001know when you're ready. >> Go ahead. >> All right. We've got 502. Mr. Hughes, would you care to open us in prayer? >> Dear Lord, we're so grateful for the opportunity again to gather here around this table to discuss the business of the school. Lord, we're so thankful for the protection that you put around this school district. We're thankful for our staff and our admin and especially thankful for our kids and as well as they're doing this year. Pray that you'll continue to be with them and bless them throughout the remainder of this year as always. Lord, as we do make decisions here tonight, we pray that the decisions that will be made will be beneficial to the district here and that we have open minds and open hearts when we make them. and we
002pray that each and everything that we do is for the for the school itself. Again, Lord, forgive us for our sins. It's Christ's name we pray. Amen. >> Amen. Thank you. All right. So, the very next item on the on the agenda is to reorganize the board. Uh we've got president, vice president, and secretary. U anybody like to start off with >> I'll make the motion to keep you as president, Josh. >> I'll second. All right. >> No discussion. We'll move on. >> All right. Well, I count it as a privilege and honor. So, we've got a motion in a second uh to nominate myself as president. All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? All right. I'll make a motion to nominate Stacy for vice president. >> I'll second that. Got a motion in
003a second to nominate Stacy Peretti as vice president. All in favor? >> Any opposed? A motion. I would keep Stephanie as secretary. >> I second. >> All right. All right, I have a motion and a second to nominate Stephanie Free as secretary. All in favor? >> Any opposed? >> All right. >> So, that will also have to include what Stephanie, what else is your other title? >> Dispersement officer. >> Okay. >> All right. Uh, next item on the agenda is any open discussion for anybody that signed up. Anybody wants? All right. Um, next item is to consider the previous month's regular meeting minutes and any special meeting minutes. Anybody have any changes or additions to the minutes? >> I'll make that motion. I'll second it. >> Have a motion and a second to approve the
004minutes of the previous month's meeting. All in favor? >> Any opposed? >> Okay. Next item is to consider the financial reports and bills. the enhanced transportation, excuse me, the enhanced uh student achievement. Don't ask me why it's we haven't got it, but it's like a lot of federal problems. We just they they don't send it out. Um they keep you behind all time. Um the uh and that's way the other federal programs the title one and also the 6B pass through Medicaid the RMAC reimbursement we have received about I think $7500 in in that for the second quarter we're just now getting the second quarter should be in the third quarter um the reg grant we just got we got high impact the same and everything else is about where it should be. >> Okay.
005But uh I guess I had some questions on just the the ending balance. >> Okay. Total operating fund. Um are you concerned at all about the lack of revenue that's coming in? >> No, except it not really. Not uh we're like I said, we're into the um actually into a be end of April. So we're if you look at the back of the you look at the back of the the circle at the back. We're about about where I think we should be. >> Okay. >> They just some of it trickles in now and some trickles in later. You will get uh the very end of on the We didn't collect uh all the taxes that we should have. Uh there's about $100,000 that that we'll get at the very end of the year that
006will come in. Part of that status probably would be the uh I told you that after we did after we looked at the other stuff there, you know, they they we got into the insurance thing and they just told us the second semester we're fixing to pay it. It's about 30 something,000. We didn't have any choice. That probably took that probably took that down a little bit, but it's not I mean I mean it's not anything to be frightening over. >> Yeah. You So you anticipate that current to total operating fund balance of 316,000 to to increase? All right. Anything on the financial report bills? I'll make that motion. >> I'll second it. >> Have a motion and a second to approve the financial reporting bills. All in favor? >> Any opposed? All right. Next
007item is to consider the legal liability policy. Legal liability policy is I've been arguing with about it for the last two months. nothing that and finally I got somebody that actually listened to what I was saying and uh they told me they can't change it but there's been a mistake for the last two years on it. Somebody they uh put the uh they put more numbers in there of students than what we have and it's based on the number of students and claims you had. You not had a claim since 14 any kind of claim since 14. And what he told me, he said he can't change it this year because it's based on a statewide attendance put in the computer. He'd have to change everybody in the state of Arkansas. But what he did
008say, he had sent me a letter verifying that that this would be this total here um would be coming down significantly next year because we paid too much for the last two years. you know, um, and he just he told me he said, "I I really going back and refiging everything." And I said, "I just want something for like this this right here with the audience next two years." And that's it. It's a legal liability 9,000. It should should have been seven this year and seven last year. So it should be somewhere around four or five next year. >> So they're going to credit they're going to credit it the overpayments. >> Do what? >> They're going to credit the overpayments. >> Yes, you're going to credit the next year. He will credit the overpayments
009and he will send me something. >> He will send me something that I can attach with that the for the auditor to look at when he comes. Any motions? >> I'll make it. >> I'll second it. Have a motion and a second to approve the legal liability policy. All in favor? >> Any opposed? Okay. Next item is to consider the therapy contract. This is the contract we've had with with the Twin Lakes Therapy Center for ever. As far as I know, it's been a three-year contract. Y'all had it for the last three years. This one here is simply I can't find anything different than what we've already been doing. And u but anyway, I would recommend it. Another one that offers physical and occupational therapy for our students and just simply says that we will
010pay basically what we've been paying per student. >> I'll make that motion. >> I'll second. We have a motion in a second to approve the therapy contract with Twin Lakes Therapy. All in favor? Any opposed? All right. Next item is to consider the PPC calendar and certified handbook for fiscal year 2027. >> I have not yet, but I will. >> For those who don't know me, Mallerie Thomas, um I'm the president of the PBC this year, changes every year. But this I'm what I'm handing out is a couple different things. There is a copy of the calendar in there. I might be giving two batches of pages to get three pages piece. So on the calendar, um the recommendations that I'm making is two calendars were sent out. One of them was a no Fridays
011um and tacking these on to the end of school year like we currently have. Um, this calendar that I gave to you guys is actually the recommended one. So, when we lose snow days, we need to be able to make them up with useful instructional days. So, this calendar is actually the one that beat out when we did the teachers, they voted for this one. So, looking at all the teachers, uh, the chart that I put out on this page, this is all the teachers in both the high school and the elementary and who voted for what, not obviously by name, for anonymity. Um, but there was 17 people who voted for the spring calendar and 16 for no Fridays. So, this was the calendar that we voted for. Um, the changes to the handbook
012I also put on this piece of paper. There was just a few things that needed to be updated. Um, the employee training, there were three things that have been updated over the past three years that were never updated in the handbook. Um, mental health awareness, mandated reporter, and bullying prevention. those things have been updated in the state um recommendations. So, I went ahead and updated those in our handbook. Um personnel dismissal, that process has changed with the learns act. So, that's now been updated as well and it mirrors kind of what what's around our area um and what like the non-renewal process looks like. Um social networking policy has become quite a bit more wordy in the state legislation. Um, so it's it's just kind of expanded on the use of social media for teachers
013and students and parents. So that's been updated. Bus driver drug testing. That one there used to be a 04 um blood alcohol limit. We have moved that to zero. Um I don't know any of my kids have written the bus and I don't Yeah, that should have been changed a while ago, but we went updated that. Um, two last things. Sick bank for employees. So, if an employee was non-renewed or released from their contract and came back within two years, if they were invested in the sick bank, they automatically regain their vesture. They don't have to reinvest into the sick bank. If it's after two years, they lose their vesture and they don't get to be part of that sick bank anymore. We saw that happen this year especially because some teachers left and then
014came back. >> Why? by two years. >> Um we just figured two years for some sometimes a lot of things change in two years like administration or maybe they were sick had extended illness something like that. So two years was a kind of reasonable time frame if they returned but after that maybe too much may have changed that they um and then the last bit was weapons on campus. So, we recently have I think we have six um certified te teachers that are um able to carry weapons on campus and they were certified through the school. They did training with Mr. Curtis. Um they have their permits. We updated that part of the handbook to recognize that because it didn't have that at all in there. So, I think that needed to be added for
015safety purposes and for policy. So, that was something else that was added. >> Does it actually list the employees who have that? It doesn't. It lists the designation and the certifications that they go through, but it does not list the individuals. >> Okay. >> Because that might change year over year, too. >> Can we get this sent to us? The wordings of all the handbook changes. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> Yep. And everything in the handbook that was updated, I also highlighted in green. >> Um, so I can get those links sent out to you as well for the handbook. >> It's a really long document. It's like 86 pages. >> I didn't want to print. >> Not that I don't trust you. I just like to raise the ride because I actually compare from
016last year to this every year. So I like to see it. >> Anything that changed, I highlighted green to show those and I put comments in on the side. So if you click the comments button when you're looking at it, it'll say like what we did. >> Okay. >> Notes to each other and things like that. So, this is this is my first time that I've been to a this at this point with the uh calendar and I think we did in the calendar like we didn't do the handbook updates last year. Uh >> yeah, I don't know. >> Um and I'm not trying I I would like to be to personally look over >> Sure. the changes before the the board would okay this the calendar I don't have a problem with because it's
017pretty black and white but I would like to look over the the make sure that that I can support all >> they get that right now >> sent out email right now >> some of the things in the PPC handbook come from model policy and that's difficult too because it changes and it's hard to figure out where to go get the most updated model policy. Yeah, >> that's a struggle that we always had on PPC. So, >> the social networking policy, um, that one is technically not available on Arkansas state legislator websites anywhere. I've I've dug and I cannot find it. Um, I found the verbiage on Judicia. It's a like government website. Um, so that's where I found it. So, >> yeah. And they're all in different places. >> Yeah. So, regarding the calendar,
018>> sure. >> Um, if I'm understanding this correctly, the the dates in blue are essentially makeup days. If we lose days for weather, new weather, >> correct? If we don't have those days, we don't use >> um how many days do we miss this year? >> Four. >> So, an entire week, right? >> When are those being made up? >> The end of the year. after >> after >> before or after >> testing. >> After that's what we know that's the problem. >> Okay. So this one for next year the proposed blue dates >> two in April two in May are those possible days before or after atlas testing? >> The March and April days would be because the atlas testing window has moved back. The earliest weekend summitive test is the last week of
019April according to next year's calendar. Um >> so that gives us three days of emergency days that we can make up already before testing. >> Yeah. Or that that third one would be during testing >> the testing window >> which would allow for makeups. >> Yeah. >> Depending. So why did we do them all on the second semester instead of any in the first? >> So we did them all after um the potential of snow. So my thought was or our thought was PPC was that we want to typically after the second week of March we usually don't have snow days after that point. So we'll know how many days we need to make up. Um and we've tried there's quite a bit of soreness around two years ago the calendar. um we banked kind
020of days at the beginning of the year >> and people were really concerned about okay well we banked we did these days but then we didn't have enough snow days to make up for it. >> Um a lot of people got sour about that. So this was kind of a happy medium of we should know by by the March 19th date whether or not we need to make up snow days and if so how many. >> The year before that we tried to just say get snow days we'll make them up the following Friday but then we had like what we had this year we had a week where we were out for snow so it would have been the next consecutive like four Fridays. >> People didn't like that. They wanted them spread out.
021When we tried to spread them out, that caused an issue for some people. So, it's hard to it's hard to figure it out because you have to legally we have to have five emergency days in our calendar. So, it's just like where and it's hard for a 4 day school week as to where you put those days. Um, one of the biggest reasons why this calendar was preferred, I think, is because of all the teachers that have testing and competitions. So, there's a whole week of testing or whole week of curriculum that most teachers lost that we're not getting back this year. And that will affect test scores. Our goal this year is to increase our test scores and have students get through as much of the curriculum and as much of the state standards
022as possible. >> With emergency days going on the end of the year, half of them aren't aren't going to be here >> or they're not going to at least mentally be here. So these are ways that we can use them usefully and get that that standards and instruction taught. >> I don't have a problem with the county. >> You'll with the calendar. I don't really have a problem at all. >> I do like the idea that we are getting some days in before our testing and it's not that in the year. I think it I mean just to speak frankly here I think it should be our objective to get how many ever days we miss due to weather in all of them before testing >> every one of them. >> Yeah. >> Ideally >>
023and I don't mean to ruffle any feathers here but people's own you know staff members comfortability should take a back seat >> to making that happen. Mhm. >> Um, so we know looking at this calendar that the 21st of May, that's essentially the very last day of school. >> Yes. >> Unless additional days beyond five come up, but so that that day is going to be totally meaningless as far as instruction. We know that probably the 7th, too. I mean, I'm not saying that there won't be stuff on lesson plans to do, but >> right, >> kids have already taken the end of the year assessment. They're going to be checked out. I was checked out May. Okay. We've all been there. >> Yep. >> Um when does the when is the last testing date?
024>> The window goes through May what is it that we just got that calendar. I think it goes through that week of May 17th. It's like it starts the week of April 26th and I believe it goes through May 17th and they give you those that many weeks so you can get up all your makeup testing in. So it's not that we'll necessarily be testing up until that day. It's just trying to get all the makeup tests in. Um Pam always starts us the very first week the test window opens. So we will start that week of April 26. Um >> so can I ask a question? Um just out of my own ignorance, what is what would be the downside to starting later? >> The test on the test. It's just a matter of
025not having as many days to get the makeup test when we have kids that are absent and all that. Pam has to track them down and um so she tries to do the regular testing as early as we can to give her more time to do makeup tests. >> Okay. >> Um Pam also did mention that the last week of April and first week of May that is also like a lot of um senior activities and club activities, graduation, prom, >> there's a lot of extracurriculars and other testing that's happening during that time too. Um, so getting those kids in for the testing at the school in addition to their alternate testing, that's something that she has to kind of um, dance around. So it takes a lot of time to do that if basically
026we were just waiting. I mean, kind of waiting on the snow. I mean, as far as like why didn't we go back to the 5th or the 19th? We probably could move a couple of those days up >> like >> I mean because most time I mean January February is what we're that's what we're looking at. >> So I mean if you miss one or two days in January I mean we're talking about you know >> and just a curiosity question on that. I mean >> I mean we absolutely could. We could take that 21st um and move it to the 5th, you know, May 21st, move it to March 5th. We could even take May 7th and move it to February 26th. >> Um that's a possibility. The only thing that we talked about
027in the PPC was what if we have a snow week like the first week of March? We've we've lost that one day in February, then >> right >> potentially. >> It just >> and you'd have to just add on to the which we could do. >> We'd have to consider going every Friday for a month and a half, >> which we did. >> I mean, it wasn't that long ago. We went on some Saturdays. >> Saturday. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Two years ago, we did the um make it up the Friday of and we ended up going every Friday in April for a full month and that was that was rough. That was rough >> cuz our school day is longer than normal. >> Most most of the time if you can get through >>
028if you can get through February, >> if you can get through the last two weeks of January and the first two weeks of February, most of the time you don't have those four or five days out, right? You might have a day or two out, but you don't normally. My experience with that is I always pray that that that one month there from 15th to 15th that you don't get that long month out. I mean long week out or sometimes longer than that. >> We could move those the ones in May. We can move them up to March and February, end of February, early March. >> We could do that. So we have no Fridays in May. >> That might be nice because like you Once testing is over, kids are out anyway. >> That
029would probably be that would probably be better if we didn't have any Friday night. >> You guys like to do that? I can adjust that. >> I mean, I'm just kind of like the rest. I'd like to see them, you know, be able to work on the testing more. And I mean, on the 21st, I ain't even coming. I'm not that right now. I'm not talking. >> Well, this year we have two makeup days after Memorial Day. We have a makeup day after Memorial Day. We have two makeup days this year. That's not a good situation. >> It's not good. >> I just got sick. I'm just telling you on the 21st that I'm sick. >> But anyway, >> does that need to go back to the PPC or >> I mean, if you guys
030would like to adjust that, I can get that adjusted and send it to you, make sure it looks good, and it can be approved next month if that would be ideal. >> Um, >> I mean, I would like it. I >> I agree. >> I would like to see the the May Dawn make us the bad guys, >> bro. >> All right. Um, >> I mean, that that was something that we had thought originally, too. So, >> so like to see the two days in May >> move to March. >> Yeah, like a March 5th and then I mean even a February 19th. I mean, you know, if you're wanting to separate the two week, you know, if you don't want them back to back, I mean, cuz I do understand longer days, five days,
031you know, two or three weeks in a row. I get that. >> And another question. I mean, if we're running out of Fridays here, what's So, it's PD happening on April 2nd. >> Is that something that can be shifted if we have to have a an instructional day that Friday also? >> Yes. >> I mean, we can even adjust that to happen the first week of May >> if needed. Yeah. >> April makes more sense. Give you more flexibility. makeup day. >> What did I send you in that email? Is it three PD days? We're Well, I mean, we have to have >> We're required to have three. >> I believe I asked somebody at the co-op that question. No, it was like six. >> It was six. Four at the beginning, too. So, we
032don't necessarily have to have that in there. >> No, we technically don't even need one on Friday, April 2nd. >> We have PDs in September. One for elementary, one for high school. That's one each for our schools. And then we have a PD uh day built in for December 18th. So we have two PD days already built in during the first semester. >> So we can just take that April 2nd out, change that to one of the emergency days and then make March 5th the other one >> if needed. You know, if we can squeeze all that. >> Yeah, I think that would be fine. I think the April 2nd one we had in there. >> I don't remember why we put it there. I think it was like to do the test training or
033something. before we go into summit. But we can >> different >> we can do that. Yeah. >> Well, because we're going to be doing inters in end of January because that testing >> that testing window for winter interims is now end of January. It used to be this year it started in the >> November. >> Yeah. End of November like Thanksgiving week. But we're hungry. >> They moved everything back >> because a lot of schools were complaining that the summitive testing was happening too early. There was too many school days left after summitive testing was over. Understandable. But so so they did move that whole they moved all the windows back. Um I'll get those adjusted and submit it next month for approval. >> Yeah, we can do that. Come back to the April meeting
034for approval once we get Do you guys want copy of this come April meeting. >> Thank you. >> You good with that, Mr. Blevens? >> Do what now? >> Are you good with that? >> Yeah. That's probably, >> but all you're going to do basically is move the the March the 5th and the February the 19th and take out the days the May days the two Fridays in May >> or or the second. I mean, >> yeah, I think we said we'll just take out that PD on the second if they >> So now we'll have an emergency date on April 2nd and February 5th. >> Yeah. Orch. >> Yeah. Just eliminate the people >> and just eliminate. >> Yeah. >> And then the handbook you're going to send Levens and Leven can send to
035us. >> Yeah. I just shared it. >> I'd like to not think you're sneaking anything. I just need to I'd like to look at it. >> I shared the the document in the Google Drive. I shared it for all of you. So you all can go in and view it now. >> Thank you. It's a nice long read. You can enjoy. >> Get comfortable before you pull that out. >> Don't expect the full report. >> She was going to read it to us, was she? >> Yeah, that's what I thought. >> The whole thing. >> Could you just summarize that? >> I know an app that can do that. And if you guys have questions about feel free >> if you're going to read the whole thing, let me make sure that I didn't get
036here about five. >> It's a lot of information. >> Okay. So, any other questions about the calendar or the handbook before we move on? So, that's essentially been tabled. >> Y. Okay. >> Okay. So, the next item is principal reports sto Miss Bradberry. So I don't haveademic data on this top of school. >> You've got my attendance report. >> He doesn't lead by example. >> All right. So um like I said I didn't really any academic data I've shared any the last testing um that we've done but some other things that do affect academics are attendance and discipline. So I just I pulled some of these reports just kind of share some um some data with you. I tried to blow it up as big as possible and I kind of struggled reading it. But
037um basically the top left it will have it has a comparison from um just the month of January 24 25 and 26. It shows um pretty consistent. we're always up in the 90 mid 90% um attendance rate. And then it shows the number of um students that attended school less than 90% in each of these months um this year. And that if you look at the chart below it, it kind of it breaks it down by month of this current school year. And uh you'll probably notice January was high compared to the other months big time. So we had 35 students who uh were at less than 90% um there were there was one day a couple days at just at the elementary we had about 40 out of 250 students. So you got me
038and I asked Brooke meet at all. >> Pretty bad. Yeah, >> it was bad. >> So looking at this, I mean our attendance is pretty good. However, the end of the year, many students like Darren, they don't like to at the end of the year don't like to show up. So that's something I I do want to work on for this last quarter some um better incentives to get them here. And a lot of it It's not always the students, it's the parents getting them here on time. So, that is something that I'm going to be working on over spring break. Some kind of incentive for students that last quarter because it is important coming up at the end and we need to hit it hard that last those last several months. Um the next
039several pages uh discipline will also affect academics if there are any um excessive discipline issues. I've been very fortunate the last couple years, very minor in comparison to what um what I came into when I first stepped in. Of course, we do things a little bit differently where I saw every discipline issue in my office. Um but now that we've gone to um a positive group, we have a flowchart where teachers know when to send students at what point in what point they need to be handling the discipline in their classrooms. So the first page is not and it it shows also on here how many out of school suspensions 24 25 and 26. Um, it shows 260, but but then when you look down at the I'm looking at the middle chart. When you
040look at the bottom, it does show one and not 20. So, I'm not sure why that pop said zero. Um, when you look on the left when it talks about infractions, we have smart data. It's a system where teachers put in the their classroom discipline to kind of keep track. Um, and so when it's talking about infractions, if you look at the bottom left where it says action on infraction counts by month, um, the left is um, well, when it says like August 20, uh, August 22, September 65, that's a bad month apparently. Um, those are not discipline. uh discipline referrals that were sent to me. These are ones that teachers in class discipline issues um where teachers had to address something in their classroom. Not major incidents. Um so January we're at 13. So
041I have uh 14 regular classroom teachers not counting activity teachers and only 13 things were entered in the system. So pretty good. The next page are major um no sorry that's not it. So the next it's the same thing is these are just teacher input. These are not mine. These are just discipline things that go on at recess in the classroom. Um maybe in the hallway in the bathroom kids throwing water at each other. So nothing major. It might just be as simple as the teacher having a conference with with the student or calling the student parent, nothing having to see it. The very last page are the major ones um where students are sent to me. Major ones are typically if a um behaviorist happened the same behavior four times in a classroom, that's
042when they they're going to be sent to me. or there are certain ones that are automatically sent to me. Fighting physical, you know, someone kicking somebody, cussing at a teacher, um something on the internet inappropriate they should have been looking at that kind those things are said automatically to me. Um and so again, and I don't think in 20 some of the numbers are a little odd in 24. Wow, they didn't have anything going on in 24. Teachers weren't entering it in the 24th. I think we just started this last year. Yeah. So that's why the numbers jumped up 20 from 24 to 25. I think wow crazy 24. No teachers didn't enter anything. That was just office things that rendered. Okay. So when you look at the major those are the ones that are
043actually sent to me. And again um if you look on the left it has it by month. I mean, August 4, September 6th, very noble. I can actually do other things besides addressing someone splashing water on somebody in the bathroom. >> And so really, there are very discipline, very minimal. >> So I think that helping that it's very minimal for me. I know it's not for the teachers in the classroom dealing with this honestly minor behavior, but I understand when it's repetitive and and be a headache, you know, be a distraction. And so that is something else I may want to work into maybe working on getting classroom management that kind of anyway. >> I love this system because when it does come to us, we can pop in that student's name and we can
044see every referral a teacher has made. So even if it hasn't been coming to us, when they finally do get to us, if we pull their name up and they've had 10 different writeups for different things, then you can >> Does it categorize them like bull or anything like that? Like a bull report. >> It shows us what the infraction was. really get a lot of ice in my building. >> But yeah, I do I do like that. >> I'm trying to get it set up where um when a student did the same infraction like four times, he would send me an email, but it still has, you know, where I would be where I could before that student got to the point of the teacher sending them to me, I catch them in the
045hallway. Hey, I noticed you had unless I go in there and search a student that's not me. Yeah, I don't do that either. >> I think that's a new state law now once a year. So maybe at the end of the school year, y'all can like tell us. >> Yeah, you can bully. So we'll have a report. >> Yeah, we can do that. >> Thank you, Mr. M. >> Well, some of you know this first part because you were with us. It felt like we lived in Magnolia, Arkansas for about a month. Um, but that that was a good problem to have because it means our girls made it all the way to the final four. Very proud of them. Um, Coach Story was named the 182 coach of the year. Maggie um was all
046state all tournament. Macy, Kate, Jenna, and Maggie were all conference. Um, I posted a picture today. Pirate Graphics donated some final that they made for us. They were really nice. Anybody wants to buy them, you can buy them from them. And then we reached out to businesses once we realized, you know, that we were going to be staying in Magnolia for a month. Um me and Angie hot kind of reached out to some businesses and got some donations to help with hotel rooms and food cost. And we had some donors, NGI, Next, First Natural Bank, Desert County, First Bank, and Lindsy Expation. Thanks to all of them. um academics. We have some students taking the ASVAB on Wednesday. That's that's uh one of the options they get. If they want to take the ASVAB, they
047can. So, we have several that are taking that. Um our culinary students went to Bentonville on Friday. Do you want to say anything about the culinary competition? >> Sure. Um we learned a lot. Um we were performing in front of um two of the or one of the two world judges uh chefs that's the world judge competition >> and he's been a chef in 16 countries and trained in France. >> Wow. >> Um so we kind of felt like we'd walked into a TV show um figuring it out and the kids were very nervous but it was a fantastic learning experience and so they um look forward to next year. They give away a lot of prizes. They give away scholarships to culinary schools. And so, um, I was able, as you could see in
048some of the pictures, I have to stand behind the the glass wall and watch the two different competitions go on. We're not allowed to talk to them once they go in, but, um, I was able to visit with several fax teachers from around the state. And there are several other competitions they go to, so I'm going to get a list of those. Um, our culinary group worked for two hours and 15 minutes and they prepared chicken, ricotta, orzo, green beans, and a side salad. And our baking group had to have three and a half hours to prepare blueberry muffins, chocolate chip cookies, um, cream puffs, and decorate a cake. And so we all pretty much completed Yeah, it was a great experience for us and we were able to see a lot of other equipment
049that would benefit our classroom and so I've been taking notes and already starting on some grants for some of that stuff and it was it was fantastic experience. >> Yeah, they look very professional. >> Yeah, great experience for our kids. Thank you for doing that. Um, our students are leaving tomorrow for East Conference in Hot Springs with Miss Jones like she's not here. Uh, we have parent teacher conferences obviously Wednesday from 3 to 7. Um, one of my big things right now, um, I had Miss Braun pull a report from me of all the students that have left us this year, grades 7 through 12, to go virtual, and it's 13. And I was discussing this, Mr. 11s. Each one of those kids represents about $10,000 in funding. So, we're talking $130,000 that left our
050school district this year. Um, I am looking into options for us to have our own virtual academy. Um, I don't want this, all of us have talked about it. We agree that we don't want this to turn into a thing where we're advertising it and our kids think that this is a better option than inperson learning. But, that are about to walk out the door. I would like to have something that we can offer them to keep them as our student. A lot of schools are doing this now. IC um Carter just approved one. Mountain Home's been doing it for a while. So, I've been talking to some other schools and we have a call tomorrow with Imagine Learning. Um they're a provider. Uh they have Arkansas teachers that you the kids zoom with. So
051they are still getting that in-person you know contact. It's not just an online program. Um but they would still be considered our students and we would still get funding for them. Um, but we would have to develop like a whole handbook, Mountain Home Set Be there handbook that they use, kind of an agreement that we have with those students and we're just kind of exploring it right now. When we have something that we want to present to you guys, I'll bring it to you. But I just feel like, like I said, I I don't want it to become this thing that we're advertising that's better than being in person. But we just have some that no matter how much I council and talk to them and try to convince them that you should stay here.
052We'll take care of you. Some of them are just taking that option. And if we've had something, >> they give you a reason of why they're >> honestly at the high school, the ones I've talked to, a lot of it is mental health. >> Yeah. and um just a lot of anxiety around school and around it, you know, it could just be a friend group situation thing that's happening or something more than that. And a lot of parents are I think kind of seeing it as kind of an easier way out. You know, when this is just my opinion, the kids are not telling me this, but this is what I think. We have rules at school. You know, we have a dress code. They can't have their And I say what you will, I
053think a lot that's a lot of it. Like they don't want they don't want to get up their phone. They don't want to dress the way we tell them they need to dress when they come to school. >> They don't want to get up early. >> They don't want to get up. Uh when we start coming after families for attendance, they start looking at this kind of stuff because they don't want to be taken to court for attendance. >> Um like I said, I I don't think this is an answer. Yeah. Discipline. >> They don't I don't have time. I don't have time to bring them back and forth to school if you can't get him off those for two or three days out of home school. >> Right. Right. >> So, it's it's going
054to continue to be an issue. I don't think it's going away. I think it's just going to get more involved. So, I'm just trying to come up with how can we provide something that will keep them a Northwork student, but still give them the option to do this. So, >> if that's something y'all are good with us exploring, then >> absolutely. >> Yeah, for sure. >> Look at >> And then on I want y'all to mark your calendars. April 204, I know some of you have been contacted about this. We're going to be hosting a CTE and career fair, trying to get more of our students interested in taking those CTE um courses. I know they're going to be highlighting some things that they do in their classrooms. And then that night we do, this
055is I think our third year of doing Panther Showcase where we do like the art show and um we have some music performances, poetry, and things like that. So that's all Friday the 24th and we're in school that day. So we We would use that since it's a Friday to kind of encourage people to be there and participate. >> That's all I have. >> Well, thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> Did you get a check from my bank? >> I think so. I've deposited a few so I don't remember, but I think I did. >> I just want to make sure you got >> Yeah. Yeah. I think so. Um, next item is M. Jones, but is anybody going to be presenting for her? I talked I'll talk a little bit. This is
056something I threw at the principal, Miss Jones. Um, you know, I don't think anybody understands how much curriculum we actually buy every year. and you look at one year you might spend $50,000 and next year you might spend $60,000 next year you might spend $150,000 but what I told him that you know rather than let's see if we can't do one year two year three year four years and try to get it kind of separated out so there's a kind of a $80,000 a year or $70,000 a year we spend on curriculum rather than look at one year doing ungodly amount next year 40 or $50,000 and that's what Miss Jones was working on. She was working on this and she had >> how many day on I think she couldn't be here tonight. That's
057what I'd ask her to do is to get it somewhere where we have an idea each year what we're going to spend. And some of the renewals I know for English and math and science and uh what's the other one there >> social studies some of them are five years you do you know pay for five years but you have options you do it for one or two or three or four and try to get it somewhere you know my god get it somewhere where they're just you kind of look at it and say okay this year last year we spent60 $80,000 on it. Let's budget 60 or $80,000 and then not $150,000. You know, all of a sudden you look up and you go, where the crap did this come from? So, I think
058that's something that that needs to be done and figured out over the years that you can do a fiveyear plan actually a year for her stuff. And you can she got that and elementary's got that social studies teachers. So they're not all line them up try to give us know each year how much money we're going have to spend basically not the same amount but within a $20,000 range any that's why I'd ask what you working anything else right so that leads us to the next one in executive session we'll call executive session to order 553 Okay, >> Joe. Did you give Did you figure out what >> kind of >> I put I put the key in there, but it didn't show Well, it shows that it went live, but it didn't prompt me
059to like name it like it normally does. >> So, I don't know. We'll have to play with it. >> Okay, we'll figure it out. >> I did find the key, though. The next meeting, huh? >> Okay. I found the key, though. >> Okay, good. >> You too. >> I knew it was in there somewhere. I just couldn't remember where. Been so long since I did all that. >> Yeah, I wasn't expecting that to happen. Yeah, I'm sorry. >> No, it's it's weird. It usually just automatically >> as long as you're on the same laptop, which you are. So, All right. Call the meeting back to order from executive session at 6:41. All right. Next item on the agenda is to consider the certified contracts for 2627. We have a list to vote and anybody that
060I haven't that it's not they already know they're not surpris Second, >> we have a motion in a second to approve the list of the certified contracts for the 26 27 school year. All in favor? >> Any opposed? >> All right. Anything under vote? One thing I told you about that I'm run through the person policy committee the three steps for the for the claims are not on the >> yeah maybe next month. >> Yeah, right. Anything else? >> We'll second it. >> I