001Good evening. I'd like to call this meeting to order. Um, if you would please stand and remove your hats for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. I need an approval of the agenda and minutes from the March 20th and April 7th, 2025 meetings. Please >> second. I'll take Jason as a motion and Neil as a second. All in favor? [Music] Unanimous. Thank you, Miss Dwey. We have a very special >> award. >> Okay. >> We have two employees who we are recognizing tonight for 30 years of service to the Mountain Home. >> 30 years of service to the Mountain Home District. So, the
002first employee who has coached and taught just about every kid in Mountain Home, Mr. Brad Morris. Do >> you have any wise words? >> It's been a great 30 years. I've never dreaded going to work. >> But you're not done yet. >> I'm not done yet. No, >> you guys put up a little bit longer. Who' have thought that we were playing ball together? >> Who' have thought? >> Congratulations. >> We also have another very special employee who has fed children in this district with a smile on her face, tirelessly working. Whether things were good or bad, she was there. Miss Elizabeth Jones. Thank you for what you've done. Thank you so much. >> It's hard. >> I know. I know. I only have three. >> Can we get her? >> Oh my gosh. >>
003Can we get the team? Amy, >> come on. >> You're her team. >> This is her. These are her people. >> These are my team. >> You guys are out already. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right. How do you want to follow that, Miss Lawrence, with your >> Well, I have great. >> Yes, you do. You do. >> You don't all have to leave. >> Wow. >> Stay for the fun. >> I got start. >> Thank you. Thank you so much. >> Get cinnamon rolls going. [Music] >> We love our media specialists. >> They're amazing. >> Love it. >> I don't see any leather keychains, though. I had to put it on my phone so I remember what I was gonna say. Um, good evening. Uh, I am Jerry Thomas, the library media
004specialist at the kindergarten. And on behalf of my esteemed colleague and I want to thank you for allowing us to come and speak with you tonight. Um, April is National Library Appreciation Month. So, we kind of picked this time to come and talk to you. Um, again, thank you for letting us come and speak and thank you for supporting the work that we do. >> Thank you. >> I'm Karen Johnson and I am the library media specialist at Kingston Middle School and we just don't check out books. >> Sorry. I need that >> click. >> She can use the voice. >> Even though we do do that, but we are also considered research gurus, tech wizards, reading matchmakers, and the keeper of sanity. >> That's a hard one. >> And quiet and quiet. >> Um,
005this I'm Shelley Jones, Mountain Home Junior High Library. Um we just we do want to thank you for the support that you give us because it allows us us to fulfill our role and what really matters within the school and that's the students and we have the unique ability you know with you know our team to touch to touch every student that we have within our walls. So, um, we do that through critical thinking skills and, you know, teaching them to look at reliable sources and determine and analyze whether it's something that they can trust or not. And that's a really critical thinking tool in today's society that's digital because they think that if it's in black and white, they can trust it. And we teach them that that's not always the case. So those
006literacy skills that they get to develop provide our students to go forth into their careers and come up with innovative ideas and technologies and products that um play into our future. So thank you for that. >> Thank you. >> I am Melissa Steiner. I am at Hackler Intermediate School this year and going to the Mountain Home Junior High next year. Um we have we are very proud that we bring higher test scores, more engaged readers, better research skills, and future ready learners. It has a little graduation cap because we >> I like that. >> Thank you. >> I am Cheryl Hume. I'm at Nelson Lari. >> And um before I start, I have a little trivia question >> because I'm doing libraries are not boring. What is the number one thing that students love to
007do at the library? What's their favorite activity? >> Sleep. >> I'm joking. I'm joking. >> No. What do you think? >> We would hope >> read hard. >> Yes. >> With that, >> check out a book. >> Yes. >> I thought maybe you look up there and say what it does, but yes, absolutely. That's their number one thing is to find a book. And so I'm going to talk about um activities we do in my library. Of course, all of us have different activities that are age appropriate. But what's really pro popular in my library are ebooks that are tied to book flicks, which is an app on iPads. We have audio stories that have books to read along with. We do lots of board games, puzzles, and they especially like checkers because Miss Ray
008had a checker contest this year, so they always want to pull those out when they're done. And we do lots of literacy stations, STEM stations, virtual reality field trip field trips, virtual field trips, and lots of creativity stations. And I especially love doing book clubs and reading challenges. They do a lot of contests to get them excited about reading. >> Thank you. >> All right. And for last what we need like to continue our great program. We have always had an amazing support from our from our school board to our administrators and we are so appreciated like you all provide great funding for books and new technology for our staff and our programs and space like our students have a space to still come to. um seeing at the high school like sometimes our library
009is their reprieve. Like they come in and like we've even had people lately saying it's like the second counseling center and it really is like they come in um you know we we have a our aid that we have Amber Sutton is absolutely amazing. um she has brought a new life to our library and they come in just to say hi, just to for someone to notice them and to be acknowledged. So um you know, of course they come in for books and our teachers in this day and age with AI are even focusing more on sending kids to the library for books and using those um so that they're not they have trusted sources um and not just using chat GPT. So, um, we really appreciate your support and especially with this being library
010month, but in every month, um, our admin makes sure because we're an island and they make sure that we have a PLC and that we can come together each month and build upon our programs, align those and learn from each other. And not every district has that. And so we want to thank you for making sure that we have that time that we're not alone on islands at our school, but we can align and support one another. Um, so thank you for that. We really do appreciate you guys. >> Thank you for all you do. >> And a school without a librarian is like a classroom without a teacher. So let's keep our library. >> That's right. [Applause] cheerleader pose. >> Tell him, Jennifer. >> No problem. >> Okay. Two. One more. One, two, three.
011>> Corral and cat. Okay, I'm going to introduce our next visitors. We're going to have our ladies come on down. They were the recipients of the ACT 56 award and I'm going let them We have a great photo from their event and I'll let them explain what that mean. >> Hey, I'm Michelle Griffin. I'm the gift and talented teacher at Hackler. Um the ACT 56 award is an award that's given by the governor's advisory council for gifted education. Um it's an application process, we have to apply and they select schools. U they give it to three different levels for the size of your school district. Um for those that go above and beyond what our minimum standards are. So of course we have minimum standards, minutes required, things that we have to do, but they
012select schools that go above and beyond that. Um one of the big things we have to be careful of when we apply is to not put anything in our application that would give away that our district that we're mountain bombers. And so it's a completely blind selection and we received that this year and it's an award that's really difficult to get. Um so received that >> and the largest, biggest, the highest. >> That's pretty impressive. >> Thank you. >> That's great. Thank you. Don't leave. >> Um we are missing um Miss Stephanie Hughes who wanted to thank the board. She had a engagement she had to be at and she wanted to thank the board for their support, continued support. and then Miss Tony Handy who is also a GT and then Miss Raburn, you
013want to introduce yourself? >> My name is Amanda Raburn. I am the um the GT and enrichment teacher at Nelson Wilk. So I work with all K through2 students um in a weekly enrichment class and then I do all of the GT testing for the district in second grade. We just wrapped that up, thank goodness. Um and then once we've selected our group, they move off to Hackler with Michelle. >> Tell them about your tournament. >> Oh, the checkers tournament. So yeah. And this week I am teaching first grade how to play checkers. And y'all It's a lot but we're we get there. But every spring in second grade we have a entire second grade checkers tournament and I give out big trophies and it is cutthroat and it is such a good learning experience
014on how to lose gracefully um for a lot of them. Um but it's fun. She when they first used to do it they did chess. I don't like chess because I can't play and so we do checkers and it's a little bit easier for me to teach first graders how to play checkers. So then by the time they get to second they've learned. So we we like doing it. I'm wrapping up a week of actual play and I'm very very tired. >> Very tired. >> Congratulations. >> Thank you. >> This is your house. All right. Good. Hi friend. >> Okay, for the academic award tonight, we are going to reveal our preliminary ACT or key scores for 2000 um for 2024. These are 2025s, 2024 and so if you look at our um our first
015graphic here um these are our 11th grade students and you can see the trend from we have the 2022 2023 school year uh 18.2 2 was the composite mean. You can see it went to 19.7 last year and for this 2425 school year um we are at a 20.3. Again this is preliminary but we are um pretty sure this is it right. >> So um so that upward trend in overall composite scores over the last three years is a positive 2.1 points. >> That's awesome. >> 2223. So um going in the right direction. >> Yes. >> Um to show you that in graphic form on a bar graph. There's what that looks like if you want to see um it's a little bit easier to see that way. And then our next slide is going
016to break it apart into subject area highlights. So you can see the average in each subject. You can see math is a 19.1 um overall average science 21, STEM that's the combination of math, science is 20.3, English 19.6 and reading 20.9. Um so that's kind of an interesting breakdown of how the scores came to be. And then our next um slide is just going to show you that again it's just the same information but presented um for you. And then our next one is very pretty. So this was kind of a neat breakdown. Um you can see the trends by subject for the last three um school years. And you can kind of see the uptick and you can see the color code that um is the key for you. And you can look subject
017by subject. You can see every subject has gone up a little bit each year and we're trending in the right direction. Obviously, we're still going to be working for more growth, but um that was kind of an interesting way to see it broken down. Um our next slide about it is just kind of some overall performance. Um just kind of some highlights. The average composite for 11th grade has increased from 18.2 in 2022 2023 to a 20.3 for this school year. This 2.1 point gain over two years surpasses the state average composite score of 18.5 which is reported for the class of 2024. The male composite score is 20.4 and the female composite score is 20.1. So, um, that's kind of interesting to know. There's not a gap really much of a gap between Sorry,
018Lisa. >> Yeah. >> And then, um, again, this is just a little bit of a breakdown, but the males overall did perform slightly better in math and STEM with females outperforming slightly in reading and English. And then I was going to let Miss Camp talk to you a little bit about Word Keys because that's kind of a new component. and I really wanted her to kind of explain how the students were able to take this part of it. >> So, if you remember what Work Keys is, it's ACT's national career ready certification process. So, it's vetted by ACT, just choice A or choice B. We didn't want our students to have to pick. So, we gave them all of the options that they wanted. They could choose just ACT, just work keys, or both. I
019probably talked to hundred kids. Which one do I need to take? what do I need to do? So, we had 115 students choose to take and show up to take Quirkys, but of those 115, about 90 of those actually took both. >> So, they didn't know which direction they wanted to go. Um, so we've done a lot of assessment days at the high school. It's been a lot of schedule changes and um but of those 115 kids, we have an 81% certification rate, which is huge. Um, the average for ACT certification for juniors is about 50%. Um, so this ties into our work ready community and our partnership with the chamber. Um, we're still just about this close to being a work ready community which opens up funding for businesses and um, so if you
020know anybody that hasn't signed up yet, tell them to call me. Um, and then we also gave work keys at Gyberry. We gave guy kids the exact same option. Um, but before we go to that, I want you to look at the platinum level. So the platinum level, we had seven kids this year at the high school receive that platinum. That's equivalent to a 32 or 33 on your ACT. >> So just so you can compare. Um so pretty excited. And then at Gyberry, we're at about a 33% certification rate. Um that is probably due to the fact that the testing day at Gyberry was a little tumultuous. It it was not a calm. It was um looking back I probably just said, "You know what? We're going to do this another day." I don't
021know what had happened that morning. Um it just the kids were just a little not too happy to be taking an assessment. So we'll work on that with Gabberry. We do offer it to them again as seniors. Um so we that is part of our career ready focus for those kiddos and you'll look at certifications being much higher for the seniors that are taking it instead of these juniors. But and we had ACT at Gberry as well. I did not put that on this slide, but we had one student choose to take the ACT and she made a 21. >> So, pretty exciting for her. >> So, we are glad to give the opportunity to these CL to these kids. I'm glad that we are done with this part. They actually had three makeup days
022that we offered it to them. So, we gave them lots of opportunities to get these assessments in their pocket so they can be successful. two questions. >> Um, back to the overall ACT data for 2023, 24,25, what do you think could have been the big >> gap? Like there's a lot of growth between >> 18.1 and >> 19.5. >> I think we're starting to um >> go back. >> No. Yes, that >> a building stamina. I mean it it's just taking us a while to to get the stamina for just these hard tasks because you hate to say co but >> that was it was coming off >> skills back at that point in time >> right there. >> Um >> yeah that one >> and like we're seeing we're trending in the right direction.
023Um, and again, there's been a lot of communication, I feel like, from staff to students about the importance of the test, trying to create that testing environment that will help them be successful, working on the schedule. I mean, Miss Russell, when you say the boot camp day was a big thing, um, letting those students kind of practice. We offered um, the from the high impact tutoring grant. They had access to college. Um, we didn't utilize that we probably should have because there was just a lot of um technical rostering pieces of that that were different. >> But I think it's just trying to build the understanding that the test matters and so >> that's part of it. And then the students do have tutoring options with a lot of the staff at the high school.
024There are teachers that are willing to help students um on their free time. And so that that has remained important to to the success I believe of the course. >> Kelly, will you flip over to the where it breaks it down by subject? The multiolor pretty one she said. So when you look I we have an excellent ELA curriculum that's been adopted that does a remarkable job with tying into national and state standards. If you look at the growth in just the English, so that's the pink one. The more familiar those teachers are with that curriculum, the more it's growing. You're going to see that exact same thing happen with math, even more because of the curriculum that was adopted last year. Looking at the pieces, even the digital pieces, um, it's called Alex in
025math. But even their assessment is geared to look like ACT. So when the kids are in Alex and they're practicing the questions and they're doing all of the the content in class, it's very very similar to what they see on ACT. So just those two pieces alone, I think you're going to continue to see great growth because of the curriculum committee and their selection of the curriculums that have been implemented. >> That's changed a lot too with the >> well more consistent from grade to grade, >> right? >> They're not around so much. So that will help as well. How are we with and I don't expect this right now state comparison >> we're both >> we're above >> above >> so like we're getting to be more leadership in state comparison of >> growth
026>> I would say it's better I mean we always want to go >> what do you think >> we're above state >> but that's not good enough >> we are above state standards >> I'm super competitive and I want it I want our kiddos to be the best of everything. Um, there is always room to grow >> and there's always room to get better. The fact that we're going in the right direction is huge, but there's still a lot of work to do, >> right? >> There's still a lot to to learn and >> but this is great. This is this is kudos to everybody that's been pushing and teaching. >> Yeah, our teachers have really um their collaboration with each other and they've really looked at a lot of, you know, the common form
027of assessments even to try to see how their students are doing. grade level standards, all of that starts showing up. >> I've talked to a few after they've tested and I'm like, "So, since ninth grade, how do you feel?" And I think they're getting more comfortable with testing and the ACT isn't as scary as it used to be. And with the tutoring and with pregame, it's just been I think it's helping their mental >> platform at like our hope is that that would even be showing up next year when you're seeing because we're getting more and more comfortable with that and that feeds to this as well. >> These are great great numbers. Thank you. >> Well, you're welcome. Any other questions? >> Thank you. >> Couple more. Anything, Miss Russell, that we left out
028that want to leave anything out. Okay. Um I do want to point out a couple things. We did reveal that hand votes, the first read has been sent out and that's so you guys have time to read. That's a lot of information to go through. Um, and so the intent behind that is that you have this time to go through and read and then we'll be here for next month to ask or to answer questions or um if you have suggestions or anything like that, we'll have people here to answer those for you and then we'll have the approval to vote on in June. So that's kind of the timeline on that. Were there any questions around the first read? Okay, >> I will tell you they are still adding things. >> Um, so you
029will need to and I can let you know as they add that you know they approved free breakfast. >> I'll be sure and let you know >> that needs to go on our handbook. >> Every Did everybody hear that? >> Free breakfast. >> We have been approved for free breakfast >> across the state K12. So that needs to go in our handbook. >> Um I mean that's great. >> The technology plan that we'd like you to bless today. Well, it's not a plan. It's a screen time action plan. If you're good with that, we want to include that in our handbooks. So those things, it's just a >> which has to be done by June. >> Oh yes, you'll you'll have >> next month. It's happening. I mean, >> I'm sure handbooks are an extension
030of policy. So as policy changes from this legislative session, they may change as well. >> Yes, sir. >> Good. >> Um and then the last thing is in your green folders, we included a transition plan. And this is just kind of some highlights of some things that'll be happening from building to building. We talked about how unique Mountain Hill public schools with really is with the the grade banding. And so we do have some transition plans in place to try to help our students when they're traveling from one building to another. So that's in your folder as well. And our principles just try to include as as many things. Um there's a lot of different things going on to try to those students. >> Do we still do the big brother big sister type thing
031when they transition to different schools? Like if we needed help Definitely a big brother, big sister. >> They have like mentors that welcome around the building. I mean, >> they still do a lot of that with kindergarten Kingston just because they're >> Kingston comes to kindergarten. >> Okay, good. >> But so that's in your folder. >> All right. Any questions for Miss Lawrence? >> You're welcome. Good job. >> Thank you. >> All right, Miss Carter, we'll have some financial reports. Good evening. >> Good evening. >> We'll start with the statement of changes in fund balance from with the month with the month ending March 31st of 2025. We ended the month with 15,354,192.117. I'll draw your attention to fund 1220 and fund 2220. This was where we dispersed the national board certified teacher stipens that
032are given to teachers who have that certification. Uh and this money comes from the Arkansas Department of Education. We had six teachers that received $5,000 in each in a stipen and two teachers that received 2500 and those amounts were dispensed out of expensed out of 1220 and then the benefits to those were out of 2220. Any questions? >> No ma'am. Moving on to the statement of changes in revenues, expenditures, and fund balances. Uh, our total revenues for the month of March were 2,119,82516 with total expenditures of $3,656,95827. [Music] Our monthly fund balance for the month of March was 8,966,122.12. And then finally, our statement of changes in activity funds for the month of March were 586,46.37. And the reports following are system reports that support these amounts and also the check register for the month
033of March. Any questions for Miss Carter and the money? Money, money, money. >> Thank you, Miss Carter. Student transfer update. Miss Dwey, >> we have zero students in and zero students out. >> So, we are holding steady. Um, school choice forms are coming in. Miss Trish and Miss Crawford have been working on those. And >> what's the deadline for school choice? >> Well, that's a question. We believe it's May 1st. However, there was some legislation that was passed that has led some folks to believe it's June 1st. >> So, we are going to ask people get their stuff in if there's a change. >> May 1st. >> We're going to go with May 1st for today. >> Very good. Enrollment report as printed. >> Um, our current student count is 3,761 students. Um, I do
034want to report um on kindergarten enrollment. Kindergarten enrollment, they are almost exactly where we were last year. Wow. And I believe they were five or five to 10 less. Mr. Russ, it was five or 10 less than expected on the day that we had the torrential rain. They had done a pre-registration for um enrollment and they were only short a handful of kids, but those kids are showing up, but the weather was just terrible. So, I thought it was fantastic >> that that's who showed up that day. But the ones they're getting now, they haven't even heard from. So, they are had not done the pre-registration, which that's great. And they'll continue to arrive through the summer, >> but we will be keeping an eye on things. >> As we know, enrollment we prek says
035they're down a little, so we're going we're going to watch it. Very good. Any questions for Miss Dwey? All right, Mr. Knight, facility projects update. So, um, to start out, um, on my attachment there, I don't know if you guys all look at or not, I added another line I thought you might be interested in in the public, and it's, um, me keeping track of every dollar we've spent on talking about the new school possibility. >> Thank you for that. >> No problem. So, the first one was the first installment to the architect, $3,500. So, I'll keep adding on to that when we keep you guys will know, too, how far we're invested in that. So, um, and then I wanted to talk about this piece of land here, um, for two reasons. Um, start
036with the easy one first. I had someone from the public come and ask me if we would be interested in selling a piece of that. And specifically the four acres over on the left of Rodeo that's all wooded. And I would imagine most of us didn't even know we own that. Now, I heard that maybe Neil a long time ago, maybe 10 years ago, someone might have approached the board and asked. So, I don't know. Do you remember Jason? >> Yeah. The gentleman that built all the condos. >> Same person. >> Yes. >> So, I just wanted to see if you all wanted me to start working on that or if you just wanted >> sell it. >> I can't think. >> We are not going to do anything with it. That's my opinion as
037a board member. But >> well, it's too narrow strip really to build on. Yeah, >> it's too narrow to build on. >> Yeah. It's like 4.3 acres. I think that that uh side there at the top is pretty rocky and and steep. Anyway, >> he also has the Well, now there's a place in between there cuz we sold piece >> to him. >> I can't. >> It was closer to the junior high football field. I'd want to keep it just for parking. >> For parking. >> Yeah. The only time that we ever, the reason I knew we had it was uh the building where C12 is now, we went and looked at years ago to maybe purchase squad, >> right? >> And we were thinking, I was like, "Oh, we have that. We can cut
038a road across there if we need to to keep them." >> That was the only time that >> I know that we've even thought about doing >> it is our property and we we sell it, we'll never get it back. That's also true. I mean, that's one of the reasons we bought the property across from the junior high. >> We had the money to do at the time. And >> I don't I can't see in the near future what we would ever use that for, >> but 10 years, 15 years, 20 years on the road. >> So, it's not like it's costing us. >> I'm kind of that same opinion. If we need it, if we need the funds, we need it, it's there to sell it. But if we don't, I would say it's
039going to continue to appreciate and it's going to come a time when we do need that. Um, we may need those funds, especially if it continues to build up as Mountain Home grows, it's going to become more valuable. Um, you know, it's hard to say, hard to look at the future. >> I agree. We won't ever use it. >> Yeah. >> But I don't know if we need to sell it now or just continue to hold on to it. But that's going to be something for us to think about. >> Okay. Well, you all change your mind or we can talk about it later or >> um so the other thing and Lisa's approached me about this um and it's in been in our master plan for years is finally doing something for overflow parking
040with the baseball lots. Um I just wanted to make sure y'all might want me to go start working on that. We originally we had Strider do some drawings and plans for us. We got some city permits. We still have to get a flood plane permit to do it. Um, where are you thinking? >> Uh, across the creek. And we still have to figure out a way for them to get across the creek. >> On the high school side of the creek or the ballfield side of the creek. >> Can you lower down lower down a little bit? >> Right there in that field. >> Okay. >> That field has pretty good slope down to the creek. Yeah, like do some burns and >> Yeah, >> there'll be some be some >> be gravel. It would
041be gravel. It would not be >> that was my first >> when we started here, >> the paved parking lot was gravel. >> So, we can always do the same thing we did there. >> Work our way up >> gravel. You find it's being used in >> Do you want to talk about the reasoning? >> There is a there is some reasoning. >> Yes. I was about to say that I've crossed that I've crossed six street with my three kids >> and it's plain frogger trying to get across the street is >> well after speaking to the state highway department gentleman my first comment to him was how many deaths do you need before we do something or you do something because I about pegged one myself and I'm pretty cautious there but when it's
042a big ball game and softball and baseball are playing there's 50 cars across the street they're parking all around there is No lights. There's no street lights. There's no lighting on the road. There's no reflective paint. There's no Even if we did, they did us, whoever pylons that are blinking to just make people aware that there are people crossing that road. They just may think that they're parked up on the road and but there's not even an overhead light or >> there's nothing. >> And it's I know it's only a few months out of the year, but that's all it takes. and and when it's dual games and then we still have ASU using the fields during the summer and tournaments and who knows if we're going to rent it out during summer for other
043ball tournaments. Uh I know it's a big thing for the state highway and he said, "Well, get me some videos." And I'm thinking, "Okay, but why can't we not do a video and just let's let's move forward. It can't cost that much money." >> It does. And it does get a lot worse when you're doing tournaments and is in session. Well, the bus is parked somewhere and >> there's not nowhere to park then. >> So, your kids are parking >> behind up the hill. You see the gravel up the hill and behind um that's where our athletes are parking and you'll end up with some families back there, too. There's also no light back there. >> Um just personally, I I don't let mine go up there at night by herself. It's a little creepy,
044not going to lie. >> Yeah. >> To go get in her car. So just having a gravel parking lot >> and I and Chris and I have talked about even behind where you walk in to pay your money, you could probably fit 40 cars on that grass that's right at the creek where the bridge is going to the back parking lot to the high school. >> There's 40 right there that you the whole big thing and Chris and I have talked about that as a retaining pond. anytime you do any improvements, the city requires you to do a retainment pond, which it's the creek, but if we can I'm going to talk to the game and fish and talk about um what it's going to take to >> We used to have you know, we
045were never allowed to build a permanent bridge across there. So, you have a non-permanent on the side where the kids park up the hill and go across and then we used to have another one where they wouldn't kind of park in that grass. They don't have that. >> But that creek is now washed out. So wide. >> It's bigger, wider, >> doesn't fit. That's why that one's never there anymore. >> And even where the big mound is in the per the parking lot, that real parking lot, there's a big mound and two three trees on top, little bushes that are growing. Even behind that, if we could possibly do gravel for now and figure out a way to go around or and you could get another 40 parking spaces there and I think that would
046take the heat off the heckler hill and put them there. I mean, this is not going to happen overnight. >> What if where the kids park where that little gravel splash is at and then all of that grass below that all the way to the road? What if that was all paved parking? >> We have talked about that >> with lights >> multiple times. We've talked about >> because that would be parking. before >> football. I'm thinking way back before co there was a talk about >> uh want to do tennis courts like maybe it was going to go there and there's a shared parking spot and then they would go across and there's bathrooms across there and concession stand >> because if it if you had I don't know how many and I don't
047know what that footprint looks like for how many cars it would accommodate but then you would have parking for your >> buses >> baseball softball >> high school gymnasium and high school stadium A lot of that is determines of what you guys may be >> when you're build the >> building >> with the big top being gone and that may if you know if we get there parking lot where the big top currently is I mean it may make a lot of sense to have that and that's the entryway to the on the south side it makes a lot of sense to flow right there into the >> into the gates to the field. Mhm. >> But as for right now, my push next week when I call him back, I would like to see
048if we could get something temporary at least for this summer and the rest of our season and then June, which ASU and other people are going to be using it. Pylons, blinking lights, something. Arie once put up um a solar powered light in the parking lot. >> Yeah. And then we had Energy come in and drop some extra lights just for that parking lot. >> And then you mentioned the poles that maybe we can add another point light. >> There's three poles that go across uh go across there that we could add on to. I think the those are cheap, but you have to buy a transformer for each one. And I think those are five >> 5,000. >> Yeah. I double check with them, but I'm pretty sure every time I put one up,
049I've had to purchase purchase the transformer. >> That might be worth it. >> The space behind right field with the boy field that that little outcrop to the Is that inaccessible or is it usable? >> No, the only people go back there. >> Okay. And that's probably the biggest space around the field. >> How would you get there? >> Right outside the gate is foul ball territory. cars would get dinged by foul balls instead of a big net. But I was saying, hey, beyond right field, there's that space there. Is that used or is it accessible? >> How would you get there though? >> Well, that's the question. Accessible even. >> So, kind of point out what you're saying because couldn't you come off the from the I want to make sure we're talking about
050the same spot. >> What spar you touch? >> Bottom right. That little outcrop from the baseball field. >> From the bottom right. Yeah. Bottom right of this. Yeah. Right there. Yeah. >> So, what does that take to get to the road that's back behind? >> I mean, it's >> the big top. >> You can't >> Well, there's a creek. The creek's there. That's where you can't get the bridge. >> Pretty sure that's a pretty deep portion. >> That's a big bigger gap. >> You'd have to have a large bridge. >> It's a big spot. >> Yeah. >> It's just not super accessible to it. And then I thought maybe that nice flat area where the runners run, >> the um level that off, >> bridge over the creek, gravel, it might be you could probably
051get at least 40 cars there. >> The bridge over the creek, is that governed by core of engineers? FEMA. >> FEMA. can't be permanent. It has to be a temporary bridge. >> Well, we think >> Yeah. I'll know more next week when I talk to >> Yeah. >> couple people. >> Maybe we'll know more things. >> Yes. We just see. >> Is this something we could just kind of look into >> and bring back some ideas now? >> Really important. >> Look into it a little more. Yeah. That's kind of where we are. I um wrapped the drawings that we started and they'll have to be changed a little bit because since then the city has added some >> regulation >> some rules. >> Mhm. >> I mean we knew when I built those that
052we would need additional parking. >> Oh yeah. >> We are and uh they will get far enough that I can do a little number country looks at. And I'd like to thank Ben Strider from consulting, Strider Consulting, for doing that work a long time ago and handing it back to us. >> I can't remember how long ago. >> That was a long time. >> Long time. >> It was eight to 10 years, I think. >> Good things. Okay. Thank you. >> All right. Thanks. >> Thanks, Chris. >> All right, Mr. Steve Mendleski, technology report. Um, Becca is going to start tonight kind of talk a little bit about tech committee and the screen time policies that the tech committee has kind of developed and uh we're going to kind of be asking for a recommendation
053for handbook tonight. So, our tech committees met a couple different times um and just presented with a very wide open what does technology use look like at your campus. So, everybody has lots of different opin different opinions. So, we sent out a survey to teachers. What does it look like? Um, and then I got into GoG Guardian, which is our monitoring software, and pulled some data and got some pretty real numbers on what are our kids doing on their Chromebooks on an average week, in an average month. So, that was the data that I brought to the tech committee, and I'd love to share that data with you all. If you'd like it, just let me know. Um, but that is where we started from in building what a screen time policy looks like for
054our kiddos. So, we looked at Bentonville, Bentonville schools and several other different school districts. Matt Sutton was heavily involved with this process and looking at what does screen time look like? Um, I didn't really even know the difference in what should it be, you know, playing bejeweled on my phone versus Facebook or two different parts of your brain. And I was, okay. Um, but basically there's four different kinds of screen time. Passive, so that's reading a book, watching TV, just not really, I guess I'll call it chill out time. Um, interactive would be games, browsing, communicating with someone else. Communication is strictly like chat, social media. I am intentionally on this device asking for a return from someone and then content creation. So being creative digital music, digital art. Apparently Google will allow you to
055doodle now and it will identify your doodles and tell you thank you for training. So anyway, interactive and communicative really can go hand in hand obviously. Um that's where the dopamine dump happens with our kiddos and that's what we're seeing especially after co um that the kids have a hard time walking away from. So what can we do as a school to ensure that we are using technology as a tool because it's excellent but not abusing that device and replacing quality classroom time. So, if you look at the K5 recommendation, it's just a whole bunch of words that it's just said at the top, but it really goes through um the difference in what screen time looks like for these kids. And then these suggestions, again, this is a starting point. So, if you'll stay
056right there, Kelly, because I can't I didn't bring my computer open. Um, for kindergarten we're saying about 30 minutes a day and that is based on the data and looking at our approved curriculum. So what are we saying kids have to do on a device and that averages out to about 30 minutes a day. First and second grade we wanted to keep it consistent in the building about 45 minutes a day and obviously they're going to be days that are heavier and days that are lighter. And then third, fourth and fifth about 50 minutes a day. This will give our teachers time to be able to use like I Ready. Um but one of the things that was pretty fascinating is I Ready has a recommended number of minutes per week. We were overshooting those
057minutes. So just being aware of I had no idea that this is what was happening, but just being aware of and I has has a thing called my path and it's um it's prescriptive based on the kids. So, if I'm not really good at two-digit multiplication, it's going to shoot me practice questions on two-digit multiplication. So, it's excellent. It's a wonderful tool for bridging those gaps and filling in those holes. But what can we do that's maybe not in front of a screen because one thing with Ready is it integrates all of that into a game. So, you get a star or you get an ice cream cone or you get your rocket ship moves or whatever the reward of the day may be. So that's these minutes are where our tech committee landed for
058K5. So like Allison said I think to you all earlier, we'd love for this to be included in the handbooks. I'd love for it to be included on our website. I'd love for it to go out in parent newsletters. Um when we're talking to the public, you know, this is a step that we know is an issue for today's kids. This may not be the right amount of time. It may be something that we need to come back and readress. Um One of the the hats for my job is pulling that Goardian report and breaking it down. Judy laughs at my spreadsheets because they look like the bags of Skittles because I color code everything. But it was fascinating to see exactly what our kids were doing even so much. Wow, that's a lot of
059time on X, Y, or Z. Well, maybe it was because it was inside recess. You know, it was gross weather. So, let's run it again. So, I ran it for another week and it was beautiful. It was pretty consistent. But then that would be just a really simple fix. Okay, it's inside recess. Let's maybe not play games on our Chromebooks this time. Maybe let's get checkers. Let's get some of those board games. Let's do some things where we're talking to our classmates. So, it's a whole lot of words, but that's where we landed on minutes for K5. And then Kelly, if you'll open the 612 because our kids schedules are um a little bit structured differently. It was if I'm a teacher at Kingston and I have a 30 minute a day average, how do
060I know what periods one through six teachers are doing? So in order to really give our kids what is best for them, we broke it down into minutes. 5 to 10 minutes average per day in each class period looks like. Whoa, that's not very much. They have 40 Justin, how long? >> 40 48 minute class periods. So if we're spending 10 minutes a day on a device of 48 minutes, it's where it gets a little. So, and this is an average. Maybe on Thursday I'm doing an assessment in my math class at Kingston, but Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, we're not on the Chromebooks. Um, and then you see those minutes are greater 8, 9, and 10 12 because their blocks are longer. They're in a 90minute class. So, we would love for you to be able
061to read through this. Um, give us your feedback if there's things that you would like to change, which is why it still says draft. But I'd love for this to be very public so that we can share with our community that we know it's an issue. We want to do what's best for our kiddos and we're going to try this and see what happens. Maybe if the teachers and I think this is kind of where you were talking about 48 minutes and that's a little bit less is maybe those teachers that work together they can have their time to where three days this week you're going to have this and then you're >> right and it's not a hard fast rule like this is not going to be a policy if you break this that's
062not what that's >> important to know um this is a recommendation hey and I think this is something that in back to school faculty meetings. Um, Matt could talk to people. You know, I had no idea >> that playing a game on I Ready >> fed that part of your brain that was the same part of your brain that when I watched dogs falling on TikTok that it's super funny and that that's the dopamine addiction. Um, I know Kelly's over there like whoa. Like I and I had no idea. And looking at kindergarten, you know, we've tested a kindergarten this week. That's been fun, by the way. But looking at how native these kids are on devices. Wow. Like, let's see what we can do to kind of kick it back to old school and
063let's teach. Let's see what we can do using tech as a tool and using it to support my teaching, but maybe being a little bit more creative and intentional with how we use it. So like at the high school level and I don't So you got the 90 minute blocks, right? And all I can do is kind of project how I envision that's used that kids come in and they probably review a concept. They might have that added on to and then there's a time where they practice which could be 30 minutes because they use they don't use pencil and paper to practice math or whatever, right? And then they might go back the next 30 minutes where the teacher's reviewing or giving structure. That's just how I picture a day being structured. That there's
064no way 10 or 15 minutes. And from what everything I'm reading whether this is true or not because we know no one knows what the future is. >> We should go to our librarians for >> well we should but AI is going to eliminate the role of homework. So everything's going to have to be done during class time which will impact computer use. I'm kind of curious what that'll do to kids and or allowing enough time. >> I think if the data set and I didn't include it here because it's just so big >> so big. >> But if you will look at that data set and look how our teachers are currently using it for approved curriculum for those review pieces, this is adequate. >> This works. >> Okay. >> Over a week, would
065you say? >> Over a week. Yeah. >> There's going to be days that are heavier >> that it's longer. Yeah. Mhm. >> There's a lot of time they're spending on the devices that >> kind of just bring that aware, you know, >> Sure. >> place for the teachers to kind of start and say, well, maybe I can strive to do >> Sure. >> 15 minutes or, you know, >> would you say a part of this too is to strive to make sure what we're doing on Chromebooks or devices is instructional. >> Yes. >> I mean, that's intentional. >> Intentional. >> And so I think that maybe >> sums up it's not a Gotcha. They were on too long today. It's >> intentionally. >> And you've had high school teachers. I mean, we have classes that
066it will be this will not work. We know that. >> Well, sure. Like your robotics classes, your coding classes, like those are outliers. But >> when I was in the classroom, I had a group of seventh graders in the kitchen cooking. >> I'm in the kitchen with them so they don't burn it down. We only started two fires. My kids that were in on the other side of the room were working on an activity on their Chromebook related to what I was teaching. It's educational, but it's not direct instruction from my teacher. So maybe that needs to look like I'm going to build out a CFA on Atlas that's related to my grade level standards. And instead of them playing the food guide pyramid game, I'm going to give them a CFA over my content
067standards. Yes, it's still going to be on the Chromebook, but it is intentional. >> It's not I don't want to say babysitting because that's not the word at all, but it's intentionally related to what we teach. [Music] >> All right. >> Did I sum all that up the right way, Jason? Because Jason's been here. I sat in on the some of the committee and >> there was no there's no easy way you >> to to bring awareness because that's what you're trying to do is you're trying to bring awareness into the classroom so that teachers are aware of what children how long they're sitting in front of this >> how do you put that in policy is the hard part so I think bringing an awareness and an intention intent is the main focus and
068not so much the minutes. Um because I don't we don't need to be a banking minutes, but maybe maybe science class is four days of instructional time and maybe that fifth day is all on a device, you know, but it's bringing that intent. What What are we doing? Is it is it intentional? not is it >> I did think it was interesting what um Melissa said about kids teachers are bringing kids back into the library >> to look at books so that they're not and that that kind of relates to this but I thought that was interesting. It's almost not totally but it's almost flopped a little bit where like 20 years ago you know you went to the computer lab you got to play on the computer now you go to the library >>
069book which is great like it needs to be a place for them to go something different and hands-on and just not on a device >> it's good >> good work lots of work >> they have worked extremely hard >> lots of work >> to bring >> in that And it's >> it's tough. >> It's gonna it's a working document. I mean, we're going to figure out what works and what doesn't work and we're going to keep going >> because technology is changing. There's going to be a new kind of device coming and every curriculum adoption. I'm like, what's going to go wrong this time? And it's something new every time. >> So, with your blessing, I would like to be able to present this to building principles, um, assistant principles, handbook committees to get it
070included in handbooks. I'll get with Jennifer to remember how to put things on the website because I might have forgotten. um and just start pushing this out to the public and to our buildings that this is the direction we're going to start the next school year. >> Very good. Good job. >> Okay, >> everybody. All right. Good. Thank you. Thanks for all your hard work. >> Thanks, your team. >> What else you got? >> Uh so, just a few things we're working on. Um Chromebook plans for next year. Of course, we're looking at email screen time. We're always looking at do we want to change the way we're doing devices? Do we want to recart them? Do we want to have them on one where they carry them around still. So, we're working up some
071different plans there. Um possibly with Kingston um that might affect how many Chromebooks we purchase and what we do with them and all that stuff. So, that's kind of and then of course bidding that and then tariffs and that whole side of it. So, yay. Um canvas renewal discussions uh modifying some of the quotes and stuff on that. Um I think our plan is next month bring that to the board for approval. So there'll be some information on that. Um the access control round two project which probably steal this from Eddie next week but uh high school Nelson Oaks Kingston is done. All those doors are done and online and working the ones that we added um junior high um will be we're waiting on waiting on them to do some gate work and then
072they'll come back and put access control on those gates. So, um, and the camera installation for Junior High in Kingston, those projects you approved, um, are hoping to start in a few weeks. They're going to send two crews and do both buildings at the same time. So, they'll be running cable and doing cameras at both locations, which will hopefully just wrap that up, but then they're they're hoping two to three weeks to have that wrapped up. So, um, >> yeah, that's about it. >> Cool. Thank you. >> Thank you, Steve. Okay, we have board action items to begin on. Request to approve the 2526 school level improvement plan. Miss Lawrence. >> Okay. Um, so these are what we call our slips plans. Y'all are probably familiar with these. This is an annual um piece that
073we do. Miss Carter and I actually held our last SLIPS meeting for the year this last Monday and um our grade level representatives came and worked with us to do kind of a final run through of the SLIPS plans that you're going to see linked um on this document. And so this has been an ongoing um we meet quarterly and we evaluate the goals and then we create our new goals for the upcoming year. So, for the background of slips, you'll see that it is attached to the Arkansas code annotated 6152914 that established the school level improvement plans. Um, I'll skip down to the rationale to the part where it says the school level improvement plan will track leading indicators for school level actions to monitor, assess, reflect, and adjust planned actions and a continuous
074inquiry cycle for improvement. And likewise, they will um examine the progress of the indicators. So, um, Kelly, if you want to just click on the kindergarten one just for an example. We're not going to go through each one of these because you have, um, access to all of them. We linked PDFs for you to see. These are actually working documents. So, these are evaluated throughout the school year. Sometimes we'll have strikethroughs when we need to make adjustments on these, but the PDF for you is is what we have um, set in place for the um, it's crazy to say, but the 25 26 school year. And just to kind of peruse quickly, I just want to kind of point out we set these goals um kind of in categories. There will be a literacy goal
075that you'll see. Um there'll be a math goal. And if you scroll down, you'll see um a kind of a workforce or pathways goal set that's appropriate for the grade level. Um that is attached to the slips plan. Um there's always a social emotional um goal attached. And then um there's a piece where you'll see how you plan to evaluate the goals. For example, for kindergarten, they've mentioned their diagnostics and these are commercial screeners and then um they've added surveys and and all of our state assessments are part of the evaluation and then they um evaluate through the ESA results and then they can monitor certain categories such as attendance, um students with disabilities, different things like that throughout this plan. Um what you'll notice the most that the biggest change all of our rules
076all the wording has changed from ACT Aspire to Alice. We had to make a lot of changes there and we really have decided to base um all of our goals and and our academic pieces around that. So um you can see each there's a lot of similarities within the plans but then you'll see they they change. The other part is there has to be a timeline attached to everyone action step that's the goal. Um, so everything has to be measurable and with a timeline. So that's kind of the synopsis of what the plan will look like. So there's one for each building. So our recommendation is that the Mountain Home Public Schools School Board of Education will approve the school level improvement plans for the 2026 school year as presented. I move the board approve
077the recommendation. >> A second. I have a motion from Neil and a second from Miss Molly. Any discussion? >> I was just going to make one comment. Hey, we had an evaluation of the goals and that's obviously really important to look at our goals. Hey, do we meet them? Do we exceed them and adjust appropriately? Um, and the data is out there. It's not really concise certainly for the board or the public to see. Um, so it's just a suggestion maybe to at the end of every year, you know, put on this document, put it back out. Hey, where where are we short? Where we where we exceeding because the data is out there, but it's not in a concise location. It's kind of it's scattered around. >> So, hey, we're presented with this. I
078would like to see where, you know, we approved this last year. How do we do? Okay. But it's not quite so easy. So just a suggestion um to let's let's consolidate those the evaluation of our goals >> something like a column that would even link >> perhaps the data that would go >> sure some of them have percentages x percentage of meets or exceeds hey where we at did we did we get there are we exceeding it we not that way it just makes it real concise for us to see where we're at and >> full pieces >> yes ma'am >> y miss cart right along with me so you got we can add that to our work for next I actually think that would be reflected in the needs assessments. >> Any other questions
079or discussion? All in favor? Unanimous. Thank you, Miss Lawrence. >> Request to approve the fiscal year 25 budget adjustments. Miss Carter. As promised last month, bringing a second round, the budget adjustments that you have before you tonight are all related to our special education department funds. And so I'm asking that the board approve the attached budget amendments for the 2425 school year. Make a motion we approve the recommendation as presented. I'll second. >> I have a motion from Jason and a second from Scott. Any discussion? >> Looks like we're getting more in we than we planned. >> Arm. >> In Arch. Yes. Yes. >> A little bit in 6B. >> All in favor? Unanimous. Thank you, Miss Carter. Thank you, Miss Mohler. >> Request to approve the 2425 calendar amendments. Miss Mohler and Mr. Dailyaly,
080>> I think it's just, >> but we'll just take you tonight. >> Um, with our last um weather related early release that we had to let out at 1:00, we're actually two hours short on our calendar with our minutes since we went minutes this year. So PPC would like to recommend that we change May 16th to a regular release date to make up for that. >> Make a motion we approve the recommendation. >> Second. >> Have a motion from Jason, a second from Neil. Any discussion? >> Graduation day, but it shouldn't affect any of the affect. >> All in favor? Unanimous. Thank you. Request to approve policy updates, Miss Dwey. >> Yes. So, revisions to policy, as you know, were made as new policies and procedures are um put out. Um they must be revised
081as needed to affect the needs of our students and faculty, staff, and community. We recommend the board approval of the attached policies is presented. You will see that those are school choice policies um based on these are ASBA. You will also see the two at the bottom are mountain home policies for AI student use and I believe is five had it printed this one off and then the five is I believe just an overall policy for AI because we've already adopted the certified and the classified. So these AI policies do match what you um approved last month for students and faculty. The only thing that is different than the ASBA policy is that instead of a different committee, it seems prudent to just use our technology committee because that's what they do. Um you all
082know that this is a moving target. We've talked about it. There may be changes to this over time. I expect there will be. So I recommend the approval of these policies as presented. >> I make a motion that we uh we accept the policy updates for the 2526 school year as presented. >> Second. >> I have a motion from Scott, a second from Barbara. Any discussion? It's hard to discuss when it's ASBA. >> Well, discuss all you want. >> Discuss amongst yourselves. All in favor? Unanimous. Thank you, Miss Dwey. Board discussion. >> Board discussion like to what we got. >> Got anything? >> I do. Um just debated whether to talk about it or not. It's nothing for no action items. It's just something for us to think about to consider on. Um, you know,
083school safety is our number one priority, student safety. We just spent a lot of money on our on our weapons detection system, etc. Um, I look at statistics, and I don't have anything written written down. I'm just kind of winging it, so excuse me if I'm not the most coherent. I look at statistics, right? Um the statistical average of a student, you know, dying in a school shooting is roughly.13 per 100,000 high school students in America. Make the math. That's about 1.3 per million students. Okay, we have about 20 million high school students in the country. The statistical average for a high school student to die by suicide is nine per 100,000 or 900 excuse me yeah 90 excuse nine per 100,000 or 90 per million. We have our students are 68 times more likely
084to die from suicide than they are from school shooting. weapons, a school shooting, 87% of them are from handguns, like that weapons detection system. It's it's good for detecting long guns and backpacks full of magazines, but statistically that's the smallest um likelihood of happening. Far more be handgun. They can come through a lot easier, right? I'm not saying, hey, that weapons detection system, there's no negative to it there. My objection was, hey, we have finite amount of resources to spend. Um, but I said, hey, statistically, we're far more likely to have a student die by suicide than by a school shooting. So, I think as part of that student safety, we have to address this. You say, hey, well, we've never had one previously. Well, or it's been a long time, but we haven't had
085a school shooting yet either, but we did just have a student. We just lost a student recently. Yellow Summit just lost a student this spring as well. It is the biggest threat to our students. It's a taboo topic. It's typically don't talk about it, don't mention it, just ignore it. The data shows that is the wrong answer. You have to talk about it. So, I think there's some ways that we can spend some money um on on counseling um on programs, but I think there's also a lot of a lot of u opportunities out there that don't cost us money. Um from whether even just having assemblies and talking about it, bringing in speakers, we have community partners um that do tremendous work out there and that are very eager to take on this that
086that that miss passing was a wakeup call and they're anxious to to try to help out. So to me, I think the one thing that we cannot afford is to do nothing. Okay. I think it needs to be a wakeup call for all of us. Um I I'm a member of a of a of a group called Together with Veterans. It's run by Mr. Dan Paul locally, former county judge. Uh Baxter County used to have one of the highest suicide rates. We're the highest suicide rate in the state of Arkansas and we meet quarterly. We've got so many different agencies involved um trying to get the suicide rates down and we've been very very successful. We're now towards the bottom of the rates in the state of Arkansas. Um so there's things you can do
087and it doesn't I mean they have no budget, right? It's it's just getting people together. It's talking about it. It's addressing the mental health. Um, it's straight up talking to children, right? Because nobody knows. People stay quiet until it happens, right? So talking to people is really, really important. I've talked about mental health now for a while. I talked about it when we were talking about the weapons detection system with Mr. Sutton here. So, um, I just think we need to really put a focus on what's the most likely way that we're going to lose a student and and at least dedicate some resources, whether it's time, money, combination of both. Um, I think there is and there can be a silver lining to Miss Rhden's passing. We just have to reach out and grab
088it and make sure that that it's that it that we take advantage of that silver lining and bring it in. So pretty much that's my only thought. I I know we were all upset about it. Um but terrible tragedy and I think upsets putting it mildly um me as well. So that's something that um you know I've thought a lot about here in the last week. I've talked to a number not the last month I've talked to a lot of people locally. So there are some real opportunities out there that it's nothing for the board to take action on. you know, there's a lot of this, hey, Miss Dwey, let's let's let's take all the help that we can get from our community support and let's start thinking about ways that we can address this
089um within the school. >> So, I can I share something? >> Of course, please. >> And I think Mr. Sutton may have gotten back here, but he got some news yesterday, which is perfect for right now. That's what I was looking up on my phone, but he's here. So, >> Mr. Sutton, >> could you share what you shared with me yesterday? Sure. On on who we've got partnering with Baxter. Yeah. Um so Baxter Health's partnering with us to bring in um Talk Saves Lives and they're through the they're actually through the American Suicide Prevention Foundation. Um and we nailed down two different dates that the speakers uh could potentially come in September. >> Um I think the 25th is likely the one that that's going to land on the but >> Okay. That's a big
090partnership with Baxter that we're so so happy to have and and they're incredible that you can be thinking of us in this time. So definitely shout out to them and um some really cool stuff that they're helping us plan around uh walk for awareness on that same day. So two two um opportunities for our students to hear that speaker and then the that speaker would also speak to the community that night um for anybody that we can get here. Uh they're going to even fund some food to bring people because that helps. >> Um and then do a walk for awareness that night. So that that's >> we are we've got efforts >> as much as we can at this moment because it's still heavy into struggling with and loving our folks. So >> awesome.
091Thank you. >> Thanks, man. >> That's good first step. >> Good first step. And it doesn't have to be zero to 100 like that. It's we work into it. >> It's a tough subject to talk about. >> It is. >> But um the mental health is something we really need to focus hard on. Not easy. Um it costs money, but I think like you say that's money well spent. Um we pride we try to pride oursel in the bullying. Um but I think there's I think we could do more. I think we need to try to look at different avenues of how to control that even more. I talked to a lot of young students and that we're not we're not catching it all. And I think our our teachers and our administrators are doing
092a good job, but maybe there's a little bit more we can do. And I talked to a parent today right before the meeting and she was very upset about a little bullying thing that happened. And I don't know if we can put cameras in the bathrooms. >> Can't put them in. >> Not in the stall area. Can you put it by the sink? That seems to be our big area that kids seem to bully more on the playground and lunchroom and bathrooms. So, I don't know how we've got >> how we can get that done, but >> we've got them going into the bathroom >> because we know bullying does lead to strong mental health problems. And that is one of the but it's my two cents right there. Anybody else have some great board
093discussion? Um I have a little one the Facebook post about the lunch charges and all that stuff. I do have a friend that is considering maybe helping pay there had we had some things fall through the cracks with our our free and reduced lunch kids and um we talked about that today about the charges that we can't get rid of them but yet maybe we can polish that next year too on >> yeah they that is set up and working I think folks did not get verification that they were approved for free and reduced and so they assume assumed that they have approved. >> Yeah. >> So, we have to make sure and I thought about that today after we visited >> there can be a way to in the instructions if you don't get
094something saying you're approved, you need to call us and the late notices for charges I think are what >> right >> created the concern. It was just the systems working together >> etc. But they should be going out. >> And I don't want to say it's operator error, but it's also parental. You know, if you you know you should be getting it and you know your kids's eating and you don't get a bill, I think you kind of need to have some accountability to that also. But um I think we could all help out and get that done. >> Do we have any idea the total like what the total is out there? >> I can get it for you. We always have a very high total but it will go down >> but we
095can ask community, right? You know, Baxter Foundation can ask and they'll pull in 2 million out of the community a year for some capital improvement project. Like, why can't we ask for >> right, >> hey, >> our students cumulative total of 35,000 whatever it is >> and ask for, hey, if any community partners or business want to come in or whatever, come in and help support that. Um I don't know if the foundation can can take that in as but there's there's different avenues but hey at least ask >> right >> so shout out we do have some folks that come in >> would love to I think >> and write checks >> to be put towards student lunch debt. So there are folks in our community. I mean, that would be a fantastic >>
096non-b businessiness folks either, you know, these are just people that want >> most people aren't even thinking about it, right? You ask, I know we write a check, right? And I think there's a lot of people out there that would that these folks >> on that note, one more thing. I'm full of things tonight. Um, so I went to the hack to Hackler. No, I'm sorry. Nelson Wils. >> Nelson Wilks. Yeah. >> Nope. This is a negative. >> Sorry. Sped playground. Our our sped playground. It's little. It's not very big. 12 by 20. Nelson Wilks. So, it's pea gravel. And some of those little children tend to stick it things, throw things, break glass, throw things at each other. I'm going to work on personally trying to get all the gravel taken out if it's
097okay with everybody and put in rubber bark for them to play on so it's not as harsh because between we had a little incident there not long just this week. >> Yeah. Anyway, we won't go into that but so the gravel we need to get rid of the gravel. That's what I'm saying. Please. We have some rubber mats that they got underneath the swing sets, but where they play is pegravel and pearravel sometimes is not good with little ones. So, I just think that might be So, if you know anybody that wants We're I'd like to get approval of this though. If we can get somebody to come >> We can work on that. They could come get all the pea gravel they want and then we'll have the rubber donated that we can buy
098by a couple people I know to put rubber bark down. >> So if you need some pee gravel, Scott, get your wheelbarrow and come on. >> No, but from somebody who's taking a fifth a 5-year-old to the ENT, they get a rock. >> Me too. And the nose. The nose and the ear. >> This one's down the ear. >> Yeah, we did the nose and it almost >> Is the rubber bark easier to remove? >> It's bigger. You can't get it up there. If you eat a rock, it's not toxic. If the rubber, you choose a rubber. >> Yeah. I mean, like, from a medical standpoint, which one's easier? Which one? >> Well, yeah. And if rubber bark's not the answer, >> stop them from doing it. Doesn't matter what you put down. Now, that's
099underneath all the playground. >> Put down jelly beans. >> Okay. Maybe the match. >> That's pretty nice. >> It's a surface. Nice. >> Does it squishy? >> They get the black. >> It doesn't get as hot as the pearl. That pram will get >> chewing is a deal. >> That's a deal. What they have on the football field gets squid. >> Yeah. >> Well, you know, and they dig and then sometimes they get stuck or you know, things happen. But and also throwing the rocks at the windows and cracking the windows. That's never a good thing. So, >> so we do have a plan for a playground at Nelson Wils. >> Yes. in the future. I'm thinking over summer, >> another one of those temporaries until we get >> right. But that is something that
100is in the we have a plan for that. >> Okay. >> That includes a very nice section for our special education students, our more severe students. >> I haven't talked to Chris about this, but how you doing? >> This is a piece of cake. >> This is easy, right? This is easier than the ball field. >> This is >> Those are my two in school uniforms and uh corporal punishment. joking. >> No, you're not. >> No, I'm not. But, you know, I'm out of here soon. So, >> okay. Anything else >> on on that note? Without with no opposed candidates, we talked about the with the election getting certified, but there's nothing really to vote on. Do we do we have any >> I have I do. >> Okay. >> I do. >> I didn't
101want to steal your thunder. >> Oh, no. It's not thunder. I just don't want to interrupt if somebody else has I was just >> more discussion board discussion. Neil, >> I'm waiting to hear what she says. >> All right. So, information about school board elections, they still have to be certified. >> So, it is supposed to be 2 days or 48 hours from when the election is over. That's 7:30 on Tuesday. Your meeting will have started. They probably will certify sometime that afternoon unless there are any outstanding provisional ballots. At this point, they have had no requests for any overseas or absentee ballots. Those can be requested until May 6. So, we still have a little time to see if there are any. So, this meeting, this board will be seated for the May meeting,
102this current board. At 4:00 on May 17th, that Friday, we did have it set for 10:00 a.m., but we've had to move it to four that Friday. The new board members will be sworn in >> if there's no provisional >> if everything goes as if there's no provisional or outstanding balance. So May 17th, 4:00, we will have new board members sworn in, which makes graduation interesting. Graduation is that night at 7. I've invited everyone to attend, but we will still have the same board officers that we have >> for graduation. We just have some new board members that will begin soon. So >> So technically, you won't be on the board, but you're the board president since there's no chance there. >> Yeah. >> Interesting. >> There'll be no chance to reorganize. Now, if it's
103not certified, there wouldn't be a chance to reorganize or have anyone sworn in. >> Correct. >> But >> that's what it is. That's how it's flushed out, folks. I know it's interesting. >> I don't recall it ever happening before. Well, graduation used to be a memorial that weekend, didn't it? >> They used to be much later. >> I think that may change. >> So, it just board elections have never been in May either >> that time, >> but she's willing to come and um swear all three in those. They all three were able to commit to that four o'clock time. Um >> so, that is as of today. If there is a change, I will let you all know. >> Okay. Okay. And >> no Blake Shelton concert for me on graduation night. So, >>
104so like to come >> maybe. Boy, that'd be something, wouldn't it? >> Heck of a graduation. >> So, um, legislative session is over. >> They've been very, very busy. >> Um, lots of new school related laws were passed. >> Lots. >> Um, already at work on we're already working on some of the changes. So a simple change we had a we didn't have a direct link to emails for cyber security reasons if we want to be letter of the law we have emails for our board members direct link now not just a message box where we would forward them on to you >> good >> um that's an easy thing right if we already see it we can do it um one change is starting in July our meetings um our constituents will have an
105opportunity to address the board without a request process so that was Senate Bill 90 do not know the act number off the top of my head, but so there's some some good changes as well. Um, we're continuing to watch enrollment. If you haven't enrolled your kindergarters and you all know anybody, five before August 1 and u we are still accepting school choice applications as well. 5:30 April 24th, that's Thursday, that will be our facilities planning meeting. Um, I'm going to go ahead and meet with some high school teachers next week. I'll be sending out an invitation to them, all of them, to uh meet with them on Tuesday is my hope. We'll celebrate their ACT scores and talk about some things that they would like to see in a new building just so there is
106some voice. That won't be the last time we visit with them, but I thought that would be a good opportunity. >> Open meeting, >> the work session. >> Yes. >> So maybe the new school board members. >> Yes, we've been I'll continue to remind them and I'll send it again. I believe I believe that's one of the reasons we picked that day. >> Yeah, I think so. Yeah, that's right. >> Um, drop in tomorrow 9 to2 and I want to shout out our US first bomb squad who is in Houston at the nationals and we are just so proud of those kids and they are rocking and rolling and hopefully they'll just keep doing so. >> Gosh, I saw video of that. Amazing. >> It's amazing what those kids have created and are doing. And
107we have a wonderful community partnership with Vantiff. >> Vant now >> formerly Baxter >> and proud of the work that they're doing. >> Baxter still has part of it. >> They do. I think Vantiff gave us the money though and still got their sign in front. >> They do. They do. All right. That is all I have. >> Okay. Well, we will adjourn for executive session for personnel, employment, retirements, and transfers.