001I welcome everyone to our February 23rd, 2026 board meeting. If everyone could please rise for the pledge. I aliance 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. >> All right. Thank you. Uh just a reminder if anyone would like to address the board this evening, we do have speaker forms on the table to the left here. Uh let the record show that all members are present this evening. Is everyone okay with the agenda? >> Do we have any communications? >> We do not. >> Thank you. Okay. Right on to item seven, board committee update. A, finance committee. Mrs. Sanders. Thank you, Madam President. Um, finance committee. Tonight, I was joined by Mr. Mallaloy and Miss
002Rafi, Mr. Fiser, and we were we had a guest in our meeting with Mr. English. He shared some really exciting information. Um, he shared that they're looking at starting a peer-to-peer class at the high school that's similar to the class at the middle school. Um, it's gonna be minimal cost to I'm sorry, no cost than the staffing that's already there. He said the students are really, really interested, including some that came from the peer-to-peer class at the middle school during 8th grade. Also, he'll be bringing to us uh replacing honors calculus with an AP pre-calc class, which also is several interested students for several sections to run and that's going to be a minimal cost for training for the instructor and the students have opportunities for college credit. Moving on with Mr. Bnooki. Um, let's
003see. still going to be talking with PFN for uh the bond negotiation refinance. So, we are going to be able to maintain the mills that we're already at with that. Um review the easement purchase um offer, thank you, from Crown Castle and the cell tower. Um he's going to go ahead and counter their offer and see what they have to say. um several projects going to be very very busy. Our act 18 uh discretionary funding is going to be used to put the LBT flooring in at BTC and they're also looking at new playground equipment. Um middle school athletic complex is slated to be completed this summer. So we're very very excited for that. Finance can be exciting. Never thought I'd say that. Then they're looking at uh putting in or replacing the fencing for
004the building trades area at the high school. See, um several reports were presented to the finance committee tonight. Our comparison of investment incomes from July 2025, so sorry, July to December 25 and July to December 2526. We reviewed our budget amendment and I ah and our revenue and expense comparison from January 3125 to Jan January 3126. And that'll conclude my comments from finance. >> Thank you. Item B, the policy focus committee. Mr. Mrs. Budro, Madam President, tonight the policy committee um met with Dr. Shatka, Miss Williamson, Miss Picassio, Mrs. Childress, and myself. Um, ours was a little bit shorter than yours. Um, our agenda had to do with our facility dogs and um really the update that the um TDI, which was a therapy dog international, is uh appears to be no longer in business
005or is closing it stores. So, uh we kind of discussed what that looks like for us. we're looking for a, you know, another partner uh for the organization to have our our dogs certified um throughout the district for different employees. So, um kind of went over why we think that it may have happened and and we're going to get some more updates as time goes on. >> Thank you. Item eight, presentation A, Onyx facility dog. Mr. Fischer, Mr. English, Miss Palace. just making yourself comfortable. I love it. >> I know. >> Good evening members of the board. >> Place to stand here. Uh so we've got uh our wonderful two facility dogs here. Uh Zade which we met at the last meeting um and Onyx who's here with us tonight. And uh so we just
006want to take a couple minutes talk about our teams, how we are deploying the the facility dogs around the district. So we are fortunate to have two dogs, two teams um looking at Onyx uh supporting the high school, Cambridge, Douglas, BTC, Burgger Baylor all along that Maplewood uh corridor there. Um and then team Zade at the middle school, Farmington, Memorial, and Lathers. And so as you can see there, I won't read all of the names of of our hosts uh and our handlers. Uh but we have a lot of interest and a lot of support across the district as we work through uh getting everyone trained and certified. Um you know as uh we did hear a little bit about uh our challenges with therapy dog international um so as we work um to overcome
007that um and find some additional programming um but we will make sure that everyone is uh certified. Uh it's been a great journey so far participating with everyone in the training um as we get to see how you know comfortable we are how comfortable the dogs have grown too um in supporting uh our students and our staff around the district. All right, we're very excited about this and part of this really is when people say, well, you know, even myself back before we we started this was what what is the purpose? What are we looking for for bringing facility dogs into our buildings and we had a couple bullet bullet points to really look at. Uh really first and foremost, it's to reduce stress and anxiety of students. Uh and also reduce the stress and
008anxiety of staff, right? and and we've seen that time and time again now that we've had the dogs in the buildings and uh also too it really works well uh with some of our parents and as they meet with counseling staff or folks and they've got the dog in there maybe they're discussing a sensitive topic or discussing some issues related to grief having the dog in there is just it's it's very advantageous uh the dogs really provide therapeutic support and what I especially appreciate is they promote ote empathy. We see kids, they've got something they can immediately identify with and relate to. Uh they've got a source of support and trust with the dogs. Um and we who we look at as part of our handling teams, we know that it's to enhance and enrich
009the work that our social workers and our school counselors do on a daily basis. And when you look at who the handlers are and the host of the dogs are, they are our ancillary team members. So like Miss Bellis, our high school social worker, uh you know, at at the high at the middle school, uh Miss Reeves, one of our counselors. So it's really having the dog there becomes complimentary to the work they do with kids in promoting trust. Uh creating a a relaxing environment. Uh the dogs are also goodwill ambassadors to the buildings. And as we take the dogs around the district and we push into classrooms, the response has overwhelmingly exclusively, I say, been positive. Uh kids have received the dogs very well. We know the staff, including Mr. Johnson back here at
010tech director, has received the dogs very well. Gotten positive feedback from parents. I've enjoyed having Zade, who's just down the street. He comes in, he'll visit us during our cabinet team meetings and he brings a degree of levity uh and just uh ambassadorship, you know, to the district to the district the buildings including central office. The other component we're looking at is we get the dogs around uh get other folks certified is developing that reward system for PBIS and looking at opportunities when buildings have good attendance or they meet certain attendance threshold thresholds or performance thresholds and classrooms have behavior goals that they meet the dog can then you know be used as a reward mechanism to go visit those kids right uh so we have been fortunate uh to secure uh several different streams
011of funding uh for the facility dogs including title four which is a a federal grant um that is allocated by the state. Uh so that's for safe and healthy schools. Um and part of right healthy schools is is focusing on mental health and support. Um we also just received word uh just last week the Charlotte Helen Bacon Foundation uh which was started uh after the the New Town uh tragedy um to support uh therapy and facility dogs in school as well. So, we just received a few thousand dollars uh to support our initiative as well as some general fund support. Um and then we're continuing to look for additional grants and partnerships um and other opportunities um because we know right with uh live living creatures here there will be additional needs as the years
012go on. Um but certainly well worth it. And just to you know piggyback on what Mr. Fischer shared just a little bit ago too about the support for kids. Uh I have seen firsthand um you know stopping by the middle school seeing how uh just the presence of Zade can change the atmosphere if it's a a charged office environment and upset students or upset staff um right that things instantly uh change right there's a sense of calm and and levity as he shared too um even tonight right uh I think there's a smile on nearly everyone's face uh as we watch um you know play and also just be um so uh it it has been uh a journey um so far since December quite literally too. Uh so we we participated uh in our
013official round of therapy dog international testing. Uh so this was in AASO, Michigan. So our team there of uh Natalie Reeves, Brianna RP both from the middle school um and then Renee Bellis and Aaron Harker from the high school. So traveling there in the evening uh it was uh quite an experience uh as there were many other dogs testing. It was also an interesting night where I think there was a there were several basketball games, a choir concert, a play, uh random people walking through the school. Um but the dogs did really well and we got to learn a lot as well. Um it is also hard to believe, right, that that the dogs are both about a year old. Um so certainly they're learning, we're learning. Um but they they did so well that
014night and are continuing to do well. Um and that was just a picture of our team there. Um >> after >> Yeah. after we had tested. Yes. Um, >> and and I I will share one other thing too that we've learned in the in the training that we've done with Avery from Unleashed, who is the uh the business that we purchased the two dogs from. As a dog owner and dog lover, I've learned pretty quickly over the years what I've done wrong with my own dogs. So, it's it's been humbling and a learning experience for I think everybody for sure. Um, and so, uh, we've got just a couple of slides. So, from some initial visits around the district. Uh, so here's Zade at Memorial. Um, and certainly there's a level of comfort that varies
015amongst kids, but also, you know, it's it's very wonderful to watch kids become more comfortable as the dogs, you know, grow and and make more of a regular appearance around the district. Onyx. And then there was a little a little competition between administrators um just to have a little fun and just how sweet the dogs are. Um, of course some uh snapshots from newsletters and I think every building has shared um right the dogs who have visited um and just kids those are high schoolers uh right just loving and appreciating. I've been at the high school several times now too and just watching the kids who you know as they walk by and they see Onyx and then of course they're trying to be beline into the counseling office and make a stop and it's
016okay let's go to class, let's go to class. Um but certainly uh there's a level of comfort and a friendly face. Some more photos from the high school. And then so some next steps. Um so we are right now currently working to find some alternative certification routes for handlers with those challenges with uh TDI. Um just a minor setback. Uh nothing insurmountable. Um and uh we know many other districts around the country um really it's an international organization that they are you know working through that process. Um and then so once we work through that we're going to have some additional visits have that regular schedule going on uh for all school sites and then of course we're continuing to connect with community partners for sponsor sponsorships um as as we grow the program. >>
017So kind of looking at the future of the program and where we see it going. We're going to continue to showcase the good work of our facility dogs, right? Continue to share in our newsletters and our Cougar Pride mailer what our dogs are up to. Uh we're going to keep the dogs accessible and visible. Uh once we get our other handlers uh certified, getting them around the district and creating that Google calendar and you know having Miss Bellis, then she'll pass the dog off to Miss Cho over at Douglas and Miss Cho will be able to pass the dog off to uh uh Patricia Severy in the Burgger program and really so kids across the district have equity with access to the dogs and having the dogs uh get climatized, if you will, to our
018our our buildings. Uh consider growing the program. I know that there's already interest from staff and students on the community at large. When can we get another dog and add another dog? So, as we on board these two dogs and and get our process down uh and looking at uh future grant opportunities, is there an opportunity for us to onboard another dog? Maybe specifically for the Burgger program? Absolutely. How else would we grow the program? Uh as Mr. English shared through some of those sponsorships, right? We've got a wonderful relationship um with Morrison Animal Hospital with a significantly discounted rate. We know that we've got a partnership in place in support if we need it uh for Lucky Dog to board the dogs. Uh we're working with a local groomer. And then I know we've
019already got a meeting scheduled with the Garden City Rotary Club who's interested in providing a sponsorship for the dog to go to some, you know, food cost and that type of thing. And likewise, I'm assuming Kuanas will probably want to be part of that as well. And with that, I don't think we need any any introductions. I think that was a perfect segue in timing there to hand this off to Miss Bellis, our esteemed uh general ed social worker from Garden City High School, and our good friend Onyx. And Rene is going to just share a bit about what she's been working on with Onyx. >> Well, first of all, she has an abundance of balls to chew up. Some are in indestructible, others are, but this is one of our favorites, Michigan. Um, Onyx
020started to stay with me December 17th after we were tested up in Elaso. And since December 17th, she has actually alternated weeks with me and Aaron Harker, counselor at the high school. And what's interesting is that Aaron has four children under the age of 12 and I have grown children out of the house. So I just have a cat at my house. And so she has the best of both worlds. She loves playing with the kids at Erin's house. When she's with me, she goes in my backyard. I have dogs on either side and she runs the fence and just loves being able to play. Oh. She is so mildmannered and and chill and it has been amazing. Made my job easier because I'll have students come down at the high school very upset, very
021stressed out. And as soon as they walk in, tears coming down the cheeks like this, they see her and I don't even have to say anything because she does all the work in the beginning. Okay? They want to just get down there, hug her, love on her, give her a treat, and then before you know it, I start to do my job, and it's like, what were you upset about? And hey, it is amazing. Um, at the high school, I'm there five days a week. So, what I've started to do is go to the different entrances where the buses drop kids off, stand inside the hallway, and greet the kids when they come in. Um, I've been over to Douglas once, uh, Baylor twice, and BTC, my second time, will be there this week, and
022I'm going back to Baylor. Haven't gotten to Cambridge yet. Um, and until we can get our other handlers trained, Erin Harker and I are going to take turns taking the dogs over to the other schools. We just have to work out that schedule now that we have this news. And Look at that. You did. Yeah. Oh, okay. Um, >> okay. What What are you going to do now? >> Next. >> Where's your toy toy? >> It is one one thing I'll just add to about like being at entrances. And so, uh, I've watched Zade at the middle school like greet students. It's almost as if the students are maybe more excited to see him as they walk in some of the adults. I mean, like a celebrity, right? I say late students too when they
023walk in. What a like a warm way to welcome. >> Oh, for sure. The smiles. You don't see these kids coming in just with a poker face or on their phone down and they're like over there ready to peck her. I keep her on the leash, of course, when I'm in the hallways. Um, but then the way the high school counseling office is set up, we have an enclosed glass wall. So, we let her roam and the kids can come in and she has her regulars that come at lunchtime to throw her ball, play catch with her, and so forth. Um, and when she's tired, she'll let us know. She'll just go hide in one of the back offices and just crash. So, today she was very tired like by I couldn't couldn't get her
024to go anywhere. She just wanted to sleep the rest of the afternoon. So, she perked up when I told her we were going to see the kids. You're the kids. >> We're going to see the kids. She knows what we're doing. We're going to school. We're going to go see the kids. Just in a final note, I was having breakfast with some of my friends over the weekend and one of my friends works at Schoolcraft and she was telling me they have five >> comfort dogs. >> I've met all of them. >> Great dogs. I coach out of volleyball at school craft. >> That is >> and they walk around with them. Wonderful. >> Yes. So it's becoming a much muchu more popular. >> I will share too in my experience seeing the dogs in
025the building visiting the dogs. Uh they both have their unique personalities. You got to meet Zade when we had our board meeting at the middle school. Uh you get to see how relaxed he is. Certainly uh Onyx brings a different dynamic, but nonetheless, uh is is is cheerful and and trustworthy, and they are both what I'm so pleased about both of the dogs, both Onyx and Zade. They're both very intuitive. Uh and it comes very natural for them to maybe identify a kid who may need a little extra love or a little extra kindness. And as they go through classrooms and as they visit kids, they're they're both very just intuitive and thoughtful uh about approaching kids. and it seems like they they they just have the right instinct uh giving kids exactly what they
026need and that it makes it all worthwhile. >> So, thank you Garden City. >> Thank you for bringing these dogs to these kids and to staff because they have been a game changer. They really have. >> Yeah. And this is a product of you, like as I shared, working with Avery uh from Unleash Dog Training. And Avery had brought some of her earlier trained dogs uh to a couple uh statewide conferences. So, you may have seen Avery in the past with a golden retriever or a uh a longcoated collie. Um and that's how we first were introduced to Avery and we started that dialogue and that meeting. And we we knew that with the intense training and with the resources she brought to the table as well as the facility which Miss Bellis has gotten
027the opportunity to visit that it was a top-notch organization. It wasn't just bring your dog in, get it stamp certified over a hour and a half period. Uh it's pretty extensive with the credentiing as well. So, we were we're really happy to bring this to the district and personally I want to thank the board for their trust and support and enthusiasm about this as as we bring an opportunity for our kids to have an added resource something a little extra special. >> Miss Bellis, thank you. >> Thank you. >> And your job is done. You can clap out. >> Okay. Item nine, comments from the audience focused on today's agenda. And we have none. Item 10, approve approval of general consent agenda items. A, regular meeting minutes of February 9th, 2026. B, building committee minutes
028of February 9th, 2026. C, curriculum committee minutes of February 9th, 2026. I felt like I was there was more to it. Motion is in order. >> So move support. >> All in favor? >> Any opposed? Motion passes. Item 11, new business, a human resource report. Stacy Williamson. >> Thank you, Madam President. This evening's human resources report details the following. Six notices of retirement at the end of the school year from six of our teachers. Um, two resignations are noted as well as the onboarding of one new employee in our act 18 program. So, if there are no questions, it's my recommendation to accept the report as presented. >> Motion is in order. >> Support. >> Any discussion? All in favor? >> Any opposed? Motion passes. Item B, network infrastructure. Michael Johnston. Good evening everyone. >>
029Might be a tough act to follow. >> Yeah. >> Yes, I do. >> Um I do want to say Zade has been down to our department a few times and it's been very helpful especially for me. So yes, uh we welcome all the time. So uh good evening. Uh this evening I uh I had been in front of you recently uh asking that uh allowing us to go out for bid. So, Garden City uh schools solicit solicited proposals uh for the purchase of network equipment and fiber cabling and the installation of that. Uh after initial posting uh of the RFP, we had a slight modifications. the specifications that I had in the RFP uh was equipment that was going to be at the end of sale, meaning we would probably no longer get it if
030it was after the date of uh July 1st. So, I made an addendum to the RFP that was submitted and it was accepted. So, we were accepting anything in that proposal that was newer, okay, that still met specifications. So, we did uh provide an addendum that was posted that was posted on our website and it was posted on the state of Michigan site for -ate um funding. Uh we went ahead and opened the seal bids on February 12th at 2:10 p.m. over at the middle school and there were total of four vendors that provided proposals and those vendors four the four vendors that uh proposals two of the proposals were for fiber only meaning they did not provide any equipment they were just providing a proposal for the actual uh fiber installation. There was another
031that was both uh amcom and division 27 which is limited liability company. Uh third vendor was peopledriven technology. They provided a complete uh proposal meaning network switches the installation and fiber cabling. So that was the only full proposal that we had from all the vendors. The last vendor that we opened up was EORT solutions. Uh they provided us a bid, a proposal that was for hardware and the installation. Uh after reviewing, we did some reviewing of the products. I reviewed it with uh Eric uh Bun and Jason Bun. We went through those to make sure they met at least the the minimum specifications. Uh in regards to the hardware, both companies uh uh EORT and People Driven met the hardware specifications. Uh although we were looking for in addition the fiber installation, what we were
032basing our evaluation on was best value or the total cost of ownership, how much it was going to cost to install. Uh did the specifications or did the bid meet the technical specifications and they did the two did. Was it scalable? So could we change it, modify it, add to it if we need to in the future? Yes, both were. Uh I also looked at the experience and support that either could provide the two vendors that were going to provide the hardware both did. All vendors did permit or or provide pref uh references uh all those checked out as well. So based on all that those criteria uh the best the the peopledriven technology bid response was the complete one and one that was low bid uh for the entire project. So it's really I
033have a recommendation in front of you at this point in time and it's uh a recommendation that we accept the proposal from peopledriven technology uh along with accepting their voluntary uh alternate which was different components which still meets our specifications which also reduces our overall cost and that was the transceivers. So the total amount would be $354,588 for that proposal. The one thing I do want to mention and I did mention it in the uh in the board packet that this is -ate. The entire amount is -ate and our rate is based on free and reduced lunches. In our past it's 8020. We typically pay 20% of that total cost and -ate funds the other 80%. The other thing that I have always asked for is that for the vendor to go after the 80%
034from the universal service fund. So they they we only have to uh pay that initial 20%. So So it is my recommendation that we accept their proposal. Any questions? M >> Michael, can you share with the board overall what what would the district cost be? You know, considering the 80% rate reduction, what would the cost to the district? It would be about $67,000. That would be our total cost of the district for switches in every one of our uh schools. >> And is this general fund money? >> I believe uh that would be a general fund expenditure. Yes. >> To match to match the the 20% for the 80% e- rate covering that. >> Correct. >> Thank you. >> Uh motion is support. >> Any discussion? All in favor? >> Any opposed? >> Okay, motion
035passes. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. You will not have to go out for any type of network upgrade for the next 5 years. All >> right. Thank you. Have a good evening. >> Thank you, Michael. >> Item 12, comments from the audience. And we do have one this evening. Uh Vicky Typton, if you would like to come to the podium here and state your name, and you have three minutes to address the board. Hi, I'm Vicki Tipton. Um, mother. I have a few kids, various grades at, um, neighborhood friends, too. I'm kind of like the neighborhood mom. Um, and I'll I have been overhearing and also personally feel this way about all the news. Um, sorry, I'm a listener, not a speaker. Um, I have been hearing and also feel about all the
036news. I'll say about the Life Touch photography company that's been coming out. I don't feel like the need to get into specifics. Um, but I've been hearing concerns and people have been saying they want to make polls on Facebook or this this and that. And I was like, well, hey, I'm coming tonight. Maybe I can just get it out there that there's concerns, you know, ahead of spring photography, um, photo cl, uh, sorry, yes, spring pictures and yearbooks. Um, I don't know if it's too late for this year and what's done is done, but if it's something, you know, I know I have friends in Dearbornne schools and they came out publicly against, you know, that they were going to try to come up with um, a different solution, a different company. Um I was
037wondering um you know if we h here have thought of any of that you know heard any of it and that's all >> I'll have some comments specific to life touch during my commentary. >> Okay thank you and that brings us to item 13 review and recommendations superintendent other central office handman. >> Yeah Miss Tipton I thank you for coming. I had a couple emails. I've responded and called some folks. Uh board members, as you know, consistent with the information shared in your Friday board packet. You know, we are aware of some concerns. Uh and some districts taking action uh breaking contracts with Life Touch. Uh Miss Typton, since you're here, I'll share directly with you. Uh I hope the district knows and I hope the community knows how um much of a priority we
038place on student safety. So, let me preface my commentary with that. I will share that my own son uh has his school photographs done with life touch. So I'm speaking to this not only as a superintendent who's invested in the safety of our kids um hopefully as a thoughtful parent although my son may see it other ways as from time to time sadly such as like having a teenager. Uh board members as you know and Miss Tipton please know that I did reach out to our legal team. I did have extensive conversation with our life touch rep. Uh and let me just share some facts. um with you as we've explored this and as I like to share, peel the onion, right? Um Life Touch provides school photos literally to thousands of school districts across
039the United States. Life Touch is the number one provider of photos for schools. Uh they also do prechools and I guess preschool photos are a thing now, too. And daycare centers. Life Touch is involved with that. Yes, they do yearbooks. Uh I was at Douglas today and perused and we had numerous yearbooks there in the uh MRC and those those were Life Touch products. So as I shared I have reached out to our legal council with Miller Johnson reached out directly to Peggy our Life Touch rep our longtime Life Touch rep going back to the time when I was high school principal. What I will share is what directly came from both her regional reps and the Life Touch CEO. Live touch has extensive privacy safeguards in place and school photos are only shared with
040the parent and the school district. No outside agency or third party has access to photos or saved information related to students. Live touch honors and implements rules and guidance specific to FURPA. Um Live Touch is a 90-year-old company. They're one of the oldest providers for school yearbook photos. And while they are a part of Apollo Global Management, which is a holding company that owns over 300 separate companies including Lifeouch, Liveouch operates as an independent company from the holdings company, which has no direct oversight or involvement in the way Live Touch works. Some facts. I think this is important, right? Because we know things can get put on Facebook and we respect what other districts may do. And certainly as we move down the road, I do have some meetings coming up this week where we're
041going to continue to look into this. But let me just share some of this factual information because I do like facts, right? Because I know things happen on the internet and it's easy to get anxious. It's also easy to be I don't want to say swayed, but maybe misled by information that isn't necessarily factual. >> So Live Touch was purchased by their parent company. Board members, I shared with you what that parent company was. My wife loves gift cards from them. The parent company is Shutterfly. So, Life Touch was purchased by their parent company, Shutterfly, in April of 2018. Shutterfly was then purchased by Apollo Global Management in September of 2019. So, these dates are kind of important. Jeffrey Epstein died in prison. I'll go ahead and say his name probably just once. He died
042in prison in August of 2019. So he died in prison, was already incarcerated before Apollo Global Management purchased Shutterfly, right? So we can lend some authenticity to the feedback that we've been provided directly from the CEO of Live Touch. If you dig into the Epstein files, neither Shutterfly nor Live Touch is named at all in the Epstein files. It is true that a former CEO of Apollo Global Management, a gentleman, I won't say gentleman, a man by the name of Leon Black is named in the Epstein files. There is no connection to him and the over 300 companies that are a part of Apollo Holdings. Leon Black left Apollo Global in March of 2021. So, this gentleman who is named hasn't been part of Apollo Global uh since March of 2021. Leon Black is a
043holding company officer. Never had any direct access or involvement with a numer companies, numerous companies owned by Apollo Global Management, including Life Touch. Again, there's over 300 companies that Apollo Global Management has within their holding company. What is going to happen? What do I have this Friday? As vice president of the Wayne County uh school superintendent association, I have another meeting with my peers, my 33 superintendent buddies from across Wayne County. This is a topic of discussion of the additional discussion with them. I have another another call with Miller Johnson. I am circling back to Patty and Miss Typton. I'll be happy to circle back to you and maybe you and I can meet and go over any other additional concerns you have. Uh and then we can look at what we want to do.
044You know at this point what I will share uh dis discussion with legal discussion with um our rep from lifetouch and and the regional folks from lifetouch you know I'm reasonably assured that there's no connection to lifetouch and viv shutterfly their parent company and I think most a lot of people use shutterfly by show hands I know I have >> right >> um to the Epstein files so that we can have some reassurance with that we know that uh we can be reassured that there are safe procedural safeguards uh specific to the way life touch manages the the photo process and I was one thing that I was enlightened on um and pleasantly affirmed by is that all of lifeouch's photographers there they don't use contracted photographers many of these companies many life touch not
045included use contracted photographers the folks that touch us are all life touch employees They all have been uh background checked, right? So there there we we we can rest assure that there's safety there. Um so do I recognize as a parent and as a thoughtful hopefully thoughtful school administrator that there is some concern? Yes. Will we have a message that'll come out once I have all my bullet points so thoughtfully organized? Yes. Um and we'll go from there. But I thank you for coming out. Maybe you what I'll do is um later this week maybe you and I can touch base and just have some difficult conversation. But I thank you for coming forward. Much appreciated. >> I just I'll come to the neighborhood and yeah, you know, kind of you guys are on it.
046I'll call on the water. >> Yeah. And like I said, >> yeah, what I don't want to do is I don't want to escalate a situation that doesn't need to be escalated. And what I want to do is make sure that my facts are exactly that, facts. And as I peeled the onion on this, the facts that I've shared with you as a board, uh, as recently as Friday afternoon, Friday evening when I put your board memo out, uh, remain validated. So, Dr. Shaka, it looks like you might have something to say or you're good. >> Thank you very much. >> Yeah, you know, I like to do my homework. I may have gave you a little bit too much information, but >> I appreciate that. I appreciate it as a parent. >> Yeah. >>
047And again, I know board members, how many of you will have kids that are photographed by Life Touch? >> Been. >> Yes. Or have been, right? So, we get it. We live it. Like I said, I live it, too. Uh my home district where I reside, my high school son has pictures. We've done my life touch. Uh, and what I will share, and I don't want this to sound um, dismissive or sarcastic, I think what what we need to be aware of is parents put their kids often at more risk by the photos they place on them through social media than we do through secured photo vendors that are protected by Furpa and have procedural safeguards in place. >> Mr. Will you explain more about FERPA? >> Yes. the Fed uh family educational rights and
048privacy act. And what that means is there is strict safeguards specific to confidentiality and the management of uh print and electronic files and they those cannot be breached. Right? And we know that out of all of the photo companies ironically uh the company with the strictest policies is Life Touch. And we know that the school pictures what is it? It's a competitive business. So will I share that some vendors have taken advantage of some of the negative and maybe >> I'm sure >> less than authentic press that Live Touch is now experiencing. By the amount of emails I've had over the past four or five days, I can say yes without doubt. Uh there are some sharks in the water that they're wanting to uh monopolize this and maybe take advantage of the situation. Does
049that mean we care less about student safy? AB: Absolutely not. And as I shared, I I will be sitting at a table like this in a room full of superintendent uh Friday morning and it'll be one of our topics of discussion and I'll have another update and like I said, I'll get something out soon as I have some additional facts, additional input from Miller Johnson, our friend Adam. um we'll get something out to the community and I've responded to some emails, had a few one-on-one calls and I'll be happy to meet with Miss Typton later this week and maybe give her some information she can share to her community friends is that community mom. >> That'd be great. >> So, >> yes indeed. Um what I do I you know with that being said I
050really want to give a shout out to not just Miss Bellis right who is here with us this evening but all of our folks from across the district who have uh embraced our K9 companions and our good friends uh Mr. English included are part of our our dog teams. Uh it's exciting and I again I appreciate and thank the board for their trust. I tend to be cautious and skeptic uh sometimes, but once I met the dogs and got to work with them and once I really embraced everything that Unleash could bring to the table, I got very much excited as a dog owner about bringing the dogs to the district. And uh as we were going through this process, I think Stacy and Kevin had to talk me off a ledge because I was
051like, we're not just getting two, we're going to get three. Do I hear four? Do we hear five? >> Um you know, I wanted my own dog team. I think, you know, I was inspired. No, but it's it's gone very well and Kevin's been wonderful and and gracious and thoughtful for listening to me uh and managing the grants and Renee has been all of our hosts uh Renee and Natalie in particular as the primary hosts for the two dogs have been very thoughtful and uh passionate about the work and it's uh it's good work. We you know classrooms look different than they did I a long time ago from when I was in school. Uh that's good. We would have never dreamed about bringing dogs into the school back when I was a kid. And
052uh I think it's a wonderful wonderful thing and the enrichment and comfort and empathy that it brings to the daily setting is uh it's truly a blessing. Uh with that we'll talk about some other blessings. Congratulations to our PTA for another uh successful founders day and hometown spirit awards. Uh it's just what will be next? I don't know because it's going to be a hard one to top the Harry Potter. It was amazing, right? It was a full room and and Miss Picasio, you are continually setting the bar higher and higher for yourself. >> It was a Yeah, it was. You are. I mean, how how will we live down that Founders Day with Harry Potter and that wonderful room and those decorations. >> We're going to run out of space. >> It's It's like
053kind of planning a wedding almost, I think, now, right? But no, a great event. I want to thank uh everyone involved in the PTA and especially for recognizing the the great work that our kids do and by nominating both student and staff alike to be recognized for the hometown spirit awards. Um I will share that I've been to other districts founders day. Uh nobody can hold a candle to ours. So good work there. Board members, a couple upcoming events I do want to share with you. You hopefully you received an email from Wayne Resa, our friends at Wayne Resa, our ISD. Wayne County Association School Boards host its general membership meeting on Thursday, February 26th. That's this Thursday at Wayne Resa um in the Boyd Arthur Audi Auditorium. Dinner is at 5:45 followed by the
054start of the meeting at 6:00 PM. So they don't waste any time between that dinner. Here you go. Hurry up. Right. >> Uh if you need a link, I've got a link I can email you. But hopefully you receive that. Lynette, can you confirm with me that did that go out? Do you know? Did you receive that? Okay, perfect. Wonderful. Uh, we also got another exciting event, another annual event, another ball. Uh, this time we got the Garden City High School JROTC Military Ball hosted at Joy Manor this Friday, February 27th, and that starts at 6 PM. I know some board members are going to be able to attend. I will be there. I look forward to that. Um, it's great to celebrate our OTC kids. Great to see them >> in uniform and in
055in festive attire. Not too sure about that grog bull, but nonetheless, it's a good event. I've talked an awful lot this evening, so I think it's time for the cabinet team to share any commentary. Are we good? All right. Well, hey, next board meeting is Monday, March 9th. Can you believe we're rolling into March? I always love moving out of February and turning to March because that means I can make it to spring. So, Monday, March 9th is our next board meeting. happy to share that that will be hosted at Cambridge as our venue and we'll be celebrating um above and beyond staff members and our shining star students. And with that I am going to conclude my commentary. Thank you. >> Thank you Mr. Fischer. Item 14, review and recommendations. Members of the board,
056does anyone have anything? >> Okay. Item 15, adjournment, >> Madame President. >> Mrs. I move that we adjourn. >> Support. >> Any discussion? All in favor? >> I. >> All right. Meeting adjourned. Thank you all for coming.