001All right. Welcome, everybody. The regular meeting is going to be called to order at 5.59 p.m. At this time, all blue cards need to be turned into the governing board secretary if you wish to speak to the governing board today. Our school district meetings are held in public to conduct the business of the district, and Kyrene District believes education is a partnership between schools and home. We not only respect the rights of parents and guardians, but value their role in our district. Students thrive when we all work together. As always, board meetings will be streamed live on the internet. For those who cannot watch the meeting live, a recording will be made available online within 48 hours of the meeting. Board agendas can be obtained from the district office and the Kyrene website 24 hours
002in advance of each board meeting. Tonight we have Associate Superintendent Chris Herman on the stand and other senior leadership. Superintendent Tenius is unable to be with us this evening. Item 1.2, will board members state their name for the record? Cedric Collins. Bundy Davis. Kevin Walsh. Amy Satry. Trina Nelson. Let the record show that five board members are present. Item 1.3, a moment of silence at the Pledge of Allegiance. And I see Amy Jindal, one of our wonderful people who worked here at the district office with us, and ask her to lead us in the pledge today. Pledge of Allegiance. To the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Item 1.4 is our land acknowledgement. Kyrene School District acknowledges that
003our community of schools is located on the ancestral lands of the O'odham and Piposh peoples who have inhabited these lands since time immemorial. With this land acknowledgement, the district formally recognizes that traditional care and keeping of these lands by Native peoples allows us to be here today. And as a 1.5, like we do in all our meetings, we have the Kyrene Promise, where we promise to provide welcoming, inclusive learning environments in which every student is honored, valued, feels a strong sense of purpose of belonging. We promise to provide rigorous, responsive learning environments in which every student is given what they need to develop knowledge, skills, and confidence and a passion for learning. We promise to provide vibrant, world-class learning environments in which every student believes they are empowered and prepared to make a meaningful impact
004on a rapidly changing world. Item 2.1 is preview and approval of agenda. Are there any changes to tonight's agenda? All right. Seeing none, may I have a motion to approve tonight's agenda? So moved. Second is... Second. Great. A motion by Member Walsh with a second by Member Davis. All in favor say aye. Aye. Motion passes 5-0. Item 3.0 is Superintendent Report. Associate Superintendent Herman. Thank you, President Nelson. As you mentioned earlier, I am not Superintendent Laura Tenias. Unfortunately, she's not feeling well tonight, this evening, so we wish her well and will be doing my best to fill in for her. So this February marks 100 years of national recognition of Black History Month. First observed as a week in 1926, it expanded to a month in 1976 and was officially designated by public law in
0051986. While February creates a dedicated space for recognition and reflection, The stories, achievements, and contributions of Black Americans, past and present, enriching our learning and conversations throughout the year. Last week, Kyrene School celebrated our school counselors for School Counselor Appreciation Week. Thank you to all of our Kyrene counselors for amplifying student success by helping students navigate interpersonal relationships, strengthen social-emotional foundations, and develop strategies that lead to academic achievement. So thank you to our counselors. Recently, district leadership joined Dr. Joe Sherman, Kyrene's Director of Professional Growth and Development, to surprise new and newly renewed National Board Certified Teachers in our district. This is the highest certification an educator can achieve in the United States and requires teachers to undergo a rigorous and reflective process. It is truly a testament to a teacher's dedication and passion for
006education. Please join us in congratulating the following teachers. Kelly Nelson from Kyrene Apprende Middle School, Katie Anderson from Kyrene de la Sierra, Julio Contreras from Kyrene Middle School, Tiffany Monteleone from Kyrene de la Morada Leadership Academy, and Dr. Joe Sherman from Kyrene Schools District Office. We also wanted to remind everyone that enrollment for the 2026-27 school year is now available for new students to change school requests, preschool programs, and before and after school programming. And that can be done at kyrene.org forward slash enroll that you see on this slide. And current and prospective families are invited to learn more about Kyrene Schools. and take virtual tours of each of our campuses by visiting kyrene.com forward slash Kyrene Kids. And again, that should be on this slide as well. Wrestlers representing Kyrene Middle School, Kyrene Altadena,
007and Kyrene Centennial competed in the statewide Junior High Copper State Championships at the end of January. Congratulations to the Girls District team for taking home third overall. And thank you to our dedicated coaches and families for instilling both a love for the sport and outstanding sportsmanship in our Kyrene kids. Congratulations to each of our athletes. and to the wrestlers who finished in the top six for their class. You can check out the full list of winners on our official Kyrene social media channels. And also wanted to let everyone know, and I'm sure our families hopefully know, that tax season is here, and there's still time to make a difference for Kyrene students. Tax credit donations directly fund arts, music, field trips, guest speakers, and other enriching programs that help shape students. into well-rounded learners and
008future leaders. You can donate up to $400 per couple or $200 per individual, reducing your tax liability while supporting Kyrene schools. You can visit kyrene.org forward slash tax credit, as you can see on the slide, for more information. So we appreciate that support. And then finally, I wanted to mention that Kyrene's next positive parenting event is next week. On February the 18th, families are invited to join presenter Jana McGuire via Zoom to learn some practical strategies to improve communication, strengthen relationships, and reduce conflict within the family. The next night, we invite you to join Kyrene's ESS department to learn about the special education process and the Individualized Education Program, or otherwise known as IEP program, that evening. So you can RSVP at kyrene.org forward slash positive parenting. So that concludes our superintendent update and would
009be happy to turn it back over to you, President Nelson. Thank you. Item 3.2 is board member statements. Do board members have any statements tonight? Member Davis. Thank you. I just wanted to do a little pre-statement to the presentation that we're going to have tonight for the KEBT. annual review. I just want to say it's a moment of good news, so I want everybody to make sure to listen because a lot of good things have been happening with our employee benefit program. There are especially wellness opportunities that have been taken advantage of. The rate of utilization has been very proper. You know, people are taking good care of themselves and using the plan in a way that really has allowed us to come out with some very good results that you'll hear about a little
010bit later. So I just wanted to say congratulations to everybody. That's it. Thank you. Board Member Walsh. Thank you. Shout out to the Kyrene Del Pueblo Symphonic Band who played a concert at the Arizona Music Education Association Conference, which if you don't know, is basically like the Super Bowl halftime show of high school and middle school music. And they did an amazing job led by the incomparable Arlie DuPlessis. It's so cool. I have kids in middle school who have never touched a musical instrument before they got there. And to think that you can have... kids who don't have any, let me call it pre-existing musical talent. And you put them in a room with a gifted teacher and you put them together and you see the beautiful music they make. And then they go on
011and compete and win in these amazing competitions. I just want to shout out to the Pueblo Symphonic Band in particular and to all of our music teachers throughout the district. Thank you for all the work you're doing. And in particular, congrats to Pueblo. Thank you. Thank you. I just want to piggyback on last week's National School Counselor Week. I know in this district, our students' mental health is something we really prioritize. And as we go and we visit schools, we always make a special stop in the counselors. And they truly are doing some really tremendous work throughout the district and are such an asset at each location. And just want to say how deeply appreciative we are of their work. All right. Item 4.1 brings us to our Kyrene Super Students. It's the best time
012of the night. So Kyrene Super Students are nominated by their principals and are chosen based on the competencies you see up here on the screen of a Kyrene kid. And those are an adaptive learner, we have self-advocate, a community contributor, a communicator, a critical thinker, a problem solver, and a collaborator. So the students who are invited here are invited because they embody one or more of those values. And so everything they do in the classroom, on campus, and beyond, and we're so happy to recognize them. All of our super students tonight are going to receive a certificate and a token of congratulations from local business partners. That includes KTR, Jeremiah's Ice, Zeke's Pizza, and the Kyrene Foundation. So students, as we go throughout tonight, a board member is going to read a statement that your
013principal has written about each of you. When we call your name, you're going to come up to the front and you're going to get your certificate. You're going to turn around and smile at your people. And you're going to hear all the wonderful things that are written about you. Afterward, you'll step to the side and then we'll continue through. At the end, parents will be able to take a big group photo. You can come up and get all the good angles of your kids and we'll be able to celebrate properly. I am happy to start us off with Mia Velasquez, a fourth grader from Kyrene Del Cielo. We would like to nominate Mia for the portrait of a Kyrene Stupor student. She is an adaptable learner. Mia consistently approaches challenges with determination and a positive
014attitude, always giving her best effort, even when learning feels difficult at first. Rather than giving up, she demonstrates a strong growth mindset and serves as a role model for her peers. Mia listens thoughtfully to feedback and actively applies it to her work, showing a genuine commitment to growing as a learner. Beyond shining as an adaptable learner, Mia exemplifies many competencies of being a Kyrene Super Student. She acts with integrity, shows kindness to others daily, and consistently does the right thing, even when no one is watching. Mia is a top-notch Cielo Firebird. Congratulations. I am super excited to introduce Jackson Schrag, a fifth grader at Kyrene Monte Vista. Jackson is a collaborator. He consistently shows what it means to work well with others and help make our school a positive place for everyone. He works with
015his peers, always making sure everyone's voice is heard and treats others with kindness and fairness. He goes out of his way to help when someone needs support and has a positive influence on everyone he works with. He is a thoughtful and considerate leader who shows respect for his classmates by contributing kindly to discussions and quietly checking in to see if anyone needs help. Through his empathy, kindness, and connection with others, he helps build a strong school community and truly makes our school a better place. Congratulations, Jackson. Please join me in recognizing from Kyrene Del Cielo, a fifth grader, the one, the only Giovanni Andrini-Abreu. Giovanni is being recognized as a collaborator. Gio is truly the MVP of this school year in fifth grade. He consistently puts in an incredible amount of hard work and dedication
016to his learning. Despite being pulled in many directions during the school day, Gio remains focused, responsible, and committed to all of his studies while still making time for his friends. Gio is well-liked by everyone because he is kind, respectful, and inclusive. He recognizes that his classmates have diverse perspectives and he embraces their shared goals. Gio naturally includes others. He serves as a positive role model both in the classroom and on the playground, and he encourages his peers to do the same, always in a supportive and inclusive manner. Gio is a shining example of what it means to be a true collaborator, and we are so proud to call him one of our Cielo Firebirds. Congratulations. And I am very excited to introduce Ms. Shayla Moore, a second grader at Kyrene Monta Vista. Shayla is being
017recognized as a self-advocate. When our school thinks of self-advocate, Shayla Moore immediately comes to mind. She consistently perseveres in her learning and does not give up when faced with challenges, maintaining a positive attitude throughout. She's learned that early, I guess, huh? She is confident in her abilities and is a strong self-advocate. She asks questions. She seeks clarification when needed. and speaks up to ensure she understands and can do her best work. She also looks out for others, offering help and speaking up when she notices a problem. She leads by example in the classroom, often helping others without even being asked, and takes responsibility for her learning through hard work and dedication. Her actions truly reflect the qualities we strive to develop in all of our students. Congratulations, Shayla. All right, all right, all right. I
018have two super students I will be recognizing. Both happen to be from Kyrene De La Mirada. First up, we have fifth grade Charlie Morris. Charlie. Charlie is being recognized as a communicator and collaborator. It is with great admiration that I nominate Charlie Morris for Murata Leadership Academy Super Student Award. Charlie has attended Murata since kindergarten, and over the years, I have watched her grow into an incredible young leader. As a fifth grader, Charlie has faced new health challenges with courage and grace, demonstrating remarkable resilience and self-advocacy. She is a quiet yet self-assured student who always does her best and understands that she is the author of her own story. Charlie is a positive force in her classroom and throughout our school campus. She consistently makes the right choices even when others around her may not
019and leads by example through her integrity and kindness. Charles is a true collaborator and community contributor. She respects all of her classmates and is a trusted caring friend to everyone. When someone is having a difficult day, Charlie is often the one who lifts him up with her compassion and infectious smile. Charlie's leadership may be subtle, but it is powerful. Her strength, empathy, and unwavering sense of what is right make her an outstanding role model for her peers. For all of these reasons, I proudly nominate Charlie Morris as Marada Leadership Super Student. Okay, and we have one more student from Kyrene De La Marada, 4th grade Ethan. Ethan couldn't make it tonight, so I'm reading here, so he's getting acknowledged. I think that's fair. Right? We agree with that? All right. Ethan is being recognized as
020a self-advocate and communicator. I am honored to recommend Ethan as the super student representing Marauder Leadership Academy. Ethan has been a valued member of the Marauder community since kindergarten and is currently a fourth grader who has grown tremendously as a student and leader. Over the years, Ethan has truly discovered his voice. He has become a strong communicator and self-advocate, confidently using his power voice to express his needs, preferences, and feelings to both peers and teachers. Through his example, Ethan has empowered those around him. His classmates have found their own voices as well, inspired by his courage and authenticity. Ethan is a natural role model. He approaches each day with positivity, kindness, and a warm demeanor that draws others to him. His smile and uplifting spirit are impossible to miss, and his infectious positivity contributes to
021a welcoming and supportive school environment. Ethan consistently demonstrates leadership, not through volume. but through empathy, confidence, and encouragement of others. Ethan's positivity and bright smile will be greatly missed next year. It has truly been an honor to be a part of his educational journey and to witness his growth and development. Let's give it up for Ethan, guys. Congratulations to our super students. We're going to pause right now and then take kind of a group photo. So any school leaders, teachers who are up here can come up and take a photo. Board members, we can head on down. Yes, families, you're free to go. We have an area set outside for the boardroom in case you want to take further pictures with your teams and your different people. But thank you for being here. Okay, item
0224.2 is our Spelling Bee winners. I'd love to invite Nikki Johnson to the podium, please. Thank you, Madam President, Mr. Associate Superintendent, co-losers. Ms. Vice President, members of the board, thank you for continuing to support this program. I've been part of the Spelling Bee program, I think this is my 20th year, and it's so fun to see. the superintendent cabinet, member Davis was there, be a part of it. The directors, the assistant directors, the principals, the teachers, and especially the students come together for this celebration of learning. So this year, on January 16th, we had a very quick spelling bee. It was intense, very difficult words. And we ended up with our first place winner, Josh Garcia, a seventh grader from Pueblo, who was declared district spelling bee champion. His winning word was harbinger, which...
023It's not in my vocabulary, but Josh is just amazing. He, at one point in the competition, got to the word bureau. No, pardon me, burrow. meaning a neighborhood in New York. And he was stuck on that and thought and asked for it to be repeated. And you could see the gears going in his mind. And he made it through. And it was one of the best moments of the bee, in my opinion. So I congratulate Josh. Also wanted to note he is part of a spelling bee. possibly dynasty someday, but his sibling, Sable Garcia, was our district champion for the last two years, and she happens to be the only Kyrene speller ever to proceed on to the national spelling bee, and that was two years ago. So, Josh, I'm going to invite you up
024first. Congratulations, sir. And as our runner-ups, who were just absolutely amazing, too, we have one runner-up who is not here tonight. She is Laura Hoyt from Altadena Middle School. She is a seventh grader. And I want to invite up Ismael Aslam from... Kyrene Akimal Middle School, eighth grader. This is his second year making it to the District B, and I have never seen someone with better sportsmanship than Ismael. So just something else we can be proud of as Kyrene supporters. So please. Oh, the great news. Josh and Ismael and Laura will compete. They qualified for the regional Maricopa County Region 1B, which will take place here. Kyrene is hosting it on February 21st, with none other than Dr. Cupp as our pronouncer. So someone else getting involved in the B. So please give Josh and
025Ismael a round of applause, please. It's time for a picture. Unless you have any questions for Josh. No questions. Just so much pride. Come here, guys. I had the privilege of watching both of you. And you are incredibly impressive young men. And I want to congratulate you for not panicking, Josh, right? I got your name right? Good. And just taking your time and working it through. I think your description was absolutely right. Everyone was holding their breath, you know, waiting for you. And you just centered and thought it through. And Ismael, you were a great competitor. So it was such an enjoyable thing to watch, I must say. And thank you so much for your work all these years in getting that together. So congratulations to both of you. All right, let's get a picture.
026And quick shout out to the Garcia parents. Having had two kids go through that many spelling bees, your nerves must be racked. So well done. And Ismael, I actually remember Ismael speaking at the public hearing in Pueblo. He was such. passionate and articulate advocate. I'm glad to see you back here. And it doesn't surprise me for a minute that you are thriving. So congratulations to you too, sir. Thank you. All right. Item 5.1 is request to speak to the governing board. As per board policy, Kyrene invites the viewpoints of citizens throughout the district. In-person members of the audience can address the governing board by filling out a blue card provided at the signing table. Written comments can also be submitted electronically through the links set out in board meeting notifications. Those comments will be recorded
027and filed online as part of the board meeting minutes following the meeting. The state statute prohibits the governing board from discussing an item that is not on the agenda, but we do listen and can request that the staff follow up on any concerns. We value transparency and public input, but to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to address the governing board, we've set time limits based on the number of comments. For 1 to 15 speakers, we have three minutes. For 16 to 30, it's two minutes. And then if it's over 30, it's one minute. Mr. Herman's informed me we have a total of two public comments this evening, so each commenter will have three minutes to address the board. There will be a timer on either screen, and it will let you know when you
028have 15 seconds. It'll go red. So for the record, as you approach the podium, please state your name and how you're connected to Kyrene, and then please refrain from using any offensive language. Our first person to address the board is Kenora Hernandez, and she is an employee with the district. Thank you, President Nelson and Associate Superintendent Herman and the governing board members. I had planned on coming to the last meeting, but I was not feeling well, so I was prepared. You have your thank you notes from me that I was going to hand you last month for Governing Board Appreciation Month. I wanted to personally thank you. for all that you have done. I know that you've worked very hard this year. I did not introduce myself. My name is Kenora Hernandez. It's been a
029while since I've been up here. I'm currently an English language development teacher at Norte, Lagos, and Minitas. I'm your immediate past KUA president, and I believe, Kevin, you and I... The year that you joined the board was the year that I became president. We worked through a pandemic together, so I know how much hard work and dedication you've put into the board. Trina, we have sat on bond and overrides and budget committees, many, many. So I have seen firsthand all the work that you have done, too. And Cedric, my union brother, I've met you through AEA. I know that you sit on the board of directors. I sat on it for eight years. And you teach all day and you sit on boards and you're very active and advocate for public education. And I've really
030enjoyed watching Amy and Bunny as your first years on the board and how hard and dedicated you are. So I just wanted to take this time to personally thank you for all your hard work. especially with all the long-range planning and our school closures. A couple weeks ago, I was teaching Sunday school, and my co-teacher was very aware of everything that was going on in Kyrene, and she said she got a letter from her school saying that another school in the district was closing and that their school was... going to be welcoming another school. She knew more about Kyrene than she did her own school district. And I think that says a lot about Kyrene, a lot about the hard work that you guys have put in to make sure that we've had the community
031input. And I just, again, wanted to personally thank you for all that you have done. I know a thank you note is a very small token, but as a teacher, I have thank you notes that are over 30 years old that I keep. and I treasure them dearly. So thank you so much. I appreciate all that you do. Thank you. All right, next to the podium will be Channing Chaston. Thank you for having me here. It's a pleasure today. My name is Channing Chaston. I was invited by Cedric Collins to be here today, who was introduced by Brudetta Hodge. I am Channing Chaston's executive director of the 1% Kid Foundation. We're all about soccer, literacy, and mindset. So I wanted to read our mission to you. The 1% Kids Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated
032to empowering youth through pillars of soccer, literacy, and mindset. We connect young people to the game of soccer, inspire a love for reading and learning, and equip them with a growth-oriented mindset that prepares them to thrive on and off the field. To give you a little background on myself, I actually grew up in Chandler, went to Hamilton High School, graduated there in 2019. My dream was to play college soccer at The Ohio State University. I know someone was a Hoosier. Go Hoosiers. Go Big Tech. I dreamt of playing soccer at Ohio State, and I achieved that dream by three pillars that we talk about in my book, The 1% Kid, and also in The 1% Kid Foundation. Practice, perseverance, and patience. We are doing some incredible things in CUSD and also the public schools that
033talk about interactive book reading experiences, goal setting workshops, mindset talks. And also soccer literacy and mindset camps something that we would love to bring to the Kyrene Elementary School District So it's a pleasure to be here and thank you very much Item 6.1 is our consent agenda. Are there any changes to the consent agenda? May I have motion to approve the consent agenda? Aye. Motion. Is there a second? Second. Motion by Member Collins, a second by Vice President Satri. All in favor say aye. Aye. Motion passes 5-0. Item 7.1 is the Kyrene Employee Benefit Trust and Health Plan Renewals. I'm going to turn time over to the wonderful Deb Spurgeon. Thank you, President Nelson, members of the board, staff, and community. I appreciate the opportunity to provide the health plan renewals to you this evening
034on behalf of the Kyrene Employee Benefit Trust. I am pleased to be here to share another year of positive news related to our employee benefit offerings. So tonight, I'm going to... slideshow to advance, there we go, tonight, we will take a look at the topic shown here, as well as celebrate the sneak peek there, the vote by KBT for the plans for next year, featuring no premium rate increases. And we'll get into why that's possible here in a few moments. Okay, so I know that the numbers on this slide are very small, so I apologize for that. But to begin, we're looking at a five-year historical KBT net actual plan cost, which is made up of claims and administrative fees. Those are the dark blue bars in comparison to the district-budgeted KBT amounts, which are
035the light blue bars. Ideally, we would like to see the light blue bars higher than the dark blue bars, which means that the plan is running under the budgeted amounts, which maintains and strengthens our trust fund balance overall. As you can see in the first year on the history, 2021 and 22 plan year, our plan costs in dark blue exceeded the budgeted amounts by approximately $2 million for that plan year. This path was clearly unsustainable, and our fund balance was getting to a place that put the stability of the plan at risk. At that time, KBT made decisions to change our insurance carrier vendors, unbundle services to a provider network and TPA model with Carvout Pharmacy, which results in the positive change the following year in 2022 and 23 in our cost experience. Our positive
036cost trend has continued since that time. The last year shown on the chart is our current plan year, that's 25 and 26. and we're projected to end the year this June with net costs remaining slightly under budget. This is a sweet spot as it allows us to continue offering quality benefit plans while maintaining costs for employees and stabilizing costs for the district. The vendor changes in the plan running slightly under budget for several years running has placed the trust fund in a strong financial position which ultimately shelters the employees and the district from large market trend increases related to the health plans we will offer in 26 and 27. The KBT fund strategies include some examples shown on this slide. KBT continuously monitors progress in these areas throughout the plan year with our outside benefits
037consulting group, USI, as well as our vendor partners. One slight change to one medical plan for 26-27 includes an IRS required change to the high deductible health plan annual deductible by an additional $100 for employee-only coverage. This increases the family deductible to an additional $200 next year. Due to the strong position of the trust, the recommendation was made and approved by KBT to increase the district HSA deposit to offset the employee $100 increase in deductible on this plan. This results in a slight increase in cost to be paid by the district. KBT is committed to continue studying plan design options going forward for the 27-28 school year, which would include studying alternate lower deductible options for our employees. As shown on the prior slides related to the cost budget position and the continued strong trust
038fund balance, the district cabinet team reviewed and the KBT trust board voted to approve keeping the medical plan premium contributions rates the same for employees and the district for plan year 26-27. We are also pleased to report that we have not had to raise the employee premium contribution for medical plans since the 2020-2021 plan year. Along with this, we've been able to offer the free HDHP HSA medical plan for employee-only coverage for free since that time as well and before. And this will continue in 26-27. The chart shown here shows the rates that we charge for the employees along with that free plan. It also shows the increase in the deductible amount on the HSA medical plan there in red, and then also the increase in the district deposit to $700 to offset the increase
039in deductible for employees. As part of the renewal package, we're also very pleased to announce that there are no health plans that will have a premium rate increase for employee benefits on any of our plans. The listing of plan types and vendor partners is shown here. There are no changes to vendor partners either for this next plan year, and we're very pleased that we're able to offer a very stable and consistent benefit. package for our employees so there aren't any big surprises for our staff as they move into our open enrollment phase this spring. Employee wellness continues to be a focus of KBT and Kyrene, and Kyrene is committed to offering the robust wellness package to employees. We're pleased to report that employees are utilizing the wellness offerings provided by the district, and we believe
040that the return on investment is part of the success story of our planned costs overall. On the slide, it shows just a sample of what we do offer. I do want to highlight the Lira Workforce Mental Health app. That's the seven free coaching or therapy visits annually for staff to utilize. And employees have been using this, and it's been very helpful in managing stress and providing a lot of support in all. types of life circumstances. So I encourage people to use that free benefit. It starts fresh every year. So if you used it last year, you have seven free again this year. So please make sure if you're an employee in the district to use those. You don't have to be covered on our medical plan in order to use those free benefits. So next
041we'll move into the timeline and next steps for KBT and the Benefits Office. As shown here, the request this evening is for the governing board to vote on the health plans and renewals for the 26-27 school year. The Kyrene Employee Benefit Trust approved the recommendation for no changes to premium contribution rates at their meeting on February 3rd. They also approve the administration fees for all vendor plans as stated on the renewal letter for the 26-27 school year prepared by our consulting group, USI. An important reminder is showing in orange here on this slide for employees. Open enrollment will be coming up in April, and it is a required process each year. The current benefit... that employees have in place now do end completely in June. So in order to have benefits for that begin in
042July, the open enrollment process is required to be completed. This is especially important this year. As we know, there's a lot of change happening within the district. And so we want to make sure that employees know if you're benefit eligible, work 30 hours or more per week this school year. and don't yet have your position in place for next year, even when the enrollment happens, please enroll as if you do have benefits eligibility for next year. It may be your only opportunity to enroll per the IRS deadlines, and we just want to point that out and say it as many places and times as we can to make sure that everyone gets enrolled properly for the benefits that begin July 1st. If for some reason you aren't benefits eligible for next school year choices that
043you've made would just not be put into effect So, please make sure to do that and you'll require the enrollment that will start in April and then on the timeline it does show the other processes that will be starting once open enrollment ends and we move into the fall for our RFP processes next school year which include our medical plan and related vendors RFP And so the next slide and the final slide in this package is just going through the compliance reporting and processes managed by the Kyreed and Benefits team throughout the year for our benefits and district risk insurances. And with that, I'd be happy to take any questions from the board prior to your vote on the health premiums and plan renewals for 26 and 27. Thank you so much. Do any board
044members have any questions? Member Walsh. Just a comment on slide three, Ms. Spurgeon, if you wouldn't mind going back to that. Is that the chart? That is. Okay. Thank you. So earlier we heard from Ms. Hernandez, who was the KEA president. in the 2021-22 year and for years preceding that. And Ms. Hernandez will remember that that year was not an anomaly. In fact, we'd had successive years of net costs exceeding and some years dramatically exceeding the budgeted amounts year after year after year. And the fact that you and your team have been able to turn this around and make this a stable program that continues to allow us to provide benefits with no increases to premiums over the last five years. is fantastic and a testament to you and your team. So thank you for
045all that work. I wish we could provide our certified staff and our support staff and our admin with all the compensation they deserve. Sometimes our budget prevents us from doing that. So to be able to provide a benefit program that is no cost for individuals and has no premium increases is a meaningful contribution. So thank you so much for everything you've done to make this happen. Thank you. And thank you to the full team that puts so much time and effort into this. KBT and Bunny serves on that committee this year for the board, as well as Chris Herman, our associate superintendent, CFO. He does spend a tremendous amount of time as well. So it's definitely a team effort. Thank you. Member Satrick. Yeah, just a quick comment. I wanted to congratulate you on the
046fact that there's no rate increases. When we think about the cost of living year over year, it's just really tough to get by. And the fact that the district is focusing on that and making it a priority that we're going to keep costs down is amazing. I also wanted to congratulate you on the wellness programs. I don't remember what slide that was. I think it's great that you don't have to actually be on the medical plan to participate. I know that these wellness programs are super beneficial. I've used one with my employer, and it has helped me out tremendously. I did have a quick question. Do you explore year over year more offerings in this space? Because I know they're through other vendors. And yeah, what's your process for that? Are you looking out into
047the market and seeing what's available? And how does that work? We do. Part of the process is looking to see where there may be gaps or holes of things that we're not offering right now, but we could. And so that's always something that's on the radar as something that we can enhance. Some of the things that have come up in the last several years is Lyra and then also the Calm Health. And it actually started out the Calm app, and they have migrated over to a more robust platform with Calm Health. We're also working closely with the one-on-one health coach vendor that we have currently through, it used to be called the Wellness Council of Arizona, but it's now called Solaviv. And they're offering some exciting things coming forward. So we're currently looking at some
048possibilities with them. They're going to be offering a walking challenge for our employees through an app. And so we absolutely keep our eyes open for things that we could offer and what employees are. asking for and are always open to those ideas. Okay. Yes. Thank you so much. Great job. Thank you. Yes, I just want to ditto everything that's been said and also thank Amy for her knowledge of this sort of system that helps me understand it. And I love having our historian in chief over here to my right who understands the implications of the turnarounds of this, which was impressive before I was focused by my friend over here to realize that, yeah, it's pretty astounding. And the nice thing also, I just want to share with everybody, is that the team, they are...
049Just great people. I mean, you can just tell. They are very patient with me and are willing to explain everything that I ask and not make fun of my questions, which I appreciate. But real professionals and just very nice, caring people. And it's nice to see that in the health care industry. You know, I congratulate you all for finding them because I'm sure not everyone's like that. But they're good people and great results. So thanks again. Thank you. And if I might, I would like to shout out thank you to our KBT Trust Board members, their community members that sit on our trust, and they volunteer as well their time for KBT, some of them for many, many, many years. Some of them have insurance backgrounds. Some of them are former teachers that sit on
050our committee and former staff members in the benefits office that have retired. They just have a passion to continue offering this for our community and staff. So shout out to our KBT Trust. for my team, my benefits team, Michelle Hughes and Dean Alonzo as well, who spend countless hours on these topics. So thank you. Thank you, Ms. Spurgeon. I echo everything my fellow board members have said, especially around being able to offset those costs and keeping those stable from 2020 to now. I mean, that is not the norm anywhere. Even I know those who work for, you know, government entities and things like that. And so I think that's just a real... accolade for you and your team, especially with the wellness program. Most of the employee assistant programs I'm familiar with will offer like
051maybe three sessions a year. So for our employees to be able to have seven opportunities to meet with a mental health professional, I just think is going above and beyond. So thank you very much. Board, before we proceed to... motion to approve the employee health insurance premium contribution rates. Just want to state that Vice President Satri will be abstaining from this vote just due to professional conflict. So may I have a motion to approve the Kyrene Employee Benefits Trust employee health insurance premium rates for the 26-27 year? I have a motion. Motion by Member Collins. Is there a second? Second. Second by Member Davis. All members in favor say aye. Aye. Motion passes 4-0. Item 8.1 is Board Committee and Conference Reports. Do any board members have any committee or conference reports today? None. Item
0529.1, Items for Future Consideration. Do any board members want to list any items for future consideration? Not today. Okay. Meeting dates. Our next regular meeting is scheduled for February 24th, 2026. May I have a motion to adjourn this evening's meeting? Motion to adjourn. Motion to adjourn by Vice President Satri. I will second that. All in favor, say aye. Aye. Motion passes 5-0. Meeting is adjourned at 6.54.