001let's go Training Site I'd like to call this meeting to order Madam Treasurer would you please call the roll here Mr Mr here everybody please stand and join us in the Pledge of Allegiance I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America one nation under God indivisible with liberty is justice for all thank you and welcome to the September 6 2023 area Board of Education meeting I'd like to introduce our group up here uh to my right is board member Mike gebhartz to his right is board member Elaine sequin to my left is board member without the red shirts I know right I don't know I'm telling you you must not have got the memo there uh Annie karstoffman uh to her left with the red shirt is board member Lynn Hauser
002and our superintendent on the end and down on the end is Colleen ahold our Treasurer okay big meeting today we have a number of people to talk here for us we have nobody signed up in advance for 15 minutes but we have two people that have signed up today for a five-minute discussion and the first one is Wayne when would you uh is the microphone is there a microphone there there's no microphone um it's Amy it's in there it's in the drawer in the drawer the secret compartment yeah thank you okay it's on I can hear it okay sir would you uh please for the records that your uh name and address for the record and then you will have five minutes just before I speak you have no way of knowing that I'm hard
003of hearing so if you address anyone address me I need you to do two things speak louder than normal and make sure that I'm looking at you now I don't anticipate questions because I did read your web page but if that were to occur I ask that you do that okay okay let me get started could you state your name and in your address please uh my name is Wayne pretty am I being heard yes yes gee that's a hearing okay my name is Wayne Preddy I live at 525 Georgetown Avenue in Illyria I'm obviously a resident of the city okay the subject that I'm here tonight deals with specifically about the upcoming lgbtq Plus History Month it may you may not be aware of it but I found it on the internet October has
004been designated by parties unknown this is a month to celebrate it and I am here to give my thoughts and opinions regarding what the district should do now I have observed a disturbing Trend where it's not enough that our nation has June as a pride month there seems to be an incredible desire that it has to be continued throughout the year now I do not know what mandates you are under I was hoping that you had legal representative can tell me but for an example I know that the state of California has laws regarding lgbtq students but since this is Ohio and I've been here 13 years and it's a conservative State I doubt if you have any public laws that you have to comply with if I'm wrong well that's I'll address it later
005uh second though is I am sure there are two two things I'm sure that you're under you have received some Communications from the United States Department of event at education now you may have actually received it from their civil office of civil rights they off that office office often produces the information I know this because strangely in March of 2021 the Biden Administration in published a blueprint program for gender and gender ideology essentially the consider the United States was going to be a world leader one thing that caught my eye was about eight pages in was a section that said excuse me okay the the title of the section was fullness of government now that scared me because the that means the executive branch is committing is committed to promoting gender ideology that scares me
006so I do believe you're going to have something and if you don't thank God for that and lastly you're going to be pressured by the lgbtq community excuse me the lgbtq plus Community although given how what I've stated so far the correct mathematical operator is to replace the plus with three dots which is representative representation of a continuing series now excuse me I need to look at my notes what do I want you to do I'm not sure could chairman could you tell me how much longer I have two not two minutes I'm sorry repeat slowly two minutes two minutes sir thank you okay what do you what should you do and I have tried to acknowledge I know you're going to be under pressure and as I tried to acknowledge you may be under
007mandate where the Department of Education has said sent you a dear colleague letter or something of that nature if I had my way I would say do nothing I would ask you to be neutral okay that's what I would ask you be neutral this topic is dividing as a topic that is dividing our nation now as a sidebar to you no one in this room would know me because I live under a rock I only come out to go to appointments and run errands the very fact that I came to this meeting shows you my concern okay now as I've been alluding that you're gonna you're gonna have pressure if you do I'm going to give you three words excuse me for three verbs be moderate temper your endorsements and More in line with my
008thoughts resist I know it's going to be difficult I know that you run the risk of having somebody in the lgbtqa dot dot dot Community its allies and its Advocates will labor you as a homophobe transphobe a bigot and a hater I know that's going to happen to you because that's the standard defense but I know I'm getting to the end of my time so I just would like to make please give me two things even if I go over first of all I'd like to summarize it please please do not pay homage to the diversity equity and inclusion God and I spell the word god with a small G lastly what was my last point I'm terribly sorry but I didn't follow it well your time your time is up sir I'm sorry chairman
009would you please repeat repeat slowly your time your time is up thank you your time is up thank you thanks sir thanks for sharing that okay okay uh we do have another um person that is signed up um Jennifer is also signed up for uh five minutes um and Jennifer sir don't forget your king thank you um Jennifer will ask you to also please State your full name and your address for the record please yeah they want it for the answer it's I'm Jennifer maiden and I live at um in Elyria and 41126 Butternut Ridge Road okay you have five minutes I was just coming to the meeting because we know the teachers are under ever so much stress and pressure these days and Julie Oka was the principal at I'm sorry the associate principal
010at Elyria High several years a year or so ago and she started this ball rolling I had brought a concern about some things that were going on where I was placed in the school and when she left Courtney Griffith who is the associate principal there currently kind of took over that and I met with her several times I also met with my department chair Mel Rainey and I cannot tell you the difference of them making the change in my location has done for me as a professional and I just wanted the board in the and the superintendent and everyone to know that these people Mrs Griffith and Mr Rainey and also Angie Perkins who's also a principal at the high school made in my year I've come in and it has been a 360. I
011was kind of isolated where I was I had colleagues now I can talk to it's been a long process but they didn't give up and they kept pushing forward Angie even called me this summer in July like probably almost when she was probably off if not off and said you know I just want to let you know class things came out and your room's the same but we're working on it you know and I just thought like that compassion and that time and that care that they took and the fact that they didn't just like forget about it in the mound of stuff that they have going on as well as the pressure they're under and I just wanted to recognize them so I would you know just want to let you know that Courtney
012Griffith Mel Rainey and Angela Perkins really did um Good by me in the respect that you know they really heard me and has made literally a huge change I've taught this District 26 years and I feel like truly part of the high school because I actually see people and I'm talking to people and I have that communication and stuff going on so I just wanted to let you know that they're making changes that maybe you guys don't know of or don't hear we all hear about the bad stuff and all the stress everyone's under while they relieved some of mine so and I'm sure there's many other people behind the scenes but those are the three I have had contact with so I just wanted to give you that little happy day and good let
013you know that those people are doing good by their teachers great thank you thank you for sharing that I appreciate it very much you have a good day okay thank you okay that's uh that's good news good to hear all right so those are the only speakers we have signed up for today but we also do have a recognition today which uh is very exciting well the uh Jody Jackson Jody all right building principal you can stand stand away Paul there you go so I'm really excited to join you all tonight um about I want to say maybe three weeks ago we received an email from um the College Board and the College Board is our um has oversight over our AP programming um we are so excited because one of our students received an
014award through the College Board her name is Grayson Lottie so Grayson is a team one senior and I will also say that Grayson is 15. she graduate or she turned 16 Monday Monday so we're excited to yeah to have her come tonight and for you all to just um recognize that she's doing big things um the award that she is receiving or has received is the National American and National African-American recognition award um and we're proud of her she's also for our building she's in link crew she's a member of our upstanders group she is a part of our black student union and she also is a tennis she's a student athlete so um Grayson come on up we want to acknowledge you [Applause] couldn't remember wow well that is outstanding congratulations uh Grayson and
015you definitely make us uh proud the Pioneer Family so that is uh outstanding um thank you Jody for sharing that with us all right that is great so moving along on the agenda um that is for the presentation and the visitors we'll move along to business now um Board of Education items the August 16 2023 minutes have been posted hopefully the boards had time to review and I'll ask for a motion to approve some of the motion by board member Gebhardt do I have a second second by board member car stop and any comments or questions with non-medim Treasurer would you please call the roll Mr cuphart aye Ms christophen aye Mr Hauser aye Mr Seguin aye Mr Alec aye motion carries Madam Treasurer if you have action items for us this evening I have
016a couple yes to approve the task purchase orders in order to comply with the purchasing procedures and then we also have half a dozen donations for school supplies and book bags from the United Way of Greater Lorraine County Elyria police department amfest post 32 Mercy Health Lorraine Laurel sweet Baptist Church Fraternal Order of Eagles and the woman of Faith the woman of Faith Community of Faith okay that's outstanding that's good to hear do I have a motion to approve the treasure action items so moved have a motion by board member car stop and do I have a second second by board member house or any comments or questions should not Madam Treasurer would you please call the roll Ms christophen aye Mr Hauser aye Mr Gebhart aye Mrs Seguin aye Mr Alec aye motion carries
017Madam treasure any other reports for us this evening just a short report I'm finalizing the Appropriations for this school year so that will be on the next board agenda and then also working on the November five-year forecast okay great always look forward to the five-year forecast okay moving along on the agenda here uh Madam superintendent you have super action items for us this evening just one tonight to approve the home instruction tutors and after school program for this school year and that is it for Action items okay do I have a motion to approve the superintendent's action items promotion by board members do I have a second support was that support support okay and support for uh board member Gebhardt any comments or questions with nine Madame treasure would you please call the roll Mr
018siegwin aye Mr Gephart aye Mr Surfin aye Mr Hauser aye Mr Alec aye motion carries Madam superintendent you have Personnel action items for us this evening I do indeed first of all to approve the resignation of the following certified staff member also to approve the appointment of the following certified staff and just as an update we're up to 38. substitutions we've had to borrow a few for some leaves so that's why we're only 38 the building substitutes we also have uh 13 I believe building Subs so that's over and above okay for 38. good yeah also to approve the supplemental contracts for the 23-24 school year hold on that's a couple pages on there um to approve the following payment to work the rental events for the 23 24 school year to approve the following
019District game workers for this school year to approve the following athletic supplemental contracts for District certified and non-district staff to approve the termination of the following staff member to approve the appointment of the following classified staff member and that concludes my Personnel action items okay do I have a motion to approve the superintendent's Personnel action items I'll make the motion motion by board member do I have a second I'll support okay second by board member okay any comments or questions any questions on that support would you please call the roll Mr Gebhardt hi sequin aye Mr Surfin aye Mr Hauser aye Mr Alec aye motion carries Madam superintendent do you have a superintendent's report first real short tonight can't believe we're already in week three many schools started this week so it's kind of nice
020with construction winding down that we're starting earlier also a lot of our swc action is starting in in many of our our Athletics we have as you know to go watch Grayson play tennis we have football cross country is doing very well volleyball I'm sure I'm forgetting one but um lots of action going on also tomorrow um you may see a few of us sheets is opening over there in Elyria and they are donating 2500 to our Special Olympics program so a few of us are going over to get a check so to speak um and uh we're looking forward to that one of our students is going to receive it and believe it or not Apple fest is next week I'll be making uh I don't know Mr gephard are you coming Tuesday making
021sandwiches okay we'll be making ice cream waffle sandwiches for the uh Rotary on Tuesday and uh we will have a hopefully an unveiling of our new Schoolhouse on Friday at the um Apple fest so are we selling cookies yes we have 55 dozen 500 000. oh you probably they'd be pretty upset if it was only 55 I'm sorry Amy's doing the camera tonight so everyone talking to the camera um 500 dozen cookies for sale oh wow that's great okay and we won't have a one left I assure you all right um but that concludes uh I just want to thank everyone for a wonderful opening this year and things are going well good hearing a lot of good things about it this year too one question on the stadium is there anything left over there
022for the sports any uh construction items to do with the stadium still uh we are pretty much uh putting the last finishing touches on the punch list the rest then would be just what we we dream about in the future right um but what we worked on um just a few tweaks okay good glad to hear it okay thank you madam superintendent Board of Education we don't have any business items on there uh any Board of Education items for the good of the cause no no no no no all right and we do not have an executive session um so with that we will move to adjournment do I have a motion to adjourn so move as a motion by board member second by board member Gebhardt all right Madam uh treasure would you please
023call the roll Mr starfin aye Mr Gebhardt aye Mr Hauser aye Mrs Seguin aye