001[Music] I call the governing board meeting for Liberty Elementary School District to order today, October 8th. The time is 5:30 p.m. We have four board members present. Board member Zimmerman, Vice President Kenyan, board member Shinion, myself, Michael Todd. Move to the pledge of allegiance. Uh, Vice President Kenny, can you please lead us? >> To the flag of the United States of America, to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Members, next on the agenda is item 1.3, the approval of the special meeting agenda. Before we move further, uh legal has asked us if we can take their section first. That will be the executive session which would be uh uh 2.3 I believe. Um that'll be the first one to do 2.3. If we
002can just make that exception in the approval, do them and then we'll come back and pick up 2.1 and 2.2. >> Mr. President, I motion to approve the regular agenda form consistent with board policy 1-302 and temporarily suspend governing board policy which with this agenda may be consistent with the exception of 2.3. Moving that to the beginning. >> Okay. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Have a motion, a second. If there's no discussion, we'll take the vote. Board member Zimmerman >> I. >> Vice President Kenyon. >> I. >> Board member Shinion. >> I. I'm also I will show that proof four yes zero no. We'll now show the time is 531. We'll uh move to item 2.3 which will be a vote for executive session pursuant to ARS 38431 A3 and 4 for
003legal advice from the attorney for the district concerning the interim superintendent contract and the position of the district and to consult with and instruct its attorneys regarding the board's position regarding contracts that are subject of negotiations in pending or contemplated litigation or in settlement discussions conducted in order to avoid or resolve litigation. Uh, I make a motion uh to go into executive session pursuant to ARS 30 38-431.03A3 03 A3 and A4 for legal advice from the attorney for the district concerning the interim superintendent contract in the position of the district and to consult with and instruct its attorneys regarding the board's position regarding contracts that are subject of negotiations in pending or contemplated litigation or in settlement discussions conducted in order to avoid or resolve litigation. >> Do I have a second? >> I'll second.
004>> Have a motion. Second. If there's no discussion, we'll call the vote. Board member Zimmerman. >> I. >> Vice President Kenyon. >> I. >> Board member Shion. >> I'm also I will. We'll show that proof. Four. Yes. Zero. No. The time is now 5:33. Will show us into executive session. [Music] Hey. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Hey, [Music] hey, hey. [Music] I never want to be. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Baby Lou. [Music] Hey. [Music] Stick around. [Music] I don't want [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Happy [Music] birthday. to the [Music] Here we go. [Music] Oat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Hey, hey, hey. [Music] Doo doo. [Music] Too late. [Music] I want you.
005What do [Music] you do? [Music] I [Music] want you. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Hey, [Music] hey, hey. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Hey everyone. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. N. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Hey, [Music] hey, [Music] hey. [Music] Happy [Music] dog. [Music] Hey. [Music] Today, [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] All [Music] right, the time is 6:09 p.m. We'll show that the board is back in general session. We'll move to item 2.1 which is discussion possible action to approve the fiscal year 202425 annual financial report. This will be presented by Miss Crystal Moer our accountant. >> Good evening governing board. Good evening members of the community. Um thank you for allowing this to be added to tonight's agenda. This is a time-sensitive matter. Um what we have
006is our fisc year 25 annual financial report for the district. So, what that covers is um all expenses, activities, revenues, um fund balances, everything uh that the district has on their financial records is on this report. Um it's something that's approved annually by the board by October 15th. It also is uh uploaded and reported to AD, so it will be available for the public. And then we also put a publication of that link to their website on our own website so people can easily find this report. Um so there are two attachments. One is the actual annual financial report. The second item is our classroom site fund narrative and this is just a simple document that kind of explains how we use our classroom site fund money. So, it's pretty brief, but um it just
007has a little bit of a description that uh we use that money for teacher salaries and benefits. Um so, if you have any questions for me, I'm happy to answer um either about anything on the documents or the process of preparing these items. >> Uh Mr. Todd. >> Yes, ma'am. Um, on page two of the document, um, and at the bottom where it says ending fund balance, it looks like it says like 1.9. So, is that what we ended up with in ML? >> That's a great question. We would be lucky, but no. >> Okay. I was like, wow, what what happened? And, you know, so that's why I was I just Yeah, if you could help me >> is okay. we would want to look at page three. Okay. >> And you can see
008where it shows our budget and then our actual expenses. So it's the difference between those two items is what our I'm assuming you're you're referencing our carry forward amount. >> Yes. Yes. >> So the difference between those two items I have totaled right here is $641,590.78. Okay. Um, thank you for clarifying. Could you just explain um like what it what does that on page two, what does that ending fund balance, what is it referencing, I guess? >> So, it kind of references um the cash and the revenue that comes in through our M fund. So, that doesn't always match what our budget is. So, that's where our cash balance sits. >> Okay? >> That's not the budget that we have left over. Okay. Um, you know, that was my, uh, main question, I guess. Um,
009I just think it's important, you know, for the public to understand that at the end of 25, we did do some different things and paying money out of different funds. And so, you know, my concern is is that when we look at this, it's it's accurate. It's not inaccurate, but we definitely did things differently at the end of the year than in previous years. And so I just think we need to be cognizant of that. Um so that as I said when we voted on the adopted budget, if we just take those numbers, we're going to probably get ourselves into trouble again because hopefully we're going to, you know, budget so we can pay things out of M that we're supposed to. So just to be cognizant that we did do a lot of different
010things to cut at the end of the year and paid things out of different accounts. So thank you very much, >> Mr. President. for me. >> Go ahead, Vice President Kenyon. >> Um I I know this isn't directly tied to this, but similar. Have we gotten anywhere on the different um sites having their own budgets? >> Um so are you referencing the 2025 information? >> Uh I guess is any of that in here because it it doesn't look like it, right? This is all districtwide. >> This is all 2025 information, not 2026. last year. So, this does have our budgets. Um, but this is all district level. >> Okay. This is actually last year, last school year's correct budget, not the final numbers of where all of our expenses landed. >> Right. >> So, I
011think Mr. Vice President Kenyon, when you're talking about the site budgets, that's what started this year that I think we'll have a unfortunately we had some sickness and some vacation and some travel. Um, believe four board members unable to make the Monday meeting. So, we had it on there to discuss some site budget stuff that'll come back in the next meeting following general meeting to uh to bring that the presentation. There any other questions? Okay. Uh, Miss Moer, just a couple things I'd like to thank you for coming tonight. I know, uh, short notice. We had the executive session. We didn't find out about until late Monday. Um, and this was an opportunity. We would have been coming together anyway to get this done by deadline. So, I apologize. We were missing some board members
012on Monday. Um I I think it's important if you look at any budget um what you start with and how things change throughout the year are are very common. So we will see money that moves around from account to account. Um whether or not that was done in the past, I don't think we've ever done quite as detailed budget reporting as we've been doing these last couple years with with your assistance. So I appreciate that. Um so I I don't know that it's a safe statement to say that we've not done this. It's the transparency that's shown in and how we're able to to manage our budget accordingly. Um I I do know that in speaking with folks at the legislature, carryovers are going to change a lot in the future. They're not they're not
013real impressed by having any carryover. So I think we'll see some sweeping changes out of the next session that will bring us back to where we were back in about 2016 where carryover doesn't really exist. Um, I kind of liking the analogy of if you have a million dollars in your savings account at the end of the year, but your cars broke down, kids don't have shoes, and you got a leaky roof, you're really not a millionaire. You just didn't spend your money uh on the things that need to be spent. You saved it. So, I think that's why we've seen some extra expenditures. Um, and our carry forward wasn't as much as in previous years, but we did do the right things to do some maintenance that had been deferred for years and and
014this this shows that we have maintenance that was deferred over 10 years. It's time to spend some money and get that fixed. Um, because those costs only went up over time and would continue to go forward. So, thank you for your time. Um, I think we are required to take some action on this. So, if I'll take a motion in a second. I motion to approve the fiscal year 24-25 annual financial report as presented. >> Second. >> I have a motion, a second to approve the 2024-25 financial report as presented. There's no further schedule. We'll take the vote. Uh board member Zimmerman >> I. >> Vice President Kenyan >> I. >> Board member Shinsion. >> I'm also I show that approve for yes, zero nos. All right, we'll move to item 2.2 to discussion possible
015action of giving directive to board secretary and director of IT to create and share a district counter events taking place in the district. Vice President Kenyon, you asked that this uh be added. >> Yes, thank you, President Todd. Um so it came to my attention that you know throughout basically since school started, the board hadn't been receiving regular invites to a lot of district events. Um, and so, and I know this is something that President Todd has been trying to get for quite a while, is a district calendar so that not only board members can see what's going on throughout the district, but the other staff can see, so that sports can see what's going on in what days, and we've had a lot of problems with scheduling, uh, that kind of stuff. But really,
016as board members, as representatives of the community, of the families, of our staff, for us to for whatever reason, not be invited to district events was concerning to me. Um, so that's why I wanted this brought forward. And, you know, all I can say is I I don't I don't know why. Um, Miss Camarada, do you have any idea why board members since the beginning of the year haven't really been invited to many events? >> President Todd and members of the board, um, the only thing that that I can say is that um, it was working on a shared calendar. Um, I know President Todd and I had a discussion about not sending individual invites like I did last year. uh making it more work. Um so as you know it created this shared calendar
017you know it and Lincoln also explained in how he shared it out to the office managers and them just getting them on the same page and you know it was noted that I would add all the events that I had in a separate Google calendar um to this calendar event and the office managers would take it from there. So that um shared calendar even the shared calendar was shared with all the board members, office managers, um Lane and um there's there's all the events on there. So Lane, did you want to add anything or Eric? All right. I just appreciate the question being asked because I know it's uh something that was lacking. Um I apologize for the delay to all the board members. Um this was asked of us uh quite some time in
018order to get a calendar with all school events. uh we had processes and procedures that were already in place uh at the principal level and the uh school manager level and to kind of get everyone on the same page and make sure that they were going to add these events. Um it it did just take some time. So I apologize for the delay. Right now as we speak every board member has been invited to uh LED25 all school events. Um, and so this will be a a calendar or a portal into all the events in the district. Um, I'll make sure and sit down with each of you separately if we need to to make sure that you you have it on your devices. Um, and then um I believe we put it up to
019the the principles and the uh school site managers to send out uh in invites uh for you guys, but you'll have access to all events. Um, and I do apologize for the delay and take responsibility for that as well. >> Yeah. If if if I may just kind of continue for a second. Um, I don't I appreciate the work that you and Miss Camarada have done putting this together. I do. And I'm not blaming you or Miss Camarada about the lack of invitations. Um, I think that that was um administration's job. And I think that there was an intent to keep board members from district activities. But with this here, I appreciate. I don't necessarily like I like the idea of the the principles or or the staff admin or the the site administration um
020notifying us, you know, about certain things is happening. That's fine. But it's really easy for one to get overloading and then slip and then things just start trickling off of something like this. So in my mind, we would have somebody who's more central, more connected. Um, and in my mind, it would be the board secretary that just make sure this stays up to date and whether that however they want to figure that process, whether it's a weekly or a monthly check-in with the site, they would just make sure that things are updated on there. or else, you know, it could be very easy to some for something to slip for a whole site. And uh we want to keep this updated and going and and active and energetic and exciting. So, thank you, >> Mr.
021President. If you may, >> you may. >> I guess like um the only question was going to be is who's going to be overall in charge of it? Uh, the other thing is if we're it's all putting on the calendar, I don't know if it's going to be a lot of extra work or not, but I don't know if we actually need individual invites sent to us if it's on the calendar. I don't know if that's just going to be an extra step that's not needed because we can go on the calendar and look, correct, without receiving individual invites that you just mentioned. Um, and I also asked the board, I'm sure you guys would do it anyway. Um, if we do decide to go to those, like make sure we notify the administration for
022that building that we're coming that it's just not, it is an open invitation for us, correct? But I think we should still let them know if we're coming or not. Just not show up to random unless it's like a sporting event or something. Um, but I think we should still give them a heads up when we're coming. >> Mr. Todd, >> Mr. Um, you know, I have a couple things. Um, I think that, um, this, um, you know, in terms of why it wasn't done. I I think that, you know, our staff and our administration was focused on getting the year started. Um, we had a new superintendent. Um, we had a lot of change. We had three new principles. And so I don't think it was I don't see as the board needing to
023be the focus at the start of the year that our staff should be focusing on our staff and our students and and starting the year efficiently and I think administration was focused on that um and learning a district. Um I don't think that this was a big priority. Um, so, um, and you know, honestly, I'm not sure why it's on the agenda if it's already being done, but I agree with Mr. Cernion. I had that written down. I think as board members, because we're not getting individual invites, which I'm okay with. Um, I think as a common courtesy, we should be emailing the the principles if we're planning to attend an event. Um when we went to ASBA's new uh board member training in December, they you know were very clear that we need to
024be cognizant of the you know kind of title that we carry. Um and it and our presence does mean something and so as a courtesy I think we should be letting that building principal know. So I hope that all of us will choose to do that as a courtesy to our site administrators. >> Mr. Todd, if I can follow up. you may I apologize. Um I I don't disagree Mr. Merman that this isn't shouldn't have been at the start of the year a huge priority. However, every site administer administrator whenever they have some district event or some e you know public event they send out lots of invitations to parents to community. They notify everybody, but we as board members never got one. You're right. We do hold the title. Um, we should be involved.
025We should be knowing about these things. So, it I don't see it as, you know, they need to stop educating our children to focus on us. That's not what I see at all or what I want. I just saw that there was a lack of wanting the board present at uh events. And I I respect what you saw or what you feel and I hope everybody respects what I feel as well. But I think that this will go a long way just to help um us as a board kind of be able to support our district. Uh because a lot of times we can't really support if we're not there seeing it, witnessing it, and seeing what's going on. And and a lot of this stuff is going to be public anyways. I I don't
026disagree. If we can notify the administration that we're coming, that would be fine. There's times, I know in my schedule where I I don't know when I get home after work until right then and there and I go, "Oh, I got 30 minutes to run over to, you know, Freedom or whatever and go to an event and I don't have time to sit down and write a, hey, I'm gonna show up at your event." Um, so when I can, I definitely will, but when I can't, I just hope that they also understand that this as this calendar is, it's basically our invitation. Um, and so I respect them and I expect the same from them that they respect us. >> President Todd, if I may, you may. >> I lost my train of thought. Um,
027so in front of you then you have the shared calendar, right? Um, if anybody wants you on campus to see kids, it's me, right? I I gave you invitations last year and I I didn't hesitate for a moment to I didn't if it took me all day to do it, I did. Um, I want you on campus. Um I would love to create when the board gets to visit alto together right at each campus. I it was administration never directed me purposefully not to invite you. Okay. So just for the record that you know that um it has killed me for you not to be on campus. And that's all I have to say. So I I appreciate the discussion amongst the board. What I would share with the board is shortly after Mr. McDonald
028was placed on leave, I was asked by our board secretary, now that he's not here, can I start sending invites again? So, I'm going to set the record straight that clearly there was some indication that invites to the board should not be sent prior to that, but it was within two days of that I came in to sign something for Dr. Monroe and our board secretary said, "Hey, now that he's on leave, can I start inviting the board to events again?" Um, I I'll leave it at that. I think with this we have some action to take. Do you want to name um somebody to be overall responsible for the upkeep of the calendar? Because I I heard your concerns that Oh. Oh, your mic was on, Mr. Cameron. Okay. Sorry. Sorry. Um Mr. Kenyon,
029do you want to make a motion that somebody's overall in charge of the upkeep of this counter and the accuracy of it or we left some action here just in case something came up for from the discussion? Um, yeah. I I think it's important that we set somebody who's in charge of this or else I I see this whole thing just falling apart and I don't want that to happen. So, I would like to make a motion to direct the board secretary to keep the district calendar updated. Okay. Do we have a second? Ask a question real quick. Uh, >> a second. >> Yeah. You did second. >> Yes. >> Okay, we can discuss. >> Miss Camarado, uh, don't want to put any more work on people, but you going to be able to I
030feel like you'll be able to handle this. So, do you have concerns about being in charge of the calendar? >> President Todd, if I may, I do not. I mean, I'm the board secretary and I'm your board secretary, so there is no as long as, you know, in the last hour if something switches, you know, I just, you know, as a time switches or something, I just need the office managers to make sure and I stated it in an email that they just please let me know. So, and that you might show up because individual calendar invites are not being sent. So, um, you'll notice that sporting events are also on there. So, I hope you enjoy the calendar. You just need to add it to your your calendar, another calendar. >> All right. Any
031more discussion? All right. Hearing none, we have the motion in the second. So, we'll move to a vote. Uh, board member Zimmerman. >> I, >> Vice President Kenyon, I. >> Board member Shinion, I. >> I'm also I will show that proof. Four yes, zero nos. Next is item wh we're past 2.4. We already reconvened. We're going to 2.5. Consider and possibly vote to issue notification to Trevor McDonald concerning unilateral termination of his contract. >> Mr. President, I make a motion to issue notifications to Trevor McDonald concerning unil unilateral termination of his contract and authorize board president to sign any necessary documents. >> Have a second. >> Second. >> Have a motion and a second. If there's no discussion, we can go to a vote. If you have discussion, please say so. >> Mr. Mr. President,
032if I may, you may discuss real quick. Um, I think it's very important that the public knows that there is enough grounds in my eyes and uh for a termination or cause and bringing forward a statement of charges and I hesitant. I would like to go that route. However, saving a lot of money, a lot of taxpayer dollars, and money that our district needs, I think it's important that we go this route and provide the 30 days and do the unilateral extermination. >> Thank you, >> President Todd. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Um, my computer screen glitched. Uh, Kenya, can you please read repeat that motion? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Thank you. Motion to issue notifications to Trevor McDonald concerning unilateral termination of his contract and authorize board president to sign any necessary documents came from
033board member. >> Thank you. Okay. Is there any further discussion? Okay. I too would just like to be on the record to say that I firmly believe that we have plenty of grounds to terminate for cause. By doing that, it adds considerable amount of money in hearing officer costs and other associated charges to move forward with that. Doing a unilateral termination is absolutely the best interest of the district and of the taxpayers's money. That's why I will be voting yes on this tonight. There's no further. We'll call the vote. Board member Zimmer. >> Nay. >> Board. Vice President Kenyon. >> I. >> Board member Shrenion. >> I'm also I will show that approved. Three yes, one no. All right. Members, item 2.6 will not be necessary based off the action taken in 2.5. We'll move
034to 3.1. board comments on agenda topics and items for future consideration. >> Mr. Todd, >> Miss Zimmerman, >> at the last meeting, you mentioned that um you know, you didn't have it or you thought you had everything. So, I'm just going to read um my agenda topics that I requested and the date that I requested them um that have not been agenda sized. March 4th. Yeah, March 4th. Um, I asked for an agenda item to discuss the deficiencies found in the performance audit and how the district planned to correct them. April 15th, I asked to look at the budget spreadsheet again um to make some adjustments. That was only brought back as an information item, not an action item. May 13th, I asked the district or for an agenda item to create a plan uh
035to build the carry forward and how they will do that. I also asked for the climate surveys to be an agenda item. That was not done. I asked um for the potential for the district to complete the risk action plan that the auditor general's office mentioned in their presentation. Um the agenda item was for the board to discuss if the district should complete that. June 18th, I asked to update the discipline matrix to align with our new policies. Also on that date, I asked for an open enrollment transportation policy. On August 11th, um I asked for um bond spending, what is left and what deferred maintenance we did not do after spending $9 million to build Loretta Zumbro. Um on September 8th, I asked for a liquidated damages policy. On September 22nd, I asked to
036discuss Dreambox and the grant that was found um to help pay for that. And then on September 24th, I asked to have an agenda item about the self-report of the um land resolution and to review the procurement for FY25. Okay. None of those appeared on the staff's agenda item that they sent out in the board update. So I presume that staff talked to you. Staff did not ask for any of those to be placed on the agenda, which typically they don't do until they're ready to prepare for those. But we will have Miss Camarado re-watch the minutes of the meeting of the tonight and catch all of your stuff. You can also go on to the website uh that staff created uh I asked to make visible so you can fill them out there as
037well. They'll all get on the agenda. But again, we just uh met, Vice President Kenyon and I met just a week ago with staff and none of those items were on the list of uh um of things ready to be prepared presented to the uh board at this time. When staff gets them prepared, we'll we'll move forward with them. Are there any other board topics? >> Mr. President, if I may, >> you may. I would like to um explore other insurance uh options for the district or our staff. Can't get into a whole lot in in this because it's just requesting a agenda topic. >> Okay. >> Um and then another one would be explore options other than ASBA, which kind of ties to that first one as well, but explore other options to ASBA.
038Okay. Anything else? All right, hearing none. Mode item 4.1, upcoming board meetings. We have October 27th is a special meeting. November 10th is a special board meeting with a regular board meeting attached to it. Most likely that will just be the regular board meeting. November 24th is an optional special board meeting. December 8th is a special board meeting and regular board meeting. Again, most likely just a regular board meeting for that. The other item I would like to ask be agenda for our next meeting is staff's update on the procurement uh process of having search firms come in to search for the permanent superintendent. We had requested that. I know I worked with staff to get that sent out, but I've heard nothing back yet. So, we'll take an update on that. Um I'll move
039us to item 5.1 adjournment of the meeting. Our business is concluded. Time is 6:39. We'll show the meeting adjourned. [Music]