001All right. Good evening everyone. I'd like to call this meeting to order. Uh before we start with the next thing on the agenda, uh we just came out executive session uh for uh legal and personnel. Next on the agenda is pledge of allegiance. John, will you lead us in the flag? I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you very much. Sean, you please call the role. >> Diana Pass >> here. >> Jan Chub >> here. Brian Davis >> here. >> Jen Goldhan here. >> Mary Keer >> here. >> Chad Mallerie >> here. >> Lee Dalton >> here. >> Dr. Brad Sterner >> here. >> Dr. Shannon Myers >> here.
002>> Justin Pier >> here. >> Like to welcome everyone to our meeting this evening. Thank you for coming. >> All right. Next, we're going to move on to item number five, which is the school board vacancy interviews. At this time, I'll turn over to >> Good evening everybody. This evening, um, we will be conducting public interviews for our two board vacancies. We have a vacancy in region two, um, which for our school district is Huntington Township and York Springs Burough. We also have a vacancy in region three which is Reading Township and Hamilton Township. These interviews will be done publicly and we will meet each candidate and the board will have the opportunity to deliberate on candidates um and uh select candidate a candidate for each region by the end of this evening. >> All
003right. Ready? >> Thank you. >> Yep. >> Okay. Good evening, Mr. Kleinen. How are you? >> How are you? >> It's nice to see you. >> Yes. >> Okay. So, you are here to interview for the vacancy in region two for our school board. Um, so this evening, um, we have seven questions for you. I'm going to ask all the questions. Um, you'll see the board members, um, looking at things and writing things down and they're just taking notes. They're also looking at the information you provided. Um, and then, um, if there's any follow-up questions, we'll do that as a board. And then once we have region two, um, complete, then the board will move forward with selecting a candidate for the board vacancy. Sounds good. >> Sound good. All right. Great. >> All right.
004Our first question is, what motivated you to apply for the schoolboard vacancy in region 2? And what do you believe you can contribute to the Remian Springs School District during the remainder of this term, which would end in November of 2027? >> Brett, um, I've been considering school board for probably about four years now. um with a lot of prayer meditation. Uh I just feel drawn to you know public service as a stepping stone into future positions whether it would be in the local community or even you know county and so on. Um, it's just one of those things where uh I believe that my spiritual beliefs, my, you know, conservative mind uh would help strengthen the community. Um, that's what I would bring to the board. >> Thank you. >> How do you define
005the role of a school board member and what do you believe are the most important responsibilities of that role? the to keep the children safe first and foremost. Uh that is you know when it comes to their their growth, their education um being able to provide any sense of uh anything for them whether it's mental or emotional, educational, physical, all their needs that they they just need to be met and to come together as a collective whole in order to fill those needs for them. That's the most important part of a school board member. And then my community and >> thank you. Can you tell us about a time that you had to make a difficult decision that involved competing interests? How did you approach it and what guided your decision? >> Can you repeat
006that? >> Sure. Absolutely. Thank you. >> Tell us about a time that you had to make a difficult decision that involved competing interests. How did you approach it and what helped guide your decision? Just recently at work, I'm a assistant manager for Home Depot and I had a situation with a customer. They didn't have a positive experience with us and I had to keep in mind also the customer's needs and the situation that they were dealing with. In turn also keep in mind the financial well-being of the the store as well. um to come to a common ground, meet in the middle when it comes to be able to sufficiently make her satisfied and you know not break the bank with Home Depot. Um it was not an easy task. I had to constantly well
007I would not constantly but touch base with her uh on a daily basis make sure things were going properly for her and also loop in all the leadership team along the way. Um it it made it I I compromised and and we both the store ultimately lost lost its rear end on this one, but the customer was happy. She didn't get everything she wanted, but ultimately we had to come together as adults and be like, "Listen, we own this. You own this. you know, let's work this out so we can keep everybody moving forward in a positive manner. It happens all the time. All the time, unfortunately. >> All right. Thank you. Schoolboard members often hear strong opinions from the community members. How would you handle a situation where a community member strongly disagrees with
008a board decision and pressures you to intervene? listen to the community members concerns um explain to them that it's a group of people that we have to collaborate and come to a common ground. I understand your concerns. However, we have to take this to the board and discuss these accordingly. Feel free to come to a board meeting and voice your opinion. Um, and that way we can all hear it straight from from you and your concerns. Um, give her comfort that she's being heard, but ultimately she would have to come in front of all of us and and voice her opinion as a collective group. >> Thank you. How will you ensure that your decisions as a board member remain centered on what is best for students even when issues become emotional or controversial? >>
009Any decision that I'm going to make is based on the word of God. Plain and simple. Um that is my driving force in my life. And again, every decision comes with prayer. Even if it's a snap decision, I know that I'm walking in his will at every every chance I get. Even though I may fall short, I have Christ centered and that's my decision maker. You boards sometimes have disagreements internally. How do you approach working with others when there's a disagreement? And how do you contribute to a productive dialogue? Listen, listen listen to concerns, try to come to a common ground. If my spiritual beliefs are or my beliefs are stronger and or theirs is stronger, we can agree to disagree as adults. But the most important thing is to keep that open dialogue and
010be respectful of each other as individuals. Um because you start bashing each other, that's not a thing. It creates more havoc and heartache than it does. Will never come to a common ground where hate would hate each other. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Okay. Last question. >> Um, is there anything else that you would like the board to know about you that you feel is important as we consider candidates for this vacancy? >> I have four beautiful children. I've been married to my beautiful wife for 20 years. The kids started at Burm. I think Noah was in fourth grade, graduated a year and a half ago if I remembered correctly. Four kids, it'll do, you know, it'll do it to you. Um, the twins are freshman in the high school and Kane
011is a junior. Um they are the reason the the main reason that I'm want to be part of this this board. Um I want their well-being and their friends you know I want to be able to help their education along and you know ultimately to support support them um encourage them to come and see some of I just explained to King today come see what happens at the board when I get selected today. come see what happens at the board. That way you have a better understanding of what goes on behind the scenes of the school. You know, it's only going to make you better and it's going to help you to, you know, understand a little bit more. Um, but my kids, my kids are my driving force and of course Jesus, he's he's
012in it all the way. >> Right. Thank you. >> Is there any follow-up questions from the board? I don't doesn't appear so. I don't think so at all. >> Okay. So, at this time, if you would just mind having a seat right there in the public. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you. All right. At this time, uh we'll open up for nominations. for region two. Ronnie, >> I nominate Chad Klein. >> We We should make sure there's public comment before we vote on just so you know, like before we make any vote, we need we should make sure there's public comment before just we can make a nomination. We can have a conversation about it, but before we vote, we should have >> Okay. Is that the same public comment in the agenda?
013It's a separate public comment. >> It could. It doesn't matter how we couch the public comment. It could be any public comment, but before we make a vote, we need to have public comment. Like, it should just be offered before we make a vote. It could be a >> stop. >> Probably maybe because we're doing the interviews, we should have one before we vote. >> Okay. Because we have one later on the agenda, but it's after >> Yeah, just before we vote on we need to have >> All right. Well, then that's easy. >> Sorry. I And we can make a motion. We can have a vote and discussion and I'll I'll have public comment before I make it. It's no one's fault. But I should just say we should have public comment before we
014vote any. >> All right. >> And maybe nobody has anything to say. Who knows? >> Right. So we'll take up the nomination. >> Yep. Yeah. You >> first. Is there a second? >> Second. >> All right. We have a first and a second at this time. Uh we'll open up for public comment. Is there any public comment >> with regards to Okay. >> Okay. Yeah. See. >> All right. Good. due diligence. >> All right. And there are no further are there any further nominations? There are not. So, is there any discussion on this nomination? All right. There's no further discussion. We'll go ahead and uh go ahead, Jen. Just wanted to say um I appreciate it Chad coming out and stepping up and he has some definite parental investment in S district do well because
015he has he has kids here and he has one who graduated. So he's he's the one candidate for region one. So it's >> you know he's he has it'll >> and I'll piggyback off of Jen right now. It does say something I think for this candidate that was here not too long ago and came back when another opening came up. So it says a lot also about the candidate. >> So >> he ran he applied and then he did this before this is the second time doing this. >> He ran for office and now he's back again. So he's showing some >> initiative. Yeah. For determination. Any other discussion? All right, we will close the discussion piece. Now we'll move on to the vote. So we'll go and call the roll. Please check. >> Diana
016Canap. >> Yes. >> Dan Chub. >> Yes. Brian Davis, >> yes. >> Jennifer Goldhan, yes. Mary Kemper, >> yes. Chad Mallerie, >> yes. >> All members are in favor. >> Good. All right. Approve. Uh, congratulations. Uh, you've been appointed. >> Um, there'll be some instructions. We go now. >> Yeah. So, congratulations. um what Copenhaver will be in touch with you to officially swear you in. Um we would love for you to stay to hear the rest of the meeting since you're going to be part of this very soon. Um but again, congratulations and I look forward to working with you. Um Dr. Myers, Mr. Pier, and myself will also be meeting with you to kind of get you ready for our February board meeting. Welcome. All right. At this time, this does conclude our region
017two interviews. Um we are now going to be starting our region three interviews where we do have we have five candidates that we will be seeing here um throughout this evening. So we'll go ahead and get started. Mrs. Copenha >> good evening Mr. Widler. How are you doing this? >> Good evening. >> I am good, thank you. How are you guys? >> We're doing all right. Um, so thank you so much for your interest in this position. Um, our board vacancy. What we'll be doing this evening with you is I do have seven questions for you for this interview. I will be asking all the questions. During this time though, you will see board members looking at things and writing notes and that's just so they can capture what your responses are. >> Okay. After
018the interview concludes, I will ask the board members if they do have any follow-up questions. And then I do ask that you would return to the public seating area until we do finish conducting all the interviews. >> Thank you. >> Sound good? >> Sounds good. >> All right. So, what motivated you to apply for the schoolboard vacancy in region 3? And what do you believe you can contribute to the Bermudeian Springs School District during the remainder of this term, which will end in November of 2029? I put in there that um I I have a lot of friends who um encouraged me to to do this. Uh I I I didn't I'm going to be honest and didn't really want to put this on my plate of of things to have to do. I felt
019I felt a call if you if you don't mind me saying so from God to uh to do this. So, I am just answering that call. I do believe we can make this school, if it isn't already, the best one in the county, uh, a school for others to look up to. Um, and I think we can do it by keeping taxes low at the same time. But that's, I guess, where I'm coming from from the jump. >> How do you define the role of a schoolboard member and what do you believe are the most important responsibilities of that role? That's a good question. The school board members represent the taxpayers in the community. um they are supposed to make sure that the education of the students in this community is topnotch uh and that
020the students will graduate from here and become very productive members in this community or wherever community they go to. Uh that the uh the school itself is a very cohesive unit here in our community. it uh it does it you know it's a center for a lot of things uh and so the school board is has a very important role to play and it needs to I think um um make sure it is doing that well and I'm not saying you guys aren't I think you guys are doing a great job um but we need to monitor that and constantly be vigilant about it uh to make sure that the school itself is a a place of education for our students not just a uh a place where people go to work or thing if
021that makes sense. >> Thank you. Can you tell us about a time that you had to make a difficult decision that involved competing interests? How did you approach it and what guided your decision where I had to make a decision which was controversial competing interests meaning somewhat controversial decision? >> You had a difficult decision to make with competing interests. Um, I would make that decision based upon my faith uh in God. I would make that decision based upon what is um um for lack of a better way of describing it morally correct decision. Uh and I base that morality on the scriptures, the Holy Bible. Schoolboard members often hear strong opinions from the community members. How would you handle a situation where a community member strongly disagrees with a board decision and pressures you to
022intervene? That that is no doubt one of the most difficult things that uh school board people would would face especially during uh times like we had here a few years ago with COVID. Uh I think a flippant answer is not the way to go and I think I am responsible for having given some flippid answers already in my life and I I uh I am not proud of that but uh I think you need to understand that uh people are coming from a different perspective uh than what you have and um you don't have the the enemy is not the person it is the um the ideologies, the powers and principalities and rulers of this dark world. That's the enemy, not the person. And so you have to uh kind of take that into account
023uh when you're dealing with uh people who have an adamantly oppositional position to your own. Um and you need to weigh it, see if uh if your position is actually where it can be. Sometimes, you know, I I make a decision um and then have to kind of walk it back a little bit because I realize I wasn't taking into account a couple of things. I don't know if that's answering your question or not. >> Yep. Thank you very much. How will you ensure that your decisions as a board member remain centered on what is best for students even when the issues become emotional or controversial? >> That's a good one. uh that that's what needs to happen uh for sure. Um but it's a complicated thing because parents um parents of of the of
024the children might be uh in opposition to what we believe is the right thing to do. So I'm sorry as that the the gist of the question. I've forgotten what it was. Um, how will you ensure your decisions remain in what's best for students even when it's emotional or controversial? I think as long as um we don't give in to selfish selfish interests. Um that are um that are wrong. Uh we can't give into that. No matter how loud they are, no matter how vehement they get or angry, we don't give into that. um we stand by what's best for the the child in all cases and sometimes that's complicated because the parents of the child have to do what's best what they think is best for their child. So sometimes there might be conflict.
025Boards sometimes have disagreements internally. How do you approach working with others when there is a disagreement and how do you contribute to productive dialogue? We want to be unified as a board as much as possible, but I I understand that that's um that can be a bit of a pipe dream during certain kinds of uh um issues. But uh being a a a unified board is very important uh because when we when we get uh divisive uh you know a house divided against itself can't stand uh as long as we can forgive uh the majority rules um and um if we don't like what we were outvoted on we have to if if forgiveness is the right word for that, we have to move on and we have to accept the results of reality. Um
026we can still become uh a force for the uh the other side but not in a uh adversarial role just in a an advocate a um let me explain why I think this is right the right thing to do and and it's the wrong thing to do what was decided uh kind of thing to to be um magnanimous if if uh I'm on the majority side and to not become uh bitter if I'm on the minority side. I don't know if I'm answering that too well either, but it's about all I can say. >> All right, last question for you. Um is there anything else you would like the board to know about you that you feel is important as we consider candidates for this vacancy? Well, uh, let's see. I I, uh, would like,
027as I said, to to have, if I'm on this board, I would like to make sure the school was the best one in the area that people want to move into this district. Uh, not just for low taxes, but for good to send their kids to the school. I I would like to see the school have a good relationship with the kind of growing group of uh, homeschoolers in the in the district. I am very familiar with a lot of homeschoolers in this district. I actually uh work with a homeschool co-op uh volunteer part part-time um and so I'm very familiar with a lot of homeschoolers and I'd like to see the uh a melding of the two where we are uh as a as a by we Bermudian Springs uh school district is co
028cooperating and uh working with the homeschool communities in the district. Um I think it I think it would behoove us to do that rather than to um have an adversarial kind of approach to them. And I'm not saying that you do. Um, I have heard some people make some comments about, well, they won't let this person who's really good at singing in in a home school join the um I I I I better not say. I don't know if it was singing for sure, but I thought it was uh in in like maybe it's county chorus or something. I don't remember what. But anyway, if there is any of that kind of thing going on, I would be uh in favor of trying to work with that community as opposed to against them, so to
029speak. >> Thank you very much. >> Y >> is there any follow-up questions from the board? >> I don't think so. >> All right. Thank you so much for coming in this evening. I do ask that you just join the the community there until we're finished with interviews. Thank you so much. Hi, good evening, Miss Goodwin. How are you? >> Good. Have a seat. Make yourself comfortable. >> Yeah. >> Thank you so much for your interest in this board vacancy. Um, and thank you so much for joining us this evening for this interview. Um, I do have seven questions for you and I'm going to ask all those questions. Um during your interview, you'll see board members looking down, looking through things, jotting notes down, and it's just so that they can capture everything um
030throughout the interview. Um at the end, I will ask the board if they have any follow-up questions. Um and once that part is finished, then I'll just ask you to join the community until we finish all the interviews. >> Okay, sounds good. >> All right, great. So, your first question is, what motivated you to apply for the schoolboard vacancy in region three? Um, and what do you believe you can contribute to the Bermudeian Springs School District during the remainder of this term, which would go until November 2029? >> So, one of the most important values that I have is service. It's something that I try to teach my children. And I think that being a board member is an act of service. So, when I got the postcard, I thought, okay, they need people. I
031want to serve. On top of that, my daughter is in the third grade and I have a one-year-old who will be joining us in kindergarten later on. Um, I'm an active volunteer. I was I just since he was one, I was part-time last year and I volunteered every other week at the elementary school. She's also in sports, so well, she was she's doing gymnastics now, but she was in soccer and in cheerleading, so I'm familiar with sports as well. Um, and I volunteer to other things. Um, you'll notice on my cover letter, I'm also an educator. I am a targeted interventionist at Emittsburg Elementary School in Frederick, Maryland. So, my teaching certificates in Maryland. Um, and I have an administration and supervision degree from John's Hopkins as well as a literacy leadership of working on
032graduating December from Daniel. So, I'm part of my school improvement team help improvement plan. So, I'm very familiar with how board policy affects the day-to-day operations of a school and I want to make sure that we're giving our administrators the resources that they need to lead. >> Thank you. How do you define the role of a school board member and what do you believe are the most important responsibilities in that role? >> So, a board member is going to create opportunities for success. part of our the mission statement for Burmeian Springs School District is equipped to succeed. So I want to give administrators what they need to succeed. Um I want to make sure that they are able to lead and we are creating strong policy that promotes student outcomes. I also want to make
033sure that we are creating a budget that is fiscally responsible and promoting student success. And I don't think that those two things are mutually exclusive. Um, I also I think a board member needs to ask questions and be curious and have an open heart. We have a lot of family members here and sometimes that trust has been broken. And a board member is the connector between the community and the school district. So, I want to make sure that they're feeling heard and feel safe and trusted in our schools. >> Thank you. Tell us about a time that you had to make a difficult decision involving competing interests. How did you approach it and what guided your decision? >> Interest um >> when I was on my um school improvement team, I sometimes can get a
034little too excited about initiatives that I start. Um I have a lot of energy and some of the classroom teachers came to me and said, "This is too much and this is way too much at once." And so I had to figure out, okay, how do we meet our goals while also making sure that our teachers have the time that they need to succeed and do the initiatives that we were promoting appropriately because if we're pushing too much, then they're not going to succeed. So what are our main priorities and how can we look at focusing solely on those priorities? And that started with listening. It started with just hearing their concerns and also coming to them saying, "Hey, we have to do X, Y, and Z. This is, you know, federally mandated or statemandated.
035So, how can we take these what we have to do and make it appropriate for you to do in your classroom that you think it's going to get the most bang for your buck?" Okay. Thank you. Schoolboard members often um hear strong opinions from community members. How would you handle a situation where a community member strongly disagrees with a board decision and pressures you to intervene? >> Well, I think the nice thing about being a board is there are many members here and we also have our leaders here as a school. So, there's going to be a lot of contributing factors that led up to a decision. I think the number one thing is going to be listening. A board member should be curious. They should, like I said before, have an open heart and
036if someone feels heard, that's the very first step. So listening to them and then also giving the reason our reasoning why and asking them what would you do differently? What is what is that feedback? And that's something that I try to do whenever I have a situation that somebody didn't like that I made. I say here is the reason why I made X Y and Z with those factors. I'd love to hear how you would do it differently. And then you take it back to the larger board or take it back to administrators and you hear their feedback and you hear their thoughts. A board is never making a decision solely by themselves. You were making it collaboratively as a team. So that's what I would do is talk as a team and make sure
037that parent felt heard. >> Thank you. >> How will you ensure that your decisions as a board member remain centered on what is best for students even when the issues become emotional or controversial? >> Yeah, student success is very important. Everything should be student centered and student focused. As a teacher, of course, I have the teacher perspective, but all decision-m should be leading to what is best for students. And so when we make board policy, that's what our we should lead back to. And we also have a mission and vision statement that was created that should also guide our decision- making. So what goal is this leading to and where are we following that mission and vision statement? Is it following those goals that we already set? and also just making sure that we're prioritizing
038um looking for students and focusing forward in on students. >> Thank you. >> Boards sometimes have disagreements internally. How do you approach working with others when there is a disagreement and how do you contribute to productive dialogue? I think that and something that I'm looking around is we have you know males and females and we have parents and or students in different levels and we have a very diverse sport already and thinking about different perspectives and hearing different perspectives may give us something we didn't think about previously. We also have people with different experiences as well. So it's important to think about their experiences and maybe they thought about something that I didn't think about. So in those situations, I like just the same as I would do with anybody is I would listen and
039I'd also talk to our talk to people. I talk to multiple people to get different opinions about what the best decision should be and hopefully come to an agreement together. >> Thank you. Last question. >> Is there anything else you would like the board to know about you that you feel is important as we consider candidates for this vacancy? So, anything else to know? Um, I know lately that there has been a lot of discussion about um bullying in our schools and I looked at the board's policy and I saw that the policy was extremely well written. So, that has to do I think with more building trust between our community members and that's what I want to do. I have friends in the community and we have already strong people who work here. the
040I think we have excellent teachers, we have excellent administrators who I trust to do the work and so building that trust back I think is a top priority. Um and I also just think that Vermudian deserves to get recognized for the good work that they're doing. Part of the vision statement said to compete globally and I want to get Bermudeian to where maybe we have a blue ribbon school or maybe we're getting more recognized for the work that we're already doing. Thank you so much. >> Just hold on one sec. I'm sorry. >> Is there any other follow-up questions from the board? >> Thank you so much. And if you wouldn't mind just having a seat out public, Dr. Thank you. I was great. How are you doing? Good. Come on in. Have a seat.
041Make yourself comfortable. >> Thank you so much for coming in tonight and showing your interest in the board vacancy that we have. >> So, the way that we're going to do this is I have seven questions for you. Um, so I'll ask all the questions. you will see board members looking down, looking through some things, writing notes, and that's just to capture everything that you're saying. Um, at the end of the seven questions, I will turn to the board and ask if they have any follow-up questions. Um, once that is finished, then I would just ask you to, if you wouldn't mind having a seat with the public until the rest of the interviews are concluded. >> Okay. >> All right. Sound good? >> Sounds good. >> All right. What motivated you to apply for
042the schoolboard vacancy in region three? And what do you believe you can contribute to the Bermudeian Springs School District during the remainder of this term, which goes till November of 20? >> Well, I have four children in the district, so there's my there's my motivation right there. Um, my oldest is in ninth grade, my youngest is in second grade, so I have a long ways to go. And I just want to see I want to see them grow up in a school that supports them, and I want to see them in a school that supports their teachers. So, that's mainly the reason why I decided to do this. Um, what can I bring to the table? Well, I'm a citizen here and I have the four children here, so I definitely have an interest in
043seeing um the direction that the school is going. >> Okay, you thank you. >> How do you define the role of a school board member and what do you believe are the most important responsibilities of that role? Well, I'm brand new to this, so I'm not entirely sure. Um, I've had the experience of being on the serial committee, so I've learned a lot just from being on that and learning about how they're doing working with the curriculum to reestablish that. And um, that's been really interesting to be a part of. Um but being a part of this school board is just helping the school with the direction that it's going and are we going in the right direction resources and the right way things like that. >> Can you tell us about a time that
044you had to make a difficult decision that how did you approach it and what guided your decision? Oh man, that's tough. Um, eating interest. Well, I mean, I can't think of a specific example. Um, but I feel like what I would do is just sort of list out pros and cons of each and see um what's in the best interest of all the parties and sort of just use your best judgment. >> Sorry, >> you're good. Schoolboard members often hear strong opinions from community members. How would you handle a situation where a community member strongly disagrees with a board decision and pressures you to intervene? >> Oh boy. >> Well, we need to be respectful and hear that person out and um really try to understand where they're coming from in order to perhaps help
045them understand where we're coming from and the reasons behind it instead of just shutting them down. That's what I would say. >> Okay. >> How will you ensure that your decisions as a board member remain centered on what is best for students even when the issues become emotional or controversial? >> Um because we're here for our students and I'm thinking of my own, you know, my own children and wanting them to be able to succeed and this is that stepping ground, stepping stone for that. So just keeping that in the forethought of of all the decisions and the thinking and everything. >> Okay. >> Boards sometimes have disagreements internally. How do you approach working with others when there is a disagreement and how do you contribute to productive dialogue? >> Um sort of similar to
046the the the other question is seeing both sides. I mean, everybody has um an opinion and a reason why. So, just being able to keep an open mind and listening to what they have to say and providing constructively the reasons why you are saying what you want to say and your beliefs respectfully. >> Okay. >> So, your last question. >> Okay. Is there anything else you would like the board to know about you that you feel is important as we consider candidates for this vacancy? >> Um, well, I currently work with Millersville University and their family nurse practitioner program and I work with a lot of students um with a lot of diverse backgrounds. So, um I feel like that experience helps me to kind of take a step back and listen to each side
047of the story to um be able to come up with a solution um to help all parties involved or offer alternatives. So, I feel like that experience has just kind of helped me with those kind of areas. Okay. >> Thank you. Is there any follow-up questions from the board? Uh, it doesn't look like. >> All right. Thank you so much. And if you don't mind just having a seat, we appreciate it. Thank you. Hi, Mr. Deets. How are you doing? >> Doing well. Thank you. Have a seat. Make yourself comfortable. >> Thank you. >> So, thank you so much for your interest in the board vacancy that we have. Um, so this evening I have seven questions for you. I'm going to be asking all the questions. Okay. So, but what you will notice is
048during your interview board members will be looking down. They'll be looking through some documents and taking notes. And that's all just to capture everything that you're sharing. >> Absolutely. >> Um at the end of the the questions, I will turn to the board and see if there are any follow-up questions. Um once that is complete, then I would just ask that you join the community and just have a seat until we're finished with interviews. >> I'll absolutely do that. >> Sound good. All right. Okay. Can you tell us what motivated you to apply for the schoolboard vacancy in region three? And what do you believe you can contribute to the Bermudian Springs School District during the remainder of this term that goes to November of 2029? >> Uh well, when I got the notification in
049the mail, I thought this is a great opportunity to do something for my community and uh participate a little bit. Um as far as what I could bring to it, I uh I have over 10 years of dealing with customer service and the public that kind of thing person. I like working with people. Um, I know it doesn't maybe look like much to some outsiders or I just I bartend and I do caricature art, but I think in doing that kind of work, I sometimes am able to have my ear to the ground and get a kind of just a feeling of what the average person feels, their kind of sentiments with things, and maybe that's something I could bring to a position like this, you know? >> Thank you. >> How do you define
050the role of a schoolboard member and what do you believe are the most important responsibilities of that role? >> Oh boy. the role of a schoolboard member. Um, well, this is something I'm very new to, so I'm learning a lot about it. Um, but as far as my what what your my obligations and things like that would be, um, I would want to just put whatever the best would be for the community first. You know what I mean? I think uh individualism is a great thing but you know you want to take into consideration the needs of a majority around you and then kind of put in uh to perspective any kind of individualistic tendencies and things that make you unique. How can you put that towards the greater good you know? >> So thank
051you. Tell us about a time that you had to make a difficult decision that involved competing interests. How did you approach it and what guided your decision? >> Oh boy. competing interests. Well, I guess this is something we have to deal with almost on a daily basis at uh at my line of work, you know, dealing with customers and tables and things. I'll give example. Sometimes you get people come in who don't have reservations, you know, and then you have all the other tables are taken with reservations and things. And so what I try to do is uh you know, you oscillate between that. Try to um you know, pull a table out of the hat if you can. Uh but let people know, you know, hey, maybe we've got a table over here we
052can get you to or uh you just try to try to communicate. You know, sometimes the reservations don't always show up, you know. But I'm such a people pleaser. I hate to tell anybody no. I mean, I'll even offer, hey, you want to sit outside maybe during it's it's a little cold outside. We can get you outside though if you you got a chance to sit out there. Sometimes it involves a compromise though, you know. But uh what I try to do is look at the bigger picture of things and you know see what uh what's prioritize things you know see what's what's the most important thing where we can uh make a sacrifice here. If if the sacrifice falls on me I'll do it easily. You know what I mean? I'd rather myself have
053to do it than put it on somebody else. >> Schoolboard members often hear strong opinions from community members. Oh yeah. How would you handle a situation where a community member strongly disagrees with a board decision and pressures you to intervene? >> Um, it would I'd have to do it a case by case decision kind of thing and see what specifically I guess it depends on the specific nature of the matter, you know. I mean, if it's something we can I could take into consideration where it's not going to hurt the rest of the community to accommodate whatever this person's particular, you know, issue is, then I would say go ahead. There's not no harm in it. You know what I mean? But if it's something where a lot of people are going to have an
054issue with it, then you know they have to be community-minded too. And I just I would take all that into consideration. >> Okay. How will you ensure that your decisions as a board member remain centered on what is best for students even when the issues become emotional or controversial? >> Oh boy. Well, I think as you know, again, putting yourself in that mindset of the big picture, not just me and whatever my own personal whims are, but I also would uh I would rely on feedback from other board members, too. You know, talk to them, say, make sure you have your head in the right place and you're taking all these things into consideration and you're not just looking at things from one uh little myopic perspective. You know, >> no man is an island,
055right? boards sometimes have disagreements internally. How do you approach working with others when there is a disagreement and how do you contribute to a productive dialogue? >> Well, with you know with a disagreement again it depends on the nature of the disagreement but in general I say the way I see it is I can always agree to disagree with someone and you be intellectual enough to take the personal out of it and just say this is just what's going on. Sometimes though you have uh personality conflicts and you may even be on the same page with the person and people just they don't click in that regard. I mean in the serving world they have a lot of strong personalities and things like that. So I see that you know almost on a daily basis
056sometimes. But uh no I just uh I'm pretty easy to get along with myself and uh so what I try to do is um you know I you just you can I always find things to agree on. look for common ground and uh if there's things they can sacrifice on obviously do that but um worst case scenario agree to disagree and there's no reason to you know in my opinion to burn a bridge or do anything like that and sometimes you need a break too and you come back you reconvene you talk about things later you know good night's sleep will do wonders you know and then you can uh reassess things right >> thank you so this is your last question >> oh boy >> um is there anything else that you would like
057the board to know about you that you feel is important as we consider candidates for this vacancy. Um, what about me? I guess I, you know, I don't want to don't want to be a broken record, but I love working with people. I love dealing with people. And, uh, this is something where, you know, there's certain things you, you're not going to get rich at doing, but you can become rich in human capital, right? You can give back to your community and then the community gives back to you. So, that's something to me that I look at as a very honorable thing and I'd be happy to be a part of it. >> Thank you. Are there any follow-up questions from the board? >> Nope. Doesn't look like it. >> All right. Well, thank you
058so much. And if you wouldn't mind joining the the community out there. >> Absolutely. Thank you. Hi, good evening. Come on in. Have a seat. Make yourself comfortable. There you go. Thank you so much for coming out with us tonight. We appreciate your interest in the board vacancy position that we have. Um, just to kind of talk to you through what how the interview is going to go. I do have seven questions for you. I'll ask all the questions. Um, but during that time you're going to see that the board members are looking at things. They're taking notes. They might be looking down, but that's just looking through the information you provided and also so that they can capture um, everything within your interview. Okay. >> At the end of my questions, um, I will
059turn to the board and ask them if they have any follow-up questions. Um, and once that is complete, then I would just ask you to join the community and have a seat out there, um, as the board deliberates. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Sound good? Yes. >> Okay. Um, what motivated you to apply for the schoolboard vacancy in region three? And what do you believe you can contribute to the Bermudeian Springs School District during the remainder of this term, which goes until November of 2029? >> I'm at the point of my career when I can start doing community service. um my business uh that I have I've been there seven years started it owner founder soul owner and I'm at the point where I can take what I've done there and put it into the
060community and when I got the read the article and then when I got the flyer I thought this is a perfect opportunity to make an impact. >> Thank you. How do you define the role of a schoolboard member and what do you believe are the most important responsibilities of this role? Well, the school board like any business uh is to govern the ideas and they're more about the strategic part of the company. So, it's not doing the day-to-day, but you all of you collectively make decisions that impact the family, the community, and the local economy. >> Can you tell us about a time that you had to make a difficult decision that involved competing interests? How did you approach it and what guided your decision? Well, there's many to choose from. Um, uh, owning a
061company my size, there's conflict all the time. Uh, I would say particularly when it comes to OCIs, which is organizational conflict of interest. I came from one company acting as their CFO and moved over to the company I am now. Uh, we share a lot of the same customers. Our main customer is the Navy. Uh, so federal government. So, while we're working together, I have to decipher what what's the right decision and to do the right thing. And that's probably the biggest one. Uh trying to decide, yes, do I just go with making the money or do the right thing by the people I used to work with. >> Okay. Thank you. Schoolboard members often hear strong opinions from community members. How would you handle a situation where a community member strongly disagrees with a
062board decision and pressures you to intervene? >> Well, first I would listen uh and try to hear their side. Um try to see it from with their lens. So from their perspective, then I would only intervene when it's appropriate. How will you ensure that your decisions as a board member remain centered on what is best for students even when the issues become emotional or controversial? So personally I have a mission when I open my company is to make a positive change in people's lives and children are my focal point. Um I believe that they're you hear this even Whitney Houston sing about it you know children are our future. uh I believe that being on the board and making those decisions will affect them and that's why >> board members sometimes have disagreements internally. How
063do you approach working with others when there is a disagreement and how do you contribute to a productive dialogue? >> Well, disagreements um I'm used to that. I sit in a room with seven other executives and uh no one around me is a yes man. Not one person says yes to me. Everyone has to play devil advocate and have to have their opinion. Uh in this room uh with the other board members, I would hear what they have to say, express my opinions and hopefully uh by the time we walk out of the room, we can collaborate on something. >> Okay, your last question. Is there anything else that you would like the board to know about you that you feel is important as we consider candidates for this vacancy? >> Yes. Um uh I
064think everyone had a a copy of my cover letter. Um I am a mother. Uh I have uh two children who go here. I have a fourth grader and a fifth grader. I believe that I understand what they're going through and I'm paying attention. And I listen to all your jokes when you uh leave a voicemail. Um I'm >> People listen. >> I want to make it >> people listen. >> Yes, I listen to them. Um all the funny dad jokes. Uh this is the time of my life. I I I'm a very busy schedule where I'm able to make decisions and help steer them where they're going. I believe that uh you guys play an very important role. Um in my career where I'm at now, I like to give back. So I don't
065know if some of you have seen me like the Andy doll that y'all use JMA my company. We donated that with American Heart Association and that's why you have that. Um I took the company from zero dollars one employee to 85 employees and we're over 20 23 million in seven years. And just like I said, this you guys are governing the decisions that the schools do. I think I have the skills and experience to do that with you. I'm very good with budgeting. I do that often. I do all the proposals. That's my background. So, any questions that you have for me, I'm feel free to ask. >> Thank you so much. Welcome. >> Are there any follow-up questions from the school board? >> All right. Thank you so much for your interest and if
066you would mind having a seat while we deliberate. Thank you. Okay, at this time that does conclude our interviews for region three. Mr. Chop >> because we have six All right. This and then we'll open up for public comment um prior to nominations and discussion. So I wrote that down. Is there any uh public comment before we take up nominations and discussion and vote on these candidates? All right. There's no public comment. We'll now open up for nominations for region three. >> I nominate Emily Goodwin. Adam first. I have a second. >> I'll second it. >> I'd like to nominate uh Rachel G. Second. >> You were first. A second. >> Okay. >> Any other nominations? >> I'll second that. All right. Are there any other nominations before we close out nominations? All right, this
067will close out the nominations. We have three. So from here we have discussion individually or all three of them >> on all three. >> All three of them. Okay. >> And and and probably the easiest way is when you decide to vote is to go down the line with the person they're voting for. Not like you could go candidate by candidate, but it is often easier to say like go through the candidates to say the name of the candidate you >> individually >> you support. Well, after you've had the you had the deliberation on all three. >> Okay. >> Goodwin, Gray, Martindell, >> and then to I don't know that we're g we need a vote of five to pass for, you know, to pass. So, we could go through and and see where we
068land with with the three that are currently on the table. And we probably would have to I I don't know that the vote will pass. And if it doesn't, then we might want to take the two sort of folks that are voted more often than than the third. I don't know if that makes sense. Yeah. >> We'll revisit everything you just said after. >> Absolutely. Yeah, I know. I'm here. >> All right. She's here. Yep. >> So open the floor right now for discussion. All three candidates. >> We had five exceptional candidates this evening. It's uh exceptionally important to see that we have people in the community that are interested joining us here on this. Everybody did a job. Thank you to Turner for leading us through that procedure. Um I I jumped out and
069nominated Miss Goodwin. Uh she I thought she interviewed exceptionally well and she brings tremendous educational experience. She has kids in the district. She's an invested community member and um that uh I wanted to jump in there and uh was a strong opinion for MSA. I also wrote a couple uh comments I thought were pretty um pretty excellent. I'd like to put you uh talk about creating opportunities for was question number two. Um defining the role of a school board, stuff like that. Um creating opportunities for student success. That's a huge thing. Um that I think is important to the school board. I'm also creating those opportunities where we can uh change up um where there is for budgeting things. I know we run a tight budget here, but being creative sometimes with different ideas when
070things come up or we decide to make a a tough choice on something. Um, she brought that up. Um, and of course as she said about asking some questions, have an open heart. So, I think those are some pretty good traits uh in the school board member. >> Some of the things that I like about Mr. good ones that you have daughter. She's a cheerleader. My daughter's a cheerleader as well. So, I guess your mom she did it for 11. Um that you took the time to look at our mission and vision statement that as a teacher you can understand the teacher perspective and the things that they may deal with. So, things were different compared to which I'm sure you're kind of fig um but one of the other things that I appreciated get
071excited you seem to be passionate about your different things but I think my my favorite thing and this is something that I heard from the other two from basically everybody who applied this evening wouldn't know everybody is interested in hearing what the other person has to say and trying to understand the different point of views. Your point of view is going to be different than my point of view. We need to see the the good sides, things we don't agree with and try to come together in middle collaboration, polite conversation, and that was something that I heard from all the candidates this evening. Um, so that was very much appreciated. But, you know, I appreciate your passion. You're all, you know, you're a teacher. Um, and you know, you're want to see other people's different
072points of view and I appreciate that. So, thank you. >> Um, I I would just like to thank everyone that came out today and uh it's it's definitely not easy to come here and answer these questions uh right off the cuff. Um, that first question was I think very long and a doozy, but um I think you all did well with that. Um um I'm personally looking I guess more at Rachel Gray at this point because um I've served with her like she serves in the Sierra committee. She's been doing that is it two years? >> Yeah. Since the beginning that we started the Sierra committee. Um I enjoy her feedback on there. Um she's very interested in what's going on in the school district and the the uh curriculum and everything that we're going
073through right now. Um, I think all of them said about respect. Um, I I thought also uh with Rachel about respect and hearing people out and not shouting people down and being willing to listen and um, you know, work with people I thought was a good good answer there. But, um, everyone did well and I appreciate everyone for coming out. Sure. >> So, I'll kind of second what Chad said. Um, I was also looking at Rachel Gray. I appreciate that she stepped up for the SER committee. I think, um, it takes a lot for a parent to step up and fill that volunteer role. Um, and just to see the perspective because you're getting into three perspectives then, the community, the students, and the school board already. And I feel like that's already a step
074into kind of what we do. So, I appreciate that. But I do appreciate everybody coming out and I agree with Chad. It's kind of hard to be thrown into the spotlight in front of everybody, thrown into the wolves. So, I thank you all for coming out. >> I did have some of the things I want to say about the other two candidates. I thought we were going around and saying one at a time, so sorry. >> Um, but uh my uh my top pick is actually Rachel Gray because she is currently a member of the SER committee. She has put in time and dedication. She has shown commitment by coming in and um being an active participant in giving feedback to administration as far as our curriculum and what it currently looks like. The curriculum
075review process that we're rewriting our curriculum now. She's been very active in that process with attending meetings and giving feedback and reviewing things, preparing for the meetings. um as pointed out who's been with the committee from beginning and um she's been an incredibly valuable member um of the super committee and she has shown her dedication and interest in becoming a board member serving on them. Um uh the other candidate u Mrs. Martin out your your experience your your your experience um and what you have to bring to this board is impressive. It is is very very good. Um so there there's a lot that which is why I nominated both of you. like you both have so much to offer, not only as a board member, but as a very strong member in the community.
076Um, your dedication to launching your career, your business. Um, the budgeting perspectives you had mentioned. Um, you have children in in the district. So, I mean that that's some of us have kids. Some of our kids have graduated. So, we have real skin in the game. Um, not that it is a game. I mean, it's it's we're kind of guiding the future as you mentioned. Um, and there's a seriousness to that, but there's also kindness, compassion, respect, and that's something, like I said before, that everybody has shown to hear the different point of views to be considerate of everybody else. And, you know, to sit there in chairs, you're ask questions out this, you know, is kind of hard. So, Thank you to everyone who has come out and has um put themselves in the
077hot seat. I appreciate your time, your energy, your effort, and wanting to to be part of our board. >> Thank you all. >> I like to echo what Jill was just saying um about Nancy. Uh for question number six, you talked about like boards sometimes have disagreements and stuff like that. I really appreciate you talking about being a yes person because sometimes there's a lot of people um g positions and they just go in they're afraid to speak up and stuff like that. So I think it's a very important trait to be a school board or any kind of leadership role where you're going to be able to speak up about different things, give opinions even if they're not popular and then come together if you disagree and be as one voice, you know, community.
078That's the main goal. So, I definitely um put back to Miss uh to Rachel, you uh you did a you for number two, you talked about the school board um the roles and what's what's expected, stuff like that. And um it took a lot to say that you didn't know exactly what was going to be detail of that. So that's kind of humbling to say that but you do back it up with experience how you get involved which I'm saying. So um to be able to recognize areas that you know you're coming in and not you know blowing smoke and be able to you know talk not being the yes person back to the last you know comment be able to come in bring that kind of fresh bre fresh there um is is fairly
079important to the school board. So, I appreciate that and I think I wrote down all kinds of notes. Um, I think I'm good for comments now. Is there any more comments before we go back to the solicitor for her guidance? That was very confusing last time. >> Yeah. So I think now at this point like we could we would go around however it would go and each person say the name of the person that they're voting for. >> Well imagining that there's not going to be a five in one vote because we need five. So then yeah we'll see like who the top sort of contenders are and sort of go from there for a second round probably. can go first. We'll go >> Rachel Gray. Rachel Gray, >> Nancy, >> Emily Goodwin, >> Rachel
080Gray. >> So, we have four and two. between Nancy. >> I suppose we have four, one, and one. We don't really It's really just four, one, and one. So, I think we could try again, but I mean, we'll be here all day until we get a five. All night until we get a >> go down again with just those two to get it down to two. >> Which two? >> That you had one. The two had one vote. They both had one vote. >> I like that idea. >> You see what I'm saying? >> I I hear what you're saying. I don't think it's going to get us to a five cuz we >> It eliminates one though, right? >> Down to two. >> Yeah. However, you guys Yes. If you guys want to figure
081out how to get to the second person >> around whether or not >> Yeah. >> Right. >> Yeah. To make a top contender to vote between. I get it. Yeah. >> All right. >> Which side you want to start on this time? >> Bad side. chat. >> Yeah. Uh Nancy Martin, >> Nancy, Nancy Martin, >> Nancy, >> Emily, >> Nancy. >> All right. So, now we narrow it down to two, >> right? So, you have Martin, Dell, and Gray, if I'm keeping track, right? Yep. >> All right. So for the next step, do we vote? >> So now you have the two candidates and we're really trying to get to a you need a five and one. >> So you've got Gray and Martendelle to vote between notation and vote. So okay, so we just
082keep discussing maybe. >> Yep, we can keep a discussion. >> All right. So, >> well, we can go around again. >> Yeah, you can see where it lands, right? If you end up like >> got >> two and four or whatever. >> We Okay. All right. Then we can do that if everyone agrees. We want to go that way. You want to go ahead and just go around vote one last two names and see if we can >> somebody with a five or six. I mean that'd be really all right. We'll do that. That seems a most productive >> at least most efficient. >> Um you want me to go first? >> Go for it. >> I'll go first. >> Uh I'll vote for Nancy. Chad. >> I forgot also for Rachel. >> Right. >>
083Rachel Gray. >> There we go. So now we call the official role. >> Yep. So it's the motion has been I mean the the the board has voted that they would like correct. >> So I guess the the board's vote motion passed. >> Rachel, you are going to be the next board member. Congratulations. >> Um for the sections. >> We'll get through. We will. We're going to get through this. Well, congratulations um to Rachel and Rachel. Mrs. Copenhaver will be in touch with you to get you officially sworn in. Um so that very soon, right? Very soon, >> like 10 minutes. >> Um and then, uh you will also be contacted to set up a meeting with myself, Dr. Myers, and Mr. Pier. um just to kind of get you prepared for the February board
084meeting um so that you kind of know what you're getting into um prior to that meeting. Um but again on behalf of Dr. Meyer and Mr. P myself, I do truly want to thank all the candidates for both ravens uh evening. Again, I can't say but it is a very awkward way to interview for something um publicly like this um and then hearing feedback in the moment. um that's not something that you typically experience. Um but that is the way that uh this process is run. But it was very very important to me and endearing to me to see how many people were interested and what I appreciated the most um about the candidates that came to us this evening was how you all commended the work that our current board is doing. Um this
085is not an easy job. Um it is not a paid position. It is a ton of hours outside of a typical workday for everybody. Um, and they make very, very important decisions every single day. Um, and I did appreciate that about the candidates and I do truly hope the board heard um the positive things that they had to say about being on this board. Um, it is a good place to be. Uh, and for those candidates um that weren't selected this evening, I encourage you to continue looking for opportunities within our district because you all had great things to say and made me smile about everything you were talking about. Um, and would love to see you involved. Even if it's not in a board position, there's a lot of opportunities um, in this district
086where you can get involved. And I also encourage you if you're not sure, reach out to Dr. Myers or myself and we would be happy to point things out. Some of the things that you heard um board members talk about was committees that we have and the Sarah committee is one of those. Um that is a great segue to getting experience to being on a board um if you don't have that experience. So again on behalf of all of us, thank you so much for your time this evening and coming out um and hope to see you at other events and and other opportunities um here in the future. So thank you very much. Thank you. the agenda. So now we'll come to item number six, public comment. Is there any public comment coming to
087order? I hold on one second sir. Um at this time I got to read this. At this time open the floor public comment speaker is limited to five minutes. We come forward. Please state your name and out of the record. All comments should be directed. Vice President, please be aware the board will take but would not respond during the portion of the meeting. If followup is needed, the board will direct the superintendent to respond meeting in a timely manner. Thank you for the floor, Mr. President. My name is Lorenzo Nvidita. Sure, you guys might know me. I'm not representing my pizza shot tonight. I was just recently named president of York Springs Burough Council. So in the future, I'd like to come to these meetings to almost serve as a lazison um gather information that
088might be useful for our council uh that would be barding Burough Council and York Springs. I do bring forth an issue that's been sort of plaguing York Springs. Um it involves the safety of children getting on and off of school buses on 94. Um, we've had cars passing school buses when they're stopped with their signs out. And, you know, I think that the safety for the students, it should be of paramount importance for the district. Um, unfortunately, we have reached out to state police. We don't have a police force of our own in the burrow. So, the state police haven't really given us much of an answer. Uh, unfortunately, I am kind of coming to the conclusion that they're not going to do anything unless something happens. I don't want to see it get to
089that point. So, I talked to Paul's garage this morning. And it's under my understanding that buses 23,13,5 and 10 go through the um 94 through York Springs with the Cranberry and Harrisburg Street intersection being a problem um by the post office and where the Mexican stores at. So basically, I just wanted to bring this before you guys tonight and see if there would be any possible uh answer to help alleviate the situation. Um the burrow, we are looking into replacing um or moving the one speed limit sign, the digital tracker closer towards Enzer and Sour uh closer to the burrow line. Um, and also are considering buying another sign to put inside the middle of the burrow. Unfortunately, the state police don't enforce the speed through our town. So, this is pretty much the only
090solution that we have at the moment. I was wondering, you know, if if the school board could consider this issue and maybe perhaps we could discuss, you know, something moving forward. >> So, um, we really won't Yeah, we'll follow up. We really won't like have the discussion here right now. >> That's fine. I just wanted to, you know, essentially bring it before you guys so that way. >> Yeah, no problem. >> Thank you very much. >> Yep. Thank you guys for your time. >> Yep, that's it. >> Thank you. >> Does anybody else have any public comment? Yep. One, sir. Can you hear me? >> I'd like to thank everybody that was here tonight to do what they did to process. I had originally submitted my name and then I backed out. But the reason
091I backed out was because uh our local representative backed out of his job as representative 193. And previously I nearly got elected in 2008. I got a lot of votes. Neil Clifford from down a street, neighbor Neil. I live at the intersection of Lake Me Road and 234. My address is 1232 on 234. So, I don't want to waste your time, but I wanted to thank you and apologize that I would want to do something and then not do it. Well, the representative did it and I'm not going to let you down. So, the deal is on the ballot will say representative general assembly and they have Senate and they have the House of Representatives. So this is for the House seat that only has till the end of the year because every two years
092they get elected. So he's not in it's an open seat. Did anybody know that? >> Yes. >> So there's a special election. Did you know that? >> That's right. On March 17th, 2026, >> St. Patty's Day. I feel like it's a special day. So it's a special year or year 1776 2026. special day, special election, special year, special district 183. So, I'll just say one more time and then I'll get out of here, let you do your rest of your business. Neil Frederick Clifford's my name. My mom baptized me and I was born on Holy Thursday. Everybody here is religious. I sounded like today. I thought I'd throw in that I'm pretty religious, too. I said to my mom, "I wish I was born on a holiday." She said, "You were." I said, "What?" She
093said, "Holy Thursday." I said, "That's not a holiday." She said, "Like hell it ain't. This is Good Friday the next day." >> So based on my nonsense, you got a little dose. I don't want to waste my time with you, but I do need your vote, your support. I got my IRS tax number. Neil Clifford 193rd statesman of PA. We're going to have a bank account set up. We're going to have that act blue because you had to I want to ask answer one question that they answered. What was the toughest decision you had to make? Competing interest going up. gonna be a independent minded person. My mom was independently minded. She had her own. She came from England and she's bombed by Hitler. So that's another chapter of the book. You want to read
094the book neil.net. If you want to know what I do, neil.com submarines. I used to build airplanes. I went to Hollywood with a rock band. And it's a lot of nonsense. So I'll stop. I need your vote on a lucky day, St. Patty's Day for the Irishman. Thank you so much for allowing me to come. >> Thank you. >> Appreciate it. Appreciate you. >> Thank you. >> All right. Is any other public comment up? Hi, I don't really need a microphone teacher voice. My name is Mandy Rubberg. I am a high school math teacher here at Clever. I also advise the Leo Club. Um, this is one of our co-presidents. This is Kylie Herman. She just has a few words for you guys. Oh, we want to thank the school board for listening to the
095students voices and for all the work you do to support our schools. The decisions that you make affect us every day and we appreciate the time and care you put into helping students learn, grow, and succeed. Thank you for being committed to our education and our futures. >> Thank you for all you do. >> Thank you. >> Appreciation month. Obviously, you guys know that. So, >> there you go. >> Thank you, ma'am. >> Thank you so much. You should be great. There any other public comment? with the 2026 2027 school calendar. Um so you were provided a copy of the uh draft calendar that we are proposing for next school year just as we did last year. Um, this calendar was worked on uh collaboratively with teachers, with administrators, um, and really spent a lot
096of time talking through what we thought would be the uh, best way to next school year. So, if you recall, we shifted from the day requirement. So, the state now allows us to choose between the 180 student days or hour the hour option. The hours option provides us with a little bit more flexibility um and to make decisions that we think are in the best interest of our students from an academic standpoint uh based on the minimum requirements being 9990 depending on which um secondary or elementary building you're in. Um so we did move shift to the hour option. Um so this calendar was built with uh those minimum requirements in mind. uh we are have exceeded the minimum requirement knowing that the uh lowest we can potentially go as a district is 990 hours.
097This calendar is built with 1,032 hours which which allows us six potential built-in snow days. Um we'll make we've we have chosen as a district to um allow for five snow days that we're not necessarily making up as a district. Um, but we still have one additional day that we could potentially play with if we need it next school year. Um, this calendar is very similar to this school year. Um, again, this was vetted by through teachers and in each building where they were allowed to offer feedback. They sought feedback from their peers. Um, and so now we're kind of presenting to you the uh calendar as we discussed. And really the only again very similar to last school year, the the biggest change which really doesn't necessarily impact uh parents or the community is
098um March 2027. So typically our spring conferences either um are before or after Easter and it poses a little bit of a challenge from a scheduling standpoint because of that break that kids have and we lose a lot of um time and continuity there. So after some discussion with classroom teachers, we have built in um those spring conferences earlier than the Easter break and the close of the third quarter. Um the rationale behind that one is that we're hoping it's a more proactive approach prior to the end of the third marking period where we can get parents in and have conversations about um concerns that and celebrations that we have about students um prior to the end of the third marking period when you really only have one marking period left. Um, so we're hoping
099that this gives us a little bit more flexibility and we can communicate in a proactive manner. We'll see how it goes. Just like with anything else, um, we certainly are looking for feedback um to determine if we want to continue with that in future years um or shift back to that Easter time frame which we'll we'll feel this year a little bit. Um, additionally, we opted to continue with the two week holiday break in December. Um, we were able to build that in. I think feedback from the majority of staff and families was that that two-week break wasn't a needed time to kind of rest, recharge, and just spend some time together. Um, so we really tried to and were able to make that happen. Outside of that, our start date and our end dates
100are fairly similar to this school year. Um, there aren't any drastic changes. And so tonight, we're just presenting it to you um to kind of take a look at to ask questions between now and February. um get some feedback and then uh potentially what we would love to do is put it on the um board agenda in February for approval so that we can start posting it and sharing it with families um to kind of plan and prepare for next school year. Any immediate questions? 20 minute class periods. Give the teachers a full day. is off in the morning. Then it got it'll help save money with transportation costs with fuel, paying drivers, all the other things. And it gives teachers more time to work on whatever is well that's what the curriculum right so
101that's Well, and I can share one thing immediately that I'm I'm and we can talk through this obviously, but the hour a day. So it's a day two hours. The other thing that we have to keep in mind now is two hours also. So sound like a lot based on the weather, but that is a driving factor. the the early right now are only for parti um the end of the period with the exception of November and March because November and March would be their deliverance days. We don't need two full days for conferences. So again, it really just comes down to I mean I love the idea that teachers love like we're huge proponent of that. It makes it to be more like Another, you know, potential option is take a look at these.
102Uh, just That that is when teachers students leave early and teachers that is their time to work. What impact will that have with delay weather delays and cancellation? hours. I think people are going to stay at the end of the school year, which is what, you know, that's where they'll end up being. Um, if we run out of hours savings because in our transportation go through the end of next school year. Minimum days that you're required to have because they saw what was coming in the fact that they're losing 172. >> So there's no financial savings to do that. Yes. >> No. And again, I love Now, I love the And again, I I'm a huge proponent of time we've built in. I feel very confident with our development time. It it what we've done
103this school year and I feel we've had a really good I think that that has been good. On the flip side, you Again, I don't I'm I'm a huge proponent of saying we this is teacher time. We're not going to dictate what this looks like. But we do try to balance those two things throughout the school year to the best of our ability while still trying to accomplish those goals. I am kind of informing everyone. It's bye. And it very much contacting the pendings. All of the biggest thing with CSI, it's not just one thing. CSI have been on ATSI is um essentially there is a student group that those are numbers who have not been performing state. So again If you've been identified as ATSI, you also are um which is called additional targeted
104important improvement. You're identified by the state and you are there are requirements that follow that designation that you have to follow um and provide updates and information to the state and find your monitor so that they can try to avoid CSI is really kind of the goal. If you get ATSI, your goal is to get out of ATSI but also don't go into CSI. essentially really this is more it's not requirements that go along with it but the thing is you know take keep an eye on this population of statements areas will essentially is to target those areas and then see biggest difference with the CSI is that it's multiple one year could be a rough year or whatever that looks like identified want to catch you before you that to ATSI or CSI. What
105I can share with you, I'm going to share. But what I can share with you is that what I felt comfortable with started at middle school back in 2020, we were designated for language population. We were academically performing the way that the state. We lifted it up for a year and we were not the TSI designation but this year to year. We also are a fierce drop us down because it's such a small population but there's enough that they're monitoring the performance of that group of students and sometimes that number is as low as 12. So we could be looking at a population of 12 students. So if there is some subgroup of students that we need to really take a look at, this is a great way for us to kind of just oh
106yes, we need to we need to make sure that we're doing some things to review performance or change the program that if there are needs. So, we were notified by the state um for the elementary building specifically for our special ed population. This was not news. I think what not that I'm happy about it but at the end of the day this is a group of students and a program that we are have we're already looking at prior to this school year and have made some dramatic changes um at the elementary building specifically to address some of the needs that we found concern last school year um in addition to our special ed population it's for literacy and math but also their attendance so this is not total old. This is just that subtler population
107of students. So, not only is their academic or second reading math um based on last year's data not where it needs to be based on the state criteria, their attendance percentage is also below theed percentage that it should be by the state. year to year. It could vary year to year, >> one grade level at a time. So, it just depends on the work that we need to do now, which again we're already doing. Um, Miss Schaefer and Dr. Kurzy have done a phenomenal job this year of collaborating and having conversations about the needs of this group of students K to K to four and what changes we need to make as a school district instructionally programmatically to make sure that we are meeting. So we did, if you recall, came to you and you
108support teacher at the elementary building. They definitely needed that additional layer of support. Um, and but we didn't stop there. And so in addition to that, Miss Schaefer and Dr. Kery spent a tremendous amount of time over the summer talking through some different interventions and programmatical pro program ways that we need to make sure that our kids and our teachers have the resources to support whatever the the needs are varying when it comes to a student with an IEP. It can be a a student who's functioning on grade level but um you know has a learning disability that impacts them but they can be in the classroom or you have other students who needs whose needs are much higher and they need very specific programs. Um and so we're looking at and continuing um they've
109implemented a new program, an intervention with uh that particular subgroup of students this year that we'll continue to monitor and our teachers are getting training on um to ensure that we can meet their needs based upon their IEP goals and the levels of support that they need. So a lot of change happened prior to us even being designated as TSI. I think we were already on it. Uh, which again I just think is is is a huge um shout out to the team for already knowing that it was a concern and putting some things in place before we even were designated to address it and hopefully see a positive outcome at the end of the school year. >> Okay. I have another question. Do you have anything? >> I was just going to ask how
110what did you what were the red flags that you saw that made you >> their performance? Well, the academic performance and really that comes down to PSSA, are they performing? Um, now we're looking at a number of other factors, K to4, but that's what the state's using. The state's using PSSA, the state's using attendance, the state is using a number of different data points. >> So, how that's my question is attendance. How do you fix that? >> So, so there are laws and we have a process and a procedure. Uh, we have an attendance policy and it it varies. And so based on the circumstances of the student, but at the end of the day, we can't control if a if a student's absence is medically excused, we we're we're still held accountable for their
111attendance rate. So if they miss 10%, I believe it's 10% of the school year. So you're you're looking at 18 days, not quite 17.2 depending on the number of days, you're looking at about 10%. if they miss 10% of the school year, um they're not meeting the expectation for attendance. And that's any student. That's not just our special ed population. Um but within that population of students, it appears as though, and I believe, don't quote me on this, but the percentage that I'm pretty sure I saw was that their attendance rate as a whole was about 64%. And one thing I would just like to add um to this designation is one thing you need to remember when we talk about the PSSA which is you know our statemandated assessment that we have and you're
112looking at the targeted population of special education those students are identified with a specific learning disability. So when they're tested for the first year in third grade with the PSSA they're being tested at a third grade reading level. If you have a student in third grade that is identified with a specific learning disability, there is a good chance that they're reading on a first or second grade reading level. So there is no accommodation for them to take the test. So that's like giving putting something in front of you that is in a different language that that you're not used to. You can only perform as good as you can perform. So knowing that our students are underperforming in that subcategory is not a surprise number one. But the impressive part of it like Dr. Meer
113said is we already knew that and we already put things into place before this identification. And the last thing I'd like to add to that is going into this um school improvement is not a bad word. Um back in 2018 which was our secretary of came out and that was to help school. Um it's not a bad thing but when we were identified as ESI like that wasn't enough about it. she wasn't because it it it had to go through a process to identify where your deficits are. But we already did that even before that now. Um and you know Dr. went through this and even for me prior in a different life that I had um CSI was the highest or I'd say the most at risk identification. That was my job. So the
114state would have me go into those schools and help them for a year get through that identification. So between Dr. Myers and myself and Dr. whale like we're good. Um like I'm very confident that we're going to go through this. It'll be a good experience. Um but there was no concern and we've already identified the issue. We need the state to tell us. Um and I think that's a good thing because not all districts are. So I'm beyond confident Dr. Meyer is leading us through this and I just think but they already are. And then on the last slide. >> Yes. >> So we'll Yeah. So we'll talk through our elementary and middle schools have what we call a title one school plan. And so within that title one school plan because we are title
115one. Um which just means that we have applied to based on our economic status of students that we are eligible for title one funds. um we still have to develop this very specific plan very similar to our comp plan as a district but very specific to the building and so our um Dr. Kerzy and Mrs. Jelly have already gone through that process with their staff. And so now what is the next step? Um one of the requirements of TSI is that we complete a school improvement plan. We have essentially um but we're still going to take a look at it. We're going to dig into it and go through the process um just like we would even if we hadn't completed this plan already to make sure that we haven't missed something. Um once that
116plan is complete, that plan does because we are TSI need to be board approved. So once that plan is complete, um we're still waiting on some uh additional direction. There is a system that we have to go into to get the template for the uh school improvement plan and it has not been uploaded yet. We just got all of this information. Um so we're waiting for that template to come out which is very similar to the template that we already have. We just need to make sure that we've addressed these this group of students and that we have very specific goals written based on the criteria that they've identified us for TSI as targeted support. Um then we'll monitor identify those we'll we'll monitor those identified goals and just make sure that we're supporting that
117subgroup and and see my hope is see improvement over time. Ne next year we may we may never hear anything. the end of the day, they're not going to come back to us unless we're designated as TSI. Again, um the difference between TSI and ATSI and CSI is that most of this is done at the local level. There's no this no one from the state is monitoring our plan. Um we're submitting it just so that they know that it's done, but because it's early warning, it's really driven by us and we get to determine when we've met the goals. And so again, feeling real confident that we've done a lot of work already this summer in preparation for this school year for this group of students. Um we're going to develop the plan because we
118have to. We're going to have it board approved and do all of those things and make the tweaks that we need to make. Um but my hope is is that by the end of this school year, we can say that we have enough data to support that we've met our goals and we're going to move on to next year and continue to just improve and take a look at this this um all groups of students. But definitely this one to ensure that we don't um end up in TSI again. >> Any other questions? >> Not me. >> Do you know how that goes? >> Hey. Hey. >> She's for a reason. I can't even do basic math here. >> It is. >> Do you need me to disconnect? >> Yeah. >> Hi. Whoa. Thought I
119could just share. The ocean looks better as show up immediately. I already hit the share. How do I get out? >> Hit the X on the left >> here. Scroll down. Morning content. All right. So, um starting with the our local audit um for 2425. Um this is the time of year when we finalize um our results from the 2425 school year. Um to remind you, I provided you with an update in October. um on what the preliminary numbers were, I'm happy to report that those have not changed. >> So that's a very good positive. Um but uh this this is just basically saying we obviously go through this and everyone here knows that our fiscal year is from July 1 through June 30th and the um audit process actually begins in in July. Um
120so we actually have four auditors here on site. um pretty much for a week in August. Um uh and they're looking over our books and prov we provide them any details or backup that they need. Um and then they we work together with them throughout the fall into the winter. Uh which gets us to um by the end of December they provide us with the final audit report. Um, so that's that's in a nutshell how it breaks down. Um, what I'm going to highlight here, um, is the we do the MDNA section of the audit report is from the district's perspective. Um, and that's all out in the board folder for you to to look at. Um, I don't want to get into the detail here, uh, because it is something that if you're having
121trouble sleeping, um, that's something you definitely want to look at because it'll put you to sleep right away. Um, but, uh, the obviously the main point that boards like to know is at the end of the day, what was the final end number? Okay. Well, this is where we're at. Um, and this is finalized. This is this is what the number is. So back in October, I was saying it was an estimate. So now it's it's an actual number. So back in June of 2025, which was the last time before you approved the 2526 budget, the estimate that I gave you that we were going to be adding to the fund balance was the 87,184. um that actual number in the final audit is 190,595 and that's the number I provided you in October. Um
122and this is a result of all administrators throughout all buildings and directors um closely monitoring the expenses as well as our EIT funding or earned income tax funding coming in ahead of what the estimates were. So what that does is that provides us with a beginning fund balance and remember the fund balance is nothing more than what our savings account is uh effective 7125 of the 6 million734273. So that is very positive um in the fact that you know we were able to add uh to it and not take away. Um, but I would just like to publicly thank uh Jen Heler, Jenny Wolf, and uh Missy Schwarz in the business office. They're the ones that handle uh the auditors on a day-to-day basis when they're here, and it is very time consuming. It's taking
123away from their daily responsibilities, but they do a great job and get them what they need. So, um, any questions related to the actual audit report, um, for this for 242? Okay. All right. So, with that, I'll move right into what everyone's been waiting for, which is the first um presentation on the 2627 budget. Um so, what's next? So um with that um I think like I think I say here um it's very important to understand that it's a building block. Okay. So my my goal always is that where the budget stands right now is the highest that you will ever see it. Okay. Um, so outside of anything unanticipated that comes up and some of those things like I've said for many years, special women, um, we have no idea who may be moving
124in. U, placements, things of that nature, they're big ticket items. Um, they're the type of things that any of that happens between now and the end of this school year to stay with for the next year, things of that nature. Um, so you will hear from me every month on a budget presentation of some sort. Um like I say here budget manag and it's important because that's where the needs are. And this is all in an effort to have a finalized budget pass. So news index not go above that. Uh and remember the states index is an average of percentage increase of both statewide as well as nationwide. Okay. So it gives you a true picture. Okay. The adjusted index account that is the state's way to identify wealthiness of the school district. So we
125fall into school district that's our adjusted indexed anything So again the index notes true measurement of how much School districts are not immune to the things. So, like I said, I was happy You see the there. That's what I have done in a little bit. Here I have five different options. from% category increased which has been amazing we've never seen a reduction in our income ever and that's a true measurement of the economy and how our workforce and the on our district how that affects our income has continually increase throughout the whole process. So um the one thing on as interest rates fall obviously that's when our so it's a double as you increase your investments investment earnings but you're paying more too. So with the interest rate falling interest but they're still much higher
126they uh the revenue from other other vales consort students um we are receiving less and less students from those districts um so that is projected to decrease as a result Um it's a combination of both too. I mean we have a lot of our own students that are in the class that limit the amount of students we can take from outside uh other two consortium classrooms. Plus it it depends if they have students to send it to us. But that at this point and again that could change because those districts have nobody who may move into their district or may qualify to come to our classroom. So, but at this point that's projected to decrease like I do every year at this time. Our state federal revenues they're budgeted at what is currently budgeted 257
127his new budget that first year in February the federal government that'll be I mean that with everything current year um what's happening what the federal government provides and thankfully all that bypass it is a very small piece but they should just say we get nothing that is significant $300,000 that's to be to be determined it's a So once the governor releases his budget and it has time to be committed to legis but as you know it frustrates me how long it takes that legis actually talk about the budget because you won't really have a knowledge of the state until they don't start talking about that through all of our legislators ever. Um, and it's not obviously they don't disagree. There's no because we're a health do that decision on a final budget and you really
128don't know what your final number is the budget November. So that's so right now that's where we're at. I'm using last year's figures. Um on the expense side salaries they're in right now as well as the support and administrative staff. Our group insurance that is we the nice thing we have here is we are rates for this current is the highest we could see. I think we'll be right next retirement they're at the their known percentages. So the actual retirement rate again I like to say but I don't understand from the state because no projections continue to increase current year we're the rate 33.5 so this is um classroom or I question. We are at this point. This is one of the areas that I am some of them not as much, but um so
129additional students plus increased expenses obviously that's why we have an increase. Um other professional services, this includes things such as our service, speech services, facial therapy, behavior therapy services, all these services are to be increased. Um, not only students student usage as well, but you obviously with contracted service prices are going up. They're not staying the same. Um we do look at different options um and best um that is financially sound as well. So it's that balance but that's something that we're definitely looking at um contract carriers that's our our bus busing as well as our vans. Um the bus contract is very it's going up by the contractual obligation. There's no increase outside of that. The biggest uh increase in this area is based on the high demand transportation request. That's coming. So, um,
130as we get more and more special students, the majority of those will be on manage and depending upon how far placements are that obviously increases. That's um our tuition to other LDAS. Um again this is an area that we are going to look at in detail but as of right now participating this could be an area to increase um from our skills population the need that was driving the cost here charter Um, and I'm seeing uh even for this current school year, our projections are not looking good as far as cost. I'm seeing a significant increase in what was budgeted. Um, and along with that, obviously that flows into Google for next year. That's where this is coming from based on our current enrollment. There was as part of this state budget was just November
131there was a big discussion about how the rate was going to be revised and all this savings is going to be received. Well there wasn't a lot of explanation given to it. So what it actually is is there's two separate rates that you have now. So if you're in a brickandmortar charter change so for us that's our beta students and that's our monasuri students the formula does not change for them that stays the same so the cyber came down minimally. I was hoping it was coming down a lot more. It'll save a little money from where we are currently. It's not by any means gonna wipe away our our increase and our estimates for this year um by any stretch. So I was hoping for a lot better result when we ran that new formula.
132There was a lot of talk saving they they called it a cost reduction. They didn't really call it savings. Um I'll agree with a cost reduction but it is minimal with invest. Okay. Um, here's another area that is going to be looked at very closely. This is outside placements as far as River Rock, Yellow Breaches, Marake, and Newtory. Um, right now we're anticipating a a pretty big increase in this area. And this isn't just special ed students, could regular ed students as well. Um, but this is an area that our outside placements are going to be looked at very detailed to make sure that we're meeting the kids needs, but also looking at other factors as we work through the process. Um, and then last here, the utilities and energy, the electricity. I I know
133electricity at my house has definitely increased. Um and it's again I wish I could say that wouldn't happen for us. Uh it does. Um now like I've said many times we we hedge our electricity and our propane and our fuel oil. Um which we can get much lower rates than residential. But even doing that, we're looking at approximately just under a 15% increase in our electric expenses for next year compared to this year. Okay, that's that's just the market. That's that's what it is. Um now on the flip side we are going to see a decrease in fuel oil and and propane because I learn a lot through because I I sit on the makes these hedges when you have an adverse effect on the electric electricity market the opposite effect on the fuel market.
134So it's I guess you take one with the other. Um, unfortunately we use more electric than we use fuel oil and propane, but we'll take the savings on the fuel oil and propane. But that's um that's where we are with that. Um, some things as far as to think about for the future. Um, I do have in the budget right now, and this was we've talked about this in prior years, ACTI funding need. Right now in the general fund budget, I have $450,000 budgeted. Okay. Um that's a $100,000 increase from the current year. Okay. We had 350 budget this current year. Um obviously we're working our way and this the direction from the board was to get up to 600,000. Um I mean obviously we can re revisit that throughout the budget process if if
135you want to. Um, but right now the budget shows $450,000 in for ACTI. Okay. And that's construction. That's not operational cost. Okay. Um, and then ultimately, like I say, this is one that the bullet never changes. What will the final state funding be at the end of the day? Okay. >> What they've been saying and what they've been preaching is don't expect much for this year. Um I will commend them. I mean over the last two years we have gotten healthy increases in state funding. Um now by the um lawsuit um and they're they haven't met their obligation yet, but they've definitely taken a good chunk on the way there. So that's the benefit that we're seeing. There's obviously more that could be done, but they also have a budget they need to stay within.
136So, um, again, I wish I could tell you and give you definite when that's going to happen, but as we all know that that's not the case. As I get information and and we feel confident with it, I will definitely share that. Okay. Um, so this this is something that the board's been used to and I think it's very beneficial and you'll see you'll see this slide every single month. Okay, this slide will not change. What you see today, you'll see in June and it'll be the exact same. So what this is showing is your five different options. So it's I think it's easier to work from right to left. Um, option A, which is the act one index, that's where the current budget sits right now. that that provides $725,122. Okay, that's the highest
137amount of revenue you can generate from taxes uh this year. Option B is a 3.525%. That gets you 543842 and as you can see option C is 2.35, option D is 1.175 and an option E is a 0% tax increase. Okay. and those percentages or I'm sorry those dollar amounts for the burrows and the m municipalities that's on your average assessed value of the h home in those municipalities that would be the monthly increase for each one of those tax options. Okay, but again you'll see this slide every single month. All right, so I'll just wrap up here. Um you know we as administration are always open to discussion and suggestions related to the general front budget process. Um we will provide as much information as possible. Um because obviously we want this we don't
138want we want to provide you with as much information as we can for you to make the most important decision you have in June. Okay. Um we don't want to come down to June and be like I don't know like we want to have everything at your hands that you need. Okay. And that's my goal and that's my job to provide that for you. So that's what I plan to do. Um, you know, our goal is to work together and provide a final budget in June. That is great for students, staff, taxpayers, and community. And that's ultimately what we will do. Uh, because we're all committed to that. So, um, with that, I'll open it up for any questions right now or discussion. But like I said, you'll you'll get more and more information as
139each month goes by. Um, but any questions or discussions? Right. >> You read my face and mine looking at you like, "What's going on with the consortium glasses?" We never answered that one. Thank you. >> Yep. Anybody else? >> All right. Thank you, Justin. >> Yep. Dan, I have a quick question and maybe Dr. Stern or this be directed towards you and Dr. Myers, but how do we get those kids to stay here and not those cyber schools. >> Well, I think that's a really good question and when I came into the district a year ago, that was something that Dr. Myers and I talked about and actually Justin as well. Um, so one of the things that we tked the building administrators to do is we compiled all of the students that are currently
140out in cyber charter. And what each building principal did if those students would be in their building at this time is they made phone calls to every family um just to talk to them, explain to them or to understand why that is the right fit for their family. Um what their decision was, but also if um cyber is really the route that they want to be to making sure that we're promoting our own Eagles Academy and making sure that they understand it. Um Dr. Myers has some ideas in the future as far as promoting Eagles Academy with our community. Um, but that was our first step. Um, so now we have a spreadsheet that is logged and documented for when we make phone calls. We have notes in there from when we spoken when we
141spoke to families um, for their reasoning. Uh, and what I can say is through those conversations, we have been able to talk about the students coming back um, and what that looks like. So that will be a common practice that we're doing all the time now. Um, and again, there's no guarantee to that, but I think if we understand truly why our families are choosing that that option for their children, um, to make sure that there isn't something that we can offer that can meet the same need. Um, and you know, what we also worry about is those students that went into those learning environments during COVID that just kind of stuck with it, but they're they lost connection with us to know what we're offering here. Um, so really it's to educate and to
142understand. So that is what we're trying to do. I I strongly believe that that connection and communication with the families is what's going to help. Um but there is no one way that schools have been the most successful. It it really is community based and understanding why our families are choosing that for their their children. We're working on it. All right. Moving on to approval of minutes. We have letter A, December 1st, 2025 regular meeting. >> I move to approve the minutes of the December 1st meeting. >> Second. >> We have a first and a second. Any further discussion? All right. This is a roll call vote. All those in attendance be recorded in favor of the motion. Let's say I hear a nay or abstain. Motion carries. >> Oh, I thought you were gonna
143say something. >> Just smiling. >> Uh, next is financial reports. We have A throughF and with their bills payable and the general fund, the cafeteria fund, capital reserve fund, another general fund, cafeteria fund, capital reserve fund, scholarship fund, and activity fund. Move to approve financial reports A through F. >> Second. >> We have a first and a second. >> This is a roll call vote. All those intentions will be recorded in favor of the motion. Let's say I hear a nay or abstain. Motion carries. Next is correspondence which will be addressed later in the agenda. Move on to reports and related action. First up, solicitor's report. >> I just want to say I know I think our firm is sending to superintendent a new a training that we have for new board members. So tonight
144might be pretty appropriate, you know, having so I know at least the three new board members, but anybody is invited to attend for sort of like a school law 101. I >> do have a question about that. >> It's not the mandatory training that >> correct. It doesn't it's not it doesn't qualify as a mandatory training but it's a little bit more with like the solicitors about like just running the board meetings, Robert's rules, all the things like that. Yeah. >> Be done online. >> No, it's in there was a virtual >> I was going to say I think you can attend in I think you can attend virtually. Yeah, pretty sure. >> Yeah, it's not live though. I think you would register to get the recording like if you can't be there. >> We've
145had members in the past go to it. >> Yeah. Well, and it's slightly different having gone from Stocken Leader to Sax and sort we're sort of reframing everything, but I'm pretty sure I know there's a virtual. >> Yeah. >> When is that again? >> The 29th of January 29th >> night of fe uh five I think 5 to 8 maybe. >> Okay. Yeah. And if you check your email, there is a link for registration there. And if you are planning on attending, just let um Dan and I know just so that we know that you're going to be there. >> And that ends my report. Thank you. >> And thank you tonight with helping us there. >> Sure. >> You made it through it. >> Yes, we did. >> Uh we made a plan. It
146was completely >> different when we done here. >> Superintendent support. >> All right. Good evening. Well, tonight I actually think was was really interesting that everything fell into our board interviews knowing that this month is board appreciation month. And it just I think is is a great night where you welcome new members to the board. Um and it gives us the opportunity to show appreciation. The fact that we had a student come in here, you know, for a late night and share her appreciation, I think that speaks highly of you. Um just a couple things that I wanted to share in my report about the um board appreciation is first of all in front of you these gorgeous arrangements. um they are made from our students at the high school um in our floral design
147um class that is that is taught by Cheyenne Wyel um they wanted to do something they actually because if you remember last year was the first year that they made you arrangements um and they were quick to ask can we do it again um so they are very proud of the work and I am impressed over one year how advanced these arrangements are getting and the work that they're doing um I know last year I shared with some of you that they ran a program where um any employee could order a flower arrangement um and they would actually get delivered to us. So we contra obviously we paid for those and contributed to it um but I think it's an awesome opportunity for our students to show your appreciation their appreciation to you but also
148see what amazing things our students are doing. So um please enjoy those arrangements. Um, I did want to take a second um to just read a letter that I had written to that I had written to our board in appreciation a year ago when I shared some um a letter with you. I just started. So, the letter really was about, oh, I'm excited and I can't wait to tackle these things. And we were just getting to know each other. I it wasn't even a month that I was on the job um when it was board appreciation. So, this year I I do apologize in advance that it is long. Um, but it it is very meaningful to me to show my appreciation, but also to remind you of the amazing work you've done within a
149year's um, worth of time. So, um, if you if you don't mind, I'd like to share, you know, what is in front of you. Um, the letter reads, "As we recognize board appreciation month, I want to take a moment to personally thank the members of the Bermudian Springs School Board. This past year marked my first year as superintendent, and it has truly been a year of new beginnings and stronger foundations. I am deeply grateful for the leadership, trust, and support you have provided throughout this transition. A first year together sets the tone for everything that follows, and this board has approached its work with thoughtfulness, professionalism, and a shared commitment to our district mission to inspire to learn, empower to lead, and equipped to succeed. Over the past year, you have accomplished significant work as
150a board. You've successfully negotiated a new 5-year teacher collected bargaining agreement, ensuring stability for our staff while remaining fiscally responsible. You approved the purchase of new iPads for students in grades 5 through 12, improving instructional access while also saving the district money. You've strengthened our instructional leadership by formally including the director of curriculum on the leadership team, directly impacting student learning while expanding professional learning opportunities for our staff. You have remained focused on academic excellence by approving new curriculum in the areas of math and science, ensuring our instructional programs continue to meet the needs of our students. You've invested in the future of Adams County Technical Institute, expanding career and technical education opportunities that will benefit our students for years to come. You supported our district vision by hiring both professional and support staff who
151contribute daily to our schools and our mission. You also prioritize stability and continuity by renewing the contracts of both the assistant superintendent and business manager, providing long-term leadership and instruction and financial stewardship. At the same time, you remained steadfast to updating board policies to ensure compliance and adherence to school code, recognizing the importance of governance done well. What makes this board truly special is not only what you've accomplished, but how you have worked together along the way. This year, you've celebrated successes, navigated challenges, supported one another through moments of difficulty. You have disagreed at times, asked hard questions, and worked through adversity with respect and honesty. That level of trust and collaboration is not something every superintendent gets to experience, and I do not take it for granted. Together, this work reflects a board committed
152to building stronger foundations for the future. foundations that will continue to inspire our students to learn, empower them to lead, and equip them to succeed long after they leave Bermudeian Springs. Serving on a school board requires significant time, energy, and personal commitment, often without recognition. Please know that your service does not go unnoticed. It has been an honor to work alongside you during my first year, and I look forward to continuing this important work together. Thank you for your leadership, your dedication, and your continued commitment to the Bermudian Springs community. So truly from the bottom of my heart, thank you for your dedication. And I hope in that message you realize of all the amazing work you've done in just one year. And I want to add with a new superintendent. Um that is a
153heavy lift. Um there was no downtime. From day one, we hit the ground running. And I could not be more thrilled to be working with you. And again, I've said it before, but thanks for picking me. It's truly an honor to work with you, and I look forward to our new members. Um, I know we're going to do great things. Um, but again, thank you so much for all you do. That concludes my report. >> Wow. >> So, I wrote down our comprehensive local needs assessment. you know, I I I would just just kind of wholly agree with all of what Dr. Cerner just shared. Um, it's been I've had the pleasure of working alongside of you for many years and um definitely appreciate and value the dedication that you all provide. With that though,
154just want to inform you of some things that have kept me busy. Um so just so that you are aware we have been uh kind of deep in our comprehensive assess funding programs within our high school building. Um this comprehensive local needs assessment is an opportunity for us to gather information about our local needs from a job areas industries. Um to um in a partnership with ACTI. I feel like we're really gonna miss Sean Epenro as a group here. Um and and someone has big shoes to fill because he really is a key player um when it comes to this comprehensive local needs assessment. We collaborate as a county and so there are four different school districts um well it's ACTI, Gettysburg, Koago now and and Bermudian who work together to and support each other
155in just completing this application. We're a small district and so for each of us to try to hold these meetings and bring in the same types of people would be really difficult to do. So, um I appreciate the support of those other school districts and the time that they've committed to uh we've committed to supporting each other and making sure that application is completed. So, my goal is to have that well, it needs to be done by the end of January. I say it's about 80% there. Um, with that though, you when you know better, you do better. And so in February, just kind of want to prep you. Um, one of the requirements of our CTE programs is to have what we call an occupational advisory council. Um and so what that is is
156that for example our a program has essentially a committee of people from the industry who come in and provide feedback um and offer suggestions to the program in order to continue to improve it and make sure um that it's meeting the needs of that industry. Uh one of the things that we should have been doing that we've never done in the past is approve those OAC um committees. The board needs to approve them. um we have a monitoring audit coming up and so I'll put on record that I'd like to get those OAC um committees on our February agenda to ensure that we're in compliance um with that now that we know um and we'll continue to make that a yearly um in August. We'll make sure that those uh committees are on our board
157agendas um for approval at the start of the school year and not mid school year. In addition to that, um I just want to share out we've had some pretty heavy professional development days. Um and one coming up here and just really praying the weather holds out for us. Um but we are continuing to Dr. Rails is working his tail off. Um we've got four content areas kneedeep in writing curriculum along with our content leads uh one here in the room and um several others who are involved supporting that process. It is not easy work right now. Um this year is kind of that we're we're growing through some pains. Um but they're good pains that are going to help us long term. And so uh we're going to continue that work. In addition to
158that, our new teachers who are still going through induction just completed a session in December. Um another requirement as part of their um process uh to obtain their level two certificate. Um and then we have an additional session with that group. Um we have monthly touch points. We don't have one here in um January, but we will have an additional one uh with that particular group in February. That's all I have. move to approve resignations A through C. >> Second. >> We have first and second. Any further discussion? No further discussion. So I'll vote all motion >> unless I hear any abstain. Motion carries. Uh number two, administration is requesting approval for employment um for elementary school grade three teacher. >> I have a question that first >> make a motion in a second. >>
159Yeah. Move to approve personnel number two. >> First or second? Hang on. Got a second. >> All right. Any discussion? >> Um yeah, I was just talking to Mary. Typically when we have this is a new person, right? Not someone that's already employed. >> Correct. We are filling a resignation. >> What's that? >> We're filling a resignation. >> Okay. >> So that's why the position was open >> that's not in the district. >> Correct. So we >> because typically we would get before we would get a you know a packet of that person showing um just the schools they went to uh recommendation letters um clearances and all that stuff. >> Okay. We can talk about that you know as far as how we haven't been doing that. Um not recently anyway. So we can
160talk about what it is that you guys would want to see. Yeah, they Yeah, we can talk, I guess, maybe offline about it. >> We can do that. Um, yeah, you brought up a good point. So, >> all right. >> Yeah. So, this is there was a resignation in third grade and this is this person is replacing >> the resignation, >> but it is a new teacher coming into the district. >> I just wonder about the packets because that's what used to >> Yeah, we would get uh a packet prior or actually during the board meeting. Um, we'd love to have her prior >> um days before >> and that way they could just review some of the details that Joe was about sort of thing, but I don't think it's going to hold up
161uh this vote or >> Okay. Okay. Any other further discussion? All right. There's no further discussion. This is a roll call vote. All those intents be recorded in favor of the motion. Let's hear n abstain. Motion carries. Uh number three, the administration is recovering or requesting approval for the following to be employed as support staff and there's A and B. >> Motion to approve 3 A and B. >> Second. >> We have a first and a second. Any further discussion? With no further discussion, this a roll call vote. All those intentions be recorded in favor of the motion. I'll say here nay abstain. Motion carries. Number four, administration's requesting approval um for appointment as teacher mentor for 2026 20 256 school year to approve. >> Second. >> We have a first and a second. Any
162further discussion? This is a roll call vote. All those intention report in favor of the motion. Let's say I hear a nay. Motion carries. Number five, administration is requesting approval to send to resend extracurricular contract. >> Move to approve number five. >> Second. >> We have a first and a second. Any further discussion? This is a roll call vote. All those in attendance we record in favor of the motion. Say here n or abstain. Motion carries. Number seven, administration's requesting approval for volunteer basketball coach for 25. >> Oh, I'm sorry. >> Sorry about that. Uh, six, administration requesting approval for extracurricular contract for varsity assistant softball coach. >> Move to approve six. >> Second. >> We have a first and second. Any further discussion? This further discussion. This roll call vote. All those intent motion
163here may abstain. Motion carries. Now number seven. Administration is requesting approval for volunteer basketball coach for 2526 school year. >> Motion approved. Seven. >> First. Is there a second? >> Second. >> A personal second. Any further discussion? No further discussion. Mr. Wolf vote. All those intent to report in favor of the motion must say abstain. Motion carries. All right. Moving on to letter B. This is authorization to seek bids. Uh this administration's requesting authorization to seek supply bids for 25 or 26 27 school year with the 2526 funds for the following. And there's four of them one through four. Motion to approve B 1 through 4. >> Second. >> We have a first and a second. Any further discussion? No further discussion. This is a roll call vote. All those in attendance record in favor
164of the motion. Unless I hear nay. Motion carries. Moving on to letter C. It's the York Adams Tax Bureau and Adams County Tax Collections Committee. So, the administration's request approval for Justin to keep doing portions of his job. >> Second. >> We got first and second. Any further discussion? All right. This is a roll call vote. All those in tends. Letter D4.5 the administration's requesting report move to approve D. >> Second one second. Any further discussion? This is a roll call vote. All those intentions report in favor of the motion. Unless I hear any abstain. Motion carries. Letter E, general operating budget resolution. The administration is requesting approval um for the general operation budget for 2627 school year. >> Thanks, Justin. >> Move to approve E. Second. >> We have first and a second. Any
165further discussion? With no further discussion, this is a roll call vote. All those intent record in favor of the motion unless there are nay or abstain. Motion carries. Letter F. This is a Sunday and overnight activity approval for there's two of them. There's one and two. One's for the VODX team and the other one's for the class uh 2026 senior class trip. Motion to approve F1 and two. >> Second. >> We have a first and a second. Is there any further discussion? With no further discussion, this is a roll call vote here and they understand. Motion carries. Letter G, uh, memorandum of understanding. So this one's with the administration is requesting NOU um for the school district and remain strings education association regarding ways to reduce budgetary expenses for 2627 school year. >> Motion to
166approve. >> Second. >> You got first and a second. Any further discussion? With no further discussion, this is a roll call vote. All those in attendance record in favor of the motion must say I hear a nay or an abstain. Motion carries. Next on the agenda is other business. Is there any other business to be bought before the board? I do have one thing but I'll wait. >> Is it ACTI appointment? >> It is unless you want to bring it up. >> We just did. So, uh, with, uh, with, uh, the previous board member not coming back was an alternate, we need to fill a spot for, um, ACTI in that role that backs Brian as the primary, as the rep for Bermudeian. So, >> nominate the intro. >> I if anybody has a burning
167desire to do it, you you may volunteer yourself now. Um if not, um I can go ahead and do it. I've have some experience. I've done it a couple years ago when they started this this whole machine moving forward trying to get land and building and everything like that. So, I'm privy to some of the conversation stuff like that. So, there's your chance going once, twice. All right. I'd be honored to work with you, Brian. >> Thank you. >> All right. >> Okay. And then Dr. Sterner >> as a item. >> Thank you. Um I just wanted to now that um the board has accepted Ruth Griffy's um Griffy's resignation on the board. Um we are back to a board vacancy. We just filled two tonight. Um so this will be another vacancy that we
168have. Um this vacancy also falls within region two um which we um the board had selected to serve from region two but this will be another opportunity for anybody interested in region two. Um now that the board has approved um that resignation tomorrow um that position will be posted. The postcards and mailers will go out tomorrow morning um to all those that live within region two. So that will be posted from then until our next board meeting in February. The board will engage in exactly what they did this evening. Um but we will be just be focusing on one region this time. Um and we'll do we'll hold those interviews publicly just like you did and the goal would be then at the end of the evening on in February that we would um the
169board would have selected a new person to fill Ruth's position which means that would take us to March where we would have a full board. Um, and everybody else is staying. Okay, I just read that really nice note to all of you, so you're all staying. Um, but that concludes what I had. >> Yes. Um, the deadline for submission for that opening, I will have to look. I don't have it right in front of me. Yeah, it's Yeah, it's I'll let you know. Sorry about that. >> Thank you. >> Anybody else? All right. One last thank you to all the students provided the cards. Um it feels great. Um obviously the flowers. Um the board really appreciates it. And of course the appreciation letter from Dr. Stern. Absolutely. Thank you very much. You're welcome. >>
170Thank you. Yes. Flowers are always beautiful. And with that being said, we are adjourned. Thank you for everybody coming out. Take care.