001I'd like to go ahead and call the meeting to order. Uh meeting has been duly called. Appropriate notice has been given. Like to welcome everybody here tonight. If you guys all would stand for the pledge. 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. >> At this point in the meeting, we're going to open up for our public comment opportunity. I'd like to welcome everybody here tonight. Uh this is a designated time for our community members to address the board on matters before us. Um each speaker will be given three minutes to speak. Uh we do welcome your input and encourage you to speak respectfully and professionally avoiding statements about specific students or
002district staff members. As the board only takes action regarding such matters based on superintendent recommendations. So if these boundaries are not observed, I will request that the speaker stay within legal and district guidelines. Should the speaker continue in violation after such a request, I will end the speaker's time and move on to the next speaker. All public comments will be recorded. While we value your perspectives, please note that the opinions expressed by members of the public do not necessarily reflect the view of the board. We encourage you to follow our district chain of command policy, policy 6.7, before signing up for public comment. I do have any everybody that signed up. I will be going through the list as you did sign up. Um, so tonight it looks like we've got 17 if I count
003it correctly. Um, and tonight we are going to start out with Mr. Hap Meyers. He wants to speak about our millillage budget funding. Good evening, Hap. >> Yeah, first of all, I'm I'm glad to be here. Wanted to wish the folks I haven't wished a happy Thanksgiving to. Um I hope everyone has an especially happy Thanksgiving and it goes for all the all the folks here. I'm going to seed a lot of my time to the students and teachers. I'm thrilled to death that I'm not the only one up here today and I'm especially happy to see all the students here um and participating in local government. Uh I I guess the schedule is a is is an issue that I'll seed most of my time to. Um the other thing I want to do
004was I want to thank you Jason for providing me a copy of this and I know two board members were absent. I hope they get the same video that it it was money well spent. Leah, I don't know how much we spent, but whatever it was to bring in um the gentleman and give that financial planning update, I think was was excellent. So, uh I I I I'm in favor of it. I I know it benefited the the board and ultimately will board benefit the district. um if there are any unfunded mandates and I go to the pie chart that only a certain amount of the money comes from millillage and I talked to our state rep and he's not in favor of the the legislature providing unfunded mandates to school districts or anybody else.
005So if there are some deficits in the in the millillage going forward for the the plan school uh or or the big top or whatever it might be, I I would again urge um out of the box thinking going to other agencies, the um the the Rotary, the Lions Club, boosters, anybody that can lower the burden on the taxpayers through donations to uh the big top or the the eventual high school I I think is crucial. Um the they can have the rest of my minute and and and I look forward to their comments. Thank you. >> Thanks. H happy Thanksgiving. >> Thank you. >> Next next we have Tanal RS. She's going to talk about her schedule. >> Yes. >> Good evening. >> Hi. Good evening. Thank you so much for allowing us to
006come speak tonight. I am Talil RWS. I am a parent and a teacher here in the district. Um I teach the white coat internship program, anatomy and physiology, medical terminology and phabbotomy. Um this is my sixth year teaching in district. Um I'm not a Mountain Home High School graduate, but I did get here as soon as I could. We do love being um in Mountain Home in this community. But I do feel so strongly about maintaining our current block scheduling that I am missing Laurens, my senior last first basketball game to be here tonight. My responsibility to advocate for what is best and not just okay for our students outweighs anything else. And that includes protecting scheduling as it's currently implemented because it works. and as our increases in our graduation rates, ACT scores, and
007Atlas data the last year clearly show. And on behalf of our teacher morale and our school culture, I'm asking you to please don't move our goalpost on a system that is already producing some strong improving outcomes. And as a medical provider turned teacher, healthcare analogies are my first line of thinking. And the best comparison I can offer is this. You would never ask an orthopedist to make clinical decisions about a brain tumor. Both are highly intelligent and trained surgeons, but each has a distinct specialty, a distinct body of knowledge, and a distinct scope of practice. Respecting those differences isn't dismissive, but it is h how we ensure our highest quality outcomes. In that same way, decisions about teaching secondary classes and learning we feel should be guided by those with the deepest expertise in this
008field. At the high school level, we feel that expertise lies with our building administrators, academy leaders, and department heads. These excellent educators who analyze our data, study the research, and live the instructional reality every single day. They are uniquely qualified to understand how our scheduling models impact our rigor, mastery, pacing, and our students success. Their guidance is not based on preference or opinion. It is based on evidence in professional practice. So tonight, I'm asking the board to allow our instructional leaders as they're going to share their many thoughts and and research back based data to guide your decision in making our um decisions that directly impact our student learning. Thank you. >> Thanks. Thank you. >> And I will be heading to the game, so I'm not >> Next person is Melissa. How are you?
009>> Good, thank you. >> Hello, and thank you for allowing us to be here tonight to speak with you about an issue that impacts every educator, every student, and ultimately the success of our junior high and high school programs. This is our daily schedule. I'm Melissa Sters and I have been teaching for Mountain Home for 18 years now. I stand before you not only as a current high school employee, but as someone who has served at nearly every building in our district, kindergarten, Nelson Wilks, Heron, Kingston Middle School, and now the high school level. I've had the privilege of working with students from their very first days in high school all the way through their final years before graduation. People often ask me which level has been my favorite, and my honest answer is each
010level was exactly right for me in that moment of time. And I can also say with full confidence, none of them are easy. Every level of education demands everything from its teachers. The workload, the emotional investment, the constant juggling, these challenges exist in every building. I do not know a single teacher in any school who leaves work at the end of the day without taking something home. The prep period we talk about so often in reality never is enough for an educator that's committed to being effective, respons responsive, and truly excellent. From the outside looking in, it may seem like secondary teachers enjoy the luxury of an 85minute prep period daily. But the truth is far different. That 85 minutes is quickly consumed by PLC meetings, department meetings, IEP and 504 conferences, parent communication for
011atrisisk students, and students who come to seek help extra. In practice, un uninterrupted prep period does not exist. This brings me to one of our greatest concerns. The proposal that teachers receive a prep period only every other day. When a teacher is responsible for 150 students, planning instruction, assessing work, keeping grades updated, communicating with families, and attending required meetings, stretching that preparation time across 48 hours is not just unrealistic, it's disheartening. It asks people who are already giving everything to give even more with even less time to do it. We must acknowledge that our teachers are already stepping in to cover classes when subs are not are limited. Their time is constantly stretched far beyond what is recognized in our calendar or our workload. Our jobs are hard. Our teachers are working at the edge
012of what is possible. And still, despite these challenges, we have made remarkable progress as a district. We are climbing, improving, and striving. We are on a path toward being an A school. Not by chance, but by the hard work and dedication of the very people this schedule change would impact most. Tonight, I simply ask you to reconsider. Support the teachers who show up every day ready to lift our students higher. Support the schedule that allows us to continue the momentum we've built. Let us maintain the structure that is helping us grow, not hinder it. Thank you for listening and thank you for valuing our educators. >> Thanks, Melissa. Thank you. >> Next person, Tom. >> Sorry, I'm trying. >> Good evening. >> Go ahead. >> All right. Good evening. I'm Tom Chadnik, MHS, class of
0131987. I've taught band for 34 years, 24 of those here in Mountain Home. I'm here tonight to speak on behalf of Mitch Husky, our AD, who is an out of town game, as well as myself and our other school activities, including athletics, band, choir, FFA, robotics, theater, and other clubs and organization in our school. There are currently 650 student athletes in grades 8 through 12, not counting hundreds of other students participating in the various activities I just mentioned. Involvement in extracurriculars contributes to higher academic performance, increased engagement at school, and much improved mental health and well-being. And data from the Arkansas Activities Association shows increased graduation rates for students participating in one or more activities. Since moving to the block schedule at 992000, our athletes have shown improved grades, greater academic accountability, and reduced stress.
014Our current block schedule allows for advanced planning and preparation, completion of homework around late night games and travel, and avoidance of last minute cramming. It mirrors college scheduling, promotes self-discipline and time management. The concerns about switching away from block scheduling include the negative academic impact on students with early travel dismissals, meaning loss of instructional time on a traditional seven period day, along with adding practice time after school, creating less time for completion of schoolwork, family time, and student employment obligations outside of school. A scheduling change would also limit multisport and activity participation, forcing students to choose one sport or activity over another, negatively impacting programs, potentially damaging school culture and providing fewer benefits to students that participate in multiple activities. The academic success of our student athletes includes 20 academic state titles in the past
015five years. No athletic team combined GPA lower than 3.2 in the past two years, with most teams having a 3.5 or higher GPA. Our two national merit semi-finalists this year both participate in athletics and band. Mountain Home is unique and shouldn't be compared to other districts like Greenwood for example that utilizes a traditional 7 8 period day. Their coaches don't teach academic classes during the day and run multiple sports teams in grades 7 through 12. And they have limited travel demands unlike us with significantly longer travel times and distances due to our geographical location making the block schedule better suited for our students to succeed succeed academically. Uh the block schedule is a critical support system for student engagement and academic success that provides balance, flexibility, and positive outcomes for overall student achievement. We need
016to protect what's working. So, thank you for allowing all of us to speak this evening and thank you for serving on the school board and go honors. >> Thanks. Thank you, >> Destiny. >> Good evening. >> Uh, good evening members of the board. My name is Destiny Griffin and I am a special education teacher at the Mountainome High School. This is my sixth year teaching and my fifth year with the district. I'm here to share how cutting planning time will directly impact our ability to stay compliant and serve our students well. During the previous school year, I average 5 hours of IEP meetings every month with some months like April reaching 8.5 hours. Our high school department s currently serves 91 students with IEPs and 118 students with 504 plans, all of whom require ongoing
017monitoring, documentation, and collaboration. Each meeting requires significant preparation. On average, I spend about two hours of prep work per meeting gathering data, analyzing student progress, consulting with general education teachers, and drafting documents to ensure they meet meet legal requirements. With roughly 10 meetings each month, that adds up to around 20 hours of prep time before I even step into the meeting itself. Each meeting typically lasts about 30 minutes, and these meetings almost always occur during my planning period. They also require a general general education teacher who shares the align prep time. These meeting this means two educators lose essential planning time to conduct meetings that are mandated, legally binding, and absolutely necessary for our students to receive the services they are entitled to. When a meeting can't fit into my prep period, the only remaining
018option is to hold it during one of my co-op classes. When this happens, I cannot support my co-teers or my students with IEPs. This places us out of compliance with the service minutes written into those IEPs. These minutes are not suggestions. They are legal commitments we are required to uphold. Cutting our planning time in half while increasing our teaching load will create an impossible situation. The work doesn't go away. The legal requirements don't go away. What disappears is the time needed to do that work correctly and ethically. Reduced planning time means that less time for meetings, less time for preparation, and ultimately less time for students who need us the most. I love my students and I take my responsibility seriously. I'm simply asking that the board recognize the reality of the workload that comes
019with special education and allow us the time needed to remain compliant and provide the high quality support our students deserve. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you, >> Mr. Blaze Dale. Good evening. My name is Tyler Blazeell and I currently teach chemistry, biology, zology, and forensics at the high school. I'd like to tell you why I think our current model that we have in place is the best. The block schedule changed the course of my own life when I was in high school flippin. Um, our district shifted to a traditional from a traditional 7-day period into a block schedule very similar to ours. um that actually allowed me in my senior year to complete an internship at all creatures veterary clinic and um through that actually that experience sparked my passion for science. Ultimately
020I didn't end up in veterary world but ended up here I'm teaching science and I see those same benefits for our students now whether through internships, college and votech classes they take or just some of our general electives we offer here on campus. Um I even see it in my own classroom in the biology classroom, the chemistry classroom. I teach more than 50 labs each year throughout my classes. Many of these require 70 to 80 minutes of instructional time and with equal amounts of time for setup and cleanup. And with those opportunities, I see kids becoming interested in subjects just as I did in high school and through those opportunities through internships. In terms of planning time, today's classroom looks extremely different than when I started seven years ago. Uh we now have full inclusion.
021We have students bound for honors colleges sitting at the same table of those with significant learning disabilities. And that takes a lot of time for the teacher to plan, set up, and just basically we're forced if we don't have that time, we're going to be forced to react rather than instruct and to be able to um design lessons for all in that classroom. The importance of time extends not only in the classroom, also to athletics. As well as teaching, I coach multiple after school sports, soccer, bowling, and assist with tennis. Uh Mount home travels more than any other school in the state. On road game days, it's 18 plus hour days and I drive the bus as well. On practice days, it's 11 hours for me since everything is after school. With the proposed schedule,
022when am I supposed to prepare for classes, prepare for my athletes or even myself? Students face these similar demands each and every day as the teachers. I believe with when teachers and coaches are stretched thin, increasing class loads while reducing planning time means something is going to suffer. Either the instruction in the classroom, the performance of our extracurriculars, or the well-being of teachers and students. And most likely it's going to be a mix of all three. And the truth is what we're doing now is working. In the last five years, Mount Home has produced more than 75 college level athletes and earned over 25 academic state championships. Not to mention the success of FFA, band, ROC, robotics, and the list goes on. These results have came from teachers who have the time and capacity to
023serve students well. Reducing that capacity may save money on paper, but students are so much more than financial units. A business can treat people like numbers, but very often it's not the business that's buying shoes for the kid on a sports team that can't afford it or maybe listening ear for a broken kid who has no one at home or giving a child a reason to keep going another ed day. Education education is so much more than money. And if we want to think financially, attracting new students or keeping the current ones requires continuing our efforts in these opportunities that no other school around us provides. When I was in high school, everyone wanted to be a bomber. Not because of education alone, but because of the programs and the extracurriculars we offer. soccer, ORTC,
024one of the best band and FFA programs in the state, conceptual robotics team. The list goes on. I just ask that you consider the long-term impact of our students, our teachers, and around community. Appreciate all you do and continue to do for us each and every day. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Trevor, come on now. Good evening. >> Good evening, members of the board, Miss Stewie, and members of the community. Uh my name is Trevor Proctor and I am a teacher at Mountain High School. Uh I respect the difficult position that the board has been placed in concerning this new schedule change. I understand that sometimes hard decisions have to be made and I can confidently say that everyone in this room wants a community and a school district that is fiscally responsible. However,
025uh I feel obligated to share uh the operational reality of this proposal. While it looks like it saves money on paper, I'm worried it creates a liability trap for the district. The core issue is the elimination of half of our planning time and a high functioning school. This is not break time. It is compliance time. We rely on that time to have federal mandate meet mandated meetings specifically for 504s and IEPs. If that time is removed, I must ask the board a direct logistical question. When are those meetings supposed to take place? Some have suggested holding these meetings after school or before school. That sounds like a sol a solution, but practically speaking, it will not work. It fails because you cannot build federal compliance on spare time. An IEP meeting requires legal quorum of
026staff, typically five to six people. If we try to move that work to after hours, we've hit a wall. In this district, our teachers are the ones coaching the teams, sponsoring the clubs, and running the after school programs. We cannot coordinate five different SCA staff schedules after the bell rings because our staff is already out there serving students in new and different ways. You simply can't be in a legal meeting and on the practice field simultaneously. It is not possible. So, we are forced back to the school day. This leaves the district with two choices, both of which are unacceptable. Choice one is financial. We pull teachers out of class. This requires multiple substitutes to be in place for them. If that's the reality, that immediately wipes out the proposed savings that were being explored
027today. Choice two is educational. We do not hire substitutes and instead the teacher simply steps out for the meeting. When the teacher steps out to leave a legal obligation, this halts instruction. We effectively sacrifice the instructional minutes that our students are owed. We cannot claim to uphold the standard of excellence that this community expects if our schedule forces teachers to abandon their classrooms to handle paperwork. Every minute a teacher spends in a mandated meeting during a class is a minute of loss learning for the student 30 students that are left behind. This proposal places the district in a dangerous position. It inadvertently forces a choice. Do we blow the budget on subs or do we short change our students the instruction that they deserve? I urge you to pause this proposal. Do not vote for
028a schedule that compromises the district's legal standing or the quality of instruction provided. Instead, allow a comm a committee of teachers and administration to find genuine efficiencies that do not break the engine of the school. Thank you. >> Thank you, >> Jennifer. >> Good evening. I want to begin by expressing my sincere gratitude to the board and the administration of our high school for reviewing our high school schedule and recommending the 85 minute instructional block remain in place. My name is Jennifer Dury. As an alumnest and career teacher here, this decision affirms the deep learning, social emotional support, and AP preparation our students need. However, the recommendation to implement a modification and reduction of teacher planning time will undermine the very success we are trying to preserve. This instructional time is the engine of our
029success. The 85minute block is vital for social emotional health. It allows me to be observant and build the necessary trust for a student to write that they quote walked in your class hurting and left more healed than I thought possible. The block is also non-negotiable for AP preparation as it is the only way to provide a realistic 45minute timed writing simulation crucial for college readiness. Furthermore, the block is the only reason our dance program, a school legacy since the 1970s, which I have coached since 2012, can exist. If a schedule change forces practice after school, the program will be non-existent. Our athletes are multiport athletes, FFA and band students, and many hold part-time jobs and will be forced to choose and we will lose a program proven to increase GPA and engagement. Let's address the
030rationale that cutting planning time will increase efficiency. I know firsthand that reduced planning time guarantees inefficiency and crisis. A few years ago, when I was forced to give up a prep period, I was left with only three hours and 35 minutes of planning per week for four courses: summit, senior English, honors English, and dance. That was the most stressful year of my career. It was unsustainable and I could not be effective. Cutting one block now returns me to that crisis, reducing my time to plan five preps: AP English literature, AP English language, junior English creative writing, and dance. to that minimal three hours and 35 minutes a week. This is a direct cut to instructional quality for every student I teach. This leads to a critical question. Where are we supposed to hold mandatory PLC,
031academy, IEP, and 504 meetings? These essential functions cannot fit within completely consuming the minimal 3 hours and 35 minutes of planning time. This proposal is mathematically unworkable. It guarantees burnout and ultimately mediocre teaching. Mediocre teaching is a virus that will spread to our students. I am not nor do I plan to be a mediocre teacher. This 85 minutes of planning is not a luxury. It is the professional time required to prevent teacher burnout. Please do not cut the necessary preparation time from our educators. Thank you. Miss Christie. >> Good evening, members of the board, administration, and community. My name is Christy Lawrence, and I'm a proud former Bomber, Lady Bomber from class of 1992, and I've been a public school teacher for 28 years, six years at Mountain Home Junior High, and my currently I'm
032currently in my 14th year at Mount Home High School. I am also national board certified, a distinction that reflects not only expertise in teaching practice, but a deep commitment to continual learning and putting student growth above all else. I stand before you tonight because I love students. I love my profession and I want to continue serving with the level of excellence our community deserves. But I also stand before you because the reality of teaching today is becoming more difficult. After reading the proposal in tonight's meeting agenda suggesting the elimination or reduction of daily preparation periods for our district's junior high and high school teachers, I felt compelled to share my insight with you as only one who has experience of walking in the shoes of a high school teacher. I teach French one, two, three,
033visual art foundations one and art history 1 to a large number of students and I sponsor clubs and extracurricular activities many of which come without any stipend or compensation. I do these things because students deserve opportunities beyond the classroom, because they need adults who will show up for them, and because I believe in building a school culture that supports the whole child. However, these responsibilities come with a cost. Last school year, I recorded 532 hours of work outside my contract time. This year, we're only partway through, and I've already logged 115 additional hours. My preparation period, which should be a time for grading, planning, planning, and parent communication, is frequently replaced by PLC meetings, administrative task, and proctoring the seal of literacy exams or other required duties. Many high school staff are members of multiple
034PLC teams. I myself serve on three. Due to the variety of subject matter I teach students, if any portion of my current preparation period is reduced or eliminated, I foresee increased stress from not having time just to go to the bathroom, to eat lunch, and complete the daily tasks necessary to provide my students the most organized and efficient learning environment. The result is that I increase the real real work of my teaching on my own time, late at night, early in the morning, or on weekends while trying to balance family life. As a national board certified teacher, I'm held to the highest professional standard. But even the best trained teachers cannot maintain quality instruction without the time needed to prepare. When teachers are stretched too thin, students lose. Their lessons are less engaging. Their needs
035are harder to meet. The emotional and mental strain this places on teachers is real. Many of us are facing burnout, anxiety, and the constant feeling that no matter how much we give, it is never enough. We cannot continue to ask our teachers to do more with less, especially when the stakes, which our students are so high. I'm respectfully asking the board to support a policy that ensures teachers receive a full protected prep period every day within the block schedule. This is a necessity. I've devoted 28 years of my life to this profession and gone above and beyond. And I I ask that you please think of the teachers, but especially our students. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> My name is Derek Rucker. I graduated from here in 90. It already started. This
036is this is what a seven period day feels like. Okay. So, uh Fast Fridays is like this. I talk as they're walking in the door. So, uh I graduated from here in 91. Um I've taught here for 25 years of my 30-year career. I teach geometry, AP cal, um and honors pre-cal. Um, I want to speak concerning the importance of our current schedule and prep time specifically regarding I'll give you a micro look into a geometry PLC, which is we're still kind of new at, but I'm pretty proud of what we've been doing with that. So, I want to share with that. We were told in recent years that we must find common prep time for PLC's. We must give common formative assessments. We must identify uh essential standards. We must find and teach curriculum
037uh based on these state standards. Must identify students who have deficiency. Uh we got to enroll students into RTI when they need remediation while enriching the curriculum for students who are excelling. Uh to be successful in this endeavor requires a team, a plan and a time for that team to carry out the plan. I can tell you we have a team and we are doing it. Um our team consists of our our PLC geometry team consists of three geometry teachers, assistant principal and uh and our geometry co-teer. Um we uh we meet let's see we meet every Wednesday morning for an hour during our common planning time to accomplish the things uh that we've been asked by the school to do. And I can tell you in my 30-year career, uh, this is the most
038horizontally aligned, uh, geometry group that I've ever been a part of. And it feels really good. Uh, we're making strides in the classroom. The, uh, and and so I feel really good about that. Um, we also end up working together during our preps on Mondays and Fridays outside of our our Wednesday time uh, in order to stay on track and and that's just something that that we've been wanting to do. uh we're giving common assignments, quizzes, and tests uh and intervening during RTIs. This takes a tremendous amount of time uh to plan and carry out. I've spent more time at home working on curriculum um uh than I ever have. Um but it's work that that I want to do. Um so all we want is to be supported in the work that we're doing.
039But we're being told that we may lose time to do this work while having more responsibilities added. Uh we're exhausted, but we see value in doing this work for our students. I just hope as you make decisions that you'll uh consider all of our teachers who work so hard for our students. Thank you. >> Thanks, Gary. >> Hannah, >> good evening. >> Okay. Hello. Uh my name is Hannah Bleven. I am a 2013 graduate of Mountain Home High School and a direct benefactor of the schedule that is now being reconsidered. Um, I currently teach English 2, honors English 2, and English three and this is my fifth year at the high school and my sixth year in the classroom. Since I began working at the high school, our spell schedule has changed every single year
040with the exception of this one. And this year, for the first time, we've been able to see the real benefits of consistency. Keeping the same schedule has had significant positive impacts on both teachers and our students. First, teacher preparedness has increased. Knowing that the schedule would remain the same allowed us to spend our summer planning high-quality instruction instead of trying to predict what the upcoming school year would look like. When the schedule changes annually, teachers are forced to rebuild routines, restructure curriculum pacing, and adjust instructional time before we can truly focus on our students. This year, with the same schedule in place, I felt more prepared than I ever have, and I know I'm not alone. Consistency helps teachers be better at what we do, and our students feel that stability. Second, students need routine.
041When the structure of their day shifts every year, it creates uncertainty and it makes it harder for them to settle into productive learning habits. By keeping the schedule stable, we build an environment where students can truly thrive. Additionally, the academic data shows that this consistency is working. Our high school atlas scores in all three tested subject areas, including ELA, biology, and geometry were above the Arkansas state average. In English specifically, last year's sophomores went from being 2% below the state average at the start of their 10th grade year to 8% above it by the end of their 10th grade year. That is a 10% overall increase in their average score. These improvements are not accidents. They reflect effective use of both planning time and instructional time under our current schedule. Finally, our school's letter grade
042improved from a C to a B. This is a significant achievement and it did not happen because because of a reinvention of the wheel. It happened because for the first time in years, we kept something the same long enough to see it work. If we continually change our bell schedule, we lose the ability to accurately measure what is helping or hindering student growth. Consistency allows us to identify strengths, address our weaknesses, and build on progress from one year to the next. I urge you to allow us to continue to work with a schedule that is currently moving, clearly moving students and our building in a positive forward direction. Keeping the current fall schedule is not about convenience. It is about stability, effectiveness, and what is best for our kids. Thank you for your time and
043for your commitment to our schools. >> Thanks. >> Madison, >> good evening. >> My name is Madison Engel. I'm a 2011 grad of Mountain Home and I've spent my entire 11-year teaching career at the high school. I teach chemistry. I serve as the high school science department head and I am chair of the district's personnel policy committee. Rather than speak about the merits of one schedule over another, I'd like to address the idea of changing the schedule itself. Regardless of what happens, it appears that we are pursuing a change with hopes of increasing student achievement and decreasing staff costs. I do not believe both of these goals can be collectively achieved with a change tonight. To begin, there's essentially no data showing a significant difference in student achievement between a seven period day and a
044block schedule. Comparisons between Mountain Home and other districts across the state are not valid for drawing conclusions. When we see seven period day uh schools outperforming us, there are simply too many confounding variables to claim their success is due to their scheduling. How do these schools actually improve student achievement? Do they utilize RTI time more effectively? Do they require ACT prep courses? Do they mandate AP exam participation for all students as we do, even the ones who might put their head down and not try? Are they wealthier districts? It's impossible to look at any of this data and conclude that changing our schedule will make any measurable difference one way or another. Secondly, I question the assumption that a schedule change could realistically generate the level of savings that are being projected. With estimates over
045a million dollars, that would require cutting more than 20 teaching positions at the high school and junior high. Those savings would not be immediate as they would rely on natural attrition and the uncertain alignment of certifications. significant staff reductions but also long-term mean that classes will be larger and fewer electives offered with limited flexibility in building a master schedule. Next, part of my discussion focuses on the equity of time for prep periods between elementary and secondary teachers. I know many of my colleagues have spoken on the importance of their prep, so I won't do that. I simply want to suggest that the inequity is not as large as it seems. Currently, junior high and high school teachers receive 385 minutes of prep time per week. Elementary teachers receive 40 minutes per day plus two 20-minute
046recesses. Now, you do factor out three duties that they have during those, they still receive 340 minutes a week, which is only 13%. But most importantly, the greatest impact so far has been on morale. After consecutive years of improving and testing and in our letter grade, it feels as though nothing we do is ever enough. The uncertainty, the lack of clarity about why these changes are being considered, and the constant back and forth have left people tired and discouraged. In a profession that's rarely respected and already overworked, it seems we're being asked to accomplish even more with less. Regardless of the decision tonight, I fear that significant and lasting damage has already been done to the spirit of our schools. And after listening to my colleagues and friends speak, that makes me even more sad
047than I was when I wrote this speech. Um, I want to close today by saying I genuinely appreciate the board's commitment to helping this school district improve. I just simply believe that this path is not the most effective path to achieve the outcomes that we want for our students. Maintaining stability, clarity, and trust will do more for that. Thank you. >> Thank you, >> Miss Kathy. Good evening, members of the school board and administration. I'm Kathy Beckham. I serve as the workbased learning coordinator at Mountainome High School and this is my 33rd year in education. It is an honor and a privilege to be speaking to you this evening. I would like to address the concerns over the bell schedule at Mount Home High School. It has been a difficult past few years for us.
048We tried as a district to pass two millages to construct a new school, both of which failed. This was a struggle for many of us employed here as this issue decreased morale in our building. It was difficult to be cast in such a negative light during these millage campaigns from various groups throughout the community. Some of us took it very personally because we take great pride in working at Mountainome High School. As we have been moving forward from the millillage issue, reworking the bell schedule at the high school has been brought to the table numerous times as a compromise to the scheduling issues. Two years ago, we moved to a fast Friday bell schedule. We were hopeful that this would put an end to questions about scheduling. However, here we are. This summer, we learned
049that our Atlas scores had increased and were some of the best scores in the district and that our ACT scores had increased as well. We started off our school year celebrating these milestones as a staff. It was such a positive start to our school year. Earlier this fall, we found out that our school report card grade increased from a C to a B. We were so excited to hear this news. Our hard work was finally paying off. Yet, here we are. Our teachers have done everything that has been asked of them. From running the fast Friday bill schedule to implementing PLC's with Fidelity and hosting meaningful RTI sessions for all students, we are finally seeing the fruits of our labor at MHS. Our students are showing growth. They're making gains in all areas. And yet
050here we are once again reviewing our bell schedule options. As a proud alum of Mountainome High School with a rich family history in this district, it truly feels like what we are doing is simply not good enough. It is very disheartening to me as I stand by and watch this happen to Mountain High School. In this district that I've called home for 28 years as an educator and 12 years as a student, class of 1987, do we have room for improvement? Absolutely. Our goal as a staff is to earn an A on our school report card and we truly believe that together we can accomplish this goal. We will always have room for growth. We will always put student learning and student needs first. I simply do not understand why we are trying to change
051something that is working and hope that together we can continue to move forward by leaving our scheduling options as they are currently. Thank you for your time this evening and thank you for your service to the Mountain Home School District. And now I'm returning to the junior high basketball games in my role as dance coach. Go Bombers. >> Thanks, Katie. >> Miss Lawrence, one of our students. Good evening. >> Good evening, members of the school board, and thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak tonight. My name is Coral Lawrence, and I'm a junior at Mountain Home High School. I want to share why I believe that block scheduling is better for students than a seven period school day. As a student, I can say that having longer class periods allows us to connect
052more deeply with our teachers. We have more time to ask questions, get help, and actually understand the material without being rushed. When classes are only 40 to 50 minutes long, it feels like we're not we're just getting started when the bell rings. The block schedule also helps reduce stress, especially for students who are heavily involved in after school activities. I'm in theater and we have practice almost every day throughout the school. Knowing that I have time during class to begin my homework or work on projects makes my evening so much more manageable. In classes like art, theater, math, and choir, the extended time allows us to practice, create, and collaborate in ways that simply wouldn't be able to wouldn't be able to fit in a short period. I've also noticed the strain that teachers face
053on class Fridays. They switch quickly in between different subjects. And it's clear how challenging that can be for students, especially freshmen who shuttle back and forth from the junior high to the high school. Fast Fridays mean even less class time. They lose instructional minutes, even just moving between buildings. It makes it harder for them to keep up. A seven period schedule would be like a fast Friday every day. Overall, the block scheduling supports students learnings, reduces stress, and gives both students and teachers the time they need to do their best work. Thank you again for your time of listening. From a student's perspective, I truly appreciate your dedication to the school. >> Thank you, >> Miss Marlor. >> Good evening, board members. I'm Hannah Marlor, a junior at Mountain Homem High School, and I'm speaking
054on behalf of students who strongly oppose a seventh period schedule next year. Block scheduling provides students time to comprehend the material that were given. Seventh period classes influence less valuable class time and more rushed teaching. Shorter classes also create more homework for students. And if teachers have less class time, it just initiates more instructional time for home. This leads to higher stress, anxiety, depression, and even suicide rates, as well as poor time management. We'll have less time for jobs, extracurriculars, sleep, and our social lives. As students already endure poor mental health, and the schedule would only endorse that. The change of schedule would also limit our opportunities as students. We're able to balance our practices, our rehearsals, and our other extracurriculars. And we're also granted with opportunities like internships, work study, and um college classes.
055Um, with a shorter class period, these opportunities are eliminated. I'm involved in the band and we can all agree that at basketball and football games, we're there to hype up the team. And if we have shorter class periods, that uh that would help affect our performance as a band, the cheer, the dance, and most of all, our athletic teams. Um, since our practice time is taken away during the school hours, more practices would occur outside of school, and that makes it harder for us students to have a life outside of that. Um, for AC academic students like myself, it would also hurt us tremendously because AP and college level courses require an indepth instructional time and that cannot be fit into 45minute classes each day. Um, not only would this have negative effects for the
056students, but it would also affect the teachers everyday lives. They would have a busier schedule and more material preparation each day and it makes the everyday hassle more than necessary. If the teachers are suffering, the students are going to suffer as well. Ultimately, our current schedule has no flaws. Uh students are succeeding. They're managing jobs, their extracurriculars, their academics, their social lives. And that's because the schedule right now allows us to take time and breathe. I heavily urge you to keep the block scheduling for the welfare of the students and the teachers. Thank you for your time and your consideration. >> Thank you, >> Mr. Coleman. You guys see my face yet? Not at all. >> I wanted to speak today on the subject of block scheduling versus the seventh period schedule. I know there
057are other solutions being proposed, but I want to speak my mind on it anyway. To start, I want to preface that I'm not a professional when it comes to how to manage a school, but I've been an active participant in this district my whole life and care for it deeply. First, I acknowledge that one of the main arguments to switch to a seventh period schedule is the thought that a schedule change will increase AP scores. Statistics out there seem to favor schools that have a seventh period schedule when it comes to AP scores. However, these stats aren't collected in in controlled environments, and there are numerous other factors that could be at play. I think the phrase correlation does not equal causation would apply here. I've been in in at least one AP class every
058year of my high school career, so I've seen firsthand how our students fare in these exams. Every AP teacher uh every AP teacher I've had has had prepared me and my classmates well enough to pass the exam. However, lots of students just don't care about the exam. Even with the added bonus of money, numerous classmates of mine have simply slept through the exam or written the national anthem on the free response portion of the exam. Even when I know they could have passed it if they had tried. One thing I can confidently say is that changing to a seventh period schedule wouldn't change this. The next things I want to address are problems that I hope have been discussed by the board. First, I've heard that band would only be allotted 45 minutes per day
059instead of the normal hour and 25 minutes. This will our marching program as it takes a long time to get to and from the field. Next, in an hour and 25 minute class, a junior high kid coming down and missing the first 5 to 10 minutes is only missing 6 to 11% of instruction time, but that same time missed in a 45minute class is missing 11 to 22% of that class. Will there be done will there be anything done to improve that? I know that I had to go to and from the high school and junior high numerous times a day in my freshman year, and I normally miss some instruction time. My next question is if a current junior has planned out their schedule and classes knowing they have eight slots for classes and
060they need all eight next year to get required classes which don't necess necessarily have to be required by the state because lots of colleges I'm applying to require three years of foreign language and four years of English. What will happen when that schedule is reduced to seven slots and they have a class taken away? Finally, I'd like to talk about the opinions of my fellow students. I've not heard one argument in favor of switching to this new schedule. Classes flow well. Learning goes from bell to bell, and it is much easier to only have to deal with four classes per day rather than seven. To add on to this, our students have had to endure so much change during their high school careers that this would cause an insane amount of stress. First, most of
061our high schoolers are forced to meet a state required volunteer hour quota. Then, the state took away our phones during school. On top of that, the state changed the weights of a tremendous number of courses out of the blue. Would a major change like this really be beneficial to the mental health of our students, which mental health, by the way, has been thoroughly studied and linked to increased test scores? I appreciate your guys' times and I'd like to say most of the teachers I hear today, they're the classes I've learned the most in. I appreciate them speaking. >> Thank you guys. >> Thank you. >> Another student. We got Caleb. >> Hi everyone. Nice to meet you. Um my name is Caleb Gray. I'm in eighth grade and I've just come here to talk about
062the schedule obviously. Um, I I myself have been brought to tears from how stressful a 7-day period has been. Um, after after every day in a normal block scheduling, I feel like I'm actually organized. I can do everything I need to. And um, if I if I miss a day, I'll only miss a few lessons. But if I if I miss a day on Friday, I feel like I'm traveled back in time for four years. I'm just like a completely new realm. So, I've I've just every time I uh would go to Friday, I've been super stressed out and worried about like what's my next class going to be and worried about in my ne in my say fifth hour class. I'm worried about what I'm doing in my fourth hour class, what I have
063to do later on. at home. I've spent um few nights just like doing all school work and not having enough time to do anything. Um well, with the block scheduling, I have been enjoying myself and been caught up with everything. I've been I am in all honors classes and I'm doing band. I'm the president of the debate team and all this could happen purely because of my teachers supporting me and of course my parents supporting me and uh just having enough time in class. Um in a in a good class I say is whenever kids can learn in three different ways. Um audibly, kinesesthetically and visually. Kesthetically is with your hands obviously visually and audibly are seeing and hearing. So, I say my math teacher, there's an amazing math teacher, Miss Fairchild. She um um
064a lot of times where I've been truly like engaged in an activity is whenever she goes up to the board, she shows us all how to do it and um then like she speaks it, she tells it, she shows it and then we all get um few whiteboards and markers and then she shows a problem on the board and we all write write down our answer and then raise our hand like boards up in the air. We all do it and it's super fun. I just had a difficult um math and science test and I did very well purely because my teachers had enough time to um get me by myself and help me help me alone. But during during uh Fridays whenever I have to ask a question, there's just simply not enough time.
065I have to I have to get to all my classes and I'm running back and forth between um like opposite sides of the school. Um That's all I have. Thank you. Have a good day. >> Thank you. >> That was the last speaker that had signed up to speak this evening. So that will close the public comment section and we'll move on to approval of the agenda and the minutes. Entertain a motion to approve the agenda and the minutes. >> I move. >> Have a motion, a second. Any discussion? All those in favor, it's unanimous. Now we'll move on to our academic report. Miss Lawrence, >> we have special guests. That's the first part of our academic report to hear from one of our students and he's going to tell you about his project that
066he did. >> Good evening. My name is Russ Har and I'm a junior in the Health and Human Services Academy at the high school and I'm a part of Troop 156 of the used to be Boy Scouts of America now Scouting America. Um, and I'm a life rank and working my way towards Eagle here in a few months. And for my English scout service project, I chose to do an outdoor classroom at Kingston. Um, the reasoning is because ever since I got out of the seventh grade at Kingston, I knew I wanted to be an educator and um I thought this would be a good way to connect to it and if I get to come here and uh teach after after college, then I'll uh really have something to look back on. Um, we
067had a lot of lot of scouts, a lot of lot of adult helpers, including my family, helped build this project. Um, there you can see is a finished photo of it. And this is what it looked like before uh we ever got started. We started out by uh digging a lot of holes for benches that um that the school had already had in storage and didn't know what to do with. And we we got some tarp to roll over it. And um and a lot of this scouts did and um and it turned out to be really good. The purpose for this is for uh people whether that's Kingston or any school uh wants to come over and uh it could be a class to come out there and and have and teach and even
068increase higher learning and for the students to enjoy. Um, want to thank Miss Dwey for approving this. Also want to thank Mr. Smith and for approving it and all of their suggestions. Um, I appreciate Mr. Chad Palmer for the mulch and all the and everything they delivered. Uh, and I just want want to thank everybody uh for letting me do it. And and um that's all I have. Thank you. >> I look I look forward to the day when we get to see you teach a le lesson from that spot. How long did it take you? >> It took me all summer to >> so nice. >> It was >> What was your favorite part? >> Favorite part was um having everybody to help and and uh and and just really the bonding and >>
069and making the progress, you know. >> What was your hardest part? Toughest part was um probably probably figuring out the benches, how they need, how they need to go, where they need to be placed. >> Thank you. >> Looks good. >> Any questions? Have you heard from any classes or teachers that are utilizing the space already or >> I have um the 1014 club >> has already used it. They meet every Wednesday or Thursday, I can't remember which. Um they've already used it at least once. There have also been a couple classes use it. um have brought their kids out there and uh they seem to really enjoy it. >> I've seen them. >> Do you want to follow your in your dad's footsteps? >> Yes, ma'am. >> I hope you do. >> He's a
070good guy. >> I just want to say this young man is in my mentor class >> and he is as kind and respectful and uh caring every time I see him. I'm very impressed. Thank you for what you do. >> Thank you. >> And good luck tomorrow night. >> Yes. >> Thank you. >> Appreciate it. >> Got a big game. >> Thank you. I do want to wish the happy anniversary that you >> Thank you. Thank you. Okay, really quick. The irony of tonight is our data is going to be around K2 Atlasive for all our secondary teachers here. Um, we got our summitive data just right um right after our last board meeting came at the end of October. Um, and so I have some comparisons for you to see here for our kindergarten,
071first and second grade scores. These were our as I said summitive. They took these at the end of their year last year and K2 just had to wait a long time to get their results. Um they are slowly getting the K2 platform caught up with three 310 and we're going to see some positive changes. We should have these scores in May. Um and for this coming school year, you'll see our kindergarten. We had a lot of celebrations there and Mr. Roach did a great job celebrating his teachers. Um I guess that was last week. Um, our ELA score for the school was 15% above the state average. You'll see math was 7% above and K2 does not take a science summitive. So, they are strictly working on ELA and math. First grade, you'll see they
072are just right at 1% above the state average in ELA, 5% above in math. Second grade, you'll see 2% below the state average. We're making some adjustments and some um some building wide intervention and some things right now um to boost that that score. And then you'll see their math is 5% above the state average. Um so we have been working hard. There's been a lot of changes um for these teachers. Um I I understand there's a lot of concern around the schedule. our K2 and three teachers have had a lot of extra work with what we call IRPS, the individualized reading plans that are populated through um the portal once the students take their summit. If they're if they are a level one um in Atlas summitive, then they are we generate an individualized
073reading plan for them and our teachers are working through what we call testitled for every student that is flagged in a category um in literacy. So um that has taken a lot of teamwork to kind of figure out and I do have um Kelly if you want to go to the next slide. Um you can kind of see what an IRP looks like and we do have a lot um I want to say Miss Camp is here. She has really helped our teachers pull together the workflow for these testes. Those um that spreadsheet you'll see up there was designed by her. She's actually going to be presenting these at summit in what month? >> Summer. Okay. The state department has asked her to be a Um, so that's a really big honor for her and
074for our district. But that's the workflow teachers are having to figure out um within their classroom setting. And this is all for still tier one teaching. Um, in addition to that, we do still have building wide intervention happening for more targeted intervention. In addition to what you're seeing with this work, um, Desi has provided new toolkits for teachers to try to understand how to move their students through this process a little bit easier. and also more resources for our families um so they can see how they can help their students at home. Um that lead us into the the promotion and third grade promotion piece. Um the last thing I'll highlight on here and we're not going to play it tonight because of time but we did on the next slide we did link a
075video. Um, this was created by Miss K, but if you would like more information on how this process is working for K3, this is a a video that she's created that's tried to put all the information together in a way that's actually easy for someone to understand that it doesn't do this every day. So, that is there for you to watch whenever you wish. And I do just want to tell our teachers, I know that the schedule really is pivotal to what you feel is your success, but what I see is your success is how much you give your students. And so you're showing up every day for them. Not because of the block or the bell, just because of what you're offering to them every day. So I do want to say that before
076I sit down. Any questions about K2? >> How often are updated? So the recommendation the recommendation is if they are running through what they're calling a Tesla it's a twoe process they're progress monitored after two weeks and if they meet the goal they move on to the next skill if they don't meet the goal they stay in that and then they keep working and if they don't pass that time they keep working and so our teachers are having to retach if necessary to help them move through that whether it's phmic awareness encoding language comprehension reading. Uh there's there's it depends on the grade what skills they're working through >> and that's K through two. >> Um so these are running K3 >> K through >> plans for each child if they're level one. Okay. >>
077Now a child or a teacher can create an IRP for any child that she wants. He or she would like to if they feel like it's necessary. It feels a little bit for intent and purposes of what you even know like an RTI but >> okay >> it's just populating in the portal um parents have parenting codes to this and they have access to this IRP at all times it is that we call it being published and so the teachers publish it and a parent can see the journey that the child is on in real time as it's happening >> and then those resources for home >> yes they okay >> and we did share parenting codes with all of our families at parent teacher conferences in October. So, it's been a journey for everybody,
078but we're we're learning and >> our kids are are benefiting from this process for sure. >> Thanks for sharing. Any other questions? >> Thanks, Judy. >> Moving on to financial reports. Miss Carter, >> good evening. >> We'll begin with the statement of changes in fund balance for the month ending October 31st of 2025. We ended the month of October with 14,634,12689. Just to draw some uh make some points. Uh if you look at fund 2275 that's a large hour alternative learning and we did receive uh one of our install or a big installment and we still have probably one remaining for the rest of the school year. Also in the negative fund balances uh below funds like 2218 and down you see uh negative fund balances there where we're waiting on reimbursements to come in.
079>> Any questions? Moving on to the statement of revenue, expenditures, and changes in fund balance for the month ending October 31st. We ended the month of October with revenues of 5,241,847.97 with total expenditures of $3,928,742.32. Any questions? Okay, moving on. >> Moving on to our monthly operating fund balance tracking where we are looking at funds one, two, and four. When you look at October, you see the discrepancy there. And I just wanted to remind you that this was a result in the debt service payment timing. Last year we made that payment in October when we typically make it in November and that was a $2 million payment. So you can see that reflection there. But we are making that payment. We did make that payment in November this year to get back on track. that
080one. >> Yeah. >> No, that one's gone. >> Any other questions? >> Moving on. >> Okay. This is the statement of changes in activity funds and we ended the month of October with all activity funds combined of $595,75316. Any questions? >> How much of this comes from fundraising? How much >> the majority of it? >> That's what I thought. So, our students are out there fundraising. Our parents are out there fundraising. The school is fundraising quite a bit. >> I just kind of want to start highlighting that our schools do an excessive amount. Matter of fact, the community sometimes complains. Um, I reached out because of a discussion last month and um asked uh Kotusky, I asked Mr. Cetnik um I'm the Mountain Home Education Foundation and you could kind of total that that's that's
081in the side close to 500,000 and so a lot of fundraising is happening. Um I just want the community to be aware of that. Any other questions for Leia? >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> You have an addition. Uh Donna worked on a pie chart for you to the first one is of our overall budget that you approved in September and then the following page is for the month. Thank you for that. >> That's good. >> You're welcome. >> Yeah, this docu that graphic speaks a thousand words, right? You say, "Hey, budget salaries is 80%." But until you see it, >> that really highlights it. That money staying in our in our community, right? Some of the purchases aren't, but all of that is staying right here, right? So, um just seeing it visually
082is is really helpful to have that. Thank you. >> You're welcome. That was Donna as well. did that. >> Mr. Schmezky had mentioned having this a couple months ago. >> Took us a couple months, but Donna did a fantastic job. >> Yes, she did. >> Coming up with a plan for that. You won't see that. We'll have those every month except for July, August, September, right? >> That's when we were concerned that we wouldn't have one with enough data to create a graph. >> Well, we were trying to get through cycle one, which is what we submit to the state. and up until that until you have approved >> to your role fluctuates. So we thought October one the October meeting would be the best time to start next year. >> Thank you. Donna >>
083question do you have a breakdown on how much money is being raised for these activities? >> All of activity funds are all fundraising. >> Oh% >> every bit. >> Okay. I mean unless there's book fair >> we could have donations sometimes people >> I'm sorry right donations book fair is in activity at times um >> or just collections like for yearbooks or you know all of that stuff funnels through those activity funds. So, >> well, and I would like to point out >> our balance did not typically run as high. When a couple of years ago, the auditor requested that we move that we request funds back from some of the booster clubs because if it was money raised by students, they said that that should stay within the school district. So at that time
084we did get a hundred to $150,000 back from booster clubs. They gave it back to the school so that we could put it into the corresponding sports teams. And so typically in the past you did not see the the budget or the uh ending balance being as high as it is right now. And all those funds have to be spent on students, >> right? >> Activities, activity. >> I just know that the night the basketball team is doing their fundraiser, I got 15 different text messages asking for and and I hear a lot of complaints about that, but they're constantly asking for donations. >> I think that's a very important point. when I hear about fundraising for a building and and I'm going to bring it up in our board discussion later. Miss Dwey knows
085I've been making phone calls to other entities in town that do high volumes of fundraising. Um it's an interesting conversation. So, I was going to ask, so when the girls volleyball team is out in the rain today delivering turkeys or softball, excuse me, softball, >> sorry, my >> Those funds are shown in that graph area. Those are activity funds, right? Those are our students out there in the rain doing this. Um bookf fairs you say that money is that >> you're you're that I believe are library is that in your activity >> or is it operating >> goes into library activity funds >> ends up being in the building I mean the total building >> so you see that total under high school or under Nelson Wils but then she miss Sheila does a it's
086not Sheila but Cindy does a fantastic job high school has a ton of activity funs >> I don't even know is Miss Russell here. There there's a ton >> of funds and so each one has an individual so she can keep up with >> if you would like that report. >> That's okay. >> Thanks Leah. >> The following reports are system reports that support these documents. >> Any other questions for Leah? Okay. Thank you. refer to your enrollment report as printed. Anything to share there? It's pretty >> it's we're not down 96 kids from this time last year. Um I did find it interesting if you look you know I always like to look on that second page where it shows the enrollment um monthtomonth. Last year we lost six kids from October to November.
087This year we lost three. So, >> you know, it it goes down through the year, but that's half. Um, but this month, I did look, we were up a couple today, >> a couple of kids, >> but by the time we >> I need a couple hundred. >> I do need about a hundred. >> I did hear a rumor that kindergarten could be up. Now, I don't think it's going to be up where we're used to, but maybe up some. >> Miss Lawrence told me that rumor. All right. >> Student transfer update. >> Six in, zero out. >> Take it. >> Next item is our facility update. Mr. Knight. >> All right. Since the last board meeting, um, this facilities division for the state did come by and inspect the Gary campus. gave us their
088approval to go ahead and start submitting the bills. I've got all those done except for one that we processed today. So, in a couple days when that check's written, we'll get that in and hopefully maybe next month I get a report where we tell you that you've got 300 something extra thousand. Um, I paid the last bill to the contractor. He went ahead and sent this video. So, I'm not saying we should watch it, but if you wanted to kind of look, he has side by sides of a fly over the school, so you can actually just see the immense amount of work that was to get that done. Um, our last thing to get that completely finished over uh Thanksgiving break, the maintenance guys are going to go in. They actually started today since
089it was raining. Um, put about 460 of the uh stained tiles from years of leaking and stuff. So, we always do that last. Um and then uh the re the review for our partnership project uh for the high school has been received and accepted and that's kind of tentatively um scheduled for January. >> Any questions? >> Facilities update and moving on to action items. Mr. Knight High School gym AC. Yes. So, unfortunately, um, a couple of months ago, we had one of the AC units, um, at the high school gym, um, stop working. Um, I will say that those are double units. It's why these are so expensive. So, there's really six units, not three. So, when one went down, um, it's actually two. And, uh, we went ahead and bid that. We had two
090people bid on it. We had, at least three, if not four people come and look at it. Um, I'm recommending that the board approve bidder number one in the amount of $39,76057 uh for the replacement of that. Um, and if all goes well, we'll get that ordered. It'll be in for Christmas because we have to crane that in. So, hopefully Christmas break. >> Heard the recommendation. Do we have a motion? >> I make a motion we accept the high school gym AC replacement uh as presented. I'll second >> a motion in a second. Any discussion? >> This is one of those things maintaining maintaining our properties. You have to, right? >> You could kick the can down the road and run it on two, but guess what? We're putting more wear and tear on those,
091too, and it's going to bite us in the long run. So, >> waste more money long term. >> Long term. This is this is maintaining our structures. This is what our building fund's for. So, >> all those in favor? Unanimous. >> Thanks, Chris. Action item request to approve budget approved budget of proposed expenditures. Miss Carter attached you will find the proposed budget of expenditures as well as related sample election documents. Arkansas code annotated 2680102 A2 states that the board of directors of each school district shall prepare, approve, and make public no less than 60 days in advance of the annual school election a proposed budget of expenditures deemed necessary to provide for the foregoing purposes together with a rate of tax levy sufficient to provide the funds. Therefore, including the rate under any continuing levy
092for the retirement of indebtedness as state as stated in Arkansas code of 2016. The requirement is that we publish this budget at least one time in the newspaper and then the publication will be made not less than 60 days before the school election at which the annual advalorum property tax for the school district is decided by the electors. This year our school board election is scheduled for Tuesday March 3rd 2026. Therefore, correct publication must occur on or before December 31st of 2025. The rationale is the administration is seeking your approval of the attached proposed budget of expenditures with tax levy for fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2027 to and including June 30th of 2028 and to approve all related election documents in order to comply with the above referenced requirements. The total proposed tax levy
093represents the same rate presently being collected. So our recommendation tonight is that we recommend the adoption of the attached proposed budget of expenditures with tax levy for fiscal year beginning July 1st, to and including July 30th of 2028 and to approve all related sample election documents. >> Further recommendation. Do we have a motion? I make a motion we approve the budget of proposed expenditures as presented. >> Second. >> Motion and second. Is there any discussion? >> Highlight what Miss Carter said. There's no change. >> No change >> in the current millillage. It comes up every year when people see it on the ballot. There's no change. It's the same. >> All those in favor? Thanks, Mr. Miss. Lawrence or hit grant funds. >> Okay. So, um our subject is vendor payments over $20,000. Our background
094is that the board policy 7.5 and 7.13 requires board action for purchases in excess of $20,000 in addition to certain bidding procedures for many purchases. Um with the passage of the Learns Act, Arkansas is continuing it its commitment to supporting academic outcomes of students statewide. The Arkansas division Elementary and Secondary Education launched the Arkansas High Impact Tutoring Grant Program two years ago, providing additional instructional support to students through high impact tutoring. The district was notified on October 17th, 2025 that it will receive partial grant funding for the high impact tutoring for the 2526 school year in the amount of $96,000. The recommendation is to approve the total reimburseable amount of $96,000 for port purchases with the following vendors. Amplify which is at 94,500 and Bloom and those are headsets at with the mics for $1,400.
095>> Further recommendation. Do we have a motion? >> Make a motion to approve the as >> as presented >> as it's been presented. >> There you go. Second. Got a motion and second. Is there any discussion? the partial grant would do. >> I know I was gonna fill you in on that. So, we actually wrote for two different vendors. We wrote also for Carnegie Math that was going to be a secondary option for some of our junior high and high school students. We were trying to do an elementary and a secondary. Um the funding came back. We actually our our request was for around $250,000 if you combine the cost of the two programs and our partial funding came in at $96,000. So, we had to make the decision what would that pay for? Um
096because of the learners act and the third grade promotion piece that is now in place for the current school year. We um used the uh the money as you can see it's divided to provide tutoring for third graders um with the HIP grant and they're in a program it's with it's with Amplify and if you've heard us talk about Dibbles that's Amplify it's in class and this um it's a virtual tutoring piece. The students are with live tutor three days a week. Miss Goodwin and Miss Tr and I actually oversee the students in this program Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning and it is in perfect alignment with silver with dibbles and what you saw with the Teslas. >> How many times did we receive this grant? >> This will be our third year. >> Third
097year >> and um we wished it had been a little bit more but we were happy to get funding and glad we have now that we've seen the program at work. This is our fourth week to do it. We feel like the choice to do amplify was a good choice for our students. They progress monitor within the tutoring just like we are doing with the tests and it's in the same skill sets as you see on >> and this is reimburseable grant. So >> yes, 100% reimburseable. >> Okay. Any other discussion? All those in favor? It's unanimous. >> Thanks Judy. Miss Dwey request to approve policy update. >> Longevity bonus. And I'm going to ask Matt and Madison if y'all come up. >> Please. >> It has my name, but I was hoping you all
098were going to do this. >> Um, this is continuation. I think this is the third, maybe the fourth time. in a row. We've given a longevity bonus to those who are frozen at the bottom of the salary schedule. Um, you clar what that means? Anybody here? If you're at the bottom of the salary schedule, you don't get a raise because you're stuck there. Um, so this is a one one time $1,000 bonus to those people both certified and classified as a thank you for staying. And it's just a good way to support our most veteran employees. No, like you said, they are our most veteran employees. They have stuck with us for a long time, served a lot, and u you know, I think it would help out at least some ways in morale to
099show them that we appreciate they stick with us because they're probably going to be our most effective. They've been here the longest. >> So, with that, we ask that the board approve this onetime $1,000 bonus to those uh third was the exact number of police? >> 35 certified, three classified 38. >> Okay, those 38, please. >> Okay, heard the recommendation. Do we have a motion? >> I'd like to make a motion to approve the longevity bonus. >> A second. >> Motion and second. Any discussion? I'm happy this is back here again this year. >> It's a great thing. >> Any other discussion? All those in favor? Unanimous. Thank you guys. I think I've got the right agenda pulled up. So, I'm going to approve the certified salary schedule edition. Good evening. >> Hi. Um, I
100wanted to visit with you guys tonight, let you know a little bit about where we are in this process. Um, we are following policy related to certified salary schedules. Um, we had, uh, been working I've been here for eight years and this topic comes up often about therapists uh OTP and speech and their salary schedules or lack thereof and uh how that compares with the uh contract services. And so, um, following our policy, we met with the finance committee, uh, to see if they would like for us to bring this to you guys next, um, and then from there to PPC for consideration of this proposed salary schedule. So, I am asking the board to accept this proposal to allow us to continue the consideration of adding this salary schedule to our current salary for
101certified staff. >> I make a motion we accept the recommendation for the proposed salary schedule. >> Second. >> Got a motion in a second. Any discussion? >> So, I did talk to Mr. Engel. This can go to the PPC meeting in December and then they will come back with either a accept, adopt, reject or amended option for the board and the board will of course make the final decision on a salary schedule for PTO and speech. And one of the things I wanted to say was this is just a tool. It may never be used, but if we have it, we have opportunity to hire some of our own folks at a rate that is still less than what they make in at the hospital or somewhere, but it is a little bit it it
102it does um I think it's just a little bit over what a speech therapist would receive on our certified salary schedule. um when you look >> slightly because it's their masters are 60 hours >> in light of trying to find places to save money. >> This is >> um this is this is fantastic. I mean, you do have to to point out to these licensed folks that are incredible, but they will get a uh retirement package that's not offered anywhere else. You cannot be self-employed and have the retirement package that you can get. I know that personally. So, um it's really a great opportunity. I hope we promote it hard and I hope we get I hope we keep the quality of licensed therapists that we have. >> And this is not going to be
103an all or nothing, right? We're not going to suddenly shut down contracted services. Do it. This is just to provide, hey, somebody wants to come here and work at the school, have the school schedule, have a retirement, it has a spot, we have a spot on the salary schedule for them. >> And that was some question fin the finance committee asked is um you know, do you think that we'll be able to like if this goes through, we pass it, do you think we're going to be able to hire all the therapists we need? >> Um and no, I don't. I mean, I've told you all that previous board meeting. Um I don't but I do think that it is our job to continue to be fiscally responsible and um if there is one or
104two or an opportunity um to impact contracted services as far as the total cost or anything, we we have to make an attempt. So um we are very pleased with our providers. Uh they're we love them. um and very thankful for them and we need to continue to maintain those relationships because I do not anticipate that we will fill every position if we reach the point of even advertising for this. >> But yeah, this is a step at least in trying to be and continue to be mindful. >> Any other discussion? All those in favor? It's unanimous. Thank you. Last item is request to approve a scheduling update. Merry. >> All right. So, following an academic work session with the board, there was a suggested review of a current scheduling model at the high school
105and junior high. Different scheduling model options, instructional impact analysis, staffing budget considerations, comparative data of other districts around the state have been studied and considered. The academic and operational needs of the district have also been reviewed. findings support that no change is needed in the actual block schedule fast model, but training would be beneficial to ensure the continued effective use of the blocks and a modification reduction of teacher planning time is necessary to increase efficiency and ensure continuity of programming for students in the future. So I recommend that the daily schedule for Mountainome High School Careermies remain as is with professional development to ensure continued effective use of the block and a modification reduction of personnel planning time to ensure efficiency and continuity of programming. >> Heard the recommendation. Do we have a motion? Yeah,
106I make a motion um to approve the scheduling update as presented. >> Second. >> We have a motion. We have a second. I'm sure we have a lot of discussion. >> First, >> oh gosh. >> Well, I'm going to start because there's something that was said tonight that really bothers me. I am very much pro walk scheduling. I was here when it started. I was here trying to build volunteer uh volunteers into the structure. I've had teachers look at me and say, "What do you do with the volunteer?" And I wish we could get a stronger volunteer program back in place. But to say that elementary teachers get a re they have recess and that makes their time equitable, I'm that bothers me. That's not >> that's not that's not a that's not a valid
107argument. So I want to support our younger grades while I support our high school. And I would say that to a kindergarten teacher, do not talk about the high school teacher time if you haven't been there. And if you're a high school teacher and you haven't been on that kindergarten playground doing duty, don't talk about it. So, I just had to say that because I've got many friends who are in those elementary grades. They have the pressures that you do. What we need to do is show support for all of you. So, I just have to say that so that we're not attacking lower grades and higher grades. >> Thanks, Molly. There's a lot to unpack from what was said this evening. First off, thank all of y'all for being here and standing up here
108and giving us your opinions, right? We're all listening. Everyone I looked around, everyone's listening intently. So, so thank y'all for that. Um I won't unpack it all at all at this one point. Just there was one comment about not supporting teachers and the teacher culture. Um I I'll reject that argument too. Like at least without speaking for the board, speaking for myself since we've come here, that's one of the first things I've talked about and I've talked about continually with Miss Dwey is improving our culture, improving our morale. Um, you know, there's been board action items such as, hey, we can get rid of Canvas and go to Google and save $40,000 a year. Well, when you start looking at, hey, what is that going to do to our teacher morale? Is the juice worth
109the squeeze? Hey, we vote to say, hey, let's pay that to help keep our teacher morale up for those younger grades. So, um, this this has nothing to do with teacher morale. Teacher morale is actually still high on our list of things that we look for and we're trying to improve our district in. So, so this is not something to knock down teacher morale at all. Um, I'm one of the ones who started talking about, hey, let's look at block scheduling versus versus seven period. Um, I didn't write a speech like y'all did. I kind of wanted to hear what was said tonight and kind of respond to some of it. Um, I started talking to Miss Dwey long time ago about it. Um, and looking at the history of when did we switch to
110block scheduling, how many schools out there do block scheduling. Um, you know, I started hearing talk 11 years ago when I moved here before long before I even had kids, much less even thought of being on the board and I'd hear complaints from from our neighbors who had students that were this was a soccer player, right? Um, and they would talk about when they had to travel to Lake Hamilton or whatever for an away game on a Thursday, they would miss the majority of their classes on a Thursday, right? And if they were doing block schedule, that was 50%. You know, they got them on Tuesday, they don't see them again till the following Tuesday. They don't see algebra or whatever it is till the following Tuesday. They have makeup work. It's hard on those
111students, right? Um, one of the things was, hey, if you have it seven periods a day and they travel on a Thursday to Lake Hamilton, well, they're missing one perhaps of that class. And it's not. They're not missing 50% of it. They see it more often. Um, there's a lot of data out there that says, you know, shorter periods of instruction more often are better than large periods of instruction, right? Comparing seven period days vice block as Mr. Engle said, "Hey, there's a lot of variables there. It's hard to compare." Yes, I I agree. There's too many variables to put the two right together and hey, look at test scores. Everyone does things differently. Some of the data, it says shorter periods of instruction more often. It it students retain it better. My experience as
112a flight instructor, five separate flights, five separate one-hour flights, you're going to get a lot more productivity than one five hour flight, right? And that's taking it to an extreme. We don't do a one five hour class here, but do that. Say say we had a five hours of of algebra in one day, attention spans get shorter, right? Um so having time to sleep on it, prepare for the next flight, shorter periods of there's some validity to that. So this was about let's explore the option. Let's ask the question. So the idea that we've damaged our culture, um we've damaged morale by saying what environment can we do to help improve student outcomes? I don't think there's anything wrong with asking that question. That's something that I feel that we should all be asking constantly
113as a board, as staff. What can we be doing better? Is there a better way to do business? And so, this was this was merely a let's go explore this option, see if it holds validity, see if there's a better way for our students to learn, right? Um, I heard I heard comments tonight about how much better we're doing here in recent years and I agree and and I'll make some comments here at the end, but I'm in favor of sticking with the block scheduling because I want these changes that we've put in and we've seen the results already. Hey, let's let these changes keep cooking. Let's see what we can do without changing the block scheduling. But if they don't change, if we stall out or we go back to to I I won't
114say state averages, we should be above state average. Um I'm going to reserve the right, hey, let's look at this again. Is this the right thing for us block scheduling? I grew up in a seven period day. Um from my understanding, we switched 25 years ago. It was kind of the fad dour back then and the data is hard to find but it looks like about 23% of the schools a little over 20% of the schools in Arkansas switched to block scheduling back then and since then a little over half of them have switched away from block scheduling back to seven period day. Um so most of the arguments that I've heard for not switching from block scheduling I simply ask well how is everyone else out there doing it right? Oh, we can't do
115a white coat program. Well, how's Cotter doing it? Well, I'm not going to have time for my IEP and 504 lessons and this that. Well, how are the other 90% of the Arkansas public schools doing this and getting these results? So, just because we've always done it this way doesn't mean there's not another way and the sky's is going to fall if we were to make a change. I can't get this done. We're going to have failing students. I reject that notion because there's 90 other% of 90% of the other schools out there are doing it and they are successful some of them. Um so saying if we do this oh my gosh the sky is going to fall is not necessarily true either. Okay. Um okay I've talked enough for a second here. I'll
116let somebody else >> Well, I want to come back because there is one argument that no one's made. No one's made this and I really can't believe in today's world no one has made it. I've heard talk about the college credits current credit this aligns and it does and I think that is perfect. There is there is an issue that is not going to go away. It's only going to grow called AI. And if I've heard one teacher say it, I bet I've heard 50 teachers. Well, students are going to teach with AI. And you know what? Yes, they are. Just like students have cheated with pencil and paper and everything else. What I will say about block scheduling is it poses us for the perfect place to have a teacher review, have a teacher
117teach a new concept. Students can practice. Students can then be split into small groups to challenge each other. I mean, I I kind of ran I kind of wrote how would I structure a class? I mean, I I taught for a short time, but how would I structure a class? And I sometimes thought taught three subjects in the same class period. So there's things out there that happen that you think how does a teacher do it? A teacher will always rally, but um you have time to do interesting things like break students into small group. It's not sitting and lecturing and it's not students starting to work on their homework. I have been the one that has consistently told Miss Dwey, I want block scheduling, but I want professional development to be had every year.
118And every teacher involved with block scheduling has to either be presenting or has to be attending a um a training on block scheduling. That's not unrealistic. It's always good to have refresher courses. It's always good >> that that's what happened. They started they trained Ruter got trained I'm pretty sure >> uh Wham maybe. I mean we have very few people that's been trained for 90 minutes >> and I think that needs to be that's just energizing and honestly with AI I think block scheduling poses us to have a handle on that. You can have students write in class. You can have students discuss in class. They can do the critical thinking. Are they going to have some homework? Yes, they are. But how many how many have you said students are going to take homework
119at home and they're going to run it through AI and that's your honor students just like it's your um your low your your students that are struggling to get up there. I know that I raised three honor students. They are not above sometimes trying to do something. So I I cannot vote against block scheduling the professional time. Teachers help us. How do we give you that time to do the work? Which I get it. Oh my gosh, it's a lot. How do we do that and maintain our budget? How do y'all come up help us help us come up with ideas? How do we maintain the budget and give a raise to our our teachers that have been here for 30 years or give a bonus? How do we do that? How do we give
120step increases? Every district doesn't do that. Some schools are stalling at that 50,000, but Mountain Home has said, "Well, no, we're going to keep on going up." How do we do that? We want to honor each individual teacher. We want to give you time to prepare, but we do have to make ends meet. So help us rather than think it's a threat, help us figure this out. Do we do we do without some classes so that we're um Miss Stewie, how we I've heard you put it and I thought it was very descriptive. We're very wide with our class offerings and some of our classes aren't full. We're very wide. Do we need to narrow our class load and fill our classes? But I did hear a comment today about the number of students. Not
121all of y'all have 30 students in every class. And so we've got to be honest about that to help us figure out how to make our budget work and give y'all what you need. >> Something that bother bothered me is so many of them was more concerned with their u planning time >> like they had to have the whole 90 minutes. I don't How how does and it's hard to compare elementary and pink and all it is >> but they can do that they can have a shorter period for planning. See that wasn't a policy that we had it was just given to them 90minute planning. >> You know that's something I wrote down and I was a little dare I say disappointed. Um, I wanted to hear more about why keeping block schedule was
122best for students and student achievement. And I heard a lot about planning and how it's going to affect the teachers by affecting their planning time where to me it's, hey, it's student achievement. What are we doing to improve student scores and student achievement? And I understand those two are related, but I'm said I heard a lot more of specifically, hey, this is how it's going to affect me, not this is why we need to keep this to keep our student improvement better. Mr. Blazdale gave the best example about, hey, we went to block scheduling and flipping that senior year. He was able to go do an internship which allowed him. So that was like those were the kind of examples I was really hoping to hear today is by keeping block scheduling, this is what
123it's doing for our students better than hey, it's affecting my planning time. Um just to piggy back a little bit on what you were saying real quick. >> Yes sir. Of course. >> And the reason why because we met but the rationale is keeping block schedule but eliminating some planning time. That's why the focus was on planning time. >> Okay. But but the thing is keep the block >> keep the block >> and modify reduce and modify. It can be reduced still having you can modify planning. You may have planning every day, but two of the days you may be helping another teacher for 45 minutes of a 90minute block. >> Okay. Um I also heard the question of why. We haven't heard the answer as to why. Um I had written down here, hey,
124this is not a fiscal issue for me. It has zero to do about saving money in our budget. Hey, we can save money here. That's not what that's not why I've ever started asking the question was to save money. Um, it was for me it was what are we doing differently to expect a different result, right? If we keep doing the same thing, how do we expect to have a different result? And when we're at state averages, and I think y'all are as good as any teaching core cadre in this state, why are we at state averages? Okay, what can we do differently? What should we be doing differently so that we achieve a different outcome? Because if we keep doing the same thing, we're going to keep getting the same outcomes. So that's where
125this conversation started at least for me. So maybe to answer the why, what can we do differently, we have recently started doing things differently. Um there was somebody mentioned fast Friday. Hey, we implemented fast Friday two years ago. Is there a correlation? Is there causation that suddenly our scores are starting to go up? Is it because fast Friday or not? I don't know that answer. But fast Friday, we talked about that is, hey, they're going to see each topic again one more time during the week. So if they're gone on Thursday on a trip or a sports trip or whatever, they will at least see algebra again before the the next week. Um, so that's the why. Um, that I don't think well I heard I haven't heard the why. >> So Mr. Truth, I
126interviewed several students. I inter my mentor class um working with Miss Hughes uh on a project. There was some extra time and she pulled in some students for me to to visit with them. I found it interesting when working with Miss Hughes the AP students. They they found fast Fridays exhausting. I mean just exhausting and they saw no point to them that was a waste of time. Um, in my mentor class, I did have two young ladies kind of to address who said, "We get so bored in class. We like the faster schedule." That was out of 15 students. I had six students. So, two students out of 21 found value in the fast Friday. I kind of have to listen to that. That's kind of a big deal. Okay. If there's no value here
127for the students, is it helping? Um, if block scheduling is done right, it works. Our teachers are proving that they're doing it right. Do I think some new student teachers coming in, even some teachers that are old veterans getting a little tired to use refreshers? 100%. Yes, I do. um the modified planning time. I mean, I' I've saw examples of a couple of different I don't know that that's even been explained >> to faculty. >> I would agree with that. >> And I I don't know that I'm This may cause I don't know that I'm ready to vote on this until y'all see what modified planning time looks like. >> What I would like to do is have an opportunity to meet with the joining committee and look at some options. And I don't remember
128which board member just said um somebody just said, "Help us find ways." >> Teachers are smart. I know y'all can figure this out. >> That's it. And I talked to a junior kind teacher today, this morning, >> and she said, "Get those strategic people together." >> Yes. >> And look at this. And I thought, there you go. >> That's if we continued with block schedule. First, I I want to speak up and as a retired teacher, I've been there. These are a lot of these were my colleagues for such a long time in this district. So, um I am focused on student academic achievement. Um I look at data. I try to analyze data. This was brought up as a fiscal issue as well, money. Um, so we do have that responsibility and those two
129things I feel like have to be prioritized in this decision. Um, I feel like we have to even though we have amazing teachers that are passionate about what they do, that's who I am too and who I always was with my students. Um, but I I do have to look at data and make data driven decisions. I did as a teacher and I feel like that's part of my role um here now. um from all of my that did I believe the board received the same. We all received data to look at compar comparing schools with our school with other schools of similar size and demographics. Um as much as closely as as as we can be to another school as far as what we look like. um their data um and many of them
130are outperforming us in many areas. Yes, we have made improvement and I don't want to take away from that but I was trying to look at what do they have in common like what is what does the research say? I noticed at and reached out and got information. Uh most of these schools were on a traditional schedule. Then I researched can schedules contribute to um achievement. Um and I I did find data or research several pieces that did talk about that. And Tyler, I know you went to flipping But they have they left the block and went back to traditional >> this year last year. >> Uh and and I do want to make that point. Um >> do you know why? >> No. >> There is a push. >> Yes. >> There was a
131push. My mom retired from there four years. Just this year the first year. There was a push for that mainly because flipping is countering through a back and forth. The numbers are so low they actually had openings that were not filled from my understanding. U and they with a small school the numbers are not there. Um they had issues with sports and it is an ongoing battle there if you ask. It is an ongoing there is some morale differences. There are a lot of teachers that are liking the seven period day in that small school district. They already have classes that are significantly lower. I have several friends that teach there. They actually have classes that are in the 12 single digit classes actually. They just do not have the numbers we have. Um they
132actually do not use mountain home as they actually bus kids. So it is a completely different scenario. I'm not saying there isn't some perks. I think everyone in this room would say there's some perks, but I think if you look deeper into that, it is it is uncomparable to where we are today. I do know that there was a lot of push for that internship when that happened when I was I graduated in 2013. Um it was used heavily for a while and I do think that the benefits are just what what the reason why it does not outweigh I think you would need to look deeper if we can make that comparison. >> Thank you. >> And thank you. um internships, work study, white coat, all of the things that we do go into
133a different schedule, a a traditional schedule. However, is any of that going away? Concurrent credit classes with ASU might not. >> We still have that partnership. Um, so I know some of the students had brought that up and and there is no way we would do away with vital partnerships with ASU Mountain Home Code ceremony um or or white code program. None of our internships would go away. Um, when I look at data, I have to ask why. Um it's telling to me and the research that supports that and we talked Miss Stewie about co-ad and inclusion students uh receiving actually having more section availability with co-taught teachers um and expanding that model. Um it gives more section availabil availability. Uh the absences for a missed time is one class period worth. When we miss
134on the block, it's two class periods of instruction. That's a concern. We have to look at what the data and research says. And I do not believe and will not believe that Harrison or Cabbat or Greenbryer or Greenwood or other schools that are the data that is reflected on our data sheet that they have more capable teachers or more capable students than us. So we have to consider what's going on. And uh Mr. Engel, I did reach out and talk to a couple of the assistant superintendents to ask about those variables because you had mentioned that to me in our meeting. Um, they don't have like an neither Harrison or Kabitt have ACT prep or PSAT prep, any of that. Um, KBIT looks a whole lot like us with demographics with the same similar free
135and reduced. I think it's exactly the same similar demographics uh free and reduced and they are performing at a at a much higher rate for our AP percentage passages and and also our atlas. Um, so I don't I don't know that we really understand that it we could be we can make great gains on a different schedule. We could, but um there's an additional 25 minutes of instruction with a seven period day. Um, I heard a lot about the planning time. Our elementary, our K through seven teachers are doing all of the work that you've heard Miss uh, Miss Lawrence talk about. They're having the CT meetings on their planning time. Um, >> IEPs, >> the IEPs, the 504s, >> um, >> during their their planning time. So, I I don't think there's a difference,
136uh, between the two. Um, some of the research from Texas, North Carolina, a national study said that there are higher scores in English, math, history, social studies, and science in traditional scheduling than block scheduling. And then we look at our data that we we have access to here. >> And that's counteract that. And I'd like to I'd like to put article to article. Um, I reached out to Susan Bergman who was the man, she was the gal who got it here. Um, she has sent me so many articles I finally quit reading them showing that block scheduling increases. I it's it there's always a magic formula that all of a sudden things are coming and I think this past year our high school teachers through Miss Dwiey's leadership, through Miss Lawrence's leadership, they performed certain
137things. Our scores went up. The magic formula has started. I hate to see us start messing when we're going up. I do think we have to think fiscally. We do have to think that way as well. I've seen teachers I have served on collaborative teams with teachers when there was a problem with trying to understand okay how do we how do we get our course scheduling our budget the planning period they can do it I think guys I need y'all to rise to the challenge I'm I'm going to fight for you on this one but y'all got to rise up and show us where are we going to save the money where are we going to offer the courses that we need to where do we need to cut courses that we just don't need
138to offer anymore and we need to fill up our classes and that justifies you having the planning period. Yes, I think our elementary students are doing that but many of our elementary teachers don't have the afterchool things that high school teachers do that I'll call a spade to spade but um we don't need to attack each other at all the different grades. We just need to figure out how do we keep our block scheduling because I'm convinced we change that. I think it's going to be it's gonna be rough and I don't see a reason to do that. What's what what's the point? I do think teachers, y'all got to help us figure out how do we make the course offerings the faculty salaries that we get to offer and we want to continue offering
139the bonuses. How do we make that happen and give y'all what you want so that our budget stays good? I mean, that's before we even start talking about a building. >> Yeah. Our budget is not good. >> We We got to help us >> and you if you get your budget out and you start doing it line by line by line by line, it's not good overall. It is not good. We do have to look at physical responsibility. Uh and I have talked to I have many friends of mine who have been in teaching profession and also administration and so forth and they told me where they dealt with block scheduling. That was the worst thing they ever done. >> Well, I talked to my daughter today and her district's trying to get to block
140scheduling. So, I I can't go by that kind of stuff. Well, 90% 90% of the people who school that were in block scheduling have left according to Scott. >> Well, maybe half of them or a little over half. >> Well, I think that can be skewed. I think some of the schools in Arkansas do traditional. >> Oh, okay. >> Now, I what I found a lot of and I think Mr. Engel mentioned this too, the different variables, >> you know, it's hard to find a concrete data that you know, each district is different, right? rather and they don't take, you know, demographics, different type of, you know, testing scenarios and things into consideration when they're talking about the schedule, you know, and and for me, what what I landed on is, you know, obviously the
141community, a lot of the teachers, a lot of the students are forced staying with block scheduling. And when you look at our data for just our district, not other districts, but our district, what we are doing is working well. what we are doing has us in an upward trajectory as far as morale for example you know I was a graduate here in 2008 I know there's some people here in the um audience teachers that were teaching then and now and I would say the student engagement and morale is significantly upgraded now than it was 15 to 20 years ago. So what we've been doing on the block has been working and you know I think making a change to that now would be extremely detrimental to the growth that we've had both for our teachers,
142our students and our community. You know it's very unique where we're at. You talk, you know, I hear Mr. Chney talk about the 650 athletes and ext extracurricular students that we have, the mental strain that it could possibly put on them. Um, and if you take the totality of all of that into it, I I found all the data I looked at was extremely skewed. You could find some support for um a traditional schedule in certain areas, growing students. You could find that same data uh for block scheduling as well. So, when you put all that into the pot, I think you have to look individually at your own district, not what somebody else is doing because it's significantly different than what we're doing here in Mountain Home. We're very unique as a school. We're
143very unique as an athletic program. We're very unique in a lot of areas. And I feel the growth that we've done since block scheduling has gotten to now has been significant. And so I think, you know, I want to share this with everybody to chew on. Making a change would would crush the morale of our students, our teachers, and our community. And now we're going to have to have this discussion again. It's it's not over. When you look at the possibility of a new school, the ninth grade coming up, there will be different opportunities for us to have this conversation with how the schedule may benefit that as our district change. But currently, until that happens, I think rushing to a decision here with the lack of clarity that we have on a lot of
144it to the community members and teachers would take us two steps back to the three steps we've currently gained up to this point. So, not saying that it goes away because again there are some perks that can be done if the information is shared properly or we have the proper planning in place prior to making a change. But until we do that, um I think we keep you know our same model going. Um and also a lot of the teachers and students that spoke, you know, appreciate y'all's insight. That's what we are looking for when we are making those decisions are hearing from the people that are are doing it. Uh but for me, you know, after looking at it, I think it it would crush a lot of the progress we've made as a
145district currently. And um you know, time can be your best friend. So, we have an opportunity of time to to study this, focus on this, and get the proper information out before what make what feels like a rush decision. Um but again, that that's what I wanted to say. And I did want to extend my appreciation to all all the educators and students that spoke here. It's been our biggest turnout. We really appreciate that. That's the feedback that we we need to chew on and when big decisions like this are at the are at the forefront. So, we appreciate that guys. Yeah. Thank you. >> Referring back to the financial piece, u spoke with Miss Dwey, we I asked her to analyze the student ratios, the staffing and all that. we came up or she
146indicated there were about 20 teachers that could add approximately 100 additional sections. >> 20 teacher on a block schedule. If we looked at doing some things different with planning time, there's about 90. If you do a traditional schedule on a seven period day without doing anything with planning times, you gain 25 approximately 25 classes. sections. >> Sections sections classes. >> Okay. >> Right. Because with the block, I would call that a block. >> You were doing the uh >> if we did something different planning time, >> you could do >> this conversation was about the first and eighth hour. >> Oh, that's a different option. You want to talk about that option? So, and those additional sections and analyzing >> Yes, you could do something completely different >> classrooms currently. >> Yes, you would do
147something >> and the open seats >> with open seats and looking at a hybrid type model. Yes. >> But we identified 15 to 17. I mean, if you look at class the sections that are not >> the open seats, >> it's over a million dollars is what you're you're talking about. and we're going to go to the voters and ask for a new building. And if we don't show them that we're going to be financially responsible for what we have, what we're doing, we're going to get beat again, guys. >> And we want attrition to take care of it. So, it's not going to be an instantaneous >> instantaneous thing. But we do have a lot of open seats, lots of small class sizes one um you know I looked at them there are some
148eight and nine that are not just our AP classes we that's normal for an AP class like AP physics to be to be small um but you know then I see schools getting reward money >> and I look at that and and I we want that that would help our budget we want the money I think we could do it They I will never ever say our teachers and students aren't capable of rising to the occasion and getting that. I was just really um I really it was really unbelievable that they were getting the test scores that they were getting on the traditional when we think that block is better and has been better. I mean the >> how is Bentonville and Benton scoring so high? >> Well, you can't compare. >> That's what I'm
149saying. You can't compare. >> It's not even a good comparison to compare us to state averages. >> Yeah. You >> I mean like I just saying you want to compare. We can't we can only do our teachers went from a C to a B. >> Why did that happen? That's what we need to look at. What made that happen? If we're looking at I I think a real key word here is a modification of the personal planning time. And that's where I challenge our teachers. >> Help us figure that out. You don't need to be penalized, but we want to keep giving you what you're getting. >> And don't be scared of the word modification either because that can be modified with input to yes. To still have similar time, but just more effective use
150of it. But I couldn't agree more on you cannot compare our district to other districts. I mean, >> you just can't do it. You know, I taught in a seven block period at at Rogers and and came from here. It's absolutely uncomparable to what our students face than some of those students in Bittenville and Cabbat and the other schools that we are comparing ourselves to. There is no comparison in the student population, the mental stress on it. uh the even if you had extracurricular activities into that alone, you know, you're talking students that are going 45 minutes or less to play games and do different things where we're traveling hours and hours and hours. It is just an uncomparable situation. And that's what I that's what I found from the from the data that I
151looked at is >> you just cannot compare our district to any district in the in the state. uh you know, we are one of the largest districts per our per population um being rural and it and it's just a in my opinion a completely different mindset. I I don't think you compare our district outside of anything. I think we're an anomaly um inside our area. And to your point, I think look at what we've been doing from the block. Let's celebrate the growth that we've had within that up to this point because we have done nothing but grow the last few years. And I think we need to focus on that, you know, lack of a better term, if it's not broke, don't fix it, you know, is kind of where I think we're at.
152And I think comparing anything outside of our district is unfair to our students and teachers after what I looked at at least. But >> well, we had traditional back in the 90s, and we did very well then, and we had more students than we have now, >> because my daughter Aaliyah graduated with 300 and something students. So >> the the entire district was larger then than than now. >> Yes. >> Haley's class had over 300. >> We did. Yeah. Ours ours did too. Yeah. Ours had like 325. >> There's a lot of doctors in that class. >> Barbara, it's hard to compare because when we look at data, you know, I I've been looking at ACT scores and looking at graduation rates. Um it wasn't until about 14 or 15 when >> 2016 >> 16
153when all of our kids took the ACT. >> Um so prior to that you only got your Saturday kids. >> So I'm going to say you got your your engaged children. Um so that data is hard to compare just like it's hard to compare to a different district. Um what I have seen over the years I've seen our graduation rates climb. um you know we our graduation rates were lower then um I was employed by the district um when block scheduling and the academy model was put into place. Um made me realize how old I am. Um so I was one of the first that got to travel to some districts that we thought were doing well. Um and that >> see that there that way you were comparing though. Mhm. We were we were
154looking Well, we were looking we knew something had so that many years ago um we saw the need that something had to change. That's all we we we so we had to look to these other places that may be doing something different than what we're doing so that maybe we can see a different outcome. Um and South Grand Prairie at the time was doing academy as well and part of our model um stemmed from their work. But at the end of the day um it was a bomber thing. That's that's why our academy model had so much success is because um our our faculty and staff um believed in it. Um they I mean they believed in it. Um, and I don't think that I don't think that culture has carried on like we thought
155it would all these years. I think that things have fizzled. Um, when I look around the room, I see maybe three originals. and being, you know, just being honest with ourselves. Um, I think things have changed. Our kids have changed, our instructions have changed. >> Um, so I look at the original model that worked and it worked for many years and then things started fizzling, things started changing, internships look differently. um the white copra. You look at all these great things that we're doing, but we never adjusted our schedule. We never adjusted those times. We just filled them with different things. Um sometimes I feel like we put more things on our teachers than what was necessary. Um so we look at schedules, we look at planning time. At the end of the day, um
156there's no real data. it's gonna say one thing is better than the other. Um, but I think we can all agree that we need to do what's best for our kids. >> That's number one, Tyson. That's always been >> it's the first filter we run everything through. What's best for our children. >> First of all, our our children, these kids who are excelling are going to excel whether we do block or tradition. We've got to look at those people down a little lower who need that daytoday face-toface English class every day, math class every day, because if they have it on Monday and then they're sick on Wednesday, they don't see it again till Monday. So they miss a lot of potential face-toface teaching time, you know, and and and I know there are teachers
157who teach the whole period. I understand that. But there are teachers who don't teach the whole period. And it goes there's a reason the preacher only preaches 20 minutes on Sunday because if he goes 25 minutes, we're sleeping. But you don't teach the whole hour and 20 minutes. It's not it's not a lecture. >> Yeah. But it's not. You you have your projects and you split it and you have the movement and you have the interactive discussion. >> Is that happening in every class? >> No. But it's not for in a seven period day either. It's just not. We're not going to have >> No, it's not. It's not. >> It's just not. >> Well, and Tommy, I I had some of those same thoughts initially like, you know, you're talking about let's take like
158a gifted student, right? Any schedule they're going to do well on, right? And then you take, you know, somebody that that needs some assistance that they could possibly benefit from being on the class time every day, right? We're also forgetting about a large portion of the students that are excelling under the current model. Though, like Molly said, you know, you have a lot of instruction time within that block, too. But you also have some time where you break into smaller groups and you can still assist those students more efficiently in a block time than you can a 50, in my opinion, in a 50 minutes schedule. Let's say you have a student that you need to catch some some stuff up on. You can have smaller groups, especially for maybe even in a co-eing situation
159to where there can actually be as much time efficiently to catch those students up in a block in my opinion than there is in a 50inute class period. Even though they might be seeing them dayto day, they have just as much time to be caught up within the block than they do the 50-minute time period. Some of those learners, >> how many kids who are making a C average are in the honors classes? >> How many? >> We're not talking just honors. We're talking I'm talking >> I'm talking non-honors students is what I'm No, I'm talking be in the same classes as the honor student. >> I'm talking your everyday student. Yeah. Take honors gifted and talented all out of it. Take your everyday student that doesn't take a single AP class that they're in
160a regular schedule. That's a majority of your student body. >> Exactly. >> And so I I I think that they can benefit as much during this current schedule as they could a 50-minute schedule as far as even individual learning goes. I said they teach flight lessons 1 hour at 85. >> Can I put Mr. Rucker on the spot back here? >> Well, or you got Well, I want to ask you something before you address this. You were here originally. You've taught the seven period. You were part of the academy model coming in. You teach high-end classes and you've taught some some struggling classes. >> How do you structure your your block? How do you structure >> on me for that? Because that's why I raised my hand. So to today in a struggling geometry class
161actually two of two of them uh um struggling on transformations reflections and things like that is difficult for many students and so for the first 25 or 30 minutes I was able to review the previous week's instruction with them over the three different types of transformations. Uh but but as I know from watching my dad tear apart lawnmowers, that wasn't enough. Just watching them wasn't enough. It wasn't until I started trying to put them together that you really learn. So after 30 minutes of me reviewing with them, I let them get on a good program. Delta Math is one of the curriculums that we use. It's a free curriculum. You can applaud that. >> Yeah. >> But anyway, uh it's a really really good program for this and I'm able to monitor them and around
162and and uh and watch and they're actually able to to rotate figures and do the circles and perpendicular lines and review things that we've been doing. It was fantastic. And uh there's no way there's no way we really could do that in a different schedule because if I try to review with them on a on a 50-minut schedule or 45 minute schedule, you know, and then hope they retain that the next day and then pick back up that program, it would just be lost. So it was really really nice. And we do we do things like that all the time. And I was able to to text the rest of my department and because they knew that I was doing that today and they were planning on doing it as well. And so I was
163able to tell them, "Yes, go forward with this. This is this works." And and so we communicate like that. That's how tight we are >> right down in geometry. And so that's just that's just an example of how block is used. And I think we had a guy named John Strey. Is anybody old enough to remember that guy? >> Was Chetnik there? >> Yeah. And wasn't wasn't that for the block? Isn't that why he came? And and I'm just mentioning his name as an example. I don't even know if he's still around anymore, but he was he was the best we had ever had for a workshop on that back in the 2005, six, seven, eight, something like that. And teaching on the block and things like that. And there's there are would be some
164effective trainings uh with that that we, you know, that we could do. But I'm a big believer in that and in the block and that it can be done right. I appreciate someone saying that a teacher that's ineffective on the block may very well also be ineffective in the 50-minute period as well. And I appreciate the time for that. And my friend, Mr. Engel has had his hand up way longer than I would like to say something. >> Go ahead, Madison. >> I'd really like to say two things. One, my beautiful wife whom I love with all my heart is an elementary teacher. So my comment about was no way to attack an elementary teacher. >> Thank you. >> A very different thing. >> I'm not going to go be an elementary teacher. The grass
165isn't greener. So, that was never my intent. It's strictly a minute for minute. >> Do you do you want to say that into the microphone just to help you out? Just to help you out at home later. Uh >> she's probably asleep. She's exhausted every day of her life. >> Um second thing I'd like to say is I'd like to share how my last two prep periods have been used if that be okay. >> Yeah. Wednesday, my pray started at 1:40. I went to the bathroom because that was my first opportunity of the day to go to the bathroom. And then until I left school, I worked one-on-one with a student who had missed my class for two days. Today, I helped a student fill out their scholarship application while I was writing two letters
166of recommendations for different students. And that is how I used my prep period the last two days. So, our prep period isn't about us. It is about these kids, but it's in ways that you probably don't even imagine we have to use our prep to do. I have a stack of tests this big, which are all open response because gosh, I want some DLK questions three and four. I don't want to just dump out multiple choice where the kids are mindless little robots. That takes time to do. It takes time to grade. And none of that got done this week because there were more pressing issues with students in my room. So, Please don't think this is about us. This is literally the opposite of that. It is about these kids. And that's really I
167think if you've been in the classroom before, Mr. Ringle, I think a lot of people would understand. Appreciate you saying that. But yeah, you guys don't do this profession for yourself. >> Yeah. You do not do it for yourself. And I think if you've ever been in a classroom, you understand that. And we appreciate what you guys do because, you know, we know you're not doing it for the money. we know you're not doing it for yourself. You'd be doing something different if that was the case. So, we we we fully understand that you guys are here for the students and we we very much appreciate that. Thank you for saying that. >> Something I would like to see is how much because we cut back on uh computer time in the classrooms. I would
168like to know how how much they are off >> how much they are on the computer. high school >> and maybe junior high because they both block schedule. >> So, we can pull that data usage from last month that Miss Camp shared >> and I mean it's going to be more than elementary, but they're also like the program that Mr. Rucker was referring to is Delta Math. That's online, right? >> Can I make a suggestion? Hold on. >> Oh, I'm sorry. Yeah, go ahead. No, >> Mr. President, just a point of order. Um, we are using Robert's rules of order. Mr. Bush has a motion on the table to approve the superintendent's recommendation. A and I I appreciate all the comments, but but the time for those comments you called for before Mr. Boo's motion.
169Now, >> we're still following Robert's. So there is there is a motion >> discussion. Do >> you have >> No, we have a second. >> No, we had a second. >> I think I seconded. >> Yes, she seconded it. >> Yes, sir. >> You have you have to have the motion. You have to have a second. >> We are in the discussion period. We have the second. All this discussion is fine, but it's misplaced. It's out of it. >> Are you not prepared to approve the uh the recommendation? It seems to me out of difference to all the folks >> what tap we're still discussing. So it it me allowing you to speak is outside of that. >> This is this is a distraction from the topic at hand. I'd like to stay on the
170topic at hand. We can discuss this >> plenty afterwards. But >> Miss Horton, I will get you I'll get you that number and Miss Lawrence has that right now. Okay. And Mr. Rucker, can I quick clarification for you, sir? You mentioned, hey, you spent the first part of your period 25 to 30 minutes reviewing last week's um last week's study. If you taught these same students every day, would you still need to spend the 25 to 30 minutes reviewing last week's or would it be more fresh on their mind from, hey, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and now we're on Thursday? Can you clarify your thought on that please sir? >> Yeah we had to give the atlas test on Monday >> and so then that made it several days >> um and even even if even
171if I had I would have >> after I've taught them three >> because what happens is you teach one transformation reflections they might get that but then you add the next one the next day and then they start getting them all mixed up with each other. So, it's nice to no matter what schedule you were on, you'd want to have a day where you kind of put them all together and and did that. And uh and I can't I not found a better uh delivery system than the Delta math for that one for that particular thing. It was it was wonderful. It just allowed them to to rotate things and do some hands-on there and they got to it was so much easier than with compasses. They do the circles and things like that on
172there. So, our schedule. We need you need a recap day like that to put it all together for those things. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you for the question. >> Yes, sir. >> There's been a lot of great points here made tonight. I I would say I've heard a lot of fear of the unknown too, right? Whether it's we don't have the data one way or another, but it's oh my gosh, there's a change. You know, I hear talk about teacher burnout. We have teachers that are burning out. We're we're close that will Could a change impact that for the positive? Why does it have to be to the negative? Right? May maybe going to a traditional system like 90% of the other schools out there, maybe it's going to work better in light
173of what you said, have we've added all these these programs, but we haven't adjusted our schedule. Maybe some of that stuff. I don't think there's anything wrong with exploring and thinking about, hey, maybe this is actually going to be better in the long run, or is there a better way to do this? How can we adjust the schedules? And I've heard a lot of that of of fear almost of making a change. And I think that's a normal human response is, hey, something's going to change. Let's not do that. Um, but let's explore it. Right? As I said here when I talked to I'm in favor of keeping it. Let's let the changes that we've made in the last few years, and there have been changes, a lot of changes since Miss Dwiey's come in
174here. Let's let those changes cook and let's continue that upward trajectory. But if if we stall out, if something else changes, I think we need to continue to look at what can we do better for student achievement, giving our students the best outcome. The the arguments of, you know, seven period day is too stressful for the students, etc. Once again, I go always go back to well, how are all these other schools that are traditional program doing? It is a stressful day. is that actually best for preparing our students for the real world which is is busy. Um >> I think stress is the most overused word in English. >> Yeah. >> So >> I don't want to blame teachers. >> Oh gosh. No. >> And students. >> I was looking for a possible something
175that would be better help us achieve more. I mean, we cannot have 70% of our ninth graders not reading on grade level. I mean, we cannot we cannot keep doing that. I I refuse to believe that it's teaching. I refuse to believe that our students are less capable. That is the only reason why I entertain that. what a new schedule this research and looking and comparing. Yes, I did compare us to other schools with similar demographics that was and it wasn't that our teachers aren't working and working really really hard. I refuse to believe that that wasn't happening like I know that they are. My my children have these amazing teachers that have spoken up to amazing teachers that have impacted him incredibly. Yes. On the block schedule, but my my kids gradu my kids
176graduated reading on grade level and and uh I cannot I it's the great equalizer. You say Molly >> passion is >> the I just can't it if We've got to I I know we've shown some growth, but I that's the only reason why I went this way because I wanted to know what other districts that were similar to us, how what was different. I refused to say it's teachers. I'm looking at how we spend our time teaching, what that time looks like. And then I went to all of the research that I could find and it supported spreading it out across five days. I understand where the teachers are and Miss Lawrence I would never question teachers department head's expertise but I also am an educator as well and I I would never want people
177to think it was me and I don't think it's you I don't think it's you do we have teachers that could make some improvements personally probably that's in every school district but like I couldn't wrap my mind around why our scores look like this although they are improving compared to other score other schools that look like us. I we we're special. I don't know that our we're unique and different in our students and what our students. >> We are unique when you ride a bus four hours to West Memphis, play a game, >> come back at 3 in the morning, >> come back and the next day you got to go into class. We're very unique. My daughters showed up at Dell Leonard's uh locker room at 6:30 a.m. in the morning every single day.
178The seniors would drive and pick up the sophomores. They did not get home till 6:30 at night. I feel like Brad kind of participated in some of this. >> So, we are unique. We are very >> very unique. We're the only district in the state of Arkansas that has that travel schedule. It is unbelievable. >> You know what? In 1973, we drove to Springdale, Sylum Springs, R. Our closest home game was Valley, uh, closest conference game was Valley Springs and Harrison. The rest of them was Huntsville, >> Sako, uh, >> Rogers, >> all that. >> I would have to not to date you on that, Tom. That's 50 years ago, though. >> But the roads were worse. But we still made the trips and we still got home and we went to school the next
179day. >> Right. >> And we maintained our grades otherwise you wouldn't have played better. >> Yeah. Which was the same from what Molly saying still currently have to do the same thing. Yeah. >> But um >> but our students still have to grow. >> Yeah. >> Which they have. >> No growth model. >> Which they have been right. >> But you can't take you can't take them out of class on Tuesday at noon and not go back to that class till the next week. >> No, they go back on >> they go back on Thursday. They they don't miss the entire week. Yeah. Yeah. They only miss a day. They only miss they'll only miss a single day. >> I really think we're missing the great key and I'm watching it and it's I'm really
180excited because I haven't seen this. I haven't seen this and I've said this to Miss Dwey. >> I want us to go back and have those meetings. I want Acme teachers to meet and say, "How could we fix this problem that the board's talking about?" I want those CAB teachers to meet. What happened to the the academy model has kind of diminished and maybe that's okay. I don't know. I would like to see our teachers collaborating together to fix the problem. We see the problem. The problem is we've got to make our budget a little looser so that we can provide the things that we want to provide. You guys can fix it. I know you can. I know you can figure out where you get your planning time for. I know you can do
181it, but we have to be given the time. And right now, we have the perfect time because we're in block scheduling and they have a prep period every day. And I know we can find those times to collaborate. If teachers aren't talking to each other and upholding each other and figuring out the plan, we've lost. I mean, I I that's how I taught my classes. That's how I'm a big one on collaboration. I'm a big one on teachers meeting together and figuring out meeting with the administrators and saying what is it we got to do >> they do they'll do it >> yeah PLC should yeah before that >> but have they addressed this >> in PLC's >> did they know this was the problem >> started PLC they started it later than >> now
182I will say that would not probably be the goal of a traditional PLC no I will say that it's a different type of collaboration yeah different type of collaboration >> one thing we need to do is we need to take some stuff off of them. >> I agree with that. That's why I'm saying look at our course load. Look at >> Do you need to have all the incentive programs that we have? I I think y'all got to start talking about that. We don't know that you have too much to tell us, hey, this isn't even working. >> What we need to get rid of. >> I mean, it they've been this been going on for years. They they buy something new, but they don't take anything off >> and you're overwhelmed. I've never seen
183them. >> Can I sum sum it up from the teachers point of view real quick if you don't mind? >> Sure. >> I want to say that the academic focus that has come out in the last couple years is all because of this. >> Absolutely. >> Miss Lawrence, >> previous to that, we just wanted to make everybody happy with, you know, the rigor in the classroom. It wasn't demanding. these ladies are demanding but we're doing it. I mean there's been a new focus about us meeting get together uh common uh formative assessments. I mean we can send a kid out of her class to his class and be right at the same page. >> We've never had that before. And how do we do that? Because we're meeting DLC. our kids grades are going higher
184because we're getting them in RTI to to figure out what they are weak in. So, we're working. I do want to say something about the grade level reading. It's not a high school issue. It's not a junior high issue. It's a Mountain Home School issue. And the state has really stepped up with the new program. They got to be on grade level third grade. >> That's going to help us on up. >> Yes. But we teach what we are given at the high school. We meet them where they are and try to move them. As far as the thing, the recommendation with our high school staff, we talk. We are so glad that the recommendation is to stay on block scheduling, but the thing that we have questions about is losing some planning time. We
185understand that some teachers can push into another class during that planning time. and they do, but not all teachers can do that. So, what do we do? Do we create another class for that teacher? If we do that, that makes the class sizes small. And what have we heard tonight? Class sizes are small. They need to be bigger. That's just something to think about from that aspect. >> So, we say one thing and then we say something else. We will do whatever, but we will fight for what we really feel is best for the teachers to get ready for the kids. And they're doing it. It's fantastic about what they're doing. From two years ago, we were here. Now we're here. They're excited. We had PLC. Oh, I don't want to go there. They're excited.
186They got agendas. They got presidents. They got speakers. They got timers. I mean, they're getting it done. Thanks, Steve. >> When did we introduce PLC's? >> Um, we started CT years ago. Um, high school really got on board two years ago, three years ago. And I would I will honestly say it's night and day from three years ago. >> And I think they all would agree. >> Um, just what you heard Mr. Rucker say, talk about, >> that's how it should look. >> Exactly. So, uh, we have a motion. We have a recommendation. We have a motion. We have a second. Do we want to amend the main motion? Do we want to leave the recommendation as is? >> I'm going to ask this question before I vote. I have to make sure I understand
187effective use of block scheduling. I think professional development should be um required for block scheduling every year. If you're already good at it, then you help do the professional development. You become a leader in it. >> I mean you what where don't you get two two hours if you're a leader and one hour for so that's an easy that's an easy thing. Um, I feel very uncomfortable with just modification, reduction of personal planning time because we don't know I don't feel like we know what that is. >> Yeah, I would agree. >> Modification, what does that mean? And I I think in if if my day was being modified and I didn't know what it was, that creates tremendous anxiety. Um, so I don't know if I'm asking for it to be tabled till that's
188clarified or do we can we vote with with creating a group >> administr we do have a group. Okay, that makes me feel better to kind of look into that to see what the modification >> things that I heard from this group multiple times. Okay, >> was equity. >> Consider to look at equity. think about equity. This was a way, >> I'll be honest, this was a way so that possibly we could get what teachers asked for, begged for, which was lock scheduling. So, this was a way to level the playing field at least a little bit, >> as that's what folks that's what I heard from you all. >> That's right. >> And so, trying to trying to make it okay for everybody. Um, There is a scheduling committee and my suggestion or my
189intent would be to meet with that committee again and do if this passes to do exactly what you all have talked about. Okay guys, how can we make the best use of the people in this building realizing that when community I'm going to be honest when community looks at planning time they don't understand >> they don't understand they don't understand why in the world that many minutes are needed >> in 7:30 to 3:30 and that's what they see I understand that's not the case I think everybody at this table knows that >> but what can we do to ensure that we are using every single you saw 80% of our budget is humans right and we want it to be that's where it should be but what can we do to make sure we are
190using every possible minute the most efficiently >> I want to kind of piggyback off Molly's question real quick then it's probably time to move on to our to our final decision I I was thinking along along the lines of of what she was and what I've heard from our teachers and administrators tonight is a lot of passion which we should have >> and uh a lot of support from the administration to the teachers. It's clear that you guys believe what we're doing is working and I think anytime you have something with that much belief um that you should stick with it and and so based on what we've seen tonight, I guess my question or or statement would be we if we could amend it to keeping the current schedule model as it is and
191has been with the option of exploring the plan time, right? Is that to clarify it? >> It doesn't say it's a slash >> because it says modification, >> but to clarify, we're voting on keeping the current schedule and then allowing the discussion on how the modification of plan time would look. Correct. >> If you want to change, >> it does say modification slash >> reduction because we may have to reduce. We have to look at every possible option. >> Yeah. Which I which I agree with that. >> And what I was told was block schedule. Whatever we got to do, block schedule. Now we're hearing no. >> What do you do with that? Yeah. >> Real quick. >> Question. Okay. >> Yeah. >> The way this is worded, just so I clear, if you say
192yes, does that mean there has to be the way this word, it looks like you say yes on this, there has to be a modification reduction. If we vote no contest or no on this, that would indicate now we can look into maybe modifying this in the future because if you vote yes, the way this is worded to me feels like it has to be modified and has to be reduced. >> That's how I read it. >> That's how I read. I just want to clarify. >> That's how I read it. >> Yeah. >> I think we would be on board to help with you guys. I love what Molly said. All of us in want to help because we know that's what you want. We would like a discussion before we get told it's
193going to happen no matter what. We would love to be a part of that. Yeah, that's all I'm saying. Thank you. >> I agree with I think you would be a part of that on the amendment for sure. I think that would be the goal of it was to have you guys a part of that and have input on how that would look. >> I almost feel like that's a tableabling. >> I was going to say >> a tableabling situation. >> To your question, you can table it. There's a motion in a second, but you can introduce a motion to table it until next month if you want to talk about this further or whatever. That's an option. >> Modification can be five minutes difference. >> Yeah, that modification I think the faculty's got to
194know what's their schedule going to look like. >> There's no way we can get a per there is no way in November, even in December, that we can tell teachers exactly what their schedule is. >> No, no, no, no. What I mean by that is are they block or are they seven seven day that I I'd like to you know oh shoot up here because this is hard but >> what do you say >> knowing knowing that there is a committee that's looking I I just would like I would like faculty administration input and for everyone listening Miss Dwey has put so much thought and so time and she's so for faculty, but she also has to look at the budget. I just want y'all to know this is a hard place. This is a
195hard place. And this woman has done a yman's task. I'm very impressed with how she's trying to look at all options. So, I want y'all to understand that. I do think we can vote knowing that there's a committee in place to look at this modification. >> I think we just say modification. I don't think we have to. I mean, it could be reduction, but it's not going to be an increase. We know that >> that's all we need is an amendment. >> Personal planning time. >> So, we need an amendment to the main motion. So the amendment I would make would be the effective use of block >> and a modification of personal planning time >> to ensure efficiency and >> so take redu just take reduction out of it currently not meaning that there
196wouldn't maybe be a reduction but there could be there still could be a reduction because that could be a modification >> I would second that amendment >> is that your motion >> that is my motion >> so you're making the motion >> that is my motion >> the main motion and we have a I would second that amendment to that motion. >> Is there And now and now now we discuss the amendment. >> The only reason why I would say real quick that I support the taking the reduction off is not to say that there might not be a reduction, but it allows input, open input from everybody and and everybody being a part of the scheduling process as far as that goes. I just think the word reduction can throw people off. To Miss
197Dwy's point, it can only be five minutes. that reduction would be not would be nothing >> and so reduction maybe think 15 20 30 minutes I don't think it would be near that much so I think by taking it off and just using the word modification allows the discussion to >> be properly had >> if we vote for it it is as it is we vote against it >> no all you're doing right now is voting to take the word reduction out so you've got two motions on the table >> okay I'm talking about keeping block scheduling >> we're not there yet >> okay >> the amendment has to be voted on. We're going to change the wording. Then we have to go back to that motion as amended. >> So the first vote is
198just about that word >> checking out the word reduction. >> I'm I'm in favor of that. It it reduces I mean that that word ties your hands a little bit. It gives a little bit more flexibility. >> I think the word is incredibly alarming and I apologize if that has created >> some of today. I think you're just being clear that that's a possibility in fairness to you. >> I would agree with that. I I think it was just >> nothing. >> So, we've got a motion. We got an amendment. We got a motion. We got a second. Is there any more discussion on the amendment? >> To be clear, we're going to be voting on the amendment, not the >> to remove the word reduction out of recommendation. >> Okay. All those in favor?
199>> All those opposed? The amendment passes. So the motion on the table is the recommendation with the removal of reduction. >> I will make a motion to approve. >> Oh, we already got the motion approve. So okay, >> all those in favor, >> we're ready to vote. >> Wait, wait, wait. What are we voting on one more time? >> So now we're voting on the actual schedule without the word keeping block schedule. >> We're voting on >> May I read the recommendation? >> Miss Dwey, would you read the recommendation? >> I'm going to read >> the amended. The amended recommendation that has already had a motion and a second in discussion. I recommend that the daily schedule for Mountainome High School Careermies remain as is with professional development to ensure the continued effective use of
200the block and a modification of personnel planning time to ensure efficiency and continuity of programming. >> Motion second. All those in favor? All those opposed. Motion passes. Okay. Board discussion. >> I have a couple quick things for board discussion and part of it an extension of this here. This was never about inadequate teaching or anything like that. I started off by telling Miss Dwey, you can put our teacher cadre against any other district in this state and there and we are we're equal or better. There's no reason why our teachers are substandard why we can't be achieving excellence. So it's not our teachers, right? Our students don't have less capacity to learn some other district. So what is it? Right? So that was the foundation of why are we looking at it? Miss Marsha was
201hinting at it and she said it better than I could. So that was one of the first foundations. So um I think you know to what Mr. said, "Hey, when block was first implemented, I think there was a lot of passion behind it. We did a lot of collaboration. Hey, making it work and I think it was very successful." And I suspect I haven't been in the district that whole time. It's fizzled. Um, and I think Miss Dwey coming in has lit a fire back into it. We've re-energized it. We're blocking work again. We're seeing a positive trend. So, let's keep letting that cook. As I've said, let's keep watching that positive trend. But if we fizzle or hey, we decide, hey, this isn't working. Hey, let's revisit this. There's nothing wrong with looking at
202it. I'm looking from the outside. I'm not a professional educator. I have not been in education. I told Miss Dwey, I will defer to the folks that have been in education for 30 years and master's degrees on master's degrees and said, "This is what we need to do." This is me as a non-educator looking at the outside looking at it first principles. Why aren't we? What can we do differently? Um, so I will always defer to that, but I can still ask those questions. Say, "Hey, why what can we do differently?" Okay. Um, secondly, thank y'all for being here. Um, I I got a few emails from staff. I think I got a grand total of two emails from staff. Please reach out to us. We're here to represent the district. And I think there's
203a there's some understanding or some belief that you can't reach out to me and talk to me, right? I want this, right? I'm not re representing just the students and just the taxpayers. I'm representing y'all, too. I'm trying to do what's in y'all's best interest. So, please do not be scared at least to talk to me. I can't speak for them. Reach out and talk to me. I have sat down and had a cup of coffee or met people in their classroom and I'm willing to meet and talk to y'all about this at any given time. So, please reach out and talk to us. You don't have to save it to hear. If you talk to me beforehand, I can get a different perspective. I can sleep on it a couple of nights and we
204can formulate new ideas than then maybe, hey, we just had tonight to think about this and and redo it. So, please please keep reaching out and talking to us. Okay. I Yeah. Okay. Enough on that. Please reach out. I'm communicatable. Call me, talk to me. I'm happy to meet with you and talk to you. >> I I think what Scott said is very important. I hear from community members almost daily on these issues, but I but I don't ever hear from teachers. I've I hear more from students and community members than I do teachers. But if you guys have something like that, like Scott said, that's the most important piece of the puzzle is hearing from you guys. And so anytime that you have an opportunity or a thought, reaching out to one of us
205is would be welcomed because it gives us more of an insight of where you guys are at, who's doing it every day, who's actually teaching the stuff, who's facing the problems, because we don't face the problems you do or don't know about them unless we're communicated with. So I I would agree with that. Any opportunity you have to reach out to us is welcomed. I'm not speaking for the rest of but definitely for myself. um because that does nothing but help give us information and and and stuff to uh to chew on hearing from you guys. >> Okay, I have a different issue. Last month, I it was already alluded to about fundraising for our high school building. Now, I'm not going to lie when I first heard this from a community member. I about
206had strokes. I think Mr. Booth can testify about fell on the floor. $30 million give or take a few fundraising because there's money in our local banks. But I woke up in the middle of the night and I thought, you know, that gentleman who said that to me, he is a constituent. He is a member of this school district and I owe it to him to give value to his his remark to what he's thinking. So, I made it my mission to talk to big-time fundraisers. I talked to people from the hospital. I talked to people from ASU Mountain Home. Um, I talked to some state people who fundra. And I said, "So, so what do you think? Can you fund raise for a high school building?" First off, you really don't want funds. You
207don't want planned gifts to fund a high school building. Now, my work at ASU Mountain Home kind of proved that to me because we had about four planned gifts that when the deceased person was able to give their gift, there was no money. So, there you've done things based on that money's going to come in and it doesn't show up. No fault of anyone. It's just the money was spent. So, you can't use plan gifts. It's got to be cash in the bank. one of the biggest fundraisers I know, and I promised I would not give names, but but privately I I can I can talk. If we were to even entertain the thought of fundraising, you would have to have $10 million in the bank before you announced a capital campaign for it to
208succeed. Now, these are people who have done it on I I I mean, that is what their whole passion is. Along with that $10 million that you'd already have to have in the bank, you would need at least 100 potential potential donors that could come up with the next 10 million. That's not a realistic possibility. Can we fund raise for extras? Absolutely. Names on buildings, names on uh on classrooms gets us better science lab equipment. There was an art camp held this past summer by a donor who had a lot of passion and wanted more things done for the art department. This donor did not build the classrooms to fund it. She just made it better. So, I just don't want to waste time going down a rabbit hole that's not it's not feasible. If
209you look at the big top and talk talk to Rotary, whatever, they're already doing stuff. They're providing scholarships there. Arvest gave $4,000 to the education foundation for scholarships and teacher grants. That's not going to make a dent in >> our building and staff banker furniture. My gosh, we're donating stuff. >> Be we've got to be realistic. We have to provide a safe, secure building for our students, but we cannot provide that building through fundraising. That's not realistic. That provides the extras. So, I I want you to know value was given to it. I went into it very open-minded. Not one. And when I say I went to the state level, these were some people that also fundra at Washington DC and they said that's just not possible. So, you need to have a dedicated source
210of revenue to pay for your buildings. That's just a realistic thing. >> I'll say, >> as you said, I I was there. I didn't take that away from this constituent that he wanted to fund the entire project. >> That's what I told the chamber. also talked about >> what he was saying here this night is hey I can't give a bunch of money but I could give $50 if it got my name on a chair or provide something right it's kind of what Mr. perhaps said at the beginning, anything that we can do to reduce what we're asking for from the taxpayer, even if it amounts in thousands of dollars, not millions, it's it's it is reducing the burden, whether it's laying bricks of the building or the stuff that goes inside of that building.
211It all helps. I think it is something that should be entertained. Um, it provides those constituents have buyin, right? that constituent if he winds up donating for the replacement of the high school, not saying we're going to raise anywhere near to actually build it, but it provides buyin for him. Like he is now a part of that effort and the more we can solicit that and more that we can take people in our community to buy in and be invested in this, I think it's good. I started talking to Miss Dwey a couple years ago about it. I thought we should have a way to raise capital funds for and the example was when the the brick planter was crumbling in front of the high school. We didn't have money in our budget to go
212replace that. I was like, that's almost something that we can put out there. Hey, can we can we have some campaign so people can contribute so we can replace that planter without coming out of the district funds if we don't have that. So, I'm still in favor of having some way >> that's a total different beast. That's a different beast than raising for a high school. We really have to watch our verbiage because you get out there that we're going to raise funds to build things then you're going to hurt your millillage hurt your voter. >> You're going to hurt it. You're going to hurt it bad. >> The foundation education foundation can open a line item account at any moment if you want to give money to fix those brick planters. That's a grant
213that it can go right in right out. Okay. >> So that's in place. I mean, I mentioned $50,000 was donated to the art department to make it better, to buy supplies to do some innovative art projects. Um, we've got some stuff out there for the engineering department. We've got that's taking place. And that's what I want to point out. It's already in the works. The athletic department, um, the band, they're fundraising all the time. The banks are hit up almost daily. Almost daily. If you have a business in this town, Yes. If you have a business in this town, it's gonna get hit. >> So, you got to be real careful. >> Sure. >> In in talking this. And yes, if you I I tell you, the junior high science lab could really use some
214extra chemicals. >> Sure. >> Heard that. So, I would love for your eye clinic to donate that to the education foundation. We could >> That constituent though, he's talking to a different demographic than that. the ones that are getting hit up for for donations all the time. >> This person that donated $50,000 is the demographic he was talking about. They have to have the passion. >> If you tell that constituent, I'm not interested in your money. It's not enough to do anything. I don't want it. You have lost that. You have lost that voter. So, if he wants to give $50 or whatever he can, whatever he can afford to further us getting a new high school facility, by all means, we should be welcoming that. We should have a place to put that money
215that he wants to invest in it and provide buy into us getting to that point, >> which we do, right? I think he can do that. I think what I'm trying to add another level. It's going to just burn everybody out. >> It is in place. >> Okay. If somebody wants to donate that money, it goes into a line item account. >> But that doesn't exist right now though, right? >> Do what? >> She's got it. >> But okay. Well, it hasn't it hasn't existed then, right? Okay. That that's the whole point is >> I mean I think I asked you to make the first donation and and it would have gone right into that account. >> I think you asked him to make the first >> I asked both of >> So if that
216exists, that's the whole idea, right? That was that's the idea >> and it exists. Okay. >> It exists. >> That's that's what he wanted. So, where's your checkbook? >> But you can't do 30 million. >> Yeah. Oh, of course not. And I don't think that was his intent either or his point. So, >> I took away a different story, but and I took value in it. That's why I researched it. Okay. >> That's why I looked into it. >> Well, thank you. >> Somebody told me that you can't name a high school after. >> There's there is a set of rules on naming public buildings. It isn't our policy, and I'm not even going to try to quote it right now because I do not remember specifics, but it has to do with somebody who's
217still living. Um, it has to be if more than 50% of the funds are used, well, yeah, make sure I'm right. 50% of the funds are used or um state dollars. You can't name it for somebody. Okay. >> Um, >> there's all kinds of rules. >> Um, they're not I mean, they're what you would expect, but I can forward that to you. No, I just heard that because you don't and I started thinking about you just don't >> Noville High School. It's Bentonville. It's Bville West >> because anytime your state money is being used for a certain percentage that those and that's not our rules. That's not our policy. That is state. That's code. >> But you can do the middle schools and >> I think it's all the same. >> Well, we got Kingston,
218>> we got Hackler has something. Yeah, we'll send it to you. 7.2. >> We'll get that up and see. >> I bet if you donated $38 million, they'd name it Tommy KN High School. >> Almost guarantee that Mr. N. >> I bet we can put Tommy Kn High School up there for $38 million. >> Oh, we had That's right. You need an age. >> You have to be a certain age. >> 75 years old >> to have it. >> How close are you? >> I'm 75. >> Well, you have to be 75 named after you. >> 75. >> And then it has a certain percentage. I mean, it's got or you have to have been dead. >> I mean, Mr. Knight, I consider you an individual with historical significance in the community. So, maybe we
219could look at you and change >> maybe hysterical, but I don't know about historical. >> Okay. Any other board discussion? Okay. Hearing none. Going on. Superintendent's update. >> Um, I just want to take a second to thank the junior high junior high staff. I see one and some that do both. Miss Rudolph, I saw you. Um, it's not Miss Rudolph anymore. It's Miss Proctor. >> Um, and the high school staff that's here tonight. Um, you have stepped it up. You've done and it is noticed and you're well on your way. I mean, you're doing the work and thank you for that. Um, so proposal has been made to keep block scheduling and I do want to meet up probably 1 of December, maybe the second week we get back with that scheduling committee. Um, I
220will work with some folks that are on that committee to send out a way to gather suggestions, data, all sorts of things because this doesn't have to be decided right now, but we need to be working towards what can we do? What is something that can show effort being made to making sure we are using doing everything not just efficiently, I mean not just effectively, but efficiently as well. um to to the board. We will be at the junior high on Monday, December the 1st. So that is the day we get back. That is your lunch meeting at 11:00 a.m. with a presentation. It'll be with the medical. It'll be with Miss Holmes. And then I heard that there's still a there is a chili soup cookoff that day and you have been invited those
221that can stay to be guest judges. That's Monday, December. >> Monday, December the 1st at 11:00 a.m. 11. >> Miss Kelly will send reminders. >> Thanks, Miss Kelly. Thank you. >> So, that is I mean, we get back and you're there. Um, those who are attending ASBA conference, I think that's everybody, but Mr. Booth is doing it virtually. You'll get your >> doing it virtually. >> Okay. And Mr. Butler. So, you'll get the arrangements for the virtual online. the rest of you. I'll get a hold of you and we will um talk about arrangements etc. the specifics there. >> What time does that start on the >> It starts there is a preconference. We got an email today. There's a pre-conference >> pre-conference Wednesday >> and then conference is Thursday done by Friday at about
22211. >> You'll be home by 4 o'clock on Friday if you want to be. Um Mr. Mr. Schmezky will have to be there for the voting delegate on Wednesday evening. I think it's 3:30 or >> 4. We don't have >> Are we signed up for pre-conference or No, >> you can attend every You can go to the whole thing. Um, >> you should Did y'all get an email today with the schedule? >> Yes, I um I'll get Did you get one today, Barbara? Okay. If you need it printed, >> can we print? Okay. Miss Kelly has those for you, too, because of course she already has it done. Um, she's on top of it. So, she'll pass those out. If you're virtual, it's Wednesday. >> No, it's Thursday. Thursday. >> Thursday. I'm sorry. I did
223see that schedule. >> Wednesday's basically new member institute again. It's what we did. >> They've got some different things. >> They move that new member institute because of all of the elections are in the spring. >> They had to move. So, it's a little different, but >> she'll pass those out. take a look. >> Um, Thanksgiving break tomorrow starts at I I hear it starts at 3:30 tomorrow. Um, I'm so grateful for the opportunity to work in this district and I mean that from the bottom of my heart and I know our teachers, our staff, and our students are slightly ready for a break. So, happy Thanksgiving to everybody. And that's all I have. Okay, we'll go into executive session for personnel, resignations, retirements, and transfers. Thank you all.