2026-02-10 Board of Education Regular Meeting

001All right, let's get started. >> Instagram. >> Thank you for everyone's patience while we transition from a meeting upstairs down here. >> All right. This public regular meeting of the board of education for February 10th, 26, 2026 is called to order. All items being considered this evening are posted on the PPS website under the board and meetings tab. This meeting is being streamed live on PPS TV services website and on channel 28 and will be replayed throughout the next two weeks. Good evening and welcome. Thank you all for being here and taking your time out of your day. Uh before we get started, just some housekeeping reminders. Um again, we're excited that you're here. Whether you're just testify to observe. Um if you have any signs or banners, just hold those below chin level so

002people behind you can see. For safety reasons, walkway aisles, please keep it clear and try not to trip. Otherwise, thank you. Let's start off with something I'm very excited about, which is Black History Month. >> All right. >> So, we uh the board is introducing a resolution that recognizes February as Black History Month. And I'll hand this over to Dr. Armstrong. >> Thank you, Chair Wong. As we enter Black History Month, we are reminded of the vital role that education plays in fostering a deep understanding of our shared past and our ongoing journey towards equality and justice. So, this is not only an opportunity for reflection, but it's also a call to action to engage and learn year round. Tonight, we have some members of our school teams to share out how we are celebrating

003black history out in our schools. So, since our chief of schools could not be here tonight, I'd like to invite up our senior director of schools, Carl Logan, to come up at this time and introduce tonight's speakers. Thank you. Thank you. Good evening. This year marks 100 years since Dr. Woodson first elevated a single week to honor or to honor the rich history, culture, and achievements of black Americans. That legacy continues today through the voices and brilliance of our students. Tonight, we are proud to be joined an exceptional team from Woodlon Elementary School. Please join me in welcoming Principal Porter Lopez and Assistant Principal Tiner who will introduce our remarkable Woodlon scholars. [applause] Good evening everybody. Thank you so much for having us. My name is Seaison Tiner. I'm the assistant principal of Woodlon School

004and this is Andrea Porter Lopez. We are excited to introduce to you five students, five incredible students from Woodlon School. They're in fourth and fifth grade. So, we have Kyrie in fourth grade. We have Ivy, we have Kennedy in fifth, Malik in fifth, and EJ in fourth grade. Thank you so much for giving them the floor tonight to share with you some of their thoughts and feelings around Black History Month. [applause] Good evening, school board directors, teachers, families, and friends. My name is Kennedy, and we are here from Woodlon School to celebrate 100 years of Black History Month being celebrated. Carter G. Woodson started Negro History Week in 1926 with the goal of fighting against insure black history and education. By 1970, it evolved into a month-long celebration and became nationally recognized by 1976. Black

005History Month is a time to honor the achievement, strength, and contributions of black people in the United States and around the world. It reminds us that black history is not just one month. It is a part of history every day. For 100 years, this celebration has often helped people learn stories that were often ignored or left out. Stories of leaders, artists, scientists, teachers, athletes, and everyday people who help shape our country. Black history teaches us about courage, creativity, and standing up for what is right. I am Malik, and at our school, we learn about people like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who believed in fairness and peaceful change and Rosa Parks who showed bravery by refusing to give up her seat which led to the 381 day Montgomery bus boycott. We also learned about inventors,

006writers, musicians, and scientists whose ideas changed the world. Many of these people face unfair treatment, but they did not give up. Their stories remind us that even when things are hard, our voices and actions matter. Learning these stories helps us grow as students and as people. >> At our school, we don't just talk black about black history once. We celebrate in many ways. My name is Kyrie. We have black a black history month assembly. Best special guest speakers throughout the month and lessons during our school day that helps us learn more. Black history and black excellence are sprinkled into our learning, not just add at the end. We learn through reading, discussions, projects, music, and art. And there is so much more that helps us understand why this history matters. This helps us feel proud,

007curious, and excited to learn. Black History Month is also about celebrating culture, music, art, language, food, and traditions that bring joy and connection. These contributions influence what we listen to, how we express ourselves, and how we understand the world. I'm Ivy, and as Wiggon Wildcats, we learned that diversity makes us stronger. When we learn about different cultures and histories, we become more respectful, thoughtful, and kind. Black history helps us see the beauty and differences, and reminds us that everyone has something important to share. As we as we celebrate 100 years of Black History Month, we want to thank all of our educators who show up each day to help us grow for prioritizing Black History Month every year and making learning meaningful for all students. We believe it is it is important to keep telling

008these stories and asking questions and listening to one another. [snorts] When we do that, we honor the past to and create and help create a future where everyone feels seen, valued, and respected. I am EJ and together we thank you for allowing us to share this moment with you tonight. We are proud to celebrate black history not just this month but every day. [applause and cheering] I heard it. >> Can we take a picture? Stand up here. Stand up right over here with all our board members. Is that okay? Can we have a picture? >> Yes. Yes. Come on up. in closer people in the back. >> Why don't you tell them if you are past Michelle? I can't see you. Yeah. Right. >> All right. One, two, three. Black history month. >> I got

009you. I got it. I got it. I got it. I got it. >> [applause] >> Thank you all. It was Absolutely. I know. I was going to say there's >> nowhere to go but down from here from from that. So, we might as well just end the meeting now. Yeah. >> Um, let's put this on the table so we can begin discussion. Do I have a motion and second to adopt resolution 7243 proclamation and recogn recognition of February as Black History Month? >> Some moved. >> Director Chase Miller moves. uh director to pass seconds. Any board discussion? >> Wait, don't leave just yet. >> Oh, actually do board discussion. Um while we still have principal Porter Lopez and assistant principal Tiner here, I just uh want to say that I'm a super super proud Wildcat

010parent and my kid comes home telling me about black history all the time. stuff I didn't necessar we talk about black history at home but he is telling me new things and I'm like where'd you hear that like Mr. Kle um so uh they just do a really amazing job as evidenced by uh these really amazing kids so thank you both >> for coming [applause] >> I won't talk much on this I just want to highlight two things in the proclam In the resolution, two sentences that are very uh meaningful and I just want to highlight uh under recital, black history is US history. And the second one, as resolved, the board of education of Portland public school supports the integration of African-American history into the curriculum throughout the entire year, not just during February,

011in order to provide a comprehensive understanding of the African-American experience in the United States. Our goal is one day that we never we don't have to have a history month because it's just part of regular history. All right. If there's no further discussion, let's move on to a vote. Oh, wait. Do we have any public comment? I forgot to add. >> We do not. >> Thank you. All right. The board will now vote on resolution 7243 proclamation recognition of February as Black History Month. All in favor, please indicate by saying yes. >> Yes. All opposed. Abstensions. Student representative RTO. >> Yes. >> Thank you. Resolution 7 resolution 7.243 is approved by a vote of 6 to zero with student representative RTO unofficially voting yes. Thank you. We did it. >> Yeah, that's it. Uh, next

012up we have the superintendent report. I'll hand this over to Dr. Armshaw. >> Absolutely. Thank you. Excited to give this February superintendent's report and of course having our beautiful babies open up. I mean there that was the mic drop. I feel like I should um say very few words, but for the sake of this presentation I'll say just a few more. Right. hard to top. I will say though that it is an honor um being Portland public school's first African-American female as superintendent and so I appreciate being part of Portland Public Schools black history. Yeah. [applause] Just want to speak on a couple of things that uh we've been up to in the last month. Um we have gone through budget engagement. I'm not going to read the boxes to you, but as you know,

013we publicly po post the superintendent's report, so it'll be available for you to view. But this is just talks about the activity and um some of the actions that we've taken from December through February. So today is the first day where principles were able to share their staffing reports with their staff. And so we anticipate those conversations happening all this week. And I know we've said this many times, but I always like the opportunity to just pause and emphasize. It's like, well, we're having the conversations with school staff and we haven't yet as a board taking taken action on the budget. But I think you know that we start this process because we have human resource timelines that's tied to contractual obligations on how we unassign staff and then re um then place them in

014roles based on um where there were reductions and and where there are openings. And so really the reason why we're in this process at this point in February is so that we can meet contractual obligations and be on human resource timelines. So I just think that's important to continue to say because I know there's been lots of conversation on like well we're taking action but the board isn't adopting the budget until June and so what happens all in between that. The other thing I wanted to share is that uh today community received a letter about our engagements and the feedback and the adjustments. And so it was on what we heard, what changed and what comes next. And so we heard things such as, you know, a desire for transparency. Uh we want that lots

015of feedback on long-term planning and not quick fixes. I think staff um really wants us to make wants to hear that we are reviewing past decisions and looking at the impacts of that and and learning from those lessons or even re-evaluating some of those. We made some changes. There was funds that were added back to school budgets to soften some of the impacts. Um, also additional reductions happening at central office and every school will have at least one one counselor. Um, so it's important to just note those. And then just what comes next, right? We still face the $50 million structural deficit unless of course there is something that happens at the state level that lessens that impact. Um, we're going to continue to work through the staffing process and share updates. We're still engaging

016with central office staff on the timelines because we know that we'll need to begin having those conversations um in the se next several weeks about those reductions and uh what that process looks like. So just wanted to let you all know that we are listening and we are responding to what we're hearing. also related the education advocacy day um at the Oregon State Capital. It says Monday, February 23rd. That is Tuesday. No, this is the second one. Sorry. Okay. Yes. And I'm going to have Deborah just speak on this really quickly. Yes. >> So excited. >> Education is so Deborah Go for Chief of Staff. education is so important that there are going to be two lobby days. Um the first one which is the one that you all I think are going to and

017superintendent is going to is on Tuesday next Tuesday the 17th. There is also an education advocacy day on February the 23rd. So if you're able to go to both great we want the more the marrier. Um, there's t-shirts that are you can online if you go to the Norththeast Guiding Coalition, somebody has created t-shirts that say red for ed. I just bought one because I'm gonna wear it when I go to the capital. >> All right, great. So, just wanted you to have those days. I think we've talked extensively about the Tuesday, February 17th, but not a lot on February 23rd. So, that's an important date. >> Can I just say one thing? >> Yes, absolutely. that important date that's organized by um community and parents for public schools as well as Oregon PTA. So,

018I just want to give a shout out to the many parents who are hustling to have honest conversations about things like revenue reform and really leading the way even like personally because of their efforts getting bills moved out of committee that normally don't move out of committee. So, um, just want to give a shout out to those parents that are just kicking butt, which is probably not what you're supposed to say at a schoolboard meeting, but you know, that's what they're doing. >> No, I love it. Thank you. We appreciate them and we encourage you to go down and rally and advocate on that day. Just want to lift up a couple of um other highlights in schools. Uh, we took the top three spots at the Oregon High School We the People State competition.

019So that's Lincoln, Grant, and Cleveland. [applause] Super excited. Don't they look great? Thank you. Um, so lift literacy readers on the rise begins February 21st and so you'll start hearing about the lift literacy campaign encouraging reading across our city and we look forward to sharing the events that will happen over the next couple of months and we encourage you to uh follow along and participate as you're able and and willing. Right. just a bright spot. Uh we have Whiten Wisdom. We have at Jason Lee Elementary some kiddos engaged in uh wonders in second grade. And so we're just super excited to lift that up and also to show you this video on attendance. [cough] So we had a lot of parents who were opting out of the day because that was often easier for them.

020So we were really trying to solve that problem >> and we had been doing these rotations one day a year, this big giant steam day. And I thought, well, why couldn't we just make it a mini version of that? We have geologists, we have designers, we have engineers. how can we really um utilize that and highlight um the talent in our community around that idea of steam? Uh and so they're coming in and they're loving it. They're coming in over and over. >> 10 20 30 40 50. >> Not only is it important in their lives, but it's fun, you know, and this is really hands-on learning and hands-on activities. >> We just had our teen day in December. We had um a high percentage of students who were here in the building. It was

021almost as high as the first day, which is always the highest day. It was just n 97% instead of 98%. >> Super excited thinking when we think about the ways that our principles are working to engage students, especially on those early release Wednesdays. So, uh we appreciate that. And then of course, as you all know, we've had a campaign, Legacies are made at at PPS. And so, uh, it's always exciting to lift up a Portland legacy member. So, I'll talk slower as we get the slides going up. There we go. Renee Watson, a Jefferson High School grad. She won the National Author Award um for the book and lots of awards. We're just super appreciative and excited that she belongs to our community and is a Portland grad, a legacy. And so, just thank you

022and continue to follow along on our socials and uh we stay true and committed to uh rising together. So, thank you. >> Awesome. Thank you. Next up, we have student representative Rardo. >> Thank you. Um, I've got a lot of things going on. So, I'll start off with DSC. So, the district student council, we just got uh our committees up and running. So, so that's been great. We had our first committee work session. Um, we've got, I believe, about nine committees. So, this year we're trying uh many committees um and smaller committees. Each committee has two to three members. Um I had them all elect a chair just so that they would all have a single point of contact so that if people you know cuz I I often get emails that are like hey

023can I come into DSSE and I'm like I'm sorry we don't have the time but uh now I will be directing those people to their respective committees. Um there's some people who are like hey we're doing this government thing. I'm like you should talk to our government advocacy committee. So that's going to be great. and um and I'm sure all of our committees are going to be up to some great work um in the coming weeks. The other thing that I've been up to um is as some of you may know uh I've been running a know your rights I believe what did I call it? Uh we just renamed it to civil rights student um student improvement committee I think is what we're calling it. Um, but we've been working with the civil rights

024team very closely. Um, we just finished our first education session. Um, and we're going to be holding a part two on I believe March 2nd. Um, or some date around then. I don't believe that's completely set in stone. Um, but we've got I believe we had about seven students come which is great. We've got a very small and committed group. Um, I think there was three students who emailed me and said they were sad they couldn't make it. Um, so we'll be having a makeup session for them as well. Um, we'll we'll see about that though. Still, of course, not set in stone. Um, but it's great. Um, it was very engaging. Um, all of them learned a lot about both Title Six and Title 9. Um, and we're going to we're going to continue

025that. Um, and we've got a lot of hefty goals for this year. Um but the first thing that we'll look at doing that we that we may be able to achieve this year um is updating the website to be more student friendly um and have more studentf facing uh resources um for you know for understanding um students rights under title 9 and title six you know and reporting when infractions happen. Uh so that's what I've been up to. Um and that's all I've got for you guys today. May I ask you about um there was a student that was interested in serving on the policy committee or two students. Could you nudge them? Do you know who I'm >> Yes. Yes. Um >> our next meeting is I'm going to be on the 23rd and

026it would be great if they could attend. >> Yes. Oh, that's the other thing. Um I believe I emailed um uh I emailed so I'm getting I'm getting all the students on their respective board committees. Um so so so yeah. So, all of you should look out for that in your inboxes and I will I will make sure that that gets on so that everybody is where they're supposed to be. All right. Thank you. Excuse [cough and clears throat] me. Uh next up we have general public comment. First we'll start with student comments and then before we begin like to review some guidelines for public comment. Uh first the board thanks you for your time to attend this meeting and provide your comments. Public input especially from our students informs them and improves our work.

027We look forward to hearing your thoughts and reflections. Our board office may follow up with uh board related issues raised during public testimony. Uh secondly, we also request that complaints about individual employees be directed to the superintendent's office as a personnel matter. I just want to reiterate this really quick especially since you know we're going through another round of budget cuts this year. I just want to remind the public that the board only really has two employees. That's the superintendent and our internal auditor. And so, uh, personnel matters is not really perview of the board. Um, thirdly, I would like to remind PPS staff who are giving P public comments that they may not provide testimony about students that could violate confidentiality protections under FURPA. This includes testimony using information that could identify students especially

028in their school community by use of direct or indirect linkages such as school grade, special education or other status. And also lastly for materials you would like the board to receive like handouts and pictures um please just hand them over there to uh Miss Bradshaw who will distribute them to us. Thank you. Of course, if you have any other additional materials or would like to provide further public comment than the time allowed, you are always welcome to email them at public comment, all one word, pps.net. Please [clears throat] make sure that when you begin your comments that you clearly state your name and spell your last name. You'll have three minutes to speak. Uh the little orange light gives you a 30-second warning. Uh after uh three minutes, you'll hear a sound or that red

029light, which is time to end your comments. And let's start off with our our students. Miss Bradshaw, can you call them up? >> We do not have any students signed up today. [clears throat] >> Okay, then I guess let's call up the others. General public comment. >> Okay, we have two in person. We'll call them first and then we have two virtual tonight. um Tracy Gluckman and Margaret Henry who are sharing a spot and Amy Hicks. >> Can we go ahead and get started? Okay. >> Yeah, you may begin when you're ready. >> Um good evening and thank you for the opportunity to speak here tonight. My name is Tracy Gluckman. G L U C K M and I'm here with Margaret Henry. We are both parents of first graders and are representing Dunaway Elementary's

030PTA advocacy committee. First, we want to thank PPS and the board for your recent support of the addition of a second grade teacher and a 0.875 FTEA to our growing kindergarten classrooms. These resources were a necessary response to an urgent need. We are here tonight to advocate for a comprehensive staffing review that addresses a systemic flaw in how FTE staffing is calculated. The current staffing formula fails to account for class sizes across the entire school, allowing for schools to consistently reach the upper limits of class sizes across multiple grades and in our case at Dunaway at almost every grade level. This oversight disproportionately impacts some of our most vulnerable students, those from low social economic backgrounds who often lack additional family resources to support educational outcomes. These children desperately need consistent, accessible, and focused support.

031While our teachers are extraordinary, there is a fundamental difference in impact between a classroom of 15 and a classroom of 30. This is a critical period for small groupoup focused learning and large class sizes make it impossible for teachers to provide the differentiated instruction that struggling students require. For these young learners, a 30 student classroom year after year isn't just crowded. It's a barrier to their right to a free and appropriate education. Historically, Dunway has been a well- attending K- through5 school with at least three classrooms per grade. Although total enrollment has enrollment has slightly declined, our classrooms consistently push the upper limits of class sizes. In contrast, other non-title one non-emersion schools remain in the lower or middle ranges year-over-year. Our student to FTA ratios are amongst the highest compared with similar schools. Over

032the past 5 years, Dunaway consistently ranks at the bottom in per student funding despite having one of the largest school enrollments in 2023 24. This high student enrollment and low dollar per student allocation yielded a total funding differential of approximately 1.6 million less than the highest funded non-title one K through5 school. That same year, our math and reading scores were 68 and 69%. While we understand that multiple factors in impact test results, lower achievement is one of the metrics used for resource support. And yet there was no correction in dollar per student allocation that the following year. In fact, do Dunaway's dollar per student allocation went down when most school allocations went up. When Dunaway while Dunaway does not hold Title One status, it does serve a population of students who face significant soio economic

033challenges. Currently, these students are disproportionately underserved by the existing funding model and we are here to ensure their needs are no longer overlooked. Every student in every school should have access to highquality education and support resource resources to meet their needs. Thank you and we appreciate your time and consideration. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Hello, my name is Amy Hicks. Hi CS. I'm a parent to three at Bridger Creative Science School and I'm here today to help represent the 567 PPS parents, staff, and Portlanders who have signed on in support of safe indoor air for Oregon schools science-based goals for working towards excellent air quality in PBS. I'm here to help share what families across PPS experienced during flu season to help make concrete why adding these goals to our climate crisis response climate justice

034and sustainable practice policy is so important. One parent in a school lacking their second air purifier wrote, "My daughter missed a week of school recently due to a respiratory bug she picked up at school. Last week she missed 10 days of school due to respiratory viruses." Another family shared, "My children have missed 15 and 16 days, respectively, this school year due to viral illnesses contracted at school, almost exclusively respiratory viruses. At one point, onethird of the school was absent. PPS is always sending me automated messages asking how they can help improve attendance. I support the district taking district-wide action to give our students cleaner air and reduce virus transmission. From a middle school with classrooms lacking air purifiers or classrooms that have only one unit, classes are almost half empty with kids out sick this

035week. Not an exaggeration, 24 of 52 students in band. Another parent shared, "On Monday, my daughter said there were seven of 29 kids in her science class. Today, she's home with body aches, fever, exhaustion, and nausea." A parent at one of the elementary schools that lacked their second air purifier said, "I know of at least six families who have been hit with this terrible flu since the day before winter break in one classroom. My son fell ill the Sunday before Christmas, and we are all still sick. I'm headed back to urgent care today for the second time just in this illness for a ruptured eardrum from a secondary infection from this flu. My family had lingering postviral issues for several months. Dr. Kim Matliff is going to share more about how the policy goals we

036brought to the policy committee respond directly to what teachers, students, and families live through. We can address repeated illnesses, lost learning time, and preventable absences by setting clear direction for healthier classrooms across the district. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> And then virtually we have Dr. Kimberly Matliff. >> Hi. Can you hear me? >> You may begin when ready. Okay. Hi, my name is Dr. Kim Matliff. M A T U L EF. I am a parent of students at Wells High School in Odyssey. I am also a biochemist and a senior research associate at OSU. Today, I am going to speak to the importance of adding a district-wide goal of 6 to 12 air changes per hour in the climate and sustainability policy. The district's airflow reports are a critical data set and the district

037staff are so forward thinking to commission these reports and share them with our community. To support both safe indoor air for Oregon schools and PPS and our community district partnership, I have conducted data analysis by reanalyzing the district's airflow data for our PPS high schools. For the high schools that still have valid airflow reports, we pulled the reports main data tables into a master database, went through the reports room by room, fixing errors and calculating clean air when air purifiers are run at quiet speeds teachers can actually use. We know from these analyses that some of our modernizations have done quite well. Franklin and Grant meet the minimum clean air goals of six air changes per room in most classrooms. And adding one air purifier to those rooms pushes them above this minimum to 7

0388 9 and higher. That gives these rooms an excellent mix of ventilation and in room air filtration. Only a fraction of Franklin and Grant classrooms need two units to meet a healthy level of clean air flow. We also know from these analyses that some of our modernizations have resulted in schools with poor ventilation. McDaniel and Roosevelt need two air purifiers in all classrooms to achieve the same kind of distribution of clean air that Franklin and Grant achieve with one. When we don't set measurable goals for ventilation and air filtration, the outcome is exactly what families are describing. classrooms half empty, repeated illness, miss school, unequal impacts on students who can least afford more more absences is exactly what we expect when clean air is uneven, insufficient, or left to chance. The board already knows the

039power of numeric goals. The board sets direction with measurable goals for third grade reading, fifth grade math, eighth grade, and post-secary readiness and graduation. Indoor air quality is no different. We need measurable goals for air quality added to our climate and sustainability policy. We need these goals to keep us focused on the right problem, healthy classrooms for every student every day, so technical decisions don't drift toward the wrong target. Thank you. >> Great. Thank you. I believe we have one more. >> We do. Alexander Cratch. Alexander, are you there? You can go ahead and go when you're ready. >> Terrific. Thank you. Uh Alexander Crash, K R A C H, pronouns he, him, his. Thank you for allowing me to be here tonight and for all the positive work you're doing uh towards educating our

040community. I am a former historic commissioner for the city of Ashlin and I bring more than 25 years of experience as a preservation advocate in Oregon. I do not represent any organization and I am not paid for any of my preservation work. I'm here to speak to you tonight on behalf of Cleveland High School, an architecturally significant, valued, and irreplaceable public asset that was denied a meaningful voice during the community planning process. I'm deeply concerned by a process that appears to have been shaped by bias, misinformation, and withholding of critical information from the public. When communities are denied access to essential facts, the result is often a poor design outcome. And this, I would offer, is a poor design outcome. Members of the comprehensive planning committee were not shown this report commissioned by the district.

041Your historic building assessment that rated Cleveland High School in the category of the highest level of architectural significance in the district. They were not informed that this state this same report explicitly directed the district to preserve, protect, and appropriately renovate and expand, if desired, this building. At no point did this report recommend demolition. The public deserves to know why this information was excluded. Throughout the planning process, consultants and architects were repeatedly permitted to minimize the value of this building despite clear evidence to the contrary. These buildings do not belong solely to the district. They belong to the public and our architectural and cultural resources are not disposable and they should not be treated as landfill material. This brings me to the environmental consequences of the proposed demolition. Demolishing Cleveland High School will release the equivalent

042sequestered carbon of cutting down 55,000 trees at 10 years of growth. That represents nearly 17% of every single street tree in the city of Portland. It is also equivalent to driving a vehicle 8 million miles. This conflicts directly with your own climate crisis response policy. And there is a well-known principle in design that states that the greenest building is the one that is already built. Demolishing this school will impose environmental harm that depending on who you talk to may take 10 to 80 years to offset. I have taken steps to bring national attention to this issue and I did so last month. In about one month, this particular project will become it will come into the national spotlight. I do not want this district to become a case study for how not to conduct a

043public planning process or how not to steward public resources. You don't have to proceed down this path. There is still time to correct the errors that have occurred. But once the building is destroyed, that opportunity is gone. and so is a measure of public trust and political capital that you will find difficult to regain. I urge you to review the recommendations provided in your packets tonight. >> Sorry, if you can please finish up. I don't know if you heard the timer. >> Oh, I did not. I'm sorry. I urge you to recommmit to transparency and accountability. The public expects it and our students deserve it. Thank you. >> Thank you. Sorry about that. I lost track of time, too. Um, do [clears throat] we have union partners signed up for comment today? >> I don't

044think so. >> Okay. So, we don't >> just want to double check any union partners signed up for today. >> Great. Thank you all for uh your testimony. Um, again, we appreciate you taking the time to provide us your input and is, yeah, it's helps us improve our work. So, thank you very much. All right. Next up, we have the resolution to adopt the annual Multma Education Service District Local Service Plan Resolution. I will hand this over to Dr. Superintendent Armstrong. >> Yeah, thank you, Chair Wong. [clears throat] Let me begin by introducing my fellow area superintendent, Dr. Paul Kley. I've asked Dr. Kley here tonight to share with you an overview of how we partner with MESD and to provide some information about the service plan you're being asked to approve this night. So,

045I'll turn it over to Dr. Kley to introduce his counterpart and begin his presentation. >> Great. Thank you. Good evening, PPS board members uh and Superintendent Armstrong. Thank you for having us. I'm Paul Kley, superintendent of Multma Education Service District, and I know I've had opportunity to meet several of you, but also uh my parents were um they both worked in Portland public schools. My mom's a kindergarten teacher for 30 years. Uh she retired from Vernon, and my dad was a uh principal in Portland Public at Harriet Tutman and Roosevelt. And I started my career in 2021 at King Elementary as a second grade teacher. and I'll let uh my assistant superintendent introduce herself. >> Hi, I'm Sasha Par and I am the proud former principal of Jason Lee School. I was happy to see

046that tonight. >> Uh so I think we have a you guys have your PowerPoint. Um so today we are um here to provide you with a brief overview of our local service plan which we call the LSP. Uh the 2026 27 Multma Education Service District LSP outlines comprehensive and collaborative approaches to supporting our component districts in the Multma County area across five different areas uh instruction, health, student services, technology, and administrative operations. At its core, the plan emphasizes regional capacity building, ensuring that districts have access to highquality special services that would be difficult or inefficient to provide independently. From alternative and therapeutic education programs to outdoor school, migrant education, and college and career readiness, the LSP reflects MESD's commitment to meeting students where they are and expanding pathways for engagement, recovery, and long-term success. Districts

047do their best with the resources they have, and every district has students whose needs fall outside of a general K12 education setting. So, a key part of our role is working with our districts to meet the needs of students in that category to help them reach their educational goals and to graduate. Equally important, the LSP highlights strong regional infrastructure and wraparound supports that help districts focus on teaching and learning, robust health, school health services, special education expertise, technology systems through Cascade Tech Alliance and targeted student services act technical assistance work um so we can work together and reduce administrative ative burdens while increasing equity, safety, and instructional coherence. Do you want to go to the next one? So, this slide gives a breakdown of our service plan and our programs regionally. And while many of

048many ESDs charge districts a flat percentage for all the services they provide, we at MESD provide our districts with the menu of options so that districts can choose what is best for them and their district and the students they serve. So, at MESD, we strive to be responsive, serviceoriented partners, uh, ones that blend compliance, innovation, and care to strengthen outcomes for students, staff, and the community of Maloma County. Uh, we thank you for your time and we are here to take any questions that you may have. And also I just wanted to um give a shout out to your student representative who uh did a great job at our um legislative breakfast really uh representing the voices of students and letting and advocating for um educational funding. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Nice. Thank

049you. Let's uh put this on the table first. Let do I have a motion and a second to adopt resolution 7.245 resolution to adopt the annual Maltma Education Service District local service plan resolution. >> So moved. [laughter] >> Second. >> Director Lefort moves and director Sullivan seconds. Thank you. Do we have any public comment? >> No. >> All right. Let's move this to the board. if you have any questions. >> This isn't a question, but um I just this is a share. Um when my oldest child was in preschool, he re received services through MESD and um I'm I'm going to get emotional. um just like such a game changer for our family and for his ability to build skills and thrive within the context of his classroom setting. And at the time I was

050a preschool teacher. Um so I also got to partner with MESD staff and um the work is just so incredible. So thank you for all you do and your teams do. It's really amazing. >> I appreciate it. Thank you. >> Yeah, I just had a question to try to understand. So, different districts tell you what they need, right? And then you match that up with what's available and if like just one person needed something, you probably wouldn't provide it. I was trying to figure out how that works. So, um, we have a variety of different programs in there and, um, the way we do it is, uh, where districts are able to kind of choose those specific programs. And then one example kind of to your question is, uh, through conversations with the superintendent about,

051um, the increase in drug and alcohol after the pandemic, we were able to um, scale up Riverest Academy. Um, there needs to be kind of a collective need there, but then we'll uh do our best to uh try to accommodate that need if it's a new program. >> And if it's not new, but nobody asked for it, that money would go to probably they all get asked for, right? [laughter] >> Yeah. There's a lot of different services that you'd be uh it's a huge menu of options. So hopefully we would find something that uh to meet the needs of that student or try our best to. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> I have a just a comment about your pie chart. Um just how much um of your budget goes to like

052the two largest bud budgets, special ed and school health and the relatively an actual small um admin fee of 007 I think 7%. It's just yeah a small number. It's you're doing a lot with uh not not a lot of overhead. >> Oh um yeah I appreciate yeah you pointing that out. So last year we really um scaled back a lot because of of uh the cuts that are happening across the region and really just listening to our superintendent and trying to see if we could keep cost as flat as possible last year. So we did reduce um $6 million worth of reductions and uh really try to leave harmless uh student programs and um services. >> Thank you. Um, just quickly, uh, similar similarly to Director Chase Miller, I just wanted to give a

053shout out. I have, um, been in court more times than I can count where I have juvenile delinquency clients who are either asking a judge to let them out of detention and free again or let them go home where some of the rockus happened. and having an MESD representative in the room, having worked with the student that my client has almost always been a gamecher. Um, and so I'm so I'm just always grateful when I see the MESD workers in there. So, thank you. >> Thank you. Well said, everyone. All right, there's no further discussion. Let's move to a vote. Uh the board will now vote on resolution 7245, resolution to adopt the annual Multma Education Service District Local Service Plan Resolution. All in favor, please indicate by saying yes. >> Yes. Opposed? Abstensions. Student

054Representative RTO. >> Yes. >> Thank you. Resolution 7245 is approved by a vote of 7 to 0 with student representative RTO unofficially voting yes. Thank you. And I want to thank both of you for coming and providing this information. It's very great to see both of you again. >> Thank you. I appreciate your time. >> Thank you. We're on the calendar. Correct. All right. Next up, we have resolution 7246, adoption of the 202627 school calendar. >> Believe I hand this all over to Dr. Armstrong. >> Yeah, absolutely. We know that families are anxiously awaiting the dates so that they can plan uh their life and we are excited to share the details of our recommended calendar for the 2627 school year. We have our chief of staff Deborah Kafuri and from the office of teaching

055and learning we have Dr. Phippe Peeachch. [clears throat] >> Good evening directors, student representative and Dr. Armstrong. My name is Deborah Capori. I'm the chief of staff and I am here today with my colleague to ask for your support for the proposed 2026 2027 school year calendar. We are pleased to bring you this proposed calendar after extensive feedback from building administrators, PAT, Portland associate of teachers and [snorts] PFSP, Portland Federation of School Professionals. The proposal before you attempts to preserve or maximize uninterrupted whole weeks for instruction. It aligns with other local school districts first week of school. Just for example, Beaverton starts on August 25th and Hillsboro starts on August 31st. It balances the days within each quarter and with it in each semester. It aligns with the requirements in various bargaining units contracts. It

056adjusts the staff meeting dates to be more responsive to educator needs in the beginning of the year. moves early release days to be consistently on the third week of each month. It also incorporates feedback that we received from PAT and PFSP into the work year calendars, bell schedules, and testing schedules. And if inclement weather does occur, this allows for students to have makeup days within the final week and not roll over into the next week, which could threaten low staff and student attendance. stakeholders have shared that starting this year with a shorter week will be a good way to ease students into their routines. So with that, I'm happy to answer any questions that you may have. All right, let's uh put this on the table, too. Do I have a motion and second to

057adopt resolution 7246, resolution to approve the 202627 school district calendar? >> So moved. Second. >> Split moves. Director to pass seconds. Thank you. Board discussion. >> I just like to say that I saw a lot of things that we talked about last year put on this calendar. Seems like you answered a lot of the questions before bringing it to us. I just really appreciate that. >> Thank you, Director Sullivan. I hope from the list that I rattled off you realize the kind of Tetris moves it takes to get this calendar together. >> I was going to say the same thing. Um I also know and I don't think I heard you say that the religious um calendar uh plays into more and more the decisions we make. But um I mean personally I would love

058to have a three-w week longer school year. And I understand that there's bargaining units. Um not everybody loves that idea. [laughter] particularly teachers that need need the break. Um but yeah, I appreciate the bal the balancing act that I've seen over the last three years in particular. >> Thank you. >> Um I also appreciate the balancing act. Um, I'm hoping you can speak to um, I know this is a balancing act thing, but um, I remember hearing a lot about the pre-Labor Day start dates um, back at the beginning of the current school year. Um, so while I appreciate it's the balancing thing, can you speak a little bit to that piece specifically for uh, those watching who are really hoping to start in September? >> Sure. I think um I appreciate your question uh

059director Chase Miller. I know that this has been something that we've looked at and it's come up um every year when there's heat related incidents. People talk about, oh, if we only pushed it forward. Um well, we did look at average temperatures and actually moving it forward past Labor Day doesn't dramatically reduce the chance that we're going to have a heat red uh uh heat related day of closure. And also, um, as I talked about, we really try to look to make parody with our neighboring districts, it's really hard if you're a teacher in Beaverton and your kid goes to PPS and they start 3 weeks or two weeks later. So, um, while that was taken into consideration for a lot of reasons, it is, as I said, a real balancing act. Also, not wanting

060the school year to go too far on the opposite end and so have it go way into June. Again, different from our neighboring districts. >> Yeah. In fact, we also want to add to that answer that question. The other I think the other exploration that we also did last year and years before was moving it later also means going later in June which then you have that heat problem again just on the other side. And then um the other thing is also scheduling in terms of like when the quarters, you know, in terms of high school, when the quarters end and stuff like that, when when push packs Labor Day, it always ends on really kind of an awkward time. And um and I think there's, you know, again, it's like a really messy jigsaw

061puzzle. Um, we talked about the calendar apparently about one year ago at my first meeting as a board member. Um, and we waited to vote on it. So, I'm glad we're voting sooner. Um, I'm going to bring up the same thing I brought up before. Um, which is just that, um, the kindergarten ramp up is something that is super confusing for kindergarten families. And so I'm just putting it out there again that really clearly communicating with kindergarten families about when they're going to know what their schedule is like and making sure they have work covered or daycare covered or whatever they're going to need those three days cuz it's constantly hearing from families about it being a surprise when I was doing like welcome wagon stuff at um my kids elementary school. So, I will

062just bring it back around a year later to remind us all to be really clear communicators with our lovely new kindergarten families who are so confused about everything and [laughter] then we add this three-day weirdness to it. So, thank you for thinking of them. >> Thank you, Director Splin. I think as we've talked about earlier really um Superintendent Armstrong has stated that communication with our families is one of her top priorities and we've really been working hard to do a better job with that and that's something that we'll keep on our on our radar. Thank you. I appreciate it. >> Thank you. Um, so I, um, have asked everybody this and I have not received an answer, I don't think. So I'm going to ask now in the hopes that someone can tell me why

063we chose Wednesday early release as opposed to a Monday late start or a Friday early release, which frankly I think is better for families, kids, um, communities. So, nobody seems to know why we chose Wednesday. And I've heard from a lot of family members and parents for whom they rely on middle schoolers or high schoolers for um child care of their elementary school students to have a real problem with the 1150 release and then their middle schoolers getting out at 1:45. So, why Wednesday? >> Well, fancy. You should ask that question. >> I have asked that question. So this is yes, you've asked this question and I I while I do not know this information, I'm receiving it uh secondhand. So um I I will just tell you what I've learned that we do early

064releases rather than late starts because they allow us to provide students with both a breakfast and a lunch and also we do early releases on Wednesday to support attendance. Wednesdays are also the days that we have the lowest number of sub requests which supports continuity for professional learning for educators. Happy to have get you some more information, but I think that that touches on both of your questions. >> Uh thank you to this point and to one of our board goals um for chronic absenteeism. I've asked and I said it was not an urgent rush, but I would like to see the data on um absenteeism at schools, specifically elementary schools on Wednesdays because families have said it's hard for them and so they just choose to keep their kids home instead of figuring out

065childare. Um uh I guess um I think that's the only that's the only question I have. I have a lot of comments about this. I appreciate the work that I know that's gone into this. However, um I do want to note that um for a for the talk of having more fiveday uninterrupted weeks um we actually only max have one per month um for students and for high schoolers it appears that that is also um one that one week has a shortened or a delayed start. So even those 5day weeks for high schools are interrupted. And they bring that up because as I um who feel very well-versed with this calendar and all of its symbols, I really struggle and I'm also a very organized calendar person. Um, I struggle to keep track of what

066is happening when and I know a lot of families keep struggle to keep track of what is happening this week that's different than the traditional 5-day calendar week. Um, and so I think we're doing our our students a disservice in having early release on one Wednesday and um, teacher in service day a week later. It just is a lot. Um, I imagine it's also a lot on schools to have to send out the reminders. I get them. My phone blows up regularly. Reminder, tomorrow is a late start for middle middle school reminders. Tomorrow is an early release for elementary school. It's just it's a lot. Um, and so I I have I have concerns with us continuing to do that. And I appreciate that the attendance for subs. I I really appreciate the breakfast lunch.

067Thank you for that. I think that's really critical for students who need breakfast. Um, and so I get to bring that back now to families who are asking why, because Wednesday is is hard. Um, I also want to note for October, for example, there are 22 potential school days and our students get three and a half that are not in school days, which doesn't sound like a lot until you start doing the math. And it ends up being I I think, and I'm not a math person, about 17%. And so when we sit with that number, it seems much much bigger than three and a half out of 22. Um, and so I just loop that all the way back to consistency of learning, consistency of being with their teachers. Um, what we're trying to

068achieve as a district and recognizing that all of our months are um, well, they're three and a half, January, three and a half out of 20 days. Um, April 2 and a half out of 22. It's just that every month we are missing out on significant learning time. Um I am really concerned. Normally we start the Tuesday Wednesday right before Labor Day. Labor Day is later this year. We are now starting >> the Wednesday 10 days before Labor Day to try to sync up to Beaverton and and Hillsboro. Um we have an extraordinarily dry winter and literally everybody is forecasting that that is going to be very dangerous for the fire season. Um, and so I'm concerned about starting in August. At the same time, not only do we have the heat index to worry

069about, but potentially very very um smoky uh August based on what we're seeing out out in the winter. Um, also, it sounds silly, but I think it's really important. Um, Portland has an extraordinary event that happens at the last weekend of August. And with Labor Day starting later this year, we are going to be putting students in school um when Hood Coast is happening and tens of thousands of people participate in Hood Coast. And I know that tens of thousands of um PPS families participate. And so I I foresee that we will be um asking parents to decide do they send their kids to school because they've signed up for this thing that they do every year and they've done since they were 17. and we're going to be conflicting with something that is really

070I don't know it's it's very important for Portlanders to do hood to coast and for families to get to watch their loved ones. So I do note that because I think it's important. Um what else do I have to point out? Um uh I think that might be all that I had. So I just I'm just I'm just worried. I know that we are working with um I know that we're working with limited funds and we're trying to figure out how to make everyone happy, but when it comes down to it, I have concerns about how many this is not a regular school day and how that affects our kids getting to school. um because not every kid has an involved parent who can wake them up and get them where they need to be

071and um aware that something is starting later or or ending earlier or um so yeah, I just I just I would love to see us starting the week after not even the week after Labor Day. Although I will say I want to say I meant to say this. I think it's Wisconsin andor Minnesota and a lot of other states have actually by law decreed that schools cannot start until after Labor Day because they recognized an increase in their economic activity within the state when schools started after Labor Day because people still had an opportunity to travel. And so I guess I would ask you to look into that um because I have seen data on states doing that because they they see the benefits of their to their economy and their state. Um, so those

072are all my concern. Those are all my my thoughts, my reasons for having a lot of concern. Um, I will reiterate, as I've said to everyone who will who will listen. I still think that our elementary schools, even the ones that started at 8:00 before the change. Um, I still think 752 is too early for a bell for little kids. other states. Someone um a representative told me that one state has actually mandated that schools never start before 8 o'clock because they recognize the the brain science and the challenges of getting up so early. Um and so I guess I'm >> Uhhuh. >> You don't have any schools that start. >> Every elementary's first bell is 7:50. >> Oh, okay. So you're counting that like open door when you can get inside the school is

073kind of >> I am counting that because that's when kids get offered breakfast and that's >> they get offered they can come at 8 or even later than 8 and get breakfast just for what it's worth. pretty sure. >> True. True. They can then they're then then they would miss the second bell, being in class, getting organized with their their their friends, their teacher, all of those things. >> Breakfast. >> All of these things are true. Um I don't disagree with all of the any of these. They can um it is early. Uh and so I I I just have um worries. Uh for most working families, a half day once a month on a Wednesday ending at 11:30 is just really challenging. Most jobs do not end there. Um and so then you're having

074to pay for childcare if you don't have an older sibling. Those are all my thoughts. Um thank you. >> Thank you. >> I I just want to Oh, oh, sorry. I didn't mean to go. >> I have a question about the Wednesdays. I mean, I can see why they do Wednesday instead of Monday or Friday because if it's Monday or Friday and say, "Oh, what's half day?" I think I'll just take the whole day off or we'll do make a three-day weekend. So, I can definitely see why you do Wednesday. And I think you have to do I mean, it's it's because of union contracts that we have to have those days, right? It's not us deciding, gosh, I wish they went to school more. So, it's really not our choice on a day off.

075And I think Wednesday makes the most sense. And Wednesday afternoon makes more sense than Wednesday morning because if it's afternoon, why do you bother to come? [laughter] I mean, if morning's off. So, it's a lot of hard decisions, but I think they're pretty sensible decisions. Kind of the only ones you can make that make the most sense to me. >> I want to say I can't speak for thousands of families in Hood Coast. I've never done it, but I was a single mom. I made breakfast every day and I think I got my kids to school late one time in 16 years. So, it can be done and I'm I'm also privileged enough that I could have some flexibility in the morning. But, um, you know, people, working families can, not everybody, but people can

076figure it out. You can adjust your schedule. I I got up at 5:00 in the morning every day so I could have that time to not talk um exercise, cook, get the day organized. So I I might be just an extraordinary person or um or organized, but I I think it can be done. And um I worked around those those half days, too. I worked I was able to work around those half days. Not everybody can do that. Um, but yeah, I I represent a a small probably faction of people that can actually function at 5:30 in the morning. So, [laughter] not everybody can do that either. >> Is the um >> it is doable though. Sorry. >> Yeah. >> For um you know, I'm old enough to remember when it was uh late start.

077So, I like the the reasoning behind um early release. Is it because it's part of the new contracts? Like refresh my memory. Like why are we doing uh early release. >> I think part of the reason that I talked [clears throat] about was s being able to serve breakfast and lunch to students. >> No, no, I mean like the fundamental versus, you know, another day off a month and having like, you know, full school days instead. I'm just curious. >> Is this when I phone a friend? >> Oh, no. I >> I had that moment where I was like, I don't know why he's still doing this. >> I can give a little bit history before Dr. Rams takes over from me because probably have more details, but a lot of this was set in

078motion back in 2023 during the bargaining and there was guaranteed number of hours for professional development as well as um teacher meeting time and I think one of the trade-offs that was considered back then was that that decision would eventually lead to a request to do something like a early release in order to fit the amount of PD time that was required. >> But yeah, good. Thank you. Uh, good evening board members and Superintendent Armstrong. Renard Adams, chief accountability and equity officer and former face of the district when it came to PAT bargaining during the last bargain. [laughter] I was on the news so much I think I stopped looking at myself in the mirror. Um, you are correct, Chair Wong, that this was a part of what was negotiated um out of the with

079um our teacher educator partners. We were looking at ways to um increase planning time and we were looking at ways to still have principles have staff meeting time while also looking at ways to have dedicated professional learning time. And so the early release and the reduction of staff meetings from 30 per year to I believe it's 10 now at the elementary, middle, and K level was a result of all those conversations and negotiations. >> So was the request for partial days or was it for x number of hours? the um as I recall it's all bit it's all a blur now but as I recall the request initiated with um minutes of planning per week um and then um the need to there are several places in our CBA where it requires us to provide

080professional learning during the educator's normal workday. Um and so to make all those things work this is where we are. And then also to add another stressor on the other end is budget cuts >> where like you know in order to provide more planning time it's better to have more teachers so that you have more you know can have more free periods but because budget cuts you know that puts stress on the other end where it limits the flexibility. >> There's been as you can imagine there has been extensive I don't know if this is on extensive uh research into half day versus full and I'm happy to get you more information if you want. There's pros and cons as also you can imagine there's pros and cons to any any idea that you choose.

081So I'm happy to get you some more information on that if that's something you're interested in. >> Director Split. >> Thanks. Um I I just want to share a couple of thoughts. Um and uh basically I think first of all if we were to say do more no school days then there's no transportation for kids to schools where they can then get that breakfast and lunch. So that same argument for doing it earlier in the day so they get breakfast and lunch versus just lunch. It's also a day where they go to school and get food that they might not get if they were home. So, I just wanted to throw that out there as another reason why getting them to school matters. I also just want to say like um I struggle all the

082time with mornings. I'm not a morning person. I think you are a unique person. We have figured it out. I used to take my kids I used to take my youngest one to daycare at 10:00 cuz that was like what was happening for us. Um, we have gotten ourselves after all these years waking up all at 7 and getting out the door at 7:45 and walking to school like clockwork and we figured it out, but it takes a long time. And I'm not saying but I'm say I realize it's a struggle for every family and every family is different and every kid is different and their needs are different. Um, so building a system that works for everyone strikes me as just an impossible task. So I really understand what you're doing. I understand the

083struggles that working families have. I also think that it's the case that the half days are really hard on working families and we all know it. But I also think that it's really important for teachers to have that collaborative time. So I just want to step up as a former teacher to talk about how important that is. Um you can't when you're with kids all the time, you don't have those blocks where you can do grading and so you're doing your grading at night. You don't have time to do lesson planning. So you're doing that lesson planning at night. Um the I think we probably give our teachers frankly as far as prep time goes far less time than they need to actually do their work. Um and I know that in the end they

084work they get the long nice long breaks and that's a real pleasure and it all kind of comes out in the wash but I think that their time together where they can meaningfully collaborate and the work time that they get is really important and so I just kind of wanted to give a shout out for that. I know it's a loss of learning, but I think the bigger problem for loss of learning time in Oregon is the lack of funding for our schools and that lack of funding turning into a shorter calendar that it sounds like shorts Oregon kids by 1.25 years of school by the time they graduate high school. I'd say that's the bigger problem than like the nuances here in our particular calendar. Um, so I just wanted to thank you for

085your work, hear what director Englesman is saying, and also just say that um I get that we're doing kind of the best we can with a kind of impossible puzzle and um just kind of want to shout out to me the the larger problems there and also just remind us all that um our teachers um asked for that time and we gave it to them in bargaining and um I'm I'm glad we did. >> I really [clears throat] appreciate Director Split's remarks. Um, and I mean it is one of those things like there's not a perfect schedule. Um, when I think about the start time for elementary school students, I think about parents who have to be at work at 8:00 and the ability to drop your kid off at 7:45 and be at work

086on time is a big deal. And um, I know there's research out there about the later start times for the older kids and the older kids really being the ones who need that extra sleep. Um, I have an elementary and a middle schooler and so it it would be more convenient if I could like get them out the house at the same time. Um, and you know, I I just appreciate the challenge of of balancing that and and the thoughtfulness that goes into that. Um, I really appreciate the decision-m around um doing the the half days so that kids are getting their breakfast and lunch at school. um it's an imperfect system and we're we're balancing a lot of challenges, but that to me really speaks of a kids first perspective and um that's how

087I always want us to be making our decisions. So, thank you for that. >> Yeah. And to just add to that, I mean, I just want to give some real world experience. Um one of the things that I think we were trying to do especially in bargaining last time we're talking about teacher planning time is that um using prep time as you know PLC time was you know off I mean the people are always teachers are always scrambling to get prepped for the day and so things like that. So building times outside of you know classroom time was very important and I just want to you know give some you know anecdotal evidence. One of the things that I use, especially as a teacher, having PLC time or having time to collaborate, we would spend

088a lot of time triangulating with other teachers to to like stop or figure out how to prevent kids from falling through the cracks. It was very important for that time for our teachers to be able to figure out, hey, we have this student that's struggling, you know, what do you what do you see? What do you see? And just collaborate to make sure we prevent our kids from I mean, it was really important um especially for our struggling students. I think I think this is a very delicate balance. I want to also want to throw kudos out too because I didn't do a count, but it looks like this calendar has more five day weeks than last year. >> Yeah. >> Which was one of my hope, you know, one of my big hopes was,

089you know, having more continuity with five day weeks. Um, so it it seems like there's more. I didn't do account, but thank you for doing that. >> Can I have can I add one more thing? I just want to say I I agree that obviously the prep time is necessary. Um and the fix for this, you know, probably isn't now, but uh I remember when this started, you know, it did start with with late starts before they were early releases, you know, feels like many many years ago. And um sometimes I feel like we get used to things that are unusual and I'm just wondering if moving forward if there is a way to get rid of them because we're going through bargaining and we're thinking towards next year, you know, there are districts who

090have teacher prep time without early release. How could we do that as the district? And um I think about funding to director Slit's point um I feel like there's a lot of things that PPS is doing to you know hack this all together and somehow make it work when we truly need more funding. We've got you know uh things like you know early release. We've got high school seniors who you know do not they're not fully scheduled. We've got um um I really appreciate how Dr. Armstrong talked in a document recently about class size instead of studenttoteer ratio. Our classes are bigger than those ratios are. So, I feel like we're doing all of these things to somehow make our numbers work. And I would love for us to figure out what we would need

091to incorporate planning time without the early releases to fully schedule our seniors to um to truly reduce our class sizes, not just our ratios. um when we're asking for funding, you know, I know that I'm the kind of person who really likes the real world examples um of, you know, how we're being shorted versus we're giving you a lot of money and things should just be working out. When I see a list of things like this cropping up, um it's something, you know, you can sort of understand it. Um so I would I would love to to see those go away and I know that families would too. I know that when uh when we were doing late starts and I was working full-time and I still work full-time, it was a freaking nightmare. Um

092I couldn't take time off in the morning. So, it was always a juggle and I'm sure that parents are doing that now on the back end with the early releases. It's hard for a lot of families. So, I just wanted to say that. And then also, um I just wanted to call out that I did double check all of the holidays and I really appreciate that you guys nailed all of the religious holidays. No conflicts. Um, and I want also want to point out for the board and for families, OSAA, um, has a different calendar. I know that every year some of the sporting events tend to fall in those windows of some of our religious holidays. Are there ever conversations between PPS and OSAA to You're like, "Yes." [laughter] Is there anything we can

093do as a board to help? >> You could probably send them a letter. [laughter] >> I mean, happy to help work on that if that's something you guys want. I think that would be a really good idea because there's always just seems like there's always something falling during one of the religious holidays that students have to miss and uh there it's easily avoidable. So, >> thank you. >> Um those are just my comments. >> If I may, I want to offer just one piece of clarification. I don't want um President Bonia blowing up my phone [laughter] in a loving way. In a loving way. um the early release time, teacher planning time was one of the factors that we juggled during the bargain around how to get um how to maintain and how to increase

094teacher planning time while not um giving up any of the principal admin directed time. So to chair Wong's point, planning time and PLC time are very different. Planning time as an educator is my time to plan. PLC times considered to be directed by the administration of the building. And so I just want to be clear that our early release days provide um more admin provide some admin directed time. And then we created or added grading and planning days to the calendar via the contract as well to make sure there were separate days for those two things. I guess I'm just wondering how much more money we would need to probably lengthen the school year to accommodate that in a way that doesn't involve early releases >> for students. >> Understood. >> So yeah, I'm not

095saying get rid of it. We obviously we need it and I'm just wondering how other districts do it. >> I haven't >> maybe not in Oregon. >> Suggestion that I've brought up in a couple of different spaces. Um, there's a school district, I think it's Nashville, and they do when they present their budget for the year, they also present their ideal budget. So, you know, if if money wasn't a thing, um, what would our budget look like? How would we be resourcing our schools? And they present them together so they can say, "This is this is what we're able to offer, but this is what we would like to be able to offer." And I think what you're talking about is a great example of something that would fit into that because ideally teachers would

096have the time they need to prep and to collaborate and do all of the things. Um, and we we wouldn't be carving up days and like doing this maneuvering. I don't think it's ideal for anyone. Um, and it would be really great to be able to take something like that to the the legislature and say like this is what we're working with. >> Dr. Armstrong, how how could we facilitate something like that? >> I think that would be a conversation that I would need to have with the finance team and um just want to know what you all's expectation. Is that something that you want to see in this budget cycle or is this something to plan for? But we can certainly um have a conversation about it. Yeah, >> maybe at our next maybe

097at our next work session we could talk about like what are the things we want to see like maybe it's a list of just you know a few things like getting rid of um of early release um if we you know required that every high schooler took six periods seven periods regardless of whether or not we're hitting 80% overall for division 22. Um, how many teachers is it? How many educators is it? I'd love to know and because we can actually assign a number to that and turn around and tell the legislature. >> Okay. >> Here's the disaster we're dealing with. >> Right. I think that's a good idea. Um although we are at time and >> I just >> I know that the conversation kind of drifted to the budget. I want to kind

098of keep this back on the calendar. >> Yeah. Can I just one quick question? So the afterchool care must be always available on those half day Fridays or I used to have half day Fridays when I got half day Wednesdays child care I'm assuming I I don't I'd have to have somebody from but that's the the calibration is whenever we do this we have to calibrate the bus bus arrival and pickup and so it it is a big >> endeavor >> available okay >> Patty I don't think it is I mean my kids go to sun and they just come home on early release days. >> Yeah. >> I would say not every school has I mean I mean there might be some in community child care but >> YMCA serves something like 25 schools

099in PPS. I might be exaggerating. They serve a lot of schools in PPS and they stay open for what it's worth. >> We'll find out that information too. >> Feb program feebased programs maybe stay open and yeah. >> Oops. Um, so I love um, Director Chase Miller that you have said this in other spaces. This is part of the problem with the open meeting laws. I haven't heard you say that. I now heard you say it and I I think in September asked you and emailed you and um, Dr. Armstrong and Michelle Morrison directly asking for an an ideal budget. Um, so there are now three of us that are thinking like this saying we need to be presenting to the legislature. It's time. It's enough. Like I mean I would love to see more

100than just no more half days. I would like to see class size caps EAS in every classroom. I would like to see paras where they're needed. I would like to see what like language immersion in kindergarten for every school and art and music and science and like everything. I like I think we would do ourselves a service. I mean we could model Catelyn Gable. It would probably wouldn't be hard to look at an ideal budget and an ideal classroom and then just put it down and say the legislators, you're not even funding your own QEM. You're going under that. And I've often asked what's what's the opposite of quality if you're not giving us quality. Um but we need to be up here to get what people are looking for. Um and so I would

101like at the next work session to have a conversation and see whether we as a board I don't know when it would be. Um >> actually if if I could actually postpone this conversation and let's put this at the end. >> But I do think it's all to someone's point like their calendar is because of our budget and so I think it's all linked. >> I think this is worthy to talk. So we'll talk about this at the end of the board meeting. >> I have a question. Um the double Yeah, the double stars I realized I read through all the materials and I meant to ask this. The double star is um noted as 10 60 minute staff learning times for K5, K8, K12 and middle schools. But are they late start, early release?

102What are they? When is that 60 minute? And is that that I mean that's another time when it's not the regular bill? >> No. No. The staff meeting time um doesn't impact Oh. >> The uh school bell for students. >> So when will it happen? What will the students be doing? >> This the staff meeting times after the school day. >> Oh. Oh, okay. So the days where there's two two stars that denote staff meeting for all schools and one star which are just for high schools are happening after kids have left. Staff are staying for a meeting that >> Oh, that's fantastic. Okay. I did not realize that. That's great to see. Okay. Um thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Okay. I would rash. Is there any public comment? >> No. >> All right.

103Thank you. Uh let's move to a vote. We're now voting on resolution 7246, resolution to approve the 2026 27 school district calendar. All in favor, please indicate by saying yes. >> Yes. All opposed. >> No. >> Abstensions. Student representative RTOR. >> Yes. >> Thank you. Resolution 7246 is approved by a vote of 6 to1 with student representative RTO unofficially voting yes. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Right. Next up, we have the resolution. Yeah. And also, thank you for allowing me to postpone that discussion for later. I just want to I want to move on because we have some people who are here to talk. I >> want to make sure they get home early [clears throat] enough time. Um, so now we will move to a resolution to approve the exemptions required uh to

104to required instruction time. I'll hand this over to Superintendent Armstrong. >> Yeah, thank you, Chair Wong. This item is directly connected to the first item on the calendar, and so this is about the instructional minute exemptions that is tied to the calendar that was just approved. This is routine, but this is a routine and required step to make sure our calendar fully meets state instructional time requirements. Approving these exemptions alongside the calendar allows the district to meet all required instructional minute or instructional time thresholds for the 2627 school year. And so we have the team still before you and they will present on this item. Thank you. >> Thank you Dr. Armstrong. Thank you board chair Wong. Board directors, student director RTO. Um my name is Phy Pistach. I'm proud to serve as the senior

105director for secondary academics. Uh tonight I want to briefly review the instructional minutes exemptions connected to the proposed uh 2627 calendar. These exemptions will help ensure compliance with state requirements while maintaining existing programs. Uh we're not proposing any changes to bell schedules, instructional models, or program design. The first exemption relates to parent teacher conferences. Uh state rule allows districts with board approval to count up to 30 conference hours toward uh required instructional time. PPS has historically counted conference days this way and the proposed calendar assumes this practice will continue. Specifically, we're requesting approval to count up to 18 hours of parent teacher conferences as instructional minutes. This approach aligns with state rules and is also required under PAT collective bargaining agreement which specifies the parent teacher conference days are included in instructional minutes. Approving this

106exemption ensures uh the district meets state instructional time requirements without extending the school year or making calendar adjustments that would create unnecessary disruptions. The second exemption applies to Alliance High School and pertains to required instructional time exemption four for alternative education programs. Alliance operates on a 4-day instructional week as part of a uh model designed to meet the needs of students who benefit from a more flexible structure. State rule allows district to request an exemption for alternative programs when the board approves the request. Flexible time is part of evidence-based strategy and there is process to assess the students prior to placement. Alliance meets all of these requirements. Approval of this exemption in alignment with the proposed calendar uh allows PPS to remain in full compliance with state instructional time requirements while preserving program model that

107supports student engagement. So, in summary, these exemptions allow us to meet state requirements, honor labor agreements, and maintain program models. Um, our staff recommends approval of both of these uh exemptions, parent teacher conferences, instructional minutes exemption and um uh required instructional time exemption for for alliance. And we're happy to answer any questions. I'm also joined we're joined here this evening by our senior director, Karina Wolf. I have a question. >> Yes. [clears throat] >> Um, so you said the PAT contract says that conferences count as instructional minutes. Um, I'm not sure if anyone sitting up in the room knows the answer to this question, but was that a bargaining point that PPS brought to the table or that PAT brought to the table? Because that's something it's not something I support. So, I'm just kind

108of wondering whose whose idea was that? [laughter] >> I wouldn't be able to speak to that. I wasn't um in the room. What I can say as somebody who served um in the district for um more than a decade, that's been the tradition um dur during the time that conferences have counted as part of the instructional minutes. >> Um and the state allows us to count up to 30 >> correct >> hours and we're doing 18 >> correct. >> Okay. This is another example of what I was touching on earlier where they're not instructional minutes and this feels like another way where we cover the states you know what in order to balance our budget. So I'm not this is not directed to anyone up here or sitting right there but it's a problem. I

109do appreciate the >> I do appreciate the question and I just want to say that if it's an executed contract with PAT or any of our members then I think we see it as a joint decision and we stand behind it. If it's executed we stand behind it. So whether it was PAT or or PPS once in the contract we it's it turns into a Wii. So I just wanted to say that. Yeah. >> Isn't is that an OD? I mean, does does OD say like these are the kinds of things that you can count as instructional hours versus us being like we want to count this as instructional hours? >> Absolutely. Uh the Department of Education allows for a number of exemptions. Um conferences is just one of them. I believe the state allows

110us to count a certain number of professional development minutes, maybe 30 or 60. I can't remember the exact amount. Currently, we don't count any uh towards instructional minutes even though we're able to with your approval. That's not a practice that we currently have. >> Remember the very excellent presentation that we had on that. >> That's [laughter] right. The state also allows us to count seniors who are on track um even if uh they're not fully scheduled to count them as they're fully scheduled. Then that's not a practice that we have. We report on our um students schedules as they are regardless of their ontrack uh status. >> Yeah, I'll just quickly weigh in because I actually think this is going to sound maybe random, but I think the reason if I had to guess the

111reason why OD allows for conferences to count as instructional time, it's because I actually think conferences are very helpful for instruction. um getting to know families, having that opportunity for families to talk to their teachers, to come into the school, I think it increases sense of belonging. So, I just wanted to put it out there that I don't actually I mean I want our kids to have more time in schools for sure, but I also think if this is how we're like accounting for the time for conferences, it actually does to me. I see a nexus between um student learning and um and parent teacher conferences or later on as kids get older there the conferences I assume include students more often too. >> So I just want to put it out there. I don't

112see like a huge disconnect there. I see a relationship. Um but at the same time you're right. I think that we want to have our kids get more instructional hours at the same time. >> Yeah. Maybe when we've got a budget that's, you know, $300 million thicker, we can talk about, you know, where, you know, where we want to say, uh, we need more time. But I feel like at this point, you know, it's an unfortunate reality of our current budget situation. >> Yeah. And, you know, I mean, if I could have my way, I would actually have more more parent teacher conferences more throughout the year because I think it's it's actually really valuable. I mean, it doesn't work for every student, but for the some students that really need it, especially those falling

113through the cracks, it's very invaluable for the teacher to be able to partner with the family and the parents um to work with the student. And so I I yes, >> you know, it's gotten so bad that I actually received an email from a couple of my son's teachers requesting that we not schedule conferences because there isn't enough time if our student has, you know, a certain, you know, GPA or they're doing okay instead of just having that time to build connections. But it just I'm really glad that we're talking about this in this meeting because in one meeting we're we're approving early releases. uh we have less than 40% of our seniors fully scheduled and we're counting conferences as instructional time and I know that none of us want to do that and what

114we really need is a longer school year to accommodate all of this and for that we need money. So I'm tired of using all the loopholes. I think we all are. I don't want to speak for everybody up here but that's the sense I'm getting. >> Okay. Um thank you. I um I want to say I appreciate the creativity with using the three days in the holiday week uh for parent teacher conferences, but more importantly, I really appreciate that schools allow virtual conferences now and would like to vocally say and urge the district to make sure that that always is offered to families. Um it used to be the case. In fact, when my kids were in kindergarten, it was decidedly not our schools. We were told we could not do them virtually despite having

115kids home from school and juggling all of that. So if co gave us anything, it gave us the ability to do things virtually. And I would hate to see that go back because parents who are working from home or taking time off and have kids at home on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, um it's great to and it can be equally as effective to do it virtually and um so I want to say I really appreciate that change and I do not want to see it go away. We used it this year. Um, also to the to the point that has come up a lot of times here. Um, and someone said 1.25 years by the time we get to 12th grade. Um, I mean the numbers are right here. We can look at them right here

116as a as a board, as a community, as a district. And like 966, 9990, 900 are clearly less than other districts around the nation are giving their students. Um, and there there's a correlation between amount of time you're in school and perhaps how you're learning. Um, so it's just another topic to alert everyone. Not that nobody notices this, but just to keep bringing it up. Um, yeah. >> Thank you. >> I hope this conversation inspired you for legislative advocacy days that are coming up. So, it's given you some really good talking points that you can talk about personally, what you've experienced. Appreciate it. >> Can I say February 23rd is Monday the 23rd is a legislative advoc advocacy day through CPPS. There are probably others, but February, >> we talked about it earlier tonight. >>

117Oh, did you? Oh, yes. I was I was Obing. I'm sorry. >> Yeah. And shout out Oregon PTA because they're also Yeah. >> I think I have one last question. Can you explain um the 4-day instructional week for Alliance and why it's not five? I'm sure there's a reason for that. Just so we actually have both. So Alliance has two program models. One's a 5-day um five period block um and the other is a 4day 8 period day um that runs from 8:30 until 5:30. So, um, as is outlined in statute, like the the task of alternative schools is to provide the flexibility, um, for our learners around their schedules and barriers to to their continuing in education. And so, um, that's why we offer both. Um, and it really accommodates students that are, um,

118upper classmen, um, who have a variety of work life, uh, barriers. often uh caring for siblings, caring for children or family, working. So we it it allows us the flexibility and it allows many of our students who work the flexibility of of Friday, Saturday, Sunday. >> Thank you. Thank goodness we're alliance. Um I I've messed up. I forgot to put this on the table first. So let's put this on the table. Uh, do I have a motion and a second to adopt resolution 7247 resolution to approve exemptions to O AR 581 022320 required instructional time 2026 27 parent teacher conferences in Alliance High School. >> I'll move. >> Thank you. Director Englesman moves. >> I'll second. >> Thank you. Director Chase Miller seconds. Any more discussion or questions? >> [cough] >> All right. Public comment.

119>> No. >> All right. Let's move to a vote. The board will now vote on resolution resolution 7247. Resolution to approve exemption exemptions to OAR 581022320. Required instructional time 2020 627 parent teacher conferences and alliance high school. Do that all in one breath. All in favor, please indicate by saying yes. >> Yes. Opposed? >> No. >> Abstensions. Student representative rheto. >> Yes. >> Thank you. Resolution 7247 is approved by a vote of 6 to1 with student representative RTO voting yes. >> Thank you. >> Thanks Karina. >> Yeah. >> All right. Next up, we have the resolution to approve exemptions to O O AR 5810222320 required instructional time. >> Wait, >> no, I'm sorry. >> No, that my bad. Uh, acceptance of the annual comprehensive financial report. [laughter] >> I I forgot to scroll on my

120computer. um reports to management reports on requirements for federal award and corrective action plan for identified process C's. I think I hand this over to Superintendent Armstrong. >> Yes, absolutely. So, by law, the district is required to produce an annual financial report and have it independently audited and submit it to the state and other agencies. So, I'm going to turn it over to our chief financial officer and guests to bring forth this item. Thank you. >> Thank you so much, Dr. Armstrong, and thank you, directors, for your time tonight. Uh we have in the board packet, we have a memo, which is a financial report summary uh that I developed to talk a little bit about the meat of what was in the the annual financial report. We called that the Afur affectionately. um the

121resolution to adopt um or to the acceptance of the acter and the corrective action plan. Um there's an exhibit A that includes a required letter to the secretary of state around one of our findings. So we'll talk about that a little bit. We have the report and also the presentation uh that we gave to the audit committee last Thursday. Uh, I want to thank Dan Miley, our representative with uh TKW, our independent auditor, and uh the audit committee and our internal performance auditor. Uh, Janice was incredible last week as well. So, I don't have a slide deck to take you through. Really want to hear from Director Sullivan and the other directors that were uh part of the audit committee and then uh answer any questions you might have. >> Great. Let's put this on

122the table first and then we'll move to and then I'll uh we'll go to director Sullivan. Uh do I have a motion and a second to adopt resolution 7248 acceptance of the annual comprehensive financial reports to management report on requirements for federal awards and corrective action plan for identified processes. >> So move second. >> Director Sullivan moves. Director Split seconds. All right. Director Sullivan. >> Okay. The audit committee has a recommendation to the board related to this resolution. So before we vote, I would like to take a few minutes to just quickly go over that recommendation. In the audit committee's meeting on February 5th, Mr. Dan Miley there, the district's contracted independent auditor from TKW, Talbot, Corbola, and Warwick presented the results of the 2025 act and single audit. The audit identified six findings, each

123classified as a significant deficiency in internal controls. In addition, the audit tested compliance with selected provisions of laws, regulations, contracts, and grants, including provisions of Oregon revised statutes where non-compliance could have a direct and material effect on the financial statements. The audit identified three areas of non-compliance related to Oregon revised statutes. The cause of all findings was identified as staff turnover. During the audit committee meeting, chief financial officer Michelle Morrison confirmed that the finance team is now fully staffed and that turnover within the department appears to have stabilized. It is important to note that the six findings and the three areas of non-compliance relate to procedural and internal control deficiencies and do not reser represent a loss or misuse of funds. For context, PPS has a long history of very clean audits. By clean audits,

124I mean the audit results have not identified areas of concern that would rise to the level of a finding. The 2023 ACT for included one finding prior to that there had been no findings since the 2017 audit. I would like to highlight two additional items related to the act and single audit. First, the corrective action plan referenced in the resolution is detailed in the act memo FY25 financial report summary posted in tonight's meeting materials. It was a little confusing because also posted for tonight's meeting is a corrective action letter to the Secretary of State which addresses only one of the six findings and does not include the three areas of non-compliance related to Oregon revised statutes. So Janice and I followed up with Chief Morrison today and were able to con confirm the corrective action

125letter to the Secretary of State only identifies the one finding because only one finding rose to the level of requiring disclosure to the Secretary of State. The corrective action plan being approved by the board is what is detailed in act for memo FY25 financial report summary which does address all six findings and the three issues identified that are related to compliance with OS. Second on January 30th chief financial officer Morrison emailed the full board the required to those charged with governance audit results letter from the auditors. This letter contains required communications from the auditor to the board and is also posted in board book for the February 5th audit committee meeting for committee members but was not included in the documents posted for this meeting and is not posted publicly but you can find it

126in the um audit committee meeting. Based on the audit results, the audit committee discussed recommending that the board's resolution accepting the 2025 act and single audit explicitly acknowledge the significant efficiencies and approve the associated corrective action plan, including a time frame for implementation. Resolution 7248 states, "The board of education accepts the annual comprehensive financial report, reports to management and report on requirements for federal awards of school district number 1J, Multma County, Oregon for the fiscal year ended June 30th, 2025 and approves the correction action plan in response to the defic deficiencies reported by the audit team. Ultimately, the committee determined that the resolution as drafted is sufficient because it approves the corrective action plan. The corrective action plan being approved is detailed in the act for memo FY25 financial report summary docu document which states

127that implementation is effective immediately. So, it deals with the timeliness. Accordingly, the audit committee, including its two community members and our student representative, recommends board approval of resolution 7248 as drafted and posted in board book with no changes to the resolution language. So, we recommend it. And by the way, thank you for sending us a representative who is so good. >> Yes, of course. I hope he has he's having a good time on audit committee. >> Yeah, he is. It's a fun com it is [laughter] that >> so we do recommend for sure that we approve >> I don't have much to add just um thank you so much Patty for your leadership of that committee and for the careful um and detailed report from that conversation um one thing I just wanted to say

128um since just since we um are had the um substantive discussion at the audits committee and just something I want to bring to the table here is that it is no secret that when Director Morrison came into her position, there was staffing transitions that preceded her and followed her arrival and her team is now fully staffed up. And I just want to emphasize that um that when we look back and we do I guess what I want to say is when we do things like an audit, which I think audits are so important, sometimes they turn up exactly what you expect. And I don't think that necessarily there was a lot of surprise that as a result of that staffing turnover there were issues. So I think it's the kind of moment where it's like

129yep. And it's not like ooh surprise like this is like something we weren't expecting. Um and so I feel like that's why you know when I see that the audit didn't come out clean. Um to me it's like yeah yep. And now we get to move on and make sure that we do better in the future. So, I just wanted to say that on the record where there's more people listening than we're at the audits meeting and and just as like kind of a gist of a conversation that we had um at that table as well. >> Yeah. And also to realize, you know, everybody wants studentf facing funding first, but we need it all. I mean, we need our our um team that takes care of our money. Uh if we didn't have that,

130we wouldn't have anything. So, it really is all studentf facing in a way. I wanted to um just thank you also for your leadership um Director Sullivan on the audit committee. It is a great committee. I I miss being on it and and for staff's work. And also just to highlight the history of clean audits um just since I've been on the board. Um we have not had uh six findings like this. Um they've been relatively clean and uneventful, which is what you want in an audit. So um thank you for um identifying these things and addressing them and Siri got excited. >> Yeah, Siri doesn't talk to me that often. That was my phone. Um, but anyway, just thank you for the continued, you know, focus on on the district and the finances and

131um, just appreciate your work. Thanks. >> Thank you. >> And especially to Chief Morrison, you are always available. You answer questions which sometimes you must think are a little far out, [laughter] but you definitely are. It's always there for any of us who have a question about budget. I appreciate it. >> I just want to say I appreciate Michelle to pass director to pass your call out about previous audits and um and we'll do better. Yeah. Well, thank you everyone and thanks both for being here to answer questions or potentially answer questions. Um, is there public comment? >> No. >> All right. Is everyone ready to vote? >> Yes. >> All right. Let's do this. The board will now vote on resolution 7248, acceptance of the annual comprehensive financial report, reports of management, reports uh

132requirements for federal awards and corrective action plan for identified processes. All in favor, please indicate by saying yes. >> Yes. All opposed. Abstensions. Student representative Rardo. >> Yes. >> Thank you. Resolution 7248 is approved by a vote of 7 to zero with student representative RTO unofficially voting yes. >> Thank you both for your time. >> Thank you >> and thank you for that report. Great and the great summary too by Director Split. >> All right, next up we have the fund for PPS update. >> So excited. >> Absolutely. I'm excited to bring forth Chief of Staff Deborah Capori to give a midyear update on the fund for PPS. [laughter] >> Good question. >> Good evening, Deborah Capori, chief of staff. Uh, I'm really excited to be here tonight with you all to talk about the

133fund for PPS. I know this is something that we have been trying to do some regular updates on. I also know that lots of you have lots of questions and so I am so excited because you can see there's somebody new sitting next to me which is a great sign. And I'm going to let our board chair Jackie Wors and our new interim executive director Nick Bradniki. I mean come on what a name is that right? It's it just flows off your tongue. I'm going to let them take it away, but I'm really excited to introduce them. Go ahead. >> Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Jackie Wears and I am proud to be the board chair for the fund for PPS. It's been several months since I sat before you last and I wanted

134to give you an exciting update regarding the board technology. All right. Um so when and the technology is moving on without me. Um [laughter] the fund for PPS executed a search for a permanent executive director and we received many qualified applications and you will be delighted to hear how many executives in the Portland area have deep ties and connections to Portland public school districts. After several rounds of interviews, we did identify excellent finalists uh and we did extend an offer. However, by the time we extended the offer, the individual had accepted another job. Realizing that the timing of the situation made it difficult for us to launch a new search in the middle of winter during the holiday season, we decided to pivot and focus on instead hiring an interim executive director so that we

135could get somebody working on the fund for PPS as quickly and efficiently as possible. To these ends, we interviewed Nick Broadniki. Not only is he a skilled nonprofit executive who brings exceptional troubleshooting skills, he is also deeply tied to the mission of the fund for PPS, having been a former teacher and librarian himself, a dedicated and passionate supporter of diversity and equity in education. In addition to being a nonprofit interim executive director with experience making a profound difference in organizations all across the Portland metropolitan area. The interview process was so extensive that we ruptured his tendon which is why he's here today on a scooter. Um but I am really thrilled to introduce you to him today. Um so I'll turn it over to Nick. >> Thank you very much Jackie. It's a pleasure to

136be here with all of you. Uh it's a privilege to be in this position in an interim uh way right now and uh I'm very very excited to share with you tonight where we stand for our midyear report uh for the fund for PPS. And I'd be remiss if I did not say that I am equally excited not only to be here but to work with uh director Lefor I should say our board rep uh for the fund. So I I look forward to working together. Thank you. So, next slide. Who is this for? Who's the fund for? These incredible students in PPS. So, what are we doing right now? This this should feel like a little bit of a recap from some of the things that we've been talking about and it bears repeating

137for the sake of the board meeting for the 2025 2026 Champion PPS schools program investments. This year we have invested $930,000. So the champion for PPS schools, as a reminder, it's our district-wide model to support staff positions and it creates a a wider system of support for the students. This school year, the following investments are making an impact for students districtwide. Our high impact tutoring for K through third grade students, that's $660,000. math support for 9th through 10th grade students with $70,000 and food pantries in 20 community schools at $200,000. These are all directed by the parent parent advisory committee who also uh directed the uh the $100,000 for the fund to use as seed funding for uh the future. That's what we know. Now, let's talk about what we don't know yet. This is

138where it starts getting really exciting, right? Why are we doing this? Like why the fund for PPS, right? Like we're we're together, one entity with everyone right now. An incredible incredible opportunity to grow a pie and share resources. So far this year, with the investment of $660,000, 45 schools are receiving that high impact tutoring uh in literary literacy skills. Specifically, 30 schools have tutors from reading results. 15 schools have educational assistants, including bilingual tutors in Spanish DLI. And tutoring is three times a week, 30 minutes per session, 30 weeks. You see what's underlined there on the screen. Then, students are more likely to attend school on tutoring days. So this is something that comes from the research for what we're implementing right now, what the fund is helping support. And more importantly, anecdotally, the data

139is coming. Anecdotally, it's what we're seeing from our tutors, from our teachers, from our students in the program right now. As a part of this, you can't really like just talk about what's on a slide. You have to talk about what happens in a classroom. So, I had the chance to drop by Dart Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School, and I can't express to you the joy that I experienced in one of these high impact tutoring sessions with reading results. There's a quote here that I want to read to you from one of the students. They didn't know that I caught it. Uh they said, and I quote, "I just want to hurry up and read." You know, the the fund for PPS, what I saw in that classroom was I saw the fund

140supporting relationships for these students. I saw the fund supporting capacity. I saw the fund supporting access. I saw the fund supporting belonging for these students and I am so excited to be in this role that I have here to be able to drive opportunities, equitable opportunities for access, for belonging, for the support, for the relationships that these students need to be able to succeed. In doing so, it's not going to happen alone. Neither are slides. So, how how is this happening? How is this working? How are we starting to move forward as I step into this role as the interim executive director? Well, we're going to do it by bringing parents and caregivers together. It's happened amongst all of the schools individually and certainly at district levels. And now we have a charge to do

141it very intentionally at that district level. We're going to be bringing businesses together. We're going to be bringing the philanthropic community together. These are highlights, right? There's more to it than that. And this is where I want to set the stage for our future conversations. These investments, they're they're supported by databack strategies that are recommended by our parent advisory council. These are coming from our community members, right? We're we're raising these funds. community members are giving us this feedback and the teachers, our school administrators, everybody's saying, "Yes, we're making these things happen." You know, this this year we got started with high impact tutoring in October and we just finished up the first session. I don't think session is the right word, but I'm going to say session at the end of December. So all

142of the data still being crunched for for sharing. But I do want to say this when it comes to bringing people together as a part of this first session in this school year. We've had 1,8 students served already this year. That's 1,08 students who have more opportunity and a more a bigger sense of belonging. That is, follow me on this number, 640, minutes of additional support in their lives right now. Think about where you could use 640,000 minutes of support in your lives, right? You know, this is a real this is a real opportunity. This is a real inflection moment for the fund to drive forward with our parents, with our community leaders, with our business leaders, with our philanthropic community. And I am very, very ready to take the reigns on behalf of the

143fund, on behalf of the fund's board and this board to be able to drive us forward, of course, with everyone's feedback. So what else does it take besides this fellow Nick Brad Nikki talking to the mic about where we stand today at that midyear? It takes our school liaison joining the fund. these one to two PPS parents and caregivers per school where we can get together and it takes our parent advisory committee coming together where we have those student two student representatives where we have a parent or caregiver from each of our primary schools or the the feeder schools into Franklin, Lincoln, McDaniel and Roosevelt. So, this is also my call to action. You as board members, as you see constituents uh that speak to you, anybody listening in behind me on the on YouTube,

144any of the parents or caregivers, if you're interested, heed my call. I'd love to have a conversation and I'd love for us to figure out how to work on this together. Uh because this is for for the for our future. These are for the students and we're going to make impact with them. Right, that concludes our formal presentation. We would be happy to take any questions that you have. >> Hello. Thank you. I think I'll [clears throat] start us off. Um, so first of all, I liked everything that you guys said about what you're doing so far with with the funds you have. um when you came before the board um at towards the beginning of the year um I had asked a few questions about how uh the fund for PBS wanted uh intended

145to go forward in terms of raising um money and so I'd still like to hear about that. I know that I recommended um reaching out uh to local uh to the PTAs of individual schools that were previously um raising money through foundations um and trying to uh to rebuild those systems um for the fund for PBS. So if you could talk about that, I would love to hear. >> Yeah, absolutely. Um, in the process of hiring the executive director, we have put together extensive contact lists regarding who the PPS team and the fund for PPS team have already had conversations with. Uh, Deborah and Robin both have been reaching out to key members of PTAs across the entire community and making sure that they have been keeping in touch with the hopes that once we

146had an executive director that we'd be able to put a singular face behind these conversations. Now that Nick has come on board, there has been extensive conversations and planning for how to continue that under Nick's leadership and Nick specializes in building relationships. And so a lot of what we have done is just laid the prep work, making sure that we have the information on who the key contacts are, keeping warm contacts warm, and then now we're going to let Nick lead that charge. >> Thank you so much. I I I don't know. Are they going to come before the board um one more time this year or that be under the next student representatives tenure? Does anyone know? >> I I believe so, but it's also up to >> I believe if you say our

147name three times, we appear. >> We welcome the invitation. Yes. Um >> if I remember from last year, we got the report from the PAC during this school year and then affirmed their choices as a board. So I think if memory serves they will come back. >> Yes. Yeah, I think you're right. I think that's in the spring. >> Yeah. >> But also, but I think there's also the, you know, the ask of the general update on the goings on, but yeah, we can arrange that. Yes. >> Great. Yeah, I look for um that all sounds great and I look forward to to hearing more about outreach efforts. >> I really loved your presentation and welcome um Nick is okay. >> Yes. >> And Jackie, it's great to see you. Um, I I loved the

148storytelling component of your presentation and the story of the potential the impact that you've already seen at my neighborhood school that my mother retired from and so did my grandmother, my grandma and she taught crochet after school to all the little black girls in the neighborhood. Um, so yeah, I'm really excited. I also love asking for money. I love um fundraising and I'm surprised you haven't asked all of us up here for a check. We do get a stipend every month and I'm going to um challenge my colleagues to join me in donating one stipend per year and spread it out over 12 months if it's easier. Um it might be easier for some than others, but um we could definitely help that way. I'm surprised you didn't ask. You're being polite, I'm sure. Uh

149on a first meeting. Um I would have expected that on the second meeting to for to have an ask. >> I appreciate that feedback. I will point out that when I did present, I did point you to the URL that is the third URL on that page, fundforppps.orgdonate. So that provides very easy instructions to not only provide a singular donation, but also the ability to set up a reoccurring donation of any amount. >> Thank you. Yeah, I I have a comment. I was a I think the one of two on the board that was a supporter of the foundations last year. But you know, we really know how important these fund dollars are for our students, especially in these hard times. And I was approached by a parent at the budget sharing meeting at Wells

150a few weeks ago who asked if it might be possible to bring back foundations to help with the upcoming budget deficit. >> And I told him that I doubted it, but I'd look into it. and I discovered that bringing back the foundation model is not going to happen. So we need to put our energy into this new plan. However, I do want to acknowledge for the foundation foundation people that the different foundations have given to the entire school community not just their individual schools. In fact, it is the foundations that raised the money to pay for the tutors and educational assistance, the math supports, and the food pantries that you just mentioned that happened this year. It's also foundation money that is providing the seed money for this new endeavor, uh, Champion PPS. So, thank

151you foundations. Let's not, they weren't perfect, but they did a lot of good. I'm really hopeful that Champion PPS can raise enough money to support every student who needs extra help to be successful. I am also hopeful that we realize that those students are in all of our schools. The people who decide where to spend our dollars have a very difficult job. Let's make it easier for them by raising enough dollars so that every school can have an extra tutor or aid or whatever we decide will help in these times of shortage. And let's also remember that we would not even have to worry about this fund at all if the state would find the will to give schools what they need for success. I'm I'm copying you. [laughter] Be sure to keep the letters

152flowing to the legislature while we also support the fund. I have discovered that the state has an education stability fund, the ESF, that has over a billion dollars. The fund is designed to prevent cuts to critical education programs. This is a critical time when we have had to make massive cuts three years in a row. Strategic use of the fund can stabilize school budgets while allowing time for long-term solutions. Let's spend that now. What are we waiting for? I urge everybody listening to this to call and or write your legislator now. and of course give to Champion PPS just in case they don't do everything they should. [laughter] >> Thank you, Director Sullivan. >> Just want to thank you. No, if I can just I want to thank you for saying that, Director Sullivan. I

153just also want to note Director Sullivan and I have never known a year on the board that we've not cut. Our first year on the board, $30 million we had to oversee cuts and second year on the board we had to oversee 48 million and this year we're looking at another 50 and this is all from the state >> not meeting the needs of the day of our state. So >> um thank you for bringing that out. Um I was curious about um and I apologize if this is a lot of pressure and you're new um but what uh what plans and goals are looking like for next year? >> I appreciate the question. uh as it stands seven business days in the way we've set it up right now is understanding uh within the

154current economic climates what kind of benchmarks make sense where we are in a current fiscal year for individuals companies you know looking at the spectrum of who we're going to be asking for money and when and while we had an initial million dollar goal for the school year that uh was reduced thinking about where we are now in the school year where I'm walking in the goal would still be to close a million within this school year. Uh that's the goal. It does not mean it is what we will absolutely attain, but we will at all times when you think about a fundraising strategy, some nuts and bolts here, right? Best case scenario, you want to look at a 30% close rate at any given time. So, you're going to set up a $3 million

155opportunity pipeline and you're going to look at the timelines with which you want to close that million of that $3 million. And every one of those nos along the way is really just a future yes because it's not the right time for them to say no. And we're going to distribute that amongst the the paths that open themselves up when you think about the initial corporate opportunities associated with the initial um community parent opportunities associated with when grants have their current timelines. So in in summary to the question, we um I will be very disappointed in myself as an interim executive director if I don't get that million dollars. That is what we want to close. It's what we want for the students. It's what this job was meant to be hired for within this

156school year. So, it is very much still the goal and we will build a strategy that if most of it goes reasonably well, we should get very close, if not get there. That would be the anticipation. >> I think you can see why we hired Nick. There is some serious fundraising chops and the experience of asking from our community even when times are difficult. But what I think you also saw here today was that he's marrying not only the data and the research that has been the foundation of so much of PPS's decision-making to date. He's also bringing in the storytelling and that is something that we are really looking forward to as this tutoring program continues to develop by weaving the experience with fundraising, the storytelling and the data. I firmly believe that we

157can reach our $1 million goal and that the reason why we also hired Nick is because he has experience in setting up organizations for future success. So part of the position description is not only to help us aspirationally achieve that goal, but also to help us better clarify and define the goals for next year so that when Ian asks us questions, I will sweat a little less. [snorts] >> I'm betting on Nick. I think you guys made a good hire. Um, hi, welcome, Nick. Um, I am really glad that you're here. Um, I also still remain really glad that my neighbor in Southwest, Jackie Wores, has stepped up to her role. Um, I feel really good about where things are headed with the fund. Um, I wanted to share an idea. I got the superintendent's

158permission to share my idea with you here tonight. Um, and um, I just to tell my own story. A couple years ago, we also had a historically large kicker rebate. Um that same kicker rebate is going to happen on people's taxes this year. And for Portland families that um have higher incomes, they are going to have a very sizable tax rebate because of the kicker. And at my own school, we um had our we we didn't have a foundation for the very longest time because we think I think our our leadership including me thought they were inequitable. But then we were going to lose our art teacher. So we had we formed a foundation and had our f we had two auctions. Um and before the one two years ago, um I I shared the

159idea. I said, "I am going to get this kicker. I'm going to give X amount of my kicker to at the auction towards our art teacher. And I said you should ask other families cuz somebody had called me and said like what can you give? Um because they were doing a good job of seating the pitch. I know Nick knows what I'm talking about. And so I said you should talk to people kickers. And so like literally I walked in that night and I just remember being like I was like I'm like tooting my own horn. I'm really sorry. My friend always it's Anyway. Um so I showed up and people were saying like what was your kicker? like how much of your kicker are you going to give tonight? And I was like, this

160is amazing. And we ended up raising like we had never had an auction and we raised like $200,000. It was like wild um at a school that's not like super high income. And the next year we raised significantly less. And I think partially it was because people didn't make that connection of like having that disposable income. Plus, a lot of people in Portland that know politics think the kicker is a ridiculous policy, which I wholeheartedly agree. And so that money when it lands um for people who need it, I'm sure they should they should use it as they see fit. But people where it's like extra, this might be a way of um kind of encouraging them to make like literally those people who say the kicker is a bad idea. Well, okay, we'll give

161your kicker to the schools. Um and uh it's interesting too because on your tax returns you can say I want to give my entire kicker to schools. um they don't give you an option to be like give some of it you know and I think families or people probably would give some and giving all is a bigger challenge um so it gives us the opportunity to kind of meet people where they are anyway I'm talking way more than I meant to but I think you should take advantage of the kicker in talking um to our parents and caregivers about their giving this spring >> thank you >> that is all >> I have a couple comments First of all, I' I've had the pleasure of sitting in a couple [clears throat] meetings with Jackie now,

162and you are an absolute delight and so organized, and um I every time I sit there with you, I'm like I'm like, I can't believe she's a volunteer. [laughter] You're amazing. And um I really appreciate you organizing and taking the initiative to hire someone like Nick. Um, I know you're probably gonna get some questions if you haven't already about using money that the LSF raise, you know, LFS raised. I can't talk. LSFS raised to pay the salary for an executive director, which, you know, wasn't necessary when we had, you know, a million fundraisers across the district, but I definitely am a firm believer that sometimes you have to spend money to make money. >> And I think this is one of those cases. So, I feel like it's a great investment and I appreciated the

163goals that you tied to the offer and um I'm happy to email us to you if you want to see them. There are fundraising goals um that are concrete which I appreciated. Um and um when I saw that you came from the uh the American Heart Association. I have uh I used to well I don't used to I still do like a loads of sponsorship deals in my background and I one of the best I ever met she worked for Hood to Coast and she was the best and she went to work for the American Heart Association and uh she was amazing. So you've got a you had a really you've had really great people coming through that organization that are just considered the best. Um so excited to have you on board. Um, many

164families are going to ask what the fund has raised this year um, outside of the LSF money. Do you have a number that you can share with us? >> Do you have a current number? >> I don't in front of me. It's certainly a follow-up. >> Okay, great. >> Okay, my turn. Um, hello. I have your sweatshirt. >> Yay. I mean, I forgot to bring it today. Um, at the last meeting, Jackie made a comment about wanting to get sweatshirts from every school and so I promptly emailed her a link to our um, spiritware that was going on and she ordered one and then I have sat on it because I haven't seen you since. So, I will get you your sweatshirt. It's very cute. >> It's really awesome. >> Nick, if you would like

165a sweatshirt, [clears throat] we're doing another one in in May. Um, [laughter] so, okay. So, um, thank you for this presentation. um to the to the slide and I didn't see these slides because I do most of my stuff in printed form and I I didn't see it yesterday so I saw it on here. Um [sighs and gasps] to the slide about hoping to get one to two parents from each school >> on board. Um, I would like to see directly from the fund, not to the PTA or the PTA point person, but perhaps to the entire district of families an email asking because um I I have not seen anything and I read I read my emails like um my personal emails through school. I haven't seen anything and I haven't seen anything come

166through PTAs and I know some PTAs and PTSAs are struggling and just don't have the bandwidth to do it. So I would like to see an email going out directly to the families saying we are looking for families from every school. You don't have to say if you don't need them from some schools. Um because I think you will engage people more that way >> and maybe get more people talking. I have um been vocal about supporting this new system and getting it out and trying to connect you to PTA families who are struggling with the changes but want to support it too. And so I've been trying to do my part. Um, and I think a blast would be great. Also, um, I was looking at your social media, which I'm very glad to

167see that I follow. Um, but there hasn't been a post since mid January, which is forever apparent. It's like a lifetime in social media. >> Um, and so now that we have an interim executive director, welcome. Um, I guess I would urge a lot of social media presence because people, they like what they see. They go to Blazers games. I know that was the last post. they go to Thorns Timbers games. Um they want to give kickers maybe. Um so I would love to see a very heightened social media presence so pe so we can share other people can share and people can get excited about this new system and get it to work. Um however uh I've said this a number of times uh while up here. I don't think a system that doesn't

168include every single kid is a system that is working. I don't think it's any it's not it's not equitable. And what we're searching for is to try to make sure that all of our kids who are struggling are not. So I think to get families who are unhappy with the change or maybe were the big donors before and don't want to give it anymore. They need to see the work in their schools too and we they deserve to see the work. Their kids may not need it, but they want to know that the struggling kids in their schools are getting the high impact tutoring. And I say this and I'll say it quickly. Not every elementary school has high impact tutoring. in-person high impact tutoring. Other things were offered that were just just not as

169good for elementary school kids. And so I think to get this really working, we have to make a concerted effort and a commitment to say we will get this into every school. If you have three kids who are struggling with reading versus 75, those three will still get what they need. It'll be, you know, it'll be less proportionately less, but we're not going to forget you because there's only three of you. Um, yeah. Uh so thank you for all of this presentation. It was great. And I'll get you a sweatshirt and I'll bring you your sweatshirt. Uh very briefly I just to let you know we have been working on a communications plan. One of the board of directors members is a communication specialist. So that is something that we have been working on. Um,

170and then when it comes to pushing out communications to the larger PPS system, that's something that we need to work in collaboration with PPS on because we unfortunately don't control the button to that, which is actually fortunate because then you'd hear from me far too much. uh but uh a plan is in the process of being approved and that we will be more aggressive in making sure that we are communicating on social media. But we also understand the value of in person which is one of the reasons why I immediately thought of Nick because he really does shine in working with people individually and in groups in real life. >> All right. Thank you. Thank you for being here and don't have any questions. You look like pros. I'm really excited uh for your work

171and and looking forward to to supporting and everything. So, thank you for being here. >> Thank you for all of your support. I know this has been an a difficult transition at times, but I truly believe that right now we have a dream team. We have an opportunity. We have a lot of work to do, but we have a huge amount of difference we can make. >> All right. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you. Let's have a um five minute break before we move on to the >> next >> and let's make it a quick five minutes. You know when those 4 minutes 59 seconds All right, let's get started. >> Uh, next up we have budget update, Dr. Armstrong. >> Yeah, absolutely. Thank you. Um, our chief financial officer, Michelle

172Morrison. >> Thank you, Superintendent Armstrong and directors. We do have our um finance focus tonight and budget development. Going to go we've touched on parts of it already. So I'm going to move rather swiftly so that we can get on to any questions and comments you might have and then also to our bond update which is very exciting to hear as well. So um we'll go ahead and get started. Cara, do I have the power? All right. So, our topics tonight going to touch again on the annual comprehensive financial report. Just the review, our bond rating and sale update. We had the sale today, so I have some information to share with you. Uh budget reminders and development activities that are happening within the district and in the community. And then uh just want to

173throw a lob out there and see if there's any areas of interest that you would like me to bring forward in upcoming finance focus topics. All right. So our annual comprehensive financial report highlights uh there was a staff memo that um really uh is a summary to identify points of interest throughout the document. Our annual financial report is highly technical and it communicates to a a broad array of community and stakeholders. And so for folks that aren't as familiar with reading those kinds of documents, we provided a summary. I hope that's useful. Looking for feedback on that in case there's something missing and we want to be sure that we're improving as we move along. Uh, one of the things I wanted to point out specifically was the GFOA award for our prior year. We

174received that and what that means is that we go through a very rigorous checklist of internal review on our information that goes into that report. Um, so meeting those strict guidelines assures that we will receive that award again. So even though we had some findings this year, uh we went through that process and we anticipate another award-winning document. Our corrective action plans as needed. Uh the fund balance is something uh that is of interest to many people. The management discussion and analysis really that's a year-over-year discussion of things that's changed. And then we have the statistical and supplemental information section at the end which is really um more about our local regional economy and other um health indicators for the district. This is my note on findings. Uh I sent this to you uh along

175with that email just to really be crystal clear that the findings that we have uh shared with you are not um due to a loss or misuse of funds. They were more about our internal controls around um review and final approval before um transactions were posted internally um which we uh clearly anchored back to transitional um leadership and the finance team. I've detailed them out here for our federal um programs. You can see uh there are multiple findings but they are listed separately across uh three different programs. So it's like a similar finding over a single grant and then another grant. It's the same finding. So again, internal practices and we've already implemented um all of the fixes needed to ensure that we will be in compliance moving forward. And our state programs as well.

176Um, none of these rose to the level that the uh federal program, the single federal program that required notification to the secretary of state. But all of these things are um things that we've identified and we have a corrective action plan that identifies the who, the how, and the when, which are the critical components of that. No changes will be made to the report. um even after the resolution even if it hadn't been approved the report is a static factual document we can't make any changes um and we have made the appropriate filings so good news uh we did have our bond sale we had to move it back a week um in order to uh accommodate the uh late release of our financial report actually so it turned out to be a stroke of

177good luck for Uh we had our third tranch trunch for our 2020 bonds uh and our uh first trunch of 2025. The debt service uh is not going to exceed our ballot authorization. So we had a target of a levy rate of $2.50 per thousand. We built our debt service schedule to accommodate that. Our next sale is um targeted in 2028 and we will re-evaluate that as we get closer in our cash flows for our bonds on our projects. We um so far all of our pre-spending for 25 that is um authorized under under the bond will be reimbursed to the district. So that's good news as well. So, we did um receive a rate of uh an average rate on our bonds of 4.24%. Which was um very positive in terms of today's marketplace.

178So, we were pleased to see that uh for our total amount and we earned um just under 8% premium on our bonds. So, it was a really good day for us to be in the marketplace. And those premium dollars will be spent on the same projects authorized under those ballot titles. >> May I ask about the um was it Moody's the downgrading in the rating? >> Yes, we were downgraded. We went through both uh ratings process with standard and pores and Moody's and we were um downgraded slightly by standard and pores last spring when we sold bonds in May. Um, so they they felt like their rating was still going to hold, but Moody's had been a longer period of time in our experience and our financial position. So they did downgrade us slightly. I

179would not say that it impacted our sale. So I think >> that was my next question. Yeah, I think you know regionally and nationally it's similar uh experience for school districts at large and so we all kind of rise or we all kind of shift depending on our economic outlook. So um really really positive sale today. >> Michelle, thank you. Uh the positive sale um are you able to articulate with the board of how much more um we received than expected or potentially will receive than expected? Yeah. So, we um we received about $49 million in premium. So, that was over and above what we had sold for our $660 million target. We ended up raising um $79 million. Yeah, that's really good news. And and we do I do have a write up for

180you guys. It just happened today and I haven't had a chance to get it to you yet, but uh we'll make sure that Dr. Armstrong uh is able to send that out to you this week. Um our budget engagement uh you know we have leadership activities happening all the time consistently. Um our engagement and outreach to families continues. We have started our series of meetings with the community budget review committee. We had our first meeting last week um which I felt was very positive. uh our face um family and community engagement team is facilitating that and it adds a whole new uh vibrance uh to the series that I'm really excited about. We have um our preliminary recommendation for ductions is being circulated and we'll be modifying that um with feedback that we're getting. So

181uh we also have the transparency website and video series. Uh most recently re we released a video a short video on PERS which I hope you will find is useful. So if you could continue to send people back to that um I I I don't need the attention but I do think they are really good little sound bites at getting some basic understanding of how our funding works. So this is a familiar slide talking about rules and budget development. So I won't spend a lot of time here. We have our budget calendar um and activities just for your reference. You can see that we do intend to propose our budget to you on April 28th and we have that um the hearing and uh work for you and the CBRC um right up until approval

182and adoption. And then finally tonight, I just wanted to put this out in this space to get uh kind of a a line on where your interests lie as a board in terms of finance focused topics. Again, just these brief touch points offormational um sessions to improve your um your confidence in both my team and administration and um your um knowledge when you're being asked questions. Yeah, those two suggested items are ones that I've been interested in for a long time. So, >> okay, those are good guess. Yeah. >> Yeah. When when you come talk about pers, will you teach us about side accounts? >> Yes. >> Thank you. And then I have another idea and I don't care if it's summer or down the road or whatever like timing is is whenever on this

183but I think it would be cool to potentially hear from like other districts just to hear about kind of what their experiences are related to the current budget situation. >> I would love to invite my colleagues to come share. I'm just such a big fan of learning from others about their experiences and I think it helps us to know we're not alone. But also, I know there's some schools that are having like a different experience. Like somebody was saying North Clakamus isn't having cuts. I think it's because their enrollment's not going down. So, I think kind of hearing from different places about kind of what they're doing or how they're responding would be kind of fun and interesting. >> Absolutely. We do have a network for um all school districts in general, but also um

184the larger uh group. So, uh Salem, Kaiser, um Eugene, um North Clack, Hillsboro, Beaverton. So, I have those connections and can reach out to see if somebody'd like to come visit with you guys. All right. Thank you, No more question. Just checking. >> Yeah, thank you very much, >> Chief Morrison. Yeah, we appreciate your time and hopefully um yeah, didn't keep you too late. Uh next up, we have the >> up before 9. It's great. >> It's fine. >> Next up, we have the bond update. And especially thank you for staying late. >> Yes, absolutely. And as um Michelle Morrison departs, I just want to hold up and thank the entire financial um leadership team. As you all know, it's been a lot of work with budget engagement and all the things and all the

185reporting as you just saw and just she's doing an incredible job and just thank her for her leadership publicly. Thank you. And with that, I will turn it over to the team uh to take us through the bond update. So, thank you Sarah and TJ. >> Thank you, Dr. Armstrong. Good evening to the board. My name is TJ Hopkins, senior program director for the bond program. I'll be providing you with the bond program update. I'd like to start off with some wins for the team. Sorry, that's okay. >> [laughter and panting] >> We got to the we got to the right slide. So there we go. >> We're on the right slide. Okay. >> So modernizations. I want to start off with modernizations. Uh again, just some wins for the team. Both Cleveland and Jefferson

186high schools have completed design development phase with IDB following uh at the end of this month. Also, Marshall Track and Field Resurfacing has started scheduled to be complete at the end of April. And our controls division, we're producing more frequent cash flow reporting. It was previously completed on a quarterly basis. We're now switching to monthly. So, this is going to benefit BAC. Um, it's just going to be more frequent and current information uh supporting financials. There's been in increased collaboration with finance and there's a pending roll out of a new bond compensibility standard operating pro procedure which is also going to improve uh BAC reporting also improve cost controls in eBuilder next slide please I'd also like to share our communications division Um the senior bond communications manager has been updating the web pages. So

187you can go and click on any one of the modernizations Cleveland Jefferson IDB Wells you'll find current information pertaining to the the design the project timeline and uh overall just more user friendly and it'll benefit teachers staff parents students that want to want to go there and use that as a resource in our consolidated division Dunaway roofing has been complete completed. They received final sign off on all the permits. Grant lights is expected to start construction in March of 26. So that's next month. And that's dependent on receipt of permit. >> Yes. And exactly dependent on receipt of permit, which is still with the city. We do not have it in hand, but that is where where we are scheduled. >> Good luck with that. >> Yes. Thank you. >> It's moving. It's moving. Jackson

188and Marshall Hub athletic fields uh field turf scope is set to start quarter two 2026. Yes. And so the reason I'm sharing some of these smaller winds is because they always lead to larger ones. It plants the seed and it's at the forefront of your mind. So with that, I would like to turn it over. So part of part of our role is to break down barriers within departments to really try and understand how we can collaborate and provide transparency and really meet efficiencies for the district overall. And with working with the technology department, there was a huge savings that we could recognize in network security. And uh Dennis Moxley came to us and said, "Hey, if we could get this through and processed processed, we'll save the district $13 million on this uh network

189security." And the team was able to deliver that. And so the week of January 22nd, we were able to save the district $13 million and also provide network security upgrades necessary on the technology bond. So again, it's just all about cross department collaboration and really recognizing where the priorities are and making sure that we're in constant communication and a lot of that is just meeting with the senior directors across the uh different departments that are part of the bond program. And by understanding where they are with their processes, we can expedite our processes to meet those um those savings for the overall district. >> Thank you, Sarah. We have a technology update. Um, looks like Portland Public Schools has partnered with Micro K12 for Chromebook refresh replacement and this is a onetoone replacement. This differs

190from what's happened in the past. Technology has partnered with the individual school leaders um just just to uh come up with a plan to replace these devices in a more collaborative fashion so as not to disrupt operations for classroom teaching and not interrupt the students that are that are there to learn. By the way, just thank you for that. I have firsthand experience about the disruption. >> Either I skipped. >> Do you want um comments as you're going? I had a question about the technology um upgrade. I had two comments. One is um for us to be very conscious about disposal of old units because it will be in the newspaper because we're in Portland. Also, we have a climate uh crisis response policy. I was just looking through it to see if it had

191um solid waste, but we pillar one for instance talks about reducing environmental impact. So to the extent that we could be concerned about the environmental impact, carbon the carbon impacts um there is a nonprofit here in Portland called Free Geek would be an excellent place to donate all of those units. They actually train our PPS students on repair and tinkering and taking them apart and putting them back together. Um and they then they students can build their own unit. So I would instead of tossing them because we were in the paper for that a couple years ago um we could donate them and maybe even get a a break. Thank you. The other comment was about um using minority and womenowned businesses to the extent that we can for some of these you know contracts.

192>> Of course. Okay, >> this is similar to [laughter] what you saw. >> This is similar what you saw a week ago, but >> yeah, this is this is the Cleveland High School overall project schedule and timeline. It's the same one that was approved in the comprehensive plan. And again, design development milestone was achieved mid January and there was a value engineering effort that was able to be uh had resulting in an alternate accepted and that was the indoor running track in the gym and that's because they were within budget. So um that's good news. That's also another win for the team. Um, improvements are scheduled to start at Marshall and that's going to be completed in June of 26, just before construction is scheduled to start. And the unfortunately I didn't get to get

193this in the slide, but the groundbreaking date is June 13th >> for Cleveland High School. >> Before we move on, Jefferson, can I ask you a question on Cleveland? >> Oh, go ahead. >> Yeah. Uh, I'm sorry. >> Sorry. June 13th. Um, >> June 13th for Cleveland High School is the schedule groundbreaking. >> Thank you. >> Save the date >> in our calendar. >> Oh, you know, board meetings don't even show up on my calendar, so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. So, I'm just going to put this in my paper calendar because that works. Um, quick qu two questions. Um, last time we got this presentation, I think it was the virtual meeting, I asked um for an update on Pal Park and I was told that there had been a meeting, that

194there was more information coming. I haven't seen any more information, so I wonder if you could provide more information. And then my second question is there are um middle school feeder schools, Cleveland feed, middle school feeding into Cleveland who use the track and field for their middle school sports. Where are they going to go? It just dawned on me that spring track and field, if not this year, certainly next year, are they going to have to go out to Marshall or are we finding >> track, field, base, like whatever closer for them? >> We definitely can follow up with um athletics and get that information to you. Um and then for an update on Powell Park. >> Yeah, so we did um I I think I reported on this the last meeting. Maybe was that

195bio? I get confused. uh Deborah Kafuri, chief of staff. Um we had a meeting with uh Portland Parks and Recreck, which was great. And it's going to be a negotiation process. So I don't know that there's going to be actually like an update every time we meet, but just to know that um we are working very closely with them. Um we are very motivated. They seem pretty motivated. So I have cautiously optimistic. they know that we would like things sooner rather than later. >> You you did give that update the last time we met. Um and yeah, I know I personally don't expect an update every single time, but it's good to know that we are in talks. That's a good >> 100%. It's better than it was a few months ago. Yes, that's why

196I'm looking at the bright side. Thank you. Thank you. >> That was the update that I I heard. I just didn't consider that really an update. It's just sort of like no update. So that's why I asked like do we have more information than >> Yeah. >> information coming soon that we in meetings but sounds like not. Okay. >> Okay. This is one more quick question on Cleveland. Sorry. Um for the um the maybe I I missed something along the way. Um >> the indoor running track is happening, right? >> Yes. Through the through because we were able to recognize savings through value engineering. we we're able to implement the indoor running truck. >> Was it off the table at one point? Because I remember it was I thought it was always part of the

197>> It was but at the time when we were looking for budget savings that was it was it was an alternate. >> Oh god. >> And since we were able and since we were able to recognize the savings through the value engine, it was a huge win for the team quite honestly and the community and the students but uh the team worked together to recognize that and so now it is in the in this in the project. Actually, I do have a question about like yours, Stephanie. Um, so Paul Cleveland didn't have a track right around the school anyway, right? They had to go somewhere else. So, isn't that where the junior high kids will go or the middle school kids? But if that's being under construction starting soon, they won't be able to >>

198run there or >> isn't that why the construction is happening at Marshall so that it can be where >> I mean the Yeah, the the field and track are all being resurfaced at Marshall. I I I don't want to speak for athletics. I am not sure what their swing plan is for the feeder schools, but we're happy to follow up with them. >> Okay. Yeah, that would be great because like for for middle school kids to travel is that's a really long way >> to get out to Marshall. >> They won't be able to. I think it's a great >> Yeah. So, I just Yeah, I'm sure there are I'm sure there are tracks and fields and football fields and soccer, whatever else they do at Cleveland. Um I saw lacrosse playing there last night.

199Um that's just like it's a rush hour. It's going to be at least a 45 minute one way and if there are kids coming from Cellwood, right? So, just something to be noodling about. >> Yep. >> Okay. This is the Jefferson High School. S again, same schedule that was uh approved in the comprehensive plan. >> Okay. And so, tomorrow is going to mark a milestone for Jefferson. They'll have conditional use process, which is part of the land use permitting. So, that hearing is scheduled for tomorrow and we'll have we'll have a well everything goes well. We'll have an update tomorrow. >> Update for you. [gasps] >> Let's see. We have early field scope that's being that's put out to bid with a late spring construction start. And groundbreaking date for Jefferson High School is May

20029th, >> which I think we've announced before, so we apologize that it says TBD. >> It's in their calendars. >> Okay, good. >> Okay. Again, IDW Wells, this is the overall project schedule approved in the comprehensive plan. >> I don't like being in charge of the clicker. Okay. >> All right. The last community design workshop for IDB Wells was February 4th. There was quite a significant turnout. I believe 40 to 50 people. Um, a lot of community input. I would call that a success. Uh, design development is underway. Again, that deliverable scheduled for spring of 2026. Actually, it's going to be late this month that we'll get that uh design development documents. Construction starts scheduled for December of 26. And then this one is a to be determined for groundbreaking. >> Can I say something

201about Yes. >> Good old IdaB? >> Of course. >> By the way, we got to figure out if the fact that everybody calls it IDA is okay. It's like just a weird thing. Like I need to think that through. but it is called IDA by all the people that go to school there. Um, so, um, my question about that project, well, more of a comment. Um, and I'm like kind of losing my ability to speak clearly as anybody who heard me talk last time knows. Um, so when I was at that conversation and then also in past conversations related to design workshops and tag meetings and conversations with community leaders in Southwest, especially those trail advocates, um, you know, when you don't have sidewalks, they really matter. Um, the fencing situation is causing a lot

202of consternation and I think you probably both have heard about that and know that. Um, and so I hope we can continue to keep in mind like thinking that through how we can have a safe and secure campus, but perhaps have some more connectivity through that site. Um, and um, I don't need an answer today. I just really wanted to make sure that we're like hearing that drum beat. Um, I think of schools as community resources. I am so grateful that my elementary school doesn't have a gate. My god, please don't change it. if I say it, but my kids played on that playground before they went to school there. We have a courtyard garden that they would hang out in all the weekends and we would read stories and it was like a place

203for us to gather as a family and then when they went to school there it was like they already felt so at home. And so I know that um that's something that community members are worried about like losing access to any field space there, having just a fence around the whole property, yada yada. Um, enough said, but I just hope that we can um continue to see if there's any flexibility or chance that we could continue to have what we have right now um in that space, which is like a community gathering, walk- on through all sorts of access to the space. >> Can I ask a quick question before we move off of the high schools for Jefferson? Um, when will we know whether the Shell option is viable for Jefferson? We are currently

204in in final schedule review with the general contractor. We hope to have that wrapped up by the beginning of next week. Okay. And then we'll have a report to leadership. >> Great. >> Yep. We've been meeting we've we've had multiple workshops with the general contractor and the um architectural and design team. Um and so we're just we're just at the tail end of that. So we hope to have that over to uh leadership next week. >> Perfect. >> Consolidated projects. >> Yes, we have Vestal and Marshall re- roof. We've received 100% construction documents and those are currently out to bid. Okay. HVAC controls Bridger and Kelly uh final commissioning port was received and the project is moving into closeout. ADA and special ed upgrades are scheduled for completion on February 12th, so right around the

205corner. and seismic award and completion of design for Chavez, Marshall, Vestal, and Woodmere. >> So, these slides are going to be very very similar to what you saw um during our virtual meeting two weeks ago. Uh I feel like we I feel like we present to you every other week. So, um, we hopefully once we get into construction, we'll have a lot more exciting things to show you, but for now, a lot of the things are very, you know, we're in design, we're in planning, and we were kind of telling you where we are. Um, were these financials updated for January? >> Yes. Yes. >> Okay. So, these are updated financials from January. So this is the overall bond program um and where we are with all uh all four bond programs. So 2012, 2017,

2062020, and 2025. Um this overview shows you exactly what we've shown you before. Uh we're almost done with 2012. We've got a little bit on 2017. 2020 we're a little over 50%. And then 2025, we just had our bond sale, our first bond sale. So, we're just start I mean we've started work there obviously because we had the design and planning in 2020 for the three modernizations, but we're just getting that one kicked off. Again, pretty much the same information on where we are with the 2012 dashboard. This is kind of where we are from a clo from a closeout and construction perspective. We still we still have eight projects here that are um in construction andor actively getting to closeout. So that is why this bond program is kind of lingering. We're trying to

207finish that up. This clicker is really slow. I'm going to end up going I'm sorry. Uh 2017 dashboard. Um you want to speak to 2017? >> Sure. 2017 dashboard there's approximately 89 892 million 7% available. It's pretty much in a closeout and reconciliation phase. [laughter] This is a visual of 2017 program status. 175 projects total. 48 in construction, 17 in post construction, and 110 have been completed. Okay. 2020 dashboard, we have a total of 1.3 billion in funds with 42% available. Again the visual uh 103 total projects, one in pre-planning, 61 in construction, two in post construction and 39 have been completed. 2025 has the bulk of the funds at 1.8 billion and 95% are available and we're currently building out that program and what it's going to look like. There's the visual. Everything's in

208pre-planning at this stage, >> although we do have some in design at the moment. Actually, we need to update that, but because we do have our three modernizations that are in design, so we can update that for the for the next month, >> but that's coming from 2020. Any questions? >> That's a good point. >> TJ just corrected me. She's absolutely right. Actually, design is design is represented in the 2020 bond. That is why uh everything is shown as pre-planning because the construction for the three modernizations is in the 2025 pond. Thank you TJ. >> You're welcome. >> Um I was just curious about the West Silvin fields. Is there anything on that? >> It is. Uh we do we did present to um the athletics and um vice principles this past week. Um and

209they they are scheduled. I don't have that schedule in front of me. Can we get back to you on that because I can I can get you the information that we presented at that meeting. >> Great. >> But I don't have it in front of me. [laughter] >> Okay. Thanks. >> I have a question. Big surprise. [laughter] Um for uh the 2012 and 2017 bonds, the um funds like the available funds buckets. Um I just want more a comment. Um, we've got the major athletic projects for Grant and Lincoln on deck and Grant was part of the 2012 bond originally and Lincoln was part of the 2017 bond. So, I'm just wondering um or just want to point out there may be an opportunity to build some of the expenditures for the Grampole and for

210West Silvin to these bonds. they were part of this initial plan and um now that there's you know some accurate reconciliation here I just wanted to throw that out there it wouldn't be out of scope and I'm going to kick it back to you Dr. Armstrong. >> Yeah noted the questions great I'm actually going to pass it to Cher Wong. All right. Thank you for the question. >> Enough. We're out of questions. >> Uh, I'm going to um shift things around a little bit because of the scheduling. I I just want I'm going to move the board committee conference report to to the 15 spot. I'm going to switch it with the um consent agenda. It's okay. So, we can get our voting done before we do our lengthy conference reports or >> committee reports.

211Yeah. Hopefully they're brief. Um, so next up I want let's move on to the consent agenda. Um, if there's any items on the consent agenda you would like to move off for a separate vote, please indicate that. Now, Miss Bradshaw, are there any changes to consent agenda? >> Yes, but I don't know the resolution number because I wasn't expecting it. A second. No. >> Um I just wanted to note that resolution 7249 adoption of the minutes was um changed and a revised version was uploaded to board books earlier today just removing um the 127 minutes which didn't get posted in time for your consideration. So they'll be on the next. >> Great. All right. 7249. >> You are voting on 7249 but only on the minutes. >> So there was two originally listed so we

212just revised the ones. >> One of one of them is labeled revised in board book. Right. And so that's the one. Okay. >> Great. All right. Do I have a motion in a second to adopt the consent agenda? >> So moved. >> Director to pass moves. >> Second. Who said that? Oh, director Sullivan seconds the adoption of the consent agenda. All right. Any board discussion? >> I have two quick um question comment. Number one, I would like to thank Tom today for um answering questions I had about the micro K12 computer um budget. I they were really helpful in understanding it. So, I just wanted to say thank you. Um I always want to say thank you to the district for ask answering questions. And the second one is um I Lando Lakes. Why are

213we not going with like Tieuk or some Oregon company that does cheese instead of just I mean it's a weird question but we have like a giant cheese company right here in Oregon. >> You know about the cheese? >> I know a little bit about the cheese. Uh good evening directors. Uh Dr. Armstrong, Tom Rogers, chief of integrated operations. Land uh Lander Lakes won the bid. I can get you more details on it and how it all went but bottom line they won the bid. I figured it was that. I just wondered like how I don't know. We have a I think a board policy, certainly a state law that says we should be trying to keep stuff in Oregon. And I don't know, I just was curious. >> I thought that was at the

214state level, but that we didn't. It's something that I've thought about for the school board is to have a local purchasing policy, but having worked in procurement for a public publicly funded agency, not everything's available in Portland. there's some things are available outside of Portland and outside of Oregon and if it's a low bid situation. >> Totally. Yeah, I don't disagree with that. Um, >> but I'll be happy to verify and make sure. >> I would only because like there's a there's a costbenefit analysis to keeping money and jobs in Oregon that can't be overlooked and can be um what's the word like uh invaluable. So I think certainly in this economy, certainly with this federal government, I would love to try to work on making sure we are working in Oregon. >> Which one's

215your favorite? >> Any other discussion, questions? All right. The board will now vote on resolution 7249 through 7250. All in favor, please indicate by saying yes. >> Yes. All opposed. Abstensions. Student director RTOR. >> Yes. >> Thank you. The consent agenda as amended is approved by a vote of 7 to zero with student representative RTO voting yes. All right. Now, we're going to go backwards and go into our board committee and conference reports. Uh I'll just call these in the order they're listed. So let's start with the in for the yeah for the audit committee. >> Okay. Very quickly just uh sorry to interrupt before before you start. I do have to bow out here um as my ride is here. But thank you all so much uh for having me and hopefully the reports

216are all good. >> Thank you Ian. >> You're missing. >> Thank you for staying this late. [laughter] >> Thanks Ian. Um, so the audit committee met last week, Thursday, February 5th, and we had two agenda items. First, we had a presentation of the audit results of the district's annual comprehensive financial report, commonly referred to as ACFR, and the single audit, which is an audit of the district's compliance with federal grant requirements. And now you heard a lot about that already. The second item was a presentation of the multilingual learner English language development compliance audit. I pulled out most of the comments from my committee report related to the ACFR and single-edit report so that they could be considered when we were voting on the resolution. So I will definitely not repeat all of that. But

217I do want to provide one process observation about the the audit. On January 30th, Chief Morrison emailed the board a copy of the completed documents related to the ACFR and single audit reports. However, the final financial reporting package was submitted to the state before the audit committee meeting on the 5th and before the board accepted the final financial reporting package that we did in tonight's meeting. And that was because it had to be submitted on that certain day. This was necessary to meet the reporting deadline. However, submitting the final financial reporting package to the state before being presented to the audit committee and accepted by the board is not best practice. Oftentimes when planning for current year meetings, we tend to look at what was done last year. So, I just wanted to make a

218point of saying that there were unique circumstances this year that led to this process. this process being done out of order this year and next year we expect to be able to review the documents in the audit committee and have the board accept the financial reporting package before it is submitted to the state. And this is always kind of difficult because the way time we have to present it to the state is like the first of the year >> and of course getting the report and looking at it is that time right before the holidays. So those those dates are hard, but we're going to try to get it done next year. So the one positive unintended consequence of the delays experienced this year was that the audit committee received the ACFR and single audit

219report several days in advance of the February 5th meeting. And this is my first time in my three years on the audit committee that re received these materials ahead of the meeting. Having advanced access allowed for a more thorough review and a more meaningful discussion with both the auditor and the finance team. And I hope this becomes standard practice moving forward. And I know um Stephanie and Christie, we really got to go over that report pretty thoroughly. And I can't imagine if we'd gotten it the night before. It wouldn't have really wouldn't have meant anything. And by the way, um the auditor from TKW was very excited that we actually asked questions and usually people just stare blankly as that's presented. So I think having time to review it was really nice. Um the ACFR

220and single audit pre presentation and discussion consume most of the committee's time. However, our internal auditor, Janice Hansen, did provide a brief overview of the multilingual learner English language development compliance audit. Due to the time constraints that were anticipated, the internal auditor met individually with each audit committee member prior to the meeting to review the report. This proved helpful because we didn't have too much time to discuss it. There were two t takeaways for the board. First, the overall audit conclusion states, "Based on the results of the audit, we found that internal controls need to be strengthened to maintain the overall integrity of the school district's compliance with applicable requirements to ensure students with limited English proficiency can meaningfully participate in their educational programs and services. The audit did not identify any evidence of intentional

221fraud or lack of care. However, instances of non-compliance were identified in each of the key compliance categories tested along with opportunities for process improvement. The audit included nine recommendations, all of which management agrees with. In manage response to the recommendations, management has indicated that implementmentation work is already underway. Second, staff have committed to providing an implementation plan to the audit committee within 90 days. This plan will outline specific action steps detailing how the recommendations will be implemented. The audit committee will monitor progress of the implementation plan until all recommendations have been fully implemented. The multi- language ELD compliance audit report is posted in board book for tonight's meeting under the supplemental resources tab. Board members who are not on the audit committee and would like additional information are encouraged to contact our internal auditor directly.

222She has indicated she would be happy to meet individually to walk through the report in detail and it really is a pretty interesting report. Um, the next audit committee meeting is scheduled for March 5th at 5:00 p.m. That includes my report to the board. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Next up, we have the facilities improvement oversight committee and that overlaps a little bit with the bond audit committee leaison. So, just transition naturally whenever. >> I've got a I've got a natural handoff to you in here. So, we're like volley back for Okay, I'm going to do some live hacking of this report and shorten it up. So, bear with me. Um, so this is an overview of the facilities improvement and oversight committee meeting that we had on January 20th. Um, a portion of

223the meeting was allocated to the work of the bond accountability committee and its relationship to the facilities committee. Um, in June 2025, the bond program performance auditor recommended that the district revisit how the BAC is used and to strengthen the committee's role in the oversight of the bond program. In response, FIO received a presentation from our internal performance auditor, Janet Janice Hansen, who made some suggestions to the BH charter based on findings from prior bond audits. Um, that presentation is available under the FIO meeting materials. I will not recap it as I had originally planned. Um Liz uh provided a red line of the current charter for the committee to consider and we all agreed to just go ahead and send individual feedback to Liz. I just wanted to strongly encourage all of you if

224you haven't already to read uh Janice's presentation and Liz's red line. Um our BAC chair was actually in attendance and ended up requesting and received a repeat of the same presentation for the entire BAC committee at their recent meeting on January 28th. And I believe director Split may be able to elaborate on that meeting a little bit. >> Yes, as the um board liaison to the bond accountability committee, I attended that meeting and most of it was very much similar to what we have heard in our last two meetings from Sarah and TJ. Um but a little bit more in-depth reporting and um I just want to remind everyone that the bond accountability committee is comprised of people who have relevant professional experience. So when we're all getting our updates as board members, I think

225with none of us having extensive experience other than you um um vice chair to pass. I was going to call you director to pass. um with um with that kind of work. Um it's really great when we that we have that set up so that we have a place where we can have experts um see what's going on, look under the hood and um and help us to evaluate help us and the superintendent evaluate the work that's happening. Um so the that conversation happened and then related to the charter um the group started to dig in on the charter decided that what would be a better use of time would be to do sort of a work session. So the next or so then in between now and the next bond accountability committee I think

226was the plan that was made. the group will get together and just do like a work session virtually like online where we're all working on a document um together using the red line from Liz and from facilities to have that conversation um and so we'll be doing that. I believe that's happening in February or March and then we'll be bringing that to the group. Thank you. Um, we also received um an update on major athletics projects and I'm going to steal a little bit of Sarah's Sarah's thunder here. Um, RFPs have been issued for design consultants uh and will be reviewed and brought to the board in Q2 which is right around the corner and the start of any construction on the projects is estimated at 12 to 16 months from now. So, sounds like

227they'll be starting next spring if everything goes smoothly. Um, for our next committee meeting which is on St. Patrick's Day, I'll try to do something fun. Um, we I've asked for more detail uh a detailed breakdown of each project and what exactly it includes. Um, for example, I think about Roosevelt and I know that they need bleachers, but I've heard that there's also a field, but I don't know the details. I don't think any of us know like what the actual pieces of every project are. So, we actually asked for a specific slide on each one and um a projected timeline for each one as well, so the public has some daylight on exactly what they can expect. um have also requested an overview any projects that involve Portland parks like Pal Park. Um there

228are others. Um I did want to call out there was a significant portion of the public testimony um from members of the Lincoln community um that were urging us to prioritize the construction of the new outdoor athletic facilities at West Silvin. And um and it was interesting, I didn't know this that you know, we've got the West Silvin in the 2025 bond, but it actually was identified in the 2017 bond and this project actually received conditional use land approval from the city of Beaverton in March of 2020. It already had the approval and it was actually uh allowed to expire. Um that was an eye openener. So I know the site has been designed and approved and um we're here. New York, you know, 5 years later with timelines that would potentially delay the construction

229again and add several years. Um there were it's a teacher, coach, family, [snorts] students, fundraisers. Um and basically in a nutshell, they described for the last 12 years that they practiced at more than 23 locations across five cities, Portland, Hillsboro, Beaverton, Milwaukee, Vancouver. Um and uh because city parks permits uh end at 6 p.m. their home games have to begin at 4 resulting in early student release um up to three times a week. And they pointed out that last year freshmen missed approximately 19 and a half hours of instructional time and said it was more for JV. So I thought this was really interesting. I didn't know that this this project had already been off the ground once. So as we're prioritizing I just wanted to share that and you might want to take a

230look at their their testimony. It was really compelling. Um, we received an update on field lighting at uh Grant High School's Grant Bowl. Um, we were March 1st isn't going to happen. We're hoping for March. I'm obviously emailing regularly. Um, and looks like the lacrosse team is in the process of relocating all of their home games and practices and um, just a couple weeks before the start of the season. So, with track starting, hoping we can get started, but this may end up being I don't want to say it out loud, but this could be an early summer, but we'll see. Fingers crossed that it's sooner. Um, and I already talked about Roosevelt and like more detailed breakdown. Um, there are others, but I did want to call that out. Uh, seismic, uh, BCS and

231Rose City Park are slated for full retrofits. Um the additional schools that were listed um for work were Ainssworth Beach, Capitol Hill, Kelly, Richmond, Vernon, Winterhaven. Um I think everybody wanted a deep dive on how the formula got us to those schools. I have that on the March facilities agenda, but I've got this in my notes for the end of the meeting. If that's something you want to consider doing with the full board, um we certainly could. Um, and let's see. Um, we had a brief update on PISA funds. Um, technical energy audit has been conducted at 12 schools. It appears that the bulk of the money, uh, still needs to be allocated and the district is working on it time to schedule a meeting with PAT about the funding that was allocated for thermal

232comfort. I'm almost done. Um, and then for the bond audit recommendations, uh, I think most of you have probably seen Janice's master list of all of the open items from all of our bond audits over the years, and we're checking, you know, three or four of those off the list at each meeting. You can check the meeting meeting materials to see what they are, and the goal is to actually wrap them all up. And um, that's it. I can facilities meeting that was scheduled for last night because it was so close to the one we just had. I looked at that. I don't know how that happened. It was less than three weeks. Um, so our next meeting is scheduled for March 17th, St. Patrick's Day. Easy to remember. >> Thank you. >> May I

233ask a quick question? I don't want to delay time. I'm I'm wondering if um because I h I heard a few times our um performance auditor uh Janice having um a significant role with like BAC or presenting and I guess I was just wondering if that's the board's direction for Janice to play uh for um our performance auditor to play a more active role in um on the bond audit side in addition into the program um side and and if so if if we can just maybe have that update so that we're able to build that into our um check-in plan with her. >> Yeah, I think that's worthy of a full board discussion. >> Yeah, >> correct. And I think we'll schedule that on the agenda for maybe during a work session for to

234discuss. This sound okay? Sorry, make sure I don't forget. Um, >> I kind of did like a mid-stream bond accountability committee and I thought of just really quickly I thought it was worth noting we had I think a few pieces of testimony come in to that group about the seismic formula from Caesar Chavez families um really focusing on um wondering how equity was considered in that seismic formula. when we do talk about it, just a heads up that those families who've emailed us as well um did provide testimony there. >> All right. Next up, we have the policy committee. So the policy committee was charged with uh is charged every four years with updating um reviewing the policies and we initially started with section one which is the policy of policies and we've [clears throat]

235we've taken a pause on that and we're going to be switching in our upcoming meeting which is on the 23rd to looking at section 7. Um, section seven it I think will be a cleaner a cleaner sweep and a cleaner review. Section one I feel like uh because of some of the board development activities that we're doing the evaluation which by the way I hope everybody has turned in their self-ealuation >> the day. >> today is the day there were not everybody participated. So there's I think three or four people that have not if you could try to get them in. Okay, maybe it's 100%. Okay, it's 100%. It wasn't yesterday. So, thank you. Um, section one is is our are our our policies about how we govern ourselves. And so, I feel like the

236the work that we're doing, the board development, the professional development we're doing will uh it'll it'll help us actually do that body of work better. Um, and and some of these will need full board, I think, buyin. So section one is going to be put put aside for now. We'll start to look at section seven. I don't have it pulled up. Um but se section 7 will be um is is the work that we will be doing starting on the 23rd. [snorts] >> Great. Thank you. Uh next teaching learning enrollment. >> Um I don't have an update this week. We are meeting later this week. >> Oh that's right. Thank you. uh National Summer Learning Association summer solution leadership forum. >> Yes. Um so this is my conference report for the National Summer Learning Association.

237Um I attended an invitationonly national convening that brought together approximately 300 top leaders including superintendent, state education agency chiefs, mayors, policy makers, national nonprofit leaders, foundations, and corporate partners. uh together. The purpose of the gathering was to collaborate and design creative summer learning solutions that address major challenges facing young people and communities and um figuring out ways to address that summer slide. Uh if you probably remember that last year PPS was uh nominated for an award for a great work and I just want to shout out to the staff um that has done the work here. Uh Carla and Darcy are very well they're like celebrities in this in this space. People are um they're highly regarded. The superintendent, by the way, I don't know if I shared with you. Um people were like, "Oh,

238we saw your superintendent." Like it was a it was a really big deal and I heard some very positive feedback there about about our district and about you. Some of the uh key focus areas um are were on expanding high quality summer learning opportunities, cross- sector collaboration between education, government and nonprofit partners, which was really interesting. So how we um tend to sort of work in silos there um some of [clears throat] the presentations were on these um amazing and impactful cross- sector collaborations um that I it really inspired me um [snorts] using data and community voice to design responsive programs. Um we heard that um having community voices is a key to um the success in the summer. Uh it's not just designed at the district level but lit literally having input from families

239um parents and caregivers. Um addressing equity gaps and access to enrichment, academic support and youth development. The relevant to our district, our own district priorities is the conversations that we had closely aligned with our district's priority around priorities around student engagement, academic acceleration, and equitable access to learning opportunities outside of the school year. Several sessions that I attended reinforce the important importance of coordinated partnerships and intentional design to ensure summer programs support literacy, math, and whole child outcomes. We we also heard there about the culture of belonging, how important that was to summer learning and learning in general. Um and yeah, it was it was really great. It was a very small conference like again it was by invitation only. The the organizers were very intentional about uh who they had in the room. >>

240Great. Thank you. Next we have the community budget review committee. >> Okay. Um the CBRC met for their first time this year. Um last Wednesday, February 4th. The committee is made up of 13 people from the community who each serve three-year terms. Eight of these are new members and five are returning members. The committee also includes six students who ser serve a one-year term and are non- voting members. All 19 members signed into the Zoom meeting. Adriel Pson Pearson I think is the chair of the committee and served as vice chair last year. I'm the board representative to CBRC and do not have a vote. The meeting started by everyone introducing themselves and stating what they wanted to accomplish by being on the committee. Chief Morrison was there. She's everywhere it seems right now. began

241the discussion on the budget and explained that the 2526 budget included the use of one-time funds that are not available next year. She said that in making budget cuts, we take into account who is most impacted by the change and does it increase or de decrease disparities. She encouraged us to look at the budget website for more information and discuss reduction targets. You can view all of this on YouTube. Richard Smith from the assessment and evaluation team presented preliminary changes being considered for school staff by school type. So what would be happen in K5, K8, 68 and 912? And there was also information on changes to central office staff. And of course these are preliminary and they were presented as that and really want the members of the CBRC to make recommendations and observations. Members

242asked many questions and requests for clarity which were recorded and will be answered. Some requests were need to have clarity about what cuts impact students. Look at the overage budget compared to hiring educational assistants. What has been done to evaluate blends and best practices especially for five four five blends? There was a question about student voices not being counted. A returning member wanted to be sure that we looked at last year's recommendations, last year's recommendations that the CBRC committee made and to see if they were implemented. They wanted clarification about the meaning of central office surface surfaces. And the main uh what idea of what we were trying to do with the budget was to try to improve student experience and we realized that almost everything affects students in some way. The meeting is recorded

243so anyone is welcome to watch at any time. There is also a CBRC web page and an advocacy toolkit. And I was just so impressed with all these people who care so much coming at, you know, 5:30 to 7:30 at night and [clears throat] with wonderful questions and obvious care. So, it was very impressive. The next CBRC meeting will be on March 4th and there will be a couple of meetings where they will be kind of interacting with us. Awesome. Thank you. >> That concludes my report. >> Um I I forgot to add one more committee. I am actually the le liaison to the um climate crisis response committee. Uh and I asked them to share some stuff that they would like me to share. So I'm just going to share them. Uh number one,

244this is the best committee. >> Yes, those are fighting words. [laughter] Uh the CCR CCRC student representatives shared plans for student led climate summit and showcase as well as a second annual dissemination of the student climate survey. Both of them are going to be uh to all high school students. Both will be taking place in April. Uh some good news, 100% of eligible schools have submitted and received approval for their PS student projects. Past projects, if you want to take a look at them, are on the PPS digital showcase website page. And lastly, um, some good news and more good news. Assuming the next three high schools that we build are all electric like we like planned, PPS will be on track to meet the 2030 decarbonization goal of 50% emission reduction. >> Wow. And

245kind of uh >> related to that um I think the for in the future the CCRC is looking into planning and collaborate with some PPS work groups uh looking at the policy update and guidelines for district AI use because as you know that can and is somewhat of a high energy demand >> and water and stuff. Yeah. So thank you. That's it. >> Some cool stuff. Um All right. So, next we are towards the end. We are on the next steps future board meeting. Um, this is a time to talk about future agenda items. I do want to kind of start off with I want to talk about uh director split is going to be testifying for outdoor >> Yeah. >> school. But uh before I hand it over, I just want to just quickly

246in our you know in terms of practice because I know this is like testifying season and and advocation and all that avocation. Is that even a word? Italy. [clears throat] Um >> Advocacy. Thank you. Um >> advocation >> as you know I know I'm inventing new stuff now. Uh part of our protocols is that you know the chair is responsible for being the spokesperson and part of that is responsibility. Like for example, I testified in the Ways and Means Committee and I only used the things that we talked we approved in our letter and since it was board approved, you know, stay on message, you know, it's a responsibility. However, I'm not really adamantly totally care about that. However, I think as a board, I'm I'm asking for our approval so that when director Split

247goes to testify, she can say that she is speaking for the board. And since it is on outdoor school and as you know everyone here is pretty much for outdoor school, I think this is an easy ask. >> So >> I have two bills I'm going to bring up if that's okay. Thanks. Um so um there's two bills that have come up that mostly fit within our letter that we already put in, but I wanted to bring them up specifically and just make sure people felt comfortable with us doing some work as a board and support. Um, one of them is I wrote it all down. Remember what I said. I'm start I've I lost it about an hour ago, so I'm just operating like real real low bar here. Um, one of them is

248House Bill 4112, which is deals with outdoor school, and it's very simple. It just increases the allocation from last year by $6 million. It has 50 sponsors on it. Um, and as a reminder, that's lottery funds. So that's not six million coming from say that could come to our schools and support operations. >> Um so um we had had extensive discussion last year with the old board and then this year with the new board um talking about this issue and it seems like something that universally people want to see a full week for outdoor school. I don't know if six million does a full week or if it's or what it means to be very clear specifically, but I still think us showing support for measure 99 which was circumvented last year or violated, however

249you want to think about it, by the budget decide by the budget makers. So, um I wanted to make sure there were no objections to me testifying. I actually, this isn't like my issue. I got asked to testify on it, which I'm happy to do. Um but um if there's any objections, say the word. Otherwise, tomorrow morning, I'm getting up early to go down for an 8 am hearing to testify on behalf of our board on this. >> So cool. Okay. The other one that I wanted to bring up is House Bill 4177. This one um doesn't as neatly fit into our letter, but when I tell you about it, I think maybe you'll understand why we should perhaps consider weighing in. Um the public meetings law changed uh last legislative session, maybe maybe the

250one before. And those new laws um have to do with have have kind of gone like over the top um as far as how members of a board like ours can communicate with each other. And there's been apparently a workg group meeting for the last four months to evaluate that public meetings law and to make changes to make it work better for the very many boards and commissions etc that it applies to. Um I took a look at the introduced bill. I wrote um the Oregon School Board Association. They've been at the table for that four months of workg groupoup meetings that what's I've been told what's available online is likely to change. But essentially it makes it so for example if three of us on facil on let's say there three people on facilities

251wanted to email each other about having something on an agenda that wouldn't be a violation because it would be procedural. um it sort of like draws a line between deliberation and information sharing um or like procedural conversations. So um I think given the conversations we've had as a board um about that uh it would be great if we could consider and it doesn't need to happen today. I'm not sure what the process would be, but for us to consider being supportive of that because I think we've all experienced that it has chilled that new law has chilled communication among us in a way that's been detrimental. And um I think it's important that elected officials be willing to stand up and say yes, we want to see transparency, but also we need to be able

252to communicate um in order to get things done in an effective way. So, I um didn't bring this up with anyone other than um Ben Gerwitz, our lovely new government relations person um [clears throat] before bringing it up today. So, I don't know if people want to run a different process or what you all want to do, but um that bill is in a committee that stays stays open for the whole session and is not scheduled for a public hearing imminently. So, I think we have time to do some process if we want or maybe we're all just like, "Yeah, sounds good. I don't know what we're supposed to do, Eddie. Or chair one, you decided. >> Yeah. Sorry, I just al too late. Um I think with this short legislative session, the reason I

253wanted to ask everyone's permission for director split to represent the board is because I think we need to divide and conquer, right? The more that we can um and so I don't, you know, if I have to be there all the time, it's kind of annoying and also not possible for me schedule-wise. So, >> and I think important to note I'm I work there. >> Exactly. So, >> you're already there. >> I think it's powerful when director split introduced herself and say I'm speaking for on behalf of the PPS board and that's why the ask was tonight. And so, yeah, and I think that's a go-ahehead for >> outdoor school um for the second one. I What do you think? >> I'd love to read the second one. I'm inclined to say yes, but I'd

254love to read it first. >> Yeah, I think I'm in the same boat. I want to read it first as well. I think it to be honest it'll probably prevent us from being able to weigh in because the amendment will post and we won't probably have time after the amendment posts to evaluate it. I can I'm happy to send around a link to the base bill and maybe we could decide. Yeah, as long as like the spirit doesn't violate or something. But um I don't know. What do you think? Um, also if if f folks after they read it and I would say if you want to share what the maybe I missed it when the hearing is going to be if >> it's in it's in rules it's not scheduled. >> Okay. If folks

255want to reach out to me and let me know whether it's something that you support um I am happy to carry that information to our lobbyist. And also maybe as we're I know that our next meeting isn't for two weeks, but maybe we should put an agenda item on there if there's any other bills that come up um through the process that we want to talk about so we can have an agenda item. >> Thanks, Chair. >> It's great. >> It's late, but you probably should follow rules of order and motion and amend and and give have the board give them from to uh director split. >> Great. Do I have a motion? >> Just following Roberts. Um, I move that the board agrees to support Oh, my computer's not responding so I can't see

256the bill number. The board moves to support House Bill 4112 and that will include a joint signon letter to be distributed and public testimony by me as the representative for the board. >> Second. >> Thank you. Have director split moves. Director Lefor seconds. Ready to take a vote? All right. All in favor, please indicate by saying yes. >> Yes. >> Opposed. Abstensions. Thank you. You have our approval to represent the board on the outdoor school bill by a vote of 7 to zero. >> I could not remember the number. Um the other moving on uh the other issue that I want to kind of bring back around the sorry one more issue that was brought up it was we started talking about during our retreat um and uh director split was also there when we

257followed up with the our retreat directors about scheduling and figuring out how to make our committees and our board um meetings more effective. and more collaborative and more kind of uh just more consistent. So I think I also briefly talked with Virginia director Lefort, sorry. Um about potentially looking into say instead of one work session and one regular board meeting a month, it would do be just two regular board meetings a month. And then that would also look at how that impacts in terms of our committees and because you know the truth of the matter is that sometimes there's work in the committee but it the full board's interested. So it have probably been more time-saving to have in the full board and also to you know an issue that director Chase Miller brought up

258is sometimes there's issues on the full board that maybe only a few people are really interested in how to like punt that into a committee and and work that process. However, that is something that we put on the agenda for um our next retreat. And so I don't I think maybe a decision on that should probably wait till then. But I just want to kind of put that out there so you know that this is something that um I think is is is being un in serious consideration. And then I I just like I promised Director Englesman bringing back the uh topic to talk about um was it I forgot was it the budget budgeting or was it the early release calendar >> bud budget the dream the Nashville dream budget model. >> Thank you.

259Ideal ideal budget. >> Ideal budget. >> That would be fun. >> Yeah. Do do you want to talk is that something for a future agenda item or is that do you want to talk about that now? >> I've got it down for future agenda. >> Um so there's a there's an expert I mean okay there's an expert in education K12 education finance that might be able to be we might be able to engage with um Dr. I think it's Jessica Swinson uh from Georgetown and um this is kind of her uh area of expertise is K12 finance and equitable uh equitable outcomes. Anyway, it's just an idea. >> Okay. >> I learned about her through um schoolboard partners and at one point they were offering a free certifi certificate from Georgetown in that topic. So

260yeah, >> this is the edomomics people. >> Oh, >> edomomics. Yes. >> Yes. >> So I'll get with the team and um begin conversation on an ideal budget. Luckily, we have time before we introduce the budget to you all. So I will see what we can do. Um unless you're saying wait for the discussion. Is it I'm I'm happy to wait for the discussion or I'm happy to get started on working with it. I'm sorry. I don't know what the direction is. I was kind of envisioning something with your team. Okay. Just like like as we're working through it right now. >> So get busy working on it. >> That got it. >> I mean I'm obviously we need to talk as a group but that's kind of what I was >> hoping like low

261lift. I mean it wouldn't be I'm not expecting something that's perfect, >> but just >> bring a model. >> Yeah. >> Can I can I make a suggestion? Sure. >> Maybe since this is an idea we both heard a presentation for at different conferences. So, they've got a presentation in the can. So, maybe just write the Nashville superintendent and ask for that presentation so you could look at it and see what we're talking about. That might be a helpful first step. >> I'm actually in a cohort with her and we'll be meeting her in a couple days. So, >> perfect. >> Yes, we'll get working on it. Thanks. >> I also like I think if we're going to do it like I want it to be good and so rushing it to try to get

262it into short session or in front of somebody. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. like okay good >> I think it's just starting >> it's just a conversation for us I don't think it's for this year budget but it's a it's a matter of us understanding how that tool may be employed >> okay >> I think I think I think >> summarizing >> yeah I think just kind of the explor I think we're in the exploratory phase like what it means what entails because the other aspect of it is also capacity right if if the finance team doesn't have the capacity to do it would be a hard ass to to have do it. So, I think I think we're just in an exploratory phase. >> Well, let me gather information and figure out what it it might

263be something that's a standard model that we can quickly >> um wrap into. So it didn't the way that they were using it just for what it's worth is that they were using it to then the way that their funding structure works is their county government also gives money to the schools and they used it to basically be like here's our budget and then they would tell the county like here's this model and then the county would like kick in using that model to decide on the amount they would kick in. So I think it's almost more like it would be helpful for the legislature but I also think it can be helpful for like fundraising generally. um just to share a little bit more to get your creative juices flowing. >> Okay. Thanks. >>

264All right. Is there anything else? >> I have two other two other ideas or topics that I just wanted to throw out there. So, the first is at all I know is I was out at a swim swim and I called into facilities. Um, I have been talking about this and I've like a lot of community interest in this idea that I thought of about this community lift and I sat down with some of our union partners and they are not opposed to it which I know was some concern of some some people um given the budget crisis, given the skeletal facilities, given the 3,900 um work orders, the majority of which we're never going to go to. I think it's really important that we start talking about and I heard the fund talking about

265working with community. I've heard everyone talking about it. Like I think we should start as a board to talk about engaging our community. And I I mean the banks, I mean the giant businesses, I mean the small businesses, I mean the parents who have a fencing company and might want to do some work around the district, the glass cleaning companies, like everything. so that we can have someone go through and find an area of interest in these 3900 work orders and say, "Yeah, I'm going to take on this tiny little sliver, but do it throughout." And I I I don't think it's naive to think that we as a community can do this. Um, but we can't do it unless we start talking about it. Um, and we can do it in a way that

266supports our missions and our goals and our partners and everything, but we can't do it if we don't talk about it. And so I think there's community interest in it. And so I would like to have a conversation. I don't know where it would go, how it would go. Um, but we have a lot of stuff that our community is really passionate about and really good at doing. So we should enlist them because we're in crisis mode. Uh, so that's number one. The second one is I've heard from um you know obviously we're all seeing the news that preschool for all has a bunch of unspent money. We have buildings with extra space in them. We have educators who are potentially going to be let go because of budget crisis who are probably looking to

267have jobs. And I wondered like have we really explored having preks in every school that wants them because we have the facilities set up. it wouldn't be hard to get the materials in there. Um, it would potentially not be hard to staff them even, especially if there is PreK for all. I don't know. But like there's a lot of money out there. There's a lot of families that aren't getting served with PreK for all. And I don't know. I would just my my I will I will come out and say that my principal has said she wants a prek in her school. She's got empty classrooms. And then the trickle down of this is that if people in the community get their kids into the classroom, into the schools for prek, they're potentially going to

268stay there for K because they see how amazing these community schools are instead of going somewhere else and then ending up somewhere else. Um, so I would just like to have those conversations. >> Do we have some like some of the schools do have prek programs that we work with county? >> Yeah. Um, yeah, that'd be great if that was somehow in every school. That'd be incredible. >> I'm I'm not hating on this idea, but as a preschool person, I just have to put out there that just like plucking a preschool into an existing elementary school. It's It's not quite as easy as straightforward as it might sound. I don't think it's a bad idea. I just think there is like a little bit more to it. >> Totally. I just saw one in a

269high school, which surprised me. And if a high school can house a pre-k, then elementary schools can maybe early learning department and we have very close relationships with all of the different preschool programs from federal to local. Happy to have um and Dana Styles sits on the uh preschool for all oversight committee. So happy to have more uh information come from her, but why don't you let us uh give you some more information. >> Yeah. But um first I just want to ask to make sure we have other board members on board. How many are interested in Well, let's just go in order. Uh and director Engelman the first idea community having community in involved and bring them in with help. >> Can we add to that exploring having CTE programs support that work? I

270want to add I had a conversation with um with Tom about um we talked a little bit about this. There's some PTA projects out there like PTAs that have raised money for soundproofing that can't get it installed. PTAs that have raised money for a fence and can't get it installed and how to corral those requests. And there's a name for the form like they actually have a form where they track these. I want to say PDR. It's probably wrong. Um, but we actually started a conversation about how to um track that as a group of work for facilities. Like we literally just had this conversation. I wonder if it could somehow um be part of that if schools have requests or something. I don't know. Might it might we might be able to start it

271in facilities unless we want to do it as a full board. Um just throwing that out there. >> Okay. How many people are interested? I support the conversation happening whether it's in facilities without me or not. Um as far as just sort of creative solutions to either fundraising or carrying out improvement projects at our school's given maintenance backlog. >> Great. I mean we have three or more. So I mean it's it's moving forward. The question is now I guess we'll have to figure this out because um the action items I think is the thing that needs to be figured out like what what we need to do or what that looks like and what model and what that entails and what kind of resources that draws in. So I think that may be a conversation

272I'll punt this over to maybe >> you want to take that or work it out again. I I think this is it looks like it's still a discovery thing, right? And and potentially may involve something outside the board, right? And so great. And then the last the second one was preschool for all seeing housing them in our schools. Is that something that others are also interested in? >> Yes. I mean, we already do it so it must be something we could expand. >> Okay. So then >> I guess well could we just ask why isn't it every school like what should we answer that first or >> can I I >> I yeah I mean we have the federal head starts we don't have Albina Head Start is not under us but we have the

273>> I mean I don't want to be outside but I mean >> that's great >> we probably have >> we got a full briefing over the summer because they we have to have it as part of they like did the head start thing we have to do as a requirement and they built in like a whole presentation about all these programs and it was fascinating. It was early in the summer when a lot of us were new. So, it probably went in one year ear. >> But I remember it because that's how I found out that PPS doesn't provide prek preschool on west side of the river because there's some other neighborhood house or something does it. But anyway, um that's why I remember it. All that to say, if we know that we're going

274to need to do the Head Start agenda item at a certain time, um, might I just suggest we keep that in mind that we will eventually have to have that same presentation again because it was like a yearly requirement. So, I think having the conversation about preschool, like maybe just redoing that briefing, I'm having such a hard time articulating. I don't want us to have the conversation like in March and then have to do it again in July is what I'm trying to say. >> Yeah. So I I think maybe let's just start with the update because I think it's >> but yeah okay that makes sense. So let's start with the update because I think it's important to also identify if things are the way they are because of or if there's barriers, right?

275And if there's barriers then that becomes potentially an action item. But we need to figure out if that's the case first. Right. >> Well, we we've got a whole >> early childhood program that knows about this. So we could definitely tap into them. And I thought that presentation was the five-year presentation that we have to do every year. I didn't know it was the annual >> Oh, it's annual. Okay. Not the five-year audit Head Start audit. >> That could be something. >> It's something different. Yeah. >> It was a great presentation. And that's actually when I saw that I was like, "Oh, I didn't know that we were actually a site for some of the preschool for all programs." That's when I first heard that. I was like, "Oh, that would be amazing if we

276had that in more schools." >> Okay. So if if the update I mean just in terms of flexibility if it it seems like it would be fine if the update occurs closer to the when our sorry when we have to discuss it anyways is that okay or do you want it sooner >> is okay waiting >> I mean okay waiting >> either >> I'm thinking about um duplication of of work a lot these days and so if it could be presented once instead of twice it would be my preference to have one presentation not Well, >> this doesn't have to be the whole big presentation. It could just be them talking to us about this particular program. >> I was thinking it would be um more efficient to tie them together, but um if it's

277not, then I I'm agnostic. >> Dep chief of staff, why don't you let us look into it and give you an idea of the time because I I I could just sit here and pretend that I know that we could get it next week or that it would be two months. So, why don't we'll um the both for the um special budget issue and for the um preschool for all preschool program. Let's let me look let's uh superintendent go back and talk to the staff about get an idea about how long it would take to get something and information so that and put it in next you know compared to the workflow that people have going on right now and get back to you. >> Yes. Thank you. >> That's right. >> Yeah. We don't

278want to give him any more work right now. >> People do have jobs. >> I mean, it's a budget team. We don't want him to walk out. Let's just put it that way. >> We need him to finish. >> But just just to be clear, like an update is is great, but I also want to have a conversation to someone's point about Nashville collaborating with the city. Like this is that exactly like we would be collaborating with someone who has money to do early education and we have buildings, you know, like that conversation. We have that space. Um, but also I think it is a little timesensitive because there's a bunch of money that they're going to be trying to spend and we might we might miss the boat with this conversation. So I guess

279I don't know >> is that a staff though? I mean would would we direct staff to do that? Not it's not the board's work. >> I just want to also point out this is one of the reasons why like for example you know a lot of talking points about like oh cut from central office but these positions like these are the ones that like go out and find the money. So the the fact that we have less staff than ever means that the capacity to do things like this I mean I'm not saying this specifically but things like this going out and finding the money um is severely limited now more than ever. So I I just want to kind of point that out that yes but yeah I I agree with you. I think

280>> let's just punt this to staff and see what they can figure out. >> That was my my point was I was trying to figure out is this the board's work? I think it's a really great topic and I don't think it's the board's work. I think it's a staff's work. >> Yeah. >> To do >> until there's a decision, right? If it's a budget decision, if it's a policy decision or if it's programmatic change, then yes, it would come to the board. >> Yeah. >> Yes. I mean, we I guess it sounds like we would all like to learn more. >> It is we need to know more to decide >> to make a decision. >> Yeah. >> Great. Great ideas. So, all right. Um just so the we are going the next regular

281board of meeting will be taking place. >> Hold one more thing. Oh, I'm sorry. Sorry. Thank [laughter] you >> for uh and I didn't see this on the agenda tracker. It's very possible that maybe I skimmed over it. Um the BAC charter vote. I didn't see that on the tracker and I think that's supposed to be coming up sometime in the next like quarter. >> I don't see if it was on the agenda tracker or not, but it is something that we should have on the agenda for probably April. >> Yeah, >> the BAC charter. I thought it was on there, but I may maybe looking at >> I thought it was too and then I read it and I didn't see it. >> I'll double check. >> And then for the seismic formula, do

282you want us to take care of that in facilities or would you rather have that come to the full board? >> Full board. Okay. >> Yeah. >> Cool. >> Okay. >> To you, Pontine. To you. >> Sorry, I'm writing it down. So, say again, seismic formula. We have it on the agenda for March 17th, but we can move it off and >> to the full board >> as long as you want to do it sooner than later just because all of the work's starting to happen. >> Okay, >> cool. >> Great. Thank you. All right, the next regular board of meeting uh next regular meeting of the board will take place March 10th. This meeting is adjourned. Thank you.