001All right, welcome everyone. We're going to go ahead and get started with our March 23rd, 2026 meeting. If everyone could please rise for the pledge. Pledge allegiance 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. >> Okay, just as a reminder, if anyone wants to address the board this evening, we do have speaker forms on the table there. Uh, let the record show everyone is in attendance with the exception of Margie Sanders. Is everyone okay with the agenda? >> Do we have any communications? >> No, we do not. >> Okay, moving right on. Board committee updates. Uh, a finance committee. >> Miss Rafie. >> Thank you, Madam President. Uh, the finance committee met tonight at six
002o'clock. in attendance were um Chase Mallaloy, myself, Miss Williamson, and uh Mr. Wnooki, and we discussed um we received an update on the Crown Castle lease that we've been talking about. Um there's really no new updates on it, per se, so we'll keep you updated. Um we discussed the uh bid phase two for the middle school athletic complex. Um there was one bidder um that we received that uh will be presented to us at our next board meeting. Correct. Yes. Um we received an update on our bond refinance. This um we'll be paying down our existing bonds and refinancing. We're going to um get a better rate and we're going to save some money on interest. So that's a great thing. And we also um reviewed our budget amendment um from our initial June budget
003that we passed. There will be an amendment coming through at our next board meeting for us to review and approve. And we adjourned at I think it was about 6:55. >> Thank you. Item B, policy and focus committee. Mrs. Budro. >> Madam President, tonight um we had the policy committee uh meeting. The members that were in attendance were myself, Mr. Kashio, uh, Miss Childris, Dr. Shadka, and Mr. Fischer. And some of the things that we talked about tonight mostly were just reviewing the Miller Johnson board update. Um, there were a lot of different some suggestions. Some of them are just minor uh, spelling errors. Um, and then there was a lot of language that was around the wireless communication device policy that went into law. Um, so we discussed that quite in in quite detail
004and how that's going to change the board policy and some administrative regulations. Um, so all in all, we're going to have the revisions will be made. Um, and then we'll we'll review those and then we'll end up bringing it to the board for review and recommendation and approval. And that is it. >> Thank you. Item eight, presentation peer-to-peer. Mr. English. >> Good evening, Madam President, members of the board. I do have a few guests here tonight um that will uh give a presentation on a agenda item for later this evening. Uh we have Mrs. Mitchell, Miss Far, and Mrs. Hashigian from the high school uh who will present on uh their proposed peer-to-peer class at Garden City High School. So, I'm Nicole, counselor, and I special ed high school. Um, and we are very excited
005to bring this to the high school with your approval of course. Um, we are really looking forward to being able to have this um, inclusion in our hallways. So, um, peerto-peer is something that we really believe in. Uh, Gwen especially teaches our certificate of completion students. Um, and Miss Mitchell works closely as a TC out and about all day long with our kids on IEPs. Um so we are really um it's near and dear to our hearts all of us in special ed of course to have our students um among all of the other students and because we really want to shift the culture and change the language that they're not Gwen's students or the COC students but they're all of our students. Um and we have quite a bit of student interests already which
006is really exciting to see. Um on the counseling side of things, we've gone through um the course request process and right now we have about 35 kids who are interested in it for next year. Um so we'll get to the process, but um we're really excited and encouraged by um the interest so far. Um, and when we talk about what peer-to-peer is, um, it's an environment, but it is a neurodeiverse environment. And the program is designed not only to be inclusive and supportive for all students, but this class and this program isn't necessarily for AP students. It's not there's not a set. So at risk students, every student could be a willing, you know, participant in the program um on either side. And it's about learning the aspects of neurodeiversity and learning about um different
007impairments and building that sense of community which I do believe we already have but it's just strengthening it and and spreading it out more. Okay. Um, and this is like a formal, it's a pathway for ensuring students with and without disabilities can meet, support, and enjoy and befriend one another throughout the day. um and addresses a lot of the common barriers that we see um by creating activities, individual supports, um addressing peer attitudes and um reducing reliance on other adults in the building and making it more of a peer, which is what it would be for them in the community as well. Um, this this is great. So, this is a picture of all of our peer-to-peer programming across the state of Michigan. We have 754 um schools within Michigan that already have peer-to-peer programs.
008Um, we toured a lot of them. Um, and they just have such success stories and we want to be 755. we want to change that number on the board. >> Um, and the numbers of just students involved. Um, and it's it's just huge. Um, so I mean, we could sit up here, we could give you a threeh hour. How much time do you have? >> We could go. We could Yeah, we'll keep going. >> Yeah. >> Mitchell. >> So, I'm Mrs. Mitchell. Um, in my old district, I actually taught the peer-to-p peer class. And as Miss Fair and Mr. Jigin was saying, peerto-peer is not just for your AP. It's not for your all A students. I work with kids who were failing classes, had low attendance rates, but soon as they got in a
009peer-to-peer class, they were able to pass their classes, and some even exceeded and became true friends. Cuz I also taught self-contained or COC. And the one struggle that a lot of my parents have always dealt with is when their child has a birthday party, no one shows up. Or if someone does show up, it's more a family. It's never that true friendship. But by those kids being a part of peers, like we had a birthday party for one of our students named uh titled Jewel and it was outside of school and it was at Zone and he cried because three peers came to his birthday party. So, it's more about the social awareness that we're trying to create within our school and we're also trying to get like um Miss Fairhead stated, we're trying to
010have it where the students are the advocates for themselves. When I mean for themselves, I'm talking about the whole entire school cuz I came from your background when people would say those are Miss Mitchell students or those are Miss Tajiki and Miss Fair students. It should be those are Garner City High School students. Those are all Cougars. So, our goal really is to first create awareness within the school. The first month of the program, I kind of keep the kids with me and we kind of learn about the different disabilities and like different situations that could occur in the classroom. I teach them about it. We do weekly check-ins in terms of where they have to do like a writing assignment. But after that, that's when we start sending them out in the classroom. So,
011in order to come out in the classroom, they have to stay with me one day. We'll create a craft or an activity and then they go to the classroom. You would be shocked to see the growth in attendance, the growth in academics, and from Miss Bear's point of view, you will be shocked to see the social growth that will happen. And like it it could take off to the point where we've had um tailgates and like we'll do like a staff versus students basketball game. So things like that just to get all students to be accepted. >> Well, and to that and um we wanted to start this on a smaller scale just to see let's test the waters. Let's see what's going on here. And we held a lunch peertopeer. During both lunches, we
012did um a small craft and had a >> coco, you know, we had >> but we let 30 kids in at a time cuz we were in a smaller room and we had to turn people away after we had done like 120 kids each lunch. And it was just I mean there's only so many peers to go around, you know, one only has so many kids in her class and Mr. Dear. Um, but it was just so wonderful to see they knew why they were there, what they wanted to do. And >> and it was very rewarding too to like step back and actually trust our students to be like good and kind humans cuz you'll be shocked cuz some of the students we thought would be like >> not so great were the ones
013who were amazing with the kids. So yeah, I'm excited for this. >> We're a little excited. >> Yeah. Um, so I think I mean we do have a video. It's a couple minutes, but I think we've shared everything that you would have seen. Um, but what questions do you have for us? >> And I think that as as the program grows like someone, >> like I said, you're going to have to give us that um as the program grows and you know, as is established, it doesn't necessarily have to be that these scenarios are happening just in our self-contained classrooms. It could be a um biology labiology lab. >> It could be a math class where you've got, you know, somebody who just excels crazily in math, right? >> And that can just sit somebody
014who's on the opposite end of that, right? Um so it can expand into other areas. It's not just specifically for that crosscategorical >> Yes. >> classroom. Right. And the program we're aiming it for 10th, 11th and 12th grade seniors or Yeah, seniors. But um when she talked about the cross categorical in terms of like the teaching and instruction. So like if we were talking about physics, how they do a lot of fire and some cool experiments, Miss Fair's class could come down and just be a guest that hour and watch and just interact with the students. They're not required to do an assignment per se, but just exposing them and letting them be involved in like a lesson is a great benefit to me. So >> is there any questions? I'm sorry. Yeah. >> So,
015I I don't want to jump the ship cuz I love everything about this. I think this is >> Feel free to jump cuz I think we got it. But >> in my brain, I'm just kind of clicking like what about the kid who doesn't show up a lot to school, maybe struggles in school. Would they, not now, but maybe later as success goes on with this program, would they be possible? >> They would. They can apply now. We're not shutting anyone out. So any kid can apply for the program. I mean we do have requirements in terms we would love for a kid to have a 2.0 GPA but there are those at risk students who you have to kind of look at on an individual basis and see like man his attendance is bad
016but I noticed every day when he goes to peers he comes to school. So if we can build those connections >> yes >> I get what you're saying but I wonder yes I oh either side. So you could be a peer or you could be a link, right? And you could be >> anywhere, any level, anywhere on the spectrum, any any level of cognition. Like that's not the determining factors. Does that make sense? >> Yes. >> So you could have peers that are at risk. So think about like peers and links. So peers would be like your focus students or your students that you're trying to support. The links are like the supportive piece, right? And did that answer that? It can be Yes, absolutely. >> It can be anybody on either side of that
017connection. >> I love your enthusiasm, ladies, and I hope you come back and tell us how phenomenal the the first year goes. >> I can't wait to come back. >> I have a quick I have a question. >> So, um, okay. First, love it. love. Anything that can teach acceptance and support and kindness, bring it. >> Please bring it. I'm just trying to like vi visualize. So, it's a program. It's not going to be a class. >> No, it's a class. >> It is a class. So, it's going to be like an elective. >> Okay. >> What I was Okay, so each hour there's going to be that makes more sense to me now. I was like, if it's a program, how are we pushing out and in and >> it is a class. It's
018a year-long class. So, it's peer connection peer-to-peer connections A and B. >> Okay. Um, so as we've done course requests with all of our grades so far, um, we have the numbers of all of those who have requested it. Great. >> Um, and you know, our will be sophomores next year had exposure to this at the middle school. >> Yeah, I remember they did. >> And so they are all very excited and peer-to-peer during intervention that we have right now >> is always a choice that's full, too. So we know the interest is there and so now they get credit for it. >> All right. Great. Thank you. >> One last question. >> Sure. >> Can they take it? You said 10th, 11th and 12th. Could they take it all three years? >> Yes. Some
019of my very best peers have been the students who are repeaters >> because by the end like our goal one day is to have like a peer connections president and a vice president and try to like have because you know they have like student elects things like that. We want to have the students really be engaged and involved. And I've also had students right now, a lot of my students go to Church Hill where they're going into special education. So the the spectrum of it is just amazing. And it it's just such a great program. So I'm really sorry. >> And we um attended a PD where we saw why >> present and their students were the ones that presented and in the middle of our presentation, the one you know had to get out
020his phone. and he's like, "I'm sorry, my peer is asking where I am right now because they're so dedicated to their kids." >> Um, and it was just like we just looked at each other and we're like, "Let's go. We got to do this, you know." So, that's why we're here. >> I just have one quick. >> Was it the students that came to you and requested this class or was this a class that >> There are a few from the middle school that did request the class, but we were already in engaged in developing it with Kevin um because he also saw it from the middle school. So, um, and it took zero time at all for Coler to get on board either. Um, so she was right there with us when I was
021like, "Hey, what about and I didn't even finish and she's like, "Yep, let's do it." She's very, very on board. >> That's awesome. Thank you, ladies. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Item nine, comments from the audience focused on today's agenda. We have none. Item 10, approval of the general consent agenda agenda items. A, regular meeting minutes of March 9th, 2026. B, building and facility committee minutes of March 9th, 2026. And C, curriculum committee minutes of March 9th, 2026. Motion is in order. >> Support. >> All in favor? >> Any opposed? Okay. Motion passes. Item 11, new business, a human resource report. Stacy Williamson. >> Thank you, Madam President. The human resources report this evening details the addition of three professional and one paraprofessional staff members. It includes one paraprofessional resignation and provides notice regarding four
022upcoming retirements at the end of June from our uh instructional support staff members. So if there are no questions, my recommendation is to accept the report as presented. >> Motion is in order. >> So move. >> Any discussion? All in favor? >> Any opposed? Okay. Item B, peer-to-peer class. Kevin English. >> Good evening again. Um, so like we just saw in our presentation, Garden City High School seeks to add a peer-to-peer elective course to its program of studies. This class would add an additional elective course to the high school's offerings, and it would support the high school's commitment to ensuring an inclusive and supportive culture uh for all students at Garden City High School. There's a significant interest by members of the student body, especially the students who participated in the peer-to-peer course at Garden
023City Middle School. Um, as we saw earlier that there are over 750 schools in Michigan with a peer-to-peer program. Nearly 22,000 students are peer partners across the state. Uh, of which nearly 12,000 students with disabilities are also a part of peer-to-peer programs. Uh, this recommendation comes with the approval of our staff curriculum and development council, SEDDC, as well as presentations to the board's curriculum committee on February 9th and the board's finance committee on February 23rd. Uh, there are no anticipated programming costs associated with the adoption of peer-to-peer at the high school as the curriculum is provided by the start project at Grand Valley State University and existing staffing is expected to cover the implementation. Um there are they are anticipating about 20 general education students in the peer-to-peer class for the first year. Um so
024I do have a a possible resolution for the board tonight um that the board of education would approve the addition of a peer-to-peer elective course at Garden City High School beginning with the 2026 2027 school year. >> Motion is in order. >> So move. >> Any discussion? All in favor? >> Any opposed? Okay. Motion passes. Item C, AP pre-calculus, Kevin English. >> All right, it's me again. Um, they've been very busy and excited at Garden City High School. Um, so they are also asking to add an AP pre-calculus course to its program of studies. Uh, the addition of AP pre-calc would replace the current offering of honors pre-calculus and it would support the high school's commitment to offering rigorous coursework for students and additional math courses to fulfill the requirements of the district and the
025Michigan merit curriculum. AP pre-calculus fits into the existing sequence of mathematics courses for students who have already taken algebra 2. And the course will also help students fulfill their college level uh math requirements for for majors and careers that do not require calculus. Uh so it is an AP course and they do have the ability to take that AP test to earn credit. Um so this recommendation comes with the approval of our SEDDC as well as presentations to the board on February 9th to curriculum committee and the finance committee on February 23rd. Uh there are no anticipated programming costs associated with the adoption of the AP pre-calculus course as the existing textbook and syllabus are already college board approved. The required summer training for the teacher of the course uh has tenatively been approved through
026title 2A funding. It's anticipated to cost $700 uh which we anticipate will be fully covered by state and federal grants. No additional staffing is required as this will replace existing course offerings. Um so I do have a possible resolution for the board uh that the board of education approves the addition of AP pre-calculus at Garden City High School beginning with the 202627 school year. Thank you. A motion is in order. >> So move. >> Any discussion? All in favor? >> Any opposed? Okay, motion passes. I think you're done for the night. >> Item 12, comments from the audience. And again, we have none this evening. Item 13, review and recommendations. Superintendent, other central office admins, Mr. Fischer. >> Madam President, thank you. Uh to start off, I'd like to request a close session for purposes
027of quarterly review. >> A motion is in order. >> Any discussion? Kathy, may we have a roll call vote? >> Lynette Childress. >> Hi. >> Chase Malloy. >> Hi. >> Jill Bterbball. >> Hi. >> Sarah Rafie. >> Hi. >> Scott George. >> Hi. >> Jamie Picassio. >> Hi. >> Thank you. Uh, I do want to thank all of the staff across the district who are involved with the March's reading month activities. I know we've been getting around at various buildings and reading the classrooms. Today over at Lathers, we had our community first responders and members of our police and fire departments reading to students. I know uh Mr. English, Miss Williamson, folks have been getting around reading. Uh, it's always exciting and and fun to get into those classrooms and read some books to the
028kids. So, I want to celebrate our uh instructional staff for the good work they're doing in recognizing March's reading month. Uh want to thank uh Miss Fair, Miss Jiggy, and Miss Mitchell for their good work and certainly their passion on the peer-to-peer program. We're excited to add that to our high school elective offering. So, thanks to Mr. English and SEDC for moving that forward for board approval. Uh, as a former special ed teacher, I am really excited about the opportunity to have a more inclusive, even more inclusive environment at Garden City High School and everything that the peer-to-peer class will offer. It's good stuff. Um, special congratulations since we're on topic with Garden City High School. Special congratulations to our high school JOTC program. uh program was recently evaluated by the Department of the Air
029Force and a very extensive unit assessment and we're very proud to say but not surprised to say that our JOTC Michigan 861 program received the highest rating of exceeding expectations from the Department of the Air Force. So congratulations are in order to our core of cadetses and a special shout out to Captain Murray and Master Sergeant Ragnon for their good work. uh ROC certainly a point of pride in the community. So great work with the program. Uh just a reminder, we've got our spring garden City High School Theater production of Frozen, the Broadway musical. That's Friday, April 24th, Saturday, April 25th, and the matinea show of Sunday, April 26th. So we got that billboard out there in front of the high school advertising that. And I know uh we can expect great things. As a
030reminder, our next I'm sorry, uh, starting Monday, March 30th through April 3rd, Friday, April 3rd, there's no school. That's of course an observance of spring break. The weather may not feel like it, but spring has arrived. And then our next board meeting is uh, Monday, April 13th. Already getting into April, believe it or not. Uh, Garden City High School will host uh, that board meeting, that next board meeting. With that, any comments from the cabinet team at all? All right, Madam President. Thank you. >> Item 14, reviewing recommendations. Members of the board, anyone have anything? >> I do. Real quick. >> Um, I've recently um been able to attend um board meetings in other districts. And I cannot tell you how happy I am to serve on a board that works so well together and
031shows each other so much respect even though we may have different thoughts and points of views and different lives. I sat there just feeling proud of the work that we put in and just how professional we are and respectful. So I I want to thank you guys for that because it was very eye opening. I was like this is how people act. But uh yeah no so thank you guys. Thank you. Anyone else? Okay, we will move into a recess, >> ladies. Thank you. >> Okay, we are back from recess. Moving on to item 15, adjournment. >> Madame President, >> Mrs. Rafie, >> I move that we adjourn. >> Support. >> Any discussion? All in favor? I. >> Any opposed? All right, we are adjourned. Thank you.