation of scale checks. Mr. >> Thank you, Madam President. Uh no later than March 1st this year. A list of checks
025that have been outstanding for a period of two years as of the last day of December last year is prepared to present to the boards. These checks are for any iPhone 5-11-10.5-2 checks may not be honored cash. We're requesting a approval to cancel these scale checks and to receive the funds back into the accounts for more closes. Motion carries. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. We are moving on to our second legislative. Thank you. Um, so earlier this week on Tuesday, February 17th, President Watkins and I attended the 8th annual ISBA State House Day at the Indiana State House and we heard from the education committee leaders panel. Um, Eric has attended this in the past, I believe, solo. Um, and despite the 3:30 a.m. wake up call, it was a really nice opportunity to
026go together. Um, we met with so many board members and superintendents, especially from region one, which was really nice. Um, and we also met with some representatives from the Indiana Association of School Business Officials, which I believe you go to that meeting. Correct. So, uh, we had two individuals from ISBO. Um, who sat at our table we had good conversation with. Um, we were able to catch our specific legislators, but um, I felt like I was back in my 20s getting backstage at a concert because Erica and I somehow were able to make it to the House floor and we were able to have conversations with quite a few of the representatives and pictures and everything. So, that was kind of a a cool experience. Um, from ISBA's tracking, as I shared last time, they
027started with about 90 bills out of the 753 introduced, and that list has now narrowed to 34 active bills, 19 in the House, 16 in the Senate. Um, two bills that we probably spent the most time discussing on Tuesday were Senate Bill 78, which is the wireless communication device policy. Um, I know I've had some conversations with my fellow board members on this and I think we plan on going into it deeper in our policy discussion with ISB here, but um, SB78 really updates definitions and requirements around school device devices and will require districts to adopt either a no device policy or a storage policy. Um, it does direct the Indiana Department of Education to publish model policy language and implementation guidance and it also provides civil immunity for schools and school personnel acting included
028to comply with their policy. Um, this was amended in committee and passed out of the House Education by a 12 vote. Um, it now moves to the House floor. So, uh, you should know on that one prior to our our meeting. Uh, the second one we spent quite a bit of time in discussion. There were a lot of questions about from, um, the crowd was Senate Bill 76, immigration matters. Uh, it makes several changes around immigration enforcement and what state and local entities can and can't do related to enforcement activity. Um, in plain terms, it strengthens the attorney general's authority to step in if an entity is seen as limiting enforcement related activity, including the ability to seek court orders and civil penalties. Uh there were a lot of questions and concerns raised about how
029this can be interpreted and implemented especially for schools and ISDA does plan to issue guidance more and as the bill language and impacts become more clear. Procedurally SB76 has already passed the House and Senate in different forms and is now at the concurrent stage. So the senate just needs to vote on whether to accept the house changes. Um that concurrence vote was expected today. I did just uh check online before coming here and have not seen an update but um it is expected that this will be signed by a few others that we touched on just not as inepth well SP25 we actually spent a lot of time talking about um it has been approved and signed it's in regards to school board candidates but since we are an appointed board it's not directly applicable
030to us but it establishes the order for how candidates affiliation with the major before he appears on the ballot. A lot of concerns about that one from the crowd. Um HB 1360, access to public records. This allows agencies, basically our districts to prioritize and distinguish uh Indiana versus out of state public records requests and collect supplemental processing fees for not Indiana requests. So, they're really trying to reduce the amount of uh spam or fishing voyer requests that districts are receiving. Um, and that also creates kind of a pathway to report those to the Indiana public access counselor. SB 159 uh would enable parents to exercise control over students schoolisssued device when the student is not in school. Uh, a lot of interesting conversation surrounding that one, Chris. I'm sure that'll be a fun one for
031you to have to figure out if that one cuts the light. So that speed uh SB 182 uh defines terms related to sex, gender, and requires multi occupancy restrooms and locker rooms be designated by sex and permits civil actions against schools for violations. This one did pass the Senate, but it stalled in the House and was moved to the public health committee. Um I checked on this one. But I did not see an update today and so if it wasn't for vice day and the discussion was practically dead. So um I kind of send an update once I see what that one comes up to. Um the next one, House Bill 1242. It creates a school corporation and charter school report. It adds reporting on academic performance by school type, public versus charter. Um there's
032a lot of conversation from the school committee about uh parochial and private schools, right? So what they're trying to achieve by this report. And so um since those entities are receiving taxpayer dollars uh you know they would be included in those reports um as well. And then HB266 uh establishes criteria approval for a 4-day school week for districts looking to move in that direction. Um and includes provisions that would require salary differentiation for teachers with literary endorsement. And then lastly, um it is a dead bill, but I thought it was worth mentioning just because I was asked a few questions on it, but that's House Bill 1086, which would have allowed the Ten Commandments to be displayed in schools. Again, that bill is effectively dead as it did not receive a vote from the full
033house before the deadline. Um, just to close with timing, uh, we're coming up at end of session. So, the second reading is Monday, February 23rd. Uh, the third reading deadline is Tuesday, February 24th, and a plan to join in is Friday, February 27th. But in all, um, ISBA stated it's a pretty late session. They were pretty excited about their deregulation bill. Uh they were able to get about 12 of their hats in there. Um, sorry. And so you all have your state house books and so thank you for that. So that's love that agenda. Now we move on. Are there any other feel? >> Okay. Heard this before, but we look forward to hearing from you during our public comment. We recognize the value of public comment on educational issues and school matters. A few
034reminders. Please come up to the podium to speak to the board. Please keep your statements to three minutes or less and discussions involving personnel litigation and student discipline will not be. >> Thank you. >> First we have Jason Solomon. >> Good evening. It's uh pleasure to be here. Um, first of all, I'd like to request uh to start um possible meeting uh three minutes wouldn't even do justice to what's going on with my son at Alrazo High School. So, I am putting on the record that I'd like to request the meeting with the school board to discuss his educational uh going forward. Um, second off, I'm sure uh a lot of you already know kind of what's going on with my son. I am here to speak on him and to fight for him and
035I will continue to do so until his matter is rectified and also uh justice is certainly within what's going on with him. As far as educational, my son is hurt. He is in concussion protocol. He is unable to do multiple things. So right now he is out of school. I have reached forth to the high school. I have reached forth to the superintendent's office and we have not been able to connect or meet the criteria that my son is asking for upper brace school system. My my son is an honor student. He played baseball. He was in football and his wishes were to go on to track. He's been with the eval school system from K all the way through nth grade. He's hurting and as a parent watching that it it's it's taking a
036toll and I expect from not only his community but also within the school corporation that some some things need to be looked at that aren't being looked at right now. Um first of all I have requested multiple times with the high school and the superintendent's office different options and options used in plural um that was set abroad uh through multiple sources. Uh I have been made aware of now three options. Two are in learning and with what's going on and and I'm trying to abide by the rule that you set forth um threats and everything else on my son's life have been made through Valarezo High School using Valareerezo internet during Valvarezo school time. Teachers were made aware of this. I was made aware and notified the high school themselves. And let's say after finding
037out with the investigation through parents and and students, I was appalled to find out the direction that in what was done during that investigation. But there's no way my son can return in physical form to the Val Brazil school system that with the threats that were made from within the school and continue to this day on myself and my son. He has not asked about this. He is scared and as a 15year-old boy in Valo and I've been living in this area for multiple years. This is we're better than this at we are better than this. And I have reached out to one gentleman that is here and two options were made. And what I requested was is for him to receive for the next 3 months in any learning process through file to raise
038a high school. The third party through Minnesota that the uh Val High School does go through um cannot meet his needs or criteria. He is an honor student taking honor classes. He's an honorroll and that's why I'm requesting a meeting with the school board to see what we can do from the educational process with him to make sure that he succeeds going forth and then also going on with college without having a threemon blur on his >> Thank you. I appreciate it. >> Thank you. We have 7 here. Um, I went to high school with Jason. I know about the story. Reached out to me about it. So based off what the ISBA states as far as what your responsibilities are, part of that is looking out for students welfare. Um part of that is
039looking into suggestions by the superintendent uh as far as policies as as far as educational uh possibilities for students. Uh I'm just asking that you kind of look further into this possibility of e running at least for the next 3 months. Uh if you can put forth some type of uh uh policy or statement and have the board look at that is to this being a possibility. Uh you know part of your job responsibility is the welfare of students. So you guys might be looking on micro for the macro. Uh we could be looking at the micro situationally too. So if his kids get threats to his life within the school system at the school's uh facilities and teachers are aware of it, how are you going to be able to protect this guy, you
040know, for eight hours of the school day, the hallways and the bathrooms? It's not it's not possible. might just look at you know the possibility of at least honor the e-learning for the 3 months for this time period he's asking for you know see that a little more good to see uh better communication. That's what at least three of you cited as the greatest need for improvement during your appointment interviews. Yet, I stand here today both as a parent and the vice president of city council and the school board liaison and can say I have not seen those words put into action. Last year, the council became aware of multiple safety recommendations that had been made by VPD since 2023. Recommendations that our superintendent not only failed to advise the board about, but lied about
041their existence in a budget meeting with other council members and President Watkins. The council asked you, the board, the ultimate decision maker for your review and discussion. Instead, the board took two months to decide to send the matter back to the same person who made misrepresentations past its existence and the discussions with our local law enforcement. Yet, you all sat here tonight and thanked him for keeping you informed. Am I missing something? Two-way communication is one of the primary objectives of this board. You demanded answers from the council after a resolution regarding SRO was filed, and I get that, but you offered none or nonsensical responses to our requests in return. That's not two-way communication. To Mr. Williams point, you strictly hold public comments in three minutes. These are parents and students and community members
042and colleagues who have taken time to come here and express concerns. Yet, you limit them to three minutes while reserving unlimited time for yourself to respond. Mr. Williams ends all of his wonderful meeting summaries with quotes. One of his recent included the following. May your choices reflect your hopes and not your fears. My hope for the past six years has been to have a proactive school corporation that is not only familiar with their current policies but follows them and also works to improve them through communication with parents and other community leaders. That remains my hope and I continue to ask that it becomes well that um we will continue to work with uh parents and students to find appropriate and practical solutions. Mostly the individual situations, but we will continue to work those solutions that
043are right that are also practical and repeatable across the board. So um we will do that in regard allegations why misrepresented don't know exactly what that is referring to that is not something which I'm >> yeah respectfully in that regard too. Um during our executive session, Chief McIntyre was there and I'm not sure what conversations have transpired outside of the conversation that we had with Dr. Paul and with Chief McIntyre, but that has not been what has been communicated directly from the chief to this board either. So I again I can't speak to speculation of what transpired, what conversations transpired, but from the chief but maybe go back to the chief and ask because that is not what he communicated to us. >> But I also communicated to you and this is that but you
044did get emails about this. >> Correct. Again speculation but you're saying the chief has stated the chief has stated to us that that was not the case. The chief wasn't in those conversations. Miss Watkins was in that conversation. >> The chief is stating that Dr. McCall did not misreent us. >> That's not what I said. >> You're saying that Dr. McCall misrepresented that the chief had asked for SRO. >> Correct. >> And the chief is saying that that did in fact not happen. >> He made them misrepresentative representation. The >> chief is saying that he did not ask for SRO. >> Correct. >> Okay. So again, I can't speculate to what conversations transpired, but I can state to the conversations that were had with the chief with us that is not what was happen since
0452023. >> Correct. And additionally, I went back and I watched the board of public works from 2025 where he asked for approval for the MLOU that was approved in 2025. no concerns were raised. The agree that was that it was mutually agreed upon and again I went back and I watched 2026es after I talked with the chief directly. So again I don't I don't understand the I could understand if there's a safety concern, right? And I think we all take that very very seriously. Um I I can't I can't speak to what occurred between conversations that we were not part of um or who's saying she said he said right but I can tell you that we sat in the executive session with Chief McIntyre and assistant chief I can't remember um and we asked
046pointed questions it was a great conversation and that is what test. >> So, Miss Watkins was in a meeting where Dr. McCall said his recommendation for this SRO had not been made and that the email making that recommendation was sent to everybody that had been sent the prior January. >> Okay. So, so this is this is one of the things. So, now we're at the point where we now have the fifth and so my conversation with me and I I really hate that you're having this across the conversation because this is not where we should be. And so we've already had these in-depth conversations. We've had two executive sessions and so we've done our work and now we have the fifth SR, right? And so we are now at this place. Dr. McCall and Chief
047McIntyre has sat in meetings with us and we were able to see how well they work together and then now having this aid conversation. So I guess my point would be We're still having a conversation. Are we are we discussing character? Is that what you are bringing into this >> communication? Okay. So now, and so let me just end that here so that we won't keep having this back and forth conversation. We already um thanks to some questions that that John has brought to the committee, we have already gotten and spoken with the ISBA. Ashley has worked um tirelessly to make sure that we have this set on our agenda and so we are moving into the next phase because we are trying to keep our commission and we are trying to be better communicators
048but we're also trying to do it respectfully because what we have to remind ourselves is that not one of us is speaking for the entire board. We are one fifth of the decision and we all are clear on where we stand on the conversations that we had. So what we are going to do the next another two weeks is collectively have a training with ISDA to address some policies to address how we are conversing with the community making sure that we're able to have those conversations and even now I'm going to share what I had to share with the board is we we talked about some conversations that we could have with teachers during the week the teacher appreciation week where we can break up and go into schools during that week and converse with
049teachers so that we can hear some ideas and things that they have as well is because we have been to me of the five years that I four and a half years that I have served on this board one of the best and most effective communicating boards since my five years here and all I can say is I hope we get better but we are asking that the community continue to work with us and not against us. This is not a blast against the council and the school board. If we are going to continue to represent Valera in the way that we have students here present, we are always going to speak on behalf of students. We are always thinking about students. And so when you bring your concerns the way that you do, we
050genuinely go back and discuss those. I hate the open door rule because it takes too long for us all to talk about that one issue. But what I can tell you is what we have done is we continue to talk regularly and um we I am always gonna applaud the Lord because that's what I believe that we've done in the five years. So I thank you Mrs. Hunt for continuing to I really do but respectfully Mrs. Hunt I really do thank you for that concern every concern um that came this evening and any other time than now. we are doing that is that listens and we go back and we try to figure out by law the best way that we can communicate and serve the community and so we thank you for every comment
051that was given tonight I don't even have anything else to share because I didn't know we were here tonight but here we are and sometimes that's necessary my grandmother would say sometimes those things are necessary um so thank you for bringing that to life and um just expressing one Is there anything else want to share? >> I think that the the process that we go through trying to figure out how do we get to be better at communication community that is important. Um I think sometimes there is a misunderstanding of what we're supposed to be communicating about what to whom and when and what different groups go roles are in decision-m and policym but yes we are looking at what policies do we have we are looking at guidance through um the state school board
052association of what types of policies would be appropriate how can we make changes that make us more effective at receiving feedback from the community because I agree that 3 minutes if that's the only form of communication that wouldn't be enough to get to the bottom of a lot of things. So, we're trying to figure out the best ways of moving forward to open it up that doesn't completely derail every single meeting but still allows for there to be communication back and forth. How do we get word out about, you know, school district priorities and projects and updates? Great. We have different ways that we can look at doing that, but we have to make sure that we're doing that in a way that complies by our our obligations, that complies with the law, and it
053is practical and is going to be better than what we have right now. So, yes, I agree there are lots of of ways that we could hopefully try to prove. We are trying to do that. Um, and if there are, you know, specific issues that you want to raise, communicate, raise them, send an email. It doesn't mean that you're going to get an answer right away. That the board is going to be able to make a decision right away because we have to look at what the facts are, what the law is, what the obligations are, how that affects everybody before we just up and change policy. Um, that's a big step that has a lot of potentially unintended consequences. We want to make sure that we're doing things in a way that help the
054district going forward and don't create more problems for us going forward. So um by all means bring the concerns here. Uh as soon as we have a you know workable new policies we will discuss them in this format so the public knows what it is that we're proposing about proposing to do um until we have a a proposal on the table. We're probably not going to be you know doing too much noise back and forth about spitballing in public until we know what our options realistically are. So um bring the concerns as soon as we have something for you we will bring that back and have that as an open discussion here said that there were three of us who said that John actually mentioned better communication that does not mean about K and Carl
055because they share those sentiments as well because we had those conversations. So just in case anyone was wondering who the three who were concerned about that communication that would be John Ashley and myself but I'm sure Carl and K also feel the same way because they share that with us and so we're glad that we had this conversation tonight. Um there is nothing else. Anything else? All right.