001Good evening and welcome to the District of Brown Deer School Board meeting. Uh I call this meeting uh to order at 6:02 p.m. Verification of public notice. Meeting has been publicly noticed. Verification of a quorum. We have six of our seven members in attendance this evening. Approval of the agenda. Would someone like to make a motion to approve the agenda as presented? >> Thank you, M. Robinson. Motion has been made. Uh do we have a second? >> Second. >> Thank you, Mrs. M. Motion remain sec. Any discussion? Hearing none. All in favor will raise hand and or I. Any opposed? Any abstensions? All right. Thank you. Motion carries unanimously six to zero. And the reading of our mission statement is through the lens of excellence, equity, and engagement. We are dedicated to empowering every student
002with the essential skills to build a foundation for lifelong learning. And our vision is to provide a rigorous education that empowers our students to confidently navigate in our everchanging world. So all right, so uh since this is our regular board meeting, uh we can have public comments. Anyone that is in the chat or in person that would like to uh during our public comments section, you have three minutes and your comment needs to be based upon an item that is on our agenda. So again, three minutes. Uh, no question, just a statement in relationship to anything that's on our agenda. And please say state your name and your brown deer address. All right. All right. Let's go on to our next item on district communication. Our wonderful district administrator, Dr. Cotton. >> Good evening, board.
003Krice Cotton, proud superintendent for the school district of Brown Deere. While we are only nine days into the month of December, students in the school district of Brownere have been busy. At the BDE, we have a student council sock drive. The student council sock drive started on Monday, December 1st. In addition to socks, the student council is looking to collect items such as gloves, mittens, and hats to donate to the Milwaukee Rescue Mission. The sock collection will run through this Friday, December the 12th. There the grade level with the highest amount of donated socks will win a prize. Brown Deer uh Bucks family night will be held on January 13, 2026 and the cost of tickets has been reduced. Uh lower seats can be purchased for 45 and upper seats for 30. The Bucks will
004play the Minnesota Timberwolves and if the lower ticket prices aren't enough, here's an added incentive. The Brown Deer Pet Band will be performing this evening as well. Congratulations to all students and families who participated in the PTC fundraiser who participated in the PTC fundraiser over the course of the past few months. To date, over $6,300 has been raised. All right. >> All of the proceeds will be used to assist with field trips, teacher wish lists, and classroom supplies. At Brownier Middle School, the middle school forensics program continues to grow. And I'd like to thank coaches Sham and Choco for providing the students with an opportunity to show their performative skills and strengths. This past Saturday, the return of Breakfast with Santa happened in the Novak family fieldhouse. Over 175 tickets were sold prior to the
005event and additional tickets were sold at the door. In addition to breakfast, students and their families were able to decorate ornaments, color, get a holiday tattoo, play bingo, write a letter to Santa, and of course, take a photo with Saint Nick. The event received lots of positive feedback from families, and I would like to thank Miss Washington for leading the charge on this positive family event. And thank you to all district staff who assisted in setting up, serving, and cleaning up and brought their own children and spouses to the event. A fun time was had by all. Our middle school wrestling team dominated Longfellow of Wawaossa School District with a commanding 54-7 win. Congratulations to coach Bulis and the students on an outstanding performance. Eighth grade algebra students compete four-week STEM design program at MSEE.
006The GenerRack Youth Engineering Design Academy is a multi-week engineering program developed by Generrack and MSE. Students learned about the engineering design process and how to apply it to real world problem solving. They gained practical skills in using basic engineering and design software. As a result, students will translate concepts from 2D to 3D designs. And at the high school, the high school student council has put together two weeks of holiday spirit days for all students and staff to get into the magical feeling that comes with this time of year. Participation days include, but they're not permitted to. I just grabbed a couple. Wearing green for Grinch day on Thursday, December the 11th. Posty day on Monday, December 15th where students are encouraged to wear fuzzy socks, slippers, hats, and scarves. Tinsel Tuesday on December 16th, and
007wear your favorite sweater for on Friday, December the 19th. Shout out to uh our advisor, Miss Curry, and the student council for creating fun days prior to winter break. Our h our high school marching band participated in two local parades in Grafton and Westbend. Thank you to Mr. Brownfield and the students for sharing your musical gifts with the surrounding communities. And thank you to all of the band parents for getting your students too and having your child participate in this activity. Our custodial staff was honored at the first wrestling meet of the school year by the team. Coach Gladney and Hayes and members of the wrestling team wanted to wanted the staff to know just how much they appreciate them. All members of the custodial team received flower and were publicly applauded for their efforts
008on keeping our spaces clean. This season, our HOSA future health professional students collected gently used and new blankets, winter apparel, toiletries, and hygiene products, and created winter care baskets for people experiencing homelessness in the Milwaukee area. Thank you to Miss Bodar and our students for showing the care Browner students have for others during this holiday season. Biology students examined a blue tongue skink. While learning about common traits and ancestors, students got a visit from Mr. Duffren's pet, a blue tongue skink named Doug. >> They decided it skink. >> A blue tongue skink. S K I N K. They decided it was more closely related and I think there is right there. >> Um most closely related to a snake or a lizard and even got to pet them. >> Yeah. Brave students. All right. from
009the district. All four of our f groups have been conducted and the administration would like to thank all thank performative services for their work and thank you to all participants for their thoughtful responses and active engagement on the future of the school district of Brown Deere. And finally, the school district of Brown Deere would like to wish all of our students, family, and staff a wonderful and joyous holiday season and a happy new year. That concludes my report for the month of December. >> Thank you. Thank you very much, Dr. Cotton. Board members, any questions or comments of Dr. Cotton and her report? I >> I just want to um not a comment, but just an observation, and I just want to say thanks um to the district for just recognizing the custodial >> um
010you know, help because they do and are the drivers of this district and sometimes not even recognized. So, thank you for that. Yeah, that was that was uh Coach Gladney and Coach Hayes from the wrestling team and they pulled them out at a wrestling match and just publicly applauded and thank them and they really feel like um they they wanted to do it because to keep the spaces in the areas clean for them and so it was it was a wonderful way >> um to to recognize them and I know Mr. Russ is with us virtually this evening so congratulations to him too with his custodial staff. Congratulations also to the um girls bowling team. I attended I don't have my calendar but I attended one of their meets last week. >> Yeah. >> Um
011South Milwaukee I think it was >> my sense of direction. But they they did a good job. They won I guess you're supposed to win >> five of the nine um sets or whatever. And so I >> think they won six. Wow. >> Yeah. >> So, which is really nice. So, now you have in addition to boys, we got girl holders as well. So, it's really nice. >> Very cool. >> And the band and the choir did a beautiful job with tree lighting ceremon. >> They represented very well. I sounded wonderful. Did a great job. >> Yeah. >> Like a big calendar with everything on there. you know, it's on the website. It rolls that way. Um, but here again, we can we have like the activities always from like Mil High School that we
012can send out to you. Just so you know, you're able to see like the sporting events and some of these other events. Of course, they come on my calendar, but we'll find a way to make sure that you see them as well. >> Just like that report, I guess. >> Yeah. And we Oh, I can add it to the new report. And that um that board briefing is >> although it's quite lengthy. >> I'm sorry because there's so many there's just so many things that I'm unable to tell you about in the district report. I just we um I asked staff to provide a different way because they're working hard and you should know about the different things that are going on in their department. And so right now we're thinking that we're going to
013make that up by you'll see it twice. You'll see it twice a week. So bi-weekly you'll see that it's called the board brief. So, it's a briefing for you about things that are going on in the district. >> Thank you very much. All right, let's go on to our next item. Item number three, public comments. All right. Um, we have anybody that is in person or on the chat that would like to be heard for public comments. Again, remember the comments are for three minutes, a time limit of three minutes, and it needs to be a comment based upon an agenda item that we have. Uh and again your name and your browner address. So anyone would like to be heard. We'll give it another uh 30 seconds just in case. All right, let's go
014on to our next item. Item number four, our consent agenda. Somebody make make a motion to approve our consent agenda, please. >> Agenda, including the minutes of the November 11, 2025 special board meeting, the November 25th, 2025 regular board meeting. The schedule of outcome check transfers in the amount of 1,137,61825 in the general checking account in the food service account including funds 10 21 27 39 47 49 50 72 and 80 and the December 9th 2025 school safety drill update as presented tonight. >> Thank you very much Ashley. All right, motion has been made. Do we have a second? >> Second. >> I think motion has been made. Seconded. Uh, any discussion? >> I just have one question for that school safety drill. It's still showing us drills from the last school year. >> Might
015be helpful if you just keep it on. >> Sure. >> What? They trying to do like a running record or something? Yeah, that's what you that's what you have person >> to you, but it does start in the um it has um drills from the 24. >> Yeah, I I mean I might get the running record if it shows from January of 25 up until now, but from last summer is not really okay. >> I don't it's not helpful from my perspective. >> Thank you. We'll make >> All right. All right. So motion made and seconded. All in favor raise hand and or I. I. >> Any oppose? Any abstensions? See that? Motion carries unanimously. 620. All right. Let's go on to our next item. Item number five. Our business office report. Mr. Paul. Good
016evening. Just three things for y'all tonight. We have a new food service manager in the district. Tate Plum left two weeks ago. Last week we had Mar Januda who is his regional manager. And yesterday we had Morgan Trogan who comes from the Nicolay school district. She is our new uh food service manager. Next is our administrative review. December 17th and 18th DPI will be on campus to observe our food service operations. Uh includes breakfast, lunch, and our after school snack. We work with them to get everything they need so we can pass our our review. And lastly, our procurement audit. Uh we submitted everything for procurement audit and we are now just waiting for the questions from DPIN or anything if they want to look into. >> Do we know when we're going to have
017the results uh from that or when they're going to get back to us to if they have any questions or we can provide any other information? >> I have no timeline. I know uh in our Nasmo meeting with the surrounding districts there are a couple who have had inquiries already uh and half of them haven't so I can reach out and ask just so that we have an update on where they're all right board members any questions for Mr. Paul in relationship to any of the information that he just presented. >> All right. Thank you, sir. All right. Let's go on to our next item. Approval of new hires or andor resignation. Miss Jackson. >> Good evening, members of I. Tonight, I do not have any new hires to report and do any >> All
018right. I will take that one. I love your report. Thank you so much. Yeah. All right. Thank you very much. Let's go on to our item D, facilities and ground update. Mr. Russ, is that on here? >> Yeah. >> Hello, board. >> How are we doing this evening? >> We're good. >> Good. Um, just a couple few updates. Um, I do apologize that I don't I'm not there. Um um but um you know as as I was saying in my report um that we're going to be it's friendly reminder that our excuse me that our uh pool will be down um over the course of winter break. Our uh continued uh winter ground of making sure that everyone is safe and sound is doing great. Um and I can yeah we're just uh we're we're
019continuing to move and groove here um at the district with uh winter spring winter setups for uh all the winter sports and things like that. So other than that there's not much uh else for me as far as the um as far as the update goes. >> May I? >> Oh yes, go ahead. One of the things that I wanted to add because uh Mr. Russ did mention that the pool would be down because we're going to be doing repairs over the course of the winter break. Um those students due to the closure of the swim team will be having practice for our listening audience over at the YMCA. So even though pool will be shut down here, practice still take place over at the Y. >> Yeah. I just have a quick question. Do
020we have to pay to use that space at >> the >> use? Yeah, >> probably not. >> Yeah, >> because I think we've got we've got a partnership with them and stuff. So, I don't do that, but I don't know for sure. Matt, >> um we have not um we uh I do not believe that we have to be charged with that. Um because we allowed them. It's kind of like when they had troubles, they came to us. We have troubles, we go to them. um we have a partnership with them and it's very it's been very great. >> And then Mr. um Rush, you forgot about the flooring. >> I do apologize. Sorry. >> Of course, >> my my my computer just does not seem to want to boot up right now. I do
021apologize. Um yes, um we're having our wood floors in all three of our gyms done over winter break as well. Um they're going to be um sanded and then a new coat of or a couple new coats of finish to be done to them. Um that'll be happening over winter break. So it' be happening on the 26th and 27th where the uh ProStar will be in to sand and then refinish our floors. And then we have roughly about a 4 to 5 day wait before we have to be able to get in there as far as uh being able to be back on the floors. So, Matt, question. By them going down two or three layers of wax, they they won't be messing with any of the the the the striping uh the logos. >>
022No, any of that different stuff, right? >> No. No. Um actually, um there is probably every time every year that we have our floors redone, which is annually we have our floors done, we put two coats of refinish on. And when they come through, they actually only sand usually about one coat off and then they put another two coats on. So in all in theory, for the last 13 years, we've only ever taken off one coat and then added two. So we have we have quite the barrier between the um the design and uh having the um the uh floor refinished. So, >> okay. Um, and I guess my last one is going to be is during that break, what about the uh the students that are on the basketball team, volleyball teams, and things
023of that nature. Uh, I know even though school is closed, a lot of times they're they are still practicing and as well as potentially playing in any holiday tournaments or anything else like that. So, how how is that how is that working from um from that from the athletic department standpoint? Are they going over to the Y as well? >> No. So, what we've been doing is that we've coordinated with Gerald and what we do is we um section off the rubber flooring in the fieldhouse area and our basketball team practices there and so does our volleyball team and they have a schedule worked out with Gerald um when they can uh al alternate between teams. >> Okay. Yeah, I was just kind of wondering about that because a lot of times during that time
024a lot of those coaches are like, "Hey, you know what? I really got access now. Let's really get down into it or whatever because they've only had probably two or three games or whatever and stuff. So now they're getting ready to try to put in, >> you know, whether or not basketball offenses and defenses, if it's volleyball, you know, setting up spikes and everything else like that. So >> that is absolutely correct. And um they do um we we kind of go through this every year right around the same time. And so we've gotten a a pretty good um system down where um the teams start pretty early and we uh um we have a schedule. It starts at about like 7 a.m. and then they usually have practice until at least I think between
025everyone till at least 3:00 or 4 in that evening. >> All right. Thank you, sir. Board members, any other questions for Mr. Russ in relationship to uh facilities and grounds update. >> All right. Thank you, Matt. And I guess uh the next one is you as well, the safety update. >> Yes. Um so um just a quick little spe um we or spew um we did add another safety um uh uh safety person to our daytime um uh security staff. Um he is uh here from uh it would be from 7 o'clock until 3:30 in the afternoon. Um he walks around um with um Miss Kimber and patrols uh both schools. >> The middle high school are >> Yeah, the middle high school to make sure that everything is going very well. >> Board members,
026any questions in relationship to the uh safety update? A total of two now. Two during the daytime. >> Yes. During the daytime we have uh Miss Kimber and then one other gentleman. Any other questions? Thank you very much. Uh Matt, go ahead on. I know I know the kids kid is there like trying to tell you like, "All right, Dad, that's enough." >> Oh, no. It it's it's fine. We um they're they're both playing. They're having fun. And >> Okay. Well, you about to go have you some fun, too. >> I'm still gonna be on. I I I I I um I'm always a part of these boards in case a question pops up. So, I'm always here. >> All right, my friend. Okay, let's go on to our next item is our school board
027candidacy for April 7th, 2026 spring election. Um Mr. Claus, >> just a quick update um for everyone. The notices of the upcoming April 7, 2026 uh spring election are on the website. That information is available for the public. Also on the website, we do have uh the board of education election resources information which uh has links to all of the required forms for candidates uh to fill out to uh be eligible for ballot access. And also uh it gives the eligibility information is also included in that on that page. And it also has uh links to uh and contact information for questions and answers around elections and uh things that are required for that uh with the election commission and the uh the manuals as well. So all of that information is readily available on
028the website and it will be updated as necessary. As this uh election season progresses, we will be adding information as required. Also uh the deadline for incumbents to uh submit for nonency is uh 26. So uh which is uh a scheduled holiday for us here in the district. So if if there's a incumbent who decides they don't want to run, uh let us know the 23rd. >> Okay. >> Well, before the deadline. Okay. >> That's the update. >> All right. Thank you very much. Any questions? >> Oh, one more thing. There are packets of information available for and uh the the incumbents and the uh information is due back. There's a deadline for submission. I think it's June January 6th. >> January 6th. >> January 6, 2026. That information is due. >> All right. And
029that also be that information will also be available for individuals for the village and district candidacy form. I It's not called a candidacy form. What What are we calling that? A candidacyformational uh >> forum on finance form. That form is required to be filled. >> No, no, no. talking about the the the village and the school district uh meeting to where will talk about >> oh all of the election information stuff. >> Yes. >> So all of that stuff information will be there as well too and stuff and it's all on our website. >> It's on the website and our packets available for uh anyone who's interested in running they can pick that packet of information up. It's available here at the front desk. >> Okay. Thank you. Right. Any other questions? >> Right. Thank
030you. Our next item is discussion of the Wby State Convention uh proposed resolutions >> and that would >> well the resolutions were uploaded to the website for you guys to review. Hopefully you guys had an opportunity to look at them and uh at some point I think uh during the next meeting >> next meeting next board meeting and stuff we'll vote to say yay or nay we are supporting that and um is it for leader or is it miss making oh no I'm so sorry no we changed it this year Welch is the person that'll be our representative at Wise for for for the uh convention >> and I did need that information so I will be providing your contact information and they'll be uh in touch with you with whatever information that's required for
031that meeting. >> It's a lot of them so it should be interest or what And we still didn't get the >> That was That was That was That was border alarm. >> Yeah, >> that happened though. So, I was good. >> All right. All right. Let's go on to our next item is our uh board reports, our SWSA legislative update. Okay. Um, basically what we went through um, for the S SWA, S, W, SWSA, and legislative update was we kind of went over those resolutions. Basically was trying to get an understanding because some of the language was a little awkward, say the least. You know, I don't know who writes them up, but some of them were a little awkward. So they kind of had some discussion about what um what it was actually saying.
032Um there was some discussion about how for instance in one of those um sections it had um one question would have possibly you could have possibly said yes to and the other they were in congruent. I'll just basically say that it seems like some of those questions that were part of the um that were part of um >> the resolution um let's say for instance 10 11 I think it was 10 11 and 12 it might have been 11 10 and 11 and so it says create the supports legislation separating funding for parental choice and then they also talk about decoupling so 10 11 and 12. No, I'm sorry. 10 and 11. 10 and 11 was just the the the wording. So when we go back to it again as a group, we probably need
033to have a clear understanding of how one differs from the other because the language was a little awkward. So that was the main thing that they continually um talked about. I don't know whether or not there's anything that can be done right now. But when we meet to have a clear understanding of those terms because the assumption is if you're going to say yes to one, you're going to say yes to the second half. And if you're going to say no to the first half, you're going to say no to the second half. And that's not necessarily um really how I thought about it because one I was thinking yes and the other I was thinking no and but you don't answer that way on those questions. Right. >> But it's interesting because there's two
034writers and two people who are introducing those two resolutions. >> Right. >> And so it's it's going to be important. Right. It's going to be really really important to figure out from what vantage point and what the background context is when they um >> wrote the resolution. Right. >> Right. >> And you're going to hear it. It's going to play out on the floor. >> Right. So, a lot of people talked about the research, you know, going all the way back to the history of, you know, how um when that that legislation was first posed, it was to help um um students who were impoverished in the inner city, they had special schools. That's when um Polly Williams and um and um Dr. Fuller were on board. and it was it wasn't supposed to be
035expanded the way that it's expanded. The fear is that if you're taking the schools that are experiencing students moving out of the school districts, if you're moving other schools into their districts, then they don't have the problem with losing students, which has been the case for a lot of parochial schools. Um, however, you're taking them from the public schools and when you take the kids from the public schools, now we have a deficit and we're losing students and so then our financial base. So, it was a lot of discussion about um the meal rate, if you're going to take money away for the charter schools or the choice school, the whatever for for those schools through the the um the choice through the >> um through that that um legislation. then there needs to be
036a new calculation of the meal rates because we lose money when those kids are going out and that increases the amount that um for your property taxes bottom line. So there was a lot of discussion matter of fact there was more discussion on those two 10 and 11 than it was on the other um uh reforms. There's also some um so I I'll just we'll we'll talk about that some more. I the other thing that wasn't as important my stuff. >> Thank you very much. Miss All right. Uh wise me update. >> Just obviously prepared for convention. >> All right. Thank you very much. Well, the Ed Foundation um Miss Farmer actually was able to go to the meeting, but she of course she isn't here with us right now. parks and w I'm so
037sorry. Uh but parks and wreck. So she isn't here right now to be able to give a report, but as soon as she comes when she comes back or whatever, I'll forward uh the information from the uh park and wreck uh report and foundation. So, um I mean officially there is no air foundation in but I still need to follow up to see how they're managing things at this point with the excuse me with going in with the >> because I remember you saying before that they were talking about potentially combining it and making it just one and everything and stuff. So, it's kind of interesting on how that would actually really work. And does with the money directly always still come back to the kids like that scholarships. Okay. >> All right. Thank you
038very much. Our next item is item number seven, our board planning calendar. December 10, the high school orchestra concert at a Mac at at 7 p.m. The 17th combined holiday concert at the MAC at 7 p.m. December 22nd through 31st is winter break, so there's no school. Of course, the 24th and 25th Christmas holiday, district office is closed. Uh 26 is the deadline for incumbents to file notice of non-candidacy. Uh the first of course is New Year's Day. Uh school resumes on January 5th and January 6th, the deadline for filling out all ballots uh and access documents. Then we'll just go to the 13th is the drawing of the lots for the ballot order. The 13th also is a special our special board meeting at 6 p.m. The 19th is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
039holiday. So, no school district offices closed. 21st to the 23rd is Wisconsin State Education Convention at the Beard Center. Board members, you know, I think we've all been registered for it. So, hope for all of us to be able to do that and know the car poolool or whatever else, whatever have you and stuff to be able to go. I know some people need to they come and they need to leave and everything like that. So, um January 23rd is our regular day. There's no school. Then January 27th is our regular board meeting at 6 p.m. All right. So, seems like a lot during this holiday season. All right. Let's go on to our next item, our uh item number eight. Like to make a motion to make a motion to enter session to stat
0401951. The board of education for the purpose of discussion of the 2628 administrative contracts and motion roll call vote to return to open session to announce or take action if any and if appropriate. >> Thank you very much. Motion has been made. Do we have a second? >> Second. >> All right. Thank you Ashley. Motion made and seconded. All right. And let's go into roll call vote. I >> Daniel Bashley. I >> Bington. >> Immers. >> I >> Robert. >> Hi. >> And Welch. >> Hi. And >> motion carries the B to go into close session at 6:37 uh PM. Um now uh I think we will actually we will come back in from uh close session and we'll come back out into open session uh after that. So during this time right now um
041for those that don't need to be here, thank you very much for attending the district of Browner school board meeting. Um, and for those that are going to I don't I don't know how this stay or whatever it'll um how do we how do we >> I think um so I'm gonna pause. >> Yeah, because I see them are still on there. >> I can hear you right there. So >> Okay, >> you put it back on. >> Yep. >> All right. Um All right. after further discussion, we will not be coming back into open session as as a board. So, uh, everyone that's on online, thank you very much. Happy holidays. Eat too much, drink too much, love too much during this season. And thank you very much.