001Morning. We are going to uh begin today's uh special meeting uh April the 7th, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. Uh as always, we'll begin each of our meetings with the mission statement. New Philadelphia City Schools will provide all students with the opportunity to achieve their highest potential to become educated, self-sufficient, and responsible citizens. We are committed to providing every student a diverse quality education within a safe and secure environment through a dedicated, innovative, and highly qualified staff in partnership with parents and the community at large. Now, will you join me in the pledge of allegiance, please? I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Anybody have the roll call, please? Monday.
002Mr. Gallentine. Yes. Mrs. Shrock here. Miss Fontana. Yes. Here. Mr. Rick. Present. Mr. McMath. Here. We have a quorum. Thank you. Okay. Uh item two, approval of the agenda. Recommendation to approve the agenda of the special board of education meeting. Additions or uh deletions uh to that agenda. Do I have a motion? Is this where I move to put the substantive? No, sorry. So move. This is just a second. Okay. Any discussions? Okay, we have the uh roll call on that, please. Mrs. Shrock, yes. Mr. McMath, yes. Mr. Gallentine, yes. Miss Fontana, yes. Mr. Rick, yes. Motion carries. Thank you very much. Item three, recommendation to provide temporary approval for board policy JFB release time for religious instruction. Uh, do I have a motion, please? I'll move. Do I have a second? I'll I'll second.
003Thank you very much. uh discussion. I would like to move to uh replace the agenda policy that's currently linked on the agenda with the substitute policy that was put in our folders and distributed today. Thank you. Do I have a motion? Well, that was the move. I apologize. Uh do I have a second then? Second. Thank you. All right. Discussion, please. Um, I just would like it to be noted that, you know, there were a lot of things we talked about and concerns about, um, what we would have in the policy. Um, some of the things that we talked about were a notice to all parents that the district shall not provide any pair of professional supports or IEP accommodations for students who attend the RTRI pro uh, program. Uh only adults who have provided
004verification of the required criminal record checks will have the ability to pick students up from the school building for the RTRI program. All students must be returned to the school building by the specified time after attending a programs implemented under RTRI and no students shall distribute RTRI snacks or materials to members of the school community. We ultimately um decided and Amy assured us that that would be implemented in polic or in procedure. So I just wanted everybody to be aware that um those things would be included in procedure. Thank you. Is there any other uh discussions, questions or concerns? Yeah, I have I have questions. Go ahead, sir. I have questions. So, I'm just seeing the substitute policy. So, I get I get court curric I'm in support of the court curriculum portion of this.
005I'm in support of the transportation um including transportation of students for disabilities. Of course, um explain to me the the BCI FBI records. I could do that. So my question Amanda is it seems to be different. It is. So what are we asking for on the substitute one? Um the substitute one is one that will actually protect children. So if isn't that what our district policy does? Well I think that we should change our district policy because no I don't believe it is tight enough to protect children. So under the original one, say I live in Ohio for 5 years and I'm able to prove that and I apply for the position. So that means I would only have to have a BCI check. However, 7 years ago, I lived in another state and was
006convicted of a sex offense. You wouldn't know that unless you did an FBI check on me. Okay. So that's why Okay. And how often are we doing that? Like is it following district policy where they do it when they come in or they begin volunteering and then every 5 years unless they're out of state? No, that is not in the substitute policy. That's in the original policy. So where does it say that it has So what are you asking for in this policy? In the substitute policy in Yeah. So the substitute policy, the sponsoring entities proposing to provide religious instruction during release time shall be required to provide the district with BCI and FBI records checks for any and all instructors and volunteers providing a release time course in religious instruction. Such record checks will
007be at no cost to the board and any sponsoring entity proposing to provide religious instruction during the release time must provide updated documentation of such checks if and when their staffing changes. The sponsoring entity will provide verification on an annual basis that it has permitted or that it has not permitted any individual to serve as an instructor or volunteer who has been convicted or pleaded guilty to any offense that would preclude the individual from employment in an Ohio public school district. The sponsoring entity will ensure that all individuals who serve as instructors or volunteers enroll in the Ohio repback system. So, how often are you requiring volunteers, whoever wants to volunteer for this? It says annually. It says annually report on an annual basis. Verification on an annual basis. So, what does that mean? That
008the entity has to provide an the district on an annual basis that they've done these or does it mean they actually have to have new ones? Every year? They have to provide us with verification that this has been done on an annual basis with all of their volunteers and staff. But then the part where it says how they will that somebody has not been convicted or pleaded guilty to any offense that would preclude. So they're going to prove to us annually that this has been done. Okay. Say they're with him for two years. Yeah. Entity. Okay. If they're with them for two years, say I'm working with an agency for for two years, but sometime in that two years, I do something, right? It's going to pop up in ratback because they're also going to
009be enrolled in rap. So, every year, so how often do their volunteers have to have BCI and FBI checks? It'll we don't have to say that they have to do it yearly because they're going to be in ratback. Does that make sense? Is going to require them to do it annually. Wrapback is the system that will ping if they do something that's a violation. I'm sorry. Yeah, go ahead. So, kind of like similarly as a PTO volunteer, I have to turn in I have to sign a form and present it to the board and the board has to approve me every year. This is a little different, but not really. they just the entity has to provide their verification to the district every year that everyone is still good under their check. So if you
010have um an FBI check, I'm not sure how long and 5 years, it's good for 5 years. You don't have to get it every year. You have it, it's good for 5 years. If something happens in year three, the ratback will get it and it'll tell and it'll let tell you now. So, how does this differ from our district policy for that that we require as a district? Um, well, if somebody lives out of state before, like outside of this time frame and we're not FBI checking them, they could have sex offense convictions on their record and they could be working for our district. So, I would think the policy committee needs to get together and tighten up that policy. If they quit, move out of state and come back. They have to do both.
011If they Yeah, they would have to do new one. But I'm saying if that's never been done in years ago to hire, they have to do both. They have to do both. They have to do both to hire. Okay. Then they have to keep up with the BCI and they're doing back. They have to keep up with the FBI. Every 5 years employees do a new FBI and then they're in ratback. So they let us know. But if they leave and come back and move to another state and come back, they have to do their they have they have to do it again. They have to do it again. Yeah. This is not different than our volunteers are only required to get BCI checks every 5 years and they are not in wrapback. Our employees
012get both. Our volunteers volunteers BCI checks every 5 years and they are not in So PTO doesn't have to do this. No, but P I would argue PTO they're in our buildings with our staff um usually within some capacity of the district and this is something that is taking place offsite. They're taking the kids. So this is just um with parent permission. So Right. Correct. But still I don't care how you cut the cake. people are going to say they left that you they left you, they went here, and then they came back to you. I think this is just a way just to really protect kids. I guess I understand that. I just I don't And I hear Amanda, you saying that you think we need to tighten up other areas, but those aren't
013tightened up. So, we're asking in this policy more things than what we're asking in our other policies. Are you saying that you're putting the priority is to be consistent with policy and not the safety of children? I'm saying we need to do both. I'm saying we need to have safety for our kids, but right now our district our district let me finish. And we change our district policy. Yeah, that's how we do both. I think that's something that we need to look at, but right now I kind of feel like we're discriminating a little bit here. We're picking and choosing what we want to be tighter on because with this policy that's like everything else I'm good with. I'm good with everything else. I'm except for you're good with everything except for the part that
014makes sure kids aren't getting sexually assaulted by people. I'm just trying to clarify. That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that I'm not good, that it's not consistent with what with what we are already doing. If what we're already doing is not good enough for this policy, then I like I like that's a safety issue. Like I'm not okay with that. But I'm not okay right now with singling out religious entities and making them do more than what we're making other entities do. That's all I'm saying. If I may jump in, I'll s uh go off what Jen was saying. My wife volunteers down south. Mhm. And you know, she takes Mia down. And that's that's your dog. Yeah. And she's not permitted to take the kids, like if she wanted to take the kids
015out into the playground to have Mia do tricks for them, she's not allowed to do that without a a staff member with her. So they will not allow her uh with just a be BSI uh check to even be in the on the playground by herself with the kids, you know. So I I guess what if I may and Jen, you can correct me on this. What she's saying is with our volunteers in the building, uh, we have staff members that are there along with that have had the the FBI exam. Whereas these people, if they just had the BSI, there would not be a staff member with them that has the FBI. I I hope that's kind of what you It is. And if if they were I mean if they were coming to
016our facility and had a room set up like any other special then I could understand the discrimination argument that we're just doing this for this group of volunteers. But it's the fact that these kids are going off site and back that I just that I just think it's a common sense safety. Yeah. Yeah. And parents are given permission parent that the students parents and or guardians submit a written request to the building principal that consents to particip participation in this policy. So the parents are providing for that to happen. And so like me personally I just I think that we're restricting entities with of religion more than we're willing to restrict other entities. Are you are is your concern like is your concern the possibility of being sued? Sure. Okay. Sure. I I think that
017I mean I think when I would argue that I think that's always possible. I would if if what was on the table is that we were going to be getting sued, I would rather get sued for protecting kids than not protecting kids. Because any good lawyer, a tort tort lawyer is going to say, "I don't care if this piece of paper says that the school isn't liable. If something happens to their child, and I don't care if you signed a waiver, if something happens to a child, I'm going to sue this body and this body and everybody in between and let it fall out and and the everything fall how it may in the courts." Yeah. And you know this is also this is also setting it up. So let's say because we know you
018know we know of a few entities kind of gearing up and preparing. There are some that really aren't you know there's a there's hail there's an atheist organization. So even though they're not religious under this they would still qualify. They're going to have to have the FBI too. So we're not just discriminating against a certain religious group. It's any any entity that would qualify under RTRI that you take our kids off of here has to be an FBI. That's Yeah. So, because I don't have issues with them being FBI. I just have issues that they have to do it more often than other people. They don't have to do it more often. It's not more often. It's the same It's the same time schedule as ours. So, if if I volunteer for this entity, how
019often do I have to have myself checked? No, you you get it. You get it when you start. Okay, you get both. You're entered into that wrapback and those checks are good for five years. Okay, but say you're 3 years in and you do something, it's going to alert in that system. So when the annual documentation showing like no, you know, everybody's good, it's going to ping this person isn't good anymore. So who's paying for the annual ratback? Is there cost? No, it's No, it says in here it's no cost to the district. No, but who pays for it? Is there a cost to it for it to be done? No, there is not. Not at all. So, the entity doesn't have to pay for it. The volunteer doesn't have to pay for it. Wrap
020back. It just automatically happens. Is that you have to enroll in wrap back? The who enrolls the entity? The entity individuals individuals have to enroll themselves and link themselves to the entity. There's kind of a process. There's an initial cost to that. um they do it I I believe after they get their fingerprints done then there's not an additional cost to that but annually they have to do that no once they're enrolled you're in you're in okay all right so there's no extra steps to a volunteer no just the process itself of enrolling in Rapback okay so how's it different other than what automatically happens with Rapback how's it different than what we currently have we don't require our volunteers to get any FBI checks. This is exactly checks good for five years. Yes, correct.
021Correct me on this. This is exactly what we require of our employees. Exactly what they have, but since she's a volunteer, she only does the BSI, but it's not. And correct me if it's VCI BCI. I'm sorry. Too many letters. Too many letters. Uh but correct me if I'm there's I don't want the misunderstanding. We are not requiring that if let's say you uh were decide to volunteer for uh this entity that you have to have the the two checks done and pay for it every year. It's just is done when you're first there in five years. The only difference is that you're gonna have the rat back, which I called a rat back, but it worked for me. It worked for me. So, that's the only the only difference is the automatic thing that
022happens. There's a couple differences. Yeah. Good. So, employees, let's start there because there's three groups of people here and they're all slightly different. Okay. For employees and coaches, when they're hired, they get FBI and BCI. They are also enrolled in RAP. Every five years they repeat the FBI only. Okay. They do not repeat the BCI after their initial hire. Okay. But that's for employees. That's employees. Okay. Current practice for volunteers. When they begin volunteering, they get a BCI check. Okay. Which is the Ohio check. BCI is Ohio. Yep. Every 5 years they have to repeat the BCI check. Okay. As long as they are continue to volunteer every year, but no FBI. But no FBI. This policy says initially they have to get FBI and BCI and enroll in RAP back and then um I'm
023unclear about the time frame that they have to repeat those. I know FBI checks are good for five years. So Amanda, I think I heard you say your intention is to tighten up the volunteer policy so that it kind of reflects this. Yes. Are you mean MPs? Yes. M schools volunteer policy reflects this. And what like what do you when are you thinking you want to do that? Uh as soon as possible. Okay. So what so you want it to basically you want volunteers to go through the FBI check too. Well I and and Redback especially given the events that have occurred within the last year. I'm sorry. Say that again. I was sorry. Especially given the events that have occurred in the last year. Okay. Do you want me to be more specific? No.
024Okay. Well, you were looking at that's why I was like just process it. Okay. That's why we build a guy. Okay. So, in good faith, you're saying that your intention is the policy committee's intention is to pursue this for a volunteers. So, anybody that's going to volunteer in our district. So, basically, it's going to line up with with this policy cuz that that's that's my biggest struggle is just the inconsistency. I mean, I we could get a meeting on the books right now policy committee. I'm sure Denver would loves that. No, he would absolutely be willing to do. Not don't use the word love. Two different animals, but I mean whatever I mean I support whatever the policy committee decides to do. I just I think they're two different animals. They are. I I understand
025what Jen's saying and they are two different animals, but for this for the safety of students and the district, I think both need to do that. And I'm going to be I'm going to be upfront on it. You know, uh I I would be and Amanda will beat me up on this. You we'll have to have a lot of discussion on because I would be a little concerned with if let's say Jen is just going to volunteer the Christmas party with her kids, you know, and that's all she going we're asking her to pay an extra $40 because it's like $22, you know, to uh do the be CC BCI 22 for the BCI um a total of 68 for both of them. So you see where I'm coming from on that? If if she's
026just going to walk in with into her classroom and do the Christmas party and that's all she's going to do. We're saying you got to pay $68. You see what I'm saying? We we'll discuss it. I'm not saying I'm against totally 100% against it. I'm just concerned that we're going to put that kind of a extra thing on financial stress on our our parents on on people. Yeah. I'm sorry. After listening to everyone, um my opinion is, you know, if we're going to air on the side of safety, then I side safety. If you're with that child at all, then you need to have both checks. As far as I'm concerned, $40 or no $40. or you're so you're telling me $40 is too much to protect our children. I'm going to disagree with that.
027I'm going to say if we are going to be airing on the side of safety, all volunteers, all employees, everyone that's interacting with New Philadelphia City School students shall have a BCI FBI background checked. No other clause. That's it. That they have to have them. we are going to protect our children because even when you get that and you are clear doesn't mean that child is safe. All you're doing is checking to make sure that in the past there's been no convictions of anyone that has been involved with a child. So me as one board member, I think volunteer employee, anybody that has a chance to be alone with a student and you can't tell me being a volunteer that you will never be alone with a student that something doesn't happen in that classroom
028that the teacher has to leave and you're there with the students. That is true because sometimes when I've gone in as a RIP volunteer, I've been corner of classroom. Yep. It does. Things just happen in a classroom. My wife was a teacher. Things always happen. And you are putting that teacher in a bad position by saying you have to be with that volunteer all the time. You have to look at the other side. You're looking at from your side as a volunteer. I'll never be alone. Look at the teacher side. That teacher has to guarantee you're never alone. You're putting you're putting the pressure on that teacher when she or he is responsible for 30 to 35 maybe 60 students. I think to protect the school district and protect those teachers, BCI FBI shall be
029required for all individuals interacting with our students and I would like to see the policy committee to get that together and put it in line with what we are putting online today. That's why I wanted to have the discussion. Thank you. I say good good wisdom. So Amy, Julie, how would that impact our volunteers in the like how do you see that impacting volunteers? Is there any negative outside of them having to go through the step to do that to be at a Christmas party? Um well, it's definitely going to be um a cost for some of them, which may deter some from volunteering. I I cannot say that but I would imagine that some may do that be deterred but outside of a cost outside of a cost um okay you know it's going
030to take more a little more effort on our part to monitor that and do all those extra checks but it's doable about how many parkish about how many volunteers would we normally see in a year oh my goodness and I know that's a terrible question we got we got our board agendas Yeah. I mean, when we lots athletic volunteers, it would have to be every band volunteers. Well, yeah. Yeah. Wire volunteers. Yeah. I would like to see a policy that reflects that. Okay. Good. Yes. I think you guys are very wise. I And if Yeah, I'll just That's all here. We can get why we're here. That's the consistency. I got something I'm looking for. Um, and I Yeah, I see I see a teacher out there shaking her head. Yes, that's good. Good. And
031and I know what the pressure is put upon her, like I said, when she has volunteers in there if something goes wrong. And that if should be protected as much as we can to help you. That's cool. Any more discussion? Any more concerns or questions? Can I ask a question? you you go ahead. I just I just I I see in the policy here that you've included all graded courses that have state approved learning standards into core curriculum. Thank you. Um but I I I would I would love some clarity on what constitutes an absence. How many minutes out of a out of a class constitutes an absence? For example, if someone's pulled out of if they're pulled out of their recess time to attend this section and they come back into their 30 minute
032music class 20 minutes in. Is that absent or is that present? That would be absent. What's What's the What's the number of minutes that because now we're missing right time in that. Well, I don't I don't want to say that would be absent because I made I may have missed that but that is missed instruction time. Yeah. So Amy Yeah, Amy. Yeah. The intention is that they would not be missing any time, right? Of course. Um, so I assume you're talking about a situation if they come back late or Right. Um, and I know that things happen and that that could happen occasionally. I just wanted to know what constitutes just just how much time they could miss a class and and that would be okay with us. What happens when a junior senior comes
033back from lunch late? I was just going to take fall under our tardiness policy. Yeah, there's a tardiness policy in the school. So So tardiness? Yeah. At the elementary, they don't do so much with tardy because it's not the students typically that are responsible for the time that they get to school. At the high school, it's a little bit different. Do we have do in Philly? Is it like three tardies and the students get a detention in elementary? Is that um I don't believe they do that at all in elementary. Okay. I elementary student issue and that has always I've had districts where I'm like, "Kid doesn't give himself to school. What do you mean?" Yeah. though I know. Yeah, they I'm not in school no more so they don't have to worry about an
034elementary kid coming late. That um clearly as far as getting back late and how that might impact absences. I know as far as attendance, we have to mark the time students get back. So, if they were later than the they were to be back, I'm just going to say 1:00 and they got back at 1:05, I think we would need to note in their record that they got back at 10:05 and that would be 5 minutes of lost instructional time. But those are clearly something that we will need to work through and add to the procedures as well. And I and I I guess more what I was asking was it's not is it our intention that none of these classes will be shortened to allow for this? That is our intention. Yes, that's what
035I Yes, that is the intention. Do you have any other questions? Any other questions, concerns? I do not. Thank you. Well, good. Any other questions, concerns, ideas? Well, I guess we would then uh voting on the substitute. We would be voting. Now, make sure it's clear. We're voting on the substitution. Okay. voting on the substitution. Okay, go ahead, please. Miss Shrock, yes. Miss Fontana, yes. Mr. Gallentine, yes. Mr. Rick, yes. Mr. McMahon, yes. Substitute policy is a motion carried. Thank you very much. Now, do I go back to the original? So, I think you have to go back to the original. That's what I think I don't think I was done. Yeah. Point of order. I think you had to when you second her motion to use the second one. We needed a vote to
036do that first and then you need to go back and make the motion that we just did to vote on that to be accepted. Say that again. Do that one again for us. When we we did the original recommendation to provide the approval of the board agenda agenda no of the rec number three yes we you took a first from Denny and took a second from Mrs. Shrock then Mrs. Shrock made a motion to amend and use the second policy. Shrock first it, Fontana second it. We needed to vote that in whether or not we could use that. Yes. Okay. Once that was voted in cuz we just discussed that. Now we need to vote that. Now we have accepted that. Now we need to make a motion now to approve the amendment to number
037three. as got the motion was made is what you need. So you need two votes to I need to move. I already have she already did it. We need she needs to vote that we got truck on first and second. Now we need to vote on we're voting on accepting the number two substitute policy. We have already have the motion first and second. Now we need to do a roll call. Wait a minute. So we vote Let me get this clear. So, we voted to substitute it. That's the vote we just took. Okay. So, now we're voting approve it. Except approve. Okay. Voting to approve the substitute policy right now. Okay. Thank you. Need to make a motion for that. Yes, I do. All right. I thought you had the motion. You had the motion
038to put the second in. I have a motion to replace. That was dropped. Now I need a motion to accept the recommendation to provide a temporary approval. Yes. But you can't have a motion on can't use because that was under the first one. Yes. That was the first policy. Now we have the second policy on the floor. A motion and a second and then a vote to actually adopt it under as a temporary as a right. Second. Do I have a motion? So move. Do I have a second? Second. Okay. We are now going to vote to accept it. Second policy. That's on second. Amended policy. Amended policy. Substitution. Everybody clear on that? So you know what you're going on? So to approve this substitute. Okay. Mrs. Shrock. Yes. Miss Fontana. Mr. Gallentine. Yes. Mr.
039Rick. Yes. Mr. McMath. Yes. Motion carries. Can I make Please, we have a point being made. So just one point about this notice that it was a temporary approval. that is because it is required to be in place according to law by Wednesday. So, this puts it into place. However, our board policy um procedure says it has to have two votes. So, it will have another vote at next Monday's board meeting for the final approval. So, it is in place as a temporary and then it will be in place as a final as of next Monday. So, and that keeps us in mind with Yes. Yes. Mr. Can I ask a question please? Yes, sir. We have the power under board policy to suspend rules in emergency that we could suspend the rules and vote
040that which we don't have no reason to do that in this instance. I just want to make sure it's the same as Robert Rules says. Yes. Okay. And we need three fifths to approve that. So okay, we we can let it go because there's we already have it here and just do it the next meeting. So just Monday, right? Okay. Thank you. Is everybody okay with this now? Any questions? I know. It's too late now. Saying too late, Danny. I'm just making sure nothing's in Vietnamese, right? Denver, Denver. Sorry. My phone is now Everything I get on my phone is in Vietnamese. Well, you can move over there anytime you want. I guess I will. I think you can change that. Yes, I think you can. Someone can change it. Settings here. I apologize. I
041digress. All right. We're going to go on to uh item four in the agenda. The recommendation to approve the resolution in support of the fair funding plan. Okay. I have a motion. May I have a second, please? Second. Just a second. Uh questions andor discussion. I just Yeah, please. I know we all have tirelessly been working some around the clock in support of public education and public schools being funded. And I just want to say I appreciate everybody's work on this at all levels. Um it's it's not easy. I think um you know people see us at our meetings you and they see here but they don't often see what is happening behind the scenes all the time and the and the work you know as board members and administration that we're putting in and
042we're talking to our legislators and we're meeting with our legislators and and we're going to outside meetings and we're going to conventions to continually advocate for public education. So, I just I just want to thank everybody here for the work that everybody is doing to help support our kids and our teachers and our schools. Thank you. Any other questions, concerns, or discussion? Okay. Could we have a role on that, please? Mrs. Shrock, yes. Miss Fontana, yes. Mr. Gallentine, yes. Mr. Rick, yes. Mr. McMath, yes. Motion carries. Very fast. Okay. Before we go on to the agender, I just want to kind of hook on to what Miss Fontana had said uh especially on the uh board policy uh JF release time. I want Yeah, it's been a morning. Uh I want to thank board member
043Fontana and superintendent uh went work by this a rough morning. Monday, it's a Monday uh for their hard work on that. They have put in tremendous amount of hours working on trying to hammer out a fair uh policy. I think they've done an excellent job on that. I I want to let everyone know that the two of them really put in the and I'm I'm not joking the hours of time on that one policy. Uh so I do want to thank them both for what I think is a a fair fair policy that's going to be good for our our district. I apologize for that. My brain is dead today. All right. We will go to uh So moved. Okay. That was a German for those out in the public. And go ahead. I guess
044we Kelly second. Mr. McMahon. Yep. Mr. Rick. Yes. Mr. Gallentine. Yes. Mr. Shrock. Mrs. Shrock. Yes. Miss Fontine. She's like, "It's Monday. Monday." So, now you got her laughing. It's just That's fun. Motion carried. We're all right. And we got Julie going.